6/24/13

     So I'll start out first with transfers. I'm still going to be in Angostura with Elder Lopez for another transfer, so I'm officially in the Obregon Mission. I'm really excited that I'm not changing areas, because this area all of a sudden got potential.

     We started teaching a 9 year old of a member family, who isn't baptized because his dad was in Cancun for a year. So were going to baptize him this next Saturday, and also have 4 people scheduled for the 20th of this July. Also hopefully the apostolic lady will keep progressing.

     So about the Golden Investigator. Her name's Helena and she LOVES the church. Elder Goates and I gave her the pamphlet about the restoration like 2 and a half months ago, and she said she prayed and knew it was true the very first day. So when I went back with Elder Lopez for the first time in like 2 months, she was really excited to see us. We gave her a Book of Mormon and came back the next day and she was already in Alma 34. She is the sister of Norma, an investigator who is going to get baptized when she can get a divorce, (which should be the 18th of July) and she wants to get baptized with her. Problem is, she's moving to Culiacan this month, so the missionaries there will have to help her. But she's going to come back here to get baptized with her sister.

     With Rosario, the apostolic lady, she didn't pray about the Book of Mormon, but she did start reading. We only had time to visit her one time, but I'm almost positive she's been reading the Book of Mormon like crazy. She still kind of wants to prove it's wrong, but accepted that only God can tell her. So she is going to pray. We're going back today, so hopefully she's gotten an answer.

     It's pretty cool how after those weeks where we didn't have any success, we are now getting rewarded for our work. We aren't allowed to fast here in the summer except for fast sunday, and then we have to drink water. But since we have a new Mission President starting today and he hasn't set any rules yet, we are going to fast after we eat lunch today, until tomorrow. We really just want our investigators to keep progressing to baptism, because we can't become complacent with the success that we're having. We have to remember like it says in Alma 26:12, of ourselves we are nothing, but with the Lord we can do all things. 

    This week I was reading a little in Ephesians, the Book of Mormon and Jesus the Christ, and in Ephesians 6:10-16 it talks about how we need to have on the full armor of God. And with it we can quench all the fiery darts of the adversary. Also in Alma 2:10 there's a story of Amlici (Satan) telling his army to take up their arms to fight the Nephites (People of the Lord) And for me this kind of says that satan has his army, he has his weapons, and he can do damage to us. Because, like it says in Jesu the Christ, we, as humans, are weak and can be taken over easily by satan. Being alone, we are no match for satan. But if we have on the armor of god, he can't reach us. The armor doesn't just make us invincible or anything. It just makes it so he can't get to us as easy. So if we have the armor of God, if were doing the things he commands and asks, Satan and his armies can't penetrate through our armor. I thought that was pretty cool. I never really thought about it that way. 

Love you guys, Have a good week!

Love, Elder Lund

Mexico Culiacan Mission with visiting apostle, Jeffery R. Holland (Scott is top row 6th from left)

Elder Lopez, Wilber, Elder Lund

   

Elder Lopez and Wilber

Elder Lund, Branch Mission Leader

Letter to the Young Women

    We asked the missionaries in our ward to write a letter to the YW in our ward to be read at Girls Camp. This is Scott's letter addressed to our young women:

    One thing I have noticed while on my mission, is the value of virtuous youth. Here it is very difficult for the youth to remain faithful, because of the worldly influences that surround them, the same as in Ogden. I´m sure that you all have friends, members of the church or not, that choose to do things contrary to the will of God. And I know first hand how hard it can be to choose the right. It really is a struggle. I was just in high school a year ago. Let's just be honest, it's hard.

    I have just one word of advice. This is what we tell the youth here, and I feel the same applies with you. Pray and wait. Pray in your heart, pray in your mind, and if necessary, find a secluded place, and get on your knees and pray. Then wait until help arrives. God promises us that that help will arrive. Just ask, as it says in the hymn, Abide with me, Savior stay this night with me. He will be there for you. He was there for you when he gave his life on the cross, when he endured in Gethsemane, he was there for you 2000 years ago. How amazing is it that we have a loving savior who knows exactly what you're going through. That after 40 days of fasting, was tempted by Satan himself, and pushed through it. He knows exactly what you're being tempted by, and knows exactly how to help you endure.

     We have an investigator named Wilber, who used to be a drug addict. He is 18 years old, and has made a lot of mistakes in his life. But in a lesson with him, we asked him how he's doing with the Word of Wisdom, and he told us that he's got temptations, and at times he really wants to do drugs again. But he always will just pray, and wait until help from the Lord arrives.

