WEEK 1 MENA (WEEK 40 0F MISSION)

FROM MINGO TO MENA

Goodbye Apt. 211.  Stay Sweet

Downtown Tulsa, "T Town"

Well hello their family and friends!!!

I made it safe to the land of Mena this week!!! It was hard to say goodbye to Mingo Valley but it is good to be in Mena and I am excited for the future. 

Mena is a smalllllllll town haha super small but our area is huuugggge we cover a large large piece of land so I am no longer biking haha. The Mena branch mainly consists of a family named the Davis family. They are an awesome family and are like famous here in Mena haha so our branch out here I think Elder Durrant was saying has a total of like 60 members. They are all such awesome members with great testimonies! I don’t think I have ever been anywhere close to as small a congregation as I was yesterday at church. Hopefully  Elder Durrant and I can work hard and contribute to growing the Mena branch!

Elder Durrant is such an awesome guy and I’m so glad to be with him. He is from Portland, Oregon and he just got done being trained so he has been out about three months and has spent all of his mission in Mena. 

In a small old town like Mena it can be hard when people are set in their ways and have been going to their church since the beginning of time and do not want to receive our message. Since the teaching pool has been down a little we worked really hard to bring that back up. With the small numbers in our branch it is hard because we can’t teach the members friends or get referrals just because there aren’t that many members. So we have to go out and tract. We tracted so much in just the first couple of days I've been here. We saw so many miracles as we knocked doors and prayed that the Lord would guide us to a street were somebody might let us in. After tracting all day yesterday, and not even getting in one door the Lord led us down a street to a row of houses where we ran into a lady who actually investigated the church before and is good friends with all the Davis' family and said she wants to get back into it and we could come back tomorrow!!! Pretty sweet!!! I know the Lord’s hand is in all our lives

I had an awesome chance to see a lot of my old friends this week which was super good. For instance, Elder Hess and I got to ride the transfer truck together for like 2 hours and I got to chat with Elder Gordon for a second. Also this past week the traveling Assistants to the President came to Mena!!! I never thought they would make it out this far but turns out we were their first stop. Both of the traveling Assistants, Elder Murdock and Elder Sorenson, are some of my best friends out here and they are both just awesome missionaries!!! I got to go and teach with both of them and learned a whole bunch and they gave me a lot of encouragement, which was so helpful. 

Last pic before goodbye.  Little Ashlynn, that they baptized, cried.

The Emmons Family

Saying goodbye to Harold W. Bailey the Third.

Well Anywho I am doing awesome and I am looking forward to see who the Lord has prepared in Mena and the joy I can have as I see some people come unto the Kingdom of God!!! 

Special shoutout to my main man C-Livi. Hit me with that package!!! Got it right before I left Tulsa so it was perfect! Been tooooo long since I have beat him in FIFA haha 

Awesome package from Colton!!!

 Also B day shout out to Mr. Tommy Green, AKA next SYTYCD winner, AKA next Vegas show, young boy tommy all grown about to be mobbing in the Jetta! Treat the Yetta well bud! Dont break it before I’m back like I did to PG32 haha Love you man!

Love Elder 

WEEK 19 TULSA (WEEK 39 0F MISSION)

Meek in Mena?

Friends and Family!!!!!!!!

The spirit of conversion is reaaalll yooo!!!!

John got baptized this week after 2 years of investigating the church. That just makes it so obvious to me that it is never the missionary or the lesson or anything that converts somebody, but truly the spirit. I know that the Lord had a specific time and loves John Hayes!!! Because of how long he investigated a ton of people were friends with him and so his baptism was huuuggeee. I will send pictures later but sooo awesome!!! Sorry for the late email by the way, I hosted a huge Minute to Win it event today. hahaha 

All of the crew at John's Baptism!!!

