We found a family!!!

Hey heyyy heyyyy howwwww y'allllllll doin?? It's Thanksgiving this week!! Can you believe how fast time flies! Shoot I was just in the MTC last week! First things first though, congrats to all my other buddies that got their mission calls! You guys that get to go to the same mission, you better enjoy it! Haha just wait though till you're comps and you have to live with eachother 24/7. Talk about a trial of your faith. Haha, nahhh i'm just messin! 

So funny story to start off the week. Our investigator pool is down to like zilch. Nothin. Nada. So we've been tracting for about 2 hours everyday this last week. On Tuesday we knocked on this door and this old woman opened it up and we asked if we could say a prayer with her, told her we were representatives of Jesus Christ. Soon as we said that this look of horror came on her face and she took a step back and said, almost in a sassy voice " I'm baptist, I've been all my life, and we've got nothing in common." Elder Townsend then said "Ma'am we're just asking to say a prayer and ask for a blessing to be on your home, because we know that prayer is something we all have in common." Haha she just stood there and didn't know what to say. Her response? "Goodbye".  We have yet to have a successful Heavenly Gift with an old lady.

There's this church in town, called the First Baptist Church. Their church is HUGE. Like a cathedral no joke. It's run more like a business than a religion you can say. Sometimes entire neighborhoods go to this church, and when we tract there Elder Townsend and I have a theory now that they have a "baptist calling system". We knock a door, they turn us down, then call the rest of the neighborhood to let them know the Mormons are out. Haha because there have been plenty of times when we've knocked a door, heard people speaking inside, and they just don't answer. Now how else do they know who it is??? 

Anyways, time for the good story. We found a family!!! We tracted into them, and they actually asked us to come back a few hours later. I thought they were just shrugging us off. But we came back later that night, and they invited us in like they knew us! Turns out 6 years ago they had taken the discussions in Missouri and were really close to being baptized, but the dad had gotten shipped off because he was in the Navy at the time. So they've been living in OK for the last 6 years and haven't had contact with the missionaries till now! Best part is that they said they'd like to get baptized and want to raise their kids in the church! So we'll see where that goes.

Another great part of this week was Elder Shayne M. Bowen's visit to our mission. IT WAS INTENSE!  Story though, that you would appreciate mom. There were a few of us Elder's in the restroom, and we were talking about Elder Bowen and what he was going to say (This was before he talked to us) and one elder said "Man I'm probably going to feel so guilty that I'm going to have to go home. It's been a fun three transfers!" I then said "Haha yaaaa, I've served a good transfer, I've done my time" kiddingly of course. Guess who walked into the restroom right as I said that? President Taylor. Can you believe the timing of that!!?!?! He heard me say that and said "We serve all our transfers!" Later on, when we were walking through the line shaking Elder Bowen's hand and President's as well, he said to me, "You ready to serve this transfer?" Haha he was joking of course but I was like aughhh! I Totally would say something like that. Oh well! 

Elder Bowen though. That guy is LEGIT. And yes I realize I used that word but this is the time where it is appropriate!! I'm not going to be able to sum up 3 1/2 hrs of him talking to us in this email, but here are a few things he said. 1.) If we knew who we were, we would act differently. Sounds nice, but really think about it. Not who we are now, but who we were in the pre-existence. He made the comment that "if you had a glimpse of who you were in the pre-existence, and how righteous you were, you would have no desire to do evil in this life." What an incredible promise! He then made that connection with the Abrahamic Covenant, and how God works with his children through covenants, and how we are a convenant keeping people. He talked about an hour about that, and then transition into the Oath and Covenant of the priesthood. It opened my eyes into what a responsibility it is to be a holder of the priesthood. While he talked about the priesthood though, he always, after he made a point to the elders about it, he never excluded the sisters or left them out. I want to get into what he said about it but I'm running out of time, so maybe next week I'll try to. 

