Elder Gillett 3.20.14

My official date for leaving the MTC is March 24th for sure! Guess they must have my Visa or have me on a temporary but i am still outta the loop on the whole thing so i have  no idea for sure what is going on! My Flight leaves from SLC at 11:35am or so i believe and it goes to Atlanta. I get to Atlanta at about 4:30 then at 7:30 i head from atlanta to Argentina on a 13 or so hour flight! I'm super excited to be going already. Maybe a little nervous because i feel like i've learned a ton of spanish but still could learn a lot more. Honestly it has been so much fun here! I love my District! I feel like i have been friends with all of them before we came here for sure. So my companion is Elder Sanders, from kentucky, he is a really nice kid but weird sometimes. He sometimes feels kinda left out because the rest of us played sports and were more athletes rather than being in band and plays. Then there is Elder Caleb trotter from Gilbert,Arizona, he played soccer down in Arizona so i always have a good time talking to him about soccer. Then there's Elder Wyatt Reynolds who lived in a small town called Pima, Arizona. He played pretty much every sport they had because it was a small school so its cool. He is really funny to and is good at lightening the mood. Then there is Elder Jake Cragun from Syracuse, Utah. He is a stud! More of a quiet guy but we have become super close friends i feel like! He snowboards, rides dirt bikes, and pretty much does most of the stuff i like to do as well. Elder Cragun, Elder Reynolds, And Elder Trotter are in a tri-panionship because there was a 6th elder that never showed up. They say it happens pretty often where elders just don't show up for whatever reason and they never know why. 

Thanks for both the packages! and all the letters! Thats a ton of candy! haha as a district we put all of our candy together pretty much and just have it all sitting on the counter. but we dont have any time to eat it other than from like 9:30 to 10:30 at night and so we don't usually eat it before bed! 

Its weird to be district leader but really nice! I like my district a lot as well so they make my job a lot easier. The Branch President is a really cool guy. His name is President Swenson and he is from Orem. Then Brother Jamison is the 1st counselor and i talked to him about Doug Schneider that he must have worked with or something. And Then Brother Sharon who lives in AF. They are all super nice guys and down to earth.

Kinda sucks that i won't be able to see Brad before i leave but i'm sure he will do amazing on his talk! I love that kid! He's gonna be an awesome missionary and as tough as the MTC can get sometimes, don't forget to have some fun and get to know your people in your districts and zone! Let loose sometimes or you will go absolutely insane sometimes. But at the end of the day it is the best feeling to just lay in bed and say "I did it. One less day until i can be out in the field applying all this to others lives" The coolest thing about the MTC is teaching your first investigator. Sometimes they are real and sometimes they are fake so you never know for sure but it is seriously the best feeling to get out of teaching them just knowing that you delivered the message you were supposed too. Thats the most rewarding thing. But Anyways i'm hoping i'll be able to see Bree while i'm here in the MTC. I think i should be able to on sunday night when we go up to the main campus for the devotionals!

Love you all thanks for the support and everything you have done for me! Being on a mission is one of the most challenging but rewarding things you will ever do!

Love, Elder Gillett <3

Dear Family and Friends :), Elder Frampton

That's sweet that Lone Peak got a 4 - Peat! I bet that was crazy ha ha. How are the soccer boys doing? How is our ward?

 

 

So this week not much happened. We got our fortunes told! that was weird. But I will start at the beginning. There is a PMF (part member family) on our list so we noticed the big CALL BEFORE YOU VISIT, so we did just that. And a man answered and said that we could come visit. We went over there and he just talked and talked. he told us his whole history with the church and all the other things he believed. It was really odd. But then he just looked strait at me and told me that I was going to marry a Non- member, I would be a Financial Business man, I would find my "gift" at 21 and a half, I would be well off at 35, and that I was very open minded and that my brain turbines were always going fast. Ha ha sooooo he told me to keep his number and call him later in life and I would be amazed. He also did it with my companion. It was super weird. But that's about it, because we got sick on Wednesday and had to stay in for like three days! it was awful because as a missionary you cant do like anything to pass the time so we slept and studied and cleaned. I got better quicker then he did. And we both still aren't full health but we can at least work. We did a lot of thinking this week thanks to being sick and I really liked this story so I figured I would share it with you.

 

One night a young man had a dream. He dreamed there was a new store in a nearby shopping mall. He went in and saw an angel behind the counter. Nervously, he asked what the shop sold.

 

"Everything your heart desires," replied the angel.

 

"Then I want peace on earth," exclaimed the young man. "I want an end to famine, sorrow, and disease."

 

"Just a moment," replied the angel. "you haven't understood. We don't sell fruit here - only seeds."

 

I really like this little story. It helps me remember that I have to work to make the things that I want grow. God wants the best for each of us and gives us a way to have all those things. We now have to choose to work for all he has in "store" for us. I love you all and am so glad to be on my mission.

