He Lives!

Dear Family,

 

It is always nice hearing from you all and learning about what is going on in the life of the Rifes! :) Tanner congrats on getting into student government! I love that class. Use what you learn and use timberline skills to help other people. Be kind to everyone. Try and make a new friend everyday! You will do so good! Oh my fitness for life....haha what a class! Just keep up to date on it, get it done as soon as possible, so mum isn't on your back the whole time! :) ;) I love you mum! :) Kendra is a vampire now...a true vampire! GOOD JOB you are now a qualified blood sucker! Kynsie I will be praying for you to get into the Graphics design class! I have no doubt that you will get in. Your artwork was so amazing! Kylee, I see pictures of you and you are growing up so fast, you are so big! Make sure the boys stay away from you! How are the Austins...I haven't heard from them for a long time!? I hope you all enjoy General conference and Easter! Remember that it is because He Lives we are here! He is always with us and is our best friend! Watch the new Mormon message, "He Lives" it is so good!

 

Well for me, things are pretty much the same. Lots of things are happening though. Carl, Becca and Poppy are all progressing so much! Carl had his interview for baptism on Saturday and he is so ready. He knows what he is doing and has a testimony of Jesus Christ. He loves him and knows that He is always there with him, helping him. He has had quite a few experiences with Heavenly Father's hand in his life and recognizing the strength he gets from him. Carl is prepared and is going to do great things! Unfortunately we had to push his baptism back to May 9th because of General Conference, stake conference and then he is going on business. It will be a very stressful couple of weeks trying to stay in contact with him and helping him continue progressing and staying close to the spirit. But I know he will do it!

 

Becca, we have been teaching her for a couple of weeks now and it has been interesting because she doesn't believe in God or Jesus Christ...or I guess she didn't. But just yesterday she came to church and we asked her if she has been reading and praying. She said yes and before we could ask her another question she said "and I got two answers" the first was an experience she had while watching the He Lives mormon message and the second was she was at home thinking about Jesus Christ and an overwhelming warm feeling came to her heart. She said at that point she just knew that she has a loving Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ and she knows they are there! She is looking forward to being baptized April 18th.

We are meeting with so many other people and it is amazing how the spirit is teaching them. But the most interesting thing about it is...I think I am learning more than what the people of Bridlington England are learning. Lately I have been having to have a lot of faith and try to strengthen it and it really has been tough but it is funny when someone is trying....Heavenly Father blesses them. I don't know if I have been trying hard enough but I have definitely seen so many blessings! For one we had interviews with President Pilkington. First off, he is just an amazing man, the best mission President out there! We were talking and he said Elder Rife you are a very happy person! haha Well I guess so! He asked me how I have been. I replied that I have had a hard couple of days but then I told him that I have been blessed so much and I can't complain because I still feel happy. He then said, it is good to have bad days! It is good to have bad days because it makes you grateful for the good days you do have! Well I was thinking about it and I agree. It is good to have bad days because it makes you grateful for the good days. So let the bad days come because the thing you can always have hope in is when the sun goes down the bad day is over and it means a good day is just around the corner! President Pilkington also said to tell Mum and Dad this, He said: "I like you both and I can see you in your son, He is polite and respectful and he has a good spirit. I figure that it has a lot to do with you and how you raised him. So thank you for what you have done." I want to say thank you to you all as well, especially Mum and Dad. You guys did raise me right and you have made me who I am. I love you both. I love all you guys. Everyone I know has made an impact in my life and has helped shape me into who I am. Thank you for always being there and for being an example to me! I love you all.

 

Well good things are happening in little old Brid. God be with you till we meet again. On our way. #10sof1000s. HE LIVES.

 

Love, Elder Tyler Rife

York Minster

"Some old ladies!  The one in the pink had bright pink hair, but you can't really see it in the picture. 

