Mama's Birthday Chick (with a new calling)

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

Thank you for the Cheryl's cookies.  That is a lot of cookies and I know my District will enjoy them very much!!!  I am saving them because I can''t eat all of them and Schofield's trying to lose weight.  Wow I cannot believe it's Monday.  I swear it gets shorter and shorter and better and better.  This was a week of service.  It was back to back service and we just got another call about 10 minuets ago saying someone needed help moving so we are becoming service missionaries Hahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love service though- remember that's the spiritual medicine.  I even have Elder Schofield saying that now.  When we do service he says, "Time to go get our spiritual medicine." It's so great!!!!!  I love this companionship!!!!!!!  So many great things are happening in Ambridge I love it!!!!! So let's break this week down and let me share some of the things I've experienced so you can jump into my mission in Pennsylvania and see what's going on hahaha!!!  So we helped 2 people move this week- Sister Rs brother and dad as well as the Ps.  They were both big moves but the Ps was an all day task.  Js and his dad's was just until noon but it was still pretty big.   So with J, we just cleared out his house and stuffed it all into the truck.  It was a disaster but we got it all in. The important part is we got it all in, not the way it looked Hahahaha!!!!!!  So after that we got breakfast.  We have Sisters in our area and we see them quite often because we have dinner appointments and they drive us a lot of places.  Since we see them so often we thought we'd be nice and get them breakfast too.  We go by to give it to them and after we knocked on the door, they open it and out of nowhere they pull out Nerf guns and start shooting at us!  I thought it was hilarious!!! So those are our Sisters, Sisters Oliver and Nelson.  Oliver is training Nelson right now and the 2 other sisters in our District are a trainer and a trainee as well.  It's exciting to be around trainees and serve with them in a District. Then we went and did more service at Old Economy.  We were more in our service clothes than our regular, missionary clothes.  That's when you know the laborious work is getting done!!!!!!!👊 

After Old Economy, we went a less active's house whom we do service with and whom loves the missionaries.  We have been doing service with him for a while and he knows that I want to be a motivational speaker so he forced me to give a motivational speech on 3  things:  1. Why are brussel sprouts green? 2. Why do Mormon missionaries stink? 3. Why is Schofield's head huge? Hahaha  Elder Schofield recorded it without me knowing.  I will try to send it to you through email but if it doesn't work, I will tell you that J said he was impressed! 👌  We were in our service clothes from 7:00am-5:00pm!!!

Like I have said before, we get fed well here in this ward and.  I am in tons of members' homes. So this one Brother F is a funny guy.  He was making burgers and hot dogs and asked how much I wanted.  I jokingly told him 3 cheeseburgers.  He said I couldn't eat that much.  Hence, I sensed a challenge... DUN DUN DUN DUNN!!!!!!!!!!!  A challenge!?!?!?!? Elder Cahoon Gronk never backs down from a challenge!  So I told him to make 3 cheeseburgers and just to up the ante, I told him to make me 2 hot dogs as well!  We had eaten lunch that day so I was hungry but not starving.  Well can you guess who won?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!? Drumroll.........................It was ME!!!!!!!!! I did it!!!!!!!  He was impressed.  They were good burgers too!  So I've been challenged twice on my mission but Brother Ps was the best!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will always remember that!!!!!!!!

That dinner was preparation for the next day because we helped Brother A move.  We were in our service clothes from 9:00am-8:00pm!!! A long day!!!!!! We got him moved from his old house to a new one and took the furniture from his old house and moved it into his new house.  We got it all taken care of.  Being a former mover has really helped me on my mission!!!!!  As a thank you, he gave us money to go out and eat so we went to Chick Fil A.  After dinner, we got our transfer calls.  I receive a call from President Johnson!!!!!!!! (Gasp!)  He talks to me and asks how things in Ambridge are going then he tells me that he wants me to be the new District Leader for the Cranberry District.   So now I have a leadership position.  I'm nervous but I'm confident that God will help me to rise to the challenge!!!!  Elder Schofield was an amazing ZL (Zone Leader) and he was a district leader to the most difficult District in the mission so I have much to learn from him!!!  I'm ready for the challenge- nervous and anxious- but ready!!!!!

