Letter #28 . . . just transferred to Independence!

Twinner glasses with new comp, Elder Ellsworth

Hey All,

I just got transferred to Independence and it is great! I was ready to leave Hickory Hills. I needed a change, I wasn't progressing in that situation. Independence is a pretty big town. It's got an even balance of rich and not rich areas. Our apartment is great! My new comp, Elder Ellsworth has been out 14 months.  He is awesome. So much charity, such a good guy. Come to find, He has previously been diagnosed with Asbergers, but that doesn't show at all. It doesn't effect him spiritually or emotionally. He is VERY sensitive and understanding. His testimony is amazing, I feel like my prayers have been answered from the long talks we've had. He knows the gospel, and follows the spirit so well!! We started this thing, we fasted one day this week to know how we could improve this transfer. We did that for this 40 day fast thing, where we choose something to work on that may be hindering our ability to be in the Spirit, and teach by the spirit. I am overcoming weaknesses that I never thought I could. It's awesome!

Elder Bytheway just arrived in the mission!

I remember my first days in middle school! Josh is a stud! It takes some getting used to but then it's fine! Yes tell the boys to stick to tennis!! I've played a bit out here but not much. No matter what, I think I'll get schooled by the boys when I get home!! Yep the Gardiner sister song is the main way money's coming in but all my songs are getting a good amount! Dad's webinar thing needs to explode. People need to see that content!!

Sounds like Bryan had a good birthday. I love the Thayers!! Lemme know how your job goes! Also yeah, President Priday's called me a couple times to say thanks for the song in stake conference. He called me asking for your number! I told him to tell you I love you.. Hope he did! Yeah, he's an awesome guy!

Sorry for the lame letter. Just know I'm growing and learning so much out here, and the atonement is truly changing me. I love this gospel!!

- Elder Townsend

PS. Brenden Bytheways little brother just got here!

Letter #27 . . . Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing!

Come Thou Fount Piano Arrangement 
Click on the link above. This is an audio recording 
of Tanner playing his own arrangement of "Come Thou Fount" 
in stake conference last Saturday in Kansas! 
He explains more about it in this letter!

 Hellooooo everybody!

This week was pretty suhweeeet!!
We are trying our hardest to grow our teaching pool! We are starting
to get the Ward council to do what they are supposed to be doing
instead of just agenda items every Sunday. So hopefully that will help
the work in our area. We just got an awesome new Ward Mission Leader
so we have been hard at work to get the ball rolling.

Last Wednesday I got a call from President Vest, the Mission pres and
also the Stake Pres asking if I could play the piano on Saturday at stake
conference! Saturday/Sunday we had Stake Conference and it was sweet.
It was the first adult session I've ever been to and it was one of the most
spiritual meetings I've been to! I played Come Thou Fount on the piano at
that session. It was kinda scary. They put me at the end of the program in
between the Stake Pres and Mission Pres! It went perfect tho!

Thursday is transfers and I'm guessing at least one of us will be
leaving. We suggested that they put two Spanish missionaries out here,
because most of the teaching pool out here are Spanish speakers, and
we sort of lost the opportunity to teach all of them when I came. The
Elders place I took this transfer was a Spanish speaker... We will
see!

I'd much rather be on a mission than in school. Sorry boys that you
are starting school this week! :) Claire is crawling?! Ahhh please send 
vids . . I miss her squishy face. I saw the pics of Sarah's studio!! It looks 
soooooo dang cool. Wish I was there to see it in person! Brady was tellin 
me about that surgery. I feel so bad!! That's awful. And that's sad what's 
happening with Cammy! Hopefully she ends up okay!

What do I think about Park and Lex having a baby?! I'm so excited. We
could possibly have the same birthday!! Their kids are gonna be
freakin cute. Hopefully her and Claire are best friends in the
future! :)

I've been thinking a ton about one of the things Lex Walbeck said in
an email to me. She said it's the tough times to get through on the
mission, and in life when we can access the atonement, and be changed
by it the most. I am getting better and better at recognizing when I'm
not in the spirit, and immediately turning to him, and with complete faith
I can be given peace. I loved what she said, 'He always delivers for
us if we turn to him, and he then redeems and refines us over and over
again.' I am humbled and amazed more and more everyday at the reality
of this gospel. The fact that the restoration actually happened. The
fact that Christ knows me PERFECTLY. Not partially. Perfectly. And
because of that, I am able to feel peace in any circumstance if I seek
Him.

Love you all!
-Elder Townsend

Sent from Zion

Letter #26 . . . Six Months Down!

Heeeeeyyyyyyyyy!
Loved hearin what's going on with you guys these days! Miss my fam!! 6
months down! Woooooohoooooo! It's fun to see friends leavin' on their
missions! I listened to Amanda Heaps' farewell talk. It was perfect. I
flippen love her and her testimony so much!

Have I played pickleball? Yes it's amazing. Can't wait to play with y'all

at home!!

Temple day selfie with the Dillons

Some schtuff that happened this week . . . we had zone conference. For 8 hours!! It was good, but soooo long. I sang my song I Can Do All Things for a family we had dinner with. We went with this awesome family to the temple, the Dillons in another ward that are super good friends with my comp. It was awesome. The father and son were both taking out their own endowments. It was super cool. I've now seen all 3 videos. And this was definitely the most well done video. haha All of them are great and say what they need to say, but this one in particular brought the spirit especially strong for me. As a mad respecter of legit cinematography, acting, special effects, and overall production, this one was just awesome, and made the whole experience that much greater. :)

Kansas City Temple!

