Hey Family!

So sorry I wasn't able to send an email yesterday. We were so busy! We didn't even have a p-day because it was so busy. It was a good week though! I will start off with the sketchy story of the week: Elder Armstrong and I were in a pretty sketchy apartment complex a few days ago contacting one of our potentials. So I started teaching Chris about the restoration while elder Armstrong was talking to a couple of other guys close by. This man that I was teaching,  was a super humble guy that had been through a lot and wanted to change. So there we were, me and him, just unfolding the scriptures and having a good lesson, paying no attention to the outside world. Elder Armstrong came up to me after a little bit and said we needed to go. He said that the guys he was talking to were part of this gang and a rival gang pulled up while he was talking to them and they almost got in a shoot out over it. I was just oblivious to this whole thing! Anyways, fast forward to sunday night we went over there to see why Chris didn't come to church like he said he would and when we got there there was 9 cop cars in the complex! So we snooped around to see what happened and apparently there was a big shooting and a lot of guys got injured. Chris was all good though. We may shy away from that complex for a while.

         Sunday was stake conference and Carsha brought her 13 year old nephew Lamaje with her to church. The whole time during the meeting Carsha was teaching her nephew out of the gospel principles manual about the church. She talked to him about serving a mission a lot too and how he needs to make sure he gets baptized so he can be a missionary. It makes every struggle of a mission worth it when you hear your recent converts teaching other people about the church! Carsha just loves learning the gospel. She has a notebook that she brings to every church meeting and every missionary lessons and she is a diligent note taker! Anyways, she is just awesome.

       Yesterday President organized a temple trip for all the leadership of our mission! It was sweet! I love going to the temple. Lately I have been focusing on revelation and how I can give myself more opportunities to receive it. The revelation I received at the temple yesterday was so clear and distinct. It's amazing how involved Heavenly Father is in our lives when we allow him to be. 

      This last week has been crazy. Between the zone conferences we had around the mission this past week and transfers, we had almost no time to work in our area. I am busy but I am happy. I love working around President Petersen. Every time I'm around him he raises my vision. I don't know how he does it but every time I'm around him I just have an overwhelming desire to improve and to help others improve. He has made a lasting impact on my life.

HAPPY FATHERS DAY DAD! Since I have been out on my mission I have realized 3 things about you: 1. You were right about all the things I always thought you were not right about. 2. You are very prone to injury. 3. You love children, even Ryan. I know that sounds obvious but I was just thinking about the sacrifices you have made for us and the ones you make every day. Thank you for being a great dad. Thanks for everything everybody! 

TELL BAKERS HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! I cannot believe she is 12. Transfers are tomorrow. It's going to be nuts.

Heeding small promptings makes a huge difference!

Hey Fam! 

 

 

This week has been busy but good! Last Tuesday seems like a month ago! But anyways last tuesday we had our mission leadership council. It was my first one conducting. It was crazy! Those meetings are always really spiritual because President Petersen is awesome.

 

On wednesday Elder Armstrong and I went to Conway for their zone meeting. After that We went on exchanges and I stayed and worked in Conway with Elder Durham! It was sweet. I love going into other areas and working with missionaries. A couple of days later we drove to Southaven, Mississippi to go on exchanges with those elders. About five minutes before we got to the apartment we get a text from one of them that said "be prepared to give a blessing." Those texts make you nervous sometimes. When we walk in the apartment there is an elder who is sitting on his bed and in a lot of pain. Apparently right before we got there he bent down to pick up his suit case and his back went out. He was shaking because it hurt so bad. So we gave him a blessing and took him to an urgent care. After almost 2 hours of waiting (not so urgent care), he finally got checked out. They told him that one of his back discs almost popped out and it could have been a lot more sever than it was. She said it was a miracle that it did not pop out all the way. Power of the priesthood. So by that time in the day it was to late and to stormy to drive all the way back to Little Rock for an exchange so we stayed the night there and worked their area with them.

