hey Pumba not in front of the kids.............. oh sorry

Hey Family

                First off, thanks for taking care of those doctor things for me because they were making me frustrated, also your package has arrived and I liked the candy and the addresses. I will attach pictures here at the end of the email.

               My week has been great. On Monday it was Elder Jacobson's Birthday so we went out to eat for lunch and for dinner. We also went to the gangster museum  It was cool to learn about the gangsters and all the illegal activity that Hot Springs is famous for. Al Capone had a pretty sweet car. It was green and bullet proof. Also there are underground tunnels under Central Avenue. Oaklawn (the race track and the casino) is open right now and traffic has been crazy. There are people from everywhere here to see the races. Gambling is still illegal here in Hot Springs so gambling is referred to as skilled gaming. On Wednesday we had our mission tour. Elder Kopischke from the 70 came and taught us. He said that a person can only teach what they already know and you can only teach people what they are ready to hear. It was a great conference and it was cool to be taught by a member of the 70. We are currently teaching this guy named Paul. We have taught him everything and he is ready to be baptized but he needs to come to church first but he works every Sunday. We are also teaching this lady named Mallory. She has a family of 6 but we have only been able to teach her. She wants to come to church which is awesome. Yesterday we went and taught this lady for the first time and she said that when she was 18 she was baptized 68 times that year because her mom wanted to get the devil out of her. It has been a pretty crazy week.

                                                                                                   Love Elder Talbert

Our house that we live in

Me with Al Capone holding a Tommy Gun

   

you're gonna love it doc we got all the toys

Hey Family

                

                 The weather this week has been crazy. There has been no snow but lots of rain. On Thursday there was a huge rainstorm with thunder and lightening and it just rained and rained and rained and rained all day long. At one point it was raining so hard that we were driving down the road with our windshield wipers going full speed and you still couldn't see. Then on Friday, it was 60-70 and nice and sunny. On Saturday the rain came in waves, it would rain really hard for 10-20 min. Then it would stop for a while. Then it would rain really hard again and the pattern continued the whole day. Because of the rain and the flu it has been hard to do a lot this week. It seems that everyone around here has a really bad case of the flu but luckily I have not gotten it and neither has my companion. So last week, on Sunday (6) we were over at the bishops for dinner and some how my heart problems came up and I told them that my 5 year mark was on Monday. Every other Monday we have a dinner appointment with the Birks. On our way over to the Birks, the bishop calls and asks if we have an appointment and we said we did and he was like good I don't want you hanging around your house on a Monday night. Well when we got home that night we noticed there is something on our door and as we took a closer look we noticed that we had been heart attacked. Yesterday we had a multi-stake stake conference. We got lucky and they broadcasted it to our building here in hot springs. It was really good. We listened to Elder Cook, Elder Scott and someone else from the quorum of the seventy but I don't remember his name. The talks were great and I learned a lot but it was one of the shortest stake conferences I have ever been to. Also Elder Scott didn't look like he was doing very well. Towards the end of his talk he kept on repeating himself so that is no good. Over all I have had a great week and I am glad that all of you are doing good. Its good you have lots of job security mom. 

                I have been taking pictures so as soon as i get that cord I will be able to send pics.

                                                                                                                                                                                          Love you all 

                                                                                                                                                                                                           Elder Talbert

ice of you to stop by.. ha ha haven't heard that one before.

Hey Family

                 Happy Birthday Dad. I will be sending your present soon. I hope your B-day was amazing. Also yesterday I was thinking how it was your B-day Dad and how 5 years ago it was your B-day and a Sunday when I got the call to have my heart transplant. Now it is the 7th and I keep thinking how more then 5 years ago I didn't think I could go on a mission. I am very grateful for the heart that I have and the opportunity I have to be on a mission. 

                  This week has been fairly normal. We had Zone conference on Tuesday. We had to drive to Arkadelphia and then to Little Rock then after we went back to Hot Springs so it was a long day of driving in the car. On Wednesday we had a new missionary training thing so we had to go back to Little Rock. We met a family of six this week and taught them the first lesson. They seem to like the gospel so hopefully they will get baptized soon. On Sunday we had a great Sunday school lesson on how Heavenly Father loves us and wants the best for us. In priesthood we had a lesson on home teaching and in the kindest way told the elders, high priests, priests,and teachers that they weren't doing their home teaching and needed to do it. It made me realize that home teaching is not very hard in Utah because you don't have to drive 30-60 minutes to get to an appointment. I have a better appreciation for home teaching. 

                   Mom will you send me addresses for G&G Gilbert, G&G Talbert, Donette, Pat, Jessica Talbert, and Paula&Blake. Dad I want Joseph S Talbert and I want I to have D&C 4:3 

                   

                   It sounds like you have had a good week and are kind of ready for school. Hope you all have a fun week.

         

                       Love Elder Talbert

pineapple upside down cake do you want some

Joseph's most recent letter (written 12/31/12)

Hey family

               Sounds like your week has gone well and you have all been busy and are ready to go back to school. Nathaniel sorry i didn't do a quote from pirates but this one fits my story. 

