15 Dec 2014 "Another week in Paradise"

Hello Friends!

 I really can not imagine a better way to spend my week than doing what I am doing, currently serving in the Ash Flat Branch.  That being said, it has many challenges but I know that all the challenges are just to better me.  It is truly what makes this Paradise.

I would not love this if I did not struggle at all.  It would be a sad realization. I love the fact that it has not been easy. "Embrace the suck".

My 22nd Birthday was just yesterday.  I celebrated by tracting down the streets.  We found a new investigator. That alone really just made me happy.  To be able to reach out to someone who has the same questions that I did once upon a time.

I am amazed at how everyone's mission is so specific to what they need.  I know that there can be 200 Elders and Sisters in one Mission and not a one of them will have the same Mission as the other. I love that fact.  I know that this is for me.

I hope ya'll have a great week 

Love,

       Elder Caldwell

08 Dec 2014 "This week has been a new adventure"

  The 4th was my Yearmark!  I am over half way done already. It's kinda sad. It went too fast..way too fast. I am so glad for all the opportunities that I was given this wonderful year.   Much more to come.   I am sure of that one. The days get shorter and shorter it seems like and no, I am not talking about sun light. I did burn a shirt and I will post pictures for sure.

     This week I have been reading a lot in the Old Testament and I have been amazed at how symbolic the Law of the Sacrifice is!

      We have been teaching a lot of people and we had a lot of fun at the Jensens role playing with their kids on how to pass out passalong cards. They are a pretty fun family.

       We also had some good Deer steak with the Mansfields. They did not think it was quite as good as I did, so I ate a couple steaks.. ha, ha. I am so happy that I am in an area where the members are so accommodating. Wow! I never realized how big that word is haha!!!

        We have been doing a lot of tracting.  We were able to meet this guy who was using a metal detector looking for buried treasures.  He had found a lot of historic coins and cool stuff. It was really fun talking to him we shared a little about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and we were on our way.

        I love ya'll and hope you have a great week I will be 22 by next week around this time. That is kinda odd of a thought!!!

        Elder Caldwell 

Shirt is prepped for burning.

I might have had a little too much fun with the marker.

1 Year Shirt Burning.

1 Year Shirt Burning.

01 Dec 2014 "Hola Everyone"

Hola Everyone!

Well another crazy fast week down.  I am working hard on getting so much done!  We do lots of service here. We just got the whole side bag thing going.  Not going to lie, I am none too happy about carrying a purse (or man bag, if you will.)  It is a mission change that we are no longer allowed to use backpacks so we all had to convert to these lovely side bags?!?  Oh well, pride aside, there must be a reason for it. 

On a lighter note, I got some awesome Missionary Twinkies in a box from my Aunt Lisa and Uncle Lowell.  I love my Family! ha ha!  I had to take a pic of these cuties!

I also thought I would take a picture of our backyard.  No, we are not the ones responsible for mowing of the lawn, that would be our Branch Mission Leader.  Hmmm

 I don't really know what to say.  We did have a cool experience where we knocked on this lady's door.  She told us to go to the back door and talk with her there.  She later invited us in, listened to what we had to say, took a Book of Mormon and a Plan of Salvation Pamphlet. She told us to come back and next time she would have more questions.  So who ever says that tracting is not effective is a little mislead.  We also street contacted a few people and gave them the spiel about how Christ is the gift of Christmas. They loved that so we left them with a card that has christmas.mormon.org on it, which is an amazing website that the church has put out to show the importance of Christ in Christmas.

I am excited to see how everything else plays out for this Month. Christmas tracting is a lot of fun!!!

Love

Elder Caldwell

"Do I really need a man-bag?"

Missionary Twinkies!  AWESOME!

The swingset may be missing come spring!

Working on the Selfie!

Elder Caldwell..going strong!

 

24 Nov 2014 "Another Crazy week in Ash Flat"

Hey Ya'll

     What a fantastic week this has been.  It has been a little slower, but we have been able to set up for the next transfer.  The area book looks a lot better and things are going well.

     I got my teeth fixed at the Orthodontist.  That was a fun 50 bucks just to get my retainer glued back in. After that things kept getting a little crazy. We went to Myrtle, Missouri.  We have some members who live out there that travel to our little branch. We burned probably 4 full big trees of wood in a burn pile to clean up the yard. The flames were so high they went above the telephone wires. I don't know what it is, but I think people in Missouri and Arkansas get cold too easy or I just stay way to warm the whole time.  I had people asking me if I was cold. I was just in a Flannel Shirt in a rainstorm.  There was nothing cold about it, haha. I was burning up almost too warm. Maybe I got to move to Alaska when I get home.

