week 69

Barbados trip was just too much

ok we got to go fast

Barbados was sweet.  we got there really early on Wednesday so we got paired up with some English elders and did splits all day.  no offense everyone else but English preaching is really easy. aahahah I only had a couple stumble ups with French words and spoke a tiny bit of franglish but English side has got it smooth.

MLC was super cool.  Elder Martinez from the 70 was there and it was tiring it was just non stop talking the spirit was thick.  I learned so much but just a brief over riding theme was focused on the Apostle Peter.  and ill just butcher and uchtdorf quote but Peter was always willinging to take risks and even though it lead to blunders he learned so much more and so much faster than his colleagues.

To change gears these past couple of weeks I have been having a hard time.  Just not happy with the zone area comp whatever its just been hard and so I needed just a moment to think last Monday.  So I just started spilling my guts into my journal and I couldn't figure it out.  

Tuesday morning I woke up and prayed for a long time kind of calling out a little bit What lack I yet.  And my answer was Virtue.  And im not talking about immoral thougts virtue im saying that is garnishing my thoughts uncessingly virtue that wont even allow one thought enter my mind unless it uplifts.  So I decided I was going to allow virtue garnish my thoughts for the day.  It was really hard I had to stay focused all day long on it but something amazing happened.

We met this man named Raymond.  He walked up to us and said who are you?  we started talking and he let us into his house.  his wife sat down and we started explaining why we were there.  Raymond stopped us and looked at us and said there is no way you are not God sent.  And the spirit just about knocked us all out of our chairs.  

That night I was reflecting on it and I have no doubt in my mind that it came because of the refined mindset.  so I allowed it to continue all week and I feel so good.  so much more happy for lack of a better word.

Back to the MLC we didn't have any thanksgiving meal or anything so that was sad but we did have pizza that tasted like real American food so that was special.  

lots of random thoughts take it how you see it

Elder Logan Robert Sackley

President

week 68

Bonsoir mes amis

Ok in honor of grandpa im going to share a couple thought about my mission.

Madison asked me for a grandpa memory and this is what came to mind.  When i was about 11 i was at the cabin and we were eating lasagna for dinner.  There was a lot of meat and cheese still on my plate and i didnt want to finish it so grandpa Grabbed me by the shirt pulled me in nose to nose and said Logan if you ever want to have chest hair like this, he proceeded to pull his neck line down and show me his chest hair, you got to eat your lasagna.

And id say that about sums up my mission. Especially this last week we had some real uncomfortbale moments spent filing old apartment reports or dealing with silly missionaries and somedays i just wanted to push the plate away and say no more i didnt ask for all this left over cheese and mystery meat to eat.  And the lord has yanked me by the collar and said Elder Sackley if you ever want to be a man you got to do this you got to finish your plate.

I think this has been the biggest growing period of my life these past couple of months.  I have had to eat a lot of cheese and meat and in honor of Thanksgiving ill express an open gratitude for that.  We all want to acheieve big goals in life but we hate the paths we have to take to get there.  Elder Susi or i guess hes still Immanuel asked me to say a trial that im thankful for and how right is he?  Happy Thanksgiving everyone im thankful for you and pray for you.

Ill be in barbados for Thanksgiving for a MLC with Elder Martinez of the 70 should be good

thanks for the advice grandpa love you lots

Elder Logan robert Sackley

hatian bokit ou pataés

week 67

This week was stellar. When we finished off the week looking at numbers we didnt feel super good but i want to share some expériences with you that really kind of blew me away.

First was on saturday. Elder Okano is a great missionary not just a good one but a great one he really wants to go above and beyond the call and his love and dilligence showed this past week. We decided to fast for the faith and ability to find and baptize someone in the next 4 weeks. So saturday night comes around and were walking on the boardwalk its about 830 and we havent had much luck. I bumped into an old contact who kind of hasseled us than took off. When a voice called out to us right behind us. It was a man and a women sitting on a bench. We sat down next to them as they started asking who we were and what we were doing. I could tell seeing two Young missionaires with funny accents inticed them a lot. They asked us to sing a song to them which was a little out of the ordinary followed by an explanation on the BOM and Joesph Smith. The spirit was there so strong and i could just feel their sincerity as they listened and asked quesitons. After Church Elder okano and I ended the fast seperatley in the same room. When we talked about what we felt we both felt that this man was the anwser to out fast. His name is tony hes from montreal and were going to see him later this week.  The other women ended up being a friend of his but we really feel like hes someone special.

