Week 19 -- Working Hard

Mom!

How are you doing? This week went by way fast! Time is flying.  Iit is pretty crazy how fast it goes. Transfer calls are this Saturday! This transfer went by to fast. My boots are awesome! I am so grateful for them. We go out to the boonies quite a lot now. So my boots will help me a lot.

This week  we started going over to a young couple named Lowell and Montesa. Lowell is a big guy.  I mean big! Lowell is probably like 6'6 360 pounds. And he is pretty dang good at basketball. They are married and less active. We go over there and have bible/book of Mormon studies with them. This week we made goal posters with them! It was good for them. But overall we are doing lots of finding. AND not having much luck. But we are keeping good attitudes and smiles!

Last Monday we went golfing with Brother Greene! It was way fun! The golf course is right next to Kentucky Lake and it is pretty sweet. I'm not good at golf.  Hah!!!!!. But I was playing golf with just backwoods people so I wasn't so bad compared to them. My favorite family in the ward is the Greene's. They are amazing and so humble. Sister Greene's Dad is named Billy (Papaw) and he says I remind him of himself. He gives me advice on marriage whenever I see him.  He is so funny! His house is way out in the backwoods.  Definitely makes me very thankful for where i live.

Looks like the wedding was fun. When Elder Hyde looked at the pictures he said that Devan was a pretty boy.  Haha. Devan knows he is but he also knows that Dad is always watching. More importantly Heavenly Father is always watching. Was Uncle Matt there? Are they going to have a reception in Eagar? Did you get my package i sent too?

Girls camp sounds like it will be fun. I bet you wont sleep at all at Girls camp. This morning I was reading from the General Conference Ensign and I read Elder Alonso's talk about doing the right thing at the right time without delay. That reminded me of when you took aunt Penny and Uncle Mike into your house. And I know that you were blessed for that and that it helped them out a lot. Then Elder Packer's talk to the youth was really good. It was a good feeling, and is important to always remember, when he said that Lucifer would lose. The outcome will never change. I am so grateful for the scriptures and the modern day scriptures we can read everyday. I hope yall are doing great. I took so more pictures. My camera charger works great and my camera works too. Thank you for everything Mom and Dad. I love you so much.

Elder Vaughn Dee Perkins

Pictures

1. and 2 are of me and Elder Hyde on the side of the road.

3. Papaws house (in the boonies)

Week 18 -- Library closed...Sorry the email is late

Mom and Dad

Sorry the library was closed till today. So we are emailing today. I did get the camera charger and it works! And i got the package like a couple days ago and the sweatshirt is awesome and fits great!

This last week we have done alot of service. We split wood A LOT OF WOOD, volunteer at a senior home, and at angel's attic which is like Goodwill. But we have been working hard on trying to find new investigators. President Mckee said it would be a challenging transfer when Elder Hyde came and... it has been.haha. BUT... the more humble you are the more you learn and you recognize the small blessings that happen in your life. The work is going but slow. I am not worried about the number of baptisms I will get on my mission.  However, I will get the most out of my mission by working hard each day and being exactly obedient. I think that some missionaries go through different or more challenges than others. I heard that Todd Shumway got a baptism already in Salt Lake and said he set like ten more baptismal dates. I am glad he is having that success. But Elder Hyde and I are focusing on giving our all and not putting ourselves down.

That is nice that they are making that scrapbook for President Riggs. I would say to him thank you for all that he does. Thank you for being a friend to me and my friends. He helped me and the friends throughout high school and helped us come out on missions. He was and is a great example to us.

I have been out a little over four months now! It has gone by fast, and it goes by faster and faster.   We have a guy named Clint that lives in Aurora next to Land Between the Lakes. He is starting to come on exchanges with us a lot now. We are working with him to go on a mission. He is changing a lot and is a great kid.

There hasn't been anymore tornado warnings but it's already starting to warm up here. Yesterday it was 70 degrees and today is a great day outside. My green and grey nike running shoes are my work out and service shoes. I don't really want to ruin my shoes anymore. I am going to need to get some boots. I am wanting to buy some cowboy boots but it might use all my home card I don't know. So if you could sell my ipod or something so  can get money to buy some boots that would be great. That is all that I really need. Thank you so much.  I miss you like crazy and love you lots. Here are some pictures of Elder Hyde, my Belt Buckles I am collecting, and my bike. I finally put it together.  I'll take better pictures this week. Love you.

Elder Vaughn D. Perkins

Elder Hyde and Elder Perkins

Week 17 -- My first tornado experience

Mom,

Well it sure does sound like you had a good week! That's good. Mine was good also. I think it will be a constant struggle through my whole mission. I just feel like I am not experienced to be senior companion of two areas. But I have prayed more than ever this last week. As you said in your email, I too want to humble myself better by leaning on the Lord in everything I do and not just my trials. Well a senior couple came in the mission and they took Mayfield, and to be honest I was kinda of relieved.  It is like an hour drive just to get to the city of Mayfield!

