March 28th, 2016

That really was a marathon week! I'm glad you made it and that spring break is here. Thanks so much for the awesome Easter Package it really brightened up my week :) There was some real good stuff that happened this week! None of the other Elders had ever been to a Catholic Church before and Natchez has one of the oldest in all of Mississippi that was built in like the 1840's or something real old like that. So anyway my companion and I were driving past and the doors were open so I had him pull over and I brought him in. There was only one guy in the whole church and he had just got up from praying when we walked in and he about passed out. That is our new homie Phillip. He came up and shook our hands and said that "he had never seen a latter-day saint walk through those doors" and that he had lived there all his life. It was a neat experience. He got to know us a little bit and first and talked to me a lot about BYU football and my companion about history and was just having a good time. Then 5 feet from the Catholic altar he started asking us about Joseph Smith and we were able to teach him about the Book of Mormon and about living prophets. We also talked a ton about Family History and what the Osmands taught about the Word of Wisdom haha It was awesome! About 2 hours later we moved the conversation out to the front steps were he introduced us to his friend the other mass director and was just so happy to have some new latter-day saint friends. He invited us to the special easter mass and 8 p.m. so we decided that would be a good experience. He also gave us some souvenir Holy Water. So we went to this Easter mass and it was pretty neat because through the hand of God we had met all 3 of the priests mass directors. We had met 2 that day and 1 we worked with on the Habitat house. They gave us all candles and lite this like 4 foot candle first and then passed the light of the world through the dark church. It was a pretty cool experience. Church was also a real good time. The Easter lesson went good and a few of the kids that are the wild ones were sick so that made things a little more mellow haha I have started the Doctrine and Covenants challenge were your last 138 days you read the D&C backwards a section every day. Today is section 136, so if anybody wants to join me feel free too. It's been a party and a half so far! I'm happy to be here! I sure love y'all! Things are good! I'm being real well taken care of! Love your mud!!

March 21st, 2016

Mercy, that is a crazy week! Yall are some troopers!! This week was a pretty wild one but not as wild as yours! We had a pretty good week with a lot of rain. We at us some food this week! We had 2 people take us out to really big seafood places on the same day and it was good. I had me some serious Catfish and it was real good, I love catfish. I gave oysters a second chance, but you can tell Shannon Albright that he can keep them. They make my insides angry every time. We also have just seen a lot of tender mercies with Heavenly Father preparing people for us to teach and helping a few members friends desire to come to Church. People really are placed in our path every day. I've been looking forward to coming to primary all week it was a good time, a lot of work but a good time. We have a very unique little ward, so right now we have like 60 ish people coming and like 25ish of them are primary kids and most of the rest are over 60. haha But with Heavenly Fathers help it works. So the new primary president's name is Sister Norris and she is our homie. We have FHE with her and her husband every Monday night. So the best way to describe her is she is a lot like mom. She loves to be organized and run things how they should be. And it was pretty cool cause on Sunday she told us that we are an answer to her prayers coming to teach and be the "bouncers". Class time went really well cause we had treats and colored and learned about prayer. Sharing time was like a war for 1 hour trying to keep everyone quiet and sitting in there seats. Me and Charles had it out more than a few times, and Evealyn a 6 year old in our class kept playing with her dress and jumping out of her seat. So I told her probably 20 times to pull her dress up and then she looked at me and gave me a pretty good lecture about how she needed to pull her dress down not up haha I'll have to choose my words more carefully next week. Our mission president also came and it was a good time. He's a good dude. I hope yall have a great week!! I sure love ya!! Thanks for all of your love and prayers! Happy Easter! Hurrah for Israel!! Love Mud

March 14th, 2016

Dear Dad, mom, and Jessa, I sure love you people! Thanks so much for the awesome package and for letting me know how your week was. That's so good to hear that dad is getting his hops back again shared some raspberry jam with my homie Brother Dollar, cause raspberry's can't grow in Mississippi cause it is too hot. And him and his wife loved it! They send their compliments to the chef. :) This week was long but pretty good. On Monday we had specialized training in Alexandria and I got to see a lot of the missionaries and have lunch with Elder and Sister Horner so that was a good time! For p day on tuesday we went golfing and I learned why I don't golf haha I was bad. But it was a lot of fun, we went with Bro. Norris and had a good time. Even though we all lost he took us to the malt shop and we had some good shakes. We also met a really cool guy on Tuesday that really wants to learn more his name is bill and he is a biologist for the Forest Service. It was really humbling to see how much the spirit has been working on him and preparing his heart. On Wednesday we got to go and keep helping build this house with the habitat for humanity, that is always a fun time! We work with a bunch of good ol boys and this week we finished most of the siding and worked a little inside. Thursday, friday, and saturday it rained a ton and sunday was awesome! It had just been a long week and church just mellowed me out and by the end of it I was feeling good. One of our recent converts gave a talk and she did awesome! I'm glad to be here! I'm also glad to be the new 4-7 year old primary teachers for awhile. We are going to have a good time. I hope you have an awesome week and that you know how awesome I think you are!! Keep on keepin on. Love your mud

