Elder Fin May 17, 2015 Week 97

Wow we had a pretty crazy week this week! 

That is sooo cool that it all worked out with the Webster's... they are set to be baptized this Saturday.  

We are excited to see how their trip went. Thanks for doing that for them I know that they enjoyed it!

(The Webster's stayed in our home last week while on their honeymoon, Ethan's compainion's Mom-Sister Rachel Hoffman and I went with The Websters to the Pason Temple Open House, and spent a day with them on Temple Square -Bethany joined us on Temple Square-she took photos of The Websters and it was there that they decided they wanted to return a year after their baptism and be sealed in the Salt Lake Temple.  We had a great time being with them and hearing their gratitude for The Elders and their love for Jesus Christ, Heavenly Father, The Holy Spirit, and their discovery of the power of praying aloud and their desire to make covenants.)  

Well The final transfer has started! I am very excited for it.  Elder Barrett and my boy Elder Taggart are in the zone! 

The work is progressing very good here in Midwest City! 

The Family home evenings continue on and we are now at 15 families that have committed. It has been a pretty average week though.  

We did have to go to our shelter on Saturday but no tornados dropped near us... 

The storms are kinda getting annoying.  I can see how the okies get cocky about not getting hit by a tornado...

It is pretty annoying when the storm hits at 9 o clock so we have to go to our shelter and pretty much just chill there and watch the news.  

The tornado chasers are crazy! not just because they chase 300 mile hour wind but they make little storms seem a lot bigger than what they really are.

We had an awesome lesson with a part member family this week.  They have an 11 year old daughter who has been investigating for awhile. 

Well we taught her the plan of salvation but to spice it up we did it with chalk... it was soo cool!

One thing I ran across in my studies recently

 “People are not better off when they are given maximum personal freedom to do what they want. They’re better off when they are enshrouded in commitments that transcend personal choice—commitments to family, God, craft and country.”(New York Times columnist David Brooks , quoted by ELDER PERRY) 

I am going to strive this week to have a 'transcending' experience ever day. Or merely an experience every day that allows me to desire and be better. 

It seems like this mostly comes for us missionaries when we have conferences but really if we can apply this everyday we'll be a lot happier--

because we'll be able to apply the doctrine of Christ more fully. 

So all in all I am going to identify the commitments from the spirit that are given in the scriptures.

Love ya

ELDER FINLINSON

May 10, 2015 Week 96‏

Hola yall it was great to hear from all of you yesterday! (YES! we talked on the phone because Elder Finlinson figured he would see us soon enough so he didn't set up a skype call...)

This week was solid I already talked to you about most of it. 

But the coolest is for sure that Matt and Amanda got married and are going on their honey moon to none other than SALT LAKE CITY!! 

ha I am excited to see and hear how it goes! (They may be staying with us and we plan to visit a few sights together)

They are some of my favorite people that I have meet on my mission. They are then getting baptized this Saturday!

Elder Finlinson shared the following during the phone call and I asked hime to write it out in his letter, he did!

Phase 1= Missionaries do all of the work (≠ PMG)

Phase 2= Members help missionaries with the work (either way)

Phase 3= Missionaries help the members with the work (= PMG)

This is the model that we are trying to follow here in MWC and really the whole mission. 

We have broken up our area and identified each ward member household and have placed them in the phase that we feel they are at. 

Some are phase 1 and I feel it is mostly the fault of the missionaries and the lack of care of helping the members.  

Really there are phase 1,2 and 3 companionships of missionaries.  

As we have been applying this in the area we have honestly tasted what missionary work is supposed to be like. IT IS SO EASY! 

Its just that it isn't easy in the beginning but in the long run it changes everything. 

But something that would help the missionaries out is to ask yourself if you are a-

PHASE 1 MEMBER (Do you let missionaries do all the work?)

PHASE 2 MEMBER(You occasionally have them over for dinner, go out teaching with them)

PHASE 3 MEMBER (You understand the way of missionary work (aka PMG) you are proactive, you understand that it is your role to find people to teach(LA/nonmember), you desire the growth of the church)

AGE RANGE TO PARTICIPATE-- 0 years - eternity 

LOCATION TO PARTICIPATE-- ANYWHERE

You are at one of these phases whether you like it our not. Decide what one you want to be, its the first step! 

I can promise that being a phase 3 member is where you want to be. There and only there you will find the true spirit of missionary work.

PHASE 3 INDIVIDUALS<PHASE 3 FAMILIES<PHASE 3 WARD  

City of Enoch pt. 2

LOVE YALL

ELDER FINLINSON

May 5, 2015 Week 95‏

Cinco de Mayo!

What a week!

The reason I am emailing today is because we had a mission tour yesterday.  

Elder Corbridge came to our mission.  It was awesome! 

