A Marvelous Work and a Wonder

Buenos!!

Well this is it, the last email! I can't believe my mission is at it's end. So crazy. I hope y'all had a good 4th of July. We ended up having four meal appointments haha. We had a ward pancake breakfast in the morning, then had lunch with some non members, and then had two dinners with different members. We got stuffed, but we had a lot of fun. This week we also met our new mission president, President Pickett, at MLC in Knoxville. He is going to be a great mission president, he is already talking about how we can bring the mission to new levels of faith and diligence. I know there are more great things here to come in the Tennessee Knoxville Mission!

My final ponderizer this week is my favorite scripture, Isaiah 29:13-14 "Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men: Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid." I cannot even begin to describe how much these last two years have meant. It has been frustrating, challenging, and it has pushed my patience and faith to new levels. But I have grown so much. I know that God has answered my prayers, and He has placed me where I need to be. I've met people that have made such an impact on my life. I feel more converted to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and I have come to know my Savior so much more. This truly is the work of the Lord, and it is a marvelous work and a wonder. I love Tennessee, and a part of my heart will always stay here in the Bible Belt. Rocky Top will always be home sweet home to me! I love y'all so much, and I will see you on Thursday!!

Love,

Elder Mitchell 

For his last p-day they took a hike

in the hills overlooking Johnson City

With their buddy, the Indian

His last MLC meeting

The last district meeting

Saying goodbye to some members

One final sleeping pic!

The (2nd to) Last Melon

Buenos!

Wow, this week was so good! Things are going great here in Johnson City! Our recent convert E is still doing really good. We were able to have her back in the family history center this week, and she absolutely loves learning more about her ancestors. She is so solid! Also, this week we said goodbye to President Griffin, and President Pickett arrived. It was hard to say goodbye to President Griffin, I have just come to love him so much, and I've learned so much from him. On Thursday, we went down to Knoxville, and I was able to have my departing interview with President. It was pretty emotional, and I definitely cried a lot haha. One of the main things we talked about of course was my change from Nashville to Knoxville. After looking back over my mission, I know that that change was inspired. If I had never come to Knoxville, I wouldn't ever have served in Dalton, or Lenoir City, or Johnson City. I never would've served with the companions that I had, or met any of the incredible people that I've taught. I couldn't imagine my mission without all of that. I know that God has an individual plan of happiness for all of us, and He will put us where we need to be.

Recently we have been working and praying hard to find more families that we can introduce to the gospel, and this week the Lord blessed two families! First this week, we met the H family. We saw the son playing basketball outside, so we asked if we could play with him, which was a ton of fun. As we were playing, the mom came out and started asking us questions, and pretty soon the dad came out and we were able to teach them about the Restoration! They invited us back to come play some more ball with their kids, and to teach them more about the Book of Mormon. The other family was a different H family. They are a Jamaican family, and the mom, C was an old Bible referral that we saw in the areabook. We went by and contacted them and had one of the most solid Restoration lessons with them. C told us that even though she's been Christian her whole life, she's been looking for something more. She said she already believes that Joseph Smith saw God and Jesus Christ, and that if she prayed about it she would get baptized! Plus, her two girls really want to come to church. We are super stoked about both families, and so thankful that the Lord is blessing our area!

My ponderizer this week is Moroni 10:32 "Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God." The invitation to come unto Christ is an invitation to learn of Him and become as He is. It is an invitation to give up the things of the world, and to love God. When we love God and have desires to serve Him, He will bless us with power (grace) to resist the world and put off the natural man. It is through the grace of God that we are changed to become perfect in Christ. I hope y'all have a great week!

Love,

Elder Mitchell

Departing interview with Pres. Griffin

Be One

Saying goodbye to Elder B

Buenos!

It's been another solid week here in Johnson City! This week was transfers, so we said goodbye to Elder B, and welcomed Elder H! Elder H is from Pleasant Grove, UT, has been on his mission for almost 11 months, and loves soccer. He is an absolute stud when it comes to missionary work, and we are already working really well in our new trio. It was also great to see everyone at transfers. I realized this would be my last transfer meeting, and it would be the last time I see a lot of people. I got to say goodbye to a few of my old greenie's, as well as Elder C, who finished his mission this last week. It's just kinda crazy that time is winding down. Also this week, President Griffin will be returning home, and our new mission president will arrive! We are excited to have President Pickett get here, even if I'll only know him for two weeks haha.