March 8th, 2016

Oh my family, This week has been a fun one! It really is amazing how many tender mercies there are when you start looking for them. The members here are awesome! They feed us super good! We go to FHE on Monday nights with a family who's children are all grown up and last night we had biscuits and tomato gravy and some dutch oven breakfast casserole, it was amazing. Then every Thursday night we go to the Dollars and talk some smack with Brother Dollar and Sister Dollar lets us all take a turn on what she should make and she fixes it for us. This week it was fried pork chops and they were amazing. They also are some great missionaries. They really want to see our ward of about 60 grow so they work hard to invite and a couple have been bringing some kids to church with them so we are real excited. We also had a zone meeting this week in Alexandria and we got to drive back through Pineville and it was so much fun. It was like driving down memory lane. We are doing our best to work hard and have some fun doing it as well. It's not always pretty but it's always good. I'm excited to go and have a good week! I hope yall have a good week too! I'm glad that you survived your wild week and that you keep out of trouble and if you do happen to get in trouble.....tell grandma last ;) haha Love Mud

February 24th, 2016

Dear Parents, You probably have heard reports of the storm/tornadoes that went through our mission area yesterday. President and Sister Hansen have asked me to notify you that all of the missionaries are safe and accounted for. We are grateful for your continued support and prayers and are grateful for the opportunity to work with these fine young elders and sisters. Sincerely, Sister Lawes Mission Office

February 29th, 2016

Hey my family! Man it sounds like you have had a wild week. Thanks for all of the updates on how things are going and how people are doing. It really means a lot to get updated on things. All of the tornadoes missed us we just got a lot of rain and they locked us down for most of the day just to make sure we would be alright. Life in Mississippi is pretty good! One of the speakers didn't prepare a talk for sunday so right before sacrament meeting a member of the bishopric came and asked me and the other new missionary to speak and try to only leave the stake president about 20 minutes. We did the best we could...but he had a few more than 20. But that's alright he is one of the most Christlike guys I have ever met. He handled it like a champ. I told the story about when we were working at caralee carlsons "devil womans" and dad was teaching me to drive the tractor but sense it was a weighted seat it only worked when dad was pushing down on it and how that's like how the savior is with us, just standing there with his arm on the seat helping us do what we can't do alone. It turned out pretty good for a white trash Idahoan. We got fed real well this week! The people here are awesome! We also started serving at a soup kitchen that provides 1 meal 7 days a week for about 400 people, so that has been pretty cool. We also had interviews and it was a good time. President and Sister Hansen are awesome! I love yall and hope that you have an awesome week!!!! Some jam would be awesome sometime :) if you can. Love, Mud :)

February 22, 2016

Hey! Things here are going pretty good! I'm in Natchez Mississippi now! We went from the cajuns to the rednecks really quick! Thanks for taking such good care of Miss Gerrie it really means a lot to her. It sounds like you had a busy but productive week. It's been a little bit of a transition week but it's been good. Church was pretty exciting yesterday it was a little wild to see church pews again and a real sacrament table. It is still a pretty small ward only about 40 or 50 people but they sure are awesome. One of our recent converts has a little girl that's almost 1 and she kept honking my nose all during gospel principles class haha It made me smile and helped her mom be able to listen a little more so life was good. there also was a real cool tender mercy on sunday morning. I don't know why but it is always really scary for me to go to a new ward. I always worry that I'll get booed out of the place or something, but anyway we pulled up in the parking lot and the first guy I saw was one of the members from pineville that I had been to his house almost every sunday for 6 months! It was really cool. We also had a linger longer after church with some awesome food so that So Natchez is right on the Mississippi which divides Mississippi and Louisiana so me and Elder Mortenson are on the Mississippi side and Elder Stevenson and elder wise are on the louisiana side. We both live in Natchez and are the only ones in our district. The closest missionaries to us are an 1 1/2 hours away haha. I hope yall have an amazing week! I am so grateful for all of you! Thanks for all of your love and prayers! Love Mud

