Always remember!

Merry Christmas everybody! It has been a crazy week here! On Tuesday we had a Christmas Conference in Montgomery, then that night we went on exchanges in Fort Wayne Indiana, then we had Christmas Conference in Muncie Indiana! My old area! I visited a couple of my favorite people while I was there, it was the coolest. I love that place with all my heart, its been about 18 months since i have been there! On Friday and Saturday we worked with Molly and Kevin, they are recent converts in the ward. We also worked with Randall and Heather. She was confirmed a member of the church on Sunday. During Priesthood, Randall bore an amazing testimony about how his baptism has changed his whole life!  Randall is a recent convert of about 3 months and his wife (Heather) was baptized last week. We have been seeing them and things are going great. We have also been working with Mckel and Sarbarina. They will be getting baptized this Saturday!  I am loving life and we are staying super busy! I am excited for Christmas, we will be spending time with the Porters and a couple other members in our ward.  Always remember the true meaning of Christmas and share that with others, there is no greater joy. You will be happier!!! I love you, thanks for all the prayers and all the support! MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Merry Christmas!

Western Hills Ohio!

New Address  5311 Lees Crossing #2 Cincinnati, OH 45211

I have been transferred to Western Hills OHIO!!!! I can't believe I am back in Ohio. I love it here and it has been a crazy week. I am back with my old companion Elder Barnett and I am also with an Elder Stoddard. I was called to be an Assistant to President Porter. When I got here we were working with a lady named Heather she got baptized on Sunday! She brought up a couple concerns on Friday but we were able to help her overcome them and her husband who is also a recent convert was able to baptize her! Such a great baptism. We are working with a couple other families right now and things are looking great. I am excited for Christmas, it will be awesome. I love the Western Hills ward. I met some of them on the Christmas party on Saturday and then most of them on Sunday. I am going to love it here, I already do. This week we will be going on a exchanges and we have a couple Christmas Conferences. I am excited for them.  Things are looking great and I am happy to be back in Cincinnati. I have seen miracles everyday and I love seeing the hand of the Lord in His work. You just have to look for it, cause its always there. Thanks for all the help and support, you are amazing.

"Take pride in how far you've come.  

Have faith in how far you can go."

Leaving Kentucky!

I am leaving Kentucky!!!! I cannot believe it. I have been here 7 and a half months and I have had the time of my life!!! It has been so much fun and I have grown so much. I love the people here and I am going to miss it. I am excited for my new area and my new companion. I will find out tomorrow morning where I will be and who I will be with. I have loved serving with Elder Mower, I only got to be with him for 6 weeks but it was a blast. This week was super fun! Our mission president came up with a new idea called Cookies and Carrols. Along with the He is the Gift Initiative... our mission president wants us to go around with the members and go caroling to their neighbors and bring them cookies! So we went on Saturday with the Hymas family and we had the time of our lives, I loved every second of it. We were able to watch He is the Gift with one of the families and we just had a great time spreading Christmas cheer. Caroling is the greatest and people love it. I am not the best singer but I try, and I actually joined the ward choir last week! I am super excited to keep caroling wherever I go! Christmas time is the best. So we are still working with KC and Megan. KC is doing good, he had a loved one pass away this past week and we were able to help him overcome and help him have a hope for the future. He is such a good guy and I am going to miss him. Megan is doing good, she is reading in the Book of Mormon and she read 1 Nephi 8 and had some questions about the symbolism. We told her to keep reading and she did! She read 3 or 4 chapters that night and she wrote down what each thing symbolized. It was awesome. I am excited to hear about them and their progression. It has been a great time in Kentucky and I am really going to miss this place but I will go wherever the Lord needs me to go. Love you all and I hope you all remember the true meaning of Christmas, check out the video He is the Gift, it is a super powerful shot clip but it has strengthened my faith in Christ and I know it will do the same for you!!

Haylie Hymas right before we went caroling!

Bounteous blessing!

