Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I am not leaving Oshkosh this transfer. Elder Merrill and I are stickin' together for another six weeks! This makes me happy, and I'm grateful because there is much to do here in Oshkosh. We are searching out less actives and we have a baptismal date set with a 10 year old who is part of a part member family. We are working towards February 7th with A____ and his family.

 

Merry Christmas Skype with Mom, Dad, Adrienne and Dixie.

My Christmas week was great. We were well fed by the members, and believe it or not but Santa found me all the way out here! And he must have known that I wasn't getting transferred because I'm still receiving gifts. We spent Christmas day with the Bishop and his family as well as some of the single members of the ward. In the Afternoon we went with the Sister missionaries to a senior center and sang Christmas songs to them. We had a grand old time. In the evening we spent dinner and skype with the Kakushcke family. They are a wonderful family with older kids our age; it was very enjoyable spending time with others my age. Dinner was great; skyping with my family was great too.

Christmas décor compliments of the Kukushcke Family

During the Christmas season the missionary work slows down a lot. We had few lessons, and we didn't see much success from tracting. Most of our service projects that we do each week were cancelled. However we did spend some time on Saturday with the cats at the Humane Society. We drove out to some of the small towns in the Oshkosh Ward boundaries. Our purpose was to visit less actives that don't get visited often or if ever, as we worked our way further and further from Oshkosh we eventually ended up at a member’s home who is active. They had signed up to feed us dinner. On the same drive to this same member, the Sister missionaries hit a deer with their car. Fortunately there was little damage to their car, however the deer did limp away with a broken leg says the Sisters.

I'm ready for the holidays to be over, the holiday season affects the work so much, I'm anxious to get going again and set up more appointments with people, see more success from tracting. Elder Merrill and I have spent some time since Saturday talking about our expectations for this second transfer that we have together. How are we going to start the year off with a bang? It is great being with a companion that works hard. Elder Merrill and I make up a great team. Things that I slack off on he does well to pick up while the vice- versa is true. I would venture to say that Elder Merrill and I make up the best and most dynamic companionship that I have had yet. It should be a productive and fast paced transfer.

Christmas antics! Still a team for another transfer.

I don't have a scripture this week but a question instead: How are you going to make the Book of Mormon the keystone of your 2015? See Book of Mormon Introduction

Thank you all for your well wishes and letters, thank you for your prayers, love, and support.

Have a Happy New Year - 2015!!!

Love,
Elder Luymes

Back by popular demand. Fat Squirrel -- still in the same spot we left him.

 

If you plan to send a holiday card to Elder Luymes please use the mission address as transfers take place on New Years Day and he thinks he's going to get transferred:

Wisconsin Milwaukee Mission                  

7111 W. Edgerton Ave. Ste 100
Greenfield, WI 53220
Oh yah, don't yah know, it’s Christmas week EH! This new week is going to be fantastic. We have many dinner appointments, we have Christmas, a Zone Training Meeting, we have Skype calls with the family and puppy on Thursday, and the weather won't be all that bad either. Actually the weather hasn't been too bad at all this December. We did have a few windy days that made things less desirable, but overall, in summary I could enjoy my last winter in Wisconsin if the temp stays where it is right now. Wisconsin still needs mountains though, what the locals call skiing I would call a bunny hill at most.

It was a great week in Oshkosh. On Tuesday we had District Meeting with the Oshkosh Sisters and the Elders/Sisters from the Fon Du Lac Ward. Having 8 missionaries in a District is a lot of fun. We had an entire DM on the Atonement, which is easily the best topic ever for a Pre-Christmas District Meeting. We shared our testimonies, talked about what we had been learning in the Book of Mormon recently on the Atonement, and we also listened to Bruce R. McConkie's talk on the Atonement: The Purifying Power of Gethsemane. The Spirit filled our hearts and we each expressed our gratitude for the Savior and His wonderful Atonement. It was an amazing District Meeting; I will never forget it, and those whom I was with. At the close of District Meeting I expressed my gratitude for each Elder and Sister, and then we had our white elephant gift exchange. This district gets better and better. There were some top of the line white elephant gifts, by that I mean the ones that make you belly laugh forever because the gift is so funny and the person who picked it just seem to fit the picture. I got a clay cat that stands 1ft tall, and is plastered with tacky mail stamps. The cat had beads for eyes and whisker hairs that looked more like an Adolf Hitler mustache. It was very comical. Some other highlight gifts were Elder Walley and his Pope John Paul II picture frame that also came with a scary looking clown that you could wind up and it would sway back and forth very slowly with eerie music playing. Another highlight was Sister Kilger and her Christmas lawn deer that has broken lights, and also Sister Cosgrove and her Santa Hot tub cookie jar. We had a great laugh; I took a district picture of everyone with their gifts. (My gift got stolen and so I ended up with brownies in a jar)

