Week 55

 La Primera Semana con Mi Hijo!

Elder Ceron and Elder Geddes

  Another great week here in Jonesboro Arkansas!  On Wednesday the ever so glorious tripanionship was separated back into two companionship's.  We had a good ride down to Little Rock, and then at transfer meeting I got Elder Ceron as my son!! (trainee)  It was pretty awesome, and I was super excited to get him.  His first name is Nefi and us as Spanish missionaries had heard about him coming out 3 transfers.  Through a series of events of his Visa coming one day late, and then keeping him in the Provo MTC for 6 more weeks to learn English.  He eventually made it to Arkansas.  It will be nice because I don't have to teach him Spanish, but I will have to help him  learn English.  He is from Mexico, Vera Cruz!  As for the other missionaries in Jonesboro, we got another set of Elders, so now there are 6 Elders here which is pretty sweet!  Elder Croft's companion Elder Hamblin is the new district leader.  My last companion Elder Zickella went Zone Leader in Conway, Arkansas.

Tripanionship saying goodbye!

  As for news about teaching this week, we had a pretty good rest of the week even though the whole week was kind of crazy with Transfers and everything.  On Saturday we were able to see Ti. and her Daughter Tik.  The daughter answered the door and the first thing she told us was that they are coming to church this Sunday, because her Mom wasn't working (she normally works until 6 in the morning).   We had a great lesson with them that night, and they both committed to come to church.  The next morning during Sacrament meeting no one had shown up, but then after a few minutes into the meeting Ti. and Tik. walked in!  As well as Ti's youngest daughter who is 6.  So that was awesome to see them to come to church after working really hard this last month with them.  They both participated really well in the Gospels Principles class, and really seemed to enjoy church.  We already have  two appointments set up with them this week, so that should be great!  

  Later on that Sunday we went to see a Spanish investigator named Juan.  He was behind his trailer so we went back to talk to him.  As we turned the corner there he was just casually butchering a sheep that was hanging by his two legs from a tree, it was awesome!  We asked if we could take a picture.  Elder Ceron almost passed out because he faints when he sees blood, so we had to sit down for a little bit after that haha!   After that we went to see Mant. who we had met the day before. He came out and said his parents just wanted him to shut the door on us, but he said he has been looking for a church to go and for a good youth program.  We invited him to church, and he said he wanted to come.  As well we explained a little bit of our message to him, and he was excited to read in the Book of Mormon.  We are hoping that he will be able to come to church next week, and start teaching him all of the lessons!   Other than that it has been another good week and a good experience training so far. 

  I love being a missionary, and being able to serve my Lord all day every day.  It is a peace that is like none other in the world.  I know the power of the atonement is infinite, and the joy that it can bring to people as they turn to Jesus Christ through repentance.  I know that seeing the potential of those we teach will help us as we prepare them to make covenants with God.

  Thank you again for the great update, and I hope this next week is as good as the last!  I love you tons!

Love,

Elder Geddes

Week 54

P-Day Golfing!

  Well based on the title of my email either you were probably really confused or came to the conclusion that I'm training!!  I got the call this last week from the Assistants that I will be training this transfer!  I'm really excited about it, and know that it will be a great growing and learning experience.  Being in the trio has really prepared me for that, and I'm looking forward to leaving a positive impact on my "son".  On Wednesday we will be going to Little Rock for transfer meeting.  Elder Zickella will be getting transferred as well, and Elder Croft will be staying in Jonesboro.  It has been the greatest serving with them.!  We have gotten a ton of work done together, and gotten along super well.  They will be opening another set of missionaries here in Jonesboro, so our tiny district will grow a little bit!  I'm really looking forward to this next transfer, it should be great!  

  

  As for this week, it was a little slower of a week compared to the last week, but hey a week on the mission is always a good week!!  One cool story is that we went over to visit Nikki (Jason's wife,) and we were able to learn more on how to begin teaching with her, and just getting to know her better.  She really opened up to us, and shared some experiences with us about her life, that helped us understand her situation.  She also said that while Jason has been out working on the trains he has been reading the Book of Mormon that we left him.  She said if it is something that he is interested in she would start reading it as well, because she wants the best for the family.  That was super cool, and amazing to see how much both of them have opened up to us.  We are going to continue teaching her while he is away, so that will be good!

