'Letter for Ruby's Funeral'

Dear Mom and Dad!

Hope all is well back home! What I do know is that God is with us through all things and I am eternally grateful for the things God has taught me out here as a missionary to help me endure trials. But I am not sure when the funeral will be, but I always asked Grandma if I could speak at her funeral. Of course I am out doing the work of God but I know spiritually I will be there. I was also wondering that if I write something if you would share it at her funeral. If this is possible it would mean a lot to me. Here is what I would love for you to share at her funeral:

Well Brothers and Sisters this is Elder Pond and I thought I would share my love for you as well for my amazing Grandma Ruby out in Sunny Southern Florida.

Today I hope everyone has smiles on their faces! In Mosiah 3:17 we learn that, "there shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent." So thus through the Savior Jesus Christ we are able to gain exaltation and inherit all that our Father in Heaven has. Christ taught us in John 3:5 that, "Except a man be born of water, and of the spirit he cannot enter the Kingdom of God!" So we know that as we make special covenants with God though Christ, like baptism, then we will be able to live with God and our family members again.

What I know is that the plan of God is perfect. That "God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten Son" and through his atoning sacrifice we can be cleansed from all sin to go live with God one day.

My Grandma Ruby followed Jesus Christ and I know was a true disciple of Jesus Christ. She changed many lives here on Earth and I know that she will change many lives on the other side of the veil. This was the plan of God from the very beginning.

There was a talk that I was reading that I would like to share an exert with you from:

"To demonstrate the kind of inner strength I am talking about, I would like to share the story of Susanna Stone Lloyd, who at the age of 26 left England in 1856 and traveled to Utah alone. The only member of her family to join the Church, Susanna was a member of the Willie Handcart Company. Like so many other pioneers, she endured life-threatening hunger, illness, and fatigue.

Upon arriving in the Salt Lake Valley, Susanna borrowed a mirror to make herself more presentable. Despite her best efforts, she recounts: “I shall never forget how I looked. Some of my old friends did not know me.” ¹Having sold her own mirror to an Indian for a piece of buffalo meat, she had not spent much time looking at herself. Now she did not recognize her own image. She was a different person, both inside and out. Over the course of rocky ridges and extreme hardship came a deep conviction. Her faith had been tried, and her conversion was concrete. She had been refined in ways that the very best mirror could not reflect. Susanna had prayed for strength and found it—deep within her soul.

This is the kind of inner strength I would like to talk about. How do you and I become so converted to the truth, so full of faith, so dependent on God that we are able to meet trials and even be strengthened by them?"

Brothers and Sisters at this time let us strengthen our faith in the Savior Jesus Christ by doing what he would have us do! Let us allow this trial to strengthen our faith in the Savior and God's promises to us. Trust in those promises and never let them go.

My Grandma Ruby was an amazing lady, she changed many lives, and I know through Christ we may all see her again one day! I love you all and I love my Grandma Ruby!

Elder Pond

Mom and Dad lemme know if this is possible. Once again I would greatly appreciate it!

With Love,

Elder Pond

WK78 'ACTION Time!!'

Dear Friends and Family!

Thank you all for your words this week! Always know that miracles truly did come to pass here in the beautiful land of Miami this week!

 

This week we saw huge miracles with teaching doctrine in our lessons! One lesson was with a lady who came to church and was preparing to be baptized on Sunday. We walked in and immediately she started bringing up concerns and excuses on how she wants to be baptized in a year and not this Sunday. But as we began to teach her the eternal reasons behind baptism she began to understand. Eventually she went to wanting baptism in three months, then one month, then two weeks, then this Sunday! The use of doctrine changed everything in that lesson!

 

Another experience we had was with an investigator who was also preparing to be baptized Sunday. We went and saw her Monday and she blew up on how her and her daughter cannot get baptized on Sunday because they are not prepared. We began teaching her doctrine and on Wednesday we invited them both to come to the church. As her daughter went to mutual we took this investigator around for a chapel tour. We went inside the sacrament room and the spirit was immediately there. Then after that we met with the investigator and Bishop and taught a lesson. The investigator explained how as she has been inside the church she has felt the Spirit. We then likened that unto Acts 2 and acting upon the Spirit. Our investigator then completely changed, "Alright, God wants me to be baptized, I'll do it!" On Sunday night as we sat at their baptism it was amazing to see the transformation that took place. All because true doctrine was understood, and thus the power of God was felt!

