Hey everyone,
We had a party at the branch building last night, and two of our investigators came. We set a date with one of them to be baptized on November 9, but then she got cold feet and her mom (a recent convert) told her to push it off. Bummer. It's so important that whenever someone is wavering or not sure, that we strengthen them and stay the course. We reassured her, and she accepted a date to be baptized on November 30! That will be pretty exciting! You guys are really great, and you are some incredible missionaries!
Love,
Elder Wallentine
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Hey Family!
It sounds like you are doing some great missionary work over there in the branch! What is the name of the woman you are working with? It sounds like she really is a great lady! Has she been to church with you yet? It's so cool when they come to church for the first time. That is one thing I like more in a small branch. It's WAY more personal when a new face steps in. The people here seem to care a lot about each other.
I've been reading the New Testament for the last 4 weeks, and I'm in Revelation, reading about the churches of Christ right before the apostasy. It's incredible because it talks about the same things we see today in visiting these other churches and talking with the pastors.
We got into a house on Saturday night, at about 8:00. We talked to a pastor, named Alma, and her husband, a deacon at another church. They started off really friendly, just as usual, and as we went on to teach them about the prophets, and Jesus' church, it started to hit home. We explained the apostasy, and it really pricked the husband. He got a little red, and started yelling about all the miracles he had seen in other churches. Then he looked at me, and asked, "are you two kids telling me, that my wife, myself, our family, and all these other preachers out there teaching the word, ARE IN THE WRONG PLACE? IN THE WRONG CHURCH??? He just looked my companion, and my companion just looked at me. Then the husband and his wife both looked at me. I said a silent prayer. then I told them how Jesus Christ replied to Joseph Smith's question, saying "[the churches] were all wrong. they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof." We sat and looked at them for what seemed like an hour, and then, they softened up. We invited them to pray about it, and they agreed. They understood. It was really a good lesson, and the power of God was in those words from Joseph Smith.
There are some cases where, because Christ said something, we don't have to. I'm so glad we have the words of the prophets to rely on. It makes so much more sense when we do that. This really is the true church, and because we know that, it's up to all of us to really get the word out to the world! I love you all! Have a great week!
Love,
Elder Wallentine
It sounds like you are doing some great missionary work over there in the branch! What is the name of the woman you are working with? It sounds like she really is a great lady! Has she been to church with you yet? It's so cool when they come to church for the first time. That is one thing I like more in a small branch. It's WAY more personal when a new face steps in. The people here seem to care a lot about each other.
I've been reading the New Testament for the last 4 weeks, and I'm in Revelation, reading about the churches of Christ right before the apostasy. It's incredible because it talks about the same things we see today in visiting these other churches and talking with the pastors.
We got into a house on Saturday night, at about 8:00. We talked to a pastor, named Alma, and her husband, a deacon at another church. They started off really friendly, just as usual, and as we went on to teach them about the prophets, and Jesus' church, it started to hit home. We explained the apostasy, and it really pricked the husband. He got a little red, and started yelling about all the miracles he had seen in other churches. Then he looked at me, and asked, "are you two kids telling me, that my wife, myself, our family, and all these other preachers out there teaching the word, ARE IN THE WRONG PLACE? IN THE WRONG CHURCH??? He just looked my companion, and my companion just looked at me. Then the husband and his wife both looked at me. I said a silent prayer. then I told them how Jesus Christ replied to Joseph Smith's question, saying "[the churches] were all wrong. they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof." We sat and looked at them for what seemed like an hour, and then, they softened up. We invited them to pray about it, and they agreed. They understood. It was really a good lesson, and the power of God was in those words from Joseph Smith.
There are some cases where, because Christ said something, we don't have to. I'm so glad we have the words of the prophets to rely on. It makes so much more sense when we do that. This really is the true church, and because we know that, it's up to all of us to really get the word out to the world! I love you all! Have a great week!
Love,
Elder Wallentine
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Hey Mom and Family,
We are having kind of a hard time here in the branch. There really are not many people in the branch, and even fewer can or do fulfill leadership or fellow shipping roles. We are really looking for people who can build the kingdom here with minimal support and assistance from the church. It's not easy, but we are finding some really great people that will be investigating the church for quite some time before they decide to get baptized. That's all right though, I guess Brigham Young was the same kind of guy.
