Monday, October 30, 2017

The Rise! (Week 63, Stroud, Cheltenham, England, Elder Ey)

homies! if you only knew how hyped I was right now! we saw some sweet things happen this week and this area is gonna explode soon! let’s get it!

last pday we went to Cheltenham to spend the day with our district, we did some shopping, played some sports, and even went to the celestial kingdom (five guys) and back. I did an exchange with elder clement (from Germany) in Cheltenham. on Monday night we were knocking doors and this uni student asked us each how this message we share has blessed us in our lives. I told her about my mom and how because of the gospel, I know I’ll live with her again. she was in tears, her father had passed away from cancer when she was growing up and she was so touched by how confident we both were that this message is true! her name is myyay!

elder ey (pronounced “I”) and I went to this cool little old town called nailsworth and we were walking up this massive hill and we saw this homie named Axxntony, who was wearing a bulls hat and we just told him we were handing out copies of the Book of Mormon and offered him one. He told us that he and his girlfriend have both been wanting to look more into religion, and the coolest part of all of this was that we only ended up on that street at that time because elder ey’s map went crazy, god truly places us in the path of people! He knows his children! 

We met another homie named Exxd while knocking doors, and again I got to share my experience with my mom, and then we learned that his mom also passed away from cancer and he’s always hoped for a sign that would lead him to believe in an afterlife, he didn’t want to meet again which made no sense to us but he accepted our challenge to read the plan of Salvation leaflet and to try praying for the first time.

i felt so sick at the beginning of last week, and there was one night where I was just shaking because I felt so crappy, I asked for a priesthood blessing and following that I was able to get some sleep and able to start feeling a bit better. I sometimes wonder why I’m being put through this trial, and I heard a really cool quote on a recent face to face that says “if god leads you to it, he will lead you through it”. I love that! Yesterday I gave a twenty minute talk on turning faith into testimony, I focused on two points. One being that we should doubt our doubts and act on the faith which we already have and second being that we turn trials into testimony building experiences. Email me if you want me to share the talk with you! There was a random non member that showed up and she seemed to be touched by the meeting. It was a solid week!

Here’s a thought for y’all, and that is that God doesn’t care nearly as much about where you have been as He does about where you are and, with His help, where you are willing to go. I’m so grateful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ. There have been times where I’ve struggled to let go of the past, and there have been times where I’ve felt I’ve not improved at all. And I know that because of Jesus Christ, second chances are real. He isn’t a myth, he isn’t a fairy tale. Jesus Christ really did live, he did die for each of us, and He lives today. I testify of that with all the energy of my soul. I know that my redeemer lives! He is my saviour, my best friend, and rock, and he’s your saviour. His love is unfailing.

happy Halloween to all of you and a happy birthday to my mom who would have turned 49 this year! I’m the luckiest guy out here cuz not many missionaries can say they have their mom with them on their mission! But I do!

Just a test, email me a short line if you still read these emails, have a good week and always remember that elder V loves you!

Elder Varner


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Sunday, October 29, 2017

Talk given 10/29/2017 in Stroud, England on Developing and Growing Testimony and Turning Stumbling Blocks into Stepping Stones

Good morning brothers and sisters, it is so good to be with you here this morning, bright and early. Just a quick introduction again, my name is Elder Varner, I’m from a little town called Ladera Ranch in Orange County California. I’ve been on my mission for a bit over 14 months and this is my fourth Area. This is a beautiful place, and you are all so lovely, im so grateful for the chance I have to speak this morning. 

I suppose I have no greater dream than that you will say of me a few minutes from now what was said of the cross-eyed javelin thrower. “He didn’t set any records but at least he kept the crowd alert.” I want so very, very much to say something of value to you.

This morning I would like to speak a little bit on how we can develop and grow our testimonies, and how we can turn stumbling blocks into stepping stones. I suppose one of the main Christ like attributes needed in order to develop a strong testimony is patience. 

