June 20, 2014 Week 54

Ok wow!  

Well we got transfer doctrine and me and Elder Taggart are staying!!! 

This will be my 5th transfer in the great Purcell!!!!!!! 

I will probably say that after this transfer I will be ready for a change but I am loving this area still!  So I will be here until September! 

But we started off the new transfer with the baptism of the Hoffman family!! It was great!  

It is amazing to think that we were about to drop them in April!! 

Well good thing that didn't happen!  

I am curious to see who we are going to baptize next!  

I am thinking it is going to be the Hoffman kids! 

They have 3 kids that could be baptized they just were not quite ready!  

Brother Hoffman wanted to make sure that his kids made the decision on their own and didn't feel any pressure. 

So we gave the list of baptismal questions to Brother Hoffman and told him to interview his kids!  It is going to be interesting to see how it went! 

We are really excited to take them out on lessons.  They know a ton of people in Purcell so we are going to get some serious work done with them.  

The ward did amazing in supporting them at the baptism!  They said that they didn't want a whole bunch of people... so we invited the whole ward haha.  

I think in the long run they really appreciated all that attended!  

I had a little pre-baptism scare when they pulled into the church parking lot on saturday I saw what looked like a puff of smoke on the passenger side of the car…

I thought well what do we do?!! They can't just puff on a cigarette and hour before the baptism!!! 

Well then I saw that it was just the spray from that air freshener stuff!....ahhhhhhhhh 

But the service went very well Brother Komers did the baptism and on Sunday Brother Burn did the confirmation.  

It was great to have members of the ward do the actual ordinances! 

They now have a good friendship with both of them and they won't be leaving in 2 months!! Elder Meservy was able to go too!  

We had exchanges this week and for our dinner we had Icelandic food!  It was good! The member that gave it to us served in Iceland and wanted to give us a little of what he ate!  So we had fish balls and then crepes for desert!  

We also had a dinner with the Cabrera family and they cooked up some really good carne!!!! ahhh talking in spanish por fin!!!  I will finish later!

July 28, 2014 Week 55

WOW it hit me this week, it was on 23rd… (Ethan's release date is June 23, 2015)

Someone one asked us how long we have been out, Elder Taggart, bless his heart, said 3 months and then I looked at my watch.... I have 11 months left.  What the heck happened to time ??!!  It is weird because Elder Pugmire was the same way when I was getting trained, he had a year left!  I felt like it would never come, well it has!  

But with that comes such an appreciation for the decision that I had to serve a mission!  I know if I went home right now it would of been worth it-- don't worry.  But anyone who desires change should go on a mission.  That is one of the number one reasons why I decided to go on one.  Seeing the change from missionaries leaving to when they came home was crazy for me to see!  It was easy to see that they were happier after the mission than before!  That was probably the biggest testimony for me to go on a mission.  I wanted to change and the mission seemed like the best way to do it!  There is also the service aspect of it! I loved service in young men's!  So going on a mission seemed fun... where it is almost service 24/7.  Then of course prophets saying, it is the best thing that a young man can do helped out too.  I just added that in, someone asked me to share

Well this week was great we had a lot of fun and I had one of the most intense lessons of the mission.  It was with this man named Larry Nelson.  He is an excommunicated member of the church and  has the desire to return to church again.  The one desire that he is lacking or struggling with is change.  Well with anyone who has a testimony knows that you need a desire of both.  The doctrine of 

Christ is what runs Christ's church and woven into it is change.  And we have the Right, to desire whatever we want, "God … granteth unto men according to their desire, whether it be unto death or unto life” (Alma 29:4)… 

Well the lesson lets just say got to the point that he started feeling uncomfortable (aka the spirit working in him)  He told us that we weren't helping him and that we were putting to much on him.  Well sorry do you want us to dumb down God's laws? We can't do that! But we can tell you what they are, and invite you to live them! And testify of the blessings of obeying them! 

We then told him, "We aren't telling you to obey these commandments God is!" Well after we said that I think a spiritual atomic bomb went off.  We found the statement that he needed to hear thanks to The Spirit!  We then witnessed the loudest spiritual silence ever.. haha it was great! I don't know what he is going to end up doing, but I do know that he knows what to do!

The Hoffmans are doing great!  Mabel their 6 year old daughter was able to convince Sis Hoffman's mom and dad to go to church!!! It was crazy.  I guess Mabel just called her up and asked if she would go to church on Sunday and she said yes!!  Sister hoffman said the only time that she had seen her mom go to church was when they were giving out free food! Sister Hoffman said that she been through alot... meth, alcohol and boyfriends.  But for some reason a 6 year old was able to start up a conversion!  But they were fellowshipped really well and are planning on coming next week!! and of course brother Fishburn knew them haha!

