So this has been yet another week in such a good area! Just so good even though it has been so rough! We have been working just so hard, questioning what we can do differently, what we can say differently, really taking a strong self-evaluation on where we are at, where we need to be and just being so diligent and striving to be exactly obedient.
Lots of ups and downs came throughout the week. We had been able to build some really good relationships with our members but yielding a referral out of them has been like pulling teeth, but we have been able to commit them to do a couple things that will yield great results if they apply them!
This area has indeed been a refiner’s fire. We have been trying to follow the spirit so closely, and we just can’t seem to make dots connect here. I often wonder why that this has to happen. It was this past week that I was finally able to come to the conclusion that this is the hottest, and the deepest depths of the refiners fire that I have ever been in. Results have come at a downward spiral, and all this time I have been wondering what I am doing wrong. Well, I officially was able to come to terms with just having an increase of patience. We were listening to a talk by Elder Jeffery R Holland the other day and something struck in the story he related about the man who got stranded in the desert with his family.
He said "Thirty years ago last month, a little family set out to cross the United States to attend graduate school—no money, an old car, every earthly possession they owned packed into less than half the space of the smallest U-Haul trailer available. Bidding their apprehensive parents farewell, they drove exactly 34 miles up the highway, at which point their beleaguered car erupted.
Pulling off the freeway onto a frontage road, the young father surveyed the steam, matched it with his own, then left his trusting wife and two innocent children—the youngest just three months old—to wait in the car while he walked the three miles or so to the southern Utah metropolis of Kanarraville, population then, I suppose, 65. Some water was secured at the edge of town, and a very kind citizen offered a drive back to the stranded family. The car was attended to and slowly—very slowly—driven back to St. George for inspection—U-Haul trailer and all.
After more than two hours of checking and rechecking, no immediate problem could be detected, so once again the journey was begun. In exactly the same amount of elapsed time at exactly the same location on that highway with exactly the same pyrotechnics from under the hood, the car exploded again. It could not have been 15 feet from the earlier collapse, probably not 5 feet from it! Obviously the most precise laws of automotive physics were at work.
Now feeling more foolish than angry, the chagrined young father once more left his trusting loved ones and started the long walk for help once again. This time the man providing the water said, “Either you or that fellow who looks just like you ought to get a new radiator for that car.” For the second time a kind neighbor offered a lift back to the same automobile and its anxious little occupants. He didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry at the plight of this young family.
“How far have you come?” he said. “Thirty-four miles,” I answered. “How much farther do you have to go?” “Twenty-six hundred miles,” I said. “Well, you might make that trip, and your wife and those two little kiddies might make that trip, but none of you are going to make it in that car.” He proved to be prophetic on all counts.
After recounting this story he expanded upon it and this is what he said that hit me the most. "Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don’t come till heaven; but for those who embrace the Gospel of Jesus Christ, they come." Just as Joseph had pondered and reflected upon James 1:5, I too reflected on this greatly. "I am doing the best I can, what more can I give?" was what the spirit brought to my mind.
I am so grateful for this area, for the refining process that it has put me through. We may not baptize, we may not teach, and we may not see the fruits of our labors until we account before the Lord, but I know that I am meant to be here. There is a lesson to be learned, and I am becoming more and more grateful for them.
I love you all so much and pray for you continually!
Love
Elder McCown
Tuesday, May 24, 2016
Monday, May 16, 2016
My Son Wants To Meet You
Another good ole week in Coquitlam! Even though we have seen a HUGE drop in teaching this past week we still saw miracles! We have been hitting the pavement hard and we have been just working so hard, and it has been so good even though it can be hard to see the silver lining in all things. It was so good though! We were able to find yet another person for the sisters to teach! AND IT IS PERFECT! We just had a baptism this past week and it is this lady named Maliheh. Well, she only speaks Farsi and broken English but she loves the gospel! WELLLL! We were able to find this lady that has basically the same situation as Maliheh! What is even better is that Shayla (the lady that we knocked on) has already read half of the Book of Mormon and has a pretty good idea it is true, and she is from Iran which is where Maliheh is from! That and she believes our doctrine! God is just so good and we cannot wait to hear how Maliheh's testimony will grow because of this! It is such a tender mercy because Maliheh gets to exercise her testimony right off the bat! God is just so good!