 

- Elder Frampton

Hey

Hey Family!

What an incredible week this week... just like every other week! haha! Except this week was better... just like every other week! hahahaha... but seriously. Its incredible how happy I am here.  The Canary Islands are incredible... but more than anything the people here are the best.  I know I talk about this every single week, but its incredible how much I have seen the ward progress, and the love all the members have here.  I love La Laguna!!!

So yeah, Luis's baptism went incredible! But get this... Pablo is going to get Baptized this Saturday!!... and... Luis is going to recieve the Aaronic Preisthood and baptize him!!!!! How awesome is that?? That is going to be the most incredible baptism ever.  Seeing his dad just receive the preisthoood that week, and baptize him that very week! It will be such a beautiful service, and we are so excited to finally have this whole family together as members, and take this saving covenant into their lives! We have been spending a lot of time with Pablo this week! I think we saw him every single day! Today he came and played some basketball with us, and it was a blast.  He's actually really good.  He dribbles between the legs and everything.. haha! So I'll keep you posted on that!

Mom, this week in studies I had an awesome experience! I was reading Alma 2: 29-31 and totally thought about you and the experience you had with Aubs and basketball.  This is about Alma fighting against Amlici (not sure if thats his name in english... I forgot...haha) and he begins losing, and is about to be killed, but has he is fighting he pleads to the Lord in prayer saying something along the lines of "have mercy on my and save my life, so I can be an instrament in your hands and save these people!" and the Lord gave him the strength and Alma ended up killing Amlici. From your experience mom, I believe that if Alma would have only pleaded "save me! have mercy!" the Lord would have left it up to Almas own strength... but he did what you did.  He offered something! He told the Lord he would be an instrament in His hands.  And THEN he had the strength to kill Amlici.  God is a God of Covenants.  We must do our part, and offer something to the Lord.  Sacrafice something.  I know for asurety that when we sacrifice and make covenants with our Heavanly Father, he always will bless us! but we must DO something!

This week, has been one of the weeks where I've ever learned the most.  Not because it was the hardest week ever, but just because I really am starting to apply things that I am learned.  For the past little bit, Elder Franson/Wells and I have been teaching a crazy amount of lessons, basically just full all day of lessons.... but no one was progressing or keeping comitments much.  Numbers wise, we were doing INCREDIBLE... and working so hard.  But lately I had been thinking a lot, and knew that we needed to drop those investigators to have more time to find others... It was just hard to do it.... I was being way too prideful.  So I have had that on my mind tons, and praying a lot to know what to do... well this week we had Zone Training and the Zone Leaders talked a ton about the improtance of dropping investigators that are never keeping their commitments.  That very day Elder Wells and I dropped almost all of our investigators... and it was such an answer to my prayers.  We applied what we learned in that meeting, and as well of what we have been learning in Preach my Gospel and wow have we been blessed! This week we still taught TONS, but taught different, more progressing investigators.  It was incredible.  The Lord has just been waiting for us to apply what we were learning and feeling, and he directly blessed us.  I have learned so much, and it has been such a humbling week, to know really how inspired Preach my Gospel is, as well as our leaders.  Elder Wells has especially taught me to trust in the promises of Preach my Gospel.  That guy is such a stud.

I am so incredibly happy family! Thank you for all the love and support you guys always give me.  I love you guys more than you even know.  Thanks for always bein that for me, and makin me so happy with your emails and letters.  They are greatly appreciated.  To be humble is to be powerful. Meekness is power.  Its incredible how the world sees it the exactly opposite way- as meekness is weakness.  Meekness through our Savior, Jesus Christ really does give us the power we need as set apart missionaries.  

The District is doing great!   The district I'm in is incredible and I feel extremly blessed to be in this district.  This week I went on exchanges with Elder Bohne.  I'll just say were destined to be companions one day.  I love that guy so much!!!

Love  ya'llll tons!

Elder Weeeelson

*ps- Im workin super hard on picking up the Canarian accent... hahaha

Elder Vawdrey today

Hey Family!

 

That's super good to hear about Tanner! I'm super proud of him! He will be an awesome missionary! It's more than ok to be nervous! I'm still nervous out here! Man that's soo soon he leaves! I'm super pumped for him to leave!

 

It is good to hear that Brad is doing much better! I was worried about him all week! I just hope he can get out and serve in Ukraine! It is most defintaly the best time out in the field! The MTC got super old super quick! Same thing every single day! But out here it is different almost every single day! I'll be sure to email him real quick!

 

ahh my Spanish.. But I probably wont be comfortable with it until like my 10 month mark! Like I am learning a ton every single day, but there is just soo much to learn! They say once you know how to conjugate into tenses. It makes it a ton easier! So I'm just focusing on that into like past tense, preterit tense and future tense. Those are the easiest.. there is tons others that are even harder!

