Week #35

So first the update on our investigators:

Janet and Kenneth have been sick and we haven't heard from them. We have knocked on their door a few times and have called a few times and have had no response. I'm really hoping that they're doing okay. I'm pretty worried that they are avoiding us now and are no longer interested. Makes me really sad to see people come so close to the gospel and then fall away from it! We are going to do all we can to get in contact with them and hopefully they are doing okay.

Misty is doing really great! We went over to see her with a member and she loved our visit! She said that she really wants to come to the Mormon church because she knows that it is the only church that can help her be happy. I'm not sure how much she really knows about the Gospel but the fact that she has a desire to know if it is true is all she needs to develop a solid, unshakable testimony. We are going to see her this week again and will teach her the Restoration in depth. I'm really excited for that lesson.

Jennifer is doing great as well. We weren't able to see her this week because her daughter is sick but we're going to see her this week. She is definitely interested in what we are teaching her. So far she has struggled with keeping commitments but she said that she was going to start reading the Book of Mormon so we'll see if she was able to do that. 

Our most solid investigator right now is Terry. He is AMAZING! He came to church again yesterday and stayed for the baptism of a girl in the ward! He said that he felt the spirit really strong when he was at the baptism. He is working towards being baptized on the 2nd of April. Please keep him in your prayers. 

Thanks for the idea of inviting our investigators to conference, especially the women to the women's broadcast! That will be a huge testimony booster for them! I am getting so excited for conference coming up! I always love hearing what the prophet and apostles have to say. I always feel spiritually regenerated after each session! General Conference is almost like Christmas as a missionary and the best part is, you only have to wait 6 months for it instead of a whole year! 

Man I miss the family! I have been thinking a lot about you guys this last week for some reason. I wish that I could've gone on the trip with you guys! It's a little bit crazy to me that I've never met baby Noah! He's the cutest little bugger ever! I want to give him a big hug! 

This week was really great. We had a lot of success here in the Ashland area... The best area in the entire Nation, Maybe the WORLD!! I love you guys so much! Hope you have a great week! 

Love, Jack

Week #34

 We had a little bit of an interesting week. So it started out with us trying to see Janet and Kenneth but they weren't answering their door which never happens! I was honestly worried that Janet finished the Book of Mormon and then decided that it wasn't true! But it turns out they are super sick! Janet said that she has never been more sick in her whole life. Her son Gary and his family have been really sick with the same thing as well! They had to take their grand daughter who they have custody over to the emergency room twice in the last week! So we haven't been able to see them for a couple of weeks. Then we tried to see Misty but she had to go into the doctors for an emergency visit due to something that is wrong with her back. She had back surgery a few weeks ago and something was bothering her. We are planning to see her this week. 

Terry Is doing awesome!!!! He came to church yesterday which was great! He is really liking the church even though he is getting some resistance from the friends that he is living with. He told us that he is standing up for Mormons when his friends talk bad about us which is amazing! He is planning on getting baptized in April but we'll see if he is going to be ready by then. I know that he can be but we have to teach him about the Word of Wisdom this week. We love Terry and his desire to follow the Savior. He told us that he wants to be baptized in a river just like Christ was which would be awesome to see happen!

Jennifer is amazing as well! She said that she is definitely interested in what we are teaching her. She made the comment, "Well, I must be interested, I let you guys come back didn't I?" She is such an amazing person. Just like Terry, she has a true desire to follow the example of Christ. She has had a lot of trials in her life that have really prepared her to receive the message of the Restored Gospel. 

Elder Brewer and I have found a lot of Potential Investigators this last week as well. We are going to try turning them all into investigators this week. There are some amazing things happening here in the Ashland area!

Man I miss those trips with the family! I would do anything to be trapped in a car with the family for 12 hours! I was telling Dad that some of the greatest memories I have growing up take place in Deer Valley. I really miss our Park City house. My greatest memory from there is painting the little club house in the back yard. We had a great time doing that. 

Love, Jack

                                                           Elder Scoresby and Elder Brewer

Week #33

So this week was crazy! It went by so fast! Elder Bowcut is gone back to utah and is with his family now. That chump... haha! Me and him did get along really well but I was definitely ready for a new companion. We worked super well together and did a ton of great work in this area! Me and Elder Brewer are continuing the hard work and have already seen some great success in just 4 or 5 days. So Elder Brewer is a Mormon, from Springville Utah. He's an awesome kid! He's been out for one less transfer than I have which makes it pretty easy to relate to him. We teach really well together and get along really well.

