11/25/13

Dear Everyone,

  

Driving in the snow - 10 & 2

Life is good, REALLY GOOD. I don't think I have ever planned so much in my entire life or thought so much about things that are coming up. The things that I have been thinking about are "good things" so don't be thinking I am distracted. My district has been planning a way to get the members more involved, as you all know by now. We have been really trying to get these members fired up! We have been thinking of ways to do this and we have come up with a few ideas, with the help of the Branch President. The first and foremost plan that we have established is a monthly missionary fireside put on by the missionaries. We are planning on teaching the members and their friends the basic doctrines and principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In a sense we will be giving them a motivational talking to haha. We (the missionaries) have created a powerpoint that is going to rock their world and really help them and their friends understand the WHY'S of us "MORMONS". So, if you were wondering, that is what has taken over a good majority of my thinking and planning time. I am not going to lie it has been pretty stressful trying to prepare and teach something so vast in such a short period of time but also giving enough time on the important principles. Thank goodness it is not up to me to convert these people!

 

Some of you (mom and dad) may know that I never really took a lot of time or thought to planning. I sort of just did things as they came, for example a math or english test, a date (not always! sorry girls...who needs to plan or study? Well, I did not need to, until I became a missionary. When it comes to teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ you had better be prepared! However all we have to do is put enough time and effort into obtaining truths so that the Holy Ghost can testify and do the hard work! I can already tell that this fireside is going to be a real success. The biggest reason why that is, is because we are having some Site Sisters come down and teach the Restoration part of the first discussion. For some reason people just like the Sisters better! hahah That's ok...they need the attention :) 

Aside from the madness of this fireside we have been doing our best work when it comes helping people come unto Christ (and by "our best work" I mean following the promptings of the Holy Ghost and doing the will of Heavenly Father because this is not "our work" at all!!). The Spirit is so important to have in this work. For example it is really "the power" in missionary work, because "we of ourselves could do nothing" to move this work along. However when the Spirit is present we can do anything. There is nothing better than being a hand tool for the God of Israel. The Spirit for example has changed the heart of our investigator. They are ready for baptism and will be baptized Dec. 14th instead of Dec. 1st. The experience I have had while teaching has been amazing. I have been there since the very first lessons and have been able to teach everything and see the change! I always thought that missionaries played a big role in the conversion process of investigators but that is not the case. Sure the investigators may learn to love you but the real change takes place as they develop a relationship with their Heavenly Father on their own time and in their own way! That is what makes all the difference in a person. All we have to do is give them enough of the light that is in us, which can only be given if we have it, so that way they can start their own personal journey to Christ. It has been a tender mercy to be a part of something so life changing. 

It has definitely been a week to remember and that is the truth! It is funny the way that God works because just last week I was studying a lot about remembering and how important it is. It is even said by the Prophet President Kimball "that the most important word in the dictionary is REMEMBER". So, I was grateful for this tender mercy. That God would prepare me, before hand, to get the most I possibly could out of this week. It seems like the more we remember and think back on our lives the more we learn and the more we see the "significant but subtle blessings" as Elder Bednar would say. I encourage all of you to look back on some of the blessings or tender mercies you have received recently and to think about what God did to prepare you to receive them. What better time of year to do this than at thanksgiving. I know the more we remember the more we are grateful for what we have been given, no matter what our circumstances may be!

Love, 

Elder Bevan 

 

This isn't what your mom mean't , when she said,

"You need to eat what you kill".

November 18, 2013

Hello from NEW YORK!

Hope everyone is doing well and that no one is discouraged. There is no reason to be. This work is moving along and things are happening! It seems like every week, this past month we have been having amazing Spiritual Meetings. This week it was Stake Conference, and man is this area ready to flourish. There is an effectual door being opened and we are right in the midst of it! I say this because of some of the signs that I have seen this week. A lot of good signs and some bad. It was said that "the more our forces for good grow, the more the forces for bad will work on the good". Some of the things that happened this week are proof! 

Last night after having such an amazing conference a massive storm rolled in. We were sitting down planning when everything just went dark. We lost everything. We had no power, no water, nothing. It was kind of like camping yesterday :) Luckily it was not too cold outside so we did not freeze! 

 

 My companion and others in my district, bowling. The Elder to my left looks like Mel Gibson.

The Elder on the end to my right looks like Joaquin Phoenix,

and we call my companion smalls...sometimes :)

 

We went to the lake and got caught in a huge wind storm.



 

You can seem how hard that wind was blowing!!!

