Jul 13th  Week 40 Change, Cheer, and Cornets Layton Utah Week 30 (T1)

皆さん！

Hope you all are doing well! Keep safe, keep drinking water, and keep being kind to one another - and yourself!

This week has been a lot of fun!

Now that we have the huddles up and going, everyone’s doing their part to pitch in. We’re seeing the work progress in ways we’ve never expected, and we’re starting to see pathways open - though they’re not quite open yet, we’re getting there!

This week has been a lot of getting in contact with new move-ins and members of the Church that need a little bit of a boost. As a result of COVID, there are quite a few people feeling down and out, so we’re working with our ward mission leaders to get in contact with them, set up lessons, and help cheer them up. We’re reaching out to everyone, but mostly it’s members that are responding (often times people think that we’re just trying to convert them, when we really just want to help cheer them up…)

We’ve had some good experiences with a myriad of people, including moving a dresser up a tight flight of stairs, teaching lessons and sharing scriptures with all who will listen, and finding strength in Christ’s Atonement as we strive to help others as best as we can!

In other news, I FOUND SOMEONE WITH A TRUMPET AHHH apparently he's performed a ton so he's much, much better than I am - but it's good to be able to just sit down and play again. It's so much fun - I missed being able to play. I mean, don't get me wrong - piano is so much fun, but it's not quite a trumpet, right? They both have their charms - but there's just something about the trumpet (maybe the love and work I've put into improving) that's just so much fun. Playing a ton of different little pieces and classical music, improvising, a little bit of jazz... it was all so much fun. They're an amazing couple - and I'm grateful he allowed me to play with him!

also I realize the subject of this email isn't 100% alliterative because it's not the same syllable but hey, does the same first letter count? eheheh

We’ve kept pretty busy with lessons and meetings. With a new mission president, things aren’t being completely shaken up, but it’s definitely been interesting! President and Sister Johnson are pretty powerful and amazing as they work together - and we’re excited to see what revelation they’ll be able to get on behalf of the mission!

Life goes on - and with life comes changes. Transfers are tomorrow, and the board’s already out;

I’m going to be staying here in the Farmington North stake! Meanwhile, Elder Gibson is going to be transferred up to Roy, where he’s going to be joining Elder Thompson’s district. I’ll be getting a new companion - I don’t know much about him, but he arrives tomorrow. Judging based on the fact I never got a calling to train again, I’m assuming he’s one of the missionaries that was in another country, then got called back because of COVID, and waited a year to see if the country would reopen. We’ll see what happens from here!

I’m hoping to keep the fire up from here on out. We’ve got some good things cooking - gotta keep going full throttle!

I wish I had more to report, but it’s mostly been some interesting lessons and those kinds of things. I’ve drawn so close to the Lord in the past few weeks of trial - I’m so rateful to see the Lord answer my prayers in the best ways possible. Looking back, this transfer board is the accumulation of a lot of prayers answered, stretching back to my first few weeks of being a missionary!

It feels like my time here is slowly coming to an end, though. I don’t think I’ll have another transfer here. I have to give it everything I’ve got - people are depending on us! The Lord has given me this solemn charge and trust - I have to keep going and keep becoming the best missionary in His service that I can be.

I wanted to take a moment and share a scripture from Matthew 13 - a parable given by Jesus Christ.

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.”

This is an insight from Elder Talmage, one of the Twelve Apostles of the Church from a little bit ago:

“The merchant in the story devoted his whole enrgy to the quest for goodly pearls, to find and secure which was his business. When at last he beheld the peal that excelled all others, though it was, as of right it out to have been, held at high cost, he gladly sold all his other gems; indeed he sacrificed “all that he had” -- gems and other possessions -- and purchased the pearl of great price. Seekers after truth may acquire much that is good and desirable, and to find the greatest truth of all[-] the truth that shall save them. Yet, if they seek persistently and with right intent, if they are really in quest of pearls and not of imitations, they shall find…

Observe that in this parable… the price of possession is one’s all… If he willingly sacrifices all that he has, he shall find that he has enough.”

