I like Being a Missionary

11/12/12 

This week was really great. We had Zone Conferences from Monday to Friday with lots of driving with President and Sister Pitt. It was awesome to be able to learn from them both in the doctrine and things of life. After Zone Conferences we worked on Transfers. I can't believe another 6 weeks has come and gone. Thankfully I am staying with Elder Klain another one, which means that I will finish off here in Charleston. This has been amazing week especially with Sis. Root. She has really been coming out of the woodwork. She is excited about the gospel and has been reading a lot of the Book of Mormon.

Sister Surface is doing extremely well and is so much more comfortable at church. Last night we went over to their house for her son's birthday and met more of her family. They all seemed happy that she had made the decision to join the church. Marcie was up in DC this week for John's surgery. We gave him a blessing last Sunday and he was very appreciative. Some unexpected things happened in the surgery and it was pretty scary there for a bit. His nurse was LDS and that turned out to be a great comfort to their family. After his strength returned, while still in the hospital, he said that he felt God was urging him towards baptism. We bought Marcie some Large Print Scriptures and we engraved her name and the whole 9 yards. We are giving them to her tonight at FHE with them. I love those two.

Sounds things are going well at home. I am glad. It was 70 degrees yesterday. Looking forward to seeing you soon.

Love yall

Elder Dumke

Week of White

The Surface Family

11/7/12

This week was another incredible one, I didn't think anything would top last week, but amazing things continue to happen in Charleston. There are so many prepared people in West Virginia!

It was ZLC on Tuesday so all the Zone leaders started to travel in and then this insane snow storm came and put 18 inches of snow in a few hours. It knocked out almost all the power and so we did ZLC in the mission home with no power and then had all the Elders sleep over there. It was a ton of fun and a very unifying experience. We have been pondering on what we could do to unify them a little more, and this was an answer to prayer. It was miracle all of them arrived safely in Charleston. We then had zone conference the following day in Huntington. It went well and I learned alot, as we taught. There just isn't enough time to prepare and so the spirit teaches you as you teach. It was a good day. Friday we had a few incredible lessons. Right now we are teaching 4 families, which is incredible.

Last Sunday we talked with Christina Root out on the porch and this week we taught her and her husband and they are way elect. She was glued to every word during the restoration and explained she hadn't gone to church for the last few years, because she felt that they lacked the fulness. She definitely felt we were an answer to prayer.

Saturday morning, so yesterday, we had a lesson with Sister Surface and it had been a while since we taught her and so we really wanted to gauge where she was at. Elder Klain bore a very strong testimony of the Book of Mormon and discussed with her about the importance of her knowing for herself, mind you we have taught every lesson on her outside porch, (because her husband works alot) and it is starting to pretty chilly out here. I said to finish 2 Nephi before next Sunday, the Spirit told her to finish it by tomorrow (Today). About 3 o clock Saturday afternoon we got a text asking us about baptism from her. We told her to read Mosiah 18 and pray about it. She texted back that she was ready to be baptized! What?! So amazing we were freaking out. We went over and talked to her and told her we could do it tomorrow morning before church. And she could be confirmed that day with Marcie. We did the interview that night and she got baptized this morning. It went so well and was so cool to see the completion of this family. They will be going to the temple this time next year.

Marcie was confirmed today too. The member we asked to do the confirmation didn't come to church today, so as we gathered in the circle, Bishop Larsen handed the microphone to me and asked me to do it. It was my first tim and it was really neat. Marcie was so happy and her husband and daughter were there too. After the confirmations, the deacons were passing the sacrament and the power went out. They continued to pass and after they were finished, the bishop stood up and said we would cancel and immediately the lights turned back on. It didn't last long though, the power went out right after sacrament meeting ended. We then taught Marcie's Dad and daughter and it went really well. Marcie was testifying of the Book of Mormon to them. Ah she is so great. She reminds me a ton of Mom, they are going to be such good friends I know it.

I love you all so much and this has been the most amazing past few weeks.

Ya'll be careful

Love

Elder Dumke

Miracle after Miracle

This may be hard to believe -                                                                                            10/28/12

But this has undoubtedly been the best week of my mission, possibly my life. What incredible blessings we are experiencing! As Elder Whiting said this week, "It has hard to record celestial experiences in a telestial world."

Wednesday Elder Whiting came into Roanoke and addressed half the mission. He is  down to earth, a dry sense of humor and very straightforward. Elder Klain conducted the meeting and welcomed everyone and then began to intorduce Elder Whiting by reading a Bio from LDS.org. Just as he started reading Elder Whiting told him to stop, and just let him begin talking. It took everyone off gaurd and Elder Whiting got up. He started by saying, "It doesn't really matter who I am, all that matters is that I am on assignment from the Quorum of the 12 Apostles." He taught a lot on unity and his over all feel, was that we can do better. He didn't come down on obedience or faith or desire so much as he explained that we have all those things, and now we need to stop living below our potential. He said everything that needed to be said. It was an excellent meeting Tuesday as well as the one in Charleston on Thursday. That day I got to have an interview with him. We didn't have much time, we sat down had a prayer and he said," Lets cut to the chase, what can I do for you Elder?" Is there any greater question to be asked by a general authority? It was extremely impactful to be asked that. I talked to him about how I could take things to the next level spiritually. We had a nice discussion.

