Jan 24
Family,
I am still here surviving.
Things have really picked back up this past week. There are 10 people with a baptismal date here in our Zone and they will all happen withing the next month. There are two baptisms coming up that I am particularly excited for. One is in the Heritage Park ward. Elder Fischer and Elder Martinez live with us and that's their ward. They have a baptism this sunday night of a family of four. They are a great family and have such a strong spirit about them. I met the father last night at a Stake Priesthood meeting. It was great.
The other is the same night but its a blind lady. Her name is Skylee. And she is in Elder Larsen's last area .. .and Elder Larsen actually tracted into her. He's very excited about that. So we get to go to two baptisms this sunday! Hopefully we can get a few of our investigators there!
We aren't tracting as much because its not as effective, especially in places like Highlands Ranch. Everyone here is "happy with where they're at" But we are mostly visiting potential investigators, former investigators, less-active members and then even active members to get refferals from them. That's the work we do day in and day out.
We, as Zone Leaders, go on splits with every district leader in the zone once a transfer, and also with the APs once a transfer. And then we go on team-ups (or splits) with other companionships who are either having a hard time being obedient, getting along, or having a hard time with the area. We did three team-ups last week. It was rough. but we made it.
I got an email from Bishop Welker. I was excited to get that. It was nice to hear from him.
Well, I'm sorry but I have to get going now but I'll talk to you soon.
I love you! and Miss you!
Your son,
--
-Elder Cameron Landon
Jan 31
Hey family!
The baptism went great last night! We had two of our investigators go! It was awesome.
That family is so strong.
One of our investigators is Catholic... and she wanted to ask the man who was baptized (Tom) about his former...
Because Tom is the other missionaries' baptism I don't know too much about him.. But it turns out he used to be Catholic. Which was great! He told her that he did everything.. went to Catholic school and didn't feel right... but when he first met the missionaries he knew that it was right because he felt it.
That is the best thing ever to hear from someone when they are baptized! I LOVE IT!
It helped out a lot.
Things have been picking back up for the week.
We are starting to teach two new people tonight and I am very excited. One is a lady who grew up in Idaho Falls.. her name is Alexa King and her dad worked at Reed's dairy for a long time. But she's been inactive for over ten years now.. her husband is not a member and she has four boys ages 7-14. She told us she promised her parents that she'd try coming back to church. She accepted home/visiting teachers and for us to come by and teach her and her kids the missionary lessons.
The other is a former investigator. Her name is Penny Wilkinson. She's in her 50's and ejoyed missionaries coming in the past and learning about the church. I'm excited to visit with her but I am also afriad I've got the feeling she'll just want to bash and argue with us. but we'll see. We've got the Relief Society President going with us.
We also have a lesson tonight with a lady who's having troubles... she used to be in the ward that the sister missionaries covered but recently moved into ours... so she's our investigator now but she's having a very hard time changing wards and missionaries. But we'll do our best...
Could you please pray for these people? I know the more people who are praying for them... the more they'll feel the truthfulness of this message and they feel Christ's love more in their lives. Would you do that, for me? I would really appreciate it.
Guess what! We are taking a train to Down Town Denver today to go to an aquairum! I am so excited! I'll send you some pictures! It'll be a blast!
Well I've got to go now.. Please take care! I love you all and miss you all so very much.
Your son, and brother,
-- Elder Cameron Landon
Monday, January 31, 2011
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
2 weeks in one again.
Dear Family,
Yesterday and most of the morning today I've been pretty sick.. Yesterday I spent all of our first ward's sacrament meeting in the bathroom with stomach problems... it wasn't good and then last night I hardly slept.. and this morning I was pretty dizzy and nauseous and had headache... but now I'm better... mostly... But I had to get out of the house and come and email. I'll be better by tomorrow.
It is very hard to believe that 2011 is here. My black year is over! The black year is the year a missionary never sees home... so all of 2010 I was a missionary. I don't know why they call it a black year... and not a golden year or something. But its over what ever you want to call it.