District white elephant gift exchange. My postage stamp
covered clay cat got stolen so I ended up with the brownies. Great Fun!

I went on exchanges with Elder Walley after District Meeting. He and I had a good time together; we found some people and made contact with a few Less Actives that hadn't been seen in a while.

We got a Church Headquarter Referral on Friday. The only problem is that the person lives in Oakland California and not Oakland Wisconsin (which doesn't exist). That made for an interesting phone call. She had typed in the area code wrong and that's why the referral was sent to us. That could have been my one shot for getting to California for the winter and also for Christmas (sorry family)

Our Ward Christmas program was on Sunday. It was very nice and I messed up in the choir, that's why I shouldn't sing. The speakers did a great job and the Bishop and his wife read Luke 2 along with a few other scriptures that go along with the nativity scene. I love this holiday season because as a missionary there is a whole different focus. It’s not about the gifts or the meals or skyping family. The season, the time, and really all of life, is all about Jesus Christ. He is our Lord and Redeemer. He is our Savior and He is filled with love and compassion. He has taught His gospel and has invited all of us to "come unto Him", I am grateful for these 18 months of service, I am grateful that He has let me serve these people, and to testify of Him.

* Merry Christmas *

Love,

Elder Luymes

FAT Squirrel that hangs out in a tree near our apartment.
He doesn't move too fast and probably has a secret loot
somewhere nearby to keep him in shape.

 

The week wasn't too cold; low-30's is alright. If only we could somehow convince Mother Nature to let it stay at low 30's for the whole winter. Right now its mid-40's, which feels really nice and all I have to wear is a sweater. We survived from not having a car for two days. Wednesday was a ton of walking.

Tuesday after District Meeting we took all the Elders and Sisters in the district to a members home who has recently been coming back to church (this is the same A___ who we helped fix the broken chair) We surprised him and came into his home and sung Christmas carols, and finished it off with Rudolph the red nose rain dear. It was bitter sweet because one of the Sisters from the Fon Du Lac Ward knew A___ from a previous area that she had served in and where A____ used to live. It was a sweet reunion and the two of them got to catch up and share stories. The Sister goes home in a month so it was really nice. After Christmas caroling we decided as a district that we would do a white elephant exchange for our upcoming district meeting which is tomorrow.

Wednesday morning we turned in the car, and got a ride home from the car dealership. From then on we walked all over town, trying to see as many promising people as we could so that we weren't walking all day long and tracting. It was a long day but we made it through. We met some people on the streets and talked with them about their Christmas plans. We finished off the night by playing basketball with the young men and some of their non-member friends. That was a great way to finish off the day.

Sittin' on Santa with Elder Merrill, Sis Peel, and Sis Woods.

The Ward Christmas party was on Saturday. Saturday was already a great day because we met a new family while tracting and they let us into their home. It was also a great day because of the anticipation of the party so we worked hard and with great motivation even though most doors we knocked on said "no". Saturday just felt good, and the party was fun. We had a lot of non-members come and enjoy; we had a lot of great food too. We got to take home half of a ham, a couple pounds of funeral potatoes, and some brownies. Taking home food is always fun, and keeps us happy because then we don't have to buy as much and worry about running out of money for the month. I got a picture with me and Santa along with the other missionaries in the Oshkosh Ward (Elder Merrill, Sister Peel, and Sister Woods). It’s great to relax with the members and enjoy an evening with them.

Ritual burning of a tie on my 18 month mark.
Yup! That's one of my new ties that mom sent for my birthday.

