16 February 2014 - Transferred to Kagoshima

Hey there family,

Well I have indeed been transferred down to Kagoshima as a zone leader.   Pretty surprising considering I'm expected to give 4 hour trainings and I have yet to even lead an hour District Meeting training.   Who woulda thought eh?   Kagoshima is pretty good though. 

Sho was really sad that I had to leave.   He is a funny man.  I will send you what he sent to me before I left.   It was a pretty heartfelt email and then a solid bye bye!! 

Here in Kagoshima there is an active volcano that erupts everyday.   It conveniently erupts with no, not lava, but just ash.   There is quite a bit of ash all over the streets and such.   This morning during my morning run,   I could almost open my eye for a solid 8 seconds straight before I was hit with some more ash.   That was the best record I had this morning.   

I have another Japanese companion, he is way cool. His name is Mukaitani Choro.   I'm excited to work with him this transfer,  I will learn a lot.   My apartment I have moved into has 3 Japanese and a Blondy (me).   So I should get to brush up on my Japanese a little bit more than when I was in Saijo.   Saijo`s large amount of foreigners kind of threw off my becoming fluent schedule so I will have to get back on track here where we will only speak Japanese.   Walking through the streets here in Kagoshima, I get a large amount of more stares than I got in Saijo.   It's like they don't see someone blond everyday or something its weird.   The branch we have here seems way cool though.   I am excited.   I was asked to give a talk on my first Sunday there (not much has changed since Pleasanton ehh?) so I was able to meet many of the members real quick from that.

Mukaitani Choro (Elder)

Cool stuff that happened in Saijo before I left.   We had a lesson with the Morita's and we were able to set up a new baptismal date with him.   The spirit was strong and you could tell he really has the desire.   The only problem is he has the desire when we are there, and he will want to grow and progress when we are there with the spirit, but when we aren't there his life is tiring to him and it is hard for the dad to follow through with his commitments.   We met with Gary and he was the purest kindest soul as usual, really wanting and really needing this gospel, but his life is just making having time to progress and do what he wants (come to church) impossible.   He had a way cool miracle.   We have never gotten to meet with his wife because she always kind of wants to avoid us and not meet with us, but they are moving apartments and yes, indeed, moving into the same apartments the mission couple, and the sister missionaries live in.  It is a 30 sec. walk from our apartment. What a coincidence, I doubt it!   God loves him so much!   Now we can meet his wife and bake bread anytime for his wife!   Yukihiro (Johhny Depp) was pretty devastated when I told him I was leaving.  haha   That crazy man. He told me he will write me a letter though so that should be interesting.   Saijo will always have a special place in my heart. We were able to see so many cool miracles there and see it grow so much in just 7 months and have grown close with many people there.   I hope that one day in my mission I can return there.

Last Okonomiyaki eaten in Saijo.  It will be missed!!!!

Other good news is as zone leaders we have a meeting with all the other zls and Assistants to the President and Kaicho (Mission President)at the beginning of each transfer, which means I will get to see Elder Dolbin tomorrow!

Well other than that,  I can't think of much else. My eating portions have drastically been cut, living with 3 nihonjin.  My stomach will either have to shrink or I will most likely die.   Perhaps the daily intake of ash will fix the problem ;) Kagoshima is good though   I am way excited to work with Elder Mukaitani!   He is a way hard worker which makes me very happy.  

I hope all is well and everyone is safe and happy!

Happy Anniversary to the wonderful Steve and Kris.   28 years later and you're still kickin.   Happy Valentines to all those who are single and looking for someone to tell them they are loved as well!   

Love you!

Elder Bloomfield

Thought for the week:

10 February 2014 - Snow and Bikes, Not the Best Combination

Hmmm what to report on this week. Well the funny thing about last week is I said it seemed to be warming up a bit.. Then this week it snowed all week.   It was quite the experience, biking uphills in snow and slush can be a little more difficult than one might imagine. It was pretty awesome.   You would go from side to side almost falling about ever 5 feet to barely catch yourself and keep going.   It was hilarious,  I would just laugh every time we were biking up hills because it was just impossible.   I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge and look forward to my next encounter with the blizzard.   On with the snow also brought many little children having snowball fights, which also brought them to enjoy throwing them at the big gaijin (Foreigner) walking past them.   I usually felt bad hitting them with snowballs though. 

