Hey there!

This week went well. We had our Zone meeting and that went well also, the Assistants came to "watch" and said we did a really good job with our individual workshops and with the District leader training so we were happy about that. It just gets kind of annoying sometimes because they give us all of the missionaries that need a lot of help. I don't know if it is the entire mission that is this way or if it's only our zone. We just have to minister to all 22 of them so much. Especially our four district leaders so that they can get the water to the end of the row and help their missionaries do what they are suppose to and really understand the what, why and the how. The why and the how being some of the most important. Mainly the Why. But we have some good ones. They are doing a lot better now than they have been. We don't think we are going to get some greenies this next transfer so that will be nice. Our zone will be able to mature a little bit and grow as a single being and not being held down by a bunch of brand new missionaries.

The problem isn't that they aren't good. It's that they are all ignorant. Not in a bad way. They just don't know as much as they should. It happened from all of the three monthers who trained, and their three monthers trained and so important things that we are suppose to do without effort were never relayed down to where they needed to be. It's getting better. once they know why, it goes a lot better.

Maddy's baptism went really well. It was the most attended one we have had here. All of the seats were taken and if anyone else came they would have had to stand! we were both really pleased about it. Hopefully we will be able to stay busy and get some new people to teach so we don't have that little slump that has always been encountered. The trip to kirtland went well. The sisters were really boring though. I fell asleep in the first video you watch before you go through the sites and then it was just super dry. No entertainment factor at all like there needs to be. No bubbly-ness at all.


Speaking of school, Isn't my registration this month? well April? I have thought some about it, Not too much obviously because I'm busy doing the more important things... but, I'm only going to have like two weeks to get everything that I need and to get organized for school. I don't want to rush it and do it wrong and then not be prepared or whatever. I was thinking maybe if I came home two weeks early that would dissolve any chance of things going array. I don't know. What do you think?

I heard about the hunger games. It sounds good. Some people don't like it because it was rushed, or not well following the books, but yeah, I definitely want to see it. Can't you put something onk your trees and shrubs so the deer don't eat them? I would do that! don't let them eat the buds lol

Life is good here. Starting to get some more work with the YSA, we actually have some investigators now! Hopefully it will go well!

Love ya!

Hey there,

The members here in this area love us... Just so you know. Especially the singles branch. haha All of the leaders give all of us the assignments even if it is suppose to be done by the Sisters. We find it funny because the sisters don't do anything, Like even talk to the members. So we do everything and they love us. It's pretty cool! haha. we Don't know too many people from the Family ward, but the ones we do know really like us too. We are the guys who play with the kids all of the time. haha That's how you get them to like YOU!

The Training meeting was good. Could have been better. I was a bit disappointed to say the least. It was very basic and not too much of a "new insight" to things. The spirit was there and so I was able to receive Revelation on personal Matters and things pertaining to my area but as far as learning new things any of the missionaries taught, Nope. But I see why it went that way. 53% of this mission has been out 9 months or less, so it needs to be basic because if it isn't then they wont know what they are suppose to be doing on a daily basis and how to be effective and purpose driven. The second day it went an hour and a half over so we were an hour late to one of our appointments but luckily we were able to pull it off and get to all of the places we needed to be. Sometimes we just wish we had time stopping abilities so we can get to all of the places needed at the right times and what not. There just isn't enough time.

This weekend we will be having Maddie Pflugs' baptism and we will also be taking their family up to Kirtland. I'm stoked for that, It will be a good weekend. really a good week, Nothing to complain about for me!

Not too much else going on these days. Just taking it easy and doing what I'm suppose to. Having fun is a good thing too! haha. I get to do a lot these days that involve fun. Hopefully we can get some referrals from the baptism and from other members as well, we have a good number of investigators but none of them are really too solid.

Love ya guys!

Hi Sister Stone, I am a sister in your sons ward. He is currently serving with Elder Trammell. I have to tell you, they are 2 of the sweetest, cutest, best elders I have ever seen. Every Sunday I am impressed with their eagerness to serve in the name of Jesus Christ. They are both always smiling from ear to ear, and it is hard not to smile when they are around. We are moving out of state, and we had them come over to clean out our food storage, pantries, and freezers. I thought you ought to know that you have a strong missionary serving. I hope and pray that your family is blessed for his service. Thank you for showing me an example of what kind of missionary I want my boys to be.

Love,
Kirstynn Evans

Hey there Familia!

They Changed my Mission to Spanish Speaking and I have to get Spanish down within the next month! I got 'midnighted' To downtown Cleveland to work within the Spanish Branch. Boy oh boy... It's gonna be interesting. Just kidding! that didn't happen. :P

This week went really well. We had a long meeting in Kirtland but we were able to go into the school of the Prophets and read through D&C 88 which is really cool. It talks about light, but we didn't really go into it. You should study Light one time, Or a few times because there is a lot about it. Such as the Sun, being a portion of the light of Christ. Christ being the light and the life of this world... Then you can go into D&C 93 and read some more about light. You should also do a study on Temples Vs. Mountains. That is a really cool one as well. They are really similarly related, More so than you think. Remember the Brother of Jared when he saw Christ, Where was he? Moses when he communed with Christ and received the commandments, and also When Christ when and gave the sermon on the Mount, or where he was transfigured before Peter, James, and John. Food for thought, something you can spend a lot of time studying.

This upcoming week we are going to be having a two day leadership training meeting in Cleveland, I'm curious to see how it goes... it can become a long drawn out meeting where they are only talking about the basics because all of the missionaries are still way new.. even some of the zone-leaders don't really know what they are doing yet. That's unfortunate.