They  were really nice...but weren't bothered about religion....not now anyway!  :)"

Nay cast a clout, till may be out - Monday, March 23, 2015

Hey up Mum, Dad, and family,

 

Dang it...BYU is out of the finals! :( Well I guess I will cheer for U of U until next season. We gotta support and represent Utah right!! It sounds like everyone is accomplishing so much and going so far in life! I am so excited for you all. Kendra congrats on being a vampire, I really look up to how hard you work to get the things that you want. You always give everything you have! NOOOOO Tanner has to go to Timberline!! You know how I feel about it! Kynsie, keep working hard on your portfolio...I know it will be good! I am excited to hear the good news! How are Kate, Nick and the girls doing? Dad you have always been such a good speaker! I always love hearing you speak. I always wished to come even close to how good you speak! You are completely right though! The Holy Ghost works through us. We are merely vessels in which the Lord works through to teach his children the Gospel. It is so amazing how if we are worthy we are able to do His work. I love it. It is super warm here as well! Nay cast a clout, till may be out is a yorkshire phrase that means don't take your coat off until may...but I was burning the other day soooo...I took my coat off. Fun fact for ya.

 

To answer some of your questions. The members are somewhat involved with missionary work. In our branch there are about 5 men who really want the work to go forward and who have a vision of turning the branch into a ward but that is about it. We are working loads with them. Jamie Ackroyd comes out with us about 2 times a week and the Branch President comes out with us quite a bit as well. We are trying to focus on bringing less actives back to church. Helping them feel the spirit and then helping them be spiritually self reliant. We are working with one lady. Caroline, she went less active quite a long time ago, slowly but surely though we have been working with her. She hasn't come to church yet but she told us it is because she wants to do it on her own. She is looking to rebuild her testimony and it is growing so much. It is amazing the change that we have seen in her! We are working with others as well just trying to help them feel the spirit and re-ignite the flame that is in them.

 

This week has been so good. Carl finally came to church! After 4 weeks of inviting him! :) we were so excited. It was an interesting thing. We actually lost contact with Carl and could not find him. We called, and texted, and tried by his house but no matter what we couldn't seem to find Carl. We then decided to try by because we were in the area. He answered and we had a really good talk about the power of prayer. He told us that he has had a hard time recognizing answers to his prayers. We invited him to church and told him if he came he would receive answers, we then bore our testimonies of the power of prayer. Carl did show up to church. He said that he really liked it. He felt peace and comfort. Interestingly the whole meeting was on prayer and receiving answers! (and people say it is coincidence)! haha yeah right, definitely inspired! Well after church he told us that he wasn't going to come and then something just pushed him to come and he felt like he needed to show up! Well I know that it was the Holy Ghost and that he received answers to his prayers. We are seeing him on Wednesday and we will follow up with him then. But I do know that he is progressing and that good things are happening in Brid, miracles are happening. This is just a bit of what I am seeing and feeling. I have learned so much and am becoming more of what Heavenly Father wants me to be....I think! :) Well I know this work is true. I know that the church is true and that Heavenly Father answers prayers. He is there and he lives!! I love you all! Keep doing good work. Mosiah 9

 

God be with you till me meet again. On our way. #10sof1000s. Lets do some good in the world. We are disciples of Christ.

 

Love, Elder Tyler Rife

PICTURES FINALLY

"My mission family...

Elder Barense is the one my hand is on!"

"I found this sign...

Well of course "He Lives" Come on people!!"

"Seals are starting to pop up!"

"I got a picture with these guys, they are atheist but said they liked reading and said they would read the book. They were really good people and would have let us meet them sometime but didn't live here! :( Missionary work in many forms right!"

Hallelujah!!!

