The Greatest Miracle of My Mission 12/08/14

When I received the call to come to Houghton Lake, I had no idea what to think. I had heard many stories about that place, and none of them good ones. I had heard it was a dead area, a place they send disobedient missionaries to be punished. Knocking all day long without getting anywhere. When I got here, we had 1 investigator we met with on a weekly basis and none of them were progressing. The zone leaders texted us all saying they wanted to set a goal that every area have three investigators agree to a baptismal date. At the time that seemed like such an unreachable goal for this place, but we worked at it. We fasted, we prayed, we worked. We did everything we could to get this area moving. The greatest miracle of my mission is to have seen first hand what the Lord is doing in Houghton Lake. 

We now have 11 investigators and 5 that have accepted a baptismal date. I am usually one for names, not numbers, but I don't have time or space to tell all the names and stories associated with them, but I want to talk about a couple of the miracles this week. 

On Wednesday, we had an appointment with a new guy named John. Just before his lesson, his wife's cousin Dallas walked in and sat down with us. Both are so solid. Dallas told us, "I am not to interested in a church, I am interested in the truth." It is a good thing we have it. We had an awesome restoration lesson with them and are very excited about the Book of Mormon. Dallas even warned John saying, "Your church is going to do everything they can to keep you from reading that book, but we will do this together." It was such a sweet experience. 

Thursday, we finally got to meet with Ramon, the man who has come to church 3 weeks in a row. So get this: We start teaching the Restoration, and half way through he stops us and says, "I appreciate this boys, but I already know all this. Joseph Smith, gold plates, all of it." "Do you believe he was a prophet? Do you believe the Book of Mormon is true?" He answered yes to both. "Will you be baptized?" I asked. "When I know a little more yes." "What do you want to know?" "Everything." We started in on the plan of salvation and he already knew it... He told us he had been trying to tell his friends about levels of heaven for forever... We wound up teaching him all the lessons in 45 minutes... That has to be some kind of record. We even went over the baptismal interview questions with him... He has one or two hold ups, but I would say that this is a pretty darn good start... Not only this, he made us home made apple pie and beef stew. He wrote us a note yesterday and signed it "Future member, Ramon Cuzara." It was absolutely unreal. Craziest lesson of my mission by far. He came to church again, and even came to watch the Christmas Devotional last night. This guy is awesome...

We had a new move in named Will in the branch and he brought his 14 year old son Will with him. He is such a sweet kid. He loves football and wrestling and is built like a lineman. He asked us how he could get a quad and wanted to meet with us. We met with him Friday and had a great lesson! That kid is sharp as a tack. He is excited to learn more and agreed to be baptized!! 

Yesterday, a less active family came and brought a friend who was interested. We taught her the Restoration in the second hour and it went so great... She understood all of it, and absolutely loved church. She felt this "warm and comfortable" feeling the whole time and is really looking forward to having us teach her. My goodness!!!

We had an appointment fall through on Friday so we decided to head up north early. We were about 10 miles out of Houghton Lake when we get a call from our "Michigan mom" in the branch. I have never met a family quite like theirs. They are definitely one of my favorites. They go through a ton... She calls us and asks if we had left Houghton Lake yet, and we said yes. She said sobbing, "Ok nevermind." I had a very powerful impression to stop and turn around. We called her and said, "We will be there in ten minutes." She broke down and said, "THANK YOU!" We found out that her body, her marriage, and her life were falling apart. She was contemplating doing something very unwise at that moment. In desperation, she fell to her knees in prayer, and cried out for help. She immediately was prompted to call us. Thank goodness we turned around. We were able to just listen to her and calm her down. She came to church Sunday despite all the pain and brought her non member grandkids with her. Her 9 year old granddaughter shouted, "IVE NEVER BEEN TO A FUN CHURCH LIKE THIS BEFORE!" afterwards. It was the cutest thing!