 

At the end of the night we met at Zaxby's for dinner. I  love Zaxby's. Anyways while we were in line I had a strong feeling to talk to the guy behind me. I ignored it for a while because he was talking with his family. Finally they started talking about the NBA finals and thats when I maneuvered my way into the conversations. After some small talk about stats and scores I was able to talk about what I did as a missionary. We talked about how when Christ was on earth he established one church. We talked about how there was churches on every street corner now, all teaching different and conflicting doctrines. I asked him why there was so many churches and what happened to the one founded by Christ himself. We were having such a good conversations that we let people cut in front of us. I testified of the restoration of the Gospel and the guy asked if we could come tell him more. So we set up an appointment with him.  

 

 

I have found on my mission that heeding small promptings makes a huge difference. I love being able to just talk to people all day long and to teach them about the message. It has changes my life. Everyone deserves it and everyone needs it. Thanks everyone for your support. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa for the letters!

The Gospel fills gaps...

 

Hey Family!

Sorry I am emailing late, we played ball with President today. We decided we would get some elders together and play one more time with him before he left. I am still standing by my statement that he is the coolest mission president of all time. He played with us forever. Me and him were guarding each other and it got pretty intense! He is dang good for an old man! Afterwards he bought all the missionaries little caesars. It was a P-day for the ages. 

Anyways this week was pretty awesome. We went on exchanges with the frayser elders on Tuesday.   Frayser is in Memphis and its the sketchiest, most dangerous, most ghetto place in our mission.  It was an eye opener for me. We taught a lot of people though and it was way fun! 

Kate will appreciate this story: While I was in Memphis we were at a dinner and we were talking to a guy that said he knew Michael Oher. (Blindside) The neighborhood he grew up in was in the area I was working in that day. We asked the guy if he could set up an appointment with his family for us to teach them and he called them right there! So I am pretty sure those Memphis elders are going to start teaching Michael Ohers Mom and brother. Crazy eh? 

On the way home from Memphis that day Elder Armstrong and I were stuck in traffic right after we crossed the Mississippi for 3 hours on the I-40.

Yesterday was fast sunday and Carsha bore her testimony! It was so awesome! She loves the church and got a calling to be the sunday school vice president. Ishia came to church again too. We are still teaching her and her family. Her kids are good to get baptized now and so is she but she wants to wait to get baptized with her husband. So its kind of a sticky situation but it will all work out.

I have been so busy but I have found that the busier I am, the happier I am. On Saturday we went and helped with a ward out reach with the searcy ward. It was nice to see all of my hometown people again. Things are going well over here. I love missionary work and I love testifying. I know that this Gospel "fills gaps," in the words of Rocky Balboa. Anything unfair or painful or missing about life can be made up, made better, and found through this Gospel. 

Thanks family!

Carsha was baptized!!

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!

Man....sorry I haven't had a lot of time to email. This last week was awesome though. Here is the run down! So last Tuesday was Carsha's baptism. It was really good! We had really good ward support! I baptized her and she was so funny because right after I pulled her up out of the water she was like "Man I feel great!" And then she turned to the crowd and waved and said "God bless yall!" ha ha At the end of the baptism she bore her testimony and it was awesome. The ward really loves her because she is so outgoing. On sunday when they announced that she had got baptized she stood up and waved at everyone and was like "Hey i'm Carsha yall, God bless!" ha ha It was awesome. One thing about Carsha is she is a diligent note taker. From the first time we taught her she would just write down everything we said and go over it. Yesterday during sacrament meeting we were sitting in the bench behind her and she was sitting by a returning member. Her and the member were taking notes the whole time and asking questions. It was so cool. She is getting a calling as an assistant sunday school president. Things are going great here. I love Little Rock. I love beeing able to work so close with President Petersen. I am going to miss him so much. I am really grateful for all of you!! Have a good memorial day!

 

Also one last story: we are teaching the coolest family right now. I sent you a picture with them a couple of weeks ago. They are getting baptized pretty soon. Yesterday we were having a lesson at their house and their dad called from prison. So he was talking to the mom for a minute and then he asked if he could talk to us.He told us he appreciated what we were doing for his family while he was locked up, he said that he had heard a lot about us and was looking forward to meeting us. It was awesome. Elder Armstrong and I wrote our testimonies in a book of mormon and are sending it to him.

