Email from November 22nd, 2010

Family!

Hot dang! Another week down and now it is only a week until I turn 13 months. As Dana would say Woot woot! haha who knows why? but that is about how I am feeling about right now...

Drum roll please....................... Baptism this last Saturday! Finally got one. Ha It was awesome. His name is Tyler Morrison. It was a really good baptism. Really short. But it was the bomb. We had an instant conection because Both of our names were Tyler. He is actually only a nine year old. But he is still a little stud. Parents are members, but for whatever reason didn't get baptized until he was nine. We taught all the lessons in one week. So not your typical baptism but it worked! It was awesome. Now I don't have to worry about that first one anymore. Now I can move on and quit worrying about it..

So it was definitely a good week between having a baptism and being able to ordain Hans. Which was a neat experience. I learned how to do it Sunday morning. And just took my time, and didnt mess up at all! The spirit was really strong and was definitely a testimony/Faith builder for myself to be able to do that!

This week Me and Elder Dana Met more goals than we ever have before!

1. Get 20+ Lessons.....

We got 22 lessons.

2. Get 6 non member lessons.

We got 6 non member lessons.

3. Get 5 less active lessons.

We got 6 Less active lessons

4. Get 10 member lessons.

We got 10 member lessons.

5. Get 3 7-day challenges.

we got it.

6. GET 1 BAPTISM.......

GOT 1 BAPTISM.....

Such a good week. I was so excited about it!

I love being able to set goals. But when you actually meet the goal it means so much more. it is soooooooooo awesome. I love it... This last week we decided to expect miracles.... So we did. And a baptism landed in our laps. We were able to get in with an old investigator. The Lord loves to bless us. We just have to be willing to look for the miracle. And expect it!

Transfers are next week. So i will be emailing tuesday.. Just so you know. Me and Elder Dana have been together for 4 1/2 months. so this will probably be it. but I have loved serving with him. It has been awesome. We think i am going to be moving. but it could be him as well.

Mom i dont know when the martins will be coming. Just when they have time. So Just have your phone by you. And i will draw out a map, give the address. your cell and dads and the house phone. They will get ahold of you. They are awesome.

So we came a little earlier today. sorry about that. but My computer is about to shut down. So i got to be finishing up pretty soon. Only 5 weeks till the phone call!

oh yeah and it snowed like all week long. HUGE storms. We have like 2 + feet on the ground right now. I jynxed last week when i said we had none.. It has been -25 all week long. So rediculous.....

I love you guys and miss you a ton.

Love Elder Dastrup

Email from November 15th, 2010

Yo what is up??

Another week here from the polar express. Surprising enough, I am pretty sure that you guys have had more snow then us. We have only really had like 1 snow fall.. A month ago. While we were putting in a sprinkler system. But that is about it. Today it was actually raining pretty hard this morning. So much for being the coldest winter in along time up here like all the farmers were saying. Definitely a blessing for having a mild winter so far. I have put my winter coat on, only like twice. So not bad at all. Now that I say this, It is probably going to get really bad, really fast.

So this week has been really good. I went on several different splits, saw Calgary, worked wonders. It was a good spiritual week.

Tuesday We basically did service all day long. worked my butt off. Not to surprising. Just a good solid day!

Wednesday. I was on splits with a companionship in my district. Me and Elder Henrie. It was so fun. We just took a ton of pictures, messed around, and taught a ton of lessons. It is always good to be able to get a little break from your comp. Even though me and Dana get along great, it is still good for a break every once in a while. It was fun.

Thursday Was service again, putting up Christmas lights, helping build a garage, man are we going to be talented by the time that we get done with our missions. So much service and so many talents gained :) It was definitely a fun day, even though we didn't teach a ton.

Friday we were on splits again. I was with the zone leaders in their area, Elder Truman.He is a cool kid. His area is all of Calgary, because he covers the single adult ward, or as they call them up here, ysa ward. So we got to go down to Calgary so that was fun .We taught a wack of lessons and set some goals on what we could do better. Mos Def! (Most Definitely) We also had a training from the zone leaders. It really made me think about all the little things i could fine tune and do better. It was good. I seem to have a refocus and can work on little things to do as the lord would want me to do. The lord expects a lot out of me so I better be ready and already doing those things.

