December 17th 2018~
Next Stop............Utah!!!!!!!!
So Excited To See You!!!!! Can't Wait To Give You A Hug!!!!!
Final Weekly Email From The Mission Field!!! The Best 2 Years!!! Goodbye Mission Field!
Hello and good morning my dear and amazing Family!!!
WELL, THIS IS IT!!!!!!!!!!
Wow! This is my last weekly email that I will send out as a missionary! Your email was so amazing and so much fun to read! It doesn't even seem real that I'm actually coming home! I have gotten so used to being a missionary and it is bittersweet! They need to have returned missionary trainjng center! Hehe! I am so excited to see you and I can't even describe how happy I am! This week was so awesome and we are in a trio right now! Elder Schow is from Gilbert Arizona and has been out just over 15 months! Well, here goes my final week as a missionary and all of the great things we were able to do! I'll see you at the airport my dear Family!!!!
WOW!!!! Today was absolutely amazing and I had so much fun!! The weather was so nice and pretty and the sun was so bright and shining for our trip! What a day! Today was so very amazing and I had tons of fun! Where do I begin?!?! We got to Newark and loaded up 2 vans for the 20 missionaries going home and then we drove for about 20 minutes to get to Liberty State Park! They gave us a sack lunch with really good Boar's Head brand meats and cheeses and some fruit snacks, Apple, orange, granola bars, and water and we enjoyed them in the park while we waited for the ferry to come into port. I was really surprised that it wasn't very crowded on the ferry and we got front row seats on the upper deck! We took the ferry from Liberty State Park to Ellis Island and got to look around for an hour! We went to the gift shop first and then got to look at the huge room that all of the immigrants went to so they could check them in. Then we got to see the Family History center and the senior couple working there and then we got to walk through the museum with tons of different stories of what the immigrants went through and how much they sacrificed. It was amazing to think of our ancestors and just how much they sacrificed! After that, we loaded up onto another ferry and this was the coolest part of the whole trip! The ferry took us around the Statue Of Liberty and so I got tons of cool pictures and videos! It was breathtaking and was so surreal to see it! Then we got to walk around the Statue Of Liberty and take it all in! We also had passes to go up to the very top of the pedestal and so we walked all the way to the top of the pedestal and got to look up at the Statue and it is so much bigger than meets the eye. I could not believe how big it was! We needed to be back to the vans by 2:30 and so we took some last pictures and enjoyed talking with each other! We got to take the ferry back to Liberty State Park and then we took a group picture with all of us jumping and it was so amazing to see all of the sights! I do have to tell you that I bought a surprise for everyone and I can't wait to give it to you in person! It was such a great day and it was a day I will never forget! Thank you so very much for your fun emails during the day! You made my day and I am so happy that you are doing great!
Today was so fun and I hope you had a great rest of your day! I am excited to tell you that I finished the "My plan" course online this week and so I've set all of my goals and I have them all typed up! It was so much fun to think of all the exciting things coming up! LOVE & MISS YOU SO MUCH DEAR MOM, DAD, ABBY, BRANDON, & PARKER!!!!!
Hugs from New Jersey!!
P.S: I forgot to mention GO AGGIES this Saturday! Good luck to them in their bowl game and I hope you all have a ton of fun cheering on the Aggies to victory!
Merry 2 weeks until Christmas!!!
