November 25th, 2013

Hello again everyone! It was another good week here in Tucson. The weather this week has been freezing! It rained for a few days which is abnormal and the temperature during the day was around 50 so we were all freezing! This email will probably be short because my fingers are too cold to type haha  

 

But it was a great week! We had a good experience this week being that Elder Paul V. Johnson of the seventy came and toured our mission! It was super cool! He came and we had two big half-mission conferences which he was the key speaker! It was super fun! It was really cool to hear him speak and to notice the way in which he taught. He spoke a lot in stories, parables, and analogies. It was really cool because everyone was able to learn what they needed to know in their own way. He was able to give me some good advice about making the transition home without really saying it! I love learning when the spirit is there so that those impressions can come. It was also cool to see all of the missionaries that I have become friends with again!

 

After we had the half-mission conference we had a MLC with Elder Johnson. That was even more cool because we were able to be in a pretty small group with him and just have a discussion! It was really neat! He was able to teach us some stuff there that I really wish I had understood at the beginning of my mission but it is ok because now I get to teach the rest of the zone and hopefully they can use it for the rest of their missions. It is not all bad learning all this at the end! It helps me to better understand the gospel which is the whole point! haha

 

It was a good and pretty normal week other then that! The Miller girls are doing great and are super excited for their baptism this week. We are happy to see them doing so well! We were able to have some very good experiences and lessons this week with Israel and his family and they are doing great and moving towards baptism as well. They will be awhile though. We have been very blessed with tons of people to teach! It is great to be a missionary and I love it! The Gospel is true! I hope you all have a fun Thanksgiving!

 

Love you!

 

Elder Banner

 

One more down.........one to go......

November 19th, 2013

New pictures below......:)

This week was one of the best of my entire mission! There was so much and so many miracles that happened and I am only going to be able to touch on a few of them!

The first one is a cool experience we had with our investigators Dede and Lexi. The Elders have been working with them and their family for a while now. They have been talking about baptism for a long time but they were nervous about it and didn't know what to expect. Well this Saturday we were able to arrange for them to come and see a baptism. It was a cool experience! They were sitting by us and super attentive and excited the whole time and when they saw the other girl comes up out of the water they got even more excited! Afterword’s we were talking with them and we asked them what they thought and they both said the same thing. "That girl had the biggest smile when we she came up out of the water! She looked so happy! I want that! When can we get baptized?" It was super cool! They are so gung-ho about it now it is wonderful! They will be baptized on the 30th and we are looking forward to that!

We had a cool lesson with Laurene this week! She is doing super well, she had read through 1 Nephi 13 in a week and I am excited to see where she is at this Tuesday when we meet with her! The lesson last week was cool! She feels that the Book of Mormon is true! She feels that this is where she needs to be! There are some problems in her family life that need to be worked out before she can really start progressing but she is great! She had talked with our Bishop and he told us that she already considers herself a Mormon!

One of the cool things this week is we were able to have 7 investigators come to church on Sunday!! That is so cool! Most of the time 2 or 3 is a real good week! And what a week to come! Karli Lewis gave her farewell talk and did a very good job! It was a good meeting!

One of the other really cool experiences was on Friday. The ASL Branch had their annual Thanksgiving dinner activity. Because I am in the area they asked if Elder Simpson and I could come to that I could help out and talk with more people! I got a welcome that I was not expecting at all! They were all so happy to see me again! There were lots of them that came up and hugged me and were happy to see us. We helped set up and then we started having the dinner! It was super good as it always is and we were enjoying ourselves. Then they had the Spiritual message part, well Elder Stevenson decided to spring that on me! Ha-ha So I was able to go up and share my testimony and tie Thanksgiving into the Gospel of Jesus Christ! It was actually really good! I loved being back there! I love that little branch and it is a huge tender mercy from the Lord letting me finish my mission so close to where I started and spent so much time! 

The other thing I should mention is an exchange I had this week. I was able to go work with Elder Hales who is actually a Lancer and even better, is from my same stake! It was super fun! We were able to have a really cool day and we had some really cool finding miracles that day. It was also fun just to talk to someone I knew and knew all of the same people! It was fun!

Well that will be it for this one! See all ya'll way too soon! Ha-ha

Elder Banner

November 11th 2013

Oh it was another really good week! I am loving it here in the East because it is so crazy! I have forgotten how nuts most of the people are over on this side of town! It is so much fun to just go out to talk to people because you hear the craziest stories and ideas. One thing that Elder Simpson have been doing is just talking to people when our car is stopped out the window! We have had some crazy responses! Ha-ha

We had some other cool things that have happened this week. One funny story, I have been joking for about 6 months that I have been praying for my companion to get sick so that I can get a good nap in. Well it happened this week. Elder Simpson got sick on Wednesday right after we trained our zone the whole morning so we went back and he was going to take a nap. I fully intended to get a lot done during that time but I decided I would go for a small nap. About 3 and a half hour later I woke up and felt great! ha-ha We went out and did some work but he still felt sick so we came back at 9, planned, read from the Book Of Mormon, and then went back to sleep at 10! And I still slept like a baby! Ha-ha it was wonderful!

We had a Mormon Heritage Festival that the State of Arizona put on this Saturday! That was super cool! We were able to go help run everything as missionaries but we weren't allowed to wear proselyting clothes or proselyte. Instead we wore service clothes and the yellow Mormon helping hands vests! It was way fun! Elder Simpson and I were in charge of the children's rodeo and then we supervised the clean up! It was super cool! It is always good to do something different like that and it was a good experience for a lot of people!

