Real quick!

October 13, 2014

Hey!

So... of course I don't have a whole lot of time to write but, this week is Transfers! I'm staying here in Ridgepoint ward (Derby, KS). And Elder Turner is going away. However, the good news is that Elder Nield is coming in to run around with me! Him and I have served around each other, he's awesome. I'm super stoked!

I'll try and send some pictures later today if I can.

Love you all!

Elder DeFreese

Oh... P.S. We're having a baptism this weekend. I'll definitely take some time to talk about that this coming week. So sorry to cut it short! Their names are Alexia and Alexandria, they're 9 and 10 year old girls from a part member family. So... yeah!

CONFERENCE!!!!!!!!!!

October 6, 2014
 


So, like most every single week for the past 4 or 5 months or however long it's been.. I don't have time for anything! But I wanted to write a quick note at least, letting you know how much I loved this conference.

This being my last General Conference, I wanted to reeeeaaaaaallly seek some personal revelation, and find out just how I could be better. What do I need to focus on??!

To answer that, at least in part, I have to tell you that this most recent Friday, I gave a training to the whole Zone, about Christlike Attributes. I took it a little bit deeper than, "Let's talk about charity today..." Or something like that. I talked about how when Christ called his Apostles, in Mark 1:17 we read "And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men." and what I focused on was how He called them (and now us) to become! So we talked a lot about the what - becoming like Christ. And the why - Because Christ was the perfect example in everything, and our end goal is to be with Him and God the Father in the afterlife. In short, the training I think went alright, but we weren't able to really cover the how fully. I definitely felt the spirit as I spoke though, I think it was more to prepare the missionaries for conference.

This conference, every single talk, to me, showed me exactly how I can become like Christ. I don't want to give you all the details because a lot of it was my own personal revelation, and you need to seek your own, like we learned. But I will say this, becoming like Christ is the single greatest thing that we can strive for in this life. And if we are not constantly seeking to improve and realize that goal, then we are falling short. We need to always seek for His guidance, and His direction. He can help us! This isn't some unimaginable task, this isn't impossible. He has already done it! So we can too.

Love you all, talk to you soon!

Elder DeFreese

Sorry!

September 29, 2014
Hello all! 

So I'm really sorry for not writing the past couple weeks, things have been ridiculously busy, and things continue to be just as busy. So I'm trying to repent and write you something real quick, even though I've got like 2 seconds or something.

I'll just tell you a quick story that occurred just a few days ago.

So we were heading back from a meeting and a set of Elders had asked us to take them something, but they had an appointment with an investigator reeeaaally soon. So, with Elder Turner occupying the Passenger seat, I take the wheel. Racing along trying to help the Elders get to their appointment, while also getting them their long awaited item, I got pulled over!!!!!!!!!!!! The cop asked me for my license and everything, which was in my backpack in the back seat. So I got out and got it. While I was getting it, he asked me why we weren't out on the bikes, so, like a boss, I recounted my story of going home for surgery! Long story short, the cop let me off with a warning!

So sorry for the quick message, I love you all, please remember to invite someone to come to church this week. I know the Lord will help you!

Love ya!

Elder DeFreese

And...we're off!

September 15, 2014

Hiya buddy!

There is indeed an intensity about P-Day, especially for us! SO much to do! But we get it done, no worries. Our families at home suffer just a little bit because we're not able to write quite as much as others. But that's OK! AP's barely have any time to write their families! So it's all good.

As far as trainings go, I do get nervous, but once it's my turn to speak, the nerves leave, and I feel super calm. It's really fun giving a training that you've prepared for a week, visuals and activities and stuff make them real good! I like it! 

Sounds like Stake Conference was the bomb!!!!!!!! I don't really know what to say about it, so I'll just leave it at that, that's awesome!!!!!

I'm super excited to hear all about your week away from everything! Make sure to take pictures and stuff, OK? K. Sweet. :) BE SAFE!!!!!

So the Stake wants me to come and talk at them about the Gospel, eh? Well too bad!!!!! I'll be back at some point, probably.

Thanks for building me up again, even now people all over the mission ask me what it was like to go back home in the middle, and then come back. It's really, really weird to be out here now though, just last year at this same time I was home because my knees were being stupid. It sort of creates an anxiety in me, knowing exactly how much time I have left. 

Anyways, thanks for everything Mom, love you!!!

Elder DeFreese

P.S. .... probly won't be sending a general e-mail today. No time. But that's OK, it'll give me a few more things to talk about next week I suppose.

Here we go!

