New comp coming

     Hey!
     This week was awesome! I had an awesome Christmas and Christmas Eve, the members around here treat us so well. We are so blessed to serve here. On Christmas Eve we had a YSA missionary dinner and that was sweet! We also went caroling afterwards at an old folks home and that was a really nice experience. On Christmas Day we went to our Stake President's house for breakfast, and then we went to some of our Bishops' houses to eat and hang out with them too. It was a marvelous couple of days.
      Elder Gowdy is getting transferred! He's going to Rose Park. It's been awesome serving with him, he's a great missionary and he will do a good job in his new area. 

My new companion is Elder Haight, he's from Boston. He's a Celtics and Red Sox fan so he will need to repent a bit, but that's ok who doesn't right? 
      We had a baptism! Nicky Rodriguez

     I loved skyping on Christmas Day, it was so nice to hear your voices and to share my experiences with you. I love the spirit I felt with you, it was inspiring for me. I'm so grateful for all of your support, sorry for the short letter we are really busy with transfers but thanks for everything!
     Have a great week!
       Love,
          Elder Strate

     This is Justin, he's someone that we are teaching and he is super cool. We had an FHE activity with the Ward the other night and we had to make things out of gingerbread! We made an airplane.

Skype

Got to Skype with the family. My release date is August 3, 2016

Christmas Time!

     Feliz Navidad a todos!

     Haha see I can still speak Spanish. This week was great! It was one of the best weeks on my mission! We had a great week in the work but also with my own personal conversion. This Christmas season I've been focusing a lot on becoming a more converted disciple of Jesus Christ everyday. One of the best ways we can do that is through diligent scripture study. This week I read these scriptures, which stuck out to me a lot! Luke 3:4-6 is a great scripture for describing our roles as members of the church and missionaries. John the Baptist has one primary job in his ministry, to prepare the way for Jesus Christ. Are we not doing the exact same thing? One of our purposes in this church is to prepare the earth for the second coming of Jesus Christ. I'm excited for that day, as it will be a glorious day for the righteous. 

       I also had the chance to speak in one of our Sacrament Meetings yesterday. I felt like I needed to talk about the Restoration. I know it's the basic and doctrinal foundation for our beliefs and church, but we can always use a review of the basics. I know Joseph Smith was called of God to be an instrument in his hands in the last days. I know that as we follow God's chosen leaders here on the earth, we will be blessed. I love this work!

     I'm super excited for Christmas this week! We don't have very many lessons set up but we have plenty of plans to go caroling, shovel sidewalks, provide service for the poor, stuff like that. I love giving service to others because it helps me feel like a true representative of Jesus Christ. He did everything for others, and I'm trying my best to follow his example.

     We went to the temple this week! I love the temple, it is so beautiful here in the winter! The temple looks amazing with the snow around it, pictures are attached!

 

 

     I'm super excited to skype this upcoming Friday, I hope I won't cry to much when I talk to my family lol.

     Have a great week! #GoHawks

Love,

Elder Strate

 

                     Zone Conferences that we had this last week.

Supper

Tonight dad received a text from a family that took him out for dinner. Their last name is Romney. Marion G. Romney's grandson and his family. They have twins on a mission right now too- in Spain and Germany. Pretty cool.

Two in line to join the church

     Hey everyone!

     This week was good! We had a much better week in terms of lessons this week. We also have 2 people on date for baptism right now! Shafiq is one, he;s originally from Pakistan but he declares himself American. He's doing great and he wants to be Mormon, we're just working with him on some Word of Wisdom issues right now. We also have Mayra who is on date too! She has some doubts but she has come to church and felt the spirit there. She admits to us that she feels the spirit when she reads, prays, and comes to church. I know that if she continues doing those 3 things she will have everlasting conversion. They're both doing well and we will continue working with them throughout the week.

      I went on some exchanges this week too. It felt nice to go back to a Spanish area for a day, don't worry my Spanish is fine haha I can still speak and understand fluently. The week has gone by really quick, and Christmas is right around the corner! Freak, it's so crazy how fast time flies by! I love serving the Lord, its been such a blessing for me! I know that as I continue to serve the Lord with all of my heart, might, mind, and strength that I will see miracles in his work. I'm so grateful for the people that we are teaching and I've been very blessed this Christmas season! 