This week was AWESOME!!!! We had such a great week full of food and miracles! Thursday morning we played in the ward Turkey Bowl! I have been looking forward to the Turkey Bowl ever since I got here because we have an athletic ward. And it lived up to the hype! We had 2 games going on at once and it was the greatest! It was freezing cold but I still had the time of my life! We had a couple investigators show up as well and that was solid. Then after the football game we visited a couple members and they all fed us! I had so much turkey it was crazy! We had a lesson with George and his family at night and they fed us a whole Thanksgiving meal as well, it was so much food my comp couldn't hold it down at night and threw up back at the apartment hahaha, it was pretty funny. It was a great time to reflect on the bounteous blessings the Lord has provided in my life. I think about the simple things that bring true happiness. That is my family, the scriptures, prayer, church, and the relationships I have developed while serving out here in Kentucky. I am truly grateful for all these things, they have brought me peace and joy in life. So We are teaching a guy named KC that we were able to find through a recent convert. He is the coolest, I love him to death, he has had a rough life and has been down the wrong path but he is doing everything he can do to get back on the right path where God wants him to be. He came to church and liked it, he is meeting with us and he is keeping his commitments. I am super excited for him. We are still working with Malik... he is doing good, we are actually going to start teaching his mother soon, we are excited for that, we are getting the whole family involved! We are teaching George and his family. They are doing great! They told us that they will be reading in the Book of Mormon every night before they go to bed. That is one of the first thing they mentioned to Elder Mower and I before we got started with a lesson. So we are excited for them and their progression! So yes, life is good here in the Promised Land, our apartment is all decorated for Christmas, we got a tree, stockings, and even a candle that smells like the Christmas season! We are super excited. Yall should check out He is the Gift on Christmas.mormon.org. it is a super short clip but it really brings the spirit in our lives and reminds us of the true meaning of Christmas! I am excited for this coming week! Thanks for all your prayers and all your support!!!

Lynch Family

Hill Family

Bjarnson Family

Receiving Hyrums highlight video!

Turkey Bowl!

Give Thanks!

We are working with a kid named Malik now, he has investigated the church

before but hasn't been too interested. He had a change of heart and he is doing
awesome! He is making changes in his life and he is understanding how the
Gospel of Jesus Christ can bless him. He is 17 years old and has lived a rough
life but he is so kind and he has such a good heart. We are also working with
George and his family still.We had such an amazing lesson with them
yesterday! The spirit was so strong and we were able to talk about how the
Gospel of Jesus Christ blessed families. George really opened up to us and
same with his wife and kids. There was just a big ball of love in the room as
we taught, it was so awesome. George and everyone else in the room felt the
love and felt the spirit. George was even able to point it out. He told us that he
usually doesn't let people like us or the Jehovah Witness in his house
but for some reason this time he did and he has felt a difference in his life
since we started coming over. It truly is a miracle. This work is real. I don't
know if I really believed that at the beginning of my mission... but I have a sure
testimony that the spirit is the difference. The spirit is what brings families closer
together, the spirit is what brings feelings of love, peace, and comfort in the home.
I know that is true. It made me think of my family at home. Summer Hannah
Hanks, Lincoln Hanks (Heber), Spencer Stanley, Mom, Dad, and Hyrum
Hugo!!! I am so blessed to have the family that I have and I love them and I
don't know where I would be without them. We are put in families to learn and
to grow and my parents have really help me do just that! I am grateful for all
your prayers and all your support. I am grateful to be here in Kentucky at this
time. I am grateful for all the relationships I have developed while serving in
this area. But during this Thanksgiving season I am truly grateful for my
family and I know that probably sounds like a common missionary answer
but I am truly grateful for them, they mean the world to me. In this season
of thanks.... give thanks for all that the Lord has blessed you with and
I promise you will start to see more of the Lord's hand in your life.

Ghanaian Family in our ward. 

inches of snow!

We woke up this morning with like three inches of snow on the ground!!  We were super excited! I love the snow and I cant wait to work in the snow.  We were blessed with the opportunity to hear from Elder Anderson (of the seventy).  8 zones got together at the Montgomery building (my last area!) and we got to hear from President Porter and Elder Anderson.  He talked about the difference between head, heart, and soul knowledge. To get things in our head you can study, memorize, and understand the things. But to move things to the heart... the spirit has to do that. So as missionaries we teach to the head but as we invite the spirit through testimony, song, or personal experience, that's when it becomes real. Once the investigator acts on the invitation we leave with them, that's when it reaches the soul and they have a soul knowledge. I know that to be true! I have seen it time and time again with investigators. It was a great meeting and I received answers to questions I had. This work is real! The spirit does the conversion and it has been such a blessing being a instrument in the Lord's hands. We are still working with George and his family and they are doing great, they are reading in the Book of Mormon and they are truly searching. It has been such a blessing to teach them. They are the coolest family and we have a great time with them every time we go over. We saw so many miracles and we were able to witness two baptisms in our zone. One lady was 74 years old and she could barely walk. They had to put a shower chair in the font to baptize her.  The Lord really is preparing more and more people and the elect are being found. Life is good here in the Promised Land!!! Thanks for all your prayers and support!!!