Sorry this email was a short one.  We had to give some service before we came and it pushed us back a half hour! And I forgot my card reader, so pictures will come next week. Thanks for all those who sent me letters this week! It's a joy to hear from y'all. This week in your prayers, remember to count your many blessings! Because the Lord does bless us! Elder Bowen, (the only part he got emotional about) said "God will work in the very details of your lives if you'll let him." Never forget the Church is true through and through!!!!! I LOVE YOU ALL! Keep on keepin on and if I can ever do anything for ya, give me a holler.

Elder Traasdahl, The Simple Twin

Much to be Grateful For this Thanksgiving

I came across this video on the life of the Savior this morning and couldn't get through it without great emotion.  I invite you to watch -- in a place of quiet --  no other distractions or noise and let the Spirit teach you as you view the video.  Pretty powerful experience.  

With Thanksgiving next week, I've been pondering things I am grateful for.   At the top of my list is the Savior and the opportunity Elder Traasdahl has to teach of Him.  I'm thankful for my missionary sons who are striving to bring the restored gospel of Jesus Christ to all in their path.  It's not an easy thing.  Many believe they have been 'Saved' already... but without the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, they are missing a piece to life's puzzle.  I'm thankful that long ago there was reason for the Apostle John to teach John 3:16, 17.   I am also thankful for the Book of Mormon which in addition to the Bible bears witness and record of Jesus Christ.  I am thankful for the prophet Joseph Smith who was instrumental in bringing forth the restoration of the gospel...  just as it was in ancient days when Christ walked the earth.   Gratitude is mine that LDS missionaries are out spending each day striving to teach lost truths.  I am thankful for a loving Heavenly Father who watches over us & has a plan that allows us to return and live with Him again.  

I am thankful for my Elder Brother, even Jesus the Christ!

Enjoy the video and quite possibly -- grab a tissue first.

 John 3:16 ¶For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believe in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

The Monster Storm and Many Yellow Vests

Hurricane Sandy Helping Hands from Joshua Brown on Vimeo.

 

Here's a few items that caught my attention this week.  Many missionaries on the East coast are pitching in to clean up.  They're white shirts and ties have been exchanged for work clothes.  The following link will take you to a news story from the LDS newsroom with details. Click HERE. It's Good to know that although those on the east coast just experienced great adversity with the recent hurricane, in addition to other Faiths, Latter day Saints have risen to the cry for help. A key excerpt from the article: "In... Jon Carbone's home, volunteers helped strip damaged sheetrock from most of the basement. Carbone said he appreciated the group's willingness to help anyone in need. "Everybody's being helped by you people," he said. It's not just, "Hey, you're a Catholic, so I'm going to help you; you're Pentecostal, I'm going to help you.' No, you're a human being. You're going to help them all."

I just loved that last sentence. God loves all of his children, and there are many in need. So you see, it's not just missionaries that can give service right now... It's all of us.

 

  

If you're interested in helping Hurricane Sandy victims in a comfy sort of way --  here's a link for another service opportunity.  Click Here.  

University of Oklahoma & a bunch of missionary pics

Flexing 
10-12

Not flexing.

You know that primary song, 'Search, ponder, pray'?
Well missionaries do a lot of that. 
They also apparently have lots of planning too.

I just love this picture.  The elders got to go to OU.  But if you look at the pic there is some sybolism there that goes well with a quote from Elder Holland. "The future of this world has long been declared; the final outcome between good and evil is already known.  There is absolutely no question as to who wins because the victory has already been posted on the scoreboard.   The only really strange thing in all of this is that we are still down here on the field trying to decide which team's jersey we want to wear!" 
11/12

And the last shot of the day Elder T. said--'whose to say Star Wars isn't real?"
  Yes, here's a way cool light saber.  
And I wasn't talking about the gun Elder Traasdahl is using. 
He uses a different kind of 'light' to fight the dark side.  

