Daniel vs The Last Email

Date: Mon, 13 Aug 2012 10:45:49 -0700
From: eric.feller@myldsmail.net

This week was crazy!

AJ was baptized, which was definitely the highlight of the week. He asked me to baptize him. It was cool. A lot of his family came in to town and they seemed to be really touched. After we got out of the water he said to me, "thats it!?" with this really excited look of his face. I talked to him while we were changing about how simple it is, but how important it was. He agreed. He told me that before it happened he was nervous, but now he just felt so calm. Then the talk on the Holy Ghost was good, and then Bishop did the welcome to the ward, and he talked about how simple baptism was. It was perfect! I had even said a silent prayer before that Bishop would say something about it. Elder Schick confirmed him the next day. Then I said goodbye after church.

We also taught Alex again this week. We talked to him about everything, and with his parents about everything. It has been so long since he has had a strong spiritual experiance that he's kind of faded away. He still wants to be baptized, but he doesnt have that fire, so his mom keeps asking him if he's sure, and that makes him doubt more. Its a bad cycle. So we talked about what he needs to do, and what his mom needs to do. So hopefully things will be good. I'm sad we couldnt get him baaptized before I left, but it will be ok. He will do good. I know he'll be baptized eventually.

This last week had just flown by. I dont even know what to say. But since this is my last email, I'm going to conclude with my testimony. At district meeting I bore my testimony too. I totally cried in front of everyone. I really have loved my mission. Every minute! It has blessed my life so much. I have learned so much, and grown so much. Now I know why the prophets say that every young man should serve a mission. And I say the same thing. How could you not? How could you miss out on the opportunity to learn by the hand of the Lord every day for two years!? I'm going to miss it so much. I know the work that we are doing is true. I know that God needs our help in getting his children back to him. I know that God has once again reached out in love and restored his church to the earth. The restoration is the most important and valuable thing we can ever know about. I'm so greateful for how much my relationship with God and my testimony has grown. I want to end with what was shared with my almost a year ago, and has stuck with me ever since then. A quote in the Pearl of Great Price from Olver Cowdrey at the very end of Joseph Smith History: "Oliver Cowdery describes these events thus: 'These were days never to be forgotten—to sit under the sound of a voice dictated by the inspiration of heaven, awakened the utmost gratitude of this bosom! Day after day I continued..." Olver is talking about translating the Book of Mormon. But this is how I feel about my mission.

See you tomorrow!

Love,

Elder Feller

AJ's Baptism

The Last San Tan Zone

Water

My Desk

See you tomorrow!

Untitled 07/30/2012

Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2012 10:59:01 -0700
From: eric.feller@myldsmail.net

This week was kinda crazy. Lots of good and bad.

Monday I went to the departing dinner at the mission home with all the people I came out with going home. Because its just going to be 4 of us going home on the 14th, they let us come to this dinner. It was weird... I was there, and everyone else was headed home, and I just went back to my area the next day for district meeting. We ate dinner, and half way through I just started feeling nervous... Then afterwards we watched the slide show with everyone's pictures. Then we did departing testimonies. I was the very last one, and no one really cried a lot, but because I was last and it just kept building, when I got up there, I lost it. It was kind of embarrassing, but it was all good. haha. I was choking up the whole time, and when I sat down I started crying a more. It was tough. Then that night we all spent the night  at the AP's house. I went on a tour of ASU campus with Elder Gibby on our way back to their house. The next morning I got up with them, and went to the office, and they all got in the action-van to go to the airport, and I sat in the mission home with Elder Lindquist and talked with President until our ride came... It was weird. But I get to do it again in two weeks.

Tuesday I was wiped out all day. As soon as I got back to my area we went to Circle K to get some Mountain Dew so I could stay awake for District Meeting. Then we watched 17 Miracles because it was Pioneer day. It was good.  That night I taught Gibson again. He tried to drop me! (I was on splits with our WML, Matt Parisek) I wasn't having it. So we tried to get him back, and we did a pretty good job. Its all up to him now. We talked about how he was going to come to know God. He is really against it. That makes it tough. So we'll see how things go in the future with him. 

