January 31, 2011

Hello everybody! How are you doing? Again I really do hope that it is well. I have had a different week this week. This area is different than any other area I have had in the past. I am glad to be here though and I love it!

Monday we went to the church and played volleyball and basketball. I have had the most fun with volleyball in this area. For some reason it is more fun here than any other time on my mission. I would still much rather play basketball though. I love basketball so much! So we played that and then our dinner had cancelled on us so we called someone else that told us to call when we didn't have a dinner. He brought enough food to feed us the Spanish elders and the sisters. We all ate together, it was really cool.

On Tuesday we had Taco Tuesday! I love it here! There are so many delicious Mexican restaurants. Elder Jones, who is from Mexico, says that the tacos we had on Taco Tuesday are better than the ones in Mexico. This place is called Bonitomichocan. I love it! Then we went and we taught one of our investigators that is planning to be baptized. We didn't have much more success. We had dinner with the Spanish elders and that was really fun. It was with a family that the boyfriend isn't a member. It was good! We then went and taught Minchao, a recent convert, that night.

The next couple of days were really slow. I have never had so much contacting time in my entire mission. I am use to teaching more people through out the week. We had dinner with the same family again. Thursday we went on exchanges with the Zone Leaders. It was good. I went to their area with Elder Benson. I liked it a lot he had a lot he could teach me. We had a good dinner at a BBQ place called Zabas. I loved it! We were able to do some church tours and to teach a couple of people. We had some solid potential investigators.

Friday was a good day. We had district meeting in the morning. We then decided to have a district planning session because we have 3 sets of missionaries in the same ward. It makes for an interesting time. We planned on which of the referrals we were going to see and all that good stuff. Interesting right? Ha I didn't think so but it was good. We then had to ride the buses all the way back to our house which takes a while. We were going to teach our baptismal candidate Cedric. He was on the bus that we got on. He was heading back to his house to meet us too! I didn't even recognize him because he was dressed different. Good thing I have a companion cause he recognized him. We found out in our lesson with him that he has a problem with smoking :( that made us sad. He is now quitting on smoking then to be baptized.

Saturday was really cool. We had been worried about a part member family that we are teaching. We felt like they didn't trust us or like us very much. So we were just planning to go over and gain their trust by sharing a small message and then just chatting with them. We went over and shared a message and it was... a flop. Then we tried to involve them but they seemed like they weren't interested. Then the wife, who isn't a member, opened up to us and told us about he struggle with her faith. I was so relieved when she did that because it really helped us gain an insight into her life. I was then prompted to tell her about blessings and offer her a priesthood blessing. She said yes and my companion gave her a blessing. She then was immediately more happy! They then talked about their child that they have in the hospital that was born prematurely. It was great to see the Spirit work with her! We went to a ward party later that night and it was cool.

Sunday was good we had Cedric come to chruch. We ate at bishop's house and that was delicious!

Well thats it I love you all!

--
Sincerely,
Elder Zachary Taylor

January 24, 2011

Hello everybody! Sorry I didn't email last week but on Monday all the libraries were closed because it was Martin Luther King Jr. day. So we were going to email the very next day but then my companion got sick so we didn't have the chance.

The week before he got sick was really good though. We did a lot of service for our family that we are living with. They were in charge of putting on a Fiesta for the ward and so we helped them make lots and lots of food for it. everyday of the week we did something. We mostly cooked cakes for Tres Leches or we were cooking bacon and wrapping it around hot dogs. It was really quite fun. On Friday morning we cooked a lot of bacon and the sisters were over chopping onions. I am a wimp when it comes to onions so I was crying like a baby haha. It was really funny.

On Friday night was the actual fiesta. It was really cool! We got there early and they had all sorts fo stuff up and they were testing the sound. It was kind of weird because all night they were playing music that I haven't heard i a really long time. I won't lie I liked it a little bit. We served the food at the party so that was fun. Saturday we had lots of success as far as finding people who said they were willing to let us teach them.

Sunday we went to this Jewish/ LDS chat. Where there was a representative from each group and then they were able to ask each other questions. It was very eductional and I liked being able to hear Jewish beliefs from a Jewish Rabbi and not from others. Then Monday we played some good ball and it was really fun. Tuesday is when my companion got sick. We have been inside ever since. It was cool because the sisters in the ward felt bad for me and they brought me some stuff to do. They are the best!

So I guess that I will tell you a little bit about my area. It is a poor area and it covers inner city Kansas City, KS. So it is the most ghetto area I have had to put it bluntly. I think that someone told me it may be the most ghetto area of the mission. I was excited to hear that because that means, hopefully, that people are humble and ready to make a change in their lives. As I have been here and working the area I haven't felt threatened at all. Lots of the people here see us as messangers of God and tend to treat us with more respect than I have ever been treated before. I think it is really cool. We use the bus a lot and that is a great place to find people to teach. We have taught some lessons on the bus and found some promising people. I am thankful for all the finding opportunities here. I would tell everyone not to worry about me here because the Lord is watching over me.

