December 17,2012

This week has been a great week because im starting to get back to
normal again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It has taken some time but i am starting
to!!!!!!!!!!!!! There is this man from Lubbock that got into a very
bad car accident a couple weeks ago and he is at Parkland hospital so
we have been visiting him which has been very nice!!!!!!!!!! He is
going to be there for a couple more weeks so we are going to continue
to visit him!!!!!!!!!!! Its so sad because he doesnt really have any
family and he was excommunicated from the church but he is trying to
get back which has been great!!!!!!!!!!!! He has such a great spirit
about him and I love talking with him!!!!!!!!!!!! We also got to visit
the cooper family this week and they are doing great!!!!!!!!!!!
Christian still has to work on sundays because of he is a nurse at the
hospital but he said once its the new year he will be able to pick his
schedule and get sundays off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The rest of the cooper
family has been coming to church though which has been
great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Once Christian comes back he will be able to get
the priesthood and then he can baptize Christian Jr. I cant
wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This week was also full of
parties!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! On thursday night it was the relief society
christmas party in the 9th ward and the missionaries serve food at it
every year!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So us and the spanish missionaries got to
serve food to all the sisters and wait on them, it was a lot of
fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Then on friday night it was the first ward
christmas party!!!!!!!!!!! They had a DJ which was fun and it
basically turned into a dance party!!!!!!!!!!! Us and the spanish
missionaries sat there and watched everyone dance, we wanted to dance
so bad but we still had a lot of fun hahaha. Then on saturday night it
was the ninth ward christmas party!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was sooooo much
fun!!!!!!!!!!!! There were about 175 people there so it was
crazy!!!!!!!!!!!!! A lot of our investigators and less active people
we invited were there which was great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I
love the ninth ward, everyone gets along with each other so well and
we all have sooooo much fun!!!!!!!!! I keep telling everyone i should
just move my records into the ward since i have been here so long
hahaha. This week the elders that cover the lakewood ward which is
just east of us had to take their car to the shop in our area so they
got to spend three days with us which was a lot of fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love being a missionary and I love everyones example around
me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love this season!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We get to celebrate
our saviors birth!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There is no one better then
him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hope all of you have a merry christmas and ill
get to talk to you again on christmas eve!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! See
miracles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

December 10, 2012

This week I just wanted to share my testimony with all of
you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I got an opportunity to share my testimony
in the first ward sacrament meeting yesterday and how it has changed
after everything that has happened!!!!!!!!!!!!!  My mission has been
so great these past 18 months and I am so thankful for all the
experiences that I have had and for all the things that I have run
into and learned. I seriously cannot believe that 18 months have
already gone by, I know that these next 6 months are going to go by
even faster and thats why I want them to be the best months of my
mission!!! I am also so thankful for these past 8 months that I have
gotten to spend here in my dream area!!!!!! I love the Dallas 1st and
9th wards so much!!!!!!! They will always hold a special place in my
heart!!!!!!! Im not going to lie, being a missionary is most
definitely not easy. I've realized that this past month!!!! Even
though its been a month since the assault it has still been so hard
for me to get back to normal again, but I have felt all of your
prayers and love!!!!! It just takes time and I need to be patient!!!!!
This past week has probably been the hardest week for me!!! I have
felt the lowest I have ever felt in my entire life. I even thought
about going home. I just kept thinking "why am i still here? my
companion went home, why am i still here?" I felt like I have been
wasting the Lords time and that Im not able to be the missionary that
I used to be!!!!!! But my mission president met with me on Friday and
he helped me a lot with this!! I talked with him about all the
miracles that I have seen on my mission and he told me that I was
forgetting a miracle and he was looking at it right then. He told me
that Im the miracle. Its a miracle that I am on a mission!!! I love
being here!! I wouldnt trade the experience that I just had for
anything even though it is so hard to get through!!!! On friday after
I met with President Durrant I got to go to the temple and see a
recent convert family that I taught when i was in Carrollton get
sealed!! It was the best experience ever and I know have realized why
I am here, to see miracles like that!!!! The two sister missionaries
that started teaching them a couple years ago were there and it was so
cool to meet them!!! It just made me so excited for when I get to come
back to Texas and see the people that I taught get sealed!!!! I get to
see miracles everyday and I love it!!!! Miracles will never stop until
our faith stops!!! Other peoples happiness is really what makes me
happy!!!!! People ask me all the time how I am so happy and what my
secret is!!!! There is no secret, seeing other people happy makes me
happy!!!! About a week ago we got our weekly call from Parkland
hospital about how we need to go and give a blessing because one of
our members is there!!! Well we went there and I got the privledge of
meeting Brother Harned!! He is from Lubbock Texas and he was in a very
serious car accident!!!! He has a halo around his neck and splints and
screws on his legs and arms. But the thing that surprised me is that
he was still so happy!!!!! He started telling us all about his life
when we met him!!! He is still going to be in Parkland for a couple
more weeks and we visit him every week!!!! Thats what strengthens my
testimony!!!! I am so grateful for Jesus Christ!!!! I know that he
went through more than we can even imagine!!!!! What I have felt this
past month is only a little little bit of everything that Jesus Christ
felt just for us!!!!!!! He loves us so much!!!!!! Thats where our
message starts is that we have a loving Father and Savior in heaven
that cares so much for us!!!!!!! I am so lucky to get to share this
message with everyone!!!!! I am going to work as hard as I can these
last 6 months and make them the best!!!!! I am so grateful for this
Christmas season that we all get to focus on Jesus Christ and his
birth!!!!!! I love Jesus Christ so much, He is my Savior and Redeemer
and my best friend. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
I hope all of you are getting excited for Christmas!!!!!!!!!! I hope
to hear from you soon!!!!!!!!!!!!! Have a great week!!!!!!!!! See
miracles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