The rest of the week is so hard to remember!  Wednesday we snuck into transfer meeting even though we're not getting transferred. I was supposed to have a temple recommend interview, so they let us come. It was my last one! It was a good time though. Our zone kind of got rocked again. Two areas whitewashed... but one of them was for a good reason. Our problem DL and Elder Parrott are gone. Which is sad. But they're both doing well now. We got Elder Krueger back in his old area! He's a new senior comp! and his companion is kind of struggling. But he'll do a good job. Its weird that he's back, but whatever. Its cool. 

Thursday was ZLC again. It was actually a good meeting. We talked about a lot of good stuff. Including the "new P-day policies" they're making. There was a pretty big discussion about it, and no one really got anywhere, so they asked us to fax in the next day what our version of the pday policy would be. So Elder Schick and I photocopied the white handbook and faxed it in. I hope they get the message. Its funny, because there's always big dumb discussions (I wont say arguments) in that meeting, and people are always just trying to sound a little bit better. But Elder Schick and I just sit there and when they're talking we turn to the answer in PMG. Its not hard, people just need to do what they're supposed to.

Alex also fell off date again this week! His mom left us a message saying he wasn't ready, and wasn't committed enough. I think she's trying to avoid us a little bit because she didn't get back to us. We're still trying!

Saturday was a rough day but it ended well. It was awkward all day because everyone was busy doing their own thing and no one really wanted to talk to us. But that evening we taught a new guy. His name is Hunter, and he plays football for ASU. He visits the Penrod family every weekend because he has no other friends from Arizona. He just graduated from High School, and he's from the Bay Area somewhere. He's awesome. We watched the Joseph Smith movie, and he seemed pretty touched. They told us after we left he started reading the Book of Mormon right away. Which is awesome. He's going to football camp for the next few weeks, so I wont teach him again before I go.

Sunday we taught Lance again. He is doing so good! We're getting ready for his baptism this week. His girlfriend's mom called the Bishop kind of freaking out, and so he talked to us about making everything perfect. I guess she's just "like that" which isn't a problem. But its funny. Bishop said he even pulled the "Zone Leaders" card to get her off his back. We went over to talk to the mom to calm her fears about the baptism a little bit. It worked.  But the mom told us that Lance said, "Even if we break up, I'm still getting baptized." So that's always good to hear. He's awesome, and fits in the ward really well. Everything is good. AJ is still looking good for the 11th too. He even brought his little sister to church this week, and were meeting with her next week. 

Love,

Daniel

Elder Jackson and I 

The Temple 

San Tan Zone 

Schick and I messing around in the car

Daniel vs Week 6

Date: Mon, 16 Jul 2012 10:49:30 -0700
From: eric.feller@myldsmail.net


Today is the start of Week 6 of what would be the last transfer of my mission.

According to my D&C countdown I only have 29 Days left.

Woah.

This week was great.

We taught AJ again, and had a really powerful lesson on the Plan of Salvation. We also checked all the commandments off, so he knew what was coming. And then we extended the date of August 11th, and after a moment, he accepted. He said, "lets do it." And then looked at his phone and said, "That's when my mom will be in town." And Elder Schick and I were stoked. He's doing great. I don't know how it all happened, but he just attached himself to the church after the first time he came. He drives in from Ahwatukee for every lesson, and for church. On Sunday, he just fit right in. He makes comments and everything. In priesthood meeting, he told everyone how to use the Gospel Library App, and in Sunday school, he thanked everyone for baring their testimony a few weeks ago, and said it really helped him. We're going to double up on lessons from now on until he's baptized, because he asked to so he could be ready.

