Goodbye, Parker South...

It has been a crazy week. It has also been a busy week. All of this will be explained shortly.

First off, we had three separate exchanges this week, so I haven't seen too much of my companion this week. It's been a lot of fun with the other missionaries, but it's good to be back in the flow with the person I am usually with 24/7. We were able to teach N on exchanges, and we learned a lot about what his REAL concerns are.

Second off, we had a zone conference this week. It was an uplifting and enlightening experience. I really felt the Spirit. One thing I learned is how much of the Lord's investigators we really are. He sets goals with us, He shows His vision for us, and He follows up frequently.

Every zone conference, all of the missionaries who will be gone before the next zone conference get to bear their testimonies. Because I will be going home slightly before the transfer date to get back before college starts, I will be missing the next zone conference by a day. None of the other missionaries that bore their testimonies remembered or knew that, so they were looking at each other, prodding each other to bear their testimonies next. Then I got up last after them all and surprised them. It is strange, because I've seen that my whole mission, and I never thought I'd get to that point.

Now, for the craziest thing. After zone conference, President Rehm asked all the missionaries in Parker South Stake to attend a meeting that Saturday. I am in Castle Rock, but Parker South takes up the other half of the zone. The night before that meeting, Elder LaRose and I got confirmation of what we had heard rumors of that week: Parker South Stake is getting absorbed into the Denver North Mission. All the missionaries there were told at the meeting that they would all be getting emergency transferred out of Parker South and dispersed into trios throughout the mission until the next transfer day, next week. It has been a crazy few days after that. We had the chance to talk to all of them on Monday and say goodbye as they are dispersed, almost all of them which I will probably never see again on the mission. Our zone is now cut in half, making it a rather small zone.

I now want to talk about watches. Look at your watch, if you are wearing one, then look at the watch of somebody nearby, or at least remember a watch you have seen. They all look different, but they all serve the same purpose, keeping time. However, many of the watches will tell a slightly different time than the other. Why? Obviously, because many of them are manually set. When Jesus Christ came in the Meridian of Time, He gave us the correct "time", so to speak, the correct doctrine. We knew it was correct, because it came from the Author of the Universe, Heavenly Father, Who has a perfect knowledge of all things. We can trust certain watches because they automatically sync with a satellite. Some people ask questions to the wrong person, and so they get the wrong answer. We need to ask the right Person. I testify that God knows everything, and will give us the correct answer, and I say this in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Until next week, stay strong.

-- 

The Lord's Soldier,

                      Elder Jacob C. Tibbitts

Baptisms Are Good for Investigators

This is a shorter email because we helped a member move today this morning, so we don't have as much time.

We moved out of our member home and into a new one this week, so my new address is 4358 Sawmill Ct, Castle Rock, CO 80109.

We had a lesson with N this week. We had a recently returned missionary there with us at the lesson, and we helped N understand how the Book of Mormon can answer questions of the soul. He came to a convert baptism that Saturday. This is the second  baptismal service he's been to now, so statistically he should be getting baptized this week. He is an awesome guy, and we love meeting with him. He has said several times that he feels the Spirit at our meetings, and likes the way we do things.

Sometime you might feel like there are some things that you've done, some sins you've committed, that they leave a permanent scar on your soul. You think that even after you've repented, that scar will still be there. I testify that there is no soul too lost, no wound too deep, that cannot be healed by the Atonement of Jesus Christ. There are two parts of the Atonement: first, the Resurrection, in which all will be resurrected, receiving perfected bodies without physical blemish or scarring. The second is the triumph over physical death. Our spirits can be completely healed, the "scars" of our past can be wiped away, and we can be new creatures in Christ. If we allow Christ to heal us, we don't have to walk around broken inside. I know that he is the Redeemer and Savior of the World. I know that His Atonement is real, and that it is the most incredible gift ever, and I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Until next week, fear not, little flock.

-- 

The Lord's Soldier,

                      Elder Jacob C. Tibbitts

 "So it is with life, and seeing by the lens of faith. If we are to see things more clearly, we too must lift ourselves above the secular smog." - Elder Neal A. Maxwell

Mormon Power!!

We have been volunteering at a thrift store in the area we are in as part of JustServe. For those of you who don't know what JustServe is, it is a program the Church has come out with and is slowly rolling out across the USA. It has a website that different service opportunities posted on it to give people an opportunity and the knowledge to reach out in their community. Well, all the volunteers at this thrift store were invited to a luncheon at a community church. There were a total of 8 missionaries amongst the many, many volunteers. I had the opportunity to talk to the pastor and thank him for hosting the luncheon and for the prayer he offered. As the missionaries were getting up to leave (we all had appointments, so we had to leave a few minutes early), while they were handing out prizes, they directed everybody's attention to us, then they thanked us for the service that we give. They call us their "Mormon Power". Have a group of Mormon missionaries recognized at another church for their contributions, check.

On the topic of service, we finally finished assembling a play set for a less-active part-member family. It looks incredible, but that is of course because it was done by missionaries. The family is going to start taking the lessons soon (they just had schedule conflicts during most of the school year).

