March 23, 2015

hey hey hey!!

I love you guys so much!

it has been a way good email session today. you guys make me so flippin happy.

it has been a way cool week this week :)

first thing.. my companion.. Elder Winder.. is such a good dude! we are having such a good time out here. this area I think is going to be one of my favourites it has loads of potential and we are the elders that are going to get it done.

some cool things that happened this week:

We were finding in town center and we talked to this polish guy and his little boy.... we got a return appointment with them and they are so normal!! He is almost married, his house is clean.. he made lunch for his son from scratch. They had a families forever thing on the wall.... it had to have been made my Mormons! they are so elect! I have wanted to teach a family my whole mission and this one is so cool :) i'll keep you posted.

another one.. so at a family home evening the other day everyone one was talking so I decided to text random people in the phone... they texted back and when I told the people there they said that they do that whenever they go to a new area.. so that night I texted everyone in the phone.. it took quite a while. and quite a few texted back. but one in particular.. he is an English guy. he called and asked who we were... surprised that we are missionarys and said he could meet the next day. So we met him at the chapel...

We sat down and he said well... I better tell you guys my story. He said that when we contacted him he was contemplating taking his own life. The last 10 years of his life had been hell and he didn't know how to get out of it... drugs, alcohol, all the addictions humans deal with this guy had dealt with.. he really wanted to have a better life though and he felt like the missionary's were his chance. My companion and I bore testimony of the gospel, Jesus Christ and Heavenly Fathers love for him personally. It was such a cool experience!! We are seeing him again tonight but he wants to get baptised in April and feel the change that the gospel can bring :)

The church is dang true guys... I see it every day when I get out and work :)

I love it so much!!

eclipse!!

Dean a revent convert!!

oh and our boiler is broken... cold showers all week!! I'm tough haha

love you guys so much!

Elder Wiser

March 16, 2015

Mama bear!! :) hello!! time is going so flippin fast! I have been here for a half week already.... ah man... its so werid! I'm going to be back before i know it.

sooo funny news haha when I emailed saying I was going to Nottingham.. that's where I thought I was going. so the town I'm in is close to Nottingham haha I was so shocked when I stepped off the train.. it's really little! compared to Birmingham anyway! but we had an amazing first few days and I'm going to love my stay here. I'm honestly in the overtime part of my mission... its going to be a good couple transfers. my new companion is from Highland Utah and is named Elder Winder!! He is a legend!! ha we have been having a great time. He has been out for 8 months.. He is in palu's group :) all I have to say really is that I'm feeling really optimistic about this transfer. I love Elder Winder! and I love this area :) the members here are so cool! and I think I can use my talents a little better in a smaller ward. it's so weird that this is my last area..... so crazy! so on the map in the dining room its a place called bullwell.. 

my new address is 25 potters hollow, Nottingham. NG6 6PB.

I'm still district leader. which is crazy! that means that i'll have been district leader for a whole year of my mission. its been a good experience :)

It was pretty tough leaving all of my friends in Birmingham but we had some really cool experiences.. we found and taught some really cool new investigators! and some amazing people are coming back from China and want to start learning again... I think I should be able to go back and watch the baptisms! that will be really cool :) I have a photo of my last day i'll throw on.

I have learned some really important lessons this last little bit though.... my communication skills are terrible! haha well I have gotten a lot better and I think that will help me a lot in the future :)

little spiritual thought.. street contacting last night around seven thirty. there was a dude named Glen we talked to.. he had a pretty rough life.. but he said one day watching tv the channel went to the Jesus channel and wouldn't move from it. as he listened to the paster talk about how if we are depressed and lonely that God still loves us... he said it hit him really hard.. and that moment really changed his life. he had a scripture tattooed on his arm that I thought was sick. 

proverbs 18: 21 

in the foot notes it has matt 12:37 and alma 12:14 what we say shows what is in our hearts. be positive!!

there is a few different ways you can take that.. but the way that I took it.. is we control what comes out of our mouths.. we control our decisions.. we control how we deal with things we have in our lives!

there has been times in the mish where I have been unhappy.. whether its from a companion.. personal progression.. whatever.. we can choose the out come of the situation! 

good quote.... "those who say they can and those who say they cant, are both usually right" 

I know we can help any situation by being positive.. being positive is what the gospel of Jesus Christ gives us!!

the church is true!

love elder wiser..

this is the district... I went from ten missionaries to four haha and no sisters!! im going to have time to write letters now!! yay!

Elder Neilson from Montanna. he goes home in 5 weeks.. I have known him my whole mission.. he is a legend :)

Elder Toupo is from Tonga!! malo e lie lie haha I have been using all the tongan a know!! its been way good :) man anyone seeing this knows how sick this is going to be haha a district of four elders in Bullwell... its going to be so fun!! in call ins last night we are going to try and set up some activities for the transfer.. man I cant wait to see what we can do. I'm going to love this area :)

and I'm getting back in shape!! stant.... I'm coming for you :) haha we have a pull up bar here and push up space... it's going down!