Well there were a lot of other things that happened but.... time is terrible it just goes too fast!  

Good luck y'all.

Love,

ELDER FINLINSON 

July 13, 2014 Week 53

Hey yall!

Wow what a week!! It is always hard to start up an email! But i guess I will start with the Hoffmans!! woooohooo they are getting baptized this week!! they made it to church!  it was awesome!  

We walked out of a meeting and they were all siting on the back row... 15 minutes before church started!!  haha we told the Bishop in ward council to announce that they are going to be baptized!!! 

Right when they announced it Sister Hoffman looked down and said "Jesus" haha she HATEs any form of attention it was great! but they are doing awesome!! Just the parents are going to get baptized this week but the 3 kids are definitely going to follow in the future!! The ward did a good job in welcoming them back to church! So keep them in your prayers so they can endure this week and get baptized!! 

I love this area it is very diverse and very big, there is a ton of work that can be done here!!  Now with the bridge being open we never run out of things to do and especially working with the Spanish people it makes it even crazier!! It is hard because we feel like we don't have enough time to visit everyone!! That is why nightly planning is so important and following the spirit throughout the day!  

We really had this happen yesterday!  We were riding back from an awesome Sunday dinner with the Sexton family and unintentionally passed 2 of the houses that we had planned to visit that night...well we didn't really have the miles to backtrack so we decided to try the Cabrera family (a less active family that goes to the spanish branch)- we had never met them but a few days prior the missionaries from the branch told us if we had time, to go and visit them! so we did.  Well they weren't home so we went and tried a potential in the same area.  Well they didn't answer either so we were on our way out of the neighborhood when a oncoming car stops us and says that they are the Cabrera family!! bueno perfect timing!! so we ask if we can stop by and visit with them and they agreed! They gave us some good ol sandia-- agua melon! it was awesome we had a good visit with them, then hma. Cabrera said that we were and answer to her prayers! she and her husband have been gong through alot in their lives.  I guess her dad who is also a member of the church (not only a member of the church but attends the same branch as her) is kicking her family out of their trailer-- even though she and her husband own half of it!  She said that she is going to obey her father because she doesn't want to lose her father completely!  But they are in a huge financial problem and I guess a few weeks ago hmo Cabrera was going to try and leave to Guatemala.  Hmo Cabrera is a recent convert and doesn't have the priesthood yet.  So they asked if we could give them blessings! WELL we can sure do that! For hma and her daughter we gave them in English but for hmo we gave it in Spanish!  The spirit was very strong in their humble home! After that they said that we were an answer to their prayers!  As I look back to that day I recognize that we were led right to them and we didn't even know!! I truly believe if we can recognize this in our live's we will see the power of the Holy Ghost in a different way!  I think too often we talk of what the Holy Ghost will do, but we ignore or forget what the Holy Ghost HAS done in our lives!

I am studying the New testament chronologically and I am in the final week of the saviors ministry!  It has been amazing my testimony has grown so much in the Savior just by reading the new testament in a different way! One that stood out was the Interaction that Christ had with the rich ruler--MATT 19:16-26... the ruler comes to him with a question that we should all have in our hearts

"Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?"

Christ then responds to him" Keep the commandments" he then lists off some commandments!

"All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?" said the man. 

 Jesus said unto him, "If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me"

But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.

The ruler had the desire for eternal life and would do anything for it, or he thought.  If we have the question,  "What lack I yet?" and respond positively to the answer we will find ourselves constantly improving and on the path to eternal life! because of the apparent difficulty to return to God the disciples asked, "Who then can be saved?" But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, "With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible."

boom... so we better have a relationship with God!

Well yeah we had a great week There are more stories but not enough time to share! yall have a great week! love ya all!

