May 23, 2001

Hey Everybody,

 

It was an incredible week. Absolutely incredible. The Lord was hard at work to make sure we were able to find those that would receive us and to say the right things to help them come closer to him. We look forward to sustain the trend and know that we will continue to see progress in our area.

 

We were blessed to have four baptisms in our ward this last week, two of which came from our area. As incredible as that is, I am pleased to say that it is simply the beginning. Between all the companionships in our ward we have 14 people with a baptismal date scheduled for the month of June. And the finding is continuing to happen. We found two incredible families this past week that have huge baptismal potential. We have been praying and studying so hard for them so they can accept the restored gospel. I know that as we follow the council of our leaders and take initiative as well to follow the promptings of the spirit we will not only see them enter the waters of baptism but many more ready to receive the gospel.

 

I have had some really good personal studies this last week on the Atonement with the climax occurring today. We had our Zone Hike up South Mountain this morning which was a ton of fun. I was able to go with my great friend, Elder Ray, and do a little bit of a reflection on our mission. He has become one of the greatest people I know and I feel so privileged to have him as my Zone Leader. He, under the Lord's inspiration, has done so much to help the work progress forward and I know he has no plans of slowing down. Neither do I. There are too many things to accomplish before the inevitable return home. I find myself losing my appetite because I want to be out of the house so bad. It is such an incredible experience to be able to serve in Montana del Sur for a second time. I feel so much more prepared for the challenges we are currently facing and are in the process of fixing them quickly. I know I have been sent here for a very specific reason.

 

Anyway, back to the insight I had. I find that we often move too quickly in life without taking the chance to slow down and reflect on the things that are happening within and around us. Today, as I was descending the trail, I began to receive some incredible personal revelation regarding the Plan of Salvation and the role that I have in it. I know that the Lord gave me some very specific instruction as well as some incredible insight. I wanted sooo bad to have a pen and paper nearby to be able to record all of the things I received but, it's a little hard to write while you are on the side of a mountain. All I could do was offer a humble prayer at the end of the trail thanking Heavenly Father for the things he revealed to me as well as asking him to help me remember them long enough to write them down. I have such a testimony that God is our Heavenly Father and that he is very aware of our personal needs. SO many times we get caught up in the "Thick of thin of things" when we really need to do periodic path checks to make sure we are moving forward in the right direction. I know that the Lord loves us. I know, without a doubt, that Jesus Christ is our Savior and is the center part of Heavenly Father's plan. He wants us to live righteously with faith in him so that, one day, we can return to live with God again. Life would be impossible without his help.

 

I love being a missionary. Up to this point in my life it has been the greatest experience I have ever had. I know that life will be filled with many more if we simply put our faith in our savior and look forward, never longing to go back. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

 

Sincerely,

Elder Klemme

Hey everybody!

To be completely honest, my desires to write letters has significantly dropped since the start of my mission. If you have sent me a letter and have not received a reply I apologize. I will do my best to respond ASAP.

I had a very interesting week and a particularly pensive morning. It is very interesting just how much you grow during a mission. My viewpoints on a lot of different things have changed and I feel like I am seeing things as they really are.

I can best explain it through an example. Before my mission I was a huge fan of music. I still am. However as I have seen what the world is becoming and realizing that I am "behind the times" on a lot of different things, I have come to the conclusion that, things are simply going to be different afterwards. At the Leadership Training Meeting we had before our last transfer meeting, President Beck shared the following quote: "You are called of God. It doesn't matter what you were before. YOU ARE DIFFERENT NOW!" That is such a true statement.

I have come to a lot of conclusions since I have been back in Montana. Being an assistant really shed a new light on my view of mission work and just what can be done to take the work to a new level. One of my favorite scriptures in the Book of Mormon talks about how small and simple things bring to pass great changes. I always knew that but, coming into a new situation I have been able to see just what small things can be done to make a huge difference in a certain area.