Snow in Saijo

Joys of riding bikes in the snow and slush.

This week Haishan and Chunka, the Mongolian couple were baptized!   They are such a cool family.   Haishan is such an incredible man.   He will one day be the Branch President of Saijo,   I have no doubts in my mind.   We were also able to meet with Bing Bing (the wife of the Chinese family) this week.   It was a way good lesson.   The husband was doing research at the college but we were able to talk to her about what we do as missionaries and she seems excited to get to read the Book of Mormon and try to find if a God really even exists.   She has much time to read since she just hangs out at home with her new 4 month old baby girl.   

We also met with Sho a couple of times this week.   He and I blessed the Sacrament together on Sunday.   That was a pretty cool experience seeing as it will probably be my last Sunday in Saijo. haha   It was pretty funny when he first started breaking the bread the pieces were absolutely massive! haha   One piece he broke off was like an entire side of crust,  I was like woah woah there friend, it's not a meal we are just breaking off small pieces now.   He nailed it though.   He blessed the sacrament, then bore his testimony during fast and testimony meeting,   We had a shokuji (party/get together) after church for him that the YSA girls did for him (which was indeed 5 girls) and Azumi was here too.  We told him he is the big dog around here now.  After the party we unfortunately had to say our goodbyes because he is going to be in Osaka until Friday and I have some good chances of leaving Saijo on Thursday.  He was like "man I'm so sad right now!"  He's a funny kid. he . It is amazing how much he has changed.   He is so strong in the gospel now.   It makes me happy that both he and Azumi are so strong.   I think that would be something that would hurt me the most if I  ever find out one of my recent converts goes less active after all the growth we see in them.  

Sho, Travis and Azumi  for the last time before Travis was tranferred from Saijo

Sho and Travis enjoying the Shokuji

I have been here quite awhile but still don't want to leave. So many cool miracles here in Saijo and Saijo is really starting to take off now.   We had a baptism last week, we will have another one this week.   In a few weeks from now Saijo`s active members will have gone from 2 to 9.   Gods hand is evident every single day!   You can literally feel Gods love for these people here as we go out and dendo every single day.   It is a special place and growing fast.   Saijo will one day have an institute and game center for the college students nearby.  

Christ lives and this work is powered through his atonement. hope all is well and healthy. 

Elder Bloomfield

P.S.  I just got my transfer call.  Sooo apparently I am going Kagoshima as a Zone Leader??   It's weird because I have never lead a training meeting yet.  Someone must be confused.   We will see how this goes.

          
                                           Thought for the week:

3 February 2014 - Meeting Elder Aoyagi - Dad's (Steve) Mission President

Well this week was great. There are too many things to tell, so I will only tell a few.   First thing, I have great news.   Elder Aoyagi (Steve's mission President when he served in Sendai, Japan in 1984)still remembers you.   Yoku oboete imasu to itta (he said he remembers him well).

So first we had an Family Home Evening activity on Monday which was a great success.   It was way fun and we had a way good talk about faith. 

Then Thursday we made dumplings with the Lee family that we became friends with through helping them move in.   They are so cool and we are meeting with them this week to talk about God and the gospel.   I'm way excited for them they are such a cool Chinese family.

