Lynn Barnett & Neva Swatzel--Ghost Burger

Hey mom!

This week has been an incredible one! Lynn Barnett was actually
baptized not this last weekend but the weekend before. There is a
pretty cool story behind the whole situation. She was planning on
getting baptized about three weeks ago but ended up getting pushed
back a week because her son actually didn't know anything about it. We
called him not knowing that he didn't know and asked him if he was
planning on doing the ordinance and he called us back and was shocked
because he had no idea that his mother was even meeting with us. So we
ended up meeting with him and found out there are some negative
feelings in their relationship. So it was an interesting process of getting
everything set up. So her son actually was able to do the baptism.

And it was an awesome baptism. There were
about 60 people there and the refreshments were fantastic.

This week we met with this one woman who had been raised by members
but was never baptized and she told us this interesting story about
her life. It made me realize that as we talk to a lot of different
people, they tell us these bizarre stories that
normally a person wouldn't hear about. But when we come around they
end up telling us almost everything it seems. I think it's really the
Spirit that we are granted as we do this work that enables us to get
personal with these people that causes them to open right up to us all the time
and it's incredible.

Today I took on the challenge from Fred. I was to eat
the ghost pepper burger at Burger Bungalow. And I did it. I ate this
huge burger and a pile of fries in less than ten minutes. It was by
far the hottest burger I've ever had. I have some pictures that I will
send next week or this week i will see. But trying to play basketball
after that was a excruciating experience.

Won't be doing that again  anytime soon.
Love you all!
E. Archibald

This first picture is of an investigator Neva Swatzel. She is 91 years
old and still extremely happy and full of energy. She loves the
missionaries!

How to Survive High School

Hey mom hopefully you get this before seminary is over.

How to survive high school. Hmmm high school is an awesome place to have a lot of fun. I had a ton of fun in high school but there is a fine line between fun and dumb. Sometimes when your dumb it is fun but soon after you act dumb you look back and say what the? That was pretty dumb idk why I acted like that. This example can be used in many ways. The way I see it is, make your mind up now what you want to accomplish in high school. What do you want to get out of school? Once you have decided what that is, think of things that benefits you in the long run. I was a social bird and that benefited me very little in the field of education. I still learned stuff but I could have learned so much more! The decisions you make now will effect your future. Go to work! I almost graduated 2 years ago! That's wild.

 

A lot of the time we see that we have the luxury of repentance or spiritual blessing but we don't really strive for them like we should. It's just like Elder Dieter Uchtdorf spoke on. "Your potential, your privileges" we have unknowable potential. Through our Savior Jesus Christ we are supers of the human world. Really! We have the "opportunity" to become like God! We know this. Now act on it. 

 

Try this next time you have a hard assignment. Get your homework out and then your scriptures. Say a prayer and start doing your homework. If you come to a wall, flip open the scriptures and read a few verses with the question in mind. The answers might now be found in the text but they are in your head. The Spirit will reveal it unto you. 

 

I know that my Savior lives and that through Him we are not only cleansed from sin but able to become the best sons and daughters of God we can imagine. I know that Joseph Smith restored Christ's gospel again on the earth in its fullness. I encourage all to find our for themselves if this is true if you haven't already. It's changed my life and will continue to do so as I serve. 

 

You guys are awesome! 

PRIESTHOOD LOVE! 

E. Archibald

Lynn baptism set back, Elder Mohler and Minion hats

Hey!

 

Holy moly!

The week has been incredible! We were supposed to have a baptismal service for Lynn Barnett but some stuff happened and got pushed back a week. What I mean by stuff is that her family didn't know about the baptism and they couldn't make it here soon enough. So we are having a ton of her family here in town for the baptism. It's going to be a great day. Teaching Lynn has been a privilege. She knew it was true right from the beginning. They must be from the tribe of Ephraim. She is so open to the gospel and change. When we asked her to live the Word of Wisdom she got right up off of her couch and dumped out her tub of coffee. She has been drinking coffee for over 30 years and just stopped cold turkey! Lynn is incredible!

 

I had the opportunity to train the district this last week and it went pretty well! I trained on the approach we take when talking with people on the streets or at doors. It's pretty crazy how many things you have to do to get a really good conversation rolling. To get both parties fully interested and interacting in the ‘convo’ is hard to do sometimes with the gospel. And that's why we have trainings. I love this opportunity to serve not only the people in the ward but the other missionaries around me. 

 

As for the seminary part, I will send a letter to you in the mail just because that's cooler. That's too bad that your getting released mother! At least now you can pick up early morning swimming and some mid afternoon racquetball to train for some more Olympics! Seriously it would be so much fun. Time flies and your chances are ticking away. That's what I've learned. The time we have to achieve. Our dreams or goals is short and if we don't start now it might now put get done. 

 

Training Elder Mohler had been great! We are getting along a lot better now. The first two to three weeks with every new companion is kinda rough and then you get into the flow of things and it goes great. We are tearing it up here in Columbia heights and love it. A lot of the pictures we take are with Fred Swink. He is by far the coolest member I've met on my mission.

Training new missionay Elder Mohler, teaching seminary

Hey! 

Sorry this week's letter is going to be a little shorter than usual. We have been really busy.

It was an incredible week all together though. We had the opportunity to find, teach and this week baptize! Lynn Barnett is planning on being baptized this Friday and it's going to be incredible. She has come a long way and believe it or not we tracted into her about 2 months ago. Lynn is from Alabama and she has an awesome personality. The mission brings a lot of different experiences and feelings into motion. It's pretty cool to see all the different life styles and how the gospel can bless them in their own way. 