Beanies a member made us!

first snow fall!

Find and Teach!

We saw so many miracles this week. First off.....we were at Matt's house reading out of the Book of Mormon with him and we asked him what was really holding him back and he told us well... the Law of Chastity, we need to get married. The spirit was strong and he said lets do it! So a member drove us over to Wal-Mart, he picked up a ring and we were stoked! Like no way is this actually happening! Then he said alright lets go over to her work and I am going to do it!!!! So we drove over to her work and we walk inside and started down the hallway when we see her. Braden... Jenni's son (4 years old) starts talking to her mom and pulls out the box with a ring in it and Matt gets on one knee and asks for her hand in marriage!!!!!! It was crazy!!!! They are awesome and they are getting married and then baptized!! They have not set a date quite yet. They have to work a couple things out first but they are making the right steps and it is super cool to see. We also were able to find and teach a family this week, George and his wonderful family! We found him outside smoking and we started talking about what we do... he told us about his family and he invited us back. We went back later in the week and taught his family, it was the coolest! They are so awesome and they are having us over for dinner tonight, I am excited! We get to hear from an Area 70 this week, I am excited for that. I am loving life and I am pumped for this next week. Thanks for all your prayers and all your support.

"Chosen by God to serve him below,

 To ev'ry land and people we'll go,

Standing for truth with fervent accord, 

Teaching his holy word."

Direction & Guidance!

This week was solid! I got a new companion! Elder Mower from Idaho, he is sick, I love him! We get along super well. He plays football and bball as well. The Lord has really blessed me with good companions my whole mission, I am grateful for that! I learn so much from every companion. I got him on Tuesday and we got right to work, we found a lot of new people to teach and things are looking awesome for the month of November! We are still working with Matt and Jenni, Matt is doing awesome and he is still working on quitting smoking but he is doing a great job and its coming along fine! We found a lady named Amber and she came to church yesterday with a friend and she loved it and told us she would be back next week. She really wants direction and guidance in her life... she has a big decision to make coming up and she isn't sure which way to go. I know that the Lord will give her direction in guidance in her life. We have a loving Heavenly Father and he is willing to answer any questions we have. He wants us to be happy. He wants us to find joy and peace in this life and he will always be there for us. I know that because I have seen it, especially since I have been out on my mission. The Lord puts certain people and certain situations in your life for a reason. This work is for real and I love representing the Lord Jesus Christ, it has been such a blessing! I am stoked for another week here in the Land of Promise. Thanks for all your prayers and all your support, I really appreciate it. love you all!!!

This is Halloween night with my best friends, my comp is the one in the middle with the soccer ball in his lap!!!

Trunk or Treat!

I am staying another six weeks here in Kentucky!! I am super excited. We got transfer calls today and I am staying. My comp is leaving though, I have been with Elder Bloxham for 6 months and its going to be super weird without him. I am excited to see who my new comp is going to be! Tomorrow is transfer meeting and a lot of our zone will be leaving, it will be crazy. We are still teaching Matt and Jenni they are doing good. We are working with some other new investigators that we found this week and they are looking pretty solid. We had the trunk or treat on Saturday and it was super fun! We had a ton of people there and a lot of non members. I had the opportunity to cut the bishop's lawn this week and it was sweet! Brings back some memories of laboring all Saturday back at home. It is such a blessing to be serving the Lord at this time, I am loving it and I am having so much fun. The people here in Florence Kentucky have such big hearts and I am so happy I get to stay another transfer! The Lord is really blessing us and I cant wait to see who my new comp is!!!

"Smile will and often.  It makes people wonder what you're up to."

One of my favorite members of the Northern Kentucky Ward at the Trunk or Treat.

Me on a Dugati

Me & my girls at the trunk or treat!

The Temple!

