June 21st  Week 37 Fiery Feelings and Freedom Layton Utah Week 27 (T4 - Trainer DL W/Gibson)

皆さん！

...do you read me? Is this thing on?

Ah, good. Got it working. There we go.

Sorry for the conspicuous lack of emails last week! I’ve been using a loaner phone for the past little while, as the Tokyo South mission has asked that I bring neither purse nor scrip-- I mean, no phone or bike to my second call, as they’ll provide all that when I arrive in Japan. Well, I’ve had a wonderful little Samsung Galaxy J3 Prime for the past little while… I affectionately called it my little hot potato, because it was slow, but got the job done. Also, its battery got a little hot a times…

Speaking of the battery, long story short, when it started bulging out, I figured it was probably time to see it off. We went to the mission office, and I swapped it out for a new phone - one with a little more processing power and features. I’ll miss my potato, but this phone is working pretty darn good so far!

But as a result of that whole process and a few other P-Day things, I wasn’t able to sit down and write you all a proper email. And I wasn’t about to give you all sloppy work! Or something like that. Haha.

It also helped that the past two weeks have been… quiet. Just as the week before, it’s largely been getting used to the new area, making sure things are set up, and just going around meeting the members! Really, if we want to get anything done, we have to get the members involved. These are their friends and their neighbors that we’re teaching - and if those that are investigating the church see that their friends are all-in on both an effort and a heart-filled level, then they’re that much more likely to want to know why. It softens hearts, and helps them to be receptive to the promptings of the Holy Ghost.

Are we using the members? Absolutely not. We’re not just getting to know them to find new people to teach, and then dump them by the wayside. It’s the opposite, actually - the people here are genuinely amazing. As I’ve served here, I’ve met a myriad of people of a myriad personality types. It’s so cool to see how each one has their own story - and each one has their own lives that they lead. I’ve learned so much from the people here - and I’m excited to see what can happen from here on out. These people have become my family - and by being able to teach lessons to them and just be able to talk to them, I’ve been able to find so much peace and joy, no matter where I am or what I’m doing. We’ll be walking somewhere and see a member that we’ve talked to just the previous day, and we’ll talk about how things are and just… feel of each others’ spirits. When you join the Church, you form lasting bonds that go beyond the daily, and that go beyond the intellectual. There’s a good chance - I’d put money on it if I could - that we’ve all met each other before, long before this life. And to be able to talk about emotional and spiritual things allows us to connect and tap into that. Sometimes, flickers of feelings confirm to us that we, in fact, knew each other before this life. And to know we’re all one great human family… that brings more comfort than perhaps I think I realize.

Regardless, that’s mostly been what we’ve been focusing on. We’re teaching a new family - the parents are returning members, meaning they’re starting to come back to church. They’ve requested that we come over and teach the discussions to them, and we gladly accepted - any way we can help them to progress to where they need to be!

Not much else to report on, other than the fact that we’re breaking records in Utah. Hottest day in June in recorded history. Earliest day in the year to break 100 degrees F in recorded history. It’s toasty. We average 95, and hover around 104-105 most days. It’s… kind of interesting. But hey, at least it’s a dry heat, so it could be a lot worse! But especially on those hotter days, the Farmington breezes on Main Street certainly aren’t doing us many favors.

Hey, if you all can, can you pray for some rain down here? We’re in the middle of one of the most serious droughts in a long time. Some of our reservoirs are only at 25% capacity thus far… We’d appreciate all of the faith and prayers we can get!

