Gathering Israel: Updates from Our Missionaries
Enjoy the latest from our Orem Hillcrest Stake full-time missionaries serving around the world. Fresh updates appear as we hear from them.
Sister Victoria Daughetee, Maryland Baltimore
November 24, 2025
See the FLICKS from this week ā¬ļøā¬ļø https://photos.app.goo.gl/RDYcDkyz8XriWuas6 Monday: ā Good Ole pday. We really just went to the church and hung out today. Got Chick fil A. But that's it. Tuesday: ā District council was so good today! Did a little break out to think about our 'Why' and write some thoughts down. Anyways, basically all my notes had to do with my MOMMA! I'm just so grateful for her and owe her EVERYTHING because she gave me everything including the gospel of Jesus Christ! ā Literally 2 of our lessons canceled š but it is okay because we found a few more people while knocking today. (I'm being positive. We found 1 person.) šš ā We had dinner with the Christiansens. Okay this is the controversy. Read their last name. You would pronounce the A right?? Nope not them. They call themselves the Christensens. Even tho their name is spelled Christiansen. That okay though. I've never had bean sprouts as a side until today. š± ā We had a lesson with a member Sam! He's cool, but he always wants the missionaries to come over. šš Love him but we got things to do yk? We asked him to see if Sammy (his daughter) could join us. She never came out. š All is well tho. He has forgotten a lot of the basic principles of the gospel so we kind went over that and gave him reading material lol. WEDNESDAY: ā The day we have all been waiting for. My FINAL Zone Conference, š aka the day my comp finds out I'm going home... So for those of you who don't know, I've been training again for my last 2 transfers, and I never told her that my mission ends in December. Anytime someone asks how long I have left, I always respond with "I've only been out a little over a year" which is basically true. The whole zone kept it low key too. No one spoiled. š¤š¤ At your last ZoCo, the missionaries who are leaving, give a final testimony. So they announce all the names of who will be giving their testimony. The STLs said my name last and poor sister Miskin looked at me SO shocked. Well, now the cat's out of the bag š. (Video on my Google photos..) ā On a side note, I am SO EMO because I adore my mission and I never want it to end. I cried the entire time as we sang "Called to Serve" one last time. ā On a HAPPY note!!! ššš I got to see ALL THREE of my children! And one of my old comps!! Sis Page, Sis Hall, and ofc Sis Miskin! I got to see Sister England too!!! Ugh, how I miss them so so much!! I can't wait to be reunited w them when they finish their missions!!! I'm so proud of each of them!!! ā Monty is so fake and didn't even text us he couldn't meet today. AND we even called and texted to confirm!!! ā ššššš This is the only reaction I have for what happened today. We stopped by a member's house to visit her nonmember husband. He was busy in the other room and the member wife chatted with us. Then as we shared Mosiah 2:41 she went OFF about how she thinks the prophet will change the Word of Wisdom. Please queen. She said some crazy things. Email me if u want the story cause I'm not about to put it in here. š¤š¤ Thursday: ā Went and served at the Salvation Army!! They celebrated the birthdays in Nov which was fun!! No one knows how to say my name so they just say Dot. Haha! ā Had a lesson with Monty!! He is so terrible at responding. So we just stopped by and had a lesson with him. š¤ ā We had dinner with the Carruths! They are so sweet! It's the billionth time we've had pot roast for dinner in the last 3 weeks, but it was still delish. Friday: ā What a day! We had Sis Miskins mentor meeting šø and all our studies. ā We had a wasp in our apt, š« idk how it got here. Successfully got it out tho. š š After a long time on the east coast, I've decided I STILL don't like bugs. ā Went parking lot finding!! That also made my poor comp cry š¢ It's scary talking to people but she's got it!! We call it exposure therapy. š Saturday: ā Yay! Happy weekend! We started the day off with the Relief Society activity! Our friend Sandra came! We made cute little towels into bear shapes! ā We had a lesson with the Randall's, a part member family! The boys were much more locked in this week. We did the restoration using cup stacking! š„š„ ā Sister Chapman (downstairs neighbors/senior missionary couple) brought us some pumpkin bread!! š She always keeps us stocked w treats! š©·š©· ā We had a lesson with Alexa and Jaime!! Seriously just love them so so much! š We did the same activity that we did earlier, cup stacking restoration! She is such a yapper, I love it. ā Today felt so long and hard! Probably one of the hardest days of my mission to be honest! Hard is good, because we can't grow when we are comfortable. We've been doing a lot of knocking and contacting with little to no success. These efforts aren't wasted, I know that. I've seen the Lord work in miraculous ways, I know he will consecrate our efforts. But I'm so grateful for my Heavenly Father and Savior for SEEING me. He sees me and he sees my efforts. There is so much beauty in the hard. Sunday: ā Happy Sunday! ALEXA AND JAIME came to church! Yaya! It was Alexa's first time and she loved primary!! We bribed her