Dear Elder Slavens

Dear Elder Slavens
Elder Trenton J Slavens
Thailand, Bangkok/Arizona, Gilbert/
Texas Houston East
Elder Dallin J Slavens Cambodia, Phnom Penh
Elder Chancellor J Slavens Idaho, Twin Falls
Showing posts with label Elder Johnson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Elder Johnson. Show all posts

Monday, September 1, 2014

I Wish I Had a Bike So I Wouldn't Get Fat

Well helloooooo there errbuddy.

Guess what! I totally did not find my wallet at all this week! It's still totally gone. And now my parents are sending me a new temporary driver's license, which means I am not going to be getting an Idaho license, which means all of this was in VAIN! But I guess that's alright - it at least means I don't have to take the Idaho driving test, which would probably include a bunch of obscure questions about tractors that I would have no idea what to do with. So there's a plus. Thanks for saving me the pain, Mom.

Anyway, this week! It was good. First of all, we got our transfer calls! And I'm STAYING MUAHAHAHAHA. I'm gonna stick around in Paul to be the District Leader and take over the world. Elder Josephson, however, is OUTTA here!! And where is he going, you might ask? WENDELL HAHAHAHA. He's going to the area I was in for like a billion years and he's going to LOVE it! Seriously, we got our transfer calls and learned that and I just flipped out 'cause I'm so excited about it. He's gonna meet all these sweet people and hear a bunch of horrible stories about me and whatnot. Uh-oh, I guess.

Oh yeah, and I'm TRAINING again. Man, they gotta stop giving me greenies to ruin - I guess I just haven't gotten it right yet.

So yeah, this has been a good week. Working with a bunch of really cool people who want to do good things and it's all just such a blessing! Out of the blue, one of our REALLY OLD un-progressing investigators showed up to church this week and I was just like broooooo, no way. It's all worth it when you see great stuff like that happen - you just realize that this really is the Lord's work and He's got a plan for everything! Hopefully we can see that investigator start to progress some more!

Life's just good. We have so many awesome members here that support us and do all they can to hasten the work in there sphere. We walked into a Sunday School lesson this Sunday and the teacher was basically just firing everybody up about missionary work and it was just really cool to see! It helped me to realize that I'm not all alone in this and that I should definitely do better to utilize the awesome members we have here.

So yup, that's pretty much my week! Been a good one. Transfers are coming this week and I'll have my new greenie ready to go and I'll send a picture and all that cute stuff. Alistense.

I wub you aww.

Elder Slavens

Monday, August 25, 2014

And the Rains Came Tumbling Down

You know those weeks that come up where you're just like "Holy moly, is it possible to endure any more trials than I've experienced this past week?" Those are tough weeks, huh?

Well this week wasn't quite THAT bad. But sometimes ya just gotta stop and think why me?

I lost my wallet this week.

Every week after our district meeting we go out to lunch together and just have a grand old time - one of my favorite moments of the week in which we can build some district unity and get to know each other over a giant pizza or something. Well this week we went to a burger joint and wrapped up and immediately after that I ran off with another Elder, named Elder Jones, to do an exchange. Since then I have not seen hide nor hair of my dang wallet! I'm convinced that it was stolen by an alien or something in that burger joint and that that alien's like doing tests on it to find out how he can clone me. I guess that'd be pretty cool, but like seriously, I NEED MY WALLET.

This is causing me no end of grief. First of all, I have no money. Which obviously is not good. Second of all, I have no driver's license. And these two things are very much conflicting. You see, I need my driver's license to drive! So I asked the mission about how I can get a hold of a new one, and their suggestion was to work on getting an Idaho driver's license. Which I think would be pretty cool anyway, so maybe this is all worth it. But the problem is, IT COSTS MONEY to get a new driver's license! But my debit card is gone as well! And I can't get a new one WITHOUT MY DRIVER'S LICENSE to prove that I'm a bona fide Elder Slavens! BLAAHHHHHHHHHH. It's like Inception or something, just the wallet version. Thankfully it hit me earlier that I have a passport!!!!!!!! Woo! Thank goodness I went to the Mexico MTC which required I bring a passport - I'm convinced that THAT is the reason I went to Mexico: so that I would have my passport at this point in time, allowing me to obtain a new debit card, which will in turn allow for me to get a new driver's license, and then I will be good to go. But sheesh though.

On top of that my temple recommend is MIA, so hopefully some snot isn't going through the temple every day unworthily. That would be bad.