Hello mum, dad, and everyone

Rise and shout the cougars are out!! Sounds like BYU is doing really good! I will be excited to hear what happens next! Oh wow Dad, impressive...you have been asked to be the scoutmaster for the stake! I know you will do a good job! Are you going up to Timberline as well? I hope I can still be apart of Timberline and scouting because it truly is such a good experience and boys learn how to become men. It is the best preparation to a mission I would say, because first you are learning to take care of yourself and then others and that is how it is sorta on a mission. You learn of Christ and then you share it with others! I don't know if that made sense but it did in my head. Tan tan, you are going to grow mold in your room if you aren't careful!! I am glad to also hear that you got your grades up! Kenny, your a big girl now! haha :) Are you excited to be a vampire? And wow Kynsie I hope I get to see some pictures of your portfolio, it sounds like a master piece. Wow so many things are going on at home, everyone it sounds like is having so much success!! I am glad to hear it! :)

We have also had quite a bit of success out here across the big blue in England Leeds! Except it didn't start out that way. The week started with Elder Barendse and I going by potential investigators who said they would be in but turned out they flogged us! NOBODY WAS IN! I was honestly getting discouraged. I couldn't figure out why this was happening. I was thinking these people seemed so solid and they said to come by that they wanted to learn more. We just kept contacting people and trying to find people. Well I then read in the scriptures Mosiah 2:41 and this is what it says: "And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God.  For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual, and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness.  O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it."  

Well for some reason this scripture hit me and honestly I don't really know why! I read "consider the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments" and I thought, well I am happy, I am trying my hardest and so I decided to look at all the blessings that I have received this week. I then read "if they hold out faithful to the end" I decided that I needed to be patient (which I have been trying to work on for a very long time, but not getting too far) I thought I am doing all I can and if I hold out faithful, if I do the thing that we teach and that is endure to the end, I will be happy and no matter what blessing will come temporally and spiritually. So I decided to change my attitude. I was being kind of negative and getting down on myself, so I thought no matter what I am going to be happy, I am going to work hard and I know that if I hold out faithful we will be blessed. Well for the next couple of days nothing really happened. We found and found and found. Then we contacted two girls (Becca and Poppy) They started talking to us and we found out Poppy is a grand-daughter of a member, and Becca is her friend. Well we then invited them to a branch activity that we were hosting to help missionary work. 5 minutes before this activity started nobody was there....I got discouraged again and I just kept praying people would turn up. Well 5 minutes after it was supposed to start about 15-20 people showed up, 2 of them being Becca and Poppy. :) WOW what a miracle. We then invited them to come to church on Sunday and they came. We decided to teach them the Restoration and we were prompted to invite and schedule them for baptism! They accepted and are really excited to prepare themselves to be baptized!

Well that was a long story I know but from it I learned that Heavenly Father blesses us as we are faithful and obedient. But it will always be in his time not ours. Miracles are happening in little old Brid. Love you all and hope you are all doing well!

God be with you until we meet again. On our way. #10sof1000s. We are representatives of Jesus Christ.

Love, Elder Tyler Rife

Darn....No pictures again this week!

Last week Tyler said he would send some this week but NOPE!!!

Hopefully we will get some next email!!! :)

Find, Knock, and repeat, ouch my feet! :)

I have decided to add a little of our email to Tyler in this week's post so that perhaps you can understand what Tyler is talking about in his email to us.  If you could really care less and just want to get to Tyler's email just skip over this next paragraph.  It has been an eventful week of mission calls...Love this gospel of Jesus Christ and we are just W-A-Y excited for Tyler's cousin, Josh Jensen and a good friend from way back in Jr. High, Kelly Ormsby! You all are "Doing Good Things"!!!  May our Heavenly Father continue to bless Our Missionaries!!!

