Dusty's Email -- 6/29/2009

Hey,

It’s extremely weird to think that this time in a year I’m going to be home. I can’t believe that a year has gone by so quick.

Thursday was a fun day. We had a conference with all the leaders of the mission. All the zone leaders and the district leaders. The assistants and President Bulloch talked to us and President Bulloch just gave a powerful talk. He related the talk to Moroni and the Standard of Liberty. Then one of the assistants brought in the mission’s Standard of Liberty and all the leaders took turns signing it. It was really powerful. Then Elder Cabrera of the 70 talked to us. He’s is also a really good speaker, and he talked about repentance, humility, and about changing our thoughts to ones of success and being positive. Afterwards we ate tortas, which is like a giant sandwich with like 8 different types of meat. After that we all took a picture with the Standard of Liberty, which I’m sending to you guys.

Afterwards all of us that completed a year in the mission brought our shirts that we were going to burn and took a giant picture together. There were about 8 of us that were there. Then later that night I burned my shirt with my companion.

The week went by really quick. We didn’t have much time in the area to work, so we didn’t really find that many new people. But this week should be better. Well have more time.

Yeah we heard about the death of Michael Jackson. Only him, the other dudes no. But that’s insane how many died this last week. And also about Shaq being traded.

That’s about it for me. In a about an hour we are going to go baptize so we have to go prepare the font and all. Thanks for your letters and all.

Dad, I forgot last week to say Happy Father’s day. So ......Happy Father’s day. Sounds like it went well. Oh and another thing, I had to take out money this last week to marry some people, so I have nothing. Please put some money in my account again.

Also my camera is acting weird, like there are times when I can take pictures and times when I can’t, like it won’t let me. It seems like those times are the times that something cool has happened. I’ve bought new batteries. But it still is acting up- so I think that it’s the camera. I’m thinking I need a new one.

Thanks, love ya

Elder Howard

Dusty's Email -- 06/22/2009

hey there,

This last week was pretty uneventful. We went to the transfers meeting to pick up the pouch, but the secretaries didn’t bring mail or packages so I have no idea if there is a package there from you guys.

We had a baptism yesterday, of a lady that we contacted in the street a couple of weeks back. She had been looking for us. She went to church in California, but never got baptized. She went for like 6 months there but came back and we contacted her in the street. It was an awesome service. The last two weeks I’ve played the piano in sacrament meeting. Yesterday kind of sucked, because the last hymn I didn’t really know, so after I was done I felt like that it would’ve been better if I didn’t play. But oh well.

Things are going well here, my companion and I keep working and trying to improve this zone. We took advantage of this last week with some of the transfers, and talked to the entire zone. We talked about a couple of sayings that the mission has. We broke up each topic with scripture references and also with different quotes from different General Authorities. Then put some goals as a zone for this cycle. Everyone was excited, and it worked real well this last week. I was glad that we taught those topics instead of doing what normal missionaries do-get up and just chew everyone out. We felt that this would help the zone a lot more. So we’ll see how it goes.

We also have decided to try and build our relationships with the district leaders by doing activities with them. Today we ate tacos in the morning and ice skated and bowled. It was a lot of fun.

This week is going to be real busy and we won’t have much time in the area, because we will be traveling to President’s house. We stay there for a day and then spend another day in Aragon, for a council meeting with all the district leaders. We are going to be busy. So we are going to have to make the best of the time that we have to work, and the Lord will help. I know it.

Thanks for your letters and your support.

Thursday is the big day - 1 year in the mission. Wow!

Love

Elder Howard

Dusty's Email -- 06/15/2009

Hey there,

This last week we continued to work and we saw some miracles. We truly were blessed. We had a baptism and the lady is just so awesome. She did it despite the resistance that her family had been giving her and now we are trying to work with her family to see if we can get them all to follow the mom.

Another cycle has ended. Elder Filerup and I are going to be together for another cycle. Which we are both happy about. We are excited for this cycle because we feel like we have just to change few things here in the zone and its going to explode. There are some changes in the zone that could really help us, but we`ll see how it shapes out tomorrow.

