Hi Mom and Dad :)
Another rainy day in the "sunshine state", haha. It was pouring earlier. Things are going good still. Last Tuesday wasn't too fun though. I got superrr homesick but then I was over it the next day, haha. But I can't complain because WE HAD A BAPTISM ON SATURDAY! Whooooo! Cheryl is officially a member of the Lord's church. Good day! We found some cool people to teach this last week too, Haiti, Sue and Ben. We are teaching them this week so keep them in your prayers.
Here's some bummer news though, we found out today that Antonio is on probation right now so he can't get baptized till next year. Lameee, but he has two kids that are 9 years old so we'll see.
We went to T.G.I. Friday's this week and I had the best steak ever, haha. So good!! It was really loud in there though and I wasn't used to it, haha. I also went on exchanges with some members this last week and we got some good stuff done. Yesterday we went to a little farewell thing for this kid in our ward who is going to Las Vegas. It was good.
I hope all my friends go on missions! I love it and I know they would too!
I miss you both and love you SO MUCH! Sorry for ever being an idiot little brat kid, haha!
You're my heroes :)
Elder Austin Gable Engemann
Monday, March 29, 2010
March 29, 2010 New Photos!
Elder Summers, Cheryl, and Elder Engemann at Cheryl's baptism! March 27, 2010
Elder Summers, Cheryl, and Elder Engemann at Cheryl's baptism! March 27, 2010
Friday, March 26, 2010
March 26, 2010 Hayley Visits the Cut-Out
Austin's girlfriend Hayley heard that we had an Austin doppelganger at the house and dropped by to spend some time with us! Love that girl!
Monday, March 22, 2010
March 22, 2010
Hi Family!!
Momma thank you so much for the St Patrick's Day package! I loved it :) Don't worry about being "compulsively weird", haha. Be as weird as you want and yes I got the cookies too! I'm sorry I forgot to say thank you. There is always a lot I'm trying to remember when I write you and it's hard to remember everything. So much happens during the week so it's hard but we gobbled them all up. Very good.....as always.
But this week was really good! We set a baptismal date with this guy named Antonio for April 3rd!! That was the highlight of the week, buttttt.......he hasn't been to church yet so we might have to move it back a bit. He really understands it all though and just listens to us, haha. He's awesome! What else happened......my brain is really fried right now.
Sorry......I can't think of a lot, haha.But we went to an Episcopal church yesterday morning and we're going to the Jehovah's Witness church next week so that will be really interesting. We're still just working, working, working long days. But weeks fly by really fast. It's pretty crazy that I've already been out in Florida for a month. Honestly it went sooo fast.
Everything is going great though! I love the scriptures so much. I love the sacrament so much. I just love everything so much. Being out here I have realized how much I've taken everything in the gospel for granted. I never want to go back to the way I was! The gospel is so important!! Ahhh, haha! But anyway I have to go! I love you SO MUCH! I pray for you to have missionary experiences every night, so look for them! Miss you!
Elder Austin Gable Engemann
Momma thank you so much for the St Patrick's Day package! I loved it :) Don't worry about being "compulsively weird", haha. Be as weird as you want and yes I got the cookies too! I'm sorry I forgot to say thank you. There is always a lot I'm trying to remember when I write you and it's hard to remember everything. So much happens during the week so it's hard but we gobbled them all up. Very good.....as always.
But this week was really good! We set a baptismal date with this guy named Antonio for April 3rd!! That was the highlight of the week, buttttt.......he hasn't been to church yet so we might have to move it back a bit. He really understands it all though and just listens to us, haha. He's awesome! What else happened......my brain is really fried right now.
Sorry......I can't think of a lot, haha.But we went to an Episcopal church yesterday morning and we're going to the Jehovah's Witness church next week so that will be really interesting. We're still just working, working, working long days. But weeks fly by really fast. It's pretty crazy that I've already been out in Florida for a month. Honestly it went sooo fast.
Everything is going great though! I love the scriptures so much. I love the sacrament so much. I just love everything so much. Being out here I have realized how much I've taken everything in the gospel for granted. I never want to go back to the way I was! The gospel is so important!! Ahhh, haha! But anyway I have to go! I love you SO MUCH! I pray for you to have missionary experiences every night, so look for them! Miss you!
Elder Austin Gable Engemann
March 21, 2010 Night Visitors!
OK, so Suzanne and I have been missing Austin all-the-way-bone-deep. We are grateful that he is serving the Lord.and for all the lives he is blessing. We would not have him any other place right now . . . but YIPES, this house can be empty sometimes.
Well, at about 10 PM, there was a knock at our door and this is what we found when we opened the door!
