Dear Family & Friends
I hope that you all had a Happy New Year. We all did here. For the New Years our Temecula-Zone of missionaries got together & played some games - mostly basketball - -(Sister Robinette has all the pictures of our Christmas & New Years - so sometime I will have to get them from her.)
So this week was really good. Elder Yarn & I are praying so hard for miracles to rain down & trying to work just as hard for them. On Saturday night we both decided to get the zone together to have a special fast for a "January of Miracles". We prayed for each of our investigators to progress towards a baptism in January. We are so blessed her in Temecula - we have so many people to teach (we say Temecula is like the "sleeping Giant" just waiting to explode with baptisms). The feeling after the fast was amazing - a feeling that comfirmed that our prayer & sacrifice would be excepted. Let me tell you, God answers prayers! The Miracles started to happen that morning. One of our investigators: KJ Barrett had never come to church and that morning she called us & said she was lost & trying to get to our church. We met her at the Walmart parking lot & supprise - it wasn't only her in the car, but her mother from Ohio that came in for the holidays. She said that she wanted to bring her to church with her. After the meeting they both said what a great experience it was to come to church.
We also had a way awesome experience at one of our appointments teaching Tim & Rachel Richards. We went over & was just talking about how blessed we are to each have a purpose in life and to know that we have a Heavenly Father who loves each of us very much, & then Rachel started to bear her testimony to us about how she knew what we taught was true. She said that she believed that God could call Joseph Smith & that He could call a prophet here in these days. She knew that there was life after death & that there would be a chance for those who haven't heard the gospel to hear it after death. She loves the principles that we teach & would get baptized in a second - she is just waiting for her husband to recieve answers. He said that the only thing for him is the "Joseph Smith thing". We testified boldly and committed him to read the Book of Mormon & promised that he would get an answer - & I know he will do it & get an answer.
got to go, but I love you sooo much! Stay safe!-- Love, ELDER PATRICK McBRIDE
Monday, January 3, 2011
12-27
Hope you each had a Merry Christmas & will have a Happy New Year! Another Christmas season come & past ... & now we have 363 days to wait for another one. [count-downs on yet?] I can't believe how fast this year has gone ... & now it is going to be fun to try to convert my mind to writing 2011 on mission reports & papers instead of 2010.
This week has been full of fun eventful things; for the past couple of days it has been raining like crazy down here, (some people even asked us if God was sending another flood) streets were literally flooding, gutters were full and california drivers...can I say more ;) We were called Tuesday by one of the wards recent converts to come to her mothers house that lived right down the street to dig a trench because her house was flooding - we jumped for the opportunity to do service (a lot of prideful people down her wont let us do service for them here in Temecula.) Since it was pouring rain the lady that we were digging for went out and got us this whole get-up complete with a BRIGHT AS THE SUN YELLOW button up suit and hat, and huge boots and gloves - we pretty much looked like the bomb ... we had her take a picture on her phone .. we will see if we can get it off - you would laugh at the moment. After some hours work & a lot of fun & laughs the trench was dug. On Sunday the convert came up to us and said that her non-member mother was so grateful that we had comeover & that it had opened up so many doors for her to gain interest into the church. It is funny, we were talking with her mother & she was astonished that we would even think about helping out for free, she asked "who does this?..." Funny, yet sad that the world has come to not even knowing what kind acts of service is...
We finally got in contact with one of our part-member families this week that we have been trying to teach - The Simons (they have been sick for quite some time.) We went over on Monday & talked to them about their goals that they have & what they want us to help them with. They each had set as the ultimate goal to go to the temple and steps to get there by doing family home evening, paying tithing and for their 10 year old daughter Lizzy; getting baptized. We are excited to teach them more & set up a baptismal date for Lizzy in January... hopefully the 23rd! Oh, & a little miracle we witnessed, Sister Simon was catching the sickness that has been going around the family & she didn't want to have it for the holidays, so in the closing prayer we all got down on our knees & in the prayer I asked for a little miracle that Sister Simon would receive full health & be able to enjoy the holidays with her family. After the prayer she sniffed and was thankful for the prayer. Two days later we came back for a follow-up visit & to read a chapter in the Book of Mormon and she was so excited to tell me that ever since that prayer the it was like she instantly got feeling better! I just thought that it was kind of a cool little prayer answered - "ask & you shall receive" right?!
With all the greatness of cheer in the Christmas season... Heavenly Father had to send some opposition to test us. One day this week we were out tracting in the pouring rain. Everyone passing by looked and yelled that we were crazy. As we knocked on doors people turned us away because we were soaked & responded "it is raining" & slammed their doors. We finally found a house with a covered front porch and relaxed from the rain. We knocked and rang the door bell, but no one answered. We then thought we would send a text to our zone of missionaries encouraging them to remember the "reason for the season" & to work hard inspite of the rain. Right after I sent the text the door that we had knocked on a couple of minutes previous opened and a lady stood there and yelled, "what are you doing on my porch?!" I told her that we were just sending a text to someone where it wasn't raining & then told her what we were doing as missionaries. She then told me that she didn't care if we were getting soaked, but just to get off of her porch and away from her house. I just stood there & was like... 'serious lady.. serious?!' On Christmas Eve we went to iHop with Brenda Franklin and me and my companion were talking to this family that was in the waiting room. We asked them what they were doing fun for Christmas & then the manager from iHop came out and started yelling at us and said that we had no right to be here & that we were disturbing everyone and that we needed to stop talking to people. The family that we were talking to looked at her & had no idea what she was talking about, so the manager lady turned around and walked back into iHop, then 2 minutes later walked out again and said that she didn't mean to come off that way, but nobody likes us and we really shouldn't be talking to people and ruining peoples Christmas. Haha, we laughed.... hmmm what and Who is this Christmas season for again? But with all the persecution I have faith & know that miracles will follow.
I love you all, Thanks for the minutes of talking to you on the phone, I loved every second of it! Take care, Libby be safe in surgery! My prayers are always with you, and thank you for your prayer for me and the people our here in Temecula California. Have a Happy New Year! -- Love, ELDER PATRICK McBRIDE
This week has been full of fun eventful things; for the past couple of days it has been raining like crazy down here, (some people even asked us if God was sending another flood) streets were literally flooding, gutters were full and california drivers...can I say more ;) We were called Tuesday by one of the wards recent converts to come to her mothers house that lived right down the street to dig a trench because her house was flooding - we jumped for the opportunity to do service (a lot of prideful people down her wont let us do service for them here in Temecula.) Since it was pouring rain the lady that we were digging for went out and got us this whole get-up complete with a BRIGHT AS THE SUN YELLOW button up suit and hat, and huge boots and gloves - we pretty much looked like the bomb ... we had her take a picture on her phone .. we will see if we can get it off - you would laugh at the moment. After some hours work & a lot of fun & laughs the trench was dug. On Sunday the convert came up to us and said that her non-member mother was so grateful that we had comeover & that it had opened up so many doors for her to gain interest into the church. It is funny, we were talking with her mother & she was astonished that we would even think about helping out for free, she asked "who does this?..." Funny, yet sad that the world has come to not even knowing what kind acts of service is...
We finally got in contact with one of our part-member families this week that we have been trying to teach - The Simons (they have been sick for quite some time.) We went over on Monday & talked to them about their goals that they have & what they want us to help them with. They each had set as the ultimate goal to go to the temple and steps to get there by doing family home evening, paying tithing and for their 10 year old daughter Lizzy; getting baptized. We are excited to teach them more & set up a baptismal date for Lizzy in January... hopefully the 23rd! Oh, & a little miracle we witnessed, Sister Simon was catching the sickness that has been going around the family & she didn't want to have it for the holidays, so in the closing prayer we all got down on our knees & in the prayer I asked for a little miracle that Sister Simon would receive full health & be able to enjoy the holidays with her family. After the prayer she sniffed and was thankful for the prayer. Two days later we came back for a follow-up visit & to read a chapter in the Book of Mormon and she was so excited to tell me that ever since that prayer the it was like she instantly got feeling better! I just thought that it was kind of a cool little prayer answered - "ask & you shall receive" right?!
With all the greatness of cheer in the Christmas season... Heavenly Father had to send some opposition to test us. One day this week we were out tracting in the pouring rain. Everyone passing by looked and yelled that we were crazy. As we knocked on doors people turned us away because we were soaked & responded "it is raining" & slammed their doors. We finally found a house with a covered front porch and relaxed from the rain. We knocked and rang the door bell, but no one answered. We then thought we would send a text to our zone of missionaries encouraging them to remember the "reason for the season" & to work hard inspite of the rain. Right after I sent the text the door that we had knocked on a couple of minutes previous opened and a lady stood there and yelled, "what are you doing on my porch?!" I told her that we were just sending a text to someone where it wasn't raining & then told her what we were doing as missionaries. She then told me that she didn't care if we were getting soaked, but just to get off of her porch and away from her house. I just stood there & was like... 'serious lady.. serious?!' On Christmas Eve we went to iHop with Brenda Franklin and me and my companion were talking to this family that was in the waiting room. We asked them what they were doing fun for Christmas & then the manager from iHop came out and started yelling at us and said that we had no right to be here & that we were disturbing everyone and that we needed to stop talking to people. The family that we were talking to looked at her & had no idea what she was talking about, so the manager lady turned around and walked back into iHop, then 2 minutes later walked out again and said that she didn't mean to come off that way, but nobody likes us and we really shouldn't be talking to people and ruining peoples Christmas. Haha, we laughed.... hmmm what and Who is this Christmas season for again? But with all the persecution I have faith & know that miracles will follow.
I love you all, Thanks for the minutes of talking to you on the phone, I loved every second of it! Take care, Libby be safe in surgery! My prayers are always with you, and thank you for your prayer for me and the people our here in Temecula California. Have a Happy New Year! -- Love, ELDER PATRICK McBRIDE
12-20
"Let us realize that the privelege to work is a gift, that the power to work is a blessing, taht the love of work is success." ~David O. McKay
Hello Family & Friends,
Hope that your past week has gone great and you are prepared for Christmas... because it will be here before we know it!! - wow, 5 more days till Christmas. Haha, on Friday morning I was thinking to myself.. 'hmmm, it would be pretty cool if we did the 12 days of Christmas for someone we are teaching'.. but then I counted on my fingers & well, there were only 9 days till Christmas... HOLY, where is the time going? So needless to say - that idea was tossed out - but I do think we are going to go over to one of our members house and make goodie-plates for our investigators.
All 3 wards that I am working in are awesome. The members are great ... & seem to fight over who is going to feed us (we literally had a lady that told us to cancel on another person in the other ward so she could do Christmas Eve dinner for us.) - Haha, as for you that keep telling me to gain weight ... well, sorry, I am eating a ton - The Yokshas family even took us out for lunch and I ate like 5 burritos - so don't tell me I'm not trying... maybe the camera takes off 10 pounds?? Haha, I am actually 130 pounds heavier and they had to buy two seats for my air flight home... haha just kidding. But yah, that wards love us and we are working hard with them to get referrals & to help them realize the people that they could have in their homes to be taught.
Elder Yarn & I are working hard. We know that as we work harder, the Lord will place success in our path. I have this quote in my Preach My Gospel that I am reminded of, "I'm a great believer in luck, & I find the harder I work, the more I have it." ~Thomas Jefferson. I believe that too. We need luck in the work that we do - & what better way to qualify for it than to work, work & work!
This past Sunday I got to witness something so cool. I got to go to Sister Robinettes & Sister Sefo's baptism of their investigators (the Oliver Family). At the baptism the spirit was so strong! I sat & watched as the father (who was a less-active member) got ready to baptize his son & daughter & as the children were ready to make this promise with their Heavenly Father. Smiles were everywhere. The room was packed full of members and family coming to support these two kids and their righteous decision. As the actual baptism was about to take place I began to look around the room again at the people who were there. I saw many people come to the front and middle so they could see the ordinance. I sat in the back of the room and could not see anything that was going on in the font (I didn't know the kids that were getting baptized so I didn't "deserve" to really cut anyone out from seeing this - so the back seats it was for me.) Well, while everyone got settled into a position that they could see I looked and saw Sister Robinette trying to move towards a place that she could see the baptism - but the room was SO crouded I knew she could see nothing, so she sat down in her chair. I thought for a second -WAIT - Sister Robinette NEEDS to see her baptism - MOVE PEOPLE! But I looked at her again, and she was at peace. She had a smile on her face and was looking forward with happiness about what she couldn't see but knew was happening. It was a tender moment to me ... my pride would have shoved everyone away so that I could see - but she was fine with just knowing & feeling the spirit. After the baptism was a testimony meeting and someone got up and said that The Oliver family had experienced numerous missionaries coming over to teach and try to change their lives for the better...little or no success happened - but then he expressed his thanks to Sister Robinettte & Sister Sefo for their diligence & love - somehow they got in & were able to make a impression on this family that no missionary had before.
