Baptism #2, Thanksgiving= A Few More Pounds, and A Great Week

Hey everyone!

It's Elder DeGraw again! I hope you all had the best Thanksgiving this last week! A lot happened this last week, but I'll try to keep it short but sweet. I hope you all stayed safe and ate plenty of pie. So here's the goods...

Monday night was FHE at the Webb's (some really great members). Such cool pictures! Brother Webb has been everywhere. He knows every hidden canyon in Arizona. He also takes pictures of Arizona temples in his spare time. Next time we come by, he's gonna show us pictures from his mission to Canada. He has some funny stories that  can make you laugh until your sides hurt.

Tuesday we played frisbee with one of our investigators. His names Stephen and he has some serious skills. I didn't even know frisbee could be like an art to some people. We had a few lessons that night with some great less actives and investigators. The coolest part of this week has been how we have had people come up to us on the street and ask if we can teach them. 

Wednesday we swept a sweet old lady's driveway. She sent us home with a few lemons from her lemon tree. Football game and mini van. Awesomeness. One of our less actives and her investigator son wanted us to come to a flag football game with them. We got permission and snagged the Zone Leaders minivan (booyah, driving again!). It was so much fun! I loved cheering Caden (the inv) on. The craziest part was we ran into two celebrities! If you haven't seen the Mormon Message: "Music of the Gospel," you need to see it asap! Here's a picture of the two guys we met. The dad actually coaches the team that his son play on. Pretty sweet.

Thursday was Thanksgiving! In the morning, I opened my package from my family! Then went and did service with the ZLs and two other Elders. Our job was to throw together the meal packages for the homeless. It was a special feeling knowing that I was helping others. We didn't get to deliver them though, that was the youth's job, because we had to run as quick as we could to a turkey bowl with our ward. We also had a district meeting on Thanksgiving. I also studied in the BoM and read about... Christopher Columbus, what? I never even knew that Nephi saw so much in his vision. Thanksgiving dinner with Bishop Webb! This guy is a great example to me and definitely someone I plan to visit again after I'm home. After the meal, we went over to the church and played a lil bit of basketball with his grandkids. It was a good day. 

Friday we had interviews with President. I always look forward to interviews with him. Everytime, he always says something profound and my eyes are opened to a new idea or way of thinking. Friday night, we got to teach a 16 year old named Megan. She is pretty cool and has had a lot of Religious influence in her life. I've been prayed for her every day since we met with her that she will open her heart to our message.

Saturday we had baptism #2! It was great and spiritual. His name is Tyson and he has a light about him. His parents were so so proud. For lunch, I got a surprise visit from fellow Rexburgers, Raygon and Andy Hymas. What!? I was so excited to see them, I could hardly study. The Hymas family are some of my favorite people ever, so it was a great surprise. We went around the rest of the day visiting with whoever we could. My favorite part of the day was having a bike race with Jolene in the church parking lot. She's in one of my favorite member families. 

So on Sunday we had the craziest thing happen. We had a former investigator come to church that Elder Bird and I have been trying to contact for a while now. Chris just showed up out of the blue-- but wait, there's more. Elder Johnson (a missionary that just went home and served here in my area) showed up too. He's actually the missionary that met Chris and started teaching him. They ran into each other and didn't even plan it! Elder Bird and I also got to go to a Christmas Musical Fireside. My favorite part was when the primary kids sang Silent Night. I started tearing up. In the few months I've been here, I've realized how much I truly love the members. Now I just need to show it. I'm so grateful for the blessing I have to be a part of their lives. 

Not too much has happened today, just the usual Pday stuff. So I'll close with a quick testimony. This last week, I read the talk President Uchtdorf gave at the Women's General Priesthood Session. There was so much to pull out of it, but of course what stuck with me the most is how we should be glad. We have every reason to be glad in this life, especially since we've been filled with the joy of our knowledge of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I wish to accomplish much in this life, but if there's one thing I want to accomplish more then another, it's to develop and lives a life full of gratitude. I've been given so much, you've been given so much, and there's so much Heavenly Father still plans to give us. Be grateful and happy for what you now have, and always let those you love know that they re loved. Let them know that they are appreciated. I am so grateful to know each one of you and to have had you examples in my life. I'm so grateful for the example of my Savior. I want so badly to be like him, and while that may not happen tomorrow, or the next day, or in a while, I know that continuing to try and continuing to love others will bring me closer to him. I love my Savior. He loves you and He knows you. I humbly say these thing in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Gratitude List...

