1st Week in Burley!

This email made me laugh a little. Being a missionary isn't always spiritually uplifting and rewarding, as this last email will show you. Landon is learning how to adapt to his new environment which I imagine is going to be hard. He's a dedicated missionary and wants to be effective and I know that he'll find a way to achieve his goals! He's being very well cared for in the dinner department. He also was able to see a friend from home who is also serving in the same mission. I'll attach that picture. The other pictures he attached to this email were also sent to me by the mission home and I posted those last week.  In the meantime, here's his last email!

They really don't give much time for email, so I able to respond to all of you individually! Also I can't write several paragraph responses to every email. I wish I could, but I only get 1 hour for all computer time. Anyways.

Thank you for the packages! To the Mcknight and Rossi family, thank you so much for all the food! Queso is pretty much my favorite snack, so that was perfect. To my own family, thank you for the camera, I needed it. Bad news, though. I just found out 2 minutes ago that the cord that came in the box is the wrong one, so I can't upload any of the pictures I have taken over the last week and a half :(. I have the correct cord at my apartment since I just so happened to bring a portable charger with the same cord, so I'll send those next week. I have uploaded a few pictures that were sent to me by the mission office.

I totally forgot to mention that we had Elder Christofferson come to the MTC to speak a couple weeks ago! And last week, Elder Ballard came! We missed both Elder Holland and Elder Oaks by one day, but at least we got to see the others. I had pretty much front row seats to both of them, it was awesome.

Saying goodbye to my district was pretty depressing. We had a very powerful testimony meeting and gave Priesthood blessings of comfort to all who wanted one. I gave 2 of them. It was very spiritual and many tears were shed. I'll miss them a lot.

So now I'm in Idaho! I'll be honest, this place is exactly how I expected it to be, except maybe a little bit hotter. The land is pretty ugly and brown and looks exactly like in Napoleon Dynamite (no offense to the people that think Idaho is beautiful, just a personal opinion). By the way, I am in Burley Idaho, which is a few hours to the east of Boise, and it is even uglier. It is a small town with a lot of factories and not much wealth. However, the people here are really nice and humble. I have had a home cooked dinner every night, and so far, none without meat and potatoes. People, even nonmembers, give us random $20 bills to buy food and they don't allow us to deny it. Between Elder Murphy (my new companion) and I, we have made $80. For reference, I have only spent $20 since arriving here on my food. There are probably more dogs and cats than people here, too. They are everywhere. Also, they are mostly the really small obnoxious ones like Chihuahuas. If anyone wants a baby kitten, you could easily just walk down the street and pick one up and no one would even notice it's gone. The factories here send off a pretty putrid smell, I almost threw up this morning from gagging. It smells like wet dog food and soggy burnt bread.

In other news, I saw Elder Stevens in Boise. We talked for a few minutes before I left for Burley. I would post the picture, but like I said, I can't upload the pictures quite yet. We also see many drug addicts in the streets, and I wanted to relate a certain convo I had with one of them that was odd.

Meth user: "Heyy, why do we have names? Is it like judgement day or something?"

Us: "Um, we have names because our parents gave them to us to --"

Meth user: "Yeah well why is parent with a 'P'?"

Us: " ... I don't know."

Meth user: "Yeah you do, you go to that expensive God school. Umm, *picks up handful of dirt* is this like God's fuel or something?"

Us: "Well, God made it,..."

Meth user: "I have to go. We shall continue this discussion another time, gentlemen." *runs away*

My new companion, Elder Murphy, is a fantastic missionary and trainer. He is very obedient, which I am very grateful for, because the Boise mission is apparently well known for its major disobedience. Apparently, I came at a perfect time when the new mission president started cracking down on the disobedience, since many missionaries decided to take advantage of the transition of mission presidents.

I have already seen 2 baptisms and met countless wonderful people, and am excited for what the rest of the mission holds. I only have 15 minutes left to email, so I'll close this and respond to as many personal emails as I can.

Elder Towers and Elder Murphy helping a member move.

Elder Towers was able to see his friend Elder Stevens. These boys come from the same town, ward and even quorum! Now they are serving in the same mission. 

Fun Fact! Our mission president here in the Jacksonville mission (which includes Gainesville) is from Burley, ID and owns a furniture store called Lee's Furniture! He is relatively new here. His name is President Brent I. Lee.
Another Fun Fact! We have two new missionaries in our ward and take a wild guess as to where they are from? Twin Falls, Idaho (right by Burley) and Boise!

