Week #38

This week was a roller coaster for sure. It started off with us going over to see Janet and Kenneth. At the door step, Janet told us that she had finished the Book of Mormon but that she decided they didn't want to change churches. She wasn't able to get over the idea that God and Christ are 2 separate beings. She also said that she loves her sunday school too much to leave them. I was pretty heart broken when she told us this. They are still great friends of mine and I'll miss seeing them regularly. 

We also had another one of our investigators drop us named Andy. He was an 18 year old kid that seemed really interested. He told us this last week, however, that he wasn't going to come to church and he wasn't interested in religion right now. I always feel disappointed when people don't accept this GLAD message. 

On a more positive note, we taught Misty and all of her family! They all seem to be very interested! Steve is Misty's husband. He's a quite guy but just soaked in everything that we taught. Their 3 kids also seemed to pay attention really well! Their oldest, Brent, is 14 years old and is very outgoing just like his mom. He goes to church with his dad (Steve is his step dad) and Misty said that he wouldn't be interested in what we were teaching. But right when we started teaching, Brent came in the room and participated more than anyone else did! The two other kids, Remington and Terryn are 11 and 9 and both totally soaked in what we taught! They are such a great family and want to know if what we teach is true. A couple of weeks ago, we gave the family proclamation to Misty and she loved it. In fact, she loved it so much that she framed it and hung it on her living room wall! I can't wait to see them again this week.

Terry is still doing great! He came to church again this week and is doing really great with understanding all that we teach him. His baptismal date is the end of this month. I would be surprised if he didn't make that date. 

We set a baptismal date with Rick this last week for the 21st of May. He was excited to set a date and work towards that as a goal. Rick has a very limited religious background. We have to explain in detail a lot of things that most people would understand. He's doing a great job with all this new knowledge though. 

Like I said, it was a roller coaster week. Me and Elder Brewer are having a ton of fun together and teaching some amazing people. We've really figured out how each other work and we've been able to get really close in the last couple of weeks. We don't do a whole lot of stuff on preparation day but we still have fun. Something that has made us laugh since being together is the funny experiences we have when we work with less active members. We helped this one crazy guy clean his room which was really weird but super funny! 

We get along really well with all of the members here in ashland but one of the families that really watch out for us is the Crawfords and also the Yates. Oh and the Mathatas family has us over for dinner probably once a week. They have a strong desire to do missionary work which is inspiring. They're amazing people. 

I'm not sure where we are going to be for Mother's day but I will ask if they have google hang out. I'm getting so excited to talk with you guys! I love you so much and hope you all have a great week.

                                         Jackson after walking home through a snow storm!

  

                                              An Amish buggy going past on the street.

                                                             So much for Spring!

Week #37

 This week was great! I loved conference so much!! There were so many great talks that really touched my heart! One of my favorite talks was the one given by Elder Stevenson. He talked about how a car has so much potential but we have to have the keys in order for it to be more than just some metal and plastic. He related that to having priesthood keys and the blessing it is to have them on the earth today. There were so many people that testified and talked about the restoration of the church and it just solidified my love for the prophet Joseph Smith and for the church. I also loved Elder Hallstrom's talk about how god is our loving heavenly father. I realized that I need to be more mindful of the fact that I am a beloved son of God. 

Terry was only able to come to the Sunday morning session but he said that he loved it! We have some hurdles to climb with Terry so his baptism is going to have to be pushed for a now. He is doing really great though. He's been to church 4 weeks in a row and is reading the book of mormon. He's in 2 Nephi, but we aren't sure how well he is understanding it. He's trying really hard to do what is right which is all that matters.

We got to see Misty this week again but we still haven't met with her family. Her kids have pretty busy schedules which makes it hard to schedule a time for us to meet with all of them. We have an appointment set for this coming Thursday so hopefully that works out. 

We got back in contact with Janet and Kenneth!!!! They're finally feeling better so we set up a time to go see them this week. I can't wait for Elder Brewer to meet them and see how awesome they are. We also had Kenneth's son, Gary, call us and let us know that they've been really sick as well and that they haven't been avoiding us (we totally thought they were). He said that he's been reading the Book of Mormon and he loves it! We're expecting a call from them this week to set up a time to meet when his wife isn't working. 

We also found this guy named Elden a few weeks ago while we were out riding our bikes. He said that he was a Member of the church but we haven't been able to find his records. He hasn't been to church since he was like 10 and he's in his 50's now so he remembers just about nothing. We told him that he might have to be re-baptized and he said that if he needed to he would. He needs to completely change his life style but he said he knows the church is true so it shouldn't be to hard for him to change. 

Rick, another guy we found while riding our bikes, is a solid investigator we have. He likes it when we come over and visit with him. He is really open to learning more and is trying to find out if what we are teaching him is true. 

I'm loving this area! We are teaching a ton of great people that I love so much! 

Sorry I didn't email you on your Birthday Eliza! I sent you a letter and I hope that you got it. There was something special in there.

I love you all so much and am super excited for Mother's day! Times is flying by for me out here on the mission! I can't believe that March is already over! I'm sure Mother's day will be here before I know it.

Love,

Jack

 

 Jackson and Elder Brewer

Josh Paul, a recent convert, and Jackson

     

 

Jackson and Justin, a member in the ward.

  

An "awesome rainbow".

 

  

Week #36

We had a great week this week! So Terry is doing amazing but he isn't going to make april 2nd. We want him to have 3 weeks living the Word of Wisdom before he is baptized. He has about 2 weeks clean right now. He has also been to church the last 3 weeks which is amazing!!! He is such a solid investigator! He is always progressing and loving the church. 

Janet and Kenneth are still sick! We called them on the phone this last week and they answered! Janet sounded like she was going to die right then and there! Hopefully they get over this nasty sickness here in the next couple of days so that we can see them again! 

Jennifer has been sick too! Her Daughter was sick 2 weeks ago and then Jennifer caught what her daughter had this last week! There are a bunch of people that have been getting sick recently.

Misty is doing AWESOME! So we went over there this last week to teach her the restoration. She had already read the pamphlet and underlined things she liked or had questions about. She also grabbed a notebook and pen so she could write down what we were saying! Then right as we started teaching, she said "I don't want to be taught without my family. I want me and my kids and my husband to be able to learn together" Me and Elder Brewer both about exploded!!!! Before this lesson, she had said that she doesn't want us coming when her family is home because she didn't think that it was a good idea. We are now going to teach her, her husband, and her 3 kids that are 14, 11, and 10!!!!!!! I can't wait! We have a lesson set with them this coming Wednesday. I don't know if I've ever met anyone that is more prepared than Misty is!

We have a couple of other investigators that aren't really progressing yet but I'll be sure to let you know when they do.

I think we only have one mission wide conference a year and that's the christmas one. However, we have a member of the seventy come every 6 months or so and that is split into 2 different conferences, so almost the whole mission. I get to see the Mission President at least once every 3 months but usually more than that.

I'm glad that youth conference went well! Those are always fun activities! I really miss those testimony meetings and the spirit that can be felt there. 

Hope you all had a great easter and thanks mom for your testimony of the Atonement. I am truly grateful for the atoning sacrifice that Christ gave for me as well. I KNOW that Chist is my savior and that with out him, there would be absolutely no meaning to this life. We are all made alive in Christ. I'm also grateful for the love that I felt from my Father in Heaven as I sat and pondered on the resurrection yesterday. It was a sure sign of his love to us.

I love you all so much! Hope you have a great week!

Love,

Jack

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