July 8, 2013

There has been so much rain.... 4th of July was rained out, but we weren't going to be doing much that day anyway! 14 inches in a day, can you believe it? We had many roads that were closed because they flooded, and one that wasn't closed, but cars were dying because water would get in the exhaust pipe and kill it! It almost happened to us, but we are good! Elders in another area thought that a flooded road was good to drive on until they found it was too deep, and the car filled with water and floated into a ditch, they had to climb out the windows and sit on the car, in the rain, until someone came to help them... They lost their privileges, and we get to see them wednesday! :) It's going to be a good time! haha. This week has been crazy, and pretty slow because we couldn't get around too much on bikes. We have a car share with the sisters. One day we thought we were good, but we ended getting stuck in a member's cake shop, which was pretty fun, she fed us cake! They were preparing for a wedding, and we heard the rain stopped enough for it to happen. They were pretty lucky!

 Our investigators are slowly progressing, except one who jumped back into the picture. We are going to start teaching him again, and this time he is ready and sincere. We were able to help him and another family get back on the right track by helping them get out of a crisis. The story is very  long, so I'll tell y'all when I get back. You will have to remind me! :)

 The sisters are working hard, they have tons of referrals! They are already the ward's favorite! A member told us that we should watch out, because one of the sisters is smart! haha, I'm loving it, it's funny to see. If it gets the ward missionary minded I'm all for it!

 The work with some of our Returning Members is going better, we had two we've been working with for a while come to church, it was awesome! One hasn't come for years.

 I miss the Tattons, the July parades, even though I was too lazy some years, Bear Lake for sure, and being in a dryer climate! I sweat each time I walk outside, I'm sure Jameson and Ashton had it worse though, that's probably how they got so skinny.... It is still hot as ever, but I'm prepared so I won't pass out and die...

 There wasn't anything big in Callaway, the big stuff happens in Panama City Beach, but there were some good fireworks in Panama City that were postponed... Callaway isn't a big city, Panama City is bigger, but is an older city. Nothing too exciting, but I enjoy being here!

 Love y'all and enjoy your week!

July 15, 2013

I didn't even recognize Jameson! He kind of looks like a creep with that mustache... :)

Those pictures are awesome though, that looks like it was fun! I will definitely pray for Coree and Jenna. It worked for Ashton, so I'm sure it will work for them! So Dad also told me about getting hit in the face by the ball, and that my 115 dollar pair of glasses saved his face.... it makes me wonder about what happened to them... :) haha. They are safety glasses, so they were meant for those situations. I can't wait for ward sports again! It is a blast.

 Well, what happened this week... we had a talk given in church about how we are going to use Ipads real soon, the stake president made it sound like they are already here! We also heard that it's in the normal newspaper that we have them now. I'm sure it was in there so people would attack us... oh well, we have legions of angels on our side. But we haven't heard about when we will get them, just that we eventually will, and I hope I will be able to buy one for cheap before I get back! So we'll see! 

 We are going good with our investigators, kind of, one has a baptism the 3rd of august, and he is super prepared. The others have either concerns, continuing to cancel appointments, or just plain going in circles because they feel like it... but we do have some good ones too!

 Recent experience that really helped me to desire to seek answers through the scriptures, and not just read them for pleasure. One investigator asked a really hard question that we couldn't answer. He told us that he is stuck on this one question, because if the answer is found, his whole perception of God will be changed. He prayed to find out if the things we are teaching are true, and that he will receive an answer if it is. It really made me question if we did something wrong by not knowing. As I thought about it though, I know it was meant for me, so I would become more serious about my studies. I am still studying hard to find it, and it will come, most likely something simple too, it seems that God just works like that...

 The weather is still strange. We were biking on a cloudy day, not expecting to get hit with rain, when lo and behold, a small dark cloud floated right over head, dropping a good amount of water on us. Enough to make us stop for cover under a tree. In a few minutes it was gone, and we continued to bike on not hitting rain again. Weird right?

 It seems that nothing will be normal when I get back... it's going to be crazy. I guess I won't really know how much is different until the car ride home! Now don't think I'm trunky, I'm still working hard.

 Love you and talk to you next week!

July 1, 2013

 You and me both! There is no way Dallin is old enough! haha. Quick question, has he grown any? :) I'm seriously curious... Yes I do remember TJ, he hits real hard, and he was the starting center when I practiced with him. That's cool that he gets back in a month! In the picture it looks like Dad has his arm around Tati, and on Ashton... haha. But those are cool picts. That would be awesome to visit, and help move. And you had to bring back the the blinking didn't you... I still remember it very well, just the blinking part. It was because of the image the light burns into your iris, it entertained me...:) and plus I was super nervous and shy! That's funny that y'all still have it.

