#42 - Be the Difference Maker

First off, happy memorial day! Thank you to all who have defended our country. Thank you especially Grandpa Dayley. I know it was a sacrifice for you to leave your young family, but I am grateful for you.

The weeks are starting to blend together a little bit. We had a good week this week! We had zone conference on Thursday, which was a lot of fun. It was bittersweet since it will be the last meeting that we have with President Cleveland before he leaves. Changes are coming. We have been working hard. The humidity means that we sweat all day long! But the work must go on!

Noia was baptized on Saturday!! It was so great. It was a very spiritual experience for everyone who came. We will be meeting with her today to set a day for her to go to the temple to do family baptisms. 

For Pday yesterday we had a multizone volleyball tournament! It was flippin awesome :) but i woke up today sooo sunburned, but it is turning into a tan (hopefully). I officially have a really bad neck and arm tanline! A few elders and I went over to the basketball courts yesterday after volleyball and challenged 3 black dudes to a game. We killed them haha! it was so funny watching them get frustrated. We played two games. 21-15 then 21-8.

I went on exchanges with Elder Mullany. He has only been out for a few weeks. He is from Canada! He is a great missionary, but I have forgotten how difficult it is to train a new missionary haha. We had a good time and found a lot of success! 

We were on bikes for a good amount of the week. I think I have mastered the no hands while riding, now I am working on my wheelies. Hahah! We took vidoes of how long we can go on one wheel. Hopefully next week I can send them!

Chris is still working to be married. I think it will take some time. She is so great! We have been teaching the New Member Lessons to her and her step daughter Justice, she was baptized last month, and it almost feels like they are teaching us! It has been so wonderful to see them change and grow in the gospel. They have seen the blessings of living a Christ centered life. We pray that Brian, Chris' hubby, will want to be united with his family:)

Nivar family is doing great! They love church! The youngest daughter will be baptized next Saturday!

In studies this week I came across the scripture Alma 36:3.

 3 And now, O my son Helaman, behold, thou art in thy youth, and therefore, I beseech of thee that thou wilt hear my words and learn of me; for I do know that whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day.

When we put our trust in God, and not in ourselves we will be lifted up in our trials, troubles, and afflictions. The right way is to believe in Christ. "Remember who you are and what God expects you to become."

Sanctify yourself by going to the temple, studying your scriptures, having meaningful prayers, and preparing for the sacrament.

Love you all and I know the Savior does too,

Elder James Coon

Dear Dad, 

we had a multi zone volleyball tournament and the fish burn complex in eagle creek. it was a blast! we all got roasted haha. i woke up today so sunburned, but it is turning into a tan. now i have a really bad neck and arm tan line! me and 2 other elders went over to the basketball courts and challenged 3 black dudes to a game. we killed them haha! it was so funny watching them get frustrated. we played two games. 21-15 then 21-8.

that is so fun! that is one thing i miss, the lake!

I have really been focusing on how the spirit talks to me lately. after we have our comp prayer at night i get a paper and pencil out and have a heart felt prayer/conversation for a while. What a difference between the way i used to pray and now! I call it my 'Mad Midnight Revelation'. I can feel the Holy Ghost lead me as i review my day, set new goals, seek for ways to help my district, companionship, and gators. I know the right way is to believe and trust in Christ. I cant do this work alone, nor do i want to! Love you! I have a goal to increase the intensity of my workouts, and to put another gator on date this week.

Love you! 

Elder James Coon

#41 - LYFE -

This was a fun week! Fun fact apparently Adam and Eve were black.... A lady this week told us that since they lived in Africa and were made from the dirt of the ground they were black. Not sure how she knows they lived in Africa or that dirt is black but we rolled with it!

Noia is preparing for her baptism for Saturday! It is at 5 oclock and everyone is invited! 

The Nivar family is doing great. They are super excited to start going back to church. The youngest daughter Giarra is excited for her baptism in 2 weeks!

We had dinner with the Sakahuchiis last night again. They make the best food! We had Chicken and Rice with Shrimp and a bunch of foreign food I don't know of haha. The kids are so funny, but while showing off for us on the trampoline one of them fell and might have broke his arm... 

We read with Chris and Justice about one of my favorite stories in the Book of Mormon this week. Alma 53-57! About the stripling warriors. I love how every time I read there is something new to learn. This week was all about mindset. Your mindset affects the ability to have miracles. The stripling warriors had the mindset that the Lord would provide. Miracles will happen when we are obedient, diligent, and faithful. 

