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Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Surprise Training


Wow it was fun to read about ya'lls week! Good stuff is happening for sure. I'm super glad the boys will be playing in November! It's a fun time of year. Just to clear things up right off the bat, yes that is my hand.
So about the subject of this email... When President Miller sent us our monthly calender for the month of October there was a specialized zone leader training set up for October 25, and we had no idea what it was. President Miller would tell us nothing about it, the only thing he would say is you won't want to miss it, and there may or may not be a special guest! No it wasn't President Monson, but it was President Nally! When I was in the MTC he was the first councilor in the MTC presidency, and he has recently been called as the new MTC president starting in January. His wife Sister Nally is Sister Millers Sister, so hence the connection and why he was able to come here and give us an awesome training! It was a fun day! I will forward a pic from Sister Miller.


Something fun we were able to do this week was service for the Hernandez family! They are a part member family who recently moved into our ward. Chris Hernandez, the husband, is not a member. They have a little farm of a few acres of hay, and a bunch of horses. We went to their farm and cut down some trees that were growing, and cleared some land around their fence. It was legit!  We had a good heart to heart with him while working, and he is so close to baptism but he doesn't want to give up a few habits. He's awesome though and gave us a good time!
We also had contact with another awesome part member family this week. Her name is Margie  Kamaokaukalani- Wittkowski cool huh? They are from Hawaii. She is a member but her husband is Catholic, we have dinner with them this Friday so hopefully we can teach the restoration and see how he accepts it!
Keith was given the priesthood yesterday and made a priest! It was awesome. He is all set to baptize his daughter Krysha on November 10! Wow that will be a wonderful day.
This week was chuck full of stuff let me see... Oh ya!!! Saturday morning we went to the temple!! Woo yeah!!! It was awesome. Elder Chalk had a recent convert going through so we were able to go. While we were there I ran into some members from both of my old areas, it was great to see them again. I never realize how tired I am until I slow down to a stop (which is rarely ever) So when we were sitting in the temple session it was super super hard to stay awake.  It was so peaceful in there and I had no idea how tired I was.
Yesterday afternoon we had an SMCM meeting with the mission presidency and Rio Rancho stake presidency. It was a good meeting. Our Rio Rancho stake presidency is a power house. They are great men!
We had two returned missionaries reporting in our ward yesterday, that was kinda weird but good becasue now they can come teaching with us! (it made Elder Chalk a little trunky :) ) Hopefully he can endure his last couple of weeks!


Well I believe that's about it for now... I will be on for probably another hour or so doing a report so if ya want to shoot me an email or send pics feel free.
Thank you for all the love and support that you send my way! I know all you returned missionaries know that this isn't all fun and games (most of it is though) so thank you for all the encouragement!
The weather here is awesome. stop. We have been playing football for pday. stop. I weigh over 190. stop. I love you all. never stop!
Elder Turnbow
Remember that the blessings always out weigh the cost.   Elder Erying.

Monday, October 22, 2012

Oh, the things you will do as a missionary!


Good morning family!
 
     I was thrilled to hear that the boys put the beat down on Soda! Not just Soda, but the pheasants too! Thanks for the good stuff to read about. It brightens my P-Day that's for sure!
 
This week was filled with many different and cool experiences I guess you could say! Friday afternoon we went to see a former investigator and right when he answered the door, he quickly ushered us in saying, "You are an answer to my prayers!" So long story short he is a minister for a unity church and he was performing a wedding in 15 minutes in his home but didn't have any witnesses. Well, we were dressed for the occasion (thank goodness :)  ) so we called and got permission and then were witnesses for the wedding of Don and Jessica, and my signature is on their wedding certificate. It was a neat experience. Oh, the things you will do as a missionary.
 
We were teaching a lesson this week to a man  and his girlfriend. We were on exchanges and I had a new missionary with me and we also had with us a member from our ward who is getting ready to leave on his mission.    He was drinking and offered us a beer, when we all declined that got him interested so you can imagine what topic we got into.  After some talking he looked at me and said, I bet you cannot look me in the eye and tell me you have never drunk a beer, even just to experiment! It was a cool thing to not even have to think twice or look back on my life. I could confidently and boldly say nope, I never have.
 
Things are going well here, it's still perfect in the day, but you can notice a little temperature drop in the evening and early mornings. Awesome weather!!
 
We get to go to the temple this Saturday! One of Elder Chalk's converts is going through and we get to to with her!
 
Sorry this is a short email we are short on time.
 
