Second time no e-mail this week.

Feb 17, 2014
You're right about the reason for the training Dad. There are just so many new missionaries that they need the missionaries that have some roots planted to be there to help them. Also I think it helps Zone Leaders be better missionaries, some companionship's of ZL's get really complacent but this will ensure productivity.

I'm going to send Mama a really good email so check that out, I love you Dad!

(Well I never did receive that really good email but he did manage to send me a picture of the back of his Van). Something is way better then nothing.

Transfers, The Lord has something else in mind!

Feb 10, 2014
Well... We got some news on Saturday. I will admit that I was 100%

positive that I was not getting transferred. But alas The Lord had
something else in mind! Let me see if I can explain this in the
simplest way... Me and Elder Crookston will be remaining the Zone
Leaders of the Toro Zone but we will no longer be companions. The way
it has worked my whole mission is you have two Zone Leaders per Zone
and they are companions, that's how me and Elder Crookston have been
this transfer. But they are experimenting with a new method with a
couple of Zones this next transfer... I will be moving from the Mesa
34th Ward to serve in the Mesa 46th and 76th Wards, still in the same
stake. I'm taking over Elder Armstrong's area again (I took over his
area when I went out to AJ) and will be finishing he training of a
young missionary that has been out for a transfer named Elder West.
Elder Crookston will be finishing the training of another missionary
that has been out for a transfer as well. We won't be companions like
I said but we will continue to plan all things Zone together. Zone
Training Meeting, District Leader Council, all that fun stuff. I will
be taking the car with me, leaving Elder Crookston on a bike. But
listen to this..... I'm evolving to a mini van!! Hahahah I'm not sure
how it is going to work but I'm excited to see!

Elder West, like I said he has been out for one transfer. 

We are going to live with some members, the Allen's, and
I know we only have one room and share the kitchen and everything.

We will see how that goes!

We went and did a service project on Thursday for this place called

AZ Brain Food that supplies lunches for poor children in schools.

While there I totally met Max Hall's mom. Apparently he went to

High School in my area, he was a Mountain View Toro! He is playing

ball in Canada in case you were wondering.

My conversation with Adam went very well. I taught him the Restoration
and he committed to praying this week. He has been doing really well
with reading the scriptures I give him. Keep loving him like you
always do!

The work in the 34th Ward is going great. I don't know if I told you
about Phyllis. She is an older lady, she has cancer and a Less Active
member that we have been working with introduced us to her. We weren't
sure if she was going to progress but all of a sudden she read Alma
32, came to church on Sunday, and is planning on getting baptized the
end of March. It is incredible to see the Holy Ghost work in peoples
lives. The Spirit has truly comforted her and she so openly
understands the gospel. She recognized it. It's amazing!

Well, to answer one of your questions I found out that the couple
isn't from Price but they are from East Carbon. Their names are the
Reynolds. They've been away from East Carbon for about 20 years.

I love you!

Love Elder Alexander

Sent from my iPad

I'm just glad we have the Atonement available and I can rely on mercy.

Feb 3, 2014
Me and Elder Crookston are back at 100%! We just had a cold of sorts,
I got over earlier this week and then Elder Crookston got taken down
so we have been taking it slow. But we are back! I have heard of
valley fever but I'm not really sure what it is. Haha, my tie
collection... He wasn't supposed to tell you about that!! It is pretty
nice, I'm rather proud of it.
As for Facebook, I'm only allowed to talk to people on there if it is
fulfilling my purpose. So since I'm crying repentance unto Adam I can
talk to him but other than that I don't correspond with anyone
without a purpose. But you can like my stuff and stalk me all you
want!
I'm enjoying talking with Adam. This week he is reading Alma chapter
36 and we are going to talk about it, it should be a good
conversation!

Things are going good around here... Let's see. On Thursday we got to
go to the Gilbert Temple Open House, and that is a pretty temple. We
went with our investigator, Orvid, and his family. They really liked
it. After we left the Celestial room Orvid was like, "Wow, the
pictures really don't do that room justice." And then when we were
leaving the parking lot he said, "I wish my job was hanging out in the
Celestial Room. Like if somebody asks, 'Hey, what do you do for a
living?' 'Just sit in the Celestial Room!" It was the Spirit he felt
in there, it was a different Spirit for sure. After the open house
Orvid took us to a pizza place in Gilbert called NYPD (New York Pizza
Department) and Coldstone. It was a good night.

