Well yall the time has come for me to leave this beautifully place. It's definitely tough. I have come to love everyone here so dang much. Well to finish this off I wanted to leave my testimony with yall. Short and simple hopefully. I do know that God lives. He loves each one of us on such an uncomprehend able level. I know he sent his son Jesus Christ to redeem us and be our savior. I testify that Jesus lives as well. He is ever present in our lives today. The gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored to the earth. Joseph smith is a prophet of God. Thomas s monsoon is the prophet today. He does lead and guide this church under the direction of our savior. He is called of God. The joy that comes from serving others can over power all sadness. I know that whenever there is a bad day that we don't need to focus on making the day better for us but if we focus on trying to make someone else day better as we serve them our day will automatically be turned around for the good. When we serve others we are only serving our God. The church is true. It is Christ church. His teaching are pure and true. Families are eternal and can be together for all of eternity. The gospel is to bless us as individuals and families. Prayer is real. God hears and answers prayers. Any questions can be answered through prayer. God is eager to help us all. 

 

I love yall so dang much. Cannot wait to see everyone. 

 

 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith! (2 Timothy 4:6-7)

 

I having many things to write unto, I would not write with paper and ink; but I trust to come unto you, and speak face to face, that our joy may be full.(2 John 1:12)

 

Love Elder Trevor Ross 

Well it has been a great week.
It's almost felt like we have been running around like chickens with
our heads cut off. We have had quite a bit of teaching appointments
all over the place and so it is really keeping us on our toes. We will
have one at one place and then have to get in the car drive 10 miles
and have another one. And then have to go back to the same area we
were in when we started. It's been hectic. Usually we plan a lot
better but this week with everyone's schedule, that is just how it
worked out and it has been hectic.

This week we went into the second stage of the iPads. It's broken into
three stages. The second stage is when we get to learn how to plan out
our days and weeks with it. It's when all of our records that we keep
become digital and they are all on the iPads. So we get the privilege
of going and putting all the old records into the system... I tell you
what I have never had the desire to never use technology again in my
life as I do after dealing with all of this.... Haha but we will git r
dun.

One day this week specifically we had a lot of appointments that just
fell through. They had to cancel and reschedule for one reason or
another. And we were getting kind of down, wondering why this was
happening, and then on the phone we got a text it was a referral from
Mormon.org. We decided that we were going to see if we could be the
fastest ones to respond to the request, so we went to the address they
gave and knocked on the door. Immediately the guy answered and before
we could explain who we were he invited us right in. We saw that we
were interrupting his dinner so we asked if we could come back in an
hour or so and he was way excited to have us come back. When we came
back we sat on his couch and had a very good discussion. I guess
missionaries had knocked on a friends door that he was at on the other
side of the state. He wanted to learn more and had a lot of questions.
We got talking with him and it was crazy to me how much he already
held to be true that was in harmony with what we taught. He already
had a very strong testimony of apostasy and the need for a
restoration. It was insane. Such a big miracle too on the day that we
needed it. We came to figure out that when we went to see him it was
pretty much the only time that he would've been home this whole week.
So if our appointments hadn't have rescheduled we probably never
would've been able to meet him. The lords way are bigger than ours,
that's for sure he knows so much better than us. Follow him and align
our will with his and we will always be on the paths that lead to the
happiness of eternal life.

We had the confirmation of Chris this week and it went great. He feels
100% now. His in it for the long run. I love that guy. He is always
cracking jokes and making us all laugh. That's a real talent let me
tell you.

Love you so dang much!

What a fantastic week serving the lord.
Chris got baptized! We were able to see Chris get baptized this week.
Such a great day! He was so happy and loving every second. He kept
telling me over and over again thank you so much I couldn't be
happier. I am so happy I am so happy. I was like Chris you should be
this is  a great day God has a smile bigger than yours. It was great.
He is so cool and so strong already. His testimony is growing by the
second and he is eating up every bit of knowledge he can get! We had a
few investigators come to his baptism too which was a huge plus. The
spirit is always felt at baptisms and it was defiantly there and they
all seemed to really enjoy! 👍👍

