I'm Shook - October 29, 2018

This is our investigator Diana's Son Ian.

Elder Hale and I

Elder Murri and I

Diane at her baptism

Angel at his baptism. We forgot to take a picture in his jumpsuit

Hey everyone, Elder Turley here. So this week has legit floowwwnnn by, But it has been a solid week and I have loved every minute of it.

I was able to go on exchanges with Elder Hale in South bend. He is a Spanish missionary so it was super fun to go with him and we talked a lot of Spanish to each other. His trainer isn't really training him so he asked me a lot of questions and then he helped me out with my Spanish. But man it was fun to teach with him. The elder came in this transfer for the hermanas, and the hermanas always talked about their people to us so it was fun to go and actually teach the people that I kinda already knew about.

Then the next day I went with Elder Murri and we definitely bro'ed out lolol. I trained Elder Murri almost a year ago and it has been cool to see him change and open up more as a missionary. I definitely love the kid. We had a good time.

WE HAD 2 BAPTISMS. Yes that is very exciting. Diana has had a rough path but finally she got rid of the things that were holding her back. And she has changed so much. And when we first met Angel he legit said he didn't want to be baptized... Buuuutttt he got baptized.. Funny how that works huh...

Okay FUNNY STORY....

So yesterday Elder Moake and I get invited to come over and eat at this less actives house and her sister was going to be there and her sister and husband aren't members... So we go. And we eat. Then we all sit on the couch and we start teaching the restoration. And there were a lot of questions being asked. And we did our best to answer them but then ALL OF THE SUDDEN. One of the ladies calls her daughter over and pulls out her boob and just starts feeding her baby IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LESSON. I'm trying not to laugh so hard. Elder Moake is disgusted. Haha We just turned our attention over to the guys on the opposite side of the room. But it was hard because the chick kept asking questions... So you just couldn't break eye contact... And this is the reason why I am shook.

Also I'm pretty sick right now. I have no voice right now and my throat has been killing me. So hopefully it goes away soon and it's nothing serious. 

This week I have really been thinking about the chance that we have to let the gospel into our lives and for it to let us be changed... I love the concept of change. Whenever there is a new transfer I change the apartment. I change my Closet. I just like change in my life so I don't get stuck doing the same thing over and over again. And it has been awesome to see the change in Diana. Before her house was a mess, her life was a mess. But now when we go in, it's peaceful, there is a certain feeling in the house that wasn't there before. I have even seen my own life change because of the truthfulness of the gospel, And you guys all know that. I love hearing missionaries stories of why they are out here or how they got out here because it really motivates me. So this week I want everyone to think of your "why" ... Why do you wake up... Why do you go to work... Why do we go to church... Why should you all be reading the scriptures everyday even tho I know you aren't.... Why is it important to pray... Why do some people eat the crust first on bread.... 

Also shout out to my mom for the package this week

Love, your favorite missionary from Arizona in Indiana (sorry Elder Duford) 

Elder T❤️

Zone Conference South Bend - October 31, 2018

A great day with the South Bend Zone on Tuesday, October 31, 2018.

Snow - October 22, 2018

Elder Matz and my home boy Ricardo

 

It snowed for like 4 minutes!!

First things first....... I'm the realest.

This week has been cold... not just cold... but like cold....but not like that type of cold, cold..... but collldddd. because it snoooowwweeddd. For a solid 4 minutes and iIgot so excited that I almost crashed.... true story. but I'm fine. 

This week has been yet again another week. We went on three exchanges this week.  We got to go with the assistants. I love those guys.  I had the opportunity to go with Elder Bertagnole. I loveee him. We worked hard and we just broed out.... but funny story about this exchange is that they live in Indianapolis so they don't get fed Mexican food a lot so we thought "lets get as many meals as we can" ... so we make some phone calls. 

Monday night: chorizo and asada tacos with a part member family. 

Tuesday morning: breakfast with our neighbors who are very devout Pentecostal people, but they are from Costa Rica....

Tuesday for lunch: sopas de carnitas.... super good. and that was with a family we are teaching

Tuesday dinner: carnitas tacos with a part member family.

