Crazy Week

Elder Hindes and I looking for mail!

 

11/18/2013

 

First off, a BIG shout-out to my best friend Lori Joy!!!!  To all you people who don’t know who she is…I feel bad for you cuz this girl is the most amazing girl on the planet!!!!  She is so hard working and one of the most obedient and Christ-loving people I know.  And she just turned 19!!!!  Happy Birthday, Love.  Watch out Satan, here she comes!!!  She is going to serve a mission!!!  How amazing is that!!!  She will be giving a year and a half totally to the Lord.  I think wherever she goes is going to be the most blessed area EVER!!!  She has the testimony of a true disciple of Christ.  She is going to rock the stars!!!  Alma 48:17 “Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto (Lori Joy), behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men.”  I know this to be true.  And if any of you want to question it…pray about it.  Let Christ show you the truth.

 

This week has been crazy.  Brother and Sister Call have been having some problems and Brother Call moved out of his home on Wednesday, which means we had to find another place to stay.  Luckily our ward mission leader down around the corner from us opened up his home and we will be staying with him.

 

On top of all the craziness, we got transfer calls.  Elder Hindes will be moving to Ammon and I will be staying in this area.  My new companion is Elder Sabett.  I don’t know anything else about him except that he came out with Elder Hindes and I will be doing the last half of his training.  I’m excited to have a new “son” and a new beginning.  Elder Hindes and I did a lot of work together and I’m grateful for what he has taught me.

 

Echo Neilson has a baptism date!!!  December 14^th!!!!  AND she came to church this past Sunday!!!!  We will be meeting up with her and seeing what she thought!!!!  I’m so excited for her to grow in the Gospel.  She still really needs our prayers.  Her family situation is not the best but she is such a little ball of sunshine J  Thank you so much for your prayers.

 

Today is November 18^th.  I pray I will have the strength to get through this week.

 

Elder Eldredge

 

Elder Hindes and I infront of the temple with Kenichi.

Powerful Prayer

 

Me and my people on Preperation Day!

 

 

 

11/11/2013

 

So sorry I didn't write last week. I just wasn't feeling it. 

 

This week went by so fast!!!! I can’t believe it’s Monday!

The work is slow but our teaching pool is large. We have some amazing investigators there are just large obstacles in their way. We NEED the prayers to help them get through this. Family, Pride, Smoking, you name it and were dealing with it. Again, these are amazing people; this is what missionary work is all about. “Helping people come back to Christ. "My purpose as a missionary is to invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end.”  This is what we do!!

 

Prayer is a powerful gift given to us by our most loving Heavenly Father. Think about it. It’s a two-way communication from us down here to the all-knowing, all-loving God above us! This is a power given to all men, woman, and children! IT IS REAL!!!!! So, I ask you; please join me in praying for the investigators world-wide, and specifically the wonderful children of God I have the honor of working with. I thank you for all you do for me. It’s amazing feeling and using the energy given me from your prayers. I love you all. Again, thank you.   

 

People we’re working with.  Please keep them in your prayers.

Ron

Echo

Grace

Bilin

Courtney

Kristie

 

Jessie

Beaky

Amanda    

 

Alma 13:24- For behold, angels are declaring it unto many at this time in our land; and this is for the purpose of preparing the hearts of the children of men to receive his word at the time of his coming in his glory.

 

  

--Elder Eldredge

 

Just A Couple Of Pictures

4/11/2013

 

Judging by the hat, Sawyer's new companion looks like quite the character!!

 

 

 

Nothing like the Fall in Idaho Falls!

In The Field

Elder Hindes and I in "The Field"

 

 

 

10/28/2013

 

Hi Everyone!

 

Keneshi was baptized this last Saturday and was given the gift of the Holy Ghost this past Sunday. It’s been amazing working with him. He soaked in the Gospel like a sponge!!! It was soo cool watching him change his life and repent of just a few things and work his way back to our Savior. He is 12 years old, a foster child, Native American, and one of the smartest kids I know!!! He is so willing and open and wanting so bad to know for himself what he should do.  I’m so grateful to be out on a mission and to be able to have a front-row seat to people becoming better!!! It’s such a blessing!

 

I love y’all!!! Thank so much for you love and prayers!!! 

 

Elder Eldredge

 

 

This is Elder Rowley and I.  We weren't companions, but really hit it off.  We plan on being room mates at BYU if I go. 

 

 



 

 

 

 

Egg Nog, Frost and the Warmth of the Spirit!

Elder Hindes and I got packages from home ON THE SAME DAY!!

 

10/21/13

 

First off...Happy early birthday Mikella!!!!! The big 18!!!!! I’m so proud to by your big brother. I often feel inadequate to be such an amazing angel’s big brother! You have always been so loving to everyone around you! You have always been an example of the peacemakers!!! My sister always stood up for me when I was getting in trouble. Even when I deserved to be punished my sister would ask for another chance for me! How amazing is that! Even when I was being mean to her she would still stick up for me. Thank you Mikella for being a Daughter of God that all can look up to, someone who will point them to Christ and show them the way to Him. Happy Birthday lil' sis :)

 

This week was good. Elder Hindes invited one of our investigators to be baptized and he accepted! And we are going to be helping the goal of 100 baptisms for the month of October! His name is Keneshi. He is a Native American foster child. His parents that adopted him are members and he has been going to scouts for a while. He is 12 years old and soaks in the gospel like a sponge! He is very intelligent and his family is really helping him move forward. They are helping him read and pray and asking him questions and answering questions when they can. It’s great working with this family.

