Monday, June 25, 2018
Penny's back!
This week was really good! Most of the week was pretty warm and we had a lot of stuff going on to keep us busy. We were able to visit a few people that live far away because we are doing good on miles this month. It was also transfer week for a lot of the mission but since we are staying we didn't have to do anything for that. We have a few new missionaries in the district, one of them is a Greenie who is waiting for her visa to go to the Philippines. Her name is Sister Jarvies and she is companions with the sisters in Neenah. We also have a new Elder in Appleton hmong and in Neenah Spanish.
On P day last week we were able to play sports for a little bit. It was good to get some exercise in but we had to leave earlier than normal because we had an early dinner appointment with a recent convert. It was a really good dinner and then we were able to go try to go by a few people, but nobody was home. Then on Tuesday we had a really good day. We had two appointments set up but one of them ended up falling through. We were able to teach Crystal, and some of her family was even there too that we were able to start talking to and hopefully begin teaching. That was cool to be able to find while we were teaching! Our other appointment was with a family who the mom was baptized recently, but we now are trying to work with the kids. One of them was sick so they canceled. It's kind of rough to have appointments fall through, but that is part of life. So the rest of the day Tuesday was spent finding and we had an awesome dinner appointment with the Syring family!
So then Wednesday was transfer day in the mission and we were able to continue working and actually saw some success! It was cool because we had both a lunch and a dinner appointment and then we had an appointment to teach an investigator later that night. The lunch was at an all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet that was very delicious! Then we had dinner at the Wrights and they're really cool too, we were able to talk to their returned missionary son for quite a while. Then we went tracting and didn't feel like we had found anyone very promising, but Thursday we found out one of them was actually interested. Then we had the appointment with Caitlin who is 13 and it went pretty well. One of the members came with us and then took us out to get McDonald's afterwards, so we pretty much had two dinners.
Thursday was also a really good day we were able to take one of the young men tracting with us and we also were doing a lot of work in Little Chute. So the story from tracting on Wednesday. We walked up to this lady who was in her garage and on the phone. She told us that she was busy and to come back tomorrow at 12. So we went back at 12 but she wasn't home... So that was kind of sad. But then we were in the area later that night and had the prompting to go and stop by her again. When we knocked on her door she came right out and apologized for not being home earlier and wanted to hear more. She is really cool and we are excited to continue to work with her.
Friday was also a very fun day. We drove down to Sherwood, and help set up for a camp that the youth were doing. It was really cool because it was right next to the Niagara Encampment. If you don't know what that is you should look it up because it is really cool. I took some pictures that I will send by the rocks that it left. It is basically where a glacier dumped all the rocks that it was carrying. The rest of the day on Friday was spent calling the district, going to dinner, and doing a little more finding. We found a bunch of old people that weren't interested in the gospel.
Then Saturday was really cool. We woke up and were able to go to a meeting in Oshkosh with the stake president. All the missionaries in the stake were invited and we talked about how we can better work with the numbers. Lots of good insight there. Then we had brunch afterwards and it was really good. Later that day we stopped by someone I had talked with a couple times before named Penny. Her and her husband Fred know that the Book of Mormon is true but have not had a desire to come to church. We invited them and boldly told them that this is the true church and they need to be a part of it. Penny promised us that she would come to church and she did! So that was really cool to see happen. Then later that night we went to our Ward Mission leaders house to have correlation.
Sunday was also a pretty fun day. We went to church and sacrament meeting was all about charity. Which was much needed for me. We also were told 30 seconds before class started that we needed to teach gospel principles... So it went alright but not the greatest lesson ever.
So this week was a really good one! Also this email might be longer than normal because I talked it instead of typing it. If there are any typos that I missed I apologize and I hope that you can get the real meaning. I love you all hope you have a great week!
Elder Reynolds
On P day last week we were able to play sports for a little bit. It was good to get some exercise in but we had to leave earlier than normal because we had an early dinner appointment with a recent convert. It was a really good dinner and then we were able to go try to go by a few people, but nobody was home. Then on Tuesday we had a really good day. We had two appointments set up but one of them ended up falling through. We were able to teach Crystal, and some of her family was even there too that we were able to start talking to and hopefully begin teaching. That was cool to be able to find while we were teaching! Our other appointment was with a family who the mom was baptized recently, but we now are trying to work with the kids. One of them was sick so they canceled. It's kind of rough to have appointments fall through, but that is part of life. So the rest of the day Tuesday was spent finding and we had an awesome dinner appointment with the Syring family!
