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*

5-29-12

This week was the best I have had since I have been here in Fenton. Oh Yeah! Probably because Nicki entered into the waters of Baptism! With another investigator, Tiffene with a Baptismal date in a few weeks:) sorry for emailing a day late but all the Libraries were closed yesterday... SO we had to do it today.

     Last Monday we went to the Zoo. We went because it was free:) haha It was fun. It is cool to see animals. We saw a lot of members there who would come up and talk to us. Everytime we go to a place like that there are a bunch of members.

     Tuesday was good. We went to a bunch of part members and actually got to meet up with them. It was good. We actually got one of our less actives to take us by Nicki's to check up on her to keep in good contact with her the week before her baptism. It was cool. Our less active loved being there with us theaching a lesson. He has not been active in over 30 years or something like that.

     Wednesday was exchanges, I took elder Texiara with me here in Fenton and my comp went to Arnold with Harris. Texiara is a brand new greenie. So it is fun to take him around. Especially to appointments. Just because they get nervous and tense up. But he doesnt tense up to much. haha We had an appointment with Nicki and that the Bishop came to with us. Then Nicki was Interview for Baptism by our District leader Elder Harris. She passed! haha

    Thursday we saw one of our investigators we have not seen in a very long time. We dropped her that day. Oh well. She was not keeping commitments. We got to see on of our part members. It was nice to see them. We have been making a huge progress with the non member wife to where we think tshe might come to church soon with her husband if her husband gets active again. That night we finally had a coordination meeting with the ward mission leader.

     Friday we had d-meet with the assistants and zls. It was nice. It was our first one we have had this transfer yet. It was cool seeing Elder Ditto who I used to see all the time. We have been able to start to get many member present lessons every week. Which we got to teach Heikes mom and show her the Restoration video in German so she can understand better. haha IT was really cool because the Spirit is always the same.

    Saturday was the day of my brothers wedding and the Baptism!!! Early that morning we went to the Stake Center to clean out the font and fill it up:) Nicki's Baptism went so well. It was great. I played the Ukele and sang along with my Comp and another member "When I am Baptized" in the childrens songbook. It went great:) Then Nicki was Baptized by one of our Members who has fellowshipped her. Which is great. Because us misisonaries come and go but the members stay. The service was Beautiful. We did it in the Chapel which is always better. Many people showed up for the service. That night at a dinner appointment with a member they had a non member friend there. We asked if we could teach them the first lesson. They acceppted and they were picked up as a new investigator.

      Sunday at church Nicki was Confirmed. When she was being comfirmed the spirit was so strong there. It was such a sacred moment that I will never forget. She really let this change her life. She will go on to do great things. Because she has really learned a lot and will continue to progress. She has had the perfect conversion story if you ask me espically being in utah last week. haha That day we went and taught Pete and Charlie. We are probably going to drop the both of them soon. They have not made much progress. Yesterday was Memorial day of course. We did service for a less active in the morning and then we went the ward bbq. It was fun to hang out with people in the ward espcially when we can never really. After that we went and to play bball with a bunch of missionaries. IT was fun. Yes.

    I hope everybody had a great week! I love you all.

Love,

Elder Derek Turner

*Serving in Zion*

5-21-12

Well the first week of the new transfer is over already. It is way awesome though. My boy finally has a transfer under his belt and is much more experienced. He has been out in the fields for close to 2 months so he gets a feel for what is going on now. It is way awesome though because the work is starting to pick up here now. We have 2 baptismal dates right now for Nicki who is going to be Baptized this Saturday! And Tiffene for June 16th. Preparations for Nicki's Baptism are going well. We got it all set it up. Elder Besendorfer my Greenie and I are going to be performing a musical number. I have learned how to play the Ukulele this last week during Lunch time and stuff so we are both going to sing and I am going to play "When I am Baptized" fromt the childrens songbook. He has a Uk so I will be playing his. haha It should go well I think :) The Uk is a nice easy instrument so I have no problem playing it and also with Playing Base Guitar back in the day in Middle school Jazz band helps.

       Monday way awesome. That morning we had Breakfast with a a bunch of missionaries. The ward gave us a bunch of Breakfast food leftover froma brunch. So we took it to another missionaries appartment and we all ate it:) yum. That night we had a dinner and a lesson with Nicki at the Keetch's. It went so well. She is so ready for this.

       Tuesday We had District meeting then went to the Temple as a district after. It was so nice to go to the Temple and be able to have all the worries of the world lifted off for a bit. I love going there. It is such an amazing place. Especially for feeling the Spirit and being able to recieve revelation. I love it. It is such a blessing to have one so close to us here in St. Louis. We did not get much work done that day which we kinda figured. But we got a referal that day from a member that was very nice.