to wake up for church with Jolly Ranchers š¤š¤š¤ ā Ward council was probably the BEST ward council I've had in the ward!! The bishop actually gave us time to update them with the work we have been doing. ā Stopped by a less active member's house! He was doing yard work and told us he had a spinal cord fusion thingy and that we can't tell his wife he's doing this. š¤¦āāļøš āāļø We helped him for a little bit and he kept trying to do things on his own šš and he fell 2x. š¤“ King, please relax. Anyways, we told him we can come back and help him. His wife isn't a member, but she will be. š¤š¤š¤ ā Had dinner with the Spencers!! They are so fun! Sister Spencer is obsessed w taking our pics and sending it to our moms. š„¹ Haha she has 2 missionaries out rn. She's got all the feelings. This was was overall great! The Lord definitely strengthened me a lot. I'm so thankful! We did a lot of random services this week which was so fun! Sometimes I need to remind myself to take a step back and look at all the good I was able to do this week and not look so much at how it translated into how many people we found to teach. I'm entirely grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ. True joy comes from our Savior. Serving him. Loving him. And helping others come unto him. I adore being a missionary. 3 weeks left for them to let Sisters serve for 2 years ššš You think they'll do it??? Then you won't see me for 6 more months. š¤š¤š¤ Email me! š¬šš„„ Xoxo Sister Daughetee 5305 Columbia Rd, Apt D Columbia, MD 21044
Sister Gracyn Decker, Nevada Las Vegas West
October 7, 2025
Hiii, okay get ready for an update! Life has been so good in Pahrump. I'm so glad my bestie Sister Parks is here. It makes it even better, we are the iconic duo. UPDATES: - We had the coolest zone conference ever! We got to show up in our pday clothes, and started by going to different stations, and heard from different senior missionaries. We also got to get blessings from our mission president which was cool! We then grouped up and went to this lookout where we got to spread out and take time studying our patriarchal blessings. It was such a cool experience! - I BUTCHERED A CHICKEN!! It was the grossest thing I have ever done. A member in our ward had 150 chickens, so all of us missionaries went over in-between sessions of general conference to help out. We cut the heads off (as they were alive), de feathered, gutted them, and cut them. I was on the verge of throwing up the whole time. - WE HAD CONFERENCE!! It was so good. We got super spoiled by members, and ate very well. Our zone also got to watch a session together which was fun! - Our mission held a get together event for all of Vegas, we hosted it in one of our church buildings, and it was awesome. We had a bunch of different stations that people could stop in like ping pong class, art class, basketball tournament, golf class, etc. Me and Sis Parks were in charge of the family history station lol. My grandparents would be so proud :) - The work is going good, we have been finding a lot of people, just trying to see who is actually interested. We sadly had to drop our friend Soni. She visited another church and was very impressed with them. - Our zone played glow-in-the-dark volleyball last pday, it was awesome! We got a light up volleyball, and we all wore glow sticks, and put lights on the net. The ZL's were team captains, and the losers had to buzz their head. Our team THANKFULLY won (not that I was the one buzzing my head buttt we had to win for him). We all got to take a turn buzzing the one elders' head haha. Spiritual Thought: My heart aches with all the craziness that is going on in the world. I was so sad when I found out President Nelson died, but it didn't hit me till we sang, "We Thank Thee Oh God for a Prophet". It was tender. Then finding out about the shooting in Michigan was just SO, SO sad, but the church has handled it so well. Mosiah 18:9 "Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life." Sister Decker
Elder Enoch Ellis, Wisconsin Milwaukee
October 20, 2025
I return from the heart of the jungle once again to make a slight communication before plunging back into the deep. Things have been good since I've last sent an email. I've been transferred away from the Madison YSA on special assignment. In Appleton, Wisconsin there is a decent population of refugees from eastern Africa. The countries of Tanzania, Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda and others. These people speak many languages, but a common tongue among them is Swahili. A year and half ago, an elder decided to learn the language so they could teach the people here. Since then 1 elder has been called from the MTC speaking Swahili. for a long time, it was just elders assigned to work the area who all learned the language in the field. Many of them didn't try very hard after the first few. The elder who was called here from the MTC had a trainer for one transfer and he didn't do much, so when transfers came around President Bailey wanted to make a change. This is where I come in. For 4 weeks now I've been back in the Appleton stake finishing (really starting) the training of the first Swahili missionary in the history of the mission. I am to example what it is to be a diligent obedient missionary. I'm also serving as the district leader. That is an amazing