2/17/14

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. We got something like 6 inches of snow on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. And today we have another fresh 4 inches of snow to shovel for the members and our investigators and anybody else that we see outside shoveling, we will go and help. It is a really great way of serving the people and finding new people to teach. Elder Ferney and I will walk around town with our snow shovels in hand and just start shoveling, some times without their permission. It also helps keep us warm, and it’s a great way of exercise. After we are finished with the library we will be doing exactly this. Fun!!!



Service at the Sun Prairie History  Museum
rendered a great find! A large replica bullet that
weighs a ton (well almost - I'm just really strong).

We had another great week. We had more success tracting again this week and we also had a couple of powerful lessons with a few of our less actives. On Sunday we had three less actives come to church, for all three hours. We were so thrilled and it was great to see them. I think the topic for sacrament meeting was also very inspired. The speakers talked about families and the Proclamation to the World. This hit home for one of the less actives who is in the middle of a struggling marriage and has a son who is not a member (we are working on beginning to teaching him the lessons). It was wonderful and the talks were well written and well delivered.

Chinglish exists even in Wisconsin (DVD instructions)!

A great experience I had this week on Saturday came from a prompting. Elder Ferney and I were tracting on Saturday night, we had planned on tracting from 6pm to 7pm and then heading over to a members home for a recent convert lesson and dinner with the family. Around 6:30pm I suddenly felt that we needed to stop tracting and find something else to do. Since we had already visited all the people we had wanted to for that day I thought "who else can we visit, what else are we supposed to do?" Regardless, without hesitation I told Elder Ferney that we are done tracting for the day and that we are heading to the car now, and not knocking on one more door. When we arrived at the car another prompting came to visit Jeff. Jeff is a potential investigator that has been on our potentials list for many months (before I arrived in DeForest). I have only met Jeff once and we have a recurring problem when we try and visit him, He is never home! We have tried nights, mornings, mid-day, weekends and weekdays, seemingly everything to try and talk with him and set up an appointment. So when the prompting came to go and visit Jeff, we were both confused because we assumed that he wouldn't be home. To our glorious surprise, Jeff was home and we had a great but short talk with him and we finally set up the appointment that we had been hoping for for many months. Hurray! We had a wonderful recent convert lesson that night, and a great dinner that made my belly happy.

A family made us a 16 inch pizza so we cut it in
half and had a feast!

 

Scripture for the week: Mosiah 1:6-7

 6 O my sons, I would that ye should remember that these sayings are true, and also that these records are true. And behold, also the plates of Nephi, which contain the records and the sayings of our fathers from the time they left Jerusalem until now, and they are true; and we can know of their surety because we have them before our eyes.

 7 And now, my sons, I would that ye should remember to search them diligently, that ye may profit thereby; and I would that ye should keep the commandments of God, that ye may prosper in the land according to the promises which the Lord made unto our fathers.

Thank you all for your prayers and have a wonderful week.

Love,

Elder Luymes

                                                                                      Feb 10, 2014

We had a very successful week here in DeForest. A lot was accomplished and the spirit has truly been poured out on the residents of this nice town.

The official Groundhog Day staff at the Sun Prairie
Historical Museum on service day. Maybe I can work some
mojo and make the spring come sooner.

We got three new investigators this week. In many ways this may not seem like a lot, but to put things in perspective, there have only been four new investigators found in this area in the past 6 months. With 3 more this week it puts us at 7 new investigators in 6 months. In my opinion this has been the single biggest struggle since being moved to DeForest. Reasons why this has been a struggle are not quit clear, perhaps it was us tracting the wrong streets, or not tracting enough, or us not using the right tactic. The Spirit never prompted us to do anything different or to change our plans. We do pray very sincerely for guidance, inspiration, and promptings to lead us to the right people or the right street. Either way, we have learned one lesson, diligence. Never give up! The cold is definitely an obstacle but if you bundle up right you can always knock one more door. Make sure you are always giving your all in a very real and genuine sense. Work, Work, Work!!!

