Baptismalizing Gods Children

Such an amazing couple of days to see my friend Adrienne get baptized. This journey for Her has been very like a foggy Illinois day. It all started a little over a Month ago with a prayer to Heavenly Father for him to help her get her life pointed in the right direction. He had provided her with enough light to make a couple of steps into the cloudiness, like being invited to church by a random co-worker, meeting another friend/coworker who she graduated college at church and the then was invited to meet the missionaries with her . The light of Christ is Endless and never can be darkened, and that light grows brighter and brighter until that perfect day. As we met with her she put all of her heart into finding this all out for herself. She read the Book of Mormon, with out even being asked and constantly studying church materials. She would even do it at work! She asked us when she should be baptized and we turned it around an invited her to pray when she should be baptized. She texted us. Few days later telling us December 13th at 10am. The coolest thing is when someone receives revelation like that God is telling them that it will happen if they try and she did. She was Baptized that day at that time and I thank God for being able to meet Adrienne and help her in the foggy journeys we call life.

We had our Ward Christmas Party this Saturday as well and Elder Hon and I were the Pie Judges. Missions are REALLY Hard some times! Judging 20 Mormon pies. It's a tough job.

Thanksgiving Fiasco

"Thanks giving Fiasco" we were blessed with a thanks giving lunch with all of the goodies that came from thanks giving, we were also planned to have a thanks giving dinner as well BUT we ran into a problem. We came home after lunch to find that in the foyer in our apartment was flooding but not with water.... SEWAGE WATER.... It look like someone put there thanks giving dinner down the garbage disposable. Not knowing our landlords number re rushed and grabbed a wet-vac from a near by member so we could suck up the sewage. we ended up sucking 15 GALLONS! of sewage. We then got the Land lords number from a neighbor and got a maintenance worker to come out a few hours latter. He put popped the sewage drain to fine a grocery bag amount of solids and the poured down a serious drain cleaner that did little. he called up rotor rooter who did answer "holiday luck". our maintenance worker said to stay here and make sure it doesn't flood more until rotor rooter calls. Rotor rooter didn't come until 9:30 pm and then the next day we got are carpets clean and had 3 carpet blowers and a dehumidifier going for until Monday evening.

that was thanks giving for us.

 This week was a struggle to say the least. If it wasn't for the miracle that happened Sunday we may have not had any lessons for the week with investigators.

 The week Elder Scrogham Left we had 1 investigator baptized, 1 investigator on date transferred to another area, another investigator evicted with out a trace and so on. We were at a TRUE square one. Oh it was a trying week, I did not feel like I knew the area well enough or the members. through this trial though miracles will be brought to past Like this Sunday.

Sunday we had planned to Go see an investigator so said she would be home. 1 of the less actives we had planned to teach was sick and the other had company.  3 hours of are plans fell through in 30ish minutes. We Tried and talked to the neighbor of the investigator who got evicted to see where he was and this kid answered the door and said they hand no clue where he moved. We asked if Cory the neighbor who lived there knew were he was he said he probably wouldn't because he is in Jail for running from the police. We gave him a card and left. Right after we started to walk away I asked Elder Hahn why we didn't ask him if he would be interested in learning more. So we walked back and knocked and asked. He said he heard us teaching last time we were there teaching his neighbor and was interested because he believed in God but never new what to do next. We started to teach him and we got his contact info and were on our way. 

  We thought If we should go tract, which was the backup at that point and we weren't feeling that was right thing to do. We Checked for members that were in the area that we could visit. We found a name of a inactive and decided to go contact her. It was Dark and it was hard to find the apartment addresses but we pulled up to her apartment complex went to her door and knocked. This man came to the door and we asked if the member lived here. He said no we then asked how long had he lived there and he said 3 years. Kind of puzzled we then asked what address this was and it was NOT the address of the Inactive. So we did what any good missionary would do and asked if we could Share a quick holiday message, "HE IS THE GIFT". He let us in and we watched the video and afterward quickly referred to the Restoration. We asked if he would be interested in learning more and he agreed so were planning on going back his week. As we left his apartment building, we looked around the apartment complex and said if were going to be Tracting we might as well do it in doors. So we proceeded to invited people to watch he is the gift. The hours that we were there we ended up getting 4 PNIs and 3 new investigators. It was a true blessing and answer to our prayers. We pray that we may continue to remain worthy of the Blessing that Heavenly father has been giving us being Obediant and Working with all our heart, might, mind and strength.

