Week 3 - November 28, 2011

Hi everyone,

Well, last week was Thanksgiving, and let me tell you, I'm surprised I don't weight 500 pounds. The member here are so nice to us, and we ended up seeing four different families that day! It was lots of fun. First we visited Renee and her family around noon. She married the guy she was living with (who was an inactive member) and got baptized when Elder S first got to the area about 7 or 8 months ago. Well, it turns out they're getting a divorce. Which is sad, right? But listen to how cool she is. They had been taking temple prep classes to go be sealed. Well, just because she isn't going to be sealed, doesn't mean she can't go through the temple! So she's still taking the classes to go through in a few months. She's way excited about the church, and won't let a divorce shake her up. You go, Renee!

Us with Renee. She's so cool!

We were so stuffed with food already (and leftovers in the car), and went on over to the Johnson's. They have a beautiful big lot on the outskirts of Frankfort. The food wasn't ready, so we jumped on the trampoline and ran around with their kids in their big old field out their back door. We had another appointment to go to, so we ended up not eating there because they were really behind. But Sister Johnson had made us each an individual pie, so we told them we'd come back later.

Then we went over to the Christenson's house. They are so cool. They are both in their early 30s, both had previous marriages. But they found each other, live way out in the middle of no where in a really pretty house, and are always managing the chaos of the 6 kids that they have (blended family, of course). I want to be them someday, because all they do is laugh and smile, even when the kids are screaming or stealing food, etc. We played Thanksgiving Bingo with them, and when you won, you got a homemade hotpad -- you know, one of those bags of rice you microwave and then throw in your bed or on your back. I haven't used mine yet, but I'm so excited about it!

The Christenson's. They rock.

My awesome hotpad from Sister Christenson. I haven't used it yet, but I'm way excited!

Then we went to the Lilly's. We were so stuffed with food that we just packed up some plates for leftovers. We hung out a little bit, and then went back to the Johnson's for our pies. We chatted with them for a while and then went home. It was a good day. President called it a "non-proselyting day," which basically means hang out. So we did.

The other big news this week is that on Saturday, Jubileo was baptized! Shalonda was supposed to be baptized too, but we found out she smokes, so we set a date for her in December so she has time to quit. But Jubileo was so excited to get baptized and become an official member of the ward. Elder S told me I was going to baptize him. I didn't ask or anything, he just wanted me to have the experience early on, so I said okay! Haha. The water in the font was cold, but that's okay. It was funny. I had to say the words three times, because it was in Spanish, but I only had to dunk him once, and I think that's better. Haha. It was good to see how excited he was for this, and he really is excited about being a member. 

Us with Jubileo! The other kid's name is Yunior.

Church was good yesterday. I really love this ward, and it's kind of sad to think that at some point I'll leave. The church just came out with at 12 week training program in August, so I'm probably going to be here until I'm done with that, but after the training is over, it's possible I'll move. President said most newbies don't get moved for the first two or three transfers, but you never know. Elder S will probably be here with me at least until the training is over. He'd like to stay here until he finishes in April, but he thinks he'll move, since he's been here so long. But the members love him, and I think they can really see how hard he works.

This week we spent the night in Frankfort with the Elders there for 3 or 4 nights, because we can't waste miles driving from Versailles to Frankfort everyday. It was fun to hang out with other Elders, but at the same time, it was really nice to get back to our apartment. It's cleaner, nicer, etc. We had been up there partly because of baptism preparations for Jubileo, but also because one Elder, I'll just call him Elder X, has been having a rough time. He came out with me, and hasn't adjusted to everything just yet, so we went on splits with them, and the Zone Leaders came down because they're in a Singles Branch in Lexington that's dead right now. I don't know if the crazy day of new Elders and knocking doors helped Elder X, but I sure learned a lot. I like the Zone Leaders a lot, so I had fun knocking doors in a trailer park. I made a contact with a Hispanic lady we're going to visit tomorrow, so that's exciting! Haha. 

A member gave us a Christmas tree! Yay!

