Happy Birthday Merica!!

7/10/2017

Happy 4th everyone!! Yeah I know I'm a bit late but hey better late than never!! I love this holiday I mean how great is a country who celebrates its Independence by blowing stuff up!?!  Good stuffJ  We started the fourth by hanging out with some members and an investigator, just celebrating with them. It was awesome!!  Then that night we were able to stay out later (definitely an answer to prayers) I was really worried we wouldn't be able to see any fireworks which really bummed me out since my favorite holiday is the Fourth of July!! So we got to go to a fireworks show in Pinesdale and for those who may not know that's where all the polygamists live.  In Pinesdale there are three types of people when it comes to missionaries; the people who don't care at all, the people who love us and the people who hate us.  Because of this we got a lot of super funny looks from people and for those who know me I live for that 😂 so that was awesome!!  I love fireworks and America.  Enough said.

Then on Wednesday we helped a member paint their house so that was really fun!  I accidentally broke a paint roller so that was awkward... then we had some lessons, one with Darla and one with Mitch and they were both super awesome!!

On Thursday we helped a lady buck some hay again... we started at 7 in the morning and got done at 4:45 so that was pretty tiring and this time it actually was 900 bales of hay and it was something like 104 that day but like 10 or 20 degrees hotter in the barn... so it was pretty warm.  But it's all good because we got a new investigator out of it!!  

Then on Friday and Saturday we helped the Reynosos with some stuff because they're getting ready to move into their new place.  So we'll probably be helping them out quite a bit the next little bit; which is awesome because I love that family haha.

Then on Sunday we found out that Elder Skouson is getting transferred to Great Falls... now there's a funny story behind this all… so like 2 weeks into the transfer I was looking at the roster of all the missionaries in the missions and what areas they're in and I saw Great Falls with Elder Rickenbacker and I said hey Elder Skouson just want to let you know your transfer news early! You're going to go to Great Falls with Elder Rickenbacker... now fast forward to this last Sunday.  We get transfer calls and he's going to Great Falls with this Elder... how crazy is that!!  I totally called it!!  So that was pretty funny because everyone is like how did you know!?!  It was awesome!!  So yeah he's out of here but he's going to a wicked awesome place.  Great Falls is the bomb!!  But my new companion is Elder Wright.  I've met him a few times and he's an awesome missionary!!  Like he's a total stud so I'm excited to serve with him!! 

Anyway so that's the update and in the words of the forever famous elder Todd grey, "Happy Birthday Merica" love you all!! Remember who you are!!

Love,

Elder Zeller

308 E 1st street unit B

Corvallis, MT

59828

Crazy Who You Run Into on Your Mission

So just so everyone knows, bucking hay is hardcore!! Last Monday we bucked hay for like 5 hours and it was pretty fun but towards the end it was pretty exhausting.  It was all good because it felt good and it was some real hard work!!  Then after dinner a member asked us to move a hot tub... jeez that thing was heavy!!  Probably like 1200 pounds easy.  But we got it moved!!  So that's awesome!!  

Then on Tuesday we helped a member with some service up in Missoula.  We helped him with some stuff at the bishop store house there.  It was pretty fun and we had some fun hanging out with the missionaries up there. After that we had a lesson with Justin and he's getting closer and closer to baptism it's awesome!!  I'm so excited for him!!  Then we had a lesson with Jim; and this guy is pretty interesting.  He knows without a shadow of a doubt that the Book of Mormon is true... but he doesn't know how Joseph smith got it... so we have a conversation with him about it.  Or more like Skouson has a conversation with him because they use a lot of big words that I have no clue what they mean... so I try and learn from them haha but it's cool to see them talk and I add things when I can.  

Then on Wednesday we had our district meeting and this guy gave us a personality test and holy crap I got pegged so bad it was hilarious!!  HahaJ I also learned the original thirteen colonies in order so that's cool!!  Then we went weed-eating again and destroyed some weeds so that was an absolute blast!!  After we went to this members house who gives us root beer floats if we can remember the names of all the animals he's killed... so I did!!  And they had the cutest puppy!!  Like it was so awesome!!  Then we went to dinner with the Golds and talked with them for a good while and I freaking love them they are sooooo cool!!  Then I got a random email from my dad with pictures in my area!!!  What the heck!?! Haha! it was so awesome!!  So I had to take a picture doing the same thing he was and so that was cool!!