Things are going great here in the Promised Land of Northern Kentucky! We are seeing miracles everyday! This past week was awesome! We went to the temple. The temple is so amazing and the spirit is so strong inside. Go to the temple with questions and you will receive answers! That is the truth, I witnessed it this past week and it works. The temple is the House of the Lord and it is always such a powerful experience. We are still teaching Matt and Jenni, they are doing good. They are so awesome and they want to make changes in their lives! We also had a funny experience with a less active we visited... we visited her one night because we were in the neighborhood. We have not met this lady before but she started talking to us and she would not stop! She went on for the longest time about her cats! It was hilarious. That's all she could talk about and while she was talking her dentures were falling out. My companion and I were nervous that they would fall right on us if she kept talking, luckily they did not. It was funny. I guess its really not that strange considering the fact that we were in a trailer park in KENTUCKY! haha I love it here though and the people here are amazing. Life is good and I am happy. We are super excited for the trunk or treat this Saturday! Much love from Florence Kentucky!!!

Eating fufu!

Temple Trip with our zone!

He felt something different!

This week was crazy! A lot of ups and downs! But to start off, Tom got baptized!!! To give you a little background... Tom came to church for the first time about 2 months ago, he is dating a member and he was a devout Baptist. The member he was dating told him that he needs to come to church, just try it out. So he did. Him and I met that first Sunday and we got along super well, it was awesome, we had a special connection. So he kept coming to church but he was still going to his Baptist church as well and didn't really want to change. The  member told him that they needed to read the Book of Mormon together... so he did just to make her happy... he was just kinda going through the motions. But then it hit him... he felt the power of the Book of Mormon. He felt something different, he felt the spirit. So he decided to meet with the missionaries and to get baptized!!! He did not live in our area but he lived in our ward. So I was able to teach him the Word of Wisdom on exchanges. I saw him at church and we talked all the time. He asked me to baptize him and it was awesome, a super powerful baptism. The spirit was so strong and everyone could feel it. The Book of Mormon is true and it really is powerful! After he was confirmed on Sunday he bore a powerful testimony. He is such a great guy and I love him!!  Our other investigators aren't doing so hot but we were able to find a lot of new people to teach last week so we are super excited for what's ahead.  I love sharing the gospel, it is the greatest and it brings me so much happiness! Do the same! Share the gospel!  I am going to the Louisville temple this Friday and I am so excited!!! Thanks for all your prayers and all your support! Love yall!!!

"Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory."

Tom's baptism!

The work is real!

This week was amazing! First of all... I love General Conference, it is the greatest. A member put it really well in my last area... General Conference is like the super bowl for missionaries! Its true, I was so excited all week for it! We had the blessing and the opportunity to teach Matt and Jenni, Rick, and Tom! They are all doing great. Tom is actually and investigator in the other Elders area but we were on exchanges and we taught him the Word of Wisdom, it was so powerful! Tom knows the Book of Mormon is true and he is willing to do what God wants him to do! He gave up his coffee and his tea!! It was so awesome to be part of that experience. He will be getting baptized this Saturday!!! Rick has been sick so we haven't had a chance to see him too much but he is doing good. Life is good here in the Promised Land, the people here are amazing! General Conference was amazing, I loved every second of it. I know for a fact that the Prophet and the Apostles are chosen men of God and if Christ were here and were to talk to us, he would be saying the exact same thing as we just heard at Conference. One of my favorite talks was President Uchtdorf, I always love his talks (maybe because I'm part German) but it was in the first session on Saturday. He talked about how God answers prayers and how we can know spiritual truths. To get spiritual truths, you need to use the spiritual tools that God has given us. The process of gathering spiritual light is a lifetime process! I know that to be true. The only way to know if there is a God or if Jesus really is the Christ is to use the tools such as prayer, scripture study, and church! That is how you know spiritual truth and I know that to be true! My testimony of the Restored Gospel has grown so much on my mission and I am constantly trying to strengthen it because I know that gaining a testimony of Gospel of Jesus Christ is the most important thing you can do while on earth. I know that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God. I know that he speaks for God himself and if we heed to the council of our leaders we will be blessed and we will not go astray. This work is real and I love it. Thanks for all your prayers and all your support!

In the Hood!