Things here are good. I got Tanner's letters in the mail this week, and he sounds good. He's super inspirational in his, so I'll try to lift y'all up a little more in mine. Just know that I'm out here because I have a testimony. I was long past the questions from other people about "are you going on a mission?" I was old enough that they had mostly stopped asking. But I got it all figured out, and realized that this was something good. That's why I'm here. That's why I'm willing to go out and do things that are uncomfortable, far away, soon to be cold and snowy. Because it's good and right, and there's no going back.

It's hard sometimes, but more often than not, God fills in all of the things I can't do when I turn and ask Him for help. You feel kind of selfish when you realize how much you're changing on a mission, not just helping other people change. But it's good that way, because you need to be lifted up sometimes too. We're the rock for investigators, but we need a rock too, and that's what emails are for! Hearing from everyone is really great.

Keep on doing good everyone. Thanks for everything you do for me!

Much love,  

Zac

I found this fortune in the pocket of the gray suit y'all sent me. I might have gotten it after a Priesthood session of Conference of something, but I'm not sure. I put all sorts of fun stuff like that in the journal.

Week 2 - November 21, 2011

Hi family,
 

Another week in Kentucky already over. Everyday here is an adventure. For example, last night we spent the night in the hospital. Before you freak out, we were there with a recent convert, Manuel. We had called him on Saturday to see how he was. He said he had a hernia that was bothering him. Well, we went to see him after church and it was a really big bump on his lower abdomen. So we insisted that he went to the hospital so we took him to the ER in Frankfort. They admitted him and performed surgery. We spent the night in his room, sleeping on the couches they had pulled in for us. We're still in Frankfort wearing the suits we wore to church yesterday. The Elders that live in Frankfort picked us up. Crazy, huh? At first I didn't think we needed to be there and I was not looking forward to spending the night there. But Elder S loves the people so much, and really wanted to help him. I think that's the thing he's teaching me the most -- loving the people. It was a kind thing for us to do to stay and translate for him, and I'm learning that that's what we do as missionaries! Once I stopped being a brat about it, it was a good experience.

Our setup in the room with Manuel. I took my journal and letter writing stuff so I would have something to do. We also watched a ton of cartoons. Manuel said he likes them since he never had any TV growing up.

Elder S loves to exercise. We went on an early morning bike ride last week, and the temperature was 28F (according to the fancy clock Kyle gave me. Thanks!). What?! That's just crazy! But it actually wasn't too bad. My butt hurt really bad the next day, but I'm glad I'm getting some practice now before I'm in a bike area. Also, I bought a bike from an Elder that is about to leave. I bought it after the transfer meeting that first day when everyone told me it was a bargain -- $30. I spent $100 to get it fixed, so for $130 I should be squared away for a while.

It's been rainy and misty the last few days. I like it, since we don't have much continual rain in Arizona, but I don't like walking through it in nice clothes. I'm just happy we have a car right now. Haha

Gorgeous fields

Things with the people were really interesting this week. The people I like the most are the ones I understand the best, so naturally they're white inactive people. Haha. Kidding. But we are talking to an inactive family, the Petersons. They live out on a horsefarm, and it is so amazing out there. I guess Brother Peterson manages the labor for the whole farm or something. Anyway, we got in contact with Sister Peterson when we went to visit a member, Sister Hatchett. Sister Peterson and Sister Hatchett have lunch or something once a week, and we didn't know that. We were excited when Sister Peterson was there, so we talked with her about her family. She said we were an answer to her prayers -- her son had just told her the day before that he wants to go on a mission! They haven't been active in a while, but we're meeting with them once a week, just talking to them about how to get going on that whole process. We really think we can get Sister Peterson and her son Traven back to church full time, so we're excited about that.

We have two baptisms on Saturday -- Shalonda and Jubileo. For whatever reason, the church lost her records somewhere, so she needs to be rebaptized. Elder S said I'll do that one, so after less than three weeks I'll be in the font with someone! Cool, huh? Also, Jubileo speaks Spanish, and I basically understand nothing. But he was at church yesterday, and I sat next to him in Gospel Principles. We have a few bilingual ward members, so we have the class in Spanish! Irma, the recent convert, brought a cousin or something, so that was great! We read the talk from the last Conference about the Book of Mormon, and it was really cool to watch all of them answer questions and better understand the book's importance. I understood almost everything, too, so that was exciting! There is real potential to build a branch here in this area. There's only one ward in all of Frankfort, but soon enough it could be one ward and one Spanish branch! :)

We see the capitol quite a bit from the freeway, and a few times we've drive right by it.

