Love This Work

9/9/12

     This week was another great week! In our monday meeting with President we decided that we text the whole mission and challenge everyone to reach the standard of excellence for finding - 3 new investigators. So we set off to do it.

     We received a list from the bishop of a few part member families to try. We felt impressed for this one woman, so we went to go find her. She lived in an apartment on top of a barbershop. As we walked past the barbershop, there was a knock on the window from the haircutter. He motioned us in, and asked about our bibles. As he was cutting this guys hair we taught him about the Plan of Salvation. He was genuinely interested. There were a variety of other customers obviously listening in as we taught. One man was hardshell baptist and got to preaching back that our doctrine was false. He got contentious, but simmered off when we he was listing off things we agreed rather than differed on. It felt like a scene straight from the adventures of 19th century missionaries video. We left grateful for the opportunity to testify of the gospel. He wants us to come back next month after he has read the Book of Mormon. I think I might be due for a haircut here in about two weeks though... ;)

     We had the privilege of teaching a few other very prepared families. One is the Surfaces/ they are awesome. Sister Surface isn't a member but her husband is, she has been around missionaries for about 8 years, but never really been taught the sit down lessons. We began teaching them to her a few weeks ago and she is doing so well. We taught her tuesday and she called us wednesday to come back and teach her more. They are a great family! Sheila is the cousin of member that came to church today for the first time and then went to addiction recovery tonight at the church. She is making huge progress, but is on house arrest so she will be a little later down the road, but she is due for a miracle soon.                         Finally some of the most exciting news is that Marcie, the friend of a member came to church for the third time in a row this week and this time her friend was out of town. We got to sit and talk with her some and she is super prepared. She has been reading the Book of Mormon, and she said she has been feeling a peace she has never felt before. Things are going well and the members are amazing. Connie Angel for Charleston East Side is actually getting baptized next Sunday, which is sweet that i will get to be here to see it. I have never had so much fun and felt to so fulfilled. 

     To cap it off we met the Standard of Excellence again this week and nearly every area in the mission found their three new investigators. There is such a good feeling being created. We have a General Authority coming in next month for a mission tour, which we are really excited about. Thank you for all your love and support. Your prayers are so much appreciated and needed!

Love

Elder Dumke

Excellent Week!

9/2/12

This week was another great one!

We traveled all over the place including a 7 hour drive to and from Roanoke, thru Huntington and all the up to Ohio. I don't know how anyone could spend this much time in the car and get along any better than Elder Dallin Klain and I. (That's my companion) He is from Cardston, Alberta. We put together a Zone Leader Council this week and had all the Zone Leaders in and we were able to have a good feel for where the mission is at. These are kind of the conclusions we have come to:

- We have a very obedient mission, there is no outrageous behavior or contraband

 - Everyone has a deep love of the scriptures (whether you want to or not, this is the Bible Belt)

  -Everyone loves and respects President Pitt

 - For the most part we are good at the mechanics of finding and teaching

 - There is more faith than there has ever been

We discussed what it is going to take to have success. We are kind of breaking new ground because everyone feels they have potential to be incredible, and the task of the Zone Leader is to direct them and help them achieve it. I know these next few months witll be historic in the WVCM. Our discussion consisted much of forget the past and be your best self. Already there has been excitement brewing in the districts. President really wants us to be a top notch proselyting area, on top of our responsibilities, and so Elder Klain and I prayerfully set a goal to reach the Standard of Excellence Every week. I have only done it once on my mission. So this morning we had done all but two of the key indicators for it. We needed two people at church and 2 baptismal dates. We asked the Lord to grant us this blessing, because we know we had worked hard and been obedient. The two people we hoped would be there didn't show, but two others we had worked with previously came. We reached that goal. Tonight we had a wonderful lesson with a members cousin, who is looking forward to baptism as well. While walking back to our car tonight there was a young mother sitting on her front steps. We went and talked with her and she met with missionaries a bunch in the past and wondered why they stopped coming by. She wants to be baptized in October.  In the final hours the Lord provided two elect people in our path. I talk about this not as numbers thing by any means, but I have really come to enjoy the ability to choose. We really set out minds to this goal. We set in hope and worked according to faith. We are so much in control of our attitude, way more than we realize.

There were so many miracles of members bringing friends to dinner and so many other great things. I have such a love for this work. I had to put service clothes on this week and I couldn't stand it. First off I looked like a goofball without a white shirt on and it was a realization that I wont be doing this forever. Maybe I will just dwell among the people until I die here.