    High school is hard.  There are a lot of tough, frustrating things that can happen in those 6 years from junior high to graduation. But one thing that I have learned here on the mission, that I wish I knew better before, is that Christ knows. An apostle said, "sometimes you just want to say 'Christ, hope you know I'm having a hard time.'" When you're experiencing difficulties, when you're being made fun of, when you're trying to stand up for your beliefs and people mock you, CHRIST IS HERE. Christ is always here for you. Through a small humble prayer to your Father in Heaven, "All will be made well" When you wonder why it's so hard to stay strong, remember Christ asked that exact same question a long time ago. If he can wonder that, then you can too. But the example that Christ set, is he endured. He made it to the end. And through him, you can too. In all the difficult times down here in Mexico, I just think, Remember Him. Remember His sacrifice. I can do this. I can endure. And in doing so we are made strong. As people we are like diamonds, a diamond starts out as carbon, an ugly soft black dirt. And after years of pressure and heat, it becomes the most beautiful and strongest substance known to man. If we endure our trials well, we will be like diamonds. We will have a testimony, and conversion that nobody can break.

   This church is true, so is this gospel, and most importantly, so is the atonement. Through the atonement, we can do all things.

   Elder Lund

6/17/13

    Of all my weeks (I say that like I have a long time in the mission) I learned more this week than all the others combined. It was HARD, and FRUSTRATING and especially HOT. But this was by far my favorite week. I honestly don't know why or how, but it was great. We didn't have a single investigator at church for the second straight week and our baptismal dates all fell, but the spirit was super strong this week. And that will lift you up no matter what you're going through.

  Every night after we plan for the morning, we have about 45 minutes to an hour to do what we want. So I take that time to read the Book of Mormon and kind of study for myself. (In the mornings we only study for our investigators) This week I read from Alma 16-30. Most of those scriptures are about Ammon and his mission to the Lamanites, and converting the Anti-nephi-lehis. I think it's in chapter 17? not sure, but it talks about the sons of Mosiah and how Ammon had to rescue them from prison. They had been beaten and starved, but in their moment of weakness they persevered and kept enduring. Then when they were rescued the first thing they did was go and preach. They didn't take time to feel sorry for themselves. I also read a little of DyC in sections with Joseph Smith in Liberty Jail, and how even the Prophet has times of difficulty, where he doesn't think he can endure anymore, but the Lord answered his humble pray for help by saying If you persevere, I will exalt thee on high. And in the next chapter also talks about enduring all types of abuse because of the word of the Lord and what he believed in. Later on in the week I reread the chapter about Ammon again in Spanish and it brought out a different part of the story that I didn't understand in English the first time I read it. It is how Ammon was commanded to go and convert the people in the kingdom of Lamoni, an impossible task. And he did it. He didn't think about the millions of reasons of why it was impossible, he just did it. Then he was supposed to get the sons of Mosiah out of jail, another impossible task, and he just did it. And God gave him a way once again. Reminded me of in first Nephi when Nephi has to go get the plates, and he doesn't think about why its not possible, he just does it.

    It's never a good idea to bible bash with anybody because the spirit isn't there, and they are just going to be angry, and shut down to the missionaries in the future. but this week we had a second lesson with a really really strong apostolic lady. She knows her bible inside and out, and had all kinds of questions for us. It was so hard not to just bash the crap out of her because I know my scriptures pretty well too and could prove her wrong in EVERYTHING. (My companion also knows his bible better than the pope) But we decided not to. I don't know why but I decided to share the scripture about faith and how we don't walk by sight, but by faith. And immediately she shut up. She started to let us teach her about Joseph Smith, and then again went crazy with her scriptures and asking why we believe in something other than the bible, and how that doesn't make sense, etc... So in an hour and a half we taught her that there were prophets in the bible after Jesus, and the First Vision. That was it! About 2 days later we had an appointment fall through and decided to go talk to her again. This time she started out by showing us all kinds of apolostolic hymns and stuff. And we finally got her to let us pray. After the prayer she let us talk for like 10 minutes without bringing up her scriptures. We taught her about the Book of Mormon and why it's necessary. In those 10 minutes, the spirit testified to her that theres something to that book. She completely changed. She started sharing scriptures that backed up everything we said! it was awesome! We left her a Book of Mormon and she said she'd pray. Were going back tomorrow to see if she actually did. It was so cool to see in a matter of seconds the light flip on in someone's eyes.

