Week 83

Sup!

SO this week was good! We had 2 investigators at church! like this area has pick up so much since I have been here! My new comp is great and we work hard a well together! Carol our investigator was at church and preparing to be baptized on the 9th. Yeah the girl from the bombing is in my zone I haven't talked to her yet but we will have a zone meeting on Friday. So things are going well. To day for preparation day we were at the Branch Mission leaders house he has an 18yr old non member son who we are trying to fellowship and baptize haha also his best friend was there who is an active priest in the Branch. We played Settlers of Catan and Risk. I won both games. So things are going well we are taking our investigator Raphael to the Branch dinner for empty nesters tonight. So yeah I love my mission! best(hardest) two years for sure! Love you guys stay safe!

Elder Howard

THE COMPANION

Hey everybody! Happy Monday! This email will probably be pretty short because we spent pretty much all day just playing Settlers of Catan and Risk with some members and non-members. It was super fun....yes....I did get dead last in both games and yes Elder Howard won both. But that's okay I had a super fun time. 

Our investigator Carol passed her baptismal interview!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was super awkward....I know. That's not supposed to be awkward it's supposed to be super great but it is super great! The reason it's awkward is because she wanted to sit in with her in the interview. That doesn't happen ever. But we ended up sitting in with her (Maybe illegal?) and it was just so uncomfortable. I have nothing to compare it to because I've experience nothing like it! Maybe it would be like a parent who has made their child study super hard for like the most important test in history and then the parent has to sit and watch the kid answer every question. She did pretty well though...except when they ask about "The Word of Wisdom" pretty much every time I've asked an investigator what that is they go off about like the scriptures and how they give us wisdom and stuff. But it worked out. Also at the end of the interview she started going off about anti stuff and it was really awkward because the Zone Leader didn't know that she was joking.. But it all worked out and now she is getting baptized!!!! All our problems are solved right? Almost....We have to find a pool with a lift because she can't walk and she is pretty large.

We actually had a pretty cool miracle with our investigator Carol too! She hasn't been able to make it to church because we haven't been able to find a van with a lift. We got a call one night from a recent convert in the Kirtland Ward who has a van! It was awesome but then we couldn't get a hold of him.... But then another guy in the Kirtland Ward was able to drive down because we had Branch conference and he is the Representative for Missionary work. It was super great at church Carol loved it...except she couldn't really hear very well. That's okay though she felt the spirit! She said she learned 3 new songs at church. The funny thing is we did too because our Branch is convinced we need to learn every single song in the hymn book. 3 down over 300 to go!

Does anybody like sparkling water? An investigator gave us some and I guess it's just not for me.

Faith is awesome. President Johnson, one of the counselors in the Stake Presidency, shared an awesome story. He was in institute and they were talking about how Faith can move mountains and all that good stuff. So then he thought he has enough faith, he could make the door close. So he was staring at the door trying to use the force or something when someone in the class stood up, walked over and closed the door!  "Miracles were and are a response to faith and its best encouragement. They were never wrought without prayer, felt need, and faith."-Bible dictionary This is true. If we even have a desire to follow god, to put all of our Faith, trust and hope with him, we can and will perform miracles. I know this is true. I've seen it in my own life and firsthand in the lives of others like with Carol. I wish everybody could have seen the look on her face when we told her she could come to church. Miracle. 

I love you all and I hope you have great weeks!

Elder Vaughn

Week 82

Sup.

Life is good. The work here is picking up. Miracles are happening. I am to lazy to type everything out. My comp writes really good emails though so I'll have him add you. Love you guys!

Whenever you can send one is fine! are they out of stock cause everyone in England is hoping on the band wagon? haha Investigators are going well we found 4 new ones this week! My comp is cool he has his quirks like we all do but he is cool. We do well together. Love you as well.

THE COMPANION 

Well, I'm still here. Cleveland hasn't burnt down or any of the surrounding area after they won the championship. Also as far as we can tell nobody in our area is going too crazy about it all. Then again, we haven't really been outside that much today because as we were coming in this morning from Walmart, I bumped the key in the lock and the key snapped right off.... So, I panicked. And then I just played it cool. But then I just played it off like I made a big mistake. Pretty much Elder Howard was just the victim. Anyways, so then we tried pulling it out with pliers...no good. Then I found some staples and it turns out those went in but they were too flimsy to do any good. Finally we decided to go back to Walmart for a screw driver and some super glue. Apparently, you have to be 18 to buy super glue. I tried the super glue and....super no good. Then Elder Howard disappeared (he just took a nap) and I went about dissembling the lock. It went super great and then.... really really no good. I opened it up and it just exploded all over the place because there were springs doing spring things. Then I spent the next hour and a half trying to put it back together. I figured out a lot more than I thought I would but I couldn't do it all the way. We ended up talking to the manager and he was actually cool and just installed a new one for us just like that! Anyways, pointless story over, this week has been super great!

We had zone conference this last week. The opening prayer was one of my favorite parts by far. That probably sounds a little weird to most of you, but the reason I say that is because Sister Clain said the opening prayer. She was one of the 4 missionaries who survived the Brussels bombing a few weeks ago. She was actually on her way to our mission when that happened! Her prayer was amazing she was so grateful for being here and every chance that she had to be a missionary the spirit was so strong and I think it helped all of us gain such a deeper understanding of our purpose and why we are really out here.