Other than that, Elder Beck and I were able to see some miracles on our exchange. It was so cool! We knocked onto this Iranian ladies door. Well she just started off by asking "Why are you doing this?" "Such a waste," ya know, all that fun stuff. Well, as she was about to close the door her son Sepehr walked by and asked "Are you Mormons??!" And that opened a good conversation with him! We stated our purpose and he was uneasy about it, and said no. We then said good bye and started walking away. Well, after we were down there steps, we hear them open the door and they offer water and fruit. Well, he still was not interested, but we were able to build some good trust. We then proceeded to go down the road even further. Well, long story short we finish the street and not knowing where the next street was we proceeded to the car, and just as we got to the car we saw that we had passed the road along the way. We start heading towards the road and all of the sudden we see the Iranian lady drive up and say, "My son wants to meet with you!" Well we freaked out (in a very professional way of course)! We got all the info and as we were walking away, I imagined just how many different ways she could have taken to leave, as well as the different amount of spots we could have been in that could have easily lead to her not driving by us. I am just so thankful that it worked out that way!
We were also able to see a member doing his missionary work! And it is actually a less active! He invited his friend to church and we are seeing them this Tuesday!
So needless to say, we have seen a lot of progress. It honestly was the best week I have had here and it just keeps on getting better and better!
Love
Elder McCown
Other than that, Elder Beck and I were able to see some miracles on our exchange. It was so cool! We knocked onto this Iranian ladies door. Well she just started off by asking "Why are you doing this?" "Such a waste," ya know, all that fun stuff. Well, as she was about to close the door her son Sepehr walked by and asked "Are you Mormons??!" And that opened a good conversation with him! We stated our purpose and he was uneasy about it, and said no. We then said good bye and started walking away. Well, after we were down there steps, we hear them open the door and they offer water and fruit. Well, he still was not interested, but we were able to build some good trust. We then proceeded to go down the road even further. Well, long story short we finish the street and not knowing where the next street was we proceeded to the car, and just as we got to the car we saw that we had passed the road along the way. We start heading towards the road and all of the sudden we see the Iranian lady drive up and say, "My son wants to meet with you!" Well we freaked out (in a very professional way of course)! We got all the info and as we were walking away, I imagined just how many different ways she could have taken to leave, as well as the different amount of spots we could have been in that could have easily lead to her not driving by us. I am just so thankful that it worked out that way!
We were also able to see a member doing his missionary work! And it is actually a less active! He invited his friend to church and we are seeing them this Tuesday!
So needless to say, we have seen a lot of progress. It honestly was the best week I have had here and it just keeps on getting better and better!
Love
Elder McCown
Monday, May 9, 2016
Is He Proud of Me
So this has been quite a week! Just working hard and just giving our all has brought some miracles into our paths and judging from our results and just how much we feel better about ourselves from experiences we had together, has just made this past week so good!
We were able to teach a decent amount. Appointments seem to have fallen through on a more regular basis as I have gotten here, but I have recognized it is more of following the spirit and separating the "wheat from the tares". That has just come into my mind so much as I have been here and we have been working just so diligently, even though we are so imperfect. We have had a lot of fun and the time just keeps on moving too fast.
One of tender mercies I learned this past week was a lesson that our ward mission leader taught us. Having had a mildly stressful day, with a possibility of the one of our two investigators we have not wanting to take the lessons really put us on edge. As we contemplated what to do we talked with our ward mission leader as well as the bishop and wanted to get a fast going this coming Sunday for missionary work. As we told them of our idea, our ward mission leader could tell that there was something that was up. As we headed back from the lesson we had that night, we got back to his house and he really uplifted us and encouraged us to just keep going. We noticed that we had gotten a little too down on the appointments falling through and, even though we were being exactly obedient, giving up time whenever we possibly could, we were expecting results. That and we kept on comparing ourselves to the "Standards of excellence". So basically we were just beating ourselves up. Well he said something that rang just so true. He told us to pray and ask heavenly father if he is proud of me. I almost started tearing up. We had just been too busy giving our all and we neglected to ask Him if he was proud of us.
It was so good to see all of you though! That skype call seemed to only last 5 minutes! It was so crazy seeing all of you growing up!
I sure love and miss all of you! God is great and people are crazy!
Love
Elder McCown
We were able to teach a decent amount. Appointments seem to have fallen through on a more regular basis as I have gotten here, but I have recognized it is more of following the spirit and separating the "wheat from the tares". That has just come into my mind so much as I have been here and we have been working just so diligently, even though we are so imperfect. We have had a lot of fun and the time just keeps on moving too fast.
