Happy Thanksgiving!

Hey family!!

So you are having some bad weather over in AZ? Well it hasn't been all sunshine and rainbows here either. It has been a pretty cold week, not to mention it was bike week for us! Other than the weather it was a really good week for Elder Spencer and I!

First off....last friday was my 6th month birthday for my mission! So I got to burn a tie that night for the sake of tradition! I cannot believe its been 6 months.....it is going by way to fast! Anyways we have had the chance to see some miracles this past week.

Have I told you about our new investigators? They are Chris and Jessicas friends and ever since Jessicas baptism we have been working with them to get baptized, but before that they have to get married and before that she has to get a divorce from her last marriage. We thought it was going to take a couple months for all of this to get over and done with but we have been praying for it to speed up and yesterday She told us that she talked to the judge and it should only take a week or so to get it done! They are really excited to get married and baptized! Chris and Jess are just the best missionaries ever. They talk to everyone about the church! I love them! But ya so they are doing good.

Michael Scott wasn't able to come to church yesterday and we are still trying to figure out why. I hope he didn't accidentally step on a George Foreman!

We started teaching this guy  a couple of weeks ago and he came to church last week. He lives out in the middle of nowhere, he is about 50, and he owns about every gun you can get!  He is awesome to talk to though and is very interested in the Book of Mormon. The guy is really lonely and he has really lost hope in his life. This Gospel is going to change him. He is actually a referral from Ken Slade in the Quitman ward. He said he is related to all the slades in Arizona! Then again I think everyone is related to the slades in Arizona.

Bishop asked me to speak in sacrament on repentance yesterday and it was pretty fun. I love the whole speaking in front of people gig for some reason. Anyways remember how I used to have like anxiety and butterflies all the time before sports games? Well believe it or not I get that a lot out in the mission field too. It happens when I think about the goals we have and how bad I want to accomplish them! I start getting super stressed and Elder Spencer knows when it happens because I start walking around our apartment really fast and biting my nails. I hate when I get like that! But i realized when I get like that is when I think of my inadequacies and weaknesses. In my personal study a couple of days ago I read 2 Nephi 4. This is my new favorite chapter. In it Nephi is stressing hard with his weaknesses and shortcomings. But in verse 19 he turns his thoughts from himself to his savior and the stress goes away! Thats they key. Going from self to savior.

Well I am excited for this next week! Thanksgiving is on thursday so Elder Spencer and I get to play in the turkey bowl and we are getting fed A LOT that day! Its going to be sweet! Alright family thanks for all your support! Thanks for the letters! They mean a lot! I love you all!



He may never leave Searcy!!!

NEVER LEAVING SEARCY!

Ya so......I am staying one more! Thanks goodness! And I am finishing training Elder Spencer! That made my day because now I get to spend Thanksgiving and Christmas here.

What a week it has been here in Searcy! I tell you what. It has been full of surprises, cold weather, warm weather, crack houses, gang fights, blessings, Irish whistles, and challenges.

So it all started last Tuesday at specialized training. President Petersen  was here in Searcy training a bunch of missionaries that came here.When we had our little lunch break Bishop Mcgrath and Chris came in the building and so President got to meet with and got to meetChris that day! It was sweet! President loved him. President later told me he knew Chris was one of the elect by the way that Chris prayed. He said it was one of the most sincere prayers he has heard.  We play basketball every wednesday night at the church and we always get plenty of the local non members there and President Petersen said he is either going to come play with us this wednesday or next wednesday! How awesome is that! I'm pumped! But ya this last week Elder Spencer and I have worked really hard trying to prepare our investigator Michael Scott for baptism. Yes, that is really his name. Our ward loves him for that reason. Elder Spencer and I were able to find the sketchiest neighborhood in Searcy this past week! Thats where the crack house comes in. We were walking down the street and there was this house with like 6 cars in front of it and twice as many guys chillin on the front porch. So naturally Elder Spencer and start walking up to them. One guy sees us and says "Don't come over here! Please don't! I don't want to talk! Please!" and so I was like "wo,wo you don't want to talk about Jesus?" and he said "No thats not what I am about anymore. If you want to talk about this (holding up his beer can) or weed I will talk to you about that. Thats what I am about." So anyways we go to this house next door and talk to this lady and she tells us how we are in the worst part of town and there is gun shots every night and all that. I asked her what she was doing living in a place like that and she said her and her AR 15 run these streets. This was like a way older lady! Very sketchy street. Right after that house we heard a bunch of screaming and yelling so we went over there and there was like 15 guys in the middle of the street and when we went over there they all took of to their cars and peeled out and then 2 cops came right after them. It was crazy! But anyways......training Elder Spencer has helped me grow a lot as a missionary and a person. I have been really lucky with all of my companions so far. I feel like I have changed a lot since I have been out. Its crazy how different life is out here! I love it! I am so lucky to be able to spend all my time helping other people. I realized that that is why missionaries are so happy all the time. They don't worry at all about themselves. True happines as a missionary come when you abase yourself. In Alma chapter 4 it talks about how some people in the church became prideful and tried to lift themselves up. While others were "abasing themselves" and serving other. When I read that I went to the dictionary for the word abasing and it means to bring down low. So these people were actually bringing themselves down low and lifting others up. I have found on my mission so far that that is when I am happiest. When I am humbling myself ad helping to lift other. That is when I experience true joy.  Anyways....I am so grateful for all of your support. I love you all!! Cammie I am going to write your letter today! Yesterday was crazy!  



