Monday, April 14, 2014

April 14, 14

Greetings from soaking wet Findlay Ohio

 So first things first need to clear up a misconception that occurred during my last email, I am not training Elder Hesford I am greenie breaking him. It means that I am the first companion he had after his trainer and as such am breaking him of all the bad habits his trainer gave to him. 
 Things in Findlay are great and fantastic, apart from the frequent rain which comes by out here in Ohio, which wouldn't be nearly as much of a problem excepting that when one is on a bike and it begins to rain one tends to get soaking wet as well as all of the supplies which one is carrying. As for the area the people are nice enough, although as the weather warms up many people feel the need to hurl profanity at us from their car window I am not quite sure why.... So far we are working our tails off and trying to put forth extraordinary effort to show the Lord our faith so that he will start to work miracles according to it. We found a wonderful new investigator Lou, apparently missionaries have been trying to stop by her since before I got here but the first time Elder Hesford and I stop by bam she is home and we teach her a lesson and pick her up as a new investigator. So that was awesomely exciting, although we haven't been able to get a return appointment with her. That appears to be the vein of things right now,  lots of people want to meet with us and we set up a time to go see them and then when we get there they aren't home. Rather quite depressing, but missionary work isn't easy and it isn't supposed to be. Missionary work is a work of forging and refining souls, and sometimes it is our own souls that must be refined and forged in the Master's hands, but as we dutifully show our faith through our obedience to his commandments and rules we will build within ourselves a more Christlike being and as we become more like Christ we are capable of experiencing greater happiness, and greater joy. It is only however as we come to appreciate and apply the Atonement of Christ that this transformation can occur it is only Because of Him (mormon.org/becauseofhim) that we can find salvation and exaltation, it is only because of him that we are freed from death hell and the devil and misery and endless woe, because of him we can be changed, transformed, and uplifted from where we are when we were born to what we desperately want to become. It is all possible because He lives.

The Report of Elder Hunter D. Poe

Monday, April 7, 2014

April 7, 2014

The Elder Poe Report

I apologize everyone for not emailing more there is actually quite the story that goes with that. Basically I was biking along the road and out of no where a Barracuda jumps out of a puddle and bites one of my legs clean off, not to be stopped though like John Morrill in mountain of the Lord I fashioned a wood one out of a nearby tree branch and persevered. Okay all of that is a lie, really for those not aware last week I hit and passed the one year mark, and there was a lot going on in preparation for  General Conference, and I was kinda depressed last week. Which resulted in emails not getting sent but I am back and with the grace of the Lord better than ever.

So I am currently serving in the Findlay biking area in western Ohio, it is a decent sized town about the size of Clearfield with nothing for hundreds of miles around except cornfields. I am currently greenie breaking a fine young elder by the name of Elder Brent Hesford, who has a lot to still learn but wants to move forward so he is fantastic really no one better. 

We currently have no solid investigators but that is going to change soon. 

As for conference....
I don't know how I feel about conference I just don't think anyone was up to par with where they were last year, I feel like the 12 just weren't there to win. Just kidding, although really is there anyone who didn't like conference. I thought all of the talks were amazing, although honestly I am really worried, because if we accept that the people who talk in conference are Prophets, Seers, and Revelators, and they have seen what is coming in the next little while, all they talked about was sacrifice, faith in the face of trials, standing up for your faith, and the kind of things that often we associate with large scale natural disasters, man made catastrophes, and the early persecution of the saints. It is kind of freaky. Also compared to previous conferences that come to my mind a lot more of the talks were more stern more of a warning about the consequences of sin, and a rebuking of people, contrasted with the blessings of living the Gospel and the joys of following Christ. 
Elder Bednar was definitely mind blowingly awesome, although Elder Holland's was superb I could feel the power of his testimony so strong when he emphasized that he knew.  I would say though President Utchdorf was probably one of the most practical ones or ones that are going to modify my behavior the most. Also in consequence of Elder Ballard's address I would like to invite each member to obtain a personal physical copy of Preach My Gospel and to study from it at least on a weekly basis as well as possibly coming up with FHE ideas from it. I promise that if you will do so the Spirit will come in greater abundance to the home, your capacity to act will be strengthened and the principles of the Gospel will have a greater bearing on your behavior and in the decisions you make.

I also received one of the best pieces of advice I have ever heard this past week from Brother Lon Kreger 1st Counselor in Findlay Bishopric he told me "come home with your shield or on it" this comment comes from the ancient Spartan mothers who would tell their sons that it would be better for them to die in battle a heroes death, than it would be for them to flee from the field of battle and live a cowards life. In relation to missionary work that means be willing to kill yourself for the work give every last ounce of effort, ambition, and energy to the work of the Lord. It means to never spend a minute trifling with temptation it means to deny yourself of all ungodliness and come unto Christ with perfect obedience. How can we expect to represent Christ and to bear his name upon us be willing to have the audacity to claim we are his representatives, if we do not lay everything upon the altar of sacrifice. Christ paid the ultimate price for all of us how can we do any less than pay him back with everything we posses. That is what he require ultimately is that we offer up our whole souls as an offering to him then he will remake us into what we so desperately want to become. 

I know that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Saviour I know with absolute certainty that the 12 Apostles and the First Presidency are witnesses of Christ to all the world and that the head of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is not President Thomas S. Monson but it is Jesus Christ. I know that when we  head their council when we build upon the rock of our Redeemer who is Christ the Son of God then we will be able to weather every storm trial or adversity that comes our way. I testify as one who has been called to witness of him to all the world in his sacred name, that of Jesus Christ. Amen

Elder Hunter D. Poe