Laser focused

I’m trying to finish my mission focused, so you’ll definitely be hearing less from me until November. Sorry! I haven’t emailed anybody much the last few weeks, and that’s not going to change.

We cover a YSA campus, and it’s been surprisingly fun to proselyte there! I’m including a picture of working on campus. Elder Loveland and I split up (within sight and sound) to talk to more people. We have to stay in the ‘free speech zone’. I like to set up a whiteboard about 50 ft from the entrance of the Arts building, so that it’s the first thing all of the students getting out of class see when they exit. It’s worked really well! I think I’m getting pretty good at it.

Sometimes I talk to groups of three or more people at a time. Now I just need a milk crate to stand on! Frequently, while I’m sitting and teaching someone, other people will walk over to the board and discuss it. They often even take pictures of it.

This week the question is: “Could your spirit have existed before you were born? Where was it?” 

I’ve gotten some interesting responses!

We’ll find 4 people to teach in as many hours on campus. That would take about 14 hours of door knocking over the course of a week. Campus is super productive!

Also, here’s a pic with some of the leaders I serve with, and most of the Elders I came out with.

Love y’all! Have a great week!

Elder Derek Troy

Hot and humid

No group letter from Elder Troy this week, but he tells us he is busy!  We recently received his travel plans to come home the first of November, so it’s getting real!  Can’t believe this missionary has only a few months left in Texas.  Late summer is a tough time in Houston! They had temperatures near 100 degrees and 70% humidity this week.  Eek.

As usual, we appreciate the love and support you have showed our son.

Love you all, 

JD and Terri

Elder Troy with all his “children” (those missionaries that he has trained so far)

Elder Troy and his companion, Elder Loveland, with a member of their ward.

My joy is full!

What a great week I’ve had!

It was tough to say goodbye to so many good people in College Station, especially since I was there for such a long time! I was able to see some of the best and most prepared people I’ve met on my mission enter into the waters of baptism. But I am bound and determined to make the next 3 months the best of my mission. We’re off to a good start so far!

I’ve been transferred into the White Oak and Sam Houston 2nd wards with my new companion, Elder Loveland. My new address is 10910 Gold Point Dr, Houston, TX 77064, apartment number 1114

White Oak is a small ward in Suburban Houston. Sam Houston 2nd, however, is not. The Sam Houston 2nd ward is a YSA ward, and its boundaries are enormous! We could cover a third of the mission if we had people in those far flung areas to teach. It includes the campus of a relatively large community college, Lone-Star College. School will start in a few weeks and I’ll begin a totally new challenge in proselyting the thousands of students on campus! What a test of courage!

Elder Loveland is from a little town just South of Portland, OR. I have another PNW companion! He’s been out for 11 months and this is his second transfer in the area. He likes rugby and being a missionary. He’s also a red-head.

This week was incredibly productive. I learned on my first day that the White Oak ward hadn’t had a baptism all year yet. Well I felt like that just wouldn’t do, and we would need to step up our efforts if the Lord was ever going to lead us to people who were prepared, so we worked our tails off this week. We saw many miracles as a result!

To start, I wanted to go get to meet as many Part-Member-Families in the area as I could in my first week, and we met a sweet family on my first night with two little girls, named Zion and Genesis. They both accepted baptismal dates!

I also got to go on exchange with Elder Ramsey up in small town Waller, TX this week to go conduct a baptismal interview. Kailei passed her interview with flying colors and will be a great member of the church! While I was there, we also got to teach two families (at once!) and set three baptismal dates, and found 7 new people (in two families!!!) who wanted to investigate the gospel! Wow!

I was also treated to fried alligator. It was good!! Genuinely tasty. Like chicken but slightly denser, less fibrous, and tougher. I think I prefer it over chicken, not that I’ll likely have that option often!

While I was gone, Elder Loveland and Elder Wiley were able to set an additional baptismal date in our area in the YSA ward with James, whom I haven’t met yet, but am excited to!

When I got back in town with Elder Loveland, we had an appointment with another part member family and were able to set two more baptismal dates, one for a soon-to-be eight year old child of record and one for a father who will be a new convert!

My heart is so full of gratitude. Never in my whole mission has my companionship been so blessed to extend the saving ordinance of baptism to so many people. What a blessing they will receive! And how blessed we are to be able to help them in their Journey!

White Oak ward has not had a baptism yet in 2018; we have four dates right now! So blessed! 

To cap it off, I found a young man named Allan almost a year ago. We found him knocking, taught him most of the lessons, and then handed him off to the YSA sisters, where he was baptized just a week or so later. We figured the YSA ward would do the best job of helping him integrate into and stay active in the church. 