So then Wednesday was transfer day in the mission and we were able to continue working and actually saw some success! It was cool because we had both a lunch and a dinner appointment and then we had an appointment to teach an investigator later that night. The lunch was at an all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet that was very delicious! Then we had dinner at the Wrights and they're really cool too, we were able to talk to their returned missionary son for quite a while. Then we went tracting and didn't feel like we had found anyone very promising, but Thursday we found out one of them was actually interested. Then we had the appointment with Caitlin who is 13 and it went pretty well. One of the members came with us and then took us out to get McDonald's afterwards, so we pretty much had two dinners.
Thursday was also a really good day we were able to take one of the young men tracting with us and we also were doing a lot of work in Little Chute. So the story from tracting on Wednesday. We walked up to this lady who was in her garage and on the phone. She told us that she was busy and to come back tomorrow at 12. So we went back at 12 but she wasn't home... So that was kind of sad. But then we were in the area later that night and had the prompting to go and stop by her again. When we knocked on her door she came right out and apologized for not being home earlier and wanted to hear more. She is really cool and we are excited to continue to work with her.
Friday was also a very fun day. We drove down to Sherwood, and help set up for a camp that the youth were doing. It was really cool because it was right next to the Niagara Encampment. If you don't know what that is you should look it up because it is really cool. I took some pictures that I will send by the rocks that it left. It is basically where a glacier dumped all the rocks that it was carrying. The rest of the day on Friday was spent calling the district, going to dinner, and doing a little more finding. We found a bunch of old people that weren't interested in the gospel.
Then Saturday was really cool. We woke up and were able to go to a meeting in Oshkosh with the stake president. All the missionaries in the stake were invited and we talked about how we can better work with the numbers. Lots of good insight there. Then we had brunch afterwards and it was really good. Later that day we stopped by someone I had talked with a couple times before named Penny. Her and her husband Fred know that the Book of Mormon is true but have not had a desire to come to church. We invited them and boldly told them that this is the true church and they need to be a part of it. Penny promised us that she would come to church and she did! So that was really cool to see happen. Then later that night we went to our Ward Mission leaders house to have correlation.
Sunday was also a pretty fun day. We went to church and sacrament meeting was all about charity. Which was much needed for me. We also were told 30 seconds before class started that we needed to teach gospel principles... So it went alright but not the greatest lesson ever.
So this week was a really good one! Also this email might be longer than normal because I talked it instead of typing it. If there are any typos that I missed I apologize and I hope that you can get the real meaning. I love you all hope you have a great week!
Elder Reynolds
Tuesday, June 19, 2018
Book of Mormon pics of Elder Reynolds and Elder Raymer (Surprise text from Appleton)
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| Elder Reynolds and Elder Raymer Surprise text on a Tuesday night from a sweet member in Appleton! |
Monday, June 18, 2018
Transfer Week!
This week has been pretty crazy all around! To start out, transfer news! I am staying here in Appleton and elder Raymer will still be my companion! I love this area, and elder Raymer is really cool too so I am pretty excited! But on top of that this week was still pretty crazy! So we started out on p day going to a baseball game! The tickets were free if you ate lunch at a specific restaurant, and so we did and it was pretty fun! There is a kid that went to Pleasent Grove high school in Utah that is now playing for this team here in Appleton. Their name is the Appleton timberrattlers! They are pretty much like the Ogden raptors. So not a huge deal, but it was still fun.
Then on Tuesday we had the last district meeting of the transfer which is pretty sad because like half of our district is getting transferred. But life continues. And then after district meeting we had a couple of hours to find some people to teach! It was super fun and pretty successful! We have a lot of potential investigators that we are trying to follow up with but people are never home. So that's annoying.
Then on Wednesday we had exchanges so one of the hmong elders, Elder Green came over into our area and we were able to do some work. It was really cool because I felt like we should go knock this one street and so we did. And turns out there is a few Hmong people that live on thag street as well so we were able to do work for both of the areas at the same time. Pretty cool stuff.
Then on Thursday we didn't have a ton going on so it turned into a good amount of finding, which is never a bad thing for us! We also have this new member missionary work thing going on and so we had an appointment for that with the Webers and it was cool! The spirit works in really cool ways, and we were able to hear some of brother Webers mission stories and that was motivating for me!
