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Good Tiding of Great Joy

Good morning, everybody! I cannot believe it's been a week since I last emailed... this week flew by. Exchanges on Wednesday, Temple on Thursday (INCREDIBLE!!!!!!!!), and interviews on Friday hastened the time. It was a spiritually rewarding week.

Our investigators could be doing better... we spent an hour coordinating members for teaches, lifts to and from church, and lifts to the Christmas party. They then proceeded to fall off the face of the Earth. Not sure what happened, but we know we did all we could. We're going to keep trying. I have no doubts that this was just a little slip up and that the Lord will provide a way for them to receive the saving ordinance of baptism.

On a brighter note, we committed our new investigator, E., to be baptised on January 10th! She is AMAZING! She asks the most incredible questions and is so sincere! She is also extremely sensitive to the Spirit. She gets emotional regularly during lessons. It's so fun to see her grow in testimony, even though we've only taught her for a week.  We're taking her to the Temple Visitors Center on Christmas Eve. The Visitors Center Sisters will do their thing, which is always incredible. They have a track record of 100% in sealing the testimonies of those I've brought to them. It should seal her testimony and solidify the date. We are so excited.

The next few days will be amazing. We're being taken care of very well this week and I get to see the many  of my favorite families in the ward - so yes it'll be incredible. I hope all of you have a great week- enjoy the spirit of the season, but make sure the focus is on Jesus Christ! :) For He truly is what matters most.

With love,

Elder Frederickson

You Nearly Knocked Him Off His Bike

Good morning, beautiful people all over the world!

I might sound even happier than usual- this is because I just found out that one of my favorite investigators (not that I have favorites... awkward...) Megan got BAPTISED last week! How exciting! :) It absolutely made my morning. I still remember the first time we met her, one of my first weeks back in beautiful Basingstoke. Good times.

We also received an incredible referral this week for someone who sounds prepared for baptism. We'll be teaching her on Saturday. We could not be more excited.Funny story for this week: So we regularly contact along the seafront. Whenever a jogger or a cyclist speeds by, I always hold out a card because, well, you never know haha. Anyways, there's this lady who walks her dog and she flipped out when she saw me try to give a card to a cyclist- "YOU STOP IT, YOU NEARLY KNOCKED HIM OFF HIS BIKE!" Every single time contacting on the seafront since, we have seen her there. It would appear that her new purpose is to do everything in her power to ensure that we don't get through to anyone. This is only funny because the people could not care less about what she has to say and talk to us anyways. Nothing can stop the Lord's work from moving forward.

Our current investigators are progressing well. We have 3 investigators who are still set for January 4th. We finished teaching them the Restoration and resolved several concerns regarding authority and the validity of a previous baptism. We were able to move past these issues with delicacy. We were teaching Dispensations when Mary asked this question almost emotional... she said "do you mean to say there are still prophets today?" Of course, we enthusiastically said yes- what a great question!  Brother Fahey (our amazing Ward Mission Leader) addressed this incredibly. He was delicate, but made it VERY clear that this man did NOT have the priesthood. Something we've been trying to focus on is teaching in unity. We've been applying the "question, teach, testify, switch" formula and it's worked really well. Our goal for this week is to find a solid fellowshipper for each of them. Luckily, we've got a ward Christmas party this week to help with that! :)I continue to learn a lot about leadership. I am starting to feel that's what I have been sent here to learn- the do's and do not's of Christ-like leadership. My companion and I have been discussing at length the "what", "why", and "how" of missionary work. The focus needs to be on the why! So often we tend to focus on the what. If we do that, we lose the why. For example, one "what" is key indicators. If we focus just on having high numbers, letting the "why" associated with it slip away, then are numbers will be meaningless and we won't fulfill our purpose. If we focus on the "why" behind the "what" then we will achieve the "what" in a far more meaningful way. I've seen examples of this in the wards throughout my mission. I've seen "what" centered wards and "why" centered wards- the latter see FAR more success in missionary work. Furthermore, when we focus on the "why" then the way we approach the "how" changes completely. I don't know how much sense this makes, but I've tried to apply it in all training opportunities.

This week is going to be beyond hectic. This Thursday we are going to the temple, Friday we are going to Brighton for interviews with President, we have appointments all week. The life of a missionary is truly the good life! :)

Happy Christmas everybody! I hope you all have an incredible week! I love hearing from all of you so much! :)

With love,

Elder Frederickson

Worthing Thunder

Dearly beloved family, friends, and associates,

My apologies- this email will probably be shorter than usual. We (us and Littlehampton Elders) went out for breakfast this morning so that's cut a chunk out of P-Day. The breakfast was so worth it though... oh my goodness. That being said, I passed on the baked beans and tomatoes. Whilst the variety of foods that I eat has expanded A LOT, I still cannot bring myself to eat plain tomatoes... unless we're being fed them by a member (which has only happened once.) Judge me. I just don't like them. As for baked beans...not breakfast food. But the rest of it was all incredible.

Another funny thing- Worthing has a professional basketball team- the Worthing Thunder. How original. They play their matches at the famous arena "Worthing Leisure Centre." At least I found it funny... :)

We found a family of three last week! They are from GHANA! Mary, who is 73, Effya (Yes, that's her name...) who is in her 30s, and Kelvin who is 8. Obviously, I bragged about Elder Riehle (Fellow laborers, if I meet anyone who is from another country and I have a friend on a mission there, I brag about them. Most prominent countries- Ghana, Turkey, and Portugal.) Needless to say, I am brushing up on my Twi and am gearing up for a Fufu feast this Saturday. We taught them last week and they attended church on Sunday. We trekked over to East Worthing and we were going to be at their house from 8:35 Sunday morning so we could catch the 8:45 bus... but they were outside chillin at the bus stop all with their Books of Mormon :) it was great. After we had showed them around, we encouraged them to seat themselves and prepare for the meeting. We told them we'd "be back." We then went and greeted members as usual, but everyone we greeted we told to go greet the African family in the chapel. It was a wonderful little strategy that made them feel right at home. They have accepted baptism for the 4th of January. They liked church... well, everything except the length of the meetings. But that's okay :) they are amazing.

