Homecoming - Elder Scott Snell:

Elder Scott Snell will be flying home and will arrive at the Idaho Falls airport on Wednesday, December 9.

His report in sacrament meeting will be Sunday, December 20 at 1:00 pm at the 2nd & 5th Ward Building on 2nd West - Rexburg.

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Nov 1, 2009
This week was a pretty good one, it was my first one with Elder Green and he is a hoot. I really like him. We get along pretty well and he is a pretty chill guy which is always nice.

We had our Halloween party this week. They don't celebrate Halloween here so that was fun to do for everyone. Except that my comp and I ended up doing about 90% of everything even though there were 4 other missionaries. That was lame but it turned out. We did mummy wrapping, mask making and Elder Green and I made an obstacle course which turned out to be the favorite. We had them spinning around, picking up dried pieces of rice, putting on big gloves, shoes and a coat then had to open a piece of gum and blow a bubble, stick a balloon between their legs and run. It was really fun and the next day my voice was pretty raspy. Then we also put on a haunted hallway/room type of thing, the kids all liked it. While we were getting ready we decided to carve some pumpkins for the decorations and I was really excited cause I enjoy doing that. Well we got our pumpkins and I got mine open and I reached in for that first nice slimy grab and I came out with a handful of maggots. Yeah my pumpkin had started to rot. It was gross, the maggots were jumping all over the place and it was pretty disturbing. I just held my breath and just cleaned it out anyway cause we needed the pumpkin. It was definitely a Halloween to remember. Oh oh and I dressed up as Superman. I just did the whole Superman shirt underneath and unbuttoned my white shirt. It was fun, the members enjoyed it. I hope you all had a good week and that everything is ok. I love you all and miss you. Elder Snell

Nov 8, 2009
Yesterday the Sisters in my ward had their investigator get baptized and I was able to have the honor of Baptizing her. She is a little daughter of a once less active member and is now reactivated. Her father is still less active so he wasn't able to baptize her. He came though and it was really good to see him there. It only took me three times before I got it right. It was pretty embarrassing and I felt really bad for 예지 (that is her name). The first time I said the prayer and dunked her and I didn't step on her feet so one of them popped out and so I shoved her down even farther and I felt like I was almost drowning her. She came back out coughing and I was told that I forgot a word. I felt bad I told her sorry and that we had to do it one more time. I said the prayer right and dunked her and stepped on her feet and was pretty sure that I got her under. I was a little hesitant to dunk her deep because of the last time and I felt bad. But when she came out they said that the hem of her dress popped out and a hair or something didn't go all the way under. I felt really bad and said the prayer and just threw her under. We got it done. I just told her that she was three times cleaner then the rest of us so it was ok.

We also were able to go to the orphanage again this week. It is always a lot of fun to go and see all those kids. They all seem happy and like they are doing well. They are pretty well taken care of. We ate this pumpkin soup that tasted like throw up. I really didn't like it so I made Elder Green eat mine. He didn't mind though.

I am doing good, I got my schedule of my last days about going to the temple in Seoul and all that jazz when my exit interview is and such. It was pretty weird. Oh well, I will just keep going until that day comes. I love you all and thanks for your support. Remember the church is true. Elder Snell

Elder Matt Hansen:

Oct 26, 2009
We received the transfer news today and I got news that I am leaving Mombasa. I have kind of mixed feelings about it but overall I think its time for a change. I am going to miss the people though, that's what makes it so hard to leave an area. I love it here in Mombasa and I love the people, they are amazing. Hopefully I'll find the same in my next area. I am going to a place called Eldoret. It is just a smaller town but I am excited. My new companion is from Zimbabwe but I have never met him, it should be fun, I am excited. It will most likely be my last area. I will tell you all about it next week. We had 3 baptisms yesterday so that was cool, we were happy to see those work out. I hope you are well. I love you, thanks for everything that you have done for me and that you continue to do for me, your the best! Elder Hansen