Jessica is Baptized!

ANXIETY ATTACKS!

So......I don't know what is happening to me next transfer....but I have heard a lot of rumors! A lot of things are supposed to change. Other Missionaries in the mission have been calling me all day to see if i know anything.  Bishop Mcgrath wanted me to ask President today in my email if I could stay one more so I did. I am having anxiety about it though.

So this week has been probably the best week of my mission so far. JESSICA WAS BAPTIZED!! It was amazing. It was the best feeling I have ever had in my life. I wish you could have been there to witness the spirit that was there.

Funny Pre-Baptism Story: So we were setting up for the baptism and it was going to start in about 5 minutes so everyone started trickling in. Well we invited one our investigators I told you about in one of my first letters. The one who thought his door was locked so he started trying to knock it down and then we went and just turned the knob and opened it for him....ya he is a big man about 35 years old. Well he came and was in the bathroom and i guess he got confused and instead of coming out the way he came in he went in the baptismal font door and fell in!! He was soaked from head to toe! So we had to run him home and get him changed before we started! He was pretty embarrassed about it.....so to lighten the mood I went up to him and said " if you wanted to get baptized you should have just told me!"........ha ha ya that didn't help.

Anyways after that little pool party we started the baptism and it was the best service. Bishop is the one that baptized her and she was just crying and smiling the whole time. Towards the end we had Chris bear his testimony and I have never felt the spirit so strong when he did. This is a big black dude, former gangster/hustler, hardened in the Little Rock ghetto, and he was up there crying and saying how much he loves this church and the Book of Mormon! It was so spiritual. Jessica shined. She was a beam of light. Chris waited for her to get changed after the baptism and when she came out they hugged for like 5 minutes straight. It was the best day ever. And their friends were there and they felt the spirit so strong and that night we had a lesson with them and now they are getting baptized on the 23rd!! What a miracle! This work is hastening. I seriously don't think I have ever seen a happier day than Saturday. I was exhausted that night from all the excitement. Now I got an idea how Ammon felt. I am just happy!! I love you all and thanks for all your support. Happy Veterans Day Grandpa! I love you all so much.



BAPTISM!!!

WHATS UP!!!!

Hows it going family?! Sounds like everyone is doing awesome! I love Kate's Halloween costume. Thank you so much for that package! I ate so much of that candy already! It was sweet!! (pun intended)

Anyways this week has been super awesome!! So My favorite investigator put a picture of me eating a neck bone on Facebook eh? ha ha funny stuff.

Last Tuesday i had District Meeting and it was......not that good. ha It was alright but just not as good as the first one. My ZL's and President Petersen and Sister Petersen came to it again! So I was pretty nervous. Everything went ok though. President loved my SALSA acronym and asked if he could use it. He is big on using acronyms too.

Elder Spencer and I have been humbled and blessed so much this week. Those things tend to go hand in hand. Its to the point where I get a little excited anytime we have a trying or humbling experience because then I know something awesome is about to happen! ha ha its weird. Anyways Elder Spencer and I were in a lesson with our investigator last friday and we were teaching about the importance of temples and why we have them. So we were giving our little spiel when all of the sudden she interrupted us and said "I guess I will just get baptized this saturday. There is no use in waiting." She was originally planning on waiting to get baptized when her husband does but she told us she does not want to wait! This totally took us off guard! All week up to that point we were trying to explain to her the importance of not waiting and she just wasn't budging. So we just decided to  back off about it. But then out of nowhere she tell us she should get baptized next saturday!!! We weren't even talking about baptism or anything! It just goes to show you that its not the missionaries that help people change and progress.....its the spirit! I wish you could see the change that has taken place in her. She is a totally different person from when we first knocked on her door. When we first started teaching her husband she wouldn't even come out and listen to us and she thought we were crazy people that were part of a cult. She was also just...never happy. She was truly just sad all the time. She is so happy now!! She and her husband just have a glow about themselves now and its amazing to see how their countenance has changed!