But whatever, we'll get it all worked out, don't worry guys!

On the bright side, Elder Josephson and I set a baptismal date this week with one of our solid investigators, Arlene! She's so ready to make that covenant, I just can't wait! In our most recent lesson with her she described to us an experience she had recently in which she was at the death-bed of a super old LDS lady who like received an epiphany for Arlene, saying that she needed to not be afraid of the temple and she needed to read her scriptures every day and go to church and all this super important stuff! And Arlene says that that experience strengthened her testimony like no other and that now she's more ready than ever to take that step! How cool is that? So pray for Arlene that everything goes smoothly with baptism - and for meas well, that everything goes smoothly with my wallet.

I hope everyone can see the silver lining this week, 'cause there always is one!

Elder Slavens

Monday, August 18, 2014

Life Is Life

OH NOOOOO THIS WEEK WAS PRETTY DANG TYPICAL AND I'M HAVING A HARD TIME COMING UP WITH SOMETHING INTERESTING TO REPORT ON. OHHHHHHH NOOOOOOOO.

Eh, I guess I'll just do my best with what my feeble mind can remember.

As previously screamed, this has been a more or less typical week in terms of missionary work in Paul, Idaho. There ain't really any super hilarious stories or anything like that. Now, Mom, keep in mind that that doesn't necessarily mean it was a bad week! I have no complaints! But I guess I just don't have many paragraphs flowing out of my fingers.

You know, some people may look at a mission like Twin Falls, Idaho and think "Dang, these kids probably get like a billion baptisms on their missions 'cause it's just so easy there." But I'm here to tell you that leading people into the waters of baptism is not an easy feat, no matter where the heck you go! It's been a real struggle finding those who are really ready to make that huge change in their lives, especially as a Spanish missionary.

A good percentage of the Latino population that we visit lets us right in because they think they'll be condemned if they don't, but then don't commit themselves to making the changes that we invite them to make! It's like c'mon, do you even wanna see Jesus again?? I figured as I started my mission that it'd be a walk in the park to convince these people of the truthfulness of our message. But oh boy, was I wrong! I've learned a lot since being out here about humility and patience. These people aren't baptismal statistics, they are individuals who all need something different. And you need to put all you've got into finding out what their specific needs are and helping them decide to change, rather than feel forced or pushed into it. A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still!

I've loved my mission every step of the way, even though it has most certainly not been a walk in the park! I suppose it's been more of a sprint in the park. It's beautiful all along the way, but it's harrrrrrrrd.

I guess there's my little schpeel for the week. Not probably what most people wanted to hear, but I suppose it's what I wrote! Whoops! Hopefully something loco happens this week that'll give me like 20 paragraphs' worth of good story. Anyway, I hope everyone has a wonderful week and that you're praying every day and reading your scriptures and all that good stuff, because those are the things that make life grand! Paz y amor, locones mios.

Elder Slavens

Monday, August 11, 2014

Woah, I'm On a Mission

Whut is up. Bro. Duuuuuuuuuuuuude.

How is everyone doing this fine week? It is a mighty fine one, if I may say.

This week has been FULL. I've been moving like nonstop and now my legs are sore. Not really, but I just want to give you an idea of how much I've been moving.

Now that I'm the District Leader 'roun' these parts I've got a few new responsibilities that I wanna touch on. First of all, this week we had a Leadership Training Meeting that I was just stoked for. Basically this is a meeting where all of the missionaries in leadership positions come together to learn how to be better leaders. On top of that there's almost always
some big announcement of sorts in which we are told about some new proselyting technique we're gonna adopt, or the introduction of some new materials, or perhaps iPads - I guess you just never know. It wasn't iPads this time, so don't get your hopes up. I already did that for you.

There actually wasn't really any big news at all, which was a little disappointing. Not to say it was a bad meeting! No sir! I learned a lot about how to be a servant rather than a tyrant. We talked a lot about that. However, there was one segment in which President Curtis asked all of the missionaries if there were any rules that they wanted clarified, and oh man. They jumped on that question like a bunch of rabid dogs. Everyone was bringing up all of these super trivial things about like whether or not we can ride lawn mowers and stuff and I was like ughhhhhhhhh. We did that for like an hour or two, man. Kinda silly. I feel like if you have a situation like that and you really, truly and sincerely want to know the most appropriate way to deal with it and be obedient, then a simple prayer will do. No need for all of these firework displays. I feel like some
missionaries just want so badly to be viewed as 'obedient' that they just make themselves look silly. Or maybe I'm just cynical. Ah well!