#20 I'm grateful for the divine potential I've been given and for what's ahead.

#21 I'm grateful for the song Gethsemane, I'm trying to be like Jesus, or Families can be Together Forever. 

#22 A story I'm grateful for is the nativity scene and Christ's birth.

#23 The tradition I'm grateful for are the warm cinnamon rolls my mom and Grandma would pull out of the oven on Christmas Day.

#24 A challenge I'm grateful for is being a missionary. There are ups and downs, but the downs make you even more grateful for the beautiful ups. 

#25 A moment I'm grateful for this week would have to be Thanksgiving with the Webbs. I enjoy mu time with that family so much!

#26 I'm grateful for laughter and the joy the sound brings. 

I hope you all have a great and wonderful week! Stay safe and don't cave. Give this week your all!

--

Love Elder DeGraw

6265 N 82nd St

Scottsdale, AZ 85250

November 26, 2017

from Sister Richardson: “Being silly. The Elders stopped by yesterday while we were outside doing a project and Elder DeGraw was playing around with the girls & ended up in the box. My husband mentioned that there is a box elder tree, so now you have a picture of your ‘box elder’.”

November 25, 2017

I got this text and picture from our dearest friends, Raygon and Andy Hymas. I know that Elder DeGraw has been missing home, especially during these holidays— and would imagine that it was a really joyful thing to see a face or two that he knows and loves.

Raygon said... “He looked great! Confident and happy. We dropped off lunch and then talked for a minute at the door. He seems like he’s been out longer than a few months... he’s matured for sure! What a fun excursion for us. (PS- I peeked into his apartment, it was really clean).”

Thanksgiving 2017

Text I got last night...

“This is Bishop Webb of the Stewart Ward in Mesa. Your missionary, Elder DeGraw is one of the finest missionaries I’ve ever met. They ate with us tonight. Happy Thanksgiving!” 

I thanked him, and he replied, “We love him and are lucky to have him. He is literally one of the best missionaries I’ve ever witnessed doing the Lord’s work.”

Such a tender way to end a day of gratitude! So grateful for Cameron and these people who are loving and caring for him.

4 Month Mark!

Good morning and hello everyone! 

Hope you're ready... it's a long one. :D

It's Elder DeGraw from Mesa, Arizona! HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU ALL! Winter is finally here! I still go out into the world wearing my short sleeve white shirt, this is paradise right now. How's Rexburg doing? Any crazy hail storms or tornado warnings? I hope you each had a wonderful week full of miracles. So my week...

Tuesday was a great day. The best part... we got cake! We had Zone Conference at 9 in the morning. It's also fun getting to wear a snappy suit, it's more fun when at the end of the day you can take it off. We were finally able to get a picture of the Rexburg Crew and President Robinson jumped in too. Elder Robinson is heading home pretty soon, so it was awesome getting to hear his final testimony. I felt the Spirit strongly when he spoke about the first vision, he talked about how each time he shares Joseph Smith's account; the Holy Ghost confirms to him the truth of the remarkable event. I also got three packages, thanks fam! All the other Elders were a little jealous. Another great bonus was receiving my silver bike pin, because I've now biked over two transfers in the summer.

Wednesday, I finally got to drive a car again. It was a pretty sweet one too, the newest Toyota Corolla... not that it matters or anything. But wait, there's more. I got to drive a car outside of the mission, and then later that day we accidently missed a turn and left our mission again. Oops. We drove to Glendale, about 41 minutes, away to see a doctor. The doctors office was right next the Phoenix Mission Office, so Elder Bird and I decided to document our adventure with a pic. Woah. On the way home, we missed the exit that we needed to get off of. So we ended up somewhere in the Tempe Mission. After some skilled driving maneuvers, and giving ourselves to much prayer and fasting, we made it back home.

Thursday was a normal missionary day. We taught a few lessons and yeah. We biked for most the day and it was hard to catch anyone home.

Friday was a busier day, we had five lessons prepared to teach. Only two appointments didn't fall through. It was another normal day for missionary work. On our way home that night, we got a text from a the coolest member here, asking us to swing by sometime. We had time, so we sped over to her house. She surprised both with two boxes of pancake mix and a bottle of syrup-- shout out to Sister Tauna Richardson! I sure do love the members down here.

