November 24, 2014 misionguerros

What's up my people?? Happy Thanksgiving!! I am grateful for all of you!

•We had our first baptism here for Elder Walker and I in the Las Palmas Ward.  It was the wife of a member. Her name is Stephanie McArthur. She was a pretty golden investigator.  She grew up in Wyoming with a town of 60% LDS and always said to her boyfriend and now husband that she needed to wait.  Well she was finally ready and her husband baptized her! All of the missionaries came back that taught her and it was great. (see pics)

 

every missionary that has been involved with teaching Stephanie McArthur

 •we are teaching this awesome guy named Shawn. He is 18 and a senior in HS (see pics).  He loves being taught by us.  Last time we left he said, "thank you so much for sharing this knowledge with me!" He just randomly showed up in a different ward one day because he was looking for a church and the missionaries there referred him to us.  He is the most humble, nicest guy.  He is getting baptized in December!

 

my man shawn

•I was reading in Alma this week in the Book of Mormon in my personal study and I love 5:26 where Alma asks the people after have been in the church for a while and everything seems to be going good, "Can ye feel so now?"  It made me think to myself and reevaluate myself.  Am I constantly thinking the thoughts, saying the words, and doing the things so that we still can "feel so now" and always be close to God?  We need to constantly be having spiritual experiences and they won't just fall right into our path, we have to work for them.

•In District Council this week we had an awesome discussion on "Sustainership."  It's something President Snow has been pushing with our mission, to sustain all of our leaders.  This is a life-long skill that we all need to learn. We have to always remember that leaders are inspired.  We can't let ourselves get offended or not think something is wrong with our leaders.  We are all imperfect humans and have to realize that.  We also talked about in the last days, we will have to defend the not only the modern day prophet but also Joseph Smith.  I talk to at least one person on the street a day that cusses us out or is rude because of some false thing they have read about Joseph Smith.  We also talked about why it is easier to sustain President Snow than other leaders.  We came to the conclusion that it's because our mission president, President Snow, is consistent with his character and that people sustained Christ because he was the perfect example of consistent, perfect character.  Consistency is a Christ-like attribute that we all need to try and attain in whatever thing we are doing, spiritually or temporally.  

the warm spring early morning sports crew

•The nephew of the great Craig Booth, Randy Booth gave a talk with his wife in sacrament meeting in the Silverado Ward.  Let's reminisce back to the last time we heard a Booth speak, which would be at Grandpa Ross’ funeral.  Booth was going on and on which is something that Grandpa Ross would not have liked and so that's when Great-Grandma Terry pipes in with a "This guy's putting me to sleep!"  Well Craig’s nephew’s talk was very funny and didn't put me to sleep.  Since they are new in the ward he told the story of how they met. Here are some funny quotes from his talk...

"Well Thanksgiving is the only holiday I haven't spoke on so if there was a Pokemon of sacrament meeting talks I would have caught them all."

"I first met my wife at a young-single adult activity cliff jumping at Lake Mead. She was the cutest girl there.  This happened to just be when I finished the whole P90X workout so it was pretty much game over when I took my shirt off."

"I did some flips off the cliff but I lost count of how many while I was in the air."

"After, she asked me to marry her but we went on a couple dates first."

"all of that was true except I asked her on a date"

•The Las Palmas sacrament meeting was all about music and of course they had a violin trio play "I know that my Redeemer Lives" and I lost it.  I could feel the Savior right there with me, serving a mission along side of me.  On a mission you have a special opportunity to have experiences like that where you know without a doubt that this is His work.  I know Jesus Christ is our Redeemer and knows each one of us personally.  He wants the absolute best for us which we CAN have by living His gospel as conspicuously as possible. 

ps Abby practice your violin.

I love you friends and family! you guys are amazing and I am thankful for the support I receive on my mission and all of the prayers I receive.  I am most grateful for the knowledge that the truth has been restored again to this earth. 
 

Love,

Elder Faldmo

November 10, 2014... It's still warm in Warm Springs

Still warm in Warm Springs

hello fam and friends!

first off, shoutout to my coolest little brother Sammy John for turning 10 tomorrow. you're a stud Sam! you've been my catch buddy and rebounder since you were born.

another shoutout to my cousin Will Clark! that dude is a stud! 

elder walker thought you use dishsoap in the dishwasher... #missionaryprobs

the members here in warm springs are second to none.  our 2 ward mission leaders are Brother Thatcher and Brother Browne.  Brother Thatcher sent his son on a mission right as we got to the area.  he is in the Billings Montana mission which is the same mission that Elder Walker is from.  Brother Thatcher is a convert and is awesome.  he is so excited about missionary work.   he told us that missionaries like us have been "an answer to his fasting and prayers" 

There is the Haycock Family in the Las Palmas ward and Sister Haycock was really good friends with my mom's cousin Tiffany Merchant and she was a bridesmaid in her wedding! Also on Sunday in the Las Palmas ward there was a guy visiting who lives in the same neighborhood as Uncle Jared and Elizabeth used to live I think.  He told me he played golf with Grandpa Ross and knows Jason and "has shopped at Hurst and Ben Franklin for 40 years" 

So we are just about teaching these 3 UNLV baseball players.  They are really nice guys.  They said they would get some bands from their clubhouse so I can do my arm and back exercises.  One of them is a left-handed pitcher and tops out at 94 mph.  When we went last time, he had just got a letter from the Pittsburg Pirates.  Hopefully we can teach them lesson 1 this week!  A ton of our apartment complex is UNLV students.  

So this week we had exchanges with our DL and his comp.  I went with our DL Elder Gilstrap. (biking area woot woot) We were on our way to Subway for dinner and we stop and try to talk to this guy on the street and at the end he told us that we made his night and that he is going to come to church on Sunday.  Then we go off and bike ahead and we get to Subway and as we are about to order the same guy walks in and says "I got it, thank you guys" and puts a $20 on the counter and walks out.  Then later that night we are biking to the mission office and right before we get there this lady and her 2 toddler boys are on the sidewalk and we talk to them.  She told us that she has been praying to find a new church.  So since we were right by the church, which is the mission office, she gets to meet President Snow and we give her a church tour.  When we were about to walk in, she sees the picture of Jesus and says "I like this already"

Highlight of the week was definitely having Elder Foster from the Seventy and his wife come and talk to us.  They gave us training on how we can use family history to share the gospel.  One of my favorite quotes from him is.. "you should have the mindset every morning of 'you gotta be kidding me, i get to do this today again?'" He explained how these 2 years are so short of a time.  We have amazing leaders.  Our senior couples in the office deserve a prize or something.   They work so hard to get us what we need in order to succeed.  Nevada Las Vegas Mission is #1 sorry everyone else. 

Hope y'all had a great week and have an even better one this week! 

Love, 

Elder Faldmo

yes!!! they have these in vegas.  this is what grandma julie and grandpa ross always have for me at their house!