Well, at about 10 PM, there was a knock at our door and this is what we found when we opened the door!
Our dear sweet friends, the Heatons were on our doorstep with a life-size cut-out of Austin! It warmed our hearts so much! Their son, Bud, is one of Austin's dearest friends and is serving a mission in the Philippines. He left a few weeks before Austin, so they know EXACTLY what we're going through. Lots of happy tears were shed.
Ok, so we had breakfast with the cut-out this morning :). Please don't think we're obsessive. Just parents missing our boy.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
March 15, 2010
Hello from the swamp!
Hola Madre y Padre. I love you. This week has been good. Cheryl is getting baptized on the 27th! Whoooo! We taught her on Saturday and now she's getting dunkeddd. Good news. We had another investigator come to church yesterday. I don't remember if I told you about her, but her name is Pam. She was raised Baptist and is married to a guy named Dave who is Catholic. We actually went to mass with him yesterday morning before church. It was good. Really different. A lot of recited prayers. Father Ed was a really really nice guy. We talked to him for a minute after mass. But back to Pam and Dave. We have taught them the Restoration and the Plan of Salvation and Pam could very well get baptized pretty soon. Dave probably not. They are so nice to us. They fed us one night after we taught them and Pam acts like a mother to us. She made us brownies haha. They are great.
And then there is another guy named Antonio who was really receptive to the message. He said everyone else who has talked to him about religion has tried to shove it down his throat. He said something along the lines of "No one has ever just laid it out in front of me and let me be the judge by asking God." Something like that. But he bailed on church. So we'll see. And then there is a kid named Knalil (pronounced kuhlil). He is 14 years old and he could very well be baptized as well. The only problem is we haven't really talked to his family yet so I don't know.
The mission is a lot of work. I'm pretty much tired every day haha. But it must be done! We had dinner over at a member's house and her husband isn't a member and he was there with his friend from work. They had had a few drinks earlier and they were really funny. His friend was telling us how we need to go to the government and ask them for help to help people who's "minds have got messed up" from the economy. He said "If you don't do it, it's not going to get done." so that's my new motto haha. That was a really funny/weird night. Good times.
I don't know what else really. I pretty much just do the same thing every day so I don't know what else I can say haha. But it's still awesome and I'm doing great. I love you both a lot. And miss you! I hope that everything is going good. You better be reading your scriptures :)
-Elder Austin Gable Engemann
PS I have a new email address. It's way better. It's austin.engemann@myldsmail.net. Please let everyone know! Love you!
Hola Madre y Padre. I love you. This week has been good. Cheryl is getting baptized on the 27th! Whoooo! We taught her on Saturday and now she's getting dunkeddd. Good news. We had another investigator come to church yesterday. I don't remember if I told you about her, but her name is Pam. She was raised Baptist and is married to a guy named Dave who is Catholic. We actually went to mass with him yesterday morning before church. It was good. Really different. A lot of recited prayers. Father Ed was a really really nice guy. We talked to him for a minute after mass. But back to Pam and Dave. We have taught them the Restoration and the Plan of Salvation and Pam could very well get baptized pretty soon. Dave probably not. They are so nice to us. They fed us one night after we taught them and Pam acts like a mother to us. She made us brownies haha. They are great.
And then there is another guy named Antonio who was really receptive to the message. He said everyone else who has talked to him about religion has tried to shove it down his throat. He said something along the lines of "No one has ever just laid it out in front of me and let me be the judge by asking God." Something like that. But he bailed on church. So we'll see. And then there is a kid named Knalil (pronounced kuhlil). He is 14 years old and he could very well be baptized as well. The only problem is we haven't really talked to his family yet so I don't know.
The mission is a lot of work. I'm pretty much tired every day haha. But it must be done! We had dinner over at a member's house and her husband isn't a member and he was there with his friend from work. They had had a few drinks earlier and they were really funny. His friend was telling us how we need to go to the government and ask them for help to help people who's "minds have got messed up" from the economy. He said "If you don't do it, it's not going to get done." so that's my new motto haha. That was a really funny/weird night. Good times.
I don't know what else really. I pretty much just do the same thing every day so I don't know what else I can say haha. But it's still awesome and I'm doing great. I love you both a lot. And miss you! I hope that everything is going good. You better be reading your scriptures :)
-Elder Austin Gable Engemann
PS I have a new email address. It's way better. It's austin.engemann@myldsmail.net. Please let everyone know! Love you!
March 9th 2010
My P-Day at the Florida Beach
My Bulletin Board
My Desk
A Can of Sardines . . . I mean Elders. My Bed's on the Left.
My Closet
Sorry Mom!
