#8 - The Lord looks our for his missionaries

The Lord looks out for his missionaries! For a few weeks now we have been teaching a lady named Virginia. She says she can speak in tongues and loves to sing soprano. She is always so welcoming and lets us in to teach her. Last week we introduced our ward mission leader to her. His sister lived a few houses down from Virginia and a few days ago we got a call from him. It was bad news... Apparently he was talking to his sister and she said that she has a really bad case of bed bugs!! All the neighbors know not to go inside her house because it a bad!! AHHHHHH how were we suppose to know!? haha! We ran home as fast as we could to check. So far we haven't found anything and pray we wont! I guess it isn't uncommon for a few missionaries a year to get them here. Thank you for the prayers they have saved us!

We had four investigators at church on Sunday. They loved it! It is so important that as members of the church we fellowship them. As each walked into church people would meet them. It is a relief to know that when they come to church they will have friends. Our heart is sad this week because Peggy and Pete are moving this week to Georgia. We will have to contact the missionaries down there and make sure they will still be taught. 

The church is so true. There are so many churches that say they read and live from the bibles teaching but they go about and do it so many different ways! But the bible reads by two or three witnesses shall every word be established. The Book of Mormon is that second witness to the bible and backs up the teachings of Christ. People always tell us that there is only one bible, and that nothing should replace it. That is true! But the Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ. It teaches the same thing that the bible does! If only people would read it they would know that for themselves. It is the keystone of our religion. Without it we would be just another church being tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine. It is a bold claim to say that Christ has once again restored his church upon the earth and that we hold the same priesthood authority that Christ has. But I know that we are. We have the true church, and it is our job to share that message with the world!

Love you all! email me at james.coon@myldsmail.net

"Prayer is not a spare wheel that you pull out when in trouble, but it is a steering wheel that directs the right path throughout life."

"The work of salvation to be accomplished in these last days is grand, vast, essential, and urgent. How grateful each of us should be for the blessings and responsibilities of living in this 'specific season' of the final dispensation."

(Elder David A. Bednar)

"True conversion is not instantaneous. It is continuous. It includes making daily choices to reject the path that leads to becoming a natural man and to choose instead the path that leads to becoming a saint." (Brad Wilcox)

Dad,

Oh Elder Calester would be a good one! the conference will be a great one! we had 4 investigators at church this week. i think one of the best things to do for missionaries is to make friends with their investigators! make sure the missionaries know that investigators can sit next to you at church! help them in go to the classes too! we put nickelle on date for baptism saturday! october 31. that is 7 now! but we had some hard news that peggy and pete are moving to georgia in a few weeks.... we will have to contact the missionaries there. that was a tough one. but the lord has a plan for them and their testimonies are so strong i know they can quit smoking and follow our savior.

Hannah,

sick video of you! the talent runs in the family i guess;) it was a good week. we wake up at 5:40 and go to the gym till 7:15. eat and study until 10. then go out for service at sister banks farm or family history at the library. eat lunch then get to work!

#7 - Teaching a sermon

Saturday night we went out to some potentials houses and as we were walking down the street we saw a neighborhood party. We saw the Potter family that are our good friends and they waved us over to say hi. It is funny how many people gave us dirty looks! Im not sure why but people dont like us... The Potters were way happy to see us and thats all we cared about ha. Some people came up to us and wanted to know who we were. The Potters totally backed us up and told them that we were missionaries and very nice. More people came over and started wondering what we do. At first we were skeptical but it turned into a huge blessing! Some of their questions, like "If you believe that God is just and fair then why do you believe he would condemn us to hell after we die if we dont believe in your religion?" They were just trying to mess with us but we turned it around into teaching moments and in the end the night turned out very positive! It felt like we were teaching a sermon haha. 

The mission goal we have is to have 60% lessons with a member present. Because all the lessons we have been getting our ratio has been at like 5% haha so we have decided to change things up so we have more members out meeting our investigators with us. So last night we call the only priest named Noah out with us! He is 16 years old. I always loved it when the missionaries let me come out with them. Noah is going to start coming out with us every week. Can't wait to bring him tracting with us haha Martinsville has so many crazies he will be hilarious! Last week we hit another 50 lessons so I'm not sure we could get 60% but our goal is 25% and with our new strategy we plan on reaching it!

Not too many crazy stories this week! But we committed Nickelle to baptism yesterday and Dona on Saturday. Both of them are gaining a testimony of the gospel. We gave nickelle a Book of Mormon and she was so excited she told us right when we were going to leave she would start reading it! Dona has a broken back and has to wear a back brace all day every day for the next year. She told us she doesn't know how she will be able to be baptized because she can't take it off. And she smokes like a pack of cigs a day but if there is a will there is a way right!? any suggestions on how she can be baptized without the brace getting wet??