I was especially excited for this meeting, however, because afterward we do this BIG MONSTER exchange where all of the leaders in the mission mix up and join other leaders for the rest of the day. I was stoked because I figured it'd be a good opportunity to shove off and see some part of the mission that I'd probably never lay my eyes on otherwise 'cause I'm a
Spanish missionary. Ah well, that wish wasn't granted - I ended up hanging out in Paul for the exchange, but that wasn't a big deal, because it was a super good experience anyway! I had the opportunity to serve for the day with Elder Williams, one of the Spanish Exchange Elders (basically meaning they go on exchanges with lots of Spanish missionaries to help them out with stuff). It was a lot of fun and I learned a ton about teaching simply and being humble. I liked the exchange a lot!

Aaaaaaaaannnnd then on Friday I had the chance to go on another exchange with one of the Elders in my District because that's another responsibility I have as the District Leader! It's a lot of fun being able to throw in my two cents to these other missionaries, because in fact, I'm the oldest missionary in my District! Weeeeird. So I guess I've more or less had a bit of experience, and I like being able to impart my sub-sage wisdom. I do my best, alright?

We've been teaching lots of cool people that are progressing well. I guess not lots but we're definitely seeing movement. I'll update you on that next time!

Have a bootifoo week!

Elder Slavens

Monday, August 4, 2014

I Guess That's Fair

Well, my friends! This week has been a week of weeks! Obviously.

The meat and potatoes (I'm an Idahoan now) of this week was the Minidoka County Fair. A good amount of time has been spent the last few weeks preparing for the fair that went down this last week. Long story short, our ward mission leader is part of the fair board, and he wanted to help us set up a booth to get people interested in the church. We decided to have our focus be family history work because that's one of the more relatable subjects that our church stresses. Now, unfortunately, I have like no time to explain all of the stuff that happened at the fair. Suffice it to say that it pretty much didn't work out. Whoops! I think the booth looked just a little bit too "hertiagey", and that being the case, nobody was all that interested. But all of the missionaries in the zone spent pretty much all their time this week at the fair, which ended up showing in our key indicators (meaning the whole zone got pretty much no lessons and stuff). Well we learned from that! They're hoping to do it next year as well, and learn from what didn't really work out this year. But hey, no worries! Life is life.

That's literally like all we did this week. And I'm pretty much out of time, so I can't really make up some interesting story like I usually would do! I'm sorry! Next week I'll bring something that'll blow your socks off of your feet.

I hope you all have a great week and keep Jesus in your thoughts! Until next time!

Elder Slavens

Monday, November 11, 2013

Oh No, I'm 1/6 Done. :(


Has the time flown by that fast?? What the heck, I've been out for 4 months now? This is crazy pants!
 Anyway, what a week!! It's been so awesome and I've had so many awesome experiences that I don't even know where to begin!! First of all, my birthday was on Tuesday! I'm 20 years old now, suckas! Although that really means nothing at all on a mission, and it was very much a regular day, so I don't have much to report on there. Basically I made myself a cake, sang myself happy birthday, and scarfed it all down, fearsomely quickly. Then we went out and taught people about Jesus.
But we've seen some incredible progress this week! Just last Sunday, Fast Sunday, we had our fasting and testimony meeting in the Spanish group, in which like 15 people were present, and this woman - a nonmember - got up and bore her testimony. She said that she didn't know much about the mysteries of God or how everything works, but that she knew He exists, that He loves her, and that He wants what's best for her. I was blown away by this woman's faith! She wasn't even an investigator or anything, just a woman who decided to come to our church one day! She then finished her testimony by saying that she's interested in the idea of baptism and wants to know what that's all about, so could the missionaries please come over and teach her? What?? That doesn't happen!!
We set up an appointment with the lady, named Adilia, and taught her the next day. She agreed to be baptized on the 23rd of November, and wants her family to join her! We had another lesson with all of them, and like every single member of that family is super duper receptive and can't wait to hear more! What a blessing!!
Other that that, we just got transfer calls last night! Bad news: Elder Johnson's being sent elsewhere to be a District Leader, and I don't know who my next companion will be! I've had an awesome time with Elder Johnson, and it's going to be a major bummer to see him go. But I suppose that's how mission life is, right? I'll fill you guys in on that next week!
Now that's pretty much the biggest thing that has happened this week, so I don't have much else to talk about! Just lots and lots of cows, and that's about it. The potatoes have been harvested, so Idaho's significantly less exciting at the moment.
I hope you al have a wonuhfuh wonduhfuh week, and I send you all hugs and kisses! Peace!
Elder Slavens

Monday, November 4, 2013

I'm At the Point Where There's Music On the Radio I Don't Recognize. Uh-oh.

