My week has been pretty good mom. It for sure has been really sad with everything that went on, but I have had some great things to help me through it. I mean i got to call you guys and talk to you for awhile, that was amazing. It really helped too, i loved getting any chance to talk to anyone from the family. I was bummed though that i didn't get a chance to talk to sammy. But it was so nice, you seemed so happy on the phone. Haha and jess is a goof as always, and i loved talking to joel. I miss my brothers, they are so awesome. And then I had an interview with president christianson, and he called megan and let me talk to her for a minute. That was really cool. He is so amazing. I wasn't really expecting that to happen, and it was really nice to say hi to megan and tell her that i love her and try to say something that might make her feel better you know? I'm really glad too that Dennis's service went so well, I wish i could have been there. That really would have been nice. Dennis really was a wonderful man, he was always so fun and nice to me, I love him.
So besides the sad stuff from this last week, it had really been the best week elder anderson and I have had together with the work. We found another 2 investigators, and we taught a ton of lessons. I loved it. Not that numbers really matter at all, but we were leading the zone this last week in just about everything. Haha its fun to see that after such a time of not the best results. But everything is coming together and going really well. We are teaching this guy named eric, and he is a funny weird guy. He loves computer games like world of warcraft and all the other sorts i use to play at home so it has been really easy for me to connect with him, because i know what he is talking about. So that's been really good. His aunt is a less active, and that how we heard about him, because he just moved here from missouri. We met him on friday and he already came to church with us yesterday! Wow that was sweet, and the best part is that he loved it, and told us that he really wants to come again. So we are planning on setting a baptismal date with him for within the next 3 weeks. he is great. Haha our investigator kerri i was talking about last week is officially insane, we had to stop teaching her she was so crazy. Haha sooo funny because she seemed so solid, then she lost her brain somewhere. Then there is this other girl Casandra we are starting to teach now too. She is really cool. She just moved form north carolina. And she loves the book of mormon, she reads it like crazy. She has already made it to 3 nephi, and she has talked about how the book has just lifted this huge load of guilt and anger she has had on her shoulders. So she is super solid, and really cool. The only trouble is that she works on sundays, but we have faith and she and elder anderson and I are praying that she will be able to get sundays off so she can come to church and be baptized.
And Elder anderson and I had a really cool finding experience this week. We were just walking around Buff State, and it was a warm day so we didn't have to wear our stupid coats. So many more people recognize us in our white shirts and ties, i love it. So we were just saying hi to everyone we saw that day and everyone was so friendly. And we came by some little old lady and said hi to her. She asked us if we had time to talk with her, and of course we said we did. She told us how much she loves our church and the people from it, and especially the missionaries. She had met with them before but lost contact with them, because after her boyfriend died she had some really bad depression for 2 years and was at a psychiatric hospital. But she finally has just been released from there and we found her again. And it was amazing because i told her how Megan's dad just died, relating to the pain for her boyfriend, and we taught about the plan of salvation and she loved it. We met with her again, and we are seeing her again soon. She loves the plan of salvation because she wants a chance to be with her family again and to see her boyfriend again. its soo cool to know that she can. So its been good talking with her.
Then for pday today we are just going to play some more basketball. We were all going to head to the falls but is raining, and we dont want to be up there in the rain. And don't worry mom, you have been the perfect missionary mom. I can't wait to see what you guys are going to put together for me. its going to be sweet. And keep praying and you'll find the help you need to with finding a job, and if you haven't made it to the temple yet, that would still be the best place to go for some guidance. I love you momma, and transfers are happening not this tuesday but next tuesday. So i'll be letting you know whats going on next monday. Love you guys, have a good week. And take care of megan for me. :) Invite her over if she has the time.
Love,
Elder Ingram
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Friday, April 8, 2011
4/4 email
I am doing so good, haha i feel so relieved to have this last week over! Holy cow it was one of the busiest weeks of my entire life and i got so beat from being so busy haha. Well at least it made the week go by fast which is good. We had to do an exchange with orchard park on tuesday, then another one way down south with cattaragus. Haha that one was fun though because thats where elders simmons is now. I love that guy, we had a lot of fun together in geneva and we did alot of really good work over there. Then on thursday we had to have another exchange with the assistants to the president, and then later that night we had to drive all the way to rochester so we could have interviews with the president. Then all friday we were in rochester for zone leader council, and we didn't get done with that until about 5 pm, then we had to drive all the way back home to buffalo, haha then later that night we went to go play basketball with some of the singles up in lockport. Then, we had glorious conference! haha it was just sooo nice to be able to sit and listen after such a busy week. I love conference. I was just really sad because i felt like it went way too fast this time, I can't believe its already over. i could listen to the prophet and the apostles all day long, too bad they only have conference twice a year. I wouldn't mind having it quite a bit more.
So that was pretty much the outline of my week but we had a couple really cool things happen throughout all of it. We found another new investigator! Woo hoo, her name is Kerri and she is really cool. She is the one we are working with the most now, and she came to both sessions of conference this last sunday, and we had only found her on wednesday night! She really is a spiritual person, and elder anderson and I are really blessed and excited to be working with her. We are going to invite to baptism for the 17th of April, so keep us and her in your prayers so things go smooth. haha i love having someone we are teaching that is progressing and really willing to listen to what the Lord is trying to say to her through our words. Its amazing, and its just fun like i had told you to be teaching people. Stuff with min is going well, she didn't end up at conference but thats ok, and We are going to be seeing wesley this week on wednesday. I don't know if i have ever told you about this guy we have been teaching too, his name is steve and he had been excommunicated. We have been working with him for awhile and he is amazing, he has received permission to be rebaptized again! He is so excited, and he is my favorite person i have met out here in buffalo. He is just so nice and funny, and has a good outlook on life. The only reason he hasn't been rebaptized yet since he got permission is because he is a really heavy dude. He is now under 500 lbs, but he has troubles walking, so we are praying that he can keep losing the weight so he can make it down to the font again and receive the amazing gift of the Holy Ghost again.
Another really cool thing we did this week was we wrote a song for president christianson at zone leader council. Elder Larson, Adair, Anderson, and I did it for him. It was about him having his heart attack and now being back already to lead us again. Haha it went to the tune of Hallelujah that played in the shrek movie. IT was epic, and he loved it. I also had one of the most spiritual experiences of my life on friday at zone leader council. We got to stay up late and talk with president, and i loved it. It felt like one of those big life talks i was supposed to get from dad, but i had missed out on. But i have been blessed so i can be around President so he can give me those. :) I love that man. And during zone leader council I just feel like i had my eyes opened to what missionary work truly is. I love it mom, this is my life. I love being able to be a leader to these missionaries out here, and i love helping them become true missionaries. Everyday is just amazing now, i look forward to talking to anyone about the gospel and testifying of how amazing the restored gospel is. Things just keep getting better and better for me out here, and Heavenly Father helped me realize this week who i really am. I am His boy, and I can do anything with Him. He won't let me down or let me continue to fail or feel sad, He will always help me be strong, brave, and smart enough to always do whats right. And i love Him. Haha sorry if i am sounding a little lame but really it was an amazing thing that happened to me this week. I realized too finally that i have had Heavenly Father there all along and He is my spiritual dad i could have turned too when i was feeling so sad when i didn't have my dad here. I really would have been in poor shape and not had such a strong testimony if i didn't come out on my mission mom. This has been the best choice i have ever made in my life. :) I'm so happy to be here.
I'm so sorry that the Y is going to be closing this summer. :( That's really sad, but i feel really good about it at the same time mom. :) You have been wanting a change for awhile, and i think Heavenly Father is giving you a chance to have something better in life. And i think looking for something in gilbert would be an amazing idea, way closer to drew and joel and your favorite little kids haha. That would be awesome, i could babysit them like crazy when i get home. I love ya momma, and i know what can help you more than anyting right now since you are so confused, remember what Thomas S. Monson said, and take some time this next week to make it to the temple. :) even if you have to go alone, thats ok. You'll get your answers you need there. Ask drew and joel if maybe they could go with you, they have been a big help to me.
Well I got to get going mom, i need to go pwn some people in basketball. Things are going really well out here. I couldn't ask for more . . . besides maybe that nice little package of treats you should send! haha love you mom, i miss you, but i'll be home soon.
Love,
Elder Ingram
So that was pretty much the outline of my week but we had a couple really cool things happen throughout all of it. We found another new investigator! Woo hoo, her name is Kerri and she is really cool. She is the one we are working with the most now, and she came to both sessions of conference this last sunday, and we had only found her on wednesday night! She really is a spiritual person, and elder anderson and I are really blessed and excited to be working with her. We are going to invite to baptism for the 17th of April, so keep us and her in your prayers so things go smooth. haha i love having someone we are teaching that is progressing and really willing to listen to what the Lord is trying to say to her through our words. Its amazing, and its just fun like i had told you to be teaching people. Stuff with min is going well, she didn't end up at conference but thats ok, and We are going to be seeing wesley this week on wednesday. I don't know if i have ever told you about this guy we have been teaching too, his name is steve and he had been excommunicated. We have been working with him for awhile and he is amazing, he has received permission to be rebaptized again! He is so excited, and he is my favorite person i have met out here in buffalo. He is just so nice and funny, and has a good outlook on life. The only reason he hasn't been rebaptized yet since he got permission is because he is a really heavy dude. He is now under 500 lbs, but he has troubles walking, so we are praying that he can keep losing the weight so he can make it down to the font again and receive the amazing gift of the Holy Ghost again.