"Dad taught the Deacons quorum today…. And we found an hour to go over to Rich and Mar’s to watch Josh open his mission call.  We are guessing that you want to know where he was called.  Uncle Rich sent you a picture of the letter so you probably already know…. He’s going to Japan (the very southernmost part of Japan which includes a lot of the little islands.  He leaves in July so he will have three months to be with Sam when she returns for Korea in April.  Josh said he will be going to Timberline one more year – which the Timberline Staff is excited about.  Speaking of mission calls – Kelly Ormsby came to our house last night with Austin and delivered the news to us where she has been called.  This one we can delay because you didn’t get an email that would tip you off ;)!  You’re probably saying MAN…! Why do they do this to me?  She will be leaving in June (she told us she is ready to pack and leave right now).  Well…. Where do you think she is going?  She told us that she wanted to go foreign so she could learn a language (we actually saw her and a couple of other friends at Magelby's Fresh when we went out for dinner on Friday evening.  She told us that she was expecting her call to come this week and that’s when she said that she wanted to go foreign.  Well she came to our house as promised and delivered the news.  We are glad that they think of us highly enough to do this.  Both she and Austin told us how much they missed having you around.  They really miss you.  We gave Austin your letter and talked to them a little about your mission.  It was a lot of fun visiting with them…. Both of them are looking and doing good!  Okay we have delayed this news long enough.    Sister Ormsby has been called to serve a mission!   By the way it’s an 18 month mission (but you already knew that too).  She will be learning a language…. But the real question is – What Language?  It will be Spanish.  But there are many places in the world that speak Spanish… so where is she going? 

Last night we stayed up way too late because BYU was playing in the first round of the playoffs.  The game started after 9 pm (why we have to play so late is beyond us).  Kelly is going to Paraguay!  We almost forgot to tell you in the paragraph above.  Anyway, about BYU… what a game.  We pulled off a victory by only 2 points (way too close for comfort).   Tonight I will allow the Deseret News sum up the game…"

Now here is Tyler's email....

Mum, Dad, and Family,

 

Well again it sounds like you all had a very productive week and are all getting so much done. Josh man, what happened to coming to England and killin' it with me!!!??? Well congrats mate, it will honestly be the best thing you decide to do so far! A mission is definitely a great experience to help others build a testimony and many times a faith in Christ but I think the best thing is that your own testimony is the thing that grows the most. Mum, dad I am sorry to say Kelly emailed me and told me where she was going so.....you may have had a good idea but I gottcha this time, da da da da da can't touch this...da da da da da. Until next time! :) Congrats to Kelly I am so excited that you are serving the Lord! It is so good. Kylee good job for getting a superior,(on her Piano Junior Festival Competition) and doing good at your gymnastics competition. You are becoming a very talented young woman. I can't believe how far you are going! Keep practicing little girl! :) Tanner GET YOUR GRADES UP, and then we will talk! :) haha! Kenny did you get my card yet? Happy Birthday! Psh A- seriously Kynsie!! WOW! That is really good I am happy for you. except I can't speak (Spanish) to you because I don't know it...so you will have to teach me! :) I am glad to hear everything is going so good across the big blue! Everything here is amazing as well!

 

(Parentheses added by Mom in the above paragraph for a little better understanding!!!) :) 

This week we have done so much finding and knocking and repeating!!! So much my feet kinda hurt...like ya know that feeling when you have walked a lot and you just want to sit down...well times that by 1 billion! :) No but it really isn't that bad! I have enjoyed talking to people and because of it we have met loads of potential people who I know have been prepared to receive the message we are bringing them. So just keep your fingers crossed and keep praying that we will be able to help them strengthen their faith and help them come unto Christ. It truly is a blessing that we have in our lives to be apart of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day saints. I love how it gives us the hope that it does and many times we take it for granted. I know I took it for granted and now I realize that it is the most important thing that we have. It is our greatest gift. I love this gospel and I love that I have a loving Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ who are always there for me and that I can rely on them. I love my family and that I have their support and I love that I have this opportunity to take the gospel to the world and bare testimony of it that it is true!

We had a really good lesson with Carl, we talked to him about the gospel of Jesus Christ and of the Word of Wisdom. He smokes, but he said I know that it is true and he made a goal that he would give up smoking and work towards being completely free from the burden by Tuesday the 17th. I know that as he relies on Jesus Christ he will be able to make that date and he will make it to baptism.

