12-30-2012

Message from the ward missionary leader Elder Kopher

Your son is being transferred! We will miss him so much in the Pioneer
Ward. He is doing great and in good health! Hardest working missionary
we have ever had! Congrats!

 

 

 

 

December 10, 2012



Baptism of George Kemp 

 

 

Rashad and Elder Taylor

So P-Hours on Monday came and went and we played pool and decorated the apartment for Christmas and then we went out to work. We started to tract and when we got out of the car, I saw this girl who was walking back from working out and I went up to go say hi to her, but she turned around and screamed in my face, "NO!!!!!! stay away!!" I was dumbfounded because she took off running and apparently thought that we were people who were trying to cause her harm. I tried to gently yell at her, "We just want to talk is all!" but by the time I managed to get that out, she was already up three flights of stairs screaming her head off, running into her apartment. So Elder Clawson and I just looked at each other and shrugged and kept walking. Then we started to knock doors and it was way cool because on the fifth door that we knocked on, we were let in. We left our peace and blessing with him and then started to teach him about the message that we so eagerly share with people. He was pretty stoked to hear it. So he invited us back on Thursday. Anyways more about him later.
So Tuesday for the most part was a normal missionary day out tracting and IQ'ing and getting rejected, it was even quite boring, no real fun stories to tell. Then that evening we received a referral from Lexington-Downtown Spanish and the name of the referral was Shawndelle. They had run into her like four or five times and finally on the last time, she said that she would listen to missionaries again, and since she lives in our area, they referred her to us. So we got the referral and they explained a little bit about her and nothing really stood out to me, but it should have because when we contacted her the next day, she ended up being one of my old investigators from Elizabeth-town. I had no clue what to say. She just started laughing and smiled and said, "God works in mysterious ways." So to make a long story short, in E-Town she had struggled with the priesthood and the necessity for it. She had accepted the Book of Mormon as the word of God, but that was about it. She didn't see why we had to Book of Mormon, so she basically dropped us after a few weeks. So we get there on Wednesdays and start teaching her and I upfront was bold about it and brought all her concerns to the front, to see if they were still the same. So we retaught her the restoration and more concerns surfaced, but the priesthood was still the main one. So on Thursday we went back and she seemed more humble this time, so I was like God has shown you a sign, "so pray about the priesthood and then you will get your answer." So she prayed about it, and we left and then we later found out that not five minutes after we left, she got her answer. So she is also set for baptism on Jan 5.

Now back to the investigator that we found on Monday. So we saw him on Thursday and set a soft baptismal date for Jan-19 and he accepted, and he even invited his roommate to listen to us. So he is so ready, but unfortunately or fortunately (I'm not sure which) him and his roommate are 19 years old and so we won’t be able to teach him more. We have to refer him to the UK Singles Missionaries who are over the singles ward who teach people from the ages of 18-30 who are eligible to go to the Singles ward, so who are single, and don't have a kid.  Then to close off the week, yesterday we had a Christmas Nativity activity that the entire community was welcome to come to. So we had a ton of non-members there and we had like 20 missionaries just trying to pick people apart.... It didn't work very well. Apparently they still like to reject us, even when they are on our turf. I hope that at least a few of them felt the spirit. Love you all! Elder Taylor

Elder Taylor trying on skinny jeans!

Elder Taylor, Elder Whoel, Elde Castenda, and Elder St. Martin

 

November 24, 2012

Hey family!!
So just a quick update, I am staying!! ahhhhhhhh!!!! I don't know if that is a good thing or a bad thing. I won't give up no matter where I am at though. So I will be here in Lexington for at least 9 months!! That is so crazy, but I love the ward here and the people so I am grateful. I am also thankful to president for allowing me to stay.  Also yesterday at church we had 4 investigators come. That is a record high for me, being that they were all my investigators that I have been working with. I have had 4 before, but two of them were just random show-ups.  . So they weren't really ones that I had been working with closely. I still am working with mike.  Anyways, it was a tender mercy of the Lord to see that much success. Oh yeah and also Elder Woehl is leaving. That’s crazy, so much has happened, and I have seen three missionaries leave, and I will see three missionaries come in. I guess I haven't finished my work here in Lexington.  But yeah just an update, my ankle is doing well, this morning we went and played some basketball and I actually scored like 12 points, so I am able to have some pretty good mobility in it. Also we have a few dinner appointments for Thanksgiving so that will be fun!! Oh yeah just a funny side note, so I counted my tie collection yesterday and I have over 75 ties.... haha I really enjoy trading ties..... :) so sorry this is a short letter, but I am running out of time. I will send you all some photos next week. I am grateful for you all and I love you!!

