Week #69 - Conference Weekend/Meet Elder Bigler :)

So this week is been really awesome, I love General conference! It Gives such a great spiritual vibe and it made me truly remember the importance of having a living prophet and apostles and leaders that can guide us in a world of commotion.

I got my new companion his name is Elder Bigler, he has been out for 7 1/2 months and he's really awesome I've been able to have a lot of good laughs and down-to-earth and chill. I love being able to learn from all my new companions and shout out to Elder Peay or Austin Peay as he is home now and just having a good ole time.

One thing really wonderful miracle about General conference is that one of our investigators watched it and just received so much personal revelation, I think it was something so essential for her to realize that this is truly the church for her and Christ's church on earth. She is amazing and I've learned so much Charity while teaching her, she knows it is true but she's waiting on an answer from the Lord. We've talked to her and she's already received answers. Whether she knows it or not but we are just doing all we can to encourage her she is amazing. 

It's been weird to think about, after this transfer I only have a half a year left. This general conference was my second to last one in the mission and I only have one call left before I'm home. I've been so grateful to hear from you guys and be blessed by your emails and your love and support. I am keeping this email short because today I'm going to try to send off some personal emails to some people so I hope to hear back from you I love you and let me try to get some pictures for you!

Jeeping pic... Wow, so beautiful & I LOVE Jeeps

Elder Peay & the Vickery Family 

Final goodbye with Peay & Ammon Delap

 Elder Bigler & I, excuse the sweat! #gohard

Week #68 - Happy Easter

Alright so my companion is out! Dead, he is going home. :'( He's been a great companion and now I'm getting Elder Bigler and Ill being training him as a ZL, so that will be so fun. He seems dope already, but its been a weird week with a companion that's so close to home. Anyway, email austin.peay@myldsmail.net because he needs some dates when he gets home He's a good looking Australian who can sing, what more do you need? :) (He will be in St.George)

Anyway, I will send a voice recording next week with my new comp and man this week is packed! We literally are not proselyting till after 3 everyday because we have meetings and assignments everyday, then conference. I'm pumped!

But hey, I really love you guys, don't really know what more to say but that I love you and I have this quote from Bruce R. McConkie for Easter. Remember the Savior! 

"We do not know, we cannot tell, no mortal mind can conceive the full import of what Christ did in Gethsemane. We know he sweat great gouts of blood from every pore as he drained the dregs of that bitter cup his Father had given him. We know he suffered, both body and spirit, more than it is possible for man to suffer, except it be unto death. We know that in some way, incomprehensible to us, his suffering satisfied the demands of justice, ransomed penitent souls from the pains and penalties of sin, and made mercy available to those who believe in his holy name. We know that he lay prostrate upon the ground as the pains and agonies of an infinite burden caused him to tremble and would that he might not drink the bitter cup. As near as we can judge, these infinite agonies--this suffering beyond compare--continued for some three or four hours. 

After this--his body then wrenched and drained of strength--he confronted Judas and the other incarnate devils, some from the very Sanhedrin itself; and he was led away with a rope around his neck, as a common criminal with reeds of wrath they rained blows upon his back. Blood ran down his face as a crown of thorns pierced his trembling brow. But above it all he was scourged, scourged with forty stripes save one, scourged with a multithonged whip into whose leather strands sharp bones and cutting metals were woven. Many died from scourging alone, but he rose from the sufferings of the scourge that he might die an ignominious death upon the cruel cross of Calvary. Then he carried his own cross until he collapsed from the weight and pain and mounting agony of it all. 

Finally, on a hill called Calvary--again, it was outside Jerusalem’s walls--while helpless disciples looked on and felt the agonies of near death in their own bodies, the Roman soldiers laid him upon the cross. With great mallets they drove spikes of iron through his feet and hands and wrists. Truly he was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities. Then the cross was raised that all might see and gape and curse and deride. This they did, with evil venom, for three hours from 9:00 A.M. to noon. 

And, finally, when the atoning agonies had taken their toll--when the victory had been won, when the Son of God had fulfilled the will of his Father in all things--then he said, “It is finished".  His rising from death on the third day crowned the Atonement. Again, in some way incomprehensible to us, the effects of his resurrection pass upon all men so that all shall rise from the grave. 

