Monday, September 27, 2010

E-Mail 9-27-2010

Yeah for good talks! So this week had a cool oppurtunity, I got to bless the sacrament in Deltona! I hadn't done it for almsot two years or so! So that was neat. I did my specialty, the water! We are also on the ward softball league, we play other christian churches! So thats cool, and hopefully some teaching oppurtunities will come of that. I so hope. I also was able to get my hand on some translated dead sea scrolls and read some stuff....just enough to satisfy my curiousity, and build my testimony of the truthfulnes of this gospel. I have been purchasing books that I will be sending home soon....once I find where the post office is and get some boxes and such...most are c.s. Lewis books. I also found some other books for good price that I want to read such as the Da Vinci Code and Ender's Game. So I will be sending a box full of books.....I never thopugth I would want to read so bad and buy so many books....but I love reading now....it's weird.
i'm excited to get back to work on the farm. I miss it. I like playing more, but I still like working on the farm....have for a while now....just like playing more,... they usually get in the way of eachother.
Some hopefull baptisms coming up...I'll keep you posted....I will aslo try to get some pictures to send via e-mail.
Sending a package of goodies to Elder Stensrud (Bat-man) He is home now...so he thingks he has rid himself of the Joker, so I am sending him a gentle reminder! hehe! Um.....today is my 16th month mark! "Well that's cool" I think of Lexi everytime I say that. I also say it all weird like like she does couse of her story and such.....missionaries don't get it......anywho
peace, grace, love and joy in Christ Jesus!

Elder Stander

Thursday, September 23, 2010

2 E-Mails 9-20-10

Mother!
I asked my mission president What to write to you for your talk, this is his reply!

"Tell her how much you love this work, how much you see the hand of the Lord in the work ,and what a privilege it is to be in his service. Finally, how much he blesses the families at home because of your service. How is that for starters?"

So...I do indeed love this work! I love the Savior and all he has done for all of us! The best parts about this work is coming closer to Christ and bringing as many people as will listen to you along! The Lord most defiantly is in this work! I have mentioned a many miracles I have seen as I have labored and asked for the Lord's help! I am so glad the lord Trusts me with his lost sheep!
This is definantly the work of the Lord! Jesus is the Christ, the very son of the eternal and living God! He is the Savior and redeemer of the earth! There is no other way nor name given under heaven whereby men can be saved, only in and through Jesus Christ, the Lord onipotent! (Mosiah 3: 17...I think.) By his strips we are healed. His Atonement is infinite and eternal! and God's mercy and Justice are perfect! I know that we can all come unto Christ and be perfected in Him! I know that Christ restored His church again on the earth throught His prophet Joseph Smith! I know these things are true!

you'll have to talk about the blessings of the family! :D Hope this helped!

Elder Me! thats Luke Stander

Um.....well nothing to specific I want to share. My companion from St. Cloud went assistant! So thats cool.
I also got a letter from some of the converts in St. Cloud! That was a great letter! It made my day!
Well Brad and Jo's visit...It was really good! I didn't even get home sick! But it was a sureal experience, it was weird, it felt more like a dream than real life, and after they left it felt even more like a dream that they were here! They we not able to make it to the temple tour. But next time! When I come back to visit the mission I am going on a temple tour! they are awesome! So ...um..Taelor has grown up so much! It's crazy! It was alot of fun though, we went to Texas roadhouse for dinner and talked! it was neat! They said they are coming again at the end of my mission so then I might be able to go to disney with them! That would be neat-o! So looking forward to that!
Haha! I totally remember you backing into your cousin's car! hehe! That's funny! Sounds like you have had alot of fun! good deal!
Um.....good luck on your talk! and have a great week! I'll write to ya next week!
Love - Elder Stander

Monday, September 13, 2010

E-Mail 9-13-10

Well mother......The person most suited to help you with the talk is God! So, "Have you inquired of the Lord?" "You must seek from God those answers that man cannot give...nor take away." "Ask and ye shall recieve, knock and it shall be open unto you"
"If any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God who giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him, but let him ask in faith..."
Ok....I was just kiddin...but seriously.....
What is the purposes of the Church? Proclaim the gospel, prefect the saints, and redeem the dead. What do these all have in common? Christ, they all bring us and all we know, dead or alive unto Christ! As members we are to do these things.
I think thats a good starting line to a talk! Mother.....One thing I find more enjoyable in sacrament meeting talks are talks that keep going back to Christ! No matter what the subject, they can all go back to Christ for he is the center of everything and all the principles and ordinances of the gospel are appendages to Him and His infinite atonement wrought for each and everyone of us! All talks in sacrament meeting should draw us nearer to Christ and have us thinking of Him, for we worship on His day, The Lord's Day, were it not so we would still worship on the seventh day....Saturday. So there is some advice.
Well this week some miracles happened.....we had some people show up at church! It's always grand when this happens!
Um.....tracting.......some member meals.......You know, the usual. I wish I could tell you something good for you talk.....but nothing is really go on yet...it will though...it will. I already mentioned the highlite of the week.......
Use some stories from St. Cloud. Speaking of St. Cloud, I got a letter from one of my investigators there and she is thinking of being baptized! So thats awesome! I hope it goes thru, it could be a real help to her mother who is border line less-active.
One thing we are told is to expect miracles! So I try!
Um.... My bee sting is fine, my hand is normal....Tagamet, the Heart burn medicine helped it heal. So thats neat, and I didn't get heart-burn! win, win! haha!
We have a strobe lite, and lots of glowsticks...so we have parties every once in awhile in our house......it's for fun!
I'm excited to see Taelor, Brad and Jo! I am going to see if they can go to a temple tour, they are awesome! Bro. Herzog does them and he is soo great! So.....I hope that works out!
Um...."all is well in Zion, yea, all is well! Zion prospereth!" (2nephi 28) Good chapter!
Also, also, Hugging is allowed....it's family! Also there is not written rule in the white handbook, or mission specifics that so no hugging! yep.

