The Man of Steel

If you don't read anything else in this email, at least read the last paragraph. (Alma 42)

I finally made it up to the most northern part of the mission! I went all the way up to Illinois this week! The land of Lincoln. We got invited to the Coakley's house and they are just way to funny! I haven't had that good of a time for a while. They have four daughters, so it was a lot like my family but reversed. Four girls isn't that much different from four boys. There was plenty of laughing and fighting! Sister Coakley is the mom out here to all the missionaries. She is so kind and loving, but she also knows how to put her foot down.... ha!

I feel like our Tuesday's are like our power days. For the past couple of Tuesday's we have gotten to teach like mad. I experienced my very first three a days. A three a day is when you teach a other lesson, RCLA, and have a member present. Having members there makes it so much better. The members here are so good at making friends with the non-members and baring their testimonies with so much spirit!! I wish we could have members with us all the time! We do well at teaching with the spirit but members add so much more.

It is crazy how the Lord will put me into places I need to be or send me people that need to hear. We did a little service by playing bingo at the old folks home and this man started to talk with us. He is blind and he asked us what church we were from. We proudly told him we were from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. He then put his hand in a fist to give a fist bump and said, "Ah Mormons!" We found out that he is Mormon and wanted to take the sacrament again so badly. It is so great when we are trying to find people to bring in the church, but than other times I think it is just as great to help reactivate someone. They almost need it more because they already have accepted the gospel so they are held more accountable than someone who doesn't know it.

I got to go to Metropolis to do some service for a bed and breakfast in a mansion. This is not a hug mansion but it's pretty old. I could film such a good scary movie in there .... haha! I would love to stay there one night just to feel like I am royalty. Metropolis is the same city where Superman is from. I got to be superman for a day and see some awesome things up there. I think my Grandpa Dean would be jealous.  He loves Superman so much! It also rained like crazy so I broke a mission rule and swam.... haha!! I just jumped into a puddle of water.

One of the days here this week I think I was going to literally melt. It was a day where I didn't feel like tracting but I knew the Lord would help us. It reminded me of CEU football camp when I just got done with the afternoon practice and my coach would get all mad and make me run ...with pads on and everything! I  would get pretty sweaty and drenched. I feel like that here, but somehow I get even more sweaty. I looked like I just got done swimming. Also, the worst part is I don't dry out. So I am drenched all day!!!

We had Zone conference this week and it is actually pretty cool! What I got out of it was that we need to teach repentance by using the Book of Mormon. Repent shows up in the Book of Mormon like 20 more times than the bible. I also learned how to be most effective in ward council. Like I said the best converters are the members. Oh, I also won the Golden Hubcap. That is awarded to the best looking car in the zone! Thanks mom for teaching me to be clean! Apparently not many missionaries win that award. There are 7 zones in the mission so that means our car was top 7!

We went over to see Van yesterday  He wasn't there, but his brother was. We talked with his brother, Tom, for a bit. He has a little kid that he loves so much and he is married too!! I have been praying for a family to teach and I hope that Tom lets us teach him. He already loves and believes in God and Jesus Christ, so it's hard to find a way to tell them that there is way more to that. People around here don't like to change but the Lord will prepare those who are ready to receive the message. What struck me the most was at the end of our discussion, Tom said that I should smile more and not look so nervous. I was surprised at this because I have never really be one to be frowning and nervous. I laughed it off because I know that I am not nervous at all. I am mostly just trying to think what to say. I learned that I just need to listen and the words I need to say will come.

I learned something else super important this week that I want to share with all those who want to go on a mission. Or really anyone that wants to get closer to Heavenly Father. I will be like all the prophets in the Book of Mormon and say, make sure you repent. You can not expect to come on a mission without being fully repentant. The Spirit will not reside in you and you will not be able to speak with power. I have made a promise to myself that I will do whatever it takes to live with Heavenly Father again and to live with my family forever. If you are scared to repent because it's embarrassing, or if it will make others think of you as a bad person, don't listen to those fears. They are from Lucifer, he wants you to stay in your sins so he can have power over you. Let your guilt lead you to repentance and when you do repent, and you confess, you will feel like your spirit wants to fly. I literally can't put into words my joy. I know the atonement is real and it is for everyone. It takes a lot of humility to repent and become clean, but you wont regret it when you do use the atonement.

Until next week....

Elder Quiring

Mighty Grasshopper

This week went by so fast! I bet it just gets faster as I am out here.