I'd like to skip to Sunday.  Sho has progressed so much in the last couple months it is amazing. Sunday we had Stake Conference in Takasu (about an hour and a half away) and Sho received the Priesthood after Stake Conference.   The room we went into to do it was pretty cold at first and after the blessing he said, "wow I felt so warm!   The room was so cold at first but when you guys gave me the Priesthood I felt so warm."   Then later we had a fireside for new members and investigators with our Mission President and a member of the 70 which was Elder Aoyagi.  Sho was asked to bear his testimony and I was pretty blown away.   He wasn't sure what he was going to say even before he got up and he talked about how he was worried being baptized would change his life plans.   He had plans for his life.   He had been working hard his entire life, getting baptized would change what he already had planned for himself and he went on to talk about how his life did not change, only his heart did.   He said he doesn't know if what his plans for his life is correct or not, but he does know that the plan God has for him is correct.   The best part was (haha) - so our Mission President has a classic line he always says when giving experiences he will say "guzen? no, kiseki desu" which basically means "coincidence? no miracle".   Sho heard him say it at Stake Conference and took the liberty in using it in his talk.   haha   So, in front of a member of the 70, Kaicho, and the Stake President,  Sho copied Kaicho.   He bore a pretty powerful testimony and then said "guzen? yap chigaimasu.. kiseki desu" and looked back at Kaicho. haha   Everyone got a pretty good kick out of it.

Yesterday we had a training from Elder Aoyagi.   Stevo he is a pretty humble man.   I was surprised when I found out he was your Mission Presdient when he was only like 40 years old.   I showed him your picture though and he asked him if he remembered you and he gave me a hug and told me to pass it on to you.   His wife is an angel, she is so kind.   When did you serve, was it from 84-86?   Aoyagi Shimai said, "you were iisenkyoshi datta (a good missionary)".   It was cool to get to talk to them.   They sat at my same lunch table too.   I got to have a nice chat with them.   He is such a humble man.   I wanted to talk to him more and they were asking more about you and the family but then time ran out.   I gave her our address so maybe she will try to write you a letter or something.   The training was all about the atonement and being the ideal missionary. The spirit was so strong the entire meeting and many answers to my prayers came through your old Mission President.   That was pretty cool.   He would always relate things we talked about to stories in the Book of Mormon and how we are just like them.  I can understand why he told you to use the Book of Mormon in your housing contacts!  Elder Aoyagi told some pretty cool stories that he may have told you (Steve)when he was your President.   He told us how he wanted to go on a mission way bad but his parents wouldn't let him.   So he was at college praying every night that somehow he would be able to serve a mission, then randomly one day he received a telegram from his parents telling him to come home.   His dad had a financial problem come up and told him he could no longer pay for him for college so he is on his on.   So Elder Aoyagi said, "okay father I will help you, "what must I do?"  His Dad said "no you have your life,  you need to tread your own path in life,  basically, you can even serve a mission if you want to."  Then Elder Aoyagi said he told his father, " well excuse me but I must go on a mission" and he was way excited.  Another story was where he got his first job.   He basically gave the people giving the interview a 40 minute lesson about the restoration of the gospel in the interview and despite never graduating from college and being extremely under qualified he got his dream job which payed a lot of money at a foreign trading company.   He had other cool stories.

Well there's always more to talk about but I think my fingers are probably starting to cramp up so it is probably best to give them a break.   They are needed for handing out chirashis (pamphlets) to old grandpa's who can't hear our message.   Hope all is well and safe in the Americas.   The church is true.  God loves all.

Love you all,

Elder Bloomfield

Elder and Sister Aoyagi with Travis

Castle in Hiroshima

Hiroshima from far off

Thought for the Week:

26 January 2014 - Week Full of Fun

Howdy y'all,

It's funny because no one here actually says that.

Well this week was full of fun.   I  gave my 3rd talk in Sacrament Meeting.   This one was on sacrifice.   I related sacrifice to the peace we feel from it and how sacrifice really isn't for good, like in the olden days when people sacrificed animals,   God didn't actually need the animals, he didn't need the sacrifice, its all for us and remembering Christ and the promised peace that comes from it.   So it went pretty well I thought.   

I don't know if I ever told you but we do all of our talks in both Japanese and English because we have so many foreigners here in Saijo.   On Sunday we had 14 people from 6 different countries.   If you had told me a year ago that in a year from now I would be teaching in both Japanese and English to a priesthood class of Americans, Japanese, Mongolians, Chinese, and an Iranian... I most likely would not have believed you.   That has been my life the past few months.   It's pretty awesome.   

This week Tohma Kyodai became really sick from his diabetes and was hospitalized.  When we went to give him a blessing you could tell he was in a lot of pain,  so please keep him in your prayers.   It seems pretty serious. Without Tohma Kyodai none of this work in Saijo would have ever been possible,   He has done so much for the Saijo area and is an amazing member.   We pray he can recover soon. 

