Week 9~Transfer Week

Hello everyone,

This is our transfer week where we get assigned a new area with a new companion. Its only been 1 month and half and already a transfer! It kinda went by slow and I am so gonna miss Elder Mortensen. He has helped me a lot over this transfer. I am assigned to the same area I am in which is American Fork Ward Focus which consists of the American Fork 1st, 5th, 18th and 38th Wards. My new companion is Elder Oinbolt. I am glad to meet with Elder Machood and Elder Baines, who are about to head on home this Wednesday. Elder Baines is a basktball player from England and Elder Machood was from Maryland. Great Elders! There is also an Elder that is planning on going to South Carolina this week. His name is Akir Rowe and he has amazing classic cars including a Mustang. Awesome man and is looking forward to the MTC. "The South will rise again" ~J Golden Kimball

The eclipse was amazing but my companion looked at the sun without the glasses and he burned his right retina. We took him to the eye doctor and also gave him a blessing last week. He is doing well though.

I have a flat in my tire sadly! But it is now fixed. I have been opening my mouth more often and it feels good to testify to people and share scriptures that are uplifting.
 I have seen intolerable people lately but it's not as bad as it looks. It happens though. It just makes me want to love them more because of their intolerance. They have a bad history and I know that through  us missionaries, we can uplift them.

A miracle happened when me and Elder Mortensen were biking. He had an impression on changing the route a bit and while on the way to something, there was a lady out on the porch hollering at us to help out. Apparently there was a man laying on the ground needing to come get up on his wheelchair and with us arriving, we were a big help to them. The woman had been praying and the prayer had been answered. Miracles have not ceased everyone.

"And because he hath done this, my beloved brethren, hath miracles ceased. Behold, I say unto you, Nay; neither have angels ceased to minister unto the children of men."~Moroni 7:29-30

My prayers have been more sincere and each and everyone of you are in them as well.

 I love ya'll brothers and sisters. Especially back home, The South will rise again!                                        
~Elder Lockhart

Week 8~Jesus ❤️ His Children

Last Sunday- I had an amazing experience of teaching primary children how to be a missionary. My companion held an umbrella and I had to spray to make it rain to represent a book of Mormon scripture in Helaman 5:12 "And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall" I understand why Jesus loves children.

 

We met a Catholic women at the Care Center and she drew me, my companion and his other companion.

She's a great artist and I don't know about you but my face was an angel hahaha 

Thankfully my companion has a pair of eclipse glasses so I can see the morning eclipse. What an amazing thing to see

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Our week is consistently going to members houses and teaching the restoration so they can have the opportunity to share their testimonies to other people that are nonmembers or inactive. Members are the best tool when it comes to fellowshipping. 

One of the family members we taught is going to college at Snow. We are grateful for them for being at their house. The family is amazing.

~Elder Lockhart

Week 7~Quilts, Lost Key, MTC Tour and Waffles

Monday- At a Senior Home Care Center for family home evening, there was a donation of quilts provided for those people and they decided to give us some as missionaries. It was kind of them to do so. My companion got a dog quilt while I got a patriotic color one with trucks.  I've decided deliver it to my nephew for his birthday in October. He loves his cars and trucks.

Tuesday- This morning, I forgot my nametag and I felt so ashamed because I also lost my key and I  haven't wrote to my mission president.  I feel like I haven't been improving myself in missionary work. However, being calm as I am we kept walking and eventually we met an Uber Driver that has a daughter that is looking for a rental house in our area. Not only did they offer us a ride to help me get my name tag back but he also told us his conversion story which was pretty powerful. In addition, after he and his wife dropped us off, Elder Seyfer was sewing up his scriptures case and found my oil and key..."Tender mercy"

MTC- I went to do tours for the new buildings. I got to stand in front of the Parley Pratt building right in front of the building where the sign is. It was great to meet many people and telling them welcome to the MTC. Mostly in the MTC, people love my last name because it reminds them of the Harry Potter character who is in the 2nd movie. I hung out with a security guard who is 2 years older than my dad and was a convert at age 28. He is from Chile and was a translator for conference. He has stood next to general authorities for 10 years. He gave me great advice how when I have a great moments or feelings during the mission, he said to write it down. He gave me the advice saying that I'll change people's lives when sharing the gospel to people.

Missionary exchanges are fun. I went out a few nights ago with my MTC companion Elder Jasperson and it was a hard day for him since he had 2 flat tires and fell off his bike...At least we had a great day of having memories of teaching in the MTC.

My first time I went to "Waffle Loves" and it was amazing. I tried just a simple chicken and waffles. Very delicious!

~Elder Lockhart

Week 6~This week went so Well...

Hey everyone, this week went so well!

So on Tuesday, I went on a exchange with an Elder who is assistant to the mission president. His name is Elder Baines and he is from the middle of England and had a great baptism before moving here for his first transfer from England. He looks like an English "Clark Kent" because of his height (6 5") and his stature hahaha. When we had dinner with a family, I met a perspective Elder who was in the Utah Choir that sang in my hometown stake back in Fayetteville. It was awesome to meet him and I gave him a great review of the MTC.

When I was trackting around the neighborhood, I met a woman by the name of sister Cindy Dean who's niece is Edward Brock's wife who (the Brocks are my cousins and live in my hometown area). Small world hey. She told me about North Carolina how she loves the golf courses. Apparently the people in Utah love golfing.

So...What I like about my companion is that his scripture quad is full of highlights and tabs. He claims his bible can destroy any religion hahaha. He's smart with the gospel. When he hit his first year mark, he burned his tie like any other missionary does here.

I know I've been here for 3 weeks and the people in Utah are trying to feed us so much because their goal is to fatten up the missionaries. They are not doing a good job so far for me and Elder Mortensen.

Yesterday, we met an artist that made great oil paintings of the gospel and of Jesus Christ. Great man and he has a great studio where people pay him to make paintings. Very professional and he donated missionary cards of Jesus. My favorite is all nationality with Jesus.

It feels great when I get to meet people that are from North Carolina. Saturday, my companion had a baptism from his first area in Lehi and I met a Father of a few kids that was from North Carolina and served in Salt Lake City about 2011, if I can remember correctly.  He gave me great advice I need as a missionary and gave me the idea that if you need to work on your budget, buy ramen and learn a few recipes when using the noodles.

A few days ago, there was a family who fed us their meat from their barbecue and they are Tongans. They love missionaries so much and it feels great to meet them.
Lately, what we are doing as missionaries is taking the assignment of Russell M. Nelson on how we highlight everything that's listed about Jesus Christ in the Topical Guide of our scriptures. Elder Nelson promises us blessings for doing so that we probably cannot even imagine. I'm also trying to study and memorize a scripture a day because they say that if you do that for 2 years on the mission, you'll get a photographic memory. Might as well try it out for myself.

Again thanks for the letter and it's great to hear from you all.
Most of the week is trackting and its getting a little difficult when not finding people. But again patience and work at your best.

I still pray for each and every one of you because of my gratitude for you all being involve in my life.

Elder Lockhart