Happy New Year from Bountiful!

Well howdy, family! I hope you all had a very dandy new year. I didn't, as I totally forgot about it. :D And we’re not allowed to stay up past 10:30 anyway, so it's all good. :P

Well, this week has been pretty sweet!

Kristi had her baptism interview and she passed. Yeah! So now all we’ve got to do is wait for the 16th of January. :D And then we’ll be having another baptism on the 23rd for Josh. So that's two so far for the month of January!

Yesterday, about 7a.m. or so, we got a call. This person was telling us about his friend who has been to church four times, and has read most of the Book of Mormon, and wants to be taught. So today we will be teaching him. :D

Janice is also doing really well. We haven't re-committed her for baptism yet. We don't want to go against her parents. Janice really wants it, but her parents keep saying NO. So hopefully, through time, their hearts will be softened.

I really enjoy being with my new companion, Elder Snyder. We have the same interests, and all that good stuff. I know that the next transfer isn't coming too quickly, but I have the feeling that I'll be leaving. Something keeps telling me to prepare for what's coming. Whatever that is....I have no idea. :D But, I hope it's something good. I can see my life changing right before my eyes. It's crazy. But the change that I'm going through is good.

I'm wishing and hoping that I'm here in B-town for 1 more transfer, so that will make it 6 months here. I love this place. I wouldn't mind living here. Maybe someday…

We've been getting blessed like mad these last few days. One older lady called us over and gave us 50 dollars a piece! 50 smackers!! Then some guy gave us a 20! Good Gosh! I Love it!! :D

Elder Snyder and I got to be witnesses for someone’s marriage...




...That was pretty sweet.

I went on a Zone Leader exchange with Elder DaSilva. He's from Brazil. And he is so funny! I had a way good time. He's going home at the end of this month, and he is scared out of his mind! hahaha.

I'm glad you all had a good Christmas. I wish I could have been there.

Oh, did you guys get my letter yet? It's got my pictures in it. :D [note-below are a few of the pictures he included]

[Elder Dill and Elder Evans at a Zone Conference luncheon.]

[Elders Evans and Pape in their apartment with a gingerbread house someone gave to them.]

[Elder Evans keeping warm.]

Well, that's pretty much all I have to say. I just want you guys to know that this is God's church, and He is the master behind everything. The Book of Mormon is true.

Anyways, I love you guys.

Love,

Elder Evans

Two for One!

[note-Since we have been out of town I have not been able to up-date Elder Evans' blog, so here are his letters from the past two weeks.]

Monday, December 20, 2009

Merry Christmas, family! I hope everything is going well.

Well, before I start off, transfer calls were today and here is the scoop…


I have been here in B-town for 3 months and Elder Pape has been here for 6 weeks. So we get a call today and Elder Norton said that Pape is going to Willard Bay, as he is opening the area, and I'm staying here with Elder Snyder. He is from Atlanta, Georgia.

He has been out for a year. I hear he is a Biking Elder. All I can say about that is, "HECK NO!!" There is no way I'm biking up all these hills!

Anyways, that's the down-low. So I get to be in B-town for another transfer. Yeah-yeah-yeah! Yeah!

Yesterday....Sunday, we went to four wards....and each one had a Christmas program.....and 2 of them had "Silent Night" as the closing song. We had a split that night as Janice and Kristi had lessons at the same time, so I went to Janice's and Elder Pape went to Kristi's. We taught Janice about the Holy Ghost and its role. Then she asked, "How can I gain a testimony?" So, we read with her Helaman 5:12 and talked about what we need to do to gain one. It was a way sweet lesson.

Well, I burned my tie on the 17th! [note-it is traditional for missionaries to burn one of their ties (hopefully an old one!) when then reach the 6-month mark on their mission. That is not Elder Evans in the picture.]

I forgot my camera, but thank goodness the Barkers took some pictures. And thank you SO, SO much for the new camera! It's so awesome! I wasn't quite sure if I would be staying so I opened your package early, but I still have Emily’s wrapped. Thank you so very much! It's a way awesome camera! Just what I needed, too. :D

We also had another lesson with Janice on that day. We taught her the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and she really liked it!

I look forward to calling you guys on Christmas. It's going to be exciting. The only thing is we only have 45minutes, just so you know. For Christmas we will be going to the Barkers and just hanging out. I hope my new comp is a cool guy.

Anyways, I love you guys, have a good Christmas and I will talk to you then.

