Latest Pics and Staying in Beckley!

July 21, 2014

Hi Everyone!

Things here are still going. Elder Morgan is still working hard. He isn’t too bad and we are still working hard. And Katy is doing well, so we will see what happens. Every lesson with her she takes notes and reads the pamphlet before and takes notes on it as well. We went to teach the plan of salvation and she already knew all of it because she had studied it all!

Also her neighbor Mike has started coming to church and wanting to learn more. He is kind of odd but really smart. He studies quite a bit, and loves the Hebrew and Greek translations. Other than that those are really the only people we are teaching as of now. 

And Jacob, the crazy one, is still coming to church and we are going to have to start visiting him again because he had a bad day at church... meaning he wouldn’t shut up about every aspect of his life that is more than likely false, and then sharing things he shouldn’t. Poor Mike and Katy!

We had a zone wide contest on which district could pass out the most family proclamations. We handed out 107, so about 35 per companion ship! It was a good time, we just started handing it to them as we talked so they couldn’t say no, and had to take it. So it was a good time!

Then we had to take a trip out to McDowell County where Welch, WV is. It’s infamous for the stereotypical red necks. It wasn’t that bad. It was a nice little town, but then it made sense when we talked to the man Elder Morgan had to interview for baptism. He had asked him, “Where do you live?” He said "McDowell County." Then Elder Morgan asked again, "Where do you live?" Then he said, "Welch." Then he asked one more time and he gave him his address. He also forgot his birthday. It was a pretty good experience. There is a bunch more, but I don’t know if I have time to write it all!

I’m attaching a video of Steven [video didn’t come through, unfortunately]. I think I’ve told you about him a bit. He lives in the Oak Hill area, and he is pretty funny! This is him playing his harmonica. I have a couple more. I hope the attachment works!

Oh, and I did think of one thing I would like for my birthday. It is some more of that Abercrombie cologne. Other than that I can’t think of anything.

I’ll have to send Jake another e-mail to see what he is up to.

I’ll have to send some other pictures with their little stories behind them. I will be going to the eye doc tomorrow morning! So it’ll be fun to see again

Anyway, I think that’s all. Transfers are in about 9 days or so. I think I’ll be staying in Beckley for another because of Katy, mainly because of what she told us. I don’t know if she will ever tell anyone else, and I imagine President Salisbury wouldn’t want to stick to missionaries in there to deal with it all over again. But we will see. I just hope I get a companion I get along with really well cause I’m getting a little tired of the area. HERE WE GO!

Love you all!

Elder Latimer

July 29, 2014

Hi Everyone!

Glad all is well at home. There isn’t too much going on here. We have found a couple more families who are just great! Especially a part member family, where the husband served a mission and the wife and kids are non-members. The reason they are less active is because her ex-husband and her have shared custody which means they share on decision making and the ex-husband is anti- toward the church so he wont let his kids go. The parents don’t want to just leave their 12 year old and the younger ones at home every week, so once he is of age or the father consents there will be at least 3 baptisms there! She is already reading Joseph Smith History, because she has finished the B.O.M Multiple times!

Also there is another couple we found, the Mooneys. They are a lot of fun, and an older couple with a huge house! It’s not too often you find people who are pretty well off who are interested in learning more! 

Then there was the baptism for the man who has been active in the church for 43 years, and the missionary who taught him 43 years ago flew in from Arizona to baptize him, there were over 70 people there, and his wife was on cloud 9 because she has been waiting 43 years for him to join her! Because of this there were multiple families who came up to us and told us they want to get back to church and prepare to go to the temple so they can be there when the McGradys get sealed! So its created quite the ripple effect in the ward, I think it’s just what was needed!

So I am staying here another transfer. I will be in Beckley another 6 weeks and be here in total 7 1/2 months that’s a long time! This next transfer will be the hardest yet I imagine. My new companion is Elder M___. I’m told he is extremely flamboyant, burns incense during studies, and I don’t know what else. So I’ll be praying and fasting for patience! I’m not too happy as of now. I was excited with how the work was going and Elder Morgan and I had begun to get along really well. And now this. I’m not sure how most of our investigators will receive him. I’m hoping we don’t lose anyone for that reason, although I can see it. But we won’t know till he gets here so I’ll try and keep a positive outlook.

Oh and we went with a member and had a photo shoot kinda deal so I’ll have to send you the pictures as soon as I can get the cord for my camera from Elder Morgan!

I did get my contacts! I got soft lenses, because last time I got hard lenses they hurt! These are much better. They don’t hurt once I get them in. So it is a lot of fun to see. The eye doctor told me in WV and most other states I am not legally allowed to drive without contacts/glasses. They won’t even give me a license! He said my vision was about 20/60. So I guess that’s bad! 

