Templeton, Templeton, TEMPLE.TON! 🐖 #CharlottesWeb- Week 34

What up family!

This week was a pretty awesome week!!

We had dinner at the Offields again last Monday which was super awesome as always.... they are just a super awesome family! We have been teaching their son Mason the lessons, and he got Baptized yesterday! He is way cool, his dad baptized him,  and it was actually a very spiritual program.

Well I think I my have mentioned someone named Elizabeth last week? She is a self referral. She googled "Free Christian Books" and WHAM BAM! We show up on her doorstep the next day!! Haha. Well we have taught her the 1st two lessons now and she is doing awesome. She is pretty shy and doesn't talk much, but I can tell she is really liking what we are teaching her. She was definitely going to come to church this week but said she was going to have to move to Oklahoma with her grandparents for a month until she can get on her feet. Again. So that was sad,  so we were going to see if we could get permission to give her Skype Lessons online until she gets back. BUT we LITERALLY JUST GOT A TEXT that she thinks she's not going to move anymore, so hooray!!!! So hopefully we can get over there today or tomorrow and see what's up!

We also had an appointment with our new investigator Judy. We showed up, and she had a ton of intravenous Lines in. It was a little creepy. But she let us in. We didn't feel like it was a good setting to teach the restoration in because of all the meds going through her, and there was a ton going on, so we showed a Mormon Message to her and had a prayer. Well, we got a text the next day, basically a really nice way of dropping us. It goes "blah blah blah...The Prayer was nice...See you in Paradise" so at least she doesn't think we are evil! But we will call her again in the next couple days and have a little chat.

So, besides all that. This week was super hectic, with Elizabeth moving to Oklahoma..then not, and Judy. Then Karrin forgot about our lesson with her so that didn't happen, etc. BUT!! Elder Parker and I had a ton of miles left over so we decided to go out way to the middle of nowhere (in our middle of nowhere area) to a place called Hardin...Pop. 159. There are a couple members that live there that we have never met. We decided to knock on their doors. and the Members don't live there anymore so we got them off the Ward roster. Then we went tracting in the Farm land! All the houses are like 2 miles apart. So we drove forever and just knocked on random farm houses. We got 3 new investigators!! They are pretty nice! One is like 75 yrs. Old. Has some Mormon cousins and wants to learn more! The other one is a younger guy living with a friend, knows nothing about Jesus, and wants to learn more!! SO YAY!!! We are totally pumped!!

Not much else happened. Training is going way super awesome. I absolutely love it and am so honored to be trusted to do it! Elder Parker is super cool and a great missionary!!

#Spirit: well this week was good! We had a zone action plan to find new investigators by improving our faith. We were all asked to come up with our own plans as a companionship to do it. Well, Elder Parker and I decided that since faith is 'Hope for things which are not seen,' we decided that we are going to hope that the people that we can't see behind their doors will become new investigators! We prayed for the gift of discernment and increased hope and positivity. And it definitely worked! We got some more really awesome investigators such as Bernita and Marcus. They want to learn more and seem prepared! I know that the Lord definitely provides. Everything is founded on

faith. That's how Christ healed people and how we repent, etc. Faith allows us to draw closer to God and perform his Miracles. I Know this work is true and is HIS work. Miracles happen!

I love you all so much! Thanks for everything you do!

~Elder Samuel LaVar Ward

Us and the Offields. Devon is eating the cake I baked!

We climb on piles of gravel for fun! 

Me and Wilbur.... she will probably be breakfast soon

This is Marissa and her nerd glasses. She's cool. 

My first born son in the wilderness! -Week 33

Hello family! Another great week down in the books!

We had dinner at the Offields last Monday! We finished all of the lessons with Mason and he will be getting baptized this Sunday! Woohooo!!! So maybe we can bring some investigators to it!!

The next day we met a super interesting guy named Lanney. Elder Taylor and I were knocking a few doors. He didn't answer, but then right when we were heading back to our car he comes running out after us. I had a mix of fright cause I thought he was going to kill us, but also joy due to the possibility of a solid gator!! Well when we went inside, he takes us to the basement. There was only like one chair and a radio and it was basically pitch black almost. Elder Taylor and I grabbed some chairs from upstairs where all the furniture is, and we sit down to have a discussion. He told us

his whole life story of high blood pressure, and then talked about the bible for like 3 hours, and how he is pretty much the only one going to be saved haha. Luckily I had a Snickers bar in the car waiting for me after that. It was a little rough haha.

We found out that Elder Taylor was going to be transferred and that I am training a new missionary. So Wednesday we mainly were going around saying goodbye to people. We also went to Liberty Jail with Jay and Aaliyah Fanning, which of course was amazing as always.

So, on Thursday we drove to the center place of Zion (Independence) to drop off Elder Taylor and pick up Elder Nakatsu!! Haha. He is going to go by Elder Parker though. His new tag just hasn't come in yet. So Elder Parker is fresh off the plane from the MTC! He is from #Hawaii, and is way super cool!! He is super laid back, but a very dedicated missionary! He and I had an AWESOME rest of the week! We found 3 new investigators!! 2 of which are actually pretty darn solid!!

A lady named Elizabeth self referred herself. She is a very very nice lady. Late 20's with a kid! She had been searching for something new and really wants to get back to Christ! Which is so awesome! She ordered a Book of Mormon recently, and then BAM, the missionaries show up! She has now had

the first lesson, and it was sure great! We are meeting again on Tuesday to teach the Plan of Salvation!!

Elder Parker and I went tracting on his first full day and ran into a lady named Judy!! Judy rocks!! She loved learning about the Book of Mormon, and what we told her about the Plan of Slavation. She said she WANTED to read it, and now we are going back Wednesday to teach her!

Also that day, Elder Parker, myself, and Pres. Dial went to go teach Karrin the First lesson. Which doubled as being Elder Parkers first lesson as well! And WHOA! Holy cow it was awesome! Elder Parker did fantastic! And Karrin definitely felt the spirit!  We are meeting with her again this week! And are definitely going to see how she is feeling about joining the church!

#Spirit: With all this talk about the good ol' Book of Mormon. I wanted to share what I learned this week!  My reading took me to 3rd Nephi 9-12. Which contains the crowning event of the Entire record. The appearance of Jesus Christ to the Nephite and Lamanite nations! This event is what the WHOLE record points to and prepares for. This is my most favorite part of the Book of Mormon for a few reasons: 

1. God the father speaks to those people. And 

2. Jesus Christ sets forth his gospel among those people and allows EVERYONE of them to feel the marks in His hands, feet, and sides. This is what we as missionaries testify of. That Jesus Christ went through what He did. And that these events of the Book of Mormon are REAL and actually happened! I realized that his mortal wounds are tokens of his sacrifice. Elder Holland taught that "He retained for the benefit of his disciples the wounds in His hands and feet as signs, if you will, signs, that painful things happen even to the pure and perfect (The ONLY perfect person being Christ),...that pain in this world is NOT evidence that God doesn't love you, but rather signs; if you will, that problems pass, and happiness can be ours through our Savior Jesus Christ. I KNOW that this is True, and that the Book of Mormon is true. I KNOW that everyone can know that. It has truly blessed my life.

I LOVE YOU ALL!! HAVE  A WONDERFUL WEEK!!

Love, Elder Samuel LaVar Ward

There was a REALLY big wasp! 

My SON and I!

We helped some people move!

Reilly McPherson!