Monday, March 26, 2012
Pictures!!
Keeping pace in the race
What an incredible week in the Iowa Des Moines Mission! I can't even begin to explain how happy I am and how fantastic this last week was! I'll cut right to the chase...
Saturday was the best day of my life! Besides setting stake and possibly mission records with the number of baptisms in one day...it was just fantastic!! Jennifer, Elaine, Daniel, Samantha, Riley, Maddie, and Tasha were all baptized! There is really no way to describe how awesome the whole weekend was. There were many times that i just was moved to tears throughout the weekend because of the reality of it all. These were not just baptisms. These were souls and children of our Father's that were making covenants with him. They were opening the gate to eternal life and setting themself on the path to happiness in this life and in the life to come. It's created quite a ripple effect too throughout their families and the ward. Jeff Ray, a brother, will be baptized on the 7th and also Tina Meier the mom will be baptized then as well. That's a whole family and 9 baptisms in one transfer. Can life be better? I submit that it cannot! After the confirmations on Sunday, which were incredible, we had fast and testimony meeting where the entire meeting just came back to missionary work and baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost. I can now stand before you testify with boldness of the principle taught in Doctrine and Covenants section 18:10-16...
"Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God; For, behold, the Lord your Redeemer suffered death in the flesh; wherefore he suffered the pain of all men, that all men might repent and come unto him. And he hath risen again from the dead, that he might bring all men unto him, on conditions of repentance. And how great is his joy in the soul that repenteth! Wherefore, you are called to cry repentance unto this people. And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father! And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!"
I testify that there is so much happiness that is nearly inexpressible by simple mortals as we are. There is nothing comparable to doing and accomplishing the savior's work. You have the opportunity to feel like he feels, to love and see others as he does. At times you can feel more love for one person than you think possible. The lesson I find myself learning repeatedly is that you don't have to have the name tag to feel that and see that. Missionary work is not warranted and permitted because of the name tag but should always be done with boldness.
Testimony meeting as before mentioned was incredible. I realized that i now only have 4 more of them left before i will be in the highland 7th ward one more. Scary! Ben Meier, the dad stood and bore his testimony and it was awesome. The guy hasn't set foot in church for 25 plus years and now he's bearing his testimony. It was awesome. I'll tell you a portion of what he said...
"...I haven't been to church in over 25 years after once being active when I was younger. Yesterday I watched my three girls be baptized. It all started with a simple prayer. Our family was caught up in so much turmoil and so I felt like we needed some guidance and direction. Less than one week later we had two missionaries on our porch. There are no coincidences in this life. Those two missionaries have changed our lives and they are now a part of our family. The spirit is now in our home and in our family. It's made all the difference because of one prayer..."
I love that family. I guess if you look on their Facebook you can see the pictures of the baptisms there as well.
I feel as if I am dishonoring the rest of the week by focusing so much on the weekend but I cannot express sufficiently how awesome it was. It has been a life changing moment for me. The rest of the week just shrinks in comparison.
I am, for the first time, at a loss for what to say. That has never happened in these emails. I feel a strong urge to simply bear my testimony. I've thought in the preceding weeks to fast and testimony meetings about the purpose of a testimony. Why do we offer them? I submit the following as a conclusion. "Faith is kindled by hearing the testimony of others" -Bible Dictionary. "...be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation...in faith...” Our testimonies are recorded by heavenly hosts and are our opportunity to share the faith we have developed in hopes to help others develop that important principle of faith. With that I offer the following as a fraction of my testimony, an expression of what I have come to know, and what I believe.
I know that I am a Son of God. I know that He exists. By understanding Him I have come to understand myself. In approaching Him through His son, Jesus the Christ, I have built a relationship with Him. He is a bodily resurrected being that is all-knowing and all-loving. He knows who I am. If He were to speak to me I know He would call me by name as he did the prophet of the restoration. What lessons I have learned, from His spirit, by the first words spoken from His mouth in this dispensation of the fullness of times. He spake the simple but powerful word, "Joseph" and by no coincidence might I add. I have pondered upon that one word often and firmly believe and know that He knows my name. He knows my questions. He knows me better than I even know myself. He created the perfect plan for me. His love is expressed by the offering of his only begotten son in the flesh as a ransom for me, and for my inadequacies of the flesh. The Son of God is Jesus Christ. He is my Savior. He is my Redeemer. He suffered for me and every man, woman, and child that have ever lived, do now live, and will yet ever live. I do not know how he performed this sacrifice and I do not pretend to understand its complexity but I do know that it happened. Christ walked upon this planet in a mortal body and fulfilled His mission. He is my advocate for salvation in the worlds to come and I find it only fitting knowing that, that I am his advocate for truth upon the Earth. I have been blessed in many ways and am now being blessed to have been called to the Iowa Des Moines Mission. Sitting inside this, in my opinion, holy ground is "The City of Joseph"; that great Nauvoo. I know that he spoke truth and was and is a prophet of God. I am thankful for his courage in perseverance and what it has meant to me. I have felt somewhat of what he felt. I have felt somewhat of what those pioneers have felt and am indebted to their example of action in doing what is right. The Book of Mormon, The Bible, The Pearl of Great Price, and The Doctrine and Covenants are the word of God. I know that different perspectives reveal truth as is so shown by these books. They are true and I know that. The priesthood of God is upon the earth in its fullness; never to be removed again. I know that that same Jesus of Galilee will return for his own. I know that his doctrine and corresponding gospel is true and that it brings happiness. His plan is Divine because He is divine. As good and joyful as these things are I know something of the other side as well. I know that the power of Satan is real as well. I know that he seeks for our misery and our destruction. But, I do not fear him. For I know that he is nothing compared to God and neither is his power. He can be beaten now and it is guaranteed that he will be beaten forever. The gospel of Christ is natural. It is simple. His commandments are not punishments nor out of the box ideas but rather natural, helpful, and smart. I know that living His gospel, keeping His commandments, and remembering Him always is the key to happiness now and forever. I love Him. I love my Father in Heaven. They are unchanging, and in an ever-changing world I am thankful for Them.
I am thankful for all of you. I love my family and I know that living those principles as a family unites us for eternity. Thank you for all of your support. I truly love you. I hope I can, and have, shown that to you rather than simply telling. Have a great week!
Hugs and Kisses,
Elder Excell
Saturday was the best day of my life! Besides setting stake and possibly mission records with the number of baptisms in one day...it was just fantastic!! Jennifer, Elaine, Daniel, Samantha, Riley, Maddie, and Tasha were all baptized! There is really no way to describe how awesome the whole weekend was. There were many times that i just was moved to tears throughout the weekend because of the reality of it all. These were not just baptisms. These were souls and children of our Father's that were making covenants with him. They were opening the gate to eternal life and setting themself on the path to happiness in this life and in the life to come. It's created quite a ripple effect too throughout their families and the ward. Jeff Ray, a brother, will be baptized on the 7th and also Tina Meier the mom will be baptized then as well. That's a whole family and 9 baptisms in one transfer. Can life be better? I submit that it cannot! After the confirmations on Sunday, which were incredible, we had fast and testimony meeting where the entire meeting just came back to missionary work and baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost. I can now stand before you testify with boldness of the principle taught in Doctrine and Covenants section 18:10-16...
"Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God; For, behold, the Lord your Redeemer suffered death in the flesh; wherefore he suffered the pain of all men, that all men might repent and come unto him. And he hath risen again from the dead, that he might bring all men unto him, on conditions of repentance. And how great is his joy in the soul that repenteth! Wherefore, you are called to cry repentance unto this people. And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father! And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!"
I testify that there is so much happiness that is nearly inexpressible by simple mortals as we are. There is nothing comparable to doing and accomplishing the savior's work. You have the opportunity to feel like he feels, to love and see others as he does. At times you can feel more love for one person than you think possible. The lesson I find myself learning repeatedly is that you don't have to have the name tag to feel that and see that. Missionary work is not warranted and permitted because of the name tag but should always be done with boldness.
Testimony meeting as before mentioned was incredible. I realized that i now only have 4 more of them left before i will be in the highland 7th ward one more. Scary! Ben Meier, the dad stood and bore his testimony and it was awesome. The guy hasn't set foot in church for 25 plus years and now he's bearing his testimony. It was awesome. I'll tell you a portion of what he said...
"...I haven't been to church in over 25 years after once being active when I was younger. Yesterday I watched my three girls be baptized. It all started with a simple prayer. Our family was caught up in so much turmoil and so I felt like we needed some guidance and direction. Less than one week later we had two missionaries on our porch. There are no coincidences in this life. Those two missionaries have changed our lives and they are now a part of our family. The spirit is now in our home and in our family. It's made all the difference because of one prayer..."
I love that family. I guess if you look on their Facebook you can see the pictures of the baptisms there as well.
I feel as if I am dishonoring the rest of the week by focusing so much on the weekend but I cannot express sufficiently how awesome it was. It has been a life changing moment for me. The rest of the week just shrinks in comparison.
I am, for the first time, at a loss for what to say. That has never happened in these emails. I feel a strong urge to simply bear my testimony. I've thought in the preceding weeks to fast and testimony meetings about the purpose of a testimony. Why do we offer them? I submit the following as a conclusion. "Faith is kindled by hearing the testimony of others" -Bible Dictionary. "...be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation...in faith...” Our testimonies are recorded by heavenly hosts and are our opportunity to share the faith we have developed in hopes to help others develop that important principle of faith. With that I offer the following as a fraction of my testimony, an expression of what I have come to know, and what I believe.
I know that I am a Son of God. I know that He exists. By understanding Him I have come to understand myself. In approaching Him through His son, Jesus the Christ, I have built a relationship with Him. He is a bodily resurrected being that is all-knowing and all-loving. He knows who I am. If He were to speak to me I know He would call me by name as he did the prophet of the restoration. What lessons I have learned, from His spirit, by the first words spoken from His mouth in this dispensation of the fullness of times. He spake the simple but powerful word, "Joseph" and by no coincidence might I add. I have pondered upon that one word often and firmly believe and know that He knows my name. He knows my questions. He knows me better than I even know myself. He created the perfect plan for me. His love is expressed by the offering of his only begotten son in the flesh as a ransom for me, and for my inadequacies of the flesh. The Son of God is Jesus Christ. He is my Savior. He is my Redeemer. He suffered for me and every man, woman, and child that have ever lived, do now live, and will yet ever live. I do not know how he performed this sacrifice and I do not pretend to understand its complexity but I do know that it happened. Christ walked upon this planet in a mortal body and fulfilled His mission. He is my advocate for salvation in the worlds to come and I find it only fitting knowing that, that I am his advocate for truth upon the Earth. I have been blessed in many ways and am now being blessed to have been called to the Iowa Des Moines Mission. Sitting inside this, in my opinion, holy ground is "The City of Joseph"; that great Nauvoo. I know that he spoke truth and was and is a prophet of God. I am thankful for his courage in perseverance and what it has meant to me. I have felt somewhat of what he felt. I have felt somewhat of what those pioneers have felt and am indebted to their example of action in doing what is right. The Book of Mormon, The Bible, The Pearl of Great Price, and The Doctrine and Covenants are the word of God. I know that different perspectives reveal truth as is so shown by these books. They are true and I know that. The priesthood of God is upon the earth in its fullness; never to be removed again. I know that that same Jesus of Galilee will return for his own. I know that his doctrine and corresponding gospel is true and that it brings happiness. His plan is Divine because He is divine. As good and joyful as these things are I know something of the other side as well. I know that the power of Satan is real as well. I know that he seeks for our misery and our destruction. But, I do not fear him. For I know that he is nothing compared to God and neither is his power. He can be beaten now and it is guaranteed that he will be beaten forever. The gospel of Christ is natural. It is simple. His commandments are not punishments nor out of the box ideas but rather natural, helpful, and smart. I know that living His gospel, keeping His commandments, and remembering Him always is the key to happiness now and forever. I love Him. I love my Father in Heaven. They are unchanging, and in an ever-changing world I am thankful for Them.
I am thankful for all of you. I love my family and I know that living those principles as a family unites us for eternity. Thank you for all of your support. I truly love you. I hope I can, and have, shown that to you rather than simply telling. Have a great week!
Hugs and Kisses,
Elder Excell
Monday, March 19, 2012
Pictures!
Q&A - March 19, 2012
1. How is the weather in Iowa? We've all the sudden gotten winter again. Cass was supposed to have a golf tournament today out at Juniper Hills but we got an inch or two of snow overnight and I'm not sure whether or not they'll still have it or not. Maybe the sun will come out and burn it off and they'll just have a delayed start but who knows??
It's been 80 degrees and humid all week! Summer is here and here to stay I think. Trees are blooming, birds are chirping, and it's no suit coat weather!! =)
2. Speaking of golf, did you get to go last week? Is Brother Nielsen letting you use his clubs and everything? I'm sure you know that some of Dad's first rounds on a golf course were p-days in Iowa with his garage sale clubs and plaid knickers that he made from a pair of ugly pants that he found, probably at that same garage sale. :) I guess it's only appropriate that you get to spend some time on a course there! I hope it happens for you if it hasn't already!!
It's going to next week and probably the week after at a different country club! I don't know about the clubs..or the clothes for that matter. One of the courses I will be playing most likely is the site of one of the senior tour tournaments. Pretty awesome!
3. How was Zone Conference?
It was really good! I conducted the meeting and I got a lot of good inspiration for how to be better!
4. How was getting to see Elder Nielsen at the airport?
Oh man it was soo good! He's changed a lot! He gave a great talk on Sunday and went and taught with us Sunday night! It's great having him home!
5. Is everything falling in place for your big baptism day this Saturday?
Like it was meant to be! Things are going so well!
6. Are you healthy and happy?
Healthy...yes. Happy...more than ever.
It's been 80 degrees and humid all week! Summer is here and here to stay I think. Trees are blooming, birds are chirping, and it's no suit coat weather!! =)
2. Speaking of golf, did you get to go last week? Is Brother Nielsen letting you use his clubs and everything? I'm sure you know that some of Dad's first rounds on a golf course were p-days in Iowa with his garage sale clubs and plaid knickers that he made from a pair of ugly pants that he found, probably at that same garage sale. :) I guess it's only appropriate that you get to spend some time on a course there! I hope it happens for you if it hasn't already!!
It's going to next week and probably the week after at a different country club! I don't know about the clubs..or the clothes for that matter. One of the courses I will be playing most likely is the site of one of the senior tour tournaments. Pretty awesome!
