Sometimes the people we convert have already been baptized

First off, the subject of this letter is a quote from our district leader, he is a great guy from Idaho. We sent in the number of lessons we had last night and it was a little pitiful till you got to the end. Last week we taught a total of 1 lesson to someone who was not a member of our church. So easy to say it was a hard week, but the great thing is we were able to talk to or teach 13 returning members, or members that haven't been to church lately, and one of them came! It was great!  So although i do not write about baptisms I just wanted you to know we are working hard but even in this tough area our mission president told us to work more with members than investigators! So that's what we have been trying to do! Work hard to get the 530 members back to church!

   So now for the weekly top ten! i feel like Letterman!

1. We have been working with this family since I got here... they love feeding us. The grandma is the sweetest lady ever and the daughter and the son are great also, just not super active at this time but we are working on it! So Dee, who is the daughter, would not pray when i first got here but now she does family prayers all the time! And the best thing happened Saturday! She asked me to give her a priesthood blessing as she started school! She would never have done that 5 months ago, so that is a miracle from the Lord! We then gave all three of here children blessings since they started school and it was a great experience. In the last 2 days i have given 4 blessings and am so grateful for the opportunities give them.

2. Sister Bishop is an older lady in the ward! She is a great southern lady if there ever was one! Sadly she has the starting of Alzheimer which isn't good. She is slowly forgetting everything! It is such a sad thing to see, but when we came to dinner on three occasions she turned to me and said "have you eaten at my table" I replied "yes" she said "i knew it there is something different about you, something good" I then tried to make a redhead joke but she said "no something else can't put my finger on it but i remember you". It was an interesting experience since she doesn't even remember me at church and the last time I ate there was 3 months ago, but i hope what she recognized was the Spirit!

3. We had a great talk this Sunday by the stake patriarch, who is this nice old man reminds me exactly of brother Southwell if you know him, but he is in the ward so he spoke. He related blessings from the temple and also patriarchal blessings. One great story he gave was about 5 years ago this girl came to him to get a blessing a few months earlier Enterprise Alabama had a horrible tornado that wiped out a whole high school. This girl who was at that school and had a prompting to get out of class and call her mom to go home. She did this and as she arrived home and turned on the news she saw that her high school she just left had been destroyed. If she did not listen to that still small voice she would have been in the middle of that school, where many of her friends had died. Now she is serving a mission I believe, so listen to the Holy Ghost!

4. Mike Dudley is kind of like the guy I talked about last week, one of those guys that I judged about being along for the ride,. but he gave the lesson in elders quorum and I was humbled. He gave the most amazing lesson about finding personal peace and how to do it. That as he tried out churches they felt good, but not right. When he finally found the LDS church, he felt peace. He went on to tell of a story about when he got in a crash and the doctors thought he broke his back but he got a blessing and had peace to know he would walk out of the hospital that day, which he did. He just had such a strong testimony of the gospel and what it can give to you.

5. This week i was having a hard day, just a tough day not feeling like have done too much the past few months and i asked the sisters in the area to pray for me that i might have a little pick me up. So as we were walking down the street a man waved us over and went on to tell us how grateful he was that missionaries had knocked on his son's door cause he knew he would have never let them in. He told us this is a tough area to be in, there are too many stubborn people but we have a reason to be here and we will sow so many seeds. He said to not give up even when 99.9% of the people slam the door in your face there is still that .1 for you to find! He cried as he told us how grateful he was for the gospel and for the chance to learn and grow so much from it. He told us to then get out there and go work! he wouldn't tell us who he was, just that he was the Larkin man. Later that day i found note from some missionaries in our zone that were little notes of encouragement they hide in my scriptures so after those two experiences I went out and got to work!

6. We had a great zone training this week which was about serving! President Smith wants us to focus on little acts of service that we can do just so that they can see we are good normal people. We can always look around, we are supposed to go around doing service! And when we need to act we need to do it decisively and put are whole heart into it so that the people can feel our love as we do those things.

7. Another thing we did at zone training was act NORMAL, it's a sad day when you have to teach missionaries how to have a normal conversation at a gas pump or with a waiter. But that is what we practiced, having normal conversations that lead to simple things such as giving them a pass along card. You might not commit them to baptism right there, but we focus on being friendly and spark an interest. It was so simple but I loved seeing the missionaries who had been out for 20+ months stumble as they tried to talk to a normal girl! Quite comical but I hope I don't get to that point! I need all the charm I can get!

8. Elder Bochenek got emergency transferred! So he randomly left one day, which was sad and unexpected. He was sent to Georgia so that leaves me and Elder Farris! So i am noq the senior comp and trainer, which is a lot of responsibility and can be a little stressful! Training is the most important calling you can get as a missionary! So it can be a daunting task at times but i love it and seeing Elder Farris and his MTC fire wanting to go baptize the world!

