My First Baptism!

How is everyone doing this fine week!? I hope all is well back on the Homefront! This week here has been pretty interesting. Not going to lie... there were some hard days. But we pulled through! So on Monday last week we had a sweet zone activity and played volleyball for basically the whole day I LOVED it. We got sunburnt really really bad though hahaha. We also played water ballon volleyball which was a fun time! That evening we were out in the country and we got yelled at by some farmer guy that we were trespassing... He was pretty darn mean. Threatened to call the cops haha. We found a new investigator out of it which was pretty nice and we taught him about the restoration it was super great! His name is Ali and he is out of town right now but we are hoping to teach him this upcoming week! On Tuesday everything we planned totally fell through so we spent most of the time checking in potential investigators and such with some tracting thrown into the mix. We also had a very fun Skype lesson with a recent convert named Tom he was super super cool and he has a great testimony of this gospel. On Wednesday we got yelled at by some guy and he was going to call the cops on us and he wrote down our license plate... He was pretty darn mean as well. We went over to check up on a part member struggling family and their air conditioner broke and it flooded the air basement so we stayed there till 10 p.m. Trying to help them dry the carpets and fix the air conditioner inside the house so that was quite the chore but we were happy to help with that! She also told us about her son and how he is inactive and wants us to meet with him so we are excited to meet with him! Thursday we went to go help out a recent move in to our ward move a bunch of rocks it took forever and it was so humid outside haha but we had a good time! The rocks were infested with black widows and I wasn't wearing any gloves... Things got real! Luckily I didn't get bit. But on the car ride home I propped my leg up on the dash and saw a HUGE tick sucking blood out of my leg.... Yep. So mom don't worry Sister Huntsman knows about it and we are watching for the lymes disease rash. It's all good though:) I'll live! On Friday we weekly planned and did a bunch of tracting.  People around here aren't really receptive but we still are trying our best at sharing the gospel with everyone! And Saturday was the perfect day for me. It was the greatest day of my mission because I got to see Jackie get baptized. We got pictures and then our ward mission leader asked Elder Adair and I to share our testimonies before the baptism. I was so nervous and I was tearing up the whole time because I was so proud of Jackie and the progress and testimony that she has of this gospel. I cannot express how grateful I am that Heavenly Father let be be a part of her conversion. Brother Blake, a member of the bishopric baptized her and I was so happy about that! I put Jackie on date at his house that's why it was so special! It was so amazing to see Jackie's  whole family there ( none of them are members) they were saying how amazing her service was and it made me super happy! Once Jackie came up out of the water I received the most powerful witness from the spirit that I have ever felt in my life. It will be a moment that I will never forget for the rest of my life... I'm grateful for Jackie and Josiah and the wonderful people that they are! They have taught me so much in such a short time that I have known them! So mom and dad we have to go visit them after the mission. I won't take no for an answer. Hahah. I was also very happy to see all the members of my old ward and to see elders Adair Stenquist and Haddon! They are great missionaries!! I love Kingstowne and I miss it very very much! Anyways that night we called up a less active member our our church,  he referred us to his roommate and now we are teaching him! His name is Kingsley and he loves the concept of our church and is very open to it! We gave him a Book of Mormon and invited him to church unfortunately he got called into work so he wasn't able to attend. We met with him again on Sunday and taught him the restoration! He is great and I can see him being baptized very soon!:) Saturday and Sunday were so great! This week I read out of the book of Alma chapter 26 and specifically verse 27 

"Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success."

This week reminds me of this scripture! We were not having the best of time and people were being pretty mean to us. But we were patient and worked our absolute hardest and the lord gave us the opportunity to see Jackies baptism and to find Kingsley who is a solid investigator. I am so grateful for for the Lord and the showing of his hand in my life and in our missionary work! The mission is not easy but I know that if we have patience and love all of the people that we come across no matter what they say to us the lord will show his hand in our life! I want to share one more scripture found in the Doctrine and Covenants section 123:17 

"Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed." 

