Monday, December 28, 2015

Bellefontaine #11

Hello Family,

Well it is finally happened the weather is going south and right now we are experiencing freezing rain and it's cold now. I really loved seeing you on Christmas and seeing all your smiling faces. I loved all the things you sent me and yes I liked the socks because they were funny and made me smile. Glad to hear that you had a safe trip and I'm jealous of dads drone thingy.

Well we are excited for Summers up coming baptism and for her to become a member and to receive the Holy Ghost. The branch mission leader will fill the font and sister Alexander will make the brochure things. I will be giving a talk on the importance of baptism because she asked. She is ready to go and has been interviewed and the paper work is almost filled out. 

Oh you asked me if we are leaning how to make funny things. Our investigator Brian said he would show us how to make glue with sap and rabbit droppings and something else from the woods. He is our mountain man friend who wants to show us how to survive in the woods off the land. It's really cool but will probably smell very bad.

I don't know what else to say but that I love you and loved getting to talk to you. Stay safe and warm in the crazy weather. Oh ya one thing that I really need but keep forgetting to ask is I need a gps for the really big area that I cover. Love you!

Love Elder Young



Elder Young and Elder Anderson being very unhealthy

Monday, December 21, 2015

Bellefontaine #10

Hello Family,

Well this week has been a lot of fun what with getting a trainee and the stress that but on my body. I'm doing good now and am having a lot of fun with Elder Anderson who is my new baby boy! He is from Newton Utah the same town as Elder Larsen. Elder Anderson is also a dairy farmer and is a lot of fun once he warmer up to me. The first day the poor guy was like a deer caught in someone's head lights. He is doing better now and we are doing really well.

So before the transfer meeting we meet the trainees that are coming in and role play with them. I guess after we role played and left the room Elder Anderson wanted me or an other missionary as his companion. So that was cool that he liked me from the very beginning. Since he has been here we have not had many lessons and we have been doing a lot of finding and we have been met with little success. He is staying strong though but he like all trainees is already counting down the days.

Sorry for the late notice on the skype call info, we will have dinner at a members home at 5 and we maybe done by 6 so the call will be at 6 sometime. So if you are in Utah that will be at 4, Oregon 3. Yes you can email me the information any day before then. I can receive and read emails all through the week I just can't respond to them till Monday.

I guess I will give the new thermals a go and see how they hold up to the dryer. So far most of my stuff is doing ok with the high heats except my sweaters they shrunk a little. It had to be done though, oh and we will be getting new mattress and box springs and new furniture soon. I just need to get some bed bug shields. So far I have not been able to find any. Can you look for some for me, you might get a better deal than I will. 

Having fun on the mission just trying to stay warm and to stay bug free. It will be warming up soon which makes me happy. It's going to be a warm Christmas in Ohio with no snow in Bellefontaine. Hope you all have a great week and safe trip to Utah if that happens and a happy Christmas. Oh ya by the way I'm the designated driver, pray for us to survive my driving. Love ya!


Love Elder Young


Elder Young and Elder Anderson

Thursday, December 17, 2015

Pictures

Tayler decided to splurge apparently and buy enormous peanut butter cups! 


Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Bellefontaine #9

Hello Family,

Sounds like you week was full of ups and downs and lots of good things to keep you going. Sorry to hear that it's flooding a little and that work must be miserable for dad right now with all the rain. Weather is so unpredictable at times and seems to be against you at all times. The weather here has been very nice and we have seldom gone into the 30's, which has been nice for us. I have a feeling that we are about to get slammed with some really bad weather soon.

I did get you packages and I thank you so much for all you do for me to make my holidays a little more bearable. I hope he thermals work but one thing that concerns me is that they are supposed to be line dried and with bed bugs that's not a good thing. I have to be able to dry my cloths at high heat for at least 20 minutes to kill those dang things. Work in progress.

So this week has been a rush of excitement because I just leaned that I will be training a new missionary. So our transfer meeting is tomorrow and that is when I will get a new companion that is fresh from the MTC. I got the call on Monday from President Daines that this would be happening. Then Tuesday morning I went to the mission home and got trained for my new task I have been entrusted with. Then today is our p-day and then tomorrow the fun begins of being a shining example to this new missionary.

I am very excited and very nervous about this new path I am about to embark on. Just wanted to let you know that I will be receiving a new baby boy for Christmas and I didn't know I was pregnant. Oh papa Simkins will be so happy(Elder Simkins my trainer). We call our trainees our sons, president Daines has instructed us not to do that so I won't around him but I will refer to him as my son to you guy.

A lot of excitement and many emotions flying around and Elder Knudsen is probably not happy with me. I feel like the stereotypical pregnant women you see in the movies with mood swings galore. I will send pictures of him and me on Monday!

Love you all very much and wish you happy days and hope the rain stops soon. Hope you are safe and that you have fun doing what ever you do.

Love Elder Young



Getting a haircut :)

Sunday, December 13, 2015

Bellefontaine #8

Hello Family,

This week went really well and I had a lot of fun and had some fun meetings with people. So the apartment got sprayed early in the morning on Wednesday and hope worked and they are all dead but only time will tell. I have all my stuff still in bags, we'll all but a few shirts and my bed sheets. I'm looking into getting bed covers that bed bugs can't crawl through, it's going to hurt the budget but it has to be done. That's what's up with that problem.

So this week we have been out and had some good meetings with people and felt the spirit. My favorite visit was to these potentials named Rich and Melissa Reynolds who we have meet one other time had us over for dinner. They are very nice and are curious but talk a lot and so we can't really teach them with out interrupting every few minutes. Rich is however reading the Book of Mormon and is retaining what he reads. So we are interested to see how that goes. Oh and for dinner we had venison which was really good because the deer here eat the corn and the soy from the fields. One funny thing that happened during dinner was there 2 year old grandson was running around naked, just one of those funny awkward moments of the mission.

