NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER - 2016

President and Sister Gardner and
their darling family


"LIGHT THE WORLD"
25 days of service
- a few photos from our mission

 

DECEMBER (Christmas) ZONE CONFERENCES

 North Platte, Lincoln North and Lincoln South Zones  - Zone Conference - Dec. 20

Omaha, Omaha West and Papillion North Zones - Zone Conference - Dec. 21
Papillion South, Sioux City and Sioux Falls Zones - Zone Conference - Dec. 22

DECEMBER MISSIONARY MUSICAL FIRESIDE

SISTER MISSIONARY MEETING WITH

SISTER OSCARSON (General Young Women's President)

 DEC. 13

COUNCIL, BLUFFS, IA

September - 2016

Bi-Stake (Omaha and Papillion) held a Musical Missionary Fireside on the evening of Sunday, Sept. 18

Below are some pictures of before and after the fireside.  It was a beautiful and inspiring evening of spoken word and musical talent.  

 practice before

 the performing missionaries - after

 Sister             , a recent convert bore

her testimony of how the gospel has

changed her and her family

 Sister Heather Cruz-Clifford, a recent convert

along with three daughters also bore her

testimony

*********************************************************************

Elder Enrique R. Falabella (from the Quorum of the Seventy) and his wife were assigned to tour our mission Sept 15-17. He was also a visiting seventy for the Omaha Stake Conference.  We held three special zone conferences while they were here.

Elder and Sister Falabella

Pres. and Sis. Gardner and Falabellas

 Pictures from the three Zone Conferences

Omaha Zone

Two two sisters (originally from El Salvador

fixed a special meal for the Falabellas:

pupusas, horchatas, tacos, fruit and a

 banana dessert

                    

 Elder Falabella visiting an investigator home

AUGUST ZONE CONFERENCES - 2016

August 9  -- Sioux City and Sioux Falls Zones held in Sioux City

After Zone Conference training the missionaries played some softball

Aug 10 - Council Bluffs and Papillion Zones held in Papillion

August 11 - North Platte Zone - held in Kearney

 August 12th - Lincoln South and Lincoln Zones - held in Lincoln

August 16th - Omaha and Omaha West Zone - held in Omaha

 

August

Aug. 4

Invitation to Prepare

I invite each of you to prepare to go finding the elect together on Thursday August 4th.  I would love to see if all of us could unite together and go out finding on that evening and exercise our faith.  We will hold a quick mission wide conference call at 4:30 PM on August 4 to review the goals for the evening.  I ask that you do not accept dinner appointments with members that evening so that we can all be ready to  go out finding at 6 PM that evening.  We will hold another mission wide call on Friday morning at 10:00 AM to share the miracles and the results of our evening of finding together.

We can exercise our faith so that miracles will take place.  If we will focus our eyes on the Savior, we will see  miracles and will be able to accomplish things that may not have previously been possible.

Invitation to Act

I invite you to pray with faith to see miracles take place in your lives and in the lives of those with whom you contact.  I invite you to exercise your faith as a principle of power by acting... contacting everyone that you come in contact with.  Teaching the Message of the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ at least 5 times each day.  I promise you as you do so, you will be a witness of His power in  your life and the life of those that you meet.

President Gardner

THE EVENING OF FINDING  -- AUGUST 4TH --  WAS SUCH AN INSPIRING EVENING FULL OF MIRACLES FOR OUR AMAZING MISSIONARIES.  OMAHA AND COUNCIL BLUFFS HAD TWO TORNADOS HIT DOWN, YET THE MISSIONARIES KEPT ON FINDING. THEY ENDED UP WITH 100 BAPTISM COMMITMENTS, HANDED OUT 281 BOOK OF MORMONS AND TAUGHT THE MESSAGE OF THE RESTORATION 308 TIMES.

July

NEW MISSION PRESIDENCY OF THE 

NEBRASKA OMAHA MISSION

President Applegarth

Mission President: President Gardner

President Kearl

President Bartlett - a counselor to President Gardner in our mission has been called to be the new mission president for the Idaho Boise Mission starting July 2016.

Randall David Bartlerr, 62, and Diana LeSueur Bartlett, six children, Lakeview Ward, Omaha Nebraska Stake: Idaho Boise Mission, succeeding President John Winder and Sister Arliss Winder.  Brother Bartlett serves as a mission presidency counselor and is a former stake president, stake presidency counselor, bishop, high councilor, and missionary in the California North Mission.  Self-employed business owner.  Born in Omaha, Nebraska to Kenneth Leroy John Bartlerr and Lorraine Jean Lisec Bartlett.