Imagine my joy to see him on Sunday in church, and to learn that he has stayed fully active, and is preparing to receive the Melchizedek priesthood shortly. What’s more, he had still remembered me and my name after all this time.

My joy is full! 

Following are pictures with some of the families we had to say goodbye to in CS.

Elder Derek Troy

What must I do to be saved?

Hello! 

Glad to hear that y’all have been enjoying the weather! We’ve had some rain lately which has lowered the temperature, but the humidity has spiked so much that the temperature feels every bit as high! This week is in the low 90’s all week but the heat index says it’s supposed to feel like 100-102 😭

This week has been one with mixed emotions. Last night I was told I’m being transferred and honestly, I’m both saddened and relieved. Saddened because I think that in some measure, I have failed. I did not succeed in inspiring the zone to change. Relieved because now it is somebody else’s problem. 

College Station has been good to me. I’ve had three baptisms here, and a fourth I found and taught was baptized a few months ago by my successors in Brenham, and a fifth will be baptized by Elder Palmer on September first. If only I could have shared that success with everyone here!

I’ll be leaving the zone saddened and disappointed. I am optimistic, however, that my replacement will have whatever is required to solve the problems that this zone has.

I’ve resolved with the next 3 months of my mission to give everything. I am recommitting to  be focused and diligent and have decided that these will be the best three months — most diligent, spiritual, and obedient — out of all 24.

Please support me in that effort by helping me to stay focused on my purpose!

Lately I’ve been working on a vast personal study which has broadened and deepened my understanding of ‘The Gospel of Jesus Christ’. I though I would share what I have learned.

While ‘The Gospel of Jesus Christ’ is a pretty vague term, I would summarize it as the answer to the question ‘what must I do to be saved’? This questions has been debated and even warred over for thousands of years. Many good Christians (and members of other faiths) come to different conclusions about the answer to this question in their various sects. Here in the Bible belt, this question seems to be debated more than any other — as it is the core theme of Jesus Christ’s teachings.

Occasionally, however, we are given an incontrovertible answer in the scriptures. I have sought to find every inarguable statement by Jesus Christ or his Apostles about what is required to be saved, and the results have been surprising. I have not yet finished compiling everything from the Book of Mormon, so I’ll focus on the New Testament.

I found 75 passages of scripture in the New Testament (so far) which directly address the issue of being saved. Some passages are single verses, some are longer parables. I looked for any time the savior spoke about being saved, eternal life, the Kingdom of Heaven, or the Kingdom of God.

First, what does the bible say we are saved by?

1. Jesus Christ (8 times)

2. Knowledge or The Truth (6 times)

3/4. Grace/Faith (4 times, each)

5/6. Baptism/Works (1 time, each)

What does it say we should do to be saved?

1. Keep the commandments (16 times)

2. Have faith (12 times)

3. Endure to the end (6 times)

4. Be baptized (5 times)

5/6. Repent/Lose your life (4 times, each)

7. Become as a little child (3 times)

8/9. Be poor in spirit/have proper authority (2 times, each)

10. Receive the Holy Ghost (1 time)

What does it say prevents us from being saved?

1. Sin (14 times)

2. Lack of faith (6 times)

3/4. Love of wealth/being unlike a little child  (3 times, each)

5. Save one’s own life (2 times)

6/7. Be unbaptized/fail to endure to the end (1 time, each)

Interestingly, I observed that Christ is frequently separated from Grace and Faith in the New Testament. The Book of Mormon more frequently attaches Grace to Jesus Christ, as well as Faith. (IE The Bible says ‘Grace’ vs. the Book of Mormon more frequently says ‘The Grace of Jesus Christ’)

Christ and his apostles clearly taught us of the necessity of keeping the commandments. This was the highest priority in his teaching. Faith came second, and was also a high priority. I was also surprised to see how frequently ‘endure to the end’ came up in my study!

I’m excited to finish this study with the Book of Mormon now so I can compare the results of the two.

Have a great week everyone!

Elder Derek Troy

Elder Troy with two of his three "sons" (missionaries he trained), Elder Pinster and Elder Palmer

Elder Troy and his zone in front of the Houston Texas temple

Transfer coming and lots of leadership meetings

Howdy y’all!

I anticipate getting transferred here in a couple of weeks.  Please let everyone know to send snail mail to the mission office if they send any. Thanks!