We were the only Zone to reach our goal for January. The mission has
set a goal to have 150 baptisms in the first quarter of the year. In
January we had 39 but February is looking pretty promising. Our Zone
has a goal for 7 and we have faith that we can reach it. On Wednesday
we have Zone Training Meeting, I'm really excited. Elder Crookston are
going to be talking about making sure that our wards are self
sustaining. Meaning that when the missionaries transfer the work
doesn't hiccup because the Ward is the driving force behind the work.
We have been trying to establish that kind of culture for the Mesa
34th Ward and it is going great! The Ward is on fire with a missionary
spirit. Make sure that you are helping the missionary work in the
Copperview 2nd Ward, the missionaries probably need your help! Just
kidding, they definitely do.
The work is good. I reached a point where I had to recommit myself again 
this week, it happens oft in the mission where I feel the need to do so.
I don't know if it's because the Lord's expectation for me is raising or mine is.
I feel as if the expectation is set but I keep getting more and more glimpses 
of His vision which makes me reach higher. I think it's genius that He makes
us reach just enough until we get comfortable and then we have to reach
higher and higher.
I've taken a bit of an indefinite hiatus from my study of the New
Testament and have restarted the Book of Mormon. It has been awesome.
I am really learning how to be diligent. Nephi exhorts his brothers
time and time again to be diligent and faithful! Nephi never quit
following The Lord! Once he received the confirmation that his father
was a prophet he made his decision that he would follow The Lord. It
was never a question! He started right there and never looked back. He
wasn't perfect but he was diligent and consistent. That's what it
takes to reach perfection, it's what our Father in Heaven expects of
us. I'm just glad we have the Atonement available and I can rely on
mercy.

Well, we will find out this Saturday the fate of our zone for next
transfer. I'll let you know!

Love Elder Alexander
Sent from my iPad

Here's what you missed last week. And the Gospel is very true.

Jan 20, 2014

(Here's what you missed last week! I noticed on Tuesday that it didn't
send for some reason!! Sorry!!)

 I live with a member family, the R........ It's a lot like my
living situation when I lived with the Th....... We have our own
mother in law section to the side, it's the smallest place I've lived
but I love it a lot. The R....... are an old couple. I don't have my
address on me but I will get it to you soon!

Me and Elder Crookston are doing great. He's an awesome companion and
has really has this missionary thing figured out. A lot of people
think I'm a greenie at times but we politely inform them that I am
not. Haha, I'm learning a lot bands I love it.

As for people we are teaching... The teaching pool is scarce right
now. Elder Crookston and his last companion had a lot of work in the
other Ward they covered and the Ward we cover, 34th Ward, was all but
dead. But they are picking it up! They're rising to the challenge of
having us fully devoted to their Ward. Which is about 2 blocks by a
mile... They are calling 4 more Ward missionaries by Sunday and they
are having us speak this coming Sunday! We have two real investigators
right now. Orvid and Riley. Orvid  is awesome. His wife is softening a
lot and we are planning on getting her a Jamba Juice this week in
order to get her to like us haha. Rickey is 9 and we really just need
to set a date with him. He wants to get baptized but his mom isn't
active... But we are close!

Miracles are happening in our zone. The focuses we chose are working
luckily!! We saw loads of miracles and should reach our goal of five
baptisms in January with the baptism some sisters have in the 30th
Ward!

I'm going to be talking with Adam on Thursday! Tell him he best get
ready! I'm really excited to talk about stuff bro to bro. Technology
man...

Well. This is a little shorter but I love you all! I have been sick
this week but I am recovering well so don't worry about me!

Loves. Elder Alexander.
Sent from my iPad

Jan 27, 2014

Hi Mommy,
I knew you were going to be wiggling out all week after I saw my email
didn't send on Tuesday, I was very close to calling President and
getting permission to resend them but I didn't. But all is well and I
hope you can forgive me.

Last P Day I had a really good day. And let me tell you why. Me and
Elder Crookston have a nice P Day route we usually take and it goes a
little something like this... 1. 360 Thrift.. A nice little Thrift
Shop that missionaries get half off.  2. The Bread store... Where
missionaries get free bread. 3. 1/2 Books, where we look at old
books 4. Ross 5. Car Wash. Well... I have had my eyes open for a blue
suit since I started thrift shopping on the mission. And last P Day,
even though I was sick as a dog (fever for days), The Lord blessed me
and I found my blue suit. I left 360 with a new blue suit with pink pin
stripes, and a Donald Trump tie all for $7. And this morning I left
360 with shoes and a new belt for $3. I'm just really grateful.

Me and Elder Crookston have been battling illness the last couple of
weeks. We have had to take a break from the ravishing workouts but we
hope to be back on the train sometime this week. I hate being sick on
the mission! We've had to take it a little slower this week and it's
been trying my patience but it's all good.

