EN2--last three weeks

June 14, 2010

Well, it's the last week of the transfer! Only the Lord knows if I'll stay or go, but we're gonna end it with a bang! We expect miracles and nothing less. Devon and Kevin have their interviews tomorrow. Vincent is still praying about it. I know he's prepared but something in the back of my mind is telling me that there's something that needs to happen before he's baptized. With that thought in mind, it doesn't bother me as much to think he won't make it by this weekend. I liked the scripture mom. Also I found out though that we can go and see our investigators get baptized if we're transferred so if I do get the boot I'll be coming back A LOT to carrollton :)

It was a great week though. We had 8 people attend church it was awesome! If everyone would just come every week we could have like 20. That's our next goal! Devon had some family problems so he came late and only stayed through the end of sunday school. I really hope his family will open up to the gospel. Tiffany, Vince and Kevin were there. Matt and Tina made it this week. Matt's son Josh was also there. He was excited to see us. He's 10.

There's a couple that we visit every now and then, Bob and Vicky, that really love the missionaries. They're probably in their 50's. I've known them since the first week I got here. They attend a non-denom christian church and every time we talk to them the topic just strays away from the gospel. It's so hard. So we don't see them very often. Yesterday we went up to see them. Had a long conversation but we were able to get it on a gospel subject and they opened up with questions and said they really don't remember anything about the church that the previous missionaries taught. So we had a summed up version of the first lesson just stressing the unity of the church and how it all runs by revelation. Thus, we can't split in seven hundred different churches because God runs it. They liked that idea because they've been a part of several different church's that split after their becoming members.

Before we left they both said that they felt a big change was about to happen in their lives, something very different. Bob said he felt like he was going to be called to the ministry, but in what way he doesn't know. Vicky just said she felt a big change was coming, that God was going to ask her to do something she never thought she would, but that it would be a good thing. Pause real quick, mom you read my PB and it says some pretty cool stuff. I'll talk to you about it in another email but I've been reading it a lot recently and a thought came to my mind from that and I used it. I bore my testimony and asked if they'd pray to know if the things we taught were true. Well, I didn't feel like they were ready to be committed to read and pray about the Book of Mormon so we just left them to pray. We closed with a prayer. They asked me to say it. It was just a simple prayer but the spirit was very strong. When we opened our eyes Vicky was in tears. Bob then said another prayer for us. As we were leaving Vicky asked me if I had a BofM she could borrow. We gladly gave it to her. As we left I felt so good. It wasn't a great lesson, we didn't really committ them to anything major, neither of us taught well, but the spirit was there! I could see it in their faces.

I tell ya the Lord is just preparing the people here! We rode our bikes quite a bit last week. It's been so humid! It's usually in the 90's every day. Saturday we were riding around and it just started pouring rain. It was pretty fun. We were soaked. The work is so fun. Never a dull moment. When an appointment falls through or our plans didn't go like we wanted to, we just go and knock on the nearest door because we know the Lord has blessing just waiting to be poured out. We've found some cool people this week by just trying to be diligent.

It's hard to think of Joseph and Jeff not home. I bet it would be dang peaceful! :) Sounds like joseph is having fun. Does he not have a car then? What's he doing for work and hows he getting to and from? Maybe I should just ask him. I'm a little confused at what happened with Drew. Hopefully all is well. I'm pretty confident that I'll be here another go, but I guess we'll see. It's all a part of the adventure. Well i'm getting the boot so i gotta run. I love you all and hope you have a great week. Mom all try to email you in a bit. If not i'll write you. Give everyone hugs for me. Hurrah for Israel!

The Brother of Joseph


June 7, 2010

Hello family! Mom, I received my shirts. You sent two right? I'm wearing one as we speak :) It's starting to get nice and HOT and HUMID so they'll come in handy. Hopefully they'll last throughout the summer. Things are going great in Carrollton. I guess everyone in the mission wants to serve here. I didn't really realize how lucky Elder Eliot and I are to have the opportunity to serve here. Everyone in the mission wants to know how it's doing. No pressure right?

Well Matt and Tina didn't make it to sacrament meeting yesterday. We were bummed. Turns out he had some ankle problem that put him in the hospital overnight and so they didn't make it back till the afternoon yesterday. Things are going great with them. There was a graduation yesterday also that wiped out half of our investigators and so there weren't very many at church. Good thing though.