Love you all! Ye are the light of the world, share that light with everyone around you!

email me! ~~~james.coon@myldsmail.net

this is an average house here haha like my new ride!?

To Mom,

another good week! peggy and pete are not kicking the tobacco.. its been really hard and we have set another date for the end of sept so we are praying they can do it. we committed 3 more people to baptism this week! we have so many people who like our message and are progressing but all have an addiction to overcome.

good job at the gym! i wish i could touch my toes... you are a fit mama for sure:) 

that protein isnt all mine ha its mostly redmonds, the monthly budget is good i stick with it! the only thing i pay money our of my own is the protein i think. and the gym is 22 bucks a month.

thanks!

To Hannah,

sounds like a fun week! good luck at soccer try your best and work hard! the protein wasnt all mine haha i only have a few... its mostly redmonds he takes wayyyyy too much protein! i told him he couldnt digest that much at one time but he doesnt care haha

To Annie,

thats good! stay away from the bad kids! i remember doing the balloon car thats a fun project. its always nice to have a few rich friends because they always have fun things to play with! good thing you dont have lice i would make you shave your head;)

To Dad,

Wait you are over the teachers!? thats awesome! take them shooting and on the boat and everything! haha 

hmm i dont remember much... the churchball games are fun! and going on campouts. the firesides we have on campouts always have stuck out to me. 

my knowledge of the gospel has grown so much. and i have more of a desire to learn. we were in a lesson with nickelle(who we committed to baptism yesterday) and she was so excited to know more because she has been to other churches but none of them teach about where we came from or why we do things. we could answer all of her questions. there is a church on every corner here! but the crazy thing is their knowledge and understanding seems so shallow compared to the fulness that we have. 

#6 - staying classy

Yesterday I spoke in church for the first time about the worth of souls in the eyes of a missionary. I could feel the spirit strong as I spoke. Elder Redmond did really well on his talk too. Dennis, the guy who was going to be baptized on Saturday didn't come to church. It was upsetting and now we have to push his date back. We had so many investigators who said they would be there. It would have been the perfect day to come too! Its tough when their testimonies are strong but they don't always live the way they should. Peggy and Pete are struggling giving up smoking. We did a 24 hour fast on Friday for them because in order to be baptized they need to stop smoking for 2 weeks before their date. Fasting has always been a major struggle for me but I knew it was for a good cause. They felt they couldn't give it up in time and we had to push their date back too. Ahh so frustrating. We kinda rebuked them for procrastinating the day of repentance ha and Peggy started crying because she felt like we were her sons she was letting down. We told her she was letting God down more than anyone else haha. We were telling them this in a loving manner and it gave them more determination to stop. She gave Redmond a hug then went to give me a hug.... She is like 55 years old and I was dying but didn't want to be rude by stiff arming her. As she wrapped her arms around me she KISSED MY CHEEK. AHHAHAHHH gross woman! I hardly let my mom kiss my cheek! hahahaha!

I met Forest Gump on Sunday! The real Forest Gump! He isn't mentally slow but the movie was made after him! He was in the war, got a medal of honor, and everything. He was so cool! He lives in Bloomington, about 30 minutes away.

We had dinner on Wednesday at Brother Smiths house. Here in Indiana there are no mountains, the land is just flat... except for his house. He lives on the second highest hill in Indiana! 1100 feet I think he said haha.

People are crazy about the Colts here. Yesterday I guess they lost the football game. I am learning if the colts lose that means the people we talk to aren't happy so I am going to start praying for the Colts to start winning haha.

Last night we went to a less actives house . She is very friendly and loves all the missionaries. She is very strange though. She lives in the middle of no where and it was getting late so we were walking back to our car and we noticed that our back window was shattered!!!!! We aren't sure how, we are guessing someone just wanted to break it because nothing was taken! All that was in there were my scriptures so good thing they didn't haha.

