September 19, 2011 Letter

Hey Family!

 

Well it's been a good week here in Hamilton like always. We are still gettin a lot done and Pat is still set for baptism this upcoming week. We had a sweet lesson with the Cunningham family last week. Although they are struggling with Joseph Smith being a prophet. It is such a different concept to them and they are well versed in the Bible so it's a change. If they will read the Book of Mormon and put Moroni's promise to the test they will receive an answer so really it's not so much of a concern as it is a waiting process. Only a matter of time. Eric and Brittany Davis are an interesting case. They have wanted to be baptized for a month now. Problem is they are unmarried have a newborn and are SCRAPING the bottom of the barrel financially. Eric works hard long hours, but only enough to put a roof over their head. They don't want to get married until he can get her a ring. Haha. I can't complain because that idea is what keeps our family in business, but at the same time it's the only thing holding them back from baptism. He only is looking at a cheap 400 dollar ring. For them that is through the roof cost though. He is saving tiny bit by tiny bit, but there is just no way he'll be able to pay for it anytime soon. He said if they can get the ring taken care of they will get married because they have wanted to forever anyways. The church can do a wedding practically for free, but we are looking to do some kind of fundraiser to make this ring thing happen. Being a missionary is a lot more than just being a teacher, I swear it's like being a marriage and financial counselor too. Anyways, we are working through that. We are getting ready to start teaching a few new people this week as well that have a lot of promise. The Schleight family as well as Doug Martin. Both member referrals. We rarely have to tract here which after Northern Kentucky all the time I spent in the heat on that bike and knocking doors I'm super appreciative with that concept! Nothing too exciting has happened though, just the everyday grind of being a missionary, the good and the tough. So I have been thinking. I talked to a missionary who is going home in January and he told me that the spring semester for BYU-I starts April 19.  I've prayed about this and think that I don't want to wait until fall to go to school. I'll get too bored with that much down time. So, I was thinking maybe I can go to school starting in April that way I will be busy after that first month and I could just live at home for that semester. Commute to class and set up my schedule for Monday through Thursday earlier in the morning. That way I can come home and go to the store and work for the rest of the day and on weekends I'll have all day to work.  I think living at home for that first bit would be a good idea just because I would like to be close to you all and have fun with the fam, but at the same time I want to be busy and have an institute class I can go to and a singles ward to go to on Sunday for church. Going back to the home ward for too long just doesn't sound all that appealing to be honest. I don't know anyone there and I'm at an age where I don't fit in there. So let me know what you think and if your okay with that start applying for that whenever you feel ya need to start. Stinking raiders, haha. They really screw things up don't they. I just had one of the missionaries who I knew that is home now send me an email and I open it up and it was the highlights of the Raiders game hahahaha. That little idiot! He knew I love the raiders and he knows I can't resist when it's right in front of my nose. I'm gonna write him back and give him an ear full hahaha. So anyways I saw a that they lost at the last second and it about made me tear up... They DO THIS EVERY YEAR! AHHH! They look like they are at least improving offensively though so that is good news. So College football season is in full swing. Sounds like that's all going good for BSU. Ill be honest dad I'd say I miss NFL more than college as well. College is the same teams every year, stinkin Oklahoma and Alabama and it gets old. GO BSU! How is Dyl doing? Is it starting to set in that he'll be leaving soon! He better not leave tell later in march or april i want to see that kid! Logan wrote me an email and told me he'll have a whole line of ladies waiting for me to date them by the time I get home. I'm holding him to it haha! He better not be selfish and forget about helping those people still out serving the Lord. Just kidding! lol. Anyways I really loved that scripture you talked about dad, Also that movie sounds awesome about the pioneers! Can't wait to see it. It's hard being on a mission in the states. Everywhere you go people are always watching movies when you show up and of course when we start the lesson we ask to turn the TV off, but at the same time it's hard because you don't want to be rude right off the bat and tell them to turn in off and deep down of course you want to see it so i get all these sneak previews of these movies that are apparently a year old that I haven't seen and it just kills ya inside haha. You see 5 minutes here, 5 minutes there of movies, your in restaurants you see highlights, your in stores and on the streets and you hear music. That is what is hard about the states. Foreign a lot of those temptations are taken completely away from you and your whole culture is different. That is what makes going foreign so hard, but I've found stateside is tough for me because Midwest is basketball and football central and without fail if it's Saturday wherever you go people are watching games and they don't want to turn them off so what do ya do? All these things you love are just waved in front of your face. I try avoiding those situations completely. See even as a missionary Satan finds ways to tempt you.  So it's not that the thing itself is wrong, it becomes wrong because we've been asked not to do it and we're breaking a promise. Well Family I love you all so much and hope that everything goes great! I miss you all and want you to know that your the best and I think about you every single day! Have an excellent week and be safe. Love ya!