The other big piece of news is that we are going to the temple on the 19th of December for a Christmas Dinner and Endowment Session. I am so pumped. I need to go to the temple, really. That's also when I'll get all the Christmas packages and stuff... but I am going to be good this year and not open any until Christmas! :)

Wait something else as well- Megan, one of the investigators that I taught in beautiful Basingstoke (Amazingstoke) is getting baptised this week! When her name pops up on President's letter next week under "baptisms" I'm going to freak out with excitement! :)

I love you all so so much! The Book of Mormon is the word of God- read it!

Hope each of you have an incredible week!

With love,

Teach When You Find, Find When You Teach!

Good morning, everybody! 

It has been a crazy week, that is for sure! We had a multizone conference at Crawley chapel. Crawley Zone was there as well as Maidstone and Wandsworth Zones. We were addressed by Elder Texeira of the 70, our Area President. He was incredible. My companion and I also sang "Dear To The Heart Of The Shepherd" which went A LOT better than I thought it would. It was my first time performing properly in... well, a long time haha. We also received word this morning that, before Christmas, we'll be able to go the temple and we'll have a Christmas Dinner there. Should be exciting. We also had Stake Conference this weekend... because of the way my transfers have worked, this was the first time I'd been to a Stake Conference since the Super Bowl Sunday before my mission. It was wonderful. The whole Saturday evening session was devoted to missionary work.

Funny story of the week: whilst contacting along the Seafront on Saturday, this man stopped us and in a VERY thick Scottish accent yelled at us.  He went on a ten minute tirade during which he said "You know what yous ought to do? Take the next train to Brighton. Go to the club. Find yourself a nice girl. Enjoy your life." At this point he was practically in tears. The only reason I didn't walk away was because his accent was so cool.  Life is always an adventure!

Anyways, as far as the work goes,this week was a week of progress, that's for sure.

The key difference? Two things, in my humble opinion- first, we set goals, made plans, and followed through. Second, as Elder Astorga puts it, we sought out teaching experiences instead of finding experiences (teach when you find.) We taught people the gospel. We didn't blast them with the gospel and then ask for an appointment, we got to know them a bit and then tailored our unique message to fit their needs. Hearing from Elder Texeira also definitely helped.

Speaking of Elder Texeira, these are the things that we gathered from his presentation as a companionship and as a district. First, we need to be organized- we should be planning our appointments in advance. People like patterns. If we establish a regular meeting pattern with shorter, more frequent teaching visits, they will feel the Spirit in short bursts at higher magnitudes. Furthermore, we can establish a pattern for the members who accompany us and allows us to invite them to teaches a week away. It makes it easier for us and MUCH easier for them. Second, we need to go about seeking referrals in a smarter way. Elder Texeira gave us a brilliant way to do this (fellow laborers in the vineyard, read this next part carefully!) He said that if a prospector finds a huge gold nugget, he's not gonna say "Oh sweet! Now I'll start from the beginning and travel six miles and find some gold there!" That would make him an idiot. A SMART prospector digs deeper, because there is going to be more gold around! He'll dig and dig and dig until he is certain he's found all the gold. It's the same for us. When we find an investigator, we should ask for referrals! He suggested that when we pray with an investigator we ask whom they know we could pray for by name. We ask them why. Then we pray. Afterwards, we ask if we can teach that person, as their problems will ALWAYS be best addressed by the Gospel. Brilliant. Preach My Gospel promises that if we do this, we will have many people to teach. We have access to these blessings, we just need to do our end of the deal! :)

I know this work is the work of Almighty God. I am so grateful to participate in it.

I love you all so much! Hope to hear from you soon! :)

With love,

Elder Frederickson

PS The picture is the beautiful Elder Hanks and I :)

 

 

Christmas Baptisms!

Dear everybody,

This week has been wonderful! The best week I've had in Worthing in a long time.

Our focus this week has been following up! Over the past five weeks we'd found a ridiculous number of potentials. We were devoting some time every few days to calling them on the phone, but it just wasn't proving to be effective. We decided that we needed to really focus in on these people that we'd found and trust that we'd found them for a reason. We decided to focus on progressing. We devoted pretty much every day to following up with as many of our people as possible. The fruits were marvelous- we committed two more people to baptism in December.

Our first baptismal date is with an investigator, who we extended a date to a little over a week ago. She's amazing. We are going to the temple with her this week. She has said yes to every commitment we've extended so far. She has been prepared! This week, we committed her nine year old daughter to baptism on the same day - December 14th. We love them so much and are so excited to see their continued progression.

We also began teaching a new investigator. She had met with missionaries in Brighton before. She had a big falling out with them on somedoctrinal things. She had some questions on the Fall of Adam and Eve. She said she doesn't understand why people blame Adam and look down on him. We then put forward the Church's stance regarding this and she immediately invited us over , saying "this is new to me, maybe this is what's right for me." She wouldn't, however, accept a specific return appointment. Or give us her number. Just her address. So - we handed her a card with out number on it. A week later, she gave us a call, requesting a visit that night and the DVD "Finding Happiness" (which was advertised on the card.) We called up a member, went to see her, and emerged that night having committed her for baptism for the 21st of December!  It is exciting!

