Elder Cade Casper:

Jan 25, 2010
It has been a good week. I hate how many ups and downs there are as a missionary, at least for me. But it has been good.

The weather was still great until yesterday and it has been raining since. We have tracted a lot and this has gone ok. Zone Conference went really well. There was freezing rain on the way down to Butler (1.5 hour drive) and I drove across this way way slick part where there was like 3 cars off the road. Elders that are in New York were coming down and slid off at that spot, it wasn't as bad when we went across it I'm sure.

But we found two new investigators this week. Elder Morales, who serves in the other Erie area, was on exchanges with me and we knocked 3 doors in the afternoon. The first- Mira. She spoke Spanish so Elder Morales and her just went at it, I picked up a few words here and there. She accepted a B of M and he and Elder Lee are going over today. The second door- not interested. The third- Jackie. She soaked up every word we had to say. She kept realizing how we went out door to door to tell people of all these things they don't know about. She is reading and praying. She accepted a baptism date of Feb. 27! She is awesome. She has told her brother about us and he is reading and praying as well. So cool. But, she didn't come to church so that was a real bummer. She told us she would. We are meeting with her on Wednesday with a member. We are also starting to teach other people like Sue Hays and Joe and Carlee, who are hardcore Catholic. They took us through a scripture chain that of course led to Matt. 16, about Peter being the rock (and first Pope) of the church. Lame.

But it's crazy to have things like that then to have such disappointment in the exact same week. I have felt like a failure as I train Elder Lee. He has gotten upset a couple times and said that this isn't what he signed up for. He gets mad at himself and at me when people don't accept us. District Leader is still interesting, and I hate it. I am trying to figure out a way for me to learn the best as I study, but I always have to study for District Meeting. I would love to just be a normal missionary. The Bishop hasn't been to open to us, and I don't think he thinks we are working hard. I think we are working hard, I just hope it's effective. I have no clue what I'm doing sometimes, and I hate that. But I know I am selfish when I think and ponder about things like that when I should be rejoicing at the fact of Jackie and Dakota and the people we meet with. Something I am still trying to do.

Thank you for the package. I am so excited about this DVD. Did you buy the book? You should for yourselves, it's powerful. We will probably play it at Dakota's baptism. I was way excited to see Mike's picture. He will do awesome for those people. I got an email from Cody and I am glad he is doing good. He said it's awesome to have Scott and B home.

I am thankful for your prayers and that you are serving in the temple. Thanks for everything. It will be something else to see my emails when I get home, and realize that I have gotten through the difficult times of my mission, not because of anything I did, but because the Lord will never leave me. That is a fact I have to always hold on to no matter what. I hope and pray that I am learning for the benefit of others, and not myself. Hope you have another good week and I'm glad you are doing so well. I love you and am thankful for you. Love CADE

Feb 6, 2010
Wow, it's been soooo cold here. It hasn't gotten below zero, but being in the weather as a missionary is ten times worse than back in Rexburg. Wow, my face was taken through the ice ringer this week. Nonetheless, it was a good week the Lord blessed us with.

But this week was good. Dakota's baptism went well, it was interesting however. But it was funny, after he was baptized he yelled: "THAT WAS NOT COOL!!" Ha so we hurried and shut the curtains on him. So when I started to confirm him, I said his name, and as I was beginning the ordinance he liked crouched so our hands weren't on his head so I stopped, then a guy in the circle told him that he had to sit up, ha just little stuff like that he is a crack up. And after he was confirmed he said that it was not cool. It was an awesome experience to confirm him though, what special gifts the Holy Ghost and the Priesthood are.

We had a good week with finding, however, Jackie has ignored us. But, we got a call from a less active's husband named Ryan, and he left a message asking us why we hadn't been over in a while. We stopped going over because he wasn't willing to change yet, he didn't want to make commitments. But we went over there last night and he said that he sees a difference when we do come over, and when we don't. And he knows something is missing in his life. Sis. Kasbee, his wife, is very standoffish about church. She has had her feelings hurt and she said that she doesn't like how she feels when she comes, they both have W of W issues. But we taught/testified about the Atonement, and eternal families, and he and the kids are coming to church, and Sis. Kasbee is just lacking faith. We are going over there tonight and teaching them as a family. The Lord has obviously blessed us a lot this week. We are also teaching an awesome Catholic family named Carlee and Joe Yochim. They aren't just Easter/Christmas Catholics, they know their religion and they say that the Great Apostasy is their greatest stumbling block. So I said that instead of praying about the Apostasy, they need to pray about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon, and so we knelt and prayed. We are fasting with them next week so they get an answer. We have awesome people to teach, but they need to come to church and meet the members. I am thankful that every single event that happens out here as been nothing like I thought it would, if I just trust in the Lord. Every decision I try to have a prayer in my heart for guidance, and every time, the Spirit guides me.

Anyway, we are about to go eat. We had a sleepover last night with the zone Leaders, they are good elders. I am loving this district more and more each week. However, the Assistants are going to be at D.M. this week, ha great. Love ya! CADE