February 27, 2012

Dear Family,

   This week has been really good..... kinda slow because my comp was sick for 2 days, and so I had to stay in all day which was boring.  Haha  There is not much to do.  There is only so many times you can watch Prophet of the Restoration.   haha.  It is a great movie, but about the 4th time it is just not so good anymore.  Haha, but he is doing better now and so we got to do some good work.  This area is taking off.  We are able to find people left and right to teach.  With just a little hard work the Lord is blessing us greatly.  So, it is going really good.  We are down in Misquite today for p-day because we had the miles to get here and it is much better to be able to spend time with other missionaries.  So, it is fun. But yeah, the work is awesome right now.

 

Sounds like it has been a crazy week for y'all.  All kinds of stuff happening that is always good.  Tell your husband to write me some times.  Tell me how work is and everything, haha.  I do care about his life, too, hhaha.  Yeah, it won't hurt him to write.....I don't think at least.  I can't believe that Emm's is already old enough to go to the temple.   That is crazy, haha.  It should not be like that.  Oh and tell SB that she is looking great in the pictures that I got today.  I am so proud of her for what she has been able to do.  Oh, and they still need to e-mail me every Sunday, haha.  Takes like 5 mins, haha. Lil's letter is in the mail.  After getting chastised like I did, I had to write her, haha.  No choice there to be made.

 

Dad's old...haha.  He is getting so old, people are always amazed how young my mom is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  (Boy I love those people out west!!)  though, haha.  Dad's nothing but a cradle robber, haha.  Happy birthday, Pops, haha.  I am so glad he got to see Mrs. Kaufman.  See mom, we were doing missionary work without even noticing it.  We should be preaching the gospel always and when it is necesary we should use words!  At least me, anyway.

 

Stay close with the missionaries, haha.  Tell MC to check her email.   I have sent something to her, haha  She is so bad, haha.  

My comp goes home in 2 weeks, so we are not too far away.  but  yeah, he will leave and I will get a new comp, haha.  So that would be wierd, haha.  It is kinda cool, though.

 

I want to see some rain so bad.  I want a good down pour, but if it rained here like it does there then they would flood like crazy.  This place is not meant for that.

 

February 20, 2012

hey ohh

So first off, my comp(anion) is doing good.  We are getting along and learning how to work together and I am starting to love him more and more.  We are doing good.  There........so Mom, stop your little worrying brain.  Haha, it is all good.

Things are doing awesome in our ward down in Alamo.  We went there this past week and we got 6 referrals for people to teach, and so that is amazing.  We are really excited about that.  We are getting more and more work as we dedicate ourselves to work hard.  This past week in comp(anionship) council we talked with each other and my comp was really nice.  He said he is happy to know that this area will be taken care of when he leaves.  But yeah, this next week on Sunday we are going to have another baptism and then the 3 of March, a girl I taught in LHC is getting baptized, so that is really awesome.  We where hoping for that and it looks like it is coming around.  She is an awesome girl who is married.  Her husband does not want anything to do with it yet, but I think as she is the example to him that he will come around.  Then there is another guy back there that I got really close to.  He found the church in jail and was able to completely change.  If you look at him now there is no way that he would ever do what he did to get arrested, but he can't get baptized until he is off of parole or he is cleared by the first presidency of the church.  So, that is what we are doing. President Nieder sent in a letter to the first presidency and they are reviewing the case so we are hoping that he will be able to go before he is off parole.  So we are excited because if he is able to be then he wants me to baptize him so we would go back to Lake Havasu and I would be able to do that.....which would be awesome.  He is an amazing guy.  It made me feel so good.  This week I got a letter form a family back there that I got really close to.  Their name is Rask and they are a lot older but their story is amazing.  I think that we where able to make a great connection with him.  He had a stroke a few years back and can't even really move the right side of his body, but as he has had determination he can now walk really slowly but can't do much more.  But, he can still drive and he brought us anywhere that we needed and would never complain, but always thank us for the opportunity to serve us that we gave him.  He is the sweetest man alive.  He was the main fellowshipper that we have for Jack, the one on parole and there was no one that would could ask for to be better.  When he bore his testimony it is so strong that some times it would bring me to tears.  Imagine that!  Not me, right.  Haha  But, he was always down because he couldn't do more but his testimony meant more to me then anything that he could have ever done physically.  In the post card they sent me it was just saying what an awesome missionary I was.  I love lies, haha.

I made it over to the Avery's house this Friday, but he does not even know what a king cake is.  I think they liked it, though haha.   oh well yeah we had a good talk for a while.

I have not spoken here, yet.  We got asked, but we had to be in another ward that week so we couldn't go.  You know how that goes when you cover 6 wards.  You can't go to all of them in the same week.  Even more so when there are 4 ward buildings that we cover.  So no, I have not here.  I spoke on Christmas.  That is all.  But yeah, yesterday I ran into a guy from where President Newton was from.  He knew his dad.  He had taught at the school there under his dad so that was kinda cool.

