December 26, 2012

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. For my last Christmas on the mission, it sure was better than my first Christmas. I was able to sleep in 1 1/2 hours (8 O'clock) then I opened up my presents! I was very excited to see my long awaited quilt that I started in clothing 3 class when I was in 12th grade. I had finished the pattern on the front side, but the borders and the padding and the rest of it, my family finished for me! Now, I'll have to send home my two other blankets that I was using, and use my better one!

 

Today we had our Christmas with the Shumways and it was great. The first part so from 9-12ish we had games and good activities with the Tulsa, Tulsa East and Joplin zones. I had a lot of fun. Then after lunch we got dressed in our proselyting clothes and had more of a spiritual experience. They split the Elders and Sisters. President Shumway instructed on us on mission rules that are most often broken. I don't know the details but there will be some missionaries, who will be going home, due to some serious infractions. When President had instructed us on these. He said it with some form of tears in his eyes, because of how much he truly loves each one of us in the mission. He sees that when missionaries do things wrong, and are sent home, he sees it as something he could have helped as well. We went over the things that are happening in the mission.

 

I know I have my faults but I just was blown away at some of the things he talked about. It's hard to explain how I felt at this point. There's some missionaries that I have come across in my areas or districts. It seems that when I say they can't do that or something to that effect, they tell me I'm wrong and that's being too strict. I feel that the way I was trained and the way that I follow my leaders is truly the right way. Yes, I can be more diligent, but I strive everyday to find something that is productive and will build my key indicators. It sometimes is hard when nothing I do ever works, or everything I do melts in my hands and I yield little from it. I try every day to my best, and when I know that I'm doing that, I'm reassured that I'm doing what the Lord wants of me. I'm so thankful for my blessings, I'm so grateful for my obedience. For it surely has helped me in the mission. Being obedient helps me to not get in trouble and helps me with my physical and spiritual wellfare as well.

 

I'm so grateful to be on a mission. It has it's up's and down's, twists and turns. WHen it is all said and done, I want to stand before those I converse with after my mission that I served an honourable mission. I did what I knew to be the right way. I hope and pray that my fellow missionaries will heed the instruction from President Shumway and even those who aren't full-time missionaries can understand that obedience is required in the Gospel. I know this to be very true, and I leave this with you in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

--

Elder Colby Stewart Haymond
Oklahoma, Tulsa mission
Owasso, Oklahoma

December 17, 2012

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!

 

I'll say that next week, (maybe if I remember.)

 

Well, this last week of the transfer was a pretty good week. We visited some members and investigators to take pictures with Elder Burr, before he left for Independence Kansas. In zone transfer. HIs companion is Elder Rasband, I'm really jealous of him. I love Elder Rasband!!!!! Funny fact, he and I played Starcraft before we came out on our missions, so we knew each other.

 

Since Elder Burr was going to the Tulsa zone which meets at the same transfer point and the elm creek elder who was staying his companion came from Independence so we just had to show up to the transfer point stay for about 45 minutes then leave. We got back around 8ish in the morning. We were able to have all our studies, then have some weekly planning and lunch.

 

Elder Morton is my new companion that I'm training in the right ways of being a missionary (at least that's the plan.) He is 19 years old, he was in the MTC during Thanksgiving so they extended his time at the MTC by a week. He is from American Fork Utah. He likes the outdoors, has 2 siblings a younger brother and an older sister who is 21ish. HIs father works for the church in the audio department. The dvd's that we use in the 12 week training program his father was actually there filming the missionaries who are playing in the dvd. One of the videos he watched before entering the MTC his dad told him that he was there filming it.

 

Elder Morton is excitied to do missionary work. He's keeping me on my toes and I'm always striving to find something for us to do. Something that he can practice doing, such a teaching or talking to people when we go tracting. Speaking of which, Elder Morton came in contact with his first Baptist while tracting. Who shared their testimony that they are saved by Grace.

 

We had our ward Christmas party on Friday. We had a huge turnout, this ward just reminds me of the wards back home. We easily have about 200 hundred people who are usually at church. We barely used the 2nd overflow in Sacrament on Sunday. The ward party was fun, although the program we had, I felt it was a Christmas Talent Show more than anything. Other than that it, was a great experience.

 

Well, in my Book of Mormon reading, I made it again to 3 Nephi when Christ comes to the America's!!! I was able to read chapter 10 & 11. The first couple chapters of 3 Nephi and the whole book of Helaman, there were parts in it, that when I read them I was like, hey I didn't know that. For example in I think 3 Nephi 4ish, the people of Nephi split into small tribes, but they have a lot of tribes. That was something that just didn't come to me as I read it the other 6 times on my mission. Another testimony that you don't learn everything the first time you read the Book of Mormon, or the scriptures for that matter. Something I learned or understand more is in chapter 11, Christ explains more of His Doctrine or Gospel. Then He goes onto say that this is the manner in which Baptism needs to occur. Then He explains that there have been disputations and disagreement's on certain things in the Gospel. Christ came to correct them. We can see a parallel with the America's and the people in Jerusalem. When Christ left, the Disciples/Apostles were left to administer to the people there. IN ensuing years they would both lead to Apostasy. But, it was the people in the Americas that had it last about 300 more years. Probably because of the things that Christ corrected when He came to this continent. HE also will explain later, that the people in the Americas were more faithful than those in Jerusalem. Thus explaining that they believed and had more faith on the things He would teach to them. I hope that we all will understand more fully the Doctrines of the church and not lean to our own doctrines that have to efficacy in this life. We have the Book of Mormon and Revelation today to confound the false Doctrines of our day. Man is saved by grace as our loving baptist friend testified to us, but we also believe that we must keep God's commandments. We have that solid, firm understanding and that is what will lead us to what we need. I'm thankful so much for this Gospel, I thank all my family and friends for supporting me on this mission. I know I'm doing a great work and cannot come down, this I leave with you in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

--

Elder Colby Stewart Haymond
Oklahoma, Tulsa mission
Owasso, Oklahoma

December 10, 2012

Well, I got the call on Saturday. My companion is going to Independence Kansas, and I'm staying and training a new missionary. Well, this will be an exciting new transfer!

Well, this was a stressful week. We had our investigators baptism on Saturday that we had to prepare for. Then we had 3 lessons that we taught on Sunday. We taught the youth in Sunday School at the First Christian Church of Owasso. WE went over the articles of Faith and 6 questions that they had specifically for us to answer.

Then we biked to Church got some things (it was a rather cold and windy bike ride) then we had church. I confirmed our investigator that was baptized on Saturday. Then we had to teach the Gospel Principles class since the teacher was out of town. Then we taught the Deacon's quorum about the importance of keeping a journal.

I only have a couple minutes left.

I have just barely finished the Book of Alma. Before I had usually dreaded reading the War chapters. Funny thing is this time around I actually liked them and I was able to learn very much from them. The war chapters are really good at illustrating a point in warfare and with our spiritual and physical warfare that we have in life. When Moroni built up his fortresses, we can apply that to our lives about building up strong.

I have learned a lot from these chapters, I know they can personally help all of us out. Please read them they are true along with the rest of the Book of Mormon. In the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

--

Elder Colby Stewart Haymond
Oklahoma, Tulsa mission
Owasso, Oklahoma