WEEK 4 2-11-11 - 2-17-11

Halo Guten Tag!!
Yes I loved the package it was awesome and the package from grandma the day later and than callen sent me a package the next day I have too much candy to even handle!! I laminated the little cards Iyrlend sent me and hung them up at my desk so that is good!! I love them. Um to answer your question there is 8 of us in my district and 4 in each room our rooms are right next to each other also so we are all hanging out all the time!! I get along with the other guys a lot!! So this week flew by this saturday is our halfway mark!! Its so nuts Taylor is one lucky guy he leaves on tuesday or something so he'll be gone but I am going to try and be a host on March 2nd so I can see hursty!! Boots is leaving soon too but before I know it i'll be out of here I am so excited to get to Germany and teach those people!! The language is coming along just great getting better and better everyday its!! I am feeling alot more comfortable with speaking the language and everything so that is good!! Also tell hunter to keep up the basketball I knew eventually he would love sports its in his blood well at least from me dad isn't the most passionate sports fan but he sure likes to see that Jayhawks play!! It's pretty interesting to think that when your out here there is only a few things that really matter and that is your family, your friends, and preaching the gospel!! The spirit really is so strong it's pretty crazy I prayed about what I should be studying last night and this morning I was reading this book and I saw something about Abraham and I felt promted that I should read Abraham so I did and I learned so much about the temple before going it was truly personal revelation. So this last tuesday Elder Kevin W. Pearson of the first quorum of the seventy came and spoke to us and he was so intense like he was almost yelling at us!! He said just cause you are a missionary doesn't mean you are a disciple of Jesus Christ and to be that you can't think that Oh your Christian Voran on a mission you have to think oh I am a disciple of Jesus Christ you have to put all your past in your past and move on in the future. Another cool thing he said was how the mission will bless your future wife and family!! He said he has only seen 20 percent of missionarys really meet there full potential but to do that you have to be diligent!! It was kinda a confidence shot but like they say sometimes the Lord brings you down so he can take you higher!! Diligence is huge out here my quote I came up with was I wanna be so dilegent and work so hard that at the end of every night when I kneel down to pray I can tell my Heavenly Father I honestly did my best!! It's easy to get caught up in the motions as a missionary it's really easy to just figure you are doing enough because you are sacrificing 2yrs of your time thats what i thought coming in here, my outlook has totally changed. I wanna be the type of missionary that the people I teach don't forget and their families remember me. I know the people of Germany are ready for our message and they need the gospel just as much as any of us!! I can't believe I have already been out a month its going by so fast I know when your doing everyting your supposed to and trusting in the lord you don't even have time to think about what is going on in the world!! I feel like I have grown so much already and I am grateful for everyone's support. It really is uplifting to get letters and to hear from everyone!! Thanks for all the letter packages Etc I love everytime I get mail!! The church is true and if you abide by its teachings that is where you will find true happiness!! ps. Idk if I ever gave you my scripture for my plaque mom but its 3rd Nephi 13 vs 5 I am a disciple of Jesus Christ one!! Well keep the letters coming I love them!! Love you all!! Oh also something cool if any of you have ever heard or cale or gale sanderson he was like a super good wrestler who wrestled for Iowa state well anyways so one of the new missionary's who is going to the Alpine mission his last name is sanderson and you can tell he is a wrestler cause of his cauliflower ear so we were asking him and he said that cale or gale was his brother. This kid has already been to 5 years of college!! He wrestled 4 years at iowa state and 1 at penn state he's like 24 but he came after us its so weird cause the new missionary's always seem younger than you are even if you are younger than them. Someone told me the mission is like a small life time and every week is a year and so you grow so much that really i am 4 yrs old in my mission and he is 1 so thats why he seemed yonger than me well thats all!!
Thanks Again!! Love Elder Voran