Another really cool thing we did this week was we wrote a song for president christianson at zone leader council. Elder Larson, Adair, Anderson, and I did it for him. It was about him having his heart attack and now being back already to lead us again. Haha it went to the tune of Hallelujah that played in the shrek movie. IT was epic, and he loved it. I also had one of the most spiritual experiences of my life on friday at zone leader council. We got to stay up late and talk with president, and i loved it. It felt like one of those big life talks i was supposed to get from dad, but i had missed out on. But i have been blessed so i can be around President so he can give me those. :) I love that man. And during zone leader council I just feel like i had my eyes opened to what missionary work truly is. I love it mom, this is my life. I love being able to be a leader to these missionaries out here, and i love helping them become true missionaries. Everyday is just amazing now, i look forward to talking to anyone about the gospel and testifying of how amazing the restored gospel is. Things just keep getting better and better for me out here, and Heavenly Father helped me realize this week who i really am. I am His boy, and I can do anything with Him. He won't let me down or let me continue to fail or feel sad, He will always help me be strong, brave, and smart enough to always do whats right. And i love Him. Haha sorry if i am sounding a little lame but really it was an amazing thing that happened to me this week. I realized too finally that i have had Heavenly Father there all along and He is my spiritual dad i could have turned too when i was feeling so sad when i didn't have my dad here. I really would have been in poor shape and not had such a strong testimony if i didn't come out on my mission mom. This has been the best choice i have ever made in my life. :) I'm so happy to be here.
I'm so sorry that the Y is going to be closing this summer. :( That's really sad, but i feel really good about it at the same time mom. :) You have been wanting a change for awhile, and i think Heavenly Father is giving you a chance to have something better in life. And i think looking for something in gilbert would be an amazing idea, way closer to drew and joel and your favorite little kids haha. That would be awesome, i could babysit them like crazy when i get home. I love ya momma, and i know what can help you more than anyting right now since you are so confused, remember what Thomas S. Monson said, and take some time this next week to make it to the temple. :) even if you have to go alone, thats ok. You'll get your answers you need there. Ask drew and joel if maybe they could go with you, they have been a big help to me.
Well I got to get going mom, i need to go pwn some people in basketball. Things are going really well out here. I couldn't ask for more . . . besides maybe that nice little package of treats you should send! haha love you mom, i miss you, but i'll be home soon.
Love,
Elder Ingram
3/28 email
I am doing so good, this last week has been one of the best weeks i have had in a while. So you wanted to know what was new and exciting?! Well we found 3 new investigators this week! woo hoo! I am so excited! Haha i wish i could explain to you how happy a missionary is when he has people to teach! I love it so much. So one guy is from nigeria, and he is studying chemistry at the university of buffalo and we are teaching him tonight. His name is Amadi, and he is really cool, he has already done a lot of research on the book of mormon and our church and he loves it. Then another person we are teaching is also studying at the university at buffalo, and his name is Wesley. Its really cool every tuesday we have a booth set up at the university where people can come up and ask questions about what a mormon is or what we believe, and its a blast to get to talk to people and thats how we got in contact with wesley. He is a protestant dude, really nice, knows the scriptures very well and we are going to be seeing him again this thursday. And we got a referral from the vancouver mission for this chinese girl named Min. She goes to Daemen college just down the street from us, and we started teaching her yesterday, and she wants to come to general conference with us this saturday. I am soooo pumped for general conference, haha it is the only time on your misison you can sit on your butt for like 6 hours straight and not even feel bad about it! haha don't worry i never do that anyways, but it'll be a nice break, and an amazing time to listen to the prophet and all the apostles. It's going to be amazing. ANd its really nice because since there are so many sessions at different times, its way easier to get our investigators to go to it with us. Things are really finally starting to pick up here in the singles branch and with the work in our area. I feel so blessed. I believe the Lord was just trying our patience for the past while to see how we would do and if He could trust us with building up His work in this area. Thats something huge i have learned these last 2 transfers mom, is that you need to work hard to be happy. Just getting out and teaching, and if you don't have people to teach, get out and work even harder so you can find someone to teach!!
It's been good for me, haha not gonna lie i felt like i had a really rough patch these past couple transfers out here in buffalo, but things are so much better now. I was just getting discouraged and Its just no good to let that happen you know? But don't worry about me, i am doing amazing now, besides not getting fed by the members haha. When you guys send something, just send me some treats and snacks, holy cow i miss snack foods haha. And maybe some chunky soup, i don't know why but i totally love that stuff. You would be proud, i am doing really well with my workouts again and i have lost around 25 or so lbs. Haha holy moly i put on some weight in geneva, but i am finally getting it all off. Too many people were feeding us and frank was taking good care of us too, thats what i got all that winter weight on! And speaking of winter.... i thought it was over, but it has snowed like crazy this week, and it is sooo flipping cold. I think maybe by mid august spring will be here haha.
So today for pday we are going to be playing basketball. I love it we play for like 3 or 4 hours straight. And i totally just dominate everyone.... or at least i like to tell myself that. Its way fun too, with the singles in the branch and a couple different wards that have less actives we work with we have 2 basketball nights a week. 1 on tuesday nights with the amherst ward, and 1 on saturday nights with the lockport ward. Its been a great way for us to get in with the less actives. They see us and have fun with us at basketball so it kinda breaks the ice and makes it easier for us to work with them and get them to church. Elder anderson and i are doing really well together too. He works hard and i love it. I've been really blessed with companions that work hard, it makes it easier for the the mission. And the mission president is doing a lot better. He is out of the hospital and had a training for us in fayette this last wednesday, that was sooo cool to be back there again. i really love that place. When we take a trip here, we have to make sure to come on a sunday so we can go to church in that chapel, its so beautiful, and spencer w kimball dedicated it! Don't worry about having lame letters mom, i love them, they sound just like you haha and they are amazing. So just keep sending what you do. Tell sam i'm excited she is going to prom, and tell jess that meatball needs to come meet the family! Sorry i kinda just write then go and forget all the questions you ask me, so sorry if i forgot any! Love you mom, talk to you later!
Love,
Elder Ingram
It's been good for me, haha not gonna lie i felt like i had a really rough patch these past couple transfers out here in buffalo, but things are so much better now. I was just getting discouraged and Its just no good to let that happen you know? But don't worry about me, i am doing amazing now, besides not getting fed by the members haha. When you guys send something, just send me some treats and snacks, holy cow i miss snack foods haha. And maybe some chunky soup, i don't know why but i totally love that stuff. You would be proud, i am doing really well with my workouts again and i have lost around 25 or so lbs. Haha holy moly i put on some weight in geneva, but i am finally getting it all off. Too many people were feeding us and frank was taking good care of us too, thats what i got all that winter weight on! And speaking of winter.... i thought it was over, but it has snowed like crazy this week, and it is sooo flipping cold. I think maybe by mid august spring will be here haha.
So today for pday we are going to be playing basketball. I love it we play for like 3 or 4 hours straight. And i totally just dominate everyone.... or at least i like to tell myself that. Its way fun too, with the singles in the branch and a couple different wards that have less actives we work with we have 2 basketball nights a week. 1 on tuesday nights with the amherst ward, and 1 on saturday nights with the lockport ward. Its been a great way for us to get in with the less actives. They see us and have fun with us at basketball so it kinda breaks the ice and makes it easier for us to work with them and get them to church. Elder anderson and i are doing really well together too. He works hard and i love it. I've been really blessed with companions that work hard, it makes it easier for the the mission. And the mission president is doing a lot better. He is out of the hospital and had a training for us in fayette this last wednesday, that was sooo cool to be back there again. i really love that place. When we take a trip here, we have to make sure to come on a sunday so we can go to church in that chapel, its so beautiful, and spencer w kimball dedicated it! Don't worry about having lame letters mom, i love them, they sound just like you haha and they are amazing. So just keep sending what you do. Tell sam i'm excited she is going to prom, and tell jess that meatball needs to come meet the family! Sorry i kinda just write then go and forget all the questions you ask me, so sorry if i forgot any! Love you mom, talk to you later!
Love,
Elder Ingram
3/21 email
Oh my goodness the weather warming up back here has been like the best thing since winter hit! Holy cow can you believe i actually survived the winter and made it to spring, i thought it was never going to show up! Its sooooo nice not seeing snow on the ground anymore and just seeing some grass and the sidewalk! I haven't walked on the sidewalk in months its been so covered in snow! I am loving life, and everything just seems so much happier with the sun out. Its amazing. We have been a little busy this week, we are still working hard to try and get a lot of work going for the singles branch but we still don't have too much work going on. We went around to a few more colleges this week to advertise about the joseph smith movie night we had on friday. Its way fun to be able to go do that. And the coolest college i have been to yet out here in Ny is definitely NU, niagra university. It is sooo pretty and it is right up the street from the falls and the niagra gorge is just like 10 feet away. And then if you drive up the road even a little bit further you can just see the outline of the city toronto and it must be a massive city to see it from that far away. It looks like a really fun school to go to, but like most schools out here it is pretty hardcore catholic. But they were nice and let us post all over their school with stuff about joseph smith. So that was fun, its just different because when we go to do stuff on college campuses we aren't allowed to approach people with the gospel or we can get kicked off their campus for good, so people have to approach us and ask us questions, or we can just advertise for stuff.
