Learning From the Book of Mormon

I look forward to hearing about how fair goes. I wish I could be home to help train and fit the steers. Those skills I learned with the steers have carried into missionary life.  Elder Palmer and I needed hair cuts, so I trimmed him up, and he cut my hair. He did a good job. Also, training and steer is a bit like training a new missionary.  First of all, you are always training when you are with the steers. They observe everything you do and your reactions.  Second, it is best to be consistent in how you tell the steer what to do so they know exactly what you are trying to tell them.  In a similar way, a new missionary pays attention to everything you do.  You have to be consistent in your attitude and the rules that you keep.  If for any reason you need to do something that does not fall in line with all the rules, specifically the minor ones, it is important to explain why and what.  From what I understand, parenting is very similar.  You can’t pick and choose when you are training, or parenting.

This last week and the week before, there have been homecoming talks by missionaries returning to this ward. One of the recently returned missionaries served in La Crosse, Wisconsin and spoke Hmong. He knew the Bakers! That was a fun connection. One missionary got home from Argentina last week.  I have observed who these missionaries become and their testimonies, and how they adjust to “real life.”  Some are super happy, others act like they are still far away, another made everyone feel special. When I get home, I will be super exited to be with you all again.  It may take some time to adjust.  I may feel like it’s not real.  I’ll need to be busy.  I may get stressed as I make decisions about college, but I will love being with you to share experiences, laugh, play, talk, and work. 

What are some of the insights that you have found as you have read the scriptures lately?  I’ve found that the Book of Mormon was written for our day.  Helaman 13: 24-28 describes how corrupt people can be.  They go to pastors who preach smooth things, who say you are saved by grace.  You cannot work your way into heaven, so just be a good person.  Christ has payed the price for your sins.  Well, true it is that Christ’s grace is what saves us, and, on our own, we unworthy creatures cannot merit anything, but it is upon conditions of repentance that we receive Christ’s mercy.  To save us (meaning reward us all Eternal Life) regardless of the choices we made, would not be just.  And god is just. Were it not so, God would cease to be God, and we could never anticipate the results of our choices, therefore making it impossible to choose good verses evil.  (I hope that made sense, if not, you can ask me about it when I get home, or in a letter.)

Another passage in Helaman, Helaman16: 20-22, describes a complaint/argument that unbelievers have.  I hear this today too.  People say that we are brainwashed or controlled by a prophet, a man. They say that they only need their relationship with God, not man.  They think that religion restricts them, telling them what they should or shouldn't do.  They are not willing to humble themselves and seek to do the God’s will.  Why do they not see that living in sin restricts them?  Doing God’s will enables us to be free.  Anarchy is not freedom.  Living within the bounds the Lord has set will grant us Eternal Life someday. What could be more free than inheriting all that the Father has? Romans 8:16-17 Anyway, Helaman wrote for our day.  His days were like our days.  If only we could learn from those accounts.

Madelene's Baptism

Saturday was Madelene's baptism. She came with her white hair looking nice. We took pictures with her. Madelene also brought her care-taker, Rexine, who is not a member (Rexine came to our lesson with Madelene on Thursday and she seemed very interested...). Many members from the ward attended. I gave a talk on baptism that was very brief. I shared two scriptures (2Nephi 31:5-7 and  Romans 6:1-3). We had 4 non-members from our ward who were there, so I hope they understood what was taught. Elder Palmer baptized Madelene with the assistance of a boy who has a mission call to Ecuador.

Madelene was slightly nervous (she has a hard time getting around because of a back injury), but they put her down slowly into the water and only had to do it once. While we waited for Madelene to change, we passed our paper for the members and non-members to write on to Madelene. She told us on Sunday that she had read all the notes, and she thanked us and others for their words.

Sunday was a day full of miracles. A man named Nicolas came into church with shorts and a purple t-shirt on about 30 minutes before church. He's from New York, but he lives here now. He had attended church before with colleagues of his and he is interested in learning more. We got his number. Our Elder's Quorum President and Ward Mission Leader jumped on it. Nicolas sat with one of them and he looked comfortable! Heavenly Father can do His own work. Madelene got confirmed in sacrament meeting and there were a bunch of non-members there because a guy named Dakota was giving his homecoming talk from his mission. Grace, a 93 year old investigator of ours, also came to listen to her dear friend, Sister Greding, speak. (I'm not sure what it is with us teaching old ladies).

After church we went by a potential investigator who said to come by at 4:30. The potential wasn't there, but a guy named Steve answered. He said he'd be interested in learning more, so we set up a return appointment for Tuesday!

