6-25-12

So this week was transfer calls, and yes as I thought I am being transfered. I am kinda bummed because this area has been awesome. I have been able to see how it has changed from when I first got here to now. With setting two Baptismal dates and everything looking way up I am leaving. OH well. I am glad I am leaving this area with stuff to work with. The missionaries did not leave anything for me to work with when I got here. It was kinda cool also this saturday a guy I found at the Metro Link with my Trainer and that I started teaching is now getting baptized. He was not able to when I was there because his parents would not give him permission until now! That was nice to hear about.
       Monday was cool because we taught Tiffene that morning, and then went to the Arch after! It was crazy because it was really windy and when we were at the top it was swaying back and forth a lot. It was really cool. It was worth it going up into the Arch. I am glad I went and did it.
        Tuesday was another good day. We went to teach some Less actives and that night we went to a choir concert for one of our part members. It was cool to go and support them in that. We have been teaching them. It was the Metro Singers of St. Louis. It was cool. I enjoyed it. It was a fun thing to do. 
        Wednesday we had service. We went to go do service at Del Mar Gardens where we have found a good amount of investigators with people who live there and work there. It has worked well for us. We went and taught Virginia and charlie after. Virginia is a new investigator. There is not a week that I have been here where we did not gain a new investigator. Which makes me happy.
          Thursday we had Zone Conference. It was really nice. I enjoyed it a lot. I learned many things to take away and use for our investigators and ways I can improve. It was also Nice to see missionaries who I have not seen for a long time. Elder Marshall and I performed a musical number. He is from San Marcos, so not very far from Temecula where I am from. We know some people in common back home. It went ok. haha We sang and played on the Uke There is Sunshine in my Soul. It was fun playing and singing. We plan on doing more in the future haha. That night we had a less active lesson. And then we helped a member spreak some mulch. I got 6 bug bites on just one leg that night... I hate the bugs here.
            Friday was of course weekly planning. I think I tell you about that every week. Sorry if it is old haha. That is what you get to hear about for 2 years haha. We decided to go tracting because our mission president asked for everyone to do it at zone conference. So we did. We little success with a couple people who told us to come back at a later time. While we were walking back to the car someone flagged us down. It was two pest control salesman. They were both Mormon. The guy was a returned missionary. The girl was from Utah the guy from Oregon. They Gave us referals for us to go contact of sales they made. It was really cool how that happened. We were guided to tract there by the Spirit.
          Saturday was a busy day. We had three different appointments that we took members to be present for. Two of them were Charlie and Pete. We set a date of August 11th for Pete to be baptized. We also taught Andy that night at the Forackers when we had dinner there. We set a Baptismal date for him on July the 21st. That night we got the Transfer call. I am being sent to Springfield 2nd Ward. So I am being sent out to a decent sized city about half the way to Chicago from St. Louis. It is Springfield Illinois. It will be interesting to go up there. I am excited because I heard it is an awesome ward. One of my comps served there and he loved it. i already met a couple people from there. That Ward was a big help in doing that church geneology video so I am excited to go. Sad I am leaving here the St. Louis Area... I will be in a tripanionship. That will be interesting. I have no clue why at all. I assume they will move one of us half way through the transfer or something of that sort. My comps will be Elder Hacking and Banks. I talked to Elder Banks that night and we were both kinda felt weird about us going into a tripanionship. But we will see how it will go. That day we also gained another new investigator, Ashton. 
             Sunday was sad. They annouced it a couple of times in church that I was leaving the area. Andy was at church. That was good. I went by to visit investigators that day to start getting pictures with people who I have not before. Went by a couple members to say goodbye and stuff. They invitted us to come by. We also got to do Nicki's third new member lesson that night when we had dinner at the Larsons. It was cool to teach her one more time. But I was sad to be leaving all these awesome people. I am going to miss this place. 
             Today we taught Tiffene this Morning. It went real well. Our member who went with us connected really well with her. We did not set a new date yet but she will get one soon. It was sad to say bye to her also. I get to just pack today and all that kind of fun stuff... Then have dinner with the awesome Keetchs. I love you all. Keep the faith, Grow your Seed of faith by doing all the things you know is right. I know this Gospel is True. I am so grateful for it and to be here on a mission. I hit 9 months in a few days. Wow haha. 
Love, 
Elder Derek Turner
*Serving in ZIon*

6-18-12

We had a decent week this week. It was a good week with teaching a lot but no one came to church out of our investigators... blah... oh well.  We keep trying. This is most likely my last week here in Fenton. Which is sad... But we will find out on Saturday about trasnfers. That is when we get transfer calls. Yes. Very excited about that. Because I will be done with the training program with my Greenie.

      Monday we had zone pday. We played real life Mario Kart. That was pretty cool. Then we played Dodgeball and Bball for the rest of the day. We did not have any appoinments that night that were set which made it hard:( oh well. haha    

       Tuesday we had a good packed day. We went and taught Pete and taught Charlie. It is nice always having there appoinments but Charlie is starting to progress. Little by little. Which gets frustrating. We have been doing our best though. We went by and saw a part member family that we have been trying to see for a long time. We caught them  at home. And now we are soon going to be teaching the Member Husband, and his nonmember wife and 3 of his nonmember kids! heck yes! so soon we should we be getting 4 new investigators with them. That will be nice.