Then we had a great Easter Sunday.  The spirit was soooo strong and the testimony meeting was sooo powerful!!!!!! I can't tell you how awe-inspiring the testimonies were.  They really touched my heart!!  So this week I received wonderful spiritual medicine and I felt so good!!!

Thank you for the pictures of Tyler and Hannah.  I appreciate those.  I love you.  Take care. Bye!!!!!!!!!  ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Elder Cahoon the Baboon

Teaching Tiny Toddlers

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

Yes the area I'm in is fantastic.  The Ward is the biggest Ward I've been in and it's so much fun! We keep having dinners that it is hard to get in with the I's.  Elder Kap is loving Olean.

What!?!?!? It's already Monday?  Time flies out here!!!!!!! Especially when you are always trying to find something to do and you're working hard and having fun all at the same time. Seriously time just flies right out the window and drops dead!  Last Monday we are at the J's home (Do you remember Sister J?  She sent you the picture of a Elder Schofield and I). She is sooo cool, very perky, outgoing and is 110% missionary mom because her daughter is on a mission!!!! She has a son with Down Syndrome.  He is the funniest kid.  His name is Ty.  I'm so glad that I have Scott in my family because Scott is what makes the Cahoon family so special.   Special needs people can teach you sooo much. They teach you to slow down and smell the roses and to enjoy the journey as well as the reward in the end.  Scott has helped me to look at everyone as God would view them.  The love and compassion that Scott has for everyone helps me to care for everyone no matter their disability or weaknesses.  I strive to see their potential and what they will become.  I'm so grateful for you Scott for your example to me.  I cherish the time when you and I would go and see a movie on Saturday night.  We had fun together and I will never forget it!!!!  Those are some of the most memorable times I had in Farmington.   I love you buddy!!!!!!!  You also better believe that after the mission we are going out to see some movies- we've got a lot of catching up to do Hahahaha!!!!!

                                                                    

These kids were so excited to get anything about Jesus

So while we were at the Js.  I discover that Bishop J has a Jaguar.  It is really nice and FAST!!!!!!!!  I wish I had  gotten a picture but I didn't have my iPad on me😢 so I'll have to get it another time.  It was Pi day that day (3/14) so Sister J made us 3 pies!!!!!!  I had a slice of each pie cause I couldn't decide Hahahaha!!!!!!  So that was a lot of fun!!!  Then we helped at the Old Economy (it is probably my favorite service I've done on my mission so far).  It's actually a historic site and we help out on by leaning up garbage or pruning trees or moving furniture that's over 200 years old!😱  Crazy right!?!?  Well, you just wait.  So on Tuesday we were working with Dean (a worker there who's really funny) and we were out in the garden when we hear this screech and then crash.  We see this car coming to a screeching halt on the highway behind the Old Economy on the other side of the road.  We see smoke and we take off to look over the fence to see what happened.  We see this car parked on the other side of the road in the right hand lane with smoke coming from the car.  We run over- this time I did look both ways so I learned from last time- and it was a younger girl and she was already on the phone with the police.  It turns out that she hit the guardrail and her wheel came off and her car was driving on its rotor and that was the screeching sound we heard!!!!!!  As the car wasn't going anywhere, we offered to go grab her tire and by the time we came back the police were there and directing traffic.  After that there wasn't much more we could do so we headed back to Old Economy!  Strange things are happening in Ambridge where we are helping people. I love it- spiritual medicine but it's some pretty scary stuff!!!😬😬😬   After finishing our service at Old Economy, we went on exchanges and guess who I went with!??!?........... ELDER MINK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  We finally were able to serve together.  It was sooooooo much fun!!!!!!!!!!  I was also leading out my area and I've only been here for like 2 1/2 weeks but it went well.  We even had a really cool experience:  we tried this one potential and they open the door and there were like 7 kids that came out followed by the potential.  We asked if we could come in but she said no because the kids had homework. Then all of a sudden the kids all yell and say NOOOO we want to talk about Jesus!  I was amazed!!!!!  We went in and all these kids were like "We love Jesus."  One of them said, "Jesus is my best friend!"  They even showed us a DVD of Jesus that they loved.  Then they asked if we had any pictures of Jesus and we only had a few but these kids wanted any pictures of Jesus one of them said " I'm going to put this one as my background screen for my phone!!!!!!!!!!!! How crazy is that!?!?  Then we taught a little lesson and left them with B.O.M.s and restoration pamphlets. They wanted anything we had so we gave them all that we had.  They grabbed it like it was candy!!!!!!!  So my favorite quote is "Jesus is my best friend."  