Have a blessed week! Love you!
 
Elder Turnbow

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

You know you are in New Mexico when...


WOW! What a week!


 
So I was very aware of the opening day of the deer hunt since it was something I have looked forward to my whole life, and I know that the opening day of the pheasant hunt is Saturday, and that it is better than Christmas day, -Pres Waldron-  BUT! All that can take a back seat to seeing one you have come to love enter the waters of baptism. Keith was baptized Saturday! It was super crazy how it all went down! Thursday morning we still weren't sure if we were going to have a baptism. Friday was his two week mark of no smoking, but this weekend was also stake conference. We prayed long and hard about it and the spirit confirmed it to us, baptism Keith Saturday. It was clear as day. So we talked to our ward mission leader and bishop, and after long talks, we were planning for a baptism! Then yesterday was stake conference and the bishop told us not to confirm him til next Sunday, but the stake president came up to see Keith and after talking to him briefly told us to get that man the Holy Ghost! Our stake president is a stud.


 
The baptism was awesome. Right before he went down into the water with Brother Montgomery I had the most incredible feeling come over me. The only way I can describe it is the feeling I would get before a big football or basketball game, or right before the gun sounded to start a race. It was that feeling but magnified by 100! It was a feeling that I needed to have.  Keith had some family come and he got emotional talking about his family and wishing they would all follow him, but he was on fire this weekend and I have never seen him so happy. You talk about a man who has come a long ways and has had a change of heart. It's him. I believe it was Brigham Young who said something like this "I believe it's a greater miracle to see a man's heart changed, than to raise a man from the dead." That's all we need to say about Keith. Amazing day!


 
Yesterday we went up to Santa Fe with President Miller again for an SMCM with the stake presidency. It went well and was fun to be with President. Mom you were asking about our zone boundaries.... We cover the Rio Rancho and Santa Fe Stake. So all of Rio Rancho and then our zone goes north up to as far north as the mission goes. So right next to Colorado. The farthest north we have missionaries right now though is Taos. It's the biggest zone geographically speaking. there are 14 sets of missionaries, 3 sets of sisters, and 3 sets of couples too.  We just got a new missionary from the temple square mission and she's from London! I have only talked to her on the phone but her accent is super strong! Thought Grandpa and Grandma might like that.
 
This week was also awesome teaching wise. We set a goal last week to teach 15 lessons to investigators with a member present, and thanks to the tender mercies of the Lord we were able to teach 16! It was sweet.
 
Awesome to hear that West Side took down Aberdeen! I will be sure to talk to Elder Foster this week... He's from Aberdeen. haha
 
Thanks for all the letters and support, I love you all mucho!
 
Elder Turnbow
 
PS. You know you are in New Mexico when at stake conference a speaker will talk in English and then repeat it in Spanish  :)
 
PPS You know that big puzzle that me Aubrie and Courtney put together? (Mainly those two) Well that was this last week in ABQ!



 
Have a great week!
 
 

Oh how great is my joy!


Hello,
 
So what a week! Conference yes was amazing! We were able to watch all the sessions from Saturday morning til Sunday afternoon. I loved it all! President Monson sure started things off with a bang didn't he? How cool is that! When he announced that my thoughts automatically turned to Dylan and what he will do now. Me Court and Dyl could all be serving at the same time! Just listening to those inspired men speak is evidence that this is the Lords church. No doubt at all. There is just something special about being able to watch it as a missionary too, it's just awesome.  With the end of conference it means that we are in suit season again. So we have to wear our suits everyday. I am sorry to say that my suits are really taking a beating!


Zone Leader Council

Last Monday and Tuesday I had the opportunity to go to Taos! Wow it's sweet up there!  We went to Angel fire too because I had to do a baptismal interview for them. It looks like home!  I had a really neat experience while I was up there. We pulled up for our first lesson that night (in a truck by the way :)) and I noticed a 1F Idaho license plate! So I was thinking hmm... I wonder if I will know this person.... I didn't know her but we sure did make a lot of connections! Her name is Lori Allison. She lived in the Beutler's rental home with her daughter at one point! She knows Wes, Roxanne, and Jordan! She said she knows the name Turnbow and Frank sounded really familiar. Anyway, her daughters name is Taylor Porter, she still lives in Preston there and is a senior at Preston. Her dad is Brandon Porter. So she's cousins to like Chaz Spackman and them. Cool huh!? Elder Weston's mom is a Porter too, so we were making all sorts of connections. Lori worked and Kelly's too and I asked her if she knew Jennifer Roberts and yup sure enough! So that was neat.  The missionaries are teaching her (She's not a member) And we were able to teach her a little that night and she wants to get baptized! It was awesome. I want to serve in Taos... Every person we talked to up there was already bow hunting or getting ready for the rifle hunt! Easy conversation starter.
 
