Success is not defined by numbers

Hello family and friends!!! Its crazy how fast the weeks are going by.  Next week I will hit my 6 month mark and that is just weird.  This week... was again not a very successful week finding new people and being able to teach them.  We have decided that we are going to focus more on the members.  The topic of building the church and growing the church has been brought up. Growing the church is all on the numbers and baptizing.  Building the church is all on teaching, training and lifting up the members we have now.  It takes charity and hard work and that's what we are going to do the next month.  This week we also had zone conference and it was really cool how president did things this time.  We split into groups and discussed the council in heaven.  One group was Satan, the other Jesus and the 3rd were those who had to decide who's plan to choose.  The 2 groups argued there points and presented there plans and it was really fun.  President challenged us to study and think about the council in heaven and to try and understand the importance of it.  We then were trained by Sister Hansen on how to become better teachers and then the zone leaders trained us on becoming meek and lowly in heart!  I love Zone conference because it is a time that we all come together as disciples of Christ and we learn and grow together as well as share new ideas and make plans on how we are going to achieve our goals and CONQUER INDIA as president would say!  We were able to go on splits this Sunday with some of the prospective missionaries in our ward and that was awesome.  I love being able to be a part of these kids lives, and show them how fun, serious and important missionary work is.  Missionary work is not all about the numbers.  It is about serving, strengthening those around you, going through true conversion yourself and becoming a true disciple of Christ.  I love that i'm able to do that, and I love that i'm able to do it in such a unique and crazy place!!! That is it for the week.  The only thing i'd ask of you is to keep our less active, Brother Tushar in your prayers.  He was baptized a couple months ago and hasn't been to church for a long time.  We met him last Wednesday and are working to help him and get him back to church!  I love all of you and so grateful to have all of you in my life.  Have an amazing week and look to serve those around you!!!  Goodbye from INDIA!!! 

Spiritual thought: Mosiah 3:7( the last sentence).  It says...so great shall be his anguish for the wickedness and the abominations of his people.

We read this in zone conference and then Elder Robison bore an amazing testimony on the last sentence in this verse.  He said "Elders and Sisters it pains me that I am a reason. That something I did, a decision or choice I made, a sin I committed has caused my Savior to bleed and to feel pain". He said that we need to make sure that the bleeding our Savior did for us is not in vain!  

We need to make sure that right now we are living our lives the way the Savior would want us to.  Be obedient, keep the commandments, go to church on Sunday, serve others, fulfill your callings, be clean and pure and always strive to have the spirit with you.  It is my testimony that I know my Saviors lives, and I am grateful for him and the sacrifice he made for all of us.  I am also pained that I caused some of that bleeding, but i'm going to try everyday to not let that bleeding be in vain.  I love this church!  It is true brothers and sisters.  I love the book of Mormon!  It is true!  I love being a missionary and I love sacrificing my time and energy to bless others and to serve my Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ.  Now is the time to step up to the plate and be what the Savior needs us to be!     

Highlights: 

- Zone Conference in Vasant Vihar

- Saw stars for the first time in 5 months! 

- Walked through a celebration for Ganesh (A god in India) 

- BYU wins again!!

- Veronica said she is going to come to General Conference ( our catholic investigator)

"I know that my Redeemer LIVES"

Hello family and friends yet again!! Not a lot to update you on this week. We have no new investigators because our phone has been broken and we have not been able to contact anyone... hopefully we can get a new phone soon!! All we did this week was a lot of finding in our areas.  We walked and talked and walked and talked for hours and we were able to get lots of numbers... which is good if we have a phone:)  Anyways, I love training and it's given me more motivation to try my best to work hard and be obedient.  I want to make sure that I can start Elder Wolcotts mission off in the right direction so he can be successful and bless the people here in India! 

Well today i thought I would give you a little idea of what my diet has been this month... I wake up have 2 eggs, toast, and buttered biscuits.  For lunch...2 eggs, toast and buttered biscuits with peanut butter( some protein) and for dinner...2 eggs, toast, and brown sugar oatmeal!  We are really living the life over here in India.  I have to be honest i'm so bad at budgeting my money and the only way I've  been able to have money during the month is to just eat eggs, peanut butter, biscuits, oatmeal and toast. If any of you would like to send me some food I would love that, but don't feel like you need to... I will survive, but i'd totally eat the food that is sent to me:) 

I am just super grateful that i'm here in India even when it is really hard!! I've been sick a lot the last 3 weeks and the only way I feel better is when i'm studying the gospel, getting out to work and just sucking it up, or praying!  I am grateful to train, but most of the time Elder Wolcott is training me and pushing me to just keep going!  He is a great missionary already.  I am grateful to be learning and growing everyday!  I am so happy I made the decision to take two years of my life to work and serve my Heavenly Father... I can truly say that i'm beginning to really love the work.  It is a process and doesn't always happen right away.  The Lord always prepares a way though and he always makes sure that we are blessed!  I hope you all have an amazing week and know that I love you!!  That is it for this week... next week will be better! 

Spiritual message: "I know that my redeemer lives" 

Well instead of me typing up a long spiritual message I just want you all to sit down and read the words to i know that my Redeemer lives.  Think about them and ponder them! I listen to this song every night before bed and I feel the spirit so strong everytime!! 

Also I want you all to read 3 Nephi 11: 10-11.  

I know that my Redeemer lives.  He loves me and he loves you and he will always be there.  Take comfort in that and realize that you will never EVER be alone!! 