Anyways when she said she was going to get baptized I was like in shock......and then i did kind of a yell for joy and then got up and did a little touchdown dance and ya.....ha ha I couldn't help myself! The spirit was so strong in the room! Well..it was less strong when I started touchdown dancing but it was just awesome! I am so grateful I get to be here when she gets baptized! I sat behind them at church yesterday and kept trying to get them to bear their testimony. I told them i would make them caramel cakes (their favorite) if they did, but they wouldn't. ha ha

Things are going awesome here though! The trunk r treat was great and we were able to find some new investigators there! I have so many stories to tell you guys. Miracles are taking place out here in Arkansas! I'm sick of typing though so I'll just tell you them in like 2 years or something. Anyways thanks for everything yall do for me.

O one more story: This week was bike week and we have this rough dirt bike trail we go through as a short cut. Elder Spencer is not an experienced seasoned rider yet, and we were riding the trail at night and so I get through the trail and look back and my comp is no where to be found! So after trudging through the great Arkansas wilderness I was able to find him and he had ran into a thorn bush and got cut up pretty good. So after a short-lived laugh we bandaged him up! ha ha ELder SPencer is a good guy! He is really starting to adjust to missionary life and I love training him! Thanks for everything family!! I love you all. Thanks for the letter Camz, Kate, and Ryan! Preciate it!   

Eating Neck Bone

Elder Udall placing the Book of Mormon



S.A.L.S.A.

Well Hey There!

I cannot believe Kylie went through the temple!! Crazy.  Well let me tell you a little bit about this crazy week! So first off I had my first district meeting as a district leader! The sister missionaries in my district told me how they have had trouble with knowing what to say when they talk to people on the street and when they knock doors. They said nothing they are doing is working. So I decided to devote my district meeting to this concern. And since I have a new found love for acronyms I decided to develop one that i could use to demonstrate. SALSA! ha ha ya...let me explain.  So this SALSA acronym goes over 5 things that need to be done when contacting a person  for the first time. The first is S-short and powerful statement. This statement should include the restoration of the gospel. Then A-ask questions. This helps to get the person thinking. L-lead into testimony. PMG says we should always testify to invite the spirit. S-set up a return appointment. A-ask for referrals. Its important to ask everyone you speak to "Who else do you know that we can teach this message too?" So in district meeting we went over that and role played it a bit. And then we made home made salsa!! ha ha I called Sis. Berkheimer the morning of the meeting and asked for a salsa recipe. She gave me one and said I could go over to her house and get the ingredients. So I did and chopped up the onions and all the other stuff and put them into 5 ziploc bags and then after the meeting I had everyone get a bag and put their ingredient in and explain why it was important and then we mixed it up and had some chips and salsa! It was pretty awesome. I just thought I would spice things up a little bit. (no pun intended)

That night we had an appointment with a church of Christ family where their dad has been a minister for like 20 years. So when we get in there, we say an opening prayer, ask if they have any questions, and then first thing his son does is go over to the computer and pull up a site called Ex-mormon.org. We knew we were in for one at that moment. So they just started ponding us with these questions about this stuff they have read and frankly I didn't know what to say. So then I just said "Well we see that you have looked up stuff on exmormon and other MAN MADE websites but how has your Book of Mormon reading been going. It was"so shocking"when they told me they haven't even read a chapter of it yet.

Cool Story: We have a recent convert who is the coolest dude ever. Me and him have gotten to be really good friends. Before his baptism he had drug problems and just a couple weeks ago he slipped up again and ever since then he has been avoiding and the church. We have prayed constantly to know how we can help him. Finally last friday night we were driving around and all of the sudden the spirit came over me really strong and so I pulled over and we prayed to figure out what it was all about. During the prayer all I could think of was this newly baptized member! So we went straight to his house and he let us in for the first time in 2 weeks. The first things he said was "I'm so glad you got my text." We told him we never got a text from him though. He said he sent one right before we came over, apologizing to us and asking us to come over. He looked at his phone at the text never sent. So I guess Heavenly Father decided to send me a spiritual text! ha ha it was crazy though because the spirit was able to direct us at the exact moment where we needed to go. What a blessing! 