1st Day in Boise

Elder Towers has arrived in Boise! I was able to speak with him yesterday and he sounded wonderful. Tired from traveling, but wonderful!
His first day out in Boise was pretty cool. After he arrived, he was interviewed by President Bartlett. This is when they called me. I was able to speak with both of them and I know that Landon is in very good hands!
Here's the cool part...Pres Bartlett and his wife have personally been working with someone who accepted their invitation to be baptized. The baptism happened last night! So his first night on his mission with spent at a new member baptism. What a cool way to begin his time out in Boise! I also love that Pres. Bartlett is teaching these missionaries by real hands on experience...he's teaching by example and showing these young men how to be effective missionaries. There is no better way to teach than by example. I couldn't be happier about this!
His assignment has also been made. His first area of missionary work will happen in Burley, ID. Population of about 10,000. It's a small place and very different than what he's used to. It will be great for him. And he'll be able to experience real Fall weather!
Here is an email that President Bartlett sent to us shortly after I spoke with both of them:

Dear Missionary Parents,

How thrilled Sister Bartlett and I were to greet your son and to welcome him as a full-time missionary in the Idaho Boise Mission.  What a blessing it will be to our mission to have him serving here to the assigned field of labor.

After arriving at the mission office and conducting a brief orientation of the mission, I had the opportunity of interviewing your son in an effort to become better acquainted with him and to feel of his spirit.  As a result of this interview, I felt impressed to assign your son, as a companion, to one of the most obedient, most skilled, and hardest working missionary in the mission.  You can be assured that this companion is one of our mission's very best.  His trainer is Elder Murphy and they are currently serving in Burley, Idaho.

We are confident that your son will have a very positive experience while serving in the Idaho Boise Mission.  We know he will strengthen his skills, increase his knowledge and testimony of the gospel, and establish an increased measure of love for all of our Heavenly Father's children he will assist in teaching.

We have attached a picture of your missionary with Sister Bartlett and myself, Assistants to the President and other new missionaries.

May the Lord's choicest blessings be with you as you sustain your son and pray for his continued welfare.

Faithfully yours,
President Randall D. Bartlett
Idaho Boise Mission

Lastly, here are the photos that were attached to the email. 

This is Landon's trainer and first missionary comp, Elder Murphy!

The MTC ~ Week 2

I wasn't aware that P-Day ends at 6pm, and I planned to email my mass email tonight, but they are allowing me a few minutes to send out a quick one. 
Don't expect a whole lot of info from this email....

Anyways, I have honestly learned more here in 2 weeks than I did in my entire life of seminary and splits with missionaries and Sunday school... 
I sincerely wish that every person would decide to serve a mission, because even if you don't feel like you want to or even can, I promise you will find that 
anyone is capable of being a great missionary. The Lord truly makes up your weaknesses. I've never had this burning desire to learn and teach before an I love it. 
Plus, one of our TRC investigators is actually a real deal investigator and we may have just tipped the iceberg to get her baptized for real! We are meeting with 
her outside of our scheduled time so that we can help her even more. In fact, Elder Aughenbaugh (my awesome 6'8" companion) are about to go in and teach 
her in about 10 minutes!

Also, apparently I'm the "cool guy" of the district (?), as well as being the "spiritual giant" of the group. Which is odd, considering how lazy I am and how all 
of them could do much more than I'm doing if they just had a little more trust in the Lord. I find it really strange how I fit in here, but I'm flattered and it's 
actually a really big confidence boost in an area of my confidence I was lacking in a lot... So yeah, the MTC is actually the greatest thing ever and I don't ever 
want to leave!

Also, here's a few pictures. They are all terrible quality, but still pictures.

​

My roomates. Elder Aughenbaugh is the really tall one and he's my companion. Elder Frese is a realyl small child. Elder Stubbs is the guy that looks 

like exactly what you would expect from a guy from Utah lol. Fun fact, I haven't seen anyone taller than my companion or anyone shorter than Elder Frese 

in the whole MTC, and there are thousands of people here.​

My district + Sister Tarawhiti (in pink in the middle), the teacher I talked of in an earlier email.

​The Elders in my district after our first temple trip together to the Provo temple. I hate that this picture makes me look even shorter 

than I actually am. Thanks Elder Aughenbaugh and the several other elders in my district over 6 feet tall...​

​I drew portraits of my district without looking at the board and I have to say, I really have a talent.​

The MTC~Week 1

Before you get started, here is a little vocab for all those that don't know the missionary lingo.
MTC: Missionary Training Center. There are several MTC's, but the one Landon went to is located in Provo, UT. He'll go on to Boise from there. He'll be there for a few weeks to study and do some in depth focus on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It helps for missionaries to be a little more focused and ready to enter the mission.
P-Day: Preparation Day. This is the day when missionaries can do laundry, all of their emails, shopping, maybe a little sight-seeing or an activity that they wouldn't do when teaching during the other days of the week. During his stay at the MTC, he is able to attend the temple on his P-Day.
District: Group of Missionaries. The missionaries are grouped into "districts" just for organizational purposes.
Endowment Session: Time spent in the temple receiving instruction and making covenants to our Heavenly Father.
Without further delay, I present to you Landon's 1st week email!

