We survived another transfer!

Friends and family,

Well, it's been another fantastic week as a missionary and I just want to say how much I love this experience. It has without a doubt been the hardest thing I've ever done but it is all so worth it!

Not a whole lot happened this week, Elder Wright and I are still chugging along, finding new investigators, and trying to prepare them to make the covenant of baptism. I guess before my mission I thought that baptisms came really easy and that I would just be able to testify to the investigator, they would feel the spirit and then just kind of jump into the baptismal font. Oh how wrong I was about that; we truly are in a battle for souls out here and sometimes it seems like the advarsary has too strong of a hold on people. It's easy to get discouraged as a missionary but in times like that, I think of all of you and the great impact you each make in the world. I hope you all know that each and every one of you have changed my life and for that, you have made a difference.

In my personal studies lately, I've been thinking a lot about covenants and why we even need them. It wasn't until just recently that I realized that the Gospel, the Church, and God's eternal plan is all focused on the individual. We are given friends and families to help guide us and to help us improve, but ultimately, in the final day of judgement, it isn't about how many people we helped or how righteous we were; all that matters is WHO WE ARE; so lets be the best people that we can be, and help others to be their best as well. Heaven would not be Heaven without all of you.

Thank you so much for your prayers and support and know that I pray for all of you everyday!

I know that this gospel is true and that this is Christ's true church. If you ever have doubts or feel like your testimony is fading, feel free to lean on mine and know that I KNOW that this work is the work of our Eternal Father.

Love you all!

Elder Arkoudas

Miracles!!

Friends and Family!

I wish that I could share all of the absolute miracles that we saw this week but that email would take a week to write! I will stick to the most incredible experiences for time sake, but know that the Lord is so merciful to his people and wants everyone to recieve the Gospel. I have never seen that more than I have this week!

The first miracle came from a referral that Elder Wright and I recieved Wednesday. We called him up (his name is Victor) and the first thing he said is that he's Catholic and not really interested--he just downloaded our Bible app and clicked on the "order a free bible" ad to get it to go away. After a little conversation though, he agreed to meet with us and we set up an appointment for the next day. 

Well the next day rolls around and we start our lesson with Victor and he immediately starts off with how he feels like God isn't hearing his prayers and that his life is a real wreck right now. As he just kept talking and talking about all of his problems I just kept feeling more and more bold in how to address this man until finally we just said, "you know, Victor, sometimes the Lord humbles us so that we're willing to accept him". He thought about that for a minute and then said, "You know what? The day that I downloaded that Bible app is the day that all of this started to happen... Can I come to your Church this Sunday?"

Yea...we didn't really know what to say other than YES!!!

The next miracle comes from this woman, Joy, who is the saltiest person I have ever met. We met her on the bus and SHE asked US for some of our pamphlets. So we gave her some and set up a time to meet with her. When we got to her house two days later she was super excited and we were able to give her a baptismal date on the spot! She was super sassy, but it was so much fun to teach her and to sass her right back. Man, I have gotten really bold out here on the mission field!

The last miracle I want to share is with this guy, Mike. We were just minding our own business in the McDonald's bathroom when this guy Mike walks in and starts talking to Elder Wright. He kind of stares him down for a minute and then asks, "so what are you selling?" Well Elder Wright explains that we're missionaries and starts talking to him a little bit and then we leave the bathroom, sit down at a booth in McDonalds and teach Mike about the Plan of Salvation. We even left with a prayer and set up another time to meet with him. Just goes to show that there are people everywhere to talk to and to teach.

Well, I'd better close this email, but I just want you to know that I know that this work is true. Elder Wright and I even promised eachother that if either of us went less-active, we'd punch eachother in the face. Pretty harsh, but sometimes, we just seem to forget the same Father in Heaven who has provided this life as a wonderful opportunity to learn of Him and to learn to be LIKE Him. Please don't ever sell out your eternal destiny for a few years of fun and excitement. This mission has been the hardest experience of my life and it seems like I just keep losing thing left and right. But looking back, I have grown so much and changed in so many ways. I love this Gospel and I love what the Lord has done for me. If you ever feel weak in your testimony, you can lean on me for a while because I KNOW THAT THIS IS TRUE!

I love you all and I pray for you often. One of my favorite quotes from my last companion Elder Hale is, "Whether you can or can't, you're right." I love Romans 8:31--"What shall we then say to these things? If God be with us, who can be against us?"

There is nothing we can't do with God, so never turn your back on Him, because he never turns his back on us.

Good luck this week!

