1 Nephi 20:10

1 Nephi 20:10 For, behold, I have refined thee, I have chosen thee in the furnace of ^aaffliction.

Good Morning! 

This week was awesome because of Christmas and everything that we were able to do but it was also kind of rough. The lessons in the zone were kinda down this week just because people are gone and busy with the holidays and such. But we had two baptisms! It was awesome, we are trying to make it to the temple with them soon! 

It was so good to video chat with all of you on Christmas! Glad to see not too much has changed since I've been gone :) I feel like I have changed so much but I'm still the same person. Like I'm still the same person but my goals and desires and purpose in life has changed. I finally feel like I'm beginning to understand what this life is all about. The gospel has a tendency to do that I think ;) So if anyone reading this feels lost, alone, confused, etc, the gospel of Jesus Christ is for you. Really it's for all of us. At all times. But there are people out there that are looking for something but they just don't know where to look. As a missionary I try so hard to find those people. The other night we were tracting. We tracted one side of a street. So much opposition. slammed doors, Jehovah's Witnesses, you name it. We decided that the neighborhood was a bust, so we left. But we felt a strong impression to go back. So we did. We continued tracting the other side of the street and again, more opposition. Let me tell you, there was no love for the Mormons on this street. Until we knocked on the last two doors. One of them was a family, they LOVE Jesus. It's awesome. They are non denominational. We talked with the dad for a while on the doorstep and asked if we could come back and share a message about the gospel and families. Our return appointment last night was really successful. We are going back later this week to teach them more! They are really interested in learning more. They are sincere and have a real desire to come closer to the Savior. Definitely worth the opposition. 

I have learned on my mission that usually before or after great spiritual moments comes the adversary's sad attempt to bring us down. In all of our lives, when miracles occur, Satan always gets his jabs in with something equally powerful in the opposite spiritual direction. It's more of a testimony builder for me now. To know that Satan exists and does everything he can to make us miserable. HE wants us to feel that way. I know that God lives and the he wants to bring us joy and happiness in this life. And He can, if we let him.

Anyways, the work in Springdale Har-Ber Ward is going great! I'm still loving Arkansas, loving being a zone leader and loving Elder Stapley. We work great together. I love you all so much! 

Love,

Elder Sherwood

Tulsa...

Of course he found a ballpark...

Tulsa Oil Man

John 4:14

 John 4:14  But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never ^athirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water ^bspringing up into ^ceverlasting life.

This week was awesome! I love Springdale Arkansas. I'm so happy to be back in Arkansas. I love this state. It's literally the best kept secret in the United States. Like who has ever even heard of Arkansas ya know?! I could definitely live here someday. Elder Stapley is the best missionary that I've ever met. He's 26 and he only has two transfers left! I love it so much. This area is doing so well right now. We have two baptisms set up for Thursday and we have a couple other people with baptismal dates. Also this week we found two families! One family of 5 with three teenage kids that really want to learn more about our message and another family of 4. They are so awesome. We met that second family last night tracting.

Being a Zone Leader is awesome. We haven't done a whole lot yet, just helping missionaries in our zone with random questions that they have or permission for stuff and collecting key indicators last night and reporting to the assistants. This is the first time basically since I was trained that I have been with a missionary that has more experience than me. It's awesome. I've learned so much already from him. Elder Stapley is so awesome. He is super knowledgeable about missionary work and he just knows how to get things done! I have been so blessed on my mission I can't believe it. I've had the best areas the best companions the best districts. I'm back in the same district with Elder Koetting haha. It's so awesome. I've seen him a lot since I've been here and it's so cool to see how much he has improved. It makes me proud to be his trainer haha :)

 We decided, because of all the stuff that happened this past week in the country, to canvas the neighborhood by the church with copies of The Family: A Proclamation to the World. The family is under attack in society today. Seriously this part of the country knows what’s up. That document is Prophetic on all accounts. 18 years ago when it was issued it was almost superfluous. But it now stands as God's standard on the family. God's standard. The same God that is referred to by our founding fathers. I would invite everyone that reads this to read that proclamation and live by it's principles. Sorry I could keep going but I'll get off my soapbox now. I hope I didn't offend anyone.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is real! Jesus Christ lives. God lives. Truth is still truth whether or not you choose to believe it. But this life is our probationary state and we must figure it out. I know that he lives and that He loves us and is not waiting to punish us. He is waiting to bless us. And He does everything He can to do that. It really is up to us to apply his atonement in our lives. I love the Gospel. I love this work. It is the Lord’s work. I love you all!

Love,

Elder Sherwood

A Few Pictures...

Elder Sherwood with his companion Elder Bailey and I think Brother Johnson, they lived in his house.

 

Elder Sherwood and a new member of the church he had been teaching.

Snow in Owasso!

Elder Sherwood's district - He says he will really miss them!

1 Nephi 6: 4-5

 1 Nephi 6: 4-5  For the fulness of mine intent is that I may ^apersuade men to ^bcome unto the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and be saved.

 5 Wherefore, the things which are ^apleasing unto the world I do not write, but the things which are pleasing unto God and unto those who are not of the world.

Good Morning!