        Wednesday was a good day. We had out lesson with Tiffene that afternoon. We went with Brother Baker to it. It went very well. She is growing fast in the gospel but not as fast as Nicki. But Nicki is so golden compared to anyone else I have taught. So We ended up reading the Book of Mormon with Tiffene. She was not quite ready for the 3rd lesson yet. Well it did not reel right for that moment. She needed something else at that time. We have been starting to work with a guy named Webster whose wife was taught by the missionaries a long time ago. Hopefully we get to start teaching her soon. She seems to like us.

         Thursday was an awesome day. We had our appointment with a Less active Heike. Her Mother is here visiting from Germany. She speaks a decent amount of english at least to where she can get the just of what we are saying and we can get what she is trying to say. It was cool because she went right to asking questions. Then we remembered we had a Book of Mormon in the trunk of our car that was in some random language. We ran outside to grab it and it ended up being a German Book of Mormon. It was a miracle. We had no clue who put that copy in there and why. But we know why now. it was meant for her. We invited her to church and she came with her daughter:) That night we had a dinner with a Part Memeber family that we have been working with very hard. The lesson was going awesome with the Non member wife until the Husband started talking about ailiens... He ruined the Spirit there. 

          Friday we got in contact and saw many lessactives/partmembers that the ward refered to us and told us to go see. It is so nice with the Ward wanting to work with us so much now especially with Two Baptismal dates. I love it. We also found a good potential who lives in a home where a member used to live:)  We got to plan the Baptism that day. That was fun to do. I love planing them. Best planning a missionary can do.

           Saturday We had our appointment with Charlie. It was also mission Bike day. So we had to walk everywhere that day... So it took forever to get everywhere and we got rides with members so we could get to our further away appointments. That was nice.  It was cool because Charlie had a friend visiting him so we got to teach him and his friend. To bad his friend lives outside of our area though....

           Sunday was cool with Heikes mom coming to church. Tiffene could not come becasue of her son... Long story. Nicki is in Utah so she was not there. It was cool because she has spent the whole past week there having fun going to temple square, byu baseball games, visiting all the temples and seeing everything there is to see in Utah. It was very interesting because Tony her bf father  is having double Bipass suregey while Nicki is being baptized. So Tony is going to be down with his dad in Mississippi during Nickis baptism. SHe wants him there buit she knows she can not postphone it a week. it just shows that she is diong this for herself and the right reasons. I hope everyone is doing great. I love being out here on a misison. It is such a blessing to me. I have grown so much out here and started to grow up and change. I have seen how far I have come in the past 8 months. Well I hit 8 months a week from today but it is so weird. Things go by way to fast. Have a great week!

Love,

Elder Derek Turner

*Serving in Zion*

P.s. Who still reads these?

5-14-12

Hello everyone! What an awesome week full of great things and also getting to skype and talk with my family. Hence why if you saw me on Skype yesterday it was because I was talking to my family.

      Monday We went to the City Museum. My companion loved it there because it was his first time. We went there as a zone. It was way awesome though. We did a lot of fun things. One of the funnest things there is the Hamster Wheel. Then we all went to the famous Ted Drewes also. After that we went to dinner whith a member to Red Robin. Then after that we had a first lesson with Tiffenne. She was a member referal from a chiropractic Bro. Olsen who is in the Chesterfield Ward. His office is in are area and he referals many people to missionaries. So we taught her that night with him at his office. He went way well. We set a return appoinment for wednesday.

      Tuesday we had D-meet. It was good. Usually is always good because Elder Bassett is the best. It was a hard day in the fact we were going around everywhere trying to find part members and checking on potentials. We had scripture study that night. One person came to it. Blah. Oh well Better try next week.

       Wednesday was my favorite day by far. We had are return appointment with Tiffenne. We took Bro. Knackstedt with us to it. We taught the second lesson. We set a baptismal date with her for June 16th! So now we have two people with Baptismal dates. The other is Nicke who we also taught that night. She is learning everything so fast and is gaining a testimony. Her mother does not approve of her being baptized but she does not care. It is hard for her but she does have the faith to get through it. We are excited for her to be baptized on may 26th. I can not wait for it! Plus it is sweet because my Brother is getting married that day too! The lessons always go well with her!

       Thursday was another day of trying to find new investigators because we droppped 6 people in the past week or so. Part of the sifting process. So we went out to a bunch of places. Finally got a hold of a former. She does not want us to teach her. Oh well. It happens everyday. haha   

        Friday was good because we saw some part members. One of them who the non member wife was taught by sister missionaries 20 something years ago. We are trying to start teaching her again. That night after a less-active lesson we went to some church we were invited to for there Healing and Delievarnce service. So much priestcraft. We got up and left. It was so weird but also bad because of the priest craft.

          Saturday we went to a Baptism with Nicke so she can see what it is like. She was so very relieved when she found out that she gets to hold her nose when she goes under. She was actually very worried about that. So that is all good now. Her concerns have been very easy to solve. She is the Golden Investigator. We tried to go see some more people. We got to Teach Charlie and some other investigators later in the day.