As far as our work with members goes, things are great. We had a  really good correlation meeting on member missionary work. We came up with a game plan and we're excited to implement it. This Sunday was good. We only had one person in Sacrament but we were able to get members to cover all seven of our appointments- all of which are with Sisters without a man in the home... that can be frustrating, but exact obedience brings miracles! Plus, it makes the members a little more sympathetic towards coming out with us.  :)

 

This week, I also focused on becoming a more doctrinal teacher, teaching Preach My Gospel's way. I had a mini freak-out on Saturday as we were preparing to teach a lesson. I felt like I was a brand new missionary! How could I teach?! My study was URGENT. I soaked it in as much as I could, but I still didn't feel like it was enough! It goes without saying that I was a bit stressed. Then, we got into the teaching appointment and something wonderful happened... the words flowed freely. Now, obviously, I've taught by the Spirit before... but never like this. It was amazing. I don't remember what I said but Elder Astorga and I didn't have to look at each other or anything. We didn't even have to ask the member... he just chimed in at the perfect time! The Spirit was the teacher... and the end result was a new baptismal date. A soul to bring unto the Saviour. My new goal is to have every lesson be like that, if possible. If I study and work with urgency, the Lord will fill my mouth and make me His instrument. What a blessing.

Our emphasis in the District this week (and probably this transfer) will be on more effective use of the Book of Mormon- especially ensuring that our investigators know how to study it... and ARE studying it.

We have a Zone Conference next week in Crawley. Elder Texeira from the 70 will be in attendance. Elder Astorga and I are going to sing "Dear To The Heart Of The Shepherd" at it... a quote from the assistants "it needs to be reverent and it needs to be good." A bit intimidating? Ohhhh yes. It should be fun though! :)

Hope all of you have an amazing week! I'd love to hear from all of you! Oh by the way, to all those who love me enough to send a Christmas package... send it to the Mission Home address! If you don't have it, ask me and I'll give it to you... I can't be bothered to type it out now! :) Love you all!

With love,

Elder Frederickson

So apparently there was a Hurricane?

All is well (though we are a tad wet) in sunny Worthing. Yes, there was a hurricane last night, although we didn't know it was a legitimate hurricane until last night at 10 PM. We are safe. This morning for exercise we jogged to the seafront and ran against the 80 MPH winds. We also took some pictures. It was intense. 

 

This week has been wonderful! Nothing particularly noteworthy in our area regarding investigators. It is a bit frustrating not having anyone dated for baptism, but we've set goals and made plans to reverse that trend.

This morning, I set three goals for myself this week. I think they will help me become more focused, obedient, and efficient.
1) Set the tone for each day by being exactly obedient in the mornings (and all day, obviously, but waking up/exercising/etc. are not always the easiest for me- so that's a focus!)
2) "Endure to the end" each day by ensuring that no time is wasted.
3) Be anxiously engaged in a good cause- always have something to do! Even if we are just in the flat, always have something productive to do.
I know that Heavenly Father will provide a way for me to achieve these goals. I know they will make a big difference in the way I fulfill my missionary purpose.

This week I learned a really cool principle about service.  I felt that this week we really needed to serve Littlehampton by helping them find people to teach. We did a workover with them on Wednesday and I did a exchange with them on Fridays. The end of the week came and they taught twenty lessons and committed someone for baptism next month! Not only that, but the Lord made up the difference for us- the Lord hastened His work and provided the increase. It's amazing what a week of service can do! :)

This week we were fed Mexican twice. YES. I also had one of the best kebabs ever this week from the noted Littlehampton 5 Star dining establishment "Planet Pizza and Kebab." Maybe I should do some extra exercise this week...   

I also got a beautiful new coat courtesy of Grandma and Grandpa Frederickson. It's lovely and warm and should keep me cold in what is allegedly going to be a "bitterly cold winter." Yikes!

Also we just found a stack of mormon.org pass-along cards in this little internet cafe tucked behind some phone products... what?

One other cool story- in Zone conference last week, President emphasized asking EVERYONE for referrals.  This week we tried our best to apply that and we had a sweet experience. We were contacting by the seafront, we stopped this guy and he wasn't interested. We asked him for a referral and he just goes "oh yeah, my mate Dexter is into religious stuff." Before we could reply, he whips out his phone and gives us his friend's number! Pretty cool! :)

I know that I am called of God. The message that the Lord's servants share changes lives. How great is my opportunity? The Book of Mormon is true. Read it. It's promise does not fail. It's tangible evidence of the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. These truths change lives.

Have the best week of your life! :)

With love,

Elder Frederickson

More Fun Photos!

Miracles!

Morning lads,

It has been a great week! Carol's baptism was an amazing experience for all involved. On Sunday she was confirmed by the Bishop. The Spirit was strong. 

An ongoing miracle: A couple of weeks ago, we felt we needed to work the High Street 10 AM on like a Tuesday morning. Normally, this wouldn't be too effective but it's where we felt we needed to be! A couple of minutes after we got started, we stopped a young family. She then said "I am a member, I haven't been to church for 16 years since I left Wales. I think I might be ready to come back and my 8 year old daughter has lots of questions." Over the next week, we learned that she'd been contemplating coming back to church for years. She saw us down the high street and she knew that we would stop them. She also knew that it was time to come back. Fast forward to yesterday. The whole family (including the non-member husband) entered the Worthing Chapel for the first time. It was beautiful. In Gospel Principles she asked "If my husband is baptised, can we be sealed?" UHHHHH, YES!
Besides the baptism, the highlight of this week was most definitely church!  Several of the members brought friends to church. Several members invited less-actives to "come and see." Furthermore, they all enjoyed it! The Lord's hand is clearly at work! The Work of Salvation moves forward with power.

