Week 41: Cowtown!

Hello family,

Sounds like all is well back home.

Well there were many good things that happened this week, but seeing how dad titled his email pre expo week im gonna first talk about my awesome cow experience that i had this week. So we frequently drive past cowtown holsteins on our way to visit a couple less actives and every time drive past i always just longingly stare at the barns and the few cows that are visible from the road, so finally the other day Elder V says just stop im sure they wont mind you looking around.

 So i finally gave in and just had to go look at cows. But the best part is the guy working that day was actually somewhat interested in the gospel so it helps me to verify my cow stop a little bit. It was so nice to see cows (good cows). As dad knows they had a sale this summer so they are a bit low on stuff but there were still alot of good cows there. The cow that was the top of the sale is still housed there. She is a daughter of lucy who won expo back in 2007 she is a 92 point durham with a 95 point udder. Probably my favorite cow on the farm though was a jr 2 yr old atwood, she placed second at the vermont state show this year she is wicked tall. Dont worry though there wont be a truck showing up at the house with a cow on it, cause im gonna keep her housed in vermont, ha just kidding i didnt buy her i did price her though she was a bit out of my mission support card budget.

Lets see what else happened this week? my last 3 weeks have gone so fast i just feel like they have all become jumbled into one week. Elder V hit his one year mark on thursday so that was pretty cool to get to celebrate that with him. What did you do to celebrate you might ask?  Well... what better way to celebrate than by helping someone move into a new house!!! Yup so thats what we did on thursday. 

Friday we helped with a big wood project for a less active couple. My back was really sore the day after but its all good now so that has made me happy. 

Saturday we spent alot of time with my mission grandma. we helped her get her yard and house already for winter. I dont know if ive mentioned it but her and her husband go to florida every winter they are leaving october 24 it will not be fun to tell her goodbye ive already told her i will be sending the missionaries over to her house in florida though. 

Something else pretty cool happened this week. So here in town on the edge of the lake there is a really nice board walk. And for some reason lately we have felt prompted to spend a lot of time down that way. Most the time i felt we were just wasting time, but i have been proven wrong. Saturday night we were down on the board walk and we bumped into a man  whom we have met around town a few times he is super nice. Well saturday we were able to have a pretty good gospel talk with him... Sunday night same thing happened we once again bumped into him again and had another good talk. So i think that is why we have felt we need to spend time down on the board walk. 

A few weeks ago we met another man on a park bench and he was super depressed well we taught him about the BofM and helped cheer him up gave him our number and he said he would call, but he didnt( that happens ALL the time) this week we were walking to an appointment and we saw him sitting on the SAME bench so we hurried over and had another awesome lesson with him he actually seems to be quite interested only problem is he is couch surfing right now so we dont have an adress to meet him at but we will find him again. 

On Wednesday there was a guy with a gun on his roof like 4 blocks of town were evacuated and the roads were closed down it was pretty crazy luckily we were in lyndon for district meeting. 

Ive been thinking alot about how fast time is going lately and trying to figure out why it seems to go so fast lately. Well as i thought to myself i had the thought that lately i feel like for the first time i have really been able to 100% hand myself over to the lord and once that happens he helps the time to move faster its pretty cool, but at the same time a bit of a bummer because the time is really going fast. 

The 40 day fast is really going good still dont have all the days filled but im confident we will get them all filled when the time for them to be filled comes. 

This week is going to go wicked fast most the days are already full up with plans which is nice. Thursday we have interviews with President im looking forward to that. Ive been asked to do part of the Zone training that should be interesting. Then saturday and sunday CONFERENCE im super excited for it. I cant believe its already been a year since dad and i were in expo the last time before i left to the NEK! Dad make sure you take plenty of pictures and send me plenty of details.

Elder V and i were discussing today how we have been comps for far too long. Not a bad too long but a good too long. We are such good friends we had a wrestling match the other night after planning and i won. He is such a great guy though. We are almost positive one of us will leave in 3 weeks, but the lord could see fit for both of us to stay for another transfer. 

They say the leaves will be in peak foliage in the next week or two so you can be expecting some pictures of that stuff soon. 

Well i think that is about all i have to ramble on about today. Hope yall have a fantastic week. Good luck with school, work, and dad we wont call this week work for you so dad have a fun party week take in the goodness of our wonderful wisconsin for me. 

Hold to the rod

Elder Toner  

Week 40: What was witnessed in the Heavens?

Hey family,

So this week instead of a scripture i decided i would have you all look up one of my new favorite hymns. We sang this in the choir yesterday and it is just a cool song, not a very popular one in the meetings but it teaches such simple true doctrines of the restored gospel Hymn 11! Speaking of singing in sacrament, on October 20 which is the last day of this transfer elder V and i along with two young men from the branch will be singing in sacrament, we are singing abide with me hymn 165 we are pretty excited. 

