November 29th Email

Hey Everyone,

This week has been a rough one but has had its good times. On Tuesday the Institute held their monthly bbq and it was a great success. Elder Alber and I gave 7 church tours! It was so much fun to take people through the church and let them feel of that great spirit there. There was this young family that came in with their 4 and 1 year old daughters and as we were walking through and talking about the church they asked how they could become members! That only happens in the church movies haha. So they will be attending one of the family wards here but it was so exciting to be apart of that. I also gave one to this guy named Keith. The guy was hillarious and was very into everything we had to say. He asked for a Book of Mormon before we had the chance to offer. He was in Sarasota this past weekend but we should be meeting with him again this week. We haven't taught Tim for a while and figured he wasn't very interested anymore and then we get a text from him wishing us a "Happy Thanksgiving" and then right after "I'm defending the church right now." He then called us and we answered a lot of the questions and arguments his family had while they were having their Thanksgiving dinner. It was a blast, not only was I fed very well but I was spiritually fed on Thanksgiving. We had Thanksgiving at a members house, Marc, his mom isn't a member and he recently returned from the Denver Colorado North Mission about 2 months ago now. A couple weeks before when we first went over she wasn't too happy for us to be over but after dinner we felt that she didn't have that wall up anymore and she really likes us now. We also played in the Tampa Stake Turkey Bowl and it was a blast and I am still sore. We tore it up! Elder Alber and I alone had a combined at least 15 TD's both on offense and defense we were able to score. I dove for an interception and whiplashed my head pretty bad but luckily it didn't start hurting until after we were done playing haha. I've been thinking a lot about what Elder Richard G. Scott said in his conference talk, “We become what we want to be by consistently being what we want to become each day. “ I am really trying to change a lot of my old habits and ways so I can be closer to my Heavenly Father. It's been a struggle this week our zone just didn't get much done and it's frustrating but I'm trying to turn that frustration into "what can I do for them to turn around and work hard." It's a lot harder than it sounds and is gonna take some time but I know if I go forward with a sincere heart the Lord will provide a way for Elder Alber and I to help our zone. I love you all and hope you had a great Thanksgiving!

Love,

Elder Salmon

November 22nd Email

Hey Everyone!

Thanksgiving is here!!! I love Thanksgiving it is my favorite holiday!! This past week has been hard but has not set back our spirit here. Transfers came this past week and Elder Alber and I are staying another 6 weeks together and we are pumped! The month of December the students are out of school and go home for the holidays so things in our area are going to be really slow so we talked with President Summerhays and we came up with the idea that we will travel around our zone this upcoming month and help the missionaries in each of there areas to jumpstart the work. I love working with other missionaries and am going to have a blast this December. I have gratitude for the opportunity to serve the Lord Jesus Christ. I have gratitude to serve with my companion, Elder Alber. I have gratitude to serve with the missionaries of the Florida Tampa Mission. I have gratitude for my family and friends who are serving valiantly and being extremely supportive at home. I have gratitude that I made promises to live by in the Florida Tampa Mission. I have gratitude that I will be accountable to the Lord and to the leaders of the church for how well I honor those promises. I have gratitude and I would rather be here serving our Savior than anywhere else on earth. These are just a few of the blessings that I am grateful for this time of year. And I pray that I will follow the Prophet Thomas S. Monson when he told us in conference, “A grateful heart…comes through expressing gratitude to our Heavenly Father for His blessings and to those around us for all that they bring into our lives.” The Savior is the way. “Let us follow Him. Let us emulate His example. Let us obey His words. By so doing, we give to Him the divine gift of gratitude.”

I Love You All So Much!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Elder Salmon

November 15th Email

Hey Everyone

Just another one of those weeks in the mission where you just keep marching forward. Transfers are this coming weekend!! It seems like yesterday Elder Alber and I started the transfer! As far as that goes we are pretty sure that we will stay together at least one more transfer (through the holidays.) This week was Zone Conference and it was a blast. President and Sister Summerhays really make the trainings fun and spiritually uplifting. We have been studying the Fourth watch. The Savior, in Galilee, fed five thousand from five loaves and 2 fishes. He then sent his disciples ahead of Him to cross the Sea of Galilee in a ship which is soon tossed with the waves in a contrary wind. He did not come to them in the first, second, or third watch of the night. They are left to struggle. I am sure, with all their might, against the storm tossed sea -strengthening their muscles, hearts and wills until they have done all they can do. Then in the early morning, during the fourth and last watch He comes walking across the turbulent waters; first to build and strengthen their faith and then to calm the wind and sea. The end result of this experience is a group of disciples who are tired but strong in body and spirit. They also know that He will come to strengthen them in difficult circumstances after they do all in their own power. They are becoming disciples of courage who, in the not too distant future, will stand strong and faithful in the face of difficult circumstances to build up the early Church of Jesus Christ. They will exhibit great power and perform many mighty miracles in their future ministry. They will be men of courage and strength. In Mathew’s Gospel this is the first time that they expressed their belief that Jesus was the Son of God! “of a truth thou art the Son of God.” Tim is still progressing at his own pace but needs to really take the time and come to church. We have appointments with Nathaniel and Jennifer this week. We meet both of them seperately while tracting and we had talked with them a little bit before on campus! Maybe they'll realize that its not just coinsidence that we have run into them twice now. Crystal is still doing well but is afraid to talk to her dad about baptism so we are going to continue to meet and pray for her to have the courage over one of the breaks to ask her father to let her be baptized.

