New way to help activate

     Hello!
      Elder Haight and I had a great week. We had transfers last week so we were really busy for a few days, but we still managed to teach a lot of lessons this week. We have been teaching a ton of less active members of the church, especially return missionaries. We realize that return missionaries don't want to be a missionary project, they already know the doctrine. They don't want to feel like, oh I'm that guy I used to teach on my mission, because it's just a sad and depressing thought. So, we have been taking them on splits with us! 
     It's been miraculous! We get to do double the work and they have a chance to relive their missions, which is probably the best time they have ever had in their lives. It's been so cool to  work with less actives like that. Everyone wants to serve and help other people, it's part of our human nature. If we give others the chance to serve, teach, or be involved in the Ward through a calling, it tends to help them come back to church. It's been so cool to see that here, everyone is so selfless and it has inspired me to become better. During one of my personal studies this week, I read about virtue. 2 Peter 1:3-5
     "3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that
pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that
hath called us to glory and virtue:
     4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises:
that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having
escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
     5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and
to virtue knowledge;" 
     Basically virtue is godliness, holiness, purity, chastity, cleanliness, etc. I love how in these scriptures we are taught to be "partakers of the divine nature" so we can "escape the corruption that is in the world through lust". If we can live worthy of the Holy Ghost, we will be virtuous vessels for the spirit. I also love how it talks about faith adding to virtue, and virtue adding to knowledge. When we are clean morally we are more susceptible to the spirit,
therefore we can be learn more. I love the scriptures! We can receive revelation and insights from them that will effect our lives forever.
      Thanks for all the support! Love you all!
      Love,
           Elder Strate

1st picture is an old friend, Elder Montatip. He was chugging a bottle of soy sauce lol. 2nd one is Elder Haight and a huge dog!

Staying put

      Hey!

      This week is transfers! Elder Haight and I are staying together this transfer, which is great news! I love this area and my companion has been great so far. We're learning so much from each other and it's been such a blessing for us to edify each other. 

 

      We found some more less active members to teach this week. We found quite a few return missionaries that are struggling with church attendance at the moment and we are going to take them out on splits with us this week. We decided that might be the best way to help them feel the spirit again. It will also bring back memories they had from their missions which we both agree should help them come back to church. It's going to be a great week!

       I read a great talk this week by Elder Christofferson, it's called "The Divine Gift of Repentance." This week I was reflecting on what I could improve on. I read this talk and I realized that whatever I decide to improve on, I will maximize my success in progression with the help of the Savior. I know he can help us recognize and overcome our weaknesses through his Atonement. This talk was awesome, please read it! https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2011/10/the-divine-gift-of-repentance?lang=eng

     Thanks for all the support back you give me, sorry I know this letter is short but I will try to write a longer one next week!

     Love,

       Elder Strate

 

Wing Eating Challenge

      Hey everyone!

     We had a great week! We had some awesome lessons this week, it was one of my favorite weeks in this area so far. We taught some very powerful lessons and I felt my own personal conversion grow immensely throughout the week.

      I had the opportunity to go on some Spanish exchanges this week, so it has been good to brush up on my Spanish again lol. We have one tomorrow so hopefully I'll still be able to speak well. We have a good amount of Spanish speakers in our YSA wards so that always helps, but proselyting in Spanish is the best! I'm pumped, it's going to be a sweet experience.

       I've been reading a lot this week about receiving revelation, and helping others learn how to attain it. Modern day PERSONAL revelation is one of the greatest blessings that came as a result of the restoration. The restoration of priesthood keys has brought back the ability for modern Prophets and Apostles to receive revelation for the entire world, which has also brought us the ability to receive our own personal revelation. One of the ways we can recognize if our revelation is correct or if our thoughts and feelings are from God, can be based off of how we feel as we pray (Galations 5:22-23). It can also relate to the fact that all good things come from God, so if something you're doing is consistently good then I think you're on the right track. 

       The reason revelation is so necessary for our salvation is because the gospel is something that is meant to be spiritually understood, not intellectually or temporarily understood (Alma 36:4). Trying to figure everything out logically in the gospel is foolish, because then the concept of faith would be in vain and we need to remember that we are still mortal. God does things that sometimes will make no sense to us, but since he is omnipotent and omniscient we have faith that whatever he commands and desires for us is for our benefit because he loves us and knows each and every one of us personally. 

       Those are some simple concepts I deepened my understanding of throughout the week, it was great! 