thing all on its own. Transfers are next Wednesday. We will get 2 more Swahili speaking missionaries from the MTC and I will train one, and my current companion will train the other. I think of it as being Helaman with my band of stripling young men. We will likely live together and do lots of cross training. The language is going well for me. God has blessed me so much in these weeks. I can teach and understand pretty well. My companion is better than me, as he's had the MTC and an entire transfer of doing 3 hours of language study per day (while his first trainer slept). He is devoted and faithful and amazing. Not many could be called to be in his situation. He may only have 2 areas his whole mission and maybe only 3 companions. He is amazing. In this district I've been reunited with old friends, and it's amazing to be back in a stake where I served for 6 months. I know all of the stake leadership and many members and still have great relationships with the members on the other side of Lake Winnabego. I got to see them at a stake event last week, that may have been the highlight of my life. The people we teach come from humble backgrounds and a Jesus-based culture. They love anything to do with the Lord Jesus Christ, so they love the Book of Mormon. Many of them also have little support or friends in the area due to the language barrier, so welcoming them into a community is a very attractive offer. We're making moves in the ward to call someone to help these good people get signed into englishconnect and BYU pathway. This will change the lives of these soon to be saints. Existing, there are 3-4 active Swahili speaking members, and each week we have a growing number at church. We will have the foundations of a branch laid before I go home. I'm bent on it. This missionary work is truly frontierism. Doing things that have never been done before in a way that is led by the spirit. I know this is God's work and he has prepared a way. The progress in these weeks is nothing short of miraculous. It's amazing what God can do with will hearts and able hands. I will come home fluent, so I'll need to make some friends I can practice with when I get there. Exciting things have been happening and they will only continue for the next 4 1/2 months. I estimate I'll send 2 more emails during this time. I will try to be better, but I am content with the mass communication so far. If you'd like personal communication, please email me! I love you all. āElder Ellis
Norm and Charlotte Johnson, SLC Temple Square
November 10, 2025
Earlier in the week I had three people from the Netherlands come into the Tabernacle. They had a lot of questions about everything. We talked about Joseph Smith and the Restoration of the Gospel, the history of the Book of Mormon, life after death, the Pioneers, Brigham Young, Temple marriage and the other things that go on in the Temple. They were extremely interested in everything. They each wanted a Book of Mormon and all the pamphlets. When I told them that we had them in Dutch they got even more excited. I went to the cabinet where the information was kept and had only 2 Books of Mormons and one incomplete set of pamphlets in Dutch. I had them read Moroni's promise in Moroni 3 thru 5 and she read it in Dutch and looked amazed and very excited. When they saw the pamphlets one of the men said, "I have seen this on my grandmother's kitchen table. Two of your young men came to her house and gave it to her." It was so great to hear that they had also seen the Missionaries in their area. They were planning to go to the Museum and I had a couple of hours left on my shift at the Tabernacle so I told them that if they would come back by after they saw the Museum, I would get the rest of the information for them (in Dutch) from the Conference Center and have it at the Tabernacle when they returned. I got the information that I had promised them and was kind of excited to get it to them so I went to the Museum to find them and give it to them. I went through all of the Museums but could not find them. Then I went to Family Search and looked on every floor but could not find them. I hurried back to the Tabernacle to see if they had returned. They were not there either. By that time it was about 2:30 pm and our shift at the Tabernacle ended at 3:00 pm. I was feeling kind of disappointed and was afraid they had lost interest or run out of time and left Temple Square and I had not been able to get them the information that I had promised. They had been gone a few hours and had not returned. I continued to watch until about 2:50 pm and still had not seen them. I really felt bad and said a quick prayer that they were still around and would come back before I left. At about 2:55 pm they were still not there and the senior couple that was coming to take our place had arrived so I took them aside and explained the situation so if the people came back they could get the information to them. Just as I was finishing my explanation, they walked into the Tabernacle. I immediately took the information to them and talked for a moment about their visit to the museum and the things that they felt. They loved what they saw and especially the video of the First Vision. They were very excited and asked if they could take a picture with me. As they got ready to leave one man turned to me and said, "you have changed our lives". I was so happy that they had come. I know it wasn't me but the Holy Ghost that had helped them feel and understand what they had seen and heard. I hope you enjoy hearing about our experiences. We will send you more later. Elder and Sister Johnson
