..... I'm a bat....

September 29, 2014

Holy cow! It's been another week! Where does the time go? 

So this week has been tough. We keep having appointments drop on us. It seems to me that the more I try to be an effective planner, the more appointments cancel on us. It's getting harder and harder to see so much rejection. But there's a reason for that. I'm learning to love the people. Truly love them.

There is one kid we're teaching who is a member, but hasn't been to church in years. He's an extremely talented singer, song writer, and guitarist. So much potential. But he made some poor decisions with friends and now he's in a real bind. He feels absolutely hopeless. He knows he should come back to church. He knows it's true. But he won't do it. And he won't let us help him. I get worried sick some nights because of this kid. I know I can help him, but he won't meet with us anymore. His father really wants us to help him, because he can't get in to see his son either. He's made contact with the sister missionaries in State college and they're worried about him too. It seems everyone is asking us to help him, and we're really trying. But he wont let us. I don't know what we're gonna do.

One scripture gives me comfort about this situation. I forget exactly where it is, but Alma the younger is telling his conversion story, in this verse he calls out to god and says immediately he feels his guilt washed away and the joy he felt was just as exquisite as was his pain. He had been racked with eternal torment, but when he called out to god, God pulled him out of that place, to a place so full of joy, he couldn't describe it. Well this kid seems like he feels this eternal torment of which alma speaks. All he needs to do is call out God, Repent, and change his ways, and he too can feel the exquisite joy Alma felt. I have faith that the Atonement of Jesus Christ can turn this kids life around. He just needs to use it. 

I love this gospel. I love the power of the atonement. 

Well on a lighter note, a few good things happened this week! We finally got a new car! And the week we got it, we almost hit a bear.... Nope, not a deer... a black bear. The roads out here are like canyon roads back home, lots of blind corners and tons of trees. Also, if it's morning or late evening, there's a thick fog to add to the fun. We drive pretty cautiously, but neither of us expected a hulking Black Bear to be in the road in front of us on one such blind corner! We drove around it as it lumbered up the side of the hill into the trees. Pretty cool, I wanted to get out of the car and get a picture with it, but Elder Bryant said no... Party pooper... I named this Bear Smokey. Not sure why that name fits so well with a black bear, but hey, when it works, it works. 

Well I gotta go! Thanks for all the letters everyone! keep 'em comin! haha 

-Elder DeFreese

1. My Zone

2. Awesome view on the way to David's house

America!

September 22, 2014

Well this is unfortunate... I've had a week of experiences, seeing new things, meeting new people, working, and having fun.... and i don't remember any of it... 

I can't believe it's already been a week! I hope I can remember a few things to say to you guys. 

This week has been a fantastic week from a numbers point of view. Elder Bryant and I are leading the Zone in lessons taught! Yet almost none of our investigators are progressing. What is the point of numbers if the people don't progress? nothing. 

We got too focused on our goal to teach the most lessons this week, that we forgot about the people behind the numbers. So while the zone leaders are complementing us on our area, we feel like nothing was really accomplished this week. We must've tried to get 6 investigators to church. 0 came. We truly did plan our days to have success, we taught a lot of lessons, and we taught by the spirit, but we forgot one of the most important things. We didn't invite them to do anything. If we don't invite them to read, or pray, or repent, or come to church, or anything, chances are... they won't do it on their own. They need us to push them, they need our help, and we failed them by not giving them the invitation to act. Faith is useless without action. We can build their faith all day long by teaching with the spirit. But unless we invite and encourage them to act on that faith, they'll never get anywhere. 

There are a lot of things you learn on a mission. But the thing you learn time and time again, it's how you fall short. How you fall short as a missionary, as a teacher, and most discouragingly, as a person. 

This is where Christ steps in. This is the point where you turn to Heavenly Father, and say, "Help me". 

One of my favorite quotes i've heard is "when life gets too hard to stand, kneel." I've knelt in prayer many times to ask for help, or to give thanks, or just to talk. Thats right, just talk. Your relationship with your father in heaven is up to you. You can just talk to him, he can become your confidant, your best friend. What a blessing it can be to you, your family, and those you come in contact with, when your heavenly father is your best friend. 

"today's trial, is tomorrow's testimony." 

I know this Gospel is true. I know Heavenly Father answers prayers. 

Talk to you next week! 

-Elder DeFreese

1. America!!! Lewistown is full of these wall painting things, Abe is my favorite though.

You-ins Guys

September 15, 2014

Hey everyone!

Well I can't believe it's been another week! Let's jump right in with a story! 

