CHRISTMAS!!!! Google Video - December 25th, 2011

Christmas Day! We got up early. Our Christmas tree fell over that morning as Jim was putting some last minute gifts behind the tree for Alisa (yay!)! That was exciting! Elder Peterson and Elder Haycock came over and brought their Christmas their families had sent them! We had our Christmas and saw what Santa had in store for us this year.

Sportin' our GATOR SHIRTS!!!!

Levi sent us a package - all of us got "GATOR" shirts! Now we are not necessarily all "Florida Gator" fans. However - if you haven't noticed, Elder Wise refers to all investiGATORS as "Gators". So, thus they are all "Florida Gators"! :)

We went to sacrament meeting where Alisa sang in the choir and also played "Christmas Walz - The First Noel" by David Lanz, and all-time favorite. It was a wonderful program where they Primary sang, the YM/YW sang, Brother Gurney gave an incredible talk, the ward choir sang....just an amazing church program. 

Elder Wise!!!!! ((((((((((HUGS)))))))))) (and a kiss from mom)

We came immediately home and contacted the Tilton family. They had contacted us earlier in the week to set up the Google Video accounts and get ready for Sunday. We got hooked up and began to chat! 

Jim and Elder Wise!

"Oh how sweet it is"....to see Elder Wise's face, hear his voice and see how great he is doing! He has such a strong testimony, he is being so obedient to the mission rules - knowing that it will bring him happiness and success. He wants to waste no time on his mission, but use every minute and day to his best. He expressed how a current missionary that he lives with is already going home next transfer and it seems so strange because when he first arrived, that missionary had over 6 months left! So Levi expressed this is his first taste  of how fast time flies and he cannot waste one minute! 

There was one moment when I said, "Awesome!" He told us that their mission trains them very strictly to not use "slang" words such as "awesome", "like", "freaking", etc....this must have been very hard for Levi because he was the KING of slang before he left! He sound so professional, however, and I think it is a wonderful thing that when you represent Jesus Christ, that you sound and present yourself in a professional manner! We could really tell he was striving to do the right thing. 

Stockton could not stop smiling while talking to Levi! 

It was fun to watch his brothers talk to him and look up to him. 

Stockton had a smile from ear to ear as he was talking to his brother - about basketball etc. Levi told him to keep practicing and working out! He also asked him how his reading of the Book of Mormon was coming along! 

Teagen and Tish were able to "compare" mission experiences and talk about mission life! Teagen had some great advice to give. They teased him a bit about having to part his hair on the side. : ) 

BROTHERS....PRICELESS! "Are you going bald?" 

Levi and Micah were comparing "dating", girl and school experiences. Levi told him it wouldn't be long before he would be out on his mission, to prepare now! 

The hardest part about these wonderful phone calls - is saying goodbye! Tears stream after the phone/google video gets hung up. They are not so much tears of sadness - but of joy, longing, happiness - just MOTHER tears! My heart was just too full to hold all the emotions, so it started leaking through my eyes! 

Overall, it was such a wonderful 40 min! The best Christmas gift the Wise's could receive! It was fun having the Elders here for Christmas and having Christmas on Sunday!  

I can't wait to talk to him again on Mother's Day! 

LUNCH WITH A RELATIVE! - December 21, 2011

Elder Wise and Patrick Kane

Patrick writes this email: "Subway where we got sandwiches, really close to City Hall and the bridge over the St. John's River leading to East Palatka, part of his area Connar said. Elder Wise and Elder Wheeler as they arrived. And myself and Connar."

I love how he calls him Connar! :) Connar is Elder Wise's middle name and it's a combination of "Connie" (my deceased mother's name - I love her and miss her so much!) and Arvy (who is my great father's name). Thus...CONNAR! These are some great photos sent to me by Patrick Kane - after sharing their afternoon having lunch together!

I had asked Patrick to be sure to share some pics with me as I had not yet received any mission pics from Elder Wise (he's in big trouble for that...uh huh! :) THANKS PATRICK! 

Elder Wheeler and Elder Wise - showing up for lunch! 

FYI - Patrick is a cousin to my father - is this right Patrick? :) We just re-connected this last spring, and we found out he lives in Florida, about 2 hours from Jacksonville. So, he was "in the area", and had lunch with Elder Wise! So great!

