Three shouts for Israel

Here’s another update for you guys

This week was alright. Most everyone is still ghosting us pretty hard. It’s pretty frustrating sometimes. But it’s whatever. Still keeping on.

I don’t have much to say today. One highlight though is that one of our member friends gave a talk that we helped him write. It was kinda scary though when he went up to the pulpit and the first thing that came out of his mouth was “today I would like to talk about the reincarnation of Jesus Christ”. Me and Elder Pugsley both freaked out for a second but he ended up giving the talk super well. He’s a legend. 

We did find a lady to teach this week that was pretty great. We taught her the plan of salvation and she seemed to enjoy it. Hopefully she doesn’t ghost us this week like everyone else is haha

Despite most people ghosting us, I’m doing pretty decent. Doing a gratitude journal helps me a lot haha. But me and Elder Pugsley are having a great time and it’s a lot of fun to work together. I don’t totally know why the Lord put us in this place at this time, but in a priesthood blessing I gave him a while ago I felt prompted to say that we were always meant to serve together as mission companions, but we may not realize it’s importance for many years to come. 

So even though it’s hard to see the success that we’d like, I know that I’m giving it my all so I’m satisfied with myself. 

One spiritual moment was when we were driving past this cemetery and saw the cross and the sunset lined up perfectly. Me and Elder Pugsley went over and got some cool pics with the cross. Then we got a shot of us holding the Book of Mormon and we’d shout “Hurrah, Hurrah, Hurrah for Israel!”. It was epic. The gospel is awesome. 

Also a cool spiritual thing was that I actually understood Jacob 5 for the first time in my life and really enjoyed it. These really are the last days and I’m honored to have been called to serve in the Lord’s vineyard with Him. 

See ya

-Elder Wride

PICS

Elder Pugsley

Sunset

Cross

Sunset pt. 2

Spanish Calls (@Elder Goodman <3)

Hike

The field is white

Heyyyy

Hey again everybody

This week was pretty alright. The highlight was definitely learning how to shoot a carrot like a slingshot by just using my fingers. Elder Pugsley showed me this secret and I didn’t hesitate to use it against him. Pretty sweet!

I really don’t have much else to say unfortunately. We did a lot of missionary work. A lot of contacting, a lot of rejection, a lot of learning. It was a good time. Most of our friends we’re teaching ghosted us again this week but we were able to get back into contact with some. We also found two new people and they both seem pretty solid! 

My most spiritually moving moment this week was while listening to the “Saints: Volume One” audio book. I’ve read it before so I thought I’d just listen to it. So every morning I’ve been playing it on my phone while I’m in the bathroom getting ready for the day. I finished the book this week, and one of the final chapters recounts the martyrdom of Joseph Smith. I’ve already had lots of really spiritual confirmations in regards to whether or not Joseph Smith was a prophet, but this one was especially memorable. As I listened to Joseph’s last moments on earth, I just started sobbing. Like full on sobbing haha. I get teary eyed sometimes when I have a cool experience but this time I just totally lost it. Joseph Smith was really a prophet, and I’m grateful for what he did to help restore the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ on the earth. 

And it’s so obvious to me that Joseph was really a prophet. So why don’t more people believe it? And in addition to his prophetic call, why can’t more people see that the Book of Mormon is true, and in it, the fulness of Christ’s gospel has been brought back on earth?

The people who have trouble seeing this are always those that aren’t studying. They aren’t reading, and they aren’t praying. And if they are reading, they are putting their time and effort into sources that twist the truth and focus on the insignificant secondary questions instead of the overwhelming amount of positive truth. 

The scriptures describe the Gospel of Jesus Christ to be an “anchor” in our lives. As my good friend google describes it, “An anchor is a device, normally made of metal, used to connect a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the craft from drifting due to wind or current”.

So an anchor is there to keep us in place when the “wind” comes. So isn’t it implied here that if the Gospel is an anchor, then there is going to be wind? Too often people lose their faith because of the metaphorical “winds” that come in our lives, but the winds and the trials are a part of it. So once you have an anchor, like Joseph Smith being a prophet and the Book of Mormon being true, then you need to let that anchor hold you in place despite the winds that come. And don’t let the fact that there are winds shake your faith. Winds are a part of the experience.

