April 8, 2019 Conference Week

This week was magnificent! So the hype for general conference was real and the spirit was so present! So this week we did a lot of inviting and preparing for conference. We also had our zone conference in Orange Park and that was pretty good as well. On Monday, we got a text from a member saying her grandson Wyatt wanted a blessing. We gave him a blessing and he is super interested in the gospel! So we shared with him a message and he asked a lot of good questions. We were able to set a date with him for May 11! He has always wanted to be baptized but just hasn't had the support but his grandma is taking care of him and the ward is also super excited to help too! Eli a, guy who came to church 2 weeks ago was in the hospital this past week but got out since and we were able to stop by and teach him. He is so prepared to here the gospel message and had gotten a Book of Mormon from a member and had been reading it. He also watched general conference with a member! Probably the highlight of my week was going to the priesthood session in Orange Park and seeing some members from the ward. It was so good to talk with Brother Mitte about fishing haha and all the other members I missed and loved.

From general conference, there was a lot of great talks and probably the theme that stuck out most to me was the importance of our covanent and doing all we can to be faithful to them. Just a week previous, I was pondering about my testimony and how I came to know what I know. For me it wasn't through anything big but the small moments in my life when I felt God's love. I also have been thinking a lot about my choices and which ones are the most important. I know that the prophets and apostles are so inspired and that the counsel they gave us to be more committed to living the gospel than anything else is so important. I know that the only way we can find any worth while happiness is through living the gospel and working out our exhalation which is to know God and experience the same Joy he wants us all to have. For me, the hardest part is going to be to keep what was said on my mind so if any of you have suggestions or want to keep in touch on how you applied conference feel free to hit me up via email!

Well, I hope each of you have an amazing week! The gospel is so true and is such a blessing. Don't forget it! Love ya

Cheesecake Burrito

Setting up for Conference

Jacob Elgaaen & Elder Hansen

Mexican Restaurant Elder Kesler & Elgaaen 

Jacob Elgaaen

Sunset on the St. John's River

April 1, 2019 Fleming Florida Weekly

This week was a really good one! So we had a lot of people in our area book that we hadn't contacted or taught in a long time. So we tryed to clean it up a bit and also we focused a lot on finding. We had a really successful week. We had some really good lessons with Tya and we were able to soft invite her to baptism. She said yes so this week we are going to set a date with her to be baptized. 

Besides that the week was quite normal. We probably biked 100 miles ☠. It was great. I don't really mind biking but biking to the area that's 10 miles away is never fun (bridge, bad heavy traffic, up hill both ways...) We had some awesome dinners too. My favorite had to be steak! It had been a long time since I had steak. The members are continuing to be so awesome and supportive. It really has helped the work in the area. We also had 2 suprises this last week. One was Darrell Bartholomew was in Florida and got to take us to lunch! It was really good to see him and we had a great lunch. Another was grandpa Girard showed up at our apartment and we got to talk with him for a little while.

One thing I am so pumped for this week is General Conference. I am so excited to hear the council the prophet gives. I always love to write down questions that I want answers to and then look for answers Durring conference. I challenge each of you to do that! I know conference is a great thing to reflect and learn from. Conference is revelation for today in the world we live in and can bless us only as much as we use it.

A chapter from Alma stuck out to me this week... Alma 1:

        27 And behold, as they were crossing the river Sidon, the Lamanites and the Amlicites, being as numerous almost, as it were, as the sands of the sea, came upon them to destroy them.

28 Nevertheless, the Nephites being strengthened by the hand of the Lord, having prayed mightily to him that he would deliver them out of the hands of their enemies, therefore the Lord did hear their cries, and did strengthen them, and the Lamanites and the Amlicites did fall before them.

29 And it came to pass that Alma fought with Amlici with the sword, face to face; and they did contend mightily, one with another.

30 And it came to pass that Alma, being a man of God, being exercised with much faith, cried, saying: O Lord, have mercy and spare my life, that I may be an instrument in thy hands to save and preserve this people.

Something that stuck out to me was that sometimes temptation or affliction can be like verse 27. We can feel like we have trials as the numbers of the sands of the sea. It's as we pray in strenght and work as hard as we can that we can overcome them and receive strength. There is strength that comes as we rely on God and I have a sure testimony of that. I love you all and hope you will feast upon the words spoken in general conference and make sure to exercise faith in what we learn. 