He is our Lord, our God, and our King. This I know of myself independent of any other person. I am one of his witnesses, and in a coming day I shall feel the nail marks in his hands and in his feet and shall wet his feet with my tears. But I shall not know any better then than I know now that he is God’s Almighty Son, that he is our Savior and Redeemer, and that salvation comes in and through his atoning blood and in no other way."

Week #67 - Elder Peay is going home

Wow what a week!!!

This week we had a lot of success and fun. We were able to go to the temple this week and it was weird because it was Elder Peays departing temple trip and interview. So not only was it great but it also trunked me out a bit, like seriously its been a weird couple weeks. We don't even talk about home life that much or him leaving but just the fact that he is going home always brings it back into my mind and dang it is sooooo weird, Anyways because of this I learned some valuable valuable lessons. The most important being that you cannot do this work effectively and the way the Lord needs if you aren't 100% focused on why you are in the field. Mainly, because its all about service and giving to others and doing as the Lord would do. Once you start thinking about yourself and the things you want, that is when the desire to love others and to serve dies. If we truly want to be like the savior and follow him like we know he taught, we can never become inward thinkers but be outward in all of our deeds. That is why soooooooo many missionaries and members alike go less active because they get "tired" of helping others and of doing a routine of service and diligent study for two years. They either think they are above that, or they start to think of themsleves. It is so crucial to think about ourselves, but one of my favorite quotes from the living prophet of God, Thomas S. Monson, said, "...unless we lose ourselves in service to others, there is little purpose to our own lives."  It is so very true, please take a moment to think of the saviors life and how he was, he served constantly. Not only did he serve, but he truly GAVE himself for us, his entire being. There was no greater sacrifice than his, and he did this so that WE cold return and HELP others do the same. In this wonderful easter season think of what you can do to follow the savior and serve those around you. Its nice to have fun and play games, watch movies, indulge in the things of the world, but NOTHING leaves this world with us besides the actions we make, the things we speak, the thoughts we think, and the desires of our hearts. In which determine the relationships we take with us, REMEMBER THE IMPORTANT THINGS, everything else just isn't worth wasting ourselves over and squandering the opportunities and blessings of eternity. 

Temple with Pututau, Armijo, Hansen & Peay (not in pic)

Nerd Star Wars pics

A kid made the bounty hunter helmet in our ward 

 Rodeo Picsssssss

Week #66 - Zone Conference/Highest baptizing missionary?

Hey guysss,

Not much to say this week just super pumped about the work going on here! We are preparing around 15-20 people for baptism right now, who knows who will drop off but for now we have 7 people that are pretty solid for their dates. Oh as well I gave a training with my Bro Elder Ashworth (assistant to prez) this week at zone conference, it went really really well. The spirit was very strong and he is like one of my favorite missionaries in the mission. He gave me a shoutout in the training too haha it was cool, he said" You have the best leaders in the mission, Elder Godinet is the highest baptizing missionary in the mission and Elder Langston is right behind him (the other zones ZL and old assistant)" I was just like ooohhppppp didn't know that was coming bahah made me blush a little haha didn't even know I was. But it was such a great conference, and then to top that off I had the opportunity to skype one of the families I taught everything to and now they got baptized!! I talked a little about them before with how they left all their addictions and habits behind in a day and decided to follow the Lord. The father hadn't been to church in ten years because of judgy people but they felt loved by us and that helped them make the decision. They had some stuff they had to wait on in order to be baptized but man wow was it amazing. The mission presidency went to their baptism and I get to skype them tonight. It's amazing to see how the actions I made with my companions 8 months ago affected a family forever, and even before them my trainer found them a year and a half before I did but he never ended up teaching them. So seeds that are planted are never wasted, it's amazing to see the power of our actions change the lives of others forever. Always remember remember that you can do so much to help others. 

LOVE ELDER G 😘🇼🇸

ALSO SHOUTOUT TO MY SISTER. HAPPY BIRTHDAY THIS WEEK, I LOVE YOU SIS AND I MISS YOU A TON, I HOPE YOU ARE DOING WELL!!!!!

Skype call before and after the Oakley baptism 

Ron John's Surf Shop

We went to the beach today which was good, made me trunky

Exchanges with Elder Christiansen

 We have a rodeo this week as well, so excited for that.

Week #65 - Diaz/Oakley get baptized!!!

