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

Week 2--July 26, 2013

I love this picture!  Our boy from Texas...in Provo, Utah...pointing to California...wearing a Wyoming T-shirt.  :-)

Hey guys,

     This week at the MTC has been great! and has been very long.... the Zone Leaders before us told us that the days feel like weeks and the weeks feel like days, It is sooo true!

     Last Friday we started lessons with Debi, one of our progressive investigators, it has been going okay, she has a lot of hold backs, but little by little we have been able to help her out, but our other progressing investigator has been going great, his name is Randy and every time we go to teach him the spirit is so strong and it's amazing. We committed him to read 2 Nephi 31, and 3 Nephi 11 by the end of the week and to pray to know if it was true, and then he prayed with us, the Spirit was so strong that it was amazing!

     Yesterday we had in-field orientation, it was a great experience, we learned a lot about finding people and using members, we did lots of role-plays and just practiced finding our investigators. We have been learning a lot about teaching, and teaching people, not teaching lessons. I can attest to how true that is, with our first few lessons with Debi we just tried to teach the lesson, and it wasn't very effective, but our last few lessons with her and then our Two lessons with Randy we have really focused on teaching them and teaching what they need by the spirit, and it has gone so much better. I think if we had one more lesson with Randy we would have committed him to baptism.

     We have focused a lot on the Book of Mormon during our class time this past week, and receiving revelation through it. We as a district read Alma 5 and wrote down our feelings as we read, and It really stuck out to me that Jesus Christ, the good shepherd, is always calling for us, and we just have to listen to him and come unto him. He never gives up on us, he doesn't care how long it takes, he doesn't care how long we've been gone or where we've been he just cares that we came unto him. It's like the parable of the workers in the vineyard, the master doesn't care how long we have been working in the vineyard, all he cares about is that we came. The blessings are the same for someone who has been in the gospel their whole life as someone who is a convert.

I hope that all is well with everybody!

Elder Andrew Stephen Bangerter

No explanation needed.

 Since there were no explanations, we are assuming these pictures are of his district, minus whomever is taking the picture.  Steve says Andrew's companion is the one to the right of Andrew (his left)  in each picture.

Andrew's email--July 19, 2013

Okay, Steve thought I should post the whole email for people to read so here it is.  I cleaned it up a little to make it easier to read.

Hey Guys!!!

As it turns out Friday's are P-Day for my zone here at the MTC. It has been amazing here.  The spirit is so strong. Trying to learn is like trying to drink water from a Fire hose!!!

It has been a tiring and VERY long two days so far. I got here on Wednesday and ended up seeing Lein on my walk to the front desk and I got to talk to him for a few minutes, He wasn't my host, he actually ended up being Kyle’s host.

So we Got to the MTC and we were "grabbed" by a host, and then our host walked us through the campus, helped with luggage, took us to the bookstore to get our study materials, took us to our residence, and then took us to our Classroom. There in our classroom we came one by one and eventually met our companions. I have an awesome companion, Elder Felix, he's from Brigham City, Utah, He's just great!!!

After we met our companions, we went and all the new missionaries had a big meeting with the MTC Mission Presidency. It was absolutely incredible! When we all stood up and sang Called to Serve, the spirit hit me so hard that I could barely sing! Then that evening we met our Zone Leaders, and went to bed.

Yesterday was probably one of the longest and most tiring days I have ever experienced, even though we were sitting most of the day. We had our first real lessons yesterday. The day started off with a workshop right after breakfast about People and Our Purpose, It was a real eye opener, and it taught us to really feel unconditional love towards everybody. Everybody is a child of our Heavenly Father and EVERYBODY is loved by him.

The rest of the morning was spent with study time, personal, companion, and District study time, I learned so much during study time, especially about the importance of enduring to the end.

After Lunch, we came back and we learned about our progressive investigators, and we really are trying to develop Christ like love for her even though we have only seen a video about her. We made lesson plans and then we went to a workshop about our MTC resources.

Following that, we had dinner, and then went to meet our branch presidency. We were all interviewed by the members of the branch presidency. Then the Branch presidency made some callings... Elder Robbins, who is one of my roommates, was called as our district leader, Sisters Allen and Neilson from our district were called as the new Sister Training Leaders for the Zone, and then finally Elder Felix and I were called as the new Zone Leaders.

It's hard for me to believe that I had been here for a little over 24 hours and was called as a Zone Leader! Obviously, the Lord has a lot of faith in Elder Felix and I, and so do the Branch presidency.

Today we would normally have the opportunity to go to the Provo temple but the temple is closed until the middle of August. So instead, we have 5 hours of free time. 

Love you guys and miss you so much,

Elder Bangerter

First week (?) at the MTC!--July 19, 2013

Andrew entered the MTC on Wednesday and we already have an email from him.  Apparently his "zone" has P-day on Fridays.  The disclaimer at the bottom of the email said not to distribute, so I'll sum up what he wrote.

He arrived on Wednesday and ran into a friend of his from high school walking to the front desk.  Elder Pouwer wasn't his host but he ended up being the host for another friend of theirs from school.  It's crazy what a small world this is!

Andrew's companion is Elder Felix from Brigham City, Utah.  After being together for 24 hours, they were called by their Branch President, to be Zone Leaders.  Wow!  What an amazing responsibility.

He sounds like he's doing great and I can tell he's already growing in the Gospel.  He said that they have already been doing a lot of studying.  That's something a mom is glad to hear!

He said that normally today would be their opportunity to go to the Provo Temple, but it's closed until the middle of August so they had a little extra free time instead.

MTC--July 17, 2013

Andrew entered the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah, this afternoon.

It was hard for his dad and I not to be there with him but, since they basically make you drop them off at the curb, we figured it wasn't worth it for either of us to travel out there with him.  Steve had used up most of his vacation days earlier this summer going to High Adventure with Andrew and scout camp with Cody.  I still have classes and homework to do.  :-(

Luckily we have family in Utah and my oldest brother volunteered to house him overnight and take him down to Provo today.  That certainly took a load off my mind!

It was weird sending him off on the airplane yesterday knowing that I wouldn't be getting the, "We're starting to board" or "I've arrived" texts like i got when he went to Wyoming two weeks ago.  I'm sure he had a tough time during his 2+ hour layover in Denver with no phone to play on, too!

 Jay was "helping" Andrew check his luggage.

He called us when my brother picked him up at the Salt Lake airport.  It happened to be right before we walked out the door to head downtown to see Wicked.  That was a great way to take our minds off our 18 year old being so far away.


Here's a picture of my Brother, Sister-in-law and nephew with Andrew as they were dropping him off.  He looks so happy!  I'm so excited for him.

 

Give 'em heaven, Andrew!  ;-)
(name that movie! We watched it the Sunday before he left.)