Monday, April 22

Taking a break while helping someone move

Dear Family,

      Things are still going good, and mom that picture (above) is from a move we were doing for someone (5 missionaries in pday clothes lying on a big bed).  But so this week we had our lesson with the S’s which was awesome.  The father stayed for the first lesson, the Spirit was strong, and he left the room to get something and never came back.  I think he felt really pressured and nervous because I do believe his eyes were opened a lot during the lesson.  After that we stayed for another 30 minutes and discussed reading and praying about the Book of Mormon and other things with life. S and A are going to be working on that.  We committed A to come to church but his mother was kind of hesitant for herself but he talked her into it. He ended up coming but she said she had migraines and didn’t.  But we’ll be back there soon. 

     We’ve met quite a few less active people this week, so that’s fun.  We also got a new investigator, S. Her boyfriend called us to set it up.  He grew up a member but has been in and out of jail and having recently got out, he wants to get structure and all in his life.  He’s like 27.  He doesn’t look like someone who’s been to jail, more than once especially.  He lives all the way in H but for weekends he comes down to stay with and see S.  Neither of them have cars.  So Saturday night we had a member pick them up at 8 to take them to the church building for the lesson.  It went good. He’s finding/remembering his testimony as well.  She has a weird situation though; she’s 26, lives with her grandmother who is opposed to all this so we can’t meet at their place and the only religion she has ever had or seen in her life is through her other grandma who is Jehovah's Witness.  So her understanding and all is a little different I guess, but she’s mostly a clean slate.  She says she’s not really looking for truth but for something that will bring her happiness, so we got to explain how they are the same, about the truth of a perfect, all knowing and loving God…the real truth of happiness.  But so that was good.

     We met with J again Tuesday, and we told him we’d be at his place at 9:50 Sunday morning (church starts at 10:20).  He said that was good, so we did. We waited for him to get dressed and went to church, all 3 hours. It was good.  We went to his classes too.  It’s so annoying when the kids you think would be the best fellowshippers and all are barely in the class above or below for Sunday School and all.  I think our ward is kind of like Gayton’s relationship with the  Henrico Spanish branch, we have a Spanish branch that meets at our building, so the youth are combined, so there were a few of the Spanish kids J recognized from school. It’s amazing how badly I hope they are good examples and all.  After church one guy recognized him because his daughter cheerleads for his school, and so he’d go to watch his daughter and recognized J from always seeing him play, so that’s cool.  But he’s a great kid, I really hope things go well.  He’s moving over to / near the Hillpointe Ward in a month, so he can play basketball for a better school, and I’m excited, the new school has way more members, like a ton and lots play basketball and all of course.  Anyways, those are the main people we’ve been working with. 

     Doing less active visits we met one guy, C.  We had that he and his parents in their 80s lived there and no one really knew who they were.  Turns out the parents are dead but C’s a real neat guy. He swung the door open, said I just finished making brownies, come on in!  He’s like 63, kind of tall, good shape, and a few tattoos.  He had a ton of unique art around his house and I asked him if he was an artist, and he is.  He said his whole life his goal has been to do things the easy / wrong way, i.e. don’t graduate, no paperwork jobs etc, and about 10 years ago he bought a camera, opened it, saw instructions, put it down and never touched it.  Two years ago he came home from a party, something had happened, so he pulled it out, and got into photography, learned how to use a computer for this first time in his life and now just does his art. But only for two years.  I can’t tell if I think he’s good or not, a lot of the things have no balance, and look elementary. It’s not a difficult thing to do at all but some of them I definitely think are good.  Anyways we talked about that, I think the brownies were ok, and then we started talking about church.  He went on for over 30 minutes with all his anti material. He had all these like theses

he had typed and all to bash with some local pastors.  He said most of his life he defended the church,  He spent a year in his youth attending seminary because he lived with his cousin that year.  And never lived the gospel or anything, but thought it was neat and true.  (He was, but is in denial of the fact he was ever baptized) but then 3 years ago was talking to someone in the Smithsonian about it, realized he believed it all false, and for 3 years has had the hobby of disproving Mormonism for one but Christianity overall is the real focus.  He’s a real nice guy, but then he just started printing out all his papers for us. One of his main ideas is that IF Christians believe in the Bible, the Jews are right.  Some of his arguments were very dumb, or not backed properly and like everyone we meet that is like that, they give no room for discussion, so we don’t know if we’ll go back, I think the Bishop wants to meet him after we updated the Bishop on all our less active visits. 

