Solvang, CA...Sweet!

Hello!!!! This week went really well!!!!!!!! It was a good week (: and yes, I did get my package. I will be looking forward to this next one ;) Thank you so much!

Solvang is awesome!!!! The Solvang ward actually covers 5 little towns: Solvang, Beullton, Santa Ynez (ee-nez), Ballard, and Los Olivos. I love it here!! It is pretty small, but it's really pretty. Solvang is a huge tourist hit, so there are new people to talk to every day (: It's exciting! I haven't taken too many pictures yet... But I will attach the ones I do have of part of the valley. And luckily!! I will be staying in the Ventura mission!!!!!!!!!! they will be splitting the mission on July 1st (:

Elder Clark and I are training Elder Castro. It is fun being in a trio!!!!! He is actually not going to be here permanantly... He got called to Peurth Australia, and he is currently waiting for his Visa. We're so glad to have him here! We have been working pretty hard since we got here. There are a lot of investigators here that are sooo close to converting, but they just have one concern that they can't get over... I don't know all of them, but I will write more about them next week when I know them and their situations!

And Leroy looks like a bishop doesn't he?! He is awesome. Although I may not be there  to see their baptisms (Leroy & Jeaninne's), it definitely was such an amazing experience teaching them and exposing them to the Gospel. It was an amazing experience to see that change happen in their lives for the better. I love this work!!

Ahhhh! Justin has a kid!!!!! He is sooooooooooooooo cute!!!!!! That is so awesome (: That makes me so happy! I can't wait to get home to meet him!!!!!! And Kacey's having a baby!!!!?!??! Wow.... Thats soooo exciting (: Joseph is done with soccer already?? wow.... That sounds incredible that he can hit the baseball! yeah, I think I used that [ball on rope] to practice ha (: Sign him up for t ball, I bet he'd like that! And he wants to learn piano huh?? That's really cool (: Such a cute kid. That's awesome to hear about Luke (doing well in his baseball game)! Tell him good job! Dang, it sounds like mostly everybody is going to be pretty musical when I get back!

Well the ladies in the Family History Center are bugging us to wrap up... and I still haven't written President yet (: ha Tell me what you thought of the broadcast yesterday!! It was amazing wasn't it? Thank you for all your love, support, and prayers! You are in my prayers continually (: I love you!

Love,
Elder Teeples

I'm leaving Santa Maria

Hello!

Thank you for the addresses! It's so crazy that they [Kolby & Kyle] are into the MTCs now... crazy. And thank you about the money and the ties/garments. (: Just whenever you can is great. No stress.

How was Father's day?? It's kind of a bummer that we can't call home on Father's day... Haha we talked to a guy who goes to Calvary Chapel named Jose. He was telling us that that is ridiculous that we couldn't call home, and he was telling us to break the rules and call home anyways because our dad's deserved it... ha it's probably true, but we just told him that we think our fathers would appreciate it more if we obeyed the rules. He is a good guy! I'm definitely going to come visit him after my mission ha (:

I am being transferred! This is my last day in Santa Maria. I will be going to Solvang. Everybody says it is a really cool place there! Apparently, it is a big tourist spot! It is a small Danish town, with Danish buildings, Danish food (what I'm excited about (: ), and Danish people. I will be in a Tripanionship. Elder Clark and I will be training a new Elder! It is a new area we are going into so it should be exciting (: Elder Smith will be staying, and will be training another new Elder here.

I'm glad to hear YC was fun! I love the Manti temple (: I'm so glad to hear you had a good experience! thank you so much (: I'm so glad to hear that your proud of me. I will return honorably! It really is scary at first, coming out into the world. Everything is changed, I remember when I first got her I was pretty uncomfortable with everything. It was pretty overwhelming and stressful, but it was something that I needed, and that all missionaries need to go through. It taught me how to trust in the Lord, and to humble myself before Him. Because no matter how many things change, or how many different places I go, the Lord will always be there, and He will be unchangeable to me. I'm so grateful for that!!!!

I hope Keith and Jaxon start going to the Temple more. That is one thing I wish I would have done more was go to the temple more often. Even if it was just to walk around the Temple grounds. It wasn't until college when I realized how amazing it was. I loved going to the Temple! It is such a privilege and I hope they soon see how amazing it is, and take advantage of that opportunity.

Hahah Joseph is so cute. You can tell him I'll take him camping when I get home (: I think that'd be fun. But It sounds like Yuba was fun! I remember the times when we went as a family! good memories (:

So this week was really great. We have had a couple lessons with Jeaninne. Her and Cliff had an interview with the bishop yesterday, and they decided they are going to get married!!!! In 2 weeks! But I won't be here ): She is planning on being baptized the week after. It was such a privilege and blessing in my life to see her change! It is like she is a completely different person. This Gospel truly is amazing. It makes me so glad to know that I have always had it as such a big part of my life!

Leroy left on a 2 week trip, and he told us that he is planning on being baptized in late July. He is so awesome! It was such a privilege to teach him, and to see that change in him as well. He is an awesome guy! The purple tie I am wearing in the picture with him is one that he gave me. Nice of him, huh?(:

It has been 4 and 1/2 months since I arrived in Santa Maria. I feel like I've been here forever , but at the same time, I feel like I just got here! This transfer went by way fast. But I'm glad I am moving on to new things. I'm excited (:

Thank you for everything that you do for me!! I hope dad stays safe while he's in SLC. I miss and love you! Have a great week and I'll talk to you next week (: love you!

