Hello,
Well here we are again! Another rodeo…can you believe it? Well, this week has been a great week and we have had so many things going on and that we have had a great time doing. I must say, as I have gotten to know Elder Hanson more and more this week, we have really had a great time and we seem to get along really well. We both understand the principle "Work hard; play hard." We always make sure that when we have to get things done - we have a good time doing it and that we let people see that we are having a good time and that we are good missionaries. I guess that has really been for me something that I have really tried to do on my mission. I learned early on that I have gifts and abilities and that I needed to use them to help the work along. I have always talked with other missionaries about being themselves, because we were called, not some robot in our place, so we have to just be ourselves. So Elder Hanson gets that and so it makes for good times while we are together. So as for things about Elder Hanson, I will try and send a picture and Chanel, if you would send a questionnaire I will get the answers for you about them.
As for this week: we had a lot going on it seemed like. It seemed like each day was good but Tuesday and Friday really seemed to be the best. Tuesday we met with David to talk about the last few commandments and talk about his baptism. I taught the 10 commandments using the handy hand signals…pun intended. If you haven’t heard of them or seen them, they are by far the best way to teach the commandments. Everyone that I have done them with loves them and then can remember all 10 in order, which most can’t beforehand…again…pun intended. So we taught him and talked about his baptism. We moved it up to this Wednesday the 28th to do it as the wards mutual activity. So that will be pretty cool. He is super excited and we are for him too. He really has been like that golden contact; he soaks up everything like a sponge. So we are super happy for him. Also on Tuesday we were out tracting and we tracted into a Baptist preacher. He let us and we talked about Christ and lots of other topics. The weird thing was he let us talk. Sometimes we get into doors like that, but they try and convert us, don’t let us answer any questions or anything. So it was really nice and we got to teach him. He didn’t believe everything…but thanked us for stopping by.
Then came Friday, another lesson with David, going over the interview stuff and last minute tune-up for everything. It is always a great time to go and talk to him. Well, after that we went and had a lesson with this less-active and part-member family. Totally nice people, younger couple and they have a new baby. Well we stopped by and had a great talk with them and now we are going to teach the wife. She had a lot of great questions for us and so that was really cool. She said that she was interested in the church; it might be her member husband who has the problem. So we hope he will clean up his act and bring his wife to church. Saturday was David’s interview for baptism and it went great. So he is good to go for Wednesday. Yesterday was Sunday and you all know how that goes.
I think that one of the coolest things that happened to this week was one of our newest investigators. She is a 12 year old girl. She is the sweetest little thing, and the most surprising thing about her is her family is totally active. Her only problem is that she has down syndrome. Now normally she wouldn’t need to be baptized because of her condition, but she has asked to be baptized. She wants to be a member of Heavenly Fathers church and follow Jesus Christ. SO we are going by tonight to teach her and she will be getting baptized sometime in February, I think it might be the 25th which makes me a little sad that I might not be there. So I hope they do it before I go home. Even still just to be apart in this way is going to be so cool. Working with her and with this family will be such a great experience, something I think I will remember all of my life.
Well I hope that all of you have a great, grand and wonderful week. Keep on truckin, and things will come your way. Dad I think the personal assistant thing is a great idea, can you start looking around for me? Well I love you all so much and I hope that you have just a great week. I guess I will talk to you in February. Love you!
Love,
Elder Geoff Taylor
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
HEY...MEET AT IHOP....
Hello Folks,
Well this week has been a super busy, more so then any week since I have been here in the area. We had quite a few appointments and so that was really quite nice. It has been an adjustment to the new companion, still things are good. Elder Hanson is a cool guy. He is from Illinois, somewhere near Joliet he said…like Minooka…I think. Yeah, that sounds right. He has only been out for 5 months or so…so he is still pretty new. He is really fun though and so far we have had a pretty good time together. He is pretty easy going and laid back like myself so we seem to get along so far. I don’t really see any problems coming up…plus I won’t have to deal with them for very long if they do. He is a good guy...the funny thing is though, when I started my mission he was a junior in high school. That was really weird to me. We have, though, had a lot of work to do.
