Weekly Post - 5/31/2011

Man, oh man, oh man!

It is hot here! I mean the highest it has gotten to is about 80 degrees, but it's humid. And when it is humid it's like the are is boiling you, and it's not fun when you have a white shirt and tie on. Plus I'm in Keokuk, Iowa which is pretty much on the banks of the Mississippi, so there are a TON of river bugs and it's also cicada season- so there are thousands of disgusting cicadas everywhere. And they are loud too. I like to kick them and watch them try to get back up when they are stuck on their back, little brats.

So we have some pretty sweet investigators! The ZL's set us up before they left:

We have Thurman Purdiman, who is a junior pastor and he teaches elementary school. He doesn't like the church he is going to, and wants something better. He wants a sure knowledge that the Book of Mormon is true before he commits, but he's already pretty sure- because we always show up at just the right time. His girlfriend Tiffany is also investigating, but she's kinda flaking off on us now, so we're working with her to get her back, because to convert a family over an individual is much more important. This way their kids can be raised in the gospel!

Then there is Phillis, and she's a referral from a LA who is dating/engaged to her. The LA active and her want to be married, but he wants to be married in the church. So she thought she would find out for herself more about the church, and also if it is true. Because the only knowledge she grew up with about our church is that Joseph Smith was a horse thief. So she thought that must be garbage so she wanted to go to the source. And she is solid, and we are very excited about her. We are going to pray this next week to see if we can set a baptismal date for her. And we are the first missionaries to teach her too! :D

This last sunday Elder Medina and I gave a presentation for the 5th sunday at church. Can you guess what on? You guessed it! MORMON.ORG! It went really well, although right before it began the weather went wack, and so everyone was looking outside. It was literally as dark as night outside! But we got the members pretty excited about Mormon.org, so we're hoping that it pushes the work in Keokuk forward!

So I weighed myself the other day and I dropped 4 pounds, kudos to me. Not the candy bar kudos. I'm trying to LOSE weight, not gain. But seriously, Elder Medina and I are working our butts of to slim down. Granted he has 4 months until he goes home I have- hold on I need to figure it out... 16? Aw who cares, I've got time. But if I can take the time I do have on my mission left, and get cut- then yesss! Maybe I should get hooked up with a shake weight? ;)

Being outside alot makes you tan haha :) It's funny, I have a ring on my right hand and there is a tan mark from where the ring is. It makes me laugh. And the other day it was weird we were walking around looking for former investigators and it turns out it was an annual holiay in keokuk where a bunch of the local bands set up outside houses all around town, and perform. It was like 'Garage Band Day'? It was kind of cool. We over heard this cool post-grunge sounding band, they sounded pretty hard rock. And we were looking through our area book and over heard someone covering 'The Middle' by Jimmy Eat World. It sucked. They bombed the guitar solo, and the vocals sucked, it actually took me few seconds to realize it was that song. They covered a few classics too. But I only remember them performing JEW.

It's kinda cool being the designated driver here in Keokuk, because I already have the area pretty much memorized, granted it is a pretty small area. But it's nice to be able to know how to get places this early into the transfer, because it makes everything alot faster.

Anyways, I'm about done.

Stay cool?

Write me?

I love you?

P-Trowsers

bye

Weekly Post - 5/23/2011

well to start things off-

Intruducing...

KEOKUK, IOWA!

Yes, that is right, I have indeed been transferred from Bloomington, Illinois to Keokuk, Iowa. I am still Jr. companion, and my new companion is Elder Hayes Medina from Rosevill/ Salt Lake City, Utah. No he does not speak Spanish. He is like me I'm half-Mexican, only his dad is from Spain, and neither of us were taught Spanish as children. However, he does actually look it, so he's got me there. But he's awesome, and has been on his mission for 20 months, and it is likely that this will be his last area, and I will be his last companion, in missionary lingo this would be called "killing him off" So I am killing him off! Good stuff. In other news, Keokuk is also 30 minutes away from Nauvoo, Illinois, so that's a pretty fun fact. So in July when the Nauvoo Pageant comes around I will get to go to Nauvoo on a daily basis and help with it- THEATRE 4 LIFE, YO! I'm way excited to get to watch that, and to be involved with at least something along the lines of theatre here haha!

