12.29.14 - Feliz Noche Buena!

Somehow it escaped my attention last Christmas that the hispanics don't care so much about Christmas as they do Christmas Eve. That is when Christ was born after all. We put a big emphasis on being on out talking with people on both days and handed out plenty of Christmas cards. We really wanted to push the spirit of the day and get to know as many people as we could while their families were home together.
 

Thank you so much to everyone that reached out and wrote me a letter or sent me a package! I felt like a really spoiled missionary on Christmas morning. It was such a fun day!
 

We ate with the Olvera's, they're both returned missionaries from Mexico and I learned a lot of Spanish from chatting with them while we took turns Skyping. It was so good to see my family. Wow. I got really choked up when talked. I didn't feel sad for not being there with them, I know i'm in the right place doing the right thing, but I have come to appreciate so much more the importance of the Eternal family. It is ordained of God, and it is the basic unit of his plan. We learn to follow his plan by living the gospel within our families and with that sacred unit many of the greatest joys and pains of this life will be felt. I love my family, and some time deprived of interaction has helped me to appreciate the blessing God has given to me.
 

This week, we went on a few exchanges, I dented the back of my Dodge Caravan on a Ford on Tuesday, we taught about 15 lessons and went to some really good District Meetings.
 

I've been learning more about consecration. In a monetary sense we know God gives us all that we have, so it is not a sacrifice, but the submission of a child to a parent when we obey his command to give more of ourselves to others. In the same regard that all of our earthly means come from God, who we've become to this point in our lives is equally by the grace of God. As we make plans looking forward to become more committed to be disciples of Jesus Christ, we must continue to rely wholly on his grace.
 

We have a lot to do this week! I love you!
 

Elder Tyler Meidell

12.22.14 - La conferencia de navidad

Merry Christmas!

Wednesday we got up at 4 to pick up some Elders in the zone and arrived in San Antonio by 8 am. Christmas Conference was super fun. it happened in my first transfer last year, so I didn't know anyone, i just followed my trainer around and chatted with the people I'd met in the MTC, but this year I felt like I'd at least met the entire mission. There was a lot of sweet reunions and some crazy good texas barbecue. It was better than Rudy's which is notorious for the being the top of the line barbecue chain. President Slaughter talked about the infinite and intergalactic reach of the atonement, and then after the talent show he shared his 2015 vision for the mission.

A big theme for us these past few weeks has been consecration. I went on an exchange with the District leader Elder Wilson and his companion Elder Fuentez on Thursday. We had a good day, taught about 5 lessons, They both have less than 4 months left on the mission and are pretty well known as the funny guys. They're great elders, I was surprised by how much they talked about the girls they were with before the mission. It wasn't a particularly edifying conversation. The thought that was impressed on me was that the full giving of oneself to Christ required more than just penitence for past transgression. Like we learn in the steps of the repentance process, it is not only to ask to be forgiven for a past wrong, but also to commit to never do it again, and then to never do it again. That last step is abundantly required in consecration. That was the step I felt like I needed to go through myself, and that was what I encouraged those Elder to do as well. In that final decision does the lasting change occur, and can the purifying and sanctifying power of the spirit burn away all past impurities. In that decision to be forever changed by the atonement of Christ will that releasing feeling of relief wash over you.

 

I pray we may all benefit this Christmas season from the infinite and intergalactic atonement made by our Redeemer. I pray we remember and worship him as we celebrate his condescension to mortal birth, from which he, God, overcame all things, and made possible that we may too.

 

I love you very much! I'll miss you at Christmas! We're pretty happy here all crammed into our house.

 

Elder Tyler Meidell

12.15.14 - Una pastorela magnifica

I'm so happy to be in the Round Rock East Zone! we have 11 companionship covering the northeastern corner of the mission. I am serving in the Palm Valley Spanish Branch which encompasses the whole stake.We and a sister championship split the area and we take the eastern half while they cover they west. The inter-workings of our companionship right now intertwine me back to the beginning of my mission. I'm serving with.... Elder Warren!! Again!! He introduced me to Eagle Pass, and now he's spending the last 3 weeks of his mission with me in Palm Valley.

 

Finally, after 5 months of English areas i'm back in the Spanish grind. Even better than that, my more permanent companion is Elder Gonzales from Salt Lake City. He grew up speaking spanish at home, so he's helping us sound less like a textbook when we talk. Elder Warren is giving us a 3 week crash course so we can take over the zone when he goes home for the spring semester first week of January. Elder Gonzales has served with Elder Olsen, and was the one I switched places with when I was ET'd to be with Elder Dewitt.

