Week 20 Colly Creek

 

Olá Y'all!

This week was pretty great! One of the biggest reasons:its snowing! I haven't seen snow in years! I love it so much! And Kansas snow is much more powdery than Louisiana snow! I love it! 

This week they rearranged the congregations in Topeka! So some of the missionaries might be moving to a new congregation to help with the adjustment. We will find out sometime next week. 

Also they are now allowing us to go inside homes! So we can go into homes of people who are not high risk! I am happy, because as you heard, it is getting cold! 

I love this scripture I found this week in Colossians. It says "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom" I love the message in this scripture! When we read and take advantage of and let the scriptures take a larger role in our lives we will be blessed in every aspect of our lives. The Lord will guide you with his infinite knowledge. 

Besides that it was a pretty regular week! 

Now it is time for pictures! Yay! 

 

1. Me in the snow this morning! I loved it! 

 

2. My finger in the snow on the car! 

 

3. Another one of our delicious dinners! This was some beef alfredo with bowtie noodles. It tasted kind like stroganoff. 

 

 4. A surprisingly fun game of uno flip! It got pretty exciting in there. 

 

5. We played some bowling today as well. My high score is improving! Today it was 141! 

This is all for now! Feel free to email me if you would like! 

Com muito amor, 

Elder Sant 

Acreditar. Amar. Fazer. 

 

 

 

 

And from Nate:

Hello y'all!

This week has been a great week! I've been getting to know the members and people here and working with them brings me a lot of joy!

This week we taught a lot of members and got to help them out! Its starting to get colder we actually got some snow this morning! I havent had a winter in years and so I'm pretty excited for it honestly.

Not a lot more really happened just chugging along enjoying being with my cousin.

My spiritual thought this week comes from Elder Matthew S. Holland's talk, "The Exquisite Gift of the Son" and he says: "You must also resist the related lie that your sufferings somehow suggest you stand outside the circle of God’s chosen ones, who seem to glide from one blessed state to another."

Everyone suffers, and sometimes we dont see other people's suffering. But the fact is, that fact that we are suffering righteously means we are God's elect, not that we aren't, and Satan is trying to convince us that its false. So dont let him do that.

One last thing. We have facebook pages that are run by the missionaries and the purpose of those pages is that we make content so that it is easier for you to share the gospel with your friends! It's super easy to do that, you just like our page, like our posts, and then share them to yours! If you dont know where to start my zone's facebook page is Church of Jesus Christ in Topeka, if you want to look there, I would appreciate it. This may seem like something trivial but this is the way God wants us to spread the gospel and it is working! There are people being taught and baptized into the church from our efforts on facebook, and what does better is when the members help too! 

Awesome that's all from me, have a great week, and stay warm out there!

Tchau,

Elder Hathaway

Mission Email

Dear Parents,

I’m sure that your missionary will tell you that winter has arrived. We have snow and it is cold!

 

I’ve attached the new covid policies that we have received from our Area Presidency. There a few substantial changes:

1. Missionaries can now go into member and non-member homes to do service and teach lessons as long as they do not remove their masks, maintain social distancing, and sanitize when they leave.
2. Missionaries cannot eat in member or non-member homes, or at restaurants with them. This is because of the need to remove masks and the inability to maintain social distancing.

Thank you for reviewing these new phase guidelines with your missionary.

 

Last week you were invited to join us in our video Facebook blitz. Because of that blitz we had 39,000 people engage with our Wichita page!!

 

We invite you to join us this week as we are sending Elder Webb’s message on prayer. Please consider sending it to a specific friend or family member in addition to posting it on your Facebook profile.

 

https://www.facebook.com/100746881606222/videos/569083563723558

 

We have two Live Events this week.

1. Wednesday 7:00 pm CST – “Pumpkin live”
2. “Come and Cook” with Sister Tate on Thursday 7:00 pm CST

Thanks for sharing these events and for joining us.

 

We have had several parents reach out to us for information on their missionary being returned or sent to their originally assigned mission. We have no information from the Missionary Department about when that will occur, and we have been asked not to speculate on that.

 

A reminder about letters and cards for Christmas in Kansas. Address them to your missionary and send them to the mission office address with “Christmas in Kansas” written on the back of the envelope. You may also send emails that we will print.

 

Regarding the sending of Christmas packages – all packages should be sent directly to your missionary’s apartment address. Our last transfer of the year will take place on November 25.

 

We will start Zone Conferences this week with the Wichita and Derby Zones.

It’s always a great day when we can gather together and be strengthened by the words of the scriptures, teachings of modern prophets and apostles, and the influence of the Holy Ghost.

 

Thank you for your prayers.

Your missionary is the best!

Sister Ernst

Week 19 Colly Creek

Olá Y'all!

