Week 63: Bedford New Hampshire

Hey family,

Scripture of the week: D&C 123:17

Oh how I love my wonderful crazy fantastic just really crazy sometimes almost over whelming life!!! Tuesday morning when I woke up I had the thought in my head that I would be shot gunning an area this transfer. I thought to myself "please no,… shot gunning Newport was hard enough" and I knew I would still be a ZL so I thought shot gunning as a ZL would just be way too hard. But guess what the lord must think I can handle it, cause here I am sitting in an area that we are shot gunning. Welcome to the Bedford New Hamp days. Yup the big city, I am right in the hub of missionary life here in the Hamp, all the office staff, and president and sister stoker are in our ward, not that they ever can come to this ward cause of their travels, but still pretty cool. The city is so stinkin huge, I am seriously way out of my element here, and have found myself wanting my Vermont back many times this week, as all the sirens and loud city business goes on around me, but i know for a fact that the lord called me to this place at this time. 

I am serving with Elder Nielsen, we came out together, so it’s really cool to be serving together. Our area used to be the assistants area, so there has been absolutely Zero work done here for almost 11 years, cause the assistants are always in the office doing mission stuff. So we have plenty of work cut out for us. Of the two lessons we got to teach this week, one of the people speaks primarily Arabic, and the other speaks Napoli. Neither of which either elder Nielsen or I speak, so this is really going to be quite the adventure. But the ward is awesome, we had a great testimony meeting yesterday, and we are really gonna get things rolling here. Elder Nielsen and I get along wonderfully, as we know each other very well from partying at leadership meetings. We have leadership meeting all day tomorrow, and then we have Wednesday to plan for zone interviews and then we have those on Thursday. So please pray for me to be able to handle all of the craziness here.

I really, really miss my Polls. I have started to rely on them so much over the past 4 months, I just really miss them. Elder poll gave me a fantastic blessing right before I left, and it really comforted me. Sometimes I just wonder why heavenly father sees fit to pile so much on my plate. I asked Elder Poll that right before he headed back to Essex after dropping me off and he said "it’s because he knows you are the one that can handle it". It’s comforting to know the Heavenly Father knows me better than I know myself, cause sometimes life is just tots crazy. But don’t get me wrong I love my life, I love my mission, I am absolutely stoked to be serving here in the Bedford ward, and serving with the concord south zone. It is going to be a great transfer. I have already told president that i want to go back to my Vermont for the last 6 months of my mission. 

I would love to hear where you all guessed i would be headed.... so fill me in on those next week. have to see if any of you were remotely close!

Sounds like all is going well back home which is always so comforting for me to hear.
The lord really does bless us so much for our service. I think I will just stay here forever so you can all keep receiving the blessings of having me in the field. As much as I miss you all I love this work so much. That doesn't mean I am perfect at it every day, as some days I get lazy and could work harder, but I really do love this work so much. I love the gospel with all my heart, and each day I am more and more grateful for the atonement that at times is really the only thing that keeps me going. It is an amazing feeling to lay down at night so exhausted that you don’t think you will be alive in the morning, but at the same time you feel so fantastic because you know you gave all you had to give that day. The gospel of Jesus Christ is amazing we are so blessed to have it in our lives, Never forget that.

Wish I was better with words so I could really fully express how I feel right now. But what you need to know is your son and brother loves the Savior with every fiber of his being, I would give all I have for the gospel. It’s an amazing feeling to feel that way, as that is not how I have always felt. In a few months when I have to return home, I pray you will be able to see the difference that the atonement has worked in my life, and I hope I will return and be able to give you all a huge hug knowing that I have given all that I have to give in the service of our savior. Think of all he did for us, these two years of my life are so small in comparison, and it is a huge blessing that I have this time to give to him.

I don’t know if any of that made any sense at all, but I hope you feel the spirit in this email, as I have felt it so strongly while writing it.

I love you all

HOLD TO THE ROD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Elder Quinton J. Zilles

(Lori’s  notes- In Newport Elder Q and Elder Vanderholm were both brand new to the area. So we think that is what he means by shot gunning his new area. He and Elder Nielsen are both new to the area and starting from scratch- some would call this white washing, however there have been missionaries there before, the assistants to the PresidentJ)