I forgot to tell you a funny story. A little bit ago, at the Broomall, PA chapel, I saw a familiar face. Sam Newell, (Sarah Kapp's brother), was a good friend of mine in high school. He was in Philly selling security systems for the summer! He was at the stake offices getting his recommend to get married this last month! That was fun to see a familiar face.
I really love you! Have a great week!
Love,
Elder Wallentine
We are having kind of a hard time here in the branch. There really are not many people in the branch, and even fewer can or do fulfill leadership or fellow shipping roles. We are really looking for people who can build the kingdom here with minimal support and assistance from the church. It's not easy, but we are finding some really great people that will be investigating the church for quite some time before they decide to get baptized. That's all right though, I guess Brigham Young was the same kind of guy.
I forgot to tell you a funny story. A little bit ago, at the Broomall, PA chapel, I saw a familiar face. Sam Newell, (Sarah Kapp's brother), was a good friend of mine in high school. He was in Philly selling security systems for the summer! He was at the stake offices getting his recommend to get married this last month! That was fun to see a familiar face.
I really love you! Have a great week!
Love,
Elder Wallentine
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Dear Family,
Conference was really something, wasn't it? The church had bought a plot of land in central Philadelphia about a year ago right next to all of the sky scrapers. There are pictures and designs of the "chapel" they were building there, hanging up all around the stake. But try as we might, no body could see the reason for putting a chapel there. There wouldn't even be a unit to use it really. Off and on we had suspicions the church was planning on using the land for something else, so we'll see if that's what they do here pretty soon. That will be so exciting to have a temple in Philly! In the city, there is so much depression and drugs and bad things going on, it weighs down on you after a little while. We could really only feel peaceful and not-stressed-out in the church building. Having a temple in Philly will do wonders for the atmosphere in that place. Rome will be interesting too, won't it?
Conference was great, and tomorrow Elder Bruce Hafen of the Seventy is coming to visit the mission and talk with us. That will be exciting! We have to drive about 3-4 hours tonight to go up to Wilmington, Delaware and then up to Philadelphia. It will be a long drive through a bunch of soybean fields and corn, but that's cool.
We had a great week. We found a street on Monday night where we were able to talk with 3 people. They all set up return appointments with their families! It was great and God is being so good to us down here on the Eastern Shore. If you want to see the area we live in, we are in an apartment complex at Crusader Road and Roslyn Street in Cambridge, MD. It's a great place, and now that it's cooler, we don't have to worry about all the CRAZY HUGE bugs they have over here. Good grief! I've never seen so many huge bees and spiders in my life! It's nice to have them gone!
Thanks so much for all your help. You guys are really great, and you've done so much to teach me and help me through this far! I love you tons!
Love,
Elder Wallentine
Conference was really something, wasn't it? The church had bought a plot of land in central Philadelphia about a year ago right next to all of the sky scrapers. There are pictures and designs of the "chapel" they were building there, hanging up all around the stake. But try as we might, no body could see the reason for putting a chapel there. There wouldn't even be a unit to use it really. Off and on we had suspicions the church was planning on using the land for something else, so we'll see if that's what they do here pretty soon. That will be so exciting to have a temple in Philly! In the city, there is so much depression and drugs and bad things going on, it weighs down on you after a little while. We could really only feel peaceful and not-stressed-out in the church building. Having a temple in Philly will do wonders for the atmosphere in that place. Rome will be interesting too, won't it?
Conference was great, and tomorrow Elder Bruce Hafen of the Seventy is coming to visit the mission and talk with us. That will be exciting! We have to drive about 3-4 hours tonight to go up to Wilmington, Delaware and then up to Philadelphia. It will be a long drive through a bunch of soybean fields and corn, but that's cool.
We had a great week. We found a street on Monday night where we were able to talk with 3 people. They all set up return appointments with their families! It was great and God is being so good to us down here on the Eastern Shore. If you want to see the area we live in, we are in an apartment complex at Crusader Road and Roslyn Street in Cambridge, MD. It's a great place, and now that it's cooler, we don't have to worry about all the CRAZY HUGE bugs they have over here. Good grief! I've never seen so many huge bees and spiders in my life! It's nice to have them gone!
Thanks so much for all your help. You guys are really great, and you've done so much to teach me and help me through this far! I love you tons!
Love,
Elder Wallentine
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