This week two or three people dropped us. I think I let that get to me and I was beating myself up for it. But Elder Tondevold called and he talked with me for a while and he helped me out so much. He truly is my mission dad out here.  HaHa. I am still teaching Gracie, Keanna and Kierra Synagogue, Larry and Barbara, and this non denominational family! So my teaching pool is smaller but I still do my best each day. I finished the Book of Mormon this week! I truly do know and love the Book of Mormon with all my heart!

Tell Brandon to Endure to the end and keep on going. It will be tough at times but the greater reward is after the trial of our faith. Johnny's brother says this quote that i love. "Come What May and Love It." There is a conference talk of that. It is so good.

Not going to lie but that green smoothie sounds so gross haha. My zone leader Elder Dallof said he had a dinner with a family and they had Bologna and relish blended up. That's pretty gross, but that's what some people only can afford here. It makes me realize more and more how important college is! And you do sound like Grandpa reading crazy things and following them haha. I haven't heard from him in a while. How is he? I hope he is doing great.

So yesterday morning... We went to church it was real foggy out and cold. Then after church it wasn't foggy anymore and it was a little warmer probably in the 40's. Then after 4pm the temperature went way up! like to 60 or 65 degrees! And coming from Arizona, I had no idea what was going on. Then it started getting misty outside and stuff. We were at a less active kids house talking and I get this call from Elder Tondevold.  He told me Calloway County, Murray, is under a tornado watch. Then we went outside and it was getting a little windy.. Then SHane, the kid we were teaching, looked up on the Internet the weather reports. So he started telling all his tornado stories and stuff and it made me a little nervous but not much.

We went home right after that cause the wind was starting to pick up. Then inside the apartment we gathered candles, food, water, our letters, and stuff and put them in the bathroom haha. So we waited out laid in bed and watched some church videos. Then around 11 it started to get really windy and hail! Then the tornado sirens went off! We rushed in the bathroom got in the tub! Then i forgot to bring the mattress so Elder Hyde ran got my mattress and put it over us, while laying in the tub  HahaAAAA!!!!!!

20 minutes go by and we get a few calls. But we weren't taking the chance haha. So like around 1230am or 1am we got out and tried to sleep. So i guess it was really bad 5 miles away from, but Mom I am fine and perfect so don't freak out.

Today I am hoping to finally send out my packages and then going out to the Greene's to go fish with Elder Hyde! I am going to have a better week this week and try my hardest in all I do! I love you with all my heart and thank you for all you do. I hope you have a great week and have lots of fun!

Love Elder Vaughn Dee Perkins

Week 16 -- Big changes

Good Morning!

I didnt email yesterday because the library was closed. But this last week has been crazy.   Tuesday was transfers and I got Elder Horner. I was with him for 4 days then there was an ET, emergency transfer, in the mission. For some reason President McKee felt like he should send the ET missionary to me.  So on Saturday the assistants drove up took Elder Horner and dropped of Elder Hyde who I am serving with now! But he is so cool! We get along really well. He said he knows that he messed up but is changing his mission around now. So President Mckee has put me with him to help him out with that.

We get along well because as you know, I love rodeos, cowboys and farming country. So does he! He is from Idaho way up north in the corner, and lives on a ranch. His parents moved while he was out and now they own 1600 acres! They run there land as a ranch and for tourists stuff. He has pictures and it is way cool. He is teaching me how to rope and gave me his lassoe! Then yesterday for pday we went to some flea markets and looked for some cool stuff and found old belt buckles! I found a couple but I only bought one. I have to wait and save up some more money till I get more.

Since Elder Tondevold left I needed to get a GPS to find my way through the country and the styx. So I bought one with my home card.... it was expensive. But I am glad I bought it. When we come back I have all the members addreses saved in my gps so we can visit them.  

The work is going alright. I think I am rushing myself and being to hard on myself. But covering two areas is spreading my schedule out. But I know I need to lean on my faith and in the Lord during the hard times. I also get kind of upset at myself because I haven't had any baptisms and the dates we have had all fallen through. But I know my success is not based off baptisms but on my commitment, my obdience and my hard work. I just got to keep on enduring to the end!

On Saturday night, Elder Hyde's first hour in Murray, during a lesson with a part member family, I had to stopped a FIGHT!! We were there for two hours! It was nuts! The dad is from las vegas and the kid he got in a fight with is from las vegas too. I was not expecting to break up fights on my mission but there is a first for everything.

You taught me and continue to teach me so much. Thank you and I love you. So keep on praying for me! I love you with all my heart! I will write more next week and hopefully have more stories. Thank you for the camera charger I am taking more pictures now! So I will try to send some in the next email! Love you!

Love Elder Vaughn Dee Perkins

Week 15 -- 2012 and a POSSIBLE Transfer

MOM and DAD!

