Push It To The Limits

26th October  2015

We are currently getting the ball rolling...

We had a good week last week and found three new investigators. And all of them are pretty keen to learn more about the Church and the Gospel.

I am continuing my PONDERIZING and this week I Ponderized John 17:3.
This week My Scripture to ponderize is Phillipians 4:13
I learnt last week that the reason why we are here on earth is to increase our understanding and knowledge of God and Remember the relationship that we have with them, God is our Eternal Heavenly Father, like a literal Father, not in the physical sense of the word but he is the Father of our spirits that dwell within us, and so the relationship is that of a brother. Like how awesome is that, we have a brother and a Father that we can get to know more fully and perfectly and they are willing to help us out on the way.

This week has been one of those times where you don't know whether you want to eat the dessert or leave it ( I mean this literally) Because I don't want to get Fat gosh, I have already been there and I am not going back.

Working on Coming back a changed man. (hopefully a man and not a boy:) ) But definitely keen to carry on, Carry On, CARRY ON.

Love all of you stay safe be awesome be spiritually minded.

SMILE - 2 Nephi 9:39

Elder Jackson Fankhauser.

Miracles are on the Earth Once More

19th October 2015

This week was AWESome

A - A New Part-Member Family That is looking for a Church
W - We found a Family that is interested in Learning More
E - Everyone we talked to was generally nice (Even the Australians)
S - Saw an Investigator at church

It has been awesome this week to also have been able to go and participate in a Zone Conference.
Where I literally discovered that I have a TONNE of things to work on to even be a fraction closer to who God wants me to be.

 This week has been an opportunity to learn What I need to improve, and How I do improve.
With Larry R. Lawrence's Council What Lack I yet? I am doing some introspective thinking and looking at the example that the Saviour has set for me.

Elder Jackson Fankhauser.

6 months almost gone where is the time going

12th October 2015

These last almost 6 months have been crazy exciting, exhausting, Frustrating and probably every other emotion you could think of.

These Last few months have taught me some of the most Basic Truths of the Gospel, I will now proceed to share with you some of them.

1) Satan Does not take a rest on you.

To Explain this I will use a parable of Sorts
The tortoise a slow moving creature was challenged to race by a hare. The Hare fast and quick thought that this was going to be easy, the tortoise could never beat this fast moving hare. The race started and the Hare took off leaving the tortoise behind to slowly race after it, the Hare knowing that the Tortoise was slow decided that He could take a nap. So he did.

While the Tortoise raced slowly behind the Hare Slept, and Slept, And Slept. Upon arriving at where the Hare was sleeping the Tortoise decided to carry on and let his rival sleep while he went to gain the glory. Still the Hare Slept and Slept and Slept.

A passerby who knew of the race walked past the Hare and Woke him up, and said "Why are you not in the race?"
"I am" said the Hare, "And I am quite a fair way in front of the Tortoise for you know he moves slow"
"Yes that is true but look here,... Can you not see the Tortoise tracks which are before your eyes?"
The Hare realising his mistake quickly raced off to try and catch up, but unfortunately he came to see that the Tortoise had attained the glory that was to be his. And this because he decided to stop for a while on the side of the road. Whilst the race continued on.

Now let me liken this story to that Of Lehonti in the Book Of Mormon.
If you are not familiar with that name then I will explain.
Lehonti was a Lamanite that did not want to go to war. Remember Amilickiah? Well this guy Riled (Bought to anger) the King of the Lamanites to declare war on the Nephites. There was however those that did not want this, instead they joined together and camped on the top of a Hill proclaiming this Lehonti as their Leader.