Well sounds like all is going quite well on the home front. This was an interesting week, but things are good here too. 

I recieved some pretty hard to swallow news this week. I got a text from the lydon elders that they had just been to see sister Cameron at the nursing home and she was not doing good at all. She had another stroke and was continuing to have mini ones on and off through the day. She requested that the elders tell me she wanted to see me very soon. (I hope you all remember who sister cameron is i used to talk about her all the time, one of my favorite people ever). Well i wasnt quite sure what to do about getting down to see her because i cant just drive to my old area when ever i want but i felt very strongly i needed to get to see her the next day. So i called lyndon and told them i would be moving our exchange to the next day (it was originally scheduled for this wednesday and thursday). So thursday afternoon i got to go down and tell my dear sister cameron good bye one last time. By the time i got there she could no longer talk, but she knew i was there. It was really hard to see her in that condition. She passed away friday at 1230 and is now in a better place, i will always remember her she was so amazing. I wish you guys could have met her i truly believe she was one of the reasons i was in lyndon so long and also one of the reasons i wasnt transfered too far away when i did get trasferred. 

Hmmm what else happened this week... we helped a family build a shed so that was fun its always nice to get into work clothes and do real hard physical labor. Its really neat elder V and i finally feel like we have total complete trust of the members so they are starting to really get more involved in the work.

We start our 40 day fast tomorrow! We didnt get near as many people signed up yesterday as we had hoped for but i think more will fill in as the time goes on. 

We picked up a new investigator yesterday, and she has learned in the past. I was thinking yesterday how no one can really understand missionary work in new england until they have experienced it for themselves. This place is just different than anything i ever imagined before i was out here. We have to work so hard to get a new investigator. I have said before that we have as much joy over someone new to teach as most missionaries have over a baptism. But dont get me wrong i love my new england and now that i am here i wouldnt want to do missionary work anywhere else in the world. 

Baby Ashton is the cutest baby in the whole world she is so happy in all of her pictures. Everytime i see a picture of her i just fall more and more in love with her. Im so happy mom and lou got to spend some time with them this weekend. Moscow is an interesting place for sure i am glad sis is starting to adjust to life there as a vandal. So cool she got a job and her calling is awesome as well i wish her and landon were ward missionaries for me. 

That is so cool we got another heifer calf. Congrats nacho. We are really being blessed as far as the cows go this year it makes me so happy. Zadee has turned into quite the nurse cos what a good old girl. Dad thank you for the pictures of the cows and stuff. Auds looks like she is coming along ok. Mom thanks for the other pictures this week. I have always known that i would have to beat the boys away from lou when i get home, but it wasnt till i saw those pictures that i realized how tough of a task it was going to be. When did she grow up so much and get so beautiful?? 

Well i cant think of anything else to tell ya so i guess i will wrap it up for this week!

Sure do love you guys and thanks so much for all of your support and love!

Hold to the rod

Elder Zilles

PS we are finally getting the door on our car fixed yay we wont look like fools anymore it only took them two transfers goodness

Week 39: 9 Months!!!

Hey Family,

Scripture of the week: 2 Nephi 33:3-4

Clay Matthews...er Elder Q

Wow week 39 that makes it sound like i have been out for a pretty good amount of time. This thursday is my 9 month mark! Can you believe that? It literally feels like yesterday that i entered the MTC, so crazy. Yesterday was the year mark of when i went through the temple for the first time. Where does the time go honestly? Im going to be 20 really soon! where has my life gone? 20 years old that is just really crazy to think about. If im going to be 20, how old does that make you mom and dad?? you are getting up there, you are grandparents and your second child is going to be 20 wowsers. Ha just kidding you two dont look a day over 30.... (brownie points?)

Well this week has been really very good. As far as the weather goes we have seen a bit of everything. As i already told you last monday was in the 50s and then we had two days back in the 90s with wicked bad humidity. The easterners call that an indian summer. But now today it is cooled down again it was 48 on the drive over here. Ive decided i dont mind the cool weather cause that humidity was miserable, i am sure that once the 20 below weather is here i wont be saying that any more but for now i am good with the cool weather. Other than the fact it means i have to wear a suit jacket all the time again, o well ill get over it. 