He also came to reorganize our stake presidency here in the OKC south.  

I actually got to know him pretty well the past weekend. 

He lives really close to us, his children went to Brighton and Albion! 

He is famous to missionaries for his 4th missionary talk.

 https://docs.google.com/a/csddocs.org/file/d/0B-RFrnIsrlQYdElsQ0ZHN2hzREE/preview

Elder corbridge really focused on the Atonement of jesus Christ.

He rebuked us for not talking about it as much... if you go through Preach My Gospel you will see it in every lesson!

So that was awesome.

We have had some crazy experiences this week.  

I think the biggest one was that we went to lifechurch.tv this week with some investigators.....

OHHHH MY GOODNESS OUR CHURCH IS SOOO TRUE 

haha.... lets just say the last time I was in an environment like life church was at the Aussie Floyd concert! 

haha It was perfect though because we went on 'baptism Sunday'! 

So they had this big swimming pool blown up in the middle of their church which is really a big warehouse set up like a concert...it was chaos! 

The pastor, his wife and his daughters were all performing the baptisms I will give you the processes of what I could infer on baptism.

WHY?

1.  To feel good

2.  An optional way to show the public your decision to 'follow Christ'

HOW?--a nice 10 step process

1. bring your swim gear (or short shorts for the girls)

2. and a smile

3. find someone to baptize you (it doesn't have to be the pastor...or his wife...or their kids...heck just find someone to dunk you (if you do enough ab ripper you can baptize yourself))

4. enter the water (usually dancing to the beat of some dubstep)

5. get a pre-baptism pump up from the pastor

6. you are then baptized on the count of three (no words are spoken)

7. enjoy the cheer of the crowd!!!!

8. SAVED (really you were saved the week before when you raised your hand and the pastor forgave you...so...huh)

9. enjoy the holy ghost (somehow)

10. ready to return to your Heavenly Father

I have never witnessed anything so hollow. The Great Apostasy really did happen.... I really am grateful for the experience that I had to go to lifechurch.tv this past week. It helped me increase the faith that I have with my Savior and His atoning sacrifice for us. I now have a greater desire to go and help all of those that are trying to apply the Sacrifice of Christ in their lives and just don't know any better. 

I LOVE OKIES haha they are the best people on this planet. And hey if you receive a witness that Life Church is true...STICK to IT! 

That would be the easiest way to become like our Father in Heaven! 

I would just challenge you to read the Bible!

HELP SOMEONE THIS WEEK THAT HAS FALLEN INTO APOSTASY WITHIN THE CHURH OF JESUS CHRIST or OUT OF IT so they can feel the true power or Christ's Atonement!

Oh yeah the investigators that took us to lifechurch.tv are getting married this week then the next week are getting baptized in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints...

Love y'all

ELDER FINLINSON

April 27, 2015 Week 94‏

Wow what a great week! 

First off Amber, Alana and Lyncia Williams got baptized! It was awesome! 

It was kinda hard for David because he relapsed so he wasn't able to be baptized with them.  

But we were able to talk with him after and he was telling us that he was next!

Yesterday was pretty interesting at church we had 2 random visitors one was from Rose State College where he was taking a religion class, another was 'David' from Oklahoma Baptist University.  I had the opportunity to sit next to David during sacrament and talk to him about what what happening.  One thing that really stood out to him was that there wasn't a pastor (yeah when you Google 'what do Mormons believe?' you won't find this whole church is run by volunteers)  But I was able to give him a Book of Mormon and testify.

I also went on an exchange this week with an Elder who really wants to go home... very bad. Man it was crazy just talking to him. I talked to him for about 2 hours in the morning and hopefully was able to help him out a little... one cool part was that I knew that this elder was struggling going into the exchange. He really wanted to go home because he can't handle his stress. He shared how watching tv and playing video games helped him back home... I asked him if they really did help him or did they just push off the stresses for a while... Well it came down to saying that the mission helps us figure out a cure for our stresses not just a delay. It was very cool to defend the mission and I really hope that the Elder stays out, he is great!

WELLL LOVE YALLL

ELDER FINLINSON

April 20, 2015 Week 93

Magnify With Christ MCW (Mid West City, OK)

Hello family this will be quick I'm very sorry.

I guess the biggest news is that I received my travel plans last week.... WHAT! 

(We also received Ethan's travel plans, he arrives June 25th, 4:18pm, Delta Airlines!)

President walkenhorst, President Bean(stake president) and a solid high councilor came! 

IT was so cool we set up a ward mission plan and had a great combined 3rd hour where president spoke again!

The week was great! We had a huge turn out to church with both investigators and less actives. 

This week we set up 7 Family home evenings with ward members where they'll invite either a LA or a non-member to their home and have a FHE with us!

Amber and the kids got interviewed and are ready to be baptized this week!

