STANDARD OF TRUTH - Monday, July 21, 2014

Hey Family!

Well, I just skimmed over the headings of the emails I have received and CONGRATULATIONS TEAG AND TISH AND TRY! That's so exciting! MAN! I'm gonna have TWO nephews when I get home! CRAZY ! haha! Wow, that's awesome! And Trysen is going to be and OLDER BROTHER! What a champ! haha!

This week was great! Elder Talbot had his eyes pop open a little bit as we have tracted and street contacted a lot down town and the surrounding area. On Tuesday, HOLY COW! There was this huge lightening and thunder storm, and for a little bit, it was right above our apartment, and it cut out our power, and shook our whole apartment. It was LEGIT! Haha! SO COOL! And the rain just POURED! Tucson does NOT know how to make roads. The roads just turned into rivers. That didn't stop us from going out and getting to work though. But no joke, the water on some roads was up to our knees. And had a pretty strong current. It was crazy! The underpasses had to be shut down, cuz they were COMPLETELY flooded! It was a lot of fun to bike in that whether!

Also on Tuesday, this guy pulls his car in front of us, and says "HEY! I wanna talk to ya!" He pulls his car to the side of the road, and gets out and introduces himself as the "anti-Christ and the jack Mormon mafia leader." He just started bashing on stupid stuff how Jesus Christ was actually Alexander the Great, and all this weird stuff. Sometimes - especially in Down Town Tucson - people just say things that are just so stupid I just laugh. I accidentally laughed at this guy, and he got SOOO MAD! He started cussing hard core at us. I've never had the middle finger waved so close to my face before. He told us to leave this town and never come back....lol I wanted to recite the Standard of Truth to him, but I just said k, seeya! We then biked away. He was so mad, he was still screaming and yelling at us. I was afraid he was going to chase us with his car, so we booked it and took the side streets. I didn't really think about how Elder Talbot took that, until I looked at him, and he was pretty shocked. Haha! But for some reason we ran into that stuff alot this week, and he's starting to get used to it.

Elder Talbot is an awesome teacher! He's extended a couple of baptismal dates, and found quite a bit of potential investigators for us! He says like the last two weeks have felt like two months. haha! I remember being there. It's a crazy time.

This area is starting to pick up again! We just swept the area book this last week, and tracted a TON! We now have a couple new investigators! This area is different from any area in the mission, because the people in down town Tucson are just insane sometimes. It's pretty entertaining! haha!

I found during that after talking with that guy, that my testimony has grown so much stronger. We faced a lot of opposition this week. Probably more than I ever have on my mission. I remember at the beginning of my mission, sometimes it tore me down, or discouraged me. Now, it builds me up. I know that the work will move forward no matter what. Even through opposition. At the beginning of each Zone meeting or district or transfer meeting, we recite a couple things. We recite our purpose as missionaries, and D&C 4. As well as "The Standard of Truth" that Joseph Smith proclaimed. I want to share it with you. All together, the missionaries say:

"Our Missionaries are going forth to different Nations. The Standard of Truth has been erected. No unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing. Persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, and Calamity made defame. But the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly and independent. 'Till it has penetrated every continent, visited every climb, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, until the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say 'The Work is done'" -The Prophet Joseph Smith.

I know that even through opposition, nothing and no one can stop the work from progressing. Remember that! I love you all, and have a great week!  

Desert Storms! - Monday, July 14, 2014

Family!

This week Elder Talbot and I got in a big fight..... LOL JK :) We're having the time of our lives! I am so happy he's my companion! He's awesome! Man, memories of home have just been flooding back. But I'm not trunky! Haha! He's really a hard worker and is anxiously engaged in the work and the progress of our area! It's awesome! He's off on a great start!

We did lots of studying this week. The first presidency came out with a program that lasts 12 weeks for new missionaries, so that even with less time in the MTC, we don't lose our effectiveness in the field. So that consists of an extra hour of studying. So 3 hours of studying every day. Haha! My brain is fried. We really worked hard this week! This area has been in the dumps the last couple of transfers, and we are starting to pick it up! We found lots of potential investigators! Elder Talbot extended his FIRST baptismal date! It was awesome! They accepted! :)

We went through our area book and just blasted through it, reorganizing everything, getting in contact with everyone. Things are looking pretty promising! Elder Talbot doesn't like the bike too much! Haha! I was that way when I first came into this area, but you get used to it. MAN there's been some crazy lightening storms lately! It's awesome! On Tuesday night, I couldn't go to sleep cuz it was just huge flashes every 2 seconds! Never seen anything like it! It also monsooned pretty dang hard yesterday. It was awesome! The streets were like rivers, it was crazy! It got up almost knee deep on the roads! The underpasses on the freeway were completely flooded and they had to block it off it was crazy!

Anyway, things are awesome down in Tucson! This week I was studying in 2 Nephi 5, and it's talking about the people of Nephi and the things they did that made them live after the manner of happiness.Iif you look into chapter 5, they were an industrious people, meaning they had to work hard. They had faith, and hoped for things which were prophesied, and they qualified themselves for the spirit. They followed the commandments, and this is what caused them to live after the manner of happiness. The world likes to have you think that happiness comes when you don't have to work anymore, and you can do whatever you want. That is a lie. That is how you live after the manner of sadness. True happiness comes when we are industrious, when we work hard, follow the commandments through obedience, and qualify ourselves through the spirit. I think our family is really good at living in the manner of happiness. I love you all, and I hope summer is going great! Have a great week! 

Fern Prairie Connection YET AGAIN!!! - Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Family,

This transfer I am training a new missionary! He is sitting right next to me. And his name is..... -Drumrole-...... ELDER TALBOT!!!!!!! :D:D:D:D! That's right, I get to train Tanner! Hahaha! It was so good to see him this morning. I went up to him and gave him a big ole' hug! It's soooo weird to see someone from Camas! Gosh, I'm so excited for these next two transfers!! They are going to be awesome! It'll be fun! I'm so excited! Right now he's exhausted, cuz he's been running on like 5 hours of sleep in the last two days. Haha been there. I'm so stoked! This is going to be so much fun!! 

Anyways, this last week we had our first meeting with President and Sister Passey. They are waaay different from the Killpacks, but seem pretty awesome! Can't wait to get to know them more throughout the next 14 months. They are both really knowledgeable in the scriptures, and spiritual power houses!

This week I had an experience that with justice and mercy. It's so interesting how quick we are to execute justice and judgement on other people, and how slow we are to extend mercy. Christ is our advocate with the father through repentance. If it weren't for him, we would all be destroyed by justice. However, our Heavenly Father provided Christ as the plan of mercy, because they have an infinite love for us. So my goal is to look at people no matter how they treat me, with mercy, instead of judgement and a longing for justice. I know that I need mercy just as much as the next person. I love you all, and hope you have a great week!