Love you all!

Elder Latimer

August 4, 2014

Hi All!

Thanks for the package. I enjoyed what was in it! And you were right, I didn’t wait, I was too excited!

Elder M__. and I are getting along ok. He is nice and all. Just really different, and he tries to feed dogs treats that he carries with him and pets and talks to every cat we come across and compliments them on their beautiful eyes of whatever color and tells them how much he loves them etc. I don’t know how to explain it . . . he is overly loving. That sounds weird to say but he goes over the top to the point where people give him weird looks. So I hope all goes well with that.

That’s cool a new family moved in, where are they from? I miss the lake now! The youth in the ward just reported on an activity they had where they went out on a member’s boat and went tubing and jet skiing. And then some other members told us about their white water rafting trip and those kinds of things. I miss water!  Oh well, it won’t be long, but it’s hard to hear about all the fun the people are having! That’s nice that guy was paying attention [to us when we ran out of gas in the boat], I feel like most people would just think you were being weird and assume you were just having some kind of weird Mormon cult dance party... 

I’m excited for the new football season and the fact I’ll be back for at least post-season, to watch the hawks win the Superbowl again! I’m glad Lynch decided to play. I remember hearing that he doesn’t talk to the press, and there was a quote I heard from him that summed him up. The reporter asked why he doesn’t do interviews to which he responded, "I’m ‘bout dat action boss." I guess he likes to show it on the field and not from his mouth? I have a lucky tie I got from my trainer which is Seahawks colors. It’s really old and wrinkly but I wore it every game day last year and they won the super bowl so I plan on continuing out that tradition.

Katy is in an interesting predicament. We got a text the other night that she said she was lonely and was following the spirit to go to Greensboro, WV and become a sister wife. We told her it was not the Spirit and to stay, and she didn’t listen and texted us later that day that she made a huge mistake and is scared. So there isn’t much we can do for her other than tell her we told you so. So, we hope she gets back soon and we can teach her how to recognize the spirit. She seems to act impulsively on her emotions and doesn’t think much through so hopefully we can work through that with her.

Other than that we are still just teaching those we have, who aren’t progressing too much, but plan on finding some others. 

I’m wondering if you could send me some more slacks? The two I have are too small now. They are kind of like high waters and I bought a few pairs from wal-mart a while back but they are all poofy and funny looking.

Anyway, things are going well. We are still living with the other set of Elders which is a blessing because it helps take the edge off of things. I just hope this transfer goes by fast, I can almost see the meals from members going down.

Also there is a family I really like to visit they feed us pretty well, and I taught Jason how to make sparkler bombs. I may have told you before but he loves them! So when we come over he has one made and we blow something up each time we go over. So that’s always fun. I have videos of it but of course the church e-mail won’t let me send them! 

Love you all!

Elder Latimer

P.S

The music rule has changed and we can now listen to any hymn in any arrangement, so I’m wondering if you could find a lot of country/blue grass arranged hymns and put them on a USB for me so I can change it up. Mo-Tab gets really old really fast! 

LOVE YOU! 

August 11, 2014

Hi Everyone!

My birthday was good, but all our appointments fell through and we walked a lot, but that’s alright cause a birthday on a mission is just like any other day! 

I think I’m a 31 waist and a 32 length would be perfect, I don’t have any others that fit other than the suit pants and my stretchy waist tan pants from Wal-mart.

Not too much happened this week. I’m getting burnt out on Beckley. I’m getting tired of it. I really hope I get transferred, although it is nice having the other set of elders in the basement. The members I can tell already don’t seem to like my companion that much. He isn’t the most personable person. He just kinda cuts members off at dinner so we can read a scripture and leave. He also thinks just about anything will get him excommunicated or sent home. He is afraid that if we are at a members house for dinner for like an hour and a half that he is gonna get sent home... and some members there is just no way to eat and get out in a hour. 

Anyway, other than that Katy came to church and had a good time, she had an interview with President Salisbury, and afterward she seemed to be doing a lot better than she was. We also found a couple new people to teach and hope they will go somewhere and a few potentials we hope to teach this week.  

And we were making a "District WVCM" video but president said we can’t do that so we had to stop. Oh, and fall seems to be coming early here. Leaves are starting to change already and the last 2 weeks it has been in the low 70's and hi 60's. It’s kinda weird because usually it’s in the 90's. I’m not complaining though! 

From the e-mails I received from president and what he has told me it sounds like I will be a district leader next transfer, and I really want to go back to Pembroke, VA and that is a district leader area, so in my e-mails to him I will start asking if I could serve there my last 2 transfers. Who knows!

And that’s about all... 

Love you all!

Elder Latimer