      Yesterday most of the wards we cover did their Christmas Programs, and they were all excellent. I love the spirit that Christmas music brings into our lives, I think the music is a big reason that people are so much nicer during this time of year. Hopefully we will be doing some caroling and service for people these next few weeks, we're trying to get our wards and other missionaries involved in that so it should be fun! :)

         In the new Christmas video, "A Savior is Born", I love the part when the kids say; "And they shall call his name Emmanuel, God with us." Throughout the scriptures whenever the name Emmanuel is used, it refers to the prophesy of Christ coming to minister among the Jews. The name Emmanuel can be applied to us directly today. Jesus Christ's Atonement makes it possible for him to be with us forever. 

         I know he lives as a resurrected and glorified being, and if we are worthy of him he will be with us through the Holy Ghost. Plus, he is coming again one day, and so he will be literally with us one day as well, so the name Emmanuel as used in the prophesies of Christ coming again are very applicable to us in this day and age. I know if we live this gospel daily and continuously become converted, we will be prepared for his coming. I love Christ so much, he has changed me so much out here. I'm eternally grateful to him for his Atonement and the church he has reestablished through the Prophet Joseph Smith.

        I hope you all have a great week!

          Love,

              Elder Strate 

Now that's a burrito

Hey check out this Super Monster Burrito I ate today for lunch, it's easily the biggest burrito I have ever seen and it took quite an effort to eat it! But, Hungry Hank (that's for you grandpa Strate) got the job done.

Sacrament Experience

   
 Hey everyone!

     Sorry I don't have a lot of time to write this week, we have a very busy P-Day ahead of us so I will write quick so sorry if the letter is a little short!

     The week was a little slow simply because Final Exams are here for all the students, so we are trying not to bother them to much so they can finish the semester strong. Christmas is also playing a little factor in that, but we still had some solid lessons this week. I love this area and I love this mission, it's the best!

     I had a very cool spiritual experience I want to share with you all. I think it will benefit all of you if you apply it into your life. 

     Yesterday we were at our first sacrament meeting, we usually attend 4 every Sunday because that's how many wards we cover in our stake. The first ward we go to is called the Westminster Ward because it covers the area around Westminster College which is in the Sugarhouse area. It's fun to play basketball with the members that play college ball for them. Anyways, we were sitting there listening to the Sacrament prayers and observing the bread being passed around. Usually, during the sacrament I try to focus my attention on Christ's Atonement and how I can improve that week. This time, I focused my attention completely on the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I imagined Christ's body laying on the sacrament table, just like it symbolically represents, and for a second it was like I saw Christ actually laying there and rising from the dead. It was just for a split second, but then I realized something. By taking the sacrament every week worthily, we receive the Holy Ghost as promised in the Sacrament prayers which therefore prepares us to Endure to the End, which brings eternal life. Christ's Atonement and the sacrament are so linked that we can even relate us taking the sacrament weekly to us preparing ourselves for the resurrection and eventually living with God and Jesus Christ forever in the Celestial Kingdom. Now the sacrament has much more meaning to me than it ever did before. I also read an article in this month's Ensign, on page 48, entitled, "The Last Sacrament Cup."  

     This story also enlightened me this morning as I reflected on my experience I had yesterday. This week was tough numbers wise, but honestly God blessed me so much to finish the week. I know that he lives, and loves each and every one of us. I had an experience this week that confirmed that truth for me. I was having a tough week, but God answered my prayers for help and strength through a spiritual experience that changed my perspective. I now realize that things being easy or tough is a matter of perspective. I thought I had a tough week, but after my recent experiences I now look back at my week and see all of the miracles God gave me. I'm so grateful for this gospel and the opportunity I have had to serve this mission. Experiences like this have constantly given me the opportunity to change, and I'm so grateful for that.

     I hope you all are enjoying the start to this beautiful Christmas season. I am so grateful for the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I love him so much and I hope I can continually feel his love throughout this week. I know he will give me opportunities to do so, I just need to have the correct perspective and be optimistic.

                                               Elder Gowdy and I at Temple Square

 

     Happy Birthday Mom and Dad!!! Haha you are old, but think of it this way. This upcoming March, I'm going to be 20.... 😷 talk about old... Freak haha. I can't believe how fast time is going by, it's crazy. 

      Sounds like you had a good week, I'm grateful for that. I saw Erika McMahon at temple square yesterday and she took a picture with me and sent it to her Mom. Her Mom told her that dad gave a very powerful testimony yesterday at church which is great to hear. Remember the bearing of a testimony is what strengthens it the most.
      Has Grandpa and Grandma still been attending church? Please let them know how grateful I am for their examples for me, they've always been great examples to me as leaders and as honest people. They are always so full of love and that means so much to me.
     I love the Lord! Have a great week!

      Love you
        Elder Strate