Mother's Day! - May 13, 2013

It's gonna be short! Running out of time, sorry!

 

This week was great. We found a new Burmese family, 2 investigators came to church, I went on exchanges with one of my Zone Leaders (I am in one of 2 zones in the mission who is led by Spanish-speaking missionaries), and had a trainer's meeting with President Jergensen.

 

Keep reading the scriptures! They are there for our help and comfort.

 

Love,

Elder Zachary R McKenzie

Iowa Des Moines Mission

    D&C 6:34, 36

Doubt Not, Fear Not.
Nothing Less than 550

Called and Ordained Servants of Christ - May 6, 2013

Can you believe it has been 9 months already? Because I sure can't!

This last Saturday we as a mission had the incredible opportunity to be taught by Elder Neil L. Andersen, an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. We were also taught by Elder L. Whitney Clayton of the Presidency of the Seventy, Elder Edward Dubea newly called member of the First Quorum of the Seventy, and our Mission President Couple President and Sister Jergensen. Elder Michael J. Reall, our Area Seventy, was also in attendance. It was incredible!

Elder Andersen spoke on the merits, mercy, and grace of Jesus Christ and how we can better understand the Atonement of Jesus Christ and allow its enabling power to enter into our lives. Elder Clayton told us to “work hard and be good!” Be ‘whole’ saints, not just inbetweeners. Elder Dube spoke about love and the importance of members. Sister Jergensen spoke about the importance of love and how it should be the driving force behind everything we do. President Jergensen spoke on the importance of diligence.

Last week we found an investigator. She is a friend of Aung's family. Aung is awesome and he is always willing to help! He speaks Karen, English, and a little Burmese. We had initially taught her once. They way we met her is pretty funny! We were going to visit a potential investigator family with Aung on Elder Sierra's first day in the mission field.. When they weren't home, he opened the door of the next door neighbor, talked to them, then turned to us and said "Do you want to teach her?" We answered yes, and we proceeded to walk in and taught her about the Restoration. Aung was translating, and he doesn't speak a lot of burmese, but the Lord blessed him and he was able to help us communicate with her. She said she wanted to become a Christian and what does it take to be one. She told us something about being Hindu or speaking Hindu, but we were excited to help her come to the truth without having the concern "I've already been baptized." That is a concern that we have found with almost every Karen person we have met with.

We were meeting with her for the second time Saturday night when we found out she was Muslim. Our Mission President must interview the person and approve their being taught before we can teach a Muslim and prepare them for baptism. Thankfully we had stake conference yesterday that President Jergensen would be at. She came with Aung's family, and after the Conference was interviewed by President. President gave the ok, we met with her last night, and she is preparing to be baptized on May 25th! Please pray for her and that it will all work out with her, her daughter and that she will get a job that won't work on Sundays.

Things are going great! Thank you for your prayers and your love! A scripture that I found this week that is wonderful is Mosiah 4:5-13. It helped my understanding of the Atonement of Christ and what we can do to improve. I hope it helps you as well!

Love,

Elder Zachary R McKenzie

Iowa Des Moines Mission

    D&C 6:34, 36

Doubt Not, Fear Not.
Nothing Less than 550

Another week Another transfer - April 29, 2013

Salutations!

This was a crazy week out here in Des Moines. We had our promising investigator family from Africa drop us until their mother arrives from Nigeria in June. In spite of that, we found 4 new investigators this week. Bringing us to 7 current investigators.

 

The family of 3, Brian, Janelle, and Zachary, are still doing well. We have been told by the member family who referred them, that they are doing well and that Janelle is trying to convince her husband Brian to keep his heart open. Her mother was coming into town this weekend, and she didn't want her to know, in the words of the member friend "that I want to become a Mormon." So that is pretty awesome. She is also trying to transfer her 10-year-old son Zachary into the Cub Scouts the ward sponsors because the one he is currently in "doesn't do anything." So that looks great!

 

We picked up a new missionary at transfers on Thursday. His name is Elder Sierra and he is from Ocala, Florida. He is way awesome! He speaks Spanish, French, English, and Portuguese fluently and is learning Japanese! He is studious, smart, humble, stylish, and has a solid testimony. He is a great missionary already and it is a great opportunity to have him serving here with Elder Hess and I in Des Moines.

 

In Sacrament Meeting yesterday Elder Hess and Elder Sierra sang as I played piano to an arrangement of Come Thou Fount by Sally DeFord. It went pretty well. It was really neat to be able to share our musical abilities with the ward. It is something that I am expecially happy to do as I am finally developing my piano playing talent and the Lord is blessing me with ability beyond my understanding. My one or two hymns before the mission has turned into much better sightreading and one or two dozen hymns. It is amazing! Continue playing the piano, no matter what else you are doing. If you don't know how, what better time to start than now?

