November 21, 2011

Hey everyone! I want to start off by telling everyone Happy
Thanksgiving!!!! I hope all is well and that life is treating everyone
right. As for things here in Armenia, everything is just rolling
along. To be totally honest, this week really just flew by and I feel
like I was just in this internet cafe yesterday. But there is a lot to
fill you all in on so hopefully I get to it all!

So, this last week was really good. I guess I'll start off by telling
you all about zone conference. It went really really well. It was such
a good spiritual learning experience. President Schwitzer was there
and he was able to teach us a lot of really great things. It was
interesting because a lot of the things that were talked about at the
zone conference where things that I really needed to hear. I decided
to go to the conference with questions, just like I would for General
Conference, and it was really amazing what I got out of it. Like I
said, I got out of the conference exactly what I needed to hear and
learn. President Carter talked about our morning studies and he shared
a really cool experience with it. He told a story about President
Packer and how he has a reflecting pond in his backyard, as well as a
little stream with a bridge over it that he and his grandsons and sons
had built. So, this bridge obviously meant a great deal to him.
Apparently there had been a storm and the debris that was left in the
stream from the storm was threatening to destroy the bridge and
overflow into his yard and destroy this reflecting pond. So President
Packer called this contractor and asked him if he had a machine that
could remove this debris from the stream. And then he walked him over
to this pond and told him how special this little pond was to him. And
he told this contractor that he had had many revelatory experiences
pondering next to this pond (I can only imagine what kind of
revelations he has received by that pond, not only for himself and his
family, but I'm sure as well for the church). And apparently he turned
to this contractor and said to him, "Where is your pond?" President
Carter then asked us all that question and it was a really good check
for me cause I had found that my studies where beginning to not be as
spiritual as they had once been. They were starting to turn into more
of a routine thing, much like what happens so easily with other things
in everyday life. So, I really focused the rest of the week on make my
study desk my reflecting pond, it I had some amazing experiences with
it! And that is really what I got the most out of zone conference, the
importance of the Holy Ghost and working closly with that great gift.
President Schwitzer talked a lot about this and the things we can do
to help investigators and members feel the Spirit. It was really
interesting cause he shared and an example from his life from when he
got married. He told us that he doesn't remember a word that was said
in the temple that day, but that he remembers how he felt when he saw
his wife. And that got me thinking back to experiences that I've had
thus far on my mission, and almost everyone of them that has been
baptized has shared an experience about how they felt around us as we
were in their home or as we taught. This just really made me realize
the importance of helping investigators feel the Spirit, cause that is
when the change and the conversion takes place. Zone conference was
really uplifting and I learned a lot of things that I can do better to
improve as a missionary as well as to better help others. So, overall,
it was great! haha

The work here in Erebuni is going well. Unfortunately we didn't find
anyone this past week, but I feel really good about this week coming
up. I think Elder Seegmiller and I are going to see some really great
things happen. This week I was reading in Alma about the stripling
warriors and I was able to learn some really great things. I just
marvel at the obedience and faith which they showed, as well as the
trust that they always put in God. Here are these 2,000 young men,
going up against a feracious Lamanite army in Antiparah, and it
actually says earlier in the chapter that that was the strongest army
of the Lamanites and the most numerous. And you all know that they
stop chasing them and they are all in this confusion, not knowing why
the Lamanites stopped chasing them, and Helaman asks, "Therefore what
say ye, my sons, will ye go against them to battle?" and their
response was so amazing, "Father, behold our God is with us, and he
will not suffer that we should fall; then let us go forth..." Helaman
said that he had never seen so great courage among all the Nephites!
It was really great reading this chapter this week. I just sat there
thinking about what things I need to do to have the qualities of these
2,000. I've got a lot of work to do! haha. But probably my favorite
verse that I read that we are going to try to apply the most this next
week was verse 21 of chapter 57, "Yea, and they did obey and observe
to perform every word of command with exactness; yea, and even
according to their faith it was done unto them; and I did remember the
words which they said unto me that their mothers had taught them."
That if they would not doubt, God would deliver them. I thought about
this verse a lot and I thought it was so amazing that just the act of
being obedient didn't provide the miracle of protection and
deliverance. Rather, that great miracle was placed upon them after the
faith that they exercised. I thought back to the past week or two, and
the obedience and hard work was there, but I'm not sure the faith that
God would lead us to people was where it needed to be. So, long story
short, I'm going to really work on my faith this week and my trust in
the Lord that we will be led to people that are ready for the gospel.
I'm ready to get to work! Sorry for the big spiel but I thought I'd
share it anyways cause it had a big impact on me. I look forward to
letting you all know how this next week goes!

Well, I want you all to know how thankful I am for each one of you. It
is interesting being away from home during these holidays. I remember
just last year we were in Park City and I went through the temple.
It's so crazy to see where I'm at now! I'm so glad I get to be here in
Armenia for this Thanksgiving, it's just too bad I can't just bring
you all out here with me. Haha. Yeah, the food won't be as great as
usual and there will be no football game going on the tv, but as you
said dad, that isn't what Thanksgiving is about. I get to share the
gospel and my testimony with the people of Armenia and tell them how
much I have been blessed in my life, and I can't think of a better way
to celebrate. I have been blessed so much because of this church and
our family. There is honestly nothing I love doing more while I'm
talking to people on the street than to pull out a picture of our
family and tell them how I have been blessed in my life. How I know
that I can live with my family after this life and for eternity. And
to tell them that they can receive these blessings and happiness in
their lives too. I'm grateful to be a missionary. To be able to serve
the Lord and these people. And I am especially thankful for each of
you! For your examples, support, prayers, and love. You are all
amazing and I love you with all my heart! I hope you all have a great
Thanksgiving and enjoy the holiday!


Love,

Elder Fairclough