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

More Snow today than on Christmas... - March 25, 2013

Don't forget to take pictures!

This past week has been pretty crazy! It started with me being the best I probably have ever been. Then it went sour and it was just dumb. Thankfully we have the sacrament each week to renew ourselves as we come to that meeting with a broken heart and a contrite spirit.

By the way, a mission is just one long string of awkward experiences. When you serve a mission, embrace the awkward and embrace the Lord.

I will go at this email using a day-by-day format, as it is the best way to address this crazy week!

Monday, March 18, 2013

We had our preparation day. Before we emailed, we wanted to go hit up a Karen store and an African store to see if there was anything we could by as souvenirs. The Karen store we went to was actually a food market, nothing we wanted to keep around. Then we went to the African store and started looking around. When we were about to leave the storeowner asked what we were there for. He then related to us that a few months ago, some guys with suits came in, then a few weeks later the FBI came in and took away his food stamp machine. So he was curious. After we told him we weren't with anyone, a Policeman walked in. Super awkward! The cop asked him about someone who was hit and killed in an intersection down the street the week before. Then we played some sports at the church, I didn't as I have a broken finger. I did commentate for an entire game of Foosketball (you throw a football into the basketball hoop using the rules of Ultimate Frisbee. One of the BEST games ever!) which was a party. I surprised myself by how fast I was speaking.

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

We were invited by a couple of members of the ward to go and do service for the organization "Meals from the Heartland." It is an organization that packages meals and then sends them to certain places in Africa, South America, and Iowa. We were part of the assembly line of putting Protein, dried Veggies, Vitamin powder, and Rice in a bag and weighing it to be between 390-393 grams and then sealing the plastic bag using a sealer. It was lots of fun! The member of the ward who invited us works for New York Life. Elder Hess and I each worked alongside one of her coworkers. He talked to us for about 90 minutes as we were working and invited us to lunch sometime after we talked about missions and things. It was way neat! We had our first member meal in about 2.5 weeks and they made BLTs with turkeybacon for dinner. It was marvelous! Then we went to Dawn's house, Dawn was recently rebaptized, and talked to her and her daughter for awhile. It was an odd lesson, because each of us spoke for about 5 minutes or more at a time. It was great though. We helped unearth some of her non-member daughters concerns and the Spirit was strong. Dawn and her daughter Integrity make some of THE best hot cocoa ever. And they make it every time we come over!

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Today was an early morning as our district met to have individual interviews with our mission President at 6:30am. My interview with President Jergensen went well. We talked about how far I have come since I got to Des Moines and the improvements I have yet to make. As another district of missionaries came to be interviewed at 9:45, we talked to all of those missionaries. Those new to the zone, brand new missionaries, and the veterans of the zone. Our zone when I came up to Des Moines had 11 companionships in 2 districts of 5 and 6. My second transfer here, we had lots of visa-waiters in tripanionships and added a second companionship to the spanish branch here. So we had 12 companionships in two district of 6 each with about 5 tripanionships. Then this transfer, our zone split into 3 districts with the addition of 3 companionships of missionaries. So 3 districts with 6, 4 and 5 companionships in each one. In our zone, only 2 units only have one pair of missionaries in their ward, out of 8 units. I talked to a missionary I served around in Kirksville. It was sweet! Sister Jergensen, our mission Mom, talked to me about my finger and gave me the ok to play sports! I can't get fully into it until the end of May, but something is better than nothing! Then our District Leader and his companion bought us lunch at McDonalds.

Thurday, March 21, 2013

District lunch and district meeting. I gave a training at district meeting. Today I got kind of mad at the world and didn't really let myself out of it. We had Cobb Salad for dinner at a member's house after a crazy lesson. This 10-year-old Karen girl we are teaching is also being taught by the Jehovah's Witnesses (JW). We went in, then her mom went to go bring her home. She brought Stephanie the JW with her! It was one of the most awkward experiences I have had on my mission. She told us, quite haughtily, that she served full-time for her whole life and not "just 2 years." It turns out full-time for them is only about 70 hours a month, or if they get really busy 96 hours a month. I am sorry, but all the time I donate in this 2 years will be more than you ever donate. And the fact that I will serve in callings for the rest of my life, adding up to at least 70 hours a month, will easily outdo your service. But anyway... She left, we taught a lesson on recognizing the Spirit, and then she came back at the end right when the investigator, Blay-Blah is her name, was going to pray! Super frustrating, especially when Stephanie said she wouldn't be back until Saturday.