For dinner, we ate with the Galeria family. Their youngest daughter just graduated high school and she's preparing for a mission. She has a boyfriend named Tony who also came for dinner. Those two have been reading the Book of Mormon together and right now they are in Mosiah, I think. We asked if we could share a message. The Galeria's asked if we would teach Tony the restoration. Of course, we accepted. We tried to understand what Tony believes and what level of understanding he has by asking questions. Although Tony didn't understand everything we taught, the Spirit was in that home so strong, especially as Brother Galeria shared his testimony. We asked Tony if he would get baptized if he found that the Book of Mormon was true. He said "yes"! We left the Galeria's filled with the Spirit.

The great day didn't end there. The Fauvers had us over for cake because Sister Fauver's birthday is this week. They also had planned on us teaching one of their daughter's friends, named Kayla. Kayla did not grow up in a very religious home. She knew about or believed in God, but was not familiar with much of the Bible or what the Atonement is. However, she'd been asking her friend, Sofia, a bunch of really sincere questions. Kayla recognized that she felt happy and "pure" (that was how she described the Spirit to us) when she talked with us, when she hangs out at the Fauver's, and when she comes to church (she's been to church twice since I've been here). We taught her who Heavenly Father is, who Jesus Christ is, how the spirit speaks to us, and prayer. She loved the lesson. The feeling of peace and truth that the Spirit brings just wrapped the room up like a warm blanket. Both Sofia and another 16 year old kid from the ward sat in on the lesson and had great input. They testified of the Book of Mormon and modern day prophets. I wish you could have watched Kayla's face light up as we told her that we have a prophet on Earth today!

I'm so happy out here. There are struggles and disappointments, but the thoughts and effects of all the challenges are made sweet when God reveals His hand. The Priesthood is real! The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ. Joseph Smith saw who he said he saw. Jesus Christ is my savior. We are all beloved sons and daughters of Heavenly Parents. The Holy Ghost has confirmed these things to me. Heavenly Father knows each one of us. We are led today by a prophet called of God.

Follow-up Training Meeting

Training again!

Transfers were this past week.  Hyrum is staying in Thousand Oaks, but will now be a Trainer instead of a District Leader.  So, this past Wednesday, he got a brand new missionary that he will train for the next 6 weeks.  He was super excited to be training again.  He loves his new companion.  He is a hard worker, loves to work out and will go running with Hyrum.  Hyrum says he does about 100-140 pushups and sit-ups each morning.  Wow!  He's going to come home all buff!!

Hyrum's District

Transfer process, but Hyrum isn't in the picture

Next transfer, we will be in a car share with another set of missionaries. That means that half of the time we will be biking. WooHoo! For the last three days the temperature has been near 100! Yesterday was especially bad in suits. Our area is full of hills. This car share will be a great experience for a new missionary. I remember being on full bikes my first two transfers. It was great for me. Plus, being on the bikes will give us more opportunities to meet people as we go.

Madelene, is set for baptism on July 9th! We were able to get into a home with twin 13 year old boys. They sent us off with a carton of fresh eggs from their chickens and as we were leaving, the family said "see you soon!" Although they did not set a return appointment, it sounds like they expect us back. . . They know some members of the ward.  I love this area so much. Even though the area is geographically small, biking is going to be a challenge. There are a lot of hills and we live out of our area. Still, being visible on bikes will be good.

Here's a picture of a dead rat some other elders put on our car.  Not cool!

Hyrum spoke in church on Father's Day.  He spoke about the similarities between his earthly father and his Heavenly Father.  It must have been really good, because one member took notes and then typed them and emailed his talk to us!  Another member sent me a text and let me know how much she enjoyed Hyrum's talk and that he is a wonderful missionary.  Hyrum told them about our family tradition of shooting prairie dogs on July 4th.  I guess that got a laugh from everyone.  He did clarify that we do it because they eat the pasture the cows need and make holes the horses could step in and brake a leg.  I think that was a totally foreign concept for the California people :)  They loved his stories about his dad.

Hyrum at a District Leader Training

  

100 Days Left!

Monday, June 6 means Hyrum has 100 days left until he returns home!!  It will feel so good to be in the double digits.  Hyrum's letters continue to be short, but wonderful.  We love hearing from him.  A few weeks ago, on a Preparation Day, Hyrum, his companion and two other missionaries went mountain biking with non-member and had a great time!

Andy, the man who took Hyrum and three other elders mountain biking, let me borrow a mountain bike.  Andy gave us a few tips and we were off.  Long story short, mountain biking is rougher than I thought.  There were lots of rocks which made it difficult to keep traction and balance.  One elder brought a hybrid bike.  The wheels were kind of narrow and not make for trail riding.  This was his first time too.  The other elders had some experience with mountain biking, so they went ahead.  The elder with the hybrid bike struggled to stay up, so I stayed back with him.  For once, I was the kid who everyone waited for and who doesn't get a rest.  Overall, I really liked the experience.  I had no problem physically, strength-wise, but I lacked technique.  Mountain biking is something that I think I could really enjoy.