I love this scripture!! If we do all that we can in our lives the lord will take care of the rest!!

Anyways I'll sign this one off! I love and miss you all! Hope you have a great week and don't have too much fun without me!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DALVIN!

Elder Routsong

Down in Manasses

Hello hello hello!

Hey everyone!

 It's another pday! First of all I hope that you all enjoyed your Fourth of July! You all better have shot off some huge fireworks and had Roman candle and bottle rocket wars just for me! Especially you Shawn, Shane, and Matthew! So last Monday I was having a super super had time adjusting to my new area and lack of people to teach... I was so bummed. The struggle is real here in Virginia! Hahaha. I'm doing good now... when life hits you like that as a missionary its best to just work work work! And that's what we have been doing!  The words of president Hinkleys dad "forget yourself and go to work" it works! It's not easy at all but it works! Haha on Tuesday we had a lesson with this kid named Jordan (he is really cool). He is 19 years old and white with dread locks! He grew up catholic and it took me 45 minutes on the phone to convince him to have a lesson with him. He finally agreed so on Tuesday we went and taught him at the park  near our gym that he works at. He has a lot of deep doctrine question and a lot of questions about the nature of God! We did the scripture study out of the preach my gospel about the nature of God! Then we showed him the video "the hope of gods light" I encourage all of you to watch it.. It's a powerful video and a great story about a man named Todd Sylvester. He loved the video! We gave him a Book of Mormon and he said that he would pray about it! I've been praying every day for him. On Wednesday we had district meetings and it was super super good we talked about accountability and the zone leaders and sister training leaders are in our district so we all just own! Haha it's a good time! That evening we went out to the country! And I'm talking about the Virginia country! I felt like,such an old school missionary walking down dirt roads and knocking these huge farms it was so much fun! The people are really nice out there! On Thursday we got to meet our new mission president!! His name is David Huntsman! He has 8 kids and they are such a great family holy cow I will miss president Riggs and his family but the Huntsman family is so great!:)  I really do look forward to getting to know the Huntsman family!  On Friday we did a lot of tracting and it was intense and we also weekly planned so that was a boring day but we got a lot of stuff done! For the 4th we had a district brunch it was a ton of fun! We had a bunch on pancakes and waffles and bacon.... we all just wanted to die we were so darn full! After our Brunch we went out as a district and drew the plan of salvation at several parks around our zone it was fun but I am just awful at drawing things... So I was pretty embarrassed! We went over to bishop Wightmans house for some fireworks! Here in Virginia people aren't allowed to shoot fireworks off the ground but nobody really cares... Hahah so there were tons of fireworks going off! People are so darn patriotic here! MERICA! The whole neighborhood was covered in a huge cloud of smoke it was that bad literally everyone was shooting off fireworks! We couldn't light them as missionaries but I was at least glad that I got to watch some sweet ones! And they were shooting some off in Manasses a few miles away so we could see those too! Yeah the 4th was pretty fun and bishop and his family are so awesome they remind me of my family haha so it's all good. I hope that the 4th was awesome for you all and I can't wait to go crazy with fireworks when I get off my mission! Still haven't had any luck getting back to jackies baptism but I know that things will workout and I'll make it there some way or another even if I have to walk there! Jackie sent me a Facebook message the other day talking about how she has read 2 Nephi 31 and has gained a true testimony on repentence. I was so happy to get a message like that! I'm so happy that she has made the decision to get baptized it's been a very spiritual experience for me although I'm not teaching her anymore I know that she is doing great and making the best decision of her life. Today I was reading out of Isaiah chapter one and I came across a scripture I had forgotten about! So it's Isaiah 1:18 

"18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."

I know that this is true and the lord is willing to forgive us all for anything that we have done!! 

So we just got back from a zone activity and we played volleyball out side for like 4 hours it was intense and I got sunburnt so darn badly!! Haha well I hope that you all have a great week!! I love and miss you all!!! 

Much love 

Elder Routsong 

 

I am going to get fat..... I am in a car now

Hello hello!

