Bugs can bit my ____ :(

Wow, I do have to say that I just had the "trunkiest" day as a missionary yesterday! hahah We did not have our P-day yesterday and it felt like the longest day ever. I Totally see why they give us p-day, it helps a ton :) BUT DANG! what a week the Swift Creek Area has had :) 

Just want to tell you a little bit about this awesome family we met a couple of weeks back. We were tracking in a apartment complex/town home area when we see a kid point to us and say, "I went to listen to the prophet of thier church yesterday" (the day after Elder Bednar came). We were like dang..... this is prime :) so we go and talk to him, come to find out he is a member and his mom is, they just moved back into this area and want to come to church again. And even have 2 un-baptized kids in their family As we have spent more and more time with is family I love them! We just helped them finish moving into their house yesterday! 

A big reason this family is now coming back to church is because of the 14 year old boy. He was the first one that we meet and he is awesome! He is the one that "put the team on this back" and is helping his family back to the gospel. HE IS AWESOME! 

But this was the not the only time this week where we meet with a family whose kids have stronger and deeper testimony's in the gospel than their parents! I have enjoyed so much being able to share a spiritual thought with a family, and seeing the kids bear witness of their testimony to their parents! An awesome thing. Who knows, by raising your kids right, they might be the ones to save u from straying off the the path down the road. We all know that the path is narrow to exaltation :0 

Say HI to the google streetview car :0

Went on a nice exhange with this boi #elderstrung #german

Made these nice cups for a lesson

hahahah My companions face :0

Loving this missionary life! <3

hahah I do have to give a nice Shout-Out to the Shelton and Alder families. Those two families

had us fooled this whole time we were in the ward. #mylifeisalie #goodjokes

But hey, I want you all to know that I love everyone of you. You are all so great and the examples set for me each day push me to be better. 

Love 

- Elder CJ

#YOLO

I honestly can not even believe how fast time is moving by. I just looked at the calendar the other day to see that it was almost JUNE! WOW, I look back on the great fun I was having at this time last year; going on great hikes with friends, taking a road trip for a nice camp-out with good friends, Staying up late cuz "I ain't got no worries," going to drive in movies, finishing high school, bonfires <3 finishing my final time playing soccer :( and GRADUATING! :0 Shout out to all you senior graduating. These next 3 weeks in your life are amazing, live them up #yolo #onceinalifetime

But wow, times have changed. And now I am in Virginia serving the Lord. What a great time in my life. Even though I am out on a mission, and I have really missed some of those great things from back home. I have truly come to realize that THIS is the most Fulfilling work I could be doing at this time. Just want to leave u with this quote from Elder Holland from this past conference, talking about the cost vs. bless, risk vs. reward!

"And therein lies a message for every young man and young woman in this Church. You may wonder if it is worth it to take a courageous moral stand in high school or to go on a mission only to have your most cherished beliefs reviled or to strive against much in society that sometimes ridicules a life of religious devotion. Yes, it is worth it, because the alternative is to have our “houses” left unto us “desolate”—desolate individuals, desolate families, desolate neighborhoods, and desolate nations.

So here we have the burden of those called to bear the messianic message. In addition to teaching, encouraging, and cheering people on (that is the pleasant part of discipleship), from time to time these same messengers are called upon to worry, to warn, and sometimes just to weep (that is the painful part of discipleship). They know full well that the road leading to the promised land “flowing with milk and honey”6 of necessity runs by way of Mount Sinai, flowing with “thou shalts” and “thou shalt nots.”7 "

Check out the rest of this talk to; https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/04/the-cost-and-blessings-of-discipleship?lang=eng

As far as missionary work goes in this area it has been solid. I love it. We have been doing lots of service #charity and really trying to help the members become more confident in sharing the gospel. 

I love this work though! Thank you everyone for all of your prays and such. Thanks to everyone who I have great memories with last summer at this time :) even if you don't write me anymore :( I still love u all, and pray for u. Talk to you next week.

Love

-elder CJ

P.S. if you didn't know. I get on email every Monday around 8 am mountain time if anyone want to chat :0 i would love to :) just HMU me 

#sorrynopics

#itwasher

The title of this post is from  the video the church was trying to get out there for Mother's day. I hope all of you got to see it! if not, check it out! 

