The Utah Provo Mission

Hey Amigos e Familia, 

There is really no way to explain how a mission flies by so fast. All I know is that the busier you are, more you realize that fact, and this week I felt like I didn't have a moment to stop and breathe, but that's how a mission should be right??

We had a Zone Conference this last week and we heard a lot of cool insight from our Mission President. One thing he stressed is making sure other people know "why". Why we want to teach them. Why they should be baptized, why the gospel is so important. It reminded me that as full-time missionaries and member missionaries, when we invite people to church, mutual, to be baptized, etc. We should always tell them "why". If our friends know that we want them to enjoy the same blessings and happiness as us and if they know that how much you have been blessed, the wouldn't take your invitations so lightly. If that makes sense. 

In this e-mail I included some cool sunset pictures that I was able to witness here in Spanish Fork. I like to think that God paints the skies each night and showcases them where everyone can see them. So in other words, sunsets remind me of him, so I take lots of pictures of them. 

I'll share more experiences next week. I don't even have time to start this week haha.

Take care, have an awesome week! I love you guys! 

-Elder Sellers

Spanish Fark..

Hello everyone, 

We just finished up week 2 here, and I can't believe how fast it went and how busy we were. There is a lot to be done in this area and there's already a lot going on. I have yet to have a single baptism in any of my areas, because by the time someone we taught was close to their baptismal date, I got moved to a new area, but if all goes well, we should have 4 baptisms in the next 3 weeks. 3 of which are scheduled on the30th of Nov. now. Apparently it's a great day to get baptized haha. One of those people on date for the 30th has been investigating the church for 10+ years, has been taught by dozens of sets of missionaries, but has never been able to quit smoking and now for some purpose that I don't know. God has delegated my companion and I to be here at the time when she can finally enter into the waters of baptism and start a new chapter in her life. Pretty cool stuff. 

One thing really interesting about serving in Utah is that people all over the country, all over the world, come here on a whim or just for some kind of change in their life and they find the church. When I was in Mapleton, during my last week there, we taught a guy named Jason who knew absolutely nothing about the church except the stereotype that we have a lot of wives. When he came to stay with friends in Mapleton (98% LDS) he knew that this is why he came. He knew that the church is what he was looking for when he came out here. We had one lesson with him and then we put him on date to be batized. God prepares people. In his own way he brought Jason to Utah and in his own way, he will change his life forever. 

I love being a missionary, I love this gospel. I love the happiness it brings to everyone who chooses to follow Jesus Christ. 

I challenge each of you to reach out to your friends and family that have been prepared and are ready to have the happiness of the gospel in their lives as well. 

I love you all! Take care! Happy Veterans Day! Pray for the Phillipines!

-Elder Sellers

Winter Wonderland

 Familia e amigos,

These week I made the transition to my new area and I am loving it. There's so much potential here and we're going to build this area up, but more importantly, we're going to help people on their personal journey to coming closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. That's what it's all about. 

Last night Elder Bilodeau and I went to teach a guy named Jose (he speaks great english haha). We taught him the Gospel of Jesus Christ and at the end committed him to be baptized. Apparently he had been asked before and his answer was the same this time. He said he didn't feel ready. Afterward we were able to find out what is holding him back and testify to him that he really is ready and that he has been prepared for years to accept this invitation. I told him that he might not feel ready and that's because it takes faith to make a commitment like baptism. The spirit testified to him as well and I asked him if he would be baptized and he said "I will". Those are the best words to hear in a lesson!! Anyways, he still isn't sure when, but he's going to pray with his wife (who is a member) about the 30th of November. I just read today in Hermana Rawlings e-mail that she has a baptism set for the same day. Pretty cool! :D

We have a lot of investigators in this area that are close to baptism, some of which just need that invitation and testimony like Jose. 

This week, I met my English counterpart. He was a VISA waiter in England and this is his first transfer here. His accent is thick haha. I'm working on making mine better around him. People have confused us a bunch already because we look really similar. His hair is brown though, and he's a little shorter. I'll show you a pic in this e-mail. Elder Malster, cool guy.

Elder Bilodeau and I can relate on so many levels, partly because he's from Modesto, and partly because we just have the same attitude about the work. Now that  I'm done with "training", I feel like I'm pulling a lot more weight in this area which I really like because it gives me confidence that I can be a good Missionary in a sense that I know what I'm doing. 

Anyways, new things are happening every day here. It's so exciting to be a part of this work. I'll post pictures of the snow and anything else I can find. Até logo todo o mundo! Tenha uma grande semana!

-Elder Sellers