December 5 &13, 2011 Letters

Rob didn't have much time to write last week so I just posted these letters together.  I also just posted a letter that I missed from November.  Now I should be all caught up until he writes today! 
Dec. 5 Letter
Fam!!!

 

So we just had a really sweet experience this morning. We know a member who used to be an officer at the hamilton P.D. He just took us there this morning and gave us a tour and we got to take a mug shot and all of that. It was super hilarious. He said i looked the most natural at taking a mug shoot when i got my tough guy look on my face so that was a compliment somehow i guess. Ill tell you a crazy story to start off. I got to go down to Cincinnati. Westside, like the legitimate hood of all hoods on exchanges this week. We went to the second most dangerous neighborhood in all of Cincy. It was sweet. All projects. 99.9% african american. Well we were walking around looking for an investigator we had to get back in contact with and three big black guys that were all done up in their Krypt (blue bandanas) stopped us and asked us if we had some christmas money for them. We said no, because we really didnt have any cash on us. They said "Next time you guys come around here you better bring us some christmas presents." We just said alright and walked off and they just stared us down. Well we got in the car and drove right up next to the house we were looking for so we didn't have to walk back far after dark and the guys followed our car into the little neighbor hood and when we parked they all 3 started walking briskly towards us. We were kinda maybe a tiny bit scared at this point i'll admit ha. Well the investigator was about a 28 year old black girl with attitude and she saw what was happening and she came out of her house with a colt .45 in the front pocket of her jacket and walked right towards them and they scattered and we ran inside the house! We almost got jumped! How crazy is that!! My street cred just boosted by about ten thousand. We were on exchanges with the A.P.'s. The one I was with was named Elder Muir and he is alot like me. Same type of personality so we were both scared but at the same time had alot of adrenalin like it was something we were both always wanting to at least happen once on our missions. We even got outta there without getting punched which was an added bonus because I still have a good taste left in my mouth about the hood. "No blood, No Foul" right? Anyways that was a a little bit of news for you. Other news is scott sawyer is doing great. Eric Michaels (his Less active friend) is now officially reactivated and he is going to be getting the aaronic priesthood on sunday and then baptizing scott the following saturday. the 17th. The Tarvins are doing so good. They are getting SOOO much anti and it's scary, but they keep just ignoring it and moving forward. Brooke Tarvin actually got a phone call from a random excommunicated member of our church that lives out west who she doesn't even know that was trashing on us and said we are all "Helluva good Salesman" in her words. It was pretty cool that Sis Tarvin actually defended us and they all were upset that someone would say that about us because they know we believe what we teach and that we are sincere. I think the real reason they aren't on date yet for certain is because even though they know it is true they are dealing with some bad influences from Brooke's Mom. She really doesn't like that they are investigating as well as a lot of their friends and they are afraid they will lose their family and friends if they commit is what it all boils down too. They are very close though and don't be surprised to get an email that just says they are getting baptized on saturday out of nowhere because they are right on the brink of it. Judy is doing okay. She has been really really sick though. Her fellowshipper Bro and Sis Thompson had a tragedy. Sis thompson died after about 3 battles with cancer and that has been hard on Judy's progression in the gospel. She fasted yesterday for a firm confirmation that this is the path she needs to take and prayed about her date for the 24th. Please keep her and Mike in your prayers. We have just so many cool things going on. The Bishop of our ward, Bishop Foister has a brother that is totally inactive. He went on a mission and came home after 5 months and ever since just completely lost all drive to be apart of the church for the past 20 years. Well, we recently have started going over to his house and he has been coming back to church for the past month and we are now teaching his 2 daughters Autumn and Brooke. One is 8 and the other is 10 i believe and They both want to be baptized as well. They love the church everytime they have gotten to go and so it's amazing to see him being reactivated. Bishop Foister is really happy about it obviously. I think it has helped us build tons of extra trust with him. I really don't want to leave Hamilton. I love the people here and I feel like if I leave Ill have to start over in a new place where it's completely dead and I won't even have time to build trust with the ward. That is where all the success has come in my mission is really just gaining relationships with ward members and working hard on our own and then we find prepared people. In the first 3 months you are in an area there are miracles that can happen (the Cunninghams), but generally if that area is dead and your doubled in or something it takes a month or two just to build a foundation solid enough to have success. Im gonna lobby president to let me stay. We will see what happens. Either way ill try my best to do everything I can for either area im put in. We have zone leader council tomorrow so maybe we will figure out some stuff about transfers there. Hey well I hope everyone has a great christmas season. I hope everyone has a great week and Im glad to here about the free publicity the store is getting. That is great for the holidays and should really be a blessing. I love you all very much and am looking forward to talking with you soon! Be safe!

 

Love,

Elder ingy Dec. 13th letters
So yesterday was our christmas devotional and it was also our preparation day so we have literally no time to write this week, but I real quick wanted to say hello and just let you all know that I love you and that it's been a great week. Tarvins are set on date for the 31st for baptism. They came to us like we told ya they would and said they knew it was true and they were ready. Scott, and Kevin Foisters daughter Brooke get baptized this weekend and Judy set for the 24th. I don't know about transfers yet. Pray for me that all goes as planned. I love you all.
Love, Elder Ingy

Hey Fam real quick update while we have a spare minute today, just wanted to let you know that IM STAYING IN HAMILTON!!! WAHOO! Ill get to die here now im almost positive of that! Also some other crazy news to get to ya........ Elder Cannon and I are staying together for another transfer, Elder pearson is leaving, but guess what we are still going to be in a tripanionship because President called and asked us both to train a brand new missionary! Im gonna be a papa for the 4th time haha. This time I have a spouse helping me raise this one. lol. It's exciting, kind of frustrating to think that we are gonna have three again, but I think we have finally figured out how to really make this work! It should be a fun way to finish up these last 2 transfers. All of the baptisms the new missionary will get to be a part of this month and the ones we will have in the coming months. The lord is really blessing us. Im shooting for 20 baptisms in my 7 months in hamilton.  By the end of December we will be at 16 so I know we can do it with hard work and ample help from Heavenly Father and his ministering angels. That is the goal. Im gonna pray harder, work harder, and live more worthy of the lord's referals so we can see lots of amazing miracles to finish up. Love you! MERRY MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Elder INGY