To wrap up the Anderson Mill area, we had 3 people with baptismal dates when I left, so I feel good I left it better than I found it.

La Pastorela was saturday night and I don't know how to translate that word, but it was basically a nativity party. The latino Christmas food is too good, i love tres leches cake. They had a pretty sweet program they reenacted produced by the Ward Mission Leaders wife sister gonzales. It was the Nativity, as seen by Nephi in the Book of Mormon. There were about 30 non members there and Elder Gonzales and I were just scrambling the whole time not only trying to memorize all of the members names we met, but then try and distinguish the members we didn't know from the non-members we also didn't know so we could figure who brought friends we'd need to visit this week.

The only other things we've had to do as Zone Leaders so far is organize the transportation of our zone to Christmas Conference this Wednesday and meet with a high council representative yesterday to see how well the JustServe program is being implemented in the Zone. We also talk with him about the efficiency of the missionary meetings held by the wards, so he can train the ward leaders on how to correctly hold missionary coordination meetings and focus the wards efforts on the most effective activities.

I'm loving the Spanish culture right now. Compared to the people we talked to in the upper class Anderson Mill ward, the vast majority of people here are open to talking to us, many will set an appointment for us to come back or will let us share a quick message with them. Having already had most of those set appointments fall through, I'm remembering the flaky nature of the culture too. The trick is not to teach lessons, it's to find people committed enough to come out to church. They'll talk about God all day, they won't necessarily live what they say. The religious strain that's spreading is the "creyentes" or believers. Instead of going to catholic mass they just know the believe in God and that's sufficient. A white person if they set an appointment will almost always follow through, the hardest part is just finding the one who's ready and will say yes. The Hispanics will tell you yes, but that rarely means they'll do it.

I'm just copying here a part from President Slaughter's email to us this week.
GIFTS TO GOD

Many “gifts” are given and received during Christmas. Ironically very few of these gifts are for Him whose birth we celebrate. After all, what could Christ possibly desire from us? I will let you be the judge of that. What gift will you offer Christ this year? What could he possibly want? What do you have to offer? Are you willing to pay the price to give the gift?

A few ideas to start you thinking: “Without faith it is impossible to please him” (Heb. 11:6). “Come unto him, and offer your whole souls unto him” (Omni 1:26). “All he requires of you is to keep his commandments” (Mosiah 2:22). “They did lay down their weapons of rebellion” (Alma 23:7).

I love you!

Stay Salty!

Elder Tyler Meidell

12.8.14 - Transferring to be a Zone Leader

Let's get down to the nitty gritty

German was super funny at our last lesson. Everything he says is a little funny because his spanish accent is so thick, but when we called him last night to see if we could stop by for a quick visit he said, "Oh yes, please, I have been a missing you guys." Dang I wish I could type it how he says it. He was excited for us to come over because after saying he wanted to read the whole Book of Mormon he actually made some good progress this week. He read the first book of Nephi, so I thought, well that's a pretty concerted effort. In a really really long round about story format kind of way including witchcraft and demons he said he found it in concordance with the Bible, which was his way of saying he felt like the Book of Mormon was true. We read with him the account of Christ instituting the sacrament in the Americas and invited him to make some preperations to attend sacrament meeting in the upcoming weeks, right now he works as an in home care giver to a few elderly client 7 days a week. He's swamped!

Transfer calls were last night. I've only been here for 2 months! I got Emergency transfered here half way into the last 6 week block and then finished these past 6. I leave Thursday for somewhere to serve as a zone leader. Elder Dewitt is staying here, he was kind of jokingly bummed about it. He definetly didn't want to leave and have to learn a new area his last transfer, but he also didn't want to have to take control while the new Elder gets adjusted here. It'll be a good thing for him, and he'll finish out his 2 years. Put a bow on it. I'm super peeved i'm missing the Christmas party this Saturday, the ward has really grown on me here. I loved it.

I'll get packing and send the new address as soon as I can

Other news, I went on an exchange with Elder Diaz, he told me he became active in the church like a year and a half before leaving for his mission, and it sounds like he's just made huge changes all around. He seems a lot happier than he was a month ago, and coincidentally he's also a lot more committed to the work than he was a month ago. While on the exchange I interview Fatu Semoy, she's from Lebanon. She got state side like 4 weeks ago, met the missionaries through her sister and got baptized on Saturday. That's pretty Good!

