Justin Beiber Concert in Columbus OH

Before Marissa leaves on her mission, she wanted to attend the Justin Beiber concert.  Betsy and her drove up to Columbus, OH!!! It's a three hour drive.  We had a great time talking in the car and sharing special moments.  We got to the concert early and found our seats.  The warm up show was very good but the Beiber concert was what we came to see.  We had a great time.  Marissa knew the songs, I didn't so I couldn't sing along as much as I wanted to!!!

here you can see Marissa

The only picture we got of the two of us was on the way out of the building

We had a great time.  We got out very late, and still had a long drive home, but it was worth it to have some time with Marissa!!!

Making Marissa's temple dress

I'm so excited that I get to make Marissa's temple dress! 

I let her design it completely.  It's amazing.  It's everything she wanted it to be.

It is a stretch white fabric with a scoop front neckline and high back neckline.  Long sleek sleeves.  A gathered waistline.  The dress is fully lined and goes to the floor.  It fit her perfectly!!!

An angel!!!

Week 97

This week was good.  We did a lot of service for members and non members this week.  We had a missionary mutual. They had us and two other return missionaries.  The youth had some great questions, however the Young mens president gave all the good questions to the RM's and gave us questions like how did you feel when you opened your papers.  I wished that we could have shared more, but it was good. 

  

We taught a 6 year old Primary class with our WML because the teachers who are recent converts asked us to do so.  teaching primary takes a new level of teaching simply. 

We were asked by a future mission president to teach the restoration lesson to them with the Pamphlets.  The next Montreal Canada mission president lives in the Vienna Woods ward named bro Phillips. It was a cool experience that I don’t think that many missionaries get to do.

We did exchanges last week and my companion went to the other companionships area and teach one of their investigators.  Funny thing happened that investigator wanted my companion to  baptize them.  so this Saturday we went to baptism and my companion got to baptize the other companionships investigator.  The investigator is actually a excommunicated person. I also don’t think that this happens to most missionaries as well.  

Week 96 Hal Barker's baptism

This week was a great week.  We found out that we are moving so we moved out of our tiny room and now have a bigger room and a basement to ourselves.  :)  Even though moving felt like it took an entire day we had more lessons this week than last week.

I went on exchanges with Elder Carson Carroll.  

It was a great exchange.  We committed to talk to everyone, because of our goal we spoke to a less active that has not gone to church for many years.  We were at the right place at the right time.  I wish moments like these happened more.  The spirit was with me as well as the spirit of discernment. I open my mouth and the Lord gave me what to say.  His name is Hal Barker. His main reason for not going to church and being active is that he is bipolar and has anxiety plus not wanting to change his routine. It was great to testify truth to him and to share my testimony of my conversion with him.  In the time we had talked to him his attitude went from “don't try to get me to church because I wont go" to a maybe someday  before I die I will come back" to "I will think about it."  I am not going to give up on him.  I want to see him at church at least once before I leave.  

In our area we are getting some good referrals but they have not been home when we have visited.

Robert goes to Mormon prom

Thank goodness Eden Theiss was brave enough to ask Robert to prom, otherwise I don't think he would have gone.  He is such a handsome and amazing young man.  I wanted him to have an opportunity to dress up and go out with a charming young lady.  Eden came over to the house before Prom for photos.  They were such a cute date!!!  Betsy, of course, went crazy on the photo taking opportunity :)

Robert was a complete gentleman.  He opened her door and took very good care of them.  Next stop is group photos at the O'Brien's house.

Eden, Robert and Kelsey

This is a repeat photo from when they were just little kids in Sunbeams together.  Eden and Kelsey came to Robert's 4 year old birthday party!!!  Twelve years later ...

The Guys

The Group

After photos the group went to have a nice dinner before going to the dance.

The dance

While at the dance, Robert was able to get together with his friends from Crestwood 1st ward and have a few photos taken too!  Especially since Eden is from the Crestwood 1st ward.  Betsy especially liked these photos because she made the dress of one of the girls in this photo.  Serena, the girl on the far left side!

Crestwood guys:  I don't know the two on the left of Robert,
Robert, Zach, and Trevor

Extra photos!!!

Game against elizabethtown

What a crazy night this was. 

First, the game is away in Elizabethtown, KY which is at least one hours drive from where we live, and even farther from Robert's school.

Second, the game is at 6:00 pm - ugh, Robert doesn't get out of school until 3:45 (really 3:55), it's at least one hour, 10 minutes away and it's rush hour.  Plus the boys are supposed to be there by 5:15 to warm up.  It was impossible.

I picked up Robert from school and we stopped to get food so he wouldn't get car sick.  We ran into heavy traffic - ugh!  Then we had bad directions - ugh.

We finally made it to the field about 10 minutes before the game was supposed to start.  Robert slept in the car to try to avoid car sickness (it only worked a little).

Third, the boys haven't played together for over a week due to spring break.  ugh!

It's an amazing sports complex!  I wish we had something like this in Louisville. 

The game started strong, and it was very competitive.  Elizabethtown was very aggressive.  We didn't look very connected.  You could tell we haven't played together for a while - our passes are off, our touch isn't great. 

Week 95 - warm weather = nice people

This week was nice a warm week.  With the nice weather people were out and about however they were in the parks and other areas that were not in our area.  But this week they will be home and we will get to teach them.  We have a part member family that we are working with but they are not sure if they want to take the lessons right now. One possible reason is that the farther is active and the step mother is active but the real mom is not and is against the church.  We are praying that the real mom's heart can be soften and that Mackenzie will want to take the lessons.  

We had a great zone meeting about missionary skills. The zone leaders talked about as a mission what skills are we good at what skills are we not good at.  It is always good to keep working on your skills because they will make you a better missionary.  I am excited to follow up train with it.  

I did another Baptism interview this last week.  They are always a little stressful cause you never want to tell someone that they can't get baptized.  luckily I haven't to do so.  I love to hear the testimonies of Investigators that are about to be baptized.  they are so sincere but more is the spirit that you feel when they tell you how they have changed and repented.  There is a very sweet spirit.  

Love you all,  I know that God loves you all especially the ones that are going through hard times

Week 94 - General Conference

General conference was great.  I really liked Elder Hales and Bednar talk.  I have always liked Elder Bednar talks.  I have always had this fascination with the Holy Ghost and its purpose.  The first scripture that I memorized and Loved was Moroni 10:5 "And by the Power of the Holy Ghost ye shall know the Truth of all thing." I appreciated his remarks greatly.  This week went really well.  Elder Carroll and I are getting along and are working hard.  This week was more of service and getting to know and talk to people in the area.  We planed some trees for them and they told us that whenever they look at those trees they will remember that we planted them. All of these potential Investigators are just popping out of no where.  We just need to contact them and start teaching them the gospel. Pray that we get new investigators

This a photo of Elder Carroll 

I accidentally left my camera laying at the mission office for a while.  While I was gone, everyone had fun taking photos with it.  

Car Accident for Toyota

Poor Jessica and Tate.  They were sitting at a triffid light waiting to turn right and a car pulls up looking like they were going straight and then all of the sudden changed direction and ran right into their front left fender.  

They took photos and exchanged insurance information. The other driver was super sorry and said he was sorry he hit them.  They had to wait for an hour and a half for a police man to come.  They took the reports.