Elder Hermann Lang, Manchester New Hampshire
September 8, 2025
It's been forever since I sent an email. I don't lke writing emails but figured I'd give a small update. By the way, probably won't be another one until around my last transfer ... maybe. Anyways, transfers are coming up. I'm getting yet another son. š¶š» I'll meet him later this week. It'll be lit, I love training. I've been in Sanford, Maine and it's been tough ... Just knocking and walking 'round and finding each day all day. Talkin to maybe 1 or 2 people by the end of the day that simply say no or yell at us (haha). But I love Jesus or at least wanna keep showing it so I've keep waking up and going out each day. Having another son will liven things up too and something about new missionaries brings in blessings and new inspiration so I'm hoping we can see some miracles this coming transfer. Anyways, these following verses help me persevere and be grateful for the trials and challenges. I might be teaching no lessons or talkin to barely any people and having no one at church despite my efforts for a long time now, but that's okay. It at least continues to help me learn and grow. And what I have learned is that the reason any challenge or trial sucks and weighs you down is because you choose to not recognize how you can learn or grow from it. And, you choose to not be grateful towards God for it. So, simply change the mindset and thank God and it'll stop being something that weighs you down and it'll become a learning experience that brings you up and high above the adversary. D&C 122:ā8 "If thou art called to pass through tribulation; if thou art in perils among false brethren; if thou art in perils among robbers; if thou art in perils by land or by sea; If thou art accused with all manner of false accusations; if thine enemies fall upon thee; if they tear thee from the society of thy father and mother and brethren and sisters; and if with a drawn sword thine enemies tear thee from the bosom of thy wife, and of thine offspring, and thine elder son, although but six years of age, shall cling to thy garments, and shall say, My father, my father, why canāt you stay with us? O, my father, what are the men going to do with you? and if then he shall be thrust from thee by the sword, and thou be dragged to prison, and thine enemies prowl around thee like wolves for the blood of the lamb; And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good. THE SON OF MAN HATH DESCENDED BELOW THEM ALL. ART THOU GREATER THAN HE?" Here's the photo album for those that made it all the way down here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/xwrpqzfrrNubxjNU9 I'd love to hear from any of yall Loves..... au revoir....adios....tchau....bye E. Lang
Elder Max Lewis, Arizona Tucson
November 25, 2025
This week was good! I am excited for Thanksgiving. We had interviews on friday, and that went great, then later in the day, found out that my comp Elder Weston would switch Elder Arnett my old comp who needs to be in a car because he tore his acl. They live right across the street, so it was an easy switch. We attended a baptism with Francisco and he loved it. Transfers are next week, so that is exciting as well. And, Thanksgiving is this week! I am grateful for the power of prayer, and the Holy Ghost. I often take prayer for granted, but it is amazing. We can talk with our Heavenly Father and he speaks to us through the Holy Spirit and scriptures. I am grateful for Jesus Christ and His Atonement. I read in 3 Nephi 17 this week where Christ prays for the people, and they couldn't speak or write down the things Jesus said and did because of how marvelous they were. I imagined Jesus praying for me or my family or friends. All of you! and I truly felt the spirit. I am grateful for Jesus Christ! Love you all! I am so happy to be a missionary for Jesus Christ. E Lewis
Elder Tyler Birchall, Ecuador Quito
November 24, 2025
Google photos https://photos.app.goo.gl/kXHHHr1DAM4t7H4cA You know what I'm thankful for? Contrast. "Variety is the spice of life," 2 Nephi 2:11: "For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things." We are blessed by changes and experience. As an example, I present to you all, my companion. He has been in this zone of the mission for somewhere around 7 months, which is a lot for our mission, and he got sent to Guallyabamba for this transfer. He was initially a little upset to not be sent to a far away zone, however - luckily for him - Guallyabamba is the most different area in this zone. The other areas of this zone are found in the northern edge of the main city Quito, and therefore often quite similar. Guallyabamba is about a 50 minute bus ride away and down a dramatic drop in altitude. I'd describe it as a city built in a mountain-jungle-valley mix only because it's right next to the road that leads all the way from north America to South. It's nice for him to be out of the city, even if we're not too far. New comp, new streets, new neighborhoods, new friends, it doesn't end on the mission. I've been here some 4 months