Unripe Persimmons

Joseph's letter from July  21

Hey Family,

                  This week has been great! On Monday we drove to a members to play some games with him and his family. It started pouring and we thought we were going to get stuck out there. Well it stopped raining in time for us to go back to town for our dinner appt. We had dinner with the Branch President and his family. They area from AZ. We had all started eating when he tuned to me and said "I learned something interesting about you today." I asked what and he said" you're like the tin man." I was like "yep." His wife gave both of us a weird look and we told her I had a heart transplant. Then on Tuesday we had specialized training. It was really good. We talked about inviting and overcoming concerns. Something I really liked was a quote that reads "When you make a commitment you raise hope, but when you honor that commitment you build trust." Often we make commitment and we don't follow up for whatever reason. It makes the investigator feel like you just asked them to do something because you were told to not because you want them to change. If we really care for those we teach we will invite and follow up. On Wednesday we tried to see a bunch of people but no one was home. We did meet with a lady named Karrisa. she was nice. We then went and ate some plants at a church activity. It was interesting to be eating what looked like a weed and tasted like a sour patch kid. I also ate an unripe persimmon. DO NOT EVER DO THAT!! They dry up your mouth and taste nasty. Ripe ones taste good though. On Thursday we met with this less active family that live in a moisture farm house. At least it looks like a house for a moisture farm off Star Wars. On Saturday we went and helped President Woods (the branch president) move. He is moving to a house just outside of town. We then went and taught this guy named Donovan. He is legit but his girlfriend doesn't want anything to do with church. We then went and helped the Woods move some more and President Woods kept firing me from helping because he knew about my heart transplant but I helped anyway. It was lots of fun and we got them most of the way moved. On Sunday we had a good lesson on families in gospel principles. Then after church we had a potluck. That night we went to the Mattesons for dinner and Sean came with us because there are no guys in the Matteson's family. We played some games like spoons and I was really good at the game. 

            It has been a good and fun week. Thanks for all the prayers and I hope y'all have a great week. I love and pray for y'all everyday. 

Elder Talbert

Book of Mormon

Joesph's letter from July 14

Hey Family,

                  This week has been great! On Tuesday we had district meeting. It was about inviting people. It was really good. after, I went on exchanges with Elder Bell. We stayed in Mountain View. We went out teaching with Nash. He is 17 and preparing to go on his mission. We first saw this guy named Blake. He is cool and believes in a lot of everything. We then went driving around and met these two guys named Ricky and Jay. They were cool and open to the gospel. Later that night we went and talked with Nash's family. They are not members but still like us and are ok with him going on a mission. On Wednesday we exchanged back in the morning and then worked in the Family History Center all day. We had dinner with the Branch President and then went to young mens. We played some B-Ball at young mens and I remembered how much I suck at it. On Friday we went to Shirley to contact some people, then in the evening we met with Jesse and invited him out to church.  Sunday I spoke in sacrament meeting again. I spoke about 3 weeks ago and the Branch president was out of town so he didn't realize I spoke. So I spoke on the Book of Mormon this week. It was really good and I talked about Moroni's challenge. I learned that it doesn't matter if its your first time reading the Book of Mormon or if you have read the Book of Mormon 100 times, you should still pray to know whether it is true after every time you read it. It will get you fired up about missionary work and the gospel. The branch president brought an investigator named Donovan to church and he really liked it. We are going to see him on Wednesday this week. 

         That is about it for my week. It has been good and fairly boring. I hope y'all have a great week. I love hearing for you.

