Biking, Muslims, and Tan Lines

Hey everyone, 

I hope you had a great week and were not as hot as me! summer is here and I love it I just wish I could where shorts and maybe a tshirt but that's alright!  

1. We got a phone call on Wednesday from the mission president and he told us he is trying to see what he can do about the situation!  He is doing all sorts of paperwork and things to see if Cornbread can still get baptized! It will be pushed back a few weeks but we will see what can happen! Our branch president (in charge of the area I'm in) is a lawyer and he is seeing what he can do from the other end of the spectrum. So hopefully we can get this figured out soon!

2. We have a zone goal of talking to 5000 people on the street this next 6 weeks! That is hard! It's hard enough to walk up to a random stranger and start talking to them but throw in a white shirt and they are mowing their lawns and you have to talk about the gospel it is tough!!! Not my favorite thing to do but I'm getting better at it! So to meet this goal we need to talk to 11 people a day and 454 people the rest of the month and it is hard but I feel like such a better missionary now that I'm trying to give everyone I see the gospel!

3. We had an investigator named Steven who totally loves us call us up and ask if we wanted dinner! He then took us to an awesome Mexican place! I love this guy. He is so cool and I also love Mexican food! Sadly though Mexican food does not compare to southern California Mexican food but none the less it was a good and awesome that an investigator likes us so much to do that for us!

4. This is a random event of the week: A random guy pulled us over as we were walking and wanted our number and wanted to do missionary work with us! So we thought it was weird but it turns out he is from Arkansas and just working in town for a few weeks, however this Saturday he had no work and he knows that sitting around only leads to trouble. So he hunted us down and came out with us he ended up being a super legit Guy. His name was Muhammad Shablama (me and elder Peterson kept forgetting his last name so I have no idea if that is even close!) But he converted from Muslim after a tough battle with future wife but he had an awesome conversion story how the spirit just helped him so much! I learned a lot from this guy and I truly respect him a lot now!

5. We taught an awesome lesson with him, all the rest of the people were gone but that's alright! We had one appointment so we went there with him and it was a powerful lesson! It was a girl we met a few weeks ago, Qianna ( pronounced Kianna ) but it was awesome we taught the restoration to her and her little brother, Robert who loved it. They talked about how they grew up Jehovah's witness but where never baptized but want to be sometime. It was just an awesome lesson! I felt the spirit, brother Muhammad did and so did elder Peterson. It was just a great way to end our list of people we wanted to see!

6. Brother Muhammad then took us out to dinner (lunch in the south) and ice cream! What an awesome guy. He showed us an awesome video from YouTube! It is Joseph Smith's last dream look it up!!! It is soooo cool. I wont ruin any surprised but just truly shows that Man knew what would happen and it brings the spirit so strongly. I strongly advice you check it out!!! I don't  advise anymore just do it!!! 

 

7. Our branch president gave a masterful sermon on obedience and diligence. He read D&C 118 and told the story about what happened. This revelation given by the Lord says that the 12 apostles are to leave from far west Missouri to go on their missions to England, which was not a hard thing to do when the revelation came a year earlier but now it was a different time and a extermination order was in Missouri signed by the govern, which in effect said shoot a Mormon if you see them! At the same time, the leader of the Church, Joseph Smith was in jail! The 12 did not want to leave the church leader and right before the departure date, April 26th 1839 they had a meeting about what needed to be done. They decided that they needed to do exactly what the Lord had commanded. They went west into hostile territory to go to their mission east! They did it in despite a warning that they would be killed.  What a great example of diligence and obedience that is!

8. We have been biking soooooo much. Probably close to 150- 200 miles the last 4 days.. my legs are going to be huge! But one day my chain fell off and I blew a huge hole in my tire! It was just bad! We had to walk 2 miles home with me carrying my bike! Rough life as a missionary but I love it!