 

Keep reading the Book of Mormon. It brings power everyday into your life! Write in your journal everyday. If you don't have one, find a notebook or buy a journal and begin today. The Lord will bless us with more as we show him we can handle what he has given us now (see see Matthew 25).

 

Love,

Elder Zachary R McKenzie

Iowa Des Moines Mission

    D&C 6:34, 36

Doubt Not, Fear Not.
Nothing Less than 550

In Des Moines a little longer - April 22, 2013

Hello!

 

I was all super excited with a lot of things on mind to write about, then it all disappeared. Hope this letter is still good for you all to read it.

 

So we got transfer calls on Saturday. I am staying with Elder Hess for another six weeks. He goes home at the end of this transfer. Therefore I am "killing" him, as his mission life will end while I am his companion. Because of that, I will probably be in Des Moines for another 6 weeks after that, keeping me here until at least middle July. We'll see what happens for sure though.

 

Some more news. I'm pregnant! In mission terms of course. I was told by President Jergensen that I will be training this transfer. So I am prego until Thursday, until I find out who I will be training. You might be confused about why they are putting 3 missionaries together. It is because the missionary that I will be training is going to be a Visa-Waiter. A Visa-Waiter is kind of self explanatory, it is a missionary that is assigned to another mission, but their visa hasn't come to them yet, making it impossible for them to travel to their intended destination. There will be 10 elders coming to the IDMM en route to the Brazil Sao Paulo South Mission. They put us in a tripanionship because we don't know when the new missionary will receive his visa. I will be sure to keep you updated about who he is and where he's from and such as I have done with my other companions.

 

I have been recently, for our investigators that love and believe the Bible, studying how both books go hand in hand in testifying of Christ. Initially I was apprehensive because during my first 2 transfers, I was told "the Bible is the Battleground." So I have had that mentality since then. The two books work together in marvelous harmonies that I didn't see before. Like James 1:5 and Moroni 10:3-5. I am learning how to use the Bible, in the right time with the right people, alongside the Book of Mormon. It is really neat and after each study I have learned something new that I can use in my proselyting.

 

As I read the Book of Mormon in my daily study, (I read one or more chapters each day to begin my personal study) I have been looking to the cross references with my Bible and my Triple Combination as well (I read out of the Book of Mormon from a separate copy, so I have all the standard works available for flipping to different scriptures), while keeping notes in my study journal. It is a very cool, effective way to study. I encourage you to do the same or find something else that works for you!

 

I love you all! Keep on studying and acting on that faith you have! We met with a "grace junkie" on Saturday. They are those folks that believe that all you have to do is say "I believe you Jesus" or "Jesus save me" and that is all you have to do to be saved and go to heaven. It is kind of annoying. What you can do to come closer to Jesus Christ is follow His doctrine, given by Jesus Christ through God, Our Heavenly Father. Ultimately, we all have to follow the Gospel of Jesus Christ and each and every one of our lives will be aligned with God's will for you as you accept and apply the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

 

It is great as I have begun to do this in my life! It is a lifelong process. In the words of Nephi "if ye shall be obedient to the commandments, and endure to the end, ye shall be saved at the last day. And thus it is. Amen" (1 Nephi 22:31). I add my testimony to his. It does work. Because I am changing. :)

 

Love,

Elder Zachary R McKenzie

Iowa Des Moines Mission

    D&C 6:34, 36

Doubt Not, Fear Not.
Nothing Less than 550

One week of solid Miracles! - April 15, 2012

The only sure things in life are birth, death, and taxes!

 

Thought I would commemorate tax day with a quote from one of the founding fathers. :) It is tax day right? I know it has always been April 15th, up until last year at least, who knows what is going to happen in this crazy changing world we live in.

 

But anyway, Life is wonderful here in Des Moines! The Law of the Harvest is incredible! The Corn Row parable:

As you are going along a cornrow, there are seedling stalks, small stalks, tall green stalks, white stalks, and brown stalks. These stalks represent people. Seedling stalks have had a seed planted, but their progress is just beginning. Small stalks have been planted and are experiencing growth. Tall green stalks have experienced quite a lot of growth, but they are not quite ready to pluck. White stalks, the corn has arrived and is ready for picking! Brown stalks have died and have gone the way of the world.

As members of the church, we are the farmers planting and growing the corn. We plant seeds in the hearts of people and these people make progress and growth in the gospel (see Alma 32). There are two different roles that members of the Church take in this parable: The members cultivate the land and tend to the growing corn; The missionaries are the harvesters of the ready-to-harvest corn.

