Friday, March 15, 2013

First Companion and Week

So Elder White is doing fantastic! I am so glad he is having a great time doing the Lords work and learning much. These excerpts from him are sent to his sister (me) so sometimes it sounds a little more personal than general for a blog - but these are words he wanted to have shared here with everyone - so no worries. He has a great sense of humor and we love him for it.
As he explains briefly about his camera cord - he wasn't able to send pictures just yet. Give him some time to fill the card and send it to Florida, then pictures will be posted here.

Elder White:
The first week of my mission has been very tiring; I believe the words that best describe it are gloriously exhausted. I don't have a bike yet but we are buying one today, my only wish is that my companion wasn't so dang tall. I feel like a midget chasing a giant. His strides are longer than mine and I get shin splints trying to keep up, but he is a super nice guy and very understanding. He has helped me a lot this past week and has helped me adjust to missionary life rather well. For a visual aid [because I brought my camera and not the cord for the camera(i have it, its just not with me at the time of my email)] imagine the guy from hunger games, not the one that goes with her but the one she leaves behind with light brown hair, freakishly tall, and sporting a missionary name tag. Elder Kimball is his name. Oh and by the way i have lost 15 pounds since i have been out here; I walk everywhere and eat like a rabbit. Just so you know that wasn't encouragement to send me junk food! I like it and we go jogging every morning which is fun but it can be difficult to keep up with my companion. He is really patent with me and encourages me to keep up with my diet. I cant give specifics about my investigators but they are wonderful people and have a true desire to come unto Christ.

Oh and there is a blog that the mission president and his wife maintain with information about us and our companions, so if you feel inclined to check it out i don't know what it is so i cant tell you the address to look it up but it is the Los Angeles, California mission. My district went to the temple today and did an endowment session. It was pretty cool to see different Temples paintings and murals, I like the Santa Monica Temples paintings for the sessions more than Salt Lakes just saying. Anyway its been super fun and I love the people. The area around me isn't too different from Florida - all the trees and plants are the same only there are a few trees that look like they came strait out of a doctor Seuss book . . . weird. The area around me is ten degrees colder than any normal day in Florida. It gets dark around here really fast, its like the sun is tired too and wants to run home for sleep. It will be super bright, you experience 15 minutes of sunset, and then its dark. I guess its because I'm not so close to the equator; eh. I love you all, I'm safe and happy and pray that you all are the same.
God be with you till we meet again.

Elder White and his companion Elder Kimball (aka Gale from Hunger Games)

 Elder White is to the far right.
 And in this one Elder White is in the upper right hand corner.

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Into Los Angeles!

Elder White left the MTC yesterday and is now in the mission field of Los Angeles, California!
There will be pictures soon, just give it some time since he is going to be getting settled and has a very short amount of time for using the computer.

From Josh: (3/01/13)
Today we went to the Temple and participated in a session; it's interesting to see the different ways that Temples Celestial rooms look. I LOVE it here and am enjoying the cold weather in Utah. The other night we got to go to a devotional where Elder M. Russel Ballard spoke and gave all of us an apostolic blessing that would help us in the coming years and throughout our lives. I do love it here and am a little fearful about going on to the field next Wednesday. But, I do know that I will do well if I keep in mind what my duty is, follow the rules, and keep myself busy even if my trainer is lazy.
To all who read this I'd like to bear my testimony that I know that Christ lives, that his grace is sufficient for all, and it is only by him that we can come unto the Father. I know that God loves me and that he loves all his children. I know that the blessings of the Priesthood will help me endure, and that the love that Christ has for me will carry me through any trial I have in my life. I know that the Temple of the house of God. And I love my parents as much as they love me.


We are all so proud of Elder White and the effort he has put into serving a mission so far. We wish him the best and know that he will have an AMAZING mission and the best  experiences he could ever hope for while serving a mission.

NOTE: An updated address will be posted soon so that you can continue to email Elder White. Thank you for your patience!

Friday, March 1, 2013

At The MTC

Before Elder White went to the MTC he had the opportunity to experience a bit of Utah for the first time!











Elder White got to experience snow for the first time! (He has the best facial expressions) And he sure did enjoy it :) Him and his sister even got to make a snowman.
 The White family was blessed with a new addition not too long ago, and Elder got to spend some time with his first nephew.
And here is Elder White with his parents at the Provo Temple.

Here is an account of the day Elder White was dropped off at the MTC from his mother:
"We had a ball before dropping him at the MTC. We got to see many sites in Salt Lake City and the surrounding area. Josh got to go through the salt lake temple and really was happy to do a session there. He was amazed with the sites in and around the temple. We just didn't have enough time to do everything. The MTC was so cool though. Parents aren't to hang and say goodbye, so we did that across the street from the MTC, at the Provo temple. We pulled into the MTC to drop him off, and there were about 150 to 200 missionary "hosts". They helped him get his baggage and then walked him into the MTC. They were all so sweet, telling me not to cry. Then we drove off. What a day." - MOM

Josh has been at the MTC for nearly a week now and he is loving it! Here is what he has to say about what has happened so far:

"So I love it here; I am learning so much that it hurts to think about it. It feels like I’ve been here a week and it’s only been three days, I'm spending almost every minute gaining a stronger testimony. My companion is awesome, my district is awesome. Everyone is so happy to be here. You can’t help but feel the spirit. It radiates on every word, and in every face. We spend most of the day studying and preparing for mock investigators and even though we know they are our teachers you can still receive revelation for the person they are pretending to be. and learning how to teach others to pray, recognize the spirit, come unto Christ that they might be baptized  and receive the holy ghost is really intense. there are times where you feel exhausted and that you cant learn any more, when your tired and hungry and your brain and eyes just hurt to see another scripture or piece of doctrine, you get down on your knees with your companion and pray that we might be able to continue to learn and be sensitive to the spirit that we might gleam more, or see more of what a investigator is in gods eye. As a beloved child of god who deserves to feel loved by god and Christ. And then you get up off your knees and keep doing what you were before the prayer only with new found strength and alertness.

I love this gospel and what it can do for the live of the children of men." - Elder White 


Elder White leaves the Missionary Training Center on March 6, 2013. You can still send him a letter there for now but be aware that the address will change in the next week!