Week 4

> Huge HOWDY from Fountain!
>
> This week was another blur week. I felt like the weeks are getting faster and faster! I sure hope that they slow down cause I want more out of my mission than a big blur.
>
> Well, it didn't take long for me to have a boring P day. Last Monday all we did was stay at our building and just sit in the Relief Society room. No one had the key for the basketball hoops so we were kinda just sitting there doing nothing. Monday was by far the longest day of the week! But it's whatever, it's just a P day.
>
> Tuesday was a so fun (sarcasm). we went from one service opportunity to another, which I guess is ok but our mission is to invite others to come unto Christ, and we can't really do that unless we make time for it by going around and teaching. We can only get so far with some people because where we were the people were only there for a couple minutes, then they left.
>
> Wednesday was Zone conference! So yeah that was pretty boring just sitting at the stake center from 9-4:30ish. Major flashback to the MTC!
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> I know it sounds horrible but I don't really remember Thursday... I think we just went tracting all day.
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> Friday was so fun. We went tracting, like normal, but the fun was later that night. So we were planning on going on exchanges, but because we were all invited to a part-member family birthday party we decided to call the zone leaders and see if all the Elders could have a sleepover at the Mesa Ridge apartment because it was the closest apartment to the house. What a night! we stayed up playing Texas hold em' and it was a ball. I had fun!
>
> Saturday was mostly taken up by the birthday party. We were there from 12-3 and then we finally went on exchanges! I was with Elder Butterfield from Mesa Ridge and we went to Fountain. Which, if you're keeping score, that's twice a greeny led Fountain! Which is pretty awesome. We went to a neighborhood that was like all catholic. But we still got a new (investa)gator! We taught her the plan of salvation on her doorstep and then afterwards she seemed very grateful because her Mom had just recently died and she was worried she would be "lost". We had no idea her Mom had just died but we weren't really the teacher. We were just the mouthpiece for the spirit. That event really strengthens my testimony of the marvelous gospel Heavenly Father gave to us. Elder Peel and I have a return appointment next week.
>
> Sunday was Sunday. We napped and did some stop bys. No one seemed to be home so go them!
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> I HAVE A NEW SISTER!! Welcome to the wild Grandon Family Tirsa! I'm so happy to see that you two got married! I defiantly wish I could've been there, especially sense it was 10 minutes out of my mission, but I've seen the joy they bring each other and I know they'll have a long eternity together. Also I do wish you luck Tirsa. I've known my brother for a long time and I don't know how you're gonna whip him into shape but I know the Lord always provides a way! HA HA HA HA:)
>
> Well it's been real everyone, Till next week!
> Thy humble Servant,
> Elder Grandon

Week 3

> A huge HOWDY from Fountain!
>
> This week has flown by. One second it was was my first P day and then just like that a week goes by. It's crazy!
>
> Where to even start... So on Tuesday we went out finding and found this guy who is an ex-military coronal. He has a bunch of cool stories. The one that I think was the coolest was that he was part of the Berlin air lift they talk about in "Meet the Mormons". He told us he was one of the first ones to help out, which is pretty dope. The interesting thing is that his wife lives in Germany. She called right in the middle of our lesson and it was like he flicked a switch. All of the sudden he was all German. It was pretty cool.
>
> On Wednesday we went out tracting again cause why not! We got lost for a fat minute but somehow a member found us and led us to his neighborhood. We stumbled upon this single mother named Jackie. She has a 4 year old son named Able. This little guy is so cute. She expressed that she tries to take him to all the churches because she wants him to pick the church and religion he wants. She has no intention of forcing a religion onto him. We taught them about the Plan of Salvation and really stressed families can be together forever. She was really excited to hear that. When we said that she lit up with this huge smile and seemed very happy to be learning this new information. She accepted our invitation to come to church. She sat by us yesterday and was happy like the whole time. She said we could defiantly come back another time to teach more. The gospel was made for her, I know it!
>
> Thursday was a fun day. For like the whole day we were at God's Pantry helping move all the stuff into a semi-truck for AFRICA! I was extra surprised when she said she was having all that stuff shipped to Africa. The owner, Carey, has a super kind heart. I just learned the other day that she gave her building to the city to become a historical landmark. So I don't know what that means for us because we stay in the apartments that are above God's Pantry. Let's just hope we aren't forced to move. That would suck.
>
> On Friday, like we usually do, we had a district meeting. After that we went on a blitz in the Mesa Ridge area. That was a really cool experience because I got to go with on of the Security Elders. He has a totally different style than Elder Peel does. So i was a little lost at first but then caught up after like 2 houses. We didn't really find anyone which was sad but is also normal.
>
> Saturday was awesome. We went on exchanges and I was with Elder Tyre (pronounced tire). It was the first time in the whole mission that 2 greenie were over an area. We had fun. I went to take him to see Flip Chuck! HA HA HA HA! For those of you who don't know who Flip Chuck is, he is a self proclaimed prophet. He knows the bible inside and out, forward and backwards. He is also convinced that the government is shooting his with rays that is cooking him. In all reality he is just really hot because his house is like 100 degrees and he's wearing a military grade winter coat that "blocks radiation waves". Elder Tyre could only take about 10 minutes of him but good ol' Flip Chuck went on for like an hour. It was awesome to see Elder Tyre's face.
>
> Sundays are days of rest. So not much happened this day. We went to church, went back to the apartments and studied for like the whole day. So yeah. That was that!
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> All in all I love being on a mission. It's a really good experience and I wouldn't trade it for the world. I love my area and although I know it won't happen but I wish I could stay in this area my whole mission.
>
> With gratitude, and love,
> Elder Grandon
>

