There's so much to update you on. I hardly know where to start. My life feels very different than it did a week ago. I didn't move too far from where I was serving on the south side. My ward now covers the north side of San Antonio which we're going to split east and west with Elder Hilario and Cruz. It includes the stone oak area, and the San Antonio Temple. My companion is Elder Velaya, his family is from El Salvador and he's a convert of 6 years. With 3 natives always around me i'm trying to create myself a little version of mexico so I can keep getting them to correct my spanish.
Elder Hilario is my very best good friend in this mission. We'll end together, and he is the other area leader, or traveling assistant in the san antonio area. We corrected about 30 tests that were taken at the last transfer meeting, which involved translation, spanish idioms, and sentence correction. Only 2 people passed this transfer and we sent out to the individuals by text which pages from the study books to review in preparation for the exam. We spend a fair amount of time together fulfilling our assignment, and it looks like we'll be moving into his apartment in the next few weeks.
After transfer meeting on Thursday we got iPads!! Wjooo! The long running joke of "We'll get them by the end of the year" came true after 2 years. So I've really enjoyed tagging scriptures into study categories. I really like sharing videos with people on the street and incorporating quotes from general conference into our lessons. I'm excited to use the church approved spanish language learning apps, and keeping trying to find more effective ways to do the work while incorporating technology. If you have any ideas of how we can take advantage of that resource please let me know.
In Monte Vista we're teaching an elderly woman named carmin Martinez.She's 94. She has been drinking coffee her whole life, but in just this last week she's stopped drinking it except for one cup in the morning which is already great improvment. She understands very little from our lessons, and her daughter will just repeat to her everything we say. She seems more accustomed to hearing her voice than ours. We asked her who jesus christ was and at first she couldn't remember, then when her daughter reminded her of church and some experiences they had then the memories seemed to come flooding back. If she learns one thing by the end of the discussion we count it at a success. She is preparing to be baptized on the 20th of June
Elder Hilario, I and a few other missionaries went tot he mission home last night with President Slaughter and his family. I was amazed out how full of the spirit his home was. They are an amazing example of maintaining the spirit of the temple in their lives and in their home. I was spiritually fed just by being with them. He taught us about the spirit of promise and the succession of general authorities and we discussed what we'd learned while using the new technology. I look to that couple as examples of consecrated life. I really hope to get to that level myself one day.
I love you very much!
Stay Salty!
Elder Tyler Meidell
Monday, June 15, 2015
5.25.15 - Ahi viene la technologia
Hello!
It's so good to get to talk to you!
I had a fabulous week in the lone star state. We met as a mission on Wednesday to hear from Elder Evans the managing director for missionary work in the church and Elder Allen. They spoke on being disciples of Christ in the digital age. i love that the church recognizes technology just as prophets of old recongized works of "curious workmanship" as inspired of god with the purpose of furthering his work at this time. iPads will be distributed throughout the mission this next transfer, and it looks like i'll get my own used one (seeing as i'm leaving before november they're not having me buy one) this coming Thursday. I don't know as of yet if Facebook is enabled, but it will be soon. I can't wait to clean that mess up.
Transfer calls were last night and President Slaughter said Elder Christensen is staying and I'll be leaving. Another short 2 tranfer area. I think this upcoming area i'll be there for my final 3. How sad, only one more ward to get to know and help. I can't wait to meet them all! I'll be serving as an area leader this next transfer, and i honestly don't know too much of what that entails. The area leader is a position President Slaughter created fairly recently to elevate the level of spanish in the mission. There are 4 area leaders in the mission, 2 in San Antonio and 2 in Austin. I'll find out Thursday where i'm headed, either to Monte Vista ward or De Zavala. From what i've seen they do a about 3 exchanges a week and put on spanish conferences every now and again. I'm really hoping all of the studying stuck and I can teach the language now.
In other news, Elder Christensen cut my hair this morning. 6:30 seemed like a good time for a hair cut, and I really look like i'm going in the military now, haha.
I served with Elder Bertelsen on an exchange this last Friday and he covers some boonie towns south of San Antonio. We spent a lot of time talking in the car on the way to elmendorf, haha it was a fun day.
We taught a family who's been to church 6 times now, and is still lacking a testimony because they don't read the book of mormon. during a flash flood warning we taught the law of chastity, which has been a sensitive topic for them for some time. They committed, and there was a very calm and loving spirit present throughout the course of the lesson. We began by reading about charity from Moroni 7 and it set a good tone, and as we continued the wife participated and was seeking knowledge more than she ever had before.
