YSA Week 13

   This week was a little slower but not by very much. We stopped by a lot of potential gators and had a bunch of lessons, one of which was with Cameron.

   So firstly, our lesson with Cameron was the bomb.com! he's so ready to improve his life with the gospel. He practically taught us the discussion! He's a fantastic person. After Cameron we were walking out and I just felt uneasy. So we went back in and saw this woman that was obviously under some sort of distress. We sat down with her and started "defusing" the situation. We figured out some stuff she had went through recently and throughout her life. One thing she said was that despite what happened her faith will never be shaken! We were in awe when she said that. We gave her a Book of Mormon and promised her that it'd give her comfort and peace in her life. 

   That's really all I remember from this week! Sorry everyone for the extra short email. I hope yall have a fantastic week and continue to grow your FAITH in Jesus Christ! 

  Elder Grandon  

Wait... it's been a week already?

> This week was ridiculously fast. I hardly remember what we did. Only a couple things come to mind, so excuse the shortness of the email.
>
> One thing that I remember very clearly was a lesson we had with this guy named Cameron. He was a referral from the Palmer Park area. His situation is the most peculiar I've ever seen but it's pushed him into finding the truth... which ultimately led him to us. So we met with him in Wendy's across from where he works and he knows that the Book of Mormon is true and legit could've been baptized that day but he has to go to church first. He's a former Jehovah Witness and after hearing some stuff they believe and knew that's not how God should work. He's been bouncing from just about every religion and says the "Mormon" view of God and Jesus sounds the most correct. He's read a lot of the Book of Mormon and feels that it's corresponding church is correct. So that was pretty awesome!
>
> The other thing I remember happened yesterday. One of our recent converts took us on a tour of the Air Force Academy. He snuck us into the living quarters and behind the gates where only cadets and teachers are allowed. So we could've gotten in huge trouble but he assured us we were fine, so we just went with it! By far my favorite place we went into was the chapel. That place is super awesome and really big! It's split into like 4 or 5 different denominations. My favorite part of the Chapel was the Catholic part for sure! It was super beautiful. The whole base is amazing. At the end he offered to take us to their first football game on the 31st of August. Of course we wanted to go. So hopefully that happens in the future!
>
> That's really all I got for this week! Hope y'all have a fantastic week and continue to grow your FAITH in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Till next week
> Elder Grandon

YSA :)

>> Howdy! This week was full of adventures and fun times.
>>
>> Firstly, this week we got the chance to go to the Air force Academy to teach one of our recent converts, Bryan! This guy is so awesome!!! He is in the middle of training right now and still wanted to meet with us. He told us his conversion story and both of us were blown away by how prepared this young cadet was for the gospel. We taught him the first New Member Discussion and his testimony on the prophet, the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith...etc was so incredibly strong! After the lesson he told us that classes started this week on Thursday but still offered to take us on a tour of the Academy! We of course obliged so we are going on a tour next Sunday after church. I think I'm most excited to see the chapel while it's being used.
>>
>> This week we also had Zone Conference. Its incredible how much I can learn from President Stevenson! I think it's extra fascinating because everything he's ever said and will ever say I've read in the scriptures or in Preach My Gospel but always seem to be, for lack of a better term, blank minded when he brings stuff up! I caught myself saying "I don't remember reading that" or "where is that?" a number of times but now that I think about it afterwards I can remember exactly where everything is. He's definitely a man called of God. I'm sad because he goes home 3 weeks before I do but he has served very faithfully so he deserves a vacation!
>>
>> One miracle we saw this week when we were looking for someone who had been previously taught, we bumped into someone who is seriously prepared for the gospel. We knocked on his door and asked is this girl lived here. He said no but then stepped out the door. My initial thought was that we were about to defend our religion, but I could not have been any more wrong! Instead he came out and started talking very respectfully towards us. We later figured out that he had been on this lifetime search for something that could give him any sort of comfort or peace. We told him that we teach about God and how to strengthen your relationship with him to obtain the peace and comfort he was looking for. All of the sudden he opened up to us about his past experiences, times he's felt alone and some other stuff that is gonna be kept between my companion and I. We talked for like an hour and a half answering his questions and concerns then closed with this... (Let's say his name was John) "Well John you seem to be a religious guy and a firm believer in Christ. I do not believe us being here was an accident in any way. You've expressed your feelings about everything you've been through and how you were looking harder than ever at this time to find truth and ultimately peace in this life. I don't think my companion and I were just placed in this area for no reason. We help people like you to find peace in this like and in the life to come. I'm a firm believer that there are no such things as coincidences. You just happened to move in here 3 weeks ago and replace this other person on the same journey as you. We just happened to be led to this complex for the first time in a year. That is no coincidence. God has placed you here to be found by his restored church and by his missionaries. He works in funny and mysterious ways and I think this is one of them!" We then bore some, if I do say so myself, powerful testimonies on God's plan for us and families, and left him with 2nd Nephi 2(basically answers "why bad things happen to good people") and left him. He's such an open minded person and promised us he will read the chapter and text us his thoughts and feelings.
>>
>> Well that's really all I have for this week. I hope y'all have a fantastic week and continue to grow your FAITH in our Lord and Savior, even Jesus Christ.
>> Elder Grandon
>> Pics:
>> The Air Force Academy
>> Testing out some features on my camera😂
>>