Oh, I guess one more thing - I don’t know why it’s taken me so long, but I’ve finished Luke and am moving on to John. I’ve been taking a cursory glance at the Gospels in preparation for beginning to read Jesus the Christ by Elder Talmage. If you’ve ever wanted to come closer unto Christ, that’s your book! Goes great with it’s companion scripture, the dictionary. But in all seriousness, I mention this because I’m certain that I’m going to start bringing references and anecdotes from it here to the emails soon… Be prepared. :)

I just wanted to take a second and say Happy Father's Day to all the fathers and father figures in the world! I've been blessed to have the best dad that I could ever ask for - and I got the chance to talk to him for a little bit yesterday. I could go on and on about him - just like I could with my mom - but my father is the most intelligent person I know, for starters. But that's not all - his wisdom is immense as well, and that makes him remarkable in so many ways. He's a wise counselor and a just steward - always quick to rush to another's aid, and in a way that will not only help them out of a situation, but that will help them to best move forward and become the best people they can be. I know there have been rough patches of the mission where his advice was just what I needed to keep going forward - positive and happier than I could have ever been on my own. He's responsible and reliable, and always can help anyone out of a pinch. All in all... my dad's pretty fantastic. I couldn't have asked for a better dad. I'm sure he's reading this, so here you go - love you Dad! You're amazing - it was good to talk to you yesterday, and can't wait to talk to you and the rest of the family today again!

I'd also like to take a second to wish everyone a happy Fourth of July, considering I won't be able to write to you all until afterwards. I'm so grateful to live in a country where freedom is preserved and maintained - not just out of necessity, but because of the bonds we share. This is a land of promise - a land of trust and truth, where we all work together for a brighter future, together. No impetus is needed - no driving force required. We live, work, and laugh together because this country allows us to be so. I'm thankful for the freedoms that allow our families to be together. I'm grateful for the freedoms that allow people to be themselves - no matter who they may be. And I'm grateful for a country that allows its citizens to forge their own paths - to choose for themselves and take hold of their own destiny. To live, to laugh, to have faith, to love their fellow man - that is freedom to me. And I pray that as we celebrate this year of freedom come full circle once more... that we might find peace and joy in this coming year, together as free citizens of this country we are proud to call the United States of America.

Today, I'd like to share one of the verses that have stuck out to me this week, out of the Come, Follow Me lessons from a week or two ago:

D&C 61 is really interesting because it’s received on the Missouri River. They’re hurrying to Kirtland at the time, but there are some issues - first of all, it’s blisteringly hot, and the majority of party are in canoes, battling the currents and avoiding all the fallen trees in the path. They just want to get out and back home. Plus, a lot of them can’t swim - so the less time on the water, the better. And as a result, one of the party members, Elder William W. Phelps, swears to have seen a vision - the destroyer, riding in power upon the face of the waters.

Exhausted, absolutely done with the Missouri and battered by so much… they receive revelation after praying for guidance. There were a few excerpts I found interesting:

First: “It mattereth not unto me, after a little, if it so be that they fill their mission, whether they go by water or by land.” There’s a lot of times where we’re seeking direction, and we’re lost and confused. We want to receive answers and know the best way to go… but the Lord has given us our agency to decide for ourselves. As long as we are going and trying to “fill [our] missions,” the Lord will allow us to choose unless one path is what is needed to accomplish that thing.

Long story short - we may want the Lord to decide for us. But the Lord wants us to act and decide for ourselves what we should do. If we have questions for Him, we study it out. Learn about it. Weigh our options. It’s only after that - and bring a decision to the Lord, that He can direct our paths.

Otherwise, He dictates our lives - and we would never learn anything. But God isn’t like that - He is a Heavenly Father. Jesus Christ is our Savior. If we did not have our agency, what purpose would life be? If we could not forge our own paths… what would be the point of it all?

Especially through this week, one of the things that I’ve learned is that there is a difference between listening to and acting with the Spirit. As missionaries, we try our best to align our wills with the Heavens - and oftimes, I feel myself doubting my decisions. I will often wait for the Spirit to direct my paths… and a lot of times, I don’t really get anything.