We had a really cool miracle this week with finding! We were going to have dinner with our Elders Quorum President and afterwards he took us to one of his home teaching appointments! It was cool because the man he home teaches is a convert of a few years and is dating a non-member named Lorean. Our EQP had asked her if she wanted to come to the lesson. She agreed and while there we shared a short message and asked her if she would be interested in taking the lessons! She agreed and we had a really good lesson with her after. Then on Sunday she went in and spoke with the bishop with her member boyfriend and after the Bishop came up with us and told us that she was basically baptized already and she already considers herself a Mormon! It was sweet! Miracles happen if you work hard!

That will be it for this one! The church is true!

Elder Banner

November 4th 2013

Hey everyone! Another week come and gone already? I can't believe it! I can't believe that I have already been here for that long!

 It was a really good week! I am going to start out with the best part of the week! We had a baptism on Saturday!!! Michael Woodcock was baptized and it was a great experience! It was cool to walk into that one! Michael is twelve and has had a super tough life! He is still a super nice and sweet kid and super sincere! It was such a fun experience! He asked me to speak on the Gift of the Holy Ghost so that was fun as well! Then Elder Simpson baptized him and it was a super cool experience! I asked him how he felt after and what he kept saying was "The Best! The Best!" It was great! That was probably the best birthday present I could have gotten! Ha-ha it was great!

 Saturday was a super good day! Elder Simpson was nice enough to take me out to Texas Roadhouse! That was fun! We had a good group of missionaries come with us and it was super good! We then were able to go and have some fun lessons with Israel and his two boys, Brother Long, Mack, and Tony. And then the Poole family had us for dinner and had brownies and cupcakes for us. Then we went to the Baptism and it was awesome! Then we went over to the Hebert's and they had steak and cake for us as well! It was a wonderful day! The people here are the best and they really are taking care of me!

Halloween was a great day! We got home at 7, which was our curfew that night; we finished up all our calls and everything and were able to get to bed around 10! It was great! Ha-ha

Things in this area are going great! I love it! Elder Simpson is a stud and I love being his companion! We get along great and teach pretty well together already! We have a lot of people we are working with and some great families to teach! This is really weird being in a family ward but this is the best one to be in! We are really enjoying it!

 That is it for this one! Love Ya!

 Elder Banner

October 29th, 2013

Hello everyone! 

So the big news for this week....I was transferred!!! Ya for the last one! It is pretty crazy but I am so excited! This will be a good area and we will have a lot of fun! With transfers is always some wonderful changes and some really sad changes! I am really sad to leave North Tucson and YSA 1st ward! I love that ward and that area and the people that are there! I am sad to leave Elder Bleyl after only one transfer, I was sure he was going to be my last companion! But he will do really well up there in North! 

I am now in the Palo Verde ward back in the East Tucson Stake! I am excited to be here! My companion is Elder Simpson who is already one of my really good friends so I am really happy about that! We are going to tear it up here and Elder Simpson is going to keep me going strong!

I had an interesting learning experience that came from this transfer that again affirmed to my mind that God knows each of us and knows what we need better then ourselves! A while ago Elder Berry told me that it was mostly up to me to decide whither to stay in YSA 1st ward or to go back to the Deaf branch for my last one. I really wanted to do whatever would be best so I made that a matter of serious and sincere prayer and fasting. I received my answer during conference and it was great! I came up with 5 or so reasons why I should stay in the YSA ward. I told all of these to President Killpack and let him know what I was thinking! Then a few weeks past and I got the call that I was heading to East Tucson on Sunday. Originally I was a little confused, I was excited but I had thought that I had received a answer to stay in the North and I thought I would. I was pondering on that while we were driving and I had a cool experience where my understanding was expounded and I realized that each of the reasons I wanted to stay in North are going to be fulfilled by coming here to East Tucson! Every single one! That is super cool and really showed me that God knows me really well! He knows what I need better then I do and He will prepare a way for it! Also there are many other things that will be improved by me being here. This is a great opportunity to finish in, about as close as I can get, to where I started but I can finish right! Before when I was in the East stake I was not a great missionary, now I am better and will be able to do some good work and be really successful here! I am excited for this change and ready to hit the ground running!

That is about all that I have time for!

Love you all!

Elder Banner

October 14th, 2013

Hello Everyone! 

We had a really late start today so this email will be shorter. The reason being is that we had a zone hike today! It was super fun! We got up really early and did that. We went to Romero pools and had a really good time up there! There was even still some water coming down from the Mountain! That was super fun! I really enjoyed going as the entire zone went! That is a first for an activity like that! I will hopefully send pictures sometime soon! 

One of the big things this week was our zone training! Once a month Elder Bleyl and I train for a few hours. This one went really well! We focused on setting baptismal dates among other things and the best part is that they applied it! We received two texts that night saying that they had lessons just like they practiced and were able to set baptismal dates!!! It was super cool as one of the area's has not had a baptismal date in a very long time! It is always good when you can see someone apply what you taught and see them succeed!

We also had a really fun YSA activity this weekend! We had a dinner and a devotional and then a "tournament of Champions" sports tournament! It was super fun! Dinner was good and I was able to interpret for the devotional! Reggie showed up and gave me the opportunity to practice! I realized that I am rusty and need to practice! It is hard finding opportunities to sign but it is great! We were then in charge of the water balloon volleyball! It was super cold (70 degrees) so it made it that much more fun! All in all the activity went really well and we had some people show up that I was super happy to have there! We are struggling to find some people to teach so any prayers and faith would be greatly appreciated!

Well that is it for now!

Love y'all!

Elder Banner