Hi everyone! This has been one of the greatest weeks I have ever had on the mission. Some really unexpected things have happened.
Last Sunday, they talked about starting up a new branch on the 18th. The boundaries for the people that lived there who will be in the branch presidency, etc. have all been set up. The big question that we had was if they would have missionaries or not at the branch. President Current, the stake president, said that he had a vision of this branch and that it's soul purpose for creating it was to bring back less actives and to build the kingdom in that particular area. That area was rarely ever visited by missionaries because there wasn't very much success there. Who ever was going to be chosen was going to start from the very bottom.
Elder Koleber and I got a call and the Assistants said that I was being transferred into the new branch with Elder Plowman, an English Elder. The transfer would take place Wednesday night. Elder Larsen, Elder Plowman's companion was sent up to Palm Beach, and Elder Koleber's new companion wouldn't come until the night time. His new companion is named Elder Fitts. He is a Portuguese elder. He had to go home for back surgery and He was reassigned to this mission. He is really nice.
This branch is a multilingual branch. President Current said that he wants people to go down there, despite what language they speak. It is in the transition stage, so he is giving people the choice at first. But we are able to teach any Haitians that we want in the boundaries of the branch. So I am really happy about that. We have a woman named Juslaine that we are teaching that agreed to come to church on Sunday. They already called Sister Pierre as the Creole Sunday school teacher. There are Spanish members who could potentially give translation in Spanish. There is also a Portuguese member named Sister Walker if we need Portuguese translation. We have an awesome new family that used to go to the Lauderhill Spanish ward named the Terron family. They love missionary work and they have given us 4-5 referrals already. Their son Luis is coming out with us on Friday to take us out to these people. Nadia, his sister, is bringing a non-member to the mutual activity on Wednesday. We are very excited. We got
I moved back into the Windward Lakes apartment that I lived in with Elder Rybin and Elder Anderson. But the apartment is different than the one that I was in before when I was there last year. So don't look through my old letters and use that address. It won't be correct. I don't know the new address. It is on McNab road.
I don't even know where to begin. So many things have happened to us this week. Thursday Elder Plowman and I were officially companions, but we were on exchanges for the whole day, because the south area of the ward that Elder Plowman was serving in was being collapsed so that we could be transferred to the branch, so Elder Plowman took Elder Chandler to all of his progressing investigators so that he could meet them all. We didn't want them to fall away after the transition.
Elder Plowman and I officially started working in the new area for the first time on Friday. The nice thing about the whole experience is that I already know many of the members from the Coconut Creek ward. I am still in the exact same area I was in two weeks ago. They just took a chunk of the Coconut Creek ward and made it into a branch. We had 6 people on a list, 4 of which were potential investigators. So we just started from the very bottom.
The church is using a church building that was previously being used by a non-denominational church. It is a super cool building. It looks like an LDS chapel. It doesn't have a baptismal font though. It just had a foyer and one big room, but they put up walls in the big room and took out some of the chairs and put in classrooms. It looks so cool. They also put an official sign on the front that says: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The whole branch is very excited. They already gave out all the callings and they announced them all in sacrament meeting. The building is so perfect and the location is so good that it seems like it was prepared by God for the work of starting and building up the new branch. Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts tried to buy the building and convert it into a restaurant, but the city denied it. It is so cool. There is a permit required parking lot next to it, but on Sundays the City has agreed to allow us to use it without a permit for people to park. I will take some pictures and send them to you.
It was a very spiritual Sunday. All of the leadership is working with us closely to give us referrals and to help out with the missionary work.
I need to go, but I will write a handwritten letter, because there is so much more to tell you all. I love you all so much! Bye!
Love,
Elder Seamons
Also, I had to text Miami about my sheets that I left there, and Elder Terry told me that James, an investigator who we taught together was going to be baptized. I looked on the Website and he was for sure baptized. I am so happy. Also, Daline Figaro who Elder Rybin and I taught is being baptized on Christmas!
Question: Where is Elder Plowman from, and how long has he been in the mission?
He is from Chicago, Illinois. He has been in the mission field for 4 months. I am his third companion. His second companion was with him for only two weeks because they got together at the beginning of the transfer and then we got put together.
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Hello President! I am so grateful that you placed me in the branch. I have enjoyed this week so much and I have felt the spirit so strong within the last week. Elder Plowman and I are so excited and motivated to do missionary work. The transition into the new branch was smooth on all counts. If I didn't know any better, I would say that the branch had been going on for a long time. Everyone seemed to know where to go and what to do. The leaders and members of this branch are amazing. This is probably the best ward/branch I have ever been in. The branch was such an inspired idea. All of the leaders got up and bore testimony about missionary work and Sister Poor, who is the Relief Society president, is creating a program called the "lost sheep" program intended to get all of the less active sisters in the area back to church. Brother Vega, the new branch mission leader, is amazing. He said that the branch presidency will do exchanges with us every Wednesday. The Youth are doing an activity where they are going to the neighborhood by the chapel and will put chapel invitations on the door knobs with a ribbon and a candy cane. If people answer the door, they will leave their testimony and invite them to the church. I have never been more excited about missionary work! The branch is on fire. We have already met all of the members at church, and we have scheduled a few member blessings. We are really excited.
We went harvesting on Friday and we met a man named Lee, who is in drug and alcoholic rehabilitation and he has been trying to overcome this problem. His mom Veera had her sister die two days ago and will have the funeral soon. Lee had many pass-along cards from the church and he kept them and looked at them often. When we passed by, he had them laying in a row on his couch. These people really needed our help at this time and we were able to be the answer to their prayers.
We have been doing our best to keep the area book updated and we have been following up on all our contacts/referrals. We are really excited!
There were 56 people yesterday at the branch. Our goal is to double that number within the next 6 months. We are doing all we can, and we are working closely with the members.
I know that Jesus Christ is over this church and that he inspires and lifts up this work. Jesus Christ is our Savior and through him, we can obtain all the promised blessings from God, and all the righteous desires of our hearts. He still does miracles and God the Father does know all of his children. I have come to know that very well this week. The fact that I got sent to the branch shows me that he knows who I am.
Thank you President! I love you! Thank you so much for this wonderful opportunity.
Love,
Elder Seamons
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