Love,
Elder Evans

Tuesday, December 28, 2009

Hello family! I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas. I had a lot of fun. Let me start off with the 24th...

We didn’t have much planned for that day, but that evening we had a Zone sleep-over. All the Elders in our Zone were there, including two greenies. We read from Luke 2...

...and talked about family traditions. Then we ate and had fun. We didn't get to bed until about 3am... :D But, we all still woke up at 6:30am. :D It was a lot of fun.

Then we went home, got ready and went to the Barkers. There were a bunch of Elders there. Brother Barker was a Ward Mission Leader for two years, and so he was able to get all the Elders that are still serving, that he has worked with, to come over. So there were twelve of us. It was a mad house, but so much fun! I loved it, and I felt right at home. The Barkers remind me so much of you guys, that's why I love that family so much.

Other than that nothing really has been going on. Kristi is way EXCITED for her baptism. Janice is having a little bit of a hard time, but we'll get her back. I know it. :D

On Sunday it was like "right place, wrong time" day. We went to the 27th Ward to be with Janice, but she wasn't there. :-( On top of that, the speakers were a newly married couple, and they spoke on “marriage”, and Elder Snyder and I just looked at each other, and said, "Oh boy." Then we spoke in a Young Single Adult ward....bad idea right there. Good Gosh! Then we went to the 18th Ward and it was a missionary home-coming! Sunday was a “trying” day! :D

For the last few days we have been going around and meeting people like stake and ward leaders. We did pick up two new investigators last week! One is a Hindu guy, and the other is a 10 year-old boy. Both of these are “member invites”. Yeah! Member invites are the best! So much more solid then us finding on our own. :D

Anyways that was my week.

Love you,

Elder Evans

PS. Emily and John, thank you SO, SO, SO much for the electric blanket! It's nice! I love it! I turn it up on “high” right as we plan for the next day (which takes about 30 minutes), so when we’re done, my bed is nice and toasty. :D

Thank you, I couldn't have asked for a better gift. And, Jonathan, make sure you send me the "Evans Tie” [note-this is a tie that I bought for Elder Evans' father 35 years ago. Both of his older brothers took it on their missions. It is a wide, green, 70s-ish tie so, of course, Elder Evans is excited to get and wear it!]. :D

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

[note-This truck belongs to the owner of the music store over which Elder Evans lives]

[note-Elders Evans and Pape's Christmas tree...]

[note-At a recent Zone Conference with several of his MTC buddies...]

***********************************************************************

Hey family. I hope everything is going well!

This has been a pretty sweet week! I’m just going to talk about the highlights...

...because I don't have a lot of time to write a lot today. Sorry. :(

For the past week and a half Elder Pape and I have been praying to send someone our way who is ready to hear the Gospel. So, anyways, on Thursday one of our Ward Mission Leaders called us and asked if we were busy at 7 pm. No, we didn't have anything planned we were just visiting people. He told us about someone who wanted to learn the Gospel. So of course we said, "Heck yeah!" (:D )

We go over there and it’s a girl by the name of Janice. Janice has been hit with a lot of Anti stuff. Her Grandma hated the church, but she died. So Janice wanted to find the truth for herself. Janice is 17, and reminds me a lot of Ashlee Ray (same kind of personality). Anyways, we taught her the Restoration...

...and we committed her for baptism on the 26th, and she said YES! It was awesome!

We've been teaching her all week, and she's been coming to church.... all that good stuff, and she finally prayed at the end of the 3rd lesson. It was awesome!

Her Dad is hardcore less-active, and her mom is ...I don't know....lame, yeah there we go. :D But, Janice has come a long way as she has had Anti-CRAP! stuffed down her throat for 10 years.

It's amazing to see the impact that the Gospel has on people. It has changed her life for the better. She now knows the truth, and the truth is in the Book of Mormon.

That small book you can hold in your hands is the truth! I know that, and she knows that. How I love this Gospel. As a youth I really took it for granted. I was like, "Yeah, whatever, it's true, no big deal." But as a missionary of God, I now can say, "Yes, I'm a Mormon. Yes, the Book of Mormon is true!" I'm proud to be a member of His Church, and I'm so glad that I have been called to be an instrument in His hands to bring some lost souls to His gospel. I love that!

Anyways, that was the highlight of my week. Sorry it's so short, but we have a lot to do today before the time is over. I wish P-days were longer. :D

So after I write this letter, I'm going to go SNOWBOARDING!!

