Dec 27, 2016 - Santa Jason

So here is the picture of me being Santa for the first time! They had us sneak into their house while their kids were hiding and watching and pretend to be a tired Santa leaving the presents. It was pretty fun! Elder Page stood outside and watched and rang slay bells like the reindeer were chilling outside. Super fun!

Week 37 - Dec 27, 2016

Hey Everybody!

This week has been pretty awesome! We were going through some "former Investigator" teaching records to look for people to try back again. One of them had been taught for a very long time and at the bottom of the form it said *stop going by these people*. It didn't say why besides that they weren't progressing so we decided to go back anyway. She had had her husband pass away between now and the last record entry and was excited for us to come over! So we are going to be coming back this week now that she isn't so busy with Christmas and teach her! She has been studying on her own and had found a huge interest in the Doctrine of the three Kingdoms of Glory, so we are going to have lots of fun! 

Christmas we spent a lot of time just hanging out together in the apartment writing letters, decorating our ginger bread house, opening gifts, and studying. It was awesome! We had dinner with the Scrimsher family and Skyped at their house, Super Cool Night!

Well, love you all!

Elder Strong

Here are a few pictures:

Our Ginger Bread house

The tie I am had sewing I made out of a shirt

And there will be a lot more in another email.

Week 36 - Dec 19, 2016

Hey Everyone!

So this week was pretty Crazy and Awesome!

So we spent all day Tuesday packing up all my crap...I have a decent amount of crap now. And then when I finally finished packing we said goodbye to everyone. Then I said goodbye to Elder Denny and I got brought out to Kennewick to meet Elder Page, my new companion! We cover the Ridgeview and Ridgeline wards and they are awesome! I love having multiple wards, There is always something to do!

Elder Page is from Gilbert Arizona and came out on a mission in February so he has only been out a month longer than me, which is pretty awesome! He is a District Leader which is nice because I get to enjoy the perks but don't have to take on the stress! Its pretty nice! I do still miss being one though but I'll get my chance soon. He has only been one for one transfer so I get to help him if he has questions.

OH! and Really quickly I just wanted to thank the 4th Ward for the Christmas Present! It was super Awesome! Thank You So Much! It came at a great time and helped me a lot! It is always a little stressful getting transferred but the very first thing I got when I got here was that package and it made me so happy and helped me so much!

Well not a ton else has happened but it has been super awesome!

Well I guess I'll see some of you Sunday! 

Love You!

Elder Strong

November 9, 2016 Transfer Day (From a Ward Member)

Transfer day. Elder Strong to Pendleton , OR and Elder Gwilliams to College Place,WA

November 17, 2016 (From a Ward Member)

Elders on exchanges in our home for dinner.

November 24, 2016 - Two dinners on Thanksgiving (Pictures from Ward Members)

Look who came for dinner!!
We loved having your sons in our home today, there was no room in their stomach for any more food!!
In the picture is my son Perry, who is the ward mission leader in his branch.

Your missionaries say they love you and are thankful for you!

Week 35 - Dec 12, 2016

HEY EVERYBODY!

So I was finally able to dodge the transfer bullet, first time in the past 4 transfers, and so was my companion, first time in my whole mission! Its exciting to know that there won't be any extreme changes coming up!

So this week we did a lot more finding! Half way through the week we realized that we were both getting sick of nothing but tracting so we made some changes and have been doing  a lot more things like visiting former investigators and things like that. And even if we don't get to talk to anyone  we start knocking the doors near that house. It has been really good! We also get to talk to a lot more people and still not get too annoyed doing nothing but knocking. And then after we had made this decision we were given the blessing that was on our way for our efforts! We got a text from our Bishop that a PMF (part member family) moved into the boundaries. We went and met them, the husband is the member and is still out in Salem Oregon but his wife who is investigating the church told us she wants to be baptized! It was awesome! We are excited to get to teach her!

We also got to go to the Ward Christmas Party this week! It was awesome! A lot of less-active members came and now we have a big list of people that we get to go meet with and help them get active again, It was awesome!

Also, BTW, It has been snowing a lot out here! It is awesome... until you get a call that they don't want missionaries out driving, then it sucks a little. But It is good news to know that the stuff I have for the cold can keep me super warm and dry! So it isn't that bad when we have to get out and walk.

I was listening to a talk the other day by Elder Holland and he used a scripture that was amazing! 3 Ne 22:10. Super cool! basically says that even the most unbelievable things could happen but Christ will never leave us!

WoW

So I am not going to change the email so you can see and experience how sudden and annoying and surprising this is but we just got a call that I am getting transferred to Kennewick.......So thats cool.

Well, thats it Love You!

Elder Strong

Week 34 - December 5, 2016

Hey Guys!

Had another Pretty Great Week!

A couple highlights this week are:

Saturday we had a Zone Council in Milton FreeWater (the only "half-way point" between here and Walla-Walla where the whole zone can meet together to have our meetings) and we did a ton of Role-plays where we practiced teaching. First we practiced teaching the Restoration in under 4 minutes so we could do it whenever someone tells us they don't have time to meet that day. We did that just with other Missionaries but then we did a full 45 minute Restoration with some members who came down to the meeting. It was awesome and a lot of fun! It was a really uplifting council that helped us all remember that we are actually pretty good at teaching even though we can still improve in some ways.

This week we have been doing a crap ton of finding, and it was actually pretty awesome! We did Member Visits, Tracting, Referral contacting, pretty much everything you can think of. It felt good to just get out and work super hard, and then get home and get to sleep as soon as possible HaHa. Pretty fun.

We also spent a lot of time over at out Branch Mission Leaders house, Perry. His Parents just bought a new home and are letting him rent it from them. We volunteered to come over and help him do some re-modeling we helped him rip out some carpet and then pull up some hard wood flooring, then we found out under the hard wood was some laminate tiling glued to particle board. It was Terrible! Mostly because the board wouldn't all come up all at once because it looked like whoever put it down let their kids go nuts with the staple gun, but we got it mostly done but the staples because they were too hard to pull out just with a LeatherMan (all we had). Sounds like they have someone who is going to find a way to get them out or they will hammer them all down flat because they are going to put new hard wood down. It's going to be pretty nice once it is all done. He is pretty lucky to have this as a first home, he is getting married to a girl from Brazil sometime next Spring, they have to wait for her marriage Visa. 

Anyway, super good week! Talk to you all later!!!

Heres the hand full of pictures I took this week! Love You!​

Elder Strong