Well the two ladies that elder cleverly and I found while out tracting
last week, We went back to teach them and they were so excited to have
us come back. When we went to see them we had no clue what we were
going to teach so at first it was a little scattered then the spirit
took over 100%. We had the thought come to mind that thy need to know
where they come from and and who they are. So we taught them that they
are children of God, the greatest being ever! And then the thought
came they need to know why they are here so we taught them their
purpose on earth. Then the thought came they need to know where they
want to go after life, and eternal happiness is very much possible for
them. So we taught that they can one day live with that loving
Heavenly Father once again. Then the thought came how do they make it
to live with their Heavenly Father and that is when we began to lay
out the road map that God has given us to make it back to his
presence, we taught them them the gospel of Jesus Christ faith,
repentance, baptism, Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. And to watch
their eyes get so wide as everything just seemed to click in their
mind was amazing. You could see hope come to them, the hope that there
are good things to come as we follow the gospel of Jesus Christ
happiness is at our fingertips. The spirit was so strong! It pushed
them to want to come to church with us this week and it gave them the
desire to be baptized. They are aiming to be baptized on August 1st.
We went back later in the week and taught them the plan of salvation
and it hit home pretty hard. The spirit was so strong! We took the
relief society president with us and they just hit it off completely.
The plan of salvation was exactly what they needed it gave them so
much hope and peace because they have struggled with the loss of loved
ones and with the big 3 questions where they came from why they are
here and where they are going. It was such a good lesson they are
progressing so well!

Well two Saturday's ago elder cleverly and I went to see a member of
the church and as we walked up to his door this guy was out working on
his van and just said hello to us was very nice.  Then this very last
week we went back to see that same member and that same guy was
outside. This time he said hello but he stopped us and asked us who we
were and starting asking us questions. We ended up teaching him about
the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ through Joseph smith and
he was all about it. It was crazy though because the fist Saturday
when we met him he had just got in town maybe 30 minutes before we saw
him. He is originally from Iowa but is here doing a job. So it was
just the perfect time and place to meet him. And he is only here for
so long so we have ,et with him and taught him but he is going to
leave and he as expressed the desire to find the missionaries wherever
he may be at next and talk to them and go to church with them. Huge
mirCke the lord placing us in his path at the perfect time.  No
coincidences.

I am a chef now too. I made me and my companion pulled deer meat BBQ
sandwiches. I put deer meat and a bunch of BBQ sauce in a slow cooker
for 7 hours and when we came back it was so dang good. Therefore I
have become a chef these days. Learning to use a slow cooker best
thing ever!

How is everyone?

This week has been a struggle for the whole mission. As I am sure yall have heard there were two sisters that got in a car accident and one of them lost their life, and her companion is in the hospital in a coma for now with severe brain injuries. It has been really tough on everyone. It’s really sobering to know that anything can happen. Every day were out preaching the gospel and teaching people about the love of god and the hope of good things to come in this life and the life after. And with this incident it’s helped me realize that the things we teach and know to be true are no longer just words but we are actually able to live them and feel the power that they truly hold. The promises that our heavenly father have given are bound and he will stand by his promises. There is hope for all things. Jesus Christ made it all possible for ALL of us and because him death has no sting and eternal life is possible for us all.

Chris is progressing really well. We went over and taught him the plan of salvation this week and it was perfect for us all. He especially loved it. He told us that it just made sense to him and had answered all the confusions he has had in his life. He relates it to a puzzle that he has been trying to complete and he just found all the missing pieces.

There are more dirt roads then there are paved ones. And as we drive around it’s always a bumpy ride. This week we got the pleasure of taking our car through a river that went right through the road, so we gripped the wheel and went for it with the hopes and prayer that we wouldn’t get stuck. To our luck we made it out alive with no scares. On us or the car... ha-ha

I love yall so dang much! Have a fantastic week. I love letters yall! (;

Love Elder Trevor Ross

YES SIR.

 

I was out on exchange this last week and here in jasper there are a lot of curvy dirt roads that go anywhere and everywhere and it can be very easy to get lost. This last week we had one of those such experiences. We were driving down this road and the GPS took us somewhere I had never been before and so I was just following it and then out of nowhere we drive out of the trees onto the jasper city airport. We were driving around at the end of the landing strip. Goodness I had no clue whether or not to turn around or just continue following the GPS. So like they say on duck dynasty "if you’re going to do something wrong its best to do it quickly" and so we followed the GPS as fast as we could and it luckily took us away from the airport without getting into a legal issues. Ha-ha

 

So I feel like every transfer you learn a specific lesson. Sometimes it can be more than one. But since the transfer is coming to end I was trying to think what was a major lesson I learned this last transfer and this last transfer I really focused on my scripture study. Every single moment I had to myself I tried to fill it with reading the scriptures or the conference talks I the ensign. And it has been life changing. And I am wanting to take that into my life so I can always have a good habit of scripture study not only now but forever!