9. Saturday night was a little different. We went to a city we don't get to go to too often, Evergreen Alabama. If you're a weekly reader, you know it is where we got offered cocaine a few weeks ago!!! haha So this time we were biking around and a big black lady stopped Elder Peterson and told him to give her his number and how she said some inappropriate stuff to him.. it was a super awkward moment and I couldn't imagine anyone saying that stuff just right out! It was so funny once we left and now I tease him that all the big black women like him!!!

10. I want to inform all you ladies I have a nice tan now because of my biking! The sad part is that it is only the bottom foot of my arm! I also have a sweet watch tanline so that just makes it awesome!! I love tanlines! You've got to as a missionary!

Love you all, 

Elder Taylor

Easter, Canons, and Eggs

This was a tough week for me mentally, it was hard physically but rewarding spiritually... I'm grateful for this week and the trials that came because of it! 

1. We had two awesome lessons with cornbread AKA Travis and he is solid. We love him, he knows the church is true, he knows there are prophets again and he is excited to change his life! He has made a lot of changes in his life! But for some reason the devil does not want him in this church.:( O'll explain in #3  

2. After our lesson on Wednesday night with Cornbread, his boss our branch mission leader, took us out to blow up a telephone pole with a cannon! I did not break any rules but we did watch a telephone pole get shot. It was awesome. So, so far our branch mission leader, John David Johnson has taken us frog gigging and shooting a cannon! Best mission leader ever!!!!  

[Cornbread and cannon!] 

3. So here is the down side to Cornbread we recently found out he was on probation for a DUI  3 years ago... So we had to do what I think was the hardest thing of my mission. I had to look a guy who had changed his life for the gospel and tell him he cant be baptized! It was so horrible we found out later he went into his boss, John David's office and just cried... We felt horrible. John David said it was the hardest thing he had to do is see a grown man cry it was just a horrible thing to imagine... to make matters worse he had a family death the day after.. This man is like Job with his luck right now Like I said earlier, the devil is truly testing his faith right now

4. So on a happier note, the other day we were biking through town minding our own business i was leading and i was about to cut through some allies that are  a little faster and last second i decided to go the other way right through town. I look up to see a big bald guy waving at us so I bike over and see its our mission president, wife and two other senior couples who decided to come watch the play in Monroeville! One of the ladies bought us lemonade and then we stood there and talked for a few minutes while the old people made old movie references that i just smiled and laughed at.. One of the ladies knew i was totally lost and called me out on it! Just a funny experience! I'm glad I was doing what i was supposed to and now our mission president knows we were working hard!

  

[This is when we ran in to the mission president and his wife]

5. All these senior couples came to church the next day and I learned a few words of wisdom from them!  Elder Mills, a BIG missionary that works with all the office stuff of the mission was working one day and was calling the sprint call center for LDS phones which apparently there are enough for a whole call center of just those. He decide to talk to the lady about the church so he did, she had worked there 6 months and had no idea about anything. He talk to her about the gospel and then told her to call the mission office where she lived in Dallas ft worth so she did after she talked to her boss and her boss did the same thing! Through that he found out that 8 people are now being taught because of that simple phone call! We never know what we can do right! 

6.  Elder Bell is the opposite of Elder Mills in everything but personality, He's a 7' man in a 5'9 body! But he is funny and reminds me of my grandpa on my mother's side, Papa. I told him he reminded me of my grandpa and all he said was well he must have been a good looking guy! Anyway, he was a business man and his motto for sharing the gospel is " are you proud of what you are sharing? if you are then why don't we share it!" That is so true as member missionaries. We love the gospel and are proud of it but we keep it so secret and don't share it as much as we should!  

7. We had a great Easter service with great speakers. Of course my favorite was President Smith who was at church. He started to talk about Harry Hodenii and how he had set a goal to escape death but he never could do it. Only one person could do that and that was Jesus Christ! Because he did that we all can be redeemed and live again! The best magicians in the world can't replicate what Christ did and I'm grateful for that eternal sacrifice for us!

