Week Thirteen - part 2

Kelsie is such a nice sister she immediately sent Ryan a slack line since he said he wanted one in his last letter. Ryan sent these pictures later today.

Week Thirteen

OK first off I learned that squirrels do fall out of trees, it was the funniest thing ever, we were walking to a house one afternoon when we saw something fall from the trees above. (about 60 feet high)  It looked like some sicks and leaves, but once it hit the ground it got up (the Squirrel) and took off running. and Elder Deakin and I were just in awe after watching the squirrel fall and get up and run off. 

This week went by super fast it felt like Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday weren't there, but they were because it says so in my journal. But some cool thing happened this week. First an investigator let me barrow and sharpen his sword which is pretty sick, but there is not much I think  can do for it because it's not really meant to be sharp, O-well. Then we got to go see this guy named Colonel Bill Price, and Holy Cow!!!!!!! He is a nice guy if you on his good side, however, if you're not on his good side he might just kill you, and I am not joking one bit. He is what we like to call an Eterna-gater ( an investigator for life) the thing is, he knows it is all true but he does not want to change one bit from his life style. But we will keep stopping by because he's funny and he promised to show me how to make real corn bread and good Gumbo. We got to see Brittney W a couple times this week and she is doing good, still getting ready to be baptized on the 29th so keep her in your prayers. 

The other day I wanted to make my scripture study actually mean something so I went and got a new journal, and in this journal I will put everything that I am learning or studying,  so I am super exited for it because it is 440 pages  and I am going to fill every page with wisdom from God.   

Other then that my days here on the mission are growing old! lol. No, they're not they just stared. I love it here and I love the people, and I love the food, and I love everyone back at home. 

Love,

 Elder Gordon   

Week Twelve

ok where to begin?

This week was super busy it started off with p-day which I have come to not like that much.  I don't really fit in with the other missionaries that well, because some them are Utah boys that love to work out and that is all they talk about and do, which I mean I like to work out but I do not like to talk about it for hours on end and then not actually do it, they like to talk more than work out.  Then we have the missionaries that like to play card games and talk about video games and there life back at home, and other things like that, so I feel that there is not much of place for a PNW boy here. So I am trying to do activities that I can do by myself and have fun like hacking / napping. Last week I tried to buy a slack line but I don't have very much money so I will try again next week to get one. 

Then we moved into our regular weekly business. On Tuesday we did missionary work and made a ton of muffins like 50 or so for breakfast and because I really enjoy muffins, they are chocolate chip, butterscotch chips and banana, they are the bomb. On Wednesday we again fasted and the day went by slow and we planned poorly, because when we woke up we were hungry because we were fasting, and there was this amazing smell still in our apartment from the night before, and some of the 50 or so muffins just siting there on the counter, so ya the day was long and hard but another lesson learned. On the bright side we already had dinner made lol, no we had leftovers. Thursday was our weekly, it is where we plan for the next upcoming week and it takes like 2 to 3 hours so we don't get much done other then that, but it was nice to get the weekly out of the way.  Then came Friday and we had ZTM (zone training meeting) it happens like once a month, and its where all of the Alexandra Zone gets together and talk and learn. After we went on splits with the other missionaries in our district. I was up in Alex's Friday and Saturday with Elder B. and what a cool nice guy, I love him a ton and he's a good friend but he is not the best missionary out there and I learned a ton from his example, on how I don't want to be.  Other then that I had a good time with him and I like hanging out with him but I am here to be a missionary not to hang out and have fun. Saturday was just another day to serve God and that is what I did, cool story we got one of our investigators Brittney W. set on date to be baptized for the 29 this mouth so lets go... Sunday was the best we had church, we had two investigators there and they loved it so  much, then we had dinner at the Griffin's and they feed us pizza and I helped them carve there first pumpkins so that was way cool because if I did not get to carve one this year I would have been super sad. After that we went to see the Browns and brother Brown is getting super sick but he has this big golf thing up in Atlanta for like 14 days and he thinks that is what is going to kill him off for good, but I think he is mostly joking or I hope so. They were a less active couple for the majority of there life and about 6 mouths ago they started to come back and they are trying to get sealed in the temple before he goes for good. 

This week was long but really good, I learned a ton and I still have more to learn. 

Love you mom, and love y'all so much I hope/pray for the best for all of you.

Love,

Elder Gordon

Week Eleven

It's good to see that my magazines, aren't just collecting dust and they are getting put to good use! It's also good to hear that the house is almost all painted. And ya I had forgotten about McKenzie's poor days it makes me feel rich now lol! But it is crazy to be needful of something like food because if you are diligently doing what you are supposed to like missionary work just like in Malachi 3:10 ( ...if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.)  and the room is like our fridge where there is not much room in it anymore.

Funny story, Elder Deakin ate a really hot pepper that was like the size of a finger on a newborn baby. And holy cow did it pack a punch Elder Deakin could not talk for a bit after that, nor breathe right and his face was sweating out of control and he later said that it hurt like heck. So ya that was super funny because the investigator was laughing quite hard and his wife was quite mad at him. But in all fairness there was this Mexican guy  that almost died too, so it was a really hot pepper! It was called a Tabasco red pepper!

This week was just another week down here in the south it's not that hot anymore it's around 75 so much  better then 85 degrees. We also so taught a bunch of people, so that was super nice. But most important to me was watching General Conference which was amazing and I am so glad I was able to watch the whole thing. My favorite quote was " The way you treat your kids is how you see your kids, and how you see your kids is how you kids grow up or turn out." I am not sure who said it but it really meant a lot to me, because I have seen over my life the effects of  good parents and he effects of a bad parents. And a lot of parents blame the kid for growing up and getting into bad things or going off the deep-end but I believe that if you have the best hope for you kids and you love them unconditionally and support them, you come to see that they too also love you and want to support you and they become good people! And Joy is much more cooler the happiness, because Joy in the book of Mormon meant to become like Heavenly Father. Like it teaches in 2 Nephi 2:25  "Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy." and Joy is meant to become like Heavenly Father. 

Ok well I am done with another week, last week was good we went on a hike on P-day and on this here hike I found hills which was like the coolest thing ever because down here it's flat as a pancake, so ya every week has some new thing to see and do and I am excited to go and see what this week has to throw at me. Love you all so much and want the best for you, so keep your life center on Christ. 

Love Elder Gordon 

(From Michelle) I had a chance to IM with Ryan for a little bit this morning and I wanted to share something he said. 

"I am going to be honest if I came home now, I would be more changed then I could have ever been if I were anywhere else doing anything else..... but don't worry I am still the same boogie. 

(Love that kid)

Here is the letter Ryan sent to Scott...

Hey so how is it going? I want to say it's good that you sold the pathfinder but at the same time I am very sad to see it go I loved that car with all my hart it has so many memories good and bad. It helped me through a ton, it was the best car that I could have asked for growing up and I love you for helping me obtain it and maintain it over the past couple of years, I am so glad to have had a car, so thanks!

Other then that I think it is getting colder here too like this past week it was in the 70's to low 80's it was so nice.  Conference was super good, did you get a chance to watch much of it?  Did you watch the priesthood session at all?  Did you like on how it was all about Home teaching, and missionary work?

  For sure time is flying, it's been 76 days since I said good-bye to you that morning at the airport in Bellingham I cant believe it's been so long, but I have come so far and I have so much more to go I can't wait! 

You wont believe what happened to Z. M. last week! He crashed on his bike and broke both of his wrists and hurt much more. idk what he was doing, but o my! 

Anyway I love you and what you have done for me in this life, you are my best friend and the best dad I could have ever asked for! 

 

Love

Elder Gordon