"Invite a Friend"...

Date:     Mon, Sep 24, 2012 at 12:42 PM

Email #103 – Kimberly, ID

Dear Bevells,

   It's been a very good week in Kimberly! This last Sunday was “invite a friend” to church day and in our whole zone we had 88 non members there! That's amazing! The rest of the elders in our zone are working hard and it is very obvious in their reporting numbers. So I am very glad to say that the work is going forward at a steady pace!

   We also had an open house for one of the church buildings here that was just recently renovated. It's a small area so to you it would look like only a few people came, but to the bishopric there were a ton of people there! lol. Apparently a few of the non members who came also came to church on Sunday.

   I wanted to take a little time and thank you Mom for telling me about President Whimpey's talk about how Christ will always come to comfort us and give us peace. These past few days I have been feeling very much not at peace. I've been thinking back on my mission and there are so many things I feel I could have done better at.  There are even a few things that I feel I failed in. Needless to say it was pulling me down spiritually, and my companion was feeling it as well. This morning in my personal study I studied up on how I could have continual spiritual peace. I looked up the word "peace" in the book of Mormon index and started looking at the references. The one that stood out to me the most was in D&C, I can't remember the section or verse but the words are, "Learn of me, walk in the meekness of my spirit and you shall have peace in me." The thing about this gospel is the minute you think you know something you learn very quickly that you don't know anything at all. So I've made a little goal to do all I can to build up my relationship with my Savior, so that even if I'm having a bad day I can still feel good spiritually. It seems my theme for today is "peace". lol.

   Anyway, another fun experience this week was that Elder Rogers and I got to go to a dinner with the Spanish Elders! They had a single woman feeding them so they needed another Male to come with them. It was so fun! Elder Rogers and I couldn't understand a word being said, yet strangely enough we knew what was happening. The woman was very nice and the food was really good. I love Spanish food!!

   We also made more ground with our investigator Alica. We brought our ward mission leader to the lesson with us and we talked with her about Joseph Smith. She also had a few questions, one of them being on the second coming of Christ. Brother Scheiss, our ward mission leader answered that for her and afterwards she told us that if we needed to teach in another home she would like to do the lessons in his home! That is a very big step with her because she has been very shy with us. And Rebecca, our other investigator came to church again this week! She left after the first hour though because she wasn't feeling too good. We sent her a text later that day letting her know that we care about her and hoped she would feel better soon. She replied with a "thanks and God bless!"

   I still find it so very weird/amazing/annoying how it has taken this long for me to get down how to be an effective missionary! But that's how all other “close to end” missionaries feel. lol.

   Well, I have to go now. Thanks for taking the time to email me! Izaak if you broke your finger that is awesome! I will be sure to give you a huge high five when I get home! lol. Breck........love you. Dan and Braylon I look forward to holding my nephew Little D. Mom and Dad, I love you both and pray that you will continue to feel Gods love and help in your lives. Fight the good fight, and stay cool!

                        -Elder Bevell-

Blessing Homes

Date:     Mon, Sep 17, 2012 at 11:50 AM

Email #102 – Kimberly, ID

Hello Bevells,

   This last week was super busy but good. Elder Rogers and I are still getting along for the most part.  We were able to attend a baptism in one of the elder’s area on Saturday. It was a Burmese family so they had a translator and everything. It wasn't the smoothest baptism but the spirit was very strong in the end. The font drain hadn't been fully covered so when they opened the font up the water was barely above knee level. They had to kneel down to be baptized. lol, it was fun!

   In our area we are spending a lot of time "blessing homes". lol. That was a neat story btw Mom. I like that point of view better than tracting. 

excerpt from Mom's email..

"Boy, yesterday was a great day at church for me.  It was High Council Sunday and Bishop Zimmerman spoke with a newly returned missionary.  His name is Austin Spilsbury.  He has only been home 2 weeks. But it was one of the best talks.  He served his mission in Florida, spanish speaking.  But what I loved the most as he spoke on missionary work was how it wasn't your typical way of presenting.  He spoke about love and letting go of fear, but then he talked about how his mission changed from "tracting" to "blessing homes".  He said they no longer even call it tracting.  They were taught to go out and bless homes.  They litterally asked people at the door if they could leave a blessing on their home using the Priesthood that they held.  After one elder would ask if they could do that, the other would ask some general questions to get to know the people a little better.  On one occasion just a week after starting this program the Elder speaking said he and his companion went to one home where a woman answered the door.  They could tell she had small children and looked tired like she had a tough day.  They asked if they could bless her home using the Priesthood they held.  She said "I guess...".  So 10 seconds later this Elder (who was speaking) offered a prayer.  (without any other info).  He said he got the impression to bless her husband who was ill and to bless her that she might be able to find work to help support her family, plus other things that came to mind.  After the prayer, they all had tears and she asked them how they knew the trials she was going thru.  They then were able to teach her of the Holy Ghost.  I just loved that lesson.  Again, a reminder that the Lord knows each of us...and we can be an instrument in his hands.  We don't have to know everything about people, only what the Lord wants us to know and HE will take care of our brothers and sisters.  We just need to be open to the spirit. This Elder ended his talk encouraging all of us to be close to the spirit, and if we don't feel it now, to do what we need to so that we can.  With that we can do anything the Lord wants us to do." 

Elder Rogers is the most obedient elder I have ever seen.  If we have 2 minutes before the time we are to get home we will just walk around. It's good for me because it keeps me busy here at the end of my mission.