           Sunday was the day. Mothers Day. I swear it was just Christmas and I talked to my family. Nicke came to church so that was great. She loved it. After church we saw some investigators and we took a bunch of investigators cookies and Mothers day cards. That was cool. Then we went to a members place so that we could call and skype our familes. That was so cool to be able to see everyones faces via Skype. It was a good recharge to the batteries. I am so glad they are doing so well. We ate dinner after at that same members place. It was a great day. Today we are just going to hang with other missionaries and then we have a dinner appointment that Nicke is coming to and we are teaching a lesson after. Way awesome.

     Anyways I hope all you Mothers had a great mothers day!!! Keep your foundation on Christ. The wise Man builds his house upoun a rock and the foolish man builds his house upon the sand. Christ is our Rock. Take advantage of his Atontment and his teachings. I love you all.

Love,

Elder Derek Turner

*Serving in Zion*

5-7-12

Hello good day, it is another beautiful day here in Missouri. Well It really is not. It is raining today. Oh well. Well this is an update for all of you on how this week has gone. I forgot that Mother's day was this week until I saw the Email from my parents saying hey we can not wait to talk to you this week! I am excited! I felt like it was yesterday that I talked to my family on Christmas.

   Monday we went to the Science Museum with a group of missionaries. It was fun and interesting. We met members from different places like Utah and Washington who were there visiting family. It is funny how small of a world it is sometimes. Especially in the Mormon World.

   Tuesday we had district meeting. We started our Exchanges right after district meeting. So I had Elder Fagar with me here in Fenton and My comp went with Elder Bassett the DL down in Hillsboro. It was cool to go on because Elder Fagar is awesome. We had our Scriputre Study Class that night, and only one person came.... OH well. Just does not work how ESTL did.

    Wednesday after service we switched and I went down to Hillsboro with Elder Bassett and My comp stayed up here with Elder Fagar. It was cool to go work in someone elses area. It is nice to get a break from your own area. We did a lot of walking looking for potentials and such. We had an appoitment with this lady from Modesto California. It was cool to hear that she was from California. We had a dinner appointment at a recent converts place. After talking to the Family they asked where I was from and I said Temecual California and the Mom started Freaking out. She was like I am from there!!! I graduated From Temecula Valley High school in 1991!!! I was like no way!!! I asked why the heck did you come to Missiouri? haha she laughed about it. It was funny we both graduated from the same High School. She just graduated before I was born... It was cool because we knew many people in common. Mostly Teachers who were still at TVHS when I was there. Like Nolen. haha She was not a member in High School. But just kinda cool. It is cool how many connections to people out here I have found.

     Thursday We spent the whole day tracking out Part members down in house springs. We knocked on a door where the family actually moved but now we are going to have an appointment with the Family we knocked into. I love how the Lord works in such mysterious ways.

       Friday we spent the whole day giong around everywhere because we dropped 6 investigators this past week. It is just time to find more people. We gained one new investigator that day from a ptoetnial we were working with. We showed up at a Less active members randomly hoping they would feed us dinner because we did not have an appointment that night for dinner. It worked. So we got a dinner that night.

      Saturday we did a blitz on our area with the ZL's. They do it with every compaionship in the Zone once a transfer. So I went out with Elder White one of the Zone Leaders. I sent my comp with Elders WIlliams to go to all our teaching appointments so that My comp could get more practice and Elder White and I went out looking for people and checking potentials and such. We found another new investigator that day. It was nice because we were able to get so much done.

    Sunday was awesome. Nicke came to church with Her bf Tony again to our ward. She really enjoyed it. The ward is really excited about her and her Baptism. They have been doing an awesome job with Fellowshipping her. Some members are actually kinda fighting over who gets to have her at there house with us for teaching appointments... I love it. We tought her yesterday a couple hours after church with Brother Baker. We taught the 3 lesson and the Law of Chasity. Most people find it very awkward to teach the Law of Chasity and dodge around it not explaining things fully. I have gotten very good at teaching it espcially after being in East St. Louis. haha We also set up her Baptismal Calender. She is still scheduled for may 26th. The weekend before she is baptized she will be in Utah touring Temple Square and other stuff!!! I am so excited for her to do that. I just noticed that is the same day My Brother is getting married. SO it is kinda cool while my brother is being Sealed I will be doing Nickes baptism. Well I think her Boyfriend will perfrom the Ordinace. I kinda hope he does becauseit would be cool espcially if they get married:)

     Today we have zone Pday. We are all going to City Muesum again. Then tonight we have an appointment with a Member referal at a members place. This is going to be very exciting!!! Hopefully this person will be picked up as a new investigator!!! Thakn you all so much for those who still write me! Which is not very many people anymore. I still love you all. Just Remember Jesus Loves you!!!

Love,

Elder Derek Turner

*Serving in Zion*