              After I talked to you on Christmas we went to have lunch at the church. For dessert we had pineapple upside down cake it was really good. Then we went to a members house and were hanging out when it started snowing. The district leaders called and said get to a safe place and we were like OK we are safe. Then about an hour later the zone leaders called and told us to go home. We left and got about two thirds the way home when we decided the snow was so bad and there were too many trees down we couldn't drive any farther. We then preceded to park the car in a safe place and walk home. When we got home we had no power because the trees had fallen on the power lines. We stayed over at our neighbors house that night. The next day we had a conference call and the president told us to not go driving around. When it stopped snowing we went outside and shoveled the neighbors and our sidewalks and drive way. We then got a ride to the church and shoveled the church's side walk. Thursday we were allowed to go out and visit people. We had dinner with the Lund's (you nds). That is the lady that called you mom she used to work for Elder Nelson of the quorum of the twelve. Friday we finally got power back and were able to resume normal missionary work. Sunday I met a guy by the name of Jim Griffin who says he knows grandpa.

             A few other things, Kent, the car we drive is a Chevy Malibu. Mom will you send be the cord for my camera the computers here don't have SD slots only USB. 

                                                                                                                                                  

                                                                                                                                                                         Love Elder Talbert  

Arkansas

Joseph's first letter from Arkansas (written 12/24/12)

Hey Family

                I made it safely to Arkansas. I am in Hot Springs. It is a nice little town, the people in this town are really cool. It is also the home town of Bill Clinton and it has the famous Arlington hotel which housed Al Capone. It was also the main hang out place of all the mafia. My trainer (Elder Jacobson) is cool he likes to work out and is currently trying to get a six pack. He does p90x everyday so I join him sometimes and attempt to build muscle. We have a car to use all the time but we still ride our bikes because it is fun and there is nice weather outside. I have been learning a lot about missionary work. We have gone tracting a couple of times and I am not very good at knowing what to say but I am getting better. I live in a house in the woods. We get feed almost every night so that is nice. We watch the district every morning and I will have it memorized before too long. There are so many churches around you pass them like you do in Orem but they are all different. There is a cool video called missionary work and the atonement that you all should watch - it is my new favorite.

 Mom:  I will be calling between 9-11 I know its a big gap but I will try and let you know the exact time by either calling or texting you in the morning and I can do either call, skype, or facetime. l will tell you more about my life tomorrow  I am enjoying myself and having fun meeting lots of new people. 

                                                          Love

                                                            Elder Talbert

Pictures of Joseph's first day in Arkansas:

Elder Talbert with President and Sister  Petersen

Week 2

Joseph's second letter from the MTC (written 12/11/12)

Hey Family
                I am doing great and having lots of fun. I leave next week on the 18th and my flight leaves around 7:00AM. I am learning a lot and Me and My companion are getting better at Teaching the lessons. We still mess up occasionally especially when we Teach our teachers. We have learned how important it is to make a real lesson plan. This week we had a devotional and the BYU men's choir came and sung they were really good. We also watched a general conference talk titled the Character of Christ. It was really good I would recommend that you watch it. Tell Laura and Jordan happy Birthday for me. There is not much that happens at the MTC. We do the same things day after day. The food is good and it is always fun when we get to go to the temple. Our teachers are really good and they make the lessons fun.
                We check the Mail multiple times a day so I will make sure I get that package before I leave. I will also be able to call home on Tuesday when I am at the airport. If you have already gone to work I will make sure that I call your cell phone and talk to you. Mom would you make sure that my Checking account has plenty of money in it so on next Tuesday I can pay to check my baggage and pay other various expenses at the airport. I look forward to receiving letters and packages ( especially if they have food in them). Sorry this is just thrown together and so short. I wish I had more to tell you. I will send longer letters when I get to Arkansas. Thanks for all the support and all you have done for me.
                          Love Elder Talbert

First Week

Joseph's First Letter from the MTC (written 12/4/12)

Hey Family

                I am doing great here in the MTC it is a really fun experience and the elders in my district are really nice. The food here is great and its all you can eat so everyone had like three plates on fast Sunday  The MTC has gotten a lot easier as I have taught the investigators the second lesson. My companion is really great he is a recent convert and loves the gospel. On Sunday we went to the temple and took pictures but I don't have enough time to write and send pictures so you will have to wait till I get out in the mission field. I did receive that package from you and I really enjoyed all the letters and the food. I have only been here for one week and not much has happened. I just wake up go to gym, go to class, teach an investigator, study, lunch, class, study, dinner, plan, go to bed. so it is all pretty boring but it is still a fun time. Over the course of this week I have seen lots of friends like Izak, Jordan, Craig, Quinn, McKay Rentz (for those of you who don't know i went to elementary school with him), and a couple others that you don't know. class is always fun, and spiritual. It is hard work but good work.

 

To answer your questions mom, I would like you to ship me the Green blanket, it gets cold at night, also I did forget my scripture markers and it would be nice if you sent me those. I also would like the suit hanger. thanks a bunch. It would also be nice if I could get Kent, Laura, Adam, and Josh's addresses so I could write to them.

 

well I am running out of time and out of things to say so I look forward to getting letters and packages. Thanks again for all the love and support you have given me.

Elder Talbert