7-30-13

Hello everyone! I am so glad to email you all. Yesterday we did not get to email because we went to St. Louis yesterday to go get interviews for Temple recomends so we got the ok to email today instead. So here is how the week went boys and girls!

      Monday after we emailed we hung out with someother missionaries. Then we went to the Petersens with Randy for dinner and a lesson it was great!

      Tuesday we had a great lesson with Teresa where she had some friends over and we picked 3 of the up as new gators also! It was pretty cool!

        Wednesday was an exciting day. We had d-meet. After that we were picked up by the Gilberts, one of my good friends from byui's family to go to lunch. Then they took us to the doctors also because My knee has been super swollen and not sure what was wrong with it. I know i did not hurt it, it was just randomly swollen. Found out that it was swollen because my knee was infected from a cist that burst open on the inside. The cist was caused from a scar that I got years ago doing something stupid I am sure. So he drained it out and now I am on meds. It is doing much better now. I was told to not walk on it very much for the rest of the week. I told him we had to go teach people. He told me that I could go to appointments we had set up already but I needed to be laying down with my leg elevated. So Thats what I have had to do this past week. Even though I did not completely stay down as much as I should of... That night we had a couple of appointments. One with the Perez family. They had a couple of non member friends over wanting to be taught so we taught them:) Then we taught Will and Alyssa.

       Thursday was good. We had a couple of appointemnts fall through though. We did teach this member ref, Vince. He was interesting to say the least.

        Friday we had an appointment with Randy at Bro Smiths. It was great. He was for sure ready to be baptized on August the 10th. My last saturday in the mission. He asked me to Baptize him personally. And I accepted. It way awesome to finish off with one last Baptism!

      Saturday we got to see a few people. We also went to the Ward party with Randy. It was fun and what not.

     Sunday was great. We had Jeff at church and also Randy of course, and Teresa came finally! After teaching her since I have been here she came to church. It has been a struggle to get her there let me tell you. Then we had an appointment with her that night because she had to elave church early for work. She really loved it.

       Monday we went to the mission home. My Comp and I challenged out mission president and his daughter to a doubles match in Tennis because They are big into it. We did great for the first 4 games, it was tied. Then they pulled away and won 3 games in a row. They are good.... haha They were close games. It was way fun. It was the first fun thing they have done since they got here. So they were glad to play. We had lunch at the mission home. Weird I will be there again in 2 weeks... We got our temple recomend interviews, my comp and I. So we got them renewed before they expired. So we got apporved to email today because of all the travel and the intervews and what not. We had dinner with a great family last ngiht the Coles.

           Today should  be a good day also!

Love,

Elder Derek Turner

*Serving in Zion*

7-22-13

Hello, it is Monday again! I do not have very many more times emailing you all, well as a missionary I mean. Crazy how two years fly by so fast! Let me give you a run down on how this week went!

      Monday was fun. We had dinner wtih the Meinhart family. They are great. We then went with Bro Meinhart to teach Teresa. It is getting hard to help her progress. She is not really moving forward. it is frustrating... Oh well.

       Tuesday was a good day. We had interviews with the new mission President! It was fun. He was like well you go home soon so, dont be worried about it. And that was about it. haha We had a big long meeting there after interviews. But then After that we started exchanges. Elder Belnap came to my area with me. It was fun. We had dinner with the kreugers a part member family. Ht e nm husband is cool. we had a good lesson with them that night. And dinner. Yum!

     Wednesday we drove down to Waterloo for d-meet. Well another set drove us because we dont have a car. It was fun though because while we were waiting for the missionaries to come open the building up and get there we ran through the corn fields next to the church. It was fun. After D meet we came back and had an appointment with Jeff and Karen. it went well. Jeff Liked church. Then our next appointment canceled... Then we met with Randy at Bro Smiths place and taught a lesson. We taught the 3rd. It went so very well. It was fantastic:)

        Thursday my comp starting feeling sick. But we went out trying to contact people and what not. The only lesson we had was with Maurice that went alright. It was good still. We taught him the 1st. He randomly showed up with his wife at church last week. htey did not come this week though...

      Friday was a very slow day. My comp was really sick that day so we stayed at our place. he slept most of the day. I sat there, really really bored. It was not so fun... But oh well.