WEEK 3 2-4-11 - 2-10-11

I just got back from the temple it was great!! I am pretty dissapointed dad did not update me on the kansas game!! what the heck is up with that?? I am sure i will hear about it sooner or later but ya this week has flown bye!! the German is coming along slowly but surely its good to improve it just makes you feel so good!! Thats so cool about Hunter tell him to keep it up and don't give up and learn hard work cause he's gonna need it on his mission!! I learned this week that if you focus on the investigator and not what you need to learn everything else falls into place!! The mission isn't about the missionary at all the missionary is just a messanger that can carry the spirit to the investigator!! It's really my goal to have the spirit with me all the time cause that is what converts people not me!! Anyways haha your little story about Iyrlend cracked me up what a cute little girl!! Easton is going to be a stud!! Also in my package i sent shirts for like you dad bret and zach I tried to get one for Hunter but they don't do them in kids sizes so tell him when i get to Germany in 6 weeks I will send him something way cool in the package i send for brets Birthday!! Grandmas B day is coming up i'll have to send her something!! How is it back home hopefully its going good. It's still pretty dang cold here it snowed today a little when I was walking to the temple and what not. I have not met the new missionarys yet they are all going to the alpine mission and there is only 7 of them the alpine mission is like austria and munich germany so not very close!! I saw taylor i clean his building for service every saturday so thats cool i get to see him he even bought me a dew!! Haha so thats good. Anyways its hard to keep going becuase it's like the same thing everyday here!! Oh i got a valentine from grandma lois today that was nice of her and Gpa chuck dear eldered me yesterday its still good to get support and to hear from everyone! So one more thing my companion is the most forgetful person there is in the world he forgot his watch in the temple pants today so we had to run all the way back and get it and we are always late cause he forgets something!! It gets on my nerves a little bit but thats ok!! Im gonna bear a little testimony in german!! Ich wise dass das Buch Mormon war ist und Ich wise dass das joseph smith war propheten ist und er wiederhergestellte das evangelium und die kirche Jesu Christi. Ich wise dass das durch der sühnopfer wir können zurruckkehren mit gott und glucklich sein!! Anyways thanks for the support love you much!!

Love Elder Voran

WEEK 2 1-28-11 - 2-3-11

Hello!!!

I am gonna start by answering the questions!! Yes my comp will be my comp for the rest of the time i am here. My whole district is going to Berlin all eight of us so that is cool!! Funny story so Elder Cox the one who is a bit odd told my comp the spirit told him not to eat spicey food anymore!! slightly odd I dont remember if i told dad that Vaughn dear eldedred me so did aunt tiff its so cool to hear how everyone is doing and how everything is going. Also i will send my sd card when i get some good pics on there!! I love my district the guys in the other room are so cool Russell M. Nelson Grandson is like my bro out here its funny they are all awesome people!! Grandma thanks for the cookies they were awesome its still great to get letters and packages still better than christmas morning!! I havent seen taylor yet but i see boots every thursday he is actually with me right now!!! haha funny ya I only go to the Temple Thursday at 10 am so thatd be cool if i got to see them!! THis week has seriously Flown BY i cant even tell you the first week went by so slow but this week has gone by so fast its ridiculous!!. I'll be in germany before i know it. I guess i need the other 6 and a half weeks cause i am speaking on about a 2yr old German level haha its hard cause the german language has so many cases and you can use all cases in one sentance so it really takes a lot of thought. Gym is good i play basketball everyday usually with elder walter and other kids from my district. My comp doesnt play but that is the cool thing about gym you dont have to be with your comp because there are so many elders there that your always with and elder ya know. THats so cool the Jayhawks are back to #2 even cooler they kicked K states BUTT. I also love getting sports updates so thats good too!! Im so grateful too all of you who support me and have written me and stuff its so great!! Joseph Smiths Experience ( we cant call it a story here) but his experience is so legit what a stud he straight up left everything for something he believed and knew was true!! I hope i can be that diligent and have that understanding and just lose myself in the work!! He is seriously like my Hero he went through so much!! so one of my teachers just got home from my mission like 5 months ago he is so legit soo soo spiritual i love it when he teaches!! THanks again for everyones thoughts prayers and e mails i am praying for you all so much too!! I miss Iyrlend and Easton so much its hard I wont be there to see them grow up but i will be back before you know it!! tell Hunter to keep the letters coming!! I cant wait for the package. SO Joseph Smith is Legit. the book of mormon is true. Jesus Lives. God Loves us all and through Christ we can all return!! (use this for my blog too)

Ps. Keep the letters coming

Love Elder Voran