Saturday was a good service day as well.. We helped with the Airdrie food drive and got everything in line at the food bank. It was good, just peivious. If that is a word. Then we got up on a roof and put up Christmas lights again. Then we GOT to move a ton of wood for a ward member. No big deal. Just making me work out a little bit..

Sunday was awesome. Church was good, Our investigator didn't come but she did send us a text saying that something came up so she wouldn't be able to make it. So it is really showing us that she does want to be there. Very exciting. After church we went to a recent converts house and made ginger bread houses and had a competition... The two girls against Elder Dana and The dad, against me. Yeah they made me be alone. I dominated Though. Theirs kept falling down. I will send some pictures of mine. Super Bueno. It was good. Sunday night we had a stake priesthood meeting that was really good. The stake president is awesome up here. He knows whats up. Afterwards one of the recent converts, Hans, 79 year old German guy asked me to ordain him to the office of Elder And confer the Melchizedek priesthood. So I am really really excited about that. That will be next Sunday. Who knows why he chose me??????? But I am excited anyways.. And on our way home, we were with Nate, the member we live with and his dad Gary. Gary got a text from one of the ladies that works for him, she needed his help, Priesthood blessing. She is the relief society president in her ward in Calgary, so we went over and gave her a blessing. She has lots of times where the adversary works reallllly hard on her and suppresses her. It was amazing to go over and see her countenance changed completely. From down in the dumps to upidy and bright! The Priesthood is definitely a blessing in our life. I love it. It is amazing.

It is all going so well. I love it.

Nate and Kina are planning on coming down to the house the Saturday after thanksgiving. So i will give them all the directions and the phone numbers and everything. Mom I am sure they will be more than happy to bring some cookies back or something. they are Flying though. They are awesome. I challenged them to a ginger bread house making contest this morning. So I will probably win that competition too..

It sounds like all is well and cold in provo. To bad timpview lost in football. I guess it had to happen sometime though right? To bad that covey got a concussion. I love that kid.

I love you guys so much and miss you a ton..... Go JAZZ!! They beat the Heat :)

Love Elder Dastrup

Email from November 8th, 2010

Hey guys...

Once again, a week come and gone. Truckin through these weeks like they are nothing!

It is awesome. And this week esspecially was a good week.. Lots of good things happened. The Lord definitely blessed us this week.

First and foremost. We got a new investigator!!!!!!! Her name is Li Yang. She moved here from china 2 years ago. But has pretty good english. She has two little kids and her husband works 10 am to 11pm EVERYDAY.... So i dont know how we are going to teach him at all.. But she Has not really any knowledge of who god even is. She shows a strong faith in what we are teaching her, but obviously it doesnt come just like that...... But she is awesome. She came to church with her two little boys. It was a weird day at church :) of course. The first kid to get up and bear his testimony admitted to an addiction to chocolate.. AND the nintendo wii.... The next ladie got up and went off about how she is really pore. I got up after that to just bear my testimony and get things on track, right after me, the branch president did the same thing hahahaha. it was great. But she loved it. and the third hour we did a combined arp meeting thing. it was crazy.. but she still said she would come next week! so we are excited.

So i just got the email and pictures from Katie. Might i say that was awesome. Mason looked ompa loompa status.. that was awesome! But kate your waldo glasses dont touch my real persription glasses...

So other miracles from this week. We also should be picking up a new investigator this week. We made contact. Now we just need to follow up. he said we can until he lets us in so... I am pretty excited about that.

We also had zone conference this week. It was legit. So rad We had tons of good insights and the spirit taught us new things! it was good. We also only have them every three months now instead of every six weeks. So it means a lot more each time as well.

So what are you guys doing for thanksgiving weekend. The awesome member that we live with are going down to utah and will be staying in heber. So they really want to come visit with you. They were thinking the best that would work for them would be that saturday, two days after thanksgiving. So i think that is the 27th? i dont know, But you guys better be home. Because I want you to meet them. I will be giving them the phone number and address to the house + directions. So they will be stopping by.. The only other thing i thought about giving them was the gate code so that if it is closed they could still come up. but I cant remember the code hahaha.

Mom I would rather you just pick some parts of my letter and send them instead of me writign a different email. that takes to much effort :) I was reading that last letter you sent me. The missionary times or whatever with all my friends stuff. Wow they are to blessed with baptisms. They seem to come so easy everywhere else in the world. What is wrong with our area!!! spphhhhhhhhhhhhhhh so lame haha I guess i will just have to get over it..