     We had an Recent Convert call us this morning and tell us that his dad had passed away.  I assume I will be going to a funeral in the next week or so. I am so glad for the Plan of Salvation at this time.

      For those of you who don't know I have lost 2 Relatives while being out here.  My Grandma Jan (Mom's mom) passed away the 3rd of September and this last Monday, my Uncle Jim passed away. I never would have expected that one.  I do know that he is in a better place and that I am right where I am suppose to be.  I have learned so much about God's plan.  I can truly say I don't fear death, but I will not try to make it come sooner than it has to. I am so grateful for the knowledge of Eternal Families. I love that teaching more than any other in the Gospel.

      I love ya'll and I will see you in a year and 10 days. 

      Elder Caldwell

Grandma Jan

Uncle Jim

17 Nov 2014 "What a week"

Howdy Folks

I have more pictures this week, haha. I was able to see some awesome things that I have never seen before such as a Woodpecker door knocker. I thought that was pretty cool.

 We taught a total of 20 Lessons and got us 2 new investigators and one of which said that he would see us at church this next Sunday, pretty cool.

I am still not sure what I am doing for Thanksgiving but I do know that I will be here until January 1st. . I will be here with Elder Howard for Christmas, my year mark, my birthday, and Thanksgiving.   Loaded transfer I say.

Not a whole lot to write today.  Just that we got our first snow of the season.  It's barely a skiff and people were freaking out about it saying that it was going to be really Icey and all, but it never was. Reminds me of the Utah Blizzard a few years back, haha

        Love,

         Elder Caldwell

Woodpecker Doorknocker

I love the random scenery of Ash Flats!

My zone

Icicles hanging from the truck!  Guess it's gettin' cold!

The skiff of snow on my front yard!

10 Nov 2014 "Crazy week again"

I am not quite sure what happened this last week. It seemed like we had a lot of meetings, but we only had a zone training and interviews with President Shumway and other than that it's beem a pretty normal week. 

We did a lot of service.  We split about 5-6 ricks (a rick is about 1/3 of a cord) of wood for Brother Child. Then the next day we pulled T posts (steel fence posts) by hand and pulled pig panel out of the ground. We will just say I was beat after tha.  Then the next day, we went out and taught quite a bit.

  I am so amazed at how much this little branch helps us fulfill our callings and also how we are able to step in and teach.  We taught 2 different lessons on a Sunday because people called in sick and/or can't teach their classes. We taught the youth and also priesthood.  Church starts at 10 am and goes til 1 pm.  We got there at 9 am and did not get out til 330 pm.  Pretty awesome.  The lessons we taught and the contacts we made with different recent converts and other things was just incredible.

Sorry no pictures today I just picture bombed you last week.

            Talk at ya'll Later

                           Elder Caldwell

3 Nov 2014 "Ha,ha, I tract in weird ways"

Hey ya'll

What a week..oh wait..what a week is every week!  They just keep getting crazier. Elder Howard and I have been trying to contact everyone on the Branch List. We have also done a bit of Tracting. I was able to talk to a man about his 1980 Z28 Camaro and I asked him if he would mind if I took pictures of it. He said I could so I did.  As I was, I noticed that he has a Honda Shadow, too.  He did not seem to interested in talking gospel with us, but I got him talking cars.  We had a good time.  He told us to come back any time.  Maybe we can slip subtle gospel messages in with car talk.

I love all the old cars and trucks out here.  This is the place if you want to buy a fixer upper house or car.  I love the ability to talk to people.  It may sound weird, but by talking cars some doors have been opened on my Mission.  People have, if nothing more, stopped thinking of us as devil worshipping suits.   haha.

I always try to come up with car analogies for the gospel.  If anyone has any I could sure use the help, haha.  I am happy to be in this part of the world.  We spent some time with the J family last week.   I love all the little kids,  It's kinda hard not to pick them up and become a human rollercoaster ride, but I will try my hardest not to break Mission rules. I can't wait to see my Nephew James Hansen, he's a cutie.

Well, anyways, that was an odd section.  Started with cars and ended with family. Maybe my mission has made me a little bit of a scatter brained individual. I hope it continues, some of my conversations have become really interesting.

 Its a scary thought when you have a dream about you crashing a Mission Vehicle and totaling it. I had that dream last night and I cant believe how crazy it would be to not be able to drive for the rest of your mission.

Well, I hope ya'll have a great week and just enjoy the little things. I love the book of Job.  His family dies and the first thing he does is praise the Lord. Everything we have is given to us by our Heavenly Father.  Sometimes its hard to remember that when it is taken from us.

                     Love,

                      Elder Caldwell

1980 Camaro Z28

Corner of Utah &Utah in Cherokee Village

The Beautiful Falls