Mike's Mission - December 2007

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=110 BGCOLOR="#FFFF66" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="03c006e0dkfegl.gif"> <div>                          <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > Michael's Mission Page</FONT>      <IMG SRC="04e55390.gif" border=0 width="85" height="57" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div>                     California Santa Rosa Mission  June 2006 - June 2008    |   <A HREF="http://www.theHaslams.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.theHaslams.com"><U>theHaslams.com</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=190 BGCOLOR="#009933" TEXT="#080000" background="03dbec00ddwnzy.gif"> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Michaels Mission Front Page"><U><B>Front Page</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="latest_news.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Michaels Mission Latest News"><U><B>Latest News</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="photo_album.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission Photo Album"><U><B>Photo Album</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="companions.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Michaels Mission Companions"><U><B>Companions</B></U></A></div> <div> <B>=====================</B></div> <div> <A HREF="may_2008.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission May 2008"><U><B>May 2008</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="april_2008.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission April 2008"><U><B>April 2008</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="march_w008.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission March 2008"><U><B>March 2008</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="february_2008.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission February 2008"><U><B>February 2008</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="january_2008.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission January 2008"><U><B>January 2008</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="december_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission December 2007"><U><B>December 2007</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="november_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission November 2007"><U><B>November 2007</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="october_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission October 2007"><U><B>October 2007</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="september_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission September 2007"><U><B>September 2007</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="august_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission August 2007"><U><B>August 2007</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="july_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission July 2007"><U><B>July 2007</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="june_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mike_Mission June 2007"><U><B>June 2007</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="may_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission May 2007"><U><B>May 2007</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="april_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission April 2007"><U><B>April 2007</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="march_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission March 2007"><U><B>March 2007</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="february_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes mission February 2007"><U><B>February 2007</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="january_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Michaels Mission January 2007"><U><B>January 2007</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="december_2006.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Michaels Mission December 2006"><U><B>December 2006</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="november_2006.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Michaels Mission November 2006"><U><B>November 2006</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="october_2006.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Michaels Mission October 2006"><U><B>October 2006</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="september_2006.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Michaels Mission September 2006"><U><B>September 2006</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="august_2006.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Michaels Mission August 2006"><U><B>August 2006</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="july_2006.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission July 2006"><U><B>July 2006</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="arrival.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Arrival in Santa Rosa"><U><B>Arrival in Santa Rosa</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="mtc.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission MTC"><U><B>Departure & the Missionary Training Center</B></U></A></div> <div> <B>=====================</B></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.mission.net/california/santa/rosa/index.php" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.mission.net/california/santa/"><U><B>California Santa Rosa Mission Alumni Site</B></U></A></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=370 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>December 2007</B></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>December 31 - "Happy New Year!" - </B></FONT>Michael e-mailed to tell us about the past week. We had spoken with him on Christmas day. After we spoke he went to visit an investigator in Windsor. Later they went to the Synder.'s home for food and fun. We challenged them to invite a part member family to their home and were excited when they followed through.  Michael wrote, <I>"It was great to see the members taking some of the load.  Elder Zvirzdin and I are excited to see the members start to do some of the finding for us since we have tried doing it on our own and have found meager results".</I></div> <bR> <div> Michael reported that his zone is doing well.  There were few changes in his zone during the transfer on the 27th. He added, <I>"Elder Zvirzdin and I are both striving for 3 baptisms this transfer which will be a miracle since we don't have any with a date yet.  President committed the leadership to baptize in Jan so we don't want to blow that one". </I></div> <bR> <div> Michael thanked us for the Christmas gifts we'd sent. He said the new pants and ties were just great.</div> <bR> <div> The night before mission conference on the 27th they had 2 Elders from Eureka, and two new missionaries from the MTC stay in their apartment. Michael reported, <I>"The conference was an all day event.  We didn't get out until 7:30.  We had a 4 hour conference in the morning.  We heard good talks and discussions on teaching and the atonement.  Then we had our Luau.  The food was all right.  IT was Polynesian of some kind.  Then we did our dance and all the other zones performed theirs.  It went pretty well and I'm sure we'll get a DVD like last year so you can see my dance moves".  </I></div> <bR> <div> That night 7 zone leaders stayed in their apartment for zone leader council the next day. At that meeting Brother MItchell from the Shiloh Park ward spoke to the missionaries about working with members. Michael said, <I>"I really think that it is what this mission needs". </I>Following that they tried to make a mission plan for 2008. Michael said, <I>  "It got kind of crazy with 30 missionaries that all think they know how to run the mission.  It worked out though.  We set a new baptism goal for 2008 and made it 305.  It's the same goal we had this year but we failed to meet it so we're going for it again".</I></div> <bR> <div> Mike concluded with<I> </I><I><B>"Love You all and wish you the best this new year"!</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <B>December 25 - "Christmas Phone Call" - </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >Michael seemed happy and upbeat on his second Christmas Day in the mission field.  He reiterated they have not been able to meet much with their investigators during to the holidays, but he hopes things will progress after the new year.</FONT></div> <bR> <div> Michael cooked "German Pancakes" a Haslam family tradition on Christmas morning, but few in his zone showed up to partake in the special breakfast. We don't really have any German ancestors, but German pancakes with strawberries or other fruit or syrup are a real treat for Christmas,</div> <bR> <div> He was looking forward to "Mission Conference" on December 27th.</div> <bR> <div> His health has been remarkably good during his mission, even though he started it with a sprained ankle with ugly bruises.</div> <bR> <div> <B>December 24 - "Christmas!" - </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >Michael e-mailed to say that he'd be calling tomorrow!. The only other news he had was that he and Elder Zvirzdin will be companions for another transfer period (6 weeks). If nothing disrupts that plan then they will be companions for a total of 15 weeks (including the MTC). They hope to have 3 baptisms during that period. Due to Christmas not much of their work bore fruit this week. They did meet with Sister Sorbi.  She has a problem with the need for authority in the Priesthood. She said, "It is given to everyone who wants it"..</FONT></div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>December 17 - "Christmas Greetings" - </B></FONT>Michael sent a Christmas letter expressing love to his family. He also sent a special Christmas Card (see below).  Michael responded, <I>"We've showed her scripture but she just needs to pray and ask God".</I></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B><IMG SRC="085442f0.jpg" border=0 width="836" height="559" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>December 17, 2007 - "Almost Christmas" - </B></FONT>In Michael's e-mail he said that things are going pretty well as two of their investigators attended church (Cindy and Marjorie). Brother Price had to work that day. Michael wrote, <I>"Marjorie continues to make real slow progress.  Just when you think she's a brick wall the Spirit touches her with something and she takes one small step closer to God"</I>. The Frazers had illness in the family during the week and they were not able to meet with them.</div> <bR> <div> Michael added, <I>"We're going to teach them how to do missionary work and make simple steps that will build up to having an investigator taught in their home.  It will take a little time to see the fruits but we're excited to look for it."</I></div> <bR> <div> <B>December 09, 2007 - "Tearin' It Up" - </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >Michael was so excited about their opportunities to share the gospel that he could hardly contain himself!</FONT></div> <bR> <div> He began with, <I>"Last Monday we had dinner at the Ottesen's and they brought their neighbors over at the last minute.  We talked a little bit, watched Joy to the World.  Gave out a Book of Mormon and answered their questions.  It is the first real member referral I think I have had on my mission!!!  It was great.  We taught the husband on Friday, he fed us lunch even.  He had some great questions and we did a good job of answering with the Spirit and the scriptures.  He's all excited to read the Book of Mormon and pray about it and come to church.  He missed church because he got called into work but his wife and kids came.  Their names are David and Cindy.  Their kids are 5 and 3 named David and Matthew respectively.  I am really excited for them.  I get to teach a whole family.  It's something that I have been praying for a very long time".</I></div> <bR> <div> They also met with Marjorie and shared the Plan of Salvation with her. They challenged her to read and pray about the Book of Mormon. Michael added, <I>"I told her that she needed to pray and ask God to know if all of it was true and if Joseph Smith was a prophet.  She agreed to do so and if she really seeks the answer that will but her over the hill and she should be getting baptized.  She hasn't been to church yet but will come next week".</I></div> <bR> <div> Michael has two others whom they are sharing the gospel with. One of them may also come to church next Sunday, so it looks like a big Sunday coming up on December 16th.</div> <bR> <div> A member missionary shared with Elder Haslam and Elder Zvirzdin some ideas on how to get members to do the hard word of "finding".  Michael said, <I>"Elder Z and I have decided to dedicate the rest of our mission to finding out how to get the members to do the toughest part of the work, finding.  I'm really excited to work that route".  </I></div> <bR> <div> His last comment was,<I> "With all these good things going on here in Shiloh Park I don't think I want to leave here".</I></div> <div> <I>  </I></div> <div> <B>December 03, 2007 - "December Already!" -</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > Michael said, "That's crazy, time just flies by".  </FONT></div> <bR> <div> The "golden referral" from the 1st day in the ward, was assigned to the Rincon Valley Elders. We've not been able to find the family that lives near the recent convert that we met two weeks ago, but we will keep trying. Michael reported, "<I>We met with Marjorie again this past week. We talked about Priesthood, but she had some doubts. She did attend a musical performance the stake puts on every year and she loved it. We'll teach her again this week.  She'll be good if she can sincerely pray about the Book of Mormon". </I>Michael also reported progress with a part member family. They are feeling like it is time to get back into church. The nonmember husband says he really likes our church when he goes. Michael added, "<I>There is no doubt in my mind that the Lord had been preparing him for us.  Even the day we first met them around Thanksgiving.  As we planned I felt like we needed to tract this street, but the time was too late for that, it gets dark early.  So I decided to walk it when I found on the list a name of a member who lived on the street, Sister Frazer, and decided to visit them.  So to summarize, I finally was able to see the great miracle that God had done.  From beginning to end, or almost the end.   I finally saw that God had prepared him and had used me to direct me to that street that day.  It's amazing to be on the Lord's errand".</I></div> <bR> <div> Michael is also happy about the progress of the Santa Rosa zone. Since the last transfers they have had 2 baptisms and 5 more people are already committed.</div> <bR> <div> Michael concluded with, <I> "I love serving with Elder Zvirzdin.  there's never a dull moment and he's pretty much always excited and happy.  It's a blast".</I></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>