Pues, I don't have time to write much more but next week ill tell you about the most golden investigator in the history of forever!

Love Elder Lund!

6/10/13

     Sorry I started to write, but then our neighbor called us and said he crashed his motorcycle, so we took him to the hospital. But thanks for those photos! It's so weird to see home! This week we talked to the mamá of Wilbur, and she said he doesn't get 18 years until August. So he can't get baptized until then. I don't really think any of them know when his birthday really is. They all did so many drugs, they can't remember anything! She told us she's seen Wilbur change completely 180 degrees, and wants him to keep going to our church and "be a mormon" and she wants him to be baptized, when he has 18 years. They're all SOO crazy! Those drugs really did a number on them! But we keep teaching him, and he always has some experience that he wants to share about when the church helped him that week. He is so ready, but his mom just won't let him.

    Our area is really frustrating because we only get 1 day a week in each city, so we don't get contact with our investigators very often. And when they're not home when we stop by, we have to wait for another week to talk to them. We also have to sit and wait for rides for at least 2 hours every day. So we talk to everybody that's waiting, but they all live outside our area so we don't get to teach them.

    Elder Lopez and I have led the mission in street contacts for the past 3 weeks, but NOTHING seems to be coming from our work. We found one family that is mas o menos potential, and beside that, nobody. It's super frustrating when you feel like you're working so hard, that you should be having success, but you don't have any. And the people that are potential, randomly tell us to stop coming, and it's just like come on.. But the dam has to be close to bursting! This area is so ready to explode with baptisms! Its just frustrating, because I want it to happen now! But everything is in the time of the Lord. I really do feel like we're being successful missionaries (By the definition in Preach My Gospel), we're just not having success yet.

    I was thinking this week, and I realized that home hasn't even crossed my mind for like 4 days, all I really think about is the investigators and where's the nearest shade. I'm really starting to love it out here. Everybody says that they loved every second of their mission and at the end they didn't want to leave, and at the first of my mission I didn't understand that, and I probably don't understand it still, but I'm starting to feel that way. I love all the people here, the members, the investigators, and the grumpy catholic grandpas that kick us out of their house. Life's good in Angostura!

    Last week when everybody was saying the hot has started, I wasn't ready for what would happen this week. The sun literally feels like its eating us. I put on sunscreen and Chapstick like 3 times a day, and I'm as tan as I've ever been, and I still burn! I don't even know how hot it was this week. I didn't bring my thermometer with me because I didn't want to know. But the plus is the mangos are starting to turn ripe! Every house here has a HUGE mango tree. And they all have some delicious fruit right now!

I'll try and upload a couple fotos, last week the computer didn't let me.

    Hasta luego! Les amo mucho! 

    Elder Lund

6/4/13

     This week was great! I'm not sick anymore, and I can finally communicate basically with anyone. But seriously, writing this is super hard right now! I haven't talked English for like a month. Last week I kinda started thinking in Spanish, then for like 2 days I didn't think hardly anything, literally, my mind was blank of thoughts, and now it's almost pure Spanish. I guess my brain had to go into neutral for a bit to switch to reverse! But I'm getting really encouraged with my Spanish! In my first transfer I was positive that God sent me to Mexico so he could watch me try to talk with hand signals and noises, and laugh at me! But it's getting a lot better now. I know the grammar and stuff, I just need  a bigger vocabulary now. But it feels good. 

Of all those street contacts we have one person that's somewhat promising… But I did get told I can marry this dude's sister next week if I want, so that was cool too. 

   Wilber couldn't be baptized because he couldn't pay tithing, but this week he worked and got payed like 1 hour after church, so he has to wait another week to pay, so he has a fecha for this next saturday, along with 2 other teenagers. Norma and her daughter and son are going to be baptized whenever her divorce goes through. So it could be next week, or in 6 months. But she's got a crazy strong testimony, and is all ready to go.

  We are really good friends with all the members of the apostolico church here. The pastor and his son cooked us dinner last night. And they both have a really open mind. I don't honestly feel like they're very potential, but maybe people in their church (which is more than half the people in the area) will see us talking to him, and want to talk to us to. But also how cool would that be to convert a pastor! We would be able to teach so many of his congregation! 

    I'll find out on the 24th which mission I'm in. I feel like I'm going to get transferred, but I have no idea. President told me to be ready to train next transfer, but didn't say that I will be training. It made more sense in Spanish, but I most likely won't be training, but I could be. I think it would be way cool to train! Be able to get a missionary started out working hard! There are so many trainers that the president wants to get motivated by the new guy! But it doesn't always work.

