June 29, 2015

little time, but many blessings...

this week was awesome! we saw so many blessings. We started off our week right, we ended our Pday a day an hour early. We decided to cancel all our dinners on Mondays so that we can get out and work at 5. We decided to do that because a few months ago Elder Zwick of the 70 told us he could promise us blessings and we need blessings. 

So Monday we went out at 5 to go knock some doors. To start we decided to go try some referrals we received from a member. the first one was not to interested but the 2nd one was a very nice guy who let us in right away. He has recently become a father and we shared a Mormon message with him about fathers. He enjoyed it allot. We have not been able to get back in touch with him, but it was cool to see a miracle by going out early.

We have also started teaching a man named Bill. He is a very nice guy, he owns his own wood cutting business. We found him only 2 Tuesdays ago but we have been able to meet with him 5 times and only one of them was with out a member present. He is great, he does his reading assignments most the time. he only missed twice so far. but the last time he noticed a difference in our conversations when he does not read what we left him. He said they are not as good when he has not read. He was a little hesitant about church but I think with time he will come and visit.

We also have started teaching a guy named Lemar. he is very interesting. Very interjetic and excited to hear. We have only meet with him one time, but we have high hopes for him. He is looking for direction and peace in this crazy world. I think he will really come to love the point of modern day prophets and how they help us know what to do.

We also started teaching this less active part member family. The mom was baptized along time ago when she was 12 and she was active for several years and then when she moved out she went less active and then some how at some time changed to RLDS. Dont ask me how that happened but it did. He kids have not been baptized, so we are going to start teaching them and really hit the point of praying for truth and guidance.

In the mists of all these blessings we did not have much time to do a whole lot. We had a stake meeting on tuesday evening. Which went well, and then a did an exchange with the Lilburn elders. Elder Hiatt went biking and they got poured on. So happy it was not me. Then on friday we had another Mission Leadership Council. It was really cool because the District Leaders were also invited to this one. And the Elder I trained (Elder Farr) he is a district leader. So I got to see him, probably for the last time before I go home.

Im so excited for the next couple of weeks, Im excited to have this time to work my butt off! This only happens one time in your life and I have to take complete advantage of it!

Con Mucho Amor

Elder Lamb      

      

June 21, 2015

Temple...

This last week was a special time of year here in the Georgia Atlanta North Mission. Twice a year we have the chance to go to the Temple. That was really like the highlight of the week. We had fasted on sunday so we could receive answers there of how to help our area and we went there with those questions in mind. We also had interviews with the mission president and that went well. He told me i am going to be staying here in Grayson till I go home. Im excited to hear that, I really did not want to pack my bags just to repack them 6 weeks later. It was cool because we got a youth who just recently went through the temple to drive us there and he went through the session as well. Its always good to see youth doing what's right. ( like i'm really old enough to say the :) 

This past week we once again were able to get many priests out with to go knocking and teaching. Its also helped us alot with our miles. we have 1400 a month but we have only used 750 so far. So needless to say we are doing really well with that. We were able to do lots of service this week and help people out. That was a blessing. But it was so hot this week! you basically walk outside and you are swimming. It was an interesting week, we lost more people than we found. But im not worried, stuff will happen soon.

there's nothing else to report for this week. I'm just excited I still got some time to do work! As long as I trust things will start happening. Faith can move mountains!     

Con Mucho Amor

Elder Lamb 

June 15, 2015

That's crazy that she had her farewell! I'm excited for her, she is
going to be a great missionary. I did go to the dentist that day, all
went well. It will be cool to hear Jacobs experiences. I wish I could
have had crazy stuff like that, but I guess that's just not what I
needed.

A new teaching method...

