16 June 2015 "What a crazy week"

     I am going to Jenks, Oklahoma this next transfer on Thursday!  We went Caving in Willard for a combined zone outing.  It was super sweet!  We got super muddy!  It had rained for the last two days before we went. When I got there I was greeted by a friendly face that I had not seen in awhile.  Her name is G.  It took me a long time to spit out the reason I remembered her!  Her mom passed away while I was in Nixa and I didn't want to bring up that's how I remember her.  She told me that Elder Marriott and I were her favorite Missionaries.  It sure was good to see some good that I have done.
 

      As we were going through this cave there is one part where you are waist deep in water.  Then you hop up out and you have to army crawl to get through the crevasse into the next cavern.  It was such an incredible experience.  Especially because your light does you no good when you are army crawling with it, so I just turned mine off and put it in my pocket. We sang the Spirit of God, The power of a hymn in complete darkness is amazing.
 

      I feel like there is a lot more to Missionary work than the Mortal mind could even comprehend.  I love being able to help people even if I don't realize that I have done anything.  The people around me remember me, sometimes better than I remember them. You never know who is watching so we must live our best at all times and become the best that we can be. 

     A Member's non-Member girlfriend made me brownies as a going away present.  I hope we all can make a positive difference in the lives of many. I am going to miss this Area.  I do know that God has a plan for me and that I am needed in Jenks. Well thats about it, I will send ya'll some pictures! Also, I have to say Marshfield is on fire....3-4 new investigators every week!

                                 Love, 

                                      Elder Caldwell

Oklahoma Tulsa Mission to Arkansas Bentonville Mission!

8 June 2015 "I Love Service Projects"

 This week I hit my 18 month mark.  Weird to think that if I were a Sister Missionary I would be going home right now.  I am so glad I am not serving a Sister Missionary Term. Missions go way too fast and buck ya off at the end!!!

    Last Preparation day we played knee hockey in our apartment.  My knees still have carpet burns and scabs on them.  It was well worth it, though. We had so much fun!! 

    We have done a lot of service this week.  We lifted a wooden swing set over a fence onto a trailer and then took it off at Scott's new house.  We helped Scott move.  He is a non-member and threatened to shoot us until we got an "in" by helping him move.  Now we have us a Porter Rockwell.  He defends us all the time.  It's great.

     We also helped a less-active man named Bob build a garage linking steel beams together and grinding through them.  It was a lot of fun.  I love service projects.  Today I get to replace a bearing on a Member's Truck.  It's a '78 F-150.  Beautiful truck and I get the opportunity to work on it.   I love preparation days :) 

                    

Love,

     Elder Caldwell

01 June 2015 "Hey Ya'll"

 This week has been so fast.  I look back and Monday was Yesterday, I swear!!!  I think I must have blinked and missed it.  I am so happy that I am able to work here in Marshfield and Fordland.  The Ward is really loving us and I might get a little fat because of it.

    We made an Atlas to Baptism usually we call them Maps but this one was a little long. We had fun decorating it with stickers and all.  It's beautiful.  Hopefully the picture sends.  If not ya'll can see the picture in 6 months.

     I know I have been placed here for a purpose. I still have almost two weeks til transfer calls, so I will let ya'll know if I go or stay. The Lord is my Director as Nephi says so nicely in 1 Nephi 17:47!!! I love The Scriptures.

     Well, nothing is really new other than I learned a little more this week about various groups like Baca and Hells Angels. We have a lot of Bikers we are teaching right now.  It is sure fun!

     We have had some communication with the Amish Community. They are pretty straight forward about the Bible being the only book and it is only to be read in German.  It's pretty interesting, if I do say so myself.

       We had a wicked storm with Flash Flood warnings and all. We were driving home from Fordland which is about a half hour drive. We got half way down the road and came to a flooded bridge, Elder Gehring was convinced that we could make it across if he were to move this one branch off of the bridge! To say the least, I am now sitting in the Mission Home without a companion. Just Kidding....I would not let him do it, There was more than 9 inches of fast moving water flowing accross that bridge! So we turned around and drove down a different Highway back to Marshfield.  The journey took us almost an hour and a lot of miles!! But all of us are safe and good to go!

Atlas to Baptism Calendar

                Love,

                   Elder Caldwell  

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