The movie night we had was kinda a flop, but we tried our best with it. It was kinda poor planning though, we forgot all about it being spring break for everyone around here, so that was kind of a bummer, but at least it was a learning experience so we know how to do it better next time. But our exchange up in niagra falls was a blast, we had district meeting, then we went to the hard rock cafe for lunch, and then we got to see the falls at night time with the cool light shining all over the falls. We have to come do a trip here for sure when i am done with my mission, and everyone should have their passports so we could just head over into canada too, that would be so much fun. The elders seem to be doing pretty well up in that area. And i had one of the coolest experiences of my entire mission on this last exchange.
So the whole time i have been out on my mission, and all the hours and 1000's of houses i have tracted, i have never been let in one door. So sometimes its just kinda depressing haha, and thats a reason not a lot of people are fans of that! But finally for the 1st time I was let into someones house, we taught them the 1st lesson, and now they are a new investigator for niagra falls and the elders there have already been back! It was soo cool. So we went to contact this referral we had gotten from the church, and they lived on this amazingly beautiful road looking over the niagra river. And of course they werent home. It was a way rich looking area and i was like hey lets just tract it for fun and get a look at these houses. So pretty much everyone was not the most pleasant, telling us we aren't christians, slamming the door, getting mad, so the usual tracting whatever haha. Then we decided we got to hit one more house before we head back. Some man answered the door in his boxers and we gave him a little invite for the gospel and he said we could come in. He went and threw his clothes on real quick, and then we taught them, and he loved it. We taught lesson 1, you should check it out in preach my gospel. And we focused on prophets. He was so nice and he told us to come back, and he wanted to go to church with us on sunday. That felt so good to find someone and teach them again, haha it feels like its been forever since that has happened with me. I have had people let me talk to them at the door and then say they aren't interested, and one time this old lady let us in real quick to get a drink because she felt bad for us, but other than that i have never really gotten into some random persons home from tracting. It was great.
Well momma, things are going well. And when you guys send back my memory card you should send out some goodies too, we don't ever get feed since we are in the singles ward, so we have food, but nothing good besides the essentials haha. I love you mom, you are the best, and tell sam i am proud of her for realizing that all you need to do is read your scriptures every day. Thats so true. Love you, and i'll talk to you later! sorry if i didn't give enough details, i forget sometimes haha.
Love,
Elder Ingram
The movie night we had was kinda a flop, but we tried our best with it. It was kinda poor planning though, we forgot all about it being spring break for everyone around here, so that was kind of a bummer, but at least it was a learning experience so we know how to do it better next time. But our exchange up in niagra falls was a blast, we had district meeting, then we went to the hard rock cafe for lunch, and then we got to see the falls at night time with the cool light shining all over the falls. We have to come do a trip here for sure when i am done with my mission, and everyone should have their passports so we could just head over into canada too, that would be so much fun. The elders seem to be doing pretty well up in that area. And i had one of the coolest experiences of my entire mission on this last exchange.
So the whole time i have been out on my mission, and all the hours and 1000's of houses i have tracted, i have never been let in one door. So sometimes its just kinda depressing haha, and thats a reason not a lot of people are fans of that! But finally for the 1st time I was let into someones house, we taught them the 1st lesson, and now they are a new investigator for niagra falls and the elders there have already been back! It was soo cool. So we went to contact this referral we had gotten from the church, and they lived on this amazingly beautiful road looking over the niagra river. And of course they werent home. It was a way rich looking area and i was like hey lets just tract it for fun and get a look at these houses. So pretty much everyone was not the most pleasant, telling us we aren't christians, slamming the door, getting mad, so the usual tracting whatever haha. Then we decided we got to hit one more house before we head back. Some man answered the door in his boxers and we gave him a little invite for the gospel and he said we could come in. He went and threw his clothes on real quick, and then we taught them, and he loved it. We taught lesson 1, you should check it out in preach my gospel. And we focused on prophets. He was so nice and he told us to come back, and he wanted to go to church with us on sunday. That felt so good to find someone and teach them again, haha it feels like its been forever since that has happened with me. I have had people let me talk to them at the door and then say they aren't interested, and one time this old lady let us in real quick to get a drink because she felt bad for us, but other than that i have never really gotten into some random persons home from tracting. It was great.
Well momma, things are going well. And when you guys send back my memory card you should send out some goodies too, we don't ever get feed since we are in the singles ward, so we have food, but nothing good besides the essentials haha. I love you mom, you are the best, and tell sam i am proud of her for realizing that all you need to do is read your scriptures every day. Thats so true. Love you, and i'll talk to you later! sorry if i didn't give enough details, i forget sometimes haha.
Love,
Elder Ingram
3/14 email
Haha my week went pretty well, i am so happy to be in this new area. We hare having to build up from the ground again since we opened a brand new area, but thats ok. I am just really happy with the change of scenery. Its going to be really nice working with the singles branch. Its so funny though, because in our branch we have about 40 people who will regularly come, but this last week has been spring break so there were only like 10 people at church yesterday!! It was crazy, i have never been to a meeting that small in my life. It makes you really grateful to have been able to grow up in the wards like we have throughout our life. Its cool though, since the branch is so small, it will be a blast to try to get a bunch of work done so we can actually see the growth of our area from our efforts and of course a ton of help form the Lord. We didn't have to do too much traveling this week which was nice, but we did have to go to rochester for zone leader council, and guess what?! We spent the night at the mission presidents home the night before, so on thursday night we were there, and in the middle of the night he had a heart attack! He was rushed to the hospital and he has had some surgery to help, and he is doing fine now, but he is going to have to lay low for a little bit. Holy cow mom, it was scary. I love that man so much, he truly is like a dad to me out here, and if it would have been worse i, along with the rest of the mission, would have just been devastated. So keep him in your prayers if you can ok? So that was a little scary, but the rest of the week has been great. Our apartment is amazing because it use to be a sister missionaries apartment, and let me tell you they get everything better than elders haha. The beds feel like you are sleeping on a cloud, we have 3 couches!, and a whole room for our studies and desks. And then the kitchen is really nice too. I love it, our last apartment we lived in the basement haha and it felt like you were in a dungeon but now we are on the 2nd level of this apartment complex and there is so much sunlight in there it feels like we are in heaven! haha elder anderson and i just love it. Oh and by the way here is my new address, 45 S. Cayuga G2, Williamsville 14221. And yeah you asked if i ever get to talk to the people from geneva, and i do, i write a couple, and i email a few, and of course every once in awhile i give frank a call to see how my buddy is doing. He is doing great. Elder simmons my last comp, isn't there anymore, he is now out here in buffalo too, so it was way nice seeing him again, haha he has gotten so chubby on his mission! Elder anderson and i have been working out alot together too so i am losing some more weight and even getting buffer. I'll look like arnold when i get home.... ok maybe not arnold but at least better haha. Oh yeah and of course elder larson and i keep in touch haha, he calls me about every night and wants to talk for like a half hour. And we get to see him about twice a month when all the zone leaders get together to have their meetings so thats really nice. I love that guy, he is one of my best buddies, geez he is funny. Oh yeah and i forgot to tell you, at our new apartment we have free laundry!!! WOo HOo so sweet, paying for laundry is such a rip off!
As for the work in our area right now we don't have any, but we are taking over all the singles being taught by the missionaries in our zone this week, so things will start picking up! Its just a little different right now since we are having to start this whole new area with the singles branch. And mom our area is huge!!! I love it though, we are going to be heading to niagra falls again this week. Its really fun too though, because we have been going to all the different colleges around here to announce a joseph smith movie night we are having, and its really cool to be working and talking with people my age. its fun just being around all these different colleges too. So a really cool story from this week is we found this person who is interested in the gospel, but only speaks a teeny tiny bit of english, and speak karen. its a burmese language. So we have been having troubles trying to find someone who could translate for us. And the church has no material at all in the language, but the mission president really wants us to be trying to work with this guy, so he must be special. So we went to this laundry mat in downtown buffalo on friday, and some how we found some guy that could speak a little English and karen, and he referred us to some other man who could totally help us teach and translate for us. And at the laundry mat too we met this amazing girl named leah, she is honestly probably the nicest most positive person i have ever met in my life. The Lord works in awesome ways, we just go down to some random laundry mat in downtown buffalo and we are lead to someone who can help us teach this guy that speaks karen, and we got to meet a realy cool person. I love it out here.
Things are going well momma, and it sounds like things are going pretty well at home too. I miss you guys, but i am doing good out here. :) Sorry if this letter didn't have a ton of information that you wanted, i tried to write alot, but not a whole ton happend this last week that was huge or exciting. I love all you guys so much and i hope you have an awesome rest of the week. you should send me a goody package in the mail, haha i never get mail. Love you guys, oh and yeah i'll just start getting my pills out here. It is way easier, sorry i haven't done that from the start. I bet it saves a lot of money too, sorry mom. Well love you and talk to you soon!
