Where I have Felt Most like Christ in my Mission

Thinking about going to DQ in a sec here so thought about you. There's only one in the mish and I haven't gone cuz it's expensive but we're almost at the end of the month and I'm doing fine with money. 

MOM those pix get me HYPED! 

(Sommer is headed to school this January,

Amy is headed to Tokyo, Japan on her mission,

Lance is headed to Toronto on his mission,

and Ana is headed to Mexico on her mission...best friends ever!)

Yeee hearing good news about good ol Caleb. Great news update tbh.

This week was pretty nice, I got to go on exchanges with Elder Stones again, the legend. He's still hyped on the narry (missionary) life. We found a homeless guy named J that told us about his life story in perfect English. He used to live in LA and has a fam and kids there, and had everything he ever wanted. He then started drinking a bit too much, got deported, and found himself living on the streets of Puebla. He had a real desire to change and he had read the BoM before and had a bible in his pocket. We couldn't do much for him in his current state, but we went and got him a haircut and invited him to the self-sufficiency class. We will see what happens, but honestly it was one of the experiences where I have felt most like Christ in my mission. Love Elder Stonez. 

Also the familia S is killin it. C is going to get baptised this week, already passed the interview, and mom is super interested and committed to activate herself again. We have had lessons with members that are really helping her and the whole fam stayed all 3 hours this week at church. Sometimes the most fulfilling experiences aren't the ones that look awesome on paper. That's a lesson that has/is taking me way too long to figure out. I think that's about it from me. We are having a great time as companions too :)

Love Elder Lethaby

Questions Answered:

Did you get birthday cards? Ana was asking.

Mmm don't think so, just the ones that were in the package, hyped that there should be one on the way though!

Do you ever do magic tricks for anyone?

No :( the other day we saw these street magicians though and they were doing tricks at one traffic light when we walked by (pretty good honestly), and then we kept walking and like 2 blocks later they were somehow there again! They teleported! Best trick ever, we gave them our change and then they did a lil private show for us. Also Elder Stirling found the pic of me on Bro Young's website and he made it his planner cover. 

Have you heard from Emma? She bounces through her emails - she is so happy!! (note: Emma just started her mission on Temple Square in SLC)

I think she just sent an email saying "HELLLOOOO!" so I too think she's happy hahaha. 

Want anything else for Christmas? Pants for sure?

The kendama would be awesome, the pants would be awesome, more Maynard's (candy from Canada!), and ties are always great (you've been killing it on the ties you've sent btw) Love you

What are your companionship goals this week?

Write in journal more, study more and better (kinda hard sometimes), and just like never make excuses for not doing something because we were busy with our assignment. 

Do you ever get to ask your mission president good doctrinal questions? Or does he ask you?!

Honestly not really haha, he is super busy and our job is to make his life easier and make it so that he has more time, so we try to talk about the things that will help him. If we ever try to ask deep doctrine questions, he asks, "if I tell you that, is it going to help someone get baptised?" He's got his priorities very straight. 

Nervous if you do get transferred this next round?

No! I think it could go either way depending on the needs of the mission, but I would honestly love the opportunity to go just work really hard in my own area and just focus on that for a while. If that's the case I would probably open a new area and train because we're getting 19 new missionaries. 

Do you use google drive to store photos? It’s part of your lds mail account FYI!!

No but I have most of them backed up on a memory stick.  

How I spent my Birthday

October 9, 2017

For the time, I had to choose between going to see some old investigators from Amalucan get baptized or going to eat with president, so we went to the baptism and it was awesome! After 9 different missionaries, S and R finally got baptised and I was able to go see it for my birthday! They got married and baptised on October 7th and we were able to go eat at their little reception that they had at their house after. SO rewarding to finally see that happen. R changed more than any other convert I have seen in my mission. He went from saying that he felt like God owes him a lot for all that he's put him through, to humbling himself and being baptised. This family will be eternal! :))))) The 6 of us that were able to go sang a special hymn for them and the spirit was so strong. 

So that's how I spent my birthday! Also calling the missionaries to tell them about their transfers. Everything went well. Hard to say goodbye to Elder N and Elder M last night though. Learned a ton from those guys. 

Got an awesome box from Oma, don't think the one from you has arrived yet though. 

Should be a pretty good transfer coming up! The sisters that were serving in our ward closed their area so we now have twice as much area and twice as many investigators, so the work should get going real well. Didn't like sharing a ward because you can't visit some of the members. All good here. 

