Monday, August 28, 2017

Monday August 28, 2017 St. Maries, ID

Hey mom!

1. Your bike ride from last week looked pretty amazing. Can you tell us more about it? How far/long did you ride? Is the trail right in St. Marie's? 
1. Yes it was amazing. It’s called the Hiawatha and it’s 14 miles of just gradual downhill riding. It has 5 tunnels, one of which is a mile and a half long. There are also about 6 bridges that overlook a scenic landscape that you have never seen before, with beautiful pines that touch the sky and wonderful wild life all around you. This spectacle of a bike trail used to be a railroad that climbed the mountain side years ago. Electric trains used to run the rails and carry lumber for the mills that dotted the St. Joe river. It’s about an hour outside of St. Marie’s but to get to the trail head you have to go up and around and actually leave our mission! It was kinda cool to touch Montana. 

2. Updates about your investigators?
2. Eric is doing fantastic. He’s quit smoking and is ready to get baptized in a couple weeks. Mia we got to put on date this last week on Wednesday. That was super exciting! She is the real-estate lady that everyone in St. Marie’s knows and she is awesome! 

3. We got a message from Sis. Dymock telling us how great you are :) and that they met with you for interviews. Can you tell us about that? Were they just traveling around or there in your area specifically for something?
3. So every transfer they do interviews. We normally just meet in Couer d’Alene and have them there. That’s what it was. It happens every month and a half.

4. We also got a text from the thrift store lady. She said she was inviting you two over for a volunteer appreciation dinner. Did you go to that?
4. No. We had some other stuff come up. I was super disappointed but oh well the work of the Lord takes priority I guess.

5. (From Dad) What is the single biggest way that you feel that you have grown?  Please answer in no less than 20 words. Your answer will be graded so make sure you take your time.
Ok I’ll try to answer your question. But it’s hard because there’s a lot of stuff I’ve learned and it’s hard to put it into words. 
So the single biggest way I’ve grown in the first year of my mission is of course my personal testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel. But along with that, I’ve grown in being able to apply that gospel to my life. I’ve seen that when we do that and put our trust in God he is bound and will bless us. There is too much to say and not enough words to describe what I’ve learned and how I’ve changed. I’m still the same person, don’t get me wrong but I have changed spiritually more than I thought I would. And that kind of change you can’t really put into words. 

I don’t know if that’s what you’re looking for. But it’s just hard to get my hands to type my spiritual feelings you know? 

So this week has been good. Most of the update is in the questions I answered up there. Besides those things we have been working hard and changing lives out here. I love it and I wouldn't change a thing.

We did a lot of service this week for an investigator named Pat. Our ward mission leader is sick so hope he gets better quick. I guess there’s just not a lot to say this week so it’s just been normal. We see a lot of miracles with our investigators changing and I’ve seen just how much the gospel can have an effect on people’s lives. It’s pretty cool. 

It’s kinda crazy that I have less than 12 months left now. (Logan only has 10. Weird right?) 

Well I love ya and hope you have a good week!
-Elder St. John


PS. I used the credit card a week or two ago and I forgot if I told you or not so just making sure you check that please!

*Don't worry these are Elder Jackson's pants! Ha!








Monday, August 21, 2017

Monday August 21, 2017 St. Maries, ID

Hey mom! 

So I don’t have any time to email so this will be short. I’ll have to give you a better update next week. But today we went on the Hiawatha bike trail with my Ward Mission Leader Bro. Bryce! It was cool. And we got to watch the solar eclipse while we were out there.

1. Did you get your jeans in the mail?
1. Yes I got the jeans thanks so much.

2. Did you get your solar eclipse glasses/book?
2. Yes, and the eclipse stuff.

3. If you're writing after the eclipse did you watch it?
3. And yes we watched it. It was cool.

4. How have your allergies been lately?
4. My allergies have been fine.

5. Happy year mark week! At this point I feel like I should ask you how your shirts/pants/socks & shoes are holding up? 
5. The only clothing that is getting really worn out is my slacks. Not suit pants just normal slacks.