3. How was Zone Conference?
It was really good! I conducted the meeting and I got a lot of good inspiration for how to be better!
4. How was getting to see Elder Nielsen at the airport?
Oh man it was soo good! He's changed a lot! He gave a great talk on Sunday and went and taught with us Sunday night! It's great having him home!
5. Is everything falling in place for your big baptism day this Saturday?
Like it was meant to be! Things are going so well!
6. Are you healthy and happy?
Healthy...yes. Happy...more than ever.
A week for the record books!
So first off, I love writing these emails. They are so good for me! It's almost become another journal for me and I try to put a lot in here! So thanks for suffering through the long rants with me and humoring my inabilities to write well!
This week was just like the subject says...a week for the record books. We have so much work going on that i almost fear to write about any of it knowing I will most likely leave out a lot of important events. But I will try to remember it all.
Monday we ended up playing basketball again like usual and I am loving that! That one day helps the diet a lot. When you play for four hours I guess you tend to burn some calories or something! After that we taught the Meier's who are so awesome! I love that family so much and can see so much in store for them! They are great people and going great places. We will be having the baptism of the kids, Riley, and Maddie this Saturday at 9 a.m... The mom will be baptized on the 7th of April hopefully if all goes well and the dad will be able to baptize her by then! I'm so proud of them! Last night we had their baptismal interviews and they are so ready! Afterwards we watched the Testaments with them. It was very powerful. It's funny because it's kind of a cheesy movie with cheesy lines and it's kinda long and about half way through you’re asking yourself, "Was this really a good idea to watch this long cheesy movie?" Then at the end the savior appears in America and it just commands the spirit's presence almost. The room filled with tears and everyone was taught something from on high. It was incredible. I have been asked to baptize the kids and I could not be happier about it!
The Ray's baptism is on Saturday as well but at ten a.m. and I'm so excited for it as well. Jennifer, Elaine, and Daniel will be baptized and they are just awesome! We had their interviews as well yesterday and are all set! It was funny tho cause during the interviews we were talking to the rest of the family who has kinda been on the fence about being baptized and they accepted dates for the 7th of April so that's two more dates we have coming up!
Tasha is doing well. I can't remember if I mentioned that she doesn't actually live in our area or not but we handed her off to the Ankeny 2nd ward elders. She's a great girl and she will be a very good member of the church! She asked if I would baptize her on Saturday the 24th as well at 2 p.m. So we will be attending 3 baptisms this Saturday! I can't really think of a better day to be had!
We also got a media referral this week from salt lake and she is awesome! Her name is Joann and her daughter lives in Montana and is getting baptized really soon and asked that her mom be taught! She is a neat old lady and understands something that most people take a lifetime to figure out. She understands perfectly how to recognize the spirit. That is most certainly a spiritual gift from father in heaven. She has a baptismal date for the 14th of April. It's funny because all of the sudden the struggling Waukee area is booming. I thought that once you had more baptisms planned life would get easier and less stressful but it's not. There's so much to be done. Tracting is stress free and easy compared to helping people accomplish goals! It's so awesome to see so much fruit from you labors tho! I owe heavenly father a ton right now!
Zone conference was this week on Tuesday and I had the opportunity to conduct. It was really great! I learned so much and I'll probably share a little bit a little later in the email. It's always nice tho to be with other missionaries that are going through the same things you are. Who have the same struggles that you do and who want to accomplish the same things that you do. It's a brotherhood uncomparable to any other. I think Henry B. Eyring does a much better job of putting what I feel about that same brotherhood in my heart into words.
“I am part of the fellowship of the unashamed. The dye has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made; I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I won't look back, let up, slow down, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure. I'm finished and done with low living, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tinted visions, worldly talking, cheap giving, and dwarfed goals. I no longer need pre-eminence, positions, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don't have to be right, first recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean on His presence, walk with patience, am lifted up in prayer, and labor with power. My face is set, my goal is heaven. My road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few, my guide is reliable, my mission is clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, divided or delayed, will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the adversary, negotiate at the table with the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity. I won't give up, shut up, or let up until I have stayed up, stored up, and paid up for the case of Christ. I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know, and work till He stops me and when He returns for His own He will have no problem recognizing me." - Henry B. Eyring
When you are surrounded by missionaries who all feel that same way the result is powerful. We are not perfect and have much room for improvement but that is the goal of everyone in this mission.
Elder Fenn hit his hump day this week! We burned a shirt at the now infamous "pryo point"! Me and him are getting along so well! He is one of my favorite companions ever. I love him. It's funny because we for sure had our rough patches in the beginning but you just learnt to look past them and be their friend. We've both done that and we're doing really well! I'm proud to be serving with him!
I have a new best friend. Her name is Samantha. She's 4. I don't know what it is with me and the 4 year olds! We just get along real well I guess. I'll try to get a picture with her at the baptism Saturday! She's super cute!
We met Dean this week who was drunk off his rocker and wouldn't admit it. I guess he's actually a member that is inactive but we are going to try to help him. It was a fun conversation tho. I only had to repeat everything to him 4 times before he realized that he had already asked me those questions. Oh the amazing effects of alcohol...=(
Things I learned this week----
-I had a great experience this week that I have been saving up this whole email. His name is Randall. He is 43 years old. He was a fire fighter in New York City during 9/11. Let me just preface by saying I learned more from this man in one night than any other night in my existence. Randall was trapped in the twin towers rubble for 17 hours and dug his own way out. At that time he weighed 220 pounds. He now weighs 135. He was part of a team of 9 guys where he is now the only one alive. He went to 187 funerals in 365 days for his brothers in the station that died instantly or of cancer. He himself now has lung cancer and stomach cancer but has been in chemo and is now in remission. He grew up in the church. Randall had been in the Maio Clinic for five years and on his way home after being released from there had to stop in the emergency room in Des Moines for 32 days and then was released. It was at that moment that our lives crossed paths. Now, I cannot summon in words the powerful effect that this meeting had on me nor will I be able to, but I pray that the spirit will attend this message however and wherever it is being received so that He can convey those feelings along with my words. Randall was beat. He was impoverished. He was a cancer survivor for the time being but even that looked bleak to him. He had 32 dollars, a Subaru, a house in Brooklyn, and a pair of clothes to his name after 5 and a half years of cancer. With that money, he rented a room to stay in for the night because he had no other choice. He found our number miraculously and called us. As I talked to, at that time, this strange man on the phone I felt I needed to meet him. We met that evening in the parking lot of a rundown hotel. He told us his story and bore his testimony to us. The man had nowhere to go. He was at his road's end. He had no way to get home. He talked to a Baptist minister and told him he needed help to which the minister replied, "If you denounce your Mormon faith that is sending you to hell and be baptized, I will fund your trip home." Randall said, "eternal salvation is not worth 130 dollars. See ya!" I cannot describe the feelings that I had for this man after 20 minutes. I felt the need and desire to help him so badly. I quickly formulated a plan. We ran home. We got a pizza that we had in the fridge. I have been saving some money for quite some time that amounted to 130 dollars. I grabbed it and we ran back to that "royal motel", so properly named. We gave Randall the money which was enough to get him and his Subaru home, and the pizza so he had something to eat, as well as some clothes. He taught me a lesson I have tried to learn my whole life. What is the real value of money? It is nothing. Money is money. It is eternally insignificant. Whether Randall was telling the truth or not, we were presented with the opportunity to help one of God's children in a way he could not help himself. That is what mattered. The sum was insignificant. Unimportant. Helping someone else with what I had when presented with the opportunity to do so was what mattered most. In my eyes I owed that money to him for the powerful lesson he taught me. I hope I see Randall again someday.
