Patience IS a Virtue

Another week down!  Time is really starting to fly.  But I don't know if i want to hold onto it.  I feel as if i learn a new principle or lesson every week, so I look for every new week.  I've noticed that I learn a lot more from a mission than i ever thought I would.  Although the people we meet and teach learn from us, I feel like im learning so much more from them.  Each one has a story, a struggle, a temptation, a victory, a life.  They are teaching me so much.  I think so often we take for granted the people we surround ourselves with. We often just enjoy their jokes and company but to often forget to look on their life. Others have experienced things we (you) haven't. These experiences of others can grant you an entirely new perception on something.   This week as it is Thanksgiving, look at the people around you.  Get to know them.  And then appreciate their story, and their life.  Once you do this I PROMISE it'll change yours.

What a week.  I want to share a story of two people.  One is Joe and the other Gary Jackson... Joe we met through another investigator; Tasha. He was a drug addict and just finally overcame this.  He found comfort in his church, and its members.  He was looking at for a new church.  He felt very secure in his faith.  Side Note- When I meet people like this i ask them to first keep an open mind, and heart.  Then promise them that the FULL gospel of Jesus Christ has so much MORE in store for them. Most of the time they decide to listen... Thankfully Joe did.  We met with him and Tasha last week and taught the Restoration.  He said he was really interested about the Book of Mormon.  He began to read with Tasha and they would stop every so verses and ponder what they thought it meant and how it pertained to them. Genius.  While both were reading they said they put their books down and both lifted them back up after a minute of talking and BOTH THEIR PAGES OF BOTH THEIR BOOKS HAD TURNED. Neither of them remembered turning the page.  So they said they got chills and read really fast to get to that page!HA! They said their was a verse on that page that both of them needed.They are getting Baptized at December 21.    Joe later that week went to a group council meeting for his church where they sat around and talked about how it is important to find a church that feels right.  He spoke up and said well these Mormon missionary boys have been talking to me!  Everyone in the room started laughing hysterically at him and Tasha.  He stood up and said, " I dont know whats funny." He said everyone went dead silent.  He said he felt so angry and hurt.  He said It didnt feel like God was in that church. He knew what he felt about the Book of Mormon and was so upset that people would laugh at his experience with it.  I started to cry AGAIN just thinking about how much faith that took.  I am so proud to know him.

Gary Jackson.  What a guy. He was a referral form another member, and he was so ready.  He listened to every word we said.  He agreed and like understood everything! Which is rare.  Later we came back and he said he knew the Book of Mormon is a true book.  He then said that he wanted to come to church.  So he came and had the most amazing time.  A lot of people knew him, cause he is a handy man.  So to say the least he is prettttty popular in the Branch.  He said he felt the spirit so strong at church. He is going to be baptized Dec. 21 .  He is also obsessed with Katy Perry. so last night we had a dance party listening to her new album.  I love that guy.  He is such a CHARACTER! I have a pic of him below.

Both of these people have unique and amazing stories, and I wish I could go into detail.  Once i get to know, really know these people I absolutely love them.  Then I think about how much Heavenly Father must love them.  Then I think about how much He must love me to trust ME to teach his children. My brothers and sisters.  I really feel inadequate at times to do this great thing, but I KNOW HE WILL ALWAYS MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE. I love you all. 

OH! Im staying in Marion OH another transfer so keep writing me letters!!

1385 Southland PKWY

Marion, OH 43302

Tornado and Stake Conference

This week... well mostly the weekend has been unreal!  I have felt the spirit more strong in one meeting than any other.  And i almost died!!!!!! Just kidding but a Tornado just went through town no biggie. church is true. hey-o

Okay so this weekend was stake conference and that's kinda what i want to focus on! It was the most spiritual meeting i have ever been to!!!! The room was on FIRE!!! Well just the spirit made it super warm in there.  But every talk really pertained to me and my situation but also everyone.  The main focus was on missionary work. BIG SURPRISE! but wow it really stuck this time.  The emphasis was on member missionary work.  And the phrase that i loved was ,"STEP IT UP!" It wasn't said offensively but it was said sternly.  It was piercing. 

