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.

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.