New Companion

Hello everyone who is interested in what I have to say!

How's it going? So I now have a new companion whose name is Elder Ross

and he is so hard working and diligent and an amazing kid. He actually

has a similar personality as mine and we are getting along super great

so far. He is my brother, the kid who was also trained by my trainer.

This cycle will be amazing and this area will blow up with how

dedicated Elder Ross is, and he will teach me things that will help me

be a better missionary.

So elder Neuerburg has been dying so we haven't had a crazy amount of

time to do much of anything. He has needed a lot of time to do his

mission experience and get ready to go home.

Friday was great because we were lucky to do some service for some

people in the Danbury Ward, that elder Neuerburg knows. We made a big

bond fire with everything in the yard and roasted hot dogs and made

s'mores. It was very fun and we had a great dinner appointment and I

found out that I only have 17.5% body fat! We also ate pizza that

night so I'm not sure how much that helped towards losing weight.. But

everything was awesome. We learned more about physical fitness and

things to help us be more healthy especially if there is no gym. We

learned exercises that we can do just in our apartment if no gym is

available.

Saturday we went to the Lincoln square chapel to hear from Elder

Quentin L Cook, and I could  just feel of his spirit, and that he

truly was an apostle of the lord Jesus Christ. On thing that was

really cool is after we all shook his hand he told us this "thank you

for shaking my hand and allowing me to personally interview each one

of you". He looked into our eyes and could tell if something was off

or how we are living our lives. He knows, he is so in tune with the

spirit. Also his testimony was so inspiring. He told us that he knows

that Jesus Christ lives and that he knows what he looks and sounds

like. I know that Jesus Christ has called apostles and that Quentin L

Cook is one of them. Saturday night a member took us to outback steak

house and that was a good steak, and coconut shrimp oh and a blooming

onion.. I can't forget that! The bread as well.

I got another hair cut and pretty much that's the sum up of what

happened this week. I really can't wait to go out and do the Lords

work and tract and find and do all things that we have to do in order

to be successful. It has been hard killing 2 missionaries and sending

them home and it has made me die a little inside but that won't stop

me from doing the Lords work! I can't wait for Elder Ross and I to do

what we need to, and be so tired every night that we just collapse

after we hit our beds. I love this work and I know that the gospel is

true, I know that Jesus Christ is the only begotten son of God and

that through Christ we can be saved. All I do as a missionary is to

invite others to come to Christ, I can't force anyone. It all depends

on how bad the person wants their life to improve and everything to be

so perfect. I love it and I could do this without all the experiences

I've had in my life.

The Mother's Day call was great and I really loved to talk to you

guys. I hope all is well and I loved sharing my testimony with you and

I hope it touched you in some way! Love you and hope you have a great

week!

Elder Casper.

Surprising Announcement

Hey to everyone,

 

This past week has had some difficulties, when you kill a missionary

the work starts to slow down because they have so much to do in such

little time. Elder Neuerburg has been writing his mission experience a

lot and hasn't really had that desire to go out and do work. He is a

great missionary and really loves missionary work but he isn't too

focused. We are trying to do as much work as possible but we will see

how this week goes.

 

On Saturday we did so much service, we helped the Danbury elders do

some service for one of their investigators. We have been doing a lot

of things outside and I've been starting to burn. I love the feeling

of being outside and doing service and sweating. It was a great day

and we were really blessed with some nice weather in the morning. Then

we went to one of our less actives Johnny. We helped him for 2 hours

to move boxes and help him re organize his huge wear house full of

diaper bags. After we finished he told us to go home and shower and

change and then we met him at the Cheesecake Factory. I had some

delicious steak and mashed potatoes and a chocolate peanut butter

cheese cake which was amazing and made me feel sick to my stomach

later that night. Johnny offered to take us to cold stone creamery

right after we finished our cheesecake and we were considering it but

we were full and didn't feel like eating more sweets so we declined

but Johnny said he would take us out again before elder Neuerburg

leaves.

 

We are getting a new Ward mission leader on Sunday and I am super

excited to finally have a structure in our ward mission work. It will

be super nice to be able to get everything rolling and all that fun

stuff. This last Sunday night we had dinner with the Jones and I'm not

sure if you got that picture that sister Jones sent to you but we had

such a fun time.

 

Monday there was some really exciting announcements. As you know I am

going to a Yankees game on July 3rd and that's not even our P-day so

we have such a privilege to do that. It's also an evening game so we

will leave by either 9 o clock or 7th inning, whichever comes first.

We are getting home so late that night but we will still get up at

6:30 like normal. We are forced to go to the game, they will take the

money out and everyone has to be there.  I am planning on buying a

Yankees hat to wear to the game because we are allowed to! Watch the

Yankees game that day and you might see me on the big screen, and I

know you will see missionaries because we stand out but that will be

good especially because Mormon tabernacle choir will be there so it

will be a great missionary opportunity. We will be meeting our new

mission president on June 30th and get acquainted with him and become

a friend to him.

 

The biggest announcement that I've received on my mission. This

Saturday at the Lincoln Center Chapel (Temple), we are having a

general authority come speak to our mission. Elder Quentin L Cook of

the quorum of the twelve. He wants to shake each of our hands and

speak to our mission. He is only speaking to our mission and we are

not sure if that's a bad thing or a good thing. President Morgan

doesn't even know why he is coming or what he will speak about but we

are all pretty nervous for this opportunity. It's a mission wide

conference and there will be so many great things said to us. I am

excited for this chance that I have to be spoken to by an apostle of

the Lord Jesus Christ. I have been praying for guidance and to have

the spirit with me so I will get something out of that. It's rare to

have someone from the quorum of the twelve come speak to us.

 

Our only investigator that is somewhat progressing is Darwin and he

doesn't know for himself that the Book of Mormon is true but he will

find out soon enough. We haven't been able to get in touch with all

the other potential investigators. Hopefully we will soon so we can

teach them . That's it with this area.

 

Yesterday was all service and dinner. We had tacos last night. Brother

Lake told us some amazing things last night and he blew our minds with

some of the things he spoke about. He started out by asking us "what

is the purpose of life?" We told him "to be tested and to end up with

our father in heaven." He asked us more questions. Then he told us to

open up to 2 Nephi 32:1-6 and that really blows my mind. I've never

noticed this scripture before: "6 Behold, this is the doctrine of

Christ, and there will be no more doctrine given until after he shall

manifest himself unto you in the flesh. And when he shall manifest

himself unto you in the flesh, the things which he shall say unto you

shall ye observe to do." It really makes me think about the doctrine

of Christ and all the doctrine we have now isn't the end, that when

Jesus Christ manifests himself to us he will give us more doctrine and

he will teach us more. In verse 7 it states: "And now I, Nephi, cannot

say more; the Spirit stoppeth mine utterance." And brother lake

pointed out that everything the prophets write about the doctrine of

Christ the spirit always stops them and they won't be able to tell

more. And as members of the church we need to be studying our own

doctrine because there is so much behind every singe scripture and

every dot of our gospel connects. To endure to the end doesn't mean to

just go to church and keep the commandments. It means to study the

scriptures and to find the meaning behind it. We are entitled to the

ministering of angels and we need to allow revelation flow. The spirit

will tell us things we ask for. If you don't understand something,

it's because you didn't ask. Bring all your questions you have to God,

the answer may not come immediately but as you study and ask you will

receive the answer to the question and that feeling will be worth it.

I know that this is the true church, and the Book of Mormon answers

those questions that we have. Through revelation from God we will

receive the things in which we ask. I love being a missionary and I

love teaching, doing service and loving everyone.

 

Read 2 Nephi 31-32, Jacob 4, 3 Nephi 11, 3 Nephi 27. Everything

prophets talk about the doctrine of Christ, the spirit always stops

them and they can't say anything else. That's the pattern. When Christ

comes to this earth he will teach us the rest of the doctrine.

 

I love each one of you and hope you had a great time this past week!

 

Love,

Elder Casper