Sister Bartlett serves as family history consultant and is a former stake Relief Society and Primary presidency counselor, ward Relief Society and Primary president, ward Young Women presidency counselor, and Gospel Doctrine teacher.  Born in Los Angeles, California, to John Taylor LeSueus and Dolores Clift LeSueur.

President Applegarth has been called to be the new counselor to serve with Pres. Gardner in our mission beginning July 2016

Mark and Shauna Applegarth have been married 38 years.  He has taught in the Seminary and Institute System for the church for 26 years.  He has had the opportunity to serve in multiple bishoprics, most recently as the bishop of the Millard Ward.  Pres. and Sis. Applegarth are excited to serve in this new calling and to do their part in the "Work of Salvation" in the Nebraska Omaha Mission.

***

Our missionaries were given "A MIGHTY CHANGE OF HEART" challenge.  They were to read from Mosiah, Alma and Helaman and search for answers to given questions.  After their studies they were to draw diagrams in their study journals showing the connections of cause and effect leading to a mighty change of heart - who gives a mighty change and what happens to a person because of a mighty change of heart.  

SOME MISSION MIRACLES

The beautiful baptism of Eli and Christine Lucat...

Eli first met the elders in Grand Island. He and Christine were taught by Elder Smith and Elder Mapu and were fellowshipped by many missionaries. (Eli can name every single one, many of whom have returned home. Hopefully, you are all seeing the fruits of your labor!) They loved the ward and members in Grand Island and the missionaries and their message but weren't yet ready to commit. When Eli and Christine moved to Omaha, they all lost track of each other. One day in Wal Mart, Eli and Christine noticed a companionship of sister missionaries, Sister Orton and Sister Borla. They approached them and told them they had been taught by Elders Smith and Mapu and that they loved them. The sisters quickly offered to continue teaching them and they happily accepted! After a few lessons, their teaching was continued by Sister Slater and Sister Abbott who were serving in the Ralston La Vista Ward where Eli and Christine were living. Yesterday this wonderful couple was baptized and today they were confirmed! What a wonderful weekend for all involved and a beautiful new beginning for this sweet family.

Steve was left with cerebral palsy after a surgical error when he was a young child.  His mother Ruth spent her whole life from then on as his primary caretaker.  Sister Blomstead of one of the North Platte wards became one of Steve's home health care workers more as an effort to help Ruth than out of need for a job.  She provided far more than the services she was paid for and genuinely came to love Ruth and Steve.  She would often share her love for the gospel with them.  At her suggestion, Sister Galbraith and Tiritilli began to make visits to Ruth and Steve and ultimately began teaching Steve.  President Gardner and I had the chance to attend one of these visits.  Steve was very interested in all they said.  He even asked questions.  We were so touched to see the sisters had really been given a gift of being able to understand his speech and answer his questions.  They testified with strength and with such love.  Steve was so touched, felt the Holy Ghost and desired to be baptized.  Ruth is very protective of Steve and while she thought there was a lot of good in the church, she declared many times that, "after 90 years of living, she wasn't interested in making any changes."  She was also concerned that just the process of entering the baptismal water could be dangerous for Steve.  Illnesses, especially respiratory, are particularly dangerous for Steve.  She wouldn't budge despite Steve's persistence.  President Gardner, seeing The Lift, on Mormon Messages one day, recognized that this was inspiration and contacted the stake president and two North Platte bishops and suggested the priesthood quorums organize men to come each night and assist Ruth with the difficult and heavy lifting task of getting Steve into bed each night.  (She had hired help do this but had found multiple times that these aides had stolen from her, reported hours they hadn't actually worked etc. and this had become a real trial for her.) The brethren as well as Elders Olsen and Hubbard, the zone leaders in North Platte at the time began to take care of this nightly routine as well as reading a chapter from the Book of Mormon with Steve and Ruth before bed.  Ruth's heart was touched and she allowed Steve to be baptized.  The Elders and Sister Blomsteads’ son were with him in the font to carry and support his weight.  It was a beautiful experience for all to see the joy on his face.  A few months later after attending church with Steve, reading and asking for herself, Ruth too was baptized.  Steve passed away at the end of January following a bad respiratory virus.  Elder Hubbard was blessed to take Steve's name to the temple and complete his work at Ruth's request.  His work was completed two days before Steve's funeral services and he was buried in his temple clothing.  Ruth is so excited to see her eternal family again and looks forward to doing her own work or having someone else do it for her as well.  Ruth and Steve and their story has been a delight.  We were able to see someone go through the whole process.  Steve endured much for sixty years before finding the gospel but was grateful every day for the truth he had found.