   On the turtle news this week., We were driving back from lunch and there was a friendly looking turtle in the middle of road.  We pulled over to help it to the other side before it got ran over.  As Elder Croft went to pick it up thinking it was just an ordinary turtle (us being from the west and Zickella on the phone) the turtle turned out to be an Alligator snapping turtle.  It about bit  Elder Croft's finger off haha, but we were able to kick it off the road.  I'm sure people were confused why three dudes in white shirts were getting a turtle out of the road.  We got some good pictures out of it though.  One including the Turtle biting the tie of Elder Zickella!  You never know what you will find in the South!  

  

  As for other investigators go two of our more solid investigators got antied pretty hard, so they dropped us.  But that's alright, it's just how Jonesboro goes.  They have seen the blessings from listening and applying the gospel in their lives.   I'm sure one day down the road they will have another chance to listen to the missionaries again!  David is doing well, He couldn't come to church, because he was on his way to Memphis week.  He is still praying and sincerely wanting to know the truth.  La Familia Lopez is doing good as well.  We just need him to start putting his desire into action.  We also found a really cool family yesterday tracting, so we are looking to go by and seeing them this Wednesday!  Other than that the work is going great, and we are looking forward to the upcoming week!  

Thank you for the email.  Love you!

Love, Elder Geddes

Week 53

The Tripanionship
Elder Croft, Elder Geddes, Elder Zickella

  Well this week was truly an amazing week as I hit my year mark.It was full of miracles, and Sunday couldn't have been a better day.  I'll start with Sunday first.  In the morning we texted out the usual reminders to our investigators.  Then at church I was setting up for translating, and Claudio responded that he was on his way.  And sure enough a few minutes later Claudio y Gaby walked in!!   Fast y testimony meeting was really a great one.  Everyone bared relatively short y strong testimonies, inviting the spirit to the meeting.  After I was talking to Claudio y Gabriella, she was explaining to me how in the morning she prayed asking god if she should go to church.  Then she said after she took a shower she just got a super warm feeling inside, and knew that she needed to go to church, Claudio felt the same way.  So they both came and we had challenged him to write down a question, and bring it to church and that it would be answered.  He ended up bringing a whole paper in an envelope, and gave it to me.  I read it before going into Sunday school.  It was basically asking for a change and a desire to know if the LDM was la palabra de Dios.  It was super awesome. because Sunday school (the Spanish gospel doctrine class) was perfect for his questions, and was about putting the LDM to the test and really reading it to know if it was true.  It was a true testimony to me of the power of fasting, and really showing your love and care for the people you serve. I was able to go to teach them this week, and ask them simple questions to help them receive the answer they need.  It was a super good lesson, and they gave way better commitment than before on coming to church.  The spirit has really been working on them, and I can already see a big difference in them.  The spirit has literally been my companion while teaching them.  As well Gab. gave me her daughter because she said that she wants us to come over and meet with her, so we are looking forward to that.  She is the one we gave a blessing to a few weeks back.  

  David was also able to be able to come to church  again. and Taknechia came to church for the first time!!  Apparently David in Elders quorum said some great comments as they were talking about home teaching.  He said "that they should do everything that they possibly can to keep these missionaries here"  and he was explaining how grateful he was for our patience and our sincerity as we taught according to his needs and questions.  That was awesome to hear that!,  I was in the other class with the Spanish crew!   David loved church again, and Tak. said that  she liked it as well,and wanted to make it to all 3 hours next week because she was a little late!  Yesterday was just a day chalk full of amazing things happening,and it continued throughout the day.  

  As we were eating at the apartment later on another MIRACLE happened.  I have been waiting for this day for over a year.  I was just sitting there, and I just started rolling my tongue!!!  It probably sounds like something lame, but I have been trying to do that since day one on the mission. To be able to to roll my r's  is huge in speaking Spanish.  It was a great lesson to me of patience, and never giving up!  Throughout the day I was just rolling my tongue to make sure I didn't lose it, I'm sure my companions wanted to kill me ha ha!  