This week I have some crazy news! It was transfers as you may know, and my new companion is my cousin! Elder Hathaway! That is pretty awesome and a rare sight in the mission field. I am super excited to work with Him! 

We have had lots of lessons and services this week. Please keep praying for those we teach and help! 

This week I was reading in Ether 12:6. It says "I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith." This scripture teaches us about faith and how we must act in faith to receive a witness. I have seen in my own life how when I act in faith my testimony grows! Especially when I don't understand why I have to do it. I know that you will find similar experiences if you act and push your faith more than you have before! 

Now it is time for pictures! Yay! 

1. My cousin! Elder Hathaway and I at the park! 

 

2. The last goodbye! Elder Clarke was transferred to another area sadly! 

 

3. Some fall colors! It is getting kind of cold! And this is my first time in a long time seeing lots of trees change colors! It is so amazing! 

 

 

 

4-5. Another one of our great dinners! We had some bbq meatloaf, mashed potatoes and peas! 

I am out of time so this is all for now! Feel free to email me if you would like! 

Com muito amor, 

Elder Sant 

Acreditar. Amar. Fazer. 

 

 

 

And Nate's email (since they are companions):

Hello everyone! I'm in a new area, as most of you can tell from the title haha. I am now in Topeka! I'm so excited to work in the Colly Creek ward!

The biggest news I have is that my new companion is Elder Sant, who is my cousin!!!! I'm so excited to work with my cousin I had been hoping but I didn't know if it was actually gonna happen! I'm so excited and happy that we are going to work together on my mission! I literally dont have the words to express my excitement!

This area is awesome! I love it here already and judging by the way this week went its gonna be a fantastic transfer! I'm super pumped! We have some great people, great members, and an amazing district! I'm so happy I can serve the Lord here in Topeka!

My spiritual thought today comes from this past conference. Bishop Christopher W. Waddell said "The Lord does not expect us to do more than we can do, but He does expect us to do what we can do, when we can do it."

I love this quote! The Lord knows are limitations better than we do, and will not ask us to do more than we can! He will ask for, however, the very best we can do in the moment He needs us. I know that we can all give the best of ourselves to Him, knowing that God will make up the difference.

That's all from me! I hope y'all  have a fantastic week and see you next week!

Tchau,

Elder Hathaway

Mission Email

 

Dear Parents,

 

It was an inspiring week as the work moves forward. Two of our baptisms were spouses of converts. One of them was the wife of a recent convert. Her husband was able to baptize her. The other was the husband of a convert whose baptism has been a year in the making. He wept as he talked about how long he has waited for “this day”. He was baptized, received the gift of the Holy Ghost, and was ordained a Priest in the Aaronic Priesthood. He and his wife are already talking about when they will go to the temple to be sealed together.

Your missionary is guiding people to their first ordinance with God and their lives will never be the same.

 

We say goodbye to seven incredible missionaries who have made such an impact in the mission. Sister Caitlyn Curtis, Sister Jenae Golling, Elder Bradley Smith, Elder Jacob Dabling, Elder Karl Black, Elder Ethan Glade, and Elder Emmitt Hartley.

 

Elder Dabling and Elder Smith are the first reassigned missionaries that we are sending home. It has a joy to have them serve with us for these past four months.

 

We will welcome 22 new missionaries today! We look forward to working with them and watching them become and help others to become true disciples of Jesus Christ.

 

Thank you for your prayers for our four Elders who had Covid. They are feeling better and are about their missionary responsibilities. We have another companionship of Elders that has tested positive. Please let your prayers continue for them.

 

We want you to know what a blessing and privilege it is to serve with your missionary. They are working hard to find those who will let God prevail in their lives. It’s a very exciting time in the Kansas Wichita Mission. God is hastening His work here. Thank you for keeping the missionaries, the people they are seeking to find, those they have found, and those who have committed to baptism in your prayers.

 

Have a blessed week.

Sister Ernst

Week 18 - Colly Creek

 

Olá Y'all!

This week was pretty great! We did some more service with sent and we got to meet some amazing people! 

Elder Clarke and I were able to teach a lot of people this week! The Lords work continues to move forward! I am so grateful to be helping out in some way! 

As well this week was transfers! I will be staying Colly Creek for another 6 weeks, but I will be getting a new comp again! I am sad to see Elder Clarke go, but I am also excited to get to meet more new missionaries! 

This week I was studying in 1 Nephi 7 and I loved verse 12! It says "Yea, and how is it that ye have forgotten that the Lord is able to do all things according to his will, for the children of men, if it so be that they exercise faith in him? Wherefore, let us be faithful to him." Just as this scripture says, I know that the Lord will help and deliver every person who acts in faith! So invite you to consider how you can better act in faith this week! 