Also sad news about the Tonga's, so brother Tonga wasn't offered to play again this year so their family is having to move back to New Zealand as I think I told you, but it seems the only flight they can get that would work is on the 2nd of February, which yes, makes the baptism muri.   She told us though that she knows she wants to be baptized and thanked the missionaries for our help but is sad it can't happen here in Japan.   

We were also able to meet with Gary this week. His meetings always make me so sad for him.   He talks about how he loves the feelings he has when he meets with us.   He loves being able to feel Gods love when he is with us, but life right now is just so difficult.   His English is not perfect, and therefore because he is in the foreigners part of the college, his classes are pretty difficult,   He is always having to right reports and presentations and such, and has 2 jobs that he does whenever he doesn't have college work so he can help pay for his wife who is currently pregnant and always complaining he isn't home to help her.   He tells us how he wants to be baptized but he doesn't even have enough money to pay his rent right now and if he quit his job on Sundays it would just be no bueno.   The man has incredible faith though. 

We met a new Chinese family that is coming to FHE activity tonight and we are going to their house to learn how to make dumplings on Chinese New Year (Thursday).   That should be pretty good, except the husband and wife's mom is there who can't speak any English, so I had Sho teach me how to say `this is delicious!` and `making these dumplings is difficult` and also `you are very skilled` in Chinese.   I hope it goes well but we shall see.   Apparently my pronunciation is pretty awful. 

Life in Saijo is good.   Just really trying to study how to be a more effective missionary.   If Wilford woodruff could baptize thousands, Nephi could baptize nations, then a simple branch in just a couple of transfers is nothing too big.  I leave my faith in God to do his work through us missionaries and members and whatever happens happens right?

Romans 5:19

"For as by one man's disabedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous."

Elder Bloomfield

"You could say things have gotten pretty serious"

P-Day Fun at the Museum

Thought for the week:

19 January 2014 - Trial of Faith

Well life in Saijo was swell this week.   This week seemed to be Saijos trial of faith as far as investigators go but still cool miracles to share. 

Miracle number 1 is -  we have been praying for a member to be baptized or move in to Saijo to help us to build the branch and solidify the Lords kingdom here, and guess who moved in and came to church this Sunday?  Well you can probably guess, considering more than half of our investigators are Chinese right now, yes a Chinese college student moved in and came to church this week.   He had lost contact with the church for a time during his studies here in Japan, not knowing where to find it, but when he came to Saijo, his records randomly popped up a couple of weeks ago and we were able to contact him.   At church, he said, "he hadn't been able to feel the spirit in awhile and he was so thankful and happy to be able to have the opportunity at church."  He seems excited to help build this area into a branch.   That's not an answer to prayers, just a coincidence you may say? 

Well how about this miracle then...

Miracle number 2 has to do with the Morita family.  This week Tohma Kyodai jointed (went out looking for investigators with the missionaries) with us.  Before the lesson we thought he would have a car but then showed up without one, (he walks with a cane because one leg is longer than the other one), so we actually ended up walking a total of 60 minutes with his cane and limping for this lesson with the Morita's.   But with hard work God gives success.   Our plan was to teach the Morita's about prayer because that was something they had been lacking lately, and boy did that work out well.   Upon entering their apartment Tohma Kyodai recognized Mrs. Morita as one of his students he had taught in Osaka about 10 years ago.   He taught an art club class and at the time she was his only student so they got to know each other well, and from this Tohma Kyodai learned about her difficult family situation she was having and told us how both he and other teachers worried about her very much.  Tohma told us that at the time he prayed very hard for her, that her situation would be able to change someday and she could be happy with a happy family.   Now here 10 years later, and in a city that is over 5 hours away, we find ourselves in the same apartment as the girl he prayed for, teaching her about Christ's message and how she can have such a happy family for all time and eternity.  Tohma Kyodai said he was so happy to see she now had a kind husband and the miracles that God places in our lives.  God has a plan for all of his children and answers prayers.  It may not always be in ways that you expect or how you want it but in his time and his way, he will help you in the way that will be of most benefit to you. 