I woke up and I realized that 2 weeks from today is Christmas! I had such a fun day yesterday and I looked at my pictures again. It was so amazing that we had Family come through Ellis Island. They said how hard it was for Families and individuals to come through because of all the tests and crowded living conditions. I'm so grateful for our ancestors and the things they went through to make the trek out West! Today was another really awesome day! I was thinking about you a lot and sending my love and well wishes your way! I hope you all had a really great day and enjoyed work and school! Today we got to go on a split and I stayed here in Newton for the day and Elder Geertsen came with me for the day! I really enjoyed driving and spending time with Elder Geertsen! He is really funny and is fun to be with! It was one of the coldest and most humid days we have had so far. We woke up and it was only 13 degrees but it felt much cooler than that. It will be so wierd to come back to Utah and not have hardly any humidity! Today was my very last district meeting of my whole mission and it was really crazy! Next week, district meeting will be on Wednesday and that is the day that fly home. I have been excited to find more people to teach and I really want to leave this area with lots of great people on the radar! I was talking to Elder Geertsen and he asked me if I was ready to go home next week! It is so fun to say "I go home next week!" We got to visit an inactive lady named Eileen Bravo and we set up an appointment with her to help her paint and so we hope that they can help her come back to Church! Then we had an amazing dinner with the Kochevar Family and I got a picture with them! They made homemade chicken noodle soup and rolls and I got to bear my testimony to them! Brother Kochevar asked me to bear my testimony in sacrament meeting since it will be my last one of the mission and so I'm really looking forward to that! I was really happy and excited to get your Facebook message and I'm SO excited to see you in 1 week!!! 1 MORE WEEK!!!!
LOVE & MISS YOU ALWAYS & FOREVER DEAR FAMILY!!!!!
1 Week Left!!!!
I'm so very excited and I can't wait to see you! Exactly 1 week from today, we will all be enjoying time together! I hope you all had a very amazing day! We sure did and we got a lot done! We woke up, got ready, and then we drove to the Church to meet Elder Solomon and Elder Schow to switch companions back! Elder Geertsen and I had a really great time and I really enjoyed working with him! I have some really crazy news for you! Elder Geertsen came out with Elder Solomon and so he has been out for 3 months now. He told me that he had brain surgery to remove a tumor 4 years ago and he needs to go home to have more tests and procedures done. So Elder Geertsen told me that he will be flying home this Saturday and Elder Solomon and I will be driving him and his companion to the mission home this Friday and so that means we will be in a trio for the rest of my mission! Elder Geertsen, who is Elder Schow's trainee, will go home and Elder Solomon, and Elder Schow will be my companions for the rest of the transfer starting on Friday! So that means that when I leave, Elder Solomon and Elder Schow will be companions and they will take over the whole ward again. They will live here in Newton and so Elder Solomon is excited to stay here! Elder Geertsen is pretty sad that he has to go home but it has been a long process but he is really excited to be home for Christmas! It is crazy to think that he will be home before I am! So it will be really fun to have 2 other companions the rest of my mission! We got to go down to Blairstown and we knocked on a ton of doors and talked to some nice people! We met a man who I thought was in his 60s told us that he was actually 93 and he looked amazing for his age! There are tons of really cool frozen lakes and ponds around here and it is really nice! I love this time of year and I'm so excited that I get to come home during this special season! While we were tracting, we asked people if they would like to take a spiritual survey to switch up our door approaches and it got people to open up more! It is hard to find the right approaches that help people understand that we aren't selling anything and we have the most important message they will ever hear! We got to share some scriptures from the Book of Mormon and we met a really cool lady from Trinidad and Tobago and we set a return appointment with her! She is really cool and says that one of her relatives that passed away a few years ago was a member of the Church! It was a really cool connection to her and we are so happy that we found that out! Thank you so much for the Facebook message! I have all of my stuff organized and ready to get packed into my suitcase and so I'm ready to roll! It is really exciting that I'm almost there! 6 more days! I hope you all had a very great day and you had tons of fun! I was thinking about you today and sending my love as usual! 6 MORE DAYS!!!
Love ya and miss ya so very much!!!!
Thursday was so very awesome and a lot happened!
5 more days to go and so now we can count the days that I have left on 1 hand! We woke up to white, fluffy snow and it was a really pretty sight to see! I always enjoy when it snows!
Christmas is coming! I saw that you were having bitter cold weather and it said that with the wind chill, was -2!
