Charity & Love

I wanted to share with you what I learned this last week of the importance of charity and love . .

Charity and Love is a huge thing, and if not nourished and fed, it begins to dwindle and to crumble into dust . . . But when we turn towards the Savior, and we submit our will to be in line with His will, then He is able to develop us to be the Christlike lovers and Christlike charity givers He wants all of His children to be.

I invite us to, starting this week, make a reminder note in our head to be kind to everyone, and to always be willing to be there for someone in need, and always help those that stand in need of comfort.

Some ideas I thought of:
- Make cookies and take them to people
- Write in a card and take it to someone who may need it
- Serve someone by helping them on a project, or studying, etc

There are so many more ideas we can do. I'm very excited to take this challenge with all of you starting this week and going forward for every week from now on :).

Bump Day!

This week was so amazing and I am so happy; this Gospel is true and I'm so grateful to be a part of it :). Eternal families are God's plan of happiness and I'm grateful I have my family for eternity.

Tuesday morning we left the apt at 7:30 am to go up to the north part of Lewis Center and we met the Delaware Elders (Henshaw and Davis) and made the switch of companions for the day. I went with Elder Henshaw up to Delaware and we had so much fun! We talked to a lot of people, helped out at the food pantry for like 20 min, and we talked with a preacher who completely antied us for about 45 min in the Delaware library about what he believed to be true and that we were wrong in believing the things we did. When I was speaking with him, I felt completely calm and knew the Spirit was with me in what I was telling him and what I know to be true. And like in the words of Moroni, "I, Elder Dylan McEwan, will not deny the Christ." The guy left after a little while, so that made for an interesting day. We taught a lesson to a family on member missionary work and how important it is to be part of this great work.

Wednesday we woke up and I packed my things, and we drove from Delaware to the Powell church bldg which is about 30 min away. We had district council at 10:30, and then me and Elder Yukihiro went and helped Elder Weidman pack up a trailer to take down to Cainbridge to move elders into a new apt. Then we went to John Russell's house and had a very great lesson with him and his caretaker, Abdul. Abdul is super cool! He is originally from South Africa, and just moved here about a yr ago I think. We talked to Abdul about how important families are and how his can be together forever. I don't know if I said this already, but John Russell has been in a wheelchair for about 4 or 5 yrs now and it is hard for him to talk. He suffers from lots of seizures and has had one or two brain surgeries. It is so much fun to talk with him and get to know him because he loves the Gospel with every last ounce of his heart. :). Me and Yukihiro drove up to Marysville that night to spend the night with the ZL's.

Thursday was a great day! We had training visits with Elders Kamerath and Ricks. I went with Elder Ricks and we went tracting in the morning, and were able to meet Ashley. She is super cool and loved being able to answer the survey/questionnaire we did with her. We met up with Kamerath and Yukihiro at 12 and went to a delicious Mexican restaurant for lunch. It was called Fiesta Grande and was so good! I got a burrito for lunch, and man I could've had two or three more haha :);). Me and Ricks had a really great lesson with a family on how the Book of Mormon and the Bible correlate together. We used cardboard, paper, and two thumbtacks. And we showed how when only one thumbtack is in the paper stuck to the cardboard, that's what the bible represents and we still have the paper moving. But when we put two thumbtacks in, the paper stays still and we have a more solid foundation to what we know to be the full word of God. Me and Elder Yukihiro got back to Lewis Center at about 9:45, and I fell right to sleep. Two weeks in a row with 4 training visits total is very tiring :).

Friday we went to Polaris to Elder Bowers apt and we had a zoom video call with the whole Columbus north zone and the assistants and President Stratford about zone conference a few weeks ago and how we are implementing what we learned into our life. I took away from zone conference how we must be totally dedicated to the Lord everyday, to give our life over to him and let him mold and shape us into who we need to be. We helped Elder Weidman fill up 2 trailers in Powell so he can take them to missionaries apts this week and then he said he thinks we are all done now with moving missionaries to different apts. I was counting on Friday, and I totaled 7 times we have helped fill the trailers/move people just in this transfer. Haha good thing I got some good experience at moving people before the mission :);).

Saturday we went out and really got to work that day. We went to 3 or 4 members houses in the morning and were able to set up a few return appointments for lessons with them this upcoming week, and then in the afternoon and evening we were supposed to have 4 lessons with members . . . And they ALL fell through. We were completely in the dark for what we could do because our plans had fallen through. We decided to go visit the Worth family. They are so nice! And here's why: We showed up at their house about 4:45 Saturday night and they were about to have visitors over for dinner and a party. They let us in and asked us if we had dinner that night, we said we were just going to eat later. Sister Worth said, "Why don't you stay for dinner. It's not breaking mission rules because our friends that are coming tonight are nonmembers." So we stayed for dinner and had such a fabulous time with the Worth's and their friends and were able to tell their friends a little about what missionaries do everyday. They loved it and the Spirit was there! Was that anything short of a miracle? I am so grateful beyond words for a loving Heavenly Father and Savior that watches out for us when we don't know where to go or what to do, and all hope seems lost.

