Thanksgiving

Ok so this past week sucked too!

Monday we went to the church and played games it was fun but since I was sick I did not play very well... We had dinner with a member it was fun but a little crazy. Tuesday we were supposed to go to Baton Rouge to do exchanges with the AP's but I woke up so sick I did not even leave the bed! so ya 

Wednesday the Lord made things happen we had MLC (mission leadership council) in Baton Rouge and I told sister Varner I would cook breakfast for them. So I woke up in the morning at 5:20 and I felt like new. We drove down there and I made food happen and it was the bomb. (Thanks mom for the recipe) then we had a cook meeting, and a bomb lunch made by sister Varner. We had dinner with a really good friend in Baton Rouge then drove home! Thursday (Thanksgiving) woke up sick we went to play football it was way fun, we had dinner with some of the best members in the world, then home to die! 

Friday we had district meeting all morning then we went on exchanges with the Alex's Elders and we went to go knock doors 2 hours before dinner then dinner then more tracting after. It was way fun we were going around and showing the "Light the World" video to all!! Saturday still sick so did much of nothing it was the worst, Sunday we had church early because of meetings, the reg church it was way good, went home did studies then we went to two dinner app, it was a good day but I had this huge headache by the time I got home, so I just went to bed!

Sorry this letter is lame, there just was not much done this past week! 

Love you all so much have a good week and let you light shine!@ 

Love,

 

 Elder Gordon

8 Month Mark

(Letter from Nov 20th)

Hey,

 So this past week was fun and it also sucked for sure!!!!

So on P-day we ended up going to the church and doing nothing it was lame for sure! We had a dinner appointment with this super cool older couple and the guy is just like me but old! Then we had a good-bye party for Elder Andersen because he was leaving, and so the bishop had people come to his house so we did not have to drive everywhere to go see them! It was nice!

 

 Wednesday morning sucked, I woke up at 5 and got in the car and drove up to Natchitoches LA to pick up some elders and then back to my apt to get my comp (I took one of the other elders because Andersen was sick and did not want to wake up) and then I drove to Baton Rouge for Transfers where I said good-bye to elder Andersen and hello to Elder Winn. We had lunch at Panda Express it was the best then we drove all the way home! I was in the car for 7 hours when we finally got home. We had a diner app that night with a old couple, it was fun but not super great! Thursday we went to the library to plan out this transfer, and it was fun we realized that we are going to have no time to do anything... because this is a 5 week transfer when they are usually 6 weeks long and I have 6 exchanges to do. Exchanges are where you go to another missionary's area and your comp goes with one missionary and I will go with the other and we work, so we have a ton of driving to do and a lot of people to see. I like it because it keeps me busy! Friday was fun we had District meeting in the morning the a Thanksgiving dinner at the church, and wow the food was the bomb! 

 

Saturday sucked I was super sick so I stayed in bed for a long time!  Then got food then back to bed, we did at one point get up and go tracting and to a dinner app, but it sucked the whole time! Sunday was fast Sunday, and that sucked because I was even more sick and then I was hungry... but I made it through the day, barely!   And today I still feel like crap! so ya! I am exited for this week  it will be fun and fat just how I like it~! Anyway love you all so much thank for reading my letters have a good week and stay true to the word! 

