Dear all,

I'm getting transferred from Iron Mountain I am truly going to miss the people here however I am moving on to my new area, Platteville Wisconsin. So this week has been kind of crazy we finished up the ramp on Monday and then we talked with the members that we built the ramp for. Tuesday we had a District Meeting and so it was my last one here and it was great we really learned a lot. Wednesday we walked a lot and had a good correlating meeting with our mission leader. We helped the branch presidency find a name from Salt Lake that got sent back. Thursday we planned so Elder Potter could be sure he knew the area really well plus we went and contacted some less actives. We then finished contacting the less actives and potential investigators on Friday plus we had an appointment with an investigator that moved back here, JT. Saturday we contacted the guy who showed up at church a few Sundays ago and talked with him for a while then we meet with a less active, Josh, then another less active Jason and had great lessons with them. Sunday was great I confirmed Keeli a member of the church. All the testimonies were great, the spirit was defiantly present at this meeting. After church we went out to the Watt's and had dinner and I got a photo with the whole family.

This weeks spiritual thought comes out of Alma chapter 44 so in verses 3-4 Captain Moroni is talking with Zerahemnah after they wiped out a large part of the Laminite army. He then teaches them that they had won the battle because of their faith in God so if we have faith we may be able to be like captain Moroni and be able to overcome any challenge that comes our way.
 3 But now, ye behold that the Lord is with us; and ye behold that he has delivered you into our hands. And now I would that ye should understand that this is done unto us ^abecause of our religion and our faith in Christ. And now ye see that ye cannot destroy this our faith.
 4 Now ye see that this is the true faith of God; yea, ye see that God will support, and keep, and preserve us, so long as we are ^afaithful unto him, and unto our faith, and our religion; and never will the Lord suffer that we shall be destroyed except we should fall into transgression and deny our faith.

Love you all,

Elder Robert Pike

 

 

Dear all,

This week has been a good week from having a baptism to building a wheelchair ramp. Monday we did all the normal P-day activities, like getting food and the necessities. Tuesday was a fun District meeting we all talked for about 45 minuets after then we went to stop by some peoples houses and set up some appointments and got to meet some of them. Wednesday we had a suprise come up that allotted me to use a skill I got before the mission. We went up to Iron Rover, MI to start laying out a wheelchair ramp for a member family. I've missed working with lumber. Thursday brother Lane and us went to put this ramp together, we picked up the lumber that morning at Home Depot, by the way I saved the church about $150. Then we drove up to Iron River but on the way we had to pick up a building and zoning permit, I love Las Vegas, which took 3 HOURS and was completely ridiculous for a removable structure. We finally got to start on it and we just kept chugging on and then when we got about 2/3 of the way done it started poring rain on us.  We just kept going because we needed to have it done by Friday. We finished the actual ramp by like 8 because of the rain however we have to go back to put the hand rail on the ramp. Friday we went on exchanges with the elders from Escanaba and I went there and it just pored on us all day long however we set up 3 appointments and meet with a guy who just walked into the church. Then came the Baptism on Saturday which went great. So a funny story Keeli got baptized so then after we said it was done right and she was compleatly immersed she started swimming in the baptismal font it was really funny. Then yesterday was like most Sundays we had potluck after church and then we had district calls then we went out to the Watts and had an awesome dinner.

So this is a photo of Keeli and her grandpa and the missionaries. Next week i will have the ramp phots for everyone to see.

--

Elder Robert Pike

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is Menominee River/Piers Gorge

 

This was the departing gift for Elder and Sister Johnson.

Another week, another day

So last Monday we got a call from an less active asking if she could get a blessing and we said sure but she is up in Sault Ste. Marie, 200 miles from us, in the Lansing Michigan mission so we had to call our mission president to get permission to call the Lansing Michigan mission office. Guess what they close at 3:30 eastern time and of course we didn't call until 4 or 5 eastern time so then we had to do all this running around to try and find numbers and we finally ended up at the church at 6.  Then we found the number and called the missionaries in SSM and told them abut her and how to contact her and then we told them to call us back and we waited like an hour and a half before hearing from them. Tuesday was much more peaceful we just had a District Meeting and we had interviews with President Cutler. He asked me what was the priority for more missionaries in the Iron Mountain Branch and I told him the first thing they need is another set of missionaries in Crystal Falls because we have tons of members there and here in the near future we will have 2 baptisms in one family and we have several families that can't make it to Iron Mountain because of gas. So they still need that spiritual nurture. Then on Wednesday we meet with Keeli and had a great lesson with her and then we meet with our branch 2nd councilor to prepare for the next day. Thursday we went up to Crystal Falls and meet with 5 families up there and started to get to know them better and it went great. We both have come to the conclusion we need another set of missionaries in the area to help with the members up there. Friday was crazy because we had not a whole lot to do and we even had 2 appointments one of which fell through. Then Saturday we meet with Keeli for one of the last times and set up her baptism which is this Saturday. Then we were with Brother Lane for the rest of the night helping some families in the branch who are going through a hard time. Sunday was fun we had our Stake Priesthood meeting down in Marionette.