Last week when Elder Vanderholm and i found out we were going to both be staying in newport we started discussing what we could do to get things moving along a bit better and to find some more people to teach. We decided we would have a companionship fast, and wow what success we have seen. One of the things we decided is we just need to open our mouths and talk to more people while we are out and about. Sometimes as a missionary you get into a rut and just dont feel like talking to everyone on the street, so i had to get back into talk to everyone mode and we are getting there. We had some cool miracles though one night while we were out and about we bumped into a guy named  who was actually a former investigator. I remember Elder walker and uhl talking about him and how solid he was. He has been in jail for a few months, so he has a lot of issues but really has a sincere desire to change. He came to church yesterday which was awesome. A few days later we were walking around and met another Former investigator who also would like to learn more. Fasting works. 

Church was amazing yesterday. First off we had 3 investigators there. That is the most ive ever had on one sunday very cool. A member of the stake presidency spoke yesterday, and it was such a good talk, he spoke on the importance of keeping all the commandments and all of our covenants soo good. 

The district is not the same with Elder Guinn gone. I really felt so weird without him on wednesday. And the little punk made it to maine before i did. That was a bet we had going on who would make it to maine first and he beat me. But yea it was just weird not to have him there after 6 months with that kid you kinda grow partial to him. 

So this week i became very very glad that i spent the extra money on my shoes that i did. Elder Vanderholms shoes blew out, (his second pair). Mine however are still rocking it. I have wore just my one pair all but maybe 15 days since ive been out. So my 2nd pair is still brand new, i wear them to meeting and special events. The goal is to wear one pair for the whole two years and see how worn out i can get them and still have them usable. If you take good care of them they still look great even after everyday for 9 months. 

I start physical therapy on thursday so i can start getting my back strengthened back to where it should be. We helped with a wood project this week, and im a little bit sore but not bad at all so that a great sign. Mom i agree with your theory that multiple things were going on with it at one time, also am starting to think the head aches were not related to the back problems. Why you may ask... well i have not really had the head aches like i did in lynodn since in newport, and the other day elder guinn decided to take the little filter off the faucet in the kitchen in the lyndon apartment and it was COVERED in black mold! So for six months i was drinking black mold. Im pretty sure that is where the headaches were coming from. 

The people we helped with the wood had a dog, and it really made miss my pups so you should send some pics of them sometime as well. The other day i found myself starting to forget the sires of my cows. I was upset about it for a while and then decided its ok i will just have to work back into it when i get home. 

Sorry this email is so scattered i keep thinking of things that have to do with stuff i already wrote. oh well. One of the things we are doing to get the work rolling here in newport is having a 40 day fast. We are starting it on september 24 and it will end november 2nd. Our hope is to have at least one member of the branch fasting on each day, and then on the 2nd to conclude the fast we are going to have a big fire side. we are hoping to get president stoker to come speak at the fireside it will be really cool. The branch seems to be excited about it as well. 

Hmmmm well i cant think of anything else i was going to tell you. But i sure do love you all!

Hold to the rod

Tonernation over and out

Q's address

Some people have requested Elder Zilles' address :

71 eastern ave #3

Newport VT

05855

He would love to hear from all of you!! 

Week 38: Transfers...

FAMILY,

Scripture of the week: Ether 12:13-17

 

Transfer 7! where will i be headed???

 

Well this week was pretty good. The back feels surprisingly well. My Dr called with results of the x rays and as far as xrays show there is no issues with anything. So im relieved about that but still slightly frustrated, because there has to be some reason i was in so much pain for so long. We have still not been able to start teaching Dr Brown, so this week we felt prompted to stop in and just say hello and he of course wouldnt let us leave without doing an adjustment. He is really a great guy. The only problem is The mission department has a rule that if you go to the chiro more than 3 times it is a permanent problem and you are supposed to go home and get it fixed. Well i have already way far exceeded the 3 time rule, but sister stoker gave me special permission to keep going once in a while if i would like so i guess i will be ok.

 

Our District (The best district ever!)

Ok so i guess ill tell you my new transfer information so you can stop sitting on the edge of your seats as you read this. I will be going to.... no where im staying right here in good ol newport. Elder Vanderholm will be staying as well. So this is the first time i have had a companion for longer than 2 transfers. You were right, elder guinn is leaving lyndon, no idea where he is headed to, but he is the only one in the district that is leaving, so not too many changes once again.

 

Part of me died this week. Its really hard when you grow to love people so much and then things get in the way so you really have no control of their progression any more. We were sitting at an investigators  house saturday night, and she said "so i wont ever be able to join your church even though i would really like to" I said "well how come?" She then said  (her husband) would never support her". When she said that i really almost started to cry. Its just really hard, i love that lady so much and just know how much the gospel would bless her. But i have devised a plan in my mind to make it all work out so we shall see what happens.