BUUTTT moral of the story is don't eat that much Mexican food in one day. it was badddd. We were all sick because we were so full. I bet I gained 17 pounds that day. We ate so much oil and grease. I mean it all tasted delicious but man it was a lot. So we are kinda Mexicaned out right now haha

Also I decided I am going to move to Costa Rica. This family was telling us they got round trip flight for 350 and then its 25 bucks a night to stay there.... hahaha its sooo cheap.  They said that they have a house waiting for me when I want to go. sooo you already know I'm going there. Soooo if my future potential wife is reading this... we are moving to Costa Rica.

So this Saturday we should have 3 people getting baptized so we are super excited and the branch is as excited as they will get about it so hopefully members will show up. The branch kinda slacks in the ~being a member~ aspect in the church. 

Everyone like I said these things need to be spiritual so get ready from some spirituality. So every third Sunday at church the missionaries speak on missionary work or whatever we want to talk on but sometimes our branch president doesn't have sacrament meeting planned until 10 min before hand. So we are sitting in his office. and I found out this morning I am going to be speaking so we go into his office and he is talking with us and the hermanas.  This week he only asked 2 of us to speak.  He gave us specific times to go till. So I was suppose to talk from 11;25 until 11;45... yes 20. min. in Spanish.... so I was terrified but I just thought "oh ill just talk about he restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ" so I get up there with nothing prepared but I was able to do it.  The thing that amazed me is how much we are truly blessed because of the restoration of the gospel. I was going through the different things we have in life now because of the restoration and it is basically everything. My testimony of the restoration has dramatically increased on my mission.... from nothing to (idk what word to insert here) everything?? you get the point.  Everyone who is still reading this...... the restoration is sooo important. Lately I have been really pondering what the restoration means to me and ultimately the thing that keeps coming to my mind is that I can have everlasting joy because of the gospel. sometimes in life we think we are happy or maybe Satan tricks us into thinking we are happy but that is not true happiness. True happiness is what I am feeling right now in my mission. It's what we feel when we truly UNDERSTAND AND LIVE the gospel. 

 Fun fact during my talk I didn't know how to say worship in Spanish so I turn around to the president and I say hey how do you say worship and he shrugs his shoulders and then the whole congregation starts shouting the word in Spanish so I just say "whatever you guys know what I'm trying to say" hahah it was funny. 

Alright everyone thanks for everything I love you all so much. 

love, 

Elder Turley

funny quote from this week (there were a few but I forgot to write them down so I forgot them) 

---- "dude that girl is like 12"....."but hey shes a pretty hot 12 year old" -------

Muchos Milagros - October 15, 2018

Why I wear the badge

 

 Elder Guymon and I (he wanted to wear our hats for the picture lol)

   

I forgot to take a pic with Elder Stevens but I did indeed take this picture of him. 

 My Little Brother Melquis Maradiaga

Alright everyone this week has been crazy busy. but also crazy fun. (what a time).... but man we have been on exchanges, we put people on date for baptism, and we even went to church. crazy. i know

So now let me tell you about all of these.... 

MONDAY: We are doing some service for Angel and Belinda Gutierrez, and after words she says "guys you need to ask Angel about baptism" and last week we challenged them to watch conference and for him to pray about a date for baptism.  So this time we ask him about him and he says "the 27 of October" we wereeeeeeee shoooook.  For the missionaries reading this that served in this area.. You know how crazy that is... because he has been kinda investigating for 12 years....  

TUESDAY: We go over to Sergio and Lenys house. They are a part member family and Sergio found a lot of anti stuff about the Church.  but the whole time he was telling us about this he kept saying "every time I watch these videos I just feel like they aren't right.. they are going against what I believe "and it's a miracle because he is wayyyyy less active.  His wife (nonmember) was like yeah they were saying mean things about the church. and then we talked about baptism and we put Leny and their daughter Odalys on date for the 27th!

WEDNESDAY: I went with Elder Guymon on exchanges.  I freakin love that dude. He is probably my favorite human being (sorry mom) we just bro'ed out. He also possibly made me change my future life plans #dixiestate but Elder Moake back in Elkhart met with Diana Tapia.  I love this girl. She has been struggling hardcore in life but she is finally getting back up on her feet.  We were like Diana you can finally be baptized.. when do you wanna do it?  and she saiiidddddd "the 27 of October!" 

