Dwight turned 20 yesterday! Thanks to all those who wished him a happy birthday!
Sunday, September 11, 2011
September 6, 2011
Hey y'all!
It's P-day here is Philly! It is transfer week, so p-day falls on today, for us at least. All of those who are being transferred, it happens to be tomorrow, since transfers were pushed back until tomorrow, thanks to tropical storm Lee! Which we got a bunch of rain from. That's about it here. And 60 degree weather. I hear it is supposed to be back in the 90s by next week. Bummer. I like this weather. I actually used my umbrella a little. Weird. I haven't used it much.
We only had about 30 people in church this week. Man. We need some young families! That would be awesome. Looks like we'll have to baptize some! Unless anyone there wants to move to Philadelphia for the next 30 years or so... (not recommended :D )
Well, today we went to Clinton again to go to the Doctor's. Good man. Anyway, we still need to pack it, but it should be done by the end of this week. But we still need to go back next week. So we will. It is killing our miles though! Man. We'll make it work. Once he's healed we can walk outside and what not.
We had some good lessons this week. We are teaching a guy by the name of Diego. He is from Venezula. And he feeds us all the time. I have gotten the nickname "Moodingham" because I was in Kosciusko on exchanges and he forgot my name, and that is what he said. He's a great guy though. Makes really good food. And expects us to eat a lot, especially me. I almost threw up one time. Man... if I gain weight on my mission, it is going to be here. Hahahahaha. :D
We went and visited some less actives yesterday with Brother Muse (who is awesome. He is this old guy who is the second counsler in the branch presidency, and has been branch president of this branch.... 2 or 3 times before....). The spirit was really strong in all of our visits. Awesomeness.
Well... I don't know quite what else to say. I hope y'all have a good week! OH!!! BYU won! Take that Ole Miss!!! MWUAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Ummmm... oh! I turn 20 on Saturday. 0o0o0o0o0o0o0o... I feel old. Diego is having us over for dinner. For steak! I love steak :D Should be good. But other then that, just an ordinary day in the life of a missionary. Next year though, I turn 21 on a p-day... dun dun dun... Hahahahahaha I love life!
I love you all!
Love,
Elder Mendenhall
It's P-day here is Philly! It is transfer week, so p-day falls on today, for us at least. All of those who are being transferred, it happens to be tomorrow, since transfers were pushed back until tomorrow, thanks to tropical storm Lee! Which we got a bunch of rain from. That's about it here. And 60 degree weather. I hear it is supposed to be back in the 90s by next week. Bummer. I like this weather. I actually used my umbrella a little. Weird. I haven't used it much.
We only had about 30 people in church this week. Man. We need some young families! That would be awesome. Looks like we'll have to baptize some! Unless anyone there wants to move to Philadelphia for the next 30 years or so... (not recommended :D )
Well, today we went to Clinton again to go to the Doctor's. Good man. Anyway, we still need to pack it, but it should be done by the end of this week. But we still need to go back next week. So we will. It is killing our miles though! Man. We'll make it work. Once he's healed we can walk outside and what not.
We had some good lessons this week. We are teaching a guy by the name of Diego. He is from Venezula. And he feeds us all the time. I have gotten the nickname "Moodingham" because I was in Kosciusko on exchanges and he forgot my name, and that is what he said. He's a great guy though. Makes really good food. And expects us to eat a lot, especially me. I almost threw up one time. Man... if I gain weight on my mission, it is going to be here. Hahahahaha. :D
We went and visited some less actives yesterday with Brother Muse (who is awesome. He is this old guy who is the second counsler in the branch presidency, and has been branch president of this branch.... 2 or 3 times before....). The spirit was really strong in all of our visits. Awesomeness.
Well... I don't know quite what else to say. I hope y'all have a good week! OH!!! BYU won! Take that Ole Miss!!! MWUAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Ummmm... oh! I turn 20 on Saturday. 0o0o0o0o0o0o0o... I feel old. Diego is having us over for dinner. For steak! I love steak :D Should be good. But other then that, just an ordinary day in the life of a missionary. Next year though, I turn 21 on a p-day... dun dun dun... Hahahahahaha I love life!
I love you all!
Love,
Elder Mendenhall
Friday, September 2, 2011
Week 2 in Philly - August 29, 2011
Hey Y'all!
Life here is good! It is great to have a companion that cares about the rules :) The staph is still hanging on, but we go back to the Doctor's tomorrow in Clinton and we'll see what he says. It is slowly getting better. I am best friends with soap and lysol. Hahahahaha
So! Quick story. I forgot to mention last week... I am the official driver for the rest of Elder Belden's mission. On the way to Philly the first day, he was driving, and hit a car.... going about 8 mph. Just a tiny fender bender, but the people sure were mad. They definitely overreacted. Oh well. Elder Belden lost his driving priviledges. So... I drive. All the time. I'm not used to it. Elder Woolf drove 95% of the time I served with him. And we drive a lot in Philly, especially with Elder Belden's leg. Anyway... just thought I would tell that story.
Not a lot of people at the branch yesterday. I spoke about receiving revelation. It went wellw ith the other two talks. It was good. Don't ask what I talked about really. I can only tell you a handful of things. :)
We had a few good lessons this past week. It's tough to do a lot because of the staph leg, and it's the end of the month and we've used a lot of miles so far (due to the staph issue and having to drive to Clinton) so we are trying to take it easy. All is going well though and things will pick up! I know they will :) God is with us, so who can be against us? :)
Not too much else to say. Just pray for Diego, Christian & Bethany, and Sister Oaks, as well as all the other people here.
Love you all!
Love,
Elder Mendenhall
Sure is hilly in Philly! - August 22, 2011
Hey Y'all!
Wow. What a week! I went on exchanges with Elder Mark Monday-Wednesday, got a phone call Wednesday night from President Tucker saying that I was being transferred to Philadelphia! Mississippi. Anyway, President and Sister Tucker picked me up at about 8pm Friday night, and we drove to Brandon, where I stayed the night with the Zone Leaders there and with my new companion Elder Belden. Elder Belden had been there about 2 weeks when I got there. He was told he would only be there for 1 day/night, so that is all he packed for. Poor kid. Anyway, he has a staph infection in his leg. He got it from a bug bite, which he scratched and that is how it got there. The Doc cut it open, and I get to pack it every morning with gauze! Doctor Mendenhall is the name. Inflicting pain on my companion is the game. Yup! Anyway, I only did it Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. We are driving to Clinton tomorrow morning for his doctor's appointment at 10:30AM. He is supposed to take it easy and only work for a few hours at a time. So we are going to have quite a bit of down time for a week or so. Elder Belden goes home in Oct, so he has one transfer left. He wants to baptize, and so do I, so we are gonna git 'er done! Ain't nothin' to it but to do it! And work hard and rely on the Lord. Elder Belden is a hard worker and a good missionary. He's from Michigan. He's 23, graduated with an associates degree from LDSBC and went to a semester at BYU. Has one younger brother who is 14. Anyway, that's a little about him. We should have some good times together. We actually went fishing this morning at a member's "camp"/ranch/farm thing. They are from Gulfport. I have been to their house plenty of times there, and heard about this place, and I finally got to go. It's within the boundaries of my district. Pretty neat. We went with Elders Hansen (the DL) and Harman, both awesome guys. I already know the other two in my district from past areas/meetings. I am looking forward to this, though Elders Harman and Petersen will probably be transferred at the beginning of September. We'll see how things go.
Okay. A little about Philly! It's about 8000 people, has an Indian reservation, which has two big casinos. The Golden Moon and the Silver Star. The Silver Star is the better one (so I heard...). There is a branch here, with about 200 members. An average of 40 each week attend. I blessed the Sacrament, and spoke for 5 minutes. It was great. I like the people. Definitely wont take too long to get to know them. We have a pretty big area, but also small, since we really will only have time to work Philly and Union. We might make it to Carthage every now and then. Not enough miles to cover all of it all of it is about the whole county or so...).
I feel like I am rambling a lot. Anyway, my new address!
Elder Dwight Mendenhall
513 Jefferson St #8A
Philadelphia, MS 39350
I can be reached there for about the next 4 1/2 months or so. I am 95% certain that I will be training when Elder Belden leaves. There are 13 new missionaries coming out, and basically everyone has been told that I am training, myself included. Wish me luck... hahahaha. Anywho...
Life is great out here. The work moves forward, and no unhallowed hand can stop it. I am here to work and to teach and to bring souls unto Christ through faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. Sounds like a party to me! Let's make it happen! :)
Thank you for all that y'all do. It means a lot to me to have the support that I have. I love you all!
Love,
Elder Dwight Mendenhal
August 15, 2011
Hey All Y'all,
Weird week. Summer dropped us. She doesn't have a desire to change right now. We got a new Bishop in the Gulfport ward, since our current one is being transferred to Texas (kind of like a missionary! But it's due to work). This is the third Bishop since I've been here. And third ward mission leader, third high priest group leader.... and a bunch of other changes in the ward. I've been here forever.... hahahahaha
We had some less actives call us up this week and take us out to eat. We had gone and seen them a few days before they took us out. Kind of cool. I guess they like us. With around 700 less active members, we are trying to help them out a lot. There is a lot of work here to do, but it's all about trying to organize and be productive with the time and trying to not sweat to death. We've had some warm ones.
Anyway, I got some good mail this past week. One letter, a postcard, and a package! I like it! Thanks to all those who sent me stuff. I appreciate it. I think I wrote about eight letters today. Kind of a relaxing p-day. Anywho... not a lot of time. We didn't get a chance to get on a computer until now. So, not very long this week. Oh well.
Oh! I spoke in Sacrament meeting. About 5 minutes. I had to cut it short, as there was supposed to be 3 speakers altogether, but they called a new Bishop, so there ended up being 6 altogther. The high councilman got put off until next week even. I taught about true conversion and sharing the gospel. The 5 steps needed. Study, Believe, Love, Live, and Teach/Share. I want to actually write something about it. Maybe I will type it up sometime if I ever have time and send it to all y'all.
In the mean time, just trust that all is well and remember that Christ lives and loves us all. :)
Love,
Elder Dwight Mendenhall
Weird week. Summer dropped us. She doesn't have a desire to change right now. We got a new Bishop in the Gulfport ward, since our current one is being transferred to Texas (kind of like a missionary! But it's due to work). This is the third Bishop since I've been here. And third ward mission leader, third high priest group leader.... and a bunch of other changes in the ward. I've been here forever.... hahahahaha
We had some less actives call us up this week and take us out to eat. We had gone and seen them a few days before they took us out. Kind of cool. I guess they like us. With around 700 less active members, we are trying to help them out a lot. There is a lot of work here to do, but it's all about trying to organize and be productive with the time and trying to not sweat to death. We've had some warm ones.
Anyway, I got some good mail this past week. One letter, a postcard, and a package! I like it! Thanks to all those who sent me stuff. I appreciate it. I think I wrote about eight letters today. Kind of a relaxing p-day. Anywho... not a lot of time. We didn't get a chance to get on a computer until now. So, not very long this week. Oh well.
Oh! I spoke in Sacrament meeting. About 5 minutes. I had to cut it short, as there was supposed to be 3 speakers altogether, but they called a new Bishop, so there ended up being 6 altogther. The high councilman got put off until next week even. I taught about true conversion and sharing the gospel. The 5 steps needed. Study, Believe, Love, Live, and Teach/Share. I want to actually write something about it. Maybe I will type it up sometime if I ever have time and send it to all y'all.
In the mean time, just trust that all is well and remember that Christ lives and loves us all. :)
Love,
Elder Dwight Mendenhall
Rainy Season? - August 8, 2011
Hey Everyone!
I guess this must be the rainy season here in Mississippi. We've been getting a lot lately.
So... Last Monday was Elder Woolf's birthday. We went out to dinner. I had some 'Gator! Fried gator. It was good. And I had fried crawfish. Man I love southern food.
Tuesday, we attended a funeral. The missionaries in Gulfport were asked to be the pallbearers. I got to wear a little boutineer... with SUNFLOWERS! I wanted to keep it, but we put it on the casket. I liked it though. I had plans for it. I know I am crazy, but whatever.
There was a baptism on Saturday. It was cool to attend and to see some missionaries hard work pay off. Hopefully there will be three more baptisms on the 20th. We'll see. It should be good though! The work is going well in the Gulfport area.
That's really all I have to say right now. I am not very talkative today. Hope y'all have a great week!
Love,
Elder Mendenhal
Long Beach - August 1, 2011
Hey All Y'all,
To make this short... it's been a long week. We moved Saturday to Long Beach and we spent the day moving and cleaning. Anyway, Life is good here. I am excited to start working the Long Beach area. I know that the Lord will bless us with success.
It's Elder Woolf's birthday today, and we need to get going. We are emailing at an investigator's house, since the Library here wont let us access our LDS Mail accounts, and he only has one computer so it has taken twice as long to email as it normally would.
Hope all is well!
Love,
Elder Dwight Mendenhall
To make this short... it's been a long week. We moved Saturday to Long Beach and we spent the day moving and cleaning. Anyway, Life is good here. I am excited to start working the Long Beach area. I know that the Lord will bless us with success.
It's Elder Woolf's birthday today, and we need to get going. We are emailing at an investigator's house, since the Library here wont let us access our LDS Mail accounts, and he only has one computer so it has taken twice as long to email as it normally would.
Hope all is well!
Love,
Elder Dwight Mendenhall
Living On The Coast... Maybe I should have my records transferred here? - July 26, 2011
Hey Everyone!
So first things first. I am still here in Gulfport. I will be here with Elder Woolf for another transfer. We are moving from Gulfport to Long Beach though, so here is my new mailing address.
Elder Dwight D Mendenhall
4401 Beatline Road Apt 5D
Long Beach, Mississippi 39560
I don't have much time, since I spent it all typing a speech. Which, congrats to David and Kim! I get a new sister-in-law this week! Yay!
Summer is progressing nicely. She is on top of things and is super awesome! We are moving this Saturday, so we'll be in Long Beach then. Same ward and basically the same area. A little smaller though.
Hope all is well!
Love,
Elder Mendenhall
So first things first. I am still here in Gulfport. I will be here with Elder Woolf for another transfer. We are moving from Gulfport to Long Beach though, so here is my new mailing address.
Elder Dwight D Mendenhall
4401 Beatline Road Apt 5D
Long Beach, Mississippi 39560
I don't have much time, since I spent it all typing a speech. Which, congrats to David and Kim! I get a new sister-in-law this week! Yay!
Summer is progressing nicely. She is on top of things and is super awesome! We are moving this Saturday, so we'll be in Long Beach then. Same ward and basically the same area. A little smaller though.
Hope all is well!
Love,
Elder Mendenhall
July 11, 2011
Howdy All Y'all,
Man oh man. What a week. First off for the really awesome news that I am excited about...
Summer is awesome! We taught her Tuesday and Saturday. And she came to church yesterday. We took her to Brother Carpenter's house in the ward on Tuesday, and we also had Sister Stubbs there (and her sister who was in town from Oregon) to help fellowship. We were going to teach the Restoration, but instead we taught the Plan of Salvation. It was what she needed. She had researched some stuff before and had thoughts about the doctrine we taught her, but never found a church that taught it until now. We helped her organize her own thoughts into something that makes sense. She has also had dreams where she has gone and visited a place she has been before. So cool. Saturday we had Sandy Skok pick her up and take her to the church. We gave her a tour, and then taught her the Restoration in the Sacrament room. Summer is just full of questions and eager to learn. She participated in Gospel Principles and in Relief Society. In fact, one of the ladies afterward gave her a hug and thanked her for her participation. The Gulfport ward is really picking up the ball on this on. And her girls came with her to church as well. She has a 7 and 2 year old. The 2 year old is adorable and makes me miss my little nieces. Anyway... Summer is just awesome and legit and there is no doubt that as long as prayers are being said in her behalf and that she continues the way she is going, she will be baptized. We are going to teach her about the Gospel of Jesus Christ tomorrow morning. I can't wait.
I went on exchanges this past week with Elder Norton in the north Gulfport area. We taught some good lessons there. And Elder Woolf and ELder Johnson had a good lesson with Scott while I was gone. Sadly, Scott didn't come to church, but that's okay. He'll be there next week. :)
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o!!! I get to be the best man at David's wedding! I am excited! I may not be there in person, but hopefully my speech will be good! Hahahahaha. :)
So I ordered quite a bit of stuff from lds.org. I am excited for it. Some study materials and such. And it means a package in the mail. YAY!
