Meet The Mormons

We had a very interesting, but good week. We recieved a text from the Assistants to the President on Wednesday about us traveling to Iowa City,  its about 30 minutes from here in Cedar Rapids. We went to Iowa City to watch the Movie "Meet the Mormons". It was an awesome privilege to watch. President Jensen wanted us to view it before the public views it on October 10th. I highly recommend viewing this movie. 

Transfers are coming up this next week on October 16th. My companion Elder Olsen will be leaving more than likly and I will be staying in Cedar Rapids. We had a really cool experience this week. We found a very nice Neighbor hood in our Area. We spent a lot of time knocking. We have several new investigators. We knocked into 2 less active Members. That is just unheard off. Since I have been here in Cedar Rapids we have knocked into 4 less active families that there records aren't in our ward.We were walking through a neighborhood knocking doors and we noticed a Utah license plate, so we ran to the other side off the road and knocked on the door. It was a young married couple who just graduated from Utah State. They moved in a month ago, but had not made it to church. He is a return missionary, and we could tell they were embarrassed they hadn't been to church. What a surprise that we found them. They were shocked when we knocked on there door haha! 

The best part about the week was finding a man from Lebanon. He moved to the United States 2 years ago because of all the political uprising in Lebanon and the war. We meet him at 6:15, 45 minutes before the Priesthood session of Conference. We taught him the Restoration and invited him to the Priesthood session. He said " I would love to come, lets leave now." He came to the church and watched the Priesthood Session. During the last 3 talks he had tears in his eyes. It was one of the highlights of my mission so far. He is
very excited to be Baptized. I cant wait to keep you all updated on him. I enjoyed conference very much! I hope everyone is doing well! Have a good week! 

-Love Elder Lords

LINK About "Meet the Mormons" 

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865611988/Elder-Holland-David-Archuleta-promote-Meet-the-Mormons-through-video-free-download.html?pg=all

Iowans Love their football

Well its been a crazy, but good week. This week we worked the hardest we have. We skipped several meals, and bundled up to bike. Last week it was in the high 80 and 90's and this week it was in the 40 and 50's with rain. IT was a crazy change it felt like Idaho, haha. We taught a lot of lessons. We met two new investigators. Saturday was very slow because EVERYONE was watching the Iowa State vs. Iowa football game and everyone was listening or watching and would get mad if you knocked on there door haha!

We had the busiest week of me being out so far. We have a new Elder in our district from transfers. Well nothing too crazy has happened. We are loosing and finding new investigators each week. When I got to this area we had 3 investigators with 0 of them progressing. We have worked hard and are teaching pool is up to about 11 investigators with 2 progressing towards baptism. Well I hope everyone is doing well take care have a great week! I love you all! 

-Elder Lords

The mission life

Well my week was crazy it consisted of our most solid investigator moving. She moved to Iowa city, so the missionaries there are getting a miracle. We were very disappointed about that. The Lord blessed us for getting back to work. It was the hottest day of the summer. The car we rode to the district meeting in said 102 degrees. It was very humid too. I was on exchanges with the zone leaders and we had been knocking doors for an hour or more. So we were sweating to death haha! We knocked into a man. I knocked on his door and there was a loud deep voice that yelled "Who is it??!" I replied its the missionaries. He says again in a loud voice " WHO?". I replied again the missionaries. A man opens the door and he is huge. This man is 6 foot 11!! We set a return appointment with him. He isn't working right now because he had back surgery recently. We had an awesome lesson with him. He said that if we could answer some of the questions he has always had he will join our church. He is an awesome guy. He then took us to breakfast this morning it was great. It has been a crazy week. We also knocked into another man , He is a Born Again Christian or a Baptist. We knocked on his door and was like oh come in! We were so excited and then he instantly started to bash. It took us almost two hours to leave his house. He was the nicest rude person I know. Then on Sunday we came home from church to find out two of the missionary bikes from the house we live in had been stolen while we were at church. We felt bad because one bike was the Ward Mission leaders bike. We called him and told him what happened and told him we were sorry. We left to head to an appointment. You would never guess but we found the bike in our back neighbors tree hahah! We aren't sure if they stole it or what we just took it back and returned it haha! The Navoo temple was beautiful! We also got to meet the last mission president that was here before my current mission president. His name is President Jergensen from St. Anthony.  The Lord is always blessing us. We see miracles everyday! I love you all!! Take care! 

