week 88

Bonjour

I cant believe it.

Saturday night i got a call from president and it has finally come to an end i have been released as a ZL after 8 transfers im going to be a senior comp.  I just want to share a couple thoughts and a brief summary on my new assignment.

I have loved being a ZL espeically these past three transfers.  Getting the challenge to come to guadeloupe to fix the zone obedience wise, baptizing wise, train an elder, help a struggling ZL, train a ZL, blank an area that hasnt baptized in 18 months was super overwhelming.  I remember being so panicked coming here and having no idea what to do.  I have grown more in these past 3 transfers than all my mission combined.  I understand more completely what it means "he is mighty to save"

the zone is obedient.  lots of missionaries have been converted and its been one of the happiest moments of my mission being able to sit and talk with elders and help them want to be out here and work.

My comp is doing great now hes been a huge blessing it wasnt easy at all at first but hes lifting and inspiring the zone now.

The zone is baptizing.  Right now Guyane has baptized once this year martinique once this year and guadeloupe will hit double digits this weekend.

Which brings me to the last moment.  Lamentin Guadeloupe baptized last September 2014.  About a week into my mission and has been cold ever since.  its the ZL area and lots of APs and great ZLs has served here but its just been a war zone and we have been getting killed.  This last saturday hours before i got my transfer call our investigator Darius passed his baptismal interview and will get baptized this saturday.  I cant even describe how happy i was and am for this last one.  Its been so hard and even though i wont be there to see the baptism its something i will always cherish.

I did all that was asked and i cant even describe my feelings for my Savior and how hes carried me for these past couple of months.

My New Assignement.

"Dude thats a waste of time were going to shut it down soon" President Eclar

"Elder Sackley i know i begged him not to send you there because i knew how hard it would be on me or anybody to finish their mission there" - one of the APs

I got called to serve in Trinité martinique the smallest unit in the mission.  Averaging about 10 people at church every sunday its a tiny group on the east side of the island about 30 minutes away from everyone else.  As a ZL there i begged president to shut down the group, elders were getting killed out there and working hard but nothing was happening. 

"Elder Sackley we need to know if its worth keeping the group out there and to do that we have to send one of our bests.  I dont know why the lord chose you but i will not stand in his way.  He has blessing waiting for you out there.  Its all up to you, you either save the group or we shut it down.  You can do this"

This may be the hardest assignment yet for a lot of reasons im very  nervous moving into this next transfer.  But make no mistake i wont give president the green light to shut the group down until i have given every last thing i have to save this group.  Hurrah

Elder Logan Robert Sackley

week 87

Bonsoir

I could do a fair rant on disobedience in this letter but i think ill save everyone the pain.  My father sent me this quote and will just subtract life and insert mission. 

No one is ever permitted to live his life over again.  Each one of us has just one chance.  There are no rehearsals in life.  We can't rehearse birth.  We can't rehearse death.  We can't rehearse final judgement.  We should not only be right the first time, we should be right every time.  It is pretty costly to tear down a building, or a life, to build it over again.

 I have been really trying to hammer this like you can watch movies, listen to katy perry, go to the beach all day, talk to your girlfriend etc.  the rest of your life that will always be there but you will not redo your two year mission and youre wasting your time if youre not givin it your all.

Change Gears

So we have been searching for this less active named Marie Celine for a long time no face, no address, doesnt answer calls.  A couple months a go i was driving and saw a broken down car on the side of the road which isnt irregular because everyone drives crappy cars but decided to stop and help. 

Theres a guy working on the car and we talk to the lady in the drivers seat.  Turns out its the mysterious Marie Celine.  We talked for a while and tried setting something up but it didnt work out.

with the help of our DMB we finally found her house and got in.  My comp had an elder on exchange with him and got into her house.  She was warm but not super engaged as they were leaving they asked if there was anything they could do she asked to borrow their phone to make a call.  Turns out she was calling our Gold Ami Darius.  Member refferal super engaged baptismal date the 23rd PRAY FOR HIM.

My comp didnt think about it too much but we go back later the week and get talking.  We tell her Darius is going to get baptized and we find out they have a 3 year old daughter together.  no longer boyfriend girlfriend just something from the past.  And she declares "im coming back to church than"

yes true love (princess bride voice) has brought Marie celine back to church

Elder Logan Robert Sackley

week 86

Bonjour

Wow that was the best General Conference of all time.  I really loved priesthood session.  The General Young Mens president talk about the perfect leader is the perfect follower.  made me think of you dad "too many chiefs not enough indians"  on that note i have no confirmation only gut feelings that this is my last transfer as ZL ill probably return to normal missionary at least this is my hope.  Either way ZL or normal missionary im going to try to be the perfect indian.

Quotes of the week

"Watch out for Elder Sackley" 

"I cant go on exchange with elder sackley hes too strict!" 

I finally got the reputation madison. 

Finally last quote being 

"oh my goodness elder sackley i love you like a son lets work together like father and son!" president eclar first cousenlor in the mission presidency.

Yeah i dont have any formal thought today just my zone knows i take no crap and president eclar has adopted me as his child.