December 3, 2012

 GET TO STAY HERE IN DALLAS 1 AND 9 ANOTHER
TRANSFER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I
am soooooooo excited!!!!!!!!!!! I love it here soooo much!!!!!!!!!!!!
All the members in the two wards are great and I have really gotten to
know all of them since i have been here for so long!!!!!!!!!!!! I am
so grateful for this area and for the opportunity that i get to serve
here!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have learned so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so
grateful for this upcoming Christmas season that we get to celebrate
the birth of Jesus Christ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Everyone should check out
this really cool new website that the church just
made!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is
mormon.org/christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! On it you can send
christmas e cards to people and give people free bibles and christmas
music!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Share it with your
friends!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This week was another
recovery week but i am feeling so much
better!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My nose has stopped bleeding and
almost all the swelling is gone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This experience is
an an experince that i will never forget!!!!!!!!!!!!! It really did
test my faith but it also made my testimony just grow so much
stronger!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It has encouraged me to finish my mission
strong and to serve the Lord with all my heart, might, mind, and
strength!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE being a
missionary!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hope all of you are
enjoying all the christmas decorations going
up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They are really nice here in highland
park and university park and preston hollow!!!!!!!!!!!!! have a great
week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! See
miracles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

November 26, 2012

Another fun week here in texas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This
week was thanksgiving so it was a lot of fun and i got mega
stuffed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! On wednesday i got the cast off of my
nose which was great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was so happy to get it
off!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My nose is still healing but it already looks so
much better!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Its still just a little bit
swollen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was so happy to get my cast off just in
time for thanksgiving!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So in the morning of
thanksgiving the ninth ward had a turkey bowl that we went to which
was a lot of fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Of course i couldnt play so i
sat there and watched with some other people from the ward which was
fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Then us and the spanish missionaries went back to
the apartment so we could get ready for the
day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Our first dinner was at 2:30 at the
sons which was great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Then we had dinner at 4:30 at the
barnhursts which was also very fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Then we had
dinner at the hardens at 7:30 but by the time we got there we were so
full and they inderstood so we just had dessert and
drinks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I really needed all that food because I
have lost so much weight from all of thise!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
But I had a great thanksgiving!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hope that everyone
else had a great thanksgiving also!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The rest of
the week was fun too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We had a meeting on friday
morning with all the missionaries in the stake and the stake president
which was good!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We got to learn a lot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Except my nose kept bleeding!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It has been doing that a
lot lately but its getting better!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The weekend was
very good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! we got to visit with some great
families!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love all the families in these
wards!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 Transfers are next week and I really hope that I
get to stay in this area!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I keep telling everyone that
i want to stay here for the rest of my mission!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I
LOVE the dallas 1 and 9 wards!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I
hope all of you have a great week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I would love to
hear from you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! See
miracles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

November 19, 2012

Another crazy week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So last monday i got my
new companion after I was inn a trio with the spanish missionaries for
a week which was a lot of fun!!!!!!!!!!!!! His name is Elder Kay and
he has been on his mission for a year, he came from Hemphill which is
the farthest southeast our mission goes and now he is here in the big
city!!!!!!!!!! So on wednesday we had zone conference down in
duncanville which was fun!!!!!!!!!!!!! Its still hard for me to be
around big groups of people but i still enjoyed it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Then
thursday was the surgery for my nose!!!!!!!!!!! We got there at 10:30
and i had to take these pills and drink this liquid that tasted gross,
probably the grossest thing i have ever tasted!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Then we
went back to the operating room and they gave me an IV and put me to
sleep and the next thing i remember is waking up with a really bad
sore throat!!!!!!!!!!!! and then i realized the surgery was
done!!!!!!!!! We got to go back and stay at the Franks house which was
so much fun!!!!!! They are a great family and took such good care of
us!!!!!!!!!!! So now im in recovery mode!!!!!!!!!!! I have a cast and
splints on my nose and I have to wear gauze under my nose so it doesnt
drip everywhere!!!!!!!!!! But i get the cast and splints off on
wednesday, just in time for thanksgiving!!!!!!!!!!!! Its hard for me
to eat so i have lost some weight which im not too happy about but im
still doing good!!!!!!!!!! Its been hard to not really be able to do
any missionary work but im learning patience which is
good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was interesting to go to church
yesterday with this all over my face but everyone knows what
happened!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am again so grateful for this church and for
the Holy Ghost, i have had so much comfort these past couple weeks and
I know that I am loved by Heavenly Father and Jesus
Christ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hopefully i have a speedy
recovery!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hope you all have a great week and a
fantastic thanksgiving!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! See
miracles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

