Pure in Heart

Fridays are our district meetings.. In the third hour we got a call so I stepped out to take it and it was sister cindi brooks.. Love her and her husband.. There children are great too! But anyway she just called to confirm the dinner for that Sunday. As a was wrapping up the conversation she said "elder binns I really have been wanting to say this to you for awhile"... She began by saying "for a wee while we haven't been motivated the entire ward even to do missionary work and it's frustrating.. " ".. I just want you to know that your OBEDIENCE, an love , and especially your approach to the work, the gospel, has changed everything for us.. Your so relatable and just great.. You see it's awesome missionaries like yourself that come in and change the entire wards perception on what it takes an even means to be a missionary.. My husband and I think you awesome!" 

After obliging the comments and praises I had received I continued expressing my gratitude of her an her family.. 

Things like this show me I'm doin something right..

now this is not to boast or anything but really to be an example of how i really do love the work (most of the time). the thing is its not what you do in missionary work that matters at all its the HOW you do it.. i knew coming out already i had a unique perception, even ability to read and understand people in most cases do not posses. this has allowed to me to use my discretion in many ways.. i feel as though when you approach missionary work as not work but a missionary career things change.. the reason i say that is when we say WORK theres already a stigma Americans create for that.. but its the CAREER we all want.. something we have a passion for .. when we think its work we begin to not want to do it and our heart isnt there... its not work. but just like any career it didnt happen or become successful over night amm i right?? sooo thats just it decide the now if and when your going to push your comfort level.. decide now if you are going to take a unique approach for something.. Do not however create stigmas because eventually we find fault rapidly!

love the brooks family and im glad because of my particularly honest and sometimes brutally honest attitude and rough experiences(with many more to come) im able to seek out those who are pure in heart and capable of making this change in there life..

Pics from Boise Idaho..

This morning we went on a hike. Amazing day yesterday.... was able to Skype home for Mothers Day! It was a great blessing to see my family. The last few months have gone by pretty fast! Doing the work for the people of Boise has been great!

Bad News Yesterday!!

we got some bad news as well yesterday 

Frenchie and Kay havent been doing well the only info Kay gave me the past week is he just simply isnt feeling well and i checked with her yesterday and she notified me he has a new tumor in his back pressing his spine and eating a wee bit of the bone..

mind you this was for his very last check up i forget exactly how it works but they do like a yearly exam or somehting to see if its completley gopne and if anything new is there and sure ebough his very last one he does in fact have a newer tumor.. its sad they dont know yet because havent recieved the biopsy results but boy i feel for em!! were gunna try to get there tonight or themorrow depending on how  there feeling and giver him a blessin

Doing the work!

Yesterday morning we had investigators who watched conference with us.......

 

i know i was called to the Idaho Boise Mission for a reason. and this was confirmed to me from Kay.. we were having seperate conversations, my comp. and i he was with Frenchie and I with Kay how and why this happend i believe it was so the Lord could give me the sign i needed to have more drive to be his faithful servant at this time of harvest... she told me that she was glad it wasnt me getting transferred, in fact.. she was worried, because she went on to tell me that i have connected on a level with her unlike any other person had in the past or present. she said what i had to share with her spoke to her in innumerable ways... when i walked out of there i felt the spirit so strongly that i again had that testimony from him that what i was doing was the lords work and if she doesnt get baptized that she knows in the bottom of her heart that this church for what it has done with me in my life is different than anything that she has ever ecxperienced!

Pictures from Boise!!

Baptism of Ed!!

just this week had to drop an investigator, hopefully temporarily. i told everyone who asked me what i was worried about goin on the mission, that was lack of knowledge, companions, and dropping people, i knew they three bits would be the hardest things to deal with! and i have dealt with all three already! We went in there knowing the plan. She isnt  progressing and has wrapped up too much of our time for little effort on her part so i told her "April, the only thing keeping you from progressing, as we have discussed already is they Ecigs. you say you wanna get baptized?" Yes" she replies. " then April youve to do your best in quitting they things."  as the meeting went on she said " IM NOT GOING TO FIGHT WITH YOU" i just laughed and said April that is the last thing we are trying to do we are here because we love you and we know and understand what your going through but if you want what you keep asking for then you need to work hard to get there! long story short we walked out of there with a commitment to quit the Ecigs and give them away she also started with saying i wont fight with you to wow that was a great lesson! hahah times like these my comp and i are grateful for being bold and honest  and loving as the Saviour would! 

i also was able to give another blessing to brother packard he is an older Vietnam vet i believe he was in the navy for over 30 years! greta man and his wife isabel is from Mexico city!  good week too we had a baptism, my first one! Ed hes an amazing man! apparently my conversion story touched him so much that lead them to wanting me to give a talk on baptism at the service..

