First Bike Wreck!

Hey, so today is Sunday right before sacrament and I thought that I
would let you know that I am going to be sending missionary mall
another pants request. I crashed pretty bad on my bike last night and
tore up the knee. I'm fine no worries just thought I would let you
know :)

March 3, 2014

 It was nice to talk to you yesterday. We are at the library today, we were over at the computers in our apartment complex and before I knew it the internet quit working. So here we are. I was also planning on sending some pictures,  but I didn't bring my camera. So we have been working super hard recently. We have a list of about 10 potential investigators so we are hoping to capitalize on those opportunities. On Saturday we decided to bike to the top of our area. Don't ask me why. It didn't really start that way, we just decided to start riding and see where we end up. So we did a bunch of exploring. It was still nice on that day, about 55 so it was good for biking right before the snow hit. So we clocked a total of about 30 miles on bikes on Saturday. Then came back and went to dinner with our district. We are having a lot of fun here. I am finally getting adjusted to the area. We taught 6 member lessons. Which is where we teach the members the lessons that we teach investigators. That is the most productive thing we have done recently so that's good. We have transfers on the 20, so just about 2 weeks. If all goes according to plan we will have the ipads tomorrow. We have all lost our excitement now so its kinda whatev at this point. We were excited 4 months ago but not any more. With the new ipads there will be a whole set of rules implemented though. Just what we need, more rules. So everything is awesome here, we will have an awesome week because we are going to work really hard. Love you!!!!!

New Companion!!

Hi Everyone, 

So this last week has been very interesting. Since last Monday as you know a lot of things have been going on. Tuesday night we got the call for transfers to know who was leaving. Sadly there was two of us out of ashburn, but we were both ready for a change. Wednesday we spent a lot of the day packing and making other final preparations for Thursday. Also on Wednesday we were able to meet with Roy and Brenna for the last time. Kinda sad to leave them because they are so awesome. But when we were there she gave me a copy of the book that she had just finished writing so that was kind of cool. The book was more of a religious book. I think, I haven't really had time to go through it. Not approved either, but that's ok :)

So Thursday was the big transfer day. I got my new companion Elder Greenwood. So far he has been a really great companion. We are getting along pretty well. I cant remember if I told you or not, but my companion from the MTC Elder Allen went home. Kinda sad but what do you do. We also got to watch the Saratov Approach. I was pretty shocked that we could actually watch a movie. It was so awesome, about 90% of the mission was in tears. Such an awesome movie.

Friday we spent a lot of the day going over some of our investigators since it was weekly planning. I figured out that this area is going to be much slower than ashburn. We currently have 0 progressing investigators which really sucks. I guess we will focus a ton on finding. Whoo tracting, my favorite. :(

On Saturday we decided to try to find a quicker way into our area through a river since we don't actually live inside of it. We were walking by it and we needed to cross it since the branches were to thick. I stepped out onto half of a log to get onto a big thick one to cross on in, and as soon as I took the first step onto it, it broke in half and I fell about 7 feet straight down and landed on my feet miraculously. I didn't slip and fall, but it was into about 6 inches of water. So my feet were soaked, but that ok. I had my camera and my scriptures and everything so no harm done.

We were at church for 7 hours on sunday. Our church is only from 11-2, but we had meetings before and after which were really long. But the good news is is that I think I am going to like this ward more. Sunday night we went with our ward mission leader over to a Muslim neighbor of theirs where a guess a church leader would be. So we went over and had a very good religious discussion. Had some Afghanistan style food. Delicious by the way.

So that has been my crazy week. Hopefully everything here will turn out to be better soon. Its just going to take a lot of hard work and dedication.

Oh and I also got my package yesterday, I really liked it. Cookies are delicious, and I love the hand soap. I was really happy when I opened those little hearts. That was a very pleasant surprise. I will try not to eat all the candy at once. I am starting to try to eat healthier, I think in my last area I gained a few pounds so I am trying to lay off the candy and other unhealthy stuff. But I still will enjoy myself :)

Anyways I love you all, hope you have a great week.

Love Elder Laing :)

So much rain and still raining!

Good morning,

So first question, did you watch the super bowl at all. We went over to a members home where there were members, non-members, less actives, and inactives, so we can call it missionary work, and the game just happened to be on, what a coincidence. A flippin' safety in the first 12 seconds!!!  Oh gosh broncos got spanked. Anyways enough with telling you all of my flaws. So this week has been interesting. It rained all day and all nights yesterday and it is still raining. 

We were going to go ice skating today for our last preparation day today, but that didn't turn out because it ends at 11:30 and it is already 10:30. Saturday we left the apartment at 10:45 and we decided that we were going to explore our area more and so we walked around till about 4:30. We went and walked around a lake on the path and got to talk to a few people. We went down the the southern most part of our area and sat on a bench and watched ducks for about 30 minutes. After about 4 hours of walking we needed a break. So just had fun checking on potential investigators as well as former.