I mentioned that I would say something of zone conference. Let me tie that in. We talked again about spending vs. investing your time. I've pondered on that much. We have all been given time. We all have it. Some have more than others but the quantity of time given is not so much important as what we do with it. I was drawn to the parable in the new testament of the talents. (Matthew 25:19-30) Each servant was given talents, just as we are all given time. Each servant, just as we, was given a variable amount of time. When the Master returned it was not so much as how many talents they now had as what they had done with them. Those who invested talents were rewarded further and he who merely hid or spent foolishly the talent given was chastened. The quantity of our time is not so much as important as how we use it. Investing time now pays off later and if not in this world then certainly in the world to come. Spending time brings immediate satisfaction which was exactly what Lucifer's plan provided. We cannot spend wastefully the time given. It is a gift from God. We must invest it and therefor prepare our mansions above. 3 Nephi 13:19-21 "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and thieves break through and steal; But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." I pray that we can all invest our time in what matters most. President Uchtdorf has said, "Diligently doing the things that matter most will bring us to the savior of the world." It is my testimony that diligently investing time in the things that matter most truly brings us closer to the savior of mankind!
I cannot say enough how much I love being here. It is in reality, a dream come true. I love you all!
Hugs and Kisses,
Elder Excell
This week was just like the subject says...a week for the record books. We have so much work going on that i almost fear to write about any of it knowing I will most likely leave out a lot of important events. But I will try to remember it all.
Monday we ended up playing basketball again like usual and I am loving that! That one day helps the diet a lot. When you play for four hours I guess you tend to burn some calories or something! After that we taught the Meier's who are so awesome! I love that family so much and can see so much in store for them! They are great people and going great places. We will be having the baptism of the kids, Riley, and Maddie this Saturday at 9 a.m... The mom will be baptized on the 7th of April hopefully if all goes well and the dad will be able to baptize her by then! I'm so proud of them! Last night we had their baptismal interviews and they are so ready! Afterwards we watched the Testaments with them. It was very powerful. It's funny because it's kind of a cheesy movie with cheesy lines and it's kinda long and about half way through you’re asking yourself, "Was this really a good idea to watch this long cheesy movie?" Then at the end the savior appears in America and it just commands the spirit's presence almost. The room filled with tears and everyone was taught something from on high. It was incredible. I have been asked to baptize the kids and I could not be happier about it!
The Ray's baptism is on Saturday as well but at ten a.m. and I'm so excited for it as well. Jennifer, Elaine, and Daniel will be baptized and they are just awesome! We had their interviews as well yesterday and are all set! It was funny tho cause during the interviews we were talking to the rest of the family who has kinda been on the fence about being baptized and they accepted dates for the 7th of April so that's two more dates we have coming up!
Tasha is doing well. I can't remember if I mentioned that she doesn't actually live in our area or not but we handed her off to the Ankeny 2nd ward elders. She's a great girl and she will be a very good member of the church! She asked if I would baptize her on Saturday the 24th as well at 2 p.m. So we will be attending 3 baptisms this Saturday! I can't really think of a better day to be had!
We also got a media referral this week from salt lake and she is awesome! Her name is Joann and her daughter lives in Montana and is getting baptized really soon and asked that her mom be taught! She is a neat old lady and understands something that most people take a lifetime to figure out. She understands perfectly how to recognize the spirit. That is most certainly a spiritual gift from father in heaven. She has a baptismal date for the 14th of April. It's funny because all of the sudden the struggling Waukee area is booming. I thought that once you had more baptisms planned life would get easier and less stressful but it's not. There's so much to be done. Tracting is stress free and easy compared to helping people accomplish goals! It's so awesome to see so much fruit from you labors tho! I owe heavenly father a ton right now!
Zone conference was this week on Tuesday and I had the opportunity to conduct. It was really great! I learned so much and I'll probably share a little bit a little later in the email. It's always nice tho to be with other missionaries that are going through the same things you are. Who have the same struggles that you do and who want to accomplish the same things that you do. It's a brotherhood uncomparable to any other. I think Henry B. Eyring does a much better job of putting what I feel about that same brotherhood in my heart into words.
“I am part of the fellowship of the unashamed. The dye has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made; I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I won't look back, let up, slow down, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure. I'm finished and done with low living, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tinted visions, worldly talking, cheap giving, and dwarfed goals. I no longer need pre-eminence, positions, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don't have to be right, first recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean on His presence, walk with patience, am lifted up in prayer, and labor with power. My face is set, my goal is heaven. My road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few, my guide is reliable, my mission is clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, divided or delayed, will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the adversary, negotiate at the table with the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity. I won't give up, shut up, or let up until I have stayed up, stored up, and paid up for the case of Christ. I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know, and work till He stops me and when He returns for His own He will have no problem recognizing me." - Henry B. Eyring
When you are surrounded by missionaries who all feel that same way the result is powerful. We are not perfect and have much room for improvement but that is the goal of everyone in this mission.
Elder Fenn hit his hump day this week! We burned a shirt at the now infamous "pryo point"! Me and him are getting along so well! He is one of my favorite companions ever. I love him. It's funny because we for sure had our rough patches in the beginning but you just learnt to look past them and be their friend. We've both done that and we're doing really well! I'm proud to be serving with him!
I have a new best friend. Her name is Samantha. She's 4. I don't know what it is with me and the 4 year olds! We just get along real well I guess. I'll try to get a picture with her at the baptism Saturday! She's super cute!
We met Dean this week who was drunk off his rocker and wouldn't admit it. I guess he's actually a member that is inactive but we are going to try to help him. It was a fun conversation tho. I only had to repeat everything to him 4 times before he realized that he had already asked me those questions. Oh the amazing effects of alcohol...=(
Things I learned this week----
-I had a great experience this week that I have been saving up this whole email. His name is Randall. He is 43 years old. He was a fire fighter in New York City during 9/11. Let me just preface by saying I learned more from this man in one night than any other night in my existence. Randall was trapped in the twin towers rubble for 17 hours and dug his own way out. At that time he weighed 220 pounds. He now weighs 135. He was part of a team of 9 guys where he is now the only one alive. He went to 187 funerals in 365 days for his brothers in the station that died instantly or of cancer. He himself now has lung cancer and stomach cancer but has been in chemo and is now in remission. He grew up in the church. Randall had been in the Maio Clinic for five years and on his way home after being released from there had to stop in the emergency room in Des Moines for 32 days and then was released. It was at that moment that our lives crossed paths. Now, I cannot summon in words the powerful effect that this meeting had on me nor will I be able to, but I pray that the spirit will attend this message however and wherever it is being received so that He can convey those feelings along with my words. Randall was beat. He was impoverished. He was a cancer survivor for the time being but even that looked bleak to him. He had 32 dollars, a Subaru, a house in Brooklyn, and a pair of clothes to his name after 5 and a half years of cancer. With that money, he rented a room to stay in for the night because he had no other choice. He found our number miraculously and called us. As I talked to, at that time, this strange man on the phone I felt I needed to meet him. We met that evening in the parking lot of a rundown hotel. He told us his story and bore his testimony to us. The man had nowhere to go. He was at his road's end. He had no way to get home. He talked to a Baptist minister and told him he needed help to which the minister replied, "If you denounce your Mormon faith that is sending you to hell and be baptized, I will fund your trip home." Randall said, "eternal salvation is not worth 130 dollars. See ya!" I cannot describe the feelings that I had for this man after 20 minutes. I felt the need and desire to help him so badly. I quickly formulated a plan. We ran home. We got a pizza that we had in the fridge. I have been saving some money for quite some time that amounted to 130 dollars. I grabbed it and we ran back to that "royal motel", so properly named. We gave Randall the money which was enough to get him and his Subaru home, and the pizza so he had something to eat, as well as some clothes. He taught me a lesson I have tried to learn my whole life. What is the real value of money? It is nothing. Money is money. It is eternally insignificant. Whether Randall was telling the truth or not, we were presented with the opportunity to help one of God's children in a way he could not help himself. That is what mattered. The sum was insignificant. Unimportant. Helping someone else with what I had when presented with the opportunity to do so was what mattered most. In my eyes I owed that money to him for the powerful lesson he taught me. I hope I see Randall again someday.
