Miracles and Gratitude



We have been seeing wildlife like crazy



Elder Nottingham after our late night adventures.

Dear Family,

This has been the best week of my mission! We have been blessed so much and I have been taught by the Lord and His servants.

To begin, thank you for your prayers. I felt them as I never have before this week. I also apologize if I seemed "preachy" last week in my email. I really try not to be but I just get excited about the Gospel every week as I write you and remember how merciful the Lord has been in my life.

So Tuesday morning as we were beginning the leadership meeting, President Ashton pulled us out and told us that there was a missionary with a serious health problem that would be going home. His companion joined Elder Woodland and I for a few days but the nature of the sick elder's problem made it so that someone had to stay awake with him. Elders Nottingham, Woodland and I received the joyous assignment of doing that. The first night was alright, but the second night was rough. The saving grace was that since we all had to stay up till 5:00 AM, we decided to do a companionship study and figure out what the mission needed to baptized 1,000 people this year. It was a sacred time. We learned so much. We studied the will of the Father and learned that we have been asking the wrong questions. So often we as missionaries ask to know God's will but we already know what it is because He tells us in John 6:39

 39 And this is the ^aFather’s ^bwill which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose ^cnothing, but should ^draise it up again at the last day. 

So then we read Psalms 143:10 which says "Teach me to do thy will" and realized that since we already know that it is God's will that every single one of His children is baptized so that they can be saved, we now just need to know how to do His will. 

So on Friday we went to bed at 5:00 AM and when we finally woke up we went to the mission home to begin working on transfers. That is when the Lord began teaching me even more. It was amazing to participate in the process of receiving revelation. President Ashton had me stand at the board and put two missionaries together and then he would immediately say "I don't feel good about that" or "that feels good". As he did that I thought that each time he was receiving strong spiritual witnesses of what needed to happen but as we kept on talking about transfers for another two hours, we had the opportunity to pray and ask if certain companionships were correct. It was during and after these prayers that I realized just how quietly the Holy Ghost speaks to us. I remember during one prayer, Elder Nottingham asked "Is it Thy will that Elder so and so and Elder so and so are together" that immediately felt good. It was so calm, so small and seemingly insignificant that I nearly missed it, but as the experienced repeated, I realized that it truly was the Holy Ghost bearing witness of the truth.

So all of these experiences culminated on Saturday morning. Elder Woodland and I had a wonderful companionship study (by the way, he is the best. We are always talking about how amazing it is to be so unified. In our lessons, we can finish each other's sentences and testify of what the other is about to teach. In almost every lesson one of us thinks of a scripture and begins to look only to have the other begin reading the same verse. It is fun) and decided that we needed to kneel down with pray. We had about ten minutes of study time left. We said a very specific prayer and asked Heavenly Father to teach us how to baptize the Columbus family. We had a lunch appointment with them two hours later and wanted them so badly to accept a baptismal date.

After the prayer, I felt the softest impression (that I would not have given any heed had I not had the experience at the mission home with transfers) to change something that I needed to change. I wrote it down and said another prayer and promised the Lord that I would do what He had asked of me and again pleaded to touch the Columbus' hearts. We went to the lesson and the miracles began. Eduardo's (Hermano Columbus) mother, who is Catholic and used to hate us coming over and would try to Bible bash with us, testified to him that he needed to be baptized. The Spirit came while she spoke. Eduardo then told us that we had asked him so many times but that he was finally ready. His wife then piped up and asked when the next baptismal service is. They will be baptized and confirmed (at the baptismal service) on Sunday, May 19th. Elder Woodland and I nearly started crying. We did cry once we got into the car and offered a prayer of gratitude. We drove in silence for a time and then spoke of how little we felt and the grandeur of God. We really didn't do anything. We didn't change Eduardo's heart, the Lord did. We didn't change his mother's heart or prompt her to testify to her son to be baptized in a religion other than her own and one that she used to despise, the Lord did.

He is a God of wonders and miracles. This Gospel is true. The Colons will be the first full family that I have baptized on my mission. What a miracle. That Sunday is also Elder Woodlands last Sunday in the field. What a tender mercy for him.

I love you all, I have so much more to say and miracles to share, but time will not permit. The Lord is kind. I know that with all my heart. We also should be baptizing two sisters on June 8th. We hope to baptize the full family though. Please pray for them. They are the Valenzuela family. Please pray that we will know how to baptize them on June 8th.

I love you all so much. We have Zone Conferences starting tomorrow and going through Friday. It will be fun to see all the missionaries and help train them.