I had a dream last night, and Max was in it. It made me miss him a lot. Hahah. Sometimes I see a truck like Dad's or something and think of home, but most of the time things really are going well. I'm not very outgoing in Spanish yet, but I am building relationships with people with the broken Spanish I do have. They're so kind and humble. Why isn't everyone that way?

Anyway, thanks for everything y'all do for me! Mondays are so fun because I get to hear how everyone is doing. Keep attaching pictures -- they're so fun!

Much love, 

Zac

Week 1 in the mission field

Hi everyone!

I survived my first week here in Kentucky! I'll start from the beginning and tell you all about what's happened in my first week here. Hold on, because this is going to be a long email!

We got up nice and early, made it to the SLC airport, Atlanta airport, and finally the Louisville airport. The President and his wife were eagerly awaiting us with the three very excited AP's by his side. I love President and Sister Woodbury already. The first thing out of their mouths after I told them who I was was, "Oh! Some Baxter lady called about you! She said something about your dad's conversion way back when!" I was so impressed they remembered something like that when meeting nine new missionaries. They have tons of faces to remember, but knowing at least a little something like that was so nice. I was also impressed with Sister Baxter, but I later told Pres and Sister Woodbury that I actually don't know her at all, but that you guys do.

Anyway, we loaded all of our stuff up into the trailer and piled into the van. The APs drove us to the mission home. After the sister in my district in the MTC told me that the mission home in Houston is gigantic and brand new, I was kind of expecting a lot. We pulled up to a house clearly built in the 1960s. As Sister Woodbury put it, the home is a little "Brady Bunch" in style. Even though it looks old and small, once you're inside it's a whole different story. It's very nice, recently remodeled, and has a huge basement. They could easily sleep 12 or more missionaries in the basement alone.

That night we had a really nice dinner with President and Sister Woodbury and two senior couples in the mission. They went over some rules in the mission with us, and we each had a short interview with the president. He is so cool. He remembered that I studied journalism, and when I briefly mentioned my calling as an FHE coordinator and how that helped impact me he said, "Oh yes, I heard you had done a good job with that!" Apparently Bishop Bell had written about it in his notes on my mission papers. But how cool that he knows me already! Anyway, he showed me my companion on a big wall of pictures and areas he has there in his office. After dinner and interviews we had a testimony meeting and then it was off to bed.

The next morning we had a delicious breakfast, and then a demonstration by the APs. They role-played, etc. It was nice. After that we were given our church debit cards, and that was all explained to us. Then we headed off to the mission office for transfer meetings. They actually hold the transfer meeting in a chapel that shares the parking lot with the mission office. The meeting was really really nice, and it was super interesting because I thought it was going to be sort of formal and reverent, but there is a ton of clapping when new companionships and assignments are given out over the pulpit. We also sang "Called to Serve" at about a million beats a minute. Everything here in the Great Kentucky Louisville Mission has an addition or something to make it our own (just look at our mission name. Being the "Kentucky Louisville Mission" isn't enough). We throw in "go baptize!" and all sorts of other words into hymns and recited things. Just because we can. It's super fun.

I got my companion. His name is Elder S, and he was born in Mexico, so he's a native speaker. His English is really good, too, but sometimes he says things out of order, or uses words that almost mean the same thing, but aren't quite right. But because he knows Spanish so well it's really helped me out. He is nice. He's great with the people, and he's absolutely fearless. More on that to come.

Message from the outgoing Elder. That was so fun to see on my first night into the apartment.

