Home again! For good!

 Kolby returned home on November 11, 2020! He never was able to give a mission report at church but we did a Zoom meeting with the stake high council. We know he will be blessed his entire life for his choice to serve! We're so happy to have him home!!!

Chicago Week 23-Last e-mail!!

 The last email! 

   Wow, I cannot believe that. I have really come to love this area and the people. It has been quite different to serve here, but the same marvelous work. I wouldn't trade the way my mission turned out for anything. I know that Heavenly Father designed things to turn out this way. 

   This past week, I have been asked many times what's the first thing I'm going to do when I get home. I think I am going to get home, and just ponder about what just happened these past two years. Wow. Seriously, what just happened. A section of scripture in the Book of Mormon comes to mind. In Mosiah 2, everyone knows verse 17, about serving others. What comes to mind are verses 21-25. It talks about being unprofitable servants, and how we are all indebted to Him. I can truly testify that it is true. He has given so much more than we can ever repay, and continues to bless us as we serve and keep the commandments. I know the Gospel is true. I know that Jesus Christ lives, and He is the savior and Redeemer of the world. I love Him and will continue to serve Him. 

   Thank you all for the love and support these past 2 years! I hope to see you all soon! 

   Elder Banister

Chicago Week 22

 I'm still here! 

   Wow, it was a pretty crazy week. I had my departing interview after zone conference, that was probably the highlight. I thought I was ready to go home before that, but now... where's the plane at?! Haha just kidding, but it was really cool. I am so grateful for these past 5 months to serve here in the Illinois Chicago Mission. What a blessing. It has definitely changed the way the rest of my life will go, I know that. 

   I am just so grateful for the goodness of God that I get to see here while serving Him. This past week we saw a lot of His blessings in the work. I am really going to miss being a full time missionary. But the beauty of it is, this is only the beginning. You don't need a tag to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. 

   We saw the blessings temporally also this week, we got probably $300 of food this past week, not including the delicious meals the members prepared for us. Stephen, my recent convert, moved to Florida and gave us all his frozen food. Then we had a member who gets extra cheese at a deli give us about $70 in CHEESE. I've never been so excited for cheese in my life haha. 

   We also made some tie die shirts as a district and signed them... that is all I'll say about that. 

   This last week is going to be amazing though, we have set some pretty high goals and are excited to hit them! 

   Thank you all for the love and support! Soon I can say that in person! 

   Elder Banister 

Chicago Week 21

Wow, another week already! 

   This week has been good, we had a pretty cool miracle happen to us! So as a mission we have been praying to find families. Because the goal isn't just to baptize, it is to get families sealed in the temple. And so as we have been working to do that, there was someone that we called in Area Book named Jasmine. She is a senior this year. We shared a bit with her, and asked if we could come and share a message with her and her family, and she said yes! So we go over there, and we teach this family of 6 the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We found a family that is willing to let God prevail in their lives. I know it was because of our prayers and desires that we were led to them. 

   We also have been teaching another family of 4, and they are the coolest kids I have met my entire mission. They actually pay attention and participate in lessons, even I didn't do that and I grew up a member! I'm glad I get to keep working with them these next 2 weeks. 

   We had a fun activity today, just carving pumpkins, eating pork chops, and playing spike ball. This week we have my last zone conference, and probably my departing interview, so I'm excited for that. 

   Also it rained all this past weekend and snowed today! First time I've seen snow in almost 2 years, since the MTC! Oh, fun fact also, I hit my 2 year mark this past Saturday, never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be where I am at this time. Super crazy to think about. 

   Thank you all for your love and support, especially these past 6ish months! I know I will never regret having come back out to serve the Lord for this time, and there is nothing better I could have been doing elsewhere. 

   Elder Banister

 

Chicago Week 20

 Hello again from Lake Villa

  It has been a pretty good week, we definitely had a lot more testing as far as the work goes. We had to push back our friend Kevin's baptismal date. He just doesn't feel ready yet and has some more learning to do still. We are still going to work with him of course. 

   We had a good service this week with a conservation group collecting seeds. I saw my future car there and talked to the owners. They let us take pictures with it also. Said it got off the assembly line on Sep. 29. 

   On a better note, our recent convert Stephen got to bless the Sacrament with us for the first time! It was awesome. Unfortunately he will be moving to Florida at the end of the month, but I am so glad to have known him and taken part in his conversion. He made us a ton of chicken noodle soup and a delicious butterscotch pie, he is the best! 

   Anyways, still trying to stay strong and learn the lessons the Lord wants me to learn and help the people He needs me to help. Thank you all for the love and support! 

   Elder Banister

Chicago Week 19

 Hello from the great ICM! 

   This week has been really good, a lot of good things have been happening. Our friend Kevin is doing really good, he came to church and had a great time. We are super excited for his baptism on the 24th. A very special day for us all. 

   We got to do some cool service collecting seeds at a nature preserve. That was really fun! We are asked to do 2-10 hours of service each week now, so we have been having a lit of fun with that. 

   We went over to our bishop's house for lunch yesterday and I had nooo idea how much he likes legos! It is pretty awesome. The picture doesn't do it justice.

   I cant believe that I am down to my last month. It has been a crazy ride, I can't believe it is almost over. I am really excited to finish this last month strong, it is going to be a blast. Let's just say that I am excited. Thank you all for you ur love and support, keep it coming for the next couple weeks! 

Elder Banister 

Chicago Week 17-18

 Chicago is still here! 

   So the past couple weeks have been pretty awesome! I have gotten my final companion, Elder Larson. He will be the one to send me home. 

   Conference was awesome. We watched each session with someone different, that was a new experience for me. Also I told everyone it starts at 10, but I forgot about the time zone difference,  so it was actually at 11. I woke up Friday morning realizing that, what a tender mercy.

   Sunday morning we were getting ready to watch conference with our friend Kevin, and around 10am he calls us and says that he has to get some work done over at his friends house. He explained that he has to start cleaning out this shed at a hoarders house, and fill up a truck to take away. We decided to help him do that, then we would all watch conference together at his house. He wasn't kidding about the hoarder part, we go and fill this dump truck and barely made a dent. Afterwards we were able to watch conference with him and he really enjoyed it! 

   We also were cussed out by an old lady while we were sitting and visiting an older member in the ward. She likes to feed the squirrels and birds and we were apparently sitting in her spot. We just sat there waiting while she filled up the bird feeder, complaining the whole time. Then I decided I couldn't sit there and listen to this nonsense any longer and started to talk to her. She is really passionate about her animals, that is for sure. I think she is just lonely and hasn't had a lot of people to be around. I hope it brightened her day! 

   We are excited to still be working with Kevin, he should be baptized in 2 weeks! One thing that we have started doing as a mission is praying to find families. So we are focusing on finding and teaching families. This is what the gospel is all for, sealing families together. This is how we receive a fullness of joy. 

   Sorry for not writing the last couple of weeks, these last weeks will be good! Thank you all for the love and support! 

   Also, we got our district sweatshirts that we made, they turned put cool! 

   - Elder Banister