Bannon's Mission Blog: May 2016

Monday, May 30, 2016

No Time to Be Sick!

May 25, 2016

Another short email, sorry. Lots of people to write ;)

We have found some amazing families these past couple of weeks who have such great questions that come from their hearts and they actually love asking us things. For us as missionaries it is sometimes hard to answer in the perfect way or to find/use the scriptures needed to prove the answers and stuff. But for that reason, we study so much everyday and really focus on having the spirit strong with us so that we can be guided really well and say exactly what the people need to hear from us according to the spirit. But you don't just have the spirit in every second, but rather, you have to constantly prepare yourself/keep yourself worthy to have it. That comes by following the commandments, praying, and working daily to be better and more Christ-like. So in those moments during the lessons we had with these great people this week, I was so thankful for the power and guidance of the spirit which lead me to the exact scriptures I needed to back up what we were saying and to help the people in the greatest way I could. I don't know why this just changed to italics haha, but I don't have enough time to try and figure it out. Anyways, I challenge you all to constantly strive to have the spirit and obey the Lord and do His will.

In other news, half the mission has been sick with a nasty mosquito virus going around called La Siqua. I too had it for a couple of days and I'm not gonna lie, on Sunday I didn't think I was going to make it home because I was so sick and had such a bad fever and it was so hot that day. But I refused to let myself be weak even though I was really physically weak. I know that's stupid, but we just had such important lessons and appointments planned for that day so I refused to stay home or miss visiting any of the people. I just prayed and asked for help. I said, "Look, I am not dying, but I feel pretty dang close... haha.. so please Father, You gotta help me as I serve thee this day. Help me complete what I came here to do. I cannot, or better said, the people cannot afford to wait to hear this gospel any longer. A day does matter. So if I continue throughout this day, You gotta help me, please." And I received huge blessings during that day! I was able to go throughout the day feeling not too, too bad. And it was such a great day filled with awesome lessons and experiences! Super thankful. I paid the price when I got home of course, when I didn't sleep more than 4 hours that night haha, but the sacrifice/exchange was worth it. And I am healthy and good again now, so all is well :)

Sometimes we just gotta get over ourselves and our feelings, and put our trust in the Lord no matter what. If we do what He would have us do, and we serve him with all our heart and love, and give it all to Him, he will provide. I promise you.

This is my testimony. Until next week, I love you all and I love this great work, as challenging as it may be at times :)

Elder Greer

Election Time in the DR

May 18, 2016

So it has been raining like this whole month and last month too, but now it's back to desert heat so I am getting dark. We are sweating bullets! We probably should drink more water.

This week was amazing! We destroyed the zone numbers, Elder Rauda and I! We went on "splits" which is where my companion goes with another young man or man of our ward and I go with another person as well. We did that twice this week and were able to actually cover our huge area and get in a ton of lessons and visits! We had 30 lessons with a member which is a huge number and ended up reaching our high goal of 41 lessons in a week! That was a huge success and we were able to find a bunch of new people. The young men that helped us are both preparing for their missions and one of them leaves on his mission to Honduras the same day I go home. So it was super awesome for them too!

We also went to a member's house a few times in the morning this week so they could teach us how to make some traditional Dominican food. That was fun, I just don't have the patience or love to cook.

One of our investigators that I thought was going to progress a ton and really does want to get baptized and get married in the temple and everything told me that she wants me to baptize her and also that she wants to me my girlfriend... Yeah so we dropped her, haha. Well, we gave her to the sisters. -_-

Sunday was pretty insane. At like 12:30am I woke up jumping out of my bed to like 40 gun shots right outside my house like a street down! I don't know why it scared me so bad because that used to happen all the time in Salcedo, one of my old areas. I looked at my companion and he was just dead asleep because that happens every night where he comes from, haha. During the day the streets were packed because it was election day! Literally since the day I got here almost 2 years ago they have been preparing for the elections and now it's FINALLY over, thank heavens!! We only had church for an hour because everyone had to go vote and the streets were too crazy anyway. We had to return home at 6pm :/ My companion and I were way disappointed because we wanted to get more lessons if it were possible and beat our goal of 40 lessons and we had a sweet dinner appointment, but it's probably good we got home early.

We had 8 baptism dates but now we are down to just two :( The others still may be baptized, but need more time. We are going to have to work hard though because we have a good couple of things we have to help them with and they are kind of losing the excitement and goal of baptism. So pray for the following people!!

Gabriel, Family Fransisco, Joaquin.

Thanks :)

Ok well love you guys and me and my comp are working hard and killin' it! I refuse to go home any less! I'm gonna leave this area clutch.