Sooo Elder Sorensen was awesome and gave me one of his bikes he had. its a way sick one!! a little work needs to be done to it but there s a Frankenstein shop here that is going to sort it out with parts and stuff.. for everything to be fixed it will only cost about 25 quid when if I went to Halfords... it would be well over one hundred. i'll send you a photo when its done :) its flippin awesome!! and American. 

on the money side of things... mom i have been so bad... so that bike is about 25. I don't have money because I haven't sent in rembursments yet. and we have no food! dang it sorry mom... I really am trying to be thrifty but I spent a weeks worth of money for the old flat.. I paied for Sorensen as well.. and we flippin left haha both of us!! it was sick for the new guys though :) they came into a clean and food stocked flat. 

as well.. the glasses dude.. I just decided to wait.. and his good deals... were terrible. so he charged 60 pound for the visit..... 60 pound....... my face about fell off!! he did a really good job and everthing though. he was really detailed and told me what I should do when I get home.. thing is is i'm going to have to book a visit again when I get back and go through the same motions again.. i'll keep this paper with everything on it though... its worth 60 pound.

so mom could you pay for that as well? man i feel so bad. I should have just waited till I was home. the stuff I have is going to last me for a while and he said my persicription is pretty much the same its just that my astigmatism has gotten worse so my contacts stay off balance.

Sorry about all this mom. when I come home..... i have to get a job. I'm going to ask dad a few more questions about ideas he has but I think ill know what I want to do soon.. its between sales and manual labor.... thing is with sales... I suck at closing.. out here I can use the spirit.. I can't when its for money..... haha so we will see.. I just want to do something that I have to learn something.. whether its how to measure and do math or well just something!  we shall see :)

how you doing mom?

in response to your mail mom.. dang. thats a tough one.. thing is its pretty easy to be positive when you haven't ever felt real pain before.. your a tough cookie mom :) haha you are an amazing example.

God commanded you to build a awesome family even when you may not have known how fully. you did it! you will make it through this :) ill keep praying for you. i really love you mom :)

I get to hug you in like 10 weeks!! haha hwo crazy is that!! I'm stoked but at the same time! its all so werid to be honest ha I'm so used to being out here... I have so much more to learn!! ahh man!! we shall see :)

I love you mom!!

this is my new companion this is dean in the background. he was helping us clean :) that place was destroyed!

March 16, 2015

dad! I'm doing great :) this new area is small but it has loads of potential ha im so excited to see what happens.. my companion I'm with now is awesome and funny but he is lacking a little motivation... so my goal so far is to pay attention to the details.. do what I know im supposed to and pray that God will bless us so he can have a similar experience to what I have had.. it just takes testing the word to know its right. but there is no way I'm wasting time right now haha i'll have eternity to look back and regret it. its go time! :) I'm coming home dad!! haha how crazy is that! its not going to be real until im on the plan.. i don't feel trunky or lazy or anything.. I'm just excited and want to see what I can do :) I'm still district leader.. that means i'll have been district leader for a year! how nuts is that? I have learnd so much from it though... I started out like a weak people pleaser but I think I'm at the point where I can do what is right. and know God is backing me :) that's going to help in the future.

I'm totally down to hunt and fish!! I have tried hunting a few times out here I miss it so bad. I would have tried fishing but there is a huge fine if you get caught... so I probably better not... the Queen likes her fish haha we had a pond in Cheltenham and we found a fishing shop but i would have had to get a licence and everything... and only on p-day for a bit. I'm so stoked though to come home and chill :) I'm going to have to geta job really quick so I can survive without mooching more from you guys.. thinking about work... from your opinion. do you think I would be a successful sales man? thing is rejection is nothing to me since I'm out here. I can talk to people all day in the rain without crying. but maybe construction would be better for me. I would have to work my physical guts out and they pay pretty good.. maybe I could talk to Jack Briskey again and see if he has work.. what do ya think pop? sorry I'm so bad at making a decision. it only pops into my head today usually ha.

i'll read that chapter :) I finished the New Testament in my last area and I'm on 43 of Doctrine and Covenants right now. its great! I have been learning loads :)

I cant believe stant is leaving in July!! haha what a crazy dude!! I'm going to try and make some cool things for him that will help out in the field.

I love you dad :)

have a great week!!

March 9, 2015

holy cow!! Austrailia!   That is awesome!!  I think his personality will fit in so good there :) laid back. sunshine. and really good at creating relationships. I was thinking about what sorta missionary I think he will be based off of what I know.... Mom, he is such a good dude! He really is! he can take control of situations and lead but at the same time is patient and loving. what good qualities. I can't wait to see him when I get back! I can't wait to see you all!! its weird how I only have two transfers left... its so unreal to me.. a huge group of mission friends are leaving this transfer.. thats going to be tough.. Elder Higham is going home... i'll miss him so bad!!!!! If you guys are in idaho he will be giving his homecoming in Shelly. he is a stud!

thats rough to hear about Grandma Wiser and Bassett.... ill keep praying for them. that is really rough.. they work so hard.. how is grandpa? when is Grandma Wiser going to come live with us? I love them all so much!!! its going to be crazy to hug all you guys... I feel like I haven't even been gone for to long then I hear shelby is 16 and stant is 18 haha ah man.. life is coming up so fast!!!!