We taught an awesome lesson last Monday to the point that we might actually have a baptism! That would be so cool since, on average, a missionary only gets one baptism per mission. Missions are so cool but also are pretty hard. We tract an hour and a half a day then for another hour we do finding. Finding is when you either use the car or bike to find formers. Formers are people who have been taught before so we go and see if they are interested again. I am actually surprised on how much time we don't actually walk around and find people. About 4 hours are spent finding and tracting, but the rest of the day is studying, eating, meetings and whatever else. The other day we did some service by playing bingo at the old folks home. Another thing we did for service was help take down a wedding reception. I might sound like a girl but I just love weddings! It is so cool to see two people very much in love!! Awe.... it makes me happy.

I am also surprised about how may members and non members want blessings!! I have given a lot of blessing this week!!! Every time it is so awesome! Another great thing I love about this place is how people say their prayers. I try and not laugh the whole time they are saying them. Sometimes it gets distracting when I am saying the prayer and they chime in little "ahuh's" and "Amens."  The people have really interesting long titles for Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.  It reminds me of the movie Taladega Knights.

Elder Ihler loves to tell me lies about things and just mess with me. This week it backfired on him. He was driving so I couldn't get into the car but once I go in there was a grasshopper inside the car next to the radio. While I was trying to get it out, It jumped up and hit Elder Ihler in the face! Hahaha!!! I was dying of laughter and he screamed like a little girl. It made like my whole day!!!

The scripture I have really liked this week is 2 Nephi 33:10. It has helped some of our investigations notice that we believe in Christ and to show that the Book of Mormon testifies of Jesus Christ. A lot of people are told by their ministers that the Mormons are bad people.  This scripture helps them realize we really do believe in Christ. Did you know that the ministers call us the "The Church of Latter Day Saints?" They leave out the Jesus Christ part so people think we don't believe in him.

That's it for this week. Till next time! Have a blessed day!
Elder Quiring

This is the Burrito Shack Challenge. You have to eat at least 3 large burritos under 30 minutes to make the wall. I will do this challenge soon, I never back down from a fight.  Plus, half the pictures on this wall are of missionaries.  If you fail then you feel crappy and have to pay $20 

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Elder Ihler's weekly note:

Hey Everyone!!!! Can you believe that I already hit my hump day!?! I can't believe that I have already been out over a year now. Time sure does fly by. It makes me think about what Elder Bednar told us missionaries in his last visit here. We had a few hour meeting with him and it seemed like we were only there for about a half hour. He told us that the more spiritual we are and the closer we are to eternity, the faster time goes by. He explained that there is no time in eternity, so when you are spiritual and take part in eternity, time passes by unnoticed. I am glad that this past year has flown by
because that must mean that I have been enjoying my mission and having fun doing what I am supposed to :) I am so looking forward to this next year. I want it to go by slower, but I know that if I am doing what I am supposed to and loving the people, it will go by even faster :) I will go ahead and share with y'all what has happened here in Paducah, Kentucky this past week with missionary work. I hope you enjoy.

Monday
We just emailed and stuff like that for P-day and then had dinner with the Hayes family. Brother Hayes gave us a referral to go see someone!!! It was Brother Matthews kids. Brother Matthews just moved to Salt Lake and his children which are in their 20's stayed here. After dinner we went to go see Van. We extended to him a baptismal date and he accepted!!! We set it for August 13. We showed him the 4 minute restoration video while we were sitting at the table on his porch. There were cars driving by and making noise before the video and for the first 30 seconds or so. Then I started praying hard core for the cars to stop coming down that street. For the next 4 minutes there were no cars at all! He was able to enjoy the video we had to share and watch Joseph Smith's experience. I can testify that God prepares people. Van shared with us some amazing spiritual experiences that proves that God has been with him recently preparing him to hear our message. He said that hid mother who passed away, spoke to him through a mirror while he was in bed. He said that he could see her face and she told him to do what makes him happy. We then told him that the message that we have to share with him is what would bring that perfect happiness that he is searching for. I hope that all goes well with Van :) We had Family Home Evening with Sister Natasha Mounday and her two boys at the church. Her husband is in jail right now, her and her boys have just recently been baptized. She was so grateful that we met with her family. I could tell that she misses having that father figure in the home. It was a wonderful lesson about the Plan of Salvation.

Tuesday
We helped out with BINGO at the nursing home. We had a good teaching opportunity with the lady that is in charge of the activities. We hope that she becomes more interested. We scheduled with her times for us to come to Book of Mormon study with the residents. The sisters and us will be going to share messages from the Book of Mormon every other week. Today we taught them at the beginning or our P-day about Ether 12 and having faith. They loved it. On Tuesday we were able to teach quite a few people. One of my favorite lessons was with the referral we got from Brother Hayes. We visited Victoria and JP Matthews. They seem fairly interested and have opened up a lot since their dad is
gone and they don't feel pressured.