We were not able to make our goals but we were able to have some great lessons anyways and we were trying to as hard as we could to make them. Goals are hard to set when there out come is dependent on the availability of others that are workaholics. But we try none the less. One cool thing is that we will be able to confirm Summer on the same day as her baptism which was a big answer to our prayers. Convert confirmations are suppose to be on Sunday's so the whole branch can be there but the President Daines said we could do it the same day because her mom was a member. We are just going to confirm with President Daines and then we will have talk to Summer and her mom. We are very excited!

Been a good week and the weather has been great and we have been very warm. When I got here last winter it was freezing cold and we are having light jacket weather lately. So either it's going to be a warm winter or we are about to get smacked hard with some terrible weather. Anyway hope you all have a great week and don't wear yourselves into the ground with projects. Thank you for the package you are sending. Love you lots!

Love

Elder Young

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Bellefontaine #7

Hello Family,

Glad to hear that you had a great Thanksgiving with Julie and Alex up in Washington. Sounds like you have been staying busy getting ready for Christmas and that dad had a good Birthday. I'm so bad and forgot to wish him a happy Birthday, hope that he can forgive me. You all are doing a lot of fun stuff and I do the same old stuff everyday and meet some funny people along the way.

I had a good Thanksgiving day we first started by exchanging back because I was in Sidney with Elder Gardner who I came out with on the mission so that was cool. We then saw some less actives and had lunch with one of them. We then saw an investigator briefly and saw how he was doing. The we had dinner with a new young couple in the branch. It was really funny how everyone was asking if we had any meal plans but know one but the new family invite, and a less active family. Was funny how tons of people asked but no one invited us. We then saw another less active to end the day. We were told to get out and work and to treat it like a normal day. Mission President is really starting to get really strict, which is good because there are a lot of idiot missionaries out there( in Ohio).

I really am at a loss of what to talk about not much has been happening that is exciting to report on. We are going to get sprayed for bed bugs soon so we are getting ready for that, got some space bags for that. Gave a talk in church yesterday on the eternal perspective of the gospel. That was terrible and I hate giving talks. Also there is a family in the ward that does FLL so I have been able to get my robotics kick.

Well I don't know what else to say other than that I am still alive and kicking and having a good time. Elder Knudsen gets packages but not that often. I also do not know if he is going to be here for Christmas because transfers is the week before Christmas. You of course can still send him one to be nice. As for what I want for Christmas you can send me ties or something maybe a Bluetooth keyboard, I'm not picky just as long as I get to skype you I will be happy.

Hope you all have a great week love you all very much!


Love Elder Young

Monday, November 23, 2015

Bellefontaine #6

Hello Family,

Wow mom take a chill pill there bugs that spread like the plague it's no big deal here in Ohio, the third worst state for bed bug problems. We got it under control we have told the mission office and we are getting sprayed and fumigated sometime soon. We will also be getting permethrin from the mission office to spray on the beds to kill those little blood sucking bugs. Don't worry the senior couple is doing all the worrying for us. 

They say not to do your own treatments before they spray so I will a few days after just in case. I will also be buying more space bags and that's were I will but all my cloths for the next long while. I have not seen any bug bites for a while or have a seen one in a while, so this final spray should do it. Best part it won't cost the church a thing. 

Now to the questions I have to big of an area to cover on bikes so we have a full time car and Elder Knudsen drives. We have a washer and dryer in our apartment. It has frosted several mornings and it flurried a few days ago but no snow stayed. It has also gotten gusty these past few days. Winter is upon us here in Bellefontaine Ohio and it's only going to get worse we think. 

Judy is no longer on date to be baptized and we will have to move Summers back a little because we are not able to meet enough during the month to teach her everything. We also had the weirdest lesson teaching her the law of chastity because she is 9 and she doesn't know all that yet but we should some videos that went over it well enough for us. We were also able to get a new investigator named Kattie and we hope everything goes well the second time we meet with her. Other then that it was a normal cold Ohio week.

Everything is going well and I am having a great time here and can't believe it has been a year. Hope everything goes well with you all and that dad doesn't catch pneumonia in the rain. Love you all very much. Have fun in Washington with Jullie and Isaac. Tell him he doesn't have to wait to go to school. Anyways love ya.


Love Elder Young 

Saturday, November 21, 2015

Bellefontaine #5

Hello Family from Orgone,
So this week for me was so slow and at the same time Sunday came really fast and I was extremely caught of guard. We were teaching Judy and she said that she would see us tomorrow and I was like why are we coming over again. Then later I had one of those light bulb moments of stupidity that shocked me that it was Saturday. Anyway it felt slow but we met some new cool people that's what is important.

So it has actually just warmed up slightly but we had some really cold windy days, we got some 50 mile an hour winds on Wednesday. So much for being at the highest point of Ohio at a whopping 1000 some odd feet. It's so flat here that it is not funny anymore especially when you are at the highest elevation you can get in Ohio. Makes good farm land though and that's what we got here. Now to answer your question I am mainly just gearing up because I have a feeling it is going to get really cold this winter, I'm just glad I'm no longer in Mansfield.

Sorry that you all felt busy and that you were rushing around doing stuff. How cold is it there if dad is wearing thermals to work? Hope that things get better this coming week and you don't feel rushed and overly busy with things. You will have to send me pictures of the Christmas stuff you are making.

So his name is Isaac is it and he sends his love does he, well tell him thanks and that it's good to know his name😄. Now tell him he can spend Sunday with his family at there house. Jk. Anyway good to hear that you are all safe at home and that you have not forgotten about me like Hope and Jackie😭. Hope you all have a great week, that includes Isaac because I'm sure he will be over soon.