The gospel is such an amazing thing. It is as deep as eternity but you can study it as if it is the most simple thing in the world. I have such a testimony that this is the only true gospel in the world. There is no other place where we can find the fullness of the teachings of Jesus Christ and find the authority to complete necessary ordinances for salvation. It is such a pleasure to be able to share what I know to be true with other people and know without a doubt that there is no other place I would rather be than right here, right now. I truly believe that I have found myself as an individual. I know that I am a chosen son of God sent here with the purpose to make the world a better place and share the gospel with those searching for the truth. I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and our Redeemer. There is no other way nor any other means by which we can be saved save it be through Christ. I know that the scriptures are the word of God and that the Book of Mormon is another Testament of Jesus Christ. I KNOW PEOPLE CAN CHANGE. They can overcome fear, they can feel of the Savior's love, and they can live with their families forever. There is nothing more important in this life than the work we will do in our homes. I know I love my family very much and I want ALL of them to be with me for eternity. I know that it is possible to break social morays to follow the example of Jesus Christ. In the end, it is pleasing the Father by following Jesus Christ that really matters. 

I love each of you. I truly do. You are each very special to our Father in Heaven.

In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Sincerely,

Elder Klemme

Hey Everybody,

 

Another week has come and gone and with it came great change. Here is the latest scoop from the APM:

 

The biggest news for the week was my release as an Assistant to the President. I was transferred on Tuesday to return to my old area of Montana del Sur West and to serve as a District Leader to finish my mission. I have received such a spiritual confirmation that this is what the Lord would have me do at this stage of my mission and know he will continue to sustain me in my new calling. The missionaries in my district are absolutely incredible; the hardest working group I think that exists in the whole mission. It is such a pleasure to serve with each and every one and to learn and grow with them. My new companion, Elder Eric Jeffs, has been out for nearly a year and is my grandson. Elder Giles, my first trainee, trained Elder Jeffs my first transfer as an assistant. He is an incredible missionary and know that this is where the Lord would has us serve together. He knows the area very well and has such a deep love for "our" people in the area. We are going to have a great transfer!

 

When I walked into the church last Tuesday to "meet" the auxiliary presidents every one of them was shocked but excited to have me back. It is a rare occasion that a missionary gets to return to an old area and continue his labor. I had such a powerful experience that night as I envisioned the chapel full of members, returning members, and investigators focused on obtaining all the blessings heavenly father wants them to have. I am so excited to baptize like crazy down here. I want it known to the people here as well as those back home that I, Elder Klemme, WILL NOT SLOW DOWN. IT WILL BE A SPRINT TO THE FINISH!!!

 

We met some incredible people this week and had some very spirit filled lessons. The Lord has and is continuing to prepare so many people to receive the restored gospel and I feel so incredibly blessed to be that tool they need to have it. We, I, will see miracles.

 

I don't have any funny or awesome stories to share. The big news is already said. The only other thing worth mentioning was my chance to call home again yesterday. It always gives you a bit of a boost and I know my family really enjoyed it. It is such a blessing to have a family that fully supports you in your decision to serve a mission. They have helped me enormously during my time of service. And to those I couldn't talk with yesterday, THANK YOU!!!

 

Well, that is about it for now. I hope and pray that each and every one of you will have a great and safe week and I will talk to you all soon.!!

 

Love,

Elder Klemme

May 2, 2011

Hey Everyone,

Another week in the Arizona Phoenix Mission and WOW it was a wowzer! I think I went the whole week wearing a suit. It was great, busy, and most definitely exciting. It is going to be a great couple of months.

A couple of weeks ago President gave Elder Miles and I a responsibility to work with some of the zone leaders to put together a calendar that would help investigators see their progress towards baptism. We put a good time in on it and had the opportunity to present it this last week in a Zone Leader Council, Leadership Training, and a Mission-wide Specialized Training. Something I have learned throughout my time as an assistant is that real results won't be seen until a few weeks or months down the road. However the feedback that we were receiving all week has shown that we are headed in the right direction. It looks like May is going to be a dynamite month. This week we were looking at having 43 baptisms with 159 people with a baptismal date for the month. Say what you will, the mission is going to explode!

We also are gearing up for transfers again. Our meeting is tomorrow in which will come some pretty neat changes, none of which I can say until next week. I have felt the spirit very strong during this transfer process and know that what is going to happen is in line with the Lord's will. It is such a powerful experience to see President and Sister Beck at work during transfer week as they make changes in the mission. I've learned a lot by watching them.

On another positive note, we had 4 investigators at Sacrament Meeting including a family we have been working with for a LOOOOOOOONG time. They paid their tithing for the first time EVER after the block. It has been interesting to watch them in their conversion process. Hopefully we will be able to get them baptized soon but first we have some marriage things to take care of. We'll see if we can't get them baptized before the end of the month.