Elder Summers and Me
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
March 8, 2010
Yo Fammm!
This week was a good week. LOTS of biking. haha. My calves are going to be ripped by the time I’m home. Get ready. The weather has been really really nice though. I love it. We have also tracted A LOT. Literally all day from 10:30 am to 8 at night. We have to stop a little early because it takes forever to bike home. We’ve had little success. But it will come. We had 3 people commit to come to church and none of them came so that was a bummer. We will be in contact with them this week and kick their bums in line. We are still trying to work with Cheryl (Michael the guy who got baptized's girlfriend) so we'll see how that goes.
This week was a good week. LOTS of biking. haha. My calves are going to be ripped by the time I’m home. Get ready. The weather has been really really nice though. I love it. We have also tracted A LOT. Literally all day from 10:30 am to 8 at night. We have to stop a little early because it takes forever to bike home. We’ve had little success. But it will come. We had 3 people commit to come to church and none of them came so that was a bummer. We will be in contact with them this week and kick their bums in line. We are still trying to work with Cheryl (Michael the guy who got baptized's girlfriend) so we'll see how that goes.
Yesterday we went to a really really awesome fireside/music thing by Gladys Knight and the Saints United Voices they are SO good! and Gladys Knight is a superrr strong member of the church. So is her husband. They gave amazing testimonies. And Cheryl was there so I hope she took it all in. They pretty much said "you can't say now that you didn't get the chance to hear the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ." They pretty much called everyone out! It was great ha-ha. And I ordered you a free copy of the S.U.V.'s cd. It will come with a book of Mormon and a restoration DVD ha-ha. I hooked you up though for real. They are so good. Listen to it. But I’m pretty sure it is some type of referral thing for missionaries so they will probably call you and think that you aren't a member. But yeah...so I love members. They are awesome. It’s the closest thing to family I have. Every time we enter a member's home it's a huge relief. They’re great. Our members aren't the best with taking care of us though ha-ha. They don't feed us that much. But it's ok I’m not complaining. Any food is good. Oh I might need to get a GPS after this transfer. Without one I’ll be lost ha. This city is so confusing. Oh and another thing don't use UPS or FEDEX to send stuff to me unless you send it straight to my area address. Use USPS if you're going to send it to the mission office. If you don't they can't forward it to me. So I wouldn't get it until the next time I was in Orlando. But not much else has been going on. Just normal stuff. But I miss you a lot! And love you! Sorry this is kind of short but we have to go soon because we accidentally scheduled some appointments during our P-day. But it's worth it ;) Love you!
- Elder Austin Gable Engemann
PS
-Elder Summers is from Hela Valley, AZ
-Elder Barnes is from Ogden, UT
-I haven't received your cookies
Monday, March 1, 2010
March 1, 2010 Austin's First Letter From The Field!
My first weeeeek.
I love my mission. So much. Everything is just going great. Oh, by the way, my church building is in Palm City.
I love my companion. His name is Elder Summers and he is from a tiny town in Arizona. He’s been out for 7 months. I live with two other elders named Barnes and Bennett. They are cool too. Tracting is fun. I love meeting new people and trying to teach them about the gospel. It’s amazing to see how the Spirit directs our conversations at each door. Generally, everyone is nice. Some aren't ha-ha. The Jehovah’s Witnesses are our competition out here, ha-ha. But I still love them. We have gone pretty deep in some of our conversations with them. They are always nice though (except one).
We get the car every other day. Yesterday was the first time I rode my bike because for this first week we were in a threesome because we were waiting for Elder Barnes' companion to get here. It was a workout though ha-ha. I’m out of shape. We don't even live in our area so we had to travel about 6 miles (maybe?) to get to our area. I’m trying to work out in the mornings but it's hard when I’m so tired. I’ll keep trying.
Church was good yesterday. Our ward is nice and the people are great. But it's not that big of a ward. And it's like 30 minutes away from where we live. We have to get rides from members a lot because we only have a certain amount of car miles every month. There are so many different kinds of people here. A lot of people drink and smoke. That’s such a big tool that Satan uses against us. That will be really hard for some people to give up. It stinks. But we can do it!
Yesterday we tracted for about 6 hours and we met one guy who was really interested. And then 3 others who could turn into investigators. We’ll see what happens. The first door that I ever went to on Tuesday made me a little nervous. But then after that I was totally fine. I’ve really broken out of my shell already :) but I still have a LOT of work to do. I am still trying to adjust to the schedule. I’m tired a lot ha-ha. But I have faith that it will come. When I go to every door I just think to myself "with God, all things are possible" and it really helps me feel the spirit so that I can testify and challenge easier. Another good thing to do is to just have faith that the house I’m walking up to has someone inside it that is prepared to hear the gospel. It's really frustrating sometimes though because people just don't care at all or are so confused about what they believe that you can't get anywhere with them. It’s really depressing and sad to see how many people don't care. THIS IS THEIR SALVATION! Seriously though, it's super sad. But they'll have a chance to learn more in the spirit world. Oh well. But I already love the people here and everything and everyone.
