Last Transfer - April 30th, 2013

Good morning!

Sorry I never told you about p-day being on Tuesday. It is transfer week this week and we had transfers announced last night on a mission wide conference call. Elder Huckvale is being transferred to Savannah, GA. He is white washing an area as ZL's... CRAZY! He will also be going to the Georgia Macon Mission... :O... I will be staying here as a Zone Leader. My new companion is Elder Jensen. He was in Ocala with me. We weren't companions but we were really good friends and had a lot of fun so I am really really excited to have him as my companion my last transfer and to have him "kill me" as we call it. (that is what it is called when a missionary ends their mission - they get "killed" by their companion that sends them home)

We have a lot of potential in our area right now. I am really excited. May is going to be crazy! It is going to keep me focused. Did you hear about Sister Training Leaders? It is a new leadership calling.. we now have 6 Sister Training Leaders.. they are in companionships like Zone Leaders..

The Sister Training Leaders also come with the Zone Leaders to what used to be called "Zone Leader Council".. it is now called "Mission Leadership Council".

Here is the May busyness schedule!

May 7th Mission Leadership Council and my Birthday

May 9th Zone Meeting

May 14-16 District Meetings

May 22 or 23.. Zone Conference

May 28 Mission Leadership Council

May 28-30 District Meetings

June 5 Zone Meeting

June 12 Transfers!!! AHHHHHHHHHH

It is really good because it will keep me busy and help me stay focused. It helps a lot that we are having a lot of success too! I love being a missionary. I was with a missionary yesterday on a trade off. He is going home this week. We were just talking and I though "wow, I am going to be in his shoes in 6 weeks" It is just weird. I am thankful for the 6 more weeks I have to preach the gospel. I hope I use them effectively.

Micah, way to go on completing that half marathon. That is amazing! I don't think I could do that anymore. I am now 6' 3 1/2" almost 6'4" we measured today.. I am still growin,... :O I now weigh 210 lbs.. but in my defense.. I am a lot stronger.. my arms are probably twice the size of what they use to be haha.. I don't think I am much of a distance runner anymore.. I still run though.

I have been trying to play basketball a lot.

Anyways, I have a few questions... Well, I talked to President Barry about teaching at the MTC.. he told me to just apply when I get home and he will recommend me. He said I will get the job. They are looking for a lot of teachers right now. So, I really want to do that.

ALSO, we are having a mission reunion on July 27th.. I really want to go to that! Eh.. we will make these plans when I get home - haha!

The work is moving forward, BECAUSE IT IS TRUE!!!  I LOVE IT! You all are the best and I love you so much for supporting me on my mission! Have a great week!

Love

Elder Wise

A Few Mission Pics - April 29th, 2013

Elder Wise and Elder Huckvale at a recent baptism. <3

Gotta love missionaries! 

Boston and the Gospel of Christ - April 22, 2013

Good morning :)

We had a great week this week! The Lord provides a way. We were hoping to have 3 baptisms this weekend. 2 of them ended up having to go out of town. The other one looked like it wasn't going to happen because we needed to get permission. A couple days before we finally got permission, I had been praying all week to get the permission. It happened :) We had a wonderful baptism on Sunday and the pictures are on facebook. I was wearing my new suit to church and to the baptism. So you can see my new suit in the picture.

This next transfer is going to be crazy! I was told it was going to be the biggest transfer President Barry has had. It is on May 1st. There are a lot of changes happening in the mission right now and it is crazy!

I was really depressed when I heard about the tragedy in Boston. It is just sad where this world is going. Only the gospel of Christ can save the world from it's own self destruction. (paraphrasing a quote in Preach My Gospel.) The gospel of Christ is the way and the truth and the light to all the world that is wandering in darkness. No one can reach past where the light of the Atonement shines like Elder Holland said... something like that. There is so much pain and grief and drama. I don't like it at all. I am so grateful that there is hope. There is a way! It is through Christ. Everything is secondary to the gospel of Christ. That should be everyone's number 1 priority! Serve and love others! Do as our Savior, Jesus Christ would do. There is no other way.

The Plan is set. Our happiness is laid out in a path, we just need to follow it! The Holy Ghost is there to avoid the temptations of Satan and stay on this path. The basics of the gospel are so simple, pure, true, and peaceful. I always feel happy when I come back to the basics of the gospel of Christ.

I hope you all have a great week! I am really excited for you to get your mission call Micah! I love all of you very much and thank you so much for your example!!!!!

Love,

Elder Wise

Eternal Happiness vs. Temporal Happiness - April 15. 2013

Hello :D

We had a great week this week. The leadership training was great :D We really felt the spirit. This zone has been taking off! It is absolutely incredible! I can definitely feel the Ammonish thing in the air Dad :) haha. I can feel the spirit of missionary work building! It is amazing to see. This next transfer our mission will be sending home 8 missionaries and we will receive 24... 15 of them are Sisters. The next transfer (which is the one I go home) we are losing 4, and we are receiving 24...15 of them are Sisters as well! It is amazing! 

Hopefully, we will be having 3 baptisms in our area and hopefully 8 in the zone this weekend. :) The work is truly pressing forward!

Elder Huckvale was teaching Gospel Principles on Sunday and it was a really powerful. The spirit was definitely there. We talked about a lot of different things. Something that came to my mind was "When we do things for ourselves, it brings temporal happiness. When we do things for others, it brings eternal happiness." I love that because it ties to humility and service! When we are humble and think of others first it brings eternal happiness. When we are prideful and think of ourselves.. it brings temporal happiness. Satan is caught in the pride and think of himself trap. Now his misery is so terrible that he wants to drag others with him in revenge. Then on the other hand, Heavenly Father is in the "think of others and humble" side. Look where He is at!! haha Which side do I want to be on? Obviously the humble one.

