Week of September ONE-OH--This missionary is gungHO!

Subject: Well, this will be a great week to come!

Hey!

That is really quite an exciting day that I am able to do all that the Lord has asked of us! We are still doing all that we can to do everything that the Lord asks of us. Also I did the package I got in on Saturday before Labor Day and I really do like the tie a lot thank you! 

The baptism is still on for the 15th we are really excited we are really working on the fact that we feel strongly that it will happen just the way that the Lord asks us to do it.  It is really exciting to have events take place the way that the Lord would have them go.  I have been thinking about somethings lately (I know me using my brain...bad idea!) I have been pondering the powerful influence of the atonement in the way that we help so many know that he is there.  The question I have been posing myself is this: has the atonement been into my life or am I just sitting and letting it work through others.  The most difficult thing that I am seeing is that--when so many are allowing the atonement to work around them, if you know what I mean.  I am really seeing that principle as I work to understand the Lord as He says, "take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly at heart and I shall give rest unto your souls." That is really what being a missionary is. it means that you are willing to work hard and learn his doctrine. It then it just falls right in line.  No matter the struggle no matter the cost no matter the difficultly, the power of the spirit is there to help me to understand my purpose.  the best power comes from within when we allow our heart to be changed, when we allow our inabilities to be strengthened and then be so much more focused on becoming strengthened.  The Lord is not just building a small bunch of people who listen, but a powerful army of souls willing to do all the Father's Will.  

This week was not to eventful besides what I have said to you and we are going to be moving into a different duplex. SO yeah we will be moving this week, or so we are told we will see we are hoping to move and have it all go well.  We are still doing alot of finding we are trying to find as many as possible to listen are willing to come unto Christ in a way that is pleasing to Him. Well family I love you and I am glad to hear all is well!  We are really just doing as much as we can to help others come unto our Savior!

I love you

Elder Christian James Delis

Week of September FOUR---MIRACLES GALORE!!! (Yay missionaries!!)

Subject: Labors of the week!

Hey!

  Emailing a little late becasue of the libary was closed so I am going to be brief! I hope all is well in the Delis Family on Labor Day! OUr day started out slow but, it ended with a bang.  I will come back to that in a moment.  Our week was really quite slow even though we are trying to do that we can to find people to teach.  An investigator that we have ben working with for a while is now getting ready to be baptized on the 15th of September! So that was really the highlight of the week.  I will tell you what our Labor Day was like. We were trying to clean and make the apartment look good to be honest, it still looks bad.  We had an awesome evening to plan for the evening. Find and then we would be going to eat at a members house then have Family Home Evening.  That was really our plan.  The family home evening was canceled so we were bummed. we went back to the apartment eat as we sitting and eating we both thought .... "we need to go see D---" Then we were pretty excited to go even thought we were bummed though the rest of the night fell though.  We get to the W----- house and the coolest thing was that D--- says "I am ready to be baptized, I know that I have a loving Heavenly Father, I believe in Jesus Christ and In the Holy Ghost." It was really interesting thing that we were able to pray that we could even have something like this happen.  We were prayng for a baptism by the 15th in the Madras ward and really. It is a Miracle!
The rest of this week was really quite boring and the whole week coukd have been better but, we set a date!!

 

In regards to exciting events other then have the baptismal date shich really is the best part of the week! It was really just a bunch of finding and visiting less-actives it was really not the most fun but, we labored with our hands and we will saw success. WOW that was really a long sentence!  So I am well, I am glad that the Delis Family is laboring in their own vineyard. 

love you!
Elder Christian James Delis

Week of August Twenty-SEVEN--Elder Delis is healthy and happy...thank HEAVEN! :)

Subject: WOW! I am glad you are all well!

Howdy!

Soooooo can I first say that dad, you have lost a lot of weight and I am really impressed! keep up the awesome work!  Also a new car!!! "That's no fair I was dancin' there!!!!" (movie quote) The week sounded like it was a blast and that you were able to have a boat load of fun at Grandmas Party sorry I couldn't party as well.  We though did have a blast.  We saw some miracles and really we are working on trying to find the elect to be able to be baptized in the next few weeks.  We are really praying for that one we hope that we can be ready and willing to help them to progress in the future.  The week though had some exciting events to be able to be blessed with being apart of.

