Too Many Reasons to Be Thankful

This week was a little hectic. There were quite a bit of incidents/obstacles this week.

Like I said last week, our truck got stuck in the snow, and we stayed at a member's home over the night as a consequence. What I may have left out is that they got their car stuck trying to get ours out, and so we walked those 10 miles to their house.

Well, this week, I woke the morning before Thanksgiving with stomach pains. I didn't eat all day until dinner, but luckily, the sickness passed completely by the end of the day. Funny enough, I got sick to my stomach LAST year the day AFTER Thanksgiving. I guess if anyone has to get sick so close to the day of Thanksgiving, it might as well be me.

Thanksgiving was great! We ate lunch with a huge family reunion of many less-active, one excommunicated, and one active member. Then we had dinner with one of our active members. It was good fun, and my belly was very happy.

Then the day after, the power went out in almost our entire area (we have a large area), and with it, cell signal and the ability to call and schedule more appointments for the rest of the week. Our apartment went from slightly comfortable in temperature to freezing. Then, the next day (Saturday), a thick fog settled on the area. Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if our appointments that day were doomed to sudden destruction. But exerting all my power to turn on the car lights, I saw a road. It no sooner appeared that I found myself able to go to our appointments for the night. The fog was incredibly thick, though.

The power went out in the area again on Sunday in the late afternoon. I was afraid that we weren't going to be able to do call-ins, just like last week, and then the rumors of the Westcliffe Elders' open rebellion would really start. Luckily, power came on in time for call-ins.

Despite all of those set-backs, it was a fantastic week, and I would contest that those "set-backs" were actually blessings in disguise, and I thank the Lord for them.

For those of you that don't know yet, the Church has launched this year's Christmas Initiative on christmas.mormon.org, and I am so excited to share it with everybody I meet. The main video features children reading the prophecy in Isaiah of the Christ Child. There is an adjoining video that explains why we need a Savior. I would like to reiterate what it says: Imagine a world where no wound was healed, no harm could be fixed, no mistakes could be changed. That's what a world without a Savior would be like. But that's not our world.

So, you may ask, why do we need a Savior? I'd invite you to speak with anyone who has felt His atoning power. I'd ask you to look at saved relationships, at peace in troubled times, and at love in unexpected places. Then I'd ask you to talk to me. I can tell you why we need a Savior, because I've felt that need in my own life. I can tell you, I NEED Jesus Christ. I need Him every hour, most Holy One. He has ransomed my soul from the bitter depths of hell. Blessed is the name of the Most High God! This Christmas season, I invite you to find out the meaning of  "the night of our dear Savior's birth". You will find a joy you never thought you could feel, and I so testify in the name of the Great Immanuel, Jesus Christ.

Until next week, stay frosty, but not too cold.

-- 

The Lord's Soldier,

                       Elder Jacob C. Tibbitts

Guess what I found in our branch building! The last version of the Hymnbook!

E.T. 2: Trekking through the Snow with Manu Samoa

We got a call from President Rehm on Monday night, telling us that we were going to be part of an ET (emergency transfer). Elder H went to Alamosa, and I got Elder M. Elder M was in my district back when I was in Lone Tree, and now we get to be companions. He is from Samoa, and he was on one of their national rugby teams, Manu Samoa.

We had a Mission Tour this week, with Elder Marcus B. Nash of the First Quorum of the Seventy. I talked with Sister Nash, and I told her I'm from Centerville, Utah. And guess what? So are they! Elder and Sister Nash are in my home stake! I actually graduated with their son, who is almost done with his mission. That is pretty funny, considering that last year Elder Baxter of the Seventy visited the mission, and he is from Centerville, too! I got a picture with Elder and Sister Nash, and they emailed to my mom! I know what you are thinking; I live in the same city as two General Authorities, both of whom I've met, but I don't want you to feel jealous. :)

Well, the reason this email is a day late is because our truck got stuck in the snow on Sunday night in the southern part of our area, 40-50 miles away from home, so we had to sleep at a member's home 10 miles away. Since we had call-ins that night, we ended up getting a call from the zone leaders, and then from the assistants to the president! I'm pretty sure we are now infamous in the mission.

GPS is useless in this area, and so I am learning quite a bit about how to use a map...

One thing that Elder Nash said that I really liked was the fact that one person can change everything. One missionary can change an area, or the mission. One member can change their branch, ward, or stake. One person can change the world. Think of Abraham, of Moses, of Esther, of Joseph Smith. Think of Gandhi, of Christopher Columbus, of the Founding Fathers of the USA.  And of course, the One who changed the universe and the eternities, Adonai Elohei Yisrael (The Lord God of Israel), Jesus Christ. (I hope I got that Hebrew right...)