Last night we get a call from Elizabeth. She calls us crying, telling us that after we taught her the law of chastity, she called her "significant other" and told him to pack up tomorrow and move out. He asked why, and she said,"Because its God's law." We were shocked. She said that neither of them could survive financially on their own. This is NOT what we expected or wanted to happen. The spirit was with us in that phone call. We were able to listen and work things out with her. "I have never seen so great faith, no not in Israel." Man is she the sweetest thing. We get to be financial advisers and relationship counselors this week as well as missionaries. I should start my resume now. May the Lord ever bless Elizabeth for everything that she is. She may understand as a child, but great shall be her reward.

It has been a very full week for us to say the least. My joy has been close to bursting at the undeserved and unearned miracles that are coming to this area. We, as well as every missionary who has ever served here, have spent days in prayer and fasting for this area, and our cries are being heard. I rejoice that the Lord in his mercy sees fit to work with us in this area. I feel so inadequate to recieve what the Lord is giving us, but I am grateful that he makes us strong, even in our weakness. He lives and he loves. I know he does, because of what I have seen him do in Battle Creek, Grand Rapids, and especially in Houghton Lake! 

With all the love that I possess, 

Elder Wheat

Ramon's teaching record

Selfie with the Tree the branch president got us!

Visions 12/1/14

What a crazy week... It is a little ridiculous to stop and think about all that has happened. I can't write about it all, but there were some stories I wanted to share and things I wanted to update you on!

Elizabeth is doing well and had a great experience again at church. I am not sure she understands anything we teach, but she said something that I can't seem to get out of my mind. She said, "I don't think God cares if I get the right or wrong answers. I think he just wants me to try." The more I think about that, the more true it gets. I don't think the Lord does care if she knows everything about the Book of Mormon or Joseph Smith. I think He just wants her to try! She feels the spirit and knows its true! She is such a sweetheart!

We have a new awesome investigator named Steve Harmon. He is 35 and We found him in our area book and stopped in a few weeks ago. He was really close to being baptized a few years ago but backed out because he wasn't ready to change. He wasn't interested at first, but we felt like we should just keep talking to him. The longer we talked, the more the spirit worked, and he eventually invited us back. We had an awesome lesson with him last week and he told his parents he was going to be a Mormon!!!!!!!!! He has a lot of hurdles to get over. His girlfriend is moving in this week which could be a blessing in disguise because he wants us to teach her and her family too!

This Sunday, we had 18 total people there, and 2 of them were investigators haha. We met a guy named Ramon 6 weeks ago who may be the best investigator we have never met with. Our first conversation went something like this:

Hi. What church are you from? Where at? What time are services? Ill be there. Do you have a Book of Mormon? Thank you. See ya Sunday.

I have never had a full conversation with the man and hes been to church 3 weeks in a row and is half way through the Book of Mormon already... He always leaves after Sacrament so we never are able to set up a time with him! and last week he wrote us a note that in essence said, "I love the Book of Mormon. It is a guide in my life. I don't feel comfortable participating in discussions because I know becoming a member requires giving financial support to the church and I am retired and cannot at this time. When I find work I will pursue my desire in becoming a member." We wrote him Saturday and said the only thing required to be a member is a desire to follow Christ and keep his commandments. He came yesterday and have and have an appointment Thursday! Fingers Crossed!

Thanksgiving was a blast. We made a bunch of cookies for the people we visit and got to volunteer busing tables at a thanksgiving dinner a local club was putting on. The people loved us and the owner of the club wanted to put us in the paper! It was a ton of fun and we got to talk to a TON of people in the city and earn trust with the community. Most of them now love the Mormon missionaries.

We had a lesson with Vanessa, a 21 year old less active, this week. She has been suffering with severe addictions since she was 12, and recently hit the lowest point she has ever been. She felt like their was no hope and no way out. She told us she had lost her faith. Her favorite Chapter is Alma 32, which talks about faith being like a seed that must be nourished. We talked about that and had a really powerful talk. I read her a part of Bri's email when she told me she was going to get baptized and she cried. They come from similar back grounds and had similar conversions, and that email gave her a lot of hope. Thank you Bri. 

