Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires

Hello everybody!

This week was awesome! 

We started off strong on Monday by setting a baptismal date with Mwandja and his family. Right now the goal is to have the 4 that are old enough be baptised on the 29th of September. We assured them that they would be prepared by that day if they would read from the Book of Mormon everyday and come to church as often as they could. They are awesome and amazing people.

The rest of the week was fairly normal. It has been raining quite a bit lately.

On Friday I was on exchange with Elder Randall in Lowell and on our way to an appointment in Chelmsford we ran into literally the heaviest rain and lightning storm that I have ever been in. It was raining so hard that we could barely see with the wipers on their highest setting. Pretty cool stuff.

Saturday morning we walked down to the Eastern Asian water festival that the city of Lowell puts on every year. From across the country people flock to this event and there were over 60,000 people there! Hardly any of them even spoke English and it was super loud and crowded so we figured that we move on to go finding elsewhere.

Just when so thought that In was in an urbanized area, Elder Harrison and I caught a glimpse of a bear in westford in a members back yard. The funny part was when he ran outside armed with a pitch fork to warn the neighbors.

I love you and hope that you all have a fantastic week. Good luck to those starting school!

Until next time.

Elder Connor Starr

Waiting for the sisters to pick you up at the bus stop

The bear, *better photos to follow if we get them.

8/13/2018

Hello Again,

This week was pretty awesome. We had zone conference up in Nashua NH. We were trained and talked about a lot of things, mostly about how important it is to set meaningful and powerful goals that will help us stretch and hasten the work of the Lord. How personal inspiration and revelation help us and are a very necessary part of that process. 

We met with some of our investigators this week as we do. Their progress in the gospel is slow but steady and sure. I am so grateful that we have the opportunity to help people. To give them the opportunity to exercise their agency to choose God.

This Sunday, Mwandja came to church, so did a couple of less actives. We are meeting with Mwandja again tonight, it is always an awesome experience. 

That's about all that I have for this week.

I hope that you all have a great week. I know that Heavenly Father helps us in our trials and in our times of prosperity. I know that God lives and so does his Son and our Savior Jesus Christ.  I love you and hope that you have a great week! 

Elder Connor Starr

Exeter Zone Conference in Nashua, August 8, 2018

We are worried he might have cut his own hair - <sigh>

In the Cold January Rain

We had a pretty awesome week this week. On Monday we were able to teach Mwandja and his wife Hause. They want to be baptised and they really enjoy coming to church. They have somewhat of a date that they know they want to be baptised on, but it is a little distant. They want to be baptised on January 1st. of 2019. If I stay in Lowell for a few more transfers I can see that not being too much of a problem but we were think they should do a bit sooner than that.

Hopefully we can help them to understand what it means for them and help them be more excited about it. Then they will see that, although it is not convenient, they will want to make that covenant sooner.

The rest of the week we spent chasing down many referrals that we have received over the past few days. We got a lot from other missionaries, but also from internet self referrals and from members. It has been awesome but also a little hectic and stressful making sure that we contact these people as fast as possible. It is a real blessing to see that people in this area are willing to share the gospel with their friends and family.

I often find that when I feel stressed out I need to remember that amazing things have happened to me and those that I have served here in New England. For some reason those spiritual experiences can be very easy to forget or to take for granted.

Being joyful is about having that perspective and a "perfect brightness of hope" that we are taught in the scriptures. It means that we do everything we can with the best attitude that we can and with exact obedience to the commandments. That is when we are given power to accomplish the will of god.

I hope that you all have a fantastic week!

love you!

Until next time!

Elder Connor Starr

Here is a picture of a large bug

Alma the younger and the sons of Mosiah that I recreated using Lego mini figures

7/30/2018

Hello everybody!

This week was pretty cool and some awesome things happened.

The Congolese family that we have been teaching is doing really well! We gave their children a Book of Mormon stories book and hey have been loving it!  We weren't able to meet with them last week unfortunately but we are seeing them again tonight. There is little doubt in my mind that they will be baptised.

This week was the annual Lowell Folk Festival! It was alot of fun and there were tons of people everywhere. It was really difficult trying to talk to people but we did meet some really amazing and awesome individuals.  The following night we were talking to a bunch of people on the river walk by our apartment and right as we were about to pack up for the night we were stopped by this young Chinese guy.  He told us that he was having a hard time because he had just broken up with his girlfriend. He saw us and knew who we were because he attended the church in Hong Kong. It was a really cool miracle. I am surprised, and humbled, that somebody who was distressed and seeking peace would know that he could find it through the church and the missionaries. This truly is an amazing mantle!

Sunday was really awesome because there was a member from Provo that visited our ward. His name was Brother Pike. It turned out that he had served here over 10 years ago Cambodian speaking in the Boston Mission.

Basically our whole afternoon was spent driving around with brother Pike telling us about less-active or former investigators that he had taught previously.

To give a little background to why this is so cool; about 2 weeks ago, the Elders quorum had a fast that somebody would be put within reach that could minister to the Cambodian sisters that are still active in the ward.

The vast majority of the southeast Asian membership in this area is completely less-active. Leaving no priesthood holders to minister to the active Cambodians in the ward in their language, as basically none of them speak English.

We think after Brother Pike' s visit that we have some awesome leads on people that we can reach out to once again to strengthen the members of God's kingdom, here in this area.

I know that miracles happen according to our faith, I also know that Heavenly Father knows all of his children. They are all numbered and His work is hastening.

I love you all and hope you have a great week!

-Elder Connor Starr