We weren't able to see Janet and Kenneth this week. They weren't home when we stopped by but we're seeing one of their sons and his wife tonight again to teach the Plan of Salvation. Their names are Gary and Susan. They seem to still be very interested and look forward to seeing us. They are the kindest family and I really hope that they can progress the same way that Janet is! I'm stoked to teach them again tonight!

We found 2 great investigators this week! The first one is a 36 year old lady named Jennifer. Elder Bowcut and I tracted into her. She told us that her Mom grew up Mormon but when her mom married her Dad, who was a baptist, she changed religions. Jennifer told us that she doesn't fully agree with the Baptist doctrines so she is really interested in the message that we have to share. We taught her the Restoration and shared a Book of Mormon with her and she committed to read it. I'm really excited about Jennifer.

The second investigator that we found this week is named Terry. He is an older man with a pretty rough past. He told us that he got out of jail last year but he is way solid. He showed up to our appointment we set with him and he said that he would read the Book of Mormon. He also texted us Sunday morning and asked us what time we were picking him up for church. We weren't able to get him a ride but we promised we would get one for him next week.

We also had a SUPER cool miracle happen yesterday! So the Yates called us and told us that they went home teaching to a less active family named the Lemmings. I guess when they were over there, sister Lemming's daughter, Misty, who's not a member, had called sister Lemmings and said that she knows that Book of Mormon is true and that she wants to meet with the missionaries and take the discussions. We then called Misty and she told us that she has a lot of questions but that she wants to go to the Mormon church! We are going to go and teach her some time this week and I can't wait!!!! Their is so much good happening in this area, it is just amazing to me!

Well that's all of the amazing things that I can think of right now that happened her in good old Ashland, Ohio. I love it here and love the work that is coming forth. I love you all so much and am glad that you're reading the Book of Mormon. What's more important than reading the Book of Mormon is understanding it! If you don't understand something Ben, Coop, and Liza, then ask Mom and Dad. They are awesome and you're blessed to have parents with such strong testimonies. I love you all and hope that you have a fantastic week! 

 

Oh I also got to go to the temple this week! We went with the youth of the ward and brought a Recent Convert. He got to do baptisms for the first time which was super cool. We all felt the spirit really strongly! I love the Temple! 

Love, Jack 

Week #32

 Hi Everyone! 

We had a slow week this week and had a difficult time meeting with investigators. For whatever reason, everyone was either sick this last week or busy at work. We did, however, get to see Janet and Kenneth! They are still doing amazing! Janet is all the way into 3 Nephi Chapter 5 as of yesterday! She said to us, "you guys came early this week so I didn't have time to read as much!" Me and Elder Bowcut just laughed when she said that to us. Janet is really working on coming to know if the Book of Mormon is true. I'm hoping that she will be able to see the truthfulness it contains when she reads about the Savior coming to the Americas to teach the people. She feels right now that it is pretty much the same as the Bible, just with different names. In other words, she knows that the Book of Mormon is true, she just wants a strong confirming feeling. 

Elder Bowcut leaves tomorrow to tour Kirtland and to spend the night in the mission home. He flies home on Thursday. It is crazy to me that just 6 weeks ago me and him became companions! Time has flown so fast because of the hard work that we are doing here in Ashland. We talked to an Elder that was here right before Elder Bowcut and he talked to us about how "interesting" Ashland was. He was pretty much telling us that we have the worst area in the mission. It's funny how a mindset can affect the work in an area so much! 

We have spent a lot of time with the members of the ward this last week as Elder Bowcut prepares to leave. We had a member share her conversion story with us. She has been a member her whole life but wasn't really convinced that the church was true until a couple of years ago. She told us of the impact that a couple of Elders had on her which made me remember that I am here to strengthen the active members as well as the less actives and non members. I love the Ashland ward and all that they do for us missionaries. We are being fed a lot! The size of my belly is a testimony of that....

We really had a good week! I love you all so much! I'm slightly jealous of your 80 degree weather! I just want to be hot and sweaty again.... Weird I know, but true. 

Hope you have a great week.

Love, Jack