For district meeting we had a training on Following the Spirit. How does the spirit speak to you? That is the golden question! I invite you to ponder that this week. We had an activity where we blindfolded Elder Fine and made him follow the 'spirit' to get around the obstacles we set up to the other side of the room. It was great fun! 

This week I went on exchanges with Elder Tyler, from Queen Creek! We went out to tract a neighborhood and the first door was a crazy lady who loved the Lord! Praise Jesus! She hoosiered us for a whole hour! Hahaha she wouldnt let us gooooo. But it was good for a laugh.

driving to ward campout with bro kaptain. good ol adventures!

 it was really fun! we left that night around 11 and didnt' get home until 1 or so haha but it was really fun! we taught the fireside about how to have practical missionary conversations about the gospel.

 oh yaaa!! it was sprinkling the whole time and after we left they said it got pretty heavy rain. it was muddy so they didn't play capture the flag that morning... the campsite was like a park, it was a paved road and you had camp sites all over the park with people around. 

 ​having fun on the bikes! haha elder fine is so funny. i taught him how to ride no hands, then as we ride i try to kick his bike :)

 Every time we lock our bikes up he has to take off his front and lock it to his back.... hahaha it kills me! he is funny. 

​just messing with the camera haha

 ​bdubs for dinner with my boiss

skinning my tie!

 Elder Mullany has the beanie on- He's from  Canada

Elder Boutoille is pretending to be an Arab - He's from France

Elder Tyler is "Mr.American"- he is from queen creek, AZ

Me 

Elder Fine - is from oregon

Elder Hensley- is from snowflake

 Hat day for district meeting. hahahaha these pics crack me up! the sisters were party poopers and didn't want to be in the pics so they left... but here are the bros in the district!

#40 - Ask and ye shall receive

This week was so great! I think I start every email by saying that haha but I can't help it! 

This week in district meeting we had a training on patience. We need to be patient in Gods timing. Patience shows your faith in God, and in his plan. We had an activity to relate to being patient with your investigators. It was called "Dragging your investigator to baptism." Elder Hensley, a big tall elder, was the investigator, and we had to get him across the church to the baptismal font. He worked hard to make it a struggle to get him there haha! We had a good time! It is important that we don't feel like we are dragging the investigator to baptism, they need to be personally converted! They need to want to get baptized!

Last weekend Elder Fine and I sat down and evaluated where we are at with reaching our goals this transfer. We were on track to baptized two people, but we had a goal for 3. We decided to fast the next day to find the third person who needs to be baptized. We had a great day of finding and teaching. We had found a family named the Nivars, a lady named Kristen, and a man named Andy. They were all so great. We also had great lessons with Alberta, Janet, and Jeff and invited each of them to be baptized, but they said no and felt they all needed more time. As we got in for the night we were happy for the great day but we still had not put anyone on date for this transfer. All weekend we prayed to find the ONE! While on Exchanges with Elder Lange on Tuesday we went back to all the potential investigators we had found that day. We sat down with the Nivar family and started talking. They told us that they are a part member family! Sister Nivar and two of her daughters were baptized years ago but when they moved 3 years ago from New York they had lost contact with the church!!! They are from Dominican Republic! The dad and youngest daughter aren't baptized! It was such a miracle we found them.They told us that a few months ago they started feeling like they need to go back to church. I feel so grateful we were able to tract into them, the Lord had prepared them! The daughter is on date to be baptized on June 4, the last day of the transfer:))) the father is super nice but hasnt sat in on a lesson... yet;)  They came to church yesterday and the ward loves them!

I love doing missionary work, but we do not find and teach just to persuade people to live better lives. We are here to offer something more.The purpose of missionary work is to teach the word of God that men and women can be saved. We teach that the only way to return to Him is to repent and be baptized and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, along with the ordinances of the temple. No one else can do this! Other churches can not do it. Good living cannot do it. Good faith and good desires cannot do it. It is only found within the priesthood authority from God. 

We taught Noia the Law of Tithing on Tuesday as well. She is getting so excited for her baptism! It will be in 2 weeks! We knocked on her neighbors door this week and of course he is a pastor! We got an ear full from him but I think it was a good thing because right after we went to Noia's house and warned her of her neighbor. You need to watch out for the anti because it is a bunch of baloney! 

