Feb 5, 2018 Tough times don't last... Tough people do.

     So i'll make this one short and sweet!

Monday!

We won the war against bed bugs!  spendt the whole day washing and drying everything and spraying the apartment with chemicals!  So much fun!  Thank goodness for awesome Zone Leaders who have a washer and dryer!  

Tuesday

We spendt most of today wrapping up our laundry and putting our apartment back together.  It took most of the day, but we were able to get some work done but not enough

Wednesday

Zone Conferance!  It was so Spirtually exhausting!  but I learned so much, we started using our "smart" phones (Samsung) to message our Investigators which could be good or bad, "Hey this is so random but we need you to review the lesson before we teach it..."  It turned out good but its super werid using Facebook, but the rest of the day was good!

Thursday

Feburary!  It started rough after getting a few phone calls and dealing with some bussiness, but we tried to make the most out of our day, I started in-field training, and it was boring, watching videos for a few hours but it gives us something to do during the slow hours. We taught our investigator about the plan of salvation and it went really good!  She changed her baptism date to June!  Progress!  

Friday

Service time!  we spendt our moring do service for Hopeland Heart, we organized food storage and stuff like that which was fun!  After that we did some finding and taught a recent convert, and we're working on a temple trip!  I love going to the Temple so much!  Its a time to disconnect from the world and just be with God.  Nothing better than that, besides driving a Ford truck and hunting in the mountains:)  Later that night we went to a referral we received... Well we had the wrong address... She wasn't a happy camper and told us to forget it.  CRAP.  Shortly after we finally got permission to come back and we had one of the most spirtual lessons i've ever had!  We were able to perform a priesthood blessing and it was so spirtual I almost cried but im not an emotional guy therefore I didn't cry haha.  Don't be afraid to ask for a blessing!  

Saturday

More service!   We helped a lady in our ward paint some floor boards and restructure her gutter!  It took a few hours but we had fun doing it, and I learned something new!  If you fall off a latter, jump.  Cause falling is worse I guess?  Thats what the contractor told us haha.  Later that day we had dinner with the contractors family!  They were so welcoming to us and we had a super fun dinner!  The sister missionarys showed up too so it was a party!  

Sunday...

So fast Sunday was fine... Until we lost something...  Our only Progessing investigator!  Where did she go you might ask?  To the Sisters in our area...  Traitors...  So that basically explains our whole Sunday.  Noting is worse than being hungry, being hit on by a bunch of teen girls while trying to teach a lesson and the Super Bowl game is on in the background(sniffle sniffle), AND losing an investigator.  To the Sisters.  Well anyways hope y'all had a wonderful week!  

-Elder Phelon

Jan 29, 2018 First week in the field....

Hey everyone!  So I'm going to be honest, this has been the hardest week for me.  First I had to leave my district sisters at the MTC!! Then the rest of my Elders!  I love them to death but I know the Lord needs them elsewhere, but anyways!  First day in the field!  I got settled in, met the Elders and started knocking doors... after 3 hours of getting the door slammed in my face, being threatened to be shot and dogs to be sucked on me, and lots of other things.  I was confused, why would God want me to go though This?  So I got on my knees and asked myself, the next day we committed someone to baptism, found a new PI and had an awesome day!  But wait there's more!  Then the homesickness kicked in... After talking with my new awesome companion for a few hours on how many hundreds of people we can potentially affect and some others things, I forgot myself and went to work.  I love the Lord so much and my testimony has grown so much!  Bellevue doesn't know what's gonna hit them, even if the weather is below 10 every night and we're put of miles... the work must move forward!  Sorry this is a short letter me and Elder Boyer are currently fighting a war with bed bugs...  love y'all!

Elder Phelon

Jan 20, 2018 Oh Jeepers...

Oh Jeepers this has been an exciting week.  So its my last week in the MTC, its been jam packed with meetings, and classes!  It started on Sunday, I got a migrain or something, it was a horrible day but still went to every meeting everyone kept telling me to take meds but everyone thougtht I was going to OD....  I'm still alive!  We watched the new Meet The Mormons later that day and it was cool, we also met out Sisters who are going to Omaha!  But it was sad at the same time because our district Sisters were with us and Im already starting to miss them!  Our District has been so awesome, I love them so much, and don't want to leave them:( 

-Monday, we got new TRC investigators, Karsia and Jose, we only taught them a few times but Jose committed to Baptism!!!!  But....  We can't teach him anymore since we are flying out on Monday.  Its super sad but hopefully he will have a good experiance.  Also this week I was called as the zone leader, so hopefully my zones wont die or go missing because of me haha, they even trust me with a flip phone!  (her name is Cellin Betsy)  Better watch out I'll call the front desk if you are disobeying the rules and talk to Jennifer muhahaha.  

-Tuesday we watched the live session for President Nelson being called as the Prophet and it was a super spiritual meeting, then the world stepped in with all these questions about what the church was going to do but the new Presidentcy was so loving and kind they answered the questions with no problems it was such a good session I love it.  

-Wednesday we said goodbye to the Elders going to Texas and Tennessee, it was sad but they were ready to go.  Besides that our day was pretty normal for us missionarys.  