Everyone I'm so excited to write you all! Goodness it seems likes it's been an eternity since my last p dizzle day! Goodness what a week it has been... So after pday last week we were so tired. Pentagon and standing outside for the change of the guard really made me want to die but it was so much fun!!!!! Yeah that night we went to go see Jackie and we taught her some of the commandments and she did a real good job at understanding! We have been working so hard with Jackie and it's been great!! On Tuesday we had district meeting and it was great we took our last picture together as a district because we knew that somebody would be transferred! Haha the American flag picture is us. I love my district it is so amazing and I am so happy to have been a part of it:) so Tuesday it was 100 degrees outside and very very humid. It was pretty miserable especially cause we don't have a car. We had a lesson to teach down in this neighborhood called Rockshire and the Franconia elders were nice enough to give us a ride there but they couldn't pick us up. So we get to the appointment and her name was Aljelique and her kids. She walks up to us and says we already believe in Jesus and we don't need any more than that and slams the door in our faces! Oh I was so upset... So we had to walk 45 minutes home in the crazy hot weather outside. Haha it's all good though! When we got back we immediately were picked up for dinner so it's all good:) the rest of the night we went out with brother McGee and tried to find less active members and potential investigators. That night was transfer calls. Elder Stenquist got the call that everyone would be staying except for me....... I was so upset because I wanted to stay and teach Jackie and I had only been in Alexandria for two transfers! Oh well the Lord needed me elsewhere! So Wednesday we spent a good amount of the day packing up my things.That night we went to go see Jackie and we taught her the law of chastity ha she was pretty nervous for this lesson but we told her she would be fine:) we told her that repentance is a real process and it does work! I'm so excited for Jackie and the progress that her and her son Josiah are making. I'm going to miss Jackie and Josiah so much. I would do anything for them they mean so much to me and I am so happy for the progress that Jackie is making In the gospel. I will admit that when I told her I would be leaving and couldn't see them again I did tear up. It was so rough! So mom and dad we are going to visit Jackie and Josiah after the mission and Emilee can be friends with him! I am trying to make it back to Jackies baptism for July 11th so I really hope I can get a ride there or I'll be pretty sad:( Thursday was transfer day and I got to take a picture with president and sister Riggs! This was their last transfer meeting. I'm going to miss them so badly too! Urg! I am not good with change! So it turns out I got transferred to the Vint hill ward out in Manasses Virginia! I live on the very border of the mission! It's straight country out here! It's a big change from Alexandria. But I'm in a car now so I am probably going to get FAT! Oh wait I already am fat! dangit! We have a big gym to ourselves here though so I'm trying to stay in shape! I've been rowing on the row machine and that kills me...my new companion is Elder Lee and he is from Fresno California. He is a pretty cool guy. We have been working pretty hard and I have been learning a lot from him. He is the district leader right now so that's pretty cool. There are like 5 people In The vint hill ward that have either lived in Colorado Springs or have family that are living in Colorado Springs so that's pretty cool and our bishop is so awesome! Bishop Wightman is so sweet! This week I've really been having a hard time with change. I honestly miss my old area and miss Elder Adair that guy is a stud. But I know that the lord wants me to be here in Manasses and there is somebody that only I can teach here! I read the talk from October 2008 general conference "come what may and love it" by elder Joseph b Wirthlin. I love this talk and it has helped me out in my time of trial and all the stress I have been having has been settled 

"I think she may have meant that every life has peaks and shadows and times when it seems that the birds don’t sing and bells don’t ring. Yet in spite of discouragement and adversity, those who are happiest seem to have a way of learning from difficult times, becoming stronger, wiser, and happier as a result."

Later on in the talk elder Wirthlin says

"I know why there must be opposition in all things. Adversity, if handled correctly, can be a blessing in our lives. We can learn to love it.

        As we look for humor, seek for the eternal perspective, understand the principle of compensation, and draw near to our Heavenly Father, we can endure hardship and trial. We can say, as did my mother, “Come what may, and love it.” Of this I testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen." 

