Reynoldsburg

Well I am glad to hear that everything is going well at home and that everything is moving forward. I hope you you have fun in Utah with Jackie, and that everything works out with Hope and Dad in Utah. Is she getting another house or a apartment?

Anyway this week for me was not very eventful. Elder Bradley got really sick and we were in the apartment for three days! He is feeling better now and we now are eager to go and make up the lost time. We missed some warm sunny days because of this sickness. It was funny one of the sisters who is kind of pale was bright red this Sunday. Didn't use enough sunscreen.

I am happy to hear about Corrine going on a mission. Just tell her that if she can make it two days in the MTC or until Sunday it will be a breeze from there. At least that was my experience. It was weird just how easy it was to adjust to missionary life for me. Even leaving you guys at the car was not as hard as I thought it would be. I mean I missed you and I question if this was right for me, but I guess my burdens were made light through my act of faith of coming on a mission. So I guess my message to Corrine and Ammon when he goes to the MTC is that if you have a strong desire and you have faith that a mission is what our Heavenly Father wants you to do he will make up the difference and make you strong. That through faith miracles are wrought on the children of man. I sure both of them know this already there smart cookies, but this is something that I am gaining a stronger testimony of. So just tell them not to worry. And to write because I love our little chats (name that movie).

  

Well Sorry I don't have much to say this week. I really didn't do that much. Just know that I love you and hope everything works out. I pray everyday for your safety. Tell Emma to have fun at the temple. Tell Hope to be safe in here move. Just have fun all of you and don't let the little things get you down. Listen to Bob Marley's wise words and don't worry.

Love Elder Young 

Reynoldsburg

Wow it sounds like you had a really full week!! I happy to hear that you are all doing good though you have a lot that you are doing. Happy Late Birthday Emma and Jackie. I wish that I could have been there to spend those days with you. Well the weather here is extremely unpredictable. It has been raining a lot and one day was surprisingly cold. For the most part however it has been very humid which has made the 60 some odd degrees really nasty. I still am happy that its warm and not really cold. I say that now but by the end of this summer I will be looking forward to the cold.

  

We were able to meet with Jacob and he is still wanting to join the church, he has been reading the Bible and Book of Mormon. He even has been taking steps to stop smoking all on his own. It was kind of a weird visit, but if he still wants to be baptized we will help him along the way, if we can meet with him regularly. He said he wanted to come to church this Sunday but didn't answer the door. So we are extremely confused by him and his actions.

We have also had some cool contacting experiences. We were stopped by someone who was driving by in a car and asked if we were Jehovah Witnesses. We told him we were Mormon's and he said that he was interested in talking to us and wanted to learn more about what we believed. He also told us that he already had a Book of Mormon and had read a little of it and said that he couldn't see a difference between it and the Bible. That was funny. We then were knocking on doors near a members house and we ran into a man named Anthony. He also asked if we were Jehovah Witnesses. We told him we were not and he then continued to ask us if we talked about Jesus. We said that we did. He then began to say that we were in fact Witnesses of Jehovah. He was a really cool guy and said we could come back. I love the black people here because they actually want to talk to us about religion.

I really liked the story that you shared from the New Era and the experience that Jacob had. We have to stand up for what we believe no matter the opposition is. If we do the blessing we will receive will be great and we will know through the Holy Ghost that what we believe is true. When someone rants to you and attacks your beliefs just remember that the only reason they hate our religion is because its true and it teaches change and people don't like change. One scripture that has been sticking out to me lately is the one in Nephi when he says that they people will say, a Bible, a Bible we have a Bible and we need no more (that's not word for word but its close). I have have been told many times on my mission that the Book of Mormon is not true. One man took the time to tell me that the Book of Mormon was of the devil and was not worth toilet paper. That all we needed was the new testament. Funny enough he was foaming from the mouth. All that did was make me believe more.

I hope that you all are looking for missionary experiences, and that you have good encounters with people. It truly is great way to strengthen your own testimony and it also gives the person you talked to a chance to hear the restored gospel of our Heavenly Father. I love our Heavenly Father and I know that he wants us to be happy. I know that what I go out and share with people everyday is true and that it can and will bring them closer to God, because I have seen it in my life and in the lives of others. All we need to have is faith, because through our faith we can have an even stronger witness if we endure to the end. I love you all.

Love Elder Young

Reynoldsburg

Hello Family!!!!!!!!! I have been having a wonderful week as it sounds like you have been as well. The weather is slowly getting warmer. It also has been getting wetter so I have been doing a lot of walking. I am sad to say that we have not been able to meet with Jacob again :( We will continue trying though. It is very scary the change that we ask people to do in a matter of weeks, but we know through the Atonement any change can happen if we have continued faith. That is something that I have been searching the scriptures on a lot lately. Faith is a marvelous thing it is also confusing. All the talks were my favorite because they all focused a lot on how to build faith and the atonement. They always do but this time it just made a big impact on me this time. 

  It's amazing how if you study the scriptures and pray daily how much more the Lord has a hand in your life. That is something that I am seeing more and more. That it is through small and simple acts that large and powerful things are given to man. That as we grow and strive to be better the Lord gives us little pushes so that you can grow even more. Its sad though that it has taken me this long in my life to learn these things, well at least I have learned them. 

  General Conference was so nice because it is a missionary holiday here in Ohio. The time difference makes its so that the whole evening is taken by General Conference and the Priesthood session on Saturday. The time for Saturday were 12 to 2 and 4 to 6 then 8 to 10. So On Saturday we didn't leave the stake center. Oh ya the Reynoldsburg has the stake center so I didn't have to go far. That was nice.

  So with the Mp3 player I would like classical music, hymns, music of any kind that you feel wont be distracting to the spirit. The handbook just says to not have music that  have romantic overtones and does not dull your sensitivity to the spirit. I will let you judge. I would like more songs with singing that isn't all hymns though. Also I have been missing the lovely song Nessun Dorma. I guess some of the songs I had on my player at home could work. 

  Thank you for the pictures I love seeing what you are all up too. I try to send pictures when ever I can. But I really don't take that many and I don't know how to put labels on the pictures nor do I have time to. Oh the life of a missionary on a strict schedule. What will I ever do ;)

  I love you all and pray for you always. Always pray and read your scriptures they are key to gaining a testimony and seeing the blessing you have in your life. Also read and ponder the words of your patriarchal blessing always. It is something that has given me strength and something I know will help you. Be strong my family hard times are coming and only our Lord and savior will get us through it. Don't mean to leave on such a sad note so I will say this Crack House.

Love Elder Young

Ain't I a stinker (Say like Bugs Bunny)