Elder Dallin Stout

Mon, Jul 28, 2014 at 1:57 PM

Another week

We had a good week, there is a lot happening. Here is a quick summary of how the work is going.
Tuesday
     We talked with Brother Nolan about getting him to the temple and reviewed eternal marriage. Then we went to see Zeny and Elder Martin brought his hair cutting kit. Zeny cut his hair and gave him a mohawk! We gelled it up, got some pictures, and shaved it off with a #2 instead of a #4 by accident! So now his hair is really short. Then the rest of the Goyeneche family came home and we had dinner with them. That night we started exchanges, I went with Elder Fridal in his area.
Wednesday
     We had a good lesson with a less active guy named Mike. Brother White from my ward came over during the lesson and is a friend of Mike's. We biked around all day and Elder Fridal almost crashed a few times on busy streets. I was able to learn some good things from him throughout the day.
Thursday
     We saw the Gonzalez family, we had a good lesson with them. They were giving us throughout the visit a 5 lb bag of cherries, Bacon Ritz crackers and home made salsa. Of course this was just before our dinner appointment!  Later we saw the Goyeneche family, Johnny got his cast off his leg today but still can't walk.
Friday
     We went to visit Brother Brodbeck, he has been sick and doesn't look very good. His son is helping him at home and is taking good care of him. Then we contacted all 3 referals that we received from the zone leaders a few days ago. The first was Benjamin, we got to know him and teach the Restoration lesson to him. He took a Book Of Mormon and said that we can see him again. The second was Stella, she is Lori's room mate and was happy to see us. She was busy, but we will try by again.  The third was Teresa, she is younger and married, we set up a time to see her on Monday.
Saturday
     We had a Blitz, I went with Elder Lee, the Assistant to the President. We spent our time walking around and talking, we had a few good lessons and declared to lots of people. There was a dog event for agility going on at the park and we learned a few things about it from some people that we met.
Sunday
     After church we saw the Goyeneche's, they had some questions about the 40 day fast that we are starting in the ward for missionary work. Which is that we are having 1 family fasting for 1 day, continuing every day, for 40 days. The members sign up on a calendar that is sent around Priesthood and Relief Society. We discussed how fasting works and how it helps us get closer to Heavenly Father. They also had questions about the Word of Wisdom that we talked about.

Love,
Elder Stout
Mon, Jul 21, 2014 at 1:13 PM

Awesome week!

Tuesday
     We had a good lesson with Dan, he asked us what else he could do to have the spirit. We told him that he'd have to stop drinking coffee and smoking. We talked about it and he set a date to quit Tuesday 22nd! Then we had a lesson with Brother Noland and read Alma 40, which is about the spirit world. At dinner with the Hernandez family, Veronica and Nancy requested blessings of comfort and counsel. Elder Martin gave one to Veronica and I to Nancy. We then discussed patriarchal blessings and how they can help us because Nancy is nervous to receive one.
Wednesday
     We met the Herr's at 8:30 and made our way to the LA temple on the PCH (pacific coast highway) it was the first time I have seen the ocean since my first day in the field. We saw the new movie that just came out this week! I also saw in that session Sister Olsen and Sister Ludlow from my last ward in Thousand Oaks! They were able to update me on what is going on with the missionary work. Elder Martin bought the Doctrine and Covenants DVD's and we watched a movie about Wilford Woodruff telling the story of the construction of the Salt lake temple. It was a very celestial day and I am very thankful for the blessings of the temple.
Thursday
     Last night at 4 am we got a 3 page text referal from the MTC. We got to visit Brother Sherman for a little while. We had a good lesson with Richard and Sister Perry later. We brought Brother Maddux, at the end Elder Martin and I bore testimony and the spirit was there. But we don't know how Richard received it, we brought the spirit unto his heart but I don't know if he let it in.
Friday
     We went on a blitz, Elder Martin with Elder Watts and I with Elder Bate. We met a few people walking around, one guy named Edward wanted to share something with us from his phone. So he read a few chapters to us from some version of the Bible. Eventually their was a nearby group of high school kids and one girl started towards us. She waited until Edward was done and left to ask a question. "I saw you guys and I really like your ties, can I have one of them?" she asked. We were both fine with that but we didn't have an extra to wear ourselves, so Elder Bate got her phone number and said that he'd bring her one. We also gave her a card before she left. Elder Martin had a lesson with Bob and he dropped us because he is comfortable being Catholic. Elder Martin taught the POS and fought hard for him. 
Saturday
     We went to see if Juan needed help fixing his truck but instead we found Zeny at home alone. She hates to be alone and said God sent us to comfort her. We talked for a while, she opened up to us and told us her fears about marriage. We talked about praying for strength and for God to help our weaknesses become strengths. We were there for 4 hours reassuring her and helping her understand. It was the best lesson we have had with her. We didn't have a dinner assignment so she offered to feed us and we came back later with the whole Goyeneche family there.