Elder LR and I met with D, a less-active member. He grew up in Utah, but went into the Army and fell away from the Church. He decided that he needs to give the Church another shot. We invited him to church, and he came! We sat with him near the back, but the great thing about this ward is that they seem to be very mindful of those sitting in the back. Several members came up after Sacrament Meeting and introduced themselves. There was also a family with a deaf mother and daughter that is planning on moving into the ward soon, and they came for the first time today. Several of our youth know sign language, and immediately started talking with them. They had an interpreter, so several other members had a chance to talk to them as well! That is the kind of ward missionaries absolutely love!

For those of you who have received your patriarchal blessing, your lineage in a tribe of Israel has been revealed to you. many of us skim over that part and move onto the "good stuff". The reason it's called a patriarchal blessing is that it involves the blessings given to the Patriarchs, as in Adam, and Abraham, etc.  Your lineage is a very powerful thing. You have been given a high and holy task from the Lord, and that is found within your lineage. For us Ephraimites, we sometimes think, "My whole neighborhood is probably of Ephraim, I'm not special." Those of the lineage of Ephraim are foreordained to be the leaders of this Church and this generation. That is extremely powerful. I'm not a patriarch, and I don't know all the blessings and responsibilities that each tribe holds, but remember the stewardship God has given to you. Do all you can to honor your tribe, and to honor your Father in Heaven. As you seek to follow his will, you will be blessed beyond measure, and you will find peace as you fulfill your purpose in life. I know that this is the true Church, and that Israel is being gathered for the final time in preparation for the Second Coming of Messiah. I know He lives, and I leave that with you in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Until next week, do not dishonor your involvement.

--

The Lord's Soldier,

                      Elder Jacob C. Tibbitts

Our awesome accomplishment of a play set. By the way, we did that all in white shirts and ties. MORMON POWER!!!!

BAPTISM!!!!! AND THE FAMILY!!!!!

WE HAD A BAPTISM THIS WEEK!!!!! Now let me explain. We have been working with somebody who removed her records from the Church. We had the opportunity to re-baptize her this week! Elder LR baptized her and I confirmed her! The Spirit was very strong at the baptismal program. An investigator from the Spanish Group in the area was touring the church, and he was having a lot of spiritual experiences. Then Elder LR walked out of the bathroom in white clothes, and the Group Leader who was with them asked if they could sit in on the baptism. The Spirit of the Lord was very powerful as the ordinances of baptism and confirmation were administered. I gave a talk in between the baptism and confirmation about the restoration of the priesthood and the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Later that night, the Spanish elders gave me a call and thanked me for my talk. They said that my talk really touched his heart, and that he now has a spiritual witness that Peter, James, and John really did restore the Melchizedek Priesthood through the Prophet Joseph Smith.

We also got to witness the baptism of somebody else in our zone! I am so excited for all the success that this zone is starting to have!

And last but definitely not least, I GOT TO TALK TO MY FAMILY!!! It was so wonderful to see their faces and to just talk with them. It gives me a greater resolve to be the best missionary that I can be for the rest of my mission. I want to live worthy of my family name, and of the name of Jesus Christ.

Something that our mission president told us recently was these three questions: "Do missionaries know who they are?", "Do they know what's expected of them?", and "Are they willing to do it?"

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf said, "You are no ordinary beings.... you are glorious and eternal. No matter your circumstances and trials in life, I urge you to remember who you are, where you came from, and where you are going, for the answers to those questions will truly provide confidence and direction for your life."

Please, remember who you are. You are a son or daughter of the King of Heaven. You have a divine purpose and destiny. You are "glorious sons and daughters of Almighty God." Please, don't forget that. Hold on to that. I love you all, and I leave my testimony with you in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

-- 

The Lord's Soldier,

                      Elder Jacob C. Tibbitts

Us and K the next day after her baptism.

Knocking Them Doors

So we decided to hit the streets this week and do some tracting. We knocked on some potential investigators' doors. Nobody let us in, but that's alright, we just keeping going. My companion had a speaker and mp3 and we listened to an epic instrumental version of Praise to the Man as we walked down the street. We felt pretty awesome.

We had a lesson with a less-active family in our ward. We talked about how to build our faith, and we really touched the husband's heart. He really started thinking about what he could do to increase his own faith.

C is one of our investigators who I met this week. He dropped off the map for a while, but he wants to start meeting with us again. He asked our bishop to marry him to his member fiancee. We are meeting with him this Wednesday.

The daughter of a member of our mission presidency gave her homecoming talk this week. It was a little unorthodox, because it took up a large part of testimony meeting, but it had already been delayed two weeks. There were a lot of less-active members and non-members there that we got to meet. It was fantastic!

The greatest blessing I have in the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ is knowing that I can be with my family forever. I have felt such joy on my mission helping families unite together, and I am grateful for the sealing ordinances of the Gospel that unite me with my loved ones forever. We each are given gifts of the Spirit, and as we work together to utilize those gifts, we become one of the most powerful forces in the world. Families truly CAN be together forever, through Heavenly Father's Plan. The Lord has shown me how I can, and I want to share that with everyone I meet. The great thing about eternal families is that eternity can start today. As we keep our eternal covenants, our families can withstand all that life throws at us. I know that this is the true Church of Jesus Christ, and that the Priesthood has been restored, and I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Until next week, be the best "you" you can be.

-- 

The Lord's Soldier,

                      Elder Jacob C. Tibbitts

Weston, an 8-year-old we have been teaching who just got baptisado!