THE WORK IS HARD & THE JOYS ARE MANY!

Hey there family!

The work is hard and the joys are many! Haha! :)

Great to hear from all of you! So glad Corina is going to the temple! She is gonna be an amazing missionary and Dallin is in the MTC now right? Wow! They grow up so fast! ;)
So this week has been great! Alex is having trouble keeping commitments, but is still meeting with us, so we'll see how it continues to progress. We taught him part of The Plan of Salvation yesternight and gave him 2 Nephi 2 to read about it. He and his wife are also going to watch The Restoration DVD together and hopefully that will spark their faith!
Mario and his girlfriend Angelica had a lesson last night. It was her first real sit down lesson, and we taught The Restoration. It was really neat and Mario keeps telling us... I believe that the Mormon Bible is true! :) Pray for a miracle so they will be able to get married and baptized together please! :)
Other investigators include BiBi, who we are going to put on date tonight for the 21st of December, and also Edward and the Osorios, and Patricia, and Dora. Thanks so much for keeping them in your prayers!
So the weather here has been less warm lately, and it's crazy how it came out of nowhere! The sweaters proved handy :) And we were able to wear raincoats. I love that one we bought in Utah! It is great!
Transfers, we hear about them on December 1st, and I have no idea what's going on!
We got some amazing training from President! He told us about the Gilbert open house, and that the Elders don't get to go through, but that they are going to get to do some behind the scenes things! Move furniture ect. That will be great! Great idea by them to not have 600 Elders running around, disturbing the Spirit of the temple by bombarding and pressuring the investigators :)

Thanks for all the advice and help. I love hearing about all the good things in life! I love the account that Nephi gives about his father's dream and how Lehi was so swallowed up in the tree, he had no time for the filthy waters. I love Lehi's example there :)
I know that Christ lives, and that is so glorious! We can all know these things, and it is wonderful to be part of His Church on the earth. I know that He leads us, He guides us, and He loves us, and I know that our Father in Heaven loves us perfectly. Why else would I have a family like you if He didn't? Thank you for all the love you have blessed me with! Thanks for the sweet surprise package! Thank you for all the lessons you have taught me in the home! Thank you for spending time with me, no matter what mood I was in! Thank you for always being there for me and thank you for all the love you have given me! I miss you dearly, and pray for you daily. I love the messages you send me all the time! And if Daniel doesn't have my email, will you send it to him?

I love you all, and keep telling me about the missionary moments you have as a family! I know that as we continually pray for them and the courage to act upon the promptings we receive, that The Lord will bless us with names, faces, and love. And I heard a great quote, The best way to become a missionary, is just to do missionary things.
The Lord will then take us and mold us into who He knows we can become!

Love you all and hope to hear from you soon!

Love,
Elder Abner Apsley!

MEMBERS & MISSIONARIES... WORKING TOGETHER... MOVING THINGS ALONG :)

Well hello there family again! 

It is so good to hear from you! I know The Lord is always near, because this work is really hard. And I love your quote about us giving so small and He gives us back so much! It is very true! We are not perfect, and we will never be in this life, but as we obey The Lord, it is really neat to see that the weaknesses we have are made strong in Him. It really is an act of love for The Lord to lift us higher and higher. And The Atonement is how it all happens, as we listen to the voice of The Holy Ghost. :) I know that's true, I've seen it time and time again :)

So this week we had 40 teaching opportunities!! 14 Lessons with members present, 18 other lessons, and 8 less active recent convert lessons! 

A man named Mario is on date to be baptized the 14th of December, and so is a man named Alex! Mario lives with his girlfriend, and after teaching him about the law of chastity, he wants to get married... the only problem is his wife is not legal... will you keep them in your prayers?!

Alex has read some of the Book of Mormon, but he hasn't come to Church... he runs a day care on sundays and would need to get lots of legal things situated to take the kids out of the house... will you keep him in your prayers too?

We are teaching a woman named Dora Sykes and she is part of a member family. She comes to Church, and has read, but it's hard to get her to stay out in the family room when we teach lessons, will you keep her in your prayers? :)

We are also going to put BiBi Damiron on date for the 21 of December. She was Muslim and is having a hard time with accepting Jesus Christ being her Savior. We told her she could know that is true through The Book of Mormon :) Her husband is less active.

And a family named the Osorios (Jose, Sergio, Julio, and Angela) are a family to keep in your prayers. Sergio and Jose we are hoping to put on date for the 28th :) they need help with the Word of Wisdom, but other than that they seem very excited about Church.

Love you all so much! I have been growing tons this week! Especially in the eating of different foods... mashed potatoes are starting to be conquered! :) Thanks for all the packages, and for all the love and support! It really makes me feel loved when I get them and the letter from Emmett was perfect! :) I love you all so much and hope all is well! Thank you, thank you, thank you for all you have done for me. I had an experience the other day where I was on exchanges and got a compliment about how much I served and prayed, and I could recall it all back to my parents :) I can't wait to come back home and hear some of mom's prayers! :) But until then, I love hearing the prayers of investigators! Love you all, it's all true! :)

Love, Elder Apsley

AND THEY SHALL SEE EYE TO EYE!!!

Well Hello there family!

This week has been great! I love all that your letters are saying, and we just had Stake Conference here about... member missionary work! It is so neat to see the hastening of the work!

We had a conference training meeting for the iPads, and it was so cool! Check out Mosiah 16:1. The iPads are a direct fulfillment of that prophecy, they shall see eye to eye! :) Pretty neat huh? We're gonna be able to use Skype to teach people! And the iPads are hastening tools! Those electronic devices back home can be used for so much good! Keep posting things and inviting people to come & see! I know that will bring joy into your lives and the lives of so many others!