One of our investigators is awesome. He is 26 years old and  He is almost done with Alma in the Book of Mormon and he quit smoking in 3 days after we taught him the Word of Wisdom.

Chris and Jess are my favorite people in the world. They made brownies for the wards last baptism and Chris went to the stake priesthood meeting in Little Rock with Bishop. I love the experiences out here. O love the people I meet everyday! More then anything though i love how involved Heavenly Father is in this work and in our lives. I am beginning to understand a little bit of what my Heavenly Father is like. I know he loves us all more than we can comprehend. I know he wants us to know truth. And ACT upon those truths!!

There is only 7 missionaries in my district! Being a ZL is a lot more fun but its still cool. I didn't get a jacket yet. elder Boyer left his so I just wear it. where did cammie move too?

Chris and jess and so awesome Mom. They are people I can truly say I love on my mission. I am pretty sure they have grown my testimony more then i have grown theirs. ha ha So we had missionary sunday yesterday right? and i was kind of in charge of the whole thing. and then 2 hours before sacrament meeting I hear our main speaker president oliver, president petersens counselor, cancelled on us! it was pretty hectic yesterday but it worked out!

They made me sing in a musical number with all the sisters! i protested it in ward council but everyone voted against me! and then after sacrament everyone came up to me and asked why i looked like I didn;t know what I was doing. so annoying. Me,  elder spencer and the sister missionaries. me and elder spencer have the worst voices. its a rule in our mission that we sing a hymn together every night before we go to sleep and you should hear us sing! ha ha it sucks. but ya this week should be good. we got some investigators going to trunk r' treat. Bishop is going to hire Chris at Bike city too!!

I Love You All and Miss You! Thanks for everything you do!!

These pictures crack me up! I didnt get one picture with him in it! Maybe next week!

Elder Udall's Study Desk



Elder Udall's Wall



Sign Elder Udall made for his investigators.
He said people always walk in and out of their house during lessons.
They told Elder Udall they use the sign even when the missionaries arent there.



Hey there!

So it sounds like yall have had a pretty good week. Mine was one of the better weeks I have had on my mission, and one of the harder ones. It seems like those always go hand in hand.

Anyways this last week has been full of ups and downs. So last monday we were planning on having a lesson with our investigator that night about repentance and why his baptism needs to get pushed back a little bit due to some issues. It was kind of a make or break deal. He hates talking about it so I was worried he would get offended or lose hope or something. So I fasted that day that the Lord would prepare him for what we had to tell him. I was so nervous for that lesson! I was pacing around everywhere in our apartment in fear of getting dropped by an investigator that we have gotten so close too. Well when we got to his house, right away he just started talking about how grateful he was for this gospel and the chance he has to start over. He told us that he was willing to do anything for it and he was pretty much just teaching us the lesson we had to teach him about repentance. So when we told him about the probation stuff he understood and was ready! The Lord completely prepared him for that lesson! It was awesome.

So he has to wait a little over a month before he can get interviewed by Pres. Petersen to get baptized but he is doing good! His wife is doing good to! Last week we brought her the 15 step no smoking program, cinnamon mouthwash, grapefruit juice, and a kool aid pie! The first 3 things were for her to quit smoking. The kool-aid pie was just to cheer her up! And not to toot my own horn but.....I make a pretty mean kool-aid pie! Anyways She can get baptized just as soon as she quits smoking!

Elder Spencer and I have had so many tender mercies this week! So on Wednesday we had an appointment to teach this girl, and I lost the address to her house! I knew the general area though so we went over there and decided to just knock every door until we found it! Well the first door we knocked on wasn't it, but the lady who answered started talking to us and I asked her if she had ever heard of the Book of Mormon and she said that she has read it! So then I asked what she thought about it and she said she knows its another testament of Jesus Christ! This completely took me off guard and so I said "wait.......what?" and she was like "well isn't it?!" and I said ya it is! ha She is a methodist but we are going to go back and teach her more this week!

Elder Spencer and I have made it a goal to talk to everyone we see this week no matter what! No matter where we are or what the situation is and how awkward it might be!.....and believe me sometimes it has been awkward. ha ha but awkward moments make for good laughs!