What’s so interesting about Elder Talmage’s explanation of this is that by virtue of having the pearl, he has enough. He has spent his entire life searching for this one pearl - and now that he’s found it, he’s given all to have it. More than any of those other pearls that he’s found or collected… he’s found the one that bring him the most joy.

What a wonderful promise that we have! We can have something that can give us peace - true peace that will stand the test of time. We might have to sacrifice a little - time, effort, energy, unrighteous habits - but we can all receive that fulness of joy. And the  best part of it - when we sacrifice our all give our all to the Lord, He will make up the difference - and He’ll return the best parts of us. The good parts of our personalities - the best parts of our cultures and backgrounds. He’ll return all of that. As President Gordon B. Hinckley said, “Bring what you have, and we’ll add to it.”

The Lord wants us to sacrifice - but he doesn’t want us to lose all forever. He wants us to be ourselves - the best parts of ourselves, the parts of ourselves that will be able to be the most happy. The parts of ourselves that will be able to have the most joy - the parts of us that are truly our own.

Love you all - you all are amazing! Take care and have a fantastic week!

Cheers,

Elder Decker

デッカー長老

 

Jul 5th  Week 39 Respite and Redemption Layton Utah Week 29 (T6 - Trainer DL W/Gibson)

皆さん！

Before we get into it, I’ve had quite a few people ask, so…

No, I’m not quite in Japan yet! Haha. Sorry about that. But because they weren’t sure when exactly we would be able to go over there, they asked all missionaries originally assigned to Japan to not bring phones or bikes to their second call/mission, as they would provide it there once we got into the country. That rule applies to me here in Utah, so my phone is actually from the mission office.

Hopefully that cleared things up… haha.

Other than that, there’s not much to report on this week! We’re continuing to work hard to get things rolling again. I can feel the timer ticking down as to how long I’m here in this area - the 15th will be seven months here in Farmington o.o” - and so I’m trying to get everything set and organized as much as possible. It’s a work in progress for sure - but things are slowly starting to settle down. Sort of. Yesterday kind of blew up scheduling wise. But we made it work.

But with restrictions all but lifted (with the exception of eating with members and tracting), it’s so much fun to be able to go out and talk to everyone! What used to be our least productive hour - 8:00pm - has quickly become our most productive hour. Most people really only step outside after 7:30 because it’s so blazing hot, so we’re making do and trying to fill the rest of our day in other ways!

We were able to have exchanges this past week - and what’s nice was that Elder Cope got the chance to come back to the area! He’s our Zone Leader, and was my trainer while he was here, so it was fun to just walk around and catch up with everyone. He gave some really good advice and we got a lot of stuff done - so that was exciting!

Other than that… just a quiet sort of week. Lots of lessons, and meeting with the people in our coordination meetings for lessons have really helped us to get to know them even better! They’re all amazing and hard working, and expectations are growing now that we’re covering so much area and having to memorize so many faces and names. There are something like 1200 people in this stake - that’s a lot of names. :x we’re trying our best!

But all in all… all is well in Zion. The people here are as kind as they’ve always been, as joyful as they’ve ever been, and the best part of our day is being able to go out and interact with them - help them, and spread light wherever we go! Ultimately, that’s why we’re here - to bring light unto others, to show them what hope and love feel like, and to help them draw nearer unto their Savior - our Savior.

Speaking of which, I mentioned Jesus the Christ last week - and goodness, it’s just as good as I’d hoped. Here’s a little bit of an excerpt from it, out of “The Need For A Redeemer” - 

“Such then is the need of a Redeemer, for without Him mankind would forever remain in a fallen state, and as to hope of eternal progression would be inevitably lost. The mortal probation is provided as an opportunity for advancement; but so great are the difficulties and the dangers, so strong is the influence of evil in the world, and so weak is man in reesistance thereto, that without the aid of a power above that of humanity no soul would find its way back to God from whom it came. The need of a Redeemer lies in the inability of man to raise himself from the temporal to the spiritual plane, from the lower kingdom to the higher...

