Email June 22, 2015

Hello! Email coming at you live from Roseville, CA! It's a brisk 90 degrees out there and not a cloud in the sky! Today is a nice, cool day! We had a great last few days! Last week as a whole was great, but you already heard half of it since I emailed on Wednesday last week so that saves me some time! Last Wednesday after Pday was over, we went on splits to go see an investigator and her daughter and when we were about to start the lesson the member with us, Brother Perry, invited her husband out the join us. She readily accepted, invited him, and he came out. Then Brother Perry had a beautiful monologue on why we want him to sit in on the lessons with his wife and stepdaughter. After a little bit of conversation, he opened right up and told us a lot about his past. He has been through so much. We were able to talk about how the gospel can bless him and his family. I was able to bear testimony of one of my favorite doctrines of the church, families being together forever. Come to find out that he has an adopted sister. It was an awesome lesson and he committed to coming to church, on the weekends that he doesn't have things going, and sitting in on the lessons with his wife and daughter. Please keep this whole family in your prayers, the gospel can bless them so incredibly much! We met with another person, I don't know how much I've talked about him. He's a member trying to become active again, but he has some learning disabilities so it has been tough. He asked for a blessing, so we gave him one, and had a good talk with him about some different things he wanted to know about. His progress is slow, and please keep him in your prayers! We visited another investigator for a short time also. She and her daughter are struggling with some things. Not spiritually, but physically. It has been tough on them. They say they are going through some family struggles. Please keep them in your prayers! They could really use some peace from the scriptures we left with them, so pray that they will read the scriptures we left! ! We had a great lesson on the first half of Plan of Salvation with another investigator. When we read Jeremiah 1:5 about God knowing Jeremiah before he was born and talked about the premarital life, she said that was something she had never heard or thought about, and that was really neat! We have her praying about that and about the rest of the Plan of Salvation we taught as well. She says her mind and heart are open and her member fiancé says the same, so that's good! She feels like this could be good, we just haven't been able to get much else out of her. She and her fiancé are getting married this week and heading out on a cruise right after, so we won't be able to see them for a week. Pray for her that she will pray and come to know these things are true! She's basically there, just needs to pray! Here comes the title story! We weren't in attendance, but we heard it after the YSA Ward block was over from a reliable source. Apparently there was a returning member who came into one of the classes and instead of sitting down just immediately made an announcement that he had a vision where Angel Moroni visited him and told him that he was supposed to save the corrupt government and a number of other things and he was so confused why the President of the church hasn't called him yet. So the bishop tries to kindly tell him to sit down and listen to the lesson and they can talk about that later, which brought the reaction to start cussing and threatening the bishop with a chair. The counsellors, two bigger gentlemen, got up and walked over to the member and escorted him out. Next class, the member was laying down on all of the chairs so no one else could sit on that row and created another little fuss and so the bishop and his counsellors made the decision to call the police and have them come. They handled it really well, no one was arrested or anything, they just told him to go home and cool down. They said he was welcome at the church, but he needed to go home and cool off before he could come back. So he did. And we heard all about it. Wild stuff happening! One thing I have been learning about recently is having confidence. Not necessarily confidence in ourselves, but confidence in Heavenly Father, in His guidance through the Spirit, and in His plan. Confidence in acting in faith. That has been something I have struggled with for a long time. I never know if what I'm thinking about doing is just me or if it is Heavenly Father's will. I pray to know and feel like I get nothing, which is the answer that is absolutely necessary for our growth. Having confidence is hard! Having faith is hard! But it is absolutely necessary. And as we do things that require faith and confidence, we will see the blessings of those actions flow into our lives. Heavenly Father wants us to be confident. Not in ourselves, but in our ability to trust in Him. We can do it. It just takes some time, work, and error, but soon we find the right way. And then if we can stay on that right way, we can know with a surety that our efforts are good enough. Go forward this week and act in faith with confidence! If it ends up being wrong, that's okay! Learn from it and do better next time! That's our whole purpose for being here! I love you guys, have a great week! Love, Elder Cevering AKA Dr Sev

