Monday, August 31, 2015

What's the word of the day? BAPTIZE!!! :)

Hey Everyone! 

I'm doing great here. Hermiston is such a fantastic area. There are so many people here that are willing to talk and open up if you give them the chance. Recently, I've been trying to be more genuine as I talk with people. It really helps to talk to people about their families. People love talking about themselves and about their families. It makes it so easy to talk with people about the gospel. 

Chris is being baptized on Saturday! He passed his baptismal interview on Saturday, and is just waiting to be baptized. He honestly could have been baptized two weeks ago, but due to scheduling and him wanting his family to be there, it's happening this week. He was recently married to a less-active member of one of our wards. He's so cool. He reads from the Book of Mormon everyday, and feels the Spirit as he reads and comes to church. It's been a little different teaching him because he already knows everything from his wife and the previous missionaries. But he's excited about his baptism!

We were also blessed with an incredible new investigator, Olivia. She has been attending church for about a month and a half in a different ward with her friend. Her friend realized that Olivia was supposed to be going to a different ward, so she referred Olivia to the missionaries. Unfortunately, she got the wrong ones. Twice. By the time we taught her, she had been taught the Restoration lesson twice and had already been committed to a baptismal date by the Spanish sisters. So when Elder Malcolm and Elder Smith (exchanges... I haven't actually met her yet.... ) put her on date, they gave her a date a week after the date that the sisters had given her. :) But she's still going to be baptized. :) 

We've been blessed a lot this week. Our district is doing fantastic. We've already had 4 people be baptized this month, and there are three who are being baptized this Saturday, including Chris, with a lot more on the way. There really have been people who have been prepared for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As we have opened our mouths to share it, we have been blessed. Jesus Christ is the Reason. http://bcove.me/25ol2ef3. I have been tremendously blessed as I have turned to my Savior for help. There are so many miracles that happen all around us. I am so thankful for the Gospel and Doctrine of Christ. I would invite everyone to read 2 Nephi 31:21. This is THE Way. 

Elder Plehn

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Greetings from Hermiston, Oregon!!!

10 August 2015

So we had a really crazy week...

We started our week in Kennewick, and now Elder Malcolm and I are in Hermiston. We got a call from our mission president on Wednesday night telling us that we were going to be going to Hermiston on Friday morning. It's been fun. We left one person on date and two that were really close (we get to go back for the baptisms) and we got 6 people on date, with 2 or 3 really close. :) And we barely have any records, so we are starting from scratch, but with people to teach. :) 

This area will definitely help me personally to improve and become more like the Savior, but the most important thing is the change that can happen as any of us put our trust in Him. He really can help us. 

Also, Thursday is August 13th.... I don't even know what to say to that. To think that I've been here on my mission for one year is... strange. I think I'm starting to figure it out. :) As I put Christ first, everything else get's easier. Funny how simple that is, but how hard it is to keep up. 

Love,
Elder Plehn

Monday, August 3, 2015

Great Week!

3 August 2015

So, last night, I was thinking about the week. We had had a pretty rough day, and I was a little down. But then I made a conscious decision to think about the good things that happened. By the time I got to the end of the week, I didn't even feel that I needed to think about the disappointments. Heavenly Father has blessed us with so much, and he does so much for us on a daily basis, that it by far outweighs the negative or the mistakes that we make. 

So, some of those good things: We had two lessons with Eric, and he now has a solid baptismal date on the 22nd of August. He says that he has "definitely felt it," which is a huge step for him. He's ready to go! Mike and his wife Brenda both came to church again, and they are doing really well. In Sunday School, Mike commented that he knew that the Gospel is true, and that the Book of Mormon is true, and that he has been able to rely on that as he has been trying to help his wife progress. Speaking of his wife, Brenda agreed to sit in a lesson this week! That's huge progress for her as well. She's been to church 4 or 5 times, but we haven't had a lesson with her yet. So we're excited for the two of them. 

Also, Graham Crackers and milk make daily planning so much better. :) 

Love, Elder Plehn

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