Me and Elder Dana are still getting along great. Still working hard. Focusing on the goals... We are working hard together. Some of the other missionaries in our district arent getting along at all right now, so it is nice being compatible with Elder Dana. We went down for his last test today. Finally. And then his credit card didnt work hahaha. So luckily i always carry some cash. I lent him it, so i am thinking about charging interest when he pays me back :) hahaha we will see.

That is to bad to hear about that guy that was supposed to bless his baby yesterday. I guess it just makes us count our blessings even that much more...

Chirstmas is getting closer and closer. only 6 or 7 more weeks. That is crazy to think about. It will be my last one! Oh yeah I also finally burned my shirt last night. It was awesome.. I got some good pictures. It is about time for me again to get some pics printed off and sent home! haha sorry i am not very good at that. But we pored gas all over the shirt and torched it! It was awesome. It burned for way longer than i thought it was going to go pretty fast. but hey. it was sweet. At first i dropped it too, because i think it sinched my eyebrows. it went up in a hurry...

Welp i am hungry and want to play basketball so we are going to take off. I love you guys and miss ya aton...

Love Elder Dastrup

Email from November 1, 2010

Hey guys....

GREAT WEEK!!!!!!!!!

First of all.. Duh, got over the hump. On the down slide. That is weird.... I am still trying to comprehend it all. It is definitely true what everyone says though, "minutes are slow, days are fast, days are slow years are fast....." Fast now that I am looking back on it :)

So i haven't gotten to burn my shirt for my one year mark... yet. I think We might have a little bit of time tonight. We don't know yet. I colored all over the shirt with a sharpie, so i will take some pictures and fill ya in ... I suck at taking pictures. Dana wore me out of it when I was at home. Now I am done with it...

This week has been such a good one...

Tuesday we were really busy, got a referral that we hopefully will be teaching tomorrow... and had a way good dinner and dessert....

Wednesday we were way busy. Taught several less actives that continue to improve.. did a ton of service..

Thursday Was our slower day.. But still good..

Friday. Awesome. I got to do a baptismal interview with an investigator of a companionship in my district to be baptized on Saturday. It was so spiritual. This girl was more than ready.. It was awesome.

Saturday. We had a way full day. Two ward parties and the baptism for the other companionship..

For the ward party, We were doing a "trunk r treat" There was a ton of non members invited and came to both. It was awesome. The first one was at 1. We were going to buy sheets and turn our Chevy malibu into the chevy maliboo... a ghost. I know, it was legit. We didnt dress up, because our ideas were terrible.... hahah.

But the baptism was soooooooooo awesome. It was a foster girl and her real mom came and was crying and basically bore testimony. The missionaries are now teaching her down in calgary!!!

The second trunk r treat was just as fun. WAY more people. Cause it was three wards combined. I was giving out the candy, we put pass along cards on suckers. yeah like ten kids came up to us at church as said they were going to give them to their friends. great idea! I was giving each kid like 10+ pieces of candy. The other three missionaries kept getting mad at me cause they said we werent goign to run out! hahahahahah yeah i gave out a lot anyways. Then we ran out.. oh welll hahahaha we probably gave out like 700+ suckers. We bought 4 huge bags and they were definitely gone...

Sunday to was legit.

At church nothing was extraordinary. just a great day. After we decided to go stop by a couple of referrals... Set one up with a new person that we have only talked to on the phone. Li Yang. We set up the appointment for saturday! Pray for us. I am so excited about it. The other was a guy that has wanted us to stop by. We did. He couldn't meet with us then, but he was a wayyyyyy nice guy and wanted us to come back this week. We are going to get a time set up! It was definitely a good week...

So mom you asked me to make a christmas list. hahahah missionaries dont need anything. seriously. can you just make my christmas twice as good next year :) hahahah no but really.. the only thing i can think of is like a couple of nice ties. maybe an orange one, purple one .. i dont know. I really like plaid ties and stripes. Thats about it though. hahah all i can think of sorry :)

Also the next package you send up, i need you to throw something in there. I have some NIKEPRO tights that are white. I wore them in basketball practices sometimes. haha i dont want them to stay warm, i ahve the warm ones. i just want them to play basketball in. i should have them somewhere in my room. But i havent been in there for 370 days, so who knows ?? hahah thanks :)

everything else to well in canada... i love you guys and miss you a ton. i will talk to you all again very soon! \

Next monday!

Love Elder Dastrup