Elder Logan Robert sackley

this is frere cesarin he loves me. he gave me this hat im wearing and in the photo of us talking hes offering me his grandaughter "youre a good boy id love for you to be in my family" he gives me hugs and holds my hand whenever i see him

easter dinner

week 85

Bonjour a tous (Hello Everyone)

Okay, well I don't have anytime.  I just wanted to add my prayers and thoughts to the missionaries serving in the Paris North Mission, (and for that matter just all of us in general).

I actually know both of the young Elders involved, not particularly well, but I was in the MTC with both of them.  Elder Empey was in my room a lot of the time the first three weeks of being in the MTC.  Also, I played sports with Elder Wells my last two weeks in the MTC.  I actually think He was my ZL in the MTC. I have a photo with Ender Empey I will attach.

A family here - the Booths showed me some videos of the two Elders.  I marvel at their spiritual stature.  Particularly Elder Wells bearing testimony of God hearing our prayers.

I will add my testimony to his inspiring example and words.  Look up - He is listening.

Elder Logan Robert Sackley

wishin elder empey a fast recovery

week 84

this one will be different

Dear Garrett

Im writing this letter to you and im letting all the people who read my blog(if people read this)see this letter so that they will remind you and push you for what im going to ask you to do now.

Yesterday my companion and I were invited over to the a members house to teach a friend of one of the young men in our branch.  His names Christopher hes got a big ol fro and reminds me of James Franco for some reason.  Anyhow its a friend that has been coming to church for the last couple of weeks and we decided to start teaching him.

we watched the restoration video after introduced the Book of mormon and i asked him "when you recieve an answer that this is true what do you think God will expect from you?" he said "ill have to share it"  "thats exactly right i know that when God tells you these things are true he will want you not only to join his church but share it.  Will you read and pray and when  you recieve your answer prepare to serce a full time mission ?"  

"i will.... so how did you get your answer?"

well Garrett this kid is 17 going on 18 same age as you and same age as me when i got my answer.

And heres how

Madison left on a misison April 2012 and when she left she gave me a BOM that i had to read through and mark.  She told me she wanted me to finish it before she got home.  Fast forward till August 2013 and i had made 0 progress in the BOM.  Feeling a sense of obligation to Mad and above all not wanting to accept failure i started reading.  Every. single. day. 

 I finished the BOM 3 nights before she got home and the moment i recieved my answer i knew it was time to get ready for a mission. 

I get home this summer and i want you to start and finish the BOM before than and i know and am personally convicted that not only will Christopher get his testimony if he reads but you will too and it will be time to kick things into a higher gear and get ready to go and serve.

Challenge accepted?

Elder Logan Robert Sackley

week 83

ok

im a little short on stories but i do have an experience i would like to share that happened in my interview with elder martinez that i talk about a couple weeks ago.

after we talked for a moment he said "ok elder sackley you get one question" i didnt have any personal questions so i had one doctrinal question that i would like to share with you today and than talk about its effect on me since than.

"elder martinez i understand death was necessary for the atonement to occur that jesus had to die, but why did he have to be killed, ultimately it was himself who commanded his spirit to leave so why the whips, why the thorns, why the cross"

he sat and looked at me for an uncomfortable moment and said "lets open to my favorite scripture 1nephi13:22"  for all the scriptural scholars it says basically i dont know.

than he paused and said "let me give you my theory though....

elder sackley do you know why they killed an unblemished lamb in ancient Israel

to make an atonement

yes but why was it necessary that him who had committed the sin killed the lamb?  

i dont know

I think it was to help this person remember.  I think it was to in a sense scar him to remember what the price for his sins were.  Elder Sackley have you ever eaten unleavened bread?  

no

Well it has no real good taste and the jews would eat this as well with a green bitter herb for the pass-over.  do you know why?

no

well it sure isnt for the taste!  its to remember.  If jesus would have just commanded his spirit it wouldnt have been much to remember wouldve it?  I think in a deep sign of love the savior endured these tortures so we may more fully remember what he did for us.  But i want you to go now and study and i wil go and study and the next time we see each other we will share what we have learned.

What i have learned.

Another investigator was going to have an interview for baptism this Saturday and he has fallen off the map (not yves andre this is someone else".  i have  contacted a lot of doors and had a lot of doors shut in my face, i have had a lot of people turn me down and now a couple golden investigators turn their back at the last minute.  and in a sense im starting to learn the attribute of remembrance.

We take the sacrament every sunday in remembrance of the blood and body.  Every day people turn down the invitation to come and remember and just like the bitter taste of the unleavened bread, or the scarring image of killing the first born lamb i remember more and more everyday, every door, every face, what the God of Israel did for me and you. 

Elder Logan Robert Sackley

week 82

i got no timeeeeeeeee

so all these pictures are from the islands off the coast of gwada called the saints.  yeah so look at a world map and try finding guadeloupe its a spec at best and than the saints is a spec compared to guadeloupe it was paradise.

lets go sailing here dad

i wish i could say more the week was stellar but im out of time

and i must obey

Elder Logan Robert Sackley