Thank you for you love and support

Love Elder Dumke

Week #1

8/26/12

Well to start off, I LOVE my companion. He is so awesome. We get along so well, and we have looked up to each other a bunch our entire missions even though we had only met like once. He is from Canada. He is such an awesome teacher and we have already seen so many blessings. The ward was confused, but also happy that I was still in ward. It was amazing. We have been getting more and more member referrals and it is has been wonderful. But we are working harder than I thought physically possible and I just love the work. We were basically doubled into the area, so we have been trying to get a handle on everything and preparing for different Zone Leader meeting this week. I love my Savior and I have felt such a sustaining power over the last few days.

It was bitter sweet taking all the departing missionaries to the Airport especially Elder Brady. Sorry I have no time to write more.

Love you all so much!!

Elder Dumke

Transferred but staying in Charleston

8/21/12

Needless to say this has been the most exciting, anxiety producing, sleep depriving weekend yet. On Saturday I finished up a nice exchange with one of the missionaries and President called me to come and visit with him in the mission home. Elder Syndergaard and I went and we had a really nice visit. He asked how I felt about my mission so far, if I was at a high point or low point, etc. He asked what we could do to elevate the mission, I responded, and then he asked me to make that my first assignment as an Assistant to the President. I threw my head so far back, I nearly hit the wall. Although I have been here for 6 transfers, I will be moving from East Charleston to South Charleston (in the same ward)! It will be enough of change to help recharge me. It has been really humbling to see the Spirit operate within me as a Zone Leader and I have been fasting and praying all weekend to be able to be up to this next responsibility. The scariest part about all of it is that my companion Elder Klain (from Cardston, Alberta) has only been in the area for the last three weeks and Elder Brady and Partridge go home tomorrow. I am really excited and I can only move forward with confidence relying wholly upon the Lord. I know that Heavenly Father will give the patience (with others and myself), charity and faith necessary.

This last week Connie did okay, and we are planning to have dinner with her at a members home tonight. It is hard to keep a weekly update on her because she has dropped us and begged for us to come back 3 times in the last month. The exciting event of the week was that the assistants had a baptism on saturday and Luke came to it and loved it! Unfortunately because he was thinking so much about it all night saturday, he didn't get enough sleep for church sunday. We stopped by last night to see him and he was on his front steps studying Adam and Eve in the Bible because he wanted to learn more about them after reading about them in the Book of Mormon. We had a wonderful lesson and explained that the Sunday School Lesson on Sunday was on the Fall of Adam and Eve. It was such a testimony of the Spirit operating in the life of a humble seeker of truth. As he missed church his Spirit yearned to learn more of his parents. He is doing very well.

Thursday night we had all our appointments fall through and decided to go tracting at some apartments that had stood out to me each time we passed them (It must have been the name "Millcreek Landing") Before getting out of the car we set some goals for the hour. We said 2 Book of Mormons and 1 first lesson. We knocked doors for the hour and loaned two Book of Mormons, but no first lesson. As we headed back to car about 8:45 pm there was one girl and her family, in a final push we went and talked to them and asked if we could teach them about Jesus Christ. They invited us to their home and a had great first lesson with the family, all of them committed and excited for baptism. It was such an amazing miracle.

I love this work. I love Jesus Christ and I am grateful for the opporunity he has given me to save my soul through 2 years of dedicated service. Miracles are real and prayer is vital to any and all success. I ecstatic for the new challenges and opportunites that lie ahead!

yall be good

Much Love 

Elder Dumke

We went on a strip mine tour this morning with a guy named Bruce Vest. I think he went to East or Highland back in the day. He is the Young Mens President here.

Week Five

8/13/12

Good Afternoon!

I am still just plugging right along here in Charleston. We have spent a majority of our efforts on Connie Angel, trying to prepare her for baptism next week. We taugh the Word of Wisdom and she was all for living it this time. She has a lot of passion for the gospel. She took all her cigs and tore them in half, dumped all her coffee and tea down the drain and gathered up all her ashtrays. She put it all in a bag, held it over the trash shoot and said, "In the name of Jesus!" and let go. She didn't come to church yesterday unfortunately and when we went to see her in the evening, her friend was over and being way sketchy to us. The things they were saying, It definitely felt that she didn't want to meet with us anymore. Then she called us this morning and told us she wants us to come by tonight. I would love to give you a thumbs up or down on how she is doing, but honestly it feels day to day. Thanks for keeping her in your prayers. It is miraculous the changes she has made in her life already.

