Out With The Old and In With the New (Companions, that is)

hey all

  I'm staying in Martinsville! We have still had no luck with bonnie *sighs as head hits desk* we have however, had an awesome new investigator named Chris who is ... lets just say Interesting and leave it at that.  The past few days have been hectic as Elder Holbrook is leaving and I am getting a new companion.  It is sad to see him go and I am going to miss him, but he is on to bigger and better things.  hope y'all had a great Halloween (or as they call it here Hallelujah) night. 

see y'all next week. 

Elder Strunk

Undesirable Patterns

hey all

this week has been great.  We have been getting more and more things accomplished and have seen many miracles.  this week we picked up a new investigator named Chris, he is really cool and has been staying with one of our less-actives.  we have only taught him once but he was very receptive and seemed interested, which is awesome because he is currently studying to be a minister. 

I have detected a pattern here though and I was wondering if any of you had this: you have a person that seems very interested when they come to the door, but when you try to get into contact with them a second time it's like they vanish off the face of the earth. It amuses me that even though they want us to think that they aren't home, they leave multiple lights on and we can hear the TV. 

see y'all next week

Elder Strunk

p.s. transfers are next week.  so give everyone warning

 

P-day in Martinville, VA

Sisters Johnson and Wong, Elders Barnett, Holyoak, and Holbrook

One Day at a Time.

hey all,

  It has definitely been flying by this week.  We have been doing a lot of Less-Active work as the weather cools down and it gets darker earlier.  Frustrations abound for trying to contact Bonnie, we can't tell if she is avoiding us or if she just isn't home when we come around.  We aren't giving up though and will keep knocking until she answers again.  It really only feels like it has been a couple of weeks, so it is hard to believe that next week marks 3 MONTHS!  Elder Holbrook and I have been trying to be more exactly obedient to the white handbook, and have seen many different miracles come out of it.  One such miracle is that we are getting fed at least five times a week, if not consecutively X}. 

Taking it one day at a time,

  Elder Strunk

Time is Flying By!

hey all,

  this week has been all about less actives and recent converts.  It has been a long haul of visiting and tracting trying to get back on track from the rain, rain, and more rain the last week.  Kira and Kaina have been really hard to contact because we only have Kira's number and she works 10:30 - 7 except for weekends.  no other new investigators though, we are going to try Bonnie again later in the week (I think that she fell asleep in front of the tube) still very hopeful though.  we are getting fed almost every day by members and though I have expressed willingness there has been no exotic food :/. Usually we get pasta or roast beef and other stuff like that.  the leaves are really starting to get pretty and all over the road. 

  the weather has cooled down and is stabilizing in the sixties so nice weather.  the weeks have gone by so fast and I can hardly believe that it is October already. 

see y'all next week

Elder Grayson Burbidge Strunk

Ahh, Conference!

Hey all,
 

  the weather out here has been non-stop rain for the past week and a half, so things were a lot slower than they have been for the past month.  you can definitely tell that fall is here and the seasons are changing.  it now starts to get dark at six-thirty and the temperature has stayed in the upper fifties to low sixties. 

Enough about the weather though, ON TO THE WORK!  we have had a lot of referrals coming form Axeton so we plan on trying to get into contact with them soon.  At the beginning of the week we tracted into a woman named Bonnie,  who seemed interested but was half asleep and asked us to come by on Saturday.  We left her with a resto and went on our merry way.  When we went back on Saturday she had just gotten home from the dentist and had gotten four teeth pulled so we ended up rescheduling for this upcoming Saturday.  We asked if she had read the pamphlet we left and she said she had and had loved it so, fingers crossed.  Conference was amazing and I really loved Elder Keetch's talk and the message behind it.  I hope that everything is going well and that the lack of updates is just from a lack of news.

see y'all in 2

Elder Strunk

If at first your don't succeed try, try again!

Sorry for the delay.  For some reason Gray's email didn't come through on Monday.  So he had to resend it on Tuesday afternoon.  I was busy getting a package ready to send to him which further delayed this post. Also....the pictures wouldn't attach. So don't go crazy looking for them.  There are two pictures that I got off facebook that are included here.

Hey all,

  it has been really great to hear from all of you and I finally remembered to bring my camera cord to the library so get ready for a flood of pictures.  This week has gone by kind of slow due to the rain that has been coming down non-stop for the past four days.  We haven't let that stop us though, and it has payed of big-time.  Prepping for Conference is taking up a lot of the free time we have and study has been another big one. With transfers last week I have been anxiously awaiting mail and packages.  It has been amazing to get everything together for a new week.  We have a new sister in our district named Sister Wong, you'll never guess where she's from... Hawaii! 

Hope Y'all Have a Great Conference

Elder strunk

 Splits -From left to right: Elder Wheeler, Elder Sawyer, Elder Holbrook, Elder Strunk, and Elder Barnzoto 

Not sure what they are doing, but I am guessing it is P-day.  Grays is the one holding onto the Elder doing the handstand.

Questions Answered-Kinda

Hey All,

  This week has been cra-razy with everything that has been going on, but we're pushing through.  First off, holy crap there were a lot of questions from the gala this week and I'll mail a quarter to anyone who can guess who asked the most.  No guessing your own name though! X) This week we gained two new investigators and lost them in the space of 24 hours so that didn't go so well, but we'll try to talk to them again in a few weeks.  ON TO THE QUESTIONS!!! Our branch is the Martinsville Branch, the branch president's name is President Hodnett,  and we meet with him, and the rest of the branch leadership once a week.  Next so y'all don't worry we usually get fed most days at least once by branch members and Less-Actives.  when they do we eat what they make, when they don't it usually means Ramen.  It has rained a lot the past few weeks so finding has slowed down, but the plus side is that it has cooled down dramatically in the mornings and evenings. 

