A Wedding on Week #89...

World at Large,

What a week my friends, what a week. To start this little ditty from the city of San Angelo off… Mark and Heather got married this week. They did it. They came, they say, they conquered and they took that to the bank! Haha needless to say I was pretty stoked about it :). It was so cool, we got all of the supplies we needed and everything ready for it. Then on Saturday Elder Simmons, me, and Elders Laudie, Bailey and the whole Relief Society set everything up (pictures included). It was kinda fun just hanging out setting up a wedding with a bunch of middle aged women! I was thinking, wow I never ever imagined this happening in my entire life, but I am so down that it is.

Anyway, we set it up so it hardly looked like a gym anymore and people started filing in. The wedding began and the bishop had a wonderful speech? I don't know what to call it, but it was incredible and when they said, “you may kiss the bride”, I literally leaped out of my chair with a fist bump saying, “that's what I’m talking about”..... It was all an involuntary spasm I swear. Haha. Then we all got to line up and shake their hands and it seriously was so cool to hug the newly married couple. And to hear them tell me, thank you for changing their life.

Then they went and cut their cake that an elder couple missionary Sister Adams made for the occasion. And while we were eating cake. The parents of the young newlyweds came up to me with all of the love in the world, telling me thank you for what I have done for their children and their family. It was a groovy moment. Then everyone started to file out and everything went so perfectly, not a single bump in the road. I know the Lord was behind it, I know I did nothing for Mark and Heather. It was all the Holy Ghost. I am just so blessed that I am able to be his conduit for 2 years. As we were cleaning up the wedding and the Relief Society went to the Women’s Conference. I was thinking a lot about, this wedding. How one, they were people my age and younger. And how close and real marriage truly is. I was thinking a lot about the ceremony of their wedding and the words "till death do you part" would not leave my mind. And I was filled with sadness. Because I like to picture my future wife in my head a lot and I don't want to just be with her till death, I know that, I want to be with her forever. That is why I am so blessed that we have temples, so I can marry my wife for time and all of eternity. God did not just give me my future wife for this life alone, he will not just give me that incredible bond and relationship just for it to end at death. No I get to be with her forever, so I am going to marry my wife in the temple.

So the next step with Mark and Heather is baptism, then a year after that I am coming back to see them get sealed in the House of the Lord. I am so stoked right now. This week a lot happened that I wanted to share, but I think this is long enough so I will leave it at that for right now haha. When all is said and done, I love you guys so much and thanks for reading. If there is anything I can do for you please let me know.

Be safe

love elder c

Howdy, y'all, "farsee" and 2nd Timothy 1:7...

Hello there the angel from my nightmare,

Howdy y'all! I still haven't started saying howdy yet, but I do say y'all way too much probably. I also use the term “farsee” when explaining directions to people in small towns. If you don't know what a farsee is, in Texas it means go as far as you can see and take a left. A man, I can’t remember his name, blessed me with those directions in Bronte… "Go about two farsee's then it should be your first left”. God bless America.

This week has been a pretty just normal week. I had interviews with my Mission President and I am pretty sure he thinks I am going home in like 4 weeks and not in 4 months so it was funny. I shared with him one of my favorite scriptures of all time and it is 2nd Timothy 1:7.  It says “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind”. And I feel like in my life I have had way too many fears. Way too many things holding me back and stopping me from being and doing what I need to do. I have finally began to understand that God does not want any of us to be afraid. He does not what us to fear what is next. He has given us the Spirit of POWER, of love and of a sound mind. And So I have put my fear behind me. It is time to be brave. So do not fear my friends, never be afraid. Just go and do and everything will turn out right. I promise.

And this week my best friend Kaleb (he’s 4) was playing and a big mirror came down and crashed on his head, so he had to go to the ER to get stitches put in and when he got home, I was on the list for the first person he wanted to see. So I rushed over there as soon as I could to see my buddy and when I got there, he was wearing his beard beanie, so I pulled mine out of my backpack and this awesome picture happened.

And my investigators are still getting married on Saturday, so pray for them cause this is going to be “legen- dairy”!

Love you guys be safe out there.

love elder c

Prayers changed everything...

Well if I didn't have a testimony of prayer, I sure have one now haha.

This week was pretty groovy, we went all over our area this week which is like over a hundred miles north and forever east and west as well. We went to a couple of the small towns like Bronte, and Robert Lee. Bronte’s population is 999 and Robert Lee 1047, but probably smaller because people are bouncing left and right out of there haha. So this is what I pictured my mission to be like and I am getting it 100%... small hick towns with tons of friendly people in them. In Robert Lee there is literally a church on every corner as you drive into town. But that doesn't scare me haha, we went and seriously everyone there that we talked to, no joke everyone, was so interested and friendly and had never seen missionaries really before. This is the first time that area has really been worked on, so we got so many new investigators and people who truly needed us, who would have thought that in a po-dunk town so many people would need the Gospel of Jesus Christ? It is incredible. And literally everyone knew each other, so the second we walked into town everyone and their dogs knew we were there haha.

