Buenas tardes!
This last week has been very good! We found a very good potential, Mark, while tracting our street. We will be stopping by later this week to see how he is doing. We left him with a Book of Mormon and challenged him to read it. It was very difficult to meet with Clark this week. Our schedules were just working out with each other. We were able to talk with him on Saturday. We invited him to a baptism Saturday night and join us for our Ward Christmas Party. He said that he would think about it. He decided to go with us to the baptism but unfortunately we were late and missed the baptismal ordinance. I was a little frustrated and then I thought to myself, "OK Elder Urry, why else would the Lord have wanted Clark to come to the baptism?" We gave him a church tour and clarified his concern about baptism. He said that he was told that the Bible does not talk about baptism being needed to get to "heaven". We addressed that concern with John 3:5-6 and reading parts of 2 Nephi 31. We ended up in the chapel and the spirit was so strong! We talked more about baptism and some of the plan of salvation. He opened up more to us and how he wants to change his life and start living a better life. We committed him to being baptized on 1/26/13 and he accepted! He did not think that he would be ready but we assured him that Heavenly Father would make sure that he would be ready by that date. That the Holy Ghost will testify to him about the truth of our message. One thing that he mentioned to us is that he believes that this is the way God wants him to go because we are persistent and are sincere about our message. That is so wonderful that he is able to recognize the need for the Gospel in his life! Elder Wynn and I are working hard trying to meet with members, visit people on the ward's 15 name list and finding people to teach. The temple trip was so amazing!!! The Gila (Heela) Valley Temple is such a beautiful temple! It is amazing the spirit that is felt when you are in the House of the Lord. I feel spiritually rejuvenated and ready to get back to work and bring souls closer to their Savior, Jesus Christ. Christmas Eve we are having a full mission conference. I am looking forward to seeing missionaries that I have not seen it a while I am going to have to cut this email short, we have lots to get done today. Thank you for all of your love and support! I truly feel it here in Tucson!
Love,
Elder Urry
LiveStrong
Moroni 10:32
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Tucson--#14
Hey Everyone!
This last week has been a little bit crazy! The last missionaries did not
leave us much to go by but that does not matter because the Lord knows what
is going on and He will guide us in the work. We traveled to the mission
office to make an area map. It took us over an hour of photocopying and
taping together but it is the "Mona Lisa" of area maps! The Picture Rocks
ward is pretty large and thank goodness that Elder Wynn has a GPS! The
weather has been pretty nice out here in Marana. It gets pretty cold at
night and during the summer it is the hottest part of the mission. We have
been cleaning up our trailer a lot this past week given two missionaries
died there. We took five trash bags of stuff to the church dumpster
yesterday and there is still more for us to clean! Every Wednesday we go
over to the ward mission leader, Bro. Hughes' house for dinner. Bro.
Hughes' sister I think is married to the youngest Owsley. Small world eh?
There is a lot of potential in my area. There is a part-member family, the
Boughan's where the husband and four kids are not members! They have been
going to church consistently but have never been taught the lessons. We are
going to meet with them this week. According to a ward member who is good
friends with the Boughans, the children will get baptized IF asked, it is
the husband that we need to focus on. We will have a white Christmas! There
is a guy who runs a horse rescue farm that we help feed his 27 horses twice
a week. To be honest, I was not looking forward to doing this until I asked
if there were any race horses that he takes care of. He said, "well as a
matter of fact, over here are my only two thorough bred." And guess what
triple-crown winner is their grandpa? Yep! Secretariat. Elder Wynn is an
awesome missionary. We both have recognized that we need to gain back the
member's trust. We have been visiting a lot of the members this last week
and just getting to know them. We coincidentally happened to have dinner
with the Bishop on Friday. We told him that we are here to serve and ready
to put our shoulders to the wheel. We asked him what would be the best way
to serve the ward. He told us, "Just show them that you are willing to work
hard. They will notice and help you with missionary work." He conducted
Sacrament meeting and when he introduced us to the ward he told them that
we are here to work hard. Bro. Hughes tells everyone that he comes in
contact with the same thing, that we are here to work hard. That is an
answer to prayers because I have been praying to find the easiest way to
get all of the members' trust and Bishop and Bro Hughes are doing just
that! I had a mini fast yesterday that we would be able to have success in
this area. We were tried to contact a former investigator who happened to
not be home at the time. There was a young man, Clark, who happened to be
there though. We introduced ourselves and he invited us to come in.
Apparently we hesitated a little bit and he said, "Don't worry I am not
going to shoot you guys. I'm not THAT crazy." haha Clark is apathetic
towards religions but believes in God. We taught him the Restoration and he
seemed to like the idea of the Priesthood and the importance of having the
priesthood on the earth. He asked us, "How can you know if someone has that
Priesthood?" We explained how Joseph Smith received the priesthood and it
has been passed down ever since. He committed to read, ponder and pray
about the Book of Mormon so he can get an answer and also to get the extra
strength he needs to quit smoking. We have a return appointment with him
tomorrow. This Thursday is our temple trip! I am so stoked to go to the
Gila Valley Temple! One thing I have learned on my mission is: If you work
hard missionary work is easy and if you work easy missionary work is hard.
We are going to work hard and I know that the Lord will open doors for us
because He already has with Clark!
Love,
Elder Urry
Livestrong
This last week has been a little bit crazy! The last missionaries did not
leave us much to go by but that does not matter because the Lord knows what
is going on and He will guide us in the work. We traveled to the mission
office to make an area map. It took us over an hour of photocopying and
taping together but it is the "Mona Lisa" of area maps! The Picture Rocks
ward is pretty large and thank goodness that Elder Wynn has a GPS! The
weather has been pretty nice out here in Marana. It gets pretty cold at
night and during the summer it is the hottest part of the mission. We have
been cleaning up our trailer a lot this past week given two missionaries
died there. We took five trash bags of stuff to the church dumpster
yesterday and there is still more for us to clean! Every Wednesday we go
over to the ward mission leader, Bro. Hughes' house for dinner. Bro.
Hughes' sister I think is married to the youngest Owsley. Small world eh?
There is a lot of potential in my area. There is a part-member family, the
Boughan's where the husband and four kids are not members! They have been
going to church consistently but have never been taught the lessons. We are
going to meet with them this week. According to a ward member who is good
friends with the Boughans, the children will get baptized IF asked, it is
the husband that we need to focus on. We will have a white Christmas! There
is a guy who runs a horse rescue farm that we help feed his 27 horses twice
a week. To be honest, I was not looking forward to doing this until I asked
if there were any race horses that he takes care of. He said, "well as a
matter of fact, over here are my only two thorough bred." And guess what
triple-crown winner is their grandpa? Yep! Secretariat. Elder Wynn is an
awesome missionary. We both have recognized that we need to gain back the
member's trust. We have been visiting a lot of the members this last week
and just getting to know them. We coincidentally happened to have dinner
with the Bishop on Friday. We told him that we are here to serve and ready
to put our shoulders to the wheel. We asked him what would be the best way
to serve the ward. He told us, "Just show them that you are willing to work
hard. They will notice and help you with missionary work." He conducted
Sacrament meeting and when he introduced us to the ward he told them that
we are here to work hard. Bro. Hughes tells everyone that he comes in
contact with the same thing, that we are here to work hard. That is an
answer to prayers because I have been praying to find the easiest way to
get all of the members' trust and Bishop and Bro Hughes are doing just
that! I had a mini fast yesterday that we would be able to have success in
this area. We were tried to contact a former investigator who happened to
not be home at the time. There was a young man, Clark, who happened to be
there though. We introduced ourselves and he invited us to come in.
Apparently we hesitated a little bit and he said, "Don't worry I am not
going to shoot you guys. I'm not THAT crazy." haha Clark is apathetic
towards religions but believes in God. We taught him the Restoration and he
seemed to like the idea of the Priesthood and the importance of having the
priesthood on the earth. He asked us, "How can you know if someone has that
Priesthood?" We explained how Joseph Smith received the priesthood and it
has been passed down ever since. He committed to read, ponder and pray
about the Book of Mormon so he can get an answer and also to get the extra
strength he needs to quit smoking. We have a return appointment with him
tomorrow. This Thursday is our temple trip! I am so stoked to go to the
Gila Valley Temple! One thing I have learned on my mission is: If you work
hard missionary work is easy and if you work easy missionary work is hard.
We are going to work hard and I know that the Lord will open doors for us
because He already has with Clark!
Love,
Elder Urry
Livestrong
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Tucson--#13
Hey Everyone!
I have been transferred! I am going to the Picture Rocks ward in the Tucson
West Stake which is actually in Marana, AZ. It is pretty much the farthest
west part of the entire mission. My companion is going to be Elder Wynn
whom I have not yet met because he is coming from Wilcox, AZ. So...yes we
will be "white-washing" the area! I am both excited and nervous. It is
weird leaving my first area even though I was only there for 3 months, I
met some amazing people and was blessed to have multiple baptisms. From
what I have heard, I am going to live in a trailor owned by a member.
Apparently there is a "zoo" in my front yard. There are some desert
tortoises, rattlesnakes, havelinas (wild pig like creatures). It will be
fun! And...we will have a truck! I always look forward to visiting the
Otero family because they are planning something new every single time.
Yvonne who has been a member for 12 years is preparing to go to the temple
in 3 months and Chris is preparing for a year from now. We were finally
able to get Patricia Vespoli to church! It was like pulling teeth but she
came. She mentioned that she was not getting an answer to her prayers. As
we talked we discovered that she was having trouble feeling the spirit.