So Saturday night we were driving back from a lesson with a kid from the ward. He's about to leave on his mission to Kobe Japan. We are almost home and I get a call on our phone from the Assistants. On transfer call night that’s either awesome or a terrible. If you are loving your area, companion and district and you feel like you could stay in the same place the rest of your mission, it's terrible. I answered the phone and Elder Robinson told me that I am being transferred to Springdale Arkansas to be a Zone Leader for the Springdale Zone, with Elder Stapley.

I am excited to be a zone leader and to go back to Arkansas because I love it there, but I am sad to be leaving Owasso. This area has been so much fun. Of course with the Lord's blessing, my companions and I have built this area so much. The work is going so well now! I am super bummed to be leaving but I guess I'm needed elsewhere.

So the next couple of days are going to be crazy. Packing and visiting people, saying goodbye's. It will be an emotional time haha. That’s okay though, that’s just the way it goes when you are a missionary.

We started teaching XXXX his new member lessons! And his dad is joining in now and accepted a baptismal invitation last night! He said that a month ago if someone told him that he would be sitting around a kitchen table with us talking about this stuff he would have thought they were crazy! But the answers to prayers and miracles that he has seen lately have really humbled him and he is ready to listen to this message.

One thing that I have really learned on my mission is how prevalent the Lord’s hand is in our lives. How much he wants to be there with us and how often we get in the way! If we would just humble ourselves, ask, seek, and knock, he will be there to help us and guide us. Miracles still happen. We just have to open our eyes to see them. I love serving the Lord. I love being a missionary. This is the Lord's work. This is his Gospel. I love you all so much!

Love,

Elder Sherwood

Ether 12:26

Ether 12:26  And when I had said this, the Lord spake unto me, saying: ^aFools ^bmock, but they shall mourn; and my grace is sufficient for the meek, that they shall take no advantage of your weakness;

This week was kind of a bummer. But also pretty cool. Thursday night we were just about to go tracting, when we got a text from the Zone leaders telling us all to go home. The snow and ice that was falling from the sky and which was covering the roads was apparently a danger to our health and safety. That night we received several inches of snow and all day Thursday we weren't allowed to drive and we were actually urged to not go out. The snow was falling pretty much all day long. Later in the day we were able to get a ride to go knock on doors and shovel driveways and sidewalks for people. That was...cold. But fun! So for a couple of days there the work was slowed down. But that’s okay because on Saturday we had XXXX's baptism!

It was so awesome. We had a good turnout! XXXX asked Brother Murray one of his friends from the ward to baptize him. It was an awesome experience. XXXX asked me to speak at his baptism. I gave the talk about the Gift of the Holy Ghost. I have this poem called at the crossroads which talks about two travelers, one that uses his own judgment and chooses the wrong road and another that has the guidance of another, one who knows the roads, and leads him to victory where he "walks on the highways fair". I likened the experiences of the two wanderers in this poem to us in our lives and the ability we have to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. He will show us the road. He is the messenger for the Father. He knows the roads. And if we live in accordance with the principles of the gospel, we can have his constant companionship. I'm so grateful for the opportunity that I've had to teach XXXX from the very beginning of his experience with the church. He has literally been transformed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He is a new person. Walking in newness of life.

A principle that I have thought about recently is the principle that is taught in the scriptures that "no man can serve two masters". We cannot serve good and evil. In this world, that seems to be the predominant idea. We have to make a decision. There is no salvation in indifference. We are here to serve, and to love. In this world of shifting values I am so grateful for the gospel, the scriptures and a living prophet who guides us and gives us direction. I'm grateful for prayer the incredible gift we have to communicate with our Father in Heaven. I'm grateful that I can be serving the people here in Owasso. They are a tough crowd, but I love them. And I love you all too!

Love,

Elder Sherwood

Isaiah 1:18

Isaiah 1:18 Come now, and let us ^areason together, saith the Lord: though your ^bsins be as scarlet, they shall be as ^cwhite as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Good Morning! 

This week was crazy! With Thanksgiving happening it was really hard to meet with people and teach a lot of lessons but regardless, we hit the standard again. 20 lessons with 12 member presents. The perfect transfer is still intact haha. XXXX is doing awesome! He had his baptismal interview with President Shumway on Sunday and he is good to go. He will be baptized this Saturday at 2 pm! It has been so awesome to see the gospel change his life. Pictures will be forthcoming. 

Thanksgiving was fun! We went with the Baird’s, a family in the ward, to Brother Baird’s brother's house in Tulsa. It was fun. Thank you for having the missionaries over for Thanksgiving by the way. It is so nice to have a friendly family to be with on days like that. 

Elder Bailey and I are doing good work. The work here in Ranch Creek is going so well. We have a lot of people to teach which makes the days really busy. Sometimes I do miss just poundin the pavement, knockin on door after door in good ol Bentonville haha. But I'll trade that for real investigators and people that want to be baptized haha. We still tract a ton but tracting in the winter yields little success because of the freezing temperatures. No one really wants to stand on their doorstep and talk to you while it's below freezing outside haha. But that’s okay, the work must go on right? :)

I love this work. I love this gospel. Jesus Christ is the Savior. He really can influence our lives. I know, by the power of the Holy Ghost, that the gospel has been restored to the earth through the Prophet Joseph Smith. I love you all so much! 

Love,

Elder Sherwood