Nov. 16. 2009

well as you all know i got transferred to Kearney 1st ward! its in the same district and same stake as my second area, so its going to be fun to go see all of the people i never got to say bye to! We live in a members house that has like a little apartment upstairs with its own door from the out side! So we like never see our members, witch i like cuss they are really weired! My new comp is elder Williams he is from tree mount Utah(top of Utah)! He has been out for a long time i cant remember how long! but he only had about 5-6 months left so you can do the math to find out about he has been out! Our area is really small compared to all of my other areas. Its seems like a really cool ward from what i saw yesterday, Then we live like 4miles from the next elders so we always hang out with them when we have nothing to do. Funny story kinda, one of the elders that was in Mound city before me is one of the elders from the area next to us, so we some times talk about funny stories that happened in mound city! I'm going to the temple with all of my converts from mound city on December 12, I'm really excited! It was really funny the other night i got a random call from the branch president in mound city and asked if i was planning to go with every one to the temple and as well so he could tell me details about the trip. Then we sat and talked about all the great things that have happened since i got that branch up and going!So I dont ride my bike very much cuss i had a full time car my last two areas and now we have part time car and my comp has bad knees so he cant ride one, so we walk every where or call the other elders to help us out with a ride! Oh and as well i don't have a bike any more! I was having to repair it all the time so i decided to sell it to a greenie and I'm going to buy a nicer bike that wont brake down as much off Craig's list! So if you find one on there that's look in great shape let me know! I bought it for $350 and got $250 out of it so i was glad to get that out of it! Next package- please put some hot coco in it. Elder Phelps

Nov 9, 2009

hello-Well this week was amazing we got in with two part member families and were able to teach them a lesson and get to know them a little better! They both want to Continue to be taught and eventually be baptised! we are excited to be able to be teaching them and having them progress so much! I loved hearing from the apostles from the lord, they help me get more motivated!This past Friday we had Russel M Nelson come visit our mission. We had a big group picture with every missionary In our mission in it! Then we all walked in to the chapel and shook his hand before we sat down. Then we heard from our president and his wife, they were really good talks. Then we heard from sister nelson, wow is she a good speaker she told us about when they were in Mozambique Africa and when they were in the compound/mission home, where its supposed to be extremely safe, three robbers came in and took every thing they had and then told sister Nelson they are going to take her hostage and kill her husband! They then proceeded to put him in a chair and one of the robbers kicked him square in the face! He only bled a tiny bit and didn't have any scrapes or bruises the next day! They then held a gun to Elder Nelsons head and shoot, but the gun didn't go off. they said the robbers were then allof a sudden gone! No idea where they went or anything! She said right before all of this she had a overwhelming feeling that every thing was going to be alright and that her heavenly father is watching them!She then said to every one if you ever feel like no one is watching you, God is watching over you! If any one doubts that i will leave my cell number with your mission president and call me and i will help you know some one is by your side!God is always by us and will help us through any thing in the world, no matter what type of life we are living. if we ask for help He will help us out!Love you all Elder Phelps

Nov. 2, 2009

well this week was really crazy with Four missionaries in our members home now and Halloween it as crazy. Well the senior couple that use to be in my area before i got there got released from the office to come to Finish up there mission in Eldorado were they had been for 22months. They are so great to have around, every one is willing to have them come in to there home so sometimes we go with them To be able to get in to meet them and possibly keep teaching them when the albugh's leave (albugh's are the senior couple). They are so fun to be around to be able to make jokes with them and have more people to tease. Our members are really funny to tease cuss the will try to get us back but can never out smart 20yr olds! They are so great they help us out with every thing, they went out and got two big pumpkins for us to carve. Then asked us if we would want to pass out candy to all the little kids. we could not refuse. We took off to walmart with 30 dollars to get some spooky things for the patio. we came back with a small strobe light and fog. Its amazing what you find at walmart for cheap and know how to make a patio spooky(I learned it from the famous Jerry Phelps)! Well we are going to be busy this next week, we got appointments with three families that we have been trying to work on, so we are excited.love you tons and hope you enjoy all the pics i send. Fyi I'm going to be sending two small boxes home with things i want you to store away for me.Elder Phelps