I love Elder Wirthlin and the great words of his mother. I'm pretty sure I've heard my own mother say this a couple of times to me ;) anyways I hope that you are all having a great week and I miss you all so badly and I know that I care about each and every one of you. You are all amazing and I am so happy that each of you are part of my life and each of you are great examples to me!! Love you all!

Elder Routsong 

Great Week!

Everyone,

Hello hello!! How is everyone doing this week!? HAPPY FATHERS DAY DAD! I hope that everyone is doing super super good:) here in northern Virginia things are going good! Just living life and working super super hard...this week has been very good! So on Monday we went and hit golf balls at this super awesome driving range! I killed it! Tuesday we had district meeting and then we had apartment inspection! These past couple weeks on my mission I have seen so many miracles... It's so amazing! After pday on Monday we had dinner with a member of the bishopric and this lady named Jackie that we have been teaching. I put her on date for baptism for July 11th. She is so amazing and I've seen her progress so much in just the short time we have met her... She has an amazing story and I tear up every time that she tells it... She has a two year old son named Josiah he is just a total boss. Anyways Jackie is amazing and she was at one point homeless with her son when he was a newborn. She found a program for single mothers which gave her an apartment and a car. She is so spiritually prepared for the gospel. I've seen Her immediately give up alcohol, coffee and tea. Through reading the Book of Mormon and the bible the lord can help us with these addictions or things that we are struggling with. I can't believe the transformation that she has had in just a short 16 days. We took Jackie to the temple visitor center on Saturday. It was my first time going to the temple here! Holy cow it was so awesome I loved it! We had the sister missionaries at the visitor center prepare a lesson for Jackie and she absolutely loved it. They taught her about the plan of salvation and modern prophets! After the lesson we went to go watch Meet the Mormons Jackie loved it. We asked her what her favorite person was in the movie and she said the missionary mom was her favorite cause she has a similar story to her! Ahhh it's been such a good week! We made a baptismal calendar for Jackie and it tells her that everything we are going to teach her up till her baptism. She is so stoaked! We have been teaching her every single day this week at members homes and the benefit is they make dinner before our lesson so we are getting food and dinner every single day pretty much! Yeah I'm pretty happy right now! This Thursday is transfers so I will be finding out if I am staying or leaving tomorrow night... I hope I stay but there is a chance I will go I'd say it's about half and half...this ward is so awesome and every time that we bring an investigator to church they are so friendly! So today for pday we took a tour of the pentagon with a person from the Franconia ward that works there and then we went to Arlington cemetery and saw th changing of the guard! Today was so awesome!! What is new at home everyone!? I'm doing great out here I do miss you all a lot! I pray every night for all of you! It sounds like summer is finally rolling around there in the springs momma! Hope you all have a great week! love you!

Elder Routsong 

P.s. Soon I look like a goober with my name tag on my tie... Jackie son Josiah stole my name tag hahah

 

Good Week!

Hey everyone!