      Sorry I didnt the email off until tonight. We had meetings with President regarding transfers, transfer board, preparing for transfers, helping the Senior Missionaries in the office with upcoming housing and car issues, just stuff like that. Then we had a few lessons, went to a family home evening activity with one of our YSA wards and came here to the office! So yeah we had a crazy day, I'm so busy Dad with this assignment. I love it and it's great to be around President so much

      This past week I also did the Buffalo Wild Wings Hot and Spicy wing challenge this week with a member. The member is Alex Nunez, he's super cool and he actually grew up in the same ward as one of my former companions, Elder Firpo! There are pictures attached of our attempt, it was a difficult challenge to say the least haha but it was a blast!

 

       The challenge was 12 in 6 minutes, it was their hottest sauce and we had to do it without napkins, water, or ranch haha. It had habeneros, jalepenos, and ghost peppers hahaha - those are some hot peppers! It made me cry yes, but it was pretty hard.

      I got pretty close, I did 10 but it was a ton of chicken, and ever since I got to this area my stomach has shrunk a ton hahaha - because we don't eat dinner with members everyday.

 

      I hope you all had a great week! I had one that's for sure, and I know that as you place God first in your lives then he will bless you and mold you into something greater than you will ever become alone.

     Love,

        Elder Strate

Missionary Broadcast

      Hey everyone!

      We had a great week! We found around 15 new less active members to teach this week, it's been awesome! It's one of those moments that's very bitter sweet because it's hard to see someone that has made covenants with the Lord fall away, but it's nice that they are willing to return. I'm excited for what the week has in store!

      Luna's baptism will be on February 6th as of right now, he has been struggling with church attendance but other than that he's doing great! 

      We had a Worldwide Missionary Broadcast on Wednesday, it was very inspiring. As missionaries we teach REPENTANCE and baptize CONVERTS. That was one of the principles that was expressed many times during the broadcast. Another cool thing was that I got to watch it live here in Salt Lake City! Our whole mission was invited to go and I was on the camera! Hahaha there is one part where it showed my hand writing notes (Yes Mom I actually take notes sometimes) and another part where I'm sitting there with my companion! I'll send a picture of it because some missionaries re-watched the broadcast and sent me a screenshot of us sitting there, it was pretty cool! 

        Another thing that was very interesting is that most of the things we have been focusing on as a mission and in recent zone conferences were discussed during the broadcast. I'm so grateful to have a mission President that is inspired and follows the spirit, I know he has been guiding us in a way that is in line with what the Apostles want.

I'm very excited for this week! Sorry I don't have a bunch to report this week, but hopefully I will next week!

        Love,

            Elder Strate

Update

Hi everyone,                                          January 18, 2016

      We had a great week! We had a lot of less active members that we were previously working with show up to church on Sunday. It was awesome to see them again, and this week we'll be visiting all of them!

      I heard about the Seahawks losing, sounds like the 2nd half of it was a good game. Oh well, it's about time someone new won the NFC ;) hahaha I would rather be home to see them win again anyways.

      I was reading this morning about the new temple down in Provo. The story behind that building is pretty interesting, I would encourage all of you to check it out! Sister Spendlove, our mission president's wife, took some classes at that building while she was attending BYU.

      We found some new investigators this week, along with some new less actives. We've been jumping around different apartment complexes visiting members and new move-ins because it's a new year and a new semester for school, so there are a ton of new members in some of our wards. It's been a great opportunity to get to know the members better and it has provided excellent finding opportunities for us. Its been going great so far!

      The Luna Family, who got baptized in the Summer, have a son named Alan. I started teaching him while I was in Rose Park and he's getting baptized on Saturday! He's been taught by some Sister missionaries in our YSA Stake, because he lives in their YSA area and he called me last night to ask me to baptize him! YES!!! It's going to be awesome, I'm so excited to go to his baptism on Saturday! I'll make sure to send pictures!

      I had some amazing studies this week. I studied this talk by Elder Oaks; https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1984/10/why-do-we-serve?lang=eng

make sure to check it out!

     

