HOLIDAYS & GRANDSONS

HOMECOMING

GOT MY BABY BOY HOME FINALLY!

THE FAMILY...MINUS A FEW IMPORTANT UTAH PPL...WE WILL ALL BE TOGETHER FOR THANKSGIVING

HIM AND HIS BFF JOEY WHO CAME OUT AND SURPRISED HIM

MEETING HIS NEPHEW GAGE DOR THE FIRST TIME

2 MORE DAYS....

HIS LAST BAPTISM

Hey everybody! Well this week was another great one. My comp received a new comp from the MTC and so it was a lot of this this week being with him and watching him progress. But the best part was the fact that on Saturday we had the very first baptism of the new branch of Teteles. It was truly a very special experience and I thank God that he allowed me to be able to be there and participate in this historical moment for this new growing branch. He is Beto, a 56 year old man who loves the book of mormon and is so excited to be a worthy priesthood holder. He is great and it was a very special weekend. Tonight we are opening the first official house of prayer that is here, it is a house we are renting but it is way nice and very comfortable to be a adequate house of Prayer. Every day i thank the Lord for the wonderful opportunity he gave me to serve in this amazing area, to witness such miracles and to start the work in these small towns. What a blessing it truLy is i don't understand how the Lord could have blessed me so. The mission has been a life changing experience, I will not pass a single day without remembering the sweetness of the Lords work. THe true joy that is only found in service and diligence through helping His children find the way back to him. I know i have done nothing, and this is truly His work, but i feel ever grateful to have been a part of it, to witness it, and to feel this joy. I give thanks to everyone of you whom have supported me during these two years, i just cant believe how fast they have gone. I still dont believe I will return home this week. I think I´ll stay, Our branch President doesnt have a second counselor and he said he would call me if i offered to stay. We´ll see. I know that this is the one and only living and true church of the Lord Jesus Christ here on this earth, that Jose Smith was truly the Lords Revelator in these last days. I know the my Redeemer lives, and loves each and every one of us. I love you all and have a great week!
Elder Redfern

This Weeks Email

Hey all! Well things a re going great here in Teteles, always plenty of work to get done, and plenty of service to give. I love the mission. This week we found a sister and her daughters that just are in so much need of the restored gospel in their vidas. Her name is Socorro, and she has passed through so many trials that I cant even comprehend. But i know that the Lord can. He truly is the only one who could have suffered all things so that he could know how to ¨socorrer a los de su pueblo¨ I don't remember what it says en el english but something like help those of his people. He truly went through it all, and there is not a pain or suffering that he knoweth not. HE is the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, and i beg to one day fully understand his everlasting atonement. I give so much thanks that the Lord saw fit to send me here, to let me learn and grow, and to experience the joy that is felt preaching to His children. There is just so many people that deserve the same opportunity that many of us have had to receive the message of the restoration. I love God and thank him for the parents He gave me that were always willing to teach me this Gospel. My brothers and sisters who have put the example before me, and my friends who have done so as well. I pray for each of you, and know the Lord is by your side. So much work still to do! I love you all
Elder Redfern

Hey everybody! Wasn't this weekend just amazing! being able to hear the voice of a true Prophet of the Lord is a blessing that not all have had nor even lived in the time to do so. I love the fact that the Lord loves us so much that he still sends us Prophets and Apostles. Every day i realize how ungrateful i have been for all the blessings the Father has given me. What an opportunity is truly is to live in the time of the restoration of the True Gospel of Jesus Christ. I feel so blessed to have strong and fiathful Parents that have lead and guided me and supported me in all that we´ve done. Well here in Teteles things are moving forward. We have the chance to be peoples first glance upon the one and true church and it is def a humbling experience, at least i thought it was until i heard Pres Uchtdorf speak and realized how incredibly prideful i still am ha. Here I'm wearing gloves and a sweater because yes it is like 55 degrees. Talk about cold my friends. We are looking constantly and knocking all doors and talking to everybody in the streets to be able to find those prepared children of God. Every minute does count. And being a little alejado from society when have to travel a little bit but even than there is a way to use the time efficiently. I love you all and give you thanks for your grand support and love that you have demonstrated. i hope you all have a great week!
elder Redfern

CONFLICT & PEACE

Adult Session of Conference
11 Sept 2010
President Bradley Hansen

Introductory Story – Danna saying that she hope, knew that as a babysitter, he was “in charge of peace.” We all should be in charge of making peace wherever we are.

Source of Conflict/Contention
· Unmet desires or expectation: James 4: 1-3.
o Some desires are inherently wrong: lust, greed, revenge.
o Good desires: peace and quiet at home, clean and orderly home, a new car to haul the family around, professional success so you can provide for your family, a close and intimate relationship w/ a spouse, obedient and respectful children, close & loyal friends.