Yesterday, we get a text from Vanessa:

"I had a very strange dream about you guys. I was in a new home and I was scared and Elder Wheat came to the door and handed me seed on a plate like the one you brought the cookies on. It was a tiny seed I could hardly squint and see it. He said, "Let it go to ruins, and you shall be hungry. Feed it over you, and you shall never starve." I looked at the seed, and when I saw, it got bigger. I woke up feeling the spirit and wasn't afraid anymore."

How crazy is that??? Man the Lord knows how to work with her! I hope and pray that this is a turning point in her life!

I felt like I was in a rut for a few weeks, but I have noticed that after every rut I endure on my mission is followed but a slew of miracles like we saw this week. Never did I ever dream 10 months ago, that I would be experiencing the things I do. I cannot write the smallest part of my feelings and experiences, but they will forever change me. I am forever grateful to be a missionary. 

Faithfully,

Elder Wheat

The snow

The District

The Zone Leaders

11/24/2014

What an awesome week... It definitely had its ups and downs, but I am thankful for both!!

This week was our half mission training, which was definitely needed. I felt very sorely chastened, which is a good thing. I always know I am feeling the spirit when I have a desire to repent. Repentance has also taken on a whole meaning for me. It is no longer perfection as I once thought, it is progression. It not simply ceasing to sin or be disobedient, but replacing those with worth while activities. It is not just going from bad to good, but good to great. We had a counselor in the mission presidency speak to us, and I speak for all the missionaries I have talked to since, when I say we had one of the most sacred experiences I have ever had. The setting is not right to share hear, but I am so grateful for what was felt in that room with my fellow servants of the savior.

I spent a couple days at Central Michigan University with the zone leaders. It was very hard to contact people, considering it was 15 degrees and snowing, but we had some powerful lessons. I would love to serve on a campus. It is a little intimidating to speak to kids my own age, but having spirit guided lessons with them is really cool. 

While I was gone, Elder Johnson tore it up again! He is really becoming a remarkable missionary. It is so amazing to see the spirit work on him. I am not sure he had a testimony when he got here, but the other day, he held up a Book of Mormon in front of his face and said, "This is true." He teaches like a boss now and was a savior for me this week. I was stressing big time over a lesson, because I didn't know EVERYTHING about the doctrine we were teaching, and he just told me to keep it simple. He was dead on. I am learning a lot from this man!

The other day, we talked to 15 people. 12 peaked their head out and said not interested, one cussed us out for ignoring a no soliciting sign, one antied us, and one opened the door with a horrified look on her face, paused long enough for us to say Hi, and slammed the door. It was a cold, dark, and slushy day. We walked all day and really the only thing that got me through it was singing missionary hymns. It was, for some reason, one of my hardest days on my mission, but all I could do was laugh. Days like that just make the mission memorable.

Elizabeth is doing really well. She may not understand everything we teach, but I know she feels the spirit. Last lesson she said she would be baptized if she knew 100% that it was true, but this lesson was different. We taught her the restoration again, and I am not sure the fully grasped it... But I felt prompted to ask if she knew the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith, and the Church were true, and she answered with an emphatic YES. She really wants to get baptized. We have some hurdles to get over first, but I am confident she will get there. 

I want to close with a letter she wrote to us:

Dear Missionaries,

I would like to thank you for coming to my house for the past few weeks and inviting me to church and study the word of God. 

I have learned so much more about God. This means so much to me. I once was not up to par, then one day I found myself knowing more and more than I did before. I just wanted to get to know God more. 

God loves all who love and spread his word. This is my testimony. 

Elizabeth Porter

I add my testimony to hers. I love being a missionary, and I know that God lives! I am grateful that he is so merciful and patient with me. I am grateful for how much I have learned and how much I have changed. Love you all!

Elder Wheat

Elder Johnson and I and The frozen lake!!!

