Who's ready for the frigid cold again??? Not us.                       January 27

We have estimates of -40 with the wind, and 0 as the regular temp without the wind factored in. Something like that, either way, it’s pretty dang cold. Our Mission President has asked us to avoid outside activities and to plan smart. Fortunately we do have a few planned lessons this week unlike the last time when we had weather this cold.

Things are improving slowly for us here in DeForest. With an increased focus on more promising potentials we have been able to get a few lessons in. Elder Ferney and I will be together another transfer, so feel free to send those letters and packages to DeForest:

Elder Andrew Luymes

529 Seminole Way
DeForest, WI 53532

Here is a story: One of the members here in Sun Prairie has a pine wood derby collection of about 75 cars. He also races in adult pine wood derby leagues. A couple of his cars are just for looks such as a: crocodile, high heel strapped to the top, or a metal plated bat mobile type car. And a few others are made for speed. Two in particular have small fans strapped to the top with batteries that allow the car to go down a standard track in something like 2 seconds (I think that's what he told us) A standard car will go down a track in 4-5 seconds. It was pretty cool, but then he started showing us some of his military grade materials that he uses to get his cars to go that fast. He had some liquid graphite, AND military graphite that the Navy Seals use in their guns, all this just to decrease friction on the wheels. He does a lot of crazy stuff!!! Sadly, I didn't have my camera with me at the time we were at his house, so I will have to get some pictures to you later on his collection, sorry.

Scripture for the week: Alma 37: 36

Yea, and cry unto God for all thy support; yea, let all thy doings be unto the Lord, and whithersoever thou goest let it be in the Lord; yea, let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord; yea, let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever.

Thank you all J

Elder Luymes

The Bishop's sons - two future missionaries!

Basketball with the youth. Hopefully my
skills are improving -- NOT!

Hello and Happy MLK Day!!!                             January 20, 2014

This past week was a fairly traditional week: lessons, visiting potential investigators, tracting, District Meeting, exchanges with the Madison East Zone Leaders, dinner at member’s home, all that good stuff.

The Sun Prairie ward continues to impress me. We had Ward mission coloration with all of the auxiliary leaders. I was so impressed at how well the members knew the investigators that we are working with most closely, and how well the leadership came together to discuss the needs and ways of helping our investigators. Also, we have member volunteering to take us to far locations to meet with Less Actives and other important people so that the missionaries in the Ward don't have to use their own miles. It’s great! This coming Saturday, we will be having a Ward Youth sports activity. All the youth have been encouraged to invite a non-member friend or a Less Active friend. This simple and non-preachy activity is just one of many great ways that the youth are getting involved in the missionary work. We have two youth here in DeForest that we take with us to lessons, or out tracting. It’s great to get to know them, and to help them gain some vital experience as they prepare for their missions in the coming weeks or years (depending on the youth).

It appears that everyone wants to know the story behind the shoe and White dress shirt that hang on the wall in our apartment. Sorry to burst your bubble, but there isn't a story for everything that we say, do, or hang up on our walls. It’s simply part of the mission culture. Most areas have something that every missionary that serves there signs, for some areas it’s a stolen stop sign, or a table, or an Elders white shirt. As for the shoe, everybody needs motivation to work a little bit harder, to knock just one more door, or to go visit that last person for the day. A shoe with no sole is a testimony that knocking just one more door leads to success. That's the story. The two Elders who "opened up" DeForest put those there.

The Weather has cooled down a little bit, and we got more snow since last week. It hasn't put a halt to our work though. Elder Ferney and I are often out at 7:30 pm or later, walking the streets trying to visit potential investigators. It helps to get used to the cold and to have the right clothing too. But I know I can speak for all the missionaries and the residents of Wisconsin when I say: We are sick and tired of the cold, when will spring come and the sun too?

Scripture for the week: Jacob 5:72

And it came to pass that the servants did go and labor with their might; and the Lord of the vineyard labored also with them; and they did obey the commandments of the Lord of the vineyard in all things.

Thank you all :)

Elder Luymes

Let's take a selfie (w/Elder Ferney) while we
wait for lunch to warm up!

Another beautiful sunset in Wisconsin.

Yes, I do have an addiction to sunsets.

 

                                                                             January 13, 2014

We had the coldest and the warmest days of winter (so far) all in one week! I'm not really sure how to take it all in but I guess I'm mostly happy with it. We were not allowed to go tracting or be outside for any length of time on both Monday and Tuesday (-20). But Wednesday was noticeably warmer and the week just progressively got warmer. We hit low 40's at times but mostly stayed around the 30-38 mark. It was nice to wear only a white shirt and pants for a change instead of living in thermals like we had been.