Sounds like everyone is staying busy with basketball games and track... and physicals for the mission papers :D Micah, missions are the best thing in the entire world! You will never regret it! You will understand what I mean when you have been on your mission for awhile! Teagen and Dad can testify that it's true :D

Well, Mother's day is coming up and YES I WILL be calling home haha. A member has already invited us over to do that. We have to coordinate times though because they have a missionary out as well. What time would you like to skype for the last and final time?! CRAZY!

Mom, good luck at Oregon Relays :) I hope you win! And Micah, I cant WAIT for you to get your mission call! And Stock, YOU ROCK.. haha. Keep dominating! If you can beat me in basketball when I get back I will take you out to 5 guys to eat.. just like the good ol' times ;) OH, and Dad, keep being AMAZING haha.. and Teag... GET A JOB so you can stay in UTAH.. so then we can party it up and go to all the football and basketball games :) Tell Trysen I say hi.. OH and Tish, HI :)

Love ya'll ;)

Elder Wise

He That Loseth His Life, Shall Find It - April 8, 2013

Good morning!!!!

General Conference was AMAZING!!! I really felt the spirit and have learned a lot. We had our Zone Meeting this last week and it was amazing! I know that I was called to be a Zone Leader for ME! I am selfISH!! haha. Seriously! Since I received this calling I gradually started to be more confident in public speaking. I hope it isn't pride ;) My testimony has been strengthened!!! I have learned how to really do this work. I have learned how to work!!... and to work hard. I came on my mission wanting it to be perfect. Wanting to not make one mistake and work my hardest throughout my entire mission. I have worked hard! There is no doubt about that. Although, it has not been perfect! I have made mistakes. That is not what I wanted to happen >:( haha. I have realized though that no ones mission is perfect. We do stupid things, unfortunately. I know that thus far I have become who my Heavenly Father has wanted me to become! I have been pondering lately on who I am! I know that I have been taught that I am a child of God. I never really gained a testimony of that. I also didn't know what it meant to be a child of God. Thanks to Elder Huckvale and Zone Meeting and the spirit. I LEARNED THIS GREAT TRUTH!

39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it." Matthew 10:39

Thou Art My son - Elder Huck and Elder Wise as YM! 

I always thought this was talking about sacrificing our lives for others...and it is!! But it is also talking about something much greater! In fact sacrificing our lives for others is a huge part in what this really means...to me at least. "He that findeth his life" - talking about seeking the natural man's desires, not bridling our passions but fulfilling them - shall lose it - who they truly are.   "...and he that loseth his life (or natural man) for my sake (God's will) shall find it (himself, who they truly are)" That is because who we are (or who we are supposed to become) is like our Father in Heaven. We are royal children of God that have the potential to be like Him!!! That is who I AM! A son of God that has the potential to truly....be like HIIM! I felt the spirit at our Zone Meeting confirm to me that this is TRUE. I know it is, and would that not boost our confidence? To know that we can be perfect. That is why we need to lose ourselves (the natural man) and become as our Father in Heaven.

 "19 For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father." Mosiah 3:19

I am so glad I came on my mission! I have grown so much! I cannot wait for you to see those changes. Thank you so much for sacrificing everything you do for me to be out here. It has saved me! Seriously! Like President Thomas S. Monson said in priesthood session " a mission is a family affair". When a member of the family is on a mission, the rest of the family is also! Your sacrifice is blessing the lives of the children of God in Florida! Thank You :) I cannot say that enough!

For Pday today we are going to Lazer Tag and Mini Golf... It is going to be a lot of fun! I am glad you all had a ton of fun in CALI!! Hope you have another GREAT WEEK!!!

Love

Elder Wise

p.s. If you want me to come home in June.. make sure to get my license renewed ;) haha

Dear Family,

Well, I had some struggily situations this week. One, I tore my left contact...  no need to fear. I kept my old ones just in case something like this happened. So I am wearing that one and I will just wait until I get home to get new ones..

That injury in that game sounds nasty! Teagen sent me a picture of it. That is really gross..... How does that even happen? (referring to the Louisville player who broke his leg in the final four NCAA tournament) 

We have a pretty crazy week ahead of us! We are trying to help 2 girls get baptized on the 7th. Their Father doesn't think they are quite ready so we are trying to help them be ready by the 7th! We also have Zone Leader Council this week as well as our Zone meeting... So we have a ton to do this week! I love it because that will keep us busy and keep life exciting and different :)

Vancouver, not BC; Washington, not DC : ) 

I am really excited for General Conference... I always receive a ton of revelations so it should be really good :)

Oh, and yes I got the package :) It is great!

We love the shirts! (I sent them an Easter package with these shirts. They are great b/c people out of state, when they ask where you are from, always reply with "Oh, Washington DC? or "Vancouver BC?"... so I had to get them these shirts! LOL) 

Well, I think I have learned more from Elder Huckvale than I have the previous 6 months on my mission! I have really learned a lot. I love it because we are working hard and we are different, so we are learning a lot from each other. It is amazing! That is what life is all about.. learning and becoming like Christ.

Well, I better run :) Oh, so I was wondering if it would be okay if I didn't talk to ya'll on mother's day so I can stay focused until the end? (Yeah, so I was ready to kill him....then he let us know it was April Fools.....jerk.....NOT FUNNY!) 

Love you!!!

Have a great week!

Elder Wise