Response to Unmet Desires/Expectations
· Do we respond to unmet desires or expectations Satan like? (Note: When you see the unmet desire, even the good desire) as the key to your happiness or contentment, the desire has become an idol.) .
o Probing Questions to test if your good desires have taken on the role of idols:
§ What do I think about the most?
§ What do I fear the most?
§ What do I wish would come about the most?
§ “If only _______, then I would be happier?
o Examples of a good desire becoming a false God or idol:
§ Mother who seek obedient and respectful so her life is easy.
§ Husband who wants a higher paying job so he can indulge more of his worldly fancies or because he aspires to the honors of men.
· Do we respond to unmet desires or expectations Christ like?
o Learn from it – James 1:2-4.
o Cultivate charity and a deeper commitment to obedience from it – 1 John 4:19-21
o Chance to live the Law of the Gospel (celestial law) vs. the Law of Moses from it – Luke 6z:27-28
o Become sanctified from it – Romans 8:28

Role of Judging in Conflict/Contention
· Proper use of judging (to minister to others) – Gal 6:1-3.
· Improper use of judging – Matt 7:1-5.
o Careful not to play God – criticize, nit-pick, nag, attack, condemn.
o It is ok to have high expectations of others, but if someone you have high expectations for fails to meet those expectation and you find yourself feeling superior, indigent, condemning, bitter, or resentful; then your judging is not to minister.

Role of Punishment in Conflict
· Idols demand sacrifices. When we punish others for unmet expectation, we are in many ways sacrificing our relationship with that person on the altar of our idol.
· “Sending subtle, unpleasant cues over a long period of time is an age-old method of inflicting punishment. For example, a friend of mine mentioned to me that his wife was not pleased with the fact that he was giving so much time to a particular ministry. He closed by saying, “And as we all know, when momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy!” He laughed as he said it, but his comment made me think of the Proverb, “A quarrelsome wife is like constant dripping on a rainy day” (Proverbs 27:15). A woman has a unique ability to set the tone in a home. If she is not careful, she can pervert that gift and use it to create an unpleasant or uncomfortable atmosphere that tells her family. “Either get in line with what I want, or you will suffer.” Such behavior is an act of unbelief: instead of relying on God’s means of grace to sanctify her family, she depends on her own tools of punishment to manipulate them into change. Of course, a man can do the same thing; by being perpetually critical and unhappy, he too can make everyone in the family miserable until they give in to his idols. The usual result of such behavior is a superficial, splintered family.” Ken Sande “Peace Maker.”

Suggested Actions - to rid ourselves of the desire/expectations that have become idols
· Removing
o Asking yourself the probing questions.
o Record in your journal what influence your unmet desires are having upon you.
o Pray that the negative influence of your unmet desires will be removed.
o Get priesthood and professional help, if needed.
· Replacement
o See 1 Thess 5:15-23 for a list

Hey mommy! it was crazy seriously we were out in the middle of the hurricane trees falling down tin flying everywhere in the mission SUV hat we have in the offices going to pick up missionaries trapped in their houses. It was something else seriously. WE had to get out several times to move things out of the way and within 5 sseconds completely soaked everything. It was pretty cool haha because well no1 was hurt and everything was over in a couple hours. But yes mom i am out of the offices! My last change Will be here in the field. President Johnson the area President of Mexico put in a policy that means the assistant's should not finish their missions i the offices when their work is too valuable to train new missionaries. So I get to have a once in a life time chance to open a brand new branch where missionaries haven't been ever assigned. Its awesome truly the best way i think i can finish my mission. WE a re going to work so much, we have nobody ha but we will find and teach and try to establish the work in all the tiny little towns that make up this branch. I know I'm nothing special but I don't understand why the Lord has blessed me with so many great opportunities in the mission. My companion is a GREAT young elder and humble. Maybe we wont have so much success right now, but the Lord will get his work done here, maybe i´ll see part of it or maybe we´ll just work and the blessings will come later, but I'm excited. Its going to be hard but fun. I love you mom i hope that i can everyday learn to be more humble i know that I'm just a normal elder, not the greatest teacher nor the best in anything, but i do want to finish working strong. I love you mom!
Elder Redfern

Hey everybody! Well everything fine and calmed down. The hurricane came fast and went fast. It was a crazy experience and a good amount of damage done. Lots of flooding, lots of trees down, and the saddest part was how many people had tin and or wood houses blown away. It was insane too see the damage. But actually i am no longer in the city or sate of Veracruz. I'm now in Teteles, Puebla, a brand new branch that was created yesterday in ward conference and my companion (E. Vargas) and I are having a great opportunity to be a part of this. I am so happy to be out working here up in he mountains! Yup its cold here its crazy! Well by cold i mean like 60 degrees but im freezing. It gonna be so much fun though we are so ready, we went around getting to know the area and its been awesome. My companion is a great young elder and ready to work. So we are happy. Also the day i left we baptized Oscar Eduardo a son of a recent convert, it was so amazing to see the tender mercies of the Lord who allowed the heart of the father of that boy to receive a valid baptism. The Lord truly blesses us more than we understand. I love the mission i hope all is well and that everyone is doing great. I love you all!!
Elder Redfern