9. We had a dinner with recent convert's house and it was great. They all grew up Pentecostal so they were big into shouting and yelling and saying hallelujah! So it almost made me laugh when i was saying a prayer and he started said "yes please" when i asked a blessing upon his sick wife. It is quite an experience to be part of a prayer where some one whispers!

10. We went out on a trade off with Brother Clemets, who is an older guy but sill great! He is such a great missionary and loves the gospel! His whole family is less active members so we spent as day seeing his family and it was amazing the love he had and the faith he  has that they will all return to the gospel at some point! 

Well that was my week! I hope you all had one just as good as mine! If you see my dad this week be sure to call him an old man, it's his birthday the 27th! Happy Birthday DAD! Love you! 

Love you all and I appreciate the thoughts and prayers! 

Elder Taylor 

We Need to Build an Ark

Another wet week her in Mariana.  We have been told by a few "funny" high priests that we would have more success if we built an ark, that's how much it has been raining! Before i get into the top ten of this week I just wanted to share some great scriptures I have gotten this week from studying. First off, I have been trying to do a really deep reading of the Book of Mormon and get a lot out of it. I love Mosiah. I have learned so much from it.. here are some things i loved as I read Mosiah  23:21 "Nevertheless the Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith." The lord gives us trials how could we go to our father in heaven and Christ who both went through so much for us and say, no we don't want any trails but we want to come home to you! Trails are essential and it's the Lord seeing if we have the patience and faith to follow him and keep his commandments, even when things are hard.

But to go off our trials, the Lord promises something amazing in Mosiah 24:13 And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came to them in their afflictions, saying: Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage.

 14 And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.

 15 And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.

As we submit to the Lord, do what he wants us to do and follow him, as we stand as a witness of Christ at all times and obey the covenants that we have made with the Lord, he will bless us beyond measure. He will make us strong to hold are burdens cause although our yoke may be heavy, his is light! I just loved this scriptures and i hope you love them also. 

Now to the top ten!

1. One day an appointment fell through and we were on the "other side of the tracks" where a the majority is African Americans. We were out walking decided to knock a few doors. This lady throws open the door and says come in.. we stood there for a second in shock and then went in we gave her an awesome first lesson! It was great. My favorite part though was she had a picture of the last supper and every character was black... haha it made me laugh a little bit. I just don't see davinci's last supper with black people in it too much!

2. We did some more service this week. We helped a member in the ward build a shed! Man that was a dirty job. we waded through about 2 feet of mud with roaches and spiders EVERYWHERE then me, elder Bochenek, Elder Farris, and this 74 year old carried a 500 pound roof 100 yards and threw it on top of the shed we had built. it was quiet a fun job, especially in the rain!

3. As we where out working on the shed we found a bug that could eat a human! Biggest bug i have seen, but it is only a grasshopper. It's called a Georgia thumper.. I'll attach a picture so you can all be in awe as much as I am!

4. So a little funny thing, We were walking through the Wendy's parking lot on our way home and a random guy yelled at us to ask us if we were Mormons and we told him yes. He jumped out his car, ran over gave us 20 bucks and said go buy yourself some food! So that was really cool, there are some nice people out here!

5. This one really touched me this week! Sister Clements is an older lady in the ward and a pure sweetheart! She is just wonderful and every time we walk by or see her she gives us a pat on the shoulder and says, "that is cause i cant hug you!" So she is awesome! But she bought a car so that she could give it to her grandson who had no way of getting to seminary. He never had a ride, because he is a senior and hasn't been able to go yet since he lives so far from the church. So she brought him a car so that he could get to seminary every morning and be ready for a mission at the end of the year!

6. Ed Watts is a great guy that takes us on splits all the time. We got a lesson in missionary work from that guy and it was amazing! He told us that the way to get people to church is to love them to church, which is so true! That's how you get people to come back; show them and tell them that you love them and want what's best for them! He gave an awesome lesson to Brother Wilmer Strickland (who is the next point) and said soon enough we will both see our father again! It was amazing, two hard old men just started to cry as the spirit testified that they would return to their father in heaven! It was amazing! The spirit was so strong

7. Brother Strickland is awesome man. An inspiring man, also he is 97 years old and still drives to Walmart to get his food and medicine! It is amazing! One day he saw two hitch hikers and picked them up and brought them to his home helped them and clothed them. He loved them and gave them a place to stay. To repay him they ended up stealing thousands of dollars worth of things from him. They sole his check book and when he went to the bank they had caught them he said i don't want to press charges. This man is so loving and forgiving! It is so sad to see that there are people that will take advantage of a 97 year old. It is really sad.