 Life is all good here in the hood of Florence Kentucky! I am loving it. We had a solid week! We had the opportunity to play some ball at a park one night with our investigator! It was so fun, we balled up in our shirts and ties and the guys there didn't think much of us till we BEAT THEM! On the spiritual side of things... Matt and Jenni are doing really well. We had a church tour with them this past week and they came to church. That was awesome. Church was kind of weird though, we are still meeting at a Presbyterian Church because ours is under construction we had the reverend speak at our sacrament meeting.  It was good... just a little different. The bishop spoke after her and he did a great job! It really just strengthened my testimony of the Restored Gospel and how Christ is at the head of this church and this is how he would lead His church if he were on the earth today. The other day I had the opportunity to go on exchanges with a greenie, he is from LA.  We had a great day and  found many new investigators and had some really powerful lessons. Rick is doing good. He has a couple health problems that has kept him from meeting with us. I am going fishing today, I am pumped! Fishing the Ohio River, I am going to get a big one! Love you all, thanks for all your prayers and all you support!!!

"Our grand business is not to see what lies dimly in the distance, but to do what lies clearly at hand."

Can you feel that!

Well... here in the Promised Land things are going absolutely amazing! Started off great with a lesson we had with John on Monday! His brother, Rick, has sat in on the lessons multiple times and we have invited him to read and to come to church and all that good stuff, but he never has. We invited him last week and on Monday we followed up with him and he told us he read 7 chapters of the Book of Mormon! We asked him how he felt when he read... he told us that he felt a huge difference, he has more energy, he is motivated and God has given him more strength. He told us that he knows that it is true!! It was the coolest! We told him that the feelings he felt when he read the Book of Mormon, the feelings he had after he read are feelings he can trust and that they are from God telling him that the things that he read are true. It was the coolest lesson. Before he left he gave the prayer and it was the most sincere and heartfelt prayer ever and the spirit was so strong. We just stayed on our knees and he said... can you guys feel that? haha we said yes we can! The rest of the week went amazing as well. We are having the time of our lives and we are having awesome spiritual experiences, I love it. The Lord has really blessed us and it has been so amazing to be a tool in the Lord's hands. This work is real and the spirit is the only way this work can be accomplished. Thanks for all your prayers and all your support!

Many Miracles!

So many miracles this week!!!! IT started off amazing with a great MLB baseball game... the Reds didn't win but it was so fun.  My comp and I even got on the Jumbo tron... haha we were dancing, it was so funny. I don't know how happy my mission president was but I loved it!! I got to see other missionaries and we had a blast. I also had the chance to go on exchanges with my old companion Elder Foster this week, we found some people and taught Tyreese and John, we taught John at the bishops house and it was amazing! John got baptized on Saturday!!!!!!!!  He is such a great guy and it was literally a miracle. He quit smoking and he is now a member.  We had some really powerful spiritual experiences with him and the the reason why he quit smoking... faith in the Lord Jesus Christ! He is in the book of Helaman in the Book of Mormon and he has found the power of that amazing book. So have I! The Book of Mormon is true, I know it. So many miracles are pouring down here in the Promised Land! And I have the blessing of staying another 6 weeks here!!! With Elder Bloxham!!! I am so excited! Life is good and I am happy. The Gospel is true. Love you, thanks for all your help and all your support!!!

This is Edith! Love her.

Johns baptism!

Reds game!

Reds Game!

This week has been amazing!!! We have seen God's grace on a daily basis. There is no place I would rather be at this time then Florence Kentucky, the people here are amazing. We have been teaching John and he is keeping all of his commitments, he is reading in the Book of Mormon and he has quit smoking!!! Its a miracle. He is getting baptized this week and we are super excited. He is such a great guy and he loves the Book of Mormon. We also saw Emily and Zach this week and they told us that they missed us... we haven't been over as much because we have been super busy but the cool thing is that they miss us because the spirit. We went over and had a great lesson with them, felt the spirit and they came to church. The spirit is seriously the only way you can perform miracles out here!  We also had the blessing and opportunity to have a powerful Zone Meeting. It was awesome and the spirit was super strong. Jeremy is doing great and life is good here in the Promised Land. We get to go to the Reds game tonight! Look for me on ESPN!!!! It will be sweet! I am super excited. Thanks for all your prayers and all your support!

Felt the spirit!

