Dusty's Email -- 8/24/2009

Hey,

So this last week was just awesome. On Wednesday, we went to marry a couple that we had been teaching. After the wedding, we dropped by the temple and talked about how they could be sealed as a family with their kids for time and eternity in one year, if they stayed faithful to the Gospel. They got so excited, they invited us to their sealing in a year, even though we`ll both be home, we said we would come back to see it. We had their baptism yesterday, it was so awesome. I really love this family, to see the parents and some of the kids get baptized was so awesome. See attached picture.

But it was a pretty busy week, we found some cool people, and they came to church on Sunday.
We did divisions with the AP`s (Assistants to the President) on Friday and Saturday. I went with the companion of Elder Fillerup, Elder Puga. It went well, but I was ready to get my companion back by Friday. I don’t know why, and a lot of the other Zone leaders think the same thing, that Elder Fillerup has changed a bit. I understand that he`s an AP now and has got to be an example. That’s fine, but sometimes he just acts a lot different, almost like we weren’t companions for 12 weeks. I know things about him that no one knows and him about me. He acts like we just met like a couple of weeks ago. It’s just weird. But a lot of the other Zone Leaders are seeing it too. Maybe he`ll chill out after awhile, because he doesn’t need to act like he is. So we`ll see.

That’s about it here, my companion and I are still getting along well. He`s just a work horse and Elder Puga told me that my companion is probably the best missionary in the entire mission. I believe it. The zone is alright, we are consistent, but we can do more.

Dad, yeah the Pyramids that we went to were Teotihuacan. That’s cool the research that they`ve done about the Book of Mormon and the pyramids. I`d like to know who exactly was there.

Thanks for the letters and all. I appreciate the support that I’ve gotten here in the mission.

Today I completed 5 months here in Tecamac, and tomorrow is 14 in the mission. Crazy, time is just flying. I gotta run.

Love
Elder Howard

Dusty's Email -- 8/17/2009

Dusty and his last two companions

Dusty and some Arizona boys

Hey,

This last week was a lot better. We had a lot more time to work in the area. We had a baptism of a lady named Martha, and this week we are going to baptize her daughters family, which is the daughter her husband and their two kids. So it should be a nice service.
We had the Zone Conference this last week and it went really well. Everyone really enjoyed the presentations that gave. Afterwards we ate the famous Tecamac hamburgers. These are the best burgers that I’ve ever tasted. We go almost every week to them. We know the man that makes them and he cut us a deal to come and make them at the Zone Conference.
My companion and I are good and healthy. We had the zone activity today, we ice skated and bowled. I love bowling now, because Elder Mays, before he left, taught me how to put a spin on the ball, so it’s a lot more fun.
But I fell today while practicing a certain way to brake on the ice skates, and I fell hard on my tailbone. I feel like Mom when we were playing basketball and she fell and had to crawl up the stairs.:) and had that little yellow donut cushion. haha.
CJ, is your Economics teacher Mr. Johnson or your English teacher?? I`m pretty sure it’s your Economics teacher. Tell him I say ‘hey’. He`s a good teacher. I really liked his class.
Mom, I’ll be expecting your package in the next transfers in September. I think that it`ll get here then, but I’ll let you know when it gets here.
Things are well here in Tecamac. We have found some really good people that we are working with, and the work is progressing here. But the zone is a bit relaxed right now, so my companion and I are going to visit the districts tomorrow to help refocus them.
That’s about it here. I`m feeling good and feel like things are going well. There are things that I need to improve about me, myself. I know that if I apply myself and do my part the Lord will help me out.
Mom, a quick thought, for the last 2 Zone Conferences, President Bulloch has talked about the Standard of Truth. The importance of it, but not just that, but the man that led the charge, Moroni. I have a lot of notes and such from these conferences. When I get back we`ll have to talk a little about it, because President Bulloch is one of the best teachers that I`ve ever known. He`s worked in the Seminary and Institute program for years. Before his mission, he was one of like the world bosses of Institute, or something, so he knows the scriptures like the back of his hand and can apply them in so many different ways.

