Transfer Week

Transfer week. Always a stressful time as a missionary. The anticipation of the unknown builds throughout the week prior. Our preparation day is on a Tuesday this week which means we work all day Monday. We labor and try to stay focus on the work at hand. No letting ourselves speculate too much on what could be happening in just a few short days. Tuesday morning comes. We have our 2 hours of studies. We sit and try to stay focused on what we're reading. The thoughts of what could happen the very next day undoubtably roll into our minds. 10 o'clock hits and we close with a prayer. The phone buzzes. The news arrives. We read down the list of names of missionaries to be transferred in alphabetical order. We hit the bottom and there we see the name, "Tribe".

So there it is! I'm out of here! It's been a wonderful 3 months here in the Thunderbird Hills and the Stetson Valley wards! I've grown to love these people and this area. I can honestly say that the work in this area is moving forward much greater now than when I got here. Which is what I believe I was sent here to do. Elder Vanderplas will carry on what we started and do more grand things.

I'm excited to see where the Lord needs me next! I'll find out tomorrow where I'll end up and who I'm going to be with.

Elder Vanderplas got a Facebook this week! That was a huge step! He's come so far and it's incredible how much he's grown. It's been a great 3 months with this guy. He's still an awkward Georgia boy, but he's so much more confident and a lot less quiet! I feel like I was successful in my goal of helping him break out of his shell. He's a great missionary!

This week we had the opportunity to help other missionaries in their area. We went and contacted people and found them new people to teach. It was a really fun time! It was in an area more towards the city so we got a much larger diversity of people than in my current area. I saw a man standing on a street corner smoking a cigarette completely tatted up. I started talking to him. I bore my testimony to him because I felt like he need to hear it. He stopped and looked at me and said,"You guys don't allow smoking in your church huh?" I said we didn't. He then put out the cigarette he was smoking and threw the rest of the pack he had in the garbage. He then asked, "What time and where are your church services and how can I learn more?" So that was incredible! It was such a sweet experience. It reminded me of the power of pure and simple testimony. If we choose to open our mouths, the Lord will put the words there that need to be said. Then if we're honest with what we say, truly loving those we're talking to, miracles can happen in the hearts of men. I know this is true.

I love you all! I hope all is well back home. I hope you all have a dandy week!

-Elder Toph Tribe

Birthday on a mission....

So I'm an old man. 20 years old now. Kind of crazy.
For my birthday we spent the day being missionaries! Members found out
via Facebook that it was my birthday though. We had donuts at 12,
pizza and ice cream at 2, and pizza and cake at 5. We got a lot of
texts from the members wishing me a happy birthday. Some even posted
on my Facebook. It was nice to realize how much I've gotten to know
and love the people of the wards I'm now serving in. I've only been
here somewhere between 2-3 months, but I've already build such great
friendships with them.

Service. Service is the best! We've been serving a ton these past few
weeks. It gives us an excuse to get out of our shirts and ties and be
a little more comfortable in this heat. Plus service makes everyone
happy. It makes us happy to help others. It makes those we serve happy
because they get help. And it makes all around us happy because they
see that there is still human kindness in the world.
One form of serve we did this week was help a family renovate their
house. It was a lot of fun. It was so nice to be able to work with my
hands again as well. We pulled up carpet, scrapped the floor, laid
tile, painted, and had a good time. It was incredible how fast we got
it done. It looked really good as well.

"So sick, so sick, so sick of being tired, and oh so tired of being
sick." Lyrics from a pre-mission song that describes my week pretty
well. I got a nasty head cold. It wasn't too fun. But I was able to
work through it. The Lord never gives us a trial we can't bear. I
prayed for strength and I received it. I love the fact that my
Heavenly Father knows me, loves me, and answers my prayers. I'm
continually grateful and awestruck at His love for His children.

A few weeks back I broke one of the crank arms on my bike. It had worn
down over time because I wasn't aware I needed to tighten it
regularly. Plus I ride hard. A member of the ward noticed and hooked
me up! He gave me a crank arm he had that was the same size to use
temporarily, and he ordered me a new one! It was so nice! If you do
good things then good things happen in return. We've been serving a
ton and now I'm being blessed and served in return. It's truly
wonderful how that works.

Well I love you all! Thank you for the happy birthday wishes! You're all great!

-Elder Toph Tribe

Heavenly Father knows us!

Hello and happy week to you all!

This week I'll be turning 20. Kind of crazy to think about. So I won't
dwell on it!

I don't have a whole lot of time to write this week. The work goes well.
Things are slow. We had most of our lessons with non members cancel
this week. On the other hand we had a lot of great lessons with
members. Our Facebook initiative is continuing to go strong.

This week I had my testimony of the fact that God knows me increase.
I've known this fact for a while, but this week it hit me hard again.
This experience was incredibly personal and not something I feel needs
to be shared, but I want all of you to know that I know God loves each
of us. He knows us perfectly. He wants us all to be happy. You're not
alone. I promise.

I love you all! Have a marvelous week!

-Elder Toph Tribe

Shout out, thank you!

`Murica!!!!
Well this week was the 4th of July. Our mission president wanted us to
stay out of the streets after 6, so we went and played 3 hours of
basketball at the church! Almost our whole zone was there so it was
really fun!

We got a new investigator this week! It's the husband of a recent
convert. They are pretty much the nicest people ever. They saw that we
didn't have dinner a few nights this past week, because everyone is out
of town. They signed up for all the empty days! We ate with them 3
times this week! It was super fun too because they have great stories
to tell. Miguel, the non member husband, told us that he highly
respects us and wants to hear what we have to say. So that was sweet!
He told us he'd  leave whenever the sister missionaries tried to get
him to listen in on a lesson. We`re super excited to teach him because
he truly is one of the most genuine, loving men I've met down here.
He's pretty much already a member! They wanted me to tell all of my
family and friends that they love them and that they thank them for
influencing me to make me the man I am today. So shout out to all of
you from some of the nicest people in Arizona! I echo their words and
just want to thank all of you for all that you have done for me. Every
interaction I've ever had has formed me into who I am. So I thank you
all!

Paige and Brennan are still doing well. We went over the plan of
salvation. Paige was able to draw it all out for us after we explained
it, and she was so proud of her drawing that she wanted me to take her
picture with it. Paige fasted this week to be able to receive
permission from her parents to be baptized. It's incredible to see her
faith and trust in our Heavenly Father. We fasted right along with
her. It was a great experience and fun to talk about with her. She's
so enthusiastic and excited to be baptized! Plus we got to play with
the puppies again so it was just a wonderful lessons with them.

Our Facebook initiative continues! We were asked to give a
presentation to the relief society about it this last Sunday. Now the
bishop wants us to give a presentation about it to the youth as a
fireside in a couple of weeks. With that fireside we'll be talking a
lot on just technology use as a teenage in general and how it can be
used for good and not evil. It'll be great!

This week I'm just incredibly thankful. I'm thankful for all of you
like I previously stated. I'm thankful for this opportunity to serve a
mission. I'm thankful for all those who have sacrificed and those who
continually sacrifice for this country. I'm most thankful for my
savior Jesus Christ. I'm thankful that through Him I have hope of
eternal life. That I can be forgiven for all my wrongs and mistakes.
These things bring me so much happiness and joy. I'm truly blessed.

I love you all and hope all is great!!


-Elder Toph Tribe