I'll share something spiritual from president

""Brethren, shall we not go on in so great a cause? Go forward and not backward. Courage, brethren; and on, on to the victory! Let your hearts rejoice, and be exceedingly glad. Let the earth break forth into singing." D&C 128:22.  This scripture refers specifically to work for the dead, but I think we can apply it to all of the work of salvation."---President Walkenhorst!

Love Yall!

Elder FInlinson

April 13, 2013 Week 92

Y'ALL ARE SO TRUNKY RE‏ (Mom, gave a countdown of all the June events...)

hijole

Thank you so much for the count down!  

Eh it doesn't really phase me.  I am not one of those guys that are going to be dying for an extension.   

The mission is really going to change by July. We have a ton of missionaries going home and not a lot coming out. 

Many areas have been closing and more will be. 

PRAY FOR MORE MISSIONARIES. 

I went on an exchange with one of the assistants this week and had a great time.  

That was Elder Davis that you saw in the photo.  He goes home with me.  

We had a great time talking about the mission and what is changing. 

We talked about how so many missionaries are going home because they are 'depressed'.  

It really is a huge problem in our mission. 

PRAY FOR THE MISSIONARIES.  

Over the past couple of weeks I have really been studying the ADJUSTING TO MISSIONARY LIFE BOOK.  

This book came out half-way through my mission and it is great! One of the topics is helping other missionaries who are over-stressed.  

This is something that I really have been working on.  

I kind of have the mindset that it is better to keep a missionary on a mission serving for 24 or 18 months than having a sweet lesson or 20 new investigators. 

This has especially been in my head because the end is in the near future :) I need to find or retain some replacements!

The mission life really is the best and everyone needs to experience it. 

But it is definitely something that you need to adjust to, I am still adjusting to this missionary thing.

Cool story of the week.  

On exchanges we went to a recent converts house in Moore,OK.  

The man we met with was very over-stressed and for good reason. 

A month prior he took out a loan from one of those stupid loan agencies and had 15 minutes to go to the place and pay the loan. 

We were luckily carrying enough money to help out the man and he went and ran to the loan agency. 

Well, first that was the most expensive exchange I had ever been on. 

Second all of that money was from others.  

It was cool to think about how I had all of that money on me. 

Part of that money came from a lady stopping us on the side of the road and told us that she wanted to buy us lunch, so she gave us some money. 

The rest of the money came from similar things.  

I guess that is what happens when you don't pay tithing!  

We had 8 investigators come to church this week! 

All of them except one are committed to be baptized in the next 2 months! 

Please pray for the missionaries and help the future missionaries in getting ready for the best thing that will happen in their lives!!!

Sons of Mosiah fighting depression mixed with Holland's "Like a broken vessel"

ALMA 26:27 "Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us"

1.faith that the lord WILL HELP YOU,

 "and said: Go "

2. Slow down, rest up, replenish, refill then GET UP AND WORK  

"amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions"

3. Don't assume you can fix everything, but fix what you can. 

4. Remember through any illness or difficult challenge, there is still much in life to be hopeful about and grateful for

"and I will give unto you success"

5.  :)  

aint nobody got time to be depressed!

love yall

ELDER FINLINSON

  

  

Elder Davis and Elder Finlinson fixing a fence in Moore, OK  photo emailed last week by a man named Steve, he was grateful the Elders fixed his fence after a big storm.

April 6, 2013 Week 91

Hola

What a week! 

We had some fun times this week.  It was transfers and nothing is happening with us--- big surprise! 

There probably won't be any changes until june;)  We had an awesome easter and a great week!

We had a cool dinner at the Bishop's home this week where we celebrated the Passover.  

We all sat down on the ground and enjoyed some unleavened bread, lamb, dates and grape juice. 

It wasn't very filling physically. But spiritually it was. We then read some of the scriptural accounts of the Savior's final week.  

Our bishop is Awesome!

We had a great Easter watching general conference.  

We watched the last session with an investigator at the Frazier's home.  It was great.  

We then had some great Chamorro food!!!! it was sooo good.  I think they are my favorite family so far her in the Midwest city! 

Every time I meet with them I want to go to guam.  This past week we talked about hunting turtles and 300 pound clams! toooo cool.  

We of course had some awesome spiritual conversations too.

Last night we had a hilarious thing happen. We were talking to a Less Active outside of her apartment when we hear this tapping and it was getting close and closer.  

Then this man with a blind man stick runs up the stairs and into an apartment.  

A few minutes later he comes out of the apartment and 'taps' off.  I guess the man wasn't blind, lets just say there was a strong smell of weed that followed him.  

It was really kinda sad but you couldn't stop yourself from laughing.

Quote of the week

"RM doesn't mean retired Mormon!!!"

Love Yall

Elder Finlinson