Hey Family,
Okay, the first thing I have to do in this email is ask for forgiveness because I still have not written and sent the hand-written letter I said that I was going to send last week. I know you all want more, newer pictures and a little note from me, so this week I`ll make that a priority. However, I did also want to ask what`s going on at home because today...I didn`t get any email from practically anyone. I got one from the server for MyLDSMail.net and one, very funny email from my dear friend Caitlyn Stringham. Caitlyn...you`re awesome. I know I don't write back often because I write to the blog, but I want you to know how much I appreciate your emails, When I see your name in my inbox I know I`m going to smile big when I read it. You`re awesome, and I hope you know that I`m rooting for you in all your activities and responsibilities from the 2000 mile away sideline. Anyways, if something happened at home, or for some reason I`m not getting your emails, Mom and Dad, I need to know so that I can fix it! I can`t stand waiting all week for email hour and then not getting the boost I need from my home. I love you so much, and I`m only able to keep going because I know that Heavenly Father and my Eternal Family loves me and keeps me informed. Let me know, okay. If you have to, call President Baldwin so we can get this taken care of. It`s a requirement that we write to our families each week, so I need to be able to at least complete that requirement. (Although, the email privilege is always a pleasure for me to complete.)
Alright, so this week was fairly successful. We found a family and a few investigators here and there. In total we found 7. The family is a dad and his two young sons. Their family is separated, but not divorced. The dad`s name is Adrian, and he has a 11 year old son names Alejandro, and an 8 year old son named Alvaro. Those three accepted a baptismal date for the 7th of March in our first visit, but we haven`t been able to teach them since Tuesday. Please pray that we will be able to teach and prepare them so they don't have the push back their date! Also, we may have a couple new families through member referrals this week, which makes us excited. I`ll let you know how they go. Elder Garcia and I are really trying to elevate our spirituality and our drive so that we can fill our tanks with investigators and start finding the ¨chosen ones¨. We teach to less active and new members a lot and we are helping them all get the basic gospel habits started in their homes (scripture study, family prayer, and tithing). However, it is more important for us to be teaching investigators, so that`s our focus now. Find, teach, prepare, baptize, confirm, teach, temple, exaltation. Yup, that`s what we do. =) Elder Garcia is learning very well and very quickly. He does not have the best relationship with his family, which is something I`m hoping to help him correct. He needs to learn about putting priorities in order and being more precise in his words and testimony. He is a good learner, listens well, and I`m glad that my first ¨son¨ is someone that i can trust to be a good missionary. =) Who knows how many times I will train, but at least my first-born is a good kid. ;P
Okay, well I didn`t get any news from home today, so I don't have much to respond to. I hope all is well with Dad`s job, Mom`s classes, and Hope`s schooling. Grandma and Grandpa Welling, I miss you a ton! I wish I were there with you, helping to shovel your driveway out of the snow, but just thinking about you makes me happy. Grandma and Grandpa Tucker, I love you so much. I miss Grandpa`s big hugs and Grandma`s good advice. I`ll be home throughout the summer when I get back, so `think I`ll be able to help out and visit with you more often than before. it`ll be great! To all my aunts and uncles, I love you and am eternally grateful for your support and love. Any letter or news bite I get from you is very appreciated and I just love hearing that my family is good well. Also, if you have problems or difficulties, let me know so I can pray for you. I have a testimony that Heavenly Father might just be listening a little more closely to His missionaries that he does to normal members, so I`ll send our petitions up on high! =) To all my cousins, dang I miss you all! I realized how little I was able to visit everyone before the mission because of my out of state schooling, but when I get home, I`m not going to let that get in the way of having healthy relationships with as many of you as I can. =) I love you all and hope you have a good week as well. I miss you every day and pray for you often. To eternity and back, I love you.
Love Always,
-Elder Preston William Tucker
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Email - Received Monday, February 15, 2010
Hey Family!