11/17/14

What a crazy week... This P-Day was definitely needed. If there is anything I have learned this week, it's that if we look for the negative, we will find it, but if we look for the positive, we find that too. It seemed like a rough week until I considered the blessings the Lord had given me. 

I was on trade offs in Oscoda for a couple days, but Elder Johnson was a champ while I was gone. He put 2 more people on date to be baptized, Elizabeth Porter, and John Hoot. He is such a champ. He grows in his desire to share the gospel with every passing day, and it is very cool to see. Elizabeth came to church this week. It took a lot to get there, including spilling bean soup all over my tie and suit, giving a blessing to my "Missionary Mom" who made the soup, picking up Elizabeth, but we got there. She is so great. She went to the library the day before to make herself a study guide based on the pamphlets we give her, and a special sheet to take notes with. She loved it so much!! Man she is gold. Church was amazing. The spirit was felt and I left with a resolve to be better.

On trade offs we saw a family I saw last transfer, and I promised them that I would draw them a Lions logo for them. They are the sweetest family and I love them to death. I almost feel like they are my investigators. I am thankful I got to meet them!

We are fasting from our cars on Saturdays, and so we got to walk all day, but I honestly really enjoyed it. We got to walk in the snow on a Michigan back road for awhile, and it was gorgeous. I honestly didn't feel the cold at all. I feel like the Lord kept us warm. Earlier in the day we had a lesson with a new investigator named Nina, and older woman in the area. She is so sweet. She used to go to church all the time, but fell out of the habit. She goes through a ton, and has had all kinds of medical issues, but is able to take care of a home bound friend who lives in their home. We taught her the Restoration, and it went really well. She was so excited to get her Book of Mormon and when we asked how she felt about all this, she said, "Good. Really Good. Actually, I feel great. I feel like for the first time in forever, things are going to get better. I feel like I just want to go and do something. I feel like God is happy that I am doing this." It was so sweet to hear the testimony of a woman who was feeling the spirit for perhaps the first time. 

For my entire stay in Grand Rapids, I prayed that I could see the spirit work on people like I am seeing it here. The pattern of revelation found in Alma 32 is most definitely true. If one has a desire to believe, the spirit will work on them, and they and the missionary will rejoice together. The spirit is doing the things that I cannot, which is a whole lot. He is there when we teach these people. The things the Lord is doing for this area is beyond me. I would say that I could have never imagined what the Lord is doing for us, but honestly, I felt like I always knew he would.  When I got here, there was no one to teach consistently, but my companion and I knew that if we had faith and worked. The Lord would make things happen. We fasted and prayed that we could find 3 people that would accept an invitation to be baptized on a specific date. It was something that seemed lofty at the time, and it happened!!! This work isn't about numbers, but I am thankful to have met John Hoot, Maurice Clark, and Elizabeth Porter, and see how the Spirit of the Lord is tugging at their hearts. There is much to be done, but it pleases us to work. I pray this will be a week of growth, learning, and miracles. I am thankful to be doing what I am doing, and all the Lord is doing for me. Love you all!

His faithful servant,

Elder Wheat

A picture I drew for a family in Oscoda. They are so excited they wanted to frame it haha

 The family. THEY GAVE ME A TIE!!! 

Its begun... Good bye grass, see you in May haha (20 degrees today btw)

11/10/14

What a week my friends!!

Where to start... 

I want to take a second to say how much I love the missionaries of this mission, and the opportunity I have to help support and serve them as a district leader. Every time we gather together, I feel the spirit and I feel strength in the power of the set apart. 

We saw many miracles this week. We went to teach a man named Maurice Clark, who has a cool story. We found him while checking on somebody else, but we got talking to him, and found out his religious history. He grew up in church, but stopped as a kid because he was told to not come back until he had nicer clothes. That reminded me of Alma 32 where the poor class of the zoramites was kicked out of their synagogues because of there poor dress. We gave him a Book of Mormon, and invited him to read that story. He read it many times and found great comfort in it, but at the end of our first visit, he said he'd die a baptist. The mood changed a little when we went back and explained the restoration, but the miracle was this week. He mentioned to us that he wasn't sure why, but his life was changing. He no longer judged others and just started to love people more. He described that the changes began before we started meeting, but have accelerated since. He feels the spirit when we come and when he reads, but is anxious to find out what is causing these changes. The Lord prepares his children for the missionaries. I believe it with all my heart. 

