March 29, 2010

Hey everybody!

Another week has flown by! I cannot believe that time can travel this fast! I stop and think about my mission and how long I have been out and it blows my mind! On the 21st of April it will be 6 months. I feel like I just came out last week. I hope that time slows down because I love it out here. Although I have heard that time just travels faster and faster, good news for the mothers I guess. Well anybody who reads this and is considering a mission I say GO! It is the best 2 years of my life so far and I know it will and is setting me up for a better life than what I would've had if I had not come out. I have learned how to rely on the Lord for what I think I need and I have more fully realized that what I think I need usually isn't the best for me. The only thing I know I need is I need to continue to develop my relationship with my Heavenly Father and that through developing that I will be worthy of the blessings that the Lord wants to bestow upon me. I love this work and feel so blessed to be able to be serving a mission. I heard all these stories about how hard a mission is and they are kinda true but not really. A mission is a blessing, I feel that the people I teach have changed me for the better maybe even more than I have changed them. I truly love the people of this mission and especially of the Blue Mills Ward.

Well as far as the week has gone it has been GREAT! Our recent converts 2 step children got baptized last Wednesday! Their names are Tina and Nisa. Tina is about to be 16 and Nisa is going to be 15. It was amazing to see the joy that they had and how much they grew during the lesson, it wasn't us but the Spirit of the Lord. I loved to be able to be a part of it. They asked me and my companion, Elder Allan, to baptize them. It was my first time baptizing anybody and I was really quite nervous. I was worried I would mess it up. I just wanted the experience to be a joyful, perfect one for them to look back on. I did it in one try! Yay! It was really cool because I was nervous the whole time before but as soon as I stepped in the water and Tina walked down my fears went away; I realized that my fears were actually quite selfish and that I was able to be a part of something much bigger than me. After and before the baptism the girls, their family and us couldn't wipe the smiles off of our faces. They are going to the temple to do baptisms this Friday. On Sunday they got confirmed and they asked me and Elder Allan to do it for them again. I was really nervous not that I would mess up but because it happens in front of the whole congregation but yet again the Spirit calmed my fears. I love to give people blessings because you really are able to feel the Savior's love for that specific person. Its an amazing experience. I love this family and feel honored to be able to be part of their growth towards the Lord. I also have learned so much from them and am never going to forget them. One more exciting thing happened this week and it was that we were able to find out a long time investigator's concern with being baptized. It is that he has prayed about Joseph Smith and doesn't feel he has yet received and answer to his prayers. Suggestions anybody?

Well I love you all and I can say that with a sure heart. I honestly do hope things are going well for all of you. Remember to have daily prayer it really does help.

Love,
Elder Zachary Taylor

March 23, 2010

Hello Everyone!

Sorry that this letter is late but we had a general authority come to our mission. He wanted to come to our zone conference but could only do it Monday and Tuesday so we had ours Monday. We are taking our P-day today.

Last Monday I got to spend most of the day with our recent convert Scott. We helped him move some stuff into his new house and we went to lunch. We did the blazing challenge again. I will not do it for a very long time. The first one wasn't bad but this second time really got me. We have been teaching Scott's 3 step children all this week. And the 2 girls are getting baptized tomorrow!!!!!! I'm so excited and feel honored to have been part of helping this family grow closer. The younger boy will most likely be baptized soon, I hope. They have had lots of good questions and the best part was that they were sincere about learning and that's why they learned. Wow I love it! They asked me and my companion to baptize them. I will baptize the older one, who is 15, and he will baptize the younger one, who is 14. Yay for them!

We have just been focusing on them this week. But one of our investigators got back from a clinical study this week and we got to see him. I hope he will see the importance of baptism.

Sorry this email is short but that's the sum of my week. I love it out here and never want it to end. At the end of this transfer I will have been out for 6 months. Its CRAZY that time has moved that fast! That is a quarter of my mission. I know that many of you who read this may have children that are thinking about serving a mission. They need to go. It honestly is the best thing I have ever done. You learn so much and I can tell the rest of my life will benefit from these 2 years. Not to mention that anybody you contact will benefit from hearing the message of the restored gospel. Thank you all for your prayers and support.

Love,
Elder Zachary Taylor

These are pictures of Monday. The first 2 are attempts to move everything in one try. The second pic worked. The last is of the blazing challenge again.

March 15, 2010

Hello there everybody!

Last P-day I did the Blazing Challenge at Buffalo Wild Wings.

I expected it to hurt my mouth really bad but it ended up hurting the outside of my mouth more. It really wasn't that bad and I got a free t-shirt out of it so OH YEAAA!

(E. Taylor in free t-shirt and lava lava)

We came back home and had to start walking to our appointment which he called and cancelled halfway there. It worked out though because our dinner wanted to leave a little bit earlier. We got to go with the ward mission leader's daughter and her husband. It was way cool because we could finally eat with somebody our age.

This whole week was focused on our upcoming baptism, Scott. He got baptized and it was AMAZING! I can't remember the last time I felt the Spirit that strongly.

(E. Taylor, Scott, E. Allan)

He had his 3 step children there and they are not members so now we are teaching them. MIRACLES! Scott is a solid member and got the priesthood his first Sunday. I don't have much more to say other than I hope I don't get transferred so I can teach his step children.

Transfers are this week so its scary/sad/exciting/happy. So many emotions. Send everything to the mission office at 517 W. Walnut St. Independence, MO 64050. I'll let you know what happens with transfers. I could be somewhere in Kansas next time I talk to you all.

