New beginning with an old friend

Short email this week. Send everyone my love!

We set another baptismal date this week, our other date’s (Ayden) mom! We’re very excited for their family. We also picked up a sweet new person to teach named Julianna. She’s Brazilian! She has come to church two weeks in a row and is taking to the gospel very well.

I also had the privilege of being invited back up to College Station to re-baptize my good friend Micah. Life took him away from the church for some time, and we are glad to have him back. Pictures attached!

Love y’all.

I wonder what he saw in me?

Things are great here.

It is finally cooled down. Its stayed pretty hot here for a while, but today was downright chilly. I even wore a jacket, and didn’t get sweaty today - which is probably the first time since march. It was low sixties and rainy. Picture proof attached!

Our investigators in both our family ward and the YSA both seem like they’re falling off the wagon. It’s sad that I won’t get to see them baptized before I leave, but Elder Heiner and his next companion will probably get to make that happen. However...

I did get some great news this week. A brother I taught in College station has made the decision to get baptized... AGAIN! After faithfully serving a full time mission in Brazil, this good brother eventually parted ways with the church. After years away, we were able to teach him and encourage him, and this morning he asked if I would be the one to baptize him next Monday so that he can once again receive full fellowship into the church. What a privilege!

Thus far on my mission, I’ve shied away from getting into the water with investigators, because it’s better for them to share that moment with one of the members (who will have the responsibility to continue fellowshipping them) rather than selfishly claim that honor for myself. In this case, however, it seems appropriate, and I’ve accepted!

I look forward to it. I love this brother, and in many ways, he reminds me of myself.

Oh! We also had a tri-mission conference. Elder Holland of the quorum of the 12 apostles, and Elders Robbins and Texeira of the 70 spoke. 

Before the meeting started, Elder Holland wanted to shake every missionary’s hand, and I made sure to stick to the statement he requested from each missionary (my name, where I was from) but as I went to release his hand and walk to greet the other authorities, Elder Holland hung on and drug me back. He looked me dead in the eyes and said thank you for coming before finally releasing me. It was interesting.

He later made a statement to the effect that, he had had an instant interview with each missionary during their handshake; and that he could tell the caliber of missionaries that we were, from what he saw in us. I wonder what he saw in me?

He was much more positive than we had been expecting. I left with my eyebrows un-singed. He shared some interesting thoughts with us.

Thank y’all for your prayers, Love y’all! Have a great week!

Elder Derek Troy

Trying out his artistic side

It has been a great week! We have found a lot on campus. 

In the family ward, we set a baptismal date with a young boy from a part-member family, named Aden. 

We enjoyed conference and look forward to the schedule changes resulting in greater faith and religiosity at home!

Elder Heiner and I were inspired by Elder Gong’s attempt to paint with water colors. We're trying it out today! Elder Heiner is very artistic. I would like to be. We’ll see how it goes!

Elder Derek Troy

Elder Holland and an iron will

Hello all!

No group letter from Elder Troy this week, so we’ll just share a few snippets of his letter to the family.  As you can see, he is laser-focused on the work and finishing his mission strong!  We had a good laugh at his last sentence.

Thank you for your continuing support and love of our son.  We appreciate you all so much.

JD & Terri

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It was recently announced that in October we will be going to a tri-mission conference where Elder Holland of the 12 will speak. He’s one of my favorites, so I’m excited. Hopefully he surprises us with a very spiritual and uplifting address!

We have had a great week this week. Elder Heiner and I are experimenting with some new ways to find people to teach and baptize through part-member families. It’s been really successful, so we’ve been sharing the techniques we’ve developed with the zone, and everyone’s excited about it.

In the YSA ward, the people we are teaching are progressing really well! Finding is going smoothly, and the weather is finally lightening up, which makes campus contacting more comfortable.

We have to do something called “my plan” at the end of our missions. It’s supposed to be this really spiritual program where the missionary prepares to return home as they finish their mission. So far, I found it to be more focused on trying to make missionaries trunked out. It’s not gonna work with me, I have an iron will. But I hear that when missionaries get to week five, which is on the subject of dating and eternal marriage, they crack. I’ll try to stay strong.

Love y’all!

Elder Derek Troy

Baptisms A-Plenty!

White Oak finally had a baptism!

Andrew and Aden were baptized this weekend in a very smooth and well attended baptism.

The only hitch was that the entire Spanish branch was there at the same time using the building for an event, even though we had the building reserved. The Spanish cultural event was supposed to start at 6:30 but nobody arrived to even set up until 7. Haha. Bro. Martinez went out into the hall to keep all of the rowdiest kids quiet during the baptism (he’s the man!) so it worked out! The Spanish folks were all super nice and tried to send us home stuffed.

It turned out though, that Aden (age 8) though that when we talked about how baptism symbolically represented our deaths, that it meant that he would literally die under the water and come back to life, so he was secretly pretty worried hahaha. His Dad, Andrew, said that when he woke up on Saturday, Aden was already awake, looking tired and a little nervous in the kitchen. 😂 But Andrew set him straight.

That was the first baptism the ward has had in 10 months, so we feel pretty accomplished! I did both confirmations and am super proud of their family.

I also got to go back to the College Station Stake (where I served for a total of nearly 9 months) for a ‘why I believe’ fireside event. While there I got to see all 3 of my missionary trainees again (all of whom I trained in that stake) and even reunite with Rudy Martinez. Always happy to see my CSTAT family!

We aren’t sure who is getting baptized next here, but we know that we’re baptizing. Come hell or high water (better not jinx it though, it is still flood season) we will find the person who is prepared here.

We got a sweet referral yesterday and are pumped for where he will go. A few months ago, we talked to a fellow on the street who was polite and talkative, but declined our invitation to learn more. This weekend, a member actually referred him to us as a friend of his. He had no idea about that earlier event. Cool ‘coincidence’!

Love y’all!

Elder Derek Troy 

Campus conversations continue...

Hello! I am alive. This is the last week of the transfer (I’m very unlikely to be moved) and next transfer is my last :(

Andrew and Aden’s baptism is looking good for this weekend!

We’ve been meeting lately with a YSA aged girl named Milan from the college. She’s been doing awesome. She has been reading the Book of Mormon a lot. Her priest (her family is Catholic) has been telling her a lot of interesting things about us. She doesn’t believe them, which is good, but she will have a lot of family opposition to overcome.

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We’ve been meeting a lot of catholics on campus lately. It usually goes like this:

“Hey! Would you mind answering the question on the board?”

“Sure, no problem”

“Cool. Are you very religious?”

“Not really”

“No worries! Our job is to help people become closer to God. What do you think that you need to do to get closer to him?”

[10 minute chat, lots of questions...]

“I’ve had a great time talking with you. You have some great questions that we would love to help you to answer. Can we schedule a time to meet this week and continue our conversation?”

“I would, but I’m Catholic.”

“Didn’t you say that you weren’t religious?”

“I’m not. I’m Catholic...”

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What can you do?

Anyways, here are some pictures:

I have a weird affinity for running lights on pickups. But this guy overdid it, even for me:

Keeping campus conversations going!

Here’s a school playground in our area with oil and gas equipment in the background. 

Elder Derek Troy

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