So we went from this amazing experience to a pretty pathetic experience.  Elder Mink and I had about an hour of exchanges left and we see this guy and we asked if he needed help and he said no.  But then he started talking to us.  He was a Catholic.  He starts to say how our church is wrong and it's heresy to believe that God and Christ are separate beings.  So instead of bible bashing and all that we just listen to his beliefs then we tell him, "thank you for sharing your beliefs but we have a testimony of these things and we are just here to share that with those who are willing to listen."  I think people having other beliefs and opinions is fine but it is wrong to tear down another's beliefs.  That's what he started to do to us.  

Another cool thing that happened this week was one of our investigators read all the way to chapter 15 in 1st Nephi and he is loving it.  We asked him if he believes the Book of Mormon is the word of God.  He said "yes I do!"  How exciting is that??!!!!!!!  The most fun we had this week was when we moved Sister R.  She's moving to Idaho.  Since I used to work for a moving company (good ol' Mayflower), I was ready and excited to begin.  I was once again able to let my talents be placed on a candlestick so that I could bless and help others.  Not only did we get it all packed but Elder Schofield and I even got all of the hard stuff out of the way so no one else had to deal with it.  I was excited I could use my talents and abilities to help others!!!!!!!!  That was an all-day task and a lot of work but we finally got it all!!!! 

The Ls took us out for breakfast and the Sisters didn't eat all their food so instead of wasting it, I ate their's too.  I had a gyro omelette, 2 plates of hash browns and 2 plate-sized pancakes.  I ate it all.  I keep telling people I'm a garbage disposal but no one believes me- but the Ls do now!  So this week I was spiritually and physically filled hahahaha!!!!!!! I love all you so muc.  Have a great week.  Bye!!!!!!!!!❤️❤️❤️❤️

Elder Cahoon the Baboon

I'm a Moron. Wait a Mormon!

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

I think I put too many exclamation points... Naaaa that's what they're there for- to tell you how exciting my mission is!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The Pennsylvania Pittsburgh mission is great!!!!! In Ambridge we are about 45 minutes from the city Pittsburgh and it's such a cool site to see!!!!!!! I had the best tour guide to take me around Pittsbugh! Elder Harper, my companion, served in the city Pittsburgh basically his whole mission minus 7 months. So he showed us the cool sites and even some things people wouldn't get to see if they didn't serve in Pitt. I'm super lucky that I was able to do that since not everyone gets that opportunity.  I also have the coolest companion ever- Elder Schofield.  I love this guy! He is from Salt Lake City, Utah. He is 20 years old he was a firefighter and EMT before his mission.  He was also skinny before his mission and since he's come out he's gained 40 pounds!!!!!!!!! Can you believe that!?! He is really funny and is a loving guy- the most patient companion I've had so far! He plays the guitar and is pretty good! He is a hard worker and wants to be a good missionary! He's had companions that have struggled with one thing or another so when he got me he was so excited to work!  So that's what we did this week- we WORKED!!!!!!! On Tuesday we were able to get in and see the Is.   They are a less active family that Elder Schofield has been trying to see since he got here 2 months ago.  He's never been able to meet them. So we knock on their door and we finally were able to get inside and talk with them. They have 4 kids that are pretty quiet except for the youngest he's a fireball!!!🔥 W talk with them and shared "A World Without A Savior" video. They liked that a lot and we invited them to church. Wednesday was Zone Conference.  Everyone from Pitt North (our zone) and (Jamestown zone) come together! I got to see Elder Kap who actually came out with me and is serving in Olean where I served!!!!!!!!! I also got to see Elder Miller, the AP and former District Leader who reminds me of Tyler!!! He's like my older brother! I actually got to eat lunch with President Johnson as he sat at my table at lunch.  That was really cool! I was joking with him and everyone at the table was too, It was such a blast. I'll send you guys the picture of that Zone Conference! Then we had dinner that night at the church with the scouts because brother Kiggin, our Ward Mission Leader, invited us.  They had good food.  The best part was that there was a Star Wars theme and Luke SkyWalker and a storm trooper walk out together.  I was like best day ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  As a missionary you get excited about anything Hahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!! On Thursday night Elder Schofield got a pretty bad headache and we didn't go out for about 2 hours but he got through it and we kept working.  We tried to increase our teaching pool by just talking with everyone.  If they weren't interested we asked them if they knew that would be.  We picked up 2 new investigators and 3 potentials with a return appointment!!!!!!!!!!!!! The work is going forward!!!!!! 