Love,
Elder Stout


Mon, Jul 14, 2014 at 1:12 PM

Another week

     Tuesday

We were able to finally see Bro Linberg and have a lesson at the church with him. He has been reading a little out of the Book Of Mormon and just got to 1 Nephi 8, which is about Lehi's dream. So we read that with him and he had some great questions for us and was really involved. We also talked about 1 Nephi 3:7 and Ether 12:6. We discussed how when we have the desire to do good God will prepare a way for us to do those things and help us keep the commandments. We later met with Bro Nolan and answered his questions about the Plan of Salvation (POS).  We read from Alma 40 which talks all about it.

     Wednesday

We went to see Bob, while we were waiting at his front door there were 2 people in his garage talking that didn't know we were there. We waited for a total of 20 seconds for someone to answer the door before we realized that we were listening in on the wrong conversation. This girl was telling this guy about stuff that was terrible and the last thing that we wanted to hear! We quickly walked off hoping they didn't think we were trying to eavesdrop. That was the most awkward moment I have had so far. We got another referal from the MTC about this guy named Zeke. We went by and talked with who we assumed was his mom and she said he was Catholic and would never request a visit from us. So we sent him a text and found out that he didn't. We think there is a member in high school who is trying to refer their friends through mormon.org and putting down their personal info, but that just makes it awkward for us.

     Thursday

We had lots of meetings, first we had zone meeting that was really good and inspiring. We also had President interviews that went well. Later we saw Bro and Sister Gonzales. He obviously has a lot of time on his hands so he made me a cross bow that shoots tomato plant stakes! (now Elder Martin and I both have one so we later had fun with those) We were able to have a really good lesson with them.  They are having a grand baby soon and want to be temple worthy by then.  We encouraged them that through Christ all things are possible, and they are really doing their best.

     Saturday

We got a refferal from a member who was doing pest control work for this lady named Barbara. We later went to see her and had a short lesson on her porch while getting to know her. Then we walked to the Goyeneche's for dinner and a lesson. Juan has a new car, its a Ford explorer! So now he has a way to get around since his truck has broken down. He says the Lord is really blessing them this week and soon he will be able to go to LA to get his passport so that he can be baptized!

     Sunday

We had 3 people ask us to teach at church! One for Elders quorum and Gospel Essentials. The other we already planned on doing in Sunday School with the 17 yr olds. In sacrament meeting Jessie (a blind man) passed the sacrament for the first time. He had an Elder guide him around, he had a huge smile the whole time and I could tell that he was really happy to be helping out.

The Goyeneche's are from Argentina so they were not to happy about the world cup finals. We went to console them later near the end of the day. I didn't realize though that I was wearing a tie with Germany's colors and Elder Martin had Argentina's on his tie! So that was kinda funny, they thought I did it on purpose to tease them!

Love,

Elder Stout


Mon, Jul 7, 2014 at 1:55 PM

I got a letter from John and Mary in thousand Oaks that Millie has a baptismal date for the 27th!! Here is how the week went for us.

     Monday
Debrist called us and wanted help moving a bed frame with drawers into her spare room. Well it was huge and bulky but we eventually were able to get it in there. Since she is still recovering from foot surgery we did some other things for her. She isn't supposed to walk on her foot but she does anyway, so we did as much stuff as we could so that she would just stay sitting down.
     Tuesday
So we found out that in the back of the hymn book there is a section called meters. That's where songs that are similar are listed, so you can sing the tune of one song to the words of another and it works out perfectly. My favorite so far is singing "The time is far spent" to the tune of "As Sisters in Zion"!
     We had a lesson with Brother Nolan, we read about the story of Ammon defending the kings flocks. We also met with the Logans and shared the story in Moses 1. Its about how Moses is tempted by Satan and he calls upon the Lord for strength to cast him out.
     Wednesday
In the middle of the day our district leader called for an immediate meeting with the district. He quickly updated and instructed us about the 4th of July and about a zone conference with the new mission President! Later we had a lesson with Debbie, she read the POS pamplet and she liked it. We talked about prophets today and gave her a Restoration pamphlet to read.
     Thursday
We saw Richard Perry and talked with him for a while. We also saw Sister Madsen's van and realized that she was back in town after being gone for a month and we went to see her. We had an awesome lesson with the Gonzales's! We had them look up and listen to songs by Micheal McClain which are were all messages about Jesus and related to the atonement. We told them to start calling us whenever they are tempted so that we can come over. Brother Gonzales has a lot of down time so he made Elder Martin a little cross bow out of paper and popsicle sticks and made me a little catapult! 
     Friday
At 8:30 we had a ward breakfast at church. Right after we had zone conference and met President and Sister Felix! They are awesome, they told us about themselves and shared a story just 6 weeks before they entered the MTC. So President Felix was feeling severe chest pains, they explained how they had little miracles throughout the day that made it possible to eventually get him to the ER and immediately he had a heart attack. They were able to give him instant attention and revived him. President was able to make a full recovery before they were to enter the MTC. He told us that he was definitely supposed to be here and that he was just "dying to get here!"
     Sunday 
After church Juan gave us a call and needed help with his truck because he thought the battery was dead. We tried to give him a jump but it didn't work. He had to leave it at church and got a ride home. We went to dinner at the Morris's home, When they found out I went to Layton High school they asked if I knew Annie Cook! I told them yes and that she is a good friend of mine and they said that they are really good friends with her too. Later we saw Debrist and met a new friend of hers who is not a church member. 

Love,

Elder Stout