I Love You All

Elder Salmon

In Florida??

Food !!!

LOVED being at the temple !!!

Elder Salmon at the Orlando Temple

November 8th Email --- 9 MONTHS TO GO !!!!

Hey Everyone,

Its been a rough week this past week. Daishia who was supposed to be baptized yesterday wasn't and we aren't teaching her anymore. Here is the story, so on Tuesday we scheduled a time to meet with her to go over the baptismal interview questions and make sure everything was still on schedule. She text us and told us she isn't going to be baptized anymore and she won't be meeting with us but appreciated everything that we have done for her. What had happened is she told her parents about what she was going to do and they drove up from Miami (which is about a 4 hour drive) to pick her up and take her home so she wouldn't be baptized in our church. Her parents almost withdrew her from school. They anti-ed her and told her that they are gonna pray over her and find her a new church to attend while she is at school. The weird thing is everything that her parents told her that wasn't true about the church was the same stuff she argued against in her other church. But she is very respectful of her parents and there is nothing we can do about that. The seed is planted and when the time come she will be able to make those steps and join the church. She has a strong testimony and its in the Lord's hands now. Finding this week hasn't been the best. We are still trying to find people to teach and bring unto Christ. We will be diligent in our finding and know that the Lord will guide us where to go and what to say. We were able to visit with Tim again this past week and the Lord was able to give me a tender mercy. After reading more chapters out of the Book of Mormon Tim began to ask us deep doctrine questions. In my heart I prayed for the guidance of the Spirit to be able to answer his questions as well as my companion to have that knowledge. The Lord blessed us not only with the understanding and answers to these questions but He also blessed us with the ability to answer them in simplicity. It was a great testimony builder to me of not only how great this gospel is but also how simple the Lord makes it when it really comes down to it. Speaking of testimonies this past week in fast and testimony meeting I had the opportunity to get up and bear my testimony. It has been many many years since I have gotten up in fast and testimony meeting. I loved it! I don't know why it has been so long but I'm happy that I have overcome that tiny obsticle in my life. For those of you at home don't hesitate to get up. The Spirit isn't going to slap you in the face and tell you to get up, it's going to be a small and gentle feeling. By bearing your testimony in front of others not only is your testimony going to grow but also those who hear it. In D&C 62:3 it says "ye are blessed, for the testimony which ye have borne is recorded in heaven for the angels to look upon; and they rejoice over you" so when you bear your testimony it will be recorded and the angels will rejoice over you!! So bear your testimony whenever possible it doesn't have to be in a meeting and it doesn't need to be "I bear my testimony..." its just telling others of the truthfulness that you have of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ! This past Saturday Elder Alber and I had the opportunity to go with the assistants to the mission home to stretch, have breakfast, and studies in the morning with them as well as President and Sister Summerhays. That man is flexible!! haha. He put me to shame! But as a group we studied Alma 7 and what a great and spiritual experience that was!! I have been so blessed to have the opportunity to serve President and Sister Summerhays. What great people!! They really and sincerely care about each and every missionary out here and want the very best for us. They really have taken the role of "parents" to the missionaries. I could go on and on about them they are just so amazing!!

I Love You All!!

Elder Salmon

November 1st Email

Hey Everyone!

Another great week in the Florida Tampa Mission! We met with Daishia this week and she is doing great! We read 1 Nephi 8 with her and talked about baptism and tried to set a date with her for Nov 14 and she said she was thinking more about next week so this Sunday Daishia is getting baptized!! I'm so excited for her she is so ready! Her testimony has really grown and the adversary has worked on her big time but she has not given up at all, if anything it has made her stronger! We got a call from this girl who had met the missionaries at the mall about a year ago and she wanted a Finding Faith in Christ DVD because she is starting to look for another church. So hopefully we will be able to meet with her this week and show her around the church. Tim is doing great! We went over a couple days ago and read another 4 chapters out of The Book of Mormon with him and he loved Lehi's Vision and the symbolism in that chapter (1 Nephi 8). Things in his life are starting to work out for the better and so hopefully that will open up some more time for him both for school work and to meet with us. Saturday morning my companion Elder Alber woke up to a big zit on his cheek and wanted to go to Target to get some medicine for it and 2 min after we walked in the door this lady approached us and had been trying to get a hold of missionaries. She was from Washington state and was a member and was down here because her daughter was getting treated in the hospital and the mom wanted a blessing. Her daughter is less active and doesn't have much faith in blessings but the mom wanted help from the Lord. It was a great spiritual experience to be apart of that. Interviews with President Summerhays were this week and it went fantastic. I was the last one he interviewed and i have never had a better interview and according to what he said neither had he. He is a great man and i know i was meant to serve for him. He really cares about the missionaries and knows that through that caring that they will work hard and that everyone will benefit from the results.

I Love You All

Elder Salmon