Thursday, God loves me and placed a John Deere 35G mini excavator with an 18'' bucket and fully enclosed cab in front of our Classroom building.  Being the nerd I am I got my Pic in front of the machine #TimpRental we walked around the MTC looking at all the Murals (big pictures) and looked up the scriptures that went with them, they are so cool, and there are so many!  I would of taken Pictures in front of the but some Elder before me got us in trouble (cough cough Gibson)  We also had a cool workshop today about working with Members and using them to find PI which is investigators or less actives, that was fun, they put on a play which was funny but also a good time to catch up on sleep haha.  During the day Elder Moon, lost his room key in a bottomless pit in front of our sisters Residence building, therefore leaving him key less, so we called Jennifer and got security to help us out, about 9PM rolled around and security met me and him outside since I'm a good zone leader.  Security helped us out by jumping into the pit and ended up dropping his keys also.  Great.  So now we have muiltable keys missing and Elders and Sisters are gathering around to watch then shortly after finding all the missing keys, a branch president kept getting mad at us since we were out past 9 but security saved us.  I also started getting a cold so Elder cloud made me a cold killer out of oils and it was the worst, my whole face was burning but it helped.

-Friday, Was our last day in class with Bro Smith and Sister Hanshaw:(  They taught a really good lesson, about commandments and planning and not stealing shoes haha, but I loved our class and I learned so much from everyone.  We also had our last gym time, which was bad, first off I already had 3 gym warnings for "diving" on the floor during Volleyball from previous times, but everyone was just not feeling it and too top it off an Elder kept trashing our team and telling us we sucked and what not.  not cool Elder.  I gave him a piece of my mind because you have respect for other players if they know how to play or not, moments after that he decided we were wasting his time and left the court.  I had to repent.  But life lesson love everyone even if they aren't the best at what your doing, and not to judge others and especially not to yell at them then show them up...  After gym time, it started snowing so we did some dancing and stuff as a district in the snow, then finished with a run.  After discovering that the Provo temple looks super beautiful while snow is flying we ran back to our room, and got our Ipads.  It might of been after 9 but it was a pretty pic of the temple...  

-Saturday, We went to the temple today, with our Sister, did initiatory's and I did sealings for the first time!  It was super spiritual and I encourage all of you to get to the temple as much as you can (cough cough Cory)  here I am on my last P-day writing all of you wounderful people, while my laundry is drying and its dumping snow outside, I love all of you!  Next stop Nebraska!  

     Love Elder Phelon

Jan 13, 2018 Elder Phelon Survives week one of the MTC.

Hello everyone!!!  SO this week has been crazy!  It all started with the power going out on fast Sunday and was out from 4:30 AM to 10:30!  I never been so grateful for power but lucky me I had hot water.  Thanks to my trusty ARA flash light the washroom has never been so bright.  Fast Sunday was interesting...  We got a spiritual butting ripping about the MTC rules which makes sense but some are dumb like not being able to wear a pin with the American flag on it.  I'll just leave it at that.  So far the week has been about teaching investigators and learning how to study the BOM better which has been very fun.  The lord loves me and I have gym time everyday!  My district and I hit the Iron gym just about everyday then go ball out on the volleyball court!  Also following up with a run around campus while its freezing cold outside!  (Totally worth it)  The days feel super long but the weeks fly by!  Tuesday we had Elder Bednar came to the MTC and spoke to us about Priesthood keys in depth and it was a super good talk.  But let me tell ya the Priesthood is so powerful along with prayer!  Wednesday I started feeling sick and couldn't sleep, I had the thought of getting a blessing but I kept second guessing myself, after thinking about it for a while I got up and researched the Priesthood in the BOM and our While handbook, and got the guts and asked my District leader for a blessing and he gathered our group and performed a blessing, the spirit was so powerful and amazing!  Don't be afraid to ask for help!  So I might be crazy but me and my district started to study Jesus The Christ and let me tell ya, it takes us 2 hours to read 2 pages in 2 hours!  That's how crazy that book is!  Everyone learns something special.  I love my district with all my heart and learn so much from them!  We sing as we walk to class (the elders sing*) while everyone looks at us.  and we all get along so well its crazy, we also got a shower trio group, our most famous song is the star spangled banner and a few country songs are modded from saying milk instead of beer.  This morning we went to the Temple and it was a super good experience for all of us.  I challenge all of you to read the Book of Mormon everyday even if its just a few verse or a few chapters!  And don't forget to Pray!

Jan 6, 2018 The Great Journey...

Hello everyone!  So far my MTC experience has been awesome!  My District is amazing, we all love to talk about cars, trucks, and play sports.  God loves me so much so he put me with these awesome people!  I have seen many people who have been to PGHS, and a few other friends!  This week we have been learning about our purpose as a missionary and how to teach investigators.  The spirit is so strong here!  Everywhere you go you have a warm feeling that follows you around and its the greatest thing ever!  Well the week was going good... until I lost my companion...  WHERE IS ELDER DUROCHER?!?  well turns out we miscommunicated and I went one way and he went the other.  I ran to our classroom 3 times from our residence room, getting my daily work out in, and also climbing 3 flights of floors too.  gotta love leg day haha.  Evenually I found him after waiting in our classroom before class started.  After class we met our Branch President Mullen, he is a super spiritual guy and loves us and the Gospel!  Our first gym time was good, God loves me so we had the Volleyball nets and played some ball.  "We had so much fun..."  (I'm not allowed to say I smoked everyone...)  hahaha  The MTC is good to make sure you are always busy, going to class or studying or working out, which is super nice.  I also had to teach my fellow Elders that Seattle Seahawks is not the same as the New England Patriots...  not the same thing people.  I gave them some good advice and told them to run the ball on the 2 yard line.  Well sorry its not a super long letter!  Love ya guys!  ​​