  On p-days we have time we can go do stuff, but our area has nothing to do, and we can't play sports because we have to wear our church clothes everywhere we go (so people don't try to rob us cause we look like rich tourists), so we just take an, approved, nap and recharge our batteries, and I usually read the scriptures in English.

  This week was like 95 degrees the whole week, and everybody was wearing jackets and stuff. Oh and everybody is convinced that it's going to snow here in 2015 because last week was so "cold". Apparently there's an American dude on the news here and he was being sarcastic, but nobody here understands sarcasm, so they all are super stoked for the snow.

  It's pretty cool when you can just feel your testimony growing. You can just feel the spirit guide you in lessons, and even just walking in the streets, where to go, who to talk too, and stuff like that.

  Pues, Hasta Luego Familia! Tenga una buena semana!

Elder Lund

5/27/2013

Ya its definitely still hot as fire. This week actually wasn't too bad though. It was like 105 more or less. But the problem is it never cools down! I woke up at 2 in the morning and it was 95 degrees in our kitchen. Thank goodness I have a huge fan blowing on me all night!! But ya I feel normal in the heat now. And the supermarket is super cold to me now, and it's like 80 degrees! My backpack is doing fine! We used to bike like 10 miles a day, more or less, but one night we were biking and my pedal broke off in the middle of riding, so we haven't biked in like 2 weeks. And I feel like I lose weight, then we go and eat at a member's house, and they won't let you stop eating for like 3 HUGE plates, then I feel fat!  I feel like I'll be the exact same at the end.

This Wednesday I got SUPER sick with an infection or something in my stomach. And we don't have any money for this month because my companion had to come from the farthest south part of the mission and hasn't been reimbursed yet, so I had to take money from my card from home for a shot and pills, but they will put the money back onto my mission card. I also had to buy a taxi to take people to church yesterday. There is a member every week who takes us the 30 miles to pick up investigators and bring them to church. But yesterday he wanted to sleep, so we had to pay. And, yes, here that is a legitimate excuse. Its ridiculous how lazy this branch is. They complain every week that they don't have a chapel. And that we don't have baptisms. But they don't realize, missionaries get people ready for baptism, but they won't get baptized if they don't feel welcome in the ward. And they do nothing to welcome anybody because they're lazy. And they never do home teaching or visiting teaching, so all the baptisms go inactive.  In total I took 400 pesos from my card. But my watch somehow flew off when we were in the back of a truck, so if you could put one in that envelope that would be cool!

So we have this one investigator, Rosario, and he was super promising. Had a baptismal date for 2 weeks from now, and was all ready to be baptized. But one night his wife lost 1500 pesos. And they couldn't find it anywhere. So we told him to have faith and that everything would be alright. Then we shared Matthew 17 where it says with little faith people can move mountains. He said the closing prayer and said that he just wanted to be alright, and if he didn't find the money that it was ok. Anyway we came back like 4 days later, and he had found the money, but he now thinks with faith he is literally as powerful as God... He told us that he has enough faith that he changed the rules for himself so that he doesn't have to go to church or pay tithing. And that he doesn't need the blessings from those things because he can get anything he wants with faith. And he wont believe us that it doesn't work like that because he has faith, so he can change the rules so it does work like that.. So we had to drop him this week. 

We had a baptism set for this Saturday with a kid named Wilber. He has a testimony and is all ready to go. But he doesn't have money, so he can't pay tithing. so we're giving him a job at the church this weekend so he can earn a couple dollars and pay tithing on that. So looks like it will have to wait until next week. In our mission we have super strict rules for baptism. They have to go to church 2 times on their own (we can't even call them to remind them), never have a problem with word of wisdom or law of chastity for a month, and have to fast, and pay tithing before baptism.

O I found out that up in the new mission it's 10 degrees hotter in Celsius, so like 20 degrees hotter in Fahrenheit. So now I kinda want to stay in Culican mission!

This week we had a goal for 100 street contacts. We only got 74, but we met a ton of new investigators that are really potential.

Love you guys! have a great week!

Love Elder Lund

Visit from an Apostle

In one week with my new Mexican companion I learned more Spanish than all my time in the MTC and with Elder Goates. His name's Elder Lopez, he's from the D.F. en Mexico, and his family moved to Provo when he was in the mission. So I guess that's where he's going to go back to after he's done. He has 21 months out in the field. At the beginning of the week he would tell me a lot of stories, but I never understood anything! But now we can communicate basically normally. Pretty cool because now I can talk with real Mexicans! 

