2.23.15 - Tiwi

There's no translation for that in Spanish. We had a specialty zone meeting for a church headquarters rep over the church automobile fleet to come and install Tiwi into all of the mission cars. Evidently we've crashed a lot in the past 3 months, so the new routine for driving is get in the car, swipe my tiwi card on the box they stuck to our windshield to hear the robot voice say "Driver logged in" and then without accelerating too quickly, stopping to abruptly or turning too sharply make it to our destination ensuring to stay under the speed limit. If any one these points are not observed the robot voice will rebuke me, and I'll have a recorded offense against my driving record which will be shown in a 6 week report to the mission president and used while he places elders in a car and bike area based on a 3 tier rating scale. It all just means we plan a few extra minutes to get to our lessons so Tiwi the robot won't give us a hard time while we try and do the Lord's work. Having a robot driving instructor isn't as fun as it sounds, but it really does a good job.

We found a lot of new investigators this week, love that. I went on an exchange with Elder Lam for Hong Kong, China. He's one of our district leaders, love him! On that exchange we interviewed to youth that are getting baptized into the pflugerville ward. I was impressed they both independently made the decision apart from their families that are active on other churches to be baptized. I was concerned as well that they weren't coming into the church with families. They can't prepare to enter the sealing room without their families, and it will be very hard for them to remain active without family support as well. They both passed, one with some tough questions about repentance, but ready to make the baptismal covenant.

There is an interesting case where a man moved to the US from Chili and his church records were lost in the move. We may need to reteach and baptize him so he's counted a member of the church again, that would then require his activation.

Another interesting case was a less active woman (Yuric) who introduced her friend (Tomasa) to us to be taught so she could receive the same financial help the less active family was receiving. Noble intentions but poor execution. When we met her she was surprisingly willing to accept all of the commitments we extended to her, not that I don't have faith people are really prepared but it felt insincere. We'll keep teaching her and let the spirit work on her.

I had an interview with president Slaughter on Thursday. It was short like usual. We talked about a few members of the zone we'd corrected as far as their dress and conduct and he gave me a few pointers.

Yesterday our ward mission leader went to church kind of disheartened. He said he'd ran out of things he could do to help the missionary work in the branch. After church we felt like we should visit him and his wife, we taught a lesson about revelation, and the spirit was very strong. I think we were comforted more than inspired by being assured the lord was in the work. They both served missions in Mexico and shared a lot of their mission stories with us.

The work is moving forward, and God is in it! There is no room for doubt.

I love you!

Stay Salty!

Elder Tyler Meidell

2.16.15 - Bendiciones en el hospital

Our Ward mission leader Sergio Gonzales called us while we were street contacting at night. He said a friend of one of the ward members had 3 hard attacks and was medically induced into a coma. The member had requested that we go to give him a blessing. The Intensive Care room was cold and awkward while a fleet of nurses made sure I didn't kill him by stepping on a cord or ... I don't know what else I could have done to him. We laid our hands on his head and gave the blessing while 5 members of his huge family listened. We thought it had been a great success, the spirit was evidently there, and we had just enough time to get home before curfew. Brother Gonzalez on our way out asked if any the members of the family waiting would like a blessing of comfort. No one knew what that was, and we try to refrain from soliciting blessings in hospitals, and when it seemed like no one was going to respond a small shy mexican hand slipped up into the air. So we gave a blessing to the mans wife, and when we opened our eyes, we saw one more hand pensively considering the offer. So the second blessing was given, and now 2 more hands were in the air! We left the hospital after giving 13 blessings and were very late getting home. It was a very moving and memorable experience.

I had a surprise exchange with Elder Pew again on tuesday. We also had district leader council. Wednesday we had an exchange with Pflugerville, Elder Van Oene is English called so we talked about his district between a few lessons that I tried to teach solo. Thursday We did a weekly planning exchange with Taylor. Friday... I got really sick. I had a fever of 102. So I slept the whole day. Sister slaughter said I would be contagious for 24 hours after that, so Saturday we also didn't leave the apartment, but we did study all day which I really enjoyed. Once I threw up I felt great, and since I didn't eat for 2 days I lost 7 pounds. I'm not getting it all back.

Oh! Yesterday I gave a talk in Church. I spoke for 10 minutes on the covenant of the Sacrament.

That's what i've been learning the most about this week. Every blessing of the atonement is introduced into your life through Holy Ghost. How important it is that in the sacrament prayer every week we are promised that spirit so long as we commit to be disciples Jesus Christ. One very important part of the sacrament is to take time to remember all of the ways the strengthening power of the atonement, by means of the spirit, has blessed your life. That's something that has made my experience taking the sacrament turn from a very hard self evaluation every week, with the result that I still make a lot of the same mistakes, to a chance to see how God has blessed me to be able to do things beyond me physical capacity, and thus making me a little more like his son. Praised be his name!

