Halloween P-Day

Happy Halloween everyone! On P days we have three hours of proselyting and usually that is from 6-9pm but since its Halloween we did our proselyting from 10am-1pm, and we have to be in our apartments by 7. I don't have much time to write to day which is too bad because i really have a lot to say and to be grateful for.

It was a incredible week!

Stephanie Davis is a young mom who has been investigating the church for 3 years, and for the past two years she has been going to church constantly and she even has a calling in cub scouts, everyone in the ward absolutely loves her and she got baptised on Saturday. I first met her on one of the first days i was here. She is incredible, it has been so great to see her testimony grow. The baptism was very special. She wanted a very small and simple baptism. We actually could not tell anyone in the ward that she was being baptised because we knew everyone would show up. It was really neat to have a baptismal program that was so simple and so sincere, the spirit was very strong.

Stephanie was very nervous, i did not tell you about her last week because she was about to cancel it and stop meeting with us, so i was not sure if it was actually going to happen. Luckily she has a awesome fellowshiper in the ward who talked her through it and helped her realize that it is the right thing. I am so happy for Stephanie the church has already been a big blessing in her life for the past two years, and now that she has the Holy Ghost i know that things will keep getting better for her.

This week we had lessons with some of the recent converts, it was so great to talk to them! Our lesson with Tony was such rewarding experience, he seems like a whole new person from the day we met him. He openly jokes with us and just seems so happy. He told us that he wants to serve a mission someday! and he is trying hard to do missionary work now! I love him! he is such a amazing kid and he already has a powerful testimony.

Yesterday we had a lesson with Bob Trimble and his wife Claudine. We had not seen Bob since his baptism (except for church.) There is night and day difference in Bob since the day we met him! He loves going to church and he loves reading from the Book of Mormon. yesterday a man who is being reactivated was being ordained a priest and Bob was able to be in the circle for his confirmation. Bob said that it really felt special and it was a great experience for him. Bob and Claudine talked about how they looking forward to year from now when they can be sealed in the temple. I love them so much they are the sweetest old couple.

This week i spent a couple days studying hope and faith in preach my gospel, it is incredible and i highly suggest that everyone reads it. (and all of Preach My Gospel, because the whole thing is incredible!) I have truly learned that hope and faith comes down to trusting the Lord. Trusting that he will bless us and trusting he will provide us all he has promised. It is such an incredible thing! Proverbs 3:5 is a scripture i have known for a long time, but since i have come out on my mission it has gained a new meaning. I use to think that it sounded too easy, of course i trust the Lord, but i have learned that we need to show are trust threw are actions, its not easy but it is very rewarding.

It has been a incredible week i am so happy i just can't contain it. seeing these people grow is so rewarding!

I love you all! thanks for the prayers

Elder Covey

--

Fearless Via Faith

Elder McKenzie, Tony, Elder Covey

Stephanie's Baptism

1 Transfer Down

It has been a pretty crazy week. Last Monday we moved to the zone leaders apartment. We are staying there until the office finds a place for us to live in our area. The zone leaders place is pretty nice, its pretty big and has two bathrooms, so having four of us is not bad. There are even two king size beds, I never thought I would be sleeping on a king on my mission, it is very nice. The zone leaders are awesome Elders. It has been a lot of fun to be with other missionaries.

Last tuesday is when everyone moved for transfers. The transfer spot is right next to our apartment, and everything was running behind and it was too late to take everyone to there apartments so most of the Elders just slept at our apartment. I think there were 18 Elders there that night, it was pretty crazy.

This week was crazy, but it was a incredible week. We had two baptisms of guys i really have gotten close to and come to love. It was awesome to see Taylor being baptized, he is a incredible, faithful, kid and I know the gospel with absolutely change his life in a great way. I got the opportunity to confirm Taylor in sacrament meeting, it was incredible experience, i was kind of nervous before hand, but once i started going it was very natural, I could feel the Lord talking through me, it was a incredible experience. On wednesday Tony asked me if i would baptise him, it was so incredible. Tony is probably the investigator I have grown closest to, he is a super shy guy and he does not really have friends. At first it was really hard to get him to open up, but over time we have become good friends and it has been awesome to see him progress. Baptizing him was a awesome experience, the spirit was so strong. Right after i baptized him he turned over and gave me hug, which was kinda surprising because he is a very reserved. After we got out he was glowing. It was an absolutely incredible experience, I will never forget it.