Wow, well an experience i want to share this week is about one of my favorite families!! The Diaz/Oakley family. I taught them in Poinciana and was preparing them for baptism, they had to wait on some stuff but now it is good to go and they are getting baptized this Saturday!! The awesome thing too is that i get to skype in on them for there baptism and i am just so excited. This family is awesome, they have gone through a lot of trials but they pushed through them and Brian (the husband) even quit smoking in a day! I learned that when you truly desire something and put your mind to it that anything is possible. You can quit addictions, bad habits, and even leave people that aren't healthy for you, if you truly desire you can stop cold turkey, Its easier said than done but thats where the true desire and hard work come in. Im extremely happy for how the mission and the gospel blesses families, best decision i have ever made. 

Just a heads up, I might start sending a 3 layered email :)

1.Some type of voice recording

2.A written experience

3. some pics :)

Week #64 - Amazing Investigators

So this week has been pretty freaking sweeeeetttt! We got a ton of people at church this week and they all absolutely loved it. They all told us how amazing it was and that they were coming back again and it was just so awesome, we filled up two full pews in the chapel haha :) I am just so happy for the gospel. T

This week has been so great like we had an amazing time with the work and I received some personal revelations for my own life and the people we are teaching are professing so well, I mean what can I say...the Lord has blessed us bountifully haha :)

Well anyways I just wanted to tell you guys I love you so freaking much and I wanted to share a siiiiccckkkk experience form last week. Before that though, at church we had a family of six come and they are Catholic but just moved over from Bolivia and they want to learn about our church and they love it. So they came to church and in second hour I had to go to the Spanish class with another family so this father and his family were with Peay in the English class and I come in at the end of the English class, hear the final testimony close with a prayer and then walk to this family. The father stands up and turns around at me and says "WOW THAT WAS AMAZING!" He had just a look in his eyes like whoa it was so funny/awesome. Haha 😂  

Well onto the next experience, we had an investigator that wanted to come to church and so she leavers her home at 8:10, why she wanted to leave that early, I have no clue. (Church starts at 930) Anyways she gets lost and this lady is a faith powerhouse! She stops into the parking lot of another church (Calgary chapel, mad apostate) and prays, "Heavenly father if you want me to be at this church please give me someone I can follow." She looks up and sees two women driving down the road and decides to follow these random ladies. Guess what? Yep, she followed them all the way to church bahah it was like dang the lord is truly there, no doubt! Even to add onto that, she knew this lady she followed, they are friends from work. :) she is doing so amazing haha hallelujah praise the lord 🙏🏽 😇 

Exchanges with Elder Leishman

Baptism with my comp Elder Peay

Week #63 - He left the 99 for 1

Well hello, hello :)

Well first of i just wanted to start off with a wonderful humbling experience i had this week. We were to go on exchanges with a companionship in Ellsworth, Ellsworth is where the church ranch is our here. So this is a massive area, the only problem is there is more cows out there than there is humans. :) The population of this area I would say doesnt exceed over 10,000 and not only that it is very spread out. So we are driving through what seems to be a desert, absolute no mans land when we get to a little humble town, if you can even call it that. Not only in the town of Holappa is there hardly any people but they are spread out and hidden in some trees. So we start biking around in this little city and through my mind the thoughts going through my head are dang there is literally no one in this area. I wondered in my mind, why is this even an area? There is really nothing here for the missionaries to do, they could be put somewhere more effective. Then as we were going to teach some people we went over to a recent converts home to grab some supplies for some service. His name was Scotty and he was so awesome. As we talked with him i was just like wow this guy is amazing, i could feel the spirit of christ from him and the love heavenly father had for him. As we sat laughing and conversing with him, i just sat there and thought wow this is why. Scotty was just baptized!!! in this tiny tiny town one of heavenly fathers children was brought to the truth and blessings of the gospel. I couldnt help but fill my heart swell with joy and just a have a huge internal grin, i even get so happy thinking of it now :D Heavenly father loves ALL of his children so so so so so so very much, in every single way and even if we dont see the point in things, he does. He sent missionaries to this tiny place with hardly a population to make a school and found his children that were ready. He truly loves and is mindful of all his children, as Jesus Christ left the apostles in in the new testament he proclaimed he had sheep not of that fold and needed him so he left to bless them. Then in the book of mormon it states the same thing. He left the 99 to find the 1 and he definitely knows all things that he does. I have utter faith in my heavenly father and the savior of the world. They truly know us and are mindful, go to them, pour out your soul and I can promise you will receive the comfort and the answers you need. Just be prepared to change. ;) 

I love you all so MUCH!!