Elder Case

The Second Great Flood

Dear Family,

Hope y'all are doing well. Hopefully you enjoyed having Dad up there in Utah. Sounds like everyone is happy and healthy. What a great blessing that is.

We have had a terrific week. Elder Woodland and I saw many miracles and the Lord is continuing to bless and prosper us. On Saturday night we were heading to the church to do visits with the ward and stake since Ward Conference was on Sunday and all the roads were flooding from the downpour we received. We arrived only to find out that it had been cancelled. So we met up with Elder Nottingham and spent 5 hours driving around Houston in our truck rescuing stranded missionaries. Only two mission cars were damages but a number of them were abandoned on "high ground" and then we would pick the missionaries up and drive them home. It was wild. We saw so many cars halfway under water with completely dead engines. There were a few places were the water was 3-4 feet deep. Luckily all the missionaries were safe. It was unreal how hard it was raining. I don't think I have ever experienced anything like it.

Anyways, it got me thinking about Noah's flood. He was under the prophetic commission to call all people unto repentance and so am I. There is an MTC talk where Elder Holland says that we will never be more apostolic than on our missions. It is humbling to know that as a missionary I carry that same charge and burden of declaring the Gospel of repentance to all creatures. President Ashton said that in the Mission President's Seminar in Phoenix, Elder Nelson got up at the end and said that as an apostle, he was to call all people unto repentance. He then explained that it was awkward for him to call a group of mission president's to repentance but that we would do it anyway. I thought that was pretty impressive.

As I think about repentance, I think of what I learned this week from President Ashton about charity and the Atonement. We had a study with him on Wednesday that has changed my perspective and I know already it will be a turning point in my mission and my life. He taught us that when the Savior suffered in Gethsemane He did so one by one and that He literally took upon Himself each and every one of our individual trials, hardships, weaknesses, disappointments, heartaches, sicknesses, sorrows, and afflictions of every kind. We know from Alma 7 that He did this so that He would know how to succor us or rather, how to rush to our aid. What President Ashton then taught me is that when we help others receive the Gospel and find joy in this life, when we ease someone's suffering, when we lift up the hands that hang down, we lighten the Savior's burden. He said that yes charity is the pure love of Christ towards other of God's children but even more so it is the pure love of Christ for Christ. He said that if we have a hard time loving those around us enough to help, we can at least love the Savior enough to ease the burden that He has already taken upon Him.

Now as I am talking with someone, I think of them not having the joy of the Gospel and I think of the suffering of the Savior of the world in the Garden and I can see them in a new light. I can love them as I love Him. In D&C 18 we read:

 10 Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God;

 11 For, behold, the Lord your Redeemer suffered death in the flesh; wherefore he suffered the pain of all men, that all men might repent and come unto him.

 12 And he hath arisen again from the dead, that he might bring all men unto him, on conditions of repentance.

 13 And how great is his joy in the soul that repenteth!

 14 Wherefore, you are called to cry repentance unto this people.

 15 And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!

 16 And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!

We also had an hour and a half long companionship study with President Ashton this morning in preparation for the Mission Leadership Council tomorrow. He is incredible. It is such a blessing to be able to council together with him and learn about how the Holy Ghost works.

Another really good scripture that Elder Woodland shared with me this week is Mormon 9:13

 14 And then cometh the judgment of the Holy One upon them; and then cometh the time that he that is filthy shall be filthy still; and he that is righteous shall be righteous still; he that is happy shall be happy still; and he that is unhappy shall be unhappy still.

Elder Woodland read this to me and then said, this is why it is so important that everyone is baptized and receives the Gospel as soon as possible. All of us have to start learning how to be eternally happy in this life so that it will carry on with us into the next life. This helped me to better understand that "man is that he might have joy".

Thank you for praying for the Columbuses. They will be baptized. We still don't know when. We began teaching 4 new families this week. It has been such a blessing. One of the families, we found as after we knocked on the door of a less-active. We were walking back to the truck and the neighbor was watering her lawn. We began talking with her and she recognized us as missionaries and said that her husband was very sick and that her neighbor (the less-active member) had told her that the bishop could come by and say a prayer for him sometime. We suggested that we could say a prayer for him and give him a blessing. She loved the idea and after the sacred experience of ministering to this man, they told us that we were welcome back into their home anytime. They are from Costa Rico but have lived in the states for 40 years.