On Wednesday we taught a guy who has been excommunicated, and wants to get back into the church, who's name is Mason. I was on exchanges with and Elder who has been out 7 months. He's a stud. He gives me hope for the future. Haha. The lesson was really good. We didn't know what to expect, but we just talked about our relationship with God. He has been praying, and we committed him to keep doing that and read the scriptures. It was a really good lesson.

On Sunday, we also taught Lance again. He started the lesson by putting himself on date. We had set august 11th before. But he told us he for sure wanted to be baptized and asked if he could move his date to the 18th because something was going on on the 11th. I was so excited I didn't even care that that was after I left. I've taught a lot of girl's boyfriends, but no one as awesome as Lance. And this lesson went really good because his girlfriend didn't make it again. Not that she's bad at all, she's great. But he's a lot more open without her. He fasted on fast Sunday to feel the spirit, and told us that he really did. He said, "I felt something I've never felt before." Later on at church he asked me if I was leaving in August. I told him I was, and then he said he might move the date up to the 4th so I could be there. That would be awesome! I'm hopeful, but its all up to him.

The ward has asked us to start meeting with these two semi-less-active teenage girls. We had a really good lesson with them on Sunday night. They know the church, but just never stuck to it. The lesson went good. We talked about our relation ship with God, the atonement, and the Restoration, and why it all mattered. It was a powerful lesson.

love,

Elder Feller

Daniel vs Time

Date: Mon, 2 Jul 2012 10:55:06 -0700
From: eric.feller@myldsmail.net


This week was crazy.


My travel plans have just changed again, and so I'll be coming home on August 14th. A lot of crazy things have happened with this extension and I'll have to wait and see how everything will work out. President mentioned in my interview letting a few of us who are going home in the middle of the transfer go out and do something fun and special. I don't know what that means. We'll have to find out. But I would prefer to stay here in my little zone and work here. But what happens happens and I was asked to stay for a reason, so we'll see.


Tuesday we had to stop a district meeting and correct the district leader. I don't want to get too much into the story of everything, but our new district leader is causing a ton of problems. And we had to stop his district meeting and set him straight. He definitely got a talking to, it was not pretty. He was using the meeting as a way to correct his companion for something that was not even wrong. And we had been feeling like there was something going on in their companionship that was not right. He's treating him like a problem child, which he isn't, even though he has a lot of time on him and is only in his  current situation because of a small mistake that someone blew out of proportion. The district leader is crazy. He is very prideful, and full of how "good he is", but he's really not that good. Yeah, he's probably never broken a mission rule, but he also has never lived up to the commandment to love his neighbor. Which is a much bigger issue than "law of Moses" mission rule obedience. There's a powerful lesson to learn here. But I'm going on exchanges with him tonight, so we'll see. 


On Tuesday we also taught a guy named Patrick. He had been taught by Elder Howard before, but had recently returned to being interested in church. He's a typical collage aged person. Very logical. But he's getting it. His faith has increased alot. One huge deal breaker last time was that he did not want to live the law of chastity... So we'll see how everything goes this time. But he's very sincere so it will go good. 


Also, Tuesday night we tie-dyed shirts with the singles ward. I now have a tie-dye dress shirt. It was an old one anyways. It had a whole in it. Like most of them do. I'm losing shirts fast! I lost another one after interviews, and got a ton of ink on another one! I'm holding on tight until the end. 


Wednesday we had a weird day preparing for interviews the next day, getting our car clean, and making a training and stuff. Our house was super clean from the P-day before, but a little lived in. We got a 65% on our cleaning inspection from the new housing coordinators. The whole zone failed. Except the Sisters (duh). Needless to say, everyone was pretty mad. She wrote "No Cleaning Done" on the form! It was ridiculous.


Thursday was interviews. Elder Schick made Pancakes for lunch for everyone. And we trained the zone on planning and stuff.


Sunday we taught Lance again before church. It went really well. We had a lesson on faith, and Alma 32, and how to build our faith. He struggles with a basic belief so we felt this would be a good topic to discuss. Then at church there was another guy we met who was not a member but agreed to meet with us. That's 1 new investigator a week from the singles ward! We have high hopes for that ward.  