 

Exchange with Elder young went great. I always enjoy exchanges with the zone leaders. Elder Young served in lyndon at the first of his mission, almost 2 years ago, he goes home after this transfer. So we came up with some really good ideas to help the lyndon elders start to get the area progressing again.

 

Speaking of lyndon i got to see all of my lyndon family yesterday. I had the wonderful opportunity of conducting another baptismal interview. The littleton sisters are doing so well. it was so fun to see all of my lyndon people, they were all so excited. The best were the petersons little kids, they said "mom elder zilles is back" but they were too scared to talk to me. Kids are so funny.

 

I think that is really about all that happened this week. Oh but guess what over night fall is here. The temperature today is 55 and its quite chilly. Before we know it all of the leaves will have changed and then there will be snow on the ground. Ive pretty much just accepted the fact that the lord is going to leave me in the North East Kingdom for 2 years and i will never see the other parts of the mission. Oh well what can ya do. there must be more for me to do here, now just have to find what that is.

 

 

My district meeting this last week was so good. Its always so amazing how sometimes the lord wants things said and he makes sure they get said. My testimony has grown so much being the district leader. It became so evident to me this week how important it is to everyday remember our savior, there should never be a day that goes by that we dont testify of him in some form or another. This weeks lesson is on the atonement and im super excited to teach it.

 

 

Sure love you guys.

Hold to the rod

Elder Zilles

 

 

 

Week 37: Pre-transfer jitters

Hey my wonderful family,

Scripture of the week: D&C 121: 41-42 45

Well what a week. Ill just give you the details about the back so you can stop wondering. Well im not going to lie, i honestly kind of feel like the appointment at Dartmouth was a bit of a waist of time. But then at the same time i shouldnt feel that way because i feel good right now. The dr doesnt think it has anything to do with the discs. Its most likely just muscle pain. His diagnosis was "chronic lower back pain" i thought to myself thats the best you can do? im 19 years old i should not have chronic back pain ive got a long life ahead of me. He gave me a prescription that is most commonly used for depression, but is also used for chronic back pain. I really dont want to just take meds for it i would like to fix the problem, but for now this will do cause i really do feel good. He also wants me to do some PT but im waiting to start that till next week just in case i get transferred. We also did some ex rays just in case there is something else, i havent heard back about those yet. But all in all i feel good right now. These meds are helping and i honestly cant complain. I was really sore yesterday because i was stupid on saturday and helped a family move. I just cant see people in need and not help them. 

It really sounds like things back home are going well.  I would bet lou is a wonderful cheer leader, itll be fun to see her cheer in a few seasons when i get home.  

That is so awesome that Vanity went 87. Really someething to be proud of. Carrying on the Victoria legacy. Man i need updated pictures of all of these cows, i feel like i havent seen them in months. Bummer that you cant make the state fair work for the other two animals as well. I would have liked to see my prefix represented there with Zee. But i understand other things are important too. 

Hmmm what else happened this week here in vermont?? Some weeks i have the hardest time remembering what we even did.. Well we went on exchange, so Elder Chapman got stuck riding to dartmouth and back with me and then was with me all day thursday as well. We held our first cottage meeting at the cubits home, that went quite well, we had 1 less active and 1 investigator attend. Other than that nothing really to note worthy happened this week. Oh we had a senior couple come inspect our car and apartment both passed. They said we are doing a really great job with keeping the apartment clean. For as gross as it was when we got here it looks really good. 

Everyone is getting the pre transfer jitters. By next week ill know if im going or staying.

This week im going on exchange with the zone leaders, im going to Lebanon that should be an adventure Elder young who i will be with is quite the character. 

The District is doing well right now. Thats about all i can think of right now. 

WE are going to Lyndon today to have district p day so that will be fun. I wont have time to write all my letters so i apologize. Please tell gma lou lou thanks for the package. 

Love you guys 

Have a great wonderful amazing awesome week.

Elder Toner

"Elder Zilles if i cut you up into little pieces each piece of your body would scream mormonism is true" Elder young said that this morning while i was doing district reports what a goof

Ok bye love you 

Well im done with my emails and elder v is not so im just sitting here being bored so i thought i would just jot a few more things down. 

Most recently in my studies i have been reading Jesus the Christ. What an amazing book that is. James E Talmage must have been quite the man. He had an office in the temple to write that book in, thats pretty cool. 