We didn't have much planned on Friday, and Elder Johnson admitted later that he thought it was going to be a horrible day. Oh how wrong we were. We saw miracles all day. Were were led to exactly the right places and met all the right people. We taught them on the doorstep, they felt the spirit, and invited us back. We have more appointments set up this week than I have ever had in Houghton Lake. We are being so blessed. There are so many elect people here. The trick now is going to be getting them to meet consistently and get them to progress. We will see what the Lord has in store!

We also saw miracles with a couple less actives, including Sister Cowell, who continues to make huge steps in here testimony. We taught them they why of the Sacrament, and the spirit touched them big time. I am really excited to follow up this week with how they are doing. 

Life is good. We got caught walking in a sleet storm the other day and just about froze but we smiled, sang, and power walked the whole two miles home. I am thankful that the Lord keeps me cheerful, no matter how lousy the weather or experience!  Sorry for the lack of stories this week, but I don't have time or words to share them all. Its crazy how the small and simple experiences make the biggest difference to me. I love this work!

His Faithful Servant

Elder Wheat

A couple of missionaries in the zone and President Jacobsen!!

How it feels to be a missionary!

11/03/14

I can't believe how fast the days are flying. It really isn't fair! 

Elder Johnson is doing very well. The man is picking up things very quickly. He took the lead in all of our Restoration lessons and handled it like a stud! He is improving by the day. I think he might get sick of me soon because I am so happy all the time, but he will get used to it haha. I am thankful my mission is teaching me to love things that are hard. On Friday and Saturday, it got down to about 34 degrees and snowed. The wind chill however was about 15. It was epic. I am telling ya, that wind cuts you to the bone haha. Its weird though, because I really did love it. There really is not that much fun about Door knocking in the freezing wind and snow, but I just had this smile on my face the entire time. Life is so much better when you choose to be happy.

Now for a couple miracles that happened this week. Last week, I told a story of how Elder Johnson was prompted to go back and knock on a door again. Well, Elizabeth is a rock star. She is so excited to have us teach her. She is such a big sweet heart. Everything we taught reminded her of a scripture in the bible, so we'd stop while she flipped through and read the scripture she was thinking of. I couldn't help but smile. It's like teaching a child. She is so accepting and excited to hear what we have to say. I can't help but love her heart. She is different from everyone else we have met, but we love her anyway. We gave her a book of mormon and a couple pamphlets, and she read them all and took all kinds of notes. She loves what we have to say and rejoices to receive more of God's word.

Greatest Miracle was the baptism of Nora Buchner. She has been coming to church everyweek for 10 years and finally built the courage to be baptized. We normally get about 22-23 members at sacrament meeting and had 28 come to the baptism. I got to be in the water with the baptizer to help her back up out of the water. What a great experience. Afterwards, she said, I feel so much more love here than I do at my other church. It is weird how it really doesn't matter if the congregation has 20 members or 200 members, there is a tangible family love in this church that I have not felt anywhere else. If nothing else, I know that this church is true because of the love that is present every time the saints assemble together. I know that all of us belong the the family of God, and what a sweet feeling it is to feel that bond. 

