Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Oswego 8.29.16

We have been super busy this week! We've hardly had
time to breathe. Lots of meetings and adjustments with the mission and
with the Ward so we helped a lot and taught a lot this week. It's been
great.

We put a lady named Maria Calabrese on date for September 24, but that
will most likely have to be adjusted. She is a referral from a member.
So that's sweet.

Keep on keepin on and CTR. I love the gospel and I love what my
mission is doing for me, really what the Lord is doing for me. Many
times it feels like I'm being dragged over a cheese grater, but I know
I've got to get the hell out of me so I can become a saint through the
atonement of Christ the Lord. He's preparing me for something good, I
hope.

Elder G. Franklin Scherer

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Oswego 8.22.16

Love to all, Elder Scherer





This is the 4th Maserati I've seen the last 9 days.



 Some guy in a ditch.



Elder Harris and I had a departing milkshake at Oberweis over a game of chess.



Anyone who comes to Naperville MUST go to Sharko's


Monday, August 15, 2016

Oswego 8.15.16

I had an impression when I first got to this area that I was going to need to be patient. I have seen that that was really from the Holy Ghost. There's many times that I've had to be patient so far in this area. With myself, my companion, with the members, and with investigators. It's been a test, but I see myself changing and becoming more patient.

I had a unique opportunity this week, one that I've not had before, to bless a member's home. They just moved in from Rockford. They are the third family to move in just since I've gotten in the area. We've helped them move stuff in twice this week. Super awesome family, the Cooper's. We went there on elders quorum splits this week, I was with the elders quorum president. They asked if we could bless their home and they asked me to do it. I was really nervous, but I made it through!

We've got lots of time planned to find new investigators this week so I am excited for that. We've been spending a lot of time stopping by people that were already in area book the past couple weeks, so it will be fun to get some fresh people to work with.

I had a testimony building experience on Saturday night. But before I share that I'll share another that lays the foundation. This week I found myself pleading and begging Heavenly Father for help, sometimes almost shouting in my mind, "HELP US!" I think often why with all the prayers from our parents, ourselves, prayers in the temples for the missionaries, prayers from the First Presidency and the Twelve on behalf of missionary work, why with all these voices raised to the Lord to prepare the way and to help us find people, why are there not more people that we find and teach? I came to the conclusion that God has given me the greatest "help" I could have. I've been given, through a legal administrator, the gift of the Holy Ghost. My favorite line from a favorite hymn, Let the Holy Spirit Guide, "He will lead us safely home."

The experience was when we were coming home Saturday night we met a man named Ryan Henry. It was about 8:50 and I felt like I should knock on this one house. Of course there were at least 52 excuses and justifications that came to mind: it's late, it's dark, etc. After going through a couple of those and being a few steps past his driveway, trying to put off the promoting like I too often do, a second thought came to mind, "When? When are you going to let me help?" "There's no time like the present!" Is what I said to myself. Well we met Ryan and he was in his boxers. He seemed a little apprehensive at first, but the more we talked, the more comfortable he became. He put on some clothes and we sat in his backyard for a while and shared a spiritual experience. I am so thankful to the Lord that he sent me that prompting and that I was able to heed it. I can just imagine to myself how much of a difference it would make and how many more miracles we could see if we would listen to every prompting we receive.

The Holy Ghost is our best ally. Listen and obey and He truly will, "guide us safely home".

Oh and I almost got a guitar this week. We were helping one of our investigators weed her backyard because she broke her wrist. Well they were having a garage sale in her front yard and when we were done we went up and talked with Erica. There was a sweet electric guitar up there and I was looking at it. Her son, who was selling it, asked if we were getting paid to do her backyard and we said no we were just doing service. Well he offered me the guitar that he was selling for $200! I wanted it so bad... But I had to decline because I don't know how I would get it home. #heartbreaking

Elder G. Franklin Scherer






A bit of heaven on earth

Tuesday, August 9, 2016

Oswego 8.1.16

I don't know if anyone remembers, but at the beginning of my mission
the 3 Er's sat in council and established three awards given
throughout each week. 1. The Golden Helmet award, to the biggest idiot
of the week that needs to wear a helmet. 2. The ice cube, to someone
who needs to chill out. 3. The space cadet, to someone who you catch
spacing out. All three of these were inspired by a certain elder in
the MTC.

