Hey mom, and everyone else!

My week was great! we got to teach a lot and the baptisms went great! We put out referral cards on the seats and got a good amount of them and hopefully we will continue to be busy. Dan is going to be super solid as a kingdom builder and Kennedy will continue to help his family stay active. We met with the Bishop on Sunday and he said he had one of the members come up to him and say that they wanted their daughter to get baptized so we will be doing that in 3-4 weeks or so. we will be meeting with them on Thursday. Oh yeah. Elder Trammell and I are staying together again as well. We asked for it and so we are happy that we will be able to stay together. We get along really well and we are doing good work baptizing people and helping the ward and branch become stronger. We can tell that we are pretty trusted as well because we are given missionaries that struggle so that we can minister to them and help them become what they need to be. Our zone is always a struggle. It's not that they are dis-obedient, It's just that they don't always know why they are on their mission or what they are suppose to do all of the time so we are suppose to help them understand and to become productive as well so they can not be wasting time and enjoy their mission.

I got the shirts and I started one of those talks, So far it is great. Thanks so much! you are the best mom ever! I will enclose some of the pictures from the HOF but I will put the rest of them on a CD and send them home to you. It was expensive to get in though. We were told that Ministers were able to get in for free but not anymore, we had to pay ourselves. but no prob.

Pt has been going well. I think that I will only go one more time. A lot of the stuff I can do by myself at home and My back is doing really well. So I don't have to worry about it too much, I just have to remain diligent in helping it Stay well so that I don't have to worry about it any more.

Oh random thought. I never told you that one of the Tilton's daughters is in this ward did I?

Don't worry mom, I will be home in 5.5 months. It will be there sooner than you think. It wont be emotional at all. no prob. haha It's sad though, You are right. There are way too many missionaries that come out and are not prepared. I don't know if it is just here in our mission or this age group because they are all a pain and they don't get it like they should, That's why it has been a pain for us as Zone leaders at times because we are responsible for every single thing that they do and have to account for every single thing as well. It's been sad, The quality of missionary has gone down but the quantity up. You just don't have those missionaries like you should anymore. they don't get it like they should. Their understanding is lacking.

You might want to think about reading out of Preach My Gospel with Ammon and Matthew every now and then discussing it so they aren't lacking. Also, It will be good for Ammon to get him hyped up. He is a priest and needs to start getting ready. It will change his life. Everyone's really.

I can't wait for Tucano's. There is a YSA here who just got back from Brazil on vacation a few weeks ago and He went on his mission there and got back six months ago or so and he talks about Brazilian food all the time! Sushi sounds great as well!

I'm really excited about being here and getting to stay with Elder Trammell. We have a lot of fun. Kind of nervous for our new roomie though for the other companionship, Hopefully he is cool and a good missionary. The other one we live with, Elder Morse is new and has no idea what's up yet. still kind of a deer in the headlights. But It's fun.

Much love,

Here are some pics.

--
Elder Michael Stone.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMMA!!

I Actually Remembered this time! I feel so accomplished because I don't have a Cell phone to remind Me. So, Here is to make up and to say it advance! Jordyn, Careful of your age girly, You are getting old! Jennifer! I know yours was a few weeks ago So happy late birthday and go to a red sox game for me! (when the season comes that is...) Dad, Yours is in a month or two in April sometime so Happy birthday to you too. I may forget when It comes up so that is totally why I am doing it now! I know I'm super forgetful when they come up but I do know what months they are in, I just forget the day most of the time!

Thanks for the shirts! now I don't look like I'm wearing a parachute or a 400 pound mans shirt! I can't believe I have lost so much weight but been able to maintain my nice little gut. That's not cool. I have to start working on it and get down to being in good shape. When It gets warm out in the morning I will go run and do some good workouts outside. It's still so hard just to work out in our tiny living room space that we have.

PT has been helping with my back, So that makes me happy. I just need to be diligent in doing the exercises they give me. I don't think I will be able to talk them into working on my shoulders so I may just have to do that when I get home If I can. We'll see what happens
I will have to show Ammon what's up it looks like when I get home. He really should go work out with Webb. I know he doesn't like it but it will help him a lot with his mobility and technique. He will be able to learn a lot more moves as well so that he will be able to really improve and do what he wants to in the next couple of years.

We are going to try and go the NFL hall of fame today... I will try and send some pictures next week along with what is going on with transfers. Elder Trammell and I are going to suggest that we stay together because we have a good time and get along really well. On top of that there are a lot of immature Nazi missionaries now, The ones who have been out like three months or less think that they know all of the rules and what to do, So in a sense they are super prideful and they wont take any correction or advice in the slightest because they have a "new" way of doing things so, It is also to avoid that... :)

Don't worry, I am focused. We are having two more baptisms this Saturday with Kennedy Zamiska and Dan Stiefel. I'm sure there will be a story to tell with that as well seeing that there may be some shady business going on with Kennedy's dad who is supposedly worthy (so he says. He missed his interview with bishop yesterday) to baptize him.