Thursday night we had dinner and a lesson with Marice and John, she was feeling healthy and great. We pretty much finished up the lessons and she was set to be baptized this weekend. She is amazing!! John is coming along as well and they have a temple marriage in their sights. She is a rock solid convert. Today her husband and daughter came to church for the first time, it was the primary program. They really enjoyed it and felt very comfortable. Marcie was baptized after church and it was incredible. The Spirit was so strong, I feel it now even as I reflect on it. I was privileged to be the one to baptize her. Ah it was everything I hoped it would be for her. The Relief Society is absolutely ecstatic to have her in the church. She has canned almost her whole life and has already been very active in their socials. It was a wonderful day.

On top of the baptism today this non member showed up at church. This might be confusing, but it was a very fortifying experience. While in Roanoke last year I had a dream about a woman that came to church, that looked sort of like a witch, and had trouble with her car and we baptized her. It was a very weird dream and i didn't think too much of it til last week. This Less Active member came to church for the first time in years. She looked very familiar and then while sitting in the second hour of church it clicked, she was the woman from my dream! I went and talked to her afterwards and found out she was living out of her car, I was thinking that she must be the woman and surely we would baptize her, but then I found out she was already a member. Anyways I told Elder Klain about it after church and kind of wrote it off. Then today she comes again, this time a little late to sacrament. Immediately after sacrament, she comes up and says, "I brought an investigator!" We stepped into the hallway and she explained what happened. She said she was driving to church and got a flat tire. She said she was praying to God somewhat cursing him for giving her a flat tire when she was trying to do the right thing and go to church. As she sat there, this man David came up to her on the side of the road and asked if he could help her. She was very appreciative and invited him to church. Surprisingly he came and he LOVED it. He asked us if he could be baptized, what he had to do to be part of the church, the whole bit. He stayed for the baptism, we taught him after church and set him for the end of November. It was amazing!! Not only did he just come, but the Lord gave me a dream to prepare for this experience. What a day.

Half the Charleston Zone

Finally we have really tried to reach the standard of excellence every week to show the mission it is possible. We were short on lessons and new people to to teach. The Lord sent us one to church already, and then we prayed to know where we could find a few more. We visited a Less Active referred to us by the bishop and it wasn't really going anywhere as we were on his porch figuring out how this was going to work, his daughter in law came out to smoke. We had an excellent discussion with her, she opened up began bawling and allowed us to teach her. I am just grateful.

I love y'all so much!

Elder Dumke

Elder Klain and Elder Dumke with Halloween Cookies.

Bro. Frost and Danny Robinson

Another Good One

10/21/12

This week has been another good one! I am feeling good, but a little nervous for this next week. Elder Whiting is coming in Tuesday and we will be conducting the Meetings with him and the mission Tuesday and Wednesday.Have you ever thought about the Un-Godly attributes? Things like embarrassed, or negative or stressed.  Knowing that I can get easily stressed, I prayed as we took the sacrament to know what I could do. The talk directly afterwards was on gratitude. A talk given by Elder Nelson a few conferences ago. This week I have decided to replace the word stressed with grateful. I am grateful Elder Whiting is coming to bless our mission. I am grateful to be able to conduct in a meeting to help me grow. I am really excited this thought replacement process. I know that Dumkes are immune to stressing about things... but thought it was a nugget with sharing with the bloodline.

We were able to teach Marcie on Thursday night and it went really well. She is excited for her baptism, and her husband is coming right along as well. Unfortunately she came down with some horrible Bronchitis. She had lung cancer at age 30 so she had to have a lung removed. Of all the people to have lung cancer in WV, she never smoked a cigarette in her life. Coughing is horrendous so her, so she wasn't able to come to church, and we may move it back a week but it might good. She is converted, but we want it to be a special day for her, not a day being super sick.

Thursday we had helped someone for like 20 minutes and then had to run, but we set up to visit them a few days later. She is the daughter of a member in Elder Klain's old area and we had a way good lesson. She is a lawyer in town and is very interested. We are excited about her! Always great to have an investigator that likes to read! Earlier this week I got to go on exchanges with Elder Maxwell. It was the first time in nearly a year getting to serve with him. we have both grown a lot, but it was just like old times being in Cave Spring. Love you all so much1

Yall be careful!

Elder Dumke

Drum Roll.....