Things are going very well though. We have a good amount of baptisms lined up for this Sunday which we are extremely excited for. The field truly is white and all ready to harvest.

 

But what I wanted to share with you is something that I spoke on yesterday in sacrament meeting on revelation! Just as with the Liahona revelation comes as we are faithful, diligent, and give heed. When we receive revelation we must act upon it immediately! Do not let a second pass without acting upon revelation from God. As we do so I know that we will be led to live with God one day.

 

I love you all and tear it up this week!

Elder Pond

WK77 'Miracle Zone!!'

Dear Family and Friends!

It is miracle time down in MIAMI!! I cannot even express the miracles we have been seeing this past week! I am extremely grateful for every opportunity and miracle I am able to learn and grow from for I know that as I do so I am able to become more converted and a tool in the Lords hands. This week we saw huge miracles as we were a tool in the Lords hands.

 

We were biking down this new street that we just began working. We biked past this guy holding a basketball and the Spirit prompted us to go speak with him. So we turned back around and contacted him. As we identified ourselves as representatives of Jesus Christ he said, "Come on in Brothers!" We blessed him and after the prayer he gave us a huge hug. We invited him to be baptized and he stated, "Absolutely! Can I do it today?" We then explained how he can on the 21st and he was very pumped. Then the miracle got bigger when we followed up with him the next day. He then told us the story of how he really met us. He said that day we were sitting at the stop light in front of his house and something told him to look threw his window. He then saw us and it told him to walk outside with a basketball. Then we talked to him. He told us, "Brothers I know God sent us to each other! I'm ready to go swimming in the waters of baptism!" We left that lesson edifying and rejoicing together when a lady came up to us as we were walking back to our car and asked if we were Mormons. We contacted her then walked five blocks to her apartment to bless her family. She stated how she use to go to the Mormon church in Haiti and loved it and was looking for the Mormon church down in Opa-Locka. After the harvest blessing they were all in tears and will be getting baptized this Sunday!

 

We also saw a miracle with a investigator we have been teaching for a while. His entire family was baptized three weeks ago and every time we would teach him doctrine he would bring up another excuse and concern. But last week we finally got him to church and this week we made sure we kept daily contact him him to show God our diligence. Every day a new excuse would come up concerning baptism but we continued to press foreword with faith teaching him correct until Sunday he showed up to church and said, "Elders, I'm going to be baptized today. This is my new church!" True doctrine understood changes attitudes and behaviors! When we preach the gospel this is what we must do! Teach true doctrine linked to their desires and then if they are elect and willing to receive by the Spirit, they will change!

 

Well we also have a very busy week ahead of us and I am extremely excited!! This week the shout out goes to my cousin Dani and in that case the entire Ship family. Ya'll are amazing and I thank ya for all you have done for my immediate family!

 

Even more miracles are coming! I can smell it, I can feel it, I know it!

With Love,

Elder Pond

WK76 'Keep Goin'

Dear Family and Friends!

This week once again was full of huge miracles from God. We definitely received trials of our faith, but God is always waiting at the end of the tunnel with a huge miracle for us! The city of Miami is amazing! I love it soo much. Elder Rugg my new companion from Oregon and myself work hard in a little town called Opa-Locka all day long!

