March 24, 2014

Someone made us Tony Romas Ribs.  Yum!!!!

This week has been great!  We are down to 0 investigators now...  It's been really hard to find people as well.  We have set goals and made plans though, so i have a lot of faith for this week, and am excited to get out and get to work!  The weather has been pretty good.  It's definitely warming up.  I planted some sun flowers and then it froze the next day.  So they're for sure dead.  A lot happened this week, but we're kind of in a rut.  However, i am SO excited for this week!  I can't wait to just get to work.

     Monday and Tuesday were great days!  On Monday we had dinner at the Prince's house.  They're an awesome family in the ward.  We had planned to have a lesson with H that night.  When we texted her to confirm it, she said she wasn't home and she forgot...sorry.  She knows the church is true and LOVES it, but she isn't willing to give up smoking yet.  So i texted her, and told her to contact us when she wants to meet again.    On Tuesday we taught the usual lesson's.  We saw Sister H. and her Bro.   They both want to go to the temple which is awesome!

    Wednesday and Thursday we kinda a blur.  We have this Book of Mormon class that we do with the Sister's at night, and the bishop recently said that only one set of us can go... bummer.  So we went home teaching with Brother Snow to see this guy who lives in a retirement home.  He has MS.  It was sad to see, especially because he has such a strong testimony of the gospel; at the same time it has helped him with everything.  Thursday we saw P and Sister K.  We had great lesson's with them as well.  

     

Friday we had weekly planning and then went to see another investigator.  As we were talking with her, she pretty much said she doesn't believe the things that happened in the Book of Mormon and the Bible.  She thinks they were stories to help us learn.  We challenged her to read from the Book of Mormon each day, and pray about it.  She needs that witness that it is true.  She doesn't really have a testimony.  We then went home teaching with Brother de Poix that night.  On Saturday we went and saw Sister H .  We probably texted everyone in the ward to come on the team up with us.  It was really hard to find someone.  There was a relief society activity that night, so everyone had prior commitments. We finally found someone.  She ended up having 3 other people over and they were all way into the lesson.  That night we had a church tour.  The Sister's brought 2 of their investigators.  It turned out to be awesome!  They are both Catholic, but disagree with quite a few things in the church.  The spirit was so strong, and their hearts were really softened after being through the church.  On Sunday we had ward conference.  It was sweet!

     It's been a great week, and I'm grateful for all of the tender mercies from the Lord.  There is always more we can do, and I am definitely going to put more work into it.  This is a great work that we are ALL involved in.  The member missionaries are just as, if not more important than the full-time missionaries.  We can't do it alone.  I love this church and I know it is true.  I hope you have a great week!  Love ya.

Elder Birrell

March 17, 2014

Hello,
This week has been great!  We've been busy trying to push the work forward in this area.  We've had to drop all of our investigators except for 1...  So were on the hunt to find new people to teach.  We had a zone conference on finding, so we're pumped to do it!

This week was similar to last week.  We taught H. once.  it was a great lesson!  She said that she need to "Get her self together."  We taught her the restoration.  The spirit was so strong.  Preach My Gospel is right when it says to make sure the people that we teach understand the restoration.  She said that she was definitely going to come to church.  Well she didn't end up coming... We are seeing her today.  We have planned to talk about temptations.  Hopefully it all goes well!

We had a great lesson with Bro. M!  He has changed so much!  He is reading the BoM everyday which has been awesome!   He is truly becoming converted once again.  Time is tight.  So this was our week.  The highlights anyway.

It's been so fun though!  Elder Bowers is awesome.  We get along great.  He's super funny.  I haven't been dead tired anymore!  I get in bed at 9:45 now instead of right after planning... haha no it's been good!  Our area is great!  I am very excited for the coming week.  Love ya!

Elder Birrell

 

 

 

 

 

Austin and Elder Bowers

First week of training

Hola,

As you can tell from my title, it's my first week successfully training (hopefully).  It's been a great week.  Not as scary and hectic as i thought it was going to be.  That's for sure!  It's been a great week though.  A lot easier than i thought it was going to be.  That just means something hard is going to happen... so pray for me!

