Update

     Hey everyone!

 

     I'm doing really good here in the "Great Utah Salt Lake City Mission!" I'm having a good time here with Elder Barfuss! We have been working hard and now we have a few people on date for baptism this April! It's going to be a good month!

     The other day when we were walking home in the rain, we were walking through an apartment complex and a guy yelled from the top of a flight of stairs, "Hermanos!" We turned and looked up, and it was a Spanish guy. He told us to come upstairs and get dry. We gladly accepted and ran up the stairs and entered into his apartment. When we got up there he gave us juice and stuff, and then we started talking to him about the gospel. We figured he was just a Spanish guy who went to an English ward here and that's why he yelled at us to come upstairs, but we found out during our conversations that he was not a member. His wife isn't a member either, but they have both been exposed to the church a lot and they really like the doctrines and teachings of our church!

     I was just like, "Wow, thank you for this miracle!" It was amazing. The other day I went on exchanges with a Polynesian Elder and he doesn't know Spanish. I kind of know Spanish haha, but we had an appointment with him that night. We went and taught the guy the Plan of Salvation (All in Spanish because he doesn't speak very much English) and invited him to be baptized. He said yes and he told us he would tell his wife all about our visit together. He said he felt really good during the lesson and he wants more! Haha thanks to the Holy Ghost, we have a new investigator on date! I'm so grateful for all the miracles I have witnessed on my mission so far.

     Conference is coming up and I would like to encourage all of you to pay close attention to our beloved Prophet and Apostles as they speak. Watch for the Resurrection of our Savior and the Atonement as key factors in Conference. I feel like those topics will be addressed a lot during this East season. The resurrection is so key because it gives us the opportunity to be resurrected too just like our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

     Love,

     Elder Strate

 

     #Canadian Pride

Thanks for the love

     Hey everyone!

     I do not have a lot to report on this week, but first off congratulations to Bryce and Cindy for the birth of their baby! Razbee Helen Strate sounds like a good name to me, I can accept that for sure. Her birthday is pretty close to mine too, not Dawson's, just mine haha.

     I had a good birthday last Wednesday, and thank you for all the letters this week! I got 27 emails this week and I got some nice cards in the mail too. I'm so impressed by the amazing support I have back home from family and friends constantly, thank you so much!

     Our area is getting better everyday, which is a good sign! We have a few progressing investigators so the next step is putting them on date for baptism and helping them resolve their concerns.
     Hey dad we play ball at Harold B. Lee building too, that's really cool that you did. Deseret industries is really close to use too, we are close to there and Harold B. Lee hall. Our stake President is President Mabey, he said he was a bishop of one of the wards in the stake when you were serving. Small world eh?

     I love it here and I'm so excited for General Conference in a few weeks! In this mission we are blessed with so many tools that other missions don't have, such as conference and temple square. We have the amazing opportunity to take investigators to conference. I've been using this tool so much with finding lately. The approach is really easy to walk up to someone and be like, hey we have a living prophet just like the prophets from the Bible and BOM and he is speaking in a conference on April 4th and 5th, would you be interested in listening? People are very receptive during this time of year around here, I can feel the special spirit that comes with conference here in Utah.

     Thanks everyone for the love and support! I got to eat some pie and ice cream on my birthday courtesy of Elder Barfuss, so I had a good birthday!

     Love,

     Elder Strate

     Card from Grandma French, Bryce and Cindy and the pie and ice cream I ate the evening of my birthday!

My dad's first area

Hey everyone!
     Well I'm covering the Pioneer Stake, which is where my dad served back in 1992. Cool eh?

     This week was pretty good! Elder Barfuss and I are having a blast with each other, the area is decent. Things have been going kind of slow, but we are going to turn that around fast. I think the key in this area is just getting the members more involved, we have investigators and less actives to teach, but if we could get more members there with us then we could have more witnesses and testimonies. Plus lot's of Hispanics are converts to the church, like the first generation converts so lot's of them have amazing conversion stories. We are going to rock this area.

 

     Oh yeah one last thing. My first day with Elder Barfuss he got bit by a Dog, just a little one. But it was so funny, the little Dog ripped his pants just slightly but it was hilarious, the Dog came to bite me afterwards but I kicked it and it flew a few feet, and then ran away. It was pretty funny haha

     In other news today is exactly my 7 month mark as a missionary! I cannot believe how fast the time has gone by, wow! The weather down here is really nice, like it's 20+ everyday right now. Time to get my tan on haha!

     Love all of you and good luck with whatever things you might be doing back home!

     Love,

     Elder Strate

 

1st two pictures is me snow blowing our driveway in Bountiful last week! It was a crazy blizzard and we lived up in the mountains so that made it even worse.

