May 7, 2012

Hello family!

We have had an amazing week here in Ft. Myers.  Although we weren't able to meet with all of the investigators that we wanted to, things worked out they way they were supposed to.  This has been the week leading up to Janelle's baptism, and we've been praying like crazy that it would go through.  After it was pushed back from the 21st, I was worried that it might happen again.  We had a lesson with her on Tuesday, and she brought up a couple of things that she felt she had concerns about.  We were able to answer all of her questions, but really what it boiled down to, and what we ended up telling her, was that she was just nervous.  We encouraged her to go home that night and to sincerely pray to her Heavenly Father, and find out if she is supposed to get baptized.  She texted us the next morning and asked if we could all meet up for lunch somewhere.  We got together on Wednesday, and she let us know that she had gotten her answer.  That night she was reading through some gospel literature that she had, and she came across an article that said something along the lines of--Do what you know to be right even when those around you try to keep you from it.  Pretty straight forward, and that what she took it as.  We put in the preparations, and she was interviewed on Friday night, and then we got everything together for the baptism on Saturday morning.  It was a little stressful getting everything together, and her parents weren't helping the matter.  As we were printing off the programs the morning of, we found out that Janelle decided to check her facebook and found out that her Dad had decided to post on there that his daughter was about to join a church some man made up in the 1800s and it was against he and his wife's wishes.  Janelle was really upset and called him right away.  He did end up taking it down, but it hurt her feelings pretty badly.  About that time everyone was showing up over to the church, and fortunately through all the support she shook it off and moved on.  The program went really well though, and Elder Smith and I had the opportunity to stand in as witnesses.  It was such a spiritual experience to open the doors and to see her standing down in the font with Brother English.  Everyone in the room could feel their hearts touched as the Spirit felt like it was washing over us from head to toe.  She asked me to sing, so that took place right after she came back out.  It was an arrangement of "Savior, Redeemer, of My Soul", and it went pretty well.  The next day she was confirmed, and I was able to be the one that confirmed her a member of the church.  She will be an incredible member, and I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for her.  

Jobiana has also been doing really well.  Franc has been able to sit in on a couple lessons this past week and it has been fun to build a relationship with him as well.  We've been reteaching the lessons to her, and it's crazy how much she remembers.  This week she was able to tell us the entire Plan of Salvation step by step, and then she went through the Gospel of Jesus Christ and explained it all.  On Saturday, Fabiana, Jobiana's twin sister, and her husband flew in from Brazil.  Before we even started meeting together they've been planning on this trip, but now her sister will be here for her wedding and baptism.  The Lord definitely works in mysterious ways.  On Sunday we were able to go over after church and to teach parts of the Restoration.  You could tell that Jobiana was trying to contain herself from drowning her sister with her love of the gospel.  If nothing else, her waiting to get baptized has completely energized her desire to be baptized.  When we first started meeting up she talked about her family going to a Christian church, but she didn't really care which one.  Now that perception has changed though.  She was telling us this week that they don't understand.  It's not like picking out a pair of shoes.  There is one church that is right for  everyone, and it's because it truly has the fullness of the restored gospel.  Every time I leave her house I feel like I can take on the world!  It's amazing how strongly the spirit resides there, and I can't wait for her to have the gift of the Holy Ghost to be with her always.  Well the wedding is going to be on Thursday at 7pm, her interview will be Friday, and then on Saturday at noon Jobiana will be baptized.  I cannot wait.  

Well I love you all!  Have a great week, and I'll talk to you on Sunday!

Love,

Elder Kade Bartschi

May 7, 2012

7 May 2012

I feel so good about the Florida Tampa Mission and the missionaries serving here. Almost all of you are serving with your might, mind and strength. We are doing well but we can become more powerful in blessing lives of our Heavenly Father’s sons and daughters, more powerful in serving others.

We can learn a great deal from the Book of Mormon missionaries. Many years ago they taught with great power and authority. One of them was so powerful that it was “Impossible not to believe his words.” 3 Nephi 7:18. We know that they gave themselves to much fasting and prayer. We know that they used the records from which the Book of Mormon was taken. When Alma the Younger gave the record that would eventually become the Book of Mormon to his son Helaman, he taught that without these plates, “Ammon and his brethren couldn’t have convinced so many thousands…; yea, these records and their words brought them unto repentance.”

God showed His power through the plates by fulfilling one purpose, “even…the restoration of many thousands…to the knowledge of the truth.” Alma then prophesied that God would “still show forth His power in them unto FUTURE generations. Therefore they shall be preserved.” Alma 37:19  Thus the records were preserved and you and I are part of those future generations  Just as in the days of old, we can be more powerful missionaries by using the Book of Mormon.