This week started really with transfers on Tuesday morning. It was a good transfer meeting. Then we went out to brunch. It was supposed to be just a few missionaries, well I yelled across the parking lot of the church at an elder where we were going, and then about 40 or so missionaries showed up at IHOP. It was so crazy; they had no idea what hit them. 40 missionaries is a lot in one place. It was fun, but just a little more than we had originally planned on. Then we had a great appointment with David Edwards, the young man I talked about last week. We set his baptism date for January 31st, so that will be a fun day, because Elder L. Tom Perry will be speaking to all the missionaries here in Las Vegas that afternoon. That will be a really cool day. A lot of missionaries will be at the meeting…all in our mission serving in Las Vegas and the other Vegas mission…So it should be pretty cool. Well anyway, the rest of the week saw a lot of normal missionary work.
We met with a lady whose husband is a member and she is slowly working her way to join the church and we are trying to help her along her way. She is a nice lady but will need a lot of extra prayers and help, so we are working overtime on it. She is a really nice lady and told us in the appointment that she knows the church is true, she is just afraid to pray about it.
So we really seem to have our work cut out for us this transfer, I know that I am up to it though. I only have but a short time left, so I want to work hard and finish in the end. It really doesn’t feel like I will be gone soon. I feel like this is now my home and that I don’t want to leave. I know everything so well and am so used to being a missionary, I’m not sure what I will do otherwise. Maybe I can live with the elders back home for a little bit? Check into it for me. Well I hope that you all have a great week and that those that are sick get feeling better…I’m starting to feel a cold coming on but I just am going to work through it. No time to slow down now, this train is in motion and isn’t stopping until it has to. Well I love you and hope that all is well.
Love,
Elder Geoff Taylor
Well this week has been a super busy, more so then any week since I have been here in the area. We had quite a few appointments and so that was really quite nice. It has been an adjustment to the new companion, still things are good. Elder Hanson is a cool guy. He is from Illinois, somewhere near Joliet he said…like Minooka…I think. Yeah, that sounds right. He has only been out for 5 months or so…so he is still pretty new. He is really fun though and so far we have had a pretty good time together. He is pretty easy going and laid back like myself so we seem to get along so far. I don’t really see any problems coming up…plus I won’t have to deal with them for very long if they do. He is a good guy...the funny thing is though, when I started my mission he was a junior in high school. That was really weird to me. We have, though, had a lot of work to do.
This week started really with transfers on Tuesday morning. It was a good transfer meeting. Then we went out to brunch. It was supposed to be just a few missionaries, well I yelled across the parking lot of the church at an elder where we were going, and then about 40 or so missionaries showed up at IHOP. It was so crazy; they had no idea what hit them. 40 missionaries is a lot in one place. It was fun, but just a little more than we had originally planned on. Then we had a great appointment with David Edwards, the young man I talked about last week. We set his baptism date for January 31st, so that will be a fun day, because Elder L. Tom Perry will be speaking to all the missionaries here in Las Vegas that afternoon. That will be a really cool day. A lot of missionaries will be at the meeting…all in our mission serving in Las Vegas and the other Vegas mission…So it should be pretty cool. Well anyway, the rest of the week saw a lot of normal missionary work.
We met with a lady whose husband is a member and she is slowly working her way to join the church and we are trying to help her along her way. She is a nice lady but will need a lot of extra prayers and help, so we are working overtime on it. She is a really nice lady and told us in the appointment that she knows the church is true, she is just afraid to pray about it.
So we really seem to have our work cut out for us this transfer, I know that I am up to it though. I only have but a short time left, so I want to work hard and finish in the end. It really doesn’t feel like I will be gone soon. I feel like this is now my home and that I don’t want to leave. I know everything so well and am so used to being a missionary, I’m not sure what I will do otherwise. Maybe I can live with the elders back home for a little bit? Check into it for me. Well I hope that you all have a great week and that those that are sick get feeling better…I’m starting to feel a cold coming on but I just am going to work through it. No time to slow down now, this train is in motion and isn’t stopping until it has to. Well I love you and hope that all is well.
Love,
Elder Geoff Taylor
Post Script...
GO CARDINALS......They are going all the way.....on the old rusty arm of Kurt Warner.....I just have two words for all you haters out there......LARRY FITZGERALD! Thats right....
