Hello Lovelies 2/3/14

This week was great. We had a great time serving the Lord and seeking to bring his children home. On Monday after we emailed we went to play basketball as a zone, but before hand we went shopping. I decided to save my money like a champ, and Elder Mortensen ended up  buying a new pair of basketball shoes. Luckily, our feet are the same size he gave me his old pair which were 60 bucks and practically in new condition. So I was stoked about that! I didn't even need them and the Lord just planted them in my lap. It was super cool. On Tuesday we were stuck inside again so nothing happened. We did make some phone calls though which was great. Wednesday was great. We stopped by Jose and Jessica's to talk with Jose about his documents and about how things are going. Turns out that the birth dates on his birth certificate and his baptismal certificate are different, and we were planning on using those to get them a marriage license in Coe county. But the dates had too match. It's amazing that the once we think we had everything figured out, something else comes up. It's amazing to see how much of influence Satan has had in the lives of the Lord's elect. It's crazy how a simple error (an incorrect ate on a document) in 1984, can have such a large effect in someone's life 30 years later. Satan knows what he's doing. But we are pushing just a little bit harder. We know things will come to pass.

On Thursday we had a great District meeting. I was able to train on following the Spirit and it went really well. The Spirit shows us the way and I am grateful for it.Thursday night we had a lesson with Jose and talked about tithing and Fast offering. 

He said he would live the law of the tithe once he had an income. We invited him to fast on Sunday with the purpose of being blessed in finding a way to get them married. On Friday we went out to Independence and saw Brother Ledtje. He is doing well and is fighting strong with his cancer. We shared the Restoration with him and invited him to seek for answers to his prayers. He is such a great guy and we love him. Before we stopped by Brother Ledtje we tried contacting some less actives but didn't speak with any. Most weren't home. When we were knocking on a door, I remember looking around and seeing all these houses. And cars buzzing by. And I just thought to myself... Wow! There is so much work to be done! SO Much! How do we do it all? There are about 6,000 people in Independence and only two member families live there. I see that town growing so much. They need the gospel. If only we had two cars so that we could be out there more. 

On Saturday we taught Jose again. We went through the baptismal interview questions with him. He is so ready. We just have to get him MARRIED! He talked about repentance and how much it has meant to him. He also
said that once he is baptized he plans on staying in one place (religion). He will be such a faithful member.

On Sunday we fasted for some sort of revelation as to how we can help Jose. We spoke about him in P.E.C. and in the middle of church a brother in the ward came up to us and gave us a number for an organization called seeds of hope. They help people like Jose get work visa's and getting all of there documents lined up so that they can become legal. So hopefully that was the answer to our prayers. At Priesthood meeting, Branch President Johnson asked Jose to give the prayer. Jose said the prayer in Spanish and I felt the spirit so much as he prayed He is such a great guy. I don't speak Spanish but he said thank you for the missionaries, and my heart just about jumped out of my chest I was so happy. He is so great. 

I want you all to know that I have a testimony of fasting. I know it is real. I know that the Lord gives us blessings when we fast. I love this gospel. This week we have 10 lessons lined up. Which is more than I have ever had in a week before. Manchester West is really taking off. Statistically, a new are doesn't baptize until about the 3rd or 4th transfer. And we are are so close. We have plenty of investigators. Transfer calls are next week and there is nothing worse than getting transferred and leaving the new missionary coming in with an amazing amount of work to do. But I feel confident that the new missionaries coming in will feel comfortable. We have a wonderful branch to support the missionaries. And miracles are happening. Pray that the weather doesn't stop any of our appointments. Hopefully this week will be filled with miracles. I love you all! Thanks for all of your prayers in our behalf. I know that the Lord blesses those who serve him and I am grateful to be a missionary.

Love,
Elder Caleb James Wardle

Family and Friends 1/27/14

Well, this week there isn't too much to report. We didn't teach any investigators this week due to the weather and I wasn't feeling too well. But Jose did come out to Julio Weber's baptism which was great. The weather has been absolutely crazy here. Yesterday we had Blizzard warnings and we couldn't go out. The wind chill today is about -55. So it's been rough. The work hasn't progressed like we would like it to have. But we are making things work. On Sunday we only had Sacrament meeting due to the weather. It's just been crazy. Iv'e really been reflecting on how much I have been blessed lately. It seems like the blessings just continue to come. It's interesting how the Lord works. And it's been amazing to see how happy we can truly become when we are doing the Lord's work. My heart really goes out to those we are working with. I love them all so much. And I have tried to lead with that love in all of the appointments and lessons we have. When people see how much we care about them and when we make them feel important, it's then that they feel important to Heavenly Father. I'm so grateful to be a missionary and to just truly feel the love the Lord has for me. 

By way of good news, we have figured out a way to get Jose and Jessica married! In our county Jose needs some form of government issued identification in order to get a marriage license. But he doesn't have any. But over in Coe county in Chicago all he needs is his birth certificate translated into English and notorized, and then a copy of his baptismal form from when he was baptized in Mexico. And he has both of those things! Now it's just a matter of getting him to Chicago to get the license and then getting him back there once they have received the license to get them married! So we are so excited for them! It's going to be great to see them start living the way the Lord wants them to live and then Jose will qualify for baptism and everything will be great! President Jensen told us that everyone has a hurdle to jump over to enter into the waters of baptism, but He has never seen one as complicated as Jose's situation is. So we are pretty dang relieved that we now have the ability to help him come closer to Jesus Christ. I love being a missionary and I love this gospel. Always remember to pray. And remember that trials and tasks are simply just opportunities to excel!

Love,

Elder Caleb James Wardle

Hello all you beautiful people!

This week was so great. We taught a good amount of lessons and saw a bunch of miracles this week. Manchester is really growing. And we are really becoming united as Branch members to work toward a common goal of 24 baptisms this year. It's awesome to see everyone so united in doing the Lord's work.

Well, on Tuesday we weer going to have a lesson with Jose and Jessica but they canceled because they were busy. But president Johnson asked us if we wanted to go out to Independence with him so that w could visit Brother Ledjte. And of course we accepted. Free miles and a lesson? Of course! It was great of President Johnson to drive us out there. We talked about how the missionary work was going and it really is strengthening to know that He is by our side. Brother Ledjte is doing well. His Chemotherapy (sp?) is going well and he isn't as fatigued as he was a while go. So his health is improving. which is fantastic. President Johnson invited him out to church on Sunday and he said that he wold know better by Friday if he could make it. So we set up another appointment to go see him. We asked him what it was that made him know the church was true and be baptized when in 2001. And he said that he knew the church was true mainly because of the faith of the missionaries. He said that because they had so much faith to put there lives on hold for two years and come out and profess what they know to be true that it must be! He also said that He missed the missionaries coming out to his place. So we need to go see him more often. He is a great man. On Wednesday we contacted a lot of potential investigators. And we set up a lot of appointments for later in the week. We were able to track down a former investigator named James Ramsey who used to live in Dundee but recently moved to Manchester. He invited us back for a lesson which was awesome! 

On Thursday we had interviews with President Jensen. We talked a ton about jose and Jessica and the whole marriage situation and he gave us permission to sped a couple hours at the court house talking with people and seeing what it we need to have to get them a marriage license. President Jensen also talked about how the area is looking and how our companionship is going. And of course I could only report great things since only great things are happening here and between Elder MacDonald and I. President said that normally when the training is done, the trainer leaves and the trainee stays in the area and gets a new companion or trains. But that was when we had 40 missionaries coming into the mission each transfer. Now there is only about 15 coming in each transfer. So things are going back to normal. So anything could happen this transfer. We could stay together, I could leave, He could leave. So we will see. I would love to stay another transfer with Elder MacDonald. He is so fun and I love Manchester to death. 

Thursday night we had a lesson with Lisa and Brother Bockenstedt, our branch mission leader came along. Lisa has met with missionaries for about a year now. and she knows the church is true. She just needs the faith to be baptized. She realizes that it will be a big change for her. And her mother wouldn't be to happy about her joining either. Well the lesson went super well and we invited her to be baptized on February 22nd and she accepted. We invited her to church and she accepted to do so as well. So Thursday was just a spiritually packed day. I don;t think I have ever the Spirit so much as I had to when we taught Lisa. It was crazy. We got out of the lesson and said the biggest prayer of gratitude when we got home. After the prayer Elder MacDonald and I both just knelt there with our faces buried in our arms on our chair, and we both just cried because we were so happy. It was such a great experience. 

On Friday we cut wood for the Weber's and then headed out to Independence. We talked to Brother Ledjte and he said he wasn;t willing to come to church. Which was disappointing but people have there agency. 

On Saturday we talked with Dennis and had a lesson with him. We just asked him questions about his family and what he thinks Heaven will be like. We asked him if he believes he and his wife will be there together. And he said, I suppose if she gets there. So we think that Eternal marriage might be the link that will get us in. We are just taking things slow. We also taught Jose and we discussed some questions he had about certain things. About Adam and Eve, the God head, and baptism. He understands why he needs to be living the commandments before he gets baptized. He wants his baptism to be something big for him. He wants to do what's right and we love him for it. 

Sunday was great, Lisa texted us in the morning and said she changed her mind about coming to church which was a bummer. But Jose showed up in a suit ad tie and it was amazing.

I want you all to know that the atonement is real. The Savior suffered for each and everyone of us. I love you all so much. Stay safe. 

Love Elder Caleb James Wardle

Family and Friends

We had a great week this week. A whole lot of strange adventures though. On Sunday, Monday and Tuesday we were inside all day because of the cold weather front we were having. And today it is currently 30 degrees or so. So I have been feeling so warm! But the weather has been ridiculous this week. Up and down and high and low. It has been interesting to try and stay warm. But surprisingly I am doing fine. On Tuesday we taught Jose and Jessica and had the Gillespie's come with us. we talked about the Law of Chastity and The Word of Wisdom and they accepted to live both of the commandments which was great. We are still working towards getting them married. Jessica is really growing as well. She is excited to be back in the church and Her testimony has really been strengthened as we have gone over there more and more and invited the Spirit into their home. A fun fact for ya, Jose has read all the way to Mosiah in the Book of Mormon. He gets up at five every morning and studies and it is amazing to see his progress. And I love his dedication. Spiritually he is ready to be baptized and wants to be, we just have to change the physical situation that they are in. And get them married but they are progressing. We also taught them on Saturday, and we showed them the Restoration DVD and talked about following the Prophet. And it's amazing to see how just the simple DVD of the Prophet Joseph's life can change people. It is such a miraculous event in the course of history and it strengthens testimonies. We talked a little more about getting them married and we ran into some roadblocks. Jose was going to use Emmanuel's birth certificate to get his passport so that he would have something in his name, but when they received it in the mail this week his name wasn't on it. And there was a note that said that his license wasn't valid. So we are stuck and He is really getting discouraged. So we called President Jensen Saturday night and he gave us some advice on how to move forward with things. 

On Friday we had Zone Training Meeting and it was the best one I have ever been too. We talked a little bit about our 2013 goal for baptisms of 550. And we talked about how to measure success since we got 545. And I think we kind of think about things different than we should sometimes. Rather than dwelling on the five souls that cold have been, President wants us to focus on the 545 souls that we brought to Christ. What a great gift we gave to the Savior this year. 545 more people are headed home. What an amazing thing. 

We also received some pretty amazing news at zone training as well! Everyone was anxious to hear what the baptismal goal for 2014 is going to be. So here is the story:

President Jensen was sitting in on a coordination meeting with the stake President in Cedar Rapids (President Hodgeman) and the Zone Leaders in the stake. President Jensen in the middle of the meeting mentioned something about our goal of 550 in 2013. And President Hodgeman said straight up, "President Jensen, I do not care about your goal." And President Jensen really to that to heart. And after a lot of praying he received revelation that we shouldn't exactly have a goal this year. The way it works is that each Branch or ward submits the baptismal goals for the upcoming year to the Stake President, and then the Stake Presidency uses those numbers to make a goal and then all of the 6 Stakes submit there goals to President Jensen and He would normally pray about it and figure out what the mission goal should be. But this year our goal is the ward and stake goals in the mission. So combined the number is 732. But really we are pushing for 24 baptisms in the Manchester branch. And we are the first mission in the world to ever do goals this way. And President Jensen had to receive permission from the Prophet in order to do things this way. The Prophet has asked the mission to pilot this new way of setting goals. We are making history in the Iowa Des Moines mission. This new way of thinking will bring the missionaries and the members so much closer together when they realize that their goal id our goal. I love President Jensen. He is truly called of God. I love this mission  and I love the wonderful things that are going to happen in 2014. I love being a missionary. Thank you all so much for all that you do. You are my strength.

Love,

Elder Caleb James Wardle

Mi familia y amigos

This week was on e of the most spiritual on my mission so far. We taught three great lessons and the work is really progressing here in the Manchestetr West area. I am so grateful to be a missionary. And I just want to bare my testimony that I know Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. We had the opportunity to go to Nauvoo and do a temple session and we also went to Carthage jail. IT was so great. Probably the longest day of my life, but one of the most spiritual as well. But I am getting ahead of myself.

On Monday we had a lesson with Jose. Jessica and Destiny weren't there because Destiny wasn't feeling well so they went to Jessica's mom's to see what they could do for her. So we just had a lesson with Jose. He is such a funny guy. And although He has a thick Mexican accent, we don't have too much trouble understanding what he is saying. But everything went so well. We talked with him for about 45 minutes. Just about life and how things were going. He told us that he lost his job the day before and that he was looking for employment. We talked about the different things that were keeping him and Jessica from getting married. And from what I understand, here is the dealio:

Jose isn't actually a citizen of the United States. And so he needs a passport in order to get a marriage license. But his passport expired recently. So in order to get a new one he has to drive all the way to Omaha Nebraska which is about 300$ of gas money. Which he doesn't have. And even if he did have that money, He isn't even sure they would allow him to get a new passport. So that is what lies ahead of us. A pretty hefty roadblock. But we invited him to baptized on February 22nd. Which hopefully gives us enough time to figure out the marriage and everything else. The lesson went so well though. Jose is feeling things he has never felt before. On Thursday, we had another lesson with Jose and Jessica (she was there this time). We were able to take them on a tour of the church to get them more comfortable with how things were going to go. We talked about the importance of the Sacrament and what it all means. And we invited them to church on Sunday. Jessica is so desperate to come. And Jose really felt the Spirit as well. Brother Christensen went along with us and told us that the lesson was one of the most spiritual he has ever been in. he did most of the teaching too btw which was awesome. 

On Thursday we also stopped by a referral from a less active woman in the ward. Her father's name is Richard and He is super great. We were able to knock on the door, and teach him the Restoration when He invited us in. We asked him in the lesson, after we recited the first vision and the spirit was strong, what his feelings of Joseph Smith were. And he told us that he knew Joseph Smith was a prophet. We invited him to pray about it and to be baptized. It was such a Spiritual experience. On Saturday we woke up at four to drive down to the Nauvoo temple. Elder Davis who was serving here in Manchester with us, was a trial missionary. Which means that they just send ya out in the mission that you live in for 3 months to see if you can handle being a missionary. And then, based on the Mission President's decision they are recommended for full time missionary service. And he was called to St. George. Which is awesome because Elder Wood is from there and He trained him! Anyways, Elder Davis hadn't yet gone through the temple. So we were able to go and be there for him. Elder Wood was his escort. I love Nauvoo. The temple is gorgeous and the Spirit there is so strong. After the session and taking a tour of everything, we went to Carthage jail where the prophet was murdered. And the Spirit there was even stronger. What an amazing place to be. I got to stand right next the window that the prophet fell out of when he was shot. I envisioned what it would have been like to see the mobs coming up, I felt the bullet hole in the door. It was such an awe inspiring experience. And it was so spiritual. I love this missions. I get to walk where the Prophet who brought me here walked. It was amazing. And I wish these computers wold let me send pictures. 

Sunday, we sat through Fast and Testimony meeting for about a half hour nervous out of our minds because Jose and Jessica hadn't showed up yet. And then... they came!!! It was the best feeling in the world. I've never felt so relieved in my life. It was so amazing. They had a fantastic time and they really felt the spirit. Jose shared in Gospel Principles class that he had never felt the way He was feeling. He is growing and changing and I am so happy for him and Jessica. I love you all so much!

Please stay safe. It's negative 20 degrees to day with a windchill factor of about negative 40. So mission president wants us all to not to proselyte today. It's crazy! I love you all so much. Please stay safe and keep warm!

Love,

Elder Caleb James Wardle

Family and friends

Thanks for such a wonderful Christmas. I couldn't have asked for anything better. It was awesome to be able to focus on the Savior so much this year. I'm grateful for all of your support. You are all a wonderful blessing to me. It was so great to skype my family! I wrote in my journal and I read what I wrote back to myself, and I don;t think I have ever been so happy in my life. It was amazing! I love my family like nobodies business. And I really appreciate all that they do for me!

This week was super good for Elder MacDonald and I! We got two new investigators. And they are so great. Jose is a wonderful man. He doesn't speak too much English though so we struggle there. But He is a super good guy. So just for explanation,

Jose is living with a woman named Jessica and they just had a baby named Emmanuel two months ago. Jose and Jessica have been together for four years. They lived in Georgia for two of them, Oelwein IA for another two or so. And they moved to Manchester about 5 months ago. So there have been a lot changes in their life. Jessica has a 13 year old daughter named Destiny who invited to be baptized along with Jose. And Jessica was actually baptized in 2009 and is super excited about having the missionaries over again. From what I gathered, she has not been coming to church due to family relationships. When she joined the church in Georgia her mother actually kicked her out. And she was homeless. So she is afraid that coming back would mean that those relationships would be severed. Jessica and Jose have been looking for a church to go to but Jessica just can't feel the Spirit like she did when she was baptized. And she knows that she needs it. But she just feels a little guilty about breaking the law of chastity and these types of things. But the Spirit has been present when we have taught them. We taught them on Monday the 23rd. and then once again on Christmas. And the Spirit directed us so much. It was amazing. Jose mentioned to Jessica after we left that He felt something when we talked with them. hopefully the spirit will help him understand the points that we can't. I'm just so grateful for this family. They are so great. And we hope and pray that we can help them in coming closer to Jesus Christ. our message strengthens people. And our message lets them know that God truly loves them. It's been so amazing to see the progress that they are making. Please pray for them. They need all the help and support they can get. We have another lesson with them today and we plan on teaching them about the law of chastity, word of wisdom, and tithing. We are going to invite them to get married today and to be baptized on a specific date. So please pray that the lesson will go well. 

I love you all so much. Real quick, We got a text the other day that said we are super close to 550 and that a ton of miracles have happened in the mission the past couple of days! so please pray that they will continue to happen. We are so close. Please pray for us. I love you all so much. You are the best support I could ask for. Please continue to pray and follow the promptings you recieve. I love you all!

Elder Caleb James Wardle

Merry Christmas!!!

Wow! Christmas has come so fast! I'm so grateful for the opportunity that we have to celebrate the birth and life of our Savior Jesus Christ. Although Christmas can be a fun time of year as it should be, please remember the true meaning of things as we celebrate this wonderful season. And even though I am away from family this year I am excited to be able to spend the day serving Christ, which is the best way to remember the Christmas message. This week was slow. We had some long days of finding and we had a New Trainer's meeting on Thursday which was fun. We learned a little bit about the divine companionship between Joseph and Hyrum Smith. What a sweet companionship! In the talk we listened to it spoke of Hyrum giving his life for Hyrum, which then drew me to think about the Savior. And how he gave his life for us. I've been wondering how I can give my life for the Savior more fully. And also how I can give my life for Elder MacDonald. I invite you all to think about ways that you can improve and find greater happiness in serving others. 

We have a lesson today with a wonderful 30 year old woman named Ashley. And another with a man that Elder Wood and Elder Davis met by their house. (They live in our area which is awesome for us!). They are both going to be first lessons and we are really excited to get some new investigators today. Jose just moved to Manchester form Georgia and is looking for a church for he and his wife to go to. They also have a brand new baby so it's a perfect time to teach them about the plan of salvation as there are many changes being brought about in their life. We hope to invite him and his wife to baptism. Ashley is interested in hearing a message about Christmas which we have taken to mean the Restoration. Which is all centered on Christ and Heavenly Father and their love for us. So we hope to invite her to baptism as well. I love you all so much! Just an update we are at 484 baptisms as of today. And we have 45 super solid investigators set for the 28th. So please pray that the missionaries in this mission will be able to set more dates and that miracles will happen! We hope to give Christ the best Christmas present of all. More souls saved. I love you all so very much. Doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith. Merry Christmas!

Love, 

Elder Wardle