Area: Dallas Texas (Richardson)
Companion: Elder Jordan Jones from Kanab UT
Hello Everyone,
Each week I feel I write the same words to start off my letters, but this
week has been absolutely crazy. There have been so many bizarre, but exciting,
things that have gone on.
I am so grateful to have been able to watch General Conference. There are
few words to describe the feelings I had during those two sacred days.
Conference weekends on my mission will always be great memories for me. I am sad
to say this last conference was my last. Several talks impressed me, but in
particular, I loved Elder Hallstrum's. He spoke of the "exquisitely
interconnected" gospel and church of Jesus Christ. The distinction he made was
so clear and left me thinking about what I could do to help others overcome
challenges they have faced in life, Some members have been converted to the
gospel but do not attend church for whatever reason, and others simply go
through the motions as they attend church, but have not yet become converted to
the gospel. It helped me feel more of a sense of urgency to help people
understand for themselves the importance of why we must be converted to the
gospel and attend church each Sunday. I look forward to reading over this talk
again and feel those same things and continue to receive revelation on what I
can do to help others.
My week was absolutely crazy, so I figured I would organize my thoughts a
bit different and go day by day and explain what I was able to do.
Monday
- A Dallas Police Officer, who is also a member of the church, has been worried about a few companionships that work in the more dangerous parts of Dallas. The Officer felt impressed to set an appointment to come into the office to speak with President Durrant and other office missionaries about the placement of championships in the more dangerous parts of the city. It was fun to be able to hear an inside scoop on what happens crime wise in the city of Dallas, and figure out what we can do to help our missionaries be more safe. He expressed that the Dallas Police Department loves the LDS missionaries and always have their eyes on them to protect them from danger. He hears over the radio frequently officers explaining where they have sighted missionaries, and for officers in the area to keep an eye on them if something does happen to them, they will be quick to respond. We are blessed to have the protection of the Lord, but we also have the protection of the police.
- A new missionary was assigned to serve in a car area with his companion. The companion did not fill out the necessary paperwork, and does not have the authorization to drive church vehicles. The new missionary does not have a license, so we had a bit of a problem on our hands; neither missionary can drive their car. These issues always seem to come up after transfers, so I have the blessed job to solve these problems. The companion had a bike ready to ride, but the new missionary did not. Departing missionaries will sometimes donate their bikes to the mission, so we planned to take a donated bike to the new missionary so they could still travel to the areas they need to work. Another problem; the new missionary didn't know how to ride a bike. Missionaries are well known for wearing white shirts and ties, having a black name tag, and most famous of all, they ride bikes. For this new missionary, mission prep did not include learning how to ride a bike. We had quite a bit of fun trying to teach this new missionary how to ride a bike. With a few wobbly starts, and not so graceful stops, this new missionary was ready to hit the streets. With a "good luck" and hopeful prayer we took off for our next appointment. I am glad to report there have not been any major falls, or encounters with moving vehicles (only parked ones). This new missionary still remains in my prayers. Oh what joys there are in the mission.
- During FHE for the young single adult ward, we were able to set up a baptismal program for David. He is going to be baptized today at 2:00. He is a bit nervous, but prepared to make a sacred covenant with God, and take upon himself the name of Christ. It has been a fun process teaching and helping fellowship David into the church. This whole process began with his desires to meet single people in Dallas. He searched "singles" on google, and came across the church's young single adult website for the Dallas area. Over time, he has become converted, and is ready to follow the example of Jesus Christ.
Tuesday
- The month of April has been set aside for President Durrant to interview all of the missionaries. Elder Jones and I have been asked to attend the interview trainings and talk with the missionaries about key indicator goals they have set, and try to help them complete with themselves to increase their numbers. It has been a great experience to sit and talk with missionaries about these goals, and learn more about what they are doing to help the units they serve in become better.