I am so excited for Christmas. I love the spirit of giving & how most people are nice to us as we pass them on the street. I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and the we will remember the true reason of Christmas. Have fun & be safe on the roads! I can't wait to talk with you on Saturday! love you all so much!!
-- Love, ELDER PATRICK McBRIDE
PS. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAGGIE! love you soo much!
PPS. MERRY CHRISTMAS
Hello Family & Friends,
Hope that your past week has gone great and you are prepared for Christmas... because it will be here before we know it!! - wow, 5 more days till Christmas. Haha, on Friday morning I was thinking to myself.. 'hmmm, it would be pretty cool if we did the 12 days of Christmas for someone we are teaching'.. but then I counted on my fingers & well, there were only 9 days till Christmas... HOLY, where is the time going? So needless to say - that idea was tossed out - but I do think we are going to go over to one of our members house and make goodie-plates for our investigators.
All 3 wards that I am working in are awesome. The members are great ... & seem to fight over who is going to feed us (we literally had a lady that told us to cancel on another person in the other ward so she could do Christmas Eve dinner for us.) - Haha, as for you that keep telling me to gain weight ... well, sorry, I am eating a ton - The Yokshas family even took us out for lunch and I ate like 5 burritos - so don't tell me I'm not trying... maybe the camera takes off 10 pounds?? Haha, I am actually 130 pounds heavier and they had to buy two seats for my air flight home... haha just kidding. But yah, that wards love us and we are working hard with them to get referrals & to help them realize the people that they could have in their homes to be taught.
Elder Yarn & I are working hard. We know that as we work harder, the Lord will place success in our path. I have this quote in my Preach My Gospel that I am reminded of, "I'm a great believer in luck, & I find the harder I work, the more I have it." ~Thomas Jefferson. I believe that too. We need luck in the work that we do - & what better way to qualify for it than to work, work & work!
This past Sunday I got to witness something so cool. I got to go to Sister Robinettes & Sister Sefo's baptism of their investigators (the Oliver Family). At the baptism the spirit was so strong! I sat & watched as the father (who was a less-active member) got ready to baptize his son & daughter & as the children were ready to make this promise with their Heavenly Father. Smiles were everywhere. The room was packed full of members and family coming to support these two kids and their righteous decision. As the actual baptism was about to take place I began to look around the room again at the people who were there. I saw many people come to the front and middle so they could see the ordinance. I sat in the back of the room and could not see anything that was going on in the font (I didn't know the kids that were getting baptized so I didn't "deserve" to really cut anyone out from seeing this - so the back seats it was for me.) Well, while everyone got settled into a position that they could see I looked and saw Sister Robinette trying to move towards a place that she could see the baptism - but the room was SO crouded I knew she could see nothing, so she sat down in her chair. I thought for a second -WAIT - Sister Robinette NEEDS to see her baptism - MOVE PEOPLE! But I looked at her again, and she was at peace. She had a smile on her face and was looking forward with happiness about what she couldn't see but knew was happening. It was a tender moment to me ... my pride would have shoved everyone away so that I could see - but she was fine with just knowing & feeling the spirit. After the baptism was a testimony meeting and someone got up and said that The Oliver family had experienced numerous missionaries coming over to teach and try to change their lives for the better...little or no success happened - but then he expressed his thanks to Sister Robinettte & Sister Sefo for their diligence & love - somehow they got in & were able to make a impression on this family that no missionary had before.
I am so excited for Christmas. I love the spirit of giving & how most people are nice to us as we pass them on the street. I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and the we will remember the true reason of Christmas. Have fun & be safe on the roads! I can't wait to talk with you on Saturday! love you all so much!!
-- Love, ELDER PATRICK McBRIDE
PS. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAGGIE! love you soo much!
PPS. MERRY CHRISTMAS
12-13
Hi Family & Friends,
Hope that your having a white Christmas season (I heard it's been snowing a lot out there) ... it has been staying around 80 degrees over here and yesterday when we got out of church and into our car it was 90! ... Ya, so not my kind of Christmas weather - but at least there are a lot of christmas lights up on the houses. Some people are a little bit too wacky and crazy with their Christmas lights & it looks like it threw up all over their lawn & house. Things have been going good out here in Temecula. I have been trying to work Elder Clement hard (since he is going home tomorrow), but sometimes it's a little hard when their focus is just on home. The work has been a little slow... investigators arn't progressing as fast as I need & want them to do.
At my President Interview a week and a half ago I told Sister Reeves & President that I wanted & needed someone that will work their butt off with me here in Temecula. They assured me that they would get me just that elder. So on Saturday when we got our transfer calls, my good friend in the mission Elder Yarn called and told me that he was getting transfered to Temecula to be my new companion. I was so stoked! We are also going to not only be covering the Pauba Ward & Temecula Valley YSA Branch, but also another ward (Redhawk) and are going move into a members (the Munoa's) casita. I am pretty excited for this next transfer. Me an Elder Yarn are going to do so much work and have so much success - I can see and feel it! Elder Yarn is in Riverside & actually said that the first "move" that President Reeves had made on the transfer board was putting him with me. haha (we have an "in" on things).
This week we picked up a new investigator named Mackel, who is about 9 years old. He is one of our less-actives grandsons. We were over there to have another lesson with him & first started off my following up on his commitment we left with him. We asked him how his prayers have been (in praying to know if Joseph Smith is a true and real prophet.) He sat for a moment and was pondering and then said out loud... "well I did pray" & so we asked if he had gotten an answer and he said, "well, I felt good, but I was kind of waiting for a breeze." We asked what he meant. He said, "well, in the movies when ever someone prays a breeze or the wind comes and answers them." we chuckled and said that sometimes the spirit doesn't work like that. But we confirmed that the "good" feeling he felt was the spirit. He is such a good kid. He is working on his anger issues with his brother and sisters - he said he doesn't want to turn out like "Bruce Banner" - or in other words the Hulk. Haha
So, I have been praying for miracles to happen - for people to open their hearts in wanting the gospel & yesterday a prayer was answered! We were in ward council and our Bishop said that someone just came to him at the end of church and said that she wanted to be baptized. She had talked to missionaries in the past, and now was ready to get baptized. Her name is Jenaveev Clawson (I don't know if that is spelt right) [ya, a Clawson - how cool right!] I am excited to get to know and teach her, hopefully everything goes right!!
Well, again everything is going great with me. Working hard and surviving. Thanks for all the Christmas Cards. If you want you can send them to that same address on Margarita (because that is the address printed in the ward news letter - & I can have missionaries just give it to me) or you can send it to my homeshare at 45875 Paseo Gallante Temecula Ca, 92592. Stay safe and have a fun Christmas Season. I tracted into this really old and sad lady at the door this past week. We wished her a Merry Christmas and she said that "Christmas was not for adults, it's for kids" we asked her why and she said that she didn't have enough money for christmas present for anyone but the kids. I thought to myself- hmm, is that really what Christmas is? <
Hope that your having a white Christmas season (I heard it's been snowing a lot out there) ... it has been staying around 80 degrees over here and yesterday when we got out of church and into our car it was 90! ... Ya, so not my kind of Christmas weather - but at least there are a lot of christmas lights up on the houses. Some people are a little bit too wacky and crazy with their Christmas lights & it looks like it threw up all over their lawn & house. Things have been going good out here in Temecula. I have been trying to work Elder Clement hard (since he is going home tomorrow), but sometimes it's a little hard when their focus is just on home. The work has been a little slow... investigators arn't progressing as fast as I need & want them to do.
At my President Interview a week and a half ago I told Sister Reeves & President that I wanted & needed someone that will work their butt off with me here in Temecula. They assured me that they would get me just that elder. So on Saturday when we got our transfer calls, my good friend in the mission Elder Yarn called and told me that he was getting transfered to Temecula to be my new companion. I was so stoked! We are also going to not only be covering the Pauba Ward & Temecula Valley YSA Branch, but also another ward (Redhawk) and are going move into a members (the Munoa's) casita. I am pretty excited for this next transfer. Me an Elder Yarn are going to do so much work and have so much success - I can see and feel it! Elder Yarn is in Riverside & actually said that the first "move" that President Reeves had made on the transfer board was putting him with me. haha (we have an "in" on things).
This week we picked up a new investigator named Mackel, who is about 9 years old. He is one of our less-actives grandsons. We were over there to have another lesson with him & first started off my following up on his commitment we left with him. We asked him how his prayers have been (in praying to know if Joseph Smith is a true and real prophet.) He sat for a moment and was pondering and then said out loud... "well I did pray" & so we asked if he had gotten an answer and he said, "well, I felt good, but I was kind of waiting for a breeze." We asked what he meant. He said, "well, in the movies when ever someone prays a breeze or the wind comes and answers them." we chuckled and said that sometimes the spirit doesn't work like that. But we confirmed that the "good" feeling he felt was the spirit. He is such a good kid. He is working on his anger issues with his brother and sisters - he said he doesn't want to turn out like "Bruce Banner" - or in other words the Hulk. Haha
So, I have been praying for miracles to happen - for people to open their hearts in wanting the gospel & yesterday a prayer was answered! We were in ward council and our Bishop said that someone just came to him at the end of church and said that she wanted to be baptized. She had talked to missionaries in the past, and now was ready to get baptized. Her name is Jenaveev Clawson (I don't know if that is spelt right) [ya, a Clawson - how cool right!] I am excited to get to know and teach her, hopefully everything goes right!!
Well, again everything is going great with me. Working hard and surviving. Thanks for all the Christmas Cards. If you want you can send them to that same address on Margarita (because that is the address printed in the ward news letter - & I can have missionaries just give it to me) or you can send it to my homeshare at 45875 Paseo Gallante Temecula Ca, 92592. Stay safe and have a fun Christmas Season. I tracted into this really old and sad lady at the door this past week. We wished her a Merry Christmas and she said that "Christmas was not for adults, it's for kids" we asked her why and she said that she didn't have enough money for christmas present for anyone but the kids. I thought to myself- hmm, is that really what Christmas is? <
12-06
Hello Family & Friends,
Yes! So we just picked up some awesome new investigators! (Rory & Forest Gile). We tracted into them and they said that they wanted to learn more - so we came back and taught them & wow, are they great! Rory is the Forests father & has a pretty good background with Mormons. He actually went to BYU when he was young and loved it there. He has read the Book of Mormon 3-4 times & has no problem with it. He says that his favorite book is "The Miracle of Forgiveness" & he reads it every couple of months! He was saying that while he was at BYU that he had been taught by some very good people and that he has always remembered them throughout the years. We asked who they were & he said they were Spencer W. Kimball & Ezra Taft Benson! We were like, "Yah, no wonder you liked them - they were prophets for our church!" haha, he said that they were such great men! So we taught them & answered questions. Him & his son are very scientifical - Rory knows that Faith is the way for everything spiritual -but still gets caught up in science & proving things - he sees that his son is going the same route as him and he keeps telling Forest that he just needs to have faith. We are excited for both of them - they are pretty elect. We expected them to come to church on Sunday - so I called them right after church and asked if they were okay - & he just kept saying that he would 'see me tomorrow' - I was like ... "you mean next week?" haha - anyway, he lost track of time and thought that Sunday was Saturday and was really sad he missed church - BUT he did say that he was having business problems in getting a report done on time for work - so he said to me "what better place to get things done than at Gods house? So I am sitting here at your church building in the parking lot working on the report". Haha, I laughed and said... well, that is a pretty good place... So, like I said - we are pretty excited for both of them!!!
It finally hit. Elder Clement & I went to Riverside this week for ZLC (counsil that we do at the mission home). And at the end of the counsil they had Elder Clement get up and bear his testimony (since he is going home this upcoming Monday). He started to speak and my mind was just zooming around pondering about my mission. Time has gone by so fast and my heart sunk. My time out here has been so special to me and I wouldn't give it up for anything in the world. My eyes started watering just thinking about the short time I had left. Me and President Reeves got to talk to this week for an interview. I am so excited for the next 7 weeks. They are going to be awesome & I will work myself to be so tired by the end. We are going to see many mighty miracles down here in Temecula- We can count on that!!
