A new transfer for a New Year🎆🎇 January 2, 2023

 Happy new Year! 

Isn't it crazy that it is a new year? Anyways that is old news. Let's move on the to the New news. It have been a good week to finish off a great year. It feels that a lot happened this past week so let's see how much I remember.  

I guess we will start off with the Transfer news that I got last night. Transfer news is that I am staying for another Transfer with Elder Wallgren, and Elder White is headed off to the mission office. I am excited for this next Transfer because it is a start to the new year and because we have three people on date to be Baptized by the end of this transfer. Having said that I think it is time to tell you how we have three people on date on no longer just two. 

This past week we were finally able to meet with a part member family that we have been trying to meet since I got here, because they have an unbaptized youth. This week we were finally able to have a lesson with them. As we got closer to the lesson everything was falling perfectly in place. We started to reach out to members to let them know and see who could come to the lesson. We get a text from our bishop telling us to reach out to a sister in the ward. We call and she tells us that she is coming to the lesson. We didn't even ask she told us. She also told us that she would bring her daughter who is friends with the person we were trying to teach. We headed over there and it was a little awkward because that is just how it goes. But when we start we had asked if the youth was interested in being Baptized, and she said no. We were thrown off and were worried about what would happen next. We start to teach her the Restoration and teaching with the spirit and letting her know that this is her decision and what a blessing it is to have a Heavenly Father, and what blessings he has to offer. We finish teaching the lesson, and I still felt that we needed to invite her to be Baptized. So I start teaching her about baptism and blessings God has promised when we are Baptized. Then I look her right in the eyes and ask her, "Will you be Baptized?" And she said yes! It was wonderful to see the blessings that come from teaching about blessings and inviting people to partake in the blessings.  

That same day we had a lesson with our other friends that are on date. They finally got back in town, which made us all happy. We had invited some members to come with us, and the moment we started to teach the members and our friends start getting along so well. It was great, and the lesson was great too, but it was all over the place at the end. It was wonderful seeing them again and teaching them. While we were teaching, our friends started asking what else they need to do to be Baptized. We told them that we were going to teach that in the upcoming lessons. Through out that lesson I could see how they have changed ever since they agreed to be Baptized.  

We also were blessed to be able to go to the Temple this week, which is a bigger blessing because we won't be going back as a mission for another six months. But as always it was wonderful going to the Temple and very needed. Going to the Temple never gets old. Yes pictures are below. 

We had a wonderful opportunity for service this past week when a member called us up and asked if we could come and help rake some leaves. We said that it would be our pleasure. Something that y'all need to know about Georgia it that because there are a lot of trees there is a lot more leaves for us to rake. It was a blast, and we did it a lot faster than I thought. It only took us an hour and a half. Always a good time, and yes pictures are below as well.  

In order to make this email even longer than it needs to be, I would like to share with y'all what I felt impressed to share during fast Sunday. 

One night this past week I was praying with for strength and comfort to help me what I have been going through. After I said my prayer I remembered how my father told me that if I ever had a hard time sleeping that I could continue to pray to my Heavenly Father. Feeling I needed to say another prayer while I tried to let my soul rest. As I reached out to my Heavenly Father I was carried away by a dream, that I will never forget. I was with the Savior in a long white hallway. Along both sides of the hallway there were doors, and this hallway continued passed where the eye could see. I noticed that all the doors had labels on them and each door was labeled with a type of sin. I saw what the sins were and they were sins I had made before. The Savior then told me to choose one. I felt terrible because I didn't want to choose any door because I knew that none of the door brought happiness. Only sorrow. Knowing that I have been given the ability to choose I knew a had to use that ability. Looking around worried about what I would do, I saw something that caught my eye. I saw a hand that was pierced by a nail, and I knew what it meant. I knew who's hand it was, and I saw how His arm was stretched out still waiting for me. I reached for His hand knowing what my choice was. I had chosen My Savior! As soon as I grabbed His hand He pulled me into her loving arms and gave me a hug that warmed my soul. I was comforted in His Arms and I slept well knowing that He was caring for me.  

I know that the moment we turn to Jesus Christ is the same moment that power of His Atonement can change our lives. All we have to do is to open the door of His love that awaits us. It's a new year, and with that we have another year to give ourselves to Him and feel His arms surrounded us. I know that I have been Comforted and that you will be too! I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ Amen! 

 

Us Raking those leaves and then us in the pile of leaves. 

Temple trip 

Dean and Marsha 

Zone conference that happened forever ago,  but now I have a picture.  

The Christmas Gathering from last week 

The Santa Relay race( let's see if you can find me:) 

Love Y'all, have a great year!