THURSDAY:  I went with Elder Stevens on exchanges and he is probably my second favorite human being (sorry dad) but we also bro'ed out and worked hard.  I possibly changed his future life plans #dixiestate 

So basically we have been blessed this week and there have been plenty more milagros (miercoles) (I guarantee Elder Bearnson is laughing right now) but yes the 27th of October is going to be WEEETTTTT  I'm pumped.  But yes this week has been fantastic.  We are just grinding hard because #grinddontstop

We are definitely blessed in life when we are obedient to the commandments. I have seen this to be true so much in my mission and especially in this last week. Elder Moake and I have been killing it in the obedience department lately.  We are only going up from here. Also thanks to Elder Guymon I read a talk this week called "Lord, I Believe" from Elder Holland in 2013 and it is definitely my favorite talk because of my reason of why I am on a mission. It talks exactly of my conversion story and it just blew me away. So y'all should go and read that. 

Love,

Your favorite Spanish speaking farmer missionary in Elkhart,

Elder Turley 

Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, Cats and Dogs - October8, 2018

Yummy cajun talapia and shrimp

 

 

Elder Schemel and I on exchanges.  Selfie with Elder Forsberg

Mission Leadership Council at the mission home was on Friday (October 5, 2018). Plans for our next zone conference were discussed. It was pouring rain when it was time to take a photo so we took one inside..... (mission face book page)
MLC gang.  Prez Carlson while we are taking this picture says "Elder Turley, where did you get those socks?" #rebuked

The new Spanish squad at MLC

 keep striving to follow the commandments but don't get down on yourselves when you make mistakes

I hope everyone had the opportunity to watch conference.  I know I received some personal revelation.... I went in with some questions and I came out with some answers....but I loved the over all theme of this conference, for me it seemed like they talked a lot about self conversion and relating the gospel to yourself.  Lately that has been what I have been focusing on so it has been perfect for me! Not like I struggled or anything... I just wanted a deeper conversion and I have been striving to immerse myself in the gospel as much as I can lately and this conference definitely hit home for me.  I hope you guys all watched it and had the same experience I had and that you guys were able to learn something... my next challenge is I am going to try and read all of President Nelsons conference talks and study them so I can have a greater testimony of the prophet.

A couple weeks ago I finished the book "Saints" that the Church just released and wow I loved it.... and I know the people back home that just read that are like "whhhattttt?? he actually read a book?" ha ha yeah I know its weird. I think the last book I actually read, that wasn't the scriptures, was "Percy Jackson" back in like middle school. The book "saints" helped strengthen my testimony of the early saints and in the prophet Joseph Smith. and I definitely was addicted to it. I read that thing nonstop and whenever I had free time. My face was sucked into my phone to read the book. So y'all should read it. 

This week we went on exchanges with the Spanish Elders over in South Bend.  I went with Elder Schemel and he is a stud... he is very exactly obedient(: and he is kinda robotic but I helped him out the best I could and tried to teach him how to have fun.  We went by and visited a couple people that they are working with. But one person i want to mention is Jose.... they don't know his last name but they have multiple Joses but this Jose lives on Palauski Street... so he goes by "Jose on Palauski"... buttt we had a lesson with him and it was fun to actually have someone who was fluent in Spanish to be my companion. Elder Schemel taught me a lot of Spanish.  Jose on Palauski was saying how he doesn't have much work right now because its going into winter and construction kinda shuts down here because of the snow and the cold.  He asked what I wanted to do in life and I brought up the possibility of maybe having my own company in Arizona..... (or wherever I live) and he said "okay ill come work for you" and I was like alright i'm down but you don't know anyone there, who are you going to live with? and he says "well I know you now and i'm sure your future wife wont mind if I just stay with you guys"... so I now have a new future roommate.... but he is like a 50 years old Hispanic with a really long pony tail... hahaha

 We had MLC (mission leadership council) and that was pretty good. We got to stay the night with the Assistants to the President and I love them. They are dope.... we are super tight with them. and mlc was great. I learned a lot and Elder Moake and I have more motivation after leaving that to better help our zone.... 

Well my week was good. I cant really remember anything else.  Just know I am doing really well in the mission right now and I am the happiest I have ever been right now. I have truly seen the promise that we can have more happiness as we labor among his children. I know this gospel can bring us happiness when we live it. I know following the commandments can be hard and following rules can be hard but I have definitely seen my life and the lives of other be blessed from my obedience to the rules and the commandments... keep striving to follow the commandments but don't get down on yourselves when you make mistakes.... we have the fullness of the gospel which means we have the fullness of the Atonement... use it.... we can receive so many blessing when we use the atonement.