We live in a world of now. We can get any information we want at our finger tips in seconds, we can go to McDonalds or a chippie and get food instantly, we can get any scripture or conference talk in a matter of clicks. We live in an amazing time, but I’m afraid that we might sometimes fool ourselves into thinking that everything is so instantaneous and easy coming. 

Testimonies take time to develop. For some people, they might gain a testimony in seconds or hours, days or weeks, and for some even months or years. And as most of you know, it takes work. I’m going to paraphrase President Henry B Eyring stating that developing and growing a testimony doesn’t come through the passage of time, but it does take time. This meaning that a strong testimony won’t come to us over time unless if we put in effort. This effort includes doing the simple things well, it involves feeding our spirits, it includes working out the testimony we already have. And it certainly includes not feeding our doubts, that’s poisonous.

Elder Holland once said “do not start your quest for faith by saying how much you do not have, leading as it were with your “unbelief.” That is like trying to stuff a turkey through the beak! Let me be clear on this point: I am not asking you to pretend to faith you do not have. I am asking you to be true to the faith you do have. Sometimes we act as if an honest declaration of doubt is a higher manifestation of moral courage than is an honest declaration of faith. It is not! In moments of fear or doubt or troubling times, hold the ground you have already won, even if that ground is limited. hold fast to what you already know and stand strong until additional knowledge comes. Jesus said, “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.” The size of your faith or the degree of your knowledge is not the issue--it is the integrity you demonstrate toward the faith you do have and the truth you already know.”

President Uchtdorf once said that we should “doubt our doubts before we doubt our faith” how important that is! Some of you may feel like you don’t have much faith, but I feel to tell you that you’re faith is stronger than you may think it is, and the fact that you are here today is evidence of that.

Do things that will help you grow your testimony, do the simple things well: we’ve heard it a million times but I’ll make it a million and one, read your scriptures. Elder Holland promised our mission a few years back that if we read the Book of Mormon every day that we would never go less active, and as a representative of Jesus christ I make that same promise to you. Pray constantly, attend your church meetings, and yes, even share your testimony with others. Similar to working out to gain muscles, we must work our testimonies out by sharing it with others if we desire growth! 

When you are doing these things, you may not feel as if you are improving much. But keep acting on the faith you have. 

President Uctdorf recounted a story last year in conference that goes as follows:

Faith comes to the humble, the diligent, the enduring.
It comes to those who pay the price of faithfulness.
This truth is illustrated in the experience of two young missionaries serving in Europe, in an area where there were few convert baptisms. I suppose it would have been understandable for them to think that what they did wouldn’t make much of a difference.
But these two missionaries had faith, and they were committed. They had the attitude that if no one listened to their message, it would not be because they had not given their best effort.
One day they had the feeling to approach the residents of a well-kept four-story apartment building. They started on the first floor and knocked on each door, presenting their saving message of Jesus Christ and the Restoration of His Church. No one on the first floor would listen to them.
How easy it would have been to say, “We tried. Let’s stop right here. Let’s go and try another building.”
But these two missionaries had faith and they were willing to work, and so they knocked on every door on the second floor.
Again, no one would listen.
The third floor was the same. And so was the fourth--that is, until they knocked on the last door of the fourth floor.
When that door opened, a young girl smiled at them and asked them to wait while she spoke with her mother.
Her mother was only 36 years old, had recently lost her husband, and was in no mood to talk with Mormon missionaries. So she told her daughter to send them away.
But the daughter pleaded with her. These young men were so nice, she said. And it would take only a few minutes.
So, reluctantly, the mother agreed. The missionaries delivered their message and handed a book to the mother to read--the Book of Mormon.
After they left, the mother decided she would read at least a few pages.
She finished the entire book within a few days. Not long after, this wonderful single-parent family entered the waters of baptism.”

Faith truly does come to the patient, the diligent, and to those who act on the faith they already have, no matter how small it may be.

