Week 12 - Its almost Christmas!!!

Mom and Dad,

This email will be very short since we will be talking on Sunday.  I was planning on calling you at 11 30.. and I am allowed to do it between 11 30 to 1 30.. But 11 is 9 for you. so if i call at 11 30 here that should be 9 30 for you and we could talk for like an hour and 20 min.. Hopefully that makes sense! Thank you for sending a package for me! I will be on an exchange in Paris from today till Thursday morning. So I will just tell Elder T to put it in my closet when it comes.

I know that I will like my presents. Dad, I got your b day present like a month ago but haven’t sent it. I am trying to get Christmas presents for yall today. But they might not get there on time. But eventually they will!

That's cool about Trevor! I don't remember that girl's name but I am sure she is nice. Trevor was a very good example to me when I was younger and still is. Thank him for me.

       I have been working on my patience so much these last couple weeks. My companion has been bugging me pretty bad lately. He tries to see how close he can get before I snap. But I don’t snap at people. So, I just try to kill him with love. I know and have seen missionaries who lower their standards to there companion’s. It does affect them and makes there mission a waste of time.

And I did cut my own hair.. It was a failure haha. I basically buzzed my head. and on the back were lines and what not. But this next time I will do much better at cutting my hair. As you know my hair is very important to me... haha. I got an email from Rhett! I am so glad I got it! I miss him so much! And I sent a letter to Jamison on Monday last week. I hope he got it and is doing well. I am going to write JD tonight and send it tomorrow. I got letters from his mom, they were emails to his family back home. It sounds like he is doing well.

So you'll never guess what happened this week... Gracie came to church! And she loved it! We stopped by Friday night to tell her to come to the Christmas party on Saturday, and she came. Then on Sunday she came to church! It was great! Then on Wednesday till Friday morning I was on an exchange with Elder Heeb. He is the zone leader of the Paducah zone. He was great and taught me so much. He said that I am going to do great work and will be a leader of this mission. So the Mission President, elder T, and the zone leaders have real high hopes for me.

But time flies when you are on your mission. Every missionary says it goes by way to fast. That's why we are to be exactly obedient so we won’t miss a thing. I have noticed what you taught me in high school so much lately! I am progressively becoming a man and preparing for my life ahead and as a father. Preach my gospel and elders of the church have said missions are the MTC of life. They are to prepare you to be fathers and to keep strong in the church. I thank you so much for what you have taught me in my life. I love you and cant wait to talk to yall on Sunday.

Keep remembering the true meaning of Christmas. You definitely taught Devan, Danielle, and I the true meaning. Love you lots.

Love Elder Vaughn Dee  Perkins

Week 11 -- Not feeling too well

Mom and Dad,

I love getting your emails.  It's my favorite thing ever! I am doing good. I was pretty sick this week and stayed in the apartment Friday and Saturday. I think I had the flu but I am feeling much better! Sister Nicols made me soup and Brother Labaron, the ward mission leader, brought food, and the bishop called a lot. But I was so excited to get out of the apartment and go spread the gospel!

Yeah i did lose my camera charger.. I prayed about it, and I got my answer. I remember at the MTC Elder McFadden found a charger on the ground in our room. And I was dumb and didn't check if it was mine. So after praying about finding my charger that vision of that came to my head haha. But I'll send a letter out today telling you what kind it is and all.

Well went to go see Jerry this week and he said he would pray about the Book of Mormon. He has told us this before.  He has great intentions but doesn't understand it all yet. And still haven't heard from Gracie. Then Karen and Raymond we didn't get to see this week since I was sick on Friday.But I think they will eventually come around and be baptized. So of right now we don't have any baptism dates but soon we will!