Howdy, y'all! Is everyone doing wonderful?? Good to hear, good to hear!

I'm doing wonderful myself as well! It's been an absolutely awesome week, despite how long it's felt! Unfortunately the baptisms seem to have stopped at this point, but we're still working at it! We finally actually have some time to breath, however, which has been a rather backward blessing in and of itself. Boy, baptisms are stressful to plan!

Strangely enough, however, Elder Johnson and I seem to have become rather accustomed to stressful work, and at this point now that everything's slowing down, we really don't know what to do with ourselves. We've really got too much time on our hands, don't we?? Well apparently not. It's really been an incredible blessing, all of the success Elder Johnson and I have seen as of late. We pray and pray all the time, just thanking our Father in Heaven for all of the change we've been able to see in these people.

We've been seeing a lot of recent converts and less-actives recently, which has been so awesome. It's so cool to see people who've been led away find the path and once again make steps toward the Celestial Kingdom! It's also a huge blessing to see those who are just getting started, and helping them make those steps.

Now unfortunately, I don't have much time today because I was just informed that we have to make a drive to Twin to get our beautiful Jeep EXCHANGED!! I've absolutely fallen in love with this car, and I'm gonna be so sad to see it go. But I'm also hugely thankful that I've had the opportunity to enjoy it while it lasted, and I know that there are other missionaries out there without that blessing! Yuck.

So I hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Keep your chins up!

-Elder Slavens

Monday, October 28, 2013

His Eye Is On the Sparrow

Hola! Como estan todos??

Yet another crazy fast week rolls by in the slow town of Wendell, ID. It's been such an awesome week, and I've had some pretty crazy experiences! Elder Johnson and I are on a roll, and the mission's just a blast.

So this week, we had our 3rd baptism in a row!! It's complete insanity, and we're so thankful for all of the miracles we've been seeing over the past month! The baptizee (?) is a woman named Gloria Vital. She just recently got married to the son of one of the Spanish members in our group. The son's a super recent convert to the church, and they're both really excited about raising their family in this gospel! So we've been teaching this girl for the past month, and they just wanted to plow right through the lessons and get her baptized ASAP! Unfortunately, Elder Johnson and I couldn't just dunk her, because we really wanted to help her understand what it was she was getting into! So we've been taking it slow and making sure she really comprehends what the church is all about. And every time we visit her, she gets more and more excited to make it a part of her life!

It's been so cool to see the change in this family's life as we've taught them more and more about how the gospel can truly bless their whole family's life, including that of their son that's to be born in like December! Did I mention she's like WAY pregnant? She's this tiny little girl, and Luis, her husband, is a BIG boy. That means big baby. The plan was for Luis to baptize her, but the glitch was that they HAD to get it right the first time because dunking this pregnant woman in the water over and over again just didn't sound quite right. So we made all the proper preparations, including making sure the font was extra full, and stuff like that.

On Sunday we had the opportunity to see Gloria be baptized by her husband. It was absolutely beautiful to see this family become completed in the eyes of God. I could just feel Him smiling over the whole goings-on. I can't wait to see how they'll progress as a couple in the gospel and have kids who grow up in the truth! It was an amazing thing to see, and it really strengthened my testimony of the importance of a strong family built on the foundation of Christ, with the priesthood there to bless them along the way. I want to have a family like that.

So this was an incredible week, and i just love what I've been blessed to see out here! I hope you all have a great week!