P.S. We might get to go on safari before we go home...maybe

Nov 2, 2009
So, like I told you last week, I got transferred. Now I am in Eldoret serving in the Huruma branch. The town isn't too crowded and we are kind of on the outskirts of town so we only go there on Mondays. From the few days that I've been here I can say that I really miss Mombasa, especially the people there. I just got so comfortable there it felt like home, I loved it. Right now the transition has been kind of difficult but going to church yesterday helped because I was able to meet the members. The church seems a bit more developed here than Mombasa but I just can't wait to get to know the people, that's what makes an area. I am still lost but I know things will get better. This area is a lot different than my last. I took two buses to get here in two days. One was an 8 hour ride the other around 7 so nothing too bad but still not too fun. Eldoret is cold though, I'm freezing! Its funny to think because I never thought I could be cold in Kenya but its a bit cool. Most of it is just because I am used to the heat in Mombasa but I am just trying to adjust. Its nice though because I'm not sweating all the time and I can actually use a blanket to sleep, it feels good. My companion is a cool kid and I have enjoyed being with him for these few days. He is from Zimbabwe and is 3 months out and an awesome missionary, he is willing to work so that's good. I have also realized that no matter where you go there is always more work than you can handle but I am excited to get to know these people and to work with them.

I love you. Thank you so much for everything. I got your package right before I left Mombasa and I loved it!!! It had everything I needed, thank you very much. From now on just send mail to the mission home. Love you, Elder Hansen

Elder Adam Walker:

Nov 3, 2009
This week has been a good one. Only two more weeks in this transfer. Time sure is going fast. We had a big week of meetings this past week. Elder and Sister Sybrowski were awesome, they brought a great spirit to our mission. Sister Sybrowski knew her scriptures much better than Elder Sybrowski did haha, they were both really nice people though. I conducted the mission conference, that went really well. Overall it was just a great experience. Since I was leading the meeting, I got a lot of interaction with them so I got to know them a little bit so that was neat. They were each powerful speakers.

We also had interviews with President last week. Elder Reed is leaving, I am going to be getting a new companion here in Buena Vista, so we will just have to see who I get now. I will know in 2 weeks exactly what is going to happen.

There is one thing that Elder and Sister Sybrowski asked us to each get from our parents, it is our family conversion story. Like how our family came into the church, who were the ones that made it so we were born into it, when it happened, why they joined, the missionaries that taught them. If that makes any sense. Just a history of our ancestors and their dealings with the church. I will take everything that you have about anything to do with it.

If you could just send it in the mail that would be great. I had never thought of it until the were talking about it and then they said you will all be better missionaries if you get your parents to send you out everything they have and can find out about it. Many times we think our families have been in the church forever, but the church was only organized in 1830 so it doesn't go back any further than that. ha it made sense. so if you could get that I would really really appreciate it.

Sunday night there was a CES fireside. IT was Awesome! Elder Uchtdorf talked, you definitely need to watch or read that one. It was a powerful talk with a lot of good stuff. It would be good for all of you to read it. There is something in there for everyone. It was powerful. and really pretty funny as well. If you can watch it on the Internet it would be better but, if all you can get is the text, that would be good too. I will check up to see if you saw it next week :) Everything is going really well here, thanks for everything. Love you all, Elder Walker

Nov 10, 2009
Yeah we did have some pretty good visitors this week. The Sybrowski's were great and they were some great speakers,really quite moving. Sheri Dew was supposed to come in last weekend but she had to cancel at the last minute due to some circumstance she had so that was a bummer, but these two guys from New York that work for 20/20 were here. But we really didn't get to meet them, we were really busy this last week, we had a ton of meetings and not a whole lot of time to be doing work, we did have 6 investigators at church though, that was awesome. I'm pretty sure that is the most I have ever had, last week we had 5. All of them should get baptized soon but we will just have to see. One is for sure, she is getting baptized Nov 14 so that will be nice.