Love,
Elder Feller

Untitled

Date: Mon, 4 Jun 2012 11:13:58 -0700
From: eric.feller@myldsmail.net

I talk a lot about how things are going on here but I dont often talk about how I feel. As some people know, the plan right now is to extend my mission until september. I dont really know why, but I feel like that is what I need to do. Its really inconvient with school and a break and everything, but I have faith that it will all work out ok. I really do love my mission, but I have been out a really long time, and some days when its really hot and we have nothing to do, I just really want to go home... Its hard, but I just really feel like I need to do it. Things are tough right now, I'm not going to lie. I'm in the most notorious zone right now, and even though we have a few good things going on, theres not a whole lot of work in this area. We're working on it, as always. We're trying to make work. But at the same time we're trying to help the whole zone. Its time consuming to do both. But the zone is doing awesome as a whole. Two of our stake are making massive changes and improvements. Last week we had a record number of teaching opportunites. And not that the numbers matter all that much, but it paints a picture of whats going on. Busy missionaries are happy missionaries, and happy missionaires get even more good work done. I really believe you have to be happy to be a succesful missionary. To have faith you have to be positive, and happy, and put out that engery. Thats why I always try to be friends and make people happy.

I've shared with a few people my thoughts and frustrations with a lot of things that are happening within the mission right now. I dont want to go into that, its really not important. But if the other leaders were actually leading in a Christ-like way, and following what it actually says in D&C 121 things would be a lot better. And I'm trying to do all I can to solve problems and help the misisonaires. I love them. All of them. From my best friends to the goobers. I love the people here in Arizona, and I'm so greatfull for all the things I've learned from them. From the greatest church leaders, to the people I've taught. I love being a representative of Jesus Christ.

(That being said, I am pretty trunky. Haha. I still do work of course, so its not a bad thing. and as always, I joke a lot. I miss music the most. Not anything else, besides relaxing... I do miss relaxing. I havent "chilled" in soooo loing. And tts fun to sing old songs to my companion and try to make him trunky too. Life is good.)

Enough of that, lets get to the good stuff.

I dont really know how to describe the last few weeks. We've been teaching the Boccella family a lot. They are doing awesome, and thier baptism is scheduled for this saturday, June 9th. They are so awesome. We had a lesson last monday where we shared our conversion stories, and talked about the restoration. And then last saturday we went to their house and talked with them about the baptismial interview questions. Funny story: So, we text them a scripture to read everyday as a family, and we forgot one day so the next day my companion wrote: "sorry we forgot yesterday, we need to repent" and sent them two scriptures. Well, on saturday Al asked us what we were talking about. He thought we meant we were busy repenting, and he was like "oh man, they did something bad!" He thought we were in trouble, and was going to call us to see if we needed help. But he didn't. It was really funny.

The only other big thing that has been going on is Aubrey. We missed him last week, but this week we went by and he was working on his shed. We offered to help and he said no a few times, but we kept on him, untill he let us mow the lawn. So Elder Jackson went to mow the lawn and I just went and helped him fix his shed. We switched later and I mowed untill it was out of gas. Then the power saw they were using quit on us and he said, "well, why dont you come inside, and I'll give you some dinner and then you can preach to me." So we ate a second dinner, and then had a really good lesson with him. I think I've talked about before, how Aubrey will throw the missionaries off by saying he needs to be baptized, but he really doesnt understand some basic things, like prayer and his relationship with God. And he cant progress untill he gets that. So we had a really good lesson about that, and he finnally got it! So he commited to do that, and hopefully he will progress soon.

We also have still be teaching Danielle. She is doing so awesome! We had a confusing lesson on sunday in gospel principles, because we ran out of time, talking about the Priesthood, and we went over it again in our lesson that night. At the end she said, "Oh my gosh! This is amazing! No other church has this!"  It was really cool.

So things are good. I know I complain a lot, but dont listen to me.

Love,
Elder Feller