 

We did some tree trimming and put up some Christmas lights for some less active members of the ward. I attached a picture from when we were working on that.

 

I was studying a willing heart this week. In being infinitely good, we know God is not innocent, all things are before him and he infintely chooses to do Good. In saying he's innocent, i mean he's not ignorant of the possibility of doing wrong. He is independently righteous, He independently follows the laws of heaven. We on this earth are learning to do likewise in exercising our agency to always do good. I was wondering why some were "More blessed" for having wilfully chosen to humble themselves, having learned of the true nature of God, while those who were compelled to be humble were not held in such esteem. In discussing the state of the heart from the parable of the sowers, the word of God may be planted within us, either through willful obedience or through compulsion, and in both cases the hearer has accepted the Word of God. Now are they done? They have just begun!

 

Those who have accepted the word onto a crusty pathway will never let the seed permeate into their heart and gain strength so when the trials of life come like the sun on that seed it will be scorched and their faith will die. Those who have thorns and briars or worldy desires will choke out the seed in its infancy, and the stony and rocky ground will reject the seed with their unbeleif and it will never be rooted in them. A fertile ground, a heart willing to not only accept the word, but then to proactively nurture and care for it in diligent effort will through their patience and diligence one day enjoy the blessings of Eternal Life.

 

I grasped a little more the "Load" explained that Elder Bednar described last April. Through out independent and willful exercise of faith. Faith to follow the prophet, faith to fulfill a calling, faith to be a little more charitable, faith to endure with patience, in the active manifestation of our faith will the Grace of God be felt in our lives. The lord will bless those that at least accept the word for a time, to encourage the good they've done after being compelled into humility, and he will shower his blessings, revelation and many strengthening trails upon those who are willfully seeking to do good continually.

I miss you!

I love my salty family!

Elder Tyler Meidell

12.1.14 - Dia del Pavo

Such a good Turkey Day!

We didn't eat breakfast, and instead played in the ward turkey bowl. There were probably 28 guys there and the games were surprisingly competitive. Some of the men turned out to be super passionate about church sports. Haha... so that's like every ward. There were some curse words and way more trash talking than football playing but it was a good time. Some of the young men brought their nonmember friends, one was a preacher for another church and I think everyone got pretty muddy and scraped up so it was a success. We hurried back and got ready for the day and went to eat lunch with German. He'd told us he didn't think he'd have a thanksgiving because he had to work and all of his family was out of the country and his friends had moved away. Then he offered to feed us! I guess it was a good reason to do some cooking. He and his Cuban roommate made all the classics. Turkey, cranberry sauce, gravy, stuffing, It was great. We taught him the plan of salvation after that, invited him to be baptized and said he'd like to but didn't know which day for sure. So he's reading in the book of mormon and thinks he wants to finish the whole thing before he ever goes to church or learns anything else. We went over last night and that thought had pervaded, so hopefully we can get him to meet some cool people and overcome that. We invited him to the singles FHE tonight, and if we're lucky he'll come at the end after work. He takes care of dying and handicapped people in their homes and I guess there are many unexpected "incidents."
 

After German we visited a few people we knew would be alone that day and chatted with them and shared little spiritual thoughts. Then we ate at 3 with the Barneys who are so coo! They both served missions and actually just invited their neighbor from Germany to take the lessons. Jackey is really good friends with them, they're like 28, and she said she'd be baptized on the 3rd of January. Jackey was at that thanksgiving meal along with Pamela Dawadi and her husband from Napal. It was pretty cool. We then had dinner again at 5 with another family from the ward and ate MORE turkey and pie and rolls. We visited more families, ate more, shared scriptures and helped some people set up their Christmas decorations.
 

The "He is the Gift" initiative it getting me all jazzed.

What is the gift?

 

God the Father gave us his only begotten son in the flesh, even Jesus Christ. Christ's life and atonement gives the perfect example of discipleship, provides the doctrine of salvation, and transcending all else, overcomes physical death for all mankind unconditionally and conquers spiritual death on conditions taught in his Gospel. Through the atonement, all that appears unfair in this life can be made right.
 

How is the gift magnified through the Restoration?
 