Elder Taylor and Elder Woehl, Bishop and Son

Elder Taylor and Pastor Mike

November 12, 2012

So you will have to forgive me for lack of fun stories this week, but I do however have a pretty neat testimony building experience. So Friday was a day just jammed packed with a spiritual feast and president came out with this amazing way to tract (which I will explain later) and so we were stoked then on Friday night I had to give a baptismal interview for the Zone Leaders investigator who was set to be baptized on Saturday. During the interview something felt off but however he was answering all the questions to the best of his ability and he was passing off all of them. He was saying all the right answers (except he didn't know what tithing was or who the prophet was, but I explained it to him and he said he would commit to love the law of tithing and follow the prophet so he passed those questions off as well). So I finished up "interviewing" him and for some reason I just couldn't bring myself to tell him that he was ready for baptism. See I had an internal struggle because I kept telling myself that who am I to hold someone back from baptism and then to tell him the reason "I am holding you back from baptism because you answered all of the questions right but I don't think you have a strong enough testimony." That would kind of be a horrible excuse because who am I to judge how strong someone’s testimony is, and then to downgrade his small flicker of flame to tell him that his flame isn't big enough. I was like, "why am I feeling this way!!! it’s just my head getting in the way" So I about told him that he was passed for baptism, but right as I was opening my mouth to tell him that, a thought came that this is a spiritual prompting and I know it is and if this is a spiritual prompting and I go against it then I would offend God for going against his will. So I just sat there for about 2 mins thinking of how I would tell him this, and he looked at me a little funny. So to make the silence a little less awkward he took my planner and started to ask me the baptismal questions. He asked me what it means to repent and so I bore my testimony about the repentance process and how we need to repent through the atonement. He asked me a few more questions and then he gave me back my planner and commented on what I said. (Here is where the Lord answers our prayers. After we have been tested and have made up our mind, we have taken that leap of faith and trust the Lord to see us through). As he was commenting on remarks, he said something that stood out to me and I knew that the decision I was about to tell him was the right thing. It was as if the Lord told me what to listen for and how to listen for it. He didn't really say much that would have given it away, but I know that the Lord highlighted about five words that he said, and as soon as he said those words I knew exactly why I was telling him he wasn't ready for baptism. So I asked him a few more questions and those questions just told me more so what the Lord had already told me. So it was confirmed, we are holding off his baptism for a few weeks.

Well, we went into Saturday with just high hopes, and high hopes it was. We were able to find a really neat family from Africa. They didn't understand anything we were saying, but we tried to explain (it took about 20 mins to explain this, practically playing charades with them) that we could get someone who speaks Swahili to come back with us to teach them. And we left a Book of Mormon in Swahili with them and they read the Introduction and invited us back. So we will hope and pray for them, and that we can match up schedules with our brother who speaks Swahili.
It is awesome how much the Lord is really hastening the work. They have said that by march the number of missionaries out in the field will go from 58,000 to 100,000. How crazy is that! The average ward will have two pairs of missionaries in it. (Exception being Utah, Idaho, and few other western states) It is amazing to see the hand of the Lord go forward at such a rapid pace and it is a blessing to live in these days to help out our fellow brothers and sisters.
Love you all family!!
Elder Taylor