Hope everyone is doing well! We are rocking it out here our area is on fire! We have 5 people on date for baptism, 3 almost committed, and still teaching 50+ lessons :)

Love, 

Elder Coon

 look what happened! someone smashed in our back window!! don't let my happy face fool ya I was upset hahano one needs to hur our car like that:)

this is peggy and petes new puppy and a cool barn we saw

 so much protein im in heaven haha

Redmond loves superman and our kitchen is covered with protein

#5 - September 7, 2014

Mom,
Sounds like a fun week for you! sorry i didnt email yesterday the library was closed. i wont send a big email this week but some people have been emailing me saying they arent getting my weekly email the past few weeks haha. there are 2 papers with emails fyi:) i will send you their emails soon. happy birthday annie! good job going to the temple! keep going every single week! what a blessing it is to have one so close. the indianapolis temple was dedicated and everyone was saying what a blessing it is to have a temple in their back yard and i always laugh to myself because they have no idea how close our temple is! 

wow pancakes sound so good right now! ya i am eating really healthy. we have dinners with members about 4 times a week. not going to lie people out here are pretty weird haha. last night we had dinner with a nonmember family. i love them so much! they fed us taco salad (with no salad) haha. they honestly are my favorite because they talk to us like normal people. they have 3 cute little girls who are so fun! after dinner we went outside and played basketball. the parents and redmond sat on the porch and i went to shoot hoops with the girls. i will send a pic of their family sometime. after we went for icecream ha. 

those videos and pics were so fun so see! the car looks good :) my companion has been really home sick this week because he has been having girlfriend problems. he wants to be with her. it is getting annoying. i am so thankful that my parents taught me right! it is such a blessing to not have any problems with homesickness! i try to feel for him and im really nice to him but there isnt much i can do! 

i loved the package you sent me! haha sorry but i kept both shirts bc i was needing more clothes :) i heard you have had some big rain storms! im still waiting for crazy storms here! people are always saying how we have them but nothing has hit us yet... thanks for calling the bike store! ya i have been making burritos and spaghetti and chicken and everything! in the mornings i have an apple and peanut butter before the gym. ps i am hitting 300 lbs for bench again;) for breakfast i have eggs, toast, a shake with protein, barn drink, and i have a bullet blender that i use to blend up a handful of spinach that i drink in the shake as well. haha am i healthy enough for you mom? lunch i eat tuna fish or something. 

annie thats crazy you are a teenager!! stay away from boys they are all gross! haha hannah you are getting old too! both of you are looking like you are olddddd. :) 

ya we have been killing it lessons wise every week so far! last week we had 50 lessons. they say 30 lessons a week is a good week but honestly it isnt hard to teach 50 lessons! peggy and pete went to church on sunday and loved it! they are working on less smoking. hopefully they will be good for baptism in 3 weeks! dennis is coming to church and is going to be baptized in 2 weeks. we have a few families and old people who are about to be committed to baptism too:) my journal is going good i write in it every night. 

the other day we were walking home for dinner and an old lady in a back brace called us over. apparently she talked to the missionaries a while ago. but after she broke her back they lost contact. they gave her a book of mormon and she knows it is true! we are going to visit her today and talk more with her! what a miracle! she found us!

studies are going good! i have been preparing my talk for sunday this week. i am talking about why we need missionaries and about the gospel of jesus christ which consists of faith in christ and his atonement, repentance, baptism and receiving the holy ghost, and enduring to the end. I am sharing the scripture story of alma the younger and how he changed his life around. after we have seen the gospel bless and enrich our lives we have a desire to share it with everyone! then i will tell the ward to make their neighbors meet with the missionaries hahaha:) 

I love you family! I challenge to keep having that missionary mindset! find people the missionaries can teach! and take care of them. its the best thing when you feed the missionaries dinner and then make extra to give to them so they can eat the leftovers the next day:) 

Elder Coon

Annie,
That sounds so fun!! happy birthday my sister i love you! you are a great example to your friends! work on cutting in and out of the wake on both sides at the lake! i miss the lake. my companion is fun ha everyone laughs at his accent! we are friendly with all the people we meet! keep choosing the right! you are growing up and getting so pretty! make sure grant keeps those boys away from you while im gone!


Hannah,
Good job! it is important to learn patience :) you are a great example to your friends and classmates! good job memorizing you are so smart! 

Dad,
 Wow the church is true! its amazing how deep the gospel can be so complex but at the same time how simple it is! i was studying the premortal life a few days ago. some people we talk to are ready for us and so in tune with the spirit, and other dont care. its because they havent been spiritually prepared. that shows how prepared they made themselves before this life. idk its hard to explain in an email haha and so deep it blew my mind when i read it.

thanks for everything! how is work? hope it is going well i pray for you every night. thanks for all you do for our family. 

people here really know their bible so i am really studying and practicing backing up what i say with why and where it is found in the scriptures. we were teaching an investigator named fae, who is like 70 years old but still thinks she is 20 haha, this week. she had family in town. we were teaching her about Christ and his apostles. faes sister is Jehovah witness and didnt like that we, mormons, were talking to her sister. she was so upset bc she thought we were teaching lies... but elder redmond is very knowledgeable in the bible and he was able to back up what we were saying with scriptures. haha our testimony was able to touch them and their hearts were softened. 

it is still really hot and humid here! my shirt is soaked when we are out knocking doors! its gross haha 

tell kapua i say hi! 

