So this has been a weird week... The weather has bounced from snow flurries at 28 degrees to freezing ran at 35 degrees to a beautiful Sunday at 61 degrees. Now we sit at 54 degrees or so on this Monday, only to get colder this week:/ It's going to be a chilly turkey bowl against former Steelers Linebacker and current Pitt 4th Ward Bishop, “C,” and current Steelers defensive end and LDS member “B.” I think we might win... Definitely gonna have to pull out my MVP Black athletics for this game;)
So besides the weather, we have had a rough week... the mom and daughter we did the 15 Step Stop Smoking program with epically failed, we only had two investigators show up at church when we had nine say they were going to show up (five of them were all in one family), we struggled in teaching our investigators because of cancelled appointments, and the list could probably go on... However, I learned a lot this week, not from our failings, but from the tender mercies of God. Sitting in sacrament meeting yesterday, it hit me... "You have the great privilege of being in My church.” Where did this come from...? I knew it was The Spirit lifting me up, so I did some reading on "privilege.” In Alma 61:14, Pahoran writes in his letter to Moroni about his struggles, but also writes about his privilege to be in Christ's church. "...we may retain our freedom, that we may rejoice in the great privilege of our church, and in the cause of our Redeemer and our God." He expressed his GRATITUDE for Christ's church.
As Thanksgiving approaches, I invite all of us to ponder and express our gratitude for "the great privilege of our church" and consider all the tender mercies that have so graciously been given to us. You will feel the Savior's love as you do so and your eyes will be opened to the seemingly most minute gifts of life, I do promise. Enjoy Thanksgiving! I love you!
Love,
Elder Trotman
Monday, November 24, 2014
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
I love those quotes that Mom shared from Elder Holland! Some of his quotes have definitely uplifted and motivated me out here. On the topic of Holland and obedience, you asked a great question: Am I being exactly obedient? I am trying! I have had my rough patches in my mission but I have been living the last 6 months or so with this in my mind, "Am I the missionary my mother thinks I am?" I hope I am! I've had a streak of wonderful companions that have taught me a lot about obedience and blessings. President J. has been an outstanding mission president and has helped me so much! Every time I'm faced with a decision of obedience I think about the stripling warriors and their mothers, then I think about my mom. I am obedient to fulfill Elder Holland's promise in that first quote and I have seen it fulfilled over and over! Thank you for keeping me accountable :)
We do have plans for Thanksgiving. Funny story actually... We were fought over by two families, haha! One family signed up to have all four elders over for Thanksgiving. Another family had a fit and went to Sister B. and asked if they could have one set. Sister B. said sure but "I call Trotman.” At least that's what the other family told me... That family didn't like that because they were hoping she would let them pick, so they talked it out and now the family is coming to the B.’s and all four elders will be there as well. Sharing is caring;) I love this ward!
Love,
Elder Trotman
We do have plans for Thanksgiving. Funny story actually... We were fought over by two families, haha! One family signed up to have all four elders over for Thanksgiving. Another family had a fit and went to Sister B. and asked if they could have one set. Sister B. said sure but "I call Trotman.” At least that's what the other family told me... That family didn't like that because they were hoping she would let them pick, so they talked it out and now the family is coming to the B.’s and all four elders will be there as well. Sharing is caring;) I love this ward!
Love,
Elder Trotman
Sunday, November 2, 2014
Mormon
So I've had a pretty crazy week... Went back to the MTC (pic #1), I almost lost my head to a lion (pic #2), and I got in an argument with Brother Vader about whether the Broncos or the Cowboys were America's #1 Team... He choked me out for that one, I guess he's not a huge Payton fan... (pic #3). But seriously, it has been a great week!
Anyway, we were studying at the chapel yesterday after church before we went to lunch at a member's home and I wanted to study something different. So I thought to myself, "What is one book in The Book of Mormon that no one really talks about...?" Words of Mormon... Yup, 18 verses of "why are these verses in here?" Well let me tell you why! Let's focus on verses 6 through 8. Mormon wrote these comments 500 years after the last prophet of the Book of Omni wrote anything. Mormon is telling us why he decided to place these comments right here instead of after all the books. He says that there is a "wise purpose" to this as he was instructed by The Lord. So the real question is, why did The Lord have him do this? "...I do not know all things; but the Lord knoweth all things which are to come; wherefore, he worketh in me to do according to his will. And my prayer to God is concerning my brethren, that they may once again come to the knowledge of God, yea, the redemption of Christ; that they may once again be a delightsome people." (v.7-8) In bold it says "once again.” The Lord and Mormon placed not just these comments, but he abridged the entire plates so that we may once again know the goodness of God! If you don't think that The Book of Mormon is true and that God loves you, you need to think again!! Awesome right?! They did this for YOU! So love it, act on it, and live it.