"This is a paradox of man: compared to God, man is nothing; yet we are everything to God. While against the backdrop of infinite creation we may appear to be nothing, we have a spark of eternal fire burning within our breast." (President Uchtdorf, October 2011 General Conference)

Until next week, remember, "You matter to Him."

-- 

The Lord's Soldier,

                      Elder Jacob C. Tibbitts

Elder Migi

Notice how the lock is supposed to be IN the door, even when it's connected to the key.
(Mom's note: OK??? Thanks for the picture. . . .)

2 Zones - Mission Tour with Elder Nash of the Seventy

Elder and Sister Nash
(Mom's note: they are in our stake and Sis. Nash sent this to me during the week)

When He Falls He Shall Rise Again

I finally got to meet R, the golden investigator of our area. We talked to her about the Plan of Salvation, and she cried. She bore her testimony of the power of the Atonement, and she was so excited to hear about the Spirit World giving everybody a chance to accept the Gospel. It is always so awesome to see the effect that the Gospel has on people! If we rediscover the restored Gospel everyday, then our joy can be the same.

During zone training this week, one of the sisters was asked to talk about how the mission has blessed her. She told the story of a caterpillar that came across another caterpillar that was really fuzzy. The first caterpillar offered to pull the fuzz off the other one, but the second refused, telling the first that it was all a part of the process of becoming a beautiful butterfly. The first caterpillar didn't seem to believe that was possible, but he asked how he can become a butterfly, too. The second butterfly responded, "You must want to fly so much that you are willing to give up being a caterpillar." That's what a mission is: giving up being a caterpillar to be able to fly. We still are the same person, but we are so much more. It is incredibly uncomfortable and scary, but when we give up ourselves to Christ, then He will make us so much more than we could imagine.

In D&C 117:12-13, the Lord speaks of a man by the name of Oliver Granger, and says, "I say unto you, I remember my servant Oliver Granger; behold, verily I say unto him that his name shall be had in sacred remembrance from generation to generation, forever and ever, saith the Lord."

Who was Oliver Granger, that his name should be held in sacred remembrance forever? When the Saints were driven from Kirtland, Ohio, Oliver was left behind to sell their properties for what little he could. He wasn't expected to succeed, and really, he didn't. The Lord continued, however: "Therefore, let him contend earnestly for the redemption of the First Presidency of my Church, saith the Lord; and when he falls he shall rise again, for his sacrifice shall be more sacred unto me than his increase, saith the Lord."

President Boyd K. Packer said: "What did Oliver Granger do that his name should be held in sacred remembrance? Nothing much, really. It was not so much what he did as what he was." President Packer gave this important advice: "We cannot always expect to succeed. But we should try the best we can."

Many of you feel like all the work you do for the Lord amounts to nothing, that you are wasting His time, and you are a failure in His eyes. But the Lord doesn't care about the results you produce, but rather who you are becoming, "for [your] sacrifice shall be more sacred unto me than [your] increase, saith the Lord."

The Lord loves you and so do I. Until next week, remember, "when [you] falls [you] shall rise again."

-- 

The Lord's Soldier,

                      Elder Jacob C. Tibbitts

My "one-day" Daily Planner, just in case I run out of 

Daily Planners.

We found this WWII Munitions Box while
cleaning out a member's shed!

Branching Out!

I have never worked in a branch before, so this was a new experience. This area suffered some loss in trust about 4 or 5 years ago, but everything is going great here now. The members are incredible. Maybe it's the fact that it's a branch, or maybe it's just the members, but everybody here is looking out for each other 24/7, and they are all extremely welcoming and inviting of non-members and people they've never met before.

I thought I'd have to greenie-break Elder H, but this elder came pre-trained. He needs no breaking. I anticipate a very good transfer with him. I can already tell that we both achieve unity very easily. The second I walked into our apartment, I could feel that this was a sanctuary, a refuge from the storm. Then we put on The Mormon Tabernacle Choir's "This Is the Christ", and it was a spirit overload.

We are working with a few people that are progressing wonderfully, so I've been told (we weren't able to meet with most of them this week). One such person is G. G is a very devout Christian, and he is interested in a lot of what we say. He truly has the Light of Christ. R is another. The missionaries started teaching her, and she felt the Spirit strongly. She believes everything we've been teaching her (because the Spirit told her, not because we did), and she has a strong desire to baptized. R is a quadriplegic, and the missionaries have seen his trust and faith in God grow steadily but surely. There are many others, and I shall speak on them in later emails.