Wow, holy cow, so this week was very interesting. Being a trainer is different than any other experience that I`ve had so far in my mission. Elder Garcia is a good companion, full of energy, drive, and desire. We always say that the new missionaries still have the MTC fire burnin' hot. Well...at least I say that. It`s tough though because our area has quite a few challenges that I did not know about until this week. I was surprised, shocked, and a little dishearted to know that there are problems in the leadership of the branch, between members and their families, and a basic overall disrespect and distrust between non-members and the missionaries. It seems like about a year and a half ago, in Santa Elena Barillas, a pair of elders were assigned to the area and just spent their time doing incredibly stupid, disrespectful, and incriminating things. Mom, Dad, you`ll understand this more than anyone, that when someone gains a reputation in a small community, that reputation sticks for a VERY long time. So it seems like Elder Garcia and I will be responsible for breaking down barriers and building back up the good reputation that the Church of Christ should have all over the world. For these reasons, it has been tough to receive any references from the members. Member references are the most effective way to get people baptized because 750 of 1000 get baptized if they are references given by the members, whereas 1 in every 1000 doors knocked gets a person or family baptized. All of you can now see the importance of what we both say and do as members to help our friends and family come unto Christ. If WE dont work, the MISSIONARIES wont be able to really work either. So please, when you can, and when the Spirit inspires, help the missionaries out, talk to a friend about the Gospel, and give their names, addresses, and information to the missionaries so we`ll get to be a great big, happy family in the Eternities.
Okay, so that`s all I`ve got to say about my area, but I`ll have much more to report next week. We`re going to work hard this week and reap the blessings of a LOT of prayer.
Alright, well I love you all. I have a tough week ahead of me, but I know that you all support and love me and that your prayers will not let me get down. The Lord will guide us and we will have success following our efforts. Thank you for being the best family in the world. I miss you and look at your pictures (miss you all) often. But I`m not baggy, just very excited and happy about our future together. Tell Mom that I`m extremely proud of her. Tell Dad that I`m with him full speed ahead. And tell Hope that I`m putting a hand-written letter just for her in the mail tomorrow. And that I love her. Thanks!
Love Always,
-Elder Preston William Tucker
Wow, holy cow, so this week was very interesting. Being a trainer is different than any other experience that I`ve had so far in my mission. Elder Garcia is a good companion, full of energy, drive, and desire. We always say that the new missionaries still have the MTC fire burnin' hot. Well...at least I say that. It`s tough though because our area has quite a few challenges that I did not know about until this week. I was surprised, shocked, and a little dishearted to know that there are problems in the leadership of the branch, between members and their families, and a basic overall disrespect and distrust between non-members and the missionaries. It seems like about a year and a half ago, in Santa Elena Barillas, a pair of elders were assigned to the area and just spent their time doing incredibly stupid, disrespectful, and incriminating things. Mom, Dad, you`ll understand this more than anyone, that when someone gains a reputation in a small community, that reputation sticks for a VERY long time. So it seems like Elder Garcia and I will be responsible for breaking down barriers and building back up the good reputation that the Church of Christ should have all over the world. For these reasons, it has been tough to receive any references from the members. Member references are the most effective way to get people baptized because 750 of 1000 get baptized if they are references given by the members, whereas 1 in every 1000 doors knocked gets a person or family baptized. All of you can now see the importance of what we both say and do as members to help our friends and family come unto Christ. If WE dont work, the MISSIONARIES wont be able to really work either. So please, when you can, and when the Spirit inspires, help the missionaries out, talk to a friend about the Gospel, and give their names, addresses, and information to the missionaries so we`ll get to be a great big, happy family in the Eternities.
Okay, so that`s all I`ve got to say about my area, but I`ll have much more to report next week. We`re going to work hard this week and reap the blessings of a LOT of prayer.
Alright, well I love you all. I have a tough week ahead of me, but I know that you all support and love me and that your prayers will not let me get down. The Lord will guide us and we will have success following our efforts. Thank you for being the best family in the world. I miss you and look at your pictures (miss you all) often. But I`m not baggy, just very excited and happy about our future together. Tell Mom that I`m extremely proud of her. Tell Dad that I`m with him full speed ahead. And tell Hope that I`m putting a hand-written letter just for her in the mail tomorrow. And that I love her. Thanks!
Love Always,
-Elder Preston William Tucker
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Email - Received Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Hey Family!