Ever since I left the MTC, i've felt confident about teaching. I never had a problem talking to people, and I felt confident in teaching once I researched the subject at home. But when I got to the MTC I spent all day everyday researching the Restoration, Plan of Salvation, and Gospel of Jesus Christ. As well as many hours of personal and companion study, reading the Book of Mormon, and the Bible. Needless to say, I felt like I had done my homework, and was ready to teach people. There are a lot of "I's" in that last statement. Which became the problem with my teaching. I felt too confident out here. I felt like nobody could stump me with anything, and so far they haven't. And yet, they weren't accepting the messege "I" gave them. I realized yesterday at church that this mission has nothing to do with me. I am NOT the person that teaches people, I am not the person who converts them. I am here to give the Holy Ghost a voice to speak through. I am there to sit and listen to the spirit and do whatever it tells me to do, or say. So after Heavenly Father taught me that lesson, I decided to pray. I decided to pray for something a little odd. I prayed that I would get nervous, I prayed that I would get asked hard questions that I didn't know the answer to. I prayed for these things so that I would have to rely on the spirit. The lord was kind enough to answer that prayer. Be careful what you wish for. I had a lesson with a less active member and his non-member girlfriend. She's been taught by missionaries before, and it was very confrontational. To the point where she told them never to come back. Well unfortunately for her, we came back. That whole lesson I was nervous, my voice was shaky, I couldn't sit still, I couldn't stop thinking about what I should say, or what scripture to share. I couldn't listen to what she was saying. I was all over the place when I tried to teach. My companion had no idea what was going on with me. Nervousness, Check. At one point Elder Bryant asked her if she believed Joseph Smith was a prophet of god, after a very long rambling answer she ended up getting mad at us, saying that we didn't believe in unicorns!! Nope, not joking. She said unicorns... At this point I had finally started listening, and praying in my heart to feel the spirit. I felt the presence of the spirit so strongly as I remembered something that made me smile. She looked at me and said "you want to laugh at me and tell me i'm crazy for believing unicorns existed don't you?" ... I said "No I don't, I'm smiling because the word unicorn is in the bible, I know for a fact they existed..." Weeks ago I had been reading in the Bible Dictionary and I came across the word unicorn, go ahead, look for yourself, it's there. It says basically that it's a wild ox that actually had two horns, and that the name is just unfortunate, and that they're now extinct. But it didn't matter that it wasn't the one she was thinking of. She said "are you serious?" "Where does it say that?" so I opened up my Bible and showed her. After that we got along really well, she played us a song about unicorns, we laughed and talked and as the spirit guided us we walked out of that apartment having committed her to read the Book of Mormon, and an armful of her homemade woopie pies, with an invitation to come back and teach her again. 

There are a few things we can learn from this experience. 

1. The lord hears and answers prayers,

2. The spirit is the teacher, not us

3. Woopie pies are delicious,

4. Unicorns existed. 

I don't know if any of this will help you in your lives right now. But it's helped me in mine. I know Heavenly Father hears and answers prayers. I know that if we rely on him, with all diligence on our part, he will bless us, guide us, help us, protect us, and whatever else we need. Put your trust in the lord, and he shall direct thy paths. I know that's true, and I know this church is true. I love all of you back home and I hope you're having the best day ever. Enjoy this time away from me, for the day soon cometh that I will return home, in all my glorious sarcasm, and their shall be weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth among all those who didn't take advantage of the joy of my absence. 

Just kidding, Love you all! 

-Elder DeFreese

1. I see apartment complexes like this Everywhere...

2. My shirt is cutting off blood flow to my pythons! #gettin'gains, #hugebiceps, #foundthefisheyeeffectonmycamera, #fakepic, #notreallythatbuff, #stillbuffthough

Gotta go!

September 8, 2014

sorry for the short e-mail this week guys. But I've got about 16 hours worth of stuff to do, and about 10 hours to do it in... life of a missionary eh? 

Yesterday was one of the best days since i've been out here. We had 5 investigators at church!! Holy cow!! usually we're lucky to get 1! It was so cool to see, the lord definitely answers prayers. 

One thing i've learned recently is that when you're praying, whether it be for yourself or for others, ask yourself how you could be an answer to your own prayer. A lot of times it may seem like the lord doesn't answer our prayers. I believe that some times he waits for us to realize that we can be the answer to that prayer. Try to ask for his help in all things, but after you're done asking for help, go see what you can do yourself. The lord will answer your prayers, But that doesn't mean you don't have to work for it. 

Big shout out to my Boss BJ, my street contacting/door contacting has  been greatly improved thanks to his advice! 

1 thing i've noticed since i've been here is that people in the ward think their job is to feed the missionaries... wrong. that's helpful yes, but it's not what we're here for. We can help so many more people if the members will work WITH us. Members are far more effective missionaries than we are. Be an example to your non-member friends, and don't be afraid to tell the missionaries about them! 

Thanks for all the support everyone! 