Love seems to be the common theme for the week. It is the secret to happiness. If we can choose to love everyone around us and the circumstances we find ourselves in, the world would be void of all its troubles and contentions. Yesterday, we met a drunk man who was waiting for a cab outside his trailer. He says "Have you come to talk to me about Jesus Christ?" I said, "Yes sir!" He said "Well your looking at him! I am Jesus Christ." He then proceeded to tell us a whole bunch of crazy things about Daniel, King James, and the second coming, during which, I swear he didn't blink once. When his cab came, he put out his cigarrette and drove off. It was such an unusual experience, but I couldn't help but love him! It doesn't matter whether or not this man was the Savior or not, we tried to treat him as if he was. That man is my brother. I am thankful that God is changing how I view people. He is helping me see the good in everyone, and helping me realize that everyone is doing the best that they can. I have no choice but to love them. The Lord loves me with all my weaknesses and imperfections, so I must love others who have theirs. Life is so much better and happier this way. How thankful I am to God that he is changing who I am. I love him, which must always include loving everyone around us. For by this shall all men know that we are his disciples, If we have love one to another.

Elder Wheat

Nora Buchners baptism

One of the Young men drew a sweet picture of me and him hhaha

I have a fine new son! 10/27/14

This week has been one of the funnest weeks of my whole mission!! 

I got to spend Monday-Wednesday with these super awesome missionaries named Elder Hess and Elder Wheelwright. Elder Hess is probably now my favorite missionary in the mission. We are so much alike its ridiculous. We didn't have a car while I was there, so we walked and knock for two days straight, from 11 am to 6 pm. My legs felt like Jello afterward, but we seriously had 2 of the funnest days of my mission! 

But without further adieu, my new companions name is Elder Cade Johnson! He is such a champ!! He is from Saratoga Springs Utah, loves sports, and came ready to work. He looks a lot like Kevin Francom. Its weird haha He is an answer to prayers. He felt a lot like I did when I got into the mission. He was absolutely terrified. He hasn't had any experience teaching and very little experience studying the gospel, but he is picking it up fast. It touches my heart every night to see him studying his scriptures in his free time. And he was in the Isaiah chapters, so even more bonus points to him haha. We are working on just having bear his testimony to everyone we talk to get him in the swing of things, and he is just a stud!!

We only had about 2 and 1/3 days of missionary work in Houghton Lake, so the moment he got home we went straight to work. I took him door knocking right away and we found some really solid people. Miracles are happening in this area like you wouldn't believe. They say its one of the toughest areas in the mission, but we are having people come out of the wood work from all avenues of finding. We already have 6 appointments this week, which feels like more than we had all last transfer... 

It is so much fun to watch him feel the spirit. We got to give his first blessing, and he goes, "Man... That was cool!" I was telling him some of my mission stories and experiences when I was led by the spirit and he goes, "Can I ask a personal question? What does the spirit feel like to you?" I explained the best I could, but the best I could say was, "You will know it when you feel it." 

Yesterday we checked on a potential named Elizabeth, and she didn't answer so we knocked the rest of the street. Upon walking back he goes, "Lets go knock again." This time, Elizabeth answered, and we found out that she really needed us. Her boyfriend is in the hospital and she needs to fix her yard before the city gets involved, so we offered to help and are going back to serve and teach her tomorrow! IT WAS SO COOL! I asked Elder Johnson later that night, "So what did it feel like? Feels like a regular thought doesn't it?" and he says, "Yea, but it feels different..." I was so happy for him!! There is nothing like watching your boy have experiences like that! 

Later on that street, we found an awesome guy named Travis, who wasn't interested at first, but as we taught him about who God is and the purpos of life, he felt the spirit and opened up. He is busy the next three weeks, but is super excited to have us back in 3 weeks to teach his wife and 3 kids. I have come to the conclusion that finding becomes fun when you make it an extension of teaching. When you teach these people restored truths right up front, it allows them to feel the spirit right up front, and almost always results in return appointments no matter who it is. I am so thankful to have the Holy Ghost on our side teaching and touching peoples hearts for me. I know that this work cannot be done without it!

Life is good as always. This is the happiest and most confident I have been in my life. I know that God lives and loves us. The words of a favorite song often describe my feelings, "My God has bled, my soul to save. How can I keep from singing?" 

Faithfully, 

Elder Wheat 

His first picture of the Lake

Me and Elder Johnson

 Hipster Missionaries

Elder Hess and Wheelwright