One of tender mercies I learned this past week was a lesson that our ward mission leader taught us. Having had a mildly stressful day, with a possibility of the one of our two investigators we have not wanting to take the lessons really put us on edge. As we contemplated what to do we talked with our ward mission leader as well as the bishop and wanted to get a fast going this coming Sunday for missionary work. As we told them of our idea, our ward mission leader could tell that there was something that was up. As we headed back from the lesson we had that night, we got back to his house and he really uplifted us and encouraged us to just keep going. We noticed that we had gotten a little too down on the appointments falling through and, even though we were being exactly obedient, giving up time whenever we possibly could, we were expecting results. That and we kept on comparing ourselves to the "Standards of excellence". So basically we were just beating ourselves up. Well he said something that rang just so true. He told us to pray and ask heavenly father if he is proud of me. I almost started tearing up. We had just been too busy giving our all and we neglected to ask Him if he was proud of us.
It was so good to see all of you though! That skype call seemed to only last 5 minutes! It was so crazy seeing all of you growing up!
I sure love and miss all of you! God is great and people are crazy!
Love
Elder McCown
Monday, May 2, 2016
Silver Lining
So crazy week up here in Coquitlam! We have been just hitting a grind up here and we have been just working so hard! Just a low down of the week...tracting, sweating, a little bit more tracting and sweating some more, all with the same scratched up name badge that I have worn for just short of two years. No matter how many times I get yelled at, no matter how many times I get cussed out, belittled or pushed around, the name of Jesus Christ makes it all worth it. Besides that crazy low down we saw some awesome miracles this past week!
We were able to do quite a bit of less active work. These people are literally gold mines! They know people that obviously aren’t affiliated with the most beautiful thing ever put on earth! So we have been dropping by every once and a while and they let us in because they still love missionaries! So we hit up that less active work and things have been picking up over here!
One of the coolest miracles was Moyra! She is so awesome! She is living with this less active and they just have the cutest little family! Long story short, her ties with her family as well as her church were broken because of issues in the family. Well that just pushed her away from them and towards us! Needless to say God works miracles! I was so close to crying in that lesson though! I just remember one specific moment where the spirit just took over. We were about 10 minutes in and we were just setting expectations, basically giving a nut shell story on what we do, when the distinct impression told me to just testify of families. I dont remember what I said, but she just started tearing up, and how she was sad that her family did not have the same. This little family is going places, and by that I mean of course the temple! She felt the spirit so strong in that lesson and we are teaching them tonight!
We are also teaching this guy named Terry! He is such an honest and very solemn and quite man. Really unhappy with his church and things are just falling apart at the seams with him at church as well as at work. We were able to teach him the Restoration and the spirit just hit me like a brick wall. Not just some two foot pretty brick wall but a very big, thick brick wall. But it was so good! We are also meeting with him tonight as well!
One of the best parts of the week was when we were dropping off a member and his parents place after a failed lesson. Being sad that it did not go through, as well as the multiple others that did not go through this past week, I just got frustrated. Elder Vanatta was looking at the back up plans we had and he looked at me and just knew something was wrong. He started rattling off ideas and one of them was just to say a prayer. "Well duh! That’s always a good idea," I thought to myself. Well, in answer to that prayer, I received this impression, "Go back to the Tolman family, they know someone." Well at least something along that line. So we acted on it, got out of car and talked to them for a little bit. After relaying that experience to them, the spirit brought to mind someone that he should invite to the next ward activity! That and they invited us over for dinner that evening! Double win!
So, even though it was a hard week with many hardships, disappointments, as well as a lot of sweating, we were able to see a lot of miracles! Even when it is just so tough, when you feel that you are just lost in the dark, there is always a silver lining.
Sure love and miss you all!
Love
Elder McCown
We were able to do quite a bit of less active work. These people are literally gold mines! They know people that obviously aren’t affiliated with the most beautiful thing ever put on earth! So we have been dropping by every once and a while and they let us in because they still love missionaries! So we hit up that less active work and things have been picking up over here!
One of the coolest miracles was Moyra! She is so awesome! She is living with this less active and they just have the cutest little family! Long story short, her ties with her family as well as her church were broken because of issues in the family. Well that just pushed her away from them and towards us! Needless to say God works miracles! I was so close to crying in that lesson though! I just remember one specific moment where the spirit just took over. We were about 10 minutes in and we were just setting expectations, basically giving a nut shell story on what we do, when the distinct impression told me to just testify of families. I dont remember what I said, but she just started tearing up, and how she was sad that her family did not have the same. This little family is going places, and by that I mean of course the temple! She felt the spirit so strong in that lesson and we are teaching them tonight!