 

It’s definitely getting cold up here! Every morning there is frost on the ground and when we ride our bikes and the wind is pushing against us it gets real cold! But with the cold comes the holiday season! I got myself a carton of pumpkin-spice egg-nog!!! It’s wonderus! I’m very excited for the season spirit to work within the members and hopefully reach out and share the great story of Christ and of the Restoration. With this season also comes the primary programs! This last Sunday we attended a primary program and I almost cried! I had never gotten emotional during a primary program! All it is is little kids going up and saying a line or two and singing songs! But there was a few times the spirit really spoke to me that what they were saying was true. They talked about how we are children of a King, a King who created this world for us, a King who sent messengers to lead and guide us called prophets, a King who sent a prince, His son, to atone for our sins and show us the way, a King who still today loves us and wants our success. It was very sweet. They did a great job!!!!

 

11 months... I miss her so much. I’m sorry, y’all probably get annoyed with me saying this every month. But she, Madeline Rose, was the light in my life. I will never forget. She has become a part of me that will always be there. She will always have a place in my heart. I cannot wait for the day to come when I will get to see her again. I testify in the name of Jesus Christ, that she lives on. Not on this world, but in the next. She is doing her Father’s will. She is teaching those who were not able to receive the blessed word and gospel of Jesus Christ. I’m so proud to say I KNOW her. The Plan of Salvation is real. Christ is the center of it. Because of him, I can find peace in this life and in the life after this.

 

Your missionary,

Elder Eldredge

 

He Is Always There

 

 

 

10/14/13

 

Hi Everyone!

 

This week has been crazy! Transfers! I lost Elder Olson, and gained Elder Hindes! He is my "son!"  In the mission we do this dumb "lineage" thing. Elder Stephens is my "Father" because he trained me and Elder Hindes is my "Son" because I’m training him.  He’s a great guy! He hails from Saint George, Utah, sings opera, and has a girl friend going on a mission soon. He is 18, likes to talk, and is very good at remembering things. He remembers names better than I do and I’ve been here 6 weeks!!! We get along pretty well. He is having a hard time with the lessons so we spend a lot of time studying those, but he is really good at relating to people and their personal experiences. I’m excited to start working with him!

 

Investigator update: 

 

Echo Neilson: She is doing well but hasn’t come to church yet! We were going to get her baptized on the 2nd of November but now it will have to be the 9th. She is a great girl and absorbs the gospel like a sponge. 

 

Kinichi Chicon: He is a Native American foster child. I’m way excited to start working with him and getting to know him. We haven't taught him yet but he has been attending church for the last month and has been going to scouts and young men activity. By the sounds of it he is a solid investigator. 

 

Being a trainer is difficult but rewarding. It’s great seeing Elder Hindes use the things we had disused that morning during studies in the lessons we teach that day. I thought I was praying a lot with Elder Olson, but now that I have the responsibility of another Elder, I’ve been praying even more!!!! I need the Lord’s help, I need his guidance and strength. I’m so grateful to have someone to turn to and receive what I need and not what I want. Its humbling knowing he is always there watching and helping us every second of the day. The Creator, The Savior, The Lamb of God, is my best friend, my third companion. I give thanks every day.

 

Romans 8:31 “What shall we then say to these things?  If God be for us, who can be against us?

 

Elder Eldredge 

 

Greeny Fire

 

10/7/2013

 

We got transfer calls this week but before we got the call Elder Olson and I got a call from the “Assistants to the President” (AP). They asked us if we would be willing to train!!!! Elder Olson will be leaving and going to Pocatello, entering a new area, and training!!!! He’s a stud! I will be staying here and training. I’m really nervous about being the example needed to raise a strong new missionary. But with the Lord’s help, I can do anything. I’ve been praying for him and hoping that he is a strong Elder who is ready to work and has that "greeny fire" that Elders can have coming out of the MTC. I hope to catch some of that fire and get a kick-start back into my mission. I’m so grateful for this opportunity to serve and to be trusted with a new Elder. Please pray for us that we might do what the Lord will have us do.

 

Elder Olson has been sick the last 3 days. He thinks he got food poisoning! I’ve been eating the same things he has and I’m fine! But I’m not going to argue with a guy who is throwing up every 2 hours all night!!!! Ya that was a crazy experience! Luckily it was over conference weekend so we weren't missing out on any appointments. And those that we had we could reschedule. 

 

Conference was great! I really enjoyed President Monson’s talk. He spoke of people going through hard times.  Here’s a link to his talk. 

 

 President Monson's Amazing Talk  

 

I’m so grateful for a living prophet who guides us and leads and lets us know what our Lord would have us hear. Prophets have always been a part of how God speaks to his children. Adam was the first prophet and he, too, gathered the inhabitants of the earth and spoke to them of God’s will. But as people reject the prophets and lean on their own understanding and replace God with other worldly things, they reject the teachings and sometimes kill the very man God sent them to come back to him. Prophets have always either prophesied of Christ, or spoken of his teachings.

 

When Christ came to the earth, died for all of our sins, was resurrected, and returned to His Father, he left the church in the hands of the 12 apostles. But the rejection of Christ and his teaching drove the 12 away and eventual the priesthood (or power of God given to man to serve and do as he would) was taken from the earth. Today, we have a prophet who hold the very same power given to the 12 apostles of old. Threw the restoration of Christ’s church back on the earth threw Joseph Smith. I know this is true. I have prayed about it. I’m so grateful to know that my Heavenly Father loves me enough to bring back His word to the earth so I wouldn't have to walk in darkness and confusion. 

 

I’m looking forward to this new chapter in my mission. I’m going to miss working with Elder Olson but I’m excited to start training.       

 

Thank you so much for all of your support

Elder Eldredge