Yeah! It's going to be sweet! I'll take some pictures!!!

Anyways family, I love you guys.

Elder Evans.

Dear Santa...

It's been snowing all week, pretty much...

...and it's been cold!!!

Well, I'm going off my memory here...



...so don't be hatin’ if I don't have a lot of detail. :D

We taught Kristi about the Book of Mormon and how to use the topical guide, and all that good stuff. She pushed her baptismal date back, and now we have it for the 1st week of January. So hopefully I'm still here. I asked the President yesterday if I could stay one more transfer and he said that he won't be moving too many people this transfer. So hopefully I stay.

We also taught a man who is less-active and has been since he was 9, so he knows nothing of the Gospel. His son is warming up to us, too. He would never sit in on the lessons, but after Elder Pape and I saw him walking by himself and talked to him, he now trusts us. It's pretty cool.

I just wish I could remember more things......ah yes. Today we are picking up a young man who was from Los Angeles. He lives with his uncle and his uncle has been taking the lessons for some time. I only taught his uncle twice but then we dropped him because he wasn't keeping his appointments. But Ken (the kid from LA) wants to learn more. He has gone to church and been to Temple Square...

...and just loves the spirit he finds there. So we’re going to commit him to be baptized on the 26th of this month! It's going to be sweet!

Kristi went to a baptism that the Zone Leaders were having, and she really liked it. During the time when the people were drying off, they asked Elder Pape and me to teach about the Restoration of the Gospel...

...so we did. I don't remember what I said or how it came out, but the Spirit was so strong, and that's when I knew it wasn't me speaking. It was awesome!

Our area is picking up!! Yay! After 4 ½ weeks of super hard work we’re finally starting to see results! President interviews were way sweet. President and I talked about a lot of things. He told me something that made me feel good. He said that everyone likes me, and loves to be around me. So that really made me happy. :D

I wish there was more I could tell you about my week, but I just can't remember, these weeks go by so fast! My Bump Day [note-what missionaries call their 6-month anniversary of being on a mission] is coming up, and it's just flying!

Anyways family, know that I love you, and I always have you in my prayers. The church is true. Jesus is the Christ.

This is His Gospel, and He is the head of his Church. President Monson is a true prophet of the Lord.

I know that. And how do I know that? Because the Spirit of God has testified that to me.

May God grant his richest blessing upon you.

I love you,
Elder Evans

It's All Good!

Hello family. How is life treatin’ ya in amazing Arizona? Good I hope.

Well, before I get started I just wanted to congratulate Jon and Candace on their new little boy [note-Carter McRae Evans, born Nov 30th]...

That's exciting! My 1st nephew born on my Mission. Are there going to be more?? :D [note-Elder Evans has 5 other married siblings, so that is always a possibility.] That's really cool. I wish I could be there to see him, but since I have almost 18 months left I'll wait to see him then. :D

Alright, so on Tuesday the 24th…

…we had a half P-day. Our day was over at 1 pm because Thanksgiving was coming up and we would get the whole day to chill with members, and just relax. But we did have a Family Home Evening that evening with a family I fell in love with, the Barkers. I love this family! The Dad is our Ward Mission Leader, and the Mom is the Relief Society President. This family is so cool. Their son, Hayden, reminds me of Jonathan. He is just straight up hilarious!! And we get along so well. They have 4 kids in their family, 2 girls and 2 boys. I love this family. :D Sorry I keep saying that, but it's true. I'm so going to visit them when I come back after the mission. Anyways, our FHE was really good. We all really enjoyed it.

On Wednesday we had our District Meeting, then lunch as a District. After lunch Elder Pape and I took an hour to make a training for the youth of the 19th Ward. It was on how the Young Men can prepare to go on a mission...

...and how the Young Women can help. It was a lot of fun preparing it.

THANKSGIVING!!!!

Today was awesome! We hung out with the Barkers; played some B-ball, and other sports; then we watched "NACHO LIBRE" (President approved it)...

...It was so funny. Hayden and I were quoting it. :D Then we had dinner with the Rasband family, which was fun. We played games, talked, then we watched the movie "UP" ...

...and I loved it! So funny. We then went back to the Barkers and watched "Horton Hears a Who" ...

So that was our Thanksgiving.

