We're Having a Baby!

Dearest Family,

I am pleased to announce that Elder Hillier and I will be training together this coming transfer. I am not quite sure how it will work but we will be in a threesome and we are training a visa-waiter that is eventually headed to Brazil. We have Transfer Meeting on Wednesday and are excited to have another companion. Something really neat is that this will allow us to get into every single house even if there is no man there. President Ashton said that because of this he wants us teaching a significant amount more. I spoke with the Assistants the other day too and it seems like they might split our area and take one of our wards away from us. Right now we cover Clear Lake 1 and Clear Lake 2 and I think they will just put another companionship in for one of the wards. It will be fun to see how it ends up working out.

As you can see from my pictures, it has been a great week full of "fluffernutters" and the ocean. I had the opportunity to do four baptismal interviews this week and one of them was on Galveston Island. I am the only District Leader in the area that speaks Spanish, so we went out there and had to wait a few minutes and decided to go on a scenic drive. It was awesome. Sorry I didn't manage to take any jumping photos on the beach with the sunset in the background.

We had Ward Conference in one of our wards yesterday and the 2nd and 3rd hours was a presentation on technology and the media. It was all based on a couple of different talks by Elder Bednar and was very powerful. The Stake Presidency shared a number of stories in which a spouse became addicted to video games or social networking and eventually ruined the marriage. They spoke out against video games very strongly and said two quotes that really impacted me. The first was, "If something is immoral outside the computer world, it is also immoral inside the computer world". The other quote was, "We have to keep the commandments in cyberspace just like we do in real life". Some of the people there were a little uncomfortable and it made me glad to be a missionary. I looked over at Elder Hillier and asked if he thought that my one hour a week on the computer was excessive and he advised that I should probably cut back.

We had some really neat experiences this week. Saturday night we were planning and Elder Hillier suggested that we try by a certain couple in the ward the next day. So we stopped by Sunday afternoon and from the moment we walked in the sister was saying, "How did you know to stop by? Thank you for coming, I needed a visit just when you came, thank you for coming". I am grateful to know that the Lord is aware of each of us individually. I have come to know for myself that President Monson is correct when he says, "The Lord is in the details of our lives". This lady's husband is not a member, but active in our ward and his church. So now we have a good place to start with him.

We had lunch with a less-active family this Saturday and had planned to teach them about the Sacrament. In preparation for the lesson I read 3 Nephi 18 during my personal study that morning. There are four different instances in just a few verses where it says that after partaking of the Sacrament they were filled. The first time I read it I immediately began to wonder just how much bread it would require to fill 2,500 people. Then I realized what it meant and the Spirit began to teach me. I know I talk about the Sacrament almost every week in my emails (probably because we do so much less-active work) but I continue to learn and be amazed by the central role that it plays in our lives. Each week we have the opportunity to "be filled" with the Spirit of God. To "be filled" with a member of the Godhead. That is an eternal blessing. I have also come to realize that worthily partaking of the Sacrament is just as important as being baptized because if we get on the path by entering the gate of baptism but don't endure to the end, the whole entering into the gate part doesn't help us out all that much.

Another neat experience we had this week was when we knocked on a door of a less-active member. Our notes on the ward list said, "sometimes receptive, sometimes not". Her husband opened the door and told us that we didn't want to talk to his wife because she would chew us out. She then came to the door and gave us an earful about how she has been trying to take her name off the records of the church for a while and how she has written letters to the bishop and stake president and she doesn't want anything to do with the church and so on and so forth. After about five minutes, we finally we able to get a word in and we then spoke with her for over an hour, developed a great relationship with her, and softened her heart towards us. She still wants her name removed but she told us we could stop by whenever just as long as we don't bring the other church people and she asked if we would help her move in a couple months and she referred us to her neighbor. As we walked away, I was amazed at the change that had taken place within her. Just another testimony that this is the Lord's work and that His Spirit will accompany those who are commissioned to proclaim it. I am so grateful to be one of those at this time. To be set apart from the world and to be a representative of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no greater work and no greater joy.

I love you all and know that this Gospel is true. I continue to pray for you and am grateful for your prayers in my behalf.