Elder Elgaaen

Address: 2285 Marsh Hawk Ln # 16-203  Fleming Island, FL 32003

Darrell Bartholomew& Jacob Elgaaen

Elder Elgaaen & Kesler

Elder Elgaaen & Kesler

Jacob & a Snake

Interesting Park Bench

Steak Dinner

March 25,2019 Transfered to Fleming

This week was a good one! So it was sad saying goodbye to the district I have been with for the last 3 months but my new companion Elder Kesler is awesome and my new district is as well! So transfers was a good day except for some reason I thought we were suppose to meet at a different building. So we got there and realized nobody was there. I asked Elder Bell what building it was and for him to look it up in the weekly letter from our mission president. He did??? and said it was the church in Orange Park. We drove there and it wasn't! I remembered then the church it was and we made it there about an hour late! Haha it all worked out though.

So Fleming Island is awesome! The members are super involved and willing to help in any way they can. The people are also super nice and we have taught some good people! We have had some good experiences sharing our testimonies with people. We also found some awesome people to teach. On Sunday, we were asked to speak on prayer... I wonder if God is trying to tell me something like I need to work on speaking. Haha Hopefully I can get a break for a while. In my talk, I shared one of my favorite accounts of prayer which is Joseph Smiths account.

10 In the midst of this war of words and tumult of opinions, I often said to myself: What is to be done? Who of all these parties are right; or, are they all wrong together? If any one of them be right, which is it, and how shall I know it?

11 While I was laboring under the extreme difficulties caused by the contests of these parties of religionists, I was one day reading the Epistle of James, first chapter and fifth verse, which reads: If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

12 Never did any passage of scripture come with more power to the heart of man than this did at this time to mine. It seemed to enter with great force into every feeling of my heart. I reflected on it again and again, knowing that if any person needed wisdom from God, I did; for how to act I did not know, and unless I could get more wisdom than I then had, I would never know; for the teachers of religion of the different sects understood the same passages of scripture so differently as to destroy all confidence in settling the question by an appeal to the Bible.

13 At length I came to the conclusion that I must either remain in darkness and confusion, or else I must do as James directs, that is, ask of God. I at length came to the determination to “ask of God,” concluding that if he gave wisdom to them that lacked wisdom, and would give liberally, and not upbraid, I might venture.

14 So, in accordance with this, my determination to ask of God, I retired to the woods to make the attempt. It was on the morning of a beautiful, clear day, early in the spring of eighteen hundred and twenty. It was the first time in my life that I had made such an attempt, for amidst all my anxieties I had never as yet made the attempt to pray vocally.

15 After I had retired to the place where I had previously designed to go, having looked around me, and finding myself alone, I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God. I had scarcely done so, when immediately I was seized upon by some power which entirely overcame me, and had such an astonishing influence over me as to bind my tongue so that I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction.

16 But, exerting all my powers to call upon God to deliver me out of the power of this enemy which had seized upon me, and at the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair and abandon myself to destruction—not to an imaginary ruin, but to the power of some actual being from the unseen world, who had such marvelous power as I had never before felt in any being—just at this moment of great alarm, I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me.

17 It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound. When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!

18 My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join. No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself, so as to be able to speak, than I asked the Personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right (for at this time it had never entered into my heart that all were wrong)—and which I should join.

19 I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that: “they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.”

In this account, I love how Joseph Smith was able to receive an answer to his humble prayer. It shows me that I can receive answers as I seek the will of the lord. I also love how when Joseph was seized upon by a great power (Satan) he was able to pray with all his energy and was delivered. I am so greatful for prayer and the power it can bring to each of us. I am also greatful for my experience with prayer and my answer I have received as I have studied the gospel out in my mind and read the scriptures. It is such a blessing to know something and receive answers through prayer!

Besides all that, we were able to have some good lesson with a man named Ian. He has a belief in God and doesn't see christ as more than a great prophet. We were able to share with him our message and invite him to pray and seek truth from God. He accepted our challenge and we will be seeing him Wednesday. Also, we were able to do some service for him and help clean out his garage. He has a sweet BMW and wants to park it out of the weather. He told us a "story" thing which went like this...

Me: Hey God, a second is like a million years to you?

God: Yes

Me: Alright. Then if a second is like a million years to you then is a penny like a million dollars?

God: Yes

Me: Okay. Well God, can you give me a penny?

God: Maybe in a second.