     So we’ve also met with B some recently... looks like his living situation will clear up soon, and he’ll be good for baptism, but he does drink coffee.  He’s a really neat guy... He was born on an Indian reservation, is half white, never knew his white father... traveled the country with several bands, likes talking about zombie apocalypse and stuff, but isn’t like immature with it, he just likes to talk about it when his son brings that type of stuff up.  He’s a very calm, compassionate person, and now works as a nurse. He was saying he’s his hospital’s number one nurse based on the patient reviews.  He’s got long grayish hair, usually in a ponytail and an earring.  He’s almost done with the Book of Mormon for his second time, and takes a ton of notes, and in a very unique manner.  So he’s real neat. 

     Oh, and last time I mentioned the S's, they have permission to stay in our ward, so we get them back and that should be cool.

     Anyways, things are still going good with training and Elder R.  He’s learning things.  I had my first district meeting Tuesday, it went really well, it was about finding with faith, I enjoyed it, even though President Black happened to be there... just happened to on my first one....

     But on P-day my hip/butt and ankle weren’t too bad, I wrapped up my ankle before hand, and surprisingly my hip hardly bothered me even though it does in normal day life.  Our zone is still good for ball.  Today we’re supposed to play crab soccer with another zone, but no one wants to do that so the plan is for it to turn into basketball.

     Hopefully I’ll write or send some things soon, I’m awful, I know.  We’ve been hearing about Boston, crazy.  It’s so weird, 144 injured 3 dead, if that’s right.  It’s cool they caught them, and seems no room for conspiracy or that they didn’t get the right people. 

     Love you all,

     Elder Pyron

Monday, April 15

Dear family,

     So things again of course are well… Sorry I haven’t sent that SD card or written, I’m working on it. But things are good, we just have Cimarron Ward now, so that’s a lot different.  C was baptized Friday with special permission for font side confirmation because her nonmember dad is going out of town for sometime to look for a job.  They also had a special hula dance thing, but we didn't go to the baptism.  But things are changing a ton with Cimarron, the members are really latching on, there’s been a ton of promotion and all with the changes.  I love the ward more than I ever have.  I’m glad I’ll probably be here for 7.5 months.  Bishop has a solid less active list we have all graphed by neighborhood. We've been meeting and getting close with a lot of families. I’m really excited. 

     Our district is cool too. First district meeting is tomorrow, it's Elder C, who is actually training as well, and then another 2 missionaries, we now have 3 districts of 6.  

     But we've met quite a few less active families we're real excited to work with.  A few families with kids ages like 8-22 have mentioned this one part member family where the mom has kind of fallen inactive, the husband's not a member, one kid is kind of inactive after a year at BYU and no mission, and their 17 year old son isn't really going to seminary any more, and is falling away from his decision to serve.  We spent 45 minutes talking to her and her husband while they were planting flowers yesterday, they are really nice, and when her husband went in she started kind of pouring out her heart talking about her inactivity and why it's so hard,having to have other friends do the kids' baptisms, and ward temple nights and all, which surprised us based on what some other families had said about the way they handle it.  It was really cool,and the 17 year old son talked to us for a bit, he and his mom talked about those struggles some together, he clearly was kind of split vs LDS and mission and that life, or a more science/agnostic view, he asked about dinosaurs, but in a very nice curious way, not at all an attack or anything,but it just made it clear what his thoughts were and why he’s not sure if he wants to serve a mission.  He’s busy with volleyball but they actually said we could come by tonight and do a missionary lesson just because neither of them have ever heard them, and it’ll help him decide, and hopefully the "Catholic" father will sit in.  The son and the mom are both real excited, and so am I.  A lot of the big LDS families in the ward with that type of age group have been close to them for sometime,including the father, but the S's reception went way against what I was expecting.  (they’re all in a strange looking geographical part of the ward map, where the ward extends to grab a few wealthy neighborhoods with some awesome families) and it's been two years since she’s been to church about, but she’s had periods of their life where they were very active. 

