Week #23 ~oh no oh no oh no

Family,

This week was just a little different. 

On Wednesday we went to interviews with our mission president.  It felt like I was going to show my report card to my parents.  I was kind of nervous because it was my first one with him and each interview was about a half hour long.  You couldn't hear anything that was happening inside the room.  There was a long wait for the interviews.  There was a chair right next to the door that everyone called the 'hot seat', which is the next person to get interviewed. 

When I got into the room with President Weston, he told me a lot of things and one was to write my own book that is like the book 'Hearing the Voice of the Lord' but with my own incites and thoughts about that kind of thing. 

On Friday we were volunteering at Skate land and I still had not used that $200 gift certificate.  So I had kept it in my wallet and while we were volunteering at Skate land this guy "R" who we know from Skate Land has been going through a lot of financial issues and told me he was flat broke.   He said that he just needs to trust in the Lord for what happens next.  I  thought that it would be the perfect time to give him my gift card.  He couldn't believe it at all and thought it was a joke and we had to convince him about 5 times before he believed us. "R" was super ecstatic and was very happy, I felt really good about doing it and helping him out.

We also volunteered at the elementary school this week for a member who is a teacher there.

Love,

Elder Vance

Week # 22 ~What a terrible feeling!

Hello All,

This week has been pretty good so far. 

Elder Elison and I have been getting closer every day and we really have been a great team with teaching and backing each other.

So on Wednesday we went to Omaha and I actually saw something taller that a few stories tall building,  The city was weird and foreign seeing it.

On Sunday we went and visited a investigator with a baptismal date set for February.  We went over there to teach him some more lessons to prepare him for the interviews that were that week.  We were going to put some blocks on his computer so he couldn't look at anything inappropriate and we found out that he has been looking at a ton of pornography of all kinds and for hours on end on his computer.  When we saw this we got off of it and after a few minutes he came come, ( he is 13 years old) and we confronted him about the porn on his computer.   We told him how addicting it can be and how destroying it can be to him and his family.  While we were talking to him he was continually trying to distract him self with everything.   We talked with him a little bit more and left.  Later that night at around 9 ish, we got a text from him saying that he doesn't want to get baptized and wants to wait a few years before he makes a baptism date.

We were pretty devastated.  Later at the apartment, Elder Elison asked me to give him a blessing.   When I was saying it I knew what to say and was saying things that I had not previously planned to say.  After the prayer we were both really feeling the spirit and that ended our day pretty good.

Thank you all for the super cool birthday gifts and for the various songs of happy birthday to me.

 Love, Elder Vance

El

           

           

Week #21 ~I feel OLD!!

Dear Family,

Nothing super fantastic happened this week because of transfers this week.  Except for my birthday!  I'm 20 years old and today I feel my teenageness leaving me at a very fast rate!

I have had an interesting personal experiences.  During church yesterday, I was thinking about repentance. Suddenly I felt a giant weight that was hanging over me, I could still move around and everything but the weight was hanging onto my spirit weighing it down heavily.  I thought to myself  why even sin if you are going to feel like this?  This experience was just a moment of feeling it but it gave me a giant in site into what it really does to us when we sin.  It was a real blessing and I hope it will help me be a better missionary.

That was my Sunday-Love you all,

Love Elder Vance

Week #20 ~I can't feel my toes, or my feet, or by body!!

Wa hooo.....Gosh dang!! It’s cold out here!! 

 I woke up to -8 this morning and the low today is around -30.  Every time I breathe in, I can feel the cold go down my throat and freeze. 

So here is a little about my area right now.  Mainly, it is still the same, no one ever moves into or out of Shenandoah, but we have been exploring the rest of our area that we never visit.  I don't know why we never have.   We were going around trying some doors and guess what happened?  

We have four new investigators! 

One of them is this guy named William J. He is from Africa and he is the most interesting guy ever.  He was attending the LDS church and wants to be back.   He used to be a very heavy BoM reader but has stopped now, he doesn't know why. He was telling us that back in Africa, he would come up to white people and tell them to give him their car keys and they would because he was pretty intimidating, meaning he was tall and super muscled.  He was very cool and we got along well.

  

New Years Eve and day, we spent most of the day visiting less actives, member, and recent converts families.  These are the families that can’t/don’t ever come to church.   We got them a little excited that it was New Years Eve, a couple of them didn’t even know that it was New Years Eve. That went great and we taught a lot of lessons.  As for us, we stayed up until our bedtime and went to sleep.

Last Sunday, both of us fasted for three meals and the spirit was amazing.  That was how we got inspiration for our four new investigators. Amazing time here in Shenandoah!

Love,

Elder Vance