We met with Sho a couple of times this week and even went to a Japanese drum show he performed in!  It was pretty fun.  It is amazing how much he has grown and changed in just the past month. He is going to receive the Aaronic Priesthood next week and will be able to start blessing the sacrament every week!   We are excited for him. 

So things with the Tonga family got a little bit complicated.   Tonga Kyodai is at the ripe old age of 37, and therefore unfortunately wasn't offered a new contract to play this year.  So sadly the family is moving back to New Zealand by February 8th I think.   Things looked a little gloomy at first, with a lot of the time going to be taken away from moving stuff and saying goodbye to friends and such.  Trying to put all of that on top of teaching all of the lessons in just 2 weeks.   It seemed rough and Lilly (the mom) still wasn't 100% sure about it and she was kinda backing away a bit because she has had other siblings go less active and she is nervous about going less active herself, but she was challenged to continue taking all of the lessons as if she were getting baptized on the 2nd and see how she feels by then.   The Shimai (Sister missionaries) are mostly teaching her now because that is just more convenient because we can't always enter the apartment if Manako isn't home, but the lesson last night the Shimai said Lilly was like "yeah I'm just still nervous about it, I just want to be sure that I am doing this baptism for me and not for anyone else," and then at that point Manako walked in the room and said "Lilly! don't you understand that if you get baptized we can be sealed in the temple for all eternity, and our kids as well can be raised in the church?"   haha   We were like yeahhh! Manako is pulling through!   He is the man!  Pretty funny too. The very first time they came to church was because they had been invited to come to a meal thing for my birthday, which was after church,   When she had been thinking about baptism she said she asked Manako,  "what do you think about baptism?"    He was just like I have already been baptized!   I don't wanna be baptized again!" and she was like no not for you, for me! and Manako just said, "oh yeah,  yeah I guess that would be good.   Many ups and downs with the Tongas lately but Manako has been helping us out quite a bit it seems!   Keep them in the prayers. 

We met with Gary last week for the first time in 2 months. He has a lot of pressure on him, 2 jobs, school, finding a profession, and his wife being pregnant and always asking for his help, and we told him how through faith and putting Gods things first all of things can become easier, and we are meeting with him again on Wednesday.    Hopefully he continues to progress.   He told us again he wants to be baptized, but feels he should be able to come to church regularly first which is muri (difficult)  right now because of work and life. So there is something to work on.

Well those are the miracles I wish to share this week.  I hope you can all realize how strong the power of prayer really is.  You can strengthen your own relationship with God by just simply having the desire to talk to him.  You can be guided by him, feel his love, help others, and best of all know of his plan for you.  I encourage all of you to truly thank Heavenly Father for all of the many blessings you have in your life, you may find that he has been in your life more than you had expected.  I hope you are all doing well and healthy. I  pray for you everyday. 

Love,

Elder Bloomfield

Thought for the week:

13 January 2014 - The Lord's Hand is in Saijo

Hmm,  what to tell about this week.   We had lots of fun miracles. It is just amazing how much the Lords hand is in Saijo.   I am emailing today because we had mensetsus (interviews gomen) with Kaicho yesterday.  Apparently the work of Saijo has gone mission wide news and it was real awkward and kind of made us Saijo missionaries a little bit angry how much they talk about how good us missionaries are.   We had a zone meeting and the Zone Leaders and everyone kept talking about how amazing Saijo is doing and such and it was stupid because it just made everyone think  "well I just need to be more like Saijo".  If I were working harder we could be like Saijo, but we are honestly not really doing anything here it is just all God building his kingdom.   We are just lucky enough to be working in Saijo at this time when he is has decided to make this area holy to him.  So yeah that was a little bit annoying. 

But miracles that happened this week:   Well I will start with the first and most amazing one, the Tonga family is getting baptized!   How cool is that?   They will be baptized on the 1st of February.   The shimai's (sister missionaries) helped out a ton with the family because the mom said how she was always so embarrassed to talk to elders about baptism because she had never been baptized but with other sisters she just felt more comfortable.   I am so happy for the family and get this, for the last 2 weeks Manako and Lily (the mom and dad) have just been watching conference talks together. How cool is that?   This Saijo building has most definitely brought miracles of opportunities for this family. 

