Epistle - 3.4.09

Good Wednesday Everyone!

Today is officially the best P-Day of my mission thus far. Brother Yuen, a member of our ward who moved to DC from Hong Kong about 40 years ago, decided to take us to play tennis, and then to the best chinese restaurant (according to him) in DC.

Anyone who knows me well knows that this was a bit exciting for me :). It's the first time I've gotten to play tennis out on my mission, and one of the other Elders could play pretty well so we had a lot of fun playing one on one while the other 3 elders dinked around. It is very cold out so of course Brother Yuen had reserved indoor courts. As far as score... we had to leave when it was deuce (sp) tied 40-40, my set point, 6-5. I'm ready to assume that I just won :-P

After tennis he took us to some little Chinese restaurant in China town. It has been WAY too long since I had good chinese food. They have "Chinese food" all over the place in DC... but it is really quite attrocious compared to what I could get back home in Seattle.

Overall it's been a VERY good P-Day! The rest of these days went very nicely as well. Selena (an investigator who lives 2 floors down from us in our building) is excited for her baptism in the next couple weeks. My companions are (as always) a lot of fun, and Elder Montoya and I are going to try and sing "Via Dolorosa" at Sacrament meeting before this transfer ends. I recommend looking that song up it's beautiful.

Much love to all of you. Keep the letters coming those who have been writing... the rest of you... the best time to start is now! :)

-Elder Ted E. Bear

Epistle 2.25.09

Hello Everyone!

Zaneta Washington was baptized on Sunday, that was very cool! A lot of work has gone in to that. Tyrone is waiting a couple more weeks so he can gain a deeper testimony of the truth. Very important.

Sunday was also a VERY strange day at church. I think we had more visitors at church then Ward Members. We had a huge group of BYU kids. A huge group of people in town for various "conferences". It was very interesting. Among the visitors though was Brother Richard Dance. Someone from back home who recognized me right off the bat.

I don't have a lot of time today, and I'm pretty tired. We had a Zone activity today of Flour Bomb Capture the Flag. We found a huge playground, and our entire zone got together for it. "Flour Bombs" are lady's stockings full of flour and knotted up. If everyone wears dark clothing then it leaves a nice white mark when you get hit. If you're hit you're out. The object is to get the other team's flag and run it back to your flag. In the midst of all this of course we are running up slides, jumping off playsets, climbing up ladders and all sorts of madness. The weather miraculously warmed up for us, and it was really a lot of fun. A couple people got some pretty painfully flour-filled eyes but they deemed it well worth it.

So that is about how life is for me. I'm healthy and safe. Our next baptism should be on March 8th.

Till next week!

-Elder Ted E. Bear

Fw: Saw your son this morning! See the attached evidence.

From Papa Bear:

Sunday morning I felt bad and missed Bear. I studied scriptures for a while and then got on my knees and prayed for Bear and for comfort for myself. As I was getting up my computer beeped and I received the attached email. God lives and loves us; we just need to ask sometimes. :)

Happy Wednesday Everyone!

Another wonderful week has gone by.

I often forget to talk about the people I work with in these epistles, something of which I am oft reminded by various sources!

It did strike me the other night that it might be interesting for those who read this letter to know that I was teaching an investigator in the home of Sister Lantos, who is the wife of the late Congressman Tom Lantos. Sister Lantos was baptized by (as she refers to him) "Bruce McConkie" while he (who would later become an Apostle) was a mission president in Australia. She is a marvelous lady from Hungary who came to this country with her Husband a long time ago. For a while he was a professor at The University of Washington, and then he moved to California and became a Congressional Representative of California. She has a funny conversion story as well. She was born a Jew, and lost her father and grandfather in the Holocaust. She had no interest in ever becoming a Christian, but one day on accident flipped open to the New Testament in a bible. She says that immediately she felt intense love for this man name Jesus Christ, whom she had been taught to despise. From that moment she simply knew that Jesus Christ was something special, and became a Christian! She later was introduced to the Book of Mormon by family friends, and joined the church (While her husband never did on this earth).

