WEEK 91: I AM SO THANKFUL FOR TEMPLES

  Hello everyone!! I hope you all had a great week. We had a good one here. We were very busy.  

   Last Wednesday was transfers and I got a new companion.  He is a great elder.  He is so hard working and good at teaching.  I'm excited for what will happen this transfer.  We  had some great appointments and felt the Spirit. 

   On Thursday we had district meeting in the morning, it was great. Then in the afternoon we worked very hard, it always feels so good to be out there working.   We had a member that was clutch and gave a referral and is preparing others.  The members are awesome here.  

  On Friday we had zone interviews for our zone, another great experience.  It’s  always good to be able to talk to President Koster. He is awesome and he got us McDonald’s.   After that we were able to review the baptismal interview questions for our baptismal candidate.  He is so ready.  The gospel has completely  changed his life,  I am so excited for his baptism. 

   On Saturday it was national service day,  so we joined with the ward and served and cleaned up an elementary school's outside grounds.  There were a ton of members, it was so great to see everyone.  We then were able to teach some investigators that we had found.  We really focused on the Book of Mormon.   My companion speaks their native language so the lesson  was super powerful. 

  On Sunday we saw miracles with people coming to church, so amazing.  This area has a lot of excitement happening.    We were kinda punted when we started working.  As the day was closing yet again we talked to this great guy.  We were talking outside and then his wife came out asked who we were and said to come in.   We taught the dad, mom and daughter in their home and it was a fire lesson.  They seem so prepared by the Lord, such a great lesson. They just got out of the hospital and are ready for the Gospel. 

  Monday was a regular day because we have a temple p day this week.   We had some good appointments and our investigator passed his interview which is exciting. 

   Earlier we went to the temple.  It was so amazing.  I am so thankful for temples.  They are amazing and truly bring us closer to heaven.  I met people coming from all over just to come to the temple and I would invite everyone to go to the temple as much as possible.  It’s a wonderful way to feel the Spirit and receive answers.   This week was great.  I hope you all have a good week. 

Elder Snyder

WEEK 90: 3 GUYS SITTING DOWN

  This last week was amazing.  We saw many miracles.  The Lord helped us grow and I learned a lot.   Also, it was awesome because I got to call home.     Shout out to my mom for being awesome and a happy mother’s day to all. 

  Last Tuesday we had service project as a district,  it was great.  We helped paint and move rocks. Once the service project was over, we went and taught some great investigators.  It was a great lesson.   Then after that we were punted pretty good.  We are really trying to find new people to teach and we are talking to as many people as we can, having no luck.   About 8:30 P.M. we were very tired walking some more and ran into 3 guys sitting down and they were so cool.  We just chatted and testified and they wanted us to come back and teach their families.  Another great tender mercy.   It was a great way to end the day.

   On Wednesday we taught some fire lessons.  We are really seeing the progress of some people. We are so excited because people are starting to read the Book of Mormon and their progress is skyrocketing.  

   On  Thursday we had MTC exchanges. A missionary being trained comes out and does exchanges with in field missionaries,  it was great.  I was with someone from new Zealand.  Then we had our bishop work with us and we visited a member and she came in clutch and gave a ton of referrals.  It was great!  Then we taught this investigator that is so prepared. She just asks all the right questions and is so eager to learn. The gospel has all the answers. 

   On Friday we saw miracles.  It started out with us being punted hard.  It was very hot, all the appointments fell through.  We kept in mind that we weren’t rejected but just being redirected.  It was very true.  After being rejected we found a flood of new people.  First was a dad,  he is cool and then the next were two families.  So because of being rejected we found some really great people and a new part member.  It was amazing.  

   On Saturday we had a great day.  Our day was basically planned before we began.  We taught 7 lessons to some awesome people.  We just went from appointment to appointment and it all worked out,  it was great. The Lord provides. 

   On Sunday we had many investigators come to church, it was great.  The Lord provided a way for people to come.  Also happy mother’s day.  As we looked back at the week we saw there were many many miracles.  We just kept going and doing our best and it all worked out.  

 This week is transfer week.  I will be staying and my companion is leaving.  I’m excited for what this next transfer holds. I hope you all have a great week. 

Elder Snyder

WEEK 89: WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LEMONS, MAKE LEMONADE

  Hello everyone.  I hope you all had a great week!!  Our last week was good. 