 Then after that we went to teach Jas, and Nik..  We had met her parents a month or so ago, and she had just gotten in a car crash.  We prayed for her and have checked up on her.  She ended up being fine, and little by little we have gotten a good friendship with her, and well as her husband.  Earlier on in the week I went on splits with the EQP,  We were able to have a really good talk with Jas., and share what our purpose was as missionaries, and get to know him. He has really opened up to us since the first time we met him. Yesterday we were able to share with him the Restoration.  It was one of the best Restauracion lessons that we have taught as a trio.  He was understanding everything, and the spirit was there in that lesson.  He even told us that there is no way that we came to his family at this time by coincidence,, and how grateful he has been for us coming over to check on his wife an the family while he has been away.  We left him with a Book of Mormon, and he said he was going to put it in his suitcase for sure and read it on his down time.  He will be gone for 26 days, because he works on the railroad.  He is an awesome guy, and we are excited to see the spirit to continue working on him as he reads and continues listening.  He has been telling us that he needs his kids to grow up in a church to bring the family together.  You never know who the lord will prepare for you, That is why it is key to talk with everyone.

The entire district/ One tripanionship!

  For other events this week, we held the smallest possible District meeting with the three of us! haha As you already got to see we were able to go to Memphis for the 40th anniversary!  I was able  to see a lot of great people, and of course was reunited with Elder Heaton again.  Alvaro came up to see me as well, which was awesome.  He has been doing great, and even gave a talk the other week in the Spanish Branch.  I was also able ti see returned Elder Henderson, Meyers, Pres. Perez, familia Benitez and several others.  Jessica Smith from BYUH was there as well!   It was a good meeting, and awesome to be able to see everyone again.. Basically it was  just an amazing week out here in Jonesboro, This week should be awesome as well as we already have a full schedule.  The trio is awesome, but unfortunately it is the last week of it.  We all wish that it could last longer.  Have a great week, and I love you so much!!

Love,

Elder Geddes

Pictures from the Arkansas Little Rock's Mission 40th Reunion

Elder Geddes and Alvaro

Former Elder Henderson and Elder Geddes

Week 52

La Primera Semana en el trio!

Elder Geddes and the district saying goodbye to Elder Hernandez

  Let the trio begin!!! It looks like I'm going to the roots of a year ago when I was in a trio in the CCM.
This week has been a super good week, and we are getting a lot of work done I'm serving with Elder Zickella who is from Florida, and Elder Croft who is from Pocatello !It's been a pretty sweet first week with them, and they are both really focused missionaries.Elder Croft has been out for two transfers, and is still being trained. Elder Zickella and I have the same amount of time out on the mission. They ended up just moving into my apartment,but it was a pretty easy move because the apartments are only half a mile away!
  On Tuesday we had our District meeting with a tiny district (just the 4 of us), and after that the AP's came to pick up Hernandez. Now that he is gone our district is even smaller, and it is just the 3 of us. Haha! I think it's the smallest a district can possibly get!

