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!