Love,

Elder Teeples

So these are the pictures I meant to send last week...

One of them is Elder Smith, me and Mario (The big round Native American) and right before the picture, Bro. Chamberlain who was taking the picture, said, "Mario, Smile!!!" and he said, " I am smiling." with a straight expression.. he is awesome (: he has been coming to church every week since 3 months before I got here, but he is on parole so he can't get baptized...

The next one is of Elder Smith, Leroy and I. He is awesome!

And one is of Bro. Chamberlain and I. He is the ward mission leader. He is awesome!! and he has the nicest guitar I've ever played.........

We went to this members house for dinner and they own this 13 year old turtle.. it was pretty big!

That is our district picture for this transfer

The mighty change of the gospel

Hello!! This week was pretty good (: there were a lot of good things that happened!!! I got to go on an exchange with our distric leader, Elder Cheadle. He's a short, buff militarty guy. It was fun! He is pretty funny. So I got to go up to Pismo Beach on Thursday! I'll Include some pictures in another email. It was really cool! I'll also include some other pics as well.

I'm not sure if I have written about our investigator Jeaninne at all or not.. But she has come a far way. When I first met her back in March, she was so bitter towards the church. She wouldn't even talk to us... Before I got here she got a priesthood blessing, but she didn't really think much of it. Then towards the end of March, she wanted another one, and we told her we wanted to explain what a priesthood blessing was and all that stuff. So ever since then, we have been teaching her a little bit, but she hasn't been super interested. But since then, she has softened up soooooo much! It's crazy! Then last week, she came to church for her third time. She was in relief society and they were talking about eternal families, and she said she just got this feeling that she knew it was true, and since last week she has wanted to get baptized so bad! While I was up in Pismo Beach on Thursday, Elder Smith and Elder Moser (the one I went to high school with (: ) set her with the baptismal date of June 29th! I was so excited to hear that news. She is a completely different person. There is a light in her countenance that is so noticable. It's amazing what this Gospel can do! Elder Smith and I went over after church yesterday and taught her the law of chastity. That is the catch here... She is living with her boyfriend, who is a less active member. We let them know that they would either have to be married in order for Jeaninne to be baptized, or she would have to move out by that date. Ever since we told her that, she has been pretty sad... It hurt me so bad to say that and jsut see that joyfulness in her countenance leave. She looked down and she just seemed crushed. She then expressed to us that she didn't have anywhere else to go. We promised her that if she is faithful, that she would find somewhere to move by her baptism date. As of right now she is nervous, and doesn't know what to do, but her and Cliff (her boyfriend) are will to do whatever it takes for her to be baptized. Please keep her in your prayers, and pray that she will find a solution to this situation!! She needs prayers of comfort!

Leroy is still doing good!!! I exchanged a tie with him this past week. He is going on vacation, and I might be getting transferred next week... I am wearing the tie he gave me in the pictures I'll send you (: He is awesome. I'm so glad I had the opportunity to meet him!

Sorry this letter is a little bit shorter than usual... I spent a lot of time talking about Jeaninne (: ha.

Well, I hope all is going well at home! I love and miss you, and you are in my prayers every day and night! I hope you have a great week(:

love,

Elder Teeples

Hello! Yeah, the Zone meeting was awesome! Thank you for your prayers and support! It is greatly appreciated (: 

So Leroy ended up praying about June 8th, and he told us that it doesn't feel right... But he is thinking towards the end of July. We are going to discuss that with him a little more this week! But yeah, he is an awesome guy! He loves coming to church and to all of the ward activities and service projects. He's doing really well! He is almost half way through Alma in his reading... He's doing great!

Steve is a funny guy haha. We dropped by his house last week and he was trying to get some gophers out of his back yard, and apparently he has a ton. He was telling us how his neighbor one time got a garden hose and ran it from the exhaust pipe on his truck into the ground, and at first Steve was wondering what the heck he was doing... Then he realized he was trying to smoke out the gophers! hahahah It made us laugh so hard! We read half of the first chapter of 1Nephi with him, but didn't finish. He asks a lot of questions! Which is good (: 

Felix and Ezekiel haven't really progressed at all sadly... We are trying to work with them, but they aren't really open to the Gospel... well at least Felix isn't. But we are working on him and we are trying help them feel the spirit!

We went to go see a less active lady this week. She is an artist, and one of her friends was there who is an artist as well. and the picture attached is the profile she drew of me! She is dang good. But we talked with her a little about the Book of Mormon and she said she wanted one! So next time we see her, we are going to follow up on that with her to see how she liked it! 

We went tracting for like 3 hours on thursday. It was actually quite fun! We probably knocked on over 50 doors. And we got a new investigator for it! Her name is Sandra. She was really nice and really receptive to the message that we brought. We are going to go back and visit her this week.

It looks like Joseph is having fun in soccer! Thank you for sending off that package! I can't wait to get it (: 

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Elder Smith

Cool Tree

Our Pad

Well I hope all is going well! Thank you for all the love, prayers and support! You are in my prayers night and day! 

Love,

Elder Teeples