Email February 24, 2014

Greetings from Yuba City! This week. Wow. Nothing happened this week. Haha. We had five lessons set up this week. For Hillcrest, that's doing pretty well! However, as missionary works goes, all but 2 cancelled... :( dang it agency! Haha just kidding, but it can be frustrating sometimes! We had a great zone conference this week! President talked on obedience, high expectations, and hard work. It was awesome! (Title story) At one point he shared a scripture, Alma 26:28-29, "28 And now behold, we have come, and been forth amongst them; and we have been patient in our sufferings, and we have suffered every privation; yea, we have traveled from house to house, relying upon the mercies of the world--not upon the mercies of the world alone but upon the mercies of God. 29 And we have entered into their houses and taught them, and we have taught them in their streets; yea, and we have taught them upon their hills; and we have also entered into their temples and their synagogues and taught them; and we have been cast out, and mocked, and spit upon, and smote upon our cheeks; and we have been stoned, and taken and bound with strong cords, and cast into prison; and through the power and wisdom of God we have been delivered again." He drew the parallel that we, as missionaries, do what we can to spread the gospel and we go through rejection and disappointment and a bunch of other discouraging experiences. He said "Now I'm sure none of us have been stoned and I'm sure none of us have been cast into prison - If you have been in prison, we need to talk. But the worst thing I can think of that has happened, since I've been here, is a missionary being shot in the face with a pellet gun." I turned to Elder Perkins and told him, "That was in our area." To which he replied, "Shoot. I guess we really do have the hardest area in the mission!" Well, to explain, a missionary who went home just a little while ago was serving in the Hillcrest ward a while back. His name was Elder Beck. He apparently had a car pull up next to him and his companion when they were out walking around, roll down their windows, and shoot them with pellet guns! Hahaha! Crazy! I haven't had that happen to me but it was so funny to hear President Weston mention that on conference. And not only to hear it, but to know it happened in MY area! Haha it was great. Don't worry, if I get shot in the face with a pellet gun, I'll let you all know. :) Investigator Updates: Barbara Raade: We had a lesson, but she continues to tell us about the religious beliefs from around the world instead of listening to a lesson. She is a great lady and has righteous desires to stop smoking and come closer to God, but she knows about so many other beliefs that she has kind of chosen what she likes from each religion and follows that. We just need to teach pure and simple truths of the gospel. Seth Hasegawa: Had a great lesson with him on Alma 32 - faith! He is opening up a lot more and seems to be understanding better as well. He is a really funny kid, cool guy. He plays doubles tennis in high school and is a junior. He still doesn't have permission from his mom to get baptized, but he wouldn't keep taking lessons if he didn't want it anymore so we are hoping to talk to his mom soon! Augustine Haro: Had a very short and simple lesson on scripture reading, prayer, and baptism. I invited/committed him to reading he Book of Mormon every day and he said he would sleep with his bible. I told him that he should read the Book of Mormon because that is when he is really going to feel God in his life. We stopped by again later in the week and, instead of the lesson we planned to give, helped him mow and weed whack his yard - in our proselyting clothes. Needless to say, I need to shine my shoes haha! Chris Flores: Had a lesson set up, had a member there, and he couldn't meet... :( Trying again this week. Still a cool guy, but really busy with a new work thing he's doing. Jill: Had a lesson set up, had a member there, and she couldn't meet... :( again, trying again this week. Kind of a mystery haha apparently she was working so that's understandable. Elise: Had a lesson set up, had members there, and she wasn't home. :( again, again, trying again this week. She is always home when we stop by randomly, but she always says the time we set up to meet will work and she said she wants to learn more about Jesus Christ. Hopefully she truly means it. Jay: Had a lesson set up, had a member there, and he wasn't home. :( we tried back later that day and he came up the stairs a minute after we knocked on his door. We had a short talk - very little was about the gospel - but we were able to set up another time to meet. He is a cool guy, but very busy. Anyway, on with the updates. Perkins has been sick for most of this week, which is really unfortunate. It's been really annoying during studies too. He coughs all the time and clears his throat really loud after most coughs. I don't know how I haven't gotten sick yet...*knocks on wood* maybe it's because I got sick for a really short time a while ago and so I've already had it? I don't know haha. But yeah, I feel really bad because he is coughing all the time, his nose is suuuuuper stuffed or suuuuper runny, and he just feels nasty. But he still wants to work. It's good that he wants to, but he needs to rest too. And the members give us strange looks when he won't shake their hands because he is sick but he still comes to dinners and lessons. Love Elder Perkins, but this has been an interesting few days haha. Don't worry, we still get along great there isn't a problem in the companionship, I've just been annoyed, confused and frustrated these last few days he has been sick. Another update: transfer calls are next Sunday. As you all know, I really, really, really like this area. I don't want to leave, but that is lost likely what is going to happen. I really don't want to leave because 1. Elder Perkins and I are getting along great and working hard, 2. We're starting to see more success and investigators are starting to pick up and I want to see at least the beginning of their advancement in the gospel, and 3. I just love the area. If I get one more transfer I know I'll be that much more heartbroken to leave, but at least I'll feel like I helped out a little instead of being just some forgotten missionary that didn't do anything in the area. So I have a request: please pray that Elder Perkins and I will be ale to stay one more transfer together here in Hillcrest! If you would, I'd appreciate it very much. :) Last story. This happened a couple of weeks ago, but I have forgotten to tell it the last couple weeks too haha my bad. So! Elder Perkins and I had a lesson set up with Seth and we were trying to get a member to come with us. We couldn't find anyone and it was only about 30-45 minutes before the lesson when we texted a recent convert to see if she could come. She texted back saying yes and sure enough, she showed up. It was a good lesson on tithing, fast offerings, and the law of the fast. She didn't tell us, she told some sister missionaries in our zone, but apparently she had been thinking about getting a tattoo and was set on getting one. Then we texted her. She came to the lesson and the whole time she just kept feeling like she shouldn't get the tattoo because it would be hypocritical and whatnot. So she has decided against getting a tattoo and sounds happy that she decided so. Nothing against tattoos, but the prophets have counseled against them and told us not to get them. Crazy how he Spirit guides what's going on. We found her name in the phone and were just like, we need someone so let's give it a shot. Brothers and sisters, the church is true! There is a plan for us and he Holy Ghost does guide us if we are doing what we should be. Most of the time, we won't realize that the Spirit is actually guiding us, but as long as we are doing what we should be doing, we will always receive the guidance we need for ourselves and, sometimes, it will help others as well. I am not boasting of myself in this experience, I'm boasting of The Lord and His love for us - His children. I love you all, The Lord loves you all! I am doing so great. :) Love, Elder Jacob Cevering