We have the road map to success, we just need to start walking!

Oct 21, 2013
Howdy,

Well. Another week come and gone, and it was pretty great. I'm loving the new area and the different opportunities and opportunities it has already brought me. I'll have you know that we had our first housing inspection this week and we passed so I believe that I am cleaning up quite nicely. You raised me well! It's kind of like with training... Something I have learned and that President taught us is that a lot of the time we won't immediately see the fruit of our labors in training (or raising children). For example Elder Bartlett is doing awesome. He learned things that I didn't even know I was teaching and it took my absence for him to apply them. So rest assured my dear mother :)

Well Bill and Nathan were baptized. It was awesome. The mission has a new kick with doing the PMG layout for the baptism, which doesn't include the welcome to the ward by the mission. We applied it, and it worked!! It was incredible. The Spirit was so strong. Did I tell you what happened to Bill? Well, Bill met Trish. Trish was a member and introduced him to the church. They were super in love and got married. 10 days later Trish suddenly passed away. He bore his testimony of the Plan of Salvation at the baptism and it was super powerful. My good friend Nathan was really shy so he just got up and told everybody he's reading the Book of Mormon. Haha he's great.

We saw another miracle this week, and it really proved to me the power of our wards. Our wards are so powerful and well knitted together, I love them a lot. The members have already strengthened my testimony of the gospel! There is a new family that moved in. These people really keep track of the neighborhood, which is pretty easy with the amount of members in such a small area. Anyways last Thursday we went and introduced ourselves to Julius and Mel with Bishop. They were very friendly. We went back this past Wednesday and Julius was very welcoming and asked us to come back Friday. We did. When we went back he was trimming some trees so we taught the first lesson over some yard work, he accepted the Book of Mormon. BUT it ends up our Bishop owns a tree trimming business. SO our Ward Mission Leader (who was with us for the lesson) asked him if we could bring the young men by sometime and help him clean up the yard. (The yard's pretty big.) Julius agreed to eat. The next morning just around a fourth of the ward was going to work on Julius' yard. IT WAS AMAZING!! And I could really tell that Julius felt the Spirit, it was a great example of service for me. 

But it doesn't stop there!! Julius and Mel came to church yesterday!!! The ward has been incredible, it's awesome because this is the first solid investigator this ward has had for some time. They've rallied and it's made our job so much easier. We're going over to see Julius tomorrow so keep him in your prayers! 

I am so excited for the opportunity to communicate with Jen and many others over facebook. It was a huge blessing to hear her testimony of God is already growing and bubbling inside of her. It's such a good experience! It truly shows how the Lord is Hastening His Work and He has given us everything on this Earth to fulfill His purposes!  To answer your question about facebook, I do the same thing on there that I do the rest of the time. Invite everyone to come unto Christ. But now my reach is a little bit longer. I still have all the friends from back home but I don't just catch up with them. I continue to focus on my assigned area but now I can reach out to everyone I know. Keep contact with Recent Converts and everything, it's pretty great! As long is it's fulfilling my purpose I can do it.

I talked about you my parents in my gospel principles class yesterday. We were talking about parents and their role. I talked about the balance that you have and the unified method of raising me. Thank you!! I'd be lying if I said I didn't tear up <3

I love you so much!! I love the gospel of Jesus Christ and the simplicity it brings to our lives. There is a lot going on but we have the road map to success. The path back to Our Father in Heaven is right before us, we just need to start walking!! I know that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God as is Thomas S. Monson. Most importantly I know that Christ is Our Savior. He loves us and cares about us. Our righteous desires matter to Him. 

Con Amor,

Elder Alexander

The field is white and there is more than one way to thrust a sickle.

Oct 14, 2013

So I guess I'll answer your questions first.

Address: I believe it's 2039 N Horne. Guess what. We live in a house. Not in a house with a member but we have our very own house. Can you believe it?? It's pretty sweet, my new area is all farm like so we live on a members property in our own house.

Companion: My companion is good ol Elder Tueller (Tooler). He just graduated from High School, and he's a really good kid.

Transfer: Packing proved to be quite the feat. But I guess that is expected when you obtain a new pair of shoes, 2 new suits, and about 30 ties from the last time you packed... :/

Herman: Herman moved back to Florida this past Saturday. We had a great farewell, I'll include a picture for you. I should be sending him an email next week. (I forgot it at the apartment today, but I'll get it soon.) He told me that he was grateful for me, and he told me that he wished that he had a son like me. That was awesome. He still has a lot of questions but I know if we continue to pray for him he will be baptized soon.