This Weeks Events

Well this week I had to rebuke our investigators and that.. they make a wee bit of progress and then dropoff for a while and its a cycle.. shes been investigating for almost two years and Elder kennignton and i are having to make the decision to drop her for a wee bit to hopefully rekindle some fire and get her prepared to make commitments.. the visit went wwell i LOVINGLY told her round about that she cannot expect to progress by sittin on her bum and smoking all day! she has they Electronic Cigarettes I told her one day I will smash them  haha lol ! but truly thats what its gunna take for her to quit they things!

Her husband was born in the church but is inactive for many years. he rns a trucking company and is always working on them so i put it into perspectivee for him... i said Rod, do the trucks drive themselves? No...

Okay Rod, do the trucks change their own tires and their own oil or even give themselves a wee wash when needed? 

No...

Right, youve to get out there and do it. Youve to get out there and get them on the road and put someone in there to drive em right? 

Yes...

Okay so when you say you dont feel the spirit or dont see the blessings im telling you youre not doing your part.. your business wouldnt be successful if you didnt get out and work hard am i right?

Yes

Then understand if you want these things then you must get out and work hard for it! 

as i looked as his wife who truly has come a  long way i asked her what does the spirit feel like for you? 

she replied with feeling peace and comfort

I turned to Rod and said well Rod the Holy ghost is referred to as The Comforter. 

we then got into why they needed to go to church ALL THE TIME so that they can strengthen each other, feel that spirit and move forward.

sometimes the Mission is tough in that way but Am grateful Am willing and able to be bold but not overbearing. 

we Also took a young man gettin ready to put his papers in wiv us he got to see that lesson wviv Rod and April... he also got to see the Tarps.. an inactive family with a son who was never baptized then he got to meet Ed our investigator of about 3 months and is getting baptized on the 22nd of this month and confirmed the following dday hes had his baptismal interview already and has asked me to speak about baptism in his programme! nut huh? that wee boy got to see everything the mission has to offer! less active, investigators progressing and not progressing, and the and investigator who is positively getting baptized! whats funny about Ed is I came to find out that my testimony changed things for him inna way! makes me feel well because I try and be very humble in that i dont see myself making such an impact on someone but i guess it does! 

i love the Gospel of Jesus Christ and I can absolutley testify that it is very true! and blesses the lives of all who nourish it! Im grateful for yyou and all the times youve kicked me in the pants when ive needed it!

Bringing in the Flock!

I didnt come out here to just baptize though that would  be awesome!  I would rather the ones who are baptized by me understand that when they make they covenants its FOREVER!  again as the lord chastized Peter! I told you to leave your nets forever! if you love me its FOREVER!  feed my sheep! Follow me FOEVER!  not just the week they get Baptized and confirmed!. 

we had a good week gave a blessing last night! it was cool but one thing Elder kennington and i have been doing is working with members!

one thing i want to challenge you to do is what we have challenged them to do!

think of a few people you have been pondering about maybe youve had an experience sharing the gospel with them, maybe not!

but think about a few names pray about them specifically ! and heres the kicker!:

i want you to get a Book of Mormon, write a very personal testimony both to you and to the person whom your giving the book to! 

and give it to them!

its amazing how things like this that are so simple can be so very effective! 

we met a family yesterday the husband is a recent convert!

he was telling us how rough is life was. for example his mum was a harlot for lack of a better term! his father a very abusive man, he said you dont know how it feels to get teeth puched out of your face by your own father, ive been chocked unconcious by him. 

he lived with his dad and older brother in an old i forget what kind of camper but it was beat up and retro. 

his dad got the bedroom, his older brother got the living area, and he got a tent and slept outside. didnt matter the weather. mind you he lived in pocatello which if im correct is down south and near Rexburg. their winters are rough! and he endured them inna tent!

in this environment drugsd were prevelant! his days were spent getting drunk and high, making poor decisions.

 

eventually they moved into a mobile home of sorts with lots of animals of everykind. he recounted having a pet raccoon(not his) and this "pet" would get in the cupboards and throw everything out and teear everything apart. he said it was no way to live where animals are their feces will lay as well. so there was fecal matter everywhere!! he said try to imagine crap where you never would have to deal with it! i would reach for a plate to make some food and lone behold there was a pile.

if this wasnt bad enough he said his dad made meth like crazy in the bathrrom so his house reeked with methamphetamine chemicals. rancid was how he described the smell. and to make matters worse his clothing even smelled like this so when hje went to school he smelled of methamphetamine.

eventually he was sent to juvee. he said it was nice actually because he knew that he wasnt goin to be beat there!

and eventually when he got out he was running a crackhouse with prostitutes everywhere and so forth and this lead to a prison sentence. 