Mary Bennett, the Relief Society President was at the appointment and
helped encourage her to come to church. We were a little nervous because
Sunday was fast and testimony meeting and those are always toss-ups and who
participates. We promised her that she would feel the Spirit if she came to
church. We prayed that she would be able to feel the spirits and listen to
the meaningful testimonies that would be given. My goodness were our
prayers answered! There were some amazing testimonies and each one I would
say to myself, "I hope Pat is listening because this is really good!" After
Sacrament meeting Sis Bennett told us that Pat enjoyed the meeting and was
crying during the testimonies and asked, "I do not even know why I am
crying" Sis Bennett explained to her that she was feeling the spirit just
like we had promised would happen not even 24 hours later. We met with the
YW president and one of her counselors and discussed how we could help the
youth get involved in missionary work. We decided on showing them the
Mormon Message "Invite All To Come Unto Christ" and just brainstorm ideas
on how to do missionary work. We have been meeting with lots of families in
the ward and explaining to them that missionary work does not start or end
with baptism. They do not need to shove the gospel down people's throats.
All they have to do is invite. We read part of Lehi's dream with them and
explain that Lehi's family did not come to the tree of life until AFTER
Lehi invited them to come. I am looking forward to what is in store for me
and Elder Wynn this next transfer! There will be a "white Christmas" in the
Picture Rocks ward.
Elder Urry
Livestrong
I have been transferred! I am going to the Picture Rocks ward in the Tucson
West Stake which is actually in Marana, AZ. It is pretty much the farthest
west part of the entire mission. My companion is going to be Elder Wynn
whom I have not yet met because he is coming from Wilcox, AZ. So...yes we
will be "white-washing" the area! I am both excited and nervous. It is
weird leaving my first area even though I was only there for 3 months, I
met some amazing people and was blessed to have multiple baptisms. From
what I have heard, I am going to live in a trailor owned by a member.
Apparently there is a "zoo" in my front yard. There are some desert
tortoises, rattlesnakes, havelinas (wild pig like creatures). It will be
fun! And...we will have a truck! I always look forward to visiting the
Otero family because they are planning something new every single time.
Yvonne who has been a member for 12 years is preparing to go to the temple
in 3 months and Chris is preparing for a year from now. We were finally
able to get Patricia Vespoli to church! It was like pulling teeth but she
came. She mentioned that she was not getting an answer to her prayers. As
we talked we discovered that she was having trouble feeling the spirit.
Mary Bennett, the Relief Society President was at the appointment and
helped encourage her to come to church. We were a little nervous because
Sunday was fast and testimony meeting and those are always toss-ups and who
participates. We promised her that she would feel the Spirit if she came to
church. We prayed that she would be able to feel the spirits and listen to
the meaningful testimonies that would be given. My goodness were our
prayers answered! There were some amazing testimonies and each one I would
say to myself, "I hope Pat is listening because this is really good!" After
Sacrament meeting Sis Bennett told us that Pat enjoyed the meeting and was
crying during the testimonies and asked, "I do not even know why I am
crying" Sis Bennett explained to her that she was feeling the spirit just
like we had promised would happen not even 24 hours later. We met with the
YW president and one of her counselors and discussed how we could help the
youth get involved in missionary work. We decided on showing them the
Mormon Message "Invite All To Come Unto Christ" and just brainstorm ideas
on how to do missionary work. We have been meeting with lots of families in
the ward and explaining to them that missionary work does not start or end
with baptism. They do not need to shove the gospel down people's throats.
All they have to do is invite. We read part of Lehi's dream with them and
explain that Lehi's family did not come to the tree of life until AFTER
Lehi invited them to come. I am looking forward to what is in store for me
and Elder Wynn this next transfer! There will be a "white Christmas" in the
Picture Rocks ward.
Elder Urry
Livestrong
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Tucson--#12
Hey Everyone!!
Chris and Alexia's baptism was awesome!!!!!!! Yvonne, who is the wife gave the talk on baptism and holy ghost. It was a great talk! You could tell that she was talking from the heart and not just reading some scriptures and explaining what they meant. She was grateful that Chris and Alexia were making this first step on their way to being sealed as a family in the temple! I ended up baptism Chris and Elder Woodland baptized Alexia. We were the second baptism of the morning so the font was rather cold. Alexia was shivering a little bit. I was nervous out of my mind to baptize Chris. I felt the spirit so strongly and I know that I was performing a saving ordinance of the Gospel. I am seeing D&C 18 start applying to my life. I have now experienced the joy of seeing not one but two people come unto Christ and now I want to get the entire city to come unto Christ. Maybe I should dust off my soap box and go to work! :) There was a pretty good turnout from the ward given that it was Thanksgiving weekend. The EQP and PP attended which was good for Chris and Alexia to get that support. After the baptism Chris asked if we could do the confirmation on Sunday. He asked me to confirm Alexia and Elder Woodland to confirm himself. Man, I thought the Spirit was strong at the baptism? Boy was I mistaken! After church we talked with the Otero's about the confirmation. They both noticed a change. Chris was more able to describe it. He said that he felt more at peace with his decision and knew that he was making the right decision. Hopefully, he gets the Aaronic priesthood next week or the week after so he can start administering the Sacrament. The ward is real supportive of us but we are still not getting any referrals from the ward. I hope that the ward notices that we are serious about missionary work, given that in the last 2 months we have had 4 baptisms. This Saturday we are meeting with the ward mission leader and are going to create a ward mission plan focused on member work. Member work is crucial to our success because tracting has gotten us no where with investigators. Elder Foster emphasized this when he visited that members are the ones who are supposed to find people so we can teach them. He told us that we need to make sure that the ward understands how easy missionary work can be, it all starts with a single invitation. Because we lost our two strongest investigators, we are going to focus strongly on finding new investigators. We are going to have multiple FHE's with ward members this week and hopefully get them pumped up for missionary work! One of our Thanksgiving dinners had to cancel so we ended up having dessert in the morning and two full meals in the afternoon. I was stuffed! (no pun intended) One of the families was the Samson's, who are less active and we baptized their 9 year old daughter, Ahdryanna last month. I feel like Christmas time is going to be the best time for missionary work. With the mormon.org/Christmas page and with the ward's help we should have enormous success in our area. That is so cool that Emma Hunt got her mission call! She is going to be a phenominal missionary! The field truly is white and is ready to harvest but the labourers are few and that needs to change and will change with the lower mission age. There should be an excess of labourers
Love,
Elder Urry
LiveStrong
D&C 76:22-24
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Tucson--#11
Hey Everyone!
This week has been awesome! Chris and Alexia Otero are getting baptized on Saturday!! They are completely solid investigators. Chris keeps bringing up getting sealed in the temple and also being sealed to immediate family. Chris asked me to baptize him. I am so nervous. This will be my first "real" baptism, one that I was there for their entire progression. Words cannot express my happiness! We have had trouble getting members to fellowship because of stake conference or they could only come to Sacrament meeting. We are planning on a big turnout for their baptism because we have really gotten the word out. Tonight we are having a family home evening activity with the Oteros and Neumillers (bishop's family) at the church. Alexia is the smartest 9 year old I have ever seen. She told us that she wants to serve a mission like us! We taught Ramon the Restoration and he came to church which is awesome! We extended a baptism invitation but he did not seem to like that. He has said that he knows that the church is true but if he gets baptized 'mormon' he is going to get baptized in every other church. We have a little obstacle that we need to overcome with Ramon but with the Lord's help I know that it will happen. We taught Patricia the Plan of Salvation and gave her the D&C video so she could watch Joseph Smith: The Prophet of the Restoration. She loves the story of Joseph Smith! We have not extended a baptismal invite to her but we are going to during our next lesson. She is hesitant about being baptized but we are going to relate setting a baptismal date to running a marathon. If you want to run a marathon but do not set a date, you are not going to prepare yourself that well. Whereas, if you signed up to run a marathon next month, by golly you are going to be running your heart out to prepare for the marathon next month. The half-mission conference with Elder Foster was really good! He expounded on Elder Holland's remarks during stake conference last week. Elder Holland in his usual self, called out all Arizona members about not being good missionaries. He said that tracting is a dated tactic and that member missionary work is going to lead to the most success from here on out. Elder Foster taught us how to better utilize the members and get them fired up for missionary work. The church is doing a website page all about Christmas. it is http://www.mormon.org/
Love you all!
Elder Urry
LiveStrong
Alma 26:22
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Tucson--#10
Hey Everyone!
First things first, they found Brother Wilkinson! Thank goodness! I
honestly thought that the next time that I would see him would be in a
coffin at a funeral. He was somewhere thirty minutes away and is now
getting necessary help for his health issues. We found three new
investigators this week: Chris (dad) and Alexia (8 year old) Otero and
Ramon Gonzales. Chris Otero is completely ready to be baptized! He is truly
one of the Lord's elect! The first time we met with the Otero's we did a
little "How to Begin Teaching" from PMG and then asked if he had any
questions. His first question was, "How do I go about being baptized?" That
took me by suprise! I actually chuckled a little bit (oops!) Elder Woodland
was a little bit more composed than I was and answered his question
perfectly. We watched The Restoration DVD and the Spirit was definitely
present! He committed to take Moroni's promise to read, ponder and pray. We
stopped by later on in the week and taught the Word of Wisdom (we saw he
was drinking tea the first lesson) and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. After
talking about the W.O.W. he willingly accepted to live it. They have three
young girls, Alexia being the oldest. We taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ
with an object lesson. We talked about how baptism and the Holy Ghost helps
us get back to heaven. We used a tea-bag to demonstrate this. We opened up
the tea-bag and dumped out all the crushed up junk. We then took the bag
and shaped it into a cylinder. We took a lighter and lit the top of it on
fire. The fire moves down the bag and when it gets to the bottom the warm
air rises and takes the tea-bag with it. They...and I were fascinated with
the lesson :) We plan on meeting with them three times this week and their
baptismal interview will be on Saturday because they are going to get
baptized on Nov. 24th!! I am so stoked because this will be my first
baptism that I had a large part in the entire teaching process. Ramon is on
parole and is living in a half-way house. In prison he would go to meetings
where they would read the Book of Mormon together and discuss it. He seems
really solid and has the desire to come to church. Oh, great news in a
sense! Doug never went to Utah! He went into a drug rehab center here in
Tucson and called us still wanting to be baptized! Sunday was Stake
Conference and it was a broadcast from SLC. Elder Holland and Pres. Eyring
talked. Elder Holland mentioned that he cannot remember the last General
Conference that so much revelation was received and brought before the
entire body of the church. Wow! That was a pretty bold statement! He talked
a lot about the mission lowering age! The mission department called
President Killpack and told him that withing 3-4 months the number of
missionaries is going to go from ~180 all the way to 250! President Eyring
talked about the need to be optimistic through hard times because the
optimist is always better off then the pessimist. Thursday, Elder Bradley
D. Foster of the Seventy is coming to tour the mission and we are having a
half-mission conference. I don't know what that means yet but hey, it will
be good. Missionary work is fun! There is no better joy then seeing the
change that only the Holy Ghost can cause to happen. Thank you for your
love and support!
