Email January 13, 2014

Greetings from (slightly) sunny California! Yes, contrary to popular belief it isn't always sunny here. ;) haha but it has been pretty good weather, so don't worry about that. I mean, I don't have to deal with the cold foot or two of snow so that is kind of nice... ;) but for those of you who love the snow, I'm happy for you. :) I hope you have fun in it haha. So! As you all know, my bike was stolen last week... :( not cool. But I know that there were tons of prayers in my behalf because in 6 days (not even a full week!) a member who I will never forget got enough donations from the community to pay for a new bike, lights, fenders, etc. And the coolest thing about it is that 80% of the donations were given by nonmembers! That's awesome because it has now given me the opportunity to have an effect on those who don't quite know exactly what we as missionaries do or what we believe as a church. Brother Gale, who is the member that got the donations all together, gave me an idea to write thank you notes to all of the people and explain what I do as a missionary and bear my testimony. So I'm getting all of the names and then I'll be doing that for a while. It was absolutely amazing. I love the community of Yuba City and especially Brother Gale. He is an incredible guy. So we had a lesson with Seth this week! He is doing well and he came to the right sacrament meeting this time too. He is a complicated situation: he was found and fellowshipped for a good few weeks by the neighboring ward (feather river ward) and their sister missionaries. But then they found out he lives in Hillcrest (my ward) boundaries. So they transitioned him to us. But he is already good friends with the family in feather river ward and that poses a problem because he knows no one in Hillcrest. It's hard...but we had a good lesson and he came to our sacrament and is looking forward to being baptized in February! Woo! Baptism right before my birthday, if it happens. That would be a great present haha. So we went tracting this week, to no avail. I actually like tracting though. Oddly enough, even though we have had basically zero success tracting, I just feel that it is the ultimate face of missionary work and I love it because when I'm doing it, I am looked at as a Mormon missionary and I love that!!! Ahh. Yeah, it's great. I'd like a little more success, but I love feeling like a missionary. It's weird because even though I wear the black name tag every day, I still don't believe that I'm out here on a mission. I can't believe that it's already been 3 months! AH! Scary. Both because it feels like it has gone by so fast, but because it feels like it's going so slow so it doesn't make any sense. Days will be weeks and weeks will be days. Yeah. Already three months...crazy. We also started teaching Barbara Raade (sounded out like raw-dee) who has taken lessons before, but hasn't been baptized because she either 1 felt pushed and didn't like that so she stopped or 2 she has tried to live the word of wisdom but hasn't been able to overcome it. Both are sad, but hopefully this time will be different! For certain people it takes certain missionaries and maybe me and my companion are the ones for her! She has studied a lot of different religions and doesn't know what to believe and kind of picks and chooses what she wants to believe. That is the hardest part about teaching her. But it'll be great. Anyway, to start wrapping up I have found a few cool scriptures this week: Alma 5:49 49 And now I say unto you that this is the order after which I am called, yea, to preach unto my beloved brethren, yea, and every one that dwelleth in the land; yea, to preach unto all, both old and young, both bond and free; yea, I say unto you the aged, and also the middle aged, and the rising generation; yea, to cry unto them that they must repent and be born again. I liked this one because it states my calling exactly and I thought it was super cool. I really like this scripture and need to keep it more in mind as a missionary. The first few lines of Alma 7:15 15 Yea, I say unto you come and fear not, and lay aside every sin, which doth easily beset you... I love how The Lord says to us to come and fear not, lay aside EVERY sin which doth easily beset you. I love it. He tells us this because He loves us and has done everything He can to be able to let us trust and have confidence in Him and in His power. And we can because He has done all He can. It's on us to trust Him. And that is something I am working on a lot right now, trying to trust Him more. D&C 3:3 3 Remember, remember that it is not the work of God that is frustrated, but the work of men; Pretty self explanatory. But I love it nonetheless. This work is rolling forth into the entire world. It will not be frustrated. Any and every other work will be frustrated. All the wars, the contentions, secret combinations, conspiracies, etc. will all be frustrated. But His work will not. Incredible. I love this gospel. Embrace it and it will embrace you, and you will then be able to feel the warmth, peace, and true power of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. I love you all and, more importantly Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love you all. Love, Elder Cevering #2