Love-Elder Stander.

ps. tell me what you want exactly for your talk....

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

E-Mail 9-7-2010

i like home cooked meals..........then I can share a message easier, and it's more relaxed.... I also like take out cause I can order what I want.....So it's a tuffy. Go with home cooked! Sorry I was so late writeing...P-day was moved to tuesday this week cause of labor day! And then we had Zone p-day today and went to the beach here in Daytona for a sunrise service! Which was neat! I'll send ya some pictures! So it was fun!
So excitement of this week...wanna hear? Alrighty! So on Wednesday we did some service for some members who were holding a wedding reception in their yard. So we helped clean it up! So I was climbing trees and sawing branches, then I was pulling vines from trees....as I was pulling one vine inpaticular....I felst a sudden sharp pain followed by burning! I had been stung by a wasp! right on my left thumb under my thumbnail. So...Ok...no big deal....False! soon my thumb was all swollen and the swelling was spreading fast! Soon the whole swelling had enveloped my hand, and had started down my arm! By dinnertime the swelling had spread to my elbow.....So.....I thought it weird...I had gotten stung last year on my chin by the same type of wasp...and the reaction was not so intense! I talked to our ward mission leader here who is a perimedic and he got the details and then told me that I am allrigic to bees...or wasp...whatever...so....he said that next time the reaction will be worse. So he told me for safety sake I should get an epi-pen...So I am going to see about getting one of those...cause thats cool..."Oh...this....it's just my shot of adrenaline!" haha! sweet! So that was exciting...and I bought me some books! C.s Lewis book about christianity! So I'm pretty excited about that too! So I am excited to see Brad and Jo! and Taelor! Hope all is well!
Peace for now!

Elder Stander.

Oh yeah...I also remember writing that letter to Jenna. They told us to write to our younger sibling...so I was like....oh.....I don't have one of....wait a minute! jenna, She is my little sis! yep! thats awesome! I forgot I had did that!
also cool that she gets to sing with foriegner! neat-o!

Monday, August 30, 2010

E-Mail 8-30-10

Sweet pics! Sounds like some pretty exciting things have gone down!
Yesterday the bishop told the deltona first ward to step it up! haha! awesome! He told them to get more involved in missionary work! So hopefully they listened! And apply! Had Zone conferance this week...Saw Elder Hyer which was sweet...Also on P-day had a sweet nerf gun war with the Deland Elders at their chapel! So sweet! Thats the exciting stuff......not much else.....the AC went out on saturday.....but I think it's fixed now. not much else.........I have some letters to write..... thanks for teh pictures!
with love joy and grace in Christ Jesus!

Elder Stander

Monday, August 23, 2010

E-Mail 8-23-10

Well.....not much is happeing here. To answer some of the inquiries, Yes...it has rained alot. There has been a thunderstorm almost everyday this week! it's really nice cause then usually it stays overcast for the rest of the day and keeps it cooler-ish. Which is nice. I am now in a car share. So one week we get the car, the next week we get bikes. so it's nice every other week! haha! Um.....nothing too special....... just missionary work.
Well everthing is going good! Tell Brent Turner hello for me! He's my buddy! I miss going home teaching with him! So.....the red sox huh? Not much to tell ya about...it's pretty slow out here in Deltona. The ward is really really small. I like the scriptures!
I'm reading the old Testament....I'm in numbers...some chapters it feels like I'm in the wilderness for forty years! haha! but there is alot of good stuff I'm learning! So it's all good!
Well........um......"Take it easy mountian face!" -Hot Rod.

love Elder Stander

Monday, August 16, 2010

E-Mail 8-16-2010

Well....I will have to say that a condolensenses would be in order first....cause I was transfered from St. Cloud.....but I guess at the same time and under that same breath you could congratulate me also cause I have been trusted by the Lord to be a senoir companion. Or something...I don't know. All I know is it's more responsability and I liked being able to say...."hey, I'm just jr." But no more. Well...I'm here in Deltona....the ward is small....very small. Alot different to the large ward of St. Cloud. The chapel is new, and also small...fitting for the ward. So my first week here I have already been condemned to Hell twice by some nice baptists. So I have come to the conclususion that the baptist church here teaches the members anti-mormon material.Their main focus is on works, and exaltation. So it should be interesting. The teaching pool is slim pickings, and exchanges from the members are wanting. So hopefully I will be able to apply what I learned in St. Cloud to help this area. It seems like a good area so far. This last week was pretty good, and we have added people to our teaching pool.
My new Comp is Elder Jeppesen from Sacramento California. He is a greenie still.....only out 3 months. I have a sweet picture that I have procured while here in Deltona....I'll have to send a picture of that picture, but I plan on taking it home with me cause it's awesome! It's a picture of Moses! I also have a big desk, and the house is alot nicer than the one in St. Cloud!
So I hope all questions have been answered, and details sufficient.

Love Elder Stander