Elder Slavens


Monday, October 21, 2013

Tengo Gozo En Mi Alma Hoy


Well hi there, everyone!! Hope you're all doing well! You know I am!
This week has been absolutely insane. Easily the best week on my mission, and equally as easily the most exhausting. I am pooped! But I'm beyond happy too! I suppose that's how a mission should be, right?
The spotlight of this email is going to be... Mario Reyes! I believe I discussed this kid a bit last week. 18 years old? Has a twin? Yup, that one! Well I've got quite the story for you. Remember how he was having troubles making the decision to be baptized, and we helped him set the goal to be baptized on November 9th? Well I laugh in November 9th's face now! Bahahaha! You see, Elder Johnson and I witnessed a miracle this week. Just the day after I last wrote you guys, we got a text from Mario. He said "Elders". We said "Mario". He said "Yup". (That's how we communicate with Mario. Every time he has something to tell us, he says "Elders", we say "Mario", he says "Yup". Then we get down to business.)
Anyway, we asked him what's up, and he said something amazing had happened! He had been on Mormon.org chatting with a sister missionary, and she mentioned something about the spirit of revelation -- and suddenly everything just clicked! It all fell into place, and the time had come. He was ready for baptism! Not only that, but he wanted it more than anything, like, as quick as possible. So Elder Johnson and I were sitting there discussing how soon we should plan this baptism. Our discussion was interrupted by another text from Mario: "This Saturday."
AAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!
We were literally jumping around the room and screaming, we were so stoked (and so freaked out at the same time). How the heck are we gonna plan a whole baptism in like 4 days?? There's a lot more to consider than you'd think, my friends! So this kid only knows like a couple families in the English ward (by the way, he speaks to us in English), so we figured we'd get them to do the talks and stuff. We asked one family and they, collectively, were down to do the two talks, play the piano, say one of the prayers, and conduct the meeting. So basically the success of this baptism was riding on the presence of this family. We were working with them the whole week to get the thing all organized. But halfway through the week we were told that, because of schedule changes and whatnot, they weren't gonna be able to make it on Saturday! You can imagine our stress.
We decided we'd break the rules a little bit and have the baptism on Sunday. That seemed to work nicely for everyone, and a huge weight was lifted off Elder Johnson and I. It was put back on when our Spanish Group President told us that we would be giving talks in Sacrament Meeting - in the Spanish Group - in Spanish. Ew, gross. But I quickly forgot about that stress when we were sent another text from Mario, in which he said "I've made a decision about who does what for my baptism. Elder Slavens, it would be an honor if you would baptize me."
AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!
This was a first for me, that's for sure! So Sunday rolled around, and I had the opportunity to baptize Mario Reyes. It was such a miracle to see the change in this kid that I met just a short couple weeks ago. When he came up out of the water, he had this gigantic smile on his face, and I was so happy I could hardly hold it in! It was so beautiful to see, and I'll never forget it. I love being a missionary and being able to bring this happiness that I feel every day to people who're lost in this world. They need us, and we need to help them. This is the Lord's work, and having the opportunity to push it forward - even just a bit - is the most wonderful blessing.
My talk went alright!! Ish. I spoke for like 7 minutes, though I was asked to speak for 20. My grammar was pretty half hazard, but the spirit was there! So that was a fun opportunity to have as well.
Anyway, this has been an incredible week, and I'm so thankful that I got to experience it! I love you all, and I'll talk to you next week!!
Elder Slavens


The Baptism of Mario Reyes.


I write "Elder Slavens loves you." on the Seminary class' board, 
and this is what I get in return.


We have a Lego robot, and put it in a different position every day. 
I think this one wins.


The "District Master", Elder Franks.

Monday, October 14, 2013

And the Plot Thickens

Best week out here so far, you guys! Woo!!

How is everyone? I miss you all times a bajillion and hope your lives are going just swell!

I'm doing so great. Things are picking up like crazy in the Twin Falls mission, and it's so cool to be a part of! Elder Johnson and I have had an amazing week, we've learned so much, and it's just been tons of fun! We've been keeping ourselves mighty busy, that's for sure. The weeks are moving so quickly, but the days themselves feel like ages!

First off: I had my first baptism this week!! Now before we get all excited, it was pretty much a done deal before I even showed up. But I still took part, and I'm pretty proud of that! The baptizee (baptizee?) is a kid named Francisco Diaz, 8 years old, and a complete genius. His parents aren't members, which is why Francisco was officially an investigator baptism, although it was basically a member baptism anyway. Like I said, his parents aren't members, but they basically are. His mom, for all intents and purposes, is a member. She has a calling and everything. Been active for like 4 years or something like that. Just hasn't made the covenant. The reason she hasn't been baptized is that her husband feels like he's not ready to take that step yet. But they have 4 little boys, and all of them have been baptized! It's kind of a backward situation, but we're trying to push them in the right direction! Anyway, the baptism was absolutely beautiful. Francisco's two older brothers both gave talks and they did so well. The spirit was stinking palpable in that room, and I know the dad felt it! We're gonna hop on that right away, and tell him it's just time, man! I'll keep you updated!