So this week was soooooo awesome!!!! Yeah ... we didn't really do a whole lot on pday last week so it was alright! Tuesday we did exchanges! I went with
Elder haddon to Franconia and we did a whole lot of tracting. Elder Haddon and I had a pretty fun time! We just worked hard the whole time. We were tracting over by route 1 and this guy was sitting out on his porch smoking he looked so ticked off... I walked up to him and said hello and asked how he was doing. He was pleasant. Then I asked him about Jesus Christ... He started to yell at Elder Haddon and I saying that we were soliciting and trespassing. Hahah so funny he said that he was going to call the cops on us. Elder Haddon was like "alright I guess we will keep trespassing then!!" Haha after that he went inside to call the police. We left quickly after he went inside hahaha. On Wednesday we went to zone training that took almost the whole day so it's all good! Elder Adair had his birthday on Wednesday so we got called on to practice teach In front of the whole zone... I was like lame! But Elder Adair and I rocked it! We had to practice teach on why people have weakness and trials. I busted out ether 12:27 and we just kicked butt! The zone leaders bought donuts for Elder Adair and the whole zone! It was a pretty good time! On Thursday we had the hottest day so far on my mission. It was blazing. All we did on Thursday was do service it was baaaaaad! We shoveled mulch for this lady named Ronnie for about 3 hours it got so bad we had to ask for towels to put over our heads ahh! Oh also that morning we did service at the Methodist food bank they love us there! Friday we went to the church In the morning to set up a Red Cross blood drive at the church it was pretty fun! O ended up having to vacuum the entire stake center by myself! After we set up we went to Taco Bell for lunch and then went straight back to the church! Elder Adair gave blood and did some missionary work while he was giving blood! The nurse that was taking care of him is going to investigate the church! I couldn't give blood cause we went on a cruise last year to Jamaica.. I lucked out cause I didn't want to pass out! On Saturday we went on a huge tracting marathon and worked super super hard! We didn't have a whole lot of luck with it though..hahah people just didn't want to talk to us it was pretty frustrating! But Sunday was by far the best day of the week! So Saturday night we texted two of our potential investigators to come to church and they both came! Their names are Joey and Jackie! Jackie loved church so much that she bore her testimony In relief society! The whole ward loves both of them! I was talking to Joey In sacrament and he told us that he has read all the way to 1 Nephi chapter 17! We talked about the Holy Spirit in gospel principals class and they were just loving it! We had such a good week there was more non members than members in the gospel principals class!! Yeah... so this week was pretty good! We are at this place called top gold right now hitting golf balls its a lot of fun! Dad I want to take you here when I get off the mission you would love it here! How are things going on back at home? I miss you all so much and I hope that you are all doing very good! Have a great week! Love ya!

Elder Routsong 

P.s. Sorry for my hyper all over the place email this week...

Miracle Week

Hey everybody!!

So this week was the week of miracles!! Seriously we taught 8 lessons this week and got 8 new investigators...holy cow this was the best week of my mission so far! I didn't feel like a pile because we were actually teaching people and not tracting our faces off all day every day! Yeah I was so stoked! So on pday last week, Elder Haddon and I just went to lift for like 3 hours it was pretty legit! Yeah then on Wednesday we have been teaching these Jamaican guys named Courtney and Deshane haha they are hilarious I talked to them about eyre of whatever those Jamaican guys told us when we were visiting... momma and family. Haha they are sick! They are doing a life guard job here for the summer then they are heading back to where we went on our cruise I forgot the name but it starts with an A. Yeah, they are really really cool... we actually asked Deshane if he would be baptized if he knew that this was the true church and the Book of Mormon is the word of God! He said yes! On Wednesday we had permission from president to deep clean our apartment all afternoon so yeah it was sweet we borrowed a bunch of supplies from the church to clean( we returned it all after we finished) the missionaries before me just trashed our apartment... On Thursday we didn't really do a whole lot but service. We went to a local Methodist food bank and did a ton of service! Friday we had interviews with president Riggs! I love president Riggs and his family they are so amazing some of the most Christlike people I've ever met. They seriously always have the spirit with them and it's so strong...on Wednesday we taught a man named Joey he is this huge country guy who was a cop. He felt the spirit when we talked about church. I could see it in his eyes it was so amazing... Elder Adair and I walked out of the lesson completely stunned...on a lighter note I had my first experience with a real life hoarder. Her apartment smelled so darn bad gahhhhhh. She was like legit hoarding. The bishop is going to have to talk to her. It's a serious problem! Ahhhhh it smelled so bad!!!! I was like gagging it was that bad... Haha also on Saturday I got let into a mans house with Elder Haddon! We taught him the restoration it was so awesome! Yeah this week we have been teaching people hardcore! Yeah, President told Elder Adair and I we were going to have miracles this week and we totally did. Wow! How are things going on back home!? It's going good here just been working hard the weather here hasn't been too bad this past week! We just ate at this buffet in Alexandria we were the only white people there... Seriously the place was packed and we were the only white People! Holy cow I got two packages this week!! Momma that package was darn great thank you!! It was a life saver my clothes are getting thrashed out here! And the Whitakers sent me a package full of food! WHITAKERS YOU ARE THE BEST!:) I miss you all a lot thanks for the package! I miss everyone at home and hope all are doing just excellent! Have a great week everyone!! Love you!