So, The coolest thing happened to us this week! We got a Referral from Temple Square like a month and a half ago for a Buddhist monastery, Like with real monks and everything! we have been trying to get in and talk to these guys ever since and they haven't let us in. About two weeks ago we went over and the monk that answered the door told us to come back during a worship service but we couldn't because we had our church to go to. So we went over the other day and they totally let us in! they have this HUGE Buddha Statue and shrine in a big Dance hall type room. We walked in and the guy we thought that was going to talk to us just walked over to play on a video camera and then all of the other monks were just sitting there chillin'. They live there too! I mean these weren't raised in America monks, they were straight from India! We could barely understand each other when they finally started talking to us.

We didn't say anything because we didn't know we could talk or anything like that. So we stood, then they had us sit on a rug and we were silent for like Five minutes and then one of them was like "how's your day going?" we were like Woah! they speak! They were way cool though, They had a huge case of monster energy drinks too along with several laptops they were playing on. Crazy stuff.

Other than that, Just the usual stuff going on, Meetings, Running around, teaching people. having fun and doing the Lords work. I mean that's the way to go. It's really fulfilling and I am able to learn so much. In fact, I Have a question, I don't know if you have asked this or not. But, in Alma 40 (it might be 41, I can't remember exactly) it refers to Justice as his and Mercy as hers... So I am wondering if Justice is Heavenly Father and Mercy is Heavenly Mother? deep maybe?

That's about it though, Just doing work!

OH yeah hey,... Could you find me some talks on Christlike leadership and send them with the rest of the shirts? Thanks mommy, You are the best! Love ya bunches!

Hey there,

The week went well, We were able to get done what we hoped for. For the most part. Thanks for being willing to go and get some shirts for me. It will be nice to have some shirts that are the right size now. Also, I was totally kidding about being Idle... ;P

Areo's baptism went well. We had the worst snow storm of all winter that day and so she was about an hour later than she should have been, but we had the members stay around long enough and both Elder Trammell and I were in the font with her because he didn't want to drop her, but fortunately she was more buoyant than we had hoped (not to be mean or anything, that's just how it was).

Zone Conference went well also. That day was an adventure though. I Woke up Tuesday morning and my back was really bothering me and then I decided that if it was bothering me on wed I would get a blessing for it because it hadn't been fun dealing with it. So I did, that's what made us late initially, we had to be there at 8 for a car inspection. On our way down we had to pick up the walking elders, so that added on a few minutes. Then once we got down to canton, we had to get a car wash. By this time it was like already 8:30 so we got into the car wash and so it started and then it went around the back of the truck after soaping down one side and then it just turned off. It had ran into our bike rack and stopped working. So, we had the other elders with us get out and go have some body come back and look at it. We got it running again but as it was going towards the back we would inch forward so it could slip past the Bike Rack and then we would be in reverse so it would get around the back. Problem Solved! (during the last sweep with the rinse we forgot to pull forward so it stopped there and we just took off) now, it was like 8:45 by the time we had gotten to the Chapel where the meeting was going to be.. we were slowing down to a stop to get into the parking lot and the church is on top of a hill so it's hard to see what is on the other side and we got smacked! a 17 year old girl who was on her phone rear ended us! (crazy thing about that too, the head of all fleet for the church was there that day as well) so we get out and look at the damage and she ran into our bike rack. That only got tilted forward about six inches and the truck was fine. But the girls car was smashed. she had a big ol hole in the front of her car because of our solid steel bike rack. smashed her hood in and everything.

Anyways. we ended up getting into the meeting at 9:15. an hour and 15 minutes after we were suppose to be there. sheesh. what a morning. Our workshop went really well though and we were complimented on it by President and the Assistants. The meeting ended and we went to dinner at Olive Garden at 5. we got in and ordered our food and it got there at 5:45. right when we had to leave because we had another meeting in Medina which is a 45-50 minute drive away that started at 6:30. We didn't get to eat. We got to our meeting on time, Thankfully. President Sorensen and the Stake President were the ones we were meeting with. After that we were talking to pres. and he was telling us that we were suppose to be to Zone Conference early and set up and then clean up and lock up at the end! We were just like what? We didn't know that... plus we don't even have keys to that building... not our fault, but whatever. Then we ended up getting home around 10:10 that night. it was just not our day. The only thing that went well was our workshop.

OH, and so you know, I talked to a dr. cause that's what I'm suppose to do and they want me to do PT for a month or so to see what can happen with my back. Hopefully they will be able to work on my shoulders as well because they are in a pain in the butt. If not, or either way. I'm probably going to have to get them worked on when I get home.