- After interviews were completed for the Dallas East English zone, we headed off to Frisco for interviews with the Frisco Zone. As we were driving on an elevated tollway, I noticed a bunch of dark clouds that were headed our direction, and turned to Elder Jones and said there were probably going to be tornado's. After arriving to the church building in Frisco, we began with the interview trainings, and after about twenty minutes, we heard tornado sirens going off. I was so excited. I have always wanted to see a tornado, so I jumped up to walk to the foyer to see what was going on outside. Rain was coming down at a normal amount, but not long after that, hail began to beat on the ground. It slowly picked up to the point where we were forced to get back inside. We walked all through the building trying see the storm at different angles. All of a sudden, the wind picked up and the intensity of the rain falling grew. It was so exciting. The sirens were going on and off, so I thought my dream of seeing a tornado was about to become a reality, so we devised a plan. If a tornado touched the ground, we were all going to congregate in the baptismal font and hope and pray we would be safe. Luckily (or not lucky) there was not a tornado, but my phone rang with frightened missionaries on the other side explaining there were some tornado's that had touched down in South Dallas and East Dallas and wondered what to do. We of course told them to seek shelter and to not move until they knew the coast was clear. None of our missionaries were hurt, but in three areas of our mission, homes were destroyed, and people were left without food and shelter. On Wednesday a group of missionaries went to Lancaster, Texas to help with the clean up but were turned away because personal items were still being recovered. Friday, our missionaries were able to go back and help with the relief efforts given by the church. I spoke with one of the zone leaders last night that was able to participate in those efforts. They were able to fill out food orders for several families and offered help in any way they could. It was amazing to hear about the support the church provides in these times of crisis. I cant imagine what it is like when there are natural disasters worse than these.
Wednesday
- The Dallas East Spanish zone had their interviews, but the trainings were all in spanish, so Elder Jones and I did what we needed to do and then left. We had quite a few things to do during the day so we filled the rest of the day with that.
- In the evening, we had some time to stop by a few people we are trying to teach. We received a media referral for a family that had been taught in the past and were interested in meeting with missionaries. We had set up an appointment last week, but that didn't go through, so decided to stop by and make contact with them again. A twenty year old girl named Frezia opened the door and explained she was a new convert from Peru and was attending the Allen YSA while she was here in Dallas. Frezia's cousin Karen, was the person we were trying to visit, so after getting to know her a bit more, we were told to come back thirty minutes later because Karen would be home. We stopped by a few other people to fill the time, and came back to be warmly greeted by Karen. She was excited to sit down with us and get to know us a bit more. Karen's husband Manuel also sat down with us, and was open to have us come back to share more. Manuel is more comfortable with spanish speakers, so we will be passing them off the the spanish elders in the area, but I am so grateful to have been able to feel the spirit working through me to help this family. Frezia lives in the YSA boundaries that we cover and wants to come to a location closer, so we now have the opportunity to fellowship a recent convert into the ward. She will be leaving for Peru in a few weeks, but she will be back in a couple of months.
Thursday
- President Durrant called me after studies and asked if we were available to come a lecture he was invited to give at the University of Texas at Dallas. We had about 45 minutes get there, so we rushed to the office to grab a few copies of the Book of Mormon and Restoration pamphlets to give out at the end of his lecture. The college campus in the Richardson 2nd ward, so we were familiar with where the college is, but had not been on the campus. We found where we should park and then wandered around until we found where we needed to go. I hadn't walked on a college campus since Nacogdoches, so it was fun to see another student environment. We found the room the lecture was held at in the student union and got to meet a group of men from Turkey that host lectures given by various religious groups. Elder Jones and I didn't quite know what to do, so we talked with a few of the men there and found out who they were and a bit about their background. President Durrant gave a great lecture about the Restoration of the gospel and answered a few questions people had. A lot of questions came from what has been in the media about the church and also Mitt Romney as a presidential candidate. It was a great environment for people to be open with their questions and receive answers. One man commented about his lack of understanding on the LDS people but understood now that we are a Christ centered faith that do qualify as Christians. It was a great way to share the gospel, and I am so thankful to have had that kind of experience.