8.  Easter we were invited to a big family reunion which was a little awkward but worth the free food! We had an easter egg hunt and the whole 10 yards it was great! And no i did not push any little kids out of the way to get easter eggs! I was running faster than them to get there first! 

9. We got to help members move next door and as a missionary that is awesome, especially when they offer to feed you a lot! So basically we have a mom living 4 doors down! 

10. We have a Sonic in Monroe! I love Sonic! And now we have one down the street the down side is it is packed 24/7. It is officially the cool hangout spot of the town! 

Love you all, 

Elder Taylor

District picture, this is the goofy one cause it looks better, this was not planned at all 

More Cannon shots!

Goodbyes, 6 More Weeks, and Frogs

1. This week I got to give a talk on conversion and it went pretty well! I think It's funny with a small audience you can see those that are paying close attention and it looked like a few were zoned in.. but I learned a lot about the topic and it turned out the reason I gave the talk was for a young man who is struggling but just to my luck he was out of town! But I think it went well I learned that conversion is not an over night thing we grow our conversion through the little simple things by simple obedience we grow stronger!

2. We taught Cornbread twice this week and had an awesome lesson last Monday! We read 1 Samuel 17 and talked about the Goliaths in our life. He has had some really tough trials right now. but we related him to the story and put him in David's shoes and he really saw what we were trying to get out. He liked the analogy and really tried to trust God a lot more in his life! He is awesome but is struggling with tobacco still which is one of those goliaths, but he is determined to be baptized the 3 of May!

3. We got to see our favorite redneck, Steven, and sat down with him . The member who gave us the referral said to be his friend then he will take the lessons, so we did that. We sat around and talked about life for a long time and shared a few scriptures but he is awesome and has lots of potential so I'm very excited to see what will happen. The crazy thing is he is only 4 months older than me! He also told us that he wants us over to have a cookout so we didn't complain at all!  

4. We had a meeting down in mobile this week and it was pretty fun, but a lot of good stuff was said. We talked about the stripling warriors in the Book of Mormon and how we are very similar to them! In their first battle they were a decoy for the Lamanite armies, they did their job great and ran an excellent diversion but then they had to decide if they wanted to go back and help protect their other armies. They decided to go back and help the Nephrite army that is almost destroyed at this point, they come in and save hundreds of lives because of their decision to go the extra mile! They were truly blessed because of that! That is what we have to do as missionaries go that extra mile and help others, then we will save lives!  

5. I got to work for the day in Mobile and it was weird! Traffic does not exist in Monroe unless there is a deer crossing the road! So it was weird to be in a big city and I was super claustrophobic which odd since I came from LA! I'm slowly turning into a country boy! But as much as I love the country I don't think I will ever be fully converted because I don't want to go 60 miles to get groceries!

6. I had an awesome study about God and Christ and man! They are just great! They always love us and I'm grateful for that love and what an example it is to me! I can only try my best to be like that!

7. A great quote by Jeffery R Holland from this most recent conference it talks about the need for obedience and commandments. it says " They know full well the road leading to the promised land flowing with milk and honey out of necessity runs by mount Sinai  flowing with thou shalts and thou shalt nots!" Commandments and obedience is what gets us to where we want to go they are not annoyances, but helpful guidance!

8. I said bye to a really good friend today, Elder Davis is going home this week. I met Elder Davis my very fist day as a missionary! He was the guy sitting next to me on the van to my very first area! He was also the one that told me it would be alright and I wouldn't die as a missionary! It is just crazy to see the generation of missionaries that were my friends slowly go home! Time goes by fast I guess!

9. Our branch mission leader took us out for dinner then took us frog gigging, or frog fishing.  So he had a huge head lamp and a spear and would just stab these huge bull frogs. He ended up getting 14 and eating them all. Frog isn't the best but the people love them! It was an interesting experience and when we were leaving they told us we were criminals cause it ended up that it was a private pond so ya... a member helped us break the law... 

10. I'm staying in Monroe for 6 more weeks. That means that I have spent 7 1/2 months in my 1st two areas! That is crazy! I'm excited though cause I think this will be a really good transfer coming up and I'll actually see some fruit form my labors!  

