#46 - Exile for life

It has been a good week! We have worked a lot with the members, we have been using them to take us to all the different towns! It is huuuuge! I still can't get over how much area we cover haha. On Thursday, Brother McLiver took us to all 5 counties to give us the 'scoop'. Friday we helped a lady move all her stuff into a little trailer home. Not sure how it all fit in there because she had a ton ha!

Our investigators aren't really progressing this week. It has been a struggle to even get in contact with them! We have been doing a ton of finding and working to get referrals!

We had a HQ referral this week to a lady named Amanda. She lives in a town called Knox. She was a miracle! We taught about the Book of Mormon and shared powerful testimonies of it. We are excited to see where it goes from there! Crazy story though, she told us about how her neighbor is a crazy and trains pit bulls to be fighters. He has 7 of them and has threatened her many times with them! We saw them from a distance and they looked mean! We prayed for her safety and ran to our car haha.

We have had some massive rain storms lately! I have learned that it is always wise to bring an umbrella wherever you go!

On Sunday we had a lesson on Keeping the Sabbath day holy. One thing you can do to keep it holy is to write missionaries!

           My address is 894 1/2 West Shore Dr.

           Culver, Indiana 46511

 Our church building!

 Sweet ship on the lake the other dayOur view every night!

 The schools basketball court. they have a very nice gym,

 I go to workout every morning as well.

The whole school looks like this! it is so nice!

President and Sister Cleveland

Thanks Sister Cullumber

Smooth as glass...

beautiful sunsets in Indiana

Corn fields everywhere!

#45 - I Love using a crockpot!

Happy Fathers Day to the best dad, and happy 25th anniversary to my parents!! This week was a good week! We have seen some miracles as we have work to increase our teaching pool.

We only get a limited amount of miles on our car so we have been walking and riding bikes around town as well. The Culver Academy is started their summer school this week so we have seen a lot of new faces and have meet a lot of new people!

Last night we had dinner at the Ogilvies home. They are a sweet young family! They have 2 boys and 2 girls. I had a blast with them, we will definitely be working with them more often!

On Thursday we had a multi zone conference to say goodbye to the Clevelands. They will be going home on the 29th. The theme of the conference was Enjoy the Journey. "Your attitude will be the deciding factor of how you enjoy your mission." I agree. It is also the same with life in general. If we can learn to point the positive and the small miracles we have our life will be much more enjoyable!

After the conference we drove 2 hours to get back in our area. It was about 7pm when we finally got back. So we went out and knocked a few doors. We set a goal to find two person in the next two hours. As the night was coming to a close we knew we had to find one more person! Sure enough, the last door we knocked was a lady named Marina. She is from Texas! After a while, she let us in her home and we had a wonderful lesson with her. She opened up with us that her sister was baptized in Texas a few years ago into the church, and she when to church with her a few times! She knew she was missing something in her life, and as we testified she knew it was true. We have invited her to baptism and she wants to learn more! Miracle!

We also had a great lesson with a kid named Elijah. We call him Lodge. He is 19 years old, lives alone, and works at the local grocery store. He is a great kid! We had a great lesson about how the gospel improves your ability to feel the spirit, and will bring you closer to Christ. He is hopefully coming to church with us this week!

The Lord has been blessing us this week with meeting new people, I just hope I can remember everyone's names... At church yesterday I was able to teach the lesson on the sacrament. What a wonderful topic! I have been reminded of the talk given by Elder Bednar this last conference called, Always Retain a Remission of Your Sins. "As we prepare conscientiously and participate in this holy ordinance with a broken heart and a contrite spirit,then the promise is that we may always have the Spirit of the Lord to be with us. And by the sanctifying power of the Holy Ghost as our constant companion, we can always retain a remission of our sins."

Fun Facts

1. We have been blessed with a very nice gym to go to every morning, but that also means every day I am super sore. 2 days after leg day is always the worst.

2. I have seen at least 7 deer this weekend. It gets a bit sketchy because they will just run out in the middle of the road!

3. Fireflies

3

Sitting on the doc playing the ukulele with Elder Barbosa

​my view every morning and night!

I do enjoy driving by the corn fields

#44 - 100 to 0 Real Quick!

Culver, Indiana is so much different than Greenwood, Indiana. We are in a small town. We live right next to a sweet lake! Every night when we come in we go sit on the shore and plan for the next day. It is so nice:) Sometimes I even dream of the glory days of boating haha.