Elder Arkoudas

Power of the Priesthood

Friends and Family (I could reallly put just family because I really do love you all just like my family),

This week has been such a testimony builder to me of the Power of the Priesthood! I'm sorry that I dont have a ton of time to put a lot of detail into this email, but I'd like to share a couple of experiences.

First, we were out visiting some former investigators with a YSA from our ward, Amos; we had just gotten out of a lesson with our investigator when we got a call from the Hermana missionaries in the area, asking us if we could give a blessing to one of the less-active members in their area. We quickly rushed over there and were able to give her a blessing right then and as soon as we left, the Hermanas texted us telling us that Hna. Olvera (the less active woman) felt so much better and recovered so quickly. That warmed my heart a lot to be able to be there for the Lord to work through us like that and it just kind of empowered me to always be worthy of that sacred gift we as Priesthood holders are give.

Then, the very next night during our Branch mission meeting, I could tell that one of our Hermana missionaries was feeling pretty sick and was even in pain. After the meeting, I felt prompted to ask her if she'd like a blessing and she accepted. She is currently feeling a lot better and is recovering very well.

This experience in particular stood out to me because for the first time in my life, I actually decided to seek out using my Priesthood to serve someone and to bless someone. As I studied on that a little bit this week, I realized that THAT is exactly what we are supposed to do with our Priesthood: SEEK out opportunities to bless and lift others and to help others in their trials, either physical or emotional.

I know that this church is true and it is the only true church where the Priesthood Power and Authority are found. I know that Thomas S. Monson is a Prophet of the Lord and that he holds the keys to lead and guide the church. I love each and every one of you and I hope that you can all find opportunities to serve your fellow men this week, and throughout the rest of your lives. I know that what it says in Mosiah 2:17 is true, that when we are in "the service of [our] fellow beings [we] are only in the service of [our] God."

Good luck to you all this week and know I pray for you each and every day.

Love Ya!

Elder Arkoudas

We're so cute...

 Dead lifting 245 lbs

Ali Oborn and Delan Felding

Right now They are just one hour from Sam in Milwaukee. 

Lunch with a Catholic Priest

The week was a whirlwind of great experiences which has been such a tender mercy to us. As of late, our area and even our attitudes have been slowly declining and what a blessing and a relief this week was for us!

Tuesday was an interesting and powerful day for me. We started off our morning heading to the local hospital to hopefully find service opportunities there. While there, we were introduced to a Catholic Priest, Father Pierre, who politely declined our request for service but instead bought us lunch. He was actually a really cool guy and we even were able to talk a little bit about the scriptures and have a good conversation.

Later, as we were walking around that day, we bumped into a man who was digging through a big dumpster, collecting scrap metal. His name is Dominique and as we started talking to him, he kind of started to bash with us, specifically about prophets. Probably one of the coolest and most spiritual experiences of my life was when we were able to testify of the Prophet Thomas S. Monson and defend his divine calling. Dominique didn't really know what to say after that so we offered him a Book of Mormon and he accepted. Super cool!

The rest of the week was a stuggle for us both, fighting discouragment and trying to work hard. This area hasn't seen real progress in a long time and we've been losing investigators left and right. As we reported numbers last week to the Zone Leaders and told them that we found 0 new investigators that week, we decided to tell them, right then and there, that we were going to have two new investigators this week. It was a battle to find, but finally, Saturday night and Sunday afternoon, we were able to meet with two new people and they both became new investigators and whats more than that, it wasn't about the numbers either. As we met with one woman (her name is Emma) and as she started to pour out her heart to us, we both instantly felt the pure love of Christ for this woman and it didn't matter if she became a new investigator or not: we just wanted to help her in whatever way we could.

I love what the scriptures say about faith, hope and charity and I have really felt that apply in my life as of late. As we were on exchanges with the Zone Leaders this week, Elder Roper pointed out something really interesting to me with regards to these three things: that the scriptures give us these attributes in the order that we obtain them; and as I looked over the last 6 months, that's exactly how it has happened. Granted, I'm not in any way perfect in any way shape or form in any of these aspects, but first came a trial of faith, then came the faith. A trial of hope followed, and soon after followed an increase of hope. Our charity was definitely tested this week and as a result of that, we were able to feel that powerful, Christ-like charity for Emma. Time and time again the Lord promises us blessings and time and time again he delivers.

I know, for an absolute certainty, that this is the Church of Jesus Christ and even more than that, I know that our Father in Heaven loves us. Trials are never punishments! Trials: those times when we feel helpless and hopeless, are the very times when we are closest to our Father in Heaven and to our Savior, Jesus Christ; and for that, we should thank Him and praise his name forever, for loving us enough to hurt us and to help us grow.

Best of luck this week, I love you all so much!

Elder Arkoudas