Week of April 25,1016

Hello!

This week was the bomb! We had an awesome lesson with an Investigator
that his been meeting with missionaries for a very long time now
(Eternigator). We took her to the Visitors Center in Independence and
talked about eternal families, which is exactly what she needed. Her
husband is member, but she is having a hard time knowing if the church
is true, based on her religious background (Southern Baptist) #Anti!
Her parents aren't taking to kindly to her joining the Mormon church.
Nevertheless we had a good lesson with them, they cried! They have a
desire to be sealed in the temple. They just don't see the whole
picture yet.


We did a ton of service on Saturday. My companion and I are 6'4 and
6'5 so our backs and knees are shot! We landscaped a lady's yard. That
took about 3 hours, then we went and picked up a Part Member Families
construction project, and cleaned out their garage, that was about 3
hours. Then, we went and planted strawberries for this old lady, her
hip is busted all to pieces but she still makes it to church every
Sunday. She's a trooper.


Last P-day was cray. We went to down town Kansas City and got some
Fried Chicken with a member in our ward, then I had an interview with
President Vest, and before ya know it, your P-day is over, and you're
chasing Satan lovers across KC MO!

Anyway, the best work I think I have ever done is the work of the
Lord. I have seen myself grow so much lately. I feel like the Lord has
helped me intellectually, and spiritually, just when I think I
understand everything, I find something more to search, ponder and
pray about. I find that most people will hide their questions from us.
In reality, nobody can be helped that way.

There was a semi-active man that we had dinner with this week. The
Bishop told me I had one task with this one. Find out why he hasn't
gone to the temple. So, after dinner we had a discussion about
potential, and privileges. We asked them why they hadn't been through
the temple yet. They started to blame their son that had fallen away
at first. But I felt like I could see right through them. So I asked a
more probing question. "You know that you can receive your endowments
without your son right"? That's when the true colors started to shine.
He started to mention some stuff he read online. The stuff I heard was
definitely nothing new. There is plenty of Anti Mormon stuff that we
get hit with out here. The benefit of this setting is that I knew how
to help him, and even better, this man trusted me enough to open up
about his thoughts and feelings. I don't exactly know what fell out of
my mouth, but my companion told me after that I Said something to the
effect of "If you wanted to know about dodge trucks would you go to a
Ford dealership for information? no, because they wouldn't have the
proper info." So why on earth would you go to an online sources for
something so sacred and spiritual. Do you not believe that God answers
prayers? Have you sought answers in the scriptures? You can't seek
spiritual advice through worldly resources. He said that he would pray
about it. His wife totally started crying! She wants to go to the
temple so bad! Hopefully we can help them!


We had transfers this week, and Elder Monroe and I stayed in Flemming
park for 6 more weeks. Every companionship in the zone but us and the
sisters got changed up! That was a blessing! The people that left the
zone were causing a lot of grief. But they've been replaced with
missionaries that are here for a reason..a lot of them have been out
for over a year!  I'm excited!


Last but certainly not least! I think I'm getting sick. So, yeah. That
happened.


That about caps my life right now.

I attached a picture of the entire mission, and the Mission Leadership
Council at the mission home

Love ya!

Picture of the entire mission

Week of April 18,2016

Hello,

This week was eventful! We found a family of 8! They are super sweet
people, and we are excited to take them to the next level of
progression. This area seemed hard at first, but then I adjusted my
attitude, and things got better. I think there's a common misconception
that occurs with missionaries. "I'm on a mission, I'm not supposed to
get discouraged, weak, lonely, irritable, sad etc." that's a fat lie if
I ever heard one. The gospel was built on opposition!!!! Why on earth
would we believe that we would never feel negative feelings after
baptism? After Christ calmed the tempest did the waves ever pick up
again? So it is with being a missionary, the setting apart comes with
blessings, but that doesn't mean that all struggles are put aside. It
all sits on your attitude.


We had a great baptism this weekend! I attached a pic! This was a
miracle, the mother of this kid didn't even want him to be baptized at
first. She said "if he comes in here, and can say he wants to be
baptized, then I will let him" the kid comes in we ask him if he wants
to be baptized his answer: "no" we were a little thrown off but then
he said "it might be windy, and I don't want to be cold". We fixed
that problem, baptisms aren't held outside. So he committed to be
baptized.

We got to go to KCK today, that was legit! I love the city!


This week has been tough,  yet rewarding. I'm ready for another round though!



Love you!!!

