Busy Week

Dear Family & Friends:

My report for the week goes:

4/3 Monday
Today we went golfing in Pahrump, Nevada. The manager of the golf course is a member and he let us go golfing for free! It was a lot of fun. We play best ball and Elder Ebert and I lost this time, but we will beat them next time haha.

4/4 Tuesday
We taught the Russo's tonight and Brother Russo met with Bishop so he may receive the priesthood! While Brother Russo was in the interview, we taught Harbor and Sister Russo about the commandments and about having a prophet on the earth today! After that we went and saw a young man that is interested in the activities in the Young Men's program. Hopefully he will start coming!

4/5 Wednesday
Tonight was a busy night! We went to the Herlean’s and Krew was interviewed for his baptism on Friday! He is all set! His dad doesn't shake hands with me anymore he just hugs me haha. Krews little brother, Nixon, was outside while we were outside before the interview and he was riding his bike and a neighborhood kid pretty much tackled him off his bike and he scorpioned. He was a stud and walked away without crying. He lost a lot of skin to the pavement so I am sure he was hurting bad! After the Herlean’s we went and helped with a move. As usual they had way more stuff then we thought and it took a total of three hours even though we had ten guys there. A weight from their bench press fell and landed on Brother Moffat's foot. He was hurting bad.

4/6 Thursday
We had interviews with President today and that was great! We had a lesson with Jamal tonight and he doesn't quite understand our purpose completely. When we asked him to read and continue to come to church and he said at he would do that for us... not what we wanted to hear! We will explain next time the purpose and the reason behind it!

4/7 Friday

Elder Call, Krew, Elder Pederson

Around 2 today we got a phone call from our Zone Leaders and they told us that the baptismal font was super dirty and gross and it needed to be cleaned before the baptism. We went and changed and started to clean the font. It was a mess and we scrubbed an hour and a half and still wasn't super clean. We knew we had to start filling it soon in order for it to be full by the time the baptism is. As we were scrubbing, I realized that the cleaners we were using made bubbles... and I started to panic a little bit imagining Krew getting baptized in a font that looks like a bubble bath! Now that I think about it, it might be easier to get someone all the way under if you had several inches of bubbles helping you out! Long story, somewhat short, we cleaned it the best we could and got it filled up for the baptism and there were no bubbles! We set up 60 chairs and figured that it would be plenty for the baptism.... There were over a hundred people that showed up so we set up every chair in the room and brought others in and people still had to stand in the hallway! It was crazy! Krew is a great kid and I am excited for his future in the gospel!

4/8 Saturday
Met with man named Doyle and that was good. We got some of his life story and we think he is ready to change his life!

4/9 Sunday
Krew was confirmed and actually is ordained a deacon now! Super stoked for him! He wants to serve in the Dominican Republic where his dad served. That would be cool.

Love,
Elder Call

A letter we received from the Mission today:

April 10, 2017
Dear Parents, Grandparents, Siblings, Relatives and Friends of Missionaries in the Nevada Las Vegas West Mission,

It is our privilege to have been entrusted to have your son or daughter placed into our care.  At our recent MLC (Mission Leadership Council-attended by Zone Leaders and Sister Training Leaders and Assistants), the problems arising from family and friends visiting the mission and missionaries were discussed and the Mission Leadership has requested that a communication be sent to parents reminding them of the directive given by the First Presidency regarding visits from family and friends.

Here are the rules the mission is to live by as stated in their missionary handbook:  “Visits from family members, friends and acquaintances  are against Church policy. The impact of such visits may extend far beyond the visit itself, both before and after the visit and among other missionaries.  It can often take some time for missionaries to refocus on their callings and their work. While expressing your love and your desire to share your experiences with them (meaning family and friends) after you have been released, help those who may want to visit you understand the importance of maintaining a singleness of heart and mind on the work of the Lord (see Matt. 10:37-39; Luke 9:61-62)”

In an effort to correct a situation that is near out of control in the Nevada Las Vegas West Mission, I as the mission president have drafted the following letter pleading that you seek to follow the counsel given.

Many do not think it would be a problem to visit your one missionary, but the ripple effect of that one visit effects many facets of the Lord’s work. You may ask why is this a problem. First of all, these missionaries have come on a mission for the Lord to reveal to them who they are and for they, the missionary to come to know who they are without distractions and interruption.  Second, they and you agreed to dedicate and sacrifice 18 month or 2 years to this work, agreeing to serve according to the guidelines given.

Just in the past week alone we had 4 missionary’s family members ask if they could visit their missionaries. These families were given the rules the missionaries are to live by in the missionary handbook, which states that visit from family and friends are not authorized.  Three of the families went against this counsel and still visited their Missionary. In addition, this week, there was another family that just showed up at the church buildings where the missionary was trying to fulfill their sacred calling to serve the Lord. Some families do not make a personal visit, but their missionary knows they are in town having a family vacation here.

Brothers and Sisters, I feel an obligation to you as parents to protect this precious time of these missionaries. Family members come into town and leave and go back to normal life, but the missionary is left feeling guilty, disobedient, and distracted. They have to seek to build momentum again.  Then there is the consequences that are placed upon the innocent companions.

Please , this is a major problem. Las Vegas is a destination location. I understand that, but just because it is close to home or a place to visit, please do not let this be a reason to affect your missionary in a negative way. I get 1-2 calls or requests every week from family and friends wanting permission to see their missionary. These are just the ones I hear about. Missionaries are also getting requests from home and then there are the ones that just drop by without asking. With 75 companionships of missionaries and an average of 2 requests a week, can you see how the Nevada Las Vegas West Mission would lose the spirit and momentum these wonderful Elders and Sisters work so hard to accomplish. Just this last month we had 55 baptisms in the mission. That number represents faith, hard work and sacrifice.  Missionaries seek to live strictly obedient lives to be led to the honest in heart, to those who are almost completely hopeless and thinking that the Lord has forgotten them. Then this momentum is lost in one visit from home.

Sister Walker and I love these missionaries. They are the best of the best.  The Lord is counting on them. This mission has been promised daily miracles if the missionaries will seek obedience. We are seeing daily miracles. I pray the missionaries are sharing their experiences with you.

I picture mothers and fathers on their knees pleading for their sons and daughters to have the best possible experience here as the Lord’s servants. I picture myself facing you parents and accounting that I have done all I can to bless these missionaries. Thanks for your attention to this concern.

Warm Regards,

President Martin Walker
Nevada Las Vegas West Mission