So this is transfer week....... and I am staying in Murray again! I got called to be senior companion and train!! I am excited but way way nervous. I just finished MY training and now I am training. I am training Elder Horner. I haven't met him yet but I will tomorrow. Elder Tondevold got called to be the new Assistant!

With all of these changes I have been in Brentwood, TN.  I will be here until tomorrow evening. Tonight I am staying with the Green Hills elders of Nashville. Elder Adams was trained by Elder T also and he is serving here. He is my brother in mission life! Haha.

FYI...Taylor Swift lives in the Green Hills area so I was just excited to stay here for one night.

I spent Sunday and most of today with the assistants, President Mckee and his family. They are so great. I love the assistants and they are great examples to me and I hope one day I will be a good missionary like them. Elder T and Elder Stringham are teaching 341 pastors and teachers of different faiths! That is just crazy.

Those goals you made for 2011 are really good goals. I should make a running one also.

Elder T and I went running Saturday morning around 6, and I am so out of shape.  I almost threw up like 5 times!  Haha. And the worst part is, is that we only ran like 2 and a half miles. 

That is soooooooo cool that Cody got his call! and Lincoln too! They both will be wonderful Elders...they will be great.

I bet having the family down for Aunt Heidi's wedding will be fun! I wish I could be there for it. Tell her I am writing them letters back and sorry it has been taking a long time. It just gets busy some nights. JD's mom actually asked me to give you her email.  I failed.. sorry, but I'm glad you got together! It will be really neat and exciting to see what all we go through and learn.

Thank you for sending my driving stuff I got cleared on Sunday by president to drive. I actually have to take over two areas, Mayfield and Murray for a while till president tells me to stop. Being senior companion, training, and covering two areas will teach me a lot. President Mckee told me he did this so I can grow and learn a lot, he said that I will learn to get on my knees and pray a lot, lean on the lord in all I do, and lean on my faith. He told me to be bold and brave and he says I will do great. I know that if I am exactly obedient and give my whole heart to the lord and to His work, I will be fine and see the blessings in my life. Like it says in Ether it is only after the trial of my faith that I will receive a witness. I know a lot more now why we go through so many challenges in life. Thank you both for all you do and for how great you are! I love you with all my heart.

FYI...I sent some pictures of the homes in Green Hills....$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Love

Elder Vaughn Dee Perkins

Week 14 -- Happy New Year

Mom and Dad

So this is my last week of being trained! I am so excited and a little nervous! I kinda want to leave Murray but I also want to stay. But I am hoping that I get a different companion and see how well I do on my own without my trainer. I have confidence in myself because I do pretty good on exchanges but an exchange isn't 6 weeks. I know wherever I go the Lord has called me there and I will give it my all wherever I serve. So this week I went to Nashville for a meeting for the trainee/trainers in the mission. It was really good. President McKee is amazing and I love him. And I love Elders Adams and Stringham! They have so much confidence in me that I will be a great missionary and be a good leader. I am just going to do my best in being an obedient and hard working missionary. I will do whatever I am called to do. Nashville is huge compared to the small towns out in Kentucky. I think serving in a city area would not be as fun as out in the country. I find out on Saturday where I will be going.

We found this store in Murray called Peddler's mall and it is awesome. They have everything... it is like a big pawn shop or flea market. I finally got something for you and Dad for Christmas. On Saturday we went to the LBL and it was so fun! We played football and went walking through the woods around the lake. We got to watch Tangled last night for our zone p day and it was awesome. It made me think of home a lot but it was a fun day. I got a letter from Jamison this week! It was good to hear from him and his stories! He told me he has been bit twice by dogs and was chased by 4  pit bulls. Sounds pretty nuts but kind of funny.

So back to the meeting in Nashville...Elder Stringham pulled me aside after one of the meetings and said thanks for all my inputs and that it helped out these new missionaries, even though I am brand new myself. He told me in the most sincere serious way that I will be a leader of this mission. You will lead this mission he said.  I do not know if I believe him, but I will keep working hard.  These last weeks or months have been so great. These things that Elder Adams and Stringham said make me work harder and harder each day. Elder Stringham said something that President Riggs said in his blessing. It was like word for word what Elder Stringham and President Riggs said. Pretty cool.

Oh...so after the meeting on the way back home we went through Brentwood and they have some crazy huge nice houses! They were really cool. The mission office called and said that I didn't fill out my car driving sheets or they lost them. So if you could send my driving info again to the mission home that would be great. Sorry that you have to go to the DMV again but I would really appreciate if you could do that.

Oh and Johnny moved back home, so he said that he added you on face book so his address should be on there. If not I'll ask him for you and tell you next week. Thank you so much! I love you with all my heart!

Week 13 -- Soooooooooo good to talk to you

We were able to talk with Vaughn for about 1.5 hours.  He is happy and enjoying every bit of his mission.  He sent us this wonderful picture/Quote that he got from a member in Murray.  We thought we would share it with you.