Elder Fine tells me he has never been caught in so many bashed before in his whole mission. I agree! On Wednesday we knocked on a door and the people were super friendly and let us in to talk. Not 2 minutes in the conversation I realized that they were going to try and bash. When they left the room for a second I turned to Elder Fine and whispered, "Oh boy, Elder, this is how all the bashes start." Sure enough they started throwing out anti at us! We got out of there as fast as we could. Those experiences seriously drain our spirit! We were so exhausted we had to take a seat for a few minutes and read the Book of Mormon.

PS it was my companion Elder Fines birthday on Thursday!!! Email him and wish him a happy birthday please:) even if you do not know him! It will make his day. joseph.fine@myldsmail.net. 

Chris and Justice are doing great! They are being missionaries too! Chris has a friend who wants to meet with us this week! YEET!

Bishop Sweeney called us into his office yesterday at church and asked us if we would be willing to go to the fathers and sons camp out this weekend!!! Brother Kaptain would be willing to drive us there at about 5 o'clock on Friday and then bring us home at about 10 o'clock that night. Bishop wants us to help with the fireside that night. We called President and he approved it!!!!! HECK YA! We are so pumped! It will be legendary. 

Remember that greatness is the result of the small and simple actions you make. Scripture of the week is Alma 57:21 "Yea, and they did obey and observe to perform every word of command with exactness; yea, and even according to their faith it was done unto them; and I did remember the words which they said unto me that their mothers had taught them."

 ​Exchanges with Elder Lange :)

Tracting with Elder Fine!

And that is a pic on my home gym:)) I keep collecting! 

#39 - knocking on doors!

We do a lot of knocking doors and it seems far too common for people to answer the door without any pants on. If you are reading this and you have a tendency to open the door without your pants please reevaluate your whole life.

Investigators must act in order for the Holy Ghost to teach them. Noia is great at acting and receiving answers! We have been able to see her grow in spirit this week. Her prayers are so sincere and she is getting very excited for her baptism! So are we:)

We tracted into some great people this week. A lady named Kristen thought we were murderers trying to rob people. Hahaha she is a blonde for sure! We got talking with her and it didn't take long for her to warm up to us. Besides her husband being a pagan she is all for coming to church! 

Fine gave a talk in Sacrament on Sunday. It went great and the members really like him! 

On Saturday we had an appointment with Chris and Justice but we were a bit early so we stopped in the grass to take a 5 minute cool off from riding our bikes and I laid back into poop! Ah! The rest of the day I had a big stain on my back hahaha.

Elder Allred is coming out in July! Yay that is super sweet! I might try and request to train him:)) 

We taught early morning seminary on Wednesday:) It reminded me of last year when we would have the missionaries come in and teach. Crazy to think that it was a year ago I was in seminary!

Elder Coon

 Poop on my shirt....

 ​Early morning workouts!!! hahahhaa just having fun:)​

Breakfast at IHOP.. With Elder and Sister Cox before they leave the mission.

#38 - Tornadoes and Friends

Where do I begin ha! Monday Brother Kaptain took us to the infamous White Castle for the missionaries to try and beat the record of 21 sliders! Elder Hoffman beat the record! He ate 26!!! Oh snap! 

Transfers were on Tuesday! I am now with Elder Fine! He is from Oakridge, Oregon and has 10 siblings! WOWZA! He has been out 6 months and is so great. I really like him. We laugh all the time haha. We are great friends and work well together.

That night we had a great lesson with Chris and Justice. Law of Chastity:) They are so wonderful and have great faith. Justice was baptized on Saturday! I will send pics of the baptism later. We shared D&C 38:30. It brought peace to them. IF we are prepared we shall not fear!

We had a lesson with our investigator Noia! She is so sweet! She has such a desire to learn. Her name sounds like the word 'annoying' without the 'a' and 'ing' and with an 'a' sound at the end. Anyways she was a referral from the brother and sister-in-law. Noia has been to the temple open house as well as the last general conference!!! She is so prepared!! This week we put her on date for May 28th. I have no doubt that she will make her date:) 

Alberta came to church again this week. It seems she has been stuck on the apostasy and priesthood authority for a long time now! But slowly she has been progressing haha. On Friday we went by and had a lesson. We had a really good discussion about the pros and cons of living the gospel. She couldnt think of any negatives about it, except that it is a sacrifice. She wants to believe it is true! I know that the Lord will answer her prayer. But it is contingent on the intent. Just like Moroni says in chapter 10:3-5. When you sincerely want to know and have real intent while learning, the Lord will answer. I promise. I asked her what she is willing to do once she knows it is true. She smiled and said, "I will go to church every week...... and I will get baptized." YES! That is what I'm talking about! 

