Weekly Update

This week has flown by, it seems that it was just a few days ago that I was writing emails.  We had a good week.  Alot of our Appointments fell through but we had backup plans to tract and also visit less active members.  Even though we don't find much success Tracting, we find that when we have success elsewhere.  For example, we had plans to go teach a lesson with an investigator but it fell through. So we decided to go visit some less active members in the area.  We got to their house but their neighbors were loading stuff from their shared porch into the house so we decided to go around the block and try again.  When we got there we knocked but got no answer.  As we turned to leave, they pulled up in their car. We found out that it had been a rough day for her, her husband had left her that morning and she was feeling stressed and sad.  She recognized that she had a desire to return to church and that our visit was a sign of sorts that it was time to do so.  We realized that if we would have just stopped by another time instead of going around the block we would have missed her.  She ended up coming to church with her two daughters, one of which isn't yet baptized.  So even though things aren't going the way that they are "supposed to" things always work out and we notice miracles.  There was a saying that we heard in our district meeting that has become our goal.  It goes '' Obedience brings blessings, but Exact obedience brings miracles." I know that is true.  I've found that as I diligently study the scriptures and pray, God blesses me with opportunities to teach and bless peoples lives.  This week has been full of little miracles like this where our plans fell through but everything worked out.  I'm loving the work.  I know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love us so much and have promised us countless blessings and miracles if we merely do what they ask. 

I hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Elder Jackson Moroni Ward

CORRECTED ADDRESS!!!!
So I received a different Mission home address from Jackson today, I don't know what address I had on the blog earlier, but disregard that address.  Here it is:

Elder Jackson Ward
Wisconsin Milwaukee Mission
7111 W Edgerton Ave Ste 100
Greenfield, WI 53220

His email is jackson.ward@myldsmail.net

He would love to hear from you!

 

(email sent August 12, 2013)

I've successfully arrived in the Sheboygan Wisconsin Zone.  After arriving in the Milwaukee Airport at 8:30 ish on Tuesday morning all thirty ish of us met President Cutler and his wife and daughter and then got in the mission vans and headed for the stake center near the mission home.  We weren't able to sleep after being up for 40 hours because we would have gotten our sleep schedule all messed up so instead we watched the Testament movie, and did personal study while we were interviewed by president Cutler.  We had a newcomers meeting and meals at the Stake center and then retired to a nearby hotel for bed at 8:30.  The next morning on Wednesday we went back to the stake center to receive our Trainers and be assigned to a zone.  My companion is Elder Cranney from Roosevelt Utah.  He's been here for 5 months and He's awesome.  He loves the Lord and loves to serve, He's a hard worker and we get along well. Sheboygan city zone and the surrounding areas.  It's right on the shores of lake Michigan, (attached photos).  Sheboygan is an interesting city i've been told and also seen for myself.  Brats were invented right here in Sheboygan and we've already had a brat cookout at a members house. The member was a guy named Brother Klunk.  He is a recent convert (January) and is retired, he loves to spend time with the missionaries, he goes with us as a member to our appointments whenever we need him.  Our zone uses cars but we have limited miles, but he always volunteers to drive us where ever we need to go.  He's awesome.  The weather is quite nice, I came at the perfect time.  It's only hot in direct sunlight if there is no breeze.  If you are in the shade and its breezy then its perfect.  The humidity isn't too bad but its noticeable.  The apartment I live in isn't too bad, we've got a big table and living room to study in but we have a tiny kitchen.  There were two other elders living in our apartment but we helped them move to an apartment downstairs on Saturday.  The Ward is quite large for the area that we're in but we hope to make it grow.  Our District has 3 companion ships; I'm in the English companion ship, there is the Hmong Elders, and the Spanish elders .  On Sunday our district ate at the Bishops house and got to know him and his family better.   The days go pretty smoothly, we wake up and have time to exercise, usually we play basketball or tennis at a nearby park, or sometimes we have a nerf war in basement of our apartment against the Hmong elders.  After exercise we get ready and eat then begin studying.  We study personally for an hour then we have two hours of companion study.  Usually we follow studies with lunch and then begin tracting or go to the appointments that we have set up for the day.  We either have a dinner appointment or return for dinner at the apartment and continue tracting until 9 where we plan for the next day then hang out and write in our journals.  I love it here and I'm so glad I have so much time to learn from the scriptures and the spirit.  I've really recognized the blessings that I've received and I can only hope that I can serve my hardest for these two short years.  If you want to send me letters, the best way is to send them to the mission home. Packages need to be priority mail or first class, not ups or fedex, and those will need to be sent to the mission home as well.

I love and miss you all!

God loves us! The Church is True!

Here is a letter Jackson sent from the MTC, dated July 30th, 2013

 

 

Hey Everyone,  

      I am having such a good time at the MTC. I love the classes and the teachers, there is so much spiritual knowledge to be had.  We have had classes everyday, pretty much all day. But its great! Our district is amazing, we have two sister companion ships and three elders companion ships.  We have classes together during the day and then have a devotional at night, we eat together just chill.  On Sunday we were able to go walk around the Provo Temple and it was a blast.  We also got to watch a recorded Christmas devotional by Elder Bednar that talked all about growing closer to Christ by turning outward and serving others before ourselves when the natural man would turn inwards.  When we turn outwards then we are spiritualy enlightened. 

 I have been called as the district leader and have loved serving my district, I know it has blessed me by getting to know the members in my district better and have an increased love for them. In our class we have teachers who role play as investigators who they had on their missions. It is unreal how you can be talking to a teacher in one room and then they leave to another room, you go in to teach and it is a comletley different person with real problems who you can teach and help grow. For example we have an investigator named Steve who knows of God and Jesus Christ but didnºt think that they knew about him as an individual. So in our lesson we taught him that God loves him and testified to him that God cares, we then had him pray and taugh him that the feeling he had was the spirit.  We invited him to pray at nights and also pray and read the book of mormon.  When we study we are able to leave ourselves out of the equation and focus on our investigators needs and learn for them and I always find that I learn something that I need and grow in spirit and faith.

 

My time is out but I love you all and guess what, next week is fast Sunday

 Love,

           Elder Ward

Hi everyone,

Elder Ward flew from SLC to Milwaukee last night.  We got to talk to him at 11:30 pm in Salt Lake, and again at 5:30 am during his layover in Detroit.  He sounds so great!  He loved the MTC, and is excited to find out where he is going to serve. 

Top picture:  His district.  He was the District Leader, and he told me it was such a great experience.  He got to know everyone really well, and quickly. 
Middle picture:  Elders in his district.
Bottom picture:  His companion, Elder Shine from St. George.

Hi family and friends,

Welcome to Elder Ward's blog!  He is flying to Wisconsin tonight, so we should get a phone call around midnight.  We are definitely looking forward to hearing from him!  He has loved the MTC.
The mission address is:

Wisconsin Milwaukee Mission 5651 Broad Street, Suite: #1,
Greendale, WI  53129

Thanks for all of your love and support.  It has meant a lot to all of us!