In other news, I have had the worst allergies of my life this past week. I don't know what it is about this spring but I just haven't been able to stop sneezing! Luckily antihistamines are cheap as well as saline solution but still, it hasn't been a fun experience.

Well, I understand that it is a little short but there isn't a lot to report on. This will be a great week filled with excellent opportunities that I will fill you in on everything next week. Have an excellent week and I will talk to you all again soon!

Love,

Elder Klemme

April 25, 2011

Hey All,

 

I don't have a lot ot time to write this week but I do want to share an experience that I had just yesterday.

 

It is so incredible to look back on the past and see where you have come from. I remember at the beginning of my mission not even carrying around a Book of Mormon in my hand to now, I can't leave our truck without one. I also remember how nerve-wracking it was to extend a baptismal commitment to someone whereas now...Well, that's the story :)

 

We have started to place a huge focus on living our purpose by extending daily baptismal commitments in our mission. Elder Miles and I studied a talk a couple of weeks ago and are just running on a type of spiritual high that has allowed us to extend a baptismal commitment every single day. Just yesterday I had a very interesting opportunity to do so. Our Gospel Principles teacher didn't show up to give the class so the Sunday School President asked me at the last minute to give it. We talked about how we as members of the church are covenenat making people. We talked about our first covenant, baptism, and our weekly covenenat the Sacrament. The spirit was very strong in the class...one of the strongest I have felt since I have been a missionary. So, following the spirit by taking advantage of the opportunity I invited all four investigators in the class to "Follow the example of Jesus Christ by being baptized by one holding the Priesthoold authority of God." I know it was a great experience for me and one that helped me realize that there really isn't a time when we can't talk about baptism. Even in Gospel Principles class you can invite people to be baptized.

 

That was my experience of the week. I know that as we are examples to those who are around us we will be able to help others to come unto Christ by entering the waters of baptism. I invite each of you to think about those things that you can do to share the gospel with your friends this coming week. I know that as you do so you will begin to experience the abounding joy that comes as you share the gospel. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

 

Sincerely,

Elder Klemme

April 18, 2011

Hey Everyone,

 

This last week was one of the best but busiest of my mission. We had Zone Conference on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday and did 6 exchanges as well, the most I have ever done in a single week. Needless to say today was a welcomed rest from the hustle and bustle and now we are looking forward to another busy week. I have come to the firm conclusion that a life is so much better when it is full of the important things.

 

I wish that time would allow me to recount some of the powerful experiences that I had this last week but, unfortunately, time is not our ally. I simply want to summarize it with this phrase:

 

"Go into it fully invested"

 

A mission is a once and a lifetime experience that requires our whole self. We cannot go into it with one foot at home and one foot in the mission field. Even when we do reach a point when we are fully in the field it requires diligent effort to stay focused and devoted to your cause. This past Monday I had a powerful personal study that really prepared me for the experiences that I had this week. And every day had the exact same story. Every personal study I had geared me for at least one of the many people I talked to during that day. I was a witness to countless miracles given at the hand of our Heavenly Father. I was led to people who were looking for the gospel. I felt the Holy Ghost work through me to say the things that Heavenly Father wanted said. I was able to stand as a witness to the infinite and eternal Atonement of Jesus Christ, able to see the pain that has gripped a lady for over a year following the death of her son. I was able to receive personal revelation during the partaking of the Sacrament and lastly I was able to reflect on the personal progress that I have made as a missionary. I love my calling with all my heart and am so eternally grateful for the chances that I have had to share it with other people.

 

For all of those future missionaries my advice is to "Go Into it Fully Invested." Prepare yourselves now to leave the world behind and focus on the task that is ahead of you. Don't waste a minute thinking of things outside of sharing the gospel. Trust me, the Lord will provide..

 

I know that this is the work of God and that there is no other work more important on the face of this earth. Have a great week and I will talk to you soon!

 

Love,

Elder Klemme

April 11, 2011

Hey Everyone,

I really don't have a lot to report on this week. We are going through a pretty tough spell of finding solid investigators. We basically had to drop our whole teaching pool this last week for one reason or the other. We definitely have room for improvement and we are willing to work ourselves dead tired until we can get our area running on a higher level.

