WEEK 7 3-4-11 - 3-10-11

Hello!

Wow another week down how crazy!! so first the big NEWS......... I got my flight plans yesterday!!! here they are we leave March 22nd from Salt Lake City at 11:05 AM to Detroit Michigan!! We get to Detroit at 4:37 Eastern time and that is prob when I will be calling cause we have a 2 hour lay over there!! we leave detroit at 6:50 Eastern time to AMSTERDAM in the netherlands!! We get to Amsterdam at 7:45 am Netherlends time and than we leave at 8:50 to Berlin we get to berlin the 23rd at 10:10 am which will be like 2 in the morning our time!! We were all way pumped when we got them yesterday!!

 Ok so on to the other stuff! Yesterday was literally the coolest lesson/conversation we've had since Ive been here!! We talked about intelligence and everything with our teacher he brought a talk by cleon or leon skousen its called the need for the atonement!! And it talks about intelligences and it made so much sense to all of us!! It puts everthing in to better perspective and why the Atonement is so important and why it had to happen! Basically it comes down to the fact that with the law of justice we will never be able to leave with our Heavenly father again cause he would cease to be god by not following that law. But because of the Atonement Christ has the call because of mercy Mercy is a whole different law but Mercy over powers Justice so that is how it is possible for us! It also makes more sense why blessings are so important or why blessings work! and same with miracles its all science. God can do anything but he has to keep the laws or he ceases to be God! Everything has intelligence so with blessings its like askin or telling those intelligence to fix themselves and obey but it has to be if God wants it to obey thats why the spirit is so important! Gods power is his honor! By having Honor every intelligence obeys him! Even though it still has agency! That is where the light of christ comes in! The intelligences are light and truth which is the light of christ! So that is what gives us the desire to do good and obey God!! It's a really deep concept I wish i could explain it better But read about the atonement and the creation and all that its pretty awesome!!

 I got a letter from Scotty it was good to hear from him I'll have to write him back today!! I can't believe I have less than 2 weeks and I'll be in Germany! I am a bit nervous I hope I get an awesome companion!! SO there is quite a few people going to germany 2 from st. george are here now with the new district they are both at little different!! But tell aunt linda Elder Maughn and I are pretty good friends!! Hunter good luck with your preformance I know you will do great!! Ya its cool having hurst in the same building he comes up and I go down and we hang out for a little bit every night so thats fun!! I can't believe Austin is home thats so crazy! President Daines (the provo Temple pres) spoke on sunday here and it was awesome so much things about the temple! He promised us that it would be harder to leave our mission than it was to leave our families I had a hard time believing that!! But I am looking forward to seeing that happen and I am sure it will!!

We got to host yesterday it was wierd to see all the moms crying and stuff it seems like that never happened cause I've been here for so long! I am sure we will host next week also!! Also in Pres daines talk well his wife talked before he did she told a story about this 12yr old boy who had cancer and ended up dying! and he appeared to his dad later with the boys Grandpa and great Grandpa and said he was happy! and than the boy said  its weird  everything is so busy here we are preparing for the second coming! How freaking crazy is that!! anyways yes all is good here at the mtc! I can not wait to get to Germany though!!. And i have a lot more respect for the priesthood now because I know that to perform those miracles we have to have gods Honor!! so thats prety awesome!! Come on mother 6:45 is nothing!! we are right in the thick of things that early!! haha! Well nothing really new here!! I don't think there is anything I really need! But I love you all!! The church is true keep up the good work!! Study the scriptures! Oh another thing I learned is if you write down a question you have before you read the scriptures it makes the scriptures so much more meaningful and you can definately find the answer its so crazy!!