So I'll tell you a little about what it's like here!

The apartment is great, 4 Elders in there! We play tennis in the mornings at the apartment courts. Sometimes I use a tennis racquet... sometimes I use a racquet ball racquet! :)

The weather is actually great here. I just missed the hotness! One of the roads we live next to is called Alma School... fitting right? :)

We have one hour a day to use facebook and proselyte on there! And sorry about the picture things haha! We can only have pictures with our nametag in it. But yes, I have been able to talk to Grandma, Jill, send messages to Bob and Bobby, and others online :) Love it! Keep up inviting people to come to church and to listen to the missionaries, especially in your home :)

I have learned the "secret" to inviting people to come unto Christ. It goes like this... "Will you...?" That is the way you extend invitations. And guess what, it is also the way that people commit themselves to living The Gospel! And then you can HELP them keep those commitments, by following up with them, every day. "Hey, how has your Book of Mormon reading been?" "How has praying about Joseph Smith gone?" That is how you invite people to repent and come unto Christ :)

Breakfast and lunches are great, however do you have any ideas about variety for lunch? I got the peanut butter, and the turkey sandwich down, but my expertise sort of end there :)

The dinner appointments are going great! We're going to work harder this week to inspire members to invite others to come unto Christ and listen to the missionaries! The members are wonderful! Brother Frost the ward mission leader is teaching us so much! And our Bishop, Bishop Wilson is great! He wants us to work closely and often with the members! I love having a great ward! And there are many families that are great at fellowshipping! :)

Well I love you all very much! And let me know if there is specific things you want to know. Some investigators you can pray for include:

George, BiBi and Joseph, Camille, Alex, Mario, Jose and Sergio, the Harvey family, and Marissa.

Love you all, sorry for being a short letter writer, I'll get faster :)

Love you all, it's all true, and Christ is our Lord :)

Love,

Elder Apsley 

IT'S ALL WORTH IT!!!

Hey there Dad! Great to hear from you! I miss you tons but am really glad to get to write you :) 

Sorry about the e-mailing last week... the story is that I wasn't feeling too well and had written a letter or like half a letter to mom, and then I went and puked in the bathroom and my letter was gone when I came back and we just went home cause I wasn't feelin the greatest... haha! Sorry about that! But I'm feeling much better this week! And hope to be gettin better at the work too :)

So thanks for all the support and encouragement,  I know it will all work out and that I will be helped in the work by The Lord cause He is there :) But it is definitely the hardest thing I have ever done. The Gospel is all about The Atonement and change, and that's the hard part haha cause people don't like to change, it's hard. But it's all possible, and The Lord will make it work, we just have to believe Him and press forward... and receive BAPTISM and THE GIFT OF THE HOLY GHOST! That's how we access the gift of The Atonement :)  

New calling huh?! Sounds like a perfect one for you :) And new Bishopric! How is Bishop Waidmann feeling? 
Any news with Bishop Reyne?

No way! Her and Elder Kay will be in the same mission! :) Neat! When does she report?? Dallin is headed out super soon huh?! How is Tanner doing? Keepin up the good work at school and seminary? :)

Well I love you tons! I have had tons of great experiences but I'll send them in mom's letter and you can all read them :) Love you tons and hope this week goes great back home! Keep up all the missionary work and let me know if I can pray for anyone back home :) 

Love, 

Elder Apsley :)

Hey there Mom! I love you and it is so great to hear from you! :) To say I miss you would be an amazing understatement, but I do.

So first things first... last week, I had half a letter written to you or so after Tanner's, but I got sick and had to run to the bathroom and throw up... So then, I came back to the computer and my letter was gone and we needed to go home because I wasn't feeling well. But I'm feeling much better this week and am excited to write you haha!

So these past few weeks have been so wonderful, but some of the hardest weeks of my life. I can't explain how much The Lord needs of us because I feel inadequate every single day. I don't know how, but He puts up with us ;)

We have seen many miracles. One was the first or second day I was out here and we were street contacting. We met a mom named Marissa and she has been taking the discussions ever since. She was outside and we set up a time to come back. We taught her the Restoration and she really felt The Spirit when we were talking about Joseph Smith's First Vision. She really liked the feeling and she is committed to be baptized. She also is going to come to a scripture study class with us on tuesday nights :)

Another one was that we were going to go visit another investigator named Camille, but we saw a man named Alex on the street waiting for some day care kids to be dropped off at his house, and he wouldn't have been out there, but they were late... We have a lesson with him tonight :)

A boy named Tyler has been separated from his parents from CPS, and has been feeling really down, wondering if life really matters, and why he is here. We met him yesterday on the street and gave him the number of the Zone Leaders. He was in the YSA ward age. We taught him God loves Him and that he is here for a reason. He said, I knew I crossed the street for a reason :)

Just some of the great experiences that have happened so far :) The ward mission leader here named Brother Frost is so great! He is coming out with us very often and teaches us things just as often!

"I'm thankful for those quotes I need that. 

I love you so much and am so greteful for all you continue to do for me. I know that God lives and loves us, even if it is hard to feel at times. I'm trying to take the work as seriously and do it the best I can, and God is helping me with that :)

My companion is Elder Roberts. We live in an apartment with another companionship... Elder Williams from the MTC is there too! :) Love them tons! He is from South Carolina a town called Junction. He is just the companion I need :)

I know this work is true, I love you all and know The Lord lives, and because of that, we will again too :)

I pray for you daily, and hope that all is going well there :) Any advice with dealing with the icky things that you see so often on the mission? Love ya and talk to you next week! :)

Love Elder Apsley :)