 

Elder Ingy

September 12th, 2011 Letter

Fam!!!!

 

It's been a good week here in Hamilton as always. I don't think you can really have a BAD week on a mission. Some are rougher than others, but I get to feel the Spirit testify to me every single day of the truth and it helps to keep a smile on your face. Have you ever seen the DVD "Special Witnesses of Christ"? If not I would encourage you to get it. I saw it for the first time yesterday after church at a members home and I was absolutely blown away. We really do have living Apostles and Prophets on the Earth. What a blessing! I was thinking yesterday and I know this is far off in the future.... Just a thought though, if at all possible you should look into getting tickets for one of the Sunday sessions of General Conference for April when I get home. It's 2 weeks after I get back and I would really love to go see it in person if at all possible.

 

Anyway, here are the highlights of this past week.....

 

We were able to teach Jessie again... We brought brother Thomin with us and she felt more comfortable with everything, only bad part was she has been really sick this past week and was unable to come to church, but she has read more from the Book of Mormon and she will come this next week I think!

 

Next news is Kimmy's baptism went smoothly. She is awesome! The family was great too and it worked out really well because Sister RUIZ gave us a referal to go and visit her sister. She said she trusted us and felt we were the missionaries who could help her sister realzie the truth. That felt good to hear that members of the ward are trusting us with friends and family to teach because they know that we are capable and responsible.

 

We got to teach the Cunningham family on saturday!!! It was awesome! They have been so prepared. We gave them a baptismal date for October 15 and they accepted without hesitation. They do drink coffee so we will have to clear that up, but everything else doctorinely and socially they are converted to the church already! We have another lesson with them tonight. They have a great family, Jennifer (Mom) is so nice. She makes us cookies every time we go over there for a lesson haha! It's so awesome even though I don't really need cookies cuz im on 6 months to sexy. Oh well! They're great.

 

Pat Thomin is doing well! She was at church again yesterday and is all set for baptism on the 24th of September. She knows it's true and has seen the change the Gospel brought upon her son and his family and wants to be a part of it.

 

Eric and Brittany are still struggling with smoking, but want to set a baptismal date for October. They said they know it's all true and that they need to get married, quit smoking, and be baptized so we are gonna set a goal for that to happen.

 

The Cole family is really struggling. Since the death we have only gotten to see them the one time. We are praying for them and trying all we can to stay in contact.

 

We found a couple of new investigators. Jason and Jenny Tobkin. They are newly weds, just graduated from OSU and are living with Jason's parents. They are extremly active in ther church and strong Christian, but he has grown up around LDS families and feels the love at the church. He even went to seminary a couple times in high school so he feels it's only right to read the Book of Mormon and give it a shot! We see them again on Wednesday!

 

New things are on the horizon for this week as well.. New investigators as well as a RAIDERS VICTORY tonight!!!!! So seems like it's gonna be another exceptional week! Well family I better get going, but I love you all so much and appreciate you more and more every single day that I'm away. You really are the best family in the world! Have a safe week! I'll talk to ya again soon!

 

