It's sooooo good to hear from you!!!!!!! First off mom thank you sooo much for the package. It came the night before Valentine's Day. Thank you very much! Wow Nana and Papaw are in town. How fun. I love it when they come and visit. We always joke around and laugh. Papaw would nap a lot Hahahaha!!!!!!! It's okay Papaw, you need all the energy you can get 'cause you have to keep up with my mom. Hahahaha Then Nana and her counsel she gave to me. Mostly about cleaning my room or my grades in school. She always had something to counsel me on!!!! hahaha I probably needed the most counsel on how to NOT get broken bones!!!! Hahahaha It's ok Nana that you were not by a computer and weren't able to write me. Tell Uncle Darin and his family, Grandma J, Jack and Scott that I appreciate the Valentine letters they sent. They are very dear to me!!!!!! I also got a letter from Rhiannon Hill. That was so nice of her to write to me. I'm planning on writing her back but we are traveling to Pitt today so maybe later tonight. I also want each of you to know that I keep every single letter that I receive from anyone who writes me! So after my mission I will have a collection.
Sounds like mom and dad had a good time at the adult Valentine's dance! I'm proud of you dad that you took mom to the dance even though you weren't feeling well. You know how to treat your lady. I'm proud of you! You definitely earned wife points there!!!
Well my studies are going fantastic!!!!! I'm still in Mark and I actually found a scripture that isn't in Preach My Gospel that I can use in my missionary work- it's so great!!!!!!!!! In our Book of Mormon class (that we have each Wednesday night) we are in Mosiah 24. I love the stories that are in Mosiah!!!!!
Hey Austin- my brother from the exact same mother. I'm so glad you wrote me and I didn't even have to tell you to. Hahahaha jk I can't believe you weigh 176!?!?!? That's crazy!!!!! You're gonna be huge before you know it!!!!! Just keep it up!!! You fell asleep in school!?!?!? I'm surprised you're still alive. Mom would've beat me to death if I did that!!!!!! You are already getting your Eagle Scout project approved? That's awesome. I'm so proud of you!!!!!! And you're learning how to waltz from mom? I wouldn't have thought you would do that but good for you! It is good to hear that people in high school still remember me and have said nice things about me. You remember that one day when I came to your lunch hour and saw you? I was finally able to see you at school 'cause I never saw Ty unless it was football. I wish I would have taken the opportunity to interact with you more at school- especially in Seminary. Ugh. Such amazing moments we could've had, yet I let them slip through my prideful fingertips. I am happy I am your role model with life but you are my role model with keeping your goals and weight lifting. You are going to train me when I get home so I can be big like you and you can tell me to lift more and eat more too!!!!!! :) :)
I am learning a new skill. Mom, you'll be super proud of me and my companions. Guess what!?!?!?!? We're learning how to knit!!!!!!!!!!!! Yeah... no joke!!! Knitting it's great!!!! Now you may think that's for old ladies but I love it!!! Alright hear me out. I'll tell you what the sister teaching us told me. I was skeptic but now I believe it!! She said, "If you know how to knit you can support yourself and your family and others. You will always be able to provide them with clothing and warmth. No matter what happens you can still provide for their means!" I thought wow!!! It can help me and my family and even others. So that's what this learning to knit is ultimately for- to provide for others!!! So I'm getting pretty good at it. I finally got the second step down (which I've been struggling with for awhile and now). I can knit away til my hearts content!!!!!!!!!!! It's a lot of fun and I enjoy it. We all sit around and knit- it's hilarious!!!!!!! Hahahaha
I'm so excited to tell you all we did this past week! First, we got our new companion so we're in a trio again. His name is Elder Isom! He's from Idaho Falls, Idaho. He is super fun and as soon as I met him I was like oh yeah we are going to have sooooo much fun!!!!!!!!! We have been cracking jokes and it's been great!!!!! He's a guitarist and loves music! He is really funny and he my first companion who's been shorter than me!!!!!! Every other companion I have had has been taller. However, I am still on the streak where all my companions are close to going home. He only has 3 months left! This is Elder Klimas last transfer so I will see him off as I did with Elder Hebdon. All of my companions will be home soon and I won't be serving around them anymore!!! :(
This week we went to the Projects, a really ghetto area. We didn't have any appointments so we began walking and trying to find people (potentials). We were walking down the street and saw a group of Hood black kids. hahaha They are in a secluded spot and they started yelling at us. They said, "Hey come down here!" So I'm like yeah right, we'll stay up here where people can see us. We told them we were missionaries for our church. One of them said, "Hey I'm Catholic. You should come down here and talk with us." We told them to come up to where we were and talk with us- which they did. They said, "You crazy, white boys are out here and this is the ghetto." We told them we were looking for someone and then we just got to talking. They were awesome!! When we finished talking with them, we all shook each other's hands and then we left. They were pretty funny! A lot of people were looking out their windows to see who we were. I just smiled and waved!