It was fast and testimony meeting and you know how someone always goes up and says something crazy that just makes you cringe. I was going to bear my testimony anyways but there was a specific testimony were I felt like I had to go up and bring things back. I guess members just get in the routine of being around other members and so they aren't too worried about getting up and just bearing pure testimony they go up and talk about deep doctrine and stuff and every time that happens I know our next lesson to those who made it to church will be answering q's that they had about it and trying to help them understand. Don't get me wrong though, I love Carrollton! I'm pushing 6 months here. A lot of ppl are telling me to pack my bags.........NEVER! (in the voice of batmans butler off of the dark night! haha)

It's crazy how much you learn just in your every day to day teaching. I remember teaching ppl in Louisville and thinking I will never be able to answer these ppl's questions! Elder Ralston always had an answer. Well the other day we went to teach Kevin Bailey and he told us he had a TON of questions. Well we sat down with him and he pulled a piece of paper out of his bible and it had a LIST of "questions." The first thing I asked him was if they were questions he had or questions other people told him to ask. He admitted they were questions other people brought up to him. People are so IGNORANT! I don't mean that in a bad way but no one is willing to listen or to learn! He had a huge list of ridiculous anti that kinda scared him a bit. Going back to my last thought though, we talked and discussed about the Book of Mormon and the prophet Joseph Smith and resolved his concerns.

At one point I just simply bore my testimony of the BofM and the prophet and as I did it I felt the spirit so strong. I'm not trying to brag because it wasn't me at all, but I truly felt the truthfulness of my words as I spoke and bore my simple testimony to Kevin. I have a testimony that bearing your testimony to others truly strengthens your own. Kevin felt at peace when we left. He wasn't too shaken he just felt like they were throwing all this stuff at him and he didn't know how to answer them. Satan is a JERK! Anyway we're praying that Kevin will be prepared and ready for the 19th to be baptized.

Devon Bruner is scheduled for the 19th as well, but right now he's having some family issues that I hope won't hinder what's going on. He's excited to become a member, we're just praying that his families hearts will be softened. Vincent is still hesitant on being baptized. He wants to, and tells everyone he will be, but he is afraid to set that date. I'm not trying to force him into anything but he leaves for a military camp in a month and he'll be gone for the next 6 months and I feel it's very important at this time that he has the gift of the Holy Ghost with him. Pray that he'll have that comfort to make the decision he needs.

So we met a woman named Rebecca Singleton. Tracted into her a couple weeks ago. We've been teaching her frequently each week. She was baptized pentecostal but is really enjoying what we've taught her. She's been to church these last two weeks and said she's "having fun!" Her birthday is July the 6th and she said a great birthday present we could give her is for her to be baptized that day in the Lil Kentucky river......ARE YOU KIDDING ME! We'd LOVE to let Heavenly Father give her that gift! So we're preparing her for that and are now in search of a place that her baptism could be held. We're definately going to have to take pictures of that one. She's such a cool woman though and has so many great "member" qualities. She said her whole life she's felt bad because she never believed the things she was taught at church that God and Jesus Christ were the same person but we told her she no longer has to feel bad about that! She's just a blessing from the Lord! Oh and she keeps telling me that I'm going to be a preacher some day haha Nope!

Yesterday we went and taught Julius, he was thrown in jail down in Louisville for stuff he already served time for so we haven't seen him the past week and a half but he was sitting on his porch with a friend when we showed up. We went up and introduced ourselves to his friend. The young man's name is Josh Norton. haha I was so stoked when I found out his name. He has a sweet tattoo of Norton down his forearm! He says we're kin. We were joking around about how we own Norton Healthcare and Antivirus. He warmed up to us really fast. He just graduated high school and will be attending a little community college here so he'll be here all summer. We taught him about the word of wisdom and how God has called a prophet on the earth and committed him to come to church. He's excited to go. When I left he said later cuz haha Hopefully I'll be able to stay here until he gets baptized!

The work is great here though. Another cool thing, I've been riding in and driving a red malibu my whole mission. The one we drove in Louisville we just took with us down to carrollton. Well at 50 thousand miles they retire them. Well last week we counted down when we were at 49,999 miles and once we hit 50 we were excited to get a new car. We thought it would be at the end of the transfer but sure enough, we got a phone call saying our car would be there in a day. I can't lie it was hard to give up my "Bu" haha Just made me think of closing another chapter and opening a new one. We're now driving a 2010 ford fusion and it's pretty sweet so it didn't take me long to get over those feelings. It has a big S on the back, i don't know why, but we named her Sweet Sarah! Elder Eliot wanted to name her Sally Sue but i told him my gps already has that name :) haha The things we do to keep ourselves entertained! So yeah we're having great success, we're cruising a new car, I don't think it could get any better! I wouldn't mind serving out the rest of my mission here I really wouldn't.

