Pictures 'Fort Lauderdale Mission'

Mission Leadership Council 9/2013

WK84 'Let's Go Baptize!'

Dear Family and Friends!

Thank you soo much for your letters this week! One huge word I have been thinking about lately has been Humility. Since pride is one of the most deadly sins we must be humble. So I invite ya'll to ponder on this word this upcoming week and seek to apply it.

 

Huge miracles came this week though! So one day we were walking out of this apartment complex called "The Panks" and we passed this lady. Not two seconds later she stopped, and called us over and asked if we are 'the people that pray'. We exclaimed yes and left a blessing with her. She exclaimed after the blessing huge desires to get baptized and come to church. This past week we taught her the law of chastity because she is living with her boyfriend and found out that they want to get married, but can't because they are both married to someone else who they haven't been able to contact in years. So we left it at that and they came to church on Sunday. Then we heard about the huge miracles that came into their lives when we visited them yesterday! She exclaimed how amazing they felt at church and how they have been imagining themselves getting baptized since then. Also the day we taught her the law of chastity, their spouses that they need to get divorced from called them and want to get a divorce. They are coming this week! Huge miracles come as we exercise our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and especially as we help our investigators exercise their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

But my father actually sent me a talk today and some things it talked about struck me. It talked about how we need to teach with power and doctrine especially to recent converts. It is extremely important that we study the doctrines and as we do so we will see our attitudes and behaviors change.

Well have an amazing week! Let's go baptize!

 

With Love,

Elder Pond

WK83 'God is Real!'

Dear Family and Friends!

I am extremely grateful once again for how I have grown closer to the Lord this week and become more converted unto Him. This week I especially had a chance to ponder on how amazing and loving God is. I love those moments when you can take a step back and just reflect on the love of our father in heaven! Opa-Locka is going to turn into Zion one day!

 

Zone Conference August 2013

We saw huge powerful miracles this week with helping God's children progress towards the waters of baptism. This past Sunday, Grandma's 92nd birthday, big things happened. When I remembered this I reflected back to a family that we use to teach that God told me needs to be baptized. So the whole week we tried to get in contact with them but got nothing. Then Saturday came and we went to see our recent convert to take her with us to teach her neighbors and we saw that lady walk inside her home. So quickly we went to go catch up with her. As we taught her the Spirit was amazingly strong, I definitely could feel the presence of my Grandma helping us in that lesson. At the end of the lesson she readily accepted to be baptized!

 

Another huge miracle we saw was we went back to follow-up with a lady that we blessed the other day. As she was about to say the closing prayer there was a knock at the door. A lady walked in and talked about how she use to go to the church but then lost contact with us. She was never baptized because she wasn't prepared. So the next day we went to see her and I had an impression to throw her in an exchange with Elder Shepherd since we were on exchanges. She came out excited and pumped to be baptized! I am grateful for the Spirit and the ability it has to lead us and guide us to see miracles!

 

Things are going amazing though. One of the biggest things I learned this week is the power of the ordinances and covenants that we make in Christ's church. It brings the power of the Atonement into our lives which allows us to change. All those need this POWER in there lives!

 

With Love,

Elder Pond

WK82 'This Sunday We Will Baptize!'

Dear Family and Friends!

This week I am eternally grateful for many huge miracles.  In every single aspect I know that God's hand is definitely in the work!

As I said last week, this past week is Transfer Week and is always Miracle Week and that absolutely proved to be true with us! Wednesday we both saw that we needed to get four blessings by the end of the night to reach our eight blessings and be obedient. But we had many appointments so decided we would harvest while we travel from appointment to appointment. It was amazing to see God lead us to five homes to be blessed and meet five people who had huge desires to enter into the waters of baptism. Then on Sunday God blessed us with another huge miracle and we were able to baptize four of God's Children. I am excited and know that huge things will be coming with my new companion Elder Burgon and myself this transfer in Opa Locka and the Hialeah Zone.

 

Elder Pond and Elder Burgon - Hialeah Zone Companions

This week was a huge blur though I definitely know as always we worked hard and saw huge miracles. Thank you soo much for your powerful spiritual experiences they definitely strengthened me! Know that we will baptize this Sunday no matter what, on my Grandmas 92nd birthday!

 

With Love,

Elder Pond

WK81 'Elder Pond....STAYS!!'

Dear Family and Friends!

