Week 8: Who Am I?

This seems to have been the topic of this week and I have done a lot of searching and have come up with a magnificent answer, that I have made a point to read often so that I may know just "Who Am I?" Here is what I have come up with:

I am the son of Elohim, the only Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent being in the universe. The brother to the only Perfect Being to ever walk this Earth, and the recipient of His most wonderful and gracious atoning sacrifice. I am a Valiant Soldier in the army of Michael the Archangel, to fight for the glory of God and all that he stands for. I am the son of Wade Wayne Fleming and Brenda Irene Cram, two goodly parents that have chosen to follow the teachings of Christ in these last days and on this darkened earth. I have chosen to serve my Lord, Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, the one and only Jehovah to bring others to the same realization that through Him all thing are possible. I am a Child of God!

So now I ask you. Who are you? I know and can promise you that as you come to truly understand who you are, you will feel the love that our Savior and our Father in Heaven has for us. Now to the juicy details of the week...
First, let me start off by saying that having faith in God and His power is a powerful tool that not only missionaries  have access to. It is something that every Child of God can use to help others, as well as themselves. Ok, so after many diligent hours of finding over the past few weeks has finally paid off because we have found two new investigators this week. One is the 9 year old son of a recent convert, and the other, who actually our neighbor, who we found through Search and Destroy on our area book. He was marked as not interested, but he wants to learn more now, which is AWESOME!
Now I want to recap a story that happened on this last Sunday. We had a lesson with the siblings that are on date, and we had to drive ourselves (no members could go with us), as we got on the road we discovered that we would not have enough gad to make the almost 50 mile round trip visit to their home. As we continued anyway, we said a prayer that we would be blessed to be able to make this visit with enough gad to make it there, back and to the gas station the next day. What is awesome is that miraculously we not only had enough gas for that but according to the car, we ended with enough gas to go five more miles, so we had more than enough to reach a gas station and fill up the next day. I just wanted to share that story and bear my testimony that not only does the Lord bless those who serve him and do his work, but he blesses those that keep his Sabbath day holy.
I also want to take some time to congratulate my sister-in-law, Hope, for getting baptized this last Saturday. I am sorry I could't be there for it, and that I won't be able to be there when you guys are able to go through the temple and get sealed, but I just want to say that I love you and am proud of your decision to be baptized and to take the first steps towards returning to live with your Heavenly Father. I know that He is proud of you too and loves you more deeply than I can even express in words. Also, I want to say that I am very proud of my brother Corban for turning his heart toward the Lord once more and the wonderful husband he is/ is becoming for his wife and what an awesome brother he is.
Lastly, I want to say to all my Willistonian friends that I love you and am/will truly miss you. As some of you know, my parents are moving to Nebraska, so I will not be in Williston when I return in just 22 brief months (that is right it has been two months), so I just want to say that I appreciate all of you and the experiences that you have allowed me to have so that I have been able to grow into the wonderful man I am today, but don't worry, I will come back and visit for sure... I have got to give my homecoming talk in the ward I left, other wards it just wouldn't be right.
Well, that is all I really have for this week. I love you all and know that Jesus Christ lives and loves you too. Have an awesome week and I hope that you will receive many blessings from our Heavenly Father.

Week 7: The Week of Blessings From Heaven

So this week was kind of cool... But first let's start with the regular stuff. All through out this week we have been doing a finding activity called, "Area Book: Search and Destroy." It is a thing that our Zone has started to make sure that our area books are clean and have good information on who is in the area. Another part of this activity is to clear out "Eternigators" and people that have said they were interested at one point.  By doing this we have the opportunity to gain new investigators or have newly invigorated investigators. Basically it is an awesome finding tool! Something else we have been doing, and trying to get better at, is going tracting... Unfortunately, it is a little disheartening when you go to a persons house and ask them, "How are you today?" And they respond with a, "Great... Until you showed up!" Followed by a door slammed in your face. At that point, all you can do is push forward with a Steadfastness in Christ and have faith that you will find someone on that block of homes you are tracting. 