#4 - Record Breaking Week

This week went by so fast! We walked all week because we had no more miles in the car. I think it was a blessing in disguise because we were able to teach so many people! This week we broke the mission record for the most lessons. We taught 65 lessons! Martinsville is known for not teaching very many lessons but we have really been blessed for being obedient. Out of those lessons we found 23 new investigators. We have been knocking the doors at the trailer park this week and met so many humble people.... and more crazy people too haha. 

Funny story! Our ward mission leader is the strangest man I have ever met. He reminds me of a really annoying Jack Black who doesn't stop talking hahahaha. He came out with us Wednesday night to our lessons with investigators. We went to Dennis' house, who is on date for being baptized, to teach him the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We introduced him and out of the blue Brother H started sharing how we don't practice polygamy anymore!? WHAT? Haha he totally confused Dennis because Dennis didn't know anything about it! I don't know how he even brought it up but he wouldn't stop talking about it. The next appointment we had was with Tony. We were planning on putting him on date for being baptized. In the middle of the lesson Bro H decided he wanted to talk about the sealed portion of the plates and how one day we will see them again.... It was pretty frustrating. haha and he said that the methodist church is a good church and how if he wasn't mormon that's what he would be. So instead of inviting Tony to baptism he reassured him that his religion is pretty good.... Well thats the last time we will ever bring Brother H out to a lesson with us haha.

Friday was a tough day. We worked out our legs really hard and then had to walk all day! Its nice to have someone walking right next to you who knows the pain your in haha. Everyone who drove by us today would honk at us and yell. It keeps us laughing and on our toes. The first door we knocked was hard. It was an old couple who yelled at us and began bible bashing. I was laughing the whole time which old made them even angrier. Oh well we said nice meeting you and left. It was hard to be focused afterwards so we said a prayer to find people who are ready to hear our message. We saw so many miracles after that!! Everyone was friendly and interested! So many tender mercies. 

That night we were knocking the ghetto part of town. One door a lady opened it up just a crack to say "not interested," but as good missionaries we started talking to her anyways. She wasn't receptive and just as she was shutting her door she saw her cat who was missing for a few days at our feet! The dumb cat had followed us the whole way down the street! We told her it had been following us and she became so friendly with us haha. We shared a spiritual message about the Plan of happiness and she wants us to come back tomorrow! What a blessing:) It is tender mercies like that that let me know God watches out for his missionaries. 

The bishop came to me and Elder Redmond today to ask us to speak in church in a few weeks. Joy haha I am actually happy to do so because maybe the members will warm up to me. 

Love you all! Keep emailing me and sending me pictures and videos :)

i got my green drink! as you can see by my face im so excited to drink it haha

martinsville is pretty cool!

our fridge is filled with milk eggs and meat ha plus apples peanut butter and jelly haha. its hard to keep veggies good for long but ive been working on eating those as well!

that is a massive lizard thing on my shoulder! we knocked on this door and the guy was kinda rude to us until he realized we are normal guys. haha thats usually how it works. 

 we were knocking doors in apartments the other day. not much success with people who are brain dead because of drugs hahaha

Dear Katie and Grant,

Thanks for your prayers so much! i love you too :) we have killed it this week with 23 new investigators! and we set a mission record with 65 lessons in a week:))) we have been blessed so much this week! we work really hard every day and are so exosted and happy at night:) thank you for praying for those investigators on date because they are working so hard to be baptized we know your prayers are helping!

Dear Dad, 

I am focussing on getting in on time and going to bed at 10:30. It is challenging because elder redmond has a lot of things to do as a district leader so he gets the reports from everyone in the district at night and before we know it is late haha.

ya the people are opening up to us really fast. we share a message with most people we talk with! we have found most success in the trailer parks! 

Dear Mom,

 it is really humid haha. we sweat a bunch! we work on the farm pulling weeds and things for sister banks. thats about all the service we have done. tomorrow we are trimming and cleaning up a widows back yard. the members here are really hard to get to know. they arent very friendly, so its really pushed me out of my comfort zone to talk with them ha.

thanks for the letter! good luck to him that is exciting!! we do a lot of knocking doors out here. thanks for praying for me. the most successful neighborhoods are the poor areas that are known for drugs but we seriously have angels with us because we dont see anything bad! dont worry hahahey.  send me a pic of the car!! do you like it?