As you can imagine, my companion and I have started teaching in a
different way. We have been trying so hard to find ways to further the
work here. We are trying to find people that really want to hear the
message and DO something about it. This Tuesday we had dinner with our
ward mission leader and we discussed the work in the ward and what
might help it get going. He then started talking about at one point in
his mission they were teaching 45+ lessons a week! We asked him how
and he told us they would scheduled 10-15 minuet lessons with people
and would visit them every day. He explained more of how it worked and
what we could do. We felt that it was something we could try to
further the work in our area and find people that are really ready for
the message.

So we gave it a try. We did have a couple good lessons doing it, but
the part of getting back with them was the hard part. We knew from the
start that it would be difficult to get started and true that is! It
is going to take several weeks to get our days filled with
appointments. But thats just the thing that worry's me! I dont have
more than several weeks! All i want to do is get this area to
flourish! I just want it to be the example area that it is suppose to
be. AS the ZL's we are to be setting an example and right now its in
the struggle boat! But I know with this new teaching method, hard work
and faith this area will explode! I may not be here to see what comes
from it, but i will at least be able to be satisfied that I was able
to help get it to the point that it could produce fruit.

I had the opportunity to give a talk yesterday at a new elders
farewell. it was the first time I have ever wrote out my entire talk
and it will be the last! It was ok, but i did not like having it
written. Im just going to go back to my old way of bullet points and
just letting words come out of my mouth.

I know that this is a true work, I am so grateful I have been given
this time to serve with all my heart, might and mind. I would never
trade this time for anything. I am so excited that I still have a
whole 9 weeks to work my heart out, and I know with Gods help we will
be able to make this area incredible!

Con Mucho Amor
Elder Lamb

June 8, 2015

That is horrible to hear that! Should of just stayed in the other house, that never happened ;) But hopefully we can get it figured out quick. Its good the boys stepped in and helped out.

A week of miracles...

This week went extremely good. to start it we had our Zone Training, where we gave all the missionaries their Ipads. It was crazy! so many things to do and to plan and replan, late nights with calls and making sure everything was going to work. In the end everything did and everyone got their Ipads. Im just glad it is over, but im glad I had that experience. I learned allot. I dont know why people ever aspire to have leadership roles. If they knew all they had to do I bet they would not want it. Im glad to be a ZL and learn what I am, but I would never aspire to be in these positions. I just want to do what the Lord knows I can, cause i dont want to do what Im not ready to. It would just make it that much harder.

This week we were able to get in and see 3 investigators. All with members present. One of them was a first lesson we got a member to. That was a miracle. Wednesday we saw Kayla and went well. Friday we meet with David and that lesson went super well. He felt the spirit and he even did all of his studies we left him with. He had even marked them with a highlighter. it was sweet. Then Saturday we had a huge miracle. We found a lady named Lauren on Elder Hiatt's first day here. we were able to set up a return appointment but she had to re schedule and re schedule and re schedule. So we were finally able to set up something for Saturday. But now we had a problem, we could not find anyone to come with us. We texted like 20 something members and nobody could. We were like "crap, what do we do?" we were not going to be disobedient and go in anyway (cause then we could not have the spirit so whats the point?) so we prayed and asked God to help us be able to meet with her. This was at 2 and the lesson was at 2:30. We felt like we should text Brother Carter. So we did, then we decided to just knock doors just to show we will do what ever we need to. He then texted us back telling he could come. So we were able to meet with her and teach her the restoration. Because she had questions of how the book of Mormon fit into it all and Joseph Smith. It ened up so well. Then after we thanked brother carter and he told us he had not been feeling well and was going to just take it easy, but when he saw our text he said the Spirit told him that we needed him. So he came, and need him we did. It was such a testimony builder that as we do all we can to be obedient and then just trust God he will provide the way to do his will and keep his commandments.

Also we set a Zone Focus of 10 total lessons per companionship per week, with at least 3 of those being lessons with members present. And the Zone did fantastic! we went from 149 lesson as a Zone to 201! And so many of them saw countless blessings along the way.

Im so grateful to be a missionary and I know there is nothing else I would rather be doing. I know this was the best decision I could make for both my life, my family and even my future family.