Oh yeah, and I forgot to put this in the other email, but this last week I found out that 2 people I recently taught, 1 in Elkins, and the other in Martinsville are getting baptized. I don't know if you remember me talking about a guy that we were going and teaching in Jail (Clifton Bond). Well, he is out now and is going to be baptized soon. Also in Martinsville, remember that girl Britney Watson that we were teaching she was only 16, she knew the church was true and everything, but her grandparents wouldn't sign the Baptismal record so she could. Well almost a year later, she has gone to church every week and stayed strong and her grandparents have softened their hearts and she got baptized this past weekend! She is now 17. So it was a special treat to hear about each of them, especially in the same week! Life is great, the church is true, Elder Walker

Elder Cade Casper:

Cade at the MTC - Pointing to the World Map - his Mission

Nov 3, 2009
The week has been good. I really notice a difference in my receptiveness to the spirit when I truly forget myself and worry more about the people here in State College. We have tracted, and tracted, and I actually don't mind it. I have been blessed with a really good trainer, he talks to EVERYBODY! It was hard to do at first, but now I love to see somebody walking their dog (which everyone has a dog here) and going over to talk to them. We have found some new investigators, people who are very open. As we teach them the first lesson outside their house or something I can see them being interested or uninterested. It's cool when we finish teaching and we are able to set up a return appointment with them. We went on exchanges with the district leader yesterday, well, I did. He is cool, way nice guy. I went into his area which is Clearfield, and we tracted in Phillipsburg. His area just consisted of a lot of small little towns or villages. I didn't like the area. It made me appreciate State College and realize how much nicer the people are here.

But we had some good lessons. We taught a guy named Anty on Saturday who I think had been in prison. He was way open about Joseph Smith. We left him a copy of the Book of Mormon and we are meeting him again on Saturday, I hope he invites the Spirit as he reads so that it can let him know it is true. Oh, one cool thing about exchanges with E. Andrus (the d.l.) was we went up to this guys house, and he said "Come on up!" He was a Methodist pastor and he was very nice. One of the first things he talked about though was how he knows what we believe in and he thinks Joseph Smith is a hoax, and the B of M is from his imagination. I hadn't had anybody tell me this. He said a couple of years ago missionaries came and told him to pray about it. He said he did, and that was the answer God told him. I didn't know what to do, I thought he was going to be a jerk. But then he said he heard a voice three times throughout that night saying something like "don't discount or disregard those people." So then we talked about how he respects what we do. And we talked about how the world is so messed up and how we as Christians have to help people. He was cool, but I had just never heard anybody tell me that the answer they got from God was that Joseph Smith is a liar. It kinda shook me and questioned it a little bit, but then I realized how much I knew that he was a prophet of God, and even though we don't have the archaeological evidence to prove the B of M, I still know it's true. By the way, what was that rock you guys visited about Lehi's Dream on your cruise, I was wondering about that. But yesterday, I was back with Elder Tranter and we went and saw Michelle. We taught her the first half of the plan of salvation, then Elder Tranter gave her the invitation to be baptized. She said she would pray about it but the thing which was going on in her life at the time that made things really hard for her is that she got fired, and her boss was a really manipulative lady and she is going to fight it I guess. She is nice but it was hard to have a serious talk with her because she honestly laughs at everything! As she talked about her life I realized that that is how she would handle stress. It's not a bad thing, but it was just hard to talk about the gospel with her. I really hope that she'll get that answer to be baptized, because she came to church and liked it, so we will see.

We are having a crazy racquetball tournament today with like 4 companionships. It's sweet. Because there are two comps in State College, we are State College inner area, and then our d.l. and his comp are coming, then the z.l.'s are playing too. It will be sweet. Next week I think we are going to drive by the football stadium and the baseball field. The State College Spikes play here, they're single A. I'm not sure who they are affiliated with.

I love you guys and I'm glad and thankful to be here.
Love, Elder Casper


1st Baptism
Elder Casper, Michelle, Elder Tranter




Penn State Football Stadium