WEEK 6 2-25-11 - 3-3-11

Halo Guten Tag!!
It's definately flying by!! I can not wait to get to Germany though I am so excited!! This week has gone by super fast its just to the point where it's flying by and everything is kinda the same ya know!! But I am still learning a ton! This last Tuesday Richard C. Edgely from the presiding bishopric spoke and he was so awesome!! He talked about how it's so easy to be a successful missionary and that we are the best the church has ever sent!! It was a really good uplifting talk for all of us he just said study, pray, and have the spirit and you will be a successful missionary so that was awesome!! I have not seen Kaleb yet we weren't hosts yesterday but I have seen Elder Heaps quite a few times so that's cool he's a good kid! He actually leaves before me because he goes to the mtc in Guatemala for a few weeks so he leaves the 14th of March! Saying bye to boots was crazy he was super excited though and that's good I know he will do great!! His companion is way cool too and they were both really excited to go do the work!! I got an e mail from taylor haha he says his part of hawaii is not what you'd think of when you think of hawaii but he loves it says its so much better than the mtc and his first door he knocked it was a little asian lady who slammed it in his face haha classic! Thats way sad about Jordan Parras i knew who he was what a freak accident!! Crazy! Hunter sounds like a smart kid not taking crap from anyone!! Haha no tell him he needs to respect people who are older than him but next time that girl tells him not to do something to tell her to worry about herself!! Thats my boy!! Tell him to keep up on the Lakers for me so he can tell me how they are doing and everything and also about Kansas to see if they are doing good!! Keep up the piano! and when i get home you can teach me!! Thats cool you'll be able to come up here it looks like it might be a little bit colder again which sucks but oh well!! So last night our teacher taught us about we are responsible for 100 percent of what happens to us and I had a hard time with that the fact that a 4yr old boy in africa born with aids and dies at the age of 4 of starvation is responsible for that! But it is a principle we must understand that in the pre earth life we all chose Gods plan not knowing our consequences but we knew there would be consequences so we chose to come here! God gave us laws also so he must follow those laws and even though we cant choose our consequences we are responsible for what happens cause we know as a church that God gives us everything we need to reach our highest potential which is exaltation no matter how hard our life is we must realize that everything has or will be given to us that will help us reach our potential!! So now I understand a little bit better! Thats so nuts Austin gets home soon what an example to his bro's and to our family tell him I say hello from the mtc!! and Tell Sarah and Danny congrats thats way cool the priesthood is an awesome privilege I've stood in on a couple blessings since I have been here so thats been fun and interesting! So elder cox is still weird we are worried he wont make it out in the field cause none of us think he is emotionally stable! his companion told us the other day he should be making money for being a phsyciatrist haha it was quite funny! Me and my comp still get a long really well and that really helps our teaching!! So Pallas finally made it to Spain that will be good for him he says its Beautiful and he loves it there! Pretty disappointing day yesterday NO MAIL! thats like the first day I have had in a long time with no Mail or dear elders in one day so that means I should have a lot today I'm crossing my fingers! My comp and elder cox got in an argument yesterday about castles and my comp said how it would be awesome to have a castle and preach to people from the tower! Elder cox said that is so ineffective! You have to send out a decree to all your people! Towers are for war purposes only! Then my comp said oh really how about King Benjamin didn't he preach from a tower haha than elder cox knew he had been beaten so he said wow now your taken it way too far!! I wish I could tell you all the things he says they are literally ridiculous! We got new German Missionary's yesterday a few of them are a little different but a few seem way cool there is actually a kid who went to dixie high school so ya but he's one of the wierder ones! There is also one who looks like harry Potter!! haha classic! Anyways I am excited for the package and excited to be able to call in a couple weeks I will have to let you all know times so I can get a hold of you and maybe you can get Hunter out of school so I can talk to him too!! It will be on a tuesday I should get my Travel plans within the next week so that will be good! Keep reading the scriptures they are awesome read about the Plan of Salvation it really helps keep an eye on the eternal perspective!! Well keep it up ya'll thanks for the support!! See ya in 22 months!
Ps. The church is true!!

WEEK 5 2-18-11 - 2-24-11

Halo Guten Tag!