 

This week was pretty good at the beginning of the week. Started off with finding 2 new investigators and teaching them. Then we taught Santiago, Rigoberto and a new kid, Rolando. They are all friends and super awesome! They are friends of the Saldivar family! I love that family! But we had lessons with them and stuff.. Then we kinda lost contact with Juan.. So we don't have a lesson set up with him or we haven't even been able to contact him.. So right now we dunno if we are gonna have him baptized on the 23rd.. After Thursday the week kinda just slowly went downhill.. We don't follow our schedule planned out for the next day.. There is just always an excuse to go somewhere else.. Or do something for the district! But I really just want to work and teach and baptized! Then I kinda got negative and down on myself.. Which sucks! Don't do that! It's not worth it! After I got negative I just got impatient again and Elder Ochoa started to bug me super bad! I swear it's only on Saturdays and Sundays that people bug me. I dunno why! It is annoying! But we have a dinner set up for almost every day this week! All except Saturday! So that's good!

 

I haven't used my cleats yet cuz it has been really cold in the mornings and rainy all the time! They say this is the coldest spring in a while! Hopefully it warms up soon! We played basketball at a elementary in the morning on Wednesday.. then I left my jacket there! So now I only have a sweater! Ahh! No worries! I have been really warm!

 

Asombroso sobre LP winning State again! Tell LP soccer to just win state already! 

 

Love you family! You are the best! Do good in work and school!

 

Love,

 

Elder Vawdrey

Jarrett Weekly Letter 3.9.2014

whats up!!!

 

Well it was an alright week that is for sure it was really sad to see Elder Jones leave but it was going to happen sooner or later right? Well I got a new companion obviously and he is Japanese his name is Elder Sakae he is really a nice guy and right now he is on his 9th transfer he just barely turned senior companion and district leader at the same time. Also he barely speaks any English again so it is an adventure.

 

So basically he is a really nice guy but he really doesn't know what he is doing. He is nothing compared to Elder Jones, no offense but his skills are not that great. I am just happy at how much I learned from Elder Jones that is for sure. And I am glad that he taught me how and what I need to do when I am senior companion, because basically right now I am senior companion; I plan every night, I call the people we need to call, I contact every person, I start and teach most of the lessons, I do all the records and basically everything; so basically I am senior companion. It is honestly like I flipped positions from last transfer. He also doesn't have much dendo fire, and so I am really trying to raise that for him. The only problem is I don't want him to bring me down to his level so I want to just keep pushing and stuff it is just hard when someone doesn't have much happiness in the work.

 

I am sorry but other then that nothing much happened! Well besides that I love the branch that I am in they are totally family; they are the best there is!!  They are just so nice!! I honestly get along with every single one of them and they help me so much and they make me feel loved it is just amazing!!  This is probably why I like this area so much!! 

 

Love,

Elder Nielsen

 

Oh P.S. I cook every meal and I do all the dishes! Can you say taihen!!!!

Jarrett's Weekly Letter 12.2.213

This week was hard because my companion has been sick and so that means a lot of time indoors.  My companion woke up in the middle of the night and then he fell asleep on the couch so I woke up and did exercise in the room and same with personal and language study because I didn't want to wake him up. So basically I studied all day today from 8 in the morning to 5 at night. I did have a short break as we go and get grocerys today because we didn't get them yesterday.

 

Wednesday we woke up to snow on the ground it was honestly a nice sight I really do miss snow alot. We stayed in for most of the day and then for like a hour we went to a book store and did natural dendo and so we talked with this guy for about an hour about kanji books and what ones are the best and stuff. Nothing really came from it but we did get his number which is nice.

 

Thursday, we dendoed for a little and then I taught my first mogi lesson to a member family it was alright I felt like it could have for sure went better. But they said that it was really good. And also today in church during testimony meeting he straight up in front of everyone said I had such a strong spirit and that the lesson was unreal and that I am such a good missionary. I was like dang, like I didn't feel like it was that good... Also sitting crossed legged every time we are at a house kills my hips but hey who cares I don't need to worry about myself.

 

On Friday as we were dendoing my companion started not to feel good again so we came home and he slept again.

 

Well can you believe that it is already December! Well I can but at the same time I can't! The snow is almost melted which I do miss a lot. Another day of staying inside again  - you guessed it my companion is still sick and refuses any medicine I offer him. I basically just studied the Gospel and love it so much I wish I could spend just about everyday just filling my knowledge of the Gospel. I also started to study lesson 3 so hopefully I will be able to teach that soon! Also I guess I have lost some weight probably muscle because my suit coat is getting to big for me so that kinda stinks but I kinda like losing the fat if it is fat...