I am super excited for my new area. The only annoying part is that the missionaries for the past few years who have been serving here were Zone Leaders! So guess what that means?! You guessed it! They pulled out the Zone Leaders, moved them to Ft. Madison, Iowa; and now Elder Medina and I are White Washing Keokuk, as a normal missionary, and starting it off new and fresh. Which isn't a bad thing, because E. Medina and I both have alot of experience in doing this so we're doing a good job. Also, I am the designated driver, so I get to drive our 2011 Cevy Malibu. It's a very nice car, and I like it alot, but the Ford Fusion feels alot better. And because I drive now I feel alot less like the Jr. Companion! Elder Shelman is still in Bloomington and is now training his 2nd greenie.

So These past 3 days have been crazy because we have been working super hard to try and get to know the members in our Branch, and to build trust with them. The Zone Leaders had plenty of trust with them, just you throw in two new elders and nobody really knows what to think. So we've been trying to find the members that are in the main auxilaries as leadership, and trying to find out what we can do to help them. We are going to give a presentation to the ward for the 5th Sunday which is next week actually on Mormon.org and being more missionary minded. So this is going to be interesting since this was just dropped on us out of no where. Yay for white washing!

We have also been getting busy tracking down the investigators that the ZL's left us here, and we have only been able to get ahold of one of them. Tiffany and Thurman are way sweet; they are not married but live together and are looking for a church. They have two kids, and kind of butted heads with one of the Zone Leaders that was serving here, and so they kind of closed off and dropped them. But they were about to the text the ZL's the day before transfers and what do you know, the spirit guided the ZLs there right before they texted them. Creepy? No! That's cool, because it shows God works in mysterious and amazing ways. :) But they like us I guess and want to visit with us, and they are planning on getting married, just not yet... so we are going to work with them and help them to progress and get baptized! HA! BOOM BABY! They have a retarded kitten too, and it scratched the tip of my pointy finger really badly and took a good chunk of it off, so typing hurts too. Let it be known the pain I am going through to bring you this joyous message.

I do miss the people of Bloomington alot. It was hard to leave, they are great people, and I love the ward there. Just the difficult part is the whole fact that not much was going on there no matter how hard Elder Shelman and I were working, and that is why I believe it got a greenie. Greenies just bring good luck.

But anyways I'm excited to be here and to work in this area. It's right along the Mississippi so that's pretty cool. I'm safe though! So don't panic, if I'm about to die it is most likely I'll go down with a fight, so just know I'll die with honor. Swinging my buster blade or something at that tornado...

anyways Mormon.org is cool, check it out. Letters are good too.

Love ya

Peace!

P-Trowser

Weekly Post - 5/18/2011

Well! This last week we spent alot of time following up with potentials. We had a referral come in for a random girl and within 24 hours we had an appointment set up, went over and taught her the first lesson and left her with a BOM. It was way sweet! I was very impressed with how open she was and the fact she was willing to learn more. Then again she was referred to us by her best friend who is a member. But it went well none the less!

It's weird because a few of the missionaries I've served around are going home this week. It's really really weird. I'll just keep in touch with them?

So I was studying the other day, and I realized something in the Book of Mormon that I love. Here on my mission I have heard alot of crap from people about how God is "mean", "angry", and "impatient". Because He kills His children when they sin, but they look at it as if He... and I just lost my thought. Oh! They talk about how he shows wrath like it's the first things to show once a person sins- but if you look in 2 Nephi chapters... I think it's in chapter 26-28; I'm too lazy to look right now. But it talks about how God punishes people for their sins, and He never punishes people without warning them with a prophet, whom He sends because He loves us. And then when we are punished and His wrath is brought upon us, He still stretches out His hand to pick us up. The Lord says this CONTINUOUSLY in 2 Nephi. The Lord loves us, and it's great.

Something just got in my eye and I need to try to get it out really quick. I think I got it. Not sure. Whoa! I'm blind! jk. Jon Schmidt rules. The end.