Oct. 26

Well this week was kinda boring besides, we went with one of our members to go tech his mom who is 90 yr old and almost completely deaf so during the entire appointment we were having to yell for her to be able to hear us, It was really interesting and hard to teach with the spirit and having to yell. In my book those Two things don't go well with each other. Then yesterday we stopped by a part member family Who she is wanting to be baptized but Not sure how her family will take it, So we are going to teach them on wed to help her over come her struggle. We found out that the senior couple that use to be in this area are moving back in with our member today to finish up there mission for the next three weeks. So they are going to show us all the people that they were teaching when they were here. They didn't keep very good records so they are going to help us get the area going again.So me and my comp are trying to figure out what we are going to do for Saturday since we are not allowed to dress up or do proselytising unless we have a apt. so we are thinking we are going to just stay home and watch the Joseph smith movie!Well i got the package today and i loved it, but the only down fall was there was not my sunglasses in there like i wished. Well that's it for this week unless anyone has a questions!Elder Phelps

Oct. 19

Good morning to all-Well this week was really interesting, We have been trying to find part member families that who want to be taught and this week We had about three say they want to learn more. There only hold back is they all have the flu. they are all willing to listen to us witch is really good for having strong faith in there church they go to. My comp and I are going to try to get in the door with all of the part member families by the end of the transfer, we will see how it turns out. We are trying hard to get the work going but we are not having much luck right now, we have been getting lessons in with members and are trying to get referrals out of them. We are going to map out all of the people we want to see and try to find them this week. Well this letter is really short but there is nothing to say that i can think of. I was asked - Have you gained any more weight since the mtc yet? I don't know i try not to keep track but right now I'm at 195lbs and i left my mission at 155lbs!!Britt- i got your package thanks for it, Fyi Don't send like pens or sticky pads next time, its just junk to me and i all ready have a box full that im having to send home! the food was good have not got in to it to much.love you all and fyi I love letters with pictures. I have not got any mail since i got here its weired.Elder Phelps

Oct. 12- One YEAR!

Well this week was really neat. We finally got to meet our the wife to our member that we live with. She is really neat but really crazy, she is so funny to talk to tho About all of her life stories. She asked us if we would accept her making us our meals every day and like us missionaries, we say YES to any thing with the word food in it. Well we were not able to get any lessons with investigators this week but we are working on family mission plans in our branch. We went over to our branch presidents house and watched small and simple things DVD. Then challenged them to Find something small and simple that they can do to share the gospel with some one. It was really powerful experience. Then yesterday after church we went to a families house and Had some amazing potato soup and fajitas, We are trying to start teaching half of their family (almost all the kids have married non members and are now less active). Its going to be hard but its a challenge the we are going to be working on. This week we went on exchanges with our district leader and i stayed and went to find some members and after every one we tracked some doors and we found one lady that said she has always rejected churches that come to her door but she felt some thing different with us so we are going to start teaching her when she gets over the flu. MY address is 2835 3rd ave Eldorado KS 67042 or P.O. box 1365 Eldorado KS 67042
Elder Phelps

Oct. 5

well everyone has been asking for my new address I cant remember what it is. For letters just send them to our mission office they can FWD them out to us, its only one day from when they get it to when we get them. I will be getting on tomorrow to do some map work so i will get you the address tomorrow. This area is really different from all of my other areas, Its is kinda strange, just in town there is every thing really close but you get about 5 miles out of town and there is nothing but fields. We have not been able to get out and do a bunch of work, Because we have no maps or records from the senior couple that was here before us. we have been told that everyone in our neighborhood has been talked to. We have no apt this week with two little girls that are twins age 10. that are not members but there parents are, we meet them at our church building yesterday as we were putting up a display in the front of our building. The town we live in is kinda small idk about population but its really small. We live in a unfinished room in our members house, Cement floor and two walls are cement as well. With open rafters and Saturday we installed electrical outlets and a light for our closet, and our member said when the senior couple comes back for the last 2 weeks of there mission they will finish that room. That will be the last 2 weeks of November. Elder Phelps