Sunday was a great and wonderful day! I finished reading the Book of Mormon, and it made me so happy to have that accomplished and to strengthen my testimony of the word of God. I spoke in Primary as well. Sister Worth asked me on Saturday night if I would speak, because they didn't have anyone. So I gladly accepted and spoke on the "Choice seer of Joseph Smith" and how Joseph was preordained to be a leader in this dispensation. It was about 3 min that I spoke and I'm so glad I could! :) We also had a dinner at Elder and Sister Weidmans house in Powell. It was so good and I'm so grateful for their willingness and love for us as missionaries.

It was such a great week! I will also hit my 6 month mark this week on February 14th (Valentines day)! I have been reflecting on my last 6 months as a missionary and the person I am today because of it. I'm so grateful to Heavenly Father for giving me this opportunity to serve a mission. A lot of the missionaries here in Ohio don't know what a "Bump, Hump,and Slump" day is as a missionary. So I've been able to share with them how cool and awesome they are:);).

The challenge I would like to extend for this week makes me so happy to think about. The challenge is this: "What are we doing everyday of our lives to 'Become Perfected in Christ'"? It is such a cool thing that we can be better everyday than we were the day before and that we can always have Christ's spirit to be with us. Ponder the words of the sacrament prayer, and it will guide all of our lives to be a little better today than we were the day before.

Transfers are next week on Thursday February 20th, and p-day will be on  Wednesday, February 19. We have 21 new missionaries coming next week, which is crazy a lot! Ten of those missionaries are Spanish missionaries and the mission will be opening 4 or 5 new Spanish areas here in the OCM, which is super cool! I'm so excited to have people who speak different languages be able to be visited by more missionaries.

Please pray for Gina Young and her family. We have been trying so hard to get inside her house and be able to talk with her and her family and hopefully be able to start teaching them. Heavenly Father has a time and a season for everything, we just have to keep moving forward in faith.

We got snow on Friday and Saturday this week and it was so cold! But we made it fun though and I had my boots, gloves, coat, and beanie to stay warm :):).

I miss you guys so much! And I'm so forever grateful for the examples you are to me, and for everything you do for me. I pray for you everyday, keep being awesome and doing your very best everyday!

I love you forever and always! :)
Elder Dylan McEwan

"One degree choices"- Elder Utchdorf (my favorite talk)
"Are you sleeping through the restoration"- Elder Utchdorf

Dare to Be Brave . . . Dare to Be YOU

Wow, that week absolutely flew by super fast. It was a great week!

On Tuesday, we went tracting in the morning to the west side of the area. It's been interesting doing tracting in this area because pretty much everyone works during the day, so we end up trying to go to the more "City" part of the area and catch people while they're walking on the street :). We helped Elder Weidman at the storage shed in the afternoon. I think everything is about finished with bringing everything down to Powell from up North. They're putting it all in the 3 storage sheds we have in Powell, so we have been organizing it and getting it looking nice. It's like an adult version of tetris ;). We also had a great lesson with the Ball family (members). We went over the ward mission plan and they also said they would love to have us and our investigators over for a Book of Mormon class at their house one night a week. I think that would be super cool and important to be able to do! We drove up to Delaware that night.

Wednesday we had training visits in Delaware with Elder Henshaw and Elder Davis. I went with Elder Davis that day and it was a ton of fun. We started off the day by helping at a food pantry in Delaware. It is put on by members from the Lutheran church as well as Delaware citizens. It is every Tuesday and Wednesday there. So we helped the people get their groceries and helped them load it in their cars. And oh my goodness, I thought I was going to start crying from seeing those people come into the building with NOTHING, and leave with groceries. I had never helped at a food pantry before and it was the coolest thing ever! We went over to a less actives house that night and taught him about prophets and why we need them. We also gave him a blessing. I was able to be the voice for the blessing, and it was such a tender moment. I had never met the guy, yet when I placed my hands on his head, my heart knew him from the pre-earth life. I then spoke the words the Spirit gave to me and realized in that moment, it doesn't matter if we know someone before we help them; we must always help people, even if we don't know them. We had a really great lesson with a member family in Delaware on the importance of dancing to the music of the Gospel. I shared that we all are on this journey called LIFE. But we all dance to the gospel differently and we must all help each other to hear the tune of the Gospel and what it means to us. Me and Elder Yukihiro drove 35 minutes south to the Polaris elders apt that night.

We had training visits with the Polaris Elders on Thursday. I went with Elder Jones and had a great day. We started the day off by going to the north east part of Polaris and walking for about 2 hrs to people's houses. We only were able to talk with one or two people at their houses, but those one or two people are the people our Heavenly Father needed us to talk to that morning. That afternoon, we walked for about 2 1/2 hrs (my leg muscles have gotten very VERY big from all the running and walking I do). We tried talking with one street of houses and also offering service, but all of their signs said, "If you are not selling Thin Mints, then Seriously Please Go away". So I turned to Elder Jones and said the next time they go back, to make sure they take thin mints to these amazing and good people of Polaris :):) We were able to set up an appointment with a member family for the future, so I was very grateful for that. Elder Jones and Elder Cox (his comp) went to the Columbus temple that night with some of their members, so me and  Elder Yukihiro took their lesson with a recent convert for them. His name is Danny and was baptized a few months ago I believe. We taught the importance of daily scripture reading and why we must "feast upon the words of Christ". It was great and the spirit was felt. Me and Elder Yukihiro were quite tired when we got back to the apt that night after having back to back training visits.