We had another lesson with Sister Y. A member, Sister Clarkson, joined us for the lesson and they got along really well. They have both had similar circumstances and so that has created a bond between them. Sister Y doesn't
feel very comfortable with a lot of people but she is very comfortable with Sister C. In fact, they sit next to each other at church. Of course you know I am not able to sit with them or the others we teach because I am the chorister during Sacrament meeting. I love it!!!!!! If I get that calling after my mission I'll be more than happy to do it!!! Really it is just fine that I don't sit with them because it is much more important that Sister Y make that connection with Brother and Sister C because they are Branch members and we missionaries won't always be here. It's important that she has that fellowship and love from the Branch and its members!!!!
Well our district went to a fish fry event at a Senior event in a Catholic church. We provided service by helping clean tables and dishes. It was so much fun. The old ladies loved us. Little old ladies keep telling me that I'm a very handsome young man. I eat that up of course. :) I sometimes flirt with the old ladies and they eat that up!!!!! Hahaha The best part is they giggle and laugh. It's great fun. We also had the opportunity to serve food at the food bank!!! We've done a lot of service lately and the church has encouraged that as well. If you think about it, service is the best thing invented!!!!! When you serve someone, you help them. And helping them makes you feel better and the spirit grows within you! My favorite quote about service comes from the Mormon Message "Lift." I LOVE THIS QUOTE!!!!!!!!! LISTEN UP. "It's interesting, the dichotomy of healing the body and healing the soul. When we heal the body it's always an inward effort. We are always paying attention to ourselves. When we heal the soul, turning inward doesn't work; the triage of the soul is found turning outward toward other people." Isn't that the best??!!!! You know how when our bodies are sick we go to a doctor? Well, when our spirit needs help we need to help others and that will help to heal our spirits. This is what I tell to my companions when we do service or when I lack the spirit: "service is spiritual medicine." We have to turn to Christ, our spiritual healer, to be helped spiritually. So in order to come unto Christ we have to visit others and help them and then the spirit of the Lord will help us!!!!! Like the scriptures say, "If ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren ye have done it unto me." Ohhhhh man!!!!!!!! I love service!!!!!!!!
Now for the amazing miracle that happened this week. We went to visit brother S. He is inactive and we've been really struggling to have him progress in the Gospel. Elder Isom taught about faith and how we must act even if we don't know or if we haven't received an answer. Elder Klima committed him to pray with us right then to ask if God loved him. It got really quiet and it was quiet for a good minute. Then he said, "I guess I won't know until I try." So we knelt down and he prayed. His loving wife, who's been holding on tight to him with love and compassion, was there as well. After the prayer we sat in silence for awhile. We told him that God is there for us and him and He is listening- we just have to reach out for help!!! We rode all the way home in silence and with gratitude and happiness. The Spirit was soooo strong!!!!!! Before we left, Sister S said, "you three glow. You radiate with the Spirit. " That comment touched my heart because I saw that same glow in Tyler when he returned from his mission. That's one reason I wanted to serve a mission- so I could radiate the Spirit and glow like he did. I just want to continue to glow and to beam and radiate the spirit. I know that the Atonement has changed me, it changed Tyler and I have seen it change those I teach. I know the Atonement can change anyone!!!!! That night the Spirit was so strong. That experience was definitely a highlight on my mission so far. I want to continue to help God's children and to have the Holy Ghost with me to know how to find them and how best to teach them!!!!! I love this church and the Spirit.
BTW, I'm sending a video of Brother P. Backstory: We have been trying to scare Elder Isom by putting on this whole act about how Brother P is a crazy, less-active, ex-marine with PTSD (he is an ex-marine and a convert and has lots of tattoos but everything else is false). We also told Elder Isom that Brother P hates the missionaries and that one time he actually beat one up. We tell E. Isom that Sister P is active and loves the missionaries and the church. We then tell him that we got a text from Sister P inviting us to dinner. We told him that Brother P would be upstairs and not bother us. Of course, Sister P knew all about the trick and was in on it. Also realize that Brother P was also in on the joke because he loves messing with the missionaries. Hahaha So we went to the house and Brother P got E. Isom good!!!!!!! It was perfect! In the video you'll see his gun and his tattoos. Hahahaha
I love all of you and the moments that we have had together. I pray for you and I know that as you pray your Heavenly Father is listening and He will answer your prayers. Sometimes in such a small way but it will be the answer you need. Take care. Love you. Bye!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!❤️❤️❤️❤️
Elder Cahoon the Baboon
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