Missionary life in Dunellen, NJ - SO excited for General Conference!!!! Faith is the Power....

Study time in Dunellen, NJ

"Faith is the power, obedience is the price, love is the motive, the spirit is the key and Christ is the reason"! James E.Faust.

March 31, 2014

Dear Family,

   

How are you?  This last week has been a slow but an edifying week as well.  We could not get in contact with our investigators Santos, Nelson or Melvin, but have an appointment with Melvin this Thursday.  Hopefully we will meet with Santos this week.  We really tried to focus on getting people to go to the English class.  We have some investigators that will be coming for that this next week.  I am really excited!  I am so excited for General Conference.  We have been talking about it with our less actives and many are committing to watch it.  We promised them that as they watch it with a question in mind, it will be answered and edify them.  This last week we had a feeling to call a less active while we were contacting that we have not seen for a couple weeks.  We have called him every day and this time he answered and we set a time to visit him.  We visited a couple nights later and told us that he just lost his job and has had many health problems.  We planned to teach him about the Atonement which was what he needed to hear.  He committed to come to church that week and read the scriptures more frequently.  We also said farewell to two missionaries and had an opportunity to ask them any question we wanted.  It was a spiritual experience as they told about their funniest, scariest and spiritual story.  I really look up to them.  I also will be getting a new companion this week.  I will let you know next week.  The leather bag has been working great and I am very grateful for the waterproof feature.  Last night the Medina family fed us Papa la Huacaina!  It was really good and not to spicy.  They are a strong family and a great support to the branch.  They are very kind to the missionaries.  We then visited the Manzano family.  They also fed us but luckily it was not a lot.  They are another great family that has really applied the Gospel principles in their lives.  Yesterday we also had a farewell to a sister missionary who will be serving in Augusto Mar Chile mission.  She will be the first sister missionary from the Plainfield Branch.  Sunday was a spiritually uplifting day.  Thank you mom for sharing that thought on not judging others.  I have really seen that when we judge less, we have more room to love.  It is so true!! I love you all so much.  Thank you for your prayers and love.  

Love,

Elder Plummer  

A beautiful view from our apartment!

My wonderful district, they are great!!

This is where I live. Our apartment is on the second floor.

We walk by this street every day.

I try to make a smoothie every day, it keeps me going.

I guess, they take turns cutting their hair. A nice way to save some money. The things they learn on their missions.

    

I just met this great elder from Orem, Utah, he went to Mountain View High School

THE SPIRIT TESTIFIES THIS IS TRUE. WHAT AN AMAZING WEEK!!!

March 24, 2014

Hola familia,

   How is everyone?  This week has been very busy and spiritual. Thank you mom for the package!  It made our day.  I really appreciate it.   On Tuesday, I went on exchange with an elder from North Plainfield.  It was great and we contacted over 9 people on the streets and got a lot of information.  People on the streets are very willing to talk and are surprised that two gringos can talk in Spanish and are happy to talk with us.  Our goal was to contact with the Book of Mormon and found success using it.  It was a great exchange.  On Thursday, we found a new investigator!  His name is Nelson and he is from Guatemala and has a strong belief in God and Jesus Christ.  He let us in his house and we got to know him better.  Family is huge in his life and explained a little bit about the Plan of Salvation.  He has trouble reading but said he will try to read the Book of Mormon.  He felt the spirit and really opened up to us.  He also wanted us to download the scriptures on his phone.  He is very religious and expressed to us that he feels that if you accept Jesus Christ and God in your life and try to be good, you will be saved and do not need to belong to a church but said that church helps you gain that faith.  We explained a little bit about the restoration and focused more on the Book of Mormon.  He has a great basis we can start on and are going in more depth about the restoration next visit.  That night we had finished contacting and were heading home.  I felt that we needed to try our investigator Santos who lives close by.  We tried to contact him for about a week and a half but he was not answering.  I mentioned to my companion that we should try him and he said OK.  We knocked and waited for a couple minutes, then a guy answered the door, we had never seen him before and said that Santos didn’t live there.  We thought he moved but and was about to close the door when Santos came to the door the last second.  We were relieved and excited to see him.  He said he had time for a lesson.  We read 2 Nephi 32 with him and explained each verse to him because he said he had been struggling understanding the Book of Mormon.  We then asked him if we could all kneel down and pray to ask if the Book of Mormon was true and after he finished praying wait in silence until he received an answer.  He said the prayer and waited for the answer, we then asked how he felt and he said he felt at peace and calm.  We then told him that is the Holy Ghost testifying to you that the Book of Mormon is true.  The spirit was so strong in the room and he knew it was true.  What a great experience!!!  On Friday, I went on exchange with one of the Zone Leaders and taught one of their investigators named Brian.  We taught him the Gospel of Jesus Christ in English and shared scriptures from 2 Nephi 31.  He received what we taught him very well and when we asked him to commit to be baptized he said he didn't know. We then asked if he knew these things were true, if he would be baptized.  He said he would and committed him to be baptized on April 20th.  I am very excited for him.  We then did a lot of door contacting and many just said they were not interested.  It was good experience though.  Learned a lot from the exchange; we have hard working zone leaders.  They are great.   On Saturday, we had coordination and talked with a less active for a little bit.  My companion was feeling a little sick so we stayed in for a little.  We then taught Santos again about the restoration more in depth and tried to focus on the great apostasy.  This time he really understood that our church has the only priesthood authority on the earth and the only true church on the earth.  It was a great lesson.  Sunday we had at three less actives and Santos come to church.  It was great and we had more people attend the branch this time.  In gospel essentials, we taught about the five principles of the Gospel more in depth and had a good discussion with the less actives and investigators in the class.  Santos stayed for the whole three hours and said he enjoyed it.  That night we met with Santos again and taught him the first part of the Plan of Salvation.  I taught a little bit more and had a great experience.  He received it well and we committed him to pray about the Plan of Salvation and to take down the statue saints he used to pray to.  He said he would.  It has been a spiritual week.  I love you all so very much.  Thank you for your prayers and love.      

