Elder Taylore Ferguson-- December 17, 2012

MaJa

I'm so glad your trip was a  success and a memory success as well!

I am soooo pumped for Bronte! that is supes cool, probabally the 2nd best mission out there haha!!

UPDATE** PRES. HALL TOLD US THIS WEEK THAT WE CAN SKYPE!!!

So we'll let you know next week what time is best for us, will you write/co-ordinate w/ Bro B.(matt damon's Twin) so we can get everyone there? haha it'll be great

Yes i got all those pkg's so that address is correct.  So anything you send should be good to go.

But anyway we saw a cool miracle this week. my favorite zone leader that I have ever had called and told me how awesome I was and I felt the spirit really strong as he was talking to me.  Then I went out and testified like a lion. He is so great i wish i could be more like him...

(Elder R.-zone leader)

 

I'm super happy for/jealous of Brookie and Bronch for being able to go to the temple! That is supes awesome!  Tell me how it goes!? Yeah? you'll know why I loved it so much before I left!

Missionary work is super hard every night I cry and then I get over it and get stronger. Minus the get better part. Sometimes i miss you so bad mom...

 

The work right now is.....interesting, people are so "Busy" and use that as their excuse not to listen. Which is weird cause now should be the time they listen. but it's been really cool the last week, we focused really hard on talking w/ everyone we see, which makes for some great rejection, and meeting really interesting people. But we all know nothing happens in missionary work untill you talk to people! So we've found a couple new people and were working on converting them into potential inv.'s (into GATORS!)

But there are 2 things I  can't wait to tell you guys about.

1st) The 1st counselor in the Mission Pres. lives in our ward, so we talk with him a lot, and we hear this story yesterday about his nephew.

"he got his mission call packet this week, and when he opened it up, there was only 1 piece of paper on it, with 1 phone number on it. Thats all! So confused he called the number, which to his surpise went directly to Pres. Monson, who informed him that for the next 3 years he'd be serving in mainland CHINA!!!!"

Super super super superrrrr cool! That is so cool, even though it's only the 3rd coolest mission in the world ;)

2nd) Last Monday/Tuesday, during personal study I was reading in Alma, when I came across this scripture Alma 60:13, where it talks about sometimes the innocent are slain, to enable God to execute his justice on the wicked. I read it, it was cool, I thought about ambulance, and said to Elder C, "maybe this'll come in handy soon." then moved on. Then, saturday evening we we're talking w/ a widow, and she started talking about how the day before was her husbands death date, and how it was a really hard day for her, Then she decide to wind down, and watch the news, and she saw the stuff about the shooting. So as she was telling us this stuff she was just sitting there bawling, and all the sudden that scripture popped into my head, and we were able to really calm her down and give her some serious piece of mind. It was great to be able to help her out. :)

Well that's all sHE wrote today, sorry if I forgot anything.

Love ya'll a lot, congratz BRONCHO! I'm supes happy for you, along with everyone here! (cept they secretly wanted you to come here, and make it rough on me HAHA)

Elder Taylor Ferguson-- December 3, 2012

forgot my camera, pictures next week :(

On Mon, Dec 3, 2012 at 1:31 PM, Taylor Ferguson <taylor.ferguson@myldsmail.net> wrote:

Hey guys!!!

Loved Greg's email, glad to hear all is well, and moving along.  Have fun on the trip, we see a ton  of tourists here right now haha it's super funny they stick out BIG time. but then again so do we :) 

 

Nope we can't go to the temple :( unless we taught 3 or the 4 lessons to a convert, then after a year we can go, or at the end of the mission we can.

I got the christmas stuff so thank you lots :) I love the advent calendar,Ii'll send a picture of it, I put the whole thing up on the fridge then each morning as I get my food, I look at the section I'm reading in that day, so it works out nice. It's good I've been reading a lot from the New Testament so it is good to re read some of the important parts. Oh, and remember that whatever you send, doubles would be preffered to make sure not to leave Aelsta CUUPA  (Elder Cooper) out.

No idea when we can call, I'm pretty sure whoever wants to can be there, and we can't skype (I don't think) I'll let you know when I find out.

Oh and to answer GG's question. Black GG was the last of her family to convert, so nope :(

But right now our progressing investigators are the only white ppl, in our teaching pool haha, 2 of them are this couple that just moved here from Lake Placid FL.  They had just recently got religous before moving up here. Then about a week after they moved here, the Spanish elders bumped into them, they are great and they love the BOM, and the Church web sites,].  It's really cool the mother was adopted when she was young, and never knew anything about her mother.  So for the last 20 years she has been trying to find things out about her, and all she has found out was her name, and burial place. So she went on the church web sites, and found her social security # and was SOOOO happy, she loved it. they are doing great!!

OUT o time, love you tuuuuuns. travel safe :)

ELder Ferguson :)

How are alll my mission buddy's doing. tell ty/john/karl to send me as much gun "spam" as they want, and I'll try to write.

Oh, and I got a letter from Joseph Browning this week, so hopefully I can write him too.

Wish Greg happy holidays from me, and safety!

re:love ya.

 

Paps

 

Sorry I totes forgot to mention that my leg was good after like a week or 2, so don't worry hahaha

I got the tree pkg on like Tuesday night, along w/ Bronte's pkg. so thanks soo much. Maybe don't send my black jacket tho, cause I got a temp one, and winter is almost over and I don't wanna lug it around for 1 1/2 years haha.

Yeah all the holidays in the heat is definatly weird, it does'nt feel like the holidays, plus I'm not too focused on that cause we got a ton of work to do haha.

We hear from Pres. Hall Every week, he emails us and tells us some things, and asks some questions for us tp email back to him etc..and since we had a mission conf. a few months ago I think it's every 6 months, so we got a lil while till another comes around.

We only work in 1 ward. the Olympia ward. we work w/ the ward pretty closely, and even closer w/ our ward mission leader,  Missionary relations is waaaay different here with the wards than back home. Out here they tell every priesthood holder to go out w/ us at least once a month. They mean buisness pretty much it's awesome,  I'm glad

 

I loved Greg's email, please fwd as many of them as possible.

  

Elder Taylor Ferguson- Novemer 26, 2012

Mammay-

Thanksgiving has come and gone supes fast. And this week I finished my 2nd transfer, and training woot woot. haha, The week was....interesting. For thanksgiving day, we had a turkey bowl, which was fun, w/ a lot of the missionaries, and the ward. Then we went to The professional Skydiver/basejumper's house, kinda ate w/ him a little, which was good/sad cause he is going through some rough family stuff right now/recovering from surgery and he was all alone for t-givings. Then we ate w/ the H's (Brother H does some of the temple tours and is super awesome.) For the main meal, w/ the Portugese elders. Then went to the Young Women Pres house, and ate there a little bit...but that was it. It was a rough day.We had a lot of families cancel on us, and couldn't really go tracting...so it was rough. But we made it through that, and then on Friday, Elder Cooper was really sick so we just stayed inside all day, and I read the scriptures ALL day, which was good till about 6 at night. Thennnnnn I was bored. so yeah. It was great. haha. But our Haitian Friends were baptized on Sunday, so we were suuups happy for them.

I love you guys thank you all so much for everything you do, be safe.

Elder Ferguson

ELder Taylor Ferguson-- November 19, 2012

Hello everyone,

Sorry I  don't have much time to talk. I'mma go get my hair cut in a sec.  Our investigator pool kiiiiinda stinks...we had to pass off all our good investigators to their language missionaries. And our 1 main progressing investigator believes that the Lords prayer is the only true prayer we are to say, and he isn't even catholic! haha But it's ok we're meeting tons of new people every day, and we'll be converting potentials into INVESTIGATORS or GATORS for short haha.  For Thanksgiving we will need to stay w/ members most the day, but we CAN participate in a turkey bowl so we;ll do that and it'll be good. The pictures of your beard didn't come through. talk to yall nexty week.

 love you!

TJ

Elder Taylor Ferguson-- November 12, 2012

Hellllllo Cleveland.

I'm glad you got my package Mom, I'm glad ya'll had a good time at the party, and nothing too bad happened hahah.

 

I'm happy all is going well w/ Bronte, and her paperwork! loved the photo's! thanks so much.

I'm glad Brookie is getting the most of the party life before she ties the  knot... haha sounds like she's gunna have 2 rocking sides of the family!

Oh the election haha it was funny we had been talking about it a little bit during our comp study that morning, but then we started making a few phone calls, and after about 2 or three we realized everyone was super down about something.  And the 4th lady we called she answered and said "(sigh) well Elders, I'm pretty upset right about now." haha then we found out Obama won, but like in batman "the night is always darkest before the Dawn" so it'll be allright eventually.

WOW, I saw those pictures and was like!!! WT Heck? I recognized the car, but was like why is it in the back yard!?! haha well I'm glad everyone was safe, Halo 4 is just bad news apparently. I hope

Kendrick is doing ok.  Crazy!

 

Yeah so w/ our Haitian friends we wanted to make sure that they were understanding everything, so we decided to pass them off to the Creole elders anyways.  Later we found out they did understand everything and would have been good to go. so we were sad to lose them.  But through prayer we had their "slots" filled w/ some amazing ppl, 1 is a RC's brother, who's going through a rough time.  He is reading the B.O.M. like mad so its going great w/ him,  And the other 2 are some awesome ppl who moved from Lake Placid? recently and are looking for some no B.S. religion haha and they seem to understand that everything we do relates back to Christ, so they like that, and are progressing great as well.

Elder Cooper and I are still doing great, we'll be going to the outlet malls today for P-day, so I may buy a watch......but who knows ;)  The ward is really coming around and allowing us to help them all w/ their individual missionary efforts. so it's great.

Love ya'll, I'm praying for ya.

oh yeah and how is Kenny Ballard? and T- Steab, and JKW, and McGreggor?? my millitant pals. (hope i'm not forgetting anyone??)

Love hearing from you, be safe, Pray lots

Elder Ferga $$ as they call me. (not really)

Elder Taylor Ferguson-- November 5, 2012

Mom,

 

 Don't worry too much about not being able to Write last week, It was an alright week last week, but this week was sooo great, time is flying:( the transfer is over half over!) and it is just fast fast all the time. This week we saw loads of miracles. On wed we got a media referral for a lady that just moved here fromh Haiti, and only speaks French So we show up and knock on the door, and this lady answers and we ask if she was the referral, and she said "no" but before we could even say we were missionaries she said "but I want to learn too!' so she opens the door, and it ends up that the referral was just inside but everyone (4 ppl) wanted to hear our message. B ut since there weren't any males there we had to teach the Restoration on the doorstep. We taught in English, to 1 of the ladies who can understand English, then she'd translate to Creole to make sure she understood. they were super pumped and when we finished the asked "so when are you coming back???" We said when would be a good time for you, and they said "everyday!" so we have gone back like 4 times since and it's 2, 30' year old ladies, a 16 year old son, a 14 year old daughter, and a 5 year old daughter. so all the people of the baptismal age totally have a date for the 17th, (super prepared so we feel good about making it quick) and they all came to church yesterday. they rock!!! so I'll keep you updated on them.

On Halloween, it was great, we ate at a members home, then were able to go to a temple tour w/ one of our investigators. It was really FUN, then when we went home to get the mail I had 2 PKGS! one from you(mom) and one from BRONTE :) it was great. but for p-day last week we (the district) all carved pumpkins and elder cooper and my pumpkins totally won! Its sweet action!

I'm glad ya'll are doing well.  It was cool that one of the youth in our ward just got his mission call to CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA! He leaves like jan 4, so I was super pumped when I heard that hahah :) BRYCE HILL. good kid.

well I've gotta bounce, just know I love ya'll.

I'll try to send a pkg home today for all the b-days happening soon. :)

love you

Elder Ferguson.

p.s. we were at a members house this week and they totally had a LOTUS 72D! and a Jaguire XF & a Land ROver (all new new new cars) in their garage. it was radical! ahah

da church is true(in case you were wondering)

photos arent working today, so remind me to send them next week!!

Elder Taylor Ferguson-- October 29, 2012

Well mom, the video/audio clip or whatever it was didn't work. and  I didn't get any other emails from you guys...

The week was good, Tuesday we went on exchanges w/ the ZL's and it was a really cool experience, 

 

I made sure to act/vocalize every promp I got, and in doing so we saw lots of miracles and met some really cool people. Then the last few days were good, on Friday night i ate dinner w/ Brother N, a guy who made gregs "M-Tad" infared system so we talked about that stuff and it was really cool, but this week was bike week, and was suuuuper windy! cause of that hurricane. We're meeting w/ J. U. tonight! He's such a funny guy, acts like a 14 year old surfer bum, it's pretty hilarious/sad that he has'nt grown up. Then on Saturday night the ward had a trunk or treat that was suuuper fun it was for the 4 wards in our area and it was really fun. We're meeting with this family of a suuuper rasta dad and his wife, and their son M . they are really awesome, but right now our teaching pool is prettty small, so we're trying to expand it. 

 

I bought a jacket today cause freezing the last few days! and I don't have any long sleeve things (other than my suit coat.) the work is great, and I love hearing from all of you. Thanks mom for the little Work sheet, and talk, it was one of my top 5 from conference for sure! I'll try to send Brooke and Eli's B-day stuff next p-day, or tuesday so hopefully it gets there on time. I'm happy for ya'll. Keep me posted w/ life. We're carving pumpkins in a few minutes, so i'll take some photo's and send them to you next week, o and tomorrow I'll be on exchanges w/ the Portugese elders so wish me luck hahaha

LOVE YOU ALL

OSCULO!

Elder Ferguson

Elder Taylor Ferguson-- October 24, 2012

Hello!!!!!!!!

So 1st day w/ Elder Cooper during comp study he's like what hymn do you wanna sing? I picked "High on a Mountain Top" and said "check it my great great g pa wrote that" and he was all "wait, wait EB BEEZ is myyyyy relative!" so we're cuzins haha somehow, he's from Taylorsville, and he's been out for about a year and a half and is super cool, he's great. :) I';m glad you all got my letters cant't wait to get my reply's :)

Glad that dad is golfing a lot, still bummed about the Braves but go Tigers!!  That's cool about the bedroom set. Today we drove right by Harry potter land/world whatever haha :)

The work is.....rough right now, but we're doing our best and we just keep plugging away, chipping away. The funny thing is in our area there are soooo many people, its annoying we can't teach even a good portion of them. but we know theLlord has a plan, and is preparing the ones he wants to hear the gospel.

It was funny the other day we were over in the ghetto and it's like alllllllll black people right? So were cruising down the street looking around and I see a white person walking down the street up ahead, i thought nothing of it, untill we got close and I realized it wasn't a white person, but a "light" black person. and it was then that I realized that about 90% of the people we see out here are black. it's weird, and the funny thing is it's been almost 8 weeks out here, and I'm just realizing it hahaha.

It's great everytime we go over to the Swaseys house for dinner/or a meeting or anything, Sister Swasey either hooks me up w/ a full pineapple, or a nice freshly cut bowl full!! She's so great!!

Keep helping Bronch thanks, I love the photos!

I talked to a guy a few times this week who was.......interesting, his religion is Econcar. (ekkancar) something crazy it come fromhte book "the tigers Fang/claw?". He's nuts, but the first time we met him we taught the restoration and we asked soo do you think this is true?/could happen? and he's all oh yeah totally,II don't think it, I know it. rIGHT? so we gave him some BOM reading, and we go back, and ask him how it was, he said ".....hmmm interesting, we said oh YEaH? how so? he goes well, starts reading reads like a verse and a half, and stops after is says something aboutC hrist telling us to be baptized, and he goes, we don't need to do that! We were like oh yeah, cool, how come? And he's like well we only do it to join a church, not to follow Christ. we can follow him without that, we asked well then why was he baptized? And he said so he could show us what we're supposed to do..but we don't need to be baptized to be saved....a brotha is crazzzzzyyyyy.

Did I tell you about the ARCH ANGEL we met like my 3rd or 4th week out? she was great. hahaha

gotta go, love you all!!!!!!!

Elder Taylor Ferguson-- October 15, 2012

Note:  Our Bishop knew Elder Zwick was doing a mission tour in Orlando and told him TJ was there and to say "hi" to him. 

Mom,

Today we were informed of transfers. and Elder Costa is leaving! mid training! Yeah it's nuts. His great training skills are really needed in Cocoa Beach and now I'm the "native" in olympia! So it's super crazy here and I don't even know where to start haha. This last week we didn't get much teaching/in cause of meetings and such this week. So it's crazy the mission conf was super great. It really added to my favorite talk from General Conf. By Elder Holland.  We talked about how that applied to needing a good foundation, (a lot) and continually increasing our spirituality. Again i'm out of time. So friday night we're sitting in our apt. at about 9:45 at night and we get a Phone call from Pres. Hall, (he wouldn't call for transfers/training/ responsibilities.) so I literally thought someone died back home, Elder costa talked to them for a minute, then hands me the phone saying: "Elder Zwick": so I'm all "hello?," and he told me he want's to meet with me tomorrow? I'm like surree?? and he says cause your bishop really loves you and he said I should talk w/ you. So we biked over to the temple and had a nice 15-min meeting, then the temple presiden't took this picture of us! It was a suuuuuuuper awesome experience. But I'm glad eli is doing so well potty training, and you all are too haha Let me know whats going on still.

LOVE ya. look to the mail. :)

Elder Taylor Ferguson-- Oct 8, 2012

AAAAYYYY MAMMY, (benchwarmers way)

conf. was da bomb. haha i left my notes at home :( but it was like a 1/4 of that blue journal it seemed like haha. it was really good! (Refer to dads email abt the age change)

we had a few investigators at conf. but the problem is they just moved out of our area and even though their bap. date is on the 21st we have to pass them off :( i;m bummed out but it's ok i';m sure there is a reason for it. Elder Costa;s B'-day is november 4. i;m sure he'd like ties (probs no a skinny.) haha, pancake batter/mix whatever ya call it. the dude loves them. and makes some almost every day, he likes those 4 color pens (BIC) the ones with like a blue and white body that grandma used to bring us. he loves those. haha, or maybe some of those twistable colored pencils...etc i dunno crap...stuff like that ;)

I'm glad eli is growing a mind of his own. with the ootes otes, haha we had dinner w/ some members last night, and they had a 3 year old little girl, and she was killin me. she reminded me of eli so much it was tough.but all is well :)

REFER to dad's email abt potty training as well :)

Finding investigators....it's kinda crappy here, cause the rich wont talk to us, and the poor can't get to church, and our ward is kinda having issues (kinda a lot) with getting up and DOING anything. so it's very frustrating. For example the ward asked us yesterday if we had any investigators that would bring a member to church, beacuse no one in the ward would. rediculous. i know. but we're working on it. and i'm not saying the ppl in the ward aren,t great ppl. they jsut don't understand why they need to do things. and that they need to help out. but whatevs. we'll get there. 

But back to finding, it's not only tough cause of the $$ diferance, but the fact that the ward/stakes have the Keys to finding, but won;t give refferals. so we can talk to ppl all day and it dosn't ammount to much. so meh, we're workin on it. 

It's the last week of the transfer (weird cause that means i only have 16 left!) time flies.(not in greg's sense tho) and this week we have a Mission Conferance, with the 70' Elder & Sister Zwick (sp) so that happens on wed so i'm excited for that!

I'm glad ya'll can be safe(ish) sorry, about steves team/coach scenario hope it gets bettah. glad you could have fun in PC sorry it's getting cold, but send me some good fall pics!

LOVE YA'll a butt load :) 

AELSTE Ferguson

 

Danish I think haha

(The Tropical air is good for Elder Ferguson's facial hair)

Elder Taylor Ferguson-- Oct 8, 2012

Paps,

What's funny is you said we, and i already knew it would be all the ppl listed haha! mmmmmmmm steak, i'm jealous. but since my diet change too much red meat kind of makes me sick. hahaha i know i'm dissapointed as well. It's funny cause Out here they have salad almost every meal, so lucky me i get to go to chow town on it. BLeck. I can handle it w/out gagging it down when it doesn't have any dressing but w/ dressings I pretty much want to die. I only drink water, OJ(cause i;m in the orange state hahah) and Diet V8 juice stuff, cause if i drink much else i start to feel kinda sick. it's a weird change. but i have loads of energy so it's alright. 

I wish they'dve given that news a year ago when i was pumped to go! but i think that it was good they didn't cause now i have a lot more direction for my career path. so it's all good. That sounds hilarious!! haha ooooh potty training...i feel for you dad, I do not envy that part of eli's progression. i'm sure you can find a way to find the funny/cuteness in it tho.

haha fall. here it's still like 75/85ish it is pretty nice, a lil hot sometimes but not too bad. i'm pretty used to the humidity by now, but when it rains and you walk outside and like inhale a liter of water. it's not fun hahaha. it rains almost every day here, and OH MY GOSH it really is the lightning capitol of the world. it's so rad during storms it's pretty much constant. I love it.

glad you could get some tee time going. i dunno if i mentioned my area/ ward is split (right in the middle of the area too, on a main road) between pretty wealthy (millionaires/and multi's) and ppl who have virtually nothing. so there are plenty of G courses in my area, but no one has offered to take us yet haha. on p-days we usually play B ball at the gym which isn't my fav but is good cardio haha. so it's fun. my favorite shot is the no look lay up haha i'm terrible but it's fun.

today i was trying to help elder costa pronounce "BEACH" properly, and everytime he tried to say it, it sounded more like B**** hahahaha, so after about 5-10 minutes of trying to explain it i said...."just say coast" hahah it was great.

Thanks for everything you've done for me dad. i love you. 

ELder Ferguson

Elder Taylor Ferguson-- October 1, 2012

Tudo Bom?  (portugese)

hello Family!

Yes, mom i've been getting your letters/packages/e-mail's so thanks! (if your going to write me try to send it/ expect i won't get it till about 5/6 work days later. is my guess as to when i recieve things. I can send them a lil quicker than i can recieve them. so try to keep that in mind. yeah all should be worked out w/ mail now. haha i love the picture frame/ pictures thanks so much.

You can google the name tapes thing, to find the cheapest ones. but i just got mine from OPS Gear (in north Salt lake) you shouldn't pay more than 9, 10 bucks for 3 of them.

AHH the Swasey's. they are so great, and yes sam her son is very much like I was. Good kid, just trying to decide who/ what he wants to be/do.
funny thing about the Swaseys' is sister swasey is 1/2 japanese. so kind of asian looking, and her licence plate says "SWASIAN" i'll get a picture of it. i love it hahaha


I'm glad I can help ya'll, even from out here! you know you can e-mail me pictures and i can see them and say woo hoo, i'm happy :)

just a thought.


haha the 2nd councelor to the bishop here, is a biiig time foot ball fan, so we talk a little sports when we go on exchanges w/ him and stuff so i hear a little about the packers and the fact that they got ROBBED by the Ref's. MY CONDOLENCES. hahaha is zach gunna grow his hair to match matthews?
  **speaking of sports** dad look up KITE, as a basketball player/coach. i can't remember his 1st name but the dude is rich/tall and i think i heard someting about the celtics and him. so see what you can find out hahaha. maybs i'm wrong. who knows haha

I'm way excited for Conf. it's a few hours later here so like 12 and 4 but we will probs have as many investigators come as possible and it'll be great. it's sad but i'm realizing that i havn't watched like the last almost 2 years of conferance! why? i allllllways happen to be at the farm! it's crazy hahah


ooooooooh look up "love her Mother" mormon messages. i was watching it like "la lala coo coo, then i was like i know her...somehow....then i know her...then i know him... Wait!" you probs already knew about it but i thought it was cool haha try to watch lots of those, i love them! post them to F book, and i promise it'll brighten someone's day.