10/15/12

After an awesome interview with President, I feel confident in coming home in January. We discussed school, mission, post mission, all of that. He can release thirty days before the day I entered the MTC. We decided on January 4th. It is way scary how soon that day is. I am happy to finally be able to rest on a decision now.  I am excited, but I am even more excited that I am at the point where I can love the mission this much. I wasn't sure I would feel this way. But I can honestly say that I have loved this time as a missionary.

A week of Miracles

Good Morning Family -                                                                                       10/15/12

I loved hearing from you this week and getting Mom's packages and letters. I am so grateful for you. I love you so much! This week was incredible and I know it was because of your prayers.

On Tuesday we Blitzed down in Buena Vista, meaning we both left the area for the day and worked with the companionships down there. It went really well. Wednesday was amazing and we had the best lesson ever in the Long's home. Sister Long's husband isn't a member of the church, but he was supportive of us teaching Sister Long's friend in their home. We had dinner with the Long's and Marcie and her husband. I can hardly believe how prepared Marcie is. She loves the gospel so much and the more she learns the more she loves it. Wednesday was our first lesson with her, but we set with a baptismal date for October 28th. It was pretty shocking to everyone because that is only in a few weeks, but she is going to make it. She is a wonderful lady and just by talking with her you would think she is a member already. Sunday we had another lesson after church with her husband, teaching the Plan of Salvation. They said it anwered a lot of the questions they have always had, especially concerning Adam and Eve. As we taught Pre-Earth Life we explained that God a perfected body; she responded with, "Wait, Heavenly Father has a body? That is awesome!" We are soo happy for her!

Sister Surface is doing very well too! She came to church yesterday fasting for the first time. We had some really good lessons with her and she is so ready, she is growing to the point where she can say, "I am Mormon." Her family is strong Catholic, so she really wants a firm testimony before baptism. Right before ending our fast with her we got a call from a lady in New Mexico. She met the missionaries a year ago at the apartments they used to live in and she came to church a few times. Then she moved to New Mexico and met the missionaries there too. She is moving back to Charleston next month and she wants to join the church. It was one of those miracle phone calls, you always pray happens when you see an unfamiliar number.

I love you all so much.

Elder Dumke

General Conference Feast

10/7/12

Oh Boy I am stuffed!

What an amazing week this has been! The new missionaries came in Tuesday evening and it was a treat to be with them. They have such strong faith and a desire to serve. We spent Monday and Tuesday preparing for the huge transfer on Wednesday. There were over 70 changes in the mission. Nearly every companionship changed so logistics was crazy. We had a great transfer meeting, where all those that come in to charleston come and have a meeting. It is always really looked forward to being around such a strong group. As we were closing up the building there was a family cutting down a huge tree, so offered to be back in an hour with work clothes to help them out. They were very willing to let us help out. We had a good time with them and they invited us for dinner a few days later.

Thursday we woke up at 3:30 to take all the departing missionaries home, then had enough time to crawl back in bed at the mission home for a while. We had to prepare for Zone Leader Council the following day. It was an awesome meeting as well. The mission is doing better than it ever has in obedience and success. The Lord has opened the windows of heaven in our mission. I don't know if I told you this before or not, but we used to get $170 on our support card each month, but we felt it was too much, so lowered it to 150. Since that time amazing miracles have happened. The principle of tithes held us as mission made its funds more sacred. After ZLC we had dinner with Jeff and Vlinda (our tree people). They are your traditional WV natives that moved into the city from the country. He is a brick mason and she loves to hunt bear. They are a way nice couple. We had a good country meal of dumplings, biscuits, green beans and chicken with them. Afterward we taught them and they said they were open to the lessons. The best part is they live literally right across from the church.

OH! and General Conference was amazing! We watched it all at the church. We were with President when they made the age change for missionaries. It is pretty crazy that no one except the 12 knew it was happening. It will certainly change missionary work and we are expecting a lot more sisters to serve. It was amazing to watch that revelation flow. It is basically the biggest change in church policy during my lifetime. Today we watched the morning session at the church. Sister Long brought her friend Marcie with her. We were shocked to see her there. Friday night we got a call from Sis Long that Marcie's car had been hit from the back by an 18 wheeler on the freeway on their way back from DC. It was scary there for a while. She LOVED conference this morning and after the session we gave her a blessing. Sis Long was bawling the whole time. Afterwards Marcie explained when she was in the hospital they asked her religious preference and she answered Mormon. She continued to say that she wasn't one that understood why people would testify, but every since she has been reading th Book Of Mormon she literally wants to tell everyone about it. We get to teach our first official lesson with her Wednesday Night at Sis Long's home. She is amazing!

President has challenged all the Zone Leaders and us to get the standard of excellence this week.  The following week Elder Whiting will be visiting the mission. He spoke in the Saturday Session of Conference actually. It is getting late and we just finished numbers. But I will send some more tomorrow.

Friday night we had a fun time with the Surfaces carving Pumpkins. This is Noah their 2 year old trying to spit on my pumpkin to put out the candle. He is so funny! 

 Love you so much!

Elder Dumke