Spring Allergies and Another Transfer in Beckley! Plus new photos!

Here are some more pictures and letters from West Virginia!

June 2, 2014

Hi All!

I haven’t got my stomach ache checked yet. I was going to Friday but had zone meeting so I wouldn’t be back in time. So I have it scheduled for Wednesday. When I got it checked the first time they thought it was a hernia because we helped a family move right before it hurt. But they checked it out and said it wasn’t. Other than that no one knows what it might be. They have ruled out a hernia just from talking to me. They say everything sounds like it’s a hernia, but said I would be able to see or feel it especially me being as skinny as I am. So, we will see what the doc says when they check it out again.

And I did get my shirts. They fit pretty well! So I’m happy, and I am low on slacks again. I ripped another pair. Not the new ones, my last pair of "old" ones. 

But it’s nice here. Everything is green again, so it’s not super ugly! But the pollen this year is insane... I guess it’s not normal for it to be like this. We will walk outside and the red truck we drive is pretty much yellow. I’ll have to take a picture. It’s bad. My allergies are killer. I’ve had a runny nose and a sore throat for 3 or 4 weeks straight now. I’ve gone throw 6 rolls of toilet paper by myself, just from my runny nose and probably a cough drop every few hours...! Oh well, it’ll die down soon I hope!

So there is this less active member we are seeing his name is, J___. I don’t know if I have told you about him yet but he is freaking nuts. He tells us all about these government conspiracies he is a part of and make up these ridiculous stories! Like the government owes him $800 million because of some reason or another, and his mom needs to send him some info which is in Carlsbad, New Mexico so he can get into his safety deposit box to get the money – but his mom is stuck in Lubbock, Texas. Oh, and he was kidnapped and put in an institution for 15 years where they forced him to take psych drugs…and plenty more. Now all he talks about is how he wants to get married in the church, which is good but he is 40 and super creepy and after gospel principles class (which is in the relief society room) he tries to flirt with a new person every week. It’s bad especially when he tries to talk to the young women. Only one really, but she is 17! So we have to baby sit him and cut him off when he is going to say something super inappropriate...which he does a lot. So it’s a full time job when he is there, which is every Sunday! Bless his heart. The other day he told us he was an agent but no one can know that. And he was the one who started the major medical reform with George Bush. And his uncle signed the Declaration on Independence and plenty of other things!

Other than that things have been slow and his week just about everything has fallen through, but that’s all right next week should be better we hope. No one came to church but Savannah is still going strong for June 22nd. But transfers are on the 18^th, so I’ll probably be gone but that’s all right! 

That’s cool Jake is in Mexico now! He did e-mail me and told me about how a member of his ward got shot the other day when someone tried to steal his truck. But sounds like he is having a good time! And that’s to bad about the boat. Some members here were telling us about their boat and how they are going tubing. It killed me!

That’s crazy Chris is getting back already! Time goes by fast I guess!

I’ll be sure to send some pics next week. I forgot to bring in the connector for the camera.

But all is well and I’m kind of excited for a new area. I would love to serve in Pembroke, VA again!

Love you all!

Elder Latimer

June 9, 2014

Hi Everyone!

I’m feeling better. I will be getting the release form today so I can put you on there so you can see. When I went in they gave my antibiotics for my "cold" and took blood and a urine sample to figure out what’s up with my stomach. I may be transferred before the appointment so I will make sure I can call in or something to figure out what’s going on! And even though with this "cold" or whatever it is, it’s the sickest I’ve been on my mission, and the sickest I can remember except for the flu. I don’t think I’ve ever been like that before. But my problem is I never feel justified to stay inside. I feel like I have to literally be unable to get out of bed. So we walk around in the 85 degree humid air and I just suffer... I’m sure it doesn’t help, but all is well now!

I am out of allergy medicine and don’t have the funds to buy more. I feel food is more important! But if you could help me with it that would be awesome! Oh and I was wondering if you could just put money on my card also to buy slacks here, so I can try them on and make sure they fit. Because the other 2 I have are like high waters!

This week something cool happened. We were just walking around talking to people, and we walked past this guy and asked him if he wanted to learn, and he said “no” and that he was upset. So we went on and then decided to go back and pray with him. He agreed and told us he had been praying for a sign. He had a falling out with family and had been contemplating suicide and asked God for a sign and 5 min later we showed up. So we talked with him and his wife for an hour or so and learned he had a rough life. He grew up in Detroit and his parents neglected him and he ran away at 13 and grew up on the streets. He finally moved to WV with his grandma who was the only person in his family that cared for him. Then he got his own place, and just recently he got in an argument and his grandmother who told him she didn’t want him to come to her funeral so he was pretty distraught and needed help. So we talked to him and he told us quite a bit, but kept crying and saying, “I’m gonna be a mormon!” It was great. He is 28 and is married and has 1 kid and another kid from his wife’s previous marriage.

Other than that Savannah is getting interviewed this Sunday for baptism, and she is gonna make it! We are excited although it’s a few days after transfers, but that’s all right. We found 5 new investigators this week and they are all pretty solid! I can see 3 of them being baptized in the next month or two! 