This week was full of miracles. First of all... Jeremy got baptized! It was truly a miracle. He is such a humble guy and he is so awesome. It was a powerful baptism. After he was baptized he just stood there for a minute and looked up.... he was looking towards heaven and he felt the spirit. After that he bore an amazing testimony. It was like a song/recited thing. It was so cool. He has MS and he has been through so much in his life and he was just able to bare strong testimony of how Christ has helped him out through all his struggles.  We are also working with an investigator John, he is such a great guy and he really wants to make changes in his life. He knows the Book of Mormon is true, he has felt the spirit! The Lord through us... is helping him quit smoking. He will stop soon, because the Lord has power to do anything. I know that to be true. The Lord hears and answers our prayers. The Lord has truly blessed us here in the Promised Land, I love doing the Lords work, it brings so much happiness and I am changed because of it. That is the coolest thing about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.... we can change, we can lay our old selfish selves aside and become new. Become a new person, change, become better, become happier, and become more like our Savior. I love it, I am always working on improving and becoming better and it truly is a blessing. My companion and I talk about it all the time. We have so much fun here, we meet so many amazing people and we love them. I am doing great and i am excited for another amazing week!! I get to go to the REDS game next Monday and I am pumped!!!!!!! I cannot wait.  Look for me on ESPN!! haha love you all, thanks for all your prayers and all your support!!

Jeremy baptism

"Therefore,  O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day."

                                 

This work is true!

This week was awesome! We had so much fun! We did a lot of teaching this week. We have some awesome investigators. Jeremy is doing great and he is getting baptized this weekend, we are super excited for him. He is so awesome, he is loving the Book of Mormon and he loves church as well. We have been giving him reading assignments and he loves doing the readings, he has been prepared by the Lord and it is such a blessing to see. It has been super hot this week, very very humid. I love it though and I would say I am used to it. Oh yeah... on Monday we have a conference call with the whole mission and President Porter announced that we are all going to a Cincinnati Reds game on September 8th! I am super pumped, its going to be the funnest thing ever, I cannot wait! Elder Bloxham is a huge baseball guy so we were jumping up and down when he announced that. So we are excited. So many amazing things are happening here in Kentucky. We are finding so many people that have been prepared by the Lord, its truly amazing. We also had the chance to help a member of our ward do the ice bucket challenge, it was so funny. The Lord is truly blessing us here in the Promised Land! I am doing great and this work is true. Christ is at the head of it and I know that to be true.

Instrument in his hands!

This week was solid! Its started off super fun on Monday playing ultimate Frisbee in the rain and having a cook out with the zone, it was a blast. Then the week just flew by! Jeremy is back in town and we have been teaching him. He is so awesome, I love the guy! He is 20 years old and he is from Jamaica! We have had many spiritual experiences with him and he came to church on Sunday! We were actually in a lesson with him the other day and his friend called and he told his buddy to come down and meet us, he told him that we are the dudes to ask about the Book of Mormon and how it can change his life. It was awesome, we were able to meet his friend and teach him! We also had another awesome lesson with Zach and Emily! We taught them a Book of Mormon lesson that our mission president wants us to teach. It was a very powerful lesson, we had it at a member's home and the spirit was very strong! The Holy spirit is the only way that you find success in this work and I am realizing that more and more everyday. SO many miracles are happening everyday here in the Promised Land. We fasted yesterday and we saw miracles as we were able to reach our goals. The Lord really is at the head of this work and we are just an instrument in his hand and it is such a blessing. Fasting and prayer does work. I am super excited for another week here in Kentucky!

The Lord's Vineyard!

This week was another amazing week here in the Promised Land of Northern Kentucky. We found some awesome new investigators and we are still teaching Zach and Emily. They are doing awesome, they came to church and they enjoyed it. They are the coolest young family ever. They are so humble and they believe that the message we share will bless their family. AND THEY ARE RIGHT. The message of the Restoration of the Gospel blesses families! I have seen it bless so many people's lives and I have seen it bless their families as well. I have seen this gospel bless my family, I have seen the fruit in my life and I really do know that this in Christ's church. We received a challenge from President Porter to read the Book of Mormon with our companion every night and highlight specific things. Elder Bloxham and I have been doing it and it has brought us closer together as a companionship and it has helped our work! The Book of Mormon is true, it is the word of God. I am so happy and excited I get to share that message with everyone! I have been so blessed to serve in this part of the Lord's vineyard! My testimony has grown so much and I am loving life. Today we are having a zone fun day and we are having a barbecue and playing some basketball, ultimate Frisbee, and having a great time. I am so happy to be here serving the Lord! Thanks for all the prayers and support!