Remember that the Church IS true! Remember why were here, ask the lord how you can help. 

-Elder DeFreese

1. Got some experience planting trees @ sister Jenson's

2. This is a paper mill just down the road from Mifflin street... I miss Dunder Mifflin

No I'll explain!

Brade's letter last week scared Dad and I when he told us about "Mutton Man" and locking doors and the scary questions he asked, etc. Dad wrote Pres. Johnson's wife so that somebody was aware in case this turned into a dangerous situation. Call us paranoid, but we don't want our child ending up in a tragic news story. Here's Braden's response.

 

September 8, 2014

I've since learned that the whole house isn't his, he rent's out the top floor, so he locks the front door, as everyone would, then walks in the side door, where he lives, and locks that door, since that's his real front door... it makes a lot more sense now that i've learned that :) 

Also, he's a very political guy, and i guess there's a terrorist group somewhere in the middle east that cuts off peoples heads if they don't convert to their religion... He was just asking what we thought about that, not telling us that's what he might do. haha

We've met with him a few times since, and maybe you're not supposed to have favorites... but he's mine :) 

I really want to help him, trust me he's not a scary guy. I just had a hard time trying to write all that in the letter... my bad!!

However, the mission presidents wife doesn't just call for anything... So when we got a call from her last night, Elder Bryant put it on speaker and we were both wondering what had happened that required a call from her. She asked if she could talk to me.... I thought my Grandpa had died. I was freaking out until she asked about an investigator i had, named mutton man.... then i just bust up laughing and i immediately knew that you'd written her....

so i'm sorry for giving you the scare, but if it makes you feel better, I got a really good scare and a laugh out of it! haha Sister Johnson and i had a good laugh as i explained my poor communication through e-mail haha 

well i love you mom, thank you for all the updates, tell jas not to feel embarrased... bridger once did that to me at a park... in front of a bunch of cute girls. Not fun. haha Hope he feels better soon! 

-Elder DeFreese

P.S. this is a pic of me and Elder Bryant ballin' it up at the church last p-day :)

Mutton Chops!!!!

September 1, 2014

Hey everyone! I'm sure you're wondering why Mutton Chops is my subject line this week. The answer is Hidden in the following story.... 

One day we were out tracting when someone yelled out there car window ..."you coulda' went the chicken way!" so i walked over and fell right into his lame trap and said "What's the chicken weigh?" "'bout 3 pounds" .... lame joke... and i'm soo ashamed i fell for it.... The man had Huge mutton chops that connected to his Huge mustache and his chin and neck were clean shaven... it was awesome looking... 

anyway, he laughed hysterically and drove off... never to be seen or heard from again... 

NOPE! 

we were once again out tracting one night, with no success. It was late and we were heading back to our apartment, feeling discouraged, when all of a sudden i hear... "Did you go the chicken way?" I spun around to find Mutton man sitting on a park bench, late at night, alone... except for his big dog... but heck i'm a missionary! so i went over to talk with him, we talked for about 10 minutes, asked if we could stop by his house some time and teach him about the church. and he said YES!! wahoo!!!! Crazy Mutton man actually said yes! 

So we went back a few days later... now this is where crazy Mutton man gets a little more.... crazy.... we go to his house, say hello, and he invites us in. he takes us back into his ... Study room... i think... and closes the door, and locks it... I looked at my companion a little worried and confused. everyone locks the front door, but he took us into a back room, then locked ThAt door... weird... so he begins to talk with us, and the first thing he says about our church is, "you know, maybe i should look into your church, I've always wanted more than one wife.." hmmm.... wrong church.... So i explained that we don't practice polygamy, and that those people aren't affiliated with our church. He seemed a little thrown off, but accepted it and moved on... about 15 minutes later he looks me right in the eye and says, "what would you do if someone took you hostage in their house and told you they would cut your head off if you didn't convert to ThEir faith?" ... I said something like "I will never deny my faith, and i do not fear death, because in my church, we know where we go after we die... do you?" we then continued to teach him about the plan of salvation. he opened up to us a little, and i realized he wasn't as crazy as i thought, just a lonely old man, who doesn't quite know how he comes across sometimes... 

We ended up getting a return appointment with Mutton man! wahoo! a new investigator! 

Sorry i spent my whole letter on a story... but hey, that's what you like to hear right? 

Thanks for showing me so much support! And remember, The members are the most effective missionaries, not us. Help the missionaries not with food, but with the names of your non-member friends. We would ten times rather have those names than some food :)

love you all, and have a good week! 

-Elder DeFreese

1. Elder Bryant and I at the "cliffs" ... I'm in the background, i only had a 30 second timer so that was a quick run to say the least... 

2. The Pennsylvanians call this place the cliffs.... They've never seen mountains.... this was a 4 minute hike...