This is an very inspirational video that we all should live up to. We don't need to be a part of a popular group to go and visit those who stand in need of comfort. We just need to have a desire to help and inspire the lives of those going through hard times. Mosiah once said "When you are in the service of your fellow being you are in the service of your God." I also believe that when we are not out trying to help others we are doing a disservice to God and are not truly wanting to be like him. So my challenge for everyone this week is to do something that is out of the way to help someone. They may need food, water, advice, a ride, or even the gospel and it is your job to give it to them

http :// www . youtube . com /embed/IW8TnskbQiU?feature=player_detailpage

 

 

Love you all

Elder Robert Pike

July 15th, 2013

So much went on this week. Monday we helped the senior couple move back home. Then we went all around town and tried to find some really fun stuff to do but we didn't find anything good. We updated Elder Potters GPS and talked with Brother Erickson and are possibly going to borrow his typewriter to type some letters to send out so if you want one you should ask now. Tuesday we helped our vehicle coordinator and our housing representative, the Shumways (they are from Las Vegas), take all the furniture out of the Johnsons apartment. Then we down into Wisconsin to meet with some Less Actives.  We had an appointment with a member who recently started coming back to church when I got here and we talked about the first and great commandment. On Wednesday we went up to Marquette for ZTM and we were thought on why it is important to extend commitments.  We made a pit stop at the Yopper Tourist Trap for a bathroom break.  It was funny. Then Thursday rolled around and we went and meet with our baptismal date, Keeli, she is doing great we are 100% sure she will be baptized. After that we went to one of the best family a missionary could meet with, the Watts. Friday we had 3 appointments first we meet with our Branch Mission Leader and had lunch with him, we then had an appointment with a new member from Florida and talked about her conversion.  We meet with Brother Erickson and Read from the Book of Mormon with him. On Saturday we meet with Keeli again. We came back did studies and then went back out to the Watts to help them paint a Friends house. Sunday was like every other except we had an strange guy show up to church about half way through sacrament and then came to gospel principals with us and we set up an appointment for Friday with him. Well that was my week kinda fun filled I know.

Love,
Elder Pike

Hello Wisconsin haha or Michigan,

Well how is everybody?  I am good this week had been so much fun. Well last Monday we went on a hike and saw some white water rapids, just so you know I will be coming back for them. We also had a bunch of fun  just exploring the area around the river. Tuesday we went down to district meeting and unfortunately it was the Johnson's last one. Then Wednesday we went down to Appleton to meet our new Mission President, President Cutler. He was really nice and really wants us to focus on family when we spread the gospel. He, his wife and, his daughter are really friendly and a lot more personable than President Jones. Plus we are going to be in close contact with him since the senior couple up here is leaving. Then on the 4th of July we did our Weekly planning. We then we had dinner at the Johnson's and had a conversation with them. We tried to visit people but nobody was home and so then we watched the fireworks and now I am spoiled because Vegas had nothing on Iron Mountain. Then on Friday we meet with our 10 year old investigator and had a great lesson with the plan of salvation and Sponge Bob. She then thought us how the plan of salvation with the flash cards. We had our branch picnic on Saturday and it was great. Tons of people from the branch  and tons of food. If anyone wants to go camping for a vacation I will suggest Pentoga Park it was really nice. Then yesterday was fast Sunday and nothing too note worthy happened just another rainy Sunday in Iron Mountain. And today so far we helped the Johnson's pack and they are off to West Valley UT, for at least 6 months then who knows where they will go next for a mission.

Well I love you all,

 

Elder Robert Pike

Transfers

Hello everyone,

How are you all doing? I am well this week has been very weird. Well to start out on Monday we found out that Elder Christensen was leaving and I was getting a new companion his name is Elder Potter, and no his first name isn't Harry. We had dinner at an former investigators house because Elder Christensen taught him and they wanted to feed him since he was leaving, we even went to our Less Active/ Recent Convert Matt so Elder Christensen could say goodbye. Then on Tuesday we had several appointments for Elder Christensen to say goodbye. Wednesday we went down to Green Bay to the transfer point where Elder Christensen and I said goodbye and he went to Oshkosh and I waited for Elder Potter to get to Green Bay. Around 2 the missionaries showed up to replace the Elders who left the Green Bay Zone. We got home around 6 or 7 and we got Elder Potter set up in the apartment. Thursday we got to know each other a lot better and planed out what we are going to do before this next transfer. So on Friday we meet with one of our investigator Keeli Brooks she is 10 and her grandparents are wanting her to be baptized and she is showing that she wants it too. Nothing too exciting happened on Saturday but however we were able to visit some less actives in the far away places because we had extra miles. Sunday we had a great lesson with Josh , less active, and just had several spiritual lessons on Sunday, it was great.

I am excited to say that we will be able to use a lot of the stuff that Elder Perry talked about on last Sunday. I know that the Lord is truly hastening His work and He is preparing the people by their friends and family sharing the gospel to those all around the world. I know that as we all change our ideas of what missionary work is, that is to not allow the missionaries to tract and labor alone. We all need to stick up for ourselves and our beliefs when people are talking about them. We all as members need to make our focus the same as the missionaries. We all need to " Invite others to come unto Christ", by helping them receive the message of the restored Gospel through Faith in Jesus Christ, Repentance, Baptism, Receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and Enduring to the End.

 

Elder Robert Pike