We are also teaching this guy named Terry! He is such an honest and very solemn and quite man. Really unhappy with his church and things are just falling apart at the seams with him at church as well as at work. We were able to teach him the Restoration and the spirit just hit me like a brick wall. Not just some two foot pretty brick wall but a very big, thick brick wall. But it was so good! We are also meeting with him tonight as well!
One of the best parts of the week was when we were dropping off a member and his parents place after a failed lesson. Being sad that it did not go through, as well as the multiple others that did not go through this past week, I just got frustrated. Elder Vanatta was looking at the back up plans we had and he looked at me and just knew something was wrong. He started rattling off ideas and one of them was just to say a prayer. "Well duh! That’s always a good idea," I thought to myself. Well, in answer to that prayer, I received this impression, "Go back to the Tolman family, they know someone." Well at least something along that line. So we acted on it, got out of car and talked to them for a little bit. After relaying that experience to them, the spirit brought to mind someone that he should invite to the next ward activity! That and they invited us over for dinner that evening! Double win!
So, even though it was a hard week with many hardships, disappointments, as well as a lot of sweating, we were able to see a lot of miracles! Even when it is just so tough, when you feel that you are just lost in the dark, there is always a silver lining.
Sure love and miss you all!
Love
Elder McCown
Monday, April 25, 2016
Coquitlam
So, it honestly has been quite a week! I honestly freaked out when I came back to the lower mainland! After 6 months of literally none to very small street contacting, I got tossed back into bus loops and people just walking everywhere! I felt like such a greenie all over again but its alright now!
To be honest Coquitlam has nothing much really going on when I got here. Some past missionaries left the place with nothing much. Fortunately Elder Vanatta and his previous companion were able to come in and whitewash it and try and revamp the whole attitude of the area. Not much has been happening but we are so ready to kick butt in this area!
Everything is going great though! Elder Vanatta is from good ole AZ. Gonna hit it up after the mission cause he is only in Scottsdale! We have a lot in common which is kind of crazy! More than anything, I am just excited to set this area on fire! We have just been praying so hard and we have learning so much from just the past week!
I sure love and miss you all! Just know that God is good and people are crazy!
Love you!
To be honest Coquitlam has nothing much really going on when I got here. Some past missionaries left the place with nothing much. Fortunately Elder Vanatta and his previous companion were able to come in and whitewash it and try and revamp the whole attitude of the area. Not much has been happening but we are so ready to kick butt in this area!
Everything is going great though! Elder Vanatta is from good ole AZ. Gonna hit it up after the mission cause he is only in Scottsdale! We have a lot in common which is kind of crazy! More than anything, I am just excited to set this area on fire! We have just been praying so hard and we have learning so much from just the past week!
I sure love and miss you all! Just know that God is good and people are crazy!
Love you!
Monday, April 18, 2016
Hasta la bye bye Kelowna :(
So crazy awesome week! Saw a TON of miracles! Met this guy named Ashquiza...pretty cool guy. Besides meeting Ashquiza we did see some other awesome miracles! Went out and just worked our tails off and that farmers tan is settin in real good. We were able to teach Jerry this week! After hashing out a time with the bishop and the ward mission leader and him we were finally able to set a date that satisfied everybody! So he is gettin tized on April 28th! So stoked! Brenda (the lady who likes to sing) came to church as well!
So coolest miracle! Last week we were out walking in the southern part of our area and we ran into this cool YSA dude named Dylan. We have been texting him off and on for the past week and were not able to see him until this past week! Turns out he is the most solid guy ever! We were able to pass him off to YSA and I went with Elder Ushio to do service. Literally the most truth seeking guy ever! He came to our ward because he was busy during the time YSA meets and he absolutely loved it! He was lingering around talking to people and he is so ready to hear the gospel! While we were at church he told us about all his travels around the world, and then started talking about his dad who he lost about 2 years ago. After church we got a text from him and he said "Thanks for the invite, I owe you one" and we just had such a good conversation texting back and forth after! He said "It feels good already!" God is just so good! Love this guy to death and I barely know him! I am just so amazed at what the gospel does and how it can just cause you to love people, to see them for who they really are!