Elder Ruby's District while he served as District Leader

Here is a poem President Felix sent to the missionaries:

Smiling is infectious, you catch it like the flu.
When someone smiled at me today, I started smiling too.

I passed around the corner and someone saw my grin
When he smiled I realized I'd passed it on to him.

I thought about that smile then I realized it's worth,
A single smile, just like mine, could travel round the earth.

So, if you feel a smile begin, don't leave it undetected.
Let's start an epidemic quick, and get the world infected!

At the end of May, Hyrum wrote:
The days are long.  We seem to be walking the streets trying to talk with everyone, but we are yeilding little results.  What keeps me going are the little miracles that come from nowhere.  At 8:50pm we ran into an Asian man waxing his car in his garage.  We bore our testimony of the blessings that have come to us because of the restored gospel.  He really liked what we had to say and gave us his personal phone number and asked about church.  He said he had to talk with his fiance about coming to church first.  Yesterday, we ate dinner with some members who invited some non-member friends over.  We watched the beginning of the Sunday morning session of General Conference and listened to President Monson speak.  Tonight, we called a member up to set up a short visit with their family and they told us that their girls have friends who are interested.  All these moments make the long days worth it.

I know this is God's work.  I know He loves us with all his heart, might, mind and strength.  I know that Jesus Christ is the Savior.  I know that Joseph Smith was the prophet called to restore Christ's church and priesthood authority upon the earth.

Transferred to Thousand Oaks

Boy, these last two weeks have gone by so fast.  That always happens when I am busy.  This time is was Haven's graduation.  Two weeks ago Hyrum was transferred to Thousand Oaks, CA to be a District Leader there.  Here is a little from him on his most recent assignment as a District Leader and some pictures too.

Our ward mission leader brought me to tears, good tears, the second day in the area. After dinner at his home, he shared the ward's vision and mission plan. Brother Whitman had, and has, so much faith. I couldn't help but feel the confidence that God had in this ward and in us as missionaries. I learned that nothing is impossible with Christ. We haven't yet set anyone with a date, but I am confident that we can do miracles if we believe.

We helped out a recent convert family the other day on their yard. As we did, we asked about their conversion story. They told us that their daughter had a member friend who invited them to church. The first time they went to church, they didn't really like it. However, after many invitations and her children wanting to go back, the parents eventually opened their hearts and felt the truth.  We shared this story with many members this week to encourage them to continue inviting.

Being a district leader has been very new to me. I feel inadequate sometimes.  I heard good feedback from the district about district meeting, so I guess I didn't do too bad. :)

I feel like I have been serving in this ward for a long time already. They just feel like family. Of course, they could never replace you, but they make me feel at home.

Today we are going to Mountain bike with a non-member whose wife is a member. Hopefully that will soften his heart a bit. This will be my first time. Don't worry, I will go slow.

It was a tough week. We have four investigators all of whom would not meet this week. We did have wonderful splits with the ward on Thursday. We discovered a few neat connections with the members and investigators/less-actives. #miracles. This week we have done a lot of street contacting, but we haven't found many who would receive us. It has helped me understand that I can't do this all on my own.

I am learning to be even more of myself. I am learning to speak my mind more and trust that the Lord will give me what I need to say.

This past week we had the missionaries over for dinner.  Right after they left, I got a text from a wonderful member in Thousand Oaks who had Hyrum over for dinner that same night.  She sent me two pictures of him.  It was so cool!

Elder Ruby and Elder Hunter

Elder Ruby with smoked pizza

Where did they arrive from?

I apologize.  We have been having tons of problems with our internet, so I haven't been able to post anything for Elder Ruby lately.  He has been doing really well, as you all know.  This is his last week as an Assistant to the President.  He will receive a new assignment that will start Tuesday May 10.  I will find out the new assignment when we talk to him on Mother's Day.  I am so excited to talk to him!!  Hyrum asked us to prepare to visit with him about our favorite scripture and why we chose it.  He said he can talk for 30-40 minutes.  I know it won't be near long enough.  I will treasure every minute.  

Here's a little from his email today:

Guess what! Mark (a young man he baptized a while ago) just submitted his mission paperwork to SLC. He put his availability date August 9th, the day of his confirmation! This means that he attend the temple while I am still on a mission. If that is the case, then I will be able to go with him if it's at the LA or Fresno Temple. I am just jumping for joy right now! This is why he said he is going:

"1. I've discovered an overwhelming love for Jesus Christ, and I think that it would be selfish of me not to spread that love to other people.

