Hello again,                                                                            October 28, 2013

Elder Baird and I have enjoyed the busiest week of my mission so far. So much so that we had every hour of every day planned before the week even started. I am so grateful for this and I have enjoyed the hard work and demanding schedule. Helping our brothers and sisters come unto Christ, teaching the restoration lesson, and having one less active come to church as well as two investigators!!!

Things have been going so well for us. Something that I have learned regarding we as missionaries, when we aim to become more like a "Preach My Gospel missionary" the more success we will have. A Preach My Gospel Missionary is one who does his best to follow everything the Preach My Gospel book says to do. Things such as: asking everyone for referrals, teach using the scriptures, testify more often, work hard and diligently, pray more often, take advantage of study time so that we can get the most out of it. Things such as these, and many others not listed. I have been able to really see the blessings and advantages of following Preach My Gospel and incorporating it into every area, big city, or tiny town Manistique. With our busy schedule has come more investigators, more lessons, more dinner appointments J and a happier me. The last thing any missionary wants is to have daily planning and an empty day with nothing on it. Looking at this new week: Monday-Thursday are already booked, every single hour. Friday, we only have a three hour opening. And Saturday and Sunday are all booked again. I told Elder Baird that before Friday comes we would have those three hours filled so that we don't have to really "plan" anything for that day. What an exciting time to be serving in Manistique too. Our borders haven't changed yet but that is no reason to be discouraged. It will happen soon, and with the new transfer starting on November 6th, I get to look forward to another six weeks with Elder Baird and being stationed here in Manistique (most likely, because I’m training).

I'm trying to remember one funny thing that happened this week. We had a lot of work to do, but we did make room for some fun. I guess I can share what happened on Sunday. As we were leaving church to go to an appointment, Elder Baird had his scriptures, two Books of Mormon, and a Restoration DVD on the floor of the passenger seat. He decided to be funny and not close his door. As I accelerated to get onto the highway his scriptures, books, and DVD went flying out of the car onto the street. We stopped and I watched as he goes running out to get the stuff. I asked him later if he had learned a lesson from this experience. He replied "I learned not to put my scriptures on the floor of the car, but that it’s funny to leave the door open." What a lesson.

Scriptures for the week: Alma 37: verses: 2, 4, 14, 19

 2 And I also command you that ye keep a record of this people, according as I have done, upon the plates of Nephi, and keep all these things sacred which I have kept, even as I have kept them; for it is for a wise purpose that they are kept.

 4 Behold, it has been prophesied by our fathers, that they should be kept and handed down from one generation to another, and be kept and preserved by the hand of the Lord until they should go forth unto every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, that they shall know of the mysteries contained thereon.

 14 And now remember, my son, that God has entrusted you with these things, which are sacred, which he has kept sacred, and also which he will keep and preserve for a wise purpose in him, that he may show forth his power unto future generations.

 19 And now behold, one purpose hath he fulfilled, even to the restoration of many thousands of the Lamanites to the knowledge of the truth; and he hath shown forth his power in them, and he will also still show forth his power in them unto future generations; therefore they shall be preserved.

Thank you all for your prayers and love,

Elder Luymes

 

Another Selfie! Yup, my nose is still too big
and my eyebrows are taking over my face.

Beautiful magenta leaves on a tree,
(possibly a plum tree).

We froze water in a soda bottle,
chipped away the plastic, and now
we don't know what to do with it.
Maybe we'll drop it fro the balcony and
watch it bust into pieces.

 

 

October 21, 2013

Say Ay to da U.P Ay! This was a pretty Yooper weekend: rain, cold weather, Packers ball game, beer (not for the missionaries), deer (for the missionaries), hunting, and venison tacos (for the missionary belly). Yup, I think I got it all. Right now we are laughing so hard in the Library.

This week was a pretty typical week. Not in a bad way, nor in a good way; just normal. Elder Baird and I continue to have fun serving together, working hard in the rain and cold. Serving the people as best we can (or at least for as long as they are awake) The town shuts down at 6pm and by 7pm most houses are dark and the streets are empty. That is the life of a cold weather missionary in the vast U.P. All is well though, and there is still progress being made and we are doing what we can.

A short funny story: last Monday at the conclusion of our P-day, Elder Baird and I headed out to go street contacting. We said a companionship prayer before we headed out, Elder Baird stumbled over his words and said mid-prayer "bless us as we go street hunting". When we were outside we talked about what he had said and we both agreed "street hunting" is a much better term for describing our situation. In street contacting you actually have people out on the street and you talk to them. However, in small town Manistique, we street hunt, looking for that one soul who just so happens to be out on the street on a cold Monday evening. In our 1 1/2 hours of street hunting, we saw zero souls.