Friday was good. We had our lesson with Kristi, and she is way excited to get baptized! She's been praying and reading, and she prayed at the end of our lesson!! YEAH! Just goes to show that God answers prayers. I was praying for days that her heart would be touched, and it was. It was a miracle, and I was able to witness it.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NATE!! [note-his oldest brother who turned 32]

Hope it was a good one, I was going to buy you a card and send it to ya......but I don't know your address. Sorry. Saturday was full of meeting more Bishops and Ward Mission Leaders.

Sunday was crazy busy! We spoke in a Branch and then did our training with the youth in the 19th Ward, which was very good! Had lunch at the Barkers and then spoke in the Gospel Principles class on missionary work for about 10 minutes. Then add all that on top of our normal meetings.....and whooo....busy day!

Monday we had a Zone Leader exchange with Elder Williams. He’s a way cool guy and is so funny, and just a really good missionary, too. I had a lot of fun. Elder Williams goes home when I hit my year-mark.

So that's my week. I hope you all liked it. Have a good one, and tell all my friends to write to me. :D [note-his address in on the side-bar]

Love,

Elder Evans, the 4th.

Happy Thanksgiving Week!

Hey, I hope all is going well. Everything is going fine with me. My companion and I are starting to pick things up here in wonderful B-Town.

Well, I don't have my journal on me, so today might not be a long letter. Sorry. But, I will try to remember everything, and every little “dumb detail” (:D) as I can. [note-I am always telling him that, as a mother, I want "more details"]

Oh, I got an email from Sister Partington, and she tells me that Danny is getting ready to go on a mission. Yay! :D So that's exciting. It'll be great!

Anyways…

On Monday, the 16th, it was another “meet people and get things moving” day. We had a FHE with a really cool family. They remind me a lot of the Fife family, and even kinda look like them. The FHE was really good. We watched a short video called "Tried in All Things", it's Pres. Hinckley talking about the three 18 year-old boys who carried all the stranded pioneers across the Sweetwater River.



The Spirit was really strong and I just fell in love with that video. It's really good. We tied all that to missionary work. It's pretty sweet.

Tuesday, the 17th. My 5 MONTH anniversary!!!

Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! It was P-day. Normal P-day stuff happened.

We taught Kristi, and she loved it. We taught her about the 10 Commandments.

It was way sweet. Then for the rest of the night we met with more Bishops. Oh, and we had a Priest Exchange [note-where the missionaries each take a 16-17 year-old young man from the ward to serve as their companion for a few hours] which was fun.

Wednesday was Zone Conference and the main focus was the Book of Mormon. They want us to be Book of Mormon missionaries, and not just "Preach my Gospel" missionaries. It was way sweet, and President gave us a challenge to re-read the book of Mormon, cover to cover, in three months (five pages a day). So I have been doing that and I'm in Jacob right now. Jacob is amazing. Chapter 5 is so deep. Man, I love it! We also had a lesson with a less-active man, which was good.

Thursday..... was a pretty lousy day…the end.

Friday was our weekly-planning, as well as our District Study. We had a lesson set up with a lady, but she called at the last minute and told us she didn't want to meet with us, and that she was “set in her ways”. It was a little heart-breaking, but that's life. People just don't understand the joy this Gospel brings, because if they knew that they would be lining up to be baptized. But hopefully we planted a seed, and some other Elders will reap.

Saturday we just went around and met more Ward Mission Leaders and Bishops. It was a l-o-o-o-n-g day. It was cold, and it snowed.....twice.

On Sunday we taught the Primary in the 19th Ward. The lesson was on service and was a lot of fun. For the last 5 minutes it was a “Question and Answer” time and the kids asked us some of the funniest things. Oh, my gosh! It was so fun. Little kids are so cute.

Kristi went to church! Yeah! That was really good to see. After church we had lunch at the home of the people who are fellowshipping her and then we taught her again. She understood it, but at the end of the lesson she started to cry. She told us she is having major doubts about her baptismal date, and a lot of other things. So we lost our day, but she still wants to meet with us. I love Kristi, and I know that she knows that what we teach her is right. She has felt the Spirit, as we have during our lessons. I have cried twice in 5 lessons with her. I don't know if she will get baptized when I'm here, but I hope she does. At times I wish I was a convert to the Church, so I could tell her, “I've been there. I was in your shoes. I know how you feel.” I wish that, but that wasn't meant to be. If you could pray for her as well, that would be amazing. -Thank you.

Monday. Yesterday. Had an Exchange with Elder Coon, and I got to Drive!!!

YEAH!! That was our day. No lessons.