 

The members have a much wider reach than the guys-in-suits do. The members have friends that are not members of the church that they know from work, school, sports, and everyday life. The missionaries go around every day, all the time, talking about Jesus Christ. The members, if they are keeping the commandments of God, have the unique ability to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ into every aspect of their lives. As they meet others and cultivate friendships, their friends and acquaintances will naturally ask them what makes them different or what makes them do what they do. This is a natural entrance into sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They love their friends, watch them grow, and alert the missionaries when they are ripe for the picking. We have to be patient with this process, for we cannot force the seeds of faith to grow any faster than the person will let them.

Missionaries on the other hand, wear suits all the time, usually ride bikes or busses or walk, and they always have a Book of Mormon or a card to hand out. They are seasonal workers that don't stick around for extended periods of time. Therefore, the missionaries must focus their work on the elect (see D&C 29:7). These pairs of people are intimitading to the typical passerby. These passerby "are only kept from the truth because they know not where to find it" (D&C 123:12). They are not keen to talk to these people as they often think, "I am not ready for this," or "I am good where I'm at."

When missionaries and members are able to work together, the members are able to help the corn grow and watch after it, and the missionaries are able to spend their precious time in the gathering of souls. They have been specially called and set apart to gather. They have been special tools to be of an asset to the "marvelous work" of the Lord.

I hope you are all able to help cultivate those around whom you live and live a Christ-centered, Gospel-centered life, "be[ing ...] an example of the believers" (1 Tim 4:12). I love you all and know that you will and are doing these things!

 

This is the center of the work of Elder Hess and myself in the Des Moines area. We have been leaving record of those who weren't ready to bloom yet, and we have focused our efforts on gathering those whom the Lord has prepared by means (seeAlma 37:7).

We had a man by the name of Tayo, and his 5 children (one is not of baptismal age), come to church, attend a baptism, and accept an invitation to follow Jesus Christ and be baptized on April 27th. They were a referral from some missionaries on the west side of Des Moines. Tayo and his youngest child came to the closing session of General Conference last week. He enjoyed the words of the apostles and prophets and took notes to apply them in his life. His children love church and enjoy the teachings of Jesus Christ we have shared with them. It is truly a miracle from heaven that they are ready-to-harvest and that their hearts are true. In their desires to follow their Savior Jesus Christ.

A member from our ward told us on March 1st that he has some friends that were almost ready to harvest. He told us on April 6th, that they were ready to be taught, and he had invited them over to his home. They are very religious people and they "do what God tells us to do." We invited them to be baptized on May 18th and they said that they would if that was what God tells them to do. They were prepared by experiences in their life such as bad health, and that his father got cancer and that he passed away on April 1st.

Even with Elder Hess being sick through Wednesday of this week, the Lord blessed us with miracles as members in our area are preparing and cultivating the corn and as we are doing our best to live this Law. After all, the Laws of God are commandments we have to follow with divine obedience.

 

One quote that the Spirit blessed me with on Saturday was "the Gospel applied changes lives. I know it will change your life as it has changed mine." Since I was prompted to say that, I have thought a lot about it and have been thinking, 'has the gospel really changed my life?' I know it has made a huge difference in my life. I have been thinking though, has it changed me? Has my nature been changed through the merits of Christ and His Atonement? I feel I am letting it change me a little bit more each day and I am recognizing growth and recognizing specific places where I can do better, and where I am doing better. I have felt the influence of the Holy Ghost more in my day and felt impressions more as I have been doing my best to follow them. I truly enjoy the blessing in my life that this is!

By faith, diligence, humble prayers, and giving thanks unto God, we truly invite the Holy Spirit of Promise into our lives, to guide and direct us in all that we do (see 1 Ne 16:29, 32). To also receive confirming witnesses when we are doing the Will of God. Follow the example of Nephi; "thus hath the Lord commanded me, and I must obey" (2 Nephi 33:15).

 

That is my invitation to you all.

 

Your Brother in the Lord,
Elder Zachary R McKenzie

Iowa Des Moines Mission

    D&C 6:34, 36

Doubt Not, Fear Not.
Nothing Less than 550

General Conference - April 8, 2013

Treat others like you want to be treated!

 

I don't have a lot of time this week to write, but I do love you all.

 

If any of you were expecting the awesome summary of General Conference I delivered six months ago, I am sorry to disappoint, but I forgot my notebook at the apartment this morning. I would like to say I loved it! It was incredible. I received some very specific revelation as to what I need to be changing in my life and how to change it and what to do next. I hope you all were able to have your questions answered and to receive your very own personal revelation. Please visit gc.lds.org to catch up on the incredible messages you missed!