But this week, I actively focused on acting and trusting. Trusting that if my paths are contrary, I’ll be guided and directed back to the path I need to be on. And I’ve found that as I’ve walked, I’ve worried less about taking the wrong turn, and focusing on that which I should have been focusing on this entire time - the Spirit. It’s a small perspective shift - but one that has brought me much more relief and comfort, reduced stress, and just… generally a happier demeanor!

Second, there are a couple of beautiful lines from this - and there was one in particular I wanted to share.

“And now, I say unto you - and what I say unto one I say unto all - be of good cheer, little children; for I am in your midst, and I have not forsaken you. And inasmuch as you have humbled yourselves before me, the blessings of the kingdom are yours.”

What a profound blessing and promise - to know the Lord is with us no matter what. His arms are always outstretched - and if we approach Him, He will welcome us. My plea to you all is to trust in Him who has felt all, and trust in Him who has suffered all. He wants to help us. He wants to succor us. He wants to guide us to life eternal. He may be strict when it needs to be - but never is it hateful or spiteful. He loves us. He wants us to be kind. Just. Loyal. Loving. Humble.

I testify that as we draw closer unto the Savior of the World, Jesus Christ, we will find the happiness we seek. We will find the comfort we seek.

And we will be able to be a light unto those that need the light in their lives. I so testify in His name, even in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Thank you all - you all are amazing. Take care and have an amazing week!

Over and out,

Elder Decker

デッカー長老

 

June 7th  Week 35  Transfers and Transitions  Layton Utah Week 25 (T1 - Trainer DL W/Gibson)

皆さん!

 Holy heck it's been something of a week and a half. I'm just... still reeling. Brace yourselves everyone - this is going to be something of a longer email back home to you all... 

 Last Monday after I emailed you all, we received the transfer board - essentially, the chart that highlights where everyone is going during that transfer. To explain how crazy things have gotten, let me take a step - or five back:

 Within the mission, there are sort of geographical slices that dictate how the organization of that area is. Within the mission, there are zones that usually cover the entirety of a city, and all of the missionaries within a zone are led by zone leaders. Within the zone, there are districts of about eight to ten missionaries (four to five companionships) or so, led by district leaders. And then there are the individual areas that a single companionship has jurisdiction over. 

 Before the transfer board, we had roughly seven zones - Layton, Layton Spanish, Bountiful, Syracuse, Farmington, Kaysville, Roy and Centerville. We figured that one of the zones would be dissolved this transfer, but...  with this transfer, two zones have completely dissolved, Kaysville and Centerville. That just leaves Layton, Layton Spanish, Bountiful, Syracuse, Farmington, and Roy.

 That means some pretty big changes have happened. Lots of missionaries going to their original assignments means we can't maintain as many areas as we have been able to up to this point. And so the Farmington Zone, to accomodate, shrunk immensely. What was four districts combined into two, and we took the north and south parts of the zones above and below us.

 But that means that as of now, almost every single stake is now covered by a single companionship - and that means that ours was fated for the chaff, too.

 Elder Thompson was transferred out of our stake up to Roy (his area the literal northwest corner of the mission, so the Lord and President Call trusts him!). Elder Caryotakis is joining Elder Gibson and I, and now, their area is merging with ours. And not only that, we have about a week and a half with Elder Caryotakis before he leaves to his original mission - Aguas Calientes, Mexico.

 And what's more than that, my entire district has basically dissolved. The Sisters got moved up to Layton, and of course, Elder Thompson left and Elder Caryotakis is leaving soon, too. Elder Davis, too - one of the ZLs - got moved to become DL over Farmington A, which means we have a new zone leader in the district. I have a completely new district I'm working with now - and the only people I really know here are Elder Gibson, Elder Caryotakis (who leaves soon) and Elder Cope (who's still zone leader - they finally got moved back into our district. not sure why they left in the first place but who am I to judge the Lord's ways).