Friday was my 18 month mark. Being 3/4 done with a mission is an interesting feeling. Not only does it go by quickly but you question whether or not the 18 months even happened. I remember the MTC, and my first day in the mission field with Elder Thompson in Manistique, Michigan. Everything in between seems to have somehow squished itself into a month’s time. That's enough of the 18 months. I burnt a tie as is customary. We went to the first counselor in the Bishopric's home. He has a portable fire pit that we opened up and put some gasoline and paper towels in. We lit it up, took a few pictures and I took off my tie and tossed it in. After the tie was burnt up we had fun tossing paper cups with some gasoline in them, into the fire. I should be specific that Elder Merrill and I watched from a distance while we cheered on Bro. Palmer as he filled up the cups and threw them into the fire. I have a video of the grand finally. Wisconsin natives are crazy; this same family prepares their deer in the living room while they watch TV. He got two kills this year while bow hunting.

Sunday was crazy. Every child in the chapel was yelling, screaming, running around. Sacrament meeting was loud and very distracting. So many parents were coming in and out with children that I had to help out with keeping some of the older kids (5-8) in line and quiet. It was so bad that a member of the Bishopric told me later in the day that it was a good thing that we didn't have any investigators at church because of how embarrassing it was during Sacrament meeting. Sunday was not relaxing at all.

Scripture for the week: Alma 25:15-16

 15 Yea, and they did keep the law of Moses; for it was expedient that they should keep the law of Moses as yet, for it was not all fulfilled. But notwithstanding the law of Moses, they did look forward to the coming of Christ, considering that the law of Moses was a type of his coming, and believing that they must keep those outward performances until the time that he should be revealed unto them.

 16 Now they did not suppose that salvation came by the law of Moses; but the law of Moses did serve to strengthen their faith in Christ; and thus they did retain a hope through faith, unto eternal salvation, relying upon the spirit of prophecy, which spake of those things to come.

Thank you all, have a wonderful Christmas and enjoy the wonderful season as we remember the birth of our Lord and Savior.

Elder Luymes

Lake Winnebago - totally frozen over. We are tempted to chat with the ice fishermen;  they're going anywhere. They'd be a captive audience.

 [Funny intro goes here], it was a pretty dang good week in Oshkosh and Appleton. I was able to go on exchanges with the Appleton Zone Leaders. So my good friend Elder Standifird and I went up to Appleton together and had a nice time catching up on stories. Elder Standifird was in my MTC district, so he and I go all the way back to day one - June 12th 2013. He and I have been able to catch up here and there throughout the mission, and now he is serving as my Zone Leader. We had a great time. We visited some of their investigators and tracted and were blessed to have had the opportunity to get into some homes and sit down. Anything beats standing out in the cold. The other Zone Leader is Elder Crandall who was in my U.P. District for a very long time. He and I have moved around to the same Zone for most of our missions so it is safe to say that I am very close with both the Zone Leaders, which has a lot of perks. J

My good buddy Elder Standifird from Pason, AZ.
I hope we serve near each other till the end.

On Tuesday evening we had an Elders Quorum pizza and game night. We greatly enjoyed the evening with some of the Elders in the ward; pizza (free food) and some soda and games. We mostly played Apples-to-Apples because of the size of the group. I got second place. I learned a quick fact from the game night too. Did you know that Apples-to-Apples was created by a Mormon here in the Appleton Stake. Pretty dang cool huh!?

Our mission is trying out a new door approach to tracting. It is a survey with 10 questions on it that are focused on the family. The purpose of the survey is to get people talking about specific feelings that they have towards family and its spirituality. We are seeing a lot of amazing things with this survey, people are opening right up to us and telling us a lot that can easily be used in teaching the Restoration, the Plan of salvation, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and also with introducing them to the Book of Mormon. One of the genius things about this specific survey approach is that it is also tailored towards getting us into people’s homes. Random strangers and we are getting let into their home. The simple thing about it is that all you have to do is ask, and have faith. Does it work? Yes, we got into a lot of homes this week, and some of them we were able to sit down and make a full transition from the survey into teaching the Restoration. I love not being in the cold as much, and I love being able to sit down and rest for a moment. With the survey we were blessed with 7 new investigators this week, and I am so happy to see days with at the very least one appointment on them instead of blank days in the coming week.