Then Friday was a pretty good day! So there is a small town named Sherwood that is about 30 min from our apartment but in our area. There are a couple of members that live down there, and one of them is a part member family so we really wanted to visit them. We had a lot of time on Friday so we decided to go down there and check it out. Turns out that only one of the people we were trying to visit would be home.. But it was the part member family and we were super excited to be able to talk with them! Then we had dinner with one of my favorite families the McGinns and it was super fun. They had some extra kids because the other families parents and older siblings were at youth conference for the week! So there were a ton of kids running around, which was so funny.
Then Saturday we helped a member move out and then had 2 teaching appointments! It was cool because one of them was unexpected. We knocked on a potentials door and they let us right in and we were able to teach them a little more than the last time. The other one was with a part member family who was so excited to learn more about the church! The biggest problem there is that they aren't married, so we are working on that!
Sunday was a great day like Sundays always are. Church is great, every single week. I love that there is always so much to learn. Also we taught priests quorum this week and it was pretty cool! There are some super fun priests in the ward and their experiences from youth conference were way cool. They were in Nauvoo, and I was pretty jealous.
So it was overall a really good week and we hope to have another good one this week!
Here is a spiritual thought for ya.
John 14:15
"If ye love me, keep my commandments"
It is so simply put here that if we love God and Jesus Christ we should be striving to keep the commandments. The gospel of Jesus Christ teaches us that we should strive to do as he did, and live as he has asked us to live. By doing so we show our love for him and he can then give us blessings. Keeping the commandments is the fastest way to the happiest life 😊
Hope you have a great week!
Elder Reynolds
Then on Tuesday we had the last district meeting of the transfer which is pretty sad because like half of our district is getting transferred. But life continues. And then after district meeting we had a couple of hours to find some people to teach! It was super fun and pretty successful! We have a lot of potential investigators that we are trying to follow up with but people are never home. So that's annoying.
Then on Wednesday we had exchanges so one of the hmong elders, Elder Green came over into our area and we were able to do some work. It was really cool because I felt like we should go knock this one street and so we did. And turns out there is a few Hmong people that live on thag street as well so we were able to do work for both of the areas at the same time. Pretty cool stuff.
Then on Thursday we didn't have a ton going on so it turned into a good amount of finding, which is never a bad thing for us! We also have this new member missionary work thing going on and so we had an appointment for that with the Webers and it was cool! The spirit works in really cool ways, and we were able to hear some of brother Webers mission stories and that was motivating for me!
Then Friday was a pretty good day! So there is a small town named Sherwood that is about 30 min from our apartment but in our area. There are a couple of members that live down there, and one of them is a part member family so we really wanted to visit them. We had a lot of time on Friday so we decided to go down there and check it out. Turns out that only one of the people we were trying to visit would be home.. But it was the part member family and we were super excited to be able to talk with them! Then we had dinner with one of my favorite families the McGinns and it was super fun. They had some extra kids because the other families parents and older siblings were at youth conference for the week! So there were a ton of kids running around, which was so funny.
Then Saturday we helped a member move out and then had 2 teaching appointments! It was cool because one of them was unexpected. We knocked on a potentials door and they let us right in and we were able to teach them a little more than the last time. The other one was with a part member family who was so excited to learn more about the church! The biggest problem there is that they aren't married, so we are working on that!
Sunday was a great day like Sundays always are. Church is great, every single week. I love that there is always so much to learn. Also we taught priests quorum this week and it was pretty cool! There are some super fun priests in the ward and their experiences from youth conference were way cool. They were in Nauvoo, and I was pretty jealous.
So it was overall a really good week and we hope to have another good one this week!
Here is a spiritual thought for ya.
John 14:15
"If ye love me, keep my commandments"
It is so simply put here that if we love God and Jesus Christ we should be striving to keep the commandments. The gospel of Jesus Christ teaches us that we should strive to do as he did, and live as he has asked us to live. By doing so we show our love for him and he can then give us blessings. Keeping the commandments is the fastest way to the happiest life 😊
Hope you have a great week!
Elder Reynolds
Monday, June 11, 2018
Miracles Happen!
