30 Nov 2015 "Wow! it does not slow down. It does not give up. It just keeps going and I'm never giving up."

 Hey ya'll 

        This week has been pretty crazy.  My emotions going wack as I prepare myself for the life ahead. I don't know how I made 2 years disappear but it must have been an amazing magic act. I know life kicks and bucks just like a rodeo bull. I know it is not easy but we better get the best out of our 8 second ride. This life is thrilling.  It does not stop. 

         I have one pair of pants worth saving and I will be wearing it home. I split my pants last night in the most amazing way. We had traveled 3 miles down a dirt road on our way back to town. We came to a Low water crossing that had washed out a trench around the concrete. we had to build a ramp for the truck to go up so we could get home. As I bent down to grab the first rock my pants ripped from the zipper to the belt loop - all I had left to do was laugh and enjoy the experience. I went my whole mission without splitting pants until the last week. 

        On your Mission you will experience the greatest trenches the biggest pit-falls. You will also see the most Miracles.  If you are willing to put knowledge to work, you will find yourself able to get across the ditches, the chasms, and the cliffs. The Lord provides a way when we just smile and keep working great things happen. 

      The Lord is aware of all your struggles and I know that he is pulling for you.  Don't ever give up in life, whether it is a Mission, The Military, School, or in your profession. I won't give up..will you?  It is now time for me to continue in the things that I have learned here in the Oklahoma Tulsa Mission and the Arkansas Bentonville Mission. I will come back a Man when I left a boy. I have learned so much and I am so very grateful for all ya'll who have been praying for me and supporting me on this journey of life. 

                   Love, 

                        Elder Caldwell 

Sorry there is more..

 My companion wound up in the Hospital on Thanksgiving due to a wonderful plant called Poison Oak. I, in the meantime, was in Houston on exchange with Elder Hedges,  We ate dinner on paper plates in the Houston apartment. It was kinda nice to have it small. Elder Hedges taught me a lot. I love that man and a lot of you will see his amazing artwork.   He is one silly Elder. This Zone is my Favorite, it is a good one to be my last.  I will miss all the zone members for sure. 

23 Nov 2015 "Week of Adversity"

The title is a little rough. I thought about this and all I was going to talk about in this email was the sicknesses and discomforts that this week has been. From losing investigators to being laid up for a couple days hacking and gagging. 

However, now I see, after emailing my Family, how blessed I have been throughout this whole process. I have been feeling down but there are worse things out there and I know that I can be nothing but Thankful for everything that has gone on this week. 

I know that God Loves me and watches me

Love, 

Elder Caldwell

16 Nov 2015 "hey y'all"

    It has been such a fast week. I believe that Missions are like funnels, the closer you get to the bottom- the faster it goes. I have been so privileged to be here at this time.   Teaching the people I have been able towns having  a companion who understands it. I am down to 18 days which means I only have 2 more emails to send home. I am amazed at how 2 years has just been a drop in the bucket. I am so happy.  II don't want to leave here but I do know that "there is a time and a place for everything under the heavens!" Ecc 3:1. Now my time is come.  The change is happening.  I will fight to the end and we will go from there. I know that I was called to serve 24 months and I plan on serving the last one with as much fire as the first one. 

 

       I am here to help people in their journey just as others have helped me in my Journey. I am here because of a handfull of people. Hopefully I can be in multiple peoples hands  through out my life. I want to be one to inspire uplift and bring closer to Christ always. I am no perfect man nor am I close but I will work to become perfect every day. I hope ya'll know how much I love and respect you. 

                  Love, 

                        Elder Caldwell

     

09 Nov 2015 "This will be short"

Sorry this will be real fast. The computer is about to shut down. I love you and I am so glad that ya'll have been reading this blog. I dont have many weeks left but I do have enough to be busy.
Got to go. 