Elder Ingy

September 7, 2011 Letter

Another great week down in Hamilton!  We had a sweet picnic for the entire Cincy north stake at the park on Monday where we played soccer for preparation day and ate some great grub.  Yesterday I didn't get to write because we were up in Columbus all day for Zone Leader Council.  Then by the time that was over with we had appointments we were in a hurry to get back to.  Then this morning we had Zone meeting where we trained the zone on the things we learned at ZL Council.  We've had a lot of meetings lately.  I'll be honest, I kind of just want to get out and go back to work and seeing miracles and not talk about them so much. It sounds like everyone had a great week at the cabin.  I talk about the cabin with Elder Ballard all of the time.  He is big into the outdoors so we are always talking about things like that.  It's interesting how much more excited I am to fish and do outdoor things than I was before. You kind of take it for granted until you don't have it anymore.  The little ones seem to be doing Well great! They are definitely the life of the party aren't they? Ash and Linds are both getting so close to having 2 more; it's crazy how fast that flew by! It's going to be so weird for me to come back to all of the people.  Unfortunately having a comp that is going home, we still talk about it a lot because he is looking for my advice and comfort to accept that it's happening and it forces me to ponder how I'll feel.  It's no big deal though because I'm content with where I am.  I love the people of The Ohio.  This place has my heart and I think it always will to be honest.  The fondest memories of my life thus far have taken place here and I'm forever indebted to the Lord for every day that I got to struggle, complain, work, laugh, love, and see miracles here.  I'm glad I still have 6 months left to give my will to the Savior. We are so busy right now, it's great!  Teaching, Teaching, Teaching!!!  With all of the investigators that we have, it makes it hard to choose which ones to talk about in the time we have to write.  We are teaching the Cunningham family now.  They should be getting baptized sometime next month without a doubt.   Pat Thomin is doing awesome and she is going to get baptized now on the 24^th for sure.  Kimmy is getting baptized this Saturday at 4.  We had a cool experience with the Cole family.  They are struggling mightily with smoking so they will not be able to be baptized until we know for sure they can quit.  I don't know if I told you about Jake the older son.  He is only 13 and he already has been in rehab for drug abuse.  His real father used drugs and actually gave them to his son and got him hooked on them at like 11 years old.  Can you believe that?  Well, his dad actually committed suicide this past week.  When we went over to their house Jake wanted nothing to do with us at first, but we just started talking to him and asking him about his dad, what types of things they liked to do for fun together, what his best memories of him are, we taught him the plan of salvation and he realized he needed to make changes in his life and not take the path his father took.  He said his dad had an obsession with California and that he had planned on taking Jake out there to live someday when he turned 18.  He loved everything about California and I don't know why really.  As he was talking, he looked down at some Burger King coupons that were advertising the California Whopper for sale.  He started crying and said his dad would have loved that and he would have loved to go eat one with him. After the lesson we went to BK and bought him a Cali Whopper and knocked on his door and handed it to him.  He just started balling and came and gave us a big hug.  It was pretty amazing because this is one hardened kid and his barriers all tumbled down from one act of kindness.  I don't think he knows what it's like to be loved by people sincerely.  It made a huge difference.  Another cool experience was when we were searching out some part member families to teach we were having a hard time contacting anyone and after one particular door with no answer we felt promptings from the spirit to walk down that street.  Well sure enough a block down there was a lady sitting on her porch reading. We approached her and started talking and were able to introduce her to the Gospel.  She said she is a recovered drug user, and she has been looking for a church for a while.  She was Presbyterian growing up, but never felt like it was the right thing.  We set up a return appointment and we came back the next day and she had already read 12 chapters in the Book of Mormon and had a lot of great questions.  She was really sincere and said she wants to know if it's true.  Her only concern is that she wouldn't fit in with her past.  So we will resolve that by bringing Brother Terry Thomin along, the recent convert with the tattoo sleeves and rough exterior to show her that anyone can change and the Lord doesn't care who she's been.  All he wants is for her to change her future.  There are so many miracles happening in Hamilton and I love it! The Spirit is being poured out upon this place; it's the most ghetto place in the mission, but thriving right now.  Well second or third most ghetto besides Over the Rhine and Price Hill.  The members trust us a lot and they just keep working with us and helping us find people to teach, mix that with the people we find from personal contacting and its one blessed place!  So as far as training the missionaries goes, I love it haha.  Elder Ballard and I just talk for about two minutes on what we want to cover then go in there and follow the Spirit.  It works out pretty darn good!  We tried to make it fun for our zone today by doing a DOCTRINE OF CHRIST trivia game.  Whoever answered the question right got a chance to shoot a free throw if they made it they got a fun sized candy bar. It was a fun little game just to lighten things up a bit.  Then we went in there and trained and practiced teaching and the meeting was a success. I would love to be a Gospel Doctrine teacher when I get home.  It's the funnest part about church.  Getting to learn and then teaching the things you learn about.College football sounds like fun! Boise State is solid! Wahoo! They are always so dominate.  They will probably go undefeated this year because no one expects it!  I sure hope so!  Also, the NFL is starting huh?  That's awesome!  Can't wait for the Raiders to start up, even though I'll probably be let down again,that's okay. I live for the first couple of weeks when there is still hope until they are crushed!  Well family, I gotta get going.  Lots of work to be done today!  We are going on exchanges with the District Leader and his comp in Fairfield so we have got to meet up with them asap!  I love you all and I'll write you again on Monday since there are no meetings or holidays!  Have a great week and be safe!