        Wednesday  we had service that morning. We went and taught another part member family that night. It went very well actually. We taught another lesson to an investigator. It went ok. We recieved a referal that day though!!! That was nice. We contacted it and they were not interested...

          Thursday we had District meeting that morning. We had a good lesson with another Lessactive. She has been starting to come back to church regularly now. We had two more other lessons with other investigators. That night we had our 2 new member lesson with Nicki. That went really well. She has really learned a lot. She knows the lessons very well and has been very impressive!

             Friday we had weekly planning and that always takes forever. It stinks but we have to do it. It really dows help in the end though. It helps us to be able to keep to boosting up our goals and making us strectch to get lessons. We stopped by one of our less actives place at the right time. There brother who had not been active in many years was there. It was nice to catch him to we could talk to him. He had served a mission years ago but then yea..... We gained a pretty good potential that night at dinner because our member invieted a non member to dinner also. that was cool

             Saturday Was a beautiful day. We had took out one of the Bishops sons out with us and had a few member present lessons with investigators. We gained a new investigator that day, this girl who works at the place we do service at. She is home for the summer from school. That was really cool how that all happened. Best day it was very busy. Busy days are always the best.

            Sunday was Fathers day! Happy Fathers day Dad!!! I love you. It was a good day at chuch except none of our investigators came to church who we committed to come. I was not happy about that. OH well. We spent the day going by less actives and part members. We Also had a lesson with Victoria that day.

            Today we had to switch around our pday. One of our investigators Tiffene we met with this morning. She has been super busy and this morning was the only time she could meet. We had a less active lesson also this morning. Elder Marshall and I just had a practice session for our musical number we are performing this thursday at zone conference. We are singing There is Sunshine in my Sould Today. I am playing the Uk. So its fun. Then we are going to the Arch after this to go up inside it. Oh yes it wil be fun! I hpe everyone has a great week! Peace be unto you all.
Love,

Elder Derek Turner

*Serving in Zion*

6-11-12

Hey, it is raining very hard outside. Very very hard. It is crazy. Someone said it was tornado weather. I hope not... Well we will be looking out for funnel clouds I guess. It was another good week, Gaining many potentials and having awesome members that help us with our work. From when I first got here I could tell the ward was not to fond of the missionaries. Because for mroe then a year they have had bad ones. It has been a lot of work to change the ward's attitude about us. Now they love us. This place has transformed and continues to still. This ward has much potential and things are looking great. Our Bishop loves us because we help him out a lot seeing LA/PMS which is starting to help us out more because we are starting to teach them. It is way awesome.

       Monday we went and played football under the Arch, it was fun. We are going to go up in it next week actually. We also went up to the Del Mar loop a famous place here in St. Louis also. It was cool. I bought a Ukele also. It is great. We had to cut Pday short to go teach Victoria the first lesson with Bro. Capehart. It went great. We got to the commitement to Baptism! just not a date yet. We didn't try to set one. We should of though. Tiffenes date is being pushed back.... That stinks but oh well.

        Tuesday was a long day, we did not get as much work done as we wanted... My comp was not feeling so great that day... But oh well. It was ok. We went by trying to see potentials and such. We could not really get a hold of anyone at the homes. It stunk. But sometimes that happens. It was defiantly the slowest day because we did not have any appointments at all except out dinner appointment with a somewhat recent convert. We went to dinner at Golden Corrall. It was really intersting because server that we had I recongnized her. After figuring it out I asked her did you used to work at the Golden Corrall in Collinsville Illinois? ( that was the Golden Corrall we went to with members while I was serving in East St. Louis.) She said yes she did that she had transfered from that one to the one here in Kirkwood Missouri about 4 months ago. They same time I was transfered from EStL to here in Fenton!  She remembered serving me back in my last area because missionaies kinda stick out. haha Funny stuff.

      Wednesday we had service in the morning. We got to see the Branhams. We have been trying to get another set dinner appointment so we could teach another lesson. We did not succeed. That day we saw many la/pms that the Bishop asked us to see. I swear every day it seems like we find more and more of them. We had some success with one of them setting a return appointment but we showed up to the appointment and no anser... oh well. We had dinner at the Katseanes that night, Found out that the Sis. Katseanes knows my friend from BYUI, Genny Gustin from being an old family friend of them. She also knows my other friend Hanna Scott who was her YW leader when they lived in North Carolina. Funny thing that I have been in this ward for 4 months and I am still making connections. Mostly because that was our first time ever having dinner at that place. haha

       Thursday we had District meeting. It was ok. Not as good as they were with our last District leader who was way awesome. We had Brendan, the Bishops son come out with us. Now that school is over more youth are available to team up with us and we can do more splits and kill two birds with one stone. We first taught a less active a lesson, then went and taught Charlie and Pete. One things I have made a huge goal of in this ward is having many member presnent lessons every week. That is how you get people baptized!