Friday, March 22, 2013

Pretty average day actually.

Saturday, March 23, 2013

We helped out with the Cub Scouts Pinewood Derby. Then met with a Less-Active named Edward Hargrove and his nonmember family. Edward contacted the missionaries after discovering he had testicular cancer. He is good now, but said that that was God's wake up call for him to get back into church. So he came to church Sunday for the first time in 10 years! We dropped by our investigator family the Guerrero's today and read the Book of Mormon with him. His countenance had changed and he stopped us before we got halfway through with 3 Nephi 11 saying he would read it later. Sad day. :( We also have a full-time car rather than being in a car share from now until April 25th. A missionary went home Saturday morning. :( Today I came out of my funk that I was in from Thursday to today though. :)

Sunday, March 24, 2013

I love church! It is the best thing ever! We thought it was Fast Sunday today, so we fasted two weeks ago, then today, then it is really Fast Sunday next week. At church after Sacrament Meeting we talked to Dawn about her daughter Integrity. Integrity almost got baptized last year, but then she doesn't like it when missionaries get transferred, so she decided to stop liking the missionaries. She told Dawn, "I'm disappointed... I like these missionaries." Well, that is a good thing! Elder Hess and I believe that she is one of the main reasons we are still in Des Moines together. We are making plans to help her and to just be real with her. In fact, we are going to take bacon to their house to our lesson tomorrow. :) We had a great homeade asian food dinner yesterday at a members house. Complete with lots of fresh fruit: mangoes, grapes, and blackberries. Those kids are the cutest and love their fresh fruits and veggies! We then showed them the most awesome video ever. Check out "Come See the Light" on reflectionsofchrist.org and watch it with Easter in mind! We then went to the Guerrero's. David Guerrero's girlfriend is a member from Utah. She was going to marry David, but found out he is a drunk and not willing to change even though he needs it. She is praying about keeping her Spiritual side of life. She said she isn't willing to give it to be with him. Which is hard, but super awesome she is that converted! We got a referral from the same sister in the ward that works for New York Life tonight about some awesome people they met when looking for a member of the ward. The member didn't live there anymore but the sister said that "These people need to be Mormon." So we stopped by and found some new people who are curious and want to read and pray about the Book of Mormon to find out if it is true or not. Super awesome!

I love you all and hope you continually find your strength in Christ.

Happy Easter!
Elder Zachary R McKenzie

Iowa Des Moines Mission

    D&C 6:34, 36

Doubt Not, Fear Not.
Nothing Less than 550

St. Patrick's Day - March 18, 2013

Hola!

 

I was just looking back at all of my emails I've sent home and realized how uncreative the opening word is. But hey, that's me, so that's how it's going to be.

 

This week was pretty average in the life of a missionary. The beginning of this week was an odd spot for Elder Hess and I. It took us a few days to get over the shock that we were still going to be companions, and it was transfer week, so even though we weren't being transferred, it was still an odd week. So even though it was an odd week it was pretty normal still. We talked to people, found some new people to teach, worked on our teaching skills and are doing our best to improve all around.

 

This week did have some cool stuff at church though. In Sacrament meeting, two recent converts who we meet with regularly spoke and then the Bishopric sang a beautiful acapella "Nearer My God to Thee." Then the Elder from a senior couple who leaves in a week spoke, then the Bishop finished with some wise words. They all spoke on conversion. True conversion is not a one-time event.

 

I am kind of all over the place in studies. One place I have been more-often-than-not is in the March 2013 Ensign. I love the magazines of the church. They help me strengthen my testimony as I see others living the way Christ would and their success stories. Check it out at http://www.lds.org/magazine

Keep on Keepin on!

 

Love,

Elder Zachary R McKenzie

Iowa Des Moines Mission

    D&C 6:34, 36

Doubt Not, Fear Not.
Nothing Less than 550

5 Transfers Out! - March 11, 2013

Hello!