So we're assigned to Versailles, KY. It's little and it's far away. Our area is gigantic because we're the only Spanish elders out here. We cover Versailles, Lawrenceburg, and Frankfort (and maybe more?). I don't really know how big that is in comparison to the other areas, but we drive a ton of miles. We have a brand new Corolla (we picked it up after transfer meeting and had to stuff two new elders' belongings in it because they had carpooled up to the meeting! it was tight, but we managed it) and have been allotted 1455 miles for the month. And apparently that will be just enough with all of the traveling we do. Versailles is a tiny bit ghetto, but all of the people are super nice, clean cut, etc. You don't see lots of ghetto cars with mismatched body panels everywhere like in Tucson, which is interesting. Most of the trees have dropped all of their leaves, so there are giant piles of brown leaves all along the sides of the roads. Kyle, remember how we've always talked about driving our nice cars down a road where the leaves fly around behind us? Kentucky is the place. After the mission let's bring Rustin and his G8 down here! Haha.

Anyway, it's absolutely gorgeous here. We cover a lot of area that is horse farm, so we drive down tons of little roads in between rolling green fields. Giant trees line the roads and driveways. It's amazing. I'll probably hate it in the wintertime, but right now it's amazing. Also, the weather here is more temperamental than Utah's. Any time there are clouds you have to plan on rain, because you never know what it's going to be like. It can rain here for an hour, and then the storm blows away and the sun is out. Elder S says it's because there aren't any mountains, the clouds can move in and out really really quickly.

We drive roads like this all the time. It's so cool!

It's overwhelming to talk to people in Spanish sometimes. We've mostly gone and visited people that they were working with before I showed up. They are all so nice when I tell them, "Hablo un poco espanol, pero no entiendo mucho" and "mas despacio, por favor." (Translation: I speak a little Spanish, but don't understand much. Slower please.) Hahaha. But I already really love some of the people we are meeting with, and they have been so kind with me being slow and white. Hahaha

One family in particular, the Rojas, are so great. Apparently they have been taking the lessons for months and months and months, and then last night was the breakthrough. We just stopped in to chat, and ended up talking to them about marriage for like an hour. I didn't really say much, because I don't understand their situation completely, but I understood most of what happened. Mayra and Felipe have lived together for a few years. She has five kids, and he treats them all like his own. They are illegal (everyone we talk to is), and don't have enough money to throw a big party. We kept telling them that throwing the party isn't what is important. Getting married to get baptized is what's important. Then, after a year, they can go to the temple! They said if they don't have a big party, lots of their family and friends will get really offended. We told them to think about it and pray about it, and that they should set a date that night. We told them to set the date for sooner, rather than later, and suggested within the next 12 weeks. Elder S was so persistent. I'm still learning how in-you-face we can be, but he knows exactly how to do it in a way that doesn't put them off. We called them back that night and they said they're planning on getting married in the middle of February! That's really far. Really really far. But I think they can do it, and they seem to really want to do it, so we're so excited about it.

Irma is a recent convert, she got baptized the Saturday before I got here. She lives out in a trailer (a very nice one, actually) on a horse farm a few miles from our apartment. She has a big batch of kids, and she's illegal. Anyway, we visit her a lot to help her and her family stay strong. Her son, Agustin, came tracting with us this week, and he's so cool. He doesn't have a lot to say, but we can tell he likes the church, and has tons of potential. In the week that I've been here I can absolutely tell that my Spanish has advanced. I don't speak much more than I did, but I'm understanding so much more than I was before. I measure it by her, because she speaks really quickly, and she's actually the first Hispanic that I talked to. On Wednesday morning she called us and said she needed our help at the Food Stamp office. We went down there and I had no idea what she was saying, but Elder S translated and helped get everything resolved. Turns out one of her kids said he was hungry to someone at school, so there was some investigation and her Food Stamp card was turned off. It was a misunderstanding, so it was turned back on and she's doing great now.

We visit a man named Manuel a lot. He got baptized two or three weeks before I got here, and he's really cool. We don't talk a lot because I don't understand/can't speak much, but you can tell that he loves the missionaries a lot. We're actually trying to find him an apartment in Shelbyville, because he got a job there. We make tons and tons of phone calls everyday between bishops, ward mission leaders, the district leader, etc, for him and for other people. We text a lot too, and that's good practice for my Spanish. My most frequent is "Cuando podemos visitarle?" (When can we come visit you?)