Monday:  We hung out at the Zebraski's, and had dinner with them.  We had sister Holmstead's mom's chicken noodle soup, and these wheat pancakes from elder Johnson's.  Surprisingly it all went together really well!  We had soy sauce with pancakes, and you know how much i like soy sauce!  So naturally, they were divine.

Tuesday: Transfer day!  We drove to Greentree.  That is where the president goes to church.  There are two tiny tunnels you have to go through, so we were stuck in stop and go traffic.  We ended up being 30 minutes late... However, we beat the sisters, so we counted that as on time (they always beat us everywhere).  President ended up being late too, so we didn't miss anything.  I got my new companion.  Elder Bowers.  He's from Kaysville Utah, and he is a great missionary!  He has so much fire to be out her.  It almost blew me away.  I love training.  I enjoy having leadership positions.  They really help me, because they motivate me and "force" me to do better.  Ever since i have been a trainer I've had a lot more energy, and I've been way more positive.  It's a great calling!

Wednesday: Our Wednesday's are always pretty set.  Nothing to plan usually.  We always see A and K, and then have dinner with the Memmott's, coordination meeting, then BoM class.  It never cancels.  That's what i was telling Elder Bowers the night before as we planned for Monday.  I said heck would have to freeze over before these cancelled.  Well, it turns out the weather we've been having here made it down there!  EVERYTHING CANCELLED.  I was so sad... but whatever.  The Lord really needed us to see other people.  So we got to work!  We went and tried a lot of people.  It turned out to be a pretty good day though!  Members haven't been feeding us as they used to, so I've been scheduling with them to feed us!  The day go a million times better if we have a dinner appointment.

Thursday: We had our day planned, and went and saw sister H, sister M, and then we also saw H. that night.  Nothing exciting really happened. 

Friday: Elder Bowers got really sick, so we were inside all day until about 6pm.  Then we had a dinner appointment with a member at 6.  So we did that, and got home around 7:30-8.  We went and tried to see Y. after.  He was there, but told us to come back Saturday afternoon.

Saturday: Since Elder Bowers was sick on Friday, it pushed out weekly planning to this day.  Plus our 3 hours of studies.  So we did a lot of studying this day!  We ended up seeing H and eating at the Prince's for dinner.  It was really fun!  They're a great family.  We had Navajo taco's and i loved them!

Sunday: It snowed all day, and church was cancelled.  However, they didn't' tell us until we got there.  So, we went to the Z's and did our studies.  Then we watched the D+C videos with them, and had dinner. After dinner the roads cleared up enough that we were able to drive home.  Our neighborhood was really bad though, so we weren't able to drive anywhere.  Even with all of the craziness of the week, we still managed to teach 10 lesson's!  This week went by so fast!  Have a great week.  love ya

elder birrell

Transfer week

Hello! This week has been a great one!  Transfers are taking place tomorrow at 9:30!  I can't believe this transfer is already over.  I went by in the blink of an eye.  Elder Johnson is a super great companion and missionary, and i am most definitely going to miss him :(  We get along great, work great, and look great! ;)  hah!  It's been a blast!  Sad it's coming to an end...  So President Called us last night, and he asked if i would train.    It'll be fun.  I'm excited! >
  Monday: WE WENT DOWNTOWN!  It was a party and a half!  It's not what i was expecting however.  It wasn't as busy as i thought it was going to be.  It's not that big of a city.  We went with Jared.  He's awesome!  We went to this super duper yummy pizza place.  I guess they are one of a few restaurants that have approval from Italy to make pizza.   Everything is imported from Italy.  It was way good though!  There was this guy named Wholly who sat next to us.  He pointed us out as Mormon missionaries, and sat by us while we ate.  I guess he was famous.  He's the man responsible for making Pittsburgh a food scene.  He was nice.  We then went to point park and to the fountain.  It was a lot of fun!  We saw the 2 stadiums.  PNC and Heniz.  We went back to the car since we were running out of time.  It was a great day!
Tuesday: We did service like usual.  After we went to visit Sister H.  We taught her the plan of salvation.  But her husband sat in!  He's not a member, and he wanted to learn more!  We picked him up as an investigator!  Sister H was so happy.  She really wants to get married in the temple!  Then we had dinner!  Our night fell through...
Wednesday: We had our last district meeting.  It was really fun!  We have such a great district, and it's going to be different without a lot of them!  3 are getting transferred.  After we went and Visited with A and K.  We went on an exchange as well.  Elder Little came to our area with me.   Then we had dinner with the Memmott's.  Bro Memmott came to Utah this this past weekend because he is interview at BYU.  Hopefully he gets the job!  After we taught Book of Mormon class.

