Big Spring Week 12.................

Hey Mom!!

So, mission life is.....well, very repetitive right now.  We are working hard, but we still aren't having much success.......no investigators at church for 2 weeks in a row :(.  But, I guess all there is to do is work harder :)!  So, I have a favor to ask you...can you share with me more of your mission experiences?  I have never really heard you talk about your mission a lot.....why is that?  I would like to hear more :).  (I did share, but you weren't as interested then as you are now, haha!)

Mom, I miss you like crazy.  I just want to take another Sunday night drive with you and talk, but I know that we will make up for all of them when I get back, and I also know that I always have my Father in Heaven to talk to as well.

I love you and I miss you.  Stay strong.  We all need you. (Tears)

Love,

Tu Hijo,

Cody



Dear Dad,

Thank you so much for sending me that letter from----------, it truly was humbling.  I had forgotten about him and his situation, it helped me realize a bit more about the importance of our decisions.  It was really cool to hear his testimony even through all of his tough times.

So the work her in Big spring has been stalling....2 weeks in a row without an investigator at church.  Its frustrating because we are working hard, but we just aren't finding people who seem to really want it.  I know the Lord is trying to teach me something, and I'm still trying to figure it out.  But, I will keep working hard until I find the answer.

I miss you like crazy.  I just remember all of our good times.  But I know that we have many more to come.  Have a great week Dad, I love you!

Love,

Tu Hijo


Cassidy -

Please know that I love and miss you like crazy!  You really are my best friend and I miss our talks, so write me :)!  Please continue to be safe, smart, and involved in church!  I know it can seem lame sometimes, but I promise you that it IS the Truth!!!  I  love you sis, have a great week and know that I am praying for you guys.

Love,

Tu Hermano


Christine -

So are you reading in your scriptures a lot?  I know that sometimes it can be boring, but actually most of the stories are really cool, and we can learn so much from them!  So, whenever Mom tells you it is time to read, don't complain!  I know the scriptures really can help us.  I love you Christine and miss you like crazy.  Listen to your mom and dad.  Love you Bean!

Love,

Tu Hermano :)

Beautiful St. George..........

This past weekend we met Steve in St. George, a city which we are quickly growing to love.  The red rocks in Southern Utah are absolutely beautiful and the weather in the winter time is perfect.  We spent the first day in Snow Canyon State Park.

We took a short hike up to a rock that had names written in axle grease by pioneers over 133 years ago.

We also toured the St. George tabernacle which reminded me of the story of Peter Neilsen.  Elder Jeffrey Holland told the story in general conference and you can read about it here.

On our way out of town we stopped at the art gallery of Michael Bedard who was commissioned to paint an amazing experience that President Wilford Woodruff had in the St. George Temple..........

These are the words of President Woodruff:

I will here say, before closing, that two weeks before I left St. George, the spirits of the dead gathered around me, wanting to know why we did not redeem them. Said they, "You have had the use of the Endowment House for a number of years, and yet nothing has ever been done for us. We laid the foundation of the government you now enjoy, and we never apostatized from it, but we remained true to it and were faithful to God." These were the signers of the Declaration of Independence, and they waited on me for two days and two nights. I thought it very singular, that notwithstanding so much work had been done, and yet nothing had been done for them. The thought never entered my heart, from the fact, I suppose, that heretofore our minds were reaching after our more immediate friends and relatives. I straightway went into the baptismal font and called upon brother McCallister to baptize me for the signers of the Declaration of Independence, and fifty other eminent men, making one hundred in all, including John Wesley, Columbus, and others; I then baptized him for every President of the United States, except three; and when their cause is just, somebody will do the work for them.

I am going to bear my testimony to this assembly, if I never do it again in my life, that those men who laid the foundation of this American government and signed the Declaration of Independence were the best spirits the God of Heaven could find on the face of the earth. They were choice spirits, not wicked men. General Washington and all the men that labored for the purpose were inspired of the Lord.

Another thing I am going to say here, because I have a right to say it. Every one of those men that signed the Declaration of Independence with General Washington, called upon me as an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, in the Temple at St. George, two consecutive nights, and demanded at my hands that I should go forth and attend to the ordinances of the House of God for them. Men are here, I believe, that know of this, Brother J. D. T. McAllister, David H. Cannon and James S. Bleak. Brother McAllister baptized me for all those men, and then I told these brethren that it was their duty to go into the temple and labor until they had got endowments for all of them. They did it. Would those spirits have called upon me as an elder of Israel, to perform that work, if they had not been noble spirits before God? They would not. I bear this testimony because it is true. The Spirit of God bore record to myself and the brethren while we were laboring in that way.

Week 11 in Big Spring........

Hey Mom!

So Valentines Day was pretty good I guess, nothing to different.  I loved the package you sent me, that peanut butter cup was amazing!! And I love the tie, I wore it this Sunday, haha I had to speak in church again.  So this week was slow, we did work very hard, so I felt a little bit better about it. We walked A LOT probably 7 or so miles a day. The weather has been very good, so a lot of people have been outside. We talked with a ton of people, some nice some not so nice. Haha but we set up a lot of return appointments so hopefully we can turn them into new investigators this week. Haha so I had a tender mercy for sure this week. While we were knocking doors, this little dog ran up to is. It was a little white malti-poo!! He was a bit shaggy, but he reminded me so much of Buddy. He followed us and helped us knock about 4 or 5  doors, haha he was so cute!! And guess what??? He did the little beg-dance thing Buddy does too!!!! Haha but then eventually he ran off to go see some other people down the street ): Hahahah I had a moment, I miss that freakin dog of ours!!! Man I am just a woose. Getting all choked up about a little white dog. Haha but it put a smile on my face, and thats a blessing (: 

So transfers are this weekend, so for now dont send anything else to the Big Spring Address. Im not really sure what will happen, it really is 50-50, I could stay or go. We will see. I kind of want to see more of the mission but at the same time I am some what comfortable here in Big Spring. Hopefully everything goes okay! 

