Newtown Never Gets Old

Hello dear people who want to read my email,

This week has been random and fun and crazy and yeah. So last Thursday
the Assistants to the President came down and tracted in our area
because they want to see how all areas of the mission are doing. We
found someone who may be interested and told us they would call us so
that's pretty cool. Later that day we were walking down this street
and this lady slowed down next to us and said "don't knock on my
door", and then told us the number... She pulled into her driveway and
we realized that we already did.. So yeah. People aren't super
receptive to this message here but we try! It rained so hard as well,
like we were going to a gas station to go use the restroom and as soon
as we got there it was pouring and we ran inside and we were already
super wet. Then by the time we were done there were huge puddles and
we got soaked. Rain over here is random and intense.

This weekend has been down in the 50s because of a cold spike. Also a
lot more rain, and this time we were pretty far away from our car so
we sprinted to our car and yeah there was no out running that rain. We
were soaked by the time we got in our car, dripping wet. I can
honestly say I don't like random rain storms.. But I definitely love
the people here!

We decided to tract the other day after we visited a less active (it
poured that day as well). Knocked on the first door, no one answered
and on the second one, this guy was playing guitar, and I told Elder
Ross I played guitar. The guy opens the door and elder Ross says
"Elder Casper plays guitar" and the guy says "well come on in". I
guess he was a former investigator, and he was dropped a year ago and
he let us in. He let me play his guitar a bit and then we had a really
sweet discussion about how the callings are chosen in our church. He
told us to drop by whenever and he would make us brownies and we could
teach him! He was really cool!

About 14+ Families are moving out of this Ward this summer, so about
50 people are leaving to the west coast! (Yay for west coast, a lot of
them to California!) a lot of missionary work needs to be done here to
keep the ward growing.

We found this guy who is training to be an episcopalian minister, and
some of his family are a members, he has read the Book of Mormon and he
had a testimony of it. He is way enthusiastic and he loves scriptures.
He prayed us out of our lesson and we all held hands and the spirit
was with us in that meeting and I hope him and his family will like
what they are hearing and feel good. While he was praying he was
praying for us to have wonderful missions. He is amazing and would
make a strong member in this Ward.

We had dinner at a members house last night and he showed us a really
cool way to tract. You say your missionaries and you want to talk
about the Book of Mormon. The pictures in the front explain what the
book is about, it's all about Jesus Christ, it's about Lehi and his
family being commanded by God to leave to the Americas, the build a
ship and head to the Americas, there are baptisms and crazy things
going on! Then Jesus Christ appears to the people of America, and
performs miracles and ministers unto them. Then you show them chapter
11 of 3rd Nephi and invite them to read it and ask if you can come
back and talk about it. You follow the spirit of course. And it works,
we did it to a potential investigator and she let us in to their home
and we used the Book of Mormon and invited her to read chapter 11 and
she was excited! It was way cool to see that work and I could feel the
spirit working through me and I was so grateful for that moment.

He also told us that we should always be praying, especially at every
door. But missionaries who have a prayer in their heart always asking
for help as you teach are successful. I tried it yesterday and I felt
the spirit stronger than I've ever felt it. I love this gospel, I love
being able to "flood the earth" with the Book of Mormon and to be a
representative of Jesus Christ. This Gospel brings me so much joy and
I love sharing it with everyone!

Thanks for everything you do for me, and thanks for all of your
prayers! Love you all and hope you have a great week!

Dad,

I have been super good, missionary work has its ups and downs but I'm
on the uphill climb of it all. Im feeling a lot better and now I have
just been super sore from all the tracting we do. We have been working
as hard as we can and we try not to waste any time! We have been
finding new people that were interested, and people have been
generally pretty receptive. There are some cool stories I'll tell in
my weekly email.

Brandi doesn't ever write me, but tell her congrats on graduating! I'm
excited for her! I'm also excited that you all will see grandparents.
Sounds like a lot of fun. I'm the lowest I've weighed in a long time!
My new weight is 222.4 lbs! I'm not sure how it all goes down.
Anyways. Yeah life is good here and I'm feeling like I'm leaving this
area after this Transfer. I am definitely excited to see where I will
go next. But of course I don't know, only the Lord knows! I have 20 or
less pages left in my journal, so 20 days!

Are you excited to have your last kid be done with high
school and leave? You will soon be empty nesters! Time will fly by and
then I will be home before you know it! Everyday flies by and it's
becoming faster and faster each day. Sometimes I do miss home but I am
trying my hardest to be as consecrated as possible. Hopefully we will
find some sweet people soon, other than the people we have already
found. I don't know what else to say but I hope you're doing good!
Keep reading and praying and studying preach my gospel and the
prophets and apostles. Especially as a family. Make that a priority. I
wish we did that more when I was younger.. Anyways!

I love you and mom so much, you have taught me to do so many great
things and with out you guys, I wouldn't be here. I'm grateful for
what you have taught me, you have raised me to be so much more than I
could ever do by myself. I wish I was better than I was before my
mission, I wish I did the things I had to and was a more obedient
child. Truth of it all is that I am changing and it's what the Lord
needs me to become. Thanks for everything! 

Love,
Elder Casper