Also in our ward is Congressman Bishop. The Chevy Chase ward has MOST of the famous people, but we have a couple here on Capitol Hill!

Zaneta Washington and Tyrone Hall both look solid for their baptisms this sunday. Tyrone has asked me to perform the Ordinance and so I am excited for my first time to do that. I've done a Confirmation before but this will be my first time in the water.

Everything is going very well here. I keep meaning to bring my USB cable to the Library with me so I can send some pictures home, I will work on doing that so you can all see what life is like here. I love you all.

Take care and stay strong in the faith!
-Elder Ted E. Bear

Epistle 2.11.09

Happy February 11th everyone!

I don't have any news to compete with last week's news (yet!) so you will have to settle for a rather duller Epistle.

My companion is having some back pain, and the doctor has ordered us to bike as little as possible, which means lots of metro'ing and walking. Been sort of interesting to see our area from another angle, slow down and actually be able to talk to the passers-by. From our side we have much more opportunity to invite them to hear the restored gospel! From their side we now have time to pester them. This life is a matter of perspectives... the after-life however... might only have one perspective left!

I asked dad what I should write about, he said to tell you about the people and the work. Why didn't I think of that?

The work is very good. We taught all day yesterday, with just enough time for Lunch and we grabbed some take-out Chinese between our evening and night appointments. Teaching means we had set up appointments that actually held, and we got to get in and teach a lesson. That's my favorite thing to do! We have 4 people on date for baptism, with a goal of 5 by the end of this week. One of my favorite people we are teaching is named Tyrone Hall. He is on date for February 22nd. He has been dropped twice before, meaning that two sets of missionaries have started meeting with him, decided he was unaccountable and stopped meeting with him. I have no idea why, but this time he is progressing. He has trouble understanding things, but he knows it so he works hard at getting it. He has a very strong desire to do what God wants him to do, and knows that we can guide him to that. He often says "I'm stickin wit yall, man" He's really hillarious.

As far as what we do in a day. We spend the majority of our time teaching. Just the way I like it. We tract probably less than 10 hours a week on average. We also try to talk to people on the street when we walk by them. We get fed probably an average of 1-2 meals a week. Some week we get a lot, other weeks none. This week we have one meal, with the Ward Mission Leader.

I'm really developing a deep love for teaching. I Love to help these people understand the gospel. I enjoy it a lot, and I get a lot of opportunities to do it.

I love you all and wish you another wonderful week.

Till next week.

-Elder Ted E. Bear

Epistle 2.4.09

OK Everyone, time is short today!

First news: Transfers have come. I am staying in Capitol Hill South with Elder Hayden, and we are receiving a 3rd Elder named Elder Montoya from Arizona. It should be a fun transfer. Threesomes are fun because you can go in to a single female's home without having to get a member of the ward with you. Go go and teach teach! Nothing can stop us now!

The second item is amazing. I have had an INCREDIBLE opportunity and experience this week. With limited time I will attempt to retell the story as it unfolded to me.

Last Wednesday, as we were leaving the library of congress (Which means right after I wrote you last) I received a phone call from the Assistants. They asked me if I would sing a musical number at a Leadership Meeting that coming Saturday. There was NO leadership meeting planned, and this is last minute, so obviously something weird is going on. I was told I would be singing with Elder Anderson, and accompanied by Elder Ellsworth (An Elder of legendary piano abilities) who are in a companionship up north in College Park. I was told that to accomodate our preparations, our entire district of 4 elders would drop whatever we were doing Friday night, metro up to PG Plaza metro station where they would leave me with the College Park elders for the night. We would prepare our musical number and sing it Saturday Morning. This is weird. It is last minute and messes up everybody's schedule, but it is by order of the Assistants. We will obey!