Oh, so on transfers we all find our own way to Vegas to the transfer conference which we all meet together and then President Nieder reads off the transfers.....who is going where and so forth.  So the people who are leaving give their testimonies.  Then we get rides back to our areas.  It is a really cool thing.  You get to see all the mission.   I get to be able to see the people from the MTC that came with us, so that is always fun.

The people that i live with are really cool.  I don't know much about them.  They have a few kids, but their youngest is about to get married so we shall see.  But they are really nice to us and help us when she can.  But, yeah sorry, I don't know much.

I would have loved to sit there quiet and just listen, when I was younger.  Haha. Then as soon as I talked I would get sent to bed.  Haha, it was really funny how it always worked the same way when you three would stay up talking.  (Talking about GranJan and Aunt Ang and I staying up till 3:00 talking).

Oh no, I was hoping MC wouldn't get in (BYU), haha.  I am terrible.  But oh well, she will do good there.  Oh, tell MC I gave a missionary her address, haha.  He is an awesome guy.  He is from Tonga, straight out of there, haha.  Really cool guy.  He is my zone leader.  Haha.  So tell her to write him back if he writes her.  Haha.

That is sad to hear that Travis's grandmother died.  But from what it sounds like he is doing good.  He is training.  You know me and him have emailed back and forth the past few weeks.  He will do fine I am sure.

Yeah, it has snowed almost every day this past week.  It melts pretty fast, but yeah it is kinda cool to see all the snow.  Haha.  My comp is not so excited about it. haha

hope that answers your questions, haha.

Haha, no, I write a few girls, but they are just friends.  I write Kelsey Miller some Monday's and I write Carolina through letters, so whenever I get one back.  Oh and some girl that Elder Clason had me write, haha.  She is black with green eyes!   How cool is that, haha.  And Logan and Micheal most weeks.  I get an email from him telling me what's going on.  I love that guy.  Logan has been going to church with his girlfriend at LA Tech.  He said that I would like her.  I told him if she can get him to go to church, then yeah, he is right.  I do like her, haha.  But, I told him to read the Bible and the Book of Mormon every day, haha. 

February 13, 2012

Haha, so this was much better.  You are improving on getting your answers very clear and easy to see where the questions are.  That is very good, Mother, haha.  Good puppy, haha.

 

I just got the King Cakes today.  I was walking out to go and get in the car to go email, and I was like, "hey, there is a Fedex guy" and then he was like "hey, there are some missionaries," and then I was like, "hey, and I waved, and then he was like, "Are you Elder Taylor?" and I was like, "hey yeah, that would probably  be me," haha.  Then I got them.  I think I am going to bring one of the King Cakes to Brother Avery's house and share it with them.  Then I am going to eat the other one by myself, haha.  And no, I have not gotten the letter yet.  It takes a while to send the letter out here.  Keep sending them to the office first.  That's what they like to happen, but it takes a while for them to get to me.

Oh, and I do need something.  Well 3 things, haaha.  First, if there is any way that you could send the ladies in the office a king cake that would be awesome and get me brownie points, haha.  That is always nice, haha.  And then I need a camra charger for both of my cameras.  I have been meaning to ask, but I have forgotten.  The one is a Fuji film water proof camera XP and the other dad already bought one for but I lost it.  So, if he could look in his recent history on E-bay he would be able to get another one like it haha. I was using my other companions cameras with my memory card in it, but I don't want to ask this one.  He is not as cool, haha.

 

There are like 1,000 people in Panaca, a huge stake center, a few houses, a Bible Talk church, and a tiny gym, and a post office, and a grocery store called Panaca Market.  It is more like Panaca Monopoly, haha.   They are so high in prices, but I am doing better with my MSF.  My goal is not to have to use any money from y'all, but I might have to this month.  But next month I want to do it.  I am trying to be better the whole time.  Oh, and me and another missionary told Sister Nieder that we had such low funds and that they used to be higher, till the last mission president was in and he lowered it.  So, she is going to look into raising it back to where it used to be.  Or like 20 more dollars, which would be a huge help.  So that would be awesome.  

But, it is a really cool little town.  It reminds me of Salmon, Idaho, haha.  It is really unique, but there are like 4 towns that size, that we cover.  We cover Area 51, too, haha. i have met a lot of people who "don't" work out there.

 I have been cooking some stuff.  I figured out I can make a good hamburger for just over a dollar fifty about.  So, i have been doing that a little.  So, that is really good.  Then I have been eating fruit smoothies, so those are really good.  Just like we make them at home, but without the Splenda.  That cost too much, haha.  

People are awesome, haha, so nice and friendly.  Everyone knows everyone in the whole county, not just in the towns, haha.  It is really funny.  If you are trying to figure out where anyone lives, you can almost just stop some one on the street and ask them.  There is probley a good chance they would know.  They go spot-lighting all the time to hunt rabbit or coyote, haha.  It is really funny.  We went to an Institute class, and they where like,  "hey any one want to go spot-lighting after?" and the teacher was like, "yeah, I will drive."  And this is a hired teacher not from there, haha.   And so he drove them all in his mini van to go hunt.  It was really funny.