Last night we met with a Mason. He is a highly intelligent person with a lot of truth, but the conversation was so deep that I left feeling weighed down rather than uplifted. It was a nice reminder that the gospel doesn't need to be complicated. The Spirit bears stronger witness of simple truths. He was a friendly guy though and showed us around his guitar studio. He is friends with Tom Morello from Rage and has his original bass pedal.

We had a good zone conference on friday as well teaching on Commitments with Investigators. I love being a zone leader, but I am feeling burned out in some of the responsibilities. So next wednesday (10 days) elder brady will be going home so he bore his departing testimony at zone conference. It was a pretty harsh reality that missions really do come to an end. It was kind of emotional for me because I remember my first day with him and now 18 months later he is leaving. Yall be careful! (Every single person we talk to says this as we leave, not because it is dangerous, its just a culture thing)

Love

Elder Dumke

Faith Unto Power

This is from the opening night of Mulitfest. A culture fair for the "many" nationalites of WV.

8/6/12

This week has really been so inspiring. We had a wonderful Zone Leader Council with a discourse on Faith and Hope with Moroni 7 by President Pitt. We then studied it over the next few days and taught it to have the zone on Friday. It was much about how we grow in our ability to exercise faith; from faith unto repentance (doing things) and faith unto power (becoming things). We taught for two hours straight with a short role play. Everyone was really excited about it all afterwards. Sunday night we collected numbers from everyone and saw the effects of faith. The half of the zone that had been taught about faith, almost every area had someone at church on Sunday, while the other half did not. It doubled the numbers of investigators at church, with only half the areas bringing people. It was awesome. Faith is amazing. Why would we choose to not have faith? Where exactly does that get us? We limit our incomprehensible potential if we doubt. Our fears lie in a loss of pride if we don't achieve. We definitely got the chance to put it to action.

Right after teaching this on friday we went to have a lesson with Connie on the Word of Wisdom. 5 minutes before we arrived she called and left a message. She said, "I can't be baptized a mormon. I believe in drinking coffee and tea. I am a pentecostal and Imma stay a pentecostal." You could hear it in her voice that she didn't believe what she was staying. We knocked on the door anyway; "Sister Angel we know your in there come out and talk to us."It was somewhat dissapointing, but it was perfect chance to see that "failure" doesn't have to weaken faith. We prayed she would have a softened heart. The next day she called and explained there was a man in her life that was preventing her from learning the gospel and last night she prayed to find out what she needed to do. She said she'd get rid of him and she wanted to meet again. She came to church yesterday, but she came with her friend who had also been sitting in on the lessons. He seemed to enjoy church too. Amazing miracles.

I still love Charleston and serving with such amazing missionaries. I have felt my nature to begin to change and I love who the gospel has made me. I love the Book of Mormon and the ability it has to answer prayers and questions. Just this morning we had to take someone to the mission office during studies so by the time we got back I had but 2 minutes to study. I prayed to know what element of Commitments we need to focus on teaching at Zone conference on Friday. The Book of Mormon took me to 3NE2, talking about forgetting the signs of Christs coming. It was perfect, because every person we teach forgets their commitment. Anyway that is just a small example. I feel the sustaining power of prayer in my life when it is late or early and I am worn out and here comes a boost of energy. I love being a missionary and I miss you all.

Much Love,

Elder Dumke

Faith > Works

7/30/12

Last Sunday we put away any fear and decided to work with Faith. No hesitancy no fear. We prayed that we would baptize this transfer. Monday after noon we got a media referral for one Connie Angel. That night we went to visit her. She sits us down and tells us she knows Joseph Smith is a prophet and that the Book of Mormon is true. She was going to be baptized a few years ago, but her husband was against it. He has now since passed and she wants to join the church. We taught her 3 times this week and she is amazing. We gave her a Plan of Salvation Pamphlet to read and she studied it, marked it up and filled out any question. She prayed and wants to be baptized August 19th. The Sunday before transfers. She came to church this week and really enjoyed it and plans to come and stay. She says she has tried other churches this whole time, but doesn't find the kind of peace anywhere else that she does at our church. She really is phenomenal.

Tuesday we went to follow up with someone at 10 am, but they weren't home so we prayed to find the one the Lord had prepared in that area. We saw someone sitting on their porch and walked up towards them. We stopped at the gate and said "Hello!" She looked and asked if we were Jehovah's Witnesses. We explained who we were and she let us come in. We talked for about 30 minutes and she talked about all the wrong she had done and she was looking for a way out. She told us she had been praying for the last two weeks for God to show her what she needed to do. We smiled and the Spirit rushed over her and she knew that Heavenly Father had sent us there to see her. Hopefully it develops into something.