The Bridge over St. John's River

Palatka City Hall

Downtown Palatka, FLORIDA

Subway! Elder Wise LOVES Subway! :) 

TALKING IN PERSON SOON! - December 19, 2011

TRANSFER INFO! I'm staying in Palatka again. I'll be spending at least 6 months here :O wooo.. AND BTW.. I hit my 6 month mark this last week. AND NO.. I didnt burn a tie. Thats a waste of money. (that's my boy!!)

Thank you so much for the package!! I really appreciate it! I only opened the scriptures. I'm waiting to open the rest until christmas day.

The way I am thinking the skype will have to work or google video.. whatever.. is I will have to call you at 4pm my time which is 1pm your time and then you can get me set up while we are talking and then we will get it going that way? Is that okay? Because right now, I dont have a member's house to go to. But I should have one by sunday. I was going to go to the Jensens but their computer broke down. So now I have to find another family.

My cell phone number is XXX-XXX-XXXX. Tell him he can call at any time (this was in reference to going to lunch with my dad's cousin who lives in Florida. Levi got permission from his mission president to meet up with him! Very cool!) . I might call him too. 

So we might just end up talking on the phone but I WILL DO EVERYTHING I CAN to make it so we can skype or google video or whatever.. But to start I will call you at 1pm your time and then we will get it set up? Is that okay?

And don't get mad at me but I could be spending a good 50 bucks on my personal card today because I am dry cleaning one of my suits. I need to laminate my Preach My Gospel and I am mailing you a package :/ YIKES!! So hopefully I can keep it down. But other than that I am doing amazing! Today's Pday is crazy so we decided as an apartment that we wouldn't take an hour on emails so I dont have much time. But I will talk to you on Sunday :) I am so excited! Make sure Teagen and Tish ARE THERE!!!!! (and they will be!!!! YAY!) 

I LOVE YOU!! email back to make sure plans are confirmed and then I gotta run :( Make sure you got the account set up before I call because when I call my 40 minutes start. BTW everything is going great! There is a lot of things going on here! And you get to hear all about it on Sunday! Merry Christmas.. I love you all!

I LOVE YOU MOM! TELL THE FAM I CANT WAIT TO SEE THEM. TELL THE WARD I SAY HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND THANK THEM FOR THEIR SUPPORT AND PACKAGES.... talk to you in 6 days :)

HAPPY 6 MONTH BIRTHDAY ELDER WISE!

Elder Wise "turns 6 months old" today - December 15th! Please wish him a "Happy Birthday" here on the blog by leaving some comments and wishing him a Happy Happy 6 month BIRTHDAY!!!!!!! Hip Hip Hooray! :) And what a great 6 month old he is :)

Trip to the ER - December 12th, 2011

Dear Family,

Well, last monday was crazy! I basically was driving Elder XXX (a missionary in my apartment) all around to different doctor appointments all day. He had been having massive headaches for awhile. They did a Cat Scan and called me in and told me that I needed to take him to an ER in Jacksonville because he might have an anurism. So we called Sister Barry let her know what was going on. Then we made a trip to Jacksonville. Basically, the doctor in Palatka messed up bad. There was NOTHING THERE! He has been having headaches because of an ear infection. But to make a long story short he is okay. And I was out of the apartment until 2am! That was really wierd!

With all the referrals we got, we have been all over the place this week. It was crazy! Lydia has been at the doctors all week and has been impossible to catch. And that has been the story of all the other referrals. We have two appointments for this afternoon and have a member going with us and hopefully it will be a good night!

This pday has been crazy! It has taken a long time to get to a computer and now I am rushing to just get an email off :( I am really sorry!

We did meet a really nice family this week. We went to see a former gator and she referred us to a lady's house. Her name is Tonya. So we go over there, and a man named Butch answers and invites us in. Tonya is sitting there and apparently they were taught by Elder Dyerly and his companion before me but they never made a teaching record. Anyways, we sat down and had a good lesson with them. They know a ton of members! We are seeing them today and our ward is having the christmas party on wednesday and we will be inviting them to that! They could be really amazing! They are very nice people!

We are also having a Mission Christmas Party in Jacksonville on Thursday! Two days in a row of Christmas parties!! OH YA! Anyways, I am sorry the email is so short this week but I am out of time!

I love you very much

elder wise

Needed: Member Missionaries! - December 5th, 2011

Dear Family

Thank you for the contact. I will definatly let you know if it comes :) I'll send you pics with my package :) I promise. sorry its taking me so long. I only have about 60 pictures so far and I don't think that is that much but I will send them next week or this week :)

That is crazy about Carli! It sounds like you had fun hunting for christmas stuff. (we went Christmas Tree hunting with the Gulzow's - great fun!)

