This week I set a goal to study a little more and to improve my personal studies of the scriptures! It was so great to see the way the Lord blessed me for it! I woke up each day with more energy and a stronger desire to get going! I even changed my alarm to a mormon message! I showered, got ready, and ate breakfast faster so I could have more time to study! Then as I studied I loved reading the books from the Book of Mormon! Reading Jacobs message and allegory to the people was so fun! I have never learned that much from that scripture before! 

I saw the blessings as I caught myself thinking more often during the day about spiritual things! I remembered often the stories of the Book of Mormon! I realized that I was even happier than before! I moved forward with an even greater desire to serve and love the people! The blessings were innumerable! 

I know that God loves us and wants to bless us! We just need to let him give us blessings by obeying him! We need to trust in his will and in his ways because they are higher than our ways! I want you all to know that I love you!!!! :)

Love Elder Groen!

Sorry I don`t have a lot of time to write this I was writing a lot of other stuff!

Ok So we had a big worldwide conference from the mission department! It was awesome! Elder Anderson told us something that changed the way I was thinking! He said When you do not know what to do, You should Testify of Jesus Christ! 

What a great thing that is! At this time I am called as one of his missionaries on the Earth! I am called to testify of him at all times! I am going to try and do this better and more! Sometimes I get much too focused on the other parts of the gospel that are good but sometimes I teach Repentance without testifying of the need of the Savior or maybe I get home at night and with other missionaries we talk about things that are not bad, but we don`t focus our conversations on him! So i just want to testify to you all right now! 

Jesus Chirst is our savior! He loves us! When we suffer he is the one who understands! He will give us the peace that we need! Sometimes we have trials that are not planned or expected, and we tell ourselves that we shouldn`t be here that we have worked hard and we should be able to live how we want to live our lives. But Our Savior is the perfect example of living his life without complaint of things that did not go as pleasant as even He would have liked! Do you remember? "Father remove this cup from me." But he then added that he did not want his will but only if it was the Fathers will. Maybe we ask this question too. Maybe we feel that we don`t want our trials. But Like our Savior we will grow and achieve so much more if we can understand and do our Fathers will! And when we are in our trials He will give us peace! He will not remove our trials, but he will give us peace, comfort and strength to endure our trials! I know that He lives and loves us!!!! I know that he will never leave us alone! We will be guided as we suffer with joy! I know he lives and testify of his love! 

I love you family! Love Elder Ethan Groen! 

A tough week!

Hey famililamily!

So this last week we had SOOO many meetings! We were getting back to
our sector super late and we had very little time to work... But we
made it a goal to not waste any time and try to work with lots of
Urgency! But we tried and tried and we had problems with the Bikes and
it just seemed like no one wanted to listen to us... Then at the end
of the week my companion looked at me and asked me something simple.
He said "Elder, did we do all we could do?" And it was wierd because I
have never felt like I have worked so hard, but seen results so low.
and I looked at him and with an honest heart said "Yes, Elder I think
we did." And he said then we did what the Lord asked of us this week!
It was so special in this moment! I knew that We did not show on the
outside in numbers what our hearts showed last week! And it was so
wonderful to have another reminder that this is not a work of numbers
like President Uchtdorf taught. "Many thins that you can count, do not
count. However Many things that you cannot count, really do count." We
both felt a sense of calmness come over us and we knew that the Lord
was happy and so we were too!

and now in this week we have only had two days Monday and Tuesday and
already we have found new people, Taught many lessons, seen miracles,
visited with members, and seen that the Lord is sending more blessings
than we can count! Elder Holland once said "Some blessings come right
away, Some don`t come until later, and some won`t come until the
next life, but ALL blessings will come!" I know that the Lord blesses
us for our work! And I want to share the gratitude from my heart for
the Father in Heaven who is eager to bless us and give us "All that he
has" It is quite simple! We are too be obedient! "I the Lord and bound
when ye do what I say." We are to lift where we stand and give what we
have been given! I am seeing what seems to be way too many blessings!
Its almost like I feel like its not fair that I have so many
blessings! I know that it is because I am in the place that the Lord
wants me and doing what the Lord would have me do! I love this work
and being a missionary! I love seeing miracles and invite you all to
pray to see and have miracles in your lives also!

I hope all is well at home where it is cold! 

With Love Elder Ethan Groen!

Plans never seem to go as planned!

At the beginning of our new companionship we sat down and talked about things that we wanted to do and things we wanted to improve together! l told my companion that I wanted to improve my planning! So we sat down and tried to make really good plans for the week! then little by little our plans fell due to bycycle problems and time needed to repair them, fallen apointments, and adjusting to how big our area really is! At first I was a little annoyed and even began to think why is this happening to two missionaries who are trying to share this message with the whole world and we only have so much time in a day to do it? Why us? Can`t you help us and make it so our bikes don`t break? 