I love you all so much! Keep your Faith up. Keep enduring to the End. be safe! -- Love, ELDER PATRICK McBRIDE
Yes! So we just picked up some awesome new investigators! (Rory & Forest Gile). We tracted into them and they said that they wanted to learn more - so we came back and taught them & wow, are they great! Rory is the Forests father & has a pretty good background with Mormons. He actually went to BYU when he was young and loved it there. He has read the Book of Mormon 3-4 times & has no problem with it. He says that his favorite book is "The Miracle of Forgiveness" & he reads it every couple of months! He was saying that while he was at BYU that he had been taught by some very good people and that he has always remembered them throughout the years. We asked who they were & he said they were Spencer W. Kimball & Ezra Taft Benson! We were like, "Yah, no wonder you liked them - they were prophets for our church!" haha, he said that they were such great men! So we taught them & answered questions. Him & his son are very scientifical - Rory knows that Faith is the way for everything spiritual -but still gets caught up in science & proving things - he sees that his son is going the same route as him and he keeps telling Forest that he just needs to have faith. We are excited for both of them - they are pretty elect. We expected them to come to church on Sunday - so I called them right after church and asked if they were okay - & he just kept saying that he would 'see me tomorrow' - I was like ... "you mean next week?" haha - anyway, he lost track of time and thought that Sunday was Saturday and was really sad he missed church - BUT he did say that he was having business problems in getting a report done on time for work - so he said to me "what better place to get things done than at Gods house? So I am sitting here at your church building in the parking lot working on the report". Haha, I laughed and said... well, that is a pretty good place... So, like I said - we are pretty excited for both of them!!!
It finally hit. Elder Clement & I went to Riverside this week for ZLC (counsil that we do at the mission home). And at the end of the counsil they had Elder Clement get up and bear his testimony (since he is going home this upcoming Monday). He started to speak and my mind was just zooming around pondering about my mission. Time has gone by so fast and my heart sunk. My time out here has been so special to me and I wouldn't give it up for anything in the world. My eyes started watering just thinking about the short time I had left. Me and President Reeves got to talk to this week for an interview. I am so excited for the next 7 weeks. They are going to be awesome & I will work myself to be so tired by the end. We are going to see many mighty miracles down here in Temecula- We can count on that!!
I love you all so much! Keep your Faith up. Keep enduring to the End. be safe! -- Love, ELDER PATRICK McBRIDE
11-29
Happy Post-Thanksgiving!
Can you believe that we are 3 days till December! Wow, this year is fleeting before our eyes!
I was reading Elder Kelseys email today about how he was doing his planning one night and had the inspiration to share his testimony to his other missionaries roomates. Wow, what an amazing experience. I love what he says, "listen to the little impressions of the spirit and you will have happiness, He will put the words in your mouth of what you need to say in every moment." Now that's my cousin! What truth! I was at an appointment yesterday & had an experience similar to that. I was at a ward-member families house sharing the lessons. Elder Clement taught on Baptism & Confirmation and I was to teach on following the Prophet. He taught and turned the time over to me. I taught for a couple of minutes and shared my testimony with them for the prophet and then something came to me to just bear testimony of Jesus Christ. So I stopped and started to bear my testimony on the Savior. The room was quiet and the spirit came so strongly - a little smile came to everyones faces. I admit like my Cousin; Elder Kelsey that when you are serving for the Lord and doing all that you can do to follow Him then those impressions will come "...and it shall be given you in the very hour that portion that shall be meted unto every man." ~D&C 84:85, &that when those impressions come - they are from the spirit and "the spirit will have with it Happiness."
We were going to check up on one of our investigators the other day and right before we walked into the driveway I saw out of the corner of my eye and girl and a guy up the street geting out of their car. My thought run in my head 'be obedient and run & talk to them... or just act like you didn't see them.' We started walking further... now the two were going into their house .. to catch them now I would have to yell for them... so I made my desision and yelled for them and started running their way. Half way there the man turned and went into the house and the girl stood out there in the driveway. I walked up to her and she said that she would love to talk to us about mormonism - she actually said that she was planning on us coming up to talk with her and answer her questions (what if I had not?) We talked with her & answered some questions she had about Mormons vs Christians and how the two were alike and different - she said everything that we had taught that growing up she was taught that that was not true but through her own studies she had come to know that we did need to "work out our salvation" and have faith, repent, & be baptized. The spirit was there so strongly. We sat on her driveway for 30 minutes and bore testimony of the restored gospel and she said that she wanted to hear more. What is crazy is Elder Clement just tracted this street and that door had not answered - so we probably wouldn't have knocked on it for a very long time. When Heavenly Fathers children are ready - he sends the gospel to them some how some way . . and what if i didn't listen to that prompting to go over and talk to this girl - Danielle. What would have happened. God would find her some how again - but I would not receive the blessings. When God calls, I don't want to dwindle.. I want to run. I will do that for now on.
Like my cousin Elder Kelsey, I love this church and know with all my heart that it's truth is not a lie, that Jesus Christ himself stands at its head to lead and guide it. Thankyou for your experience bud, you even helped me out!
I love all of you so much! Hope that you had a great Thanksgiving. Be safe and listen to the promptings that you are given from the spirit - because when they are from the spirit they come from our loving Heavenly Father!-- Love, ELDER PATRICK McBRIDE
Can you believe that we are 3 days till December! Wow, this year is fleeting before our eyes!
I was reading Elder Kelseys email today about how he was doing his planning one night and had the inspiration to share his testimony to his other missionaries roomates. Wow, what an amazing experience. I love what he says, "listen to the little impressions of the spirit and you will have happiness, He will put the words in your mouth of what you need to say in every moment." Now that's my cousin! What truth! I was at an appointment yesterday & had an experience similar to that. I was at a ward-member families house sharing the lessons. Elder Clement taught on Baptism & Confirmation and I was to teach on following the Prophet. He taught and turned the time over to me. I taught for a couple of minutes and shared my testimony with them for the prophet and then something came to me to just bear testimony of Jesus Christ. So I stopped and started to bear my testimony on the Savior. The room was quiet and the spirit came so strongly - a little smile came to everyones faces. I admit like my Cousin; Elder Kelsey that when you are serving for the Lord and doing all that you can do to follow Him then those impressions will come "...and it shall be given you in the very hour that portion that shall be meted unto every man." ~D&C 84:85, &that when those impressions come - they are from the spirit and "the spirit will have with it Happiness."
We were going to check up on one of our investigators the other day and right before we walked into the driveway I saw out of the corner of my eye and girl and a guy up the street geting out of their car. My thought run in my head 'be obedient and run & talk to them... or just act like you didn't see them.' We started walking further... now the two were going into their house .. to catch them now I would have to yell for them... so I made my desision and yelled for them and started running their way. Half way there the man turned and went into the house and the girl stood out there in the driveway. I walked up to her and she said that she would love to talk to us about mormonism - she actually said that she was planning on us coming up to talk with her and answer her questions (what if I had not?) We talked with her & answered some questions she had about Mormons vs Christians and how the two were alike and different - she said everything that we had taught that growing up she was taught that that was not true but through her own studies she had come to know that we did need to "work out our salvation" and have faith, repent, & be baptized. The spirit was there so strongly. We sat on her driveway for 30 minutes and bore testimony of the restored gospel and she said that she wanted to hear more. What is crazy is Elder Clement just tracted this street and that door had not answered - so we probably wouldn't have knocked on it for a very long time. When Heavenly Fathers children are ready - he sends the gospel to them some how some way . . and what if i didn't listen to that prompting to go over and talk to this girl - Danielle. What would have happened. God would find her some how again - but I would not receive the blessings. When God calls, I don't want to dwindle.. I want to run. I will do that for now on.
Like my cousin Elder Kelsey, I love this church and know with all my heart that it's truth is not a lie, that Jesus Christ himself stands at its head to lead and guide it. Thankyou for your experience bud, you even helped me out!
I love all of you so much! Hope that you had a great Thanksgiving. Be safe and listen to the promptings that you are given from the spirit - because when they are from the spirit they come from our loving Heavenly Father!-- Love, ELDER PATRICK McBRIDE
11-22
He that is faithful & endureth shall overcome the world." ~ Doctrine & Covenants 63:47
Hello Family & Friends,
First of all HAPPY THANKSGIVING week!!! I hope that you all have a great grateful week & stuff your selves full with food & the feelings of being thankful!
>>THANKFUL TIME<<
-Mom & Dad
-Ryan, Mary, Veronica, Mike, Nicole, Shaun, Cassie, Jordan
-Bracken, Maggie, Nayvie, Libby, Tytan, Grace, Kenadi, Max. Emery
-Cami Clawson
-Friends (I love & am thankful for you all)
-My Converts!
-My California Riverside Peoples!
-Ivy & Jake
Thankyou all for helping me and getting me to be the person that I am. I am thankful for your love and support. I am so thankful for my loving and forgiving Heavenly Father and for His son Jesus Christ and for his gospel. I am so grateful that I have got the chance to share that very gospel with so many people for the past 22 months, & am so thankful to get to share it for not just 2 more months BUT 4 months... They extended my mission till April!!! no, just kidding... haha, I bet I made you jump out of your seats though... haha, I am grateful for everyone I can tease too .. haha
This week has been good though. Elder Clement & I have been trying to commit our small investigator pool to be baptized (we want 4 before he has to go home in 3 weeks). THanks for all of your prayers for me and the people I teach.
Hope you have an amazing week. Don't get killed and ran over by people on Black-Friday! Stay safe, know that I & the Lord loves you!-- Love, ELDER PATRICK McBRIDE
Hello Family & Friends,
First of all HAPPY THANKSGIVING week!!! I hope that you all have a great grateful week & stuff your selves full with food & the feelings of being thankful!
>>THANKFUL TIME<<
-Mom & Dad
-Ryan, Mary, Veronica, Mike, Nicole, Shaun, Cassie, Jordan
-Bracken, Maggie, Nayvie, Libby, Tytan, Grace, Kenadi, Max. Emery
-Cami Clawson
-Friends (I love & am thankful for you all)
-My Converts!
-My California Riverside Peoples!
-Ivy & Jake
Thankyou all for helping me and getting me to be the person that I am. I am thankful for your love and support. I am so thankful for my loving and forgiving Heavenly Father and for His son Jesus Christ and for his gospel. I am so grateful that I have got the chance to share that very gospel with so many people for the past 22 months, & am so thankful to get to share it for not just 2 more months BUT 4 months... They extended my mission till April!!! no, just kidding... haha, I bet I made you jump out of your seats though... haha, I am grateful for everyone I can tease too .. haha
This week has been good though. Elder Clement & I have been trying to commit our small investigator pool to be baptized (we want 4 before he has to go home in 3 weeks). THanks for all of your prayers for me and the people I teach.
Hope you have an amazing week. Don't get killed and ran over by people on Black-Friday! Stay safe, know that I & the Lord loves you!-- Love, ELDER PATRICK McBRIDE
11-15
Charity is especially important in missionary work. Its influence, radiated by the missionary, helps to create within the investigator a desire to learn & softens his heart to the truth. Charity can fill the missionary with an unquenchable desire to serve his fellowmen. Without it, as difficulties arise & proselyting seems unfruitful, he may lose interest & slacken his pace. But with Christlike love, the missionary will perservere through adversity because he becomes a caring and dutiful messeger of Christ. A Christlike love for others can purify a missionary's motives & consecrate his labor & true desire to share the gospel. ~David B. Haight
HI Family & Friends,
Haha, so I was saying goodbye to someone on the street this week that we were OYMing and I was going to say 'If you see us walking anytime give us a hollar' but I mixed up the word 'hollar' with 'call' & I said, "If you see us walking anytime give us a collar." Haha - the person looked at me like I was an idiot ... she walked in her house and shut the door... haha now she is probably going to think that we are weird craziER mormon missionaries... dang! haha
My week has been good though. Tuesday & Wednesday we went to a leadership meeting in Riverside. It was really good and the spirit was so strong at the meeting. One of the things that came into my mind or that the Spirit had brought to my mind while I was listening was "urgence". I have required the spirit of urgency & it is just making me want to work work and work! Really, as I sit in any kind of meetings I am just going crazy to get out and talk to and teach people! I Really don't know what I am going to do when I get home and can't sit down and do this everyday... ahah to crazy to think about!