Love you!
Elder Lethaby

Questions Answered:

What is it like being an office missionary? 

No haha I don't think they tease us much, or at least not to our faces! 

Where are your expectations at now, after a year in the mission? And what are your expectations?

I think my expectations started off as baptising every week and always bringing a ton of people to church and having super spiritual experiences every day. After my first area, I lowered my expectations a ton because it didn't happen like that. But now I think they are back up to that again. I think I have learned how to work so that that can be possible and even though we don't have much time in our area right now we think we will be able to do that this transfer. 

What is the weather like right now? Ever walk in water past your ankles?

Hasn't been raining much at all honestly these last few weeks. Like 20 is pretty normal. 

Are you in your own apartment near the mission office? Do you go in every day?

We live like 10 minutes away walking. We try to go in as little as possible and it usually ends up being like 4 times a week. 

Did you get a small bubble package from Oma? That is also on it’s way.

Didn't get the lil package from Oma but hyped on that! Elder Barfuss just called and asked how you guys send them so maybe you should hunt down his mom.

Did you get our birthday box?

YES! The pants fit perfect and I might use them every day for the next year so if you don't want me to do that, feel free to send more! Got the size right. Also loved all the cards from Emma and Hoshizaki's and candy and everything. :)

How many families are you teaching right now? How many individuals?

Like 4 fams and like 7 individuals I think, trying to find more fams but it's been hard when we constantly have to cancel appointments. 

What’s your favourite lesson to teach from Preach My Gospel?

I'm a big fan of teaching anything from the Book of Mormon like stories. I like teaching about Nephi's faith in 1Nephi 3 or 17, but really just have had a ton of spiritual experiences using the Book of Mormon. 

​October 16th, 2017

Did I tell you next transfer were getting 22 news (that's new missionaries)? That's the most that have arrived here in like 2 years I think so that will be very crazy and we are already starting to plan for it over a month ahead. 

3 people have now told me that Ana killed it, and she just sent it to me, so I will give it a read and see if that's really true. 

This week we were crazy busy with different meetings and planning for all of them. Went awesome though! We taught how to contact with the Book of Mormon, asked for cups of water and then threw them out the window to get a point across, filmed me playing basketball, and a few other fun things. I will send the video. Just so you know (because it's in Spanish), we were talking about how we need to be willing to drop whatever plans we had of the lesson we were going to teach if the Spirit tells us to do so, or if we find another need of the people we teach. The district leaders got a kick out of it and asked us if they could teach it in their district meetings haha. 

I really liked the get plenty of sunshine part on the example you sent, I think that's the one we need to work on most. (see below for what mum sent)

We also had some really sad news this week as one elder (a very good elder) was found to have cancer and was sent home for treatment. President is organising a fast for us as a mission. I thought about you mom and how I wasn't really old enough to understand what was going on, but how I'm sure now that I think about it that the ward was praying, fasting and serving our family all the way through. In Moroni 6 it talks about that, the church gets together to talk about the well being of its members. We are here for that purpose. We are also here with that purpose as a mission, so keep this Elder in your prayers please! 

I think that's about it from me,

Love you guys, thanks for everything, seriously,

Elder Lethaby

Advice from a pumpkin

Be well-rounded (M. Russell Ballard "I believe that when we focus on a few basic objectives, we are more likely to be able to manage the many demands that life makes on us. Remember, too much of anything in life can throw us off balance. At the same time, too little of the important things can do the same thing. King Benjamin counselled “that all these things [be] done in wisdom and order” (Mosiah 4:27).”)

Get plenty of sunshine (M. RussellBallard - "Many people, including me, have difficulty finding the time for sufficient rest, exercise, and relaxation. We must schedule time on our daily calendars for these activities if we are to enjoy a healthy and balanced life. Good physical appearance enhances our dignity and self-respect."

Give thanks for life’s bounty (Psalms 107:1)

Have thick skin (Psalms 118:6)

Keep Growing (Moroni 7:33)

Be outstanding in your field (1 Nephi 16:29)

Think BIG! (“Don’t let others convince you that you are limited in what you can do. Believe in yourself and then live so as to reach your possibilities.”President Thomas S. Monson (“Living the Abundant Life,” Ensign, Jan. 2012, 5).)

He eats a lot & getting ready to turn 20!