We are working hard! President Cleveland has set a goal for each companionship to talk to 20 new people a day, invite 10 people to church a day, and invite 1 person to baptism a day. We have worked very hard to reach these! I challenge all missionaries reading this to do this challenge! In fact, even if you are not a missionary, I challenge you to do this!

We don't have much of a teaching pool, its more like a teaching pond. When I came in on Tuesday they had 2 people on date for baptism. They were the only 2 people they taught. Their names were Tiffany and Branden. We called and talked with them a few times but they were out of town. They said they would see us at church. Sunday rolled around and they texted us before the meeting saying they will not be attending the church anymore. I cant get in contact with them:( It kills me knowing how much this gospel will help them, but they must first help themselves.

The nearest missionaries are an hour drive. There aren't really any members around us. Most the branch is less active haha. The past week we have tracted soooo much because we didn't have an updated ward list so we didn't know who was there. Not much success here tracting. I feel we need to hit hard with the members, active and less active people to find people to teach. It is a new week and we are excited to work hard! I know the Lord will pull through and we will see miracles here! D&C 4 has been on my mind this week. The field is white and ready to harvest. The Lord has prepared people in this part of his vineyard. I pray that we will be led and guided to those who are ready.

We have a computer in our apartment, it was approved don't worry, so we can listen to conference talks and type up our progress records. This week I was listening to the talk by Elder Ballard, Fathers and Sons: A Remarkable Relationship. It hits home to me! "Fathers, you are the primary model of manhood for your sons. You are their most meaningful mentor, and believe it or not, you are their hero in countless ways. Your words and your example are a great influence on them." Fathers Day is coming up! I am so grateful for my father. He has been a major influence and motivator in my life, whether it has been in the gospel, sports, or in every day life. The family is a sacred unit to God, our Heavenly Father. I know that Jesus Christ lives. He knows you and loves you. He has blessed me and my family, and I know He will bless you and yours.

Fun facts:

1. I cover over 7 towns and 2 time zones.

2. We get offered to go boating almost every day, each time I say yes ha but my companion is obedient and says no;)

3. My companion is Elder Ahlstrom from a small town called Huntsville, Utah. We get along great and are working hard!

4. Met a lady in our branch who has my same last name! Related?

5. Culver Academy is in the top 5 for military academies in the nation.

My address is 894 1/2 West Shore Dr. Culver, IN 46511

This is a picture of Elder Weitzel. 

 We have served around each other for 9 months! 

Great kid.

Dear Dad,

we don't have a teaching pool ha its more like a teaching pond. Our zone only had 3 people baptized last YEAR. when I came in on Tuesday they had 2 people on date. they were the only 2 people they taught. Their names were Tiffany and Brandon. We called and talked with them a few times but they were out of town. They said they would see us at church. Sunday rolled around and they texted us before the meeting saying they will not be attending the church anymore. I cant get in contact with them:(

Im district leader but we only have one other companionship in the district. we have the biggest area in the mission. we cover about 7 towns but are only given 1200 miles. the nearest missionaries are an hour drive. there aren't really any members around us. most the branch is less active haha. the past week we have tracted soooo much because we didn't have an updated ward list so we didn't know who was there. not much success here tracting. I feel we need to hit hard with the members, active and less active people to find people to teach.

The last time this area baptized was over a year ago. we are in banishment! Kinda stuggling BUT we have worked so hard this week! I know the Lord will pull through and we will see miracles here!

Dear Mom,

 thanks mom! love you! I am very happy for colton! we are doing well. it has been difficult starting a new area without a companion who knows members or the area.

my companion, elder Ahlstrom is a good kid. he is from a small town in Utah. he is super nice! loves to read! doesn't talk a whole lot but is good at following. he doesn't complain about working so that is a blessing. we have hit the pavement hard this week! he doesn't say much in teaching moments but we are working with it. we have done a lot of role plays to work with him saying more.

we have some lofty goals this transfer and I am excited to see the Lord work miracles! the weekly scripture was Alma 17:2-3. great scripture, but soon I saw myself turning to d&c 4 for motivation. The field is white! I know that we will see miracles and the area will change. thank you for your prayers.

#43 - Being transferred to Plymouth, Indiana

 Yesterday during sacrament meeting I was thinking back on the four in a half months I have been here in Greenwood. Time flies by!! I remember giving a talk my first week and sitting on the stand looking at all the new faces. I was a bit sad because I loved the Martinsville ward, but that sadness did not last long! I have grown to love the people here and I will sure miss them. I am grateful for the opportunity I have had to serve. I am sure the same feelings of being in a new area will come back as I go up north to Plymouth!!