ELder costa is a wookie. like from starwars. that was for you abby. the dude is seriously soo hairy. it's hilarious because he's only 18 till november!!!! (4th) if you were wondering i think. oooh and abby do you remember T&F? tar and feather haha i thought of that the other day and laughed hard. haha

 can someone hook me up w/ Jesus the Christ?/ the works or whatever they call it. except i have true to the faith. (got it at the MTC)
thanks!

I was thinking the other day and i realiezed. NOBODY should make ANY major decision in life w/out holding(or being able to hold) a temple reccomend. just don't. fun fact haha

another fun fact: the eye of a needle? anyone know the story i know Grandpa does, it didn't actually mean the eye of a "needle" it meant the small like (4ft) door that you had to bow to get through that lead into a city. so a camel getting through that is not exactly easy.

i saw ice cube at the library the other week.(not really, but prob's his twin)

ya'll (especiallly karl/john/ty) would be super jealous of the rain storms we get here they are so sick. plus it's the lightning capital of the world. apparently!
it's cool! oh and you 3 should look up D&C 33:10. i thought of you all when i read it. "GOD WILLS IT"

last week during Black GG's baptismal interview it was funny i was sitting just outside her house (concrete 2 room little house/apt./thing.) while the interview was going on i realized that to my left like 15 feet away there were all these ppl drinkin partying blah blah blah at like 4 in the afternoon on like thursday. that is why there are so many poor people. they wont work. it's not so much as they are downtrodden. it's that. but the funny part of that was that they were doing that whilst black GG was working on starting fresh. i loved the opposites haha.

mom my fave scriptues are 2NE10:23 & 3NE 15:9. i think it seems like they always change hahaha

ooh i glanced at a magazine at walgreens the other day and saw macaulay caulkin died? what the heck?

elder costa doesn't know what ppl of wal mart is. so send me some funny ones (appropriate of course) and we'd love the laugh.

but on Saturday Black GG was Baptised, it was a fairly small crowd maybe  15 ppl, but it was really good. she was crying before she was "dipped" she started saying that all on her own. i'm serious. GG's TWIN! so funny in every way. she calls crying "leaky face" it's just great. but she was very happy, and it was all good. then on sunday i was able to confirm her. which was really cool!!

but now since we baptised 4 of our 8-10 investigators it's all about finding/contacting/ getting referrals from members to start working some others. we're excited though.

I love you all,

ANZIANO Ferguson

(axe kiera/marc what language it is and why i chose that'n.)

Street sign pictures: RUSH HOUR, I always passed lee street. thought it was funny, then one day i saw carter and went "ELDER STOP. I'M TAKING A PICTURE" haha that was for BRONTE/KARL/Ty/JOHN kelly!

and i found that dinosaur thing somewhere in the cabinets and at my triple decker like that thinking of dad/ and eli haha

Elder Taylor Ferguson--September 10, 2012

Hello everyone!

 How are things going? I loved all the care packages!  I've eaten so much stuff haha so thanks all, and I  got some great quotes from GG (thanks so much for that by the way, you sent a note about hope, which is the biggest thing that I'm working on right now, is having hope that I am capable of knowing what to say.) which are super great. but I'm kindof put out, because I don't know how any of my family/BRONTe: (my attempt at those dots) is doing! except for the stuff Grandpa Ike has told me. So thanks for that! (for real Grandpa, sarcastically for the rest of you) unless there is something in the mail. 

EVERYONE can e-mail me, I just can't email them back, so I'll write who I can, but I'm suuuuuuper busy

since i don't know what anyone is doing, I'll get to me :

I got here  Tuesday, we took that photo, and sent it to you. We stayed the night at the mission home, went to the chapel the next day, did this orientation thing, and I met my companion, Elder Costa! He's so great, he just got done with himself being trained 3 months ago!!! and Pres. Hall has him training me! He's from San Paulo, Brazil. he was called as a portugese missionary here,  but once he got here was told to speak english.  He's still learning, but can speak pretty well, just i'm working on building my Elder Ferguson vocabulary w/ him. haha.   He works hard  and we follow all the rules! so get off my back! please!!! hahaha I understand why they exsist, and I follow them because I'm a missionary now and thats what we do. 

We are in downtown orlando, our chapel is across from the temple! We're just below Ocoee, our apartment (right across from Valencia College if you know where that is.) It isn't too ghetto, it's actually pretty nice, but compared to all the rest of our districts ours is a dump! haha it's not a city city, like NY, or even Salt Lake as much a mix between ghetto's and gated communities. which our area has both, literally cut in half. One side of the "main" street here is all nice gated rich people, and the other side is purty darn ghetto. It's fun here there are a tooooon of jamacan's, lots of hations? hatons? hacions? people from haiti. hahaha so there is quite a bit of culture it's great. 

Ok so this month we have 5 baptims lined up. 

