Guess what?! Another transfer has come and gone. I really feel that these transfers are starting to come and go so so fast. Where did 16 months all of a sudden appear in 5 days from now?? I hope your guys week went so well and that so many wonderful and amazing things happened! I hope you got my Christmas packages that I sent home last week, and hope that you liked them! Crazy that Christmas is already in 2 weeks, man this 2020 year has been one for the books. Derrick A.K.A. I am so excited for you for next week buddy! You will do and be so great. Remember the Lord has called you, and we are all praying for you. 1 Nephi 3:7, D&C 6:36, D&C 4. :)
This week was GREAT! Ima just leave it at that, and tell you the rest now.
Tuesday -- It snowed probably a good 12 inches overnight, and so we woke up and went and shoveled snow all morning at Ohio University (which is almost right across the road from where our apartment is). Then, we got back for lunch and decided to call up this referral we had received the day before. We called him up, and he proceeds to say that his name is Hoodbilly John, and that he wants to be baptized. I was like, "Oh wow, umm . . . alright then. Well, we can do that for you, and help get you prepared for that." He told us he has a court date for December 28th and could possibly be going to jail for 180 days, so we put his baptism date for April 1, and then will just have to hope that he doesn't have to go to jail. It was quite the fun day, and honestly so cool that John was that ready to be baptized. We have had 3 lessons with him this week over the phone, and each time he says he knows it is true, and loves God and wants to follow Him.
Wednesday -- We drove down to Jackson for District Council. It is such a beautiful drive down there. I feel as though I am driving in the middle of Arizona, New Mexico, and with a hint of mountain range thrown in there too. I gave a training in council, about the importance of inviting others to church and why we all need to be opening up our mouths to share the Gospel and get people to church. It isn't about the church bldg itself. We have all seen over the last 10 months that we don't need a church bldg to have church mtgs in, we can just do it in our own home. But, the feeling of gaining a relationship with Christ through the ordinance of the sacrament and making promises with Him, is the important part of church on Sundays, wherever it may be.
Thursday and Friday -- We did so much online finding and teaching these 2 days. I have honestly loved being able to develop my ability to communicate with people in so many ways. I find myself searching and pondering every morning at 6:30 during daily planning, how I can best talk to people and help them out that day. We on average have anywhere between 3 to 7 lessons everyday right now, and are finding between 7 to 8 new people every week. Such a blessing that we can do phone calls, video chats, and text messages to be able to share Christ with these people. This is going to sound wierd, but honestly I feel like I am a sales marketer and I am trying to sell "my product" which is Christ and the Gospel. I usually start out each phone call with a little greeting, we share a scripture and ask a question with it, and then ask when another time is we can set up for a phone call. I love it so much, because I feel the Lord strengthening me to be confident and bold with people, but to do it in a way that allows the person I am talking to to know that I love them and care about them.
Saturday -- We had a great lesson at Martin Suber's house and Elder Williams knew how to do the spectrum internet stuff for Martin's tv and so was able to hook it up fully for him. We then went to Bishop Brower's house for a lesson, and talked about the Light the World Challenge and how we can be fully taking advantage of it. I am so grateful for guided and inspired challenges and invitations that the Prophet issues to be able to help us grow and become the disciples of Jesus Christ that we need to be.
Sunday -- I bore my testimony in church, with my mask on and everything ;) But it went well, and was so powerful to listen to these wonderful members bare and share their testimonies of how they have been able to grow and see strength come into their life. It warms my heart to know that God is reaching out to all of us, each and everyday. He knows us and He knows where we are and how to get us home to Him. We listened to the First Presidency Devotional in the night and it was so much fun to be able to listen to the prophet and his counselors, as well as to hear the choir sing and see the Christmas trees. I have grown such a deep appreciation for this time of year. A time where we can focus on family, on giving, and on our Savior Jesus Christ and what He did for us.
Monday -- ROAD TRIP day!! So on Friday last week, Elder Bower (car czar) called us and said that he wanted us to go up to Powell where the mission home and office is, and to pick up Elder Williams' bike ASAP. We were like, well we don't have a bike rack and so we will just need to stuff his bike into the back of the Equinox. He told us that would be okay, because Elder Williams' mom had been calling and asking if he had received his bike yet, so Elder Bower told us he just wanted us to come and get it, regardless of if we had a bike rack or not. So we drove an hour and a half up to Powell on Monday morning at 8:30, picked up the bike around 10 or 10:30, and then drove back down to Chillicothe. We drove through a little part of downtown Columbus so Elder Williams could see a little bit more of the city.
