July 7, 2013

Happy Independence Day!

Hey family :). This last week has been hectic and I have been frantically trying to scramble around this morning to get some of the reports that are due for tomorrow done. So this letter may seemed a little rushed, and thats OK if it does, because I am:)

So this last week we went on two exchanges and I stayed in E-town for both of them and worked with the missionaries from their areas, and Elder Anderson went to Sulpher Well and worked in E-town North's area.  It's super weird sometimes I feel like I know how to do missionary work and then sometimes I feel like the Lord humbles me and we just have a day full of strike-outs. Well that was just the case on both of the exchanges that we went on... Strike outs right and left. It was great though because I was able to teach the missionaries what to do if you strike out... you keep trying even if you do strike out.

So our family that we are working with is doing great! They are being fellowshipped into the ward and they are set for the 13th. I'm so excited for them! Last week we had FHE with them again and I felt at home for the first time in months. It was great. Their daughter is awesome, she is like memorizing all of the articles of faith and everything. They are just super solid and definitely kingdom builders. Well family, I love you all so much.  I love you all!!

 

Love Elder Taylor

This is my Awesome District in E-Town!

June 24, 2013

Hi everyone,

You asked my about the broadcast on missionary work that was broadcast- yeah we heard that the broadcast last night was amazing, and I'm actually watching it right now as we speak. Last night Elder Anderson and I weren't able to watch it because we were actually up on Ft. Knox teaching. I am looking forward to what was announced during the broadcast and hearing about it. So Ft. Knox went a little bit better this last week. There were like 7 people there and one of them was a non-member. So we have officially got a new investigator from Ft. Knox. So we will just keep plugging away up there on Ft.Knox.  So the family that we are working with is doing amazing!! We had an FHE with them last Monday and they absolutely loved it. We played charades with them and it from the scriptures. Their date is set for July 13th and they are so ready to be baptized. They are solid. Now what we have to do is to pray and continue teaching them and keep them away from the adversary.

I had a pretty good birthday. I really loved my present. Elder Anderson and I played with my toys, a little bit too much when we first got them. I really loved the small blueish dude. I named him Ooalala OoLavaley. It means cute, cuddly, and crazy in the Sumoan language. I went on an exchange over to Radcliff on my birthday and they are working with a Sumoan family and so I asked them how to say those words and they told me, so that's what I named him. The reason why is because he is cute and cuddly, but also he is crazy with the lights. Thank you! :).

In Elder’s Quorum we had a lesson on forgiveness and love and it hit home. Forgiving someone is like a muscle, the more you exercise it, and the easier it becomes to forgive people and their trespasses. It's truly a blessing because sometimes I feel like I get stuck in a rut or become overly confident in myself, but then Heavenly Father sends me a trial and it humbles me and reminds me who I am and who I depend on and because of it, it allows me to move forward. 

Love you Family!

Elder Taylor

June 17, 2013

You probably heard that my official release date from my mission is Sept 4^th.  So yes I am still going to be going strong. There is so much to do, that 3 months still seems forever away. We are still working with our family and they are doing great! They have a date set for July 13th and that is a really solid date. They already consider themselves part of the church.  They have changed so much already. It has been a real tender mercy being able to work with them. I do have a short time left, but I still feel like there is a lot that's on the verge of happening. So I will just work my hardest and see what the Lord can do in my life and in the life's of others :)  Here are some pictures of the people I am currently serving with.

 

 

Something that isn't good though, is lately I have been itching a ton. The humidity and the heat is just torching my skin and at night it takes me forever to fall asleep because I'm itching everywhere. I don't have a rash, but my skin just itches. So I might have a doctor visit or something to figure out how to stop itching. The only way that I can get the itching to stop is to drench my body in the anti-itch lotion. That helps a lot, but I'm almost out of it, so I will have to buy some more.

June 10, 2013

I got news on Saturday that I am going to stay here in E-town for another transfer. I am hoping that I can adequately express how I feel. So this is going to be way crazy. A reason why I am stoked about it, is because I will get to see the family we have been working with  be baptized. I am stoked about this upcoming transfer because FT. Knox is opening up this Sunday. So basically what it is,is  for the summer they are bringing back basic training to FT. Knox. It's a little different than basic training, but its new people in the military coming to FT. Knox for training. So what it’s going to consist of is on Wednesday and Sunday nights, Elder Anderson and I will be going up to FT. Knox and teaching a group of young military people. It’s a class that they can take and so it’s almost like the perfect finding and teaching model, because they come to us because they are looking for something in their life, and also they want to get away from the training regimen for a few hours for religion. So we will be teaching a class of like 10 to 30 people every Wednesday and Sunday. Since they are in the military we will be able to teach and baptize them within a month because they should be living the Word of Wisdom and the Law of Chastity. So it’s kind of nerve racking, but it’s reassuring because Bro. Byrnes specifically asked for Elder Anderson and I to come and teach the class. So I am actually pretty happy that I am staying. I might actually die off here in E-town so I should change my mission plaque to the E-town, Lexington mission. So yeah that's going to be a blast.