255 miles since being out

What a week, what a week. Let's start with the obvious, since it's me, and it happened this week. The election. Gosh dang. Really? Man. I can't believe it. Haha like you said Austin, gut check for sure. Cool experience though came from it though that I'd like to share. Sooo I'm not sure if I've ever really let on to how much this whole "the country has two clearly different choices to make" slash "which path will the country go" has meant to me, but it has. In the sense that future hopes and dreams are riding on what happens. Make sense? Hah I just reread that and I don't feel like I explained it well enough but I can't think of a better way to explain it. Oh well. Anyways, Tuesday night, word got around the missionaries that Romney lost, and it's an understatement to say that I was dissapointed. Devastated might be too strong a word, but somewhere near there. It put me in the dumps for a while. 

Such were my thoughts/feelings when Wednesday night I was knelt down and prayed and you could say I poured out my soul to Heavenly Father. I knew that as long as I was in this state of mind and mood I wasn't going to be an effective missionary. As I was praying, some lyrics to a hymn came to mind. They kept on running through my mind over and over but I couldn't remember which hymn it was! I finally found it on Friday. 'How Firm a Foundation', verse 3. These were the words that came to my mind as I was praying. "Fear not, I am with thee, Oh be not dismayed. For I am thy God, and will still give thee aid. I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand, Upheld by my righteous, upheld by my righteous, upheld by my righteous omnipotent hand." Talk about having your prayers answered. So I really don't care now what happens. I love too the message that was shared in your stake conference back home. Be a wise optimist. Christ commanded to be of good cheer. Happiness is a choice, and a commandment, no matter our circumstances!  It's so easy to say that yet -- the application of it so much more difficult. I appreciate though what Austin told me to do. Find something to smile about each day. Look for the Lord's hand in our lives.

Bishop Causse, in a CES Fireside just recently spoke and gave a talk called "We Are the Architects of Our Own Happiness". Wonderful talk. He labeled 3 principles of happiness. 1. Recognize personal worth. 2. Become who you are. 3. Trust in God's promises. We can do all this through the Gospel of Christ. Through the Atonement, we can feel of God's love for us, and realize that he cared enough for us to make that great sacrifice on our behalf. I love what Tyler said, "it's awesome to realize i'm probably experiencing 1/24591384571390482739046712349578134985723498239867349057813490578234905782390485719034857239046872390485723904857190348572349082739067 of what my Lord felt when he took everything I have gone through, am going through, and will go through on Himself. " When you think about that how could you not feel loved?? As we apply then the 5 principles of the Gospel of Christ, we become who we were meant to be. We become the person God sees us as, not the individual we limit ourselves to be.

The last principle of happiness comes from trusting in God's promises. Which is the simple definition of hope. Pulling from Tyler again, cause I love it, Faith------> Hope--------> Happiness-------> Peace. It's beautiful how the Gospel answers have answers to life's questions and is the way for us to have happiness in life. That's why we go on missions!! Hymn #324. Check it out. Also search "The Value of a Full Time Mission" Goood good stuff.

Well Elder Shayne M. Bowen is coming to our mission this Thursday, I'm sooo stoked!! It's going to be intense, I already know it. I'm going to take so many notes. This last week though not much has been going on. Our investigator pull is ever so slowly dwindling. Elder Townsend isn't afraid to go tracting for a few hours a day though so y'all ready know what we're gonna be doing! Gotta teach them Baptists, J-dubs, Methodists and Holy Rollers! We've been biking alot lately. As of today, I've biked 255 miles since being out.

Oh, please send out some gloves and ear muffs, or something to cover my ears. And the reason i'm asking is because it's getting cooolllddd! 40-50's. Haha and apparantly it's only supposed to get colder. Haha now I realized I've got nothin on Mr. "it snowed first day of conference!!!" but i'm tellin you what, this fetchin wind out here is bad. No if's and's or but's. No joke, no matter what direction you're biking it seems you're always biking into a headwind. Still haven't figured that one out yet... Other than that everything is the same! It's good to hear about home, nice to see life is still going on. I love y'all and ALWAYS remember the church is true through and through!! LOVE YOU!!!!