Okay and on the other part of the prayer thing. My investigators who we have been teaching for so long. And have needed to get married before they can be baptized. Out of the blue when we were teaching them said, “We need to get married”, like it clicked and then they said, “how about the 28th of this month”? And it is on like donkey kong!! No joke it was the best news I have heard. The spirit was super strong in that lesson and I am so so so grateful for all of your prayers this week, no joke it has changed everything for this area.

I am blessed to be a mission I know it and I won’t deny it! Ha-ha rad tomorrow is my 20 month mark on my mission.... time is flying. Don't take anything for granted back home, don't waste a single day because it comes so fast. Life is groovy even during the bad times. You just have to look for it :) Be safe out there guys. I love you

Love elder keeg

Rare request....please pray...

6 more weeks of fun in San Angelo! Well me and Elder Simmons get another six weeks to take a crack at this San Angelo 2nd North area....... bring it on. I am really feeling it. Years without a baptism in one area is way way way too long. I have the faith something is going to change. It is time to hit the pavement.

This week was pretty groovy. Idk if I already told you this or not, but we got our car back which in this area where houses are pretty far apart is pretty necessary, but we let the other Elders borrow it for a bike day, and they crashed it........so it was pretty awesome to say the least. It was in the shop all week and we had to get a couple rides and their comment was “this is the most rides we have ever given someone who is in a car area before”..... and I was like “touché my friend”… but life is good, we got it back again so now we can go out to our 4 out-lying towns and preach the good word to some farmers and their cows!

But this week was really cool blessings-wise. I believe I have gained a testimony on the priesthood authority more on my mission than anywhere else. Strictly from giving blessings alone it has been incredible to know that the same power Christ used to heal is here right now and I am blessed enough to be able to hold it. This week we have been teaching a lady who has been less active for a few years and she has a pretty bad smoking problem. She smoked 2 packs a day for a really long time. She came out to us today and said since she has been meeting with us she has cut back from 2 packs a day to 2 cigarettes. It was pretty cool, she than asked for a blessing to overcome her addiction and for healing of her leg. She said before that she has not gotten a blessing in over 4 1/2 years. And that she hopes that we know how much we truly mean to her, that she want us to give her a blessing. It was an incredible moment, when we finished the spirit was strong and we left. And I know as she acts on her faith that she will be healed, just like countless others here have that I have seen.

 I am blessed to be here and to be a missionary. I ask you all for something this week and I know I don't normally do it, but if you are willing I ask for you to pray for my area specifically in your prayers. That the people who need to be found at this time will be put in our path. I love you guys and I am so blessed to know you and be your brother in Christ my friends. Stay sweet and be safe.

Loves

elder c

A baby and a beard on a bike...

Dear world,

Starting off the week with a new baby was a pretty good way to do it haha. Yes Mark and Heather had their baby and it was the hardest thing ever to tell them I am not allowed to hold children :( especially one that was born on my birthday! I am livid haha.

But this week was pretty fun, we went out to the haunted city of Ballenger. So as a missionary in West Texas where everything is just small towns, you cover like 6 towns if you are in a car area and sometimes on a bike haha. But ya, we cover Winters, Texas with like 500 people, maybe like 300 people and Ballenger with like 2000 people which seems like a lot but it’s not. And Bronte which is like 100. And all of these towns down here are from the Wild West no joke, it is sweet. Like I am pretty sure I saw a shootout down the street the other day. But for real, it is fun talking to people from small towns because they are all just so down to earth and loving.  I believe that if we can develop the small town love into a big city that is the perfect life to live.

We went there and literally everyone knows their neighbor and if you knock on their neighbor’s door, they will come outside and tell you they are not home for them. Or if you are knocking a street and finish a house, the house you just knocked will call their neighbor and tell them we are coming before we walk 20 feet. It is awesome haha.

This week was also a blessing because I had my beard beanie that I got for Christmas, and it’s my fav, but it was 0 degrees wind chill this week in San Angelo, Texas which literally never ever ever happens and the wind was blowing hard and that day we gave our car to some other missionaries who are in a bike area to be nice. But we biked all day literally and only talked to like 5 people because it was so cold and the only things people would say were, “it’s too cold go inside” or “I like your beard. I didn't know Mormons could have fun?” haha. It really was a conversation starter.

I am trying to think outside the box and go by the spirit completely. I’ve realized that as I put the spirit first and literally just follow I am so much more happy. It is super hard to do, but I would seriously recommend it to anyone out there. This week was kind of slow, but it was a good one anyway. I love you guys so much be safe out there.

love elder c

(PS. Heather and Mark named their little girl Addyson and the penguin suit Keeg just found in their apartment and wore it one day.)