Love, 

Elder Caldwell 

2 November 2015 The time is winding down

This is Jenni, Zach's mom actually writing this.  Zach has been very faithful in writing home each and every week while out on his mission.  This week, he didn't sent a "Group Email" as his computer time ran out.  He has one hour at the Ava Library to get all his communications out and this week he fell short.  In the email that he sent me personally this week, he states that he is "excited to give his homecoming speech.  He already has quite a few ideas."  He said that he is excited to meet his 20 month old nephew, James and his soon to be new brother-in-law, Andy.  He loves the work in Ava.  He knows that it is a perfect place for him to end his mission.
Thanks to all of you for following Zach on this adventure over the past four years.  No, he hasn't been a missionary for four years, but he prepped pretty darn hard for two years, and then he was unleashed into the Oklahoma Tulsa Mission that later became the Bentonville Arkansas Mission.
He will be reporting on his mission on Sunday, December 13th at 1 PM.  You are all invited to come and hear his testimony and experiences he has had while serving as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints.
Any questions, just let me know.
32 Days and counting!

Thanks!
Jenni

26 October 2015 "I am only a wrench..."

 I have limited time and I dont know what happened to this hour but the warning has popped up..only 5 minutes left. 

      

       I can't deny that I am only a wrench to work on the car. The Car is the world.  The wrench is me. The one who controls the wrench is God!! I am here as a 10mm wrench because that is what the Lord needs in this specific area, on this specific bolt if you will. 

       I have met some of the most interesting people in my life in this area. We tracted into a man who is missing an arm. He knows that the Word of Wisdom is a true principal. He knows the Law of Chastity to its fullest. He is prepared.  We have not taught any of these things to him, but he knows the universal truth. Amazing.

 

              Love, 

                   Elder Caldlwell 

19 Oct 2015 "love the Lord and serve him the very best you can."

   This week has been pretty crazy from zone training to Transfer calls. I will be finishing my last transfer in the Ava area. I am kinda sad that it is coming to a close so fast. I realized that I am one of the oldest in the Mission and it gets sad. 

     I love My Mission and I understand that there is a time and a season to all things under the heavens and this is my time to serve, to love, and to work hard up to the end. I have been severely blessed to be on a Mission. 

    I have met some incredible people that I never would have met or ever associated with before my Mission. I have learned more about who I am and who I can become. 

    There has been some confusion as to what my address is so here it is again:

             Route 6 Box 6470 apt 15:

             Ava, Mo 65608 

          

     I love you all, wish I had more time to write but all I can say is love the Lord and serve him the very best you can. Your life will be much happier and you will find yourself more focused and having more time to do the things you love. 

                   Love, 

                        Elder Caldwell 

12 October "I will not trunk out...Never"

  Hey ya'll

       It has been a crazy week,   We found 18 new potential investigators and taught 22 lessons which is the most I have done in Ava the whole time I have been here. Transfer calls are this weekend, so we will see what happens.  I will write bout it next Monday.

    We have been doing a lot of finding and had a few people yell out of a few car windows at us. I hope that everyone knows how much I care about them and how much I love my mission. The Last couple weeks training has been really great. My greenie told me he was so glad that i have not trunked out. I thought I was getting trunkie but I will not trunk out...Never.

     I hope ya'll have a great week.  This week has been so miracle filled.  I have had the opportunity to plan and find out why we planned to tract that street.  After we tracted it, I knew why we were there. We met a man that slipped through the cracks 30 years ago and we were able to come in contact with him. This man invited us in and we talked for a little while.  We will be going back there this week!

                             Love, 

                                   Elder Caldwell

5 Oct 2015 "Hey ya'll"

       I don't know what to say in the few minutes I have left.  Time goes too fast, the miracles still happen, and the word is still true. I have felt the spirit so strongly this week as I have been able to watch General Conference and as I have truly felt the spirit testify of the truth spoken of. 

       I am not perfect but I do know that through righteous desires focused on acting, we can become perfect in all things. The Lord does not give commandments that cannot be reached. I am far from perfect but as I strive everyday I feel just a little more perfect in one way. I know that Jesus Christ has already suffered for my sins and my afflictions and I know that he wants me to be the best that I can be now and forever. 