     But anyways we’ve also met quite a few other families, and all we should start working with, and it's making it easier to connect with the ward because it's people so many of the members really care about.  We also had a referral for someone just across the street from our ward boundaries, and it was a Hawaiian lady with her husband, he’s 84, and nonmember, but she’s been active I believe for her whole life, and he recently came to Vegas because he has some brain fluid in his head or something, recently received a blessing, had a great spiritual experience,believes God has brought him to Las Vegas for a reason, for the first time has noticed that his being Catholic was sheerly tradition and not his choice, and for the first time in their marriage has accepted discussions.  He’s Portuguese but lived his whole life in Hawaii.  He talks a lot and has good and interesting philosophies but gets off track, not like way off track, but just way too much time barely off the point. But that was Elder R's first lesson which was cool.  Oh, and so in Sunday school, correlation and Priesthood we were asked to share our testimonies and give words of encouragement and all and what we expect from the ward in missionary work and so we got a whole lot of publicity there, and then this Hawaiian women bore her testimony, and in it pointed us out and talked about how great we are so the whole ward turned their heads to us.  She was crying and all, then brought up her experience the day before with us teaching, and pointed to us and said "right there they are" and so things are changing here.  This is their 2nd week in Vegas so no one knew them, and they’ll be going to the other ward but it was coolish.

     We also got to sit next to a new investigator who just showed at church, apparently had met with missionaries in San Diego and loved it, but lost touch, and came here and found everything on his own.  His name was A, looked Egyptian almost from like the 3 I’ve known, and the non-Caucasian guy with jeans on is always easy to find at church as missionaries, but he to is barely outside of our area.  

     Well anyways, so Elder R (my new companion that I am training) is from Fort Worth, Texas his whole life. His parents have been divorced his whole life and he bounced around weekly between them, his dad active, his mom now Baptist.  He’s the oldest of them and his half siblings, and the only active one.  He’s a neat kid.  He ran track and loves basketball and football, he looks fit too. He has a lot for me to learn, and I’m real excited. He’s kind of got a Texas accent.  He has a strong testimony and likes to try and share it.  He’s always very happy, I don’t think he’s capable of not smiling, I’ve known a few kids that were similar in high school.  He goes with the flow, real easy to lead, and doesn’t hinder things in any other ways, so it's fun, and it’ll be good.  Lessons and all more much more enjoyable, now after the fact.

     I’m looking forward to this transfer for sure. Elder C’s companion Elder R is pretty cool, he’s from St. Louis, likes sports, kind of quiet, smart... he reminds me kind of of Jerry Fiala.

     Well, anyways I’m running out of time but, thanks for all the letters, pictures and articles are still great.  So when I sprained my ankle, I hit my hip pretty good, which wasn’t much of a bother, but now my ankles 90%, but my hip really hasn’t gotten any better, it’s really frustrating.  Usually it’s fine, but random certain ways I move it sends this extreme sharp pain.  I don’t know what to do for it.  It was an injury caused by impact, but there was never any bruising or anything, and the pain doesn’t at all match a usual impact injury. But anyways, I love you all,

