Months 8 and 9 and a baptism to boot!

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reece.reynolds@myldsmail.net


4-26-2016

Hey fam,

This week has been probably one of the best on my mission. 

First off, I have my new companion Elder Salmon, He is the man. Hes pretty quiet so our car rides consist of me talking and him listening with no response. haha Hes from downtown Las Vegas, this is one of the most humble guys ive ever met. Its honestly an answer to prayers. 

So we have our main man Ryan, he is also the man. I cant wait for his baptism. Its gonna be good. Hes so committed I cant even explain. hes like "yeah my moms not gonna be cool with all this when I tell her. and I want to own being a mormon so ... there wont be very many people at my baptism also i want to marry in the church and have children with a mormon woman" MY HEART IS SO FULL it sounds dumb I know but Im being for real. I cant explain the joy i have when I think about the promises hes so willing to make. I play it cool on the outside but inside im like a 12 year old girl at a Justin beiber concert.

Also, we were walking out of a lesson late one night this week in an apartment building and passed the room one of the less-active guys we're working with. I couldn't hear him when I walked by his room which is unusual. So I just walked in, He was drunk and in bad shape. He was holding an extension chord around his neck trying to end his pain. So without really thinking I ran into his room where he was and wrestled with him and I got the chord off and threw it on the ground and kicked it into the corner and he was crying so I picked him up and just hugged him. This guys an alcoholic and veteran and he feels like theres nothing to live for. Hes never been in love and never been successful But he is the most kind hearted, genuine, loving guy you will ever meet. Hes had a rough go at life. Hes a product of rape and was beaten and verbally abused by his mother. Although all of this has happened to him. He still loves the savior and will do anything for anyone. This is the guy who taught me how to have the characteristic of charity and Christ-like love. Anyway that was a hard situation to come out of. I cant  imagine the kind of feelings Elder Salmon had, being brand new in the area he was probably a little shocked. 

Anyway, this week was legit otherwise because it was just so smooth. I never had a frustrated moment I owe that to my ever-expanding understanding appreciation and love of the savior. Also Elder Salmon came in at the right time.

The church is home and the doctrines within bring unequaled peace in our hearts when we truly do embrace them, so im never homesick and never ceasing to improve. Shout out to brother Campbell and Brother Leatherwood. Thanks Guys.

Love, Elder Reynolds

5-2-2016

Hey fam,

Well, Yes. Just yes.

I left home 8 months ago today 1/3rd of my mission is over with.. thats mind blowing..

It was neat to open my email today to a billion testimonys, Ryan will enjoy those. But I also really enjoyed reading them its always neat to hear peoples conversions stories, they really are never the same. Because the holy ghost ministers to us all differently. Proof that god loves us.

This week went by really quickly. It snowed for some reason now its like 80 outside haha.. I was talking with my companion one night this week.. ive gotten him to open up to me a little more I think. But he said "you know elder, think about it, our end goal as missionaries is to get people to wear different underwear." I laughed for a while at this innocent yet deeply thought out comment. Yes its true we do greatly desire people to make covenants with god. Ill be honest, as we were planning the baptismal service for Ryan I was filled with such satisfaction and joy that winning two state championships does not compare. I hope everyone can feel what ive felt this past week. Be missionaries:)

We went on exchanges this week. Other then that we just grinded through the weather to find people to teach and we did!!

I try to keep the ratio of spiritual things to life things pretty even in my emails.. but were going all spirit today. For personal study this morning I read all of joseph smith history.. That man will forever be an idol of mine, through all of the persecution he faced and the trials he endured. He kept going and going. Righteousness is a lonely road for those who choose it. Anyway it was for sure a great thing to start my day and endure my mission with. I also found a new favorite scripture because it applies so well to me right now. Its in mosiah somewhere it says "Nevertheless, after much tribulation, the lord did hear my cries, and did answer my prayers, and has made me an instrument in his hands in bringing so many of you to a knowledge of his truth. 4) Nevertheless, in this I do not glory, for I am unworthy to glory in myself."

Ive been on my knees a lot lately praying for the welfare of those im in contact with, this includes family at home as well as brothers and sisters out here in the mission field. When I do this home feels a little closer then 6 hours away haha

A great week is ahead of us, Temple, Baptism, Mothers day:) 

God loves us I know this because he has blessed us with a prophet to help us today. I found that out in a very tangible way today. If you dont feel me, read the scriptures until you do.

The church is true. 

Love, Elder Reynolds

5-9-2016

Hey fam,

I got a lot of things to be thankful for. I've got a good mom and dad. 