I saw the pictures Danielle sent me of the tree on dad's car! That was pretty funny.  I miss having a real tree. But I love the tree you sent! We put it on the table in our front room. It's great thank you! Sounds like your Christmas Party was fun. We have our ward  Christmas party this Saturday. I am excited for that. The members here make some interesting food... We have a dinner appointment this week and we are having Possum.. I have no idea what to expect.  Haha. And turn em greens? I heard those were just gross. But you eat what is on your plate. I think I am more excited to say that I have eaten possum, for the experience, rather than the taste haha.

One thing that I have started to do now is when spiritual things happen in my life, I write it down in my journal. When it talks about we are to be judged out of the books of life written in heaven and the book written on earth. I think the book written on earth has somewhat to deal with our journals. It is amazing what the spirit does for you. That's is so cool for Cody! I remember sending my papers in when I was in school! and Conner wrote me this week and he said he was excited to start them next week! I'm glad you got Johnny's letter. He is such a good guy. He really is trying to change his life around, which he has. I know that we have helped him out so much, and I have gotten to be really good friends with him. Thank you for sending the shirts and shoes! I hope to get them soon! I love you so much and miss you a lot!

Elder Vaughn Dee Perkins

Week 10 -- Times are Tough...but we are keeping the faith

Hey Mom and Dad!

I'm doing pretty good. How are you? I am surviving the cold and rain, but it does kill my knee, shoulder, and elbow. I'm becoming like you Dad with all these injuries. It's been pouring rain for two days non stop. It snowed last Tuesday! i got pictures too! Sorry to hear that yall have been sick lately. That is never fun. I do want you to watch this LDS movie! It is called 17 miracles! it is the coolest just amazing movie about pioneers. I think Dad would love that movie.

Johnny Jeskie, my new best friend, is becoming more and more of a brother to me. He sent you and Dad a letter i think Friday night. I don't know if you think that's weird but i guess he just wanted to write you and dad about something. I think its about how I've helped him change his life around. So i think it would be really nice if you would write him back, but you don't have too. His parents are way nice, and they love me and I've met them like once. We are getting permission to go to his parents house in Bowling Green to spend a P Day there. Its going to be really fun. his dad is an Optometrist and that's what Johnny is going to be. I guess his parents want to give us a little fake Christmas tree to put in our apartment, that's nice of them.

Elder Tondevold and I are going to make Christmas cards, with our pictures. and we have a pretty cool idea, so hopefully we will get that done soon. 

Elder T and I are doing great work in Murray.  Here is a rundown of our investigators.

--Jerry who had a baptism date got anti from a baptist preacher... He dropped us.

--Gracie..... called us during church and said she knows what we teach her is true and she needs to go to church, BUT doesn't want to right now. so she dropped us also.

So this week has been kind of frustrating but it's just a trial we have to face. We cant force people to accept that gospel, that would be taking away their agency which is not what we do.

--BUT we still are teaching Lisa and she loves the BOM, which is good.

--And still teaching Karen and Raymond, the farmer, which is really good.

A zone conference is usually once a transfer. and a transfer is like 6 weeks. I did not have to transfer this week. Yes!!!  

well i love you so much and pray for you everyday. If you could send me an old pair of my basketball shoes and my football shirts that would be awesome. thank you so much!

Love Elder Vaughn Perkins

See the Pictures Tab

All,

I posted the pictures.  (see the pics tab on the from page). See all his pictures from the MTC, Paris Tennessee, Mayfield Kentucky and Murray Kentucky.

Week 9 - FINALLY PICTURES

Hey Mom and Dad!

So yes I finally sent the pictures.  I looked so weird...almost Asian in them. I woke up like at 230 in the morning to leave the MTC. So those ones you can not show people. I am working on taking more pictures throughout the week. 

