Week 104: "I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord commanded me"

Hello Family,

Scripture of the week:  Alma 29:9-10, these verses really just describe how i feel about my mission. Ive been putting off writing this email cause i really dont know what to say, cause my mind is every direction right now, so i hope this all makes sense. 

Alma 29:9-10

9- I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and i glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but i glory in that which the lord commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps i may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy.

10- And behold, when i see many of my brethren truly penitent, and coming to the Lord their God, then is my soul filled with joy; then do i remember what the Lord has done for me, yea, even that he hath heard my prayer; yah, then do i remember his merciful arm which he extended towards me. 

 

i dont know how to adequately portray how i feel about the past two years of my life, but those verses are pretty close to it. What greater way to express how you feel than through scripture right? 

What a glorious two years we have all had together. I say together even though we have been so far apart, because this has truly been a family affair. I will forever be grateful for the love and support i have recieved from the whole lot of you. I have recieved so much strength from the letters and emails you all send me each week. That will be something that i will really miss. I have learned to love each of you in a different way than i ever thought possible. I have learned to love our Father in Heaven, i have learned to love OUR Savior, i do love him with all my heart. I have learned that this gospel is without a doubt true. I have learned so many amazing things, i dont have time to write them all now, but will be able to spend the rest of my life telling you of all i learned while serving in this capacity. 

My feelings and emotions are mixed, but i do look forward to seeing you all very soon. I have been able to take time the past few days and ponder on my mission, and im so grateful for every single secong of it. Im not sure where it went, cause it went way to fast, but i am so grateful for it. This morning in my studies i was reading some old journal entries, and it caused me to reflect, and i was thinking "have i done all i could? have i accomplished all i was sent here to do?" and after i thought this i had one of the most precious spiritual moments ive ever had in my life, and the spirit told me that i truly have accomplished all my father sent me here to New-England to do. Has it been easy? no way! But nothing that is worth your time will ever be easy. i am just so grateful for the past 2 years. Thank you for being here with me the whole way. 

Alright enough rambling. Time to talk about this week. 

Wow what a week. Monday night a huge snow storm rolled in. It totally rocked the whole state of Vermont. But the part of the state that got hit the worst was Windsor county which is right where we are. We got i think about a foot and a half of snow. It snowed all day tuesday. Most the day wednesday, most the day Thursday. Also we got some freezing rain, nasty wind, and anything else you can think of might come with a winter storm. so our cars were grounded till thursday morning. Needless to say it was really just an eventful week. The power has been out all over. All week we kept losing power at our cabin. We have been with out power here at the memorial up until about an hour ago. It has really just been an eventful week. Luckily we have generators here at the memorial so we could still run our lights for all to feel of the spirit of christmas. Friday night we were on duty, and we counted 316 people who cam eand saw the lights. It was great to get to talk to that many people about the savior in just one day. Because of no power at the church they were going to cancel it. But they decided to hold it here in the visitors center. It was really tight quarters but was truly an amazing meeting. i felt like the saints of the early church just meeting together in a small meeting room. but the most important thing was being able to partake of the sacrament, and we got to do that, so that is really all that matters. 

So thursday the storm broke enough for us to have a lesson with Jeremy one last time before i go. we had a great lesson with him at the Feeneys home. He is now rescheduled to be baptized on January 17. It will be a great day when he gets to enter the waters of baptism and covenant with our Heavenly Father. 

also on thursday someone backed in to our car and made a crunched mess out of my brand new chevy cruze rear bumper. But no one was hurt so that is the most important thing. 

All in all it was a good last week as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. i love this work. 

So now for this week. Tomorrow we leave to transfer meeting at 745 in the morning. we then will have TM where all of us going home will get to give our "golden truths" which is just the most important thing we have learned on our missions. After TM all of us who are going home get to go to the temple with president and sister stoker. we will then have dinner and a testimony meeting, then we will lay in bed not able to sleep then wednesday who knows what will happen till we have to go to the airport to fly home. Then i will sit on a plan for who knows how long and will try to sleep but probably wont be able to. then finally the plane will touch down in SLC. There will be a million missionaries and a million families so itl be super wild and crazy, but itll be a truly fantastic day. i do look forward to seeing all of you and giving you all a big ol hug. i love you all so much. Just so you know, Elder and Sister Pettingill who were in the office with me might be at the airport to meet all of you. I hope that is ok, they are really special people to me and they asked if they could be there and i told them they could. So they might be there. 

So i just want to share one last testimony with you as a missionary. 

I know that we are children of a loving Father in Heaven. i love him. I know we have a savior in our older brother Jesus. He is the Christ. I love him. I know Joseph saw both of them, and that because he answered the call to serve we have the knowledge of them that we have today. I know families can be together forever. i know this gospel to be true, every last jot and tittle. 

love you all so much. 

HOLD TO THE ROD

Elder Quinton Joseph Zilles

Week 103: The Blessings of a mission

Hello Family, 

Scripture of the week: Alma 26:3 The Blessings of a mission. 

Well my wonderful family, anyone who says 2 years is a long time is decieved, because it is not long at all. Just gonna tell you now, but i probably wont talk too much about coming home in this weeks email, but dont worry i do look forward to see yall i just dont feel like crying right now, so ill not really talk about it and ill just cry later. 

So this week was good. I had the opportunity to go to Essex on exchange. It was precious. It was in a way like Heavenly Father saying that he is proud of me and the work ive done and he wanted to show me the fruits of my labors. I got to go see Brian and we were talking and he said "had you not been on a mission here i probably wouldnt have been baptized" now i dont think that is true, because he was very prepared so he most likely would have been baptized anyway, but it was still humbling to hear him say that. Also got to see Elvis and Catholic Pam. Both very good friends. Since i left Elvis stopped meeting with the elders and is very anti god in any way. But we had a lesson with him and at the end i ask him to pray and he actually did it. It is very humbling to be the instrument that our Father works through to touch the lives of his children. The greatest gift of my life. I love this gospel. 

While i was on exchange, Elder Adams and Elder Parry met with our investigator and had a good lesson, he feels he needs to be more prepared for baptism so he is no longer scheduled for this weekend. Which is what is best. Wish i could be here to see it, but all that really matters is he is ready and fully prepared to make that sacred covenant with our Heavenly Father.  

This week will be good. My last exchange ever will be with Elder Guinn, so thatll be sweet. today we are going bowling for district pday. And then the rest of the week is going to fly by far too fast. But im just going to give 110% till i get on the plane. and then i will probably crash, but thats ok im giving it all i have to give. Elder Adams tried to tell me it would be ok to let up a bit this last week so i wasnt so tired when i get home. I told him that was hogwash and that there is no reason to ever slow down and let up in the lords work. He has never let up on us, so why on earth would we ever let up on him. 

Grateful to hear the first week of Christmas in weston went well. Glad you got fred and Ruth all set up. they are such good people. 

Mom dont worry about having everything perfect. Dont worry about cleaning the barn, i have no problem cleaning the barn when i get home. Itll be good to get my hands dirty again. So please dont stress so much. Im not a celebrity coming home, just your son, so dont stress so much. 

Grandpa Don is such an amazing man. I will have to make sure to drop him a note today. 

Well Family, sorry this is short once again, im not sick this week, but my mind is just racing a million different directions so i hope you understand. 

Sure do love you all. 

Hold to the Rod

Elder Zilles

Week 102: The Lights are on!

Hello Family, 

Scripture of the week: D&C 84:119

I feel i have really seen this on my mission. 

 

For I, the Lord, have put forth my hand to exert the powers of heaven; ye cannot see it now, yet a little while and ye shall see it, and know that I am, and that I will come and reign with my people.

 

 

 

Well i am happy to hear all is well back home. Sounds like turkey day went well and you all had a good ol time. 
The new car looks pretty sick, i look forward to being able to take it for a spin. you gotta watch out for a couple of sales men like dad and mike, they will get ya every time, but we love them anyway. Thank you so so sos much for letting me drive the hyundai when i first get home, that was one thing that i was really worrying about. so now that i dont have to worry about a car situation that is just one less thing i have to worry and fret about. This going home thing is the absolute hardest mixed emotion thing i have ever faced in my life. Ive been trying to just remain in denial of the whole thing, but ive decided that probably isnt too healthy so i better just give it my all till then end and just accept that it is about over. So to help with that i would appreciate it if you would send me the schedule for the first few weeks when i get home. Also could you send me my class schedule and as much as i dont want to ask for them, could you send me my flight times and all of that good jazz. Wow you would think i was a missionary or something having to know every little detail of every day. What have i become? oh well gotta love it guess my mission really has changed me. 

So thanksgiving was good here in So Ro. Ate lots and lots of food, way too much to be honest, but it was very good. The day before thanksgiving we got 10 inches of snow, so thanksgiving morning i made elder adams get up early and we came up here and shoveled out the memorial before anyone else was awake. We then ate here at the memorial. Then we had a suprise call from Prue Pease who is the one i talked about shoveling horse poop with, and she invited us over as well. so we ended up having 3 full meals. I think i might still be full from that feast. But all in all it was just a good time. 

Friday and saturday was the lighting ceremony, that was just amazing. So good to see the Gregs. Love those  people so much.

Brother Gregory Came to the lighting ceremony

Well sorry this is so short. Im not feeling top notch today, hopefully im not coming down with something. But youll get over it any detqails i missed ill just tell you in 17 days. Holy crap that is gonna go fast. 

Hold to the Rod
Love ya 
Elder Zilles

 

Week 101: If God be for us than Who can be against us?

Hello Family,

Scripture of the week: Romans 8:31

WE ARE PIRATES WEST SIDE PIRATES PIRATES WILL ALWAYS FIGHT TO WIN WERE PROUD OF OUR GREAT TEAM WE'LL STICK WITH THEM THROUGH THICK AND THIN FOREVER MORE UNITED WE STAND PIRATES WILL ALWAYS FIGHT TO WIN FOR WE ARE THE PIRATES OF WEST SIDE PIRATES OF WEST SIDE HIGH! FIGHT!!!!!!!!!

Congrats to all of the boys. Im glad they were able to pull of the win. It is amazing how much football has helped me on my mission. Learning to work hard at anything will help anyone so much on a mission. but just super happy for all of those boys. 

Well i am sorry i was not on yesterday. We had Presidents interviews. Seeing how there are 30 missionaries who go home with me, president is doing all of our exit interviews while he is doing our zones interviews. So yesterday i had my exit interview with President Stoker. He normally alots 45 minutes for those, but he and i were in mine for an hour and 45 minutes. Luckily he had me as the last interview, cause we surely were in no rush. We could have sat in there talking all day. President Stoker is such an amazing man, and is my best friend. i will forever be grateful that the lord called him to be my mission president, and that i have had the privilege of working so closely with him. I just love that man. We talked alot about the gospel and my mission, and that was jsut great. And then he said ok, we have some other things we need to talk about, and then he started to talk about dating and marriage. It was pretty weird to talk about that stuff, but i am grateful for the advice and counsel i was able to recieve from him. I asked him to give me a blessing to help me be prepared for the "final transfer" so he gace me a blessing. the preisthood is so amazing. Here i am with president, who has never read my patriarchal blessing. Well from what was said in the blessing you would have thought he was quoting my patriarchal blessing. It was just really realy neat. 

So last monday after i emailed, Our investigator called us finally. So we are back on track with him. He still has not kicked coffee. So he has this week to get off it or we will have to move the date back. Hopefully that doesnt happen, but if it doies then that is ok cause the most important thing is for him to be completely prepared for baptism. He is still such a great man. 

Our log cabin is still treating us with the upmost luxury. Yes we have 2 stories all to our selves. Its pretty neat. 