First things first, they found Brother Wilkinson! Thank goodness! I
honestly thought that the next time that I would see him would be in a
coffin at a funeral. He was somewhere thirty minutes away and is now
getting necessary help for his health issues. We found three new
investigators this week: Chris (dad) and Alexia (8 year old) Otero and
Ramon Gonzales. Chris Otero is completely ready to be baptized! He is truly
one of the Lord's elect! The first time we met with the Otero's we did a
little "How to Begin Teaching" from PMG and then asked if he had any
questions. His first question was, "How do I go about being baptized?" That
took me by suprise! I actually chuckled a little bit (oops!) Elder Woodland
was a little bit more composed than I was and answered his question
perfectly. We watched The Restoration DVD and the Spirit was definitely
present! He committed to take Moroni's promise to read, ponder and pray. We
stopped by later on in the week and taught the Word of Wisdom (we saw he
was drinking tea the first lesson) and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. After
talking about the W.O.W. he willingly accepted to live it. They have three
young girls, Alexia being the oldest. We taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ
with an object lesson. We talked about how baptism and the Holy Ghost helps
us get back to heaven. We used a tea-bag to demonstrate this. We opened up
the tea-bag and dumped out all the crushed up junk. We then took the bag
and shaped it into a cylinder. We took a lighter and lit the top of it on
fire. The fire moves down the bag and when it gets to the bottom the warm
air rises and takes the tea-bag with it. They...and I were fascinated with
the lesson :) We plan on meeting with them three times this week and their
baptismal interview will be on Saturday because they are going to get
baptized on Nov. 24th!! I am so stoked because this will be my first
baptism that I had a large part in the entire teaching process. Ramon is on
parole and is living in a half-way house. In prison he would go to meetings
where they would read the Book of Mormon together and discuss it. He seems
really solid and has the desire to come to church. Oh, great news in a
sense! Doug never went to Utah! He went into a drug rehab center here in
Tucson and called us still wanting to be baptized! Sunday was Stake
Conference and it was a broadcast from SLC. Elder Holland and Pres. Eyring
talked. Elder Holland mentioned that he cannot remember the last General
Conference that so much revelation was received and brought before the
entire body of the church. Wow! That was a pretty bold statement! He talked
a lot about the mission lowering age! The mission department called
President Killpack and told him that withing 3-4 months the number of
missionaries is going to go from ~180 all the way to 250! President Eyring
talked about the need to be optimistic through hard times because the
optimist is always better off then the pessimist. Thursday, Elder Bradley
D. Foster of the Seventy is coming to tour the mission and we are having a
half-mission conference. I don't know what that means yet but hey, it will
be good. Missionary work is fun! There is no better joy then seeing the
change that only the Holy Ghost can cause to happen. Thank you for your
love and support!
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Tucson--#9
Hey Everyone!
This week has been absolutely crazy! There is a stomach bug thats been
going around and I got in on Thursday. It was no fun at all! I am just
starting to get my energy back but my appetite is lagging behind. Our only
progressing investigator, Doug Dicky was scheduled to have his baptismal
interview last Saturday. It needed to be with President Killpack because of
his past life. He didn't show up on Saturday for the interview so we
rescheduled it for yesterday. Funny thing happened while President
Killpack, Elder Woodland and I were waiting for Doug to show up. There was
a plane in the sky that had just drawn a smiley face in the sky. I thought,
"That is totally awesome!" Then the pilot started spelling out a word. It
started with an 'R' and then an 'O' and eventually spelled out Romney. It
was pretty cool to see and all of Tucson had to have been able to see it
because it was so large. I could not get it all in a single picture because
it happened almost exactly over our heads. Well, back on the home front
now. Sunday rolled around and I saw Doug before Sacrament meeting and he
seemed excited for his interview after church. After church rolls around
and I go up to Doug and ask if he was ready for his interview. President
was all ready for the interview and everything. Doug tells me that he
doesn't want to be baptized anymore and he is moving back to Utah tomorrow
which he is probably already gone by now. This took me by complete
surprise. He would not talk to us about it so there was nothing that we
could do to help him. On a positive note, we had a part-member family come
to church today where the husband and oldest daughter are not a member.
They had not been to church in a LONG time, since before I came out and we
did not even need to remind them. The husband is interested in learning
about the Gospel and we are meeting with the family on Wednesday. We also
met with Patricia Vespoli and gave her a large print copy of the Book of
Mormon. We talked about the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith. Her seed of
faith is already starting to grow. She told us basically what Elder
Holland's General Conference talk was on a couple years ago about the Book
of Mormon and Restoration. She said that Joseph Smith would not have died
for what he believed and knew to be true unless he actually KNEW. He would
not have lied to the thousands and now millions of people. Ever since our
Palmyra trip, I have looked at the Book of Mormon in a completely different
light. So many things needed to fall into place and they did and hundreds
of millions of lives have been changed because of Joseph Smith and
everything that the Restoration includes. I have noticed my testimony of
the Book of Mormon grow rapidly while being out on my mission. Talking with
Patricia, heard a change in my voice as I testified of the Book of Mormon
and I honestly felt like my voice was "like the roar of a lion". Oh if more
people would recognize the great good and eternal blessings that the Book
of Mormon brings to their lives and coupled with the Bible one's testimony
of both books will grow immensely. This morning, Sis. Wilkinson
(less-active family) texted us saying that her husband had been missing
since last night and had left a suicide night. I have come to realize real
fast that the mission is not for the faint of heart or for the little boy.
It matures you real quick if you allow out. I would never have seen myself
a year ago not even a week ago trying to console a wife who for all she
knew her husband is gone. I feel like this should be an exception, please
pray for Sister Wilkinson and her family that they will be comforted.
Love,
Elder Urry
LiveStrong
Alma 34:32
This week has been absolutely crazy! There is a stomach bug thats been
going around and I got in on Thursday. It was no fun at all! I am just
starting to get my energy back but my appetite is lagging behind. Our only
progressing investigator, Doug Dicky was scheduled to have his baptismal
interview last Saturday. It needed to be with President Killpack because of
his past life. He didn't show up on Saturday for the interview so we
rescheduled it for yesterday. Funny thing happened while President
Killpack, Elder Woodland and I were waiting for Doug to show up. There was
a plane in the sky that had just drawn a smiley face in the sky. I thought,
"That is totally awesome!" Then the pilot started spelling out a word. It
started with an 'R' and then an 'O' and eventually spelled out Romney. It
was pretty cool to see and all of Tucson had to have been able to see it
because it was so large. I could not get it all in a single picture because
it happened almost exactly over our heads. Well, back on the home front
now. Sunday rolled around and I saw Doug before Sacrament meeting and he
seemed excited for his interview after church. After church rolls around
and I go up to Doug and ask if he was ready for his interview. President
was all ready for the interview and everything. Doug tells me that he
doesn't want to be baptized anymore and he is moving back to Utah tomorrow
which he is probably already gone by now. This took me by complete
surprise. He would not talk to us about it so there was nothing that we
could do to help him. On a positive note, we had a part-member family come
to church today where the husband and oldest daughter are not a member.
They had not been to church in a LONG time, since before I came out and we
did not even need to remind them. The husband is interested in learning
about the Gospel and we are meeting with the family on Wednesday. We also
met with Patricia Vespoli and gave her a large print copy of the Book of
Mormon. We talked about the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith. Her seed of
faith is already starting to grow. She told us basically what Elder
Holland's General Conference talk was on a couple years ago about the Book
of Mormon and Restoration. She said that Joseph Smith would not have died
for what he believed and knew to be true unless he actually KNEW. He would
not have lied to the thousands and now millions of people. Ever since our
Palmyra trip, I have looked at the Book of Mormon in a completely different
light. So many things needed to fall into place and they did and hundreds
of millions of lives have been changed because of Joseph Smith and
everything that the Restoration includes. I have noticed my testimony of
the Book of Mormon grow rapidly while being out on my mission. Talking with
Patricia, heard a change in my voice as I testified of the Book of Mormon
and I honestly felt like my voice was "like the roar of a lion". Oh if more
people would recognize the great good and eternal blessings that the Book
of Mormon brings to their lives and coupled with the Bible one's testimony
of both books will grow immensely. This morning, Sis. Wilkinson
(less-active family) texted us saying that her husband had been missing
since last night and had left a suicide night. I have come to realize real
fast that the mission is not for the faint of heart or for the little boy.
It matures you real quick if you allow out. I would never have seen myself
a year ago not even a week ago trying to console a wife who for all she
knew her husband is gone. I feel like this should be an exception, please
pray for Sister Wilkinson and her family that they will be comforted.
Love,
Elder Urry
LiveStrong
Alma 34:32
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Tucson-- #8
Hey Everyone!