We had a really great day today and got a lot done! Today is the last full day that it will be just Elder Solomon and I together. Tomorrow we will be dropping Elder Geertsen off at the mission home and Elder Schow will come with us for the rest of the transfer! We had an amazing lesson with Edward and he is really making lots of progress! He has been reading the Book of Mormon a lot and is really enjoying what he is reading! It has been so much fun to see his growth and progress in the Gospel! He told us that none of his Family members are supportive of him meeting with us or him coming to Church. He says that he is all alone and is doing this for himself. He grew up Catholic and was told that he has to die Catholic and so he is making a bold but correct choice! I was able to get a picture with him and I'm excited for you to see who we are teaching! I'm excited to hear when he gets baptized because he will get baptized within the next few months but he is taking his time and learning at the pace he needs to. It has been a huge blessing to teach him!
We also got to visit a less active and part member Family today! Their last name is Lane and we met the husband and he isn't a member. He is really cool and said that we could come back another time! This is a very busy time of year and it can be very hard to meet with people. We did a lot of tracting and calling today and we were really happy that we got to meet with Edward! I'm trying to do everything I can to help him before I come home! I was so happy to see you Facebook message! 5 more days! Holy cow! I hope you had such a great day and had lots of fun! Only 6 more days of work and school until winter break! Time is winding down so fast and it is SO fun to think that we get to be together in only 5 days! I can't wait and as you can imagine, I'm so excited that I can hardly wait!
I hope you have a very amazing and fun Friday! Also, I sent a package for you and you should get it tomorrow! I'm very excited for you to get it! I'm going strong and enjoying every minute! I love and miss you all with all my heart!!!!!!!
Wow! Friday was a great and busy day!
I hope you all had a very awesome day! 1 day closer to the 19th! I was really excited for your email and I was really happy that you got my Christmas package! It was a lot of fun to put together! We had such a busy day and a lot happened! It was my very last time helping out at the food pantry and Val got me 2 balloons to say thank you and wish me luck on my trip back to Utah! It makes it seem a whole lot more real when everyone starts saying goodbye and I do things for the last time! When I saw the pictures that you sent of the kids, I got so excited to know that I will see you all in just 5 short days! I can't even tell you how excited I am! REALLY EXCITED!!!!
We could only stay for 2 hours at the food pantry because we had car inspections and apartment inspections from our senior couple and we got our car washed and cleaned and then had our inspections! Our apartment was spotless and Elder Solomon thinks it is really fun to have a clean apartment and try to win the $10.00 prize for having the cleanest apartment in the zone! I always like to keep our apartment and car really clean! It was really exciting to get on the weather app and be able to see what the weather will be like on the day I come home! I was really excited to see Dad's email pop up while we were out and about! Thanks so much for the email! We do have some news about Elder Geertsen going home. So Elder Geertsen and Elder Schow needed to go in 1 last split with the Clinton Elders before the transfer ends and so they just stayed together for the day and they will drive to drop Elder Geertsen off tomorrow and then we would pick Elder Schow up tomorrow. So it is still Elder Solomon and I together for 1 last day. It will be a lot of fun to spend my last few days here in the mission field with 2 other Elders! We got to do a lot of tracting in Blairstown and we also had a really fun dinner appointment with the Cook Family and it was fun to be in their home again! Sister Cook made us some yummy taco salad with tons of toppings and they had some really good sparkling cider in a few flavors and it was a really fun time! They have 5 kids and they are all really funny! We talked about the new changes that were announced this morning and it was so exciting to think that Parker will be able to pass the sacrament in January! I got a picture with them all and so I'm really happy for you to see them! We got to visit a lady that the Sister Missionaries talked to a few months ago when they were in this area and we set up an appointment with her for this coming Wednesday! It was a really great day today and I hope you all had tons of fun and a great Friday! I have been thinking about you so much and I was really excited for your emails and Facebook message! Have a really great Saturday! I hope you have so much fun watching the Aggies play and I hope you cheer loud for them and I hope they win! GO AGGIES!!!