One guy got baptized the week before I got here,

a mother and 2 of her kids

we have an old lady who is GG's TWIN!.....but she's black....and Ghetto. She's so funny I love her

and we're setting 2 dates for people tonight. so fingers crossed w/ them. 

One of them is a recent converts son, this jamacan(dunno how to spell it) guy who used to play the drums for Ziggy? Marley. I think that's who it was. not Bob, but one of his kids, and they used to tour the world and stuff, first time I met him he was all doo ragged? up.  But he's a way cool and has been going through some really hard times, but you can see the change in him since he's been reading the BOM.

Then the other one is a mid 20's year old single mom, who we met when we were looking for another inactive member. We met her by helping her take in her groceries, then we offered to come back and teach her, she accepted! yay right? Yeah, but the cool part is when we went back she told us that lately her 6 year old son has been asking all these church questions and wanting to pray etc, etc. So that's why she wanted to talk to us! Talk about someone who's been prepared by God? right? 

They are all great, and we have high hopes for them. we're teaching some others, but they arent' as far along.

The members are pretty awesome, and there are a lot, Saturday night while tracting right after having dinner w/ some members, we knocked a door of some members of the Spanish branch who practically force fed us another meal. We were dying!!! But it's funny because the Portuguise? elders did the same thing with some members from our ward last week hahaha

Love you all, but write me more!

I'm learning loads, 

miss you, love you

-Elder Ferguson

Elder Taylor Ferguson-- September 3, 2012

I made it here, its hot, its huuuuuuuuuuuuuumid, I'm safe,

It was great to talk to you all this morning.

Love you all,  talk to you when I can

Elder Taylor Ferguson-- August 30, 2012

Family how are you doing?!?!

 

 

 

I have been looking all over for my Patriarchal blessing but cannot find that/ or my big preach my gospel. so if you could at least send my p blessing i'd be super greatful.

 

 

 

 

my travel information is as follows:

 

Flight from SLC, to Orlando leaves at 9:45 A.M. on Monday the 3rd. we leave the MTC at 6:00 on monday morning. so i'll probabally call somwhere between 8:00 and 9:15, so be ready. and then from then on i'll be two hours ahead in orlandoooooooooo!

 

i'm pretty much over my cold, except for at night when i cough myself to sleep, and the morning when i'm super plugged up :)

 

i've sent the ritterb's a rather jolly drawing, hopefully she'll share it with everyone, it really "illustrates" what we (missionaries) are all about. but not really we're more about "inviting others to come unto christ" than what is in the photo. that is just a flippin sweet byproduct.

 

1st things first. WHAT.THE.CRAP. You can't just say a brotha (steve)is in the E.R. and not say why!!!!!! not to mention i've recieved multiple letters and photo's since talking about it. and yet i still know nothing!!!! is he gunna be blind????? did he get stung? hit in the eye by a big burley chick? get hit by a golf ball, eat a nut and develop and allergy??? do you see my frustration!!??

 

Hope your ok broseph

 

time for me here has gone by way fast too, it seems like i showed up, had a really long first 2 days, then the rest blend to where i am today, it's crazy talk. i'm kinda glad i'm not learnign a language, it'd be supes tough to stay here for 9-12 weeks. hahah

 

i'm so glad brooke said yes, last time we talked she seemed kind of into some other guy. I don't remember his name but i'm pretty sure it was someone other than Zach hahahah jk i'm so happy for you guys!!!!!!!! P.S. Brooke, once you go through the temple you'll almost be as richous as me...not quite...but kinda close. hahaha jk i'm really so happy fo real!

 

Thanks for the photo's and calling cards, i loved them, i'll try to work down the list as i make calls, but just be ready.

 

Oh, and thanks again for the sewing kit, it's super rad, i'm about to go use it to fix my pocket, i still have to pack all my crap so i'm kinda not looking forward to that, but it's alright, i'm ready to get outta here.

 

I sent y'all another s.d. card so hope you like the content of that.

 

i dunno if i told you about the musicisions we have in our room, but we have these 2 elders who one plays the tin whistle/penny whistle/ little recorder thing that's super rad, so every night i beg him to play me Lord of the Rings Tunes, but it's bad cause it makes me super sad i'm missing the hobbits parts 1-3!!!!!! but it's ok it's quite glorious. THen the other who is 1/2 navajo, 1/2 comanche. plays his native american double chamber flute it's so pretty, it's great, so everynight as we lay down to sleep they serenade(don't really care about spelling) us, it's da bomb.

 

but i've had so many spiritual experiences since i've been here it's hard to decide even where to begin. but i think one of the simplest yet profound things i've realized is that for these investigators baptism isn't about joining the church. it's about following christs example and following the commandments we have been given by god that are nessisary to return to him. and another thing i love, that i knew about before, but didn't really pay much attention to is the fact that we all chose to be here. we dind't follow satan. we chose the right (no pun intended, p.s. please look for my black CTR ring and send it to me if possible, or hook me up with one, that'd be great. thanks) way to go about things, which was to come to earth, and get our bodies, use our agency to put off the natural man, just like it says in mosiah (8:somethin i believe but i don't have my scriptures right here, so go find it) that is one of my favorite scriptures, p.s. what one is on my plack?? did we ever talk about that?? if we don't have one let me know and i'll hook you up with a few of my favorites.) and continue to choose the right, and follow god's commandments so we can fulfill the plan of happieness, and be in Spirit paradise until the second coming then can continue on in following christs example!