Another miracle that was pretty ridiculous, last week is we found 7 new investigators in just 3 hours.   Elder Walton and I were freaking out, we didn't understand what was going on.   We literally couldn't go 100 yards without seeing a miracles.   One of them was a former investigator family that we taught a couple of days later. They are way nice and love the missionaries, but it seems because of the dad they have never really been allowed to pursue more.   It's rough because he doesn't usually come home till about 9 every night because of work so we can never meet with him.   Another one of the new investigators is a Brazilian woman who was actually given a Book of Mormon about 2 years ago and when we told her we have church in Saijo she freaked out and was real excited to come. 

To the end of this week of miracles there is always a truly humbling experience.   Gods way of keeping me from becoming prideful.   This week I was asked in the middle of Sacrament Meeting to translate Brother Tanakas talk which consisted of the tsunami natural disaster and radiation and many other things that I didn't know how to translate in front of the entire Sacrament Meeting.   So that was a great experience :)

The Morita family is progressing but is still struggling a bit.   We taught them of the importance of the big 3- church, Book of Mormon, and prayer.  We will most definitely be having a lesson on prayer and prayer through the Book of Mormon next lesson, because they will never be able to progress unless they are feeling Gods love and their own spiritual experiences everyday. 

We are meeting with Gary on Thursday finally. He has been so busy with work and such and can never meet. The emails he sends us are always so sad.   They are filled with things he says he must do like projects and work and because of it he can't meet us, but Thursday is the day!  He is having his own spiritual experiences, He will email them to us sometimes, but it is hard to understand because of his English.  We will address how those spiritual experiences is God telling him he wants to help but he must show more faith.

Sho is doing great as ever. Loving church, loving life, and best of all loving using the phrase "nailed it!"   He is having a drum show thing (the Japanese drums) that we will go to on Saturday.   He said he can never remember the rhythm so he just plays his own stuff usually and does his best to keep up with everyone else. So it should be pretty interesting.

Well I hope everyone is well.   If life has been tough lately, try praying more sincerely, because if you are praying sincerely and with real intent, life is always good.   akashia shitta. 

Elder Bloomfield

"Cool family from Mongolia that we had a lesson with yesterday and Haishan (the husband) poured out all of the coffee into the trash. haha   It was way funny.   The wife freaked out at the money being lost and Haishan just laughed.   It was great.   Then they gave us all their tea to get rid of for them ;)"

"Yes,  t-daddy smoked all dem bowlers ;)"

Chef at his best!

Thought for the week:

5 January 2014 - Lesson on Faith

7 months baby!   Saijo is in for round 5, which is way cool because there are going to be many many miracles this transfer.  I think Kaicho (mission President) could feel that as well because for almost the 3rd transfer no one changed in all of Saijo again which is pretty unheard of and pretty cool.  

This week, I shall start off with New Years - first off, Japan is pretty lame when it comes to New Years.  No fireworks, no nothin!   Just eating expensive foods in which you have no clue what any of it is. I'll send a picture of what we ate.   Tohma Kyodai had the Elders over for dinner and treated us to the traditional Japanese New Years dinner.   He would pick out from all the foods what he wanted us to eat as well.  haha   So there was no scraping by on the stuff that looked somewhat edible.   It was pretty funny.   A couple of the things he gave me (it was like a rotten green plum), he started laughing and was like this one is for Elder Bloomfield and I asked him if he liked that food and he was like "oh no I think it is disgusting."   haha   Funny man... but it wasn't too bad.   I was able to handle pretty much all of it.   It wasn't delicious but I ate it all.   Poor Elder Henderson was struggling though. Tohma gave him a pretty hard time about it.  He would just push the food around on his plate and pretend to eat and stuff but couldn't do it.   To top off the expensive meal Tohma even bought us a taxi back to the eki because we were going to be late getting home if we just walked.   Oh eki means train station.   The man is too kind. not to mention, because it is custom in Japan to give money to your children and grandchildren on New Years, Tohma said we are his kids and gave all of us g-shock watches which aren't cheap.   Especially mine!!   I felt pretty bad,  I think it was pretty expensive.   It tells me the crescent of the moon and high tide low tide and other fancy things of the 21st Century. That was new years. 