I had a very interesting but powerful experience this week that I wanted to share. It will take up most of my post for this week. It was a testimony to me of the power of staying worthy to listen to the spirit and acting when a prompting is received. Here is what happened:

I was on exchanges in my area on Tuesday with one of the Zone Leaders in the mission. We were trying to contact some former and future investigators we had found in our area book the night before. For some reason NOBODY we put down in our plans was home. We were down to our last two options when, sitting at a stop light, I saw a neighborhood across the street where we were at and I felt "I wonder if there are any gente in there" (Gente is "People" in English). When the light turned green I drove across and started driving down the street and told my companion "Look for things that look hispanic (mops outside houses, aloe vera plants, red curtains, toys in the yard, the list goes on). We drove for about 2-3 minutes when I pulled up to another stop sign. I was looking to turn back onto the main road when the spirit told me "Don't turn left!" (which was the way I was wanting to go) and I couldn't go straight so, I started turning right. As I completed the turn the spirit said again "Stop! Get out and tract here." We pulled the truck over, said a small prayer confirming the prompting I had felt, and started tracting the street. The first house we knocked on was a high school kid from Croatia. He was Christian, a football star, and a pretty smart kid. As we asked him if he had visited one of our churches before he began telling us of the various times he had gone with his friend to mutual and once to Sunday meetings. I thought it was a good contact until he said, "Actually my friend said that he was going to send the missionaries over to talk. That's why you are here right?" I was shocked to hear that and simply said, "No, he didn't but we are glad to find you!" He told us a time to come by later on the week and we left on our way. Nobody else opened their door, just him.

I am so grateful for the chance that I had to be an instrument in Heavenly Father's hands. My testimony of patience has grown significantly this last week. I know that there are times when the work is a little rougher and we need to pass through a bit of the refiners fire. BUT, the Lord always compensates us for the trials we go through. I know that, if not for anything else but to strengthen my own testimony, we were supposed to find that joven. 

That is my message for the week. No matter what happens, white knuckle the iron rod and keep pressing forward. The future is as bright as your faith (Monson). I hope that everyone has a great week and until next time ! Que Dios les bendiga en su camino!

Sincerely,

Elder Klemme

April 4, 2011

Hey Everybody,

Not a lot of time to write but here it goes.

Talk about an incredible General Conference! I think this was the best Conference I have ever attended. I could not believe how many references there were to member missionary work! I know that the General Authorities are inspired. It is so true, it is a million times easier to find, teach, and baptize the sons and daughters of God when they come from a member's referral. I hope that each of you prayerfully consider who of your acquaintances is ready to listen to the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ.

This week was a great week. I had the opportunity to go on a couple of exchanges back in my old zone and had some INCREDIBLY spiritual experiences. During my Friday exchange, I had one of the most amazing lessons of my mission. The spirit was incredibly strong, the member was a perfect match for the investigator, and the companion I was with taught in perfect harmony. The entire family accepted a baptismal date for the 30th of this month. I know that the Lord works in great ways to bring salvation to his children.

Also in the news this week, we had our first 100 degree day of the year last Friday. In parts of Phoenix it reached 103 degrees and in most parts there was a high of 98. I have this feeling like this summer is going to be a hot one. I'm very excited to work in it.

I also had the opportunity to study a talk this morning given 5 years ago by Elder Cecil O. Samuelson of the Seventy. It was titled "What does the Atonement mean to you?" In this talk he refers to the 19th section of the Doctrine and Covenants where the Savior explains the pain he faced during the course of the Atonement. Following his review of the section, Elder Samuelson makes the following statement:

"That Jesus experienced what He experienced, not because He couldn’t avoid it but because He loves us, is sobering indeed." 

If we truly think about it, there was nothing in the scriptures that Christ had to go through his suffering. He made a conscious choice to endure what he endured. Because of his righteous use of agency he was able to loose the bands of physical and spiritual death for all mankind.

Now, referring back to a previous statement I made. I challenge each of you to take some time and ponder what the Atonement really means to you. Write down your impressions. Then, prayerfully consider who you can share your testimony with. It is our sacred privilege to be able to know what we know as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is also our privilege to be able to share our testimony with others. I know that the joys and blessings of missionary work are very real. I know of the happiness that comes when one more sheep decides to enter into the fold of Christ. I invite each of you to take part in this joy, to open your mouths, so that others may receive the blessings that we ourselves have. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.