I’m giving a talk this week in church on one of the beatitudes. So it should be good. I’ll try and prepare before Saturday night!

That’s great Sherman got on the cover [of the new Madden video game]! I’m stoked about that. I’m glad the hawks are doing things now!

President Pitt leaves on the 27th of this month actually! It’s crazy. It’ll be interesting to see how the new president is. I’m excited for a change but I just hope it’s not a bad one! He is a younger guy in his 40s or 50s and he served a mission obviously but his wife didn’t, and Sister Pitt did. So I don’t know how she will be. Especially because President PItt talked with them and told us she is kind of shy and Sister Pitt is the complete opposite! She is great and speaks her mind! Like one time we were talking about Guantanamo Bay  because our Ward mission leader had to serve there for the Army, and he said how you can just feel the evil there and that these people, he said, have no good in them. To which Sister Pitt says "kinda like our president!"  At this last meeting an Elder asked her if we could give her a hug because she was leaving. She gave a huge smile and nodded and president looks at her and says lovingly, "Now Sister Pitt, you know the rule." And she says, "You know I’ve never seen it written anywhere!" And president says, "Sister Pitt, some rules don’t have to be written," and then he chuckled, and she says to the Elder, "I don’t care I’m going home!" She is so funny, although she is the stern one.  The President loves us to much, so she is the one who tells us how it is sometimes! 

And that’s crazy about the kid from Mountlake Terrace... I’m glad someone took action instead of just all running and hiding allowing others to be killed. I think that’s what people need to do more often! 

I’m excited to see Oliver’s soul patch!

Oh, and I forgot to tell you last week the WVU mascot is LDS and he showed up Sunday for sacrament for some reason so it was cool to meet him. I’ll send home the picture thing he signed for us!

Love you all!

Elder Latimer

June 17, 2014

Hi Everyone,

First off, Happy Father’s day! It was weird. For me it didn’t seem like it was Father’s Day. The ward here did nothing to celebrate fathers. Both are talks weren’t on it and none of the classes were and no treats from relief society! Good thing you weren’t in this ward!

Savannah will have her interview tomorrow, because she had to work Sunday. She will pass though we know it, and she will be baptized on the 22nd!

Oh, and I’m staying for a 3rd transfer with Elder Morgan and my 4th in Beckley. It’s a long time! It’s nice we have begun to get along better so we are having a good time, but it will be hard cause I’m killing him [meaning his companion will go home after this transfer]! And me hitting 20 months when he goes home will be hard to not think about it. I’ll do my best!

This last week was a lot slower. All our appointments fell through but that’s all right, because now we have to see them all this week! The family we found where the husband wanted a sign is doing good. They love us to come over and to read. Also, the 9 year old loves us so that helps that he always wants us over! They didn’t make it Sunday because of her work. I

It was great. We made a bet like I told you with Richard about the US/Ghana soccer game, where we were supposed to not have a chance. If the US won we would cook them burgers and they would have to pledge allegiance to the flag. Needless to say we will be buying some big ‘ol juicy burgers for them! We won 2-1! Elder Morgan is a big soccer fan and since I’ve been with him I’ve begun to like it more. So I was actually excited about a soccer game for the first time this week!

Other than that not too much else new is happening with this slow week. I’ll have to resend all the pics with the new ones just to make sure you get them all. The church e-mail doesn’t let you send more than 1 at a time for some reason.

My stomach ache is better. I have a return appointment this week and will see how it is. And I’m not sick anymore! It was the most sick I’ve been in my life other than a flu. But the antibiotics did the trick!

Yesterday it was about 87 and super humid! We tracted up a hill for 4 hours...no exaggeration! It was miserable. We were completely soaked. Then dried up cause we didn’t have any more liquid to sweat so we stopped sweating and it dried, but we had to stop because when we talked to people we could tell we were just so out of it, that is wouldn’t help our cause. Needless to say we didn’t get any new investigators! Oh well. Then we went to Fujiyama with a member, where they cook in front of you. It was pretty sweet!

The talks went well. I gave mine on the beatitude of "Blessed are those that mourn for they shall be comforted," which was kind of hard so I just transitioned it into a talk about hope. I was so excited because I could fit in the Boise State 2007 fiesta bowl story and connect it with how the players had hope and the fans who had hope and stayed and didn’t leave were rewarded. It was cool to learn how without hope you cannot have faith, and that having hope leads you to act on the faith you have because if you didn’t have hope for the future what’s the point of acting on anything!

But all is well, and I hope to have a good transfer this one, although since Elder Morgan is leaving after this transfer, I will either serve here for a 5th transfer, or we will get doubled out. I hope we get doubled out because 6 months is long enough for an area!

Love ya!

Elder Latimer

P.S. A question I haven’t been able to answer in the Book of Revelations it says that it is a book that talks about things to come.  Then why is the scripture about the pre-existence in there since that already happened? Is it referring to something else? I just can’t figure it out. Maybe you can help? Thanks!