 I've met the other elders before, but it's still been a little bit of an adjustment. Saying goodbye to everyone was one of the hardest things I've done on the mission so far - Farmington C (Farmington "C"hamps) as we call it - will live and have a place in my heart forever. Goodbyes are always hard, but it's alright - that's what a mission is! Adapting, improving, continuing to change - it's our people's way, after all. Is it hard? Absolutely. Is it necessary? Absolutely. I wish them well in their new areas, and I know that the Lord has placed them there for a specific purpose and reason. I've prayed about it - I've gained that testimony. After all, I know that it is through the Lord's providence that I am able to be here - I know that I'm here for a reason, as well, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to have met the people I have and to serve and teach the people I've been able to. 

 Plus, I suppose I'll see them at zone conference and things like that. So we'll still get to say hi! We just don't be a district, is all... 

 I'm grateful for the hard work President Call puts into receiving revelation on behalf of the mission. The Lord places us all in specific places, for specific reasons and to teach specific people. He puts in hours upon hours upon each transfer board in order to make sure that the Lord's will is done, praying and looking at the board, seeking revelation constantly as to where each missionary is to go - sometimes forty hours a week, as well as the other work he has to do as mission president. Every piece affects another, and it's a giant puzzle to slowly be put together, piece by piece affecting the rest of the pieces, just as even a pawn's movement can shift the entire positioning and strategy of the chessboard. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to be able to serve underneath him. He and Sister Call put so much effort and so much love into everything they do - along with all the senior missionaries working in the mission office - and I'm so grateful for all that they do for each and every one of us. Bless them!

 Now I have five new elders in my district, and making sure I'm getting to know them and everything like that has been good. It's a different dynamic and I'm finding myself having to adjust, but we're working on it. District activities, nightly call-ins... however we get the chance to bond and talk with each other, I'm all for it!

 But unfortunately, we have another puzzle to be solved.

 As a result of my stake converging into one set of missionaries, it's turned into something of a logistical nightmare to try to figure out everything. Ever week, we meet with members of the Elders Quorum, Relief Society, and youth committees, as well as our ward mission leader within each ward to coordinate missionary efforts within. They're called missionary coordination meetings. And now that we're jumping from five wards to ten, there's a lot more to coordinate - as well as a lot more work to be done.

 We're basically trying to reset expectations - and really trying to push how effective we can be. We've worked with our MCMs - mission coordination meetings - for a while now, and we know what they're capable of. They're amazing - they've given us so much support and help, and they've truly helped us to become the best missionaries that we can be in numerous ways. It's good to be able to work with them and push how much further we can get this work going in the wards we cover. But the macroplay here is more complex than I thought. We have to continue the work we're already doing, while at the same time basically raising the bar for what we're expecting our missionary coordination meetings to do - because they're capable! But the North half of the stake hasn't had nearly the same expectations that we've had for the south half of the stake, just simply because of different missionary styles. On-boarding them isn't going to be the hardest challenge in the world - they're already plenty capable - but it's going to be a slow and intensive process. The dilemma we face right now is what path we take to get them on board - do we take a slow approach and ease them into the expectations that we have already set for the south half of the stake, and then ramp them up to what we expect now? Or do we hit the ground running with the same expectations as the south half, and then push the work forward together? We've been leaning more towards the latter - and so far, they've responded well. I think the Lord gave us the revelation we needed in order to make the best choice for this take. But that's not even talking about the scheduling that has to be reconfigured for ten wards instead of five. That means time cuts and less time to get everything done within the coordination meetings. At the same time, we're recombining our efforts within the stake, shifting and broadening our focus to be able to accomodate for the work which has to be done within five more wards, with different distances and different members to work with. It's a lot of people to meet and get to know. And on top of that, we have to combine teaching pools, learn where each person is in their progression, and try to seek inspiration on how best to help them to draw closer unto Christ. And that's not to say the members of the ward that are struggling with hardships themselves!

 tl;dr - All in all... it's a lot to keep in mind, and a lot to coordinate.

