November 29, 2010

Hello everybody! How are you doing? I am doing great out here in the mid-west! I love it in Kansas and Missouri! The people out here are generally so much more polite. It is pretty cool! I found out that the city I am living in has been voted in the top 10 cities in the country to live at least 2 or 3 times, pretty cool fact.

This week was really good! On Monday we had a surprise going away party for an elder that was going home the next day. His name in now Nathan Swapp. I am really sad to see him go because he was such a good example to me. He loved everyone and everybody could tell.

On Tuesday we have a standing appointment with our investigators Mike and Haylee. They are the children of a recent convert. When we went there this Tuesday Mike wasn't there so we were pretty disappointed. We talked to Haylee about baptism because she knows the church is true but she doesn't want to be baptized so I am super confused. I wish she would just tell us what her hold up is but that would be too easy, right? Anyway we weren't successful in getting her to talk. She will be baptized soon we just can't push her.

Wednesday was pretty cool. We had dinner with a family that we haven't eaten with before. They were way cool and they had some Catholic friends there who were way cool. I loved dinner that night because everybody just wanted to have fun and to be friendly. That night we had team ups with brother Biggs. When we got back to our apartment complex to meet him there were 2 fire trucks, a police car, and an ambulance there. I guess one of the apartments in the other building caught on fire. I think everything and everybody was ok though. We then went over to see if we could catch Mike at home. We didn't but we were able to teach their family again so that was good. Bro. Biggs is the man.

Thursday was pretty fun. We went early in the morning to play football with our ward. It was really really cold though. The night before it had  gotten down to the 20s. It warmed up a little bit but not much. We then came home and went and visited Bro. Laudemann and it was pretty good. We had dinner at the Busheys, recent converts, and it was DELICIOUS! He made sweet potatos with Red Hots, the candy, and marshmellows they were the only sweet potatos I have ever liked that much. It was really good to be with them for Thanksgiving because they are like our second family here in Kansas.

Friday we went on exchanges with the other elders. That was really boring because the elder I went with, E. McMullin, had gotten really sick. He had to stay inside all day. I guess it was good his companion got to go out though because he really needed it. Same story for most of Saturday too because we weren't able to exchange back until just before dinner and then we went to dinner. It was way good and cool because this was the first time we had been to this couple's house. Usually they just take us out because they have to drive quiet a ways to come pick us up.

Sunday was pretty cool as well we had 3 investigators at church so that was a good surprise. Jessica was suppose to come but she got strep throat so she couldn't. We did see her after church though and she seemed to be doing better than before so that is good.

Well I love you all and wish you the best!

--
Sincerely,
Elder Zachary Taylor

November 22, 2010

Hello everybody! I am doing great to answer every body's question of how I am doing. We had transfer calls this week and me and my boy are staying here in Derby, Kansas for the holidays! I was so relieved to hear that!

I will start out with last Monday. We had to work on Monday because we went to the temple that transfer. In our mission you have to make up for the day that you spent at the temple on P-day. It is a little bit weird to me because our goal as missionaries is to get people to go to the temple and when we do get our converts there we have to make up for the day that we spend there with them. Not much happened on P-day. We did have dinner with a family whose daughters and the mother are obsessed with Twilight. They have posters and dolls of the characters in their basement. It was really weird getting stared at by Edward and Jacob and friends. So that was an interesting day/dinner.

