mis-sion-ary (noun): someone who leaves their family for a short time so that others may live with their families for Eternity.

Monday, March 21, 2011

MUSICAL FIRESIDE

RIBA!
Yo yo yo what is crackalackin?
When is our family going to catch a break? haha wow how did grandma break her foot? no more soccer for her. and she has to have surgery, no bueno. I just got done reading jess' letter, so I really don't have a ton of time to write today because it took me probably a half hour to read. It was a freaking novel, it was soo long. but that is ok. there were some really cool stories and shtuff in it. Tell her that i will write her next week cause i don't have enough time today.
Anyways, no i haven't gotten in a fist fight with my companion or anything. He just doesn't talk at all. Like not only with appointments. He doesn't talk to me, he doesn't talk to other missionaries. He is always just awkward and silent. It is killing me. And then when he does talk in an appointment, he is talking so fast and he is like shaking and looking at me to like help him the whole time. I don't know if it just from being a greenie or if he was living under a rock before his mission. Or maybe a little bit of both. Transfers are next monday and I will find out this saturday what is happening so i will definately keep you posted.
Also you might be getting a visit from the olsons in my ward. They are coming to utah and I asked them if they could take some stuff over to the house so they might be coming over but i'm not sure yet.
So just yesterday we had a musical fireside as a stake. With all the missionaries in the denver north zone. It was super legit. We have been practicing for a while and the missionary that put it on will be famous when he goes home because he is the best singer and he is amazing at all instruments. So yeah it was super good. I know what you are thinking and no i didn't do any solos. I know that i've grown on a mission but singing is one thing that i still can't do worth jack. I can kind of play the piano though, when i get home i'm going to learn how to play piano. Get all the honeys when i get home haha. just kidding. But I did have to give a 2 minute speech about how the gospel blesses families, our mission president and his wife were there, I was a little nervous cause of that but i did good i think. People in my district and zone keep telling me that i am going to be AP some day, i hope not. haha. And when we were done I was talking to president ely and he told me i did a great job and he shook my hand and winked at me haha. I know that a week isn't much but haha i hope that he isn't saying hey transfers are in a week, wanna be a zone leader. haha. That would be wayy to fast!! oh well
But get this. So the musical fireside was so good. That an investigator from the brighton ward was there. And after it was over, he came up to elder goesch, (he's in brighton now) with tears in his eyes, and said I want my kids to be up there one day doing the same thing that you guys were doing. I want to be baptized and be an active member of the church. haha. How awesome is that. Unfortunately we didn't have any of our investigators show up. lame. But that is way cool for Goesch.
No tyler davis hasn't written me yet. That is funny that you want to write steve, steve wrote me today and said that his mom wants my address to write me haha. so yeah I wil get it for you next week cause i don't have it on me. Charlie is doing pretty good from what i hear. I never really hear from anyone else though.
Tennis was way fun last week. We live right next to tennis courts and i always see people playing and a lot of them are pretty good. but then i play with other missionaries that aren't very good and it isn't as fun haha. But oh well its stll good to play. I wasn't doing the best either though i guess. That is good that you and dad have been losing some weight, haha yes i've been gaining a little bit, I have spurts where i work out really well and then i dont do it very well. I'm just waiting for summer when i can go running in the morning. that will help a ton. But yeah its a good thing i wasn't fat before the mission.
That game we were playing was with the olsons. It is called headbands. I bought that for them for their birthdays. I bought all 3 of them toys because they are such a good family to us. Also i asked for money for it last week and you didn't say anything about it. haha i have 14 dollars for the rest of the month and we have to go shopping today so maybe if you could give me a little bit that would be awesome. Being a dl isn't that much more responsibility. It is fun to go on exchanges and be with other missionaries and see their areas and stuff and district meetings aren't too bad. I actually like being a dl, but i'll be good staying that way no ZL!
That is a way cool spiritual thought that you gave me, i've never thought about it like that! Definately i do believe that grandpas are helping me,
Well anyways i need to run, i hope that you have a great week, IF the olsons come over be nice to them and just talk me up like i'm the greatest person ever. and that i played professional hockey and golf at home haha. just kidding, just don't do anything embarassing. haha. Anyways, have a good week! I LOVE YOU! LOVE ELDER GNEHM