  One really exciting thing that happened this week was that Elder Rogers got to go on exchanges with President Cannon!  I got to go with some elders in our zone for that day while he drove president around for a day. He had a good time, and president say we are doing great work in the area.

   Another highlight was a lesson we had with a young woman named Alica (ah-lee-see-ah). We taught her the other day about baptism, what it is and why we do it. She loves visual aids so we showed a few videos in the lesson. She is loving it. She's a little shy, but I know she is feeling the spirit. We expect she will be baptized soon.

   Those are the highlights of the week right there. I'm glad to hear the ranch is still going strong.  Go Izaak on being an example! It's true that sports are not always about winning, but I know it can be frustrating if you are losing a lot. But keep up the good work on keeping a positive attitude! In the end that will make all the difference.

How are things with you Breck? Have you started school?

   I love you all and can't wait to see you all again in a few weeks! I'll keep working hard! Fight the good fight! Stay cool!

                 -Elder Bevell-

p.s. I thought you might like this saying Mom. lol.

I'm loving my mission

Date:     Mon, Sep 10, 2012 at 10:48 AM

Email #101 – Kimberly, ID

Dear Bevell Family,

   Already I am starting the second week of the transfer. This last week has flown by so very fast. I am both excited and sad about it. It's going fast because Elder Rogers and I are working very hard. The hardest I have ever worked my whole mission! I have learned so much from Elder Rogers already. First off he is very VERY obedient which I am very grateful for. It's so much easier to be obedient when your companion is trying as well. I am also really enjoying working with all the other Elders in our zone! Every Sunday we get to talk with the district leaders and talk about their districts, their goals, numbers and if all the companionship's are getting along and working hard. I'm especially impressed with Elder Sagiao (sung-yow) who is training a new missionary, while going to a new area, and this is his first time as district leader! That is a lot to deal with, but when talking to him last night he simply said,"this has been the second hardest week on my mission, but I'm working hard, and I know everything will turn out good." Such amazing faith!

   So this last week we found two new investigators! They are a couple named the Stots. The wife came from an lds back round but wasn't baptized, the husband had no religion in his childhood. They both smoke, and want to be baptized. lo. Their kids have all been baptized and they have had the missionary lessons before, so teaching them should be pretty simple. On our first visit they asked us what advice we had on helping them to quit smoking?  What did we think would help the most? Our response was to simply gain a stronger faith and relationship with Jesus Christ. We also told them that in the lessons we would focus on that truth, that through faith in Christ we can overcome all our sins, shortcomings and "bad habits". It was a great lesson.

   We also had a lot of conversations with people on the streets. We do a lot of street contacting here in Kimberly.  Kimberly is a little bigger than New Plymouth, but as zone leaders we work with other elders too. With that in mind we sort of cover the city of Twin Falls as well. It's so cool to be right next to my greenie area! Elder Jones is covering that area right now. He was my MTC companion if you remember.

   The fun thing that will be happening this week is that my companion Elder Rogers will get to go on exchanges with our mission president tomorrow! I will be going with some other Elders for that day till the end of the exchange, so I will be sure to let you know how that goes.

   HAPPY LATE BIRTHDAY IZAAK!!! Man I so wish I could have been there for that. Thank you for the pictures! I'll have a late birthday present for you when I get home little bro. You will love it! (haha! Now you have to sit in suspense till I get home! Mmwwhahaha!)

   It's crazy fun over here. I'm loving my mission, I love my companion, and I LOVE this gospel. I love what it has done for my life and also for all of you as my family. I cannot tell you how much I love you all, and how grateful I am for all you have done for me. The gospel is true! Fight the good fight, and stay cool!

                     -Elder Bevell-

Zone Leaders

Date:     Tue, Sep 4, 2012 at 10:27 AM

Email #100 – Kimberly, ID

Dear Bevells family and friends,

   Sorry I didn't email yesterday. Everything was closed due to Labor Day.

   News on Transfers...........I was transferred to Kimberly Idaho with an Elder Rogers, and we are zone leaders. 

This came as a great surprise to me as I am now on my last transfer. I had thought that I would be staying in New Plymouth since I had been there for so long (six months to be exact) and new the area. 

Elder Olinger was very nervous about transitioning the area, but I know he will do just fine. He has given the members there a very good first impression of himself.

   Kimberly is pretty much amazing! I'm in a tri-panionship for a while as Elder Rogers last companion, Elder Bridge, is going home this week! Poor Elder Rogers he's going to send home two missionaries in a row!

   A little about Elder Rogers, he too is from Arizona, and has one year left on his mission. He is a very obedient missionary, and has a very strong testimony. When you're with him you can feel the spirit so very strongly. I am really going to like serving with him.

   Yesterday as we went out to work, all the appointments that had been set up canceled. What did we do? We walked the streets and taught three people, handed out three copies of the book of Mormon, and set a return appointment with one of the three people! What an amazing first night here!

   I'm actually a little grateful that I was transferred. Here and as a zone leader I have a great amount of responsibility to keep me focused. My goal is by the end of the transfer to be physically and spiritually exhausted! And I want to have at least one more baptism. lol.

   Well I'm emailing at a library with limited time and I still need to email President Cannon. I love you all, and it was so very good to hear about your week! I love hearing about the many blessings you all are receiving. Take care and stay cool!!

                       -Elder Bevell-