 



We have some good news about one of our investigators! Jessica has officially decided to be baptized and will be baptized Dec. 7th!!! I was so happy to hear that she had committed and was willing to do whatever it takes and let me tell you it is going to take a lot with all that her ex-husband puts her through. We had an interesting experience with this "relationship" while moving. Jessica's husband kicked her and her two boys out and would not let them get any of their stuff (left them out in the cold). They were unable to do anything until the divorce was final. Well it was official this Saturday so we volunteered to help her move. Little did we know what the outcome would be. We get there and find out that there needs to be a policeman there supervising while they break into the house (because he changed the locks). Anyways that was exciting. After about 30 mins her ex shows up and of course since it is the first week of deer season he has to have a gun! He starts walking promptly to us gun in hand! Luckily the cop was there to pull him aside while we finished moving. It got a little intense but for some strange reason I was never worried at all. I just felt really bad for Jessica and all she had to go through and all that she will still have to endure. However Good always triumphs evil because no matter how bad the odds seem there are more people on our side than we could ever imagine.

I personally know that all that has happened this week, good or bad, was for the moving forward of God's work. I have learned a lot and when I felt like I was not progressing I turned to the words of the prophets and immediately found the comfort and strength I needed to rise up again and again. There is such strength in knowing who we are and having our eyes set on Eternal Goals. When we do this there is nothing that we can not overcome.

We have been doing a lot of brainstorming and planning (thinking outside the box) and have come up with a lot of great, inspired ideas on how to get people more involved and move the work along. We are going to be starting with a Missionary Fireside December 1st that will get this work moving. I just want to urge all of you to really pray. Not just say prayers but pray to our Father in Heaven. We have a responsibility as His Children to know the mind and will of Him concerning ourselves. Always be worthy of the Spirit, Pray and ask for it, Listen to it, and Heed its promptings promptly. If we do this we will surely have Eternal Life!

Love,

Elder Bevan

Instead of Spiders in our new place we catch mice :)

Dear Everyone,

If I have anything to say I would have to say that I am learning! And learning sure is necessary in order to be an effective missionary. I have so much that I want to say! I will start off with Zone Conference. It was such a great Zone Conference this past week. I really feel they get better every time. We learned a lot especially from the stake president who came and addressed all of the missionaries in the buffalo stake. He is a man full of Prophecy and Revelation. This area is really on the verge of exploding with missionary work. We (the wards/branches) are constantly getting letters from the first presidency saying to do more and work harder because there are people ready! It is so exciting. We have been really trying to get the members involved and motivated. I have learned a lot for myself about the way we really get people to do things and...It is out of love. Unless someone can act out of love there is no point in acting. We really have to apply Moroni 7:48 into our lives and Pray with all energy of heart for charity! Then we can obtain success! Some of the things that I wrote down from Zone Conference were goals or acronyms the stake president gave for us to apply and teach. They are: CTR Conversion Temple Rescue, ETTE Endure to the Endowment. Also President Francis made us a really cool promise this Conference he told us that if we will be Faithful and diligent some time in our mission we will take some from baptism all the way to the temple! I can not wait for that day. I do not know if there could be a happier thing in this world to be a part of! 

A little update on the area...We are officially working with Jessica to have a baptism date. She is finally divorced and moved out and is now able to set a date!! We also have found 4 new investigators that are really prepared to receive the message of the Restoration. All they need to do now is to "Try the virtue of the word of God" Alma 31:5. We also had some snow last night. We got 5 inches which was pretty fun to drive in:) I am not really the most experienced winter driver but thankfully I got some good practice drifting at the go kart racing place (thanks Dad!!) hahah I am just teasing. I am a really safe driver especially after my ticket ;) 

Elder Hadley and I are getting along just fine. we have our differences but so is life. We have the same goals and are working in unity. As long as we have that we are unstoppable and God can really utilize us. I have been so blessed and can't thank Heavenly Father enough. Luckily all we have to do is to keep the commandments :)

Remember we must be Brave and to be brave we must have perfect love, which "perfect Love" casteth out all Fear! :) 

Kneel down and pray for missionary opportunities and pray for charity and they will come in a way that feels natural! I promise!

Thanks for all your love! 

Elder BEVAN 

November 4, 2013

Dear Everyone,

All is well in Cattaraugus. My companion and I have been doing really well together. Not without some divine guidance. We have been really focusing on always having the Holy Ghost to be our guide, in all phases of the work. It has been some of the most peaceful times yet probably because when the Holy Ghost is near that is just what happens. 

Don't go thinking that nothing bad has happened because that would be down right outlandish. The work is moving a long and people's hearts are softening. They are not quite softening at the pace that I have in mind but I know they are being softened according to God's will. I have really come to know that God's thoughts are not my thoughts and that His ways are not My ways! Talk about an important lesson to learn. 

We have our new senior couple this week! The McNeils they are from New Mexico. This is their 6th mission! They have served a lot of them on Indian Reservations so this is going to be a perfect fit for them. The other elders in my district are doing really well! They are really stirring the pot down in Gowanda New York ahaha. That is something missionaries in Western New York are really good at. I am not sure if that is because nobody likes us or because we are starting to have a lot of success or both? Who knows. All I know is no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing!

The leaves are almost gone and the cold air is finally here! We have had snow fluries but still have not quite had anything stick! 

I am sorry for the short email today but there is just so much going on today! 

Thanks for all of your emails and support I am glad to see the family is doing well!

Love,

Elder Bevan