Also at Zone Conference, we were told to avoid using "trigger" words with people. Such words as "Missionaries, Church, Gospel, Message, etc.." Needless to say....what do we say? The answer is... Families! Before I tell you our experience with this new approach I will tell you the why! The question was asked by The Assistants: "What is the message of The Restoration?" The church was restored right? Sort of right... The message of The Restoration is that families can be together forever! Yay! Well, we tried the approach without using any trigger words...It was a throwback pretty much to day 1 in the MTC. We were scrambling and bumbling all over ourselves! Eventually we got the hang of it though and one guy actually said "yes" to hearing our message! We taught him said a prayer, and set a return appointment. When we texted him later to confirm our appointment we got a text back from his mom....She said not to come back. 

Miracle time! We were tracting on Tuesday and we found a lost sheep! She was a member who moved here in November but didn't really understand that there are churches out here too! We taught her on Friday and then she came to church on Sunday. She is pretty cool, we are also going to teach her friend that lives with her. Double Miracle! 

Oh! I almost forgot! The title of this email....Big news!! Our Mission President changed our music rule! We can now listen to ANYTHING that The Mormon Tabernacle Choir sings! And by anything I seriously mean anything... Show tunes and all! Merry Christmas Elder Vaughn!

Fun fact, a lady just walked over to us and gave us some "Tracts!" Woohoo! Go Missionaries. I think she might think we are wrong though...

Probably the biggest new this week is that we set a baptismal date with our investigator Carol! She is the one who hasn't been to church yet because we haven't been able to find a ride because she is 75 and has a lot of health issues. But, we found a ride for this Sunday! The spirit was super strong, we taught the Restoration over again. We asked the question "Why is the Restoration important to you?" and she gave us the best answer I have ever heard from a nonmember. "It means that we have a prophet on the earth today who can trace his authority back to Jesus Christ and he can tell us the things God needs us to know today." We kind of just dropped our mouths for a second and then Elder Howard invited her to be baptized! It was really cool. The Branch hasn't had a baptism in over a year so it was really cool!

Families are forever. I know it! I'm so grateful for my family and especially since Father's Day was yesterday I am so grateful for my dad! I love my family!

-Elder Vaughn

p.s. We're all brothers and sisters so I love you all:)

Week 81

Well my week was okay I took my Bike into a bike shop and it is going to cost like 115 dollars to be repaired so that was a bummer a rock or something got stuck in my chain and totally bent and broke the de-railer and yeah so that wasn't fun good news is I won't have to bike this week! haha Other than that I have been good! doing a lot of tracting and trying to find the elect! Days are long and I am always sore! the people here are nice though so its like a really sincere rejection. We are working on other idea to find as well. I miss you all, England sounds like fun! But I am doing great! we have had good things happen this week and the bad has also happened! I am excited for this next week and just love serving the Lord and learning the things I am learning! Love you!

Elder Howard

Week 80

Well my week has been good! My new comp is Elder Vaughn he is from Centervill Utah its almost the Mormon capital of the world! We have been doing well together he has been on his mission for almost a year This week was hard have been doing a lot of tracting and contacting to find people! and for the time and effort we have put in we have seen little success haha but we have seen success! So that is good we have some new potentials and what not! But yeah I am doing well Being the DL doesn't really change anything except I plan and conduct a District meeting every week haha but we have a car but we bike a lot to save our miles! When I remember my camera pictures will follow love you guys be safe! 

Elder Howard  

FOR JOEL

HAPPY BIRTHDAY YA FILTHY ANIMAL 

Love you dude keep being swaggie and remember one more year then you can date girls! ;)

Week 79

Hola!

So like that's cool and stuff that you guys made it there okay. I am still kinda mad I didn't get to go.... But oh well. Um my week was good we found 3 new investigators! And yeah transfers are tomorrow and I will be getting a new companion. I have taken pictures I just forgot my camera to send them. I was also made the District leader so my short span of no leadership was short lived..... The weather here is horrid and we bike like everyday and it sucks! Today we are going to one of the locations where the Father and Son appeared so I am excited for that! Take more pictures! Love you! 

Elder Howard 

Week 78

Things are good! the weeks go by so fast! we are keeping busy talking to people and biking and walking around our area. Our Investigator is good she wasn't to come to church and she said if she likes it there she will want to become a member. Its hard though because she is handicap so she would need some special transport to get her there. But we are helping her gain a testimony of the Gospel. Close to finding more they have been found following up is the hard thing. Um we kinda do whatever on our preparation days. Sometimes it's fun sometimes its not. Glad to here the Fam is doing well. So what is going to happen with the big car? well I love and miss you all! 

Elder Howard

Also tell Joel Congrats on being a state champ!!!!!!!!!

Week 77

Hola!

So my week has been good. We have done a lot of biking and like I have just woken up sore every morning haha so that's been fun! We have been teaching our Investigator Carol. She is in a nursing home she is the patient to our Branch Mission Leader. she really want to come to church but we cant find a way to get her there. So that is a struggle. Me and my companion get along fine so that's good to he has been out for 9 months this is his second area. he has been in the branch for almost 7 and a half months. We have been meeting new people and just trying to find the elect. Not to much else to report! But I am loving it! This area has so much history with the church its great! love and miss you!

Elder Howard