On Tuesday we were able to help with the local food bank we worked with eggs,  ummmm just going to say that I am done having eggs for a while I think.  We then went to the W-----, we helped pealed some it was soo good but, it is not fun to try and peal with your fingers they tend to make your fingers smell like garlic.  We tried and find and then visited some of the members I am starting to get the hang of the area and it seems to be easier now.  

Wednesday we spent a while finding, that is not the most fun thing to do but we are sure we will find some people ready to receive the gospel and it paid of later this week!

Thursday, I do have a bit of a shock I did have an asthma attack I was required to stay in doors and that is not the most fun.  The reason for the attack was that all the farmers were burning their fields that is no the one that that I was not really excited about.  We went to the Madras Medical Group and they were much more helpful then the ER Doctors would have been.  It was really an inspiration that Sister Y---- had so thank her for me if you can.  That is most likely the reason she called on Thursday.

Friday was a day we were cautious and we still are doing all that we could to find the Elect those truly ready and we went to help to see how we can build some of the less-active members.

I am really not going to lie Saturday Morning was awesome!! So we went finding on a street adjacent to one we went finding on, on Friday.  On the street we were trying to do all that we could to be excited to find really it isn't the most fun but, you can do the best you can to enjoy it.  We get to the top of the hill and we talk to a Hispanic lady she was almost in tears when we were talking to her. The spirit was very strong when she opened the door.  The conversation was so amazing!  She was so ready she talked on how she wanted to be be close to Heavenly Father again and that she really doesn't want to loose that feeling again.  That was really quite a cool event, then almost literally across the street. A woman answers the Door and she said that she would like to know more that was cool since she took a copy of The Book of Mormon.  The conversation was about us and being Christians so we are going to address that next time we see her.

Sunday we had investigators at church it was really awesome we have been doing all that we can to get those ready to come to church it was awesome!!!  It was a good day and really that was a great spiritual experiences! In the middle of the 3rd hour we gave a dying man a blessing. To be honest, it was not the easiest blessing to give.  The W------'s asked us to give a friend they take care of a blessing,  the room was very tense and the man didn't have any peace about him.  The blessing was about comfort and love he seemed to need that.  After that the whole atmosphere changed. The whole day those was really great!

Well family I have to go! I miss you and I love you!
Elder Christian James Delis

Week of August TWENTY--Elder Delis has blessings a-plenty!

Subject: Week of drivin'!

HI!!!

This week was an adventure a lot took place in a very short period of time.  Monday and Tuesday President Y---- gave specific orders that I wasn't to go out and to prosyelte too much so that I wouldn't have another Asthma attack.  I am glad that mom had a great birthday! Happy Belated Birthday to mom and Grandma! Sorry I have been late on that matter a lot is going and I am trying to keep up.  The best part of the work to me is just the fact that I am able to change and be made whole as we help others, the gospel fills the gap in my heart were we feel as if we are alone and we aren't!!! That to me is really what makes one a believer in the words of the Lord.  In the last week a lot has happened! on Wednesday Elder S--- of the seventy came too the OEM.  That was really cool! He spoke a lot about our ability to be made more and more changed through the atonement and how important the spirit is to the conversion of others and in ourselves.  one thing that he said that stood out to me was this and was then talked more about when Elder A-------- was there,

The spirit has four roles,

1 The Comforter, it is usually the first thing we come in contact with the spirit

2 The Testifier, it testifies to the words that are true and that the Lord know we need to hear

3 The Revelator, it reveals to us the truths about the kingdom of heaven so that we can be able to be more understanding our Father in Heaven

4 The Sanctifier, it is really what changes us, it purifies our hearts of all unworthiness so that we might one day be able to be in the presence of the Lord and not quake. 