HI MOM!
This week we've really been eating a lot of things as you can probably see in the pics. Got the waffle iron working just great and president treated us to some burgers! We've been working a lot better in our own area this transfer honestly. This week we got an investigator named Y to church for the first time. She's the Bishop's next door neighbour who is like best friend of his wife. We've been teaching her since before I got to the area, but we just never realised that there were awesome members right beside of her that could help her progress. They had an FHE (family home evening) with her, invited her to watch conference in the church and at their house, and offered their home for all the lessons. She's excited to be baptised and was sad that she couldn't take the sacrament this week. 

We have also kept visiting the S fam (daughter getting ready for mish, mom less active, and lil bro nonmember). Mom told us she honestly didn't get baptised for the right reasons years ago, but now wants to be taught as if it was from the beginning. Very spiritual lessons there with big sis sharing her testimony. We showed them the talk from Elder Holland after conference because it talks about hope. We aren't perfect and never will be in this life, but that we can do a lot more than we think sometimes. You should all rewatch that talk!

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2017/10/media/session_1_talk_11/5594207155001?lang=eng

Also the talk from President Eyring in the priesthood sesh. Pretty sad how President Monson couldn't go, but I felt the spirit really strong with all the other shoutouts from the other church leaders. Also Elder Pino who said the prayer in one sesh was here a few months ago and I met him! I'm famous!

I love the mish mom, and I am learning a ton. Keep working hard and playing hard. 

Love 

Elder Lethaby

Questions Answered:

What were some of the biggest challenges to overcome when arriving on your mission?

I think the hardest thing when I got to the mission was having really high hopes and expectations, but not that great at teaching or Spanish skills. I would get frustrated a lot.

Biggest adjustments you had to make?

Be more humble and work for the right reasons, not so that everyone would see me being a good missionary. I had to do that because if you are working to have high numbers and you don't get it you feel worthless, but if you're working because you love the people you will still feel sad sometimes, but you still know you're doing what you should be and that the Lord is happy with you. 

What is one of the most encouraging thing someone has done for you while a missionary?

I think the fact that my trainer spoke pretty much perfect English but didn't let me see how good his English was so that I would be forced to learn faster. It would have been way easier for him to just speak English all the time. Also when I was with Elder N he taught me a ton about what I was talking about above (being humble), and was super patient with me as I tried to change it. I have had some really awesome companions. 

What are your plans for your birthday?!

Try to convince president to take us out for dinner, light up the Canadian sparklers you sent, and call the whole mission to tell them about their transfers. :)

:)

Waffles

Burgers with President Nelson

Post Earthquake Waffle Ice Cream Sandwiches

Hi mom!

So as I'm sure many have heard, the mission and half of the country was hit by an earthquake this week. It has been very exciting to hear about all that is happening in Mexico and other parts of the country. The members have been very supportive and almost all went to go help out for the day last Saturday. 

We had to change A´s baptismal date to Friday at 8:30 so that everyone could make it. It was a very quick service, the bishop had his phone in his pocket while baptising him, but everything went well! He received the holy ghost and the priesthood on Sunday! He thought that you could only go on a mission if you are 18, like after that you can't go anymore and he is 21, but we taught him otherwise and he's now thinking about it pretty seriously! That is one of my biggest goals for the mission, baptise someone who serves a mission! Both of the secretaries in the picture met the church because of GFs (girlfriends...for the older crowd reading this!) and then were baptised and served missions, so it can happen! 

We also had a miracle on Monday! The bishop invited us to a FHE with a family that has a 23 year old daughter preparing for the mish, a less active mom, and a nonmember little brother! We had a pretty spiritual experience with the bishop and his fam (big fan of this bishop), they went to our baptism on Friday, they went to church on Sunday, and the little bro is gonna get baptised in a few weeks! Good stuff there, just gotta get mom a little more active first. 

We also had a little miracle yesterday at church! A member from another ward brought a friend to church who has been through a bit of depression, an ugly break up and doesn't know his purpose in life, but he was searching so diligently in the classes, like basically the whole class was focused on his questions, and he said he felt like he found some answers he had been looking for. His friend is awesome and got him to go to a YSA activity last night too. He also accepted a baptismal date 3 weeks from now! 

We are seeing a lot of miracles in our own area and the whole mission! And we made waffles today like waffle ice cream sandwiches! 

Love you guys!

Elder Lethaby 

Waffles!