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| Left to Right Elder Oakly, Elder Holbrook, Horacio Lucero, Elder Jacobson, and Elder Ipson. Below Nathan Lucero (Seven years old) |
Sent: Monday, March 05, 2012 9:42 AM
It was one year ago I made my way into the mission. March 3rd of 2011. I saw President Jensen with a Lavender Purple tie come up and ask me if I was the Chinese speaking missionary! This year is was Elder Bednar saying,"Thank you Elder Ipson" as we finished our meeting. Later that night, it was seeing Horacio enter the waters of Baptism, and telling me he was going to call his lawyers because the water was cold!
There is something remarkable how things happen on specific days. Especially a landmark day like that... Enough nostalgia I'm sure you all are going crazy to find out what all happened!
This all goes back to Tuesday. We still had to teach, Chastity, Tithing, The Word of Wisdom, 6/10 of the 10 Commandments, and Obedience. Quite a Laundry list of things to teach in one setting, no? Well that's what we did! We got Brother Harris with us for this lesson, and we fired out the commandments. Elder Jacobson did the best he could, but this was the first time he'd ever taught any of the Commandments in Spanish. The main load was on me and Brother Harris. The pattern we followed. We taught, testified, invited, and promised the blessings. To each of the commandments he could repeat it, and crack a joke about it.
By the end all of us were exhausted! It only took and hour to get through the material, but it was a packed hour of feeling the Spirit!
The following day was his interview. Our district leader Elder Oakley did the interview. (See photo; he is the Red-Head). This was his first interview, so... Who knew what was going to happen! The interview took 40 minutes! All of us were nerve-wracked! Sister Lucero far surpassed the anxiousness that we had! He came out with a smile, and Elder Oakley handed me the form, with his John Hancock. He passed! Now it was a matter to get this whole service put together in three days.
To make a long story short... We got it done. Phone calls were made, and a few trips to the Library were made to make the program. 3 Bottles of Lime-a-way were bought to clean out the Font. (It needed a lot of TLC. Rust Streaks and Calcium build-up). Lots of preparation were made in these few days we had. Not to mention the few lessons we had scheduled here and there.
Stressful as it was, it was worth it! This baptism was very well attended. Most of the branch was able to make it. The man who baptized Horacio was a past Branch President here. Brother Luis Zepeda. To give you the background on him... The Lucero family was the first family he ever visited as a branch president. At the beginning Horacio, was a bit stand-off-ish. He didn't really want anything to do with the church. However Horacio for some reason let President Zepeda in. They got talking, and at one point President Zepeda told Horacio he'd make a great Branch President. Horacio replied,"but I'm not even a member! How could I be?"
So with that story we have the man who baptized him, and a Branch President's old prophesy. The stars aligned this day! The baptism ran smoothly. There wasn't a single hiccup. The Spirit was strong, and the Branch has already picked him up as a member. It was great to see that he already had good friendship throughout the Branch! In all honesty our job was easy here!
The confirmation happened the next day. Horacio had Brother Harris give him the Holy Ghost. It was a thrill, more of a thrill I believe. To give him the Holy Ghost. To baptize him with the "Fire" that the Savior spoke of. That same day we were able to eat with the Lucero family, and Horacio was his same joking self, but there was something greatly different about him. It wasn't how he was acting, rather a different light about him. It's interesting to think back about that and realize the difference in his countanance.
Now, I won't neglect the visit of Elder Bednar. That was quite an experience! Beforehand he had asked us to read a pair of talks he had given at earlier times. They were both on the topic of Faith. By no means did he lecture to us. Give us a sermon, but counseled with us! From the very beginning he had us share what we had learned from the literature he had given us. He would then ask us questions to help apply it to ourselves, or to gain a greater understanding. We learned the basics like, faith comes from action, to more detailed doctrine, that we aren't immidiatly blessed for our faith. He showed us scriptures in Alma 26 that illustrate that God gives to us blessings. We qualify with our faith and action, but it is the will of God to give whatever it may be, to us.
Later, he opened up the floor to us. Wow... a chance to ask an Apostle what-ever you wanted! I had my own question, but it was answered by another's question. What I learned, is that Apostles are representatives to the name of Christ, and can testify in all aspects of him. Their testimonies are in dependant, and have power of no other man. This was something I knew, but it had different meaning coming from his own mouth, being 50 ft, away from the pulpit.
It is now my desire, to come to know the Savior more. Especially with Easter in this coming month. For me there is no better time, than to study of Him. Elder Bednar left us with a promise, in-fact these were the last words of his testimony.
(as you lose yourself in the work)..."You will not only know of Him, but will come to know Him". I want to take that promise and use it to the fullest! That is my desire, with the time I have here! To come to know Him.