Email June 17, 2015

Hello Family! This week was pretty awesome! Like you all remember, it was transfer week! So this is the first week with my new companion. HIs name is Elder Wilding. He's from Sugar City, Idaho, and he's super cool! We are very alike and we get along really well. It was really weird to see Elder Jones leave. We drove to the mission office five times in two days and then after the last time he was gone. Since he was the first companion I've been with who went home at the end of the companionship, it was weird to see that process happen. But it's all good, he's now in the land of eternal Pdays. Back to that mom who gave him life, haha. With all of our lessons last week, even though we couldn't really start proselyting until basically Thursday because we were figuring out the rest of transfer stuff Wednesday, we still had a good number of lessons. We had a couple lessons with a recent convert, please keep her in your prayers. She is struggling to come to church because of things that have happened between her and others at church and it has been really hard for her. We were able to have dinner and a lesson with an investigator and that was good! We set another baptismal date with her, farther out this time, July 11, and we have a plan with her to help her. Unlike before when we just invited her to do things and not constantly follow up. She's working with one of the members to read he Book of Mormon every day so it will be great! Please keep her in your prayers as well! She was really excited to announce her baptism in gospel principles class on Sunday, so that is super awesome! Things are starting to look good for her baptism already! A big shoutout goes to all of you who prayed that we would be able to meet up with one of our investigators again soon! It worked! Although our next meeting isn't until next week, we were finally able to get into her home and talk with her again. She is doing okay, just has had to be home watching her kids and can't come to church because she can't control all of her kids. It's not that she's bad at it, she's really good with her kids. Keep her in your prayers that we might be able to find a way to get her to church! We have been planning to go see a lot of former investigators and we stopped by to visit a family. The 15 or so year old daughter answered and said, "Oh hi, Elders." That took me off guard! The mom wasn't home and we don't think there is a father living there, but the daughter said that we could stop by after 6:30 to catch her home. So we were super excited! We got back that night to see them and we found a sticky note on the door saying that plans had changed, but hey at least they told us! We are going to try back again soon, please keep their family in your prayers that they will be open to listening again! One funny thing that happened last week was that I taught with a Sister Missionary! Now don't worry, it was totally appropriate haha. What happened was that our last mission leader conference (MLC) meeting happened before the transfer ended, but the zone meeting where we teach and announce everything from MLC didn't happen until after the transfers. But there was still one sister in the zone who had been to MLC last transfer since she had been to MLC, we decided together that we would give the two new missionaries half of the topic to study up on and we would present the other half together at zone meeting. So we did! It was so weird! But it was awesome! I don't know how many other missionaries get the chance to say they taught with a missionary of the opposite gender! Haha, but it was super cool. Her name is Sister Soliai and she's super awesome! She reminds me a lot of Mikayla, actually. She's Samoan, not Marshallese, but she is so much like Mikayla! She'll make a face or something and it'll make me think of Mikayla, it's super funny. But yeah, that was a really good experience! So many other amazing things happened is week too, but I don't enough time to cover it all. I never do! But things are going really well! Please continue to keep us missionaries in your prayers! We need all of the prayers we can get! Prayers really are so helpful because they are answered! You may not see it, but that's where the faith comes in. You've got more faith than you think you do! I promise you that! If you pray for someone else or even for yourself, that is an act of faith. And when we act in faith, Heavenly Father promises to bless us. I know this to be true. Go try it out for yourself! Go pray for someone this week and you will see the blessings of faith. I love you guys! Be safe and have a great week! The Lord loves you, this very day and always! Love, Elder Cevering

Look at all these ties!!!!! What's he going to do?!!!

