Dear Family,
We met a lady this week who really was going through heck. Things were very hard for her, and she said she had hit rock bottom. She invited us in and after talking with her a bit, we saw her entire attitude change. She invited us back and things are going very well. She overslept and missed church, but we found out that was the first time she had been able to sleep in a week, so really no complaints there. We're just letting God do His thing. I'm very excited about her. She really wants to go somewhere! I'm starting to realize that the gospel changes people in more ways than just their outlook on life. Every person that has stayed active in the church that I've seen has been able to feed their family. Financial burdens have been lifted, and many times they can even move out of the projects! It's incredible the loads of blessings God pours out upon those who put off all else to serve Him.
There was a woman getting confirmed last week, and she had been scheduled to work on Sunday, so she wouldn't be able to make it to church. But, she knew what was important, and who hooked her up with her job, so she stuck to it, and went to church. She didn't worry about work. It worked out and she is at work right now. The Lord is certainly good at what He does.
Things are really going great here in Philly. We're starting to see more and more success and our new president is going to light this mission on fire! He's already got some incredible things he's planning for us. The next 18 months are going to be crazy!
Thank you all so much for the package! I love all that stuff! It was really great of you to do all that! Thanks to Jeff and Melissa, too. They sent me a package as well. All your letters were so sweet! Thanks to everyone, I've gotten so many letters from people, I can't even keep track of them! It's great to hear from you all!
We use PMG a lot and find that when we just read it verbatim to the group, asking thoughtful questions over two or three lines, it's a lot more powerful than anything else. Christ's words cover all the doctrine and tend to answer any questions or concerns even before they can ask them. I look like a total idiot trying to teach using my words, But when we trust His words, then the Spirit can teach and he's got all of us beat!
We have lots to get done today! I love you!
Elder Wallentine
Monday, July 30, 2007
Monday, July 23, 2007
Hey Family,
It was awesome to get your letters! I love it here and we are staying very busy. We have many people to teach and many more to find. We can hardly keep up! My new companion is a good guy and I'll probably never get mugged with him around. There is a couple in the mission office that Grandma and Grandpa Decker might know. They are the Vollmers. Things are going great, but I'm out of time. I spent too much time writing to the President. Sorry.
Love,
Elder Wallentine
It was awesome to get your letters! I love it here and we are staying very busy. We have many people to teach and many more to find. We can hardly keep up! My new companion is a good guy and I'll probably never get mugged with him around. There is a couple in the mission office that Grandma and Grandpa Decker might know. They are the Vollmers. Things are going great, but I'm out of time. I spent too much time writing to the President. Sorry.
Love,
Elder Wallentine
Monday, July 16, 2007
Dear Family,
This week has been absolutely incredible! I just got transferred on Tuesday into West Philly and am now the District Leader's companion. My companion is a football player for the Y and is Samoan. His name is Elder Ah You. He is a great guy and I look forward to working with him. We both are just coming out of a dry transfer, but the next six weeks are going to be unbelievable. God is preparing us for something huge. In the last week, God has given us a miracle family every day and we are running to keep up with them. There are so many miracles. I truly feel like I am living an Old Testament story!
One day we felt prompted to go tracting out of our focus area, just a couple blocks west of the norm. For one reason or another, we both just walked right up to a street htat was never part of our plans. We just felt like we should start there. We tracted it out and didn't even get into a single door, until the very last one. We knocked on the door and a very tall man came to the door, hollering and swearing, just about ready to slam the door on me, and then he stopped. We told him we were servants of the Lord, and that He has a message for his family. His whole countenance changed and he let us in his house. He gave us five minutes. Ten minutes later, upon talking with him, we came to know he pretty much already knew about the Restoration. He figured God would restore his prophet and that we would again receive the authority Moses had. He figured there was a true church somewhere out there and had been praying that morning to send the truth to him! He had never really been to church, but God had taught him those things through the Bible and he had been prepared very literally by the hand of God. We went on to teach him and that lesson proceeded to be the most spiritually charged lesson either of us had every experience. He cam to church and brought his wife. They loved it and are set to be baptized pretty soon! We are so excited for him!
All I can say is the field is white and it is so wonderful to see so much happening. I know this is His work and I cannot believe it's already been almost six months! I wish I could start back again. It's so exciting here. Whether I go back home to Europe or Idaho or wherever, I know this is where I should be. Thank you so much for all you've done for me!
Love,
Elder Wallentine
This week has been absolutely incredible! I just got transferred on Tuesday into West Philly and am now the District Leader's companion. My companion is a football player for the Y and is Samoan. His name is Elder Ah You. He is a great guy and I look forward to working with him. We both are just coming out of a dry transfer, but the next six weeks are going to be unbelievable. God is preparing us for something huge. In the last week, God has given us a miracle family every day and we are running to keep up with them. There are so many miracles. I truly feel like I am living an Old Testament story!
One day we felt prompted to go tracting out of our focus area, just a couple blocks west of the norm. For one reason or another, we both just walked right up to a street htat was never part of our plans. We just felt like we should start there. We tracted it out and didn't even get into a single door, until the very last one. We knocked on the door and a very tall man came to the door, hollering and swearing, just about ready to slam the door on me, and then he stopped. We told him we were servants of the Lord, and that He has a message for his family. His whole countenance changed and he let us in his house. He gave us five minutes. Ten minutes later, upon talking with him, we came to know he pretty much already knew about the Restoration. He figured God would restore his prophet and that we would again receive the authority Moses had. He figured there was a true church somewhere out there and had been praying that morning to send the truth to him! He had never really been to church, but God had taught him those things through the Bible and he had been prepared very literally by the hand of God. We went on to teach him and that lesson proceeded to be the most spiritually charged lesson either of us had every experience. He cam to church and brought his wife. They loved it and are set to be baptized pretty soon! We are so excited for him!