Oh yeah, on...Thursday I think it was...it started pouringgggg so hard and we just kept on truckin' and tracting. I was 100% soaked from head to toe ha-ha. It was an experience. And I’ve never seen so many trees in my life. Pine trees too which was weird for me. This should be called the "tree and rain state" not the sunshine state ha-ha. I am glad that I didn't get here in the summer. I need to work my way up to the hot and humid weather in the summer.
We had a baptism on Saturday! It was great. His name is Michael and he is 52 I think. He is really cool. My comp and his last comp were working with him for about 6 weeks and he got baptized. Awesome. And we are trying to work with his girlfriend too. This week we will be contacting her.
Anywayyyyyy...I love serving the Lord so much Mom and Dad! It’s the greatest thing ever. I’m still working on trying to not think about myself at all and developing Christ-like attributes. I miss you both so much! But am still so glad I’m here and know it's where I’m supposed to be! whooo! I LOVE YOU!
- Elder Austin Gable Engemann
I love my mission. So much. Everything is just going great. Oh, by the way, my church building is in Palm City.
I love my companion. His name is Elder Summers and he is from a tiny town in Arizona. He’s been out for 7 months. I live with two other elders named Barnes and Bennett. They are cool too. Tracting is fun. I love meeting new people and trying to teach them about the gospel. It’s amazing to see how the Spirit directs our conversations at each door. Generally, everyone is nice. Some aren't ha-ha. The Jehovah’s Witnesses are our competition out here, ha-ha. But I still love them. We have gone pretty deep in some of our conversations with them. They are always nice though (except one).
We get the car every other day. Yesterday was the first time I rode my bike because for this first week we were in a threesome because we were waiting for Elder Barnes' companion to get here. It was a workout though ha-ha. I’m out of shape. We don't even live in our area so we had to travel about 6 miles (maybe?) to get to our area. I’m trying to work out in the mornings but it's hard when I’m so tired. I’ll keep trying.
Church was good yesterday. Our ward is nice and the people are great. But it's not that big of a ward. And it's like 30 minutes away from where we live. We have to get rides from members a lot because we only have a certain amount of car miles every month. There are so many different kinds of people here. A lot of people drink and smoke. That’s such a big tool that Satan uses against us. That will be really hard for some people to give up. It stinks. But we can do it!
Yesterday we tracted for about 6 hours and we met one guy who was really interested. And then 3 others who could turn into investigators. We’ll see what happens. The first door that I ever went to on Tuesday made me a little nervous. But then after that I was totally fine. I’ve really broken out of my shell already :) but I still have a LOT of work to do. I am still trying to adjust to the schedule. I’m tired a lot ha-ha. But I have faith that it will come. When I go to every door I just think to myself "with God, all things are possible" and it really helps me feel the spirit so that I can testify and challenge easier. Another good thing to do is to just have faith that the house I’m walking up to has someone inside it that is prepared to hear the gospel. It's really frustrating sometimes though because people just don't care at all or are so confused about what they believe that you can't get anywhere with them. It’s really depressing and sad to see how many people don't care. THIS IS THEIR SALVATION! Seriously though, it's super sad. But they'll have a chance to learn more in the spirit world. Oh well. But I already love the people here and everything and everyone.
Oh yeah, on...Thursday I think it was...it started pouringgggg so hard and we just kept on truckin' and tracting. I was 100% soaked from head to toe ha-ha. It was an experience. And I’ve never seen so many trees in my life. Pine trees too which was weird for me. This should be called the "tree and rain state" not the sunshine state ha-ha. I am glad that I didn't get here in the summer. I need to work my way up to the hot and humid weather in the summer.
We had a baptism on Saturday! It was great. His name is Michael and he is 52 I think. He is really cool. My comp and his last comp were working with him for about 6 weeks and he got baptized. Awesome. And we are trying to work with his girlfriend too. This week we will be contacting her.
Anywayyyyyy...I love serving the Lord so much Mom and Dad! It’s the greatest thing ever. I’m still working on trying to not think about myself at all and developing Christ-like attributes. I miss you both so much! But am still so glad I’m here and know it's where I’m supposed to be! whooo! I LOVE YOU!
- Elder Austin Gable Engemann
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