Relief Society Book Club
The Untold Stories of 33 Men Buried in a Chilean Mine, and the Miracle That Set Them
24th The Young Men had a checkers tournament
Missionary Memories
From Elder Draper
Hi all,
I hope you all had a great new year. I really learned a lot in the
last week about what I can achieve.
We did a New Years run (5km). Our zone leaders planned this activity
at the request of the mission president. We had a short meeting about
being consecrated missionaries. I learned a lot from this meeting and
I am still studying more and more about this topic. We had a paper
where we wrote down some of the things that we struggled with. We
taped the paper that we had to a rock. We then ran through the middle
of Hamburg with our rocks. As we were running, they asked us about how
hard it was to carry around sins. About how heavy our rocks are. When
we were about half way, we threw our rocks into a big lake. As we did
this, we noticed how dirty it was on the banks because of the
fireworks. We decided to clean up a part of it. A lot of people were
pretty happy about this. We then ran back without our rocks and it was
easier. We were pretty much dead at the end of the day.
New Years was pretty crazy. There were fireworks everywhere. People
were throwing m80's and fire crackers at each other. It was probably
good that we were told to be home at 6. Basically all types of
fireworks are allowed here.
We also have some snow.
This week, I have really been learning a lot about the Book of Mormon.
I have seen how my life has changed by studying, reading, and praying.
I am very grateful that we have something such as this today. I have
seen my faith grow in ways that I could not do through my own power.
It is the proof of everything in this church. It is the keystone and
is the start of any testimony of the restored church. I know that I
have asked God many times if this Book was true. He has confirmed to
me that it is the truth. I have felt it. I am glad to be here.
Alles Liebe,
Elder Draper
From Elder Jorgensen:
Hey guys!
Great to hear from y'all. Hope the new year has been awesome so far, mine has. So, imagine that, a couple days after Christmas we got dumped on! For a day or so Iron Mountain was pretty buried (although probably not as bad as Utah to be honest), and ever since we've been tracting in the snow. Time to lace up them snow boots. It's been an awesome week though, I've seen so many blessings.
Let's see New Years was pretty boring to be honest, we spent the evening with members and only stayed up a tiny bit later than 10:30... shh don't tell. Haha but we've seen a lot of success over these past few days, in contacting some former investigators and potentials. One family in particular, the Zemars, have been out of contact with missionaries for years but are super excited to have us over, talk, and feed us (hooray!). Most of our investigators are doing well, but over the holiday season have been "too busy" too meet with us haha. Ah well, things should pick up soon.
Let's see, I've sent pictures of our district, the snow, and my first ever time walking across a frozen lake. I don't know if I've mentioned it but there are lakes everywhere here. Like in the middle of towns there's just giant lakes. And you can't drive more than 3 miles out in the country without seeing one, it's awesome.
Anyways hope you're all well, Elder Harmon and I are doing great even if we're a little lonely all the way up here in this isolated town haha. I've really grown to love the people I've met here (cliché much?) and I'm super grateful for the Christmas season. Love you all! Have a great week.
Elder Jorgensen
414 East D St
Iron Mountain, MI 49801
Hi guys!
Well part of me really wanted to get transferred this week but I'm staying til February! Haha I really do like it here, but by next transfer I'll definitely be ready for a change. Had an awesome week, although we didn't get much work done sadly.
Drove down to Green Bay Monday-Tuesday for Zone Training Meeting, which is always fun. Then on Thursday we found out 6 week training for Elder Harmon had been moved to Milwaukee... the first time I've been in a big city since home. I MISS IT! There were so many people haha. Well we got to see some stuff and President Cutler gave a great training. Really great to have some time to spend with other missionaries, especially ones I haven't seen in a while.
So we lost out on 4 days of working this week, but we still got quite a bit done. We're excited to be working with some recently re-contacted former investigators. I feel like we'll definitely see the fruits of our labors in this area soon. This week we officially saw one of the members we are working with be "reactivated." He's doing really well and has a big desire to share the gospel and his experience.
Love you all and talk to you next week!
Elder Jorgensen
414 East D St
Iron Mountain, MI 49801
Hey ya'll.
Solid week! It finally got legit cold here (I know I say that most weeks, it just keeps getting colder). Apparently with wind chill it was like 24 below all day Sunday. Needless to say we didn't do much tracting.