I have been trying to keep better track of of the Lord's hand in my life. I came across a wonderful quote today that shares what I continue feel:

“Our heavenly Father is more liberal in His views, and boundless in His mercies and blessings, than we are ready to believe or receive. … God does not look on sin with [the least degree of] allowance, but … the nearer we get to our heavenly Father, the more we are disposed to look with compassion on perishing souls; we feel that we want to take them upon our shoulders, and cast their sins behind our backs.”  - Joseph Smith Jr.

I love you all and know this Gospel is true.

Elder Case

P.S. I forgot to tell you that yesterday in our meal appointment, the member brought half of a pepper over. It looked kind of like banana pepper, so I was about to take a big bite when my blessed companion stopped me and told me it was a habanero pepper. I then took a small bite and nearly died. It was the hottest thing I have ever eaten. It made my tongue and upper lip numb for 45 minutes. The member thought it was hilarious to see a gringo sweat from eating the pepper!

Ministering and Faith

Dear Family,

These are my companions. The one on the right is Elder Woodland (my companion) and the one on the left is Elder Nottingham. They are both the best. We have a lot of fun together and they have taught me so much!

This has been a wonderful week. Elder Woodland and I saw some miracles as we tried to exercise greater faith. Something that I have found very interesting is that I asked y'all to pray that I would be able to learn everything that I needed to quickly. In response to that, almost all of the responsibilities that I needed to learn have been taken away and given to other office missionaries. Now I just have to focus on becoming a great missionary that can baptize. Please pray for the Columbus family. They are so close. We had dinner with the Columbus' at the Vega's house on Wednesday. Hermano Vega is a convert and before his baptism he was an alcoholic and drug addict. He bore his testimony of the Gospel and how it can change our hearts. The Suarez family was also there for dinner. Hermano Suarez is blind and has a powerful story. After dinner, he asked the Colons why they weren't baptized yet. Hermano Columbus (Kimberly) answered and said, "I am ready to be baptized right now. I just want to be baptized as a family, so I am waiting on my husband". Then Eduardo (Hermano Columbus) said, he wasn't sure and that he just need a little bit more time. Please pray that his heart will be softened and that he will be able to take the step in faith to be baptized. We are hoping they will be baptized this weekend. But haven't talked to them about that yet.

Another miracle that happened this week came from obedience to the commandment to talk with everyone. In D&C 33:9 it says to open your mouths and spare not and then we will be laden with sheaves upon our backs. President Ashton has been emphasizing this a lot recently. In the scriptures when it refers to sheaves it means baptisms (or the people and families that you help bring into the Gospel). So the commandment is to talk with every single person and to declare repentance to them. According to Preach My Gospel, the way that we declare repentance is by inviting others to make and keep commitments. So as we talk with every single person we see regardless of the language they speak or whether they live within our area boundaries, people will be baptized. President Ashton has taught us that most of the people we talk to on the streets will not be interested and even that none of them will probably ever be baptized, but if we obey the commandment the Lord is then able and bound to bless us. So Elder Woodland and I have been talking with absolutely everyone and on Saturday some missionaries in another area called and said that there was a less-active family that lived in our area that wanted to come back to church and that they had gone to their ward the past two Sundays and they had a 9 year-old that wasn't baptized yet but that had told the missionaries she wanted to be baptized. 

How miraculous is God? I have come to be a firm believer in Moroni 9:

 15 And now, O all ye that have imagined up unto yourselves a god who can do ^ano miracles, I would ask of you, have all these things passed, of which I have spoken? Has the end come yet? Behold I say unto you, Nay; and God has not ceased to be a God of miracles.

 16 Behold, are not the things that God hath wrought marvelous in our eyes? Yea, and who can comprehend the marvelous ^aworks of God?

 19 And if there were ^amiracles wrought then, why has God ceased to be a God of miracles and yet be an unchangeable Being? And behold, I say unto you he ^bchangeth not; if so he would cease to be God; and he ceaseth not to be God, and is a God of miracles.

 20 And the reason why he ceaseth to do ^amiracles among the children of men is because that they dwindle in unbelief, and depart from the right way, and know not the God in whom they should ^btrust.

 21 Behold, I say unto you that whoso believeth in Christ, doubting nothing, ^awhatsoever he shall ask the Father in the name of Christ it shall be granted him; and this ^bpromise is unto all, even unto the ends of the earth.

I know that miracles exist! I see them each and every day. All we have to do is look with spiritual eyes and we will truly find that the arm of the Lord is stretched out still.

Some other notes. President Ashton sat down and talked with us about what he learned at the Mission President's Seminar. He said that one of the main reasons for the age change of missionaries came because the church found that they were losing more Young Men than they were ordaining Melchizedek Priesthood holders. Last night the Spanish stake had a stake priesthood meeting and 5 young men that have recently opened there mission calls spoke and bore testimony. It was powerful. I was flooded with memories and feelings of opening my call and the spiritual witness I received that the Lord needed me here in Texas.