      After some time in my self pitty party I decided to be greatful! I realized that now that We are on bikes we saved so much time riding to our appointments and it made the work easier and smoother! A little break here and there isn`t the end of the world! Also now I am learning how to fix a bike! I will be an expert by the time I finish in this sector! 

     I am learning the power of positive thinking always! The lord blesses us with bumps and trials in our lives to teach us patience, long suffering, tollerance, and so much more! but if we get stuck in our problems and don`t look for the blessings we will miss them and we will be unchanged by these great opportunities to learn and grow! 

I love you all and all that you have done for me! Thank you for everything each one of you!   Love Eth! 

Another week in the Life!

I had a good week this week! We were able to see lots of miracles! I spent a lot of time with other missionaries this week! We had 3 divisions with other missionaries this week! It was super fun because I could learn from so many different missionaies!

We have three baptismal dates for the 26th!!! We are super excited for all of them it is going to be awesome! 

Next wednesday I won´t be writing you guys! I might have a few seconds but it is our mission conference and pday was changed to Christmas. So i will be able to read and write just a little but Pday will be christmas!!! 

I can´t wait to see you all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Except I doubt I´ll see Allie and Zoe... But Ive got my fingers crossed that maybe I´ll be able to see D again! 

I Love you all and hope you have a GREAT week with lots of snow!!!!! 

Love Ethan!!!! 

Hey we are going to the President's house!

Hey I love you all! I have to go, but I am going to try and stop for a second at presidents house and write you all a big email! 
Elder Groen  **We never did get the "big email".  :)


*Note from Mom - I asked why they were going to the President's house.   Here is his answer: 

"So to explain a little for you! A long time ago when I had 4 months in my mission my zone leaders always said that we would go to his house for a barbeque. I was told that we were going to go I think 9 times in my mission! And it NEVER happened. His house is outside of our mission and you normally only get to see it on your last day at dinner with him and his wife. So I decided that I was going to do it now that I am a lot closer to him and I organized it for the Zone and so we are going to his house for our pday today!"

Thanks!

Well I think I´m going to start by saying that this Thanksgiving day I am thankful for my Savior Jesus Christ! I think In all my life I have never felt the way I do right now in my life! I feel like every day is a great day from the moment I wake untill the moment my head hits the pillow! A year ago at this time in the mission it wasn´t like this. Actually I have always loved my mission and been happy here! But I feel like my Joy is still growing every day! And now My testimony is even stronger! So the first thing I am grateful for is my Savior! Because never in my life have I had the Love that I have for him or the testimony I have for him! 

Yesterday I went on divisions with a brand new Elder! He is from Chile and has only 1 week here in the field. His name is Elder Pizarro! He is full of Energy and a desire to work! At the end of the divisions we always have an inventory where the leader can talk about the good and the bad and see what the missionary can do better and put some goals for the next time! I did the interview and we talked a lot about him and how he felt here in the mission and his life. Then as we finished the inventory I asked him "what can I do better and how can I help you grow." He gave me two Ideas to do better and then he said something so simple that touched me! He said "Love me." I was so grateful in that moment for corrections. Because I felt so strongly from the spirit that I can do better! The spirit gave me a way that I could try to help him more and to be a little better! Not too long ago I was not able to take corrections without throwing back a correction for the other perosn. But I know that the Lord has helped humble me a little more and I am a little better than before!

This week We had 3 baptisms for a family that we have grown to love SOO dearly! The Rivas family! The three children were baptized Nayadeth, Joaquin, and Vicente. The mother is a less active and the father wants to get baptized! We told the family that the closer that they got to the baptismal date the harder it would be for them! The last week before the date Satan threw SO MANY temptations at them and they had a VERY hard week. But They knew that they had a purpose and that Batism was their goal and what the Savior wanted for them! So they did not give up or give in. They were baptized and now this family is all going to church and are growing in testimony! I am Grateful for Baptism, The Spirit that touches the hearts of many and the trials that we are given to overcome! 

Last of all I want to share to you all the Gratitude that I have for my family! (Grandma Groen got me again and I am in a public internet booth crying again) there are many nights when I stay up wondering why so many people are born into circumstances that are so hard! Or why they are born to only one parent or problems with addictions. Then I think about My family and the Blessing of a strong family in the Gospel of Jesus Christ! All of my Aunts and Uncles are strong members! My cousins have the same blessings as me and we pray that those who have strayed a little from the joy  of this gospel will come back, but it is very few that have strayed, but even then they do not have many problems and have not gone far! The Lord has truly given me a marvelous and I would say the second greatest blessing to me in my family! I am So grateful for Each of them! I love my family from My parents, brothers, and sister to every one of my cousins from the youngest to the oldest, to my aunts and uncles, to my grandparents! There are two of them that I never knew, but I love them too after praying to know them in my heart! I LOVE my family and I am so greatful for Each of them!!!! 

I love you all so much! Thank you for all you do for me! 

Love the Goofy Elder Groen!