To answer your questions or concerns about the deer remark made in my intro. We did not hit a deer, but we were about 1-2 feet away from hitting one, or rather being hit by a deer ourselves. On Sunday as we were driving to church, all was well on the M77 heading North. When out of nowhere a deer comes galloping across the high way. I quickly braked and steered to avoid the deer as it finished crossing the road. All was well, and no one was hurt but it would have been an interesting call to the mission president.

Last but not least. Do you remember me sending a picture of a truck that said: Hill Billy Deluxe, and Hypnotic Hydroponics? Elder Baird and I went tracting this week and we met the wife of the owner. She was very interested in reading the Book of Mormon and we were able to set up a return appointment with her. To our surprise she was very nice and I guess we shouldn't be judging to soon.

One of our members here has been a member for 15 years. He has severe cancer, diabetes, and multiple other health issues. His doctors don't expect him to live much longer. But Bro.S___ has had a goal to get to the Temple before he dies. When I arrived here in Manistique I was appointed the task of teaching him the Temple Prep lessons because I had been a Temple Prep teacher at BYU my Winter semester. I taught him each lesson twice because of his slow learning. We worked very hard with the Marquette Ward Bishop and Stake Presidency (who lives all the way down in Green Bay) to come up to Germfask and interview him and other members for Temple recommends. Finally, Bro.S___ got his recommend after several months of hard work. With all the love and delight in my heart I am delighted to say that Bro.S___ got endowed on Saturday in the Chicago temple. But it doesn't stop there. He also got sealed to his wife who passed away unexpectedly over 35 years ago. And he was able to do the temple work for his parents and paternal grandparents too. All three of the couples were sealed and the children were sealed to their parents respectively. This monumental occasion is the highlight of my mission so far. I can honestly say that all these months of slow or sometimes no progress has been very stressful at times, but the reward that has come, and the unexpected addition of Temple work for five others who we weren't planning on in the beginning has been a true blessing from God.

Press on Christian Soldier

Elder Luymes

"Lets take a selfie"

Sunrise from our apartment;
those clouds mean rain.

Red neck or Yooper solution?
Don't slam the door!
The air conditioner will fall out!

 

October 14, 2013

Count your blessings...today is Columbus Day and the post office is closed today, but fortunately the Library is open. We were told that all government buildings were going to be closed today (post office, schools, Library, etc.) Anyway, we were scared that we were going to have a P-Day with no email time, WHAT A DISASTER THAT WOULD BE!!! -- Worthy of a heart attack, and a late night call to the Mission President if you ask us.

This week has been another highly successful and very busy week. We had 20 lessons and reached an impressive number of 22 investigators (not all in one week, but currently we have 22 investigators as a whole). Although, I must be quick to point out that it’s not all about the numbers but what was achieved as we reached these numbers. We had several high quality lessons that have really made a profound impact on some of our investigators and potential investigators. Although we don't have any baptismal dates as of right now... Elder Baird and I have made it our goal to get at least one solid baptismal date before the area turns one on October 24th. We do have investigators who are more than ready to be baptized; it is a matter of IF they will accept the invitation. The work here is accelerating and we are enjoying the company of the Holy Spirit as we go about our business each and every day.

On the topic of the boarder change, I know that I have mentioned it often for a long time but we have received more current updates from the Stake Presidency and from President Cutler (our mission president) that the boarders will be changing in 2 weeks or less. We are so close to this monumental day that Elder Baird and I can't wait to use mission car miles that we don't currently own. J President Cutler said that when the boarders change, he wants us to get out to Newberry as soon as possible. I may get appointed to establish missionaries in Newberry, meaning that I could spend half of my entire mission in the Germfask area. We shall see.

The fall colors here are breathtaking, spectacular, like fireworks in the daytime. They're off the hook, jaw dropping and awesome. There is no such thing as an orange more vibrant, or a yellow so dazzling. The drive from Manistique to Munising to Marquette is crazy awesome. Anytime from September 29th to mid-October is when the colors are in full show and I have been doing everything I can to get pictures. I will be sending a few favorites today, but I do have other pictures that I will be sending in the following weeks.

Oh, and one last thing - I'm passed my 4 month mark. J

Scripture for the week: Alma 32:13

And now, because ye are compelled to be humble blessed are ye; for a man sometimes, if he is compelled to be humble, seeketh repentance; and now surely, whosoever repenteth shall find mercy; and he that findeth mercy and endureth to the end the same shall be saved.

Thank you all,

Elder Luymes

 

Through the windshield!???
Apparently I can't stop and roll down a window to get a proper shot.



Lovely shot of the rear dashboard...Oh yeah, a few trees too!