A funny story while tracting: We were knocking doors and near the end of the street on a very cold day (we later learned that with the wind factor it was about -15 that day). We rang the doorbell and a woman answered. After introducing ourselves to her, talking about the restoration and testifying of a living prophet and the blessings that this will bring into her life. She told us that she wasn't interested. So we asked if she knew anybody who would be interested in a message about Jesus Christ. Her reply: (rough quote) "I don't, but if I did, I would refer them to the real Jesus, the one that died on the cross for our sins, and was resurrected; the one that healed the sick and called Apostles, etc. Not your false reincarnated Jesus named Smith, and your fake book." I showed her a picture of Jesus Christ (found on the front cover of a Restoration pamphlet) and told her that we don't believe in a reincarnated Jesus, and that we believe in the same Christ that she had just described herself. That's when she slammed the door on us. We finished the street, went back to the car to warm up. Then let out a nice long laugh. I will never understand where people come up with these ideas. Horns on our head, really? Reincarnated Jesus, really? What a good laugh that was. At least we tried to tell her the truth.

Scripture for the week: Omni 1:26

And now, my beloved brethren, I would that ye should come unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel, and partake of his salvation, and the power of his redemption. Yea, come unto him, and offer your whole souls as an offering unto him, and continue in fasting and praying, and endure to the end; and as the Lord liveth ye will be saved.

Thank you all J

Elder Luymes

Thank You Pasadena Stake Seminary Students
for my new pillow case.

Improvisational name search at the home of our
mission leader.  Can you find Silcox, Iongi, Pike,
Ferney, Packer, and Luymes?  We got creative.

                                                                             February 3, 2014

This was an eventful week for us here in Deforest. Lots of stuff happened, and we did not watch the Super Bowl. But I am excited for the Seahawk win! (sorry Brandts)

Super Bowl Party - stir fry and Church videos!

We started our week of with a very literal BANG! On Monday we got stuck in some snow and had to get pushed out, so our Sun Prairie compadres (The other Elders serving in our ward) came to the rescue and in one hit our Tongan Elder dented the trunk and cracked a panel as well as chipped the paint on part of the lid. This Tongan Elder is a Visa waiter for Brazil and played both Rugby and Football in high school. So we spent Monday, more than half our Tuesday, and parts of Wednesday getting estimates, submitting paperwork for the church, working with the body shop, and calling the mission office a boat load of times to make sure that they were happy with our pictures and paper work. All in all, the car will get fixed middle of next week, for now we are driving around with a nice dent in our trunk. BTW, the dent will cost somewhere between $1,350 and $1,575 to fix. Fortunately because it was an accident and there was no neglect on our part, the church will be paying it and not us -- sorry tithe payers. Please forgive us. L

Big OOPS!

Another awesome thing happened for us this week. We were out visiting some of our less-actives who live in the far regions of our ward boundaries. But on our way back home we stopped at a little convenience store in Rio Wisconsin (pronounced R-eye-o, not like the Brazilian Rio).  The owner of the store is a potential investigator, who in my description is: very humble, very down to earth, very in-tune with his relationship with God, and is probably a dry water Mormon despite a minor word of wisdom problem (no biggie, we can fix that). We had a wonderful conversation with him while he prepared a donation of burger patties for the local high school. As we were concluding our conversation and preparing to buy what we needed and head out, He gave us a bag and says "enjoy, on the house." Inside was a full chicken, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and gravy. It was to die for good! And we got two meals out of the whole thing, what a wonderful surprise. On a slight side note, a couple weeks ago when I first met this man in Rio, we talked about setting up a 2016 Rio Wisconsin Olympics. It was so funny to see that he was very serious and really wanted to do it, I would love to come back after my mission and help him accomplish this goal. Any takers on helping out?

Aloha! Happy Chinese New Year! (yes, I'm confused)

Scripture for the week: Jarom 1:11

Wherefore, the prophets, and the priests, and the teachers, did labor diligently, exhorting with all long-suffering the people to diligence; teaching the law of Moses, and the intent for which it was given; persuading them to look forward unto the Messiah, and believe in him to come as though he already was. And after this manner did they teach them.

