The Reason For The Season

Hello family and friends!

Merry Christmas!!!!!!!! Man do I love the Christmas season!!!! It's the best. I'm so excited I get to see all of
you!!!!!!!! I love all of you!!!!!!! I don't know where I will be skyping from but I will skype off of Elder Hebdon's iPad because his has sound.  The sound on mine doesn't work- I don't know why.  I will be skyping you guys at 6:30 my time which is 4:30 your time. Hopefully you can plan around that!!! It will be on Christmas Day.  I'm
hoping the whole family can Skype.  If not, that's alright but I do want it all to go smoothly.  I'm glad you will send a lot of pictures of the wedding.  I'll get to see all the familiar faces of the Quinn family and others!!!!

Yo Austin you dog!!!!!!! Camille is a homie.  She straight hooked it up for you on your first date!!!! Plus girls in Arizona and Utah are beautiful!!!!!!!  That was so nice of her to do that!!!  Not only that but you saw Star Wars 7 two times!!!!!!!!! AAAAAGGGGGHHHH  I can't believe that they finally made a Star Wars movie and it just so happens to come out while I'm serving a mission.  NO SPOILERS!!!!!!!

Well anyways, this week we went caroling down in Pittsburgh and that was so much fun.  We went to 2 hospitals and sang in 1 old folks home. I was able to talk with someone whose name was Jeff.  He had just gotten out of surgery when we arrived and began to sing throughout the hospital.  I was able to hear his story. Like I said he came out surgery which was a leg operation (he may still need to have it amputated) so he was scared and telling me he didn't want to lose his leg. I felt the Spirit tell me to tell him that whatever happens he was going to be ok.  He thanked us for singing to him and brightening his day.  Service is one of the greatest things we can do to be able to come closer to Heavenly Father. It was something very simple for me to sing and talk with him by the Spirit but it meant the world to him to have us visit and sing to him.  After caroling we had a white elephant exchange.  I brought a Shake weight and I ended up with the gift I brought.  How absurd is a shake weight?!  Then the next day it was just Elder Hebdon and I and we went caroling at the Kane Regional Hospital in McKeesport. I played the piano and sang for all the residents there.  At first there were only 2 or 3 people but by the end there were 15-20 residents gathered in the room listening!  I couldn't believe it when I turned around the whole room was filled!!!  Afterwards, I was able to sit down with a few and hear about their lives and what trials they have gone through as well as the happy moments!!!! That was the best.  If you ever go caroling or sing in a hospital, don't just sing and then leave but sit down with the people and have them talk about themselves.  They are more than willing and they love that!!!!!!!  So I talked to 4 older women and they told me to tell you "tell them they raised a talented, sweet, good looking, gentleman."   Congrats mom and dad your work paid off!  haha  Besides the caroling, not to much happened.  We do have videos of the caroling thanks to my Zone Leader, Elder Wadsworth.  He made all the recordings so you can thank him.  I'll send them in another email- there's quite a few. 

I love you all.  Talk to you on Friday at 4:30!  Love you!!!!!!!!! Bye!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!❤️❤️❤️❤️

Elder Cahoon

No pain... No game!

Helloooooo family and friends!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 I'm glad you all enjoy my creative subjects.  I work hard on those and am trying to be creative and clever with them.  Wow Austin Happy birthday!!!!!!!! Big 16!!!!!!!! You know what that means?  I'm gonna send a video of me singing happy birthday to you!!!!!  I'll try and be creative with these as well.  Mom I know you were the first one I did this for so I'll give you a really good one next year hahahaha!!!!!! Austin,  I'm glad you had fun with your friends.  I'm so sad I couldn't be there for it.  I really do miss you!!! I wish we could go back to old times where it was you and me playing together.  I want us to play like we used to.  Remember when we'd pretned we were Jedis or army guys?  Man I miss those days!! I'm so glad that my Heavenly Father loved me so much that he gave me a little brother to play with, to laugh with, and to love!!! I hope you see and recognize that too!!!!! I want to be your buddy just like old times... Wow. When I wrote "buddy" just now I started crying...I love you Austin I really do!!! I can't wait to see you when we FaceTime or Skype.  I just want to see my little brother again! Oh my gosh I can't stop crying.  I've been crying for the past 15 minuets- I've been trying to stop but nothing's working. I know that's the spirit testifying to me that families are important and that the relationships you build with your family is so important.  Alright enough of that. hahaha

Wow Cantwell's wedding and then Paul's wedding. I am gonna need some more pictures hahaha!!!!!!!!! I always ask for pictures and it is because I love getting them of you guys.  I love sending pictures to let you know where I'm at and what I'm up too!!! Yea mom I love LDS.org.  Then again, that's all I can get onto so it's not like I have a selection I can choose from haha!!! Guess what you guys?  Star Wars 7 plays in theaters in 4 DAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!  Brother Haroldsen, one of the members of the branch, keeps rubbing it in because he's a Star Wars fan too and he gets to go see it!!! So he keeps torturing me and telling me how many days left till it comes out.  He's a great guy and he is really funny.  

