October 24, 2016

Liam with Elder Wilkinson

This is umpa

Hey guys! This week was ok. It started out pretty boring, but finally picked up towards the end. So last P day, i played a whole bunch of sports. At around 8, we were tracting. Then we knocked into a missing member family, the Strowmatts. They are not in our ward's records. But we only met with Brother Strowmatt. He said that his 8 year old girl is starting to ask questions about the church and God. So that is pretty exciting. Then at 9 pm, I went on an exchange with the zone leaders up in Fredericksburg. So I was there for most of Tuesday. But the thing about them is that they are Spanish speaking. But we didn't teach anybody in Spanish. We just mostly went tracting. We found a Lamborghini Countach, which is one of my favorite cars. The people I went to for dinner didn't know that much English, so that was fun. Then on Wednesday, that was my first day biking. I had to borrow Elder Kohler's bike. Biking isn't actually as bad as I thought. But we didn't find anyone to teach. That day kinda sucked. Thursday was a little better, but still didn't teach that many people. Friday, things starting picking up a little. Tried by a lot of potentials. But not much are progressing. Played some volleyball that night. Got a couple of lucky hits. Saturday was a lot better. We found another missing member family, the Brennans. We also don't have their records. And they also are a less active family. They have a 20 year old son that is living with them, Austin. He has lost most of his eyesight due to a rare genetic disease. But he is genuinely interested in learning more about the Church. Then a member in the ward, Brother Christensen, gave me a bike to use while I'm here. That was super nice of him. Then Sunday was good. We met with the Strowmatts. They have a 14 year old girl that's a foster child staying with them, Elisabeth. She is very interested in the Church and asked us how she could be baptized!! The 8 year old asked us a lot of questions and is interested, too. It's pretty different trying to teach little children about the gospel. So, it's been a pretty ok week. During lunches and dinners that we have at the apartment, we have been playing a lot of Monopoly. And I am the worst at it. Anyways, hope you all are doing well! Love and miss you all so much!!

-Elder Turner

October 17, 2016

At the Sugar Shack

Chancellor Battlefield

With the Spotsylvania Elders

Hey guys! This week was very long and boring. Last P day, we went to the Chancellor Battlefield. It was pretty fun and talks about most of what happened in the Civil War that took place around this area of Virginia. 

On Tuesday, we received two more elders here in the Massaponax area. Their names are Elder Morris and Elder Kohler. They are pretty cool. They live next door to us. Bad thing about them is that since they are here, we had split our area. And they got most of our promising investigators. So for the entire rest of the week, we have been tracting and trying to find new ones. Also, we had to rearrange the district here. We lost both of the sister companionships and the Spotsylvania elders, but we picked up the new Massaponax elders and the two Fredericksburg companionships that are elders. 

We called a potential investigator in our area book. Her name is Sissy. She sounded really excited when we said we could come over and do service for her. We went over on Wednesday and Friday mornings to paint her house. She is a really nice short old lady. She made us lunch both days. 

I went on familysearch.org and found my way all the way to Adam and Eve. So that's pretty neat. That's all that really happened this week. Sorry it was so boring, but I try my hardest to make the week interesting. Have a blessed day! Love and miss you all!

- Elder Turner

October 10, 2016

It took a while for me to notice the picture and the pose

Hey guys! This week was pretty fun. Last P day, we went to the Fredericksburg Battlefield. President Monson actually told a story about that battle in a conference talk. The talk is called Mercy - The Divine Gift. It is from the April 1995 conference. Go look it up when you get the chance. 

For some reason, we have a second microwave here in the apartment. We call it our "experimental microwave." We put an egg in the microwave and it exploded. Then we put a hot dog in a jar and microwaved it for 5 minutes. When we opened the door, the jar shattered and exploded. So yah we find ways to stay entertained. 

Anyways, Wednesday was day 100 of my mission. It doesn't seem like it's been 100 days. It feels a lot shorter. I have changed a lot over these past 100 days. Normal life seems so foreign to me now. Thinking about life before the mission, it seems so different and weird. Mission life is almost all I know now. I've turned away from some ways of thinking that would distract me from missionary work, and now I feel much better being out here and I feel a lot closer to God. 

But anyways, on Thursday, some members out here in the Spotsylavania ward went to my house back in Utah and talked with my family for a little bit. So that was pretty neat. 

I'm staying here in Massaponax for next transfer. I'm excited because a lot of the investigators have started progressing and we have found a lot of new investigators that show true potential. I'm so happy to be out here and I love being on a mission. 

I love and miss you all!

-Elder Turner

October 3, 2016 part 2

Liam's zone went to the Fredricksburg Battlefield for p-day

Then they got pizza at a place in downtown Fredricksburg.  The girl at the counter grew up a member of the LDS church and likes missionaries, so she only charged them $2 a slice.

And it was a huge slice!

