Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Many over due letters....
Aug 2
Dear Family,
Cedaredge is just great little farming/fruit & vegi growing town.. its like if you took Ririe and combined it with Island Park.. strange I know but you know how Ririe has the small town farm feeling and in Island Park you feel like you're in the mountains... well that's what it feels like here. It doesn't have as many trees as Island Park does however.. but still pretty. The ward here is great.. the Ward Mission Leader is a great guy. I really like it. There is a lot of work to do here.. so I am happy.
Teaching a new missionary is a lot different than being a Zone Leader. Being a Zone Leader you have a companion who knows what to do... and since I was one for such a long time.. I relied on him, who ever he may have been, to do a lot of the teaching... now I am doing most of the teaching and most of the talking but its not a bad thing.. I really have been relying on the Lord a lot to help me know what I need to do. I think it'll all be alright
Elder Rea (Ray) is from Mount Angel, Oregon (near Salem). He is a good kid with a good heart and a desire to work. He is a little awkward.. .and kinda socially.. shy? But not necessarily shy but just doesn't know how to act exactly around certain people... I don't know how to explain him.
But do you remember Kyle Madsen? He reminds me a LOT of him.. I guess that it is the best way I can describe him. A good kid.
But I did hear some REALLY exciting news.
Remember Trent and Karie Hill, in GJ 6th Ward? Well.. how they couldn't have children before Elder Englund and I starting teaching Trent? Then after several lessons..they found out she was expecting. Well he did get baptized last Sept... I am pretty sure I told you this. But he received the Melchezidek Priesthood and the same day blessed his baby boy Ryder. AWESOME!
But right before I left Junction, this time, I went by to say goodbye. They gave me some GREAT news. They are going to Salt Lake to be sealed on Sept 23. Its too bad that I won't be able to be there! But I am still extremely happy for them. But they also gave me a picture of their family: the two of them and their little boy in their church clothes. On the picture it said :
"Ties: $15, Hairspray: $10, Snacks to keep quiet during church: $5, Knowing there are FOUR people in this picture: PRICELESS"
She then told me that she's expecting again. She's due in Feb. The Gospel really blesses families! It blesses those that have them and those that can't and want them.
Pretty exciting.
That makes me even more excited to finally meet my new niece of nephew... and cousins (because I still haven't met Nicole's baby, Houston? yet). And Bethany's baby.
There will be a lot of new additions to our family when I get home...cool! I can't wait to meet them.
But that is all that I can think of at this time.
I love you all very much and can't wait to see you all!
Please take care.
Love your son and brother,
Elder Cameron Landon
Aug 16
Family,
Things here have been pretty good.. I realized something the a while ago.. I've been teaching people...for a while now about how praying is simply talking to our Father in Heaven.. And then I turn around and just start doing the same old same old prayers.. But several nights ago I couldn't sleep.. And I just started talking. I just started talking to God. It was an amazing conversation. I really know my Father knows. me. It really opened my mind, I know he does answer prayers.
This last week.. I've been asking Him what I can do to help Elder Rea become a better missionary. What I could do to help him and this area. I got the response that he needed to learn different ways to find more investigators. So we started with the east way.. Going through the Area Book going through those teaching records to see if there are any that stand out to us. That is how we found Theresa Weeks in Craig...she was a former investigator.
So we took out several people's records and started contacting them. We, by Tuesday, had contacted three of them.. and when you contact a former investigator and start teaching them again it counts as a new investigator. And we found one other person to let us start teaching them again. So besides starting to teach four new people this week.. about three others said we could come back. So we had a very successful week. I am very excited for that.
I love you all very much. Thank you for everything. I'll see in you in three and a half very short months.
Your son and brother,
--
-Elder Cameron Landon
Aug 23
Family,
I did receive you package on Saturday night. Thank you so much for the letters and for the breads and everything. I was really excited to get the salsa.
Things have been going very good. We were able to set a goal with our other investigator Kevin to be baptized on Sept. 17. He is a great guy... a little rough around the edges but he's so willing to change his life. He has a very close friend in Utah who is a member and about a week ago he spent 7 or 8 days over in Utah with his friend. And he took ALL the Temple square tours and everything. He came back ready to get "plugged in" to the church as he said. Haha.
We are also still, hopefully, having a baptism on the 3rd of Sept. That is if he hasn't had a slip up with the Word of Wisdom. He has had a drinking problem in the past..and he's not an alcoholic but he does enjoy a beer or two everyday. So we're hoping he'll make it. He says "I don't think I can do it. I KNOW I can." so thats hopeful thinking. I am very excited.
