Transfers and Elder Pieper

Well this week we had a really awesome experience of having a General Authority come to the mission. Elder Peiper came to do a tour of our mission and give us instruction on how we can do better. The last year has been pretty rough as far baptisms go and he came and gave instruction on how we can find the Lord's elect. It was great, but the coolest part about it was the feeling of the Spirit bearing witness of the things he was sayiing. Not only was it inspirational, it was undoubtedly straight from the Lord. We had a question and answer session with him and then all the Zone Leaders got interviewed by him. It was cool. He shared with us that while on a business trip, he got a prompting that he needed to move to Khazikstan. So him and his family picked up and moved there. Without any specific church assignment or anything their family took initiative and they baptized 55 people and really built up the church there. He later became the Mission President in St. Petersburg. Amazing faith.

I was on exchanges earlier this week with an Elder in our area. We try to make every exchange a learning experience so we tried to focus on one thing; helping investigators identify the Spirit. We taught 3 lessons that day and in each one we asked how they felt during the discussion. One said, "I am not sure if its this chair or you, but I feel warm." (It wasn't the chair) Another big black bus driver Bill said, " I don't wanna talk about it or else I will start cryin and Imma grown man." Brenda said she felt blessed and that she was just lucky to have it with her. I have a firm testimony that the Spirit is with us much more than we give credit. Next time you feel inspired or uplifted or just straight happy, pay attention it is probably the Sprit.

Update on our top investigators: Pam has been sick/out of town and is catchin up on our work, but we are seeing her this week. Brenda is doing pretty well. She is reading the Book of Mormon, but church has been tough. Last week she had a seizure the night before and had to get staples in her head after hitting a shelf. and this week she broke her wrist shortly before. Tonight we are hoping to have her at dinner with members of the ward. She grew up in some scary groups so I am excited for her to be surronded by members of the church.

It is Transfers tomorrow, but neither of us are leaving, we will probably stay together just one more. The assistants are both staying as well but we are getting a third elder. There will be 5, count em, 5 elders under one roof. I love yall so much.

Love,

Elder Dumke

Week Five Completed

Dear one and yall
 
This week was definitely the busiest of my mission. We went on 4 different exchanges in 5 days. It was a wonderful experience to be able to travel the mission a little bit. I even spent a day in Ohio. In Marietta acutally. It sounded familiar. Is that where Nicole and Abe lived? For some reason I was thinkin so. We definitely had some amazing things happen.
 
 On Tuesday while on exchanges with my good MTC roommate Elder James we had a lesson with Pam. In the last lesson she kinda started closing door, saying she wanted to stay at her church. At the end of that lesson we invited her to dinner at a members home and she accepted. So on tuesday we taught her the plan of salvation with a meal. It was one of the greatest nights. As we sat at the table and chatted beforehand I asked how she had met her husband and she told her story. Then I asked the members how they met. Immediately the brother got up, went to the piano and began playing and singing full bore one voice by Barry Manilow as the sister told how they met at this his concert. It was straight from a movie. I was biting my lip trying not burst out at how amazing the scene was before me. So classic. After our serenade the conversation turned to genealogy and then to temples. It was the perfet precursor to our lesson. She immediately wanted to learn and know more and accepted a baptismal invite for Feb 19th. She has a good ways to go until then, but her intent is pure so we will continue working with her.
 
Thursday Elder Wiederholt and I were finally able to teach together. It was about the only time the whole week that we could. We taught Brenda with Elder Bennion who works in the office. We discussed repentance and baptism with her as well. At the beginning she said she had some rough thoughts the past few days and didn't really feel like God cared about her anymore. We talked it all out and explained her relationship with her father and by the end she felt much better. It was a marvelous experience to hear her softly whisper, "Well maybe I am worth it." She identified the Spirit and we explained that she could have that with her always. She is eager for baptism.
 