Tuesday -- We were able to call and talk with HoodBilly John this morning, and were able to have about a 25 minute phone call while we were on a walk. We talked about Ether 3 and the importance of having Faith in the Lord, no matter what we can or cannot see. I was able to make contact with a lady in Iowa and have a phone call visit with her and be able to pray with her over the phone. I also started talking to a kid named Gabe, and he is from Italy. He actually was a foreign exchange student at Salem Hills back in 2017-2018, so my junior year. It was so fun to talk to him on the video call and share a bible study with him as well as explain how the book of mormon came about. :) We were out walking by the strip mall of stores (JCPenney, TJMaxx, Hobby Lobby, etc.), and came across a lady named Stephanie and also a lady named Lisa. We gave them both pictures of Christ with our names and number on the back of the cards, and shared with them a brief message of our Savior. Overall it was a super great day! I love talking with people and I love the ability to make connections, whether they be big or whether they be small, RELATIONSHIPS MATTER.
Please keep Jamie Krueger in your thoughts and prayers this week. He has not been responding to messages or calls, he lives about an hour away and so it's hard to do in person stuff. If we can't get a hold of him this week and have his baptism interview by next Wednesday or Thursday, we will need to push his date back from being on December 26. Pray that he will respond and be able to finish preparing so he can be 100 percent ready.
I loved this week. This week honestly taught me so much, because of how hard I felt that I was able to work this last week. Between the phone calls and visits with people, the in person interactions with people on the streets, and trying everyday to stay productive and stay focused, taught me the importance of relying on Jesus Christ to help us. Wednesday last week was kind of a rough day for me, I felt pretty down that whole day, and was able to read a talk from . . . I actually forget the author, but the talk is called "They Saw Our Day." In the talk, we learn that what we are and have been going through, wasn't something that on January 1 this year, COVID just all of a sudden appeared. No, the Lord has been preparing us long before then, and continues to build and uplift us each and every single day. I am so so forever grateful for that hope in my life. It brought a lot of peace to my heart on Wednesday. As fun as calling people is on the phone, I feel my wishes going towards being with people in person. I MISS people. A lot :) But I know, that the Lord has strengthened me to be able to not necessarily have that blessing of people interaction right now, but instead has given me insight and a gift to be able to talk to people and in a matter of a few minutes over the phone, these people want to know more and they want to keep talking to us. I know the Lord is at the helm of this work. I know that as we focus on who we are becoming each day. we truly will have no need to fear, because "If Ye are Prepared, Ye shall not fear".
Part of my personal study this last week has been on Ether 3, when the brother of Jared is asking the Lord to give him light and knowledge so he can find his way through the wilderness. I love in this chapter how the Lord asks the brother of Jared, "Sawest thou more than this". And then the brother of Jared answers and says no, can you show me more? The brother of Jared's humility to ask the Lord to receive further light and understanding is amazing. I love that he wanted to know more, even though he had already seen the hand of the Lord. We all need further light and knowledge everyday of our lives as we strive to find our own way through the dark wilderness of life. I love the brother of Jared and his faith to do what was right, and to always seek the Lord first and foremost.
How was your guys week? One more week before Christmas break right?! Man this time of year kind of just snuck up on everyone! I am so excited for Christmas :) Not quite sure what we are allowed to do for Christmas Eve/Day like we did last year with meals at members homes, but I am thinking and feeling it will just be the same as Thanksgiving was a couple of weeks ago. What is your guys plan for Christmas Eve, Day, and New Year's week?
I love and miss you guys so much. I actually had a situation this week where I was talking with a random person out on the street, and they asked me what I was doing and why I was doing it, and then asked if I had a family of my own. I smiled when he asked the question, and was able to give a powerful witness that what I was doing, what 60000 young men and women are doing, and what we as 17 million members are doing, is building the kingdom of God. And I told this man on the sidewalk that day, that I had a beautiful and wonderful family of my own, who I loved very much, who I hadn't seen in a long time, and this man asked me why I did that. I told him that our Savior Jesus Christ set the perfect example and Heavenly Father sent His son to help the world . . . I told this man, that my family had taught me for 19 years of my life, that when the call was sent, that I would go and do, and would accept the call to help the world ❤❤
I am so excited to talk TODAY!
Love you all forever and always,
Elder Dylan McEwan
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