Elder Routsong 

Dead Blue Jay

Another Hot Week in DC

Friends and family,

Hello everybody!! How was your week!? I hope it was fantastic!!! Life  here in Alexandria Virginia is good! Just working hard and loving the people that are here! I hope that everyone enjoyed their holiday last week! We had a Memorial Day breakfast with the Kingstowne ward... it was a lot of fun! There was a flag ceremony, and a few members of the ward, because everyone is in the military, basically talked about those that have served and their current service. It was great to hear from so many members and their stories. Seriously though, everyone is so patriotic around here it's great!! On Tuesday...we had to put the tiwi in our mission vehicles....ugh... They are the worst. They monitor our driving and they are such a pain. But oh well, I'm not driving for awhile! Everyone on the mission is bummed cause of the tiwi. Even president Riggs got up during our conference and said "well to be hones,t the first time I heard about the tiwi I was pretty upset." Hahah but we have to deal with it so there is no reason to complain. So now we have to drive like grandmas! On Wednesday we finally got a progressing investigator! Yussss. His name is Steven! He lives with a recent convert from our ward named Kwesi. They are both from Ghana. Steven is taking care of Kwesi cause he had a stroke and now is going through gout. We gave Steven a pamphlet on the restoration and we came back for our return appointment to talk about it and he had read it twice! He had a question about the priesthood and said how did Peter James and John confer the melkezidek priesthood on Joseph smith! He was amazed at how we have the priesthood. We invited him to be baptized and he said if he gets an answer from God and from reading the Book of Mormon he will be baptized. So pray for Steven. We are going to prepare him with a date next time we meet! Yeah I'm super excited. So the rest of the week we basically moved everyone out of the ward and new people in... This area is so transient. We helped a part member family move in named the Duncan's. They are super awesome Marla the wife is a member and her husband is Chris and is an athletic trainer for George Washington university. He does a lot of work with baseball and with track so we instantly hit it off. Ah they are so great!! Sister Duncan actually coached soccer with Utah state so they are sweet! Yeah this week was pretty good! Oh! On Friday we went to the father son camp out! It was so sick! We got to go because we had an investigator there who knows the bishop! His name is Scott Harritch he went to school at Utah state and has several members of his family join the church. We didn't get to stay the night but we were there from 6-9 darn it was a lot a lot of fun! Yeah this week has been legit. And last week we moved this lady from the Franconia ward named sister Thorne. She bought us each a tie. I got this very nice silk green tie. Ahhh it is legit. It's starting to get super super hot here. Dang it's humid here ahhh every day it's like 90 degrees outside... We went to kohls this morning cause I had to decommission two of my short sleeve white shirts. One I ripped on the fence and the other some gum melted in my pocket. Ugh. Yeah sorry momma. So this Saturday Elder L Tom Perry passed away from thyroid cancer. He was amazing. Yesterday in church we talked about his last general conference talk. I believe that he knew this would be his last conference. Elder Perry knew how critical the family is and how much the family is under attack in the modern world... I am very grateful for his last address to us. If you look at his last sentence of the talk he bears a powerful witness to how important the family is. I am grateful for Elder L Tom Perry. I know he is In a great place right now doing the work of the Lord! I look forward to seeing who the next apostle is going to be:)  this week was pretty good I am feeling more confident with the work! Yet we still do a lot of door knocking and street contacting that I am pretty good at. I've come across several pastors who have given me a run for my money but we aren't supposed to bash grrrr. Anyways everyone please email me!! I hope that everyone is having an excellent week! What is new back at home!? Love you all!!

Elder Routsong