25 May 2015 "Sup all ya'll"

    I am so happy to be a Missionary at this time. I have seen so many blessings as we are getting ready to close the Oklahoma Tulsa Mission and to open the Arkansas Bentonville Mission!!!   I am so lucky and I found out recently that my Dad helped open the Oklahoma Tulsa Mission!!! 

    The reason for the change in the Mission name is to make the mission office more centralized in the mission.  Tulsa is in the far west as far as the Mission boundaries go!

    This week we came really close to setting an all-time Mission record for new investigators. The last time we made a record we had 80 more Missionaries than we have now.  We were only one short of matching the record. 

   The Last 5 months of my Mission I will have a new Mission name and a new Mission President. I am super excited. 

    We have had one crazy week.  We worked hard all week and we decided that in order to stay within our miles budget, we would have to cut down and make Marshfield a Biking area and make Fordland a car area.   It is a 60 mile drive round trip every time we go to Fordland.

   

    I am going to be the best Missionary that I can be through the end of my Mission. I am excited for the changes and I want to make the changes memorable by working as hard as I can through it all!!

    Missions do come with trials.  Ups and downs that make us grow and learn.  That is for sure.   The other day we were asked if we prayed for people. We said yes, knowing that what the lady was saying is "do we give blessings?"   We ran upstairs and she talked to the lady that needed a blessing and she refused us because we are Mormon.  Yes, this happens all the time but I have never had it happen in a life or death situation like that!   I have learned patience and love through this.  We don't learn half as much through the good times as we do through our trials. I am grateful for this opportunity.  As we rode our bikes away, all I could think of was hymns from church which was exactly what my companion and I needed!!

      I love all ya'll and wish ya'll a good week!

 

           Elder Caldwell

18 May 2015 "Sorry super short and lame..."

 This week has been fast and incredible. I am starting to understand what it takes to be a District Leader. I love it all and life moves faster and faster.  Hopefully I will catch up someday but the Lord has the fast way and it is amazing to see his hand in it all.

       I am so happy I have the knowledge that I am a son of God and he loves me individually. I am seeing lots of turtles and possums and odd things every day. I wish I could just send pictures. I promise Pictures next week but this week has been one crazy preparation day haircuts and going to Wilsons Creek.  It made me happy, sad, and a little agitated but thats ok.  It's only because I know enough about the civil war for little things to bother me.

      Love ya'll talk at ya next week 

              Elder Caldwell

16 May 2015 "Week #47"

  ...  it is not week #47 its just a random #.

..This week has been crazy. We talked to a lot of people and shared family history with a Mortician. That was an adventure!!

    In Sacrament meeting on Sunday I gave a talk on the Law of Chastity for Mother's day. Ya, that was an interesting talk.  It was super fun to study and to talk about.  It has been the only talk I have been given that people did not come up to me and say nice talk.   Well, except the Harris girls.  They said it was great, funny, and real. I am trying to be a real Missionary.  We all slip into the robot mode here and there.

    As I have become a more real Missionary, people have been more accepting of me on a general level. From Tracting to talking with Members.  When you are real and use your life experiences to help teach principals of the Gospel, people laugh and have a good time while they are learning. I hated school so I don't ever want to teach like a school teacher. No offense to school teachers...they just don't have the opportunity to teach in small groups and make it personal!

    I have a great feeling that I am really going to love these last 7 months of my Mission. I am learning so much that I wish I had learned earlier but I am glad I get to learn it at all.

                 Love,

                     Elder Caldwell

    

04 May 2015 "This is the story and I'm stickin to it"

  Oh Yaya

     This week has been fantastic. I am looking forward to this next transfer. I just got word that I will be staying in Marshfield for another 6 weeks with Elder Gehring!!! The only thing that changed is the Lord called me to be District Leader. I know that this came from the Lord.  I also know he has a little more Faith in me than I have in myself. Sister M is coming back into the District, I replaced her in Marshfield when I got shotgunned in.

     I am so grateful for the wonderful support we are recieving in this Ward and Branch where I am serving. I know why it has changed, too.  I have been working harder in the last week in this area than I had the last 6 weeks combined. The Lord has blessed me for sure. President Shumway will be leaving in 9 weeks and he has set some pretty hefty goals for the Mission. I hope we can send him off with a bang. I know that we can hit all the goals he has set.  No matter what the Lord has set these goals, not President Shumway.

     I Love all the work we are doing.  We have been finding a lot of potentials through our own efforts and member referals. God Loves each and every one of us and wants us to do the best we can.  That is the simplicity of the Gospel.

     I hope ya'll have a great week and I will continue to write weekly. Oh ya, this is so cool.   In Marshfield they have a large Crank Shaft standing on end. I had to get a picture to show ya'll.  We also found a snapping turtle on a cool dirt road:)

                 Love,

                      Elder Caldwell

Me and the Marshfield Crankshaft

Elder Gehring and the wandering snapping turtle.

My Marshfield District