I love you!

Stay Salty!

Elder Tyler Meidell

2.9.15 - Tengo dos coches!

Good morning!

President Slaughter is getting creative with missionary assignments again. He has the standard 2 Assistants that represent him to us when he's busy elsewhere, and people had a lot of good experiences with the Assistants. So he called at one point 8 assistants. He then realized that they were taking the jobs of District and Zone Leaders. So he then just had one extra pair of assistants that every day did exchanges and focused on teaching missionaries Spanish. That rendered the same effects. So now, he's called 4 Area Leaders (if you relate it to actual church organization they'd act as area 70's) and focus on Spanish training and zone leader training. So Elder Larsen and Elder Hilario came with us on tuesday. We started by working in the community food pantry and we helped the Spanish speakers fill their carts with groceries. That was fun.

Wednesday I worked with Elder Hopkins.

Thursday we got a few things ready for MLC and did a family home evening with the Narvaez family. We taught her daughter Gabby who dropped out of high school and is preparing to have a baby and her boy friend miguel who's finishing up his senior year. We probably could have picked a better location for the lesson because Gabby's mom was really getting after her the whole time, so it was kind of an ineffective meeting. Hopefully we can get some friends for them in the ward that will help them open up.

Friday we drove down to San Antonio and met with president slaughter and the other zone leaders. I learned a lot about discernment. We practiced teaching big groups.

The biggest progress we saw this week was in Miguel. He's about 60 years old, started working when he was young and hasn't really stopped since. When we met him he said he believed in God but didn't really know anything more. Since then he's started praying out loud every day, and reading from the scriptures. He wants to know more, but he's very hesitant to make any commitments with God. We haven't found out why yet. It's been great to meet with him without his wife this last week, because she keeps making comments about he doesn't know anything about God, and he'll just agree with her to get out of having to try something new.

When he does try something new, and exercises his faith. He recognizes the answers, and gets excited, because he's coming to know his God.

I love you!

Stay Salty!

Elder Tyler Meidell

1.26.15 - Real Intent

Hello!

So what did we do this week? Let me brain vomit it all over you.

President asked in our emails if we could write him about a moment from our mission when our lives were changed. I wrote this really quickly, and I figured i'd include it here too.

Serving with Elder Warren in Eagle Pass during the summer on bikes made my mission. For 3 months we worked as hard as we could and saw no success. If success came easily, I wouldn't have been forced onto my knees in exhaustion, confusion and humility. At the same time we studied faith as a mission. I remember reading somewhere, written by you, possibly said by a zone leader, or maybe through personal revelation the words burning into me, "Where is your faith, in you, or in me? In investigators coming to church, or in me?" I learned to work by depending only upon the strength of God, and that pattern has grown to include how I teach investigators and missionaries. No matter what I do, my strength is insufficient, but I see miracles as i put my faith in God.

On Saturday we had the most joyous day.

I studied real intent and finished the training i'll give the new District Leaders tomorrow. We know from our own experience gaining a testimony of the Book of Mormon, in order to receive an answer in prayer from God, we must be willing to act according to the answer we have faith we'll receive. We must desire to know the will of God so we can do it. That's the simplest way I know to say it. In Moroni 7 we learn that an offering given to god in service or prayer is counted as a wrong if it isn't done for the right reasons, if it isn't the right intention. It brings the question, what is the correct motivation or intention to pray, to serve, or to seek the will of God? God Makes his will known to us through his commandement, he's taught his work and his glory is the Eternal life of Man. When we align out desires, intelligence, and purpose with that of Gods, we too seek the Eternal Life of mankind. The first and second great commandments ring out with great power, because God's will is that being motivated by love we work toward the Eternal Life of his children, just like he does. The parable of the oranges from the Last CES fireside exemplify the tremendous influence in the effectiveness of the service we render when it's done with real intent, and when it's not.

We didn't have any pending trainings to prepare for, and we put off some book work for a less productive day and got out to work by 12. Our first 3 lessons fell through, that's ok, the weather was beautiful. We taught Glenda, recommitted her to baptism on Feb. 14 (Which we'll have to push back again because she couldn't get work off yesterday for church.) then we dropped by Uziel who's 26 with kids and an unbaptized wife. We just asked if we could do anything for them and shared a quick scripture even though his wife wasn't there, and low and behold he and his wife came to church yesterday. Hooray! Following that we found no success contact on some streets we hadn't been to before - too many white people. For Dinner we went to Pepe's and ate some really good Tortas. We then took ourselves out to Taylor Texas, quickly found a family of 3, taught them and passed them off to the Taylor Elders. Next we taught the Morales boys with their member mother, and Arnoldo with is member wife. Neither of them ended up coming to church though. we committed 14 people to come to church, 1 of them showed. Well, that's how it goes.

