A Quick Week

Hello everyone,

 This week seems to have not even happened because it went by so fast.  This week we committed Joe to be baptized on Feb 20th so that was exciting!  We were able to meet with [investigator couple] and actually teach them the Restoration.  Joseph is a cop and he showed me his sweet AR-15 gun which was way cool.

We did a lot of biking this week because we are out of miles [for the car] for the month.  This Thursday we have a leadership meeting that elder Thurgood and I are going too.  This ward is so awesome because they feed us every night so now I can eat better.

A little about my Companion.  He is from Farmington [UT].  He likes to mountain bike, climb, and do just about everything I do.   He is down to 20 months [left] on his mission, so I might get to kill [send him home] him.

We also saw [investigator] this week.  He is pretty cool.  He cuts down trees for a living.  He read the whole D&C in like a week and he committed himself to read the whole Book of Mormon in a week and start praying again.  This guy was atheist for a while and his heart has been softened by the power of the Holy Ghost.  He is well on his way there.

Thank you all for the love and support you send me.  It really helps when I have a tough day and I come home to letter in the mail from home.

Love you all!!  Have an awesome day!!   D&C 4

New Companion Elder Thurgood

Hello everyone!

 I got a new companion.  His name is Elder Thurgood and he is from Farmington Utah.   The other day we put Joe on a date [for baptism] about a month out, so it’s going to be exciting.  We had a good week.   We had 3 investigators at church this week!

It was a pretty warm week this week.  We got up to 70 degrees this week, so pretty warm.  Almost warm enough for just white shirts!

Thank you all for the great support and have an awesome week!

11 Investigators at Church!

Hello everyone!

This week was a fun week, but I really don't remember much of it.  But on Monday after emailing, Elder Smith and I went mountain biking behind our house and it was so much fun.  And I went fishing so when I get home from the mission I will show you because I made a video of it.

So I really can’t remember what we did but we found this Spanish family and this [past] Sunday they came to church!!!  And guess how many came!?  11 people!!  So it was a lot of excitement that Sunday and a lot of running around to do.  They said they would come back the next Sunday so we are going to baptizes them!  So that was our mighty miracle this week.  

Oh!  We had zone training this week so that was exciting.  We learned a lot of things and I think it will help a lot.  It also got down to like 17 degrees one day and just so happened to be the day we were on bikes.  But we survived with eleven fingers ;).  But we used the cold to our advantage because people were more willing to let us in.  So that’s what happened this week.

Transfers on this Wednesday and I am staying!  Yeah !!!  But my companion is leaving, so I will have to pick up this area.  But it’s okay.  I can do it.  Oh!  Should have put this in my email forever ago, but I saw Aaron Nelson who lives in Woodland Hills.  He's in this mission!  WHAT!?!

Anyway, thank you for all that you do!  Thanks for the prayers and support.  Love ya'all!!

Exchanges With The Zone Leaders

This week we were able to hit up some potential investigators and we made a few appointments.  On Saturday and Friday night we went on an exchange with the zone leaders.  I went with Elder Olive in [the town of] Acworth.   We were going to an appointment but it fell through so we talked and shared a message with a member family.  The next day we taught three member present lessons and found a family while tracting in between visits.  We also taught a recent convert lesson.  That was about it for the exchange.  Elder Olive is a very, very good zone leader.  I respect him a lot.

Yesterday we saw Mary and Joseph, our investigators who mostly are living the Word of Wisdom already.  We had our ward mission leader there so that was solid.  They contacted well, I think.  We shared a little bit about the Book of Mormon.  I wish we could have taught more of a lesson because it was more talking than teaching.   But [I think] we are going to baptize them.

So on Tuesday after District Meeting we were taking our lunch break and found this trail that went back behind our house.  We followed it and it leads to a creek!!!  And so yeah baby!!!  We's goin' fishin' on p-day!!!  So [I am] hopeful that I will stay here a long time.  I will send pics.  We also found a tree stand and so we went up and took pics.

I had a great week this week!  I hope ya'all did as well.  Thank you all for the prayers and support.  Shout out to Jeff's b-day on the 2nd.  Happy b-day bro!!

love you all!!!

Christmas Week!

Hello everyone,

This week was filled with lots of “excitingness”!  Joe came to church.  So that was good.  On Christmas eve we went around delivering Christmas goodies to our investigators and it think it softened hearts as well we have this one investigator who is kind of weird... I don't know, you would have to meet him, but I think when he got these cookies he felt that we were genuine.  So I think some good things happened with him.  We also visited this couple and gave them cookies and they were like, come back tomorrow and we will give you some BBQ.  So we came back on Christmas day and had some BBQ and were able to talk about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and a little bit about what we do. 

I was able to talk to my family briefly and they are doing well and happy.  They got some snow as you may know. 

Just yesterday we had a lesson over at Bishop Black’s House with Joe about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  He had some questions which I think is awesome.  When your investigators have questions, you know that they really want to learn and they trust you.

Today right before we emailed we went up Kennesaw  Mountain [Battlefield National Park] and that was cool. See attached pictures. 

How was everyone’s Christmas this year!?!  Thank you family for Skyping me.  That was fun!  Oh, there’s a sweet cannon pic as well.  The family that took us was the Hunt family.  Super awesome family!  [They] love the missionaries!! They are one of like 5 families that are like "hey if you don’t have a dinner come on over."  So they are pretty cool like that.

Flea Market?

Missionary House - "The Burnt Hickory Country Club"

  

More Investigators at Church and Investigator in Calhoun Baptized

So we had some awesome miracles.  We had three investigators come to church yesterday which was awesome!  Two were from a part member family and so we had the whole family there.  Also, Joe came [to church].

I would have put some pictures of the “Burnt Hickory Country Club” (our house we live in) but I forgot my camera so I can’t show [you] this week, maybe next week.

This week we did a lot of contacting and it’s kind of hard to make appointments because everyone is like, “oh, I have plans this week” or “i'm busy.”  So we just give out the "He Is the Gift" cards all day long and meet with members.   We had a mission wide/half the mission Christmas party so I wast able to talk to all my friends that are missionaries.

A side note!  I wasn't able to go but one of my investigators that I worked with in Calhoun was baptized!!!!  His name is Chase.  That was awesome.  Good on Elder Harding on that baptism.

Anyway.  Short one today.  But all ya'all have a Merry Christmas this year!!!  Thank you all for your prayers and support!

Christmas Is Coming!

Ok.  I don’t have a lot of time but that’s ok.  I kind of know the area a bit, so that’s good.  We have some [investigators] pretty close to baptism.  We just have to ask them when they want to be baptized.  It’s been a lot of fun this week.  We had 4 investigators come to church on Sunday which was exciting!

Christmas is coming soon!  Have some fun in the snow while I enjoy this short sleeve shirt weather.  Ha! Ha!  Merry Christmas!

Thank you for the prayers and support.  Love you all!