June 23, 2014

Family!!! Hello :) as the English and welsh say..... you doin alright? ha! it freaked me out at the beginning of the mish because thats what I used to get asked when I looked gulty :) but it is easier :) we shorten it down to like yu alrig,, so its more like a grunt.. but it is what it is!!

 

So I got my hair cut.... oh my goodness!! ha! the dude miss heard me and shaved the sides of my head to .5!! so my head is balder then it ever has been. haha! ill try and send a pic when I'm at the chapel later... ah man the ward gave me so much crap :)

So we have had some really cool meetings lately! I learned something that I have learned many times but this week I want to talk about it..

 

listening with the spirit!

 

So we really focus on teaching with the spirit as missionarys and members but maybe its becasue I wasnt "listening" but I don't remember there being a lot of talk about the congeration preparing.. so I have some qottes and stuff!

 

I cant find the whole thing and I dont have time to type it but the ending of the quote by Boyd K Packer says "What you shall gain will not depend so much on their preperation of the message as upon your preperation for them"

 

Some of the quotes Dad send from conference were "If we teach by the spirit, and you listen by the spirit, someone of us will touch on your circumstanves, sending you a personal prophetic epistle just to you" Jeffery R Holland

 

"I promise you if you will listen you will feel the spirit well up within you.  The Lord will tell you what he wants you to do in your life. in conference we can recieve the word of the Lord meant just for us" Deieter F. Uchtdorf

 

I love this!! I really tried to listen with the spirit over the last few weeks.. things went to much better! sometimes if we are being honest... meetings can sorta drag or be boring... I know I probably shouldnt say that but it happens... but there is always something we can learn no matter what.. and if we listne with the spirit we will learn what we are supposed to :) thats why we have speakers every sunday and conference!

 

So some scriptures..

 

D&C 88:63 and Mosiah 2:41

 

so true!!

 

being a missionary is the best!

have a great week :)

love you!

elder wiser

this is sister davis!! we were in the lincoln district together.. she is going home soon!

ok... so look how short that is!!!! it looks a bit better in from the front haha

elder maligon died in the background... haha

June 16, 2014

Hey there family! Man I love hearing from you guys on Mondays!! It makes my week. I put alot of coments on all the individual pictures but I'm glad you guys are going good.. Dad,  good luck fishing! and stant good job cutting off your mullet.... I remember how hard that was.. don't get me started on my stash, haha

Man fathers day.... :) I wish we could call then to!! I would totally be fine.. I feel like working harder after talking to you guys.. it helps me remember what the gospel does in peoples lives... so I dig it!! I only have two more phone calls left!! I'm going to be home so fast.... it freaks me out.. its going to be good, but for how fast this year has gone and how at the beginning I felt like I was never going home.. it gets more real every day..

 

Anyway good to hear about dads leg :) ha I bet he had some good conversations with the people on the block.. man I love our block.. people are so friendly!!

 

Things are going to be busy for you, haha! Man it makes time go fast huh? I did want to ask.. how did those wonder berries turn out? and a tiger tomato.... you know, I actually like tomatos I think... they are so juicy and crunchy.. yum yum.. is the garden looking ok? our house is going to be soooo huge when I get back... most peoples houses aren't as big as our garage out back.. its insane.. I have gotten good at hand dishes though :) 

 

Mom... I love ya! I have some thoughts for today and I have a bunch more to look at, so ill keep filling you in :)

have a great day!

elder wiser

Man it was a great week!! so I have a few cool moments..

A few weeks ago Elder Maligon and I had a walk in lesson with a former, it was so cool! not becasue we were able to teach a lesson but because it was our first teaching appt together.. so we hadn't ever taught besides role plays... anyway it went really well and at the end we asked him to read a chapter and pray to know which way God wants him to go.. and I was looking for a chapter.. and I flipped open to Alma thirty two.. book marked it and gave it to him.. after the lesson Elder M asked what chapter I had chosen..and I told him and he started to snap his fingers and said "ohh by the spirit!!" he said if he had the Book of Mormon he would have chosen that as well :) cool huh?

All I gotta say is that Elder Maligon is a complete champion missoinary.. it has been so good being able to serve with him.. I hope we get to stay for two transfers. which means I will probably get moved :( dang it!!

This week I thought alot about how God is always there for us and only ppl can choose how close we are to Him...

Some scriptures I read in the last few days talk about the people not believing and because they didn't believe, they couldn't understand the scriptuers... I thought that was interesting... having faith is so important.

The other ones I really liked were in alma 5.. verses 26,27.  They are really good ones but the ones that I thought of were 37 and 49..

The bottom half of 37 talks about the Saviour calling after us then and is still callling after us now..

then this picture..

It talks about the picture of the Saviour knocking at the door.. one of this athours' friends thought he messed up and told him he missed the door handle on the outside.. well it wasn't a mistake the author said "we must open to the light, the handle is on the inside."