Love,
Elder Ingram
As for the work in our area right now we don't have any, but we are taking over all the singles being taught by the missionaries in our zone this week, so things will start picking up! Its just a little different right now since we are having to start this whole new area with the singles branch. And mom our area is huge!!! I love it though, we are going to be heading to niagra falls again this week. Its really fun too though, because we have been going to all the different colleges around here to announce a joseph smith movie night we are having, and its really cool to be working and talking with people my age. its fun just being around all these different colleges too. So a really cool story from this week is we found this person who is interested in the gospel, but only speaks a teeny tiny bit of english, and speak karen. its a burmese language. So we have been having troubles trying to find someone who could translate for us. And the church has no material at all in the language, but the mission president really wants us to be trying to work with this guy, so he must be special. So we went to this laundry mat in downtown buffalo on friday, and some how we found some guy that could speak a little English and karen, and he referred us to some other man who could totally help us teach and translate for us. And at the laundry mat too we met this amazing girl named leah, she is honestly probably the nicest most positive person i have ever met in my life. The Lord works in awesome ways, we just go down to some random laundry mat in downtown buffalo and we are lead to someone who can help us teach this guy that speaks karen, and we got to meet a realy cool person. I love it out here.
Things are going well momma, and it sounds like things are going pretty well at home too. I miss you guys, but i am doing good out here. :) Sorry if this letter didn't have a ton of information that you wanted, i tried to write alot, but not a whole ton happend this last week that was huge or exciting. I love all you guys so much and i hope you have an awesome rest of the week. you should send me a goody package in the mail, haha i never get mail. Love you guys, oh and yeah i'll just start getting my pills out here. It is way easier, sorry i haven't done that from the start. I bet it saves a lot of money too, sorry mom. Well love you and talk to you soon!
Love,
Elder Ingram
3/7 email
My week has been pretty amazing. It was the best week i have had in buffalo since i have been here, it was really nice. :) Haha and i thought it was getting warmer, i was soooo happy because it warmed up so much it started raining and then all of the snow melted away, but then the next day we had this huge snow storm and its freezing again. haha its like 17 degrees today, but its ok, i'm not use to the cold, but i know how i need to bundle up so i will be warm. And yes i heard about transfers!!! So sweet, Elder Anderson and i are staying together again, i am so pumped for that! And we are going to a new area! Woot woot i am so excited. When Richard G Scott came out they formed a singles branch in buffalo, so now we are over the singles branch. And we'll be living in the Suburb of Amherst, it'll be so nice because we will finally have a washer and dryer, and we won't have to pay for laundry this transfer! Sooooo sweet, i am so excited mom, i was really nervous about transfers last night, and i was praying really hard to be with elder anderson again and to be in the singles branch, and the Lord really blessed me this transfer. :) He is looking out for me i can tell. And the really cool thing about this new assignment we have is that the singles branch covers the whole buffalo zone, so we will be just traveling all the time to work with people from niagra falls, to the city of buffalo, all the way down almost to pennsylvania. It'll be an adventure, and it will just be a good change for me in my mission right now. :)
Yeah and mom don't worry about my back it is doing a lot better, i got a blessing from Elder anderson and things are going well with it. It is still a little bit tight, but its not bothering me close as much and it is just getting better with time. And they aren't letting me do physical therapy actually since i hurt my back before my mission. Because we would have to pay for it if i wanted to do it. And we don't have to worry about that. And yeah i'll try and go to the walgreens down the street today, it probably would be easier and even cheaper so you wouldn't have to mail it out. I'll try that today and just check to see if i haven't done it later this week, and if i haven't i'll get another email out to you for you to get them ok? Oh crud, haha i don't know what our new email address will be so, i'll just get my prescription this week. haha woops. And no we haven't had anymore snowball fights, haha i pretty much hate the snow! Its just way too cold, and it gets so gross looking when its been sitting there for awhile. And no elder anderson already has new shoes, he just won't wear them because he doesn't want them to get dirty or worn out.... dude haha i am going to get rid of those shoes. They are going to disappear!
Haha yes mom you have to meet lasagna! She is really nice, a little weird but nice. And her fiance john is like a golden investigator. he came to church this last sunday and he just loved it! He brought up the word of wisdom, and already wants to start changing, i love it. And he really likes what we teach, so its so sweet, lasagna and him are like a package deal. I'm not going to lie, i am going to be a little bit bummed not teaching them anymore, but it was really cool finding them and getting to know them, and see her have a seizure! Its kinda hard leaving people you want to keep teaching though i am not going to lie, its way hard. Like shinny the exchange student, and this new girl natalie we have been teaching too. Its crazy. A couple really cool things i found out this week though came from people in geneva! Remember when i would talk about ray and jacinda, well ray is going to be getting baptized and they both have quit smoking! And the phillips, the amazing less active family i was working with, they are coming to church again after 10 years of not coming. And sister baker called me yesterday, and her nonmember husband dave said the best missionaries he has ever known are elder wilson, cox, and Ingram. Man it was soo good to hear that mom, haha it makes me want to cry thinking about it. I really loved that place, and i am so happy to see all the good that has come from it. :) Something really cool hap pend this week too, our mission president is just like the coolest guy ever, and he came out to buffalo to take us out to dinner. it was great i loved it, sooo tasty. Then we had a stake council meeting with him, and then afterwards, i challenged him to a basketball game. It was so much fun getting to play with him, and i totally smoked him! haha i shouldn't really brag about beating a 57 year old, but it was pretty cool to say i owned my president in basketball. I love that guy, he is a huge help to me out here mom. You should really check out healing the wounded soul if you haven't yet from him. :)
I love you mom, and i'll try not to worry about you. You are the best mom in the world. And mom you can rely on your kids for your happiness, we should be what makes you happy! So dont be sad be happy! Whenever you are sad sing, yellow submarine, its a retarded song, but its so happy it'll make you happy haha! Dude it will. Well i love you mom, and i'll get you my new address soon! I hope you have an awesome week and i'll keep grandpa in my prayers!
love,
Elder Ingram
Yeah and mom don't worry about my back it is doing a lot better, i got a blessing from Elder anderson and things are going well with it. It is still a little bit tight, but its not bothering me close as much and it is just getting better with time. And they aren't letting me do physical therapy actually since i hurt my back before my mission. Because we would have to pay for it if i wanted to do it. And we don't have to worry about that. And yeah i'll try and go to the walgreens down the street today, it probably would be easier and even cheaper so you wouldn't have to mail it out. I'll try that today and just check to see if i haven't done it later this week, and if i haven't i'll get another email out to you for you to get them ok? Oh crud, haha i don't know what our new email address will be so, i'll just get my prescription this week. haha woops. And no we haven't had anymore snowball fights, haha i pretty much hate the snow! Its just way too cold, and it gets so gross looking when its been sitting there for awhile. And no elder anderson already has new shoes, he just won't wear them because he doesn't want them to get dirty or worn out.... dude haha i am going to get rid of those shoes. They are going to disappear!
Haha yes mom you have to meet lasagna! She is really nice, a little weird but nice. And her fiance john is like a golden investigator. he came to church this last sunday and he just loved it! He brought up the word of wisdom, and already wants to start changing, i love it. And he really likes what we teach, so its so sweet, lasagna and him are like a package deal. I'm not going to lie, i am going to be a little bit bummed not teaching them anymore, but it was really cool finding them and getting to know them, and see her have a seizure! Its kinda hard leaving people you want to keep teaching though i am not going to lie, its way hard. Like shinny the exchange student, and this new girl natalie we have been teaching too. Its crazy. A couple really cool things i found out this week though came from people in geneva! Remember when i would talk about ray and jacinda, well ray is going to be getting baptized and they both have quit smoking! And the phillips, the amazing less active family i was working with, they are coming to church again after 10 years of not coming. And sister baker called me yesterday, and her nonmember husband dave said the best missionaries he has ever known are elder wilson, cox, and Ingram. Man it was soo good to hear that mom, haha it makes me want to cry thinking about it. I really loved that place, and i am so happy to see all the good that has come from it. :) Something really cool hap pend this week too, our mission president is just like the coolest guy ever, and he came out to buffalo to take us out to dinner. it was great i loved it, sooo tasty. Then we had a stake council meeting with him, and then afterwards, i challenged him to a basketball game. It was so much fun getting to play with him, and i totally smoked him! haha i shouldn't really brag about beating a 57 year old, but it was pretty cool to say i owned my president in basketball. I love that guy, he is a huge help to me out here mom. You should really check out healing the wounded soul if you haven't yet from him. :)
I love you mom, and i'll try not to worry about you. You are the best mom in the world. And mom you can rely on your kids for your happiness, we should be what makes you happy! So dont be sad be happy! Whenever you are sad sing, yellow submarine, its a retarded song, but its so happy it'll make you happy haha! Dude it will. Well i love you mom, and i'll get you my new address soon! I hope you have an awesome week and i'll keep grandpa in my prayers!
love,
Elder Ingram
2/28 email
Haha i'm sorry that you accidentally erased your last email! I can just imagine you writing it all on your phone, then erasing it and going, " oh fudge..." so don't worry about it. Remember i said i don't care even if i get short emails, just as long as i hear from you i am doing really well. Yeah this last week wasn't too bad. It was awesome because we found 2 more people we are going to be teaching which is way awesome. Its crazy out here mom, because you are sooooo much happier when you are teaching people instead of just going around all day doing what you can to find them. And its sooo nice to finally have a few people we are teaching. Its really cool though, it has made me realize that to be happy you have to keep yourself busy and work, because if you don't have much going on and you don't get out to work, its not the most fun. Its cool though because we are still teaching that exchange student, she is real nice. And we are teaching that lady lasagna still, i love her name, and i dont remember if i told you but i keep telling people her last name is meatball and i laugh so hard every time i do, haha i don't know why but i do. We are teaching her fiance now too johnny, he is a really cool guy. And he is a lot more stable than she is, which is wayyy good. And are also teaching this other guy named john, he is a cool guy, but its pretty sad, he is so depressed with life right now and we are doing what we can with him to cheer him up. And there is this other lady that we are starting to teach too, her name is Pauline, and she is awesome. She has a really cool accent too, because she is from london! How cool is that? And you want to hear something crazy? This last week while we were in a lesson with lasagna it was crazy, we were in the middle of teaching her and i saw like her eyes glaze over, and her hand started twitching, and then she just busted out in a full on seizure! It was nuts! I was kinda like, uhhhh so what do we do now? She came out of it pretty quick but then she was so confused we told her we would come back sometime later. It was crazy, that was a pretty good journal entry too though.