        Saturday morning we had breakfast with a member who we helped clear this forest in their backyard. We had this heavy duty machine and it worked so well. Then after doing that for many hours we went to lunch at the Bishops. Then We went to go teach Chip. We had a great lesson with him. He is going through a rough time also. His power was shut off the day before. Then we had a good appoitnment with Teresa. She asked for a blessing so I gave her one. It really did help her out. Then we went and had dinner with on of my fav familys out here the Mohlmans.

         Sunday we only had one gator come to church... but at least we get someone there every week. It impresses the ward a lot. Its awesome. Then after that we taught Chris a new gator. It was hard to keep it focused though at times...

        Today we still ahve no clue what we are doing. oh well! Have a fun week!

Love,

Elder Derek Turner

*Serving in Zion*

7-15-13

What an awesome week we have had this past week! So many awesome things happened including the Baptism of Andrew! We had a Baptism! Yes!

     Monday was an interesting day. We went to play sand volleyball and the sand was to hot so we played football instead. Then it got even more warmer outside so we walked around the mall for a couple of hours. Story of a missionaries pday. It was alright. That night we had dinner with the Perez family and they had a non member friend over. They are the best.

     Tuesday we had a lesson with Jeff and Karen. Jeff is Karens non member friend we are teaching now. It was the second lesson we taught him. He is doing well. that night we went to teach Teresa. I was a good lesson. At first it was hard to teach with her kids going crazy!

       Wednesday we had D-meet. it was alright. Then we went see a new gator Chip with Bro. Ruiz his friend. it was a great lesson. Then Andrew was interviewed by another missionary for Baptism and he passed! Then we went to see the Patillos. Then they took us to play some dodgeball with some gators.

       Thursday we had a good last lesson with Andrew before his baptism. It was amazing. The rest of the day we did not have any lessons because all our appointments fell through. That seems to happen a lot. oh well.

         Friday was good. We had fun. we had a good dinner at Eckerts with the Gross family. we left our number there hoping the waitress would call and want to be taught. And she did! It was awesome! It has never worked before... We had the best lesson yet with Randy. It went so well with him!

        Saturday was the Baptism! First Baptism in this area! Andrew and his 8 year old sister were baptized. Andrew is 10 so he counts as a convert. It is a part member family that just got active again. My comp and I sang and I played the uke for the musical number. Then we went to a bbq that night after service with Randy and the mission prez and all the missionaries in the stake. It was a blast!   

      Sunday was awesome. A random couple showed up to church! it was great. We are teachign them now. Randy came and so did Jeff. they loved it. It was aweosme because i got to confirm Andrew and Bishop baptized him. it was a great week!
Love,

Elder Derek Turner

*Serving in Zion*

7-8-13

Hey hey hey, Its is Elder Derek Turner. And this week has been great! I hope you all had a great 4th of July. I had an amazing one here in St. Louis!

      Monday was a fun day. We had zone pday. So what we did was play Basketball all day long. Then after that we got picked up by Bro. Mohlman to go to an appointment wtih Teresa and her mother Bonnie. It went very well. We taught them the first lesson. It was our first time meeting with Bonnie. She really liked the lesson that we taught. It really made sense to her.

          Tuesday was good. We only had one appointment happen that day when we had a couple others. The only lesson we had that day was with Randy at the Sudlows, a family in the ward. They are really cool though. It was great to get our gator to a membhers home for a lesson and dinner. We taught him the first lesson as well.

        Wednesday was fun. We had d meet then we wetn to chipotle after where there was a family from Utah who was there and they paid for all of the 10 different missionaries lunches there. It was awesome! We made a good choice in going to there. haha We ended up pointments fall through again. But we had a great lesson that night with Bonnie and Teresa. President Goodrich, a member of the Temple Presidency and also former mission prez in San Fernando came with us to that appointment. Best member present lesson I have ever had with him. He was amazing. It was hilarious when we left because they Teresa has 6 year old girl triplets and they wanted to do the to ti ta dance? So we did it and President Goodrich also joined in. Good times. We also set a date for Teresa to be baptized!

       Thursday was 4th of July! It was great. We met the new mission President and his family. It was great. They are way cool. I feel bad for their daughter who has to do her senior year of high school out here. Then we had a lesson. Then we played kickball. Then went to the WML house for a bbq then we went to the Arch for the Fireworks. It was such a great show. So many people were there!!! It was crazy! We got to stay out late that night too.

      Friday we had weekly planning which was fun especailly with the late night we had the night before. It was so tiring. We had a good lesson with Jeff at Karens. He is a new gator along with Bonnie. That night we had a lesson and then we played some volleyball with Randy and a ton of people from the other ward that we were invited to.