and there is always something new. Sometimes it's new friends with very straightforward questions and a desire to find answers, sometimes it's a new favorite snack, and sometimes it's having cow stomach for the third time here. Amidst it all, you can appreciate what you've got. I've been sick once or twice out here, but every time it's a reminder how lucky I am to have a healthy and functioning mind and body. While we don't all get that, we can all find ways to appreciate what we do have. To what end? "So that they might have joy." We're here for that purpose, and in this holiday season, I remind you all that such joy is within our grasp. In President Nelson's October 2016 talk, he says "The joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives." Focus on what brings you joy. If you're missing that something, focus on what you do have and use the contrast to contextualize your feelings and focuses. In the mission, it might take hours or days of searching to find someone genuinely ready and willing to make these changes and decisions, but just imagine how great it will be when we do find them. Gratitude can even come from faith in a loving Heavenly Father, in whom you can trust completely. The greatest gift we've received came without price and conditions. It's already ours. I promise there is joy, and even more importantly, it's in your control. Ain't that nice. It's been a good week. Literally not one of our friends came to church, which is a little odd. We'll figure it out. There's always next week, and more friends who might take a chance on welcoming Christ and His blessings into their lives. Not everyone understands what His gift means, but until they do, let's remember to be grateful for what we have been given. I'm in Quito Ecuador and I just bought gold fish and Kraft Mac and Cheese. If there's ever been a reason to be grateful, it's probably one of those. Have such a good week! I love you all very much. Goodbye! ā Elder Birchall
Elder Jason Moore, Philippines Urdaneta
November 17, 2025
Hellloooo!! Its been a crazy few weeks. We had a huge typhoon pass through and knocked out all power and phone towers for like 3 days (which happened to be on my P-Day) š®āšØso I was not able to send an email sorryyy! It was one of the strangest P-days. We just sat in the house all day we were not allowed to work and had no connection so I just read church history stuff in random countries for like 6 hours. š Then we got news that I got transferred! š„³š„²š I'm a little sad because I spent almost 4.5 months in Dagupan and absolutely love the people there! š„ But I'm getting transferred to San Fabian! It is basically rich next to the area I was in, but it has got a very different vibe. Dagupan 7 is a really humble area and they were super friendly to missionaries but immediately in San Fabian, the book bashers were eyeing us up. My new companion is Elder Amos!! He's super chill and just finished training. So he's still figuring out the whole "how to missionary thing". So it is kinda made me realize just how far I've come from my trainee days š and I also realized I'm about to hit one year on the mission soon. š§ But we've had some really cool people show up. After we knocked on his door and he let us come in to share a message, Brother Edward literally flat out says, "How can I come closer to Jesus Christ?" So a lesson about prayer and a BOM later, he asked if we could come back and share again and he would invite his friends... like bro what?!? Who is this guy??!!š¤£š„š„š„ I've got zero time, but I thought this scripture verse was cool so here you go: 1 Samuel:17 (David vs Goliath) 45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. Do not doubt the Lord is behind you when you represent him, when you share about him when you testify of him. Don't doubt his power. Love you guys!! Take care! ā¤ļø https://photos.app.goo.gl/zMBu1tc4XNVJ8yER9 Elder Moore
Elder Cameron Nielsen, Spain Madrid North
November 3, 2025
Hey guys, I'm back. Today, I'm being responsible š. I know, I know, a shock. I'm actually writing my email to START the day. No distractions, no nothing. Just me, chillin at my desk. This high quality. First things first. I've officially retired! My IDP expired this week, so TRA Nielsen has officially hung up the apron. I can't drive nomo. I feel incredible being the little passenger just chillin and doing contacts. Next, I'll give yall a little rundown of the friends here in CoruƱa. Currently, we got two fellas with a baptismal date. Ćmbar and Abbie. Ćmbar is a young spanish lady that we found in the streets like 2 weeks ago. She is just eating up the church! She always has a ton of super interesting questions and always wants to learn more. She also is super social, so it was really easy to help her get to know the members. Next we got our homeboy Abbie. He this little African man. He da goat. Just a little bit boof... I can call him in the morning and confirm a lesson, then that tarde when I call him to ask him where he is, he'll tell me that he is in France laying siege on a castle. Beyond that, we have someone named Marlon. We hoping to extend the baptismal invite this week. He a little Peruvian boy (he is older than me) that we meet in our deportes activity. I'm going home in a few weeks and I'm starting to show signs of the fatal missionary disease "Trunkiness". So to counteract such problems, my comp and I have been setting super high goals to keep us grinding till the end. Problem this week was that we didn't set it high enough... by Saturday we had hit our goal of 20 member attended lessons, so we decided to have a chill Sunday. Taking time to do a good weekly planning and have good focused studies. This day I also learned that Elder Raymond had the unique ability of remember Bubble Guppy songs. Yes sir, that is right. So we spent mediodia singing Bubble guppy songs. We also learned we both had a deep love for Octonauts... the intro in now our alarm... idk. Thought it was a chill story. So this week was šāØļøHalloweenāØļøš. I love Halloween, but lowkey on the mission. We went to the first hour of a ward party and left to go teach some lessons. Nothing too special. Something that was special this week was our sports activity. Truthfully, I love sport activities. They always been my favorite finding activity because it is a great time to get to know members and get our friends to know members. I've also always thought finding was super simple through this, but this week was even more special. You see. I probably made the nicest shot of my life in soccer. The court we have here is pretty small, but it still a blast. And my teammate was in the corner and he lobbed that sucker right to ya boy in the middle of the court. And I volleyed that ball. It was just a rocket and a perfect shot right into the top left corner. It was art. Beyond that, nothing too crazy. Just good old fashioned missionary work here in Coru. But I figured I'd end this bad boy with a Pensamiento Espiritual: Usually during the sacrament a chapter of scripture pops into my head and I'll study it while waiting. This week was no different. This week I was called to the twenty-sixth chapter of the Book of Alma. For those who don't know, this chapter talks of the Sons of Mosiah (Mosiah being a righteous king from the Book of Mormon). These sons had just finished their missionary service amongst their enemies, the Lamanites. And now Ammon, the elderest bro, is giving a recap of what they had done, when his younger bro calls him out for boasting. As I read this chapter I really enjoyed verse 16, which states: "Therefore, let us glory, yea, we will glory in the Lord; yea, we will rejoice, for our joy is full; yea, we will praise our God forever. Behold, who can glory too much in the Lord? Yea, who can say too much of his great power, and of his mercy, and of his long-suffering towards the children of men? Behold, I say unto you, I cannot say the smallest part which I feel." A very interesting verse to me. And it stood out to me, because we really can never praise God too much! Whether we are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or not, we can never praise or talk of God TOO much. In fact we probably all should talk more about him. Many of will say how he is everything to us, but how do we act with that belief? Do we talk as if he was our everything? I realized that even for myself I probably should talk more of God in every moment. I am a full time representative of Christ, but am I really dedicating myself to telling every single person the message I bring? With that said, ill probs end this bad boy here. Ya me canso de escribir. AsĆ que os dejo aquĆ. Me voy a Madrid en como una hora. En camino vamos a parar y ver unos castillos :). Venga chavales! Hasta luego š«” Take a look: https://photos.app.goo.gl/5Bts9wPXUNpFKDmn6 Elder Nielsen
Elder Ethan Leavitt, Singapore
November 1, 2025
Iāve been a missionary for almost four months and in Malaysia for a little over two months! Here's a bulleted list of events and some stats from a month in Sibu Jaya, which is a small town in the middle of the Malaysian jungle. It seems like everyone in town knows us as the giant American young men who ride bicycles all over town. A majority of the town is Muslim and it is against the law to teach Muslims. Itās kind of challenge to figure out who we can teach and who we cannot. Ā· Iāve been to two funerals deep in the jungle at 3:00 a.m. and even dedicated the grave in one of them Ā· The local culture sacrifices chickens at funerals. I wasnāt prepared for that. Itās happened at both church funerals. Ā· Every time we go to zone conference or on transfers we fly on airplanes. Ā· Been fed so much great food by members of the Church Ā· Times I've seen or had the opportunity to use toilet paper: three Ā· Number of times I've been called "Elder Ribbit" because my last name is hard to pronounce: every time anyone tries to say Elder Leavitt Ā· Stickers and fist bumps given out to kids: a lot, but not enough Ā· Times daily people shout "Hey bro" in a Malaysian accent to the white guys on bikes: 6 Ā· Times people have laughed at me for speaking Malay: 11 I am growing to love and admire the people here deeply. Very few have very much, but they don't hesitate to share what they do have. I have seen how those who know of God's love and who Jesus Christ is, are the happiest people I've met. I have learned that its the small everyday things that really are able to bring us closer to God and Christ. When we make a consistent effort to grow closer to Them and put our trust in Them, we can see that God really can bring great changes in our lives through simple means. ā Elder Ethan Leavitt