Email from February 22, 2011

Gotta be a G up here in the North!

Yes it is still freezing. Today especially. I am so over the wind! That is really the only thing that makes it really really cold! Plus I left my coat at the church, so I have nothing until I go and Get it.

So transfer emails are today, I am staying here another with Elder Oliver. I Kind of had a hunch that I was staying, but honestly I was really hoping to go. I love change and trying something new.

This week was full of cool things happening. Edith and Jefferson, The two that were baptized several weeks ago are better than ever. They grasp the gospel so well. it is awesome to see them come along. We still meet with them about once a week. And call Edith about 3 or 4 times a week just to see how she is doing. I call her Grandma now. It is sweet. She is so funny! We have also set another baptismal date, but I think I told you about that last week. It is a little girl named Naomi, we taught her for the first time on Thursday. She is way funny. We asked her who she would like to say the opening prayer and she called on her dad, who was in the Kitchen, and actually isn't a member. He was about to say it and Naomi stopped him and said, no you don't know how, I will teach you. hahaha So she started whispering to him what to say. It was funny. Similar to a parent telling a child how to pray. He was getting a kick out of it as well. But we will see what happens.

We have also talked to several other less active families this week about there ten year olds, and they want to get them going to be baptized. This next transfer will be a successful one I think. :)

We met with Blake And Stephanie yesterday. We had a really good lesson on the Plan of Salvation. Hopefully things can move forward. They did come to church this last sunday. But they didn't stay all three hours. Stephanie had worked a 24 hour day the day before and was still exhausted so hopefully they will have a better experience this next week.

I was hoping to go down to the temple this week because Hans, The 79 year old I was able to ordain in Airdrie is going to the temple. But because Elder Oliver is from Pincher Creek which is close to Cardston, President didn't think that was a good idea. Oh well..... Moving forward.

I honestly don't have much more to say. haha we are going to play some hockey today. So Hopefully it warms up.

I still haven't gotten my Jimmer shirt. mom is it on its way?? I gotta get that!

Well I am out. I love you all. Miss ya. Can;'t wait for summer! Warmth, anything but this!

Love Elder Dastrup

Email from February 14, 2011

Happy Valentines day!

I got the package as well on Saturday! Katie, sorry to say, I didn't wait till today to open your section of the package :) But speaking of Katie, I don't know if your getting my emails. It emails me back saying that it doesn't work to your email. But I don't know, Mom just transfer it to you.

First and foremost, Dad you said that Jerry Sloan quit???? Are you kidding me? What the heck happened... I need some details on that.. New coach? I am guessing Tyrone Corbin. But I need to know for sure.. That definitely threw me through a loop! Not good news at all.. That is going to put a damper on my week!

Mom I also got the contacts and teeth bleach! Hah I used to much two days in a row and my teeth got really sensitive. I have done it twice now. So I have taken a break from that for a little bit. But thank you for that. I am pretty consistently getting mom's and dad's Letters each week now. It is good to be receiving some mail :) hahha

Our investigators put us through a trying week. Lots of things have come up and we weren't able to hardly even teach them, and we weren't able to get them to church. We have finally set up an appointment tonight with them. So hopefully we can get them back on track. To bad we are taking one of our ward members and that is forcing him to miss valentines. I feel really bad. But We really need the lesson..

This last week was the week that Elder Oliver had to get his visa to go down to the states. But it didn't come. So he is here for sure another six weeks. our transfer is next week. So next week I should be emailing Tuesday. I have no clue if I am going to go or stay. I guess we will see. I guess there would be plus' and minus' about going or staying. The Lord will know best of what to do with me!

So Edith, (Grandma as I call her) The recent convert, was talking to her grand daughter this last week wanting to tell her she got baptized, but was kind of nervous. She ended up telling her and her Grand daughter, just said are you kidding me? and Edith started to explain herself, and the granddaughter stopped her and told her she got baptized last month!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 how sweet it that! Ediths son, the granddaughters father, died about a year ago. So you know he is doing work from the other side. Edith is such a good missionary! She is talking to everyone about it.. Her other granddaughter is really excited to come to church with her this next saturday. It is good stuff. I am lovin the miracles that happen everysingle day. Only in the Lords Kingdom would these miracles happen.

I got to get going. My time is up. But I love you all and miss you. Talk to you next TUESDAY!

And mom make sure I get that Jimmer Shirt asap! And make sure it is the right size :)

Love you

Love Elder Dastrup

Email from February 7th, 2011

Yo

What up family. Here I am once again on Monday. Minutes seem to go by slow, yet weeks seem to fly! It is amazing how time works when you are on your mission. Gotta love it! Twice this week it has snowed about 10 inches. It has been awesome. Early on in the week it did, then it got about 12 above zero and it ALL melted.
Now again today it snowed a ton. Gotta love driving in the snow. It is also back down to about 20 below zero. Got to love Calgary! The weather is about predictable and Devins attitude! :) Just kiddin D Bone. But seriously, Calgary's motto is, if you don't like the weather in Calgary, just wait ten minutes. True statement.

So this week was a pretty good week, besides all of the awesome snow!

