E-Mail 10-19-2009

Well, sounds like all is well. and even though we might not make much money this year from hay, the Lord is blessing us with meat from dead animals! Sounds like a pretty impresive Elk! I miss home...tis true. I'm really bummed cause I am getting transfered tomorrow. I will be in Lacanto, opeing up a new area with a new companion, so goal numero uno, is learning teh lay of the land! So make sure when people write me, they know to send it to the mission home not to Apopka! kay? kay! I would inform you on the investigators here, but I'm leaving them, so I don't want to think about them cause I need to move on. Maybe in a letter when I have time, I have to pack today. and still find out how I'm getting to my new area. So thats exciting. I will get some pictures for you too! I will write more later!
Love you all!
Elder Stander

E-Mail 10-12-2009

another week with out mail? have your forgotten me? jk. You must be pretty busy! or something. um.... I will try to send some stuff home. I have aquired some really good books, so I will be sending that home for myself, but also put some other stuff in that package, such as the recorder, which will need batteries, and and some other things. Kay? kay! Um.....lets see....general conferance was neat! ...um....no baptisms.......Oh! I heard a funny joke from Elder Condie of the Seventy. He said it over the pulpit, so I figure it's pretty safe for me to say...right? yeah! It's a story about Charlie the atheist. Ressurection morning he poked his head out of the ground and said "I'll be Damned!" And he was! hahahaha! Yep! :D Welp....don't know what else to tell ya really! have a grand day!
luvya
Love Elder Stander

E-Mail 10-5-2009

Sorry mother! I didn't recieve any e-mail from you on monday and I usually just hit the reply button! I ment to write you, but we were in a hurry, and I forgot to compose one for you! so I didn't....But after we left I realized and said oh poopy! and I don't have much time to write letters! I have a bunch to replay to.... Jared is loving missionary work, Zac should be leaving for the mtc this month, and Micheal is still on a mission. Oh and Brainne is working at the beat dump this year! There, now you know whats going on in my very small circle for friends! :D
as far as me, I am working and am pretty excited about these people I have been teaching! Erlik, and Danielle! They are the coolest! They are humble and accepting and the Lord has truely prepared them for this gospel! I have been study-ing alot! One of our investigators got some Anti material. It was this little card the had at the top "mormonism teaches" and then a list of docrines that we teach! All but one of them were true, but worded terribly! So I went through and found scriptures in the Bible to support all of what we teach! It was pretty easy since we follow the Bible in all exactness. When asked if we believ in the Bible, Joseph Smith answered "If we do, we are the only ones under heaven that does" or something along those lines, then asked, "How do you differ from the other sects?" he answerd " That we believe in the Bible and other profess their belief in there interpretations of the Bible!" then, "Will everyone but Mormons be damned?" He answered "Yes! and a great portion of them unless they repent and work rightoesness!" Then my personal favorite "I hear they baptize in Joe Smiths' name." He Answered" "If they do, it's as valid as the secterian baptisms!" (pg 119 in "The Teachings Of The Prophet Joseph Smith) Haha! Joseph Smith dominates! So study-ing is pretty sweet! thats basically it! General conferance was pretty sweet though! Jeffery R. Holland laid out on those who speak ill of the Book of Mormon! And Tad R. Callister had a good talk about the truthes we teach! ....um....informative enough?
I'm pretty excited to meet my Nephew when I get home! Thats exciteing! keep me updated! You do a good job! :D Thanks for all you do mother dearest! I miss you tis true! But I will soon be home to you! hehe i am a poet! and I know it!
Love Elder Stander!
ps. "everybody was a kung fu fighting!"

e-mail 9-21-2009

Oh! sounds like fun! Sorry. I need to go get stamps cause
I'm out, so snail mail has halted for a bit! next sunday
is my 4 month mark! only 2 mor months and I wont be a
greenie anymore! yay! haha! The work is still great!
Bill.......hmmm He went cold after we invited him to be
baptized!. Haven't talked to him for a while now. and
Christina.....who we found out is like 18...which is
weird, she left on vacation with her boyfriend
(who is a member) and his family. So we can't do much
there till next week! but We have a golden contact!
Erlik, and his wife Daneille! They have been searching
and we tought the plan of salvation first, and they are
really interested and accepted a soft invite to baptism!
They are super cool! and way open and humble! I am so
excited to teach them more, and we will hopefully set a
baptismal date for them to work towards. They will
progress greatly in the Kingdom of God here on earth!
So there is some info! Got to go shopping and go play
volleyball with some of the young men in the Apopka ward!
most just Morgan Blackwelder. He is a stud! I love the
work, and all is well! how is everyone in B-town?
Love Elder Stander

E-Mail 9-14-2009

If I recall......I told you "Just so you know, next monday the library will be closed, so you will not get an e-mail from me. just a for-warning! kay? kay!" That was copied and pasted straight from my last e-mail I sent you! So be angered not! I fore-warned you of this event!I did tell jared he could have my trench coat, It is nice and when you find it, you can give it to Cindy to give to Jared free of charge, cause I don't want my little buddy freezing in Canada! It can be his birthday present! I think it's in my room? Oh boy, Jared is a missionary boy! haha! thats cool!Thanks for filling me in! Things are well with me! I have been having lots of fun...Oh and transfers happened and my comp got gone and I have a new one! Elder Kelvin Christensen from Elkridge Utah! He is pretty chill and very obeidient, so he keeps me in line! We have lots of positive investigators, and Bill is the most positive. He was an athiest of sorts, but wanted to know about the after life cause his wife just passed away. So it has been slow, but he is progressing awesomely! He is the coolest! and getting really smart in a spiritual sense, cause he is very intelligent in general! so he is super cool. We are also teaching this girl named Christina, who just barely graduated...I didn't know she was so young, but she is younger than I! She is pretty positive too. Hopefully we can get some baptisms! So there is some info an me! Kepp me filled in too!Have a great day, and do good!
Love Elder Stander

E-Mail 8-31-2009

Must be busy or something.....no e-mail. Just so you know, next monday the library will be closed, so you will not get an e-mail from me. just a for-warning! kay? kay! anywho......Whats going on wif you? I went to a stake conference and it was really really good! I felt the spirit real strong! I enjoyed it very much. Transfers are next week. But I will be staying in Apopka. Yep! uh....lets see....oh...talked to this guy that was kinda like the anti-christs' ion the book of mormon.....he was trying to confound us in our words, and wanted physical proof of our religion, and we testified and the spirit was really strong, but he denied the spirit and continued to argue and tried to tell us we were wrong......but it was a powerful lesson....just not for him. um.....thats basically it... just good ol' missionary work, Eat, study, teach, tract, sleep, tract, teach, ect. oh...and I have been out for a little over 3 months now! kewl huh? only 21 months to goI miss ya all. and love ya. e-mail you the week after next! Love Elder Stander

E-mail 8-24-09

This week we set three baptismal dates, but two of them had to be moved cause they didn't attend church this Sunday....so now they are null and void, but we will work something out! We have alot of positive investigators, and so it's all good. Transfers are comeing up, so I might be moved. I highly doubt that they will transfer me, but could happen. I'm glad to here that Jenna is ok! man, I just wrote her and Jane this morning, and already sealed the evelope! Brianne told me she stopped by the other day, and talked with you for like three hours! she said she really enjoyed it! um.....I think thats all.....Oh and I also found out that I can listen to John Bytheway out here! So next time you send me a package for something, maybe find all my john Bytheway talks and send them too! that would be neat! Tahnks for keeping me informed! I love you all! buh bye!
Elder Stander.
ps. I'm still not use to calling myself elder rather than Luke....