Dad expressed concern about the void of blessings when i return home. That is something i have thought much about,and this is the conclusion i have come to. As long as we live the gospel to the fullest, the blessings will still continue to flow. Sorry to hear the truck and tractor are having struggs. Maybe we need to build a shed to park them both in, just food for thought. 

thank you for my thanksgiving card. We have two meals set up for turkey day so no worries there. We will be eating with all of the sr couples at the memorial, and then later in the day we will be eating with the Hostetter family. Dont know them too well, but itll be great either way. Then friday and saturday we have the live nativity and lighting ceremony here at the memorial, pretty excited for that. ill make sure to take plenty of pictures. I hope you all have a fantastic thanksgiving. Make sure to take sufficient time to give thanks for all of our many many blessings. As we are so so blessed. 

So im about out of time but i just want to share one last experience from this week. Sunday we went home teaching with Brother Gilman, and we were sittling in a lesson with a long time less active who told us his scriptures got ruined so he hadnt been reading them, but he really wished he had them to help him through hard times. Well out of no where bro gilman says here i have a present for you, and he gave this man his personal set of scriptures. It was jsut really neat. One of those moments that i really just was so glad i was there and so glad that i chose to serve a mission. A mission is such a life changing experience. I love you all so much. 

Stay strong and dont forget i love you

Hold to the Rod

Elder Zilles

Week 100: Sometimes you have to shovel poop...

Hello Family,

Scripture of the Week: Matthew 6:33, Alma 62:5

Vermont Cow Boy Hat!

Wowsers week 100! November 17, 2014. i really cant believe another week has come and gone. And today is exactly one month till i return home. Still havent wrapped my mind around that yet, and im thinkin itll be one of those things that wont seem real till i see yall at the airport. So till that time comes im just doin the best i can for the lord here in The Land of Joseph! As one of the Senior missionaries said to me today, "your so short (in time) that you could sit on a pony and not be able to touch the ground with your toes". Yup that is the kind of stuff that i put up with on a regular basis here, but i love them all. 

Way to go West Side! Im Proud of those boys. if im not mistaken, Matt Turnbow, Kaden Bingham, and those fellers should be Seniors this year. if that is the case, im so happy, and so proud of those boys. There is something special about West Side Football. Once you have been a part of it, it will always be a part of you. I will always cherish my time under those friday night lights in the maroon, gold, and white. but even more than that will always cherish my time in the lords uniform here in New England! 

So this week has been pretty interesting. Actually has been pretty slow. The new SR couple that will replace us is coming in the end of this week, and they need our apartment, so they have been looking for a place to put us for just a month, and then they realized that the log cabin that one of the sr couples is in the basement of is completely empty upstairs. So they are just renting that place for a month. So Elder Adams and I now live in a full log cabin. Have the whole thing all to ourselves. Talk about going out with a bang, "Dying" in Style. Doesnt get much better than that. The Land of Jospeh in a log cabin that is barely a mile away from the monument. This morning we ran to the monument for exercise. We were the first ones up here, snow was falling, it was completely silent, it was just a really cool moment. I love this place with all my heart. 

So when i was here in So Ro at the beginning of my mission on exchange and we milked for Brother Pease, he and i struck up a pretty good friendship. And now with me being back here we are jsut the best of pals.  The only time we can ever meet with him is in the barn while he milks, and i of course have no problem with that. So every monday night we go help him milk. Well the other night we stopped in to check on him, and he had just had a terrible day and was really running behind. So we said alright put us to work. so he took us in the barn, turned the pump on and said "if you could start milking that would be great" So we started milking, and oh boy did it feel good to be back in a barn. I kinda like this tie stall barn stuff. so before he finished his other stuff, we got the whole herd milked. He was so happy when he got back to the barn. John has now been telling the whole world about the missionaries who milked his cows alone with out any problems, so his wife was kind of impressed. As are most the dairy men in the area who has told about it. So we showed up to check on them on Wednesday and his wife was mucking out the horse barn. So we offered to help, at first she was very anti, then her pitch fork broke, and i said "oh i can fix that" i owe that thanks to Sums ag classes. so i fixed the fork and then instead of giving it back to her i just went and started to pitch poop. Well i cleaned out most of the barn, and by the time we left, she decided that missionaries arent so bad. So the moral of the story is... sometimes you just have to shovel a little poop  to soften someones heart. Ha it was a good time. Hopefully more will follow in the next month with our work with the Pease Family. 

Well, i really cant think of much else that i need to tell you. Hope you all have a fantastic week. Remember how much i love you! Dont Count the days, make the days count. 

love always Elder Toner Zilles

Hold to the Rod

The Birthday Boy

Week 99: 56 doors in one day, Playing hard til the whistle blows

Hello my dear family,

Scripture of the week: Alma 50:1-6 we cant ever stop our spiritual preparation Alma 50:12 the gospel protects us. 

Holy goodness 99 weeks as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I really cant believe it, its wild to think about. 

I am grateful to hear things are going well on the homefront. I look forward to returning home to see Bishop Frank at work. He will do a great job, and it sounds like he chose some marvelous councilors. Truly goes to show how much in charge the lord really is of his work. 

I am sure you both gave wonderful testimonies yesterday, and i wish i could have been there to hear them, but im sure they were just great. That is truly one of the greatest things about this church and one of the things that really just shows how true it is. where else can the torch be passed from one person to another with such little change. The gospel is true no doubt about that. 

Well, i had a great Birthday. Many say that birthdays are just another day of the year, and yes that is true, and yes i feel the same today as i did yesterday, but this birthday was special. This was my last Birthday as a missionary, so i got to spend the whole day giving others the gift and blessings of the gospel. What greater thing could i have done to celebrate 21 years of life. Thank you so much for my package. We enjoyed the cake, im still enjoying the pumpkin seeds, and we had a great pizza for dinner the other night. Funny thing about the pizza. the place my certificate was to is owned by our neighbor. He is a super nice guy. So i walked in and asked for the certifacate and he goes "oh this is for you" it was just kind of a fun connection. But thank you so much. I got an awesome card from G and G B, and from the Birkys. Thank you so much to them. Also got a pair of hand knit socks from grandma pat, Which mean so much considering all she is dealing with right now, she is such a special lady. Please put her in your prayers as Cecil is really not doing well again. 

So things here are going well, we have really started to earn the trust of the ward, they are finally starting to ask us to help with things. Which is good, but also a bummer that it took them so long to warm up to us, cause now we leave in 5 weeks. But oh well we will do all we can while we are here. 

Nothing else really to crazy exciting happened here this week. Elder Adams says i am nuts because i enjoy tracting. We knocked 56 doors one day this week. Just workin our tails off here in Vermont. Playing hard till the whistle blows. 

As for the trip to see the Schofields when i get home, that sounds good. That will be good for me to stay nice and busy that first week home. Staying busy is the key to having a smooth transition from mission life to normal life. Im excited to meet little Ashty. 

I bet Ty Walker gave a great report yesterday. He is a good man, have a lot of respect for him. Man if Staci thought he talked funny that means i will really probably sound funny to all of you. But oh well, what can you expect after spending 2 years with people who all talk really funny. That is just part of what makes them all so great. 

Well i cant think of anything else that i need to tell you guys. Hope you have a really fantastic week. Dont forget that i love you all so much. 

Hold to the Rod

Elder Zilles

Week 98:The Lord is in charge of the Harvest

Hello my dear family,

Scripture of the week: Alma 46: 12-13, 15,18,20-21

The Limo at the JSM

Well sounds like quite the eventful week on the home front! Im still really trying to wrap my head around dad being released. I sometimes feel like it was just yesterday he was set apart. I remember sitting out at the pavilion at the stake center eating sandwhiches with the family. Gram and gramps, lots of people. Its always amazing to think about all the events of our life that our brain can file away for us to remember the fond and some not so fond memories that get us to where Our Father needs us to be. 

I do find it interesting to think how dad and i will have this transition period right close to the same time. I will be grateful to have his help as i strive to adjust back to normal life. IM GOING TO NEED ALOT OF HELP! im just going to warn you now, but im going to be really really awkward for a while when i get home. 

As you said, sometimes it seems there is never a perfect time for things in our lives to end. That is something that has been on my mind alot lately. I will use my thoughts on my mission to help you all adjust to this new part of your life. So when i left on my mission i thought at times that i should have left earlier or later many different thoughts, but it didnt take long in the Lyndon ward for me to realize that i needed to be there right at that time. I needed to be there right then for Brother Gregory. And every area i have been in i have needed to be right there at that right time for many reasons most of which only the lord knows, but i trust that he knows what he is doing. So as for dad with this transition, it will be hard there is no doubt about it, it is like a mission comuing to a close, if it is not hard then you did not do something right. When you serve with all of your heart, might, mind, and strength as we are called to do it takes a little bit of an adjustment to get back to the ground, as sometimes in the service of the lord it is almost like we are floating in the clouds. So as hard as this adjustment is for everyone, i trust that the lord is in charge and he knows what he is doing. President Waldron is his chosen Stake President in the Preston Idaho South Stake, and as such would not be allowed to lead that part of the vinyard astray. He is called of God and is inspired and lead by him. So dad i do not know what the lord has in store for you next, but just as mom has told you many times already, he has many great and important things in store for you. One thing i feel impressed to tell you is to study your patriarchal blessing at this time and the lord will tell you through that what he needs you to do or to prepare for next. My patriarchal blessing is one of the only things that has been keeping me grounded as i near the close of these magnificent two years. All will be well, the lord is in charge of the harvest. 

So yes the elephant in the room... today marks the start of my last transfer. 17 transfers as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is not a very long time. When you are at the begginning of your mission it sure seems like it is going to be a long time, but i am here to tell you that when you are sitting where i am it is not a very long time at all. Elder Adams tells me regularly that i am Bi polar about going home. It is really one of those bitter sweet things. If i could do things my way this is what i would do... I would stay here in Vermont, and would have you guys fly out here. Then i could still be a missionary in my home of Vermont, but i could also have my family with me. Ha one day i will be excited about something i will get to do when i am home, and then the next day i will be saying, "im never going home". Im pretty sure Elder Adams just thinks i am plum crazy, but thats ok he can think that if he wants. So yup i dont know if any of that makes any sense at all, but what i am trying to say is im really freaking out that this is my last transfer as a missionary. so what am i going to do? i am just going to do my very best to give all that i have to give to the lord. I would like to ask you all to do one thing for me before i get home. Will you all please type up one last testimony for me and send it my way? i would grately appreciate that. 

Im sad to hear Gma Z is still putting up such a fight. i wrote them a letter this morning, so i hope that will give her a bit of a boost that will help her get into a happy mood. I mean what better time of year to be in a happy mood. Thanksgiving, Christmas, new years, all so many great times are just right aroung the corner, not to mention my birthday is on sunday. Everyone deserves to be happy.

Holy cow i am going to be 21 years old. Im an old man! Dont worry though we have a dinner set up for that sunday night. Eating with the Dunkle Family. Havent eaten with them yet, so i dont really know them but i am sure it will be a good evening. 

I look forward to seeing a picture of Audra, man i love my cows Im such a weirdo. but oh well..

So things here are going well. Our investigators are progressing as well as ever, baptism will be here before we know it. We are working on getting all of the lights set up for the Holiday season here at the memorial. 

and when we are not teaching Jeremy or stringing lights, we are out knocking doors. Elder Adams doesnt like knocking doors, and i cant say that i blame him, but knocking doors is something that i have actually come to enjoy. we knock so many doors that i have decided to track how many doors we knock this last transfer. And the best part is, every door we knock our wives get cuter and cuter. AH YEAH.

well i hope i didnt miss anything super important, but if i did well ill just have to tell ya later. Hope yall remember how much i love you! im so grateful for all of the support from home while ive been serving the lord. Stay strong and press on

Hold to the Rod

Elder Zilles