Week 6--August 26, 2013

It's been another great week! Everyday I grow to love it more and more here.

It was awesome getting the package from home, and I hope everyone writes me because I love getting letters.

We have a baptism scheduled for Saturday for Lisa.  It has just been an amazing experience to see her progress and grow in the gospel, we started teaching her on my second day in the area, so I have been here and seen her progress from nothing to a full believer in the gospel. Satan has been working so hard in our zone that it's crazy, we have had in the zone 3 scheduled baptisms for people who were very solid cancel on us. Luckily all of the people that have canceled have rescheduled for the upcoming weeks. 

It's just amazing to see how the lord blesses peoples lives. I have had so many experiences thus far on my mission that I have no doubt in my mind that this is the lord's church on the earth today. I know that Jesus Christ Lives and that he is our savior and redeemer.

Elder Bangerter

Week 5--August 19, 2013

Hey everybody!

It's been another crazy week! But this past week went by really fast. 

Tuesday, During my personal study I was studying a lot about the parable of the workers in the Lord's vineyard, so I would read the parable a couple times, then I would ponder it, then I would read what it says about the parable in Jesus the Christ. While I was reading some things really stuck out to me, first the Lord is always looking for servants and people to work in his vineyard, he doesn't care how long you've been there, he just cares that you served him at the end of the day.  Second, If we serve the Lord because we want the blessings, he will give you those blessings and nothing more, Whereas if we serve the Lord with faith that he will provide for you, he will bless us with every blessing that we need. Finally, I feel really impressed that we need to serve the Lord because we love him, Not just to be obedient, or for the blessings, We need to serve the Lord because we love him. I feel that as Elder Holland said, there will come a time when we will come face to face with Christ, and he will ask us "Did you Love me?" and I personally want to be able to say "Yea Lord, Thou knowest that I love thee." 

We had our district meeting later that day and I had to role play with one of the other Elders, and after the role play, one of our zone leader's (Elder Albright) said "You know everyone has there greatest strengths and weaknesses and I really feel that Elder Bangerter's greatest strength is the love that he exhibits towards everyone. You can see it in his eyes, and hear it in his voice." 

Wednesday, I was on splits in Temescal Canyon, I got to meet some more amazing people it was awesome. I spent the day with Elder Bushman, and we both being greenies fresh out of the MTC we gave 3 blessings on Wednesday.

Thursday, We got to go to the Temple, and a few weeks ago they released a new endowment video, so we got to see that. It was incredible, there is added emotion that definitely helps me personally learn a lot more. I would encourage all of you guys to go see it as it is amazing.

Lessons with our investigators are going great, incredible in fact, but we did have to push the dates for the baptisms for all of our investigators back a little bit for logistical reasons and because two of them were sick, and they have to be at church 3 times before they can be baptized. We do have 2 more people on date for baptism though so we had to sacrifice a little time but we should have 5 baptisms the first two weeks in September. 

I hope all is well with everyone,

Elder Bangerter

Week 4--August 12, 2013

Hey Everybody!

It has been another great and crazy week. We have been biking between 20-45 miles everyday, that alone is very tiring. Since coming out I have put on 5 pounds, but it looks like I have actually lost some weight since leaving the MTC. I'm so glad to hear from everybody, it is awesome.

I am growing to love it more here everyday, the people are amazing, and it is so beautiful here. We have had a lot of great lessons and we currently are getting the most Member present lessons in the whole zone averaging 12 a week! We still have Three investigators on date for baptism for this month, and all of them are excited and progressing very well towards baptism.

Of our dinner appointments 5 of them canceled last week, someone fed us every day but it's a little frustrating when the original appointments cancel. We ended up having In-N-Out 3 times this past week. But we're surviving pretty well ;)

I have been reading a lot from Our Search for Happiness by M. Russell Ballard a lot lately, and it is an absolutely incredible book and resource. The book is very much directed at non members but it gives amazing insight on almost every lesson we teach as missionaries. I have also been studying a lot of Christs Parables, especially the parable of the laborers in the lord's vineyard, so I'll read the parable through a couple times, and then ponder what I think that the Savior is trying to teach, and then I'll go and study the parable again through Jesus the Christ. It is absolutely incredible the insights that I have received.

It has been a crazy week I hope everybody is doing well

Elder Bangerter

Week 3--August 5, 2013

Holy First week!!!

It was awesome to talk to you guys on Tuesday! As Sister Smart said I am currently serving in the Lake Elsinore area/ward in the Lake Elsinore Zone, which happens to be the Largest bike area in the mission. My bike has been running great and it has been awesome so far, except biking up the hill in Tuscany, which when we go down it we get going close to 60mph just coasting. Elder Elliot and I live in a home share with a family, they are awesome, and their son reminds me a lot of Cody.

It has been a crazy week for lessons, there have been days where we have 6 scheduled lessons, and there have been days when we have none. As of this week we have 4 investigators committed to baptism, and at least 2 more who are very close to committing to baptism. First there is Cheyenne, and her boyfriend Jeff, who are committed and looking forward to being baptized on August 31st.

Then there is Lisa, who has committed to be baptized on the 31st as well, Elder Elliot and I are very impressed with her progress, because we have only had one lesson with her, but she has come to church twice and she fasted on her own yesterday to know if the church was true. Then there is Melissa who was scheduled to be baptized in June but she decided she didn't feel ready to be baptized, she still wants to be baptized but we don't yet have a date for her to be baptized. 

Lake Elsinore is a lot like Houston, its very hot but its not quite as humid as it is at home. Its a great area and zone, and we actually don't really play basketball on P-Day, we play lots of Volleyball. Lots of Awesome stuff happening here:)

Elder Bangerter

If you want his address to write to him, let me know in the comments and I will email it to you.  :-)  Sharon