Sunday was testimony meeting at church which was great. There seemed to be a constant and even flow of people that came up to share their testimonies. I got up and shared my testimony of the Atonement as a Christmas present to the ward. We also had two people come to church who were not members and both were not investigators, and no member brought them either. They were students here at UW Oshkosh, they were taking a religious class and decided to come to our services for their project that they had. Many members approached them and talked with them, answering questions. By the time I had an opportunity to talk to them, all of their questions had been answered. They were not interested in any lessons but at the very least they felt good about what they saw and heard at Sundays meetings.

I greatly loved the Christmas devotional last night, it was inspiring and uplifting. We watched it with the Stake President and his family.

Scripture for the week: Alma 7:10

10 And behold, he shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem which is the land of our forefathers, she being a virgin, a precious and chosen vessel, who shall be overshadowed and conceive by the power of the Holy Ghost, and bring forth a son, yea, even the Son of God.

Thank you all for your prayers. Have a great week! Love,

Elder Luymes

These are my puppy dog face pictures.  Which is your favorite?

Whimper

Sigh.

 

 

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope everyone got to enjoy a nice break from work, school, college apps, and other stressful things. The season of gratitude is a wonderful time of year. The attitude of gratitude is a blessing, a joy that when allowed to fill our hearts can bring peace and happiness deep within us all. I felt the presence of the Savior this week as I reflected on what I am grateful for and the people whom I have served with and why I am grateful for them.

Our Thanksgiving was a wonderful day. We played some early morning football with a small number of members from the ward. We were expecting a larger crowed to show up and play but I suppose the morning snow and cold got the best of them. We had three members of the ward, myself and my companion Elder Merrill, and the two Sister missionaries show up to play. The cold made things challenging but fortunately I bought $2 work gloves at the gas station that had rubber grips to help my hands stay both warm and "grippy". We played a simple game, didn't keep score and had fun running around in the snow and all of us having no traction. Later we played 500 which is a game similar to three flags up. The Sisters had left by then and the game of 500 became very competitive. There was a ton of pushing, shoving, climbing, tripping, and other "foul plays"; it was a lot of fun though. Later in the day we went to the Bishop's house and enjoyed a thanksgiving dinner with him and his family. Four of his five kids were there. They are all grown up, the dinner was excellent and I made sure to have a plate full. We enjoyed some laughter and a good dinner conversation. I have a video, but it's too big to send via email. After the Bishop's, the Sisters followed us for an hour to go eat dinner with the Elders Quorum President and his family. They live in a very small town of 1,200 named Princeton. We had a nice dinner there too and all four of us missionaries struggled a bit to eat a full plate. I did have enough room for a small second plate but no desert.

The week as a whole was very busy for us. We had four people moving this week, and that kept us very busy on Tuesday and Friday. We got Elder Merrill cat trained so we spent some time at the humane society Wednesday and Friday. We had few appointments, but a lot of things that needed to get done. We seemed to have a lot of people that wanted to be visited on thanksgiving week but not taught. We also had extra miles with it being the end of the month, so we drove to the small towns outside Oshkosh and talked to some less actives that don't get visited very often. There were days in our week where we were go, go go all day and we had no breaks until 9pm when it was time to come home and plan for the day. I love having these kind of days; I just wish they had more teaching in them.

On Wednesday we had a wonderful opportunity to meet all kinds of people from other faiths. Wednesday night was the Oshkosh interfaith festival. Each faith was given a few minutes to present something that would allow others to get a taste of what their religious beliefs and faith are about. Our ward choir (plus four missionaries) sung two songs for everyone and shared a short scripture from the Book of Mormon in between the two songs. The traditional faiths were there such as Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, Presbyterian. And there were also some other faiths that I had never heard of before. Those were: Baha'i, Zen River Sangha, and Eckankar. Each faith had very different and unique presentations. Some sang, played instruments, others got on stage and prayed. One man from the Zen River Sangha brought a meditation bell and asked that we meditate with him as he rang the bell and listened to the vibrations. Another group gave their stories of how they have experienced spirituality in their mundane day to day life, and then they closed their presentation with a prayer that required humming the word: HU. It was interesting, I really enjoyed it and I was able to talk with many different people about their faith and learn more from them.

Scripture for the week: Mosiah 16:9
He is the light and the life of the world; yea, a light that is endless, that can never be darkened; yea, and also a life which is endless, that there can be no more death.

Thank you for your love, thank you for your prayers, thank you!

Elder Luymes