Why God made those Fly Over States

So let me begin while there is still energy in my head. Or in my nucleus as nacho libre says. Last week we got a new Ward mission leader and he is a complete stud! He loves missionary work. He has already helped us out with a couple lessons that we needed a ride for. On Saturday he came and picked up a lady with us to give her a church tour. Her name is Darlene, she absolutely loved the church tour.  

So transfers are this week! There are no changes here in my area. Elder Quiring is staying with me. Something crazy though is that elder Olsen is going home!!!! I can't believe it!!! It seems like just yesterday we were going on exchanges in Murray. Good time. Good luck in the land of never ending pdays! 

We are tracting so much. I've only been here 2 transfers and I've already almost Tracted the town out. It's great haha I absolutely love tracting. 

That's about all I got for the week. Sorry it's kinda short but that's all I got...

Love yall! 

Reese 

Sweet truck! 

Getting ready for the eclipse last week! 

I will follow you, follow you into the light.

But don't look at the sun before the full effect of the eclipse happens TODAY AT 1:28 PM!!!!!!! Super stoked for it. Let's just say I have 2 pair of solar glasses so I'll be rockin them all day long. 

It's the last week of the transfer. This transfer FLEW by. Definitely the fastest of my mission. I know I said that last transfer but this one was even faster. It makes me think of how much more time I have on my mission. Which isn't a whole lot. I feel bad for the sisters I came out with. They go home in 2 transfers... That's crazy... 

This week was FULL of exchanges, exhaustion, and excellent tracting (AKA mowing) Our mission as been so much fun. We are coming up with random names for things. Tracting is called mowing the lawn. In the area book app "Finding" is green. Therefore. When we go find. We mow. Mow all the day long. 

Also. Our APs are health nuts and work out for about an hour every morning. They drink a ton of protein and eat a ton for chicken and other items with "tein" in them. They advise us in emails, to eat our protein and work on our muscles so we can become big like Elder Maxwell (An AP) Let's just say, we don't have a gym like them so I can't become big like Elder Maxwell... 

Also. We quote nacho Libre all the time. We scream "How did you find me?-Nacho we can see you from the village!----HOLA NACHO!!" Or "Hey hey, take it easy..." Or "I have had the diareas since Easters...."  

Let's just say we have a great time. Anyway, there wasn't a whole lot to report on for the week. We found this lady named Darlene. She lives alone, she is always looking through her windows so whenever we pull up the driveway she opens up the door. Earlier this week when we walked up to the door and she knocked on the door from the inside...  Yeah. 

We had zone conference this week and it was LIT!!!! So we had something called a zone council after all the trainings were done. As a zone we talk with each other about all the baptismal dates. We had a goal to baptize 7 this transfer and we were at 6 with a total of 5 more on date for the rest of the month. So we discussed raising the goal. One of the sisters suggested, kindof sarcastically, 15! So I said... Ummm thank you for being optimistic but 15 is quite the number! So we started at 11 having a goal to baptize the rest of the dates, but then we  asked, who could be baptized this month. Let's just say that as we talked we found 4 more people that could potentially be baptized by the end of the month. So thus we have the goal of 15. That was legit!

That's about it for the week! I hope all is going well where ever all yall are at. I hope you're finding ways to share the gospel. Please do it. It'll change your life. 

Love yall! 

Reese 

Crazy storm came by this week. Yes. That is lightning down the middle. 

Crazy tri-Zone conference. 

Normal 

Throw back to MoFord!! Minus Elder Mathews.... 

If I go there's just no telling how far I'll go

I am so excited this week for a few different reasons. One of the being th the Chris leaves on his mission. Chris I'm so proud of you. I hope you don't just go on a mission. Become a missionary. Work hard and you will find happiness. Any missionary can attest to that. Make sure to talk to everyone, it's really hard but the sooner on your mission you learn how to do it, the easier it will be. 

The other reason why I'm excited for this week is we are getting fed every day this week! I've come to love food so much more. Mom I'm sorry I was such a picky eater. I eat just about everything now. Just thinking about it right now I'm getting hungry. 

This past week we knocked on a lot of doors. We are tracting so much. Talking to so many people. We haven't been able to find as many people as we did last week but that's alright. 

So quick run down of the week. 