I am still working hard.. Having some success.. some rejection.. but that comes with the badge. I woke up this morning not feeling to great.. just one of those days where you feel like "BLAH." I woke up with two cold sores too! right next to each other! UGH!
I suppose I'll survive.
I love you all.
Your son and brother.
Aug 30
Family,
Things have been going pretty good. We talked to a man this morning who used to be taught by missionaries. His name is John David. He was very kind and will for us to come back.. I don't know exactly why missionaries stopped going, but we'll find out.
He was showing us his garden and flower-beds.. they are very nice. They were all along his property line and are leveled with different levels made from big rocks. It was really pretty. He had hundreds of different types of flowers. it was very nice. He was a nice guy too. So we'll see what'll come of it.
I cannot believe that transfer calls are already this week. We find out Friday night or Saturday night.. I'll have to let you know what's going to happen next Tuesday. I know we email on Tuesday and Tuesday is Transfer Day.. So we'll probably come and email that morning. I am pretty sure I'm not going anywhere until.. I come home but.. we'll see ya never know...
I hope I stay.. I like staying in areas longer rather than not.
So things have been going pretty good. We've been finding more people to teach.. teaching.. going to church.. studying.. sleeping.. eating.. going to church.. finding.. teaching.. eating.. finding people to teach... sleeping... the same thing day in and day out.. that's the ONLY thing I am not a fan of .. the monotony.. I just enjoy doing something different.
So yesterday was a nice change.
We went down to Montrose where our Zone Leaders are at and spent Pday with them. The have a member who owns a bowling alley and lets us go for free. So that was pretty fun. I enjoyed that.
Not too much else to talk about.. I can't really think of anything else that has happened. Since last week.
Still going, and enjoying to the end (because ENDURING to the end has a negative connotation).
I really do love you and cannot wait to see you in only three short months.
Take care and know you're always in my prayers.
Love your son and brother,
--
-Elder Cameron Landon
Sep 6
Family,
Well..transfer time is here. I am actually in Grand Junction right now at the college using their computers to email quickly before the transfer meeting.
Elder Rea is being transferred and I am getting a brand new missionary. I am training again. I am kinda nervous about it but excited at the same time. We've got a lot of good things going on and he'll be able to experience it all, which is just what he needs.
But I am looking forward for this next transfer.
Which reminds me ... we gave our investigator Kevin Eastman a blessing to help him with his Word of Wisdom issue.. and after the blessing he gave us all of his cigarettes and coffee to get rid of.. But Satan is working hard on him. He broke up with his girlfriend because he knew she wasn't going to help him in his new path.. and he's pretty bummed about that... so if you could keep him in your prayers. I'd appreciate that.
He's by far one of my favorite investigators. I care about him a lot. a GREAT guy.
I don't think I'm getting trunky.. I am very excited to see you, to start work, and school... but I know why I'm here. I don't want to quit now... there are too many trunky missionaries here and they bug.. me. I just keep reminding myself of that story of the gold mine.. so it'll help..
I'm doing my best.
I don't have too much time before the transfer meeting starts.. so I've got to go.. But I'll talk to you next week.
I LOVE YOU.
Your son and brother,
--
-Elder Cameron Landon
Sept. 13
Dear Family,
Well.. while I'm here serving the Lord and I hear that all my family members are falling apart physically..
I hope that everything is going to turn out okay.
Things are going pretty good.
My new companion is Elder Cook from Evanston, WY. I think it is very strange to be serving with a companion from a state that I've served in. But that's okay. I don't know if you know where Evanston is.. but its in the SW corner near the Utah border. He's a good guy, really quite and very nervous but he'll be a good missionary.. just trying to help him come out of his shell a little bit.
But CRAZY story.. so Elder Cook was showing me some pictures of his family at his Farewell.. and there were a few pictures of a few girls that I recognized.
And then I realized who they were. I asked him if they lived in Idaho Falls and they do!
Do you remember the lady that always helped with Vicki at IFYAC, DeAnn Cook? Well, that's his aunt.
So you can tell Vicki to tell DeAnn that I am training her nephew. How crazy is that!
I thought that was pretty cool.
Things are going pretty good.. we're just chugging along. I've noticed that there are a lot of times like this where not a whole lot of new things are going on and we're just trying to help our investigators progress so that they'll be able to be baptized.