Okay, so I don't have much time to write, and as soon as I tell you what happened with changes, you`ll understand why. So I got the phone call on Saturday night telling me the changes for my district, and my companionship had to change. Elder Ostler went off to Villa Nueva, my first zone, with a latino campanion, and I miss him VERY much. I stayed in Santa Elena Barillas, and received a new companion, but that wasn`t all. If that was all, it would have been a very calm change...but no. I was told that I had ANOTHER interview, my third in a row. President Baldwin called me in and told me the news. I had a change of assignment...not only was I to stay being District Leader, but I am going to train as well this change! Oh Holy Crap... that`s what went through my mind...but maybe with a different word...just kidding! So yeah, I`m a District Leader, Trainer, Missionary with just under a year in the mission. I`m kinda freaking out. I need your prayers, and your love, and Dad, if you ever trained, I need your advice. =) But I`m positive. I met my first ¨son¨ yesterday and we had a very good night getting to know him and teaching him his first lessons about the area and the mission. His name is Elder Garcia, he is 19 years old, turns 20 in August, and is from Honduras! I love people from honduras, for some reason I always get along well with most of them. =) It should be a good change!
Alright, well I don't have much more time. I also wanted to share the news that President Baldwin revealed to us in the changes. There will now be FIVE missions in Guatemala! They are creating, organizing, and calling new missionaries to the Guatemala Retahuleu Mission. I don't know...we`re kinda joking around that President might change a few mission calls and send some Central missionaries to train and be some of the first missionaries to complete their missions in the new mission...but I think it might happen. Just keep in mind...it might be a new bit of news that might come in the coming months...or it might all be fiction. I have no idea yet. =P Also, this week we are having Stake conference and Elder Anderson of the Twelve is coming especially just for our stake to speak to us. We think it might have something to do with calling the new mission president for the new Guatemalan mission. But, yet again, it might all be smoke in the wind.
Alright, I`m so sorry, but for the rest of the week, this is all you`re getting. I had to help my new companion set up his email and get used to emailing President and his family each week. Another thing was that I had to complete my District Leader responsibilities. But I love you, I love you all! I miss you and think about you often. Pray for us, our area, and our success. I know that your efforts help ours and ours help the Lord.
Love Always,
-Elder Preston William Tucker
P.S. Makayla, I hope you had a wonderful B-Day for your Sweet 16. Stay safe and do very well in school. And about those boys that you say like you...be careful, cuz boys are dumb and they don't know what they are doing half the time they think they`re being attractive. haha Just dont break too many hearts. I know you`ll be good, but I have to say it anyways, be good. =) Love you, and I love your Family. I miss you all and will see you in about a year. =P
Okay, so I don't have much time to write, and as soon as I tell you what happened with changes, you`ll understand why. So I got the phone call on Saturday night telling me the changes for my district, and my companionship had to change. Elder Ostler went off to Villa Nueva, my first zone, with a latino campanion, and I miss him VERY much. I stayed in Santa Elena Barillas, and received a new companion, but that wasn`t all. If that was all, it would have been a very calm change...but no. I was told that I had ANOTHER interview, my third in a row. President Baldwin called me in and told me the news. I had a change of assignment...not only was I to stay being District Leader, but I am going to train as well this change! Oh Holy Crap... that`s what went through my mind...but maybe with a different word...just kidding! So yeah, I`m a District Leader, Trainer, Missionary with just under a year in the mission. I`m kinda freaking out. I need your prayers, and your love, and Dad, if you ever trained, I need your advice. =) But I`m positive. I met my first ¨son¨ yesterday and we had a very good night getting to know him and teaching him his first lessons about the area and the mission. His name is Elder Garcia, he is 19 years old, turns 20 in August, and is from Honduras! I love people from honduras, for some reason I always get along well with most of them. =) It should be a good change!
Alright, well I don't have much more time. I also wanted to share the news that President Baldwin revealed to us in the changes. There will now be FIVE missions in Guatemala! They are creating, organizing, and calling new missionaries to the Guatemala Retahuleu Mission. I don't know...we`re kinda joking around that President might change a few mission calls and send some Central missionaries to train and be some of the first missionaries to complete their missions in the new mission...but I think it might happen. Just keep in mind...it might be a new bit of news that might come in the coming months...or it might all be fiction. I have no idea yet. =P Also, this week we are having Stake conference and Elder Anderson of the Twelve is coming especially just for our stake to speak to us. We think it might have something to do with calling the new mission president for the new Guatemalan mission. But, yet again, it might all be smoke in the wind.