Love,

Elder Plummer

First month in Dunellen, New Jersey - A week of some awesome trainings!!!

Marzo 17, 2014

Hola Familia:

              ¿Cómo están todos?  This week has been very busy.  We did not get a lot of teaching done because of a lot of trainings.  On Wednesday we had a New Missionary Specialized Training with our President.  It was a very spiritual experience as he had each one of us share how we have been doing.  He also talked about our purpose as a missionary more in depth using 2 Nephi 31.  President Jeppson is an inspired man and has so much love for us, missionaries.  Thursday and Friday we had Specialized leadership meeting which was all day for each day.  It was great and really learned how to improve my teaching and to teach with the spirit.  We did a lot of role plays and had different situations for each one, it was great.
       This week we visited with our investigator Luz and with her boyfriend who is a member.  When we asked her if she had been reading in the Book of Mormon, she said yes and she is even reading other church manuals.  We were so excited and committed her to read the Book of Mormon everyday with her boyfriend.  Her boyfriend said we will start tomorrow, but then Luz said we need to start reading tonight.  And then, they had a little argument and consented to read tonight.  When we saw her desire to read, we then invited her to be baptized and she said, she will think and pray about it.  Elder Jeffries said this will be his third or fourth time committing her to baptism and he thinks we are very close.   We also visited the Medina family, they are a very strong family in the church and talked with Milton who is a returned missionary.  He served in the Philadelphia mission and told us some really cool stories.  They are an awesome family from Peru, they fed us Carne Asada which was really good.   We taught them about the power of prayer and had a very spiritual lesson.
        We also taught a recent convert family, the Manzanos.  They are so eager to progress further into the church and to enter into the temple.  They are such a faithful family.  They have three kids that are 10, 8 and a little girl that is 2.  Last week we invited the senior couple the Baileys to come teach about family scripture study.  They taught how they had family scripture study every morning and how their kids really were strengthened by that, and all 7 of their kids are active in the church.  After they heard this, the Manzanos wanted to have family scripture study and we committed them to do it every day.  They are such a great family and they always want to feed us.  The father's hope is that one day his boys will serve missions.   Church was great and had many less actives and investigators attend.  In Gospel Essentials, we taught the principle of revelation to the less actives and investigators.  Many felt the spirit very strongly and want to come back next week.  It was a great Sunday.  The article was great about the CCM dedication. I love you all so much!  Thank you so much for your love and prayers.

 Love,

Elder Plummer

March 10, 2014 - Feel very blessed!

March 10, 2014

Hola familia:

    Thank you so much for the protein powder.  I really liked the bars as well. This week has been busy as usual and spiritual as well.  Our area covers three cities Dunellen, Plainfield and North Plainfield.  Most of the members live in Plainfield and North Plainfield.  Last week we taught our investigator Luz, she is from Colombia, I think.  He husband is a member and makes an effort to bring his wife to church.  They are great.  When we arrived, they fed us and went right into the lesson.  When we asked how was reading the Book of Mormon, she said that she read 3 Nephi 11 and watched the restoration video two times and is very impressed with Joseph Smith.  This time she really opened up with us and asked us questions on why we don't do certain things in our church compared to the Catholic Church.  Such as the cross and so on, and my companion gave a great response about how we focus on the resurrection.  She received it very well.  A senior couple in this area came with us, since they have become very good friends with Hernán and Luz.   It was a great visit.

       Our other investigator Santos was very busy this week and we did not have a chance to visit him, but still has his baptismal date on April 13th.  We did visit our other investigator/less active Melvin who is the one that does not have any baptismal records.  He has a great testimony and has really turned his life around to follow the gospel of Christ.  He is a great example and he always wants to come with us to do missionary work.  He has set his baptismal date for April 13th and we have been working on the lessons with him. The rest of the time we are contacting on the streets.  Our goal is to get 11 contacts a day.  Most days we get 7 to 9.  Many Hispanics are willing to talk with us and have a couple of potential down already. Most of them are from Guatemala and have had little time in the States.  They are religious humble people.  It has been great.  Our ward mission leader is amazing.  He is a humble guy from El Salvador that has a night job.  He has done great accompanying us and getting us referrals.  We also visit less actives.  Many have strong testimonies of the church but have a job on Sundays and so it’s hard for them to come to church.  They are great people and I feel their great spirits.  The other night we ate at the 1st councilor’s home and had a Salvadorian dish called Pooposas.  They are the best!  They are beans, cheese with seasoning put into dough and then you cook them on a griddle with oil and they are ready.  Then you serve them with lettuce and veggies.  Every Saturday the branch gets together and we play indoor soccer.  It is fun and also a great way to get some contacts.  We have had success on street contacting and have gotten many phone numbers and addresses.  Many of the people we contacted are from Guatemala.  They are a humble and spiritual people and listen to what we have to say.  I know the Lord has blessed us.  As we keep his commandments and repent he will bless us daily! I love you all so much!  Thank you for your prayers and love.  

Love you,

Elder Plummer