I`ll also see if I get your package tomorrow. It sounds like things are still going well. I am bummed out that we don’t know yet about Lynette’s baby, what it’s going to be.

We went to the center of Mexico today, and entered into a giant cathedral that was built back in the 1500`s. They still hold services in it today. It’s huge. It was cool to walk around in and see all the fanciness. It’s a little scary at times, because they have a bunch of images of Christ bleeding and things like that. I don’t like to see my Savior like that. But I guess that’s how they remember Him. It’s something I`d like to show all you guys when we all come. It’s right next to the people that are all dressed up in the Aztec stuff that do all the rituals and all. It’s pretty awesome. Oh, I need you to put some money in my account because I ain’t got nada.

Things are great here. I`m wondering when I`m going to shoot up in weight. I feel like I eat like crazy, but nothing happens. I`m sending a picture of a place where we ate today. It’s called tacos al pastor. The big thing of meat in the background is like on a wheel and they spin it and cut meat off of it. Usually it’s not this big, but that’s why I took a picture of it. It’s huge.

Dad, that class that you took sounds interesting and very true. (John recently took a one day Sports Psychology class at BYU) There is a ton that we can apply from that class here in our lives. I`m glad that you are going this different approach to help CJ to improve his game.

Well I have to take off. I love you all and look forward to hearing from you next week. 10 days and I complete a year. Dang! time flies.

Elder Howard

Dusty's Email -- 06/8/2009

HEY

SO THIS LAST WEEK WENT ALRIGHT WE HAD A BAPTISM, and WE FOUND SOME REALLY COOL PEOPLE BUT BY THE TIME THE WEEK ENDED. WE ONLY TOOK TWO OF THEM TO CHURCH. BUT THINGS ARE WELL, THIS LAST CYCLE HAS JUST SEEMED A LOT MORE DIFFICULT THAN ANY OTHER ONE THAT I`VE HAD. SAME WITH MY COMP. WE WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW DIFFICULT THAT ITS BEEN. BUT YOU HAVE GOOD CYCLES AND YOU HAVE SOME THAT YOU STRUGGLE THROUGH. WE ARE JUST GONNA KEEP WORKIN THROUGH IT.

I FEEL LIKE JUST ABOUT ALL THE MISSIONARIES IN THE ZONE ARE GETTING ON BOARD. THEY ARE EXCITED, WE COULD TELL AFTER WE RECIEVED THE REPORTS LAST NIGHT. THERE ARE 3 DISTRICTS HERE IN TECAMAC. BUT THERE IS STILL ONE DISTRICT THAT JUST ISN’T DOING MUCH. THE DISTRICT LEADER IS STRUGGLING. WE`VE GONE ON DIVISIONS WITH HIM ALOT AND TRIED TO SEE WHERE WE COULD HELP HIM, BUT IT JUST COMES DOWN TO DOING THE WORK. THERE ARE GOING TO BE ALOT OF CHANGES COMING IN THE NEXT WEEK. WE FIND OUT ABOUT TRANSFERS THIS WEEK, ON SUNDAY. SO I THINK THAT DISTRICT WILL BE COMPETELY RESTRUCTURED. ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS GET THE NEW MISSIONARIES ON BOARD AND WE`LL START TO EXPLODE. THE DISTRICT THAT WE ARE IN CHARGE OF AND THE OTHER ONE ARE STARTING TO EXPLODE. EVEN THE SISTER MISSIONARIES ARE JUST GOING CRAZY HERE, JUST DOMINATING. BRINGING A TON OF PEOPLE TO CHURCH.

WE DON’T THINK THAT ELDER FILLERUP OR I WILL BE AFFECTED BY CHANGES, BUT YOU NEVER KNOW. WE`LL SEE NEXT WEEK. LIKE I`VE SAID BEFORE, IF WE DO OUR PART AS LEADERS, I EXPECT TO BE HERE UNTIL THE BEGINNING OF SEPT. BUT WE`LL SEE.