This week was filled with big things so it flew by. It seems like the weeks are speeding up. Which is good but i kinda love being a missionary and its gonna end in a little more then a year. So that was bazaar to realize. and Cody gets home this year too so thats even weirder!

My companion is a boss. I got him to laugh so hard that he was crying which is rare he doesnt show very much emotion haha.

We went to the temple and that was sweet because we only get to go once a quarter now so those trips are cherished. Plus we had a member ask us to do baptisms for her there so we got special permission to do it. Elder Salmon baptized me and i flippin made waves so he got soakin wet haha. I also saw Elder LaRue there and he leemer hugged me haha i love that guy.

Then we had a convert baptism! that was sweet we got him all cleaned from sin and everything. i was talking to him as we were changing and he told me he feels blessed. and i had never seen him so calm. He also mentioned the spirit of sharing his testimony, which he already has, to the world. This guy is a solid convert if ive ever met one. It was a good spiritual baptism though and President Mendenhall came to visit. Its always cool to see him im glad he'll be my Pres all the way through, well he goes home like a month before me but its still cool.

Then yesterday i had to speak in sacrament.. i dont like that at all.. but it was chill. Elder salmon had to play the piano too. Hes real good at it.

At dinner I got a call from ghana africa.. that probably was a highlight of my mission because one of my real good buddies was on the other end serving his mission about 15 minutes from the coast i was real happy. Then i got to facetime the fam, that was also real neat, everyones getting real big and mom and dad youre getting old. Stop doing that i dont like it. But that was fun. Its weird how we can just easily call and see people but the rest of the year they feel so far away. These are the pictures i took this week. The old guy is Named richard we tech him and he always has his bird with him. I love that dude. The sprout if from the cherry tree seed i planted... its growin haha and im gonna carry him with me throughout my mission.

Anyway lifes good in the hood. The church is true im glad i can bare my witness because I see peoples lives change. This gospel is whats up. Jesus Christ was resurected and he lives. I know it and its my life to share that.

5-23-2019

Hey fam,

yo this week was a good one. I did almost lose my life accidentally but i am here, in the flesh. i apologize for the no show last week... 

Last week my companion and i went into the local trader joes to pick up our bannanas and some older nice looking lady came into the store and started chewing us out like yelling at us and screaming and i think she started to grow fangs.. anyway she let us know that our church is not true in her opinion and my companion and i just looked at her with blank looks because this lady was simply rude about how she was acting. I felt like everyone in the store was lookin at us.. but we just invited her to come to church next week hahaha.. although this was small compared to what Joseph smith went through, i kinda got a glimpse of the persecutions he faced. It also made me realize that city folk are hippies.

Then this last friday, Elder Salmon and I were riding down colfax ave... its gross there. But some guy walks up to us as we were stopped trying to cross a street and he yells "GENTLEMAN" and then we said hello, he said "if you can tell me who the byu softball team played today i will join your church" so i guessed nebraska out of the blue haha and i guess it was right.. his facial expression went from trying to make us look dumb and smirking to serious as a heart attack. the funny thing is theres a lot of people that sit at bars outside of the restaurants and people started laughing at the situation. So he demanded that we give him a pamphlet and then we went on our way. I got lucky on that one. 

Then we were going to an appointment at 10 am one morning and we were trying to hurry so i was riding as fast as i could and i was on the sidewalk and a car pulled out of an alleyway and i had to default to my navy seal training and use my evasive maneuvering skills and dodge the oncoming vehicle. I am proud to say that i held on to my fragile life for a little longer.

Also we taught a col guy that we found on the street walking named Dan. Dan is a less-active member of the church and he is thinking about coming back. So were here to help him along. Hes a cool guy. Cyrus is also doing really well. Hes going to the temple this week!

I think thats about it, i was sick on saturday so i took some medicine that i found and it made me sleep all day so.. i think i actually mightve died temporarily. But im here. i know that the devils workin on me because of how close i came to meeting my maker this many times this week. i guess you could say im good a cheating death.

Also im not sure if i reported this but we had the oppurtunity to go to the local high school that reminds me of the movie school of rock.. its old.. anyway we taught some kids about mormonism. Im never doing that again.. they asked us about our underwear... 

Other than all these cool stories, Elder Salmon and i worked our bootys off this week. We got a lot of good work done. Ill be sad to leave this area but im so ready.. i need to get out of this concrete jungle. 

The church is home. Whats your confidence level in approaching the throne of god?

Love, Elder Reynolds

1250 Main Street

Broomfield, CO

80020