September 1, 2014

Member present lessons have fallen to just 3 last week with only 5 other lessons. I think a lot of which is due in part to the school year beginning, and our wonderful members have been a bit more consumed in their schedules...however since the school year began we have had a completely full dinner calendar (and are trying to get investigators to dinner with us), which I am excited about and have seen a new kind of member involvement, reaching out for inspired referrals which we discussed at our last zone conference, and without fail every time a name has almost immediately come to mind, but rather then get their contact information and "drop-in" on the referral, we then taught an interactive lesson about ITL's with five points of an ideal ITL "dinner and a show" per-say as we role play the following process, elder Myers and I are quite entertaining, if I do say so myself, and always get a few laughs mingled in among the spirit.

1 - Connect (members already have that advantage) 2 - Ask and inspired question (generally tailored the principles of the gospel that have blessed their own life, and why that person's name came up in the first place) 3 - Teach and Testify, 4 - invite 5 - schedule (it would be an honor if you would be willing to come to my home and learn more etc etc.) I am 
This area is alive and we are finding numerous prepared individuals, who ask all those golden, elect questions...particularity Vicky, who has now reached out to begin sharing the gospel with her family and her sister just happens to have life-long friends who have been members since 1991...in church, this last Sunday, when we introduced Vicky to The Pools (the members), Brother pool came up to me, and with tears in his eyes said "thank you" they had been waiting and hoping and I am sure praying for a means to share the gospel with Vickie's sister and her family, in fact sister pool has had a Book Of Mormon with Rita (vicki's sister) name on it for over a year...The lord truly does prepare people to receive the gospel and I am so grateful to witness the gratitude of the pools, who after decades of friendship are now beginning to see the gospel reach their friends and to see their excitement for what happens next. 
In other news one of our investigator couples, became an investigator family this week, with the birth of their twins, it was wonderful to be invited to visit with them in the hospital both days they were there and witness the joy and happiness that their birth has brought to this investigator who I met on day 3 of my mission. 

I could not have asked for a better companion, this transfer has simply flown by and we have not had even close to a single disagreement, he is wonderful and someone I hope and plan on keeping as a lifelong friend. If there is one word I had to describe Elder Myers I would simply use "pure" he is one of the lords finest missionaries, and he knows the scriptures, and I owe him so much, for the insight into how to sharpen my own use of the scriptures in our teaching.

Love The Mountaineer

-Elder Wheeler

ART

Holding Allethiea, not even a day old:)  "allethiea" means truth, I told Brandon (her father and my longest investigator) "you finally found truth"

I love their family, and am so grateful to have become their friends.