This last week has been very busy! We visited a less-active member in our
ward, Yvonne Otero and talked to her about the importance of coming to
church and The Book of Mormon. As we talked with her she mentioned that her
husband and daughters are interested in having us teach them. The oldest
daughter is 8 years old and the Bishop has given us permission to teach her
because she turns 9 next month. We meet with their family on Wednesday and
am looking forward to seeing the change that only the Gospel can bring. We
got a referral from a lady named Patricia. She lives in the "Catalina
Foothills" which is the higher income part of my area. On Saturday we went
over and got to know her. Previous missionaries had taught her but she
stopped having interest in the missionary lessons. She was born Catholic
and said that she has been looking for a church that she could go to. Her
research started with our church and keeps on coming back to our church. We
talked about Jesus Christ establishing His church, the 12 Apostles and the
Great Apostasy. We decided to watch the Restoration DVD which is about
20-25 minutes. The Spirit was so strong during the DVD and answered her
question about how and why Joseph Smith was called to be a prophet. She
seems pretty solid and is interested in learning more! She actually is
already looking forward to attending the temple. We plan on meeting with
her sometime this week and hopefully will be able to get her to church. We
set a baptismal date with Doug Dicky, who is an investigator that we have
been teaching for awhile. He knows and understands everything but has had
trouble with the Word of Wisdom. He understands the importance of staying
clean from drugs and not smoking and has been proactive in finding a better
environment to live in. His baptism is set for Nov. 17th and I have seen a
change in him that was not present before when we taught him previously and
set previous baptismal dates. He is volunteering at the Bishop storehouse
for 8-12 hours at a time and wants to do as much service as he can. He is
also a great missionary. He brought a friend, Dylan, from the rehab
recovery time home that he is staying in and Dylan mentioned to one of the
ward missionaries that he is interested in learning about the church. On
Thursday we went out our bikes to go and see if we could check up on some
former investigators. When we got to one of the apartment complexes we saw
a U-HAUL trailer and that people were moving in. We offered to help and
they graciously accepted. As we were helping take items and furniture into
the apartment we were engaging in normal small talk to get to know them.
Once we were done moving they mentioned that they would like us to come
back and teach them on Tuesday (tomorrow). Although I have been only field
for 7 weeks I have learned that the biggest missionary finding tool is
providing service and setting a good example. We did not bring up anything
about the Gospel in our little small discussions and yet they still invited
us back over to teach them. On Saturday we went over to the Wilkinsons who
is a less-active family for dinner. They invited a lady that Sister
Wilkinson works with to eat also. Although she was not *YET* comfortable
with having us teach her and her daughters, she saw and noticed the way
that we acted and carried ourselves. She is interested in the church but
wants to take it slow. She would make a great member of the church. Time
will only tell. We gave the Wilkinson's a copy of The Family: A
Proclamation to the World to give to her. The work is going real well out
here. The weather is starting to cool off so it makes biking that much more
enjoyable. I actually got my first flat tire on my bike so I am going to be
fixing that today. I had to bike to church yesterday on the flat tire and
it was the most miserable thing I have ever done. I cannot remember the
last time I was that tired and it was less that 2 miles! haha
Love,
Elder Urry
LiveStrong
Alma 7:11
This last week has been very busy! We visited a less-active member in our
ward, Yvonne Otero and talked to her about the importance of coming to
church and The Book of Mormon. As we talked with her she mentioned that her
husband and daughters are interested in having us teach them. The oldest
daughter is 8 years old and the Bishop has given us permission to teach her
because she turns 9 next month. We meet with their family on Wednesday and
am looking forward to seeing the change that only the Gospel can bring. We
got a referral from a lady named Patricia. She lives in the "Catalina
Foothills" which is the higher income part of my area. On Saturday we went
over and got to know her. Previous missionaries had taught her but she
stopped having interest in the missionary lessons. She was born Catholic
and said that she has been looking for a church that she could go to. Her
research started with our church and keeps on coming back to our church. We
talked about Jesus Christ establishing His church, the 12 Apostles and the
Great Apostasy. We decided to watch the Restoration DVD which is about
20-25 minutes. The Spirit was so strong during the DVD and answered her
question about how and why Joseph Smith was called to be a prophet. She
seems pretty solid and is interested in learning more! She actually is
already looking forward to attending the temple. We plan on meeting with
her sometime this week and hopefully will be able to get her to church. We
set a baptismal date with Doug Dicky, who is an investigator that we have
been teaching for awhile. He knows and understands everything but has had
trouble with the Word of Wisdom. He understands the importance of staying
clean from drugs and not smoking and has been proactive in finding a better
environment to live in. His baptism is set for Nov. 17th and I have seen a
change in him that was not present before when we taught him previously and
set previous baptismal dates. He is volunteering at the Bishop storehouse
for 8-12 hours at a time and wants to do as much service as he can. He is
also a great missionary. He brought a friend, Dylan, from the rehab
recovery time home that he is staying in and Dylan mentioned to one of the
ward missionaries that he is interested in learning about the church. On
Thursday we went out our bikes to go and see if we could check up on some
former investigators. When we got to one of the apartment complexes we saw
a U-HAUL trailer and that people were moving in. We offered to help and
they graciously accepted. As we were helping take items and furniture into
the apartment we were engaging in normal small talk to get to know them.
Once we were done moving they mentioned that they would like us to come
back and teach them on Tuesday (tomorrow). Although I have been only field
for 7 weeks I have learned that the biggest missionary finding tool is
providing service and setting a good example. We did not bring up anything
about the Gospel in our little small discussions and yet they still invited
us back over to teach them. On Saturday we went over to the Wilkinsons who
is a less-active family for dinner. They invited a lady that Sister
Wilkinson works with to eat also. Although she was not *YET* comfortable
with having us teach her and her daughters, she saw and noticed the way
that we acted and carried ourselves. She is interested in the church but
wants to take it slow. She would make a great member of the church. Time
will only tell. We gave the Wilkinson's a copy of The Family: A
Proclamation to the World to give to her. The work is going real well out
here. The weather is starting to cool off so it makes biking that much more
enjoyable. I actually got my first flat tire on my bike so I am going to be
fixing that today. I had to bike to church yesterday on the flat tire and
it was the most miserable thing I have ever done. I cannot remember the
last time I was that tired and it was less that 2 miles! haha
Love,
Elder Urry
LiveStrong
Alma 7:11
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Tuscon-- #7
Hey Everyone!
P-day got moved to today because today was transfers. Sorry for not letting
you guys know that you wouldn't receive my update yesterday. For the last
week I was in a threesome companionship with Elder Woodland who had just
gotten back from a 3-4 week medical leave for cystic fibrosis. Some people
enjoy three-somes but I did not enjoy it because it made teaching very very
awkward so we needed to pick and choose who we would visit and would
actually have enough room for us. Given the overall age of the mission, 11
zone leaders needed to be replaced this transfer! Elder McKenna was called
to be a zone leader in the Rincoln Tucson Stake and Elder Woodland is
staying as my companion. President Killpack introduces all of the new
missionaries at the beginning of transfers. One of the sisters that came in
was Sister Mayo and she was from Michigan. That name sounded really
familiar because there was a Cameron Mayo in my ward up at BYU. Long story
short is that she is the sister of Cameron. It is a small world! Last
Monday, Jaidee, who is an excommunicated member that we are helping to get
back called us and asked for a blessing because she was in the hospital
preparing for surgery that would require a shunt in her brain because she
gets really bad and frequent migraines. We went over and gave the blessing
and talked with her for a little bit. Before we left she asked for a Book
of Mormon because she felt like she needed to give it to someone. Tuesday
morning we get a call from her saying that she gave it to Juanna who was a
lady in the hospital bed next to her and wanted us to come over and teach
her. We went over and taught he Restoration and challenged her to read,
ponder and pray about the Book of Mormon. The Spirit was so strong during
the lesson and I know that she felt the Spirit. We went to visit her again
on Thursday but she had already been discharged :( Hopefully Juanna will be
able to get in contact with the missionaries in the area that she lives in.
This whole election with Romney running for President has people from all
different types of life coming up to us and wanting to talk to us. Most of
the time they want us to speak politics with them, which is pretty hard for
me NOT to do since I need to stay neutral. It provides a perfect
opportunity to try and teach them. The tire on our car blew out while we
were driving. That was fun! We were driving and hear a weird noise. I
looked out the window and smelt burnt rubber and saw that if we didn't pull
over we would only have three tires to drive on. When we stopped and put
the spare on, there was a couple huge gashes and the tire was really about
to come off. Good thing that we stopped haha! Missionary work wise, nothing
really happened in my area. I was on exchanges for three of the days. In
the Campbell ward area that I was in, we taught a lady, Sister Brooks who
is a returning member. We taught her the second half of the Plan of
Salvation and she asked a lot and I mean a LOT of questions which was
great! They were getting pretty deep too. Good thing that she had been
coming back to church and really had a strong testimony of the Gospel
because we got into a good discussion about the spirit world, resurrection,
order of the resurrection, judgement, missionary work in spirit world and
temple work for the dead. She was asking really good questions and I can't
remember where I heard it but someone said that if someone is asking
questions as you teach them, the Spirit is working in them and helping them
learn. Sister Shelley came to church on Sunday but left after Sacrament
meeting. We went over Sunday night to meet with her. She shared her
favorite scripture in Isaiah and I was prompted to share the scripture
mastery chapter in Isaiah 53 (sorry I don't know verses). I talked a little
bit about the Atonement and then had the impression to show two of the New
Testament videos that the church has been doing. The first one was when
Chirst was in the Garden of Gethsemane and the second one was about Christ
being scourged and crucified. The Spirit was strong during those two
videos. Afterwards I asked her how the Atonement can apply to her life. She
gave an answer like, "Well I can learn more about Him. That's probably not
the answer you were looking for though." It wasn't what I was directing the
discussion towards. I told her that you got out what the Spirit and
Heavenly Father wanted you to get out of the video and then I asked, "How
can you learn more about Him?" She paused for a moment and then broke down
in tears. I yelled "Uh-Oh, what did I do!?" in my head. She talked about
how Christ did EVERYTHING, suffered EVERYTHING for us and she had trouble
reading her scriptures for just 10 minutes? That was what I wanted the
discussion to go towards: reading the scriptures. After that lesson I
learned the importance of listening to the Spirit and asking inspired
questions to help people learn and grow in the Gospel.