Thursday: This day was awful.  Literally nothing happened.  We got 3 media referrals, but none of them wanted to talk to us.  It was a faith day.  We had dinner at the Mickelson's.  That was really fun!  They're a great family! We also saw H. We taught her about the Book of Mormon.  She really liked it!
Friday:  Another faith day.  We didn't have much luck lesson wise...  Our day was planned, but for some reason it kind of fell through.  We had a lesson with P, but during the lesson the sisters called twice.  So we assumed it was important.  We answered, and they said they had a flat tire and they need us to come fix it for them.  They called the office, but they told them to call us.  P said he knew how to change a tire, and he'd love to help!  So we went and fixed the sisters tire.  After we had dinner at the Zebraski's.  Our dinner appointment cancelled, so they said we could come have dinner with them.  After we went to see Y, but he wasn't home...
Saturday: Today was awesome!  We had so many appointment.  We had 4 appointments right in a row!  Some how we stayed on time.  We saw sister h, sister h, sister E, and Sister M.  It was a crazy day!  We had dinner at the de Poix's.  It was great!  Then we went and helped the Zebraski's with some service.

 Sunday: Only one LA of ours came to church.    We had a great lesson with Mr. H. about faith.  He's read Mosiah, Alma, and Helaman all in the past 3 weeks!  He really likes the BoM now.  After we had a lesson with G.  It was a great lesson on the Holy Ghost.  He said that the lesson's are helping him, and he just needs time and he'll come back!
  It ended up being a great week!  Sister Holmstead, Elder Johnson, and Sister Nay are getting transferred.  It's a sad day!  We have a great district.  I get my trainee tomorrow at 12!  Have a great week!  Talk to you next week.

 Love Elder Birrell

Faith week.

Hello!

This week was a little rough...  A lot of our appointments cancelled.  Surprisingly though, we remained productive and the week went by in a flash!  Not a whole lot happened.

We went and taught a less-active member.  He is suffering from a concussion, and now he has pneumonia.  We showed up at his house, and he freaked out!  He was so mad we were there, then the next moment he was crying...  He said he was so sorry, and he asked us to forgive him.  He said that his diabetes makes his sugar level really high, mixed with his sickness.  I gave him a blessing of healing, and he said he was peaceful and tingling!  The spirit was super strong!  I felt it go through my arms into his head.  It was crazy.  I almost got teary eye'd.  We also taught H this week.  She recently got a job downtown.  She has been exhausted each night, so we haven't been able to meet with her.  We finally saw her on Friday, and she seemed really happy!  She is down to 5 cigarettes a day now!  She is continuing to be so converted in the gospel.  It's incredible to see.  We also saw her last night, and talked about the Book of Mormon.  She loves reading it, and she is seeing  how it is applying in her life!  Soon she will be ready to be baptized!  We committed Y to be baptized.  He didn't come to church, but he wants to be baptized.  We also been working with his mom. They both a really awesome.  That was pretty much our week!  It was a good week.  We taught 10 lesson's.  I just don't really remember what happened.  There weren't any milestone lessons.  The works just plugging along.  Have a great week, and i love you guys!  I know this church is true.  I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God.  I know that if we "treasure up the word" we will not be deceived in these last days.  The world is holding up their signs high in the air.  We need to raise our flags of righteousness, and not just stand by the way side as evil pushes forward.  We are the Lord's hands here on the earth.  I love this gospel and the joy and happiness that it brings into my life.  I love the atonement.  It is such a powerful gift from God.  Love ya!