And it was nuts this week there was a huge snow storm we got well over a foot in just a couple hours and it was still coming. And we were out walking and using the buses that day, and it was so funny because i kept owning elder anderson with snow balls. He was getting so mad, but every time i was just laughing harder so i kept throwing those snowballs. And there are these shoes elder anderson has that i hate, because they have a giant hole in them and his feet get soaking wet every day, and they have no grip on the bottom, and i keep telling him, dude those shoes are ridiculous, but he loves them so he wont stop wearing them. But he finally learned his lesson the day of the huge snow storm, because he tried to run around this corner, and since he had no grip on his shoes, his feet slipped out from underneath him and he face planted in the snow. Holy cow it was sooo funny mom, i was laughing for about an hour straight and he was so mad, because he got so cold and wet. It was amazing.
You don't need to worry mom, i didn't have the best week of my life, i haven't been the biggest fan of the area here in buffalo, but things are getting better. And maybe you were thinking about me because i was thinking about you too, i miss you mom. And i met some lady out here this week while we were tracting that reminded me alot of you and it was hard for me. But don't worry ok? Things are going really well, i have an awesome companion and transfers are coming up in a week, and i think there is a chance i may be leaving here, so keep me in your prayers ok? I love you mom, and i hope you have a really good week, i am sending sam a bday card tomorrow, and i am sending my memory card home finally! There are some good pictures on there. :)
Love,
Elder Ingram
And it was nuts this week there was a huge snow storm we got well over a foot in just a couple hours and it was still coming. And we were out walking and using the buses that day, and it was so funny because i kept owning elder anderson with snow balls. He was getting so mad, but every time i was just laughing harder so i kept throwing those snowballs. And there are these shoes elder anderson has that i hate, because they have a giant hole in them and his feet get soaking wet every day, and they have no grip on the bottom, and i keep telling him, dude those shoes are ridiculous, but he loves them so he wont stop wearing them. But he finally learned his lesson the day of the huge snow storm, because he tried to run around this corner, and since he had no grip on his shoes, his feet slipped out from underneath him and he face planted in the snow. Holy cow it was sooo funny mom, i was laughing for about an hour straight and he was so mad, because he got so cold and wet. It was amazing.
You don't need to worry mom, i didn't have the best week of my life, i haven't been the biggest fan of the area here in buffalo, but things are getting better. And maybe you were thinking about me because i was thinking about you too, i miss you mom. And i met some lady out here this week while we were tracting that reminded me alot of you and it was hard for me. But don't worry ok? Things are going really well, i have an awesome companion and transfers are coming up in a week, and i think there is a chance i may be leaving here, so keep me in your prayers ok? I love you mom, and i hope you have a really good week, i am sending sam a bday card tomorrow, and i am sending my memory card home finally! There are some good pictures on there. :)
Love,
Elder Ingram
2/21 email
So this last week has been one of the best weeks of my life! We had so many cool experiences and the best one of all was on last saturday! Elder Richard G. Scott came to our mission and had a special conference with us. Holy cow it was pretty much the most epic thing of all time. I got to shake the hand of an Apostle of the Lord and talk with him. It was like the most amazing thing ever, haha oh man i was sooooo pumped to see him. And it is so crazy seeing an Apostle in person and up close, because on tv they just look so different. Elder Scott is such a short guy! He is probably like 5'2 smaller than jessica! I thought he was a much taller guy. And the suit he was wearing was a little big on him, and haha his hair wasn't totally combed perfectly. And i loved it, because it made me realize that these guys are real too. But whenever he spoke you could feel his power and authority. And the best part of the whole meeting was when he bore his testimony. It was incredible. When he testified as a special witness of Jesus Christ, it blew my mind. And at one point he stuck out his finger, looked into my eyes and said, Jesus Christ lives and I know Him.... holy cow that was the coolest moment of my life! Loved it haha. Another really cool thing i learned about him was his family life before his mission. At the time right before his mission, he wasnt even sure if he wanted to go. his dad wasn't even a member of the church and his mom was less active. I loved hearing that too. It was just a great experience.
So another really cool thing that happened this week is we found another person to teach! Her name is Shinny and she is an exchange student from china. And it is soo cool teaching her, because i have never taught someone before who doesn't even really know who God or Jesus Christ are. It was awesome, she was asking what is heaven like, so elder anderson and i asked her to imagine the most beautiful place she has ever seen in her life, and she was like ok, then we told her to multiply it by a million, and she was like. oh my gosh..., it was just soooooo sweet seeing her picture this for the 1st time in her mind. Teaching is like my favorite thing to do in the world, and now that we are finally getting a couple more people to teach it is awesome. Keep praying for us though so that we can find more people! We need them!
Haha no i still don't know my way around buffalo very well, it is such a big city and there are so many streets i am having to use the map all the time to make sure i know where i am going. I am starting to like it a little bit more though, haha it is such an ugly city itself but i am really starting to like it more which is really good. Haha and you asked if i have seen anything exciting.... well buffalo really isn't the safest place of all time, and we were just going by this school the other day and all of the sudden i saw like these 3 blacks kids jump this kid and just start beating the crud out of him! It was nuts, i wanted to go over and help but if i did, i probably would have just got owned. It was crazy, and the other day too, this van tboned a cadilac right in front of us and the cadilac spun and hit the light pole. It was insane! We were like the only witnesses of what happened so we had to talk to the cops and stuff. My back is doing better, it is still really tight sometimes, but the church is having me going to physical therapy for a little bit and i'll be ok, so dont worry. :) I'll keep maddux in my prayers for sure, i can't believe that little guy is going to have surgery! Well i love you mom, and today we are going to see the giant catholic basilica here in orchard park. I'm going to take some pictures and then send my winter pics home next week. I love you mom and i hope you have an amazing week! You are the best and i love you guys so much.
Love,
Elder Ingram
So another really cool thing that happened this week is we found another person to teach! Her name is Shinny and she is an exchange student from china. And it is soo cool teaching her, because i have never taught someone before who doesn't even really know who God or Jesus Christ are. It was awesome, she was asking what is heaven like, so elder anderson and i asked her to imagine the most beautiful place she has ever seen in her life, and she was like ok, then we told her to multiply it by a million, and she was like. oh my gosh..., it was just soooooo sweet seeing her picture this for the 1st time in her mind. Teaching is like my favorite thing to do in the world, and now that we are finally getting a couple more people to teach it is awesome. Keep praying for us though so that we can find more people! We need them!
Haha no i still don't know my way around buffalo very well, it is such a big city and there are so many streets i am having to use the map all the time to make sure i know where i am going. I am starting to like it a little bit more though, haha it is such an ugly city itself but i am really starting to like it more which is really good. Haha and you asked if i have seen anything exciting.... well buffalo really isn't the safest place of all time, and we were just going by this school the other day and all of the sudden i saw like these 3 blacks kids jump this kid and just start beating the crud out of him! It was nuts, i wanted to go over and help but if i did, i probably would have just got owned. It was crazy, and the other day too, this van tboned a cadilac right in front of us and the cadilac spun and hit the light pole. It was insane! We were like the only witnesses of what happened so we had to talk to the cops and stuff. My back is doing better, it is still really tight sometimes, but the church is having me going to physical therapy for a little bit and i'll be ok, so dont worry. :) I'll keep maddux in my prayers for sure, i can't believe that little guy is going to have surgery! Well i love you mom, and today we are going to see the giant catholic basilica here in orchard park. I'm going to take some pictures and then send my winter pics home next week. I love you mom and i hope you have an amazing week! You are the best and i love you guys so much.
Love,
Elder Ingram
Sunday, January 23, 2011
1/18 email
It was so funny though i opened my email yesterday and i was so pumped to read what you guys wrote me, haha and i turned to elder simmons and i was like, dude nobody from my family wrote me. Megan and Austin were the only ones that wrote me besides some of my missionary buddies. Haha but i knew that you probably were going to write me today. So i get a short amount of time today to email you guys! Woo Hoo, i love email, it is like the best thing in the world. Imagine what it would be like if we couldn't email, and mail was as slow here as it was to drew in mexico! haha that would be terrible, it really is such a blessing to be serving in the united states, i love it!
