Happy New Year

January 2, 2012

Happy New Year!

It sounds like you all enjoyed another week of Christmas break! I remember my break from college consisted of eat, sleep, movies, repeat. Haha I'm glad you're having fun.

Well it was a pretty good week here as well. We were scrounging for things to do on Tuesday, so we decided to go and work with missionary companionships again. Sorry I didn't send off an email last week, but we pretty much spent the week going throughout the southern half of the mission working with different companionships. It was a blast. I've spent all of my time in the northern zones, so it was fun to really see what the areas are like down there. We went from St. Pete to Bradenton to Port Charlotte to Ft. Myers. Our days started to blur together pretty fast, but it was good to get out and see what's happening in different parts of the mission. Anyway, so this week we went up to Palm Harbor for a day and worked with the missionaries there. There are two sets of missionaries in that ward now, and one of them are the zone leaders. I went with them, and Elder Moffett went with the other set. It felt really good to just be out and working with them. They were so good at talking to absolutely everyone that we came across, and it definitely encouraged me to make a conscious effort to be better at that. You never know who the Lord will place in your path that may be ready to accept the gospel.

On Saturday we were able to meet up with Michelle again. She has been up in Pensacola, FL for Christmas break, and it was the first time that we've been able to have a lesson in about a week. We were a little nervous going into it because Gene, the member of the ward, gave us a heads up that Michelle was afraid that she had regressed in her faith while she was gone. Well we met with her, and she is doing really well. She let us know that she had really started questioning things, but as she continued to read and pray she felt that her fears had started to resolve. We taught about the gospel of Jesus Christ, and she committed to place more trust in Him. Because Michelle has been working on Sundays and because she doesn't feel ready yet, we pushed her baptismal date back to January 15. We'll actually be meeting again with her today, and we'll cover more of the commandments with her.

Well I love you all so much! Have a great week and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Love,

Elder Kade Bartschi

President's Letter

Dear Sisters and Elders,

Happy New Year! Isn’t it beautiful to contemplate a whole new year? Isn’t it beautiful the way the Lord has provided us with so many opportunities to evaluate where we are and how we are doing? He gave us the Sacrament, our birthdays, transfers, weeks, months and years- in short He gave us time. I have given much thought to how I want to spend my time this New Year. I want to spend my time fulfilling my purpose, which is: ‘to invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the Restored Gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end. Preach My Gospel reminds us that we are surrounded by people who are all His children too but ‘are only kept from the truth because they know not where to find it’. D and C 123:12. We must always remember that everyone who walks the earth fought for Him in the pre mortal life. They fought with their testimonies and have earned the right to hear the gospel here. We have the awesome responsibility and opportunity to be bearers of this message.

We must spend our time wisely. We must serve His way. The opening lines or message of His ministry were, “Come, follow me” (Luke 18:22). We might think of Jesus saying, “Just do it the way I do it. Just do it the way I have asked you to do it. Just talk the way I talk. Walk the way I walk. Treat people the way I treat people. Stop and talk to everyone. Nurture them. Teach them. Cry with them. Love them. Come, follow me.” Can you envision Him as he walked the streets of the holy land and helping or talking to all who needed him? His focus was on people . And so I ask you to keep righteousness in the forefront of your mind; keep the Savior in the forefront of your mind. Then forget yourself and go to work. Dive in, roll up your sleeves with your companion and say, Let’s get up on time. Let’s have our perfect mornings! Let’s get to work. Let’s find, teach, baptize and retain. We can do this!”

President Monson has taught, “Missionary work is difficult. It taxes one’s energies, it strains one’s capacity, it demands one’s best effort…No other labor requires longer hours or greater devotion or such sacrifice and fervent prayer.” Ensign May 1995,49 Elders and Sisters, it is not just enough to be here. The scriptures teach us that He does not have to bless us when we are unworthy even if we have been set apart and blessed. We must serve Him with all of our hearts, might, minds and strengths. We must be committed to fulfilling our purpose while we are here. President Monson also said, “The missionary opportunity of a lifetime is yours. The blessings of eternity await you. Yours is the privilege to be not spectators but participants..”

The beginning of a New Year is the perfect time to commit to dig deep and go to work and to do it His way. I have every confidence in you. I know you can do this. Most of you already are. I have looked into your eyes and seen your hearts. You are wonderful, committed Sisters and Elders. You are making a difference. I love you and I believe in you. I really love you and believe in you.

President Summerhays