Love Elder Young

 This is a bed bug that Tayler found :( Very unhappy about it and we hope they can get it taken care of!
 These are some funny signs that the Elders have been sharing.  The cornerstone one below is one that Tayler actually found :)


 They are gearing up for the winter cold that is coming.  The one above they are hiding behind a rock to get out of the wind and he just bought some more thermals so the one below is to show me how he is prepared :)

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Bellefontaine #4

Hello Family,
It has been a long week and I am still getting use to Bellefontaine because we cover a large area around it as well. We have been trying to help the people we are helping toward baptism to understand the things that they committing to and the covenants and there significance in our lives. Judy who is working toward the 28 is doing great and is moving forward with great faith and has made a date to quite smoking on the 13 of this month. We are very excited for her and are meeting with her as much as we can each week.

This last week has gone by very slowly but that is because I really just am still not use to the area and am always surprised by how many towns we cover. We just went to this town that is 13 miles from Bellefontaine and it took half an hour to get there. We were lucky and the Rasmussen's who are the senior couple took us down. They are awesome and are from Oregon. I continue to struggle with the area but I am slowly getting it down.

Just learned that I will be staying here in Bellefontaine with Elder Knudsen, and my other district members are staying as well which makes me happy because I was in the MTC with one of them. Actually my district might be growing and we may have a new set of missionaries in Sidney. I'm excited for that.

Happy to hear that you are all doing great back there and that Emma is staying busy with work and school. I don't know about the boy she likes though I don't like the sound of him. Mainly because I don't know his name. Anyway happy that you are having fun decorating the house with dad. Your a little be hind me though because I all ready have my lights out. Elder Knudsen is still a little mad that I put them up but he has trouble staying mad at me. 

A lot of fun things are happening back home, thank you for keeping me in the loop. Things are changing so much back there I can't keep track of it all, but that is ok. I love you all so very much and miss you.

Love 

Elder Young

Bellefontaine Picture + Video

A less actives husband who is not a member really liked me because I knew a little about guns and knifes so he showed me a few of his toys.
One of them was a 50. Caliber bullet. It was really cool. He has a few knives and guns. I love Ohio!

Sunday, November 8, 2015

Bellefontaine Ohio #3

Hello Dad,

This week has been interesting and seemed to take for ever as we went out and tried to meet people and had little success. We had some great lessons with the investigators that have a date to be baptized. So we are working hard to help Judy to be baptized on the 28th of this month. We got some things to help her get over but I think that she can do it because she has great faith.

I really don't know what else to say other than that I am working hard and having fun with Elder Knudsen who says that he is not related to the Knudsen's in Delta. We are working hard to make this Branch a ward one day. So we are trying to meet with less actives and help them come to church. The members here are really strong though so that it really encouraging for the work here.

Sorry to hear about the weather and that the church building was a mess and that you cleaned it all by yourself. Hope that your week goes better and that you have time to have fun. Love ya so very much.
Love
Elder Young




Hello Mom,
Sounds like you had a great week with Dallin and the rest of the family. So if Dallin doesn't call you Grandma what does he call you. Glad that you are all doing ok and that you had a fun Halloween. My week was a little slow and we taught a few lessons that went well and I had the slowest fast Sunday ever because people don't share there testimonies. So we shared our testimonies and so did the Senior couple and maybe 5 branch members the rest was sitting in silence.

Anyway we have been trying hard to find people to teach and trying to meet less actives and get them to church. We actually found a less active not on the branch membership list. It was really cool. So we taught a little girl the Gospel of Jesus Christ and it went well till the end. That's when her less active mom asked her to say the closing prayer and she broke down in tears, it was weird and awkward. 

I got your package thank you for the candy and cookies and jerky. I love it, it didn't get here till Saturday but I didn't get till Sunday night but I got it. Looking forward to next week and all. Next week I will email on Wednesday be use next week is transfer week. It will fun to see what happens.

Love Elder Young


Bellefontaine Ohio #2

Hello Family,

Well this was a very active week and we got a lot done. So my new companion is Elder Knudsen who is from Cedar Hills Utah. We have been getting along really well and we have been working hard to activate the less actives because Bellefontaine is a branch. So it has been a lot of hard work.

So this week I went on exchanges with a zone leader and with the assistance and I got trained on how to be a district leader. Then the next day I had to run a district meeting and to teach the district. That was weird and didn't flow very well. Then I got trained on how to do a baptism interview which was weird to think that I could interview someone for baptism. Ya so there is some new responsibilities I have as a district leader.

One cool thing happened this week that was really fun. One of our investigators has some really nice speakers and he showed us how good they were. The floor was shaking and I'm sure people could hear him from a couple streets away. I will show you a video. It was really cool!

We taught a lesson to some investigators that are from Japan and we brought a member who is going to Japan for his mission. So he tried to translate what we said into Japanese and it was very slow and we got to the Atonement in an hour. It was fun though and something new.

Anyway hope you have fun this week.

Love Elder Young 



Monday, October 19, 2015

Bellefontaine Ohio #1

Hello Family,

Lots of cool things have happened in a relatively short period of time. So last week we had interviews with the mission President in the Mansfield building, which was nice because we did have to drive as far. We also had some great lessons and had a great Sunday, it was the Primary program so it was cute and of course a little humorous. But then everything got very crazy after church. 

So we were out walking around minding our own business when we got a call from the Mission President. It went a little like this, Elders I'm have some information for you, some missionaries are going home because of medical issues and I want you Elder Young to got to Bellefontaine and be a district leader and for Elder Larsen to go to Marion and be in a tripanionship. And we said ok President Daines. Then he said go to your apartment and pack and clean, I want you at the mission home by noon tomorrow.