This one man talked about how this sense of urgency is occurring. That these ARE THE LAST DAYS! and that we really need to wake up and start doing something about it.  I love this.  I am all for this.  ACTION!!!! We have this gospel. We are so blessed by it.  There are so many that dont have it, or even know about it!  WHAT IS HOLDING US BACK FROM SHARING IT?!  fear.

Fear of rejection or avoidance or even loss of a friend!  These are all real things , but they are also excuses.  We have to stop "murmuring" and doubting what we can do!  We aren't finding or talking to people alone!  We have the help of GOD!  And personally i think God is more powerful than fear. The Lord recognizes sacrifice. If you have a desire to serve the Lord WILL bless you. But faith always comes first.  we have to act upon our faith them the Lord produces miracles. Yes people have their agency(which sometimes I hate) and they will choose for themselves but if we TRY then that is all we've been asked.  So this man talked about a list of characteristics we need to have when finding people: intentional.Courageous.Fighter.Resilient.Faithful. Diligent. I love this list!  Its a list i have now hanging in my room.  We all in the words of this man need to "Step It Up" and i know we will be successful! So my challenge is for all of us to talk to our neighbors! invite them over! MOM AND DAD INVITE YOUR NEIGHBOR OVER! and have dinner, games or something fun to get to know them!  Then invite them to some church activity!  Less active people find them! Help them get back to church! Every week look for a family or someone that you see that you can talk to!  Pray for missionary experiences!  Let fear go and go to work! If you're not a full time missionary with a name badge on your chest... then its time to paint one on your heart. I love you guys!

Okay so last night we had a dang tornado! It was nuts! Sirens everywhere so dang loud! we were at our investigators house so we couldn't leave! It was awesome!!!!! HAHA We looked outside and i swear i couldn't see across the street because the wind was going like 70 miles per hour!!!! it was nuts! we didn't get hit thank goodness but it was awesome! we went and hid in the basement! A TORNADO! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!!!  I was kinda hoping to get hit just to see what it felt like to be in a tornado! ... maybe next time :)  
We have seen so many miracles this week in our area.  at the beginning of the week we had a referral from a less active member.  She referred us to her 12 yr old nephew!  We went and met him and he was awesome! Turns out he has read half the Book of Mormon and knows its true! And wants to be baptized and get the Holy Ghost!  Then his parents joined us and they want to be Baptized too!!! MIRACLES!!!!!  His picture is below! This is why i went on a mission! They have a family of 7 and they all can be sealed together for eternity's! How amazing! I am pumped for them!!!! Also at the begging of the week we played basketball and i of course have never played but SHOUT OUT TO MY BOY ELDER CALVERT cause he taught me some dunks before we left and i whipped them out this week... glad to know i can somewhat still jump. yikes.  but i made it more official but wearing a basketball outfit hahahahahahhahah (Pictue Below)  so i guess ill try out for BYU when i get back. 
I love this gospel!  It is the only TRUE FULL GOSPEL!  It has been amazing these past weeks to learn and grow so much.  I really love what im becoming.  There is so much more to life than sports.   I love you guys!  Thanks for the letters!! 


Elder Patch

Fake It Till You Make It

Sup.

Well time is just flying by! I wont lie I feel like i've been here a year! But its been almost two months... oh well! HA!

This week has been really great and strengthened my testimony of missionary work.  there are so many facets of missionary work.  We had a zone conference this week and in the conference some other missionaries said when they dropped some of their investigators then they found others to replace them instantly.  This was super hard for me, because i learn to love everyone i meet!  I feel like they are all my best friends so i cant just "drop" my best friend.  But i prayed and prayed about it and just felt like we needed to drop some people that weren't progressing.  It about killed me.  But in that same day we got 5 new investigators!  We now have 17 investigators that are all pretty much progressing.  All on different paces but still progressing.

This week helped my confidence a TON! HA! we were out contacting and we knocked on some door and this 15 yr old girl answers and screamed! ahahhaha She was like, "youre BEN PATCH!" and i felt so good inside that i wasn't forgotten hahah.  She called her friend to come over then we took pics and of course i told them to go follow me on instagram! HA! So i guess they play for a local high school or something! And so this is where "flirt to convert" comes in and we are teaching these girls again this week! HOLLA! 