Also this week Elder Green has been transferred :( I will be super sad to leave Elder Nau and Mingo Valley!!! I am going to Mena Arkansas!!!! I will be serving with Elder Durrant who I have no idea who that is. But also Elder Hess will be serving in the area right next to me and I am sooooo pumped. I am pretty nervous to be in Mena. It is the most out there part of the mission. There are only like 3 families in the ward there in Mena so it definitely will be interesting.

I had a cool thought this week. While biking in the rain I did what I always seem to do... Hit Mud hahaha and it splashed up and some spots got on my shirt. I was super embarrassed walking around with mud spots all over my white shirt. We were way too far away to go get a different shirt so I just had to deal with it. That made me think about how we would feel if we had to walk around stained with our sins. It is so easy to put up a fake face and look like you don’t have any problems or have struggles. Often times people will think Mormons are all perfect and have no sins or flaws. But how awkward would we all feel if our sins could be seen on the outside. I am so grateful for the Atonement and the power that we have to wash our sins clean so that one day we don’t have to feel dirty in the presence of God! 

I wanted to make a huge 16th birthday next week shoutout to MY MAIN MANNNN Tommy greeeeennnn!  He is the best kid I have ever met and I love him so much. I always think about how far that kid has come and the awesome dancer he is now. I heard he killllleeed it this week in Vegas and I am so proud of him and love him. 

Also happy B day to Mikaela frost. 

Also I love and miss you all!

Also sincerely elder green 

WEEK 18 TULSA (WEEK 38 OF MISSION)

How to know you have been in an area a long time.......

hello friends and family!!!! What is up? 

Sister Perrien and her daughter giving Mikey
a new pair of shoes!
  Can't even believe their kindness and generosity!!!
They make Mikey and his shoes look huge!

Well so about my title. I want to give you a little scenario to let you all know how to know that you have been in an area for a long time. We went to see two of our investigators, Cody and Jessica. When we got there things were a little crazy and Jessica was not happy about some stuff that was going on etc... So we talked with them and tried to figure out what was going on and she was mad about Cody letting some people come into the house.  Right then, a homeless man walked out of the house... and said "Hey Elder Green, hey Elder Nau" hahaha we were like "Hi Richard"...  So yes when you start to know the names of all the homeless people in your town and then see them at your investigators’ house of all places... You know you've been in Tulsa a while hahaha! 

Man this week was another awesome one though where we saw a lot of miracles. After the area being on fire a little bit the last couple weeks things had seemed to slow down and so we have been fighting things a little bit trying to get new investigators and trying to rebuild the teaching here a little again. However, I have learned something about never giving up on somebody. We teach this man named John, who is in his 60's, and is just an awesome guy. He has been taught by the missionaries for over a year now I think and has had a hard time because he reads and prays and he doesn’t feel anything. (I have had the same thoughts and feelings at times) and at the same time John kind of knows the church is true. Like he knows it is he just doesn’t want to say it haha. This week on Wednesday, Brother Cardenas, (Ward Mission Leader) came with us and it was such an awesome lesson. So awesome we invited him to be baptized this next Saturday. He smiled and said yes, or he would think about it. Haha we were not having any of that though. So we asked him to come to church on Sunday fasting and we would be fasting with him to receive his answer. Yesterday was probably the most spiritual Sacrament Meeting I have had on my mission and also the best lessons that seemed to be perfectly tailored to John's concerns and needs. During the Sunday school lesson the members were just perfectly on point with their comments and teaching and the spirit was strong. I was watching John at one point and saw a tear run down his cheek and I could tell the spirit had touched him. As for me, the spirit doesn’t normally come in a strong manifestation of this burning inside. For me it is usually clarity of mind to just have things make sense and be calm. I hope John had this feeling and I can’t wait to see him on Tuesday and set up for Saturday!!!!

Mikey and Baby Jayla

Crawling into 1,000 degree attic to help move all the boxes out!

About half of the boxes they carried down from the attic.
Mikey still loves Spiderman!

