Full of excitement and disappointment

We had a pretty good week over here in Talega, full of excitement and disappointment but still a good week.

On Monday two of the young men who the best friends of our investigator Jack talked with him about baptism and committed him to pray to know when he should get baptized and then on Wednesday they told us that he had a decided he wanted to do it before his bone marrow transplant that is happening tomorrow. We got super excited about that and started to try and figure out how we would go about doing all of it. On Thursday when we had our lesson with Jack our plan was to discuss his baptism and figure out exactly what day to do it on and to figure out all of the minutia of it; this is where the disappointment comes in. We told him that we had heard that he wanted to get baptized to which he laughed hesitantly and then said that he had done some more thinking about it and he decided that he isn't ready for it yet for a lot of things. We continued on with the lesson and went over the commandments we were going to teach him anyways and I think in a small way we were able to address some of his concerns but for now we will have to wait until his treatment is over, which will be another couple of months. But thanks to technology we are going to have lessons with his friends and him over skype/facetime since he will be in a hospital that's an hour and a half away from here. 

That was the biggest thing that happened this week. Besides that we just had a lot of service. We helped out at FAM again and then we helped to take down a haunted house from a fall festival in the area and then set up and work at a fall festival all day on Saturday. As tiring as service is its one of my favorite things to do. There is just something fulfilling about helping others.

On Saturday night we also had the chance to go up to Santa Ana for a little while to meet up with one of my former companions, Jordan Dallin. He was in the MTC with me and he ended up going home in January. He got married on the 28th and was in the mission before heading out for his honeymoon on a cruise leaving from Long Beach. It was a ton of fun to catch up with him and to meet his wife. 

One of my very favorite things about the mission is the relationships that I have built. I have made friendships with other missionaries, with members, and investigators that I hope will last for a long time and I have gotten to know people who I will never forget. I truly do love all of Father's children no matter where they live or who they are. The people here are so good and I very much need to be with them!

Love

Elder Cheever

This is an amazing area

This week has been great. This ward is super welcoming and it is an amazing area. Elder Gunn is a great companion and we get along super well and we feel really good about this transfer and the miracles that we can see. 

We were able to meet with one of our investigators named Jack. He is a high school aged boy who got cancer a little while ago but who is cancer free for now. He has been going to church for the past three years and is working on seminary home study right now. He is an awesome young man and he has a strong testimony of the truthfulness of this gospel. Elder Gunn and I both feel really strongly that he is ready to be baptized and we talked with his two best friends about it so they are going over today to set a baptism date with him. The biggest problem though is that he goes in for a bone marrow transplant in the beginning of November and once the happens we wont be able to visit him for about 3 months so we are hoping that it all works out and that he can be baptized this weekend or early next week. We know that if its what Heavenly Father wants it will happen. Hopefully y'all can keep him and his family in your prayers.

On Saturday we did a lot of service at a food bank sort of place that was pretty nasty. They have a rat problem so we were helping them to clean out the entire warehouse so they could deep clean it. We actually had a pretty good time chasing rats as we moved stuff around but we felt pretty gross towards the end of it. Later that day Elder Gunn and I went by a potential investigator family's home. They are a super awesome Jewish family that loves the church so Elder Gunn has talked with them previously about various things. We ended up having an hour and a half long lesson that started off with us teaching them about prayer and the way we pray and then we talked for the rest of the time about Christ and His Atonement and why various parts of it are necessary and how they help us in the life and then we said a prayer with them in behalf of their nephew going through a hard time. When we left we were able to give them a copy of the Book of Mormon and explain to them what it is exactly. They were happy to learn more and to get the Book of Mormon  and told us to come back soon.

We ran out of things to do at night and nobody was available because it was homecoming for the local high school so we ended up walking around for a little bit and go to a part of our area that has lots of wilderness in it and we heard coyotes howling which was a little eerie and but we kept going that way and then they howled a lot closer and we both had a strong feeling that we needed to get out of there so we took off running the way we came and probably ran for a quarter mile in our missionary clothes with our bags before we decided that we should be safe. And then a little later we had our car parked using up a couple of spots at a park so that we wouldn't have to back up and I looked at it from across the park where we were walking and it looked like the headlights were on so we went back to check it out and discovered a cop getting ready to write us a ticket. We got there just in time to explain our laziness and to apologize to him so that we could get out of the ticket. That day made me grateful for the Spirit and the fact that even when we are doing dumb stuff we can still receive help and guidance

On Sunday we had church as usual and after church we went to visit a less active member named Jim. As soon as we got to his house it started pouring rain so we managed to get in. His ex wife was there as well but he referred to her as his wife so it must not be too bad of a situation. We were able to have a super good lesson with them about obedience to God's commandments and afterwards his wife suggested that they need to have us over to dinner sometime to be able to teach their kids, who aren't members of the church so we are hoping that that works out and that we can teach them.