8. I was humbled this week, there is this guy, a rough looking guy doesn't usually stay for all three hours of church and looks like his wife drags him around all the time. As bad as it sounds, I judged this guy as someone just along for the ride not super active , and I feel horrible for that. Because this guy who didn't look too spiritual from the outside stood up and gave an amazing prayer, cried and all, it was kind of like the Spirit slapping me in the face and saying really you can't judge anyone! So i have learned a lesson through a simple prayer.

9. As i said earlier, we are building an ark! We need one! we didn't have the car this week so we got rained indoors for a few days. That's why i don't have too many amazing experiences or fun stories! T did go swimming a few time,s but that was just walking outside! When it rains here it really comes down!

10. Elder Farris's mom sent him a few cans of silly string so us 18-20 year-old boys turned into 5 year-olds for a few minutes and ran around the house having a silly string war! Man it was so much fun! But it did make me feel like i was 5! But that's alright ! 

Thank you all y'all love you all y'all and appreciate you all y'all! 

Elder Taylor

THE GEORGIA THUMPER: 

4th Transfer!

Another week in Marianna Floridia! The humidity has only been at 90% and i have only been told a dozen times that I am lucky because it is such a cool year! Well everyone pray for me next summer! That will be very rough, but maybe it will be mild again! 

1. Elder Farris is my new greenie. He is awesome and he can play the piano like no ones business.. it is so crazy! He does what Marvin Goldstein does and combines 3 songs to make a mega song! It is so crazy and he can play a song after hearing about 30 seconds of it. He is a prodigy! I feel like he is August rush but real life and not half irish! But he is a good kid. He is still in MTC mode and i think it is so funny cause i look at him and say I really hope i wasn't that crazy!!! But sadly i was! 

2. Mary K is an awesome lady we met, we kind of tracted into her! Ahe was awesome and talked to us for an hour and she had some great stories. She told us how much she loves the "mormon men" and how she told her children, all grown up, that she would hunt them down if they where ever rude to us! She was great! She told us a story about how God told her to beat up some girls cause they where picking on one other girl. But my favorite part about speaking with her was that she told us that her pastor speaks us up! Man how great is that! He uses us as an example and says man they get out there in their hot pants and spread the word and you all (his congregation) don't do anything! So i thought that was super funny but it is great that some people now respect us! 

3. This one is cause i know my uncles and dad will enjoy it!! My favorite thing was i got to go to a professional baseball player's home! Or man cave would be a better word for it! Jeff Mathis he was the catcher for the Angels for a few years and now the Marlins! He had a bret fave jersey, Vlad Guerrero jersey, Bobby Abreu signed bat, and a Jeff Weber signed glove from when he left the Angels! He also has a sweet picture of him tagging A-rod out during the play offs (thats what steroids do to you) my favorite part of the man cave was he had an indoor batting cage and in his room he had a huge gun safe right next to the bed! you could tell it was a man cave! I feel bad for his fiance when they move in after they get married in a few months! 

4. Our investigator Randy Whiteman said something profound that i loved when we met with him last week! He said he does not care about anything but helping people in this life. He said that is his sole purpose in life is helping people. Man, if everyone was like that imagine how different the world would be, how much better it would be, and how selfless everyone would be.. if only if only...

5. JD Clark is a new deacon in the ward! He is so funny. He has autism and is a goofy little guy! But he passed the sacrament the first time on Sunday and man he was so freaked out! But he did great! I have never seen a bigger smile on his moms face! She was just so proud of him and what he was doing, it was amazing! I loved seeing it. 

6. We had an awesome service project. We went and cut a few pastures, so about 5 acres of grass! Where were weeds so high i could stand on a 5 foot latter and you couldn't see me! Man it was crazy! So we had to get in there with tractors and such and knock it all out! My job was to cut down the huge iron weed, which had stems that where as thick as a tree. Man that was not fun at all! They where solid! I had to use a machete to get them.. man it was fun but by the end of the three hour service project my shirt pants and undershirt were soaked! I rang my shirt out when i got home... man i hate Flordia humidity! haha

7. We went to visit this elderly lady's home this week. She is a sweetheart and so great! She told us the story of going on a blind date with her husband and how they met and where married only a few months later! I felt like those guys on titanic just sitting there listening to an old lady it was great (not that i have seen titianic! I'm too manly for that one, i only cried once, thanks dad...)

8. A less active in the ward told me something that was super interesting. She told me that a mission is not just for spiritual growth, but also for learning life skills that you will use not just in the church! That is so true. I have learned to cook, how to do hard work, make the best pie ever. I think the best thing i learned is that everyone has a story, everyone has something that will help you grow, everyone has the light of Christ in them. 