Oh how cool that you're doing Plan Of Salvation shirts.  That's a neat way to do missionary work! Oh man the football banquet- that's so weird that Coach Bradley isn't the coach anymore!  That means Tyler has been home a year now!  What a changes a year makes huh?  

So this week has been pretty awesome.  So when I played the piano and sang at the same time at Zone Conference this past week it went really well.  With the pointers from Sister Macbeth, it went a lot smoother and I could definitely feel the spirit as I was singing.  I don't get as nervous anymore either. l will admit that I was still nervous but not as nervous as I used to get.  I got a lot of compliments. President Johnson thanked me and said he was going to use me more often!!!!!  That was exciting to hear!!!  We got to play basketball at the church with a few less actives.  At first I felt like an idiot playing.  I still don't know how to play or what to do so they just told me to get rebounds.  I can jump that's what I did.  My companion is 6'3 and he got a lot.  I feel so lost in the game of basketball.  I really wish I had wanted to learn how to play when I was younger.  I was all about soccer.  I'm athletic so not knowing what to do is very frustrating!  At the end I just tried having fun and doing what seemed "normal" so it wasn't all bad.  I did wear my knee sleeve and my ankle brace (remember when I sprained it in Olean?).  It hurts when I play on it sometimes but that's normal for a sprain.  I just can't stop getting hurt! Hahahaha!!!!!!!! I just need to have a talk with Heavenly Father and ask Him to help me to stop getting injured!!!  lol  That guy definitely has a sense of humor!!!  This week we also had our branch Christmas party.  We had a few less actives's show up that haven't been to church in a long while.  That same night Brother Punjack and I had our pizza eating competition.  Let me tell you that that was fun and painful at the same time!!!!  We each had 8 pieces of pizza and every time we finished a slice we had to do 20 push ups.  So 8X20=160 push ups.

 As you can tell in the picture, my face doesn't look too happy or excited at the end!!!!! Hahahaha Brother Punjack is an ex-marine and a real competitor.  He challenged me to this competition and I agreed.  What's crazy is that he always wins.  This time was different!  I was the first Elder to tie him.  I didn't win but neither did he!  We literally finished at the exact same time.  He finished his last piece of pizza before me but I busted out the push ups at the end and we both finished at the same time.  It only took 11 minuets to accomplish all of that!!!!! I was in pain and my stomach didn't feel too good either but brother Punjack said that I was the closest Elder to beating him or to even come close! So I was pretty excited to hear that!

Elder "H"  leaves at the end of the month and is getting trunky.  I am doing the best I can to stay obedient during this hard situation. Yes I got the package.  Thanks mom and dad I really appreciate it!!!!!!! I love the gloves but it's not even cold here!!!!! Yesterday it was 71 degrees.  The lowest it has gotten here in McKeesport has been high 40's.  It isn't getting cold; in fact, it's warming up!!!!!!!!!!!  I've talked with people and they've said this has been the most bizarre weather they've ever seen!?!  It is never this warm this time of year.  Maybe I'm just good luck! hahaha  It's crazy that I'm allowed to wear shorts in December!!!!!!!  I did enjoy the cards you sent to hand out to people.  No I haven't played anymore football. I did see one of the guys I played with at the turkey bowl at Wendy's.  He worked there and guess what?!?!?!?! He even called me Gronk!!!!!!! How cool is that!!????  I was so pumped when he remembered me!!!!  No I don't remember what Ty said to the mailman.  What would he say??! I do need a few things:  1. scripture tabs.  I am going to start using my hard copy scriptures more instead of my iPad.  2. Shorts.  I have enough shirts but I only have 3 shorts and one pair doesn't have pockets.  3. Japanese pens.  The ones you got Ty for his mission and also for me! I know I lost them but if you could, could you send me those?!

I hope you all have a fantastic week.  I love you.  Take care.  Bye!!!!!

Elder Gronkowski

The Parable of the Talents

Hello family and friends!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry I'm writing this so late.  We came back from a P-day of fun and adventure!!!! We went to the Carnegie Science Center with one of the service missionaries and it was soooo cool!!!!!! I got to see C3P0 and R2D2 also play basketball against a robot arm and lose in air hockey against another robot arm.  So you could say it was a time of disappointment hahaha!!!! We got to go in a submarine and man, I got nothing to complain about!  They had to live in this tiny submarine 80 days.  It was crammed. I mean not only were their sleeping quarters just a cot but the whole submarine was so small the kitchen they had consisted of a stove and a small pantry and that was it!!!!!!!!