Also I've been thinking alot about how the Trinity is so false! But I won't go into that today. Maybe another time when I feel like ranting about something. But for now I'm just gonna cut this post short, because I'm running out of time. I took more time on my email to President today! Sorry! It was important!

Love ya!

check out mormon.org!

Elder Prows

Weekly Post - 5/9/2011

Hi everyone! So this last week was awesome :)

I loved getting to hear from the family and all that stuff! Nothing like being away from home for 7 months, and only getting to hear from the family every 6. It's crazy, but worth it.

I loved being able to talk to the family about stuff that I haven't gotten to talk to them about recently. I just want them to know I love them, and I love all of you so much.

Please know that when I say that I mean it with all sincerity. I don't kid about that, and I really do want to hear from all of you, just I can't hear from all of you at once! So I'd love to get letters and stuff!

Mormon.org is still awesome, and you should all check it out! Make one if you are 18 or older! I know it will bless lives :) including yours.

Sorry I don't have much time to write now!

I love you all!

Elder Prows

Weekly Post - 5/2/2011

Well well well! If it isn't a crazy day!

This last week was full of lots of walking. And walking. And walking.... It wasn't fun.

In case you didn't know our church building is like... really far from where we live, and we had to walk to it on friday... and then we had to walk to it on saturday too! And back! My feet are so sore! Well they aren't really anymore, but still. Good thing I have a camelpak on me or I'd be dehydrated! My nose itches right now so I'm gonna take a few seconds to scratch it... ok I'm back.

So I wake up this morning and use the phoneline to check top stories in the news just for kicks (we do that once a month for kicks) and I find out Bin Laden was taken down? GREAT ODIN'S RAVEN! That's so cool! EPIC WIN! I did not expect that, I expected something lame like Obama being on SNL or some royal wedding.

So we had an investigator named Michael Hansen with a baptismal date last week, but this last week he told us that he was going home in a week because he is a student, so that was lame- but he's going to Nauvoo in a month for an internship, so that's cool? He can get in contact with the missionaries there, and be baptized by someone in our mission still! That'll count towards 500! HAHA!

So I found out there is a zoo in Bloomington, and it only costs $5 to get in for a adult, and it's apparently pretty good. So that's cool- I love zoos. Who can think of a better place than to go find things that are locked up and point fingers at them, and laugh?! Hmmmm... prison? Who cares! You get to see animals and watch them eat, bathe and poop! It's so stinky! I love it.

I also learned that Bloomington is a town that President Abraham Lincoln walked the streets of, and that it is actually the town that he began his planning for his presidential candidacy- so this is where that began I guess. also Steak and Shake, Beernuts and State Farm were founded in Bloomington. Cool town I do say.

There have been these weird bugs in our house lately, I think they are trying to get me. They look like earwigs, but they have like 10 legs that look like hairs. They are very ugly. But I kill them while screaming 'die you pagan demon!' so it's all good. I think they hate me...

The other day there was a crowd at our J-dub neighbors home, and we found out that her son commited suicide. So we had to go be nice to her; nah, in all honesty I love the lady to death, she's way sweet, and I feel way bad that that happened to her. She loved her son alot, and now in her book he's lost- so that must be pretty hard for her. Talk about pain? But it was a little awkward since we were surrounded by a ton of Jehovah's Witnesses who wanted to invite us to there church again, and I was like "uh, no thank you. I've been to your meetings. It's just like what we do every thursday, but worse." Thursdays are district meeting by the way, so those RM's out there who hopefully reading this might understand exactly what I mean! (BLAH!)

I just realized the guy next to me is no longer Elder Nay and is now a really old Asian. He's staring very intently at his screen.

So mother's day is next week. That kind of sucks! Because I get to talk to my family, which isn't what I want to do at all. Sike! I gotcha! And you can't say you knew I was joking because you couldn't hear the sound of my voice! Sucka! Elder Redder looks very nervous sitting next to this old Asian lady. But in all seriousness, I'm way excited. There, I said it.

Anyways, mormon.org is cool. You should check it out.

love ya all

and if you don't have my address it's on my blogs page, so you can find it there.

Bye

Elder Prows

who has been out 7 months... already... blah... I hate how time flies...