February 16th, 2016

yall are the best people I have ever met! I hope you know that I think all of you are the bomb.com! Thanks so much for the package! It has been a crazy but awesome week. Here are a few highlights. Elder Whitmarsh got another sweet armadillo kicking video, we taught a lot of people, got some good service done, survived Branch Conference with Bobby only trying to kiss Brittany once (hahaha), given a wild boar roast, having 2 investigators at sacrament meeting (yahoooooo), and just having a good time. They are canning me this week from Morgan City and I am really sad, but more importantly I am really grateful that I got to come to one of the best places on the earth! These people are so loving it really is crazy! "I wanted to pay a little tribute to my awesome friend Miss Gerrie Breaux. She is one of the best friends I have ever had. I have never met someone and so immediately felt the most pure Christlike love as I have with this sweet lady and her family. She knows the Savior, and she loves him. And I will forever be grateful for he willingness to share that love with a little Idaho boy that 6 months ago she didn't know. I will love her forever! There will always be that special place for her and for the good times we have shared and will share. God bless her and her family! Love her adopted grandson Justin Dye" I'm excited for the new adventure that this week will bring! I'm excited to find a new group of people that Heavenly Father has prepared to keep me in line until I get to party with my family again! It's going to be a good time. I hope yall have an awesome week! Thanks for all of your love and prayers and for loving me enough to teach me to be a good dude so I can help other people. I sure love yall! Love, Elder Dye :)

February 8th, 2016

Mercy mild! I can't believe that our hairy little Jessa is a driving chick now. I hope she keeps it under 100 going around the corners like James (working james) would always tell us to do. It sounds like you have had a busy week! I'm glad that you are keeping out of trouble for the most part :) Things here have been good this week! I hope that you like the pictures. I don't know if I've told you much about our homie Bobby Burgess but he is a great guy! He is like 28 and is one of the few truly active members of our branch. He has some special challenges, and a really hard home life but he is one of the finest men I have ever met. You can tell that he really has a strong testimony even though it's hard from him to express things. He also has a REALLY high pitched voice and when he blesses the sacrament every week it makes us all smile. :) So anyway we got to take him to a Madi Gras parade in Berwick and he was super pumped! He really enjoyed every second of it, he even got up in Testimony meeting yesterday and thanked us probably 15 times for taking him and being with him. It really made me stop and think how many things I take for granted. Church was pretty good this week but between Madi Gras and Super Bowl Sunday we were few in numbers, (17 including us 4 missionaries) but the spirit was still there. And it really brings a special spirit into a fast and testimony meeting when you end when everyone has borne their testimony not when you run out of time haha It really helps get you motivated to get up haha Gospel Doctrine turned out pretty good too. None of the primary kids made it this week so we got to have the 2 ladies that run the primary with us to. So it was 3 ladies, Bobby, Elder Stewart and me. It was a little intimidating cause most of the conversation was with the Relief Society and there is nothing more intimidating then the relief society. They are spiritual giants. If I have learned 1 thing on my mission it is that no matter how big or small the relief society is, stay on their good side and you are going to be alright. We have branch conference next week so that will be exciting, it is always fun to hear different perspectives and Testimony's. I love being here in Morgan City! Things are progressing really well. And we are having a good time too. Hope yall have an awesome week! I sure love ya! Love Mud

February 1st, 2016

Yall are the best people ever. It sounds like things were pretty good this week and that you've got a pretty good one planned. I can't believe that Jessa is almost a little driving chick...time goes to fast. Please party hard enough for me too and Grandpa's surprise party! This week was a good one! I got to go on exchanges this week with my district leader Elder Staley and it was a good time! He is one good dude. Sometimes it is hard for us to know what to do at night cause there are just so few people and they really don't like it when we tract after 6 so we went store contacting at Walmart (the hot spot of the tri-city area) haha Didn't meet anyone there but when we went to Dollar General we saw a less active we have been working with that really is going through some rough stuff. Just time after time Heavenly Father places people in our paths like that. It really is amazing! Elder Rasband came and that was pretty amazing! It was so fun to hear from him on a much more personal level then General Conference. You could tell he was a little nervous but he did great and the spirit there was amazing! We all got to shake his hand and then he got up and said, "today is Saturday and on Thursday I shook the prophets hand. That's how close you are to him." He told us to keep working hard and that when we complain about our area's or companions that we "are mocking God" so we are going to shape up about that. :) It was so fun to see all of the missionaries in our mission at 1 time. They are some of the best friends I have ever had. Church went good, we had an investigator there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was pumped out of my mind. I was helping another Elder Translate so when my companion got done speaking he went over and sat by him. I love going to church! We are few, about 26ish this week, but we are a happy few. And that is important. Had a Sunday headache like my papa but a little "dew from the mountains" fixed it real quick. I love yall! Time is flying fast. I hope we can all take a minute to enjoy where we are at cause it really is a gift. ....and the future can be intimidating sometimes, we had interviews this week and my mission president kept talking to me about eternal marriage and said "soon you are going to have a whole passel of children" and after I looked up what passel meant I was glad for my simple mission life right now haha Thanks for all of your love and prayers! I feel them every day. From your slug of a son in the dirty dirty south Mud