we're still trying to find new investigators that are solid, we're teaching lessons to people, but not getting past the first lesson. We WILL BE HAVING A BAPTISM! The Gal that I sent you a picture of with me an elder Scrogham for this Saturday. She asked that if I would baptize her. I feel really honored and am trying to increase my spiritual sensitivity for the week to be prepared for it. we have been fed pretty well in this area. the only problem is that all the members who want to feed us live out in Egypt. No one who lives in Morton really feeds us.

Amazing investigators!

 Meet Al Hurt, AKA Brother Claus.  He lives next to a member that we do service for.  Santa gave us both a sword for Christmas.  Now I can really be a True Spiritual Ninja!

Adrienne Larson, She is one amazing investigator. She works with several members at the hospital that I went to. She had a sincere desire to gain a better relationship with God and get her self back on the straight and narrow. She is very smart too. She has been reading the Book of Mormon every day and sometimes does it during work. The Coolest thing is we invited her to know when she needed to be baptized and she said when she prayed about it she had a clear feeling that she needed to be baptized on December 13 at 10 am! How cool I love it when investigators pursue to know find the truth on the own and aren't compelled to find out. 

A Great Way to End a Transfer!

This was a Pretty Good way to end a week to say the least. We started out the week with a Zone conference and I finally was able to get an interview in with my mission president.  It was so great to be able to sit down one on one with my mission president and talk. I was able to talk to him about some miracles that have been happening. 

The first our investigator Adrienne, who prayed to know when she should be baptized, got a pretty specific answer that she need to pray about it and she said that December 13th is the day at 10:00 in the morning. She is so solid. She has taken the gospel and ran with it and nothing is stopping her!  

The second miracle was Miguel being Baptized on Saturday.

It was so cool, there was so many people who came to the baptism, even his dad and grandpa came! I sang because I have been given much, with our ward mission leader's wife and one other sister while her companion played the piano. The funny thing that happened was that we made the font water TOO hot. Miguel got in the water and jump right back out and Elder Scrogham went in and he had sock on and after a few seconds was jumping out too. They had a quick prayer that they would be able to handle it. When they finished our ward mission leader came in and asked why they weren't in yet so he flipped on the cold water for a few minutes and it was still hot so they just went in. Miguel was so dazed when he came out of the water. It was really good experience for Elder Scrogham a very big testimony builder. It was his first baptism and the First person he ever baptized. It made me really happy because when I got into Morton, I made a Goal that I was going to baptize with Elder Scrogham, I didn't know who and I didn't know how long it would take but I know we were going to be able to. It was at the last minute but we did it. I felt so blessed to be able to serve with Elder Scrogham it was so cool to see him grow spiritually and it made me really learn who I was. 

I'm getting Elder Hon for a new companion. He is a cool Red head, so I'm excited!

Craziest Week Ever! Scaredy Squirrel/ Hospital Adventures

Scaredy Squirrel

This was one of the craziest weeks ever.