Then the next day our ward mission leader gave a really cool lesson on creating fertile soil and how sometimes we don't plant those seeds but we create that fertile soul for people and I thought that was the coolest thought!!  It was so cool because it's so true!!  Sometimes we don't plant seeds, or even harvest the fruits of our labors but we can always create fertile soul for when those seeds are planted they can grow and flourish.  We just have to act like Christ and always show who we are and what we stand for.  He said something in his lesson I thought was really cool.  He said, " Every action we take is a missionary moment" so I really liked that because everything we do has potential to be a missionary moment.  And then what made the day that much cooler was out of nowhere my old math teacher from high school walks into the church!?!  How cool is that!?!  So naturally I had to take a picture with him.  Then we had a super cool lesson with the Golds and taught the gospel of Jesus Christ and they are just sooooo awesome!!  

Today we have basically been hanging out with some really awesome members and we went to help them move a piano.  Super great times!!  Anyway talk to you next week!!! 

Love,

Elder Zeller

308 E 1st street unit B

Corvallis, MT 

59828

A Whirlwind of Being Busy

Hey guys don't have too much time today because we have some service later on!! (We're bucking 900 bales of hay!!)

This week has been absolutely crazy!! Just a whirlwind of being busy; which is a good thing!! So a quick update is we had a lesson with an investigator and while we were talking we found out he's already had his general authority interview!! We were blown away!! We didn't think things would move this fast but hey the Lord works in mysterious ways!!  Then we got a text from another investigator and she told us that she knows the gospel is true and that she wants to get baptized along with her grandchildren and possibly her husband, she's just super busy.  We also talked to another investigator and she told us she's ready to get baptized!!  So we're gonna get together with her and set up a date that she can get baptized on.  Then we were talking to another investigator a few days ago and he told us that the Book of Mormon is absolutely 100% true. His only question is how did Joseph Smith get it? So we're gonna meet with him Tuesday and talk to him about the first vision and Nephi and whatnot. I'm excited about that one.

We also had some service where we spent 2 hours weed wacking for a less active whose getting married next month and she even invited us to her wedding!!  So that was pretty sweet!!  Also this week our landlord finished our apartment so we were finally able to move back into our area!!  It's so great not having to drive back and forth from Hamilton!!  Plus living with 4 elders was getting kinda old... so this is absolutely awesome!!  

Church this week was awesome!!  Pretty long but awesome.  Kind of comes with the gig when you're in charge of 2 wards.  But it's all good!! Elder Skouson taught an awesome lesson in gospel principles about prayer.  And we got to talk to the primary about serving missions.  So that was super awesome and I enjoyed it a lot!!  We had quite a few people show up to church which was wonderful!!  Next week might be a bit tougher... but that's ok!!  All par for the course when it comes to the Fourth of July haha.  I'm excited for fireworks though... anyway so that's the update!!

I'd love to hear from you guys!! Talk to you next week!!

Love,

Elder Zeller

308 E 1st street unit B

Corvallis, MT

59828

From Many Uses of Flatbed Trailers to Father's Day

Alright so this week was pretty good!!

We spent a lot of time fixing our bikes because I had a flat and so did Elder Skouson so I patched my tire pumped it up and everything went great!! Elder Skouson fills his tire up and things are going good and then he goes to put it on his bike and we just hear this PPPSSSHHH! And Skouson is all like crap! Apparently he pinched the tube and so it totally busted and got this huge hole 😂 so basically Skouson has had his work cut out for him when it comes to his bike haha.

Then towards the middle of the week we get a call from a member asking for help with moving a hot tub... haha suuuuuuuure. So we get there and this hot tub is HUGE and the whole time up everyone is talking about how heavy these things are and I'm like greeeeaaat.  So we look at our trailer... then back at the hot tub... then back at the trailer and it clicks for everyone... this thing isn't going to fit.  So we checked it out and it seems like it's in decent condition so we drive back and she tells us she'll call us when they want to move it with a better trailer.  So we wait and then a few days later she calls us and we go up to get this thing.  So we tip it up on one side and then back the trailer up underneath it and then we ease it down on the trailer and boom, done.  It was way easy!!  They hyped it up way too much haha.  It was a fun time though!! 

Then I got sick... again!!  This stinking rain is kicking up all sorts of crap!!  So I took a bit of a sick leave of absence.  Then the next day I was back in the game!!  So then we moved a grand upright piano... daaaaaaaaaang was this thing heavy!!  We like roll it down a ramp onto a trailer and once again we had to acquire another trailer because this one was enclosed and it was too short... so we ran and got a flatbed and then hurried back.  We get it onto this thing and tie it down for dear sweet life!!  So that was awesome!!  Then we moved it into their house and everything worked out really well!!  Good times!!  