October 15, 2012

Well this last week has been a tiring one, but to say the least, it’s been a rewarding one. We actually ended up getting a car on Tuesday, and so now we are in a hybrid area. We still bike for most of the days, but for those far places that we have to travel we use the car. We have been able to accomplish much more being in a car.
So Yesterday I was blessed to be able to give a talk on missionary work. I got the call on Friday and was expected to talk on Sunday, so it was pretty fun preparing for this talk, because missionary work is what I live and breathe and eat nowadays. It was way fun preparing for it. Also having the chance to talk also opened up more doors for missionary opportunities. So on Friday we got the call that I was talking, and as you know every Friday we go down to a soup kitchen to a non-denominational church and serve food there. The preacher down at that church and I have become really good friends. He still gives me some flack about "John Smith" as he calls him and the three levels of heaven saying, "if I do this then will I be in the top level of heaven or the bottom level of heaven," but other than that we have been able to become close. So on Friday when we were in the middle of serving the food I told him that I was giving a talk and I invited him to come and listen to me speak. The conversation went something like this. At first when he heard that church started at nine in the morning he said, "no way man, I have to work night shift from 11 to 6, so I can't get back up that early and go to church.  Maybe if it started at 12 or something." All I said was come on mike, and he sat there didn't say much for about 10 minutes and then, "Well I will ask the big man upstairs." "So if he says yes then you will come?" I question. "Duh" he replies. "Good." Then I turned to Elder Savage (another missionary in our zone who also helps out at the soup kitchen) and whispered "alright we will see him there." We both had a pretty good chuckle afterwards, just hoping that he would listen to Heavenly Father. So right before we are done the preacher turns to me and was like, "You know I will pick you apart right if I come?" "You can try" I replied. "Alright I will." So we ended like that and on the way out I looked at him and was like, so we will see you on Sunday, and walked out. So Sunday morning rolls around and he gives us a call at 8:30. "Man I can't come, I just barely got home from work, and there is no way that I will be able to make it through without falling asleep." so basically he called and cancelled. Elder Woehl and I were pretty bummed out. So driving to church (mind you we have a new car now! ;)) He gave us a call back and was basically like, alright this doesn't feel right, I can't turn back from what I said that I was going to do, that would be hypocritical of me. So as soon as I heard that he was really going to come, my nerves surfaced. Up until this time I was extremely calm and ready to give this talk. As soon as I heard that I would be under pressure and every word I would say he would try to tear it apart, I decided that I would have to bring my "A" game and bear nothing but pure and simple truths. So I started my process of getting my nerves under control, and unfortunately nothing would work, also remember that I was still fasting for George and felt even weaker at this point. So we got to church and 9:00 rolled around and in walks the preacher. I walked up to him and gave him a hug and thanked him for being there. So during the sacrament I was just praying that everything would be good and would work out, and that the spirit would be there. So Elder Woehl gave his talk first, and it was about 3 mins. Then it was my turn. I got up there and gave my talk, and during the talk I felt the calm assurance of the spirit. I also felt him amplifying my talents and my speaking ability. It was pretty cool. I also felt that due to fasting, my head was clear and words that would normally choke me up flowed smooth. I gave about a 12 min talk and then after sacrament meeting, I walked up to the preacher and thanked him for coming. He said that it was good and he felt uplifted. He said that he was glad that he came. A few hours later as Elder Woehl and I were out working he gave us a call and thanked us for the talks that we shared. I asked him, "So is there anything you want to pick apart?" "No buddy, I actually just sat back and enjoyed the talk immensely. I appreciate you and the service that you all render a little bit more now." So it was a small miracle that we experienced, but it might go miles down the road. Who knows? 
I love you family!!
Love Elder Taylor