Amilickiah Wanted to have the whole army to go against the Nephites so he devised a plan.
He sent ambassadors to Lehonti saying, come down the mountain, I want to talk with you.
Lehonti said no
Again Amilickiah said come down the mountain, I want to talk with you
Lehonti again said no
Amilickiah decided then to go up the mountain, when he had reached halfway he said come down the mountain, I want to talk with you, you can even bring your guards with you
Lehonti this time Agreed
Amilickiah gave him a plan that would give Lehonti charge of the whole army, however Amilickiah's condition was that he would be second in command. Lehonti Agreed

Back in these times If you wanted to be Number One when you were Number Two then you did it the easy way. You Poison them by degrees so that they die.
We can apply this to our spiritual life.
When our spiritual life is poisoned by degrees our light gets duller and becomes less bright than what God wants your light to be.

I now Implore you as Jesus did in the Sermon on the mount.
LET YOUR LIGHT SO SHINE before men that they may see your good works AND GLORIFY YOUR FATHER WHICH IS IN HEAVEN
Taking the bold words we can see God's true purpose for us, in the things that we need to do.


2) Even when the work is hard it becomes easier when we focus on the saviour.
We may get distracted by the things of this world but remember the story of Peter walking on the water, all we simply have to do is to ask our Saviour and Redeemer for the help to pull us out of Life's stormy seas.

3) Choose the right

In all times , In all things, In all places, we are Children of a Loving Heavenly Father who has sent us here to Earth to learn for ourselves through our own experience the divinity and grace that we are offered through the Saviours Atonement, It is not there only to fix our mistakes but also to improve ourselves. We are in a refiner's fire that is continuously moulding our lives

I share these things in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

I thank all of you for the things which you have done and contributed to my life in whatever way you have.

Elder Jackson Fankhauser.

Polynesian Area Confirmed. Companion = Canadian

28th September 2015

So this last week we had transfer meeting and I got the call on Sunday night that I was being transferred. My first 6 days in this area have been pretty good and have been getting to know the area a little better, although I, as expected am still going to get lost

The week ahead looks promising with a zone meeting tomorrow and then Interviews the day after.

This week I read Jacob 5 and it really hit me this week that it is all about Missionary work and Labouring diligently to gather in the "good fruit"

Week has been awesome other than that

Elder Jackson Fankhauser.

The Results are . . .

22nd September 2015

I have been called to the Australia Brisbane Mission, and within that calling I have been moved to the Bellbird Park Ward in Centenary Stake

But Other than that I'll give you a quick overview because we have to go soon to unpack.

My last week in Cleveland was awesome. We smashed it and we did our best to keep the good times rolling.

My Last day in the area (yesterday) We went finding, now when I say we I mean that we had a little trade-off when Elder Hassan and Elder Gustafsson went to the Doctors. So I was with Elder Andon for 2 and a half hours, and we thrashed it, we met 44 people and met some really good solid potentials, and we even taught a lesson!

So I left Cleveland on a pretty good high, it was unfortunately also a sad time because I was not able to see Yoon-Geun get baptized this weekend. We have been working with his family well, since I came into the area actually.

He's an awesome and challenging person to teach but it is definitely because of him that I have found new fun ways to be able to teach the lessons to children.

My new Companion is Elder Bullock who is from Canada. (He's my first Non Islander companion (Iceland is an Island) )

The plan this week is to snap Gravity (Exercise as hard as possible) because this ward loves the missionaries to be fed.

Elder Jackson Fankhauser.

3 Transfers. The Drumroll Please.

14th September 2015

So this is now the end of Transfer number 3 in the Cleveland Ward and I am currently wondering whether or not I will stay here another Transfer to clock up 6 months in Cleveland Ward. 

This Week has been thrillxciting, (It is now a word) This week has also gone by so fast, a lot of finding, a lot of lessons, and we have done some super duper planning that we hope will be able to go through, but the most important thing is to work at it.

We had a few awesome miracles this week. One involved a new investigator Tarmara, she is from NZ from somewhere by the name of Te Kowhara, I felt a little embarrassed that I didn't know where it was, but hey it is alright. We taught her a little of the restoration but mainly just got to know her a little better and answer some of her questions. We gave her a pamphlet on the restoration and we got a message back not even an hour later from her asking for more! How awesome is that!