 But we're doing our best to make sure we're continuing to be as effective as we can, while still doing what we are here to do - to invite people to come unto Christ. Yesterday in particular, we focused on getting everything in order - figuring out the schedules (who's going to be when), readjusting how long the MCMs/weekly huddles are, and setting expectations again for all of them in what we're looking for. It's a lot of things to juggle - but we're trying our best to get it done. We know they're capable - and we know the Lord is blessing us as we work our hardest to get as much as we can done.

 When we're not reorganizing and refocusing the efforts, we've been contacting people to set up inspired walks - or as of late, we've been going on proactive walks ourselves. Especially with a new area to learn about, and Elder Caryotakis slated to go in a week in a half, it's been a bit of a scramble to try to learn all of the streets and people within the north half of the stake. But I think we're doing a pretty fair job. During those proactive walks, we've been able to share a remarkable amount of scriptures with those we meet, now that summer has come and everyone's been out in their yards. It's interesting to see the productive hours flip from 5:00-7:30 to 7:30-9:00. 5:00-7:30 is still decently productive, but we've seen the most success from 7:30 to 9:00 for sure. And now that school's out, scheduling is going to be hard - but we're going to be trying to find as many opportunities to serve and to help out as many people as we can!

 We've had a ton of miracles we've consistently seen as we've continued on and working as hard as we can. The Lord knows us and wants to help us - and I'm convinced we're able to get this done through His grace and His will. I'm truly grateful for His guidance and support - and I'm grateful for the love and support I feel from you all, as well! We'll keep running forwards, doing all that we can to be the biggest blessing in others' lives as much and as best as we can!

 I'd like to share something out of Moses 5 - talking specifically about Jesus Christ as the Only Begotten Son of the Father:

 4 And Adam and Eve, his wife, called upon the name of the Lord, and they heard the voice of the Lord from the way toward the Garden of Eden, speaking unto them, and they saw him not; for they were shut out from his presence.

 5 And he gave unto them commandments, that they should worship the Lord their God, and should offer the firstlings of their flocks, for an offering unto the Lord. And Adam was obedient unto the commandments of the Lord.

 6 And after many days an angel of the Lord appeared unto Adam, saying: Why dost thou offer sacrifices unto the Lord? And Adam said unto him: I know not, save the Lord commanded me.

 7 And then the angel spake, saying: This thing is a similitude of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father, which is full of grace and truth.

 8 Wherefore, thou shalt do all that thou doest in the name of the Son, and thou shalt repent and call upon God in the name of the Son forevermore.

 It's interesting to think of how many things in the church we do as a similitude of the Only Begotten - even Jesus Christ. If it wasn't established by Jesus Christ Himself in the meridian of time, it is commanded by the Lord as a symbol of He who lived, bled, and died for us. His kindness saves us - and all that we do should repay that kindness, that charity… that love. For it is through love that the Atonement came to pass. Because of the Atonement, the Lord could know our circumstances and our hearts - and could know whether or not we have truly repented within our hearts. And because He knows that, He can show Heavenly Father that we aren't in need of the consequences of our actions - for the divine consequences of our actions are for us to learn more than any other reason. But if we've already learned those things… then there is no more need for those consequences. And as such, the Only Begotten of the Father becomes the Arbiter of our guilt and our learning - our Advocate to the Father, sent from the Father.

 It's going to be a good week. Hot - we're averaging about 90 degrees here now - but it's going to be a good week. Lots of things to do, so we're keeping busy. Hope you all are able to do the same - or, conversely, I hope you all are able to take some time to relax, as well, too!

 Take care - have a great week! You all are amazing!

 Cheers,

Elder Decker

デッカー長老

 

May 31st Week 34  Spirit and Fire  Layton Utah Week 24 (T6 - Trainer DL W/Gibson)

皆さん!

Hope you all are doing well!