When I get home we are going to hit up all of my good ol' favorites and have even more of a reason to work those calories off! yes! haha it will be cool.

I look forward to seeing how Joel does. it will be a good experience for him and the rest of their family.

hmmm.. well that doesn't surprise me that Ammon backed into something. I told you my bet is that he will have the truck already totaled by the time I get home... He's on the right track already.. Driving into a river, backing into someone... what's next? haha

I had the opportunity yesterday to ordain Dan Stiefel a priest and give him the Aaronic priesthood. That was really neat, he should be able to pass next week and then have the opportunity to bless the sacrament in the weeks following. It's Really cool to be able to see people progress so rapidly in the gospel especially when they didn't have much of a religious background to begin with. I'm really happy for him and he is going to be a really solid member of the church for the rest of his life as he continues to do what he is doing. He is dating a member and I really hope that they will get married so that they can be sealed in a year. Megan, whom he is dating has two little kids and they take to Dan so much it's awesome to watch. They will be able to make a really good family once they decide to get married.

Now that I have new shirts that fit me I have been thinking of what I could do with my old ones that are too big, first off we thought about making some kind of banner on them and tearing them up, Then I decided that would be a waste. So we didn't do that. I finally remembered that there is a Priest who has an inactive family and he returning to activity himself and doing really well but only has one shirt and is a little put down about it, So I offered him some and then another Recent-convert from before I got here that the other missionaries work with lives in public housing who needs some shirts, so I am going to give a couple of shirts to him as well. they were really excited about it as well. I was somewhat surprised at their reactions about getting some white shirts they can wear to church and perform priesthood ordinances in. It just showed me a little of how Important it is to dress according to your calling and standard and that helped my testimony grow seeing these two guys who are still really young in the gospel have such a desire to fulfill and magnify their callings.

All is good here, We will be having another baptism in two weeks. I look forward to that as well.

Have a good week!

Love ya

Dearest Family,

We had an outstanding finish to this week. It was a slow start but ended really well. From Thursday to early Sunday afternoon we were able to find and set 6 baptismal dates with new investigators. It's pretty cool. I'm glad one of them is really solid for this month, there are a couple that probably wont make the date but the others seem somewhat probable. We are looking forward to it and I'm extremely happy that there hasn't been a fall off at all and it's been so continuous even after our baptisms. Trammell is going to go to the U after his mission. So he will be in Utah.

Speaking of Aunt Kathleen, You should have her come to my homecoming in five months. that would be cool because she wasn't able to make it for my farewell.

Did you get my package that I sent for Grandpa?

I find it interesting that you brought up how bad this world can be. You know, it really is. On Saturday, we went and contacted a self-referral down in Akron and it was kind of scary. This lady, Her name is Shanecqua Taylor. She moved here from Youngstown about two months ago for a guy and the first thing she tells us is how happy she is that we were able to come over because she is fighting this "devil" and needs to get rid of it. As our conversation continued she told us that this guy beats her (we inferred) and now he has threatened to kill her. He has kicked in one of her windows and she has had the cops come over to her house multiple times because of problems. She just kept telling us about all of this insane stuff and I just kept thinking, okay. If there is a drive-by right now where am I going to hide? If he busts into the house what am I going to grab? Thankfully we had a member with us as a "back-up" but he was scared as well! I assume it's Gang related. I'm not sure but it makes me extremely grateful to be within the church where we don't have to deal with things like that and that all is well in Zion as long as we keep the commandments that God has given us because it is what keeps us safe and protected from all of the evils of the world. She was truly ready for the gospel though and totally ready for a change in her life. I really felt sad for her and I hope that we will be able to help her make changes in her life to where she will be able to escape from all of her problems.

I've been trying to ponder more on certain matters lately. Partially because I wanted to have more interesting Journal entries, but also because the more you ponder the more inspiration and revelation you are open to. So, I have been doing that. Unfortunately, I forget what I ponder about when it comes time to write in my journal. The only thing that has really stuck with me is what has been on my mind for several months now and that is personal progression. I mean what stops us? If we are totally and completely willing to turn our lives toward God and make changes to where we are completely living according to his will, why do we hit brick walls and plateau? I have yet to find out how to see in myself continued progression and improvement. It can possibly be because it's hard to see a change in your life unless it is a quick and drastic change. If it is slow and gradual it becomes difficult to see. I still feel though, that I hit brick walls and plateau's more than I should. I mean progression is eternal, We'll all get there eventually if we are obedient to the Commandments and spiritual impressions/promptings that the spirit gives us. The fact of the matter is, what we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the Resurrection. The more knowledge and intelligence in this life gives us so much advantage in the world to come.

We know that the greatest commandment and admonition given to us by the Savior is to be perfect even like he is or as the Father in Heaven is perfect. So why wait? We can't, we shouldn't, we don't need to. But as for me I find ceasing and it displeases me. Whether or not I'm not patient enough is something I'm fine being impatient with because it's progressing to becoming complete as myself.

'Tis all I can speak for now. haha I'm not sure what else is going on besides a lot of meetings the next two weeks that take us out of our area for two or more days. Tomorrow we have Zone Leader Council and then Next week Tuesday and Wednesday is Leadership Training meeting, Including all of the Dl's too. So, we are going to be super busy the next few weeks on top of all of our new investigators we have obtained.

Love you all, Have fun this week and Stay out of trouble!