Another thing that can help us grow and develop our testimonies is turning stumbling blocks into stepping stones. One thing I’ve heard a lot on my mission is how God couldn’t possibly exist because of all the bad things happening to innocent people. I have seen many lose their faith because of the trials they were called to face. The trials they faced turned out to be stubbing blocks for them. May I add my thoughts to this sincere concern of many of our brothers and sisters?

That is, in god’s perfect love for us, he wants us to be fitted with him, and we are given experiences in this life, which we chose to come down to, so that we may become as god is.

To start I’d like to share a story shared in Conference a few years back that goes as follows:

“President Hugh B. Brown, formerly a member of the Twelve and a counselor in the First Presidency, provided a personal experience. He told of purchasing a rundown farm in Canada many years ago. As he went about cleaning up and repairing his property, he came across a currant bush that had grown over six feet (1.8 m) high and was yielding no berries, so he pruned it back drastically, leaving only small stumps. Then he saw a drop like a tear on the top of each of these little stumps, as if the currant bush were crying, and thought he heard it say:
“How could you do this to me? I was making such wonderful growth. … And now you have cut me down. Every plant in the garden will look down on me. … How could you do this to me? I thought you were the gardener here.”
President Brown replied, “Look, little currant bush, I am the gardener here, and I know what I want you to be. I didn’t intend you to be a fruit tree or a shade tree. I want you to be a currant bush, and someday, little currant bush, when you are laden with fruit, you are going to say, ‘Thank you, Mr. Gardener, for loving me enough to cut me down.’”
Years later, President Brown was a field officer in the Canadian Army serving in England. When a superior officer became a battle casualty, President Brown was in line to be promoted to general, and he was summoned to London. But even though he was fully qualified for the promotion, it was denied him because he was a Mormon. The commanding general said in essence, “You deserve the appointment, but I cannot give it to you.” What President Brown had spent 10 years hoping, praying, and preparing for slipped through his fingers in that moment because of blatant discrimination. Continuing his story, President Brown remembered:
“I got on the train and started back … with a broken heart, with bitterness in my soul. … When I got to my tent, … I threw my cap on the cot. I clenched my fists, and I shook them at heaven. I said, ‘How could you do this to me, God? I have done everything I could do to measure up. There is nothing that I could have done--that I should have done--that I haven’t done. How could you do this to me?’ I was as bitter as gall.
“And then I heard a voice, and I recognized the tone of this voice. It was my own voice, and the voice said, ‘I am the gardener here. I know what I want you to do.’ The bitterness went out of my soul, and I fell on my knees by the cot to ask forgiveness for my ungratefulness. …
“… And now, almost 50 years later, I look up to [God] and say, ‘Thank you, Mr. Gardener, for cutting me down, for loving me enough to hurt me.’”

God knew what Hugh B. Brown was to become and what was needed for that to happen, and He redirected his course to prepare him for the holy apostleship.”

We are given trials, not because god hates us and wants to see us fail and hurt, but because he loves us, and he wants us to become as he is. We can turn our trials into testimony building experiences. Growing up my mom battled breast cancer. Doctors appointments, bed rest, and surgeries were all part of her trial. Shortly after I turned 8, she passed away from her four year battle with cancer. For so long, I was angry, I was depressed, and I simply couldn’t understand why all of that had happened, I was unhappy for a long time.

Over a period of time I decided that if I believed in god and his son, that I would have the hope to see my mom again, I would have that hope that for so long I didn’t feel I had. Through scripture study, temple attendance, and a lot of prayer I eventually developed a testimony that has grown and grown, it keeps growing. It wasn’t until a few months ago, on my mission, that I truly developed a testimony of Jesus Christ, I know that His grace and love truly are sufficient for me. I’m so grateful for my trials and my mistakes, for how they have led me to the testimony which I now have. I can trace almost every ounce of my testimony back to the hardest day of my life, 11 years ago. Our trials can be stepping stones to gaining a testimony. Even if all you have is the desire to believe, that is enough, that is all you need to start your journey to gaining an unshakeable testimony. 