Saturday was a day filled with miracles. We talked to so many people on the street. A few flipped us the bird, but there were two souls that invited us to come by there house sometime. Getting a yes from those two completely overshadowed any number of times being flipped off. We also talked to a lady who was having a yard sale. Her name was America (pretty cool, yeah?) And I wanted to be nice after we talked with her for a few minutes, so I bought this blender bottle from her, I'm a big spender I know. Another miracle was the weather, cloudy all day. Perfect! We also were able to set up an appointment with a guy named Johnny. He hasn't been the friendliest to us in the times we've come by before, but I was amazed on Saturday with how the Lord has softened his heart so quickly. We talked with him for a while about life and his job. He wants us to swing by this next week and share a message with his family. Booyah! We also had a few lessons that night. Elder Bird is a great teacher and really knows his stuff/what scriptures people need to hear. We taught the sweetest lady named Whitney. She has the greatest story and I won't dive into details, but I have found so much joy from the moments I've seen the Spirit touch her heart and seeing her so welcomed to the church by members, especially the Bishops wife.

Sunday was a good day, we had many investigators come to church and the talks on gratitude were just what I needed. I'm so grateful for this beautiful world. I also loved watching the face to face event with Elder Oaks and Ballard. I didn't realize how funny they both are. I know that they truly are Apostles of the Lord, Jesus Christ. One thing I noticed was how much love and respect they had for each other.

Monday has been a normal pday. Emails and all that good stuff. We traveled to see a doctor today too, but this one was only a hop and a skip over main street (10 minutes away). We were in the Mesa Mission, so you could say I left my mission (with permission) three times this week! I've also added an update in this email to the list of what I'm grateful for, here you go...

#13 I'm grateful to have a healthy body and the ability to help strengthen others. 

#14 A sight I'm grateful for would have to be temple square around Christmas time. I wish I could hop in a car and drive there right now.

#15 A season I'm most grateful for is easily Winter, mostly because of the Christmas spirit that's in the air. 

#16 I'm grateful that I get to eat food. (Looking forward to Thanksgiving btw)

#17 What knowledge am I grateful for? The knowledge families can be together forever. If there is one thing I want to accomplish, it's keeping my family together and focused on getting back to Heavenly Father as a team. 

#18 I'm grateful for temples and the peace to be found therein. 

#19 I'm so grateful for when I feel the Saviors love for me! 

To end my email, I will close with some of my thoughts this week. The topic and doctrine of faith has always been fascinating to me. As a missionary, I have gained a better understanding on the importance of faith. I believe Nephi, the Son of Lehi, had a strong understanding on faith. So much so to the point of him being able to accomplish many challenging tasks laid before him. (1 Nephi 3:7) My thoughts then turned to his elder brothers. An interesting thought came to my mind; Laman and Lemuel probably both held the priesthood. They had seen many miracles, an angel even! Yet did that add to their faith? Did they understand the concept of Faith in Christ and Enduring to the End? No. They still wandered off into the mist of darkness. They didn't hear the voice of their father, a prophet, begging them to please, partake of the good fruit. (1 Nephi 8:18) Similar to the example of Nephi's two brothers, we can look at the story of the three witnesses. They had seen miracles-- they had even seen the golden plates. Yet that was not enough. They did not have a foundation of Faith in Christ sufficient enough to see them to their journeys end. They fell along the wayside. I do believe though that two of them found their way back onto the path, which goes to show that no one can slip too far into darkness without hearing the call to come back to the light. I want to bear my testimony that there are good times, and also bad times ahead. If we hold onto what matters most, if we press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, and give as much as we can I promise that you will be filled with the Holy Ghost. You will be filled with love, with peace, with comfort, and a light so bright that no darkness can shadow it. Laman and Lemuel didn't understand this. They filled their days with sadness, murmuring, and anger. There was no room for the Spirit to fill their hearts and point them back to our Savior. I know that this is the true church. Jesus Christ lives and leads His kingdom on the earth today. He is with us in the boat as we continue upstream. Guard your testimony and cherish the blessing it is to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Never give up. Never give in. Heavenly Father has a plan for you, and it is a marvelous plan that will bring everlasting happiness. I humbly say these things in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, amen. 

I hope you all stay safe! Remember to pray always and look for ways to love and serve others! 