Wednesday
We had a fun District Meeting and we had a fun get to know you game. This district is awesome and we all have fun together. Foxcroft and Eldorado are in a trio right now because one of the Elders while hiking last P-day fell off a 20 foot cliff and broke his leg and busted some of his teeth out. He had to go home and will hopefully be returning in a couple of months. So after District Meeting the other three Elders and us came back to our apartment and I cooked up some lunch. We had leftover steaks, it was fun getting to spend some time with the other Elders in the District. For Book of  Mormon Study at the church Elder Quiring and I taught about 2 Nephi 31. I felt the Holy Ghost so strong at the end of that meeting. I know that this is the true gospel and I felt God's love very much for me and everyone I meet. I can not imagine what my life would be like without this gospel. I am very blessed and grateful to God that I was sent to amazing, perfect in my opinion, parents who raised me in the gospel. I don't know what I did to deserve it.

Thursday
We drove all around Paducah and tried visiting a lot of people, I will just share one experience from Thursday though. We met a man who was in his 30's and he said that only 3 days before that he was planning on going out to the woods, he is homeless, to hang himself. He was on his way to end his life and a random lady walked up to him and started talking about God. His heart was touched and opened. He was aware that God is real and that he loved him. He was very happy while we were talking to him and said that he has a Book of Mormon and we described what it is and he said that he will go and read it more. I am so grateful for the knowledge that God loves US, Each of US, Individually!!!

Friday
On Thursday I received a package from home. Part of that package was sugar cookie mix and cookie cutters the shape of a camel! Haha So on Friday morning I made camel cookies and shared them with the Sisters here in Paducah. I also receive letters from family members, cousins, aunts and uncles, it was a tender mercy :) We ate at the Burrito Shack for my year mark celebration and on the wall 22 out of the 46 people who have completed the Burrito challenge have been Elders!!!! We feel like we are obligated to try it. Elder Quiring thinks that he can do it, but I don't that I could. It is 3  big burritos in 30 minutes! They said that about half of the people that try puke. They also said that only 1 girl has ever completed it!!! So we went and looked at the wall and it was Jessica Coakley, a young woman in our ward who just turned 18. Haha so now that we know that a girl in our ward and 22 Elders have done it, we feel like we definitely have to try.

Saturday
We tracted quite a bit and found 2 new investigators. We had dinner with an inactive member. He opened up so much to us because we are missionaries. He used to be the Ward Mission Leader after he was baptized a few years ago. Because of some things that happened he had his calling taken away and he couldn't take the sacrament for a while. That was his biggest reason for not coming is that he would be embarrassed if people saw him not take it. So we talked to him and helped him realize that only his relationship between God and him is what matters. If others judge, which they wouldn't in this ward, then that is their sin. He was a lot more open to coming back to church by the time we left. We committed him to pray and text us letting us know when we could expect seeing him at church.

Sunday
Then man we had dinner with texted us and said that he would be returning to church soon!!! Not this Sunday, but soon. We were so happy to hear that. We taught the Gospel Principles class because Sister Mounday felt sick. After church we went out with Brother Henson to give a blessing to Sister Bray and then went out with Brother Ravenberg to do home teaching at the Kidd family's home. It was a great week!

I would just like to bear testimony that we are not alone in the work. There are seen and unseen angels that help us with missionary work and our day to day efforts. Continue to pray and have faith and you will never feel alone. God Bless Y'all!!

 

Jesus Straw

Sorry y'all but this will be a long one.

The last three day in the MTC were SO LONG!   We just wanted to get on that plane to Nashville. On July 2nd, the MTC President let us stay up as late as we wanted so we went out to the parking lot to watch the Stadium of Fire fireworks. I felt so American holding a cactus cooler and a Tennessee flag shirt. While it was super fun I was also sad because that was the last day that Elder Acosta and I taught together. I am going to miss that guy! Hopefully we will be able to teach together in the field sometime. Sunday night was our last night together in the MTC.  To make it memorable we set up a fort with about 9 mattresses. I was trying to sleep because we had to be up at 3:30 in the butt crack of dawn. The guys snuck up on me and threw me out of my bed and into the fort!! I am really going to miss my MTC district! We eventually made it on the plane out of SLC. We took off at about 8:00 am.

Now to Tennessee...