My new area is in the Lehi Stake. We cover the Monument and Lehi 1st Wards. I came from the land of less teeth and more tattoos...... To the land of less sneakers and more cowboy boots? Less gasoline and more hay? It's pretty country. It's so country that behind the church building (which is about a 3 minute walk from our house and is super old) there is a rodeo pit/arena/thing. Haha I love it. TONS of members. I think there are more than my first area even. Everyone has lived here forever and they basically know all there neighbors. We live up on McKellips and Horne. We live in the Norther Western corner of the mission. Just north of us is the Reservation which is in the Scottsdale Mission. I'm the closest to the temple and the mission office that I have ever been. It's about a 20 minute bike ride to both. Which is really nice, we're at the Family History Center across from the temple emailing right now.

I loved conference so much. I can't wait to get all of them in the Ensign, I wish I didn't have to wait!!! Oh well though. I believe there is a reason that faith, patience, and the principle of enduring stood out to me in Conference. Out in AJ me and Elder Bartlett got to the point where we were teaching just under 30 lessons a week and finding multiple people each week. Now in this area a good week is to teach 5 lessons and to find a couple a people a month. But I'm so excited!! The members are great. What we're going to do is go in and let Elder Tueller practice teaching them the lessons. Just so they know that we're there to teach. We want to get to know them but our major role is to teach. 

We have 2 investigators. Bill and Nathan. Nathan is 13 and his parents are members. Just moved in from Georgia, his step father is a member and just got active and his mother is a Recent Convert of about a year. About half an hour into the area. Elder Tueller got to set a baptism date with him. Bill married a members sister. And she passed away about 10 days later. But him and Nathan are going to get baptized on October 19th!! We're so excited and we're really hoping that it will get the members going. Because after that we're going to be investigator less so we'll need some help!

I"m so excited for this new opportunity! The new area rules. Super different, but super exciting. I love the gospel and I love how it touches peoples lives. Even though our area is small and packed with members, I know that there are people that are prepared. That are ready to accept the gospel. Thank you for your prayers and everything. The weather is great down here. Seriously perfect.

 Fun Facts:

I just saw two sisters from each of my first two areas. Sister Ortiz and Sister Gillespie, so that's fun.

Elder Ault is in fact in my district!!! I'm going to be on an exchange with him tomorrow, letting the Riverton loose the Mesa. I'm excited. I'm also going to be doing my first baptism interview tomorrow so pray for me! And first district meeting so I could use a lot of prayers.

Also sometime this week I will be taking over my facebook. Yep, they just released it in the mission so I'll be on there for an hour a day. You can stay friends with me and I can stay friends with everyone.  As far as communication on facebook, if by chance I get to talk to someone back home and start teaching them on facebook I could send you a message on there for help in following up or getting them to church or something. Other than that our communication about packages and how things are going and all that will take place over email on P Day. 

Thank you for the scripture box, it's going great. I have close to 10 scriptures down pretty good. It's great. I really appreciate it. 

I'm grateful to be here, this mission is incredible. I love it to death. The Lord is hastening his work. The field is white and there is more than one way to thrust a sickle. Have a good week! Love you.

Love, Elder Alexander

Our humble abode.

This is a little place made to break horses. It resides right behind our home. There has been a horse out there lately that I befriended. Until the picture I included of him. I didn't realize that he was pooping and it really damaged our relationship...

Farewell Herman.

"He doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies those He calls." Being transferred and training another baby.

Oct 7, 2013
Well. The news is in, President doesn't want me getting too comfy so he's shipping me off again. So my days in Apache Junction are numbered. I haven't been transferred yet but I will be heading out on Wednesday. President wants me to go and train another baby, I'm just popping out sons left and right. We'll be whitewashing again but this time I'm going to be a District Leader as well. I'm pretty excited, and not nearly as nervous as I was last time haha. So basically anxious for it.  I'll definitely be needing a lot of prayers so bring em on! The Lord definitely prepares us for his work. "He doesn't call the qualified, he qualifies those he calls."  I'm headed out to the Heritage Zone which is over by the temple more and I'll be in the Lehi Stake I'm pretty sure.

Conference was great. For Priesthood Session we went with Herman and then he took us out to Village Inn afterwards. It was great! He really loves President Uchtdorf, as I knew he would. Then we watched both of the Sunday Sessions at Brother Gillespies house. Herman came to the morning session, but he left due to a headache. Right before President Monson's Talk. The very talk that was written exactly for him!! Ridiculous. But we got him a copy and we're going to talk about it tonight. 

Herman probably won't be getting baptized in AZ unfortunately. He knows the Book of Mormon is true but he still needs to learn to trust God again. We could baptized him. Elder Bartlett and I have agreed that it would be better to let him get established in Florida first. We have the number for his bishop there and we're going to make sure the ward is aware he is coming. I'm also going to continue to email him and make sure that he's going strong. He's an incredible man.

