Words from Elder Garrett Hollembeak in West Virginia

" The work here in Charleston is going great,
we've been teaching a lot lately and the church came out with the He
is the Gift initiative for us to use in our proselyting efforts. Its
been going really great, the video is amazing and its a great way to
invite the Spirit into peoples homes. What's even better is that it
gives you an opportunity to point out that they are feeling the Spirit
and have that be a template for how they may feel when they continue
to learn about the truths of the restored gospel. It has been a great
thing to be able to testify that Jesus Christ's life and ministry
didn't start in Bethlehem or end on Calvary and because of that the
miracles that were made available to the people then are available to
us now. Earlier this week we met a lady that hadn't been to the church
in a really long time. She said that she had done "research" online
about the early days of the church and after finding a lot of junk,
most of which probably wasn't true, she stopped going to church and
let her doubts take root. In talking with her it was tempting to just
go point by point and explain what misinformation she had gotten and
clarify what she had read but we quickly realized that she didn't want
to change how she felt about things. So we started talking to her
about her experience with the Book of Mormon, which she believed to be
true. It had been a long time since she had read from it with any
consistency and we invited her to read it daily and promised that as
she did so all of her questions would either be answered or no longer
matter. It was really neat how the Holy Ghost directed things. This
week we also had one of our part member families come to church and
they really seemed to like it. The wife, Virginia, is the member and
she hadn't been to a sacrament meeting since the standard church block
had been instituted and her husband Bill has been really absorbing the
lessons. It was about a twenty minute drive for them to come to the
church so it was  big commitment for them to come and it showed a lot
of real intent. One of our investigators, John, has been doing really
well too. He's reading and praying and started coming to church
regularly. He's 23 and hasn't had really any religious background so
everything that we teach is a new concept and he just soaks it up. The
big stumbling block is that he currently lives with his girlfriend
Madison so this week we taught about marriage and the importance of
the law of chastity. Awkwardly enough in all of our other lessons
Madison has sat in the other room and just listened but this was the
first lesson that she sat in on. It went about as well as it could of
gone and the member that taught with us did a great job explaining
that missionaries ask people to do hard things because the Lord asks
us to do hard things. We're meeting with them again this Thursday and
we left them with the commitment to pray about it and make a game plan
for if they wanted to get married or get separate places and live the
law of chastity so we'll see how it goes. Another cool miracle we saw
was with a part member family. We've been doing our best to meet all
of our members and find through them so we called a lady named Sister
Elahi and she lives way up on the other side of our area, about thirty
miles away. She wants to get back to the temple and has talked to her
husband about having the missionaries over to bring her the sacrament,
Sister Elahi is disabled. Her husband was receptive and we've got an
appointment with them this Friday. This week we also got to work with
the Secret Santa organization here in Charleston. 1700 kids were given
presents this year by sponsors from the county. One guy spent over
$5000 getting gifts for kids whose families couldn't afford things for
Christmas. It was incredible to see all of the kindness and how happy
people were to be a part of the Christmas season. I hope you guys have
an awesome week, I love you so much and miss you all a ton. Thank you
so much for everything you do for me."

Words from Elder Garrett Davis in Thailand

"Finally done with being a greene!!:)

so i finished training this week and its nice to be done with it:) so this week we had a buffet and zone conference it was pretty good i learned a lot i had the opportunity as well to talk with some senior couples and they are great to talk with they had lots of stories to tell as well:) so at zone conference we talked about the spirit of Christmas and how sometimes we can lose the true meaning of Christmas but then he gave us a story to read which was good i liked it its called the mansion. i wont tell you about it you ll have to read it but its a good Christmas story:) after that we returned to working and inviting people to church and we have two new investigators this week one is a sister of the the person we just baptized named sister Dream and the other is named Joy they both are really interested in learning about our church and they seem excited about it as well:) so funny story we have a baptism this week but our baptism font faucet broke so it wont fill it up so instead of delaying it we dragged hoses from the outside and janitors closet and we filled the font:) it was pretty sweet:) well all is well in Thailand the work is going well i love you guys!"