So Sunday night I packed and cleaned and didn't sleep well that night got up and got a ride from a member to Powell Ohio. So my area has been temporarily closed and who knows when it will be opened again. Any way I am now in Bellefontaine Ohio with my companion who's name is Elder Knudsen (pronounced as spelled). We are getting along but we just got to our area.

So with the Package I would say send it to the mission office and just do that with all future packages just in case. This may not be my last mid cycle transfer so if you send it to the office they will make sure it gets to the right place. All I want is pumpkin cookies I love those cookies. Also could you send me the recipes for pancakes and waffles and other easy fast foods that I can make and eat in an hour. You can email the recipes.

Anyway I am on a new adventure and I am having fun. Hope you all have a great week and that you stay safe. Glad that you like my stories.


Love Elder Young

Tayler's Green Robe :)

One of the members in Tayler's ward in Mansfield made him this green robe :)

Monday, October 12, 2015

Mansfield OH #19

Well sounds like a great week and that you have been busy at work and stuff. Guess what me too. This week we have had some great success and met almost all our goals by Thursday so that was awesome. So in the end we have exceeded our goal for lessons this week. I am very happy.

We also found a new investigator who's name is WJ Worthim and he is awesome and we have had a great first lesson with him. We met him while looking for people that told missionaries to come back in the past. We saw him sitting on a porch and we stride talking to him. While we were talking to him a lady pulled up in a car and got out and asked is if we would say a prayer with her or for her I don't remember exactly. Anyway we stopped and said a prayer with her and she left. As we walked back to talk to WJ he asked us what make us so happy so we told him and he set up a time for us to come see him.

He told us that the reason he wanted to talk to us is that when we walked up we had smiles on our faces and he said to himself those are some young men that are happy doing something. And he wanted to know why we are so happy and willing to go out and talk to people.

So that was a really cool experience and I am happy that we were in the right place at the right time to meet this prepared son of our Heavenly Father. On a sad note Joe is having issues with the things that we are teaching now. I don't think we will be having very many more lessons with him. But he likes us and has enjoyed some of the things that we have shared with him. So I hope General Conference helps him with his jest ions and will help him to keep his heart open.

Glad to hear that you are starting to get the house the way you like it and that you have the opportunity to own a house after all these years. God is watching over y'all back home for me. Hope that you all continue to be safe and hope Emma does good in school. By the way why did Emma go to Prime Time with both Austin and Mac? 
Stay safe and know that I love you all!


Elder Young

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Mansfield OH #18

What a great General Conference! I didn't think I could learn so much at one given time or that I would feel so much. What a Conference to remember also with the calling of three new Apostles. I loved Elder Renlund testimony and how we should be emotionally involved. I don't think I have a specific talk that was my favorite but I loved the theme that stuck out to me. Unfortunately Joe was not feeling good so Elder Larsen and me are going to get them to him somehow so that he can watch them.

Great to hear that Grandma and Grandpa and Judy made it up to visit and spend the week end with you. Also great to hear that dad maybe getting benefits if he takes another work day. Seems like everything is going well you all for the most part. That is always a blessing for me to know that you are all doing well.

Got a new district leader today and he is from Hillsboro and his name is Elder Jackman, who knows Ammon. It's a small world in our church and a mission makes it smaller in some ways. This is now my fourth District leader in this area so it keeps me on my toes and allows me to meet new people. Just one of those funny things that happens in your life.

Not much has happened this week that is really fun or exciting to tell other than that Elder Larsen spilled ink all over the carpet. We talked to a member about how to take it out and it worked well. WD 40 and soapy water and the carpet looks better than before but will need some more work. I did a very deep clean of the kitchen and I now feel clean. I have become a clean freak and delight in cleaning this apartment, I will be sad to leave it. I love that robe and the fabric wasn't to expensive so I'm very happy with it and it's very warm.

Well I hope everything continues to be great with you all and I hope you all try to ponderize a scripture every week. Mine is Isaiah 1:18 which is a verse that has been sticking out to me a lot lately, so I will memorize it and try to reflect on it daily. I really love yours mom and is something I am also trying to do is clean up my life in those ways. I love you all and wish you a great day and week. And if I don't see you again good afternoon, good evening, and good night. 


Love Elder Young

Mansfield OH #17

Hello Family,

Yet again I email you latter in the week because this Thursday is the wonderful transfers that just throws everyone out of whack. Anyway last week was good and we taught Joe again and invited him to come to General Conference. He is really interested and is looking for answers on whether there are is a prophet on the earth today. It's cool how all these things are lining up to help Joe and his conversion to the church.

This Sunday was a interesting one and I still don't know how to take it. There are a lot of converts in this Ward and in any Ward in Ohio, and so they are very informal in their testimonies. Which is fine except for this girl got up and started crying and apologizing to the ward for her behavior and that she was going to better and be the person that they are trying to help her be. It was rather weird but Joe liked it so that was good at least.

One fun thing that happened this week was that we helped a member take down a for his daughters reception. It was fun an I got to go on the roof and take of the tin panels because I'm one of the lighter Elders. It's nice to go do things like this to add verity to your life, and it's always fun doing service for people in anyway you can. Also a member made me a bath robe and it is very warm and soft. I will send pictures of it.

I'm happy to hear about Emma and the path that she is thinking about going on and I wish I could give her all the knowledge I have gained since I have been out. There is nothing more fun and rewarding than serving the lord and your fellow man. She should start reading Preach my Gospel and learn the material and what it teaches. The missionaries of course can help her get an idea of what it's like. Do you have sisters in the area? If so go out to lessons with them. Start exercising and learn how to fix a bike. 

Sorry to hear about mom and the tumble she just took and I hope that she starts to feel better. Falling is never fun and always leads to pain, so stop falling! Hope that everything continues to go well with dad and work. Sounds like you are also getting settled into the new home and making it the way you want it. As always I wish you the best and love you very much.

