Straight outta Pittsburgh!!!

Well everyone,

Transfer boards came.... And I am going to........ Stay here in
somerset:)! Elder cook is gonzo beans. He is being transferred to
beaver valley. My new comps name is elder Montgomery. He was just the
ZL for the Williamsport zone. Haha I've heard he is exactly obedient.
So I'm super excited! I have a feeling I'm going to learn so much from
him and that it's going to be an amazing transfer! Couldn't be more
excited. Half of our district is different now too! Indiana got
doubled out so I think this districts work is going to really pick up!
After three months of fasting and prayer, hard work, diligence, and
obedience the member missionary work is finally starting to pick up.
This week it blew up.

1. Sharon, a recent convert, talked about how she babysits for a lady.
The lady asked her questions about our church. We invited her to pray
to find a way to invite her to the fireside we had on Saturday. She
said "ok!" Like it was nothing. She invited her straight up
apparently. The lady wasn't able to make it but she is interested.

2.Sharon brought someone else to the fireside. He is a young guy.
Might be her Boyfriend I'm not sure but he is super shy. Sharon texted
us this morning and gave us his number and said that he wants to learn
more about our church after watching meet the Mormons at the fireside!
BOOM!

3. Then Sister D... gave us a referal. She had us over for dinner
and said, "I think I'm giving you a referal." Haha. She did. Talked
about how this woman just had a daughter pass away and she feels like
she needs to tell us to go meet this woman.

4. Then the B.. Family  (they used to live in fair oaks so they know
exactly where I'm from) invited us to do some service at a library
Sister B.. works at and they told us about their friends that were
going to be there as well. We met their friends and they were so nice
and funny! I love them and I think they liked us... Well... Haha they
loved us, let's be honest. So I have a feeling that we could meet with
them and give them lessons.

5. Linda B.. (an investigator) is now having her parents over to the
lessons whenever we have them.

All these things have happened in the passed week. It's amazing. It
goes to show that prayers are answered and that not all blessings come
immediately. I'm sure He was working on that answer the whole time and
it just took a little bit for hearts to be softened and to place those
people in the right places. It was in the process of happening the
whole time.

Other than that it's been normal missionary week full of the spirit.
President sent an email out with a quote from Gordon B Hinckley that
says "stop seeking out the storms, and enjoy more fully the sunlight."
I believe 100% that PJ was inspired to send that out for me. I had
been looking for things to get upset about and not focusing on the
things that were going well. When we look for the storms our live
become dark dark dark! But when we turn around to the sunlight we have
joy and light. And if you look for light, darkness will have not place
in you because "light always overcomes darkness."

I love my father. I know that fathers are there to show us a little
bit of what our Heavenly Father is like. I love you dad. I know that
the Book of Mormon is true, that prophets lived in the Americas and
Christ showed himself to those in the ancient Americas. We have
prophets and apostles today who hold the priesthood. In the name of
Jesus Christ, amen.

One More Week

Rejoice everyone,

One more week until transfers!!

I can't believe that. It's gone by so fast. It's crazy to think about.
Am already 1/8th of the way done with my mission. Haha. Only 7 more of
these to go. I'm ready for transfers though. I'm so excited.
We got a free breakfast this week. We went out to breakfast and the
waiter called us elders and we were like wait how does this guy know
who we are. We never asked. But we were waiting for our bill and he
came shook all of our hands and said "well, your good to go elders,
the bill is taken care of." That was super cool. And I've gained 5
more pounds!! 20 pounds total that I've gained:)
So we had a lesson with an investigator and he was kind of doubting.
He was asking us tough questions...... but not tough enough for
missionaries. As a missionary we receive such insight. Literally the
thing we study that morning is an answer to an investigators "stump
ya" questions. As a missionary I've learned so much that I would not
have learned if I had not the power that comes from missionary work.
So he asked us "why doesn't it say that Christ would visit America in
the bible?" So we said "well, it actually it does." He said "oh
really?" So we pulled up John 10:16. Then he asked "well I'm just
having a hard time because it doesn't mention the Book of Mormon" and
then we were about to say something. He realized and kind of said
".... Or does it...." In a "are you kidding me" kind of voice. So we
pulled up Ezekiel 37:16-17 and explained how the stick of Joseph was
the Book of Mormon because Lehi was a decadent of Joseph. Haha it was
cool to see how the Lords puts words in your mouth and brings up
scriptures to your remembrance like that. Hopefully though our
investigator is able to overcome the doubts that satin gives him. He
is progressing and satin is realllllly working to stop him.
This week we had zone conference and stake conference.
At zone conference we had our zone (Altoona zone) and the Williamsport
zone. Elder Holdaway and Elder Holbrook are in that zone so I got to
see them. The AP's (assistants to president- Elder Ord and Elder
Liston), President and Sister Johnson, and other people from our
mission presidency were there. It was awesome. It took up literally
all day. Haha. Zone conference was such a picker upper! Made me pumped
up to go do work haha.