         Saturday we taught Andrew Ackerman. He is getting Baptized this week!!! yeah! thats all that really happened that day that was special.

       Sunday we had church. We had a couple of gators there. 3 did not come who promissed they would. Teresa and Bonnies mom and grandma went to the hospital that morning unexpectadly and is dieing so that is a legit excuse. It was great. I bore my testimony in Sacrament meeting. It was fun I used a surfing anology to missionary work this time. It was cool. That night we saw Teresa and taught Roger for the first time. Another new gator! yeah!

 Hope you all have a good week!

Love,

Elder Derek Turner

*Serving in Zion*

7-1-13

Well here goes another week. It was a good week. Some cool things happened. We set a Baptismal date and what not.

      Monday we went to email like always. It was fun then we went to the Stake Center to go play some basketball. It was fun. Its probably one of my favorite thing to do on pdays. It was a good day. We had dinner with an awesome family that night. The Goodriches. The father was a mission prez and now is in the Temple Presidency. He is great. The whole family is anyways. We went and tried to see some people that night but we did not see anybody. Oh well. Its ok though.

          Tuesday we had many of appointments. First we had an appointment with the Ackermans to teach Andrew. It was a good lesson. We finished teaching the commandments and set the date for July 13th for the baptism. Then after that we taught the Reeds. The lesson went great with them. Then that night we saw the eastmans. That went well. Then we saw Teresa.

       Wednesday We had dmeet then we had a lesson with Randy that night that went so well! he is progressing greatly!

       Then Thursday we had a few lessons. We taught the Andrew again and reviewed over stuff. It went well. Then we Gaught Rick and Teresa. THings are going crazy though. Then that night we saw Jay.

          Friday we had weekly planning Then after that we went to See Randy that night. We haed a good lesson with him. Then we went and tried to contact people. We also saw some less active person.

    Saturday We went out trying to find some more gators. We started teaching some of Ricks friends so things are going well that way. We are getting many referals now actually.

       Sunday at church we taught sharing time in primary. It was a blast. We had a ton of fun.  We were asked to do it. Then we saw some people that night. it was fun.
    Today is zone pday. we will play some bball

Love,

Elder Derek Turner

*Serving in Zion*

6-24-13

Hello everyone. Another week has gone by and here we are to Monday again. Time flys by so fast. It is insane! It was a great week.

       Monday, Last Pday we were going to a park to play sports but in rained like no other so a bunch of missionaries just crashed at our place and we had fun at our house doing random stuff. It was good. Then after we had an appointment to teach Makayla our new gator at the Reeds home. The lesson went well.

        Tuesday was a good day. We had a couple of dropped appointments. Probably a good thing because they need to be dropped as gators probably. OH well. That night we went to the Perez home for dinner and the had a non member family there for us to teach and have dinner with. It was awesome! I love members doing missionary work like this.

       Wednesday we had a couple more appointments fall through but we made some good contacts and what not. We had an appointment with the Ackermans. We still havent gotten word when the Baptism will happen. But it will be soon! The also made us dinner. It was great because they made shepards pie and it was made with Lamb. So good!

          Thursday we had d-meet. It was good I guess. We went out trying to contact potentials and what not that we have. We saw the reeds a former and picked the couple back up as new gators. THey are really nice. Then we saw the Millers which was great. They were so happy to see us. Then that night we had a lesson with Randy at our ward mission leaders home. It was good!

         Fridayw as weekly planning. It went alright. After that we did some service for the millers. Then we went to dinner with the Gross family. Then we had an appointment with Jeremy and Jessica. We had a good commitment for them to come to church. They did not though...

           Saturday we were called way early to go help someone move. We did some yard work for another family that we promissed before that then went and helped move a family in our ward. So much service that day. We then went out looking for new gators and we found one. Tomiko. SHe is awesome. Her parents were formers. So it was a good day.

         Sunday at church we had two gators there. We were hoping for more then just that though. But oh well. We got two at least! Then we had dinner with the Mohlmans an awesome family here. It was a great day. We did not get to see the missionary leadership because we had appointments. OH well. Heard it was good. They aer now letting more missionaries use facebook. We have not heard anything of it yet though. Probably wont happen before I go home here. I hope you all have a great week!

Love,

Elder Derek Turner

*Serving in Zion*