Me, Fred and Elder Mohler

First week of training a new missionary has been great and will continue to do so. We actually had the chance to teach early- early morning seminary yesterday morning. It was at 6:10. These kids are wild but then again they were half awake as we taught the restoration up until the First Vision; the climactic part that wrecks people with the Spirit. Haha it was awesome. This week I will have the chance to train missionaries and go to the temple. It's gonna be a great week! Here's an awesome quote to spice things up a bit. 

"The nature of God is a circle 

of which the center is everywhere 

and the circumference is nowhere." 

 

We love Ghetto Ice Cream Trucks

Losing Weight ---STRANGE

District Leader and Adversity Quote

Hey family!
This last week has been incredible! On Wednesday we had transfer
meeting and I received my new companion. I am training Elder Mohler.
He is a stud and he is going to be a great missionary after these next
two transfers. The reason I say that is because this ward and the area
are incredible! We have the opportunity to work closely with the
members everyday as we go to lessons and testify of the truthfulness
of our message.

Tonight we actually had this sweet experience. Today was p-day so we
weren't able to go proselyting until later but it was an awesome p day
leading up to a more exciting night. So to start our night off with
tracking. The first three doors were kind of rough with no one
interested. So we walk up the to fourth door and low a behold we have
someone who actually will listen to what we have to say. We ended up
teaching him the restoration and applying the message so well to what
he needed. As we were wrapping everything up we extended the baptismal
date for the 4th of August. He accepted! It's truly incredible to feel
and share the powerful message of the restoration on doorsteps. And to
feel that Spirit anywhere and everywhere is also incredible. It has
really opened my eyes to the way we think and perceive things. Its
amazing when we can teach someone when there is something hectic going
on in the background and still feel the Spirit as strong as ever.
There are definitely those times where it's a little different but
that's why God gave us adversity. It makes us work harder for those
moments and appreciate them more when they come. I read this sweet
excerpt on adversity today it reads;

"Adversity is a reality of life. Without adversity we could not
understand or appreciate joy and contrast to sorrow, righteousness in
contrast to wickedness. Often, the problem is not so much the
situation itself but rather our attitude toward the situation and the
events and relationships around us. Howe view the situation is the key
to dealing with adversity. Perceiving things from a higher perspective
invariably leads to greater understanding and frequently to the
discovery of effective solutions." Also ( 2 Nephi 2:11)

I love the mission and the opportunities that I have had out here.
It's truly changed the way I perceive things and will continue to do
so as I continue on. God truly does live and he does know each and
every one of us and does watch over us. He makes that known every
single day! We aren't looking hard enough. My challenge to you is to
pray to witness God's hand in your life daily.
Is he really there?
Find
out for yourself.
He's waiting!
Love,
E. Archibald

Growing through our trials and District Leader

Hey family!

This last week has been an incredible one! It really has showed me
that I can do hard things. Throughout all of it I've really come to
understand the importance and power of prayer. It's really incredible
to teach investigators this and see them really witness it for
themselves.

We went and saw a recent convert last night that had been
sick for the past few weeks and she asked us for a blessing. I was
picked to do the initial blessing after the anointing. As I laid my
hand upon her head and started to speak I could feel the spirit so
strongly and I comforted and aided her with her afflictions. But there
is more to the story. I've recently been asking to be more charitable
and thoughtful to our investigators and the people we
administer to. This blessing was a clear answer to that prayer.

So on Wednesday this week my companion and I went to a leadership
meeting. You may ask why? I have been called to be a district leader
for a few missionaries. It's going to be great but there is more. I've
also been called to train a new missionary! It's going to be great!
It's going to be a little different at first but I'm sure he will do
good. I actually don't know who it is yet but I will find out on
Wednesday.

God does not want us to be comfortable. He wants us to continually
grow and make ourselves better and if we aren't then God is going to
change that. That's why he sends us trials, and gives us callings.
With the knowledge of this it brings peace and comfort to us as we
face our trials and take on these callings. It's because we know that
we don't have to face it on our own. We can be inspired and aided not
only by others but by our Savior. Where we fall short, H
know this to be true.

Shoutout to Travis! Have fun up in Washington or Oregon! It's such a
sweet place. If you go to Oregon be prepared to say. Hmmm interesting.
Haha have fun!

The pictures are pretty recent. And there will be more of elder Kelly
and I and then the new companion. Miss you!
E. Archibald

e fills in. I

Chris Campos and Lynn (Great Chemisty)

Hey!

This last week we had a baptism for Chris Campos! He is nine and about as smart as a 13 year old. That is true most of the time. I say most of the time because we have to bribe him with candy bars if he gets the questions right. He seems to answer every one of them at that point.

This last week we ended up seeing Lynn four times. She is a new investigator from last week. I'm sure I mentioned it in my last letter but I will recap just in case. She is from Alabama and was a chemistry teacher. She has been so prepared and we happened to tract into her last Saturday. We met with her on Tuesday and committed her to be baptized on the 13th of September. She already knows the Book of Mormon to be true and the church to be true as well. Where has this woman been and why is she not baptized already. We call her a platinum gator! We ended up leaving her with a commitment to have a church tour on Thursday, attend a baptism Saturday, and the confirmation on Sunday. She is seriously incredible and I do not know what to do. Just teach her and work towards baptism. Usually there is a huge concern but she is already past all of those. As far as we know haha. 

This week I've learned a lot about the word CHANGE. It's an awesome word isn't it. The opportunity to alter the outcome of our actions by changing something we do or think about. As we change to become like our Heavenly Father our thoughts change. They change from negative to positive or from a little positive to something higher than that! I've seen this multiple times as I have gone out and proselyted amongst everyone. It's an incredible process! 

I thank all of you for your support and love!

E. Archibald