Kevin is doing alright. He's been doing better than he was. But we haven't been able to get a hold of him lately.. so we're still praying for him.
I don't know if I told you but every Wed. we go and help a Less-active guy do some ranch work. He was hired there to brake horses. But about a month before I got to Cedaredge he was bucked off and broke both hips, seven ribs, and a piece off of his vertebrae.. so he was in a hospital for a while and wasn't able to work. So we went by and was driving a little John Deere Gator around and bucking hay bales... we do that for about 2-3 hours every Wednesday. So that's pretty fun and exciting. We helped him out around the Ranch today, he's doing fine now by the way.. he received a blessing and healed so quickly that the doctors were amazed. Its also nice because he always feeds us lunch when we stop by.
We have a Zone Conference this Friday and I am excited. The Zone Conferences that we have are always great but I am saddened because this will be my last one before I go home.. I don't know how I feel about that. But all good things must come to an end... at least in this earthly life.
I have no idea what's gonna happen in the future.. I am honestly not thinking about anything 5 years in the future. I don't have any clue whats going to come.
All I do know is that I am going to follow Pres. Monson's advice in the last General Priesthood meeting, granted, he was talking about getting married but like I think I've said before it applies to all aspects of life. Rather than "finding the right person we need to BE the right person. or in this case rather than thinking of what to do in the future.. I need to become the right person now rather than later.. I know that probably doesn't make a whole lot of sense to you but. It makes sense to me and I know that that is the advice or counsel that I need to follow at this time in my life.
Speaking of which I am very excited for General Conference coming up in the somewhat near future. I am so excited to hear from the spokesmen of God on the earth today. It always brings more guidance and direction to my life than a lot of other things. It'll be good
I am very excited about you going and being able to experience seeing the Hills be sealed. That's really exciting. You'll have to give her a hug for me because every time I went over there she was always upset that she wasn't able to hug Elder Englund and I. So you'll have to do that for me. Ya know?
Well, I can't think of anything else to tell you.
Hopefully next week I'll have more news for you and be able to inform you on more things.
Thank you so very much for everything that you do and all your prayers. I love you so very much.
Your son and brother,
--
-Elder Cameron Landon
Dear Family,
Cedaredge is just great little farming/fruit & vegi growing town.. its like if you took Ririe and combined it with Island Park.. strange I know but you know how Ririe has the small town farm feeling and in Island Park you feel like you're in the mountains... well that's what it feels like here. It doesn't have as many trees as Island Park does however.. but still pretty. The ward here is great.. the Ward Mission Leader is a great guy. I really like it. There is a lot of work to do here.. so I am happy.
Teaching a new missionary is a lot different than being a Zone Leader. Being a Zone Leader you have a companion who knows what to do... and since I was one for such a long time.. I relied on him, who ever he may have been, to do a lot of the teaching... now I am doing most of the teaching and most of the talking but its not a bad thing.. I really have been relying on the Lord a lot to help me know what I need to do. I think it'll all be alright
Elder Rea (Ray) is from Mount Angel, Oregon (near Salem). He is a good kid with a good heart and a desire to work. He is a little awkward.. .and kinda socially.. shy? But not necessarily shy but just doesn't know how to act exactly around certain people... I don't know how to explain him.
But do you remember Kyle Madsen? He reminds me a LOT of him.. I guess that it is the best way I can describe him. A good kid.
But I did hear some REALLY exciting news.
Remember Trent and Karie Hill, in GJ 6th Ward? Well.. how they couldn't have children before Elder Englund and I starting teaching Trent? Then after several lessons..they found out she was expecting. Well he did get baptized last Sept... I am pretty sure I told you this. But he received the Melchezidek Priesthood and the same day blessed his baby boy Ryder. AWESOME!
But right before I left Junction, this time, I went by to say goodbye. They gave me some GREAT news. They are going to Salt Lake to be sealed on Sept 23. Its too bad that I won't be able to be there! But I am still extremely happy for them. But they also gave me a picture of their family: the two of them and their little boy in their church clothes. On the picture it said :
"Ties: $15, Hairspray: $10, Snacks to keep quiet during church: $5, Knowing there are FOUR people in this picture: PRICELESS"
She then told me that she's expecting again. She's due in Feb. The Gospel really blesses families! It blesses those that have them and those that can't and want them.
Pretty exciting.