Elder Talbert

4th of July

Joseph's letter from July 7

Hey Family,

                  This week has been lots of fun. On Monday we hung out with Nash and Sean. Then in the evening we went to the Donavans for dinner. On Tuesday we gave our car to the sisters because it was our turn for bike week. We then walked around all day with not much success. We did meet a less active that stopped and talked with us. Then on Wednesday we went walking again and got waved down by these people in a car. We walked over and they asked us what we were doing. We explained we were missionaries and we share a message about Jesus Christ. We talked with them and gave them a Book of Mormon. We are going to try and see them again this week. Their names are Alex, Aaron, and Faith. We also talked with our next door neighbor named Dean. Right after that we met one of the sister's investigators named Judy. It was a great day! On Thursday we had zone meeting. Sean drove us there. It was really good and we got to meet Pres Wakolo. He is super cool and funny. He brought his family with him. He has a 10 year old daughter and a 17 year old son. Then his wife and him. He was teaching about how life was before the fall, after the fall, and after the atonement. Anytime we said different answers he would say "same church....OK". Then we would all answer it correctly. It was funny. He has a cool accent and if you listen closely he kinda sound like an islander version of Pres Uchtdorf. On Friday we had nothing really going on. But we decided to go walking and we got stopped by this car. They said they had been looking for the Elders and that their Dad was in the hospital and would like a blessing. So we jumped in the car and went and gave this guy a blessing. This family was from Texas and was on vacation and the dad got sick. Later we watched a few fireworks that people were shooting off and that was about it. Saturday we talked with lots of people but the people we were wanting to see were busy. Then on Sunday church was very good. After church we went out teaching with Nash. We tried to see a few people then Nash was like there is this place I have never been. Lets go knock doors there. We went and knocked doors and the first like 5 doors no one answered but towards the end people talked with us and we had some really good lessons. One guy named Blake and another named Jeremy said we could come back. We are going to see them tomorrow. 

                 Over all it was a good week. Here is the chart that Pres Wakolo was talking about I mentioned earlier. 

                 before the fall / after the fall after / the atonement

god                       +                     -                   +++++++

life                        +                     -                    +++++++

knowledge             -                     +                   +++++++

progress                -                     +                   +++++++

family                    -                     +                   +++++++

I thought it was cool and so I decided to share it with y'all. I hope y'all have a great week and know I love and pray for y'all every day. 

Elder Talbert

President Wakolo

Joseph's Letter from June 30

Hey Family,

                  This week has been awesome! On Monday we played games all day with Nash and Sean. Then in the evening we went to dinner at a members named the Gonsers. They are really cool and live about 30-40 min away so we drove there, had dinner and on the way back it was raining really bad. On Tuesday we had district meeting. We learned about following up on commitments. After district meeting we went on exchanges. I stayed in Batesville with Elder Wohlgamuth. We had a fun time. We saw a few people but for the most part no one was home. We talked with a less active family and they were really cool. It was lots of fun. on Wednesday we exchanged back and then we went to the church to work in the family history center. After we finished in the Family History Center we went with Sean and Nash and Sis Donovan to Tommy's. It's a really good pizza place. After Tommy's we went back to the church to teach young men's. We did role plays with the young men. It was lots of fun. At first only one or two wanted to participate but by the end they were all having a good time. On Thursday we went to Shirley to have lunch with Sister Hamilton. She took us to the Mona Lisa. We got talking with some of the other people at the restaurant and learned that one of them had family that were members. She was catholic but didn't go to church. She said if she was to join a church it would be the LDS church. After lunch we drove home and Nash came out teaching with us. We met this lady named Jeanette. At first she was standoffish but at the end of the discussion she opened up and took a Book of Mormon. On Saturday we saw this guy named Roger the sisters told us about. He is cool and wants to change his life but doesn't understand how he can. We then saw this guy named Matthew. He was busy but told us to come back on Wednesday and seemed really excited for us to visit. That night it rained really bad so we stayed in. Sunday we went to church and that was really good. 3rd hour was about temples and doing temple work and how important it is. We then went and had dinner with the Mattesons. They are a cool family in the Branch. 

                  That is about it for my week. The new mission President arrived on Friday and President Petersen left on Saturday. I haven't met the new mission President yet but he should be cool. Thanks for all y'all do for me. 

Love Elder Talbert