9/14/15

Hey Everyone! Went hecka hard this week! Had some amazingly spirituallessons! And I am so glad we did because today we found out somebittersweet news. I am going to be transferred on Wednesday to GreatBend, Kansas to finish up the second half of some other missionariestraining program. So crazy. After 6 months here in the Auburn HillsWard, I am leaving. It has been quite the roller coaster of an areabut has been a time of such tremendous growth!When I found out I was getting transferred here, I asked lots ofmissionaries what the Auburn Hills Ward was like. Every singleresponse was similar. It's an affluent area. It's super hard to findthere. The members don't like doing missionary work. And so on and soon. So that's the attitude I came to this area with. When I first camehere with Elder Potter we really, really struggled and were heckadiscouraged at times. But we worked hard and prayed hard. And one daywe found a man named Bill. We started working with and teaching hiswhole family. Pretty soon after that we started working with a memberlady who hadn't been to church in a while and had grandchildren livingwith her who weren't members. Then Elder Potter left. But me and mynext comp baptized the grandchildren of the lady and helped reactivateher. And me and my next comp after that baptized Bill's wife, Claudia.Now after hard hard work we have a good size teaching pool, consistingof two people (Barb and Donovan) who were member referrals and aregetting baptized this week. And Bill is getting baptized the secondweek of October, he is committed to it and he picked the date out forhimself. I did this recap of my time here as well as tell you all theexciting things that are to come in this area not to gratify my prideor brag but to make a point or two. I had an epiphany and I'verealized that missionaries probably don't get to see the fruits of atleast 70-75% of their labors. But that's OK! Because people are stillcoming into the waters of baptism! It really doesn't matter who getsto be in the baptism picture or whatever. HahaThere's no doubt in my mind I was supposed to be here. Me and thecompanions I've had while here have changed the whole Spirit of thisonce unsuccessful area. I know there is more people waiting for me,even in the middle of nowhere Great Bend. HahaI love you guys, I love my companions, I love all those I've taught, Ilove all those who have taught me, I love Kansas, I love God, I loveeverything! Well, not everything... I love lots of things. Have agreat week, and I'll email my new address next week.- Elder McGee

9/8/15

Hey Everyone! This was a good week! 

Bill isn't on date for the 12th anymore because he's still doing this E-Cig thing, that he's not even putting nicotine in anymore it's just water vapor but Prez says he would have to be off it for 2 weeks before baptism. He just needs time. There's no doubt he'll eventually be baptized. This week we had dinner with a member family who had some nonmember referrals for us over for dinner as well. It's a seventeen year old boy named Donovan and his grandma named Barbara, who he lives with. After dinner we taught lesson one. It made so much sense to them, they loved it, and they committed to work towards a baptismal date of the 19th of September. They were so prepared to receive the restored gospel, it was awesome. Donovan is friends with the boy his age in the member family and has even gone to early morning seminary a couple times with him! So cool! I'm so happy the Lord trusted us to be able to have received this referral and teach these wonderful people. We were biking around one day this week around 7:30pm or so and as we rode by the park we saw a bunch of high school kids hanging out there and I thought it'd be funny to go talk to them. So we do, and surprisingly they all like gather around us and are like asking us questions and listening to what we say. It was kinda neat. We probably handed out like 4 or 5 Book of Mormons and like 10 pamphlets. But yeah, the rest of the week was normal missionary stuff. Pretty Sweet, pretty sweet. Well, have a fabulous week you guys! Love ya!- Elder McGeezy

Hello Loved Ones!

This week was good it definitely had it's ups and definitely had its downs. The downs were that a couple of our investigators dropped us this week and a few people didn't keep appointments which we were pretty bummed out about. The ups is that a few more investigators came out of the wood works this week. We were able to put another person on date for the 19th of September. And we had a lesson in a members home with Bill and his family. So definitely some awesome things still happening in spite of the let downs. We had some interesting experiences this week. We helped an investigator of ours named Alex do some dry wall work in his house. We knocked on his door one day unannounced just to set up our next appointment and he told us he was pretty busy this week cause he took time off work to do dry wall downstairs in his basement. So not knowing anything about dry wall or what kind of work that entails I immediately volunteered our assistance and he accepted and told us to come by in the morning and help him. And as we were walking away Elder Coles says, "Do you have any idea what you just got us into?" And I responded, "Uh, no..." Haha. It wasn't too bad though, good experience. But things are good here in Kansas! I want to testify of the Holy Ghost today and his role in our conversion. We can understand a gospel principle intellectually pretty easily with study to be honest. But we won't know it in our hearts and truly believe it until we receive a witness from the Holy Spirit.  If it were not for the Holy Ghost it would be hard to see the Savior as anything other than an imaginary friend or see the scriptures as more than mythological tales. Even Peter needed to come to know that Jesus is the Christ by the Holy Ghost. Read Matthew 16.Love You Guys! Have a Fabuloso week!

Good Things Happening!!