Sometimes before I go to bed, I draw pics on my iPad. There's a little
drawing feature on the Notes app and I've been drawing a lot lately as I

go to bed. Helps me unwind and de-stress. There are not many things

around our place to draw, so I've been working on a pic of my hand,

and a pic of Parker's Red Weapon Camera. hahahah don't judge.

Missionaries need to have fun and unwind sometimes too. I'll attach

pics of what I got so far on the hand and camera. ;)

The Mission is tough, but it's good for me. I love the Savior, and I'm
doing it for Him!

Love you all,
- Elder Townsend

Sent from Zion

Letter #25 . . . "friggen" greasy skin and "flippen" sweet family!

Hey peeps,

Things are pretty good over here with Elder Kirkham here in Hick(ory) Hills. I feel like I'm in a bit of a slump of right now . . like I am not being the best I can be recently. The mission is a rollercoaster of highs and lows. It can be emotionally and physically exhausting without the spirit leading and comforting you in your every move. I have been turning to the Book of Mormon a lot lately, and it fills me with peace and motivation. I know if I turn to the Lord, he can help these weaknesses of mine turn into strengths if I show him enough faith. That is the struggle of my life. To find the spirit when it's gone. This mission has already helped a ton in strengthening my trust in the spirit, and strengthening my desire to get BACK into the Spirit. I love my Savior Jesus Christ, and that's why I'm here.

Doesn't surprise me Spence is a growin boy! He's looking bigger and more studly in pics I've seen! He'll probably end up being about my height! Momma, what's up with you having all these injuries?? You gotta be careful mumzy!! You're not an "old lady" like you said. You're just a bit fragile. That's all. :) 

Wow, Braxton and Macie's wedding was a year ago?? That seems like not that long ago! I was there. It poured that night. It does those short little spurts of rain a lot in Kansas... It's pretty hot here. Not too bad tho! I'm sort of getting used to the humidity. It's still a super nasty feeling tho... Friggen greasy skin all day long!

Our apartment is nice! Good size kitchen and living room, one bedroom and bathroom! It's perfect. I like it a lot better than living with members. It's nice to be on our own. 

We have a full time car in this area! So that's been nice! The neighborhood is a lot like our one we lived in in Sandy. Not huge houses. But still nice! But there are a lot of very interesting people in our area... 

We went and sang some hymns with some of the zone at the Assisted Living. There were like 40 smilin' people there to watch us!! It's one of the biggest gigs I've ever done... ;) Most of them had dementia. I love being there. It reminds me of how sweet Grandma Merrilee is. She was amazing... I have her picture hung up on the wall. Can't wait to see her again. I accompanied them as they sang because no one else plays the piano! It was AWESOME! The oldies loved it. I was looking up at them, and smiling the whole time as I played. They got a kick outta' that! 

Couple days ago, my companion and I and a couple other sets of missionaries ate dinner with this awesome family, the Dillons. I played their guitar and sang a bunch of songs. It was heavenly. :) They love missionaries and are a flippen sweet family. This week we are going to the temple to do a session with them. The husband of that family is a recent convert, and the son is about to leave on a mission. Both of them are taking out their own endowments. It's going to be amazing. I'm so excited.  

Sorry didn't have much to say today. But this much I can say, read the Book of Mormon. It is the most pure thing on this crazy planet. It is absolutely true. It will give you peace when no one, and nothing else can. I can promise you that. 

Much luvs,

- Elder Townsend

Letter #24 . . . week was pretty good, but tough!

Heyyy!!

I'm doing good! That's crazy that school is already coming up!!!
Summer's flying by! Y'all are getting old!! Tell the boys to stick 
to tennis!! I wish I would have so bad!! That's cool to hear Kolton S.
is doing awesome. He's a stud! I bet your talk was great Spence! 
I'll check it out tonight when I get a chance! Happy Birthday this 
month, Sar and Britt!

P-day with the zone . . August 1, 2016

This week was pretty good. Pretty tough as well. We are trying to grow our teaching pool right now. 
 
Today we went to the National WW1 Museum with most of the zone. I went there a month ago with Torrico and just took some pics on the outside. But this time we actually went inside! It was schweeet!!

Some interesting things that happened this week... Went on exchanges and helped this awesome dude, Dan Sorenson move in. He's a safety on the Kansas City Chiefs . . got to talk to him for like 10 minutes! He played at BYU and is a super nice guy! We spray-painted the windows of this less active member's restaurant for like 5 hours... We cleaned our gross apartment... Had some good lessons... Kirkham did a baptismal interview for this guy getting baptized in our district... And stayed home from church because Kirkham was sick! /:
I started reading the Book of Mormon again. This will be my 3rd time through on the mission! I'm up to 2nd Nephi 5. The beginning chapters of 2nd Nephi are amazing.  
Chapter 4 is one of my favorite chapters in the book. Go read it! It talks about 
placing no more for the enemy of my soul. 

Love you all. Read that book, it'll change your life! :)

- Elder Townsend
Sent from Zion