September 8, 2014
Hey, howdy, hey!

It's been another week, and.... you've guessed it! 

OK, you probably didn't guess it. You probably didn't even set aside to guess what's happened this past week. But I'll tell you about it just the same.

This last week we saw some ridiculous miracles!!! As long as I have been in this zone we have been strugglin' to keep up with the other zones in the mission, it's been tough to try and keep motivated and keep working hard when there is so much resting on my shoulders. BUT, this week we've seen a bunch of fruit from all our labors! Our zone has the most investigators on date (proportionately, there are other zones with more, but they have a lot more missionaries). And each companionship except for 3 hit standard on everything! It was awesome!!!!!

So this past week being transfer week, it was already super busy, we have a lot of set up, and meetings to prepare for. But this week had the added stress of preparing a zone training as well! Elder Turner gave a training on Faith/Humility, it was great! 

I had 2 trainings, 1 was on finding through the rescue, and I actually used a sheep that I had been sent in a package from my 2nd mom, (P.S. THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!). And it went really, really well. The Zone completely got what I was trying to go for, and they're all committed to being better at working with the people in our wards and branches who may have gotten away from coming to church. They're not inherently bad people, just for one reason or another they've stopped coming. It's up to us (full time missionaries and members) to help them start to come back. They have no idea how valuable and needed they are. And that's what I talked about.

My other training was based on a few talks titled "the 4th missionary" and "The Challenging and Testifying Missionary" And I did yet another activity. I set up a shooting range (for a nerf gun) and had varying distances and obstacles. I tied it all in with being the 4th missionary (total surrender, changed from his/her mission, lots of success). It went great, I hope they felt the spirit and had/have a desire to change. I sure did/do.

Well, I think that about catches you up. I gotta run, love you all so much! 

Elder DeFreese

P.S. When was the last time you invited someone to come to church with you? I challenge each of you to invite someone either today or tomorrow, and then you can follow up with them on Friday and Saturday. K? K. Love you!

So...

September 1, 2014
Another week dangit!!!

Argh, no time to write things...

OK, big news time.

It's transfer week! As far as my companionship goes, nothing is changing, Elder Turner and I are sticking together here in Ridgepoint. As far as the zone goes, there are a lot of different companionship changes as well as district realignments! So that means a lot more work for us to get things rolling, but that's OK. No problem :)

Other big news...... well. I think that's really the only "Big" news.

Went on exchanges this past week with Elder Arend, he's one of the AP's, it's kind of weird because I was his District Leader last year when I was in Garden City, now he's my AP, so that's really weird/cool at the same time. He's a fantastic missionary, great friend. 

We're seeing tons of improvement in the zone, 2 of the companionships in the zone had been struggling a bunch 3 or 4 weeks ago, but the past 2 weeks have been outstanding! We're really seeing the zone grow in faith and work ethic, it's awesome to see. 

Not much else to say really, I'm just super excited to start this transfer. The zone is really seeing tons of improvement, and LOTS of miracles! It's amazing! Can't wait to get out to work with these great missionaries!

I think that about does it, thanks for all the love and support that you all send me, I love you right back!

Elder DeFreese

P.S. Don't forget, "Motivation is not a feeling, it's a decision". I think I've shared that quote with all of you before, I love it. DECIDE today to be on the Lords side. Go out and help someone in need, invite someone to read the Book of Mormon, or Pray, invite them to come to church with you. Do something! K? K. I promise you that the Lord will bless you. He's promised that He would. :)

You gotta be kidding me!!!!

August 25, 2014

Man, its been another week again. This is ridiculous!!!

Craaaaap, gotta get running real soon.

But to catch you up real quick, this Zone has seen some ridiculous miracles in the past week! One of our companionships has 6 people on date for baptism!!!! Super cool! As a zone we are really stepping it up and seeing tons of miracles, lots of improvement, it's great!

This past week I went on 2 exchanges, 1 with Elder Jones, a District Leader. And 1 with Elder Telford, a new missionary.

Elder Jones and I went to the Harrison Park ward and worked our butts off! We biked a ton, which hurt a lot, but I'm better now! Elder Jones is a stud muffin! Super hard worker, great person, great friend. Love him!

Elder Telford and I worked in my area, Ridgepoint, and had lots of success as well! It was a lot of fun because Elder Telford is from Springville, and knows Don (my older brother) so it was cool for sure!

Other than that, this past week has been a blast, I'm loving it out here, gotta go! Love ya!!!

Elder DeFreese

P.S. Don't forget to invite someone to come to church OK? Sweet!