On P-days we get our laundry started then come and email.  After that we go to the store to get things that we need and in the case of my Compadre get three or four packs of Oreos.  After that there is Fishing, Bowling, and Leasure time.  The members here are awesome and super nice.  We don't usually get referrals from the members so we are making the most of media referrals.  Exercise is pretty easy, usually it involves jumping jacks and sit ups and push ups.  We do what we can. 

For those of you who were confused by my first email GTKY stands for get to know you, so that is usually the first thing we do with companions. 

Service is usually done at the Blue Ridge Rehab Center or like this Saturday we are helping out with the Fireman's fair in Axeton.  I'll be sure to take pictures to send.  And finally to end the questions: investigators and Dedicated Study Time.  The investigators are doing really well, though we have had some trouble actually finding a time that both us and them are actually free.  It's getting better though and we have been working diligently trying to find and teach.  DST is really nice because it opens so many doors.  Right now I am studying the Teachings of the Prophets: Joseph Smith, which has been really interesting and a great source of Persona revelation. 

If Y'all Have Any More Questions Shoot Me

Elder Strunk

hey all,

  This week was pretty cool, we picked up two new investigators.  Tuesday brought the lesson with Shakira and Shakaina, the two that stopped us in wally world.  They seemed very interested and were very participatory in the lesson, they even said the closing prayer which was awesome.  this Thursday we get the "black boxes" which monitor our driving and make sure we are driving safe.  Most of the Missionaries are not so happy about this (ha).  Anyway, something that I haven't written that I can now because it has been confirmed is that we have a relative here in VA on the Strunk side.  She and I have been working to connect the lines, as she has her work on paper,  so that we can get everything squared away and on family search.  In other news it finally dropped below 80 degrees out here so fall is officially on its way.  The tops of trees are turning and it promises to be a beautiful fall.  The past few weeks the meal calendar has been pretty bare,  but this week it is all filled except for Thursday, which we won't be there for anyway, so YAY. 

Have a great day, week, and year

Elder Strunk

Roanoke Zone 

August 31, 2015

Hey y'all

  This week was kind of slow due to a lack of miles (and a bit of poor planning on our part).  But we made it and tomorrow we will be starting over and have a new batch of 1200 miles to drive.  This week was stake conference and the topic for the adult session was family council.  The main session was planning and preparing to be better saints. 

I hope this finds you all well

Elder Grayson  Strunk

First Full Week In Virginia

hey all,

things are going great this week, though Friday and Saturday were really stressful.  But first, questions!  This week we got our bikes back from Rocky Mount, we did visited some investigators and helped out some members.  The apartment is small, but honestly it is a great place, and I have no complaints.  The branch is amazing.  They have only a few priesthood age youth so we end up helping with sacrament.  the branch president is a nice guy and can cook some mean pork.  we have a lot of investigators though I've only met a few.  Sister Edwards is a very nice woman she is a smoker, but that is the only thing that is keeping her from baptism.  The Alleys are a part member family and really cool,  they like to talk and are the most humble people I have ever met.  Sister Alley has cancer and is going through a rough time  but she is doing better.  Our finding is mostly done through the area book or referrals from the Branch and family members of the branch. 

This week we did an exchange with Rocky Mount.  That is why Friday and Saturday were stressful.  Friday night I had a trial of fire put on my a member of the Rocky Mount branch (I didn't know he was a member at the time)  I did pretty well up until the end when he asked me something I didn't know, then I froze.  Afterwards he told me he was a member and gave me a few pointers on what to do when something like that happens.  Then came Saturday,  we were supposed to end the exchange and 10:30, then 11:00, then noon, then finally we ended at 5:30.  So that was not fun.  other than that though it was an awesome week.  Hopefully I got all of your questions this time.  If I didn't just shoot me an email and I'll  answer them.

see you next week

Elder Grayson Strunk

Elder Holbrook- The Trainer

This was a birthday party for Elder Holbrook- It was Ninja Turtles themed

Still at the party, but looking more like Missionaries.(Elder Holbrook is in the chair)

Finally Settled in Martinsville, VA.

Hey all,

  so, first few days out on the mission field and it has been crazy.  First thing's first, I'm going to get questions out of the way.  everything is going great,  it has been easier here than in the MTC where you all were so close.  OK area,  right now I am in a little town in Virginia called Martinsville*.  The area is called the Island, but it has been pretty fun.  I sent a few pics so those should be uploaded soon.  My companion/trainer's name is Elder Holbrook (nice detective work mom) he is from West Point, Utah and is a little on the crazy side, but he's been in this area for six months so.  the trip out was nice, if a bit long.  we landed at Yeager airport at 4:30 and got to the mission home about five.  from there it was a ten minute drive to the zone leader's apartment (where we stayed those two days). 

  now that I have finished with that, let's get down to the nitty gritty.  When we got back to the apartment from Charleston, it was seven thirty, so we couldn't really do any prosc. and we ended up doing a GTKY pow-wow.  the next day we went and visited a rehab center not far from our apartment and had a great time talking with the aides and eating Ice cream (censor that when you read this to Maclane).  We have a few investigators that we've talked to and they're all very nice.  other than that it has been pretty quiet here. 

see ya next week

  Elder Strunk

*for those wondering, Matinsville, VA is in the southern part of VA almost to the South Carolina boarder- almost due south of Roanoak, VA.

Elder Strunk with an unnamed Elder

The Provo Temple

Elder Strunk next to the statue of the Prophet Joseph Smith

Mom thinks this is either a bus/trax or airplane selfie.