     We are the Children of God and no child wants to disappoint a righteous Father. At least I know that I don't. The miracle of Repentance and the Atonement is so powerful. I know if the Atonement can strengthen me and wash me clean, then it can you too. 

     My life right now is engulfed in gospel acting. I am so privileged to not have a care in the world, I don't worry about the end.   I embrace the journey I am on. I have no reason to worry about the price of gas in Asia and even less to worry about the Pope coming to America. I worry about the people I love getting attacked by the adversary. I worry more now about the spiritual development of myself and others. Missions are incredible experiences that I can't put into words. All I can say is that I am here to serve and I know all that I have talked about here because of my serving a Mission.

           Love, 

           Elder Caldwell 

21Sep2015 "Wow! What a week"

      Why do weeks have to go so fast? I am ending the first week of the transfer and starting the 2nd week. That means soon the next 8 weeks will be gone, and I will be sad at home. Missing the Mission Field. I am scared, sad, and excited. I know that the Lord loves me and has a plan for me, even after My Mission. 

            I hope that I can continue this work throughout my whole life. Today, I discovered that some of my pants are a little see-through.  Good thing that you still cant see my garments through them, haha. Joys of finishing strong and doing 50 Miles on a bike down dirt roads!  I want everyone to experience these funny truths hahaha. 

           I have a great companion from Burlington, Wyoming. He really is just one cool, relaxed, country boy. I love it.  He is ready to work and loves to work. I got the best greenie in the world...he cracks me up! We are pretty much alike.  Same kind of humor mostly and we both love to work. 

        We went to 4 different places trying to get cash back just so we could wash Laundry today. Well noone would give my companion cash back and not much mattered.  We figured it out and now we have laundry hanging up in our apartment to dry!  In the process, though, some real nice lady bought us an electrical cord because my companions card was not working and I did not have enough to cover. What amazing people there are here in this town!

                                       Love, 

                                                Elder Caldwell

14 Sep 2015 "Hey, how are ya'll?"

This week has been crazy from chasing pigs to broken windows to log splitting.  We have had one crazy fun week. Elder H has been out 4 days now in the field. He is one great and motivated  "Greenie". 

       We did a service project splitting wood for 3 hours on Saturday. We got back and called the cops because our window was broken the night before on our truck. Next thing you know, we get a call from JR asking us if we could help him catch some baby pigs that had gotten free. We jumped fences, fought the bushes, and worked our way back on both sides of the pigs until we were able to set out a fish net to snatch them up.  It worked really well, After catching the pigs, we banded a goat, then drove home, got changed and off to dinner. 

        Elder O had a hard time packing through the week.  So we got up at 4 am on Thursday to finish up his packing. 

       This is going to be a great transfer.  Well, I got to go.  Time is up 

                               Love, 

                                    Elder Caldwell 

07 Sept 2015 "Hey Y'all"

  Another crazy week!! We got transfer calls on Saturday and Elder O is going to serve in Oklahoma with Elder J! Elder S is a Zone Leader.   I feel like they are taking the young ones in the mission age and making them Zone Leaders this Transfer.   I think it is an incredible idea!   Wow the Lord is Smart!

    Everyone in My Zone here in West Plains are trainers except one companionship!  It is super cool.  Today our laundry was interestin'!! It did not dry very well, so we have it hanging all over our apartment.  We used some Para-chord.   I will send pics of it next week!

      Crazy, Odd, Terrific news!!! I am getting a 3rd trainee which means that I very possibly will end My Mission in Ava, Missouri...pretty crazy eh!! I am also still District Leader so I get the opportunity to do both! Seems like a great way to finish my Mission.  

                            

                                Love ya'll,

                                      It is time to rock the world,

                                                                  Elder Caldwell  

31 Aug 2015 "Hey ya'll not much time but here it is...briefly"

- We moved

- We played volleyball and got a private theater for the zone activity today with "all you can eat" popcorn and "all you can drink" drinks

- I found out that some valentines that I left in Ash Flat 9 months ago are still there. 