Well this week went by super fast! And we stayed pretty busy the entire time! Starting off with Monday last week we went to the mall and then went to downtown and walked around all the little shops and stuff that is there. It was super cool, there is a ton to see here in Appleton that I didn't even know existed yet! So then on Tuesday we had exchanges with the elders in the Appleton 1st ward, so I was in their area for the second half of the day Tuesday and some of the day Wednesday. I was working with Elder Piscoitta and he is a blast to be around! Really our entire district is pretty cool so that's fun. But we had a really cool experience where we showed up at a part member families house unexpected and they let us right in and fed us some dinner! We then had a really good conversation with them about all sorts of stuff. Although it was sad because in our area that day elder Raymer and Jeffs taught like 3 lessons to some pretty cool people! So we decided that I should leave the area more often because that is when we teach all the lessons. Haha 😂 not really but sometimes it feels that way.
So then when I came back to my area on Wednesday we had some time to do some finding and then we had a dinner appointment! Then on Thursday we had a couple of really cool things happen while we were knocking doors! So we had been going for a good hour and then some on this one street and it just wasn't seeing any success. But we kept going and ran into this guy in his garage that opened up to us and told us all about how his friend was in the hospital on his death bed and he was in distress. It was so cool to see that the Lord put him in our path or us in his to help him. Then we finished that street pretty much completely and drove a little bit to do some more finding. We are about to get out of the car and we get a call from a member asking if we could go and give them a blessing. So it was like 6:45 and I felt strongly that we needed to just knock for a little bit on this street we were on before we left. So we start knocking and the 3rd door we knock on we were able to share the message of the restoration and set a return appointment! The prompting from the spirit are real people! God cares enough about these other people to have missionaries like us go and talk to them all over the place! God loves his children! So that was an awesome day!
Then Saturday we tried to contact at the Flag Day Parade and it was very awkward. People don't want to talk to you while you are at a parade... But like the entire city was there so we couldn't do a whole lot more than that, so it was cool. I didn't know flag day was such a big deal out here but it was a huge parade! Then the rest of the day we spent in appointments teaching and then we had dinner and a meeting with the ward mission leader. It was a good day! Then Sunday was pretty great too! We had a really good sacrament meeting and then we had an old investigator show up that we weren't expecting and that was super cool!! So if anything was learned this week it is that there are miracles happening in Wisconsin!
So here's a spiritual thought for you all:
D & C 130:21
If there is a blessing that we want we must find the law and obey it. That is why we are blessed. It is when we are doing something that God can bless us for. All things have a law, so if you want a blessing you need to find the law and obey it and God will bless you!
Hope you all have a wonderful week!
Elder Reynolds
So then when I came back to my area on Wednesday we had some time to do some finding and then we had a dinner appointment! Then on Thursday we had a couple of really cool things happen while we were knocking doors! So we had been going for a good hour and then some on this one street and it just wasn't seeing any success. But we kept going and ran into this guy in his garage that opened up to us and told us all about how his friend was in the hospital on his death bed and he was in distress. It was so cool to see that the Lord put him in our path or us in his to help him. Then we finished that street pretty much completely and drove a little bit to do some more finding. We are about to get out of the car and we get a call from a member asking if we could go and give them a blessing. So it was like 6:45 and I felt strongly that we needed to just knock for a little bit on this street we were on before we left. So we start knocking and the 3rd door we knock on we were able to share the message of the restoration and set a return appointment! The prompting from the spirit are real people! God cares enough about these other people to have missionaries like us go and talk to them all over the place! God loves his children! So that was an awesome day!
Then Saturday we tried to contact at the Flag Day Parade and it was very awkward. People don't want to talk to you while you are at a parade... But like the entire city was there so we couldn't do a whole lot more than that, so it was cool. I didn't know flag day was such a big deal out here but it was a huge parade! Then the rest of the day we spent in appointments teaching and then we had dinner and a meeting with the ward mission leader. It was a good day! Then Sunday was pretty great too! We had a really good sacrament meeting and then we had an old investigator show up that we weren't expecting and that was super cool!! So if anything was learned this week it is that there are miracles happening in Wisconsin!
So here's a spiritual thought for you all:
D & C 130:21
If there is a blessing that we want we must find the law and obey it. That is why we are blessed. It is when we are doing something that God can bless us for. All things have a law, so if you want a blessing you need to find the law and obey it and God will bless you!
Hope you all have a wonderful week!