Yeah, y'all can all do what the video said.  That would be awesome, and with the one I sent to MC and SB, that is just a talk that I really like.  I think it is my favorite talk there is, haha.  It is amazing.  

Yeah, she(Whitney) wrote me a long time ago, but I sent her a letter back and it got sent back, but not until this past week or so, haha.  And I was going to send it to her, but I lost Alex's address, haha.  So, if you get that to me then that would be awesome, haha.

 

Yeah, it snows a little, but it has not since I have been here.  They are expecting some today or tonight.  We will see, but, yeah, it is beautiful here.  There is so much just empty land that is owned by the BLM, Burrow of Land Management.

 

I have not heard much about the (Presidential)race since I got here.  I may or may not have seen a debate at a members house in LHC, haha, but tell me about it.  I would love to hear about how that is going and preferably like right now.

 

So, this is a letter that you could get if you keep doing awesome on the highlighting, haha .

February 6, 2012

Hey, so I am in Panaca, Nevada.  More specifically, all of Lincoln County.  We have the largest area in the mission and we are 2 and a half hours from the next missionaries.  That would either be in LV or Mesquite or Ely, which ever direction you want to go.  We cover 6 wards and "Area 51" Haha.  It's tight.  I meet some people that can't tell me where they work.  Haha.  It's pretty cool.  This area is kinda slow and easy going.  I am trying to push too hard.... according to my companion.  My comps name is Elder Coulter.  He has been out for 23 months.  Haha, so I am killing him off in the mission.  I have never been accused of being high strung until last night, haha.  Oh well, we had a good conversation and hopefully we will be able to get along really well.  We shall see.  He says I ask to many questions! No! Not me! Haha.  Never would have guessed that, haha!  He is from Alberta, Canada.  He is almost 23, he will turn 23 in about a month, right before he goes home.  So, that should be fun.  We cover Panaca, Poiche, Calieta , Alamo, and Hiko which is the Panaca Stake.  None of these towns have more then 1,500 people in them. There are only like 6,000 people in the area, haha, and it is like 2 and a half hours in length and in height. 

It reminds me of Jena just a lot smaller, haha, and no Wal-mart.  Shoot, there is not a fast food place in the area at all, haha. We are in the middle of nowhere, haha.  Maybe my comp is right, I just need to let the work come to us and not worry so much. 

Ok, so Terry Avery lives in Panaca 1st ward.  He is a school teacher here in town, haha.  I said I was from LA and so the members where like, "oh Brother Avery is from LA!"  I was like "tight."  So then I talked to his wife and she was like "what city?" I said Lake Charles.  She was like "no way, he is from there too!  Well actually Moss Bluff" and I was like "well, I am from Sulphur, but is he related to Grant Avery or Trevor Avery?"  She was like yeah so then I talked to him for a while about the people back home and for the rest of the day everyone that asked me where I was from was like you know Brother Avery is from Louisiana. It is pretty cool.  So, yeah, we are having dinner over at their house on the 17th.


Oh, and the one girl who puts the pictures on (Facebook) is Char.  She is a recent convert in Lake Havesu and she is a really good missionary.  Two of her friends are getting baptized soon, so she is cool.  Her boyfriend is on a mission right now.


We go to which ever ward we need to go to that week.  Which ever is needed, but we try to go to all six each transfer.  There are two wards in Panaca, so we can go to both of them in a week. 


Sister Bart is a sweet lady.  She is part of a group of ladies that get together and fed us once a month in LHC.  
  ---Letter we received yesterday from Sister Bahrt.

   Hello Zachary Family, 

 I am fortunate to be in the Acoma Ward in Lake Havasu City, AZ where
 Elder Zachary is currently serving.  I am one of a group of mostly senior
 single sisters who, since we  cannot have the Elders to dinner at our
 homes, have chosen to get together and have a potluck for them once a
 month.   Both Missionaries are absolutely delightful.  Your son’s first
 day in Lake Havasu City was a night of our potluck so we got to see him
 then and to  see how much he has grown in the past few months.  His
 Mission will truly be a success because of his testimony and the way he
 is with people.

 We understand that a transfer is possible and I can tell  you if that
 happens he will be sorely missed. 
 
 The pictures were taken at an Empty Nester Christmas party in late
 December.   The gift exchange was small but it was fun to see them show
 surprise and delight over something so simple as a chocolate bar.
 
 Update:  I didn’t get this sent when first written  because of a
 malfunction in trying to attach the  pictures.  Since then Elder Zachary
 has been transferred.   He had hoped for a bigger town/city than Lake
 Havasu and sad to say I am told he will be in a very remote area of
 Nevada.  If you have never been to Nevada, a remote area there is almost
 like being on the moon. Wherever he is they will be blessed to have him.
 
 Blessings to you all,
 
 Margie Bahrt