May 21, 2012

Hello my family!

Well we had an incredible week here in Ft. Myers.  I can't believe the miracles that we've seen over the last few days.  We finally got everything in line for Jobiana, and on Tuesday she was baptized!  Wow, what a spiritual meeting that was.  She has been waiting so faithfully and patiently over the last couple of moths for this day.  President Pritt, our stake president here, spoke on baptism and shared some pretty neat information.  Jobiana was baptized on the 183rd anniversary of Joseph Smith.  I had the opportunity to baptize her, and it was incredible.  The Spirit was so strong as she was washed of all past mistakes, and came back up out of the water.  On Sunday she was confirmed a member of the Church by President Pritt.  The whole ward was so excited and really supportive of her.  It was the perfect last week of my mission.  I really couldn't have asked for anything more.  It's so hard for me to actually think that my time here in Florida is coming to an end.  I'd always heard about the priceless memories and lasting friendships that I would make on my mission, and suddenly I understand all of that now.  I would never replace my time here and am just so grateful the Lord has allowed me to experience all of it.  My testimony has been strengthened and I know that the church is true.  I've never been so sure.  Christ lives and I know that He is my Savior and Redeemer.  I love you all and can't wait to see you!  

Love,

Elder Kade Bartschi  

May 21, 2012

21 May 2012

Dear Sisters and Elders,

I am so grateful for the tender mercies of our Father in Heaven as he blessed me with the opportunity to have close and personal spiritual, missionary experiences with many of you this week. I was also shown spiritual insights about you as we prepared the transfer board. I pray again that you will see His hand in the transfers. It is always a miracle to me to see it unfold amidst many valid distractions.

The prayerful intent of the Transfer Board outcome is to improve the Mission’s opportunity to fulfill our divine purpose to find, teach, baptize and retain and to place each missionary in the best possible environment for their spiritual growth. At the start of each Transfer effort, I feel inadequate to accomplish the required task. At the same time I know that He will give me the required insight as He has always done in the past. The Assistants, Sister Summerhays and I  fast, pray and talk together. As  we kneel in prayer before, during and after our work, almost always I am unsettled about some of the proposed changes.  I feel such a sacred responsibility  to see that these changes meet His approval. I always find a time to spend  alone looking at each of you on the board asking in prayer if this move will bless the work and your growth. I always pray for the ability to feel His love for each missionary and to see every individual in the way He desires me to see you. Such a bright view of everyone allows my heart and mind to receive inspiration that will help bring out the best gifts that you can possess. On occasion that will require Him to give you experiences that will reveal your weaknesses that through Him can become your greatest strengths. I always pray that His purposes will be accomplished. I believe that He has orchestrated the transfer. He believes in every companionships ability to find, teach baptize and retain and that each individual missionary can experience divinely orchestrated growth and progress.  Once again, It does not mean that any companionship is perfect, but it is the Lord’s way. We can have perfect mornings. We can be diligent, productive, and happy in these companionships through humility, love and deep devotion to the daily responsibilities of our service. Remember This. We do not always live up to the privileges He provides for us because we fail to see His orchestration in our circumstance and therefore we fail to move forward with faith, hope and an optimistic spirit.

Again, I pray for your ability to see His hand and the virtue in all things including transfers. Again I pray for your ability to follow the counsel to “come what may and love it.”. And once again I am grateful that this day I saw you in the best of Light and that I sensed this day your best potential and once again today I had hope in your beautiful future.

I love you and I believe in you.

President Summerhays

May 14, 2012

Hey family!

It was so much fun getting to talk to you all yesterday.  Happy Mother's Day, Ma!  It was good to hear that everyone is doing well.  

Well we had a pretty hectic week.  Throughout the start of the week we were preparing for Jobiana's wedding, and then I ended up going on exchanged to Cape Coral on Wednesday.  I was working with Elder Sugrue and we had a good time together.  He and his companion are really good missionary, they just don't have a whole lot going on in their area right now.  We ended up tracting quite a bit, and following up with less active members in their area.  They have had some testimony building experiences though, and the work is picking up there.