We've had sweet progress this week! We had an awesome lesson with our current prime investigator, Emily - she asks great questions, understands the importance of what we teach, and knows how she'll get her answer. Which is a lot to ask in this area! Our biggest struggle with most investigators is teaching that there can only be one completely true church haha. The understanding is just not all there most of the time.
Anyways we also had a good experience with a guy who we met a couple weeks ago, John. We had tried to set up several meetings but something always came up at the house. He said he felt like he was trying to be stopped from meeting with us. (Totally true. Satan sucks lol). But unlike most people we meet who would've just stopped trying, he came up with the idea that we could meet at the church, where there's less distractions. Lessons there often go really well because of the spirit that's in the building. He's super open and we're beyond excited to teach him.
Great things will be coming in the Iron Mountain area. It's completely different than it was 4 1/2 months ago when I got here. Really am loving what we're doing out here and I know it's the Lord's work. It's all worth it when you find those one or two prepared souls in the mass of people. Love you all and I'll talk to you next week!
~Elder Jorgensen
414 East D St.
Iron Mountain, MI 49801
Wow this one snuck up on me! How are you all doing? Because up here in Wisconsin/Michigan life is great. This week we had a worldwide missionary broadcast from the quorum of the twelve, I would invite you all to watch it because it was super good but apparently it's being released to missionaries only! We get special benefits I guess.
Then on Thursday this week we got stranded at the home of a less-active for 4 hours. We were visiting them with the branch president, but we got a call saying that the Lewis family got in a car crash. President Rice had to go pick them up and since he didn't have enough room for all of us we had to stay at the Beseler's home, and wait for someone to make the hour and a half drive from Iron Mountain to pick us up. It's alright though because she made chili. 
Not a lot happened this week. We're working with several new investigators and we had some other ones cancel appointments but we're staying busy. I'm so glad to be here in this area, I've learned something from every person I've met here and I love them all! The blessings that come from this church and from missionary service are real. I see it in the eyes of each of these wonderful people who are living the gospel of Jesus Christ. And all I want to do is help those who aren't!
Let's see, so every year in Iron Mountain they stick a car out on the middle of the frozen lake in town, and people enter a drawing to guess when (day, hour, minute) it will fall through the ice in the spring. Person who guesses closest wins $2,000. That's one lottery I'd enter if gambling wasn't bad hahaha. Anyway I'll talk to you all next week!
~Elder Jorgensen
414 East D St.
Iron Mountain, MI 49801
From Eder Draper:
Hello everyone,
We had a very good, but pretty normal missionary week. We had a couple member appointments during the week that we used to get the opportunity to work in some of the smaller cities of our area. We did have to walk quite a bit though to the places where the bus did not come regularly enough. I was worried that we would walk for such a long time and not see anyone. I prayed that somehow, we could use our time walking wisely, and we talked to two people in the middle of nowhere in the forest, and they were super nice.We have a lot of investigators, that don't speak English or German. We have some that speak Lithuanian and some that speak Bulgarian. It is pretty interesting when we teach them. We end up using help of other elders in other missions or just simply google translate. That doesn't normally work very well. The Book of Mormon, however, does.I learned this week how important it was to be grateful. That is the key to being happy. If you consider everything that the Lord has given you, you will feel his love. I noticed that I do not do that often enough. I pray and pray for something and when I get an answer, I sometimes forget what that really meant to me. I feel like this is key to unlocking joy and further blessings. I have seen that when I was grateful, I almost didn't notice the trial I was going through. I am most thankful for the plan that God has made for my family. I want to be with them forever and ever. I cannot and will not imagine it any other way. This is a wonderful blessing to me even now.23 And now I would that ye should be humble, and be submissive and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and long-suffering; being temperate in all things; being diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times; asking for whatsoever things ye stand in need, both spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive.24 And see that ye have faith, hope, and charity, and then ye will always abound in good works.25 And may the Lord bless you, and keep your garments spotless, that ye may at last be brought to sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the holy prophets who have been ever since the world began, having your garments spotless even as their garments are spotless, in the kingdom of heaven to go no more out.(Alma 7)Alles Liebe,Elder Draper
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