Diane dropped us by text. And Vince didn't come to church again. We had a pretty straight up lesson with him though and recognized what was lacking in his progress. It came down to what his vision was. He was reading, so he could get into heaven, not to help prepare him to free from sin. I love learning that the underlying principle of the gospel is 3 Nephi 27:19. Our purpose is Moroni 7:31 so that others can feel 1 Nephi 11:22. I love being a missionary, even if it ridiculously hard sometimes!

Love you so much,

Elder Dumke

Be not faithless, but believing

7/23/12

Good Morning!

So last Monday we had a lesson with a lady Diane. She was baptist then converted to catholicism and now she is interested in the church. She expressed how she believed all the things we had taught and she really loved the way she felt when we came over, but she said she couldn't ever join the church. By simply asking why not, it seems like the Spirit just melted this wall of fear and she said, " Well I probably could." She is super in tune with the Spirit and really loves the sacred feeling that it brings. Most people are partial to the shouting and speaking in tongues in feeling. We feel she has good potential and we are hoping to see her tonight.

After teaching Vince for a long time, last month his girlfriend came out fired up and told us she really doesn't want to learn. We stopped by on Friday, praying she wouldn't be there. Before going in we felt impressed to pray that he would wake up (despite it being 3 in the afternoon). We knocked on the door and some of the first things out of his mouth was "you are lucky I heard you, I was sleeping and rolled over right before you knocked." We acknowledged his comment with a smile, knowing that it was much more than luck. He said he was happy to see us and said that he had been reading everyday even while we weren't coming. I am not so sure if that is 100% true, but I am sure he was reading.

Saturday night we drove past a home with about 15 hispanics out front (not common in WV) and we remembered that we had a Spanish Book of Mormon. We turned around and went to talk to them. By the time we got there, everyone cleared out but one lady. We gave her the Book and she seemed pretty receptive. With it being 9 we headed back home. Before getting back a prompting came to go see luke. We hadn't seen him in over a month as well. We had a good visit with him as always, but the neatest things was the closing prayer. We were on his front steps and as Elder Syndergaard was praying, luke, started yelling, "OH MAN! WOW! OH JEEZ, I AM SO SORRY. AH SO SORRY I HAVE BEEN GOING AFTER THIS GUY FOR WEEKS!" We had no idea what was happening until he reached down and grabbed his son's hamster. It had been missing for quite some time. We prayed again, this time for gratitude. It was a really funny, but memorable experience.

Finally yesterday we expected quite a few people at church and none of them came. As church ended we got a text from one guy jason, who we had just set with a date this week, that he talked to his preacher and that he was going to stay baptist. After church we studied and prepared to go see him. We decided to just testify of the Book of Mormon and sing Joseph Smith's first prayer. We did and it was amazing! The Spirit was so strong. We asked him to pray to know if it was true. He couldn't speak, so we sat in silence, as he struggled to pray. He did and still said he was staying baptist. It was tough, but reassuring to know we did all we could.

Love you all so much

Elder Dumke

Transfers

7/10/12

Tomorrow is transfers and much to my astonishment, I will be staying! Round 6 in Charleston haha, that will make it 9 months. Wow I am really excited. It has been a wonderful 6 weeks with Elder Syndergaard and looking forward to another 6.

Because I have been here for so long, finding has been more difficult. We have tried the members quite a bit, tracted out many streets and worked with less active members. We felt that the way we were going to find someone who we couldn't reach any other way would be through a member. We prayed for a referral all week. On saturday night about 8:45 we got a call from a member that said her co worker had been asking her about the church all day and wanted a Book of Mormon. We went and talked with her about it some more and apparently 6 months her co workers family felt they needed to get married, and that they should quit smoking before they got married. They also got rid of all violent movies in their home. We don't know too much yet, but we are hoping to teach them soon. I will keep you posted!

2 weeks ago while on exchanges we went to have dinner with a member. That meal wasn't quite ready yet and wouldn't be for about 20 minutes, so we decided we would go knock a few doors and come back. Elder Brady and I went to an apartment complex that had stood out about 2 weeks prior. Because of limited time we knocked 2 doors at once and waited to talk to which answers first. If it so happened they both answered we would divide and conquer. We talked to one guy named Joe and gave him a Book of Mormon. He knew a member and a week later we taught him. And on Sunday he came to church with his girlfriend. He has now thru 3 Nephi and says he is on the fence on converting. We have barely taught him twice! We are teaching him again tonight.

