8.23.12

WELCOME HOME ELDER TURNER!!!!

 

 

 

 

8.14.12

Sorry I didn't get to write you yesterday, but we had interviews with President Brough and a Zone Council so we didn't have time. Today I woke up tired and exhausted knowing that I'm coming into my last few days of work but with a prayer to start off the day I was rejuvinated and ready to go. My companion and I have been getting up at 5am to go running and work out to start off the day. I'm trying to get back in shape before I get home and I take it as part of my training for wrestling season. My companion and I are working really hard talking with everyone and inviting the whole world to be baptized. My companion and I were preparing that family to be baptized this Sat but we felt that they aren't prepared with a testimony to be able to stay strong in the church so we decided to help them prepare to be baptized on the 1st of September. I'm ok with that because I know that I am doing my part and I know that I will be able to leave my area much better than I found it with 3 families with baptismal dates for the first weekend in September. I've been blessed and I have seen the Lord's hands in my life with many miracles and many blessings over the past two years and I know that in the following years the Lord will continue to use me as an instrument in His hands.

This week as I was reading the Book of Mormon in my personal studies my attention was called to a few verses that talked about how instead of going home the prophets turned around to continue preaching the word. I feel that the Lord needed me to see those verses to establish the firm desire in me to share the gospel when I get home. I may be returning home physically, but my spirit has been turned to the Lord and I will never be able to go back to who I was. I have such a strong desire to share the gospel and I pray that my desire will continue. I have pondered a lot on the point of riches of the world and pride as you mentioned and I'm glad you brought that up because I know that if I continue to be faithful the Lord will bless me with the things that I need and I have seen by the example of my mission president that when we are focused on the Lord and His glory, He will never forsake us. I asked President Brough in my interview yesterday, How have you been able to put high goals in your life and reach them? He said " Elder Turner, if we reach every goal that we ever establish, have we placed them high enough?" That impacted me and he then said that we would talk more about that in my last interview on Wednesday.

Thank you for depositing that money. I got the letter from Brooklyn yesterday and I have to be honest I wasn't expecting it and so when I saw the letter waiting for me it put a huge smile on me face. The picture she sent was great and she looks so different as to what I remember. It's going to be crazy to see everyone again, but I'm sure that there are going to be a lot of changes. I can't think of many people other than those who will get notified thru facebook, but just make sure that Jonny and Paula are invited and Deb and the neighbors. Mom I will eat anything you want to make, but I would love spaghetti :) You know that your spaghetti is the best.

I will write an email next Tuesday but it will probably be short because I'll see you next Thursday. I love you so much for all the emails that you have sent over the last two years and know mom that I have apreciated them with all my heart. I love you and I'm grateful for the example that you have given me and the support to serve the Lord. I'm different and I hope not to scare anyone when I get home, but I'll be looking forward to seeing you all Thursday night.

 

Love,

Elder Kasey Marshall Turner

8.7.12
This week was a great week! I find myself being drained every night when we arrive home. I think that it has in part to do with the amount of time I've been out here and also with the way that we are working. I love feeling worn out in such a great cause. Last night we had a family home evening and we watched the Joseph Smith movie and Joseph say something to the effect that while we are building the Lord's temple He is building us. As I work to build His kingdom He builds me. The process will be lifelong, but I know that this has been the best part of my life, the most edifying. I love being a missionary and working for my Lord and Savior.

This past Sunday was my last fast and testimony meeting of the mission and I feel blessed to have been able to share my testimony. It was probably the most simple testimony that I shared, but it was what I felt of the prophet Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. I know with all of my heart that the Book of Mormon is true. Something that you could share that I have learned in my mission is that the Savior loves us more than we can comprehend and he shows us that love in many miraculous ways and if we are not in tune with the spirit then we will miss those miracles. The other day it was pouring rain and I left my umbrella in the house because my companion lost his umbrella. We were getting soaked so we looked for shelter under a bus stop and waited a bit for the rain to settle down. As cars drove by they splashed up a nice wave of water so we stood on the bench to avoid the wave. As we waited, a truck drove by passing another car and soaked me from my waist down with filthy mud water. I was a little irritated but I thought to myself that getting angry wasn't going to dry me off so my companion and I just laughed. We decided that the rain had calmed down enough and as we began to walk, within 5 min a bus passed by and told us to get on and that he wasn't going to charge us. A miracle although plain and simple the Lord showed His infinite love for us.

It would be a good idea to transfer some money into my account because I'm not sure how much my bags are going to weigh, but I'm not going to bring a ton of stuff home. Some of my clothes are very worn out and the things that are in good condition I'll give them to someone who will need them much more than I will. I'll bring back a few things but I will do my best to not have my bags over weight.

I hope that I will be able to have a good influence on the boys when I get back. I know that Satan is working very hard on them to distract them and to pull them into his misery. I worry for them and pray that they will be able to see thru the mist of darkness.

I know this is a short email, but my time is running up. I love you mom. I know that families are eternal and I know that we will be together forever. Thank you for teaching me the truth of the gospel.

Love,
Elder Turner

7.31.12
Thank you for the email and the love that you show me week after week. That is so crazy that Andrew is getting married tomorrow. I'm so proud of the kid and I hope that it's the best day of his life. I miss him, but I will catch up with him here in a few weeks. That's great that you were able to get a car and hopefully now things will be able to sail a bit smoother in reference to the car situation. Zack's had braces for a long time, but that is great that he got them off now. I can't believe that Mack is starting 7th grade. I'm sure I'm going to be shocked to see how big these kids are. I'll be waiting for Brooklyn's letter in the mail. By the time I get it and have time to respond, it'll get to her faster in my hand. 

The work continues to progress and we are blessed to see that we will be preparing more people to be baptized in August before I finish. This past week we found a family due to a reference of a recent convert and that family came to church this Sunday and accepted the invitation to be baptized on the 18th of August. God is providing miracles and I know that through patience and faith and fervent prayers more and more miracles will continue to come forth. 

On Friday it rained a lot and I left my umbrella in the house because when we left there wasn't a cloud in the sky and it was toasty hot. Rain was the last thing on my mind. Around 3pm we began to hear thunder and about 10 min later it began to rain. We found shelter quickly because it was raining hard and we needed to put our books in plastic bags so that they wouldn't get wet. It was pouring hard, but don't think that the rain stopped us. Yes we got soaked, but there were children of God waiting for us. I was so wet that I was reminded of the hot summer days working in the backyard with dad and taking a break to jump in the pool with our clothes on to cool off. That is what I felt like soaked from head to toe. I love Guatemala. 