The other big thing that happened this week was our lesson with Mario Reyez. Mario's and awesome kid. He's 18 years old, and has a twin brother named Mariano. Mariano was actually baptized a few months ago, and now we're focusing on his brother. Mariano's story is absolutely insane. Just like 2 years ago, he was a straight up meth addict - on the run from the cops. He was in a very bad place. But the missionaries got a hold of him and he turned his life around! He's active in the church, Christ is a part of his life -- a 180-degree turn. I wish I could've been there to see it. But now we're focusing on Mario, and I'm so excited about it! Mario very much reminds me of myself. He's very logical, and it sometimes makes it hard for him to completely wrap his mind around the idea of faith. He's been taught all the lessons and stuff, and thoroughly enjoyed them, but is scared to make a change in his life; especially when he can't be sure it's the right thing to do. So I told him that he needs to do exactly what I would have to do: take a leap of faith! I said often times in my life, I've found that I just need to trust in the Lord and do what I feel is right, even if all isn't made perfectly clear to me. You should've seen his face!! He just brightened up and said "Man, I've never thought of it like that before!" You can imagine how excited I got. We took like another hour talking about the importance of faith, and I asked him to read Alma 32 for homework. We ended up helping him set the goal to be baptized on November 9!! We're gonna keep swinging by and helping him achieve that, 'cause I know that it will help him in his life.

This has been such an incredible week. My testimony has grown so much, and I've learned tons. Thank you all for all the support you give me! I can feel your prayers, and you are in mine! Have a beautiful week, and I'll talk to you all next time!


-Elder Slavens

Monday, October 7, 2013

Even If You're On the Right Track, You'll Still Get Run Over If You Just Sit There

I'm back!! And better than ever!

How is everyone?? I know I ask that every week, and I can't actually get any legit responses, but just know that I care!!

Anyway, this has been such an awesome week! Lots of changes, and I really am doing better than ever. I got transferred this past Wednesday to a little town called Wendell, Idaho! It's teeny-tiny. Like, I thought Buhl was small. This is like half of Buhl, for realz. I didn't even know towns like this existed, but you learn something new every day, don'tcha? But anyway, Wendell is stinking great! Despite the tininess. There's actually more cows residing in Wendell than people, so that got a chuckle out of me.

My new companion is Elder Johnson from Georgia. Coolest dude in the world. He just loves this work and is helping me so much to really appreciate why I'm here. I've only known him for a couple days, but I just know we're gonna get a ton done together! We really take excellent advantage of our time and do our best to visit people who we feel truly need our help at that moment, so I feel like I'm being much more efficient than I was last transfer.

I've already met so many cool people here in Wendell and can't wait to get to know all of them! The interesting thing about this area is that Elder Johnson and I are only covering Spanish (unlike Buhl, in which I covered one English ward and all the Spanish-speakers), yet the area doesn't have an actual branch in Spanish. Basically, all we've got is like a group of Spanish-speaking members who don't belong to any ward or branch, and we're trying to figure out what to do with them! On top of that, Elder Johnson and I aren't even assigned to a specific ward ourselves, so we're all just a bunch of vagabonds trying to find a place in this world. It's quite the adventure. But I'm learning lots from it! Learning how to be resourceful and not waste time on the unimportant stuff.

So I WAS ON CONFERENCE!! Oh my gosh, did you guys see that?? I kinda freaked out a little. It was pretty darn funny. So Elder Valenzuela from the Quorum of the Seventy started showing pictures of the Mexico City MTC, right? And I was like 'Oh, that's where I went! Cool!' So he showed a picture of the courtyard of the MTC, then he showed a picture of a couple of sister missionaries walking along, and I elbowed Elder Johnson and was like "I bet you he'll show a picture of me!" And then the next picture WAS OF ME! I was laughing so hard, I couldn't even focus on like the next three talks. So yeah, I suppose I'm famous!!

Anyway, things are going so well right now, and I can't wait to get to work! I love my mission and the opportunity it's giving me to learn how the spirit works for me, and how the Atonement of Christ applies to me personally. And I love helping others apply those things to themselves as well. Everyone have a beautiful week, and I'll talk to you soon! Muah!

-Elder Slavens


Planner art


It is what it is.


Bye, Elder Casillas!


The new one