 

Tonigh we are going to a public bath  so that will be interesting!  The public bath is just all these people butt naked just chillin!! so yeah should be interesting it is like part of their culture!

Well that is about all for the week.

 

Elder Nielsen

December...

Well family.... where do I start... possibly the best week ever!!!! I can't even tell you how happy I am.  It truly was a week full of miracles.  It was so amazing.  

But let me just start off with getting some business out of the way... Theres 1 thing I want.. CARLOS.  a DVD with my mission call opening video on it. If that would be possible:) That is all.  Oh! andddd.... Aryleys showed me the pictures she put up on FB.  Im sorry family for that just hideously histerical photo she put up.  Every time I see it I cant decide whether I should just die of laughter or just want to hide myself.  hahahahaha jk, its hilarious!

Okay so now that thats done I'll tell you about my week.

It was so amazing!! So we started out the week in the Trio with Elder Franson, Elder Christensen and I.  It was tons of fun and weeeiirrddd having a car.  The other elders have the car.  Its way better just walking/running every where.  (Yes we still are running from lesson to lesson).  hahaha! 

So there is an investigator named Paco.  He was taught by Elder Franson and his old companion.  Elder Franson was telling me about him and how he was so ready and was getting super close to his baptism... but they compltely lost 100% contact with him like 1 week before I got here.  We hadnt seen him all last transfer.  Its been over 2 months since we've heard from him.  Well... I decided to try to give him a call on wednesday and of course.... no answer.  Well on Saturday we get a call..... IT WAS PACO!!! He called and sounded kinda sad and asked if we could meet with him on Tuesday.  So we'll see how that goes.  It was truly nothing short of a miracle. That NEVER happens.  Were thinking something had to have happened with him or his family or something.  Please pray for paco family.  

So this week there was something equivelant to Black Friday here.  Called "La Noche Blanca" and it wasSaturday night not Friday night. But let me tell ya... it was NUTS.  Lets just say not a single person stopped to talk to us that night.  I can't even begin to describe how crazy it was... BUT.  That morning Elder Franson and I baked those brownies you sent me! So that whole night we went from investigator to investigator and gave them each a few slices of brownies and invited them to church.  And guess what! We had more investigators in church then we ever had before! So thank you so much mom, for sending those! Each investigator was SO grateful.  And was so excited. 

This week we also had and awesome miracle! A return missionary.. named Romina is now the choir director for the ward.  She was at the church thursday night and said some person was just walking towards the church.  He recognized the sign! Hes from Poland and speaks like 4 languages.  He had a friend that was LDS, and he loved him tons.  His name is Miguel.  He doesnt smoke drink or any of that stuff.  And he really wanted a Book of Mormon.  We ended up getting a Polish Boook of Mormon for him! It was incredible.  He already knows tons about the church.  And the miracle is that he lives in our area!!! Every single member reference has gone to the other Elders.  Because they all live in the neighborhoods and cities outside of La Laguna Center.  We pretty much got all the University.  So that was truly a miracle.  Were SO excited.  He's a machine.  hahaha.  He knows more about sports than anyone I know.  Like sports statistics.  You can ask him anything and he knows it.  So lets just say we get along super well. haha! 

We also had an incredible experience with Fani and Ivan.  Remember them? Fani isn't a member.  Ivan was less active.  They are boyfreind-girlfriend and live together.  So fani cant get baptized.  Remember them? Well they are getting married Feb. 6th.  So she will be getting baptized just after that.  I think Ive already told you that.  But anyways.  Ivan is a machine.  Hes wearing a suit to church and everything now.  In preisthood he bore testimony to everyone about how big of an impact elder franson and I have made in there lives.  Also about how we invited him to come to a lesson with us. And that investigator ended up coming to church for the first time after that lesson.  He told that story, and just about started bawling.  And he's a big big guy.  Like 6 foot and 275 pounds. It was such a testimony builder for him, and for US!

Sounds like you guys had an AWESOME thanksgiving weekend!!!! I LOVED the pictures so much.  Thanks tons! I miss you guys, but I haven't gotten Home Sick/Trunqui once.... I dunno.  I never really have.  This is where I need to be, and this is where I want to be.  I love you all so much.  I have no doubt in my mind that the Book of Mormon changes lives.  I know that this church is Christ's church.  Jesus Christ is my Savior and Redeemer.  I owe my whole life to Him.  I know that there is no greater work in this entire world.  I know that there are people ready for this Gospel here.  I love you family! I am so dang happy! I love Pdays so much... but the whole day I cant wait for the clock to hit 6:30 so we can get back out to work! I love you all so much.  I've never been happier out here in my mission.  Things are going so amazing! Don't even worry, just keep prayin for me! But more importantly our investigators!

Much Love, Peace and Harmony (Shout out to Rocky)

Elder wEElson