Love,
Elder Urry
P-day got moved to today because today was transfers. Sorry for not letting
you guys know that you wouldn't receive my update yesterday. For the last
week I was in a threesome companionship with Elder Woodland who had just
gotten back from a 3-4 week medical leave for cystic fibrosis. Some people
enjoy three-somes but I did not enjoy it because it made teaching very very
awkward so we needed to pick and choose who we would visit and would
actually have enough room for us. Given the overall age of the mission, 11
zone leaders needed to be replaced this transfer! Elder McKenna was called
to be a zone leader in the Rincoln Tucson Stake and Elder Woodland is
staying as my companion. President Killpack introduces all of the new
missionaries at the beginning of transfers. One of the sisters that came in
was Sister Mayo and she was from Michigan. That name sounded really
familiar because there was a Cameron Mayo in my ward up at BYU. Long story
short is that she is the sister of Cameron. It is a small world! Last
Monday, Jaidee, who is an excommunicated member that we are helping to get
back called us and asked for a blessing because she was in the hospital
preparing for surgery that would require a shunt in her brain because she
gets really bad and frequent migraines. We went over and gave the blessing
and talked with her for a little bit. Before we left she asked for a Book
of Mormon because she felt like she needed to give it to someone. Tuesday
morning we get a call from her saying that she gave it to Juanna who was a
lady in the hospital bed next to her and wanted us to come over and teach
her. We went over and taught he Restoration and challenged her to read,
ponder and pray about the Book of Mormon. The Spirit was so strong during
the lesson and I know that she felt the Spirit. We went to visit her again
on Thursday but she had already been discharged :( Hopefully Juanna will be
able to get in contact with the missionaries in the area that she lives in.
This whole election with Romney running for President has people from all
different types of life coming up to us and wanting to talk to us. Most of
the time they want us to speak politics with them, which is pretty hard for
me NOT to do since I need to stay neutral. It provides a perfect
opportunity to try and teach them. The tire on our car blew out while we
were driving. That was fun! We were driving and hear a weird noise. I
looked out the window and smelt burnt rubber and saw that if we didn't pull
over we would only have three tires to drive on. When we stopped and put
the spare on, there was a couple huge gashes and the tire was really about
to come off. Good thing that we stopped haha! Missionary work wise, nothing
really happened in my area. I was on exchanges for three of the days. In
the Campbell ward area that I was in, we taught a lady, Sister Brooks who
is a returning member. We taught her the second half of the Plan of
Salvation and she asked a lot and I mean a LOT of questions which was
great! They were getting pretty deep too. Good thing that she had been
coming back to church and really had a strong testimony of the Gospel
because we got into a good discussion about the spirit world, resurrection,
order of the resurrection, judgement, missionary work in spirit world and
temple work for the dead. She was asking really good questions and I can't
remember where I heard it but someone said that if someone is asking
questions as you teach them, the Spirit is working in them and helping them
learn. Sister Shelley came to church on Sunday but left after Sacrament
meeting. We went over Sunday night to meet with her. She shared her
favorite scripture in Isaiah and I was prompted to share the scripture
mastery chapter in Isaiah 53 (sorry I don't know verses). I talked a little
bit about the Atonement and then had the impression to show two of the New
Testament videos that the church has been doing. The first one was when
Chirst was in the Garden of Gethsemane and the second one was about Christ
being scourged and crucified. The Spirit was strong during those two
videos. Afterwards I asked her how the Atonement can apply to her life. She
gave an answer like, "Well I can learn more about Him. That's probably not
the answer you were looking for though." It wasn't what I was directing the
discussion towards. I told her that you got out what the Spirit and
Heavenly Father wanted you to get out of the video and then I asked, "How
can you learn more about Him?" She paused for a moment and then broke down
in tears. I yelled "Uh-Oh, what did I do!?" in my head. She talked about
how Christ did EVERYTHING, suffered EVERYTHING for us and she had trouble
reading her scriptures for just 10 minutes? That was what I wanted the
discussion to go towards: reading the scriptures. After that lesson I
learned the importance of listening to the Spirit and asking inspired
questions to help people learn and grow in the Gospel.
Love,
Elder Urry
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Tucson--#6
Hey Everyone!!
Kapua got baptized on Saturday and then she and Ahdryanna were both confirmed yesterday! The Spirit was so strong during both ordinances. Yesterday was the first time that I have stood in while someone received the Holy Ghost for themselves. I have done it in the temple before but it is a completely different experience when someone is receiving that saving ordinance for themselves. Our teaching pool of investigators is bone dry so I have been working really hard to get that filled up again. Elder Makenna went on two exchanges this week. I had to take over the area for both those days. Even though I have been in Tucson almost 5 weeks, I still do not have a complete handle on the area yet. One of my favorite and ironically other missionaries least favorite thing to do is tract. I decided that I was going to have an appointment with the Lord. If you do not know what that is, I said a prayer and asked Heavenly Father to guide me to his elect and then I prayerfully selected a couple streets from our area map. I had come up with three streets: Monte Vista Drive, Hayhurst St., and East Gate Drive. To make a long story short, I found 1 new investigator and 4 potential investigators. How we got the new investigator is actually a pretty funny story: We were tracting on Friday and knocked on a gentleman's door. He asked us, "Is there anything that I can help you with?" We responded with a typical door approach about the Plan of Salvation. He said that he was not interested but appreciated us knocking on his door. I offered him a mormon.org card and he thought about it for a little bit and opened the security door to accept the card. I explained what mormon.org was and how he could learn a lot about the church on the website. He said that he would go to the website. He then asked us, "Do you by chance happen to have a Book of Mormon on you?" We answered with a resounded, "YES!!!" and gave him a copy and explained what The Book of Mormon was. He said he would study it out over the next week and would like us to come back and talk to him about it more. During our conversation we discovered that he had been studying the origins about the Bible and how it was put together. He was not comfortable with the idea that people just picked and chose what books to include. He felt like there was more. He is completely ready to hear the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We would not have known this otherwise if I had not offered him a mormon.org card after he had rejected us. One of the potential investigators could possible turn into a family of new investigators. The first time we knocked on the door, a kid (maybe 10 years old) answered it and asked us to come the next day because his parents were asleep. We went the next day and the mom answered but she was really sick and told us to come back this week. She seemed really interested though, so I hope and pray that their hearts will be softened. I have been praying every night to find a family that is ready to hear the Gospel and I really think that they could be it. All I can do is put my faith in the Lord and have the Spirit teach and deliver the message "unto" their hearts and pray that they will use their agency for good. We visited a lot of Less-Active and Recent Converts (LARC's) this last week. It is amazing the excuses that people have for not coming to church even though they know that it is good. One Less-Active member is Sister Shelley. She says that she doesn't feel welcome and is offended one no one acknowledges her at church. Whenever she would come to church she would be late to Sac. meeting and leave Sac, meeting early so no one would have the chance to "acknowledge" her. She says that she still has faith though. I felt like this was an instance of being converted to the church (aka friends/members who occasionally move out of the area) and not being converted to the Gospel. We felt impressed to ask her if we could be bold with her. We have a very good relationship with her and she agreed to let us be bold. This next experience was probably the most I have felt the Spirit during a lesson and the Holy Ghost placed words in her mouth. We told her that there is a difference from "having" faith and "showing" your faith. We told her faith leads one to act. Faith will lead you to read your scriptures, go to church partake of the Sacrament and be more Christ-like. Faith is not something that sits idle, ready to be used at a moments notice. It needs to be nourished. We read the sacrament prayer for the bread and explained what it meant. We told her that if she wanted to feel that same Spirit she felt when she was baptized, she needed to come to church and partake of the sacrament. We could tell that this struck her and she really was thinking about what we said. She committed to read the BoM and come to church this Sunday! Missionary work is awesome! Great experiences will happen, all you have to do is "Put your shoulder to the wheel, [and] push along."
Love,
Elder Urry
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Tuscon-- #5
Hey Everyone!
TUCSON IS GETTING A TEMPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Funny story about that. My zone had interviews with President Killpack Thursday before Conference. While I was waiting Sister Killpack asked me if there was anything confusing about the letter she and President mailed after I got my call. I told her nothing that I recall. But I was confused that there were five stakes in Tucson but NO temple! She laughed and mentioned that the church had purchased some land a while ago in the Foothills (richer part of Tucson) and were thinking about building a temple there. And then two days later President Monson announces that Tucson is getting a temple! We cheered so loud that we did not even here the Peru temple announced haha. I doubt it will happen but it would be so cool if the temple was finished while I was still on the mission. If not, I am definitely going to travel to the dedication. Ahdryanna Samson was baptized on Saturday! A good amount of people showed up to support which was good. The only scare that we had was not finding a baptismal suit for her dad to fit in. The first one we gave him was too small and the only other one was just a little bit bigger. Needless to say, he was able to fit in the suit but it was skin tight haha I'm going to start calling him Elvis. Kapua is going to be baptized this Saturday at 9 AM which will be cool. A lot of people in the ward thought she was already a member because she has been going to church every week for the last year! She wanted to be baptized on her year mark of going to church. We were able to visit Dickiann but she ended up dropping us. That hurt more than other dropped investigators because she was the first person that I tracted into. Life goes on and I know that there are other people out there looking for the truth but do not know where to find it. Elder McKenna and I are going to focus on finding a good amount of new investigators that we can teach because our teaching pool has really evaporated. This last week we taught a lot of Less Active members and contacted some less-active referrals. There is a lady in my ward that has a salon at her house. We went there to get haircuts recently and it was nice. Not as good as mom's haircuts. I looked like a marine afterwards haha. Every P-day, the zone has some type of activity that we do. Last week it was bowling and this week it was sand (more like dg) volleyball. Every Wednesday is district meeting and afterwards the entire zone goes somewhere for lunch. Most of the time it is a place called Molcha's. They are a street hot dog vendor/mini restaurant. They make Sonoran hot dogs which are amazing! On wednesdays they are buy 1 get 1 free so as you would expect there are always a bunch of missionaries there. A sonoran dog is a hot dog wrapped in a juicy piece of bacon with beans, grilled onions, regular onions, tomatoes, mayo, mustard, bell pepper all packed into a sweet tasting bun. It is so delicious! The zone record is eight in one sitting. I will break that record...eventually. I loved General Conference! My favorite talk was Elder Scott's and then Elder Holland's. A quote that I loved from Elder Holland's talk was, “I need someone to feed my sheep and save my lambs. I need someone to preach my gospel and defend my faith. I need someone who loves me, truly, truly loves me, and loves what our Father in Heaven has commissioned me to do. ... It is the work of the Almighty and it is to change the world…So we have neighbors to bless, children to protect, the poor to lift up and the truth to defend. We have wrongs to make right, truths to share and good to do. In short, we have a life of devoted discipleship to give in demonstrating our love of the Lord. We can't quit and we can't go back.” That pretty much sums up my purpose of being a missionary. Is it just me or were the Apostles more bold than usual? I found it amazing that they shared the same story from the scriptures multiple times. Especially since the talks get looked over by the First Presidency. I was glad to see that Elder Hales looked 300% better than the last couple sessions of conference. It is an amazing thing to look into their eyes as they bear their testimonies.