Tuesday we had a specialty meeting with President Van Komen and Sister Van Komen. It was really cool. Pres. called and invited all the 15 missionaries there and I was pleasantly surprised. I love them and they have such a great spirit. I have learned so much under their watchful care. After that we went to the zoo with some recent converts, Kayla and Frannie. It was way cool! It was my first time at the zoo in a very, very long time. We went into this rain forest exhibit and it was pretty cool. Kayla said it was her favorite. There are just lots of birds just flying or walking around. Kayla it terrified of birds so I don't understand why she likes the exhibit so much. So there was this bird walking in front of us and I just couldn't help myself. I got in front of it and shooed it back towards Kayla. She screamed and it followed her for a while but she got away. We then kept going through the exhibit and we saw the same bird again. This time my comp, a RM that was with us and myself worked together to get funnel the bird to her. It ended up with her standing on a bench so we scared the bird away. She was kinda mad at us but she thought it was really funny too. She was cool with it. We then had dinner with this inactive family. Neither of us know how they got on the dinner calender but they did and they fed us. It was really cool. I hope they sign up again so we can prepare for them now that we know that they are inactive. We then went over to the Logue's house and had another lesson. We are having some really good progress with the boy and I am so excited for him. He is keeping all of our commitments so things are going really good.

Wednesday was pretty cool. We had a really good district meeting. We were able to learn a lot and everybody was involved. We then went on exchanges with the Zone Leaders. E. Swapp is who I went with and he is going home tomorrow so that is really weird. We walked around and couldn't find anybody to teach. It was freezing rain though. Like one moment it was rain then the next it was halfway frozen then back to rain. We were both very cold by the time we got home that night.

The next morning was cool. We planned to go visit brother Laudemann. He is a great guy and I love him very much. He is inactive and is working to become active again. We are trying to get him to help himself but he isn't wanting to yet. We want him to understand that we cannot help him until he wants and is willing to act for himself. After that we went to the funeral of Sis. Kenkaid, some of the elders in the district live in her family's home. It was the best funeral that I have ever been to so I was very happy. I felt like I really knew her after all was said and done. I know that her family had to be proud. Bro. Kenkaid gave an amazing talk and he couldn't have done a better job. I love that family now. We then had dinner with a sweet family that moved into our ward earlier in the week. They are way cool! We then had team ups with the high priest group leader.

Friday was a pretty cool day. We got a call from our new land lord and he said that we could move into the new apartment whenever we wanted. We decided to move in that day. We worked very hard and packed up our whole apartment and got most of it moved over to the new place. Our new land lord is Bro. James. His daughter is the one that married the Ringer boy. [NOTE - the "Ringer boy" is the son of Mont and Melinda Ringer, who are in our ward here in Las Vegas. Kurt]  It was so cool to meet them! They are awesome! So we got everything moved over there and then we went to dinner with Bro. Walker. He is really cool and took us to this pizza shop that was way bomb.

Saturday was the best day of the week. We had an all mission conference and Elder Richard G. Scott came and talked to all of us. Some members of our ward took us there. It was 2 hours away in Topeka, KS. The family that took us is so cool. It was really interesting because he had 4 companionships come up and practice teaching about the Book of Mormon in front of everybody. He then opened it up for questions. There were some great questions and I cannot convey the Spirit that I felt through my words. I will leave it at -- it was one of the best days of my mission. We got home and finished moving stuff into our apartment and then we went to dinner at the Bushey's. It was very good as always. We also found out that we were not getting transfered that night.

Sunday we were able to tell everybody in the ward that both of us were staying so that was cool. We taught Mary and Jessica and got Jessica to pinky promise that she would come to church this next week! Yay! We had dinner with the same family that took us to our all mission conference. They cooked some BOMB fish. We then played this game called states. It was really fun but some of us got a little too into it and just wanted to hit each other. It was still fun though. They gave us a bucket of cookie dough and a loaf of Zucini bread. It was way cool.

So this week was way good! My new address is 1603 Walnut Grove Derby, KS 67037. Love you all!

--
Sincerely,
Elder Zachary Taylor

November 15, 2010

Hello everybody out there! How are you doing? I wrote in a previous email that if it wasn't going good then there is something you can do to change it. Now the challenge is finding that something and doing it. Go find and do!

So this week was pretty good. Monday we saw a small mercy from the Lord. After we had played basketball, which was really fun. I can never seem to get enough of it. We had our dinner dropped off and it was very very good. Then we have a standing appointment with a less active family in the ward. We saw him at Walmart earlier that night and he cancelled it. We were really disappointed because we didn't know what we would do instead. The thought came to mind to visit some of our investigators, Jessica and Mary. We hadn't been able to see them in a very long time. We were beginning to worry about them. We stopped by their house and they were home! We got to go in and talk to them for a little while but Jessica had homework to do so we left pretty quickly. We set up a time for a return appointment on Wednesday.