I promise to wash the windows next time :)

 

                                                                October 7, 2013

Another week gone, but what a great week it was. Elder Baird and I are having so much fun, but this doesn't mean we aren't working hard. To be honest, we have never been busier. We are having at least one or two appointments a day, sometimes three or four but these are pretty rare because we try to avoid planning a day like this. We have lots of investigators who we are meeting with on a pretty regular basis. And we are happy as can be.

So... I turned 20, wow, I'm old. Just throwing that our there. What did we do on my Sunday birthday? We drove 1.5 hour to Marquette, 5.5 hours of church in Marquette, 1.5 hour drive back home, 3 hours studying and then dinner, then bed time. So boring right? WRONG!!! This was one of the greatest Sundays ever. To put things simply, my mind was in the right atmosphere and mood for a ton of spiritual learning. I loved my birthday because I was able to do some reflecting, learning, spiritual growing, and so much more. We had a great pot-luck in Marquette and then we had a wonderful dinner as well. I can't complain about my Birthday, not one bit. Thank you all so much for your B-day wishes, prayers, and all 20 years of your love, support, and care. I can't thank you enough. I love those who love me, and I'm learning to love those who slam the door in my face :)

Happy Birthday to ME!

Last week we had Mission Tour, Elder Perkins of the 70 came and addressed us. What an awesome experience that was. We talked about a lot of different things and it helped me to pinpoint a few areas where I need to improve and he gave some suggestions on how we can help our areas even more. Something funny that I must say is that Elder Perkins knows Granddad Hyer, He also served as a Taiwan Mission President. And, Elder Perkins told me a funny story. He said: that when any of the members of the 12 apostles refers to Granddad Hyer in their meetings, they have a nickname for him: The Indiana Jones of the Church. I loved it and it was great to find someone who knows Granddad. I also met an Elder Hyer... hmm???

Elder Hyer from UT. A distant relative from the
Andrew Lars Hyer side. Probably a 5th cousin.

As for General Conference, we were able to watch almost all of it, we had a bad storm come through and so satellite reception would occasionally go out. We watched the sessions at a member’s home, and we were blessed to have an investigator come and watch with us. I loved all the sessions, and I was impressed at how quickly all four of my questions were answered. I wouldn’t say I had a particularly favorite talk or speaker, but I did appreciate the talks on missionary work.

Thank you for all you do

Elder Luymes

Paul Bunyan, "allegedly" the folklore originated
in Manistique by loggers (but not according to Wikipedia)

 



Brrrr! Fall is here and the weather is chilly!



Yup! I'm a Packers fan...that is until LA gets a new NFL team!
(and thanks mom for the birthday sweaters to keep me warm)

 

We didn’t get a letter from Andrew this week, we got this postcard instead.

 

My Yooper Vacation

Headache - partying with a Yooper

Eye Pain - campfire smoke

Neck Pain – looking for agates on the beach

Shoulder Pain – lifting beers with a Yooper

Allergic Reaction – walked through a nettle patch

Low Back Pain – picking thimble berries

Pulled Muscle – running from a moose

Briar Scratches – close-up photo of a black bear

Sprained Ankle – hiking the Porcupine Mountains

Stubbed Toe – steps at Upper Tahquamenon Falls

Knee Pain – biking around Mackinac Island

Stomach Pain – too many pasties

Wrist Pain – playing casino slots

Constant Itching – black fly and mosquito bites

Sunburn – all day at Pictured Rocks

Ear Ache – shipwreck diving



Well hello again, I hope your all enjoying warmer weather than I am. Last night we were tracting and the High school thermometer said 49 F. We tough men tracted till the very last minute in nothing more than some long sleeve white shirts. Since I have not been able to send pictures for three weeks (bad computers), I'm going to send some photos this week and send short paragraphs to explain what has been going on these past three weeks.

A couple weeks ago we had a less-active member in our group get hospitalized. He asked that we visit him to help him get through the rough time and that we teach him a few lessons. So we rode our bikes to the hospital almost every other day for about two weeks. Because he was in isolation we had to wear some hospital stuff: gloves, face mask, and apron type things. We had several great lessons and helped him understand many of his questions about the church and the gospel of Jesus Christ. It has been a true blessing in my life to see this man's testimony grow and blossom into a large and living thing. He is reading the scriptures every day and is coming to church. I think what has been most exciting is that he wants to help us in the missionary effort. He wants to attends lessons with us and to serve as best as he can. I'm glad that the three of us got to experience something like this because it has helped us all out.

 

 

With transfers being this last week we took group pictures of the Germfask missionaries and the Marguette (U.P) District. Also included is a classy picture of Elder Dean preparing to eat a crayfish. This picture was taken the morning of transfer day as Elder Dean and his companion and I were preparing to go down to Milwaukee to pick up our new companions that we would be training. I hope that all made sense. Elder Dean later cooked the crayfish and then ate it. He said it was pretty good.