Love Elder Young

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Mansfield OH #16

Hello Family,

I get to write you way earlier than usual this week because this morning I am going to an end of summer fun day with some of the zones from the mission. It should be fun even though I won't have time to do anything after. Anyway I have mixed feelings about these events, you know how I am. This week was really good though!

So we had a good number of lessons this week but of course the lesson with Joe is the most memorable. He is such a spiritual giant and he teaches me every time we meet with him. What was funny was this lesson he told us that he learned something and that he doesn't always learn something new. That was funny and awesome to hear at the same time. We taught him the Plan of Salvation which he had some interesting views on, but we pushed forward following the spirit and he loved it. He said that it was new and something he had never heard before but it went along with what he felt was right.

It cool how the spirit works no how we don't teach new things we just bring to remembrance what they had already learned before this life. Nothing we teach is new to them because they have accepted it before they came here. All we can hope is that they have a open heart and open mind. Joe is on a path and is going to be baptized once we get some things in order but he will be baptized. I may not be here to see it but it will happen.

I love it here in Ohio, and I love the people and how they are so open to talk about religion. They are searching for things that will bring them happiness and a knowledge of there savior and Heavenly Father. We as members of this church have the special chance to share what we believe and to show what has brought us closer to them. How we our selves have peace and happiness because we know that we have a modern prophet and how through the Book of Mormon we are given further light. That our church is patterned after the bible with Apostles. That our families can be sealed together for all eternity in the temple by the proper priesthood authority. 

I love you all very much. I love all that you have ever given me and taught me. I am what I am today because of all your efforts and I thank you for it. I think I am one cool dude. Hope everything goes well with you this week. Remember you can email me through the week and I can read them. Love ya'll so very much.

Love Elder Young

Ps. Thank you for the video of the house!


Monday, September 14, 2015

Mansfield OH #15

Hello Family,

Glad to hear that you had a great rest of your week and that you got to go and and have some fun as a family. We are getting spread out and soon we will all be on our own. What a very odd thought that we are getting older and that we have our own lives to go and make. Sorry to hear that your sick mom and that you have not been feeling well. My heart also goes out to Grandma Kinsman as she goes through this chapter of her life. I will keep her in my prayers and I'm glad to hear that she is taking it like the champion that she is.

My week has been good and we had a great lesson with Joe. He is taking leaps and strides towards becoming a member. One of those strides is that he is going to work on some of his Word of Wisdom issues. He also is starting to admit that he has questions about doctrine that before he was not budging on. The spirit is working on him and he is starting to see more and more that the Book of Mormon is true and hopefully that Joseph Smith is a prophet.

This Monday we had fun as a district playing werewolves a different way than I have in the past and it was really fun. This version everyone had some type of character and we didn't say who we were when we died. We only knew how many werewolves were left after each cycle. It was fast and fun.

I don't know what to say other then that I love you and that I am working hard as I can. The weather is starting to think about becoming cooler but who know with Ohio weather, just what 10 minutes and it will change. Love you all very much!


Love Elder Young 

Mansfield OH #14

Hello family,

So just another one of the weird weeks on the mission where the mission president told us not to email you till this day. Today was my Pday and I got to go to the Temple and that was my whole day. We drove to the Temple and went through our session and then drove back and were able to buy a few things to make it to make it to Monday. But that was my day and because today is my Pday I can now email you.

So last week what stood out was we were given a call to come visit a member who was on his death bed. When we got there we were asked to say a prayer with them and I'm not going to lie I was scared out of my mind. But I said a prayer with them and I felt the spirit even though the reason and environment was a little strange. Then we learned that he died the next day and that they were very thankful for us being there. What was funny was they didn't even remember my name but they remembered Elder Larsen's, so the spirit works in mysterious ways. But yea that was most definitely a first for me.

So investigator update for this week and last. Joe is doing really well and says that he can't prove the Book of Mormon wrong and that he wants to be baptized once he quits smoking. Which is a big step for him,next will be the Plan of Salvations. I met a former investigator with his uncle who is a less active member and that was awesome and weird at the same time. So Danny Rhea who is less active gave his testimony which was so powerful and I have no clue why he is less active at all. In fact that whole lesson was lead by him and I was just kind of there but to be honest I don't think I was meant to say anything. 

Also I had an really big testimony building experience this week. So we were biking along and a guy flags us down and then proceeded to bible thump us. In the end we stood there for three hours while this man told us that our church was false and why the trinity was really. He had a terrible argument bases and Elder Larsen did a good job at pointing out the holes in his argument. Any way it was a great faith builder because now I know even more that what we believe is true because in went and found those answers in the scripture and I prayed. Also before this happened I had prayed to gain a stronger faith in the things we teach and long behold we get bible thumped the next day. So a rude awakening answer to a prayer that helped a lot so I'm very happy right now. 

So that was what stood out in my week and I am sorry it took so long to respond. Sorry to hear that mom is getting sick and that Emma has that infection. Also happy very late Birthday Mom! I am a terrible son. I however love you all and wish you a great week and that you achieve your goals what ever they may be. Love you so very much and think about you oft.


Love Elder Young

Ohio Temple

Elder Larsen and Elder Young

Ohio Columbus Mission: Elder Young and his District

Saturday, September 5, 2015

Mansfield OH #13

Well I am glad to hear that you all have moved in to the new house and that everything is done with moving for a long time hopefully. Sorry to hear that Emma is sick and not feeling good, and that mom got all bruised from the move. I hope everything gets all figured out and you get everything were you want it.