#itwasmom

This was an awesome, super busy week before chatting with my family and friends yesterday! Kept my mind off seeing you all week which was probably a good thing :) but hey, here is some stuff of what has happened;

A great lady by the name of Goldy died in the ward this past week. I never got to meet her when she was healthy, but many members talked about how awesome she was. My companion and I gave her a blessing right before her death and I have to say it was a good experience. Knowing that death is not the end makes life so much better! Almost excited for her to die and return home because everyone knew she did everything she was suppose to do here! 

We also got to help the Community of Christ Church ( a reformation of our church) out with something called Caritos. This is where each local church takes in the homeless people for a week to feed them and help them find jobs. A pretty cool project! 

2nd best part of the week, next to video calling home, was that 4 people received the Priesthood in church on Sunday. And two of them happened to be recent converts! Man, I love being able to see people progress in this gospel and into what people want them to become!

Tweets for the week

- Played a full field game of soccer with 20 or so Elders and Sister! #throwback #woodscrosssoccer #missit

- Had a nice Frat party at our house after :0 20 plus elders needing showers #trillparty

- The priviledge on being pal bearer for a funeral. #deathnosting #gravenovictory

- Getting freaking HOT outside. #kindofscared #humititykills :0 

-Reconnected a family that has not heard anything from there brother in 7 months #coolexperience 

Another lesson I learned from Elder Bednar last week; Right now, being on a mission is a lot like college. We are enrolled in two year course. Two of the major ones are diligence 5100 patience 4510. Haha I really liked this analog because it is so true, I am learning so many skills that I could not learn anywhere else!

And that is why I love my mission. I love the support many of u give me! Please keep sending me letter, I love them, I love u and I love this work. AMEN :)

#brightlights  #bigcity

   

mission life

love these cuties

Seeing many of you was the bomb! love u!

Elder David A. Bednar #lavishlyfe

WOW, dang what a week it has been in the Richmond Virginia and Chessapeake Mission! We had the amazing chance to hear from Elder Bednar, his wife, a Presiding Bishopric, and member of the 70's conducted a meeting just for the missionaries! Crazy good. I wish I could tell you everything he said all at once but that would take for ever! So I will mention stuff here and there over the next couple of weeks! And I got to go hear him speak to the youth, truely a remarkable man called by God! 

I do have to tell you all about an amazing lesson that we had this week. We finally got to meet up with this bother and sister that we meet while back walking down the street. We did not know what lesson to share going in..... During the "small talk phase", the Plan of Salvation comes to mind. We begin teaching it (I do have to say one of the better Plan of Salvation lesson I have taught) but when we get to the Spirit world something amazing happens. the first thing that I mention about it, is that the faithful people do missionary work and help tell people of the same gospel we are telling to you now. She goes on to tell the story of when her mom dies, and the last thing she says is that "I am going to do work." That always kind of "haunt" their family they said. Because they did not know what it ment. It was amazing for me that I was able to answer that question for them and bring them peace. The plan of salvation is amazing and I love it so much! 

A great thing that Elder Bednar said is that when raising kids, doing everything for them cripples them. Making kids learn on their own shows more love than anything else. Well I do have to say that I am so glad my parents learned this concept :0 hahah

THis was a must buy :) #basketball for life

#selfieBEFOREservice

So much fun

but I just have to say I love u all so much. I am calling home this Mothers day (this Sunday!!!!) At 7 my time so 5 mountain time. I am using google hangouts so hope on for a sec if u can :) love to see all ur faces :)

Love this work

Tweets for the week :)

• Started to volunteer at a Assisted Living, great time to serve people.
• So much rain, like omg sooooo much!
• Meet a member who played against Allen Iverson in High School. #superstar #shockhishand :)
• Beginning to start a mission prep class for all the great young men and young women in the ward
• 3 of my really good friends are going home this transfer :( Wish them the best and see them in a few #dueces
• Got no transfer call :) #stayinghere

Love

-Elder Chandler Joseph Young