So the little boy i baptized this last week is such a stud. His name is Mehki, pronounced like MaKye. He is so awesome, he says all he wants to do when he grows up is to work for the church. He is amazing, he is only 9 and he is like halfway through the book of mormon already. I love it. Working with part member families i think is my favorite part about missionary work because we get to help complete families so they can truly be together forever. Its the best. :) i can't wait for the day when you can come out here mom and i can introduce you to all the amazing people around here. Like last night we went over to the Liu's house for dinner, and they are just so cool and have taken such good care of us. We eat over there every sunday night, and now they are having us over every monday night too. Wing, is the chinese guy i have talked about befoer who loves wheel of time and the sword of truth, is just the best. We have become such good friends, and he is pretty inactive and we always have great talks about the gospel and church and i just really hope i can stay here in geneva again so i can keep working with people like him. Haha i also don't want to leave frank, or Ray and Jacinda, or just a bunch of others. Haha i could stay in geneva my whole mission and i wouldn't even care, but the thing is change is bound to happen sometime and i'll be ready for it when it comes. :) because we may not want the change, but good things will come from it. Its weird mom, sometimes i think about dad leaving our family and all the crazy bad things that happened around that time, but how different would life have been if he was around you know? I am not happy it happened or wanted it too, but look how good all of our lives are now. :) Drew and joel have amazing families, jess and sam are at home with you and they are doing great. I am out here in New York on my mission, who knows where i could have been right now. Its weird because i realized you don't really see the blessings in things until maybe years and years down the road.
I'm really happy for Sam. Tell her to keep being epic, and that Elder Larson loves her and wants to marry her hahahaha. Its soooooooo funny, but its true. She will be doing better without Aj, and hey i called it and you know it. So i am 3 for 3 now when it comes to guys being bums to jessica or samantha, when are they going to listen to me?! :P haha so awesome, i'm the best and you know it. Sorry my letter is kinda random but i am just in a crazy good mood right now. Yesterday we had a really fun pday, we went bowling and i scored in the 120s both games, and then we went and played a bunch of games up at franks mansion too. I loved it. Frank said something realy cool to me too the other day that made me feel like i really am making a difference or atleast am doing something alright out here. He told me that out of all the missionaries he has met with over all these years he has been investigating the church, that i am one of the very most special he has ever met or come across. haha and to hear that from frank made me way happy, you know how much i love that guy. The really cool things too about transfers coming up too is that, there is a big possiblilty that Elder Larson and i are going to be companions, how sweet would that be?!
Well I will let you know as soon as i can where i am going next transfer or if i am staying right here again in Geneva. i love you mom and thanks for doing all you do for me. Megans new haircut is really pretty isn't it? ;) haha she sent me some pictures and i kinda dig it! Love you mom talk to you later! Sorry for the shorter email!
Love
Elder Ingram
1/10 email
Hey Momma!
That was so awesome being able to call yesterday, haha even though it was about my pills, it was still sweet to be able to talk to all of you for even just a second. That was soo cool! :) Yes and i did get your text by the way, and thanks for taking care of that for me mom, haha i was kinda confused. I think i'll just have you send out my pills, just so i din't have to worry about anything and have to go a while without them! That was soooo cool too that Megan was there, that is so wierd because i was going to call earlier in the day, and i was like nah i'll wait, and its a good thing i did because Megan was there! Woo Hoo :) that was amazing, and a little blessing from the Lord. Thats wierd, you said she didn't get a letter on monday, i totally wrote here a big huge letter. Thats lame, i will just make sure i send it out to her twice now so she will get it. Thats soo cool all the girls went out to get their nails done, i bet that was a blast... haha just joking i bet they all had fun. And i hope sam rocked her dance auditions and will get into the higher class that she deserves. She is amazing.
I'm glad that you guys got the pictures too! Haha and i'm glad you like them, we have had a lot of fun these last 2 transfers and it has been really nice to be able to take a lot of pictures so I will always have memories of it. :) Yes and if you could send both my memory cards back out soon that would be sweet! The snow out here in the trees really does make it look pretty doesn't it? I really like being able to be in snow and play around in it, haha but there is no way i would want to live in it. It is crazy, it is sooooo cold, and then you have to scrape off snow on your car everyday, and then it takes 10 years for your car to heat up and then when it does, you have to get out and your car freezes again. hahaha i love it out here, but i think i am way more adapted to the heat. I feel though i have done a lot better through this winter than i thought i was going to do. I feel pretty cool about that haha. Oh and i loved the cheesecake that megan sent me, that was soo cool.
Well there is not a whole lot of new that happened this last week because we were all over the place! Haha sometimes being a zone leader is a little different. We have so many meetings to go to, and we have to go on companionship exchanges with all the district leaders in our zone and with elders that are having a hard time. So last week we had pday, and then the next day i had to go on an exchange with Elder Larsen, the new one. And then on wednesday we had to drive a couple hours down to hornell for a district meeting. And then on thursday, Elder Larson and i had to go to a stake council meeting and talk about the missionary work throughout our stake. And then the next day we had an all day training meeting with the president. That was pretty epic, and then on saturday we had to do our weekly planning and then we had our ward correlation. And then on sunday we finally had another normal day in our area. Whew! let me tell you, i just cant wait to get back into our area this week and just go to work. After a week full of meetings and other things i am ready to just get back to work. THis last week wasn't bad haha it was just Elder Larson and i had a lot to do and so many meetings to go to, it didn't feel like we got as much done in our areas as we wanted to. So i am way excited for this week!
Haha i wish i could get frank baptized too he is so amazing. Our mission presidnet came to our ward and spoke on sunday and he did so amazing. He really impacted Frank, and Ray and Jacinda Johnson. We are going to palmyra this week with Ray and Jacinda too, they are doing really well and are really set on quitng smoking again! So Pray for them please. Chris Jensen is doing so well, i love that kid. His family is going to be sealed in the temple pretty soon and i can't wait to be able to go to that. And maria is doing great too, she comes to church every week, pays her tithing, and the relief society is being great to her i love it. And something that is really cool is Elder Simmons and i get to baptize 2 kids this week! The sister missionaries have been working with them for a long time, and we have helped a little bit, and they asked us to baptize them. I am really excited for it i love baptisms! So this is going to be a great week.
I love you so much mom, and i cant wait to get my pills haha. I am feeling a little wierd and shaky, so thanks for doing what you can to help me out. I love you guys so much, and remind drew and joel to write me when you see them next. Talk to you guys soon!
Love Elder Ingram
Monday, January 3, 2011
1/3 email
Hey mom i am doing great. haha having a pday thursday and then having one on monday is a pretty good gig, i think i could get use to this! Haha that'll probably never happen again though. But the game was pretty dang fun. We got to drive all the way out to buffalo, which was way fun because i have never been out to that side of the mission yet. And then the game was just a blast, there were a ton of BYU fans, and i forgot how much i missed basketball when i got to watch that game. it was way good, and the mission president was there too so that was cool. And it was fun getting to talk to people about the gospel at a basketball game, how sweet is that. There were these 3 old guys Elder Larsen and i talked to for like 20 minutes and they just loved it. Pretty amazing. It was kinda sad to me, some other missionaries thought it was funny, but when we walked in the game the whole student section made a cheer saying "we're not interested!" People are lame, we were only coming to watch a bball game. Other than that though, it was pretty epic i'm not going to lie.
You are right, it was so nice, it got warm out here for the weekend! It was so nice, i really did feel like i got to defrost a little bit. But its right back to the cold. I don't think it is the cold thats really bad, its the frigid wind that is terrible, haha it is so cold when we are out walking that sometimes i lick my lips and then they are frozen! I hate doing that haha, but i always forget for some reason. I am suprised how cold it is out in phoenix right now, that is nuts!
Things here in Geneva are going great. We got back in with one of my favorite families ever. It was sad we haven't been able to see them for like 3 weeks they have been so busy. Its the Liu family, they are amazing. Its the chinese guy who makes the best food in the entire world! Love it, and they missed us so much too that they invited us over for dinner again tonight! I am mega pumped, because Wing ( the husband ) and i get along so well, and he is inactive and i really want him to get coming back to church. And he does come out to church when he knows we'll be there so that is good. And the best part too is we are working with another amazing less active couple, the Phillips. They are the best, they are pretty much like another set of grandparents out here. And they love having us over so much, that if we haven't been over in a couple days, they give us a call to see where we have been. I really think they are getting ready to come back to church too. Missionaries have been over before and they have just sent them away, and they have just embraced us. And they still believe the church is true, they were just offended before, which is sad. But we are doing great work with them. And also there is this guys in our ward Bro Robinson, he speaks spanish and he is really cool, and he has started to come out and teach with us now, so its nice having someone else there to help me with the spanish work instead of having to do it all on my own.
Oh and the coolest part of this weekend was we got to go to the temple on Saturday! What a way to start out the new Year right? Pretty amazing, and every other temple in the world was closed, and the temple president there told us we were the 1st elders in the world to go through a temple session in 2011. Thats a nice little gem to put in the journal if i say so, haha. Well i love you mom and i can't wait to hear from you again next week. Tell jessica to update the blog and send out my memory card because i am sending you one back this week too. I love you mom! i hope your finger is doing better
Love,
Elder ingram
You are right, it was so nice, it got warm out here for the weekend! It was so nice, i really did feel like i got to defrost a little bit. But its right back to the cold. I don't think it is the cold thats really bad, its the frigid wind that is terrible, haha it is so cold when we are out walking that sometimes i lick my lips and then they are frozen! I hate doing that haha, but i always forget for some reason. I am suprised how cold it is out in phoenix right now, that is nuts!