Hello Loved Ones!This was a good week. We were able to meet and find some awesome newpeople. Some good things are definitely happening in our area. Thiscoming week we have 2 different appointments at members houses withnonmembers THEY referred us to. And we'll be teaching them adiscussion. How sick is that!?! The member work is slowly starting totake effect and it's awesome! Of course we still find through our ownefforts QUITE A BIT. Which is good, cause nothing gets members moreexcited about missionary work than seeing baptisms happen in THEIRward, because THEIR missionaries are out working hard. It causes themto trust in you!Elder Coles is doing good and is learning and progressing. I'm wayproud of him! On the 20th (which was my official year mark) We didn'thave a dinner appointment so I convinced him to take me out to TexasRoadhouse in honor of the special occasion. HahahaBill's baptism is getting postponed to the 12th of September. I knowhe will get baptized on that date. Claudia is doing super well by theway! They both come to church every week and are active and involvedand it's so great to see. I can't express with enough conviction howmuch I love my Savior and my mission. I have changed so much, but forthe better. I think the most important or at least the firstChrist-Like attribute to develop is humility. Humility is so key. Wecan't develop any other Christlike attribute or change for the betterif we aren't humble. As we become more humble we become as "clay" asthe prophet Isaiah says. In Isaiah chapter 64 verse 8 he says, "OLord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; andwe all are the work of thy hand." I want to always be clay in HeavenlyFathers hands. I want to be who the Lord wants me to be and I want toreach my fullest potential and not hold anything back, not on mymission, not in my life. Keep being awesome missionaries by firstliving the gospel and then by sharing it. Remember, Christ's Churchhas always been a missionary church! Preach da Word!Love you guys! Have a great week. :)-Elder McGeezy

Aug 17

What a wonderful week. Me and Elder Coles found a really cool newinvestigator this week named Sean. He actually lives with members whojust moved into the ward. He is way cool and solid. Finding newinvestigators through members is so solid.On Sunday, a family in the ward invited Bill and Claudia over fordinner that night. It's so great to see the members reaching out tothem! This week was a great reminder of how awesome the work can be aswe involve the members of the ward. Well I don't have a ton of timethis week, but I love you all and hope you have a great week!-Elder McGee

Aug 10

Hello Family & Friends!

This week was crazy! We talked to so many people, it was insane! It feels so good to go hard like that. And more than that, it feels so good to bring people to Jesus Christ and his church. This last Wednesday is when my greenie (Elder Coles) came in. He's a really cool guy, right outta high school.  Being a trainer has been a huge motivator for me. He's got this thing I call "Greenie Fire" which is just this awesome desire to learn and go out and work hard. I hope I was able to help him have a good first week of his mission. We gave this guy named Tim a church tour this week. I love those so much! They feel the Spirit that's in the building and right by the baptismal font is the perfect place to invite someone to come unto Christ through baptism. Bill is working towards baptism on the 29th of August. The last time me and Elder Loumeau went over to Bill's before transfers he told us that he had heard word the previous day that his mother had been diagnosed with some condition or disease that the doctors only gave her about 6 months to live. The news messed him up pretty good but he told us the first thing he thought of when he got the news was that she needs to be baptized by priesthood authority. That alone shocked both me and Elder Loumeau. But then he asked us if Claudia could be baptized for his mom after she died (P.S. We had talked about temples and baptisms for the dead in the past, so they knew the basics of the doctrine). And that was an incredible opportunity to testify of temples and baptisms for the the dead and explain more about the Spirit World. They are so amazing! Being a missionary is too legit to quit. I hope I can be a good trainer for Elder Coles. There were a couple times this week where I felt kind of inadequate or under qualified to train a new missionary. And honestly, I probably am. HahaBut I've gained a testimony over the past year that the Lord qualifies who he calls, our capacities can be stretched only through and because of the Atonement, and as we pray like it all depends on God and work like it all depends on us the Lord provides miracles. I know that "...with God, All things are Possible" Mark 10:27. I love you all so much and hope you have a great week! SHNITZEL. Love, Elda McGeezy 

Yeah Buddy!

This week was definitely an awesome week! Me and Elder Loumeau went hecka hard this week. We're still continuing to find some awesome people whom are receptive to learning more about the restored gospel. Definitely still meet a lot of bible bashers as well though. Haha BUT, mine and Elder Loumeau's dynamic duo is coming to an end on Wednesday at Transfers. We found out today some pretty crazy news. Elder Loumeau's leaving and I am going to be training a brand new missionary!!!!!!!! I'm really excited for the opportunity to be a trainer. This will be my fourth transfer here in the Auburn Hills Ward in Wichita. I really have grown to love it here! I have changed so much through the Atonement of our Savior, Jesus Christ. The companions I have had throughout my mission have also taught me so much. The mission is just an amazing time to access the Atonement and to lose yourself to find yourself. I know that new missionaries are very impressionable, and that a missionaries trainer can affect his whole mission. I'm excited to teach and pass on everything I've learned on my mission as well as learn from him as well. I'll let you know how it is next week. Hope you guys have a great week! :) love ya! - Elder McGee