That is so true!!! I know that the Saviour is always there for us.. all we have to do to know that for ourselves is to listen to his words and to follow his voice.

the church is true!!

love you all :) have a great week

elder wiser

June 9, 2014

Mama Bear!!!! hey :) Man I love today. I love reading all these amazing emails! Thank you for them so much. I will admit... watching the Lake Powell videos makes me a bit trunky haha.. I said it before but I can like close my eyes and go there..... feel the heat and the noise... ah man I miss it!! I miss it in a good way though.. we are going to have to do some family trips downt here like crazy!

 

It is so weird that it has been a year! I can't belive it... I have a big chart of my mission and seeing it half way done is so werid... at the beginning you think it will never end but every night before I hit the pillow it seems so much more real to me... freaks me out really..... but anyway! ha its really cool.

 

I do miss you guys loads though.... every single day.... it dosent effect the work but our family is so awesome.. 

 

I love the garden analogies too!!! it makes so much sense.. I read through Jacob 5 today.... Man I wish we could skype so I could just say so many things. But the garden was made so we can have analogys.. and food :)

 

I'm glad Dads foot is doing better.. I felt really bad about that .. he made so much proggress then he got broked.. is there any way that it could have been a good thing? weird question I know but lately I have found there is a lesson to be learned in everything.. good or bad..

 

ah man.. wrestling! I cant beleive that camp is starting and a new coach! holy cow... he sounds like a stud though.. I bet Stant was devistated to loose Giatras.. he is such a good guy.. this next year Stant is going to do so good though.. no matter who is coach that kid is going to own the matt..

 

Elder Maligon... he is such a good guy.. honestly he is what a missionary should always be.. he is incredibly humble and always ready to learn but at the same time he is really bold.. serving with him has been amazing and I hope that we get to stay for two.. here is a little insight... the dude shined my shoes.... never had that... he likes doing the dishes... ha! so I try to do them right after I use them or they get done... and he fixed my brakes one day.. like he is such a good dude... I have read books about missionary compaions like this guy.. not just becasue he does things for me just becasue he is so good and does things for the right reason. when he shined my shoes I was waking down the street and I noticed something shiney on the ground.. so of course I looked and it was my flippin shoe!! it really suprised me... I really appriciated it

 

In the Philippines they learn two first languages.. so English and Phillipino.. so he hasn't ever had language study or anything he is fluent I want to learn a language so bad... I really want to learn spanish. I remember you wanting to learn it so maybe that could be a project when i get back home :)

 

My bike is fine :) Wendy.. (the falcon) is broken.. she hit a house and a car hit her ha! so I think it was time to let her go... I built a new one out of a brand of bike called a peougeot.. I think thats how it is spelled.. I think its french.. I rode it today for the first time and its a bit shaky so I have some more work to do on it but its been really fun.. I only spent £2 on it :) and one of those £ I found on the ground.. its aweome! ill send you some pictures when I get to a computer that will do it..

 

So you asked how to pronounce cwmbran.. its like this cu(tongue roll)mebraun... sorta like that, depening on the accent of the speaker haha its welsh and sounds really interesting.. there is a place not to far from me that is like this... ll makes a cough sound... so (cough)neligh(cough)le kinda like a hauking a lugi cough.. ha this is useless.... when I get home ill show you :) or look it up on youtube! it bet it will be on there.

 

This week has been great! I was going to prepare a little spiritual thought for you guys this week but I started reading the scriptures this morning and when I looked at the clock next personal study had been over for eight minutes.... I couldnt beleive it.. I read from 2 Nephi 31 to Enos. taking notes and thinking about it.. I decided that I want to read straight through the book of mormon.. Most ppl say not to and to just look at bits but I have been enjoying it so much Nephi inspired me to start reading Isaiah.. I havent started yet but im going to give it a go in my free time... so today won't have little poems or anything but I have learned some good stuff..

 

we have some new investogators!! we have gone through quite a few since I have been here, but we have a family to teach!!!!! how cool is that??!! they are from Afganistan and are seek... the dad and daughter know a little english so we are going to try to teach them english and the gospel at the same time! cool huh?? they are a family of five :)

 

ha I do know you love me :) you guys know I love you right?

 

i'll do a blog email.. it will be short because I have to email pres and I have a few other ones..

 

I really love you ma!!

have a good week :)

Hey there :) so I'm running on short time again dang it!! sorry about that... I just wannna share some scriptues and thoughts I had this morning in study..

