7 April 2014 Amazing Conference all 5 sessions!!

  Well. Conference was Freaking amazing!!!!! We watched all 5 sessions. B. as well got to watch conference. His wife is a spiritual giant. He enjoyed listening to the different speakers. Which, also counts as an investigator at Sacrament meeting. He has never had a problem with the Church though. This is the first time he has taken the lessons. So far as we know, he is done smoking since he's working now. Yes, they were just recovering after the accident. Lots of financial things followed all her surgeries. He was not in the accident by the way. He is still set for May 3rd for baptism.

  We have a bunch of potential in the area. We have a few members that are working with people. As well as some former investigators we are going to check up on. So far as this week, most of our appointments cancelled. But, B.+ is still progressing towards baptism so I am completely content. We are also trying to look for a place to move. Ha, there was an ad in the paper for a 850/month 1br rec room professional/couple preferred. We thought that applied to us, but it is to far north to be affective in the area. Nonetheless, were not in a big hurry to move.

  Oh, the annual Gloucester daffodil festival was this weekend. We went and checked it out between sessions. It was kind of like the outdoor festival at the park between us and REI back home. Lots of little product stands. We did have the opportunity to pass out some Mormon.org cards. There were some members there from the Glen Allen ward in Richmond. It blew my mind how close I am to "home."

  That's a great quote form Joseph Smith. There were a ton of good quotes in conference, to many to count. This session was insane. The first two sessions it felt like the Church members were being reproved and commanded to repent. Which makes perfect sense, that's what prophets and apostles do ain't it? To me the theme of this conference was, "Something's about to happen...Are you sure your ready for it?" I also realized that this was my last missionary General Conference. It's crazy to think by the next one...I'll be home. This mission is going way too fast!

Hope ya'll have a great week.

Love, Elder Meyerink

31 March 2014 New address, Teaching, Apartment hunting

  Gloucester is still amazing. Our progressing investigator B., is a part-member. She got in a severe car crash last fall. Rear ended a logging truck. Its humbled the both of them. She is miraculously recovering. She has talked to him alot about the Church. We taught the Restoration last week and the Plan of Salvation yesterday. He took it really well. He is in 1 Nephi 4 as of yesterday. He says he believes the Book of Mormon is more of Gods word. He is set for Baptism on May 3rd and is going to stop smoking Cold Turkey as soon as he gets back into working. The ward is excited, as well as his wife. Prayers on their behalf would be a big help. Thanks for the support. 

  Yes, we live like a mile southeast of Gloucester Courthouse. Ha, believe it or not...we're looking for a place to move. This apartment is terrible. We're need to fix the shower, hard water buildup...bad. We got the stuff to do that today. It is quite a big area. We cover all of the peninsula and go into King and Queen county. There are Hermanas here too. (Spanish sisters) Our Zone meeting are at the Williamsburg Building. We're actually going to Newport News today to just have some fun since we have enough miles to burn, they don't roll over month to month. Yorktown is in the Newport News south zone. We'll visit history studd when we tour the mission for ya, I want to see it too. Elder grace is from Sacramento. He is Japanese, just the looks, his dad was born in Japan then moved here as a very small child. 

  Weather sounds normal there. Its warming up here. Yes, I go over my patriarchal blessing regularly. I got a scripture size one in the MTC and I made a wallet sized one in Mt. Olive. They rock. 

 the new address.

 6869 Endfield Rd. 

 Gloucester VA, 23061

 Don't worry about boxes, most should be going that way soon. I think maybe another 3 flat rate boxes. Oh, and a member in Kinston is shipping something to the house. It's my Christmas Present from them. It will be from J.or L . Dont open it. IT IS FRAGILE...VERY!! (Just letting you know) I'll let ya know later when I start real packing, but that's in a few months.

 Now, we're working. After all, Elder Grace goes home 6 weeks after I do     

." We're old, but we know what were doing too, as well as open and humble to the Lord's will. great things will happen here," Pres. Baker told us that. 

We also have interviews this Wednesday. 