Haha, so funny story - we taught a less active lady this past week and we went back to her house on Saturday and she was crazy mad at me & told me that she wanted to hit me over the head because I offender her last time by reading a scripture to her that was too harsh... haha it was way funny!
Well Sorry so short... I love you all though! Keep being Christlike and have a good safe week!-- Love, ELDER PATRICK McBRIDE
HI Family & Friends,
Haha, so I was saying goodbye to someone on the street this week that we were OYMing and I was going to say 'If you see us walking anytime give us a hollar' but I mixed up the word 'hollar' with 'call' & I said, "If you see us walking anytime give us a collar." Haha - the person looked at me like I was an idiot ... she walked in her house and shut the door... haha now she is probably going to think that we are weird craziER mormon missionaries... dang! haha
My week has been good though. Tuesday & Wednesday we went to a leadership meeting in Riverside. It was really good and the spirit was so strong at the meeting. One of the things that came into my mind or that the Spirit had brought to my mind while I was listening was "urgence". I have required the spirit of urgency & it is just making me want to work work and work! Really, as I sit in any kind of meetings I am just going crazy to get out and talk to and teach people! I Really don't know what I am going to do when I get home and can't sit down and do this everyday... ahah to crazy to think about!
Haha, so funny story - we taught a less active lady this past week and we went back to her house on Saturday and she was crazy mad at me & told me that she wanted to hit me over the head because I offender her last time by reading a scripture to her that was too harsh... haha it was way funny!
Well Sorry so short... I love you all though! Keep being Christlike and have a good safe week!-- Love, ELDER PATRICK McBRIDE
10-25
Hi Family & Friends!
This week has been great! And of course I am staying safe and the Lord is blessing me in the Temescal Valley Corona area! I can't believe that transfers are coming up again on Monday... I have already been here in Corona for 5 weeks! Our zone is going to have a lot of changes to it. I don't think I have even told you who is in my zone... well this is just fyi... Elders: Livingston, Hogenson, Telford, Solaita, Arthur, McCord, Johnson, Gowers, Shaw, Garcia, DeVore, Terry, Morrison, & Mattson. (And Arthur, Johnson & DeVore go home this Monday). I love our zone so much! The assistants exchanged with us this week and Elder Boswell was asking me how the zone was doing and if anyone needed any special attention & I can proudly say that everyone is doing awesome!
On the AP exchanges I got to go to Riverside with Elder Boswell and it was a blast! (Haha, even got to spend time with Brenda Franklin!) Our whole day we were praying for miracles and to find a "family of five" ... well "five" or not - I just prayed to find someone that was looking for truth out there and was ready. Well at our last door before we went to exchange back Elder Boswell was talking on the phone helping this missionary in another area and so I was left alone to knock on the doors. First door - lady named Tiffany who just had a baby 1 month ago comes out and starts talking to me. I bare my testimony about families and how they can be together forever and she was SO excited! Her mom even came out and tried to get her to come inside and she wouldn't listen to her (she told us "well, I don't know if my family would be interested, but I sure am!") ... Next door I knock and these two 20 year olds open the door. One is dressed up really nice and so I asked her where she was going... haha, she giggled and said (me thinking that she was going on a date) "to the DMV!" haha, I laughed... I wonder if she was just wanting to look good while she waits in line for 5 hours... anyway.. so I start talking about Gods love for them and they both were excited to tell me that they both loved Jesus Christ. I talked to them about the miracles that Christ did and how we should try to follow His example. It's crazy - I don't remember a lot of the things that I said to them but it was all amazing & I know it wasn't me who was saying it - I had so much help! I taught about baptism and they both knew it was good - I commited them to follow their Savior example and they both said that they would & that they would prepare for the 14th of November 2010!! Wow, I thanked Heavenly Father for that prayer answered - finding two sisters and a mother who had soft hearts to accept a message that would bring so much happiness into their lives! Thank you! So the elders in that area are going to teach them... and hopefully I can get updates to know what happened with them! Ahh, it was so exciting - they were even in a gated community too - which we just kind of decided to do on the spur of the moment. Miracles happen! The rest of the week here has been awesome as well. There are so many prepared people out here in California. I am noticing that I am wanting to always find more people to teach - I have more of a desire to find those that Heavenly Father has prepared.
I hope that you are all doing great and will have a great week! Stay warm - heard it is snowing in Utah - You better have my snow clothes ready for me when I come over there - I think I am going to freeze to death!
Keep listening to the spirit and trusting in God. He loves us so much and will always provide a way to everlasting happiness if we but follow the stepping-stones: Faith, Repentance, Baptism (covenents), Holy Ghost, & Endure to the End! as a little 6 year old boy named Elias Tucker says "follow your GPS!" (Ghost prompting system) & Gos will lead you always! love you so much! have a Happy Halloween!
-- Love, ELDER PATRICK McBRIDE
This week has been great! And of course I am staying safe and the Lord is blessing me in the Temescal Valley Corona area! I can't believe that transfers are coming up again on Monday... I have already been here in Corona for 5 weeks! Our zone is going to have a lot of changes to it. I don't think I have even told you who is in my zone... well this is just fyi... Elders: Livingston, Hogenson, Telford, Solaita, Arthur, McCord, Johnson, Gowers, Shaw, Garcia, DeVore, Terry, Morrison, & Mattson. (And Arthur, Johnson & DeVore go home this Monday). I love our zone so much! The assistants exchanged with us this week and Elder Boswell was asking me how the zone was doing and if anyone needed any special attention & I can proudly say that everyone is doing awesome!
On the AP exchanges I got to go to Riverside with Elder Boswell and it was a blast! (Haha, even got to spend time with Brenda Franklin!) Our whole day we were praying for miracles and to find a "family of five" ... well "five" or not - I just prayed to find someone that was looking for truth out there and was ready. Well at our last door before we went to exchange back Elder Boswell was talking on the phone helping this missionary in another area and so I was left alone to knock on the doors. First door - lady named Tiffany who just had a baby 1 month ago comes out and starts talking to me. I bare my testimony about families and how they can be together forever and she was SO excited! Her mom even came out and tried to get her to come inside and she wouldn't listen to her (she told us "well, I don't know if my family would be interested, but I sure am!") ... Next door I knock and these two 20 year olds open the door. One is dressed up really nice and so I asked her where she was going... haha, she giggled and said (me thinking that she was going on a date) "to the DMV!" haha, I laughed... I wonder if she was just wanting to look good while she waits in line for 5 hours... anyway.. so I start talking about Gods love for them and they both were excited to tell me that they both loved Jesus Christ. I talked to them about the miracles that Christ did and how we should try to follow His example. It's crazy - I don't remember a lot of the things that I said to them but it was all amazing & I know it wasn't me who was saying it - I had so much help! I taught about baptism and they both knew it was good - I commited them to follow their Savior example and they both said that they would & that they would prepare for the 14th of November 2010!! Wow, I thanked Heavenly Father for that prayer answered - finding two sisters and a mother who had soft hearts to accept a message that would bring so much happiness into their lives! Thank you! So the elders in that area are going to teach them... and hopefully I can get updates to know what happened with them! Ahh, it was so exciting - they were even in a gated community too - which we just kind of decided to do on the spur of the moment. Miracles happen! The rest of the week here has been awesome as well. There are so many prepared people out here in California. I am noticing that I am wanting to always find more people to teach - I have more of a desire to find those that Heavenly Father has prepared.
I hope that you are all doing great and will have a great week! Stay warm - heard it is snowing in Utah - You better have my snow clothes ready for me when I come over there - I think I am going to freeze to death!
Keep listening to the spirit and trusting in God. He loves us so much and will always provide a way to everlasting happiness if we but follow the stepping-stones: Faith, Repentance, Baptism (covenents), Holy Ghost, & Endure to the End! as a little 6 year old boy named Elias Tucker says "follow your GPS!" (Ghost prompting system) & Gos will lead you always! love you so much! have a Happy Halloween!
-- Love, ELDER PATRICK McBRIDE
10-18
Hello Everyone!
This week has been good! We are seeing lots of miracles and cant wait to see more!
Haha, we had a good appointment with one of our investigators named Elizabeth. She is an awesome girl. Elder Terry and I taught her about having Faith in Jesus Christ this week and the spirit was strong. At one point we were talking to her about how she needed to read her scriptures. She said, "Well guys... I just don't like reading. I just don't get as much out of it as I do when you come over and teach me.. so I don't read." So I shared for like 10 minutes the story of the wise man and the foolish man (she's not familiar with biblical stories at all so it was all new to her.) I made it pretty clear that having a "firm foundation" would be very "wise" and that not having a firm one would be "foolish". After explaining I looked straight at her and asked, "Elizabeth, would you like to build your house on the rock or on the sand?" She sat back in her seat and began to ponder & all the sudden I discerned what she was thinking - - haha, in her head she was thinking 'hmm, It would be fun to live on the beach...' & right then she said, "well, I would still live on the sand BUT, I would - if a flood came - just have a friend that lived on the rocks so I could get the best of both worlds." I was like NOOOOO - - we are talking spiritual here! haha we talked about it for a few minutes and then she said "wait - I can't rely on you missionaries for everything - I need to read this stuff for myself!" We were like "YES!" We told her that was personal revelation that she got straight from Heavenly Father and she opened up her Book of Mormon and wrote in the front cover "GOD SPEAKS TO ME". How cool is that! She is going to get baptized soon - we are working on it, but I am so excited for her.... haha, she calls us her "little prophets". lol
We had our stake conference this weekend and it was so great! Elder Cordova an area 70 and Elder Gong from the first presidency of the 70 came and spoke. (if you remember, Elder Gong spoke this past General Conference - the asian dude.) Elder Gong talked about a story about a chinese kid named Ping who could grow amazing flowers of every size. Well one day the emperor was having a flower contest and gave everyone in the town seeds to grow the flowers - well Ping took his seeds home and began to water them and came back and nothing was growing .. as he kept up on them still nothing happened. Well at the judging time the emperor called everyone in. Ping saw so many contestants with flowers of all different shapes and sizes. But when everyone took them to the emperor his face just seemed to frown... Ping then took his empty pot up to the emperor and the emperors face was so joyful. He then told Ping that he was so proud of him - He had given everyone in the land baked seeds and Ping was the only honest one there. WOW, how cool is that- we need to be honest!
Well, out of time, I love you sooo much! Stay safe and Honest! -- Love, ELDER PATRICK McBRIDE
This week has been good! We are seeing lots of miracles and cant wait to see more!
Haha, we had a good appointment with one of our investigators named Elizabeth. She is an awesome girl. Elder Terry and I taught her about having Faith in Jesus Christ this week and the spirit was strong. At one point we were talking to her about how she needed to read her scriptures. She said, "Well guys... I just don't like reading. I just don't get as much out of it as I do when you come over and teach me.. so I don't read." So I shared for like 10 minutes the story of the wise man and the foolish man (she's not familiar with biblical stories at all so it was all new to her.) I made it pretty clear that having a "firm foundation" would be very "wise" and that not having a firm one would be "foolish". After explaining I looked straight at her and asked, "Elizabeth, would you like to build your house on the rock or on the sand?" She sat back in her seat and began to ponder & all the sudden I discerned what she was thinking - - haha, in her head she was thinking 'hmm, It would be fun to live on the beach...' & right then she said, "well, I would still live on the sand BUT, I would - if a flood came - just have a friend that lived on the rocks so I could get the best of both worlds." I was like NOOOOO - - we are talking spiritual here! haha we talked about it for a few minutes and then she said "wait - I can't rely on you missionaries for everything - I need to read this stuff for myself!" We were like "YES!" We told her that was personal revelation that she got straight from Heavenly Father and she opened up her Book of Mormon and wrote in the front cover "GOD SPEAKS TO ME". How cool is that! She is going to get baptized soon - we are working on it, but I am so excited for her.... haha, she calls us her "little prophets". lol
We had our stake conference this weekend and it was so great! Elder Cordova an area 70 and Elder Gong from the first presidency of the 70 came and spoke. (if you remember, Elder Gong spoke this past General Conference - the asian dude.) Elder Gong talked about a story about a chinese kid named Ping who could grow amazing flowers of every size. Well one day the emperor was having a flower contest and gave everyone in the town seeds to grow the flowers - well Ping took his seeds home and began to water them and came back and nothing was growing .. as he kept up on them still nothing happened. Well at the judging time the emperor called everyone in. Ping saw so many contestants with flowers of all different shapes and sizes. But when everyone took them to the emperor his face just seemed to frown... Ping then took his empty pot up to the emperor and the emperors face was so joyful. He then told Ping that he was so proud of him - He had given everyone in the land baked seeds and Ping was the only honest one there. WOW, how cool is that- we need to be honest!
Well, out of time, I love you sooo much! Stay safe and Honest! -- Love, ELDER PATRICK McBRIDE
10-11
Dear Readers,
I hope that you are all having a great week! How can we not with the exciting news of the new baby EMERY KATE ANDERSON!! Yay!! She is soo cute! I just want to hold her and love her from here! I call dibbs for her in 3 months when I get home [yes Mary, that even means I get dibbs and you don't get to hold her .. ha ha ha ha!] Congratulations Anderson family!
This week has been good for me - still staying busy! I've forgotten how many "great christian" people there are over here. There are so many people that just want to bash and throw all kinds of Anti material at us over here in Corona. I swear in just this past week I have tried talking with 20 of them. I hear it all from how: we "added and took away from the bible" (speaking of the Book of Mormon - in Revelations and Dueteronomy it says you can't "add or take away" from just these books & they think it means the whole bible), How there are supposebly "no more prophets" and God wouldn't call anymore because he "needs no prophet", "there's no proof of the Book of Mormon", "Joseph Smith is a false prophet" and the list goes on & on. If I might speak to anyone who has questions about these things or any other doctrine or material our church teaches - READ THE BOOK OF MORMON & HAVE FAITH! I don't get how so many people just put the Book of Mormon down without reading only 531 pages. Any honest seeker will gain the knowledge of its truth through sincere reading. I can promise that through the past 20 months of being out here & teaching people of all different backgrounds that if they read it with "a sincere heart & real intent, having faith in Christ" the truth would be manifested. I have seen it with everyone that I have taught and the sincere ones do receive answers - 100% of the people that I have taught have received that answer and witness of its truth!
The Temescal Valley ward is really great. I love the ward members and my investigators are growing. Elder Schmidt is an awesome missionary, our companionship rocks!.. He is from Michigan if I didn't tell you (the UP - upper pininsula).
I love you all so much! Still tell me your favorite conference talks! Have a good safe week! Read the Book of Mormon and gain a stronger testimony of it - & pray that I can find those who are truely seeking this truth - because that is what I want! It's cool in the scriptures - it says that Joseph Smiths name will be known for good and evil throughout time... well we can certainly see how that prophesy has come forth. Now we just got to listen to the TRUE spirit to get a confirmation of this truth.-- Love, ELDER PATRICK McBRIDE
I hope that you are all having a great week! How can we not with the exciting news of the new baby EMERY KATE ANDERSON!! Yay!! She is soo cute! I just want to hold her and love her from here! I call dibbs for her in 3 months when I get home [yes Mary, that even means I get dibbs and you don't get to hold her .. ha ha ha ha!] Congratulations Anderson family!
This week has been good for me - still staying busy! I've forgotten how many "great christian" people there are over here. There are so many people that just want to bash and throw all kinds of Anti material at us over here in Corona. I swear in just this past week I have tried talking with 20 of them. I hear it all from how: we "added and took away from the bible" (speaking of the Book of Mormon - in Revelations and Dueteronomy it says you can't "add or take away" from just these books & they think it means the whole bible), How there are supposebly "no more prophets" and God wouldn't call anymore because he "needs no prophet", "there's no proof of the Book of Mormon", "Joseph Smith is a false prophet" and the list goes on & on. If I might speak to anyone who has questions about these things or any other doctrine or material our church teaches - READ THE BOOK OF MORMON & HAVE FAITH! I don't get how so many people just put the Book of Mormon down without reading only 531 pages. Any honest seeker will gain the knowledge of its truth through sincere reading. I can promise that through the past 20 months of being out here & teaching people of all different backgrounds that if they read it with "a sincere heart & real intent, having faith in Christ" the truth would be manifested. I have seen it with everyone that I have taught and the sincere ones do receive answers - 100% of the people that I have taught have received that answer and witness of its truth!
The Temescal Valley ward is really great. I love the ward members and my investigators are growing. Elder Schmidt is an awesome missionary, our companionship rocks!.. He is from Michigan if I didn't tell you (the UP - upper pininsula).
I love you all so much! Still tell me your favorite conference talks! Have a good safe week! Read the Book of Mormon and gain a stronger testimony of it - & pray that I can find those who are truely seeking this truth - because that is what I want! It's cool in the scriptures - it says that Joseph Smiths name will be known for good and evil throughout time... well we can certainly see how that prophesy has come forth. Now we just got to listen to the TRUE spirit to get a confirmation of this truth.-- Love, ELDER PATRICK McBRIDE
10-04
Hello Family & Friends,
Hope that you are doing amazing & that you all had a great week! My week was good, goll time is just flying by - I am already on my 3rd week here in Corona!
Before I forget, my address to my new appartment is: 418 East 10th St. #203 Corona, CA 92879. Thank you for all the support and letters I love them all!
Ahh, I just love general conference! Really I do! I can't believe I didn't watch it when I was home.. now I have watched 4 FULL General Conferences! ahh, my last GC on the mission! That is scary! Oh, so I have a favor to ask... I want to GO to General Conference in April 2011. To at least the Priesthood Session and a Saturday Session! When do tickets come out?? Can anyone get those for me :)
So my favs of the GC...
1. D. Todd Christofferson on Consecration: Haha, I wonder if I would have liked this talk if I had not served a mission. It seems that when I get "lost in His work" that is when I am most happy (most happy... hmm??) But really I loved what he said about how we each need to be consecrated. "True Success comes from our consecration". He also related repentance to consecration - saying that consecration actually "means repentance"! I love that - because the gospel of Jesus Christ is all about our faith & works. Are we willing to show our Heavenly Father how much we love him?? Yes - then SHOW IT through your works of faith. Repentance is a work & something that I have been working on. It's amazing that you can feel the spirit more & more as you keep repenting and changing the little or big things in your life by consecrating to become more like our Savior; Christ.
2. Patrick Kearon on Following our Leaders:
No, not just because of his first name, I liked his talk to guys. I loved his story on the scorpion & the flip-flops - how he sould have listened to the advice of his parents and wore real shoes! It makes me think of that time we were at the KOA in Bear Lake and we went on that big flinstone family bike and I didn't listen to you mom & dad and went around the bend and crashed into that truck with the bike. Remember that? If I would have listened to MY leaders then I would have been safe - just like if Elder Kearon listened to his he would have also. We have a prophet and we need to pay strict attention to his counsel because that is the counsel that we are receiving from God.
3. Mervyn B. Arnold on Following God
This was my favorite talk of the conference. I loved it. I loved the story that he gives of the cow eating the weat but even more than that I felt something when I listened to him. I felt my Heavenly Fathers love for me and all His children. It was such a sweet experience, I felt the spirit bear witness that He truely doew love me and is proud of me when I am doing righteous things - and weeps literally when we go off His path. He truely does love us - We just need to follow!
Life is good for me here in Corona. We just had an amazing experience at a part-member families house, with the spirit there strongly we commited him to follow christ and be baptized and he couldn't say no. It was so awesome. We are being blessed
I love you sooo much! Stay safe, listen to the prophet and know God love us! -- Love, ELDER PATRICK McBRIDE
Hope that you are doing amazing & that you all had a great week! My week was good, goll time is just flying by - I am already on my 3rd week here in Corona!
Before I forget, my address to my new appartment is: 418 East 10th St. #203 Corona, CA 92879. Thank you for all the support and letters I love them all!
Ahh, I just love general conference! Really I do! I can't believe I didn't watch it when I was home.. now I have watched 4 FULL General Conferences! ahh, my last GC on the mission! That is scary! Oh, so I have a favor to ask... I want to GO to General Conference in April 2011. To at least the Priesthood Session and a Saturday Session! When do tickets come out?? Can anyone get those for me :)
So my favs of the GC...
1. D. Todd Christofferson on Consecration: Haha, I wonder if I would have liked this talk if I had not served a mission. It seems that when I get "lost in His work" that is when I am most happy (most happy... hmm??) But really I loved what he said about how we each need to be consecrated. "True Success comes from our consecration". He also related repentance to consecration - saying that consecration actually "means repentance"! I love that - because the gospel of Jesus Christ is all about our faith & works. Are we willing to show our Heavenly Father how much we love him?? Yes - then SHOW IT through your works of faith. Repentance is a work & something that I have been working on. It's amazing that you can feel the spirit more & more as you keep repenting and changing the little or big things in your life by consecrating to become more like our Savior; Christ.
2. Patrick Kearon on Following our Leaders:
No, not just because of his first name, I liked his talk to guys. I loved his story on the scorpion & the flip-flops - how he sould have listened to the advice of his parents and wore real shoes! It makes me think of that time we were at the KOA in Bear Lake and we went on that big flinstone family bike and I didn't listen to you mom & dad and went around the bend and crashed into that truck with the bike. Remember that? If I would have listened to MY leaders then I would have been safe - just like if Elder Kearon listened to his he would have also. We have a prophet and we need to pay strict attention to his counsel because that is the counsel that we are receiving from God.
3. Mervyn B. Arnold on Following God
This was my favorite talk of the conference. I loved it. I loved the story that he gives of the cow eating the weat but even more than that I felt something when I listened to him. I felt my Heavenly Fathers love for me and all His children. It was such a sweet experience, I felt the spirit bear witness that He truely doew love me and is proud of me when I am doing righteous things - and weeps literally when we go off His path. He truely does love us - We just need to follow!
Life is good for me here in Corona. We just had an amazing experience at a part-member families house, with the spirit there strongly we commited him to follow christ and be baptized and he couldn't say no. It was so awesome. We are being blessed
I love you sooo much! Stay safe, listen to the prophet and know God love us! -- Love, ELDER PATRICK McBRIDE
9-27
Hello Everybody!
I am doing great over here in Corona Califonia! Elder Schmidt and myself have had a great week.
To start I hope everyone has done their weekly reading assignment that Elder Michael T. Ringwood gave us in Moroni 7. We got to meet and be taught by him on Wednesday (12 September 2010). The meeting was great and Elder Ringwood was an amazing guy and really personable too. He taught us a lot about how to study with the spirit and relying on it. And as for Moroni 7 he taught us about charity. I guess I really didn't know what charity was till now ... I thought that when you just had a lot of love then that =ed charity... but wow, it's so much more! "Charity is the pure love of Christ" "Charity never faileth" "Charity..endureth forever" Charity doesn't come easy - it's something that you have to work for and pray for. And then if we obtain charity Moroni teaches that "whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him."
I got to go, but I love you all! I am doing really well over here in Temescal Valley Corona. I love the area and I love the ward. Elder Schmidt is great too - we are going to have a great companionship! I am feeling the spirit more and more everyday and Heavenly Father is helping me out so much!
Take care everyone! Kenadi, get feeling better! Hope you all had fun at Josh's homecoming! send me pictures! Did Nicole have the baby yet - send me pictures!! I love you all!!! Watch general conference this week and be safe!-- Love, ELDER PATRICK McBRIDE
I am doing great over here in Corona Califonia! Elder Schmidt and myself have had a great week.
To start I hope everyone has done their weekly reading assignment that Elder Michael T. Ringwood gave us in Moroni 7. We got to meet and be taught by him on Wednesday (12 September 2010). The meeting was great and Elder Ringwood was an amazing guy and really personable too. He taught us a lot about how to study with the spirit and relying on it. And as for Moroni 7 he taught us about charity. I guess I really didn't know what charity was till now ... I thought that when you just had a lot of love then that =ed charity... but wow, it's so much more! "Charity is the pure love of Christ" "Charity never faileth" "Charity..endureth forever" Charity doesn't come easy - it's something that you have to work for and pray for. And then if we obtain charity Moroni teaches that "whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him."
I got to go, but I love you all! I am doing really well over here in Temescal Valley Corona. I love the area and I love the ward. Elder Schmidt is great too - we are going to have a great companionship! I am feeling the spirit more and more everyday and Heavenly Father is helping me out so much!