By the way... I have decided that I need some brighter colorful ties. So if anyone sends ties to me in the next 18 months or so, go bright and colorful! :)
Hmmmm... oh! I made macaroni salad yesterday from the recipe Mom sent me. It was/is delcious! Just saying... be jealous.
So, we are possibly going fishing today. And coon hunting. Yup. That's our p-day. We'll see how it all plays out. Stay tuned for updates on these stories next week!
One last thing before I send this. Just remember that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true. His power is real. Through the Atonement, we can become perfected, and that process can start NOW. And it should. Don't wait for His redeeming love. It's not just for sins, but for everything. For every pain or weakness. Christ can help our weaknesses to become our greatest strengths. Never doubt that. Just believe and do.
I love you all!
Love,
Elder Dwight Mendenhall
Man oh man. What a week. First off for the really awesome news that I am excited about...
Summer is awesome! We taught her Tuesday and Saturday. And she came to church yesterday. We took her to Brother Carpenter's house in the ward on Tuesday, and we also had Sister Stubbs there (and her sister who was in town from Oregon) to help fellowship. We were going to teach the Restoration, but instead we taught the Plan of Salvation. It was what she needed. She had researched some stuff before and had thoughts about the doctrine we taught her, but never found a church that taught it until now. We helped her organize her own thoughts into something that makes sense. She has also had dreams where she has gone and visited a place she has been before. So cool. Saturday we had Sandy Skok pick her up and take her to the church. We gave her a tour, and then taught her the Restoration in the Sacrament room. Summer is just full of questions and eager to learn. She participated in Gospel Principles and in Relief Society. In fact, one of the ladies afterward gave her a hug and thanked her for her participation. The Gulfport ward is really picking up the ball on this on. And her girls came with her to church as well. She has a 7 and 2 year old. The 2 year old is adorable and makes me miss my little nieces. Anyway... Summer is just awesome and legit and there is no doubt that as long as prayers are being said in her behalf and that she continues the way she is going, she will be baptized. We are going to teach her about the Gospel of Jesus Christ tomorrow morning. I can't wait.
I went on exchanges this past week with Elder Norton in the north Gulfport area. We taught some good lessons there. And Elder Woolf and ELder Johnson had a good lesson with Scott while I was gone. Sadly, Scott didn't come to church, but that's okay. He'll be there next week. :)
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o!!! I get to be the best man at David's wedding! I am excited! I may not be there in person, but hopefully my speech will be good! Hahahahaha. :)
So I ordered quite a bit of stuff from lds.org. I am excited for it. Some study materials and such. And it means a package in the mail. YAY!
By the way... I have decided that I need some brighter colorful ties. So if anyone sends ties to me in the next 18 months or so, go bright and colorful! :)
Hmmmm... oh! I made macaroni salad yesterday from the recipe Mom sent me. It was/is delcious! Just saying... be jealous.
So, we are possibly going fishing today. And coon hunting. Yup. That's our p-day. We'll see how it all plays out. Stay tuned for updates on these stories next week!
One last thing before I send this. Just remember that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true. His power is real. Through the Atonement, we can become perfected, and that process can start NOW. And it should. Don't wait for His redeeming love. It's not just for sins, but for everything. For every pain or weakness. Christ can help our weaknesses to become our greatest strengths. Never doubt that. Just believe and do.
I love you all!
Love,
Elder Dwight Mendenhall
Stars and Stripes Forever (with a little confederate pride thrown in)...
Hey All Y'all!
Happy Independence Day! I hope it was fantastic for all of you. It being P-day, we didn't do a whole lot. In fact, we had a BBQ at a member's house and then stayed there all day. That was it. We played some games, had a water balloon fight, and ate homemade ice cream. It was a fun day, but also... long.
Okay! Exciting news! We got a phone call this past week from the mission office. They called us with a referral. The woman's name is Summer, and she was taught a little by the missionaries in North Carolina where she lived before Gulfport. They wanted her to keep being taught so they passed the info along until we got it. She read part of Alma that the Elders there left for her and she prayed about the Book Of Mormon and got a positive feeling that it is true. Sounds golden, right? Hahahahaha. If only things were that easy. She has a lot of things to work through. She has had a tough life and it wont be easy for her, but I believe she is going to progress and with God's help, she will be baptized and be a strong member. I feel like I am here for a reason for her, as with some of the issues she has, most missionaries wouldn't have a clue. With my "upbringing" though, I am better prepared for situations like this. I will let you all figure out that. Anyway, we are teaching her today at 1pm and I am excited. We are going to a member's home that is pretty close to her, because she stays with another family right now and it is pretty loud over there. We are also having a member that seems like she would be a good fellowshipper come over as well, who also has her sister in town visiting, so it might be a member overload, but it will be good. God is with us. :)
Other than that it was a pretty normal week for us. Well, not entirely true. We were going over to teach a less active the lessons to help her (and us) out, and she decided to have her non-member boyfriend be there so he could hear it as well. So that was unexpected. We are going over there tomorrow to teach them again. Should be good. Heavenly Father is sending things our way it seems. :)
I hope all is well with you. This is short, but we need to get going soon, eat lunch, and then bike to our 1pm appointment. Just know that life is great and that God loves all of you! :) Pray for me please, and Summer, Scott and his family, and everyone else down here. :)
With Love From The South,
Elder Mendenhall
More Pics,,,
Mugshots Challenge! My food is taken apart so it was easier to grab.
Elder Price with the Mugshots Challenge, so you can see the food
Father's Day
Hello Everyone,
First off, I would like to say Happy Father's Day to the best Dad ever! Papa Mendenhall! :) Trust me when I say that he is the best. Hands down, no questions asked.
For my email this week, I am going to do something I little different. I am going to share a story with all of you. Well, at least I will be sharing this.
A Tribute To Father’s Day
By A Fellow Missionary
To commemorate Father’s Day this year, I would like to write this tribute to the best Father EVER. The Father of our spirits, our Heavenly Father.
Having seen what I have seen on my mission, the dysfunctional families, the heartache, the troubles, the worries, I start to truly appreciate my family. I really can’t wait to go home and see them. To be with my parents again, it is going to be great. My companion and I were talking and there really is no feeling greater than going home. I have seen many a missionary finish his mission and I know how excited they were to go home. Sure they were excited for college, movies and girls, but the thing they couldn’t wait for the most was their family. I am the same way. I cannot wait to see my parents. Two years is a long time, though compared to a lifetime, it really isn’t much.
Well, this all got me to thinking about our Heavenly Father and how much I love him and knowing how much He loves me. A lifetime is a long time, but compared to eternity, it really isn’t much. Knowing that if I stay worthy and be the best son I can be, I will see Him again one day is a piece of knowledge that I treasure dearly. I can’t wait to look into his familiar face. Ezra Taft Benson once said, “Nothing will surprise us more than when we get to heaven and see the Father and realize how well we know Him and how familiar His face is to us." God our Father KNOWS us personally, and we know Him. He is our Father. He taught us, we learned from Him. We have an intimate relationship with Him that we just don’t fully remember. We can feel a little bit of it, but not all of it. Just imagine when we get to that place though and how marvelous it is going to be. After our lifetime here, no matter how long that may be, we are going to see how Father again, if we live worthy and stay true to the Gospel standards and values. If we do what He asks, He will have us home again. He will open His arms for me, and I will run into them. I will embrace my Father and receive His perfect hug that is waiting for me. I will say to Him, “Daddy, I did it. I’m home. Thank you for helping me through it all.” He will then look me in the eyes, and in the soft voice that only exists of a Father to a child, He will say, “Well done, my beautiful child. Welcome home!”
I will not do anything to mar that perfect moment. I live for it, I breathe for it. When that time comes, He will know me and I will know Him again. I promise as a servant of the Lord, that if you really truly live the Gospel as He has asked, that moment will come for you. It can come for all of us. Live worthy of that perfect hug. Stay strong and be true. Kia Kaha.
Happy Father’s Day!
I know this work is true. God has made that truth manifest to me. Of that, there is no doubt. I am grateful to be serving here in Gulfport, Mississippi. I am grateful for the power of prayer and for the change of heart that God can give us. As we pray for and work at Christ like attributes, knowing we will receive, then we will.
Yesterday, we had two investigators in church. Scott and his wife came. Elder Todd and I gave him a Book of Mormon (that he had requested) and Elder Woolf and I have been by a couple of times to see him. He is an awesome guy and loves the Mormons. His wife really seemed to enjoy church. This is the first time I met her. They only stayed for Sacrament meeting, as their 16 year old daughter was at home and they wanted to get home to her. They recently found out that she has a cist between her tailbone and spinal cord, and she is in a lot of pain. They are trying to take care of that, but something has to heal before she can have surgery. But they are an awesome family, and they will be baptized! I can see it happening, and trusting in the Lord, I know it will. :)
I hope you all have an awesome day! Remember to love the Lord and to pray for and look for opportunities to share the Gospel.
Love,
Elder Dwight Mendenhall
First off, I would like to say Happy Father's Day to the best Dad ever! Papa Mendenhall! :) Trust me when I say that he is the best. Hands down, no questions asked.
For my email this week, I am going to do something I little different. I am going to share a story with all of you. Well, at least I will be sharing this.
A Tribute To Father’s Day
By A Fellow Missionary
To commemorate Father’s Day this year, I would like to write this tribute to the best Father EVER. The Father of our spirits, our Heavenly Father.
Having seen what I have seen on my mission, the dysfunctional families, the heartache, the troubles, the worries, I start to truly appreciate my family. I really can’t wait to go home and see them. To be with my parents again, it is going to be great. My companion and I were talking and there really is no feeling greater than going home. I have seen many a missionary finish his mission and I know how excited they were to go home. Sure they were excited for college, movies and girls, but the thing they couldn’t wait for the most was their family. I am the same way. I cannot wait to see my parents. Two years is a long time, though compared to a lifetime, it really isn’t much.
Well, this all got me to thinking about our Heavenly Father and how much I love him and knowing how much He loves me. A lifetime is a long time, but compared to eternity, it really isn’t much. Knowing that if I stay worthy and be the best son I can be, I will see Him again one day is a piece of knowledge that I treasure dearly. I can’t wait to look into his familiar face. Ezra Taft Benson once said, “Nothing will surprise us more than when we get to heaven and see the Father and realize how well we know Him and how familiar His face is to us." God our Father KNOWS us personally, and we know Him. He is our Father. He taught us, we learned from Him. We have an intimate relationship with Him that we just don’t fully remember. We can feel a little bit of it, but not all of it. Just imagine when we get to that place though and how marvelous it is going to be. After our lifetime here, no matter how long that may be, we are going to see how Father again, if we live worthy and stay true to the Gospel standards and values. If we do what He asks, He will have us home again. He will open His arms for me, and I will run into them. I will embrace my Father and receive His perfect hug that is waiting for me. I will say to Him, “Daddy, I did it. I’m home. Thank you for helping me through it all.” He will then look me in the eyes, and in the soft voice that only exists of a Father to a child, He will say, “Well done, my beautiful child. Welcome home!”
I will not do anything to mar that perfect moment. I live for it, I breathe for it. When that time comes, He will know me and I will know Him again. I promise as a servant of the Lord, that if you really truly live the Gospel as He has asked, that moment will come for you. It can come for all of us. Live worthy of that perfect hug. Stay strong and be true. Kia Kaha.
Happy Father’s Day!
I know this work is true. God has made that truth manifest to me. Of that, there is no doubt. I am grateful to be serving here in Gulfport, Mississippi. I am grateful for the power of prayer and for the change of heart that God can give us. As we pray for and work at Christ like attributes, knowing we will receive, then we will.
Yesterday, we had two investigators in church. Scott and his wife came. Elder Todd and I gave him a Book of Mormon (that he had requested) and Elder Woolf and I have been by a couple of times to see him. He is an awesome guy and loves the Mormons. His wife really seemed to enjoy church. This is the first time I met her. They only stayed for Sacrament meeting, as their 16 year old daughter was at home and they wanted to get home to her. They recently found out that she has a cist between her tailbone and spinal cord, and she is in a lot of pain. They are trying to take care of that, but something has to heal before she can have surgery. But they are an awesome family, and they will be baptized! I can see it happening, and trusting in the Lord, I know it will. :)
I hope you all have an awesome day! Remember to love the Lord and to pray for and look for opportunities to share the Gospel.
Love,
Elder Dwight Mendenhall
June 13, 2011
Hey everyone!
I am going to make this quick. First and foremost.....
I am staying in Gulfport! YAY! I am here for at least another 6 weeks. Elder Woolf and I are staying together and we're pretty excited.
Life is great. I am loving it. As always. Ummmm... not too much has happened this past week. At least out of the ordinary. Maybe... Ummmm... Wait! I think this happened this past week. It all blends together. I attempted the Mugshots challenge. And Failed. But I tried. I will attach a picture of the food so y'all can see.
Anyway... I don't have a lot of time. Just know that Christ lives and He loves all y'all. And me too! YAY! Hahahahaha...
Love you!
With Love From The South,
Elder Dwight Mendenhall
I am going to make this quick. First and foremost.....
I am staying in Gulfport! YAY! I am here for at least another 6 weeks. Elder Woolf and I are staying together and we're pretty excited.
Life is great. I am loving it. As always. Ummmm... not too much has happened this past week. At least out of the ordinary. Maybe... Ummmm... Wait! I think this happened this past week. It all blends together. I attempted the Mugshots challenge. And Failed. But I tried. I will attach a picture of the food so y'all can see.
Anyway... I don't have a lot of time. Just know that Christ lives and He loves all y'all. And me too! YAY! Hahahahaha...
Love you!
With Love From The South,
Elder Dwight Mendenhall
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
June 6, 2011
Good morning from down south!
It is a beautiful day outside! It is currently 10:11 AM and it's 88 degrees outside and it feels like it's 96. We went crabbing this morning! I pulled two up within the first 30 minutes or so, and that was all we caught. Blue crab. We threw them back when we were leaving. Though to shell them, you step on them, pull off the claws, and then pull the shell apart....while they are alive. Interesting. Oh! And after my mission, I am coming back down here and going gator hunting. It's official. Yes. I am insane. And yes, I am seriously wanting to go.
Well. This past Saturday, the Gulfport ward had a crawfish boil, so I was able to learn how to peel those and boy are they tasty! Man oh man...and we took home all of the left over burgers and hotdogs.
Today we are having dinner with a partmember family. Matt Sones and his wife. He served a mission and his wife isn't a member. They have two boys, the oldest just turned eight. I've been wanting to work with them for awhile, but it hasn't worked out thus far. But tonight will be awesome! I am super excited.
Okay. So transfers are next week, so if I stay here, I will email on Tuesday, if not I will probably email on Monday. I find out on Saturday. I kind of hope I stay, but I also want to go somewhere else. I'm torn. We'll see.
I am really trying to think about what has happened this past week. I don't have my planner with me, so I can't look at it. Ummmm... nothing too big. We bashed with someone yesterday. And ate good food. I love food. Anyway...
Okay. So... just remember this. Your life is a direct reflection of your thoughts. If you don't like the way your life is, change you way of thinking. Always focus on the positive and thing positive things. Everything can be said in a positive manner instead of a negative. And remember that whatever you put out there, is going to come back to you. It's the law of attraction, which is an eternal priciple. It's throughtout the scriptures. People's thoughts and beliefs, or their FAITH is what brought miracles. The people Jesus healed, He always stated "thy faith hath made thee whole". So their thinking that they could be healed is what helped to heal them. An "incurable" illness is only curable on the inside... so IN-curable. Don't believe others. Let your own faith shine forth. Make your life the life you want by thinking it. Believing it. Knowing it.
Well, I love you all. I hope y'all have a fantastic week!
With Love From The South,
Elder Dwight Mendenhall
Monday, June 6, 2011
May 31, 2011
Hey Everyone!
I am pleased to announce that the Lord God is absolutely amazing.
And that I am going to have another sister-in-law! And two more nephews! That makes ten nieces and nephews, and me... who is a proud uncle. And son, and brother, and servant.
I have had some experiences these last few days that have drawn me closer to the Lord than ever before and have led me to be a better son and servant. To truly feel of His love and redeeming power and strength. To "hope for a better world" for myself and the ones I love. To truly find out about myself, my strengths and weaknesses, my faith and faults, and to come to truly appreciate the love of my family, friends, leaders and God.
Allow me to share with you a scripture I ran across and what really hit me. I had received a letter from a future missionary and brother, McKay, and at the end he put a PS and said I am praying for you. I got another letter the same day from another friend and she asked if there was anything specific that I wanted her to pray for, for me or the mission. And I was pondering on those and how many prayers I have coming my way every day. It is amazing to think about. I know that my family prays for me daily. My sister tells me that I am constantly in my nieces prayers. I have some of the most amazing friends in the world that I know pray for me. Those are all specifically for me. Those don't count the thousands upon thousands of prayers that are said daily for the full time missionaries. It truly is amazing.
Well, as I was pondering these things in my hearts, I flipped a couple of pages in my scriptures and ended up in Moroni 8. I just looked down and started reading in verses 2 and 3:
2 My beloved son, Moroni, I rejoice exceedingly that your Lord Jesus Christ hath been mindful of you, and hath called you to his ministry, and to his holy work. 3 I am mindful of you always in my prayers, continually praying unto God the Father in the name of his Holy Child, Jesus, that he, through his infinite goodness and grace, will keep you through the endurance of faith on his name to the end.
How amazing and appropriate! I just wish to thank you all for the prayers and support that I receive on a daily basis. I am learning more to focus on the positives in life and to always have positive thoughts. It is our thoughts that drag us down and that truly change the outcome of the things we do and the people we become. The mind is more powerful than any of us realize. It shapes the world around us. Be every mindful of that.
Well, I hope everyone is enjoying themselves back where ever you are. And that as you celebrated memorial day, that you kept in mind those great men and women who have given themselves to the work of freedom. Whether in some branch of the military, or here in God's army. The fight for souls is the same everywhere. The one in the mission field is just eternal.
The work goes on always. I love you all. Continue to pray for the success of the Lord, and for the softening of the people here, and around the world. I know I do. The Lord will send His angels before his righteous servants to prepare the way before them, and that is what I seek. Pray for my strength to make it through, that I may be the best missionary, the best ME I can be.
With Love From The South,
Elder Dwight Douglas Mendenhall
I am pleased to announce that the Lord God is absolutely amazing.
And that I am going to have another sister-in-law! And two more nephews! That makes ten nieces and nephews, and me... who is a proud uncle. And son, and brother, and servant.
I have had some experiences these last few days that have drawn me closer to the Lord than ever before and have led me to be a better son and servant. To truly feel of His love and redeeming power and strength. To "hope for a better world" for myself and the ones I love. To truly find out about myself, my strengths and weaknesses, my faith and faults, and to come to truly appreciate the love of my family, friends, leaders and God.
Allow me to share with you a scripture I ran across and what really hit me. I had received a letter from a future missionary and brother, McKay, and at the end he put a PS and said I am praying for you. I got another letter the same day from another friend and she asked if there was anything specific that I wanted her to pray for, for me or the mission. And I was pondering on those and how many prayers I have coming my way every day. It is amazing to think about. I know that my family prays for me daily. My sister tells me that I am constantly in my nieces prayers. I have some of the most amazing friends in the world that I know pray for me. Those are all specifically for me. Those don't count the thousands upon thousands of prayers that are said daily for the full time missionaries. It truly is amazing.
Well, as I was pondering these things in my hearts, I flipped a couple of pages in my scriptures and ended up in Moroni 8. I just looked down and started reading in verses 2 and 3:
2 My beloved son, Moroni, I rejoice exceedingly that your Lord Jesus Christ hath been mindful of you, and hath called you to his ministry, and to his holy work. 3 I am mindful of you always in my prayers, continually praying unto God the Father in the name of his Holy Child, Jesus, that he, through his infinite goodness and grace, will keep you through the endurance of faith on his name to the end.
How amazing and appropriate! I just wish to thank you all for the prayers and support that I receive on a daily basis. I am learning more to focus on the positives in life and to always have positive thoughts. It is our thoughts that drag us down and that truly change the outcome of the things we do and the people we become. The mind is more powerful than any of us realize. It shapes the world around us. Be every mindful of that.
Well, I hope everyone is enjoying themselves back where ever you are. And that as you celebrated memorial day, that you kept in mind those great men and women who have given themselves to the work of freedom. Whether in some branch of the military, or here in God's army. The fight for souls is the same everywhere. The one in the mission field is just eternal.
The work goes on always. I love you all. Continue to pray for the success of the Lord, and for the softening of the people here, and around the world. I know I do. The Lord will send His angels before his righteous servants to prepare the way before them, and that is what I seek. Pray for my strength to make it through, that I may be the best missionary, the best ME I can be.
With Love From The South,
Elder Dwight Douglas Mendenhall
May 23, 2011
Howdy ta all y'all!
I hope all y'all is doing swell!
So this past week, we had zone conference up in Hattiesburg. It was really awesome! The topic was magnifying your calling. Which you do by simply fulfilling the responsibilities and obligations of your calling. Whether it be missionary, bishop, relief society president, primary teacher, brother, sister, mother, father, prophet, etc etc! If you want blessings, just do what you are supposed to do, what you agreed to do, and the blessings will come. Simple truth, but also very powerful.
This morning, at 8:00 AM, we met Brother Sowers at his house (Elder Woolf and I) and he took us golfing! It was AWESOME! I haven't been in probably 2 years. We didn't do so well, but we had fun. It was pretty warm and my arms are a little red, but it was definitely worth it. Attached is a picture Brother Sowers took on his phone. We then had lunch at his house. We played 18 holes and it took about 4 hours.
During this past little bit, I have rediscovered something inside of me that I once had. Something sparked up inside of me, something I had been missing for awhile. It's hard to explain, but I guess I hadn't really been myself for the past long while, months and months, and something happen, I'm not sure what, and now I am back on track to being who I need to be. It is a good change, a recommitment to what I need to be doing and to who I need to be. I am now more capable of living up to the potential that it within me, within all of us. If you stop and think about how much potential, how much power, how much pure awesomeness is within us waiting to come forth and be made manifest.... it's not really fathomable. We have the potential to be like God. I don't know if anyone really truly understands what that really means. This world, this church, everyone needs to wake up and realize what is waiting for us if we do the right things, if we be the right person. We must DO in order to become. "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” (-Aristotle) That is really the deep underlining message of what I go out and teach. When we invite others to read and ponder the BoM, to pray, to attend church, to keep the commandments, to be baptized, it is starting them on the path to godhood. Awesome. :)
Well, we found some new people to teach this past week, but it was a slow week. Hopefully things will pick up here before I leave. I am 90% certain I am being transfered in 3 weeks, now we just wait to see where. Life is great, the gospel's true, the Book's blue and Jesus loves you!
I hope you all have an amazing week, and I will keep everyone in my prayers. I pray that you will have the eyes to see those that are seeking the gospel around you, and the courage to share it with them. To invite them to hear about the gospel and to refer them to the missionaries. If the members of this church don't start working their hardest, then the missionaries WILL fail. No doubt about it. It's a three way street, members, missionaries and the Lord.
I love you all.
With Love From The South,
-Elder Dwight Mendenhall
Monday, May 16, 2011
May 16, 2011
Sooooooooooo......
I love life! It's great! And I don't really know why... Maybe because I am a full time servant of the Lord sent here to the Gulf Coast to help bless the lives of the great people of the south and to help show them the way to gain eternal life and get them started on the path back to Him, which is through the waters of baptism? Or maybe it is great because the Lord has given me an opportunity to learn charity and patience in a 6-12 week span and that I am learning it, though it may be hard sometimes? Or maybe life is so amazing is because I not only have the most amazing family ever and tons of awesome friends back home cheering me on and praying daily for my success, but I also have legions of angels on my side, helping me fight my daily battles and giving me a boost up and a push in the right direction? I really don't know why life is great...... Maybe it's because every day is a miracle if we see it that way. Life really is all about our attitudes. I have learned that lesson well the last few weeks. This life and the way we view it is largely based on our attitudes. Take Laman and Nephi for example. They went through the same wilderness for 8 years, and Nephi praised the Lord and loved life, and Laman cursed the day he was born... well not quite, but still. More like the day Lehi and Nephi were born... Anyway.... Basically I am learning life lessons that make me a better person. It's not easy though. Focus on the positives...
I am excited for dinner this week. Dinner appointments every night except Saturday. Oh, and we are now having a "zone breakfast" every other p-day. We all get together, have breakfast and have a spiritual thought, an unsuccess and success story, a joke of the week, and of course, prayers. We had it this morning with biscuits and gravy, eggs and sausage, bacon, muffins and juice. It was delicious! All in all, it's about 3 dollars per missionary to feed all 14 of us. It's great!
Phillip Karen, who was a missionary here about a year ago, was back in town the past few days. I got to meet him. It was weird to think about possibly coming back as a non missionary. Weird...
Soooooo.... The Lord is great and amazing. Always remember that.
With Love From The South,
-Elder Dwight Mendenhall
PS... yes, it's short this week. Tough. :)
I love life! It's great! And I don't really know why... Maybe because I am a full time servant of the Lord sent here to the Gulf Coast to help bless the lives of the great people of the south and to help show them the way to gain eternal life and get them started on the path back to Him, which is through the waters of baptism? Or maybe it is great because the Lord has given me an opportunity to learn charity and patience in a 6-12 week span and that I am learning it, though it may be hard sometimes? Or maybe life is so amazing is because I not only have the most amazing family ever and tons of awesome friends back home cheering me on and praying daily for my success, but I also have legions of angels on my side, helping me fight my daily battles and giving me a boost up and a push in the right direction? I really don't know why life is great...... Maybe it's because every day is a miracle if we see it that way. Life really is all about our attitudes. I have learned that lesson well the last few weeks. This life and the way we view it is largely based on our attitudes. Take Laman and Nephi for example. They went through the same wilderness for 8 years, and Nephi praised the Lord and loved life, and Laman cursed the day he was born... well not quite, but still. More like the day Lehi and Nephi were born... Anyway.... Basically I am learning life lessons that make me a better person. It's not easy though. Focus on the positives...
I am excited for dinner this week. Dinner appointments every night except Saturday. Oh, and we are now having a "zone breakfast" every other p-day. We all get together, have breakfast and have a spiritual thought, an unsuccess and success story, a joke of the week, and of course, prayers. We had it this morning with biscuits and gravy, eggs and sausage, bacon, muffins and juice. It was delicious! All in all, it's about 3 dollars per missionary to feed all 14 of us. It's great!
Phillip Karen, who was a missionary here about a year ago, was back in town the past few days. I got to meet him. It was weird to think about possibly coming back as a non missionary. Weird...
Soooooo.... The Lord is great and amazing. Always remember that.
With Love From The South,
-Elder Dwight Mendenhall
PS... yes, it's short this week. Tough. :)
May 9, 2011 Happy Mother's Day
Hey All Y'all!
So..... I love Mother's Day! As many of you know, I was able to Skype home yesterday. It was awesome! And surprisingly enough, it didn't make me trunky. It was just....normal. To me, it was almost like I never left. Interesting, huh? It was awesome! I do miss home, but I am out here for a reason, and my work is not yet finished.
So, Elder Woolf is an interesting character. Let's just say that we are going to have to see what these next 5 weeks will bring. It's already been one. Crazy! This week we are going on exchanges with the zone leaders, next week is zone conference in Hattiesburg, and the following week is exchanges with the Spanish Elders. So.... all in all, pretty crazy stuff. It is pretty stressful taking over an area. Not the easiest thing to do. But it is sure a learning experience. I love the gospel and I love the people and the work. I may not have any baptisms yet, but I know that I am helping people anyway. I am super grateful to be here.
Well. I guess I don't have too much to say.... Things are going to be different this transfer, that is for sure. I am learning to love my companion.... and as I have heard him say concerning people he knew back home, "love the person, not the sin". Sooooo.... yup. Hahahahahaha. It's what I am doing. Kia Kaha is my motto. Forever Strong. The Lord is with me, and wants me to succeed. And with God on my side, who can prevail against me? We may not win every battle, but we will "fo sure" win the war.
With lots of love and peace from the South,
Elder Dwight Douglas "Hal" Mendenhall, The First, Esquire. :)
So..... I love Mother's Day! As many of you know, I was able to Skype home yesterday. It was awesome! And surprisingly enough, it didn't make me trunky. It was just....normal. To me, it was almost like I never left. Interesting, huh? It was awesome! I do miss home, but I am out here for a reason, and my work is not yet finished.
So, Elder Woolf is an interesting character. Let's just say that we are going to have to see what these next 5 weeks will bring. It's already been one. Crazy! This week we are going on exchanges with the zone leaders, next week is zone conference in Hattiesburg, and the following week is exchanges with the Spanish Elders. So.... all in all, pretty crazy stuff. It is pretty stressful taking over an area. Not the easiest thing to do. But it is sure a learning experience. I love the gospel and I love the people and the work. I may not have any baptisms yet, but I know that I am helping people anyway. I am super grateful to be here.
Well. I guess I don't have too much to say.... Things are going to be different this transfer, that is for sure. I am learning to love my companion.... and as I have heard him say concerning people he knew back home, "love the person, not the sin". Sooooo.... yup. Hahahahahaha. It's what I am doing. Kia Kaha is my motto. Forever Strong. The Lord is with me, and wants me to succeed. And with God on my side, who can prevail against me? We may not win every battle, but we will "fo sure" win the war.
With lots of love and peace from the South,
Elder Dwight Douglas "Hal" Mendenhall, The First, Esquire. :)
A Lone Wolf In A Pack.... until I get another Woolf....
Dear Everyone....
Guess what! I don't have a companion! I shipped Elder Todd off this morning! Woot! Back to good ol' MP. Now I wait on my new companion, but since transfers are behind today (way behind) and we are one of the last stops, I wont get him until 9:00-9:30 probably, So until then, I get to hang with my español amigos. Should be fun. Anyway.... so my new companion is.... Elder Woolf! (did you see that one coming? Maybe up there... ↑) I know nothing about him, other than that he just got done serving with Elder Redmon (my trainer) in the North Monroe area (in LA). I am super excited though! The spanish Elders are staying together, so I get another transfer around Elders Price, Belt and Thurgood. I love those Elders. They are all great.
Sooooooo.... this week. We... ummm... we did.... ummmm. Stuff. Hahahahaha. We actually were productive. I was trying to go strong with Elder Todd until the end. We taught a new investigator named Dane Ellis. Cool guy. He has potential (well everyone does, but still....).
OH!!!!!!!!! Guess what we did Saturday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We went to a wedding. On the beach. It was legit! Hahahahaha, a member and a non-member were getting married. We had actually never met anyone there before (except for the Bishop and Brother Saucier). It was fun. And oh so beautiful. They looked so happy. *sniff* Hahahahaha it's quite the story about how it came about, so remind me about it in two years. I'm too lazy to type it out. We went to the reception, stayed there, helped clean up, and we brought a ton of food home with us (not the intention for helping or staying, it just happened). It was super fun to talk to the members that were there.
So, we had some good food this week. Meatloaf, pork chops, Golden Corral, steak, taco salad, etc! I love the south. I really do. I already know I am going to miss it in two years. Not that I wont mind leaving it, but there are things that you just have to love about it. Like the people.... because there is not much else to do with them. :D
Now the moment you have all been waiting for!!! It is May 4th, and I am not expecting anymore entries for the music contest. Not saying one couldn't come in today or tomorrow, but I doubt it. So I will announce the winners. Now remember, I am NOT biased in this, I promise! And I wasn't the only judge. And I really love the CDs I did get, all two of them.................. >_< (←grumpy face at the rest of you) and it was actually a hard decision... anywho. The winners!!!
3rd Place goes to: Mom and Dad!!! Who sent me my John Bytheway talks out. Technically not music, hence 3rd place, but still very much loved. Congrats!
2nd place goes to...... Naüdia Dowland! With "Dwight's Super Awesomenova Mission CD!" (or something like that). I love this CD! (19 Tracks) It has a lot of songs on it that I know and love, and some others I hadn't heard before. Honestly, a little too much Mo-Tab for me, but the selection of Mo-Tab on there were really good choices. All in all, I love the CD and listened to it two times last nigth while Elder Todd packed.
1st place goes to....... Jeanette Davis! Congratulaions! With her CD "Light Up The Sky" she scored huge points with me. I love the music on there. I only had heard 4 of the 19 tracks before, but it is just the kind of music I like. I already can sing along with several of the songs.
Prizes will be sent out eventually. Once I decide what they are. Which might be awhile. Okay. Well, all y'all take care, and beware back in Utah, as 4 southern missionaries are headin' your way.
Love,
Elder Mendenhall
Guess what! I don't have a companion! I shipped Elder Todd off this morning! Woot! Back to good ol' MP. Now I wait on my new companion, but since transfers are behind today (way behind) and we are one of the last stops, I wont get him until 9:00-9:30 probably, So until then, I get to hang with my español amigos. Should be fun. Anyway.... so my new companion is.... Elder Woolf! (did you see that one coming? Maybe up there... ↑) I know nothing about him, other than that he just got done serving with Elder Redmon (my trainer) in the North Monroe area (in LA). I am super excited though! The spanish Elders are staying together, so I get another transfer around Elders Price, Belt and Thurgood. I love those Elders. They are all great.
Sooooooo.... this week. We... ummm... we did.... ummmm. Stuff. Hahahahaha. We actually were productive. I was trying to go strong with Elder Todd until the end. We taught a new investigator named Dane Ellis. Cool guy. He has potential (well everyone does, but still....).
OH!!!!!!!!! Guess what we did Saturday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We went to a wedding. On the beach. It was legit! Hahahahaha, a member and a non-member were getting married. We had actually never met anyone there before (except for the Bishop and Brother Saucier). It was fun. And oh so beautiful. They looked so happy. *sniff* Hahahahaha it's quite the story about how it came about, so remind me about it in two years. I'm too lazy to type it out. We went to the reception, stayed there, helped clean up, and we brought a ton of food home with us (not the intention for helping or staying, it just happened). It was super fun to talk to the members that were there.
So, we had some good food this week. Meatloaf, pork chops, Golden Corral, steak, taco salad, etc! I love the south. I really do. I already know I am going to miss it in two years. Not that I wont mind leaving it, but there are things that you just have to love about it. Like the people.... because there is not much else to do with them. :D
Now the moment you have all been waiting for!!! It is May 4th, and I am not expecting anymore entries for the music contest. Not saying one couldn't come in today or tomorrow, but I doubt it. So I will announce the winners. Now remember, I am NOT biased in this, I promise! And I wasn't the only judge. And I really love the CDs I did get, all two of them.................. >_< (←grumpy face at the rest of you) and it was actually a hard decision... anywho. The winners!!!
3rd Place goes to: Mom and Dad!!! Who sent me my John Bytheway talks out. Technically not music, hence 3rd place, but still very much loved. Congrats!
2nd place goes to...... Naüdia Dowland! With "Dwight's Super Awesomenova Mission CD!" (or something like that). I love this CD! (19 Tracks) It has a lot of songs on it that I know and love, and some others I hadn't heard before. Honestly, a little too much Mo-Tab for me, but the selection of Mo-Tab on there were really good choices. All in all, I love the CD and listened to it two times last nigth while Elder Todd packed.
1st place goes to....... Jeanette Davis! Congratulaions! With her CD "Light Up The Sky" she scored huge points with me. I love the music on there. I only had heard 4 of the 19 tracks before, but it is just the kind of music I like. I already can sing along with several of the songs.
Prizes will be sent out eventually. Once I decide what they are. Which might be awhile. Okay. Well, all y'all take care, and beware back in Utah, as 4 southern missionaries are headin' your way.
Love,
Elder Mendenhall
April 18, 2011
To Whom It May Concern....
I am HAPPY!!!!! I just got a ton of awesome and happy news!!!! First off.... my absolute favorite piece of news that I have been waiting for for weeks!
My best friend and brother, Elder McKay Jones, received his mission call!!!!! He will have the honor and priviledge of serving the Lord for two years in the.... HONDURAS COMAYAGUELA MISSION!!!! Spanish speaking of course. All of us over here were hoping for him to be called to the Mississippi Jackson Mission, spanish speaking, but I guess the south isn't that cool.... though it's pretty awesome. I am super excited for him!!!! Words can't express! We often talked about missions and mission calls, and I think he was ALMOST (not quite) more excited than me when I got my mission call. He is going to be one of the Lord's best and finest. He joins me in the field on August 10th. Happy day!
Another happy piece of news is that I have a package on the way! Happy Bunny Holiday! It has some much anticipated items in it too! And I was also told by a certain someone that they are in the process of writing me a letter! Which I am super pumped and happy for. And on of my dearest sisters has finally advanced further into the realm of games, as she is using things I taught and showed her. And Elder Todd will be on his way to Utah at this time in 16 days! His plane will land before 1 pm. I was also reminded a get to call home in a month or so. A week from Saturday I find out who my new companion is.... and last but not least, one of the very happy things that is helping me choose to be estatic is....
EASTER!!!! This is the week of Easter, and my first as a missionary. I am super excited to share the message of my Savior during this Easter season and to be able to bear testimony the Atonement and it's awesome healing and strengthening power.
All of this has made me forget anything I was going to say about this past week. Oh. My bike is... falling to pieces. I am hopefully taking it into the shop today or tomorrow to see how much it will be for a new set of pedals/cranks and for a whole new back tire. It really needs it. If it is not too expensive, I will probably have them order the parts for me. I will also probably call the mission office and see if they have any bikes just floating around up there or any spare pieces. Even broken bikes I can probably grab a piece or two from. I ghetto rigged one of my pedals the other day. Yes. ghetto rigged. I have embraced the south. I can't wait until I go home and can let you all hear my new language which I can speak.
Ummmmmmmmmm.... Samantha was the only investigator we had in church yesterday, and we no longer have her set with a date. Her progression is slow, but hopefully she will continue to progress.
I attended two funerals this past week and visited David McGee in jail again.... he'll be out in November.
The work is progressing. I love the mission and doing the Lord's work. It's tough, but if it wasn't, it wouldn't be as worth it. I wrote new lyrics last night to the song "I Can Only Imagine". It give me hope as a missionary. :D I might have them next week.
Well, I hope all is well. If I can do anything for any of you, just let me know.
Love,
Elder Dwight
Mendenhall
I am HAPPY!!!!! I just got a ton of awesome and happy news!!!! First off.... my absolute favorite piece of news that I have been waiting for for weeks!
My best friend and brother, Elder McKay Jones, received his mission call!!!!! He will have the honor and priviledge of serving the Lord for two years in the.... HONDURAS COMAYAGUELA MISSION!!!! Spanish speaking of course. All of us over here were hoping for him to be called to the Mississippi Jackson Mission, spanish speaking, but I guess the south isn't that cool.... though it's pretty awesome. I am super excited for him!!!! Words can't express! We often talked about missions and mission calls, and I think he was ALMOST (not quite) more excited than me when I got my mission call. He is going to be one of the Lord's best and finest. He joins me in the field on August 10th. Happy day!
Another happy piece of news is that I have a package on the way! Happy Bunny Holiday! It has some much anticipated items in it too! And I was also told by a certain someone that they are in the process of writing me a letter! Which I am super pumped and happy for. And on of my dearest sisters has finally advanced further into the realm of games, as she is using things I taught and showed her. And Elder Todd will be on his way to Utah at this time in 16 days! His plane will land before 1 pm. I was also reminded a get to call home in a month or so. A week from Saturday I find out who my new companion is.... and last but not least, one of the very happy things that is helping me choose to be estatic is....
EASTER!!!! This is the week of Easter, and my first as a missionary. I am super excited to share the message of my Savior during this Easter season and to be able to bear testimony the Atonement and it's awesome healing and strengthening power.
All of this has made me forget anything I was going to say about this past week. Oh. My bike is... falling to pieces. I am hopefully taking it into the shop today or tomorrow to see how much it will be for a new set of pedals/cranks and for a whole new back tire. It really needs it. If it is not too expensive, I will probably have them order the parts for me. I will also probably call the mission office and see if they have any bikes just floating around up there or any spare pieces. Even broken bikes I can probably grab a piece or two from. I ghetto rigged one of my pedals the other day. Yes. ghetto rigged. I have embraced the south. I can't wait until I go home and can let you all hear my new language which I can speak.
Ummmmmmmmmm.... Samantha was the only investigator we had in church yesterday, and we no longer have her set with a date. Her progression is slow, but hopefully she will continue to progress.
I attended two funerals this past week and visited David McGee in jail again.... he'll be out in November.
The work is progressing. I love the mission and doing the Lord's work. It's tough, but if it wasn't, it wouldn't be as worth it. I wrote new lyrics last night to the song "I Can Only Imagine". It give me hope as a missionary. :D I might have them next week.
Well, I hope all is well. If I can do anything for any of you, just let me know.
Love,
Elder Dwight
Mendenhall
Snow....? What's That Again? April 11, 2011
Dear Everyone,
Last night it was 79 degrees... at 9:30 PM.
Love,
Me
Seriously though. It was nice knowing you all. Hahahahahaha, I am going to melt away into nothingness! Or just sweat. A lot.
I love my mission. And Life. And Family. And Friends. And My Savior! Yay!
Okay, I am in a strange mood right now. This past week was really good for the work... number wise this week. We had three investigators in church. We are starting to teach two brothers (ages 13 and 16).... hopefully it will go well. They went to church, so that was good.
This next week should be even better! I hope. I know I am not really saying much, but you know, I somehow have used a lot of time already and don't have much to say this week. At least not that I really want to type out anymore. I love you all. Keep the faith.
Love,
Elder Mendenhall
Last night it was 79 degrees... at 9:30 PM.
Love,
Me
Seriously though. It was nice knowing you all. Hahahahahaha, I am going to melt away into nothingness! Or just sweat. A lot.
I love my mission. And Life. And Family. And Friends. And My Savior! Yay!
Okay, I am in a strange mood right now. This past week was really good for the work... number wise this week. We had three investigators in church. We are starting to teach two brothers (ages 13 and 16).... hopefully it will go well. They went to church, so that was good.
This next week should be even better! I hope. I know I am not really saying much, but you know, I somehow have used a lot of time already and don't have much to say this week. At least not that I really want to type out anymore. I love you all. Keep the faith.
Love,
Elder Mendenhall
March 28, 2011
Dear Everyone!
Life is just absolutely amazing! I am the very proud uncle of now eight nieces and nephews! Abby will be almost 2 by the time I see her, but I am still proud. Hmmmm... that would be tough having a job (like being in the military) where you are away from your own kids when they are growing up and missing parts of their lives... hearing them talk for the first time, walking, etc. I don't know how some of these Navy families here in G-port do it. Speaking of the Navy families, I talked to one of them for the first time yesterday.... Brother and Sister Farmer. Mainly Sister Farmer, as she was in the foyer after church and her husband was in a meeting. Anywho, she has two little girls. And I asked her where she was from.... she said Salt Lake. Knowing people just say that because they don't know if you know specifics, I asked where at by Salt Lake....any guesses where?! That's right! Good ol' Taylorsville, Utah! She graduated in 2005 from Taylorsville High School.... making her a sophmore when Debi was a senior? Correct? Either way she is going to look through her high school yearbook and see if she can find her. It will be legit if I can see a picture of my sister that someone else has here in G-port. Hahahahahaha, I already know what picture it is... at least I think I do. Anyways, Sister Farmer lived over by SLCC area. She wasn't positive, but she THINKS Bro. Farmer might have been in T-Ville 13th ward. I am going to talk to him more about it this weekend, hopefully! How cool? Small world after all!
Speaking of this weekend.... CONFERENCE!!!! Alright! I am totally pumped! It will be my first one as a missionary. I cannot wait! I am super excited! And Elder Todd and I have thought up a plan (with a little inspired help of course).... we are going to hold "cottage meetings" at member's houses who plan on watching conference there. Meaning, bring investigators over to member's homes to watch general conference and then to teach them about the gospel more as well! How amazing is that!? Hopefully the Farmers will let us go there. They have a lady that lives kiddy corner to them that is going to come to church next time, but we want to have her watch conference and to start teaching her. She is also a Navy family (the Farmers live on the Navy Base). And this weekend we plan to have a less active member or two at the Connor's house (also a base family). Then hopefully Samantha at another member's house, and we THINK we are going to a member's house that invited us over for a session on Sunday. We at least know they are feeding us. So that is our four sessions. I'm pumped!
Okay. So Elder Todd accidentally broke our phone last week and our car will be going in the shop tomorrow to finally get fixed from it being driven into a ditch a few weeks back. We are supposed to be getting a phone sometime this week, but we will most likely be phoneless and carless for a while. (Though we have a Fed-Ex package waiting for us at our apartment office, but it wont be there until 5. We missed the Fed-Ex guy. It could be our phone... or it might not be. Who knows. Elder Todd and I are both expecting packages from people, but I don't know anyone that would send something Fed-Ex... we'll see)
We both got sunburned last week from p-day on the beach. Mainly my face and neck and part of my arms. My neck is peeling pretty bad today. Elder Todd got a pretty nasty burn on his feet and legs. His ankles were swollen for a couple of days from walking and biking on them when they were burned that bad. We're both good though! And I am basically over my cold. Just blowing my nose a ton, which is also partly from the fact that there is pollen everywhere.
So Thursday, we had a church tour with Samantha! We got Brother Hillman to come and get us, go get Samantha and then we all went to the church. We then proceeded to show her the building and to teach her about the gospel of Jesus Christ! It was awesome (we thought). And she also came to church yesterday! Woot! It only took 6 weeks before we got an investigator in church here in G-port. Hey, we're working on it.
I FINALLY (well basically) caught up on letters that I needed to reply to! I have now been able to write a few that I have wanted to. I still have a long list of people I need to write though that are expecting a letter. I'm working on it. Though I am almost out of stamps. Precious commodity, stamps.
So..............I found out yesterday (and today) that BYU lost in overtime to Florida. We had a few members in the G-Port ward who were at the game (New Orleans is only a couple of hours away). Extremely sad day. But oh well. You win some and you lose some. We just need to learn to pick ourselves up again and keep on moving on. Learn from our experiences and mistakes, and those of others, and become a better person from them. Become closer to our Savior and better develop our relationship with him.
Gosh darnit! Life is just so amazing! Jesus is the Christ and the only one who can give us REAL happiness. In our personal lives, our family lives, and in our relationship with everyone we meet. Men are that they might have joy, and that joy is possible through Jesus Christ and his Atonement. The Atonement is NOT just for sinners or for sins. It is for EVERYTHING. Pain, sickness, sadness, hurt, jealousy, heart ache, being lovesick, being homesick, self doubt, and everything else! Christ is AMAZING!
So, the work goes on here, and everything else. OH!!!! Another thing to be happy about! My brother from another mother, my best friend, McKay, has his mission papers in!!!! He should get his call either this week or the next. How freaking amazing!!! Especially when he is called to the MJM Spanish Speaking! MWUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! That would be so freaking amazing! Since Elder Todd is about to leave me, the bum! It is his last transfer in the mission. He has 37(?) days left! CRAZY!
I hope all is well with everyone! Keep the faith and be strong! Jesus loves you!
Love,
Elder
Dwight
Mendenhall
Life is just absolutely amazing! I am the very proud uncle of now eight nieces and nephews! Abby will be almost 2 by the time I see her, but I am still proud. Hmmmm... that would be tough having a job (like being in the military) where you are away from your own kids when they are growing up and missing parts of their lives... hearing them talk for the first time, walking, etc. I don't know how some of these Navy families here in G-port do it. Speaking of the Navy families, I talked to one of them for the first time yesterday.... Brother and Sister Farmer. Mainly Sister Farmer, as she was in the foyer after church and her husband was in a meeting. Anywho, she has two little girls. And I asked her where she was from.... she said Salt Lake. Knowing people just say that because they don't know if you know specifics, I asked where at by Salt Lake....any guesses where?! That's right! Good ol' Taylorsville, Utah! She graduated in 2005 from Taylorsville High School.... making her a sophmore when Debi was a senior? Correct? Either way she is going to look through her high school yearbook and see if she can find her. It will be legit if I can see a picture of my sister that someone else has here in G-port. Hahahahahaha, I already know what picture it is... at least I think I do. Anyways, Sister Farmer lived over by SLCC area. She wasn't positive, but she THINKS Bro. Farmer might have been in T-Ville 13th ward. I am going to talk to him more about it this weekend, hopefully! How cool? Small world after all!
Speaking of this weekend.... CONFERENCE!!!! Alright! I am totally pumped! It will be my first one as a missionary. I cannot wait! I am super excited! And Elder Todd and I have thought up a plan (with a little inspired help of course).... we are going to hold "cottage meetings" at member's houses who plan on watching conference there. Meaning, bring investigators over to member's homes to watch general conference and then to teach them about the gospel more as well! How amazing is that!? Hopefully the Farmers will let us go there. They have a lady that lives kiddy corner to them that is going to come to church next time, but we want to have her watch conference and to start teaching her. She is also a Navy family (the Farmers live on the Navy Base). And this weekend we plan to have a less active member or two at the Connor's house (also a base family). Then hopefully Samantha at another member's house, and we THINK we are going to a member's house that invited us over for a session on Sunday. We at least know they are feeding us. So that is our four sessions. I'm pumped!
Okay. So Elder Todd accidentally broke our phone last week and our car will be going in the shop tomorrow to finally get fixed from it being driven into a ditch a few weeks back. We are supposed to be getting a phone sometime this week, but we will most likely be phoneless and carless for a while. (Though we have a Fed-Ex package waiting for us at our apartment office, but it wont be there until 5. We missed the Fed-Ex guy. It could be our phone... or it might not be. Who knows. Elder Todd and I are both expecting packages from people, but I don't know anyone that would send something Fed-Ex... we'll see)
We both got sunburned last week from p-day on the beach. Mainly my face and neck and part of my arms. My neck is peeling pretty bad today. Elder Todd got a pretty nasty burn on his feet and legs. His ankles were swollen for a couple of days from walking and biking on them when they were burned that bad. We're both good though! And I am basically over my cold. Just blowing my nose a ton, which is also partly from the fact that there is pollen everywhere.
So Thursday, we had a church tour with Samantha! We got Brother Hillman to come and get us, go get Samantha and then we all went to the church. We then proceeded to show her the building and to teach her about the gospel of Jesus Christ! It was awesome (we thought). And she also came to church yesterday! Woot! It only took 6 weeks before we got an investigator in church here in G-port. Hey, we're working on it.
I FINALLY (well basically) caught up on letters that I needed to reply to! I have now been able to write a few that I have wanted to. I still have a long list of people I need to write though that are expecting a letter. I'm working on it. Though I am almost out of stamps. Precious commodity, stamps.
So..............I found out yesterday (and today) that BYU lost in overtime to Florida. We had a few members in the G-Port ward who were at the game (New Orleans is only a couple of hours away). Extremely sad day. But oh well. You win some and you lose some. We just need to learn to pick ourselves up again and keep on moving on. Learn from our experiences and mistakes, and those of others, and become a better person from them. Become closer to our Savior and better develop our relationship with him.
Gosh darnit! Life is just so amazing! Jesus is the Christ and the only one who can give us REAL happiness. In our personal lives, our family lives, and in our relationship with everyone we meet. Men are that they might have joy, and that joy is possible through Jesus Christ and his Atonement. The Atonement is NOT just for sinners or for sins. It is for EVERYTHING. Pain, sickness, sadness, hurt, jealousy, heart ache, being lovesick, being homesick, self doubt, and everything else! Christ is AMAZING!
So, the work goes on here, and everything else. OH!!!! Another thing to be happy about! My brother from another mother, my best friend, McKay, has his mission papers in!!!! He should get his call either this week or the next. How freaking amazing!!! Especially when he is called to the MJM Spanish Speaking! MWUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! That would be so freaking amazing! Since Elder Todd is about to leave me, the bum! It is his last transfer in the mission. He has 37(?) days left! CRAZY!
I hope all is well with everyone! Keep the faith and be strong! Jesus loves you!
Love,
Elder
Dwight
Mendenhall
March 22, 2011
Hey Y'all!
It's transfer day here in the mission! Which means another 6 weeks have gone by which means.... I have two years left! Two years for two years! Elder Todd and I are staying together, which means he "dies" in Gulfport! 43 days! And I am here for at least another 3 months. 99% sure of that. Actually, all of the Elders in the Gulfport ward are staying. Fun stuff!
Soooo... since transfers are today, that means p-day is today as well. Hence the email today! And we spent about three hours on the beach today with 15 missionaries! It was a party. We had lunch, played some football and volleyball. I got a little sun, meaning my arms are red.
Now that Gulfport Spanish is living in Gulfport, starting today, we are officially sharing our car with them. We are supposed to switch off every week with them. We'll see how well it works. We get it the rest of this week.
This Thursday, we are having a church tour with Samantha! Hopefully all goes well. Our local leaders need to be on board with this. Samantha has had issues with church leaders in the past. Here is praying all goes well. Also, she wasn't at church Sunday because she was in Alabama, but she is coming this week. We just need to arrange a ride for her.
We met a lady yesterday. Her name is Ecco. She was baptized when she was 16 in Colorado. She has 4 children. Anyway, a member friend in Utah that she was talking to on Facebook, sent the missionaries over to her apartment (us) to give her a blessing, as she is going through a hard time. Hopefully we can get her back to church. She's been in Gulfport 6 months (same with Elder Todd!).
There is just not enough time in one day. Elder Todd and I are trying, but we need to pick up the pace. Keep the ball moving!
Not too many dinner appointments this week, but a lot next week. The members here are pretty legit! Especially Brother and Sister Sowers. She takes care of our meal calenders. Because we had so few this week (Spanish had one and we had two) they are taking the four of us out to lunch on Thursday.
Oh! I have a cold. On the beach. In 80 degree weather. Don't ask me how that works. I'm just talented. I'm almost over it.
Just so everyone knows, the best things to every send me are.... stamps and gift cards to food places. Hahahaha
Not much else to report on. I love you all. Keep the peace!
Love,
Elder Mendenhall
It's transfer day here in the mission! Which means another 6 weeks have gone by which means.... I have two years left! Two years for two years! Elder Todd and I are staying together, which means he "dies" in Gulfport! 43 days! And I am here for at least another 3 months. 99% sure of that. Actually, all of the Elders in the Gulfport ward are staying. Fun stuff!
Soooo... since transfers are today, that means p-day is today as well. Hence the email today! And we spent about three hours on the beach today with 15 missionaries! It was a party. We had lunch, played some football and volleyball. I got a little sun, meaning my arms are red.
Now that Gulfport Spanish is living in Gulfport, starting today, we are officially sharing our car with them. We are supposed to switch off every week with them. We'll see how well it works. We get it the rest of this week.
This Thursday, we are having a church tour with Samantha! Hopefully all goes well. Our local leaders need to be on board with this. Samantha has had issues with church leaders in the past. Here is praying all goes well. Also, she wasn't at church Sunday because she was in Alabama, but she is coming this week. We just need to arrange a ride for her.
We met a lady yesterday. Her name is Ecco. She was baptized when she was 16 in Colorado. She has 4 children. Anyway, a member friend in Utah that she was talking to on Facebook, sent the missionaries over to her apartment (us) to give her a blessing, as she is going through a hard time. Hopefully we can get her back to church. She's been in Gulfport 6 months (same with Elder Todd!).
There is just not enough time in one day. Elder Todd and I are trying, but we need to pick up the pace. Keep the ball moving!
Not too many dinner appointments this week, but a lot next week. The members here are pretty legit! Especially Brother and Sister Sowers. She takes care of our meal calenders. Because we had so few this week (Spanish had one and we had two) they are taking the four of us out to lunch on Thursday.
Oh! I have a cold. On the beach. In 80 degree weather. Don't ask me how that works. I'm just talented. I'm almost over it.
Just so everyone knows, the best things to every send me are.... stamps and gift cards to food places. Hahahaha
Not much else to report on. I love you all. Keep the peace!
Love,
Elder Mendenhall
March 14, 2011
To Whom It May Concern,
Oh boy oh boy.... what a looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong week! Amazing, but long. Elder Todd and I got up at 4:30 AM Tuesday morning. We left at 5:30, went to Wal Mart, McDonalds, and filled up with gas. We then went to Ocean Springs, picked up two Elders, went back to Biloxi, dropped an Elder off and picked one up, drove to Waveland and swapped Elder Todd for Elder Nuenswander (Mendenhall isn't so strange after all!) and then got to Hattiesburg by 9:15 AM. Then we had an awesome day of training! It went until about 4 PM. I will mention more on the training in a minute. Anyway, after that day of training, I stayed with the Hattiesburg English Elders. Some missionaries stayed with members, some with other missionaries around the area. I went on exchanges that day with Elder Wadsworth. After dinner, we went out with the new 1st counsler in the Bishopric and went and visited three families. Kind of uneventful. I lent the other Elders, Elders Killian and Nebeker use the car to go and contact a referral they received that lived 13 miles away (they are a bike area...). It was POURING down rain! Like crazy. It was late at night probably 8:30 or so. They missed the turn, and were pulling around..... and they ended up sliding into a ditch full of water. The front end was in it. The car was fine, not to worry! Oh... the missionaries were fine too. Anyway, they got pulled out and everything is fantastic! Well, we do need to take the car in for some touch up, and get a few pins added so the bumper will stay on better, but you get the idea. They got back between 10 and 10:30 that night. And Elder Nebeker wouldn't stop talking, so I didn't get to sleep until about midnight.
Anywho, back up the next day for training at 9:00. Went until 4, and then I went on exchanges with Elder Killian (this is Wednesday). We ended up going on splits so I was with a member. We went and visited a few families and then we took us out to eat after we met up with Elder Killian again. I got more sleep that night. Then training at 9:00 again but only until 2PM. Then we cleaned up and went back. Elder Todd and I got back to our area at about 5 PM. The Gulfport Spanish Elders (Elder Belt and Elder Price) were finally moving out of the Biloxi apartment into their new apartment in Gulfport. So we helped them move in. Then Elder Todd and I went and contacted 3 referrals and ate dinner... and went to sleep! :)
Friday was a good day. We did stuff... and taught one lesson to a new investigator. Samantha. She has been taught by missionaries before in Texas and has been around mormons and missionaries most of her life. She has had a hard life too by the sounds of it. Anywho, we invited her to be baptized and she accepted and is working towards April 2nd. Pray for her! :)
The training! Woot! So, a while back, the MTC had a Mission President in California select 8 missionaries. They then sent 8 MTC trainers out to work one on one with these missionaries. They recorded lessons taught, and everything. Anywho, after a long while, they came up with these videos (I watched some before I left) and also 8 simplified lessons fron Preach My Gospel. It is really neat! Starting in May, this is all they will teach in the MTC. They wont even realyl teach you how to teach. Just these 8 lessons about how to be a better missionary. I have the papers at my apartment in my new PMG (Preach My Gospel...) Binder!!!! I undid my PMG and went a long and taped the edges on eevry page so I could then hole punch them. They are in a binder (a 1 1/2 inch one) and it works well. Mine was getting all beat up and I wanted to protect it. So I had this idea! I taped the edges because the pages already had holes because of the spiral binding, and it wouldn't quite work with a hole punch. It's pretty neat!
The time change didn't mess with us TOO much. Made me a little crazy and hyper.... the not enough sleep hyper. Hahahahahaha! Fun stuff. We had a meeting at the church at 7 AM and 7:30 , so we were up early. The work must go on!! Come rain or snow or sleet or hail or dogs or lack of sleep or demons or devils! The Gospel can't be stopped. God is too awesome.
So I don't know quite what else to say. Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm..... I am going to catch up on replying to letters today! I am!!! YES! Hahahahahaha, hopefully. We'll see. I am hungry though. We might go buy pizza for lunch. I can get free crazy bread with a pizza purchase.
So..... I hope all is well with everyone! Party on! Remember that Jesus loves you! And so do I. The work is continually pressign forward. Keep the faith.
Kia Kaha!
Love,
Elder Dwight Douglas Mendenhall
Oh boy oh boy.... what a looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong week! Amazing, but long. Elder Todd and I got up at 4:30 AM Tuesday morning. We left at 5:30, went to Wal Mart, McDonalds, and filled up with gas. We then went to Ocean Springs, picked up two Elders, went back to Biloxi, dropped an Elder off and picked one up, drove to Waveland and swapped Elder Todd for Elder Nuenswander (Mendenhall isn't so strange after all!) and then got to Hattiesburg by 9:15 AM. Then we had an awesome day of training! It went until about 4 PM. I will mention more on the training in a minute. Anyway, after that day of training, I stayed with the Hattiesburg English Elders. Some missionaries stayed with members, some with other missionaries around the area. I went on exchanges that day with Elder Wadsworth. After dinner, we went out with the new 1st counsler in the Bishopric and went and visited three families. Kind of uneventful. I lent the other Elders, Elders Killian and Nebeker use the car to go and contact a referral they received that lived 13 miles away (they are a bike area...). It was POURING down rain! Like crazy. It was late at night probably 8:30 or so. They missed the turn, and were pulling around..... and they ended up sliding into a ditch full of water. The front end was in it. The car was fine, not to worry! Oh... the missionaries were fine too. Anyway, they got pulled out and everything is fantastic! Well, we do need to take the car in for some touch up, and get a few pins added so the bumper will stay on better, but you get the idea. They got back between 10 and 10:30 that night. And Elder Nebeker wouldn't stop talking, so I didn't get to sleep until about midnight.
Anywho, back up the next day for training at 9:00. Went until 4, and then I went on exchanges with Elder Killian (this is Wednesday). We ended up going on splits so I was with a member. We went and visited a few families and then we took us out to eat after we met up with Elder Killian again. I got more sleep that night. Then training at 9:00 again but only until 2PM. Then we cleaned up and went back. Elder Todd and I got back to our area at about 5 PM. The Gulfport Spanish Elders (Elder Belt and Elder Price) were finally moving out of the Biloxi apartment into their new apartment in Gulfport. So we helped them move in. Then Elder Todd and I went and contacted 3 referrals and ate dinner... and went to sleep! :)
Friday was a good day. We did stuff... and taught one lesson to a new investigator. Samantha. She has been taught by missionaries before in Texas and has been around mormons and missionaries most of her life. She has had a hard life too by the sounds of it. Anywho, we invited her to be baptized and she accepted and is working towards April 2nd. Pray for her! :)
The training! Woot! So, a while back, the MTC had a Mission President in California select 8 missionaries. They then sent 8 MTC trainers out to work one on one with these missionaries. They recorded lessons taught, and everything. Anywho, after a long while, they came up with these videos (I watched some before I left) and also 8 simplified lessons fron Preach My Gospel. It is really neat! Starting in May, this is all they will teach in the MTC. They wont even realyl teach you how to teach. Just these 8 lessons about how to be a better missionary. I have the papers at my apartment in my new PMG (Preach My Gospel...) Binder!!!! I undid my PMG and went a long and taped the edges on eevry page so I could then hole punch them. They are in a binder (a 1 1/2 inch one) and it works well. Mine was getting all beat up and I wanted to protect it. So I had this idea! I taped the edges because the pages already had holes because of the spiral binding, and it wouldn't quite work with a hole punch. It's pretty neat!
The time change didn't mess with us TOO much. Made me a little crazy and hyper.... the not enough sleep hyper. Hahahahahaha! Fun stuff. We had a meeting at the church at 7 AM and 7:30 , so we were up early. The work must go on!! Come rain or snow or sleet or hail or dogs or lack of sleep or demons or devils! The Gospel can't be stopped. God is too awesome.
So I don't know quite what else to say. Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm..... I am going to catch up on replying to letters today! I am!!! YES! Hahahahahaha, hopefully. We'll see. I am hungry though. We might go buy pizza for lunch. I can get free crazy bread with a pizza purchase.
So..... I hope all is well with everyone! Party on! Remember that Jesus loves you! And so do I. The work is continually pressign forward. Keep the faith.
Kia Kaha!
Love,
Elder Dwight Douglas Mendenhall
March 7, 2011
Dear Everyone,
Happy Fat Tuesday Eve!!! Tomorrow is Mardi Gras!!! Alright! Fat Tuesday! The day where you are allowed to get all your sinning out before Ash Wednesday where you repent and give something up for the 40 days of Lent, followed by Easter. I haven't been to a parade yet, though I know some Elders have. Elder Todd and I want to go and hand out some pass along cards, and of course have people throw us beads. Which I really don't get. Beads are just plastic necklaces... oh well. The parades and celebrations here are really really mild compared to New Orleans. Cool holiday I guess. I agree with someone here that told us the floats are gaudy. I can imagine with the colors. Yellow, green, and purple. Maybe someday those will be my wedding colors. I wonder how many people in Utah would understand that.....not many probably. So.... moral of this paragraph, get all your sinning for the year in tomorrow!!!!
Be the good missionary that I am (hahahahahahahha) I was NEVER planning on breaking rules tomorrow.... at least not seriously. It appears that I wouldn't really ever get that chance though. I am going to Hattiesburg (AGAIN)! This time for a "leadership training", aka, training in general. MTC stuff that they don't teach you in the MTC. So I will be with President and Sister Tucker as well as the Assistants all day. No chance to not behave. I will also be there Wednesday and Thursday. Three days of training! Alright! Elder Todd and I are leaving tomorrow morning at about 6:00 AM and going to Ocean Springs to pick up Elder Djainy (Johnny....is how you pronounce it... not sure if I spelled it right.) and Elder Rowley. Then going to the Biloxi apartment, dropping Elder Djainy off and picking up Elder Sherriff. Then we are going to Waveland and dropping Elder Todd off and picking up another Elder. Then driving to Hattiesburg. Elder Todd will be working in Waveland with Elder Manning for three days while I go to the training meeting. Fun stuff. I am actually really looking forward to it.
This past week, I went and worked in D'Iberville for about a day. I went on exchanges and worked with Elder Westbrook. It was a fun experience, seeing as how it was good for him and me as well. I have been out 6 weeks longer than him. Greeny power! This is his fourth week in the mission. Fun stuff! We tracted for awhile.... and I got to tract on Wizards Cove! And Unicorn something or another. Cool little neighborhood. No one talked to us there, which is really sad. Souls are at stake and no one realizes it, but the work goes on. We just need to look for those people who are ready! Those people who have had their hearts and minds prepared to receive the fullness of Christ's gospel.
It just so happens that I brought a list of quotes with me on my mission.... and I was reading through them the other day and I found a new favorite. Allow me to share it. It is on my wall now, because it is AWESOME!!!! It is by Theodore Roosevelt:
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”
Isn't it awesome? I love it. We must ACT! And try our hardest! Whether we fail and come short, at least we tried and gave it our all.
We had rain Friday night and all day Saturday. I was actually out standing in the parking lot at our apartment complex on Friday at about 10:00 PM in shorts, a t-shirt, with no shoes most of the time, just standing in the rain. It was marvelous, beautiful, and fantasmagorical! It was that amazing. It then stopped raining and I really wanted it to rain more, and asked God to have it rain more and to just open the Heavens and have it pour down!!!! And.... He did! Just the next day. Lesson learned? Be specific! Hahahahaha. But standing there in the rain really was a marvelous and awesome experience. A very personal and spiritual time for me as well. I loved it. And they say that when it rains it either gets colder or hotter, well.... it got colder!!! YAY!
I think I am in a really talkative mood today! And then also not. Which is potentially good or bad... as I have 8 letters I still need to reply to. Something interesting... I just overheard one of the librarians say they will be closed next Monday.... maybe no email.... hmmmmm.... one of the other libraries might be open. Hopefully.
So... in the south they eat a lot of... chicken! Elder Todd had chicken Wednesday night (I was supposed to but went to D'Iberville), then we had it Thursday, Friday, and Sunday. Saturday we were fasting, so nothing then. And someone gave us $20 to go try this place called Cajuns. I imagine it's like KFC, only different slightly. They have a buffet, so I think we will be eating there for dinner. So far I haven't really gained any weight, which is good. At least I haven't gained fat. I have succeed in doing one fingertip pull up (a pull up done by just holding on with your fingertips.... it KILLS your forearms. At least mine). I haven't been working out lately. Not like I should. I need to get on that. I've been too lazy in the mornings. Not good.
General conference is coming up quick! I am excited!!!! AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! March is awesome!
So I mentioned that tomorrow is Fat Tuesday. It is also the 8th... meaning... BIRTHDAYS! Happy birthday, Dad! Don't worry, I wont tell the world how old you are. Also, my really good friend, Alyssa, (who no one but me will ever really fully understand how much she has done for me, if I even fully comprehend that) turns 18! Woot! And.... it is my three month mark! Meaning I still have 2 years left! Alright! I get to serve 2 more years for 2 years. That never changes. Remember that. I think Elder Piggott mentioned yesterday that him and Elder Todd have 60 days left, meaning 59 today. Wow. Crazy!
Ummmmmmm.... I don't have much else to say. Have fun! Keep the peace! Be strong! And.... eat lots of cake! King cake! It's a Mardi Gras thing... it is DELICIOUS! I shall come home indoctrinated in all the ways of Mardi Gras... a Catholic holiday originally.
I love you all. Keep the people of the south in your prayers. And me! Lots of love!
--
Love,
Elder Dwight Douglas Mendenhall
980 Courthouse Road #407
Gulfport, Mississippi 39507
Happy Fat Tuesday Eve!!! Tomorrow is Mardi Gras!!! Alright! Fat Tuesday! The day where you are allowed to get all your sinning out before Ash Wednesday where you repent and give something up for the 40 days of Lent, followed by Easter. I haven't been to a parade yet, though I know some Elders have. Elder Todd and I want to go and hand out some pass along cards, and of course have people throw us beads. Which I really don't get. Beads are just plastic necklaces... oh well. The parades and celebrations here are really really mild compared to New Orleans. Cool holiday I guess. I agree with someone here that told us the floats are gaudy. I can imagine with the colors. Yellow, green, and purple. Maybe someday those will be my wedding colors. I wonder how many people in Utah would understand that.....not many probably. So.... moral of this paragraph, get all your sinning for the year in tomorrow!!!!
Be the good missionary that I am (hahahahahahahha) I was NEVER planning on breaking rules tomorrow.... at least not seriously. It appears that I wouldn't really ever get that chance though. I am going to Hattiesburg (AGAIN)! This time for a "leadership training", aka, training in general. MTC stuff that they don't teach you in the MTC. So I will be with President and Sister Tucker as well as the Assistants all day. No chance to not behave. I will also be there Wednesday and Thursday. Three days of training! Alright! Elder Todd and I are leaving tomorrow morning at about 6:00 AM and going to Ocean Springs to pick up Elder Djainy (Johnny....is how you pronounce it... not sure if I spelled it right.) and Elder Rowley. Then going to the Biloxi apartment, dropping Elder Djainy off and picking up Elder Sherriff. Then we are going to Waveland and dropping Elder Todd off and picking up another Elder. Then driving to Hattiesburg. Elder Todd will be working in Waveland with Elder Manning for three days while I go to the training meeting. Fun stuff. I am actually really looking forward to it.
This past week, I went and worked in D'Iberville for about a day. I went on exchanges and worked with Elder Westbrook. It was a fun experience, seeing as how it was good for him and me as well. I have been out 6 weeks longer than him. Greeny power! This is his fourth week in the mission. Fun stuff! We tracted for awhile.... and I got to tract on Wizards Cove! And Unicorn something or another. Cool little neighborhood. No one talked to us there, which is really sad. Souls are at stake and no one realizes it, but the work goes on. We just need to look for those people who are ready! Those people who have had their hearts and minds prepared to receive the fullness of Christ's gospel.
It just so happens that I brought a list of quotes with me on my mission.... and I was reading through them the other day and I found a new favorite. Allow me to share it. It is on my wall now, because it is AWESOME!!!! It is by Theodore Roosevelt:
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”
Isn't it awesome? I love it. We must ACT! And try our hardest! Whether we fail and come short, at least we tried and gave it our all.
We had rain Friday night and all day Saturday. I was actually out standing in the parking lot at our apartment complex on Friday at about 10:00 PM in shorts, a t-shirt, with no shoes most of the time, just standing in the rain. It was marvelous, beautiful, and fantasmagorical! It was that amazing. It then stopped raining and I really wanted it to rain more, and asked God to have it rain more and to just open the Heavens and have it pour down!!!! And.... He did! Just the next day. Lesson learned? Be specific! Hahahahaha. But standing there in the rain really was a marvelous and awesome experience. A very personal and spiritual time for me as well. I loved it. And they say that when it rains it either gets colder or hotter, well.... it got colder!!! YAY!
I think I am in a really talkative mood today! And then also not. Which is potentially good or bad... as I have 8 letters I still need to reply to. Something interesting... I just overheard one of the librarians say they will be closed next Monday.... maybe no email.... hmmmmm.... one of the other libraries might be open. Hopefully.
So... in the south they eat a lot of... chicken! Elder Todd had chicken Wednesday night (I was supposed to but went to D'Iberville), then we had it Thursday, Friday, and Sunday. Saturday we were fasting, so nothing then. And someone gave us $20 to go try this place called Cajuns. I imagine it's like KFC, only different slightly. They have a buffet, so I think we will be eating there for dinner. So far I haven't really gained any weight, which is good. At least I haven't gained fat. I have succeed in doing one fingertip pull up (a pull up done by just holding on with your fingertips.... it KILLS your forearms. At least mine). I haven't been working out lately. Not like I should. I need to get on that. I've been too lazy in the mornings. Not good.
General conference is coming up quick! I am excited!!!! AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! March is awesome!
So I mentioned that tomorrow is Fat Tuesday. It is also the 8th... meaning... BIRTHDAYS! Happy birthday, Dad! Don't worry, I wont tell the world how old you are. Also, my really good friend, Alyssa, (who no one but me will ever really fully understand how much she has done for me, if I even fully comprehend that) turns 18! Woot! And.... it is my three month mark! Meaning I still have 2 years left! Alright! I get to serve 2 more years for 2 years. That never changes. Remember that. I think Elder Piggott mentioned yesterday that him and Elder Todd have 60 days left, meaning 59 today. Wow. Crazy!
Ummmmmmm.... I don't have much else to say. Have fun! Keep the peace! Be strong! And.... eat lots of cake! King cake! It's a Mardi Gras thing... it is DELICIOUS! I shall come home indoctrinated in all the ways of Mardi Gras... a Catholic holiday originally.
I love you all. Keep the people of the south in your prayers. And me! Lots of love!
--
Love,
Elder Dwight Douglas Mendenhall
980 Courthouse Road #407
Gulfport, Mississippi 39507
Saturday, March 12, 2011
MUSIC CONTEST
I, Elder Mendenhall, have come to realize that I need more music to listen to on my mission! I need more variety or I might go crazy. So I have decided to hold a music contest!
What to do: Make a CD and send it to me.
When: Now until April 30 (postmark date…) in order to qualify for the prize!
How it works: You send me a CD, at the end of April I will choose three winners! You will win prizes… Which are currently a surprise!
Qualifications and Expectations:
1- Needs to be spiritually uplifting. Mission rules: Needs to invite the spirit
and not be distracting.
2- I enjoy upbeat music.
3- I enjoy lyrics and being able to sing along.
4- Adding any songs you think I might like is a plus!
5- I think that is all…. Be creative!
Make sure to have your name on it and the different track names listed! Naming the CD is a plus!
Have fun!
Send the CD's to:
Elder Dwight Mendenhall
980 Courthouse Road #407
Gulfport, MS 39507
Mardi Gras
Dear Everyone,
Happy Fat Tuesday Eve!!! Tomorrow is Mardi Gras!!! Alright! Fat Tuesday! The day where you are allowed to get all your sinning out before Ash Wednesday where you repent and give something up for the 40 days of Lent, followed by Easter. I haven't been to a parade yet, though I know some Elders have. Elder Todd and I want to go and hand out some pass along cards, and of course have people throw us beads. Which I really don't get. Beads are just plastic necklaces... oh well. The parades and celebrations here are really really mild compared to New Orleans. Cool holiday I guess. I agree with someone here that told us the floats are gaudy. I can imagine with the colors. Yellow, green, and purple. Maybe someday those will be my wedding colors. I wonder how many people in Utah would understand that.....not many probably. So.... moral of this paragraph, get all your sinning for the year in tomorrow!!!!
Be the good missionary that I am (hahahahahahahha) I was NEVER planning on breaking rules tomorrow.... at least not seriously. It appears that I wouldn't really ever get that chance though. I am going to Hattiesburg (AGAIN)! This time for a "leadership training", aka, training in general. MTC stuff that they don't teach you in the MTC. So I will be with President and Sister Tucker as well as the Assistants all day. No chance to not behave. I will also be there Wednesday and Thursday. Three days of training! Alright! Elder Todd and I are leaving tomorrow morning at about 6:00 AM and going to Ocean Springs to pick up Elder Djainy (Johnny....is how you pronounce it... not sure if I spelled it right.) and Elder Rowley. Then going to the Biloxi apartment, dropping Elder Djainy off and picking up Elder Sherriff. Then we are going to Waveland and dropping Elder Todd off and picking up another Elder. Then driving to Hattiesburg. Elder Todd will be working in Waveland with Elder Manning for three days while I go to the training meeting. Fun stuff. I am actually really looking forward to it.
This past week, I went and worked in D'Iberville for about a day. I went on exchanges and worked with Elder Westbrook. It was a fun experience, seeing as how it was good for him and me as well. I have been out 6 weeks longer than him. Greeny power! This is his fourth week in the mission. Fun stuff! We tracted for awhile.... and I got to tract on Wizards Cove! And Unicorn something or another. Cool little neighborhood. No one talked to us there, which is really sad. Souls are at stake and no one realizes it, but the work goes on. We just need to look for those people who are ready! Those people who have had their hearts and minds prepared to receive the fullness of Christ's gospel.
It just so happens that I brought a list of quotes with me on my mission.... and I was reading through them the other day and I found a new favorite. Allow me to share it. It is on my wall now, because it is AWESOME!!!! It is by Theodore Roosevelt:
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”
Isn't it awesome? I love it. We must ACT! And try our hardest! Whether we fail and come short, at least we tried and gave it our all.
We had rain Friday night and all day Saturday. I was actually out standing in the parking lot at our apartment complex on Friday at about 10:00 PM in shorts, a t-shirt, with no shoes most of the time, just standing in the rain. It was marvelous, beautiful, and fantasmagorical! It was that amazing. It then stopped raining and I really wanted it to rain more, and asked God to have it rain more and to just open the Heavens and have it pour down!!!! And.... He did! Just the next day. Lesson learned? Be specific! Hahahahaha. But standing there in the rain really was a marvelous and awesome experience. A very personal and spiritual time for me as well. I loved it. And they say that when it rains it either gets colder or hotter, well.... it got colder!!! YAY!
I think I am in a really talkative mood today! And then also not. Which is potentially good or bad... as I have 8 letters I still need to reply to. Something interesting... I just overheard one of the librarians say they will be closed next Monday.... maybe no email.... hmmmmm.... one of the other libraries might be open. Hopefully.
So... in the south they eat a lot of... chicken! Elder Todd had chicken Wednesday night (I was supposed to but went to D'Iberville), then we had it Thursday, Friday, and Sunday. Saturday we were fasting, so nothing then. And someone gave us $20 to go try this place called Cajuns. I imagine it's like KFC, only different slightly. They have a buffet, so I think we will be eating there for dinner. So far I haven't really gained any weight, which is good. At least I haven't gained fat. I have succeed in doing one fingertip pull up (a pull up done by just holding on with your fingertips.... it KILLS your forearms. At least mine). I haven't been working out lately. Not like I should. I need to get on that. I've been too lazy in the mornings. Not good.
General conference is coming up quick! I am excited!!!! AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! March is awesome!
So I mentioned that tomorrow is Fat Tuesday. It is also the 8th... meaning... BIRTHDAYS! Happy birthday, Dad! Don't worry, I wont tell the world how old you are. Also, my really good friend, Alyssa, (who no one but me will ever really fully understand how much she has done for me, if I even fully comprehend that) turns 18! Woot! And.... it is my three month mark! Meaning I still have 2 years left! Alright! I get to serve 2 more years for 2 years. That never changes. Remember that. I think Elder Piggott mentioned yesterday that him and Elder Todd have 60 days left, meaning 59 today. Wow. Crazy!
Ummmmmmm.... I don't have much else to say. Have fun! Keep the peace! Be strong! And.... eat lots of cake! King cake! It's a Mardi Gras thing... it is DELICIOUS! I shall come home indoctrinated in all the ways of Mardi Gras... a Catholic holiday originally.
I love you all. Keep the people of the south in your prayers. And me! Lots of love!
--
Love,
Elder Dwight Douglas Mendenhall
980 Courthouse Road #407
Gulfport, Mississippi 39507
Happy Fat Tuesday Eve!!! Tomorrow is Mardi Gras!!! Alright! Fat Tuesday! The day where you are allowed to get all your sinning out before Ash Wednesday where you repent and give something up for the 40 days of Lent, followed by Easter. I haven't been to a parade yet, though I know some Elders have. Elder Todd and I want to go and hand out some pass along cards, and of course have people throw us beads. Which I really don't get. Beads are just plastic necklaces... oh well. The parades and celebrations here are really really mild compared to New Orleans. Cool holiday I guess. I agree with someone here that told us the floats are gaudy. I can imagine with the colors. Yellow, green, and purple. Maybe someday those will be my wedding colors. I wonder how many people in Utah would understand that.....not many probably. So.... moral of this paragraph, get all your sinning for the year in tomorrow!!!!
Be the good missionary that I am (hahahahahahahha) I was NEVER planning on breaking rules tomorrow.... at least not seriously. It appears that I wouldn't really ever get that chance though. I am going to Hattiesburg (AGAIN)! This time for a "leadership training", aka, training in general. MTC stuff that they don't teach you in the MTC. So I will be with President and Sister Tucker as well as the Assistants all day. No chance to not behave. I will also be there Wednesday and Thursday. Three days of training! Alright! Elder Todd and I are leaving tomorrow morning at about 6:00 AM and going to Ocean Springs to pick up Elder Djainy (Johnny....is how you pronounce it... not sure if I spelled it right.) and Elder Rowley. Then going to the Biloxi apartment, dropping Elder Djainy off and picking up Elder Sherriff. Then we are going to Waveland and dropping Elder Todd off and picking up another Elder. Then driving to Hattiesburg. Elder Todd will be working in Waveland with Elder Manning for three days while I go to the training meeting. Fun stuff. I am actually really looking forward to it.
This past week, I went and worked in D'Iberville for about a day. I went on exchanges and worked with Elder Westbrook. It was a fun experience, seeing as how it was good for him and me as well. I have been out 6 weeks longer than him. Greeny power! This is his fourth week in the mission. Fun stuff! We tracted for awhile.... and I got to tract on Wizards Cove! And Unicorn something or another. Cool little neighborhood. No one talked to us there, which is really sad. Souls are at stake and no one realizes it, but the work goes on. We just need to look for those people who are ready! Those people who have had their hearts and minds prepared to receive the fullness of Christ's gospel.
It just so happens that I brought a list of quotes with me on my mission.... and I was reading through them the other day and I found a new favorite. Allow me to share it. It is on my wall now, because it is AWESOME!!!! It is by Theodore Roosevelt:
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”
Isn't it awesome? I love it. We must ACT! And try our hardest! Whether we fail and come short, at least we tried and gave it our all.
We had rain Friday night and all day Saturday. I was actually out standing in the parking lot at our apartment complex on Friday at about 10:00 PM in shorts, a t-shirt, with no shoes most of the time, just standing in the rain. It was marvelous, beautiful, and fantasmagorical! It was that amazing. It then stopped raining and I really wanted it to rain more, and asked God to have it rain more and to just open the Heavens and have it pour down!!!! And.... He did! Just the next day. Lesson learned? Be specific! Hahahahaha. But standing there in the rain really was a marvelous and awesome experience. A very personal and spiritual time for me as well. I loved it. And they say that when it rains it either gets colder or hotter, well.... it got colder!!! YAY!
I think I am in a really talkative mood today! And then also not. Which is potentially good or bad... as I have 8 letters I still need to reply to. Something interesting... I just overheard one of the librarians say they will be closed next Monday.... maybe no email.... hmmmmm.... one of the other libraries might be open. Hopefully.
So... in the south they eat a lot of... chicken! Elder Todd had chicken Wednesday night (I was supposed to but went to D'Iberville), then we had it Thursday, Friday, and Sunday. Saturday we were fasting, so nothing then. And someone gave us $20 to go try this place called Cajuns. I imagine it's like KFC, only different slightly. They have a buffet, so I think we will be eating there for dinner. So far I haven't really gained any weight, which is good. At least I haven't gained fat. I have succeed in doing one fingertip pull up (a pull up done by just holding on with your fingertips.... it KILLS your forearms. At least mine). I haven't been working out lately. Not like I should. I need to get on that. I've been too lazy in the mornings. Not good.
General conference is coming up quick! I am excited!!!! AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! March is awesome!
So I mentioned that tomorrow is Fat Tuesday. It is also the 8th... meaning... BIRTHDAYS! Happy birthday, Dad! Don't worry, I wont tell the world how old you are. Also, my really good friend, Alyssa, (who no one but me will ever really fully understand how much she has done for me, if I even fully comprehend that) turns 18! Woot! And.... it is my three month mark! Meaning I still have 2 years left! Alright! I get to serve 2 more years for 2 years. That never changes. Remember that. I think Elder Piggott mentioned yesterday that him and Elder Todd have 60 days left, meaning 59 today. Wow. Crazy!
Ummmmmmm.... I don't have much else to say. Have fun! Keep the peace! Be strong! And.... eat lots of cake! King cake! It's a Mardi Gras thing... it is DELICIOUS! I shall come home indoctrinated in all the ways of Mardi Gras... a Catholic holiday originally.
I love you all. Keep the people of the south in your prayers. And me! Lots of love!
--
Love,
Elder Dwight Douglas Mendenhall
980 Courthouse Road #407
Gulfport, Mississippi 39507
February 28
Good Morning!
It's raining!!!! It's pouring!!!! Which Elder Todd informed me will just make it hotter. Oh well. I will enjoy it anyway!
This past week has been an awesome one! Elder Todd and I are slowing improving and our work is beginning to show up with numbers. I think what we really needed was the Zone Conference we had to get us pumped up! On Wednesday, we drove to Hattiesburg, MS for Zone Conference, where we had the Gulfport , Slidell, and Hattiesburg zones. At least I think those are the correct names. It was really uplifting! And also.... condemning? Our mission goal was 35 baptisms for the month of January. We got 3 for the ENTIRE mission. In December we set a record for the highest number of baptisms in the mission and January was the lowest ever. The theme of Zone Conference was balance. Learning to balance everything we do. For February we have/had a goal for 27 baptisms, and so far we are at 21 or 22.... something like that. The numbers shot up towards the end of the month. We do have someone with a baptismal date, but he used to be a member so he wont count as a convert baptism. We don't care, we just want to help him. He has an interesting view of the church, and doesn't really like it and it's "rules". Some part of him knows it is true, but he doesn't want to change. He tries to find loopholes into Heaven and he is fine with going to the Terrestial kingdom. We're working on him.
We talked a lot about our key indicators and how we can look at them and see what we need to work on and balance it all out. I got to role play with President Tucker. He was a missionary and I was an investigator. It was tons of fun! Hahahahahaha, I love that man. He truly is a servant of the Lord.
At Zone Conference, Sister Tucker handed me an manila envelope. It had Elder Mendenhall written on the front in Elder Redmon's handwriting. I was thinking he sent something I forgot. Instead, I found 6 letters inside! Woot! It made me happy. I guess instead of forwarding, he knew that with Zone Conference coming up, he could just pass them along. By Saturday night, I had 10 letters which I needed to reply to. I'm down to 9 so far. I know how I am spending the rest of my p-day! Hahahahahaha, it's good to know that I have people who care about me and want to keep in touch. I feel loved! Not that I don't already, but still....
This week, Shay let us know about some more of her problems, and we didn't get to really share much of a lesson with Sandy, as things came up while we were there, but we did develop our friendship more with her. Which is good.
I was privileged to attend three baptisms on Saturday. The first two were some 9 year old twins our Zone Leaders taught. Those were convert baptisms (older than 8). The other one was an 8 year old in the ward. Elder Todd and I were the witnesses, which was really neat! It was the second baptism I ever remember participating in. The first one being mine! Yes, that one counts. We were also invited to stand in the circle to confirm her. Regan Christensen! It was really neat to see and help with.
I know I haven't said much, but I don't have much to say right now. I know this gospel is true and I love the work! Keep the faith and stay close to the Lord. He will never lead you astray!
--
Love,
Elder Dwight Douglas Mendenhall
980 Courthouse Road #407
Gulfport, Mississippi 39507
It's raining!!!! It's pouring!!!! Which Elder Todd informed me will just make it hotter. Oh well. I will enjoy it anyway!
This past week has been an awesome one! Elder Todd and I are slowing improving and our work is beginning to show up with numbers. I think what we really needed was the Zone Conference we had to get us pumped up! On Wednesday, we drove to Hattiesburg, MS for Zone Conference, where we had the Gulfport , Slidell, and Hattiesburg zones. At least I think those are the correct names. It was really uplifting! And also.... condemning? Our mission goal was 35 baptisms for the month of January. We got 3 for the ENTIRE mission. In December we set a record for the highest number of baptisms in the mission and January was the lowest ever. The theme of Zone Conference was balance. Learning to balance everything we do. For February we have/had a goal for 27 baptisms, and so far we are at 21 or 22.... something like that. The numbers shot up towards the end of the month. We do have someone with a baptismal date, but he used to be a member so he wont count as a convert baptism. We don't care, we just want to help him. He has an interesting view of the church, and doesn't really like it and it's "rules". Some part of him knows it is true, but he doesn't want to change. He tries to find loopholes into Heaven and he is fine with going to the Terrestial kingdom. We're working on him.
We talked a lot about our key indicators and how we can look at them and see what we need to work on and balance it all out. I got to role play with President Tucker. He was a missionary and I was an investigator. It was tons of fun! Hahahahahaha, I love that man. He truly is a servant of the Lord.
At Zone Conference, Sister Tucker handed me an manila envelope. It had Elder Mendenhall written on the front in Elder Redmon's handwriting. I was thinking he sent something I forgot. Instead, I found 6 letters inside! Woot! It made me happy. I guess instead of forwarding, he knew that with Zone Conference coming up, he could just pass them along. By Saturday night, I had 10 letters which I needed to reply to. I'm down to 9 so far. I know how I am spending the rest of my p-day! Hahahahahaha, it's good to know that I have people who care about me and want to keep in touch. I feel loved! Not that I don't already, but still....
This week, Shay let us know about some more of her problems, and we didn't get to really share much of a lesson with Sandy, as things came up while we were there, but we did develop our friendship more with her. Which is good.
I was privileged to attend three baptisms on Saturday. The first two were some 9 year old twins our Zone Leaders taught. Those were convert baptisms (older than 8). The other one was an 8 year old in the ward. Elder Todd and I were the witnesses, which was really neat! It was the second baptism I ever remember participating in. The first one being mine! Yes, that one counts. We were also invited to stand in the circle to confirm her. Regan Christensen! It was really neat to see and help with.
I know I haven't said much, but I don't have much to say right now. I know this gospel is true and I love the work! Keep the faith and stay close to the Lord. He will never lead you astray!
--
Love,
Elder Dwight Douglas Mendenhall
980 Courthouse Road #407
Gulfport, Mississippi 39507
Happy Valentines Day/Single's Awareness Day!
Hey All Y'all!
So. Crazy week! I was on the T-Van (transfer van...and other vehicles and transfer points...) for 10 hours on Tuesday! But I arrived in Gulfport safe and sound. The gulf is really pretty. Though I would trade it any day for mountains! Good old Utah mountains. They can't be beat.
Elder Todd and I are companions! And we're crazy! Hahahahahha. So we don't have too many investigators at all. We have one 10 year old girl who is super close to being baptized, but that is it. But we have a plan and we have worked hard on it this past week! We are going to be working a lot with part member families. And we are trying to have the best area book ever, which we worked on a lot this past week. It's going to take a little while before our work shows up number wise, but it will be worth it. The Lord is here with us in Gulfport and we have a work to do!
The Gulfport ward has 800 members!!!!!!!! Insane, huh?! But guess how many are active... about 200. We are working on it. We actually have 6 missionaries in our ward. Elder Todd and myself, our Zone Leaders, Elder Gardner and Elder Piggot, and then the Spanish Elders, Elder Belt and Elder Price. It's pretty legit! We have a family who feeds all os us every Wednesday night. (We actually just got the Spanish Elders... or they are in the process of moving in.) And I actually got to speak in Sacrament meeting yesterday. Lucky me! Not the best talk ever, but I sure hope the spirit was there.
Anyway... I had a bunch to talk about, but I don't remember any of it now. The people here are nice. I have yet to see an alligator, but I sure am going to be on the lookout for one!
Well, I guess that is all I have to say at the moment! Keep the faith all.... and................... HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!! Hope it's full of love and joy! Just like every other day should be. And to all you single people... Happy Single Awareness Day! That's my holiday! Hahahahahahaha..... I enjoy myself too much.
Oh! I have a cowboy hat! It is AWESOME!!!! Brother Sisson gave it to me before I left Texarkana. It makes me happy.
Keep on keeping on!
Love,
Elder Dwight Douglas Mendenhall
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
6 Weeks Out...Here Comes Mississippi!
Hey Everyone!!!
So, tomorrow is transfer day in the mission, meaning I have been in the mission field for 6 weeks!!! It is crazy to think about. And I have some crazy news.... I made breakfast this morning!!! Wow! Hahahahaha, not the crazy news. Anyway....
So Saturday morning we received a phone call from President Tucker. Elder Redmon answered it, because he thought he was in trouble. He borrowed another missionary's GPS and the Elder had wanted it back for awhile now. That Elder called 15 minutes before President Tucker did, and Elder Redmon ignored the call, thinking he would call him back later that day after he shipped the GPS. So 15 minutes after the ignored call, the President called and Elder Redmon thought the other missionary had called the top dog and that he was gonna get a talkin' to! Well, turns out he was wrong. We had forgotten about transfers, and we all get a phone call saying whether we were getting transferred or not. Anyway, this whole time I had no idea who Elder Redmon was talking to, because I was in the other room. But he comes in and hands me the phone, and tells me it is President Tucker. I had no idea why he wanted to talk to little ol' me, but I answered the phone. We greeted each other, and then he said, "I assume Elder Redmon told you about the bigs news" and I told him no.... and then he said to me.... "You're being transfered!!!!!" It caught me completely off guard! I have only been in Texarkana 6 weeks. So I asked him where I was being transfered to and he told me I am going to Gulfport South (Gulfport, Mississippi...right on the coast). I then asked who my new companion was, and he said it was an Elder from Utah by the name of.... Elder Todd!!!! (He asked if I knew him, knowing full well that I do). It is CRAZY!!!! For those reading this that might not know who Elder Todd is, allow me to explain. Elder Michael Lorin Todd is from Mt. Pleasant, Utah! Same stake as me, and we used to work together. We are really good friends. Spent plenty of time hanging out and goofing off. It is absolutely crazy that we got sent to the same mission, and now we will be serving together. When I got sent to Texarkana, I thought I wouldn't get to see Elder Todd at all, because he now only has 6-12 weeks left and that is how long I was expecting to be in Texarkana. I told President Tucker that this was a complete surprise and he said it was. He said he normally doesn't do this, but he had a strong impression that he should. I guess the Lord has a work for Elder Todd and myself out in Gulfport, MS. It's crazy!
So that was Saturday morning. It is bitter sweet. I love Texarkana, and Elder Redmon and I were really starting to get along well, and I love the people here and have made some friends. I am especially going to miss Lyman Sisson. He is so awesome. I have mentioned him before. I have learned a lot from him and consider him a really good friend. It is going to be tough to leave here, but I am excited to serve with Elder Michael Todd. It is going to be a BLAST!!!! His older brother, Taylor, and I were joking around before I left that Michael would be my trainer and we would have so much fun together sharing the gospel that people would see us and the joy we had, that they would want to have what we have and would be curious and come investigate the church. Well, I guess it will happen now.
Not too much else happened this week. Same ol' same ol'. We did go to Ashdown, AR on Friday and worked there for the day. A member, Brother Jet (he is Thai and has a hard name to pronounce so he goes by Jet for short... and I don't remember his last name) drove us. We ended up going on splits, and I went with Jet and Elder Redmon went with Tylor Jones, a 16 year old who lives in Ashdown (which is 20-30 minutes away from Texarkana). We all had a lot of success and it was tons of fun.
Well, not too much else to report on. I leave tomorrow sometime for Gulfport South (which is the coast... and one of the longest transfers of the mission.... LOOOOOOONG drive!) The transfer van (15 passenger van) will pick us (Elder Davis and Elder Mark from my district are being transfered as well) up in Monroe. So we will drive to Shreveport, LA, and from there get a ride with a member to Monroe and from there we will meet Elder and Sister Erikson and head out east.
It's not very often at all that a greenie who has been out 6 weeks leaves his trainer and goes to a different area. Elder Todd will finish my training. I am assuming that I will serve with him until he goes home, and then I will be there another 1-2 transfers. Not to worry. Hurricanes and oil don't bother me much. I hear the apartments there are really nice. Elder Redmon served in Ocean Springs, which is the area right next to Gulfport.
I look forward to my transfer. The Lord had a work for me to do here in Texarkana, and I have finished (almost... I still have 1 day left!) that and now he needs me in Gulfport. I am ready and willing to go where the Lord calls.
For any letters, until I know for sure of my mailing address in Gulfport, you can send them to the mission home address:
Elder Dwight Douglas Mendenhall
681 Towne Center Blvd Ste C
Ridgeland, Mississippi 39157
They will forward all the mail on to me. And any mail sent to Texarkana will also reach me in Gulfport....eventually.
Well, the work goes on. I will try to not have too much fun with Elder Todd. Keep the faith, and keep on keeping on!
Love,
Elder Dwight Douglas Mendenhall
So, tomorrow is transfer day in the mission, meaning I have been in the mission field for 6 weeks!!! It is crazy to think about. And I have some crazy news.... I made breakfast this morning!!! Wow! Hahahahaha, not the crazy news. Anyway....
So Saturday morning we received a phone call from President Tucker. Elder Redmon answered it, because he thought he was in trouble. He borrowed another missionary's GPS and the Elder had wanted it back for awhile now. That Elder called 15 minutes before President Tucker did, and Elder Redmon ignored the call, thinking he would call him back later that day after he shipped the GPS. So 15 minutes after the ignored call, the President called and Elder Redmon thought the other missionary had called the top dog and that he was gonna get a talkin' to! Well, turns out he was wrong. We had forgotten about transfers, and we all get a phone call saying whether we were getting transferred or not. Anyway, this whole time I had no idea who Elder Redmon was talking to, because I was in the other room. But he comes in and hands me the phone, and tells me it is President Tucker. I had no idea why he wanted to talk to little ol' me, but I answered the phone. We greeted each other, and then he said, "I assume Elder Redmon told you about the bigs news" and I told him no.... and then he said to me.... "You're being transfered!!!!!" It caught me completely off guard! I have only been in Texarkana 6 weeks. So I asked him where I was being transfered to and he told me I am going to Gulfport South (Gulfport, Mississippi...right on the coast). I then asked who my new companion was, and he said it was an Elder from Utah by the name of.... Elder Todd!!!! (He asked if I knew him, knowing full well that I do). It is CRAZY!!!! For those reading this that might not know who Elder Todd is, allow me to explain. Elder Michael Lorin Todd is from Mt. Pleasant, Utah! Same stake as me, and we used to work together. We are really good friends. Spent plenty of time hanging out and goofing off. It is absolutely crazy that we got sent to the same mission, and now we will be serving together. When I got sent to Texarkana, I thought I wouldn't get to see Elder Todd at all, because he now only has 6-12 weeks left and that is how long I was expecting to be in Texarkana. I told President Tucker that this was a complete surprise and he said it was. He said he normally doesn't do this, but he had a strong impression that he should. I guess the Lord has a work for Elder Todd and myself out in Gulfport, MS. It's crazy!
So that was Saturday morning. It is bitter sweet. I love Texarkana, and Elder Redmon and I were really starting to get along well, and I love the people here and have made some friends. I am especially going to miss Lyman Sisson. He is so awesome. I have mentioned him before. I have learned a lot from him and consider him a really good friend. It is going to be tough to leave here, but I am excited to serve with Elder Michael Todd. It is going to be a BLAST!!!! His older brother, Taylor, and I were joking around before I left that Michael would be my trainer and we would have so much fun together sharing the gospel that people would see us and the joy we had, that they would want to have what we have and would be curious and come investigate the church. Well, I guess it will happen now.
Not too much else happened this week. Same ol' same ol'. We did go to Ashdown, AR on Friday and worked there for the day. A member, Brother Jet (he is Thai and has a hard name to pronounce so he goes by Jet for short... and I don't remember his last name) drove us. We ended up going on splits, and I went with Jet and Elder Redmon went with Tylor Jones, a 16 year old who lives in Ashdown (which is 20-30 minutes away from Texarkana). We all had a lot of success and it was tons of fun.
Well, not too much else to report on. I leave tomorrow sometime for Gulfport South (which is the coast... and one of the longest transfers of the mission.... LOOOOOOONG drive!) The transfer van (15 passenger van) will pick us (Elder Davis and Elder Mark from my district are being transfered as well) up in Monroe. So we will drive to Shreveport, LA, and from there get a ride with a member to Monroe and from there we will meet Elder and Sister Erikson and head out east.
It's not very often at all that a greenie who has been out 6 weeks leaves his trainer and goes to a different area. Elder Todd will finish my training. I am assuming that I will serve with him until he goes home, and then I will be there another 1-2 transfers. Not to worry. Hurricanes and oil don't bother me much. I hear the apartments there are really nice. Elder Redmon served in Ocean Springs, which is the area right next to Gulfport.
I look forward to my transfer. The Lord had a work for me to do here in Texarkana, and I have finished (almost... I still have 1 day left!) that and now he needs me in Gulfport. I am ready and willing to go where the Lord calls.
For any letters, until I know for sure of my mailing address in Gulfport, you can send them to the mission home address:
Elder Dwight Douglas Mendenhall
681 Towne Center Blvd Ste C
Ridgeland, Mississippi 39157
They will forward all the mail on to me. And any mail sent to Texarkana will also reach me in Gulfport....eventually.
Well, the work goes on. I will try to not have too much fun with Elder Todd. Keep the faith, and keep on keeping on!
Love,
Elder Dwight Douglas Mendenhall
Monday, January 31, 2011
Jan 10th - 24th
Hey All Y'all!
I hope this email finds everyone in good health! :) I know I am strong and healthy. Stronger than when I left too. Have 30 minutes every morning for exercise is a good thing. Though I need to be more consistent.
Anyway, so last p-day I got caught up in stuff and didn't get a chance to email. I apologize. We were out with Lyman Sisson (a less active member) checking on his wild hog trap and baiting it. He caught some 3 weeks ago. A sow and a boar. Both about 200 lbs. Elder Redmon and myself actually helped him gut them. :) We try to spend time with Lyman several times a week. He is going through a hard time right now with his wife and so we just try to be there for him. He has come to church the last two weeks now, which is awesome!
So last Monday, I went on exchanges. Our district leader, Elder Mark, came here to Texarkana to work with Elder Redmon, and I went to New Boston, TX to work with Elder Judkins. It was a really good experience. Though New Boston has CRAZY people! One guy, Mark, is one of their investigators and he is actually crazy. He has meds and everything. The problem is he doesn't take them. The Elders there have tried to drop him, but then he "randomly" pops up around town when they are walking, or when they are at the library, or at their apartment at 9pm. Anyway, when I was there, we say him Monday night and he seemed only a little crazy and pretty normal. But the next morning... oh boy! He started the opening prayer and I think he started off "Hey if anyone is up there" and then he started yelling at God. Yelled the entired prayer. He is mad at God for things that happened to him as a child. Then he later went on about how Solomon was a child rapist and that he didn't understand how a holy and just god would have a man like that build a holy temple. We just sat there and left when we could. We/They can't really begin to help him until he takes his meds. They're trying though.
Anyway, Elder Judkins is from Orem and has been out... about 4 months now. It was fun to work with him. And that was just one experience there. I came back Wednesday morning for DDM (my initials... also District Devotional Meeting) and have been here since! I love Texarkana!
So a little news. We tracted into Steven, one of our investigators, on Jan. 6th. He's an awesome guy. He's 20. Anyway, we invited him to be baptized, he accepted, and we have a date set for him on Feb. 12th! YAY! The Lord is awesome. :) Also, Tina and Daryhl Bell have dates for the 31st of this month, but I don't think it will be that soon anymore. :/ They were first taught by missionaries months ago. Long story there. I'll keep you posted on them though.
I had an interview this past Wednesday at DDM with President Tucker! It was cool :) I also encourage all of you to create a profile on mormon.org. They are having missionaries use that as a teaching resource now and we are actually allowed on on days other than p-day. We even have passalong cards for it. It's cool. :)
So later today, Elder Redmon is headed to Jackson, MS for some training. Elder Davis (from our district) is also going (they came out together...they both have 14 months left). So I am going to Atlanta, TX tonight, tomorrow, I'll be in Texar Wednesday, and back to Atlanta on Thursday. They will be back from training Friday morning. I am working with Elder Petersen while they are gone. Should be fun! He's been out 6 weeks longer than I have. Two greenies working together!
The work here is awesome. I am learning and growing so much everyday! The gospel is so amazing and so true. Elder Redmon is a good companion and we are getting along well.
Anywho, time is up! Keep on keeping on! The gospel is true and Christ lives. :)
Love,
Elder Dwight D Mendenhall
I hope this email finds everyone in good health! :) I know I am strong and healthy. Stronger than when I left too. Have 30 minutes every morning for exercise is a good thing. Though I need to be more consistent.
Anyway, so last p-day I got caught up in stuff and didn't get a chance to email. I apologize. We were out with Lyman Sisson (a less active member) checking on his wild hog trap and baiting it. He caught some 3 weeks ago. A sow and a boar. Both about 200 lbs. Elder Redmon and myself actually helped him gut them. :) We try to spend time with Lyman several times a week. He is going through a hard time right now with his wife and so we just try to be there for him. He has come to church the last two weeks now, which is awesome!
So last Monday, I went on exchanges. Our district leader, Elder Mark, came here to Texarkana to work with Elder Redmon, and I went to New Boston, TX to work with Elder Judkins. It was a really good experience. Though New Boston has CRAZY people! One guy, Mark, is one of their investigators and he is actually crazy. He has meds and everything. The problem is he doesn't take them. The Elders there have tried to drop him, but then he "randomly" pops up around town when they are walking, or when they are at the library, or at their apartment at 9pm. Anyway, when I was there, we say him Monday night and he seemed only a little crazy and pretty normal. But the next morning... oh boy! He started the opening prayer and I think he started off "Hey if anyone is up there" and then he started yelling at God. Yelled the entired prayer. He is mad at God for things that happened to him as a child. Then he later went on about how Solomon was a child rapist and that he didn't understand how a holy and just god would have a man like that build a holy temple. We just sat there and left when we could. We/They can't really begin to help him until he takes his meds. They're trying though.
Anyway, Elder Judkins is from Orem and has been out... about 4 months now. It was fun to work with him. And that was just one experience there. I came back Wednesday morning for DDM (my initials... also District Devotional Meeting) and have been here since! I love Texarkana!
So a little news. We tracted into Steven, one of our investigators, on Jan. 6th. He's an awesome guy. He's 20. Anyway, we invited him to be baptized, he accepted, and we have a date set for him on Feb. 12th! YAY! The Lord is awesome. :) Also, Tina and Daryhl Bell have dates for the 31st of this month, but I don't think it will be that soon anymore. :/ They were first taught by missionaries months ago. Long story there. I'll keep you posted on them though.
I had an interview this past Wednesday at DDM with President Tucker! It was cool :) I also encourage all of you to create a profile on mormon.org. They are having missionaries use that as a teaching resource now and we are actually allowed on on days other than p-day. We even have passalong cards for it. It's cool. :)
So later today, Elder Redmon is headed to Jackson, MS for some training. Elder Davis (from our district) is also going (they came out together...they both have 14 months left). So I am going to Atlanta, TX tonight, tomorrow, I'll be in Texar Wednesday, and back to Atlanta on Thursday. They will be back from training Friday morning. I am working with Elder Petersen while they are gone. Should be fun! He's been out 6 weeks longer than I have. Two greenies working together!
The work here is awesome. I am learning and growing so much everyday! The gospel is so amazing and so true. Elder Redmon is a good companion and we are getting along well.
Anywho, time is up! Keep on keeping on! The gospel is true and Christ lives. :)
Love,
Elder Dwight D Mendenhall
Snow!!
Hey hey! I hope all is going well! We didn't get the chance to email yesterday, so we get to today!
So.... I don't know where to start. This week has been.... long? It seems like it. But it has gone by really fast all at the same time.
The Lord is amazing. That is all there is to it. I have grown so much in the past week now that I look back. It has been absolutely mindblowing. Nothing big or anything. Just the desire to do better, and working with the Lord to do so. Learning of some things that I should be doing and reminded of others. I tried to pray all the time before my mission. I would just catch myself sometimes praying and thanking the Lord for something that just happened. It was amazing. But I don't do that now. I don't get it. But I am working on being better again. Praying for compassion and charity, patience and courage. Praying with faith, and then working actually works. Pray as if it all depends on the Lord and work as if it all depends on you. You can pray for Charity all you want, but it wont get you anywhere unless you try to have it. It has been a nice reminder. I am learning to love my companion and to look past the imperfections and the annoying things. The Lord is amazing.
Anyway, so some news about the work. One of the investigators before I got here, and one I've met with a few times, told us (or my companion) that he wants us to back off for now. He wants to be a mormon, but not right now. Or something to that effect. Elder Redmon is going to talk to him more tonight.
The reason I feel like the Lord has called Elder Redmon and myself as companions in this area is to regain the trust of the members. I guess in the past year, a lot of the missionaries in this area haven't really focused on the work like they should have and they broke some rules, and the members' trust. And missionary work can only go so far without help from the members. We were talking about it with Kelly Rowland tonight (she was baptized in April, and is really amazing. She is one of my "mothers". She fed us pizza and cookies tonight and we talked about it. So we are going to work our hardest to earn the members' trust and to bring some souls to Christ. This work is amazing.
So they are spraying for cockroaches tomorrow. Hopefully it will do something. It's a war we will win.
So. Yesterday we were supposed to go to Shrevport (we are part of the Shrevport zone) for interviews with the Mission President. We were actually going to have p-day tomorrow because of this. But.... guess what! It SNOWED on Sunday! We got probably...6 inches? Something like that. We had stake conference on Sunday (10-12, it was broadcasted and President Monson spoke. It was AWESOME!). After we came out, 2 1/2 hours later, we had at least a 1/4 inch of ice on the windshield. It was crazy. Anyway, because of the snow and the bad roads, interviews were canceled, and we had p-day! Attached are some pictures of our snowman we built. He is about 6 foot 3 inches tall. His name is Harry (he had grass on him, and looked hairy). His nose is a cucumber, is mouth a banana, and his eyes are Dr. Pepper cans. P-day was a blast yesterday. Tons of fun! Anywho.
Ummm... I know there are other things I want to say, but I don't remember what. I hope all y'all are doing well. Love the Lord. Pray for the people here. And do good to all.
Also! Please take care of the missionaries in your areas. Treat them as family. Love them, adopt them as your own. They need it. That's all I have to say. Feed them. Let them share messages with you. And then kick them out and have them work. Give them referrals if you have them. Support them.
I love you all! Have fun in Utah with all the snow! We had our one snow storm of the year. It will all be gone in a few days too. (They plant their gardens on Feb. 14th...)
Love,
Elder Dwight Douglas Mendenhall (I have a looooong name!)
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