Love,
Elder Trotman
Anyway, we were studying at the chapel yesterday after church before we went to lunch at a member's home and I wanted to study something different. So I thought to myself, "What is one book in The Book of Mormon that no one really talks about...?" Words of Mormon... Yup, 18 verses of "why are these verses in here?" Well let me tell you why! Let's focus on verses 6 through 8. Mormon wrote these comments 500 years after the last prophet of the Book of Omni wrote anything. Mormon is telling us why he decided to place these comments right here instead of after all the books. He says that there is a "wise purpose" to this as he was instructed by The Lord. So the real question is, why did The Lord have him do this? "...I do not know all things; but the Lord knoweth all things which are to come; wherefore, he worketh in me to do according to his will. And my prayer to God is concerning my brethren, that they may once again come to the knowledge of God, yea, the redemption of Christ; that they may once again be a delightsome people." (v.7-8) In bold it says "once again.” The Lord and Mormon placed not just these comments, but he abridged the entire plates so that we may once again know the goodness of God! If you don't think that The Book of Mormon is true and that God loves you, you need to think again!! Awesome right?! They did this for YOU! So love it, act on it, and live it.
Love,
Elder Trotman
Best Week of This Transfer
My week's been great! Best one of the transfer so far! We saw the movie “Meet The Mormons” on Wednesday... It was so good! I loved it! I almost lost it when the missionary was at the airport hugging his mom... I had to look away.
So... we picked up a new investigator. His name is Chucky and he is soooo adorable! Just kidding, he's actually really creepy! (Picture is below.) I got to hold a baby monkey! JK... It was a doll, but it looks pretty real too! (Picture is below.)
Seriously, we have been working with the ward a lot here because it's an awesome ward! Very missionary minded! Elder M. and I just can't wait to get our iPads. A lot of the work this ward does is online through social media, I love it!
Have an awesome week!
Love,
Elder Trotman
So... we picked up a new investigator. His name is Chucky and he is soooo adorable! Just kidding, he's actually really creepy! (Picture is below.) I got to hold a baby monkey! JK... It was a doll, but it looks pretty real too! (Picture is below.)
Seriously, we have been working with the ward a lot here because it's an awesome ward! Very missionary minded! Elder M. and I just can't wait to get our iPads. A lot of the work this ward does is online through social media, I love it!
Have an awesome week!
Love,
Elder Trotman
General Conference
I watched General Conference with some really cool members who fed us breakfast, lunch and dinner Saturday and Sunday! It was amazing! The Spirit really uplifted me and comforted me. I've been thinking about a lot of things, including what specific things I need to do to be the man God needs me to be. One thing I got out of General Conference was "Prepare now to be a father of faith and a husband of honor." So I thought about specific things I need to work on to be exactly that! It was way cool how when listening to the talks, I didn't really write down what they were saying but rather what The Lord was telling me and how I felt. I definitely got a lot out of it!
The new area is fun though! We are really working with members because it's a wealthy ward and a very missionary minded ward. I feel like we should have some great successes here!
Love,
Elder Trotman
The new area is fun though! We are really working with members because it's a wealthy ward and a very missionary minded ward. I feel like we should have some great successes here!
Love,
Elder Trotman
Ambridge Fog
So you probably already heard that I was transferred on Tuesday. I am now in the Wexford Ward. Parts of our ward are very much like the HR Bubble. However, Elder M. and I live in Ambridge, which is the ghetto of our ward boundaries. Also, we are the only black companionship this mission has ever seen in possibly forever! From one minority companionship to another haha Love it! So I show up and pretty much the next day Elder McDz knights me into his court using these swords (shown in picture below).
We talked with some lady that said God proposed to her and she is the first girl the God trusts... and on the flip side, our Bishop's daughter drives a pimped out Infiniti G37X and teaches piano... So quite the wide variety of people and places! It's way cool though! It's so crazy to think that I only have 9 months left. Single digits here! Time flies too fast in PA!
Oh ya, my ankle is fine by the way! I bought an athletic support brace and have been wearing that when we do a lot of walking. It feels a lot better, except in the morning, it's super stiff in the mornings.
Speaking of mornings, the coolest thing happens every morning here! Since we live on the Ohio River, there is early morning fog that sits over Ambridge. Here's a picture from this morning just outside our front door. Also, we live in an Harmonist house. Basically all of Ambridge was settled by the Harmonists and so it's all historic land and buildings, pretty cool! Back to this fog stuff, so I was thinking about it this morning and that picture I took. The fog is like the uncertainties of life or the cloud of distraction from Satan. The STOP sign is literally a sign. If a car is going to fast on our street when the fog is cloaking Ambridge and the car comes up to the STOP sign, it won't have time to stop, thus, possibly resulting in an accident and either way breaking the law. As we drive through life we need to make sure that we aren't driving too fast. God will provide guidance and light, but we need to be driving the speed limit to insure we have enough time to react to the signs and guide rails. Life is too short to speed! Just keep life real and think before you act. It's not always easy, but it's simple and if it's not simple, then simplify your life.