Love,

 Elder Gordon

Almost Arrested! fun,fun,fun

I had a crazy week for sure! Monday we went to a wild safari, and I got to pet a ton of cool animals (don't worry I got pics). Then we had dinner at our bishop's house it was fun! Nothing really fun happened Tuesday or Wednesday, but on Thursday we had exchanges with the Opelousas elder's and that was fun for sure but nothing real eventful happened.
Then we drove to Zachary to see one of my real good friends just for a bit then we drove all the way up to Natchez Mississippi to do exchanges with the elder's up there and once we got there we had service to do where we cut down trees with axes and the burned them, so ya, it was a blast for sure! a
After that we went to a high school football game that the bishop coach's and one of their investigators was at game and that was a party for sure. I lost my voice like in the first quarter and our team beat the other like 64 to 16, it was bad for the other team!!
The next morning we got up and worked out like always and then the crazy neighbor came over and she was not happy with us, she told us that we were being so loud that she had to turn her TV up to hear it and that we were shaking her TV as well. Ok I understand if they were in an apartment complex, and being loud, but no, they live in a house and she lives like 40 feet away with 5 foot retaining wall so there is no way we could have been doing that.  Then 10 minutes later a cop shows up and she was talking to him for a good bit then he comes to talk to us. Ok so a little more background on the problem, so that crazy lady has been calling the cops on the missionaries for the last year, and just earlier that year she tried to have one of the elders arrested! so ya! The cop comes and talks to me and and Andersen because we were the ones working out and he was like you guys are fine she is crazy and he tells us that we should put a restraining order on her... so ya he was cool. t Later that day I was loading up our truck ready to head home and the husband/man came out and beckoned me over to him and then he go's off and tells me"I am going to go get 6 niggas to come over here and teach y'all  a lesson with a  Smith and Weston..." so ya we got those elders moved out that day which is sad because that house is the dopest house in the mission for sure! Then we drove home and I called it a day. Sunday was normal, and yesterday was boring, Andersen was sick so I did nothing, and today we are going to hang out at the church and Andersen is going to pack at some point! He is getting transferred and I am staying! anyway love you all have a good week!

Love,

Elder Gordon

 

 

Elder Oaks

Ok so what a week!  I am going to go over my week real fast because I have some dope things to tell y'all, 

Monday we went for a "hike" (more like a walk in a park... because it was) but it was fun and it was something to do.  We had dinner at our bishop's house that was nice for sure! Tuesday we had our district meeting (DM) and it was fun, kinda rushed but it was fun. Then we (me and elder Andersen) drove up to Natchez Mississippi to go to their DM and it was way fun to go there. First off it is gorgeous there and the missionaries there are pretty cool! Right after their DM we drove home so we could get home on time, we had dinner at a member's house and it was really good! Wednesday we had DC. app for Andersen all morning and once we got home we planned for then rest of the week and this week. We had dinner that night with some older members that have been all around the world for the church, so they had the coolest stories and souvenirs and their house was so cool! Then we got to see a missionary that was home it was way fun!! Thursday, we drove up to our area parked the car then walked to go and try to see people, we ended up walking 5 miles in between tracting and what not it was a good day! We had dinner at the Smith's house and that family is so cool, they are the type of family you look at and are like #goals!!! Then we had a super awesome lesson with them, we brought 4 Preach my Gospels and we had them (mom and dad, kids are young) chose two Christ like attributes and to explain them and how it can help then improve or what they need to work on and it was super cool! 

Friday we had a lesson with a less active in the morning, once that was over we drove to Zachary to see one of my really good friends she fed us and then we drove to Baton Rouge for a YSA meeting. (so for us to be able to go to this meeting we had to get a less active YSA to go as well) And wow that was way cool the meeting was with Elder Dallin H. Oaks Elder Jörg Klebingat and his wife and they all had something super cool to say then they had Questions and answers time. It was so cool to be able to have that experience! Once that was over we stayed the night with the AP's and it was so fun.  One of the AP's is a way cool kid from Wyoming but he gave me his super nice weighted vest!!! In the morning we went back to the Stake Center, for a meeting with all of the missionaries  and  Elder Dallin H. Oaks Elder Jörg Klebingat and his wife, that was the best thing ever we got to shake their hands and I got a hug from Elder Oaks!!! After that meeting we went to lunch with my two most favorite people, and it was super nice to see them! Then the long drive home, we got here and we had 4 elders stay with us, and that was fun we went to play b-ball it was a good night for sure! Sunday we had a broadcast with Elder Dallin H. Oaks Elder Jörg Klebingat and his wife  and wow it was awesome to hear from them for a third time! We got home I took a nap then we got a text from Sister Sanders and she told us there is food here for us. so we biked there (15 miles) and wow it was the best meatloaf I had ever had!! Then we went to another member house to just chill!  so yep that was my week! But let me tell you some of the things that I learned!! 

