April 29, 2013

Sorry that I wasn't able to write a letter last week! Things are so busy here and I'm happy about that but it just doesn't leave time for emailing too much. I am doing well so don't worry.

The second transfer started and me and my companion (Elder Hicken) are staying. Which is good because things are really starting to move along. He is a great trainer and I'm learning alot. My gospel knowledge has grown like 10X as well. It is so fun learning now, I love it. I think I learn so much because now I have the questions of my investigators to answer. Answers were always right there in the Bible or Book of Mormon but I didn't have the questions. And so now it just is so amazing.

We have had some funny talks with people though. We ran into several 'prophets' that go into 'other dimensions' and have supernatural powers and can turn into dragons and such. And when it gets evening time there are quite a few drunk people and even more so on the weekends obviously. You can smell weed all over the place but they say Long Beach is worse so that will be fun. I am loving it though, the people are really awesome here and most of the time pretty nice and usually very educated. I am still surprised at how religious people are and how much they really know, I have so much more learning to go. There are always answers to their questions and objections though, the gospel is so true and pure. We just need to find out all the answers!

Thanks for the pictures you sent.
I miss the mountains and the view from our house! 
Jayci is getting so big, she is defiantly taller since I left, she'll probably be taller than me by the time I'm home.

 Texas looks like they are pretty well off, I bet the crime rates have already dropped.

Hey let me tell you Julene and Jessica, the basement is a fine place to be staying, you better treat it right for me until I get home and take it back ;) haha that is nice people asked about us at church. Our ward there is so nice. It is good to hear you are all doing well. I keep you in my prayers every day. I love you all!
Love,
Elder Jolley

April 15, 2013

 Some good things have happened this week! We had an investigator at church yesterday. That went really well, he is very observant and comparative to what he already knows. Which he is very smart spiritually/religiously. We just have to get a few things straight for him so hopefully things keep progressing with him. Getting people to come to church is hard! Just getting people to let us in is pretty difficult too. It is a good challenge though, keeps us working hard, nothing comes easy.

The members we are staying with are so nice. Its a mom/grandma (Sis Taylor, late 60's) with her daughter (Jenny Early 30) and her husband (Mike early 30's) and their 2 kids (Andy 4.5 and Emma 1.5). We cooked lunch for them because they sometimes will have food for us when we come home for a meal. We made an Elder Hicken favorite of eggs, hot dogs, salsa, bbq sauce, and cheese on toasted bread. We think it's really good... I hope they did. It was funny too, Elder Hicken flushed his retainer down the toilet on accident.

Elder Hicken and I are getting good at teaching with each other. We have been doing ALOT of finding, because the majority of all the names that were in the area book were no good. So it's taken some time to get a little bit of a base to work with, but things are picking up. We are working towards having several people progressing in the next few weeks, so things are going good. It seems like everyday we have more work to do which is exactly what we want.

I want to hear more of how everyone else is doing too. It is already going by too fast, in a few week it'll be 1/12 over! I've got alot of work to do! I love you all!!
Elder Jolley

April 8, 2013

 Dear Family,
I wish I had more time to write! I am so excited to have a Temple in Cedar City. That will work out so great. Maybe they will try and get it done fast so that it can be done before they start work on the St George Temple. We can still cross our fingers that they will build it on the hill in Enoch.

Conference was so good, we were able to watch it at our stake center. We were hopefully going to have a few people to some of the sessions, but they all fell through. That was too bad. This would have been a great one to have them be at.

Our appointment went good with the guy who tried to stop us from teaching last week. We had a member there  with us, Bro Bolin, and he is awesome. He actual does custom surf boards, and invented the Turbo Tunnel for surfboards, so you could actually check him out on the internet probably if you wanted to, he is referred to as 'The Greek'. It was good, though, we meet at the park because the guy wanted 'neutral ground' (interesting guy) and he brought 2 buddies along. It ended up being like a 2 hour meeting, but it was really good. His 2 buddies ended up actually being more open to listening,;the guy that stopped us, at first was just there to bash, I think, but it went well. I gave one of the friends a Book of Mormon at the end and talked to him. The work is picking up and starting to come together so we are so excited.

Everyone there seems like they are doing so good.Thanks for the pictures, the kids all look so cute, they are getting so big already. Tyler and Margret seem to be right at home in Texas. When will Tyson and Dawn be moving to AZ again? When I get home I'll have to just travel around to all of the siblings new places that they are at! I'm glad Troy and Sam are liking their area and ward. Tell Troy that as Ward Mission Leader he is an appreciated valuable asset for the missionaries.

I keep you all in my prayers every day! I hope everything keeps going well. I love you all!
Elder Jolley

April 1, 2013

Dear Family!
   I miss you guys! Those pictures you sent seem like you guys are having so much fun, that is awesome. That Easter picture is such a short line up for a holiday; compare it to the one 10 years ago and you' think it was a different family. I guess it's Zuno that gives you guys the new look.

   John is already so much bigger than when I left! After 2 years he is going to have changed so much!



It's weird to think that it has already been a month, I'm 1/24th done. I've got alot of work to do this last 23rd!
   Me and Elder Hicken have been just working away. We have gotten alot of bible bashers the past few weeks so that has been fun. While we were at a door a guy even pulled his truck over and got out to tell the lady to not listen to us and that he was there to rebuke us. We sent him away and got a return appointment with the lady we had been talking to and another appointment with that guy tonight so i'm excited. The Lord really blesses you when you are doing his work, I've seen it so much. I wouldn't have known what to do with myself if this stuff happened before my mission but He really does fill your mouth with the right things to say and you don't even remember what you said afterwards.
   I'm glad everyone is doing well, and thank you for the pictures, they are appreciated! Love you all!

Elder Jolley