Finally, the priesthood power that offers the baptism to wash away sins, and the gift of the holy ghost to sanctify our souls has been given to men. The mouthpiece of God is on the earth leading the Lords people. The authority to make binding covenants which introduces the grace of God into our lives as we "yoke" ourselves to him is available to all who agree to his conditions. Without it we are helpless indeed
 

How is our Christmas Message Unique?

 

This Christmas we invite you to learn how God reached out again in love to his children by restoring the fullness of Christ's gospel, so that all of his children may wholly benefit from the blessings which ebb from the matchless gift of the Father to you!
 

Discover the gift by learning of the love God the Father and Jesus Christ have for you and what they've done to offer Eternal Blessings to your life and family.

Embrace the gift by learning Christ's restored gospel and living it.

Share the gift with everyone.

 

I love you!
 

Stay Salty,

Elder Tyler Meidell

11.24.14 - "They don't think I know like a butt ton of crap about the Gospel - but I do!"

Let me just tell you I have learned all kinds of superfluous facts about he Bible this week. I am just crazy interested in the Bible right now. I started over in the New Testament, I felt like I should stop where I was in the Book of Mormon, and just start tearing into Mathew. I'm reading very slowly, and the majority of my reading is actually in Jesus the Christ by Talmage. Now that is some serious literature. I can imagine that being the least interesting text to fall into many unwanting hands since its publication, but I just cannot put it down. I've been reading during breakfast, on the toilet, during lunch, during time for decompression at the end of the day. It's never a bad time for Jesus the Christ. I don't think i've even begun to dent its full span of information, however it has been most helpful in explaining parables by giving contextual culture clues from the time, and references to greek origination of words, and the like. I think this was sparked by a lesson we had with some non-denomenational Christians that were just so peeved we felt like Christ's Atonement didn't one time save-all and exempt us from our personal responsibility to become converted to his Gospel. Getting into his teachings it's evident he intended for every individual to come into contact with his teachings and a knowledge of his mission in God's plan and would then have the opportunity to choose by acting upon his teaching or reject it by ignoring it's call to repentance. Again and again he stresses the necessity of bearing fruits meet of repentance, and the complete sacrifice which must be given to obtain the pearl of great price or the hidden treasure in the field. I think i started just wanting to feel validified in my beliefs by going back to Christ's teachings, and it was successful. The other thing that prodded me this way was the fear of being biblicaly incompetent in a wealthy area of the bible belt, especially with all the exposure the church will receive this next month. (Hint.. hint..) So i'm very satisfied with the study to this point.

We had a lot of appointments dropped on us last minute this week.

Our companionship is still.. moving right along. We had interviews with President this last week and he just said, "keep doing what you're doing, not a lot of people could take your place." So maybe that means i'm going to be here for a while? Elder Dewitt has like 8 weeks left as a missionary, so that's a factor now.

I had a little bit of a stress attack on wednesday, I had a cold for most of this week, so I couldn't work out and that normally helps me releive stress, It wasn't a bad cold but I wasn't resting so it was just perpetuated for an extended period of time, because if I rest the missionary work stops. So I was sick and stressed and then I decided I just needed time to think and figure out what we were going to do. It was great, I got some problems figured out.

A huge help was sister Smith who has a son on a mission heard me coughing and loaded me up with drugs. That was a life-saver. I feel pretty much fine now.

We had received instruction Wendesday on 7 things we need to work on as a result of Elder Hamula coming to the mission, and I felt unprepared for the Christmas initiative and how to best incorporate that into our already floundering work. It's going to be a time I always remember from my mission and I would so regret not putting some ingentuity into it.

So you just do your best, and you exercise faith. Revelation seems to come after you've done everything you can do. So that requires the time to sit and plan and think until your brain hurts and try lots of things, then he will give you what you're looking for and in the process make you a little bit better and more prepared to face greater challenges ahead.

The glue of my companionship is quoting Nacho Libre, Napoleon Dynamite, and Brian Regan. I don't really get it, but if I didn't know every word that ever came out of those 3 mens mouths I would be totally lost in my attempts to releive tension.

"They don't think I know like a butt ton of crap about the Gospel - but I do!"

I am grateful this Thanksgiving for a very supportive family, and for the atonement which strengthens us. I'm also grateful for restored priesthood power which leads us and gives us direction in our lives.

I'll miss you on Thanksgiving! Show how thankful you are for food by fitting as much of it inside of you as you can! If it doesn't hurt, you're not thankful enough.

I love you!

Stay Salty

Elder Tyler Meidell