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

Week 97: How to make Satan Naked

Well hello there my family,

Scripture of the week: Alma 44:45

Hope this email finds you all well. It sounds like you all had a great week spending time with sis and Ashton. Im sure it was just great to have them there. Babies really bring a special spirit into a home. We are so blessed to have her in our family at this time. Ive of course never met her, but im sure you can all feel of the real special spirit that she carries.

Im glad you were all able to enjoy the videos i sent your way, once again i wish i could take credit for the idea, but it was all heavenly father. He works in mysterious ways sometimes, but if we are listening he truly will guide and direct our paths. 

I hope dad had a good week in wisconsin. From the two pictures he sent me, it looks like he was able to escape from meetings long enough to get out and see some of our favorite cows. Not much better than driving around the home state lookin at some cows. i love those days. 

So if you are picturing Audra today, she must be looking pretty good. That makes me feel good. Youll have to make sure and send me a picture of her, its been a while since youve sent one of her. Hopefully she takes a good picture. Also hope the photo week goes well.

So it rained here i think every day this week, but that doesnt mean that it cant be a good week. Because it sure was a good week, despite the weather. I started off the week on exchange in rutland with my first son Elder Guinn. It was a great exchange. we were able to talk to alot of people. Still just makes me so happy to see how much he has grown and changed on his mission.

Our investigator came to church yesterday, and it was just the perfect sacrament meeting for him to be at for his first time. Elder Harman, one of the sr elders spoke. He relayed a story about a horse he had that got ensnared in a barbed wire fence. It was so bad that the horse should have been put down, but he felt he should nurse it back to health, so that is what he did. He likened that to the atonement, and how the atonement can take us and literally make us whole again. That was exactly what he needed to hear. So everything with him is going well. Im so grateful for all of the awesome sr couples ive gotten to know so well on my mission. All of them such amazing people. 

Yesterday afternoon we were giving tours at the monument, and this couple came through from Salt Lake, i thought they were members of the church, because they talked like they were, they knew so much. But they finally told us they were not. So as the tour went on i just continued to be amazed at how much they knew, and the special spirit they had about them. Finally i just said "alright you two are better mormons than most i know, when are you going to get baptized?" they said "probably never but we love the church". Just really great people though. The husband said "i think im gonna go home and be a tour guide at the conference center. My name tag will say Bob anderson, Lutheran." just gotta get them baptized now. Just was kind of a fun experience. 

So this week will be good. tomorrow we have zone conference, and we get to watch "meet the mormons" thatll be fun. I think this is actually my last zone conference, so that is really weird to think about, but itll be great either way. 

I wanna close with something i learned in my studies this morning. So during general conference i felt prompted that i need to do an in depth study of the war chapters in the Book of Mormon. So i started that this morning. While studying i learned something very valuable, so i want to walk you through it. Now i call it "How to make Satan naked". So yes it sounds really funny and maybe slightly inapropriate, but as i explain, you will start to see why i gave it that name. 

so here we go. 

Alma 43

Verse 4 says "... the nephites saw that the lamanites were coming upon them therefore they made preparations for war. yea they gathered together their armies in the land of Jershon. 

so from that we learn the importance of preparation, and also the importnace of coming together in our wards and stakes. 

Verse 18 "he met the Lamanites in the borders of Jershon, and his people were armed with swords and with cimetars and all manner of weapons of war." 

Verse 19 "And when the armies of the lamanites saw that the people of Nephi, or that Moroni had prepared his people with breastpaltes, and with arm shields, yea and also sheilds to defend their heads, and also they were dressed with thick clothing". 

so moroni really prepared his people very very well. 

Verse 20 "Now the army of Zerahemnah was not prepared with any such thing, they had only their swords... and they were NAKED...." 

Ok so now we have the armies of moroni who are so well prepared, and the lamanites who are so underprepared that they are described as being naked. 

ok niow how this applies to us. As we prepare our selvees and our familes spiritually, we become as teh army of moroni, so well prepared that satan will flee from us. the more spiritually prepared we are, the more NAKED satan becomes to us. 

i hope that makes sense, cause it really makes sense in my head but it may not make sense to you. Hopefully it does though. 

Sure love you all

Hold to the rod

Elder Zilles