Elder T

A Changed Man - October 1, 2018

For their P-day they were able to go to Lake Michigan 

       

Juan Carlos gave us the tour of Notre Dame

            

    

        

Down town Elkhart with Elder Sheeran

 
We ate chicken foot soup one night. It was pretty good but really wierd haha  This kid is legit one of my favorite humans on this earth...this is Melquis.  He is Christians little brother.

My man James the Mormon or JTM...It was so cool of him to send his testimony for our investigator Christian.

For those missionaries that served up here...y'all know Moake talked so much crap that he was a good at chess and has trophies.  Then he played this kid and the kid wrecked him. hahah made my day.

We are pretty well know in the streets here. haha

For your protection please keep arms, legs and any loose items inside the vehicle at all times because it's about to get ~juicy~

This week has been the longest but best week of my entire mission. I have been looking forward to p-day all week but these last couple days have beeeeen crazy cool!

OKAY I HAVE SOME WICKED STORIES TO SHARE.... 

So we have someone that we are working with, and his name is Christian. He is 16 and he just got out of juvy and he is currently on probation. He has been through a lot in his life already. Drugs, alcohol, and girls and more drugs. Ha ha but he has seen it all. And he has messed up while on probation and now he has a court date tomorrow to decide if his probation just gets extended or if he gets locked up again... But man we have worked so hard with Christian and I would legit call him one of my best friends out here on the mission. We are so tight with him.  He has taught me a lot.  Saturday we just sat down with him and he just let It all out. This guy was crying and I was able to tell him a little about my story and it was cool to be able to put myself into his shoes and help him out the best I could. And we gave him a priesthood blessing and man I just love this dude... Everything finally clicked in his head and now he knows he has the power to control his life. Saturday night was probably a night I will look back on for the rest of my life. You guys don't know the jist of it... Tears were shed, hugs were given and memories were made.

Sunday was WILD... obviously, we went to church. But we beat my record for people at church and we got not 1, not 2, not 3, not 4, not 5, not 6, not 7, not 8 BUT 7 people that we are teaching to come to church. We have been trying to get people to come to church ever since I got here and finally some of them came through and decided to Come. Also our abuela came so that's lit. BUTTTT the day gets better. We go and visit Christian and Elder Moake had the thought to show Christian a post of James The Mormon... Now known as JTM. And it talks about his past and where he has been and how he served a mission. And it gave Christian some hope. Because he wants to serve a mission. Sooooo Elder Moake and I have a crazy idea to MESSAGE James the Mormon and we explained who we were and a little about Christian and we asked for Some words of advice. And guess what........ He didn't respond. Lol

. 

.

SIKE HE RESPONDED.  He sent us a private link to a fireside he spoke at and he said we couldn't share it with everyone because it's not Open to the public.... And we are like "dude no way he freaking responded to us that's awesome" then 3 minutes go by and HE SENDS US A VIDEO of him bearing his Testimony of the gospel. And he even addressed the video to Christian.... So we are going to show Christian the video tonight. It's gunna be awesome. And he told us to let him know how it goes... He are legit doing missionary work with James the mormon... How cool is that?

Also last p-day we went to lake Michigan.... It's basically the ocean just not salty and no waves.... So ya you are right... It's nothing like the ocean. Then we went and toured Notre Dame and Juan Carlos took us around and showed us everything. 

But man this week has been super cool. My mindset to the work has changed dramatically and I have changed personally a lot. Right now I would say I am probably the happiest I have ever been in my life and I am completely devoted to God. But the biggest difference I have seen is just my attitude towards the work... Before I kinda just went through the motions and yeah I loved the work already. But this past week I have set some good goals with people and last week I had some good Discussions with other people (who will not be named but shout out to you because you a real homie) about life and how I can be better (:

FUNNY QUOTES:

Melquis: *rips a huge fart* "OHHH YEAHHHH BABBBYYY" 

A convo with melquis.... I said "melquis your hair looks gooood today" he says "thanks elder Turley, yours looks.... Not good, sorry" "Elder Turley are we still friends even tho your hair looks bad" 

Elder T