Monday, April 23, 2012

April 23rd, 2012


It was a really slow pretty unsuccessful week.  We were gone in Fayette for 2 days and our appointments fell through so we didn't get to see a lot of the people we had planned.  We had 4 lessons for the whole week. Pretty bad!   This week is going to be jam packed full of lessons we have lunch and dinner appointments on Tuesday and Wednesday.  We have a Friday dinner and we should have a Thursday dinner by tomorrow.  We're going to Dyersville on Saturday and the 2 member families that live out there will be likely to feed us so we're doing pretty good with that plus we have a bunch of investigator lessons and we had another random person show up at church and want the missionary lessons.   He said he has been to church in Cedar Rapids but we're not sure if he's a member or not yet.  I see him every week at Second Helpings at the Methodist church (a free meal for anyone that wants it with donated food from the Methodist church and stores in the area).   President Johnson is so excited for the growth that has been happening in Manchester and so am I!  When  I  first got here we had one "kind of" investigator who wasn't progressing now we have 4 investigators and 2 families investigating!   Don't worry I know it has nothing to do with me I'm just harvesting everything previous missionaries have planted! and   I'm lovin it! =)   All I have to do is continue to work hard and I know that the blessings will continue to roll in.  I'm so excited for this area and to be a part of it and to be able to serve my Heavenly Father!   So many blessings are coming to so many different people and I'm so thankful for that.
Love Elder Jach

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

April 17th, 2012

As for the mission it's going good.  We just had a new part member family move into the branch.  She has a daughter that is 9 and her boyfriend that aren't baptized and are investigating so we'll see what happens with that.  We weren't able to go see Brian this past week but we are seeing him tomorrow night and are going to set a date then.  I'm pretty excited about that!   We got transfer calls on Saturday and we're both staying but then of coarse I already knew that from President Jergensen.   We were finally able to make contact with Pearl again and she has been reading the Book of Mormon.   She felt like she hasn't read enough so that is why she hasn't called us back.   She seems pretty promising, she said she has gone to a lot of different churches but just hasn't found one that feels right.    We're trying to get her to come to church and hopefully things will go well with her.  This area seems to really be picking up and more people seem to  becoming interested in the church which is of coarse great for missionaries!   Can't believe that I've been out five months today pretty crazy! Almost 1/4 of my mission gone already! =S
Love Elder Jach

Monday, April 9, 2012

April 9th, 2012

The mission has been going good pretty.  Busy trying to find people to teach, keep up with potentials and all that is going on.  The funeral was good definitely different than LDS ones and being a pall bearer was cool.   One crazy thing that I forgot to mention last week was that I actually carried the body out of his room onto a stretcher because it couldn't fit down the hallway, ha pretty weird and definitely something I'll never forget!   We've been trying to teach his wife but haven't been able to catch her yet.  Shes either gone or taking a nap but we'll get her this week!   Transfers are next Thursday, crazy to think that another 6 weeks has already gone by luckily I already know that I'm staying here and so is Elder Wally.  We have been teaching a family across the street from a member family and things have been going really well they have a lot of questions and are progressing pretty quickly.  We're setting a baptismal date with them this week which will be awesome!   I guess they are our only progressing investigators but that's okay just means we get to put most of our focus on them. I can't believe that it will be 5 months since I've been gone on the 16th, it feels like I just barely left!   For all you people who have been reading these and haven't written me you better get on the ball before I forget who you are! ;) but seriously letters are good!  In the words of Henry Ford whether you think you can or whether you think you can't, you're right!
Love Elder Jach.

Monday, April 2, 2012

April 2nd, 2012

The mission is still going good.  Had interviews with Pres Jergensen last week.  They were of coarse awesome!    I talked to him more about Elder Wally than I did about me, but that's ok because he needed to make sure he and  I were doing ok.  I found out that I do get to make the decision if he stays or goes, or if I want him for another transfer.  By the sounds of it I might be getting a lot of the troubled missionaries because apparently I can handle them better than everyone else.  I talked to pres about how I can read him and I know exactly why he acts the way he does.  I know all that because of all the counseling I have been through he laughed and said its finally paying off isn't it! ha   I said it looks that way! =)  Elder Wally is really insecure and has to be the center of attention.  If someone says something they did he will always top it with something he did, ha, and he loves to tell every single person we meet that he is in the special forces so they know that he's a hardcore guy! haha  For some reason he always listens to me when I ask him to do things.  Yes sometimes he argues for a minute but he always does what I ask him so that is good.  We found an investigator about 2 weeks ago and he has been dying of cancer so we had been seeing him everyday.  He loved having us come over and so did his wife and their friend that was always there helping them. Unfortunately he past away on Wednesday, but we know that he felt the spirit while we were there and will recognize it in the spirit world.  We met a lot of people through his death.   The sheriff and the mortician and a lot of other people.  They invited us to be pall bearers at the funeral and almost had us give a talk as well.   It was a great experience and I'm glad we got to participate in it.   Sad he's gone but glad he's in a better place.  I know that he is happy that we came into his life when we did.  We are still seeing his wife and their friend and have a lot of other people we can see because of them.  I'm so thankful for the strength and the spirit I get as a missionary  I encourage all of you to invite the missionaries into your home so you can feel of the spirit they have.  I'm so glad to be serving my Heavenly  Father and being able to bring his sheep unto the fold!  Love you all!
Love Elder Jach