Love,
Elder Urry
Monday, September 17, 2012
Elder Urry's Address
For now, all mail to Elder Urry should be sent to the mission address. It will then be forwarded out to him.
Elder Ross C. Urry
c/o Arizona, Tucson Mission
939 W. Chapala Dr
Tucson, AZ 85704-4516
He loves letters!!
Elder Ross C. Urry
c/o Arizona, Tucson Mission
939 W. Chapala Dr
Tucson, AZ 85704-4516
He loves letters!!
Tucson-- #2
Hey family!
First week in the mission has been so amazing! I neglected to mention my companion's name in my last email. His name is Elder McKenna and he is from Utah. My first night in my area was so weird. Went to a dinner appointment and then my first lesson. The lesson was with an investigator named
Bradley. We read Mark 5 with him because he is trying to stop smoking and I told him that when you have faith in Jesus Christ you can overcome any problem. At the end of the lesson I committed him to baptism (he has already had all the lessons) and he said YES! Funny story actually haha. I committed him to August 29th by accident instead of September 29th and he still said yes. The Lord is preparing people in my area to hear the Gospel. We ran into a lady while tracting. She had just moved to Tucson and was looking for a church that she could attend. She saw the LDS Church on the
corner of the street and wanted to go inside but did not know if they would allow non-members to come inside. I chuckled inside and we told her that she could indeed come and we invited her to church and set up an appointment to meet with her. We were following up on a referral from a member in going to see a part member family. The husband is less-active and his new wife is not a member. We talked with her wife in the driveway and she mentioned that she was real interested in learning about the Church and her husband really wants to start going back to church. She wanted to wait for her husband to get home before she made an appointment, we are going to call them today and set up and appointment. Just talking to her, she seemed really interested in taking the missionary lessons and learning about the Church.
After Church yesterday some members came back into the building to tell us that someone outside wanted to talk to us. His name is Joel and he is currently homeless. As we were talking with him he said that he wanted to change his life around and saw the church so he just waited outside so he could meet with someone. He was so grateful for the love, concern, and care that the members had shown him because he is so used to people ignoring him because he is homeless and not like a "normal" person. We gave him a number to contact about finding housing, and a mormon.org card with our number on it along with a Restoration pamphlet. We have an appointment to meet with him tomorrow in the morning. There is a missionary in my zone that has Crohn's too. In fact he just got back out into the field after having surgery. I talked to him for a little bit during lunch after our
District Meeting.
So Elder Ballard came and vistited us last Friday. It was so cool! The meeting was set to start at 10:30AM but Elder Ballard showed up at 9:40ish, shook all of the missionaries hands and the meeting started no later than 10. There is no such thing as mormon standard time to Apostles. He was accompanied by Elder Gay of the 1st Quorum of the Seventy and Elder Pickard, an Area seventy. Elder Ballard was so funny. He talked about the Book of Mormon and the importance of knowing all of the missionary lessons so you can better teach them and apply them to the needs of investigators. I was "starstruck" while listening to him. I was no more than 20 feet away from an Apostle! He ended with a q&a session but I couldn't think of a good and appropriate question to ask him in that setting. He closed the meeting with his testimony. It was one strong testimony! The Spirit was so strong as he spoke and he indeed was speaking by the Spirit. He had no notes and spoke for a good 45 minutes.
At church I ran into Josh Hawkins, whom I had not seen since I went to EFY at BYU two years ago. Its pretty funny that my first area is the same ward of someone that I know. It was good to see him after not seeing him for two years. I saw a Chuze Fitness gym and the first I thought of was Brother and Sister Huff. They have to be close. Maybe in my next area?
Love,
Elder Urry
LiveStrong
First week in the mission has been so amazing! I neglected to mention my companion's name in my last email. His name is Elder McKenna and he is from Utah. My first night in my area was so weird. Went to a dinner appointment and then my first lesson. The lesson was with an investigator named
Bradley. We read Mark 5 with him because he is trying to stop smoking and I told him that when you have faith in Jesus Christ you can overcome any problem. At the end of the lesson I committed him to baptism (he has already had all the lessons) and he said YES! Funny story actually haha. I committed him to August 29th by accident instead of September 29th and he still said yes. The Lord is preparing people in my area to hear the Gospel. We ran into a lady while tracting. She had just moved to Tucson and was looking for a church that she could attend. She saw the LDS Church on the
corner of the street and wanted to go inside but did not know if they would allow non-members to come inside. I chuckled inside and we told her that she could indeed come and we invited her to church and set up an appointment to meet with her. We were following up on a referral from a member in going to see a part member family. The husband is less-active and his new wife is not a member. We talked with her wife in the driveway and she mentioned that she was real interested in learning about the Church and her husband really wants to start going back to church. She wanted to wait for her husband to get home before she made an appointment, we are going to call them today and set up and appointment. Just talking to her, she seemed really interested in taking the missionary lessons and learning about the Church.
After Church yesterday some members came back into the building to tell us that someone outside wanted to talk to us. His name is Joel and he is currently homeless. As we were talking with him he said that he wanted to change his life around and saw the church so he just waited outside so he could meet with someone. He was so grateful for the love, concern, and care that the members had shown him because he is so used to people ignoring him because he is homeless and not like a "normal" person. We gave him a number to contact about finding housing, and a mormon.org card with our number on it along with a Restoration pamphlet. We have an appointment to meet with him tomorrow in the morning. There is a missionary in my zone that has Crohn's too. In fact he just got back out into the field after having surgery. I talked to him for a little bit during lunch after our
District Meeting.
So Elder Ballard came and vistited us last Friday. It was so cool! The meeting was set to start at 10:30AM but Elder Ballard showed up at 9:40ish, shook all of the missionaries hands and the meeting started no later than 10. There is no such thing as mormon standard time to Apostles. He was accompanied by Elder Gay of the 1st Quorum of the Seventy and Elder Pickard, an Area seventy. Elder Ballard was so funny. He talked about the Book of Mormon and the importance of knowing all of the missionary lessons so you can better teach them and apply them to the needs of investigators. I was "starstruck" while listening to him. I was no more than 20 feet away from an Apostle! He ended with a q&a session but I couldn't think of a good and appropriate question to ask him in that setting. He closed the meeting with his testimony. It was one strong testimony! The Spirit was so strong as he spoke and he indeed was speaking by the Spirit. He had no notes and spoke for a good 45 minutes.
At church I ran into Josh Hawkins, whom I had not seen since I went to EFY at BYU two years ago. Its pretty funny that my first area is the same ward of someone that I know. It was good to see him after not seeing him for two years. I saw a Chuze Fitness gym and the first I thought of was Brother and Sister Huff. They have to be close. Maybe in my next area?
Love,
Elder Urry
LiveStrong
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
First Update from the Field!
Elder Urry arrived in Tuscon yesterday (9/10) and we got an email from him today! What a fun surprise.
I have finally arrived in Tucson!! Yesterday was a long day. First thing that happened after I landed was go to the Mormon Battalion monument in Tucson. That was pretty cool and Sister Killpack immediately gave me a Book of Mormon. I was so scared, I thought I was going to have to hand it out right then but there is a mission wide policy of always having a Book of Mormon on you at all times. Such a great policy! You never know when you are going to come in contact with someone and give it to them. As President Killpack was explaining to us the similarities between the Mormon Battalion and we as missionaries, the AP's went contacting people who were in the park. President Killpack mentioned that just like the Mormon Battalion, we as missionaries have been asked to leave family, our belongings and friends in order to answer the call of a Prophet of God. I am serving in Tucson, I cannot remember the ward I am in but it is the same ward as a kid that I went to EFY with in Provo. For lunch we went to Cici's pizza which was amazing! I could stay there and eat pizza all day long it was that good.
As I was in the car with President Killpack driving around, I mentioned that I was bummed out about not being able to hear an Apostle speak at the MTC. I so wanted to hear an Apostle speak, I prayed that I would be able to but unfortunately it did not happened. He shared to me that this Friday, Elder M. Russell Ballard is visiting the mission and he is going to talk to the entire mission before he heads to a leadership conference. I am going crazy in anticipation of Friday! God answers your prayers. It might not be in the way that we want be He will ALWAYS answer your prayer. Last week there were
27 baptisms mission wide! The field is white and totally ready to harvest! :) The mission just ended a 40 day fast where a different district would fast each day that they would find more families to teach. When I met my companion he said that there are currently three investigators that have baptismal dates! One for the end of this month and the other two are the beginning of October. I am looking forward to seeing the Lord's work progress in the up and coming weeks and months in my area.
