Friday, July 29, 2016

Hilliard Ohio #6

Hello Family,

This has been one hot week full of a lot of fun things. Glad to hear that all is well back home and that you are all healthy. I have been good as well but I have been drenched in my sweat. I have become a profuse sweater and it is really grossing me out because its mainly on my face and back. Anyway enough about bodily functions.

So this week we have not been able to meet with JD or that family that I told you about. We have meet a bunch of new people though like Cameron Young and and his Girlfriend, and Lexi. We were also able to meet with a less actives son who wants to be baptized and his name is Ashton. So we have a lot of people the thing is getting lesson with them again. Ashton is hard because his mom keeps rescheduling on us every time we set up a lesson. People are just so flaky in this area its ridiculous, but that doesn't stop us from teaching and having a good time.

Speaking of good times we had a couple of fun things happen this week that haven't happened to me in a long time. First off I was pumping up my bike tire and I was at like 60 psi which is its minimum psi and it blew up. Sounded like a gun shot and I was surprised but I didn't jump at all. Then one of our neighbors came out and thought we had knocked on there door. It was funny. Secondly we were out tracting and we knocked on this door and someone in side yelled POLICE. It was funny to hear that again. Then this nice guy came out and talked to us briefly. Then later we were walking past his house back to our bikes and he came out and gave us water. Very nice guy.

Also I have learned that I will be training again! I got a call on Monday from President Daines that he wants me to train again. Their are like 20 missionaries coming out so this transfer a fourth of the mission will be trained and will be training. So I'm excited because Elder Anderson the one I trained is also training as well as the other missionary that Elder Simkins trained before he went home. So the Elder Simkins lineage is growing in the Great Ohio Columbus Mission, well as my own. Just more fun times on the mission.


Anyways I hope that you all have a great rest of your week and that you all stay safe. Always be reading your scriptures daily there is a great strength that comes from that and prayer. Love you all and I will see you all soon.


Tuesday, July 19, 2016

Hilliard Ohio #5

Hello Family,

This has been a good week full of good old riding a bike full time and tracting a bunch of houses. For you it sounds like you did a lot more or at least had a lot more going on. I however am glad that I do not have a bunch of men on my roof pulling off shingles and replacing them. Instead I was out under the burning sun getting a nice tan and getting eaten alive by bugs. 

We had some good lessons with people at there doors again and hope that we will get a second lesson with someone soon. As for that family we don't know what is going on with them. When ever we stop by to talk to them they are either not home or don't answer the door. We will continue to try though. Coolest lesson we had was yesterday, we met a guy named JD. He came out and had questions and talked with us for a little while. He also the only person who gave us a return appointment this week. So I am happy that one person actually talked to us.

This week was however very hard because we met a lot of people that had to make the effort to come and make fun of us. This one guy was funny but it was still hard. He drove up to us in his car and told us that we should go and bug other people. He also asked what a bunch of kids were going to teach him that he didn't already know. Then I just kind of tuned out and just smiled. I however remember him telling us that we were weird for believing in a heavenly daddy. He then asked if we still believe in Santa Claus. It was a really weird interaction were this man was trying to make himself sound better than us but insulted himself in the process.


Life is good and I am glad to hear that you are all doing good back home. Tomorrow I will be at my 20 month mark and will only have 4 months left. It's crazy how things go by so fast. I love you all and want you to know I am working hard and will see you soon.

Elder Young
So this morning we had a zone activity and I played volleyball with the sisters and a few of the Elders. Well I tried to at least, several of the sisters really knew what they were doing. Then we played blindfolded softball. That was weird and sadly not many liked it. So we played normal softball with whiffle balls. It was fun and I ended up slamming into this one elder trying to get back to base while he was running to get me out. It was funny because it didn't hurt at all and everyone freaked out. Probably because I just laid there after it happened and didn't move. It was all really fun. 


Monday, July 11, 2016

Hilliard Ohio #4

Hello Family,

This week has been a lot of fun and full of a lot of good old tracting and hoping to get some lessons in with people. We where lucky to get a few and that always lifts your spirits and makes it worth it to be here. The weather has started to cool off a little or maybe I am just getting use to it. Either way this was a good week and I had a lot of fun over here in the Hayden Run Ward.

So this week like I said we have been doing a lot of tracting and that has been fun because it always gives me the opportunity to get to know my companions better. It also gives you the chance to meet a lot of people that are around you. We were able to teach a few more people than the last few weeks I have been here. They were all on door steps but that is always the first step. I hope that we can meet with them again because they all wouldn't give times we could come back, which is hard. I'm just happy that the work is slowly speeding up.

One fun thing that happened this week was that we had interviews with the Mission President. I always enjoy my brief visits with him and the little bits of advise that he gives even though half the time we talk about my companions more than me. I prefer it that way though. One fun thing also happen at interviews, some of the sisters in my district showed up with corn rows in there hair. I had to try so hard not to laugh to there faces but it was so funny. I also felt bad for them because I just knew a grill session was going to happen with President Daines. If you just read the missionary handbook you will always do good as a missionary but if you don't you feel it.

