April 7, 2015

Hey family :)

what a good general conference!!

I felt so edified during this one.. I was so so tired during each session but as soon as the opening prayer was said.. I was on the edge of my seat till the closing.. I flippin loved it!! I cant wait to watch them again.

So I felt like a huge part of the messages given was about marriage and fatherhood....... trunky!! haha naw I'm just kidding. 

I really felt the resopsobility the a father has though. It made me think of Dad and Grandpa and some of the other father figures I have in my life.. parenthood is the most important calling we can have.. it effects so much.

Marriage is more than love. its a link to the generations.. its crazy how the woman you marry... will effect every single thing in your life...from everything!! if my wife likes to eat gluten free mac and cheese ill eat lots! you know? that's sorta dumb but its like the smallest thing I could think of. I'm excited to have a best friend that I can work with in helping others. my mission has helped me loads with communication and things like that.. what I know is that a family who is built on the gospel of Jesus Christ will be a successful one. The church is true and if you stick to following the holy ghost and example of Christ.. you can't go wrong.

So with my new found drive to get married and have a family in a few years I got like a confidence in talking to girls haha so I know I'm a missionary so I wasn't being dumb but there was this girl that just got back from her mission from temple square. She is so pretty.. but I was like what the heck she served an hour from my house.. so I went up to say hi..... haha I got smacked with like high school and how scary girls are haha so don't worry mom ill be at home till I'm 30 :)

ah man jokes jokes :)

I love this gospel so much though..

Elder Hollands story of the cliff.. I have felt Gods hands lift me from the ledge. Jesus Christ will stand by me forever all I have to do is choose to stand by him.

I am a missionary from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day saints

I know this is Christ's church and I'm going to work so others will know that as well.

love you guys!

have a great week.

love elder wiser

Dean finished his mini mission with us this week.. it was so good!! we saw loads of miracles :) he is the man!!

I sent you some photos from Alexs phone as well. They visited Nottingham yesterday. I love alex and Wei Wen so much!! the sun is shining here as well. its the best!

mom. I was thinking about it last night and I want to go to Utah state :) is that ok? Elder Smart and the boys said that they will call you and sort everything out.. but the thing is is that I have zero money.. ill be able to get a job for the times im not in school and stuff but Smart told me that Utah state was more expensive... so me personally I would love to go to Utah state. I prayed about it and I feel that God is leaving it to me. I'm going to let elder smart know that I'm in but when he calls you, if you think BYU I is better. lll do it :) I just want to go to school ha life isn't about always chillin with the homies.. I can make friends wherever I go.. Utah state... man I'm so excited!! your going to love these guys mom ha they are nuts.

thanks mom! sorry for how bad I suck.. I wish I could talk to you face to face.. we can in a month or so but yeah.. i'll check my email in the week when I'm with dean. if you have an email you want me to see just make an eye catching subject :) and not that tuffy died or something haha I wont be able to see the email because of tears.

love you!

April 6, 2015

Mom!!! Hey :) Conference was so dang good!! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. haha I took loads of notes... I don't know if your remember the little orange book I used to have, but I filled it up with this conference!! so I filled a full note book of notes! I dont have loads of time left for today, it's bank holiday today so we are emialing at Deans house.  We are going into town today and meet Alex and Wei Wen! We are just going to have lunch and play some games or something.

 ill send some of my favorite thoughts though :)

What I got the most out of this conference was marriage and fatherhood, haha! the whole time I was getting hit with spiritual waves.. lets see

one from Dale Renlund.. a saint is a sinner that keeps on trying.. thats why we are latter day saints and not latterday sinners haha

man I look loads of notes

as well Uchtdorf talking about potemkins villiage... I feel like that quite a bit. so I'm going to try and be a normal human being.. I am me :)

I'm actually pretty districted right now ha we are going to emial for an hour tomorrow i'll compile some notes and stuff to share with you guys.

it looks like powell was way sweet though!! Dad sent some photos. Man the sunshine!!!! It looks way awesome.  

Shay ha I'm stoked to read stuff as well :) thats way cool with shelby auditioning for productions!!! i'll totally pray for her. what day is it?

you guys are awomse though!! I'll email the family email tomorrow.

love you!

April 1, 2015 - Bonus

Hey mom!! so Dean is with us on a mini mission.. it has been so good. We have for sure see some big miracles.  It has been super uplifting. Yesterday we were on exchanges with the zone leaders. So Elder Ross, Me, and Dean. So we swiched off street contacting with Dean.. we found 17 potentials in one day!! in Bulwell!!! how cool is that :) We were so happy. the Lord blesses us. on Friday we have 8 return appointments with new investogators haha I feel like im in a Utah mission!

March 30, 2015

Hey mom! holy cow.... its almost April!! that's my last full month before I come home!! ha I'm really looking forward it. there are some things I need to sort out but I think it will be really good to see how life goes.

The stuff you sent on faith is awesome. its funny how hardships can come in so many different ways. someone doing something or not doing something, our own halt in progression.. there is loads of stuff. its dang true though.. I have easily learned the most when stuff is super tough. it sucks in the middle of it but I have tried to have an attitude of building myself from it instead of weathering the storm.

what days are you guys in powell this week? that's going to be sick!! I'm super stoked for that.

Oh shelb has some eye issues... that's no good.  I actually feel like im going to fall apart when I get home. my teeth are on their last leg. my eyes. I'm fat. haha it will be good to get fixed in a few months. I'm still working out though so it will be fun :) I have planned a few things I want to do when I get back. some hikes and stuff :)

I'm going to Nottingham today! so im a titch short on time. 

love you mom!

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!!