        Friday We got finally got an appointment with Julian our recent convert. He has not been coming to church so we have been working hard to get him there. We did a little tracting for a bit. The first time we have tracted in a while actually. We never tract. It seems mostly like a waiste of time then everything.  We went and saw Tim who is a less active. He has his gf living with him right now. He has been annoyed of past missionaries always trying to come visit him. But he was cool with us and so was his GF. He actually asked us for some help in his garage the next day. Nicki went to do Baptisms for the Dead that night!

          Saturday we went and helped Tim first thing that morning. It was good to get to know his GF and him. We are hoping we can start teaching in a couple weeks. Well by then I will most likely be transfered. I am feeling in a week and a half I will get the call to be transfered somewhere else. That night we had a dinner appointment with the Mcdermotts, Right after dinner we took bro Mcdermott to a teach appointment to Charlies. It was good. He has been great with all that kind of help. He also took a video of us performing the song that we performed at Nickis Baptism. It does not sound so great haha. I am nota great singner and we were missing the best singer in the video. OH well. haha. Just go to YOUTUBE and type in this "Elders Turner And Besendorfer Song" That is what our member said he titled it as. haha

         Sunday Was a way awesome day. After Church we had Dinner at the Haubners, such an awesome family. They have not had the missionaries over for a long time because the mother was killed by a bull about 3 months ago when I first got here. They are such a fun and awesome family. Between having dinner and dessert we took Quin the 18 year old around house springs where they live to go meet some partmembers that we have never met before. We set two return appointments with two of the pm familes that we saw. It was great. We got a bunch of other great work done that day. I love this ward.

            Today we have zone pday! oh yes so much fun. We will be getting a mini missionary for a week this week. That will be very awesome may I say. Well everyone have a great week. Sure Love ya!

Love,

Elder Derek Turner

*Serving in Zion*

6-4-12

Hello everyone. Weeks are great out here. It has flown by so fast though... We are now halfway through the transfer, And I have feeling I will be getting the boot out of Fenton because this is my third transfer here. We will see what happens though. I will be finding out less then three weeks now what is going on. Transfers have started to hit really fast. It is cool though. It is fun. And I like change. SO I want to go to another area now. Even though the work is going great here its nice for change.

    Tuesday We had exchanges. I was with the District Leader Elder Harris. He is from Boise, orginally from Murrieta right next to Temecula. At one point before our Stakes split we were in the same stake. So that was kinda cool. We had an appointment with Mike and his wife who recently moved from a bordering ward. Mike is a recent convert, his wife is a J-Dub. I seem to run into a lot of J-Dubs... Kinda annoying at times. OH well. Mike has gone through some difficult times. He has gotten back into Satanic worship and other weird stuff. So we toke all his stuff and threw it in the dumpster. Best way to get rid of that stuff is to completely throw away the temptation. That night we had dinner at a baseball game that our members fed us.

     Wednesday we taught Charlie. He has finally started to progress again and start reading the Book of Mormon. Thank goodness. It has taken a little while to get him too. We had to do service that night for a member doing some intesne stuff. INtesnse yard work. Not that intense, well not as intenese as last time.

     Thursday was good. It stunk because we had to walk a lot of places it being the last day of the month and not having many miles left for the month. It was fun walking. That night we had splits. Bishop and I went to meet with Mike and then My comp, the ward mission leaders and the home teachers and Nicki met all together for her first recent convert lesson. From what everyone told me, it went well and she knew her stuff from the first lesson. Bishop and I meeting with Mike was very interesting. That is all I have to say.

       Friday Was super busy. It was nice because we were able to drive a lot more it being a new month. We met with Webster and his wife. It was a good lesson with them. We are taking things a little slow with his wife. Webster has helped us get some places and go to lessons with us which is cool for a less active. We went and saw many part members and getting in contact and challenging them to take the lessons. We were able to teach many other lessons that day to people we found. We saw some guys playing basketball, so we started playing with them. After we played one of the guys who i s a new investigator asked me to preach a sermon. So I did. It was fun not going to lie. I taught them about the Plan of Salvation focussing on our purpose here in this life.

        Saturday we went down to house springs and high ridge area and we found another new investigator while looking for a former. We taught the lady out on her outside chairs. That was way awesome too. That day we picked up another former as a new investigator which I was very hapy with . We have an appointmetn with her today. We are actually cutting  pday short to go teach her.

            Sunday we had PEC in the morning. It was really good. The ward is really happy with us and we have really started to work very close with them. Nicki received a calling as a young women advisor! that was really cool. During Testimony meeting I bore my Testimony trying to get the ward fired up about the missionary work. It was good. We taught Pete and Charlie that day with the Bishops son then had dinner at the Bishops.

           Today wer are going to play football under the arch! That is very faomous in this mission. It is fun. haha Well everyone have a great week!!! Have fun in the nice summer weather! It is fun in this Humidity... not. haha I lvoe you all

Love,

Elder Derek Turner

*Serving in Zion*