Easter Preparations

This week was full of administering rather than ministering, but we
were able to get a little work done still.

8 March
we had Stake Reports. We did it fast so that we could do
some service with Jesse Bennett. after service we had dinner followed
by our weekly meeting with the Stake Presidency.

9 March
we had a long meeting down in Independence. We were there
from about 8-4:30 so, yea, it took a long time. After that we had
to grab some stuff from the mission office before going straight to
dinner. After dinner we had to prepare for a meeting we were going to
have Friday where we take the information we got and condense it
into less than half of the time.

10 March
  We did some studies and We actually worked on this thing we were
building for J. B's birthday. So they have an American flag
in an old window that's hanging on their wall, and we found some old
windows sitting outside of an empty apartment that we were trying one
day so we snagged them, had a member order the marine and "Don't Tread
on Me" flags, bought some ply wood, which the gentlemen were nice
enough to cut to size, and nails and a few other small things and made
these with the two flags inside of the windows!! Haha, innovation.
J has basically become our brother here so we are super pumped to
give them to him. Well, after we finished those
we went to lunch with our ward mission leader to the restaurant of an
investigator of the sisters but they sort of gave him to us to work
with since they have been struggling to visit with Him.  After lunch
we tried to visit a few people and finish getting ready for the
meeting. We had dinner and then a visit with A.

11 March 
  Well, we had zone training in the morning. I
had the opportunity to discuss the power of our calling as
missionaries and the magnitude of that calling. Other trainings were
on preparing lessons, the new Easter Initiative, and the Doctrine of
Christ and its importance, there were a few more as well. The meeting
went well. Afterward we had a good discussion with the sisters about
how we can help the ward out the most. after the meeting our zone had
lunch together which is always a fun experience. Then we went and did
service at the thrift store. Following service we went to the
homecoming party of a returning missionary in our ward. He served in
Chile. It was our dinner for the night and we got to visit with a lot
of members which is always good. We had to bail on the party because
we had a lesson with M. S. where we talked about missionary
work, eternal families, and temples and the work done there.

12 March
  So we had Elder Deschler, the area authority, Elder Willford W.
Andersen of the seventy, he gave the talk The Music of the Gospel last
April in conference, and of course, Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the
quorum of the twelve apostles. The meeting was great. There was a lot,
and I mean a LOT of emphasis on the spirit and its role with our
investigators. Elder Andersen talked about how investigators don't
just need to feel the spirit but to act on it to become converted.
Elder Stevenson talked about the need for us to follow spiritual
promptings. He talked about how we would feel so confident if Elder
Holland was our companion, but we have the Holy Ghost, who knows even
more than Elder Holland does so we shouldn't be afraid at all; I
really liked that part. Something else was, at the beginning they
requested to shake each of our hands, so they stood at the front of
the chapel and we got to shake their hands one by one. All-in-all, it
was an experience I will never forget. From the moment Elder Stevenson
walked into the chapel, I knew he was an apostle of the Lord, no doubt
about it. Well, after the meeting we ended up going to lunch and a ton
of other missionaries showed up, as in, like 30 other missionaries. It
was pretty fun! After lunch we went to the visitors center in
Independence with A. and his friends K. and K. After the
visitors center we basically had to go directly to dinner. After
dinner we had a visit with S. D. where we began
reteaching him the missionary discussions for the new members.

13 March
  We did studies then had our weekly correlation meeting. We had ward
council and then ward choir practice, we are singing "Beautiful
Savior" next week for Easter. Sacrament meeting was really good. The
talks were on faith, family history, and not criticizing/judging. The
Bishop talked on not judging and man it was one of the best talks I've
ever heard! Sunday School was on the Lord's Law for Health. Priesthood
was good, we came in a little late because we introduced the new
Easter video in opening exercises for Priesthood and then for relief
society as well and when we got back we only caught the tail end of
the lesson. After church we tried to contact a few people before
dinner with not much luck. After dinner we had a lesson with a lady we
had talked to the day before on her porch. In the lesson we talked
about what Christ has done for us and what he can do if we allow him
to. We shared the new Easter video and discussed how, through meeting
with us, she will be able to feel the Holy Spirit more and feel Gods
love for her more in her life.

Well, this week was definitely riddled with meetings. The only day
without any meetings or assignments to fill was Thursday - every other
day was partially taken up with some sort of responsibility to do, but
these times come and go. Sometimes we need the attitude of "This Too
Shall Pass" to help us recognize the good times for what they are and
not take them for granted and to see hope in the dark times. I would
like to invite you all to watch the new Easter video at
followhim.mormon.org, and then to share it on social media with a
brief testimony of how you've found new life through Christ with the
hashtag "#Hallelujah". What a great opportunity to proclaim our love
for our Savior. I hope and pray everyone is doing well. Please pray
for S. D. as he is going through a lot of health problems
right now. Take care!

Much love
Elder Hinrichsen