Whatever you put time into grows-- grow your faith.  

Quote of the week: "In life you've got to have a wish bone, a backbone, and a funny bone." - Elder DeGraw

Love Elder DeGraw
6265 N 82nd St
Scottsdale, AZ 85250

3 Elders from Rexburg in one zone! (Plus our amazing Mission President) 

Copying my Grandpa's pose

(I took this picture for you, Grandma)

November 17, 2017

Text from Sister Richardson... “Just visited with these Elders tonight on our front porch— my husband wasn’t home until the end. I had texted them and told them the next time they were close by and heading home to stop by our house since I had something for them. They said they were actually on the way over. They left with pancake mix and syrup.”

Week Something or Other

Hey everyone!

I hope you all had a fantastic week! I don't have a ton of time, so I'll keep it simple. It wasn't a crazy week, but still a good one...

Tuesday was a busy day. We taught the Restoration lesson on the street a couple of times which was different. 

Wednesday we had service in the morning. We went and helped at the Mesa Thrift store again. I also fasted that my family would be safe. Wasn't a very interesting day. 

Thursday was district meeting and a couple of lessons that night. We didn't get hot dogs this time. Dinner on Thursday was so delicious. An awesome member took us to Me Kong Marketplace. It was actually in the Mesa Mission, we didn't even know, ha! We got these really tasty smoothies and a few Asian subs. 

Friday was a long day. I watched Freetown that night. It touched my heart how the missionaries traveled so many miles through war torn country to get somewhere where they could teach. I want to have that desire to teach and to serve. It's a pretty decent movie, I would recommend it if you have time. 

Saturday morning was exciting. We went to help a sweet Sister named Kat clean off her porch. First, her porch got baby powdered and we wiped it down. Then I got to crush about 300 soda cans with my feet. Bees were everywhere too. I guess you can sell cans for quite a bit down here. That night, we had dinner at Bishop Webb's and in the middle of it, we got asked to help take down flags. It brought back so many memories of the time when I would set up and take down flags. Haha, that was only a few months ago.

Sunday there were many sweet testimonies shared. Our mission president asked us to fast for gratitude.  I have been focusing on having gratitude all month, and writing things I'm grateful for in my journal each day.  Here's a list of what I've got so far...

#1 I'm grateful for the smell of cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning. And the smell of earth right after rain.

#2 I'm grateful for my tablet and the chance I have to be a more effective missionary with it. And email home too.

#3 I'm grateful for the color green because you don't see a lot of it down here (besides cacti) and I miss it. 

#4 I'm so grateful for ice cream. That's all I've got to say.

#5 I'm grateful for the sound of rain and birds chirping in the morning. 

#6 I'm grateful for road trips and this world Heavenly Father's made for me.

#7 There are a lot of memories I'm grateful for, but if I had to pick one I would say the winters I spent in Temple Square with family. 

#8 I'm grateful for the Book of Mormon.

#9 I'm grateful for home and the Rexburg Temple. I'm grateful for my grandparents house and backyard.

#10 I'm so grateful for the taste of orange flavoring. I love chocolate oranges and I've really been craving orange rolls. 

#11 I'm so grateful for Christmas and the time I have to remember my Savior.

#12 I'm grateful for peanut butter.  

That was about it. Sorry there's nothing very big this week. I hope you all stay safe and have the best week! I found this quote this week and I really loved it. It reminded me of the video "spiritual whirlwinds" and how we need to have strong roots deep into the gospel and Jesus Christ.

Good timber does not grow with ease:
The stronger the wind, the stronger the trees;
The further the sky, the greater the length;
The more the storm, the more the strength.
By sun and cold, by rain and snow,
In trees and men good timbers grow.

--

Love Elder DeGraw

6265 N 82nd St

Scottsdale, AZ 85250

"Subway Saturday"

Haircut #3

Me Kong Plaza

Elder Bird and I doing service at the Thrift Store

Our members think they're pretty funny.

My sweet new watch

October Zone Conference

Pinnacle & Maricopa Zone:

Special Delivery #2

Elder DeGraw's grandparents were passing through his mission, and were able to bring his Christmas packages to the mission home. Best delivery service ever!

Spookiness, Dangerous Cucumbers, and Happiness!

Hey again everyone!