1) Germfask group (the infamous Miss D--- is on the far left)

 

2) Marquette District

3) Elder Dean and his new friend

I have a new companion named Elder Baird. He is fresh out of the Provo MTC and is originally from Provo Utah himself. He lives about two streets above the Temple and is a 2013 High school graduate. He is 18 and loves to play baseball, golf, and basketball. Elder Baird is a ginger and for that the local members love him. He stands 6’3” (as do I) so together we tower over this town literally. Elder Baird is awesome and we get along really well. So far training has been going great and we have been able to get three new investigators since being together. When we do role plays in the morning for training we like to have fun and try to throw some interesting curve balls at the person acting as the missionary. Sorry mom, he doesn't know anyone named Hyer from the Provo area.

 

Introducing Elder Baird of Provo, UT

A new companionship

 

Scripture for the week Alma 23:14

And the Amalekites were not converted, save only one; neither were any of the Amulonites; but they did harden their hearts, and also the hearts of the Lamanites in that part of the land wheresoever they dwelt, yea, and all their villages and all their cities.

The following pictures are just short stories:

1) One day Elder Thompson decided to go rummaging through the closet of mystery and came across two Christmas stockings, a foam Christmas tree, and a ribbon. So we decorated for Christmas early.

From the closet of mystery!

 

2) Our wonderful neighbor got a bee in her bonnet to go claim a parking space down stairs. So she made a sign and unfortunately for her it rained that same day. Poor lady, her sign makes it look like she is bloody and evil.

 

Evil parking signs

3) A member family took us to a tourist place on the far side of Indian Lake, this fresh water spring bubbles right out of the ground and houses large trout that are several feet long; the spring feeds into Indian Lake and doesn't freeze in the winter.

 

Indian Lake and Springs - minus the mosquitos.

 

That's 10 photos that you all get to enjoy, I hope you find something you like.

Love you all, and thank you

Elder Luymes

Hello all,                                                                                  September 16, 2013

What a crazy week this was for us. Transfers are this Wednesday, but I'll go into more detail about that later. This week seemed to contain a lot of Manistique's finest. By that I mean some of the weirdest and funniest yet.

On Monday we had our usual P-Day, but we concluded the day by tracting into a man who was...stoned. He was so out of it. We asked him what he knew about the Book of Mormon and he proceeded to tell us that the Book of Mormon was a book about Avatars. These Avatars are part human and part cat. The humans can meta-morph into cats and the domestic ones are better than the wild ones. He continued to tell us that all of this was based on a TV show that he had seen about the Book of Mormon. When we replied that the Book of Mormon was actually scripture he replied that Christopher Columbus had read the Book of Mormon while he was crossing the ocean. He did accept a copy of the Book of Mormon that we gave him, and we have since nicknamed him Avatar man.

Next on the list for Manistique's finest are F__ and D__, who, we tracted into them and they at first didn't want anything to do with us. But we asked them a few questions and they began to open up to us... a little too much. They began telling us their whole back story about one being pregnant at age 16 and then being kidnapped by the Italian mafia. Then getting married to a man who died the day before their first anniversary. Now she's in pain and needs help. The other woman essentially gave her back story too but a little less descriptive. However, she did list off her sins in great detail and how she doesn't know what to do. It was all one big mess and both were drunk. They did accept a Book of Mormon though :)

Moving away from the topic of specific individuals and to the whole town, we are facing a very interesting problem. The whole town is starting to hibernate. The stores close at 5pm, people are in bed around 7pm and we are left with nothing to do, and no one to contact for two hours. We got told twice this past week around 7:30 each experience that we needed to go to bed. The people are literally going to sleep at 7 or 8pm. What do we do? We have been asking members in our district and other senior missionaries for suggestions but all of them don't apply to Manistique.

This weekend we had Stake Conference in Green Bay. Our boarders did not get changed, nor were we made a Branch. We are a bit disappointed but we know that we need more Priesthood holders before we can really become a Branch. We couldn't really hear the talks either; the speakers in the far back where we sat weren't working. We did have fun though with the Green Bay Elders who housed us and we went on splits with them.

This Wednesday is transfer day. I'm not leaving Manistique, but Elder Thompson is. He will be going to Madison and opening up a new area. I will be TRAINING a new missionary here in Manistique. Crazy huh? President Cutler approached me at Stake Conference and asked if I would accept the position. That's also when Elder Thompson found out that he was opening up a new area. So next week’s email will be all about a greeny. I hope things go well for us, and that we can find our way around town.

Scripture for this week is: Mosiah 4:9

Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend.

Love you all,

Elder Luymes