Elder Rugg and myself saw a huge miracle on the fourth of July though! As we got out to work later in the night we went to see two of our baptismal dates for this Sunday. They expressed how they didn't enjoy church and it seemed no matter what doctrine we taught their hearts were closed and they dropped us. After that we continued to press foreword with faith and stopped by two of our other baptismal dates for Sunday. The husband came out and expressed how they would be going back to their old church and asked us not to stop by anymore. At this point I wasn't really sure what to do, my soul felt anguish because nothing was going right. So as Elder Rugg and myself sat in the car we pondered and offered a prayer to God asking what He would have us do to see a miracle tonight. We both knew after that prayer that we needed to harvest and God would prepare people for us to baptize. So as we looked up we saw this man standing outside his house so we got out of our car and spoke with him. Immediately he let us in to bless him and his grandma. They both readily accepted baptism and his grandma came to church on Sunday and is getting baptized next Sunday! Then we felt a spiritual prompting to go to an apartment complex that we drove past one time. So at 8:30 at night on the fourth of July with fireworks going off everywhere we finally made it to the apartment complex. We walked up the stairs and the first door we saw open we contacted and blessed. It was an amazing family of three who all want to be baptized very badly! As we were walking away and said to Elder Rugg, "Man I love God for what He teaches us and how He always provides miracles for us!"

This applies to any situation in life. When things go wrong, stop, and remember your purpose and do all you can to fulfill the will of God. Then miracles will come from the heavens above!

Today I wanted to give a shout out to my Grandma Ruby for the amazing daughter of God that she is! She has influenced my life grateful and I would no where near be where I am today without her!

But I love ya'll and know that God lives! Keep goin and don't stop!

Elder Pond

WK75 'The 305!!'

Dear Family and Friends!

This week has been full of life changing experiences and miracles as always down here in the Hialeah Zone. I am eternally grateful that God has sent me down here in Hialeah, I love it! I am also extremely excited because last night we received transfer calls and I will be staying another down in Palm Springs! So BIG things are coming!

This week we were extremely blessed to be able to marry the parents of the children that we baptized last Sunday! Then this Sunday they were both baptized. It has been amazing to see the complete change that has taken place in that amazing family! I met them my first day here and that next Sunday was their first Sunday in church. Now every time we go over they are all beaming from ear to ear and talk about how clean they feel. I am grateful for this life changing experience because it truly has strengthened my testimony of the Atonement of Christ!

The Zone is doing amazing and is definitely on the rise. I am grateful to my God for allowing our area to baptize eight souls this month and the zone twenty two. Now this upcoming month we will continue to grow so we can bring even more of God's children into the waters of baptism.

This letter is going to have to be fairly short unfortunately.. But lately I have been pondering on how 

God allows us to act in faith to be able to grow. Let us use the amazing gift we have of agency righteously! Let us stand our ground in righteousness always! To be able to do so in all things we must humble ourselves before God and align our will with His. In all things we must seek praise not from man, but from God! And I know as we do so, it is then when miracles come.

With Love,

Elder Pond

WK74 'Another Week in the 305!!'

Dear Family and Friends!!

Once again this week changed my life! God has been blessing us here in Palm Springs and the Hialeah Zone tremendously. Last night as I was praying I couldn't help but to shout praises to our God and King! Our Heavenly Father does live, and I promise I will do whatever He commands with exactness.

This week we were able to be blessed and bring five souls unto the waters of baptism in our area. Things with the zone went extremely well and we were able to baptize ten of God's children as a zone. In addition to that we were blessed to hear inspired counsel from the prophets and apostles at the World-wide Seminar. As we were driving home at the end of the night I couldn't help but to think back and ponder on how much God truly does love us. And that He truly will bless us as we put our faith in Him!

 

This week we saw a huge miracle while harvesting! We had ten minutes before we had to go to an interview so instead of just going there early and waiting we decided to be diligent by stopping and knocking a couple of doors. On the third door we knocked on a man yelled through the door that he wasn't interested, but then we began to testify. I saw that after each testimony was born he was becoming more and more open. Finally he allowed us to pray with him through the door. After the blessing he opened the door and thanked us for everything. The power of God through the blessing softened him a lot. Then he began to explain how Elders use to come over but pressured him and his girlfriend into getting married and that pushed them away. But then he exclaimed, "You know, I am ready for this now. That's why God sent you here!" He then accepted preparing to be baptized. We walked away edified and uplifted. But as we went home that night and were going through teaching records searching for him we found his record. Then we saw that two of his children were baptized. God lead us to this family at the exact time when they were most prepared!