 

Good things are happening and miracles are taking place! Thank you for all of your love and support. I know that this Church is true! I love it. I love you and if you need anything let me know!

 

God be with you until we meet again, On our way. #10sof1000s. We are disciples of Jesus Christ.

 

Love, Elder Tyler Rife

 

P.S. for some reason pictures aren't attaching. So I can't sent them home right now. sorry. :(

Darn...No Pictures AGAIN this week!  Hopefully we will get some next week!!!

HOPE....HOPE ...HOPE!  :)

"March"ing North - Monday, March 2, 2015

Hello Mum, Dad, and Family,

 

Another week has gone so fast! I agree with what you said. WHERE IS THE TIME GOING! February just started but now march is here! I guess all we can do really is "March" North! Bu dum chhh....did you get it, haha it was funny. March hahaha! But really March is here and like always it is a time that we can start over and decide to go forward. To rely more on Jesus Christ and make our focus on His gospel and the atonement.
It sounds like you are all staying busy like always! How did Tanner like the Missionary thing? I remember doing it when I was a deacon and I just remember how strong the spirit was, I wanted that to always be with me, I wanted to do that. Well now look at me...I am doing it and it is seriously the best thing ever. The spirit is so strong and I can see how Heavenly Father works trough us to help us testify to those around us of the truthfulness of the Gospel. I am always afraid but some how I see the spirit work through me. It is truly an amazing thing. I am seeing so many miracles. Tanner stop following in my footsteps and focus on school! Get your grades up! I promise you will feel good about yourself. Pack it in and focus! :) I love you! :) Kendra you are 21!! What the heck! You were just 20 last year! ;) haha! Happy Birthday beautiful! I will send you something special! I am glad to hear everyone is doing good! Tell Sister Worthington hello! Tell her thank you for being an amazing example and teacher to me!

 

Well this week has been pretty crazy! Elder Barendse is my new companion and he is from South Africa! Oh my he is such a good lad. He is a really good finder and has such a strong testimony of the Gospel. All he wants to do is work and bring people unto Christ. It is showing as well. We are both working hard and seeing so many miracles. We have been able to talk to so many people and many of them have invited us back over to teach them.

 

We had a really good lesson with Paul and Sue. We invited them over for a chapel tour. They came and we showed them around the chapel, explained to them about Relief Society and Priesthood and the Sacrament. We then took them into the Baptismal font and talked to them about the Atonement and that because of Jesus Christ we can be cleansed and made whole. We then decided to schedule them. The spirit was so strong. They sat there for a moment and said if we found out that it was true than we would. They are going to continue reading the Book of Mormon and Praying. They can't come to church this week because they are on holiday but they said they will come next week. I know that as they learn more and act on the invitations we give them they will know that it is all true and they will want to be baptized.

 

We had another lesson with Carl and you know when people say you are taught when you teach? Well that happened to me this week. We were talking about the Restoration. I asked him a few questions about how he feels. He said it feels right and that it makes him happy. It brings peace to him. And right then it hit me, I got a confirmation that Joseph Smith was a Prophet, that The Book of Mormon is true and that this church is true. It is because it feels right, it makes me happy and it brings me peace. I just want to bear my testimony to all of you that this church is true. That the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored back to the earth, that the

(oops, didn't mean to do that)

 

That the Book of Mormon is revelation from Heavenly Father to us in this day. I invite all of you to do as Joseph Smith did.  Find out if all of this is true and that is to ask God. He will answer you and you will know that it is true. I love you all and I love this Gospel. I love my Savior Jesus Christ. I miss you and hope you are all doing well.

 

God be with you until we meet again. On our way. #10sof1000s. We are all disciples of Christ. Do good work.

 

Love, Elder Tyler Rife (ty-dye)