GO CARDS!
Monday, January 12, 2009
Google Search: How do I fix a broken jaw?
Hello,
Well this week has been a very interesting one. I think I have said that over that last 100 or so weeks about, well I would say….almost 100 times. Somehow each week though, something seems to really come up and surprise me. You would think that at this point it would all be the same old same old, but oh hecks no…I get a new surprise each week. I guess though you are all dying to know what happened with transfers. I must say it was slightly weird being at my last "transfer calls." I was standing there thinking, "6 weeks from now I won’t care because I will be going home." Not that at any other point in time I have thought about going home, because 6 weeks is a totally long time. Anyway to transfer calls: I will be staying and Elder Degering is leaving. I will then be getting a new companion, his name is Elder Hanson I have no idea pretty much anything about him, as he has only been out for about 4 ½ months. So that will be good, because we have a lot to get done here and I only have a certain amount of time to get it all done. So, things will be different around here and I am happy about that. So should be a really good 6 weeks.
Well, as for other things that are cool in nature, we had a great week spreading the gospel. So this is going to be a long story so please prepare yourselves…but trust me it will be worth it. We have been trying to get in contact with this young man and his name is David. He was a referral from some of the other missionaries. We had talked with him and he kept saying "We'd soon get together." Well this last week we finally were able to meet with him. So last Thursday we met with him and had a great lesson, but sadly he had been attending another ward with the people who are fellowshipping him, which I must say isn’t that “sad,” but any who… we taught him and asked him to come and join us at the ward he belongs to. He said, "Yes!" without any hesitation, so yesterday he came to church. Well, we went around with him through all the meetings. We went to the youth Sunday School class, which takes me back, good old Dave Luman’s class. I so miss the that nice warm bread and butter to start every lesson, mmmmmm…..Well now that I am starving...so we had a great time in class and then went to Priest quorum with him. They didn’t have a teacher so Bishop Johnson said, “Elders, why don't you go ahead and teach a lesson since we are all here?” This being something that I was totally not prepared for, we said, "Of course!" and proceeded to go over some of the things we had taught and he had read since we taught him last Thursday. Well we finished and asked if he had any questions, “Well” he said, “I have this question, but I don’t know how to phrase it.” He then said, “How and when can I get baptized?” Well, as a question that we hear pretty much every day...I slowly collected my jaw from the floor and said that that was a great question. We talked about all things he had to do to get baptized. I thought that Bishop Johnson was going to swallow his tongue, maybe. That ward hasn’t had a convert baptism in over a year. So we are all very excited for this to happen. We told David to think about a date, sooner rather than later, and told him we would talk more about it on Tuesday when we have our next appointment. So that was pretty cool, so like I said, each week has its own little surprises. Also like I said it was going to be a long story, but come on, that was so worth it, right?
Well, this next week should be pretty good, with transfers and all that. We have a lot of teaching that we are going to be doing this week. So it will be nice to keep us busy, sadly we could be busier but we are going to work on it and keep on plugging away. Well I want you to know that I love you all so much and that I hope that you have a great week. Mom, yeah if you want to, you can keep putting info in your email about things, and yes Dad this is the beginning of a lot of “lasts” thanks for that. Chanel was actually the least trunky one this week….let’s see who will win next week. Well again I love you and hope that you have a great week.
Love,
Elder Geoff Taylor
P.S. Go Cardinals!
Well this week has been a very interesting one. I think I have said that over that last 100 or so weeks about, well I would say….almost 100 times. Somehow each week though, something seems to really come up and surprise me. You would think that at this point it would all be the same old same old, but oh hecks no…I get a new surprise each week. I guess though you are all dying to know what happened with transfers. I must say it was slightly weird being at my last "transfer calls." I was standing there thinking, "6 weeks from now I won’t care because I will be going home." Not that at any other point in time I have thought about going home, because 6 weeks is a totally long time. Anyway to transfer calls: I will be staying and Elder Degering is leaving. I will then be getting a new companion, his name is Elder Hanson I have no idea pretty much anything about him, as he has only been out for about 4 ½ months. So that will be good, because we have a lot to get done here and I only have a certain amount of time to get it all done. So, things will be different around here and I am happy about that. So should be a really good 6 weeks.