Elder Reynolds
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| Flag Day Parade |
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| Elder Raymer & Elder Reynolds at the Richards |
Monday, June 4, 2018
Busy Busy Week
This week was a super fun week! It flew by because of p day being on Tuesday last week it feels like the week was like half as long, but it was really really good! We stayed super busy. So for p day on Tuesday we went mini golfing and did some go karting at a place in Appleton and that was honestly so fun! So then on Wednesday we were pretty busy. We had district meeting in the morning and then we went and had a couple hours to do some finding and then we had this guy that was visiting our mission from salt lake work with us! And he was able to come to 2 lessons with us, and they both went really well! We were able to teach one of our new investigators Troy and his wife Crystal and it went super well! They were open to the idea of reading the book of Mormon and praying! So we are hoping to get back with them this week and be able to teach them some more! We also had an appointment with a part member family, and they are super cool so it was another good visit! It was kinda intimidating to have this guy from Salt Lake with us, but he was really cool and super helpful in our work! Plus he took us out to Olive Garden so that was a big bonus 😉 haha really it was some good food!
So then on Thursday I was with another elder in our district on exchanges! His name is Elder Parker and he is a Hmong missionary. And it was a little bit of a rough day, but we had a good time! Then I get a call on Thursday that all of the district leaders in the mission are having to go to the MLC. Which is mission leadership counsel. So that took up like my entire day on Friday! Which honestly kinda sucked because I wasn't in my area for 2 whole days! All I did in my area was sleep in my apartment! So that was pretty lame.
Then on Saturday we had to do a bunch of planning and call the district and like half of our day was already gone after we did that, so that was pretty lame. So we then did a bunch of inviting people to church because nobody had been coming so we decided to just invite everyone we could think of! And honestly it worked! We didn't see all the people we invited, but there were 3 of our investigators that came! So that was awesome to see! Honestly Sunday was pretty busy again! We had a super fun dinner appointment where I got roasted the entire time for not knowing any movies... So that was pretty funny!
But overall a really really good week! The work just keeps getting better and better and there is so much to do! We are looking forward for the next few weeks here in Appleton and see the blessings that come from the work we put in!
Here's a spiritual thought for you: so at MLC we were listening to this guy from Salt Lake and he said something a long the lines of "We dont see success because we are much more afraid of success than failure" I think it is very true in missionary work and in life in general. There is so much that we could do and see success. Small and simple things like reading from the scriptures daily and praying. But it is easier to fail so we choose to take the easy way out. We are more afraid to do something hard and succeed than to do something easy and fail. I know that through Christ we can gain the desire to do the hard thing rather than the easy wrong. To quote President Monson "May we ever choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong"
I hope you all have a great week!
Elder Reynolds
So then on Thursday I was with another elder in our district on exchanges! His name is Elder Parker and he is a Hmong missionary. And it was a little bit of a rough day, but we had a good time! Then I get a call on Thursday that all of the district leaders in the mission are having to go to the MLC. Which is mission leadership counsel. So that took up like my entire day on Friday! Which honestly kinda sucked because I wasn't in my area for 2 whole days! All I did in my area was sleep in my apartment! So that was pretty lame.
Then on Saturday we had to do a bunch of planning and call the district and like half of our day was already gone after we did that, so that was pretty lame. So we then did a bunch of inviting people to church because nobody had been coming so we decided to just invite everyone we could think of! And honestly it worked! We didn't see all the people we invited, but there were 3 of our investigators that came! So that was awesome to see! Honestly Sunday was pretty busy again! We had a super fun dinner appointment where I got roasted the entire time for not knowing any movies... So that was pretty funny!
But overall a really really good week! The work just keeps getting better and better and there is so much to do! We are looking forward for the next few weeks here in Appleton and see the blessings that come from the work we put in!
Here's a spiritual thought for you: so at MLC we were listening to this guy from Salt Lake and he said something a long the lines of "We dont see success because we are much more afraid of success than failure" I think it is very true in missionary work and in life in general. There is so much that we could do and see success. Small and simple things like reading from the scriptures daily and praying. But it is easier to fail so we choose to take the easy way out. We are more afraid to do something hard and succeed than to do something easy and fail. I know that through Christ we can gain the desire to do the hard thing rather than the easy wrong. To quote President Monson "May we ever choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong"
I hope you all have a great week!
Elder Reynolds
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