April 11,2016

This week was interesting. We had our Mission Leadership Council on
Wednesday (Meeting where Zone Leaders&Sister Training Leaders have a
meeting, and receive trainings for the missionaries in their zones) I
got a call on Tuesday morning from the assistants asking if I would
give a training. That was a hectic way to start your day. A training
in front of all of the leaders of the mission and the mission
presidency puts a guy on edge! But it went well, and I loved the
experience.

Then we prepared for zone training. That was another great experience,
it's always a great opportunity to address the missionaries and get
their feedback of all the struggles they are having.

I also met a Less-Active family. They stopped coming to church because
both spouses had really bad marriages previously to meeting. So they
just moved in with each other as boy friend and girl friend. Kind of a
sticky situation but they are sincerely seeking to repent and come
back. I received a personal confirmation from the spirit that these
two are the reason I was transferred here. Also, they are both hair
stylists, and they do a stellar job on my hair!

I loved Elder Bednars talk. It was pure doctrine. GOLD! So I studied it.

"Holy ordinances are central in the Savior’s gospel and in the process
of coming unto Him and seeking spiritual rebirth. Ordinances are
sacred acts that have spiritual purpose, eternal significance, and are
related to God’s laws and statutes. All saving ordinances and the
ordinance of the sacrament must be authorized by one who holds the
requisite priesthood keys." -Elder Bednar

The Lord has invited us to come unto him. The gospel of Jesus Christ,
as outlined in the scriptures as Faith, Repentance, Baptism, The gift
of the Holy Ghost, Endure to the End. Is the way we can accomplish
that goal. It is central to obtaining his mercy and grace.

Those who criticize Latter-Day saints for "working their way to
heaven" do not understand the action words the Savior used time and
time again in the scriptures "come unto me". I imagine coming unto the
Savior as a pathway on which we all need to walk in order to use his
Atonement. That pathway is Repentance, Baptism, Holy Ghost, and the
sacred ordinance and covenants in the temple. No wonder James wrote
Faith without works is dead. It's not a working motion he was talking
about. He wasn't talking about how many doors you need to knock in
order to be saved, or even how many baptism you get. He was talking
about how you can actually be saved by choosing to enter into a
covenant with God, and then honoring that covenant by keeping the
commandments.

I love the work here. It has shaped me into something that I could
never imagine being! It continues to teach me every day. When you stop
asking questions, that's when you stop progressing.

Elder Jared M. Greenburg
Missouri Independence Mission
Fleming Park Ward

April 4, 2016

Hey guys, this week was pretty slow. I loved conference though, my
favorite talks were Elder Holland, Bednar was just pure doctrinal
gold. He teaches with such clarity. Anyway, we did a lot of finding
this week, a lot of bashing. My goal with each area is to become good
friends with as many pastors as possible, so when I knock on these
doors, and people say "I go to such&such church" I can tell them I
know their pastors. It's my favorite bridge building activity.

Well, I got nothing else to talk about, so here is a little bit of my
study journal this week,



Things that may not seem logical, can be slowly revealed as we
continue press forward in the Faith of Jesus Christ. Nephi had faith
and trusted that this is what the Lord wanted him to do, so he did it.
Things slowly began to make sense.

1 Nephi 4
In verse 10 it talks about what happens when we begin to doubt. Nephi
used the word "shrunk" appropriate for this occasion, when we begin to
doubt, we begin to lose power. The spirit spoke to him, and instead of
shrugging it off, he listened, and he was taught by the spirit. This
is the principle that was noted in verse 7. The Lord prepares away, he
wants me to obey.

V14 The spirit presses feelings to the mind, and to the heart. Nephi
began to remember his past experiences with faith, he also remembered
the blessings that the Lord promised him.

Do I remember the blessings the Lord promises me in times when my
faith is being tried by temptation? Yes, whenever I am tempted,
-whether I acknowledge it or not- The spirit whispers "I need you
today, stay sharp" or "you know that I can't be with you if you do
that" or my favorite one is "What about your future? You know what
will happen after you fall" The Lord really does prepare a way for us
to accomplish his commandments. The Holy Ghost teaches, testifies,
invites, promises blessings, and in the moment of temptation it
follows up. It follows up in the darkest hours, it pulls on our hearts
when we do things that we know are wrong, it prompts us to go a
different way. The best way to have the spirit more abundantly is to
act on those promptings.


V32-34 Nephi was able to teach Zoram the commandments of the Lord, and
Zoram knew that Nephi was faithful in keeping the commandments, he
knew that he was man of the Lord. He could trust that this was the
right thing to do.




Elder Jared M. Greenburg
Missouri Independence Mission
Fleming Park Ward