while in a work release programme he met his now wife. upon getting released he went on a date with her that very night! it went well he said he got a job on a fishing boat in alaska i think. and before he got onna plane she gave him wrapped B.o.M. and said to not read it until he got where he was going. literally as he was walking off the plane he unwrapped it and read her testimony she had written on the inside cover. at that moment he knew he would need to read the book.

they got married and he began to "secretly" take lessons! his wife would ask him something and he would get mad and say " i want to find out for myself, i dont need you influencing my decision."

he said he prayed wether or not he should get baptized and he didnt recieve an answer. until one day he was having a very hard time finding work considering his criminal history, he got on his knees asking for assistance in the buisness world, but the feeling he got, the thought that entered his mind was "get baptized" he shut it out and said ohh noo im asking about money right now ,, funny enough he got the same impression. 

now he is a memebr of the chrurch and it fits so well with why we were at their home yesterday. 

we loved that spirit, how strong itwas. we were meant to be there. the invitation is still there.

just like his wife gave him a book of mormon with her testimony you too can do the same thing and have a massive impact on someones life. look at that brother and how his life has changed completely! hes been out of prison now i think 3 years and quite honestly his testimony is so powerful the way he looks at the atonement is incredible. hes grateful for juvenile hall and that it was crap but it was a blessing!

weve got alot of snow dumped on us and used that opportunity to shovel snow and the first house we went to was a man who got his leg amputated because of cancer and has had some serious difficulties with insurances and getting his prosthetic. we shoveld his drieveway and his wife came out and tried to help us but i made sure she didnt have much to do she too has difficuties. mind you they are late 70's but very lively.

we werent able to meet with them since i got here. ecspecially because of the bad news and loops theyve been pulled through time and time again!

but again we helped them inna way. we served them and through that we were in there home and out of ther 20 degree weather for an hour having a great time getting caught up!

now we will be able to continue the lessons with them! so grateful for the opportunity to do so!

our purpose as missionaries is to invite others to come unto christ by helping them recieve the restored gospel.... 

two key word  

INVITE and HELP 

thats all we can do their will and faith to allow the spirit do the rest is up to them! 

yee

well another week down!

we had a slow but cool week I guess! one of our investigators now has a recovering addict living with her so its jus filled with interesting questions and deep emotional problems that some of it you jus wish you never heard aha lol..

but heyy when youre on the lords errand you must be ready to hear things you otherwise wouldn't have been interested in hearing!

one of our investigators came to church with us yesterday!!1 such an awesome feeling to see someone slowly making these changes!

hes a character as well in priesthood opening exercises he said " hi my name is Ed ... , ....and I have a testimony!" and sits down me and Elder kennington were bursting at the seems laughing our heeds aff!!!

" im grateful to have the opportunity to serve amongst such a big ward and wonderful people. but jus briefly I want you to know that missionaries didn't play a part in much of my converting to the gospel! it was all the example of a wonderful, beautiful, and loving family that took every opportunity open their mouth and share a gospel principle with me! it was their BRAVERY, their courage, their spirit that truly exemplified the character of Christ. I want all you to know that (heres the shoking part or at least what the faces in the ward showed) Elder Kennington and I ARE NOT the only representatives of Jesus Christ in this room! if you simply follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit and open your mouths you can change someones life FOREVER. I know that to be true because it happened to me! take the time and the love that Jesus took and share with everyone in some way how this gospel has changed your life. you never know who is listening! ...and then my testimony was concluded with the truths of the gospel!"

we awoke this morning to some snow !! ill attach the picture here!!   also the other pictures is pretty much what our area looks like and after the inversion cleared up we were able to see the surrounding mountains...

a beautiful place this!

Comments Posts

If you'd like to make any comment posts it needs to be done via Firefox. Sorry for the inconvenience.. don't know why this is occurring, however at least it is working for now.

Good Morning!

So we have a fantastic couple Brother and Sister Packard. we had exchanges so another Elder and i were in my area! so i was acting senior comp but besides that we went to the packards for lunch! it was great but brother packard had served in the navy for 20 years or so and he's in bad health i believe he has cancer and the night before he said he wanted a blessing! after lunch 

Elder Kinderknecht(kinderconnect) annointed him with oil and i sealed that along with the Priesthood blessing!! it was tough becuas ethe spirit was gettin me to say things i wasnt comfortable saying but i was able to say some of it! it was touching and hard to do considering the circumstances! finny enough isabell decided she wanted a blessing so Elder Kimderknecht had an opportunity to give a blessing to sister packard!!

 

when exchanges were over we later that week had an appointment with Ed and he decided to get a Priesthood Blessing as well! so Elder Kennington gave that after the member we were with annointed the oil !1

 

 

three blessings in one week all of them being my first in the field!! a fantastic experience 

 

very envoious of this though Elder Kennington was given brother packards jumper from the navy its over 50 years old and is in mint condition! 