We were on exchanges Saturday and I went to the poorest part of the mission. It was very different out there. The missionary that I was with has only been out for 2 months is waiting for his visa to go to Argentina. We had a two hour study on faith and testimony. I realized that he was struggling in his testimony and as we talked I learned that he didn't think he could ask for another spiritual confirmation of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon after already receiving one. I went through the doctrine with him and taught him about the mercy and grace of God. We read in Preach My Gospel where it tells us missionaries to continually put Moroni's promise to the test and receive a renewal of our witness of the Book of Mormon. By the end of the study, he had changed. It was neat to see the hope that had come into his eyes and the power that was in his testimony throughout the rest of the day.

I know that this work is true. I continue to ask and receive spiritual confirmations time after time. It is my testimony that God is merciful. He is aware of us and our needs. He requires us to have faith but knows that the natural man is full of doubt and fear. He will always answer our sincere prayer to know of spiritual truths. And He will answer them through the Holy Ghost. "And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things".

This work is true. Thank you for your prayers. I love you all and pray for you often.

Elder Case

General Conference

Dear Family,

I realized as I was looking through my photos that I never told you about the April Fool's Day pranks that were pulled on us. When we went to do laundry the Spanish elders snuck into our apartment and turned all the chairs upside down. They switched our mattresses, put 2 bikes in the closet and one bike in the shower. They put bullion in the shower head and tried to make jello in the toilet and they seran wrapped the toilet seat. They put our nametags in jello and pulled all other sorts of pranks. Our favorite member in Clear Lake 1 found out that it was my birthday so he fed us and threw a birthday party for me. He gave us blueberry lemonade (which was super good) that had methalyne blue in it so we were all peeing blue the following morning. It was a fun time.

The pictures of the missionaries in the van was on the way back from the airport with the new missionaries. They had to wake up at 2:00 AM to leave the MTC and were just exhausted. Right after I took this picture, the transmission on the van went out and we had a fiasco. It was fun. That has all been taken care of now though. The other picture is my old district at Denny's for a district breakfast before I was transferred. 

This week has been a fun one. President Ashton has been in Arizona for a mission president's seminar. Elder Nelson was in charge of it. President Ashton texted us and told us that we now need to be baptizing every week rather than every month. We are expected to set the example for the mission in baptizing, please pray that we can do so.

The Columbo family came to church again. I taught Gospel Principles on faith and challenged each person their to take the next step of faith whatever it is. I looked at them and said that if you haven't been baptized then you need to show God that you are willing to be obedient to Him no matter what the command. They felt the Holy Ghost and I am looking forward to their baptism in the near future (we still don't have a set date).

I already know a whole bunch of the ward so I feel at home. I love Elders Woodland and Nottingham so much. They are a blast to be around and have taught me so much. I really look up to them and feel humbled to serve around such mighty missionaries. 

As I watched conference last weekend, I wanted to cry for joy. I don't think anything could have made me happier than listening to the brethren stand up and say that we all need to do better missionary work. The Lord truly is hastening His work and this work is true. There is nothing greater than the salvation of souls. Something that I have learned from President Ashton is that we need to be willing to literally give our all to help others come unto Christ. He is such an incredible example of that. 

I love you all and am so grateful for your prayers. Please continue to pray for the Columbo Family. 

Love,

Elder Case

P.S. I will send companionship photos and a picture of our truck next week.

Transfers - New Assistant

Dear Family,

Well this sure has been a crazy time. Last Thursday was the departing missionaries temple trip so we were up early. President Ashton called me at about 5:30 and said that he needed me to come in to the office for a little bit that day. Elder Woolstenhulme had another doctor's appointment and he received clearance to go to Brazil (thank you for your prayers). After that we went to the office and President sat me down and said, "The Lord wants you to be the new assistant". So Monday morning I dropped both my companions off at the office and joined the other two assistants. For this transfer there will be three of us. I am companions with Elder Woodland and we cover a Spanish area! I am very excited to be back Spanish. Our area borders Houston 8 which was my first area and I already know the area and many of the people. Elder Woolstenhulme flew to Brazil on Monday and then Monday night we were going crazy with transfers. On Tuesday I brought Elder Hillier to the airport along with all the other leaving missionaries and then we picked up the new ones. That was really fun. Wednesday morning, Elder Woodland and Elder Nottingham (the other two assistants) needed to finish up the slideshow for transfers, so they just put me in charge of conducting all the new missionary meetings. That was fun. I have no idea what is going on most of the time but I am excited to serve with these two. They are both incredible missionaries.