We have studied the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. We are reading the Book of Mormon in the same time period that Joseph Smith translated the sacred plates.  We could say that it is a book that was shepherded by the very finger of our God. We can teach the doctrine and principles found in the sacred pages of the Book of Mormon. We can teach anyone from this book.  We can quote, read, or repeat by heart the book’s very words as a “convincing power of God” to convince both Jew and Gentile about Jesus Christ and the Restored Gospel.

Please in your email this week, share with me a new insight gleaned from your latest Book of Mormon reading. And please, use and read the Book of Mormon with those you teach. You and I are part of those future generations  written about in the Book of Mormon. I know that as we incorporate the use of the Book of Mormon in our teaching and in our studies, we can become more powerful missionaries here and more powerful husbands, wives, Mothers and Fathers, and church members. We will be able to bless the lives of our Heavenl y Father’s sons and daughters. I testify of the power and truthfulness of the Book of Mormon, and with the Book of Mormon, I testify of Jesus Christ. I love you and I truly do believe in you. You are the best of the rising generation. You are the hope of Israel.

President Summerhays 

April 30, 2012

Hello my family!

Well we had a great week here.  The weeks are flying by, and this one felt especially fast.  Probably because I was on exchanges for two of the days.  We have a Haitian-Creole speaking missionary companionship in our district, so I was in their area for both days.  It was a lot of fun, and always really interesting to experience a new culture.  On Spanish exchanges, I can at least have a fairly good understanding of what's being said....but with Creole I just sit there and nod the whole time.  Both of the missionaries that work there are a lot of fun though, and we had a good time.  It's difficult for them to tract there so we spent a lot of time visiting less active, and dropping in on a few potential investigators.  One of the highlights of the exchange was the English Class they teach on Friday nights.  I'd never been in a class where people are trying to learn the language I speak.  I imagine it'd be like a Hispanic person sitting in on my spanish class in high school.  It was pretty funny to be apart of, and once the Haitian people found out that I didn't speak their language, they immediately wanted to teach me some Creole.  I guess the language is similar to French, but with lots and lots of slang.  I did learn that food is "manje" and fish is "pwason"...just in case I ever need to say either of those words.  

We had a really successful week meeting with investigators though.  Jobiana is still doing extremely well.  She records shows on BYUTV, and reads talks online all of the time.  She and Helena have started the Book of Mormon together and are about half way through 1 Nephi now.  I love visiting them and seeing the progress they're making.  Franc came to church on Sunday and he and Jobiana talked with the Bishop about them getting married.  I had to leave church early so I didn't hear how it went, but we have a lesson with them tonight.  

The last musical fireside performance was last night in Sarasota.  Is was pretty well attended and the Spirit was definitely there.  Sister Draper (the senior missionary the put it together) did such a good job with all of it.  I almost felt like I was back in choir again and feeling like I really accomplished something at the end of a concert.  It was an opportunity for us to share our testimonies, but this time it was through song.  I'm sad it's over, but I'm really happy I got to be apart of it.  

Janelle is doing well.  She has gone through a lot in the last week, and her parents have made it very clear that they don't want her getting baptized.  She has decided that it's what she wants to do though, and will be going through with it this coming Saturday.  We told her that we're so sorry for the hardships, but continued to promise her blessings associated with getting baptized.  Janelle has a testimony, and she knows that the gospel is true.  Being baptized is the next step she needs to take, and she knows that.  It's hard for me to put myself in her shoes and imagine what she's feeling, but she has strong faith in her Savior and I know that she'll make it through.

I love you guys!  Have a great week.

Love,

Elder Kade Bartschi

April 30, 2012

30 April  2012

Dear Sisters and Elders,

I love being united with you as we read the Book of Mormon together looking for the Doctrine of Christ. Part of the beautiful plan of our Savior requires us to ‘endure to the end.’  I have keenly felt the responsibility to see that you are prepared to be steadfast, faithful, obedient and valiant when you return home. I know that will only happen if you set a pattern now of being steadfast, faithful obedient and valiant.  The Book of Mormon is a crucial foundation of that pattern. Consider the remarkable promises related to daily study and application of the Book of Mormon given in an address at a Mission President’s Seminar by Elder David A. Bednar:

An Elder or a Sister with a deep and developing testimony of the Book of Mormon will be a qualitatively different and more effective missionary in the field; he or she also will remain firm and steadfast upon returning home.  Please listen to this admonition from President Benson, “There is a power in the {Book of Mormon} which will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin a serious study of the book.  You will find greater power to resist temptation.  You will find the power to avoid deception.  You will find the power to stay on the strait and narrow path” (President Benson, Ensign, November 19856,7) I cannot imagine greater blessings, particularly the power to stay on the straight and narrow path.  Your elders and sisters who study seriously the Book of Mormon will strive more fervently to put off the natural man and become a saint through the Atonement of Christ the Lord (see Mosiah 3:19).  Such missionaries will come to know the Savior they represent.  And a missionary in the field who is coming unto the Savior, and assisting investigators to do likewise, will continue in the process of on going conversion after returning home.  Your elders and sisters who study seriously the Book of Mormon will find examples of great missionaries and models of Christlike attributes.  And a missionary in the field who uses appropriately the Book of Mormon in the process of developing Christlike attributes will continue to do so after returning home.  Your elders and sisters who study seriously the Book of Mormon will discover a powerful source of dependable, daily assistance  Such missionaries will learn that diligent study of the Book of Mormon sets the spiritual tone for each day of proselyting.  They also will observe repeatedly the following miracle:  The specific scriptures or topics reviewed during a morning Book of Mormon study session will be central that very day to answering an investigator’s question or to a resolving a concern. And a missionary in the field who relies upon the Book of Mormon as a powerful source of dependable, daily assistance will continue to do so after returning home.  In Alma chapter 23 (see verses 4-6) we read about Aaron and his brethren traveling among the Lamanites preaching and teaching the word of God…Now consider the importance of the following scriptural statement: “As many of the Lamanites as believed in their preaching, and were converted unto the Lord, never did fall away” (Alma 23:6, emphasis added).  Please note: these investigators who were converted unto the Lord---not to personalities of the missionaries or to particular Church programs, but were converted unto the Lord---never did fall away.. and missionaries who are converted unto he Lord---not to the exhilaration of achieving goals or to the prestige of leadership positions, but were converted unto the Lord----never fall away.  This plain truth applies equally to investigators and to missionaries who are converted unto the Lord through the Book of Mormon. ( Elder David A. Bednar, MTC, June 2008)

I love this Mission. I love YOU.  I am passionate about your future success and happiness. I know daily study and use of the Book of Mormon is a foundation of your present and future success and happiness. I believe in you!

President Summerhays

April 23, 2012

Hello my Family!

Although this week didn't turn out like we'd planned, we still got a lot of good things accomplished.  We were prepping everything for the baptism this Saturday and Janelle seemed totally on board with all of it.  We were approaching Saturday, and two days before the day she let us know that she's going to push it back a couple of weeks so that her parents would feel more comfortable with all of it.  They let her know that she felt like it had been sprung on them, and that they didn't agree with her decision at all.  When Janelle invited her mom to the baptism she burst into tears.  Although we told Janelle that it would probably be best if she just went through with it, she decided it would be best to wait.  So now we're planning on May 6th for her.  She still had a lesson with her on Saturday though, and let her know that we still supported her in this and just encouraged her to stay strong for the new date that she has decided on.  She texted us later that day and let us know that she wishes she would have just gone through with it.  Apparently she talked to her parents that night and offered to set up a dinner with a member couple in the ward so that they could answer their questions, and they immediately shut that idea down.  I feel bad, but I'm praying that she'll see that she needs to just go through with it if she knows that it's right.

Thank you for the birthday stuff!  I had an awesome day, and was well taken care of by a few different people.  The Burtons had us over for dinner on Friday with the Haitian elders because one of them had their birthday the day before mine, so we just had a little joint party.  It was a blast and Jobiana and Helena came as well.  We made our own pizzas, played some games, and they had an incredible birthday cake that she made.  I'll have to send some pictures.  On Saturday a member took us out to lunch, and then we had a dinner with the McGinnis' that night.  It was a lot of fun, and I felt pretty spoiled.  

We met some new investigators this week and more and more people are using the mormon.org website and are ordering things from them.  One is named Craig, and he's from Jamaica.  He had met with the missionaries about a year and a half ago, and decided that he wants to learn more.  We taught him the first lesson this past week and he took it really well.  He is an active member of his church, but he agreed to coming and attending a service at some point.  He has a bunch of the church dvd's that he'd gotten from the other missionaries and he seems excited to get back into learning about it.  

Yesterday we had another choir performance, and this one was up in Tampa.  Even though the ride takes a long time, it was a lot of fun to see some of the people that I know from past areas.  I got to see Sister Typner, and then some members from Palm Harbor as well.  The performance went really well though, and has actually been well worth the time we've put into it.  So many people have come up afterwards and let us know that they had felt the Spirit really strongly.  