We were able to meet with our new investigators (Stephanie and her son Blake) quite often this week. It started off so amazing. They accepted dates to be baptized of February 19th. There will be a lot of work to do before that if that is the case. We have gone through the stop smoking program twice and they are doing pretty good. The joy of service as a missionary :) Come Sunday, they called us at 8 in the morning and Blake was sick. So we went and gave him a blessing. But we couldn't get them to come to church. So that means we have to push back the baptismal date until they come to church twice. We went and taught them after church, and things didn't seem to be going as good. Blake wasn't near as sure about baptism. We just need to go over and teach about the book of mormon. They are both really good people trying to get on the right path. But there are lots of issues set in the path. bummer. But we will work through them.

We also picked up another investigator, Leslie on saturday. She believes a lot of it. But didn't accept a date. We will continue to work with her eh.

Me and Elder Oliver are doing pretty good. If he gets his visa today or tomorrow or wednesday, then he would get shipped immediately to the MTC. If not, He will have to be here another six weeks. So we will see what happens. He will probably be here another transfer.

Mom the next transfer day is February 23rd. So in two weeks! If Elder Oliver stays I think I will be transferred. But I don't know.

Go Packers! We were getting updates through out the game from a member that would text us. It was funny. They are huge steelers fans so I was loving being on the good guys team! Now the only thing left that I will have to miss that I care about is the NBA finals.. To bad so sad!!!!! Jazz are going to win it all probably...

well I am going to go eat and do everything else that we are going to do today, probably play football or something. All is well in Zion

Love you all and miss you.

Thanks for all the good emails today! Good day :)

Love Elder Dastrup

Email from January 30th, 2011

Loving Life.

This week was so sweet. The baptisms went picture perfect. Well for the most part. And the confirmations were even better.

But I will start off with the beginning of our week first!

We were able to teach Jefferson and Edith Several times through out the week, and every single time we taught them, they got more and more excited about their baptisms. It was awesome. Edith, from time to time, would get scared about going down in the water. But we assured her many times that we would both be right there to make sure she doesn't drown. But she got to know me to well, she kept just saying, "I know you, you would keep me under just as a joke!" All though that would be funny. Not the right time or place. As she said that. I thought of Grandma June and the famous pumas stone! hahahahahahahh Didn't want to get involved there. Through out the week we saw so many miracles.

We were walking back to our car (30 minute walk) and we got to a stop light, and a lady looked back and said JW's? (Jehovah's Witnesses?) We just laughed and said nope, guess again. She got it the second time. But we were able to start walking and talking with her for about 10 minutes before she went her other way. We invited her to take the lessons and she accepted. We went back to teach her two day s later and we set a baptismal date for the 19th of February. We have a ton to work with her. But she just keeps telling us how much she has been searching for truth lately, then we showed up. The Lord definitely placed her in our path. We went over again last night and just taught her son. He also accepted a invitation to be baptized on the 19th. Being able to invite someone to be baptized in every lesson is the DOCTRINE OF CHRIST. And miracles come from doing just that.

We also picked up two other investigators yesterday that live in our building. Fred and his girlfriend walked in half way through the lesson, Oyla. It went pretty good. They have lots of questions. Didn't accept the baptismal invitation but they want to find out if it is true. And at that point, they will. They are way nice and down to earth. I am really excited for that.

On Wednesday this week it was 13 degrees above zero. That is probably like 65 degree F. maybe? But then by Friday night, Saturday morning we received a foot of snow and it was back down to 10-15 below zero. Gotta love the Canadian weather. Always a surprise up here! I had a good time driving in it. Fun stuff.

That didn't stop up from having our baptism. It was sooooooooo awesome. Both the services were combined. So I started out by giving a talk on baptism, but I forgot my talk, so I was just winging it! Fun stuff. Then the Bishop gave a good talk on the Holy Ghost. Jeff got baptized first by his uncle. The smile on his face coming out of the font was priceless. So awesome. Then Me and Elder Oliver helped Edith down in. She can't go backwards because of medical reasons. So we went forwards! But it took three tries. Her back just did not want to go all the way down! But we got it. She was being so funny though. It was soooooooo spiritual. Then at church the next day, Bishop confirmed her a member of the church and after the blessing she just sat there for about 10 seconds, then pretty loud said "This is the BEST day ever." It was sweet! Then Jefferson was next, and he was confirmed by his uncle and afterwards he gave the Coach Warner fist pump. I was loving it! They are both so excited and can't wait to start serving in the ward. Jeff Is receiving the Aaronic Priesthood next week! Pretty cool eh?

So I would say it was a pretty solid week. Except for emails this week. haha I really only got one from mom, but its all good!

Mom I am getting your letters, I got two this week. So I think that makes three now. And I have gotten a couple from dad. But None from Rachel. I think she made that up :)

I am sending home a package tomorrow, it doesn't have anything to special in it. But it does have pictures :) so At least it will be something good. The rest is just stuff I am done using so it can come home!

So I think that is about it this week. 15 months under my belt! I love all of you and can't wait to get packages from all of you :)

Love Elder Dastrup