Our transfer meeting was insane. We created two new zones, had 23 incoming missionaries, and everyone in the mission except for about 15 missionaries were being transferred. This upcoming transfer we have 30 missionaries already plus however many visa waiters we end up receiving. This is Elder Woodland's last transfer. So he is my companion in the area and then Elder Nottingham covers the same area but in english. He has two companions. One is the District leader and the other is being trained while he waits for his visa to go to Brazil. So the five of us live in a 2 bed and 2 bath apartment. Elders Nottingham and Woodland and I all share a bedroom and bathroom and the other two have their own. It is quite the experience. 

President Ashton told me in my interview that he has known that I would be his assistant ever since I went to have dinner at his house. He also said that I should plan on staying here for a very very long time. He told me that he needs me to figure out what the mission needs to change so that we can baptize 1,000 people this year. We are working on it. I think the key will be to go on lots of exchanges and train the leaders. Please pray that I will be able to learn all that I need to quickly.

We taught the Colon family last night. They are my favorite family in the mission. I was teaching them in Houston 8 and then we passed them off to Houston 4 so now I get them again. Last night I asked how they felt about baptism and he said he is really close to being baptized but that he just needs a couple more seconds. Please pray for them!

I love you all. Sorry I didn't have a chance to write. It has been a little hectic. We should be able to write on Monday though. Oh and we drive a 2013 Tacoma. Life is good.

Love,

Elder Case

Baptism, a Symbol of the Resurrection

Dear Family,

This was a wonderful weekend full of baptisms and the Savior. Tommy and Tad were both baptized and confirmed on Saturday and Sunday respectively. Both of the services were perfect for both Tommy and Tad. I can't think of a better way to spend Easter weekend.

In Sacrament meeting, a man gave a talk about how Christ broke the bands of both death and sin. I really liked his talked and continued a study of the topic. I particularly enjoy these two scriptures:

Alma 7:11-12

11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and ^aafflictions and^btemptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will ^ctake upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

 12 And he will take upon him ^adeath, that he may ^bloose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to ^csuccorhis people according to their infirmities.

2 Nephi 26:22

 22 And there are also secret ^acombinations, even as in times of old, according to the combinations of the ^bdevil, for he is the founder of all these things; yea, the founder of murder, and ^cworksof darkness; yea, and he leadeth them by the neck with a flaxen cord, until he bindeth them with his strong cords forever.

What a wonderful knowledge we have that not only are we saved from physical death but that we can be saved from spiritual death if we but repent and come unto Him who is the "author and finisher of our faith". Easter was good to be able to reflect on the Savior and all he did for me. I know He lives and that He loves us!

Thank you for your prayers for Elder Woolstenhulme. He received clearance from the Marines the next day. But then we took him to the doctore because his knee is infected and they told him one more week. So now both of my companions will leave me next Monday. I don't know if I will be transferred or if I will stay here. It will be fun to find out. This is the first time I haven't know what was going to happen at transfers, so I am excited!

I love you all and am so grateful for your prayers and your love. Thank you for all the birthday wishes, emails, and the package (I did get it dad).

Love,

Elder Case

Visas and Views

Dear Family,

As you can see from the photos, we had an excellent P-Day last week at Kemah Boardwalk! We rode the rollercoaster so many times. And there was a skytower that allows an incredible view of the bay. 

On Saturday the Spanish elders had a baptism and Tommy came to it. He loved it and is looking forward to his own baptism this Saturday! Please pray that all will work out with him. Also this weekend, Tim (a 9 year-old from the Clear Lake 2 Ward) will be getting baptized as well. So we have two baptisms this weekend. Please also pray for Tim!

We had a stake Easter program on Sunday night. It was a choir concert and it was amazing. The Spirit was so strong. They did it perfect. Focused on the Savior and sang beautiful arrangements of the hymns.

We went to the temple this morning as a district. It was refreshing to be inside the House of the Lord again. I haven't been there for an endowment session since the MTC in August. I was grateful for the opportunity to be there again.

Elder Woolstenhulme received his visa! He is scheduled to leave on April 1 but he keeps saying that it is just a joke. He actually can't leave yet because he still doesn't have authorized clearance from the Marines to leave the country so please pray that that works out.

We are being blessed with the baptisms this weekend. After lots of hard work, we are finally seeing the blessings.

I love you all and am grateful for your prayers.

Elder Case