Thank you all, have a wonderful week

Elder Luymes

 

Who's ready for the frigid cold again??? Not us.                       January 27

We have estimates of -40 with the wind, and 0 as the regular temp without the wind factored in. Something like that, either way, it’s pretty dang cold. Our Mission President has asked us to avoid outside activities and to plan smart. Fortunately we do have a few planned lessons this week unlike the last time when we had weather this cold.

Things are improving slowly for us here in DeForest. With an increased focus on more promising potentials we have been able to get a few lessons in. Elder Ferney and I will be together another transfer, so feel free to send those letters and packages to DeForest:

Elder Andrew Luymes

529 Seminole Way
DeForest, WI 53532

Here is a story: One of the members here in Sun Prairie has a pine wood derby collection of about 75 cars. He also races in adult pine wood derby leagues. A couple of his cars are just for looks such as a: crocodile, high heel strapped to the top, or a metal plated bat mobile type car. And a few others are made for speed. Two in particular have small fans strapped to the top with batteries that allow the car to go down a standard track in something like 2 seconds (I think that's what he told us) A standard car will go down a track in 4-5 seconds. It was pretty cool, but then he started showing us some of his military grade materials that he uses to get his cars to go that fast. He had some liquid graphite, AND military graphite that the Navy Seals use in their guns, all this just to decrease friction on the wheels. He does a lot of crazy stuff!!! Sadly, I didn't have my camera with me at the time we were at his house, so I will have to get some pictures to you later on his collection, sorry.

Scripture for the week: Alma 37: 36

Yea, and cry unto God for all thy support; yea, let all thy doings be unto the Lord, and whithersoever thou goest let it be in the Lord; yea, let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord; yea, let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever.

Thank you all J

Elder Luymes

The Bishop's sons - two future missionaries!

Basketball with the youth. Hopefully my
skills are improving -- NOT!

Hello and Happy MLK Day!!!                             January 20, 2014

This past week was a fairly traditional week: lessons, visiting potential investigators, tracting, District Meeting, exchanges with the Madison East Zone Leaders, dinner at member’s home, all that good stuff.

The Sun Prairie ward continues to impress me. We had Ward mission coloration with all of the auxiliary leaders. I was so impressed at how well the members knew the investigators that we are working with most closely, and how well the leadership came together to discuss the needs and ways of helping our investigators. Also, we have member volunteering to take us to far locations to meet with Less Actives and other important people so that the missionaries in the Ward don't have to use their own miles. It’s great! This coming Saturday, we will be having a Ward Youth sports activity. All the youth have been encouraged to invite a non-member friend or a Less Active friend. This simple and non-preachy activity is just one of many great ways that the youth are getting involved in the missionary work. We have two youth here in DeForest that we take with us to lessons, or out tracting. It’s great to get to know them, and to help them gain some vital experience as they prepare for their missions in the coming weeks or years (depending on the youth).

It appears that everyone wants to know the story behind the shoe and White dress shirt that hang on the wall in our apartment. Sorry to burst your bubble, but there isn't a story for everything that we say, do, or hang up on our walls. It’s simply part of the mission culture. Most areas have something that every missionary that serves there signs, for some areas it’s a stolen stop sign, or a table, or an Elders white shirt. As for the shoe, everybody needs motivation to work a little bit harder, to knock just one more door, or to go visit that last person for the day. A shoe with no sole is a testimony that knocking just one more door leads to success. That's the story. The two Elders who "opened up" DeForest put those there.

The Weather has cooled down a little bit, and we got more snow since last week. It hasn't put a halt to our work though. Elder Ferney and I are often out at 7:30 pm or later, walking the streets trying to visit potential investigators. It helps to get used to the cold and to have the right clothing too. But I know I can speak for all the missionaries and the residents of Wisconsin when I say: We are sick and tired of the cold, when will spring come and the sun too?

Scripture for the week: Jacob 5:72

And it came to pass that the servants did go and labor with their might; and the Lord of the vineyard labored also with them; and they did obey the commandments of the Lord of the vineyard in all things.

Thank you all :)

Elder Luymes

Let's take a selfie (w/Elder Ferney) while we
wait for lunch to warm up!

Another beautiful sunset in Wisconsin.

Yes, I do have an addiction to sunsets.