 

i love you all, expecially you momma stay strong, know i'm doing fine. I can't even begin to explain how greatful i am for you dad, grand ma g pa, and all my other adultly mentors in life for pushing me to better myself and do the things that are hard. because just since i've been here i have gotten a tsaste of how hard it will really be when i'm out there, and thank you for teaching me how to work. there are so many people here who have no idea how to work and i wanna slap 'em, but i have christs name on my nametag so i don't. i take the tag off then slap 'em. jk but i'm trying to be a good example for'em. A'las i'm out o' time, like i wrote you earlier in the week, try to write me the reply to this so i can know what i'm going to say to maximize/ STREAMLINE my emails hahaha

Elder Taylor Ferguson-- Aug 23, 2012 (Yea!!! First Email)

Hello Family,

Thanks for getting me Elder Whittles address, if i could get Elder Moor's that'd be great too.

I was aware it was Pres Monsons B-Day on tuesday night, because at that night's fireside Elder Neil L. Anderson came and Spoke to us, on the some of Pres monsons favorite things. And we actually Sang happy birthday to him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was great, they put a picture of Pres monsons face on the projectors and that was what we sang too hahaha

I don't have time to say much about this, but Elder Anderson said this "whom the lord Calls- He Qualifies" when he said this it was a huge comfort to me, because of the lacking scriptorian i am. i'll write more about the talk next time (if possible) it was really really cool.

Elder Potter is going to FOM (nice accro) and he's super great like i said, you can see if Bronch will share her letter i sent to her on WED night. It has a more diffinitive explination of him.If there was a picture of just 1 missionary it'd be him.

 i'll have more on the way soon, but i'd really like if you guys could send me some photo's of eli (like real ones, not on the camera) because the ones you took wouldn't convert over, so i couldn't look at them on my camera. and if you want you could just send that digital picture frame, i have so much extra room in my suitcases, and it'd be nice to have that to look through. but it's "whateber" (nacho, my whole district loved that movie so we quote it allllll the time.) but the thing our district quotes the most is for sure tommy boy! everything here is so much funnier here (at least to me, probabally because I miss funny Pics!)

Like i said in one of the letters i wrote, (i think bronte's) there are 10 people in my district 7 are going to FOM, and 3 are going to PITT. then in the other district that came in the same day as us, there are 12 ppl, and 10 are going to FOM as well. One is Elder Allred from Farmington, and that one Elder Duffy is the one from that "Zions Merchantile" store. The 4 elders that were in our room when we got here (the ZL's) were headed to Denmark, and were all really great, and really good examples. But they left Monday morning (like 3:30 A.M.) so Elder Potter and I have had our rooom to ourselves for a few days. but yesterday we got our new roomies, they are also all going to denmark, they are pretty funny dudes, and one is Full blooded Native American!!!!!! 1/2 Navajo, 1/2 Comanche!  and his confirmation to go on a mission came throught a Bet, and a Jones soda bottle Cap! i'll tell you about it later if you remind me. it's way cool.

Thanks for the hollistic medicines (i don't know if they really are, but i wanted to say that) i actually bought some of that alka seltzer (just some individual packs) and it really helped, so thanks Dad!! like i told bronte I got sick on Saturday, with a sore throat, then sunday a nasty cold (with all the symptoms), but by monday it was just a sore throat. And tuesday/wed pretty much just had no voice (which made it difficult to teach, but forced me to slow down (a lot) and really let the spirit teach. so maybe i'ts a good thing) and today it's pretty much all gone, i have a small cough, and my voice is pretty much back. SO MOM DON'T WORRY! and thanks for the Vit. C Elder Potter is a super health nut/germaphobe, so i'll be alright.

WAY TO GO STEVE! hahaha i'm glad someone is doing it! how is golf???

Madi i really badly wanted to get a card from here and send it to you but i wansn't able to get one in time, so hope you can forgive me, "Happy AgE?ing/ Aging"

BROOOOOKE. Where is the heads up???

JK im really happy/ excited for you.

Ive seen Elder Hav. a few times, but i see Elder Scovel a bunch. Sorry im about out of time.

Love you all a lot and write me ton's please it helps keep me going!!!!!!

P.S. ask me about Zone Teaching.(it's my favorite spiritual Experiance i've had yet!!!, sorry about spelling i'm focused on Quanity, not as much quality with this. So excuse i hahahahahah. "RAS TRENT" look it up, lonely island!