Second experience

In Church our longtime invesitgatiors Simeon and Espagna came. Espagna is the guardian of three kids that have been coming to Church for the past 4 or so months. Espagna told us that the Church was not for her but parfois she will come to be with her kids and boyfriend. This past week was the primary program. Im going to have to give a trophy or a cake to the Primary President for what happened. Her youngest son is still in primary so kid after kid goes up and talks about Jesus Christ and simple principles that Espagna would find common ground on than her son goes up and he gave a talk on Joesph Smith the prophet of the restoration. I cant remember the last time my jaw dropped like that watching as a 10 year old boy not baptized in this Church bore a powerful sweet testimony to what felt like to be only his mother. I havent had the occasion to talk to Espagna since than but i know the lord is softening her heart through her children.  

I wish i could adress this better but time is short.  With all this talk on the change of Church Policy and The shooting in Paris i will just leave it to the last thing we should do is leave the ship.  Not understanding is one thing but allowing emotion and confusion judge or décisions is foolish.  More directly to members of the Church you didnt get a testimony from a Church Policy so you dont lose a testimony from one either.  

Elder Logan Robert Sackley

now with 5 elders stemming out of the sackley blood line in my zone i make them do the"sure love ya" with me after prayers

week 66

my comp is set already ahahha

Elder Gardiner has left me for Guyane

moses splitting the Brown sea

if you take my spot take my handicap also!

teachin in da rain,

The photo is me and some other elders getting to the Church.  we had a Skype meeting with the assistants so we treked through thigh high water to get there. I was doing my best moses impersination.

Theres been a massive rain storm as of late and i will tell you the Lord is on our side ahahha.  One of the biggest problems we come across in the mission is people have gates so if you want to talk to them you have to be clever and convince them to come to the gate and talk and than you have to be witty enough to let them open the gate.  

but when its dumping rain and lightning is so loud car alarms are going off... thats not me being dramatic thats me just telling you what happens..... peoples hearts get softened towards a soaked to the bone missionary.  I dont know its something i have been thinking about this week.  I got a couple calls from missionarys in the zone asking if they should go out because of the weather.  And i seriously cant think of a better time to proselyte.   

firstly being oregon grown who in the world is scared of rain?  and why is everyone so concerned about getting wet thats just like the daily routine.  and than secondly ill just tell what happens yesterday.

we go to this mans house named Frantz.  He was a cool contact but not super engaged its dumping on us so we go up and start talking to him.  Hes shaking us and trying to get us to go away when mrs Frantz comes out and yells at us to come in the house for goodness sakes its raining.  We ended up sitting down and low and behold a family of 3.  Two people who are actually married right infront of us and we just have a stellar lesson.  There whole attitude towards us just changed looking at two silly kids from up north soaked to the bone they were curious what would push us to do such a thing.  Pray for them and pray for some more rain.

Watch out Martinique theres a crazy kid from oregon who loves his rain

Elder Logan Robert sackley

so we were driving by a big field with like 20 guys playing baseball lots of them were from the domincan republic but lots of martiniquans too.  so they hit a foul ball right by our car so i hope out and they all start whooping at me making fun of the silly missionary so they send a guy out to meet me half way about a 50 foot throw so i summoned my 4th grade baseball skills and with some pride and anger fired this ball just a line drive at this guy.  

ended up throwing it too hard and he could hang unto it and everyone on the field was going wild now yelling " american! hey its an american!  come play! come play on our team!" i would have but i cant bat so i let my ego and pride be boosted a little than we took off.

week 65

wow 20

If you are reading this and youre still in your teens just pause time and stay there 20 is not even a cool age to have its just the beginning of the end of being immature.  Stay a teenager is my message to you.

nah

The birthday on the mission was real nice.  It was fast sunday so no big breakfeast or anything i live with three other missionaires so they bought me a nice tie and gave it to me in the morning than we went to church.  I ended up blessing the sacrement and bearing my testimony so i guess that was a pretty sweet birthday present.

Also 6 white white tourists just showed up at the branch and i ended up translating for a couple they were from Utah.  Small world moment Madision one of the guys i translated for served in the Brasil mission.  Yeah back when it was only one mission.  I asked him if he knew Belo Horozonté and he flipped out.  he opened that area and he gave me a huge bear hug when i told him you served there.  