Carsha gets baptized tomorrow!

Hey Family!

So my time is short to email today but our week was awesome! We had some scraight miracles happen in the Little Rock area. We are working with a couple families right now that are just so dang cool. Families are the way to go in missionary work. I love the spirit that is felt as you are teaching a family the gospel! 

Carsha was supposed to get baptized this last Saturday but the ward was super busy with all sorts of stuff so she is getting baptized tomorrow right before the relief society party. She is doing great. Her family is really anti against the gospel but Carsha has a lot of faith. She has quit smoking and she is reading and praying everyday. 

Last Friday was one of the highlights of my mission! Elder Kopischke of the 70 and Elder Meredith, an area authority, came to our mission. They held 2 meetings, 1 in Memphis for that side of the mission and one in little rock for this side of the mission. Elder Armstrong and I got to go to both! It was so cool! They are hilarious and they gave some of the most spiritual instruction ever. It was an amazing day.

 

I gotta go but I just want to let yall know that I am thankful for your prayers and support. I am grateful for all families that have family home evenings and daily scripture study. I know by those small and simple things, great blessings come immediately and eternally.

New Companion and lots of pics!!!

Hey everyone

I dont have a lot of time today but I just wanted to let ya'll know that things are going awesome! It was fun skyping and seeing all of you again! Things are getting crazy over here in Arkansas!

The tornado clean up was a good time and Chris's baptism was awesome. That night I got called to be an assistant. Its been a lot of fun so far. My first official day as an assistant me and Elder Armstrong were helping people take their luggage home and we ran out of gas in the middle of nowhere between little rock and conway! It was pretty crazy.

Elder Armstrong is awesome. He is such a funny dude! He served in Little Rock already before so I am excited to see whats in store for this next transfer!   Elder Kopischke of the 70 is coming this friday! It is going to be sweet! He is doing a conference in memphis and in little rock and me and Elder Armstrong get to go to both and be with him the whole day! I am nervous but excited. Things are going great out here and I am loving every second of it!     
 

 

Tornados! And Chris Is getting Baptized!!!

HEEEY FAMILY!!

CHRIS IS GETTING BAPTIZED!!!!!! Man it makes me so happy every time I think about it. He called us on Saturday night and told us the good news. I am not exaggerating when I say I lost my voice from shouting joyous praises to the heavens. Elder Boyer and I are going to the baptism on Saturday and I can't wait. Sister Cooksey is going to make my favorite dish for me too, lemon pepper fried chicken, a southern delicacy.

But of course since there is opposition in all things the devil had to send forth mighty winds, yea his shafts in the whirlwind, and all his hail and mighty storms! Man that tornado was crazy. It was on the ground forever. We were eating dinner at a members home last night when we got a call from President Petersen saying we needed to get everyone in our zone in and safe asap. So we were calling everyone like crazy and making sure they were in a safe place. The only people we could never get a hold of were the Pinnacle Mountain Sisters who were the closest to the tornando! We freaked out but they ended up making it. It was pretty crazy. The alarms went off forever. President said that we will probably go help clean up on wednesday or thursday.

We had some miracles happen this past week in our zone. So at the beginning of the week it looked like we were going to reach our monthly goal easy, then crap hit the fan and a lot of our baptism fell through. So it looked like we were going to be 2 short of our goal, we fasted and prayed so dang hard! To make a long story short we are going to reach our goal this month after a baptism on Tuesday! I'm pumped!

Carsha is still doing good! The ward loves her. In gospel principles this past week we were learning about the 3 kingdoms of glory and we did a demo where Carsha was the judge and she had to judge people and where they were going to go. She sent everyone to hell. ha ha It was funny! She is really awesome though and she will be getting baptized soon! She is almost there. Robert is doing great too! 

Let me just leave with my testimony that the power of the Book of Mormon can help us overcome addictions. I have seen that in these past couple of weeks. I love the Book of Mormon! It is a pure vessel of the spirit and can bring comfort and solace to every human heart. I know that it is the word of God and testifies and Jesus is our Savior! Thanks for all your support family!