There was so much other things that were said but, that was really the major things that I feel to talk about right now with the little time that I have to write.  On thursday it was my first full day in Madras with Elder H------.  It is a lot different then every where else I have served in my mission thus far.  It is very dry and the weather is much hotter the elevation is about 2000 feet higher then the Willamette Valley. It is really funny when you go outside and you are thinking there will be more humidity and it is dry, that has thrown me for a spin for the last few days.  Friday though was an incredible day, that was when Elder A------- of the quroum of the twelve apostles came we also had Elder H------,  Elder R------- and Bishop S---------.  They did it a lot differently then the appointment that we had with Elder S---.  Elder A------- had each and every single one of men that came with him to take turns to speak on something Elder S--- spoke of that to me was an awesome enlightening experience.  The one thing we were asked was on repentance and we were there I thought of something that I shared at the Mission Conference.  I feel strongly that repentance is like putting our lives to a piece of Marble, white marble is absolutely beautiful! The one thing that makes it so differnet then every peice has very decent flaws there are these black streaks going through it, we think that we are not forgiven of our faults but they are there so that we can say that we hae been changed.  That to me is the fact that we are truly changed, that marble is beautiful just like our lives are to the lord we fel bad for our past transgressions but we are made and shaped to be a disciple of the Lord.  In summary that is the way that Lord helped me learn while in Eugene for the Mission Conference.

We are going to do all we can with the ward so that we can help people come unto Christ.

Love,
Elder Christian James Delis

Week of August one-THREE--and now more changes, as you will SEE

Subject: Well, this will be an eventful week!!

Hi!
I know that you have heard of the events that have taken place since I have been out in Albany to be honest that was no really what I was hoping would happen but, two trips to the ER in one week are really not fun. The trials are tailored to me so  I will be ready for whatever, I mean whatever is in my path to come.  I can truly say that I am as sure as the sunshines that the Lord is there for me. I truly love Him and I Love you for the feelings and support that I receive from being here on my mission.  My prayers for the last month may seem weird since I was finding out I have asthma and that it is really just a huge change in my life was "How can I help benefit someone else through the struggles I am going through?"  I am also praying to grow and be made a better whole being one that is close to the Savior that I might be able to find a way to grow to be a new creature unto Christ.  I know that he is my Savior he suffered greater then I can image or even want to imagine yet, I know that it was so personal that no matter how far I look to Him the more vast His Love becomes.  When I was talking on the phone to you dad I can say that I am so thankful for that short opportunity, it was a good thing to do I can tell that President Young put a lot of thought into letting us talk since He understood that it was going to be good for both of us.  I was talking to President Young this morning and on Wednesday when we are in Eugene, President Young will be giving me a blessing.  I feel strongly this was one reason I am being stopped in Albany is I am not suppose to be here and that Madris is where I am suppose to be.  I am at the point where I know that what faith is, when I was talking to President Young yesterday he said to me "Elder Delis you know what faith is, I can see that as you work in the field you understand what faith is and don't question it. Work to build others faith!" I am not going to be in a leadership position in Madris but, I am going to be able to help my others feel the joy I feel. I am sure that no matter what happens then the Lord is able to be there for each of us I am just grateful to be in the Lords service.  

In the upcoming week we will be doing a ton! So on Wednesday Elder Snow of the first quorum of the will be there and I will be going to go to Madris and go to be with Elder Hawkins, and that will be really exciting to see why I am needed there.   Then on Friday I will be going back to Eugene to have a meeting with Elder Neil L Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles that is really interesting to me the fact that you just saw him and that he will be talking to us as a mission on Friday makes me wonder what it will be like.  Well, that is really thoughts about what is about to happen and I am just thankful to be in the service to my Lord and know that my service is well, loved!

Love,
Elder Christian James Delis

Week of August SIX--Elder Delis has a new MIX! (...good rhyme?) :)

Subject: Family! Sad news!

I have sad news!

I have been transfered to Albany.  I was moved from Coquille back to Albany.  I hope that the package was sent to the mission office.  This was really the hardest " 'til we meet again's" I have had to say truly I am not sure why it was but, really it was gut wrenching.  I am starting to really feel that I am coming to a different point in myMission.  My thoughts are much more of how I can make the truth simple and as simple as can be. I am praying that I as I am doing all that can that the Lord will bless me in a way that will help Him more effectively in the work.  I feel weird being in Albany though, a little out of place really to be honest it seems to me really surreal.  The thing that is really weird is that I am only 3 blocks from the Three Lakes Ward in Albany.  I was thinking that I must be needed here for a reason.  My new companion is Elder Bagley he came out with Elder Hamblin. He seems to be a good missionary and so I will need you continued help through your prayer that we will see success! 