Elder Ingy

Letter From August 30th

Hello Family from the best place on earth, THE OHIO!

 

It was one of the those days yesterday where I am soaring on a spiritual high. We got to go up to Columbus and listen for 4 hours to Elder Lynn G. Robbins of the 1st q of the 70. He is the most amazing man I've ever met besides the apostle I was able to meet last year of course. haha. He talked to us about agency a lot. How we fought to have 100% agency. We received that gift and with it comes another gift. 100% responsibility for every choice we make. We talked about all the ways that we justify and make excuses. blame and complain, get offended by the truth because we aren't living it. All of these things that EVERYONE struggles with and it was the most revelatory experience I have EVER had in my life. Hands down I felt like we were in the presence of angels yesterday.  This gospel is perfect and it is the only real truth that we have anymore. So we have to hold on to it with everything we have. I'm privileged to be a missionary. It's a roller coaster of a ride a lot of the time I'll be honest. It's the hardest thing I'll ever do, but it's the truth and I promise I will always strive to live it. The week of work has been awesome. We went and visited a part member family who is active, but for some reason their 9 year old daughter hasn't been baptized. She is the cutest little girl. She cracks me up and we asked her if we could teach her and she said yes. Already have taught her twice and she is getting baptized on the 10th of September. It's not like it's quite the same as finding a 20 year old with no background in the church, but a soul is a soul even at 9 and she still needs to make the covenants.  I'm glad I get to be one of the missionaries that helps her take a step of courage. We are teaching Tons of people right now! All with major addictions, mostly smoking, but all have a desire to be baptized. It's just about helping them overcome it right? Eric and Brittany are the first. They know it's true, they want to be baptized, they are in the process of quitting smoking, and they are also saving money to get married here soon. Pat is another investigator.  She is the mother of Terry, a man who is a recent convert. His family was baptized about a month ago and they are strong and active. He is tatooed up from head to toe, talk about the miracle of the atonement! Anyway, Pat is super interested and we have her on date for the 17th of September. She is the first person we found since I've been here. We are teaching a family also, Terry, Carolyn, and Noah (son).  We put them all on date for the 24th for baptism. Gave them a tour of the chapel yesterday. They also believe it is all true, but need a little more strength as they have been lifetime smokers and are really struggling quitting! Smoking is the plauging sin of the Ohio without a doubt. EVERYONE SMOKES! Aubrey is a 26 year old girl that just got out of rehab for perscription drug addiction and she is looking for something in her life now. We taught her the first 3 lessons already and she is shooting to be baptized on the 24th as well, but she needs again to QUIT SMOKING! AHHH!!!  Jennifers boyfriend is being hostile and we havent gotten to see her at all lately.... really stinks! We are praying for her. Also we are getting ready to start teaching a family of 4 this week and a man named Lenny from New York. Our fingers are crossed. ALL of these investigators are member referrals! DO YOU SEE WHAT I'VE BEEN SAYIN ALL ALONG? Tracting is not NEAR as effective. It's all about getting the ward excited about missionary work. If they are prepared to be missionaries, the Lord will bless the area, because he has to trust his children with the ward in all honesty, not with us. I still tract though because after the RICHIE miracle I want to find another like him, even though he is the coolest dude I've ever met so it's not possible. Im writing both Richie and Robbie a letter today just to let them know I'm thinkin of them and I love em! I wanna see how Bryson and Harrison (Robbie's kids) are doing at school after their first week as well! That's about all that is new here. Life is going smooth haha! Zone Conference was good. I love training other missionaries because it means I get to teach more and it's my favorite thing to do! Talkin about the gospel is the best! Ill keep the Raiders in my prayers! haha. I got all the letters and packages dont worry! Everything is good. "Make it fast, Im roaming bahhahahah!!! It's hilarious.  HAPPY BDAY AVERS! I love you! I love and miss you all, but I'm happy to be a missionary as usual! Thanks for everything. Tell the Primary thank you for the package they sent me as well!!!! I love you all have a great week! God bless you all!

 

Elder Ingy