Take care everyone! Kenadi, get feeling better! Hope you all had fun at Josh's homecoming! send me pictures! Did Nicole have the baby yet - send me pictures!! I love you all!!! Watch general conference this week and be safe!-- Love, ELDER PATRICK McBRIDE
Friday, September 24, 2010
9-21
HEY what's up!
How are you all doing? Hope everyone had a great week. Happy 97th Bday Grandma Edna and Nicole - hope your suprise baby shower was .. suprising (haha - did you conect that is what I wouldn't tell you?!)
Well as for whats new with me, transfers came up this week and I got the kick out of Indio (Palm Desert Zone). After 7 and a half months the area has come to become like my family. I love everyone there and will miss them so much! Getting the call was like a reality check that my time in serving in specific places is so short (yes, even being 7+ months in the area). But now God is calling me to new places and preparing new people over here in Corona for me.
Seriously my love for people has grown so much. Ugh, I wish I had a week to say my goodbyes.. but they just give us a whopping couple of hours to get in all done - not enough at all. So if there is any I didn't say goodbye to - I love you soo soo much & I will hopefully see you in March!
So now I am in Corona (again) it's weird being back in the area - so many memories flowing back to my head... haha, seeing CrossRoads christian church brought some good memories.. wink wink. I am however not serving in the Citrus Hills & Prado View wards like I used to, I am serving more north in the Temescal Valley ward with Elder Schmidt. [if you want to view a picture of Elder Schmidt you can view the one picture of me and Elder Clements standing outside of our Riverside appartment and that is him - I used to live with him].
I can already tell that me and Elder Schmidt are going to get along good. President Reeves just returned home from a meeting that he had with Elder Clayton (the authority presiding over california) & he said that he wants the mission to return to having 2 zone leaders for a zone - so as I was just coving my whole zone in Palm Desert the changed it so now Elder Schmidt & I are now both zone leaders.
Tomorrow is going to be fun! We are going to get to travel up to Riverside & see another General Authority that is traveling to speak to our mission (Elder Ringwood of the 1st quorum of the Seventy). I will tell you all about it :) He told us to read Moroni 7 before we came to the meeting ... so that is your homework too for over the week, then I will tell you all about it!
I got to talk to Elder Veater Yesterday before he left... ahhh weird to think he is at home with his family now... (haha, am I making you trunky?) But anyway, give him hugs and lots of lovin from me when you see him next week okay! - oh, and the Yokshas's too!
I love you all so much! Keep doing what you know is right and what Jesus Christ would do. I love what Jesus says when he teaches the sermon on the mount, when he teaches the beatitudes: "And blessed are all they who do hunger & thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled with the Holy Ghost" (3 Nephi 12:6), what a promise. Can we say that we hunger and thirst after righteousness?? That is what I am going to try to do these next couple of months. As my shirt that Ryan & Mary gave me for Christmas says "Eat, drink and be Mormon ... Eating & sleeping optional" BE MORMON! Be like Christ and thirst and hunger for righteousness and to do good and if we do we are promised not only the Holy Ghost but life eternal!-- Love, ELDER PATRICK McBRIDEPS.. Send mail to mission office until I can get my address to you :)
How are you all doing? Hope everyone had a great week. Happy 97th Bday Grandma Edna and Nicole - hope your suprise baby shower was .. suprising (haha - did you conect that is what I wouldn't tell you?!)
Well as for whats new with me, transfers came up this week and I got the kick out of Indio (Palm Desert Zone). After 7 and a half months the area has come to become like my family. I love everyone there and will miss them so much! Getting the call was like a reality check that my time in serving in specific places is so short (yes, even being 7+ months in the area). But now God is calling me to new places and preparing new people over here in Corona for me.
Seriously my love for people has grown so much. Ugh, I wish I had a week to say my goodbyes.. but they just give us a whopping couple of hours to get in all done - not enough at all. So if there is any I didn't say goodbye to - I love you soo soo much & I will hopefully see you in March!
So now I am in Corona (again) it's weird being back in the area - so many memories flowing back to my head... haha, seeing CrossRoads christian church brought some good memories.. wink wink. I am however not serving in the Citrus Hills & Prado View wards like I used to, I am serving more north in the Temescal Valley ward with Elder Schmidt. [if you want to view a picture of Elder Schmidt you can view the one picture of me and Elder Clements standing outside of our Riverside appartment and that is him - I used to live with him].
I can already tell that me and Elder Schmidt are going to get along good. President Reeves just returned home from a meeting that he had with Elder Clayton (the authority presiding over california) & he said that he wants the mission to return to having 2 zone leaders for a zone - so as I was just coving my whole zone in Palm Desert the changed it so now Elder Schmidt & I are now both zone leaders.
Tomorrow is going to be fun! We are going to get to travel up to Riverside & see another General Authority that is traveling to speak to our mission (Elder Ringwood of the 1st quorum of the Seventy). I will tell you all about it :) He told us to read Moroni 7 before we came to the meeting ... so that is your homework too for over the week, then I will tell you all about it!
I got to talk to Elder Veater Yesterday before he left... ahhh weird to think he is at home with his family now... (haha, am I making you trunky?) But anyway, give him hugs and lots of lovin from me when you see him next week okay! - oh, and the Yokshas's too!
I love you all so much! Keep doing what you know is right and what Jesus Christ would do. I love what Jesus says when he teaches the sermon on the mount, when he teaches the beatitudes: "And blessed are all they who do hunger & thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled with the Holy Ghost" (3 Nephi 12:6), what a promise. Can we say that we hunger and thirst after righteousness?? That is what I am going to try to do these next couple of months. As my shirt that Ryan & Mary gave me for Christmas says "Eat, drink and be Mormon ... Eating & sleeping optional" BE MORMON! Be like Christ and thirst and hunger for righteousness and to do good and if we do we are promised not only the Holy Ghost but life eternal!-- Love, ELDER PATRICK McBRIDEPS.. Send mail to mission office until I can get my address to you :)
9-13
Hello Everyone!
Well this week has been good for sure! So my letter is going to be pretty short today... short yet sweet haha. So I am doing good and working really hard. Elder Jensen says everyday that I work him to death - haha he wakes up in the mornings tired. But to me, I think that is how a mission should be.
I was reading in Mormon the other day and I really liked this scripture. I'll ask you a question first: Do you think you can win without God? My thoughts would be no - but:
Mormon 2:26-27 And it came to pass that when they had fled we did pursue them with our armies, and did meet them again, and did beat them; nevertheless the strength of the Lord was not with us; yea, we were left to ourselves, that the Spirit of the Lord did not abide in us; therefore we had become weak like unto our brethren. And my heart did sorrow because of this the great calamity of my people, because of their wickedness and their abominations.
(this scripture is talking about when the armies of the Nephites going to battle once again with the Lamanites.) The strength of the Lord was not with them because they were not following the commandments and the were a very wicked people - - they were left to themselves. I thought to myself - how sad is that! How sad would it be to be left to ourselves to get through this life - with No help. - I couldn't imagine. But that is why we have Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Fathers plan. We may win sometimes without God - but in the end we can't - we all (to win) need our Savior and Redeemers help!
I love you all and I hope that through your constant daily battles can choose to use the strength from the Lord. Pray for it! He is willing to give! I love you so much! Be safe! You are in my prayers!-- Love, ELDER PATRICK McBRIDE
Well this week has been good for sure! So my letter is going to be pretty short today... short yet sweet haha. So I am doing good and working really hard. Elder Jensen says everyday that I work him to death - haha he wakes up in the mornings tired. But to me, I think that is how a mission should be.
I was reading in Mormon the other day and I really liked this scripture. I'll ask you a question first: Do you think you can win without God? My thoughts would be no - but:
Mormon 2:26-27 And it came to pass that when they had fled we did pursue them with our armies, and did meet them again, and did beat them; nevertheless the strength of the Lord was not with us; yea, we were left to ourselves, that the Spirit of the Lord did not abide in us; therefore we had become weak like unto our brethren. And my heart did sorrow because of this the great calamity of my people, because of their wickedness and their abominations.
(this scripture is talking about when the armies of the Nephites going to battle once again with the Lamanites.) The strength of the Lord was not with them because they were not following the commandments and the were a very wicked people - - they were left to themselves. I thought to myself - how sad is that! How sad would it be to be left to ourselves to get through this life - with No help. - I couldn't imagine. But that is why we have Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Fathers plan. We may win sometimes without God - but in the end we can't - we all (to win) need our Savior and Redeemers help!
I love you all and I hope that through your constant daily battles can choose to use the strength from the Lord. Pray for it! He is willing to give! I love you so much! Be safe! You are in my prayers!-- Love, ELDER PATRICK McBRIDE
9-08
Good Afternoon!
Hope you all had a great Memorial Day! Sorry I didn't get on Yesterday we were busy busy busy! The spanish elders called and wanted us to come over and give us one of their non-progressing investigators - so we could try and see if we could help them progress. Well we went over and had just the greatest lesson. Their names are Vicente & Lucille. We commited them for baptism and they said that they would prepare! The lesson was so amazing and it wasn't me speaking, I mean it was - but really it was the spirit speaking. Way cool experience. So hopefully Elder Jensen & I can keep them progressing and they can keep their commitments.
I got to spend another 2 days up in Riverside at a Leadership Meeting and a ZLC (Zone Leader Meeting). They were both really good! I am so lucky to be in this mission with such great leaders like President & Sister Reeves! They love us so much and have so much faith in us! One of the things that I remember someone saying is, "Life without goals is like Golf without Holes... it just doesn't make sense!" haha Don't ya love it - We need goals in life if we want to progress.
We had an awesome lesson with one of my investigators Brooke Reynolds. You might remember me talking about her a couple of months ago. It's funny, I met her about 7 months ago on my first night here in Indio. We taught them for a couple of months and they just would not progress and keep their commitments so we didn't see them for the last couple of months. Well the past couple of weeks I have had a feeling that I needed to go over there and commit her to baptism and get her into the gospel. Well Yesterday that is just what we did! We had a lesson with her and commited her for baptism on September 19th. Venus & Aaliyah Paez and the Holmstrom family are doing great. Last night we had a prayer with Venus and she wanted to say the closing prayer (Usually we have to make her say it. haha) Wow, it was like the best prayer ever! In the prayer she bore her testimony of knowing that Joseph Smith was the prophet and that this church and gospel is the true gospel! I loved it [these are the moments that makes life and the mission so worth it!!]
Life is good for me. The work is picking up more. We are working hard and diligent. I know the Lord has plans for me and I pray I can see what they are. Thank you for your prayers they help so much! Love you all and Stay safe!-- Love,
ELDER PATRICK MCBRIDE
Hope you all had a great Memorial Day! Sorry I didn't get on Yesterday we were busy busy busy! The spanish elders called and wanted us to come over and give us one of their non-progressing investigators - so we could try and see if we could help them progress. Well we went over and had just the greatest lesson. Their names are Vicente & Lucille. We commited them for baptism and they said that they would prepare! The lesson was so amazing and it wasn't me speaking, I mean it was - but really it was the spirit speaking. Way cool experience. So hopefully Elder Jensen & I can keep them progressing and they can keep their commitments.
I got to spend another 2 days up in Riverside at a Leadership Meeting and a ZLC (Zone Leader Meeting). They were both really good! I am so lucky to be in this mission with such great leaders like President & Sister Reeves! They love us so much and have so much faith in us! One of the things that I remember someone saying is, "Life without goals is like Golf without Holes... it just doesn't make sense!" haha Don't ya love it - We need goals in life if we want to progress.
We had an awesome lesson with one of my investigators Brooke Reynolds. You might remember me talking about her a couple of months ago. It's funny, I met her about 7 months ago on my first night here in Indio. We taught them for a couple of months and they just would not progress and keep their commitments so we didn't see them for the last couple of months. Well the past couple of weeks I have had a feeling that I needed to go over there and commit her to baptism and get her into the gospel. Well Yesterday that is just what we did! We had a lesson with her and commited her for baptism on September 19th. Venus & Aaliyah Paez and the Holmstrom family are doing great. Last night we had a prayer with Venus and she wanted to say the closing prayer (Usually we have to make her say it. haha) Wow, it was like the best prayer ever! In the prayer she bore her testimony of knowing that Joseph Smith was the prophet and that this church and gospel is the true gospel! I loved it [these are the moments that makes life and the mission so worth it!!]