I love you all! I have been studying faith and that is what we talked about in Sunday school. I have learned that faith is the all-encompassing testimony builder. Nobody starts out with a perfect knowledge of God. As we hope that God is there and loves us it inspires us to act. That is what faith is. By acting God will bless us and we see results and our faith will confirm our unseen hopes. The Lord has blessed us with ordinances to help us to feel of this power strongly and to further progress ever closer to him. If you have doubts, that is awesome. We should have doubts and questions, if we all had a perfect knowledge the earth would serve no purpose. Do not let doubts discourage you, let your doubts and questions move you forward as you learn of true doctrine through the Holy Ghost. We can only have faith in things that are true, therefore our faith, or our rock as Helaman says, should be on Christ who is a sure foundation. I hope to be able to build my foundation as strong as I can for the rest of my life to where I become unshaken and I hope to be able to endure all things as Joseph said in the Articles of Faith. I love you all have a great week. Be good believers, do good to fellowmen!!!

Elder GREEN 

Oh my and how could I be ungrateful to not thank Sister Pierren so much for getting me a new pair of shoes!!! What an answer to my prayers and comfort to know that Heavenly Father is looking out for me through the awesome members out here in Mingo Valley!!! I was getting a little sick of having wet socks cuz of all the holes in the old hooves I had haha love you all 

Tulsa's "Sacred Grove."

WEEK 17 TULSA (WEEK 37 OF MISSION)

Mother's Day Madness

HIII EVERYONE!!!! I love you all

Mannn it was so good to get to see all of you yesterday and get to say hi!!!! Seeing the extended fam and Grandma and Grandpa was such a blessing as well! So thank you Scottie for setting that up and I got to see baby Hazel!!! That was so awesome haha I love you guys and miss you!!! 

 

There's nothing like getting to see your missionary smile and laugh!

Mikey and Elder Nau 

This was a little bit of a more challenging week. I felt as if I was in a little bit of a lull after being in Mingo Valley for so long now with Elder Nau and it can be discouraging to teach these same people and have them not ever end up showing up to church or anything. I think we just need to re-evaluate who we are going to go see and I need to be a lot better at finding people to teach.

We saw some awesome miracles still this week though. One of them was our new investigator Danielle. She stopped some missionaries and said she needed some prayer in her life. She is probably in her late 20's early 30's and she has two kids one of them is 8 and the other is a newborn. Her story is pretty sad and has left her wondering about spiritual things quite a bit. Her fiance' passed away a couple of years ago right before their marriage and she is struggling to find purpose and comfort with life. It was so awesome to show her scriptures from the Book of Mormon that just brought her so much peace. My favorite chapter from Preach my Gospel and my favorite thing to teach people out here is the section "The Book of Mormon Answers Questions of the Soul." It is so true. God didn't leave us to just wander around this planet with no instructions. The scriptures are literally all the answers. The hard part is just that they weren't written topically haha also that is a blessing though because it inspires us to have to search!!! Danielle is awesome and she already has made an awesome friend in one of our awesome members, Sister Oakley!!! We are excited for her future and I think she has really been prepared to join the church.

I was reviewing one of my all time favorite talks this week from President Dieter F. Uchtdorf entitled, "In Praise of Those Who Save." I love this talk so much and I have been trying to apply the teachings into my life. Often times as a missionary it is easy to get into like a negative mode and then pretty soon you realize how much you hate this and that about missionary work. This is all just because of your mindset though. Hence the scripture "seek and ye shall find." So in all the situations I face I am trying to apply President Uchtdorf's teaching of "pull out the weeds and plant the garden." I hope to be able to feed and nourish the happy parts of my life and seek for the good qualities in others always. Rather than looking at other people and what bugs you about them, why not look at them and see all the things that you love about them. Whatever you are looking for you will find. :) 

