Companionship Changes

Communications from Elder white have been less frequent for a while, he has been hard at work. He loves all the correspondence he received from his friends and family and is doing his best to reply to each person.
Sometimes it is difficult though because of time constraints.
Here is a small update from Elder White!
"So something crazy is happening. I am in a companionship that currently is covering a ysa ward and a family ward, but as of today they are splitting up the trio I am in and sending my companion to cover only the YSA ward and me to go cover the family ward. But I will not be getting a new companion! Instead, for the next week I will have a mini missionary as a companion. this mini missionary is going to be studying with me doing weekly planning and all missionary activities for a full week, its going to be freaking awesome!! I go and get him today at four oclock, I have no idea who it is but i'll make sure to take videos and pictures for all of your enjoyment."

One Year Down and One Year to Go!

So much has happened at home while Elder White has been gone but so much has also happened for the dear elder out on his mission. He has been moved around a little bit, had the holidays with members and investigators as well as had some good times with other missionaries and has seen lots of neat things in his area.

 Here is Elder White with a ton of other missionaries and then with the mission president and wife.

Elder White: "So this past week I have been teaching English. Yeah that's right, I am an English teacher!!! The mission has a program called LA English, where we teach native Spanish speakers English and I teach the advanced class. I'm not going to brag but it's awesome!!!! Basically its used as a finding tool, we advertise through posts on bus stops and in laundromats or all Spanish speaking grocery stores. People come and we teach them English and the gospel at the same time and in other area's that have started it before we did are having great success. Our area just got started so we haven't seen any baptisms yet but hopefully soon."

Elder White and his companion are enjoying teaching some investigators and are hoping to soon look forward to doing some baptisms. 

There is now less than a year until his triumphant return and his family and friends are looking forward to it. Elder White even has some new family members to meet when he returns, there are three nephews/nieces he has never met before! He is looking forward to holding those babies when he gets back since he has never been able to do that. 

Easter is coming up and that is another great time to write to Elder White and even send him some Easter candy love! I know I will!

Fathers Day and New Area

Excerpt  from Elder White:

I am in my new area and have been here for the past two weeks and my new companion is awesome! He is from south Carolina and really funny, he is defiantly a southern kid. Whenever I do something that might be even remotely seen as wrong he just says "eternal fire" or "you're going to hell",  eternal damnation and so forth. He says it in a funny way but also in a way that lets you know that he thinks you can do better.  He does it because his brother did it to him as well if he missed church. He would be sitting there and get a text saying "eternal fire"  or something else of similar damnation. Also, his name is Elder Bounforte (bon-fort is how he like to pronounce it).

The area I'm in is very cushy. It is supper high class and full of white people. All my other areas so far have been lower and mixed areas. It's really funny we got the cops called on us because we were knocking on doors. White people are so stupid there like:

"Oh my gosh there are two nice fine looking young men outside in suits; who only want to talk to me, I think I'll call the cops because i cant be bothered to answer my door."

ugh they ARE REALLY STUPID

 And you know whats worse is that we didn't even knock on the door of the individual who called the cops. They saw us down the street and ran in and called the cops before we even got to there house, so yeah, I would say I have meet crazy people. Also, whats better is that that only happens in higher income areas it is completely unheard of in the more humble parts of L.A.

So yeah, that's El Segundo, they don't say it the right way they say it the gringo way

 So the stake president invited us over for dinner on fathers day last night . . . and well . . . I had the best meal ever. They gave us fillet-Mignon, potatoes, corn and chicken and lemon meringue pie with ice cream. Ugh, it was heavenly and awesome. We had very pleasant meal with them and we discussed principals of the gospel afterwards, and too all members of the church I would recommend that every member read or listen too a talk by Diana Holstcher called "missionary next door".

It is a very good talk and gives the way that members can do missionary work effectively and in a way that isn't too uncomfortable for the member because missionary work is hard sometimes and most people have a hard time doing it. This talk addresses almost any concern that you could have to doing missionary work.

Beach Day -Downey Zone

Elder White went to the beach this week! He says all the missionaries get the chance to go to the beach and this was his first opportunity. 

Here are two pictures from the Los Angeles Mission page that include Elder White.

Elder White is near the right on the bottom of the pyramid and in the back to the right in the above picture.  The missionaries buried some sisters and elders and also got to play Frisbee, rugby, and football.

His companion and him are looking forward to a baptism coming up and are interested to see how things go in their area since there are changes happening in the wards.

He is showing off his cooking skills to his companion (A Canadian who loves boxed food). All in all he is having a great time on his mission.

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.

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!

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!