Life is good for me. The work is picking up more. We are working hard and diligent. I know the Lord has plans for me and I pray I can see what they are. Thank you for your prayers they help so much! Love you all and Stay safe!-- Love,
ELDER PATRICK MCBRIDE
8-30
HELLO! Hope all is well @ home and everyone is safe and had a great summer! Good luck at school!
So I forgot to tell you something funny that happened at Venus & Aaliyah Paez's baptism last Sunday. After the baptism I came up to Aaliyah and she was just super excited and I was like, "Aaliyah, how do you feel right now?" and she answered, "Well, I feel half happy.. and half baptized!" haha, we laughed so hard. [fyi: she was wholey baptized]
This week has been a bit slower. We were so excited and siked to commit more of our investigators to baptism BUT almost everyone one of them desided that they would do the exact opposite and drop us.. UGH... nope double UGHHHHH! So we have been out in the heat tracting a ton and trying to find new people to come unto Christ. I know that Heavenly Father has so much instore for this area and for us - we just have to be diligent in finding and being faithful - my motto : "Feed the Faith, Starve the Doubt!" I think Elder Jensen wants to hit me everytime I say that. haha
Friday we got to go to the temple! It seemed like forever since I had gone! and It was such a good experience! (We now go every 3 months - so it's not that bad at all) It was like a 2 hour drive to get to the Redlands temple from our clear out in the middle Indio! haha but way good experience. After the temple we went to a CTR bookstore right down the steet and Elder Jensen & I bought some stuff for Venus and her family - so that she can teach her kids from the scriptures. We were so excited to give her all of the presents we got for her. On Sunday right after she was confirmed a member and sacrament was out we gave her a quad with her name engraved on it (a gift from the ward) and some children books on the Book of Mormon and a picture of the 1st Vision. It was so good and she loved it! It's crazy how much peace the gospel of Jesus Christ can give to you - on Saturday she had lost her wallet with her and her childrens birth certificates and social sucurity info in it. She was freaking out (which I would do too.) but we came by, said a prayer and on Sunday she was at peace - still freaking out - but at peace.
As for my scripture studies this week, one thing that really stuck out to me is something that our Savior Jesus Christ said in his short ministry in the america's 3 Nephi 13:21 "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." I believe that with all my heart. Wether the treasure is good or bad - what ever we are treasuring that is where our heart is. Hopefully we can all say our treasure is in the restored gospel, in Jesus Christ, and in striving faithfully to get back to our Father in Heaven. Treasure is a great word to use - is the gospel a treasure to you - would you got searching for it and do anything to have it - the great thing about the treasure of Jesus Christ is that - to me it is not somewhere barried unto a huge X but it is freely given to all those who dilligently seek for it. The only thing is that Pirates are after it. Satan is striving so hard to dull our senses and to blur our vision of how great this treasure is - he gives us false treasures - some that can not last eternally. Remember to always put your hearts in Gods treasures!
I love you all! Be safe, let the Holy Spirit guide and let it be your treasure - for it is His treasure!-- Love, ELDER PATRICK McBRIDE
So I forgot to tell you something funny that happened at Venus & Aaliyah Paez's baptism last Sunday. After the baptism I came up to Aaliyah and she was just super excited and I was like, "Aaliyah, how do you feel right now?" and she answered, "Well, I feel half happy.. and half baptized!" haha, we laughed so hard. [fyi: she was wholey baptized]
This week has been a bit slower. We were so excited and siked to commit more of our investigators to baptism BUT almost everyone one of them desided that they would do the exact opposite and drop us.. UGH... nope double UGHHHHH! So we have been out in the heat tracting a ton and trying to find new people to come unto Christ. I know that Heavenly Father has so much instore for this area and for us - we just have to be diligent in finding and being faithful - my motto : "Feed the Faith, Starve the Doubt!" I think Elder Jensen wants to hit me everytime I say that. haha
Friday we got to go to the temple! It seemed like forever since I had gone! and It was such a good experience! (We now go every 3 months - so it's not that bad at all) It was like a 2 hour drive to get to the Redlands temple from our clear out in the middle Indio! haha but way good experience. After the temple we went to a CTR bookstore right down the steet and Elder Jensen & I bought some stuff for Venus and her family - so that she can teach her kids from the scriptures. We were so excited to give her all of the presents we got for her. On Sunday right after she was confirmed a member and sacrament was out we gave her a quad with her name engraved on it (a gift from the ward) and some children books on the Book of Mormon and a picture of the 1st Vision. It was so good and she loved it! It's crazy how much peace the gospel of Jesus Christ can give to you - on Saturday she had lost her wallet with her and her childrens birth certificates and social sucurity info in it. She was freaking out (which I would do too.) but we came by, said a prayer and on Sunday she was at peace - still freaking out - but at peace.
As for my scripture studies this week, one thing that really stuck out to me is something that our Savior Jesus Christ said in his short ministry in the america's 3 Nephi 13:21 "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." I believe that with all my heart. Wether the treasure is good or bad - what ever we are treasuring that is where our heart is. Hopefully we can all say our treasure is in the restored gospel, in Jesus Christ, and in striving faithfully to get back to our Father in Heaven. Treasure is a great word to use - is the gospel a treasure to you - would you got searching for it and do anything to have it - the great thing about the treasure of Jesus Christ is that - to me it is not somewhere barried unto a huge X but it is freely given to all those who dilligently seek for it. The only thing is that Pirates are after it. Satan is striving so hard to dull our senses and to blur our vision of how great this treasure is - he gives us false treasures - some that can not last eternally. Remember to always put your hearts in Gods treasures!
I love you all! Be safe, let the Holy Spirit guide and let it be your treasure - for it is His treasure!-- Love, ELDER PATRICK McBRIDE
8-16
Hi Everyone.
Hope you all had a good and safe week!
One morning this week I was studying my scriptures and came across a verse I really liked. Helaman 3: 27-29
"Thus we may see that the Lord is merciful unto all who will, in the sincerity of their hearts, call upon his holy name. Yea, thus we see that the gate of heaven is open unto all, even to those who will believe on the name of Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God. Yea, we see that whosoever will may lay hold upon the word of God, which is quick and powerful, which shall divide asunder all the cunning and the snares and the wiles of the devil, and lead the man of Christ in a strait and narrow course across that everlasting gulf of misery which is prepared to engulf the wicked—And land their souls, yea, their immortal souls, at the right hand of God in the kingdom of heaven, to sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and with Jacob, and with all our holy fathers, to go no more out."
With every single day that goes by I feel that scriptures like these are so true. We need to talk to our Heavenly Father! Sincere prayer is so necessary. In the bible dictionary it says, "Blessings require some work or effort on our part before we can obtain them. Prayer is a form of work, and is an appointed means for obtaining the highest of all blessings." Wow, the highest of all blessings... thats pretty cool right?! I have learned to love the scriptures so much on my mission - I love how Helaman testifies of the 'word of God' and how it leads the 'man of christ' on the strait and narrow. There really is no other way to get to God and His kingdom. Everyone has to get on the path, take hold of the rod (scriptures) and it will 'land' us in His kingdom. I really liked the "man of Christ" - I ask myself that - am I a man of Christ - am I His disciple? Would I give up & sacrifice everything & anything for Him?? That's what we need to do to get back - I guess the exortation from Christ applys "Loose yourself and you will be found."
We are planning on having 5 baptisms this week so I will be needing your prayers! (remember Highest blessings!) And it really would be the highest of all blessings. The Holmstrom girls (Elizabeth, Madison, & Sunny) we are planning on getting baptized tomorrow night at 6:00 - that is if their dad is in support of it. And Venus and her daughter Aayliah Paez are getting baptized on Sunday at 6:00.
We have been praying all week for a miracle to happen for Venus. The La Quinta ward relief society is having a weekend trip up to Big Bear Mountain and Venus really wanted to go (& we really wanted her to go - to get relationships with the sisters in the ward) So we have been praying that we could get someone to watch her kids (her family is not supportive at all of the mormonism and neither is her X) But on Sunday she called her xboyfriend up and he said he wouldn't - but then called her back and said he would!! We were so excited. this week is going to be awesome... if it turns out the way I plan... just hopefully mine and Gods plans are the same!
I love you all so much! Keep up the good work. be safe! *Turn off the automobile when you get it in the garage! *Always listen to Ivy when she speaks! *Don't give Kenadi Scizzors anymore. *Happy BIRTHDAY wishes to Libby & Nayvie! Keep praying and keeping on the strait and narrow and be a "man of Christ" .. or 'a woman of Christ' too!-- Love, ELDER PATRICK McBRIDE
Ps. the toilets in California still flush clockwise... boring
Hope you all had a good and safe week!
One morning this week I was studying my scriptures and came across a verse I really liked. Helaman 3: 27-29
"Thus we may see that the Lord is merciful unto all who will, in the sincerity of their hearts, call upon his holy name. Yea, thus we see that the gate of heaven is open unto all, even to those who will believe on the name of Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God. Yea, we see that whosoever will may lay hold upon the word of God, which is quick and powerful, which shall divide asunder all the cunning and the snares and the wiles of the devil, and lead the man of Christ in a strait and narrow course across that everlasting gulf of misery which is prepared to engulf the wicked—And land their souls, yea, their immortal souls, at the right hand of God in the kingdom of heaven, to sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and with Jacob, and with all our holy fathers, to go no more out."
With every single day that goes by I feel that scriptures like these are so true. We need to talk to our Heavenly Father! Sincere prayer is so necessary. In the bible dictionary it says, "Blessings require some work or effort on our part before we can obtain them. Prayer is a form of work, and is an appointed means for obtaining the highest of all blessings." Wow, the highest of all blessings... thats pretty cool right?! I have learned to love the scriptures so much on my mission - I love how Helaman testifies of the 'word of God' and how it leads the 'man of christ' on the strait and narrow. There really is no other way to get to God and His kingdom. Everyone has to get on the path, take hold of the rod (scriptures) and it will 'land' us in His kingdom. I really liked the "man of Christ" - I ask myself that - am I a man of Christ - am I His disciple? Would I give up & sacrifice everything & anything for Him?? That's what we need to do to get back - I guess the exortation from Christ applys "Loose yourself and you will be found."
We are planning on having 5 baptisms this week so I will be needing your prayers! (remember Highest blessings!) And it really would be the highest of all blessings. The Holmstrom girls (Elizabeth, Madison, & Sunny) we are planning on getting baptized tomorrow night at 6:00 - that is if their dad is in support of it. And Venus and her daughter Aayliah Paez are getting baptized on Sunday at 6:00.
We have been praying all week for a miracle to happen for Venus. The La Quinta ward relief society is having a weekend trip up to Big Bear Mountain and Venus really wanted to go (& we really wanted her to go - to get relationships with the sisters in the ward) So we have been praying that we could get someone to watch her kids (her family is not supportive at all of the mormonism and neither is her X) But on Sunday she called her xboyfriend up and he said he wouldn't - but then called her back and said he would!! We were so excited. this week is going to be awesome... if it turns out the way I plan... just hopefully mine and Gods plans are the same!
I love you all so much! Keep up the good work. be safe! *Turn off the automobile when you get it in the garage! *Always listen to Ivy when she speaks! *Don't give Kenadi Scizzors anymore. *Happy BIRTHDAY wishes to Libby & Nayvie! Keep praying and keeping on the strait and narrow and be a "man of Christ" .. or 'a woman of Christ' too!-- Love, ELDER PATRICK McBRIDE
Ps. the toilets in California still flush clockwise... boring
8-02
Dear Family & Friends,
I hope that you are all having a great week and a fun summer. I was thinking this week and was like 'wow, the summer is almost over' (because usually my definition of summer is when school gets out till when it starts up.) But someone reasured me that summer here doesn't get over till November! Haha, It has been so HOT out here! Elder Jensen & I have fun with it and play a game called "burn-out" where we roll all the windows up in the truck and turn off the AC & see who will get 'burnt out' the fastest... haha, I know fun games as a missionary. The weird thing is that it has been cloudy and humidable [word?] lately.
So last Monday we went golfing again as a district at the Indian Springs resort and we had a great time. These old men that were right behind us were really good, so we let them go infront of us, well when they were swinging one of them saw this lady in a fenced in yard pruning her bushes and the old man golfing yelled out, "Well look at that sexy broad over there!" and the woman looked back and sqeeked, "No, no, I'm just the gardener." haha, we started dieing laughing! Those crazy old men!