Words from Elder Tyler Crosby in Tonga

"My week was pretty good. Had some really good teachings and am having a good time teaching our investigators. They are just some cool people really. I really love teaching the restoration and about Joseph smith and the bool of Mormon. Thats probably my favorite lesson to teach. Its so powerful and the spirit is so strong. I wanted to share something I learned this week. I was reading in George Albert smith's book. Reading about living what you teach. It talked about how people should be able to know we are Mormons by our actions not by someone telling them. Everyone can teach, but living what you teach shows the kind of teacher you really are. I think that being a good example and showing what you believe is so important in these days. We might get ridiculed for it or made fun of, but we will pleasing to god and that's the most important thing. Another thing is that we need to live up to our name. We do this by honoring our fathers and mothers. By the ways you act the way you talk and showing your true character. Christ example was so good that people mistake him for being Heavenly father. He lived up to his name so well that people don't know the difference. He lived perfectly and honorably. I love him and his sacrifice I hope people will remember him this Christmas season and if they do they will find that light in their lives. I am really enjoying all the learning on my mission and the people I am serving. I hope you are doing good and you know I love you."

Words from Elder Eli Frazier in Peru

 

  

"Hola mi familia y mis amigos! Como estan?? 

Everything is good here in peru! wow its crazy how much i didnt know about the gospel! And now im starting to understand a little bit about it but ill never fully com`prehend all. Because we´`ll never completely comprehend the suffering of jesus christ and the things he went through. Any mortal would die if they experienced anthing like he did. I encourage you guys to watch the video, if you havent already, its called ``El es la Dadiva´` and in english i think its called he is the gift? but yeah, its great. Its also been great in peru, heres some pics! got some chritmas lights up and got way dirty grinding bricks for a service activity that we did! Love you all!!"

Words from Sister Brittany Platt in Colorado

 

     "Hola everyone!!!! So, the reason for my title is it has not snowed here for the past two or three weeks! Apparently, this is supposed to be the wettest, coldest winter in the history of Colorado and we only had like one week of snow! Crazy crazy!!! I'm not complaining, because the weather here is beautiful, but it's just funny. This place reminds me so much of St. Johns!!! So I feel right at home.

 

     So, this week was a lot better than last week. We had many appointments and did a lot of finding. Yesterday at church we had several women come up to us and let us know that they had prayed us here. They've been wanting sisters in the ward so we can help re-activate the 100 less active women in the ward. We're starting to feel like that's our calling here! What a wonderful thing to do, to help bring people back to church who have strayed!

     Funny story for you all: our amazing Relief Society President took us around the area (the Strasburg ward covers the towns of Strasburg, Bennett, Buyers, Aggot, Dear Trail, and a few other really small communities) to try to contact less active women in the ward. When we were in Buyers, we couldn't find the address of one of the sisters we were wanting to contact. We spotted a cowboy over in a small complex of homes, so we asked him if he knew where the address was. Oh man, was he a rodeo cowboy! Cussin and spittin and talkin a million miles an hour, but at the same time being very respectful to us. He was hilarious!!! He didn't know where the address was, but he took us over to the car repair shop to ask but there was nobody there. Then he said, "Hey, let's go over to the bar and ask!" So he goes tromping over to the liquor store before we can say anything and goes inside. Our Relief Society president follows right behind him and turns around to make sure we're comin with her!!! We were both like, "Uh, we can't go in sorry!" So, we waited outside while the two of them asked the bartender. We kept praying that no members drove by and saw the two new sister missionaries hanging outside the local town bar!!! It was hilarious and our Relief Society president felt so bad, but thought it was so funny. What a wonderful time we had!! We also drove out of town about five miles to visit a sister and her neighbors built a train track around their yard complete with a water tower, a train station, a parts yard, and all sorts of other stuff. It was SUPER cool! I love this place!

     This last week we met with our investigator again, like we do every Tuesday, and really exhorted her to come to church. She said she would try this last week, but didn't think she could make it. Well, she didn't come and we were pretty disappointed. But, she did promise to come this week so hopefully she'll be here! That's the only thing that's keeping her from baptism. Hopefully she'll realize the importance of coming to church. This week we had two appointments cancel with investigators, but we went finding and made appointments with other potentials and formers so that was a miracle! We also got to go with a member around town to give out popcorn to residents at a rest home, the firefighters in Strasburg, and a few families who are having a hard time. This member has his own, legit popcorn machine! It was awesome! Because of our finding ours this last week, including finding less actives, we were able to set up about 12 appointments for this week! What a blessing and miracle! I also went to my first baptism. It wasn't mine, but it was wonderful!!!! The spirit was so strong!