Yesterday (Sunday) was my 7 month mark. Unlike my 6 month mark where we celebrated and it felt like a milestone was reached. For 7 months, I pondered on the topic of: WHERE IN THE WORLD DID THAT MONTH GO?!?! That was crazy fast and I'm a little confused because this transfer is nearly almost over with. Transfers are on the 29th of January and FYI, chances are small that I will get transferred but still a possibility. It’s been great so far being in the Sun Prairie Ward, the members here feed us some really big meals. One dinner appointment we had this past week was a full on four coarse meal, The family later showed us their all electric car that I thought was just super awesome because the mother has a PHD in chemistry and has spent most of her life working in the environmental science field (my same field of interest and all). J

Sunrise in Sun Prairie

This week I went on exchanges with the Beaver Dam Elders. I went up to Beaver Dam where I interviewed three kids for baptism. This part member family was coming out of inactivity and was beginning to take root in the gospel and come back to church. They have a wonderful success story. So I interviewed the three oldest kids: their ages are 13,11,9. It is very interesting interviewing kids, you have to ask all the questions but you also don't want to ask them in a manner that makes them feel embarrassed or uncomfortable. It was really interesting, but a good experience none-the-less. Later, on Saturday, the whole District was able to go to Beaver Dam and watch the baptism. It was great to see the father do the baptisms after only receiving the Aaronic priesthood a couple weeks before. It was a good week for us.

Something that Elder Ferney and I have been spending a lot of time doing is helping a member here prepare for his mission. He is doing a three month trial mission, which means that he won't have any MTC experience. So Elder Ferney and I meet with him several hours a week and teach him important skills and other lessons from Preach My Gospel. We teach him in the Library, then afterwards we take him out tracting, or to lessons with investigators. It has been an interesting learning experience to teach someone at this stage in their life. President Cutler and Bishop Hatch have told us that our job is very crucial and essential to his potential success as a missionary, so they want us to take this task very seriously. It has been fun, and being in a tri-companionship is a little weird when out tracting.

Scripture for the week: Jacob 2:8

And it supposeth me that they have come up hither to hear the pleasing word of God, yea, the word which healeth the wounded soul.

Thank you all

Elder Luymes

Inspiration from Coach Green,
"U a Pony" = You're not a mustang yet!



Missionary appropriate "almost" footie pajamas!
Thanks Ally (and the groundhog too).

 

 

We'll, it is ridiculously cold!                                                           January 6, 2014

The wind temp is as low as -50F, and they just announced that due to the weather the library will be shutting down in 15 minutes. Darn! A missionary’s worst nightmare. Sorry but I will have to keep this email short.

Our New Years was like any other day of missionary work. It was no holiday, no easy day, and no brake. We tracted, we had lessons, and we did normal missionary stuff. The residents in Wisconsin don't really do anything for New Years; it’s just a random day off for them. So, no fun stories to share about that. Sorry.

As for the extreme cold weather, our Mission President has informed us that we are only allowed to do indoor activities; no tracting or outdoor service. But we can go to lessons or do indoor service. It’s at times like these where you feel like you’re not really accomplishing anything. Elder Ferney and I both really want to work hard, we want to find and teach. We want to give God our all. But with the Holidays and this extreme cold, we both feel like we haven't really been able to do much this transfer. We are three weeks into the transfer and we have only been able to go tracting twice and we have taught hardly any lessons. 

Scripture for the week: Jacob 1:19

 19 And we did magnify our office unto the Lord, taking upon us the responsibility, answering the sins of the people upon our own heads if we did not teach them the word of God with all diligence; wherefore, by laboring with our might their blood might not come upon our garments; otherwise their blood would come upon our garments, and we would not be found spotless at the last day.

Thank you and much love.

Elder Luymes

Season’s greetings everyone!!!                                                                December 30, 2013

I hope your Christmas was all well and that you have some fun plans for the New Year.

My Christmas was great. We were well fed all day, we played a few games with the Sun Prairie Elders and Skyping with my family was a lot of fun (it helps to have a good internet connection. J  We ate breakfast with a recent convert family and they gave us a few gifts, then our day was mostly spent with the SP Elders just having a fun time. Then we went and ate dinner with a great family who has a missionary of their own serving in Oregon. The dinner was a full five coarse meal and we four Elders enjoyed a filling meal that was made fit for a king. The same family gave each Elder a stocking that had huge chocolate bars in them, body wash, paper airplanes, wool socks, and more. They really treated us like royalty, I felt spoiled after opening up the stocking.

Giant PB Cups - Fit for a king!!!!