That sounds awesome about your school!! haha mom you are so cool :) your a great teacher. I still remember a lot of teachers I have had over the years. you have a real impact on people mom :) its cool becuase its not just standing up and giving info its leading and there is loads of stuff after school and prep you do to help them all.. its really cool :) your a legend!!

time is a movin! I cant wait to chill with the family.. do you think you guys will be able to pick me up from England? I would love that. I would get to talk to you guys loads before everything and it would be fun to show you around the mission and some of my best friends :) but at the same time it would be good to just step off and see everyone in America :) so whatever is the most easy. I'm down :)

love you!!

March 2, 2015

**This is Sterling's response to my question of how he teaches the Plan of Salvation and if he had any experiences to share**

hmmmm.... a lot of out investigators just accept the Plan of Salvation... I have had some cool stories of people being really happy and beliveing it is true but we just taught it with an aid and with our testimoneys... do you know that little wooden cut out of the plan we have on the piano in the front room? Elder Sorensen has one of those and we use that :)

We are teaching the plan of salvation to a very strong seventhday adventist this week though... so i'll let you know how that goes. We had an amazing spiritual lesson with him yesterday talking about the Godhead and the atonement.. I think he is open for the idea of the restoration but he didn't accept a Book of Mormon.. he said he needs to test the spirits.... he is one of the most doctrinaly sound people I have taught on my mission.... it has been so good to expound on scriptures and he understands and knows other ones in the bible... its so cool!! so i'll let you know :)

**Here is his letter to Shane**

Hey dad :)

ah man!! stants call is killing me... i want to see him so bad when i get home. im sure i will.. time is a moving.

I sent mom a pretty good mail about how things have been :) I'm happy and have been learning a lot. the gospel is about learning! its funny how the hardships out here are so easy but they seem so dramatic. if I had troubles with a roomate back at home I don't feel like it would effect everything like it does out here. but I'm really trying to learn what I need to so I can be a good husband. I dont like saying it that way but it is what it is :) ha

hmmm for work... I just want to do something that is hard. I have been thinking alot about selling.. and I talk to charity workers all the time on the street...I dont know if I would be good at it... I wish i could have a list to choose from but I have been thinking where I would fit best.. I'll keep thinking about it.. but whatever I do I want to try and be good at it.. if its like contracting or something i'll do my best. thing is pop... I'm like stupid haha I have been testing myself out with math problems and stuff.... when I get home I'm going to start to spend time online taking prep tests... everyone says you will regret what you did in high school.. and you don't belive them untill your out of high school and you regret it haha.. we shall see though.. i'll think of some things this week :)

I sure love you dad :) you are a legend. I cant wait to chill when I get back :) I have a lot of questions already but I'm just going to save them.. its going to be weird that I'm going to be replacing stant. I really hope we get to do some stuff before he goes.. but God ask and we do ha 

Your a really good dad :) the reflection of how awesome you are is how you run your family and personal affairs :) not bragging on my part but our family is pretty dang good.. we have been majorly blessed... we just have to use what we have to bless others :) but one hundred percent honest... you are thee man. and I love you :)

have a great week!

love elder wiser :)

February 23, 2015

hey mom :) how are you? its good to hear from yuo!! your guys package was awesome. thanks so much. :) im saving all the candy and eating only little bits here and there ha the flash drive is working right now. thank you!

things are going good on this end though :) its week four already... last week we lost basically all of our investogators.. but we think its just a learning time. it really sucked to be honest though. it just shows that we were doing something wrong. it has to go back to pride and charity and stuff.. we may have been teaching what we thought was best instead of the spririt. we really want to be better though and we havent stopped working hard. so ill have to let you know about that as well.

have a great week :) 

love elder wiser

**Here is and excerpt from his letter to Shayna**

Thanks for your package sis!! you hooked me up big time :) the tie and everything is aweomse :) that key chain as well ha I'm going to attach it to my back pack. BYU is awesome!! I have to figure out to go to BYU I. or to go to Utah State. I think Utah State will be a lot more fun and its an amazing school. The cool thing is is a bunch of my mission mates are getting a house there off campus and they said I could room with them. I served with a few of them as well so it would be so much fun. but if I go to BYU-I  I think that I will be able to focous more... since I don't have anyone I know really going there it would be an all new thing.. I just want to be a good student! but I'm leaning to Utah State :) we shall see.. I think when I get closer i'll be able to ask god more and sort it out.. I have 14 weeks now.. time is a movin.

Things are going good on this end though :) its week four already... last week we lost basically all of our investigators.. but we think its just a learning time. it really sucked to be honest though. it just shows that we were doing something wrong. it has to go back to pride and charity and stuff.. we may have been teaching what we thought was best instead of the spirit. we really want to be better though and we haven't stopped working hard. so i'll have to let you know about that as well.

how is the district going? dont all the missionarys just look so young now? haha I see the new ones coming in and I just want to hug them all. the Lord is for sure hastening his work.. everyone that comes out comes out ready to slay it.

Flip! I sure love you sis :) thanks for all you do.

have a great week :) 

love elder wiser