In our search for enduring faith, in our quest to connect with God and His purposes, let us remember the Lord’s promise: “Knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”

Will we give up after knocking on a door or two? A floor or two?
Or will we keep seeking until we have reached the fourth floor, last door?

God “rewards those who earnestly seek him,” but that reward is not usually behind the first door. So we need to keep knocking.

I promise that if you will do this--even until the fourth floor, last door--you will receive the answers you seek. You will find faith. And one day you will be filled with light that grows “brighter and brighter until the perfect day.”

I know that Jesus Christ lives. He loves each of us so much. He truly does reward our diligence in seeking to grow our testimonies. Brothers and sisters, my dear friends, keep doing the simple things well. And never give up. As you consistently choose the right, the heavens will open, and you will know, as I know, that Jesus is the Christ, he is my saviour, and he’s yours, I humbly testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Monday, October 23, 2017

duces Cardiff! (Week 62, Stroud, Chetlenham, England, Elder Ey)

hey everyone! 
it’s been a weird week to say the least but it’s been a fun one! I really don’t like saying goodbye to people so saying goodbye to Cardiff was kinda rough, especially cuz of how tight all us missionaries were there. For the last pday there we went to Cardiff city to grab some stuff and while we were there the sun went red because of hurricane Ophelia and stuff, we got some cool pictures. Then we made bacon avacado burgers with the other missionaries! 

I left Tuesday morning for Stroud and I do have to say that this was the easiest transfer I’ve had so far, and that’s because this place is gorgeous and Elder Ey is awesome! It’s only been a week but it’s been a ton of fun so far! This area is by far the most hilly place I’ve been so far and we haven’t even started biking yet, I gotta get my bike fixed...but this place is seriously GORGEOUS and it’s much more old fashioned, and smaller than my other areas, the ward isn’t too big here but they are all so kind. It’s been a good first week filled with tracting, and talking to people all the time. We don’t have a ton of people we are working with but it’s all good because we are gonna kickstart everything here, it’s gonna be an awesome transfer!

Our district is giant! It consists of Elder Ey and myself (Stroud), Elder Claboux and Elder Galaraga (Stroud), Sister Bateman and Kovisto (Cheltenham), and Elder Clement and Elder Mklisle (Cheltenham). It’s crazy going from 4 people to 8 people, I definitely miss the Rhiwbina district but this district is sweet! 

I don’t have a ton of stuff to say today because nothing too crazy has happened yet but next week I’ll have more fun stuff for y’all, but here’s a quick thought. The last ten or so months I’ve dealt with weird stomach nausea issues, not actually sick, but always feeling it. It has been one of the hardest trials of my life, and even though I’m so excited for the day where I’ll be better, I’m grateful for all I’ve learned from it. Elder Holland once said “Even if you cannot always see that silver lining on your clouds, God can, for He is the very source of the light you seek. He does love you, and He knows your fears. He hears your prayers. He is your Heavenly Father, and surely He matches with His own the tears His children shed...Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don’t come until heaven; but for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come...You keep your chin up. It will be all right in the end. Trust God and believe in good things to come.” And as the song quote I love so much says “I believe that there is light up ahead”. During our hard moments, we must show faith and hold onto hope, everything will eventually be made right to those who love god and follow His word. “the words of Christ, if we follow their course, [will] carry us beyond this vale of sorrow into a far better land of promise.”

We are gonna get so fit this transfer, we have had some sick morning work out seshs so far! And for those who skimmed this email just know that IM ALIVE AND HAPPY. Have a good week, I love you guys! Look unto Christ in every thought, doubt not, fear not ðŸ˜˜✌