Something that I have really come to learn, is that if we work our very hardest and do what we know we are suppose to that the Lord will make up the rest. Elder McKenzie and I are very inexperienced, and we are far from perfect teachers, but we always work are very hardest, and we follow the mission rules 100% and because of that we have been blessed with a lot of success. We have had 5 baptisms in 3 weeks. There is no doubt in my mind that we are blessed with this success because we are doing all that we possible can.

Love: Elder Covey
Fealess via Faith

Taylor's Baptism

2 Month Anniversary

Its crazy to think that two months ago i entered the MTC. In a way it seems like it was just yesterday, but it also seems like it was a while back, because i feel like i have changed (for the better of course) and learned so much. I can honestly say that these have been the best two months of my life, and i am happier than i have ever been, it hasn't always been easy but it has been incredible and I am so great full for it.

This week was the baptism of Greg and Bob, it was such a incredible and spiritual experience. It was so cool to see these two people that i have grown to love so much, enter the gateway to the path that leads to eternal life. Greg and Bob had not met each other before the baptism but they happened to have the same primary fellowshiper, Bro Willford. So brother Willford was able to baptise them both. Greg and Bob are both amazing guys I am so exited for them, they will both be awesome members. It is so amazing to know that in a year from now, Bob and his wife Claudean will be able to be sealed for time and eternity. I love them so much and i hope and pray that they stay strong so they can be sealed, but i am not to worried about it because they are solid.

We are planning on two baptism this saturday. One for Tony and one for Taylor. Tony is a 19 year old Filipino guy came to America with his Mom and younger sister two years ago. We started teaching Tony a week or two after I got here. Tony is a incredible kid, he absolutely loves the Book of Mormon. He told us how he will read a chapter and then he will think of the good examples (like Nephi) and the bad examples (like Laman and Lenuel) from the story, then he will try to do the good things. He understand the things we teach him, and he knows this is true and what he needs to do. I have come really close to Tony and I am so happy for him. 

Taylor is 12 years old. He is the Nephew of someone who is investigating outside of our area. He had already gone to church twice with his uncle before we started meeting with him. About three weeks ago we had a lesson with Taylor and his Mom. We taught them the restoration, the spirit was so strong and they excepted what we taught and they committed to baptism. After that we had a really hard time getting in touch with them, because his mom has been working 80 hours a week, so a week ago we started just meeting with Taylor. He is a amazing kid, he reads the book of Mormon often, and when he prayed to know if its true, he told us that he got a strong feeling that "no parts of it are fake and that it is true." When we told him about repentance and changing ourselves he said that, that is what he is trying to do and that's a big reason why he wants to be baptized. Taylor came to the baptism on Saturday and church on Sunday. It is so great to see how exited he is to be baptized and to be a part of the church.

This next week is going to be kind of crazy. Right now Elder McKenzie and i are covering two wards, but since we have been so busy the area is splitting and we will only be covering one ward. Which also means that we need a new place to stay. I am really exited for the change it will give us more time for focus and not be so spread out.

Dad has asked that i each week i share something i have learned, so i will try to make that a regular part of the weekly email. I have really learned the power of kneeling prayer. Lately we have been focus on having on having our investigators kneel and pray with us. Sometimes it's not easy to get them to pray with us. Some of them have never prayed vocally before. for example Tony, before we met Tony he had never prayed. We taught about the importance of prayer and got him to start praying each night and when he read from the scriptures. Saturday night we had a kneeling prayer that Tony gave, it was really spiritual. Every time a investigator prays with us, it really builds there testimony.

Everything is going great! thank you so much for all the prayers, I love you all.

Elder Covey

--
Fearless via Faith

Elder McKenzie, Greg Jones, Bob Trimble, Elder Covey

Baptisms

Medford Temple

Today we got to go to the Medford temple, so we switched our P day from Monday to today. I should have mentioned it last week so you w

eren't expecting a letter on Monday, but it forgot to put it in my email. The Medford Temple is really small, it was different because I have only been to big temples. It was so great to be able to do a session, I love the temple so much and going is such a blessing.