October 3, 2016

Elder Turner and Elder Turner

This was probably the fastest week so far. But it was weird, cause not much really happened this week. But I say that every week. This week we tried new ways to find people. One thing that we did was drawing the Plan of Salvation on the sidewalk with chalk. It was fun to do, but not really effective, cause it rained that night. It rained for most of the week. But it's awesome because it is perfect temperature. On Wednesday, we went to mutual and we learned how to do laundry and how to sew on buttons. Then we played volleyball after that. Then on Friday, we played more volleyball. Every Friday, we play volleyball with a bunch of the ward. So I think I'm getting good at it... I think. Then we watched general conference at the stake center for each of the sessions. All the missionaries have to watch it at the stake center. If you haven't gotten a chance to listen to conference yet, at least go look up the talk by Elder Oaks. He talks about how members can be good member missionaries. And I agree with everything he said in that talk. And I challenge you all to look for ways to be better missionaries. Whether it is just simply smiling at people you walk by, or it is giving out a Book of Mormon, you can choose what to do. Don't just leave all the work for the full time missionaries. We need your help. Anyways, that was my favorite talk from conference. We joined he Spanish branch yesterday afternoon in between sessions for a big lunch. It was super good. Now I have to go get a haircut soon. I  haven't cut the top of my hair since before my mission. So it's kinda long. BTW, one of my zone leaders' name is Elder Turner. There are actually three Elder Turners and one Sister Turner in my mission. So that's pretty neat. 

Love and miss you all! And have a blessed day! 

-Elder (Liam) Turner

September 26, 2016

Liam's district

Hey guys! Sorry this text kinda looks weird, but I'm too lazy to fix it. And sorry, but not much really happened this week. Last P day, I went on exchange with another Elder Turner, except he is my zone leader. That was pretty fun. He is Spanish speaking, so I got to sit in on a lesson while just him taught. I didn't really understand much that they were talking about. I can only pick out topics. Then on Tuesday, I went to a place called Steak n Shake. It is super good! I've had it couple times when would go out to Kentucky, so I'm super happy that there is one near me. On Wednesday, we were told that Massaponax is getting another set of elders. So they will take the more dense area and be on bike, then we will keep the car and go out in the boonies. Well, we actually have to share the car, but we'll see if we actually do. On Thursday, a member made us some chicken tikka masala. And if you know me at all, you would know that that is my favorite food ever! It's the best! On Friday, me and Elder Wilkinson signed a little paper where we agreed that if we didn't invite someone that day to be baptized on a specific day, we would have to sleep with no sheets or blankets. So yah, we had a pretty bad sleep. On Saturday, I went on an exchange with Elder Nichols up in Spotsylvania. I got one of their investigators on date for baptism! That's all that really happened this last week. Love and miss you all!

-Elder Turner

September 19, 2016

This week was pretty fun. Last P day, the zone got together and played ultimate, lightning, and kickball. I suck at all of those. But I love the people in the zone so much! There's a couple of awesome sisters from my last zone that are in this one. Then on Tuesday, I went on an exchange to Spotsylvania with Elder Eames. He's really cool. He is an amazing singer!! We had some Ghanan food from some members there. The food I think is called wachae. It wasn't the best food I've had, that's for sure. Then on Wednesday, we had district meeting. Finally
my district has more than 2 companionships in it. Then I went to Midlothian for a doctor's appointment. 1 hour 30 minute drive and a 45 minute wait just for a 10 minute check up. I taught Elder Wilkinson how to solve a Rubik's Cube because he was bored. On Friday, we played volleyball with a bunch of members. I suck at that, too. Then on
Saturday, President and Sister Smith came and had comp study with us. I was nervous at first, but they are so awesome that I don't know why I was worried at first. They are super nice and funny. They told us that we are gonna get another companionship in the Massaponax area this upcoming transfer. They will get bikes and we will keep the car. Then Elder Wilkinson donated some blood. He tried to get me to do it, but I don't hink I'll ever do it. Then a member took us sight seeing around Fredericksburg. There's so much history here! We are going to explore more of it later today. Love and miss you all!!!

September 12 ,2016

Elder Turner and Crissy

Elder Wilkinson and Elder Turner

Ok this might have been one of the craziest weeks of my mission, including future weeks. Tuesday, I did an exchange and went back up to Staunton with Elder Shupe. We went to Taco Bell of course. Blew $7 here. Then we went around tracting in sweats. Jk, we offered service to people, so it was kinda like tracting in sweats, but not actively sharing the gospel. Then we walked around Mary Baldwin University. That's an all girls college. Didn't really talk to anyone, though. Wednesday, we drove to Manchester, which is in Midlothian, which is kinda by Richmond. We had a sleep over there that night. Then Thursday morning, we had a combined zone conference with Elder Kopischke from the Seventy. He taught us how to approach people better. But that's not even the craziest thing that happened this week. On Saturday, I got emergency transferred to Massaponax, which is about 48 miles south of DC. I'm now with Elder Wilkinson. This is probably the nicest apartment in the whole mission. It is double the size of Waynesboro. Now I have a 2015 Ford Fusion. But we will be getting a new car in about 1000 miles. Bad thing about here is that I don't have Sharp Shopper anymore!!!! And I'm sure gonna miss everyone in Waynesboro. Got really close to a lot of them and didn't want to leave them. At least I got a picture with Chrissy Utt, the one armed lady. But I really like it out here in Massaponax. It has literally every fast food place to eat at. Sorry I can't really tell you much about this area, cause I've only been here for 2 days. I love and miss you all so much!!