May 11, 2015

Just posting Nate's letter this week is a bit anti-climatic since we got to Skype on Sunday.  It was great to see his face.  It was great to hear his voice.  It was great to hear how he was doing and it was great to hear him talking to each person in the family!

Friends and Family,

Happy late Mother's day to all the Women out there!

Elder Ence and I had yet another terrific week! And all it takes is faith, hard work, and exact  obedience. I have such a strong testimony that the Lord puts those in our path that are ready to hear the message of the Restored Gospel. There was a case this last Friday morning when we were out walking and a guy ran out of a store shouting after us asking if we were Latter-Day Saints. Our first thought was "oh great here we go, another preacher that just wants to tell us that we are wrong and that we aren't Christian." As we started talking to him he started telling us that he was a drunk, an addict, and a person who had a ton of regrets. But he had read the WHOLE Book of Mormon at the homeless shelter. So we taught him a super brief lesson and set up a time to meet with him. By the end of the lesson in a Rite Aid parking lot he was in tears. We haven't been able to meet with him because he has been in and out of the hospital the past few days.

It was great to talk to the family and others this past Sunday! Seeing how happy my family is just makes me want to work harder and be even better. Because I know that so many other families can benefit greatly from the Plan of Happiness that God has set up for all of us. We have been teaching a family, the Walker family. They are amazing! They are so humble and so hard working, on Saturday we helped them plant their garden. The next day they were at church with both their kids! They seemed to enjoy it.

So I got some great news from the Assistants this last Wednesday at Zone Conference in Charleston! One of the investigators I started teaching in Rocky Mount, Cheyenne, got Baptized this last week! I feel so blessed to be apart of her conversion and I don't have a single doubt in my mind that she won't be a stalwart member of the church.

Erick is still doing great! It will have to be a while before he can get baptized but he's going to get baptized for sure! Every time we go over he has a ton of question about what he has been reading and about the church! It has been such a blessing and a privilege to be apart of his eternal progression.

Thank you all for all the love and support. It really does mean a lot to me and my family.

Have a BLESSED day!

-Elder Jarman

Selfie on the old sketchy bridge

The Old Mill Creek Mine

The gang, Elder Young, Elder Lurker, Elder Ence and me!

Elder Ence being a daredevil 

My weird companion

May 4, 2015

Friends and family,

It has been yet another great week here in West Virginia!

Last month it was nothing but mud, rain, and humidity. But now it is absolutely beautiful! Still super humid but absolutely stunning! There are so many different colors on the trees and so much green. I absolutely love it! I just want to go frolicking through the forest singing a song! But if I did that I would be out of my place. And Elder Ence doesn't want to frolic with me.

We had a great week this week! In our ward we have three sets of missionaries. The set that lives with us, Elder Payne and Elder Hess, had a baptism this week! it just makes Elder Ence and I want to work even harder because neither of us have seen a baptism yet and we have both been out for eight months! We are working with a TON of great investigators who are all well on their way to baptism though.

So funny story of the week. One morning Elder Ence and I decided to go walking on the waking trail. The trail isn't too long. only about two and a half miles or so. We have been told my members and non members to stay off the trail if at all possible. I guess recently people have been getting mugged, robed, and even shot on the trail. So before we left we said a prayer and figured that since it was in the middle of the day nothing would happen. Surprisingly there were a ton of people on the trail. And we were able to talk to a whole bunch of different people. But right as we were about to get off the trail and head back home for lunch we heard five or six gun shots about 250 yards away. needless to say we RAN home, locked the doors, and vowed to ourselves that we would never walk the trail again. A few days latter a member was telling us how there was a gang fight that day on the trail. nobody was killed or even shot. So we weren't getting shot at. But it sure felt like it. It's cool to see how the Lord protects his missionaries and his children.

Thank you far all the prayers and the support.
Have a blessed day!

- Elder Jarman

Just a mom note here:  I told Nate maybe the Lord also protects his missionaries through other people telling them what is and isn't safe...  Just a thought.  And I seriously laughed so hard reading the first part of his email.  I miss Nate's humor around here, so I'm glad when he sends it our way!  And counting down...  six days until we get a phone call or Skype!

April 27, 2015

Friends and Family,

Things are going great! Elder Ence and I have been working hard and have been staying super busy!

This last week we moved three different families. Two of which were investigators. one of the investigators we helped move we haven't seen for a while. But we knew they were moving (just across the street) so we decided we would help them. It has been a struggle in the past to get them to church so we told them to pray about it. When we finished moving them in this morning they told us that they have been praying and they want to come to church! Just another testimony builder to me that God really does hear All of our prayers.

This week Elder Ence and I were also able to get four new investigators! How we will ever find the time to teach everyone I have no idea. I also went on exchanges this week with Elder Lurker, he has only been out for two weeks. It was a blast being able to work with him and see the fire that he has for the work.

