August 19, 2013

Dear Everyone,

 

Another week has come and gone! I can not believe it! We are really keeping busy and are even teaching more lessons than normal (which helps a ton). The thing that I have really been stressing to those that I teach is the Book of Mormon. It is the most powerful thing that we as missionaries have to get people to not only feel the Spirit but to become converted to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I have pretty much laid down the law with some people we are teaching when it comes to keeping commitments. The way that I went about doing this was by painting in there minds the fact that this book is either true or it is not, we are either the only true church or we are the biggest hoax there ever was, and the book that they are holding in their hands is proof. So if they really want to know they need to read it. I have been really feasting in the Book of Mormon this week and boy have I grown to love it. It really is this important for everyone to know it is true not just those investigating. We all need to be continually reading, praying, and pondering before any good will come (Joshua 1: 8-9).

 

We had an awesome Zone Meeting this week. It was really inspirational! I am not sure if it is because they showed a clip from a football movie or what ahahhah but it was definitely inspiring. I have come to find that in order to inspire others we ourselves need to be inspired (spiritually and emotionally) and boy does this area need some inspiration/excitement! 

It is funny how the Lord works and how he secretly goes about fulfilling His purposes without you even knowing it. So what I am trying to say is that this lesson I learned was some major foreshadowing of what was actually going to go down here in Cattaraugus. My companion and I had a good long meeting with the Branch President this week and really got brainstorming on how we could go about inspiring those 240 inactive members! We feel doing this is the best place to start since our Heavenly Father is loving and all knowing and does not want to bring his children into a branch where they wont get taken care of. That is just now how he works.

 

So we came up with the idea to bring back the very activity that built this branch in the first place. We are now bringing back the Corn Soup Socials. These are what raised the money to build the church and also what brought so many into the church. We have a lot of work to do since the process of making the corn soup takes three days. However we are really excited to stay busy! I have been keeping a fire under the Branch President (I have been bugging him daily) and so either today or tomorrow we will begin making the soup and start taking it out to all of the inactive members who started this. I am really excited for the role that we are playing in bringing this all together and I know it can work! 

The last thing I wanted to share that happened this week was our trip down to the sites! I can not say how much I love these amazing spiritual sites that are basically in our backyard! They are so powerful! Especially in building a testimony of Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. I mean how many people can take their investigators to the very place where Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith, or to the very Hill where the Book of Mormon came forth and really feel that sacred Spirit that is still there?I mean every other missionary in the world only gets to talk about this and show pictures. I know I am bragging now but it is just so special and probably necessary for some people's conversion.

Anyways we took our investigator Jackie down to see these sites and she just soaked everything in. There was a Spirit that just seemed to follow us as we went to all these places. She could not stop crying! Which is really good! :) The site sisters are pretty incredible when it comes to making people cry ahah! There is a reason they are the ones giving the tours not us Elders. I was so impressed for some reason with how in tune with the Spirit they were. It was like they knew Jackie and all of her needs without even knowing her, the Spirit is pretty great!

Well that is it for this week. It is my companions birthday today so I have to think of something fun to do today for him! Thanks for all that you do! 

Love Elder Bevan 

The Spiders are out in full force! Especially as it gets colder and colder outside. I am pretty dang stoked about that! 

Dear Dad,

I am glad I can be of some help on Monday! I will begin to answer your questions. The tribe here is the Seneca tribe it is pretty big. It is only 1/4 of the area but the most populated part. Most of the 60 members come from the rez. So this branch covers the whole rez.

I am doing really well out here. It is hard to stay busy but we are doing the best we can! I am really trying my best to help motivate my companion. It is coming along and I am definitely seeing some improvements. He is from the Scottsdale rez 20 mins from our house. We get along well but have very different interests. He is not athletic at all. We drive a chevy colorado pick up 4x4. It is pretty nice especially being on the rez. I have all that I need as of now. I may need my big coat here in the next month or so!!

I have not really had anytime with my mission president! He is a great guy and has filled the shoes of Pres Christianson really well. He has not changed too much well atleast form what I hear way out here! He has some different focuses however when it comes to working with the wards and branches. I really think it is smart what he is doing. I am now in the Buffalo South zone while before I was in the Buffalo North zone. Most of my studying is in Preach My Gospel and the Scriptures. I am still using facebook but hardly as much as I did in Lewiston. We do not have tablets and probably wont for some time. It is good to hear that mom is doing so well and I really am glad she likes her job!

Love, 

Elder Bevan