Merry Christmas - December 24th, 2013

We didn't and email today...but here is what we did get on Christmas Day.

Uncle Elder Wise meets his new nephew for the first time! 

So fun to see and talk to Elder Wise! 

Elder Wise sent JAX Jaguars tees to the entire family

Why Does God Allow Bad Things To Happen? - December 17, 2013

Hello :)

I was really sad to hear about the things that happened this last week. We had several investigators text us the morning of the elementary shooting (referring to the Newtown Elementary School shooting) asking us why God would let this happen. Thank goodness for the Book of Mormon. It can answer questions simply. We shared the experience Alma and Amulek had when all the believers were being thrown into a fire. Amulek asked Alma if they could use the power of God which is in them to stop this awful thing from happening. Alma said the spirit constrains him because their blood testifies against the wicked at the last day. One scripture I love is in Doctrine and Covenants 137:10

" And I also beheld that all children who die before they arrive at the years of accountability are saved in the celestial kingdom of heaven."

We know where all those children are! :)

Well, we are going to be skyping at a family named the Smith's. I gave them Mom's cell and the home phone as well. And they should be calling to set it up.

So, I must confess. I cannot stand waiting to open a gift. It bugs me. Especially when I have no one to constrain me, I lose control and tear the gift open. Elder Bushman tried to stop me, but my brute strength was too much for him :) haha.. not really! So, thank you for the basketball shoes ;) They are sweet! I wasn't going to tell you I opened them but the spirit told me to confess :/.. the problem is.. It is going to be really hard to forsake haha!

Anyways, this week was a little frustrating for Elder Bushman and I. Satan is a terrible spirit. UGH! One of our investigators who had a baptism date for the 23rd went nuts on us and doesn't want us to come back until after Christmas. It is a long story. Another that was supposed to happen this week is pushed back until this weekend hopefully. Our mission is doing incredible though. 

I will send out the package for you all today. I love you all! Next week I will email you. But it will be very short. I mean I will talk to you face to face the next day.. sort of. Over the internet!

I love you!

Elder Wise

Christmas Devotional

The Jacksonville mission had a big Christmas Devotional. They asked us to write letters to our elders (along with other family members - grandparents, etc. Here is a picture of that devotional.

2012 Christmas Devotional - Florida, Jacksonville Mission

Surprise Transfer and NEW ADDRESS - December 10, 2012

Dear Family,

Well, it sounds like most of you are confused. I will explain haha. I got a call on Monday and President Barry extended a call to me to be a Zone Leader. And then he told me that I was being transferred. I am now in Jacksonville in the Arlington ward. And my companion is Elder Bushman. In our mission they put the Zone Leaders together in a companionship. 

So, at transfer meeting I was called to be a District Leader. I had never been in leadership before, other than training. Now, just two weeks later I get emergency transferred and get called to be a Zone Leader! So now I am in Arlington with Elder Bushman. Elder Bushman has been out 22 months. He is from Farmington, Utah. This last week we had to put together a Zone Meeting, and we were going on a trade-off with the Assistants to the President. We have Zone Meetings once a month. They are different than Zone Conference's. Zone Meetings are just a way to get info out to the mission faster. Once a month the President has a Zone Leader Council where he trains the Zone Leaders, and the Zone Leaders train on the same thing at Zone Meeting. I wasn't at the Zone Leader Council, but I had to still train on the training given there. So it was a very interesting and crazy week. One of the Assistants names is Elder Tomlinson and I went on a trade off with him this week and it was incredible. He is urgent and powerful! I learned a ton!

The BIGGEST thing I learned this week. "God doesn't call the qualified, he qualifies the called." I was completely shocked when I got the call from President Barry. I never thought in a million years I would have gotten called as a Zone Leader, but I am really excited for the calling because I have already learned a ton and improved. I have a testimony that God calls you to a calling that you have no clue how to do and once you figure it out, you get released and get called to another calling. I love how true the church is. The organization alone testifies of the truthfulness of it. No man could come up with something so incredible. It is built around people becoming like our Heavenly Father.

Here is my new address:

8291 Dames Point Crossing Blvd. #1105

Jacksonville, FL 32277

Things are going fantastic in Arlington. We have 3 baptismal dates for this month. One on the 16th, one for the 23rd and another for the 30th. This last week has been crazy, but probably the funnest week of my mission. Elder Bushman and I get along really well and are watching God work miracles :)

Well, I have a question. A group of Elders has gotten permission from President Barry to go to the Gator Bowl which is held in the Jacksonville Jaguars stadium. It is on Jan. 1st and I think and it is a P-day. If it's possible, can I get a ticket to go? I think it will be around $60 or $70. 

Well, I will just close out the email with a testimony. I know that living all the gospel principles brings happiness. But, we have to be doing everyone of them. If we don't, the guilt from not doing it will just eat at you. That is when we repent and set goals to do better! I love repentance and I have had to use it a ton as a missionary - for not talking to a person or something. I know that God loves us, and that He works miracles. I actually have a story. Elder Bushman and I got a media referral this last week. We got to visit this referral. A 16 year old boy answered and we asked if this person lived there. An 8 year old boy popped his head out and said, "that's me!" Elder Bushman and I were taken back because this person referred themselves on mormon.org. The young boy ended up running off with a friend but we stood there and talked to his Mom and the 16 year old boy and we are now teaching them. The Mom knew nothing about it. How in the world would an 8 year old boy be able to do that. He now says he was just playing some game and it popped up and he hit okay? Well, that doesn't just happen. You have to put in your name, address and a bunch of things. I have no clue how it happened. But God worked a miracle through that young boy, and now we are teaching them. I know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that we can become healed and given strength through the Atonement. I know that Joseph Smith is a Prophet of God. And I say these thing in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

I love you all and I hope you have a great week!

Love

Elder Wise

Loosen UP? - December 3, 2012

Hello :)

I was able to see the Christmas Devotional last night and it was great! I loved it!

Fleming Island is still doing great! It is sort of weird though. I was in my area quite a bit this week. This upcoming week I will be going on a trade off with an Elder down in St. Augustine on Tuesday, we have Zone Meeting on Wednesday, I will be in my area Wednesday night and Thursday, then Friday morning we have Weekly Planning. After that I will be going on a trade off with the Zone Leaders in St Johns. I will get back to my area Saturday night. So I will hardly be in my area this next week haha. I am learning and growing a lot though.

The apartment I am in is great! We have our struggles as every apartment does, but I have learned a lot from the Elders in the apartment and I hope they have learned from me. I guess when I came here I was very intense. I really try to be strictly obedient. The other Elders told me that I get a little intense with the rules sometimes and that I need to loosen up a little bit and have fun. WOW! I have never had anyone tell me that before. I just remember back home everyone would tell me I was just crazy and liked to screw around. Anyways, I think I have loosened up a little bit but have still kept my standard for obedience. It's been great here and we have some great Elders in our apartment.

I'm excited for this month! On either the 17th or the 24th we are having a district pday in St. Augustine. St. Augustine is the oldest city in the US and has a lot of neat stuff, so it will be really fun. I am doing dandy and the work is progressing. We are teaching a couple that has a baptism date for the 22nd, and we are teaching some others. We are constantly trying to find. Just moving the work of the Lord forward :) I love you all! Hope you have a great day!

Love

Elder Wise