One other funny thing happened this week as Elder Belnap and I went and did service at a Lutheran food bank type thing. What we did was we would take people around the facility and we would help them get a certain amount of food for there family. It is a lot of fun and we get to wear service cloths so its awesome. So we were helping one last person and this guy comes in and he has this twig in his mouth. It was a good size twig, it was at least a fourth of an inch in diameter just sticking straight in front of his mouth. He was just chewing on this twig like nothing was wrong and like it was perfectly normal to chew on a stick. Anyway we kept our selves under control but once we got in the car we were just dying from laughter.

It was a good week and it sounds like you also had a good week together going to the beach. I hope that you continue to be safe and that all of you stay healthy. Tell Tyler to stop getting sick like that its not good for you. I love you all and hope that you all have opportunities to share little gospel messages with those around you. 

Elder Young


This is Sherman and he is a Pitt bull, brown Lab mix and he is the best dog ever. Built like a tank! 




Monday, July 4, 2016

Picture and video

Elder Young and Elder Belknap were messing around and Elder Belknap went over his handle bars.  Everyone is ok but they had some fun with it :)


Hilliard Ohio #3

Hello Family,

Sounds like you have had actually a really eventful week full of ups and downs. Shocked to hear about Tyler and hope he continues to heal well after his unexpected surgery. Yard work is also very calming and I like working because it distracts you from all the things around you for a time. Sorry if I have ever felt like you lives are boring that was not my intention ever by telling you to do new things. As long as you are doing things. you enjoy thats what is the most important.

Funny though how what you enjoy or find fun changes as you get older. I love getting the chance to clean our apartment or just simply take naps. I have also enjoyed as I have been moved around to see the different designs of the homes. I have fallen in love with the old brick homes and I love the look of tin roofs. You should look into getting a metal roof, thats my opinion anyways. Suck though that the roof needs to be replaced though.

So this week we have been doing a lot of biking and trying to meet with all the people in the area that have shown interest in the church. Have meet a lot of nice people but very few have been really interested. So it has been hard but the few that have shown interest I am very excited to go and meet with again. Also had an run in with some people who believe in the Trinity and it just showed me how hard it is to talk about it with out bashing. As well as how little I have had to talk about that subject that I was at a loss for words. It went well but one guy was getting really heated and then we bore our testimonies and this lady asked if she could pray for us. It was a prayer that we would be able to find truth and find the right answers. It was funny but the gesture was very kind and I appreciate that she cared enough for us to do that even though she thought we were miss guided.

There has been a really cool push in the mission to try and find ways to get members involved in missionary work, as well as to get them out to lessons. That is like the hardest thing to do as a missionary. I have been thinking a lot on it and I hope the ideas that I have will work. Preach my Gospel is very handy and I have loved reading in chapter 9 under Working With Members. I encourage you to look at that section and see if there are somethings you would like to try. I also would like to ask that you open up the house as a place for investigators to meet and have lessons in a more controlled environment. It really does help to bring the spirit and it helps with everyones own missionary work. 

I love you all and I hope that you have a great 4th of July and that what ever you do that you are safe. I love you and hope that you continue to be you and find those things you find joy in. Continue to read the scriptures daily as that is were you will find one of your greatest joys as well as through daily prayer. Again I love you and wish you a good week. 

Elder Young

Ps. I wasn't able to get the pictures you sent of Rocky. Also that blimp was cool.


Hilliard Ohio #2

Hello Family,

This has been a good week and I am so glad to have some stories to share with you this week that are really cool. I am also glad to hear that you are all doing good and that you are meeting new people in the ward. I love being on a bike again because this area is flat so It takes little area to get around. The hard part is biking with traffic but we don't care and just ride on the sidewalk because it is one safer and two no one walks here. The weather has been really hot and very humid and Elder Belnap is dying. Also had some crazy lightning storms come through, I just love the sound of thunder when it shakes the  building.

So this week we were able to meet one of the investigators that Elder Belnap was teaching before I got here. His name was Clarence and he is awesome. Has a great desire to be an example to his family and is looking for a church to do that. What was really cool is that as we taught him he told us that he already believed is the things we were teaching. Like when we told him about the pre earth life he got really excited and was told us over and over that he knew that was true. Cant wait to see him again.

Also I had the opportunity to exercise so of the responsibilities of being a district leader that I didn't get to do the first time. I got to conduct a baptism because there wasn't anyone there from the bishopric to lead of preside. So I got to conduct under the authority of President Daines who was there to preside. It was a neat experience to site next to President Daines and to be directed by him on things that he wanted to happen during the event. Then this Sunday I interviewed a lady named Alyssa Lemaster for Baptism. Now that was most definitely new and a lot easier than I thought it would be which is always the case. I like being a district leader I just hate doing district meetings and teaching missionaries who already know the ropes. Oh well.

One more cool thing happened after church. A part member family was at church that I didn't see and it made me a little sad that I didn't see them. But they met with Bishop and after we were introduced to them. They were awesome and I could just tell that they are a prepared family and that they are ready to hear and learn the gospel. This will be one of the few times I have taught a family and I can't wait to see how they help each other and grow together. What a rare experience to teach families and a very special one. I will keep you in the loop with there progression.


This week has been full of small blessings and it is just a reminder that the lord is aware of us in our sufferings and that he does reach out through others. The love of our Heavenly Father has been very evident as this week has been full of trials and hard ship. But I know that as we continue to follow and pray to him he will help us so that we can have the strength to push forward. I love you all and hope that you have a good week!

Elder Belknap and Elder Young