Monday, March 14, 2011

TWO GRANDPAS GONE IN TWO AND HALF WEEKS

From Denver Colorado, Elder gnehm
Yeah i'm going to be honest, that is preddy ridiculous that both of them passed away in the last 2 and a half weeks.
When I got the phone call from President Ely, i did not expect that at all. I thought for sure that he was calling about coming to one of my district meetings or something, and then when i said hello president, he just sighed and said I have more bad news for you. I was like oh my goodness are you kidding me. Then he told me and I was completely shocked. We always talked about how Grandpa Bill would probably pass away before I got home but we never really talked about Grandpa ray. It doesn't come with much of a surprise though, because he hasn't done too well for a long time. But still I didn't expect that. And i definately did not expect that they would both pass away within 2 and a half weeks of each other!!
How are you and dad doing? I am doing fine. But i was really worried about you two when i got the phone call. i was going to call president again and ask for permission to call home to see how you guys were doing. I went to a members house after it happened and he pulled out his phone and said give me your phone number because you are calling your parents right now. I didn't think you would much like it though if i called you without permission from my mission president. So i didn't. At least I get to talk to you guys in 2 more months. MOthers Day is coming up at the end of the next transfer.
That is awesome that you had a prompting though and you listened and heeded to it. That is such a cool experience to have him be able to say your name and to talk to you for a little bit and then after that he didn't say much. He definately was appreciative of your phone call and for you to be able to let him know your love for him before he passed is amazing. That is good though that most of dad's side of the family all have the knowledge of the gospel, so hopefully they all aren't having too hard of a time with this. But that is awesome that alicia and gordon have been going to church and now Cindy is going to go with grandma sometimes.That is definately a great thing. Unfortuantely it takes some people to be humbled and to find their faith through a death or through struggles but this is definately the perfect opporutnity for them to come back and to rebuld their testimonies. I was just thinking about Grandma Pauline, and how she really needs to be going to church right now. Especially if all this is true and if families really can be together forever, i'm sure that grandpa right now wants nothing more than for grandma to be going to church!
Anyways, on a more brighter subject. Those pictures of the tennis players were awesome. So you actually got to see Federer and Nadal and Blake play? They all went to this tiny california tournament? We are playing tennis today actually and I haven't played in a long time so i am pretty darn excited. I showed the pictures to some other missionaries and we all called who of those people in the pictures we are going to be today. I called the guy with the huge dreadlocks because he looks like a boss and another missionary called to be blake because well he is african american. haha. Anywhosers yeah I should probably get going. I hope that everyone in the family is doing well, I will definately continue to pray for all of them that they can be strengthened in their testimonies and open their eyes to the blessings of the gospel. Don't ask about my companion. HOpefully their will only be two more weeks. Anyways, I love you and i will send you some pictures on another email!
LOVE ELDER GNEHM

Monday, March 7, 2011

PRETTY GOOD WEEK

SUZIE Q
Yo what are you doing in Cali! I am 95 percent jealous that you are watching tennis right now. We live right next to 6 tennis courts and it has been warm lately, and there are always people playing. I want to go over there and make a deal with them. If I beat them in tennis then they have to listen to my message. I think missionary work is supposed to be like that. right? Oh well, we can't play today because its 20 degrees outside. But hopefully next week i can play with my ward mission leader. Do let me know who is at the tournament. If federer or roddick or nadal are there i am going to lose it.
As far as my companion goes, he is getting a little bit better, especially with members he is actually starting to talk now. But he is still a little bit green and getting over being extremely sheltered. I learned that he has never had salmon, pasta salad or Elk. We went to a less actives house just yesterday and he had the best habanero elk jerky, dad would have been craving that stuff. It was the best thing i've had in a while. And the coolest fam in the ward bought me some beef jerky because they know that i love it, and they also let me use their golf clubs when i went golfing last week. So here is what i am thinking. Their little daughters all have their birthday within a month of each other. So i was going to buy them like a cake or some kind of presents. Do you think that you could send me like 15 to 20 bucks so i can do that? please. I think they would really appreciate it and after all that they have done for me i think that it is the least that i can do. So please let me know.
This has been a really good week actually. The baptism did go through and it was way awesome! Brandi's parents that are non members came to the bapt and they were listening so intently to what was being said, and when me and elder shepard were teaching the restoration, they ate it up. They don't live in our ward but they live in elder aamodt's ward so i will definately tell him to go over there and set up an appointment because when I asked them what they thought about the baptism, they said they loved it and they were touched by it and their was a great feeling and peace there. BOOOYAH!! haha. It really was a good baptismal service though, her husband aaron was so nervous to do it because they are both really nervous people but when he said the prayer you could just feel the spirit so strong. One thing that we screwed up on thuogh, we forgot to tell them to bring towels, haha so we had to wait a little bit and we filled in the time by sharing a message while someone ran home and grabbed a couple of towels. woops. I wish i would have got to confirm, but aarons uncle did it.
Yesterday at church it was pretty cool, We were studying at the church and i had a feeling like I should invite an investigator to church that day. SO i just asked her (shes a 15 year old and her mom is a member but she is CRAZZZYYY and has lots of medical problems) but we asked her if she was going to church with her dad or if she could come with us and she said she would come. Which i really didn't expect because she had been to church before and she had a terrible experience because she said that all the girls were texting and she just didn't feel like it was church and everyone was disrespectful. But she said that she would come. So i set up a ride to go get her and she did come. After church i saw her and asked her how it was and she said that it was way better than the time before and she liked it a lot. So hopefully we will be able to teach her and she can progress because all of our other investigators right now are really stagnant and are not progressing at all. That is why i hope that we have encouraged te members and they give us more people to teach.
As far as the talks go and the 40 day fast that we are working on, we really have seen a lot of blessings from it already. We had The investigator at church. We had contact and shared a message with a less active that we have knocked on a hundred times and never answered before but he answered yesterday and he said that he wants to come back to church. We had our relief society president make good progress with a less active lady and she actually set up an appointment for us. WHICH IS HOW iT SHOULD BE!!!!! Things in the ward are definatley turning around and i like it. i like it a lot. So i guess my spiritual message could be on the importance of fasting and prayer. And how it truly does work through our faith. Remember to fast for a purpose and not go hungry. Someone in my last ward had a quote that said. "fasting without prayer or purpose, is like having a letter all ready to go but you don't put the stamp on it." and it is true, its like we are doing something good, but without a prayer or purpose, their is no reason for fasting, we are just going hungry.
Anyways, I hope you have a great time in Cali. I'm jealous, please do send me some pictures, send me more from home too :) Also don't forget to think about the 20 dollars, it would mean a lot to me. BY the way, next time you see a homeless guy taking a dump on the side of the road stop and ask him if he would like some help wiping, What would jesus do? haha i'm sorry, i shouldn't have said that but that is absoletely gross and hilarious. let me know what you guys do in California! I love you and hope that you have a great week! PEACE. LOVE ELDER GNEHM