This week we were able to start the new member lessons with E (who was baptized last week). We were also able to get her into the family history center this week to start doing some research on her family. We had one of the ward consultants there with us, and E was able to learn a ton about her ancestors, and she was so excited! She is set up to go back again this week too, so hopefully she'll be able to find some names for the temple soon! Also, E invited her brother, B, to come to church with her this week, and he actually came and stayed for all three hours. Hopefully we'll be able to start teaching B a little more, and it is great to see that E already wants to share the gospel with everyone. She is doing great right now!

One of the other new investigators that we are trying to work with right now is a lady named Z. We tracted into her a couple weeks ago, and noticed her yard was super overgrown. We volunteered to come mow her lawn, and she actually let us come back and do it! At first she wasn't too interested in our message, but she agreed to listen to a lesson after we finished her lawn. So last week, we were able to teach her about the Restoration, and this week we were able to go back and read from the Book of Mormon with her. She has a lot of potential to progress, so we are hoping things work out with her! Other than that, we have been working really hard, finding a lot of new investigators. The work is going pretty good here in JC!

My ponderizer this week is D&C 38:27 which says, "I say unto you, be one; and if ye are not one ye are not mine." This week I read an interesting quote that said, "Our mortal lives are a constant struggle between choosing oneness with God or oneness with the world." Towards the end of his ministry, Christ prayed that His disciples would learn to be one, even as He and His Father were one. What does it mean to be One? It means to align our will with the Father's. It means to live the gospel that Christ taught. Because of the atonement of Jesus Christ, we have the chance to repent every day and root out the natural man inside of us, becoming new creatures in Christ. When we can learn to follow our Father's will, we too can become one with God and His son Jesus Christ. I hope y'all have a great week!

Love,
Elder Mitchell

On their last n;ight with Elder B,

they celebrated with a special dessert at a member's house

A layer of cookie dough, then a layer of Oreos and Reeses,

followed by more cookie dough, topped with ice cream!

Saying goodbye to Elder C,

who finished his mission this week

At his last transfer meeting, saying goodbye

to two of the elders he trained

With the new trio, including Elder H

Fear Not, and Lay Aside Every Sin

Someone needs more sleep!

Buenos!

We had another great week here in Johnson City!! The biggest highlight from this week is that E was baptized! We have been working with her for a while now, but she was so prepared for the gospel. We had a busy week with finishing teaching her the lessons, having her interview, and then the actual baptism. It was such a sweet service though, and the spirit was so strong. E was so nervous leading up to the baptism, but as she walked into the building, she just felt an overwhelming sense of peace from the Holy Ghost. We were so happy to see her enter the waters of baptism. Then on Sunday we all had the chance to stand in as part of E's confirmation. It was really cool, E actually brought some of her neighbors to church with her to see her get confirmed. She is already a missionary! Also, President and Sister Griffin were able to come to the baptism on Saturday, and they attended our ward in JC this week as well. It was a lot of fun to see them this week.

This week is transfer week, and unfortunately, Elder B is leaving us. He is off to serve in the Harrison Bay ward in Chattanooga. Elder L and I will be staying here in JC, but we will be getting a new addition to our trio. Our new companion will be Elder H! I'll be able to tell you more about him next week, but, he was one of the ZL's in Asheville, NC and we are super stoked to have him come join us in JC! Also, I now only have about 3 more weeks left on my mission! It is just crazy how time flies by.

My ponderizer this week is Alma 7:15 "Yea, I say unto you come and fear not, and lay aside every sin, which easily doth beset you, which doth bind you down to destruction, yea, come and go forth, and show unto your God that ye are willing to repent of your sins and enter into a covenant with him to keep his commandments, and witness it unto him this day by going into the waters of baptism." Fear is a tool of the devil. When we allow fear and doubt to creep into our lives, Satan will "beset" us with temptations. If we are to come unto Christ, we need to lay aside those fears, lay aside the sins, and enter into solemn covenants with God. That is what E did this weekend, and we are so happy for her. It has truly been a blessing and a privilege to be one of the missionaries that taught her. How great a joy is it to see someone come unto Christ! I hope y'all have a great week!