Oh my goodness before I forget.... on Thursday something really frightening happened!!! We were driving our car and we take a right at this light and I see this old lady and she starts to stumble and then loses her balance and falls on the ground. It was a hard fall! I began to look for a parking spot and I said, "we need to park the car!" My companion didn't see the old lady fall and said "why" but before I could answer back I was out of the car and running towards this lady.  I don't even think I looked when I crossed the street. Sorry mom, but I saw her and just ran.  By the time I got there another lady was already there.  The old lady who said she didn't need to go to the hospital but she was holding her ribs and she scraped herself pretty badly on her hands and feet. We helped her up and helped her to the store she was going to because she insisted and then we made sure she was ok.  We then let her on her way.  I was really scared when I saw her fall and I'm glad she was ok.  It turned out her heel got stuck in a crack and that's how she fell. So mom, watch those cracks.  I don't need you falling either!!!!!!!!!! 

O man I have to tell you guys about this event that happened.  So we were calling some potentials and we came across this gentleman.  I asked him if we could stop by and he said, "sure but I'm not interested."  Out of nowhere he asked how our dinner schedule was and he asked if there were any open slots.  I told him Friday was open and he invited us to eat with them!  He didn't even know us!!! I was flabbergasted!!!!!!!!!!!!! Some random stranger fed us dinner!!!!!!!!!!! Well anyways we go over there and their kids open the door and welcome us in.  The whole family was happy to see us.  We had sooo much fun over there!!!!!!! We talked, ate, joked with each other.  They were curious about us as missionaries and we asked questions about their beliefs.  They are Christians and and after dinner we talked to the wife and daughters about the Gospel.  It was soooooo cool!!!!!!!!!! We plan on staying in contact with them even if they "aren't interested." 

Ok so another cool thing that happened.  As missionaries, we do service for this place called Old Economy.  They wanted to recognize us for our volunteer service at their volunteer luncheon. It was pretty cool.  Sandy, who we see every Tuesday and Thursday, recognized us and gave us a certificate that said we had performed over 200 hours of community service.  That was pretty neat! So this last thing is something funny.  We were checking out at this store and the cashier told us he was drinking on the job.  We were like don't get caught.  I hand him a card (it was an "I'm a Mormon" card).  He reads it out loud but he read it too fast (or perhaps he had had too much to drink) and he said, "I'm a moron!"  Hahaha It was sooooo funny!!!!!! Well I hope you all have a great week make it the best love you all bye!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!❤️❤️❤️❤️

    

Elder Cahoon (Gronk)

Maximum March Madness

Alrighty, this is my new address:

296 16th St.