There is a lot going on here and I'm excited for it. I know that through our hard work and dedication we can see miracles here and in the lives of those we are working with as they begin to accept the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. There are lots of good people here and I need to be with them!

Love

Elder Cheever

I am leaving the Laguna Hills 3rd ward

Not too much really happened this week. I was pretty sure that I would get told I'm leaving Saturday so I was mostly trying to keep working hard to finish out the week. Transfer calls came on Saturday and as expected I was told I am leaving the Laguna Hills 3rd ward. I will be going back to the San Clemente Stake and I will be in the Liberty Park ward , my companion will be Elder Gunn. He has been out a little less than me and we served around each other last year when I was in Newport so we already know one another. I'm excited to go there and to meet the people and follow the Spirit to help Heavenly Fathers children up there. I will miss my companions and many of the people here in this ward, they have been awesome and have loved me and been the strength and help I have needed over the last 6 months and for that I am very grateful.

Like I said not too much happened this week that was very exciting. Hopefully there will be more to report on next week after transfers, I know those people in San Clemente are good and I need to be with them.

Love,

Elder Cheever

We had to move yesterday

We had to move yesterday so preparing for that took up the last few days of the week and the rest of the week was pretty uneventful. 

On Tuesday I had the chance to go on exchanges in the Marina Hills ward with Elders Capasso and Rosenow. It was a super good day. We started off the day by going to the funeral of their investigators mother. It was at the big Catholic Basillica in San Juan Capistrano and it was probably one of the more interesting things I have ever done. It was basically a Catholic mass so us Mormon missionaries were super confused. I'm sure the Priest/Pastor (whatever you call them) was super confused when he walked out and saw us sitting there. We came to really understand how great of a blessing knowing about the Plan of Salvation is and about how lucky we are to have the priesthood authority restored to the earth. Their investigator really appreciated our being there though so that's what was most important. The rest of the day went pretty well. We were able to meet with one of the less active men they are working with and had a good lesson with him about faith. It was nice to work in another area, for only the second time since I came here in May, and I had a good time with those other elders.

On Wednesday we had district meeting and then after district meeting we were able to meet with Brother Moye and we had a good lesson with him talking about General Conference and especially President Nelson's talk about finding joy in every circumstance. 

Thursday and Friday we ended up spending a lot of time packing up all of our stuff in the apartment so that we could be ready to move so not too much else happened on those days. It was pretty sad to take everything down from around the apartment. I have lived there for a long time and I had pretty well made it my home.

On Saturday we spent the entire day doing service. In the morning we helped with a move for some members who live in our apartment complex and then after lunch we spent the entire rest of the day helping with the stake hoedown. It was a super good activity and a lot of the members had friends and neighbors there with them. It was a really good opportunity for the people of the community to see members of the church as normal and fun people in a super inviting atmosphere.\

Moving yesterday was weird. Our new apartment is nicer but it was strange to be alone at night, our old roommates also got a new apartment. It was pretty sad to not have them there since I have been living with one of them since May and the other since June. And then I got sick at night because I ate syrup that was supposed to be refrigerated but wasn't. Who knew that syrup could go bad?

That's about it for the week. The people here are good and I need to be with them!

Love

Elder Cheever

We found three people who told us we could come back

Not too much happened here this week so this one will be fairly short. We spent just about every day the same way, studies in the morning, lunch, trying to visit less actives, then tracting for about an hour and a half until dinner and then tract until it gets dark then try and visit a couple of more people. 

On Tuesday when we went tracting I had Elder West pick the street that we went to and when we started knocking we found three people who told us we could come back and share more, one of whom I knew from helping with the high school's grad night back in June, and then the next day we went to knock on the doors on the second floor and found one more lady who said we could come back. 

On Thursday I had my exchange with the zone leaders, Elder Boggess and Elder Forthman. I've known Elder Boggess since we were freshman in high school and I met Elder Forthman at BYU a couple of times and he was in my MTC district and they have been companions for almost 4 transfers now so all three of us are good friends and get along well so it was a really good day. We got a lot done and even managed to finally get in with a less active man who we have been trying to work with.

General Conference this weekend was great, there were lots of good talks that gave me good answers to questions I have had. Being able to hear President Monson was such a privilege. As he spoke I could feel the Spirit powerfully confirming to me that he truly is the Prophet.

I know that the Book of Mormon is true, that it clearly outlines for us our Heavenly Fathers glorious plan for our happiness and salvation and that through it we can truly come to know our Savior Jesus Christ. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet called to bring Christ's church back to the earth in its fullness and that today President Monson is God's mouthpiece on the earth. Most importantly I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior and Redeemer and that He died for every one of us. His love is perfect and His Atonement makes up for all that is unfair in the world and it can help us to overcome our own mistakes. I know that He lives and that our Heavenly Father loves all of His children. I love sharing this gospel, even though its hard and I'm tired I'm happy because there is no better way to be spending my time than serving my Father in Heaven and my older brother Jesus Christ.

Love

Elder Cheever