Elder Birrell

Week 16

Well.  I can't believe we are on our last 2 weeks.  This transfer has gone by in a flash!  I'm excited for next Monday though...  A member is taking us to Downtown Pittsburgh.  That'll be super fun!  But i am more excited for the coming week.  The work in our little area is really excelling!

Monday: As usual, was not very successful.  For some reason, our plans on Monday always fall through.  The weather was bad as well, so we weren't able to use the car to travel.

Tuesday: We saw Sister F again.  She never answers or calls us back, so we always just show up.  It was a great lesson though!  She said that she is going to get active again.  She knows she needs to come back to church.  She isn't happy with the baptist church anymore.  She's really hard to pin down.  

After we went to see sister M and H  Sister M wasn't there so we just taught H!  We asked if she'd be baptized and she said yes!  She said she was thinking about it again.  She always feels peaceful when we leave.  She was super open to the church.  The spirit in the lesson was super clear.  Everything just clicked.  

Later that night, we went to the Addiction Recovery Program.  It's church sponsored, and focuses on the atonement.  It's a great class, and we're going to try and get more of our investigators to come!  

Wednesday:  We had our district meeting.

After we went to teach A and K.  J was there again, so we taught her about the book of mormon.  Right when K walked in J had to leave.  K brought her friend with her, so we closed the lesson with J, and said an opening prayer to teach K and her friend.  It was awesome!  We taught them the Plan of Salvation.  She liked it all, and said she's going to get her mom to come! 

We had BoM class that night, and it was amazing!  It was only us, the sisters, and J.  The spirit was so strong though, and we all learned something crazy awesome!

Thursday: We had an awesome lesson with P.  We taught him about the BoM and prayer.  He said he was going to come to church this Sunday.  He said that the spirit told him he needs to live righteously again.  It was a successful lesson.  

We taught sister H.  She asked how she can protect her family from the evils of the world.  We basically told her she needs to start teaching them the gospel while they are young, and that is what will protect them.  It'll guide their choices, and they will be more sensitive to the spirit.  

We taught H at the Memmott's house.  We had planned to teach her this quit smoking program we have, but there wasn't enough time.  She said she isn't giving us her cigarette's.  We were bummed, but decided that the only way to get her to quit is to continue to do what we are already doing-teaching.  The spirit will be the one that helps her quit.

We also had 2 lesson's with members seeking referrals.

Friday: We went and taught sister H, and the same nurse form last week was there.  She was still interested in the gospel!  She said the missionaries we referred her to contacted her.  It was awesome!  She met with them Yesterday.

We had a lesson with sister S, and taught her tithing.  That's what she has an issue with.  We also committed her to come to church.  We promised her so many blessings.  She didn't come.  One day she will.

Saturday: We went to teach sister F. again.  She had the flu though.  Her son who is 16  answered and we asked if we could teach him!  We had an awesome lesson about the BoM with him, and he said he is going to read it.  We are following up with him this Tuesday.

We had a lesson with H later that day as well.  We continued to encourage her.  We compared her life right now to the Joseph Smith story.  She feels like so much darkness is around her.  But like Joseph Smith, the light will come.  She needs to continue to seek it. 

We had dinner at the zebroski's after.  It was delicious and super fun!

Sunday: We went to church.  No one we are teaching came...  It was still a great service.  After we taught brother m.  We helped address some concerns.  He is still struggling with how emma smith felt with the whole polygamy thing.  That's his biggest hang up.

It has been a great week!  I love being a missionary!  It's so fun!  Elder Johnson is such a great missionary, and i am honored to be his companion.  Transfers are coming up, and i'll probably be training.  If i can be half the trainer he was, i will have succeeded.

Love ya!