This week was really good but the heat decided to come back for a little while and it's starting to get dark earlier. Elder Larsen and I are getting along great and are working really hard here and are trying to meet all the Less active families and all the accumulated potential investigators. Also we have been finding out that a lot of our investigators just need some time so we will see them a little latter down the road maybe. We are just out trying to build our teaching pool again and to hopefully meet someone who will progress.

So we are meeting the majority of our goals and we re getting a lot more lessons in a week then before. Our investigators are doing good an we are trying to help them feel the spirit and to convert them selves. Joe is doing good and we have been meeting with him more and he is very happy with what he sees in our church. We have also lately been meeting some really cool people that are really interested. So we will try to continue to meet with them and teach them.

This week has been really good and I have higher spirits now that I am not with someone who is dragging me down. I think this area is going to see some great changes as we work hard and follow the spirit. I hope everything is going well with you and that you get the rest that you need from this move. You should send me a video of the new house! I hope that you all are doing well and continue to be awesome.

P.s So the time has come that my eyes need glasses to read. I have noticed that when I read the paper Book of Mormon the words are harder to read then they use to be.


Double Rainbow!

Showing off his wrist watch tan

Tayler's District

The people in Mansfield keep losing their bullets 



Tayler's companion Elder Larsen



At the penitentiary 




This almost looks like it could be an album cover for some Rock Missionary band haha

Monday, August 24, 2015

Mansfield OH #12

Hello Family,


Sorry for the long wait of my lovely emails I grace you with. I got a lovely comment from Judy about my writing skills so that means Emma or mom are doing a good job of fixing my grammar before they post them. So thank you. I had a great birthday full of service and hard work, and I had a blast. I also got a great tan, and my neck got fried. Over all a great great day. Oh and I got to spread concrete as it came out of the cement truck. I had a blast but my pants and one of my shirts are now covered in paint I washed the cement out when it was fresh.


Anyway in this apartment it is just Elder Jones and me. This apartment does not have have a washer and dryer in it, but it is down the hall. It coasts $1.50 for each machine, so three dollars total when you are done with one color or load. It kind of sucks but it's what we have to work with.


So what was cool this week was that Elder Cook came to town and we as a mission got to be taught by him. There was also Elder Hallstrom and Elder Titera of the Seventy and they also taught us. It was very fun and I learned a lot about how to work with the ward and to work in unison. The spirt was very strong when he bore his apostolic witness and gave us a blessing. It was a great experience and I was lucky to be there.


Also something that was really cool this week so far was that we went and saw a potential that we met last month. He was kind of shocked that we remembered him and that he said to come back in a month. I felt very strongly that we needed to see him and I'm glad that I did because he he is awesome. He was very open to talking with us and asked tons of questions. One funny thing about him is he is a big fan of American Pickers and is picker himself. So he had some of those little kids cars that you peddle. He calls them his rusty treasures. I can't wait to meet with him again and hopefully he read the Book of Mormon.


I'm sorry to here that Emma is having trouble at work with some of her co-workers and that people are that way sometimes. But it sounds like you figured it out and everything is cooling down a little. Happy to hear that you will be finally moving into a house that will be yours. No more rentals! That's exciting!


Sorry again that this is happening latter in the week than usual. This week is transfers and so they have started having us email on Wednesday instead of Monday. Yep today is my prep day instead of Monday so my whole schedule has been changed. Anyway I love you and wish you a great rest of the week.



Love Elder Young


I almost forgot. Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad! 
I hope I am remembering this correctly.




Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Happy Birthday!!

Apparently we aren't the only ones that know Tayler loves Star Wars :)  We sent the shirt he is wearing and his old companion Elder Simkin gave him one of the others and Elder Simkins  mother sent him the other shirt :)  My Son is loved

Mansfield OH #11

Well hello family,
Sounds like you have a very good plan ready to implement for your up coming move. Don't sell my stuff I already don't have much stuff for you to sell. But then if you feel it really needs to go then sell it just not my night stand, because I made that. Sorry to hear that you have not spiced up your lives yet maybe in a few weeks when things cool down. So there is storage under the house, that's really cool. You should send a video of the house or something.

This week was ok and then the last few days were really awesome and we had some really good lessons and stuff. So what was really cool this week was a family in the ward invited some people they met to church. What was really cool was they came and said that they want to join the church. So we got so new investigators and they came to church. Then we had dinner with them at a members house. So they are also being fellowshipped by the ward. 

That's what has been happening in my life right now. Other then the fact that I am about to turn 20. Also Elder Cook is coming to talk to our mission which will be fun and exciting. Sorry that I am so expensive with me being here. Maybe you should sell all my stuff. I love you all a lot and I am thankful for all you do for me. Sorry that this email is so short but not much happened this week. The days are getting shorter and a lot cooler already in August, like a lot cooler. 

I hope everything goes well with you all this week as you prepare to move yet again. I love you and think about you all the time and hope you are safe. You are one of the rocks of my life and I am blessed to have you in my life. Jesus is the number one rock but your a close second. Be safe and remember to pray every morning and night and to read your scriptures. They will bring you happiness and joy.


Love Elder Young

Friday, August 7, 2015

Mansfield OH #10

Well sounds like a normal week from you guys yet again. You need to change up your lives a little and go on a hike or something fun like that. Even I have brakes from the norm and do something different. Granted I'm shopping for food and emailing and doing laundry but it's different from the rest of the week. Anyway so you have also begun the down sizing of all the accumulated things of our family. Don't get rid of any of my stuff please😭 that wouldn't be cool.

Glad to hear that Emma is getting ready for school and is hopefully getting over that sickness. Being sick is no fun and I'm glad I have only been sick once on my mission. It also must be nice only having to work 20 hours this week. Hope you all are doing well with your work and stuff. You all are crazy worker bees.

So when is the big move date then if Sandy Jo is already getting the house ready to be sold? Also will all of our shed stuff fit in the new house? I'm sure you have a game plan and know what your doing I'm just inquisitive.