All I can say is the field is white and it is so wonderful to see so much happening. I know this is His work and I cannot believe it's already been almost six months! I wish I could start back again. It's so exciting here. Whether I go back home to Europe or Idaho or wherever, I know this is where I should be. Thank you so much for all you've done for me!
Love,
Elder Wallentine
Monday, July 9, 2007
Dear Family,
Things are going absolutely wonderful here, but it is a lot of work. God works in some funny ways sometimes, doesn't He? We had gone two weeks without seeing anyone of our investigators at church, and it was getting pretty frustrating. I'm not going to lie. Yesterday, we had some great families that said they'd come, but when the time came, and we called them Sunday morning, things weren't nearly so hopeful. It looked like another dry Sunday. But, lo and behold, a woman names Phyllis showed up at church and asked where she could find Elder Wallentine and Elder Urrutia. We had taught her six weeks earlier, but she kicked us out and stopped answering our calls. But, by God's grace, her heart was softened, and she actually came on her own! I know now more than ever that all flesh is in His hands, and that He never drops one of us. I know that He lives and that Christ did so much more than I ever before understood. Jesus the Christ along with the scriptures really put some things in perspective.
I'm moving again. This time I'm moving to West Philly and everything is packed up. It's pretty exciting. I'm moving in with a Tongan elder name Elder Ayu. He's really cool. The new president is amazing! I met with him on Thursday and talked with him Sunday, too. I am way excited to work with him. He's got more vision than anyone I've ever seen! I could see him making new business strategies for how to help the mission out, just as he was first introducing himself. The next 19 months are going to be great!
The 4th of July was kind of cool here, but in light of youngsters liking to shoot bottle rockets at the missionaries, they locked center city missionaries down that afternoon. During break we got to stop by some of the block parties, and so many people gave us so much barbecue it was ridiculous. I wish they liked listening to our message as much as they do feeding us! I'd have some cool pictures of the Center City fireworks, but they got rained out and the only big ones were along the horizon over the Benjamin Franklin Bridge. I took some pics of center city, though.
I know that God has a plan for each of us and I'm starting to understand exactly why my papers didn't get sent the first time. I love you all very much!
Love,
Elder Wallentine
Things are going absolutely wonderful here, but it is a lot of work. God works in some funny ways sometimes, doesn't He? We had gone two weeks without seeing anyone of our investigators at church, and it was getting pretty frustrating. I'm not going to lie. Yesterday, we had some great families that said they'd come, but when the time came, and we called them Sunday morning, things weren't nearly so hopeful. It looked like another dry Sunday. But, lo and behold, a woman names Phyllis showed up at church and asked where she could find Elder Wallentine and Elder Urrutia. We had taught her six weeks earlier, but she kicked us out and stopped answering our calls. But, by God's grace, her heart was softened, and she actually came on her own! I know now more than ever that all flesh is in His hands, and that He never drops one of us. I know that He lives and that Christ did so much more than I ever before understood. Jesus the Christ along with the scriptures really put some things in perspective.
I'm moving again. This time I'm moving to West Philly and everything is packed up. It's pretty exciting. I'm moving in with a Tongan elder name Elder Ayu. He's really cool. The new president is amazing! I met with him on Thursday and talked with him Sunday, too. I am way excited to work with him. He's got more vision than anyone I've ever seen! I could see him making new business strategies for how to help the mission out, just as he was first introducing himself. The next 19 months are going to be great!
The 4th of July was kind of cool here, but in light of youngsters liking to shoot bottle rockets at the missionaries, they locked center city missionaries down that afternoon. During break we got to stop by some of the block parties, and so many people gave us so much barbecue it was ridiculous. I wish they liked listening to our message as much as they do feeding us! I'd have some cool pictures of the Center City fireworks, but they got rained out and the only big ones were along the horizon over the Benjamin Franklin Bridge. I took some pics of center city, though.
I know that God has a plan for each of us and I'm starting to understand exactly why my papers didn't get sent the first time. I love you all very much!
Love,
Elder Wallentine
Monday, July 2, 2007
Hey Family,
When do you think you'll be moving to Belgium? That's pretty exciting!
This week has been another really rough one, but things are starting to turn upward. We have an appointment hold this week, and he's looking pretty solid, but he went camping this weekend with a couple of Jehovah's Witnesses. I'm not sure if they are going to have a chat with him, but we have another appointment tonight, so we'll see how he's doing.
I know that God is truly one of mercy and love, but at times, it is definitely "tough love". Things seem so hard at times, and yet I know that it will all be for our benefit in the end. Even though things are difficult at times, I know God is leading the work, and I know that He loves each and every one of us. I know He hears our prayers, and that even though it's not always how we want them, I know He answers them. I am having such a great experience over here. Keep us in your prayers.
I love you all!
Elder Wallentine
When do you think you'll be moving to Belgium? That's pretty exciting!
This week has been another really rough one, but things are starting to turn upward. We have an appointment hold this week, and he's looking pretty solid, but he went camping this weekend with a couple of Jehovah's Witnesses. I'm not sure if they are going to have a chat with him, but we have another appointment tonight, so we'll see how he's doing.
I know that God is truly one of mercy and love, but at times, it is definitely "tough love". Things seem so hard at times, and yet I know that it will all be for our benefit in the end. Even though things are difficult at times, I know God is leading the work, and I know that He loves each and every one of us. I know He hears our prayers, and that even though it's not always how we want them, I know He answers them. I am having such a great experience over here. Keep us in your prayers.
I love you all!
Elder Wallentine
Sunday, July 1, 2007
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