Another cool experience regarding planning and things of that nature. So the other night we planned to do some contacting along the seafront for a couple of hours. This is normal. I like going there because it looks cool and people are usually just chilling, so they're up for a quality gospel conversation. We left the flat and IMMEDIATELY the rain just pummels down. We thought to ourselves "what should we do?" After a little bit of discussion, we concluded that, since we told the Lord that we would be at the seafront at that time, and had asked for people to be put in our path, we should probably follow through. By most standards, the next 90 minutes were MISERABLE. We were soaking from head to foot. Many mormon.org.uk cards did not survive. We were able to teach two lessons, however, and hand out two Book of Mormons. That might not sound like much, but I know we were blessed from following through with our plans. Afterwards, I made my own tomato sauce for pasta. My cooking skills have progressed significantly, though that is not saying much.

I love you all so much and love hearing from you! I feel your prayers. I know the work to which I've been called is God's, I am priveledged to be an instrument in His divine hands. Have a wonderful week!

With love,

Elder Frederickson

 

 

Hallelujah!

Dear world,

It has been a great week! In the interest of full disclosure, nothing particularly noteworthy or exciting happened. Just a solid week of doing the Lord's work and lifting where we stand.

I had an incredibly effective exchange with Elder Wainwright this week, one principle of effective planning that I drew from it was this- always leave enough time between appointments to contact everyone! In the past, I've had a tendency to try have all appointments in immediate succession. This is an example of "better" as opposed to "best." It also can create punctuality issues. By better using my daily planner (and my brain) I've found that the days fill up much quicker and time is used far more wisely. It all goes back to effective planning!

Another thing that Elder Wainwright and I discussed at some length was accounting, what we account for, and how we account for it. We'd both found that many missionaries, ourselves included, had a tendency to try and create something new. Some idea that will promote greater effectiveness in some part of missionary work (especially in working with members.) Some new key indicator to focus on. Sometimes this is incredibly effective... until the whole zone moves. What then happens is that missionaries take this idea and apply it in there new areas and districts and zones... until eventually everyone is accounting for far too many things far too often. The secret is to stick to Preach My Gospel! All we need to do to see success in EVERY part of missionary is simply follow the counsel given to us in Preach My Gospel, the White Handbook, and the Scriptures. If we do that, we won't need anything else! The Spirit will direct us and the work of salvation will move forward in unity throughout the mission. I know I just went on something of a rant, but it was a wonderful discussion that I gained a lot from.

Our investigator will be baptised this Saturday. Prayers have been said and fingers have been crossed. She passed the interview last week. The Lord will provide the rest!

I feel that I am in a period of intense spiritual growth. Over the past several weeks, the adversary has been working on some of my deepest weaknesses and fears. It's been difficult, but I am learning so much. I have been so blessed.

We started teaching a South African family this week and it was delightful. They are willing to listen and try new things so that is a very positive sign! There's also like 10 people in the house so it's fun to teach so many people of so many ages at the same time! Also we asked one of them to say the closing prayer. There were many "mmmms" "YES" and "HALLELUJAH"s throughout.

I know the work that I do is the work of God. I love it! I love all of you as well :) you're in my prayers nightly. All you fellow missionaries- I love reading your emails each week! They are so uplifting. What a blessing it is to serve shoulder to shoulder with such dear friends.

Something else that I learned this week- Church can be an amazing experience every week. First, make the Sacrament the focus. That's why you're in church in the first place- to renew your covenants. If you anticipate and prepare for the Sacrament, church will always be worth it. Second, participate! Study the lesson before! Give your insights and share your experiences. Don't just chill and let your mind wander. Be an active participant. Third, if a teacher issues a challenge... take it! Set goals and make plans to apply what you learn. If you don't do this, you may as well just skip out on the second and third hours. Apply what you learn and then share the results with your teacher. If you do these three things, church will always be an uplifting, testimony building experience. 

Zone conference on Thursday in Crawley. Crawley, Wandsworth, and Maidstone Zones will be in attendance. Should be excellent. It'll be great to hear counsel from mission leaders, receive revelation for ourselves and those we have stewardship over, and see some great friends.

I hope all of you have the best week of your lives! :)

With love,

Elder Frederickson

Transfers

The ELSM had transfers this week - Matthew remained in Worthing and was thrilled.  His companion Elder Cullimore got transferred.  Matthew has a new companion fresh from the  Preston MTC.  Here is his short e-mail from last week!

Hello! I have my new companion- Elder Astorga from Ogden Utah! He is wonderful. Very humble and hardworking!!!

Not much time to email but I'll send a real email on Monday!

Everything is really good here. I am SO happy I am staying! I'll most likely be here until Christmas!

Yesterday in Staines was a ton of fun. It always is.

Love you guys so much!!!!

What a Wonderful Week

Good morning everyone!

It has been a week with challenges, but it has also been a week full of miracles! 

What a priveledge it was to be addressed by the Lord's anointed this weekend. I learned a lot and hope to apply it as best I can in my missionary efforts. From the talks that I heard, my favourites (in no particular order) were Elder Dube (Elder Riehle in particular will understand why I loved that talk), Elder Bednar, President Monson (priesthood session- VERY enlightening), President Eyring (priesthood session), Elder Christofferson, and President Uchtdorf (Saturday morning.) I realize that I just named like half of the talks hahahhaa but really I loved them.

We saw a lot of miracles whilst we were finding this week. We did all we could to strip ourselves of fear and invite everyone to be baptised. The Lord took care of the rest. He has a tendency to do that. What it really comes down to is our faith. If we believe that the Lord can do it and make that belief manifest through ACTION, then the veil will inevitably burst. The power and authority of our calling will be evident as we call down miracles from Heaven. This is the theme for our District this transfer- bursting the veil!