   Last Tuesday we had zone conference, it was great. I was able to feel the Spirit and learn a lot of new things.  Also Sister Koster made us rice krispy treats which were delicious.   When we got home we had a cool experience.  We got a text that a nanay was in the hospital in our area.  This nanay had a daughter in America who is a member and she wanted us to give a blessing.  We gave the blessing which was a super great experience and they want us to visit. The Lord prepares people in many different ways. 

  On Wednesday we were able to teach some progressing investigators.  One thing I learned from our investigator is to just never give up.  When life gives you lemons make lemonade and keep trying to live the Gospel. It's hard now but it will get better. 

  On Thursday we had a meeting at the mission home. It was all day, but it was good. I learned a lot and really felt inspired.  There was also a delicious breakfast of waffles.   One of us was transferred.  So now there is just two of us. 

  On Friday we had some cool lessons.  We have a cool guy we're teaching that is so sincere.  I love teaching him.  Then, randomly as we were leaving his house a guy came up to us and really wants to listen.  He was busy at the time but he showed us his house and we gave him a pamphlet.  It all just happened so fast.  

  On Saturday we were able to teach a lot. It was so great.  So cool to see people come to understand the gospel.  We were also able to teach the nanay and her family that we blessed in the hospital, such a great lesson.  We were able to teach some lessons where we testified of the Book of Mormon and the Spirit was so strong. 

  Sunday was great.  Sacrament was awesome and the members bore some awesome testimonies.  We had some great lessons.  The last lesson was power.  We taught the Restoration and it was cool.  We really felt the investigators commitment, very exciting.  The Lord is working by small and simple things in our area but He is definitely working a marvelous work.  It was a good busy week. I hope you all have a great next week. Ingat!

Elder Snyder

WEEK 88: HE'S FROM INDIA & FLUENT IN TAGALOG

 This week was great. We had a great week of teaching.  The Spirit was present and we saw progression in the area. I learned a lot of things.  

   Last Tuesday we taught some fire lessons.  We have seen the Spirit touch the hearts of our investigators and we are seeing some leaps forward in progression, it’s  so exciting.  The members are really supportive and really helping us. I encourage everyone to be a missionary.  You don't have to go out and work to be a member missionary, you can fellowship, invite, text, remind, and many more things to help people come unto Christ. 

   On Wednesday we got rained on, it was really coming down.  It felt good because it was really hot in the morning.  Nice way to cool off.  We taught a cool tatay that reads the Book of Mormon like crazy,  it’s so cool.   We were able to find some new investigators.   We are really excited with the recent convert because she is planning to go with the ward to visit the temple when it opens on may 1. So  exciting. 

   On Thursday we had a fantastic day. It just felt like God planned our day and everything worked out. I was on exchanges with another elder in my area.  We were able to find a new family in the morning that has real potential.  We felt to randomly visit a family we had taught and it was perfect timing because they had just got back from a trip and were happy to see us.   In  the afternoon we just went from appointment to appointment.  Every lesson was great.  We gave a baptismal date and it felt like the investigator was just waiting for the invitation,  they accepted so happily.  We then taught a man with some of the most sincere questions. He is really looking for the truth.   Some things happened that rearranged our schedule and it seemed like things wouldn't work out but it actually worked out better than we had planned. God is really directing the work and helps it move forward.  

   On Friday we taught a cool lesson.  This person just asked all the right questions.  Each question just moved the discussion  perfectly.   One of the elect of God.    We had a member work with us and were able to go on splits,  it was very successful.   We were able to help and find investigators and teach less actives and recent converts.  We also gave another very solid baptismal date. 

   On Saturday we got a new investigator, he’s from India and fluent in Tagalog.  He is a really cool guy and is willing to listen.  We  attended the baptism of someone in our zone and I was the one who baptized their investigator.   I was stressed but after the baptism I felt this incredible peace and joy.  Always a happy time to see someone enter the waters of baptism.  

   On Sunday we had a great day at church.  I really felt the power of the sacrament. It brought me peace and happiness and recharged me.  Our bishop worked with us,  he is so cool.  We brought him to less actives and found new people.  We taught a new family that was referred by members and they are fire.   They were asking great questions and ready to hear the gospel.   We saw so many good things happen this week.  The church is true.  It also showed me how important members are in the work. We all have something to contribute and God will help us. I hope you all have a great week. 

Elder Snyder