-Elder Lords

Tracting and Finding

We had a good week. We are staying busy and the members are feeding us about 3 times a week which is very nice. We meet a lot of great people. We taught a man that played college football for UNI (university of Northern Iowa). He played defensive end and is huge. One of the nicest guys I know. We taught him last week and he loved it! We also met a cool guy that is a less active member. He played Triple A baseball for the Orioles. He played in spring training along side Cal Ripkin JR. I have been able to meet a lot of cool people. There are a lot of Refuges from different countries. We met a man, he is from the Congo. He was really hard to understand. He is awesome though. We have been privileged to keep finding new people. We have been tracting, now called Finding a lot. We are teaching 4 new people this week, im excited for that. Well I just want to end saying, pray more. I pray 30 times a day I swear. The lord wants to hear us. He is such a strength.  I love you all!

Exciting News!!!

Hey everyone! Well, we had a pretty good week! It was kind of slow, but that is okay. We worked hard. We spent a lot of time this week with a recent convert who is struggling with depression. He doesn't have many friends and since he was baptized two weeks ago, he feels like Satan is trying to ruin his life. He wants to find a new job and hasn't. 

I have some cool news! We had a new convert call us on Friday and ask us to come over. We got to his house and he told us he is being sealed to his wife on September 6th. He invited us. It has to be approved by the Mission President so we called and he approved it. The family who feeds us a lot is also having their adopted son sealed to them that day also. I'm really excited to go to the temple and Nauvoo!

The members are treating us good. One family fed us twice this week. On my birthday and on Sunday. They were mad at me for not telling them it was my birthday! We found 2 new investigators this week. One lady is super busy and I'm not sure how interested she is. She was super excited, but she keeps rescheduling with us. Well, hope everyone is doing well. The weather here has been mild from what I hear. Today it's so humid that when you drive water settles on the windshield like it does on the mirror after you get out of the shower! That's the craziest! Well take care and have a great week!!
-Love Elder Lords

Teaching the Gospel.. Loving the Work

Hey everyone, 

The mission is going good. We are staying busy!  We are teaching some awesome people. There is a man named Jason who we meet with in his garage. He is starting to gain a testimoney and we have a baptismal date with him but he skipped church this week. He is very interesting... He cant get baptized because he wont stop smoking marijuana.... We have taught 4 investigators since I have been here. We meet a lady named Kasey and she has a 6 year old son. We taught here the first lesson and she asked us if she could be rebaptized into our church before we even asked her to be baptized. We are going to set a date with her on Tuesday. She was so prepared to hear the gospel. She is an awesome lady. I hope everyone is doing well. Im doing great and working hard. It hasnt been too hot here in cedar rapids. We are in a car share so we were biking and on foot last week. We get the car today though so thay will be good. It hasnt been to humid or hot yet. Well I Love you all! Have a good week! 

-Elder Lords 

Iowa Lovin'

YAY!!! Josh made it to Iowa and is loving it!! Here is his 1st letter from Iowa!

Hey everyone!!
I am doing great! I love the mission already! The time is already flying by! I had a great first day. Ill explain more. I was given permission to email so I can give you come great info. I am living in Cedar Rapids, Iowa! I already love it. My companion is Elder Nathan Olson from Rexburg, Idaho he graduated last year his family was in are stake. Im so relieved! I already get along with him great! we have already taught 3 lessons with 3 more today! They just had a baptism sunday that I missed!! well more info to come later.
 Ill be here for 6 weeks but more than likely 12 weeks.
P.S Attached is a picture of the house we live in. We live with the zone leaders. Upstairs is are room but we sleep downstairs because its cooler. The land lord is a member and lets us love there. It only costs the church 150 a month so we cant turn ac below 80 until after 9. Then it can go to 78 but with fans and its actually cool at night its about 72 by bed time. Im already so blessed!!