Funny story of the week: we stopped someone and asked them what they thought their purpose in life was. They said their purpose was to help the word become a more compassionate place by converting others to become Vegans. She then asked if I was Vegan. I told her I was not. She then informed me that, apparently, my compassion did not extend towards animals. I quickly corrected her, letting her know that it did, but that one of the reasons there are animals on this earth is so that man can have meat. Needless to say, that was the end of that conversation. Well... three cheers for honesty.

Also like five minutes later a man told us that he would like us to "go missionary somewhere else."

I had to cringe a little bit when the 70 mispronounced Yorkshire in conference.

I love you all so much! My address is still the same- I would love to hear from you all! :) I know this work that I have been called to is God's work! I love it. I love this gospel. I love being able to share it. 

With love,

Elder Frederickson

Good Morning!

Dear family and friends,

The work pushes onward in Worthing, as it does. Our investigator is doing amazing. We taught her about family history and has already dived into it, now trying to access some sort of census so she can find her great-great-great grandmother. I don't think I could name any ancestors beyond a couple of great grandparents! That is quite impressive.
 

Our other investigator is amazing. I've never taught anyone so prepared for baptism. She came to church yesterday, despite her fellowshippers not being there and despite the sting of adversity that is so typical for someone preparing for baptism. She is a kingdom builder, who will do great things in the service of God.
  

And we have an investigator who is ready for baptism. She mentioned that if it can't be October 12th, that she wants it to be this Saturday. We'll see, whatever happens, it will be for the best.

Everything is great. The District is doing wonderful. A big focus this week in our district is getting the members out working with us. I've always been a big time believer that the members need to TRUST you and LOVE you before any sort of referral can be discussed. I've found that the latter is simple enough, just being genuine and loving to everyone promotes a spirit of love. Trust, however, can be a bit tricky. I've found that the best way to earn trust is to literally work shoulder to shoulder with the members. Get them out working with you, no matter what you're doing. Working hard, together. These are the values I feel need to be instilled in those I have been given this sacred stewardship over. I'm encouraging the district to do this and we're doing all we can over here in Worthing to "practice what we preach."

Other highlights of the week included a lunch at Interwok, a medium-quality Chinese buffet with high-quality company, several miracles pertaining to the people discussed above, and a little bit of rain to keep things interesting.

On a more reverent and serious note, I'd like to take a short moment to remember my good friend Peter Maughan, who passed away last week. Though the time that I knew him was relatively short (he lived on my hall at BYU) he was an amazing friend. I literally never saw him without a smile on his face. He was bold, but not over bearing... confident, but not cocky. He was so kind ; he would never judge a soul, and it would have very easy to have judged me. He was inclusive, he always tried to make sure everyone was happy and loved. Although it was hard to hear of his passing, I know that someday, if I prove worthy, I will see him again. I know this, because I have asked my Eternal Father and he has confirmed this to me by the power of the Holy Ghost. How grateful I am for the peace that this gospel brings. It is true. Please keep his family in your prayers this week.

I love you all and pray for as many of you as I can each day,

Elder Frederickson

 

A Crisp Autumn Morning

It's been a good week. We saw our good friend on the street the other day who yelled at us for 10 minutes about how "JESUS DROVE THE MONEY CHANGERS FROM THE TEMPLE!" and how we're "sucking the life out of his community" Hmmmm. Interesting side-note, he had about 20 rings on and was walking his poodle. He is a big fan of us, we see him often on the high street. Life as a missionary is always so interesting. :)

I spoke in church yesterday on the "miracle of the Restoration." It was a good experience! I still get nervous whenever I am asked to speak in church though. I loved being able to share the first vision over the pulpit!

We went on two exchanges last week! Elder Nohaingoinaina came to Worthing with me on Wednesday after a delicious district lunch at the Toby Carvery. Elder Gardner came to Worthing with me as well on Friday. Exchanges always make the week go by quicker, it seems.

Grandma- to answer your weekly inquiry, I don't do nearly as much singing as I should/as I would like to. The 15 months of no lessons have most definitely taken their toll! But I sing when I can. After the baptism last week, one of the members played the piano while a group of us sang in parts, so that was really fun.

I've put several pounds on since arriving to Worthing. I've decided to start having lighter lunches, cut down on eating out, and I've promised myself to make Kebabs a VERY RARE treat... like once a month TOPS (the obvious exception being after baptisms.)

The work is taking off! Members are amazing!

We taught a member referral, twice this week. The first thing she said after church was "I don't think I'll be able to do a Sacrament talk quite yet... they won't ask me, will they?" Let's just say she could not be more prepared. She told us that the Restoration "makes a lot of sense." Her member friend bore sincere testimony, putting power behind our teaching. 

The members are seeing things happening. They're excited to pitch in and do their part. They're motivated to take part in the Work of Salvation- now it's taking that motivation and turning it into ACTION!

One of our investigators is now married! We attended the wedding, the Spirit was strong. Both her and our other investigator are preparing for baptism on the 12th of October... I just wish it'd come sooner! :) I love this work and I love this ward.

I know the work to which I've been called is true. I love my companion, I love Worthing, I love the work. Take up Moroni's challenge, even if you've done it thirty times. Read the Book of Mormon and PRAY! You'll get an answer, the scriptures make that abundantly clear. :)

Family- I hope this letter is "newsy" enough :)

With love,

Elder Frederickson

PS the picture is of the coast! We live about two minutes away (walking) from here!

 

 

Greetings!