Where are Kenz and Jeremy going to live?

I'm glad to hear that Joel did well. I hope for the best. I'm sure he will do well.

So are all these classes just Generals? I don't know what all of them Entail... but I will take a crack at what sounds fun and interesting. hmm.. Either Interpersonal Communications or Intro to Sociology. American Civ. and then (in this order because I'm not sure) Logical Thinking, Intro to mass communication, or Public Speaking. Whatever works well.

Do I need to take a Fitness for life class? How about I skip out on that.. I didn't even take that class in H.S. or can I choose from those three (fitness for life, Ethics and Values, Intermediate Writing)? If so, I will take either except fitness for life. That is a loser class and a waste of time. I can work out on my own time. I don't need to be forced to.

I think I would rather have all of my classes together. I am a pretty disciplined person and I don't like studying where there are a lot of people. If I have a desk at home I can study at I'm sure I will be fine. I don't want to be at the school forever either. But, Whatever works out is fine. I just don't think I would like to be at the school all day every day. Besides, I would probably waste that time in-between classes anyways. best just to put it all together.

I Can't remember if I wrote Grandpa back.. I think I did. I hope so. That's fine if he sends it in the E-mail. I don't think I got it though.

Do Ammon and Sarah have a little t hing going on? I know that they had a little of a thing going on when I was at home... :)

This week will be good I'm sure. Next week we should hopefully be having two more baptisms and then the end of the transfer again. I will probably be staying here though. I have to teach some Common sense and some consideration for other people you live with to these other guys we live with... Some people's children just never learn how to be sole dependent on themselves.. oh well. That's why they have ME! haha

Love ya all. 6 more months. ;P

Hey mom,

We have one baptism that is for sure this upcoming Saturday with Areo Clark, She is a daughter of a member who was baptized about four years ago. Things are going well other wise. We are preparing for a Zone conference that takes place on Wednesday. we have to give a half hour workshop on the Book of Mormon and Moroni 10:3-5. It should be good and pretty inspirational.

We had a trip planned to go to Kirtland on Saturday but things didn't work out so we had nothing to do... So we exchanged with the other elders that we live with and pulled something out of nothing and so it turned out to be a pretty good day with a new person to teach for the singles and then getting to see some other people who we haven't seen in a while. We need to focus on finding people now because we are going to baptize our solid investigators here soon.

There is one in particular that we are trying to help the entire family come back into activity and get the father to be worthy to baptize his son. It's been going with them although they are pretty rambunctious and out of control at times. So, it gets hard for me to teach them but we make do.

Who won the Super Bowl? I was unable to see it. of course, duh! haha. We were in the apartment taking numbers for our weekly report.

I have yet to really get anything about the Election. we set up a booth once a week at the University of Akron in the student union and people make comments and give us weird looks. But nothing that comes across offensive at all. They mostly avoid our stare. It's probably one of the most awkward things that I have ever done in my entire mission. Is sit there with a big ol' sign and wait for people to come talk to us. haha but whatever. we get a few people here and there. We currently have one investigator that we found from it. so it's not too bad. I will be at the end of my mission and home when it really heats up so I wont have to worry about it too much I think. but hey, who knows.

I'm glad you enjoy your job. I told you that it would be good for you. It keeps you busy. You know what they say... a poor use of time is a close cousin of Idleness... :P we don't want to be Idle right? Speaking of learning how to speak correctly, One of our investigators Areo, who is getting baptized on Saturday is teaching us Ebonics, I'm gonna be OG before you know it.

My math placement is going to be very low... haha I can't imagine it being very high.. It has been a very long time since I have had to do math... would three classes be a full schedule? I want to be full time If I can. I guess I will start with the generals. I should only have one semester of English to take because of my credit that I got in my 1010 class in HS. Are psych and history involved? I didn't know that... We will have to see if I can get an internship or some kind of job shadow and a Dentist or Ortho. (if paid that would be ideal, but good luck right? ;) that way I can see if that is the path that I really want to take for my career or not. I don't want to waste any time. I need to get on it asap.

We need to tell Jayme and Jennifer to start looking for me, I only have six months left and need to get some dates lined up so I'm not awkward as crap when I get home. I need to be normal in no time! haha.


Love ya.

PS... I need some shirts that Fit me... They are all too big now. I need some longsleeve that are 16 then 34-35 (whatever the arm is is fine, I need a smaller neck and then smaller shoulder span too. so whatever that is needs to be smaller) and if you can get them in an athletic fit, or a skinny person fit so they are so huge, that would be awesome! and then the same size if I can get a cuff link shirt too, ( a nice one for meetings ) I have cuff links and want to use them haha. maybe a french cuff too. that would be awesome... but if you can do that for me I will love you for eternity :D