So this Tuesday was AMAZING! We were going to have lunch with our recent converts but they had to cancel because the mother just had some surgery. She wasn't up to it. That was ok because we had been helping this new family, from New York, move into their house since 9 o'clock that morning. The move was really quite fun and we got everything in except for a safe and for a piano, bedcause we were waiting on a ramp. I reallly liked helping them because they are a really cool family. We got to know them much better. The father of the house wasn't able to be there because he had to stay in New York to work for an extra week. Both of us were really sore. We went and tried to visit some people for the rest of the day but no luck. We went back over to the new family's home and we helped them with their safe and piano because they got a ramp. We then had dinner with a really cool family and our recent convert Kayla was there so that was really fun. We have a standing appointment with her and her family on Tuesday nights so we got to see her twice that day. We went from dinner to her house with a team-up. Our team up was a newly ordained elder so that was good for him. First I will tell you that in that house there are two kids who are not baptized. The 11 year old girl has been coming to church consistently so she will be getting baptized soon but her older brother has not come. He sat in on our lesson and it was really cool. I was inspired to tell about my life before my testimony. I was told to share a lot more than I had with any other investigator. He really took to it and he promised to come to church next Sunday! When we left we also got a text message. Oh by the way our whole mission can text now! Crazy right and before my boy, the missionary I am training, leaves they will be able to get to have missionary facebooks! Anyway we got a text from Kayla saying I don't know what you said but he is all excited about coming to church. He decided to go to seminary in the morning and he was reading a Gospel Principles book. He went to seminary Wednesday and Friday, not Thursday because there wasn't any, and he loved it! He has decided to go every day now! Wow the Spirit is so strong it turned him, who was against the church in any way because his whole family went besides him, and now he is interested in listening to us! Miracles!

So the rest of this week wasn't really anything more exciting than that. We were just trying to find more people to teach and to contact our current investigators. We are seeing miracles and now transfers are coming up. I hope that I don't leave because that would mean I would be in a new area for Thanksgiving and Christmas. It wouldn't be cool at all. Well I am in the Lord's hands. I love you all!

--
Sincerely,
Elder Zachary Taylor

November 8, 2010

Hello everybody out there! How are you!? I honestly hope you are all doing well.

This week was pretty slow for us. I really don't have to much to report on... sorry to disappoint. I have been doing a lot of thinking on how we can get this area up and running. It has had some pretty lazy people in the past and I am not quite sure what to do to get it back to a "good" area, for lack of a better term. I am still loving the work I am just running into some trouble and that is ok because if there is one thing that I came to appreciate on my mission it is a challenge. I love being challenged now and I have seen many people including myself grow immensely while going through challenges.

I will tell you about the good things that are happening. We have set up a time with a awesome recent convert family to meet with them weekly. We are excited for this because two of the kids are not yet members and this is the only way we will get to teach them. I am so excited for this! I feel like we will be able to make such a big difference while we are teaching there! We went of there to give a blessing yesterday and we were able to have a little lesson before and it was really good. The 11 year old girl is going to church most of the time and really likes it while the brother, a senior, is not attending our church. I believe he will warm up as we continue to teach him. The 19 year old girl, who recently got baptized, is AMAZING!!! She has 2 people at work who want to meet with us and talk. I am so excited for that it looks like we will be working with their family in the future so yay!

Elder Decker and I have been getting along pretty good. We have no problems. I have been blessed and have gotten along with most of my companions. I love it because we are all united in the same cause so it is great. Well I would encourage you all to consider one way you can all get closer to the Lord this week and do it. It is one thing to recognize it and another to do it! Love yo all sorry it is so short.