November 12, 2012

Sorry everyone for another short email this week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It has been a crazy week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So on monday after we went
to the mission office to drop off my companion so he could go to the
airport I was paired up with Elder Nelson temporarily!!!!!!!!!!!! The
problem is that he covers the wylie 2nd ward and wylie is about 30
miles away from my area so it was going to be really hard to cover
both areas!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But then President Durrant called the next
day and said that I was going to be in a trio with the Dallas 9th
spanish missionaries and Elder Nelson was going to be with the Sachse
Elders!!!!!!!!!!!!! That change was so much better since the spanish
missionaries are already in my ward!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I had my
doctors appointment on friday and i need to get surgery on my
nose!!!!!!!!!!! So i am getting it this thursday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! As
soon as the doctor told me that i needed surgery I was so scared to
tell Sister Durrant because I thought i was going to have to come home
for the surgery!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But Sister Durrant called them and
explained everything to them and its only going to take me 5 days to
recover so I found out this morning that I get to stay here for the
surgery which i am so excited about!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It'll
be an experience getting surgery on my mission but it'll be
good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My emotions have been crazy this week but im
getting better!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so grateful for Jesus Christ
and this church!!!!!!!!!!! I dont know where i would be right now
without it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have learned so much from all of
this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hope all of you have great weeks and i'll
email more about everything next week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! See
miracles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

November 5, 2012

OH MAN THIS WEEK WAS CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So
basically a bunch of trials happened to me this week and I got through
them all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Im alive which is a huge
blessing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My email isnt going to be very long since i
dont have a lot of time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! On wednesday Elder Sorensen and
I (an elder in my district) had to go to zone leader council and our
car got towed and we found out when we walked outside which was crazy
because we had to get to the meeting!!!!!!!!!!!!! So we got that all
settled out and it worked out ok!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Then the rest of the
week was pretty ok until we got to saturday night!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We
got jumped, but dont worry, we are all ok!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! heres the
story:

Oh boy was Saturday night a crazy night!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So after
dinner we were driving to drop the Spanish missionaries off at their
apartment and we were going to go visit one of our investigators right
after that to see how he was doing and if we could set up an
appointment with him!!!!!!!!!!!!!! One of the Spanish missionaries
said that he felt like he should come with us which we later learned
was definitely the spirit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So we were driving into the
parking lot and we saw a gang of 15 african American people!!!!!!!!!
So I told everyone in the car to not acknowledge them because I have
been to those apartments many times and I have seen that gang many
times and if you just ignore them then nothing will
happen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We were getting out of the car and one of
them came up to my companion and started yelling at him because he
thought that my companion was blowing kisses at my girlfriend but he
really just waved!!!!!!!!!!!!! So he started punching my companion and
then the gang swarmed around us and was yelling all these fancy words
at us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We were about to get back in the car and one of
them came up to me and asked me what I was looking at and he was
yelling at me to get back in the car so I was backing towards the car
because I didn’t want to turn my back to him in case he had a gun or a
knife!!!!!!!!! He punched me in my mouth and on the left side of my
nose!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I got back in the car and we started backing up and
one of the Spanish missionaries was on the phone with 911 and I was
holding my hand to my nose because all this blood was coming out and
blood was everywhere!!!!!!!!! We pulled over into a parking lot and
the police met us there!!!!!!!!!!! 3 police cars came and they were
asking us all this questions and I was on the phone with Sister
Durrant!!!!!!!!!! The police told us to go straight to the emergency
room, they weren’t going to confront the gang yet because they were
waiting for more police cars to get there!!!!!!!!!!!  So we rushed
over to the emergency room and Elder Judd one of the Spanish
missionaries was driving the car and we checked into the
hospital!!!!!!!!!!!!! President Durrant and Sister Durrant met us
there!!!!!!!!!! We got x rays and everything and we found out that I
have a broken nose and a bruised collar bone and my companion has a
broken jaw!!!!!!!!!!!!! We were at the hospital until two in the
morning, it was crazy!!!!!!!!!! We finally got back home and went to
bed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My companion is going home today because he needs to get his jaw
worked on!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am just so grateful that nothing worse
happened and that the spanish missionaries were with
us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It has been a crazy week but I am just happy
that I have Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and this wonderful
church!!!!!!!!!! I hope you all have a great week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Talk to you next week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!