January 25th, 2016

I sure love yall too! My companion is starting to feel a little bit better but we are thinking we might have a sinus infection. So we might be at the doctor again this week. It sounds like you had a pretty wild week! Things this week have been good, a little crazy but good. :) Church was awesome yesterday! But I was ready for a nap after we were done. haha We got there at 8 for PEC meeting, Elder Whitmarsh and Elder Stewart went to that while Elder Shaddick talked to one of the Spanish investigators that came!! (We were all super excited about that!) So the branch president as they are going into the meeting asks me to get a Gospel Doctrine lesson ready, which happens quite a bit. So I prepared the Sacrament, passed out all of the hymn books, got the hymns ready, went and killed a bunch of ants and swept them up in the women's bathroom with my partner in crime bobby ( a 28 year old special needs guy in our branch, he is a character.) So got most of them killed but then found out that the toilet was leaking out of the bottom of the tank a little when it was flushed. But we didn't have time to fix it right then. Then I read through the lesson real quick, started some prelude music on our player piano and got ready to pass the sacrament. Bobby and I passed it and we had about 26 or 28 and about half where Spanish so that was pretty cool. As President Viator was up conducting and was announcing the opening song I realized that no one was playing the piano so I got president albert to go play it. haha Sunday school went pretty good and priesthood and relief society was awesome as always. Then after Church one of the older ladies came up to us and was like. Can you please tell the Branch President that the toilet won't flush in the ladies room... so then came the time to work on the toilet. :) All worked out well the water just needed to get turned back on. Then I got assigned to be the Gospel Doctrine teacher from now on. And that is a Sunday in Morgan City. :) Hope yall have an awesome week! Thanks for all of your love and prayers. I sure love all of you!! Love Mud "Life is to be enjoyed, not just endured." ~ President Gordon B. Hinckley p.s. Elder Rasband is also coming this week so that should be really cool.

January 19th, 2016

Yall are the homies! I'm glad to hear that you had another good week. Thanks for all of the fun gifts this week, they made my whole week! This week has been a pretty good one! We were able to get a ton done this week which always helps make you feel good. We had church over in Lafayette this week since it was a Regional broadcast and that was the closest one for our stake. We rode up with our Branch President and his family and Bobby it was an adventure. The shocks in the back of the van are going out so we kept bouncing and bottoming out and Sister Viator kept yelling at President Viator telling him to slow down, he finally told her to write her congressman if she wanted to change the rodes and Bobby was laughing the whole time it was awesome haha I love that family so much! We almost had 100% attendance from our Branch there so that made me really excited! They are some awesome people! It was really weird to see so many people at church and to meet in such a big building. Elder Stewart has been feeling pretty sick and he still is so I have been trying to be a good nurse, but I still am no where near Kassie level. One adventure this week we decided that we are going to make sure that we have at least one awesome photo every week. So sunday came around and during dinner break we realized we didn't have one. So we went out to this really cool train bridge over the Bayou and took the pictures I sent. Anyway we got out there and then somebody said what if a train comes? And then we heard the train whistle and we all starting running hahaha We got out of the way in plenty of time but it was still a little adrenaline rush. But the pictures where worth it. The work really is progressing. We are teaching some awesome people. I am learning a lot about not stressing to much. I was thinking the other day about how Jesus Christ delt with stress perfectly, if we can learn to do it even half as good as him we will be like Grandma, Grandpa, and Melissa. :) Hope yall have an awesome week!!! Love Mud :)