- We did lots of service and even ripped off a roof and did some work on the farm. 

- We met some more less actives and we had lots of bike rides.

Thank you!

               Love,

                     Elder Caldwell

 

17 Aug 2015 "This week has been great"

 One day, in a land far far away the missionaries rode 10 miles into town to save a few miles and rode and walked seven more while in town and then rode 10 miles back.  It was a pleasant journey and I kinda wanna do it again. It's a really pretty bike ride. 

       While these two Missionaries were walking around in-town, we discovered a rookie mistake that is quite hilarious.  The picture will be attached of a bucket that has been concreted into the sidewalk. That has to be expensive to fix properly. 

        Weird fact of the day in Ava, Missouri...I think it's against some kinda rule to walk anywhere. People are strange and some members seem to get a little huffy when we don't accept a ride from them (learned, as I do most things... the hard way). I don't quite understand this weird alternate universe, but I am not here to offend anyone. 

       I truly enjoy the people in this area especially the family that we ate with last night!! They built a house out of mud that looks better than stucco in my opinion and its bulletproof (yes that has been tested and is a fact). It only cost them $1,800.00 and the walls are 18" thick, meaning the heating and cooling cost near nothing. It is fully wired and hooked up to solar panels, which really makes the heating and cooling cost nothing. Mortgage free and livin' the dream. 

       True, this place is a little backwards, but maybe its not and the rest of the world is backwards. Well who knows these days!! All I know is it has opened my eyes to new things that I might implement in my life. 

         As for teaching...we got a new potential investigator but the only way we will be able to get in contact with him is if he is walking down the road towards the town of Ava! He has no cell phone and would not give us an address but we will keep working and praying to get in contact with him and many others!!

                    Love, 

                             Elder Caldwell

10 Aug 2015 "..the love my Heavenly Father has for me is constant and forever."

Hey,how are ya'll doing today?   I really had to laugh about this sign we found on a building. 

I hope ya'll have a great week. 

    This week has been fantastic.  I got to teach my companion about car engines and how they work for a little bit. I hope we can find some new investigators.  Please pray for us and please pray for our obedience. God loves us and he loves you!!  Satan just wants to bring us down. 

      I am so grateful for all the many blessings that I have seen on my mission!!! I hope it continues.   Trials come and they go, but the Love my Heavenly Father has for me is constant and forever. Have a great day. I will get ya'll more pictures.

Love

Elder Caldwell   

03 Aug 2015 "...work hard and love those you serve."

 I am now in Ava Missouri and I am working alongside Elder O! Super exciting!  our district has 2 Riverton Folk in it..Me and Sister D.  Pretty cool...ehh?!?!

 I am working hard to get things rolling.  I am trying to gain some Member trust back here.  It's pretty easy, you just have to work and love those you serve.  Not too hard. 

     Well other than the crazy cleaning experience that we had in the last two days, not much has happened.  Just trying to get bearings and get going.   I love my life so much out here as a Missionary!!

                  Wish ya'll the best. I will write more next week. 

      Love, 

     Elder Caldwell

27 July 2015 "Shortest Stay in an area my whole mission"

Guess what ya'll??  I am headed to Ava, Missouri on Thursday.  Apparently I cant get it right in Missouri.  I am serving with and Elder that served in a district that I lead not too long ago. I will serve as District leader in my old District with Ash Flat, Arkansas in the District. I am so excited!!!  I have only been in Jenks, OK for 6 weeks. They also separated the Jenks and Sapulpa areas into two again, like they were before I got here.  

     I don't know why I came to Oklahoma for just one Transfer, but I do know that Elder Shore feels like he knows. He says he needed me, but I have no clue what I said.  He will be training his 2nd trainee and he has only been out for 9 months.  He is one incredible Missionary and I am so glad I got to serve with him.

     Elder Smuin is going home at the end of this next transfer.  We served in Ash Flat about a year ago together. We had an exchange and I got to talk to Elder Smuin a bit. I realized that it had been a year since I met him.  It really shows how fast time goes on a Mission. 