As we closed the lesson there were flash flood and tornado warnings so we stayed and ate watermelon for a few minutes while we let the big wind systems pass by. We then made a break for the car and ran through 3 inches of water in the road and probably some of the worst rain i've ever been in. Instantly soaked. What a fun night.
A big highlight for me was working at the food bank. i'm sad i won't get to do that anymore. We spent 3 hours on tuesday and 3 on friday with cumulatively the whole zone. In total we together did about 80 hours of sticker sticking and box taping, haha.
I love this work. the spirit is ever-present in it. It was made clear to me that while enduring to the end the spirit will guide us in all that we do IF we feast upon the words of Christ with prayer. From 2 nephi 32
Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.
Now a little differently
Again, I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do.
Scripture study coupled with prayer performed regularly will open the windows of revelation and the Holy Ghost will guide you in all of the affairs of your life. Of this I testify.
I love you!
Stay Salty!
Elder Tyler Meidell
It's so good to get to talk to you!
I had a fabulous week in the lone star state. We met as a mission on Wednesday to hear from Elder Evans the managing director for missionary work in the church and Elder Allen. They spoke on being disciples of Christ in the digital age. i love that the church recognizes technology just as prophets of old recongized works of "curious workmanship" as inspired of god with the purpose of furthering his work at this time. iPads will be distributed throughout the mission this next transfer, and it looks like i'll get my own used one (seeing as i'm leaving before november they're not having me buy one) this coming Thursday. I don't know as of yet if Facebook is enabled, but it will be soon. I can't wait to clean that mess up.
Transfer calls were last night and President Slaughter said Elder Christensen is staying and I'll be leaving. Another short 2 tranfer area. I think this upcoming area i'll be there for my final 3. How sad, only one more ward to get to know and help. I can't wait to meet them all! I'll be serving as an area leader this next transfer, and i honestly don't know too much of what that entails. The area leader is a position President Slaughter created fairly recently to elevate the level of spanish in the mission. There are 4 area leaders in the mission, 2 in San Antonio and 2 in Austin. I'll find out Thursday where i'm headed, either to Monte Vista ward or De Zavala. From what i've seen they do a about 3 exchanges a week and put on spanish conferences every now and again. I'm really hoping all of the studying stuck and I can teach the language now.
In other news, Elder Christensen cut my hair this morning. 6:30 seemed like a good time for a hair cut, and I really look like i'm going in the military now, haha.
I served with Elder Bertelsen on an exchange this last Friday and he covers some boonie towns south of San Antonio. We spent a lot of time talking in the car on the way to elmendorf, haha it was a fun day.
We taught a family who's been to church 6 times now, and is still lacking a testimony because they don't read the book of mormon. during a flash flood warning we taught the law of chastity, which has been a sensitive topic for them for some time. They committed, and there was a very calm and loving spirit present throughout the course of the lesson. We began by reading about charity from Moroni 7 and it set a good tone, and as we continued the wife participated and was seeking knowledge more than she ever had before.
As we closed the lesson there were flash flood and tornado warnings so we stayed and ate watermelon for a few minutes while we let the big wind systems pass by. We then made a break for the car and ran through 3 inches of water in the road and probably some of the worst rain i've ever been in. Instantly soaked. What a fun night.
A big highlight for me was working at the food bank. i'm sad i won't get to do that anymore. We spent 3 hours on tuesday and 3 on friday with cumulatively the whole zone. In total we together did about 80 hours of sticker sticking and box taping, haha.
I love this work. the spirit is ever-present in it. It was made clear to me that while enduring to the end the spirit will guide us in all that we do IF we feast upon the words of Christ with prayer. From 2 nephi 32
Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.
Now a little differently
Again, I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do.
Scripture study coupled with prayer performed regularly will open the windows of revelation and the Holy Ghost will guide you in all of the affairs of your life. Of this I testify.
I love you!
Stay Salty!
Elder Tyler Meidell
5.18.15 - Tantas Cajas
Happy P-day!
Tuesday, we did a test run of the service opportunity in the san antonio food bank. We spent 3 hours in a giant refrigerated warehouse taking boxes of frozen black bean patties off a pallet, opening the boxes, putting 2 stickers on the commercially sold boxes that read "peanut allergen" and then putting them back in the original box, taping them up and re-stacking another pallet as high as the first. We went through some 1,500 pounds of patties and 2,000 meals by the end of it. It was really fun, and we could leave feeling like we'd used our time more effectively than trying to find people at home at 2 p.m. on a Tuesday. We later pitched the idea to the zone during a zone meeting on friday and everyone was excited to get to work in a refrigerator. We have 21 missionaries signed up to work tomorrow.