Today is a “half P-day”. P-day is over at 1pm because on Thanksgiving we have the whole day to rest and to hang-out with members; so that will be our “whole-day P-day”, so I'm excited for that. We also get to watch G-rated movies on that day, so I'm going to see "UP"...

...the new Disney-Pixar movie that came out on DVD a few weeks ago!

Anyway that's my week. I hope you enjoyed it.

Love,

Elder Evans the 4th.

Off And Running In Bountiful!

Hello, family. How is everyone? Good I hope.

Anyways my week…

11/11/09-I GOT MY NEW COMPANION. Elder Pape is his name, and he is from Kentucky.

He reminds me a lot of Brendon Blau. :D We just went around and met some of the bishops and ward mission leaders. My new comp is really cool! He's been out 17 months and I like him a lot. He loves working, and going out and finding people, it's GREAT!!!

11/12/09-TODAY WE DID SOME MORE MEETING OF BISHOPS AND WARD MISSION LEADERS. Elder Pape and I are starting from scratch in this area. We call it "White Washing" so we’re doing everything that comes with that, like meeting all the Stake Presidents, WML, Bishops, etc. We have already set up a lot of things, like speaking in wards, doing Family Home Evenings, teaching Young Men/Young Women, etc. It's going to be a sweet Transfer!

Elder Norton called me and we spoke for a little, and he asked me if I was ready to be a District Leader. My reply was, “Nope-nope-nope-nope....” But he told me a few things, and said that he has the feeling that he needs to put me down to possibly be a DL. So, who knows, but I told him that would be fine. Then that night I prayed. I prayed that if I was to become a DL, that God would walk me through it. And the Spirit came to me, and comforted me, and told me, that he would be on my right and left hands in all my days as a missionary. So, who knows when or if I’ll ever be called, but I know that no matter what, God will be with me.

11/13/09-TODAY WAS WEEKLY PLANNING, as well as Zone study! Elder Swisher [note-Elder Evans' MTC companion] ...

...is in my Zone; he is Elder Larrabee's ...

...companion. They came out with me! It was good to see Swish again, I’ve missed him.

Elder Pape and I have been working hard in the 19th Ward. We both feel that ward has a lot of potential, so we've been setting up tons of stuff in that ward.

11/14/09-HAD AN EXCHANGE WITH ELDER NORTON TODAY! My Daddy [note-his 'trainer']!


And it was so much fun! We got a lot done, and we both just couldn't stop laughing. It was snowing like mad, and since we’re in a walking area.... yeah, we got snowed on pretty good. But that's okay, because it just means my wife is getting hotter and hotter. [note-missionary "folk lore" states that the more "adversity" (in the form of rain, snow, etc.) a missionary bears while on his mission, the better-looking his future wife will be] :D. But, as we were walking we were having a snowball fight...

...and it was so much fun! We were laughing so hard, we couldn't even throw snowballs at each other. It was the most fun I have had in a long time. I love Elder Norton, he is an awesome missionary.

11/15/09-TODAY WAS FREEZING!! I have finally decided that I hate snow and the cold...

That's why I live in ARIZONA!!

I can't wait, till my Year mark, why? Because it will be SUMMER! Hot! Bring on the HOT!! :D

Today was just “stop by and visit” day.

11/16/09-SAME AS YESTERDAY. :D

Anyhoo... that was my week. I hope you guys enjoyed it, because I sure did. :P

Everything is going well. I love B-town. I'm going to ask President, if I can stay here with Elder Pape for another Transfer. I really feel that we can get this place BOOMING! That's our goal, so pray for us that we can.

I love you all. I'm so grateful for the Gospel. It truly does bless our lives. I just want you guys to know that I love being a missionary. Yes, it's hard, and yes, there are days when I just want to pack up and go home, but I can't as I have been called of God. I often look back on the 15th chapter of John. I really love this Chapter. The one verse I love to read when I have those feelings of discouragement is verse 16.

"Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you."

I love that verse. It is one of my favorites, and now I share it with you, to bless your lives.

May God bless you and protect you. One of my favorite hymns is Hymn 100, "Nearer My God to Thee". God is there and he will always protect you, and he will never leave you comfortless. Always pray. Prayer is amazing! Prayer has gotten me through some of the toughest time. I just wanted to leave my testimony with you.

Love,

Elder Evans

PS-I found a way sweet scripture on testimonies in D&C 62:3...

"Nevertheless, ye are blessed, for the testimony which ye have borne is recorded in heaven for the angels to look upon; and they rejoice over you, and your sins are forgiven you."