Dear Family,
Transfer calls are in a
couple days, so we don't know if i'll be here in Broomall for another 3 months or
3 days. We have to give a talk this Sunday about member missionary work, so
hopefully it will go well. I will use some of the stories you've told me about
the work you guys are doing. You are a great example to the world of member
missionaries.
It's been a crazy week here too. We've been tracting
9-11 hours a day, just trying to find people for the members to come teaching
to, but it's been a struggle. Keep us in your prayers. I helps so much! I love
you guys!
Love,
Elder
Wallentine
PS-as far as money goes, I've been doing alright. My account
is at about $10.00, so I'm not pushing my luck with using it right now. I might need to buy one more pair of nice shoes before the end of
the year. My last few walking(+running) areas have really torn these ones up. Everything else is holding up very well, and I am doing okay with the money we
receive each month for food, etc. Thanks so much for your help! I love you
tons!
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Dear Mom,
Things in the mission are going great. I'm really learning a lot lately. It always hurts when you realize you're not as strong as you thought you were, (physically or otherwise), but it always comes attached to a great learning experience. I am so thankful you guys are being exposed to missionary opportunities over there. It's so important. I realized these two years are, amongst other things, training so I can be a member missionary for the rest of my life. It's pretty cool how that works!
I love you guys, and I am grateful for all that you are doing to help! Thanks a ton!
Love,
Elder Wallentine
Things in the mission are going great. I'm really learning a lot lately. It always hurts when you realize you're not as strong as you thought you were, (physically or otherwise), but it always comes attached to a great learning experience. I am so thankful you guys are being exposed to missionary opportunities over there. It's so important. I realized these two years are, amongst other things, training so I can be a member missionary for the rest of my life. It's pretty cool how that works!
I love you guys, and I am grateful for all that you are doing to help! Thanks a ton!
Love,
Elder Wallentine
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Dear Family,
From what Mom said, it's such a great story about Abraham and Isaac. I read it just a little while ago too. I thought about something when I read your letter. As I read about Abraham, I realized that Abraham was a prophet, and he probably realized that to sacrifice his son would be for a 'similitude of Christ'; A sacrifice followed by a MUCH greater miracle that would bless generations. Even though he probably knew things would work out somehow, I can't imagine what kind of faith that must have taken. What you said is so true, that because of his obedience, everything worked out. I really love that story.
I started the Book of Mormon again 1 and 1/2 months ago, and I'm just finishing up Alma. It's so interesting to read it quick enough to get the story line put together. Before when I read it, I didn't read it fast enough to see how any of the history actually fit together, and it almost seemed like just a collection of gospel stories, instead of a functional history of an actual people. It makes so much more sense this way, and I have had some pretty great insights from reading this time around. That book is really something, isn't it?
We went tracting with a couple of priest-age young men this week, and when we were out tracting in a CRAZY thunderstorm, we met a lady named Jen. She said she was looking for a church that 'wasn't baptist or any denomination', but that 'believed and followed the prophets'. WOW!! We taught her and revisited her yesterday! She's doing great! She has a couple kids in town, and she is excited to get answers to her prayers! It's so great to see people actually seeking the gospel! God really is preparing the hearts of those around us.
We have been working a lot with ward members here, trying to help them find people we can teach WITH them, but it hasn't yielded much fruit yet. Many people think they are too busy (or too weird, as Mormons) to talk to those around them, and it's hard to break through that shell sometimes. We are trying to help them understand that they don't have to dedicate a 'chunk' of their busy lives to full-time missionary work, but just tilt all their daily work, a little bit, into sharing the gospel with others. Talk about it at work, or at a restaurant, on the train. just to strike up a conversation while you are doing things you normally do anyway. It takes no extra time, but we can impact countless others as God justifies our efforts, and puts us in contact with those ready for the gospel. It sounds like you guys are trying it out. Keep up the good work. You're a great example to the member missionary work! I love you!
Love,
Elder Wallentine
From what Mom said, it's such a great story about Abraham and Isaac. I read it just a little while ago too. I thought about something when I read your letter. As I read about Abraham, I realized that Abraham was a prophet, and he probably realized that to sacrifice his son would be for a 'similitude of Christ'; A sacrifice followed by a MUCH greater miracle that would bless generations. Even though he probably knew things would work out somehow, I can't imagine what kind of faith that must have taken. What you said is so true, that because of his obedience, everything worked out. I really love that story.
I started the Book of Mormon again 1 and 1/2 months ago, and I'm just finishing up Alma. It's so interesting to read it quick enough to get the story line put together. Before when I read it, I didn't read it fast enough to see how any of the history actually fit together, and it almost seemed like just a collection of gospel stories, instead of a functional history of an actual people. It makes so much more sense this way, and I have had some pretty great insights from reading this time around. That book is really something, isn't it?
We went tracting with a couple of priest-age young men this week, and when we were out tracting in a CRAZY thunderstorm, we met a lady named Jen. She said she was looking for a church that 'wasn't baptist or any denomination', but that 'believed and followed the prophets'. WOW!! We taught her and revisited her yesterday! She's doing great! She has a couple kids in town, and she is excited to get answers to her prayers! It's so great to see people actually seeking the gospel! God really is preparing the hearts of those around us.
We have been working a lot with ward members here, trying to help them find people we can teach WITH them, but it hasn't yielded much fruit yet. Many people think they are too busy (or too weird, as Mormons) to talk to those around them, and it's hard to break through that shell sometimes. We are trying to help them understand that they don't have to dedicate a 'chunk' of their busy lives to full-time missionary work, but just tilt all their daily work, a little bit, into sharing the gospel with others. Talk about it at work, or at a restaurant, on the train. just to strike up a conversation while you are doing things you normally do anyway. It takes no extra time, but we can impact countless others as God justifies our efforts, and puts us in contact with those ready for the gospel. It sounds like you guys are trying it out. Keep up the good work. You're a great example to the member missionary work! I love you!
Love,
Elder Wallentine
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Hey Mom and Dad,
Just wanted to say hi! That's really cool dad got a blackberry! Those things are everywhere out here! I had never seen them before in Philly, but everyone in this ward has one.
The work is going well here in the ward. The bishop is a great guy, and he is really working hard to get the ward to start finding people to teach. It's so critical in areas like this one. Areas where the people we tract into aren't exactly "wanting" in their lives. They are pretty well off, and many don't even see a need for religion. We can't have much of an effect on the people without the members breaking down some of those barriers. It's so important to begin doing member missionary work. It's really something we've been focusing on a lot, and it works. There's a guy referred to us from a member, and he's visiting Provo with a friend next week. We're excited for him to go and learn a little more about the church over there. Things are going great here, and keep us in your prayers!
Love,
Elder Wallentine
Just wanted to say hi! That's really cool dad got a blackberry! Those things are everywhere out here! I had never seen them before in Philly, but everyone in this ward has one.
The work is going well here in the ward. The bishop is a great guy, and he is really working hard to get the ward to start finding people to teach. It's so critical in areas like this one. Areas where the people we tract into aren't exactly "wanting" in their lives. They are pretty well off, and many don't even see a need for religion. We can't have much of an effect on the people without the members breaking down some of those barriers. It's so important to begin doing member missionary work. It's really something we've been focusing on a lot, and it works. There's a guy referred to us from a member, and he's visiting Provo with a friend next week. We're excited for him to go and learn a little more about the church over there. Things are going great here, and keep us in your prayers!
Love,
Elder Wallentine
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