So one of the first things said was "Have you ever wondered what it felt like when all of the people were sitting with there tents facing King Benjamin and he was preaching to them?... well this is how it feels. We are in the mists of an apostle of the Lord!" so ya it was a big thing! 

I am going to just say things that stood out for me then give my thoughts. 

"Talk to our Lord don't just pray",  so when we kneel before our maker we don't just say things to get it over with, we have a conversation with Him, and he does respond through feelings and the Holy Ghost! "Don't read the scriptures Study them". 

"We will not be fearful walking with our Savior" give him your all (and I mean give up your sins) 

"you will get more spiritual experiences if you talk less of them" your spiritual experience are personal so keep them that way, until moved a upon the spirit, dont share with others! 

"The Sun always comes up!" the sun is the light of Christ within you, and there are times in our lives where it is dark within us! But there will always be that light and once we let that light shine we will be more happy and full of joy! So let the light of Christ shine on you so you can shine as well!! 

"Coming unto the Lord is a surrender" we will never get anywhere unless we surrender our selves.

"You should look forward to being judged (by the Lord) not being scared of it" there should be nothing scary about facing our maker, if we give Jesus Christ our all (I mean our sins) 

Elder Oaks gave a super cool analogy with a pen... so he took out his pen and took it apart and said we are a tool in the Lords hands and there are things that we as the tool need to be! First we need ink. Ink is our studies we need the knowledge to teach we need, ink to write. We need the point of the pen out. We need to be ready when He needs us, we can't be like "o I don't feel like writing today." No you need to be ready! Last we need to let the Lord write what He wants, not what we want, because we are nothing without Him so if we don't let Him write we will get nothing done! 

There is a difference in being active in the church and being active in the gospel.  Anyone can come to church and pay their tithing, but if they don't mean it, it means nothing. We need to be studying the word of the prophets, we need to be on our knees repenting every night (and we don't repent because we are terrible people we repent because we want to become closer to Jesus Christ)  We need to want to come to church and do our callings with joy in out hearts, not becasue if we don't people will look down on us! 

"Be quick to repent and quick to forgive"  If we let sin sit in our heart and soul they will be much harder to give to the Lord, and don't forget the Lord has already suffered all pains of this world for us, for You! So don't let His suffering go in vain because of you stubbornness!  

I have given you (put your name here) may gift's but I have given you one that is the biggest yet and that is my son Jesus Christ!

It's better being 10 ft from Hell and moving away from it then 1000 ft from Hell a coming closer to it!  

Love y'all so much have a good week! 

Love Elder Gordon! 

 

 

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Fun - Not fun

ok so last week was fun and not fun! Elder Andersen was sick Thursday so we did much of nothing. (not fun) Tuesday we just had a rag-day where we went out on our bikes to go see some people and we biked forever and did not really see anyone :(  (not fun) We biked for 20 miles then Elder Andersen got flat tire! (not fun) Then a way cool member gave us a ride home! (fun)
Wednesday, in the morning we helped the Axle's elder's move someone in their ward. (that was way fun)  Then we did some work like knocking on some doors, then a dinner where we had chili. (fun)
Thursday like I said my comp. was sick so we just stayed home doing nothing and we planned for Zone Conference. (not fun) Friday, we had Zone Conference in the morning which brought us to the evening. (fun)
We stopped by a birthday party for a little bit, it was the Marksville sister's birthday so a member that I knew and loved was there and it was way fun to see her. (fun) Then we headed to our dinner app and we went to the Kipper's and she feed us chili and wow that was probably the best chili I  had ever had! (fun)  On Saturday we did the usual work until we had our ward Halloween thing/ chili cook off, and that was way fun! A ton of members from the Marksville Branch came up and it was so good to see them all, and I got to see one of my old investigators and help him. (fun)  I am exited to see if I can help him get back on track for baptism.  On Sunday I got whatever my comp had and I was sick so I went to church feeling like crap! (not fun) Came home still feeling like crap, went to our lunch app at the bishop's where there was more chili YAY, then I came home and called it a day (not fun) I got in bed at like 2 and I did not really get out until this morning! ( not fun) So ya, I am feeling better but still not top-natch.  Anyway love you all have a good week!

Love,

Elder Gordon