Good morning everyone! What a wonderful week it has been! It was an incredible experience to witness the baptism and confirmation of our investigator. The spirit at the service was strong, the support from the ward immense, and the presence of her non-member friends noticed. She walked out of the chapel yesterday with Visiting and Home Teachers assigned, some new manuals, and a smile stretching from one ear to the other. What joy!

The ward is amazing. This week, one of the members brought a friend to church. She heard us talking about dinner appointments with another member and jumped in "I'd love to feed you guys!" This (new) investigator is a single sister so we quickly explained our rules, at just that moment a member jumped in and said they'd feed us AND the investigator, and that afterwards we can "share a little about what we do." Things are moving, and it's wonderful.

As usual, I was humbled in a host of ways last week, but that's the way we grow. Perhaps as we grow closer to God, the experiences we have need to be even more humbling... but hey, I feel like I am fulfilling my purpose now more than ever, and am truly putting in a better effort than ever before.

At the end of last week, we received a call from an 18 year old girl girl asking "what do I need to do to be baptised a member of your church?" More on that next week- we'll see where it goes :) miracles are real. 

The transfer is halfway done. Ummm. Don't like that AT ALL!

I'll attach a quick picture of Elder Cullimore and I before the baptism looking beautiful.

I know that the work we do is of our Father in Heaven. It's His masterful plan, all we have to do is allow us to be His hands. That's when we feel pure happiness. 

Fun Photos From Across the Pond!

Good Morning!

Hello everybody! Sorry for the lack of updates- the last two weeks have been SO hectic. We had the priveledge of doing a session in the London Temple last week (we did not get to see the new video... bummer) and the week before that was moves. Things are starting to settle down now, though. Life is good! 

 

It wasn't just P-Day that was hectic last week- the whole week was crazy. We had Zone Training on Tuesday and District Leader Council before that, so we had to be in Crawley for like 8 AM haha. We woke up at 5:30 and got a lift from an incredibly kind member. The next two days, I was on exchange. Exchanged with the Crawley Zone Leaders on Wednesday/Thursday and with Littlehampton on Thursday/Friday. They were both incredibly effective- I learned so much! I can't wait to apply all the things that I learnt throughout the week.

On Saturday, the Ward has a summer fair! It was a great missionary/fundraising activity. We were there helping out from 7:30 AM to 3. 

Our investigators are doing wonderful. One will be baptized this Saturday, we could not be more excited! Her interview will be Wednesday. I am sure that all will go well. The ward here is wonderful and are really providing the help that we need (because, honestly, we can't do anything without them.)

This week I hit my 15 month mark. It is so hard to believe. It's starting to scare me how fast the time is starting to fly. My time remaining in England really is short- I need to step up my game, turn the balance of my mission over to Heavenly Father, and then give His work everything that I have. I hope and pray that I can be the instrument in His hands to bring a soul to salvation.

I love you all so much! :) Sorry there isn't more detail haha.

With love,

Elder Frederickson

Happy Reunion!!!

An amazing member in Basingstoke sent me this picture of Matthew and Elder Cullimore!  They were visiting family in Worthing and were so happy to see each other again!!!  So grateful for amazing members in England who love and care for my missionary!!!!

Good morning everybody!

It has been another roller-coaster week in Worthing! Lot's ups and downs! But a lot more ups, I think! :) The work is most definitely moving forward, though. The ward is  beginning to trust us and put their shoulder to the wheel. I'm confident that if we just keep doing what we are doing, then the Lord will provide the rest.

We are seeing tons of miracles in our finding efforts! We have made it a big focus to rely on the Lord when planning our finding activities (both through the members and through our own efforts.) Somehow, we've been able to be at the right place at the right time all week. The Lord guided us to the right formers, right members, right streets, and placed prepared people in our path along the way.

Our Ward Mission Leader provided us an incredible referral this week. She was at church yesterday, we taught her, and will teach her again tomorrow. She loved church and no concerns are apparent at the moment.

This week I gained a renewed testimony of knocking. We put our faith into it and "played smart" by trying to knock as much as possible between 5 and 8 PM (disregarding the fact that people are "having their tea.") We also worked on being less robotic- just being ourselves at the door. I've said it before but I'll say it again- training brings you back to basics and I could NOT be more grateful for that.

Our goal this week is to improve our relationship with the ward and ward mission leader by defining our respective roles in pushing this work forward. We want our study and planning to revolve more around the people and the doctrines they need (because that's where the answers always are!) as opposed to our planning revolving on how we can get the members involved. During companion study today, we decided that we want to shift that to the Ward Mission Leader via daily contact and the Ward via more effective use of the Progress Record. Our plan is to inform our WML of all return appointments when we get them, tell him about the investigator, and invite him to prayerfully consider who could do a good job fellowshipping... and then find a member for us to come on that appointment. Obviously, that's a big load to bear- but I think it'll enhance our ability to build the testimony of our friends ten-fold. We'll see how it all turns out :) we're going to present it all to him tomorrow in correlation.

I love you all! Feel free to send packages, letters, or anything really! :) You guys are simply the best. I know this church is true, I could never deny it.

With love,

Elder Frederickson

Wonderful Worthing

Dear everyone!

It's been a great week in Worthing. It's certainly had it's challenges but that is how we grow, isn't it?

Great things have small beginnings. I had an excellent exchange with Elder Ormsby this week. I think the biggest thing that I have learnt this week... well, the two biggest things I've learnt this week... are these-

1. Numbers are only meaningful if the numbers are representing the progress of people. In a properly running area, a mission leader should be able to see the numbers from week to week, see progression, and know who those numbers represent. I took a look back at some of the numbers from when I was in Basingstoke and compared them to when I was in Chichester. The numbers in both were high, but the ones and Basingstoke were most defintely "better" because I could remember who the majority of those number represented. They were more meaningful. These are just scrambled thoughts, but I think they are important. It has made me change my train of thought about how the work should move forward in Worthing.