Things here in Geneva are going great. We got back in with one of my favorite families ever. It was sad we haven't been able to see them for like 3 weeks they have been so busy. Its the Liu family, they are amazing. Its the chinese guy who makes the best food in the entire world! Love it, and they missed us so much too that they invited us over for dinner again tonight! I am mega pumped, because Wing ( the husband ) and i get along so well, and he is inactive and i really want him to get coming back to church. And he does come out to church when he knows we'll be there so that is good. And the best part too is we are working with another amazing less active couple, the Phillips. They are the best, they are pretty much like another set of grandparents out here. And they love having us over so much, that if we haven't been over in a couple days, they give us a call to see where we have been. I really think they are getting ready to come back to church too. Missionaries have been over before and they have just sent them away, and they have just embraced us. And they still believe the church is true, they were just offended before, which is sad. But we are doing great work with them. And also there is this guys in our ward Bro Robinson, he speaks spanish and he is really cool, and he has started to come out and teach with us now, so its nice having someone else there to help me with the spanish work instead of having to do it all on my own.
Oh and the coolest part of this weekend was we got to go to the temple on Saturday! What a way to start out the new Year right? Pretty amazing, and every other temple in the world was closed, and the temple president there told us we were the 1st elders in the world to go through a temple session in 2011. Thats a nice little gem to put in the journal if i say so, haha. Well i love you mom and i can't wait to hear from you again next week. Tell jessica to update the blog and send out my memory card because i am sending you one back this week too. I love you mom! i hope your finger is doing better
Love,
Elder ingram
12/30 email
Happy New Year's to you too! Holy cow can you believe that it is already pretty much 2011?! :O haha that is so crazy, this last year has been the craziest and fastest of my entire life! But it has also been the best year too, so i can't wait to see what this next year is like. Its really cool out in the missionfield they call the time where you serve one full year jan. to dec. your year for the Lord. So 2011 is my year for the Lord, it will be so cool, every single day for this entire year will be dedicated to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Its a pretty amazing opportunity if you think about it. There won't be any other time in my life where i can do what i am.
Yes i did enjoy the rest of my christmas. It was pretty much amazing. We went over and had dinner with franks family and it was just so much fun. They are all very nice, and they loved us. So it was a great dinner and they are such a nice family it made it feel like it was christmas even more! It was sooo good. Haha it is so funny because Frank and his whole family should be mormons, they don't drink or smoke, or even drink coffee or tea! I don't get it haha, maybe they just need more time than other people to accept the gospel. And thats ok, they are so good I know the Lord will take care of them.
Talking to you guys on Christmas was so awesome! Haha no lie i thought i was going to cry like a little baby, but i was just so happy to be able to talk to you guys that i wasn't sad. It was just so nice to have a little bit of time where we could chat instead of having to email and wait a week for a response!!!! haha that was awesome being able to talk to gma and gpa too, i miss them alot. ANd it was nice to talk to peanut. I am so sorry he bit your finger! Did it almost fall off?! haha It was soo good being able to talk to drew and joel too, and kasey and tarah. Haha it was the most i have heard from them since i have been out here on my mission! Joel and Drew are such bums haha they were both like, you love how much we write you. They are lame, but they said they would start writing me more which is pretty awesome. I am so grateful to you jess, sam, and megan. You guys all write me consistently and it makes it really nice. Oh and don't worry after the phone calls i wasn't sad or feeling homesick i was just so happy. I am just in a way good mood and i love it!
So we haven't gone to the basketball game yet but we are going to today. It is going to be pretty sweet. Haha i don't really care about the game so much, as just having some nice time to kinda relax a little bit and have some fun with the other elders. That will be good. :) I am so bummed i missed maddux's 3rd bday! Can you belive that little dude is 3? That is insane, haha he was so shy when he was talking to me on the phone, but he told me he loved me and that made me happy. :) Oh and don't worry mom i am going to be sending a ton of pictures from this last transfer and from christmas out today, sorry it took me so long i just wanted there to be pictures from christmas on there before i sent any of them home to you. There are some good pics on here haha. You'll like them. And don't worry mom, my shoes fit perfect, I am wearing them right now! And the brown belt megan got me so i look pretty spiffy right now haha!
This week has been really good, but its so wierd time just keeps chugging along out here you know? I mean once sunday hits i am already halfway through another transfer! It is really starting to freak me out how fast it is going. :( I love it out here. Its so funny remember how i was always wanting to come live out on the east coast for such a long time, i just realized the other day that the Lord gave me the blessing of living out here on my mission. haha i should i realized it more before, but i wanted it so much, and it just hit me that He blessed me with what i wanted. I am out here living in it and loving it. Haha i'm not going to lie though i think i like the west a little bit more. :) Well Mom i'm sorry i don't have too much to say about this last week but we have shorter time to email today so i'lll write a better letter on monday. I love you mom, you are the best! Talk to you guys soon!
Love,
Elder Ingram
Yes i did enjoy the rest of my christmas. It was pretty much amazing. We went over and had dinner with franks family and it was just so much fun. They are all very nice, and they loved us. So it was a great dinner and they are such a nice family it made it feel like it was christmas even more! It was sooo good. Haha it is so funny because Frank and his whole family should be mormons, they don't drink or smoke, or even drink coffee or tea! I don't get it haha, maybe they just need more time than other people to accept the gospel. And thats ok, they are so good I know the Lord will take care of them.
Talking to you guys on Christmas was so awesome! Haha no lie i thought i was going to cry like a little baby, but i was just so happy to be able to talk to you guys that i wasn't sad. It was just so nice to have a little bit of time where we could chat instead of having to email and wait a week for a response!!!! haha that was awesome being able to talk to gma and gpa too, i miss them alot. ANd it was nice to talk to peanut. I am so sorry he bit your finger! Did it almost fall off?! haha It was soo good being able to talk to drew and joel too, and kasey and tarah. Haha it was the most i have heard from them since i have been out here on my mission! Joel and Drew are such bums haha they were both like, you love how much we write you. They are lame, but they said they would start writing me more which is pretty awesome. I am so grateful to you jess, sam, and megan. You guys all write me consistently and it makes it really nice. Oh and don't worry after the phone calls i wasn't sad or feeling homesick i was just so happy. I am just in a way good mood and i love it!
So we haven't gone to the basketball game yet but we are going to today. It is going to be pretty sweet. Haha i don't really care about the game so much, as just having some nice time to kinda relax a little bit and have some fun with the other elders. That will be good. :) I am so bummed i missed maddux's 3rd bday! Can you belive that little dude is 3? That is insane, haha he was so shy when he was talking to me on the phone, but he told me he loved me and that made me happy. :) Oh and don't worry mom i am going to be sending a ton of pictures from this last transfer and from christmas out today, sorry it took me so long i just wanted there to be pictures from christmas on there before i sent any of them home to you. There are some good pics on here haha. You'll like them. And don't worry mom, my shoes fit perfect, I am wearing them right now! And the brown belt megan got me so i look pretty spiffy right now haha!
This week has been really good, but its so wierd time just keeps chugging along out here you know? I mean once sunday hits i am already halfway through another transfer! It is really starting to freak me out how fast it is going. :( I love it out here. Its so funny remember how i was always wanting to come live out on the east coast for such a long time, i just realized the other day that the Lord gave me the blessing of living out here on my mission. haha i should i realized it more before, but i wanted it so much, and it just hit me that He blessed me with what i wanted. I am out here living in it and loving it. Haha i'm not going to lie though i think i like the west a little bit more. :) Well Mom i'm sorry i don't have too much to say about this last week but we have shorter time to email today so i'lll write a better letter on monday. I love you mom, you are the best! Talk to you guys soon!
Love,
Elder Ingram
12/20 email
Ah i love getting emails from you. I am such a little baby haha, i always pride myself in not being very homesick at all, but everytime i get a letter from you or anyone in the family i start to cry. :) but that is ok, i just love hearing from you guys so much and i especially can't wait to call you on christmas, it is going to be amazing. Can you believe it is already time for me to give you guys a call and talk. I remember when i started my mission thinking, holy crud i won't be able to talk to my family until christmas, and that felt like it was an eternity away. But check it out, its already here on saturday!!! Woo Hoo i am soo pumped, but it is kinda wierd how fast my mission is going already, i hope it doesn't speed up too much more because i won't even be able to remember what was going on haha!
I am glad that you girls made it safe up to utah. I worry about you sometime not having a big manly person around like me haha. But i do, and i am glad that you and sam and jess are safe. I pray for that a lot, and Heavenly Father is definitly looking out for you guys. I am so jealous you got to drive over that epic bridge over the hoover dam, i want to do that so bad! But i will get to some day. I am kinda bummed though you can't see over it, i totally want to jump off that with a parachute, how sweet would that be? haha it would be pretty dang amazing if i say so myself. SO i am not exactly sure what time i'll be calling you, but it'll probably be sometime around like 10 or 11 my time, or do you want it later in the day? I can't decide i kinda want it early so i am not waiting around all day wanting to talk to you. Holy cow i am excited haha.
So anyways for christmas eve we are going to be having a really fun night. We are going to be going over to this italian family in our ward called the Fazio's. They are amazing, and they are cooking up this mega huge dinner and we are going to be playing games and just having a great time. The sister missionaries in our ward are going to be coming over too, so that'll be fun. These sisters right now aren't too bad in this district they are nice and keep their distance and i am totally happy about that, haha i and bet megan is too! :) So we will be having a fun time, but we won't be able to watch the christmas story. :( Soooo bummed, but thats ok, it wouldn't be the same without the familly around anyways. I am so happy that all of you got together for family night and played all those epic christmas games, the christmas tree game is like the best game in the entire world. I am so pumped that maddux got to play too, he is such a little stud. And then for christmas day we are going to have a really good time. Elder Larson, Simmons and I will be going up to franks big mansion and opening up our presents up there in the morning around the fire and the christmas tree. And frank is going to be cooking us a big breakfast while we do that. And then we'll come back relax for a little bit and then do our calls, and then at 2 franks family invited us over to have christmas dinner with them and to spend time and play games with them. haha that is going to be epic, frank and his family are crazy and i love that. It reminds me of our family. I love having a crazy family.