We were on a farm of a less active family, but their son said he wants to serve a mission. They came to stake conference too!

Yesterday was Stake Conference, up in Lexington. We take for granted how many members we have in Tucson, because it's over a half hour to get to Lexington from here, and that's by freeway! Anyway, the Rojas were there, Jubileo (who has a baptism date for the 27th!), and Manuel were there. We have some super cool translation equipment, so they all were able to wear these headset things while someone in another room translated the talks, and spoke into a microphone for the people that don't know English. Too cool, huh? One of the talks was actually given in Spanish by someone in a Spanish branch in Georgetown. I think all of our investigators thought that was really really cool. President and Sister Woodbury were actually there, too. She is a hoot, and I hope you guys get to meet them someday. She was asking me how Spanish was going and if Elder S is treating me right (playfully). Elder S said they were there because we're trying to build a Spanish branch in the stake. If we work hard, anything is possible!

Things here are going fine. It's hard sometimes. It's overwhelming. But I already love lots of the people (members included. They are sooooo fun!). It was especially fun to hear from you guys today. It was a really long week learning everything, meeting tons of people, etc. There's a lot left to learn. But I'm loving a lot of things about it, and I know it'll be so good. I just have to tell myself that it's kinda like the MTC -- I freaked out really hard in the MTC for like three weeks. Then I got it under my belt and it was smooth sailing. Out here it's a little different, but the application is similar. It'll just take a little bit of time before it's second nature, before I understand all of the Spanish, before I know where to turn when we're going to district meeting in Georgetown (speaking of, I have a wonderful district. I'm excited to work with them.), but afterwards it will be smoother.

The South is a lot like it's perceived to be -- accents, the word y'all, comfort food, black people (not really in Versailles, mostly in Lexington). We've been to the Food Stamp office, we went to Court with Mayra because her baby-daddy isn't paying child support (she won). I love it. I know y'all will love it when I bring you here. Which, might I just say, I want the whole family to come out here because it really is amazing.

I think that's all. Thanks for everything you do for me! I love you all!

Much love,
Zac

Last temple walk at the MTC.

Week 8 - November 3, 2011

Wow. I leave Utah on Monday. That's nuts! But I'm also so excited. I thought I was dying or something when I first came to the MTC. I felt like my life was over. When I stopped being a baby and realized it was actually a great place, then I started thinking about the field. I thought I was dying again. I was going to have to give up everything that I was used to in Utah. But the more I think about it, the more I'm excited to go. I'm not dying. I'm actually becoming a missionary. It freaks me out a little bit too, but I'm really anxious to go and do real work, and talk to real people.

Things here have been going well. We're a little distracted since we've got travel plans, two sisters didn't get their visas for Argentina so they're delayed a week, etc. It just seems like we've got a lot going on, even though we should still be learning Spanish and teaching skills. After 8 weeks of the exact same thing you do get a little pooped out though.

Last week we went to "In-field Orientation," where they teach you all sorts of stuff, like goal setting (for numbers of lessons, investigators, etc.), increasing your faith, helping create strong commitments in others, etc. It was good, but it was all day long. Seriously, it was 10 hours long on Friday. But it was also really good.

Hosting went well yesterday. It's kind of emotional to watch families say goodbye to their kids. I love you guys, but I'm glad we were pretty fast about it. Some people linger at the curb for like, 10 or 15 minutes! Also, none of my Elders got lost this week. They changed the procedure (possibly because of my Elder that got lost last week... haha), so that you escort them everywhere. Anyway, all of my Elders were really excited about being here and learning and becoming missionaries. I was definitely a deer in the headlights when I showed up, so props to them.

I don't have much else to say. Things are going well. Sometimes it's rough. We don't leave every lesson with a big smile on our faces. We aren't bilingual (yet, anyway). But almost everyday God puts something in my day that reminds me that I'm where I'm supposed to be. Our teachers are especially great, and they always have the perfect mission story or scripture to share with us when we are frustrated. Hermano W has a friend that is taking the lessons in Texas. He gave her name to the Sister missionaries at Temple Square, and it's been so fun to get updates on how she's doing. We all wrote her letters of encouragement. We feel like she's our investigator too, since we've been hearing about her changes and how excited she is to learn. She's getting baptized on Nov 19th. Hearing that made us all so excited to get out and do the work.