Let me tell you how much of a blessing it is that I don't have to worry about school!!!!!!! No finals.  No teachers.  No homework.  Life as a missionary is truly a blessing! Sure I can't do a lot of things but there's a lot of things I don't miss-like taking finals! Hahahaha Sorry Tyler and Austin but I'm living the good life!!!! Wow, Austin you're gonna be 16!  You are gonna be a Priest.  Go on dates man.  I thought I was gonna go on a date every week when I turned 16 but that didn't happen!!!!! I doubt you'll do that as you seem super focused on football which is a blessing.  I think I was just girl crazy hahaha!!!! Speaking of girls, Elder Cantwell's getting married!?!?!  Jeez everybody's getting married. I better not come home and find out everyone's married- I'll be mad!!!!!!!!  I'm happy for Cantwell.  He was a very nice, funny guy when we met up with him and his mom in Utah.  Such a nice family!!!!!  Dad, I laughed when you threw in the joke about BYU and telling me the "bad" news because I don't like them. hahahaha That was good!!!!! However, Elder Richens, my MTC companion, is a die-hard BYU fanatic and he spent an hour trying to convince me to go to BYU instead of BYU-I. From the sports, to the school, to the dorms, you name it.  He was trying so hard to convince me.  I told him I would send in an application and if they accepted me I would go but if I didn't get in, then I was done with them.  So he was happy that I agreed!!!!!!!

I bet the Ward Christmas party was a lot of fun.  Yes Dad, I remember Sister Bayless.  I remember teaching her.  That was my first real missionary experience.  I wish I would have been a better home teacher. And I do remember Justin. That's awesome that he's looking to go on a mission. I wasn't quite sure what his future plans were.  I am happy to hear he wants to do that!!!!!!! Mom, I love that you shared the story of Joan of Arc in your email.  She really was an amazing woman.  She fought and died for the Lord and was willing to stand against the world and its practices while she fought against England.  She truly was devoted to God and following His will. Also mom, I've always believed you to be so strong. I remember one time I told you (if you remember this let me know) that you had a spirit like Emma Smith. I remember we were reading in Doctrine & Covenants that year.  I remember learning about what a wonderful woman she was.  I just pictured you as Emma Smith.  You didn't go through the same trials she did but she didn't go through some of the trials you did. You were always willing to put the Lord first.  No matter what trial you had or what you were going through, you were always so strong and had a testimony that everything would be okay in the end. You have endured so many things and it's because of your faith and love for the Savior you were able to push through those trials!!!!  Sorry Dad, I'm leaving you out.  You've been a great influence on me as well!  What a wonderful example you both have been to me! I don't know how you did it but you did!!!!!!!  You weren't perfect (which is ok) because none of us can be but you both tried so hard to be!!!!!!  You truly are the best parents I can ask for.  I now see much you sacrificed for all of us 4 boys.  The selflessness that I wasn't able to see when I was younger and living at home, I see now.  You could've done so many things you wanted but instead you wanted to do what we did.  I love you both sooooooo much!!!!!!!!!!  I wanted you to know that. 

So tomorrow (Tuesday) in Zone Conference (this is where a lot of missionaries go for a meeting to learn how to become better missionaries than they are now), I will be playing the piano and singing the song, "Infant Holy, Infant Lowly."  I've been practicing the piano and my singing.  I pray that it will go how I want it.  I really felt the spirit tell me that I should play this song.  It touched me and I want it to touch others!!! I also sang in the McKeesport Branch Choir along with the Branch President.  Tonight Sister Macbeth asked if I would sing in a male quartet and I said yes!!!!!!! I'm so excited that I am still able to exercise my talents.  I am truly happy that I am increasing my talents and obtaining new ones!!!! I've learned that- like in the parable of the talents- we should practice our talents and increase them instead of hiding them or being embarrassed by them.  We need to exercise them!!!!  No one talent is greater than the other.  God has  given us all different abilities and skills and if we don't exercise them, they will shrink.  But if we do exercise them we can use them and be as a lighthouse upon a hill and let our talents and abilities shine.  We increase our talents not only for our own benefit but for the benefit of others!!!!! I have a testimony of this.  I have a testimony that God knows each and every one of us and because He knows us He will bless us.  He will give us what we need so that we may grow spiritually and He is also there to uplift us.  As we are blessed and recognize his hand in our lives, we are to stand as witnesses of Him!!! He is there for us.  He is listening.  He does care.  I KNOW THIS!!!!!!  Have a great week.  Allow Jesus Christ to enter into your heart so that during the week He can guide you through the Holy Ghost.  I love you all.  Take care.  Bye!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!❤️❤️❤️❤️

Elder Gronk the Baboon