“So, for the advancement of man from his present fallen and relatively degenerate state to the higher condition of spiritual life, a power above his own must cooperate. Through the operation of the laws obtaining in the higher kingdom, man may be reached and lifted; himself he cannot save by his own unaided effort. A Redeemer and Savior of mankind is beyond all question essential to the realization of the plan of the Eternal Father, ‘to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man’ (see Moses 1:39); and that Redeemer and Savior is Jesus Christ, beside whom there is and can be none other.”

That’s a lot of text, so I’ll break it down.

Above all, we have been provided this life so that we’re able to grow and improve. But ultimately, how do we grow if there’s no goal to achieve, no path to pursue? Those guideposts are the commandments that we are given - and if we are to be perfect, even as He is, we must follow them as closely as we can. But ultimately, we make mistakes - we stumble, we fall. If everyone is to be judged of their work, without an emotional understanding of who they are, all would “surely perish,” to put it mildly. Judgment would be swift and exact - every single sin, every single mistake, no matter how we feel about it or if we ever did it again - would have to be accounted for.

And therein lies the need for that emotional connection. God the Father knows all - but without an advocate for us, He is forced to judge with exactness - no matter how much he does not want to. The Savior came here to provide that - to become our Savior by feeling every pain and affliction we’ve ever been through. He’s walked through life with us - that price was paid in the Garden of Gethsemane, where He paid for empathy with His own blood. That was the plan - so painful, so harrowing, and so terrifying that the Son of God Himself nearly shrunk under the pressure.

But He didn’t.

He suffered all the pains we’ve suffered - and such so that in that great and dreadful day of the Judgement Bar of God, Jesus Christ can intervene. Because He, sinless in and of Himself, has felt what we’ve felt, and has gone through what we’ve gone through… He can say to the Father, “It is enough.” Through Him, if we truly repent of our sins, if we feel sorrow for our mistakes… if we regret and strive to become better, we can be healed.

Through the Savior of the World, mistakes become lessons. Sorrows become blessings. And life eternal can begin once more.

That is why we need a Savior.

I testify of His divinity and His light - for He is the light and the life of the world. All that come unto Him shall find respite, and find peace - for as He has taken upon Himself the sins of the world, He has taken upon Himself every grief. It is this sacrifice in which sympathy becomes empathy - and all can find a hand reaching out, helping us up, and giving us hope that we are not our mistakes - but are the light that continues to shine and burn within.

I so testify in His name, even in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Love you all - you all are amazing! Have a great week, and remember to drink lots of water!

Take care,

Elder Decker

デッカー長老

p.s. I guess I got the chance to write before the Fourth of July so ... happy Fourth of July! I wrote a little bit about it in my last email, so feel free to go check it out! :D

 

June 28th  Week 38 Respite and Redemption  Layton Utah Week 28 (T5 - Trainer DL W/Gibson)

皆さん！

Before we get into it, I’ve had quite a few people ask, so…

No, I’m not quite in Japan yet! Haha. Sorry about that. But because they weren’t sure when exactly we would be able to go over there, they asked all missionaries originally assigned to Japan to not bring phones or bikes to their second call/mission, as they would provide it there once we got into the country. That rule applies to me here in Utah, so my phone is actually from the mission office.

Hopefully that cleared things up… haha.

Other than that, there’s not much to report on this week! We’re continuing to work hard to get things rolling again. I can feel the timer ticking down as to how long I’m here in this area - the 15th will be seven months here in Farmington o.o” - and so I’m trying to get everything set and organized as much as possible. It’s a work in progress for sure - but things are slowly starting to settle down. Sort of. Yesterday kind of blew up scheduling wise. But we made it work.

But with restrictions all but lifted (with the exception of eating with members and tracting), it’s so much fun to be able to go out and talk to everyone! What used to be our least productive hour - 8:00pm - has quickly become our most productive hour. Most people really only step outside after 7:30 because it’s so blazing hot, so we’re making do and trying to fill the rest of our day in other ways!

We were able to have exchanges this past week - and what’s nice was that Elder Cope got the chance to come back to the area! He’s our Zone Leader, and was my trainer while he was here, so it was fun to just walk around and catch up with everyone. He gave some really good advice and we got a lot of stuff done - so that was exciting!