On this Memorial Day, I wanted to take a moment to thank those that have served our country, no matter in what capacity. But I wanted to especially thank those that paid the ultimate sacrifice so that we can remain free.

My poetry is a little rusty but it's fun to write again for a little bit! Here you go:

Brave and true, the thin line stood

With heart in hand, where no one could

When silence rang with lion's roar

They testified of freedom borne. 

They watched the setting sun that day

With hope in promised futures laid

For now their journey's final end

Had come, so none would needless bend. 

Does still their story fall untold? 

Have yet their praises fallen cold? 

Will life continue silently

Unrecognizing souls yet grieved? 

So let our hearts remain in tune

And soul ring out with song anew. 

For those that died for sorrow's fall

Let us remember, now, for all. 

So when that sun with freedom rings

Ascending, bright on phoenix wing

Shall we remember those that die

To grant us freedom now to rise? 

This week has been something of a miracle run. So many miracles happening as we have the faith to see them - and so many coincidences that have happened that can't just be coincidence. But at the same time, the tempests and trials have continued to grow. Our faith has been strengthened, but that doesn't mean it wasn't hard! 

Wednesday was sort of our miracle run! We were able to talk to a ton of nonmembers and get our name out there we shared scriptures with them and they were well received, though they weren't interested. But we'll continue to make as much contact as we can - hopefully we'll be able to see their hearts turn soon! 

Thanks to you all for your get will wishes - I'm all better and getting going! 

It's interesting to see how involved the Lord is in our lives. We had an experience this week after Elder Gibson got his second dose of the vaccine. We decided to do a little bit of a proactive walk - walking about the neighborhood and sharing scriptures with whoever we meet. We felt a pretty strong prompting to take one street… but didn't see a single soul. And then on top of that, we were prompted to take another street that would have looped us back to where we started! 

We were confused… but we went forth with faith. We have sort of a motto between the two of us; if it might be a prompting, and it's good, then pursue it - as much and as best as you can. 

We found one of the Sisters in the ward on a little bit of a stroll - and we got to talk to her for a while and walk with her. Her name is Sister Stahle - she's a blind widow, but has lived in this street for long enough to know where everything is, and she can see contrast… but that's about it. But she later confessed that the person she was going to go with couldn't make it, but she wanted to go out and walk because she wanted the sun and exercise. She was nervous and worried - and she related that she had asked Heavenly Father to send her someone to help her. 

"Thank you," she smiled sweetly. "You were my ministering angels today. Remember that when you feel like you're not doing anything special… You've been in exactly the right place at exactly the right time today. And that's because you were following the Spirit of the Lord. You were my blessing, today." She sniffled quietly. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

It was humbling. We've been checking in on her regularly for a while now… she's an amazing woman, and courageous as anyone I've ever met - and she's one of the sharpest people I've ever met, and she's nearly 87! Bless her heart for sure. She's wonderful. 

The Lord works miracles in our lives, whether we realize it or not. As we trust in Him and seek to have Him guide our thoughts and will, He will never lead us astray. He is our rock and our redeemer - our hope, our deliverer, our all. No matter what happens - no matter where we may be - if we reach out, He will always be there. 

6 And now, I, Moroni, would speak somewhat concerning these things; I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith.

7 For it was by faith that Christ showed himself unto our fathers, after he had risen from the dead; and he showed not himself unto them until after they had faith in him; wherefore, it must needs be that some had faith in him, for he showed himself not unto the world.

8 But because of the faith of men he has shown himself unto the world, and glorified the name of the Father, and prepared a way that thereby others might be partakers of the heavenly gift, that they might hope for those things which they have not seen.

9 Wherefore, ye may also have hope, and be partakers of the gift, if ye will but have faith.

Have faith. Look for the hand of the Lord. He will always be with us, if we just believe - both with us, and with our loved ones on both sides of the veil. 

Take care, everyone - you all are amazing! 

Elder Decker

デッカー長老