  He said he came on his mission without a testimony, and hadn't read the Book of Mormon. He just came because his girlfriend made him. But after a couple transfers he got a testimony of his own and started working hard. Then after a year in the mission his girlfriend got married. But he stayed out. Elder Goates was a super hard worker, but Elder Lopez KILLS him. He's our district leader, and is always working hard. President told me if he would have worked hard his whole mission he would have been AP for sure. But I'm glad he's not cause he's teaching me a ton.

  We got to go to Culiacàn on Friday for Elder Holland which was pretty cool. But seriously, it was super frustrating to not be able to see our investigators for 3 straight days. Plus today, because it's P-day. It was cool to shake his hand too. He said when he shakes the hands of missionaries he can look them in the eye and tell how they're doing, and he said our mission is the best he's seen in years, in terms of how the missionaries are feeling. Unfortunately that doesn't mean we're getting baptisms! 

  All Elder Holland talked about is keeping us active after our missions. He said how can we count on the flock to stay active if we can't count on the shepherds. I'll bring my notes with me next week. I got a TON of good quotes and stuff. haha He kept saying stupid, which is like the worst swear word here because he didn't know it was bad, haha it was super funny. And he kept saying that as missionaries we are apostles, and that the word Elder is significa of a special witness, and that the Quorum of the twelve uses that title because, besides president for the prophets, its the most important calling in the church. And that the only difference between him and missionaries is that he has keys we don't have, and that we give all day everyday to the work, he gets to go to Jazz games and stuff.

  He also talked a lot about Sister Monson. And how she never once complained about how her husband would drag her all over the world, and how he goes into hospitals to give a friend or family a blessing, then gets asked by basically the whole hospital for blessings, and forgets that she's out in the car waiting for 5 or 6 hours! He said he called him right when he heard, and that President Monson wouldn't talk about himself or accept his pity, and instead asked where he was going, and said "Tell the missionaries in Culiacan that I love them and wish I could be with them right now." Elder Holland said that President Monson would go to the hospital all the time and sit in the room when she was sick in a coma, and just talk with her, and cry with her and laugh with her, even though she didn't know he was there, and that he's super super bummed and we need to all pray for him to have strength to get through it. Kinda weird to think that he's a real person with real feelings huh.

  The last thing he talked about is his typical missionary talk about why this is so hard, not just the mission but living as a strong member of this church. And he said that "Any joy or freedom that we feel from the church had to go through Gethsamane and the cross on Calvary to get to us." Those occasions weren't easy for Jesus, so why should we think in turn that this would be easy for us to live the gospel, to stay in the church, and to keep a family in the church. And that we owe it to Christ to at least bring him one convert, so he doesn't have to worry about us. And that we don't have the right to damage the image of the church for his grandchildren by not living the gospel in all things. And forever we will have the title "Returned Missionary" We can't get away from that.

  I swear down here you're just sick all the time.. You kind of learn to love it! Last night was the first night I've gotten more than 5 hours of sleep since Thursday, and I feel like I'm running out of energy, but a talk by Henry B Eyring keeps jumping in my head. He reads the last 2 verses D&C 107, where it says we have to work in all diligence, never being lazy or slothful. And that when his body begs for rest he gives himself this rallying cry "Remember Him" he says "Christ showed us a powerful example in what he did in his 3 days in the spirit world before his resurrection" His work here was complete but he was determined to keep going. He said "this is something I consider whenever I feel I have done some hard task in his service" It's crazy how hard this work is, And I definitely have asked for an easier way, but its nice to remember that I'm not the first person to ask that, Christ did a long time ago. And for him there wasn't an easier way, so for us there can't be an easy way either. I find that when Im tired, or our investigators frustrate us, or we feel like giving up, when we remember him and push onward, we receive the most blessings, and are able to bless the lives of our investigators the most. It says in DyC that if we put on the whole armor of God we will be protected from those fiery darts of the adversary. I picture that like a bulletproof vest. When you get shot with a vest on it hurts like heck, but you don't die. Thats how it is with the Gospel, when we are wearing the the full armor of god, those fiery darts from satan can hurt us, can push us to our limits, but they can not break us. Thats a promise from the lord. 

This week was great! loved every part of it!

Hope everythings going well at home! Tell Mommer thanks for her letter!

Love Elder Lund