Monday-  PDay 

Tuesday-got addicted to Body Armor-exchanges with Fairview elders (Elder Ensign and Neuenschuander) try to say that name 5x fast haha

Wednesday-district meeting in Fairview with the STLs. We had an awesome with a recent converts family! Lexie Knutson got baptized last transfer and we are now teaching her mom named Ginger! She will probably get baptized in September. Hopefully! 

Thursday-service at a food bank and weeded a members yard.(Pro tip-- They call weed wackers "weed eaters" out here.--oh side note. Shopping carts are called buggies) We also had dinner at an awesome families home! They love out in the middle of the country. Super small humble home but they have about 5 acres of property, with horses, a barn, and some a few fields. Let's just say, dream house.

Friday-weekly planning. 

Saturday-ELDER QUIRINGS BDAY!!!!!! What a crazy day. Some awesome members fed us dinner last minute! The member who was supposed to feed us ended up having to cancel Cuz the kids got the flu so we asked this other family if they would feed us for his Bday.  The Neelys. They are awesome. Had some burgers and hotdogs. 

Sunday- Day of Rest--Or sometimes the busiest day of the week. Running around church trying to set up member lessons ect. You know the good stuff. 

Anyway guy I love my mission. I kinda got a kick on the butt today from a recently returned missionary. She gave a talk and I just kept thinking. Dang. I need to work harder. I want to become so much better than I am now. I know what I can accomplish. Now the question is how much can I get done with God's help? Oh also. Your desire to share the gospel is a direct correlation with your conversion to the gospel. So. If you think you are converted to the gospel. Are you sharing it? Or do you still need to become converted? And of course. Every time you share the gospel will not lead to someone changing their life. But. You can't hit the ball if you don't swing. 

Love yall,

Reese

Pretty cool barn we found. 

Me-Elder New-Elder Ensign-Elder Quiring. 

Look for the pizza man. Tracting at night.... Creepy. 

I would change a lot of things, startin with me...

So I love getting letters but I am terrible at responding to them. I used to be good but now I just forget. Throughout my mission I have gotten letters from various primary classes. I still hold onto them and I look at them all the time. So just know that If I haven't responded it doesn't mean that I don't care! It just means that I'm crazy busy all the time! But thank you and I love all yall who have sent them! I also love those who haven't.......

THIS WEEK WAS SICK! 

Chris and Travis got Baptized!!! Their baptism was on Wednesday. It was such a great experience for them. They were so happy the whole time. I absolutely love these kids. Chris is so funny and Travis is super shy but SUPER smart. I feel that he has almost retained everything we have taught him but is just too shy or embarrassed to answer some questions we ask him. I'm so excited for them to be able to continue to progress towards the priesthood and then the temple. Even their mom who has been less active for years is still coming to church. We want to get her to the temple to do baptisms with the kids soon! 

Okay. Lets just say that tracting isn't super effective here in this area. Even less than other areas that I've been in. But this past week we have Tracted our butts off and found 7 new investigators through tracting!!!!!!!!! I haven't had that since Clarksville!!!!! Elder Quiring and I would look at each other and say... Ummm did that just happen?? Let's just say, I ain't complaining. But I'm actually starting to love to go out and tract now. Talking to people is such a game. Trying to figure out just what people need withing the first 3 seconds of that door opening. Let's just say that saying "We help people strengthen their faith in Jesus Christ" doesn't work. Elders and sisters serving missions. Use another tactic. Another approach. TAKE LUCK! And care! And... Yeah 

One of these new investigators is a BEAST. Literally, he is huge. Wanna know what's so cool about him? So first of all he played football for the Jacksonville jaguars. Then he played arena football. Now he is a bodyguard for..... John Rich from Lonestar and Big and Rich!! So cool!! We talked to him for about an hour on his doorstep. Super cool guy and we got his number and are gonna try to meet with him later this week.

Well that about all I got. I'm super excited for this next week Cuz we have a ton of return appointments that we need to work out! Lots of work to do here in Spring Hill!! 

I love my mission yall. It's the best one out. Sorry yall didn't get to come to Nashville Tennessee. Jk everyone says that. But this mission is perfect for me. Another mission is perfect for someone else. But mine is just a little better;) 

Love yall! Have a great week! 

Reese 

I found SARAH MITCHELL in a mormon message!!!!!!!! I was watching this and was like, oh it's the Laie temple..... SARAH!?!?!? I literally yelled that out. Haha 

Me, Chris, Travis, Elder Quiring--- The baptism was awesome. Don't worry. I got a haircut a few days later.