We use to have a part time car but as of last night we don't. The other elders had it and were going down a hill. Now there is lots of ice. As they were going down the hill they couldn't stop and went out into traffic on State St. a truck hit them going 35 mph or so but they are ok. They got out of the car and walked away but as for the car it is totaled so it is back to the buses for us. Maybe it will be a good thing. Well that is it I will talk to you all later! LOVE YOU!!!!
--
Sincerely,
Elder Zachary Taylor

 E. Decker, Mike, and I

 On transfers

 E. Decker and I (my boy)

 E. McMullin and I

January 11, 2011

Hello everybody! Another exciting week in the mission field.

I really don't have a ton of time this week on the computer because it has been snowing all morning so we had to drive a ways to get a library that is open and it only gives us a limited amount of time. I will do my best to recount the last week though.

We got our transfer calls on Tuesday night and I found out that I was being transferred to Kaw River Ward, Lenexa Stake. It is in Kansas City, Kansas. I had heard that it was really ghetto and it is. I have been waiting my entire mission to go work in the ghetto and now I actually am in inner-city K.C.K.!

I was really sad to leave my last area because I made some great friends there. I know all good things come to an end but I just wish we could choose when that end was. I will miss the people of the Park Hill ward but I am excited to get to know the people of the Kaw River Ward. In being transferred I have been released from being a district leader. I am now just a normal missionary again! I am very excited and will take advantage of it.

So I had to ride the transfer bus from Wichita to Independence. When I got to Independence I found my old recent converts the Gaulds/ Alvarez family there! I was so happy to have been able to meet them. They had been talking to my new companion for a while. They said he is very nice and he is. His name is Elder Davis. He is from St. George, UT and he is 25 years old. It is a little weird being with someone who is that much older than you in age but in the time on our missions I have been out twice as long as he has. We live with a family in the ward named the Stevens. They are actually from Washington St. and grew up around where mom did. They are in their mid 30s and have 4 boys. They are really cool.

Thursday night we had dinner with them because we didn't have anywhere else to go and it was good. We have been trying to get in to see our investigators but none have answered their doors. This area is going to be a challenge because of how impoverished everyone is.

Sunday we woke up to snow! I really don't like snow but that is what was there so I guess I will have to make the best of it. It is weird because in this ward there is 3 sets of missionaries. 1 English companionship, 1 Spanish companionship, and a set of sisters. So there are 6 missionaries at church. We also have dinners together sometimes. It is weird. Oh and the sisters stole on of our investigators but that is ok because he still came to church. We are on the same team right?

So now it is Monday and it is suppose to snow all day long :( Well I hope you all enjoy the weather wherever you are at!

--
Sincerely,
Elder Zachary Taylor

January 3, 2011

Hello everyone!

So last week was weird because the libraries were closed on P-day so we had to email on Tuesday. We had a good day Tuesday we got to see two of our investigators. Well one is a recent convert now. We got to see Jessica and that was really awkward because she had some family over and a friend over. The family was a little loud and crazy so it was hard for me to feel anything but frustration. We ended earlier than we thought we would and then we headed out. It worked out though because we were able to make to back home in time to be ready for dinner. We had dinner with our recent convert and his family. It was really fun! We had FHE with them and so I loved it. I will be sad when it comes time to leave them.

Wednesday was a good day. We had district meeting and that was good but weird. We only have us and one other companionship in my district and then the zone leaders were there. I had one of the other elders give a training and he did a very good job. I was happy that he got to train because he seemed to enjoy it very much. He had us do an activity with ice. It was on asking good questions and so he had my companion try to chip the ice with a butter knife and it didn't work to good then he gave me an ax and said now you try. It broke the ice up very easy. So he said if we ask just any questions then we are chipping at their concerns with a butter knife but if we use the spirit we are using an ax. I liked it a lot. We also had dinner with our recent converts from a while back. We usually eat with them on Saturday so it was weird to eat with them on a Wednesday.

Thursday was cool we had a good day but not much luck. People are still busy with family and such. But we got to see brother Laudemann and so that was good. He said he hasn't been doing very good. We weren't able to stay long but we had a good visit. We then went with our recent convert to play basketball with our ward. It was really fun and nobody got hurt so that is always good.

Friday we got a call from bishop early in the morning. He wanted us to help him and be at the church with him while he was with a single lady. We went with him and it took a little while but not too long. We then tried to go and see bro. Laudemann but he wasn't answering. We also tried to see an investigator we have behind him and she wasn't home either. This time of year missionary work slows down because of everybody else getting very busy but that is ok. We had dinner with the Case family and they had family in town. It was really fun there were these little boys that were so funny. They were happy to see missionaries and were all over us so it was fun.

Saturday we tried all day to contact some of our referrals. We didn't have any luck. We have so many referrals that we have been trying to contact and if we could just contact them all then we would be able to have many more people to teach. I hope that we are able to contact them this week.

Sunday was a good day nothing special happened. We had a dinner with a family that we have dinner with every fast Sunday. It was my favorite meal, roast beef. We got to see brother Laudemann for a little bit so that was good. So I am enjoying my mission very much. This week was a little difficult for me but I am ok and the next week will be better. The hard weeks on the mission are more bearable than the hard weeks at home. Transfers are coming up this week and I feel that I might leave. I really don't want to but sometimes it just has to be done. I love you all!

--
Sincerely,
Elder Zachary Taylor