Monday we also had interviews with our mission president. He is such a great guy and is such a great man to work with.

Thank you for all the love and support! Have a blessed day!

- Elder Jarman

A picture of me with Elder Caldwell the morning he left.  He was one of the missionaries living with us.
We would play soccer all the time. 

The lighter that Erick threw away during the stop smoking work shop... When he left I got it out of the trash and we signed it for him and gave it to him after he quit smoking.

Weekly Letter April 20, 2015

Friends and Family,

It has been yet another great week here in West Virginia! Miracles continue to abound as Elder Ence and I demonstrate faith, obedience, and patience. This past week has been such a testimony builder to me that God answers prayers, not necessarily immediately, but in his own time and in his own way!
Our Investigator Erick is still smoke free and has been taught all the lessons. now we have given him the task of having him teach us the first few lessons! He is for sure going to get baptized soon! We are also working with a ton of other investigators as well. We have been swamped with things to do! But I love every second of It! It is a blessing enough to see the hand of the Lord in my life. Every thing else is just icing on the cake!

This week I finished Luke in the New Testament. It was super uplifting to read about the events of the Savior's life that led to his death and eventually to his resurrection. The whole time I was thinking to my self, why would anyone reject the savior of the world? But after some contemplation and study I came to the conclusion that it was all part of the plan from the beginning. My mind is drawn to the song He Sent His Son.

How could the Father tell the world of love and tenderness?
He sent his Son, a newborn babe, with peace and holiness.
How could the Father show the world the pathway we should go?
He sent his Son to walk with men on earth, that we may know.
How could the Father tell the world of sacrifice, of death?
He sent his Son to die for us and rise with living breath.
What does the Father ask of us? What do the scriptures say?
Have faith, have hope, live like his Son, help others on their way.
What does he ask? Live like his Son.

We are given the example that we should fallow. All the Father asks is that we fallow our Savior's example. How blessed we are that we have that knowledge of our redeemer.

Thank you all for the love and support, have a blessed day!

- Elder Jarman

Weekly Letter April 13, 2015

Friends and Family,

It has been yet another great week here in Beckley! I absolutely love it here!
This last week was transfers. Elder Ence and I stayed together, thank goodness, he is absolutely the best!

For the past two weeks we haven't found a single new investigator, we were still working hard, and doing everything we could to find people to teach, but no luck. So we fasted for a miracle, and sure enough, last night at 8:30, thirty minutes before we were supposed to be in for the night, we found a new investigator! His name is John, he seems super interested and has a family too! So miracles are real! All we have to do is be patient and wait for the Lord to take over after everything we can do.

Also our investigator Erick has been smoke free for ten days! It is absolutely amazing to see the change in the life's of those who have a desire to change. All we do is give them the resources and materials to change.

Other than that this week we just did a ton of tracting and a ton of walking. But I love every second of it!

Thank you all for everything! It means a ton!
Have a blessed day!

-Elder Jarman

Weekly Letter April 8, 2015

Friends and Family,

It has been yet another great week here in Beckley!
A ton has happened this week and Elder Ence and I have been able to be blessed in so many different ways! We have been teaching this guy named Erick, he is on date to get baptized on May 2nd. I have no doubt in my mind that he will make it! On Friday we taught him the quit smoking workshop. It went super well and he hasn't smoked since! He also came to three sessions of General Conference and took A TON of notes. We also gave him a Bible and told him about foot notes and cross referencing, since than he has been cross referencing like crazy! We have also been super busy with teaching a ton of other people as well!

This week is transfers, Elder Ence and I are both staying in Beckley, Elder Ence is the new district leader, which means I'll get to go on a ton of exchanges!

General Conference this week was amazing! I especially loved President Uchdorf's talk on grace. There is no way we could ever be able to understand all of everything that was done for us by our Savior. All that we need to really know and understand is that Christ has his arm extended towards us, all we have to do is make the decision of whether we want to take a hold of his hand or not. As I have said before, I love this Gospel. It is so simple and so unique.

Thank you all for everything! Have a blessed day!

- Elder Jarman

Weekly Letter March 30, 2015

Psych!  No letter...  The following week I sent an email saying, "What's up?  We didn't hear from you last week."  Nate's response was, "haha yeah..... it was a nice day that day so Elder Caldwell and I went to go play soccer as soon as we could...... and that meant sacrificing a few things... 

How is everyone?"

But he did send pictures.  

He got his University of Utah sweatshirt in time for the Utah vs. Duke game.  He was showing Ute pride among Duke fans!  Too bad Utah lost...

That picture was taken at Mullins, a super small town in our area. That is probably the nicest place in the whole town. It is located in Wyoming county. Little unknown fact about Wyoming County, it is one of the top countys in the nation for the most amount of missing people. Needless to say, we don't visit very much.... 

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