"There is only one day that you and I have to live for, and that's today.  There is nothing we can do about yesterday except repent.  The thing for us to do when we arise from our beds as God gives us a new day, is to take whatever comes to our hands, and do it to the best of our ability."   Harold B. Lee

The spirit is apparent!

This week was full of miracles. But first of all... I am staying another 6 weeks here in the Promised Land of Northern Kentucky!!!! I am so exited. Elder Bloxham is staying too! WE are so pumped, we get along very well and we are working hard and this month is looking good! So last week we stayed super busy! We found a sweet couple that is excited to learn more... Emily and Zach and they have a one year old that is a cutie. We are also teaching Erin, she is a recent converts friend and she actually used to live by some missionaries in college and she said the missionaries were awesome and she came to church yesterday and loved it! We were so blessed this week, we saw the Lord's hand in his work everyday. We had a very powerful lesson with Zach and Emily and Zach said the prayer at the end of the lesson and the spirit just filled the room, it was a powerful experience. The sp

irit is so apparent in this work. Without it... no conversion would happen. I know that to be true and I have a strong testimony of the spirit. When we listen to and follow the promptings of the holy spirit we will be led to those that the Lord has prepared.

We had a ward picnic on Saturday and we had a super awesome time, one of our investigators came and we played French Crickett...  I am doing awesome and I am so happy. I get to spend another 6 weeks here in the Promise Land, it is the greatest. Thanks for all your prayers and all your support.

The work is real!

This week was awesome, as always, we saw the Lord's hand in our lives as we were doing His work. We have been doing a lot of finding and we have talked to the funniest people, the people in Kentucky are awesome and I love them to death. We had an amazing opportunity last week to exercise our priesthood and give a couple blessings. I have such a strong testimony of priesthood power and if we have the faith and we trust in the Lord then he will put thoughts into our heads and words into our mouths. This work is real and I am seeing that more and more everyday. It was awesome to see the Sherrod family at church again this week, they love church and they are always so happy to attend. We found a part member family the other day, the husband is a member and the wife is not. They are the coolest and we are now working with her and her daughters! The other day we helped this lady clean out her garage and found some funny stuff, check out the sweet picture! Exciting stuff is happening here in the Promised Land! I love serving the Lord, it has truly been a blessing. I am so blessed that I get to feel the spirit everyday out here on the mission. Thanks for all the prayers and all the support, you are amazing!

True conversion!

This week was full of miracles. It was amazing! Ora, Shaun, and Jemisha got baptized on Saturday! It was the most amazing experience ever! It was such a blessing and a privilege to teach them. We share so many spiritual experiences with them that we have become very close.  We found them on Memorial Day a while back... lost contact with them for a couple weeks, found them again. Started teaching and the miracles just continued to happen. Ora felt the spirit and she has not missed a day of church since her first time. The kids love church too and it was amazing to see them enter into the waters of baptism. It was only through the spirit that this conversion happened. She kept her commitments and  had spiritual experiences by herself and has felt the spirit so strong she knew it was true when she asked God. The spirit is the only way that true conversion happens. It truly was a miracle that that family was baptized. The Lord prepared them for us and I was blessed enough to be a tool in his hand. She told us that she has seen changes in her life and she is excited to see more. She is very shy and does not have a lot, but she knows that this gospel can change her life, it has already started. It has been amazing to see her change! She couldn't stop smiling when she entered the font, she was so happy. There was just a different light in their eyes after they were baptized and it was so amazing to see. I am doing awesome and I love serving the Lord. I am excited for another week full of miracles here in the Promised Land of Kentucky! We are staying busy and we are working hard!

"Be what you are.  This is the first step toward becoming better than you are."

Singing!

This week was awesome! We worked hard and labored in the Lord's vineyard. We saw many miracles and we were very blessed. Orra and her kids are on date to get baptized this week! We are super excited for them! They are doing so well. Orra is reading the Book of Mormon and she loves church! We are also working with a guy named Jeremy... he is a Jamaican rapper. He is way cool, I love the guy. We have a lot going on this week and I am super excited for everything that is happening. The Lord has really blessed us. I am loving life and I am super happy. It has been raining a bit lately but the sun is coming soon. My companion and I have a new found obsession. We sing! We sing all the time, I love it and I am getting the hang of it believe it or not haha but we are having a jolly good time. But seriously.... singing invites the spirit so well why wouldn't we sing!? Y'all should try it out!

4th of July!