Love,
Elder Turner

7.24.12
This week was a week of miracles and blessings. I love the heat, as far as the temperature goes and also the heat that I feel as I'm working to find the chosen children of the Lord to bring them to the waters of baptism. This Sunday my companion and I had a miracle with the baptism of a man that my companion had been working with before I got here and with that baptism we completed a family. Another great miracle from this week is that we put a baptismal date with a sister that my companion has been teaching since he got to the area 4 months ago. I see the hand of the Lord blessing me in many ways especially in the fruits that He is allowing me to gather in the short time that I have left. I love being a missionary and I love working in the Lord's vineyard because I know that there is no other work more true and essential than that of missionary work. Not only do we work to convert others, but we work to convert ourselves. I am working day after day to strengthen my own testimony as I share it with others. I know that Christ is our Savior and that He suffered for our sins so that we will not have to suffer if we will just be obedient.

That's crazy that school starts here in 2 weeks!!  Time is just cruising and there's nothing that we can do about it other than just take advantage of the opportunities that the Lord gives us. I hope that the boys wrestle. I miss wrestling so much in fact I don't know how, but I need to get on a mat when I'm home. I am grateful for the experiences that I had in wrestling, as hard as they were because they prepared me to man up and take the challenges head on. I'm excited to wrestle when I get back because my attitude is different and my confidence is stronger. I know what I have in front of me and I'm gonna take it down shot by shot. That's cool that the boys are gonna have classes together and that one of those classes is piano. I wish that I could have learned piano when I was younger but I never really had the desire. Tell the boys that they better do all they can to learn it and to practice it because if they don't they are gonna get old and regret it.

Well the work here in Escuintla is moving forward and we are trying to help a lot with retention because a lot of people get baptized but they don't stay very active. That is a big problem here in the coast but we are working with the leaders in the District (we're not a stake yet) so that the missionaries will work hand in hand with the Branch leaders. Every week my companion and I go to a different area to do divisions with the other missionaries to help them work better. Are focus is on the missionaries and companionships who aren't baptizing and so far we have been seeing success with the divisions. I'm glad that the Lord trusts me to be able to help missionaries reach their full potential and to help them be more outgoing and direct with the people we talk to. It may seem strange, but here in Guatemala the people are being prepared and so often times it may be the first time we talk to them and we challenge them to be baptized on a specific date, that way we can see who are the people who are going to progress and who are the people that are truly prepared.

Well time is running short but know that I love you. Your prayers are felt. Thank you.

Love,
Elder Turner

7.17.12
Well as you know, I had changes and I'm in a new area with a new responsibility and a new companion.  I'm in Escuintla in a branch called Golondrinas. My area is considered coast and it is pretty hot here. The rain is also a lot more intense here than it is in the capital, so if you're not wet from the rain you're wet from sweat. My companion is Elder Varela. He is from Honduras and he 24 yrs old. He is a great companion and we get along great. He is a very hard worker and he loves being a missionary. We get along great, he's like a brother to me. The Lord knows why he does everything and even when we don't know understand why the Lord will bless us as we do what He says. The area is known to be a baptizing area and we have been working with a few people to prepare them for baptism and we are focusing on finding many more people to be baptised here in August. I know that if I apply the things that I have learned in my mission here in these last 6 weeks I will be able to see many fruits. The field is white already to harvest and I will be thrusting in the sickle to bring these people to Christ. 

That's great to hear about the activites that you all are doing. It's so nice to have summer vacation and to be able to relax a bit, but in some things there just can't be rest. I love being a missionary. How many more weeks until school starts? Are the boys doing any wrestling camps? How is work going for you mom? 

Something that was kinda funny this week happened last Thursday when my companion and I were knocking doors. Remember that my new area is hot and the people don't have the luxury of A/C and many of the houses have roofs made of sheet metal which makes a house of brick turn into an oven so many people go around with their shirts off and many others wear just the necessary clothing. We knocked the door and a lady came to the door and we began talking to her and then a few seconds later 2 little bald boys came running to the door butt naked. I just tried to hold my laugh in.

Love,
Elder Turner

7.16.12
Dear family of Elder Kasey Marshall Turner,

It is with appreciation that I inform you that Elder Turner, has been called to serve as a Zone Leader in the Guatemala Guatemala City Central Mission.  This comes as a result of revelation from the Lord. He has demonstrated diligence, hard work, faith, love and has obtained the respect of the rest of the missionaries.

As a Zone Leader, I will work closely with him to motivate and influence the rest of the missionaries in his zone. At the same time, Elder Turner will be expected to lead and exemplify every aspect of missionary work.

I appreciate having Elder Turner as a servant of God here in the mission field. I truly know that he is a special son of God.

Yours faithfully,
Mission President

7.10.12

This week was a great week and I have to say that the Lord has blessed me tremendously. I can honestly say that I have given it my all over the last 12 weeks and when I thought that I wouldn't see the fruits of my efforts, the Lord opened up my eyes and blessed me. On Saturday a young man entered into the waters of baptism and tonight we will be completing a family with the baptism of the wife. I'm so glad that I have been able to be sent to "tough" areas in the mission because that is what has shaped me into the person that the Lord wants me to become. I can't express what it feels like to help someone come to the waters of baptism especially someone who the missionaries have been fighting for months and years to help them make the decision to follow the Spirit. Tomorrow is change day and I will be leaving Panorama. My last 6 weeks will be in another area. At first I was a little bummed out because I won't be so close with the people in my new area, but at the same it helps me to focus on my purpose and to work hard so the the last 6 weeks will be the best 6 weeks. I'm excited to get out and go work in another area because that's where the Lord needs me to be. It may only be a few weeks, but I know that I will be the means of bringing God's children home to Him. 

We are continually working with Max to help him progress towards baptism, but we are working hard to help him overcome some of his habits so that he can live in accordance to the laws and ordinances of the gospel. He is coming along well and I know that he will accept the restored gospel and be baptized by the proper authority, I wish I could be there for it. We are working with a few other families here in Panorama that very well can get baptized in this month we just have to get some legal papers in order so that they can get married. The gospel is so great, it is all about the families and the joy that we receive being in the bonds of an eternal family. 

I got an email from one of my companions who got home in March and he told me that he is getting married in December. I feel like the whole world is gonna be married when I get home! haha I'm glad that everyone is finding their match. I'm super excited for Andrew although at first it was rough for me because I wanted to hang out with him when I get home, but he's helping me more by getting married because that will help me focus on marriage once I'm home :)

Life is great. I'm glad to hear about your experiences with your family in Utah. Like I said, the gospel is all about families. I know that our family is eternal and that we will be able to enjoy eternal happiness in the world to come if we are obedient to the commandments. I love the gospel and I love the Savior. Let us put on the whole armor of God and be protected as we are among the temptations of the world. I love you Mom and I thank you for your support over the last 22 months. I'm going harder than I ever have because this is over time and as my Father continues to work I will too.

Love, 

Elder Turner 

7.3.12

The gospel is real and God loves us so much. I have learned throughout my life and especially here on the mission that like you said commandments can become either stepping stones or stumbling blocks depending on how we use our agency and act accordingly. I love the Lord Jesus Christ. He is our Savior.

I'm so glad that I'm from the United States. I have grown to love Guatemala for the people but the country just isn't the same as home. A few weeks  ago I was with my companion talking to people in the street and in the bus stop and I saw 2  military officers standing as security and I thought to myself how normal that is here but if I were in the states and saw that I would think that something seriously bad is going on. Like I said, I love guatemala. The people here are so special and each day I learn to love them even more. I love talking with them in the streets, in their houses, and wherever I find them :) I'm working hard and I know that for that same reason I will continue to have challenges, but I am armed with the strength of the Lord. I'm doing what I need to be doing and no matter what happens the Lord will always provide. I'm glad that I have been able to have challenges that make me feel out of my comfort zone because as I look to the Lord for comfort He strengthens me against the challenges I must face. 

The rain is great. If I weren't a missionary I'd probably hate it. On Saturday when my companion and I left the house to work it was nice and sunny, but at noon the clouds came in. It started raining while we were with Max and it didn't really stop raining till 7pm. Because it was sunny I didn't bring my umbrella and Max lives kinda far from our house but we had to leave because we had another visit to do. Within 10 seconds of being outside I was soaked from head to toe and remained that way almost all day until we had time to go home and get my umbrella. Life's great. I love having the experiences I'm having here in Guatemala :)

I  know the gospel is true and I know that the Book of Mormon is true.

Love,

Elder Turner

2 years has flown by and Elder Turner is coming home in 7 1/2 weeks! He will be released on August 22 and his homecoming talk will be Sunday, August 26. More details to come! We are so excited and proud of his service. He has done some great work and has shared his great stories with us. Great job, Elder Turner!

6.26.12
Thank you for all of the prayers and the support that you have given me in the last 22 months. I know that you have to take time out of your day to be able to write me, so know that your sacrifices are greatly appreciated. 


Haha I can't remember if you told me about dad's truck, but that's rough that the excursion and the truck both went out, but when trials come we need to look to the Lord. I love that we can communicate with an all knowing, all powerful being, God the Father, through a simple prayer and He is willing to speak with us and give us guidance and direction because He loves us. Something that I have been sharing with the people that I talk to is how God knows us and loves us personally. It is so true and I have come to know that though prayer and scripture study. I began reading the Book of Mormon again and my goal is to finish it before the 22 of August but in the short time I have begun reading it again I have found answers to prayers and guidance I had never before known. I love the Book of Mormon.

Max is doing good. We continue to work with him and help him receive answers to his prayers. He wasn't able to attend church this Sunday because he had to visit with his lawyer concerning a job deal that he is working on here. I pray that this next Sunday he´ll be able to make it. He is such a great guy. On the even better side my companion and I are getting along a lot better and we are working better together and due to that we were able to invite a young man on Sunday to be baptized on July 7th and he accepted. His siblings are all members, but he was the only one that still hadn't gotten baptized and we passed by Sunday night right before going home and we invited him to show his faith and take the step to be baptized.

This week my companion and I were able to work a lot better and have much more unity. I've been learning a lot about humility and patience as I strive to serve the Lord and please my companion. We come from cultures so different that it has been really hard for me to accept some of the mannerisms of my companion, but as I have prayed and asked the Lord to strengthen me so that those things don't bother me so much He has blessed me. It's hard to not get upset when someone spits on the floor of the house, but to correct that behavior you have to teach them that it's not ok to do that. Like I said patience is what is getting me through my hard times, and a good eye to make sure that I don't step in the spit haha. I love being a missionary because it exposes you to so many different things, but you learn how to trust in the Lord and rely on His divine help. I find peace knowing that I will have the blessing to choose who will be my eternal companion and that I will be able to love her before I make the decision to be with her. I'm so glad that I have had some tough companions because I've learned to rely on the Lord so much more even for the "small things" in life. I know that I'm going to look back on these hard times and laugh. I've already begun to do so.

The gospel is so real. I'm blessed to know that Christ payed for my sins and that all I have to do is be humble enough to fall on my knees and ask forgiveness and He is willing to forgive me. I'm blessed to know that the Book of Mormon is true and that as I prayerfully study it I'm guided day by day. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God called to restore the truth in these latter days. I know that Thomas S. Monson has been called of God and is guided and direct by the Lord daily as to how he must guide the church. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is God's kingdom here on the earth and through baptism we enter into God's kingdom. Faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end are key to our salvation. What a blessing it is to know that repentance is still available for us even after we are baptized.

Love,
Elder Turner

6.19.12

Life is great here in Guatemala and the work continues to progress. I must say that miracles happen in the Lord's time and that things don't have to happen quick to be a miracle. I have been working hard for the last 9 weeks in my area and have seen, in my opinion, very little fruits for the amout of work being done but I do know that here soon many people will be more prepared to accept the gospel. Max is doing great! He came to church on Sunday for the second time and is anxious to learn the truth. Getting Max a Book of Mormon in chinese is quite the task and will probably take months to arrive here, but the miracle here is the internet. Max looked up things about the church and found for himself the Book of Mormon  on the church website in chinese and began reading. He says that it makes him feel good but isn't sure that he has received an answer from God that it is true. We are working with Max to help him receive an answer so that he can get baptized here soon. In our mission people who are investigating the church have to attend sacrament meeting 3 times before they can get baptized so this next Sunday will be his 3rd time. He has some challenges that we are helping him overcome, but I know that Max will soon be able to take the step to be baptized. I love the gospel and in all reality it is the thing that makes me happier than ever. It's true that I am far away from home and family and friends, but sharing the gospel is a feeling that can't be compared. Many people are out there working to find happiness, searching for what's right but for me I was fortunate enough to have it placed in my lap being born into a family who lives the gospel. Now I'm working to help others receive the same happiness that I have received. I love the gospel and I know that it is the road to happiness.

That is so great to hear about your experiences with the Sorensens. I love that family a lot and I'm excited to be able to see them again. The friendship that Alexia and I established 5 years back has brought families together who will be friends for eternity because the gospel is being shared. With faith miracles will happen and the steps that they are taking although small to the human are great to the spirit because they are beginning to reconnect the dots that were connected in the premortal life. One day that family will be a strong family who loves and lives the gospel. We as members have to do what's right and share the restored gospel applying it to the needs of those who are searching. Thank you for sharing the gospel with the Sorensens mom. It's something that I needed to do 5 years ago but never realized the importance of it until I was here in Guatemala. I'm glad that things are done in the Lord's time and in the Lord's way because I missed my shot, but yours is right there mom. We have to pray like everything depends on the Lord and work like everything depends on us. They may not want to hear much about doctrine, but if they want to feel more peace and love in life they will achieve it through the Book of Mormon. I know that, because I live it. Let them know that I'm praying for them and that I love them. They have helped me in ways they may not know but they will soon receive many blessings for all they did to help me get on the mission.

The work will continue and as Elder Maynes taught me on Tuesday, we must teach people of the Celestial traditions that we do in the church. Although you might be super busy you ought to invite the Sorensens over for a family home evening. 

I love you so much Mom and all those we read this. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is God's Kingdom here upon the earth and that is where true happiness is found, in God's Kingdom.  Never Give Up. Never back down.

Love 

Elder Turner

6.12.12

Today I am writing early because this afternoon we have a fire side with Elder Maines of the 70. This week seems like it will be a bit more busy than normal for me because Wednesday and Thursday I will have a training meeting which only happens every 3-4 months so it is a bit out of the normal, but I'm looking forward to all of the inspiration and spiritual guidance that I will receive. 

This week we began to change our way of working with the members and so far it seems to be working well. I pray that we will see the fruits of our labours and that we will soon be able to bring God's children to the waters of baptism. We began to visit the  members of our ward and share with them a very brief message of the restoration of the gospel and then we ask them to think of all the blessings that they have received from the restored gospel and after doing that we ask them who they can invite over to their house so that we can share with them the message of the restored gospel. We have some visits set up with the members to bring their friends over for a family home evening where we will share the message. I'm looking forward to the next few weeks and all the blessings that we will receive from the Lord. 

Yesterday I saw what to many might be a small miracle but to me it was great because I saw the hand of the Lord work quickly and I felt my faith increase as I put my faith to the test. Yesterday was preparation day and we had an activity planned as a zone where we went to the institute building and played soccer, ping pong, foosball, and air hockey and we ate lunch and had a great time. When we were playing soccer I got into a little scrabble with another missionary as we were both trying to get the ball and I pulled my foot back to kick the ball away and I ended up kicking him as hard as I could in his leg sweeping his feet out from under him (that's what happens when you don't know what you're doing). Luckily he caught himself and didn't fall and we just kept on playing. Later in the afternoon my foot started hurting me because I had kicked him with the outside of my foot, the part that's soft, and it made it difficult to walk. I couldn't put a lot of pressure on my foot and was walking with a funny limp. I was really worried because we needed to go out to work and we had a lot of walking to do so I took some ibuprofen and said a little prayer. As my companion and I were leaving the house we prayed as normal, but I asked that the Lord would heal my foot so that I could walk. We left the house and as I was walking down the street the pain was gone and I was able to walk normal. From the time I said the prayer to the time I realized that I didn't have anymore pain was a matter of 2 minutes. No matter how small the situation might apear to humans, to the Lord it is important and He truly does care for each one of His children and He does hear and answer our prayers. I know that miracles do exist.

Last Tuesday I was with my companion talking to people in the bus stop sharing the gospel. Like normal I had my poster of the first vision on one side and other gospel pictures on the other and was contacting someone when a chinese man got close to me and in english asked me what the first vision was. I began to explain to him what it represented and he responded saying "but you're not Catholic so why do you have that image?" It made me laugh, but then I told him that it was a representation and we by no means adore the image nor do we pray to it. I began to explain more about the gospel and the blessing that I have received through the gospel and asked him when we could stop by to visit him. To my surprise he told us that he lived in our area (the majority of the people we talk to at the bus stop don't live in our area) and he said that maybe Wednesday, the following day. I wrote his number down and when we got home that night I called him and set up the appointment for 12 noon on Wednesday. His name is Max and he is a very cool guy. He wants to know more about the gospel and he wants to read the Book of Mormon, but it will take about 2 months for us to get one in Chinese so for now we will have to explain and read what we can in English. We invited Max to church and he showed up. Max has been a blessing and a miracle in my life. At church on Sunday Max said to me in his chinese accent  "Tank you Tuney. You teach me lot."

I love the Gospel of Christ. I know that it is true and that the Lord Christ lives. 

Love,

Elder Turner

6.5.12

I'm glad that all is well and that the family is good. It is crazy how fast time is flying and that this is Kya's last week as a single woman. I'm super excited for her and I know that this is going to be the happiest and most important time of her life up until now. What a blessing to know that she is going to begin her own eternal family and in that way help God to continue His great and eternal plan. I love the gospel and I'm so happy that you and dad had the strength to continue on and teach us the principles that would truly bring us happiness. It is real. Thank you. I will be praying for you all on the great weekend that lies before us.

Thank you for your great support and for you prayers and love. I wouldn't be able to make this happen if it weren't for your prayers. I love you so much mom. Thank you for everything that you do for me. I love being a missionary and giving these two years. Like you said, and I know, I won't regret these years because I have grown more now than I would have doing anything else. I have become something I didn't know was possible and I will continue to change throught the years. I know that I can become the diamond that God sees me as and it is through these rough times that I'm having that I will be turned into that diamond.  I was writing in my journal last night about some things that had happened and as I thought what it would be like 20 years down the road reading my experiences, it just made me laugh.  Sometimes we just have to laugh about things to let them go. This will be but a brief moment. I love the time that I have spent serving the Lord and I see that my time is running out and that is why I am working harder now than I ever have. 

This week my companion and I were knocking doors in our area and at one house a man came to the door but when he saw us he tried to hide, but we caught him and began to talk to him about the gospel. He was a very interesting person and had a lot of questions and so we aksed him when we could come back and he said that he wasn't sure because he is always busy, so we just asked him if we could come the following day and he said sure if I'm home we can talk. I told him that our time is very precious and that if he isn't going to be home it'd be better if he just said no and in the end he said yes Sunday at 4. We passed by and sure enough he was home along with other members of his family, about 6 people. I was super excited to teach all these people and so he invited us in and we sat down. He told us to talk with his family and that he would be back in a second. He went to his room and put his jacket on grabbed his car keys and walked out of the room. As he walked out of the house he told us to have a good afternoon and to try and convince his family because he was already convinced. He got in his car and left. In the end only 2 of the 6 people stayed but we have a return visit with them today. Sometimes the Lord works in mysterious ways to help us find His chosen children who will accept the gospel. I know that miracles exist and that when we have faith we can be the driving source of these miracles. If we want to have success we have to have a yes attitude and we have to want to have success. I know that the Lord lives and that He is my Saviour. I love the Book of Mormon and I know that it is true. I love my companion and I know that he is a child of God. I know that we are an eternal family. That's what this is all about. I love you so much mom. 

Have a great day/week. I'm excited to hear this cool story from the camping trip next week.

Love,

Elder Turner

5.29.12

Thank you for writing me and always supporting me with my mission. I just read the message that Kya sent me and it was a shocker to hear about all of the news going on around home. Kya is going to be married here soon and I can't believe it. I'm sure you and Dad are having the flashbacks more often than I am, but I just can't help think of all the goofy mischief that me and Kya did when we were younger. No more mischief these days, just a lot of growing up. I'm so glad that we have the gospel and that we know of the importance of families. That is crazy to me that Andrew is getting married, but that explains why he's been so busy. I'm proud of him for making the decision to get married. That will give me more of a push to get married.

You should have the boys write me about the trip they went on, I wanna hear how it went. I'm praying for them and I hope that like you said the spirit touched their hearts to soften them so that the gospel can begin to have a place in their heart and in their life. I can't wait to see them again. I had a thought about my homecoming talk, although it is still far away, but I think that it will have to be the 10th of Sept. and then I would like to go up to Utah on the 11th if possible. I mention this now so that you can talk with the bishop and plan things out well in advance. Let me know what you think. Have you talked with the mission office or travel agency of the church about planning the trip here? 

I haven't gotten my debit card yet. I thought that being here in the capital would make things like mail faster, but I guess not. I might have it in the next two weeks but I'm not sure. I will be sure to let you know asap.

Well work here in the area is progressing and we are trying our best to be patient yet diligent. I'm praying for success and the Lord is providing in His own due time and way. It's about diamonds. I'm getting there. I love my companion, I love the Lord and I Love this gospel. The Book of Mormon is true and it is our guide, along with the prophet, to lead us back to our Father in Heaven.

Love

Elder Turner

5.22.12

Life here is great and I'm learning a lot from my companion, my area, and my leaders. I'm trying to be humble and patient in all that I'm doing so that I can have the guidance of the Spirit. I know that I'm not perfect by any means and I know that the Lord has placed me in just the right area with just the right people to help me reach my full potential. I want to be better and the Lord knows that so He is turning the heat up and putting me deeper into His fire. I have to be honest, I love it. My companion is doing well and we are finding the way to communicate better and to rely more on the Lord. 

The world is changing and so are its standards. It's amazing how immodest the world is and unfortunately we are surrounded with its filthiness but the great thing is that we have agency and rather than settle for less we can keep our standards high and find the way to be in the world but not of it. I love knowing that obedience brings blessings and as you are obedient in terms of modesty you will be blessed and others will see your prime example. That is crazy to think that in 3 weeks Kya is going to be married. Time is flying. It seems like a dream. 

I haven't gotten the debit card yet, I'm not sure why but I'll send you the info you need as soon as I get it. With my contacts, I'm sure that I will need an eye exam but I can still see great with the perscription that I have and so I'm sure that the difference won't be much if there is one. Thank you for helping me with all of these things. I was curious, what do I need to do in order to have housing when I go up to Utah this fall? I won't be studying so I don't know how that will work.

That's great to hear that the window got replaced. I had completely forgotten about that day, but when you mentioned about the window I had a flashback that made me laugh. Most of our experiences in life seem to be like that. In the moment it is a situation quite serious and in some occasions fearful, but looking back they become funny and help us to progress. I know that the gospel of Jesus Christ is real and as we strive to live it we are blessed. 

This past week it started raining and so now the rainy season has officially started. On Thursday my companion and I were walking to a bus stop to talk with people and up to this moment we had stayed fairly dry other than our feet. The rain had slowed down and it was to a very light sprinkle so I closed my umbrella and as I closed it a car drove by right through a huge puddle of water and soaked my companion and I. I thought that things like that only happened in movies, but now I have my own real life experience of getting soaked by a car. Needless to say we went right to the bus stop to share the message of the Restored Gospel.

I love you all. Have a great week.

Love,

Elder Turner

It was so great to hear you and the rest of the family on mothers day. I feel so blessed to have a mother like you who loves me for who I am and what I am becoming. I wouldn't be able to make the changes that I'm making if it weren't for your support and prayers. I love getting emails every week from you and although I may be coming in on the home stretch this is when I need your prayers more than ever. Satan is working really hard with me and I know that he wants me to fall more than ever, but I know that I have built my foundation upon the rock of my Redeemer. I am on a sure foundation, a foundation I love and can trust even in the worst storms. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is God's kingdom that has been established upon the earth to prepare for Christ´s second coming.