LOVE & MISS YOU TONS & TONS MY DEAR FAMILY!!!!!!!!!!
3 days to go!!!!!!
Only 3 more days and I can't wait to give you a big ole hug!!! Today was a really great and awesome day for sure! Tonight is the transfer call and so it will be so interesting to hear where all of the missionaries go and I'm looking forward to hearing who will be training! I am just in cloud 9 right now and it is such an exciting time! We had a really great day today and I was thinking about you a lot! J was really excited about the Aggie game and I couldn't wait to hear who won! It is supposed to snow overnight and so we might get a couple of inches but we will see! We got to visit a ton of people and we went to teach a whole bunch of former investigators that we haven't met before. I was so very excited for your Facebook messages! I was so excited to see that the Aggies were dominating! GO AGGIES!!! I bet It was such a fun game to watch and I bet you cheered really loud! What a fun way to end the season! It was really fun to see a countdown of how much time I have left! We found out that a few of the people had moved that we had records for and so it was nice to sort through some more potential investigators and who was actually still around. We went tracting and I'm really excited to say that we found a really cool lady and she said that she is "all about Jesus Christ" and wants to learn everything she can about Jesus Christ! We are really excited and it was a breath of fresh air to talk to her! It is really fun to have 3 of us together! I hope you had a very awesome and fun day! I was really excited to hear that the Aggies win! Thanks so much for thinking of me and letting me know! Today was a really great day and it is so exciting that I have 1 full day and then P-Day left and then a Temple trip day! We were going to drive to Ledgewood to pick up Elder Schow but they called us and told us that they would drop Elder Schow off at Church tomorrow and then we will officially become a trio! Elder Geertsen made it home just fine and is enjoying time with his Family! I am excited to bear my testimony in Church tomorrow and I can't wait to see you!!!!!
Have such a great Sabbath and enjoy your time together! You are the greatest Family ever and make me so happy! Thanks so much for all that you do for me and the huge blessing that you are in my life! LOVE & MISS YOU SO, SO, SO VERY MUCH!!!!!!!!!!
Happy Sunday everyone!
Wow! What an amazing and thoughtful email! Thank you so very much for the fun emails and pictures that you sent! I can't believe that this is your last weekly email! I am so excited that we have only 2 days until we get to see each other! Wow! I am beyond excited and it will be such an amazing and fun day!!! We had a very amazing time at Church and I was able to bear my last testimony and it went really well! I gave a shout out to all of you and told everyone how excited I am to see you! They talked a lot about the new area plan for the Northeast area and they are really simplifying how they minister and it was really interesting! I was thinking about you a lot and wishing you a great day at Church! It is so fun to think that I will be there with you next week in Church! Elder Schow met us at our morning coordination meeting and so we are officially in a trio! It is really fun to be in a trio and I really love working with Elder Solomon and Elder Schow! We had a quick lunch and then the Averyt Family invited us over for dinner and so we were all very excited for that! I couldn't wait to get your email and see your pictures! It is always a blast to hear from you! After Church, we gave the sacrament to Jane and then we drove to Franklin to pack up a few of Elder Schow's things that he needed for the next few days and then we will go back and finish packing tomorrow. He has had a pretty crazy few days and so he was relieved to be in our area and know that he will be here for a while. The ward said goodbye to me and tons of people came up and wished me good luck! It is always sad to leave a ward that I've grown to love and worked with since July 10th! We had some really good lasagna, salad, and cupcakes for dinner and we had a really cool conversation about their conversion to the Church and we had Bill Nay there as well and it was a really fun evening! They were really excited for me to be home for Christmas and thought it was so fun that I get to see you in just a few days! I was so excited to read your email and I had so much fun catching up with what you did this week! Thank you SO very much for all of your kind words and details about the week! I can't thank you enough for your many emails during my mission and I'm so happy how these last 2 years have gone! I have truly seen so many blessings come to all of us! I hope you have an amazing rest of your day and a great Monday! 2 more days of work and school until we get to see each other! I can't wait to talk to you tomorrow! 2 MORE DAYS!!!!