We got to play the role of wedding planners, which was pretty entertaining.  I have decided that it probably isn't a fit for me as far as a future profession goes though.  We had Zone Conference on Thursday morning, and that was a lot of fun.  President is always encouraging us to be better and he shows us that it's possible to do our best each and everyday.  Part of the reason why we can do that is because of the Atonement.  He told us that we all need to be repenting, but that's not something to hang our heads over.  We should be so happy that we even have that opportunity to progress because of repentance.  I helped give a training with Elder Stegall on the steps of nightly planning.  When Elder Allen came to our mission from the Missionary Department, he taught us that we were using our planners like calendars.  We don't have them to just record what we have going on during the week, but they're to be used as a tool to help us be as effective as possible.  Immediately following the conference we ended up changing and getting things ready to go back to the church and set up.  Jobiana and France had gotten things to wear throughout the week and had ordered a bunch of Brazilian food.  It was delicious.  The Relief Society really pulled together as well, and set up a beautiful room for the reception to take place.  I played the piano, and Bishop Hoskisson performed the ceremony.  Wow, I couldn't believe how strong the Spirit felt.  I didn't think there would be too many times that could compare with a baptism, but this certainly did.  After Bishop had declared them husband and wife, Jobiana started to cry and it hit everyone in the room.  I almost couldn't believe that it had happened.  We took tons of pictures, and really enjoyed each other's company as we ate and were able to talk afterward.  Quite a few people came to the wedding, and Jobiana and Frace were so grateful for what the ward had done.  Unfortunately because of some legal complications with the marriage, she had to wait for three days for it to go through legally.  That meant that we had to push her date back again.  Now, Tuesday (tomorrow) at 6 Jobiana will be baptized, and then she will be confirmed this coming Sunday during sacrament meeting!  I'm so excited for her.

Other than that, we'll be working hard with the people in our area this week.  We've had some people out of town and others that have been sick recently, but hopefully that'll all pass this week.  

I love you all and hope you have a great week!

Love,

Elder Kade Bartschi

May 14, 2012

14 May  2012

Dear Sisters and Elders,

A beloved prophet, Ezra Taft Benson taught,

 “In all ages, prophets have looked down through the corridors of time to our day.

Billions of the deceased and those yet to be born have their eyes on us.  Make no mistake about it---you are a marked generation…

For nearly six thousand years, God has held you in reserve to make your appearance in the final days before the second coming of the Lord.  Some individuals will fall away, but the kingdom of God will remain intact to welcome the return of its Head---even Jesus Christ.

While this generation will be comparable in wickedness to the days of Noah, when the Lord cleansed the earth by flood, there is a major difference this time: (It is that) God has saved for the final inning some of His strongest….children, who will help bear off the kingdom triumphantly.”

That is who we are. He has not left us alone in this great responsibility. He has given us the Book of Mormon.  In our Zone conferences we read about how some great missionaries went about their work. They ‘gave themselves to much prayer and fasting’ and they did ‘fast and pray oft’. Many of our missionaries are experimenting on the word and are giving themselves to much prayer and fasting.  One companionship reported : “We just had a family of three show up at church today! Three potential baptisms. Fasting works!”

           

Preach My Gospel promises that great blessings are available to those who obey God’s commandment to fast. Fasting and prayer go together. When we fast and pray with faith, we are more receptive to receiving answers to our prayers and blessings from the Lord.  He promises us that He will guide us continually.  We should fast and pray for specific purposes. P. 79

You and I must strive to understand and live the principles and standards of the higher law as taught by Jesus Christ  in Mathew Chapter 5 ; 3 Nephi Chapter 12.  As we do so, we are promised that we can enjoy the companionship of the Holy Ghost and follow his direction. As we follow his direction, we can fulfill the responsibility of our generation. As David A. Bednar said, “We were fordained in the premortal existence and born into mortality to fulfill the covenant and promise God made to Abraham.  We are here upon this earth at this time to magnify the priesthood and to preach the gospel.  That is who we are, and that is why we are her--today  and always.” November Ensign 2005.

Please share with me in your weekly email your experiences with the fast and your Book of Mormon reading. Go forward with faith. The harvest truly is great. You are the hope of Israel.  I love you and I believe in you.

President Summerhays

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