Elder Geddes and Elder Hernandez

  Before Hernandez left we had some really good experiences on Monday. In the morning we were able to go do some Service for a non member family. We helped them moved y they were super cool. I asked them if we could come back and share our message? They were open for it. So we went back later in the week as a trio, and were able to teach them. She is Hispanic, but speaks really good English. Her husband is American. They had some really good questions, and we were able to clear up some false doctrine that their church had been teaching about our church...Yes there is a church here who dedicates every Wednesday night for preaching anti-Mormon. It was a solid way to begin teaching a lesson y they wanted us to come over another time and have dinner with them, and share more of our message. We are excited for that. They are going to Mexico for a little while and after that we will continue to teach them.
  Also on Monday night me and Hernandez were able to go over to la Familia Lopez (Claudio) togive their daughter a blessing. She has cancer, and has really been having a hard time. It was a great spiritual experience, and a great opportunity to have them see the power of the Priesthood. We went back later on in the week y they said that the daughter was feeling a lot better. They were really grateful for that. We are just working on getting them to church. He is looking for a sign, like God to tell him to go to church, but we need to help him realize that he has seen plenty of signs already. They are such an awesome family though, and they are going to start progressing more soon. The wife even told me that she feels like she will be at our church soon!
  Another great experience was one day we were walking around and we ran into this lady Taknechia..We gave her a card and we set up an appointment for the next day. That next day we went back, and
she let us in. We shared the message of the restoration y she was just soaking it all in. At parts of the lesson she was saying "this is so awesome", and she even told us that we weren't going to believe it but he had been praying to know the real truth. We told her about the Book of Mormon y she asked us if she could buy one. We gave her a copy for her to read. It was a good lesson on the importance of talking to everyone, you just never know who is going to be prepared to teach the Gospel. We hope to see her several times this week!
  For other great news, David was able to come to church today!!!! Such an awesome experience to see all the hard work we have put into teaching him. He said he loved church so much, and that he felt very welcomed. He even asked some really great questions in some of the classes and decided that day to keep the Sabbath day more holy by not watching TV, and stuff like he normally does. So that was awesome to see, and we are hoping that desire will lead him into making some bigger commitment more quickly. During priesthood David introduced himself and, a classic member in the ward with the thickest southern accent yelled "fill up the font! We were all thinking it, but, he just decided to say it" Haha! We are excited and
are glad he was able to take this next step.
 Overall it was just an awesome week. it is different teaching in English most of the time but, it is a great experience for me, and it’s helping me to learn and grow. Sometimes it's hard to pray in English. or I accidentally throw out some Spanish words while teaching but it's great! I know I was sent here for a reason and the Lord has many miracles prepared for us as a trio! I hope that y'all have an amazing week!! Love you tons!

Con Amor,                    
Elder Geddes

Week 51

La ultima Semana con Elder Hernandez

Elder Geddes and Elder Hernandez!

  This week has been another great and busy week. Especially with it being the last week with Elder Hernandez. This week we started stage 2 in our iPads so now we are going to be planning our days on the iPad and the area book on the iPads. We went to a meeting in Jacksonville again where we got training on that. It's going to be a really cool tool to have. It keeps everything organized, and will help us keep more on top of things once
everything is put in!
  As for teaching it was a pretty sweet week as well! On Monday in the morning we decided that we were going to study about the apostasy for one of our investigators Claudio. We gt some really good scriptures together, and our goal was to teach the Apostasy in full detail so he would be able to understand it, because that was a big thing that was holding him back.That night we went to teach them and the lesson went super well! The spirit was helping us a ton remembering certain scriptures we felt we needed to share with him. It really gave him more understanding of the importance of the Restoration. Before this lesson he would not read the Book of Mormon, but at the end of the lesson he said "let's pray about this right now." He said a really great prayer and accepted to read the chapter we left him in the BOM. It was great learning experience for me on really studying for my investigators, and focusing what they need at that moment. He knew that there things were true or not, and now he has a choice to make. Later on in the week we went to see him and he and his family. We were driving in the car and saw he us driving to his house. He turned around and told us to follow him because he wanted to take us out to eat. That was way nice of him y his wife remembered it was my Birthday a few weeks back,and had them sing Happy Birthday to me there
at the restaurant haha! That was an awesome experience, and they are a really great family.They had us over for dinner at the house the next day y we taught another good lesson on the Plan of Salvation. And as well on Sunday night we went over with a member and had a really good lesson. He does have a lot of questions and doubts, but he has definitely opened up to the message a lot more since we met him. We are praying that they will continue listening and accepting the gospel that will change their lives so much. They really need it right now in their family.

  For David he wasn't able to come to church this week. He didn't get out of the hospital until Thursday and then had to go back to the ER the next day, but luckily got out that night He was still recovering and couldn't make it to church. We did have some really good lessons with him y were able to visit him several times in the hospital. He had me pull out my planner and write him down for Church next week for sure, and said "I dare anyone to stop me from coming". He is really committed to come, and said that this time he is making
a promise so that he will be able to make it. We are looking forward to next week y we know that he is going to love the church y the ward is going to welcome him really well. 