On Saturday I got to baptize Margie.  She is a blessing.  She is this little tiny lady, and was smoking 5 pack of cigs a day.  She wanted to give everything up to be baptized.  She didnt care what it took.  She worked so hard.  In one week she went from 5 packs to 0 because she got a priesthood blessing! What a blessing! I remember crying while baptizing her because i remember putting her under and watching her come a new person.  I didnt even recognize her.  She just glows now.  I love her.  And i want so many others to experience what she did. 

We were out looking for some old investigators and we went to this one house and knocked and asked if she was the girl we were looking for and she said no.  So we just decided to ask her if she was interested herself about the Mormon church.  She said sure! so we came back the next day and taught her a lesson.  It went amazing and the spirit was so strong.  We then asked her to pray and she agreed.  She immediately started to cry... And i started to cry with her.. sobbing more like.  She begged Heavenly Father to help her raise her 3 kids right.  She is amazing. Her name is Tasha.  And i guess her husband just left her.  Its amazes me what people have to go through out here.  I cant believe how fortunate I am.  This mission if anything else has really just opened my eyes to what i need to focus on in my life.

I sincerely love this gospel.  It is changing peoples lives as well as mine.  There are some really rough times and i almost give up.  But that would be selfish.  I want to change as many lives as I can.  I love you all! Be missionaries while you are home!!

And thank you for the letters! people write me!

Love

Elder Spatch

The Ups and Downs

Hey.


What a week it has been!  It is crazy to think that i have been here for a month.  Time does fly! This week has been challenging! I was wondering when i would get hit with a trial, cause its been going TOO GOOD!!!

To start branch is starting to like/trust us!  Which is great cause we get fed more ha!  For a while we were cooking every night of the week for ourselves!! We got to go to some cool member houses.  Most are like these huge Victorian homes and i dig them. Ill show some pics.  And then others are these farm homes that just have like 10 acres of land surrounding them.  The branch has a wide range of people!  I have grown to really love all of them, because they all are so very different and they love to talk about their past struggles and how they came to the gospel.  It really inspires me to find people! 

Okay so we were tracking(going door to door) in this neighborhood and were about to leave when all the sudden we had a feeling we needed to go down this street.  So we started walking and every person we met slammed the door in our face and then we got to like the second to last house and a girl, a young mom with 2 kids opens it and says, "NO WAY! I WAS JUST LOOKING UP YOUR CHURCH 3 HOURS AGO!!!!"  So pretty much the church is true and that was the most amazing thing.  I feel so blessed to be this close to the spirit to just follow where it tell us to go!  Anyway her name is Rebekah, and she is awesome! We also met Donna and her son Steve who is 55! they are the funniest humans alive.  Steve was in a crazy accident when he was 2o so he has been crippled ever since but his humor kills me.  We go over every other night.  Donna is just like my grandma Adonna.  Sassy and hilarious, but still classy.  I love her.  She came to church this past sunday, and during sacrament said,"whats with the little piece of bread! I could have ate that whole plate!" and then she said... "What no wine? what kind of sick joke is this!" i about died.  He picture is below.

Later in the week we had zone conference taught by all the AP's and our Mission President!  It was seriously awesome!  It was a lot about obedience and hard work.  We watched the video about the football player that carried this guy on his back blindfolded from endzone to endzone. If you havent watched it then go look it up. its from some movie.  But the kid was blind folded so he had no idea how far he was from the opposite end. I just loved this because it shows when we push ourselves we achieve more. a thought that came to me was - We don't grow in the state of being comfortable.  We have to strain ourselves.  I relate this to being an athlete.  Our muscles don't grow unless we get uncomfortable with more weight.

This week has also been tough, because we haven't had people progressing as much.  we had so many new investigators but now i feel like we are last on their list to see.  So its been hard for me because i feel like God should just make them know that what I know is true.  But he gave us the loving plan of agency which lets us choose.  I think this is one trial i will have on my mission... being PATIENT! I think my faith in God is being tested to see if i really will put all my trust in him.  A mission is seriously hard.  There are times when i just want to go home BUT i wont because if i could get one person to know and feel the blessings i have felt in 
my life, then 2 years is worth it.

I love this gospel.  Don't fear sharing it with others, because you never know who is ready to hear it.  If we all just TRY i know that's all Heavenly Father asks.

Oh! here is my actual Apt address, but that could change after November 24 so send to the mission office after that.

Love you all!!

1385 Southland PKWY

Marion, OH 43302

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