So all the people we meet with are doing well, we just have been having trouble meeting with them. We did meet with Joe and had a question about why the Book of Mormon was not on the earth for a long time if it was good. We however were able to answer his concern and then gave him an interesting reding assignment. We both felt prompted to read Jacob chapter 5. Which normally you don't do and just wait for them to find it them selves, but so far he says he has gotten a lot from it and likes it.

Goals we have set for our selves are to always invite others to be baptized. Thing is most of our investigators are hesitant to set dates right now. So that he made baptismal goals hard to set for this area but we have some we feel will soon. So hopefully we will see more results from that area. 

Thank you so much for the birthday gifts I did get them. I forgot to tell you though my apartment number is 301 so next time the mail people won't have to work as hard. I love the puzzle but I solved it really fast. I'm just to good. But some of the other Elders have found it hard. Loved it all though and I liked the card. So with the pictures for my frame it works by SD cards, and I am no longer allowed to use computers now that I have the iPad. So it may be easier if you send me and SD card with pictures on it. IDk but know you know a bit of the predicament we have here.

Also I got the Ipad case, isn't it great it's my birthday gift to me, I'm so happy. Anyway this week has been good and I am thankful for all you do for me. I think about you all the time pray for your safety and welfare all the time. Be careful with this move and don't hurt yourselves. Y'all best be in the same condition that I left you in. Love you so very much.

Love Elder Young

P.s. Looking for this, (cough), Is that my voice.

Green blooded hobgoblin

The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plane

Ok let's go through this again, I put on my hat then my glasses my glasses.
  Wait who are you? What you do with uncle slim?
It's still me you idiots!

Leave Mickie out of this!

I'm getting the pig!

P.s.s settle a debate for me does Hami the squirrel get pepper sprayed? 


Monday, July 27, 2015

Mansfield OH #9

Well sounds like you all are a bunch of worker bees. All work and no fun. I even have a day of rest which is on Monday instead of Sunday. Anyway this week was really good and we have been having some good success. We also had the assistance to the president come on splits with us, which was different and weird but good. We got more done in that one day than through the whole week. Having four missionaries tag team an are is very effective. We also got three new investigators and some solid appointments set up for the next week. So I am very excited for this next week, because things are just picking up.

The members here are very nice. In fact I am at a members house right now using there wifi because they are closer than the church and the library which we are no longer allowed to go to anyway. These iPads rule our lives and we need wifi and there is no free wifi close by. We get feed every so often. It's hard because there are three sets of missionaries to feed in this Ward and only a few people really sign up to feed us. Also we don't have a car and some people live far away. But I don't complain because they come out on lessons and are very helpful, not like Reynoldsburg were they take over and do a terrible job.

I like Mansfield I really love the people and have gotten to know some really nice people. Plus the people just seem more down to earth than in my last area. Also less crazy. That has been a real perk to this area. Weather is getting hotter so we take breaks at gas stations and get fountain drinks to cool off. It works for a short period of time. I love this area though.

I'm not going to lie I have know clue what I want. Just send me what you think I will like and enjoy. Also send some more black socks, so I don't have to make as many laundry stops. Other than that I say just surprise me😁 I really am at a loss( Elder Jones says to ask for candy but I get enough sugar so don't do that) *elder jones whispers do it!!!* but ya I have gotten boring on my mission oh send some puzzles. I am just writing this as things come to mind. But ya stuff.

Anyway love you all and wish you the best in all you do.

Love Elder Young

P.s Emma you are really funny.


P.ss I hear that ant man was a good movie, did you see it, and what is it about. I have reached the point were I don't know what is happening in the world anymore😭

Also could you tell dad to send the 3d printed cars pics again I didn't get them. And guess what I went to catholic mass on Saturday with a less active member. It was so cool. I wasn't able to get pictures but look up St. Peter's in Mansfield Ohio and I'm sure you will find pictures.

Monday, July 20, 2015

Mansfield OH #8

Well it sounds like you all had a great time this week and had some not so good times. Wow Emma those were some harsh words. Sorry to hear that the weather has been getting really warm and that you all have all been out in it. I hope everything goes well with finding a house and everything, be done with all this moving stuff. Elder Jones likes to make the comment that he has lived in the same house his whole life. Doesn't know just how lucky he is.

This week has been really good but we are finally having summer here in Ohio. It got into the 90 with at least 90 percent humidity. It was glorious and I sweat like a Hebrew slave, that's a joke I learned from one of our investigators. We had some good lessons though. Joe is answering his own questions very well. There is no point in us even being there, well there are some things that he has a different view on but time will fix that. He is so cool, that whole family is cool. Mansfield is a great place other than the fact that I keep going through tire tubes. Also the fact that our apartment is at the southern corner of our area. It gives me time to work on my tan.

We also had interviews with the mission president and I got grilled for not having a study journal. But it was good and it was one of my better one because he actually talked to me longer than he usually does. I really liked it and felt like I had a real conversation with him. I have had worse corrections of attitude. I built some tough skin. 

Anyway this week has been good. It has been raining less and just really hot and sticky. You walk out side and it hits you like a wall and you instantly start feeling like your covered in sweat. It's glorious as I stated earlier. I will survive!! Maybe! I can't wait till winter!!!! 

Keep me in the loop of things that are happening, thinks are just flying by. School start next month which is so weird not going to school and just being old. What has happened to me? Life is to fast and short. That's why it's important to live life the way your supposed to so that you don't have any regrets and no wasted time. We however can all feel the atonement in our lives and have our sins removed and forgotten. All we have to do is push forward and endure to the end.

I love you all and I want you know that I appreciate all you have done for me. I wouldn't be here today with out you nor would I be who I am, and I think I'm pretty cool. I pray for you all the time and want you to have the best blessing. Remember who you are and you will always have the strength to do anything.