This is the Newsletter for the Mission. They are sending us PDFs so ya'll can get them too. :P

Heres the ward Boundaries: https://www.lds.org/maps/?lang=eng#ll=37.44864,-76.560766&z=10&m=google.hybrid&layers=ward,stake,mission&id=meetinghouse:5427576-02-01&expand=1 

Hope yall have a wonderful week! 

Elder Meyerink

2014 March 24 Love new Town & Comp! Cool Picture

  Gloucester is amazing. By the way, it's pronounced Gloster. Elder Grace and I have clicked like crazy. Four days of being in the area and we have three new investigators. Two of which are part member families who have never been taught before. The other was a member's friend they invited to dinner on Sunday night. We shared a message we planned on about "Ask in faith" from Elder Bednar. After the lesson with her and the family, she asked us quite a few good questions and we answered them and asked her if she wanted to take the lessons. She said yes with enthusiasm. Miracles are happening. 

  We also had ward conference yesterday. Pres. Hamilton (Stake Pres.) has great vision on understanding The atonement.  Bishop Huie also has a great vision for reactivation, baptizing and most important, conversion of all. So far, this transfer/companionship/area rocks. I've applied a lot of things I learned in Kinston here, sharing how we did member work there with Elder Grace and chatting about it, we have a great plan for helping the Work here. 

  Yup, just as you described, it's mid-country. A bit less rural that Mt Olive but less city than Kinston. Its the perfect blend of city and country, at least for my taste. It reminds me of where Mike and Krystine live in WA. 

Oh, and the picture is of us doing some...service...at a members place in Kinston. :P

Love ya' ll, have a good week!

 

 

Below doin' member service in Kinston!!

Mom says yup-- that's his elbow--but really Elder welding in Shorts?!! Never in Dad's shop!!

 

17 March 2014 Picture- Transferred --I've got the Hang of it!!

 

                       Picture taken 2014 March 19 @ lunch with Chad, Liz & their Grandma.

 

 

  I am being transferred to Gloucester VA. I am actually taking the place of Elder Richardson, who served with me in with Mt. Olive. Elder Grace is my new companion. He was in the Virginia Beach Zone when I was in Sandbridge. He is a cool guy. It's gonna be great. 

  As for Zone Conference. There was so much that I can't really put it into words. Especially since I left my notes at home. We tried to teach the restoration without using words or empty phrases such as um, like, so, kind of, and well. It was hard since our generation is so used to using those words. Yeah, It is a great time for me, especially since its coming to an end. I have noticed I've been learning more when I don't email as much. It's a weird phenomenon. I've reached a point where I just want to be absorbed in what's happening here. Maybe it's just cause our p-days are so jammed that emailing seems less desirable. Sorry. I just feel like this is the first part of my life away from home long enough I've gotten the hang of it. 

  We got a hold of J. We swung by and talked to him when he was picking up his back yard. He came to stake conference when Elder Perry broadcast from UT. He emphasized missionary work.  J. enjoyed it. We had a member call us this week to tell us he had a referral for us and that he was going to have him over for a lesson this week. Should be good. Oh, and we haven't met with G. D. at all. And, we probably won't teach him. We're gonna try to stick with the stake referrals and get them up and running again. 

  Hope all goes well this week. 

Elder Meyerink

9 March 2014 Baptism from Members teaching!!

Hi All,

  This week went well. I think I told you that J. was out of town at his mom's place for the week. We couldn't get a contact of him though. But, he still gets the scripture of the day texts we send out everyday. Hopefully he is doing well and we can meet up with him this week.

 In other news, a part-member in the ward set his own baptismal date for April 12th. He has burned through at least 20 sets of missionaries through the years. Our ward mission leader and his assistant went and had a lesson with him last week. He feels he is ready to quit smoking and be baptized. Prayers would be well appreciated, his name is G. D.. 

Oh, by the way, I have never had a lesson, so that helps my testimony of member missionary work. So help those back home realize that it's not all that hard. 

  Zone Meeting was this last week, Zone conference (President is there) is this Tuesday. Zone Meeting was about The Spirit. The difference between the Light of Christ and the Personage and Gift of the Spirit. It was related how The personage of the Holy Ghost is a DJ on the radio station, the gift of the Holy Ghost is a pocket radio, and the presence of the Holy Ghost is the right channel. The Light of Christ is light Light (Which is is) Sunlight. It is in everything in one form or another chemically. Sometimes an investigator can feel the (Sunlight) of the light of Christ, but can only hear our radio channel temporarily. It was a great meeting. Ill tell ya how Zone Conference was next week. 