Ambridge, PA 15003

Hello!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Family and Friends!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have just thrown my first pair of shoes away  They were wasted!  Dad I'm sooooo glad you got to go to AZ and see Camille play.  I miss Aunt Cami and Camille.  I love them soooo much and Camille looks like an 18 yr. old.  She looks so pretty and all the boys are going to try and snatch her. I better get home and be her bodyguard hahaha!!!!!!!  I miss Sisters Herman and Taylor and Brother Marcum.  Tell them all I'm doing fantastic and that my mission is the best thing ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wow this week has been the CRAZIEST week on my mission so far! I was just talking with Elder Schofield about how this past week I have seen at least 1 person from each of my 3 areas!  HOW CRAZY IS THAT!!!!!!!! So let me start off with this week.  So I had absolutely NO IDEA that I was getting transferred.  On Monday we traveled to Monogohala to enjoy P-day and then we were going to go on exchanges afterward.  I was thinking it was going to be a fun exchange but it turned out that I get a call from President Johnson saying that we needed to meet back up with the McKeesport Elders because I was getting Emergency Transferred to Ambrige.  I thought NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! I was soooo sad because I loved McKeesport.  I had connected with the people and I loved them sooo much!!!!!!! This was the first time on my mission where the people I taught were actually my friends- they weren't people that we saw and taught and cared about but they were my FRIENDS!  I want you all to understand that these were my friends I truly, truly loved.  When we talked at Christmas, Ty said something that struck me and that I have remembered.  He said, " I think the hardest part about a mission is when you get to love the people and then you have to leave them.  That's the hardest part."  But I have learned, that that IS the hardest part!!!!!!!  I have never been more hurt to leave an area than McKeesport! So I got the call Monday night and had to leave to head to the mission home on Wednesday.  I had to report to the mission home at 9:00.  So I only had 1 day... 1 day to say goodbye.  I didn't even get to say goodbye to everyone.  We visited people, did service and then for dinner we went over to the M's (the ones in the wheelchairs).  We ate dinner with them and told them that was my last day in McKeesport and she was sad.  I am really going to miss them!  The hardest goodbye was that night with Sister Y.  I called her and asked how she was doing and asked about her day. She was so happy.  She has finally found peace through the gospel and she has progressed sooo much and really has put her faith in Christ! Then I told her the news... She began to cry😢😢😢  I felt so sad and then as we were talking about it I was trying to keep a positive attitude and I began to cry.  We talked for a while and then I told her that I loved her and that I would stay in contact.  She told me she and D both loved me.  I have her address and phone number and we WILL see them after my mission!  I also called Brother P and I told him that he was sooo cool!  He is definitely my favorite member so far.  I love that guy soooo much!!!!!! I packed my bags so I could leave the next morning.  We got to the mission home- that was weird because the last time I was there it was my first day in Pennsylvania.  Then Sister Johnson asked me a question to which I said yes!  She asked if I would be willing to play the prelude and postlude for a fireside in Jamestown, New York!!!!!!!!!!!! You know what that means????!!!!!!!!! I got to go to Jamestown and see people from Olean!  I was going to see Bishop DuPont!!!!!!!!!!!! I was soooooo excited!!!!!!!  It is about a 2.5 hour drive to Jamestown from here.  When I walked into the room guess who was the first person I saw... Guesses any guesses?!?!?! It was Bishop DuPont and his wife Betty!  He looked at me with a confused look on his face and says, " Is that Cahoon the Baboon?" Hahaha Then Betty saw me and ran toward me and I gave her a big ole hug and then Bishop DuPont gave me a hug as well.  I was soooo happy to see them.  He asked what I was doing there and I told him, "I'm coming back to Olean, Bishop.  I'm coming to live with you." he laughed and said, "I wish." hahaha  It was soooo good to see them.  I took pictures with the both of them.  He is the sweetest old man ever.  I got his address and number so I could go see them after the mission. 

So that was great and as if I couldn't get any better my companion, Elder Schofield, is such a great guy!!!! I love him a lot we have been having tons of fun!!! So as we were driving back to our area we had to go to our District meeting and guess who my District Leader is.... Guesses?? Any guesses???????? Drumroll please!!!!.............It's Elder Mink!!!!!!!!!!!!! Remember, he was the one I was showing you on Instagram and I met him at In n Out Burger before I went into the MTC.  Remember how you were saying mom, " I wonder if you'll ever serve around him."  Well here's your answer- he's in my district and is my District Leader!!!!!!!!!  After District Meeting, we went back to our new area (our teaching pool is small) to get to work.  This week (we didn't even have a full week) we taught 6 lessons!!!!!!! We made some goals and and discussed how we were going to accomplish them and as a result we taught 6 good lessons and didn't even have a full week! This companionship is going to be sweet!!  So we are really working hard and plan on continuing this cycle of good contacting!!!!!!!

So then on Sunday we went to church.  Wexford Ward is a big Ward.  We share the ward with another group of missionaries-they are sisters. Sister Oliver and Sister Nelson are pretty quiet so I talk... A LOT!!!!!! Hahahaha I love talking!!!!!!  I love our ward already and I'm excited to serve with them and to help further the progress of Gods work.

So that's how I saw everyone in all my areas- Olean, McKeesport, and Ambridge- and that's why this week was sooooo crazy.  It really was was like I was touring the mission when we went into Jamestown.  Hahahaha  Well I love you all! Take care bye!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!❤️❤️❤️❤️

Elder Cahoon the Baboon