2. We need to strip ourselves of pride when working with the members. I remember one day last week, Elder Cullimore and I were talking about working with members and visiting them daily. He said that he remembered the missionaries stopping by his house and just chilling, really. He said that we didn't want to leave that impression on the members here. I agreed. As a result, I wasn't too keen on stopping by members. Then, however, something came to me. Why didn't I want to stop by members and train them to be better missionaries? It was simply because I didn't want them to think I didn't work hard! In other words, for a few moments I had been willing to sacrifice my commitment to the District and Zone vision because I wanted to make sure I looked good! We then quickly agreed that we'd do all we could to visit members eight times each week.

The fruits of visiting members were delicious. We were efficient with our time, had fun, were ourselves, and helped train the members to be better missionaries. We were bold in stressing that if we do this work without them, we will fail. We might baptize people, but there is a very high chance they'd fall away. Building the kingdom would require a joint effort. The Spirit was invited and acted upon. Somehow, we received ten referrals from various members. It was amazing. Furthermore, although we were spending a lot less time contacting, our contacting yielded far better results! 

The missionary life is amazing and so rewarding. I can feel myself growing each day. Next week I hit 14 months... it's ridiculous. I know the work to which I've been called is very real. As with all of my previous areas, I need to be in Worthing at this exact time for specific reasons. The Book of Mormon is true, read it.

Love you all so much!

Elder Frederickson

Week 2 in Worthing

Good morning everybody!

This week has been great. White-wash training is NOT easy hahaha but it is so much fun and you really learn a lot from it.

Today will probably consist of letter writing. There's nothing too crazy about Worthing hahaha but I love it. Tomorrow there is a Zone Conference in Crawley, it'll be my first Zone Conference on the east side of the mission. It'll be fun to see some people I haven't seen much. 

It's definitely a different experience serving with one of your friends. It's extra challenging but the results are extra worth it. We had quite a hard time with finding efforts this week and we couldn't understand why. We were sick on Thursday and Friday and just wondering what was going on! But then I realized- we weren't relying on the Lord enough, we weren't relying on the members enough. We have repented and redoubled our efforts to remember that this is NOT our work, we can do nothing of or for ourselves. We need to let the members know that without equal effort from us and them, then the work cannot, will not, and (quite frankly) should not- for we reap what we sow. If we are the only ones reaping, then why would the kingdom grow?

The Zone has set a lofty goal of teaching 8 "member lessons" each week per companionship. We (finally) had our first member lesson after a Dinner Appointment yesterday. Elder Ormsby made an exceptional DVD for the District to use in our Member Lessons with all of the Work of Salvation clips. We showed this family the one where the YM program grows from 1 to 26 members. It was intensely spiritual. At the end of the video, their 14 year old son blurted out that he had a friend that he was going to invite to mutual! He felt the spirit, he caught the wave. If the hearts of the rest of the ward are softened in a similar manner, then I can't even fathom what is going to happen here. True, the start of things has been slow... but I think the Lord will bless Worthing with an abundance of souls- so long as they do THERE part! :) We will do our part, the Spirit will most DEFINITELY do His. It's all on the members now. I know they can do it.

An epiphany I had this week- the main difference between us and the members (purely in regards to the missionary work we are BOTH called to do) is that members have the opportunity to invite people they have pre-established relationships with whereas we (without their help) approach people we've never met and invite them. Which will work better? The former, obviously. That's just a thought that's been running through my head the last week. I can't wait to apply it in our member lessons.

I love the priveledge I have of taking part in the Latter-day work. It's definitely moving forward. If you can't see it, open your eyes! Catch the wave, ask the missionaries, and know that the Gospel of Jesus Christ changes us forever. I know all of this is true. Apply the doctrines of salvation and you'll notice immediate and sweeping improvements in your lives.

Have an incredible week, everybody! Know that I love you and pray for you daily.

Love,

 Elder Frederickson

Week One in Worthing!

This week has been great! I've noticed something about training in a new area- it really is like starting your mission fresh! I love it. It's great to go back to the basics, to build up the work in an area. In Basingstoke, we had everything established, everything was flowing smoothly. Here... well, we have some work to do! :)

We've done a lot of street contacting in the past week. We've found that the two best places are along the promenade and on the high street. There is a REALLY cool recent convert here- we brought her street contacting with us the other day. She took the right side of the high street, I took the middle, and Elder Cullimore took the left. Whenever someone got into an actual conversation, we just joined in. It was really cool and we found some awesome people that day. Long story short, we've found some wonderful people and hope to begin helping them progress towards baptism soon.

Our plan moving forward is to get the members involved DAILY in the work, to be 100% obedient, and to have meaningful study. Meaningful study is something that President has been stressing A LOT lately, every single week in his letters.

It is nice to be in a District with Elders in it so we can actually do stuff with other missionaries on P-Day! :) Today one of the Elders from Littlehampton is going to give me a haircut. I need a haircut quite desperately. District Meetings are in Brighton. The District is HUGE- Elders in Worthing, Littlehampton, Brighton, and Eastbourne. It should be a blast. :)

That is pretty much it, to be honest. A slightly boring email, I know :) but there will be more next week, promise!!!!

I love you all so much and am so grateful to be a part of this noble latter-day work. I know that it's true- if it wasn't, I wouldn't be here. This Gospel has made more of me than anything else could even come close to. 

Have a wonderful week :)

-Elder Frederickson

Training in Worthing!