     Another funny story for you, is my district leader is from snowflake! He showed up at district meeting with a lobos shirt that he gave to me as a gift (worst gift ever, right? :)) Anyhow, I told him I wouldn't wear it and I'd probably burn it. He thought I was joking but I totally burned it!!! It was my companion's year mark this last week and when you've been out a year, for elders you burn a white shirt and for sisters you burn a skirt. So, as we had our little burning party I burnt the Lobos shirt with pride. :) It was hilarious! For the record, I really have nothing against Snowflake and I love the people there; I just did it for rivalry's sake! :) Also, there's two families from Eager that are in my ward! One of them's a Hall and the other is a Davis. So cool!!!

    Another cool miracle this last week, was my companion and I were looking through our area book trying to figure out what formers we should go see and we felt strongly about two of them. So we show up at the address for one of them and a woman comes outside to greet us. It turns out that both the former investigators we wanted to contact lived at this address!! But the one former had moved away, and the other former that still lived there, his mother was the one that greeted us and she's a member but less active!!! She was so excited to see us and asked specifically for us to come back and teach her and try to teach her son and his wife who are not members. It was truly a miracle!!!

 

   There's so much more to tell, but that's the jist of it! Oh, one more thing. Sister Hoemann and I are doing a missionary competition with the youth in our ward for five weeks. We split them all into two teams, and they get points according to what missionary experiences they have during each week. The team with the most points at the end wins a dinner. We presented it to the youth yesterday and they loved it and all the auxiliaries in our ward love it and are so supportive. Our bishop is amazing as well! We absolutely love this ward and the people here!
    To leave you with one spiritual thought, we're sharing a Christmas message with the members in our ward about keeping Christ in Christmas. It's taken from a talk given by President Benson in the 90's. We're also having everyone watch the "He Is The Gift" video on christmas.mormon.org. If you haven't watched this video please do and share it with everyone! And please read this talk. It is amazing!!! President Benson challenges us to be as the wise men of old and always seek Christ. My goal this Christmas season is to memorize "The Living Christ" so that I can keep my thoughts on the Savior. Please, during this season, don't get caught up in the commercialized Christmas. Don't be too busy for Christ!! Instead of buying tons of presents, think of personal gifts you can give to others that mean so much more than a store bought gift. Give a Book of Mormon away as a gift! Wrap it in wrapping paper! That's what we're doing and it's awesome! On Christmas day, find someone or somewhere where you can give service. I promise that as you focus on Christ, your Christmas will be life-changing.

 

Thanks for all the support and prayers and love! I'll admit, I've been a bit discouraged from not having any baptisms yet, but I know that the work I am doing is so meaningful and there are so many blessings that I have received from serving and being very obedient. I love this work and I love this gospel! God bless you all!

God is good!"

Words from Elder Adam Otto in Idaho

"Hey all everyone! Hello from Poky!

So this has been a wonderful week! I love it here in Pocatello! The people here are super poor! It's a really dirty place; I am serving in Old Town Pocatello...the armpit of the mission! But I love it because I feel like a missionary here! It's so great :) There are homeless people everywhere and the train is constantly so loud! My area always smells like smoke and all of my stuff does now too.

We only cover two wards, which is nice. Church here is backwards?! They start with the classes and then Sacrament meeting is last. Odd. There are super old and dirty apartments that are falling apart that we teach people who live there. I sometimes feel like it's not healthy to be breathing in all this air...haha!  The people here are so fun to teach! I feel like I can share my little heart out with them and they won't judge me! I have grown so much these past few days being here. And Elder Miller is awesome! At first it was awkward of course, new situation and stuff, but now it is pretty comfortable. Our apartment is super nice though which is a huge blessing! It's really big and nicely kept. 

One of my Zone leaders is Elder Haws from Round Valley! I am pretty sure he requested me being here...haha! But he is super nice and is a great leader. In my zone is also Sister Brimley (my MTC mom/sister) and Elder Dunlap from my first transfer district. So it's been pretty nice here. :)

I just can't explain how different it is here from Ammon! Total opposites! In Ammon all the houses were the same, with white fences, and clean houses, and rich members. Here...weeelll I am always scared walking at night, because there aren't very many lights and there are creepy people always walking. But I really do love it here so much! They don't let Sisters serve here, if that gives you a hint of how creepy it is.

There was this one home we went into where it was just nasty. The kitchen only had like a sink and a fridge in a hole in the wall. It was pretty nasty. We met with this homeless man  there and we set a date with him for Jan 10. 