It's "y'all" not "ya'll"

All these mission calls!! SO FETCHING AWESOME!!!!!!!! I love it. (I sent Parker a list of 7 friends who just got called to missions all over the world - Spain, Peru, Ukraine, Las Vegas, etc.)  The world doesn't know what's going to hit it! Better watch out -- Mesa AZ represents. Haha, on a serious note though that really is cool all the different places everyone is going. I'm so excited to get back and hear everyone's stories. To all departing homies/missionaries - Go read "Becoming a Consecrated Missionary", by Tad R. Callister. I know i've already talked about this talk, but it's worth talking about again, it's that good. Read it, live it, love it! Ha I've read it 5 times no joke, annnnnd I've got such a long ways to go. But that's okay, the Lord doesn't expect perfection.  He just expects progress. I've really been trying to wrap my mind around that, because I see a problem with myself and I want it fixed right away. But changing yourself, your nature, takes time. Thank goodness for the Atonement.

Aight so lot's of things happened this week, news wise. You know how the missionary applications went from 700 to 4,000 in like a week?  53% of those applications were sisters.  Well we're getting some in OKC. Before I came this mission had 114 missionaries. The transfer before me and when I came out it jumped to 130. Guess how many, of those 4,000 missionaries we're getting? 86!! So now we'll have 216 missionaries! Crazy huh!? These 18-19 year old missionaries will start coming in phases, not this transfer, but the next. So that'll be December. And they'll keep coming til March. President Taylor also asked that a lot of them be sister missionaries. The implications of this? 86 trainers.   Lets say half of the 86 are sisters, so 43 elder trainers. Spaced out over two transfers. Thats 23 trainers each transfer. Basically, it's been hinted on many occasions that I'll be training after this next transfer. And it'll most likely be one of the 18 year old missionaries. Ha, if that happens I feel for that missionary! But more importantly this also means that most areas, in the populated areas, will be doubled up. Our's could possibly, will most like be split. Our ward is already like a large branch, and to have 2 sets of missionaries trying to work out who gets what members to come out with us will be interesting. But it's all for the future to tell so we'll see! 

And speaking of transfers we got "transfer doctrine" last night. Any ideas what's happening?  I'm staying in the Noble/Purcell area. Elder Woodland, on the other hand, is being transferred to Elk City. Which I have no clue where the heck that is but apparantly it's way the heck out there. So my new comp will be an Elder Townsend. Transfers are Wednesday so I'll meet him them. It's crazy though because Noble though will be "my area" now! Kinda intimidating because I'll be calling the shots now in a sense, since I know the area and my new comp doesnt. It's fine though, because when I can't do it that's when prayer kicks it. Alma 26:12. Love that scripture. Found it in my studies one day and no scripture has ever felt like it has described me better.

I got your package on Saturday, with the stickers and goodies! Haven't had a chance to enjoy the hot chocolate yet-- I'm saving it for a really cold day. The lowest it's gotten so far is low 40's. What gets ya though is the wind here. Its nasty. Blows right through your jacket. 

If you have a chance, just thought of this, see if you can find a video of an interview of President Taylor on Oklahoma Channel 9 News.  (See in the post below).   They asked if he could clarify some things about mormons, and I guess he did! Word is we'll get see it at our Temple Conference, but that's later on in the year. Just wanted to pass the word on in case y'all wanted to check it out. And I learned too that it's "y'all" not "ya'll". Didn't know there was a right way to spell it. 

ELECTION DAY IS TOMORROW! Crazy crazy stuff. Yes I did vote by the way. Can't tell for who though... that's private information :). 

Last night we had a baptism! For a 13 year old boy name Clifford. I'm pretty sure I've told you about him. It was really neat. Br. Oleson baptized him. Haha afterwards he asked "Can I go swimming in there now?" If I have time I'll send a pic.