Well I love you guys!  Have a great week, and I'll look forward to hearing from you.

Love,

Elder Kade Bartschi

23 April 2012

Dear Sisters and Elders,

After a week of interviews, I feel so renewed and energized in my love and gratitude for you.  We have begun our mission Book of Mormon read with the goal of reading it in the time period that it took Joseph Smith to translate those amazing plates. We are searching for our missionary purpose as we peruse those pages. The Book of Mormon testifies: “….turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart, and …serve Him with all diligence of mind…”. 

President Monson gave this prophetic  promise  in the April 2010 General Conference: “Brethren, fill yourminds with good thoughts and your actions will be proper.”  I testify that there is no better way to fill your minds with good thoughts than daily feasting on The Book of Mormon. I repeat: there is no better way to fill your minds with good thoughts than daily feasting on The Book of Mormon.  Please lay claim to the promise that “your actions will be proper” by daily feasting on The Book of Mormon.  Years ago, I heard President Marion G. Romney give these prophetic words, “The great overall struggle in the world today is, as it has always been, for the souls of men.  Every soul is personally engaged in that struggle, and he makes his fight with what is in his mind. In the final analysis the battleground is, for each individual, within himself.  Inevitably he gravitates toward the subjects of his thoughts.  Ages ago…this truth was taught, :As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he”…. If we would escape the lusts of the flesh and build for ourselves and our children great and noble characters, we must keep in our minds and their minds true and righteous principles for our thoughts and their thoughts to dwell upon…If we would avoid adopting the evils of the world, we must pursue a course which will daily feed our minds with and call them back to the things of the Spirit.  I know of no better way to do this than by daily reading The Book of Mormon.” I know there is a power that comes into our day each and every morning that we feast upon The Book of Mormon.  This power allows us this very day to do good, to be good, to love and lift others, to resist temptations and the fiery darts of the adversary, and stay on the straight and narrow path. This power insures that today’s actions will be proper.  And if your actions will be proper this day because of your feast in The Book of Mormon, then why not make every day’s actions proper by a similar daily feast.  I plead with you to partake this day and every day of your lives from the power of the Spirit through a feast in The Book of Mormon.

Everyone needs this power of the Spirit. “People need a reason to change their thoughts and actions. Promised blessings often provide powerful motivation to obey God.” PMG 197.  I plead with you to teach, testify, invite and promise these blessings to all you teach. Invite your investigators to make a commitment to read and pray about the Book of Mormon.”  Remember This “ help everyone you teach make commitments that will bring about repentance and strengthen their faith in the Savior.” The Book of Mormon is a blessing for the world.

I love you and I believe in you.

President Summerhays

This week we should be on page 110 by Tuesday and 155 by May 1^st  PS  The word of the day is Peruse J

April 16, 2012

Hey Family!

I don't have a whole lot to report on this week actually....probably because I don't feel like I was in my area hardly at all.  On Wednesday I went to a meeting in Sarasota that took up half of the day.  Now I can't remember if I've told you this, but the mission is doing another missionary musical fireside.  I'm singing in it, and we are having three different performances.  One was yesterday in Lakeland, and then the 22nd in Odessa, and then a final one on the 29th in Sarasota.  Anyways, because of how far away all of those places are from the southern half of the mission I got the mission van in Tampa on Thursday evening after a choir practice in Sarasota (yep I went there the next day) and drove it all the way back down to Ft. Myers.  Fortunately I had a few days to meet with people, and things are going so well.  Janelle finally told her parents that she want to join the church!  I can't even imagine the anxiety she was feeling as she mustered up the courage to talk to them.  They have taken it all fairly well.  They're not particularly excited or supportive, but they know that she's old enough that she'll make her own decisions.  Because of that, we're officially on for her baptism this Saturday.  I can't wait.  She has been learning about the church for about a year and a half, and is ready.  She really wants to have a family in the church, and knows how important that would be.  She is really good friends with the English family in the ward and that was what originally got her interested in learning more.  We go to Family Home Evening over there on Monday's and she and Joy come there.  Jobiana is also doing so well.  She has completely finished the Book of Mormon this week!  I can't believe how much she has learned so quickly.  As we talk about the things that she's read, she can recall even the little details from the stories.  Things have been a little shaky between Jobiana and Frans (her fiance), but it has all worked itself out.  They're still planning on the wedding at the beginning of May, and I can't wait.  Jobiana has also sent the missionaries to her family's place in Brazil, and she told us, "I'm not even a member, but I'm a missionary!".  She's great.  

Well I hope all is well with you all back home.  I love you and hope to hear from you soon!

Love,

Elder Kade Bartschi