Love,
Elder Mitchell

With Elder L, E, and Elder B

With Pres. and Sis. Griffin

District picture on Flag Day

Hangin' with Elder B

They went to Bristol Virginia for a stake meeting

They drove past the Bristol Motor Speedway

Another couple sleeping pics

Chick-fil-A was Inspired

Visiting the Sun Sphere in Knoxville

Buenos!

Well, we had a rockin' week here in Johnson City! This week we had lot of meetings. On Tuesday we went down to Knoxville for my first MLC (mission leadership council). It was also the last MLC with President Griffin. It was such a powerful, spirit-filled meeting. We came up with a Vision, Goals, and Plans for the mission to help with the arrival of the new mission president at the end of the month. Then President Griffin bore an incredible testimony. He had us think about all of our areas, companions, and investigators, and I basically had a flashback through my mission. It has been about one year now since I was switched from the Nashville mission to the Knoxville mission. As I thought about all the experiences I've had over the last year, I was just amazed. President told us that there was no way that any man could have organized for hundreds of missionaries to be in the right spot at the right time, with the right people, but that our missions are orchestrated by God himself. It is so true. I have loved the last year of my mission so much. Then later in the week, we had our last Zone Conference with President Griffin, and it was pretty incredible. We were just on a spiritual high this week haha.

Awesome experience this week: So, every week we write an email to our ward council just letting them know what we did that week. Well, we were about to go write it and we were like, "Hey, let's go write our email at Chik-fil-A!" So, we went, got some food, and as we were about to eat, one of the workers came up and just started talking to us. She asked why we were dressed so nice, so we explained that we were LDS missionaries, and she told us she had known some LDS people in high school. Then, pretty out of the blue, she was like, "So tell me about the Book of Mormon." Uh, ok! We basically ended up having a mini-lesson with her right in Chik-fil-A, and it was so cool. Her name is M, and she is so cool, and wants to know everything about what we believe. We are super excited to go back and teach her more this week, plus she said she would probably hook us up with some free Chik-fil-A sometime haha. It was super cool experience, and you just never know when God will put someone in your path. It was awesome.

My ponderizer this week is Luke 9:23 "And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." During His Atonement, Jesus Christ suffered more than we can comprehend. On His way to Golgotha, he was forced to carry His own cross. On the way however, the Romans selected a man named Simon out of the crowd to bear the Savior's cross, just for a little bit. Each of us are like Simon. At some point or another, life gets difficult. When we are engaged in the work of the Lord, we have moments when we feel the weight of the Savior's cross. But no matter how hard things get for us, we should remember that Christ suffered even more, and that if we endure our small sufferings in this life, God will bless us with glory. That is the life of a disciple of Christ, to take up His cross daily, and follow Him. I hope y'all have a great week! 

Love,
Elder Mitchell

 More pics from the Sun Sphere

Mission Leadership Council

Eating smore's dip at a member's

Zone Conference

Selfie with Pres. Griffin

With his favorite senior couple, the Coburns,

who leave this week

Johnson City AND Watauga!

He found the Tin Man!!

(This was his nickname growing up)

Buenos!

We've had a great week here in Johnson City! It's been a little crazy trying to figure out how to run both areas in JC and Watauga, but we're getting it figured out. This week we also went on a lot of exchanges. We had exchanges at the start of the week with the AP's, so it was fun to spend the day in Knoxville. Later in the week we also went on exchanges with the elders from Marion, VA, and it was lots of fun. We are teaching quite a few people in JC's area. One of them is this lady named E, and she is so solid. She is on date to be baptized on June 17th, and we are super excited for her. We were able to start going over the commandments with her this week. We were kinda bummed that she didn't come to church this week (she told us she'd be out of town), but then she told us all about how she went to church in Kentucky, and brought some of her family with her! She is pretty awesome.

