Week 43

Hello Family and Friends,

This has been a really, really weird week. To start off, we had our Zone Conference on Friday. Big news-member dinners for Oregon, Washington, California, Hawaii, Alaska, and parts of Canada are going away. They don't exist anymore. (except on Saturdays and Sundays when invited, and Holidays!) Starting in December we're on our own for dinners. We are now designated to eat from 4-5 every weekday. It's gonna take some getting used to, but it'll be good I guess. Apparently the other missions that have tried this out reported that it's been working out really well even though the members still want to feed us. They're a little upset about it. It's gonna be weird to eat at 4. We'll just be out finding more people to teach.

Also, my District leader has been sent out to the mission office. He's been really sick and has been sent to the mission office like I was! His trainee Elder Harmon has been assigned to Elder Prosser, way out in the West Richland Stake (MY HOME aka first area!!!) It's just Elder Skinner and I in the apartment now. It's weird and cool at the same time. We are now in Elder Pulver’s district now, which is gonna be a party. He's so fun to be around once you get past his germ phobia. Looking forward to this week. We can't wait to get out there and kill it.

Hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving.

Elder Rexinger

Facebook Pic of the Hermiston Elders

Week 42

Dear Family and Friends,

I hope everyone had a good Veterans Day this week. It was a pretty good day for us. We did a lot of service that day. I'm thankful for all those who served and those who are currently serving our country. My loyalty goes to the Marine Corps for my Dad. Regardless, we're thankful for all of you.

This week has been pretty good. We put another person on date and he is super solid. He's 11 years old and wants to be baptized so bad it's not even funny. We can help him out with that. There has been some awesome stuff going on with the Mission. There is now a big push to work with members, get in their homes and get to know them more. From 8-9 pm, that's our member time. I'm looking forward to it, especially with the awesome stuff that's been happening with the members thus far.

President Hinckley once said something like, "When a member gives you a referral, there is an immediate support system." Sharing the Gospel can be difficult, but you don't have to be a set apart missionary to do it. You can do it through the small and simple things you do day by day, being an example to others, and when they have questions, don't be afraid to answer them!

"We are a missionary minded Church, with a God given mandate to proclaim the message of the restoration to all the world!"-President Thomas S. Monson.

I plead with you all to be the good in the world, be a bright light shining in the darkness of our world today. The Light of Christ is easy to see when you're looking for it. Have that light with you at all times, in all things, and in all places.

Thank you for the support and prayers. The Gospel is true.

Elder Rexinger

Week 41

Hello Everyone,

My week has been really good. Training a new missionary is a lot easier than I thought it would be. I guess it depends on the trainee. I really lucked out with Elder Skinner. We've been helping out a lot of people. We have been doing a good amount of service for everyone, as well as teaching of course. We helped chop away at some roots of a Russian olive tree, helped paint a house, and helped uproot a couple rose bushes. I'm loving it.

We also had a good amount of lessons taught. We have been teaching on the streets and in any situation. You really can compare almost everything to the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Teaching is fun. We actually haven't run into too many mean people this week, just the normal couple of people that don't want to talk to us.

We have also been trying to share scriptures in the Book of Mormon to everyone that we talk to. It's been really fun to test my knowledge of the Book or Mormon and sharing scriptures that pertain to a specific situation. It is a bit easier than expected, but I am sure the Holy Ghost has been helping these things come to my remembrance.

How is everyone doing with President Nelson’s challenge to read the Book of Mormon before the end of the year? I've been trying my hardest. I was in Helaman when the challenge was given to us. I finished the book and have started over. I'm only in 1st Nephi 12 still, but I'll get there I swear!

Thank you for the prayers and support.  The Gospel is true.

Elder Rexinger

Behind the wheel at last!

P-day bowling

Week 40

Hello People,

I am having an absolute blast being a trainer so far. My trainee is named Elder Skinner. He is from Tomball, Texas, right outside of Houston. We've been together less than a week and it's been really cool being able to get to know him. He's really accepting of the rules and if I have to call him out for something (with love of course), he's super accepting of it and adjusts without any complaint or anything.

We're killing it out here in Hermiston, Oregon. We found 3 new people to teach. We are also helping all our current people progress to baptism. It's gonna be great! Throughout the week some crazy stuff happened. One of the people we're teaching named Jocilyn, is getting evicted from her apartment and her mom tried to burn the apartment down. Crazy stuff. Shanna's cat also swallowed something it shouldn't have, and she had to beg in front of Walmart to try and get the money needed to save her cat. Now that's REALLY crazy. Hermiston is an interesting place to be sure. Member missionary work is awesome by the way. We got the Michael twins being super missionary minded. We brought one of their friends to church and are helping another friend receive answers to questions she has about the gospel. Then, we got Annie that had her friend Destiny over to watch General Conference and is helping answer a bunch of questions she has. She is getting her all ready for us to step in.

What we've recently been sharing is 2 Nephi 2:16, "Wherefore, the Lord God gave unto man that he should act for himself. Wherefore, man could not act for himself save it should be that he was enticed by the one or the other." We kinda talk about how the world offers an enticement for evil and wrong doing and how it's our responsibility as members of the Church that have the knowledge of the restored Gospel to be an enticement for good. We can invite others to do sometimes small and simple things to grow their faith and grow to love the Gospel and see how it can help them in their lives. The youth in the Hermiston Ward are doing just that and I love it.

Until next week. Thank you for the prayers and support. The Gospel is true.

Elder Rexinger

Welcome to Elder Skinner and his first area in Hermiston, OR

Hermiston Zone Conference