Hmm i really cant think of anything else to blabber on about 

Well now he is done love you happy labor day

Week 36: Soldier of Jesus Christ

Hello my wonderful family,

Scripture of the week: 2 Timothy 2:3

First off i just wanted to say thank you mom for your beautiful email. I could definitely feel of your love and strength from the words you shared with me. In regards to my setting apart blessing, i have been able to find great strength through it and my patriarchal blessing this week. As much as i would like to say that i am all healed up and have seen a dr and have been miraculously cured.... if i said that i would be lying. As of right now the sharp shooting pain is lessened because i am on some drugs, that the mission dr prescribed me. Actually they are steroid pills. So the joke around here is that me and A-ROD can be friends now. (dad should get the A-ROD joke). i also am currently working on getting in to a back specialist down at dartmouth hitchcock. But things are slow, its my hope that by the end of the day i will have an appointment all set and will be getting some more help and direction very soon. 

I have recieved so much help and love from the Stokers this week. Sister Stoker contacts me almost every day, and have talked to President a few times. I dont know if you know of Elder and Sister Poll or not. They are from utah, and dad and i actually met them at all utah show one year. Well ive gotten pretty close with them over the months. and president was inspired to have them come visit me on thursday. Elder Poll has a bad back as well so was able to really relate to me well. They were a great help, and have been very instrumental in getting things with drs moving a bit more than they were to that point. I love my rural vermont, but it does make it really hard to do anything as far as medical attention is concerned. For example dartmouth is a 2 hour drive. But i guess that is what you deal with when you are up here in the North East Kingdom of Vermont. 

Although i have not been miraculously healed this week, we have been so very blessed as far as the work goes. This week was the worst week of my life as far as pain goes. But it was literally our best week as missionaries here in newport. We were able to teach 17 lessons, by far the most we have taught here. We gave some incredible blessings to people and best of all we got John  to come on a church tour. He felt the spirit so strong. When we were looking at the baptismal font he just did not want to leave. John is a single man, 58 years old. Super nice guy. Has a 19 year old daughter who is literally his whole life. She is currently going to school in boston. John and i get along great because he is a huge football fan. The only problem he is a patriots fan. But non the less he is a great man. 

I do remember back in HS with my back issues when you told me you would take it all for me if you could. But mom i would not wish this on anyone. For what ever purpose HF has given this to me, i must really need it. Because he loves us so much, and i can only imagine the pain it causes him to have to see his children in pain. This week we would go out and work a few hours and then would have to come back so i could lay down, (laying down gives me a little bit of relief). One day i was laying there thinking and feeling quite abandoned... And then a voice told me "why are you trying to go through this alone" then i knew i had not been relying on my father in heaven near enough. 

It is my testimony that our father in heaven loves us all so very much. Everything we go through has a purpose and a reason, that he knows. He will always know what is best for us and what we need in our lives. 

That is very exciting dad will be taking the string to the state fair. Who all does that include? Im jealous i wont be there to go.

Well I hate to bust into the email like this, but i have FANTASTIC news. I just got off the phone with the dr and will be seeing him wednesday. Prayers are continually being answered. Keep up the incredible faith my dear family.

Also will you please keep Elder Guinn in your prayers this week, one of his good friends was hit by a car on his mission and was killed so he is having a tough time right now. I love elder Guinn and am really glad i still get to be close to him to help him through this. 

Lets see what else happened this week...

Elder Vanderholm and i finally got to try really eastern states sea food. We ate lobster and clams. Actually had lobster 2 times. I prefer the lobster over the clams. Clams have no flavor and just feel like a big wet slimy ball of snot going down your throat. I do however recomend for anyone eating lobster to just get the tail thats where the majority of the meat comes from and the rest of it is far to much work to get the tiny bit of meat that you get. 

We also learned how to make apple pies with our investigator(my adopted mission grandma)  They are delectable... pictures to follow. 

Elder V. Making pies

Sister Dixon lost a bet with me and had to make me pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and they were delectable as well. I really need to get healthy so i can start exercising and being more active, or non of my pants will fit. I have gained 20 pounds since ive been on my mission goodness. 

One last story and then i really need to get going. So i dont know if ive really mentioned it, but our area is the most beautiful place in the world... most days. Well the other day was one of those days. We are just driving along trying to find a house out in the middle of no where. Sometimes in vermont gps systems are worthless. well my wonderful little gps took us down this road and as we drove it gradually got worse and worse. I finally decided we better walk up a ways and see what we were getting ourselves into. Although are suburu can get us anywhere we still try to respect it. Well it turned out we were on a 4 wheeler trailer. So we never located the house, but we had fun doing some off roading. 

The "Four Wheeling" Trail

Thanks again for the wonderful email. I love you all so much. Stay strong and remember that someone in Vermont loves you a whole ton. 

Hold to the rod 

Elder Zilles

PS did you know it takes like 100 gallons of sap to make one gallon of maple syrup.

love you bye