Elder Varner















Monday, October 16, 2017

deep fried oreos!!! (Week 61, Rwibina, Cardiff, Wales, Elder Yim

Hey homies! I have so much to say to you all but I don’t wanna write too long of a novel so let’s just dive in! transfer calls came in yesterday and I’m getting moved to England! I’ll be in Stroud with ELDER EY! he’s from my MTC group and I’m so hyped! It’s gonna be a crazy six weeks! 
Here’s a few cool highlights from this week
  • so bishop asked us to be at the chapel to introduce ourselves to a part member/less active family who was there to organise a funeral for their mother, while they waited to meet with the bishop we got to just talk with them and take them into the chapel, we got to talk with them about the plan of Salvation and I bore my testimony of it and shared my experience with my mom, the spirit was so strong. And they even came to church yesterday! They are so cool!
  • This week was Chinese challenge week, which was pretty much created for the sake of getting rid of a ton of extra Chinese materials, and we pretty much lost from day 2 so we spent a lot of time helping the Cardiff sisters and the zone leaders and I think the Cardiff sisters won it in the end!
  • Deep fried oreos in city centre, not my smartest idea
  • Interviews with President and Sister Leppard and An awesome district meeting, I gave a Training on having faith in Jesus Christ. One of my favourite parts of being a district leader has to be how comfortable I’ve gotten at giving trainings. And that skill proved useful yesterday as I had to teach both gospel principles and elders quorum super last minute. In elders quorum there was one guy who started going on a tangent about how tampons are being taxed here now, it was so weird
  • Went to a super authentic Chinese restaurant courtesy of the homie leon 

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Yesterday, Elder Ballard spoke to the entire Europe area over broadcast and it was so awesome! I wish I could share everything I learned from it with you but I’ll just share a piece. He talked about how whenever he feels overwhelmed from anything, he thinks to the Garden of Gethsemane and Jesus Christ preforming the atonement. I’m so grateful for the Saviour and for his loving determination to give us all the opportunity to return to god again, it truly is up to us to use his atonement in our lives, and what a great rallying cry to us for when we feel overwhelmed or stressed. It could be summed into these two words: Remember Him!

Cardiff is a beautiful place, the people are lovely and I’ve loved my time here and the people I’ve met. The hardest goodbye had to be saying goodbye to the Gxxoulds, the family that lost their son back in June right when I got here. That was hard to say goodbye. But I am ready for a new area, to meet new people, to have a fresh start and I couldn’t be more hyped and also grateful. About to have a lit week with the homie Elder Ey! And speaking of homies, thanks for being the greatest homies a Jimmer fan could ask for, I love you all! Look unto Christ in every thought, doubt not, fear not ðŸ˜˜✌

Elder Varner











Monday, October 9, 2017

if it's true... (Week 60, Rwibina, Cardiff, Wales, Elder Yim)

hey everyone! it’s been another great week out here filled with miracles and tender mercies left and right! our teaching pool has a ton of potential and it keeps growing, this week will be super exciting to see how stuff starts to roll out!
a few cool miracles we had this past week
while I was talking to people with elder Haynes on exchange in his area, we felt like we should go down a certain street. we did so and after having a long conversation with someone which included a less active member coming up to us, we turned around and ran into their investigator who was planning on bailing on their set appointment which was scheduled for an hour later. we sat down with him and got to teach him and resolve some of his concerns and it was just so cool how many factors led us to be in that spot at that time
later with elder Haynes we were heading back to our flat in our area and we were trying to decide to either go visit one more person or go back for dinner. we both decided to go visit a family who formerly investigated the church. when we knocked on the door we actually got let right in. they are from Iran and are Christians, and have been reading from the Book of Mormon a lot lately. Even though they haven’t met with missionaries in over a year they still find peace through reading it, and we are so hyped to see them this week!!

this week also included whiteboard finding in city centre, going back to Wylde green for MLC (missionary leadership council) where we were trained to use FACEBOOK, lots of visiting people, Pxxaul Pxxace and Sxxtephen Wxxood (2 less actives we are working with) miraculously coming to church, and more! and this morning to start off pday we went on a sheep hunt so we could get a “lost sheep” picture, let’s just say sheep run fast so maybe next time, we still got some sick pictures though!