I worked with Elder Black on Wednesday. We're all striving to be more converted, and his companion is striving to get to the point where he is at least obedient to missionary rules. Elder Black has been a very good example to him and his companion has made some very positive changes in the past 6 weeks; he studies now because he wants too, including spanish, and will get out of bed at 6:30 all are important weapons of rebellion he's given up to the Lord. The day of the exchange elder black had committed him to make 6 pretty big changes that would basically put the rest of his behavior in line with what the first presidency expects us to do. He agreed through his teeth. Elder black and i practiced how to respond when missionaries (and investigators) do and don't keep committments. We first practiced as ourselves, then we said, if our mission president was this Elders companion, how would he handle the situation and it helped us catch a higher vision of how building we could be, instead of demanding. We next asked ourselves, if the savior was this missionaries companion, what would be his response. It was obvious then the focus wasn't on us, the good that we might do as a more obedient companion is irrelevant, and I could feel a sincere love come from elder black as he got ready to go back and work with his companion again. I was grateful for the experiences i had with elder dewitt that helped me relate to Elder Black in his situation.
I went on another exchange with Elder calley on friday, one of the assistants to the president, and we worked on the principle he'd taught earlier that day during zone meet "we invite people when they understand.' Unfortunately, the lessons we set up for that evening fell through so we had a good while to chat about how the missionaries in the zone are doing.
What I did take away from that exchange was more confidence in inviting others to be baptized once I was comfortable they had a solid understanding of our message. We found 2 families on saturday, and have since seen again the sauceda family who committed to be baptized on the 20th of june. (I cannot believe we're planning for june already - time is flying)
The study topic from this week was Grace. We rely entirely upon the mercy of and grace of God to be saved. No amount of work we can do will merit us even the little finger of our resurrected bodies. My question was, well once we've all accepted Christ by living the principles of his gospel, why should I be killing myself to do all that I can do if I'll ultimately end up in the same place having done only a part of my best. I just think now that if we really have faith in the fulfillment of God's promises, than we'll do everything we can do to attain them. If you desperately need a job, and someone offers you a job, you'll do everything you can, make the phone calls, drive the distance, wake up early, to get that job because you know it's there waiting for you. If salvation is waiting for all those who repent and are baptized, believing on the name of Christ, and you believe that, you'll do everything you can to meet that condition so Christ can save you. You'll live in the light.
I love you!
Stay Salty!
Elder Tyler Meidell
Tuesday, we did a test run of the service opportunity in the san antonio food bank. We spent 3 hours in a giant refrigerated warehouse taking boxes of frozen black bean patties off a pallet, opening the boxes, putting 2 stickers on the commercially sold boxes that read "peanut allergen" and then putting them back in the original box, taping them up and re-stacking another pallet as high as the first. We went through some 1,500 pounds of patties and 2,000 meals by the end of it. It was really fun, and we could leave feeling like we'd used our time more effectively than trying to find people at home at 2 p.m. on a Tuesday. We later pitched the idea to the zone during a zone meeting on friday and everyone was excited to get to work in a refrigerator. We have 21 missionaries signed up to work tomorrow.
I worked with Elder Black on Wednesday. We're all striving to be more converted, and his companion is striving to get to the point where he is at least obedient to missionary rules. Elder Black has been a very good example to him and his companion has made some very positive changes in the past 6 weeks; he studies now because he wants too, including spanish, and will get out of bed at 6:30 all are important weapons of rebellion he's given up to the Lord. The day of the exchange elder black had committed him to make 6 pretty big changes that would basically put the rest of his behavior in line with what the first presidency expects us to do. He agreed through his teeth. Elder black and i practiced how to respond when missionaries (and investigators) do and don't keep committments. We first practiced as ourselves, then we said, if our mission president was this Elders companion, how would he handle the situation and it helped us catch a higher vision of how building we could be, instead of demanding. We next asked ourselves, if the savior was this missionaries companion, what would be his response. It was obvious then the focus wasn't on us, the good that we might do as a more obedient companion is irrelevant, and I could feel a sincere love come from elder black as he got ready to go back and work with his companion again. I was grateful for the experiences i had with elder dewitt that helped me relate to Elder Black in his situation.
I went on another exchange with Elder calley on friday, one of the assistants to the president, and we worked on the principle he'd taught earlier that day during zone meet "we invite people when they understand.' Unfortunately, the lessons we set up for that evening fell through so we had a good while to chat about how the missionaries in the zone are doing.