Another week down how CRAZY!! I can not believe I have less than 4 weeks left and I am in Germany!! I am so excited to be able to go there but I also just wish that I could know the language better!! Oh well I know that it will come with time!! So this last tuesday we had a devotional we have devotionals every tuesday and sunday night but this time Elder Kearon of the Seventy spoke he acutally spoke in the last general conference priesthood session go look up his talk he was AMAZING!! He was just telling us how we need to be the message we need to look like the message act like the message and just be the message!! The weather wow well its still pretty cold but I am not outside much haha mostly class room so I don't realize it a whole lot so thats good. I went to the temple today thats good and I love it cause we eat temple breakfast every thursday and its truly amazing. Um ya I hope the package gets there cause if not that would be not good!! A word of advice for Hunter tell him to not quit the Piano!! He will regret it just keep doing it I am trying to learn a little bit of the Piano from a friend here so that will be good. And tell him memorizing the articles of faith is awesome!! Tell Bret thanks for the scriptures she told me to read they are great missionary scriptures!! Linda dear eldered me it was great to hear from her and their family thats so crazy that Austin gets home so soon!! I know it prob just flew by for him like it is for me! It was so weird saying bye to taylor and next week boots leaves so its gonna be weird but it will be good he is really excited to go so I am excited for him he speaks prettty good spanish spanish is easier than German though that is for sure!! SO we got a new district leader it's elder lloyd  I sent a picture of him he is the one has his hair parted and looks like a goon he is a way sweet kid but he is getting strict which is weird I just think we should all just have fun! Anyways nothin really new from the mtc just been reading in true to the faith its money cause it has so many topics where you can study those things and than it has scriptures for you to study also so thats good for me!! Studying by topic is really a lot more productive for me other than studying just to study and read through the book of mormon!! The bottom bunk is so MONEY its nice I don't have to climb up my bed every night!! I can just say my prayers and jump in my bed its the best!! I don't really need much of anything I will send my sd card soon and I should get my Travel Plans within the next couple of weeks so I will let you know when I will be calling so you can plan on that! I might be calling from ATL or Paris Idk yet but I will find out and let you guys know. So at 1:30 today I have to drop 120 dollars for shots I am pretty upset about that but its ok I guess I should get the shots! Did I say how excited I was to go to Germany!! I know it will be hard but I will do my best I will take a lot of Pictures and when I get there I will be able to send pictures from my e mails so that will be way easier. Mail is still awesome here I love getting it!! I always thought I would always need a nap but I haven't really I take one on sundays sometimes for about an hour and that sure is nice!! My companion and I are getting along a lot better so that is cool cause we are starting to teach better but before I know it I will have a new companion!! I have been praying that My senior comp will be way cool and work hard so that he finshes strong and I start strong!! Anyways ya st. george is probably awesome weather right now lucky people!! Its ok though because Germany is gonna be way nicer!! I e mailed Pallas in Idaho I guess he already has 5 baptism dates lucky kid! Dad I guess your mission still has people who need to be baptized he is only teaching the hispanic cause he is supposed to be in spain so he is speakin spanish which is good for him. Hurst comes in on the 2nd so that will be cool to see him I haven't hosted yet I don't even know how they choose who hosts! But hopefully I can figure something out!! Heaps got here yesterday I haven't seen him yet but I am sure I will this is boots last P- Day how crazy he will be a good missionary! Well thats all from the mtc I love you all and hope you continue to learn the gospel! There is so much we can learn and when we think we have learned everything something else comes to our mind and we need to learn that! The spirit will talk to you but he wont compete so let him talk and don't talk over him!! The church is true! Joseph Smith is still the man! And the German Language is still Hard!! Oh ps so about that wrestler kid come to find out its not cayle sandersons brother its cayle sanderson himself!! how crazy haha well thats it thanks everyone Love Ya.

Geh Voran 

Love Elder Voran