Hey Everyone,

 

Talk about a fast and busy week! It seems like forever ago that I wrote home but it was only last week! Here is the latest news from the APM.

 

We had our transfer week and I took my companion, Elder Bingham, home. It was hard to see him go but I knew that he had done his "duty" and is ready for life after the mission. With that being said, I have a new companion! And everyone who has followed my blog during my mission will recognize the name. I'm serving with Elder Miles again, my old Zone Leader companion from my Phoenix days. He is a lighting fast learner and is going to do an incredible job at being an assistant.

 

This week has been filled with growing and learning experiences. I really began to understand more profoundly the quote "There is no comfort in a growing zone and there is no growing in a comfort zone." Being the "senior" assistant for the last week has taught me a lot and I have been able to identify a lot of skills that I need to develop or sharpen. A little overwhelming but an incredible experience. We are going to have a great transfer with lots of meetings and exchanges. I think that is one thing I have really learned on the mission. It is ALWAYS better to be busy than to not have enough to do.

 

The work has slowed a bit but we were not able to dedicate a large amount of time to our proselyting area. Unfortunately we had a couple of investigators drop us on Saturday so we are back to a re-building stage. On the brighter side, our investigator Marta went to church yesterday with her family so she is progressing very well. She has a baptismal date for the 23rd of April. We had a lesson with her yesterday where we talked about the restoration that she just loved. After recounting the first vision she just said, "Wow...you know, it says that not a lot of people have ever seen the face of God....Joseph Smith must have been a really special and chosen person to be able to have that experience." I think she understands it very well :). Our next step with her is to help her son be able to enjoy the Spanish branch and learn in primary (he doesn't speak or understand spanish very well.)

 

Other than that we have been staying busy and have a great week up ahead. I look forward to being able to work with some of the missionaries in the mission and helping my new companion learn his responsibilities. It is going to be a great month and a great transfer no doubt! But, that was our week. The Lord truly sustains us in our weakness and gives us challenges to help us grow. The gospel knowledge we have in absolutely incredible and it is such a joy to be able to share it with others. I hope that you all have a great and safe week!

 

Sincerely,

Elder Klemme

Hey everyone,

This will be a shorter post this week. Not a lot to report on but some things worth noting.

We worked through the finding mud quite a bit this last week. It took us quite a few referrals and a few hours tracting but we were able to find some pretty solid people. We actually contacted this lady who referred herself to the missionaries about a week ago. She has taken the missionary discussions before but decided that now it was time to take them again and prepare to be baptized. We set her baptismal date for the 23 of April and it is looking like she is going to keep it. We are pretty excited for her and know she will soon be a very strong member.

In other news, there isn't a lot to report on. We have our transfers tomorrow and I will be taking my companion of 10 months, Elder Bingham, to the airport. Talk about a tough experience for me. I don't think I have spent this amount of time with anyone else in my life (except maybe my parents and siblings.) One gets attached to someone when you are with them that long. So it seems like I am taking a brother home, not just a companion. It has been one of the greatest blessings of my life to have served with Elder Bingham and will be eternally grateful for the things I learned from him. He has made a huge impact on my life.

With the departure of my current companion, I was pondering yesterday on the idea of change. This is what I came up with in small words:

Change is what makes us understand the Atonement.

Think about it, we would never know pain from joy, progression from digression, learning, knowledge, NOTHING. We would never understand anything. We must go through change in order to become the people our Heavenly Father needs us to be. It is an essential part of life. So my question is, how do we endure change? Well, the best answer I can give is this: Put your trust, your faith, in God and lean not onto thy own understanding and press forward with patience and diligence. God's ways are not our ways and he will know how to guide us through those tough changes in our life.

I know that our Savior Jesus Christ loves us very much, as does Heavenly Father. Our life on this earth is just a temporary change, a necessary experience for us to be able to enjoy a fullness of the blessings God wants to give us. We are his children and he loves us very much. I know that my savior lives and that he loves me. He is my Lord and King. I know I can trust in him to guide me through times of trouble, heartache, and change. Isaiah puts it best, "Beauty, for ashes". In his sacred name, even Jesus Christ, Amen.

Sincerely,

Elder Klemme

Hey Everyone,

I had the most interesting revelatory experience last night. Here is what happened: 

I think as members of the church we lose sight of the blessings of the gospel and, most specifically, The Book of Mormon. There is such an incredible power in that book. The truths it teaches us are priceless and give us the guidance we need to have in our lifetime. Yet, how often do we simply overlook that power, just reading the words and pages without thinking of the application they have in our life. We read to read, to fulfill what is in our minds an "obligation." What a terrible mindset to have about such a sacred book!

During my dream last night I was in a teaching appointment talking about The Book of Mormon and the importance it has for us today. At one point in the discussion the investigator said, "I already believe the church is true. It is the only one that makes sense." I then asked, "Have you read The Book of Mormon?" to which she responded, "I never have." At that point, I remember looking at the copy I had in my hand, looking at her, and saying, "Hermana, you cannot be converted to the gospel without reading this book. You will join and will struggle because you will not be fully converted. You will believe, but you will not know."

Brothers and Sisters, I love the Book of Mormon with all my heart. There is no other book more precious to me. I just finished reading it again...and again I changed my perspective of the Gospel, of the truthfulness of our message. There is an incredible power that is found in the Book of Mormon. So my question is, what are we doing to make it part of lives? Are we reading just to read? Are we reading because we have to? Or are we reading because we want to? Because we value it's great worth?

I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. There is nobody that can convince me otherwise. This book with bring a man closer to God. It will change his life. It has the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. To me, it is a priceless treasure and one that I will cherish forever. I invite each of you do drink deeply from the pages of the Book of Mormon every day. Read it. Live it. Love it. I promise you that heaven's blessings will fall upon you in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Sincerely,

Elder Klemme

February 28, 2011

Hey everyone,

I don't have a lot of time today to write but I do have some pictures to post up. I hope you enjoy them.

We had a pretty busy week this past week that ended with an awesome baptism. For the first time I have been a missionary all three areas in the branch I'm serving in baptized. In all honesty it was one of the best baptismal services I have been to while I have been on my mission. It sure is an awesome feeling to see your area and ward/branch grow stronger and stronger.

Here is the list for the baptisms:

1-La Familia Urrea: We found Luis and Lupe off a HQ referral. They had been taught basically everything when we first contacted them and were baptized three weeks. Their service was nice with good attendance. Now, one month later, they are 100% active and participating as much as possible in the branch.

2-Teresa de Jesus Ruiz: This lady has an incredible story. We found her when we received two referrals the same day to go visit her. It took us about 4 months (since November) but she finally entered the waters of baptism. I am so grateful for the opportunity I had to help her come unto Jesus Christ and to see the miraculous change that occurred in her.

3-How Great is the Joy: The 3 companionships and the baptizees at our baptism this past Saturday. There was tons of ward support for these three wonderful souls. They will bring a lot to the table and are great additions to our ever growing branch.