Love,

Elder Case

P.S. They use the word "wholenuther" here all the time. I always want to ask people how to spell nuther. Also, I heard someone use the word "usedtocould" the other day. It made me laugh.

The Apostles Speak

Dear Family,

What great news with the twins! I am so happy for Mary and Craig! And what is even better is that mom gave me an accurate count of the nieces and nephews in her email so now I know how many there are. This is crazy, I haven't even been on my mission a year and there have already been 5 nieces and nephews born. That puts us on track for at least ten before I get home. Good luck to everyone with that.

We had Stake Conference on Sunday. It was one of those that are broadcast from Salt Lake. I think it was all of Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. We were able to watch Elder Scott and President Eyring. It was incredible. Elder Scott gave a talk on the sanctity of womanhood and of course told very touching and emotional stories about his wife. One of the stories that struck me powerfully goes as follows:

He had been on a business trip for two weeks and returned home on a Saturday afternoon. The washer had been broken nearly the whole time he was gone and his wife had thus been washing the clothes by hand. He only had 4 hours from the time he returned home before he needed to be at a church meeting. He decided to spend the time fixing the washer. His wife Janeen, gently told him that she would rather he played with the children during that time. He resisted but she won out in the end. He said he had a wonderful time playing with them and then went to his meeting. He said he would have forgotten this experience except that that night around two in the morning, he felt two little arms around his neck and a gentle kiss on his cheek. His four year-old son then whispered in his ear, "I love you dad. You are my best friend."

It made me think of all of you. Especially with all the new babies. What a wonderful opportunities is ours to be members of this church and to have the Gospel in our lives. I continue to be amazed by the blessings which are found specifically inside the family. With the events of Spencer Jorgensen's accident (which dad informed me about) it brings in an even greater light the importance of being sealed together as a family in the temple.

Another really interesting story that came from Stake Conference was from President Eyring. He said that he was travelling in Europe one time and was with whom he considered at the time a trusted friend not of our faith but one who knew of the standards that members of the church enjoy. He said that he was then shocked as his friend led him into a building where President Eyring saw terrible pornographic pictures plastered on every wall. He said that though he had only seen them for a moment. They were burned into his mind and that no matter how hard he prayed, the images would not go away. After a number of days, while continuing in near constant prayer to have these obscene images removed from his memory, he was preparing a Family Home Evening lesson on prayer that he was going to share with his family when he returned home. He said that during this preparation, the Holy Ghost spoke to him and said, "I have protected you from temptation these many years and you have not been grateful for it, so now I have taken away this protection for a time so that you will be able to appreciate what I have given you". He said that the images were then gone and have never returned. He spoke of the Lord's prayer that says, "And lead us not into temptation". It really made me think about two things. 1) Do I pray and plead with the Lord to "lead me not into temptation" (or as the JST states, "let us not be led into temptation")? 2) Do I express adequate gratitude for the answers to prayer that I receive and have received. 

Both of these thought have been on my mind. And have helped me to recognize the great dependence I have on the Lord and just how blessed I have been.

I love this work. We are seeing many miracles. We should have some more baptisms in March. I have the chance to do four baptismal interviews this week. I love having that opportunity because I feel like I have some small chance to participate in the conversion process of one of God's children.

Sister Ball, the one who was baptized on February 2 has a limited use recommend and is going to the temple with the youth on Friday. I am so excited! She keeps saying that she can't wait for her year to be up so that she can be sealed to her deceased husband.

I love you all. This Gospel is true. What a marvelous time to live. The final dispensation in which we will welcome the Savior. What a powerful reality.

Elder Case

P.S. NASA was the coolest!

On Eagle's Wings

Dearest Familia,

As always, thank you for your prayers. I know I always say that, but it is only because each week I have some experience that makes me grateful to know that so many of you are praying for me. I hope you feel of my prayers in return.

I know my pictures are lame, but I didn't take any this week so I decided to show you my apartment. The pictures next week will be good.

We listened to a talk this week entitled "On Eagle's Wings" by Elder Holland. It was a BYU Devotional address and it really impacted my. He is such a good speaker. We are also going to NASA today as our District Activity! Never thought I would go to NASA but I am so excited! I will tell you all about it next week and I will make sure to take pictures.