I feel so blessed, but the coolest thing about this week is I could feel power of prayer. I felt it like I never have before because I felt it sustain me from day to day. When I was weak and tired I could feel the Lord fortifying me just one hour at a time. I am so grateful for this work. I don't know where I would be without the gospel. It gives me perspective and it gives me peace. I have never been one to have a burning testimony, but I guess this is what it must feel like. I have a firm testimony of the plan of salvation, and undeniable witness of the priniciple of obedience. Real quick just today (P Day) a couple elders wanted to go shopping early. We held out until the time we were supposed to and just before we were supposed to go a pipe broke in the apartment. Water was flowing as a heavy stream so we quickly shut it off and it was no big problem. If we would have left the whole apartment would have been flooded no doubt! I sure love yall so much.
 
Much Love from DUB V
 
Elder Dumke!

Weak by Week 1/9/12

Ni how -
 
It feels like just yesterday I sent my last email. I cannot believe how fast the weeks have been going. Well Happy Birthday to me. Thanks for the birthday wishes and gifts. It was a great first birthday in the field. I was woke up at 12:01 to party poppers exploding in my room because the assistants woke up to welcome me into my 20th year. A few hours later we woke up at 5:45 to drive with President and Sister Pitt in the brand new GMC to parkersburg an hour and a half away for a zone meeting. It was nice because between interviews and and meetings I was with them all day. What a treat! We came to find out that they spend some time up on Hebgen lake because one of their sons married a Covey. Pretty sweet connection and basically the number one thing to get me trunkie, talking about family in Montana. Between it all we had about an hour and half of proselyting and we were able to teach two lessons with members present and they were awesome. One is coming to dinner with a member this week and the other shared her rough past with us and we had a powerful lesson on the atonement. The night ended with dinner with the Assistants. It was a great time!
 
The last few weeks we have also been teaching a brother in jail. He is pretty amazing. He has read the entire quad multiple times as well all the teachings of the prophets and the pearl of great price institute instructors manual. When he was 16 he was tracted into and now he is 28 and knows a ton! The only reason he wasn't baptized in the past was because of smoking. He is now clean and is planning to be there when he gets out. The weird thing is is that he looks almost identical to Mason Waite. Its crazy.
 
In general we had just a really blessed week. We have been struggling to find new investigators that will stick, so the last two sundays we have been fasting to find a family to teach. To find the family that the Lord has been preparing to hear the gospel. After concluding our fast yesterday we tried a follow up with this lady. She was excited to see us and invited us in. She had been flipping a bit through the Book of Mormon and is very interested in learning. She was very positive as we taught of the Restoration. She has a 9 year old and 15 year old daughter and both her and her husband are doctors. I am certain this is the family we have been fasting to find. What an incredible miracle.
 
Well I love ya and hope things are going well!
 
Much Love,
 
Elder Dumke!

Happy New Year 1/2/12

Well Happy New Year Everyone.
 
It has been a crazy busy week. I haven't really had anytime to email the past two weeks and the library has been closed. I am actually using President's office computer so my time is limited. Know that I am doing well and the work is really coming along! Our area and the zone have really been doing well and have seen miracles daily. I love this work. Quick story was on saturday we had an appointment with the Stanley family and they unfortunately bailed on us. We had a member with us so we tried a few potential investigators we had found earlier that week. As we drove near there was a moving truck so we parked and offered to help. For once they took us up on it. In the process we ended up having a discussion about the Restoration of the Gospel she asked many questions and was very inquisitive about us and what we did. As we shared that there was a prophet on the earth today she grew even more intrigued. By the end, we asked her if we could come back and share more with her. She agreed and we left her with a Book of Mormon. The moment she held the book for the first time in her hands she began to weep. The Spirit illuminated with in her. She explained she has been searching for religion and she woke up this morning having no idea how she would be able to all her stuff in one day. It seems her prayers was answered together.
 
I was on two exchanges this week as well. One was to Beckley, WV. We walked to the hospital where one of their investigators had broken her ankle in 3 places. She needed surgery and was in alot of pain. She asked us if we could give her a blessing. She cried as my temporary companion blessed that her pain would subside and she would feel of her Heavenly Fathers love. We later found out that her pain completely ceased and she didn't take any more medicine and was able to sleep as she waited for surgery. It was a very humbling and amazing experience.
 
I am doing really well and hope you are too. I know this gospel is true and I have never had more of burning testimony of it. I sure love yall
 
Much Love
Elder Dumke