Something that I am starting to feel more and more the longer I am out is the power of each and every single soul.  The spirit of each person is so distinct that as I sit and talk to people you begin to feel more and more the power that each and every single soul begins to the table.  You can see what it means in Doctrine and Covenants 19 when the lord says "every soul is great in the eyes of God." I am really wondering more how we can be more like the Savior in all things that as we strive to do all that he asks of us we begin to feel the manifestation that he loves every single one of His children.  The reason that I say that is when I was leaving to get in the car to go to Albany the member that was taking me from Coquille to Eugene looked me in the eyes and said "Elder, I love you and please come back."  He then starred into my eyes for a moment and the spirit was so strong and as I was there I said "I will be back, I promise .... I promise."  I said that and tears filled my eyes and so great was my joy that I am truly moved to have the greatest opportunity that I have had to be truly changed and to grow in such a short period of time.  I am sure that I am here to be refined in a way that Lord would like me to be refined so that I can be more like Him.

Sorry my email today seems so over the place.

So that is the reason that this email is late I have been running around all day! Well, I am sure that Duck is blast! I am in need of an Email address from Katie Delis, I would love to keep in contact.  To me that would be awesome! I would also like to hear from Nicholas that would be a huge help I miss being able to hear for him. 

--
Elder Christian James Delis

Week of July Twenty-NINE: missions are DIVINE!

ELDER DELIS

Subject: Well this feels weird...

Well this is not feeling normal,

Well family it feels weird to me to starting thinking about all of these things, school and everything in between. Weirdest of all is that my sister is not going to be on a mission much longer.  It to me is hard to think that I am that close to the end and that she is really close to a new beginning.  OH and if she finds some prince charming while I am in Oregon she is not allowed I repeat NOT ALLOWED to get married while I am gone.  That is against the rules!  Enough of that, moving on,  that is good to hear that she is going to be home it is sad to hear that I will be the only missionary in the home for the next 5 or so months so, the blessings maybe a little less then with two sorry :/ My health is better I am hoping that it will all come to be one hundred percent soon.

Well, this week was good we were doing some service we helped a lady who had a death and it asking the members that live above us questions so we helped her with her yard and we were able to get a good lesson we have another one tomorrow we are excited about that.  We have been finding a lot and really it is getting hard when you have been through the town a lot, but we are finding people.  The Less-active work is coming along and really cool thing is that we are having the ward to expand and that the Lord is blessing this ward for there willingness. I pray that this all will continue that is really all that we need to do to be successful.  We are spending time doing service as well and it was really quite nice the weather is perfect to do it and I am not even kidding I really enjoy splitting logs. We helped Y-- he is an older man in the ward he is awesome! We are splitting some myrtle wood for him, myrtle wood is really hard to split but, it is well worth the spiritual rewards.  

Well, not a whole lot has happened this week but, I am still well.

Love!
Elder Christian James Delis



HERMANA DELIS

Subject: HEY!!
Hey, you guys! 

Happy today! 

Thank you so so much for your emails. I feel like Heavenly Father is so proud of me, and it means the WORLD to hear it from you guys. Haha, I can't believe I'm coming home. I barely even think about it actually happening. But hearing you guys say that you have been so proud of me just let me read what my Heavenly Father has been telling me for almost 6 weeks straight. Man, I am so thankful. Thank you for being proud of me.

Okay, let me tell you about some rockin awesome miracles that happened this last week. 

We taught SO MANY PEOPLE this week--I kid you not, we were teaching in a Baskin Robins, on front porches, with investigators who invited their friends over, with investigators who just happened to have friends over....(haha), in shops, in basements, members homes...just everywhere. I felt like everywhere we walked there were miracles to be found. Obvious miracles. It was so awesome. 