Another huge storm came thru our area and the rain came down like anything Charleston had ever seen. In about 10 minutes there was about 4 inches of water on the freeway and the construction cones were floating down the road. We made it safely but this time we were preparing for the worst.

Love you all and I know this gospel is true. I am extremely grateful that I am serving in WV. It has taught me a lot, especially about what is important. I know that President Monson is a prophet of God, and not only does his counsel help us personally, but knowing that the Lord is in charge of this church thru him brings a lot of peace. We don't have to question what doctrines are practices are right. 

Love you

Elder Dumke 

Destruction

 7/2/12

Hey Family -

It is crazy all the natural disasters that are happening. I guess you probably didn't hear about the tornado/ hurricane windstorm that ripped through West Virginia. A majority of the missionaries were without power for a few days and some without water. Needless to say it was anything but a routine weekend. At the time I was on exchanges in Beckley with another missionary. We were teaching the restoration on this guys front porch and the clouds really started rolling in. 

The day went from 105 weather to starting to cool down quick. If you know anything about weather (which at the time I did not) then that is not a good thing. Within 10 minutes there were hurricane force winds uprooting trees, breaking branches and pulling down power lines. We ran to our car and headed for shelter, but almost all the ways home were blocked by downed lines or trees. As we came around one bend, this guy immediately behind us pulled his chainsaw out of his truck and starting going at this 40 foot tree in the pouring rain. The good thing about WV is everyone has a gun and a chainsaw and everyone wants to use it. The power was out and the chaos began. Elder Syndergaard and his temp comp stayed in the mission home with the Pitts because all the streetlights were out and it was unsafe to drive. We got home the next day and there were basically two apartments in the mission with both power and water - us and the assistants. It helps that we live right next to the capitol. But I have never been so grateful. Surely it doesn't seem like a big deal for all the power to go out, but you woulda thought we were on the brink of an Apocalypse.

Church was obviously cancelled and all the missionaries in the surrounding area came in for missionary sacrament meeting. Elder Syndergaard and I blessed the sacrament and we all bore our testimonies. The Spirit was so strong.

The rest of the week was good. We taught more than we usually do and we drove the zone with meetings. It is so cool how the Lord magnifies the time we do have. Chip is doing well. We didn't get to see him this week but we were in contact with him almost everyday. His grandma has been in and out of the hospital, but we are planning to see him tonight. 

Remember that less active family I talked about a few weeks ago that I have been trying to see the whole time I have been here, and then the Dad came to church? Well on Thursday we teamed up with their home teachers to go and see them. They didn't answer at first but as we were leaving they ran and caught us and told us to come round back. We had our first lesson with the family and have scheduled to see them every week to work with them. The girls both want to be baptized after they found out Liz got baptized. I am really excited to see the progress they make.

I am guessing this is my last full week in Charleston, so I am really trying to soak it in.

Love yall!

Elder Dumke

Liz's Baptism

6/25/12

Dear Fam-

Liz was baptized yesterday and it went pretty well. Our ward mission leader, Nate Hale, had his baby the day before so it changed a bunch of things last minute, but it was a nice service. There were a few investigators there and right after she was baptized one of the recent converts (who is not quite all the way there) yelled "water world" and all the investigators followed him in applause, which then led to everyone clapping. Ha it wasn't the picturesque "Spirit descends in the form of a dove" baptism, but it was wonderful to see the happiness it brought to Liz and her family. It has been a long road for them.

Chip didn't make it to church yesteday, because he had to drive to Ohio, so that was a bummer, but other than that we had a great week with him. He came to dinner Monday night and really had a good time. We asked him to be baptized and he said, "yeah thats why I am meeeting with you." We had another appointment set up for wednesday and that morning he texted us to confirm it. He said we better come hungry cuz he was cooking us dinner. We asked if we could bring a member and he replied with absolutely, I am bringing one of my co workers. We had an awesome dinner and lesson with him. He is half Thai and he made some way good coconut curry chicken. We taught the first half of the Plan of Salvation to him and his friend and they really loved it. He set a date for July. He is all the way through 1 Nephi and has also began reading the New Testament is about half way through Matthew. We are hoping to have him at dinner again tonight, but we haven't heard back from him yet.

Friday I got to go on exchanges with Elder Brady. It was just like being trained again. I have begun to learn the importance of slowing down and savor each moment, word and grain of knowledge. We had a zone meeting on Thursday and we practiced reciting the first vision in 45 seconds (it usually takes about 25). It was amazing the greater impact it had as we slowed down. It is the same way with all things in life.

Love yall!

Elder Dumke