Friday night we drove to Elder Fine's old area in Brownsburg for a baptism. It went well! Paco! He is 19 years old and is a stud. He is really good at soccer. 

Saturday was Justices baptism! It went great I am proud of her. I will make sure to send pics soon! 

Sunday was a crazy day. We went back to Brownsburg for the confirmation of Paco and guess what!? Some girl came up to me and asked if I was from Gilbert.... Hahaha kinda creeped me out but she said that she is from Cali and recognized me from Insta with my friend Mason Connelly! She is his cousin! Hahaha! Small world! We took pics and sent them to him :) 

After we hurried home and went to our church. That night we had a popcorn/game night at the Cox's house. The will be missed when they go home next week! As we were about to leave a neighbor knocked on the door and said there was a tornado warning and we can't leave. We stayed for another hour on the balcony watching the storm:) 

My new district is great. We haven't had a d-meeting yet but it will be a fun one this week. I will miss the Franklin Elders and Sisters in the district but Indy 1 elders and sisters and Greenwood one Elders will be great! 

 "The broken heart and contrite spirit are the requirements for forgiveness are also its fruits. The very humility that is the sign of having been forgiven is protection against future sin." 

President Henry B. Eyring

Tracting with a centipede

 ​"Tell your missionaries that they can expect miracles. Just like in Matthew, bring your crusty bread and a few fish and the Lord will do the rest. This is His work and His mission,done in His way and according to His will."
 -Elder Oaks

We found a sweet jacket and indiana jones hat:)

 dinner at Chris' house. that is Chris, justice 11 years old, baby riley, and Brian. It was great! 

so after dinner on Monday  we had a lesson with Chris and Justice. we taught the last lesson they needed before baptism. It was the law of chastity... seems like an easy one because they are just a happy family, right? Wrong.. so apparently even though Chris and Brian live with each other, call each other husband and wife, and have a family, they aren't legally married... Ahh!! what a nightmare! it was hard and justice wasn't sure if she wanted to get baptized without her mom, but she ended up doing it!! a few nights later Brian popped the question! it will all work out i keep telling myself. It has been hard to sleep and many prayers have been said in their behalf. we are doing all we can and Chris has such a strong testimony i know that it will work out in the Lords time!

 found a statue while tracting 

We got stuck out in the pouring rain hahaha 

 share the car with elder boutoille and elder tyler. elder b is from France! Elder tyler is from queen creek!

driving home from zone meeting stuck in traffic on Wednesday. We were all so tired haha

rearranged the apartment. Elder Fine is funny haha

no way! mothers day has come so fast! wow... it will probably be about 6pm. not sure where we will go but we will find somewhere! good job on the missionary work! you only have 15 months left to use me as a way in to a gospel lesson so you better use it a lot!!

Thanks for the package!! i haven't eaten any of it yet but it looks good!!! thanks for the chocolate but tbh i wont eat them im sorry its just we are given so much junk it is sickening.... i will see if any other missionaries want them. it was a good treat to see that package when we came home Friday night!!

we have some good uno games! you should invite as many people who aren't in the church as you can to the low key parties like the one last night!!! we had our last popcorn night at the cox's last night! it was so fun. there was a tornado warning right when we were about to leave so we had to stay until 10:) it was a lot of fun! 

holy cow that is a lot of people we are helping with the fam history! NO WAY ELDER ALRED IS COMING HERE!?!?!? AH THAT IS SO SICK! i will probably serve around him and see him out here!!! that is sweeeet! tell him not to buy a bike because there are a lot out already. thats what i did ha. 

baptism went great!!! we have so many people we are working with it is such a blessing and a challenge to meet with them all. i am on the phone for a good 30 to 45 min trying to contact everyone. we have Tuesdays designated for calling people haha. 

SLT... My prayers were answered! They were only in the area for 1 transfer and usually would have stayed but President made an inspired move and transferred them down to columbus!!! Ahhhh it was an answer to my prayers. I wont go into detail but lets just say they are DRAMA QUEENS. it is super hard to have elders and sisters in the same ward. for the most part it doesn't work. not sure why. The franklin sisters, gregerson and pugmire (who were in my district last transfer) were probably the best set of sisters i know. they work hard and are obedient! they are awesome! i will miss having them in the district. we can talk about it if you want when we skype. 

Great job annie!! love my family!

 Mason Connelly, James friend, cousin recognized Elder Coon from picture in high school.