     The Lord works in Mysterious ways and I know he tries us, tests us, and turns us into better people than we could ever be on our own. I have met some great people here in Jenks in such a short amount of time.  People I won't forget. I hope everyone gets the experience to serve a full time Mission. It is incredible! You have no idea what the Lord can make of you!

      Love,

 Elder Caldwell

                                           

20 July 2015 "We worked hard and had an enjoyable week"

I now understand fully how amazing the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is. We went to a church called Life Church TV and I tell you what,There is a very different feeling there. I am convinced that it is not for me.  It was a great rock concert with laser lights and everything. There were a few scriptures in it and a Movie watched.  All things that seem super weird as a Missionary!!!  We did get permission to go to this church, as we got invited by a potential investigator.

Doing more with less.  That is what is happening in our Mission.  We are teaching more, Baptizing more, and bringing more closer to Christ with less people. Yes, it is agitating covering 2 areas.  However it is the Lord's way of making me better than I could possibly make myself. Remember that there are many who look up to you.  Don't budge under stress.  Put a smile on.  Be the one to change people from a depressed mood to a happy determined mood. 

   We worked hard and had an enjoyable week. it was definitely an eye opener! I hope you have a great week.  I don’t have much time but enjoy.  The coolest thing about that church?   I got to hold Darth Vader’s light Saber.  Life is good!

Love Elder C

Life Church TV ..even Darth Vader is welcomed.

Elder S and Me with Darth Vader!

 

13 July 2015 "Spiritual gifts..sometimes hard to see."

  The Spiritual gifts that we have are sometimes hard to see.   I am so glad that I have such a great companion so that I can stay focused on the true gifts that I receive. Heavenly Father loves us and wants the best for us.   I know this for a fact.  I have had ups and downs and crazy Roller coaster rides, but it is the ups and downs that make it interesting and fun. I have learned so much out here and especially in the last week. I love being able to search the scriptures every morning and then pick my companions brain and bounce the impressions and thoughts I have off of him.

     I feel like me and Elder Shore make pretty good companions. We work pretty well together and try to plan things to be most effective. We met with an old man on his driveway and he was so excited about the news that there is a Prophet on the earth and we know his name. I hope it goes further than that. 

It really hits me how blessed I am to be able to know that God loves me that he has a plan for me. He has sent me Prophets to guide me and to love me. I am so glad that I know of the Book of Mormon, that I know that it is a true record testifying of the Messiah, the Son of God. I know that we can have Eternal Families. I wish everyone could have this same comfort that I feel in my soul.

    I hope that you can all conquer the trials you are going through.  There is only one way.  That is through Jesus Christ, our Savior. I love This Knowledge I hope you do too!!

Love 

Elder C

6 July 2015 "...just LOVE YOUR NEIGHBORS!!"

This week was rough and the results were not quite what we wanted. We had a Zone Conference with President Loveland, that was kinda weird. I am going to miss President Shumway but I am also excited for President Loveland and his wife. They work hard and that is something I like. They talk in today's terms and in today's language. He even said "awesome" over the pulpit. He is a "White Handbook Mission President". He asked us what makes this Mission so successful and we said it is the culture of obedience that is around the Mission.

    The Lord has prepared this Work for us and we need to be worthy to do the work.  We need to be willing to serve him as members and missionaries. I am so glad to be in the ABM (Arkansas Bentonville Mission). We can do great things and we have done great things in the past. The Church started with one prayer less than 200 years ago and has now grown so fast. It would not grow if it were not God's Church. I know this for a fact.

    It is incredible the effect that we have on other people. I can tell ya'll that if it were not for members being true and doing what they should, this work is made a lot harder. That does not mean that we have to invite everyone to church or to read the Book of Mormon, It simply means we need to invite and be good examples in all we do. Invite them to a barbecue, to go roller skating with you, or on a hike....just LOVE YOUR NEIGHBORS!!!

Love

Elder C