Hey
everyone!!! It's been awhile since you heard from me last. That's because I got
out into the field!! I missed a prep day
so that's why it's taken me so long to write.
But
never fear I'm back!! But hey, I'm serving in the furthest north area!! It's
also one of the most ghetto areas!! 😅 (sorry mom) I'm serving in the Great Falls area,
more specifically the Cut Bank & Browning branches. It is a real small town here and it's really
different than Lehi! I've been here for 4 days and I'm already in love with the
people and the work so much. That actually reminds me of an experience I had…
So
the first couple of days I was super nervous about talking to random people and
talking to the about the gospel. I mean, that just isn't something I did before,
so it was kinda weird. Anyway, I don't
know why but I was reading in Moroni chapter 8 (specifically verse 16). I read the last line of that verse that says,
"... Perfect love casteth out all fear." I read that and realized that this applied to
my investigators and even random people I meet. I need that perfect love, or Christ-like love
for them. I started to do that and the
change was amazing! I started thinking
of inspired questions and I was better able to connect with the different
investigators. It was a complete and
total change at how I had started and how I am now in the field and it's only
been a few days.
One
of my MTC teachers, brother Farr, used the vineyard parable as an analogy for
missionaries. The parable (for those who
might not know) is about a master who hires workers to work in his vineyard. He
hires them at different times of the day even as late as one hour before the
work was done. But in the end he paid them all the same. He used this as an
analogy for missionaries; some missionaries understand their purpose right off
the bat and others learn their purpose a month before they come home. They all worked at different lengths but they
all got the same title of an RM (Return Missionary). The only difference was how closely they
worked with the Lord.
I
feel as though I'm learning my purpose better. It's so exciting to see!! But here in Cut Bank and Browning they don't have
wards, they have branches. With about 10
people per branch!!! Talk about completely different than Lehi!!! It's been so great thoughJ. One of the best parts of the branches (besides
the members obviously) was the fact that this Sunday happened to be... POTLUCK
SUNDAY!!! We never had potlucks back
home!!! And the perk of being a
missionary is I went to both branches so I got double potlucks!!! And the food was soooo good!! It was kinda weird though because this was
the first Sunday where I went to an actual church building without my family. It was kind of a weird experience and no one
sings!!! So it was literally me and
another lady singing and I swear I'm tone deaf!! But I didn't care!!
Something
crazy about the area I serve (mostly browning) is that wild dogs just roam
around the town (like packs of them). And
they attack cars!!! They're literally
everywhere!! It's so crazy and I love
it!! :)
Me
and Elder Allen (that's my new companion, he's a super cool guy!!), we went
contacting less actives and people that we thought would benefit from a visit
from the missionaries. So we went and
visited the D - family (edited for privacy) and they are so awesome!! We went in and talked and taught for like 2
straight hours!! It was so great!! We also talked to the H (Edited for privacy) at the D-family house and we talked to D (the
mother) about her husband T, because he had been put on baptism date but
then never showed up. She said that we
need to start meeting with him again so we can baptize him and D actually
wants a patriarchal blessing!! How cool!!
We
also had an appointment with this sister in Cut Bank named Sister M(edited for privacy). She actually used to live in London but moved
here and her conversion story is so dang cool!! She was on her computer in
London and was about to go to bed when she heard somebody say "turn and look
at me". She thought it was her
husband who had woken up but when she turned and looked there Jesus was on the computer
screen waving for her to come to him. The video then ended and the Mormon missionaries’
phone number popped up so she called it and asked for a Book of Mormon. When the missionaries showed up she said to
them, "I didn't order you guys! I just wanted a Book of Mormon." She of course let them in and then was
converted. Elder Allen and I are still
working on her husband. He says that
he's unconvertable, but we will see. With the Lord anything is possible.
Oh
man though my apartment is so small!!! I
love it!!! I'll send pictures of it. I wish I could send video but that's against
the rules so pictures will have to do!! Oh,
and D. Todd Christofferson is coming for a missionary conference and a stake
conference that I get to go to!!! I'm so
excited!!!
Oh
and before I forget, I haven't told you about leaving the MTC… So the night
before we all left we moved all the mattresses into one room and had this huge
sleepover. It was so awesome!! We then woke up with the elders going to
Florida at 3:30am (I'm going to miss those elders). We became a family and it felt as though I was
leaving my family all over again. But I
wouldn't want them doing anything else. I'm sure that they are all giving the people
of Florida the restored gospel and I love those guys!!
I'm
sure that most of you have already heard what happened at the airport before I
left to Montana. But I want to go over
my experience and what I was feeling. While
at the airport I was able to call home. I had been looking forward to this ever since
I learned I would be able to! So I
called them and I was put on a conference call with everyone. I was talking to my family and just looking
around the airport and then I look down the terminal. As I looked down I saw my dad. My first thought was, "what the heck is
he doing here?" I was then overcome
with emotion and I burst into tears and put my head in the phone booth area. My dad then came up to me and gave me the biggest
and best hug I've had in 3 weeks. It was
at this point that I found out that he had a flight booked for work before I gave
my information away about my flight. I
feel as though this was divine intervention from the Lord. Prior to this I was having worries about going
to Montana. I was worried about the work;
and I was worried if I was what I needed to be for these people; and I was
worried that I would fail. Then I saw my
dad and he told me, "I'm proud of you boy" this was exactly what I
needed to hear at this time. It
reassured me that I'm ready for this and that I could do it. Thanks dad :)
I
just want to end this lengthy email with my testimony of this glorious gospel. I love it. I love the spirit it gives and the happiness
it brings. Being outside the Utah bubble
has shown me what places are like without the gospel and I'm so thankful that
God gave me the opportunity to grow up in this beautiful and true gospel.
I
was reading in first Nephi today when I read about Nephi building the boat. God
commands him to build it and his first question was where can I find ore to
make tools to build it? He doesn't come up with excuses like well I don't know
how to build a boat; I'm unqualified; or he doesn't have to tools or means to
make a boat. Instead he knew that with God all things are possible through the
Lord. I love this gospel so much! And I love everyone who reads this! Thank you for following me on this journey!
-Elder Zeller
P.S.
My address is
123 1/2 4th Ave SE
Cut Bank, Montana
59427
No comments:
Post a Comment