That talk was given to the priesthood about saving marriages, and saving families. I am so grateful for the family that I was given on this earth. I loved talking to them so much yesterday! Especially for my Mama! I love you Mama. Thank you for raising me and teaching me the gospel and so many things that I never even realized. Thank you for all the hours at the gym and ballparks :)  I LOVE YOU SO MUCH. Thank you to all you mothers everywhere. Me and all my friends have such awesome moms and I am very grateful for Jackie, and Dana, Lori, Valerie, Sherrie, Jodi, etc... I could go on and on about how many awesome people I have in my life that I am so grateful for.  Especially my mama who gave me such awesome opportunities in this world by her own hard work and faith and all the amazing characteristics she exemplifies. My mama having raised three boys loves the story about the stripling warriors. She has her own little army of helaman in her home haha sometimes more like a bunch of Laman and Lemuels haha but I know that me and my brothers do not doubt that our mother knew it!  I just love my family they are so awesome and I love my awesome friends/adopted family that I got to say hi to yesterday! I just love you all haha 
 

 

Mikey with his arm around me haha

Elder Green

remember Jacob 6:12 - from Parker Green 

“O be wise; what can I say more?”

WEEK 16 TULSA (WEEK 36 OF MISSION)

Tornado in Tulsa???

Hey there fellow friends and fam!

Another good week out here in T-Townnnnnn!!! 

First things first. Everybody is safe and okay from the tornado. I don't believe even one person was killed or injured in it! It was super weird to be in my first one. haha I was on an exchange that day with Elder Christensen, my district leader, and me and him are good friends and we were having a good ole time watching the weather and we were laughing because all day everybody was saying, “OH THE TORNADO WILL BE CRAZY...” and seriously it was the most mild weather day ever, so we were outside laughing and making fun of everybody...when it hit lol  The wind picked up in about .2 seconds and it started pouring.  The zone leaders called and told us to go pick up Mingo Valley, (Elder Nau and Elder Ashby) haha because they were on bikes so we sped down in the craziest wind and rain storm, picked them up and then got to the stake center to take shelter until the storm passed. It was way weird to be out past 10:30 haha but it all calmed down. The tornado was the closest its ever been to hitting Mingo Valley is what all the locals were saying.  They’ve never seen one so close to home... 

Mikey and Elder Christensen all prepped and ready for the tornado!

Taking cover at the Stake Center during tornado!
"Get behind me ladies I got this."

ANOTHER scare this week came Monday night after P-day.  We had received a call from our recent convert, Carmel, that she was going to go into surgery and needed a blessing. So Brother Cardenas picked us up and we headed to downtown to see her. When we got there she was asleep, so we shook her... no response. We asked the nurse to please come try... no response. We started to get a little worried. I have never seen somebody so asleep before. Finally her eyes opened. But things took a turn for the worse. She sat in her bed like paralyzed. I was holding her hand and Elder Nau was trying to get her to talk. She just had tears running down her face with no expression at all. One of the weirdest experiences of my life! The doctors rushed around doing every test you could imagine and she just sat there unresponsive. Finally, when there was a break in the rushing of doctors we went over and put our hands on her head and gave her a blessing. That night we didn’t get home until around 12AM. Yesterday, we saw Carmel, in her home, doing great. Haha it is so crazy the Lord has a plan for this woman I know it with all my heart haha. She had had a minor stroke and fell into a coma. What a blessing she had called us when she did because if not the doctors probably would have let her sleep through the night and never would have caught the stroke etc... I was very humbled by this experience.

Willow was baptized Saturday. It went awesome the spirit was so strong and we are very happy for her and her family!

Justin committed to be baptized on the 14th of May, and we are extremely excited for him. We found Justin one day after not one person had opened the door while we tracted. He was carrying some laundry, we said hi, and now he is going to be baptized! So awesome!

I have been studying a lot of the bible trying to build my knowledge to better answer the questions from the bible belt. I have received such a comforting and confirming witness that Christ loves us all, it doesn’t matter if you are Mormon, Catholic, Muslim, Baptist. Christ loves us and he wants us all to love him and follow him. I know that Christ has restored his power to the earth in these last days. I hope to bring the blessings that come with it to whoever I can. Love you all!!! 

Elder Greeeennnnnn  

Tornado Selfie.
Does he think that helmet will save his life or what???