 

 Well lots of great things happened this week, not really investigator wise, but self improvements, and area improvements. Sister missionaries have now arrived, and we have helped them somewhat to get them on their feet. They are good, and have done lots of organizing this past week. Sister Wells from Idaho, and Sister Treiber from Washington state. And now we are in a car share, so we are forced to bike half of the week. But I'm cool with biking, and physically working harder. It's more of the organization now, and scheduling that is the hard part...

 There was a combined meeting for the last two hours on Sunday. Bro Hale  from our ward talked, and gave a slideshow for an hour and fifteen minutes of it. It was an awesome talk about how we view ourselves, and who we really are. Our ward is funny, and there are some people who wanted to get their opinion in on some subjects, and also other random facts, but Bro Hale did really well at acknowledging them, and keeping on the lesson. But I have realized how important it is to remember how God views us, and not to be discouraged. He gave an example of Moses, and said he was in his lowest state, having killed a man, being accepted by neither egyptian nor israelite, and being a wanderer in the desert. It must've been hard, real hard. In Moses however, God states his importance and rises him far above that which he can reach himself. It really made me think of if I have told God what I am willing to do for him, instead of asking always of what God is willing to do for me. It hit hard... Well, all in all, I was empowered by the Spirit that whole day, and even when negative things happened, I felt great! I can't say I've found the main ingredient, but a mystery was unfolded, and my prayers were answered, now I've just got to write it in my journal, which I have had no time to write in at all! But this week went great. Past the 20 lesson mark for the week! 22, booya!

 Several people told me I'm at the trunky stage, or as one person called it, "sitting on the trunk!" Which I know the just of it, but it didn't make sense... but I definitely don't feel like it, just another 5 months really, weird!

 Love y'all!

June 24, 2013

Y'all had so much excitement I don't even know what to say! There is a lot more in Minnesota than I thought. The bishop in Lynn Haven lived in Minnesota for several years, bishop Young, I don't know his first name. He asked me what part of Minnesota Ashton lived in I had not the faintest idea... Elder Blake I'm not familiar with, but we have this missionary yearbook thing and so I'll look him up when I get back. And TJ, I remember faintly, was he older than me? Does he have a darker tan... If he is and does then I remember him! Eden is going on a mission? NO WAY! That is awesome, to mexico too! Now she can speak spanish like her Grandpa! :) She probably already can, I don't know...

 

 Well, the biggest thing that happened here had to have been a baptism that Lynn Haven sisters had. They asked us to come and set up most of the things for them, and it being their first baptism, I had to make call them several times to make sure they didn't forget to do anything. Most of it was planned a day before! Haha... The person who was baptized was living in our area, but the sisters worked with her because it was easier, so the baptism was in our area. I also interviewed the person, it is always interesting being the one in the interviewing position. She was super nervous, but all went well! She has come super far to get to this point. Someone even told her a year ago that she wouldn't ever be worthy to be baptized, harsh right? But she proved them wrong! And just as a southern black lady would say, the Spirit of the Lord was all up in that baptism! :)

 Our week had many ups and downs, again... we lost 1 investigator, and almost another, but we talked to him and it was a mis-understanding. But we also gained a very solid one, who lives right next to us! We are seeing him again soon, and he is coming to church this Sunday.

 We are going through another big change, besides the missionary broadcast, our district is being split in two. Apparently a district is supposed to have 6 at most, and ours had 11 including zl's and the senior couple, so they split it in half! Someone made the joke that we don't have District meetings, but zone meetings every week! haha. But now we have sisters in Callaway, they will be here Wednesday. And also my companion got bit by a dog, same dog as Elder Harrer! haha, he's alright though. We walked to the porch at night, to knock on the door. Elder Glick was in front. We walked up the steps and elder Glick said, good dog. I looked and could barely see, so I assumed it was their nice dog. Well when it stood up and I saw the gray color I knew. I grabbed his bag and pulled him away, and said to run! I turned and booked it, and I heard him say, the dog got me, and looked and saw him hopping with the dog on his leg. I ran around the car to help, and the dog started after me, so I ran again, and then we were out of it's reach. Luckily it had a leash on, even though it was a long leash... We checked for damage, and finding out there wasn't any, I laughed real hard! The wife came out, and we didn't tell her what happened, just scheduled another visit! :) I thought it was pretty funny! 

 I think there is going to be a lot more to email about next week, especially with this change. It's going to be weird letting Glick have the car keys... But that is pretty much it this week! Haven't taken many pictures lately, but I will sometime! 