Well, as for other things that are cool in nature, we had a great week spreading the gospel. So this is going to be a long story so please prepare yourselves…but trust me it will be worth it. We have been trying to get in contact with this young man and his name is David. He was a referral from some of the other missionaries. We had talked with him and he kept saying "We'd soon get together." Well this last week we finally were able to meet with him. So last Thursday we met with him and had a great lesson, but sadly he had been attending another ward with the people who are fellowshipping him, which I must say isn’t that “sad,” but any who… we taught him and asked him to come and join us at the ward he belongs to. He said, "Yes!" without any hesitation, so yesterday he came to church. Well, we went around with him through all the meetings. We went to the youth Sunday School class, which takes me back, good old Dave Luman’s class. I so miss the that nice warm bread and butter to start every lesson, mmmmmm…..Well now that I am starving...so we had a great time in class and then went to Priest quorum with him. They didn’t have a teacher so Bishop Johnson said, “Elders, why don't you go ahead and teach a lesson since we are all here?” This being something that I was totally not prepared for, we said, "Of course!" and proceeded to go over some of the things we had taught and he had read since we taught him last Thursday. Well we finished and asked if he had any questions, “Well” he said, “I have this question, but I don’t know how to phrase it.” He then said, “How and when can I get baptized?” Well, as a question that we hear pretty much every day...I slowly collected my jaw from the floor and said that that was a great question. We talked about all things he had to do to get baptized. I thought that Bishop Johnson was going to swallow his tongue, maybe. That ward hasn’t had a convert baptism in over a year. So we are all very excited for this to happen. We told David to think about a date, sooner rather than later, and told him we would talk more about it on Tuesday when we have our next appointment. So that was pretty cool, so like I said, each week has its own little surprises. Also like I said it was going to be a long story, but come on, that was so worth it, right?
Well, this next week should be pretty good, with transfers and all that. We have a lot of teaching that we are going to be doing this week. So it will be nice to keep us busy, sadly we could be busier but we are going to work on it and keep on plugging away. Well I want you to know that I love you all so much and that I hope that you have a great week. Mom, yeah if you want to, you can keep putting info in your email about things, and yes Dad this is the beginning of a lot of “lasts” thanks for that. Chanel was actually the least trunky one this week….let’s see who will win next week. Well again I love you and hope that you have a great week.
Love,
Elder Geoff Taylor
P.S. Go Cardinals!
Monday, January 5, 2009
Who's the Boss?....Well it sure ain't Tony Danza!
Hello Family,
Well this week was a pretty fun week. Hard for lots of missionary work to get done but still very nice to be able to sort of relax for a day and then kick it into overdrive for the last little bit here. We had quite the time on New Year's Eve and day. But before I forget, I was so surprised to see that the Beacon Hill ward is no longer. The ward of my youth is no longer in existence. I must say I was a little shocked and saddened, but the church moves on and the gospel is still true. Moving on...on New Year's Eve we had an all day service day. We helped build on our apartment out back. We had about 11 other missionaries here to help us. It was a really fun day. We had a lot to do and have a lot to still be done, but we really got a dent into a lot of different things. And I think the best part of the day was that I kind of got to help play boss for the day. As I knew Brother Stringer and the missionaries there it was easy for me to communicate with both sides and get things done, so I guess bossiness runs in the family…right Chanel? Just kidding…well maybe not. Anyway we had to get siding put on the house and we had to get a dryer vent installed in the attic, we had electrical to run, holes to drill and just tons of stuff to get done. The sad thing is none of us really had much of any construction experience but the Stringers said they were so grateful to have all the extra hands to get things moving. They were so grateful that they fed us a big pizza lunch and then for those that didn’t have dinner they did dinner, too and then we all stayed and played games. It was great. A very fun evening, we played Risk and other games that take hours upon hours. So it was a great way to ring in the New Year….even if they all had to be home well before the new year was rung in. Still a fun day. New Year's Day brought a much needed all day rest. We had a no proselyte day. It was nice - we went bowling in the morning and then just rested up the rest of the day. So really it was sort of a lame day….but it was nice.