  Well this Tuesday I will be going into a trio with the English Elders (Zickella y Croft). I'm really looking forward to it and it should be a great experience. We are going to be working a lot with the ward doing splits and stuff to keep the work more effective. We will either be moving into the apartment I'm in now or I'll move to the English elders apartment, we haven't decided yet. It's only a half mile away so it is not a big deal. I'm sure this week is going to be another super busy week, we have a lot to get done. Sorry I don't have too much time today because we were doing service this morning and we have to be at FHE at 4. But all is going well here in Jonesboro!!! The mosquitoes haven't been as bad this past week which was nice, but earlier on in the week they were flying planes that were dropping Mosquito repellent haha! Dragonflies are coming out now, so I think they are starting to eat them. I hope your week is great, y thanks so much for the email!

Love you lots!! 

Love, Elder Geddes

Former Little Rock Sister Missionary (Jenessa) ran into the Elders eating dinner!

Week 50

Pres. Wakolo and Elder Geddes

  This week was another great, and busy week here in Jonesboro! It's a lot different here in this Zone when we have meetings. When we have a meeting we either have do drive to Searcy about an hour and a half away,or we have to drive to Jacksonville or Little Rock which is more than 2 hours away. We had a zone meeting in Searcy that went really well on Wednesday. Then on Friday we had a day called "DOT" Defenders of Truth Day. We were supposed to have it last week on the 4th but it got rained out. It was Elders only because the Sisters did something similar to it last year. We had a big Luau where President Wakolo cooked a bunch of food in a pit. As well we were able to play a bunch of little games, and do
challenges in the Gym and outside. It was a lot of fun to be able to get together with all the Elders on this side of the mission, and enjoy part of the day together! It was really cool that President Wakolo did all of that for us! He was also wearing a Spanish name tag which I thought was sweet! It was the first time I had ever seen President Wakolo without a suit on.

Luau Feast 

  The missionary works was another solid week as well. We were able to visit one of our main investigators David several times this week with members. We had a couple of really great lessons and especially the lesson on Saturday. We have been really focusing on getting him to church, because we know how much it will help him progress and receive an answer about Baptism. In the lesson he really opened up to us about his fears of going to church, and howhe felt a little inadequate about going. We were able to help him out with those concerns, and he told us how he felt a lot better. He asked us what kind of clothes he should wear, and committed on coming to church that next day! We had a ride all set up for him and it wasgood to go. On Sunday morning he then gave us a call, and told us he had gotten all ready  for church, but then was having lot of pain and had to go to the emergency room. It's amazinghow hard the devil will work from keeping someone from doing good things and progressing! After church we were able to go visit him in the hospital and give him a blessing. Sure enough he was in his Church pants, and his white shirt was sitting next to him on the chair. We know he will be blessed for his intent and, are hoping that his health will allow him to
go to church next week! It was a good lesson for me on the importance of asking inspired
questions. Because of that David really opened up to us, and we were able to help him with his real concerns that he had. 

   As well this week we have been visiting a lesser active lady, and her daughter who had just recently moved into the ward. They are super awesome, but she has a few doubts. We challenged her to start reading and praying about the Book of Mormon. She had been reading it the next time we came back which was super cool. She and her daughter were able to make it to church on Sunday! We are going to keep working with them, and try to get the ward moreinvolved in visiting her, and making her feel welcome into the Ward. Other than that we are teaching some really cool Hispanic families as well, and have been doing a lot of service which makes the week really busy. All is well over here in Jonesboro, and I'm really grateful for this opportunity that I have to serve here. I know President Wakolo was inspired to send me here, and I'm already seeing those reasons after just a few weeks. I'm so grateful to be part of a church that is led by revelation. And even more grateful to be able to share that knowledge with all those around me. I hope that you have another great week, and if you want some mosquitoes I wouldn't mind sending a couple thousand of them over there because we got plenty! Thanks for everything, love you!

 Love, Elder Geddes

Week 49

Gringos, Ingles, Comida Americana, y Mosquitos! 