THE CPS SYSTEM HAS BEEN SOMETHING THAT I`VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT ALOT ON MY MISSION. LIKE YOU GUYS HAVE SAID SOMETHING HAS GOT TO CHANGE. BUT HOW, AND WHAT AND AT WHICH POINT? WE`LL SEE, BUT I THINK THAT’S’ WHERE I`D LIKE TO GO AND WORK. BUT THATS A WHILE A WAY. I THINK THAT THERE IS A REASON THAT I THINK ABOUT THE SYSTEM, AND WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE. BUT THERE IS STILL A LONG TIME BEFORE I CAN CONCENTRATE ON THAT.

THE WORK KEEPS MOVING HERE, WE HAD A DISTRICT ACTVITY TODAY. WE WENT ICE SKATING AND BOWLING. I HAVEN’T BEEN ICE SKATIN IN A LONG TIME......BUT I LOVE IT. THE RINK IS HERE IN OUR AREA AND WE WANT TO ASK PERMISSION FROM PRESIDENT TO GO EVERY WEEK. JUST MY COMPANION AND I. BUT WE`LL SEE.

GOTTA RUN.

LOVE YOU ALL,

ELDER HOWARD

 

Dusty's Email -- 6/1/2009

Hey family,

Thank you for your letters and your support.

This last week was a lot better. We found a lot of people that came to church with us and are excited about their baptism date. We found this one lady that has three kids and lives alone. Her husband is not a good man. Even though he cheated on her, she`s still like in love with him and just freaks out over anything, like he purposely hangs up on her and it gets her balling and in convulsion on the ground. Its kind of sad. So we`re helping her through this. But she`s has to just get past this dude. He knows that he`s controlling her, and can manipulate her. Now that we are helping her, he feels threatened and just like shows up randomly when we are there. He showed up to church randomly, but I sent him away. That’s our biggest worry now, is her. After church we went to eat and we received a call from her, crying and couldn’t even finish her sentences, she said, “I`m bad.....my husband....I`m bad.....help...”. So we got there as quick as we could and everything was alright. Just a fight that threw her into this depressed state. It’s sad because her kids see her like that and I wonder what they think. What does a 7 year old think when he sees his mom balling on the floor?? But we are going to do our best to help her out.

This lady also has a friend named Melissa that lives there. Her boyfriend and his friends went to the United States and were treated really bad, so now they have a bad take on Americans and are just really mean and vulgar when they see us. I guess where there’s the most opposition is where there can be the best success. This lady Melissa has this 7 year old girl that is so adorable. I want to adopt her. It’s so sad because her mom doesn’t really take care of her. She drinks and smokes and does things with her boyfriend in front of the girl. It’s really sad and the girl knows everything, you can tell by the comments that she makes. So if I come back with a little girl in a year, it’ll be her.

It’s so crazy to think that I`m almost at my year mark. This time a year ago I was getting things all packed up, finishing working and stuff like that. In one more year I`ll be packing all my stuff up to go home. Crazy how fast time is flying.

Elder Fillerup and I are good, we just keep moving along and we are enjoying some success, we`re trying to help the zone though. We are kind of struggling to give them the fire that other missionaries have, I mean who comes on a mission to just chill and not do anything. . . . well you`d be surprised.

Dad please tell Pop that I`ve gotten her letters but it’s been difficult for me to respond. But I am getting them and that I should be sending her a letter here soon.

Sounds like you guys have your hands full with these two new dudes. Good luck with them. It sounds like a tough situation. I have to tell you that when you told me what the Dad did I was so mad for like an hour. ugh...why are people stupid? and can procreate??? There is a couple in our ward that are so so so so awesome and can’t get pregnant. They have been praying and fasting for years and she just can’t get pregnant. It’s sad. I don’t understand stuff like that, why that happens, but it’s part of life I guess.

It was good to see a picture of the girls....but sad too. Don’t really want to talk about it.

Things are going well here, we are starting a new month and we are ready to go to work. I`m glad to hear that the Magic are in it. I pick the Magic in 6.

The pictures that I attached are of My companion and I with President Bulloch. The other is all the Zone Leaders and the Assistants at the Counsel Meeting with President Bulloch. The third (mom will like this one...mike too) is off Elder Peterson elder Tanner and I making our frowny faces. I know mine isn’t as good, but I`m practicing. This was also at the zone leader council meeting.

Love Elder Howard