Elder DeGraw here, remember me? It's been quite the week, I hope I can remember all of the good stuff. I hope you all stayed safe on Halloween! So here's the latest from the greatest...

Tuesday was Halloween and transfers. My new companion is Elder Bird and he's actually from Idaho Falls, not Illinois (but I think he was raised there). Our ward mission leader's nicknamed us "the tater-tots." Elder Bird's last area was up in Snowflake where he lived in a mansion right across from the temple. I'm a little jealous. He's been out for about six months now. While he was coming down from the mountains, I got put with Elder Robinson (the last assistant) and Elder Bell (the district leader) for the day. I learned so much from the both of them. We went biking for a lot of the day and they talked to everyone they saw. They would chase after people across the street. I hope one day to be a missionary like them. One cool thing about this last transfer was that there are now three Rexburg elders in one zone. Elder Robinson, Elder David Rowe, and me. The rest of the day, we went to a ward party for a few minutes and then we rushed off to... a district meeting. Haha, oh well. We played volleyball after. 

Wednesday was so so so busy. It was Elder Bird's first full day in the new area. We went over to help the Gaytans clean up their yard and again, we were rewarded with food. Brother Gaytan bought us burgers from a place called Rallys. They were so good and I've added it to my list of: "places to bring my family when I visit AZ again." We also went shopping and got everything Elder Bird needed. We had plenty of lessons and I took my new comp around to meet the awesome members in my area. I was exhausted when we finally got home, but I felt really good because I knew I had given the day my best. 

Thursday. Lessons. That was about it. We got to see a lot of people and all of the lessons turned out pretty good. I remember one lesson, we arrived right when the family was having a huge argument. The spirit wasn't present and we were worried about if we could turn that around. We taught Demetri, an 11 year old convert. He doesn't have a father figure, but he is a good boy. We talked about our Savior and also about Joseph Smith. Our main commitment to him was to pray. At the end of the lesson, I got a spiritual prompting to tell Demetri that "the next time you and your mom get into an argument, ask her to say a prayer with you. And can you guess what's gonna happen? Her mouths gonna drop and then the mood of the situation will change." When we were driving away, we saw him come outside and they prayed together. Brother Felix also took us out for sonora hot dogs. So good and I love that guy! 

Friday was a normal missionary day. Our Friday's are usually pretty slow. 

Saturday was a busy day. We had an awesome lesson with a golden investigator in the morning. We asked her about her beliefs and background, everything she said we could agree with. It was a spiritual lesson. My favorite part was how explained that all her life, she's felt that she's had member friends that have slowly been pushing her towards joining the church. She was very kind. Haha, in the middle of our lesson, she stopped us and asked if she could make herself some tea. Luckily, that topics a few lessons ahead. 

Sunday was the best day this week and probably one of the best days in my mission so far. Elder Bird and I both woke up with moderate food poisoning. We ate a bad salad, watch out for cucumbers y'all. Our biggest fear was that we would miss our baptism at 3:00. I said a prayer and was comforted that it would work out. We rested  until noon and missed a stake broadcast. Dang. There was some divine intervention, because around 1:00 i felt perfectly normal. This baptism was meant to happen, poor Elder Bird was still sick as a dog. I got to baptize Jordynn and it was the greatest thing ever. I got put in a XL jumpsuit because that's all they had, it felt like I was wearing a poofy cloud. There were so many people at the baptism, including President Robinson. No pressure, haha. I was so grateful President took the time to come. He is one of the greatest men I've met. The best part, we got pictures!! 

I'll end with an experience I had. I've really been wanting to learn the scripture and not just know them, but let them be a part of me and change the way I act. I prayed for the way that I could best go about this and I was directed to Alma 17:2-3. It talks about the Sons of Mosiah as they prepare to go their separate ways and teach the Lamanites. It say that they knew the Word of God through studying the scriptures diligently. Then verse 3 say how that was not all. They did give themselves to much prayer and fasting. And then It says they were able to speak with power and authority. I know that Heavenly Father loves each of us and that he's with us, even in the small details of our days. He answered my prayer and now I need to act on what's been given to me. 

I hope you all have a safe and wonderful week. Remember to guard your testimony and cherish the blessing it is to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Oh what a blessing. 

-- 

Love Elder DeGraw

6265 N 82nd St

Scottsdale, AZ 85250

My new Companion, Elder Bird

The baptism of Jordynn Erickson ...