A little over a year ago, my friend and I were sitting in a Denny's in Provo and 5 AM contemplating the purpose of why we are placed in the paths of particular people. Isn't it funny that a year later we are missionary companions?

My new companion, fresh out of the Preston MTC, is my good friend Elder Cullimore! I could not be more excited! We are serving in a lovely sea-side town called Worthing. 

Getting to Worthing was slightly stressful. One of the YSA in Basingstoke drove us to the train station and on the way we got McDonalds Breakfast (that was not stressful.) Then, in an unrelated incident, we missed the train to Staines. We were SO kindly offered a ride, however... so this was not an issue. Also at one point I got Sracha hot sauce on my new suit but we bought baby wipes from ASDA and cleaned it so it was all good! :)

But now we are here. Worthing is absolutely beautiful. We have the largest flat in the mission and it has two toilets/showers (hallelujah.) We are a two minute walk from the beach, so we went for a run on the promenade this morning. So cool. I love being here.

Not much else to say! I could not be more excited to see just what the Lord has in store for us here!

With love,

Elder Frederickson

New Address

Here is my new address!!!

 

Elder Matthew Frederickson

Flat 1 Sinclair Lodge

23A Gratwicke Road

Worthing, West Sussex

England BN11 4BJ

July 1st - Basingstoke

Good morning everybody!

 

P-Day today. Buying a new suit. That's pretty much it. Nothing too crazy.

 

Another wonderful week! Gibson and Sam's baptisms draw closer- they are on Saturday! We could not be more excited.

The work continues to move forward in ways that I never thought to be possible. We are getting so many members involved so often, it is an absolute miracle. We are really pushing the members, I think some of them think we are being a bit intense. Often times during planning, if we don't have a member going out with us, we will work the phone until we have someone coming out with us. We beg and please and promise blessings. We seriously have to give every effort we have to get people out with us, but somehow it ends up working.

I don't particularily enjoy being brief, but there's really not much more to say. Everything is going wonderful. The Lord is blessing us so much. It is such a priveledge to serve the Lord full time.

Transfers next week. I have absolutely no idea what is going to happen next week, but I know it will be of God. I will be happy no matter what.

 

I love you all so much! Your prayers are so powerful, I feel them daily.

 

With love,

Elder Frederickson

Good morning, everybody! The sun continues to shine and the time continues to fly here in sunny (for England, at least) Basingstoke!

 

To be honest, I don't know what's happening any more. We have forgotten ourselves and gotten lost in the Lord's work... and He is moving everything forward.

There is a fire about missionary work in this ward that I have never before seen. It is incredible. Everyone is getting involved. The key has been persistence. We just keep asking- over and over again. If they back out, we remind them that they backed out! We hold them accountable for the quality of member missionary work that is being done within the ward... and it's working. We were able to get people out with us every night last week. We received multiple (for lack of a better word) endorsements in church. It's not about the month of invitation any more, it's (as our Bishop so perfectly put it) "the start of something good" and "how things need to be from now on." What a miracle.

Besides the explosion of member missionary work, the other thing that the Lord has blessed us with is courage. How, you might ask? It started a couple of weeks ago in Zone Training. A recently returned missionary from Uraguay gave an exceptional presentation on inviting everyone to be baptized- including on the street. I think the whole zone really caught hold of this idea. We began to account for the number of baptismal invitations we extended. We learned that the number of baptismal invitations that we extend is directly proportional to how little fear we have. We need to be bold- especially when we have our members with us. 

 

I have never been happier. Truly, this is a marvelous work and wonder. Earlier, I stated that I didn't know what was happening. Allow me to make a correction- what is happening is that the Lord is moving his work forward. It is as simple as that. We have the blessing of be his vessals. All we have to do is be smart, follow the White Handbook, open our mouths, and have no fear. Perfect love casteth out all fear. So, essentially, the more fear we lose, the more love we have. The more we love others the more we will challenge them to claim the blessings of Eternal Life. That is what it's all about, really.

Love you all - Elder Frederickson

Love these shots of Matthew! Such a happy missionary!!!

Dear faithful friends and family,

I love being a missionary! It is such a blessing to serve God with all of my heart, might, mind, and strength each day.

It's P-Day today (obviously...) our first proper one in two weeks. It will consist pretty much just letter writing. It'll be good to just be able to relax a little bit haha it's always a good feeling.

I don't know what is happening in this area (or the Reading Zone, for that matter...) perhaps it's the fact that we were motivated by seeing an apostle of the Lord. Yes, I'd say that's what it is!

Somehow, we managed to pick up ten new investigators this week. To be honest, I have no idea how that happened. I guess we just allowed the Lord to work through us, we put in our all, and miracles happened. Now, I am starting to learn a lesson about miracles- if you have a high number of miracles, a high number of new investigators, a high number of lessons... a high number of anything, really, then some of them are going to fall through. That's just the way life goes. For example, we really took our Zone Leaders council to heart when they said we needed to be inviting everyone to be baptized. We saw an absolutely amazing miracle regarding this on Wednesday. We had a new baptism date. Then, we saw her in town the next day and she informed us she had "better things to do with her life." Is this discouraging? Yes, obviously. It is discouraging for one days miracle to become the next days (struggling for a word here...) anti-miracle?

 

We were, however, able to call down miracles from on high throughout the week. The triumphs FAR outweighed the tragedies this week. What a blessing!

 

All in all the work is moving forward at a remarkable pace here in Basingstoke

I know this is the work of God. I am blessed to be called to do His work each day. The fruits of living the Gospel of Jesus Christ are delicious. My invitation to all of you is to partake of that fruit today!

I love you all so much.