Well, we have a Zone Confrence tomorrow and Elder Larsen and I have to give a training... I'll let you know how it goes.
Thanks for everything I love you all. I miss you
--
-Elder Cameron Landon
Family,
Well, another week has come and gone...
Yes, the libraries were closed yesterday and so here we are emailing now. We helped a less-active member with some service this morning.. she is turning her basement into an apartment for her son and his wife... and we helped take down two-by-fours and the nails out of them... then she took us to a Chinese Buffet... and we are all extremely FULL... I am so full... its bad.
Its actually crazy because it really just hit me this morning how long I have been out. A while back another missionary asked me how long I've been out... and I said the common answer of either "Just under a year" or "About a year" or "Just over a year" We give those answers because that way we're not thinking about how long we've really been out and can focus on the work. But he then asked when my "Mission Birthday" was.. I told him I didn't know what he meant. So I asked. Apparently, your "mission birthday" happens every month, on the day that you entered the MTC. So my "Mission Birthday" is every month on the 18th. So today is my Mission Birthday. I have been out... can you believe this! 14 Months today. That's crazy... and it isn't exactly a lie when I tell people "just over a year".
But that is crazy that I have only 10 more months! I don't know if I want to come home. 7 more Transfers isn't quite enough... Its going by so fast... I don't like it.
Things in "my world" are going alright... I am finally over being sick.. I was pretty bad last week. I didn't go out and work two days last week... and even though I was well enough to work I was still pretty nauseous all week. But I'm fine now.
We are just trying to find more people to teach..we're kinda lacking in that department... I miss teaching... there aren't enough investigators or receptive less-active members here. And tracting in an area like Highlands Ranch is REALLY ineffective. It just doesn't work.
Uhh... I am really trying to think of something else to say but I can't think of anything. I am very sorry.
I love you all very much and think of you everyday.
Your son,
--
-Elder Cameron Landon
Yesterday and most of the morning today I've been pretty sick.. Yesterday I spent all of our first ward's sacrament meeting in the bathroom with stomach problems... it wasn't good and then last night I hardly slept.. and this morning I was pretty dizzy and nauseous and had headache... but now I'm better... mostly... But I had to get out of the house and come and email. I'll be better by tomorrow.
It is very hard to believe that 2011 is here. My black year is over! The black year is the year a missionary never sees home... so all of 2010 I was a missionary. I don't know why they call it a black year... and not a golden year or something. But its over what ever you want to call it.
Well, we have a Zone Confrence tomorrow and Elder Larsen and I have to give a training... I'll let you know how it goes.
Thanks for everything I love you all. I miss you
--
-Elder Cameron Landon
Family,
Well, another week has come and gone...
Yes, the libraries were closed yesterday and so here we are emailing now. We helped a less-active member with some service this morning.. she is turning her basement into an apartment for her son and his wife... and we helped take down two-by-fours and the nails out of them... then she took us to a Chinese Buffet... and we are all extremely FULL... I am so full... its bad.
Its actually crazy because it really just hit me this morning how long I have been out. A while back another missionary asked me how long I've been out... and I said the common answer of either "Just under a year" or "About a year" or "Just over a year" We give those answers because that way we're not thinking about how long we've really been out and can focus on the work. But he then asked when my "Mission Birthday" was.. I told him I didn't know what he meant. So I asked. Apparently, your "mission birthday" happens every month, on the day that you entered the MTC. So my "Mission Birthday" is every month on the 18th. So today is my Mission Birthday. I have been out... can you believe this! 14 Months today. That's crazy... and it isn't exactly a lie when I tell people "just over a year".
But that is crazy that I have only 10 more months! I don't know if I want to come home. 7 more Transfers isn't quite enough... Its going by so fast... I don't like it.
Things in "my world" are going alright... I am finally over being sick.. I was pretty bad last week. I didn't go out and work two days last week... and even though I was well enough to work I was still pretty nauseous all week. But I'm fine now.
