in answer to your question

hey all,

  this week has been awesome.  we were able to see great things happen and were able to have an amazing set of lessons that brought the spirit in like a lightning bolt.  ( was going to say wrecking ball, but then thought "nah, better not make that reference in a spiritual email") we have a great ward that are eager to help, even if said help isn't always phrased right or in the nicest way.  

ethan and amber are doing well.  we had a lesson with them on monday and finished explaining the plan of salvation, making sure to not leave any stone unturned, and it was amazing to see everything click in their minds and see that light go off as everything started to make sense.  then we proceeded to go over the law of chastity, which went really well and was one that a lot of missionaries tend to make more awkward than it needs to be.  the understood and committed to live it.

sadly, brother ross dropped us.  I think it is more that he is still ashamed of his slip up than anything on our part.  we keep him in our prayers though.

we had and awesome miracle happen this week and I still can't believe that it happened.  we had a less active come to church to have her baby blessed, and her boyfriend (not a member) came as well and we were able to talk to him and he is allowing us to visit in the next few weeks to see them and teach him.

now, there has been several asks about why I did not put the fact that I was a district leader in my weekly emails (thanks mom).  The reason is simple, everyone makes such a big deal about nothing.  Yes, I'm a district leader.  Yes, it seems fairly cool.  No, it is not, it just means more stress for me.  and that is why I am not as excited as you.

see y'all next week

  Elder strunk

it all comes and it all goes.....

hey all

this week has been another slow one due to the fact that we have had a hit-and-miss with most of our investigators.  we have been able to see ethan and amber,  and they are doing well.  we had a lesson on fasting and what the fast offerings go to.  and they asked some really good questions.

brother ross is still busy and we have had trouble meeting but he is still reading and praying, which is good,

mark is doing well, he is now in the hurry up and wait phase of his trial while they try to determine what the stage of his cancer is.

  on another note, we had a small world moment today with one of our investigators.  we were talking with them and we some how got on the subject of people that they knew that were mormon and it turns out that she is actually the sister in law of a less active member's wife.... so yeah that happened.  other than those it has been a lot of walking and talking.

see y'all next week

Elder strunk

content warning..... if you love turtles, look away now.

hey all,

  this week has been fair-to-partly dead down here as the fourth has come again.  we have been teaching a little and have been floundering in an almost ghost town to find people who had stayed in the town for the weekend and week leading up to the fourth.... needless to say this email will be very short.  we have been able to see the joneses and I am happy to say that they are progressing fairly well.  

  brother ross has had a huge workload lately and we haven't been able to see him as frequently, so old habits have resurfaced and we have been working our hardest to keep him uplifted.  

  other than that we had a great fourth of july that started with a turtle hunt and ended with fried chicken of the pond.  which was really good, and actually tasted a little bit like KFC......... maybe that is what their meat actually is XD 

see y'all next week

elder strunk

the table where we did our dirty work

me and my skinned turtle

the dragon days of summer

hey all,

  this week has been great.  we have seen a lot of help from members, and the people that we are seeing are enjoying the lessons and perspectives that they bring.  

this week we helped a little more with the kitchen and had a lesson with the Joneses on Alma 32 and you could feel the power house spirit that was there.  afterwards we helped them put in some ceiling and then he brought out his collection of arms to show us.  he has some dang cool guns.  I have a feeling that in the next few lessons they will set a date to be baptized, but for now we are having a great time teaching them and are enjoying the discussions.

brother ross is back in the hot seat, as the hay season starts to pick up.  his employer/father in law has two fairly large fields that he helps mow and thresh and whatever else you do to get hay ready to send to market.  the lessons with him have become scattered throughout the week and we are having a hard time seeing him regularly.  

including that it has been a great week.  

see y'all next week

elder strunk

well well, here we are again

hey all,

  this week has been great as we have been working hard to meet with a few people and then get things going for everything else.  

we were able to meet with Brother Ross this week and had a great lesson and invited him to pray about a date for baptism.  we also were able to have an exchange.  there are a lot of talkative people in wythville.  we have been talking with the jones family and have had several great lessons and are they are both looking forward to sundays and are enjoying meetings too.

  not much else to report this week as most of the other stuff was said in last week's email

see y'all next week

Elder strunk

we apologize for the lack of pictures and are working on making it a priority

  this week has been crazy.  we have transfers tomorrow (I'm staying in Galax) and have not had an opportunity to really do anything super celebratory for the birthday yet.  we have been teaching and talking and talking and teaching.  brother ross is doing well.  he has had a hard time of it and we are trying to get him to come and feel the peace of attending church again and partaking of the sacrament.

we have had a fun time the past week with the joneses.  they started a reno of their kitchen and enlisted our help with the demo and framing.  I don't have any pictures and wish that I did... sorry.  I didn't think to take any until after the fact.  we had a great time busting out the plaster walls and helping with the measurements of the walls and stuff.  

with John it has been a little bit tougher because he works crazy hours.  we just are trying to get in and see them.  

again I apologize for the lack of pics and will work my tail off trying to get things done so all y'all can have some.

see y'all next week

Elder strunk

of car shows and flea markets

hey all,

  this week has been a really great one.  we have had a  lot of success with finding and teaching.  the highlights this week happened with brother Ross who is back on track and is soaking up everything that we have to teach him.  we are hoping to put him back on date soon.  the other awesome investigators we are teaching right now are the Jones family and a guy named john and his wife Chrystal.  with the Jones family we are onto the commandments and temples so they are awesome.  they enjoy coming to church and always ask good questions.  John and Chrystal have been taught twice and are also very earnestly seeking to know the truth.

  Now for an explanation of the title.  we were privileged to do some walking and talking at two fairly big events that happen in our area.  on is the semi-annual Flea market that happens every memorial day and every labor day.  the other was the memories on main car show that happens each year.  we had a lot of people come and talk to us about the church, including a few members from other areas in the mission and other missions.  which was pretty cool.  

hope y'all are having a good week,

Elder strunk.  

of fluffy jelly beans and freak rain storms

This is actually from last week (April 26th).

hey all,

  this is going to be a crazy week because all in all we are getting a new companion (meaning I need to not only learn Spanish, but I also have to be mister-in-charge x/ ).  I am staying in Galax another transfer and more than likely will hit my year mark here.

  I don't know who else has had an experience like this but here we go: we were teaching brother Ross and his family and were talking about eternal families and the temple.  as we are wrapping up the lesson, brother Wisman (the ward mission leader) starts to bare his testimony when their pregnant cat comes in and lays down on the rug.  now this in and of it self wouldn't disrupt the lesson but then came the kittens.........   so brother Wisman wrapped it up and we left them to take care of the fluffy jellybeans.

  the Hispanic families are doing great we have been teaching the restoration and the plan of salvation although sister Rodriguez will not be having another lesson with us until after her daughter's quinceanera which is at the end of May.  the Ramos are doing really well and we will be seeing them in a few days.  

  other than that we had a freak rainstorm on Friday and ended up tracting in it... not fun and not something I would recommend.

see y'all next week (te veo la proxima semana)

  Elder strunk