--
Sincerely,
Elder Zachary Taylor

Me, E. Decker, and the Logues

E. McMullin and E. Decker wrestling

Oklahoma City temple

Me and Elder Decker

Me, Elder Shepherd, and Elder Terrasas

Me and my "halfway" stuff. (super white legs)

November 1, 2010

Hello everybody!!! How is it going? I am doing great and life here in Derby Kansas is.... slower than life in Vegas but it is great. I love it out here and we are seeing miracles.

So last monday was pretty fun. We actually played b-ball all day long. Instead of jumping to volleyball or some other dumb game haha. Well maybe I just love basketball too much. It was fun and we laid a trap for the Zone Leaders and the other elders. Us and two other elders had air soft guns and when they came into the gym we attacked them. It was way funny and nobody got mad so that was chill. After P-day was over we had dinner with a really cool couple. They fixed steaks and they were REALLY good ones. They were huge and had lots of seasonings and then we had these balsamic veggies and so the whole meal was delicious! I was so full because he kept pushing us to get more and who could say no to delicious steak - I mean I had no hope. So that was really good and we were able to give his wife a blessing. We had another appointment planned that night but it fell through because he and his son went to a taekwondo tournament and was really tired so we are going over today.

Tuesday we had Zone Conference and it was really cool! I got to see 4 of my MTC district members there so that was way cool! We learned a lot and had some very good discussions. When lunch time came I saw that it was our ward that was providing it so that was really cool. I love the Park Hill ward they are the best! We went on exchanges after that and I stayed in my area with Elder McMullin, he is from the Spanish Fork area. It was really fun because he is a really funny guy. We taught our dinner, a recent convert, about temples. Oh speaking of temples my companion and I get to go to the temple with our youth this Saturday. YAY!!!! I am so excited! Someone from my last ward in Kearney wanted me to come back and go to the temple with him but that is way too far away.

Wednesday we didn't find much success except that we were able to talk to a family that had been taught by missionaries before. The missionaries had stopped by and had just visited with them before. We talked with the mother for quiet a while and she was really nice and willing to talk to us. She says she is good where she is at right now but that we are more than welcome to come by and say hello and talk with her! So we will see where that goes.

Thursday was cool because we got to see the other elders after a doctor's appointment. One of them thought that he had got bit by a bunch of brown recluses but it turned out that it was just poisin ivy. Then we went to work in a city called Mulvane. It was pretty good except we forgot our list of people we wanted to visit but luckily we had our ward roster so we were able to visit less active members. We went to this part member family and they didn't answer. I really wanted to get back into the car but something told me to knock next door. I have not had much success from knocking doors on my mission so I am a little reluctant at times but we did it. Our door approach was horrible but to our surprise the guy said "yes I am interested". I was awe struck. My companion, who is new, looked at me and mouthed "what do we do?" both of us were in shock. We taught him of the restoration and of prophets. It was so good and he understood everything. I felt so good that we were sensitive enough to hear the Holy Ghost telling us of someone who was prepared. We are going to meet with him tomorrow so I'll keep you updated.

Friday we went on exchanges again and I went to my area with elder McMullin. It was good and we had a lot of fun. The people they live with have a huge dog. Its name is Nephi and it is an English Mastiff. It weighs 140 lbs!!!! It was HUGE and it was really depressed because his owners went to the temple so he moped around the whole time.

Saturday was cool. We got to go to the trunk-or-treat. Our mission pres said not to be out proselyting after 6 P.M. on Saturday or Sunday because of Halloween. So we went to that and then someone needed a blessing so we did that. I was happy I got to use my priesthood. Sunday we gave talks on Hope. They went well but I was way tired and during my testimony I said that I knew Jesus Christ restored the gospel to the earth in this dispensation. I laugh at myself then corrected myself. Oh well life is funny. Last night our recent converts brought us some Halloween candy because they felt bad we couldn't go trick or treating. We played Monopoly all night with the other elders. It was way fun!

Well I love you all and hope you had a great Halloween!!!!

--
Sincerely,
Elder Zachary Taylor