Now it is time for pictures! 

1-3. We went to a meal with some members way out in the country, and we saw some Llamas or Alpacas (I dont know which one they are) on a farm! Dont know why they have them but we were able to feed some grass to them!

4. Some Brazilian Pizza I saw this week, but did not get to try! 

That is all for this week! Feel free to email me if you would like! 

Com muito amor, 

Elder Sant 

Acreditar. Amar. Fazer.

Week 17 Colly Creek

 

Oi! 

This week was pretty good! We were able to do tons of service! There is a nonprofit here in Topeka called SENT, and they are trying to strengthen and equip a super big, and super impoverished, neighborhood. So we helped them by cleaning newly renovated homes and talking to people in the community. Someone who lived there walked up to us and just started quoting from Isaiah, Hebrews and John! It lasted for a couple minutes and then we had a really good conversation about sharing the gospel. He said he likes the book of Mormon and missionaries but He will never leave his church because he is the pastor. He was still awesome to talk to and definitely brightened my day. We also got to do some service for some of our friends, like picking up sticks and mowing lawns. It was surprisingly fun! 

We are still teaching a lot of people, and some of them are going through some pretty hard times, so please pray for them! 

We also had the opportunity to watch General Conference!  For anyone who doesnt know what it is, General Conference is a time when the Lord's apostles here on Earth today talk to us! It is always my favorite time of the year to hear from the Lords Prophets and Apostles! There were so many good things said that I believe can help anyone and everyone! So please read or listen to some of the messages delivered at this conference! 

This week I was studying in Helaman 3, and I loved verses 27-30, but I will share verse 27, which says "Thus we may see that the Lord is merciful unto all who will, in the sincerity of their hearts, call upon his holy name" I love that we simply need to call upon God and he will deliver us from our trials and sorrows! He will help all who simply call on His name because he loves each and every one of His children, which is all of us! 

Now it is time for pictures! 

 

1. A dual-district match up of ultimate frisbee and ultimate football! It's always super fun! 

2-3. Some of the service we did! We dropped some sticks off at the dump. This one was probably one of my favorite service projects done this week! 

4. And in the spirit of conference I made my favorite food-SBS Burritos! It was sooo good, but it took some improvising with kitchen tools! 

That is all for this week! Feel free to email me if you would like! 

Com muito amor, 

Elder Sant 

Acreditar. Amar. Fazer. 

Mission email

 

Dear Parents,

 

We had a wonderful week and such a spiritual feast participating in General Conference.

As missionaries we heard every reference to the blessings of participating in the gathering of Israel. Thank you for praying for the people of Kansas who will allow God to prevail in their lives.

 

We have an apartment of four Elders who have tested positive for Covid. They followed all of our mission procedures and still came in contact with the virus. Please remember them in your prayers.

 

Would you remind your missionary to wear their masks, maintain social distance, wash and sanitize their hands often – especially after they have been shopping. We have also asked them to call our mission nurse if they have symptoms of the virus.

 

This is the week before transfers. If you were going to be sending a package to your missionary, make sure it gets to their apartment by next Monday at the latest, or wait until transfers are completed.

 

I want to share with you a few of the mission miracles that happened last week:

We had a companionship of Elders who invited someone to baptism last Thursday and he said “no”. They invited him to come and watch Conference which he did on Sunday afternoon. After Conference they went into a classroom to talk with him and they asked him what he thought. He told them “that he should be baptized”. They asked him to prepare for baptism on October 24^th. He told them “that will not work for me, I want to do it sooner”. So, he is preparing for baptism on October 17^th.

 

A couple of weeks ago, a companionship of Sisters drew a message on the sidewalk about coming closer to Christ. They added the comeuntochrist.org website and their phone number. The other day a gentleman called and asked them how he could get closer to Christ. They invited him to church, and he said that he would come.

 

We had some Elders post an ad on the Facebook classified page of their town. They had several negative comments and people were bashing the church. But there was one defender who stood up for them. The Elders reached out to her and she said that she would be interested in having them drop off a Book of Mormon, which they did. She told them that she would read it.

 

A set of Elders who were on an exchange were teaching a lesson on the Plan of Salvation. During the lesson they felt inspired to talk about baptism which they did. The man was so attentive to the lesson and the Spirit was powerful. They invited him to be baptized and he accepted for October 31^st.

 

We had a lady respond to one of our Facebook ads about prayer. Our Media Missionaries commented back and forth with her until she was ready to pass along to our Spanish speaking Sisters in Wichita. They taught her and put her on date for baptism and confirmation on October 17^th.

 

The work moves forward!  Thank you for your prayers for the 36 people we have on date for October.

Have a blessed week,

Sister Ernst