John is Getting Baptized!

Aye, whattup y'all :) 

Elder Brinkerhoff and I had such a killer week this week! We have already been together about 5 weeks. Time is cruisin! 

Statistically speaking, since we are in a YSA ward over a college campus, during the summer when there are no people around, we have less than half the normal chance to be baptizing people. The good news is that God really doesn't care about statistics. We are baptizing John this week, he passed his baptismal interview and has asked that I baptize him :) So that was the good news. 

Also update on Tommy, he no-showed at our appointment and hasn't gotten back to us :( 

Bryan is doing SO good, we are going to the temple with him again this week :)

The rest of our investigators are crazy; we will be finding more this week. 

Last night as we were walking in a city called Medical Lake, twenty minutes outside of Cheney. We drove out there for 2 appointments, which then cancelled, so we went to tract and visit some other people we had as backup plans. There was a kid by himself in a park. It was like 7:45 at night and we went up and talked to him. We sat right there and had a lesson. His name is Vincent and he is so prepared. I really don't even feel like I deserve half of the blessings from Heavenly Father! The bummer about Vincent... this was his last weekend off for 2 months and he works 14 hours a day 7 days a week. Being a missionary is hard, but that sounds awful. His girlfriend showed up and we taught her too. It was awesome to see them placed right there in our path. Definitely a tender mercy. 

We also met with Trey and Alyssa, two new investigators, this week. They are both awesome! We found Trey on campus and Alyssa from one of our members! The work is so good :)

This week we went back to the mission home for New Missionary Training for Elder Brinkerhoff, since he is being trained and all. During the meeting one of our assistants to the president talked about relying on the Lord in all things. I think I am guilty of going to the Lord only when I don't know something or don't want to do something. I think though how much time God spent planning our eternities of happiness. We should really follow his plan instead of ours :)

Love ya:)

-E.Rapier

A Top 5 Moment

Whattup y'all :) such a good week here in good old Cheney. This place is so whack. If there wasn't a college here it would literally be a train stop in the middle of nowhere. Also they have decided to redo all of the roads in Cheney all at once. Travel has been rough lately but we just roll the windows down and crank up the black gospel choir music... it helps. 

Ok, so Elder Brinkerhoff and I are getting along great. He is having a hard time adjusting and being away from his family, but he is a hard worker and keeps moving forward. 

I had a "Top 5" moment of my life this week. We got to go to the temple with Bryan. He did his own family history too! Elder Brinkerhoff and I were witnessing the proxy baptisms and Bryan walked down into that font and looked up at me and smiled. Every sacrifice and pain I have experienced as a missionary was beyond worth it for that two seconds. I testify of the power of Jesus Christ to change the lives of anyone who will give him the chance. I know that his atonement is and always will be enough. Our awesome bishop then took us and the whole YSA ward, like 22 of us, out to eat at a buffet. I love this ward. Being so close to all these members is awesome :) I honestly feel like the Lord put me in this wards for the members. They are TOO cool. I have made some life long friends. 

In other news, John our investigator is getting baptized in about 2 weeks, on Aug 5th. He is the ex boyfriend of a member who used to be less-active. We taught him for a little while then he wasn't having it with the word of wisdom, he dropped us and a couple weeks later he texted us out of the blue. That was about a month ago. Since then we have taught him weekly and he is progressing. He is living all the commandments and hasn't had beer in like 4 weeks :).

Crazy stat from our mission president - our mission average is 1.8 baptisms per missionary. Hopefully that gives you an idea of how tough this area is. We are so blessed, especially in this ward, to be doing as well as we are! 

We finally met with our other investigator, Tommy, again. It is like teaching a 3rd grader. He has some learning disabilities and ADHD. We definitely have to teach differently because of that. He is also on date for the 26th of August. 

Sorry for the longer emails but my mom requested more details. Anything for old Momma so she doesn't cut off my debit card ;) 

This week I thought a lot about the three pillars of conversion: Faith, Hope, and Charity. Paul talks a lot about Charity in his epistle to the Corinthians. Often we do things out of necessity, in order to obey the letter of the law. True Charity is the feeling of love behind the actions we make. [The sister missionaries are about to kick us out of the computers] Pray for charity, it is a gift from God :)

I love you :) 

-E.Rapier 

Photos: enjoy me at the temple with Bryan :) and me with the resident black member Nick who just moved.