Highlights: 

- Rode electric bikes at India gate

- Jay walked a highway similar to I-15!  Nice Adrenalin rush! 

- BYU beat wiscousin! Go cougs! 

- Starting the new testament this week! 

- Chased down a bus in the middle of the highway!!! 

--

/Elder Jorgensen

TRANSFERS!

Well family and friends this has been the craziest but most fun week of my mission.  Transfer calls came on Tuesday and I received a call from President Hansen saying i'm going to Lajpat Nagar to train a new missionary... boy that was not what I was expecting!!  I'm excited and optimistic about this change and what the Lord has in store for me and my new companion.  His name is Elder Wolcott and he is from Spokane Wahsington.  He plays football, tennis, and basketball and he is a good kid.  He is young, but has a strong desire to work hard, be obedient and have fun.  This transfer is going to be a very good one I think!!!  So Lajpat is not to far from Vasant Vihar... about a 30 min drive.  We got to our apartment,  unpacked and got situated.  The next day we got up and went out to our area and stayed there all day.  We talked to like 20 people, got lots of names and numbers and we were able to teach an auto driver and 4 Muslims in their spice shop during a rain storm.  It was so cool.  We gave them 4 books of Mormon, taught the whole restoration and bore our testimonies on our Savior Jesus Christ and this church.  They all loved it and want to learn more.  Hopefully we can set up some appointments with them this week and teach them more! On Tuesday me and Elder Saka went on our last KFC lunch date haha!  Super sad, but I know I will be able to see Saka again... He is the most humble missionary ever and I loved serving with him!  Well that is pretty much it for my week.  I'm in a new area with a new companion and neither of us know our area.  We are literally 2 white boys in India and we get to just go walk around and explore our area and teach people about the gospel of Jesus Christ!  I could not think of a better thing to be doing right now.  I'm doing really well fam!  I love you all and hope you have an amazing week!  Please send prayers my way... i'm very sad that BYU lost.  Anyways!!!!  Bye from India!  Next week will be a better and longer update!  

Spiritual thought:

Well i'm going to just keep this week short and bare my testimony that I shared with my sister earlier today before writing this weekly update.  I just want you all too know that with all of the energy in my heart and zeal in my voice... I know that this church is true.  I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior and Redeemer who sacrificed himself and took on every pain, sickness, and sin all utterly alone so we do not have to.  The gospel and it's principles are pure and simple and there to help us on our journey here on earth.  I love this gospel.  I love missionary work, and I love feeling the spirit every day as a missionary.  I have felt the spirit burn a testimony and conversion in my heart that will never be broken,  and i will serve my Savior until I die.  I am so grateful to be a representative of Jesus Christ and to do this work!!! It is truly a blessing and a privilege.  I am gaining a very strong and deep conversion of this work and this church and in my Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ!!  

Reading assignment for you all!  Romans chapter 8... the whole chapter:) 

Highlights: 

- Training in Lajpat

- Taught 4 Muslims in there spice shop during a rainstorm 

- Heard the moana song" how far ill go" in 24/7

- My area is the biggest and most popular area in the mission:) 

- Finally got my FRRO.  I can go to crazy places now!! 

Elder Saka

5 months baby!!

Hello family and friends!! Happy Labor Day!!  I looked at my calendar this morning and realized that I have now been on my mission for 5 months... so CRAZY!!! Well this week was just slow.  We had a lot of appointments cancelled and so we had time to just sweat and walk... Me and Saka are with a new missionary right now from the Philippines MTC.  He came early and President decided to put him with us until the end of the transfer.  It has been very interesting and difficult working in a trio, but everything happens for a reason, right.  It rained all week, so we found ourselves in the apartment a lot.  I was able to read a lot and now almost finished with Alma.  I love every chapter I read and  learn something new every time I open up the Book Of Mormon.  Well I will give a brief update on the 7 catholic sisters we are teaching. They are wonderful and they all love the missionaries.  We have met twice and shared about the restoration and have read 3 Nephi 11 with them.  They love it and have no objections.  They know that the Book of Mormon is the word of god. The hard part is just getting them to come to church on Sunday.  They love their Catholic church, and prefer to go there. We will see if we can get them to church this week!!  Pray for them please!!  Well, I hope you all have a great week. Just know I love you all and pray for you all. 

   

Spiritual thought: Alma 48:11-- This is talking about the Anti-Nephi-Lehis.  

They made a covenant to never fight again.  They were faced with trials and they had so many chances to fight and protect themselves.  They knew the lamanites hated them, and they knew that they wanted to kill them.  Well they knew the importance of covenants and their commitment to their Heavenly Father.  They would rather die than break the covenant and promise they had made with God.  Well brothers and sisters we too have made covenants with our Heavenly Father.  I know that we all understand the significance and importance, and if we dont then we need to make sure we do.  My challenge is for all of you to study about the anti nephi lehis and pray to have the strength to keep your covenants and to understand the importance of them.  We will all have times when satan tempts us to break a covenant, but do we love the Lord enough and do we have the strength to keep them.  I love my Heavenly father and my Savior Jesus Christ!  I am grateful for the covenants i have made with them.  I love this church and I love my mission even though it is just very hard!!  

Highlights:

- Saw a massive elephant by the mission home

 The chapel flooded right before a baptism...but we got in cleaned up before the baptism started! 

- Hung out with the Smiths all day Tuesday!  I love the Smiths!  

- BYU beat Arizona!