Elder Hillier and I are planning what we call a "How to Share the Gospel Fireside". The other night while I was praying, the thought came to my mind that the ward members really do want to have missionary experiences and are doing their best but just sometimes don't know how to begin or what the next step is to help share the gospel with their friends, family, and coworkers. I shared my thoughts with Elder Hillier and he told me that a few days before all the same ideas came to him while he was praying. We shared our plan with our ward missionaries and the Bishops and should be doing that sometime mid March. We are really excited for it.

We are teaching a 9 year-old boy with Autism right now. His parents are both members but he just wasn't baptized at 8. It is fun because the only that he will pay attention or understand is if we teach with object lessons. We have enjoyed thinking of creating ways to teach him. We covered the Plan of Salvation on Saturday by drawing with crayons and markers on pizza boxes. He loved it and now will be able to put it up in his room.

I have learned two eternal truths through teaching him. 1) The Gospel really can be understood by little children. Like Grandpa Updike always said, "The Gospel is beautifully simple and simply beautiful". 2) The Holy Ghost can teach little children profound doctrine. I remember teaching with the missionaries back home. We were teaching a 9 year-old (I can't remember his name anymore) and in the middle of the lesson (also the Plan of Salvation) he asked if it all meant that we could become like God. When we asked who told him that, he responded that no one did but that it just made sense. As we taught Tommy on Saturday, he taught us about the spirit world before we taught him. He said that it only makes sense. It made me think of Alma 32:23:

 23 And now, he imparteth his word by angels unto men, yea, ^anot only men but women also. Now this is not all; little ^bchildren do have words given unto them many times, which ^cconfound the wise and the learned.

I am grateful for the Gospel and the simplicity which it brings to my life. Brother Fattelah (spelling) always says that, "The Gospel gives us the clarity of reality". It is true. This work is true. I love being a missionary. I don't think I will ever be able to come home. I have a secret wish that another call letter will come from Salt Lake asking me to serve here for the rest of my life.

Love,

Elder Case

As White as Snow

Dear Family,

I hope you are all feeling well. It seems like the entire world is sick with the flu. I continue to pray for you and am so grateful for your prayers.

We had a wonderful week this week. The miracles and the hand of the Lord were frequent as we went about our work. Sister Nancy Buchanan was baptized on Saturday and confirmed yesterday in Sacrament meeting. It was a wonderful experience to participate in teaching her and understanding the incredible change which the Atonement has wrought in her life.

After she was baptized, she bore her testimony. It was pure and powerful. The Spirit was there and I was filled with hope to know that someone as new to the church as her could bear such a wonderful witness of the Atoning mission of the Savior and of the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the Prophet Joseph Smith. What a blessing.

We found a bunch of people to teach this week. Many were found in miraculous ways that were the result of following that still, small voice. Sadly, we have been visiting and beginning to teach many families where everyone but the father is a member. It is great to begin to teach them and help them feel the Spirit, but it is sad to see how many people are in this situation. I want to start a support group for LDS women who have non-members husbands and help them find ways to share the Gospel in their home.

A side note that I meant to include last week but forgot is mainly intended for dad. In my first lesson serving English, the one with the Confederate flags, there was a 25 year-old lady there wearing a shirt that said, "I hear voices, they don't like you." Talk about having a prayer in your heart!

We had a mission leadership training that consumed all of Wednesday. There were two people from the missionary department here one of which is in charge of all the international MTCs. He is about 30 years old. That has to be an interesting job. During lunch no one was sitting with them, so I took advantage and had a fun conversation with them. I learned how they filmed "The District" (the missionary training videos) and I learned about the troubles they are having with the new surge of missionaries coming into the field. Really interesting to talk with them and understand missionary work from the global perspective.

The training was pretty much that we are bad missionaries and need to change and do things like Preach My Gospel says and we did about 3 hours of role play. That was a joy. I actually really did learn from it though and have already seen the fruits of following the counsel received from Priesthood leaders.

Things are going well. I love this work. The Sacrament continues to take on more and more meaning in my life. As I listened to everyone bear their testimony and welcome Sister Buchanan and say that she is the cleanest and purest, I realized that we all have that opportunity each week. It made me wonder if I prepare for the Sacrament in the same way that I try to have my investigators prepare for baptism.

I love you,

Elder Case