I love you all so much, and I see so many blessings that the Lord has given me! I thank you so much for your support, for your love, and letters. I hope you all have a great week, and all goes well this week!
Para Siempre,
Elder Ipson
The Great Ohio Columbus Mission
There is something remarkable how things happen on specific days. Especially a landmark day like that... Enough nostalgia I'm sure you all are going crazy to find out what all happened!
This all goes back to Tuesday. We still had to teach, Chastity, Tithing, The Word of Wisdom, 6/10 of the 10 Commandments, and Obedience. Quite a Laundry list of things to teach in one setting, no? Well that's what we did! We got Brother Harris with us for this lesson, and we fired out the commandments. Elder Jacobson did the best he could, but this was the first time he'd ever taught any of the Commandments in Spanish. The main load was on me and Brother Harris. The pattern we followed. We taught, testified, invited, and promised the blessings. To each of the commandments he could repeat it, and crack a joke about it.
By the end all of us were exhausted! It only took and hour to get through the material, but it was a packed hour of feeling the Spirit!
The following day was his interview. Our district leader Elder Oakley did the interview. (See photo; he is the Red-Head). This was his first interview, so... Who knew what was going to happen! The interview took 40 minutes! All of us were nerve-wracked! Sister Lucero far surpassed the anxiousness that we had! He came out with a smile, and Elder Oakley handed me the form, with his John Hancock. He passed! Now it was a matter to get this whole service put together in three days.
To make a long story short... We got it done. Phone calls were made, and a few trips to the Library were made to make the program. 3 Bottles of Lime-a-way were bought to clean out the Font. (It needed a lot of TLC. Rust Streaks and Calcium build-up). Lots of preparation were made in these few days we had. Not to mention the few lessons we had scheduled here and there.
Stressful as it was, it was worth it! This baptism was very well attended. Most of the branch was able to make it. The man who baptized Horacio was a past Branch President here. Brother Luis Zepeda. To give you the background on him... The Lucero family was the first family he ever visited as a branch president. At the beginning Horacio, was a bit stand-off-ish. He didn't really want anything to do with the church. However Horacio for some reason let President Zepeda in. They got talking, and at one point President Zepeda told Horacio he'd make a great Branch President. Horacio replied,"but I'm not even a member! How could I be?"
So with that story we have the man who baptized him, and a Branch President's old prophesy. The stars aligned this day! The baptism ran smoothly. There wasn't a single hiccup. The Spirit was strong, and the Branch has already picked him up as a member. It was great to see that he already had good friendship throughout the Branch! In all honesty our job was easy here!
The confirmation happened the next day. Horacio had Brother Harris give him the Holy Ghost. It was a thrill, more of a thrill I believe. To give him the Holy Ghost. To baptize him with the "Fire" that the Savior spoke of. That same day we were able to eat with the Lucero family, and Horacio was his same joking self, but there was something greatly different about him. It wasn't how he was acting, rather a different light about him. It's interesting to think back about that and realize the difference in his countanance.
Now, I won't neglect the visit of Elder Bednar. That was quite an experience! Beforehand he had asked us to read a pair of talks he had given at earlier times. They were both on the topic of Faith. By no means did he lecture to us. Give us a sermon, but counseled with us! From the very beginning he had us share what we had learned from the literature he had given us. He would then ask us questions to help apply it to ourselves, or to gain a greater understanding. We learned the basics like, faith comes from action, to more detailed doctrine, that we aren't immidiatly blessed for our faith. He showed us scriptures in Alma 26 that illustrate that God gives to us blessings. We qualify with our faith and action, but it is the will of God to give whatever it may be, to us.
Later, he opened up the floor to us. Wow... a chance to ask an Apostle what-ever you wanted! I had my own question, but it was answered by another's question. What I learned, is that Apostles are representatives to the name of Christ, and can testify in all aspects of him. Their testimonies are in dependant, and have power of no other man. This was something I knew, but it had different meaning coming from his own mouth, being 50 ft, away from the pulpit.
It is now my desire, to come to know the Savior more. Especially with Easter in this coming month. For me there is no better time, than to study of Him. Elder Bednar left us with a promise, in-fact these were the last words of his testimony.
(as you lose yourself in the work)..."You will not only know of Him, but will come to know Him". I want to take that promise and use it to the fullest! That is my desire, with the time I have here! To come to know Him.
I love you all so much, and I see so many blessings that the Lord has given me! I thank you so much for your support, for your love, and letters. I hope you all have a great week, and all goes well this week!
Para Siempre,
Elder Ipson
The Great Ohio Columbus Mission