I just want to bear testimony to you guys that I have never been more sure at any point in my life that this is Christ’s true church. I always believed it, but I am seeing it more clearly now than I ever have at any other time in my life. I can feel the Lord shaping me into a better man and strengthening my faith. I really wish the whole world wanted to know that these things are true as bad as I want them to.

Anyways that’s about it this week! The mission is a very eye opening experience. I’m learning a lot of stuff. I’ve also started keeping a gratitude journal which has helped me a lot. Would highly recommend it. 

Ciao

- Elder Wride

Litchfield stuff - 10 Months & 1 Day

Hey guys! Elder Wride here with another weekly update.

Things are honestly pretty fantastic here in Litchfield with Elder Pugsley. Easily the best comp I could ask for. Except for the fact that he snores super loudly and I have to hit him with a lightsaber in order for him to stop, things are going quite nicely. 

I’m Handsome

At church yesterday these two little primary girls came up to us and kept saying “Handsome! Handsome!”. Of course I had to ask which one of us was more handsome, and they pointed at me. Elder Pugsley was pretty distraught over it. Jk. 

Sunglasses

Elder Pugsley has some really sweet sunglasses that I like to wear on occasion but he get’s pretty upset about it for some reason and made me go and buy my own. So at the gas station I bought a 15 dollar pair just like his. Then a short time later, we were leaving the car and I set my new sunglasses on the car seat. I had the strongest thought that I would probably sit on them later and break them, but I ignored it. Then an hour later when I sat back down in the car, my heart sank. I totally destroyed them. I spent some time later trying to bend them back in place, and they snapped. I was outraged. Not sure why I’m telling this story haha but whatever. It was my lowest point this week. Luckily I have the sweetest mother ever who took pity on me and sent me some money to get some new ones. Thanks mom <3

Teaching Pool

Our teaching pool kinda took a hit this week. Most people are just ghosting us. But we’re used to it haha. Mark is doing great though! He’s the greatest guy ever. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for him. But yea it was kinda frustrating this week having so many lessons set up and then everybody bailing right before. The adversary really works on these people. 

Spiritual Epiphany

We met some really interesting people this week. The more people I talk to as a missionary, the stronger my testimony of the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ becomes. Most everyone believes in God, but the amount of people who actually live His commandments is a lot smaller. 

But this past week we were talking to this guy about the Gospel, and he said he had read the Book of Mormon. I was skeptical right off the bat, because based on my experience, anyone who’s truly read the Book of Mormon doesn’t talk about it that casually. Anyways so I asked him what his takeaway was, and sadly, he just wanted to try and disprove it. He said that he read about goats and that they didn’t exist in that time. I was pretty annoyed. This guy claims to have read the Book of Mormon, but his only take away is that goats prove that it’s false? So we were like “is that really the only thing you learned?”. 

The Book of Mormon has the strongest testimony of Jesus Christ that I have ever read. I can’t read more than a verse without it referring to him. I know it’s true.

So we left him a passage from the Book of Mormon to read and pray about. 

We talked for a little bit more and long story short, he won’t read and pray about it. It’s just so sad and frustrating. I know this Gospel is true, and the fact that others won’t humble themselves and take their questions in sincerity to God breaks my heart. 

It’s also just so interesting talking to these people who believe in God and nothing else. We talked to another guy and he was like “I’m catholic.”. We were like “great! Could we talk more about Christ with you?” and then he was like “no no no I’m not into that whole religion thing”. Like come on dude! Faith requires action! So many people talk about their faith in Christ but then don’t live it. They’re so focused on being saved that they forget what we’re trying to do is be changed. 

Another talk we had with this guy named Jason was great. He’s a super cool guy and we had a long talk with him about the Gospel. He told us how we’re the only religion he’s met that doesn’t talk bad about other religions. He also talked about how he’ll go to churches where their entire service is just talking bad about other religions (particularly members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). Like aren’t we all here just to love one another and live the way that Christ did?

Anyways, I just had a lot of spiritual epiphany’s this week that really strengthened my faith. I know that this is literally Christ’s church restored to the earth. We have prophets and apostles like Christ did, temples, priesthood authority, and the list goes on. You guys should go listen to “What is the Blueprint of Christ’s Church” by Tad R. Callister. It’s pretty good. But yea this church is totally Jesus Christ’s.

But at the end of the day, the keystone of everything I know is the Book of Mormon. If you haven’t read and prayed about that book, you got to do it!!

That’s about it for this week. Hope all you guys are doing good. Ciao

Pretty crazy stuff!

I remember last year, me and my good friend Truman Pugsley were both waiting for our mission calls. We were in our SBO class and both joked that we were probably gonna get called state side instead of foreign. Then the thought came up, “what if we were comps?”. Our friend Sarah was like “that would be a terrible idea”. 

Well now here we are, over a year later, and I’m comps with Elder Pugsley. It’s pretty trippy not gonna lie. But it’s great. And if you’re wondering what it’s like, just imagine it and that’s how it is. But at the end of the day, we’re just doing missionary work all the time. We’re both really obedient and diligent and that’s our top priority. But it’s a lot of fun. I’m excited for future missionaries to read some of the notes we leave in our area book. For example, this is the background information we put for our neighbor who shares a duplex with us-

“Marvin is our next door neighbor. He's cool. He kinda hates us though. Sometimes if we’re being too loud he'll start jumping super loudly on the floor shaking the whole duplex. He also doesn't like parking next to us. If we park in the back, he parks in the front, and if we park in the front, he'll park in the back. 

So we brought him some brownies to introduce ourselves and ease the tension. He seemed grateful and was nice to us. At the end of the conversation, Elder Pugsley said that if he's ever dying to give us a hollar. He seemed pretty taken aback but Elder Wride quickly saved the day and changed the subject”

Anyways, so things are going well in Litchfield. We are just non-stop grinding and performing at the best of our ability. And our friends are all progressing pretty well! Mark is doing much better. Hopefully he get’s where he’d like to be soon. Chuck is doing good too.

Our friends Dennis and his wife dropped us this week. They texted us calling us “wolves in sheeps clothing” which was kind of a shame. But that’s okay because we found a different couple this week and got to teach them the restoration and they seem pretty promising. 

We also invited our friend Dianna to get baptized this week. She said no, but it's all good. We gave her a priesthood blessing and it was good. She is progressing really well.

Scripture for ya - 2 Nephi 31:20

"Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life."

We need to be steadfast or we aren't entitled to any blessings. I think probably the most important principle of the gospel is the concept of "enduring to the end". That's also the one people struggle with the most. We can recieve the gospel, but if we don't strive to live it every minute of every day of our lives, then we aren't entitled to recieve the blessings that God promises to give us. Even if nothing else makes sense to us, we just need to be faithful, and all will work out in the end.

I don’t have much else to say this week! Just keep up the prayers please haha. The mission is quite the adventure. 

Love you all!

Howdy

Heyyyy

I don't have much to say this week. We've been working super hard here in Litchfield and we're seeing the results of it. Pretty good stuff. But we also have had a lot of dissapointments.

So Mark didn’t get baptized on Saturday. It was super sad. The adversary is the worst. I felt like something was going to happen (because something bad always happens right before someones baptism) and yea it was rough. Satan does not want that man to get baptized. But Mark is amazing and will get there eventually. But it was super heart breaking. 

The scripture that got me through the week is 2 Nephi 2:24-

“But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things”

So powerful! Anyways that scripture helped me a lot and even though I’m confused, I know it will all work out as long as I am faithful. 

Also we got transfer news last night and Elder Petrucka is gonzo so I’ll be getting a new companion. I’m not really too stressed about it. It will be good. 

Other stuff-

So Chuck is doing great. He is reading the Book of Mormon a lot and during the opening prayer in our last lesson he said something along the lines of “I’m starting to accept this” which was just awesome. I love that man! He was also wearing some cookie monster pajamas which I just thought was the funniest thing ever.

We found this guy named Austin this week on Facebook. We taught him the restoration over the phone and it was one of the most spiritual lessons of my mission. While I was reciting the first vision he gasped and was like ‘no way…”. It was the perfect reaction. We had a good time with him. Hopefully he continues to be elect!

We also had a lesson this week with a family called the Zellers. They are great. We found them a couple weeks ago while we were walking out of a lesson with another family. We saw them outside their house so we walked over and started talking to them. Apparently the dad grew up in the church but hasn’t been active most all of his life. But our lesson with them was very spiritual. The dad (Dennis) is really quiet and reserved so he didn’t really say anything but during the entire lesson you could see that he was silently crying. It was just super awesome and I’m so excited to continue working with them. 

That’s about it for this week in Litchfield IL. Hope all is well wherever you guys are at. 

Adios