And mom i'm glad you liked what you got for xmas. Yeah i totally made them for you, and i used your favorite color! How sweet is that? haha :) merry christmas i love you mom. Haha and i'm glad that the girls enjoyed the leg lamp, haha i knew they would. I saw that and knew it was the perfect gift for them. Alright well i got to get going, i'm excited to see what you and the girls are sending for christmas its going to be epic. Can't wait to talk to you on christmas! Love you mom! Hey on christmas day i'll need to get joels and drews numbers i don't remember what they are!
Love
Elder Ingram :)
12/13 email
Momma! :D
haha you love that big fat smiley face! Kapew! I am doing amazing!! And i am frozen, but not yet frozen stiff yet! haha but it is cold as a well diggers knee here though. I can't believe you guys have the high 70's that is insane! But i would love that so much haha. So guess what..... I am staying in Geneva again!! Wooooo HOOOoO :D I am so pumped and excited i can't even explain it to you. And i am staying with elder simmons again which will be way fun, and elder larson is still my zone leader companion so we will just have a blast again here, especially for christmas. It is so funny because earlier last week i was getting worried about the transfers i'm not going to lie. I didn't want to leave and i felt like i was going to. I love this district i am in so much, i love frank and all the other people around here so much, and i love the ward around here so much i just couldn't stand the thought of leaving. No lie, we had our last district meeting for the transfer last friday and i got up haha and i just started crying like a little baby because i didn't want to go and i was telling everyone how much i loved them and how good they have been to me. These last 6 months really have been the most amazing of my life. I know i am missing out on some huge things in the family, and definitely with megan, but still they have been the best. I have made friends out here that will be my buds for the rest of my life and eternity, haha no lie its called the plan of salvation, and it rocks! :P And there have been people i worked with that are doing so great, and seeing thier lives change for the better through the church is amazing. I mean look at this, Chris Jensen is getting the priesthood next week and he wants me to be a part of it. That makes me want to cry thinking about that! And chris is doing so amazing, he keeps going to the youth activites and has made such good buddies in the ward, and he keeps coming to church. We just had family night with his family this week and it was amazing because the spirit was there, and that family was complete. THey are going to be together forever now, and i can't think of anything really in the world that is better than that. Because i know i want to be with you mom forever. I couldn't live without you. You cold tell whenever i was sad or down, and you always made me feel better and you always took care of me. I love you mom. :) And that is why these last 6 months have been the best, because i have been able to be a part of helping some family get what i already have through the gospel. And check this out too. Maria has only missed 1 day of church in the last 3 months because she was sick! How amazing is that? And she was having a really rough time at work because they weren't paying her and she didn't have enough money for food. And guess who came to the rescue to help her. The church did. It is just so amazing to see these people i have spent so much time with still active and pursuing the church. I love it! haha sorry if i was rambling or being emotional but those are just 2 of the things that i've seen here in geneva that made me want to stay. I couldn't leave that. And just last night we met with frank again, and he was crying he was so happy we were staying. i love that man and he is so good to me, how could i have left him especially around christmas?
Ahhhh the Lord is good, with prayer and fasting and if things are right to Him, He will bless you and give you want you want, if its a righteous desire. I love Him so much. :)
Ok so on to other news. Thanks for getting me my meds mom, how do i just get meds my own now? Do i just bring that card to a walgreens and get it there? haha sorry i'm a nub i just don't know this stuff. And i'm glad you guys got the package, open it up today because you are going to love it! haha its amazing. Sorry i didn't send much more, i just didn't have much to spend. And i hope you like what i got you mom, i spent some time on those. :) Oh and yes i love getting to open a present from megan everyday, i feel like the coolest special little boy every morning, i hurry up and shower and get ready and open my presents haha! She sends me anything from candy, to a beanie, to sweats, to a cool xmas book! Its amazing, i love her so much, she is so good to me. :) You asked too what kind of stuff do we do on preparation day, well last week we went to downtown rochester to visit this old memeber who makes some super tasty wings, and then we played some basketball at the church. Haha elder simmons rolled his ankle soooooooo bad. Then today we are just kinda hanging out and going to the mall to see if there is anything we want or to get someone for xmas. Or sometimes we play board games, or just hang out at the mansion with frank. Haha nothing too amazing, but its fun for us. This last week elder larson and i got to spend the night with the president and it was amazing mom. I honestly feel like he is another dad to me. We sat down together and had a chat till like 1 in the morning. :) It was a talk you would have with a dad growing up, and i loved it so much because i haven't had that opprotunity for a long time. I loved it. And then the people who helped write preach my gosepl came to our mission and helped train the zone leaders. it was epic. Well i love you mom and i am glad you guys are going up to utah, i have things worked out for calls. SO don't worry i am happy! Love you guys so much and share this email with everyone, i think i might start blasting this email to drew and joel too. Love you momma keep strong and never get down, you are what got me out here. I love you. :)
Love
Elder Ingram
haha you love that big fat smiley face! Kapew! I am doing amazing!! And i am frozen, but not yet frozen stiff yet! haha but it is cold as a well diggers knee here though. I can't believe you guys have the high 70's that is insane! But i would love that so much haha. So guess what..... I am staying in Geneva again!! Wooooo HOOOoO :D I am so pumped and excited i can't even explain it to you. And i am staying with elder simmons again which will be way fun, and elder larson is still my zone leader companion so we will just have a blast again here, especially for christmas. It is so funny because earlier last week i was getting worried about the transfers i'm not going to lie. I didn't want to leave and i felt like i was going to. I love this district i am in so much, i love frank and all the other people around here so much, and i love the ward around here so much i just couldn't stand the thought of leaving. No lie, we had our last district meeting for the transfer last friday and i got up haha and i just started crying like a little baby because i didn't want to go and i was telling everyone how much i loved them and how good they have been to me. These last 6 months really have been the most amazing of my life. I know i am missing out on some huge things in the family, and definitely with megan, but still they have been the best. I have made friends out here that will be my buds for the rest of my life and eternity, haha no lie its called the plan of salvation, and it rocks! :P And there have been people i worked with that are doing so great, and seeing thier lives change for the better through the church is amazing. I mean look at this, Chris Jensen is getting the priesthood next week and he wants me to be a part of it. That makes me want to cry thinking about that! And chris is doing so amazing, he keeps going to the youth activites and has made such good buddies in the ward, and he keeps coming to church. We just had family night with his family this week and it was amazing because the spirit was there, and that family was complete. THey are going to be together forever now, and i can't think of anything really in the world that is better than that. Because i know i want to be with you mom forever. I couldn't live without you. You cold tell whenever i was sad or down, and you always made me feel better and you always took care of me. I love you mom. :) And that is why these last 6 months have been the best, because i have been able to be a part of helping some family get what i already have through the gospel. And check this out too. Maria has only missed 1 day of church in the last 3 months because she was sick! How amazing is that? And she was having a really rough time at work because they weren't paying her and she didn't have enough money for food. And guess who came to the rescue to help her. The church did. It is just so amazing to see these people i have spent so much time with still active and pursuing the church. I love it! haha sorry if i was rambling or being emotional but those are just 2 of the things that i've seen here in geneva that made me want to stay. I couldn't leave that. And just last night we met with frank again, and he was crying he was so happy we were staying. i love that man and he is so good to me, how could i have left him especially around christmas?
Ahhhh the Lord is good, with prayer and fasting and if things are right to Him, He will bless you and give you want you want, if its a righteous desire. I love Him so much. :)
Ok so on to other news. Thanks for getting me my meds mom, how do i just get meds my own now? Do i just bring that card to a walgreens and get it there? haha sorry i'm a nub i just don't know this stuff. And i'm glad you guys got the package, open it up today because you are going to love it! haha its amazing. Sorry i didn't send much more, i just didn't have much to spend. And i hope you like what i got you mom, i spent some time on those. :) Oh and yes i love getting to open a present from megan everyday, i feel like the coolest special little boy every morning, i hurry up and shower and get ready and open my presents haha! She sends me anything from candy, to a beanie, to sweats, to a cool xmas book! Its amazing, i love her so much, she is so good to me. :) You asked too what kind of stuff do we do on preparation day, well last week we went to downtown rochester to visit this old memeber who makes some super tasty wings, and then we played some basketball at the church. Haha elder simmons rolled his ankle soooooooo bad. Then today we are just kinda hanging out and going to the mall to see if there is anything we want or to get someone for xmas. Or sometimes we play board games, or just hang out at the mansion with frank. Haha nothing too amazing, but its fun for us. This last week elder larson and i got to spend the night with the president and it was amazing mom. I honestly feel like he is another dad to me. We sat down together and had a chat till like 1 in the morning. :) It was a talk you would have with a dad growing up, and i loved it so much because i haven't had that opprotunity for a long time. I loved it. And then the people who helped write preach my gosepl came to our mission and helped train the zone leaders. it was epic. Well i love you mom and i am glad you guys are going up to utah, i have things worked out for calls. SO don't worry i am happy! Love you guys so much and share this email with everyone, i think i might start blasting this email to drew and joel too. Love you momma keep strong and never get down, you are what got me out here. I love you. :)
Love
Elder Ingram
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