Every companionship saw a change in our zone, so we met a lot of new faces and we're excited to start working with everyone.

I love you!
Stay Salty!

Elder Tyler Meidell

2.2.15 - Vino un testigo especial de Jesucristo

Hello! Good morning!

The Super Bowl didn't even make an appearance in our lives yesterday until we contacted a few families in a white neighborhood. I'd totally forgotten it was happening during church and all throughout the afternoon. Honestly people were still telling me about the soccer games going on in Mexico.

We had a great District Leader Council on Tuesday. We practiced correcting missionaries behavior so when our District Leaders go on exchanges they feel like they have the skills to make a significant change in their missionaries lives. I dropped our dented van off this morning at the body shop, so we're going to be cruising around in a Ford Focus again for the next 2 weeks or so.

The Saucedo family taught us how to make some super good salsa. It's basically just tamatillo and Serano pepper with salt and oil. We've been eating it with everything. The heart burn has been making me remember to have all things in moderation.

My study this morning was on having faith sufficient to witness miracles, knowing that any conversion is done by the power of God. In Moroni 7 some additional light is shed.

7 Behold I say unto you, Nay; for it is by faith that ^amiracles are wrought; and it is by faith that angels appear and minister unto men; wherefore, if these things have ceased wo be unto the children of men, for it is because of ^bunbelief, and all is vain.

38 For no man can be saved, according to the words of Christ, save they shall have faith in his name; wherefore, if these things have ceased, then has faith ceased also; and awful is the state of man, for they are as though there had been no redemption made.

Miracles are an integral part of the work of salvation, and the work will never stop so long as there is at least one man left on earth who needs to be saved. When we have faith, we can be assured that it will be accompanied by miracles wrought by the power of God.

The anticipation for the past few weeks and the crowning moment of this week was when Elder Nelson of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles came and visited with us in San Antonio for just 2 hours on Saturday. We were blessed to hear from the North Stake President, Elder Foster from the 2nd quorum of the 70, Elder Wright from the 6th Quroum of the 70 followed by Elder Nelson. It went by way too fast. The spirit was ever potent in that chapel. Elder Gonzalez made some comments this morning about when you know looking back when angels were present, since a part of my study touched on the ministration of angels. Angels were assuredly accompanying Elder Nelson that day. It was easy to discern between my thoughts and the revelation the Lord was giving me. They together covered themes such as working with the Ward Council, Church administration, studying the Doctrine, Repentance... well it was a lot of things seeing as Elder Nelson took a few minutes for a Q and A. Something that really impressed me about Elder Nelson was that he's fluent in 5 languages. 3 of which he's learned since returning home from his mission which was spanish speaking. He taught us from the sciptures, breaking down the text into it's greek and hebrew roots to give a deeper meaning to the english translation.

It was especially powerful when he concluded by giving an apostolic blessing.

I love you!

Be Salty, everywhere you go!

Elder Tyler Meidell

1.19.15 - Tostadotes!

We ate some big ol' slabs of chicharron (fried pig skin) done up like a tostada. refried beans, lettuce, tomatoe .. (all of the other food that Mexicans eat) like lime, sour cream.. and that's all I can think of. That was dinner on Wednesday, pretty good.

We had a zone meeting on Tuesday.

We worked on teaching with scriptures.

On Thursday we went on a quick exchange with Elders Marchant and Gray, and Elders Olsen and Toone to do weekly planning. I hope they got a little bit out of that.

Transfer calls were last night. It was a big day! We're both staying.

I love you so much!

Elder Tyler Meidell

1.12.15 - Nuestro preordinacion

Every week gets faster and faster!

This week we met the Aguilar family. The man was baptized 16 years ago, and after 2 years he married his wife. Amongst the hustle and bustle of their new life together church slipped out of their priorities. When we talked with them we found in his scriptures a card that had the duties of the Aaronic priesthood he'd once committed to live by. When we reminded him of that covenant he felt the spirit very strongly, and it moved him to want to return, now with his whole family, back toward activity in the church.

We taught the Morales family. They were baptized 6 years ago. They go hot and cold, and I think they just hit a hot streak. The father now drinks heavily, but he's said he'll make the commitment to return if he sees his family go 3 consecutive times. The 2 boys, steven and bryan haven't been baptized yet and they came to church yesterday. The young men welcomed them very warmly, and I think they are have a lot more optimistic view of what church is really all about now.