      Elder Pyron

Monday, April 8

At a training meeting for trainers

Dear Family, 
     So things are going good, I'll hopefully write and send the SD card soon.  Today is transfers.  Our area split so Elder P will go to Hillpointe and live with a member on bike, and I'm staying in Cimarron and in our apartment and am going to train and be district leader, so at least I'll keep the car.  Today we'll probably stay at home as Elder P has  tons to pack still.  But I'm excited for this transfer.  Elder P (a different one, who was also in the apartment) is leaving which is unfortunate, but it will be so much easier to only have one ward.  In Hillpointe we have a baptism on Saturday, for C, which is exciting.  But this week we've been pretty busy with General Conference and all, and getting Elder P situated, and some meetings, but we still got quite a few lessons.  
     We haven't got in touch with A since our first lesson which is really unfortunate, but we'll be able to lock down a little more now.  We had a good lesson with J, it had been a long time and he's an awesome kid.  He talked a lot about his life. He's still interested in the church, but his dad is just really supportive of him being religious, but doesn't have a particular interest.  Recently he's had some trouble at school, with people starting fights with him, the day we saw him he had been hit several times while playing basketball at school, but didn't hit back or anything, and shortly him and his dad are moving to a different apartment so he can go to a better high school, (he's in 8th grade), and that apartment complex is still close, and his new high school is going to  be full of LDS kids, and lots that play basketball... right now he knows 1 LDS kid.. So we're excited for him. 
     We got to meet with A, and she talked a lot about a lot of family problems she's been having, but I think conference was great for her, just like we told her when we met.  So what were you alls favorite conference talks?  I liked Elder Holland's a lot, and also some of the Seventy's. And President Uchtdorf's, and some more  are coming to mind, but I'm not 100% on the speaker's name.  I got 47 pages of notes though.      
      Anyways, so some members have been talking quite a bit about that Kevin Ware deal, and showed pictures and the clip... how does that happen? why did have to? My ankle's still swollen but it strikes so much fear in me to play basketball, all he did was jump and land wrong, I can't even imagine a way you could land so wrong that the pressure would be there...so I don't even know how not to land...geez, and so what are they saying about recovery time and extent and all, or do they have any sort of neat insight of why that happened, how did the ankle and knee both avoid it? Any ways, enough of that. 
     But my shoes are real worn, but I'm bummed because they're way comfortable.  There's a few holes and all, but anyways that's for me to figure out.  Well, hope everything's going well and hopefully I'll get back to you soon! 
     Love,
     Elder Pyron

Monday, April 1

Dear Family,

     So again we've had a great week, we've done a bit of tracting and found some success there.  We got to meet a lot of cool and interesting people.  On Monday we met this guy L who let us in his office (the garage) and talked about life and church for about an hour,which was great because it was way better than tracting at that time.  He’s 30, recently married, and dirt bikes.  He looked pretty rough but wasn't at all.  While we were there his dog happened to escape the garage but we eventually found it.

     Tuesday we met J. He was about to do some yard work, talked to us for an hour and a half and then had to go.  He lives in the southern part of town but real recently started a lawn care type business.  He’s 21, and has been studying the Bible and theology for 7 years and is preparing to be a pastor.  He was a really cool guy, we talked a lot about the Bible, and our church, he was very set in his beliefs, but very respectful and good to talk with...  He thought and discussed a lot in the same way I feel I do, he reminded me of myself, but with different views.  We opened his eyes a bit to some things he couldn’t answer, but not too fully.  He said he had a read quite a bit of the Book of Mormon, but would read it, and pray, but he felt gyped because he didn’t have his Bible in his car which had his markings to discuss things,and he wasn’t allowed to give us anything to read ...but he did have a book in his car he wanted us to read.  So hopefully he feels the spirit and reads and prays with sincerity.  He’s a really good guy, and really does live what he believes and all, and it was real eye opening to hear a lot of the viewpoints he had and different interpretations and understandings.  We talked a lot about the nature of God, our purpose, the Godhead, and family.  He compared the Godhead to a Father, Mother and Son, or a simple family (he believed in the trinity), and really recognized the value of family, but did not believe they were forever (didn’t think it impossible but saw no reason to believe it). He saw the family as God’s quick route to sanctification, as it provides us with the opportunity to enjoy so many of God’s gifts, while also committing your self to SO much selflessness and service. So he saw it as a marvelous God given mechanism, but not as a building block for His kingdom or anything.  But anyways that was fun, and he wants us to come play volleyball with him and his friends some time, which is too bad we can’t, and he said he’ll take us to lunch sometime when he’s in this part of town which would be good, I really want to hear how things have gone. 

