Monday, January 30, 2012

Hey everyone!

We are having a fantastic time here in Ellensburg! The work is going well and we are seeing so many miracles it boggles my mind! One definite miracle we have seen this week is Chris. So we went to a dinner appointment way out in the middle of the country, and we were 15 minutes early so we decided to tract... (Not very effective when people live 3 minute drive away from each other) but we did so because we were already out there. So we knock on one house, and nothing. So we move to the next house, there was a very nice man but not interested. So we knock on the third and final house, and it was a man named Chris. He is about 20 and told us to come back the next day. When we came back his roommate was home, and they had a friend over. As we started the lesson we asked what their background was in religion, and how it had played a role in their life. The friend was in the back so he answered last, but said. "Oh yeah, I grew up in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints." The roommate then turned around and said, "I've spent a couple hundred hours alone with this guy, and I never knew he was a Mormon!" We all had a good laugh, and Doug, the Mormon, actually helped us teach the lesson, which was super funny. They look like a promising pair of guys, and they were super nice. So that is my miracle story for the week!

It’s awesome to hear the Jake is going to Canada! I thought he was gonna go to Mongolia or South Africa, but Canada is cool too! Actually, my ward mission leader in 1st ward is from Calgary, I'll have to talk to him about that!

You should try using your forks and spoons and stuff with your right hand! That’s awesome to hear that you are now focusing on getting that going better!

Well we have little time here, busy day
love you,
Elder Pickett

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Hello!

We had ward conferences this week, no stake conference yet. I'm not sure when that'll happen, but ward conference was great and we got to hear the stake president and our bishops give talks. What was interesting was the stake presidents talk was different for the two wards I am in. I couldn't imagine giving 2 talks in one day, but giving 2 different talks in one day would be totally insane!

So this week we had zone conference down in Yakima, and we went down the night previous so there wouldn’t be too much snow on the roads. Well we got down safe, had a great zone conference. But a storm decided to blow in and clog up the roads, so we spent a whole day in Yakima, not able to work because we couldn't go outside. That was a kind of lame day, but getting to know the other elders in my zone better was a lot of fun. When we finally got home there was about 14 inches of snow in our driveway, so we would go around the block, pick up some speed and try to get up into our drive way, so that we could get into our apartment. That was a lot of fun, but we shoveled it afterwards, so now it's all smooth sailing in that regard.

I have had a lot of time to think about how I didn't truly arise and shine forth when I was in high school. We have this amazing deacon in one of our wards that has given out 3 copies of the Book of Mormon since I have been in this ward. Now to arise and shine forth you don't necessarily have to be handing out copies of the Book of Mormon, but when people ask you about the church, invite them to come and find out for themselves rather than just answering there questions. It's also all about being a good example to the people we meet. I know that’s what everyone says but it is so true. We meet people all the time who want to talk to us because they have met people from our church, and liked who the church made them into.

The work here has been great! Me and Elder Roundy are getting along really well, and it looks like it's going to be a great transfer. Sadly Bryce doesn't feel like he will be ready to be baptized on this Saturday so that will not be happening, but he is continuing to press forward and dig out the truth in the message we share.

Have a great week everyone!
Love,
Elder Pickett

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Hey everyone!

This week my trainer got transferred and I have a new companion named Elder Roundy. He is a great guy and loves to work, and we are having a great time together! He is from Las Vegas and can talk to anyone without any fear, which is what I need to learn from him.

The work in Ellensburg is really doing well, we went to visit a less-active the other day, but wouldn't go in for fear of his giant barking husky. When we were walking back to our car, Elder Roundy decided we needed to knock on a random house. When the lady answered the door, she said "Oh you're from a church? Come on in!" This was very unusual because generally when you tract, people always say no. So we went in and she is a student at a cosmetology school, and is interested in learning about our church. We actually have an appointment for later today, so that will be a good time.

This week we went to see a man named Lenny, he is blind and in a wheelchair because of a disease that is slowly eating his body, but he is so alive and happy with life I find it amazing. We went to visit him, and he has 2 "squatters" living with him who are also interested in the gospel, so that was a very cool thing finding 2 people at an investigators house. The "squatters", Lenny calls them that jokingly, are a married couple with a 2 or 3 year old daughter and they are really excited about the fact that there is a prophet on earth again and they can live together forever.

Well that is all the news I have this week,
I love you all,
Elder Pickett

Monday, January 9, 2012




Hey everyone!

This has been a crazy week with transfers and all! I'm staying in Ellensburg but Elder Gibson is leaving and going to Vancouver, WA. I'm getting a new companion named Elder Roundy. He seems like a great missionary from what I've heard.

We have an investigator working for a baptismal date of January 28th. His name is Bryce and he has a pretty interesting story. He was dating a Mormon girl and at first started investigating to see if it would help their relationship be stronger, so he kind of investigated for 5 months without really trying anything. They broke up when she went off to school so he stopped investigating for a while. This past month he realized that he needs to investigate for himself, not his girlfriend. So he has been progressing so quickly now because he is studying very diligently, and praying all the time. The one obstacle he has is that he works on Sundays, he is working on trying to get his schedule changed now, and the progress he has made since I met him the first time has been amazing! He is a great guy and will be an awesome member.

So it is amazing to hear your progress each week, I know I say this every week, but it really is spectacular to know that even without me hollerin at you to work out you are making awesome progress :P

Well nothing really new is happening, other than what’s going on with Bryce, so I wish you all a good week.

Love,
Elder Pickett

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Hey everyone!

Great week this week! We have an investigator who has been looking into the church for a couple months now, and he wouldn't read the Book of Mormon until he had read the Bible all the way through. Within the past couple weeks he has made great progress, and has accepted to be baptized on the 28th of January! That was an amazing thing considering how closed off he was at the beginning. It is amazing how some people are worked on slowly but surely by the Holy Ghost.

It is great to hear about how much improvement you make every week Mom, by next week you had better be riding 5-10 miles a day!

Christmas and New Years were a lot of fun, and Dad would be proud because we celebrated New York New Years, just how you like it. Christmas was great, we were able to have 2 dinners, and they were both great. Skyping my family was definitely a highlight too.

That is pretty crazy! I'm not sure if I told you but we had a small automobile accident too! We were backing up out of someone’s driveway, I was behind the car, and as we were making a small turn to get out, the front bumper caught on a pile of rocks and tore the whole thing off! So we drove around without a bumper for about 3 weeks, but now all is good and well.

I'd just like to say Happy New Years!!

Love,
Elder Pickett