Love Elder Taylor

May 13th

It was great to hear from you! I really enjoyed it and it was exactly what I needed. I'm sorry mom for getting on you for calling me a spiritual giant. I thank you for the recognition, but I have a hard time seeing myself as that because I see so many other weaknesses and flaws. Also I have a hard time accepting compliments. So thank you.

So the family that I told you about that almost dropped us. Yeah they are back on track! Last night after I got off the call we went over to their house and we sat down and started talking to them. We also brought the relief society president over and she is such a saint. They just clicked. We started to teach and the husband even came in and sat down and listened to us. It was a really spiritual lesson and the entire time my heart was just bursting with prayer in their behalf because I realized that this lesson could have been either a make or a break one. So the entire time we were teaching I was basically crying out in my head for Heavenly Fathers help and acceptance of what we were teaching them. It was amazing. Now they are back on track of investigating and we think stronger than before. They don't have a baptismal date yet, but they know that is our first goal for them.

Also today we will be playing basketball with an investigator, so that is exciting.

 Love ya family!!

Elder Taylor



Went to Indiana to get a portable Baptismal Font

 

May 6th

Captain Moroni, AKA Elder Taylor

Recent Baptism

So to be completely honest, I am having a hard remembering what we did this last week. The mission truly does seem like the days feel like years, the weeks feel like months, the months feel like weeks, and the years feel like days. No we didn't have a baptism this last week, but we are starting to gear up for some future success. If things go great we could have 4 baptisms at the first of June. But if not there will be at least 8 baptisms coming up in the next 4 months that Elder Anderson and I found and started teaching. We have 6 investigators in our teaching pool are really progressing well, and two other gators are having a hard time reading and stuff, but they have felt the spirit and want more of it. You can just tell the look that they have in their eyes when we come over. They want more, they just aren't quite willing to act on it yet, but they will.

So let me tell you a story that has been going on for about a month now. Its about an Inactive part-member family. A little bit of background on this family is that he grew up Mormon and he fell away at like 16. So he went off to the Army at 18 and he has had to go through two deployments to Afghanistan and through it all, he has lost all but a little strand of faith and he really doesn't want anything to do with God. He married his wife who is catholic and they have four sons. So here is where we come into the picture. We knocked on his door and did our little approach and he told us that he used to be Mormon but he politely told us that he doesn't want to have anything to do with us. So I asked if we could at least leave the Savior's peace and blessing on his home through prayer. So he agreed. We said the prayer and afterwards we offered to do any service that he needs and I could tell that flipped a small switch in his head. He declined and so we left.... but we came back to him and his family again, and again, and again. The first few times were a bit rough because they didn't really know why we kept showing up and so it was a little awkward, but the more we came back the more he started opening up. His wife was down right closed off to us, but this last time we stopped by his wife was sitting out in the garage and we had a really good talk with her, she invited us in. We helped him with some of his plumbing, and it was cool afterwards they asked us to teach their kids... So we are now teaching their kids, and she is even somewhat interested. So good things are coming from them as well.

It was funny while we were doing the plumbing he started to cut some of the pipe with an electric blade and it started to shake a lot, so he asked me to hold the above and below where he was cutting, and I did. As he cut through the first bit of pipe there was still water in it, and it squirted me right in the face. He looked at me and asked if I was good I nodded and so he went to town on the pipe. It was awesome my arms were vibrating hardcore and water was spraying me in the face... I had a flash back of getting drug behind Coach Andersons boat having water splash me in the face.

Well I love you family!

Elder Taylor

April 28th

So this last was extremely crazy!  we had a little mini MTC for the youth and basically what it is, is we are paired up with a young man and we take him around to classes on Friday and then we take them out with us on Saturday. We had 26 missionaries in Elizabethtown for Friday and Saturday and we had to find over 40 appointments for all the missionaries and the young lads to go to. So we spent the entire week trying to find LA's and investigators who would be able to help us out. But I was with two young Deacons who taught me a lot. One of the kids his name was Spencer and he was only 12 but he could have already been a missionary, he was that prepared. As we were teaching on Saturday, he was able to explain the great apostasy clearer than I have ever heard it be explained... it completely blew me away. Yeah anyways that was fun on Friday evening we stayed up till 12 and then woke up at 4:45 to go and play some basketball, and it was so fun, but afterwards I was completely tuckered out!

By the way, after holding those snakes, I have really contemplated getting one. The python was completely harmless (until it saw a mice then it broke its little body, it was crazy) but feeding it and everything costs so much, so I will have to wait a little bit for a snake haha. I almost listened to it when it told me to partake of the fruit, but I pulled back at the last second.

 Love You!!

Elder Taylor

Deacons helping Elder Taylor become even a better Missionary!

 

Nathan doing the Haka!

Met up with Elder Johnson at the Mini MTC Conference