Other than that… just a quiet sort of week. Lots of lessons, and meeting with the people in our coordination meetings for lessons have really helped us to get to know them even better! They’re all amazing and hard working, and expectations are growing now that we’re covering so much area and having to memorize so many faces and names. There are something like 1200 people in this stake - that’s a lot of names. :x we’re trying our best!

But all in all… all is well in Zion. The people here are as kind as they’ve always been, as joyful as they’ve ever been, and the best part of our day is being able to go out and interact with them - help them, and spread light wherever we go! Ultimately, that’s why we’re here - to bring light unto others, to show them what hope and love feel like, and to help them draw nearer unto their Savior - our Savior.

Speaking of which, I mentioned Jesus the Christ last week - and goodness, it’s just as good as I’d hoped. Here’s a little bit of an excerpt from it, out of “The Need For A Redeemer” - 

“Such then is the need of a Redeemer, for without Him mankind would forever remain in a fallen state, and as to hope of eternal progression would be inevitably lost. The mortal probation is provided as an opportunity for advancement; but so great are the difficulties and the dangers, so strong is the influence of evil in the world, and so weak is man in reesistance thereto, that without the aid of a power above that of humanity no soul would find its way back to God from whom it came. The need of a Redeemer lies in the inability of man to raise himself from the temporal to the spiritual plane, from the lower kingdom to the higher...

“So, for the advancement of man from his present fallen and relatively degenerate state to the higher condition of spiritual life, a power above his own must cooperate. Through the operation of the laws obtaining in the higher kingdom, man may be reached and lifted; himself he cannot save by his own unaided effort. A Redeemer and Savior of mankind is beyond all question essential to the realization of the plan of the Eternal Father, ‘to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man’ (see Moses 1:39); and that Redeemer and Savior is Jesus Christ, beside whom there is and can be none other.”

That’s a lot of text, so I’ll break it down.

Above all, we have been provided this life so that we’re able to grow and improve. But ultimately, how do we grow if there’s no goal to achieve, no path to pursue? Those guideposts are the commandments that we are given - and if we are to be perfect, even as He is, we must follow them as closely as we can. But ultimately, we make mistakes - we stumble, we fall. If everyone is to be judged of their work, without an emotional understanding of who they are, all would “surely perish,” to put it mildly. Judgment would be swift and exact - every single sin, every single mistake, no matter how we feel about it or if we ever did it again - would have to be accounted for.

And therein lies the need for that emotional connection. God the Father knows all - but without an advocate for us, He is forced to judge with exactness - no matter how much he does not want to. The Savior came here to provide that - to become our Savior by feeling every pain and affliction we’ve ever been through. He’s walked through life with us - that price was paid in the Garden of Gethsemane, where He paid for empathy with His own blood. That was the plan - so painful, so harrowing, and so terrifying that the Son of God Himself nearly shrunk under the pressure.

But He didn’t.

He suffered all the pains we’ve suffered - and such so that in that great and dreadful day of the Judgement Bar of God, Jesus Christ can intervene. Because He, sinless in and of Himself, has felt what we’ve felt, and has gone through what we’ve gone through… He can say to the Father, “It is enough.” Through Him, if we truly repent of our sins, if we feel sorrow for our mistakes… if we regret and strive to become better, we can be healed.

Through the Savior of the World, mistakes become lessons. Sorrows become blessings. And life eternal can begin once more.

That is why we need a Savior.

I testify of His divinity and His light - for He is the light and the life of the world. All that come unto Him shall find respite, and find peace - for as He has taken upon Himself the sins of the world, He has taken upon Himself every grief. It is this sacrifice in which sympathy becomes empathy - and all can find a hand reaching out, helping us up, and giving us hope that we are not our mistakes - but are the light that continues to shine and burn within.

I so testify in His name, even in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Love you all - you all are amazing! Have a great week, and remember to drink lots of water!

Take care,

Elder Decker

デッカー長老

p.s. I guess I got the chance to write before the Fourth of July so ... happy Fourth of July! I wrote a little bit about it in my last email, so feel free to go check it out! :D