The Truck is Back!

Well, we finally got our truck back! We are ready to take on the rough roads of our area once more. Nobody is out of reach now.

We've had an interesting week with A. He has had a difficult time not changing his mind about meeting with us. He continues to progress, and keeps the commitments we give him, but he keeps doubting himself. Nevertheless, he has been making some wonderful changes in his life. I am so grateful to be a part of his conversion process.

We had a great lesson with R about baptism. He really hasn't been considering baptism until this point, but now he is seriously considering it. The member who is his friend and was at the lesson said the answers we gave him were perfect for what he needed.

We also had a great lesson with a less-active family we've been trying to help get to the temple. We told them, "We have a member who wants to take you all to the temple. Now, will you just be touring the grounds, or will you actually be going inside." They realized that they really need to commit to receive a temple recommend.

I was reading through the Book of Judges this week and last. I couldn't believe how rebellious and forgetful the children of Israel were of the blessings of the Lord. I didn't understand how a people with so many miracles among them could just keep turning from the Lord. But then I thought about myself. How many times in my life have I been disobedient and wicked after all I've seen and known? And what is the remedy? Sometime we get bored of the same old answer we've heard from the leaders of the church, but the truth is, the three Primary answers (read scriptures, pray, and go to church) really do work. They protect us from apostasy. As I've leaned more on the Lord, I've grown closer to Him. I know He lives, and I know this is His Church, and I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Until next week, draw closer to the Lord.

--

The Lord's Soldier,

                      Elder Jacob C. Tibbitts

Our fancy schmancy truck.

He Will Lead Us to Them or He Will Lead Them to Us

Well, we had a wonderful miracle this week. We had just walked back to our apartment to have dinner, and it wasn't 5 minutes, and we heard a knock at the door. I answered the door, and a 21-year-old guy by the name of A was at the door. I asked him how we could help, and he kept stumbling over his words. I could tell he had autism or something similar, and so I gave him some time to speak. It turned out he has both autism AND schizophrenia, yet I can see how the Lord has prepared him. He told us that he needed our help to build his faith, and help him keep his faith. Of course we said yes. We answered some of his questions, and we taught him the Plan of Salvation. We set up an appointment with him later in the week. We met with him again, and talked about the Restoration of the Gospel.. He listened intently to what we had to say. We retold the First Vision, and after that, he said he had a warm fuzzy feeling inside. He asked us if we feel that all the time. We told him we do, and he can too, and that it is God telling him that this is the truth. He accepted a baptismal date for the 19th of March! Then he came to church! I'm not sure where you have served, but something like this is a rarity in this mission (though this mission is beginning to see many more miracles, partly due to the direction and counsel of our fabulous mission president)!

We met with A later that Sunday, and answered some more of his questions. He had some concerns about whether authority was important, and if our Church had it. We told him in essence, that either this Church is true, and has the authority of God, and this is God's path for him, or it's not true, and everything we've told him is a lie.

Then he looked at us, and said, "Well, no better time than now." He offered a prayer, and asked God if this is the true Church of Jesus Christ. He said, "I need to know." Then he paused for 20 to 30 seconds, then said, "God, please confirm my feelings one more time." Another pause for about 20 seconds. Then he ended his prayer, looked at us, and said, "God told me yes. It's all true." We testified that it is, and we promised we'd be with him every step of the way. On the walk back home, he said, "There's no doubting now." He now KNOWS for certain that God is real, and he knows what he must do. I am so blessed to be an honored instrument of the Lord, and to see the Lord of the Harvest moving in His majesty.

I testify that God lives, that Jesus Christ IS His Son, that this is His true Church, and that I am a servant of the Living God. I have been called to bring our Father's children back home, and I will labor until the Great Jehovah shall say, "The work is done."

Until next week, do all you can to serve the Lord.

-- 

The Lord's Soldier,

                      Elder Jacob C. Tibbitts

Here is a picture of some tatanka in our area.

Come Unto Christ and be Perfected in Him

Sorry, brothers and sisters, this week was a little slow. Here are some notable events:

I forgot my bag when I went to Pueblo (an hour away) on P-day, and the Spanish Elders kidnapped it. They are now demanding "one million, bajillion, frafillion dollors. No refunds." I told them I don't negotiate with terrorists. They finally relented, and they will be returning the stolen goods to me this week at zone conference.

A non-member friend of a member who is moving out called us Monday morning asking if we could help him move a wood stove. We took an hour out of our P-day to help this guy out, and it was totally worth it. He is very interested in taking the lessons. He has family that are members.

We went out tracting, and a lady thought we were Seventh-Day Adventists. I've never been confused with them before.

We had a missionary coordination meeting with our Elder's Quorum President, and we are basically changing almost everything we are doing in this area. It's game time. Whole new direction.

You know, when you are on your mission, you feel like you have a lot more weaknesses and flaws than before. In reality, it is the same, but as you have devoted more time and attention to the Lord, and draw closer to your Father in Heaven, you notice little by little the things that are keeping you back from reaching your full potential. This is true in full-time missionary service, and in any devoted work to the Lord. I promise you, brothers and sisters, that as you "come unto Christ", you can "be perfected in Him." His grace is sufficient to change us and transform us. As we let grace guide our lives, and consecrate ourselves to God, we will start to become more like Him. I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Until next week, be all that you can be, and don't leave room for regrets.