The Toro Zone is doing great. This Saturday we reached our Zone Goal
of 5 baptisms for January. Our zone has been picking it up, especially
the Mesa East Stake! The wards are really taking over with the work.
We went out with the Priests on Wednesday and we had the Ward members
telling us who to visit. It was awesome to see some initiative.

Me and Elder Crookston both got to talk in sacrament meeting. We each
took twenty minutes and then Bishop Kunz spoke for about five. I got
to speak on Faith. I took a really different approach. I spent all
week studying faith, different aspects of it. Filling up my well I
guess you could say. And then... I went up there and relied fully upon
the Spirit. Obviously I had some ideas about what I wanted to say but
I really let the Spirit guide. It was super hard and I'm pretty sure
half my talk was I repeated myself a ton but I learned a
lot from the Spirit!  It is such a blessing to know that we can increase
our faith in the Savior and as we do so we desire to become like Him.
To repent and become better.

I also got to go on an exchanges with the old assistant, Elder
A......... He is from New Zealand but it ends up he played for
Highland rugby and lived pretty darn close to us. He is a really good
missionary and taught me a lot about the work and about how to play
rugby haha.

The Gospel is very true.
Well I best be going. We need to go get some detergent. Love you.

Sent from my iPad

First time no e-mail this week.

Jan 20, 2014

"The 2nd Mile"

Jan 13, 2014
Your baby is 20. Read it and weep. The birthday went pretty well,

I got the package and I loved that tie! You're getting quite the eye for paisley's.

As you know Elder Holland didn't show.... But the meeting was still great

and I got to see Elder Keeler, Elder Corbridge, Elder Armatage, Elder
Stockdale, and Luke Van Skyhawk!! The man that talked was Elder Wright
from the 6th quorum of the 70. He said that he compared his taking
over for Elder Holland was like buying a ticket to the Beatles and

then having the Dixie Chix show up haha. He was a good sport and did

really well. He even showed a video clip from Elder Holland speaking about 

how the mission should change people's lives, and how you shouldn't go back

to what you were before your mission and that we need to be continually fortifying 

ourselves. Other than the meeting we just did good ol missionary work!

Found out that we get to go to the Gilbert Temple open house once, I'm stoked.

I was thinking of Grandma yesterday and I met some people in my ward that 

lived in Price that think they know her! Pretty neat.

On Tuesday we had Zone Training Meeting, which is basically District
Meeting but with the whole Zone. We focused on faith and repentance. I
gave a training called "The 2nd Mile" that Dan taught me about. I
basically talked about the times when The Lord withholds His blessings
for the first stretch of obedience, or the 1st mile, and then releases
them once we have struggled through that and we break through into the
2nd mile filled with blessings. Basically The Lord lets us prove
ourselves and we are blessed since we are more capable to endure.
It went pretty well.

Your lesson you taught in Gospel Doctrine, we did in another Zone training 

meeting about the council in heaven. We practiced making the decision to 

follow Christ and come to earth. We weren't sure how it was going to work 

out but we tried it and it went really well. As we did it, I was trying to convince

someone acting like they were on the fence that following Christ is what they 

needed to do. There was somebody trying to argue Satan's idea and I thought

about how much easier his idea sounded. He probably made it sound like 

everyone would automatically win. But God promised us all that we would hear of Christ.

We all have the chance to return to Him, He promised it! It really hit me.

We had interviews with Pres. On Wednesday and it went pretty well. I
love that man! I don't know if I told you but my favorite part of
being a Zone Leader thus far is getting to know him better. He is full
of a lot of wisdom and he is pretty darn funny too. We think he might
dye his hair but don't tell anyone that.

Lastly me and Elder C--- did this workout Friday morning...
Basically what you do is go all out for 20 seconds and rest for 10
seconds for 12 minutes straight. We alternated between push ups, pull
ups, crunches, and squats. It was rough. For our warm up we biked
about a mile to a members house and biked back after. Basically... I
literally threw up 6 times. And I almost passed out when we got home.
The room started spinning and then I fell back into the wall. Luckily
I was in the bathroom and proceeded to upchuck for a couple minutes
until I felt all better. But we are going back for some more tomorrow!
Haha, I even bought some protein today.

Well I love you a whole lot. I've been studying ACTS lately. I want to

read the whole New Testament since you and Dad are. I really have

been learning a lot about what it means to stand as a witness of
Christ. Peter is becoming my hero. So many people threatened him on so
many occasions but all he did was preach, preach, preach no matter
what. There was one time when they were before the Sanhedrin and they
got beaten... But! They talked about how blessed they were to be
counted worthy to be beaten for Christ's name. And it's true! We are
so blessed to get denied everyday. Obviously I don't want to be denied
but I feel so honored to be shamed in His name.