What I did take away from that exchange was more confidence in inviting others to be baptized once I was comfortable they had a solid understanding of our message. We found 2 families on saturday, and have since seen again the sauceda family who committed to be baptized on the 20th of june. (I cannot believe we're planning for june already - time is flying)
The study topic from this week was Grace. We rely entirely upon the mercy of and grace of God to be saved. No amount of work we can do will merit us even the little finger of our resurrected bodies. My question was, well once we've all accepted Christ by living the principles of his gospel, why should I be killing myself to do all that I can do if I'll ultimately end up in the same place having done only a part of my best. I just think now that if we really have faith in the fulfillment of God's promises, than we'll do everything we can do to attain them. If you desperately need a job, and someone offers you a job, you'll do everything you can, make the phone calls, drive the distance, wake up early, to get that job because you know it's there waiting for you. If salvation is waiting for all those who repent and are baptized, believing on the name of Christ, and you believe that, you'll do everything you can to meet that condition so Christ can save you. You'll live in the light.
I love you!
Stay Salty!
Elder Tyler Meidell
5.11.15 - Llame a mi mama!
Every day has an extra twist. Monday all of our appointments fell through, and we felt good and tested by the time we got home. The lessons we did teach were to two men very much against the Book of Mormon.
Tuesday we drove up to Austin for MLC. The office staff prepared some delicious tacos for us, and the theme that we seemed to need to bring back for our zone was on the necessity of the Book of Mormon in our proselyting. We talked about teaching quoting the words of the prophets, choosing to answer questions entirely from the Book of Mormon, and we were reminded that the tool God has provided to gather his children in the last days is the Book of Mormon. Do everything you can to convince others to read and pray about the book of Mormon - PMG.
Wednesday i went to heritage ward and it seemed like we just needed to practice talking to everyone. On our bikes we had plenty of great conversations and the people who were the most prepared were always the ones where we were just about to let them go by and then at the last minute we flipped ourselves around and showed them the powerful message we have. From what i've heard, the last woman we talked to, Sherry, texted the elders saying, "Everyone needs to hear about Joseph Smith!" I really hope she keeps investigating.
Thursday there was a spanish conference for the san antonio missionaries. We taught a little 20 minutes lesson on prepositions to 4 mini classes and we really did our best to make it not the least boring class there. We showed a few ways to study and pick up on which prepositions are being used while reading and listening to native speakers. We next planned for a DLC and a Zone Meeting which are coming up this week.
Friday we met with a volunteer manager from the san antonio food bank and got signed up to give around 100 hours of service in the meat freezer as a zone each week, haha. We start tomorrow.
Elder Christensen was sick yesterday and today so we're hanging low and i've been cruising through the general conference ensign.
On Sunday I Skyped my mother. She's wonderful. I loved to see and hear her.
I've heard this before, but one thing that was made clearer to me this week was that many churches worship the light of Christ, and not God the Father. They worship a power, energy, or influence which emenates from God, which give life, gives light, inspires to do good, and is the governing force of the universe. While all of these begin with our Heavenly Father, they are not him. He is not so big he can fill the emensity of space, although his influence is in and through all things, nor is he so small he can fit in your heart, although his power can be felt inspiring all men to do good. He has a body of flesh and bone and we were made in his image, we are his literal offspring.
I am grateful for a Father in Heaven who created a plan where we could be happy, like he is happy. I am grateful that family ties can be perpetuated beyond the grave through obedience to that plan. I am truly grateful to live in the time when the restored blessings of the Abrahamic Covenant are extended to all who will receive them in His Holy House. He lives.
I love you,
Stay Salty,
Elder Tyler Meidell
Tuesday we drove up to Austin for MLC. The office staff prepared some delicious tacos for us, and the theme that we seemed to need to bring back for our zone was on the necessity of the Book of Mormon in our proselyting. We talked about teaching quoting the words of the prophets, choosing to answer questions entirely from the Book of Mormon, and we were reminded that the tool God has provided to gather his children in the last days is the Book of Mormon. Do everything you can to convince others to read and pray about the book of Mormon - PMG.
Wednesday i went to heritage ward and it seemed like we just needed to practice talking to everyone. On our bikes we had plenty of great conversations and the people who were the most prepared were always the ones where we were just about to let them go by and then at the last minute we flipped ourselves around and showed them the powerful message we have. From what i've heard, the last woman we talked to, Sherry, texted the elders saying, "Everyone needs to hear about Joseph Smith!" I really hope she keeps investigating.