I hope everyone is doing well!
Love,
Elder Trotman
We talked with some lady that said God proposed to her and she is the first girl the God trusts... and on the flip side, our Bishop's daughter drives a pimped out Infiniti G37X and teaches piano... So quite the wide variety of people and places! It's way cool though! It's so crazy to think that I only have 9 months left. Single digits here! Time flies too fast in PA!
Oh ya, my ankle is fine by the way! I bought an athletic support brace and have been wearing that when we do a lot of walking. It feels a lot better, except in the morning, it's super stiff in the mornings.
Speaking of mornings, the coolest thing happens every morning here! Since we live on the Ohio River, there is early morning fog that sits over Ambridge. Here's a picture from this morning just outside our front door. Also, we live in an Harmonist house. Basically all of Ambridge was settled by the Harmonists and so it's all historic land and buildings, pretty cool! Back to this fog stuff, so I was thinking about it this morning and that picture I took. The fog is like the uncertainties of life or the cloud of distraction from Satan. The STOP sign is literally a sign. If a car is going to fast on our street when the fog is cloaking Ambridge and the car comes up to the STOP sign, it won't have time to stop, thus, possibly resulting in an accident and either way breaking the law. As we drive through life we need to make sure that we aren't driving too fast. God will provide guidance and light, but we need to be driving the speed limit to insure we have enough time to react to the signs and guide rails. Life is too short to speed! Just keep life real and think before you act. It's not always easy, but it's simple and if it's not simple, then simplify your life.
I hope everyone is doing well!
Love,
Elder Trotman
Crutches
It's been a crazy past couple weeks... Last P-Day we taught a member's friend named N. Because it was our P-Day and we had to cancel some fun plans we were pretty upset, but then we thought about it and were like, "Bro... God just handed you someone to teach that is sincerely interested and you mad?! Get over yourself!"
We basically drive the struggle bus when it comes to finding people to teach out here. So the fact that N. was just placed in our hands is a miracle and answer to many prayers! We've taught him twice already and he came to church yesterday. He wants to be baptized in early October! This guy is awesome, oh and he is only 19 years old! Such a stud! Elder B. and I are so grateful for him because this rarely happens!
So then let's talk about Friday... About the picture below with me on crutches... So we were headed to a member's home for dinner but they forgot we were coming over, even though we told them on Thursday, haha. So we decided to go chat with some guys at this park by their house. I was ballin' (that’s Derrick-speak for “playing basketball”) with this kid and I went to rainbow (soccer move where you kick the ball from behind you and it lands in front of you) the basketball. Although I succeeded in the rainbow, I failed in avoiding the large round curb next to me. So I basically wrecked my ankle and it was like 3 or 4 times the size it should be. However, I was still really hungry, so we went to dinner and I filled my belly up with this weird Moroccan Lentil soup and then went to UPMC East to get it checked out. X-Rays came back negative but because it was so bad they want me to go to an orthopedic doctor in a week to get it rechecked. It's been crutches and an AirCast for me the last couple days:) So I've learned a lot! Be grateful when God interrupts your plans because it's always going to be better than what you had planned and slow down!!
Love,
Elder Trotman
We basically drive the struggle bus when it comes to finding people to teach out here. So the fact that N. was just placed in our hands is a miracle and answer to many prayers! We've taught him twice already and he came to church yesterday. He wants to be baptized in early October! This guy is awesome, oh and he is only 19 years old! Such a stud! Elder B. and I are so grateful for him because this rarely happens!
So then let's talk about Friday... About the picture below with me on crutches... So we were headed to a member's home for dinner but they forgot we were coming over, even though we told them on Thursday, haha. So we decided to go chat with some guys at this park by their house. I was ballin' (that’s Derrick-speak for “playing basketball”) with this kid and I went to rainbow (soccer move where you kick the ball from behind you and it lands in front of you) the basketball. Although I succeeded in the rainbow, I failed in avoiding the large round curb next to me. So I basically wrecked my ankle and it was like 3 or 4 times the size it should be. However, I was still really hungry, so we went to dinner and I filled my belly up with this weird Moroccan Lentil soup and then went to UPMC East to get it checked out. X-Rays came back negative but because it was so bad they want me to go to an orthopedic doctor in a week to get it rechecked. It's been crutches and an AirCast for me the last couple days:) So I've learned a lot! Be grateful when God interrupts your plans because it's always going to be better than what you had planned and slow down!!
Love,
Elder Trotman
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