Letter from Kelson - Week #4

Good Morning Sunny California!!!! It's that time again... MISSION TWO YEAR NEWS!!! This weeks installment is full of terror, excitement, and lots of awesome! But don't take my word for it, just read and enjoy. I have officially entered the mission field in Sacramento, California and because of my officiality, I have a new companion and new investigators. My Training Companion is Elder Outlaw, he is from Denver, Colorado and he is crazy go nuts. We have a whole lot of fun together and our dry senses of humor make everything just that much better. In my first couple of days, we were just kind of going through the motions, making sure I was doing everything right and not being an Apostate missionary (apostate = BAD). Now we have just moved on from formalities and become apostate all together...Just Kidding. ;) However, as we have been working we have been teaching each other in many things. He has been helping me to get to know the people and the area, has been giving me ample opportunity to teach and give spiritual thoughts/messages in members homes. As the time passes I find myself becoming more and more sucked into the work and les and less worried about what I am going to do when I return reformed and renewed. The area that I am serving in is called the " Mission Oak and Eastern Ave. Wards, East Sacramento Stake". I have two wards that we as missionaries are covering and it is way hard to keep the two separate. The geography of the areas isn't very large, however, we are on bikes, so my bicycle is getting its use and according to my companion I got a really good bike and it should last me well beyond my mission. One thing that I have noticed though is that when one ward is super pumped and successful in missionary work, the other kind of dwindles in unbelief. This cycles back and forth between the wards, that way we have success in both areas. At this current moment I think we are going through a transition between the two wards, the Mission Oak ward is starting to dwindle and the Eastern Ave. Ward is becoming more engaged in the work. Although it would be wonderful to have two strong wards, I don't know if Elder Outlaw and myself could handle two high intensity wards. that is quite a bit to remember. Anyway we are having lots of success and we have a goal for the next 6 weeks to have at least 2 baptisms and they are looking really promising. It has only been about 5 days now in the mission but I do have some stories already, and some that I wish I didn't have...haha. I will tell the one I want to have, so there is this nice old, but not real old, lady that we are teaching and her name is Kathie. She has been pretty golden from what I understand from Elder Outlaw, except she has problems with the Word of Wisdom. She smokes, and is having a hard time stopping. She has decreased her consumption to 2 a day, which is really good for someone who used to smoke a couple packs a day. Anywho she is a very spiritually enlightened person and her recognition of the Spirit is incredible, but she just is a bit hesitant to be baptized because she doesn't want to be riding the fence at all. She is either in or out, which is exactly how it should be. Anyway she is on the last leg to quit smoking, but she just doesn't have the physical and mental ability to quit. This was really holding her back, and she knew it, but didn't know where to turn. We offered her a choice that I believe really changed her heart, her spirits, and her determination on how to overcome this addiction. We offered he the power of God through a Priesthood Blessing. I lucked out and was chosen to give said blessing. I love the trust that the Lord has in me to allow me the authority to act in his name, because as I gave the Blessing I felt the Spirit testify to her and me that she will give up smoking and be baptized very soon. She only knows the giving up smoking part, and maybe she knows the baptism part, but I personally felt that she would be baptized and remain active in the church as a loyal disciple of Jesus Christ. I just Love this work, I have only really been a part of it for 4 weeks now, but I feel the Spirit so strongly and magnificently that I just long to stay and bask in it's glory. We saw Kathie at church yesterday and we didn't get the chance to ask her how her quitting process is going, but I feel that she has been clean since the Blessing. As a new missionary to the field I have the luxury of an extra hour of companion study, which is studying together with my companion about our investigators/less-active member, or where to go Tracting (door knocking). This extra study time is given to us that the new missionary may better make himself acquainted with the Fundamentals of teaching the Gospel. Although its purpose is good, in the MTC they really drilled this stuff into our heads and it seems more like a review of 1st grade math. but as I am writing this I guess I am learning that the review is to help me become better versed in my purpose as a missionary. It's just like the same process to strengthen my testimony. Through study and prayer, and starting from the basics I gain a more abundant knowledge than I could have ever gotten in the MTC. Thank you loyal viewers for listening to me ramble and I learned what is important for me to learn here on the mission!! :) I will do my very best to make the best use of that extra hour of study time. By the Way the Weather here is amazing...about 95 every day, but there is like no humidity!!!! Makes it easy to ride a bike everyday. My question and answer section of my mission e-mails hasn't been too productive lately, but I know that as more people read and enjoy what I have learned and maybe learn something from what I am learning, they will start to flow in like a river down hill. This spot right her => <= is for your questions...that is all the space you get....hehe I would like to challenge all of my readers, if not already, to read the Book of Mormon. Whether you are converted or not it will still bring you closer to your Saviour, and teach you the things in which you must do to be a better person. I promise that as you read you will feel the Spirit testify to the divinity of it and that any and every man will come closer to his creator as they read. Rhys, Hey buddy, I miss you and hope that my room is treating you well. I haven't heard from you this week? but maybe that is because you sent me a hand-written letter which is absolutely fantastic. I love hearing from you and also about school, your friends (even Connor), church duties, and any young woman that I will tell you that they are not worth your time. Remember though I only write on Mondays because that is my new found P-Day. Alaric, I would love to hear from you, and also about this new flavour of the week. Dad keeps telling me that you are just going around building up girls hopes and then crushing them like a small grape. I would say I raised you well, but I didn't do anything, that was all you. Keep up the crushing of hopes and dreams, just so that you keep your focus and what not. I love you and I know that you are amazing, I actually have had to talk about you a lot because of your Cross-Country seasons, and the fact that you are a musical theater kind of guy. The people in California love musical theater guys...jk How are things going on the minecraft front? Have you built a Utopian society that allows you to live in peace and harmony? Let me know! Garion, I am so excited about you getting married, and I tell everyone I have to introduce myself to, that my brother is getting married next month. It is finally here and I am sorry I can not enjoy it with you, but know on the 9th of June I will be there is Spirit. Don't get too excited you may go crazy, but also you should be very excited because you are marrying a wonderful daughter of God who despite all of my attempts to thwart your efforts of happiness, will bring you happiness (the efforts started and ended when we were a whole lot younger and we fought a lot). Stay strong know that your Father in Heaven Loves you, and wants what is best for you. "Remember to stay in school, don't do drugs, and drink all of you Milk!" ... -MR. T Stephanie, I Pray for your speedy success so that you may return to live with you husband who loves you. I thought you would like to know that while I was in the MTC I saw and met Sister Fortinas brother who was going on a mission, but I think he was called to the Ogden or Orem Mission in Utah. So while you are in either of those places you may see your not so nice companions brother...hehe And I saw Johny a lot too, it was like every time I turned around I saw him. WEIRD?! I love you and hope you the best. Renee, Congratulation on Graduating, my mother forwarded the announcement on to me so I could actually see that you are graduating. It is hard to believe how fast the time has gone. I left a month ago and it is wild. Keep up the grades in school so that they don't have to deny you your diploma, write me in letters because no one from home cares, so I don't get mail, and remember to give me credit when you write my book that you will then call your own. Again Congrats!!! I am going to be unable to attend though...SORRY. Kendra, My mother should be sending you my address, but the mission homes address is 8267 Deseret Ave. Fair Oaks, CA 95628. Send me Post!!! To all of my loyal viewers thank you, and until next time I bid you Adieu, Elder Kelson Wheeler Disciple of Christ p.s. Mom Typos!!!! :)