Satan is moving in on the Holmstrom family. The dad is trying to post-pone the baptisms till further notice... But the girls are still trying. Elizabeth (the 14 year old) actually got up in sacrament yesterday and bore a sweet testimony about the power of the gospel in changing her life. Elizabeth actually drew us a picture the other day and it had her family, God, and us in it and she wrote "thank you for changing our lives and bringing happiness to my family."
One of our new investigators is Breona Rogers. She is such a sweet girl. We are having the lessons at the bishops house and it is going great. We commited her for baptism for this upcoming Sunday... so we will see if we can get her there! The only thing is she is leaving for college to Indiana soon... ughh. But the great thing is she believes and has faith!
So I hear someone had a little fall down the stairs... NICOLE!!! You scare me.. Sister Yokshas called and told me (which I am thankfull for) but still, there's not much I can help you with over here.... WRONG - - I had my zone of missionaries fast for you and baby Anderson! Prayers work, I'm glad that you are doing good and baby [emery?] is doing good also. Really, I know Heavenly Father is watching over me and my family. I know!
We picked up a new investigator this week named Moetez Madkour. He is an egyptian and a champion horse jumper. He is one of the most humblest & nicest people that I have every talked to. The sad thing is someone is harrassing him and trying to hurt him and his horses. He actually asked if it was okay to kill himself if he was being torchered (if God would be okay with that). He says it's the other horse jumpers hiring people and that he knew a friend that could help him out. That friend was a mormon and called us up to meet with him. We told him that we could help and that suicide was not the right path, that God will help him get through these hard times. Scary how bad the world is getting these days!
Transfers are coming up this week on Monday the 9th. I have no idea if I am going or staying. I have been here for 6 months ... but where I just got my calling last transfer, I don't know if I will be staying or going??? hmmmm *I told the AP's that I wouldn't mind being put with Elder Veater for his last transfer again.. haha... so we will see. I love you all, STAY SAFE! Pray and fast! follow the spirit.-- Love, ELDER PATRICK McBRIDE
I hope that you are all having a great week and a fun summer. I was thinking this week and was like 'wow, the summer is almost over' (because usually my definition of summer is when school gets out till when it starts up.) But someone reasured me that summer here doesn't get over till November! Haha, It has been so HOT out here! Elder Jensen & I have fun with it and play a game called "burn-out" where we roll all the windows up in the truck and turn off the AC & see who will get 'burnt out' the fastest... haha, I know fun games as a missionary. The weird thing is that it has been cloudy and humidable [word?] lately.
So last Monday we went golfing again as a district at the Indian Springs resort and we had a great time. These old men that were right behind us were really good, so we let them go infront of us, well when they were swinging one of them saw this lady in a fenced in yard pruning her bushes and the old man golfing yelled out, "Well look at that sexy broad over there!" and the woman looked back and sqeeked, "No, no, I'm just the gardener." haha, we started dieing laughing! Those crazy old men!
Satan is moving in on the Holmstrom family. The dad is trying to post-pone the baptisms till further notice... But the girls are still trying. Elizabeth (the 14 year old) actually got up in sacrament yesterday and bore a sweet testimony about the power of the gospel in changing her life. Elizabeth actually drew us a picture the other day and it had her family, God, and us in it and she wrote "thank you for changing our lives and bringing happiness to my family."
One of our new investigators is Breona Rogers. She is such a sweet girl. We are having the lessons at the bishops house and it is going great. We commited her for baptism for this upcoming Sunday... so we will see if we can get her there! The only thing is she is leaving for college to Indiana soon... ughh. But the great thing is she believes and has faith!
So I hear someone had a little fall down the stairs... NICOLE!!! You scare me.. Sister Yokshas called and told me (which I am thankfull for) but still, there's not much I can help you with over here.... WRONG - - I had my zone of missionaries fast for you and baby Anderson! Prayers work, I'm glad that you are doing good and baby [emery?] is doing good also. Really, I know Heavenly Father is watching over me and my family. I know!
We picked up a new investigator this week named Moetez Madkour. He is an egyptian and a champion horse jumper. He is one of the most humblest & nicest people that I have every talked to. The sad thing is someone is harrassing him and trying to hurt him and his horses. He actually asked if it was okay to kill himself if he was being torchered (if God would be okay with that). He says it's the other horse jumpers hiring people and that he knew a friend that could help him out. That friend was a mormon and called us up to meet with him. We told him that we could help and that suicide was not the right path, that God will help him get through these hard times. Scary how bad the world is getting these days!
Transfers are coming up this week on Monday the 9th. I have no idea if I am going or staying. I have been here for 6 months ... but where I just got my calling last transfer, I don't know if I will be staying or going??? hmmmm *I told the AP's that I wouldn't mind being put with Elder Veater for his last transfer again.. haha... so we will see. I love you all, STAY SAFE! Pray and fast! follow the spirit.-- Love, ELDER PATRICK McBRIDE
7-26
HI Brothers & Sisters!
Hope you had an exciting and amazing week. From the pictures it looks like you and the Yokshas's had a blast at Bear Lake and for Kenadi's birthday party - - HAPPY BIRTHDAY KENADI!!!! Thanks for the blog update Nicole, loved all the pictures! Haha, I like the one where Adi is trying to ride the horse Susan gave her... haha - I would tell her to stick to the scooter or the bike.. haha. Bear Lake looked amazing! And LaBaues.. [or however you spell it] tastes so good right now... think a shake would melt if you sent it to me??]
Well I had a really good week, a weird week - but really really good. On Tuesday I got to go on a road-trip back to my old area in Riverside for a leadership conference that was going to last from Tuesday to Friday everyday from 7:50am-4:30pm. It was so good to see everyone of the missionaries I knew there. Since all leadership including Zone leaders, District leaders, and trainers were invited to the meeting in equaled about a 3rd of our mission.
The four days were spiritually packed! On the first day they trained us on the "doctrine of Christ" which is basically our purpose as missionaries "To invite otheres to come unto Christ, by helping them recieve the restored gospel through Faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, Repentance, Baptism, Receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and Enduring to the End." If you look in the scriptures in references such as 2 Nephi 32, 3 Nephi 27, Alma 7, etc. You can see this "doctrine of Christ". What the bretheren want us to start doing is teaching this in our first lessons to our investigators. Teaching them why baptism is necessary and the WHY we need to do it. Then duh duh duh duh - COMMIT them to follow the example of Jesus Christ by being baptized by one holding the authority of God. Crazy to think to invite and commit them for a baptism date the first time we meet - but I know it will work, this is the Lords way and His plan!
The new curriculum we were trained on does not replace anything that we have been doing. Just as Preach My Gospel is used to help us be better missionaries from the scriptures, this new curriculum helps us be better missionaries from both sources. We were also trained on how to help ourselves and our investigators receive revelation from the Book of Mormon and from church attendance.
While we were there (since it was like 2 hours away from Palm Desert - where I live) they put us with other missionaries around the area and I got the privlege to be put with Elder Burton & Yarn serving in the ... Mt. Rubidoux Ward!! Yup, that's right - my old ward! YA! So, after the first meeting was over they desided to take me to see an old friend... Sister Brenda Franklin! When we got to her house I went around the corner and told Elder Burton to say his companion was just on the phone - so she came around the corner and saw me and starting screaming and jumping up and down .. awhh it was so amazing!!! It was so good to see her! She actually came with us to our night appointment and took us to dinner right after!
One of the exciting things was that Brenda actually came and spoke at our Leadership meeting on Thursday! We were being taught about "Teaching people, Not Lessons" and she sharred a heart-felt testimony on being "real" with the people that you teach. "If we are coming to people with a message from God, give a message from God!" is something that she said that just made me think - do I always treat my missionary calling for what it is worth?? EVERYTHING {you did so good Brenda, I am so proud of you!!}
One of the people I tracted into in Riverside and started teaching named Eric Morris just got baptized on Sunday! I was so excited! Sad I couldn't go back for the baptism, but so excited for him! You really can make a difference in peoples lives - even if it is only planting a seed.
Our Investigators Elizabeth, Madison & Sunny Holmstrom are scheduled to get baptized this upcoming sunday and I am so excited. Elizebeth drew us a picture of us and her family saying "thankyou for changing my life and bringing happiness, I love my family and have never been happier." Which means sooo much knowing how much they have changed! Venus Paez is getting baptized with her daughter Aaliyah soon - she has also changed soo much. Really, if you want help and peace the Gospel of Jesus Christ helps so much, it is truely everything. This past week I have just been smiling so much with the tender mercies and miracles Heavenly Father is blessing me with!
I love you all so much! Hope you have a great week! Be safe and follow the spirit! Keep praying for me and my investigators!-- Love, ELDER PATRICK McBRIDE
Hope you had an exciting and amazing week. From the pictures it looks like you and the Yokshas's had a blast at Bear Lake and for Kenadi's birthday party - - HAPPY BIRTHDAY KENADI!!!! Thanks for the blog update Nicole, loved all the pictures! Haha, I like the one where Adi is trying to ride the horse Susan gave her... haha - I would tell her to stick to the scooter or the bike.. haha. Bear Lake looked amazing! And LaBaues.. [or however you spell it] tastes so good right now... think a shake would melt if you sent it to me??]
Well I had a really good week, a weird week - but really really good. On Tuesday I got to go on a road-trip back to my old area in Riverside for a leadership conference that was going to last from Tuesday to Friday everyday from 7:50am-4:30pm. It was so good to see everyone of the missionaries I knew there. Since all leadership including Zone leaders, District leaders, and trainers were invited to the meeting in equaled about a 3rd of our mission.
The four days were spiritually packed! On the first day they trained us on the "doctrine of Christ" which is basically our purpose as missionaries "To invite otheres to come unto Christ, by helping them recieve the restored gospel through Faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, Repentance, Baptism, Receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and Enduring to the End." If you look in the scriptures in references such as 2 Nephi 32, 3 Nephi 27, Alma 7, etc. You can see this "doctrine of Christ". What the bretheren want us to start doing is teaching this in our first lessons to our investigators. Teaching them why baptism is necessary and the WHY we need to do it. Then duh duh duh duh - COMMIT them to follow the example of Jesus Christ by being baptized by one holding the authority of God. Crazy to think to invite and commit them for a baptism date the first time we meet - but I know it will work, this is the Lords way and His plan!
The new curriculum we were trained on does not replace anything that we have been doing. Just as Preach My Gospel is used to help us be better missionaries from the scriptures, this new curriculum helps us be better missionaries from both sources. We were also trained on how to help ourselves and our investigators receive revelation from the Book of Mormon and from church attendance.
While we were there (since it was like 2 hours away from Palm Desert - where I live) they put us with other missionaries around the area and I got the privlege to be put with Elder Burton & Yarn serving in the ... Mt. Rubidoux Ward!! Yup, that's right - my old ward! YA! So, after the first meeting was over they desided to take me to see an old friend... Sister Brenda Franklin! When we got to her house I went around the corner and told Elder Burton to say his companion was just on the phone - so she came around the corner and saw me and starting screaming and jumping up and down .. awhh it was so amazing!!! It was so good to see her! She actually came with us to our night appointment and took us to dinner right after!
One of the exciting things was that Brenda actually came and spoke at our Leadership meeting on Thursday! We were being taught about "Teaching people, Not Lessons" and she sharred a heart-felt testimony on being "real" with the people that you teach. "If we are coming to people with a message from God, give a message from God!" is something that she said that just made me think - do I always treat my missionary calling for what it is worth?? EVERYTHING {you did so good Brenda, I am so proud of you!!}
One of the people I tracted into in Riverside and started teaching named Eric Morris just got baptized on Sunday! I was so excited! Sad I couldn't go back for the baptism, but so excited for him! You really can make a difference in peoples lives - even if it is only planting a seed.
Our Investigators Elizabeth, Madison & Sunny Holmstrom are scheduled to get baptized this upcoming sunday and I am so excited. Elizebeth drew us a picture of us and her family saying "thankyou for changing my life and bringing happiness, I love my family and have never been happier." Which means sooo much knowing how much they have changed! Venus Paez is getting baptized with her daughter Aaliyah soon - she has also changed soo much. Really, if you want help and peace the Gospel of Jesus Christ helps so much, it is truely everything. This past week I have just been smiling so much with the tender mercies and miracles Heavenly Father is blessing me with!
I love you all so much! Hope you have a great week! Be safe and follow the spirit! Keep praying for me and my investigators!-- Love, ELDER PATRICK McBRIDE
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