"The Power of Everyday Missionaries"

Elders Stephens, Skinner, Braun and yours truly

Sorry for not emailing yesterday, or PDAY was switched to today because of Presidents day!!

This week has been pretty aight!! Haha just kidding, its definitely been a hardworking and enjoyable week of Missionary work!!

Tuesday was a very interesting day. We will start off with the cool experiences before we get to the weird ones. There have been too many cool experiences to name one right off the bat, but I think the most important thing that we have been doing is talking to everyone. That is something that I definitely needed improvement on, and Elder Dorioux helped me with that!! There are always miracles when we put forth the effort to talk to everyone.

Now we will get to the weird stuff. We were supposed to have 4 teaching appointments back to back with investigators but the 2 people that we were really needing to teach dropped their appointments. So instead we went to the other 2 lessons and had a.....good time?!? The first guy we met with was Bipolar and we didn't know that at the start. His mind was going 1 million miles per hour and we were just there for the ride. Basically he spilled the beans hard and we didn't really know what to do but listen. When he got done we chimed in and started to teach about the Restoration but when got 5 minutes in, he switched on us and told us we needed to leave. So we went on to the next appointment. This guy I just didn't feel comfortable with at all. As soon as we walked in his house there came a weird feeling into my heart. Not a feeling of danger but a feeling of darkness. We ended up teaching about the Book of Mormon for a few minutes just to say that we did, then we got the heck out of there. He said he would like us back buuuuuut I think I will let Elder Braun decide on that one when I am long gone. 

Wednesday was incredible!! Up to this point we had been seeing Jody (from last Sunday) just about everywhere!! Just on Tuesday we gave him a Book of Mormon and by Wednesday Morning we got an email from him (because he doesn't have a phone so he has to use the computers) saying that he had a spiritual experience with the Book of Mormon. It turns out that day that we gave it to him, he went home so that he could have enough daylight to read it. He read up to 2 Nephi and fell asleep. He said he dreamed that a 

"man in a white robe came to him and handed him a Book that was bound by rings, and the man told him that he needed to read it." When Jody woke up, he immediately started reading the Book of Mormon again. He said the Book has already answered many of His questions and he already knows that it is true, that was so powerful!!

Friday was many much service day. We went to the Horse Ranch for a couple hours, then we went to help Brother Watkins fix his motor wheelchair, then we chopped wood with Kevin Anthony. We did all of this and by the time we were done it was about 5pm. That night we also followed up with a referral that a member gave us and we have an appointment this coming Thursday!! So so exciting!!

That night we also visited the Page Family in our Ward. Man, I love going to families that have little kids because they always peak through the window and when they see us they just are overjoyed. When we knocked on the Pages door, their little kid named William threw open the door and yelled, "the missionavies" while giving me the biggest squeeze on my leg!! I love our members!!

Saturday we finally had another lesson with our Progressing Investigator Jeremy Patrick Lacy!! We taught about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the spirit was very strong. At the end it felt like we needed to extend the invitation for baptism. He said that he wanted to gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon before he commits to baptism. He said that he saw the love that we had for Jesus Christ and for the work that we were doing, and seeing that wanted to have that same love for the Book of Mormon. Much respect for that man!!

Sunday we had a lesson with another referral named Amanda!! She is the girlfriend of one of the members in the ward and she expressed that she really would like to be baptized. But we ran into some difficulties. She wanted to be baptized because she saw how great the community of 'Mormons' was and wanted to be apart of it. We expressed to her that baptism was more than just being dunked to join a Church, but instead it was a lifestyle change, a change of nature. She also was having a hard time believing in the Book of Mormon. The way she put it was, "I just can't find myself believing in a Book that was written by a man thousands of years ago." This made it clear that she didn't really know much about what the Bible was about either, let alone the Book of Mormon and it's history. So we committed her to read, ponder and pray about the Book to know for herself. We will see how that goes!! 

Later that night the ward had a missionary fireside for all of the youth. At the start us and the sisters gave a little training/role-play on the Restoration lesson, then the youth were split up into companionship's and were shipped off to different ward members houses to role play with them. It was such a great idea!!

And finally to the title of the email. Our mission has really been pushing working with members more effectively and over the Christmas Zone Conference the Foote's gave everyone a copy of the book, "The Power of Everyday Missionaries." This book shows the importance of member missionary work and gives many examples of how to share the gospel in a non awkward sort of way. Just in the past few weeks as we have been applying the principles from this Book into our missionary work we have been strengthened. The Lord is hastening His work, but in order to do our part we ALL have to work together. Not just the Full-Time missionaries!! I challenge all of you to buy this Book to study over in your families!! It really is a blessing and all of the proceeds go to the Missionary fund. 

Prophets have told us countless times to liken the scriptures unto ourselves. While I was going through my Book of Mormon to see what things I had marked while I was studying I came across Jacob 1:18-19. Initially this is talking about Jacob and Joseph but I switched the names around so that it could apply to me personally!

18 For I, (ELDER NORTHRUP), and my brother (ELDER LUSKO) had been consecrated priests and teachers of this people, by the hand of (PRESIDENT FOOTE).

19 And we did magnify our office unto the Lord, taking upon us the responsibility, answering the sins of the people upon our own heads if we did not teach them the word of God with all diligence; wherefore, by laboring with our might their blood might not come upon our garments; otherwise their blood would come upon our garments, and we would not be found spotless at the last day.

What a privilege it is to be a missionary at this wonderful time!

God Speed-

Elder Northrup

This is Elder and Sister Collins serving in my mission. They are actually the parents of a family that my brother Reg served with in the Rainier in Washington. Cool Stuff!!