LOVE & MISS YOU ALL SO VERY MUCH!!!!!!
P.S: If you can't tell, I am VERY EXCITED to see you! Hehe!
Well my dear and amazing loved ones! I just want to thank you for the many emails, packages, and letters you have sent to me during my mission and for all of the many thoughts and prayers! I couldn't do it without Family and you have been the biggest blessing in my life! My mission has taught me so many valuable lessons that I will cherish forever! This has been the coolest experience I've ever had and I've had countless faith building experiences and I've met so many amazing people! I am typing up 1 last email for the whole Family and I will send it out right before our P-day ends and it will be my final email as a missionary! Thanks again for your wonderful emails and pictures! Today for P-Day, I am going to get a haircut and get it looking nice and fresh for my flight home and then I am going to get all packed! It is going to be a VERY awesome P-Day and I just can't believe that this is actually happening!
"All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go! I'm leaving on a jet plane!" I'M COMING HOME!!!! The next time I talk to you, will be in person and it is SO exciting!!!! I hope you have an amazing few days and I hope you have tons of fun! I am very excited to go to the Temple on Tuesday with all of the departing missionaries! We will be to the Newark Chapel by 9:30am on Tuesday morning and then I will say goodbye to Elder Solomon and Elder Schow and then I will load up into the van with all the other departing missionaries and then we will go to the Temple and then have dinner and a devotional at the mission home! Then we will wake up really early on Wednesday morning and then I will FLY HOME!!!! Well, it has been so fun to hear from you and type up this last email! Have such an amazing few days and I will see you IN PERSON!!!! LOVE & MISS YOU ALWAYS & FOREVER MY DEAR, AMAZING LOVED ONES!!!!!!!!!!!!!
In closing, I would like to bear my testimony. I know for myself independent of anyone else that this is Jesus Christ's restored Church and that President Nelson has been called to serve as President of His Church at this time. I know without a doubt that the Book of Mormon is true. I have read it cover to cover multiple times and have felt the Holy Ghost confirm to me that it is true. I love my Family more than anything and the Gospel has made life Heaven on Earth. I have seen Heavenly Father's hand in my life every single day and I know that he knows each one of us individually and knows our trails and what will make us happy. You make me so proud and have been right by my side during my whole life and all throughout my mission! You may have been 2,000 miles away but I have felt you right beside me every step of the way! The Church is true and I have gained a personal witness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and I know this is His work! I would like to share the lyrics to one of my favorite hymns. This has been one of my mottos during my whole mission and I have used this song in a lot of my missionary work! LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!!!
It may not be on the mountain height
Or over the stormy sea,
It may not be at the battle’s front
My Lord will have need of me.
But if, by a still, small voice he calls
To paths that I do not know,
I’ll answer, dear Lord, with my hand in thine:
I’ll go where you want me to go.
Perhaps today there are loving words
Which Jesus would have me speak;
There may be now in the paths of sin
Some wand’rer whom I should seek.
O Savior, if thou wilt be my guide,
Tho dark and rugged the way,
My voice shall echo the message sweet:
I’ll say what you want me to say.
There’s surely somewhere a lowly place
In earth’s harvest fields so wide
Where I may labor through life’s short day
For Jesus, the Crucified.
So trusting my all to thy tender care,
And knowing thou lovest me,
I’ll do thy will with a heart sincere:
I’ll be what you want me to be.
I’ll go where you want me to go, dear Lord,
Over mountain or plain or sea;
I’ll say what you want me to say, dear Lord;
I’ll be what you want me to be.
Love You Always!
~Elder Lindberg
Is this really happening!?!?!
I'm so excited!!!!!