We are just trying to find more people to teach..we're kinda lacking in that department... I miss teaching... there aren't enough investigators or receptive less-active members here. And tracting in an area like Highlands Ranch is REALLY ineffective. It just doesn't work.
Uhh... I am really trying to think of something else to say but I can't think of anything. I am very sorry.
I love you all very much and think of you everyday.
Your son,
--
-Elder Cameron Landon
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Looks great....
This is their new companion, Elder Gill
They got bored so decided to build a tower....
First attempt............
Second attempt...... accomplished
First tower starts out with 9 cups by 9 cups. The next attempt they want to start with 14 cups by 14 cups. But may have to try that at the church in the gym.
This is their new companion, Elder Gill
They got bored so decided to build a tower....
First attempt............
Second attempt...... accomplished
First tower starts out with 9 cups by 9 cups. The next attempt they want to start with 14 cups by 14 cups. But may have to try that at the church in the gym.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Dear Family,
It is crazy how small the world is. Like with the Jardines, and the man visiting the Redfords. There is a man in the ward here who has a cabin in Island Park and so does my new companion! so we were all talking about Island Park and how much we enjoyed being up there.
My new companion is Elder Mason Larsen from Albany, Georgia. He was in the MTC with me. In our big group that left together from the MTC there were two districts.. I was the District Leader of one and Elder Larsen was the District of the Other.
He's a good guy and we're getting along very well. And because our area is SO hard to have the work progress we are working a LOT more with the ward. We are going to visit every member on our ward lists and see them, share a message with them, build a relationship of trust with them, and then ask them for referrals. I think it'll work a lot better than what E. Ah Kiong and I did.
We did get some snow finally on the 30 of Dec. It started snowing at about 10:30 am and by about 5 that evening we had about 5 inches. So the next few days we were walking everywhere because we can't drive when the snow is sticking to the roads. But Sunday, and today and supposedly tomorrow were are are going to be pretty warm and hopefully melt all the snow.
On New Year's Eve we had to be in our homes after dinner. And a few nights before the Bishop had given us a dvd with those Mormon Messages that are on Youtube. We came home and watched those with Sister Kevan (the member we live with). She reall enjoyed that. then after that I went downstairs and went to bed at about 10:30-11 ish. I wasn't feeling too well... I was pretty sick the next morning too. I called our Mission President's wife and told her I was feeling weak, sick to my stomach, had a sore throat, and light headed and she told me there were about 20 other missionaries with the same thing. So I was able to sleep from about 10:30 that morning until about 2:30 and we were back out working at 3. I still wasn't completely better but I was well enough to work. I'm fine now.. I just have a huge cold sore right now... its pretty massive... and gross.
I like your idea on how you studied on a specific topic. I recently started the Book of Mormon over again. A member gave E. Ah Kiong pocket sizes of the Book of Mormon. So I am reading that and highlighting that. But I am reading one chapter at a time and I am not gong on to the next chapter until I find something in every chapter that I can either use as a spiritual thought or something that I can apply in my life. Its been pretty cool and a neat experience so far. I'm enjoying it. I've learned a lot, and I'm only in 1 Nephi 8.
These next two weeks have some exciting events coming up. Tomorrow we have our Zone Leader Councils in Frisco, CO. then the Temple on Wednesday Morning. and then next tues we have Zone Confrence. And President has asked Elder Larsen and I give a training on an effective way of finding people. And in Gospel Principles we were given exactly what we're going to use.
We'll train on using Less active members as a finding method... because once you activate them, they usually have non-member friends and they will want to bring their friends into the Gospel. and believe it or not there is a perfect story of that exact thing in the Book of Mormon.