That is great to hear about Katie's experience and her conversion. The key to the gospel in which we associate ourselves is our personal conversion. As we face trials and challenges in our life we have to put the gospel to the test and we will always receive a witness from God thru  His spirit of the truthfulness of what we profess. Its great to know that the boys are going to Saint George after school is out. The Saint George trip I went on right after graduation was a turning point for me in my life. I remember getting the opportunity to bear my testimony from the pulpit where every prophet of the dispensation except for Joseph Smith has born their testimony and I remember receiving an answer to my prayers that the gospel is true. I pray that the boys will have a great experience there and that they will remember it for their entire life.

Yesterday I had a really humbling experience with my companion as we were contacting people in the street. We were hurrying to reach our goal for the day and as we walked by a bread shop a man came walking out and so we stopped to talk to him. He tried hard to tell us things that were wrong about what we believe and we bore testimony of the truth of what we believe but he wasn't receptive to what we were sharing and my companion began to get upset. I smiled at the man and told him that we want him to be blessed and that we could help him receive those blessings. He began to tell us more things aboput what was "wrong" with our beliefs and my companion began to cut him off but the man raised his voice and kept talking. He told my companion to have some respect and told to him to head off because he was done talking to him. I felt awful because the spirit was gone. Its amazing how quick we can lose the spirit even just by trying to do what's right. We walked away and I said a prayer to get the spirit back and as we went out to talk to more people the spirit was with us again. I know that whether it be our fault or not, sometimes we have to accept the wrong and move on. Sometimes our pride may get in the way but we have to remember that it is only in and thru the Lord that we can become who he wants us to become. We must pray always to have the guidance of the spirit so the we can fulfill our purpose as children and servants of God.

The gospel is true and I know that I am doing all I can to live it. I'm by no means perfect but I rely on the Lord who strengthens me.

Love,
Elder Turner

5.8.11
What a blessing it is to have the gospel in our lives and to know that if we are living the gospel the Lord will bless us. That makes me happy to hear that Kortland is doing better. I'm excited to be able to be back before he turns 19 so that I can help him get ready for a mission. I'm excited and I look forward to that day when he will serve the Lord. It's not too far away. Here in Central America the young men can leave at 18 years old if they have finished high school. I wish that it was the same for the US but the Lord knows why He does what He does. I love being a missionary and doing what the Lord asks of me because it makes me happy. The great thing about serving a mission is that you put to the test, not only in your life but also in the lives of  others, all of the things that you have been taught and you see that they are real. In the mission we pay an Emergency Fund in place of tithing which means that every month we put 150 quetzales in a pouch every month and we save that money in case of an emergency. There have been times in my mission when I haven't put the money in and at the end of the month I'm short on money, but every month that I have payed my Emergency Fund I finish the month with around 200-300 quetzales extra. It's amazing that the law of tithing can work even for missionaries. What a blessing it is to pay tithing.

This week was a very interesting week for me. I worked hard and was obedient, but the Lord needed me to be a bit more humble and so this week he gave my companion and I 2 days this week where we didn't have a single lesson. All of our appointments fell and we walked all day long without getting into a house. It was rough for me because here in Guatemala the people are usually willing to let you in. I got a bit frustrated and thought for a while, what can I change to be able to have the success that I need and desire?  I thought about many things, but the conclusion of my thoughts was that I needed to change my prayers. I was turning into a robot with my prayers and if I want the Lord to bless me, I need to be more sincere. Often our lives become so routine that our prayers become the same. We must always remember that we are communicating with our Father in Heaven and if we want His divine help, we need to genuinely ask for it. I have gained such a strong testimony of prayer. I have never prayed so much for the welfare of others and been so blessed in my own needs. Let us remember that the needs of others are greater than our own. As we are charitable to others through our prayers, miracles happen in our life as well as in the lives of others. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and as I'm now studying the Old Testament I know too that it is the word of God.


Genesis 17:1

Let us all become like Abraham. Talk to you on Sunday around 1pm your time. I love you all so much.

Love,
Elder Turner

5.1.11
Thank you for the email and for always being there to support me. Mothers' Day is coming up soon as you mentioned and my plans were to call after church on Sunday the 13th. I get out of church at 1pm and would probably be home to call around 1:30pm or 2pm. I'm going to try and do the same as I have done before, borrow a member's phone and buy minutes here. I need you to send me the number again depending on which phone you want me to call. I'm excited to talk with you all here soon.

I cant believe that the kids are done with school here in three weeks! Time is flying by so fast I can't believe it. The kids are growing up so fast. I'm excited to be able to see everyone again in a few months and by the way it sounds everyone is staying busy. You hadn't mentioned anything before about Zack but that's great to hear that he is doing better and recovering quickly. How'd he get the hernia? How's Kort doing? and Brooklyn?

That's great that you are having lots of work mom. I know that many times you feel like it's too much, but I know many people that would love to trade you places. Thank you for being the most excellent mother and showing me how to keep going even when times get tough. You have been such an amazing example to me over the years. Don't give up on the boys, they'll turn around here soon.

My card says that it is good thru May. Thank you for getting me another card. I'll let you know when I get it.

This week was a great week. My first full week working in a trio and my last. It was really weird getting used to being with two other missionaries but on Friday night the Mission President called and said that Elder Loayza, my companion from Peru was going to another area. There was a missionary who was here in the mission waiting for his visa and it came last week so he went to his mission and Elder Loayza was sent to the coast. Elder Mejia and I are here in Panorama and we're working hard doing all we can to bring people to Christ. This Sunday we had a meeting with the bishop and he is really excited to work with us. He asked all the members of the Ward Council to pick a day when they want to do a fireside in their house and we now have planned every Wednesday and Saturday from the 9th of May to the 16 of June planned. Working with the members is the most effective way and we are going to give it all we have with the members here to bring more souls to Christ. I have never been in an area where the members have such a desire to work with us. I know that we will have success and I'm looking forward to bringing more people to Christ. I love the Lord and His gospel. I know that opening our mouths is part of the promise that we have made with Him and I'm doing all I can to be obedient. I love the Book of Mormon. I just finished it again and I know that it is true. The promise is the same everytime we read it. We just have to have a desire to know if it's true and if we pray with a desire to know then the Lord will reveal the truth of it unto us by the power of the Spirit.

I know that I have to be better. I have to step it up. Overtime is ticking away and I'm going harder than ever. I won't look back, let up, slow down, or be still.