Missing You!

ts been busy even though it really hasnt our area covers 10 square miles and about 5 of them are inhabited the rest are fields and cowpoo. its a fun area though the fog here is intense ill show yeh some pics at the end!

weve been busy as far as planning an such. but we regularly meet with a woman named April. she herself has battled many drug addictions including her

oin and is on methadone and all that good stuff. but its increduible to see how much of a desire she has to quit and want to get baptized. its fun to meet with her this last week i think friday we met with her, we wanted to be bold. so i took the lesson by the reigns. i said "april i think iif you truly have this desire its time to take some big steps here, so lets make some serious goals but realistic ones. so she sadi okay i want to only smoke 4 cigarettes a day we said if you feel you can accomplish that then yes we will gett that one down(shes on chantix)". she also hasnt been reqading and praying everyday and i can say from experience that by not doing so the spirit is not your constant companion! without that its near impossible to get back on the straight and narrow so anyway we set those two more goals: read and pray daily. we havent ben able to meet with her since then but we look foward to doing so here tomorow . funny enough tho her husband needed help herding a couple pigs back in the pen so here we Elders come out in suits and dress shoes walking in pig...who knows what it is. so that was fun haha but we got em in. im sure they gotta kick outta watching us doin that though!

another interesting experience so last night we were headed to a house to check on this part member family and on the way there i looked at Elder Kennington an said yo these people are following us so i did some evasive driving!!! sure enough they absolutley were taailing us. we pulled over they came up to us rolled down their windows, we obliged. then upon seeing us they rolled their windows back up. so not liking that i began following them!!! pretty funny cus im sure they were creeped out! we caught up to them and found out they were lost and needed to get to their friends house. we decided we would tell them to follow us and get them there.

upon arriving at the house they got out to say thanks. i noticed a bible in the drivers hand and asked " are you LDS", no they replied so i said whats that? he showed me the HOLY BIBLE.  i said well hey Were Missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day saints and being slightly prepared i pulled out a mormon.org card with our number on it. gave it to them and said please give us acall!! unfortunatley we didnt have a book of mormon on hand or else they would have walked away with one!!!

jus funny how i was absolutley prompted to continue to foollow them it honestly wasnt me being my cynical self i promise~!!!!  

we met with an older lady Norma she lost her husband about 6 years ago and is "angry with God for taking her Charles"

i have to say i definitely cried during the lesson shed a couple tears shes jus so sorrowful! and misses her husband you cant help but feel her sadness!

Life wont get any easier but relying on the lord will bless your live beyond what you could dream of!!

speaking of dreams though since entering the MTC every night i have horrible nightmares and weird things happen i couldnt even describe its like Lucifer can only get me in my dreams he can only tempt me there cus he knows how steadfast and focused i am. its tough to wake uo and not be able to calm down  so i sometimes take extra long showers just to get my thoughts in order!

Love you Elder Binns

PICS

First Day In Boise Idaho  Mission

                                           

                                                            PICS FROM THE MTC

 

yo!

ive continued my successs with learning and thriving here but its nothing compared to what ill face in 5 days or so !

ill share a quick stroy with you! 

Soo back in Wyoming as the pioneers were in their last leg and literally on their last legs trying to reach zion they came to a river wich had jus started melting and the ice was broken up so the frigid waters were exposed. with absolutley no way to get over the river the men and women even children fell to the cold icy ground crying, weeping, in such deep sorrow knowing that if they crossed they would surely die. to their suprise Three 18 year old Boys part of a rescue party had come early! They three boys carried every single mother, child, father through the frigid water, in which hypothermia would defienitly take hold. upon getting everyone across safely you could imagine the state of the young men! shortly thereafter all they boys had passed away due to their immense act of service but really it was their FAITH.

they had the faith in their Father in heaven that was soo immense and unfathomable i can honestky say i dont know if i would be able to excercise it the way they did. all of they people they carried made it to Zion safely. if it wasnt for their faith and them laying down their lives for they people all the lives would have been lost! 

what faith i hope to possess!

how great were they missionaries!

i love this story because after my experience with that missionary who left i couldnt have felt more steadfast and selfess, and unselfishly committed to staying here and finishing the work God called me to do!

i can only hope to posess that amount ofim doing fine and just not thinking about myself.. thats the essence of missionary work!

i hope i shared with you the story about jesus fasting and being unselfish if i diidnt lemme know an ill write yeh! 

but thats what im doing jus being unselfish! love you loads faith that they boys had and even our Saviour had in us that we would one day realize his sacrifice!

Love ya loads!