 

I am going to start, within the next few weeks, a study of the most recent words of living prophets as outlined in this article from the April 2013 Ensign. I am going to pick one or two conference talks to study that week, then study them for the next week. I invite you to join me in my studies with studies of your own. The next week, I will share some of the insights that I was blessed to receive and I would love if you were to share yours with me as well. You can accumulate a few weeks of these then send a letter to me if you don't want to use postage up every week. As a reminder, my address is:

Elder Zachary R. McKenzie

Iowa Des Moines Mission

8515 Douglas Ave Ste. 19

Urbandale, IA 50322

I have been sick, but I am getting better. Thank you for all your prayers and well wishes!

 

Love,

Elder Zachary R McKenzie

Iowa Des Moines Mission

    D&C 6:34, 36

Doubt Not, Fear Not.
Nothing Less than 550

Forming a Fresh View - April 2, 2013

If they are not willing to act, move on!

 

This last week has been great! Hope your Easter was great! Time to jump in to the nitty gritty.

 

We were asked to meet with our Bishop and coordinate what is happening in our area. Bishop Dyer is incredible! He is 29, a lawyer, and blessed his 5th child in Sacrament Meeting yesterday. He is very simple, direct, and to the point, he loves the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and he is the perfect Bishop for a ward as diverse as ours. We had a report with information about the Recent Converts, Less-Actives, and Investigators we are working with. Of our dozen or so investigators, only 4 or 5 are progressing. Generally this coordination is supposed to focus on Recent Converts. Immediately, he started teaching us by the Spirit about how we were working. He talked about an experience he had early on as a lawyer where his clients had not been paying what they were supposed to, so he was working many hours for free. At this time, he was miserable going to work each day. He described that he let one person into his client base that didn't pay the amount needed up front. After that, it was much easier to let others like that into his clientele. One rotten apple spoiled the bunch. He then related this perfectly to our teaching pool (the investigators that are currently being taught). He told us that we can't let our teaching pool be a public pool. It needs to only be a place for the elect. Doctrine and Covenants Section 29 verse 7 states "And ye are called to bring to pass the gathering of mine elect; for mine elect hear my voice and harden not their hearts." The elect are ready for the Gospel. The elect are those that receive the Gospel and the ordinances of Baptism and Receiving the Holy Ghost willingly. He told us to change our teaching pool from a "public pool" to a "Teaching Kingdom." Only can the clean be received into the Kingdom of God (see Alma 7:21, Book of Mormon).

 

Lately we have been bogged down in our area by those non-progressing investigators. We implemented this in our area the following day and since last Wednesday we have dropped a two families that weren't progressing. We love them and we want to see them succeed, but you can't force anyone to do anything. It was sad to drop them, but we both feel that it was definitely the right thing to do. We feel a lot more freed up and now have the opportunity to harvest. "The field is white already to harvest," we cannot spend our time watching plants grow. We should stop in and check on them, but only when they are ripe should we spend our time harvesting. For you can't really call it harvesting unless you have something to show for your work. 

We had Easter dinner with a less-active member who is coming back to activity and her nonmember extended family. We shared the video "Come See the Light" (watch it on reflectionsofchrist.org) with her nonmember brother and sister-in-law. We preceded it by giving an brief overview of the Book of Mormon and talked about Christ's resurrection and Easter. It is incredible the Spirit this video brings normally, but especially in reflection to the Savior and His Atonement. They felt the Spirit and both requested copies of the Book of Mormon. They both read the bible very regularly and were open to listening. We hope to see them at General Conference this weekend! We taught her brother Jay when I first got to the area 3 months ago, he was not very willing to listen about the Book of Mormon and the Restoration then. It is a miracle! The Spirit is wonderful thing and God will prepare the hearts of His children to be ready, we have to move along and help them when they are!

 

Easter Sunday was wonderful! Fast and Testimony meeting was particularly full of the Spirit. I felt impressed to share my testimony about something I learned earlier in the week. In Preach My Gospel, Chapter 3, Lesson 3, it says "Repentance includes forming a fresh view of God, ourselves, and the world." This has stuck with me. I am constantly thinking of forming a fresh view. If I am not, I am complacent. I have need to repent daily, as we all do. But it is in daily repentance, turning our will to God, and consecration that the work of God progresses.

This is my invitation to you all: to pray and ask God, and seek answers through the Book of Mormon, about how you can "form a fresh view" of yourselves. It is tough, it takes humility, but it is possible. After all, if I can do it, you can do it. God loves you and wants you to succeed! I promise you that if you watch and listen and ponder over General Conference this weekend, your answer, specific to your individual needs, will come. I love you all so much and I hope you enjoy General Conference!

Love,

Elder Zachary R McKenzie

Iowa Des Moines Mission

    D&C 6:34, 36

Doubt Not, Fear Not.
Nothing Less than 550