Tuesday, August 26, 2014

August 25, 2014

Dear Family,

Its been another good week here in Redding. It hasn't been as hot as it has been so its been a lot more bearable so thats good. A lot of good stuff has happened this week. We worked really hard this week and saw some good stuff. Ralph is amazing and is doing super good! We met with him some a couple of times this week. He was suppose to be getting baptized this week but his fellowshipper would have been out of town he and wanted to go to it so the baptism is going to be September 5th. Ralph is still coming to church and still doing great! 

We organized and had a ward softball activity on Saturday and we really focused it towards missionary work and getting the ward members to invite nonmembers and less actives. It was a lot of success and a good time was had. It was fun to be doing missionary work but in a different way. 

Me and my companion also spoke in sacrament meeting this week. With the activity we planned, speaking in church, and the recent success we've been having, I really feel like the ward members are starting to trust us even more with their friends and we've been seeing that with a couple of referrals so its been awesome! 

We found a lady a couple of weeks ago and we had our first sit down lesson with her this week. Turns out this lady almost got baptized awhile back in Utah and absolutely loves the relief society. We had a super spiritual lesson with her and we're really excited about her potential.

Josh is still doing good and is a stud. He's set for September 27th still and we're really hoping everything works out well and goes through. We taught the Griffen family this week. They haven't been to church or met the requirements for their scheduled baptism date, so we're gonna have to push it back, but we're really hoping they can continue to progress and keep their commitments. Sometimes the whole thing of agency can be really hard. haha But we just have to keep pushing forward. 

All is well here and I'm happy. Its weird the harder I work the faster it goes. God is good. Life is beautiful. Have a great week! 

Elder Rosenbaum

Saturday, August 23, 2014

August 18, 2014

Dear Family,

Its been a crazy week, it seems like a lot of things have happened. On
Friday Mark got baptized, it was such a special day. Mark has probably
been one of the most incredible people that I've had the privilege to
teach on my mission. I mean the guy has terminal cancer and the
doctors told him not to stop smoking because it would be too hard on
his body. Well The Lord knew best and he was able to stop. The last 6
weeks I've basically gone over to his house almost everyday. It was so
good to see him get baptized and the spirit there was incredible. I
had the opportunity to confirm on him the gift of the Holy Ghost so that
was a great experience. Ralph was suppose to get baptized the same day
and time as Mark. Well Ralph called me 30 minutes before the baptism
saying he didn't want to get baptized. He was trying to find every
excuse not to get baptized. We at least told him to come to the
baptism so he can see how it works and feel the spirit there. Well he
came to church as well and the first question he asked me was if it
was too late for him to be baptized. So we're really grateful he could
have a change of heart. Hopefully within the next few weeks he'll be
baptized.

On Saturday I had the opportunity to go back to Paradise, my first and
probably favorite area for a baptism for a lady named Anne Mathews. It
was an amazing baptism. I taught Anne for all 6 months I was in the
area and she was on date but never went through. It was so cool to see
her again and see her enter the waters of baptism. I'll send pictures.
I had the chance to visit a few people while I was in Paradise for the
day and I got to visit my first convert Jacob. It was so cool to see
him and his companion. Well he and his wife told me that they are
going to be getting sealed in the temple in October and invited me to
come. It made my day, it was so good to hear how well he was doing. I
also went to see Elaine my second recent convert. She's an older lady
and she told me that she's preparing to go to the temple as
well and would like me to come! I've been so blessed to teach amazing
people. The Lord has just been super good to me. It was probably one
of the happiest days on my mission, being able to see everyone.

We're teaching a family right now named the Griffen family. Well
Bubba, the daughters boyfriend committed to be baptized last week, and
Amanda and Shandi committed to be baptized this week! It was so cool.
Amanda and Shandi are sisters and their mom is a less active lady. Its
been a huge blessing to be able to teach them the last couple of
months.

We're teaching a guys named Josh as well. This week we had a super
spiritual lesson with him and he committed to be baptized on September 27th. He's almost 18 and just a super good kid who's turning his life
around. I've been working with him for about 7 weeks now so its been
cool to see him grow as a person.