Well, this week was odd! The first part of the week was absolutely horrible! Nothing was happening and we were fresh out of investigators and we were praying so hard to find people. Well, friday rolled around when we do our weekly planning and we had a fantastic weekly planning. We made great plans to find and it was super effective. Right after we finished weekly planning we got a media referral for a lady named Lydia. Her sister is about ready to get baptized in Arizona and she has been trying to find out when our church starts for 2 months. She came to church this sunday and we are meeting with her tomorrow.

Then we got 5 referrals from members this last week. We created our Ward Mission Plan with our Ward Mission Leader and the Bishop and all the leaders are really getting behind it and supporting it. Yesterday during sacrament meeting a bunch of members bore testimony about how they need to do more missionary work. We are so excited! We have so much potential in this area right now. It is about ready to erupt!!! This morning we got another Media Referral. And the percentage of people that chat on mormon.org with missionaries that get baptized is 80%. I am so excited!

I really think all the miracles are coming from the intense and effective planning and the sincere prayers because we have been struggling and have been working hard and now it is paying off. I love being a missionary. It is hard most of the time and very stressful, but when we push through and work hard miracles happen. When they do it makes everything worth it. I absolutely love it.

Right now btw, I am trying to really gain a relationship with our Savior. I know he lives and I have a strong testimony of the priesthood and all of that, but I want to have a close relationship with my Savior which I don't quite have. So do you have any ideas that will help me with that?

Anyways, I am doing absolutely incredible. I found out that I still might be transfered. If I told you that transfers were cancelled I was wrong. Everyone got confused. Transfers are still happening but we just aren't all meeting in Jacksonville like we normally do. So I still might get transfered. I hope not because this area is getting ready to erupt.

I love you all! Hope you have a fantastic week! Oh, I hope you watched the Christmas Devotional! It was so great!

Can't wait to SEE (we are trying to set up a skype with Elder Wise on Christmas Day - what a great gift!) and talk to all of you on christmas!! :) And I don't have a Florida accent I don't think? I dont know? You will have to tell me. I say ya'll more I know that. But thats about it haha!

I love you all, hope you have a great week.

Love,

Elder Wise

TOUCHDOWN>>>>>>LEVI!!!!!!!!!!!! - November 28, 2011

Dear Family,

Sounds like you all had an amazing week :) Glad to hear it! Sounds like you got some pretty rocking seats at the BBALL game :) NICE!

For thanksgiving day we ate at a family named the Tilton's. That is basically half the ward here. It was a lot of fun. Then we were able to play football for a couple hours! That was FUN :) I scored a touchdown :) OH YA!! I love doing things like that. The only bad thing is that I am so out of shape that I was sore for 2 days after Thanksgiving :P haha.

Lets see, what happened this week?  Well, I will be staying in my area for sure unless I'm training basically. They won't be doing transfers except for a few because of missionaries leaving and a few coming in. So I will more than likely be in good old Palatka for a bit longer.

Gator Update:

Antawn: He loves having us over but he hasn't been coming to church or anything :( He doesn't feel like he is ready to turn his life over to God just yet :P We are trying to pull out the repent now scriptures :)

Willy: Willy is a very nice guy. We tracted into him. We have only met with him once. But he really understands the message unlike a lot of people here. So that is really good.

Right now, we are really trying to get the member involved and work with them. President Barry is really pushing that right now so we have been trying to see a lot of members lately. Tamyra has also been doing really well btw. She came to church this last sunday and is fulfilling her calling :)

We really haven't had much else happen this week unfortunatly. Sorry this isn't very long either but I don't know what else to write. I'll share a little spiritual thought I guess.

I was reading in Alma 30 this morning and that is where Korihor is going around preaching against the church. And my favorite part of the chapter is when Alma dominates Korihor and he is just telling him how he is decieved by the devil. And I love verse 44. It is Alma's response to Korihor saying show me a sign. It is a marvelous response! And Korihor is still stubborn and gets struck dumb and eventually dies. But I really like that chapter because you can just feel the power behind Alma when he is preaching to Korihor and it just inspired me to strengthen my spiritual power and to always bear my testimony with the power of the Holy Ghost.

Anyways, I love you all and hope you have a fantastic week :)

Love,

Elder Wise