I mentioned that I would say something of zone conference. Let me tie that in. We talked again about spending vs. investing your time. I've pondered on that much. We have all been given time. We all have it. Some have more than others but the quantity of time given is not so much important as what we do with it. I was drawn to the parable in the new testament of the talents. (Matthew 25:19-30) Each servant was given talents, just as we are all given time. Each servant, just as we, was given a variable amount of time. When the Master returned it was not so much as how many talents they now had as what they had done with them. Those who invested talents were rewarded further and he who merely hid or spent foolishly the talent given was chastened. The quantity of our time is not so much as important as how we use it. Investing time now pays off later and if not in this world then certainly in the world to come. Spending time brings immediate satisfaction which was exactly what Lucifer's plan provided. We cannot spend wastefully the time given. It is a gift from God. We must invest it and therefor prepare our mansions above. 3 Nephi 13:19-21 "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and thieves break through and steal; But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." I pray that we can all invest our time in what matters most. President Uchtdorf has said, "Diligently doing the things that matter most will bring us to the savior of the world." It is my testimony that diligently investing time in the things that matter most truly brings us closer to the savior of mankind!
I cannot say enough how much I love being here. It is in reality, a dream come true. I love you all!
Hugs and Kisses,
Elder Excell
Monday, March 12, 2012
"Let brotherly love continue."
I am so excited to email today. More so than usual even. I just stopped by the office with Elder Fenn expecting a picture collage from the family and what was there....a picture collage from the family! Man it was so good to see pictures of everyone! I love those days! They make me extremely happy! I also cannot believe that my brother is old enough to date. I cannot believe my sister has gotten prettier when I thought that it was impossible for her to get any prettier. It's just amazing to watch people grow up from so far away cause you see them grow by leaps and bounds. I do not wish to be prideful but I have the best family in the world! I love them so much!
So this last week was great but to throw things out of generic order I am going to look forward to the week ahead so you can see what's coming up for me. Tomorrow we are hosting a zone conference in Des Moines so we are in charge of the set up and take down and all in between. Wednesday we are going to the airport to pick up Elder Nielsen who I went to college with...weird! Thursday we have some appointments that I am really looking forward to. Friday we weekly plan and Saturday we work our tails off. Sunday is the most relaxing day of the week believe it or not. We have 6 baptismal interviews occurring that day for the following Saturday and then its p-day eve and I'll be back in my favorite seat in the old library! And about as long as it took to write the paragraph is probably about as long as it will feel!
It was a short week this week but here is the update...
This week we kinda got some good unfortunate news. Tasha the girl that we have been teaching is still going to be baptized on the 24th but she actually does not live in our area. So we have taught her about 6 times now and she is so awesome but she is in the Ames stake in the Ankeny 2nd ward. Anyway so this week we will be helping to transition that and she has asked that I baptize her and president has authorized me to do that so I am still really excited! The 24th is going to be a busy day for us and heaven. 9:00 am: The Meier’s will be baptized. 10:30 am: The Ray's will be baptized. 2:00 pm: Tasha will be baptized. Awesome day! It's just incredible really!
The zone has changed up quite a bit with transfers this last week! We have 3 new people in the zone and I love them all. Interesting fact...One of the new elder's...his dad helped in all three of the surgeries with Tiger Woods down in the Heber City hospital. So that's two amazing things that have happened in that hospital. Tiger Woods had surgery and my dad was born! =)
Speaking of golf...the country club opened this week. That means something quite significant to me...I have survived my Iowa winter. Everyone will say it was quite mild and indeed it was in terms of snowfall but for those who were out walking 8 miles or more on average per day it seemed pretty dang cold! Also it is significant in the fact that the Nielsen’s have a membership there and so I have survived long enough in Waukee to play the Des Moines golf and country club before the end of the transfer. I can't even express to you my excitement. I have not played golf in nearly 3 years and that's way too long! I'm ready to come back and go pro! =)
The Meier’s are doing great! We found out that Maddie the youngest of the family who we thought was 9 is actually 8 and so she is not technically a convert baptism cause her dad is a member but she is still awesome and getting baptized with the family. The Ray's are great as well. They have a daughter who is 8 tho and neither of the parents are baptized so she can by us and she will be with her family on the 24th. Awesome! I can't even explain how nice it is to have someone to always teach and someone to always prepare for and think about. It just is so nice. We have some other people progressing as well. We are trying to have more of an escalator approach to the work rather than an elevator. We want a constant stream of work rather than times of awesomeness and starting over after. So far it’s coming along. It's gonna be an escalator with a gap but that's ok!
I had an awesome dream this week which was a highlight to me. I dreamed that me and Taylor Swift went on a date. It was the best...We just held hands and watched a movie and ate popcorn. Then she sang to me...not one of her songs that I know of. I'm pretty sure it’s a church hymn. Anyway...I wish she would write me back! I sent her a letter about 3 months ago and the address I got says after 3 months she usually writes back. We’ll see.
Living with the AP's has been pretty good! They have a 3 bedroom townhome so we have plenty of space! The good news is that we have a gym in the basement with quite a few weights and exercise machines. Elder Fenn and I go running every morning about 3 miles and then lift at night. I am determined to look good coming off that plane! I refuse to go home without a six pack! I may have to extend my mission if I don't have one by August 24th!
My click day is coming up this week on the 18th! That means I have been In Iowa for 10 months signifying I have 5 months left. There’s a song we used to listen to back before the Motab days called 5 months left! Elder Howard and I would listen to it about 9 months ago and think, "Man that is so far away" Well here It Is. The words went like this...
"5 months left til no more tracting,
5 months left til I’ll be packing,
5 months left til I find the one,
5 months left can I get some mail?
5 months left."
I'm teaching Elder Fenn Portuguese. He was trying to learn Spanish and he was reading the Book of Mormon in Spanish and I asked him how well he knew Spanish and he said that he doesn't so we started Portuguese lessons this week! Haha! I told him he would rather speak a more pretty and pure language than Spanish! =) We say all our prayers in Portuguese now. Pretty awesome!
