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

Hilliard Ohio #1

Well I am happy that you all had good weeks and that dad had company for Father's Day and that you had monster burgers. I miss all the family fun at reunions but hopefully I will be able to make it to the next one I have a good place of employment. I am doing good over here and am now in the Hayden Run Ward which covers part of Hilliard Ohio. So I am still in the city and I am on bikes until the end of the month. We car share with sisters, but we have the car we just don't have miles to use.

The ward here is great and is very engaged in missionary work and have been very helpful with giving us rides and coming out with us. In fact a member asked to come out with us for three hours just doing whatever needs to be done. So we tried to meet potential investigators and less actives with him. It was a great experience for all of us. Met this less active that had this chill pit bull that they rescued that at one time was a fighting dog. It was so calm and obedient and it just made me want to get one so bad. I miss dogs.  

I almost forgot to tell you my new companion is Elder Belnap and he is from Ogden Utah and I am what is called follow up training. So I will be going over the last 6 weeks of his training with him. He is really cool and so far we are getting along great but he is having a hard time with getting a new companion so early in his mission. He is warming up fast though so that is good. Also I am a district leader again and I can just feel the stress again but it should be easy because there are just sisters in my district. There is also the zone leaders but from what I understand they don't attend that often. It should be a cake walk I don't know why I am worried.

That is what is happening over here and I am doing good and I hope all goes well with you this week. love you all so much and again I hope dad had a happy Father's Day. I think about what you all the time and what you all taught me so that I could be prepared to come out here. You are the best dad and parents. Peace Out.

P.s Did you get all of my pictures?
Elder Young

Marble Cliff Pictures

The Zone

Goofy Zone Picture

The District

Elder Cox and Elder Young. He said there are shopping carts all over the place, this one was across the street from his apartment.

The sidewalks don't make sense in Ohio!

He found a big map and had to take a selfie (or attempt to take a selfie ;)) with Oregon :)

Eating Little Caesar's Pizza with the Elders from Riverside on P-Day

Marble Cliff #4

Hey Dad,

Sorry to hear that the weather is also undesirable there as well, it makes work outside terrible. The weather has gotten better or I am just slowly getting use to it. We have been doing a lot of finding this week and it has paid off a little which is always great for us and staying busy. Sadly  though Dj said that he liked us coming over but that they were comfortable where they are. Big let down but we have found others that are ready.

This week we have been meeting with this guy name Gary and he is awesome. He is by far the nicest and most genuine person I have met so far. He is meeting with us because of how nice Elder Cox was to him when they met. We have since taught the first lesson and read the first couple chapters of the Book of Mormon with him. We hope that he comes to church this Sunday and feels the spirt. Its kind of fun having the temple next to our meeting house because people just have tons of questions.

Also on Sunday after Sacrament I noticed a guy that I have never seen before, so I walked over and introduced myself. Turns out he was invited to come to church by some members of another ward and he just walked into our sacrament service. His name is Ali Kamara and he is from Sierra Leone and he is muslim. He wants to learn about our church and he said that he will come to church every Sunday and bring friends when he can. We cant wait to teach him.

There have been many people that have either came up to us or we have met that are very open to meeting with us. All the hard work is paying off or in other words the lord is moving the work forward and I have been blessed to see it happen. I have made it this far and I still make rookie mistakes. Despite all my short comings and those of all the missionaries, the church grows faster and faster. What a weird thought that a global church would put so much trust in young adults to spread the Gospel. Just shows even more the hand of the lord.

I thank you for your offer on the Alfalfa and ginger but I do good if I get small doses of milk through the day. I just cant eat bowls of ice cream or a bowl of cereal with out paying the consequences. My other allergies are doing fine though. I'm not that allergic to Ohio as Oregon which is great for me at the moment. I just feel older when I talk to missionaries and I say that I have hay fever, can't eat milk, and when I walk a lot I feel my left hip click. I have a growing list of medical conditions. At least I have my list and not somebody else's list. Oh well life continues, no point in crying about. I complain a lot how do you live with me?

I hope that you have a good Father's Day and that you and Rocky get along since everyone is gone. I love you and think of you everyday. Your sacrifices for my benefit have not gone unnoticed. Love you tons.

Ps I ate frog legs the other day and their not bad.

Elder Young

Marble Cliff 2 #3

Hello Family,

Wow so many questions and so much good news about what is happening with ya"ll back home. My missionary card has an incorrect date on it because my mission has been extended a week. I wont get home till the first of December instead of the 23 of November like my card says. I did get dads comment on the bee pollen, and they don't sell it here or have farmers markets that I know of. Some members have bee hives and they may give me some.  I think there was one more. Oh and for the lactose problems its gotten so bad that if I eat a bowl of cereal in the morning it upsets my stomach. I feel the best when I don't have milk and it makes me sad because the members love to give us ice cream here. I know the root beer float was really big but I was the only one hurting after.

Anyway I hope that answers your questions. The weather over here has been nasty as well. It is in the 80's with 90 percent humidity and I and my companions are dying when ever we go out side. We have been doing a lot of finding and are getting a few lessons here and there but we don't have any solid investigators. A lot of open people that love to talk about religion and that makes it fun and hard because they are, "Happy were there at". There is no growth in the comfort zone people! Oh well, we are working hard and inviting and Elder Cook told us that if we invite we are successful missionaries.

Actually we found this guy named Dj who is really cool because we set up a lesson and gave him our phone number, and he did something no one ever does. He called us and told us the time we set up didn't work and set up Another time to meet. Then he was home when we came by for the lesson. It was a good lesson too. I wish everyone was like that. Oh I almost forgot his mom was there and she was reading before we left, they are golden. Im so happy.

But ya that is my life right now and I love it so much. I can't wait to see you in these next few months. Time is flying so fast and I still don't know how to be a missionary. Oh and transfers is next week so who knows I could be somewhere else soon. Love you all so much. Keep on feeding the missionaries because Im not.

Elder Young