2. Since I've been a member of the Church, I have received so many unexpected blessings, it's impossible to count them all. I've always been really blessed, but my experience at school with the Church—the people that I've met, the support I've received from them, the opportunities that I've had to grow as an individual, etc.—has been something that I can't take advantage of without giving something back

3. Four of my best friends here are going to serve a mission after this year, and I think that by serving along side them, in all corners of the globe, we have an opportunity to grow closer as friends than we ever could have been without the experience.

4. For the last 14 years of my life, I've been focused entirely on school. It's a noble, but entirely inward focus. I think that by serving a mission will aid me in an effort to become outward focused. and more conscious of the people around me."

I am so happy for him.

We almost achieved all our goals last week! It feels so good to accomplish what we hope for. And achieving those goals gives us more hope. I love it. We really enjoy working in our area. Contacting people on campus has shown to be the most successful. We are also involving the members in missionary work and encouraging them to invite their friends/acquaintances to church or activities. The members love it. We took members contacting on campus and they seemed to know everyone. It was great!

I am learning to trust in God more. For my entire mission I have prayed to be led to those who have been prepared to receive the restored gospel. Despite my prayers, I don't feel like I have been led to as many as I thought I would be. Recently, I my mindset has changed a bit. I have chosen to give everyone a chance to receive the gospel, but if they do not accept it at this time, I just move on to the next. I have learned to clearly state our purpose and invite them to learn more. This has brought more peace to my heart and I expect to find someone eager for the truth sometime soon. Sadly, many people have hardened their hearts against the truth and the Spirit. I often feel like Jeremiah, Lehi, Alma, and many, if not all, the prophets did as they went out preaching to everyone that would hear them.

I tried to copy a few pictures from the California Ventura Mission blog, but the pictures wouldn't copy for me.  So, I will refer you to the blog's post of the Mission Tour to see 4 pictures of Hyrum.  He is in 3 at the beginning of the post and also the group photo of the Ventura Zone. 

Here are some statistics of his mission right now:

Where did they arrive from?

After the two missionaries who will be arriving (mid transfer) on Monday, April 18, we will have 146 single missionaries and 5 senior couple missionaries. This breaks down to:

Spanish Hermanas  22

English Sisters  28

Spanish Elders  21

English Elders  75

Below are the areas the single missionaries are from and how many came from that state or country:

Arizona 3
Brazil 1

California 1

Canada  6

Colorado 5

Georgia 1

Hondorus 1

Florida 2

Iowa 1

Idaho 19

Indiana 3

Kansas 2

Kentucky 1

Mexico 1

Maryland 1

Missouri 1

Montana 2

North Carolina 1

North Dakota 1

New Jersey 1

New Mexico 1

Nevada 3

Ohio 2

Oklahoma 3

Oregon 2

Pennsylvania 1

Tennesee 1

Texas 8

Utah 62

Virginia 3

Washington 3

Wyoming 3

All of the Senior Couples are from Utah.

Tiwi

Time flies when you are having fun.  Elder Boyce and I are loving the mission, but we don't' want it to end so soon.  Thankfully, I have a long time. . .  Sometimes we struggle and have tough days.  Here's some advice for current and soon-to-be missionaries: If you want the time to go by faster, you should work harder, smile and think about serving others:)

I loved General Conference!  I always do.  I'm not sure if it was just me, or what, but I noticed a theme of marriage and fulfilling our roles and magnifying our callings.  I liked Elder Renlund's talk.  Here is one quote from him, “The greater the distance between the giver and the receiver, the more the receiver develops a sense of entitlement.”  Since then, I have tried even harder to come closer to God. 

Our mission has been focusing on the Christlike attribute of humility since Zone Conference.  That is the same topic Elder Snow spoke about!

Hyrum mentioned that his new vehicle didn't have a Tiwi.  So I asked him what a Tiwi was.  In your last letter you asked what a Tiwi is.  It's a cross between a tangerine and a kiwi.  Just kidding!  He still has a sense of humor:)  Tiwi is a device installed in all mission vehicles that uses GPS to help coach us while driving.  It tells us to "check your speed" and give us violations when we go over speed bumps too fast, accelerate too fast, brake too hard, or go around a curve too fast.  The church records these and sends a weekly and transfer report on each driver's driving.  So far, I have been a green driver (verses a yellow or red)!

Right now we are cooking some halibut in the oven.  Our neighbor, Cindy, gave it and some freshly picked oranges to us.  She is super nice.  We are eating much better now that you sent me some recipes and with our crock pot.  Having prepared meals makes dinner at the apartment something to look forward to.  Some more advice: start learning to cook quick meals and be creative before serving your mission.

If you make the best of your week, it will go by fast! :)