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

27 April 2015 "This week brought some surprises"

This week started like any other exchanges with Klay Atwell and everything! Then on Friday, we had a mini Zone Conference.  I talked to the Castors from Ash Flat.  They got a good picture of me while we were conversing. My companion, Elder Levitz, went and talked one on one with President Shumway.  At that point I realized something was wrong. 

    The next day I drove down to Monett Stake Center which, in order to get to, I had to drive through Aurora, Missouri (my 2nd area). While I was there, the memories started racing through my mind and I am so glad that I have the opportunity to go through there. I found out that Jacob Numbers got his Mission Call and is going to Argentina!

    Elder L then met with the mission Psychologist and found out that he needed to go home immediately. So I spent the last two nights with the Zone Leaders and on Sunday, Elder L flew home.  We dropped him off in the Springfield Airport.  We cried a little and watched him go on his way.

   I was sent back to Marshfield with Elder G. He is amazing and energetic. He loves all the same music and is one incredible OTM Elder! I hope we get the whole next transfer to work together, but we might just have a week and a half. We get along real well. I hope we can light this area on fire even more so than it already is.

    While I was in the Monett stake building, I ran into the Angel Kids (as we used to call them from Aurora). Lauren talked to me for some good time and I am so proud of all of them. The Little girls are all still looking forward to baptism.  They are still waiting on their dad to come back to America from Mexico to Baptize them.

      Other than that love ya'll,

                            Elder Caldwell 

  

Elder G and Me!

20 April 2015 "Week-odd be it"

Hey Folks! 

   My week has been fantastic. I got a cool Alarm Clock today for $9. I figured I cant beat that I will include a picture. Our districts are so small right now that we have been having Combined District Meetings. We only have 3 companionships in our district and one of them is Sisters.

 

     We have been doing a lot of Less-Active hunting lately.  I think we found the Seymour Ghetto. It was pretty cool, all in all.  There were a few girls mocking us there.  I find it super funny when people mock Missionaries expecially me.  As they were talking loudly mocking us, I over heard this phrase. "If I wanted to come to their church I would go to their church, don't knock on my door that's annoying as _________."  My immediate thought was, "thats exactly what this lady that we are trying to see did at one point!!" Then I laughed outloud and Elder Levitz just looked at me like I had lost my mind.

 

     I have been reading up a lot on the Atonement. I am so glad I have a Savior who truly loves me and wants me to progress. The Law of Moses does not sound like too much fun!!! I would definately be stoned by now and I do mean the Biblical term of "stoned".

 

     I hope ya'll have a great week.  Don't you just love my color scheme I chose today haha. Well, hmm, what else to say?  Oh.. we were going down a dirt road and there was an unseen jump just in the middle of the road.   Well, I found that if you almost come off the ground, the box on the windshield yells at you back to back for driving too agressively. haha.   Tiwi problems it did sound pretty funny!

 

     There is this 18 year old priest who came around with us all day on Friday. We went to his dad's work and saw what he calls "Mini NASA". They have air conditioning units (emphasis on the s).  More than one would fill my entire bedroom. They use them just to keep the computer equipment cool because it generates so much heat. We also went to a lot of different peoples houses (non-member family Members of him). At some point during the day he played my guitar, I found that he likes the same music I do! K is a beast!!

      Love ya'll.  I gotta go,

                             Elder Caldwell

Walking on water!!

Cool new alarm clock!!

13 April 2015 "Just SERVE!"

Hey Ya'll!

            This is just going to be a short email of appreciation to ya'll. Thank you for all your support in helping me to get out and serve the Lord. Thanks for uplifting me and helping me carry my burdens. I am so grateful that I have had the opportunity to meet so many great people expecially President Shumway.  He is such an amazing man. He really wants me to be the best man that I can be.

     Our FATHER in Heaven is so full of grace and Love! He knows where we are and what we are struggling with. He can help.  Let him help. I am grateful for the knowlege that I have of knowing that there is a God and he cares about me as an individual! I know that I am nothing without him.

  

    Love everything you have because in all honesty God is who really owns it!! Love those around you and look for ways to serve those around you. I feel that is the recipe for a happy life....JUST SERVE.

       Love,

           Elder Caldwell

06 April 2015 "Well, for those who think Mission Life is Crazy,yet fun...I got some Pictures for you at the end of this Email."

Hey Ya'll!

           The folks 'round here don't speak the same language as the Arkansas people.  Some laugh at some of the things I picked up from there. We all know it's good in the Neighborhood. Elder Levitz and I had a fantastic April Fools day.  First off, we have what we call the Unifan and just some other great pictures taken during lunch time!  Yes, the Unifan is self explanatory haha!!!

           We had Zone Conference and I got to see Elder N who replaced me in Nixa with Elder M.  J C is getting real close to going to the Temple. She was given less than a year to live when she got baptised. Now her white blood cell count is up and she does not even need to wear the mask anymore.

         I saw Sister M, too.  She came out with me.   It is really odd to think that the sisters that came out with me are going home at the end of this transfer!!! I am becoming an old Missionary but I am still moving forward not trunkie enough not to serve!! Never Trunkie enough to not serve.

         Missions are incredible experiences. I would not give up this work for the best vacation.  I have learned so much as I have seen when I get out and do work I don't get sad.  I don't slow down.  When I become lazy is when the Mission life gets really hard.  We Must learn to love all aspects of life and just put others above ourselves. We must reach out.  We must stand out. We must help out.  I love being in a capacity to serve and not have to worry about much else.  God loves us all and he wants us to succeed.  We are the only hold up! ya'll got to check out this movie on this website helives.mormon.org! I never thought I would hashtag anything seriously, but hey Missions change you.  #BecauseHeLives

                        Love,

                           Elder Caldwell

P.S. Sorry guys I forgot about the all you can eat Ribs at RibCrib!!! 12 ribs later a piece!!!

Me and Elder Levitz

30 Mar 2015 "Amish Country"

Hey Ya'll!

 

    This week has been a blast.  Trying to get going with my New companion.  His name is Elder Levitz.   He is from California and likes all the same things I do. He has been on a trial Mission for 3 months, before I got him as a Companion. He is 21 years old. His Family Moved to Hurricane Utah when he entered the MTC. Well, other than that the week was pretty normal. We went to the Castle again!

 

    Oh ya, Amish Country. Got some good pics.  All is well in Missouri.

 

       We moved a theater this week.  It's incredible how much theaters have. Lots of stuff.  It was a blast, though, and we got fed pizza buffet! I'd say it was a good day!!

Love

Elder Caldwell

Elder Levitz in Amish Country.