I had a mid-life crisis this week. I found a $20 gift card to Aeropostale in the street and so we went to use it and I realized that I have no idea what I want to wear when I get home. I have moved past the high school faze and I can no longer dress like that! I don't know how 22 year olds are supposed to dress other than with a suit and a white shirt and a tie and if we are going casual then just a white shirt and tie with a backpack for accessories. I found myself so lost! I tried some shorts on...since when are guy’s shorts above the knee again...weird. And Aeropostale just looks too teenager for me. So....I went for the solid choice of cologne. Add another to my collection. That's number 33 in my life-collection. I thought my sister would at least be home to help me with style but then I remembered she will not! Ah!!!
Things I learned this week-
-I can do anything in a white shirt and tie.
-I am no longer in the loop with society and fashion
-iPad 3? Gah!
So....I've been working on something the entire time I have been in Iowa and I feel as if I have finally accomplished it well enough to share. It's really silly but I have always struggled to smile all the time. I find myself to be an optimistic person but I did not physically show it in a smile. And If I did smile it was never with teeth. I don't know why. Anyway...so how I have been working on it I started noticing that the Lord smiles in the scriptures. (Moses 7:43, 3 Ne.19:25, etc...) I'm here trying to help others to come unto Christ and do so by being like Him. I tried to come up with a reason not to smile all the time...I came up with many but at the same time every single one of them I came up with 20 reasons why to smile. I have been so richly blessed. So I decided to work on it. I gave myself reminders everywhere to smile. I can now sit before you and say that yes, it makes a difference. I testify that there is always a reason to smile! There are plenty of times that wipe smiles off faces but there are plenty of reasons why to put it back! Let me share an experience...I sat in the Doctor's office about 4 months ago. I had just severely injured my ankle, had no idea what was going to happen and was wondering if it was badly enough injured that I would be required to return home. As I sat on that x-ray table I said a silent prayer to myself. Please note...there was no smile found on my face at the time. As I closed that short simple prayer I remembered my goal to smile and as I just simply smiled and the nurse said to me, "I have had a terrible day, my car broke down this morning, I was late to work and may get fired, and last night I had a terrible fight with my boyfriend...Thank you for smiling. You've made my day much better." ...I was stunned. My one simple smile in a time when I had reason to frown made a difference so large to someone they broke out of their shell, told me some issues in their life, and said it changed their day.
Come what may and love it. Smile about it. Be like little children, smiling. There is hope in this world that appears to be so down. As you smile you just become evidence of hope. A physical testimony of what joy you have found! I am so happy to be here! I love all of you very much! You're the best!
Elder Excell
So this last week was great but to throw things out of generic order I am going to look forward to the week ahead so you can see what's coming up for me. Tomorrow we are hosting a zone conference in Des Moines so we are in charge of the set up and take down and all in between. Wednesday we are going to the airport to pick up Elder Nielsen who I went to college with...weird! Thursday we have some appointments that I am really looking forward to. Friday we weekly plan and Saturday we work our tails off. Sunday is the most relaxing day of the week believe it or not. We have 6 baptismal interviews occurring that day for the following Saturday and then its p-day eve and I'll be back in my favorite seat in the old library! And about as long as it took to write the paragraph is probably about as long as it will feel!
It was a short week this week but here is the update...
This week we kinda got some good unfortunate news. Tasha the girl that we have been teaching is still going to be baptized on the 24th but she actually does not live in our area. So we have taught her about 6 times now and she is so awesome but she is in the Ames stake in the Ankeny 2nd ward. Anyway so this week we will be helping to transition that and she has asked that I baptize her and president has authorized me to do that so I am still really excited! The 24th is going to be a busy day for us and heaven. 9:00 am: The Meier’s will be baptized. 10:30 am: The Ray's will be baptized. 2:00 pm: Tasha will be baptized. Awesome day! It's just incredible really!
The zone has changed up quite a bit with transfers this last week! We have 3 new people in the zone and I love them all. Interesting fact...One of the new elder's...his dad helped in all three of the surgeries with Tiger Woods down in the Heber City hospital. So that's two amazing things that have happened in that hospital. Tiger Woods had surgery and my dad was born! =)
Speaking of golf...the country club opened this week. That means something quite significant to me...I have survived my Iowa winter. Everyone will say it was quite mild and indeed it was in terms of snowfall but for those who were out walking 8 miles or more on average per day it seemed pretty dang cold! Also it is significant in the fact that the Nielsen’s have a membership there and so I have survived long enough in Waukee to play the Des Moines golf and country club before the end of the transfer. I can't even express to you my excitement. I have not played golf in nearly 3 years and that's way too long! I'm ready to come back and go pro! =)
The Meier’s are doing great! We found out that Maddie the youngest of the family who we thought was 9 is actually 8 and so she is not technically a convert baptism cause her dad is a member but she is still awesome and getting baptized with the family. The Ray's are great as well. They have a daughter who is 8 tho and neither of the parents are baptized so she can by us and she will be with her family on the 24th. Awesome! I can't even explain how nice it is to have someone to always teach and someone to always prepare for and think about. It just is so nice. We have some other people progressing as well. We are trying to have more of an escalator approach to the work rather than an elevator. We want a constant stream of work rather than times of awesomeness and starting over after. So far it’s coming along. It's gonna be an escalator with a gap but that's ok!
I had an awesome dream this week which was a highlight to me. I dreamed that me and Taylor Swift went on a date. It was the best...We just held hands and watched a movie and ate popcorn. Then she sang to me...not one of her songs that I know of. I'm pretty sure it’s a church hymn. Anyway...I wish she would write me back! I sent her a letter about 3 months ago and the address I got says after 3 months she usually writes back. We’ll see.
Living with the AP's has been pretty good! They have a 3 bedroom townhome so we have plenty of space! The good news is that we have a gym in the basement with quite a few weights and exercise machines. Elder Fenn and I go running every morning about 3 miles and then lift at night. I am determined to look good coming off that plane! I refuse to go home without a six pack! I may have to extend my mission if I don't have one by August 24th!
My click day is coming up this week on the 18th! That means I have been In Iowa for 10 months signifying I have 5 months left. There’s a song we used to listen to back before the Motab days called 5 months left! Elder Howard and I would listen to it about 9 months ago and think, "Man that is so far away" Well here It Is. The words went like this...
"5 months left til no more tracting,
5 months left til I’ll be packing,
5 months left til I find the one,
5 months left can I get some mail?
5 months left."
I'm teaching Elder Fenn Portuguese. He was trying to learn Spanish and he was reading the Book of Mormon in Spanish and I asked him how well he knew Spanish and he said that he doesn't so we started Portuguese lessons this week! Haha! I told him he would rather speak a more pretty and pure language than Spanish! =) We say all our prayers in Portuguese now. Pretty awesome!
I had a mid-life crisis this week. I found a $20 gift card to Aeropostale in the street and so we went to use it and I realized that I have no idea what I want to wear when I get home. I have moved past the high school faze and I can no longer dress like that! I don't know how 22 year olds are supposed to dress other than with a suit and a white shirt and a tie and if we are going casual then just a white shirt and tie with a backpack for accessories. I found myself so lost! I tried some shorts on...since when are guy’s shorts above the knee again...weird. And Aeropostale just looks too teenager for me. So....I went for the solid choice of cologne. Add another to my collection. That's number 33 in my life-collection. I thought my sister would at least be home to help me with style but then I remembered she will not! Ah!!!