When we got off the plane in Nashville, we had to swim through air to meet our Mission President. It is way too humid here! All 21 of us tried to talk to people but we were too nervous so we sat at the baggage claim all awkward. Once we got to the mission home, we ate and then the Elders had to go to a hotel to stay the night. That was the last night with Elder Acosta and we are just way to funny. He is the realest gangster! We woke up and went to the church to see where we are gonna get called. One Trainer stood up and said that there will be an Elder that would have to learn Swahili and I about lost my mind. I did not want to learn Swahili!  But I guess The Lord knows me best. Just kidding, I didn't get called there (thank goodness). I got assigned to the Paducah Kentucky area and my trainer is Elder Ihler. It sounds like Tyler but with out the T. He is a pretty cool dude. He grew up in Malad Idaho and is a legit cowboy. I love him because of that! One thing funny about him is that he has one emotion the whole time.... I am like so excited, and he is just like cool! But he tells me he is excited. He is a really good trainer and we are very good at being obedient, so that is awesome! He knows the gospel really well and is very good at getting people to meet with us after we talk with them.

We got to our home in Paducah and started to study and track ting. I have even got to knock on my first door and I was super nervous! After a while though it gets easier. I know the restoration pretty well now, and I can just say that I love modern day prophets?! I don't know how people can go through this life without modern revolution. Anyways, we bike every other day and get a car the other day. The members here are so loving and so nice to the missionaries. Paducah is built like Idaho Falls. It's like a suburban city with apparent buildings here and there. The people here are either super nice or hate us! We are more often in the Midwest area then the south but I still love it all the same!!

Now for stories ....

We were tracting this place that looked like an old 1950's, this black kid runs up to us and pulls out a bendy straw and asked us, "Want a Jesus Straw?" I busted up laughing and I still have that straw!  Another time we had an appointment at an investigators house and I felt like I was in Hansel and Gretel's house!  They were so nice and the food is so good and there so much! I was a little worried that the people were going to bash on us but they actually listened to our message and love that we are bringing people to Jesus! I just didn't know that there could be such nice people! We eat a lot of fried things and meat .... and let me tell ya, it's so good! I love fried okra!!!

We have gotten to teach Van.  We are meeting with him tonight! He asked if someone sent us because he has been looking for Christ! He has had problems with the law and wants to get his life in order. I asked him, "Will you follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized by someone holding the proper authority?"  And he said, "Yes, yes sir!"  I really hope we can keep teaching him and he will follow through, but The Spirit was like "Pow"!  He is super cool and I hope that he really accepts our message .... so pray for him!
One night me and Elder Ihler set up a movie theater to watch a gospel video! Oh, and it has rained pretty much everyday that I have been here. When I say rain I mean it has poured buckets! One moment it's fine then all of the sudden we are soaked. There was a tornado by us and we had to go inside for a couple hours. The weather here changes more drastically than Utah .... haha. There should be a sign outside that says, "Free Sauna for Everyone!" We walk outside and we are drenched in sweat!

I would like to leave you with a scripture that I have pondered recently. 2 Nephi 28:27.
Yea, wo be unto him that saith: We have received, and we need no more!
It I super simple and short. I thought, why do we have to go to three hours of church? When I read that it made sense. We can never know enough so keep we need to keep on learning!

My new address is...
204 Glenn st Paducah, KY 42003

I would love to read some letters!

Love Elder Quiring

 

After the big storm

 The first house I tracted!

Gospel movie night

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 Notes from Elder Acosta:

On the 4th of July we woke up at 3:30 in the morning and headed towards the buses. When Elder Quiring and I were trying to buy breakfast at the salt lake airport  a lady came by and paid for us.
Too nice. We talked to her for a while. She has a few relatives out on their missions. Very tender mercy. After a couple hours all 21 of us Nashville missionaries got onto a flight to Atlanta. As soon as we got off that plane it was like we were swimming in air. It's some crazy humidity. We took a subway to get the the plane headed to Nashville from there. It was really funny to see a pack of 21 missionaries walking around. That's P O W E R, baby. As soon as we crossed to Tennessee it was like flying over thick forest. A big hill forest. We landed and president stone and his family were waiting for us.
We headed over to the mission home and it was pretty spectacular. It's like a city in a jungle. It rains so often here. Pretty much every day since I got here. I love it. The mission home is located in Brentwood, which happens to be one of the richest counties in the U.S. Tons of celebrities and musicians live there. It's ridiculous how big some of these mansions were. On top of the houses
the sizes of temples there are mega churches the size of a couple. A real popular one around here is a nondenominational mega church called World Outreach. We ate at the mission home and got to meet some of the senior couples, along with the stone family. The power and spirit was so strong. So many missionaries, accompanied with the fact that we were about to be split up the next day. We had a 3 hour lesson taught by 3 APs as president and sister stone took us out one by one to interview us. Their spirit is so great.
The sisters stayed the night at the mission home and the elders were put into a hotel. What a bitter sweet night! Splitting up with my brothers, especially Elder Quiring. We were two peas in a pod.
Partners in crime. At transfer the next day Stone told us one elder would be recalled Swahili speaking to work with Swahili refugees in Bowling Green Kentucky that day. I had all my fingers and toes
crossed. Elder Jensen was called to the area. When someone gets called there they usually stay for like 9 months. However all hope is not lost! There have been quite a few elders who have been recalled Swahili at different times in their mission. The latest I've heard being 15 months. I know we are called to our areas through the inspiration of God. I got called to Murfreesboro, more specifically
Blackman. It's a more suburbs area of Tennessee. My new companion is Elder Ruoho. Quiring got called to Paducah Kentucky. Before we all headed our separate ways we said our goodbyes as brothers.