That makes me even more excited to finally meet my new niece of nephew... and cousins (because I still haven't met Nicole's baby, Houston? yet). And Bethany's baby.
There will be a lot of new additions to our family when I get home...cool! I can't wait to meet them.
But that is all that I can think of at this time.
I love you all very much and can't wait to see you all!
Please take care.
Love your son and brother,
Elder Cameron Landon
Aug 16
Family,
Things here have been pretty good.. I realized something the a while ago.. I've been teaching people...for a while now about how praying is simply talking to our Father in Heaven.. And then I turn around and just start doing the same old same old prayers.. But several nights ago I couldn't sleep.. And I just started talking. I just started talking to God. It was an amazing conversation. I really know my Father knows. me. It really opened my mind, I know he does answer prayers.
This last week.. I've been asking Him what I can do to help Elder Rea become a better missionary. What I could do to help him and this area. I got the response that he needed to learn different ways to find more investigators. So we started with the east way.. Going through the Area Book going through those teaching records to see if there are any that stand out to us. That is how we found Theresa Weeks in Craig...she was a former investigator.
So we took out several people's records and started contacting them. We, by Tuesday, had contacted three of them.. and when you contact a former investigator and start teaching them again it counts as a new investigator. And we found one other person to let us start teaching them again. So besides starting to teach four new people this week.. about three others said we could come back. So we had a very successful week. I am very excited for that.
I love you all very much. Thank you for everything. I'll see in you in three and a half very short months.
Your son and brother,
--
-Elder Cameron Landon
Aug 23
Family,
I did receive you package on Saturday night. Thank you so much for the letters and for the breads and everything. I was really excited to get the salsa.
Things have been going very good. We were able to set a goal with our other investigator Kevin to be baptized on Sept. 17. He is a great guy... a little rough around the edges but he's so willing to change his life. He has a very close friend in Utah who is a member and about a week ago he spent 7 or 8 days over in Utah with his friend. And he took ALL the Temple square tours and everything. He came back ready to get "plugged in" to the church as he said. Haha.
We are also still, hopefully, having a baptism on the 3rd of Sept. That is if he hasn't had a slip up with the Word of Wisdom. He has had a drinking problem in the past..and he's not an alcoholic but he does enjoy a beer or two everyday. So we're hoping he'll make it. He says "I don't think I can do it. I KNOW I can." so thats hopeful thinking. I am very excited.
I am still working hard.. Having some success.. some rejection.. but that comes with the badge. I woke up this morning not feeling to great.. just one of those days where you feel like "BLAH." I woke up with two cold sores too! right next to each other! UGH!
I suppose I'll survive.
I love you all.
Your son and brother.
Aug 30
Family,
Things have been going pretty good. We talked to a man this morning who used to be taught by missionaries. His name is John David. He was very kind and will for us to come back.. I don't know exactly why missionaries stopped going, but we'll find out.
He was showing us his garden and flower-beds.. they are very nice. They were all along his property line and are leveled with different levels made from big rocks. It was really pretty. He had hundreds of different types of flowers. it was very nice. He was a nice guy too. So we'll see what'll come of it.
I cannot believe that transfer calls are already this week. We find out Friday night or Saturday night.. I'll have to let you know what's going to happen next Tuesday. I know we email on Tuesday and Tuesday is Transfer Day.. So we'll probably come and email that morning. I am pretty sure I'm not going anywhere until.. I come home but.. we'll see ya never know...
I hope I stay.. I like staying in areas longer rather than not.
So things have been going pretty good. We've been finding more people to teach.. teaching.. going to church.. studying.. sleeping.. eating.. going to church.. finding.. teaching.. eating.. finding people to teach... sleeping... the same thing day in and day out.. that's the ONLY thing I am not a fan of .. the monotony.. I just enjoy doing something different.
So yesterday was a nice change.
We went down to Montrose where our Zone Leaders are at and spent Pday with them. The have a member who owns a bowling alley and lets us go for free. So that was pretty fun. I enjoyed that.
Not too much else to talk about.. I can't really think of anything else that has happened. Since last week.
Still going, and enjoying to the end (because ENDURING to the end has a negative connotation).
I really do love you and cannot wait to see you in only three short months.
Take care and know you're always in my prayers.
Love your son and brother,
--
-Elder Cameron Landon
Sep 6
Family,
Well..transfer time is here. I am actually in Grand Junction right now at the college using their computers to email quickly before the transfer meeting.