I will be transferred to a town called Culver, Indiana! I hear my apartment is very nice. It is next to a sweet lake and I have a really nice gym! My companion is Elder Ahlstrom:) We are getting double transferred in so it will be a new area for both of us! I can't wait to get to work with him. 

It is hard to think that President Cleveland will be finished with his mission in 3 weeks. I have enjoyed having him as a mission president! 

Not sure how to describe this week haha. The church is true! Alma 7:32

Have a good week love you all! 

Chris, Justice, and baby Riley at church.

 They took us to Cold Stone! They are awesome:)

 Noia's baptism two weeks ago! Brother Evans, her brother, 

was a great help with teaching her.

Brother Jordan, from Brownsburg. That is where Elder Fine served before Greenwood. He came down and took us to dinner and showed us his new ride. Hahaha he is so funny!

 Elder Tyler... 

Noia!

 

 Driving to the volleyball tournament in Eagle Creek we saw this sweet building!

How we felt after the day at the park was over. Haha sunburned and sweaty

 Elder Larsen! He is such a good guy! #rolemodel

 Lessons with Chris and Justice ha. The best was to learn is to teach so we had them teach us the Gospel of Jesus Christ lesson:)

 For the last district meeting of the transfer we had a Hawaiian day! 

"Its bright outside, lets take an eyes closed pic" 

  It was a flippin awesome way to end the transfer:) 

 This is Janet. Hahaha I laugh because it seems I teach so many old ladies. She is super sweet and loves the gospel. Her hold up is she says, 'but im catholic' haha. She doesn't even like the catholic church! When we first started meeting with her she told us she loves us coming over and feeling the spirit we bring, but that she was catholic and couldn't convert. I said, "we will see about that" haha. And slowly she has realized that I am right!
 Albertaaaa! She has come so far! When we first started teaching her she didn't want to even come to church, but now she is faithful at coming every Sunday. Before she left on Sunday, I told her to call me when she was getting baptized and I would come and support her. She agreed and said she would. That meant a lot to me! She knows the church is true, she is just a bit slower than others :) 

 We made planner covers! How do you like mine???

 Brother and Sister Evans!

 Brother Kaptain is such a funny guy! He will have a special place in my heart!

 Brother Brown, the ward mission leader.

 ​Bishop Sweeney and his sweet family! They are such an awesome family! Caleb, the boy in the blue shirt is so funny. Look at that babies hair!!

This is the miracle family we tracted into! They are the Nivars. Gabriel, Gardenia, Gabby, Glenda, Giarra. Hahah we call them the G family from the Dominican Republic. Giarra will be baptized on the 18th! The dad is not a member but very friendly and hopefully will be soon! They are both dentists

 :)

 This is the Gosbin family! They were baptized in December. They are so awesome! They are very good at introducing the gospel to friends and family! 

 Goodbye Greenwood!

 Packing my stuff!

 The Liegibles! Haha they are a good family.

 The Banks family. Kinda weird, she is always trying hug me...

 What my car dash board looks like. I have collected a GPS and a Jesus statue, 

but the statue has lost both his arms. hahaha

 The Miltons! I helped Sister Milton move from Martinsville to Greenwood, and a few weeks later I was transferred to where she lived! Hahaha. She was baptized a week after we helped her move and I was able to teach some of the new member lessons. Brother Milton was a less active but now is super active.

Noia! She just got baptized last week.

 The Griesemer Gang! Hahaha They are so great! 

We call the youngest 'Bonquiqui' or Baby Clay:)

 The Ellis' are so funny! We came over yesterday, Sunday, to get some pictures with them and we walked around back to see brother Ellis chillin there with out a shirt on in his garments hahahaha. He kills me! They are so sweet. They will be taking us to go get ice cream later today.

​

 Karla! She is from Italy and super sweet. She will be baptized soon! 

 Elder Coon, Elder Larsen , Elder Fine

 Elder Tyler

 Our awesome district, having Hawaiian day!

 Elder Fine, Elder Tyler

 ya, my apt is super clean :) i make sure to keep it that way!

 Thought i saw a bear...

 Beauty all around...

 my tan lines from the day we went to play volleyball haha​

My blonde summer hair is coming in real nicely.

Elder Tyler gave me a haircut! Did pretty good. hahaha