Anyways...a lot has happened this last week. I wish I had time to tell you all of it. Elder Spencer is learning quickly and is starting to come out of his shell. The Searcy area is just awesome. Tonight we are having dinner and a lesson with an investigator family we found last week and tomorrow night we are teaching a friend of our Stake Presidents inside his home. It was awesome because President Berkheimer went out with us saturday night and all of the sudden he pulled out his phone and called his friend and asked him to come over to be taught by the missionaries and the friend accepted. Good stuff! Anyways I love you all and hope you are searching for those missonary oppurtunites everyday!

P.S. I got a letter from Semore! it was pretty cool. it has been getting pretty cold here at nights now. I am getting myself a jacket today for sure.

Elder Udall and Elder Spencer

Elder Boyer, Kevin Berkheimer, Elder Udall

Kevin Berkheimer. the stake presidents son. He is going in his mission pretty soon! He always goes on splits with us and stuff and we eat at his house like 3 times a week. 



HAPPY BIRTHDAY CAMZ!! How was it? Did ya do anything crazy? Did Grandpa call you and tell you that you're grounded?

 My week was pretty dang awesome! Elder Boyer left me and got transferred to Hot Springs. On Wednesday I went to North Little Rock where I picked up my son!!! His name is Elder Spencer from San Diego Cali. He is a pretty cool dude! He is like an exact twin to my former roommate Ty Stroupe. He is really smart......electrical engineer major.....robotics team captain....the works! Its crazy how smart this guy is! He also knows his stuff about the Gospel so that's nice. So on Wednesday when we got back to Searcy we went straight to the apartment and dropped off his bags and then went straight to work! So Elder Spencer is kind of a shy guy, and he was like in a trance his first day. So naturally the first thing we do is go out street contacting. The first house I take him to is Brother Williams, for the sake of tradition. Brother Williams and I pre-planned this. So I tell Elder Spencer that this house was a referral and that the guy here is known to be a little crazy. So we walk up and Elder Spencer knocks on the door and then Brother Williams comes out with this huge samurai sword and yells at us and I take off hoping that Elder Spencer would run to but he just stood there all brave and what not. He wasn't even scared!

 Anyways the rest of that day we went walking and talking to EVERYONE! This was pretty hard for Elder Spencer because he is just really really shy but he stuck it out. There was one instance on that first day where it was pretty awkward. So everyone told me before I started training that no matter how awkward it gets when my greenie is talking to someone (or in my case not talking to someone), that I can't intervene because he has to learn how to do it himself. So at this one door we knocked on this person that opened it and asked who we were and then it was just silent......for like 30 seconds.....and I was just standing there looking at Elder Spencer....and he didn't say anything! ha ha so then the lady just closed the door. ha ha Elder Spencer has been doing so good though! He has been working to overcome his fears and has really improved! I love training. It has taught me so much already and has pushed me to know the doctrine better and be completely focused. Elder Spencer's testimony has strengthened mine and he has definitely helped me! We have absolutely nothing in common but I have already learned to love the guy and am grateful for the chance I get to help him! 

 Our investigators are doing good though. Chris and Jessica are the bomb!! I love them. They have progressed so much. They read the Book of Mormon on their own together and they always talk about getting sealed in the temple now. Last Tuesday me and Chris had a mormon rap battle and it was sweet! The video of it is on Elder Boyers camera though so you may not ever get to witness my skills.

 One of our investigators named Patrick was supposed to come to church yesterday but didn't. Then he texted us at 4 in the afternoon and said see ya at church! ha ha He thought the service was at 9 at night instead of 9 am. So i just told him we had a service at 6 pm that he should go too. So he ended up coming to our mission prep class night for all the priests! He was so confused! But we ended up teaching him the Plan of Salvation afterwards and the spirit was able to testify to him! We are now trying to help him prepare for baptism by helping him quit smoking. Its the best thing ever to watch the spirit change your investigator! Nothing could make anyone happier than helping someone find this gospel and use the atonement. (Alma 29:9) Thanks for the letters you have sent me! Thank you for everything. I love you all and appreciate the support. Austa!

Part of an email to DAD:

Kylie is going to be such a good missionary. I saw a picture of Ryan and he
already looks so much different.he looks way older. its alright though
because i can still beat him up. training is crazy. its fun and it has
helped me become a better missionary. So when are you going to sell the cows soon? are you still
really busy at work?

I gotta go. I love you. thanks for eveything. can you keep my investigators in your prayers for me? I really want them to get baptized.