Im happy that you all could go and have fun in St. George, sounds like a blast. I love you all and miss you all so much. Have a great week, tell me everything! I love you guys!

Love, Elder Backus

Week 10 in Big Spring..............

Hey Mom!

 So this week definitely had its ups and downs. We were working very hard with Mike and Brittany, preparing them for baptism once again. However as the week moved on, it became apparent to us that they did not have the desire nor were they ready to pass a baptismal interview. It was very frustrating, but it has taught me a valuable lesson. I think I tried to rush them too much. When it comes to the Gospel, the number one importance is finding out how it can bless you and your family personally, and I just wasn't focusing on that with them. But I am trying now to help them out as best as I can.
Angel came to church last Sunday and really enjoyed it. He also went to Scouts at the church on Wednesday night with some of the Young Men that had fellowshipped him. We were teaching him the lessons and he was doing great! But then I think his mother might have got a little bit nervous. We had talked to her before we started teaching him and she said it was fine, but I think once she saw that Angel actually had a true interest in the church, she changed her mind a little bit. She made Angel go to church with her in Midland on Sunday, and she is restricting our contact with him to only a few times a week. It is very frustrating, because we were beginning to see Angel really thrive in the gospel, but we understand that we have to respect his mother's wishes. We just challenged him again to read and pray, and really find out for himself what he thinks is right. We will continue to work with him and try and have more communication with his mother.

It has been a pretty frustrating week just because we thought we had some solid investigators, but for one reason or another their progress slowed down a bit. But we are continuing to work with them, to find out their needs and help them out with them. We spent a lot of time on the streets this week just trying to find new people to teach, and I believe we have some great potentials to work with.

Me and Elder Cutler are definitely working a lot better. I am just trying to lead by example as best as I can. I got those packages last week, thank you so much! You guys are the greatest (:  I will look for that letter from Sybil Bateman, that is so sweet of her. Tell her that I miss her and that I said thank you!!!!

By the way, I LOVE those Michael Wilcox talks you sent me, I love listening to someone else's voice.  I was reading in Alma 36 verse 3 the other day, and I found the wording very interesting.  Alma is speaking to his son Helaman and says, "Whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials."  It was interesting to me that Alma said "supported in their trials" instead of 'ridden of their trials'.  What I have realized lately is that trials and troubles truly are blessings in the strangest forms.  We truly gain a testimony when we hit that breaking point and unload everything on the Savior to obtain support.

I love you so much Mom.  I have gained a lot of new perspectives in these 100+ days, and I just want you to know that I really do appreciate all that you did and are doing for me.  You really are my hero.  I love you Mom (:

Love,

Your easiest child (:

Adding to Benda'a Throwback Thursday post............

Brenda just blogged about some memories of American Idol season 7 with David Archuleta, so I decided to post his 2 finale performances which I thought (as well as the judges) sealed the victory for him.  

 

American Idol will never be the same again :).........................

Week 9 in Big Spring

Hey Mom!

Haha so my week..... Brittany's grandmother goes to a Pentecostal church, and when she heard that her and Mike were going to be baptized into the Mormon church, she had a "talk" with Brittany. So she got all confused, and they said that they didn't feel ready anymore. We tried so hard to do damage control and try and remind them of the feeling that they have felt, but they said they just couldn't be sure. So we had to move the date back a couple weeks. Talk about frustrating and heart breaking! Haha ugh the struggle. I was pretty upset, I haven't really had much success out here yet. Haha sometimes I wish I was called to one of the South America missions where they baptize like 5 people every week, but then I am reminded that for some reason, which I have yet to find out, I was called here. But I have been studying pretty hard in the scriptures and in Preach my Gospel lately and I have learned a lot about what success really is, so I am feeling a bit better. Just got to keep my head down and keep going! We met a pretty cool kid this week though, his name is Angel. He is 13 years old, and his family is Catholic, but he has been wanting to find a religion that he can call his own. Him Mother (speaks only Spanish) said that she respects all religions and that she was fine with us teaching him, which was a blessing. So we got a member to bring him to church yesterday, and he really enjoyed it. It was the perfect day too, fast Sunday. There aren't a lot of members out here, but the ones that are here have powerful testimonies, so it was good for Angel to hear that. We taught him the Plan of Salvation during second hour, and he understood well and really was encouraged by it, his father passed away a while ago. His first question to us when we found him was is he would be able to see his Dad again one day...talk about a golden investigator! So we are pretty excited to watch him progress and hopefully get him baptized this month! Other than that, we knocked a lot of doors this week, we are just trying and praying to find more people that the Lord has prepared to receive the truth. Haha its pretty interesting. Especially yesterday during the Super Bowl, haha that was a bad idea. You know all those stories you hear about missionaries getting doors slammed in their face and stuff? Yeah they are all true. but what can you do. I actually kind of enjoy it, its very humbling and also pretty funny sometimes. The life of a missionary, got to love it! 

I sent everybody a letter today, so hopefully you will be getting those soon (: I haven't gotten a package yet, but I bet I will soon! Thank you thank you (: Haha I am doing great, just trying to be more obedient and get into a flow with Elder Cutler still. I am so lucky to have you guys as my family. I love you so very much, and please know that I was just kidding about the Taylor Swift bracelet. Haha I love you guys! Have a great week!

Love, Cody