2 week review

A huge howdy from Fountain, Colorado!
>
> Sorry about last week, I didn't really have a P day because I was on my way to Colorado Springs. Well I'm here now and doing awesome. The Fountain area is a really good place to start your mission due to the amount of rejection and acceptance there is in this area.
>
> But firstly lets address my last couple of days in the MTC. Where to start? Lets start on Saturday. So my district(which was by far the best district in the MTC) decided to attempt the tower challenge. This is where you eat an entire tower of cereal. Easy enough right?! WRONG!!! There we were coasting through the tower, with like 2 bowls left the person in charge of the cafeteria comes over and stops us, precedes to write our names down and then, with fire about to come out of her mouth, KICKS US OUT! Yep that's right, we got kicked out of the cafeteria. Makes you real proud huh, Mom?! :) On the bright side, our branch president didn't reprimand us but instead bloated that his district did it in 10mins and didn't get kicked out. So yeah that is defiantly gonna stick with me for a long time.
>
> Okay, now lets fast forward to my first day in my area, cause nothing else happened in the MTC. The first day we(Elder Peel and I) got there it was really hard to figure out anything. We flushed this area and the other companionship didn't leave any notes or list of investigators or anything. So we're kind of shooting blind here in Fountain.
>
> The Other day we went tracting and we came across this one guy whos name was, I kid you not, Flip Chuck! Holy Henna was he crazy. He served in Vietnam and was convinced he was a prophet called by God himself. He told us things like how the government was being taken over by Russia and that it was legal to behead people in Georgia and stuff along those lines. The thing I'm about to tell you about what he said creeped me out the most. He told us that he received revelation and because he was doing that the government was shooting his groin area with radiation. So much that he has to get his like lower body amputated. Wow I know you guys like to made a jokes about losing brain cells but I defiantly feel like I lost some talking to him.
>
> Being a missionary is not as hard as people made it out to be. The hardest part is going up to people and talking to them. But thats just because of my personality. Besides that It's really fun. We went over to a recent converts house for dinner on Friday and just by getting to know them and hearing what their lives were like without the gospel I consider myself very lucky to have been raised the way I was. But at the same time I dont know any other way. I think hearing the stories that they told me and how much their lives have changed is almost foreign to me because for my whole life I've lived with this LDS lens over my eyes to where I barely saw how rough it was for "normal folk" or people without the gospel. Their testimonies have easily surpassed my own because they know what it's like on both sides of the coin. They know the world and they know the gospel.
>
> Today marks my 19th birthday! Man it feels like just yesterday I was 18. HAHAHA! I Hope all is well back home. As for the concerns told to me, Tell Hannah to breathe. Struggling on the first day of school is normal. It happens to everyone including yours truly. I just know how to hide it very well. I strongly recommend reading Mosiah 24:12-17ish. I think this should help her.
>
> O holy night! Nathan's wedding is coming up! They are defiantly teasing me by having it in Denver(which is about 5mins outside my area) but I wish him all the luck in the world. Likewise to Tirsa! I spent practically 18 years with that guy. I don't know how shes gonna make it all eternity. But I hope their wedding is a good one.
>
> Well thats all for now. I hope everything works out for you guys this week. Till next week.
> God, and mans, humble servant
> Elder Grandon
> #wwjdwasp
> Below is a picture of my district, my zone, and pre-lockout tower challenge

First Companion

First Area

Mailing address: 107 E. Ohio Ave. #3, Fountain, CO 80817

Package address: 4090 Center Park Dr. Ste 4, Colorado Springs, CO 80916

Letters and emails are always appreciated!

Arrived in Colorado Today

This is Elder Grandon. I made it safe into the best mission in the world. Love you guys

MTC week 2

          This week has been a whirlwind of emotions! So I'll start with last week, I don't remember if I told you but we had TRCs and they're kind of tough! Last week we had lessons 3 and 4 and oh boy was lesson 3 really bad! We read the review on the lesson and our investigator or person being taught left with more questions then she came in with. My companion and I spent the next day just in a state of somewhat disappointment. We literally prepared nothing for our final lesson (which is a terrible idea, so never do it) and went in there and all of the sudden we knew exactly what to talk about! And the best part was that we could see that what we were saying was clicking in her mind. It was so cool and it still gives me an adrenaline rush. I can't wait till I get to like baptize someone, or teach my first lesson, or really anything!

          So i officially leave the MTC in a week and I can't be anymore excited to leave. It's not that it's a terrible place, its just that I'm tired of having every second of my day taken up by classes. I'm just ready to get out and teach actual people!

           We started a new TRC yesterday. His name is Daniel and he studies political science at BYU. He's super funny to talk to and has a ton of questions that are answerable so that's a plus. I wrote in my journal "... we answered so many questions just by saying a prayer and explaining why we say amen and why we fold our arms and bow our heads. We teach him again tomorrow and I think we're going to teach a little about the spirit world cause his mom unfortunately died recently and he feels like there is something else after death but he doesn't exactly know what that is! So that should be fun.

            So if I remember correctly Ivan leave today. I think he'll enjoy the MTC! There's a lot of stuff to do on P day but you really don't have time for anything else. But I think he'll have a fun time! 

             Tonight we have an authority coming to our devotional, I don't know which one but I am betting it's Elder Bednar so yeah! 

              I love all of you and so does Heavenly Father! I'm glad to hear all is well at home. This week will be a good one I can feel it!

              Yours truly in Christ,

                    Elder Grandon