Well we had transfers today and Elder Chalk and I are still together! Which means that I will get to fill my hunting tag this year after all! At the end of this transfer he goes home, so I will be the missionary "Killing" him. Hopefully he doesn't get too trunky....
 
Keith is now on day 10 without smoking!! He's doing great. We are now studying the lessons with him and having him teach them to us. It's awesome, he's learning so much more!
 
I'm glad to hear ya beat Malad! I had to do a little fist pump when I read that! Go Pirates!
 
So things are well here. Busy busy busy. Last week we did a zone training in Santa Fe and that went well. The work moves on everyday and i am grateful to be a part of it. Even if I'm that bee who works all his life to get 1/12 of the teespoon full, oh how great is my joy!
 
I love you all, stay close to the Lord.
 
 
Elder Turnbow
 
 
ps. ya'll better go get some wall hangers this week!
 
 

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Chuck Full of Awesomeness!


Dear family,
    
      I'm not really sure what happened this week, but it was incredible. The end. Seee ya next week!  
Gotta go!

   Elder Turnbow



Hey there!
     Ok so I was just kidding with the email I just sent. Sorry, I had to do it. It was exciting to hear that you are into the corn and things are going well! Sad I missed the pheasant feast... Good work on beatin the Dragons Matt.
Mom to answer one of your questions real quick... No, I don't get game day french toast...  I made it once for Elder Weston back in North Valley, But that is the only time I have had it. I live on frosted flakes, captain crunch, and milk for breakfast. sad.
      So I don't really know how to exactly write about this week, it was just chuck full of awesomeness. So Friday morning and afternoon was zone conference, and it was incredible, and an answer to my prayers. The topic was "Becoming a Master Teacher" It was great, I learned a ton! So zone conference was 7 hours of goodness and then right after that ended we all piled in cars and headed to El Paso Texas! To describe this drive I would now like all of you to think of the movie Glory Road and their first experience driving to El Paso. I felt like Bobby Joe Hill, Harry Flornoyd, and Nevel Shed. Haha I loved it, it was a great drive. New Mexico really has a beauty of it's own and I love it. It took us like 5 or 6 hours to get down there or so. There were some big dairys just outside of Los Cruces, it was cool to see! haha  It's crazy driving on the free way in El Paso because Mexico is literally right across the street! It's crazy how we were so close to Juarez and it looked like an entire different world. It was scary lookin too. There was a big crucifix on the mountain, and a huge spray paint on the mountain in spanish that said "The Bible is good, read it"
     We spent Friday night in a members home down there and then got ready for the mission conference. It was so awesome to have the entire mission gathered together, I was able to see some elders that I haven't seen in a while! I was sitting in the third row smack dab in the middle for the conference. So cool. Elder Christopherson said he wanted to shake all of our hands, so we were all able to file up to the stage and shake his, Elder Hallstroms, and Elder Wrights hand. There is no doubt that they are men called of God, and there is absolutely no doubt that Elder Christopherson is an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. I can't even begin to tell you about the talks all three men gave. One thing that we did in the mission conference is the zone leaders did a special musical number right before Elder Christopherson spoke. We sang Faith in every footstep. That was pretty awesome to be a part of. Sister Miller sent us a couple pics of us practicing i will forward to ya.  Elder Chirstopherson even told us what he is planning on talking about in general conference! Well he said either this one, or one in the future. It sounded super good. Well I don't really know what else I can say about that, it was an experience I will never forget. I took notes so you can read them eventually. One of the main focuses that I really loved was the Name of Jesus Christ, and Charity as the driving motivational force.
 On the way home we stopped in hatch and ate at Sparky's! It's a famous place in New Mexico known for the green chili! Wow it was good! I had a huge green chili cheeseburger and green chili cheese fries! A couple elders got a green chili shake and i tried a little and loved that too. My new personal favorite though is green chili ranch. oh my oh my!  
Well that should about do it for this week, it was a crazy awesome week that's for sure. It went by way too fast. I wish you all could have been there with me! Have a blessed week! Love you!  

 Elder Dallas Turnbow NMAM