In Helaman 5 verses 35 to the end of the chapter, there's a story about a guy named Aminadab. This is where the Lamanites and the Nephites are having so many battles and wars. Nephi and his brother Lehi are preaching the gospel to both the Lamanites and the Nephites because they are both wicked. And then they are thrown into prison. The prison walls come tumbling down and then a darkness comes over the people in the prison and they can't move or see or hear anything until one man does soemthing... and that's where verse 35 picks it up... you should read it ... its cool. and fits perfectly with using Less active members. I am excited.
Well, that's all I can think of at the moment.. but thank you for everything I love you all and wish you a happy new year and I'll see you soon! before the year ends! I miss you!
Your son and brother,
--
-Elder Cameron Landon
It is crazy how small the world is. Like with the Jardines, and the man visiting the Redfords. There is a man in the ward here who has a cabin in Island Park and so does my new companion! so we were all talking about Island Park and how much we enjoyed being up there.
My new companion is Elder Mason Larsen from Albany, Georgia. He was in the MTC with me. In our big group that left together from the MTC there were two districts.. I was the District Leader of one and Elder Larsen was the District of the Other.
He's a good guy and we're getting along very well. And because our area is SO hard to have the work progress we are working a LOT more with the ward. We are going to visit every member on our ward lists and see them, share a message with them, build a relationship of trust with them, and then ask them for referrals. I think it'll work a lot better than what E. Ah Kiong and I did.
We did get some snow finally on the 30 of Dec. It started snowing at about 10:30 am and by about 5 that evening we had about 5 inches. So the next few days we were walking everywhere because we can't drive when the snow is sticking to the roads. But Sunday, and today and supposedly tomorrow were are are going to be pretty warm and hopefully melt all the snow.
On New Year's Eve we had to be in our homes after dinner. And a few nights before the Bishop had given us a dvd with those Mormon Messages that are on Youtube. We came home and watched those with Sister Kevan (the member we live with). She reall enjoyed that. then after that I went downstairs and went to bed at about 10:30-11 ish. I wasn't feeling too well... I was pretty sick the next morning too. I called our Mission President's wife and told her I was feeling weak, sick to my stomach, had a sore throat, and light headed and she told me there were about 20 other missionaries with the same thing. So I was able to sleep from about 10:30 that morning until about 2:30 and we were back out working at 3. I still wasn't completely better but I was well enough to work. I'm fine now.. I just have a huge cold sore right now... its pretty massive... and gross.
I like your idea on how you studied on a specific topic. I recently started the Book of Mormon over again. A member gave E. Ah Kiong pocket sizes of the Book of Mormon. So I am reading that and highlighting that. But I am reading one chapter at a time and I am not gong on to the next chapter until I find something in every chapter that I can either use as a spiritual thought or something that I can apply in my life. Its been pretty cool and a neat experience so far. I'm enjoying it. I've learned a lot, and I'm only in 1 Nephi 8.
These next two weeks have some exciting events coming up. Tomorrow we have our Zone Leader Councils in Frisco, CO. then the Temple on Wednesday Morning. and then next tues we have Zone Confrence. And President has asked Elder Larsen and I give a training on an effective way of finding people. And in Gospel Principles we were given exactly what we're going to use.
We'll train on using Less active members as a finding method... because once you activate them, they usually have non-member friends and they will want to bring their friends into the Gospel. and believe it or not there is a perfect story of that exact thing in the Book of Mormon.
In Helaman 5 verses 35 to the end of the chapter, there's a story about a guy named Aminadab. This is where the Lamanites and the Nephites are having so many battles and wars. Nephi and his brother Lehi are preaching the gospel to both the Lamanites and the Nephites because they are both wicked. And then they are thrown into prison. The prison walls come tumbling down and then a darkness comes over the people in the prison and they can't move or see or hear anything until one man does soemthing... and that's where verse 35 picks it up... you should read it ... its cool. and fits perfectly with using Less active members. I am excited.
Well, that's all I can think of at the moment.. but thank you for everything I love you all and wish you a happy new year and I'll see you soon! before the year ends! I miss you!