We've been talking about having better unity not only within the mission but in the work that happens in all parts of the world. Part of the training we'll give tomorrow during zone meeting will be about the oneness of Zion. Sometimes missionaries get in the negative thinking pattern, that if what they're doing doesn't benefit their own ward, it doesn't pertain to their stewardship. That may impede them from talking to everyone they see, or teaching briefly and passing off the people they meet in their area that don't live in their ward boundaries. We'll also talk about the parable of the laborers in the vineyard. When those who worked and did all that was asked of them from the start of the day till the end expecting the pay they agreed upon got angry because the householder gave mercifully and in abundance their equal pay to others who didn't toil so long. We know that to whom much is given much is required. I think it's also interesting that they who went after the first agreed only to receive that which was right, and thus worked more for the sake of the work rather than for the promised reward. I think we can adapt that mentality in our individual situations within the work of salvation. As missionaries, sometimes we'll get frustrated if other missionaries are blessed with a lot of success without putting in as much effort or without abiding as closely to the mission standards.

When we work in Zion we work alongside everyone called to labor in the vineyard and rejoice for the tremendous harvest they reap as well as for the bounteous blessings the Lord sees right to give to us. The confusion comes from thinking of our mission call as an individual call to labor in the field. In reality, our call to labor in Zion comes as a part of our for-ordination to fulfill the covenant made to Abraham that through his seed all the world would be blessed. Israel will be gathered, and the harvest will be plenteous, and everyone working with all their heart, might, mind and strength to further the work in the master's vineyard will receive a merciful and abundant reward.

I have a testimony of the fulfillment of that prophecy in our day. May we thrust in our sickle with our might, not for the promised rewards, but for love of God and our faithfulness to him.

I love you!

Stay Salty!

Elder Tyler Meidell

1.5.15 - Feliz Año Nuevo

Such a fast week! A lot has happened since I last sat on this comfy family history chair.

There was an uncomfortable melancholy in the apartment as we approached the 3rd. Elder Nichols and Elder Warren were both preparing to return home. They packed quietly intermittently throughout the week, and finally, as we got ready for Mission Leadership Council they had taught their last lesson, knocked their last door, waved goodbye to their recent converts and made plans for how they could keep everything they'd learned alive upon landing in their home town. It was a huge blessing to go with them this month, (All of the Zone leaders and sister training leaders meet with president and the assistance once a month to learn about upcoming trainings and make plans for baptisms in the upcoming month) they were leaving 3 weeks early so they could start the spring semester. The expectation is that they be able to go to the temple with president, and so this month, since a good number of zone leaders were going home he brought all of us to the temple. It was such a good session. I feel like my growth in this last year has been 100 fold. I truly believe in God, in the essential role of his son in our Eternal progression, and in the messengers our Father and heaven sends to us the form of authorized priesthood holders. I felt the spirit very powerfully. It is a tremendous feeling to have the peace of mind knowing you're dong all you can to serve God.

I had some time in the car ride to talk to sister Shaffer who is the Sister Training Leader over the 3 sister companionships in our zone. She has a lot more to manage than I thought, so i'm very grateful she's taking care of all of those issues so I don't have to worry so much about it. Her council was very helpful in preparing for an upcoming zone meeting.

On new years we went to a spanish conference in the Austin Stake. I drive the mini van, and since I can fit the most people in my car, i'm normally the designated driver. It was an ok meeting, The missionaries holding it did a lot of talking, and we didn't get too much time to practice, but I got a few golden nuggets.

After the spanish conference I went on an exchange with Pflugerville. It was so so so cold. Maybe i wouldn't have thought it was that cold if I hadn't lived in Texas for a year, but it was about 35 and raining all day. Pflugerville is an all bike area. Cold gear is definitely something I didn't prepare adequately for in packing for the mission, so i borrowed an extra pair of gloves and put on a scarf for the first time in my life and we hit the road. It was a lot of fun because so many families were home on new years day, although we didn't have too much success. Elder Ballard was sick, I think it's stress induced. He's training a new missionary, and his area has been taking a hit the past few weeks. I did a weekly planning session with them hoping to give them a few more tools to manage their work. His trianee Elder Godwin has been having a little trouble adjusting to missionary life. He expressed some hesitancy in wanting to sell out as a missionary because he didn't want to lose his individuality. We had a good talk.

Elder Warren will be missed! He's been transfered to the world of Eternal P-Days.

That's what I got. We should have another busy week!

I love you!

Stay Salty!
Elder Tyler Meidell