The past week or so has been very gray and rainy, I guess this is what the weather will be like until late spring. It hasn't rained really hard yet, but it is very gray and the sun does not shine very much, but it is still very beautiful everything is very green and there is a lot of fog. We share a car so we have it for half the week and everyday that it has been really rainy we have had the car so we have been lucky.

On Saturday Leann was baptised. it was a really incredible experience. I do have a picture of Elder McKenzie and I with her but I forgot to bring my memory card so I will send it out next week.

On this Saturday Greg Jones and Bob Trimble are going to be baptized. I talked about Greg in past emails and how he was suppose to be baptised two weeks ago. Greg is so solid and I am so exited for him he will be a incredible member. Bob is 83 years old, his wife was baptised but had not been to church for 60 years. They have had diligent home and visiting teachers for the past few years, and they have finally came around. We started teaching them about a week after I got here. The first time we met with him he told us that he wanted to be sealed to his wife, because they had been happily married for so long. We set a baptismal date with him on at the first lesson for oct. 15, he was very unsure at first and did not know if that was enough time, but every time we met with him his testimony grew, he progressed very quickly he actually could have been baptised last week. Bob is a incredible guy, he reads from the Book of Mormon hours each day and he so willing to keep all the commandments. He use to be a avid coffee drinker, but the day we taught the word of wisdom he immediately accepted and has not had a cup since. The Trimbles are so great e

ver time we go over Sis. Trimble fills up a zip lock bag with licorice, peanuts and chocolate covered raisins. I am so exited for a year from now when hopefully they will be able to go to the temple and be sealed.

Everything is great, I love it hear, I am so blessed and so happy. We get to do a good amount teaching which i am very grateful for. I love all of you. thank you so much for the prayers.

love,

Elder Covey
--
Fearless via Faith

October 11, 2011

Elder McKenzie is great, he is a awesome trainer and i have learned so much from him. We get along good and never have any problems. There are a few sets of missionaries in Medford, there are all good guys, we have had two exchanges and i have been able to get to know some other Elders pretty well.

Two of the Tree Philippino boys that we have been teaching are brothers and we have not been albe to meet with them lately because there family is very against it, but the other guys name is Tony. Tony is awesome and he is going to be baptized on the 22nd of this month. I will talk more about him in my email next week.

Thank you for your support, i love you so much

The Church is True!

Greg Jones is the man who was going to be baptised on Saturday, and everything was going really good and he was really solid, but he was living with girlfriend, who is a member who is currently being reactivated, and they have both known and plan on moving out. So last Tuesday we told him that it was time and he needed to start staying somewhere else, he knew its what needed to be done and he was fine with it and temporarily moved in with his friend, but his the woman he was living with had a major breakdown because she was worried that he would not have a place to stay and neither of them would have enough money. We decided to push the baptism back so that they can make a plan and to find places for them to live. The baptism will probably be on the 15th. At first i was kinda sad that it was going to be able to happen on the 1st, but its totally fine because he is so solid, he has such a strong testimony. we thought he was going to be busy on Saturday so we did not actually invite him the the priesthood session, but we had talked about it about a week earlier, and he showed up on his own! some members that he knew where great and immediately invited him to sit with them. We talked to him after and it was amazing, i could feel the spirit so strong as he talked about how much he enjoyed it and how it applied to him and answered questions he had. I am very exited for Greg I know he will be strong member and i really get the sense that he will be a great member missionary.

Everything is still going great here, we have a baptism this Saturday for a woman named Leann, she has learning disability so she has been taught by missionaries for a little while. She is still pretty bright and she reads scriptures better than some of our other investigators but she just acts a bit childish. Teaching her has been great and i am very exited for her baptism.

This are better than ever for me, I am really loving the work. Time is flying by it crazy to think that i have been in Oregon for almost a month.

Conference was great! there were so many amazing talks and that was so exiting to hear about the Provo tabernacle temple! that will be so amazing. I hope everything is going well for all you back home, I love you all.

Elder Covey
--
Fearless via Faith