So right now we have two baptismal dates, and I will probably leave before either of them get baptized, but I’m okay with that because I really just wanted Elder Palmer to get a chance to baptize early on his mission, instead of waiting eleven months like I did! He set a date earlier this week with a nine year old in one of our wards named Annabel. She’s super sweet! Our other date is with a Brother named Thomas. He’s a retired methodist minister. He has had baptismal dates before, but hopefully this one sticks!

We’ve had some interesting work with Less-Active members lately too.

It’s VERY hot right now. But not intolerable! We’re surviving.

Love Y’all! Have a great week!

Elder Derek Troy

Pressing on

Elder Derek Troy followers,

With our church Girls Camp and other things, we have been out of town lately and getting Elder Troy’s letters out to you has been delayed.  Sorry about that!

Elder Troy is doing well and still serving in the College Station, Texas, area!  Elder Palmer is still his trainee and is said to have lots of “greenie” faith with their investigators.  Haha.  They will be companions until Elder Palmer is done training with transfers on August 15th.  This is at least the third missionary that Elder Troy has trained.  They have a baptism for Thomas Smith coming up on August 11th and they are hopeful that Bro. Smith keeps this date!

Elder Troy said that he has no time to email most weeks, but always sends a quick email to our family.  He’s a bit stressed with missionary leadership responsibilities, but is doing GREAT, he says!

Please continue to pray for him.  He loves and appreciates all the support he’s received.  

Thank you so much!

JD & Terri Troy

Downton Abbey? Meh.

Over the last few months, the Lord has been good to us here. Elder Palmer overcame his homesickness, and the Lord led us to some people who are prepared to receive the ordinances of the gospel. Meanwhile, poor Elder Pinster (who didn’t to move very far from his ‘dad’) is flourishing in the YSA ward.

This week we met a former investigator named John. His teaching record said, in effect, that he was using his head too much and not relying on the spirit and prayer enough. Well, people and their life circumstances can change!

We stopped by to see if he would be interested in renewing investigation of the church, and found that since the missionaries had last visited him, he had read HALF the Book of Mormon and had four printed pages of unanswered questions. The missionaries never bothered to tell him they wouldn’t be coming by anymore and he was a bit hesitant to start with us for fear that we would up and leave again.

We’ve been working through his printed list of questions — some of which are really good! — which are all pretty high level questions about the 12 tribes of Israel, prophecies about Christ’s divine sonship etc.

We’re excited for him!

We’re also teaching a nice guy named Sean. Sean said he’d come to church this week and we were so excited to see him. Well, he came in his suit and tie — just to let us know that he was sorry but he couldn’t stay! We’re going to give a church tour to him now on Thursday. 🤞🏼

I’m surviving the heat. I actually feel pretty well acclimated now. 95 or 100 degrees doesn’t make me super uncomfortable any more. I’m going to sweat whether it’s 80 or 100 so I just don’t worry about it.

My back has been killing me this transfer though. I’m looking forward to seeing a chiropractor in 4.5 months hahaha. This week I hung from a rafter to stretch out my back and my legs went numb 😮 It’s all the time I spend sitting on my behind in our little corolla or in a church pew or at my desk! 

The time is winding down now, but our efforts are ramping up! Thank you for your continued prayers on my behalf and the behalf of our investigators.

A spiritual thought for the week:

In our present environment of permissiveness (everyone gets to pick what’s right for them...) with a lack of objective moral absolutes, anonymity is often used to further a “progressive” march away from what is right and true. Marijuana is an excellent example of this. Used in relative secrecy for decades, it gradually (and quietly) gained enough support for relatively sudden, broad legalization.

But many other foul and even evil practices are popular because they are anonymous - adultery, abortion, theft... and even behaving in immoral ways in virtual reality. Living out a violent and twisted fantasy in video games (Grand Theft Auto) when we would never behave in such a way publicly.

 From my favorite speaker, Elder David A Bednar:

“Satan often offers an alluring illusion of anonymity. Lucifer always has sought to accomplish his work in secret (see Moses 5:30). Remember, however, that apostasy is not anonymous simply because it occurs in a blog or through a fabricated identity in a chat room or virtual world. Immoral thoughts, words, and deeds always are immoral, even in cyberspace. [...] ultimately we will be judged of Him according to our deeds and the desires of our hearts (see Alma 41:3). “For as [a man] thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7).”

I exhort everyone within the reach of this letter to turn off the TV, turn off the console, get off the computer, and — at least occasionally — reorient yourself to reality. Does what you are taking in in your free time - especially when you are alone in virtual anonymity - match the person (you want to be/want to appear to be) in public reality?

Love y’all! Have a great week!

Elder Derek Troy

PS Went to downton abbey. Not sure what the big deal is. Got bit by a mosquito. Would not recommend.