Things I learned this week-
-I can do anything in a white shirt and tie.
-I am no longer in the loop with society and fashion
-iPad 3? Gah!
So....I've been working on something the entire time I have been in Iowa and I feel as if I have finally accomplished it well enough to share. It's really silly but I have always struggled to smile all the time. I find myself to be an optimistic person but I did not physically show it in a smile. And If I did smile it was never with teeth. I don't know why. Anyway...so how I have been working on it I started noticing that the Lord smiles in the scriptures. (Moses 7:43, 3 Ne.19:25, etc...) I'm here trying to help others to come unto Christ and do so by being like Him. I tried to come up with a reason not to smile all the time...I came up with many but at the same time every single one of them I came up with 20 reasons why to smile. I have been so richly blessed. So I decided to work on it. I gave myself reminders everywhere to smile. I can now sit before you and say that yes, it makes a difference. I testify that there is always a reason to smile! There are plenty of times that wipe smiles off faces but there are plenty of reasons why to put it back! Let me share an experience...I sat in the Doctor's office about 4 months ago. I had just severely injured my ankle, had no idea what was going to happen and was wondering if it was badly enough injured that I would be required to return home. As I sat on that x-ray table I said a silent prayer to myself. Please note...there was no smile found on my face at the time. As I closed that short simple prayer I remembered my goal to smile and as I just simply smiled and the nurse said to me, "I have had a terrible day, my car broke down this morning, I was late to work and may get fired, and last night I had a terrible fight with my boyfriend...Thank you for smiling. You've made my day much better." ...I was stunned. My one simple smile in a time when I had reason to frown made a difference so large to someone they broke out of their shell, told me some issues in their life, and said it changed their day.
Come what may and love it. Smile about it. Be like little children, smiling. There is hope in this world that appears to be so down. As you smile you just become evidence of hope. A physical testimony of what joy you have found! I am so happy to be here! I love all of you very much! You're the best!
Elder Excell
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Pictures!
Q&A - March 7, 2012
1. It's transfer week again! Where will you be landing? Still in Waukee or headed elsewhere?
I will be in Waukee for another six weeks with Elder Fenn. I guess I'm not the problem missionary. I get to stay with someone more than six weeks! =)
2. If you are leaving Waukee, who will be the hardest to say goodbye to?
Well we kinda did leave Waukee....I'll talk all about it in the letter.
3. You probably don't know yet who your new companion will be, do you?
Elder Fenn....it sounds like you guessed I would be outta here. =)
4. I've been a little curious about something that I see occasionally in your letters. You talk occasionally about board games or card games that you are playing. Do you play those just on P-Days or does President Jergensen allow for you guys to have a little down time in the evenings to play once in a while?
With the Nielsen's we played a lot between 9 and 10:30. Usually we don't play other than that.
5. What was the best, most positive thing that happened in the past week and a half?
So much that I could not limit it to one thing. If I did limit it to one, I think I would be robbing from the others.
I will be in Waukee for another six weeks with Elder Fenn. I guess I'm not the problem missionary. I get to stay with someone more than six weeks! =)
2. If you are leaving Waukee, who will be the hardest to say goodbye to?
Well we kinda did leave Waukee....I'll talk all about it in the letter.
3. You probably don't know yet who your new companion will be, do you?
Elder Fenn....it sounds like you guessed I would be outta here. =)
4. I've been a little curious about something that I see occasionally in your letters. You talk occasionally about board games or card games that you are playing. Do you play those just on P-Days or does President Jergensen allow for you guys to have a little down time in the evenings to play once in a while?
With the Nielsen's we played a lot between 9 and 10:30. Usually we don't play other than that.
5. What was the best, most positive thing that happened in the past week and a half?
So much that I could not limit it to one thing. If I did limit it to one, I think I would be robbing from the others.
Ode to the Family Nielsen
What a great week it has been! It seems like so much has happened in so little time but then I realized that it was kind of a longer week. But when thinking of how many days there has been since my last email it doesn't seem as if everything should have fit in 10 days!
So the big news of the week....There are multiple big news items but first on the list. I will still be serving the people of Waukee for 6 more weeks at least! That makes me really happy because I am not ready to go yet. We have way too much work going on right now to just take off and miss the end result of it all. I really love Waukee. It's home really. They say home is where the heart is so I've thought during this last couple weeks that I supposedly have multiple homes. Pocatello, Knoxville, Ponte Nova, Rigby....there's a little piece of me in all of those places. I guess I've grown a lot in the past 4 years. Anyway...I am in Waukee and could not be more happy. With baptisms coming up soon I did not want to miss them and would've been a little sad to have missed them.
The other big news item is where we are currently living. We are no longer in the Nielsen's home. I want to take a minute tho to say how much I have learned in that home. I will never be able to repay the Nielsen's for the hospitality, kindness, and love they have showed me. I have been in their basement now for over 4 months and I will never forget them. They will be a huge building block of who I am in the future. I love them so much and will always remember the good times we had there. It's weird because we will still be in the area and so are they but their house is going on the market this Friday so they can move into the house they have been building. So we'll see them around but it just won't be the same. We are temporarily living in the assistant's apartment for about a month until this apartment in Waukee opens up for us. It's been tiring moving stuff around and getting resituated. I will never leave the stuff that I don’t want for the next missionary because it just happens and happens til the poor companionship that has to move out of the place has to deal with it all. It's amazing how much stuff I have collected in 9 months. I don't know where it all came from but it's there.
The Meier's are the family that is set to be baptized on the 24th. It's just a cool story all around for everyone. They are going to be getting tickets to the Kansas City temple open house and go as a family. The dad was able to get off work this week so he set foot into a church for the first time in 30 years nearly. The mom and dad both quit smoking and drinking before we ever even invited them because they felt it was the right thing to do. The girls are just the best! They are eating it all up and they are so excited every week to go to church. It makes me really step back and realize that I should still be that excited about the gospel. Converts teach members so much. I love that family. The father of the family, his mother is coming to see the service as well. She served a mission back in her day and is not quite elderly but told the family she could not miss this day. It's so awesome to watch them grow in the gospel of Jesus the Christ. I will never forget some of the most powerful moments on my mission have come from that family. They are just awesome. They all asked if I will baptize them and Elder Fenn confirms them in sacrament meeting. It's going to be a great picture!
The Ray's are also growing so much and are going to be baptized that same day. It's fun to teach them because they have been taught before and have seen the blessings of the gospel. But on the other hand we are teaching a girl named Tasha who is also set to be baptized on that day and she has never been taught anything let alone even believe in God. It is so awesome to watch people learn that they have a father in heaven that loves them. In fact today we got some messages from her that just make any missionary's day. We met with her yesterday and gave her 7 chapters to read for 7 days. Well this morning she not only had read all that but started in the Book of Mormon and is reading fast. I love teaching her because all of our lessons are is just her asking questions and we answer. It's so awesome. She has made a lot of sacrifices already to become a member of the church and she continues to make them. It's the most rewarding thing in the world to see.