Tonight I eat at a member's house and then go two my first appointments. Oh my goodness I am so nervous for those and I have no clue what to say. I know that the Lord will place in my mouth the very words that need to be spoken. All i need to do is open my mouth. Last night, President Killpack had us go outside when it was dark and meditate and ponder about what we are to do for the next two years. It was a pretty cool experience. I prayed and told the Lord that the ball is in his court. I am out serving a mission for Him and I am studying His Gospel. I need Him to pick me up and teach by the Spirit so my investigators can feel true conversion. When I got back inside I opened up my Book of Mormon to a random chapter and verse. I opened up to the last verse in Alma 34. It pretty much says to be patient in your afflictions and eventually you will not have those afflictions. That is the first time that I have ever opened up my scriptures to a random verse and I knew 100% with out a doubt that God wanted me to read that verse. I know that I am going to have some tough companions these next two years but as I learn to be patient, the Lord willpick up the slack. I am so grateful to be able to make it out to Tucson. Finally my life long dream is being fulfilled right in front of my eyes.
My P-days are normally on Mondays except on transfer week when they are on Tuesdays. I will let you know next week how the experience with Elder Ballard, an Apostle and witness of Jesus Christ is. Sunday night all missionaries from the stake got together to take pictures since I was leaving. It was good to see Elder Farrow, Elder Carter, Elder Chapman, and Elder Stephens and be able to talk with them and take pictures. I do not hink that the world knows what is coming at them as we all enter to the field and talk about God and His plan for each one of His children. Keep it real.
P.S. Sister Killpack makes the best food! (other than mimi and mom)
Love,
Elder Urry
> LiveStrong
I have finally arrived in Tucson!! Yesterday was a long day. First thing that happened after I landed was go to the Mormon Battalion monument in Tucson. That was pretty cool and Sister Killpack immediately gave me a Book of Mormon. I was so scared, I thought I was going to have to hand it out right then but there is a mission wide policy of always having a Book of Mormon on you at all times. Such a great policy! You never know when you are going to come in contact with someone and give it to them. As President Killpack was explaining to us the similarities between the Mormon Battalion and we as missionaries, the AP's went contacting people who were in the park. President Killpack mentioned that just like the Mormon Battalion, we as missionaries have been asked to leave family, our belongings and friends in order to answer the call of a Prophet of God. I am serving in Tucson, I cannot remember the ward I am in but it is the same ward as a kid that I went to EFY with in Provo. For lunch we went to Cici's pizza which was amazing! I could stay there and eat pizza all day long it was that good.
As I was in the car with President Killpack driving around, I mentioned that I was bummed out about not being able to hear an Apostle speak at the MTC. I so wanted to hear an Apostle speak, I prayed that I would be able to but unfortunately it did not happened. He shared to me that this Friday, Elder M. Russell Ballard is visiting the mission and he is going to talk to the entire mission before he heads to a leadership conference. I am going crazy in anticipation of Friday! God answers your prayers. It might not be in the way that we want be He will ALWAYS answer your prayer. Last week there were
27 baptisms mission wide! The field is white and totally ready to harvest! :) The mission just ended a 40 day fast where a different district would fast each day that they would find more families to teach. When I met my companion he said that there are currently three investigators that have baptismal dates! One for the end of this month and the other two are the beginning of October. I am looking forward to seeing the Lord's work progress in the up and coming weeks and months in my area.
Tonight I eat at a member's house and then go two my first appointments. Oh my goodness I am so nervous for those and I have no clue what to say. I know that the Lord will place in my mouth the very words that need to be spoken. All i need to do is open my mouth. Last night, President Killpack had us go outside when it was dark and meditate and ponder about what we are to do for the next two years. It was a pretty cool experience. I prayed and told the Lord that the ball is in his court. I am out serving a mission for Him and I am studying His Gospel. I need Him to pick me up and teach by the Spirit so my investigators can feel true conversion. When I got back inside I opened up my Book of Mormon to a random chapter and verse. I opened up to the last verse in Alma 34. It pretty much says to be patient in your afflictions and eventually you will not have those afflictions. That is the first time that I have ever opened up my scriptures to a random verse and I knew 100% with out a doubt that God wanted me to read that verse. I know that I am going to have some tough companions these next two years but as I learn to be patient, the Lord willpick up the slack. I am so grateful to be able to make it out to Tucson. Finally my life long dream is being fulfilled right in front of my eyes.
My P-days are normally on Mondays except on transfer week when they are on Tuesdays. I will let you know next week how the experience with Elder Ballard, an Apostle and witness of Jesus Christ is. Sunday night all missionaries from the stake got together to take pictures since I was leaving. It was good to see Elder Farrow, Elder Carter, Elder Chapman, and Elder Stephens and be able to talk with them and take pictures. I do not hink that the world knows what is coming at them as we all enter to the field and talk about God and His plan for each one of His children. Keep it real.
P.S. Sister Killpack makes the best food! (other than mimi and mom)
Love,
Elder Urry
> LiveStrong
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
MTC Week 2!
Here is Elder Urry's update from September 4th:
Hey family!
Week two went by way faster than the first! I am currently doing laundry at
5:20 because it gets so crowded later in the day. I love the MTC! It is
very hard and challenging but worthwhile. My testimony and knowledge of the
Gospel of Jesus Christ has grown so much! I feel like I was a newborn baby
when I compare what I know now to what I knew two weeks ago. It is kind of
weird and surreal. My testimony has changed from knowing the church is true
and Jesus is my Savior to I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints allows people to access the full Atonement of Jesus
Christ through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That is the message I am going
to share with the people in Tucson, AZ.
I love running into missionaries that I know because it is so cool to see that my friends are
helping to assist the Lord in harvesting the harvest and gathering the fruit. I run
into Elder Chapman about every other day and we always chat for a little
bit. I have an experience that was really eye opening, humbling and
emphasized the fact that I need to not be afraid to act on promptings from
the Spirit. This last week my district was teaching a "progressing
investigator" at the TRC named Lawanna. We had taught her one time previous
and the lesson went very well. The spirit was in the room and testified of
what we were teaching. We were pumped up to teach her a couple days later.
We prepared to teach either the Plan of Salvation or the Restoration of the
Gospel of Jesus Christ depending on her answers to our questions. For the
most part we had decided to teach the Plan of Salvation. As questions were
asked there seemed to be a frequently repeated question, "What happened to
your friend?" or "Tell us about your friend?" Her friend had just recently
passed away. I noticed that she was uncomfortable with these questions and
knew that I needed to change the subject. I didn't. The questions kept
getting repeated because elders wanted to get certain answer and did not
want to stop from teaching her the Plan of Salvation. She felt so
uncomfortable that she got up and left the room. It got really quiet and no
one spoke a word. She later came in and some elders and I apologized for
our behavior.
The entire district was down in the dumps. I seemed to be the only one who was not
depressed. I tried to raise their spirits. I read my mission call to them
to remind them why they are out here and the blessing that will come to
them. We took a divinely guided walk to where we could see the temple and
remember our goal. Experience the full Atonement of Jesus Christ which can
only be done because of the temple. Yesterday, my teacher Brother Pinnock
went over the parable of the Good Samaritan and what it really meant. As we
read and discussed, my mind was/is/and probably will always be blown about
its true meaning. It is amazing the things that you learn when you have the
Spirit and it testifies of the truthfulness of what is being taught. I am
given so much study time that it is crazy. Hours and hours a day. 8 hours
on Sunday. However, I have found that it is quite insufficient to what I
want to study. I find trouble finding time to effectively study Preach My
Gospel, The Book of Mormon, and The New Testament. However, I have seen
that as I study these three books, I am blessed more abundantly with the
Spirit.
9/12 people in my district are sick. It seems to be a mix of the
flu and strep throat. I am not sick and I hope that it stays that way. I
have an airborne tablet with every meal and wash my hands as often as
possible. I pray constantly that the Lord will bless me with health and
strength that I wont get sick so I can attend all my classes and learn
about His gospel. I have faith that as I do my part in trying not to get
sick, that the Lord will make sure that I do not get sick. I leave next
Monday 9/10 at 6:00AM to fly to Tucson, AZ. So after next weekend, if you
write me at the MTC, I wont get your letter haha. I will make sure to keep
you all updated on my new address. My testimony is strong. I know why I am
dedicating two years of my life to serve the one that I love, Jesus Christ.
I would not change anything for it in the world. I am going to serve the
Lord with all my heart, might, mind and strength. I love you all and thanks
for the letters!
Love,
Elder Urry
LiveStrong
Hey family!
Week two went by way faster than the first! I am currently doing laundry at
5:20 because it gets so crowded later in the day. I love the MTC! It is
very hard and challenging but worthwhile. My testimony and knowledge of the
Gospel of Jesus Christ has grown so much! I feel like I was a newborn baby
when I compare what I know now to what I knew two weeks ago. It is kind of
weird and surreal. My testimony has changed from knowing the church is true
and Jesus is my Savior to I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints allows people to access the full Atonement of Jesus
Christ through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That is the message I am going
to share with the people in Tucson, AZ.
I love running into missionaries that I know because it is so cool to see that my friends are
helping to assist the Lord in harvesting the harvest and gathering the fruit. I run
into Elder Chapman about every other day and we always chat for a little
bit. I have an experience that was really eye opening, humbling and
emphasized the fact that I need to not be afraid to act on promptings from
the Spirit. This last week my district was teaching a "progressing
investigator" at the TRC named Lawanna. We had taught her one time previous
and the lesson went very well. The spirit was in the room and testified of
what we were teaching. We were pumped up to teach her a couple days later.
We prepared to teach either the Plan of Salvation or the Restoration of the
Gospel of Jesus Christ depending on her answers to our questions. For the
most part we had decided to teach the Plan of Salvation. As questions were
asked there seemed to be a frequently repeated question, "What happened to
your friend?" or "Tell us about your friend?" Her friend had just recently
passed away. I noticed that she was uncomfortable with these questions and
knew that I needed to change the subject. I didn't. The questions kept
getting repeated because elders wanted to get certain answer and did not
want to stop from teaching her the Plan of Salvation. She felt so
uncomfortable that she got up and left the room. It got really quiet and no
one spoke a word. She later came in and some elders and I apologized for
our behavior.