Sho was confirmed on Sunday and is just loving life.   I didn't notice how much of my English he has picked up but on Sunday, he fasted for the first time, and when we were eating dinner, one of the elders was like Sho! that was your first time fasting and you lasted until 4, good job! and sho said "yep! nailed it!" haha  It was pretty funny.   It is amazing how much his happiness has risen in just the past few weeks. He is just genki (happy) all the time and loving keeping the commandments.  Seeing this change in him is truly a given joy incomparable to any other.   

Well life is good and we are excited for the many miracles to come from our faith this transfer.   I have been doing a lot of studying on faith lately and it is directly from faith that missionaries are given power.   Faith is power.   Faith is success.   Faith is our growth in life.   There are simple steps to faith and having the success of anything you put your faith in from the Lord. 

1. You first must just simply believe.   It is the start to all things.   Ether 12:18  "And neither at any time hath any wrought miracles until after their faith; wherefore they first believed in the Son of God." 

2. Next you commit yourself.   Commit yourself to giving effort in this thing you need help on or wish to accomplish. 

3. Do your part.   How can you expect to receive help from your Heavenly Father if you are not doing your part? The Wright brothers never invented the airplane by sitting on their thumbs waiting and your success will never come doing the same. You must do your part. 

4. Pray.  Pray for strength!   Tell God what you are trying to accomplish, set this goal with him, and continue to pray for his help and guidance, and in time and faith his will will be done. 

5. Expect trials of your faith!   How are we expected to grow if we never struggle a bit. In the movie 17 Miracles, yes those miracles were pretty miraculous given to those pioneers, but do ya think they didn't deserve it a little? Their faith was tried, measured, and proven to be far beyond what many of us may have been capable of.  The apostles of the Book of Mormon time didn't simply perform miracles all day and have all the success they wanted, they were stoned, thrown in prison, thrown in fire, thrown in cages with beasts; it is safe to say we can expect a little trial of our faith before we find that success and happiness.   If you are having that trial, love it! Because it means through the Lord and your faith in him you are just that much closer to his mercy and love. Ether 12:6  "And now, I, Moroni, would speak somewhat concerning these things; I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith"

D&C 54:10 "And again, be patient in tribulation until I come; and behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me, and they who have sought me early shall find rest to their souls.  Even so, Amen."

D&C 58:3-4  "Ye Cannot behold with your natural eyes, for the present time, the design og your God concerning those things which shall come hereafter, and the glory which shall follow after tribulation.  For after much tribulation come the blessings.  Wherefore the day cometh that ye shall be crowned with much glory; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand."

6. Last and most importantly, expect the Lord to act.   He has promised over and over again he will provide.   He will give an answer.   He will help, so expect it to come. 

One of the saddest things for me to see in the mission is the many people whose lives are too busy, too hard right now, too stressful to have time to meet with the missionaries when this is their answer.   If we will put our faith in God, through his strength we will overcome what trial we may be in.   The simple answer is Trust.   Just like the last two goals Elder Walton and I have set, (finding a couple by Dec. 1st., having a progressing couple by Dec. 25th) we have prayerfully set another goal for a couple to be baptized by the end of this transfer.   Heavenly Father has helped us to reach those goals and I know if you need help, if you will prayerfully set a goal with your Heavenly Father as well, just as he has done for many others, he will help you to rise up to whatever it may be. 

I hope all festivities were safe and fun!  Also Stevo try not to scrape up that snowboard too much eh?  You have talked it up so much, I'm so excited now! :)

Elder Bloomfield

The G-Shock Watch club

"Let the Games Begin"  Layers of New Years Dinner

New Year Dinner all Spread Out

The New Year's Party Crew!!

"The Performance"

Thought for the week: