Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Tender Mercies

December 16, 2013

Hello all of my dear friends and family, 
 
I love all of you so much, each one of you has impacted my life for good, I am so full of love this week, much more than usual, all I can say is I love you and I thank each of you for changing my life for the better. To all of you who are in so many different places throughout the world, continue on being who you are, an example of the believers! May Christ be with each of you!
    
This week has been one of the busiest weeks and one of the best weeks of my entire mission! God is so good to me and I am thankful for His love and tender mercies. 
 
This past week was transfer week, Wednesday morning I drove 4 missionaries to the check point in Helena, the transfer van was running over an hour late but when it got there I received my new Zone Leader companion Elder Wyatt who is from Washington and has been out on his mission almost 8 months. I met him when he came into the mission and we served in the same Zone together, he is a great missionary and we are instant best friends. 
 
He and I are companions with Elder Doyle who has been out for 13 months and he too is a great missionary who I know very well, I love him and appreciate his example to me. The three of us are growing together and teach well in unity.  We all traveled back to Great Falls, got everyone on their way and then drove to an appointment with a family in the Cascade Branch who live out in the country, with the snowy, icy and muddy roads its a miracle our Toyota Corolla made it to the house. Only 4x4s should have been able to make it haha, but we indeed made it and taught this wonderful family and committed their 10 year old son to be baptized on December 28th. We are excited for that! We then attended the Cascade Branch Christmas party.  
 
Thursday we drove to Helena again to pick up a brand new missionary who is being trained in our Zone. I always love picking up new missionaries and seeing the look on their faces, giving them a big hug to welcome them to the MBM and tell them its going to be great! We got back from those travels and had some good lessons that night!
     
Friday we made a somewhat last minute decision to travel the Northern half of our Zone and to interview each missionary, so we went on a 6 hour road trip, stopping in all the towns where we have missionaries and interviewing them. I always love being able to see all our missionaries, to see the light of Christ in their eyes and to learn from them. We made it home to GF just in time for the Two Rivers Ward Christmas party which was a great time!
    
Then Saturday was one of the best days I have had on my mission, we have 4 amazing lessons and because of the tender mercies of the Lord, everything just fell into place, we were able to meet all 4 appointments and the Spirit was so strong in each lesson, it was truly a fabulous day! 
 
One of the lessons we committed a new investigator to be baptized in late January, he is the most "golden" investigator I have ever had, he is awesome and told everyone at church he is getting baptized.
     
Sunday we split up to go to both Cascade and Two Rivers meetings and I went to Two Rivers ward... We had 12 people there we had invited to come... The most I have ever had in one Sunday. It was just truly an amazing week. 
 
I am thankful to be a missionary, I pray I can be an instrument in the hands of the Lord, I bear you my witness that God lives, He loves you and sent his Son, Jesus Christ to this earth for you. Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, He died for you, He was resurrected and He lives for you. I invite all to come unto Christ the Lord, come unto Him and through faith in Him, repenting, making and keeping covenants and enduring to the end with the Holy Ghost at your side. 
 
This church is true, this is God's kingdom here on Earth, come join now with us and know of the peace and happiness I have come to know. 
 
I love you, Merry Christmas!  
 
Love, 
 
Elder Aaron Organ

COLD Is An Understatement

December 9, 2013

Hello Everyone!
 
(Attached are some pics of some good Montana weather)

     Well this past week we had 6 days in a row where the high did not get over negative 10. With lows getting down to negative 41 without windchill factored in. For several days in a row, Great Falls Montana was the coldest place in the entire world, records were set and I guess overall it was pretty cool to be a part of history! 
 
We had fun this week shoveling snow, licking poles, drinking hot cocoa, slipping on ice, turning boiling water into powder, and more, all while still preaching the gospel! I was very proud of my Zone for teaching a total of 90+ lessons which is a good week even with it being so cold! The work of salvation goes forward regardless of the weather!
    
Today it was 18 degrees when we left the house and that my friends is warm! It is a weird sensation going outside when it is in the 20's and thinking about how warm it is in comparison of course! 
 
Today was transfer calls day and I will be staying here in Great Falls, Elder Kharazi is going to Lander, Wyoming to be a district leader. My new Zone Leader companion is going to be Elder Wyatt who I know from my time in the Missoula Zone. He is a boss, I am excited for it. He is waiting on his visa to go to Brazil. In addition to him as my companion we will have a third missionary, Elder Doyle who is serving in Shelby right now in my Zone. 
 
There are many changes happening throughout my Zone so it will be good to have a fresh start and go forward with one mind and one faith!
    
I hope you all are enjoying the Christmas season! Here is a great little video you all should watch about the reason for the season -
 
 
What can we all give Christ this year? Merry Christmas to all of you! 
 
Love you all, until next week...

Elder Organ
 
 




Monday, December 2, 2013

Negative 26 Degrees... Say What?!

December 2, 2013

Hello Everyone! 

   I hope you all had an amazing Thanksgiving holiday and are getting ready for Christmas day! I love the Christmas season, everyone is much more charitable and loving. Many more receptive to the true meaning of Christmas and I just wish you all the best Christmas season ever, enjoy it! 
   
This week has been a busy one as always, my mind is kind of blank when I try to think back to what all happened. We had a busy week, finishing it off with 21 lessons, even with it being a holiday week. 
 
It was great, I enjoyed 4 meals on Thanksgiving and I didn't think it was physically possible and I am the first to admit its pretty nasty but... I weighed myself Thanksgiving morning and then weighed myself that night after our 4 dinners and I had gained almost 12 pounds! And so my dear friends... I am getting fat! I wouldn't dare make it public information how much weight I have gained since coming out on the mission but just know it has stopped... and I am going to eat right and slim back down, hold me to it! Haha!
 
     I am in Shelby, Montana (just South of Canada) on exchanges and currently as I write this letter it is 9 degrees with the wind blowing at 30 mph and snowing pretty hard. This week it is forecasted to get down to negative 26 degrees, not counting windchill... Never in my life have I seen it that cold. All the natives just laugh at me when they see how cold I am and find out I am from Arizona, they all say, "Boy, just wait, you have not seen anything yet!" All I can say in return is..."It is all a part of the adventure!" 
 
I love my mission, it really is just a big adventure! I love all the missionaries I get to work with, I love all the people I get to meet, all the food I get to eat, all the things I get to learn and I love this gospel. I love my Savior Jesus Christ and know He loves me. He loves all of you! 
 
I love you all and thank you for your support, remember this time of year what Christmas is all about! Until next time...
 
Elder Organ

Happy Thanksgiving!

November 25, 2013

Hello Everyone, 
 
I sure hope everyone had a good week and I wish you all the best Thanksgiving! 
 
This week sure had its ups and downs. Elder Rodriguez left Tuesday afternoon to do some exchanges on the high line near Canada. Elder Kharazi and I were working within our own area and were having a rough beginning of the week, with appointments being cancelled and things coming up with the Zone that needed to be taken care of which restricted our proselyting time. Then, one of the Assistants came into town and on Friday afternoon we drove up to where Elder Rodriguez was and then Elder Rodriguez and the assistant stayed in our area and I went with another companionship here in Great Falls. 
 
Elder Rodriguez was struggling with some personal things and so he has been transferred to Billings and left Sunday morning. I will miss him, he is a great missionary and a great example to me of so many things, I truly love him and will miss being his companion. Elder Kharazi and I will remain in the Two Rivers Ward and Cascade Branch for at least another 2 weeks, then transfer calls will come around and we will see what happens.
    
This week is Thanksgiving, I have so much to be grateful for. I am grateful for my family and friends, people who have truly made a difference in my life. I am grateful for food, clothing, warm blankets, Cafe Rio, airplanes, guns, water, the sunshine, In-N-Out, no wind, long walks on the beach... haha I could go on and on with some random things... but really what it comes down to is, I am truly most grateful for my Savior, Jesus Christ, he paid the price for you and for me. 
 
He is the only way for me to be with my family and loved ones again, He is the only way for me to be with my loving Heavenly Father again, He paid the full price and for Him I will forever be grateful. I know Christ lives, He loves each of us. 
 
It is my hope and prayer we can always remember him, throughout the year and always have an attitude of gratitude. I love you all and am thankful for you and your support! 
 
Love you! Have a great Thanksgiving!

Love,
 
Elder Aaron Organ
 
Great Falls Zone
Montana Billings Mission
1848 Rimrock Rd.
Billings, MT 59102