We also while finding knocked onto a ladies door, who thanks to the wonderful power of Netflix and the Internet had seen 'Meet the Mormons' She said just from watching that she wanted to learn more because how we were portrayed to her was not how she saw in the Movie/Documentary.

Our last miracle this week.....

Is that we are celebrating Halloween this year

But... we are going to be dressed up as missionaries...... that are baptizing an awesome guy named....... Tony!!!!!!!!!!!!

We saw him on Friday and set the Baptismal Date for Halloween

So before I finish, If you haven't seen "Meet the Mormons" you need to watch it... because it is really informative and... Well I almost cried watching it, and if it almost makes me cry then it'll definitely pull on some of those heart strings of yours.

Elder Jackson Fankhauser.

The Good, The Not so Good, and the Not really Good

7th September 2015

This week has been a roller coaster, Started off on a little bit of a low but through the week we rode quite High and then yesterday it came down again.

Miracle this week was Tony. Who came to Church again and told us that he really wants to be a stronger man, both physically, and mentally.

Something that has been Frustrating me throughout this week has been the constant "no" that we have gotten from almost every door, some people were nice about telling us to go away and other's weren't (must be something in the weather. All we are simply trying to do is to show a happier way of living that we know works.

It reminds me of a scripture in the Book Of Mormon (there's actually a few but I'll just add the references later), this one is one that I want to write out

I am going to use a Method known in our Mission as BREAD

This scripture is Nephi talking to his Older brothers. Nephi had been commanded by God to build a boat. And His brothers mocked and ridiculed and basically denied that he (Nephi) could even build one.

Nephi then recounts many of the miracles that happened to the Israelite's as they Journeyed through the wilderness.

1 Nephi 17:40 - 41

"And He loveth those who will have him to be their God. Behold, He loved our Fathers, and He covenanted with them, yea, even Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and He remembered the covenants which He had made; wherefore, He did bring them (The Israelite's) out of the Land of Egypt.   And He did straiten them in the wilderness with a rod; for they hardened their hearts, even as ye have; and the Lord straitened them because of their iniquity. He sent fiery flying serpents among them and after they were bitten He prepared a way that they might be healed; and the labor which they had to perform was to look; and because of the simpleness of the way, or the easiness of it, there were many who perished"


 Nephi begins with this fact: That God loves everyone.
He then goes on to talk about a time when the Israelite's had rebelled and chosen not to follow them, and the ensuing punishment. But he loved them enough to prepare a way for them to be saved.

This same deal still applies to all of us. God Loves all of us, no matter what we have done. We know from the New Testament that our Father which is in Heaven is Perfect. Which means he has a Perfect love for all of us.

For us in this Day and Time when there is so much confusion in this world God has prepared a way. The literal thousands of religions out there all claim Truth, and in one instance they do have truth, just not all of it. God has prepared a way, that everyone in the world can know, if they choose to accept, that Jesus is the Christ and that he has Established his Church once again on the Earth today. The evidence that we have is The Book Of Mormon. It has been prepared for us in these days to help us to know the whole truth. All you have to do is to follow the evidence. Do what any good Detective would do. And ask if it is True.

This Restoration of His Church all started with a simple question. This could essentially be your own question. But I know that The Book of Mormon is true, I challenge those that have not read it yet to read it. To Pray. To read the Testimonies of The Prophet Joseph Smith, The Three Witnesses and the Eight Witnesses.

I give you this council from Alma " If ye can more than desire to believe, let it work in you"

And from Nephi " If ye shall believe in Christ ye will believe in these words, for they are the words of Christ"

In Moroni's word I will conclude this. "Yea Come unto Christ and be perfected in him.... and if by the Grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in Nowise deny the power of God.

Elder Jackson Fankhauser.