So of course all these miracles start happening and we get transfer calls:'(. Literally the saddest day of my life! We have been working so hard and have been able to meet so many people who are ready to hear the gospel! I just sat in my bed that night, not wanting to leave, and that is when I said one of the most sincere prayers I had ever said in my life, to just know if Coquitlam is where I needed to be. Well...God always answers prayers and even though it is not how we want it, or more importantly, when we want it, he still gives it to us.
I am so grateful for the gospel, for its power to bring a greater love, and to also mend that love when it is separated! I am so ready for Coquitlam and am just ready to tear it up with my new companion Elder Vanatta!
Love you all and God bless ya!
Love
Elder McCown
So coolest miracle! Last week we were out walking in the southern part of our area and we ran into this cool YSA dude named Dylan. We have been texting him off and on for the past week and were not able to see him until this past week! Turns out he is the most solid guy ever! We were able to pass him off to YSA and I went with Elder Ushio to do service. Literally the most truth seeking guy ever! He came to our ward because he was busy during the time YSA meets and he absolutely loved it! He was lingering around talking to people and he is so ready to hear the gospel! While we were at church he told us about all his travels around the world, and then started talking about his dad who he lost about 2 years ago. After church we got a text from him and he said "Thanks for the invite, I owe you one" and we just had such a good conversation texting back and forth after! He said "It feels good already!" God is just so good! Love this guy to death and I barely know him! I am just so amazed at what the gospel does and how it can just cause you to love people, to see them for who they really are!
So of course all these miracles start happening and we get transfer calls:'(. Literally the saddest day of my life! We have been working so hard and have been able to meet so many people who are ready to hear the gospel! I just sat in my bed that night, not wanting to leave, and that is when I said one of the most sincere prayers I had ever said in my life, to just know if Coquitlam is where I needed to be. Well...God always answers prayers and even though it is not how we want it, or more importantly, when we want it, he still gives it to us.
I am so grateful for the gospel, for its power to bring a greater love, and to also mend that love when it is separated! I am so ready for Coquitlam and am just ready to tear it up with my new companion Elder Vanatta!
Love you all and God bless ya!
Love
Elder McCown
Monday, April 11, 2016
The Spirit Testifies
Man so this was a crazy/super hard week! Literally so good though! JERRY IS GETTING BAPTIZED ON APRIL 20th! Just one of the coolest old guys I know! He is so funny and loves the gospel! He has been wanting this for quite a while!
Besides that, it was still a great week! Had an awesome lesson with Brent! Happiest guy I know and we were able to set a date with him for May 7th! He has such big heart and loves what we have been teaching him! Literally love the guy to death!
Rob has been doing awesome as well! We had such a good lesson and the spirit testified that this church was true right in that lesson! I mean he knew it was true already but it was awesome! Elder Weingarth and I were kind of going into that lesson with a very vague plan on what to teach because he has been taught everything already. Well, we talked about baptism and the spirit told me to commit him to look at his calendar, and pick out 3 dates that he finds right for him, and then to ask heavenly father which day is his. So we left that lesson, feeling like the lesson went great and Elder Weingarth just start freaking out and said "That’s the exact same commitment that I thought of too!" The spirit testifies...
So that was awesome! Much of the rest of the week was walking, running into some awesome people, as well as getting a crazy farmers tan... God has been so good though even though Sunday was a grind. We were fasting and it was so hot. Just completely dehydrated and everything...can’t wait to see the miracles that come out of it though!
Sure love and miss all of you!
Just know to do your best, and God will do the rest!
Love
Elder McCown
Besides that, it was still a great week! Had an awesome lesson with Brent! Happiest guy I know and we were able to set a date with him for May 7th! He has such big heart and loves what we have been teaching him! Literally love the guy to death!
Rob has been doing awesome as well! We had such a good lesson and the spirit testified that this church was true right in that lesson! I mean he knew it was true already but it was awesome! Elder Weingarth and I were kind of going into that lesson with a very vague plan on what to teach because he has been taught everything already. Well, we talked about baptism and the spirit told me to commit him to look at his calendar, and pick out 3 dates that he finds right for him, and then to ask heavenly father which day is his. So we left that lesson, feeling like the lesson went great and Elder Weingarth just start freaking out and said "That’s the exact same commitment that I thought of too!" The spirit testifies...
So that was awesome! Much of the rest of the week was walking, running into some awesome people, as well as getting a crazy farmers tan... God has been so good though even though Sunday was a grind. We were fasting and it was so hot. Just completely dehydrated and everything...can’t wait to see the miracles that come out of it though!
Sure love and miss all of you!
Just know to do your best, and God will do the rest!
Love
Elder McCown
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