Saturday morning we helped with a family history float in Stevensville, so that was a hoot and a half!!  It was a blast!!  We rode on a float while other missionaries handed out pass along cards so that was awesome!!  We handed out like every single card it was so cool!!  Then we took a walk through the town and got free food and some really good ice cream!!  I freaking love huckleberries soooooo much!! 😍😍  Then I saw a cool wooden fish so I took a pic by it haha good times :)

The next day we had church and it was really awesome!!  Made me miss my dad a bit though... but it's ok because while I can only talk to him and my family once a week I can talk to my father in heaven 24/7 for 365 days a year.  He's always there!!  Church was pretty long though... we cover two wards so we go from like 9 in the morning to like 4 in the afternoon.  It's super good but I was feeling it after a while 😅 oh well!!  I got to teach the youth though about priesthood leaders and so that was awesome!!  I got to show my favorite video ever!!  Spiritual crocodiles!!  If anyone hasn't seen it I would definitely recommend it!!  Boyd packer aims it at the youth but anyone can learn something from it!!  

Anyway so we taught a few people this week!!  We had a really awesome lesson with that family we met last week and we talked about the restoration and prophets and it was really awesome!!  We also talked to a guy in the ward who was a member then decided to go up to Pinesdale (polygamist colony) and join up there and so now he wants to come back to the church and so we teach him and his daughter who wants to know what's true for herself.  But we were able to talk to him for a bit about the group up there and what they believe and everything and it was really awesome and he taught us a lot and I've just got to say this is the true church!! We have a modern day prophet that receives revelation for us all and it's so awesome!! Anyway love you all!! Keep it real!!

Love,

Elder Zeller

308 E 1st street unit B

Corvallis, MT

59828

In a Storm we can Still see the Light

So this has been my first full week in Corvallis and man what a week!! 

We had our first preparation day as a zone and that was super fun!!  Then the next day we started it off with some service for a lady whose literally almost 100 so we helped her out with some weeding.  Later that night we had a lesson with an investigator from Pinesdale and it was pretty interesting because the member we were going to have the lesson with wasn't able to come so we were scrambling trying to find another member... or Elder.  Elder Skouson was stressing out and I was like “Elder calm down this is happening for a reason. This guy we are teaching needs to be at someone's house specifically”. So we finally find a member who will let us into their home for the lesson and it was the most perfect family for him.  By the end of the lesson he committed to going through and interview for baptism with President Wadsworth!!  So everything just worked out perfect!!  

But then we get a call from a member whose son is doing his eagle and needs help because they aren't sure how many people are going to be able to come.  So we went and helped him on Wednesday and there was a mix up with communication and we weren't able to start until about noon when we were planning on starting at about 9.  So we started and we just went and we went until about 4 or 5.  But we got it all done!!  So that was awesome.  What we did was fix up a fence in a national forest and it was awesome!!  Elder Skouson did get straight fried though!!  Like right on the back of his neck was so super red!!  It was pretty funny!! 

Then the next day we had district meeting and we had a discussion and I think it went pretty good!!  Everyone was pretty out of it though.  Especially Elder Skouson and myself; it had to be because of the sun.  So we finish up district meeting and then Elder Skouson needed to take a breather and catch up and I wasn't against it so we did that.  Then we went out and tried to meet with some people.  After that we let the Wadsworth's into the church so that president could interview our investigator Justin!!  So we talked with Sister Wadsworth for a bit then decided to go try some more people and we ran into and investigator family that we are working with in the parking lot so we talked to them for a while.  They asked if we could help with a blessing for the member in their family so we did that and by that time President was walking out so we talked to him and Justin is good to meet with the general authority now!!  So that was awesome!!!

The next day we had interviews with our Mission President and that was awesome!!  We had a good little chat about things!! :)  After that we did service for an awesome member in the ward!!  We helped her with some furniture.  We were able to have a light saber battle as well... all the good stuff.

Then on Saturday we met this really awesome less active member and we went and talked to him and he straight up told us that his life is a mess and he needs our help to get back on track.  It was way cool!!  Then on Sunday we had like 7 hours of church which was good.  We had a priesthood meeting where one of our Bishops gave us a referral of a family that wants to take the discussions so the meeting got done earlier than we expected and we were like... what do we do now??  And we were like let's go see where these guys live at least.  So we drive by and they're all outside!!  So we park the car and go and introduce ourselves and they were all like let's have a lesson right now!!  So we were like ok!!  We taught this really awesome lesson about the plan of salvation, tears were shed and it was great!!  They were super engaged and by the end of the lesson they wanted a return appointment we didn't even have to bring it up.  They were asking a lot of questions and all the questions were in one lesson that we teach so it was really awesome!!  The Lord blesses!!  