Love you guys! Have a great week!

 Elder Rosenbaum








Ben's ALS Ice Bucket Challenge



Thursday, August 14, 2014

August 11, 2014

Dear Family,

Its been a good week! I can't believe its already the last week of the transfer! Time has been flying by. Well a lot of good things have been happening. We saw a lot of crazy miracles this week! One thing that I believe I learned this week a little better was persistence. We're teaching a man named Anthony and I was tempted to drop him a couple of weeks ago because he was just so flaky. Well we were persistent with him and didn't give up on him. We were able to get with him this week. We had the most spiritual lesson with him. One of the most spiritual lessons I've had in a long time. He committed and wants to be baptized on September 20th. He told us the spirit he felt during that lesson was something he couldn't deny and meeting with the missionaries is something he wants to take a lot more serious right now. It was a great blessing and I'm super excited for him. 

Recently we started teaching the kids of a part member family. Well, Kenneth(bubba) is the boyfriend of one of the daughters and he's been joining us in the lessons. Well in the lesson this week he committed to be baptized on September 13th. This whole church thing doesn't seem to be on the highest of his priorities so we'll see what happens. It was still a huge miracle and super awesome. 

Mark and Ralph are both still doing good on their addictions and we met with both of them several times this week. If they pass their interview, they will go through for this Friday for there baptisms. Mark asked my companion to baptize him and Ralph asked me the other day If I would baptize him. So it will be a special day for both me and my companion and obviously Mark and Ralph as well. Both of them are just starting to feel super comfortable at church which feels so good. They both made it to church again on Sunday

For P-day we got to go ride go carts and go laser tagging for free. We went with the whole zone so it was all a pretty good time! 

I feel like I become a little more changed every day on my mission. Its weird to look at myself at where I was at the beginning of my mission or even before my mission and look at myself now. The Gospel is something  that is so precious and dear to me now. I feel like my testimony is as strong as ever and its something that means so much to me now.(Read Ether 12:6) Love you guys I hope you have a great week! 

-Elder Rosenbaum

Monday, August 11, 2014

August 4, 2014

Dear Family,

It's been another good week. On Thursday we traveled down to Gridley
for a trainer trainee meeting which was super good! Good news, our
mission President informed us we might be getting a car in our area
because of the size and the hills.  That would be really great with me,
we're hoping we'll be able to get one. We'll be able to see so many
more people each week because right now we just spend so much of our
time biking. I guess we'll see what happens.

Mark is doing so well! We literally almost met with him every day this
past week. He came to church for the 4th week in a row and people are
starting to really take him in at church. He even advertised himself
to all the priesthood group that he was going to be getting baptized
soon and he was really excited for it. He asked who could baptized him
and he asked which of me and my companion haven't actually baptized
someone yet so he asked my greenie to baptize him. I'm super excited
for my companion and to be able to do that in his first transfer in the
mission. The baptism will be August 15th. Its been amazing to see The
Lord take over. The doctors told Mark not to stop smoking cigerattes
because he has terminal cancer and it would be too hard on his body.
We'll he's showed his faith in The Lord and he's been free for about a
week and a half now! The Lord has been blessing us so much!

We went and visited a part member family this week named the Griffens.
I visited them many times before but nothing has really come of it.
Well all of the sister griffens kids committed to take the discussions.
She has a 25 year old, 17 year old whose boyfriend is also going to
take the lessons, and a 9 year old daughter. It was a huge blessing.
We taught them the first discussion and will be going back tomorrow.
We've been having a hard time the last few weeks with finding new
investigators, so this was definitely an answer to a prayer.

We taught Ralph twice this week and he even came to church! He will be
getting baptized as well on August 15th! Its been awesome teaching
him. We had a lesson two weeks on the dot before his baptism and we
told him he has to be free of coffee here on out in order to be
baptized. We gave him a blessing to be able to overcome it. We're
praying that he'll make it!

All is well here! Love you guys, hope you have a great week!

-Elder Rosenbaum