Ok, now to the Blessings... Elder Jensen (From Roseburg) came up to Sutherlin to hang out with me while Elder Scott went to evaluate Elder Carter's performance, not important. What is important, rather, is that Elder Jensen and I had a lot of success in visiting some less actives that Elder Scott and I had had no luck with in the past. We also went tracting when we found three, that's right, THREE potential investigators... Followed by that on Saturday we were able to get three of our investigators on date (they are all siblings). As well as, Sunday we had what is called a "Golden Investigator" come up to us at church and say he wanted to talk with us... All in all a very Good week! 

Some more interesting tidbits, I had started to re-read the Book of Mormon and to really understand what I am reading! Unfortunately, that was taking forever, so following a challenge I received from Elder Jensen on Friday, I am now highlighting my questions to go over later, and reading the Book of Mormon with a goal set of finishing it by the end of my training (6 weeks from now). So in order to do that I have to read an average of 12 pages a day... Now let me tell you nothing changes your attitude more than reading the Book of Mormon in all you Free time, and doing the Lord's work in your other time. Your faith grows like a wild fire and you start to notice more easily the blessings around you, but with that the Lord sees that you are trying and blesses you even more because of it. Well, that is all I have for you, beside the fact that I would like to challenge you to read the Book of Mormon in 3 Months that is an average of 6 pages a day. If you do that I can promise you that the Lord will bless you and that Satan will lose his/have no grasp on you. 

Until next week, I love you guys and you're awesome! Bye!

Week 6 - Pictures

There are about 4 people missing...

Elder Carter, Elder Watson, and Elder Kroll are all enjoying
their p-day as we finish week 5 as Trainees! 

Elder Scott is intently writing emails about the game of LIFE!

Elder Jensen and Elder Thurgood... too busy to notice me!

Elder Earl. He is one of our Zone Leaders.

Elder Myers (Zone Leader) and Elder Tree enjoying some
Carl's Jr.

This is my Bestest Bud currently in the mission. Elder Kroll, who
was in my Zone at the MTC and is from the balmy,
St. George, Utah.

Week 6

This week week has been jammed pack full of emails... On Tuesday Elder Scott had to go to Eugene for a Mission Leader Conference so I went to Roseburg and walked like 9 miles, so I was dead, because I have a car in Sutherlin, and they don't in Roseburg... Then on On Wednesday and Thursday we did a lot of tracting to try and find some investigators and that didn't really work out. What can you do?! On Friday we were locked in the Roseburg Stake Center from 8 in the Morning to 6 in the evening to have "Meetings" because of the Large Amount of Protesters in the Area due to President Obama... And then on Saturday we had to Go to Yoncalla to tract (still in our area) because there was a serious rumor that the Hells Angels were going to be in Sutherlin. So, all in all, the recent events that have taken place in the last two weeks are seriously hindering the Proselyting efforts here in Roseburg/Sutherlin. Gotta love politics 😋. Anyways I love you guys, you all are awesome, and I miss every single one of you. Have an Awesome Week, you are in my prayers, please put me in your prayers that I may have success in bringing the Gospel to others. Until Next week!

New Haircut!

First Haircut in the Mission field... He gave it to himself!! 

General Conference Week - Week 5

Hello friends and Family...

This week has been great. We spent most of our week tracting, and for some reason everyone was not in their homes or was flat out unreceptive this week. I would have thought that with the shooting in Roseburg this week (only 11 miles away) that a lot of people would be confused or inquisitive and it was like everyone didn't really care past Friday (it happened on Thursday) but it is as if the world is desensitized to this kind of thing, nowadays. Oh well, I am very sad for the families of those that lost people in the shooting, but the way I see it, they are in a better place and they died standing up for their beliefs! So, you can't really go out a better way.

General Conference was great... I love the talks and the words that the prophet and apostles prepared for us. It is great to receive the guidance from Elder Uchtdorf's talk about simplifying doctrine, and Elder Hales talk about avoiding temptation instead of putting yourself in the storm and having to weather it.. anyways I LOVED conference and am praying that everyone can benefit from the words of the Prophet and Apostles. Have an awesome week and will talk to you next week.

Elder Parker N. Fleming