That's good you had a good thanksgiving! I think my favorite times are when our family gets together especially during the holidays. My thanksgiving was great! We just ate lots of food and between appointments.  I also took a nap.  I can not remember the last time I took a nap ha ha. My first one on my mission! I never have time to on my P Days so it was great.  Our first appointment was Sister Sandy Anderson. Her daughter is Whitney and she is going to marry Charlie. Whitney and Charlie feed us dinner every Tuesday night, they are awesome. Sister Sandy Anderson is a great cook! They live in the middle of the backwoods haha it's pretty sweet. But I had Hash Brown Casserole, cheesy Pineapple Casserole, this special gravy, and lots of pie! I know Inever liked pie but I love pie in the south. Chess pie, Key Lime pie, and Lemon ice box pie are sooo good. So after the Anderson's we went back to the apartment for a while. Then we went to the Greene's for dinner. They are just awesome. We got to see there house in the day time for the first time! There house is made up of the 3 different trailers, AND somehow has an upstairs. I don't know how that's all possible but they built it somehow. We got there around 330 but didn't eat till around 7 or 730. Their family is hootnanny, its just craziness there. It is so fun to be there though. They invite us over every Monday night for dinner and FHE. They love having us over. 

I hoped Grandma and Grandpa got my letters! I'm really glad they did get them. I sent your letter and dad and Scott's letter this morning so hopefully you'll get them soon. I wish I could have helped Grandpa more when I was there! I loved working outside! I wish I could have helped built the fence back up. I cleared out a lot of the land where he used to keep the cows. I can't wait to get back and help Grandpa out there. I hope that Devan will go help Grandpa if he gets animals again. I know being up there taught me a lot.  And now I know what I want in my life. It's a goal for me to work towards too. It's a motivation for me right now on my mission. I know if I give it my all everyday I will be blessed right now and in time to come. And then you and Dad can move to the country where I'll live and you can have horses and cows with me! It is going to be great mom. Just wait and see.

Camping in Colorado this summer was one of my most favorite camping trips ever! It was really fun and riding was fun also. I hope you got to see the videos Grandpa took at night around the fire, some of them were pretty funny! haha and the videos of Jace and Noah getting on the horse was way funny haha. Ask grandpa or if you can to email me some of those videos if you could.

Well the cold here is alot colder than Gilbert! But I'm doing fine. I keep warm throughout the day and at night. It has been raining for like 3 days in a row now so it gets pretty chilly out in the country at night. We went through the area book and found a couple who used to take the lessons. And they live out in the country about 15 minutes away. There names are Caron and Raymond, he works on the big farm but they invited us to come back to start the lessons again! I'm excited! and oh my goodness, last night we had a lesson with Gracie and I have never in my life felt the spirit so strong. I made everyone in the room cry cause the spirit spoke through me. Even Gracie was crying, and I was too. But it was my most spiritual lesson yet. Elder Tondevold said that's in his top 5 lessons and he's been out 18 months. The spirit can do amazing things.

The ward I am in is called the Murray ward and the stake is the Paducah Stake. I think its the second biggest stake in the mission. Area wise, definitely not members In Mayfield they had 14 people attend sacrament meeting one time. So that should give you an idea.  

I am so grateful for your letters and emails.  They help through the times of home sickness.  There are few now, but they help.  I know that my faith can conquer my fear but i just got to stick to my faith in Jesus Christ and hold on.  

 Love Elder Vaughn Perkins

Week 8 -- Happy Thanksgiving

Dad and Mom!

I am doing just great! MOM...When you call me sweetheart I laugh because all the older ladies in the south call me sweetheart or honey when we talk to them...especially Gracie.

Well I gave my first priesthood blessing this week! I have anointed tons, but Elder Tondevold pushed me to do the sealing part this time. We gave the blessing to Sister Greene. Her house is out in the backwoods. They are probably my favorite family in the ward. We go out there every Monday for family home evening.

I'll try to explain their house the best I can. It's made up of 3 different trailers put together. There somehow is an upstairs. There are holes in the floor and they put plywood over the holes. They may not have what the world says is good, but they are just so awesome. They literally live in the middle of no where. It's like right next to the LBL (Land between the Lakes). Which is pretty cool. They invited us for Thanksgiving. Brother Greene asked us to help him with his job one day... he was putting up this fence. It's a good thing I learned that with Grandpa and Fernie. I really like doing service, I think it's one of the better parts of the mission.