 

                                                                             January 13, 2014

We had the coldest and the warmest days of winter (so far) all in one week! I'm not really sure how to take it all in but I guess I'm mostly happy with it. We were not allowed to go tracting or be outside for any length of time on both Monday and Tuesday (-20). But Wednesday was noticeably warmer and the week just progressively got warmer. We hit low 40's at times but mostly stayed around the 30-38 mark. It was nice to wear only a white shirt and pants for a change instead of living in thermals like we had been.

Yesterday (Sunday) was my 7 month mark. Unlike my 6 month mark where we celebrated and it felt like a milestone was reached. For 7 months, I pondered on the topic of: WHERE IN THE WORLD DID THAT MONTH GO?!?! That was crazy fast and I'm a little confused because this transfer is nearly almost over with. Transfers are on the 29th of January and FYI, chances are small that I will get transferred but still a possibility. It’s been great so far being in the Sun Prairie Ward, the members here feed us some really big meals. One dinner appointment we had this past week was a full on four coarse meal, The family later showed us their all electric car that I thought was just super awesome because the mother has a PHD in chemistry and has spent most of her life working in the environmental science field (my same field of interest and all). J

Sunrise in Sun Prairie

This week I went on exchanges with the Beaver Dam Elders. I went up to Beaver Dam where I interviewed three kids for baptism. This part member family was coming out of inactivity and was beginning to take root in the gospel and come back to church. They have a wonderful success story. So I interviewed the three oldest kids: their ages are 13,11,9. It is very interesting interviewing kids, you have to ask all the questions but you also don't want to ask them in a manner that makes them feel embarrassed or uncomfortable. It was really interesting, but a good experience none-the-less. Later, on Saturday, the whole District was able to go to Beaver Dam and watch the baptism. It was great to see the father do the baptisms after only receiving the Aaronic priesthood a couple weeks before. It was a good week for us.

Something that Elder Ferney and I have been spending a lot of time doing is helping a member here prepare for his mission. He is doing a three month trial mission, which means that he won't have any MTC experience. So Elder Ferney and I meet with him several hours a week and teach him important skills and other lessons from Preach My Gospel. We teach him in the Library, then afterwards we take him out tracting, or to lessons with investigators. It has been an interesting learning experience to teach someone at this stage in their life. President Cutler and Bishop Hatch have told us that our job is very crucial and essential to his potential success as a missionary, so they want us to take this task very seriously. It has been fun, and being in a tri-companionship is a little weird when out tracting.

Scripture for the week: Jacob 2:8

And it supposeth me that they have come up hither to hear the pleasing word of God, yea, the word which healeth the wounded soul.

Thank you all

Elder Luymes

Inspiration from Coach Green,
"U a Pony" = You're not a mustang yet!



Missionary appropriate "almost" footie pajamas!
Thanks Ally (and the groundhog too).

 

 

We'll, it is ridiculously cold!                                                           January 6, 2014

The wind temp is as low as -50F, and they just announced that due to the weather the library will be shutting down in 15 minutes. Darn! A missionary’s worst nightmare. Sorry but I will have to keep this email short.

Our New Years was like any other day of missionary work. It was no holiday, no easy day, and no brake. We tracted, we had lessons, and we did normal missionary stuff. The residents in Wisconsin don't really do anything for New Years; it’s just a random day off for them. So, no fun stories to share about that. Sorry.

As for the extreme cold weather, our Mission President has informed us that we are only allowed to do indoor activities; no tracting or outdoor service. But we can go to lessons or do indoor service. It’s at times like these where you feel like you’re not really accomplishing anything. Elder Ferney and I both really want to work hard, we want to find and teach. We want to give God our all. But with the Holidays and this extreme cold, we both feel like we haven't really been able to do much this transfer. We are three weeks into the transfer and we have only been able to go tracting twice and we have taught hardly any lessons. 

Scripture for the week: Jacob 1:19

 19 And we did magnify our office unto the Lord, taking upon us the responsibility, answering the sins of the people upon our own heads if we did not teach them the word of God with all diligence; wherefore, by laboring with our might their blood might not come upon our garments; otherwise their blood would come upon our garments, and we would not be found spotless at the last day.

Thank you and much love.

Elder Luymes