Another week full of miracles here in Opa-Locka and the amazing Hialeah Zone! Ya'll definitely have to look up Opa-Locka on Google it probably one of the most ghetto places in the US.. I love it! But just reflected upon this past week reminds me of how much I love missionary work. It is an amazing opportunity to step away from the world and focus on what is eternally important. My mission has molded my life already and I am definitely going to make sure that the rest of it is even more life changing than it has been so far! This past week changed my life with the miracles that we saw:

This week we saw many miracles harvesting. As we were out working hard a lady stopped us in her car to tell her that her neighbor, our investigator, is not home right now. So we contacted her and blessed her. Immediately she opened up talking about things she was struggling with and accepted baptism without hesitation. The next day when we saw her again she thanked God for sending us there to her side. Another was a door next to our recent convert family. Every time we passed by that door the spirit told me to knock it but unfortunately I kept ignoring it. Until the other day I listened, we knocked, and a lady answered. After the blessing she was so extremely happy and talked about how she needs to come to church. We invited her to be baptized and after she pondered on it for a couple of seconds, she gave a resounding yes! God always guides us in many different ways we just must listen! So this week when ya write me, will you send me one experience that you had with listening to the spirit and the results of you being obedient? Thanks!!

 

Another huge miracle we saw was with a lady that came to church on Sunday and is set with a hard baptismal date for this upcoming Sunday. It all came out yesterday as we were teaching her a lady walked past and asked about us. We got her information and told her we would stop by later to pray for her because we were teaching one of our baptismal dates. But then our date jumped up and said, "Elders, we need to go pray for her now!" She then led us down the stairs and we prayed for the lady. After we finished the pray our baptismal date began to testify. She talked about how we are one of the greatest things God has sent to her. How she was in darkness, she prayed for God to send her someone, and then we came. She then began to testify of church and baptism and invited the lady to come to church. By the end of the lesson the lady was set with a date and for church, as well our baptismal date was even more solidified as she bore her testimony. So with that being said, will you share your testimony with one non-member this week and write me about that as well? Thanks again!!

 

Also last night we got the transfer calls from the Assistants and I will be staying in the beautiful land of Opa-Locka and Elder Rugg will be leaving already! I am pumped for this upcoming transfer and for HUGE miracles to come in Opa-Locka and the Hialeah Zone!

 

This week I also was pondering a lot on conversion and how to create lasting conversion. A huge principle of lasting conversion comes from a talk by Elder Bednar and is learning by faith. In this life we learn the most when we act upon the testimony we receive, this is whereby conversion comes!

But I don't have mucho time so I'll talk with ya'll next week!

 

With Love,

Elder Pond

WK80 'Both Sides of the Veil!'

Dear Family and Friends!

This week has been an interesting one, but definitely one full of miracles that has built my faith in Jesus Christ!

 

First of all, big things are happening in the beautiful area of Opa-Locka, "Where everyone wants to be baptized!". We are getting a lot of people to church every week and now are just working on consistently mobilizing those children of God into the waters of baptism to receive the Atonement of Jesus Christ!

That is something huge I have felt this week. Of the power of the Atonement of our Savior Jesus Christ. Especially ever since I heard of her passing, I have felt of the peace that comes from the Spirit as your soul is clean from sin. I have also felt something incredibly powerful of the veil being very thin. I definitely miss my Grandma, but I feel closer to her now that I ever have before. I feel as if she is consistently standing right beside me like a third companion. I know she is there with me always. I have definitely also felt an increase of power as a result. We have been finding amazing people who are going to get baptized this Sunday! I know that as I continue to be faithful then I will receive power from both sides of the veil!

 

Other than that we have an insanely busy day today! Zone Training is tomorrow and then transfers next week. I am willing to go where God wants me to go so it will be exciting to see what he says!

 

With Love,

Elder Pond

 

July Zone Training

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zone Leadership

 

WK79 'Oh How Sweet Shall Be Our Joy'

Dear Family and Friends!

This week was definitely a learning experience for both Elder Rugg and myself. Looking back I am extremely grateful for weeks like this because I know God is molding me into who he wants me to become.

 

This week there were many trials, that included a bike crash, baptisms falling through, and honestly just feeling exhausted at times. But God provided miracles as we pushed through with faith! We were able to have four new investigators come to church that are all set with baptismal dates for next week! But the biggest miracle came after church on Sunday, Elder Rugg and myself looked at each other and both agreed that we needed to find the elect. We were focusing on having power in the words that we speak and our actions reflect purpose. Sunday night we got ten harvest blessings and found a total of fifteen people that showed HUGE signs of repentance. As we walked away I couldn't help but shout praises to God. I know he delivers us in our times of trials and adversity.

 

I did just get off the phone with President Anderson and hear of the passing of my amazing Grandma Ruby. I am grateful that God sent me into such an amazing family that has help mold me into who I am today. My Grandma Ruby changed my life. And I know that she will be such an amazing influence on the other side of the veil. She is a disciple of Jesus Christ. I also know that God is our loving Heavenly Father. That He sent us here not to fail but to one day succeed through the Lord Jesus Christ. Through the atoning blood of the Savior all mankind can be saved and enter into the Kingdom of God. I know that I will see my Grandma along with my beloved savior Jesus Christ one day. Oh how sweet shall be our joy in that day!

 

With Love,

Elder Pond