3rd picture is me with the Gonzalez family. They are the Gospel Principle teachers and have helped us with tons of investigators in Bountiful. 

1st is with the Guevara family, we baptized them in February.

2nd is with the members I lived with in Bountiful. They are the Williams and they were grateful for my example to them, that's what they told me. Sister Williams was like, wow you have lived here a long time haha. They told me we will see each other again in the eternities haha

 Last picture is our beloved Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. What an example he is for all of us.

 

 

Testimony

  So I (Ron) am giving my HC talk tomorrow on the covenants we make at baptism. I was impressed to contact Nicole, whom Derek had baptized on Valentine's Day. He and Elder Osbourne went to the temple with her to do baptisms earlier this month. I asked if she would share her experience, here it is.


     "My experience going to the temple for the first time was amazing that words aren't enough. From the moment that I walked in I got this amazing feeling like I was so safe and warm. I felt like I belong inside the temple. When I walked into the room where the baptisms are performed I got an even more amazing feeling and i know for a fact that it was the spirit that I felt so strong. There was a long line to wait for but as I got closer and closer to the front of the line I felt it even more that even Elder Osborne looked at me from across and with gestures asked me if I felt it? (Meaning the spirit) and I did! I felt like crying at some points too haha you can ask Elder Strate... I get a bit emotional when I feel so happy about something. And then finally when it was my turn to get into the water and I was a bit nervous but the feeling of the spirit was still there. I knew that I was doing something amazing for those woman that I got baptized on behalf for. Just like Elder Strate & Osborne tell me "it's like they're there and could feel their presence and feel their joy & happiness from being baptized!". When we were done with the baptisms, one of the sisters that work in the temple pulled me aside and started crying because she told me that she has not felt the spirit so strong in there before and she had that feeling while I was getting baptized on behalf of those woman. That made me feel even better about being there that I returned 2 days later to do some more baptisms for the dead. I love being there and now one of my next goals is to not just have the limited access pass but to be able to enter the rest of the temple. Elder Osborne & Strate told me to wrap my arms around the temple and you bet I'm going to do that"

 

Transfer

     I'm getting transferred tomorrow, I'm going to the Canon Zone and my companion is Elder Barfuss! Yep that's right, I'm fricken pumped it's going to be amazing! Yep the same one that is from Calgary, Alberta. I'm so excited, it's going to be amazing! I can't wait to serve and double the Canadian power in the Buena Vista area!

     I love Bountiful, I love our ward the Parkway 1st Ward. The last few days have been hard because I have been saying bye to the members and recent converts that I have learned to love during my time here. Needless to say, I've been saying bye to lot's of people. There are so many people in this area that I love, and it's been really hard saying goodbye. They have added me on facebook but you know that it will be a while before I can accept those friend requests.

     This area is still on fire, we have some people on date so I should be coming back to this area in a few weeks for some baptisms. All of my companions have been incredible and I'm so blessed to be here and serving the Lord!

     Thanks for all the love and support, Elder Barfuss and I will kill this area, I can feel it. LOVE IT!!!! HAHA it's going to be cool, the last few days have been tough saying bye to members and stuff, but it's part of the mission life. I'll send the weekly letter and be prepared for lots of pictures.

     Nicole Mateos (A recent convert) bought me a really nice Seahawks jacket, like I mean really nice. I don't know why haha but I'm super grateful for it!

     Job Allred is one of our Ward Missionaries, and he came out and helped us a ton. He served his mission in Guatemala and he's super funny.

 

     With the Guadarrama's. They were my first 4 baptisms in this area, Memo wasn't there last night so I missed him but their family is super nice and I will come back to this area in 1 year to go to the temple with them.

     With Elder Ward. He plays soccer for BYU and he was a visa waiter waiting to go to Taiwan. He got his visa last week, he's a really good friend of mine. He said he'll come watch me play ball in university. He's from Michigan and he told me he's actually pretty good friends with Nik Stauskas, the NBA player from Canada that played university for Michigan and is currently with the Sacramento Kings.

 

     The Elggren family, they are an amazing family. They were like an extension of my family from home, they made me feel welcome and I truly experienced their love. They were my first dinner appointment in this area too! Brother Elggren served his mission in Venezuela and his wife is from Mexico City!

     Brother Jeff Wilson. He is originally from Logan area here in Utah. He was also a Ward Missionary and I love him. He served in San Fransisco Spanish Speaking and he could relate to me really well in terms of speaking a foreign language in a English dominant mission. He married a Peruvian and now they are expecting their first child in a few months!

 

     Dale Parsons, he is also a return missionary. He served in Columbus, Ohio mission Spanish Speaking. He came out with us all the time and was a great example for me. He came with us last week when we went to the temple to do baptisms for the dead with some recent converts. It was an amazing experience.