Email June 8, 2015

Greetings from sunny California! Well it's that time of the year again! That's right, yard sale season has hit California once again! Oh, and it's summer too. Today's supposed to be 105! Woohoo! So this was a really good week! We had a lot more lessons than I was expecting to have, honestly. But it was really awesome! We were able to see one of our investigators again! He hasn't talked to his family yet, but said that he was going to this week. I hope he does but I'm not sure he will. We were able to get the shirts, and they're super awesome! I love mine. Plain white with a tropical pocket. Sweet. I love it. We taught about the Word of Wisdom and he doesn't have any concerns there so that's always good! We met with another investigator this week also. Her baptism didn't pan out for last week and it's not going to pan out for this week either. She just doesn't feel ready and so we are going to keep working with her and help her overcome any of the struggles she is concerned about. But hey, we are wanting to set a date for the end of June or early July so hopefully we can help her feel ready and gain a testimony of these things by then. We were able to have a super awesome lesson with a mom and her daughter!!! We invited them to be baptized and they said that they would! So we tried setting a date and the one we were planning on setting isn't going to work because the main fellowshipper isn't going to be in town. Dang. BUT! We are planning on aiming for the mid-July, aiming to have her baptized before girls' camp because how amazing would that be?!?! That would be so cool! Be baptized, confirmed, then head off to girls' camp. That would be spectacular. Keep them in your prayers! They really are doing so much more than you might think! The mom's heart really has been softened towards the gospel and she even said that she feels like it is right. They recognize the help it is giving her daughter and that is an incredible thing as well. It is really touching their lives and I am so excited for them. Please pray for the husband's heart to be softened that he might have a desire to learn as well! That would be so good for the entire family! Some of the less actives we have been working with have been coming to church a lot, and that has been so awesome! One in particular has been completely active since we started working with her. Blessing! She came to church yesterday and because it was fast Sunday she said to me, "I'll go up if you go up," meaning she'd bear her testimony of I bore mine. I said back to her, "That's not how a testimony works!" In a playful way. But then all three of us, her, Elder Jones, and I all got up and bore our testimonies. It was so great to hear her bear her testimony! That has been one of my favorite things about my mission is seeing peoples' testimonies and faith and knowledge grow. It is absolutely amazing! The best thing I have ever done in my life, no doubts, no questions. I love seeing lives and hearts change. So amazing. And it's all because of the Lord!!! He makes it all possible! We are nothing without Him, truly. Well, as for transfer calls I'm staying here in Roseville and Elder Jones is being transferred to the Taylorsville YSA Ward! He's going home! I say goodbye to him tomorrow morning and he hugs his mom 3 hours later! Haha it has been a privilege and an honor to serve with him. I am so grateful for all that he taught me, both with and without words. My new companion's name is Elder Wilding and I hear he's from Idaho. I'm excited to be his companion! It's his first time being a zone leader so I get to train him on being one, so that's exciting! I have high hopes for this companionship and for Roseville in its entirety! Miracles are going to happen! I love this gospel and I love seeing the blessings that come from it. I know it is true and I know that it is good. I know that it changes lives for the better, that happiness comes from doing what's right. I know that Heavenly Father is a loving god who watches over and cares for and guides all of His children to happiness. It's our part to choose that happiness! It's there for us, we just need to reach out and grab it! I challenge each of you this week to figure out a new way for you to reach out and grab that everlasting happiness. I know each of you can find it! I love you guys! Y'all are in my prayers! Have a great week! Elder Cevering

Email June 1, 2015

Hello Everyone! This week was pretty sweet! I hope you're ready because there is a lot of info! Starting off with one of our investigators! He hasn't talked to his family about his baptism so he's not officially on date for June 20th, but every time he and his girlfriend talk about it it's only a positive thing, so that's a good sign! And a cool thing about them is they are trying to start a clothing line and they were showing us pictures last night before our lesson and they were kinda cool. They're gonna make some for Elder Jones and I and give them to us for free! He and his girlfriend are so cool, haha. Right now they just have shirts because they are barely starting, but they're planning on extending to more. The shirts are a regular shirt that's either a solid black or white with a patterned pocket sewn on. It's really simple, but kinda cool. I'm excited to get mine at the next lesson haha. Lesson-wise, we taught about the 10 Commandments, the Law of Chastity, and Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy. They had some good input and we had fun learning the 10 Commandments with the funny little hand signs! But really, those hand signs are life savers. I wouldn't have been able to learn the 10 Commandments perfectly in order without them. They're stellar. He is going to talk to his family about baptism into the church the next time he sees them, so keep him in your prayers! One of our investigators came to church again and, as far as we know, had another good time! She's asking such great questions too! She's going to Sunday school with the youth her age and the teacher is just fantastic at answering her questions! Although he feels kinda bad because he's supposed to be teaching a specific curriculum to the class but wants to answer all of her questions too. But he said she's a golden one and we completely agree. Keep her in your prayers, she's super awesome and really is golden! She even attended the baptism of another family this week and had a great time there too! She feels the Spirit, but doesn't recognize it yet. She said she feels like the church can give her hope and boy did we agree and testify! Haha. Her mom had her heart soften some, thanks for the prayers! She wants to learn what we believe, but doesn't want to come to church until she knows more. But we are just excited to know that she does want to learn what we believe! And she almost came to the same baptism and to church also, but didn't end up coming to either one, it's just a matter of time, though! The only contact we have had with another investigator recently is just a brief conversation as she was heading out the door. She still does want to be baptized, but she doesn't think June 6th will work and to be honest it won't anymore. She has just been incredibly busy and stressed because her autistic child has been acting up lately and it's causing lots of problems. Please keep her in your prayers! Another couple we’re teaching just need to come to church! Haha. We had an awesome lesson with them on Saturday and they said they want to come to church really badly and basically promised they would be there. Their daughter was really sad they haven't come yet and said that she really wants to. We set up a time that we would come see them Sunday morning before church to make sure they're coming and they agreed. Next day (Sunday) rolls around and we get a text from them saying that their daughter is going to be with her dad for the morning, but that they will both make it to church in time! We ask them if they still want us to come by in the morning and they said no need to because they will be coming. Then they don't show up. We get a text halfway through the Sacrament saying the daughter was still with her dad even though they shouldn't have been that long and that they won't make any more promises to be at church but will come when they come. We are going to stop by and talk with them about it. Keep them in your prayers that they will come to church soon! They now have two Book of Mormons on their house and they're excited to read them and they'll be praying too! They said that the "Mormon Church" feels the most natural or all of the churches they have tried, and they haven't even come to church yet! Woo! Another investigator is doing well! She hasn't broken the Word of Wisdom these last two weeks and she sold she doesn't even have a desire to anymore so that's awesome! Unfortunately she's having some big medical problems at are causing a lot of pain. But it's funny because she wanted a blessing to help her stop drinking coffee so we gave her one at a dinner appointment we had with her at the Summers' home and that night her medical problem began, which caused her to not be able to drink coffee or else she would experience a great deal more pain. Blessing in disguise? I think yes! She came to church this week finally! And she should still be able to make her baptismal date on June 6th, this coming Saturday! We are just making sure some of the people she wants there can make it and it'll be set. Pray that it'll work out!!! We had a lesson with another investigator, don't know how much I have told you about her. We picked her up as a potential a few weeks ago for the YSA Ward, but this week became a new investigator! She has asked us some good questions and we have taught her about the Restoration and about the principle of repentance and baptism, how it's a complete restart with a clean slate. She really likes that idea and wants to have it in her life. She is super golden as well! At a lesson this week she said that she has felt more connected with our church than she ever has with her own, Greek Orthodox, and she has only met with us for an actual lesson two times. Holy cow. Pray for her, she is super awesome and golden as well! Well, Elder Jones goes home next week! Tuesday the 9th to be exact. So my next companion will be here then! I'm excited but also a little worried. Haha. Transfers are always exciting! Speaking of going home though, as of Friday I started what's known as the Doctrine and Covenants countdown! Which means at 138 days left, you start reading he Doctrine and Covenants backwards! It's a countdown, but it's the scriptures too! And honestly the four sections I have studied so far I have gotten a lot out of. It has been awesome! And this is for my mom: I'm on section 134, so I've got 134 days left! Hahaha I hope you guys have a great week, things are going really well out here! I know the Lord has a plan and though we might know completely understand it, I have a firm testimony that we will look back someday and know that what happened was for our own good. It's hard in the moment, I know that for sure. But I promise you that there is a reason for everything and that there is a plan in play. There is a method to all of this madness! I love you guys! Have a fantastic week! Elder Cevering