On Sunday night we had a general Stake Priesthood meeting, and it was awesome. The talks were all great, especially the stake president's. But the part I was excited about is that we sustained three new people from the Watauga ward to receive the Melchizedek priesthood! The first was C, an 87 year-old recent convert. The second was J, who is also a recent convert, but he just turned 18 and is planning on going on a mission! The third was Bro. U, who I translate for every week during the temple prep class. It was so incredible to see all of them being advanced in the priesthood, and now all of them are elders! It was so cool.

My ponderizer this week comes from Alma 5:57 "And now I say unto you, all you that are desirous to follow the voice of the good shepherd, come ye out from the wicked, and be ye separate, and touch not their unclean things..." During his talk in Stake Priesthood meeting, the Stake President talked about how we need to avoid the things of the world, especially pornography. Satan will whisper many lies to us about the things of the world. He will skillfully deceive us if we are not careful. We must learn how to live in the world without indulging in its sinful practices. As Alma taught, be ye separate, and touch not their unclean things. I hope y'all have a great week! 

Love,
Elder Mitchell

Alligator Snapping Turtles and Jake the Snake

Buenos!

This week has been pretty crazy. First off, Elder N was emergency transferred this week. Due to the change, I am now in a trio with the Zone leaders, which is where I will stay until the end of my mission. So, until the next transfer, we will be covering both my area in Watauga, and the ZL's area in Johnson City. After that, they will put two new missionaries in Watauga, and I will move completely over to Johnson City ward for my last three weeks. Also, President wants me to simultaneously be a zone leader while still fulfilling my responsibilities as a district leader, so now I've got double duty! It should be crazy. My new companions are Elder L and Elder B, and they are both so awesome! Elder L has been on his mission for about 15 months and is from Salt Lake City, UT. Elder B has been out for 16 months, and is from Orangeville, UT. He also is 6'9 and yes, he did play basketball. I am so stoked to work with them!

Our first day together in the new trio, we were driving to an appointment and saw an alligator-snapping-turtle on the side of the road. I'll try to send the video, it was pretty gnarly. Also, we are still passing out a ton of copies of the Book of Mormon as part of our Zone challenge. The goal is to pass out 5 a week, and this week we passed out 14! It has really helped us a lot in our finding. As we have talked with people about the Book of Mormon, even on their doorsteps, it has led to a lot of new investigators. We also went on exchanges this week with the Powell Valley elders, and it was a ton of fun! We got to teach a recent convert, Angel, about the temple, and afterwards as we were driving downtown we got to see a live band playing at the park. It was a ton of fun, and we even got to OYM a few people.

So, today for P-day we worked out with this member in the JC ward named "Jake the Snake." He is insane. We did a special Memorial Day workout called "Murph" basically it consists of running a mile, followed by 20 reps of 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, and 15 Air-squats, and then another mile to end it. So by the end of it you end up doing 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, and 300 air-squats. It was freaking insane, but I finished it in about an hour and a half. I also ended up puking afterwards. After the workout, Jake feeds you his special pancakes that are made with protein powder. It has been a crazy morning, and I am SO sore right now.

My ponderizer this week is 2nd Nephi 28:4 which says, "And they shall contend one with another; and their priests shall contend one with another, and they shall teach with their learning, and deny the Holy Ghost, which giveth utterance." This week I gave a talk in the Watauga ward about how the Holy Ghost can help us. We live in a day prophesied of by Nephi, in which we try to prove things by our own wisdom and learning. But the only source of pure truth is God, and he will teach us truth if we listen to His spirit. In my talk I spoke about three ways the Holy Ghost helps us. 1) He teaches and testifies of truth. 2) He prompts us to do good. And 3) He can bring things to our remembrance and fill our mouths. Of course, these aren't all the ways the Holy Ghost helps us, but if we stay worthy of his companionship, the Holy Ghost can show us ALL things what we should do. I hope y'all have a great week! 

Love,
Elder Mitchell

Saying goodbye to Elder N

New and old companions:

Elder B, Elder L, and Elder N 

Memorial Day workout with

Jake the Snake

A random tank for Memorial Day

He had to take his new companions to here 

since they're both from Utah