I really liked this 1. Because it was funny and 2. Because it is so true! Many times, we ask for blessings and try and obtain what we want now. Lots of times, we need to trust in the lord and God and in his timing.

I am greatful for my chance to serve in Fleming Island! I am greatful for my new companion. I love you all and hope you have a great great week! 

Elder Elgaaen

Address: 2285 Marsh Hawk Ln # 16-203  Fleming Island, FL 32003

Biking in Fleming

Biking

Elder Kesler & Elgaaen

Lunch with Grandpa Girard and the missionaries.

Jacob and New companion Elder Kesler having lunch with Grandpa Girard

March 18, 2019 No Bread?

This week was awesome because we found a awesome family for Miracle May! It's a family of 6. They are so elect and ready for the gospel. I have really recognized how the Lord prepares people to meet with the missionaries. Heather the mother recently stopped going to church because the pastor left. Her mom also passed away and she kind of gave up on church for a time. We were able to share a simple message about seeking truth and they latched on and wanted to learn more. Awesome Miracle!

So this week was also transfers. I am getting moved down to Fleming Island. It is a island type thing that is on the St. John's river. It should be super fun. My companion is Elder Kesler and it will be awesome. I am super excited. My new address will be 2285 Marsh Hawk Ln # 16-203  Fleming Island, FL 32003!

If you want to send me mail or anything that will be the place to do it at. They are also pinkwashing our area or taking out elders and putting in sisters. So that should be exciting! 

So besides transfers, things have been really good. We got a bunch of good things set up for our area and have a lot to keep doing in rapping everything together. This week in sacrament, we had a very great meeting besides one thing. When I stood up with a young man to break the bread, there wasn't any in the trays. Haha it was super awkward. So I ran to the kitchen and found some on the fridge and they had finished the song by the time I got back. We did get everything blessed and had a great meeting about faith! It was awesome. They talked about how faith is something that is on our part. It isn't something that is given but something we place forth. I am so greatful for faith and for the opertunity I have each day to exercise faith in Christ. I know that our faith in Christ is what will push us through and forward. Something else I am super excited about is general conference in a few weeks. In preparation, I challenge each of you to review last conference and write down questions and things your looking to learn. I know as you do this you will show the lord that you want to prepare to receive revelation and he will give it to you in great abundance! I love you all and hope you have a great week! 

Elder Elgaaen

Address: 2285 Marsh Hawk Ln # 16-203  Fleming Island, FL 32003

Bat at Deborah's house

Bowling

disc golf

Disc's I drew on

Jacob stabbed his finger

Jacob Elgaaen

Pizza for pie day

Train blocking the track

Chicken Crack in the crock pot

March 11, 2019 Moving Deborah

This week was a really good one. We found some awesome people and were able to set a baptismal date with Leah. She is progressing super well and is really excited for her baptism. We also had some members go out with us and it was awesome. 

I really liked sacrament meeting this week. The talks were about the blessings of tithing. There was a lot of cool miracles shared about how when we pay our tithing, a way is provided for us. It was cool to hear so many different times in people's lives that they were blessed by paying tithing. One member said, "Me and the Lord can do so much more with 90% of my money then I can do with 100% of my money."

One other thing that I studied this week that a really liked was a quote by President David O. McKay was “We sow our thoughts, and we reap our actions; we sow our actions, and we reap our habits; we sow our habits, and we reap our characters; we sow our characters, and we reap our destiny.” I think that pattern is really applicable to life. This past week, I have been thinking about this pattern and applying it in what I do. It really works. Our thoughts really do eventually determine our destiny.

The highlight of my week was helping Deborah move. She really needed us to help her and she told us Friday and wanted it to happen Saturday. We spent time calling up members trying to find someone with a trailer and we couldn't. I kept feeling prompted to call up a certain member. We did and he said he could do it. The spirit is so real! We finished helping her move and that was a big relief on her and us. Great week all in all! I hope yall have a great week and know I love each of you so much! 

Waiting for the Train

Constuction

Elder Bell in a hippo

Sharing the Gospel with a Hippo?

March 4, 2019 The Stew

This week was super interesting! So I went disc golfing again on Monday and had a really good time. I love playing disk golf. It relates to life in a way... So we all have different goals in our lives. One of our eternal goals is to return to Heavenly Father and be happy. This can be represented by getting the Disc into the basket. Sometimes it takes 100 throws and sometimes it takes one. Most of the time as we keep our goal in mind we get closer and closer to our end goal but if we loose our focus, we can end up getting thrown pretty far off course. Sometimes Satan comes along as a wind and if we don't prepare for him or compensate by putting on our spiritual armor, we can get pushed off course. The great thing is that we have unlimited attempts. We can try over and over again and as long as we keep trying we will be able to make it in the basket! Just a random thought.