So apparently my P Days are on Thursday's while I am in the MTC, so that's why I couldn't respond earlier.

My district is absolutely amazing. I couldn't have asked for a better one. We are all so incredibly close, which is crazy, since we haven't even known each other that long. I have yet to find another district that is closer than we are. In fact, members of other districts come to our meetings and join us for some meetings because we are that much better.

There is way too much that has happened this week for me to explain in an email, but it definitely was way better of an experience than I expected. I love the MTC.

We just got back from another endowment session, so now I have been to 4 temples for endowments.

I'm terrible at organizing my thoughts, and I don't really have a camera to send pictures, so I think I'll just close this email until next week.

Also, if you ever meet a Sister named Kotahi Tarawhiti, get to know her, because she is the most spiritual person I think I have ever met in my life.

-- 

Elder Towers

UPDATE: This was emailed to us late last night, so around 9 or 10 his time. I was up listening to Hurricane Hermine, kind of worrying about trees falling on our house. So this was a wonderful distraction to read about how much he's learned and enjoyed this week! Not a lot of explanations, but lots of information. Here's the update!

I have a few more moments to email, since I didn't get my full hour in earlier today.

Details from this past week:

• Got lost for an hour on the first day
• There's candy in the strangest places
• I can squat 400 pounds
• Rowing is a full body workout
• Successfully seduced several Sisters with a certain glare
• Figured out what mono is
• I won't explain the above statements
• Gave a Sister a legitimate nightmare about my seductive glare
• Cactus Cooler is a cool soda
• Going to bed at 10:30 is really hard
• Waking up at 6:30 is even harder
• I realized that there won't be a single day of sleeping in for the next 2 years
• Lots of people here have never done laundry
• Apparently I can sing super low bass notes
• I am extremely music deprived
• I have resorted to singing all the songs I want to listen to, I am my own radio
• The Elders in my district sing along
• I can give a mean acapella of Don't Stop Believing
• We have started the trends of "Elder Dude," Sister Gal," blue tie tuesday, and red tie friday
• My companion is awesome
• My whole district is awesome
• The Provo temple is literally walking distance away
• Sickness is a serious problem here
• Cough drops are delicious
• My room has both the tallest and the shortest missionaries at the entire MTC.
• We have created a fully functional and highly complex government to enforce exact obedience, and it is called the Detention Council. It actually works very well.
• Sister Tarawhiti has single handedly tamed our district in the most Christlike way I have ever seen. She didn't even need to say a word.
• I have grown more spiritually here in the past week than I ever have before in my entire life. I would not trade this experience for anything, and now I'm torn because I really want to go out to Boise and serve, but I also don't want to leave this wonderful place full of wonderful people.

I also have found a passage of scripture I really love and would like to share. It is found in Luke 23:39-43, and documents the time when Jesus talked to the thieves that were being crucified on the cross next to Him.

39 ¶And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.

 40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?

 41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward ofour deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.

 42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thoucomest into thy kingdom.

 43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

Note that both of those thieves committed the same crime of theft, yet Christ only addresses the more humble and God fearing of the two when I says, "To day shalt thou be with me in paradise." Jesus died for all of our sins, and no matter what we do, He can forgive us. But we must do our part and humble ourselves and repent. Don't be that first sinner, who asked to be saved without doing his part. We will be saved only after we follow the teachings of Christ.

Until next week!

-Elder Towers

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Landon's First Two Days

Welcome everyone to Landon's email blog! For those who would like to stay current or check in now and then to see how he's doing, this blog is for you. I'll be posting his weekly emails here along with any pictures he might have as well. I'm currently in the process of getting him a camera, so the pictures will come later.
I'll just say this...Landon is a man of few words. I am expecting this, but Landon, if you are reading this...SAY MORE. I'll post what's been given to me for all to see. And I hope that his experiences that he shares with us can be as much an inspiration to you as they are for us. Enjoy!

I don't have much time to respond, but I just wanted to let you know that everything is great. The food is ok, but at least its unlimited. I haven't been hungry once. By the way, my companion is over 6'7" and is the tallest person I have seen in the entire MTC so far. Also, the shortest person I  have seen in the MTC is in our same room. I'm not quite sure how or why that happened, but its pretty funny.

-- 

Elder Towers