November 30, 2015

Happy Holidays from Kentucky!

This week was awesome and Thanksgiving was too! The Shuleys had us over for dinner and we met some pretty great people before then! We weren't sure about Thanksgiving because we thought that people would all be with their families but the Mission President said to go out and teach so we went out and taught! Obedience brings forth the blessing of heaven right? Exactly! We talked to several people that were... what is the word... elect! Haha it was so cool and there were two that were so ready for the gospel! They already go to church and were thinking that they wanted to go to another church because theirs didn't feel quite right. Well you better bet that I told them of a church they can go to where it will feel right! We are going to go back and teach them this week :) 

Something else that happened on Thanksgiving after dinner was we went to a families home...the Kash's. So they have 3 kids around the age of 10 and they can be kinda bad sometimes... actually that is a thing. A lot of families around here have kids with no discipline and don't listen when the parents say something. It's really sad and I wish that I could do something about it. Anyways... So they were soooo bad and fighting sooo much and not good. Well we kinda taught a lesson around the terrible children and when we left I just felt so BAD. It was at night in a bad part of Newport which is already super ghetto (like gunshots and gangs and Compton kind of stuff). And for the first time in almost 3 months I didn't have the spirit with me. It was the Worst feeling! I obviously made it out alive luckily haha. I had to stop Elder Bunderson so we could say a prayer but it got better.

Also, Thanksgiving was in the 60's haha I don't know what it is like in Utah but it is teetering on the verge of cold and warm. Some days the high is 35 and some days it is 65 but the 60's are gone now probably for good. It was weird to be able to go to a turkey bowl on Thanksgiving in shorts and a short sleeved shirt though, I will tell you that!

Ok I recently had a conversation (written not talking) with my mom about 1 Nephi chapter 1 and wanted to share it because I love it. So it is the chapter that is probably most read by the church because we get halfway through and then stop and then restart over and over but out here I read it again and there is SOOOOOOOO much in there that I had never seen! So if you have already discovered the amazingness of that first chapter feel free to move to the next paragraph I will take no offence I promise. But I'll keep this part short. So I read it the other day and Lehi sees heavenly visions like 3 times in that first chapter. Fire coming down and in a dream Jesus Christ descends out of Heaven and has His 12 disciples descending with him and stands in front of Lehi and gives him a book! Like can you imagine that Christ comes down with 12 disciples in V Formation (yes, that was a mighty ducks reference) and boom! ...All he does is give you a book. That must be a dang important book! And Mom pointed out a good point- He reads and was filled with the Spirit. Why are we told to read the book of Mormon? So we can feel the spirit and receive revelation from God! Why in the world do we ever forget to read this amazing book! Myself being the biggest culprit, I hope that I can give this book the attention that it deserves because it is the Keystone of our religion as Joseph Smith said.

Alright, I'm about out of time but know that there is love for you in Kentucky! I love you and am grateful for you and know that God feels the same way except way more! :)

Happy Holidays!

Elder Howland