Yesterday I had a great chance to go into the Deer Springs ward primary. They asked me to come and speak in there. This year's Primary theme is "My Eternal Family," so you guessed it - I was asked to speak about how so my family will be an eternal family. I must say it was hilarious being in Primary...I forgot what little inhibition those children have, they will say or do anything at any time, but the leaders did a great job and just letting in roll on. I got to tell the whole story about my soon to be eternal family and the kids just seemed to look at me with slight amazement and slight "who-the-heck is this guy?" It was a great time. The kids were overall very good. It was a little crazy with all the changes going on at the beginning of the year but all worked out great. Oh I almost left of the best part. All the adults said I did a great job, and the Primary President said that all the part members in the room were crying, so needless to say….I am amazing. But you already knew that.
I did forget to talk last week about my dinner with the Craigs. It was so nice. We had a nice little Indian dish (middle east not native) and it was so good. We talked about everything. The kids had all just gone through chicken pox, so we talked about that. I asked Tanner how he was doing, and with out missing a beat he pulled up his shirt to show off the last remaining pox, Ken then said “I don’t know where he learned that.” So it was a great little evening.
Well I hope that you all have a great week this week and have a Happy New Year! Time seems to fly like and arrow and boy does a fruit fly like a banana. Well anyway I love you all so much and hope that you have a great week.
Love,
Elder Geoff Taylor
Well this week was a pretty fun week. Hard for lots of missionary work to get done but still very nice to be able to sort of relax for a day and then kick it into overdrive for the last little bit here. We had quite the time on New Year's Eve and day. But before I forget, I was so surprised to see that the Beacon Hill ward is no longer. The ward of my youth is no longer in existence. I must say I was a little shocked and saddened, but the church moves on and the gospel is still true. Moving on...on New Year's Eve we had an all day service day. We helped build on our apartment out back. We had about 11 other missionaries here to help us. It was a really fun day. We had a lot to do and have a lot to still be done, but we really got a dent into a lot of different things. And I think the best part of the day was that I kind of got to help play boss for the day. As I knew Brother Stringer and the missionaries there it was easy for me to communicate with both sides and get things done, so I guess bossiness runs in the family…right Chanel? Just kidding…well maybe not. Anyway we had to get siding put on the house and we had to get a dryer vent installed in the attic, we had electrical to run, holes to drill and just tons of stuff to get done. The sad thing is none of us really had much of any construction experience but the Stringers said they were so grateful to have all the extra hands to get things moving. They were so grateful that they fed us a big pizza lunch and then for those that didn’t have dinner they did dinner, too and then we all stayed and played games. It was great. A very fun evening, we played Risk and other games that take hours upon hours. So it was a great way to ring in the New Year….even if they all had to be home well before the new year was rung in. Still a fun day. New Year's Day brought a much needed all day rest. We had a no proselyte day. It was nice - we went bowling in the morning and then just rested up the rest of the day. So really it was sort of a lame day….but it was nice.
Yesterday I had a great chance to go into the Deer Springs ward primary. They asked me to come and speak in there. This year's Primary theme is "My Eternal Family," so you guessed it - I was asked to speak about how so my family will be an eternal family. I must say it was hilarious being in Primary...I forgot what little inhibition those children have, they will say or do anything at any time, but the leaders did a great job and just letting in roll on. I got to tell the whole story about my soon to be eternal family and the kids just seemed to look at me with slight amazement and slight "who-the-heck is this guy?" It was a great time. The kids were overall very good. It was a little crazy with all the changes going on at the beginning of the year but all worked out great. Oh I almost left of the best part. All the adults said I did a great job, and the Primary President said that all the part members in the room were crying, so needless to say….I am amazing. But you already knew that.
I did forget to talk last week about my dinner with the Craigs. It was so nice. We had a nice little Indian dish (middle east not native) and it was so good. We talked about everything. The kids had all just gone through chicken pox, so we talked about that. I asked Tanner how he was doing, and with out missing a beat he pulled up his shirt to show off the last remaining pox, Ken then said “I don’t know where he learned that.” So it was a great little evening.
Well I hope that you all have a great week this week and have a Happy New Year! Time seems to fly like and arrow and boy does a fruit fly like a banana. Well anyway I love you all so much and hope that you have a great week.
Love,
Elder Geoff Taylor
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