--ELDER FINLINSON

July 7, 2014 Week 52

Wow looks like everyone had a fun fourth!  The Fishburns were happy that they could meet you!  They are the best!! haha I dont know about going on a plane ride with him... that would be an adventure though!! the weather has really started to warm up here but I guess it is lower than what is usually is so that is cool!  We started off the 4th with breakfast at the church... it kinda reminded me of home… krusty's pancakes, eggs and a sausage!! good stuff!  We then had a quick district meeting and then started our dinners and lunches for the whole day!! we went to some members in our areas house and they live out in the sticks and own a ranch…  We had a fun time learning how to rope it was actually pretty fun! And I give props to those that do it! It is hard!  But we had a classic 4th of July lunch with hamburgers hot-dogs 7 layer dip and best of all watermelon!!  I think that water melon is one of my favorite foods and we got it 2 times this week it was awesome!!  We then had a lunch with one of our recent converts... it was sad she invited the whole ward to a cook out but no one went... except the missionaries!  Luckily we went or else she would have been really sad! BUUUT after that we went to another party and then we went to Norman and watched fireworks!! Man we stood out really bad haha it was fun.  What you do is while you are walking, people in front of you will avoid eye contact, but once you get to the side of them and they think that you won't see them looking you hurry and turn your head and they get embarrassed... it is great you can do it with cars too it is great!  

But the fireworks were great... Okies know how to blow up stuff

We had a good rest of the week it went fast though!  we had a ton of opportunities for service! We helped a family move into the ward and we also went to the farm- where we killed the snake last week! Good ol service! We were then walking through the trailer park and ran into a fiesta!! it was great!!  we finally got to eat some good Hispanic food!! they had carne asada and some crazy salsa... I think I lost my touch with hispanic heat!! but it was really good.  Just the next morning I was punished!! But it was great to talk to some hispanics again!!  we were able to find 4 hispanics to teach this past week!

I had some awesome studies this past week!  The first one was in the New Testament in Luke! I am reading the new testament in chronological order and it is so much better!  It is awesome to compare the different accounts of Jesus Christ and his ministry.  The two great commandments stood out to me really strong this week!  It  is amazing how Christ put all of the commandments into 2.1st love god- Doctrine and Covenants 63:34 "the Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind...the willing and obedient will [prosper]-- if we don't love God we can't be willing or obedient.  It flows naturally into the second because we all have the same God or Heavenly Father! Why shouldn't it be to love our neighbors!? And what is the greatest act of love that we can do for our neighbors? I have to say missionary work! I love this quote from Ezra Taft Benson, 

"only those who know and love God can best love and serve his children, for only God fully understands his children and knows what is best for their welfare. Therefore, one needs to be in tune with God to best help his children. …

“Therefore, if you desire to help your fellowmen the most, then you must put the first commandment first."

This is an awesome quote and it made me reflect on how God should be put first in everything! 1st A of F...1st thing we teach investigators...1st beatitude etc!  After we have a strong relationship with our Father in Heaven then we can best help our friends, families and neighbors! 

WELL YOU ALL HAVE A GOOD WEEK I LOVE YOU ALL

ELDER FINLINSON

June 30 2014 Week 51

Hello July!

Wow!!! 

June flew by!  crazy stuff.  

Well the Oklahoma heat is coming!!  We should have a nice and hot 4th of July!  

There are some rumors going around the mission that we will be able to stay out until 11 to watch fireworks!!  I hope so.  

We have heard that Norman has some good fireworks.  

Well this week was pretty eventful!!  I guess the most eventful thing that happened this week was that we killed a snake!  haha 

We were doing service for an investigator who just had a knee replacement.  

Well they have a farm and they asked us to weed whack under the electric fence and switch the water for the farm animals... well when we went into the chicken coop we saw that the chickens were a little on edge... well we found out why.  

There was a massive snake trying to get through one of the corners of the barn but it couldn't get through because the egg that is just swallowed stopped it from going through... haha well we just couldn't let it get away with the egg!!! 

So I grabbed the tail and pulled it and then grabbed a shovel and-- attempted to chop off its head.  Snakes are thicker then I thought... Elder Taggart grabbed a pair of tree clippers and cut through about 90% of the head and then we finished it off with the shovel... it was interesting... but after all of that we were able to salvage the egg!! haha 

We still have the head we are trying to dry it out so then we can hang up the skull in our car.

The Hoffmans have officially quit smoking!!!  They are getting locked in and ready to go for baptism!!  I think that the biggest thing that would hold them back is disc golf! They have tournaments almost every weekend. ahhh but that shouldn't be as hard as getting them to stop smoking! we are actually going disc golfing with them today!  It should be fun! 

We had some miracles.  We found 6 new investigators in one day!! We only knocked on 2 doors too!!  and one of them was a Spanish family!  ahhh man it was hard to teach, it has been close to 5 months since I taught in Spanish and that is when I had a native companion.  But the don de lenguas will help me out!!  

The other family lives in a really small trailer but they are super prepared to hear the gospel!!  Oh yeah we are also getting a new car his week!!! 

woohoo  the malibu is about dead!!!

WELL I HOPE YALL HAVE GOOD WEEK 

ELDER FINLINSON