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
 

17 feb 2014 Snow & Teaching!

  It snowed on Tuesday and Wednesday so we stayed in. F. and T. are the couple that came last week. They did not come this week though. We are planning on seeing them tomorrow night. Our teaching pool is a bit more full now, the problem we have is contacting them. We did pick up a new investigator this week. She is the boyfriend of a former investigator that  my last companion and I taught. We have an appointment with them on Wednesday. 

 

Oh, it snowed on Tuesday so we stayed in until we decided to walk to a potential's place He wants to stay with his Church though.

 

 We do have a member stake conference referral lesson tonight, so we look forward to that. 

  Elder Aitken and I were invited to the Leadership training tomorrow and Wednesday in New Bern. I'll let you know how that went next week. 

 

Family history consultant needs the computers. "Talk" to ya'll next week.

Love, Elder Meyerink 

10 February 2014 Great week!

Hi,

 

  We had a great week! While not much happened fruit-wise in our procelyting, we felt we worked harder this week. We took our Ward Mission Leader to a lesson with an investigator couple. He invited them to Church, Ward ball, and to be fellowshipped as well as baptism. They came to Church! That hasn't happened in a while and I am glad the Lord answers our prayers concerning that. They said they loved it and are definitely coming back next week. Our dinner/lesson cancled due to a death in the family I think. They are still interested, so the member is scheduling another appointment.

 

  Good to hear everythings going on back home. Sorry, time is running.

Let me know if you're on any videos!

 

Love Elder Meyerink

3 Feb 2014 Almost new Investigator

  Ironically, we still have not got in contact with J and L. They moved, haven't answered their phones and their member friend hasn't heard from them. 

And yes, I heard about the snow. In fact, we couldn't go out Tue, Thur, or Wed. So...our member dinner lesson got postponed to this week. :/    I'll let ya'll know how it went. 

Oh, and Elder Aitken and I are staying in Kinston. Calls actually came on Saturday night for some odd reason.

 But, on the super awesome proselyting side of things: We had a dinner lesson with another one of the stake conference referrals. He (E) is awesome. Within 30 seconds of walking in the door, he started asking questions. He knows the Bible, his dad was a non-denominational preacher for different denominations. If that makes sense...nonetheless, Questions were answered, shrimp stew was eaten and The Restoration was explained and watched. We asked him if he would be baptized if he knew it was true. He said, "I'd so anything for Salvation." Unfortunately, he didn't know his schedule so we didn't get a specific return appointment. Thus, paper wise, he is not a new investigator yet, but he really is. He said we'll get a time together for this next week. So that's good news :)

    So yeah, next week should be a bit better.

Hope ya'll are doing good. Take Care.

Love Elder Meyerink

27 January 2013 Church Talk & BBQed Pig

 

  Oh, the Irony. I spoke on Sunday too. We were the backup this week. Bishop called and asked us. I went first, Elder Aitken followed. I was prompted with the topic "The Restoration in the words of a 20 year old." So, I spoke for twenty minutes, without note, scriptures, or anything but quoting the first vision from the pamphlet. Basically, I taught the Restoration in my words on the pulpit. Elder Aitken followed with a great talk he put together on "What it means to be a disciple" Including John 6 - Lovest thou me? The members enjoyed it and a few mentioned how they felt the Spirit and had promptings. It was great. Oh, I like how you can search and veiw the document on the Joseph Smith papers. But it doesn't have the Church Logo on the site, so its technically not approved. I'll check it out later.

 

  We got a hold of J. and L.. He cooked a pig and invited us over for some BBQ. It's not that they didn't want to meet with us, just a few bad schedulings in a row. We've got a dinner and lesson scheduled this Thursday with a member and his referral. Yes, we do a bit of our own finding. cleaning up the Less-actives on the roster helps, just talking to people. That's how we got one of our investigators, L. Not to much different this week than last. We're on bikes next week. We had 8 Less-active lessons this last week.

 

 Oh! It Snowed!!!And everyone went to the store right before to buy eggs, milk, and bread. Why? We have no idea. It just melts in 24 hours anyways...we'll research why sometime. It's suppose to snow soon again. A member asked if we needed some extra bread, milk or eggs...it was interesting. Nonetheless. Good week. 

 

I found a good quote you could share with our home teaching families considering as how the prophet has called all to work in the vineyard:

"The reflection that everyone is to receive according to his own diligence and perseverance while in the vineyard, ought to inspire everyone who is called to be a minister of these glad tidings, to so improve his talent . . . that when the Master sits down to take an account of the conduct of His servants, it may be said, Well done, good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things; I will now make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord."
Joseph Smith, History of the Church, 2:6.

Transfer calls are on Sunday night. Talk to ya'lls later! Have a good one!
Love elder Meyerink

20 Jan 2014 How it should be!

  I have just discovered Josephsmithpapers.org It rocks. Just a thought.

  J. and L. canceled again and didn't come to Church. But we found where one of our investigators lives. So we saw them with a member and had a great Restoration lesson with them, they didn't show for church either, but we'll go see them tonight. 

We still have 53 referrals to contact. It's not a Elders or Sisters- "Here is a list of people ya'll should see, here's their address, have fun Elders." It's set up to be this way: The members call their referrals, have some sort of invitations ie dinner and a lesson with the missionaries in their home and thus contacting the referrals. This is where the problem lies. The members aren't calling, talking to, or really doing anything with most of the names. We have 1 or 2 dinners set up, but the ball should be rolling and it's not. nonetheless, the members are still great members.

  Thanks for the story, I was wondering how that all went- your conversion. By the way, do you have any info or contact with the Elders that taught and baptized you?

  Good to know Sarah and Josh are doing well. Oh, by the way, Arthur's package hasn't come yet, don't know if he got it shipped yet, or to what address.

  Not to much more for this week.

Love ya'll, Elder Meyerink

13 Jan 2014 Lesson plans

 

  Yes, They split Conference up, but it was still Mission Conf. They had  VA one and a NC one. Our last three appointments with J and L  kept getting post-poned. We were supposed to have a Lesson last night with a member, but they were spending time with their kids (which they don't have custody of) so we scheduled for tonight. They didn't come to Church either, but that isn't a big concern with them. We're planning on a hard-core Restoration lesson and a Baptismal date. (Fingers crossed) No, we haven't picked up any lesons from the referrals yet, but they are on the horizon. I can't wait!

 

 Oh, I started reading the Joseph Smith book you sent. It's got some very good insights in it. I like it.

 

Not much else this week. Have a good one.

 

Love ya'll

Elder Meyerink