I love you all and thank you for your letters and support.
Elder Howard

Dusty's Email -- 8/10/2009

Hey,

This last week was just a mess here in Tecamac. Last Monday was good and calm, we went ice skating and bowling. Yes, Dad we have to wear missionary clothes while we ice skate and bowl, which is good because we always get people that ask us what we do, so it’s a good opportunity on P-day to still talk to people a little and introduce ourselves.
But anyway, so Elder Alpuche and I got up on Tuesday and started to finish up the class that we were going to give to our district. Then we got a call from Elder Haro, one of the district leaders. When my companion answered, Elder Haro said that his companion wasn’t there, he was gone! We thought that he was joking but he was at the point of crying, so we told him we`d call President and that we`d come over to his house.
We got to his house and sure enough, his companion had packed a bag and left. When Elder Haro got up the door to the house was open. Just wide open. One of the neighbors said that the door had been like that at least since 4:30 in the morning.
Elder Haro was really sad and just confused. I was too. We had gone ice skating with them the day before and I talked with his companion. All seemed well. His companion, Elder Mays, is from Texas. But he didn’t leave a note or anything, he just left, got up and left. So that day was just weird because Elder Mays is one of my buddies, I`ve known him since he got in the mission in March. He got here to Tecamac with me.
We didn’t hear anything from him that day. We thought that he was on a bus heading for the border. We were dealing with that all day so we didn’t have much time to work in the area. Then Wednesday we went to a council meeting with President Bulloch. President pulled us aside to tell us the Elder Mays called his family the night before to tell them that all was well and that he was in the state of Guerrero. In south Mexico. He said was going to try and get in contact with President Bulloch. So during the council meeting President left to take a call and it was Elder Mays. He told President that he wanted to know when he could get his passport, and President asked him where he was exactly. He said that he was in Acapulco, a beach. Nice. President told him to come back here and they would talk.
That night Elder Mays came back and the next day he and President talked in the mission office. President asked us to gather the rest of Elder Mays things from the house and to bring them to the mission offices with his companion, Elder Haro.
All of Thursday we spent in the offices. Afterwards President was talking with me and told me that Elder Mays didn’t do anything bad, like break a commandment or nothing, which is what we thought. He did go to Acapulco. We thought that he took off with someone. But President said that he was just frustrated. He and his companion weren’t having much success. He was still in his first area with his first companion. There are also a ton of problems that are going on at his home. He was stressed out and so he decided at that moment that the best thing to do was to leave to clear his mind.
It wasn’t the best decision, but at least he`s still temple worthy. He did decide to return home to fix the things that were going on. He wants to come back in a couple of months.
I got to talk a bit with Elder Mays after he talked with President, seemed calm and a little embarrassed. The first thing I asked him was how was Acapulco, if it’s cool. He smiled and said “Yeah, it’s pretty amazing”. Haha. He`s a good friend and I hope that he comes back out while I`m still here in the mission. But the situation was just crazy. Then my companion got sick on Friday, so we haven’t had much time to do any work in our area.
But things are well, I`m learning a lot everyday from my companion. And he`s got me in the habit of writing in my journal everyday. Haha. That’s something that I struggle with, but I`ve written everyday for the last 15 days. Woot, go me!
I hope that all is well back home.
I`m sure it`ll be hard to see the twins go back Mom, but don’t worry you did your part with them. Tell CJ I said good luck and that I love him. But that’s about it here.
We have our Zone conference tomorrow and we have to finish prepping everything.
Love
Elder Howard

Dusty's Email -- 8/03/2009

Hey,

Well it sounds like your trip was awesome. I really want to go and visit the sites that you went and saw. I`m excited to get the pictures.

So this last week I got a new companion, his name is Elder Alpuche. He`s from Villa Hermosa Tabasco. He`s got 19 months in the mission. He`s one of the best teachers and hardest workers in the mission. He`s got that reputation. And he showed it this last week. We worked our butts off and brought 7 new people to church and baptized them. I`m excited to learn from him, I’ve been told that he`s hard to get along with, but Elder Fillerup was companions with him before and gave me some tips and told me how he is. So far everything is good, I think that we`ll get along fine and have a lot of success.

I was thinking the other day that I’ve really been blessed with the companions that I’ve had as a zone leader. I mean all the zone leaders are great missionaries. No doubt about that, but there are others that have more time and have experience. Let’s see, Elder Pickup was my first companion. When I was brought up in March, he was companions with Elder Puga who is an assistant right now, and Elder Pickup taught me the things that I need to know to be a successful zone leader. Then I had for 2 transfers, like 3 months, Elder Fillerup, who is now the new assistant. I learned just a ton from him, about leadership. I feel like the things that I lacked as a leader he helped me to dominate, and also is one of my best friends. Now I’m with Elder Alpuche, one of the hardest workers and probably the best teacher in all the mission. President Bulloch has hooked me up. Ha-ha. This time I`ve had here in Tecamac, I`ve learned a ton.

That’s about it for me. We went ice skating today. I think that we`re going to try and go every week. There is an instructor there that was teaching us some tricks. ha-ha. I really like ice skating, it’s really fun.

Thanks for your letters and support.

Love
Elder Howard