There are members in the ward who also have asked us to help them around their land. I think this week were going to Sister Murray's place, she signed up to feed us and she said we have to work for it. Haha!!! It's good cause she is a good cook. I think she said she's making fried chicken and corn bread. That is one of the best things I’ve eaten out here. Brother Steinfield lives out in the country and has about 50 acres of land. He's trying to get it all cleaned up and asked if we would help a couple times a month. I am really excited for that. There are these two members named Charlie and Whitney and they are getting married soon and they invited us for thanksgiving too. They make interesting stuff also. So hopefully they have frog legs so I can tell you about it.

But how are you? I will tell you a little bit about P-days.  Today isn't really a P-day we just get to email and shop because they are counting Thursday our P-day. I usually do laundry during the week cause I run out in the middle of the week. We do go grocery shopping but usually just food or stuff for the week. Some missionaries buy like 10 big boxes of oatmeal to last the month then spend their money on dumb stuff. Like one elder buys TONS of nerf guns and then lots of Elders buy magic card games... dungeons and dragons mythical stuff.. I hope I don't turn into one of those Elders.  Haha!!!! I haven't really bought anything except food. I'm would like to start collecting certain things, like I think I'm gonna collect belt buckles...and things for you both, Danielle and Devan. I think I'm gonna buy Rhett a confederate flag and send it to him for Christmas! We get 125 dollars a month for anything really. BUT if you run out you have to stick it out to the end of the month! So I'm definitely learning how to use my money wisely.  Haha!!!! I actually manage my money pretty good so that I have extra money that rolls over to the next month in case of an emergency or something.

We set a baptism date with an older man named Jerry Price. He realizes that he needs to be baptized in order to be "saved" but also realizes he needs to be baptized by the authority of God. We are also teaching This other lady we met while tracting.  She said believed in the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith and said she and her 3 daughters would want to be baptized! All in the 1st lesson! We were so shocked but it was awesome!!! Her name is Lisa and her daughters names are Emelia, Leanne, and Tori. Then this week we went on exchanges with the Paris elders and I went on exchanges with...... Elder Perkins! He was really cool and a good missionary. We were looking for this address in this apartment place and this guy came up to us and asked us if we were "like preachers"? He then asked if we wanted or had the time to talk to him about religion.  I don't think that happens ever. His name is Jay and is like 27ish and is in a biker club.  He had the "Sons of Anarchy" patches on his fridge but is in the local club.  It was pretty sweet!

This week we had two older people in our ward pass away. We went to both funerals and I said the prayer at Brother Johnson's funeral. He was 93! We met him before he went to the hospital and he talked to us for long time. He really liked me for some reason so his daughter sister Siefort asked me to say the prayer. Sister Siefort is a great example to me. She is a trooper! Her mom has been in a assisted living center for like 10 years, her Dad broke his hip, got sick in the hospital and passed away, and in that same week her husband had heart surgery down in Nashville on Monday! She is a strong lady.

So I had to give another talk yesterday and teach the lesson in Gospel Doctrine. And you know how much I love doing that. Haha!!! But I am getting a lot better. What stressed me out the most was Brother Munoz calling me Friday night and asking if I would speak, and I didn't have time to write that night. We had a zone conference in Clarksville, (which I think is in Tennessee so you can mark that down on your map) and Elder Hallack, of the 70, and his wife came to speak to us.  So I wrote my talk and my lesson from 930 to 1030 Saturday night. But it went well.

 

I learned a lot at the Zone Conference but had this feeling to talk to President McKee after.  So after the meetings Elder Tondevold and I went to go talk to him.   President McKee said throughout zone conference he felt a strong impression to talk to me.   He said Satan is working hard where the gospel is going so strong. President McKee said that I have been doing so good that Satan is focused on me and wants me to give up.  President McKee said that miracles are going to happen in my mission where I serve. A super cool thing is that in my patriartical blessing talks EXACTLY about all this stuff! I know with all my heart that this gospel is true and continue to learn and grow so much each day! I love my savior Jesus Christ so much and am indebted to him for as long as I live.

