The last one

This week was a lot of door knocking and we did find some contacts and people that said that they would come to our English class. Although a lot of people say that they will come we will just have to wait and see. Then we helped out a member cut some wood. Apparently her house is damp and she is still burning wood. I was pretty shocked that she was still doing that, but I know that she would not be able to do that on her own. So I was more than happy to help her.

I am really excited for Elder Hamilton to be branch president. He is my companion right now and he will be taking over as the new branch president. The members really do like him a lot here and he will bring a lot of people back to the gospel here. I think that it is exactly what Ashtarak needs right now.

I am super excited to see you guys this week, but I am going to work hard for the last little bit. Always repent to feel the love of the Savior; He wants us to become like Him in each and every way. 

Elder Sproul

Nearing the end

This week we still have been seeing a lot of success. We were able to pick up a few contacts for the coming week. Just none of the contacts were able to turn into investigators this week. We have been having a lot of success with English door knocking and have been getting into a lot of houses. We also did some more cleaning out of our phone and got some people for Kentron and Arabkir to meet from areas in our mission. I just wonder when the last time that someone went to try and clean out the phone and if we did not ever call these people what would have happened. One of them was saying how did you remember me it was 2 years ago that we meet. I hope that the Kentron elders will remember to call him and meet with this man because he has his family here for the week and said next week that we can meet with them. 

Then we had 2 meeting planned with people from the area book and we were ready to meet with them, but both of them fell through. They seemed like people that were really interested, but I don't know what happened. 

I know that this is the Lord's work and that everything is in his hands and I am just the tool. So the ups and downs that happen are just part of the work. We are to show God that we still trust him. 

Elder Sproul

Missionary Work

So this week was a really good week. We have been putting a lot of focus on K's family. He is one of the males that has been coming to church every week and this has been helping his wife to come back to church. He has been building a house and that has been a chance to go over and serve them and show that we care for them through our service. Then we have been showing them some of the church videos about how it is only through Christ that A, K's wife can find peace from her lost child. There is a lot of things that people can say, but the real peace is only found through Christ. I really do think that the videos from the church are a really good source of helping members and investigators. They go through all that work to make it for a reason and we need to use it. This week she ended up coming to church with K and their 6 year old son N who is one of the best behaved 6 year old child that I have ever meet. 

This week A also came to church who is my counselor that has not been coming to church because he has been out in a village living there for the last little bit, but now he is back in Ashtarak. I have tried to do a branch presidency meeting with him in the past, but it has never worked out. This is the first time that he has come to church her since we came from branch conference a while back. So I want to try and do that with him this week. 

Then we were able to meet with a man that is from Iran through our other Iranian friend. We were able to get to know him a little and talk to him a little about the Book of Mormon and ask if he would read and follow the introduction. We did not have a ton of time to be at his house because we had to get to English, but he seems interested and I am excited to talk to him more about the Book of Mormon. 

I know that the message that we have to share has power and everyone needs to hear it. I love the feeling of just doing good things each and everyday. 

Elder Sproul

Getting work done

This week was a really good week for us in Ashtarak. We were able to pick up some people from English door knocking. This lady was really prepared to receive the gospel. We gave her a 1st pamphlet in our 1st lesson and told her that we would talk more about that the next time that we would come. Then when we came the next time she showed a Russian Book of Mormon that she got from someone in Bakumi. She did not tell us the whole story, but that just someone there that she was working for said I have a gift for you and she ended up giving her the Russian Book of Mormon. She said that she has already read some of the book and liked it. The elect are out there and I think that this new way of finding is the way that we are going to find all of them. When you knock at night there are male presents home and it just makes the end of the night really productive. 

We also picked up a previous investigator. He is going to be hard to work with because of his strong thinking that every church is true, but he has read the Book of Mormon before and we just need to hit on that and get him to realize that this book is true. It can change his life by accepting what we have to say. He just doesn't see the difference in our church and other churches yet, but he will get there.   

I am super happy with everything and I know that this gospel is true. The most important thing is this. We need to all do what we can to make sure we are on the right path.

Elder Sproul 

Working hard

This week was a really good week. We were able to do a lot of good work. We met with 5 contacts and although none of them became investigators, I know that those meetings were still important and we were able to plant some seeds with those people. This week we should be able to meet with one of those contacts again. He said that he was just a little busy when we meet with him and that we could come to his house a little bit latter this week. He has a family and we will see how that goes this week. 

We also went English door knocking this week. I was not really stoked on it because I felt like I was almost trying to trick people to come to learn English so that they could become and investigator, but Elder Bergeson said that what is the difference between telling people on the street to come to learn English or anywhere. You are always hoping that they will eventually become an investigator because you know how that will help their life. I really did gain a testimony on English door knocking and how it can help us find some contacts. When we just help people learn English, we are helping, even if that is where it stops. We were able to pick up 2 contacts Elder Bergeson and I and we were only able to knock 2 entrances. We can now knock doors because we are not proselyting and just inviting people to learn English. 

The work is definitely moving forward and we were definitely busy this week, but just a lot of things did not work out. I am just super happy for one contact we met with next last week and I am super excited to meet with him this coming week. 

I love this work and I know that I am doing the right thing. Always counsel with the Lord in all that you do. He knows what is best for us. 

Elder Sproul