Thursday there was a spanish conference for the san antonio missionaries. We taught a little 20 minutes lesson on prepositions to 4 mini classes and we really did our best to make it not the least boring class there. We showed a few ways to study and pick up on which prepositions are being used while reading and listening to native speakers. We next planned for a DLC and a Zone Meeting which are coming up this week.
Friday we met with a volunteer manager from the san antonio food bank and got signed up to give around 100 hours of service in the meat freezer as a zone each week, haha. We start tomorrow.Elder Christensen was sick yesterday and today so we're hanging low and i've been cruising through the general conference ensign.
On Sunday I Skyped my mother. She's wonderful. I loved to see and hear her.
I've heard this before, but one thing that was made clearer to me this week was that many churches worship the light of Christ, and not God the Father. They worship a power, energy, or influence which emenates from God, which give life, gives light, inspires to do good, and is the governing force of the universe. While all of these begin with our Heavenly Father, they are not him. He is not so big he can fill the emensity of space, although his influence is in and through all things, nor is he so small he can fit in your heart, although his power can be felt inspiring all men to do good. He has a body of flesh and bone and we were made in his image, we are his literal offspring.
I am grateful for a Father in Heaven who created a plan where we could be happy, like he is happy. I am grateful that family ties can be perpetuated beyond the grave through obedience to that plan. I am truly grateful to live in the time when the restored blessings of the Abrahamic Covenant are extended to all who will receive them in His Holy House. He lives.
I love you,
Stay Salty,
Elder Tyler Meidell
5.4.15 - Me Cayen bien los Hilario
Hi!Time keeps slipping by me. We had a really fun week. There weren't any special meetings, no trainings to get ready for other than MLC tomorrow, so we put in our hours on the streets. Looking back, that probably wasn't the best idea, but it's great to just be outside and talking with everyone you see. there is statistically little success from street contacts, but I think it's one of the ways that God tests the faith of his missionaries, and it gives you a lot of opportunity to practice different ways to teach simple principles.
Working on teaching for understanding, we've been breaking down all of the words we street proselyte with, and teaching has almost just become a game of defining Gospel, Prophets, Prayer in terms they relate with and the response has been gratifying. The people we've met seems very satisfied when they end the conversation feeling like they've learned something constructive about their relationship to God. South Zone is a special challenge, there's not a lot of education here.
I don't know why this got my thinking and laughing the other night, but there was a really inquisitive 4-year-old waiting with us on the porch for his dad to open the door. We knocked on the door and he just started grilling us. "What is that thing on your neck?" It's my tie. "What do you do with it? Well, nothing really. "Well, why do you have it then?!" We looked at the ground sheepishly. He then moved on to our belts and so on. I don't know why I got such a kick out of him. I think he reminded me of the boy from the incredibles. Well what are you waiting for, huh? I don't know! something amazing to happen I guess!
On Friday, we were teaching a mom and her two twin sophomore age daughters. That lesson in particular stood out to me because as I was teaching about the Book of Mormon and I started to explain it in a way I'd never thought of before. As I was describing it to them I was thinking to myself, wow, I can't believe i'd never realized that before. I can't remember exactly what came out but it was something to this extent:
"You will love the book of Mormon. Only looking at the way it begins you will know it is the word of God for you in your life, now. It starts with a family much like yours who lived in Jerusalem, they had a good life before, but God asked them to pick up everything they knew behind and take a journey off into the wilderness. They didn't know what they were going to do, only that God had asked them to do it. The spirit of God guided them along their Journey and after many years their family was much bigger, much closer, and they'd found a land promised to them by God. By being baptized you too are being asked by God to pack up and leave what you know behind. you may be unsure that you don't know the way, but God by the power of his spirit will guide you toward a life filled with his rich blessings. With lots of faith and time your family will be stronger, they will be closer and you'll inherit God's richest promised blessing - eternal life."
The family spoke English so we passed them over to the english speaking elders and they said their next lesson went really well.
God lives. He knows and loves us.
I love you!
Stay Salty!
Elder Tyler Meidell
P.S. - We ate with the "Harold"'s 3 times in the past 8 days. I love this family. They are one of the strongest families I know in the church, and of course their son and I started our missions in San Antonio together. Every time we go over I think she knows she's a week closer to seeing Elder Harold and her excitement comes out in the quantity of food she prepares. We ate with them Saturday morning and Sunday evening, and that was basically all of the calories we needed to sustain ourselves. It's such good food.
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