6. Do you have any crazy year mark traditions in your mission?
6. Umm only thing I can think of is burning a shirt and that’s about it.

Thanks for saying hi to Mrs. Grant for me! I’ll send a bunch of pictures. I promise I’ll give a better update next week!


-Elder St. John










Tuesday, August 15, 2017

Monday August 14, 2017 St. Maries, ID

Hi Mom! Doing good. 

1. Did you get your pants I ordered? Do they fit? If not, you'll have to send them to me in the bag w/ the papers.
1. Not yet. I’ll tell you when I get them.

2. I think Dad asked you, but could you clarify about all the awesome pictures you sent us last week?
2. Ok so I sent this to dad but…the antlers were my companion’s that he got and was cleaning so he could send them home. The sandwich was just our lunch one day and my comp took a pic and I don’t know why but I thought it was funny. And that’s not a dead fox. We were at an investigators house doing service and I saw a pack of coyote out the window. So you know it’s North Idaho so the investigator jumped up and grabbed his gun off the couch and went and shot one. It’s only a baby one but it was pretty cool.

3. You're less active neighbors...do they live right next door in your apartment complex? Or where?
3. Right next door.

4. Do you do anything for exercise there in your beautiful area while its nice and summery?
4. Well, we don’t have any time to do anything really that fun but we run in the morning sometimes. We went on a hike on one pday to. 

So this week kinda just felt like a normal week. It’s good to hear that you had fun in St. George and stuff. This week we worked hard and taught a couple lessons to our investigators and they’re doing good. We did a lot of service for people this week. There really isn’t too much to update on. All is going well.

Transfer calls were last night and we are both staying! So we get to be here for another 6 weeks together!

This week I’ve been studying a lot in Jesus the Christ and man I’ll tell ya, that’s quite the read. It’s got a lot of really cool stuff in it to learn.

One cool thing that happened this week was that yesterday we went and taught our investigator Jessica and she is going to stop smoking. We offered a blessing and gave it to her and she said that the words we said really touched her and gave her a lot of confirmation to her prayers. Giving blessing has always been one of my favorite things to do and I will never forget the miracles I’ve seen from it. I know that the priesthood is real. It is a very real thing that God has given us on the earth and it really can change the lives of the people who believe.

Well I love ya all. Talk to ya later!

-Elder St. John

Monday, August 7, 2017

Monday August 7, 2017 St. Maries, ID

Hey mom! It is weird that it is already August.

1. Do you know that there's a solar eclipse happening in a couple of weeks? Did you know you're in a really good location to see it? If you're not already aware I'll email you more about it next week.
1. I didn’t know about that. Yeah send me some info on it so we can plan on seeing it.

2. How many missionaries are in your district and are there any sisters?
2. Just us and a set of sisters in the Plummer branch (yes spelled like that, natives named it).

3. Catch any more mice?
3. We are up to 14 mice now. It seems like it’s slowing down.

4. Where do you do laundry in this area?
4. We do our laundry at home. We have a washer and dryer.

5. Picture requests...send pictures of the street you live on and your apartment building please!
5. Ok I’ll work on that.

Well this week was a good one. We started off with a great powerhouse of lessons on Tuesday. We taught our investigator Eric who we put on date for baptism! September 23rd is the date. But he wants to move it up sooner. So I’ll keep you updated.

Then we taught our other progressing investigator Mia. We taught her the whole plan of salvation and answered her questions and at the end we committed her to pray to know if it was true. She said, “Oh I don’t need to, I already know it’s true.” Sweet! That never happens. So that was great.

Then the rest of the week was good. Just did our usual driving and teaching and talking. You know, normal missionary stuff. Besides that, we have been working with our less active neighbors a bunch and they are so awesome they are just going through a lot of hard stuff.

I’ve really learned to love the people out here. It really makes all the difference when you truly love the people you serve. So when you have struggles and hardships that charity inside you pulls you through. President Monson gives a good talk on charity.

Well I hope you all have a good week and good luck with stuff! Love ya bye!


-Edler St. John
*These pictures come with no explanation from Elder St. John...so who knows!