October 8, 2012



Dear Family,

Elder Woehl, Elder Taylor, and Elder Johnson

This week was a pretty good week. We are starting to become pretty solid in regards to having investigators be there at our appointments, as well we ended up getting two to General Conference. One of which was George. He is doing a great job. He doesn't have a testimony yet, but he recognizes the importance of obedience and does everything we ask, so it will only be a matter of time. It also will be up to us how well we teach him. We are starting to see many, many tender mercies of the Lord and as such it is giving us such a push to do better. It also is pushing us to become better teachers and missionaries. After yesterday I determined I can't ever take a play off. Or in other words, I can't ever go through the motions and expect me to change lives. I can't ever approach someone on the street and not give them the best chance possible to accept what I have to give them. In order to change lives, I have to change. I have to be on my best game every second of the day. Not just when teaching, but when tracking, when street contacting, when giving service, when studying and praying. It’s hard because sometimes I fall into a rut. I think "hey, that approach worked last time, so let’s use it this time", but that should not be the case. We all are different, so what this last person needed to hear may be completely different than what this next person needs to hear. Yet we are all children of God and as such we all have needs and wants that can only be filled by the fullness of the gospel, and so there will always be something that I can say that will catch their attention or that the spirit will carry it straight to their heart. So that was something that I came out with for a new resolution.
So much has happened this week and yet I can't remember any of it. Well I do remember one story. There was this like 20 year old kid who I approached on like Tuesday and in many unspeakable words he told me what he thought of me and where I should go. So I was like, "well dangit, that hurt." so we saw him the next day and I approached him again, and once again he sent me away with many harsh words. (I even think he made up some.) Then guess what, we saw him again on Thursday, and so what do I do? approach him again, but only this time I took a tactful approach to it. I went riding towards him and he saw me and was about to start yelling, but I stopped short and talked a young lady like 10 feet away from him. So I talked to this girl for about 30 seconds, and I looked up and he was still standing there. So I said something along these lines "hello sir." and he replied, "look your just trying to mess with me, so stop it" I replied, "No I am not, we talk to so many people, I can recall your face but I don't know from where." "I am the one from yesterday" he replied. "Oh yes I remember. Look, we just stop and talk to people. We will go on our way please excuse me, but before I go could I get a name just to say a friendly hello." He sat there for about three minutes and I could tell there was a war going on in his mind. But he finally gave in "names mike." So to top it off, the very next day I was off talking to another person, and Elder Woehl was sitting waiting for me to finish and Mike walked on by. Elder Woehl said hello, and then as fast as he could speak said, "Mike do you like basketball?" So it caught mikes attention and so he invited mike to play some basketball today. So we will see if he shows, but nevertheless. My testimony was strengthened in the power of long suffering and perseverance. Also people seem all big and bad on the outside, but on the inside they are just as vulnerable and need love as the next person. Also silent persuasion goes a long way. They may not know how important our message is, but we do, and that is all that matters for the present time. Then we have the charge to explain to them, in the few seconds that we get to talk to them, the importance and the urgency of our message. Our call is to bring the vastness and importance of eternity and simplify it so as to allow the spirit to carry it to their hearts.
So we got transfer calls yesterday, and I got word that I am staying for another 6 weeks. So I will be here until mid way through November. Its intense and it pushes me and forces me to have faith, because when you get to a point where you like, "I have rode these streets over 100 times," I have already knocked on this door," it really pushes you to the test to keep moving forward with faith that the Lord will provide. I LOVED elder Holland’s talk! It is close to the same one that he gave to missionaries in the MTC two January's ago. Only he changed it to missionary work and how we should NEVER go back and be the same person. We signed up, and so we signed up forever. Elder Shaffer burnt me a copy of the talk and I have been listening to it on and off for about 8 months now, and yesterday when he talked, he hit a home run. It was amazing. I have studied the story of Peter on and off and I have grown to love the story of Peter and the example that he was to the early vulnerable saints after Christ's time. Well family I love you so much! Tell the family that I say hi and tell dad to get better!
Love you! Elder Taylor

 It's Run for the Roses as fast as you Can!!

You'll  Never Catch Elder Taylor Riding a Horse In Arco! 

                                                       

October 7, 2001

So this week has been an explosive week. I'm excited, anxious, and nervous for this next week to come. Already this morning we had a lesson with a guy who came to church yesterday (not George. His name is Jay). It went well and he is so ready to be baptized, but he has a few hurdles to hurdle (that always seems to be the case with me) but he has to find a job, get married, find a house, and then quit smoking. He has his little family with a girlfriend a two year old kid. The little kid is the cutest thing. He just sits there and talks gibberish just to hear his own voice. But anyways Its nerve racking because we have to be on our A game because the Lord has given us all of these tender mercies and we have to continually take care of them, and grow by grace, so that Justice will keep on being in debt to us, and the Lord will continue on blessing us. It’s harder work to sit down and find out what the grater needs than to go and knock 500 doors. Also I hate tracking. It’s the biggest waste of time ever but It’s good because it builds character and I have gotten most of my stories from tracking. So yesterday George did show up to church, and he is doing great. We are trying to move up his baptismal date. We aren't set on one yet, but he could do it as early as this Sunday in between sessions. So that would be a miracle if we pulled that off. But its his baptism and we don't want to rush him. I just have a feeling I might be getting transferred this next week and so if it doesn't happen this Sunday then I will miss it.
So we get fed pretty often here. At least three times a week. It’s a pretty good ward in regards to taking care of missionaries.
Oh yeah so this last week I crashed my bike pretty good. Like really good. We went over into the North Area and there is this really awesome jump there and so I went off the jump and pulled too hard on the handles and so the whole bike was twisted in the air as I was coming down I came down on my front tire way weird and the tire caught the ground and I landed flat on my handle bars. It was a fun crash. Luckily I didn't get hurt, so next time I go into the North Area I can hit the jump even harder.
So how is the Taylor and the Dance side doing? Grandpa emailed me and said that Alivias walk for cancer or something like that was this last week. That is so cool. Glad that she is almost over and done with it.
Well that is about all I have to write this week. I am wet and cold (Its pouring right now) and so its pretty fun riding out in the rain. Stay strong and continue on building up your testimonies until it will grow brighter and brighter until the perfect day :)
Love ya!
Elder Taylor