Sept 28

Jason Mowery & family

Hey Every one out in the real world-Well this week was kinda crazy we were trying to finish up all the plans for our baptism we had sat! I had to go on exchanges to Gardner(to far away to even think about going there again) but the elder I went with is from Tucson AZ. So we had fun talking about all the crazy things that happen in az compared to KS. Well We had a powerful baptism sat for Jason Mowery, It was so great to see him Move from wanting to smoke and do what ever, to now Smoke free and making covenants With our heavenly father. He told us that living the gospel standards is probably the best thing he ever did in life so far. He can actually feel the love of our father in heaven compared to his life that he ran by him self. It was really great to see him Come this far in the gospel and now working to go to the temple With his family, to be sealed all together. It sad to see that some one that has the gospel in the life not progress in it or not even Go the church. But These new converts who have never had the gospel in there life till now and they are wanting to come to church and wanting to Go to the temple. I just wish That every one who Is a member go to church and receive all the blessings from our heavenly father. For all of you out there who read this and are members and not active, I challenge you to go to church for three weeks and see what change it brings to you in your life. Its was amazing to be able to even baptise Jason to be able to preform that baptism for him. Well that was the big and exciting news for this week Hope you all enjoy and I Love to hear from every one(write e-mails or even write it on paper and send it,and you will make my day.)Oh and i decided to cut my hair again so here is a picture of me cutting it.Elder Phelps

Sept. 21

hey every one-Well we are emailing late today because we had to go get our car tire fixed this morning. We were not happy about it cause we just had it fixed last week. So to tell you about how our P- day goes. We usually get a ride up to Paola from a member (unless we have to get our car fixed then we drive) usually leave around 9:30am to get here by 10:00, e-mail for about an hour, then go play some amazing volleyball with the elders in this area and members from the wards in the stake, then go do some shopping, then get picked up from a member and go to their house for dinner/FHE/ultimate knockout. To finish it all off head home for a long nap from 10:30pm- 6:30am. That's our big long P-day.This week we didn't get a ton done but we have been working with a guy named Jason Mowery to make shure he is not smoking and getting ready for his baptism this Saturday the 26th. Then there is a amazing member in our branch who Love to feed us or have us over for birthday celebrations. So for her birthday we went over and put a happy birthday sign on her door(the same happy birthday sign you sent me for my birthday) and put a little gift on her door. it was really funny i will try to remember to to send a picture after this e-mail. Then we have been helping my last convert (Laura Newill) and her family with some problems they have been having with in there family. Then after we went a did both of those things we went to another town to try to see some former investigators and a less active family. Then on the way we stopped buy a state park a took a bunch of cool pictures and made a funny movie that i will send. Well I cant really remember any thing else that was really neat this week. So I was asked what I eat so for breakfast I have been making amazing omelets with potatoes and bell pepers, bacon, and salsa, its is the best any one can ever make, or I eat a bowl of cereal. For lunch its a pizza or a turkey cheese sandwich. Then usually eat at members houses for dinner.Hope you all enjoy the pictures the one is from one of the sate parks. Elder Phelps

Sept. 14

Hello family and friends-Well first off before I forget, we had to drive our car up to where we play volleyball and my comps GPS took us down this dirt road and we pulled up to a small river/ stream, and they had the 'County search and rescue team' out and as I was walking down towards the river to ask if we could pass through to get to our destination a sheriff stopped us, came up and said "I can not let you through this area, there is a crime scene in the river bed". So we asked him how we could get around since we didn't know the area, he told us how to get to our destination and as we started to get back in our car we watched them go in to the river and pull out a dead body on one of there floating stretchers. It was really cool to watch. We tried to get a good picture from how far we were. Then as we drove away we thought of sending a picture to some other missionaries and tell them its our companion. We are kinda Evil like that i guess. Classic.