     But yeah, we had a lot of cancellations this week, but we met a lot of others tracting and all.  And then last night we visited the P family which was awesome.  Awhile ago I mentioned meeting the grandmother of a less active family, who talked about a set of home teachers.  We went back there, knocked, and the grandma was actually still in town until tomorrow.  The 16 year old girl J(whose mother is totally inactive, but the church has been part of her life,but she has really fallen away, but occasionally comes to seminary and activities, but feels judged and all that) answered, and then her grandma came out, and we shared like a 45 minute lesson, she talked a lot about her different feelings, when she came to know the church was true about a year ago,(baptized at 8), but talked about all the challenges and temptations, and difficulties of having a mother who is inactive, and the conversations she’shad with her.  She said she asked her mom, and her mom said "I believe its true but I don’t want someone telling me how to live my life" so she’s confused about it all, has great LDS friends, but they’re not her main friend base.  Then the 13 year old daughter came out, and we continued our lesson, which was awesome and the Spirit was strong and we closed with a prayer.  Then the grandmother invited us in, we realized the step dad had come downstairs, and so we went in and met him, and I kind of gathered he had come down and just listened discretely from the couch through the door to our conversation.  So we met him, he was very solid, which was a surprise since no members even mentioned trying on him or the mother, but just the kids.  The step dads name is RP, he’s like 30-35, and came to the US from the Philippines at like age 12 I believe.  His families mixed between Jehovah’s Witness and Catholic, but he hasn’t been anything religious his whole time in the US.  But he did say he had an LDS grandfather who he remembers taking him to church as a very young boy in the Philippines, and singing in Primary.  But that grandfather passed away a while back. But R was very quiet and really soaked a lot in, the Spirit was strong, and he would love to have us back, and the daughters really wanted us to come back (even just for them) which was amazing.  R is all tatted and has some studs on his teeth, looks rough, and plays point guard for some local men’s team or something and sounds pretty good.  He just looks extremely fast.  But so we haven’t met the mother yet but should soon, and I really am excited for this.  And J is going to seminary today which is awesome.  She did for awhile because she felt indebted to some of the families and teachers who have been there for her whole life, but now wants to make it more regular, and she really got a glimpse for what her family can become, through her efforts and example, and I think she really wants it. 

     Then we visited I at 8:30, he’s 90, got married during World War 2, after fighting quite a bit, then got married before it was over, his grandfather had 9 wives,and he had a great, great grandchild... and he’s in amazing health.  He got up so fast, smack his dog and pick it up and throw it in another room.  But anyways his wife was also in great shape but fell 5 days ago and broke her pelvis so he’s been distraught.  She’s probably going to come home today, and they’re helping her relearn to walk already after a broken pelvis at age 87... So I really hope the best for them, he really appreciated our visit.  It’s taken a huge toll on him.  All 5 days he’s been at the hospital with her from 7 am to 8pm.  But he was really funny, he’s got so many pictures of his grand and great and great, great grandkids, and he’s got no idea who any of them are.  But he had some amazing stories about experiences he’s had, but he’s not like most old men, he tells ones that are great, relevant, and he keeps them really brief.  But when we left we saw him staring at us out the window until we drove away (at 920 last night) but it was amazing to see how much he cared.

     But that’s most of what’s been going on recently. But Monday playing basketball I sprained my ankle, which I haven’t done in several years, so that’s been a learning process, and I’m bummed I probably won’t play basketball today, but it’s healing quick.

     But thank you everyone for your support and all and hopefully I’ll get better at writing, but today we might be outside and writing would be a pain, which is unfortunate considering I can’t play.  Oh and I’m real excited for conference, but for now,

     Love,

     Elder Pyron

Monday, March 25

Dear Family,

     So this week has been great and hopefully I'll have time to get a good email.  So this week we've found a lot of new people to teach, and set one for baptism.  So Monday after dinner we visited 1 less active, a former, and a potential, and got lessons set with all.  One former investigator named C is a 50-60ish year old man with a younger family it seems.  We will be teaching him for our first time tonight.  He's got all sorts of Black art I guess, it's just tons of paintings and stuff of African American people, as well as African, but I don't think he has any recent ancestors from anywhere but the US.

     Then we have A, who I tracted into before Christmas, and he said he was interested in hearing a message about Christ, but he's been real flaky and unpromising, til we finally got a lesson set for Saturday(on Monday night).  So Saturday (on exchanges with Elder P), we went over for that appointment at 1, and he was just getting home and had possibly forgotten, but left his friend hanging outside and came in and had a lesson.  It went great. He's about 50, he's black, from San Francisco, and does some type of work with a utility van.  His wife is white, he's got 7 kids, 5 grandkids, and the youngest two kids are 14 and 15 and live with him.  I'm not sure how many of his kids are from what marriages or how long he's been married, but it could very well all be one. (It looked like he had family pictures with his current wife and all his kids at a younger age, but I didn't pay enough attention.) He also had a little decoration thing on his table of like a snow globe with a bride and groom, that said "forever" with a ribbon thing.  But we taught the first lesson which went great.  He has always believed in Christ, was baptized in some church long ago, but has been anti-denominational and doesn't like the overall influence religion has had on the world.  But he understood perfectly well why an all loving God would establish a church led by a called prophet, understood how it was lost after the apostles died, why it needed to be restored, and that if he can come to know Joseph Smith was a prophet, it would without a doubt change his life.  It was amazing how fast and casually he came to all the right conclusions as we taught, so the lesson was very smooth, short and complete.  He also liked and enjoyed the brief purpose of life... to have a body, and how that and the resurrection, returning to live with God, and the importance and value of family made perfect sense.  He cut me off early in my baptismal invitation by saying "yes I will", and agreed to prepare for April 20th.  He then mentioned he was baptized long ago, and started to ask if that meant anything and all I said was"with the restoration of the gospel, and prophets, came the authority..." and he cut me off nodding because it just made perfect sense, and he had no problems with it.  He felt the same way about why the ancient Americans would not have been left by God and knowledge of the atonement, and has a very open and ready mind to read the Book of Mormon and find out if it's true.  He knew very little about us, but is a listener, and now knows what he needs to know about us, and is excited to find for himself if its true.  I really hope this goes well, and it seems he has a great family we could help get involved.  He also said he loves to research, and understands that Satan opposes truth and that we are the best source for answers about anything he finds.  He also was excited to ask who the prophet was today and where he could hear from him.  It's just so exciting because he seemed so flaky, uncommitted, and to be honest I'm not sure why we were as persistent as we were. 

     But this week we've also met and got in with a few inactives were excited to teach, one Sister D who nobody knew, and she's an older women from the Philippines that can't go to church because she works at Taco Bell, she hadn't met anyone from the church in the years she's been in this ward, and she wanted us to come in (but we couldn't) but we read some scriptures and talked about the gospel and all at the door, and know we have some good fellow-shippers picked out and a return appointment, and she's also got an inactive daughter we haven't met who lives there. 

    We also visited another inactive family where an inactive girl married a non member and has 3 kids, and we went happened to talk to the active grandmother who was visiting for the week, and she told us the situation, and came to tears thinking about a home teacher that her daughter had that did so much for her grandkids and got them to all sorts of activities and was real close, then he moved, and the home teachers haven't done much for her daughter or daughters family.  But she came to tears thinking about the love and devotion some home teacher she has never met or known anything about, and how he touched her life.  It's amazing the power home teachers and all can have, and it is so sad when we meet people who are in such a worse state then they could be if they would have had some solid home teachers.

     We met with a bunch of other less actives this week and then saw quite a few at church which is great!

     A and A and Z are still doing good, they're an amazing family, but still struggling to see them at church.  The H are a Hawaiian family of 9, and 4 were baptized about 8 months ago, (the mom and three youngest, 8,10, and 14) and most of the family goes to church but won't get baptized.  We're now teaching some of them, but it kind of switches between with of the other 5 (well four of the other 5) make the lessons and church.  It seems they all know they need to but there's a lack of commitment. 

     We also got a new investigator this week, J.  We had a little time to kill so we tracted.  We parked the car at a corner, walked up the street and turned right and went to the last house, and then we were going to tract our way back to the car.  The very first house (so the farthest from the car but first we knocked), this family let us in and we shared the first lesson.  The father is J who is of a Vietnamese family, and about 30, he's really cool, and loves Bible study, he was excited to share what he'd recently studied in Ephesians about the armor of God.  He's just a really happy guy and eager to do what's right and delights in righteousness.  He has no specific denomination, but has this Jehovah's Witness couple that comes over and studies with him once a week, and he studies on his own though.  His wife is Filipino I believe, and they have two young kids.  She's going to nursing school and I don't remember what he's studying.  But we taught that, he's excited to meet again and read from the Book of Mormon.  So we'll see what comes from that.  But that's all we had time for before dinner so then we walked all the way back to the car, so that was the one house we've tracted this week.  The one we walked an 8th of mile to get to, then just walked all the way back to the car past 30 other houses.

     But then Saturday on exchanges we were gonna tract the rest, and we got out of the car, before we knocked any doors, this big guy (40s and kind of fat, but also really buff) approached us, and tried to start a fight with us for 1. having no right to say we know anything because were not 23 so our frontal lobes aren't complete, 2) that were offending people by saying we know what's true 3) that we follow a man, not God, because we can't touch him, which makes us a cult, and host of other things.  But I think we kind of embarrassed him, he expected to pick an easy fight on some kids that knew nothing but what our parents told us was right, but we had an answer for every question and our testimonies never lacked, so he got stuck and left on a note of advising us to think more about our approach (because it's offensive to say we know something that others don't, because Christ didn't judge), and that we be careful and stay safe because "800 project 8 housing kids walk through this neighborhood and your gonna get shot for offending them by thinking you know something".  He also told me if he was violent he would have hit me in the face for my offense which was having confidence to answer his retaliations with things I know... and remember, he approached us in the first place... But that was fun, lasted 45 minutes, and again we didn't get time to knock on any other doors in that neighborhood.

     We also met a guy T in a parking lot,  he's a black kid, 24 years old, and was hanging out with a bunch of thugs, and so we talked to them for a bit, which was fun, they were hilarious, but most of them left after 10 minutes to go to a party, but this one T stayed behind and talked to us for almost an hour.  He clearly was much smarter, intelligent, and respectable then his friends, and he knew it, and was living the same life, but knows perfectly well it's not doing him any good and he has a potential in life.  He talked about some experiences he's had the past couple years, with going to jail for some bank fraud, and some wrong accusations he truly miraculously escaped, and how he's really been able to see God is watching over him, now he just needs to find out what God wants him to do.  He really is a good guy, despite the bank fraud.  I don't know if you remember me talking about S, the guy that wanted to recover his life a while back with the grill and was a great father? Any ways talking to T, we realized they were friends, and S who is now taught by Elder Park and Campbell because he's singles ward) had told T a lot about the missionaries, the church, and our church services, and so we got an inside scoop from T, about S's excitement over the church and the truth he thinks he's found, and it was clear it meant a lot, and he's given up drinking, and is working on marijuana, and still lives with his girlfriend, but really has his heart set and is working towards these things.  S is also a rapper if you look him up.  But so that was exciting.

     We had a great new member lesson with M and A, taught lesson one with tying in priesthood auxilliaries and missionary work, and that was a particularly great lesson, the spirit was very strong, and M opened up about a lot of extreme opposition from friends and family, and her strengthened testimony of prayer and forgiveness as she has straightened many of these as full offences out by diligently exercising faith, and praying, letting go of pride and all that, and they've also done a load of missionary work for being a member for one month, and also the way her family has been blessed with her relationship wit her son.

     But I'm almost out of time, we've had some fun taking pre-mission kids out, and it reminded me of how my eyes were opened when I did that, even if lessons cancel.  Missionary work can be a lot of fun.  

     Another funny story, the other day this neighborhood security guy who has been after the missionaries long time, had quite a bit of drama in the past before getting chastised, talked to us.  We were standing in front of a less actives door who wasn't home for the appointment... we were with the Elders Quorum President and a member of the Elders Quorum, when the guy pulled up, rolled down his window, and started making fun of the one guy in the Elders Quorum and how he was way older but looked better.  The guy was pretty offended (rightly so, the security pulled up rolled down his window and started dissing) but the Elders Quorum president diffused things and then the security started accusing us and asking us about what we were doing, realized unfortunately we were doing nothing we cant, and then just started making small talk, and about his 5 sons who are LDS.  The whole time the one Elders Quorum member was clearly offended and keeping to himself, but then invited the guy to hear about the gospel and have a visit from, us which the man declined, but I could see how that him extending the invitation, released a lot of his anger, and helped him forgive which was cool.  The old cocky jerk guy ended up being pretty funny and nice, but still just an old jerk, but any ways that was a funny experience.  I've got so much more I'm sure to talk about from this week but hopefully this will suffice for now, and let me know what's up!

Elder Pyron

Monday, March 18

Dear Family,

     Things are going good, the weather is great.  This week we had a lot of lessons cancel which was rough but we got to meet with quite a few inactives.  This coming week looks great, we have a lot of lessons planned and it looks like we can do a lot.  A was baptized Saturday which went great, even though it had a bunch of last minute difficulties.  And President Black happened to come, but Bishop Clawson is super clutch and things went great.

     We got a new investigator hopefully, a couple in Cimarron ward in their 60s, have a daughter who had a baby and just got married, and her now husband came to church and is real nice, so hopefully we can reactivate her and teach him.  He's got a really busy schedule as a truck driver but we've got an appointment for Sunday at 3. 

     It's crazy how fast time flies,  I'm at 8 months today.  That's a long time to see the changes in peoples lives and all, especially thinking back to people I first new in my last area. And Mother's Day is coming up which is crazy.  I don't even know when it is but it's gotta be sometime. (Nathanael is able to call home on Mother's Day)

      It's getting too warm too fast, I'm not excited for summer, heat isn't nearly as enjoyable in pants a shirt and tie and dress shoes without being able to swim.  Everyone's got pools too.  And no we didn't celebrate St Patrick's Day, but some random older people invited us to lunch with them yesterday, (no mention or hint of Saint Patrick's Day) but they fed us cabbage soup, which was a big bowl of water, with about four small little leaves of cabbage that dissolved when you touched them.  

     But yeah, so yesterday we did a little family home evening with the S's (an active family) and we brought J and her kids so that went great at she got to meet more people, her kids got to meet some more people, and the S kids had such a great famliy home evening, they're a really cool family.  And I think it was great for J as there's not a lot of people in that ward that would click with her I guess as it's a LOT of old people.  But B is kind of difficult to teach and Brother S did a great job relating the Holy Ghost to the rat in ninja turtles, it makes me really want to watch them, I really feel deprived... action, dark city scape, goofy but cool reptiles doing ninja things....  

     Love,

     Elder Pyron

Monday, March 11

Dear Family,

     So this week has been good of course.  We taught a good amount, A is going to be baptized Saturday, and we've got a few loosely set.  We got a ton of inactive and part member families referred and contacted last week, so we are excited to be meeting with them shortly.

     We got to go to the Zions Youth Symphony, and brought A, M and their fellowshipping family the Bs, but the last concert was way better I swear.  Today at Walmart (in my old area) we ran into quite a few people I knew, including C's grandma who works there.  She's doing great, she just gave a talk in sacrament meeting which is a huge deal (she was less active for a long time, is older, and has a strong accent) and C is still going to church.  So that's exciting; we had found them by going through a random list of all the members in the directory for the Sundance apartment complex, and she hadn't been to church in years just because, and now she's active with her grandson so that feels really cool.

     I also recently found out that C was finally able to change up his work schedule, has been fully active, and was able to bless his baby daughter in sacrament meeting which is amazing.  It's so cool to see the amazing fruits from visits like those, to random inactive people.  Both of them were found by the same Sundance apartment list, and the other lady, Sister T, lived in there and we met with her some, and now she's almost ready to go through the temple for her first time.

    But the work is still going well here, recently we had two dinners where teenage kids brought nonmember friends, which is cool even though neither have gone anywhere yet.  I don't know if I mentioned A and Z yet, but they are 10 and 8, living with their grandma, but they were being taught a little north of here and just moved to the ward.  The grandma is really nice and used to date a member, who gave A her own Book of Mormon with her name on it and a case, and A has been going to church for two years now, and loves to read the Book of Mormon, and her little brother loves it too.  They are still attending their old ward, but we've got them coming to our Thursday night activities.  We should be able to baptize A and her brother as soon as we get the stuff figured out.  They are very attentive and smart.  The grandmother works near the strip, and gets home late Saturdays so it's hard for her to get up in time for church, but she takes A and Z when she can.  Otherwise they get a ride, which they themselves seek out, and they always wake up their grandma Sunday mornings so she can take them to church The grandma I think knows the church is true, and admitted that she knows she will "fully commit herself sometime".

     So that's some of the exciting happenings here, continue to let me know how all you are and I'll try to do better at writing and get an SD card out soon!

     Love,

     Elder Pyron