Your son and brother,
--
-Elder Cameron Landon
Dear Family,
I was thrilled to hear all of your voices... even if I didn't recognize all of them... (BRAY!! STOP GROWING... I want at least ONE brother smaller than me when I get home) But it truely helped me. A LOT. Thank you for making that the best phone call on my mission so far. It really helped.
So Transfers are tomorrow and last night and tonight we are just going around so Elder Ah Kiong can say good-bye to people. He's been here for about 6 months. And last night we went and saw the Crellin Family and they have a 13 year old girl and she was so excited about what their family got for Christmas that she HAD to show us... each person in their family got Nerf guns.. and so for the next 20 minutes Elder Ah Kiong, myself, her, the older sister and her dad were running around the house shooting eachother witht the nerf guns. It was really fun.
Well, I am really sorry but I don't really have anything else to say I said it all on Saturday. I love you all so very much. I miss you all a great deal. Thank you for everything.
With all my love,
Your son and brother,
--
-Elder Cameron Landon
I was thrilled to hear all of your voices... even if I didn't recognize all of them... (BRAY!! STOP GROWING... I want at least ONE brother smaller than me when I get home) But it truely helped me. A LOT. Thank you for making that the best phone call on my mission so far. It really helped.
So Transfers are tomorrow and last night and tonight we are just going around so Elder Ah Kiong can say good-bye to people. He's been here for about 6 months. And last night we went and saw the Crellin Family and they have a 13 year old girl and she was so excited about what their family got for Christmas that she HAD to show us... each person in their family got Nerf guns.. and so for the next 20 minutes Elder Ah Kiong, myself, her, the older sister and her dad were running around the house shooting eachother witht the nerf guns. It was really fun.
Well, I am really sorry but I don't really have anything else to say I said it all on Saturday. I love you all so very much. I miss you all a great deal. Thank you for everything.
With all my love,
Your son and brother,
--
-Elder Cameron Landon
Dear Fam,
Well, life is chugging along here..... I am still surviving.. despite the cold weather.. its gotten down to about 30 degrees lately... haha. I say that only because I know its cold there. Its extremely unusual weather they're having here... they say normally its got a lot more snow. But I'm not complaining.
I am not sure what time I'll be calling but it'll be Chirstmas Evening. I can't wait to hear your voices, and talk to you. I can only talk for about 40 minutes. But I am excited. So be prepared.
Our appointment with Steve fell through.. he had forgotten he had a dinner plan with his daughter and he is busy until after the New Year.. (which is the case with a lot of people) So we're seeing him at the beginning of Jan.
Being a Zone Leader isn't bad... but I REALLY would prefer to be just a normal missionary because I don't have to worry too much about other people and if they're doing what they're supposed to be doing. I don't really like that. but The Lord needs me to do it so I wil.
I love you all very much and I miss you tremedously... sorry this letter was a short one but I'll fill you in on Sat. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
I love you
Your son,
---Elder Cameron Landon
Well, life is chugging along here..... I am still surviving.. despite the cold weather.. its gotten down to about 30 degrees lately... haha. I say that only because I know its cold there. Its extremely unusual weather they're having here... they say normally its got a lot more snow. But I'm not complaining.
I am not sure what time I'll be calling but it'll be Chirstmas Evening. I can't wait to hear your voices, and talk to you. I can only talk for about 40 minutes. But I am excited. So be prepared.
Our appointment with Steve fell through.. he had forgotten he had a dinner plan with his daughter and he is busy until after the New Year.. (which is the case with a lot of people) So we're seeing him at the beginning of Jan.
Being a Zone Leader isn't bad... but I REALLY would prefer to be just a normal missionary because I don't have to worry too much about other people and if they're doing what they're supposed to be doing. I don't really like that. but The Lord needs me to do it so I wil.
I love you all very much and I miss you tremedously... sorry this letter was a short one but I'll fill you in on Sat. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
I love you
Your son,
---Elder Cameron Landon
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