a lot of you probably saw my post on Facebook last week, after MLC it was decided that we are not allowed to be friends with family or friends from back home for the foreseeable future, it might change in the future but I don’t know, so I just made a new account for missionary purposes only, please don’t add my new account, only try to reach me over this email :) I’ll let you all know if anything changes!

the last few weeks we have seen so many people bash the Book of Mormon to us. one lady let us in and started telling us how it was the work of the devil. the point is, many people verbally tore apart the Book of Mormon this week, more so than ever before in my life. it is so important to gain our own testimonies of the Book of Mormon. And why? Because if the Book of Mormon is true, then Jesus Christ truly did atone for all of our sins, if it’s true Joseph Smith really did see God and Jesus Christ, if it’s true then we really do have a living prophet on the earth, if it’s true then we do have real authority from god to act in his name, and all our other beliefs are rightfully true. If it is false then our beliefs go out the window. All you have to figure out for yourself is if the Book is true. No amount of false doctrine you read on the internet will ever be enough to disprove this book. This book is truly another testament of Jesus Christ. It references the Saviour more times than any other book. And I know that it is true, with all my heart, it has continuously brought me closer to my Heavenly Father and my Saviour. I invite you all, with every ounce of my heart, to find out if it is true by reading it for yourself and praying to god, asking him if it is true. you can request a copy on Mormon.org  

I miss all of you so much, hit me up with some emails! this is the last week of the transfer and you know your boy DV is gonna go out with a bang in Cardiff! I love you homies! Go help someone in need!

Elder Varner













Monday, October 2, 2017

superbowl weekend!!! (Week 59, Rwibina, Cardiff, Wales, Elder Yim)

hey everyone! what a weekend it’s been! conference weekend is like Super Bowl weekend for us! we just get together with other missionaries, eat food, and feast on the words of the lord’s chosen servants! It was such an uplifting week for me!

Not too much happened during the week, we did some service, met with some “born again” Christian guys who wanted to bash with us, we bore our testimonies of the restoration though and we knew that they knew that we knew that they felt the spirit, but sadly they denied it. elder dastrup and I had a mini trip to costco for a meal and it was so weird to be back in a Costco again after a year, but it’s pretty much the same over here! we had zone Conference on Friday and had some training on the poppy appeal which is a fundraiser we help out with for people serving in the forces over here, it’s actually really cool. and it was great to get some training from president leppard as well! he’s an amazing man! We had a big ice cream social at the church on Fridaynight and it was super well attended! 

Now the real part of the week! Conference! I wish I could share everything I learned with you guys but there’s so much, and you’d be here for daysssss. So much amazing stuff! If you didn’t watch it, go to LDS.org and check it out!!! I still haven’t seen the Sunday afternoon session but I’ll get to watch it sometime this upcoming week! it was super sad to hear elder Hales passed away, definitely keep his family in your prayers. he was a great man and I know he was an apostle of Jesus Christ! all my questions I had going into Conference were answered and I felt the spirit so strongly, this upcoming week I’m going to come up with some goals and plans to implement what I learned into my life! I liked how pretty much every talk was somewhat linked in the sense that the key points brought up included serving those around us, how we can all become effective instruments in the lord’s hands, and how to develop greater faith in the Savior! My fav talks had to be president eyrings talk on service or president Nelsons talk on the Book of Mormon! Hit me up with what you learned this weekend and what your favourite talks were!!!

A major happy bday shoutout to my dad, one of the strongest people I know, and my best friend and greatest example! also a happy birthday to one of the most Christlike people I’ve ever met and one of my best homies, Austin cook! Hope you both have amazing birthdays! also a major shoutout to Taylor Chavez for her mission call to PERU!!!

I can’t believe it’s October! I’ll see you guys somewhat soon! I love you all! Look unto Christ in EVERY thought, doubt not, fear not ðŸ˜˜✌

Elder Varner

heres some sweet links to check out, all of you!

an amazing talk that you homies gotta watch or read this week!!!! :   https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/10/a-summer-with-great-aunt-rose?lang=eng


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