Friday was an amazing and fun filled day! We helped Elder Weidman in the morning with unloading a trailer that had an apartment's worth full of furniture and washers and dryers (it was my 2nd workout of the day ;). Then we had district council and interviews in Powell at the mission home. One of the perks about interviews at the mission home is Sister Stratford made everyone chocolate chip cookies while we visited, and they were so good! Definitely made it a great day :). My interview with President was so good. He told me that he knows the Lord wants me in the Lewis Center area, and that He wants me to start preparing to be a trainer in the future :) I gave a training at district council on How to become a Preach My Gospel missionary and the importance of it. I taught that we must talk WITH people, and not TO/AT people when we have conversations. People see the way members of the Church teach and talk. We must feast upon the words of Christ and treasure up in our minds continually the words of Christ, so that it'll be given us in the very hour, yes in the very moment, that which should be meted unto every man. I think my training went good and hope everyone was able to learn something. It was cool to be back in the mission home after 6 months since my first night in Ohio. We did weekly planning that night at Elder Bowers house in Polaris, and about 45 minutes into it, we had both fallen asleep, it was like 7:05-ish ;).

Saturday was what I am calling, "Max overload" day haha :). We helped the Brogdon family move out of their old house at 10 am, and then at 11 am we went with the ward mission leader (Brother Walker) and helped the Igle family move out of their house and we did that til about 1 pm, and then we went to the Brogdon's new house and helped them unload everything and put everything from the cars to the house. Then, at 3 o clock we went over to Brother and Sister Gornichecs house (members), and we helped them sand all of their cabinets and drawers in their kitchen so they can paint them. We were there for about 3 hrs and then we went up to Sunbury to the Tucci house (members) and talked with them about some questions Brother Tucci had. He is a convert to the church, and so it's always been super fun to talk with him and hear his viewpoints on things and opinions on things. We got back to the apt at about 8:45 and I was asleep on the couch by about 9:20.

Sunday was super good and awesome. It was fast and testimony mtg, and I got up and bore my testimony on Sister Cravens talk titled, Careful versus Casual. I talked about how we must stay on the path, not because of the temporal happiness, but because of the long term lasting happiness that comes from being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. They redid the bishopric in the Lewis Center ward. Bishop Pease is the new bishop and I think he will do a great job! We went out with a boy named Ethan Cornelius to take the sacrament to John Russell after church. It was so much fun and reminded me of when I would go out with the missionaries, and brought back some good memories.

Me, Yukihiro, Elder Jones and Elder Cox (Polaris elders) went to an Asian buffet on Thursday, and it was so good! I had a ton of food! I had egg rolls, pasta, and a lot of other Asian food that I can't pronounce ;) I made it through 3 plate fulls!

It was a very very great week! I learned the importance of doing my best everyday, and leaving the rest up to Heavenly Father. My testimony was strengthened as well this week. I know this church is true, I have felt it play a significant role in my life. And I think more than anything else, Heavenly Father taught me the importance of staying and being HUMBLE, and able, not being afraid to open my mouth to talk with someone. There is a time and a season for everything the Lord has for this world, and we can only trust in Him that He has that way provided for each of us, as we do our part.

It's also super important not to get discouraged and get down on yourself. If anything else, a mission has taught me the ups and the downs of everyday life. The Lord hasn't forgotten His people, He is right beside us every day. We must stay positive, do our best, and have courage and confidence everyday of our lives.

The challenge and invitation for this week is something I have valued in my life as very important. It is this: To be YOU, and to stand tall and firm for who YOU ARE. Just like President Monson says in his talk, "Dare to be brave. Dare to make a difference. Dare to BE YOU." I want to second that. Heavenly Father created us in His image, and wants us to learn and grow to be who we need to be. I invite us to make a commitment to ourselves to stand tall and to stand brave everyday, and to not let our faith be shaken, and to BE YOU.

I've also been thinking a lot about the importance of growing and improving everyday. I want us to ask ourselves the question, "How am I becoming who I need to be everyday, and how am I being a little better than I was the day before?" We see that by small means, are great things brought to pass.

It is sunny and blue skies in Lewis Center, and about 34 degrees everyday with humidity.

I pray for you guys everyday, and I know Heavenly Father is blessing each of you in all of your efforts. I miss you guys so very much!

I love you all forever and always!
Elder Dylan

Alma 36:3
"My Sacred Grove" -- This is such a cool song to listen to :) Look it up on YouTube or Facebook. It has a great message of building our OWN sacred groves and waiting patiently in faith.