 Love y'all and talk to you next week!

June 17, 2013

That sounds really nice! All we have is trees, and more trees, and the bay, which isn't too bad... I went on an exchange and we visited a family who lives on the bay on the west side of Lynn Haven, and they had the coolest view, plus it was dusk, so the sun was just setting. It was really nice! I wish I could be with you guys, but work still needs to be done! :)

 Our week has gone good. Some of the people who we've been working with have come to church, and it was awesome to see them there, and the convert family, just the mom and dad, went to the temple to do baptisms! He absolutely loved it! I love being able to see the improvement, and not just leave right after someone gets baptized!

 The fear of talking to people is near gone, some houses still look like they shouldn't be knocked on though.... I have really been working on charity, and you can't have charity if you want to talk to someone but you're afraid. That's the way I see it. We are still riding bikes, it's always good to come home with yellow imprints of wherever my backpack touches my body. I'm definitely throwing away my backpack when I get home!

 We are teaching this guy who found us in the library, Wil Adams. He's a writer, and he said he has books that have been published, and also some that won bestseller awards. I don't remember seeing any books by him. He is a really cool dude! He sure looks like a writer! His vocabulary is top notch too, I have to double take some of what he says sometimes! :) He really likes Orson Scott Card too, so we can relate!

 In a couple of weeks sisters will for sure be here! Their apartment is set up, and now we are just waiting till next monday to see who it is. It's going to be a lot of work the first couple of weeks.

 Continue to do well! I don't know what's going to happen when I get home, it seems like everything is changing so much that I will be all cur-bobbled! It's going to be an adventure!

 Love y'all! Take Care!

June 10, 2013

Jameson is moving up that chain pretty quick! Good for him. And you just gotta love Ikea, takes time, but works wonders! haha, I still remember how long it took to get the basement all finished, that was a long process...

 Everything is going well here! Work is work, and we didn't have but one investigator at church, one that we are working with I mean. But those that we are seeing have a desire to continue to learn more, and are keeping commitments, so I'm excited to see what will come from this week! 

 Thanks for the package, I love the M&Ms! It was very hard, but I did share. :) I've been off the hook for a couple of weeks, but now I have to prepare the lesson again for tomorrow's district meeting. I'm glad we have all good missionaries in our district! I still have high hopes for this district.

 Nothing too exciting has gone on this week. We have contacted many more less-active members that we haven't met, and the father of the recent convert family is going into service in the church head first. Our Elders quorum is now reorganizing their home teaching, so I really do hope that it will take off after they are done. 

 I am still loving the work, and I am not getting truncky. I'm just going to continue to think that whatever time I have left is still a lot of time! Which it still is for now, 6 months. I do not want to leave the mission wishing I didn't wast my last quarter. That would be rough.

 I love y'all lots, and continue to do well, and be safe on the trip! That's going to be fun!

New From The Suth - June 3, 2013

 Hey! 6 and a half months left, crazy! There is so much excitement going on over there! I miss swimming.... and Jared is pretty ripped... just saying... Does Ashton and Tati not have any furniture? That is pretty lame.

 Now that school is getting out soon, HOPEFULLY people will be easier to catch at home. I can't believe how hard it is for first, answer their phones, second, return our calls, and third, to actually find! We had three people disappear who we were working with, I don't know what, or how it happened. But all we can do is pray and continue on! Things continue to heat up, but we have miles again! Now we can sit in air conditioning...but work still has to be done.

 Hurricanes are on their way, and we now have to prepare emergency packs. Exciting right? :) But what's probably going to happen is that there is going to be another big hurricane that's going to hit Louisiana again, and miss us. That place is not well liked by nature...

 We have been doing well, probably one of the most frustrating things is not being able to write in my journal. When I get home, I usually have to make calls to the other companionships in our district, or to the Zone Leaders, and that takes up most of my time. But I still have high hopes, and things haven't been as stressful as they used to be. I just need to focus and make sure I'm doing all I can to help others! The father to our investigator family just received the Aaronic priesthood sunday, that was a cool experience! We also had to teach YW about the priesthood, and that was also a cool experience, a young lady came up to us with her friend and asked for a Book of Mormon, I didn't know she wasn't a member! It's funny how God puts people in our paths.

 We have had many lessons with Less-active members, who are now called "returning" in our mission. Most are nice people, just mislead.

 But that's a little of what is going on here. President Jensen had his last Zone Conference with us last week, and I made sure to take a picture with them both! They leave July 2, so one month. That is going to be a sad time, but we heard many great things about President Smith!

 Love Y'all lots and I'll talk to you next week!