This week was so awesome, I loved it. Every week is awesome though. So on the fourth of July we played football in the morning with some of the members from the ward, it was awesome!  We had the time of our lives. Then we went up to Devou Park in Covington Kentucky with our zone. It has the best view of Cincinnati, we chalked the Plan of Salvation in the parking lot! People came and went and we were able to talk to everyone and show them what we believe. Then we went to a couple of BBQ and I got to play some corn hole. It was such a fun fourth of July. We went to the Presbyterian Church this Sunday.  Even in a different building the spirit was very strong and it was a good experience. We are still teaching Orra and her family and they are doing awesome! Orra told us that she prayed the other day and she felt the spirit. She said that it filled the room and she felt that God was in her. It was a miracle. That family does not have a lot but they have hearts of gold and they are amazing. The spirit is real. The Holy Ghost bears witness to anyone who is honestly seeking truth. I am so blessed that I have the opportunity to be led by the spirit everyday, that I have the opportunity to see peoples' lives change as they pray, read, and come to church. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is true. It changes lives, it has changed mine. I am super excited for another week here in the Promised Land. Thanks for all your prayers and all your support.

Newport Kentucky!

This week was awesome! Its been super hot and humid and I love it. I went on an exchange on Friday, I went to Newport Kentucky... it was so fun! Newport is right on the Ohio River and there are so many people there! We went on the river side and there is a sweet food place that we stopped at and got a grilled cheese donut it was delicious. We walked everywhere that day and met some awesome people! In our area things are looking great, we are still working with Orra and her family and we have been finding a lot of people to teach. Another super exciting thing that's happening... our church building is under construction so we will now be meeting in a Presbyterian church! Starting this Sunday, its going to be interesting inviting people to church and explaining but it will be cool. My comp got bit by a dog yesterday that was no good, it was a pit bull too! but he is good. Life in Kentucky is awesome, I love serving here. I have really learned to enjoy the simple things in life on my mission. Count your blessings and be happy, that is why we came to earth... to find joy and to prepare to meet God. Thanks for all that you do, thanks for the prayers and the support. Much love!

"Kindness  means doing a lot of little things kindly and always, not just a big thing now and then."

Privilege to teach!

We just got transfer calls and I am staying another 6 weeks in the Promised Land! I love it and I am so excited! This week was awesome. Zach and Valerie got baptized, it was such a blessing and a privilege to teach them, they were prepared by the Lord! It has been hot and humid here in Kentucky but I am enjoying it! We are working hard and we are seeing the hand of the Lord in our lives everyday. We had a cool experience the other day... we were visiting Marcus and he had a friend over at his house. We told his friend what we do as missionaries and told him a brief explanation about what we believe... then Marcus bore a strong testimony about how the church and how Book of Mormon has blessed his life. His friend wanted to learn more and so we taught him and he came to church. Marcus is awesome, he is always so excited to bear his new testimony. He is reading the Book of Mormon with his friend and things are going good. We also have been teaching Orra and her family. They came to church this Sunday and are doing really well! I am loving the work here in Kentucky, its the greatest. I love being an instrument in the Lord's hand. Thanks for all the prayers and all the support you have given me!

The spirit is a real thing!

This week was awesome. It went by super quick, we have been super busy and have had so much fun. Marcus got baptized this Saturday and it was super awesome.  We had one of the priests baptize him and he loved it. His name is Richie and he is a convert of 3 years, he is so solid. The baptism was one of the most spiritual ones I have been to. He got confirmed a member of the church right after because we had stake conference the next day. The confirmation was powerful. We had a couple investigators attend the baptism and afterwards they were telling us how amazing they felt and how they now have the desire to be baptized, it was awesome. The spirit is a real thing, they Holy Ghost testifies of truth! It was awesome, Marcus is doing great and he is so happy. Valerie and Zach are doing super well but we found out the other day that they live right outside our ward boundaries! We have been teaching her and they both have been doing so amazing. She was a referral from one of the members and we just passed her off to the missionaries in the other ward. They are getting baptized this Saturday which is awesome and we are super excited! I have seen the Lord's hand in His work and we have been so blessed lately. I know that Jesus Christ is at the head of this Church and that he is at the head of this work. I am doing so good and I am so happy. The Lord has truly been blessing us and we have seen his grace on a daily basis.

Eating dinner overlooking Cincinnati

James Smith and the crew!

Marcus

Me and my boy from Guatemala