Stake conference was cool. It was at a Jr. High school auditorium
because we all wouldn't be able to fit into the Altoona building. The
Altoona building is smaller than our building back home. And it's a
stake building. Shows how small the church is here. President and
Sister Johnson gave talks about Sister Wells and the accident that
happened 4 months ago and all the miracles that took place through
that tragedy. Pretty much everyone was crying.  It was amazing to see
how The Lord works. President said "David A. Bed and talked at Sadies
service. He said 'alot of people 'why does God let such horrible
things happen to missionaries, His solders' and I said 'I don't know
why. But God does."  It's true. We don't see the big plan but God does
have a plan bigger than anyone could imagine. From that tragedy 4
people were baptized in a result to it.

Other than that not a lot happened this week. We went on exchanges in
Indiana and I was with Elder Draper. We pretty much did nothing. He's
going home in a transfer. So he's trunky (trunky means you just think
about home and you don't want to do any work).

Let me say though. I love our Zone Leaders and AP's. They inspire me
to be better. They are awesome.

And also let me say that this gospel is beautiful. It's true. I love
it. I feel such joy and love from it and I pray every night that you
may too. This church is lead by Christ through prophets and apostles
that hold the authority to lead this church. I have a simple testimony
that the church is true. It's beautiful and it is joy. In the name of
Jesus Christ, amen.

Silly Elder Segon......

Ron had sent Elder Segon a couple of newspaper clippings in with his latest care package.  Apparently the clippings got stuck between the boxes of Mac and Cheese and Elder Segon didn't see them when he put the Mac and Cheese away.  The video is the result....

Almost Died!

To everyone,

This week was not a very exciting week.
On Monday we went to a few barbecues. At the Snyders Gideon shot a
turkey and we got to help by scaring the turkeys his way. Then we went
fishing.

The day we almost died, Tuesday. We almost hit a coal truck. The truck
drivers here are really horrible. So we were driving on a highway and
a coal truck tried to cross the road right in front of us and we had to
swerve out of the way to dodge it. I'll send a video of me explaining
it better. We then had a lesson with the Allgoods and the Davis' were
there. Haha oh man... It was a horrible lesson because we were outside
and there were flies everywhere and I kept trying to hit them away and
everyone would just watch me and start laughing... I felt bad. I
wasn't trying to be funny I was just getting annoyed with the flies.
Haha. And other stuff happened that was funny.


Wednesday we had exchanges. Elder Curtis came to Somerset.  We visited
with Ol' Tom. When we first visited him, while we were leaving, I said
" read the Book of Mormon. It will bless your life." He sat there for
a second and said "ok! I will!" When we asked if he read it he said
no. He then said he can't read well because he is old. That made me
ask myself why did he say yes in the first place then? Well I found
the awnser. It's because he was feeling the spirit and in that moment
when the spirit was with him he knew he was able to read the word of
God with the help of the Holy Ghost. But when we left the Holy Ghost
left soon afterwords and he forgot what he felt. That's the only thing
I could think of.

Thursday we went tracting in a small town called stoystown. We met a
guy named Pete. Apostasy I say. I blame the apostasy. He is willing to
hear what we have to say he seems smart and stuff but then he said
"you don't need a prophet. I could be a prophet. I don't need God on
my side as long as I get enough followers." Apostasy at its finest I
say! It's a shame to see people that want to do what's right but are
so astray. And all we can do is testify and leave.


Friday was fun! We did service all day long for brother S**! We
cleaned his pig pens and helped finish his chicken coop and all sorts
of fun farm stuff. While cleaning the pig pens I got pig poo all over.
In my eyes, on my lips, on my clothes, all over. Haha but I'm a
country boy now so it "ain't" matter. ;) Then we put saw dust in the
pens after scooping and flinging the poo out. I'm so sore from
flinging that poo! Holy pig! Haha. But he said he has been stressing
about getting it all done before he left to AZ on Monday (today).
Saturday we went to go see an investigator and she had an emergency
surgery and we gave her a blessing and left.


Sunday gave a lesson to Noni F and she gave us 20$ and made us take it. Then we went to go see Wendy (the one that just got surgery)
and wade and we visited for a while. And then they gave us 15$ each.
We tried to refuse but they insisted. I always hate taking money. I don't know why they gave us money, I don't know why. I know God did
that for a reason. But I don't know why. I prayed about why He did
that, what purpose or what lesson there was to be learned but I can't
figure it out. I guess it's something I will learn eventually. But
wade and Wendy are the nicest people I've met in my life. They are so
nice. They always invite us in and give us water and a snack and are
always just so nice. Literally the nicest people I have ever met. I
appreciate them so much. I want my wife and I someday to be as nice
and welcoming and giving as they are. They are teaching me what
Christlike charity is.

That's my week in a wrap.

Love you all.