      Love,

               Elder Derek Strate

Back to normal

     Hey!
      We had a good week! The last few weeks have been tough in YSA because of the holidays and school. Yesterday we had a lot of members back at church because school starts this week so we're grateful to have some member support in our area now! It's going to be great! :)
      We have a new Ward mission leader in one of our wards. His name is Albert Hidalgo, and he's a convert of only one year and he's already a Ward mission leader! He's really solid and he wants to help us out as much as possible. Sometimes in YSA wards everyone gets content with how the Ward is because they like to isolate themselves with just their little social group, but Albert told us he wants to light the Ward on fire so we are excited to work with him. These next few weeks should be interesting because two of the four wards we cover are getting new Bishoprics soon! I'm excited to see who the new leadership is and I'm stoked to meet them!
      My companion and I gave talks in two of our wards yesterday. I focused my talk around President Monson's talk from last conference. I love what President Monson states during his address: "Recently, as I have been reading and pondering the scriptures, two passages in particular have stayed with me. Both are familiar to us. The first is from the Sermon on the Mount: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
     The second scripture is one which came to my mind as I pondered the meaning of the first. It is from the Apostle Paul’s Epistle to Timothy: “Be thou an example of the believers, in word, in
conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” I believe the second scripture President Monson shared can accurately explain how we can accomplish the first. We become examples of the believers by living the gospel of Jesus Christ constantly. We can live the gospel of Jesus Christ in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, and in purity. As we do so, our lights will shine brighter for others to see. Other people will be attracted to our faith because they will notice that we are different, in a good way.
     I testify that the light of Christ is real. The simple truth that the light of Christ exists in all men is evidence to me that God is real, and he loves us. The Bible Dictionary describes the Light of Christ as
being: "just what the words imply: enlightenment, knowledge, and an uplifting, ennobling, persevering influence that comes upon mankind because of Jesus Christ. … The light of Christ should not be confused with the personage of the Holy Ghost, for the light of Christ is not a personage at all. Its influence is preliminary to and preparatory to one’s receiving the Holy Ghost. The light of Christ will lead the honest soul who ‘hearkeneth to the voice’ to find the true gospel and the true Church and thereby receive the Holy Ghost." As we follow the example of the Savior and live as He lived and as He taught, that light will burn within us and will light the way for others to get on the path so they can return to live with our Father in heaven again.
     Without the light of Christ, the work I do everyday would be in vain. I know that as we live the gospel of Jesus Christ daily, our lights will shine bright for the world to see. I think the best way we can share the gospel is by being excellent examples for the world. If we live the way Christ lived, then we will find joy in this life and in the life to come. Other people will notice us as well, which in turn will bring lasting conversion for them and for us.
      Doctrine and Covenants 50:22: Wherefore, he that preacheth and he that receiveth, understand one another, and both are edified and rejoice together. I know that as we share the gospel with our examples but also as we open our mouths, that the Lord will bless us for our efforts. No effort is ever wasted when we invite. The success we see in building up the church is not always found in the number of converts, or reactivating members, but it is always found in the invitation we extend to others. As we extend invitations for others to come unto Christ, we will feel lasting conversion.
       I don't have any pictures this week! Sorry about that one, but I will try to send some next week!
       Hey dad- Wow that's crazy the way the game ended! Hahah Seattle always gets the lucky breaks honestly, hahaha it's like they are destined to go to Carolina this week and beat the Panthers... Hahaha. I hope all of the road teams win again, I'm sick of the Broncos and Patriots in the AFC. I'm picking the Chiefs to win the AFC, and I'm picking Seattle to win the NFC. But honestly, those picks are based on what I want. What I actually think is going to happen is a little sad for us, but honestly I think the Arizona Cardinals are going to win the Super Bowl. I hope your Packers can take them down, but they're tough. I would love for a NFC championship rematch but that'll be tough, I honestly think that Seattle can beat Carolina this weekend though. Sounds like you had a good week.
     Love,
       Elder Strate

New Years

     Hello!

     This week was really good! We had our New Years Eve movie nights with some other missionaries and that was really fun! We watched the movie, "Inside Out", it was really good. I really liked it haha, it was nice to relax for a little bit and watch a movie!

     My new companion is great! We get along really well and we are having fun serving together. 

 

     It's nice because we're both experienced, well-seasoned missionaries and we both want to work really hard, so the work is starting to pick up this transfer! We have some plans this week to go street contacting and to work with a lot of leaders. 

     I was reading in the Old Testament a little bit this week. I read in Judges 9 a few days ago and I found some interesting principles that can apply to us today. In Judges 9, Abimelech, Gideon's son, is made king. In his reign as king, he begins his ministry in a terrible way. He has fear that his brothers will overthrow him, so he slays 70 of his brothers. Amidst this slaughter, one of his brothers, Jotham, escapes from the torment. After Abimelech is done slaying his brothers, his only remaining brother Jotham returns to Abimelech and prophesies of his destruction. He tells Abimelech that because of his unrighteous dominion, he and his people will be destroyed. He tells this using a parable and compares the leaders of Israel to trees, and compares Abimelech to the Bramble tree which will cause himself and all of the other trees to burn and die. I know this all sounds weird, but if you open to Judges 9 and read for a little bit it will start to make sense.

     The application is the fact that; We as leaders in Christ's church have been given a responsibility to lead in the way that Christ would if he were here. If we try to do it our own way, or the world's way, then we will see limited success in our labors. If we do it Christ's way, there is no limit to our success.

      Love you all, have a good week!

         -Elder Strate