Love,
Elder Turner

Before everything, I want you to know that the church is true. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and he did what the Lord asked him to do. I love the Book of Mormon and know that it is the most correct book of any here on the earth. I love reading the scriptures and following the guidance that they give us. I am so grateful that I'm a missionary and that I have the privilege to carry the Lord Jesus Christ's name on my chest. I'm proud to know the truth and to be able to preach it here in Guatemala. Happy Birthday Mom. Thank you for being my mother.

My new area is Panorama which is right next to San Cristobal where I started my mission. I feel privileged to be able to train my companion right next to where I was trained and started my mission. I love working hard, but I don't think that my new companion that I'm training is too fond of it. Oh well, his legs will heal. I'm constantly thinking of something that Dad taught me, you gotta have a sense of urgency. There is urgency in the work and we can't rest until 10:30pm. I walk a little faster than my companion likes, but I think of my trainer and how much it bothered me when he left me in the dust and how grateful I am that he taught me to have a sense of urgency in missionary work since day 1. I love training and it gives me the fire to work harder and harder each day. I'm in a trio like I mentioned and I'll just say that it's quite the adventure. Not only do I have one new missionary to push, but 2. My other companion apart from the one I'm training has 4 months in the mission and so I have to give him some pushes sometimes, although he is a real great guy. My trainee is from Nicaragua, the second I have trained from Nicaragua and the third comp from Nicaragua. I think I have something special to do with Nicaragua. My other companion is from Peru and he is a genuine guy. Real humble and with a desire to share the gospel. Us three together will be a true force to challenge Satan, and that's the way I like it.

I'm glad to hear about all of the great things that went on this last week at home. I'm sure it was a bit crazy but that's what vacations are for right? I'm proud of Kya and the great example that she has been for me in my life. Ryan truly is a lucky guy and I'm sure he knows it, but I'll just say he better treat her right. I may be little but I don't fear much :) Life's great when we follow the example of Christ. Be obedient and keep on following the Savior. He will bring us home.

Times up I'm sorry, but know that I love you so much and that I'm doing great, happier than ever.
Love,
Elder Turner

I saw on the calendar that Tax day was Sunday and it made me think of you Mom and I imagined that you were pretty happy for that. Well this email confirmed that. I'm glad that you were able to get done what you needed and I'm sure that with all the crazy stuff going on around the house you were just beat, but that comes to show you that the Lord loves you and He will always support His children when they are righteous. I know that the Spirit can truly renew our bodies because I have felt that here in the mission.

This week was crazy for my companion and I, but I am grateful for the love the Lord has shown me by giving me trials and refining me. Last Monday night I was talking on the phone to the other Elders in the district when I heard that another call was coming in on the phone and as I looked at the caller ID it was the mission president. Normally when he calls it's not just to chat so ya I was a bit nervous but I answered and he said to me "Elder Turner I'm worried." That was probably the last thing I wanted to hear from him, but the conversation got better as he asked me if for the next 12 weeks I was willing to be 100% obedient. I said that I was absolutely willing and he told me that the Lord had called me to be a trainer this coming change. He also informed me that I will be in a trio for at least 5 weeks with a missionary that has had some struggles in his mission. I love that president trusts me. I had a meeting on Wednesday last week to be trained to train so I had to leave at 4 am and lost some precious hours of sleep. We don't get naps so this week was hard to recover from that loss of sleep but I was definitely rejuvinated by the spirit in order to keep working hard each day. Saturday was a rough day because we knocked so many doors, 71 in fact, and only got into 2 houses. Needless to say it was a very long day. Tomorrow I will be leaving my area at 3am, which means 2am wake up, in order to be in the capital at 7am.

I love what you wrote on repentance mom. I feel like a prime example of repentance. I have changed more than I even thought possible and like the example of the piece of wood where a nail is removed and the hole stays, true repentance closes that hole and it is no longer visible. I know that in my youth I did many things contrary to the will of God and I caused many tears to be shed not only by myself, but by many loved ones. Along with those tears came many prayers. That is what saved me. The prayers of others, especially you, are what kept me alive and running through the years and now I've repented I'm going strong and I'm never looking back. The Lord knows who I am and He knows all and gives us always the opportunity to change. I know that I'm different and I'm grateful for being different because I'm happier now than I've ever been. The gospel is real and I have seen it change the lives of many. Mother know that you have done your part with me and the Lord will repay you for that. Don't give up with the boys. They need your prayers more than anything. Like with Alma the younger it was for the prayers of his father that God sent him an angel. Keep praying Mom. I love you for all that you have done for me. I can't wait to be in the Celestial Kingdom with you and dad! Time's a tickin and I'm going hard. The decision has been made; I'm a disciple of Jesus Christ. This is Forever.

Love,
Elder Turner

Being gangster or something?? :) (input from Kya)

This was after the bird pooped on me. Gross.

1. A bird flew into our house while we were planning.

2. We caught the bird.

3. Carpets that the people make for the processions. Made out of dyed saw dust.

4. Another procession carpet.

5. Making the carpet.

1. The District (E. Brown, E. Milburn, E. Sanchez, E. Turner)

2. Ask someone to translate this. We got home to this on Saturday night a few weeks back.

3. Eating a mango. My new favorite fruit.

4. Eating a mango. Machetes are the omni tool.

5. The District

Thanks for the email this week. I love reading about how everyone is doing there at home. It's great to hear that all are staying busy and having a good time. Good thing you got some more chickens. I won't feel too far from Guatemala when I get home :) I truly love this country and the people here. I'm trying to the best of my ability to share the gospel with these people and apply it to them. Every day we have to contact at least 25 people that we aren't teaching and so we are opening our mouths as the Lord asks in D&C 60:2-3. I feel that the Lord is pleased with me. I can answer well that question, What thinks Christ of me? I know without a doubt that Christ is smiling at me because I'm trying to work harder every day. I don't say this to boast but rather to show you the change that Christ has made in me. In one of the CDs that I got in the package there is a song that says "This prodigal son is doing things I've never done." I feel like the prodigal son. I was lost for quite some time, but I'm back where I need to be and I'm better than I was before. Thank you for your love and faith in me.