Con Mucho Amor

Elder Lamb

June 1, 2015

A week of gladness and sadness...

Before the letter, I think I will get home soon enough to be able to do all that stuff. so its fine, as long as I can get released before.  

This was a very interesting and long week. the first two days of the week were filled mostly with visiting members so my companion Elder Meloni could say his goodbyes. Tuesday night though we had a meeting with the stake presidency that we have every month. I like that meeting, its allot of talking and counseling on what we can do to move the work forward.

Wednesday is when I picked up Elder Hiatt. Our first day together we saw many blessings. We went out knocking doors and had success! It was nice to finally see some of that. One of the return appointments we got kinda happened because I attended the Catholic church 3 weeks ago. Its cool how getting out in the community like that softens peoples hearts. Then we were able to set up a return appointment with the Wilder family to come back and teach their friend who is moving down here. Then at dinner that night with the Carters we were able to talk to them about inviting one of their friends to come to their sons farewell on the 14th. hopefully he accepts. 

Then on Friday we had a Mission Leadership Council meeting for the Zone Leaders and Sister Training Leaders. It was a great meeting but it was long! from 9-4. But it was alright because we got our Ipads! We get them early because were the ZL's. perks ;) they are really cool, they have these interactive pamphlets that you teach with that are just awesome! The cool part is we went strait from our meeting to an appointment we had with a potential. Besides 5 minuets we had in the car, it was the first time we had even seen the Pamphlet, but we went ahead and used it, and it went great! It is awesome to see how technology really helps. His name is David and he is great.

Then later that evening at about 7:30 we received a call from our mission mom telling us that 2 of our sisters had been in a horrible accident and that one of them had passed away. I did not personaly know either of them, but it hurt just to know two of my fellow servants had such a thing happen to them still hurt. I was relived at least a little to know it was not anyone in my Zone. That would of hurt much more to know that two people basically under my watch had that happen to them. We had everyone one in our Zone that evening get on a conference and we said a prayer and opened a fast for the 2 sisters and their families.

How much worse could this be if we did not have the understanding of the plan of salvation that we do? to just think it is the end of that person is the worst thing ever. But thanks be to God for his love and care for us in calling another Prophet in 1820 through whom he restored all this knowledge to the earth. I know the plan of salvation is real, that we can find comfort, even through the darkest moments of our lives thank to Christ's Atonement.

Las testifico estas cosas en el nobre de Jesucristo 

Elder Lamb      

May 26, 2015

A Long week!

Like the title says it was a long week! It always is when we have a holiday on a Monday because then P-day is not till Tuesday, so then the whole week just feels messed up.

This last week we were not able to get in with any of our solid investigators sadly. We did how ever take cookies over to Sam and Jannet. They were not home so we were not able to hand them to them in person, but they did get them and they loved the gesture. I know it is going to be small things like that that are going to help them get to the waters of baptism. 

On Monday we were able to however see the Diamond family. They had invited us the day before to come by and have some desert with them and talk. it was nothing big, but it was good to be able to go back over there and visit them. Sister Diamond said she still thinks about the day we came by and taught about the plan of salvation. that was really cool to hear.

tomorrow I will be getting a new companion. It has been a good time here with Elder meloni. I have learned allot with him during our 3 months together. Im going to always remember the things i have been able to learn with him. he is a great person and I will miss him. though it was hard at times, It was still great.

So we will be getting Ipads this coming Tuesday, well I get mine on Friday at our Mission Leadership Council. The perks of being zone Leader :) It is going to be very interesting to see how this effects the work. Elder Zwick from the first quorum of the 70 came last Wednesday and talked to us about them. It was very interesting to hear all about it. Considering I never thought I would see and Ipad in my mission. Its cool to see the Lord trusts us with this responsibility. 

The appointment next Monday is fine, just let me know when. Im fine to report that sunday. But I want to be released that day! so try to get that to happen as well. 

Con Mucho Amor

Elder Lamb