Alright, I`m so sorry, but for the rest of the week, this is all you`re getting. I had to help my new companion set up his email and get used to emailing President and his family each week. Another thing was that I had to complete my District Leader responsibilities. But I love you, I love you all! I miss you and think about you often. Pray for us, our area, and our success. I know that your efforts help ours and ours help the Lord.
Love Always,
-Elder Preston William Tucker
P.S. Makayla, I hope you had a wonderful B-Day for your Sweet 16. Stay safe and do very well in school. And about those boys that you say like you...be careful, cuz boys are dumb and they don't know what they are doing half the time they think they`re being attractive. haha Just dont break too many hearts. I know you`ll be good, but I have to say it anyways, be good. =) Love you, and I love your Family. I miss you all and will see you in about a year. =P
Monday, February 8, 2010
Email - Received, Monday, February 1, 2010
Hey Family!
Sigh...I`m so happy whenever email time rolls around again! =) I love emailing you guys. Receiving and reading your emails makes me smile and laugh, and sometimes almost cry, but I still love it every time. Thanks for keeping me up on the exciting news of our family`s life. I`m so excited for you Dad, in your new endeavor with this VMC/eBay job. You communicate very well through your emails the love and excitement you feel to be doing what you love. I know that you`re very good in a high-pressure, dynamic environment and work and I`m excited every week to hear that you continue to deepen your liking for this new (and hopefully permanent until retirement) job. Know that your son is proud of you and is rooting for you with the loud, gruff, wonderful Tucker voice that I inherited from you! =) Mom, I`m very proud of you too. you dont talk about it much now, but I know that you`re still completing the commitment that you made to yourself to improve your health and strengthen your body. I`m realizing more and more as my body continues to change in the mission that taking care of and strengthening our mortal bodies really is a strict commandment that the Lord has given us and wants us to keep. Heavenly Father did not create any of us in the beginning with inabilities. He sent us here with bodies that have divine potential, and it is OUR responsibility to find and develop that potential to fulfill the measure of our creation. Mom, keep going, you`re doing awesome! I want to be just as surprised to see the changes in your body, health, and energy as you all will be to see my new, stronger, slimmer body that the Lord has blessed me with. Hope, I love you. I miss you every day. I wish I would have been with you in all your meets and celebrations and projects this year, but I have not been able to. I just want you to know that I think about you often and I`m excited and thankful that you are going to be my sister forever! I love you all.
This week I dont have a ton of news about the work. Elder Ostler and I have been very sick and afflicted this week with the whole gamut of symptoms and sicknesses. On Wednesday I had a fever of 101 degrees and was delirious to the point that I told Elder Ostler not to believe anything I said! =P He gave me a blessing and the next day I was on the mend. Elder Ostler was sick at the beginning and end of the week, but is thankfully much, much better. We are now, both of us, at 100% and ready to face the last week of the change. We were, however, luckily and miraculously healthy for my birthday. We went to the ruins of Mixco Viejo and had a good time with about half of our zone. They aren`t ruins like you would think they would be, all scarred, destroyed, and burned from war and time. They are actually very orderly, neat, and clean. They sit on the tops of a couple mountains and overlook many green valleys and jungles. It would look very beautiful in the springtime, but when we went, the grass was a little burnt by the sun and the trees have lost their leaves. I took many pictures and will be sending them home in a letter that I will be writing by hand and sending this week. Be excited, I`ve taken cool pictures this change.
Next week will be changes, and I dont know what to expect. I hope that Elder Ostler and I receive one more change together, but I dont know if that wish will be granted. I am not ready to train a new missionary. I still have many, many faults and have not nearly the amount of understanding and knowledge of Preach My Gospel that I will need to give a new missionary a good start to the next two years. I feel comfortable now, as a District Leader, but still feel very unready for a new change or increase in my assignments. Elder Ostler has been making jokes as well that they are going to make me Branch President of Santa Elena Barillas as well. District Leader, Trainer, and Branch President would be completely overwhelming all at once...please pray for me! I`ll need the help.
Thank you all so much for sharing insights and scriptures from your classes and lessons that you`ve enjoyed. I dont have anything specifically to share with you today, but I do have an acheivement to share. On Sunday, the 31st of January, I completed reading the Book of Mormon again...but in Spanish this time! =) I feel like I will receive many blessings in understanding and language from this accomplishment and that I have something very big to be proud of from this last week. I hope that you all can now, at least, pick up the Book of Mormon in English and give it a whirl cover to cover. ;P
Alright, now I`m out of time. This week Elder Ostler is going to help remind me about all the letters I want to write and send to my loved ones, so I feel pretty confident in telling you that you can expect a cool little envelope in the mail with a memory card in about two weeks. I love you all and miss you daily.
