Email 10.10.11

Holy Buckets!
well let me tell you a story of a crazy week. I am so exhausted.

Zone Leader Council was great like always President Layton and Sister Layton are just wonderful I love being with them and feeling their spirit. President made the remark that he has been thinking about releasing a couple Zone Leaders to become trainers again. Dont be a district leader, no stewardship just you and a greenie. All of the zone leaders are praying for the opportunity to train now. :) It has been a long time that I have been a zone leader. So I would absolutely love that opportunity. :) We drove into rapid early monday morning and looked up all the thrift stores in Rapid City and went to all of them. It was wonderful. Guess What one of the stores was called "Pack Rat Palace" I said HOLY BUCKETS THAT IS MY TEMPLE!!!! It was a really cool store I really enjoyed it there. Rapid has a ton of cool places. We even went to Sonic. Have not been to sonic FOR EVER!

We picked up Elder Oxborrow from Rapid. He is a really great Elder he is alot of fun. I am really enjoying him. At first I was really worried. He is a Pretty Boy Tree Hugger. We make fun of him all the time for that though. We went to walmart last week and got some things and he wanted to recycle every grocery bag and all the water bottles. I looked at him and said "my friend Wyoming aint heard no recyclin!" He was shocked. But I really like him. He was a cross country runner and all he looked and me and barker and was like "hey do you want to go running in the morning?" We both looked at him and laughed.

The Craft weekend sounded like a lot of fun. Always good when you are with family and doing something you enjoy.

We had a weird fast and testimony meeting oh my. I have to tell you I tell you mormons drive me up the wall. One lady got up and said.. "When I shook Elder Nelson's hand I wouldnt touch anyones hand or anything I just went home and went to my children and grabbed their hands and said: "these hands touched an apostle and my daughter took her hands and rubbed them all over the walls and now our house is blessed by an apostle. I was like OH MY GOSH. So dumb! Dang Mormons! We are Latter Day Saints!!!! ;) Sorry had to vent some steam!

Well on monday night we received revelation that we shouldnt go to Newcastle but we need to teach their DL before we teach them. Because "You can lead a horse to water but you cant make it drink" If we dont teach their district leader how to handle the situation in Newcastle then it will continue to struggle and nothing will ever change because Elder Thomas will always look to us to fix the problem instead of handling it on his own. So we got back Tuesday night about seven and then we woke up wednesday morning and took Elder Thomas to newcastle and then drove over to wright (about three hours driving time) and taught some people in wright. Then we came home and were home about 9:20. LOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNG DAAAAYYY!!! Then the next day I went on an exchange in Gillette 2nd ward. Basically all of Elder Thomas's district is struggling so I went to 2nd Ward and He went to newcastle and elder barker and oxborrow stayed in 3rd Ward.

The exchange with Elder Goldtooth was basically I was training him to Become a missionary but. two cool experiences...

Experience #1
Me and Elder Goldtooth just got back from Dinner with a family and decided to head out walking to try a potential investigator about an hour walk. Then mother nature came. The wind was blowing 50 mph and the rain was going sideways and the tempature dropped to about 35 degrees. It was really chilly and we were not prepared we just had our suitcoats on (Mind you I had miscolored coat and pants. It was funny) But, It was relentless HOLY BUCKETS! We got to her house and we were like yelling trying to talk to her because she would not let us in. So, she finally said... "Dont ever come back" So we took that as a sign that we should probably leave so that is what we did. On the way home, We had the idea to try Leilani one of their most promising Investigators. They have not been able to get in with her for like a month and we were picked up by one of their investigators and dropped off at Leilani's house and applying what we learned from conference we decided that we needed to pray and "Look Up for help" And I said the prayer I was basically yelling so that Elder Goldtooth could hear the prayer and I prayed simply and fervently that the lord will bless her to know what we will tell her is true and that she will be home. I finish the prayer and knock on the door and bam there she is. And let me tell you me and Elder Goldtooth look like we are two stray dogs and no place to stay (Leilani has cancer too so she is so hard to get ahold of. She is always in Casper, Rapid or Denver.) But! She was there!!! So we talked with her and got a chance to testify to her and to teach her and she said.. " I know what you are telling me is true" That is why I told my church that I want to come to your church!" It was so awesome!! Elder Goldtooth was pumped! We left their with a commitment from her to pray about baptism because she would not accept my invitation but we were so happy. Great Night!

Experience #2
So me and Elder Goldtooth were so pumped about the night before that we were ready to take on the world But the turn out was not going good. We walked about an hour away and we went to try another Potential Investigator. We were really looking forward to seeing her and we got to the door and she was said:..."Elders I really love the book of mormon and I believe its true BUT DONT EVER COME BACK" (Then she slammed the door of course) We were like WHAAAAAATTTTTT! I have never heard that! I was going crazy! I knocked again but she didnt come to the door. Oh well.. But we were super bummed and we decided well we better start tracting so we were in this driveway and we both Knelt down and offered a prayer. Elder Goldtooth said the prayer and he finished the prayer so quick I didnt understand why I look up and he points with his head to the car now parked in the driveway with the driver looking at us. :) He gets out we get up and we start to talk and he is just amazing. He is really looking for the gospel and an opportunity to learn. He went to the LDS church in the military and loved it but never knew the teachings they will be going back on thursday. How cool is that. Elder Goldtooth was way pumped again. We were late for an appointment too and we were booking it across town and I said a prayer that a member would see us and give us a ride. Thats exactly what happened a member from the 3rd ward picked us up and she actually gave us a referral for her boyfriend (older lady) who is R.L.D.S. he was actually an equivilant of a Bishop in the R.L.D.S. church. So Me, Barker and Oxborrow are meeting this week with him. :)

Brothers and Sisters LOOK UP! MOVE FORWARD! Jesus Christ has taken upon himself everything that YOU go through. HE loves YOU. Let HIM help YOU! Give it Up! Do not let it happen! It is so easy!!!

I miss my nieces and nephews! So much. Tell them I love them and miss them.

For Halloween we will be at the Ward Party.

I dont know what is going to happen on transfers but they are in two weeks from today! So they are coming FAST!

The gospel is true. Do not let satan come into your life. Jesus Christ Lives. The Book of Mormon is the word of god and We can be together forever. That is my simple testimony in the name of Jesus Christ, AMEN!

I love you!

Elder Michael Rudd