Exciting but hard to think about Joseph already moved out. That's cool about Dave and Jordan. I didn't know dave was that old already. St. Louis will be a blast. I'm pretty dang stoked for Jordan though. He gets to serve with all the "Big Pansies!" He's going to have a blast! Well I'm about out of words to say. Just know that my joy is full. Elder Eliot and I are having a blast. It's great to hear about the miracles in duncan. Those stories really confirm the truthfulness of the gospel and how important it really is to not only us, but to our Father in Heaven that we are families for eternity. I love my family! They're the best! My dad is a studly, spiritual juggernaut! My mother is super success attracting, funny, kind, loving beautiful woman from where I received my good looks (sorry dad)! My older brother is a great example to me and has paved the way for me my whole life and my younger brothers and sisters are great examples to me in all that they do! Why would you only want to be with them on earth? Idk,

I'm glad I don't have to worry about that because I know we're together forever! The gospel of Jesus Christ is the greatest thing on earth! I'm so gratful for the opportunity I have to share it with others! The joy you recieve from it is evidence of it's truth. I encourage you all to share it with your friends every chance you get! Have a blessed week! I love you all!

The Brother of Joseph



June 1-2010


Last week was a good one. Had zone conference and Elder Posey of the 70 came and spoke to us. He talked about the mission shaping our lives and that there's too many missionaries who fall away after they return. Also he talked about becoming converted to the gospel which really isn't anything new but it really hit me hard. My goal is to become converted to the gospel 100% Tough goal, but I know it will make me better as I strive for it.

We're teaching a couple, Matt and Tina. Tina is southern baptist and is "fundamental" which i guess is a little more hard core but they've been touched by the spirit recently and have a desire to be baptized. They're living together right now and she is trying to settle a divorce with her husband. I know that sounds bad but they haven't lived together for a year or so and he hasn't been doing his part so it's been a slow process but they want that to be done and over with so they can be married, baptized, and then work for the temple! We have some work to do! We have a date set for them right now for the 24th of July. We're praying that her divorce will go over smoothly so all will work out with the baptism.

Still working with Vince, Devon, and Kevin. We're teaching a young woman named Tiffany as well. They will all be baptized here in the next few weeks so we're praying for their progression. Carrollton is doing awesome! We're teaching so many people that are just "prepared". I'm getting nervous with this next transfer nearing. Time has just flown with Elder Eliot. Transfers are June 22nd so we'll see what the Lord has in store for me then. Idk i've been here 6 months almost and still feel like there is something that the Lord needs me to do here that I haven't done. I'm praying for help to figure that one out. There's a lot of people that I want to see in the water before I leave that I'm really close to, particularly the Walker's, but I don't think that's it. I guess we'll see. Also President Glende told us that they're having package troubles with forwarding packages to us and so they said to send it straight to our address where we live. I'll have to get the Graves address for you. I'll tell them to call you :)

Well my week has been pretty great. The work is moving along. I'm trying to keep myself up with the Trainer status. It's hard sometimes when you know that the missionary that you're "training"'s whole mission will be affected by the things you teach them. I hope I'm doing it right. Well I could go on for a long time, but unfortunately I don't have time. We have some appointments we need to run to. Just know that the Lord is taking care of me. I know you know that. I'm doing the best I can to be the best I can and that's all you can ask for right?

Well hope you all have a great week. The pictures of the temple stuff looked awesome. Didn't have time to study them out but i'll look more at them next week. Oh yeah in church this week I was asked at random to come up and bare my testimony because the 2 speakers before the concluding speaker cut it short. I was actually praying for my testimony to be strengthened while the sacrament was being passed and then when they asked me to come up it kinda hit me. I didn't break down and cry or anything but I knew it was an answer to my prayer. Now don't get me wrong I wasn't praying to get called out on the spot to come up and bear my testimony but I was thankful for the opportunity they gave me, and it truly did strengthen my testimony.

It's cool how as a missionary you are just prepared for that kind of stuff. I was always afraid at stake conference because of the time Pres Merrell called up anna robbins and stephanie lunt to bear their testimonies at random and i was always afraid he would do that to me and I wouldn't know what to say. I didn't know what I was going to say Sunday but it just came. It's such a blessing to be able to share my testimony daily of the restoration of the gospel, and the truthfulness of it.

This is a great work! Well i'll let you all go. I love you with all my heart! Yeah don't throw out countdowns mom, that's the worst thing you could do to me or drew! haha Elder Schwindeman goes home in 3 weeks and it's gonna be tough for me. We've become really good friends. A lot of the other missionaries who helped me out a lot early in my mission are going home as well so it's hard to see them go. It just motivates me to use the time that I've been given and to make the best of it. Hope you all have a great week! We'll talk again soon! LOVE YOU!!!!

The Brother of Joseph!

P.S. I did not attract that turtle!