I realized last week that in my exhausted state I in fact forgot to tell you about William's baptism! Yes, he was baptized. I had the wonderful privilege of baptizing him. When he walked into the font he hoisted both arms in the air and yelled, "YEAH!!" He was so excited to make a covenant with the Lord! We should all be that excited!! The Spirit was so strong, William asked me if we could do it again before he changed haha. From the mouth of babes. Gotta love it.

I'm so excited for this new adventure coming towards me. I'm grateful that the Lord takes the time to look over my path and direct it. I know that He has an ultimate plan for me and I just hope I can make it a little bit easier for him!!!

Love you lots!

Love, Elder Alexander

Bautismo De William.

3 Nephi 11:3

Sept 30, 2013
Just another week in Paradise. We had a couple pretty good adventures. And I think that you would be proud to know that today I climbed a mountain. Just east of AJ there are the Superstition Mountains. They're actually mountains, no where near the Rocky's but they can hold their own. There's one peak that is called "Flat Iron" because it looks like the Flat Iron Building in New York. We climbed it. Our good friend Tate (who leaves for Peru on his mission in like a week and a half) took us, pictures soon to come. We left at about 7 am and got back at 1 pm.  I wore my nikes and now my feet are very tender, but I'll get over it. 

Well on the Spiritual side of things... We had a pretty decent week. It was a little humbling because we set some very high goals. Well, we didn't quite accomplish them. It was unfortunate but I think it taught me once again to stop relying on myself and rely on Him. He keeps having to teach me that, I'm just stubborn I guess.

Herman. I'm going to start from last Saturday (when I told him about John's testimony) and take you day by day. On Saturday the Spirit was very strong and we left Herman with the commitment to start from 3 Nephi 11 and just keep reading. On Sunday he didn't show up for church. When I called him he was on his motorcycle and told us to come by later that night. When we stopped by he wasn't there... But I talked to him on the phone. He said he'd received an answer and his answer was, "You already have the answer." Clear as day, he said. And he was pretty frustrated. When we went by on Monday night we talked about it more (He still hadn't read the commitment we left him yet). When I asked him about his experience he said, "Well, I guess you could say I heard a silent voice speak out loud." Right when he said that I knew what to do. I asked him to turn to 3 Nephi 11:3. After we read it he broke down in tears and said that that is the exact voice that he heard. But when we left that night he was still confused... On Wednesday we stopped by and it was amazing to see how the Spirit had continued to work with him. He'd put it all together. He did already have the answer. He just hadn't read it. He turned to me and said, "I want to do this. Before I go back to Florida." So Herman will be getting baptized on October 12th! The Spirit can truly work miracles.

Exciting things are going on in the mission. We're going to be on Facebook coming up in the next couple weeks. October 9th is transfers so I will find out what's going on this Saturday. Have I told you how excited I am for General Conference? We're so lucky. We get to hear the Prophet speak! Like 5 times in 2 days. Amazing.

Tell the fam I love them! They sound like they're doing so awesome. Give Jayce a big ol hug for me.  That's pretty sweet about Christian. He seems like the kind of man you'd want on a pirate tracking team. 

Love you! 

Love Elder Alexander

                                   

To the peak!

Taking a break

We saw two of these dang things.

It's just too perfect, but that's sometimes how the Lord's work goes.

Sept 23, 2013
My tooth, or lack of, is doing awesome. Dr. Barney wrote me a prescription but I'm above modern medicine, and besides I fit in just fine in good ol Apache Junction nowadays. I'm telling you, all I need is a little tattoo and next thing you know they'll be flocking to the font. 

That's good that Becc got to come by, I also heard that BYU lost to Utah. Surprise, surprise. They better pick it up or I might turn my heart to the Sun Devils. Did get the package, and I have to say that the banana cake is just about gone at this point. But that's to be expected. Also Facebook is right at the doorstep for this mission. We were supposed to get it this week but they might hold off for a bit. I'm probably going to make a new account but we'll see what happens! I don't find out transfer news until the 5th of October.

Everybody is doing really great. I'm going to be honest this past week is a total blur. We taught a lot of lessons... The Lord really blessed us. But to answer your questions. The sassy black family is doing awesome. We did a church tour on Monday. They weren't able to come to church but they're super nice and interested. We now have two other sassy black families that we found this week that we are very excited for. 