(I am going to miss Elder Acosta! He was the perfect first companion to Conner & I am truly grateful for their friendship!!)

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Note from Elder Ihler:

This past week has been awesome! I received a trainee and we have been working nice and hard and we have seen blessings come from it. I am so grateful that my Heavenly Father sent me a greenie who is willing to put in the work and time of his calling. It has been a fun past week!

Tuesday was transfers and we had a trainer meeting with President Stone right before the Trainer/Trainee meeting that was combined. It was fun getting to see the new mission president. He didn't share much about his family or anything like that since the meeting was focused on the Trainers and Trainees. I received Elder Quiring and he is from Highland, Utah! My last trainee Elder Story was also from there! That is crazy. He is ready to work and I have had such a fun time this first week starving to be 100% obedient. I can testify that the Lord gives blessings and miracles to those that try. No one will be exactly 100% perfect, but if that is our goal and we try then we will see the blessings.
Wednesday the tornado sirens were going off and a tornado actually formed in Metropolis, Illinois which is like 3 miles away! It was crazy! While traveling around after that storm there were a lot of
broken trees. I will include a picture of a huge tree that fell on a ladies house and car!!!! 4 foot diameter tree, snapped in half!

Thursday we visited quite a bit of people. We were teaching one inactive and she gave us a referral to go see another less active nearby. We went to that persons house and he answers the door and he is about 30 yrs old and has a son that is 10. He said that him or his wife would love to come out with us, feed us, or help us with whatever we need. Apparently they have come to church before just for sacrament once or twice while I have been here, but I have never noticed. oops.
He was a great guy and he likes sports, and so does Elder Quiring. So we had a fun conversation with him and talked about the Book of Mormon and we hope to see him soon. There was a really poky bush at one of the houses that we were tracting at and I asked him how much money it would take for him to jump into it and he said that he never would. So then I said, what about just your arm up to your shoulder? And he still didn't sound like he was too excited to do it. So after we walked away out of the driveway, I asked him if he would give me $10 if I put my arm all the way up to my shoulder and he said yes. So to not make it awkward, I pulled out a pass along card and put it on the door after walking back up to the house and then I put my arm all the way into the poky bush and got a few cool scratches. Hahaha Then for dinner he paid for my meal at an all you can eat pizza place. Good
memories. Haha But I told him that he can't gamble or make bets anymore ;) haha

Friday was the Meet The President meeting! It was so much fun seeing President and Sister Stone and see their personalities. They have 6 kids, 5 of which will be living in the mission home. We only met 3 of them at the meeting. They showed us a video of when they opened their mission call and we saw the excitement and craziness that was in their house.

Saturday we had mission correlation with Brother Ravenberg. He got putin as the new Elder's Quorum president and we will probably be getting a new Ward Misison Leader soon. Then we had to do weekly planning for a few hours since we couldn't do it Friday due to the President Stone
meeting. We had a dinner with some random people that told us to come by for dinner. They were the kindest people ever! They had food prepared for us and we had a wonderful time. They even gave us a ride back to our apartment. It was good to see good Christian people in the community. The youth got back from Youth Conference from Nauvoo. They all had a great experience it sounds like. Seeing them go on that trip reminded me of when I went there for an EFY. I am so grateful for the
testimony that I have gained about Joseph Smith being a true prophet and that the Book of Mormon is true :) Also, today was the first day that Elder Quiring saw the sun and that it didn't rain since he has
been out here.

Sunday we had an awesome lesson with Brother Cortez. We gave him a Spanish Book of Mormon, Pearl of Great Price, Doctrine and Covenants, and Bible. Thank goodness for the translate app, we were able like to communicate with him a little bit. It was a fun visit!

 He looks like Koby Smith ... right?