I am learning so much out here it blows my mind. I know there is no other way I could learn besides with the help of the Spirit. I love it and wouldn't want to be doing anything else right now.

Love,
Elder Taylor

March 8, 2010

Hey everybody!

I hope everyone is doing great! I sure am loving my life and experiences right now. Even though they are not all joyful experiences I still love them for some weird reason. I feel like I just can't be sad right now and I love it!

So last Monday we had a Zone P-day. Which didn't turn out as planned. In our zone we have two districts and none of the people from the other district showed up so it was more of a district P-day. It was still fun though because our district is the best anyway. We went bowling again and I still haven't done too good at that, I had fun though. It was really cool to go because even though I've been in the same district with some of these people for over 4 months now I still learn new things about them all the time and learn how amazing each of them are. We also got to go back to the chapel and play some sports for a little bit, which I've been dying to do lately. Later that day we came home and helped Clint and Stasha move some of their dressers out to the truck. It went a lot quicker than I had supposed. The next day they packed the final stuff up and moved out. It was the fastest packing I have ever seen. It took 3 days to pack their family of 6! It was really sad to see them go. I will miss them both and all their crazy kids.

The next day we went to visit potential investigators and we weren't having much success at all. We went to this house and nobody answered so we were about to walk off when somebody pulled up into the driveway. Its always awkward when that happens. He asked if he could help us and we introduced ourselves to him. He invited us in and we were able to teach him. He also accepted to Book of Mormon and said he would read 3 Nephi 11. We have a return appointment with him tonight! That day we also met a former investigator who is now having some troubles in their lives and wants us to come back and start teaching him again. Then there was these two rather tuff/gansta looking guys. Elder Allan and I decided to talk with everyone so E. Allan turned to me and said "so do you want to talk to them?" I said ok and went up and talked to them. One of them said, at the end of our conversation, "thanks for talking to me. Most people would just look the other way and walk by me because of my appearance. Keep talking to the people you normally wouldn't." We spent the night up at the Warrensburg Elder's place because we had interviews the next morning. It was great! Sister Van Komen is so loving and motherlike to all the missionaries out here and President Van Komen is a lot funnier and more laid back than I thought.

The next day we did finding all day. We visited a lot of potential investigators and found some success. It was really hot or it felt really hot. It was almost 60 degrees! You gotta understand that we are used to temperatures below zero so almost 60 is a heatwave. That night we went to a retirement party for dinner and that was way fun! We got to see the Samoan cultural dances and that was amazing! Me and my comp both decided that we want a Samoan party when we get home. They also did a lot of normal dancing and it was weird but I really wanted to dance. Those of you who know me well should be surprised at that comment.

The next day we had a lot of appointments set up from the day before. They all fell through a.k.a. they weren't at home. Which made us pretty mad but it ended up working out because we were able to see a Less active member who really needed us. We were also able to see another investigator and set up a return appointment with him. Later that day we met with our investigator named Scott who told us he wants to be baptized when he finishes the Book of Mormon. We taught him and asked him if he would be baptized at the end of this week and he agreed! So he is getting baptized this Saturday! YAY! He is so prepared and knows that he is making the right choice.

Well I love you all and hope you are all doing well.

Love,
Elder Zachary Taylor

Pictures March 1, 2010

This is the most rural part of our area. (Rolled up pant leg courtesy of riding a bike.)


E. Taylor with Zone Leader at lunch after transfers.


E. Taylor & E. Allan

March 1, 2010

Hey everybody! How goes it?

Well last Monday was a bit of a boring day. It's ok though because my companion wasn't feeling too well and it was a relaxing day for him. I also got to catch up on some sleep that I feel like I've been missing out on. We also were very excited because we scheduled a time to go to the Visitor's Center with a investigator. We were going to watch the Joseph Smith movie and we were both very excited! We went over to his house and he wasn't there :( We both were pretty sad and didn't think that he would just dodge us like that. We realized that, that's the great thing about this life that we all have the right to choose. We actually talked with him later on and everything seemed like it will work out for the better.

We found three new investigators this week! My companion, who has been out for 18 months, said that its the most he has ever found in one week. I feel so blessed to be trusted to help teach and to learn with these people! One was a referral and we went to go visit him and he said come back later that week so we did. He has a friend living with him and it turns out that his friend is really interested in the church as well! So we got two new investigators there! We also have been asked to teach our ward mission leader's grandaughter. She wants to get baptized but her mom says no. She says that she will be baptized as soon as it is legal for her to be.

There have also been some miracles recently. We found out that this woman told a member of our ward she wants to be baptized. We also found out a youth brought a friend to new beginnings and she said that she wants to be part of the church as well. Then this last Sunday a guy came up to us after elders quorum and said he wasn't a member of the church and that he just married a member 4 months ago. He just moved into our ward and he said he is reading the Book of Mormon and that after he finishes it he wants to be baptized as well. We had a Stake General Priesthood meeting on Sunday and we got to go. When we got there we saw the guy, who just told us he wants to be baptized, there. I'm so excited for him and I hope that he keeps that flame. I will do everything I can to keep it going. I don't know what we did to deserve all these people to teach and it probably isn't even us but I'm thankful God feels like he can trust us with this people.

I would just like to say thank you to all of you, my family and friends. I love you all and each one of you played a part in my life to get me here today. I hope you all are doing something that you love because thats what life is about love.

Love,

Elder Zachary Taylor