Sun Prairie Missionaries

 Since last Sunday (the one before Christmas) was canceled because of a snow storm, this past Sunday (yesterday) was my first Sunday meeting the ward and seeing everybody. The ward here is mostly young families who have seemingly 3-8 kids per family, all of them. It’s a young ward, with very few older couples, the primary is huge and the youth groups are decently large. The Choir Christmas program was yesterday as well and due to a lack of attendance, all six missionaries were kind of forced into doing it. So I sang on Sunday :) it wasn't too bad, I made sure though that everybody present was aware that I’m tone deaf. One thing that's really fun about this ward is that we have three sets of missionaries. So we sometimes compete on little things such as: who can get the most dinner appointments in a month. I am pleased to announce that for the month of January, the DeForest Elders have twice as many dinner appointments as the Sisters do (which has never ever happened) Its fun and its great having an enthusiastic Bishopric who in anxious to get the work here rolling.

I met our top investigator on Thursday, He lives outside DeForest and has a baptismal date set for April 5th. He is currently on parole right now but his testimony is on fire. He has already read the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price, cover to cover. He is super excited to get baptized in April, and when the rest of the family gets off parole in 2016, he will be able to baptize all four of his family members, and maybe even his mom (which would make five) He is awesome, and we have some really great lessons with him.

Festive décor in town

Scripture for the week: 1 Nephi 1:1

1 I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father; and having seen many afflictions in the course of my days, nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord in all my days; yea, having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God, therefore I make a record of my proceedings in my days.

Thank you all for your love and Christmas wishes, have a happy New Year.

Elder Luymes

 

Dear Family and friends – we had a 1 hour skype session with Andrew on Christmas Day and he is very well and very happy.  He said he lost 10lbs at the beginning of his mission and has finally gained it back.  Now that he is in an area with a real Ward we expect a few more dinner appointments will tip the scale further.  He says the weather is tolerable and with many layers he keeps warm.  He and his new companion seem to have a good camaraderie between them. Elder Ferney’s family lives in Nanjing China where his father is the director of quality control for a seat belt and airbag manufacturing company. Andrew further enjoyed bragging about the brand new, 2014 Subaru Legacy with All-Wheel drive that they have for transportation.  This not only consoled Ted’s nerves but made him jealous.  When asked what he remembers with fondness about his previous area he replied, “The people there are real characters”. Andrew’s improved maturity is greatly evident as is his commitment to doing the Lord’s work.  He has learned a great deal about what his priorities should be already on his mission thanks in part to the work and also from the companions/fellow missionaries that he has worked with.

-Annette

Merry Christmas,                                                                              Dec 23, 2013

So the Libraries in Wisconsin are up to date, which means fancy cards, login info and a lot of stuff that is not working. As of now, I have killed 30+ minutes trying to get mine and Elder Ferney's cards and stuff to work. Don't hate if this ends up not working out this week.

My new mailing address is:

529 Seminole Way
DeForest, WI 53532

Elder Ferney from Ogden UT, standing at 6'5", my new homie!

I'm in the Sun Prairie Ward, but we live in DeForest. The Ward here has 200 active members and has three sets of missionaries, 2 sets of Elders and 1 set of Sisters. Things here are nice and I am enjoying myself so far. My companion is Elder Ferney. He stands 6'5'' and has been out on his mission 3 months. He is from Ogden Utah and is 18 years old. He was "born" here in DeForest and was trained by one of my MTC friends. The weather here is a tad bit warmer than Manistique and has less snow, but you wouldn't know that because we just got hit with a massive storm that dumped approx. 10-14 inches. It was really crazy. So much so that we had to cancel church yesterday. So Elder Ferney and I had our own sacrament meeting and stuff, it was kind of nice. Later on that day we got fed by the Bishops family and enjoyed a very nice and large dinner. J

My transfer went all right. Things were mostly smooth, they just took forever. I haven't discovered anything missing so far.

Things in DeForest are pretty good. We have few investigators and a decent amount of potentials. So were in a finding mode right now. One thing that is really nice about DeForest is that the area got opened up earlier this year, so the town had not been tracted out yet. Unlike Manistique where the whole town had been tracted out 4 or 5 times already. This means that few people have had interaction with the missionaries, making them more open to talking to us.

Christmas is exciting. We will be having a few meals with members that day as well as Christmas Eve. As for doing anything special, not really for us, just enjoying a chill day.

Tracting shoe nailed to the wall of my new apartment,
this is a motivator to work hard. Notice the sole, but not
the soul, is missing.

A shirt nailed to the wall of my new apartment,
all the DeForest/Sun Prairie elders who serve
here started signing it when they transfer out.

Scripture for the week: 2 Nephi 26:24

 24 He doeth not anything save it be for the benefit of the world; for he loveth the world, even that he layeth down his own life that he may draw all men unto him. Wherefore, he commandeth none that they shall not partake of his salvation.

Love

Elder Luymes

 

Andrew as moved, and his new address is:

529 Seminole Way,
DeForest,  WI 53532

We suspect he is sharing a residence with other missionaries in DeForest and will travel to his area in  Sun Prairie each day to serve there.