9. I saw the best thing. A black guy on a moped with a do-rag with pink sneakers. haha it was a sight to behold

10. Clayte Rooks gave an awesome talk he is a 22 year old in our ward and is heading off to college he said something i loved so much! He said that " everyone wants to be a the hero running into the building, but not everyone will be around to clean up the ashes". He meant it like everyone will be there to get praise, but no one will do the little things when you need it. He then said how can the Lord trust us with more when we can't even do home teaching! i loved it rebuked the ward!!!

I love you all! 

Elder Taylor

1. Me Vawdrey, and my MTC buddy Beckstrom (they grew up together)

2. Sweet bumper sticker

3. Me and Sister King, my favorite sister missionary!

I am Training!!

Hello!

This week has been a really solid week. I found out ill spending another 6 weeks here in lil ol' marianna and am actually excited. I'll be hitting my 6 month mark two days after those 6 weeks so man time is flying by faster and faster. It is a little scary at points!! But it is better than super slow unproductive time! Now for the top 10!!!!

1. We had an awesome testimony meeting this week.. it was just so great. The spirit was so strong and there was no down time, it was just one after another it was so great! There were a few great testimonies that stood out and i think one even won its own spot on the countdown! The Sims family stands up every month and they all bear their testimonies together, it is just the best family ever! We had dinner over there last night with "the defender" (if you remember him from past letters). But there was also a kid from Sun Land, a home for people who have disabilities, and he stood up and didn't say much but you could feel the spirit so strong it reminded me of when Matthew Heathcote of my home ward stood up and bore his testimony in priesthood. The words were tough to understand but the spirit was so strong and powerful in both instances.

2. Another testimony that was so great was of Brother Bradley Entress, he is from Brooklyn so has a THICK Brooklyn accent. He worked as the head of the New York Port of Authority for 30 years so he has some awesome stories. Anyways, he got the priesthood last week and just bore his testimony about how blessed he was! It was such an amazing example of gratitude! He talked to us after getting the priesthood and said fellas "I'm as high as the clouds, come fly with me" (not a drug reference but to the spirit!) He is such a great man, not a gospel scholar or anything, but a man who knows the power of conversion and gratitude!

3. We had dinner with the Mathis family, man they are so great! The husband played AAA ball for the Angles and his brother Jeff played for the Angles and now plays for the Marlins. Anyways they are just such great people we are working really hard with that family about trying to get them to the temple. The husband told us that he is really  excited to go and wants it so bad, we are working with the wife about it not being so scary but they have two super cute girls. Sarah Grace and Clara Kate (in the south double names for girls is huge deal down here and I love it!) just a great family!

4. Sadly we had a less active member of the ward pass away,  I had spent a lot of time with him. He was a great guy and had an awesome life. he did a lot and he was a professional body builder and a professional martial artist. He has fought with Chuck Norris which is pretty awesome! But he had a really good service and it was great to see how well he had taught his children about the gospel.

5. June Laramore is a super sweet lady who is in her 60's that is related to half the ward--  she is so great. We went to visit with her, it just so happened to be her sister was in town! It was so funny seeing two super sweet old ladies turn into sixteen year olds and just laugh and tease each other so much! I can see my two sisters being like that when they are older cause they are already like that ;) 

6. We taught an awesome Pentecostal holiness preacher! those are those guys who talk in tongues and fall out! They are good Christians though. He had some big misunderstandings about our faith and about what we taught, and as we clarified them he loved what we taught. He was so glad we weren't as weird as we seem! He then prayed for our success and told us never be discouraged, that we are doing the Lord's work and that we are sowing seeds that will bring forth a crop! So he was a great guy!

7. Nelsons are another family in the ward. They have been through a crazy amount of stuff over the years. They love the missionaries so much! They make us dinner twice a week! They are just the sweetest family and love the gospel.

8. We have a new ward mission leader in our mission ward and he is great. Howard Wimberly. He is so excited for the calling and is convinced that he will make this ward grow so that it will eventually split! So he is super enthusiastic. I am super excited to see what will happen with him in the future. 

9. Another great testimony was that of Mr.Mike, the adopted son of the Nelsons! He told about how he fell away from the church, but never from prayer. He also said that in the army in Afghanistan he always prayed and he knew that is why he made it home. He was hurt multiple times but he lived through it. He just has such a strong testimony of prayer. He also said if you don't feed the missionaries once a month you shouldn't have a temple recommend! so keep that it mind everyone with missionaries in their homeward! haha

10. This is the craziness one by far! Elder Bochenek and I are staying in Marianna for a transfer, but we have a new missionary coming. A brand new straight out of the MTC missionary coming! We are training! And if you add our time on a mission we barely make it past a year! so I'm not sure what president smith was doing but be sure to pray for this poor trainee that is coming in! But i am really excited to train him!

Love you all and am so grateful for you in my life.

Elder Taylor