V----- M----- is getting baptized on the 11th of august, and this kid ROCKS!!! My favorite lesson of the mission was last night in his home about the Plan of Salvation. MAN--it was the perfect teaching experience. It was such an awesome discussion. He has learned SO much since we started teaching him, and he is just SO READY to be baptized. My favorite comment that he made was about death. He said "Me gusta que la muerte sea parejo" which basically means that he likes that death happens to anyone and everyone--it doesn't matter who you are: big, tall, rich, poor, funny, a goober, WHATEVER--it happens. So we asked him why he liked that, and he said because he knew that his Heavenly Father was like that, too. His plan happens to all of us--we live as crucial parts to His plan whether we believe in Him or not. So we when we start to believe, that is when we change. AHH!!! It was the BOMB. So we talked about how when we live like Christ, we come to love our Heavenly Father like He loves us. MAN IT WAS THE BEST. I have LOVED teaching V----- and watching him change and open up to us. The gospel was an answer to his prayers. And I cannot tell you how incredible it feels to have been someone who got to speak the answers he was searching for. Alma 26!

He gave me a little going away present that I will forever cherish. It's this little bandera with a poem on it. The poem talks about little prayers being answered in huge ways. That is exactly how I feel on a daily basis--it just kind of defines the mission for me. I would ask for something, and the Lord would not only give me what I had asked for, but He would move mountains for the work and for me. I had no idea what I would receive for being here. I can't even tell you how awesome it feels to know that I served Him well. He feels so close. I want that to stay. I know life is not the mission. It will end, ha. But I want the relationship with my Father in Heaven to just get better. And I trust His promise: Ask and ye shall receive! So I am praying big time that He just stays with me. I PROMISE I will do my part, I just want this peace.

And that has been probably the coolest thing I learned this week: WE CHOOSE THE PEACE WE WANT IN OUR LIFE. If we want peace, choose to have faith. Believe in His promise in Matt 11:28-30, give up your worries and troubles to Him. He will take them! That helped a lot this week. But He will never leave us alone if we just want, ask, and live worthily. Ah, we are so blessed. 

This week I spoke in church, too, about diligence in our discipleship. I was so nervous to speak, and I have no idea why--I love this ward. But I was prayig so hard that it would be okay. And then it was. :) I am positive my companions were praying so hard, too. I am graetful for them. They are awesome. In the talk I talekd a lot about putting our trust in the Savior and diong our part consistently and faithfully. We can't do everything all at once, but we can ALWAYS do our part TODAY. Mosiah 4:26-27. I love those scriptures.

Also, EVERYONE wanted to have us over for dinner, lunch, brunch, snacks, dessert...haha, in like 3 days we had almost 8 dinner appointments planned. We asked a few to let us just come by and share a message, ha. Hahaaa oh man, it was kind of gross. But they were so kind. EVERYONE was so so so nice, anytime anyone talked to me, that were giving me advice for the future, thanking me for the service I'd given, it was just incredible. I felt like a queen. 

My favorite "thank you" was from S------. She was a less-active that moved into the area when Hna Riddle, Williams and I got together as a companionship, and in this one appointment we just helped her through some tough struggles. Man, I can't even tell you how cool it was to hear her talk to me like she did this Sunday, she was just so grateful. I hope so bad I told her well enough how grateful I was for her. 

My favorite guy in the ward is hno E------- --I want you guys to meet him so bad. He said so many great things about you guys this sunday--he wanted me to make sure I gave you a big hug. DOYYY I was gunna anyway...haha. So many people this week talked about how much they were grateful for MY PARENTS--you were prayed for by our investigators and members all week long, especially Sunday. They just thanked you for sending me. It was so tender. I hope you felt those prayers. I did big time.

And Spanish. It felt like everyone this week kept complimenting me on how well I'd learned Spanish in the past months. I was grateful to hear that. Mostly I was grateful ALL week long for the Spanish that I have learned. Man, I love that language so much. I just learned so much from Spanish and I am excited to keep studying it. 

You guys, this week was great. I cannot believe how blessed we've been. Hoy and the whole 18 months. Man. I love my calling. :) DyC 123:16-17 defines how I've felt these 18 months and this week, too. I have cherished the time I have had to serve the Lord and just watch His work unfold here, and funnily enough, in me, too. MAN.

What a ride. 

I just couldn't be more grateful. This work is true. I love The Savior. I love that He has let me be His hands and His mouth. I love that He has trusted me. I'm excited to see what's coming up next--I trust He'll keep guiding me. :)  Alma 26:12

I love you, and I will see you in TWO DAYS!!!! :) 

Hna Delis