Fwd: Way too fast

>
> This week went by way too fast so please excuse the shortness of my email.
> I can't really recall much but you'll get all I remember. This week we did a lot of member lessons and that might be the reason for no cool stories but it is what it is. HA HA HA! We met with a family yesterday after church that made me want to be home. They were the nicest country folk I've ever met and it reminded me of when I worked at Bro. Cane's farm(for those of you who don't know he was a member I use to work for)! We, when I say that I mean I, offered out services right off the bat. They unfortunitly didn't have anything right then so that was a bummer but they said they would save our number and if anything popped up, we would be their first call. They have like 4 horses and all of them are so beautiful. There is a Momma and a baby and their interactions were so adorable.
> Well I officially hit my year mark last week on Thursday. It is so unreal to tell members I've been out for a year. It sounds so different to me but it's a good different. We didn't really do much except work that day. So nothing special and nothing got burned so yeah! I stayed safe and unburned and that's all that matters.
> Well that's about it from me. I hope y'all have a fantastic week and continue to grow your FAITH in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
> Elder Grandon

Year Mark

Surprise dinner appointment this week in celebration of one year done!

Fwd: New Companion, Who Dis?

> Howdy everyone! This week I got a new companion. His name is Elder Whitted. He's hecka dope, and very hard working.
>
> This week was really highlighted by the service we did at the El Paso County Fair. This was the second time we worked at the fair. The first time we went we switched cars woth the Zone leaders and I forgot my sunscreen was in the other car so it was kinda a rough 5 hours. I came home looking like a lobster. This week I was smarted and wore a very light jacket. I wanted to burn my legs this time so I wore shorts and didn't put sunscreen on anything but my face and neck. I didn't get the burn I wanted except on my calves for some odd reason.
>
> This week I hit a FLIPPIN YEAR!!! LET'S GO!!! It's so crazy to think I've been out a year. *MIND EXPLOSION* and then before you know it I'll be at 18 months and that's when I'll really start to freak out a lot!
>
> Well I think that's all for this week. I hope you all have a fantastic week and continue to GROW your faith in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! TIll next week(maybe LOL)
> Elder Grandon

A Long Time Coming

> Howdy everyone! Sorry it's been such a long time since you've heard from me, I guess I haven't written for 6 weeks because I would just call home and that would be it.
>
> A lot has happened these past 6 weeks. I got transferred to Pikes Peak YSA and it's defiantly different than any family ward I've ever been in. We don't really get fed that often but the members are still cool. We actively teach 5 returning members and that alone is a lot to plan for and then add on investigator lessons and service and before you know it, it's the transfer. My companion is Elder Kim. He's hecka cool. He came from LA and is one transfer away from returning. Unfortunately he is getting transferred to Castle Rock so I don't get to kill him off. I've served around him when I was finishing up training so him and I were already good friends. My new companion is Elder Whitted. I've never served around him or even heard of him but I've been told that he's pretty cool. I get him tomorrow so yeah.
>
> Last month I was able to head to the Temple as a "halfway" milestone. I haven't actually hit a year yet but because the temple will be closed from July-October my group got to go early. I tell you what, going to the temple as a regular person is already like a spiritual wave but as a missionary its amplified by like 1000! The spirit was so strong I felt like Lehi. I about fell asleep driving home. That much spirit is amazing but MANNNN it sure does ware you out. It's crazy to think I went to the Temple over a month ago. I feel like I was just there. Time really does fly on a mission.
>
> Speaking of time, next week I hit a YEAR!!!! That's so crazy. I feel like I just hugged my Family and reported to the MTC, but I guess not. HA HA HA! I'm a year away from being a college Freshman, I'm a year away from seeing my family again, I'm a year away from seeing my best friend, AKA my dog Hercules, again! He probably doesn't even remember what I look like LOL!! It truely does speak for how special missions are. Sure they sound like a long time but then you realize you have 7 transfers left and you kind of question how you got here. I love this opportunity to set myself aside and serve the people here. My football coach use to say "Leave it all out on the field so much so that I have to carry you off to the locker room! I will gladly drag myself out there to carry you off!" I think that's gonna be my moto for this year. "Leave it all out in the field". Jesus will provide strength. I know that from personal experiences.
>
> Finding in any YSA ward is extremely difficult. It's not that we have problems finding people but the fact that we have to find people that fit into specifics is hard! We've found several people who are golden people but because they're married or has a child or is over 31yrs old we eventually have to pass them off to the elders or sisters in that area. We cover 9 family wards but have to find YSA people within those boundaries and if we don't then we gift those missionaries with referrals. Elder Kim and I have become pros at sending referrals. It's defiantly hard but I wouldn't want it any other way. If it was easy everyone would do it.
>
> Well that's really all I got. I hope you all CONTINUE to grow your faith and LOVE for our Savior, Jesus Christ! Have a fantastic week!
> Elder Grandon
>
> Pics:
> I've been studying the P.O.S. a lot this week
> A really cool burger place in my area that has 2 grilled cheese sandwiches as the buns for the burger, it's called Crave Burgers
> When we went to the park to contact😂