Week 58--August 25, 2014

Well here we are again, time just keeps flying by. I can't belive I have been out for 13 months! I feel like I was just in the MTC, and now there are Missionaries coming out into the field that graduated the year after I did. Wow.

 

This week has been a lot of fun, and a very good week! For one, we had a baptism yesterday, and it went great! Our investigator Hafid got baptized, I didn't really teach him very much except for the last lessons, but it was awesome to see Hafid get baptized. It truly is one of the greatest feelings as a missionary to see someone you have been working with become converted to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The coolest thing about the Baptism was that it was all about this family, because not only did Hafid get baptized but so did his Aunt, and as far as I know they were the only members of the family who are not baptized, so now the family can continue to progress, and will hopefully be sealed in the temple! It very much strengthened my testimony of the reality of families being able to be sealed for time and all eternity.

 

This up comming weekend we have another baptism, for a Young woman named Bri. Bri was referred to us by a member. She had some really close friends in High School, and all of them were members, or have since become members of the church. She is so awesome and we are so excited to see her get baptized this weekend!

 

Another really awesome experience that we had was with our new investigator named Karen. Karen is in her 70-80's and she basically referred herself to us through her friend who is a member of the ward. She has been around the church non-stop since she was 16 years old, when she was dating a member of the church. She said that she has been around it for so long and was just going around on the outskirts, but now she wants to see if the church is the reason the Lord is keeping her on the earth. We had a first lesson with her last saturday, and talked about the restoration and the Book of Mormon. Well she called us a few days later and told us that she had read, and she kept reading, and has read a lot of the Book of Mormon now. We met with her this past saturday and Followed up with her, and we asked her if she believes the Book of Mormon is true, she said "yup." We then asked her if she believes that Joseph Smith was a Prophet, she replied "yup." Finally we asked her the big question, and that is if she was willing to be baptized, and she said "Of course I am willing to be Baptized." We then talked to her about Priesthood authority, and her reply was that it is obvious that the Church holds the priesthood, and that no other church even comes close. It made Elder Schoonmaker and I laugh, because of how much the Lord has been preparing her. I have never met someone so prepared to recieve the gospel, it amazes me. Then to add to all of this she comes to Church and introduces herself to the Bishop, and to the Relief Society the same way, "Hi, I'm Karen, and I am getting Baptized on September 21st." Bishop almost fell over because he was so astounded and extatic. She truly is an amazing lady! I am so excited to work with her.

 

Well I guess that's it for now

 

I love Y'all

 

Elder Bangerter

week 57--August 18, 2014

Well it has been a very good week! We had lots of great experiences this week.

So on Tuesday we had a lesson with our investigator named Hafid, and Hafid is great! He is getting baptized this upcoming Sunday! He is 15, and from a part member family, we got a referral for him and He is just awesome, ready to go! Then on Wednesday I had my first District Meeting as a District leader, I feel like it went pretty well! Thursday I got to go up to Riverside for The District Leader Training meeting, all the District Leader's in the mission came. President and Sister Mullen both gave very good trainings. So did the Assistant's to the President, It was really cool to see President Mullen's plan for the mission. 

Other things that happened, We had Dinner with a member that served in the same mission as my Dad, and at the same time. It was cool to look through his mission pictures and find a picture that Dad was in! We also got a call on Saturday from our investigator named Bri, and she told us that she wanted to be baptized, it was really exciting! Yesterday we got challenged to participate in the ALS Ice bucket challenge, and a member is going to video my companion and I getting Ice dumped on us today.

Well that is about it for now

I love you guys

Elder Bangerter

 

**note from Mom** Hopefully he emailed Steve to tell him who the guy from his mission was, because I have no idea who it is and he didn't say.  :-(

Week 56--August 11, 2014

Well Another Transfer has come and gone and I have been transferred again. 

 

 This has been my second area in a row where I was only there for one transfer. But I am only getting transferred to the next ward over, the Circle City ward. I am with Elder Schoonmaker, I'm pretty excited to go, and I only have to move across our apartment complex. In addition I was asked to be the District Leader, so that'll keep me busy.

This week has been kind of tough, Elder Celeste has been sick quite a bit, and then two of the missionaries in our apartment complex are going home, one tomorrow, and one in 6 weeks, so they are both very trunky and have made it a little hard to work, but things will go great this upcoming transfer. It'll be interesting to see how things go. It'll be exciting! Also one of the missionaries that came into the field with me got called as the new AP, Elder Blomfield. I am pretty excited for that

I love all of you guys,

Elder Bangerter

Week 55--August 4, 2014

Well this week has been pretty uneventful.

We spent a lot of time getting some situations figured out. We got Elder Celeste some new glasses, and had a cool experience doing so. We spent some time deciding on what he was going to do as far as getting lenses, and we spent a long time talking to the cashier about the church and we had a great gospel discussion. She asked us a lot of good questions. We really weren't able to get a hold of Ted this week, he has been pretty busy, and Jordyn has been out of town. Things should settle down this upcoming week, because school starts on Monday.

Well transfers are this upcoming weekend and I am pretty sure I am staying put, but Everything could be up in the air. There are 21 new English speaking Elders coming in to the mission, so I may train a new missionary. We'll see.

I love you guys,

Elder Bangerter