Let me tell you the story of Jessica. She's so awesome. She was a referral that we got on Wednesday. It was sent in by a member from another ward in Mesa. She met Jessica at this training program (the member is the trainer) and they started talking about the gospel. Anyways that was on Tuesday and we met with her on Thursday. When we sat down and started talking I found out that the member, Sister Shumway, had already taught Jessica everything in the 3 lessons and more. So that made our job super easy. It was once again super evidence to me that the Lord is preparing His children to receive the gospel. Jessica also has a 12 yr old daughter named India that is so smart. As we went through the first lesson she had a little highlighter and marked all the scriptures that we read in her Book of Mormon. It's moments like that when I expect a curtain to fall and the camera to be exposed. It's just too perfect, but that's sometimes how the Lord's work goes.

But not always. Herman is doing good. He's really searching. Yesterday I talked to him on the phone for quite a bit. He got an answer, and his answer was as clear as day, "You already know the answer." Now that just got him frustrated. So I had to talk him down but he's really at a loss right now. I shared the story of Jackie with him. It was very similar to the way that his wife passed away. I talked about the testimony that John bore at the funeral (Dad emailed me about it) and the complete confidence and testimony that John had that it was God's will for Jackie to go, and that she was ok. I testified to him that he can have that too, and I can't wait for the day that he looks me in the eye and knows it for himself. 

The work is moving forward great. We're seeing miracles like none other. This week I started to more faithfully right in my journal and it has already blessed my life. So don't procrastinate the day of your repentance, Everybody should write in their journal!! O Remember, Remember, talk given by Henry B. Eyring. Gotta love it.

I love you! Love, Elder Alexander

I'm so happy 

The Spanish Elders we live by. We call ourselves the  A Team.

Spiritual Confirmation

Sept 16, 2013
Once upon a time Apache Junction was explained to me as this, "Less teeth, more tattoos." That statement has proved itself true on many occasions and especially today. I am a regular old Apache Junction-ite. The only thing I am missing now is the tattoo, because this morning Chelsie Taylor's uncle ripped out my tooth.

There you have it. He took it, he came out in broad daylight and ripped out my tooth, and I'm not kidding. I went to the dentist this morning, and it ends up that my dentist was a friend of mine's (Chelsie Taylor) uncle and we're pretty sure that his son trained Riley Hansen in the Philippines. It was all a blur but I'm really appreciative. I just don't have a tooth.

Well on another note I heard from Grandpa Ron today, which was a treat, and he said that Colorado is in a pretty rough state. We're safe down here, we only had a sprinkle on Monday this week and that's about it. 

We were able to teach a lot of people this week, which was awesome. Herman is doing so great. He missed church yesterday...... Because he climbed a mountain to read and pray about the Book of Mormon. I was alright with that. Bishop Duke and I gave him a blessing of comfort last night to help him feel peace in his mind. Tomorrow we are going with him to the Visitors' Center to watch a movie about Thomas S. Monson called, On the Lord's Errand.

Have I told you about William? Well William is Jessica's son. She got baptized when we first arrived and now he's getting baptized!! On September 28th, I'm really excited. He's 10 years old, and he's a really smart kid. Like he really gets it. I don't feel like I got it til about 9 months ago haha. But here's a funny story. We were teaching him about the Law of Chastity and I wasn't too sure how to teach him ya know? So I sat there.... And I decided to ask Jessica if she remembered what the Law of Chastity is. At first she didn't hear me because she was on her phone and there was a long pause.... So I asked her again. This time she heard me. And she yelled (she's a sweet spirit) "William don't have sex before you're married!" And that was that. 

We have a really awesome family that we are teaching. Kelly, Glynda, and Jordan. They're black and they're sassy as can be. It's the best. We took them to watch Joseph Smith: The Prophet of the Restoration and Kelly (Mom) was sooooooo excited. She thinks that Joseph Smith is a Prophet already! Glynda (17 yr old daughter) still wants to pray about the Book of Mormon before she decides, but she gets it! I'm really excited for them. We're taking them on  a church tour tonight so I'll keep you updated.

We had a good week. Really good. We were definitely blessed, and I appreciate your testimony. As it says in Romans 10:17 my faith is strengthened by hearing your testimony. Thank you thank you!

Thank you for the support and the love! Don't worry about the tooth, don't you freight, I'll be fine. It's a good excuse not to have to bike and to get some members out with us! I have a testimony of Jesus Christ and I know that I will one day be reunited with that tooth, but in it's prefect frame.

I had a Spiritual confirmation this Sunday as I sat in sacrament meeting. The Spirit really confirmed to me that I am a Son of God. That I existed before, that I walked with Him and saw His face. He is my Father, and I really thought about who I am. It's amazing.

Have a great week! Love ya

This is the Dentist they sent me to. When I approached it I thought of 1 Corinthians 13:11, thinking that I had put away such childish things. But I was brought to the depths of humility as my tooth departed my gums forevermore. Until the resurrection of course.