EASTER IS AMAZING! HE IS RISEN!

March 25, 2013

Dear Family,

You will always get your email first, don't you worry.

This week has been really good. First, some things I didn't get to last week. 

• There is a Brother in this ward named Tyson Stucki. He has an Aunt named Kathy and an uncle named Blair. I don't think that makes us actually related, but it is interesting. 
• I would like you to find a talk for me entitled, "Take your Mission Home with you." You don't need to send it to me yet, but sometime in the next 4 months.  

    Elder Neefe is still sick. It is frusturating. The Doctors don't know what is wrong with him. They said he is healthy, but he is not healthy. He is dizzy a lot, he frequently has headaches and he is nauseous in the mornings. I hope he is OK. He has been this way for about a month. It is limiting our ability to work, but we are learning to make the work we do have time to do more effective. It is a learning process. It is interesting, because this is an issue that I traditionally struggle with. The Lord definitely tailors our challenges toward us. I hope Elder Neefe gets better soon. He is getting frustrated. It is taxing both of us. Mostly we are annoyed that no one seems to know what is going on. We are making the most of it, though. The Lord is guiding us. We are seeing miracles.

  One of the most recent miracles is the J family. We didn't actually intend to knock on their door. (We weren't looking for them) We were actually looking for a referral that a nonmember gave us on the street. We knocked on their door and they said that this person had moved several years ago, and they didn't know where to find them. We offered to leave a blessing on their home, and they accepted. As we were asking them what they would like in the Blessing, she told us that she grew up in UT, and she had some contact with the church, and she recently had a miscarriage. We left the blessing and they both felt the Spirit. They accepted a return appointment. They are both very prepared. They really love the Plan of Salvation. It is amazing! We have only had two lessons with them, and she has already asked us about the Book of Mormon. I think at this point they are mostly curious, but that will change as they feel the Spirit. It helps that there is a couple in the ward that is almost exactly like them. They recently went through a miscarriage, so they can help each other through this challenge. They have similar age children. They have a similar conversion story (He is a lifelong member, but was less-active for a time and came back.)  (It is strange, this ward has an abundance of young couples. It seems like everyone is getting ready to have a baby.) I really hope they get baptized. They are wonderful people, that really are receptive to the gospel. I really love them. They need to get baptized.

WEEK AT A GLANCE:

MONDAY- Preparation day. Elder Neefe's bike was flat, (and the Axle snapped) so we were on foot. It takes forever to walk. It was OK, though. We saw a good family, and gave him a blessing.

TUESDAY- Elder Neefe was sick in the morning, so I got extra study time. In the afternoon, we saw some investigators and ate dinner with a wonderful family. In the evening, we saw an investigator who tried to drop us. (We think she got anti-ed, so we want to talk to her about it so we can resolve her concerns)

WEDNESDAY-Same morning. In the Evening, we taught a stop-smoking Lesson. That was really good.

THURSDAY-President's interviews. That was really good, but it eliminated most of our day. We saw the J family. That was a wonderful lesson.

FRIDAY-None of our appointments kept. It was OK, though. We had weekly planning, and that really wore Elder Neefe out.

SATURDAY-I was on split with another missionary so we could work. It was crazy. We had a wonderful appointment with the J and their fellowshippers. It was really great. The lesson didn't really go as planned, but the Jacobs and the fellowshippers got to know each other.

SUNDAY-Church was amazing. I really enjoyed it. I felt like everything was tailored toward me. It was good. The person we shared the stop smoking lesson with also came to church and he felt the same thing. It was great.

Thank you all so much for being the best family ever! I love you so much!

I know that Christ Lives! I know that the Book of Mormon is true. It is such a wonderful truth. The Spirit has confirmed this to me. It is like a pillar deep within my soul.

Elder Brett Jason Coles

April 1, 2013

Dear Family,

EASTER IS AMAZING! I think it is my favorite. Getting to remember the Atonement is my favorite. I know that He lives, He bled and died for me on that dark Friday, but Sunday CAME! HE IS RISEN! He hath opened Heaven's Gate! Because of Him, we are freed from the dank, dark prison of Sin! For all of us, Death shall be vanquished. We are free!  Christ is Victorious, and we await His coming in His Glory. It is our duty to spread this news throughout the whole Earth. It is a joyful task. I am so grateful that He allows me, an imperfect man, to assist Him in this great work. 

   This week has been amazing! We were able to visit President and Sister Gelwix in the mission home on Tuesday. (It is in our area) It is really great to get to know both of them. They are wonderful examples. They are kind of like an aunt and uncle. 

  The J are doing really well. We had a wonderful lesson with them on Wednesday. At one point, she said that she feels like something is missing from her current church. It was awesome! Her husband then said, "Maybe the church that we are currently attending is just a stepping stone for those who aren't used to coming to church." It was amazing. They really understand faith. They are great. 

  In other news. I had a really strange dream that I got called to China. It was an interesting dream. I was really worried about learning Chinese. Then, President called an Emergency Zone Conference. It wasn't about sending some of us to China, thankfully, but it was an amazing conference. It talked about giving all we have to the Lord, and wanting the "M" more than the "R". We sang hymns 199 and 134. It was amazing. It is so powerful when we sing as missionaries. (It is what happens when you get about 80, 18-25 year old men and women in a room and have them sing about Christ). 

  Elder Neefe is still ill. It is really too bad. I hope he gets better soon. 

  The Js came to Church. That is the single most difficult commitment for investigators to keep. As Elder Golden put it, "When they come to church, they have crossed the Rubicon." They really liked it. I enjoyed having them there. It was wonderful! 

  President and Sister Gelwix sat next to us in church. Not something I ever expected to happen on my mission, since I have been in places like Sonora. That was interesting.

I love you all so much! I am so glad for all your examples and the wonderful people you all are! Mom, I especially thank you for the exuberance that you demonstrate in your letters. It cheers me up when I am down. 

I know that Christ Lives! He Atoned for all our sins and misdeeds. He caused the Book of Mormon to be translated. It is true. I know that it is by the power of the Holy Ghost. 

I love you! 

Elder Brett Jason Coles