January 11th, 2016

That's an awesome letter! Thanks for always being willing to write me even when sometimes what I write back is garbage. This week has been a good one. I'm so happy to be here in Morgan City! It teaches me so much, I really think that I could stay here for the rest of my mission and I would be happy with that. Our little branch is little, but there is love there that isn't many other places that strong. Our branch president is my homie too. It's a neat growing experience to work so close with him all the time he is a good man and a strong leader. He's only in his 30's but he has a good head on his shoulders and he leads our branch with a lot of love and dignity. He also talks a lot of smack so we that's probably more why we get along so well haha This week, we walked a lot since Elder Stewart can't bike but there is supposed to be a car coming soon so we are very happy about that. It will help our branch a lot. We also went to a Baptist Inspiration concert with our friend Miss Gerrie. It was inspiration country music in this little church that she used to go too. It was pretty good and then all of the sudden at the end this lady came off the stage and started praying for this lady in tongues and start shaking and saying all sorts of stuff that definitely wasn't English haha It was crazy! Then things mellowed out and we had a good talk with the pastor after. He used to be a band teacher and he taught a Mormon girl that really impressed him. And accepted our offer of service to him or his congregation if they needed it. You never know how much your example really goes. We also remade "mega bedroom" this week. It makes the other elders really happy when we have both sets of bunk beds in the one room so we can have pillow talk and talk smack into the nights sometimes too. It usually ends with someone getting thrown off their mattress, their mattress and them getting thrown off, or getting someone elses thrown at them. It's a good time haha Last night I was the one that got thrown off. It really is the little things in life. Hope yall have a great week! I sure love ya! Love Elder Dye

January 5th, 2016

I can't, believe that Jessa is starting Drivers Ed next Monday that is crazy!! I'm glad to hear that Dad is feeling a little better, that castle dale was a party, and that Jake was hanging with good company for most of the holidays. :) So my companion got Emergency Transferred last week so that another Elder, my new companion Elder Stewart, could be closer to the doctor. So I am getting to practice my Kassie skills again and be nurse dye. He has a lot of back problems and so on Tuesday I was his helper while he got an epidural. I met a sweet old lady in the waiting room who tried to buy me coffee. Transfer calls were today and I get to stay here for another 6 weeks at least. I am really excited, I love our little branch. It is discouraging sometimes but I just keep trying to do my best and hope that it will work out. I got the sweater but not the shoes yet. I sure love yall! I have definently learned a little stronger this week that Heavenly Father knows what we need, even if we don't. His ways really are higher and so sometimes it's easier to just accept that "it's above our paygrade" and do what we are told. I love being a missionary, it's a good time. Love Elder Dye

December 21st, 2015

It sounds like you have had quite the week! I love yall so much!! My heart is real full today and I'm too prideful to cry in the library so this might be a short one. I love being a missionary. It's good stuff, it's hard sometimes and this has been kind of a hard week, but it's also the best thing ever. I have really been learning that anybody can find the bad in a situation or a person but it takes some real guts, humility, and Christlike love to see the good in things. I'm still pretty bad at it but I am starting to get more like my mama. And when I get mad and don't do so well you better believe that I've got a good arm like my dad and grandpa. I love Jesus Christ, he is my homie. We have a relationship that is personal and awesome and nobody can take that away. I am SOOOOOO excited to talk to you this week!! I keep learning more and more every day how lucky I am that a dirt bag like me could end up in the awesome family that I have. I'm one lucky duck! I hope Mama has an awesome Birthday!! Slap her bum for me too please! :) And I hope you have an awesome Christmas too! I'm excited to talk with you!! Love mud P.S. we had 18 at church this week, the other 3 elders gave talks and I taught Sunday school and it turned out alright! This is truly God's work and church or it wouldn't have been so haha

November 30th, 2015

My Familia! I'm glad to hear that things were good this week and that you had a good Thanksgiving! This week was pretty wild but we made it, and you know sometimes that is the best we got. :) Elder Shaddick and Elder Nichols my 2 companions gave me a run for my money this week haha It was a good challenge to get them up, feed, studied up, and get something done along the way. Elder Shaddick starting calling me Elder Dad. Thanksgiving was really good! I ate so much that on the last Thanksgiving I hit a wall like I have never hit one before and I got the "turkey sweats" comparable to the "meat sweats" it was terrible. I broke out in a cold sweat and couldn't stop sweating. So I prayed and went to the bathroom and there was no toilet paper. So we kindly excused ourselves and went home and I slept for like an hour and a half. I think that I am finally recovered though. I didn't want to eat for a few days haha We had about 28 at church this week so we were pretty happy. I had had enough for a minute this week so I followed the example of my mother and we went and had a quick icecream break at sonic. It was worth it :) I am super pumped for the Christmas season and for Christmas! Thanks so much for the packages and letters that you send you take really good care of me and I am very grateful! I am SO thankful for my family and friends, you mean everything to me!! Love Mud "Stressed spelled backwards is desserts" #diets are overrated