Sacrament Meeting in a branch is different, just because of the size of the congregation. We have about 40 or so active members. I got to give the invocation AND bless the Sacrament, which is always a treat. Our stake president (who was called about 3 months ago) came to our church meetings, and afterwards went out with me and my companion to go visit some less-active members. All in all, it was a very great week, and I got to make chicken! I think my tummy has been more full than in past areas. Every once in a while, I skipped a meal just because I didn't have time or money, but NOT HERE! 

Let me conclude with a thought from Philippians 1:21: "For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." There is a popular Christian song by Sidewalk Prophets that is based on this scripture. When everything we do is centered in Christ, then even death becomes gain. For me to live is Christ, because my life is His. My great design is to be with Him. There is no nobler or greater cause than to live in Christ. Then when we rest, we rest in the Lord, and even in our rest we are protected from the Adversary. I pray that each one of us will give our lives to Him who knows us even better than we know ourselves, in the name of Christ Jesus, amen.

Until next week, be the best you can be, and you will be better than you could ever imagine.

-- 

The Lord's Soldier,

                      Elder Jacob C. Tibbitts

Me and Elder S with A in Monument.

Me with B, one of the most awesome members of this dispensation.

The grand bestowal of the Posterity Tie to my firstborn son.

Here is a picture of Bishop's Castle, which my trainer told me about in my first area. The man who built it himself (his last name is Bishop) believes that Christ will dwell here when He comes again. Another picture below.

I'll send some pictures of Elder Hagman and me next week. Westcliffe is absolutely beautiful. Here, I'll send some pictures to make Greg jealous. The aspens and the pine trees grow together in the forests here. :)

My Halloween Was Better Than Yours (and Transfers)

Not too many things happened this week, or at least there weren't a lot of people that we were able to have appointments with, except for awesome A, who I'll get to in a second.

We had specialized training this week, and we talked about how to call to repentance, specifically when you are dealing with a disobedient missionary. We focused on D&C 121, so I decided that from now on, whenever I have to chastise, I'm going to call it a "1-2-1". "Yeah, I had to respond to a 1-2-1. Afterwards we did a 5-14 (James 5:14, giving a blessing)."

We also literally drove up a mountain to have dinner with a family on the peak of the mountain, surrounded by a national forest.

We got a call from A, telling us that he was in the ER because of a head injury, and needed somebody to pick him up. No permanent damage, but we were able to get a member of the ward to pick him up. His home-teaching companion called and said he was available for anything he needed. A said that he hadn't felt that love and friendship for a while. During our conversation with him, he said that he wants to get the Aaronic Priesthood! We'd talked about it before with him, but now we are kicking it into overdrive.

We had the adult session of stake conference on Halloween. There were several comments made by the speakers that we made the best choice in being here. And guess who drove us there: A! He basically skipped Halloween for the first time so he could come to stake conference! Then he showed up to the 10 AM session next morning! Elder Brent J. Hillier, our Area Seventy, spoke, and showed us some clips from the newest Sabbath Day training videos, with several of the Twelve in it. At the end, he told us that we could tell the members who didn't come that several members of the Quorum of the Twelve were there. Our mission president and his wife also spoke.

We also had a Work of Salvation Fireside on Sunday night, where recent converts and members who've returned to activity share their testimonies. And guess who missed the biggest Broncos game of the season so he could be there? That's right, A! This guy is on a roll! It is going to be hard to leave this area and him.

Speaking of which, I'm going to be transferring out of Monument tomorrow. I am going to Westcliffe in Pueblo, and I'm going to be greenie-breaking Elder H. I don't have an address for the area yet, but I'll let you know as soon as I get it.

Something President Rehm (our mission president) said during stake conference was that we can't be what he calls "Mechanical Mormons". They are Mormons who perform outwardly in spectacular ways, but for some reason, their doing doesn't transform into becoming. They don't notice the ones struggling around them, and they don't understand what people are talking about when they say they feel the Spirit. They are just robots. Brothers and sisters, I submit to you that the solution for this is charity. The Apostle Paul said, "And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing." (1 Corinthians 13:2)

Our stake president, President Woodward, turned our attention to a Primary song: "What does the Father ask of us? What do the scriptures say? Have faith, have hope, live like his Son, help others on their way." ("He Sent His Son") In the same chapter in Corinthians, Paul says, "And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity." (1 Corinthians 13:13) This is the way to eternal life.

I can testify that the greatest act of love was a Father sending His Son to die for us, and that we can have that pure love too, and I say this in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Until next week, remember who you are and what you stand for!

-- 

The Lord's Soldier,

                      Elder Jacob C. Tibbitts

My final Monument district photo.

We decided to get a car wash after somebody wrote this on our car, despite the free advertising it gave.

      Here's some pictures of our perilous drive up the mountain.

A view of the drop right next to the road.

The house on top of the mountain.