We are also teaching this one couple, S and T, can't say their names. But they are living together and have a baby coming. But they are kind of mentally unstable. We are working really hard to get them baptized, but they won't stop smoking and drinking unhealthy stuff. I promised them so many blessings and shared my lil heart out with them, but the only way they will get baptized is if THEY choose to. Which doesn't seem very likely. But I have faith :) And it's really complicated, because we went over the baptism interview questions with them, and they answered yes to all the questions that were supposed to be answered as no....so they have had quite the life! It was very awkward...haha

We have this ward missionary, and she wants everyone to call her Sister Weirdo. She is absolutely amazing! She has an amazing life story, of being beat by her husband and her family disowning her for being baptized. She is awesome! She is the happiest person I have ever met! She loves all these people and is very well known in Poky and is the taxi service, basically haha because she takes all these investigators everywhere!

There is this HUGE hill behind the poor area, and up there is so rich! The houses are huge and we had dinner with a few families over there. It's such a contrast. I felt like we were walking in Peru getting up that hill, haha! Because there were these stone steps called "stairway to heaven" and it was such a long hike! Just to get to dinner!

This is an amazing time for me, and I have learned so much! I love it here, even though it is difficult still. But I know that I can do anything! I have been called by a PROPHET to do this! Heavenly Father has trusted me with this calling and has endowed me with power! It's pretty exciting! Yesterday I realized how sad I was gonna be when i would have to take my name tag off. This is my life! I love my name tag with all of my heart!!! :) It means so much to me, and sometimes I take it for granted! I am so glad I still have 21 months left, because there is so much I can't wait to learn! And so many people's lives I have to bless! And so many people out there who are blessing my life! This gospel is amazing, and I can't imagine where I would be with out it! 

I finished the Book of Mormon again yesterday, and lemme tell ya-IT'S STILL TRUE :)

I love you all and I hope you are doing great:)"

Words from Elder Adam Otto in Idaho

12-1-14 Choo choo! Here comes the transfer train!

"Hello Everyone!

I hope you all had as a wonderful week as I had! Thanksgiving was great! So...I only ended up fasting for the morning because I found out I was getting transferred. So I ate at 1...but we ate with a few families and it was really good! We played games and had a wonderful time :)

So, on wednesday I found out I was being transferred! yes, I was shocked and disapointed! I was excited because they told us they were taking the other set of missionaries out of the stake, so we would be covering the whole stake! Pretty crazy, and doubling the work! But then they called and said I was getting transferred to northern Idaho Falls! I was like, awwwww!!! But at least I would still be able to baptize the R---- kids because it wasn't too far.

But then they broke my heart again! They called back a few hours later and said I was now going to Pocatello! But I am super excited and can't wait!!! My companion will be Elder Miller and he is a Spanish speaking elder! We will be doing English work though. I am so excited and I hope I can learn some Spanish from him! :) I am so excited! I know know know I need to be in Pocatello right now. Whether if it's for myself, or other people. I am ready! I will leave on Wednesday morning. It's called the 'transfer train' but it is just a van and a trailer. I rode on it on the way to Ammon. 

Elder Mason will be training again! This will be his third trainee! He was bummed at first, but now he is excited! He just hopes he isn't anything like me ;) So he will most likely stay here until the end of his mission, with a total of 9 months in this area! I am so blessed and excited to start out fresh in Pocatello! And I am done with training!!! Wooohoo!!!

So, we found out the R---- kids will not be getting baptized. Their father won't let them. It was sad! And they were sad that I was leaving and wouldn't be able to baptize them either. But the Lord has a plan! It will all work out! It was really sweet, they asked me for my email and emailed me. Good kids!

There is so much I have learned...golly! And so much that I will miss! But all is well :) So we have been with the other Elders a lot lately, Elder Yates and Pridmore. I am gonna miss them! But Elder Pridmore will be companions with Elder Schuelke!!! My MTC comp! So I am excited for both of them :)

And in my new zone in Pokey is Sister Brimley! She is like my mom/big sister from the MTC :)

I am so grateful to be here on a mission, and I know there will be many struggles ahead. But we only make them setbacks when we allow it. So being happy is a choice, and a big part of our lives! I have decided that every day will be the best day ever. And it is sort of working...just gotta have more faith haha! 

I also made up a new 'self'. I wrote a page in my study journal called "Becoming Elder Otto." There are so many things I want to be, and I can do it! This new Elder Otto is happy, confident, energetic, and doesn't care what other's think of him! So I am super excited for that as well :) I talk to myself in the mirror now getting myself pumped up! Haha

Thank you all so much for your kindness and support! You are all a huge blessing to my life! Thanks for all the letters and packages! They help SO much! 

Please send any letters or packages now to the mission office. My parents should have the address! I will be right by the mission office in Pokey. So thanks! I love you all!"