Elder Zachary Ward

For the past three Fridays I have had some sort of sickness. Friday morning I start being sick, one or two days later and I wake up fine! It is strange.

Mon 24th

Pday was late. The Elders that were giving Mandeville a ride had their car battery die so they were very late to Pday. We had fun though. Elder Roberts and I played volleyball where the ball could bounce once and we couldn’t use our hands and arms to touch the ball.

Tue 25th

We had some awesome lessons and got a teaching friend to start reading the Book of Mormon. William gave us some ice cream after we taught him a lesson!

Wed 26th

I gave my first discussion in District Council on the power and authority of our calling. It went very well! We also had a great comp study session at the park about how to help people keep commitments. We also went to Sheldon’s where Elder Stubbs got to try on a gas mask!

Thu 27th

Ty mom fr – sped rit’g bks.

So… Mandeville has not had a car for a month so we were voluntold to let them use our car. (Since we are the reason their car is in the shop.)

Fri 28th

I had a horrible sore throat and cough so I was instructed to rest and recover.

Sat March 1st

I finished recovering. Sister Cunningham is awesome and came in clutch with some Dōterra stuff. Also shout out to the “Winds of Change”. Thanks for the videos, have fun!

Sun 2nd

We didn’t have very many people show up to church but Elder Stubbs took some funny photos with my phone when I wasn’t looking.

That about wraps up everything this week. Mardi Gras is on March 4th so we might have some stories to tell next week, but who knows?

I love hearing from all y’all. Thank you for your emails! One conference talk I listened to this week was “Following Up” by M. Russell Ballard in the April 2014 conference. I really enjoyed it and would invite all of you to listen to it as well.

May the Currents be in Your Favor

Elder Ward

We visited a lot of people this week, and traveled quite a bit.

Mon 17th
We drove down to Mandeville the night before so we could do P-day with them and give them a ride to the beach… since they still don’t have a car… Elder Stubbs has apologized multiple times. We also went to our Branch’s FHE activity at the Tassins.

Tue 18th
We traveled around town and took some photos while we went park hunting for a good place to do outdoor studies. As the weather is warming up to a nice 76°F.

Wed 19th
We helped the sisters teach some people and had some cool miracles happen. We also got our keys back from them and were able to get our Valentines Day mail!

Thu 20th
We went knocking on a bunch of houses and found out that a lot of people just don’t live where they are supposed to.

Fri 21st
We had some awesome plan of salvation lessons ate some crawfish and had dinner with the Logans.

Sat 22nd
Saturday was my busiest day yet on my mission! E visited a ton of people and even had someone flag us down while we were driving to pray with them.

Sun 23rd
Elder Stubbs was able to get a good photo of Elder Roberts. I was weirdly sick but we still had two of our teaching friends come to church. We have also been working on our Jesus walls.

Thank you to everyone that sent me emails! I love hearing from you!

May the wind be in your sails.

• Elder Ward

P.S. check out the “not chess” quote 😉

While driving we saw some people riding horses down the road! Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get a picture of them due to the turns in the road.

Mon 10th

For P-day we went to the beach again but this time we played Spike Ball and Monopoly and started my exchange with Elder Roberts.

Tue 11th

I had my emotional resilience class, which is so awesome! I also had a cool miracle! Me and Elder Roberts had forgotten to pray before we went out knocking and were having bad luck. When we remembered to pray, the next house we knocked on someone answered and was interested in the Gospel!

Wed 12th 

We were super busy on Wednesday and got our apartment ready for apartment inspections.

Thu 13th

We had District Council and then had our PPI’s (Personal President Interview) with President Smuin! Super awesome!

Fri 14th 

Love was in the air… and I was allergic to it. I got sick on valentines day because of something I ate so I rested most of Friday.

Sat 15th

I got my first door really slammed in my face. We knocked on someone’s door, they opened it, yelled “I’m tired” and slammed the door. We also had our transfer boards drop (can you believe I’ve been out for an entire transfer already?) I am staying in Amite with Elder Stubbs. We also had some severe weather alerts saying a tornado may happen!

Sun 16th 

I experimented with tying a new knot for my tie. When we went to church we realized that some trees next to the church had been knocked down by the storm!

I love hearing from you guys, and reading your emails. I’ll end this one off with a scripture that I know has helped me.