It's awesome out here in Corvallis!!  Sure I miss Bigfork, but after talking with my Mission President and getting into the work, I am loving Corvallis!!  It's so cool here!!  I guess I just needed to jump right in and realize that the Lord has a work for me to do!!  Love you all!!!

Love,

Elder Zeller

308 E 1st street unit B

Corvallis, MT

59828

#transferweek #corvallis #uniquearea #sadgoodbyes #pinesdale #goats

#transferweek #corvallis #uniquearea #sadgoodbyes #pinesdale #goats

How do you say goodbye to people who mean so much to you???  Honestly the answer is you can't.  All you can say is see you later.  That's what it was like in Bigfork.

Monday was spent packing up all my belongings then Tuesday was spent saying goodbye to all of my newfound family.  I've gotten so close to all of the people there.  They honestly have become family to me and I have so many good memories from my time there.  I hope that eventually I'll get to serve around there again.  Bigfork has been such a testimony builder for me and the effects missionary work has on everyone you meet.  Special shout-out to Brooke, Hayden and Harli!!  You guys changed me and my mission for the better and I consider myself lucky to have gotten to know you guys!!  

The next day was transfer day and so me and Elder Patterson drove down to Helena and had a total blast road-tripping it!!  It was so fun!!  I freaking love that guy!!  He's like one of my top best friends I swear!!  Anyway so we get to Helena and then we go from Helena to Stevensville then from there to Hamilton.  It was really sweet seeing a lot of missionaries I haven't seen in a long while!!  Like I got to see Elder Allen again!!  I haven't seen him since I finished my second transfer!!  So that was really awesome.  I also got to see the sisters that came out with me.  It was awesome!!

The rest of this week was filled of new faces and contacting lots of people.  This area seems like such a unique area.  There is legit a polygamist colony up here and we teach some of them and it's super cool!!  I mean where else will I serve where I get this kind of opportunity??  It's really cool.  I've met a lot of really awesome people as well.  On Friday night we went to a barbecue for a member’s son that lives up in Pinesdale (that's where all the polygamists live) it was really awesome because we got to meet a lot of the people up there!!  I played this fun game where you knock over wood blocks.  Totally spaced taking pictures so that's my bad... but it was so fun!!  I also found out that I'm straight trash at badminton haha.  It was fun though because I got super hyped playing it and really loosened up playing with them.  It was really fun.  Earlier that day we were actually contacting someone and we pull up and walk up to the door and there are a couple of goats just chillin.  Well Elder Skouson apparently is terrified of goats so when they didn't answer the door naturally I walked in front passed the goats and trapped him in the yard with them and videotaped him.  Might just be the funniest thing ever.  Anyway so that was our week.

This Sunday was quite the day. It was a day full of church... like from 8-4 all church... I was starting to get a headache and my stomach was just being super weird... like it wasn't because I was hungry.  Anyway so that was fun!!  I have no clue what preparation days will be like here but we will figure it out!!  Love y'all!!

Elder Zeller

308 N 1st street unit B

Corvallis, MT

59828

From a New Baby Brother to the Sadness of a Transfer

Hey everyone!!  Ok this week has definitely had its ups and downs.  Mostly ups with like one down 😅

This week we've been helping Brooke out with these farm days that she does.  I did the same thing last Thursday.  But this week most of the week was helping at the farm because she had a lot of schools coming so that was awesome!  I really love that family a whole lot.  

On Thursday night some other missionaries came and stayed the night so we went and set up some hammocks and camped out so that we would be there in the morning when the kids got there!!  It was so much fun!!

 Sorry I'm terrible at taking selfies 😅 so that was a lot of fun.  While we were there she was telling us about this duck that had killed a ton of chickens and asked if we wanted a duck so we jokingly said yeah we'll eat it.  And one thing led to another and we killed a duck and ate it 😂  After that she asked us if we would kill a chicken that was giving her grief so this time I was the one who killed it (sorry mom) and Harli (her daughter) brought out all these surgical tools because she wanted to help us 😂 it was so awesome!!  

Also huge shout-out to my new little bro!! Ty Zeller making an appearance finally!!  Wish I could have met you on Mother's Day but I'll talk to you at Christmas!!

Well I also got transfer news and apparently the Lord needs me over in Corvallis. I'm really sad and bummed out I'm leaving such a great area.  All the members here are top notch and I'm going to be really sad to say goodbye to everyone here.  I've made some bonds here that are awesome and I'm really sad to have to leave them all.  But I'm for sure coming back at some point!!!  I've loved it here way too much!! 

 

Our District

Unfortunately that's about all the time I have!! I'll talk to you guys next week!!

Love,

Elder Zeller

P.O 1883 Bigfork, Montana