 

So this bad boy is in Jacob 4:10 

 10 Wherefore, brethren, seek not to counsel the Lord, but to take counsel from his hand. For behold, ye yourselves know that he counseleth in wisdom, and in justice, and in great mercy, over all his works.

it made me think of Jeffery R Holland when he spoke about people wanting a God who doesn't rock the boat.. or a smooth God.. really brief but I thought of how so many people do that.. even sometimes when its a good thing we want we just ask and say thanks and wait.. instead of seeking his council we council him... haha I dont know about you guys but he sorta knows everything.. like all things from the beginning to the end.. we should seek council from him :)

 

another one I liked was 2 Nephi 31:12... we have the perfect example!!

12 And also, the voice of the Son came unto me, saying: He that is baptized in my name, to him will the Father give the Holy Ghost, like unto me; wherefore, follow me, and do the things which ye have seen me do.

 

I can't remember the other one but it talks about people saying they beleive in Christ and then saying they don't beleive the scriptures testify of Christ.. ha! they it says if you don't.. beleive in Christ.. and if you believe in Christ you will believe these words.. the prophets from the beginning have prophesied of Christ... I wish I could remember the scripture.. flipp!!

 

The mission is so good!! I love being out here.. I have a year left of the best work I could ever do.. I know God loves us and that if we read the scriptures and say our prayers.. and go to church! our testimonys will grow.... I love the three legged stool analogy... we sit up there and the three legs are the primary answers.. scriptures, prayer, church.. if we loose one it's hard to balance!  We may not fall but, our testimony can't grow if it doesn't have a firm foundation.

the church is true!!  1 nephi 19:23... 

23 And I did read many things unto them which were written in the books of Moses; but that I might more fully persuade them to believe in the Lord their Redeemer I did read unto them that which was written by the prophet Isaiah; for I did liken all scriptures unto us, that it might be for our profit and learning.  Every day!!!! they are only boring if you don't do that... apply them!!

 

Well I have been out a year! ha! I'm old :) Elder Downey pointed out that I have grey hair yesterday... sad part is he is right!!! I have a patch of grey hair....... man if I'm gettin grey hair from being out here whats going to happen when I have kids!! haha I'm just going to loose it all!

 

Ah man.. well I really love you guys :) family you are awesome friends you are aweomse.. thank you.

 

elder wiser

June 2, 2014

Well I have ten minutes.... we are in cwbran for a district p-day.. I'm going to try and find some more time later tonight... I have been trying to prepare little messages of things that go with my week.. and I did today but I don't really have enough time to shoot it to you.. I really hope that I will get some time in a bit so that I can send you some stuff.... because tis a good one!!

 

my back is all good :) I just have some whiplash is all.... but I havent stopped doing anything at all so I guess I'm good :) my knees are a bit sore but I think the Lord will bless me for working..

 

its been such a good week though! elder maligon is the man! we are already good friends and this transfer is going to be great.. I have already learned loads...

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Hey there!! so I have another fifteen min! sooo I gottta make this sorta speady!

 

so this week I have thought alot about like doing small things.. sorta like tracting in the rain or doing things that at the time dont seem like they matter... like obviously they are good but when you all you get is closed doors and soaked everything it makes you think a bit... so in study I looked at this

 

alma 37:6 becasue that is the best scripture!! haha

and an awesome friend from my last area.... whom if reads this, thanks loads!!! this book is aweseome! sent me a little book of insparatinal stories... and when it came in the post it had a story book marked. here it is.

 

While walking along a beach, an elderly gentleman saw someone in the distance leaning down, picking something up and throwing it into the ocean.As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, picking up starfish one by one and tossing each one gently back into the water.
He came closer still and called out, “Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?”
The young man paused, looked up, and replied “Throwing starfish into the ocean.”
The old man smiled, and said, “I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?”
To this, the young man replied, “The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them in, they’ll die.”
Upon hearing this, the elderly observer commented, “But, young man, do you not realise that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can’t possibly make a difference!”
The young man listened politely. Then he bent down, picked up another starfish, threw it into the back into the ocean past the breaking waves and said, “It made a difference for that one"

We all have the opportunity to help create positive change, but if you’re like me, you sometimes find yourself thinking, “I’m already really busy, and how much of a difference can I really make?” I think this is especially true when we’re talking about addressing massive social problems like tackling world hunger or finding a cure for cancer, but it pops up all of the time in our everyday lives, as well. So when I catch myself thinking that way, it helps to remember this story. You might not be able to change the entire world, but at least you can change a small part of it, for someone.
They say that one of the most common reasons we procrastinate is because we see the challenge before us as overwhelming, and that a good way to counter that is to break the big challenge down into smaller pieces and then take those one at a time–like one starfish at a time. And to that one starfish, it can make a world of difference....

I like this story for a lot of reasons but for this week it meant to me that no matter what happens when you are doing the lords will.. you can know thats what god wants..

a good example is abinidi.... he died testifying in from of the wicked king not knowing the change of heart alma would have... but he still did it :)

3 nephi 12:14-16

I know these things are true!
keep tracting in the rain haha
have a great week.;
elder wiser