     Yeah you are going to get some friend requests from people on Facebook. Johan is one of the guys I baptized. I'm getting transferred so yesterday I went and visited my recent converts and members I've gotten close too. Some of the names of them are: Guadarrama family (Johan and Guillermo or Memo), Ethia Elggren and David Elggren and their family. Nicole Mateos, Juan Juarez, any of the people I've baptized might send you one, they have also been sending me some too but I obviously can't accept them right now haha. There are also others that have been adding me. The Belmares family, Marquez family, Jeff Wilson, Saavedra family, Job Allred, lot's of different people have been adding me on facebook. The Salas family is another. Just ask them when they add you and they will let you know. Last night I was at the Elggren's house and you were messaging their Mom and I was sitting right there! Haha it was so funny, I started to miss you a bit more when I heard the vibration and Sister Elggren was like, "Hey it's Elder Strate's Dad! Haha it was cool. But yeah just watch for some friend requests, all of them are amazing people.

 

     I am getting more pictures today with more members and others I have met in this area that I love. I will send them next week, there are a ton of people I want to get pictures with so today is going to be a crazy P-Day!

Love,

Elder Strate

Sounds like you guys have a fun Summer planned ahead of you, that's great! Love it! Haha

Cool story

So I (Ron) get a text with this picture. I have no idea who from. I thank them and they respond that I'm welcome, they ran into them at lunch and they took a pic and texted it since this person's mom loves getting pictures from her son on a mission.
Cool world.

Update - new mission president

Hi everyone,

     Yes another week always seems to go by, and I mean very quickly. The days feel like weeks and the weeks feel like days. That's a very common missionary phrase that lot's of missionaries around here use.

    No mom, I have not received the package yet, but I should get it this week then!

    My health has been really good. I got a new workout program you might have heard of it, it's called T-25 and Sean T does it, he used to be an Olympic sprinter for team USA, and it's a very hard workout program. It's been pushing my limits, and I do it every morning. Look it up on youtube and see what it's like, I can promise you that it kicks my butt every morning haha. It's like perfect for missionaries too because it's just 25 minutes of non-stop workout, so every morning is good. I love working out, even though during the time while I work out I might feel like crap and feel really tired, seeing the results and being healthy just makes you feel better physically and morally. I'm done with fast food and candy, I've been eating way healthier now. I've been eating lots of fruits, eggs, spinach (Not even kidding, it tastes awful but it's worth it), and lean meats like tuna and chicken. Oh and of course the ridiculously unhealthy Hispanic food we get everyday for dinner appointments, it doesn't help  haha.

     But I'm doing really good. I can dunk about 1 out of every 2 or 3 tries now, I'm getting a lot better and healthier. The knee is doing good, feels normal about 98% of the time. I'll have the random time I'll feel a bit of pain, but right now it's not a huge issue.

     This week was very good. We found like 15 new investigators this week, YES!!!!!!!!!!! The area is still booming, and I will not let it stop. We will work hard and continually bring others unto Christ! This work never stops, and we must push forward. Transfers are next Tuesday, March 10th and I'm pretty sure that I will be transferred. I WILL NOT LEAVE THIS AREA WITHOUT HAVING AT LEAST 5 PEOPLE ON DATE FOR BAPTISM. That's right, you heard me. I have a week to put 5 people on date, and we will do it. I know we will and I know we can. The Lord will bless us, I have faith that he will!  I'm pretty sure I'm going to get transferred. You never know, but I have a feeling I'll be leaving Bountiful. I have 15 baptisms and my mission now and as far as I'm aware, they are all still progressing and active in the church.

     Some of our recent converts from the last few months have temple recommends now, so this week we are going to go to the temple with them! I'm so excited, and we have members coming too! It's going to be an amazing sacred experience for them, I'm so grateful for temples and the miracles that happen within them!

     This week was President Hansen's last week, he was officially released on Friday and our new Mission President, President Spendlove, was set apart on Saturday. I have not met him yet, but we have heard many good things about him. We also have zone meeting this upcoming Thursday and he is supposed to be there to meet everyone, I'm so excited it's going to be incredible!

     I love President Hansen and his family so much, I can't express how much he has taught me and how his example has influenced my life forever. He is an incredible man, and he has a great road ahead of him for the rest of his life. He has an amazing family and a whole legion of missionaries supporting him and his eternal wife. President Hansen told me to thank you and Mom for your love and support and prayers on his behalf. He said he could feel them and he is grateful for being great parents for me.

Love,

Elder Strate

 

1st Picture is my last time seeing President Hansen, at least for now.

 

2nd Picture is a sticker I saw on a car, the doctrine this sticker teaches is so true! #fightthenewdrug