     

After 11 months of serving in the same areas with Elder Heaton they must say good-bye.

                                      Elder Braden Geddes' MTC Companion

   It's been quite the crazy week with transfers and everything going on. On Tuesday I got to say goodbye to a lot of the members in Memphis which was good.  It's always sad to say goodbye to so many great people, I really grew to love that branch there and all of the amazing people there.  I'm going to miss Memphis for sure,but hopefully I will get to return back there at some point on my mission.  But I know that President Wakolo is inspired and that I'm in my new area for a reason!  On Wednesday we had transfers which also marked the 40th 
anniversary of the Arkansas Little Rock Mission.  It was always the first time we have only had 1 transfer meeting, it was broadcasted from Little Rock to Memphis.  It was actually really cool. 

Ghetto Burger place Sweden Creme has the best shakes

Elder Geddes and Elder Diaz

 

Branch President Perez and his family. They are awesome!

   My new area is....Jonesboro Arkansas!!  It's more north east of Arkansas and is a college town.  Arkansas State University is here which is pretty cool!  I will be serving in an English ward, the first time I haven't been in a Spanish branch on my mission.  There are some really cool Spanish members which is sweet and as well there are a lot of Hispanics to sweet.  The ward is a really strong ward, and I'm excited to get to know all the members better,  it's always different at first going to a new area, but I'm sure it will be awesome and I will meet plenty of great people!  The opportunities here are going to be great, I'm looking forward to translating in the ward, and in a few weeks I'll be the only Spanish missionary in the ward, so it will be a great learning experience! 
   My companion is Elder Hernandez from Vera Cruz Mexico.  He was the 2nd companion that Elder Heaton had in Little Rock, so I've served by him a little bit there and in Memphis.  He is going home in about 2 weeks 
though, so basically he is just showing me the Area and then he's going home.  After that I will most likely just serve in a trio with the the English elders (Croft y Zickella) for the last 3 weeks of the transfer.   That should be really good!  Our District is just us and the English Elders.  And yup once again I'm the designated driver. We 
have full car which is super sweet!  We still have to bike sometimes, but not for a week straight which makes it nice.   I think I'm actually going to get the real southern experience up here in Jonesboro.  It's pretty weird preaching the gospel in English, and I bore my testimony in church in English and was translating most of it 
in my head from Spanish to English haha.  It will also be different eating American food every day, instead of Mexican food.  But I'm pretty excited for my new area, and looking forward to what the lord 
has prepared for us. 

    Our week here in Jonesboro was a pretty busy week.  We were
doing a lot of service. We split a bunch of wood for a member, and then another day we helped another member who is a professor do some demolition in one of the classes.   Service is always good, and great way to get the members trust.  We were also able to teach some really good lessons to some Hispanics on the weekend.  We actually found a really cool couple who had just moved to Jonesboro ,and we we were able to teach them the restauracion.  I had my first English missionary experience as I would call it.  We knocked on a bunch of doors and about 6 different white people opened the door and just said no and shut the door.  Hispanics rarely ever do that so I've never experienced that before! Haha! There is a lot of work to do here I. Jonesboro,  Hopefully we can get some people really progressing pretty soon here! 

Elder Croft and Elder Geddes celebrating their birthdays!

   Thanks you so much for all the Birthday wishes!!  I had a good birthday, and a good 4th of July the day after!  On my Birthday we had weekly planning, and he did some service.  Later on we had dinner with a family and he English Elders.  Crazy enough Elder Croft and I had the same Birthday!  He is the only one in the whole mission that has the same birthday, and we happened to be serving next to each other for it.  4th of July was great as well. It was a normal missionary day and we ate wirht some members.  We also got to see the firework show 

Garcia Family

 Familia Hermosillo with Álvaro  

by our apartment which was pretty cool!  Even if Mosquitoes are eating us alive over here!  Other that just another good missionary week.!   Love y'all so much and hope that you have a wonderful week!!
Love, 
Elder Geddes

Nike Lady and Son

Torres Family

  

Bro. Gonzales and
Grandchildren