We had stake coordination this week. It's my favorite meeting I have. I just love being surrounded by spiritual giants that have gathered to help us out in our efforts. It's so awesome. And I like writing up the reports too. I feel really cool when I show up to the meeting with stats for everyone on the work and graph it out for them. It's funny because they are all usually really impressed. Maybe I should be a business analyst instead of a doctor. =)
It's funny to kind of read over my emails from the past however long and see what's important to me. I look back and the things that were important to me are just different than now. I used to outline my emails by days...now I do it more by people. My mission has just become so much more meaningful lately and I’m not sure why. I do not hesitate to say that for about three months I was in just this funk that I could not get out of. I loved being here and I loved the people but it didn't amount to anything more than trying to have a good time. My focus has shifted tho thank goodness. I quit comparing myself with others and tried to focus on who I was. I started measuring myself not by what I had done but more by who I was. I think heavenly father doesn't care so much about what we have accomplished. He just cares about us and who we are. I love Him and his plan. It's so perfect. It's really the most important thing to me now. His plan and my savior mean everything to me. I love them.
Things I learned this week:
-Eyes are the coolest thing ever. I love looking at people's eyes. That's not new but reaffirmed to me very often.
-The most pleasing sound to any person is their own name.
-Charity and compliments can change people's opinion.
So...I’m not sure if anyone else does this but when you have some free time on your brain you always have a thought or question that always come back to you time and time again. Well for me for the past 2 years it has been the same question. I always ask myself what is the purpose of what I am doing? What is the purpose to my life? I guess in all regards it's just an expanded way to say "why?” well I've lately been finding myself trying to answer that with this question...what evidence is there that I am accomplishing my purpose? As I have asked myself that I have been able to measure how I am doing. I'm not too great getting my feelings out in words a lot of time and I wish I could really say what's in my heart. I am so grateful that I know my purpose. I know my purpose in life. I know my purpose in my mission. That is such a peaceful calming feeling and it comes from the gospel of Jesus the Christ. I do not mean to suppose that life has heretofore been stress free but it is peaceful. I am so grateful for that knowledge and testimony. I love Christ. I love my father in heaven. I am trying to build a relationship with them and with my family because it really matters most.
I love you all and can’t thank you enough. You're all the best!
Hugs and Kisses,
Elder Excell!
So the big news of the week....There are multiple big news items but first on the list. I will still be serving the people of Waukee for 6 more weeks at least! That makes me really happy because I am not ready to go yet. We have way too much work going on right now to just take off and miss the end result of it all. I really love Waukee. It's home really. They say home is where the heart is so I've thought during this last couple weeks that I supposedly have multiple homes. Pocatello, Knoxville, Ponte Nova, Rigby....there's a little piece of me in all of those places. I guess I've grown a lot in the past 4 years. Anyway...I am in Waukee and could not be more happy. With baptisms coming up soon I did not want to miss them and would've been a little sad to have missed them.
The other big news item is where we are currently living. We are no longer in the Nielsen's home. I want to take a minute tho to say how much I have learned in that home. I will never be able to repay the Nielsen's for the hospitality, kindness, and love they have showed me. I have been in their basement now for over 4 months and I will never forget them. They will be a huge building block of who I am in the future. I love them so much and will always remember the good times we had there. It's weird because we will still be in the area and so are they but their house is going on the market this Friday so they can move into the house they have been building. So we'll see them around but it just won't be the same. We are temporarily living in the assistant's apartment for about a month until this apartment in Waukee opens up for us. It's been tiring moving stuff around and getting resituated. I will never leave the stuff that I don’t want for the next missionary because it just happens and happens til the poor companionship that has to move out of the place has to deal with it all. It's amazing how much stuff I have collected in 9 months. I don't know where it all came from but it's there.
The Meier's are the family that is set to be baptized on the 24th. It's just a cool story all around for everyone. They are going to be getting tickets to the Kansas City temple open house and go as a family. The dad was able to get off work this week so he set foot into a church for the first time in 30 years nearly. The mom and dad both quit smoking and drinking before we ever even invited them because they felt it was the right thing to do. The girls are just the best! They are eating it all up and they are so excited every week to go to church. It makes me really step back and realize that I should still be that excited about the gospel. Converts teach members so much. I love that family. The father of the family, his mother is coming to see the service as well. She served a mission back in her day and is not quite elderly but told the family she could not miss this day. It's so awesome to watch them grow in the gospel of Jesus the Christ. I will never forget some of the most powerful moments on my mission have come from that family. They are just awesome. They all asked if I will baptize them and Elder Fenn confirms them in sacrament meeting. It's going to be a great picture!
The Ray's are also growing so much and are going to be baptized that same day. It's fun to teach them because they have been taught before and have seen the blessings of the gospel. But on the other hand we are teaching a girl named Tasha who is also set to be baptized on that day and she has never been taught anything let alone even believe in God. It is so awesome to watch people learn that they have a father in heaven that loves them. In fact today we got some messages from her that just make any missionary's day. We met with her yesterday and gave her 7 chapters to read for 7 days. Well this morning she not only had read all that but started in the Book of Mormon and is reading fast. I love teaching her because all of our lessons are is just her asking questions and we answer. It's so awesome. She has made a lot of sacrifices already to become a member of the church and she continues to make them. It's the most rewarding thing in the world to see.
We had stake coordination this week. It's my favorite meeting I have. I just love being surrounded by spiritual giants that have gathered to help us out in our efforts. It's so awesome. And I like writing up the reports too. I feel really cool when I show up to the meeting with stats for everyone on the work and graph it out for them. It's funny because they are all usually really impressed. Maybe I should be a business analyst instead of a doctor. =)
It's funny to kind of read over my emails from the past however long and see what's important to me. I look back and the things that were important to me are just different than now. I used to outline my emails by days...now I do it more by people. My mission has just become so much more meaningful lately and I’m not sure why. I do not hesitate to say that for about three months I was in just this funk that I could not get out of. I loved being here and I loved the people but it didn't amount to anything more than trying to have a good time. My focus has shifted tho thank goodness. I quit comparing myself with others and tried to focus on who I was. I started measuring myself not by what I had done but more by who I was. I think heavenly father doesn't care so much about what we have accomplished. He just cares about us and who we are. I love Him and his plan. It's so perfect. It's really the most important thing to me now. His plan and my savior mean everything to me. I love them.
Things I learned this week:
-Eyes are the coolest thing ever. I love looking at people's eyes. That's not new but reaffirmed to me very often.
-The most pleasing sound to any person is their own name.
-Charity and compliments can change people's opinion.
So...I’m not sure if anyone else does this but when you have some free time on your brain you always have a thought or question that always come back to you time and time again. Well for me for the past 2 years it has been the same question. I always ask myself what is the purpose of what I am doing? What is the purpose to my life? I guess in all regards it's just an expanded way to say "why?” well I've lately been finding myself trying to answer that with this question...what evidence is there that I am accomplishing my purpose? As I have asked myself that I have been able to measure how I am doing. I'm not too great getting my feelings out in words a lot of time and I wish I could really say what's in my heart. I am so grateful that I know my purpose. I know my purpose in life. I know my purpose in my mission. That is such a peaceful calming feeling and it comes from the gospel of Jesus the Christ. I do not mean to suppose that life has heretofore been stress free but it is peaceful. I am so grateful for that knowledge and testimony. I love Christ. I love my father in heaven. I am trying to build a relationship with them and with my family because it really matters most.
I love you all and can’t thank you enough. You're all the best!
Hugs and Kisses,
Elder Excell!
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