February 22, 2010

Hey everybody! Hope you are doing well!

So last P-day we had to go to Warrensburg for a meeting at 8 A.M. with our stake president. It was for the District leaders and Zone leaders, the District leaders' companions got to tag along. We looked at the last weeks numbers for the whole zone. It was pretty cool. President Phillips is a very inspired man who loves missionary work so he has many great ideas. After that we did some shopping with the ZLs because they needed food. For lunch us the ZLs and the Clinton missionaries went to Rib Crib up in Warrensburg. Rib Crib has the best ribs I've ever eaten. After we just went back to the Zone Leaders' place. We were going to try to do another District P-day but it didn't work out. We tried to do it today too but it didn't work out again so we are planning for next week.

This week we have been trying to work through the Less-actives. President Phillips wants us to do that instead of tracting. His thought is if we visit the Less-actives and ask for referrals from them then we are killing two birds with one stone. I get it and I thought we would see a lot more success right away but we haven't. Not too many people answer their doors or they won't let us in the house. Thats ok though if we keep trying we will find somebody who is ready to hear us. We also have been visiting lots of referrals. We have gotten like 6 or 7 so far and we have contacted most of them. We have a return appointment with one of them next week on Tuesday so I'm excited for that!

We got a new investigator this week!!! I'm so excited to finally have someone to teach. Our new investigator seems really excited to learn more and has been humbled with a very difficult life. He has turned to Jesus Christ by himself and just wants us to continue to help him. We are taking him to the Visitors Center next Wednesday so I'll tell you how that goes next week. Our last investigator is doing some sort of clinical study and he has to stay in house so the doctors can monitor his sleep until march 17th. He took his Book of Mormon with him and said that he would have a lot of time to read it. I really hope he does.

There is a young man from our ward going on his mission soon. He is actually leaving today to go to Utah and will be entering the MTC this Wednesday. He is going to Auckland, New Zealand and will be speaking Samoan. He said he was so excited that he would be able to learn more about his people and he was so happy that he will be able to speak his native tounge. He is a soild guy and will do great. I am going to miss seeing him on Sundays and being able to turn to him for help with rides but at least its for something amazing. We are going to keep in touch.

Yesterday our church was.... canceled :( It was a bummer because I was excited to go and there were a couple of Less-active members that were going to be there. We spent the whole day visiting different families and leaving a spiritual message with them. It was really cool because a lot of the families really appreciated it.

I want to share something that really hit me hard the other day as I was teaching. We were talking with a Less-active family and we were talking about how we should treat others. And as I was talking about it the thought came to my head about when Jesus was asked what the most important commandment was. He answered to LOVE the Lord thy God and the second is like unto it to LOVE thy neighbor as thyself. It really hit me that LOVE is the key to being a disciple of Christ. Love is the key to returning to live with him. If we love everybody around us we won't have any desire to do evil. We will want to do good continually and treat others with care. I know that love is the most important attribute we can have because if we love everything else will fall in place.

Well I love all of you and hope you are all doing well. I just hit my 4 month mark yesterday, crazy right!? I can't believe how fast time is flying by. I still have a while left but I want time to slow down. Don't waste any time life is short, make the best of everyday, every situation and life will be great!

Love,

Elder Zachary Taylor

February 15, 2010

Hey everyone! Hope you are all doing amazingly!

Last Monday we FINALLY played basketball. I have missed playing it all the time so it was great to be able to play it. I wasn't as good as I use to be but that's ok. That night we had the ZL's and the other DL in the Zone come and stay with us because all the leaders had a meeting with the mission president the next morning. I stayed in my area with the other DL's companion. It was pretty cool. I liked getting to know him. His name is Elder Miller and he is from Washington. He is way sweet! We tracted all morning so that was fun.

The next day me and Elder Allan, my new companion, tracted all day long. We ran into some really cool people that are actually promising but we also ran into a lot of rejection. That's ok because a lot of it was nice and if it wasn't the most polite it was at least funny. We had something really cool happen to us as we were tracting though. A car drove up and the guy asked us what we were doing. We told him and he said he likes to talk to us because we are actually nice people. We were excited but it turns out that he only wanted to argue that if people read the Book of Mormon that they should be perfect. It went no where but the miracle was later on because as soon as this guy drove away there was another man walking down the street. We stopped and talked to him. He was very receptive and asked us to stop by his house and teach him this week. I know that the Lord was the only person capable of planning that.

This last week my companion has had to do a couple of baptismal interviews. I got to go to one of them and wait while they were talking. Once they got out I could just sense and see that this man was so excited and that he was ready. He was willing to make the covenants with Christ and I was so happy for him.

We had Zone Conference this week as well. It was great to be able to go. Every time I get the opportunity to attend Zone Conference I feel like I am recharged spiritually and ready to face anything that is thrown at me. We went on exchanges with the ZL's after Zone Conference and it was cool because we got to teach a lot about the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I love to teach about it because of how much it has helped me in my life.

The morning after Zone Conference we went and helped this family move some stuff into their apartment. We helped move stuff for 4.5 hours! And after that we had let the cats out of the house and had to look for them. It was a great experience though. I was just happy to help because that family helps us out with rides so much.

We just had a meeting with the ZL's and the other DL with our stake president. It was really cool to hear about the zone and how everyone else is doing.

I hope you are all doing well and that you know that I love you all!

Love,
Elder Zachary Taylor

February 8, 2010

Hey everyone!

Sorry that I didn't write a email last week but I didn't have enough time. I was just so busy because we had another districrt p-day and everyone wanted to meet up as early as possible. The district p-day was the last one of this transfer so it was really cool. We spent all day up in Warrensburg, a.k.a. the zone leaders spot. We got to throw the football around, go on the zipline, play pool, and chase these big chicken things. I loved it, our district was so cool and close together. Its sad that we all have to break up but change will be good. Elder Owens did a great job at uniting the district.

Well last week I was going to write about our investigator. One thing is the joy that we bring into his life. I didn't ever think that a visit from me would bring that kind of joy into somebody's life. I know that it isn't because of me or whoever is with me. Its because of the Spirit. I know that our investigator can feel it and wants it more fully in his life. He is taking many steps closer to baptism.

Not yesterday but the Sunday before we had to give talks on Preach My Gospel. It went alright. I just didn't like the subject too much. It felt like I was trying to sell the book to the ward. I wanted to talk on a spiritual topic but oh well. Next time I will get to talk on something else.

Well I got a new companion last Thursday. His name is Elder Jake Allan from Ogden Utah. He is really cool. He played football in high school as well but loves to sing. He knows a lot about sports so its nice to be able to talk sports with somebody who actually knows what they are talking about.

So as I got a new companion that means that my old companion, Elder Owens, went home. I was sad to see him go. I will miss him very much because we became close friends. I hope that he goes home and finds a good woman to marry. I will be seeing him after the mission.

We went out this week and tried to contact lots of potential investigators. We got rejected every time. That's ok though because at least we let them know that we can about them.

We had an All Mission Conference last Saturday. It was AMAZING/THE BEST THING EVER! I absolutely loved it. Elder Bednar came and talked but he said what we talked about was just for us. He said not to spread it to our family and friends. I can tell you that he spoke with such power! I learned so much from him and I didn't want it to end. I was ready to stay and listen to him for the rest of my mission.

I am doing good. I get along with my companion very well. I am loving life and my mission! I love you all and hope and pray that you are all doing well.

Love,
Elder Zachary Taylor