Love Always,
-Elder Preston William Tucker
Sigh...I`m so happy whenever email time rolls around again! =) I love emailing you guys. Receiving and reading your emails makes me smile and laugh, and sometimes almost cry, but I still love it every time. Thanks for keeping me up on the exciting news of our family`s life. I`m so excited for you Dad, in your new endeavor with this VMC/eBay job. You communicate very well through your emails the love and excitement you feel to be doing what you love. I know that you`re very good in a high-pressure, dynamic environment and work and I`m excited every week to hear that you continue to deepen your liking for this new (and hopefully permanent until retirement) job. Know that your son is proud of you and is rooting for you with the loud, gruff, wonderful Tucker voice that I inherited from you! =) Mom, I`m very proud of you too. you dont talk about it much now, but I know that you`re still completing the commitment that you made to yourself to improve your health and strengthen your body. I`m realizing more and more as my body continues to change in the mission that taking care of and strengthening our mortal bodies really is a strict commandment that the Lord has given us and wants us to keep. Heavenly Father did not create any of us in the beginning with inabilities. He sent us here with bodies that have divine potential, and it is OUR responsibility to find and develop that potential to fulfill the measure of our creation. Mom, keep going, you`re doing awesome! I want to be just as surprised to see the changes in your body, health, and energy as you all will be to see my new, stronger, slimmer body that the Lord has blessed me with. Hope, I love you. I miss you every day. I wish I would have been with you in all your meets and celebrations and projects this year, but I have not been able to. I just want you to know that I think about you often and I`m excited and thankful that you are going to be my sister forever! I love you all.
This week I dont have a ton of news about the work. Elder Ostler and I have been very sick and afflicted this week with the whole gamut of symptoms and sicknesses. On Wednesday I had a fever of 101 degrees and was delirious to the point that I told Elder Ostler not to believe anything I said! =P He gave me a blessing and the next day I was on the mend. Elder Ostler was sick at the beginning and end of the week, but is thankfully much, much better. We are now, both of us, at 100% and ready to face the last week of the change. We were, however, luckily and miraculously healthy for my birthday. We went to the ruins of Mixco Viejo and had a good time with about half of our zone. They aren`t ruins like you would think they would be, all scarred, destroyed, and burned from war and time. They are actually very orderly, neat, and clean. They sit on the tops of a couple mountains and overlook many green valleys and jungles. It would look very beautiful in the springtime, but when we went, the grass was a little burnt by the sun and the trees have lost their leaves. I took many pictures and will be sending them home in a letter that I will be writing by hand and sending this week. Be excited, I`ve taken cool pictures this change.
Next week will be changes, and I dont know what to expect. I hope that Elder Ostler and I receive one more change together, but I dont know if that wish will be granted. I am not ready to train a new missionary. I still have many, many faults and have not nearly the amount of understanding and knowledge of Preach My Gospel that I will need to give a new missionary a good start to the next two years. I feel comfortable now, as a District Leader, but still feel very unready for a new change or increase in my assignments. Elder Ostler has been making jokes as well that they are going to make me Branch President of Santa Elena Barillas as well. District Leader, Trainer, and Branch President would be completely overwhelming all at once...please pray for me! I`ll need the help.
Thank you all so much for sharing insights and scriptures from your classes and lessons that you`ve enjoyed. I dont have anything specifically to share with you today, but I do have an acheivement to share. On Sunday, the 31st of January, I completed reading the Book of Mormon again...but in Spanish this time! =) I feel like I will receive many blessings in understanding and language from this accomplishment and that I have something very big to be proud of from this last week. I hope that you all can now, at least, pick up the Book of Mormon in English and give it a whirl cover to cover. ;P
Alright, now I`m out of time. This week Elder Ostler is going to help remind me about all the letters I want to write and send to my loved ones, so I feel pretty confident in telling you that you can expect a cool little envelope in the mail with a memory card in about two weeks. I love you all and miss you daily.
Love Always,
-Elder Preston William Tucker
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