Love Elder Young

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Mansfield OH #7

Hello family,
So your lives don't stop because I haven't written you, now I do feel bad thanks a lot :( Just kidding. Sorry to hear about the weather you had during the reunion, I guess you all just had to bond instead, gross. Also sorry to hear about Dad working in the heat all day. I hope the heat wave goes away and you can get so rest and find a house. I love the houses here in Mansfield. It's a really old city so they have these big Victorian style homes, what is sad is this city has lost all the money so they are falling apart. But many of the style of homes here are growing on me.

So this week was really good. We walked all week because I forgot to get tubes and we were not able to go during the week. But we were able to have some very good lessons. In fact we got some members out with us and those lessons were powerful. I love most member lessons because they have such strong testimonies and people just relate better to them. So that has been awesome. We also have found some really nice people that want us to come back, so come back we shall.

Also we got 4 new investigators this week which is really cool because we have not been getting very many. Terry is a member referral that we just started teaching and he is so cool and very interested. Matthew, Hayden, and a 15 year old girl, forgot her name. Anyway they are Amber's kids, and she is a less active we have been teaching. They are all so very cool and have good religious backgrounds. Very excited about teaching them.

Something sad happened though last week. Joe who is Amber's great uncle has some big concerns and we don't really know how to answer them. We are going to really turn to God for help and answers, maybe a member or two. But it has been hard to see him struggle with this and I pray we can help him. This week has been an emotional roller coaster.

Sorry about ranting to you last week. That's not what I am supposed to do in these emails to you all. It's been hard but really not that hard at all in the large picture. Elder Jones and I get a long for most of the time but others we have stupid spats. I hope I have not given you the wrong image of him as he is a great missionary. 

So I looked at the prices of iPad cases that fit my standards for weather proof and things but it was like 60 bucks at Walmart. So I don't know if there are cheaper ones online I don't know. But if you could look for me or if you are ok with me spending that much I don't know. The case I have is a good one but not water proof and that is my main concern. Also I have not received cookies in a long time. Also I bought a little one of those electric picture frames at a garage sale for really cheap and it works really well. So if you could send me a lot of pictures and I will but them on an SD card and have tons of pictures of you all. 

Love you all. I am doing good sorry if I gave the impression that I am not. I think of you all the time especially now that I know you are moving. Keep it real and don't brake both of your ankles or anything for that matter. How exactly did he do that? Anyway love you.



Love Elder Young

Mansfield #6

Sorry for the long wait family, I know that your lives cannot continue with out me emailing you. So when you get this email you can go back to your lives. Teehee, anyway wow so much is happening in there. What with Emma getting a job, a family reunion, and house hunting. That sucks so much that you have to move yet again. I'm bummed for you😭 

I have been praying that you get a loan and get a house of your own. No more of this house hopping nonsense. We're humans not rabbits for goodness sake. Ahh I won't be coming home to the same house. Wo is me. Also sorry to hear about the weather, so far all this summer has been is wet. No I have not been able to get a coat yet because p-day's have been crazy and have had no time to shop. Last time we major ran out of time, good thing I had no money to buy food with anyway. I have been bad with my money lately, it's kind of bugging me. I think it's because I have had to buy Elder jones food a couple of times.

This week has been really lazy so far. We have been entering in teaching records into the iPad for two days straight. We were given a deadline to be done entering them in and we got way be hind because well our area book was huge. But what has been awesome is that we have been able to get members to our lessons. That has been making a difference in how they go and the spirit is so much stronger. What is also cool is this less active family moved into a new house and they have next to nothing. So the members have been making this large list of things they want to give and it is impressive. I love this Ward for there generosity and kindness. 

One thing though that has me worried but not to much is our investigator Joe who lives with the less active lady I mentioned above, he is her great uncle. Anyway he had a concern about last church meeting which was very pro America. Anyway he didn't agree with that he believes that there should be a separation of state and religion. But he is willing to meet with us because he respects us and because this is the only big thing that has come up. Everything else he feels good about. I also think it was the Gospel Principles class which was on the word of wisdom. Which we had not gone over with them yet, and the teacher was like a nazi school teacher up there. But anyway I'm positive that we can answer his questions with the help of the spirit, more like we will just be there and the spirit will teach us all.

Well this transfer has been good but I have been noticing some hard feeling between me and Elder Jones. But I am working on it because I want the spirit with us everywhere we go. But it's hard because he has a short attention span and is very goofy at bad times. Needless to say I feel like I have a 5 year old son who is bouncing of the walls. But it has been getting better.

I wish something happened on the 4th but everyone in Mansfield decided to go on vacation out of town. And it was a slow day and on top of it all we didn't see that many fireworks. All we saw were women laying on there boats sunbathing in there swimming suits if that's what you want to call a bikini. Anyway that was my 4th of July. Holidays are supposed to be active days according to the white hand book, but it's all lies no one wants to talk to us because they want there time with there family not two men off the street. But I'm happy because I have some solid investigators and we tackled the area book, and because of that I have a big list of people I want to go meet. So maybe more people to teach long term.

Sorry if this email was not very exciting but this is the mission right now. I however am very happy and doing well. I have been learning a lot and have been doing a lot of soul searching. My testimony has never been stronger and I love my calling. I have been called to Ohio D&C 39:13-15. I love it here and I love the people and there beliefs in God and his son Christ. People here are just so open to religion, and a lot are not so open. But I run into more people who respect and appreciate what we missionaries do and that gives me strength. I love you all and wish you the best in your house hunting and just busy lives. All ways remember Christ through your week because he will lead and guide you in all things that you do.

P.s sorry about my emails they really don't flow but that is how my crazy brain works.


Love Elder Young