Hope

This week was a really good week for Ashtarak. I have been really trying to regain hope and never talk bad about my area. That has really been helping me see all the good things that happen each and every day. One thing that happened this week, that was out of my control, I think the Lord blessed me, because He wanted to help me regain hope in the branch was when K our less active Elder's quorum president and E's family came to church. It was super nice to have some young people at church and we did not even meet with E at all, she just came to church. I have tried to call her a few times, but she did not answer. It was a total miracle. Those are the people that I want to work with this transfer. 

If we were able to work with E's family that would be a young woman and a small boy that would also be coming to church every week. I know that it is an if, but I feel like they have a lot of potential. I think that will also help K's family to get active again. Sometimes it can get a little bit lonely when you are around a bunch of old people and there is no one that is around your age, but because E's kid,  A and K's kid N are the same age it will help them both to get reactivated. E said that she would come next week and she said that we can meet with her this week. I have a lot of hope for this branch.  My goal for attendance by the end of the transfer is 13 every week. I think that is a number that we can reach if we can get E's family active and have K come every week. 

I love this work and am seeing the hand of the Lord each and everyday. Ever since I have asked the Lord to show me his path for me the next day and He has. All we have to do is ask and we will receive - the door is never locked we just have to knock and He will open it. He has plans for us we just need to ask Him. 

Elder Sproul

The Lord Knows

We visited L who is a less active man this week and it was a little sad to see someone that knows the doctrine as well as he does and say that it is better to be on Satan's side because he will give you money. But I still think that he is someone that could potentially come back. He wants some big calling and thinks that will change something, but he has to change first and then the Lord will bless him. It usually does not work out that way. 

Then we visited K who is a less active man who has some potential to come back. This family have recently had a family member die. We were able to tell him that there is always comfort in Christ. Anything can go bad and we do not know how you feel and never will, but He does. We read to him 3rd Nephi 27:28-29 and told him if he wanted to know why this happened -He can tell you. I think it was really cool that Elders Lunstead and Ebbert told their family that M could not go on a mission during the stake times because of obvious reasons, but they said that she is serving a mission right now for the Lord. I really liked that and believe that it is true. 

This week I am trying to focus on what is important some more. Sometimes it is hard to focus on the work on my area when it is a little slow, but I am just trying to work on that right now. I know that the Lord will bless me as I work harder and rely on Him more for everything. If we are ever going through something hard we can always remember that He knows exactly how we are feeling and sometimes it may not seem like anyone can sympathize with you, but He can. 

Elder Sproul  

Excited about changes

So this week was a good week for us. I was fasting to get a baptism in this area this transfer and I can already see the Lord bringing it to pass. Z from Arabkir was in Ashatarak and we were busy with other stuff, but he gave us a referral for a lady that is interested in the gospel so we are going to try and visit her somehow this week. I do not know with who, but we will get over there somehow. I don't know what she is going to be like, but we will have to wait and see. 

Then we ran into this guy whose name is M who knows the missionaries super well and used to go on visits with the missionaries. We were able to talk to him for a little bit and he said that he would go on visits with us again when he is not busy even though he is not a member. I just think that he likes hanging out with Americans, but I am just glad that someone wants to come to visits with us. 

Other than that I am excited to see what can happens this transfer as branch president. I need to work with a lot of people, but we will just see what happens

I know that this gospel is true and that will never leave me. Do everything you can to gain that testimony you will not regret it.

Elder Sproul 

This picture is from the last zone conference. I love working with these people.

Transfer - Branch President

This week we went to a funeral for one of our semi active member's Mom. She comes about once a month.  She really appreciated that we were there to support her and I think it will help her come more often and feel that she is cared. After the funeral we went  with two of our members that went to to one of their sisters house and we were able to talk to her and her husband about the gospel a little bit. Her sisters have been really working on them. When we got there they had already given them a Liahona and we were able to talk to him about how the Lord cares about him. This man has had a blood clot and his right side does not work so he was really discouraged about that. I know that he felt the spirit and we invited him to read Elder Hallstrom's talk about miracles and have they really ceased. This week we are going to follow up on that. 

Then I found out that I am going to be branch president next transfer in a small branch with about 12-14 people that come to church. I don't know a whole ton about it and I will tell you more about it next week when I am actually in the calling and know more. 

I love all of you and keep doing the simple things and everything will be okay in the end. Be dedicated even when it is hard.