Wednesday, July 25, 2018

amazing the doctrine

Mauri!!
Hope everyone is doing well!
Things are going alright here! Me and my comp are just working to work
hard and get as much work as we can in. There have been a few
struggles this week, but we've seen lots of blessings! Some cool
things that have happened this week are: Our ward is doing a big
family home evening, this week it got planned, it's happening today.
So that should be awesome for the ward and also investigators and less
actives who come.
A guy from the stake came to our ward and helped out and also directed
the creating of a list for who is going to minister to who. It's
really amazing the doctrine of ministering. The principles really are
real, fundamental principles. Like listening and then determining
needs by the Spirit.
Any way, sorry my time is short. I sent a few pictures. We found a
really awesome guy this week with a beautiful family. Jehovahs
witness. He's really interested in our lessons, or at least he's
really open to them and willing to lesson. I don't think he's actually
a member of jehovahs witness yet.
Any way, his name is T. 
Sorry I'd tell you more but my time's almost up. We went to the museum
today. ENjoy the pics.! Love you all!!
Btw, please mom send me all the pictures of the women of our family,
cause there are these traditional kiribati shirts I'm hoping to get
made and they'll know the size to make it from the pictures you send.
Thank you!! Just like you, hilary, kary anne, grandmas even, ashley
and all the little girls down. Thanks you!!!!! - ELder SEffker

Monday, July 16, 2018

God's power is stronger than the power of satan

Week has been pretty good. We've seen lots of blessings and miracles.
Yeah N is awesome, he and T came to church this week! Yeah
little by little, they're doing great. We got talking about who
Jehovah was in our lesson, and then that got us talking about
different religions, and then that got us talking about the religion
"the water" that gave N a blessing for the stroke that left half
of his body slightly paralyzed. Turns out the blessing did work after
all, a little bit, not completely though. That's what confused me, I
wondered how someone not having the Priesthood could give a blessing
and for it to actually bless someone. After he received the blessing
he was able to talk and walk. So that's what confused me. But then as
they explained it further, we realized it was most likely due to black
magic. That's kind of something that I've learned recently more so. If
it's God's Priesthood, it's God's power, if it's not, it's simply not
God's power. If it's by some other power that's not God's Priesthood,
it's really the devil's power. We had a similar thing happen in
Butaritari. But yeah, my comp Elder I asked about it in that
case, how was someone not possessing Priesthood power able to perform
an effective blessing, and our mission President explained that there
is power of the devil and he can use it to lead people away. I'm so
grateful to be able to hold God's true restored Priesthood, and I know
it really is His power. I also know that God's power is stronger than
the power of satan. It's a great security in our world today where
there's so much evil.
So yeah, we had the opportunity to give N a blessing, cause he
asked for one, he's been in his condition for the last ten years I
believe. We were also able to give their kid a blessing for his
sickness.
A is not yet baptized, but on his way, he's been really faithful
to his commitments, so we going to do the interview this week. His mom
and dad just work a lot, but we were able to meet them already. We'll
try to get a time with them soon. They're really nice as well.
Some other cool things we saw this week: we did a bit of tracting and
were able to meet a few people that seem prepared. One guy was like
"this book is really different", he'd found a book of mormon in his
security booth. We also found this one guy that had only one lesson
from missionaries before but then didn't make contact with them, but
is interested in our message.
Any way, this really is God's work, even though we're not perfect, if
we try hard to improve each day, Heavenly Father will make use of our
efforts in performing His work here on earth.
Well, thanks again! Love you all!!! Thanks for the prayers and
everything and support. have a good week!!! -Elder Seffker

Wednesday, July 11, 2018

Spirit was felt a lot stronger

Well, this week has been pretty good. We meet lots of less actives.
We've got a few investigators that are doing pretty awesome. It's so
cool how the gospel and power of Jesus Christ and also the whisperings
of the Spirit can bring about such change in peoples lives and such
good. There was this one guy, N, he shaved his beard cause he
wanted to look cleaner for church. He looks way clean. His wife,
T, has been recognizing the whisperings of the Spirit in her life
and is finding lots of joy in knowing and living the truths of the
gospel. She's seeing how repentance is real, and how she can receive
forgiveness of sins. N has also made lots of good change. Their
house used to be a little smelly haha, and dirty but we walked in a
few days ago and it was clean and smelled good and the Spirit was felt
a lot stronger.
It's cool how we were able to see blessing in the lives of people and
in our area even though we aren't perfect missionaries, and we have
many struggles as well even though we're trying always for
improvement.
We got to see Priesthood power in effect as this lady that lives next
to us called us out at 4 am to give her very old mother a blessing. We
gave her a blessing, then next day turns out that she was totally good
after the blessing she was able to be comforted and then feel asleep.
Her daughter, she's also old like 50 years old, didn't originally know
what the problem was, but she decided to read from the book of mormon,
asked the old lady which verse she like, and the old lady pointed her
to a verse that talk about how "I want to gather my people before I
die". That was apparently her problem, she wanted to be with her kids
before she passed, but they hadn't come yet.
Well, some other cool things that happened this week, we've got a guy
named Anaree preparing for baptism. He's doing pretty good. He's 16 I
think, his uncle wants him to be baptized, we're trying to get with
the parents as well.
Well, have a good week! Love you mom! Love you family! - ELder SEffker
PS happy birthday to E and j this month