Elder Rea is being transferred and I am getting a brand new missionary. I am training again. I am kinda nervous about it but excited at the same time. We've got a lot of good things going on and he'll be able to experience it all, which is just what he needs.
But I am looking forward for this next transfer.
Which reminds me ... we gave our investigator Kevin Eastman a blessing to help him with his Word of Wisdom issue.. and after the blessing he gave us all of his cigarettes and coffee to get rid of.. But Satan is working hard on him. He broke up with his girlfriend because he knew she wasn't going to help him in his new path.. and he's pretty bummed about that... so if you could keep him in your prayers. I'd appreciate that.
He's by far one of my favorite investigators. I care about him a lot. a GREAT guy.
I don't think I'm getting trunky.. I am very excited to see you, to start work, and school... but I know why I'm here. I don't want to quit now... there are too many trunky missionaries here and they bug.. me. I just keep reminding myself of that story of the gold mine.. so it'll help..
I'm doing my best.
I don't have too much time before the transfer meeting starts.. so I've got to go.. But I'll talk to you next week.
I LOVE YOU.
Your son and brother,
--
-Elder Cameron Landon
Sept. 13
Dear Family,
Well.. while I'm here serving the Lord and I hear that all my family members are falling apart physically..
I hope that everything is going to turn out okay.
Things are going pretty good.
My new companion is Elder Cook from Evanston, WY. I think it is very strange to be serving with a companion from a state that I've served in. But that's okay. I don't know if you know where Evanston is.. but its in the SW corner near the Utah border. He's a good guy, really quite and very nervous but he'll be a good missionary.. just trying to help him come out of his shell a little bit.
But CRAZY story.. so Elder Cook was showing me some pictures of his family at his Farewell.. and there were a few pictures of a few girls that I recognized.
And then I realized who they were. I asked him if they lived in Idaho Falls and they do!
Do you remember the lady that always helped with Vicki at IFYAC, DeAnn Cook? Well, that's his aunt.
So you can tell Vicki to tell DeAnn that I am training her nephew. How crazy is that!
I thought that was pretty cool.
Things are going pretty good.. we're just chugging along. I've noticed that there are a lot of times like this where not a whole lot of new things are going on and we're just trying to help our investigators progress so that they'll be able to be baptized.
Kevin is doing alright. He's been doing better than he was. But we haven't been able to get a hold of him lately.. so we're still praying for him.
I don't know if I told you but every Wed. we go and help a Less-active guy do some ranch work. He was hired there to brake horses. But about a month before I got to Cedaredge he was bucked off and broke both hips, seven ribs, and a piece off of his vertebrae.. so he was in a hospital for a while and wasn't able to work. So we went by and was driving a little John Deere Gator around and bucking hay bales... we do that for about 2-3 hours every Wednesday. So that's pretty fun and exciting. We helped him out around the Ranch today, he's doing fine now by the way.. he received a blessing and healed so quickly that the doctors were amazed. Its also nice because he always feeds us lunch when we stop by.
We have a Zone Conference this Friday and I am excited. The Zone Conferences that we have are always great but I am saddened because this will be my last one before I go home.. I don't know how I feel about that. But all good things must come to an end... at least in this earthly life.
I have no idea what's gonna happen in the future.. I am honestly not thinking about anything 5 years in the future. I don't have any clue whats going to come.
All I do know is that I am going to follow Pres. Monson's advice in the last General Priesthood meeting, granted, he was talking about getting married but like I think I've said before it applies to all aspects of life. Rather than "finding the right person we need to BE the right person. or in this case rather than thinking of what to do in the future.. I need to become the right person now rather than later.. I know that probably doesn't make a whole lot of sense to you but. It makes sense to me and I know that that is the advice or counsel that I need to follow at this time in my life.
Speaking of which I am very excited for General Conference coming up in the somewhat near future. I am so excited to hear from the spokesmen of God on the earth today. It always brings more guidance and direction to my life than a lot of other things. It'll be good
I am very excited about you going and being able to experience seeing the Hills be sealed. That's really exciting. You'll have to give her a hug for me because every time I went over there she was always upset that she wasn't able to hug Elder Englund and I. So you'll have to do that for me. Ya know?
Well, I can't think of anything else to tell you.
Hopefully next week I'll have more news for you and be able to inform you on more things.
Thank you so very much for everything that you do and all your prayers. I love you so very much.
Your son and brother,
--
-Elder Cameron Landon
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