At the temple with Bryan

With Nick from the YSA ward

Alien Subspecies... What?!

Aye y'all. I apologize for no weekly email last week, Elder Brinkerhoff and I were really busy! So my new companions name is Elder Brinkerhoff, he is from St. George, Utah! He is a big 6"4' football and rugby player. We get along really well. We have had a fun couple of weeks :) He is a very hard worker and the Lord is opening many doors for us! 

Update on Bryan: he is still doing really well, we are going to go to the temple this week with him! It has been amazing to see his faith and testimony grow and progress. He has learned and is continuing to learn so much. Like he just signed up for a bunch of community service this week because it was "the right thing to do"  :) What a guy!

John: He is still on-date for august 5th! He is doing really well and could use your prayers. He gave up beer and has been clean a couple weeks now, nothing short of a miracle! 

Tommy: Working a lot and we haven't been able to meet a whole lot, still on date though. 

We have been finding investigators through members and getting a lot of referrals from the ward. We are so blessed here. Funny story - we were out walking campus Friday night because our lesson got done early and we had 15 minutes before 9:00 pm and we were obedient and stayed out. We talked to this off-the-wall crazy guy who believes we were planted here by aliens and that we are a subspecies harvest colony that will be raided by aliens. It was dark and I can't be positive but I think he was wearing a tinfoil hat, bless that poor man's soul. Jesus suffered for him too, lol. 

Alright, so far on my mission I have loved training new missionaries the most. I feel that I am the missionary closest to what my mom thinks I am when I am training. As Elder Brinkerhoff and I have talked about what a successful missionary looks like, I have come to know my Savior more. I think it is easy for me to over look the role of the Savior as a missionary. Often I see everything he did and I think of his power and forget everything he suffered. I love the verse in Isaiah, "He is a man of sorrows acquainted with grief." Man do I testify that to be true. He has stared grief, pain, and anguish right in the face and taken them on his back. How cool is that?! I find so much comfort from the peace of my Savior. Sorry this didn't make too much sense.

I love you all, your emails letters and packages mean everything :) Thank you for the support

-E.Rapier :)

New greenie - Elder Brinkerhoff

New member discussions with Bryan

2 Yearsss & Training

Wow, two years to the day that my father passed away. I really don't know how to feel. To be honest, I think it effects me more now than it ever did before. It just has never really seemed real that he is gone. I cannot believe it has been two years. Where did the time go? I am eternally grateful for the 17  years I did have. I learned a lot from my old man. 

In mission news, I got call from President Dymock that I will be training another new missionary!! I am really excited. President told me he plays sports and he is tall. I will pick him up tomorrow. I will be staying here in Cheney YSA and Elder Case will be leaving to the boonies of Priest River, Idaho, lol. I am really excited for this. Hopefully all goes well. 

BRYANS BAPTISM: it went so well! He is such a champ. We had around 50 people show up. The spirit was really strong and it is just a confirmation of the work that we do as missionaries. I am thankful for this opportunity. A family in the ward actually bought him an engraved pair of scriptures last night. The ward loves him and he loves the ward, he even bore his testimony yesterday in church. :) I am so happy with the work.

All of our other investigators are well, John is now on date for the 5th of August. Pray that he can give up beer, that is a big one for him. All is well on the missionary front. 

In Helaman, the Gadianton robbers attempt to lay siege on the Nephite and Lamanite city. They were unable to even penetrate city due to the preparation of the Nephites and Lamanites. I think in each of our lives, we go through spiritual sieges. The enemy tries to catch us off guard. He would love nothing more than for us to be unprepared and unaware of him. We must be reading every day. We must pray every day. Without this the adversary gains power over us. Kick Satan right in the throat. Go fight win.

Love you all :))

Elders Rapier and Case with members of the YSA ward in Cheney.