Elder Birrell

"Many are cold but few are frozen"

With a sign like this......we needed to tract that house.

Clearly, by the title of my email.  It was a pretty cold week.  Again there was a polar vortex thing at the beginning of the week.  Temperatures were in the low-single digits.  However, it didn't slow us down one bit.  The Lord has truly blessed us!  Elder Johnson's eye is healed an healthy again.  Our area is once again experiencing another successful week.  15 lesson's, and 2 new investigators- yet again.  We are really focusing on remaining as humble as we can, so the Lord doesn't humble us.  hehehe.

Monday:  It was cold.  We went to the mall so i could get a few things, and get a hair cut!  It was much needed, and i fell like a new man.  Ready to baptize my area.  We didn't have any "success" numbers wise this day, because it was so cold.

Tuesday:  It was a great day!  Tuesday's have turned into one of our best days in the week.  First we had a lesson with Sister H.  It was a great lesson!  We discussed the BoM.  We committed her to come to church, and she did!  She even bore her testimony.  They are both making a lot of progress.  After we had a lesson with Sister M and her grand daughter, C.  Sister M has been going through health problems, and we recently learned that she needs a new heart!  We watch the Mormon message "Mountains to Climb".  The spirit was so strong and she was crying.  We talked about enduring to the end, and our Heavenly Fathers love for us.  We left on a really good note.  She seemed comforted, and she's still pressing on!  After we had a lesson with H.  We talked about baptism, but it turned into the BoM.  She has started reading a chapter or two a night.  She is in 1 Nephi right now.  She had a lot of questions on what is happening.  I was able to answer them, because i have recently restarted the BoM and highlighting everything that pertains to desire.  So we discussed what she's reading, and she really enjoys the BoM.  

Wednesday: We did our exchange this day, with the Greensburgh elders.  Elder Johnson went to their area with Elder Little.  His companion (whom he is training) came with me to Penn Hills.  It was a great day!  We taught a less-active women, and then A. and K.  Except, A. had finally invited her friend whom she had been talking about for the last 3 months!  Her name is J., and we taught her the restoration.  She really liked it, and wants to learn more.  She said she is looking for a church, and hasn't found one she likes.  Great lesson.  After we went to the Memmott's and then attended BoM class.  it was a great day!  It was different teaching with a new an less experienced missionary.  You really take for granted the unity you have with your other companion when it comes to teaching.  It was great though.  I enjoyed being with him.  He is a great missionary!

Thursday:  We had our district meeting, and interviews the President Topham.  After we didn't have anything...  We tracted for 2 hours.  But if there isn't anything else to do, it's the only thing to do.  We actually ended up picking up a pretty good potential investigator.  We are going to follow-up with her this week!

Friday: It was a great day!  We went and taught Sister H.  She is old, and isn't able to make it out to church.  We felt like we should visit her though.  When we were there her nurse was totally interested in the gospel, and wants us to send missionaries!  It was so awesome!  We taught her about the BoM and the restoration.  The spirit was really strong.  After we went and taught Sister S.  We talked about church and the importance of it.  We committed her to come and she said she would.  She didn't end up coming... :(  Later, we felt impressed to try and see Sister F.  We went.  She was home.  She had a friend who's house just burnt down.  We taught.  Got a new investigator.  Had such an awesome lesson!  Pretty much sums it up!  They were both super interested!

Saturday: Another great day.  We taught Sister S. briefly.  Then we saw Sister F. and her Niece again.  We committed them to come to church.  They said they would, but they didn't.  We also had a super powerful lesson with H. that night.  We talked about tithing and the WoW.  We committed her to be baptized on February 22.  She was so excited, and said she would!  We committed her this week to stop smoking.  We have arranged for members to go over to her house each day and help her out (read scripts, talk, etc.).  She was so excited!  It was the most powerful lesson ever!

Sunday:  It was a great day.  We visited a lot of members to seek more referrals.

It was a great week!  Love ya guys!  Thanks for everything, and i hope you have a great week!  I love being a missionary!:)

Elder Birrell