This week Elder Woodland and I got hit with allgeries and a cold, it was brutal. He's good, I'm still having some side effects from the cold. Nothing some meds can't take care of. I'm taking your concoction of sleeping vitamins mother, and they seem to be working! haha too well in fact. It's sooo hard for me to get up in the mornings! Don't worry, I still do. Gotta keep in shape! Can't be gettin fat! I've already gained 10 lbs! I weighed myself in a members house the other day.  And I got a haircut today. Buzzed it. No joke. Guess what this means? B-DOG has to buzz his head!! Haha don't have any pictures yet, but maybe next week I'll have a few to send. I'm serious though, I really buzzed my head. Can you hear the disbelief in my voice? Because I still can't believe that I let Elder Teisina do it either. Last thought, than I have to run. Day lights savings it stupid! We had to do it yesterday and gosh I got so confused!! I tried to figure it out and I just stopped, there was no point. Oh and Tyler, haha your emails are hilarious. They crack me up. Don't know how to shake a hand eh? C'mon man that's missionary 101! Haha love you. And I love all y'all too! I pray for each and every one of you each night! Thank you for your love and support! Keep up the good work, and never forget, the church is true through and through!

Love,

Elder Traasdahl

News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports |



Well, this was an interesting news report to say the least.  It's the one Elder Traasdahl mentioned in his email today.  And yes,  it was kind of cool to see Parker's Mission President - Pres. Taylor be interviewed.  Great idea on the part of the news team  in OK -- to clear up 'misconceptions' regarding the Mormon church.  The only problem is that the reporter in part added to them.  :)  Oh well.   At least she tried.  The comment on dating:  incorrect.  Missions are a 'requirement':  incorrect.  Missionary service is a personal choice. The #'s about how many missionaries in Oklahoma and worldwide:  Incorrect and incorrect.  Elder Traasdahl stated the actual number of missionaries in his mission so between his email today and the info. below you can clear up some misconceptions on your own.  

[The info. below came from a talk from Russell M. Nelson this past Oct.  Worldwide General Conference regarding what my sons are out doing right now.   
And by the way, it's accurate.] 

"In this great worldwide audience, many of you are not affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and know very little about us and our missionaries. You are here or tuned in because you want to know more about the Mormons and what our missionaries teach. As you learn more about us, you will find that we share many of the same values. We encourage you to keep all that is good and true and then see if we can add more. In this world filled with challenges, we do need help from time to time. Religion, eternal truth, and our missionaries are vital parts of that help.

Our young missionaries set aside their education, occupation, dating, and whatever else young adults would typically be doing at this stage of life. For 18 to 24 months they put it all on hold because of their deep desire to serve the Lord.² And some of our missionaries serve in their more mature years of life... 

Some of you may wonder about the name Mormon. It is a nickname for us. It is not our real name, though we are widely known as Mormons. The term is derived from a book of sacred scripture known as the Book of Mormon.

The true name of the Church is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is the reestablished original Church of Jesus Christ. When He walked upon the earth, He organized His Church. He called Apostles, Seventies, and other leaders to whom He gave priesthood authority to act in His name.³ After Christ and His Apostles passed away, men changed the ordinances and doctrine. The original Church and the priesthood were lost. After the Dark Ages, and under the direction of Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ brought back His Church. Now it lives again, restored and functioning under His divine direction.⁴

We follow the Lord Jesus Christ and teach of Him. We know that after His glorious triumph over death, the resurrected Lord appeared to His disciples on numerous occasions. He ate with them. He walked with them. Before His final Ascension, He commissioned them to “go … and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.”⁵ The Apostles heeded that instruction. They also called upon others to help them fulfill the Lord’s command.

Today, under the direction of modern apostles and prophets, that same charge has been extended to missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. These missionaries serve in more than 150 nations. As representatives of the Lord Jesus Christ, they strive to fulfill that divine command—renewed in our day by the Lord Himself—to take the fulness of the gospel abroad and bless the lives of people everywhere.⁶

Missionaries in their late teens or early 20s are young in ways of the world. But they are blessed with gifts—such as the power of the Holy Spirit, the love of God, and testimonies of the truth—that make them powerful ambassadors of the Lord. They share the good news of the gospel that will bring true joy and everlasting happiness to all who heed their message.