The entire district was down in the dumps. I seemed to be the only one who was not
depressed. I tried to raise their spirits. I read my mission call to them
to remind them why they are out here and the blessing that will come to
them. We took a divinely guided walk to where we could see the temple and
remember our goal. Experience the full Atonement of Jesus Christ which can
only be done because of the temple. Yesterday, my teacher Brother Pinnock
went over the parable of the Good Samaritan and what it really meant. As we
read and discussed, my mind was/is/and probably will always be blown about
its true meaning. It is amazing the things that you learn when you have the
Spirit and it testifies of the truthfulness of what is being taught. I am
given so much study time that it is crazy. Hours and hours a day. 8 hours
on Sunday. However, I have found that it is quite insufficient to what I
want to study. I find trouble finding time to effectively study Preach My
Gospel, The Book of Mormon, and The New Testament. However, I have seen
that as I study these three books, I am blessed more abundantly with the
Spirit.
9/12 people in my district are sick. It seems to be a mix of the
flu and strep throat. I am not sick and I hope that it stays that way. I
have an airborne tablet with every meal and wash my hands as often as
possible. I pray constantly that the Lord will bless me with health and
strength that I wont get sick so I can attend all my classes and learn
about His gospel. I have faith that as I do my part in trying not to get
sick, that the Lord will make sure that I do not get sick. I leave next
Monday 9/10 at 6:00AM to fly to Tucson, AZ. So after next weekend, if you
write me at the MTC, I wont get your letter haha. I will make sure to keep
you all updated on my new address. My testimony is strong. I know why I am
dedicating two years of my life to serve the one that I love, Jesus Christ.
I would not change anything for it in the world. I am going to serve the
Lord with all my heart, might, mind and strength. I love you all and thanks
for the letters!
Love,
Elder Urry
LiveStrong
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
First Letter from Elder Urry!
We got Ross's first letter from the MTC today. Sounds like he is going great!
Hola familia! Como estan Uds?
MTC has been so amazing! From minute one to now it has been a complete adventure. My host for the MTC was my best bud Elder Andrus (Greg) fom up at BYU. So the MTC started off on a good foot. Not real awkward. Getting the hallowed and coveted black name tag was a cool experience. It finally hit me that I was finally a missionary. Preparing to do what I have dreamed about my entire life. 15 minutes from being dropped off I was already in class and then went to the orientation meeting (what they used to invite families to come too). We sang "We'll Bring the World the Truth" they changed the lyrics from "We will be the Lords missionaries" to "We ARE the Lords missionaries". I took the "dork dot" off immediately after I got to my room for the night. It was fun at first but got old real fast when everyone says, "welcome Elder". However, I am looking forward to the newbies coming in tomorrow and returning the favor haha. I have found that the food is not as bad as what people make it sound to be. Dont worry Mom, I am eating canteloupe and watermelon every meal. The second day a missionary came up to me and said that I probably am new because I didnt know about the "Forbidden Fruit Juice" which is the orange juice. Apparently people have problems when they eat the OJ here. My companion's name is Elder Wilde and he is from Holliday, UT. I get along real well with him (which is a first) and we have made lots of progress over the last week. Sometimes he doesnt want to study the whole alotted time or wants to not follow the schedule we were given but I make sure that we do. I promised myself and the Lord that I would be 100% obedient and I will keep to the promise. I know that I will be greatly blessed for being obedient. Third day at the MTC was when I gave my first discussion to an investigator by the name of Daniel (mtc teacher Brother Pinnock) who was from the Congo and travelled to America during the Civil War there. It was so hard. We were all over the place and he rejected our challenge to be baptize. He said "I was baptized Protestant, why do I have to be baptized again?" That is a hard question that I did not know how to answer. Afterwards Bro. Pinnock said that we focused too much on the Restoration doctrine and not enough on his needs. That was hard to hear. Before coming on a mission, I would have thought that you want to focus on the doctrine but boy was I mistaken. Here at the MTC they make sure that you know that you need to care for the investigator and ask meaningful questions and let the Spirit guide you to answers that will help them. Our second lesson with Daniel went a hundred times better! We asked about his family and he said that he missed his family because they were still in a refugee camp in the Congo. So we tailored the appointment around the doctrine that families can be together forever through the authority of God's Priesthood. They will be together after we die in this life. He loved that idea! We told him that in order to be with his family, he and eventually his family would need to be baptized by the proper authority. He accepted our challenge to read the Book of Mormon and pray to find out for himself whether or not it is true. We told him that if the Book of Mormon is true, then Joseph Smith was a true prophet, called of God and that God's priesthood authority is back on the Earth. He said that if he found out that the Book of Mormon was true then he would think about being baptized. We had a TRC (no clue what it stands for) appointment with a less active member. Her name was Manette and we had absolutely no plan going into it. We spent 10-15 minutes talking and found out the her husband had been laid off and had a job that did not utilize his college degree. They were going through some rough times. She believed in a God but didnt believe that He knew her and cared for her. We testifed that God knows her and loves her. He sent his Son, Jesus Christ to suffer for everyone. Jesus knows how you feel, the pain you experience, the mistakes you've made and that he carries you when you are going through hard times like the poem "Footprints in the Sand" talks about. We talked about how she can come to know God through reading the Book of Mormon. The Spirit was so strong and she actually started to cry (good cry) and I almost did too. I shared stories of when I felt alone and the Savior was there to comfort me. There is no doubt in my mind that the church is true! I have fervently studied it that last week and my testimony has grown so much! I have run into so many people at the MTC. Alicia Stevenson and Kathryn Haynie at the cafeteria. Elder Carter and Chapman from the stake. And Elder Howe, Myler, McKell, Andrus, Preece, Davis and Wasson from up at BYU.
PS.. Sat next to an elder mcConkie the first day. He was instantly my best friend. Ute fan though....
Love ya
Elder Urry
LiveStrong
Never let the adversary get to you. You need to livestrong and rely on the Savior
Hola familia! Como estan Uds?
MTC has been so amazing! From minute one to now it has been a complete adventure. My host for the MTC was my best bud Elder Andrus (Greg) fom up at BYU. So the MTC started off on a good foot. Not real awkward. Getting the hallowed and coveted black name tag was a cool experience. It finally hit me that I was finally a missionary. Preparing to do what I have dreamed about my entire life. 15 minutes from being dropped off I was already in class and then went to the orientation meeting (what they used to invite families to come too). We sang "We'll Bring the World the Truth" they changed the lyrics from "We will be the Lords missionaries" to "We ARE the Lords missionaries". I took the "dork dot" off immediately after I got to my room for the night. It was fun at first but got old real fast when everyone says, "welcome Elder". However, I am looking forward to the newbies coming in tomorrow and returning the favor haha. I have found that the food is not as bad as what people make it sound to be. Dont worry Mom, I am eating canteloupe and watermelon every meal. The second day a missionary came up to me and said that I probably am new because I didnt know about the "Forbidden Fruit Juice" which is the orange juice. Apparently people have problems when they eat the OJ here. My companion's name is Elder Wilde and he is from Holliday, UT. I get along real well with him (which is a first) and we have made lots of progress over the last week. Sometimes he doesnt want to study the whole alotted time or wants to not follow the schedule we were given but I make sure that we do. I promised myself and the Lord that I would be 100% obedient and I will keep to the promise. I know that I will be greatly blessed for being obedient. Third day at the MTC was when I gave my first discussion to an investigator by the name of Daniel (mtc teacher Brother Pinnock) who was from the Congo and travelled to America during the Civil War there. It was so hard. We were all over the place and he rejected our challenge to be baptize. He said "I was baptized Protestant, why do I have to be baptized again?" That is a hard question that I did not know how to answer. Afterwards Bro. Pinnock said that we focused too much on the Restoration doctrine and not enough on his needs. That was hard to hear. Before coming on a mission, I would have thought that you want to focus on the doctrine but boy was I mistaken. Here at the MTC they make sure that you know that you need to care for the investigator and ask meaningful questions and let the Spirit guide you to answers that will help them. Our second lesson with Daniel went a hundred times better! We asked about his family and he said that he missed his family because they were still in a refugee camp in the Congo. So we tailored the appointment around the doctrine that families can be together forever through the authority of God's Priesthood. They will be together after we die in this life. He loved that idea! We told him that in order to be with his family, he and eventually his family would need to be baptized by the proper authority. He accepted our challenge to read the Book of Mormon and pray to find out for himself whether or not it is true. We told him that if the Book of Mormon is true, then Joseph Smith was a true prophet, called of God and that God's priesthood authority is back on the Earth. He said that if he found out that the Book of Mormon was true then he would think about being baptized. We had a TRC (no clue what it stands for) appointment with a less active member. Her name was Manette and we had absolutely no plan going into it. We spent 10-15 minutes talking and found out the her husband had been laid off and had a job that did not utilize his college degree. They were going through some rough times. She believed in a God but didnt believe that He knew her and cared for her. We testifed that God knows her and loves her. He sent his Son, Jesus Christ to suffer for everyone. Jesus knows how you feel, the pain you experience, the mistakes you've made and that he carries you when you are going through hard times like the poem "Footprints in the Sand" talks about. We talked about how she can come to know God through reading the Book of Mormon. The Spirit was so strong and she actually started to cry (good cry) and I almost did too. I shared stories of when I felt alone and the Savior was there to comfort me. There is no doubt in my mind that the church is true! I have fervently studied it that last week and my testimony has grown so much! I have run into so many people at the MTC. Alicia Stevenson and Kathryn Haynie at the cafeteria. Elder Carter and Chapman from the stake. And Elder Howe, Myler, McKell, Andrus, Preece, Davis and Wasson from up at BYU.
PS.. Sat next to an elder mcConkie the first day. He was instantly my best friend. Ute fan though....
Love ya
Elder Urry
LiveStrong
Never let the adversary get to you. You need to livestrong and rely on the Savior
Monday, June 11, 2012
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Assignment Made
As of today, Apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ have decided where I am going to serve for the next two years! More info to come on when I am going to open my call.
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