I try to be the man you are today Dad. I love you so much words can't describe how lucky I am to be your son. So don't worry for me, pray for me and I'll pray for you. I can feel your love all the way out in Kentucky. Thank you for all that you do.  You have made me so strong mentally and spiritually. I know that Satan will lose. I know that I have the priesthood that Jesus Christ has. I know that what I am doing in my life right now is what I need to be doing and it will prepare me and set me for my life ahead.

Well I'll try to send a letter with the memory card in it today! Hopefully I'll get the package today too. I love you and pray for you all the time!

Love Elder Vaughn Dee Perkins

Week 7 -- Happy Birthday Dad

MOM and DAD!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I want you to know that I love you so much! And that you are the man I want to become when I am older. I hope I will be exactly like you when I have a family on my own.

I am honestly doing my best in everything I do. Missionary work is harder than those 115 degree days in pads during football. I definitely did not think it would be this hard but it is the most rewarding thing I've done in my whole life. Every day I feel like I'm growing up to be a better man. But Dad I will always be that same boy who you see, a young boy with bright red hair who would mess with Devan while you watched us when mom was at work. I will always be the boy who you taught how to become a man, discipline, hard work, love for my family and friends but most importantly the gospel. I love you for that and am forever indebted to you.

I am excited to hear about Thanksgiving at home! I really did enjoy having thanksgiving with all our family together. We got invited to Charlie and Whitney's for thanksgiving. Its actually Whitney's mom whose cooking but they invited us and they make great southern food. Did I tell you about how I ate squirrel?   Well its kind of funny.  We didn't even know till after we ate it.  This guy who made this chili put squirrel and deer meat in the chili and it was actually pretty good!   haha   The same guy is going to make us snapping turtle soon.

I am glad to hear about your goal for missionary work! One thing that the stake here told the members to do is to carry a book of Mormon in your car or in you purse so you can always be ready to give one out if the opportunity happens.

Thank you for getting those addresses! I haven't heard from JD or Jamison since they left, and I was still living with Grandpa and Grandma and the last time I wrote Rhett was right before I left to the MTC. I wrote Grandma and Grandpa this week. Hopefully they will get it soon! 

Johnny Jeskie is like my best friend now. He's 22 but didn't serve a mission.  He regrets it so much but he's actually meeting with President Okuda (Paducka Stake President) about serving now! He said since he's been going out with us he has thought alot about a mission and now is actually thinking about going!

My P-days so far are pretty fun! Today we are going to a funeral instead of having our p day.. its quite sad but we need to go to Sister Mathis funeral. Then after that we are going to the boonies to the Greene's! I love that family...they are so entertaining. On Saturday we watched 17 miracles with them and I think that's my favorite movie now. You guys need to watch that movie!   I almost cried during it, its about the pioneers and these 17 miracles that are true.   Its amazing.

The are some many different religions here in Murray.  There are Baptists, Church Of Christ, Methodists, Catholics, Church Of God, JWs, Pentecostal, and others.  Baptists and Church of Christ are the big ones in Murray. They are so nice and funny. We get invited all the time to go to their church.  We actually have gone to The 1st Baptist church and a Catholic church and it was interesting. 

I hope you are doing great mom and am thankful for everything you do for me. You were the best mom I could ever have and will have for eternal life. I love that quote you wrote me it is such a uplifting quote! and that scripture in 1 John 4... my new favorite scripture is the one above that talking about pure love casteth out fear. I love you with all my heart!

Love Elder Vaughn Dee Perkins

PS i think ill just send my memory card to you when i write you back this week.  i collected some leaves for you! so ill send that to this week!