- My luck of not being in a car accident is over. I was working with a zone leader in an area that covers downtown Dallas. Dinner was scheduled for 5:30 with a family that lives on the 22nd floor of a high-rise apartment building. We were trying to find parking that didn't cost money but didn't have much luck. I was sitting in the passenger seat, and my companion for the day was driving. We also had a spanish companionship in the backseat that covers the same area and are fed by the same members. The missionary driving saw a parking lot that we could park in, so he changed lanes without looking and WHACK!!!!!!!!! He hit a car that was zooming on by and hit the front end of the passenger side of a woman's 2011 Honda Accord. Her car was pushed over onto the entrance of the parking lot, and we were able to roll behind her. Nobody was hurt, so the police were not going to come, so we began the process of exchanging information and then she went on her way to the airport to catch a flight. The 2010 Ford Fusion we were driving in was damages on the front end of the drivers side. The steering was messed up, so I called Elder Jones and had him come back from Richardson so we had a driveable car. We continued with our plans, and walked up to the members home, and there met Elder Jones. I took the keys of the Fusion and gave the keys to our van to the missionary who normally drove in that area so they could make it to the appointments they had planned that evening. Elder Jones and I walked down to the poor Fusion and got in to slowly drive the car to the elders apartment. We couldn't go more than 12 miles an hour, or else the front left tire would squeal, so we tried to take as many side roads as possible. We drove through an area that was not so nice, and recognized street names the Dallas Police Office we spoke to on Monday and recommended missionaries to stay away from. It was quite the adventure. Everyone was staring at our poor squealing car, and laughed. We sucked up our pride and laughed with them and waved and smiled back. It was good fun. After getting past the not so nice part of town, we got to their apartment about 50 minutes later (normally takes 10-15 minutes) and walked around the neighborhood they live in. That part of Dallas is known for large homes built in the early 1900's, so we marveled at the beauty of some of the homes. It was fun talking to the people walking on the streets and sharing the gospel. At about 9:00 we met up with all of the other missionaries and then after sharing some fun stories and taking pictures next to the damaged car, we took off to go home. What a day it was. Definitely one I will not forget.
Friday
- If you thought the craziness of Thursday with the accident was over, you were wrong. During studies Friday morning, we get a phone call from the missionaries we were with the previous day asking if he had left his backpack in our van. We checked, but did not find his backpack. He then told us he must have left his backpack next to the car when we were taking pictures and forgot to pick it up. Us checking our van was his last hope for the backpack to be found. Someone walking by the car during the night must have picked up the backpack and was enjoying the contents inside. They can't drive their car anymore, so their only mode of transportation is their bikes. A few months ago, their apartment was broken into, and one of the elders bikes was stolen. He was able to get another bike, so there was a bike for him to ride, luckily his companions bike had not been stolen, but he decided to put a few u-locks on the bike so if another break-in happened, the burglars wouldn't be able to take his bike. Well, this wise decision to be extra safe turned out to be a bad one because the keys the unlock u-locks were inside the backpack. Yet another set back in their lives. Elder Jones and I had to travel down to Dallas to get the accident report for the Fusion, so we brought along with us a few saws and drills to try to break the locks. The thick steel on the locks were only scratched by the saws, so we devised a plan to put the bike in our van and drive to the hardware store. There were a few blades we could have bought to cut through the steel, but it would have been a bit expensive, so we chose to go the the amigos at the local mechanic shop and ask if they could use their grinders to cut through the locks. Success!!!! We took the bike back to their apartment, said our goodbye's and carried on with the days activities.
- We met with Abraham to finalize his baptismal program and share a spiritual thought before today. It was great to feel the spirit of his decision to be baptized, and exciting to continue with the baptismal preparation.
Saturday
- I am writing a bit later tonight and have now experienced all of our days activities. We had two fantastic baptisms for David and Abraham. As David came up out of the water, he stood and paused. The Spirit came to him and confirmed what he had just done right. It was a powerful twenty or so seconds for him to feel emotions from the Spirit. I am so grateful to have taught David, and to see him make a sacred covenant and take the name of Jesus Christ upon him. We were able to spend some time with David and several of the YSA's that attended the baptism in a social gathering at David's home. He is such a happy person, and enjoys being with others. I can't wait to be a part of his confirmation and participate in the circle. Later this evening, Abraham was baptized. The spirit we have felt today has been pure joy. I am so thankful to have been able to teach Abraham as well. Both individuals have truly been converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ and will remain faithful and active in the church. During the changing period, Elder Jones and I were able to share the account of the first vision and bear testimony of the Restoration. It was a powerful thing to be a part of. My joy is full and I am so thankful to be a missionary. It is a sacred trust I have been given to represent Jesus Christ. I am thankful for the experiences I have been blessed with, and I look forward to the experiences I will continue to have.
- Immediately after the baptism, we met with an investigator named Max. He was able to attend the last half of the baptism. We had a great lesson with him and figured out what we can do to help him progress. He will be at church tomorrow, so we are exciting to continue working with him.
With Easter being tomorrow, I hope you all have a wonderful day full of
love toward the Savior and His Atonement. I am thankful to be a part of the
Restored church of Jesus Christ and have an understanding of where I can go to
receive a remission of my sins. I am grateful for a loving family that has been
a great example of living the gospel. The family keeps growing, and I look
forward to what the future will continue to bring. Thank you for your continued
love and prayers.
Elder Seager