Elder Taylor

For anyone with weak stomachs, I'd suggest you don' scroll down for the photo below... 

just some frogs on a stringer!

Play, Prophets, and Pigs

1. We had another great week, conference is always great! Our main man Cornbread came to conference at a members home and it turned out really well, we had lots of fun and he even brought his 10 month old named cami who everyone has affectionately nicked named "biscuit" so it is now cornbread and biscuit! every one enjoyed it and it was a good Sunday morning! 

2. Steven and his wife Deseriee are two new investigators that work with a bunch of members. They were also at conference and really enjoyed it! They are a super funny young couple and Steven is as country as you can get. He says that he lives in south America because if he lived in North america he would be up in new York or up "yonder"! haha That one almost made me die, laughing so hard! He is a funny guy and he and his wife have lots of potential!  

3. WE had an awesome experience last night. A less active member gave us a call and asked us to give a blessing to her non-member nephew and niece. Her nephew was just diagnosed with cancer in his throat and has what looks like a softball sticking out of his neck. So i was able to give him a blessing and told him that his family would comforted and make it through this tough time. He said when he was done he wasn't worried at all about himself, just about his family! so I'm grateful I was guided by the spirit because I was super nervous giving a blessing about something so serious! 

4. We met a guy named Ronald Williams a few weeks ago but we were able to teach him the other day and he is just one of the most interesting people I have met! It was so interesting he has had a lot of experiences in life. He started in new jersey right outside of the Big Apple and then got offered to play at Washington state and just has a crazy life of up and downs and he says he has always been looking for a church with all the truth. He finds things he doesn't like about each church. so he has a lot of potential and is super willing to learn and listen.

5. We had a great general conference this week, that is when the leaders of the church get together and teach us all. IT was an inspiring like most of them! I love them, especially as a missionary and I think every talk tells me what and how I can improve in some way! I just want to highlight a few of my favorites!  

6. Neil L Anderson gave a great talk on these days and how life will not glide peacefully to the second coming! Which is so true. We already know that cause the world is slowly following apart! He then talked about the whirlwinds of life and what their purpose is of them. He related us to trees that are just taking root. He said that we grow through these whirlwinds, and how like a tree they strengthen us and make our roots grow deep as we make the right choices. We grow stronger through trials and are made better through them!

 

7. Dieter F Uctdorf gave an amazing talk on gratitude. He talked to us about being grateful when we have things to be happy and grateful for and when we don't! We need to have an attitude of gratitude and always be grateful for the situation that we are in. Gratitude does not mean counting the blessings we have but it means being grateful for the situation that we are in! 

8. Henry B Eyring gave a talk on leaving a heritage of hope. He talked about as we look back at our families and see what they left it should inspire us to do better to be better and be worthy of the of the gifts that they have left for us! We should also think of our future as leaving behind something our future ancestors would be proud of. I loved it because of our mission's focus on family history the last few months, it was a great talk! 

9. I had a once and a life time opportunity this week, I was able to go to a play. A play that's not too exciting you might say!  It wasn't any play. it was To Kill a Mocking Bird in Monroeville Alabama which means it is the home of Harper Lee, the author. Mrs. Lee has also said that Monroeville is the place that Maycomb was based off of! It was super cool though for the opportunity to see a play at its origin, it made me re-love a book that a 11th grade teacher made me love! Thanks Mrs. Sanders! 

10. We had an eventful week in the car. Someone doesn't like us because we almost got in two crashes and mom, none of them were my fault!!! The first is an 18 wheeler tried to pass us and 3 other cars and almost got hit head on so we had to stop to let him pass us... i don't like drivers... the other was we almost hit a 150 pound hog crossing the road. Normal places have a rat problem but not Monroe county, they have hog problems.. they are everywhere and are big fat nuisances it is gross!! But they taste good and its free so members love cooking us up the hogs they kill and we don't complain!! 

love you all!

Elder Taylor