Heleman 3:29-30

29 Yea, we see that whosoever will may lay hold upon the word of God, which is quick and powerful, which shall divide asunder all the cunning and the snares and the wiles of the devil, and lead the man of Christ in a strait and narrow course across that everlasting gulf of misery which is prepared to engulf the wicked— 

30 And land their souls, yea, their immortal souls, at the right hand of God in the kingdom of heaven, to sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and with Jacob, and with all our holy fathers, to go no more out.

May the light of Christ be in your heart

Elder Ward 

It has been very foggy here in Louisiana in the past 2 weeks I’ve had some cool moments in it as well.

Mon Jan 27th

We toured a Catholic church and saw some cool statues and then played chairs soccer with the District.

Tue Jan 28th

Tuesday was very interesting. I met King Solomon reincarnated and had a weird conversation with him about how the second coming will happen in Amite. Then in the evening I butt-dialed my entire zone!

Wed Jan 29th 

We had our lessons cancel on us so we did some calls instead.

Thu Jan 30th 

We had Zone Conference and one of the things I learned was that service cannot be selfish.

Fri Jan 31st

We had a busy day and some fire lessons.

Sat Feb 1st

Saturday was also really busy and I found out that it is not normal for greenies to not go on exchanges for 4 weeks.

Sun Feb 2nd 

We watched the young adult devotional and you should all watch it too.

Mon Feb 3rd

We put the car in the shop and got permission from president for the sisters to drive us to Pday. We went to the beach and played ultimate frisbee and I cut my foot.

Tue Feb 4th

I got smashed on Tuesday! I woke up at 5 AM with blood all over my pillow due to a bloody nose, and because of the cut in my foot I couldn’t walk well and on top of it all I got a pounding headache all day.

Wed Feb 5th

I got to do an exchange with my DL Elder Searle.

Thu Feb 6th

We biked all day and met a lot of Catholics but ended the day at a members house where we had a cool conversation about callings.

Fri Feb 7th

We did some service and chopped up some logs so we could move them.

Sat Feb 8th

I woke up really sore from chopping wood. We helped the Primary make valentines, went to a family history class, and helped Sheldon start to assemble a Remington 870.

Sun Feb 9th

We had a normal Sunday and ate dinner at a members house where we watched the Super Bowl until halftime.

May the Current be in your favor

Elder Ward

Sorry everyone! This week was really busy and I am very tired so I will talk about it in my next email. I also have Facebook now (under the name Taylor Ward because Facebook really doesn’t like me). I probably won’t be super active on it though.

And just know if you feel like you are fighting demons every day. That just means Satan is scared of who you will become. He is trying to distract, deflect, and stop you from finding God. Heavenly Father can help you; ask for his help and he will help turn the tide. With God on your side, how can you fail?

May the wind be in your sails, the current in your favor, and the light of Christ in your heart.

Elder Ward

I got to teach Pastor Green, a really cool dude.

Mon 20th
P-day was fun, I got to find out that most missionaries favorite games are a mixture of shouting, pain, and terror. For context, we played: Secret Hitler (shouting), Sting Pong – volleyball edition (pain), and irl Among Us (terror).

Tue 21st
Snow day! Three inches of snow! Missionaries are not allowed to drive in the snow. So we sat at home all day and called people.

Wed 22nd
Two more inches of snow. It also got really cold. Thanks mom for sending me warm clothes! I also made homemade bread again. Yum!

Thu 23rd
Snow is gone. We meet Pastor Green and talked about the Godhead. We had an interesting conversation about being one with God.

Fri 24th
We went out and were able to talk to a lot of people and talk about the snow. I found out that this was the first time it has snowed in Louisiana in seven to eight years!

Sat 25th
I am getting better at talking to people. I even successfully invited someone to church!

Sun 26th
Whew! Sundays are busy. Usually we wake up at 6:30 and have two hours to get ready for the day. But, on Sunday we have to be at the church by 7:30! After church we take the sacrament to people and then visit members and contact people.

Louisiana is so flat – all I see are trees and turns in the road, even on the freeways!

Mon 13th

Monday was our P-day and we played volleyball and threw a Frisbee around. But my favorite part of Monday was story time with Sheldon. He is a natural storyteller, super creative, and memorizes stories to recite with his own twist every week.

Tue 14th

We talked to the local firefighters in Amite and taught them about family history and showed them the family tree app. They also had a 28 year-old gator in their backyard as big as me.

Wed 15th

Wednesday was exciting. Elder Stubbs crashed into some other missionaries. I will not elaborate further.

Thu 16th

We made some good bread.

We also had a sad encounter with some people that said that they didn’t need Jesus, and that God had already blessed them so they didn’t need anymore Jesus.

Fri 17th

We talked to my trainer’s trainer, Elder Balls, and he had some really good wisdom to impart on how to become an effective missionary. Such as “the best way for you to help others grow is to be yourself in tune with the Spirit.”

Sat 18th

I got a little sick but Sister Cunningham gave me some medicine that got me back on my feet within a few hours.

Sun 19th

I am starting to get into origami and am working on creating tessellations.

I also gave a talk in sacrament meeting about how the power of Christ can help you overcome all challenges. 

A spiritual thought I had this week:

God keeps his side of the covenants we make and is bound by them. Why can’t we be more consistent about keeping our promises with everyone, especially God?

May the wind be in your sails

Elder Ward

Well, let me tell you two things that are partly true about Louisiana:

1. Every other house is a church and every other house is the pastor.
2. The people who made the roads in Louisiana were drunk. None of them are straight.

I am in Amite, Louisiana!
pronounced (ay-meet)

Jan 8th
We woke up at 3 AM and then used 8 modes of transport to get to the hotel (9 if you count my feet). We took the bus to the train to the Trax to the big plane to the subway to the small plane to the van to the truck to the hotel.

Jan 9th
My trainer is Elder Flynn Stubbs, he went to ASA! I also got a ton of food, I got jambalaya, King cake, and Raising Cane’s. I also gave my first Priesthood blessing.

Jan 10th
We did some service and had some technical problems.

Jan 11
We had some good talks and conversations.

Jan 12
I went to my Branch and 20 people came! We also knocked doors as well.

Well… I can’t think of a way to connect that subject line. Anyway…

Dec 31
There is a loose rabbit on campus I have not seen it, the only wildlife I saw was a cat. Elder Steven Shumway of the Seventy was our devotional speaker and he invited a previous missionary to speak. Gibson Porter has a rare form of cerebral palsy that makes it difficult to speak. So he programmed a really cool talk about how God turns our weaknesses into miracles.

Jan 1
New Years doesn’t exist in the MTC.

Jan 2
We went to the temple and I gained some insights on what it means to be a missionary.

Jan 3
I got my travel itinerary! I also went to some devotionals about preparing for the field.

Jan 4
I met a Sister Ward! I also found out that the other Elder Ward is from Rexburg.

Jan 5
Fast Sunday was slow but spiritual.

Jan 6
The last day of classes so we ate lunch and dinner with our teachers.

Jan 7
Everyone left this morning and you aren’t allowed to work out the day before you leave so me and Elder Larsen packed all day we have to wake up at 3 in the morning so we have set the most annoying alarms possible.

When most of you read this I’ll be in Louisiana with most likely a different P-day. I’ll share my P-day day in my next email.

I urge everyone to share your testimony it is powerful! It will change someone’s life. God has called each one of us to be here today at this time right now! You were put here for a purpose. Find it.

May your roads be clear, and rise up to meet your every step.

Elder Ward

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year everyone!

It’s great to read your emails. I can only reply on P-days (Tuesdays in the MTC). If you haven’t heard from me yet I’ve been notified that there is some trouble with my email so if I haven’t replied to your email I didn’t get your email for some reason, so please send it again.

Elder Rasband came to the MTC for Christmas and he testified that some of his favorite things are rejoicing and remembering. I got to fist bump him in the cafeteria.

Christmas was really fun and we all had a great time opening presents and doing a scavenger hunt where Elder Behrens and Elder Helm had the funniest faces in the district.

On the 26th we went to the temple and did baptisms and initiatories, afterwards I found someone who felt the spirit in the same exact way!

Elder Behrens has had some leadership meetings so me, Elder Larsen, and Elder Swanson were a trio for the beginning of the day on the 27th and 28th.

On Sunday we had some good lessons and my testimony has grown from just listening my district teach.

On Monday we found the BYU Creamery on campus and got evacuated from our building when the fire alarm went off. The reason the alarm went off was due to some elders who burnt their popcorn and opened it right next to a smoke detector.

May the light of Christ be in your heart
Elder Ward