Well back to the rest of my week. We didn't have a lot of stuff planed so we decided to clean our room for once. Then i got carried away and started reorganize all of my stuff and made it look 20x's better. I will have to take a picture of it and send it next week.When we were out and about we stopped buy a less active members house to see them and challenged them to come to church, like all less actives they come up with a excuse but they said when they get there car up and running they will come back to church. Then we taught a guy who has been investigating the church for a while and never comes to church and told him about how every excuse he gives is pushing him away from Christ and he kinda got offended with that so we told him if he doesn't want to progress, we cant come back every week, he is keep us away from people who do need us and who want to progress in the gospel. Then the last thing we did this week is went ot help a single lady cut down a tree. It was amazing to see our branch president (a big logger in his earlier years) hook up a cable to the middle of the tree then hook the other end up to his truck and got some good tension on the cable then start cutting way. You might be wondering why does it matter where the tree falls. Well we were having to drop the tree and miss the house and miss a beat up car as well. But any way as we watch him cut away we pulled on the cable and dropped that huge tree right where we wanted it. So that was our week wrapped up in a nut shell. I need money to go buy some new shoes, my rockports are falling apart. So I'm going to buy some new ones and send these home to see if pomeroys will exchange them. I'm going to get my bag tomorrow at our district meeting, our assistants our coming to do an exchange with our zone leaders and they went and got the package for me before it got moved around any more. Mucho amore- Elder Phelps

Sept. 8

How are my favorite people in the world doing out there?
Well this week was kinda slow. We are trying to see all of our less active families and trying to contact all of our potential investigators. Those little things take forever,and sense we are limited on miles we are trying to use them wisely so we don't go out and tract a lot, the most we do is called a 10x10 after you try see some one you knock 10 houses to the left then 10 to the right. As well the houses are kinda far apart so we don't ride our bikes (or us missionaries are to lazy to strap our bikes to the car to take them with us or we are just to weak to ride) except for in a town then they are all so close so we just walk around the town. This past week we were at a members house for dinner and after dinner and after we gave a lesson we stopped buy a less actives house that no one has been able to contact (they are never home) We pulled up and one of there sons pulled up on a four wheeler and we asked if his parents were home and he went in a got them and had a really good conversation with both of them. After a wile we asked them why they don't come to church any more? they responded that some members at a church basketball game in Utah came up to them and said they have to take off there hats or they have to leave. They said one of the guys that came up to them had a hat on and several others in the gym had hats on. So they took that to offence and said if people are going to be like that they were never going to step into a lds church again. It's sad to see some thing so little offend some one so bad they never want to sep into a lds church again. We told them if they come to our branch that will never happen, and if it does happen to let us know or the branch president know and they will fix the problem. So they said when he is in town(he works in Texas and is in Dallas Sunday- Friday) and when she is off work they will come to church. So we talked to a guy at a gas station and he used to live in Tempe and work for a airline and he asked us if we knew any thing about Bob Manning so now I'm asking you if you know any thing about him.Exciting news- Our mission said we had to have a part in our hair, and that we could not wear any rings. and last Thursday they did away with those rules. so now i don't have to have my hair look so funny just so i can have a part, and can you send me my two CTR rings and my ring i made? Oh and i still have not got that ogio bag did you send it to (38513 jingo rd La Cygne ks 66040) what is the tracking number and i can look it up were its at.Elder Phelps

Sept. 1

hello every one-Well this week was kinda crazy with us having no miles on our car left to drive so we had to find members to take us where ever we needed to go. It was difficult to be able to go see people. So we decided to help some people with some service work. Last Monday afternoon we got a call from a member needing help for a recent convert of mine. She is moving in to a small one bedroom one bathroom house (its one small room and a small bathroom and that's it, no kitchen or anything. She needed all the electrical replaced and all the sheet rock replaced and all new plumbing. SO we had different members who do that for a profession go and do that stuff for her and they didn't charge her at all, Some of them had her buy the parts and that's it. So we went in and did all the taping and mudding, in the house. It was a big pain, thanks to Jake and dad I knew how to do that form doing a dressing room at SHIRTAIL. Then when we were not doing that we were helping a investigator take carpet to the dump and laying wood floating floor down. It was a busy week with those two projects going on. Then friday we found out that Sister kummer is moving back to utah to be with her kids and try to find employment out there. Then as well we had an investigator tell us she is moving out of our mission so now we have to give up another person. So thats been our crazy week.About my comp, he is from north Cali and he is really strange we is always having a cheesy smile on his face and people look at him really strange and he can never figure out why people think its funny. His name is Elder Samond and he always talks about watter polo, and how knows so much more then me about every thing, and trys to prove me wrong about every little thing. I have to look on the bright side tho.Well i hope to hear back form every one soon. Pictures- Me mudding and taping, and president chandler and my self lifting sister chandler up in there hammock that we are going to put up.Elder Phelps