This week marks my 5th transfer being out in the field. It is crazy to think I have been out for this long! Even more crazy, I will be staying companions with Elder Hess for another 6 weeks! Totally unexpected and super odd. I was expecting to get transferred... Apparently we have some unfinished work to do, we are rockin' it here in Des Moines, or we haven't learned enough from each other yet. Anyway, I am excited Elder Hess rocks and I am growing a ton! It's super weird to think that by the end of this next transfer, I will have been companions with Elder Hess for 1/2 of my mission so far. So yeah.

So this week on Thursday we ate lunch as a district at B&B's, this deli in Des Moines. 12 elders in this well-known shop. It was sweet. They took our picture and posted to facebook "Elders invade B&B's." A member is trying to make it go viral. Help it along if you see it. :) I ate a "Quad-zilla." 4 1/3 lb patties on a bun with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and onions. I also drank a quart of chocolate milk. I'm a fatty...

Friday we ate at Jethro's BBQ. A member took us and bought us the Adam Emmenecker Challenge. A 5 lb meal that you have to eat in 15 minutes to win the challenge. Adam Richman of Food Network's Man vs. Food didn't finish it in 15. Needless to say, I didn't either. But boy was it delicious! With lots of leftovers.

Before:

After 15 minutes:

Adam Richman also went to B&B's to try their challenge. So I ate at two Man vs. Food destinations for lunch two days in a row. I didn't really eat dinner either night I was so stuffed. Really Good Food!

Good week. I am always improving. Remember, work is an eternal principle, we will always be working. Figure out a good work ethic and WORK! That's what I'm doing.

Love,

Elder Zachary R McKenzie

Iowa Des Moines Mission

    D&C 6:34, 36

Doubt Not, Fear Not.
Nothing Less than 550

We just keep Marching on - March 4, 2013

Salutations!

 

Another week in the books. 7 months out! I can hardly believe it.

 

Yesterday, there was a regional conference that covered parts of 9 states! North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Illinois, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, and Iowa. Elder Craig C. Christensen of the Presidency of the Seventy, Linds S. Reeves Second Counselor in the General Relief Society, Elder Larry Echo Hawk of the Seventy, and Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke. It was a broadcast and it was amazing! All their talks seemed to magnify my studies from the morning of, it was really cool. Sadly, I don't remember all of the talks and the details, but I will include those in my email next week as I will bring my notes with me to the library.

 

Lots of room for improvement. That is one thing my mission has taught me. All of your weaknesses are magnified and brought out, it is up to us to solve them. That should be no reason to be scared of a mission. Missions are sacred times to do the Lord's work the Lord's way. On a mission, we have no worries about what is going on back home, how we are going to pay for housing/cars/food, where we are going to live, or what we are going to do. All of those things are taken care of for us, either before our mission by ourselves or loved ones, or on our mission by senior couples in the office. It is a time where we are able to just worry about others and their spiritual progression and a time for us to lean on the Lord and either come closer to Him or wallow in ourselves letting the devil win. It may seem that I have presented two extremes and I have. Either we work to live with God forever, or we consign ourselves to a life and eternity of endless wo (see Hel. 7:16; Hel. 12:26;Alma 9:11; Mosiah 3:25). Either you face your problems and correct them through the Atonement, or you don't.

 

I am striving to choose the higher path to live with God forever and to apply the Atonement in my life. I don't know about you, but I don't like misery. At all. 

 

Words from the October 2012 General Conference:

Elder Marcus B. Nash of the Seventy:

"Do we want to be quitters, or do we want to be valiant servants in spite of all the opposition and evil in the world? Let us have the courage to stand up and be counted as true, devoted followers of Christ.”

Elder Robert C. Gay of the Seventy

"Will we “shrink” or “finish” the call upon our soul to do the will of the Father?"

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

I stand with Elder Jeffrey R. Holland when I say that "I’ve tried to speak of the redeeming manifestation of love, charity personified, which comes to us through the grace of Christ Himself. I have of necessity also spoken of el diablo, the diabolical one, ... And I have spoken of his desire to destroy us if he can."

 

But I love you all, and want you to become better because of Christ and the opportunity he has given us to repent and to change for the better. I hope we all take this opportunity.

 

Love, Your Missionary Friend,

Elder Zachary R McKenzie

Iowa Des Moines Mission

    D&C 6:34, 36

Doubt Not, Fear Not.
Nothing Less than 550