Best present of the day was a call from a Guyane number.  It was Leno and Nelma and they wished me happy birthday it really meant a lot to me that they remembered and took the time to call me.  

But the best part was i know as a missionary i cant have a proper birthday party no dancing or singing so i found the loop hole.  I ended up getting invited to Evangleist church and i did all the singing and dancing praising jesus.  it was really only fun for 10 minutes than after singing in french, creole, and hebrew i had a headache and left.  shortest birthday ever.

Transfer news Elder Sackley is holding down Fort de France for another.

Elder Logan Robert Sackley

we have had these mangos in our freezer for 4 months.  i guess im sending this home because i really didnt take pictures this week.  my bad

let the tradition continue!

week 64

Bonjour

First thing first first.  I hiked a super volcano today bare foot.  yes the mountain Pele was conquered by me doing my best fellowship of the ring impersonation. in other news never hike a super volcano barefoot it hurts really bad and other than the fact that i grew a huge ball of chest hair it didnt merit me much.

Second is the wedding photos are of Fréré Telga.  Originally AP telga when i entered the mission.  i was looking back through a journal and i wrote about a martiniquan AP who drove like a mad man and than this past weekend i went to his wedding.  they got sealed in temple this weekend in France you have to be married at the government building for it to be legal so i saw that.  His wife was Sœur Occolier she was a sister missionary at temple square.  so missionaries have talked about this wedding since before i entered the mission than i got to see it.  good stuff good stuff. as for myself ill be single till 29.

I wanted to share just something i realized this past week.  Dale G. Renlund said it and Elder Sackley lived it.  Something beautiful happens when a missionary realizes that his call is not about him, that its about the lord and his work.

a couple weeks ago i got to participate in a blessing for a women named justina.  she had leg problems and shoulder pains since birth.  As she told me about it i felt so much love for this lady.  and so much appreciation that i was able to be there and act as mouth piece for the lord.  i read some verses in 3 nephi of jesus Healing the sick.  than i put my hands on her head and gave a blessing.

I quoted the Dale G. Renlund testimony because at that moment i knew that this blessing had nothing to do with me i was blessed enough just to act as mouth piece for the lord. It was a longer blessing but it was the most powerful blesing i have felt on my mission.  We left, it was the sisters ami, and than a couple days ago i got a call.  Saying justina couldnt feel the pain in her shoulder and her leg was working.  It really has nothing to do with Elder Sackley or any of us for that matter.  Its about the lord and his work.  And im thankful to be apart of it.

Im 20 next week this is nonesense

Elder Logan Robert Sackley

relax mayneeeeeee

yall missed the wedding of the century

i cant carry the ring mr frodo but i can carry you

week 63

wow...

I just want to be a real boy or more specifically a real missionary again.  Its been  a long week ladies and gentlemen.

But first that picture of me and Elder Noho.  Elder noho is a tahitian Elder and Elder noho took me to mcdonalds during our exchange.  there is a lady in the branch notorious for feeding and stuffing missionaries named sister Eva so elder Noho tells me Elder Sackley tonight im sister eva were going to eat.

He than proceeded to spend 54 euors on mcdonalds.  54 euros.... thats like 70 US dollars.  Every burger you ever wanted and ice cream was right before us.  And i have never felt so sick and nasty in my life.  We ate it all.  In other news im 201 pounds so yeah.  I love my polys

The week itself was a challenge i feel like an office missionary some days i just call agency looking for apartments or i have to go to Toyota to regulate car things.  I just really miss waking up studying and going hard all day. 

Also just another random story.  i feel like my life is a comedy.  i spend my day wanting to cheese grade my forhead while i do senior couple stuff and than when i teach stuff like this happens

again on the exchange with Elder noho were teaching a guy named nicholas.  The lesson is going really good i set a date with him and than he just starts making bird noises.  Elder noho loses it and the spirit is gone and im like my goodness why me.  And if that wasnt enough this guy is like thats not all i can do!  he takes off his shirt and lays down on the tile, hes a little chubby, and he starts rocking back and forth making his back make a farting noise. i quit

yes that really did happen right after he accepted a baptismal date. why me?

President is coming this weekend so that should be fun

Elder Logan Robert Sackley

Gerson is my home boy

Elder Noho my tahitian brother!  54 euros of macdooo was too much