#blizzard2016

The last two months there was no snow! Christmas Day was about 70 degrees! Saturday the snow we were supposed to have this hole winter came all at once! Hahahha! It was pretty crazy!

We had the opportunity to go on two exchanges this past week. One with The Sparta Elders, Elder Adolf and Elder Gacad at the beginning of the week. It Went great! Elder Adolf is a great missionary and has endured a lot on his mission. He pretty much has chronic head aces but always has the best attitude about everything! I learned so much from him! Great example to me. 

Wednesday we had a World wide Missionary Broad Cast which was AMAZING! Some Apostles and members of the 70 spoke to us! Elder Anderson, Elder Bednar, and Elder Oaks spoke! The main Topic was on Teaching Repentance and Baptism. My Favorite was Elder Badnar's training with a bunch of missionaries from the Salt Lake City mission. He gave counsel on how "the Holy Ghost is the teacher... With the presence of the Holy Ghost in our teaching and lessons we can be the conduit to change. 

Be the Vessel.. The Instrument! of Change by feeling and using the Holy Ghost.

We cannot drive the Holy Ghost into the hearts of these people. We can deliver it unto them... in such a way that we help them to discover the source of these new feelings for themselves. This must be a personal discovery!" Such an awesome broadcast!

Friday night we went on Exchange with the Office Elders that actually lived with us for a short time! Friday night we met up and swapped companions. I was with Elder Parsons in their area. We really got know each other really well... When we got back from our appointment around 9 went it started snowing... Really hard, and didn't stop all night! We woke up the next morning to the blizzard and a text from President Taggart saying we couldn't go out that day... Hahaha so we couldn't exchange back! Stuck in the apartment all day! Sunday morning we helped Elder Ricks (senior missionary) and everyone else in the their apartment complex dig their cars out of the snow! Luckily Elder and Sister Ricks live in the same complex as the Office Elders so they had us over for Breakfast:) we still weren't allowed to drive so Elder Rick helped us Exchange Back yesterday and Elder Woodward and Elder Larsen had spent the whole day Helping people dig their cars out as well! Haha so it was a great day of service! Everyone knows who we are now because the lady across the hall who we helped get her car out introduced everyone we helped in the parking lot as her "Angels" Hahahah. 

 Well even though we have obstacle in our lives we must overcome them by sharing the gospel! The gospel must go forth to the whole earth wether it's with or without us as individuals.. I know that to be true! 

Love you all! Thank you for your love and Prayers! Be a light in someone's life this week! I know I'll try to be!

-Elder Fotu

 

 

Good stuff!

This past week was good one! We met some really cool people to tech! 

One lady her name was Venessa she has two kids is Catholic but like the idea of a Prophet instead of a Pope! She is very open to the gospel! We are very excited for her! 

Friday was MLC and we talked about the culture of our missions and how we did last year. President  Taggart came out with our theme this year! It's "BECOME GOD'S INSTRUMENT". Become is a powerful word in my opinion! I always think of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and how we can Become Better through this Atonement. 

Someone who is becoming better is our Buddy Domonico Camittiello! He cut down from a full pack, to a half a pack of cigarettes a day!! He's coming along and cracks us all up! He left church 3rd hour and we were wondering where he went! So later in the day yesterday at a members house for Family Home Evening, he showed up and we asked him where he went for 3rd hour and all he said in his thick Italian accent was " the Jets Lost.." Hahahah! We told him if he would have stayed in church instead of going to watch the game they would have won!

Our other investigator Renee is doing good. She is still trying to get work off so she can come to church.. But she met Sister Taggart and really liked her!We're trying to get some single adults to hook up with her so she can build up the faith to come to church! 

All your prayers have definitely helped him! Please keep praying for him as well as Venessa and Renee! 

Love you all! Thank you for all your prayers!

-Elder Fotu

Domonico Champitiello (Italian Pirate)

 

 

New Year

Well I hope everyone had a great Christmas! I did until my companion
got sick.. I think it was the place we ate at on Christmas Eve.. But
right after we were done talking to our families Elder Woodward looked
at me and was like "Elder Fotu we gotta go back to the apartment like
right now!" Hahah so that was that for our Christmas night.. But I did
read a lot while he was resting. I sat down and just read and read in
the Book of Mormon. I haven't been able to do that in a long time so
it was very refreshing!
Saturday morning Elder Woodward still was pretty sick and we found out
one of the other Elders in our Ward was super sick too so we stuck the
two Flu bugs in our apartment and I went out and worked with Elder
Wildman! It was Great! They had nothing going on that day in their
area so we just went and knocked doors for a while and found some
really cool people in their area!
Yesterday after church Elder Woodward drank some Peptobismo and
decided to tuff it out for the rest of the night!
We're working with this guy named Domonic! He has been keeping all the
commitments we leave him but he's been smoking a pack a day since he
was like 14!! We've been really working hard to help him quit! He
needs a lot of prayer! Please pray for him!

Thank you for all the Christmas Wishes! Thoughts, prayers and Love to
all of you!

-Elder Fotu

Merry Merry Christmas!

Family and Friends! As this Christmas is nearing I especially feel
closer to you not only because my time here in New Jersey is shorter
than I'm used to, but because the Spirit of the Lord is with you and
me more than usual as we celebrate the Saviors Birth!
I just want to bare my witness to you that I know our Savior lives and
loves us all! He died for our sins and we can find hope and joy in his
love, we just have to follow him as beacons us through out the
scriptures. One of my favorites is in Luke 18:22 as He invites us to
give away all we have and follow him. I know that as we do this, we
will see the spiritual and temporal blessings that our Heavenly Father
has in store for us!

Have a very merry Christmas and an amazing New Year!!
May we keep Him in our thoughts always.

Thank you for all of your love and prayers!

-Elder Fotu

Busy Busy!

It's been hectic week! Christmas party's, General Authority Christmas
Fireside and some sweet lessons! Sadly I don't have to much time to
talk about all of it because it's transfers!! Good news is Elder
Woodward and I are staying here in Ledgewood! Super pumped about
that!! We are Excited about this next 7 week Transfer!
We started teaching this Kid named Osama! He's a Muslim guy from
Egypt! Super cool kid, he 15 but he looks like he's 20! He's got a
full blown beard!! Super awesome!
Renee is still doing great! We found out the reason she haven't been
coming to church is because she's got a little bit of social anxiety..
So please pray for her so that she can over come that!
Elder Evens was Awesome! He shared a lot of great insights and really
helped me personally! Is was like a live action general conference! A
lot of great questions and answers given. Talked mainly about
Obedience, Desire and Repentance. Before he came he had the hole
mission read Alma 17-42 to prep for what he talked about. He compared
a lot of what Alma and the sons of Mosiah did to our missionary work
today. How their Obedience, Desire and Repentance helped them reap so
much success! Great Meeting. Great Man!
Our Ward Christmas party was on my birthday Saturday. Great fun!
We had a musical fireside as a mission yesterday. Great spiritual
experience! Great feeling the Christmas spirit singing carols because
it hasn't felt like Christmas because it's been sunny and 65 out here!
But there was a grateful spirit for Christ there.

Thanks ERRBODY!
Love you!

-Elder Fotu

Elder Wildman & I: