Wow. Snow season!!

Hey everyone, I finally feel like I am back in Utah with the weather this last week! It has been crazy crazy! Haha  we have had freezing cold temperatures... Like 5 degrees during the day, in the sun. Haha soooo cold! The best part is, that it has also snowed, and when it snows we can't drive, so we have been walking a lot this week :) haha look some pictures for u guys to see :)

The Hat Just Makes it Perfect

Cold weather SWAG

We also went and worked on a farm the day it snowed really hard! So I feed cows, chickens, ducks, rabbits, horses, cows and other fun stuff. Also took lots of pictures so yeah :) it was fun! Haha I would never want to own a farm, but helping on one and playing with the animals sure is fun. Also in the 5 degrees temperatures we built a deck!! Haha yolo.

The Real life, feeding animals

A good friend Pedro

Just me feeding some bunnies

Doin Work on the hey #twork

Chilling on some Hey :)

Animals going to town on the hey before we can get it off

Lots of cool things happened this week though. Blessing for walking through the freezing snow :) there a little phrase in preach my gospel and throughout missionaries: teach when u find, find when u teach. Well, we had 2 great examples of that this week. We have an hour so we got tracking in an apartment complex. First down we knock on the guys is super interested, taught the whole first lesson, started reading Book of Mormon, and committed to church. We find out he is moving down to North Carolina this week, but he said he would get in contact with missionaries down there :) just planting some seeds :) we also were reading some scriptures with a less active. As we are about to leave his friend walks in and sits down. We saw a great chance to help him "de-stress" as we talked about our purpose for being here on this earth. Taught him lots and committed him to baptism. :)  teach when u find, find when u teach

I hear from back home that two good friends are getting calls this week or soon. Good luck to you two :) I'm secretly hoping u come to Richmond but I'm excited to hear where u go :) love u both and thanks for u good examples to me!!

Visiting Sister Foster <3

Last just want to mention and interesting talk I read this past week. It was from President Ezra Taft Benson back in...... Yeah a while ago. He mentions the biggest lesson people now days need to learn from the Book of Mormon! PRIDE pride, is what ended the Book of Mormon people, and what is holding Zion back from being built today.

Whats up Utah, from me and Elder Strelyuk

Just enjoying this cold :)

Well, love u guys. I hope and pray ur having a good time where ever u are in the world! Good luck with this week, thanks for ur support and prays!! Let me know of I can do anything for u!

Love
- Elder Young

Hey everyone

Hey everyone. Wow. I just want to start off by saying how thankful I am to have so many great friends and family! Either back home, or even on mission, I feel your guys support and it really does make the hard times better. This mission is such a good work. I love it in this area. I realize that many of my friends back home are either preparing to leave or turning in their papers....you won’t regret it. This work is true. It is the true gospel. Trust me, this would be hell if it wasn't true.... think about it. I know I could not go two years if I was preaching anything but the truth! This is the true restored Church. Same one Christ established when he came to the earth. The same gospel that is in Heaven. :)

The past week has been pretty good. Did't start off great, but yeah. We finished great :) lots of lessons and tender mercies! But my favorite part about the week was sacrament meeting yesterday. IDK what it was, but most of the not active people in the area that we have visited since I have been here, CAME! It was so great to see them! And the Murphy family came again :0 they are so awesome!!

Thought for this week.... Goes again off the past couple of weeks :/ sorry. But don"t count anyone out! I can't tell u how important this is! This week again I saw so many miracles just because of "never leaving someone behind." Sacrament meeting was a good example of this. But then also we went over to a less active members house., her nurse was there. BAMM! committed to read the Book of Mormon and coming to church! Be friends and talk to everyone and u will see miracles :)

I also learned this week: u will never regret being nice and talking to someone :)

Like I said above. Thank you for all ur support and prays! I hope you are all having a good time where ever you are in life :) until next week, take care!

This was from last week. When we had the pipes break :/ me and my good friends Elder Jenson

Steady Mobbin in the Russion Hat 

DANG Gurl :0

Love this area

Me, Elder Jensen, and Elder Baros

Love Elder Young

P.S. Shout out to the Broncos for going to the Superbowl. Even though I can't watch it, Good Luck!!

Cray Cray

Throwback to me getting some shock therapy for my back:0

Wow....

Hey everybody! I hope you are all doing well and staying warm :) I hear that Utah is pretty cold! Haha well it is definitely cold here! It got to below 0 a few days this past week and even a negative 10 with wind chill. It's crazy cold!! But the missionary work still presses forward :)

So Cold!!!

Some good stuff from this week:

While my companion and I were eating lunch at sheetz, a man comes up to us out of no where, and says "I want you two to know that I have tons of respect for you and thank you for what you do". He goes on to tell us that he is a pastor for another church... But respects and supports what we do. Haha he even said "I wish I could get the members of my church to go spread Christ's teaching like you guys do." Man, that totally made my day! Really makes this work awesome when I see other churches and pastor begin to see that we all want the same thing.... Be a more Christ-like people.

So with the freezing temperature.... Pipes were freezing. So we had zone meeting on Tuesday and we just finish with a closing pray. Two missionaries go out to go to the bathroom while everyone else is still just chatting. They come back in saying that the water is spraying from the ceiling..... Wow, holy cow! We run down the hall to see. Water was coming out of the ceiling with the pressure of a fire
hydrate! It was crazy. Luckily with 30 missionaries, we were able to save important documents, computers, and minimize the damage. Haha it was pretty fun, kind of like a huge water fight in a church :0 I'll try to get some pictures from the other missionaries... Of course some missionaries just stood there and took pictures and videos..... Missionaries now days :/ haha

Nice Sunset picture after a crazy day

The Murphy family did make it to church :) first time. They said they loved it. Ill try and get a pic with them up here sometime :) did I tell u they have an Akita? It has killed 3 dogs but I love this dog. Haha it is sweet!!

Just me and my nice scarf From Lisa Vilchez <3

With all the craziness of the temperature this week the missionary work was better than ever. Found
some more families and are teaching tons! I love this area! But for a thought this week, kind of the
same as last week. NEVER GIVE UP ON ANYONE, DONT LOSE HOPE

More and more I am seeing on my mission, just by loving someone and having faith that they will come around: Miracles happen. We are seeing this everyday in this area, never lose hope. Some people need to go off the deep end for a bit so they can realize the blessings of the gospel. To each
their own :)

Along with that I would like to share a talk I read this week. Out of this past general conference! Titled: Ye Are No More Strangers

http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/10/ye-are-no-more-strangers?lang=eng&query=Ye+are+no+more+strangers

I would just like to quote one part of that here; 

During His earthly ministry, Jesus was an example of one who went far beyond the simple obligation of hospitality and tolerance. Those who were excluded from society, those who were rejected and considered to be impure by the self-righteous, were given His compassion and respect. They received an equal part of His teachings and ministry.

We can learn a lot from Jesus Christ. Everyone deserves compassion, respect, love, and equality. Challenge this week. Love everyone, especially the haters :)

Sheetz or Die. :0

Thanks everyone! Love you guys and thanks for ur prays and support. 

How Christian Are We?

Hey everybody. It has been another good week in the Staunton area. We finally we got to start doing missionary work full time again because of the holidays, it has been awesome! I did have a good holiday season and New Years :) I can't believe it's already 2014. And we are already six days into the new year! I have a feeling this year is going to fly by :0

A couple of things from this past we:

I have really grown to love a man by the name of Sidney Ellis! He is an awesome guy, and we have began to work a lot with him and using him as a ward missionary. He is awesome! Definitely one of those I will come back and visit for years down the road. I'll try to hook u all up with a pic of us.   Haha

With all of the buzz coming out of Utah concerning gays and stuff. People and especially members over here are also saying some pretty awful stuff concerning gays and what's happening in Utah. This has really bothered me this past week. How can we really call ourself Christian when we are not loving everyone? Blows my mind how much I feel like even us as Latter Day Saint are fake!  Well, luckily a member of the bishopric said something yesterday during testimony meaning that really made since....

The Celestial kingdom is going to be filled with Christ's disciples. The Telestial kingdom will be filled with some Mormons.       Think about that.

Also something else I have really realized this week. Never loose hope! We began to work with an excommunicated member, a potential investigator we have had for two plus months, and we just got another one of our old investigators back after not seeing her for 2 months. Never loose hope! People will eventually realize how much the gospel can bless their lives! Also be friendly AND CHRIST-LIKE to everyone!

 
Selfies of Dayzzzzz. no one will take a picture with me :(

Thanks you all for all ur prays, this mission would not be this easy without all of ur support and prays! I hope you all have a happy new year :) much love!!! -Elder Young