 Oh, dont split any of the elm tree yet!!! Thats my work-out plan for when I get home! Arthur told me it needs to be split, so I plan on doing that. 

  That quote speaks the secondary message of the Book of Mormon. Keeping Commandment brings blessings and shuns the wrath of God. I like it. 

Have a great week ya'll

Elder Meyerink

3 March 2014 Thanks for the Mail & Support!!

---

  J. is very promising. We had a lesson on Wednesday. Taught a bit of of the Word of Wisdom and showed Prophet of the Restoration. He loved it, as well as the Spirit that was present. The member we had with us testified of Joseph Smith and of the Word of Wisdom as well. We then gave him a blessing to help with said issues. That night, a few days later he told us, he went and bought a Starbucks canned coffee and it made him sick as to he could not finish the can and threw it away after it made him throw up. He's happy he's stopped drinking coffee. Now to work with his Cigarettes and tea, in which he says tea will be harder than smoking. But he says he has the faith and he does. It might just take a bit. As for his family situation, he's trying to move to his mom's house a bit southwest from here. Oh, haha, and we were checking up on a potential investigator this week, he offered us some Moonshine...so ya. I'm officially in the South. :P

  Zone Conference is next week just so you know. So I'll let you know how that goes. 

 

 I wasn't able to catch 3rd hour this week as we were helping to teach Primary with the 1st counselor of the Bishopric. Sunday School was good though.

 

 Tell everyone HI in the ward for me. And tell them thanks for the mail, especially Bro. Randall, I do enjoy his Dear Elders he sends. Tell them I am to busy to respond, but am grateful for their support. I can't wait to go Home Teaching when I get home. I was thinking about Christian the other day, Has anyone put his name on the Prayer Roll? I'll try to email him next week. Send him my bro-love. Do the other Elders from Garden Heights know about his situation? Its crazy Elder Chriss has hit his year already, that means the others are close. 

Hope everyone's week goes well

Elder Meyerink

24 feb. 2014 Great Leadership Meeting! D+C 20:37

  We had a pretty good week. We had 5 member present Lessons, a new/progressing investigator. His name is J.  T. We found him in the formers. He came to do service with us at a community breakfast in town. We then went to the Church, had a lesson based on Elder Hollands "Safety for the Soul" Talk about the Book of Mormon. We clarified some points, and he promised to come to Church. He did and loved it. He said he always feels welcome here. He would love to be baptized if his influential brother wasn't druggedlly tearing the house apart. Once he can get out of the house, quitting smoking, and drinking coffee and tea should be easier. We're going to teaching him in member homes to help with his progression. He is also a landscaper/fix er up er, so he and I clicked right fast. And yes, I still keep in contact with the Pococks.

  Leadership meeting was great! President prayed about who to take due to how many people were going on exchanges (Assistants and Zone Leaders) and they needed one more set of Elders, so we were invited. They talked about the expectations of exchanges with leaders, Teaching about revelation through Church attendance, and Baptismal interviews. Touching on D+C 20:37 Alot. About real conversion and using the Spirit in an interview to learn the testimonies of these potential members. The Meeting was held in New Bern, 40 minutes SE. on Tue and Wed. We drove with our car. There's a spot thats 70 MPH. It felt weird going over 60... The People that were there were: President and Sister Baker, the Assistants, both Kinston sets of Zone Leaders, all the District Leaders and Elder Aitken and I. The biggest thing I learned that applies to Mission Life is centering teaching and conversion on D+C 20:37 and the requirements therein. Having done Baptismal interviews before, I know what to look for in helping people understand about their path to exaltation. 

Oh, to explain the suitcases/future boxes. I have amazingly acquired a few Very Worth-While Items for free, so I shipped some home. I did get a super huge suitcase in Mt Olive so I shipped the normal large one home filled with stuff. 

Hope ya'll have a great week!

Love, Elder Meyerink