-- 

The Lord's Soldier,

                      Elder Jacob C. Tibbitts 

Addicted to the Temple

I have said it before, but probably the only downside to this mission is that there is no temple within mission boundaries, meaning I don't get to go to the temple too often. That has been driving me crazy over the past few weeks, especially as my companion and I have been focusing a lot on family history with the members of this branch. We have shown several of them how to reserve and print out names for the temple. I am so happy to see them feel the joy of the Spirit of Elijah and being able to help their ancestors gain salvation, but it would be nice if I could go to the temple and do a little bit of work for the other side of the veil, too. There are a few people we are helping to progress towards the temple right now, and that just makes my desire to go to the temple even stronger. I guess that is motivation to do all I can to help them go for the first time, so that they can invite the missionaries along. Can you say ulterior motive? No, just kidding, I really DO want these people to enjoy the blessings that come from receiving ordinances and attending the temple. If we get to tag along because it's their first time, that's just a happy side-effect.

On the subject of family history, we have a family history class every Saturday. Unfortunately, nobody has been coming for a while. We were considering shutting it down, but this week, we had several people from the branch come. They had felt the Spirit of Elijah very strongly last Sacrament Meeting. We were able to help them, and I can see their hearts also turning toward missionary work. It is incredible to see the effect that family history has had on them already. And I know it is going to revolutionize the area. This stake has set a very high convert baptism goal this year, about 3 times higher than what was achieved last year, but they have the faith that it can be accomplished, and we have already seen success throughout the stake. Many, many years ago, then Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve visited the stake and made the apostolic promise that the stake would grow exponentially. We are starting to see the fulfillment of that prophecy, and I am glad to be a part of it.

I think we sometimes place too large a distinction between family history work and missionary work. We need to realize that they are all a part of the same great work of salvation. Each one is interwoven with the other, and both of them are necessary for the gathering of Israel. If you will commit to yourself to accept the Temple Challenge, which is to take as many names to the temple as you have ordinances done for in the temple, then you will feel the power of the Spirit in an incredible and powerful way. I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Until next week, never forget your ancestors.

-- 

The Lord's Soldier,

                      Elder Jacob C. Tibbitts

Jacob and Elder M shoveling snow off their front porch.

Work of Salvation On Both Sides of the Veil

My dear brothers and sisters, this has been an incredible week. One of the most stressful in my mission, yes, but also one of the most fulfilling.

So, to start off, we had two child-of-record baptisms this week. Not your ordinary run-of-the-mill child-of-record baptisms, mind you. These baptisms represent great effort to prepare the children for eternal covenants. As I said last week, that old serpent the devil was at his tricks again, trying to stop the work of salvation. Of course, the story always ends the same when we are committed to the cause. Satan failed, like he always does in the face of the righteous. That, my friends, is a testament to the power we have compared to him. When the going gets rough, we can always push through. The devil, on the other hand, can't stand up when we push back.

The baptismal service was fantastic. I unfortunately did not get a chance to take a picture in baptismal clothes with the 8-year-old I baptized, but I did get a picture afterwards with her. You could definitely feel the Spirit during the service.

But that's not it, ladies and gentlemen. The spiritual experiences continue! Our branch has speakers from other wards assigned each week for our Sacrament Meeting, but the speakers assigned this week weren't able to make it. I had been asked to present the 5th Sunday combined meeting lesson on family history. The branch president had the inspired idea to ask a member and her husband to give a talk about family history. We've been helping her to get into Family Search. She gave such an incredible talk, and she thanked the missionaries during her talk for helping her out. The Spirit was so strong there. Then her husband got up and talked about the blessings of the temple and experiences he had. He is good friends with the architect of the Denver Temple (who had been reactivated only 2 years before his calling as architect). He shared what his friend had seen when he took the First Presidency to one of the temple sites. He saw three white doves circling over the grounds right before the First Presidency came back from talking to each other and told him it was the right spot. He shared experiences from doing temple work for his ancestors, and the Spirit was so powerfully there, that almost everybody in the meeting started to cry.

It set up the next meeting perfectly as I showed the members how to reserve names for the temple on Family Search. There were a few hiccups, but I believe that all the members that took the effort to make it to the branch on that snowy day caught the Spirit of Elijah. I think I have discovered the Lord's purposes in assigning me to this little branch of Zion. I am excited to help the members here fulfill the stake president's vision for increasing Family Search use, at least for the next 5 weeks.

Brothers and sisters, the Spirit of Elijah is VERY real. The Gospel is spreading across the Earth, but it is also stretching into both sides of the veil. The veil is getting thinner and thinner between us and our kindred dead as we do temple and family history work. As we engage in this work on both sides of the veil, we become acquainted with both sides of the veil. This IS the work of salvation, and what an incredible privilege to take part in it! I promise you that as your engage in the work of salvation on both sides of the veil, you will feel the Spirit more in your life, because the Lord can trust you with the Spirit. And I say these things in the name of the Eternal Judge of both quick and dead, Jesus Christ, amen.

Until next week, redeem those ancestors!

-- 

The Lord's Soldier,

                      Elder Jacob C. Tibbitts

L, the little girl I baptized!

A and L, both of the 8-year-olds.