Well the GHA goes to me and elder Lusk, my zone leader who came out
with me. So elder Rawlings has foot, mouth, hand disease. He and elder
Butterfield were tied down to their apartment cause it's super
contagious and president doesn't want them to go out. Well we decided
we would hold district meeting in their apartment so they didn't have
to go out. It sounded good at the time, but now we're probably all
gonna get it. Haha

We taught several lessons this week, not quite so many as the week
previous. We have a few investigators that are progressing pretty
well, but didn't see many at church this week. Nina came , though, and
she was participating in Sunday school, which was awesome.

It's been a headache trying to find members to come with us to
lessons. Everyone seems to be on vacation. Flippin rich people going
to like Disneyland and stuff. lol

We had a great lesson with the St John family yesterday. There were
some walls that got broken down and it got to be a little more open as
far as sharing of feelings and questions. She mentioned she wants to
be taught in other people's homes, which is the dream for us in the
mission! We've really been trying to teach lessons in members homes so
now we have a perfect opportunity to make it happen.

Elsa is still doing well. We're still trying to work some stuff out as
far as the wedding goes. Her baptismal date might have to be moved
back, but I don't think that will be too big of an issue.

I've been thinking a lot about covenants and the idea of taking
Christ's name upon us. What I've been thinking about is that when we
take on His name, we become His disciples and witness of Him at all
times, almost as if we were He. Our actions, desires, thoughts, etc.
should then become His actions, desires, thoughts, etc. Also, when a
man is ordained to the priesthood, he now has the power to act in the
name of Christ and to perform miracles and ordinances in His name,
just as if we were Christ ourselves. It's a great concept if you can
put it in the right mindset that we become His hands and do His work
for Him to bless the lives of our brothers and sisters.

Keep it real. Keep it centered on Christ.

Elder G. Franklin Scherer


Good ol side face selfie action


We helped a lady clean the filter in her pond. Those are for real lily
pads! And the flowers are real!





Oswego 8.8.16

This week was a struggle! Haha trying to get members to lessons was
worse than trying to saddle a crocodile and ride him through the Great
Plains. The only two times we could get members to come, the
investigators cancelled or weren't there. Elsa was sick all week and
we never could connect for a blessing. Nina was busy all week. It was
all around kinda slow, but without all these you wouldn't enjoy the
good weeks as much.

We had a great zone conference. The focus this month is the
restoration of the gospel. We learned how we can more powerfully
testify of Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon in our lessons. I had a
great interview with president Griffin, afterwards. He's a great man.

Roger Hoopes came to church this week. He's been investigating for a
year now. He's struggling with reading and praying everyday. We've
been able to help him start doing those a little bit more.

Those small and simple things of reading the scriptures, especially
the Book of Mormon, and prayer make the largest difference in our
lives. If we stop doing that we will start to die, spiritually. It
will take time, but after a while we will eventually get to a point
where we don't believe anymore or even worse, question why we even
believed in the first place. I've seen this pattern way too many times
on my mission working with less actives, and it's almost always the
same story, they stop reading and praying.

If you want to stay alive, spiritually, then we have to apply CPR. Go
to Church, Pray daily, and Read the scriptures. Jacob 3:11 - "O my
brethren, hearken unto my words; arouse the faculties of your souls;
shake yourselves that ye may awake from the slumber of death; and
loose yourselves from the pains of hell that ye may not become angels
to the devil, to be cast into that lake of fire and brimstone which is
the second death."

Elder G. Franklin Scherer


This church is in Plano, Illinois. Apparently after Joseph Smith died,
his wife Emma and family and a few others that apostatized from the
true church came here and this was the building they build.




I'm also not sure how you are supposed to get a car into this garage.