Yesterday I took some time to think about what I want to do with college and going to Utah and all that. I looked over some goals I had put in January and I had written that I want to start studying in Jan of 2013. I felt the spirit telling me that I need to start studying then, but I thought to myself that there might be some sacrifices included with that. My heart is set on wrestling and I'm going to wrestle in college so the biggest sacrifice might be tuition or athletic elegibility. I've been talking a lot with my companion and he made a good point in the fact that I can probably get a good amout of financial aid so that would be one thing that I need to look into. He also mentioned to me that I can get a good break on tuition if I'm "independent" as far as taxes go. I think that I would like maybe two weeks at home before going to Utah if that would be possible, and of course we will talk more on Mothers' Day.

Here in the branch for fast Sunday we had people talk rather than share their testimonies. One person spoke on the Atonement and another spoke on the Resurrection. Wwhat a joy it is to know what Christ suffered for us. The world is lost in traditions of their fathers which in some ways liven this time of year and in other ways distracts from the true meaning of Holy week. I past my last holy week as a missionary and in all honesty I'm glad for the fact that the people here go nuts with the processions. I know that Christ is my Savior and that He died for my sins. Only in and through Him can we receive salvation. I love this gospel and I love the truth that we know. Let us not rest easy until we know that we have done our part sharing the gospel with God's children. The Lord has called us. Let us answer His call.

Love,
Elder Turner

4.3.12

Well to start off, I just got my birthday package yesterday. It was a great package and I am so so so grateful for the thought and love that you and Deb put into it and and for the cards from the ward. Salt and vinegar chips are so amazing! Red hots are just great! And the
family calender well no need to say, but it made me a little baggy. No worries some good scriptures from D&C helped get me focused again. I can't express how grateful I am for the love that you all show me by sending me things. I don't know if you read any of the comments that
were written in the cards from the ward but some of my favorites were, "Feliz Navidad", "Happy Birthday Kort", and "Happy birthday, you're another year older. Happy birthday you didn't achieve much this year. At least you didnt die so that's good enough". The ward is great!! Hahaha those really made me laugh.

Conference was so amazing. I'm not sure if I understood correctly, but what I got from conference is that I need to get home, get married and be a great husband. I think that's what I got out of conference with a few other important counsels such as keeping up my spirituality and
magnifying my callings here in the mission and when I'm at home. There were a lot of great things taught and I know that as we study the things we learned from conference the Lord will bless us with a desire to be more obedient and to share the gospel with others. I know that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God and that he wants us to be happy. I know that He is the only true and living prophet on the face of the earth. He holds all of the priesthood keys and is God's mouth piece here on the earth. Conference was great. I don't know if you caught it, but this passed through my mind and I find it to be true that Kort needs to develop more hope and faith.

Santiago, although hardened to the truth, is treating me well. I am becoming refined in the Lord's fire and He is making me what He wants me to be. I love this area and as I try harder and harder to share the gospel with these people I am loving them more and more whether they accept me or not. I know that I will be lifted up at the last day for doing what the Lord expects of me and I know that my joy will be full when I am in the presence of the Father again. I love the people of Santiago and I love the language. Part of the refining fire of this area is the language because I'm learning to rely on the Lord and on the Spirit to be able to communicate. The language is not latin based and seems to have very little structure, but in reality it is very complex and even after 5 months of being here there are many things I struggle to understand, but the Lord is by my side bearing me up and helping me to understand these Lamanites. Miracles are happening here in Santiago. I have come to understand a lot better what it means when the scripture says that we are saved by grace after all we can do. I think last week I told you about the family that we have been working with to prepare for baptism, well because the problems that the father of the family was facing, the whole family wasn't able to get baptized, but the mother and the 2 kids were. My companion and I had done all things possible but Satan got into the problem and it was lost. I didn't know what else to do to help this family accept baptism. I kept praying and last Tuesday when we passed by the mother of the family told us that she was ready to get baptized. I'm not sure what the difference was, but the Lord had answered our prayers. I have never worked so hard for anything in my life and I was able to realize how real faith is. The district is doing well also with the miracle of the Lord they too were able to bring people to repentance this weekend. The Lord loves us so much :)

I love the work of the Lord and I will die proclaiming the truth.

Love,
Elder Turner

I wrote Kort a letter and I'm planning on sending it today so hopefully it will get to him soon. I wrote it after reading Alma 5 so hopefully it's not too hard for him. I love that kid and I pray that he will look up soon. You are so right about how Satan is working so hard with all of us, but especially the youth and those who are investigating the restored gospel. I still consider myself youth in many ways, and I feel like Satan is always looking over my shoulder whispering things into my ears and being a missionary I feel like there are so many more ways that we can fall and Satan is attacking every single point he can. But the Lord will not allow us to be tempted more than we can handle which is the beauty of it all. As I strive to be more obedient and resist Satan's temtations the Lord strengthens me and gives me the power to conquer.

I haven't gotten the package yet, but I should get it this coming week but I'll let you know. Sometimes we just have to be patient even though my birthday was over a month ago. I really like that quote by Pres. Monson. It will be going up on my white board when I get home today. Wow, I can't believe that Landon is getting released already. Time is just not stopping or slowing down. I have been working a lot harder than I ever have and the days just don't have enough time to be able to get all that we plan done. We are usually contacting people until the last minute to be able to reach our goals and to be able to find new investigators. My companion and I have been working really hard to prepare a family for baptism this General Conference weekend, but when we passed by on Saturday night to our surprise we found the man drunk. It had been over a month since the last time he drank, but Satan got him to fall. I believe that the Lord allowed that to happen to humble the man and his family because they began to lose interest and think that everything was good. We visited them yesterday and he was repented he told us that he knew that he needs to be baptized again and so we will be helping him this week stop drinking so that we can prepare their baptism for the month of April. The Lord works in mysterious ways.


Well I'm not sure how humorous you'll take this, but I thought it was pretty funny. So about two weeks ago I was on divisions with the other missionaries in my district and I was in the other missionaries are, San Lucas Tolimán. Me and the missionary were eating lunch in a restaurant and I had ordered more food than I needed, but I want to eat it all because I had ordered it so I decided to make some room and let some gas out. We were the only ones in the restaurant so I felt fine letting go, until one of those farts was no fart. It was followed by everything that I didn't want to let out. Yes, I pooped my pants. I didnt know what to do, so I just started laughing. The missionary that I was with thought it was hilarious because the same thing happened to him a few months earlier when him and I were together on divisions in Patzicia.

The Book of Mormon is true. Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. I love this gospel.

Love,
Elder Turner