This week I went on an exchange with some Elders with the purpose of helping them increase their faith. At the beginning of the exchange we had a companionship study and I taught the faith cycle and expressed we would focus on having a desire and not casting out that desire. That we would do that by talking with EVERYONE and inviting all to come to church the next day. We talked to an incredible amount of people totaling 64 people invited to come to church, with 31 OYM's in the day. At the end of the night they both expressed how they are going to have more faithful harvesting, invite everyone to be baptized who comes to church, and talk with everyone now to show forth more faith in Christ. We gave everything we had and as a result my faith dramatically increased.

 

But the Hialeah Zone is doing extremely well! I love it down here! I have one English companion and one Spanish but we will see what happens because transfers are next week! Hopefully I won't be two weeks and done in Hialeah.. But we normally go on exchanges every day especially since we have three missionaries in Palm Springs!

 

Well I love ya'll and hope all is well this upcoming week! Remember to become as the Savior is, we must do as the Savior would do!

 

With Love,

Elder Pond

WK 73 'Welcome to Miami!!'

Dear Family and Friends!!

Well today I have a heart FULL of gratitude for God and the mercy of Jesus Christ towards me. This week has definitely been a crazy week but one that has completely changed my life. I will eternally be grateful for this past week and the things God has taught me.

It all started Monday as we got out to work hard in the amazing area of Stuart South. We went and taught some lessons to our baptismal dates and were getting harvest blessings through contacting everyone on the streets. Then it was 8:30 PM and we walked past this group of ten people to go see a potential investigator. They weren't home so as we walked past this group of people again we decided to stop and leave our Saviors peace and blessing with them. They accepted and after the prayer many of them were in tears. They expressed extreme gratitude and of how Christ sent us there. As we invited them to be baptized they couldn't of been more excited. We all walked away from that experience edified and uplifted by the Lord.

Then something HUGE happened on Wednesday. I had my interview with President Anderson. At this time I was extremely excited for the amazing things that have been happening for the amazing Stuart Zone. We had an amazin Zone Training and the work was rolling foreword. But I sat down with President, he looked at me and said I feel impressed by the Spirit of God to tell you that you will be transferred out of Stuart South today. The assistants will call you when I inform them and come pick you up. My immediate impression was my jaw falling to the ground because I couldn't believe I was being transferred in the middle of the transfer. But immediately the Spirit of God told me that this was from him.

Then I got the honor of spending Wednesday-Friday with the Assistants and learned an incredible amount. These three days completely changed my life. Some of the things I learned were:

Everything we do needs to be measured by effectiveness.

Some Children of God move greater by pressure and others by motivation.

We as leaders must be respected and not fall into trying to be liked..

We must build a culture in our zones of conversion to our purpose and having faith on the Lord.

Everything we DO is to help us BECOME!

There must be purpose behind everything that we do.

Pride diminishes our spiritual power and skills as children of God.

We are challenging and testifying missionaries!

Do not ever forget the basics and fundamentals!

You can learn a life lesson from any situation!

And much, much more. As a result of these three days I have become a more Christlike Son of God and I thank God for these three days!

Then Saturday I got transferred down to Palm Springs with Elders Skousen and Hall as Zone Leaders in the Hialeah Zone. Yupp I am finally down in Miami baby!! And as well back with Elder Hall who was my companion in Fort Laud South. This call was from God! We went out and worked hard on Saturday and saw huge miracles by getting six new investigators to sacrament meeting. We now have seven baptisms lined up for this Sunday and know as we exercise faith God will strengthen us to accomplish this!

Then something Elder Skousen said on Sunday changed my life as well. "When I was on exchanges with Elder Plowman he asked me what I want to accomplish the last three weeks of my mission. I said to have more faith and help others have that faith. Then more effectively minister to our District Leaders. Then God sent you here." God is amazing! He knows what He is doing and I know this is His work! I know He has sent me here to the Hialeah Zone and we will see miracles!

But Brothers and Sisters I love you all! Miami is amazing! And the work of God will continue to roll foreword always! Just push with all of your heart, might, mind, and strength.

With Love,

Elder Pond

Let's Go Miami Heat!! Haha..