I would like to share some miracles that have happened in the last week.
We had a ward member last Sunday bring a friend to Church that he worked
with and she ended up knowing people in the ward who work in the hospital
with her and it was great! She loved it and she said she felt the
spirit really strong because she felt like it was all good. She had
been reading the Book of Mormon as well and felt that same Good
feeling. We set an appointment with her and the member that she knew
and that Wednesday day taught her the restoration. It all clicked with
her and she learned that she needed to read the Book of Mormon to get
her answer. She then prayed to know as well. We saw her the next day
at dinner with our other member and had some concern do to CNN and
Joseph Smith having 40 wife's. So our member just point blank told her
the doctrine of polygamy and how it ties into the dispensation of the
fullness of times. She had no concerns after that which was cool, we
then taught her what the standard works were. So we were then able
to give her a scripture reference for doctrine in all the scriptures. So
during the whole time our member who brought her to church was
teaching her more and more stuff and they had to go to the hospital
which wasn't too bad because she worked and lived right next to the
hospital so she got to visit us more than anyone else.
Now the Miracle, we had a baptism for a investigator the sisters were
teaching and Adrienne heard of it and wanted to go. She went and
afterward she said that she wanted to be baptized. So Wednesday we're
going to meet with her, invite her to pray about a day and see how
things go from there.

NEXT MIRACLE

MIGUEL.
Miguel is the son of a part-member family. His mom and sister are
members and his dad, who is not a member, doesn't live with them.
So a year ago Miguel asked. If he could be baptized and his dad took
him into a room, yelled and him and told him he could. when elder
Scrogham got her we told him to pray for the day he wants to be
baptized. Everyone thought we were crazy. He prayed and got a date. we
have been teaching him how to teach us so that when he is ready, he
can me solid and if his dad ask questions he could answer. this last
weekend was Miguel's last week before his baptism to ask. he prepare
for the big talk with his dad by reading the Book of Mormon daily. He
asked his dad and his dad said YES! He followed up and asked if he
would serve a mission and not go to school. He said that he would go
to a year of college then go on a mission. It was so crazy To find
that out. This mean we should be having a baptism this week. Woot
woot!

So Thursday I was having some pretty bad constant stomach pains and 
the pains got slowly worse. Our doctor in the ward said to wait 24 hours
and see what happens. I got a blessing form my comp and a member but that
night was the worst night of my life. I thought was going to die it was so
miserable, no sleep, couldn't move, woke up and the pain was worse. I
could only walk doubled over. Sometimes the pains got so bad I would
have to crawl. We got to the urgent care that morning and they told us
to get to the hospital. So we rushed to the ER.  Stayed in the hospital a 
couple of days but didn't need surgery.  Everything just compacted.
Feeling better now.



 

That's it for now. Good bless and keep up the good work!

Elder Herdt

Crazy busy Week!

This week was a crazy one. We were so blessed to be able to go to the Nauvoo Temple and Carthage. It really Built our testimonies and got us more pumped to do missionary work. We found out later that Carthage was not apart of the approved locations for missionaries soo.......now we know. haha I felt really blessed to see the City of Joseph, Nauvoo the Beautiful. The Whole Place has a spirit to it that cant me compared to. It just took my Breath away. 
We had an outstanding week. One of the best that this area has seen in a long time. It was Great to be able to see some miracles. The biggest one that stands out to me was Saturday. We had an appointment with a new investigator and had planned a recent convert to come out with us and we get there and no one was home, So we asked our recent convert If he would like a Lesson, he was kind of excited because he hasn't a lesson in a while. So we taught him about missions and about struggles that missionaries have on missions and what he should expect and how he should prepare for a mission. He really appreciated it, He is going to be leaving to Philadelphia mission in February and he is so pumped to GO. He asked us what we had next on the schedule and we told him he
had tracting next so we invited him to come tracting with us. He told us he has never been tracting before and really wanted to Go. So we tracted around where are appointment earlier. We actually found some pretty sweet potential investigators! One of them had already been to temple square and she was in Love with the Christus statue! He bore powerful testimony of how much the Gospel and blessed his Life and that It could bless hers too. We got done with Tracting and went back
to the apartments that our first appointment was at and our
investigator was home we were able to come in and talk to him about the Plan of Salvation and he just got it all, it was really cool because we were going to watch this video about the plan of salvation when his up stairs neighbor, who is the girlfriend of another
investigator came in and watch the whole video. It was so Cool the
Spirit was so strong. After that lesson we where on our way home to
Have dinner and Elder Scrogham had an impression that we needed to try
to contact a referral a member gave us that we were never able to
catch. Lo and behold, she was home. Were able to teach here on her
door step and asked here what she wanted to in life. she said 2
things, one how could she get a relationship with God and 2 why did
God take her Husband. It was great that Elder Scrogham and I were able
to teach her, because lately Just knowing God is real is something,
Elder Scrogham and I have been teaching that a lot. She was very
comforted from the things we were able to share with her.
I know Heavenly father works with our life so closely so we can do His
will. I Love doing the Father work his will. I makes me feel so much
better than anything Else I could do.