Sorry there isn't much to my letter today. I'm doing well. I love hearing from you all every week. Thanks for your love and support!

Love,

Zac

Week 7 - October 27, 2011

Seven weeks? Already? Two sisters in my group got their travel plans to Argentina, so the rest of us domestic missionaries should be getting our travel plans any day now! Crazy!!! But super exciting too. The MTC has been a really good experience. I know I'm fortunate to have a great district, and we've really built good relationships with our teachers. That's atypical for some districts, so I hear. I got a letter from my Mission President this week. He said that we'll be spending the first night in the mission home, and doing some stuff there before meeting our companions the following day. It sort of freaks me out when I think about going to the field, but I'm also really excited too. I want to get to know people, and help them, not just teach my teachers and district members inside the MTC. I'm kinda scared about getting a bad trainer, but I figure they wouldn't be a trainer if they weren't any good. Anyway, I'll definitely let you know when I get my travel plans and if/when I can call you guys from the airport! I'm so excited to talk to you! :)

This week was good. On Sunday night, Elder M and I saw the MTC President, President Brown sitting with another district a few tables away. We decided to go sit by him since there were a few empty seats nearby. He started talking to us, and it turns out he grew up with Brother Spackman in TV ward. He asked me which part of Tucson I lived in, and I said the east side. He said his best friend lived over there with his wife, the Spackman's. Of course, I don't really know them, just the name, but I said they lived close and that we share a church building. The Mormon world is so small, isn't it? I don't know if I told you, but I actually met the daughter of one of my Institute teachers. I hadn't ever seen her at UA, but that's because for the last year she'd been at grad school in Missouri. But kinda funny, huh?

Anyway, I got to be a Host Elder this week. I was really excited to host because my host was so nice and helpful. He was so cheerful that I couldn't freak out for very long. Luckily the first elder I helped was super chill and excited. The sister I helped next was super cool and collected so that was easy. Then the next elder was put together, not freaking out at all, but totally got lost! What happens when you get dropped off is an elder takes you luggage and escorts you to the main building. He stands with you luggage outside while you go inside to get your ID card, your schedule, room key, etc. Then you meet back up with him outside and send him to get his books. Well, I never saw him after I sent him inside. Apparently I didn't give him good directions, because he just went right on to his classroom to meet his teachers and his district! So the head of scheduling came out (there was one other elder with a lost newbie), and said that out of 400 elders, losing two was too many. They're working on getting the system a little easier, because they just opened a new bookstore in a different building, and apparently they've had missionaries get lost. Anyway, it was still kinda fun to help out and do something different. We get to host next week, so I'll let you know how that goes.

Teaching is going well (mostly). Juan Carlos is getting baptized next week, so that's good. We're trying to finalize everything with him. Ivan still doesn't want to be baptized for any companionship, and that's rough. We don't really like teaching him. But teaching the Hermanas is really fun, because they're progressing, and we're using a bunch of Spanish and a bunch of teaching skills we didn't have for our other two investigators. Spanish is really coming along too. It's a lot of fun to use all of the stuff that you struggled with and have overcome. I was talking with some Sisters in my branch that have been here for 3 or 4 weeks, and I know I was just like them. But now I can see the way that I have progressed. I'm not perfect, that's for sure. But I know Tanner would be blown away if I could talk to him. I tried writing Kyle a little in Spanish, but that was really bad. Sorry, Kyle. It'll get better. Hahaha.

No general authority this week for Devotional or Fireside, but they were both good. There's something almost everyday that is so perfect to lift us up and keep us excited about the work. Sometimes I think about how much time I have left in my mission and it's a little nuts, but I know that getting into the field will change a lot of that. I know this is where I need to be, so it doesn't really matter anyway, right? It's sometimes weird to think about what's going on outside. Because there's no conception of time or space here, I always forget that life moves on out there.

La iglesia es verdadera! Dios vive, y nos ama!

Thanks for everything! :)

Much love,
Zac