So on Tuesday, we got a call from Deborah. She told us her stew(toilet) was clogged from a few weeks back and that it was starting to cause her to pass out and have horrible headaches. We randomly had a pipe snake under our bathroom sink so we went over to try and unclog her toilet. Whatever was in there was super stuck. The snake wasn't doing anything. I took a toilet plunger and plunged as fast as I could for 10 minutes strait and the Stew was done! Haha Whatever was stuck finally broke loose. We went by Thursday after our district council and Deborah said she was feeling a lot better but now is sick with the flu. She said she could tell the difference which is good!

On Thursday, we got to help out at the Unity Church of God Pancake 🥞 Dinner. Elder Bell was feeling sick so he mostly just sat in a chair. I got to help them carry food in from their pancake cooker machines which were pretty cool. It was a huge rotating circle grittle with 4 fire strips underneath which would heat it as it went around. We also had a good district Council and one of the missionaries in the district had too much money on her account so she was told by the money coordinator that she could loose it all or by the district lunch so we had lunch on her. It was great!

On Friday, we were doing weekly planning and called a person we hadn't been able to contact and she answered and said we could come teach her right then. We said okay and headed out to teach her. We were able to have a good lesson and commit her to coming to church on Sunday. We did some service and had a great day.

Saturday was a day full of miracles. We found a recent move in family who are members that we had no idea about. We are going to get the records transfered down from our last area and hopefully help them come back to church. We also found Julissa who is so so so elect! She was really excited about the message we shared and was excited to have us come back. We had a great day!

Sunday, we went by Leah and knocked on her door to make sure she was ready for church. She said she was and so we went to Deborah to see if she was ready. She wasn't feeling up to church but we talked with her about the come follow me booklet and read in the scriptures with her. When we got to church Leah was there! It was awesome. We went back to Deborah and taught her some more and mopped her floor because it was nasty! All in all we had an awesome week!

I just want to share my testimony of The Book of Mormon! It is so awesome. I know it is the word of God and it testifies of Jesus Christ. It teaches the plain truths of the Gospel and teaches us how we can be better every day! I love the Book of Mormon and hope all of you will continue to read and study the Book of Mormon each and every day. I know as we do that, the heavens will be open to you and you will receive revelation that will bless your life and guide you in all aspects of your life. I love you all and hope you have the best week yet! 

Coins rolling on their sides

Disc Golf Disc's I painted

Helping at a pancake breakfast

Mopping Deborah's floor

Disc Jacob painted

Helping at pancake breakfast

Disc I painted for Disc Golf

February 25, 2019 Charity

This week was a exciting, fun and odd week. After our preparation day, we stayed down in Waycross because we had zone conference the next morning and it would save us a bunch of miles. We went and saw a lady who gives missionaries names. She was super funny! She is over 70 and is super spry and talked a lot about throwing down on some people if they upset her. It was super fun. She didn't give me a name because she said she would have to think about it because she wanted it to be a memorable name.

We also had quite a few amazing lessons with Deborah. She is so prepared for the Gospel. She has a super open mind and heart and just absorbs everything we teach her. It has been really good working with her and helping her find joy through all her trials. We gave her a blessing last night because she wasn't feeling the best physically and is getting bone shots this next week. Deborah is the best!

We got to talk this week in church and I chose to talk on Charity. I think charity is one of the most important things I have learned on my mission. I can see people for who they have the potential to become and it brings me such joy and I can better help them. We're taught in Moroni that we are nothing without charity and that we need to pray with all diligence for charity. I know as we do that we will be able to be happier. We show our charity and grow our charity by keeping the commandments and serving others. I love to think of all christ went through for each of us. He was spit on, whipped, dispised and rejected and he endured it all with a love and willingness to forgive and continue to love and serve. I encourage all of you to do the same. Strive every day to develop more charity and pure love for God and for your fellow man. I love you all and hope your weeks are amazing! 

Elder Bell Walking

Deborah's Dog

Elder Bell sleeping on the way to Zone Conference

Elder T wearing my sun glasses

My hump day camel

Walking a 5K because my Companion Elder Bell wouldn't run.