I hope you guys get my package today. When i bought the postage it said that the estimated delivery time was today so let me know!!! We had no lessons this week. Our meeting with the Arce family got canceled. He called that day and said that no one was going to be there. But we are going to give them to the Hermanas (Spanish Sisters) for them to take over and start teaching instead. We tried to meet with Roy and Brenna yesterday but it really wasn't a good day so we have plans on Wednesday. 

Other than that nothing really super exciting. We are having dinner with our favorite family tomorrow so that will be fun. Im not really excited for transfers, i really like this area and am going to miss it, but i definitely need a change. So its kind of a bitter sweet deal. 

I hope everything stays well at home, i know it will out here. Im glad you had fun this weekend and hope that the kids can cherish those small trips with that family. That is what i miss the most is just being with you guys. Never knew it till i came out here. I love you all!!!

Love Elder Laing 

Ripped Pants!

Hi Everyone, 

Saturday we went to best buy, my companion wanted to buy a mp3 player. Ya it feels weird that another week has already passed. The weeks are hard. We do still go out in the cold, but it really is no fun. We do a little bit of tracting, but not a whole ton. We have a couple of investigators still. We sill have the Pentacostal  family who we went to church with. The reason we did that is so that hopefully it is sort of a trade off. And now they will come to our church.

We still have the  family from Peru. They were actually supposed to be at church on Sunday, but didnt show up. The dad works on Sundays, and the rest of them dont speak great english. We might end up giving them to the spanish elders to take over for us. 

Warren missed his baptismal date again. We havent really been in contact with him too much. He is so hard to catch at his house, and he doesnt answer his phone. We are going to continue to work with him, but at this point it will probably be after i leave that he will be baptized. 

Im glad that chase has the opportunity to be a leader in the quorum. It will be good for him to have to set the example and not just be the crazy one all the time. I loved klondike. Just a good opportunity for him to freeze his butt off!

This weekend has been pretty exciting. We had a mission conference where Elder S. Gifford Neilson of the seventy talk to us. He is one of the people that spoke in conference. That was really fun. When i was the i got to talk to talk to my really good friend, Elder Harper who was the 24 year old who came out with me. We got talking and i figured out that my companion from the mtc, went home. 

Seems like there is a ton of people going home. When i was talking to him he said that he has looked at plane tickets because he is so stressed out. I told him to just hold on. Chances are he will be getting transfered when i do. I hope he stays!!

Crazy to think of all the people coming home on time now. Seems like just yesterday that they left. There are a lot of people out here that i have connections to. There is an elder out here who was in Brandons graduating class, and also a whole bunch from vernal. Weird stuff. 

Havent heard from spencer or tyson recently, i sent them both an email so hopefully i will get something this week. Sounds like a really fun weekend. Have fun. Just do something crazy and different. I figured out that the thing that i miss most from home is my freedom. So i tell people to enjoy it now :)  I guess it will just be that much better when i get home. 

On friday before our lesson, we stopped by roy and brennas house, and roy was over getting the mail. So we walked over there and he was holding a snow skate. So of course i had to try it. So i was doing it a bunch and it was tons of fun. Only crashed a couple of times. So when we were sitting in our lesson i realized that i had ripped my pants from the bottom of my zipper to about halfway up my behind. So that was really embarrassing, and not to mention that we walked all over a store right before our lesson, and i had ripped pants. So thats my excitement for the week!!!  

Love you all, thanks for your support. I will let you know if i get transferred!!!

Love your son,

Elder Laing

Update on Elder Laing!

Update on Elder Laing:

     Blake and I were able to catch each other online this morning and were able to e-mail each other back and forth, which is so much fun, but then i don't get a letter. But I wanted to give you all an update on how he is doing. He is still serving in Ashburn, VA. His Companion is Elder Hinton from Gilbert Arizona. He really likes him and says that they get along great! Elder Hinton has only been out a month longer than Blake. They are still doing a lot of trackting and finding little success. It has been a little discouraging for them, but they are keeping their heads up!
     They have had one baptismal date for   ......, (Blake told me today that they had been asked not to use real names of their investigators in blogs, so per his request I will not). They require  that investigators attend church 3 times before they are baptized. .........has accepted the invitation to be baptized, but has had a hard time coming to Church. Once again he wasn't there on Sunday after he told the Elders that he would be. So his baptismal date will be put off again.
     They are actually teaching a family of six from Peru also.  They taught them the first lesson and will be teaching them the second lesson on Friday. Mom and Dad and four boys.
We keep praying for all of his investigators and for Blake and his companion to find some success in the area they are serving in. I'm sure that he would appreciate your prayers also!
     Blake's companion cut his head and had to get 3 staples put in it, so they are going to have to take it easy this week per Dr.'s orders. Blake is really loving his mission. He said that he takes it one day at a time, and is glad that he is their serving our Father in Heaven. He wouldn't be able to do it without his help.  Blake would love to receive letters from any of you! His e-mail address is
blake.laing@myldsmail.net

P-Day in Washington DC

Elder Laing was able to go to Washington DC for P-Day last Monday. He said that after this picture was taken that his camera batteries died, and he wasn't able to take any more pictures.