I was left with Elders Anderson and Ellsworth, they have NO idea what's going on, they found out, along with everyone else, on Wednesday just like me that the meeting even existed! We put together a nice and spiritual version of "Praise to the Man" making heavy use of Elder Ellsworth's incredble ability to compose on the spot. We go home, I sleep on the floor, the next morning we get up and head to the Visitor's Center, not quite sure what to expect.

I should note that to add to the weirdness, the Visitor's Center is currently closed for recarpeting, and Leadership meeting is always the Saturday AFTER transfers, so the new leadership can be there! On top of which I am not leadership, so me being there at all is just weird!

We go in to find that all of the DC South Mission's leadership are also there (We are the DC North Mission). This is a big meeting. What is going on? We warm up in a side room and take our seats.

Then they enter. First the DC South mission President. Then the DC North Mission President. Then the Visitor's Center's Senior Couple. And then (PLEASE cue a drum roll in your minds!) Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, member of The Quorum of the Twelve and a Special Witness, an Apostle of the Lord.

You should all know that Elder Holland is my FAVORITE Apostle. I admire the man SO much. I am OBSESSED with some of his Missionary Addresses.

I am NOT leadership. I am the ONLY one in this room, who is going to hear Elder Holland speak today, who is not leadership. I am only there, because I get to sing in front of Elder Holland!

First our mission presidend took the podium, and informed us that Elder Holland wanted to shake our hands. Make a line row by row. He shook each of our hands, asked us where we were from, and welcomed us to the meeting.

We sang an opening Hymn. Had an opening prayer, and then it was time for our Musical Number. Elder Holland was sitting about two feet away from where we stood at the podium. And we sang "Praise to the Man". Every singing lesson I've ever taken. What little practice I have been dilligent enough to put in to my God-Given talent, was worth it for this moment.

I did not see it, but Elder Anderson informed me, and several other Elders told me it was true, that during our song Elder Holland's eyes teared up. That's incredible to me.

Not only did I get to sing in front of my favorite apostle, but then I got to stick around and hear him address us. He used no microphone. He paced back and forth in front of us and taught us. I was in the front row. It was a small group of maybe 70 Elders he addressed, ALL of them leadership, bearing that weighty responsibility, except for one. One ridiculously blessed, lucky duck who got to be at this meeting because God gave him a smackling of vocal talent.

Members of the church understand how amazing this is to me. Non-members should know that to me being in a room with Elder Holland is more special, more incredible to me, than being in a room with every US President who has ever lived.

I don't know what words more to use to describe this experience. So I think I will leave it at that.

I am (obviously) doing very well. I am healthy. My companion(s now!) are wonderful. The work is good. The people are amazing. I love you all. Please take care of yourselves. Remember that this life is temporary. As the world falls back on posessions and greed, let us fall back on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Instead of selfishness, let us fall back on selflessness. Instead of taking, let us fall back on giving. And knowing, deep in our hearts, with the utmost faith, that the Lord will repay! In this life or the next I testify that EVERY trial we suffer in this life WILL be made up in the next, through the atonement of Jesus Christ.

I love you all. Till next week.
-Elder Ted E. Bear

Epistle 1.28.09

Hello everyone!

Another beautiful week in the city for me. Next week is transfers. Obviously we won't find out what is going to happen until Monday, but the most likely thing is that my companion will be moved and I will stay.

I've had a fun week of just pushing myself. Seeing how much more I can do all the time. I've definitely seen rewards in how frequently the Lord guides me, and in the people who he allows us to meet when he knows we're going to work hard.

I'm really not sure what else to update you all on. Not a lot has changed. This week went by really fast and I feel like I was just writing not so long ago.

I can say that I'm healthy and happy. I love this work and I know that it is the Lord's work. I know this is His church and it is led by a living prophet.

I love you all and love hearing from you.

Keep those letters coming!

Elder Ted E. Bear