Nauvoo The Beautiful!

Well I want to apologize to everyone, its been a pretty great couple
of Weeks. No need to worry about me I've been doing Just fine. Better
than Fine, I've been living the dream. I had a pretty good send me off
from Rochelle. We were able to go to sister schuler's home and teach
her sons the restoration and that went really well. We took some
pictures and Barb thanked Elder Earl and I for teaching her, she just
about broke down crying as she thanked us for being here, that if it
wasn't for us she wouldn't be baptized right now. 


That there was a moment that made my mission. Sunday night we had President Fenn come to Rochelle for a Fireside and give a presentation on the Book of Mormon. It went really well. Some families from Dekalb came and we had a lot of recent converts there. Sister schuler our most recent convert bore her testimony and it is one of the sweetest testimonies I have ever heard. I had to follow her up and sing a solo, which I believe is the first solo I have ever sang, high on the mountain top. President then began to speak thanked the people who bore testimony and gave me one of the greatest compliments a missionary and get from him which is, "you didn't bring shame on the mission." 

   I am proud to Announce my Son Elder Earl is Training. Elder Engler is
also Training for his last transfer on his mission. So I now have a brother and also a grandson. As weird as mission families are I sure do Enjoy them.
    Transfer day was a pretty odd one. Elder Scrogham didn't come up to
Naperville to meet me so I was without a companion for 8 hours. It was
weird not having a companion for so long but I got to Morton safely.
Im really excited to serve Here in Morton. The Ward here is Great, all
we really are trying to do is find people to teach. These last couple
of weeks we lost all of our investigators, all except one. Who is a
members son and can't get baptized because his dad wont let him. If you
could do some praying for us. Pray that we can find some new
investigators. We have though had some of the best teaching Lessons
that I have ever had on my mission. 


Elder Scrogham is really good at
teaching people not lessons. He is a really Humble missionary and we
really click. I have super excited to serve with him.
I will have to share a couple of my really spiritual moments in our
week. The first one happened Saturday morning right after MCM we
went to go give service for our Ward mission Leaders Son sam who is a
Less-active. He grew up in the church and reads from the Book of
Mormon often and whats holding him back from activity is he has never
felt like he has had a connection with God. We talk to him more to
find out more about where he was coming from and he told us that every
time he tries to find God or is at the cusp of revelation he said
something always Bad happens. We expressed to him that one of the
reason that could be is because Satan knows who he is and knows who he
can become and that Satan can't afford to let him lose from his chains
that he has on him because if he finds God than he will be a huge
player when it comes for the fight of righteousness. He said he never
thought of that before. We invited him to fast and pray to know if
there is a God. He accepted our challenge and today we have been
fasting and praying to help him on his search.
Today was a very POWERFUL day. 



We were able to Go to the Nauvoo
temple. It was SO powerful walking into that temple. It about took my
breath away. I was able to feel the power of God so strong in that
temple and I was so happy to be able to go there. On our way home we
went threw carthage Jail and that was a really powerful experience. It
was so sacred, and Being a descendent of Hyrum the Patriarch just made
even More special. I really felt close to The Prophet and the
Patriarch while we drove through old Nauvoo we were able to see the
grave of those 2 great men. I got a new increased love and witness for
those men that has just solidified my testimony that I know this work
is the work of The Lord and and be brought to us straight from him and
will continue to progress until it fills the world!


Elder Herdt