But pray for us 'cause we need the blessings :)

Elder Greer

Happy Mothers Day!!

May 11, 2016

This week is going to be short and sweet cause I don't have any time :)

I loved seeing my family on Sunday even though I didn't even need to Skype because I will be home way too soon! But it was fun telling them about my lovely experiences with 8 inch tape worms and parasites! :)

Happy Mothers Day!!

This week was great! Especially yesterday because we went on splits and had tons of lessons with members! We did a fireside with all the ward leaders and missionaries of the ward and pumped them up to work more with us and find us people to teach and serve! It has been working great and we have been getting calls from them to help us instead of us calling them to help us! So that's great!

Still looking forward to our 8 baptism dates! Wish us luck and pray for my investigators! :)

Elder Greer

Me and Elder Green's plaques

The Francis's who I worked with in the office are leaving soon :(

Me and a member named Saul

Elder Rauda and I on a bike!

More Pictures

May 4, 2016

Us at a mission call opening of our super good friend and future missionary Rafi who has been patiently waiting for his call for over 3 months!! He's going to Honduras and leaves the same day I go home! We are going together!! He looks way unexcited about it in the pics... haha, but he is actually stoked!!

Blessings!

April 27, 2016

SUCH a fantastic week with my "son" here in Navarrete! He is such a boss missionary already and I love him so much! I am going to end my mission on such a high note. Blessed.

So on Wednesday, he had his first lesson. It was such a great lesson and we set a baptism date! What a fantastic first lesson, I was stoked!! Elder Rauda is a bit shy at first so I was nervous that he wouldn't talk much and stuff, but he totally surprised me in the lesson and did so awesome! It was like he has already had a ton of time on the mission.

Then for our last lesson that night, I had our mission leader come with us and we did a prank on Elder Rauda like how my trainer pranked me! We went to our mission leader's house and taught his parents as if they weren't members. They acted super anti-Mormon and asked a lot of weird and tough questions. My comp surprised the heck out of me as he handled every question so well and gave perfect answers and he was so excited and you could just see such a huge light in his eyes! It was amazing! Afterwards we told him that they were already members haha. He was like "Noooo! Hahaha No way! Dang it haha" it was way funny and he laughed a ton but me and the mission leader were like dude you were amazing!! It was great.

We had a bunch of super great lessons and great days this week! We set another FIVE baptism dates, we are so excited!!

We got so wet this week too because there has been tons of rain. Yesterday we literally were drenched from head to toe and had no jackets or umbrellas. The people thought we were crazy! But #dedication hopefully they saw that rain or shine, we work.

Elder Rauda and I are having such a fun time together. We are always laughing and having a blast together. He is super super humble too so it is really awesome for me because I am finishing the mission and he is starting, but we are equally learning from each other, I love it. He comes from a really hard background. It's really dangerous where he is from. He might not even be able to return to his house after the mission because the gangs where he lives are so bad that they kill people who move away sometimes, even if the people have nothing to do with them. Way sad. But the Lord will bless him. Speaking of, he has had such an amazing experience being blessed in the mission. When he left, he left to the MTC from his house crying because his dad didn't say goodbye to him because he was out drinking. Last week his stake president emailed him and it was the only email he got but it said that his WHOLE family has re-activated since he has left for the mission!! They were all inactive besides his brother and him, but now they are ALL active!! He was so happy and thankful. And he started crying today, like legit balling his eyes out because when we logged on to write, his family wrote him for the first time and he was just so emotional and happy and thankful. He has been able to share his blessing and experience about his family with many people here during the lessons and it just brings the spirit so strong.

I love my son! I love this area. I love my mission and I am so sad it is coming to an end soonish, but I am going to go out the best I can possibly leave it. I am blessed. Serve missions and you and your family will be blessed more than you even know! Just ask my companion!

Elder Greer

No Time To Write, Just Lots of Pictures!

April 20, 2016

I have absolutely no time, sorry. Hopefully the pictures make up for it. But basically I am super duper stoked on life because President called me on Sunday to train and I got my "son" this morning. He is super dope. He is from El Salvador and I was legit praying that I would get him. My trainer is from there and now my son/last companion too. I am so excited. He will be my last comp. We only have a couple of hours together but I already love him so much. Legit like a son. He is way humble and super ready and excited to serve and work hard and be obedient!

Wish me luck! Especially cause I have a son now!! Just imagine if I actually had a real son... I'd need the prayers! haha. The son more than me I am sure!

Oh, and the baptism of Manuel de Jesus happened this past week!! It was super sick!! so stoked for him!

Elder Greer

Dinner night at our "mom's" house. They taught me how to make super good Dominican white spaghetti so I can impress my future wife when I get home ;)