10/26/15

The weeks seriously are starting to blend together, and I have no idea what is going on. We are excited about what is going on. I think we are coming close to the point where things start falling into place for us. We have gotten a few really solid referrals and potentials, and will be seeing things pick up this week! This reminds me a lot of Houghton Lake and Grand Rapids. These people are out there. We are doing all the right things, but just haven't been doing it long enough yet. 

It was a pretty solid week. Like I said, I am not sure where the time went, but things are picking up. I will say, however, that we had one of the most unusual endings to a lesson of my life. We were teaching a beautiful young family about the restoration and they just got it. Everything about it sounded wonderful to them. It was probably the smoothest first lesson I have had in a long time. It was taught to their needs and the spirit was there. We challenged them to be baptized if they came to know this was true, and they accepted. We are getting so excited. We invite them to read so that they can know if its true, and they said......... No. "I think I am set in my Roman Catholic faith." I had no clue what to say... I have never had anyone say yes to baptism and no to the Book of Mormon before... Safe to say things didn't turn out with that like I hoped, BUT after that lesson I pretty much knew its only up from here on out. Immediately after that lesson, we found 3 super cool potentials, so it all works out. 

I am thankful to be here in Grand Valley. Its probably my toughest area so far, and has really tested my faith, especially since I have been so blessed to teach as much as I have. I think part of the process in this area is to see if we will be faithful when its hard. The Lord knows I can be faithful to him when we are teaching tons of people, but will I be faithful when rejection becomes the norm, and going home is in the near future. I love this opportunity. I promised the Lord my heart when I came out, and it is His forever. Whether in prosperous times or in shame, I will do what he wants me to do. I have served as well as I know how until now, and these next few months will be my finest offering. Oh how I love him. How I wish I was more like him. I witness of his love and mercy. He is truly so quick to forgive. I am so grateful to him for all that I know and have. 

Elder Wheat

Stole Elder Cornelisons camera... Heck yes!

 Gotta love the fall!!!

10/19/15

This work is so real... Can I just tell you? So nothing crazy happened this week, except I found my fire again :) I have been struggling as of late with the work and have been in a crazy rut. To make things worse, one of my favorite converts told me that they have decided to go back to their old church. The discouragement between so many converts going less active and the area not picking up as fast as we were hoping made me just about lose it. I asked Elder Cornelison to give me a blessing, and I haven't been able to stop smiling since. We are being so blessed in our finding, and we are looking to have an awesome week this week! Sorry for the short email, but I hope you all know how much I love you!! I know that God lives and that he is guiding me in his service. I love him so much!!!

Elder Wheat

Selfie of the week!!!

10/12/15

Update on the work: Mike is progressing really well actually. He is our only investigator right now, but he still came to church!! The ward is really excited, because this is the first time an investigator has been at church from this area in over 6 months... We are being very blessed here!!

You know... I have to say that it has been a tough week. I have been so blessed almost my whole mission to do tons of teaching of incredible people, and its been a little surprising that things haven't picked up as fast as I hoped they would. We door knock all day it seems, but all is well. I am learning to be patient in the Lords time. I think the hardest part about it is what Satan can do to you during the dry spells of life. He is constantly broadcasting that the lack of success is your fault. You begin to recognize every weakness you have and every time you fall short. At times it got very overwhelming and became difficult to feel the spirit.

Yesterday was probably the hardest, but I learned an important lesson. It is impossible to feel the spirit when you are in a hurry. I find myself rushing conversations, lessons, doorsteps, pretty much  everything lately, probably due to the fact that I don't have a ton of time left. I was reading through some old journals from my mission, and a quote from Joseph Smith to Brigham Young came to mind. As they were on the Zion's Camp march, the Prophet came in 3 times and repeated, "Brigham, don't be in a hurry." The difference between enduring to the end and enjoying to the end is choosing to find joy in the journey, and not just in the destination. Give of your time and attention. Don't rush through home teaching with a "Just get it done" attitude, because if you do, you will miss the real purpose and blessing. The Elder's quorum president would be happy, but we and the families we teach will be left unblessed and unchanged. The same is true for a millions other worthy endeavors we engage in. Everyday is filled with opportunities to feel the spirit with somebody, but these are missed if we are to involved in our own agenda, no matter how worthy that is. Time spent is an ultimate act of love, because it is the one gift that we can't get back. Enjoy where you are at right now :) Life is good right now. No matter whether it's the best day or the worst day of your life. Everything we experience, for better or for worse, brings us closer to the Savior if we treat them right. The easiest way to turn a day around is to say a prayer of gratitude, and go make someone feel awesome. You can never be upset when you are genuinely in the service of another.

Hope you all have a great week!!

Elder Wheat

10/5/15

3 Nephi 17:2-5 describes perfectly how I felt to finish off conference yesterday. All i can say is I left this weekend with a renewed resolve to serve the Savior for the rest of my life. Oh how I love him. An email setting like this isn't the place to describe all I felt and learned, but I know that this church is true. So many prayers answered this weekend.

I must be getting either tired or lazy during emailing, but I don't have a ton to write about this week. The work is picking up very well and we are very optimistic about the week. Elder Cornelison put his first investigator on baptismal date this week and I was so proud! haha We were teaching a lesson which was going very well. We had talked about him taking the lead in that invitation, and he looked over at me at the end with a scared look on his face and said, "Do I invited him?" I gave him the go ahead. "Mike, will you be baptized by someone who holds the priesthood authority of God?" "Sure!" Came the response. What a champ. We were so excited!! 

The week went well. I am loving the feeling to just be able to work like crazy. That really is all i want to do. I find myself getting sad when I have to come in at night. During conference, I had a very sacred experience in priesthood meeting. Sometimes, you take being a missionary for granted. It becomes all you know and you don't think about it to much. Well, the closing song was "We will bring the world his truth." During the song, I took off my name tag and studied it. 5 years ago, I made myself a missionary name tag and hung it in my house as a reminder of where I wanted to be. Seeing the words "Elder Wheat" became a great motivation throughout High School for me. Through all the ups and downs of teenage life, the idea of one day being worthy to serve a mission kept me going. Immediately memories of what it took to get me here came flooding in my mind. All the tears shed and prayers said, pleading with God to be able to serve... I love my mission. I am so grateful to God for allowing me to be "Elder Wheat", a representative of the Lord Jesus Christ. I love that man with all my soul. 

Elder Wheat

My MTC brothers I got to see today! We have come a long way!