Well... That's about it! Hope you're not frozen yet. 

Love, Elder Alexander

Sent from my iPad

God continues to put us in situations that make us stretch and grow.

January 6, 2014
We went on some good P Day adventures today. It was a hoot. I got myself some

early birthday presents. Can you believe it, your baby will be 20! I got the package today,

I'm actually at the office a lot more now taking care of some stuff for the Zone so I may

get mail a little quicker, if I catch it on the right days!

That's cool that you are all getting together, tell everyone that I
say hello and I look up to their boys. Wait some chicken tortilla soup
in my behalf and a grilled cheese with pesto!

The new responsibilities are going pretty well to this point!  But I'm liking it! It 

really shows that God continues to put us in situations that make us stretch and grow.

 Whenever I start to get complacent The Lord throws me something a whole lot bigger than me.  

I survived my first week in the car. There were a few close calls but
nonetheless I arose victorious. I can hardly remember Monday and
Tuesday... It seems like that was so long ago. I do remember that we
rode in Brother K-- (the Ward Mission Leader in the Monument
Ward) car. He has a Shelby Cobra... That thing is ridiculously fast. I
missed the new year since we were in bed by 1030 but that's ok.

On Wednesday I was united with my newest victim, Elder C---. He
is from Denver, he has been a Zone Leader for three months, and he
goes home in two transfers. We are still in the get to know you stage
but he is pretty legit. Super funny and really cares about people

which rules. I'm super stoked to be with Elder C----- because he feels 

like he has really figured things out and he is ready to go. These last few

 months are going to be his best, He is teaching me a ton!  We sat through

 transfer meeting which lasted from 10 until 12  and afterwards we changed

 into our non Proselyting attire. I don't remember if I told you but President planned an 

all day New Years party. We had lunch and then we played field games for a few

hours. After that each of the Zones were given a scripture story to
reenact in three minutes. We had Moses parting the Red Sea so we had
Elder A---- (from NZ) be Moses and he parted the Red Sea by doing
the Hakka. It was pretty sweet. After that we had dinner and cleaned
up. The rest of the night was spent making sure that our Zone was all
settled in and everyone knew where to go.

On Thursday we had Missionary Leadership Council. This is where all of
the Zone Leaders, Sister Training Leaders, AP's, and president get
together. As Zone Leaders we each are accountable for the amount of
baptisms are zone had for the past month, and how we tried to
accomplish it. We also set an inspired goal for January and three ways
we want to accomplish it. Our goal for our Zone is 5. The three things
we are focusing on are making sure that our missionaries understand
the principles of faith & repentance, they are teaching it, and living
it. We also want to make sure that the missionaries build up their
Wards to sustain the work they do, so it doesn't just die when the
missionaries get transferred. Lastly we are putting an increased

emphasis on accountability to ensure that we are being accountable to the Lord.

After MLC we called an emergency Zone Meeting for Friday where me and
Elder C---- laid it down. We basically told everyone that we have
immense potential in our Zone but in order to reach it we must be
clean so that The Lord can trust us. It was with a lot of love though

and the Spirit was definitely there. It has been awesome to have so many

awesome missionaries to pray about.

We've already had to plan about four meetings... Haha. It's been
really fun though. Tomorrow we have Zone Training Meeting and we feel
that it will be pretty good. We made one assignment and the Sister
told us that she had been thinking about what we assigned her to talk
on for a couple weeks! The Lord has definitely helped us out.

We had some excitement on Sunday. One of the Elders in our Zone ran
away in the middle of the night! President called us in the morning to
let us know. Luckily he turned up again and I'm super happy because
after talking to President he decided to stay.

My new area is in the Mesa East Stake in the 34th Ward. It's kind of
dead right now. It's a lot like my first area. Basically we have
awesome members but they are pretty apathetic towards missionary work.
It's just not a priority. But seeing as we only cover their Ward now
they better jump on it! I'm excited though. We ate dinner with an
investigator, O---, and his wife last night. She made us Wassacaca
and Empanadas... She's Venezuelan. It was heaven. So good, I can't
even explain it.

Well, I better get going. Thank you for the birthday wish and package.

They have a birthday party planned and Jeffery R. Holland will be there!

I'm really grateful for all of the support! Wish me luck tomorrow, I'm
going to have the AP tagging along with me all day!

Love you all!

Sent from my iPad