 

just a little follow up from my goal last week, so I don't know the record of tracting hours but I heard some missionaries have tracted like 32 hours before and I don't think that is ever going to be possible for me here. Ha-ha so I was going to try for my personal best but sadly we didn't make it. We still tracted a bunch but had other things come up that we had to do and ended up running out of time. But holy cow. I truly believe that as the lord saw our willing hearts and as we worked although we may not have achieved that goal we were blessed in SO many different ways. We found 6 new investigators this week. And they are all really solid. To the point where a few of them have called us to confirm and make sure our appointments are still good to go. Also we had this lady in the branch bring her boyfriend to church on Sunday and he loved it so much that he invited us over yesterday to learn more. As we met with him the spirit was so strong and he was so ready and now he is on date and preparing to be baptized. Holy cow it amazes me how the lord can change hearts and work miracles right in front of your eyes. I sure do love the lord.

 

Great week the lord is real and he lives and is very much a part of this work!

I love yall so dang much!

 

Elder Trevor Ross

 From the land of far far away,

 

It’s been a great week. Not even going to lie it’s been a trial of faith. But last night as I was thinking about the week I was able to see how the lord provided miracles and really strengthened us, as he always does. we don't have to many people we are working with and so it’s been a lot of tracting, just trying to find anyone to teach but this last week after a long day of tracting we finally talked to this family who was actually willing to talk to talk to us. It was right before we stopped knocking doors too a BAM! There they are. We first talked to the husband and then his wife came out and we found out that they have 3 kids. They were so open and don't have a church but have felt pretty lost in the "religious world". so we taught them each that they were sons and daughters of god and he loves them so much and how because he loves us he has brought truth and restored truths about gods plan for each of us through a prophet of god. We were able to each them a brief introduction to the restoration and they ate it up to say the least. Ha-ha were going back to teach them tomorrow and I am so stoked.

 

My companion and I decided that this week we were going to set a record for the mission. Well at least try to. We are going to try and set the record for the most hours tracted in one week. I am a little scared to do it because I know that I am going to get sick of it real quick. But hey I think we could see some cool things come from it too. So I am telling someone so then I will be more accountable to do it. Ha-ha so hold me to my word.

 

This week we are having a huge meeting about getting iPad in this mission elder zwick of the seventy is coming to give us all training on it and then we are getting them on June 2nd. Too bad I won’t get one since I am pretty much a dead missionary, but it will be cool to get some training from a general authority and see how they are going to be used to hasten the work of salvation.

 

I love yall so dang much! Be safe and have a great week!

 

Love Elder Ross

Always a great week! I love yall so much.

 

I got the privilege of speaking in sacrament meeting this last week. I think it’s interesting that I have had to speak twice on my mission and both times I have had to speak my topic has been repentance..... Is god speaking to me ... ha-ha?

It went really well though. I felt so good about it.

We had a zone conference this week as well. It was a great one too. We have been focusing on simplifying our teaching and intensifying our teaching as well. It was great to get ideas to learn to do just that.  By sharing a simple principle that we want to share then share a personal story which bring the spirit in so dang fast and then back it up with a scripture and then end with a testimony. And it is so simple but so powerful. It was cool to learn this and then as I was reading some conference talks I realized that most of the prophets fallow this format with all their talks. It was pretty sweet. I like it a lot.

 

We had this sweet miracle we mapped out all the former people that have ever been taught by the missionaries and we decided that we were going to go and see how they were doing and if they were interested at all yet. We decided that if they don't answer we would knock 3 to 5 doors around their house. And so we went to see the first one on our list and they didn't answer and so we knocked a few doors around their house. The second door that we knocked on was this nice lady named ann. she was so sweet to us. We were able to share the book of Mormon with her she had been struggling trying to find peace and happiness at her house due to some circumstances she has really been through so much. We shared the book of Mormon and gave our own witness of the peace and happiness that it has given us as we read it and she was so happy to take one.

We went back a few days later and she had read it and had felt the peace. She noticed the difference. The lord does keep his promises and he does provide happiness for all his children. He wants us all to be happy. I know that is true. The lord does love us and want the best for us.

 "It will always be sweet happiness in the end, and if it’s not then it’s not the end."

 

I love yall so much.

Love Elder Ross