March 30, 2015 from Sam

hey mom :) Thank yall so much for fasting for me... I love yall so much!  i still dont think ive ever heard dad barf hahaha and i dont think i want to.

But it sounds like the open house went well!  You and dad should talk to the missionaries and ask if you could help them and visit one of those families with them for a lesson!

those tulips look so beautiful... grayson showed me the pic of the new car... thats so tight haha if i wasnt getting a truck id get something like that.

Still not perfect, but i thnk were improving.  Well be doing well and hell say something stupid and ruin it sometimes.  And dany and dianna i dont know the deal with them.  I let them borrow my camera a while ago for a "ward activity"... and hadnt bothered them about it.  and then i let them borrow my charger for my other camera and somehow the charger "got lost".  So then i said well i need the other camera now to have a camera with a charger and it was just a lot of indiligent "searching." Then dany texts me and says ill get the camera to you tomorrow but dont say anything to diana.  Im pretty sure they were gonna sell it or something if i hadnt said anything.  After you paid them the hundred bucks diana came home with a new phone one day.... so im just super annoyed with them and dont really want to eat with them anymore. 

Anyways... that jeremiahs scripture is good i love it. I had no idea karlee was going on a mish? And thats actually possible hahaha weird.  Anyways i love you mom hopefully youre online :)

March 30, 2015 from Mom

I hope you had a fantastic week!  Is anyone getting transferred? 

We fasted as a family for you on Sunday.  I prayed for your continued protection, obedience, and guidance by the spirit.  I prayed that Elder Comacho would be humble and have a desire to learn.  I prayed that you would lead him by example and show him how to work his butt off and turn his life over to his Savior. I prayed that you would feel the love of your family around you, supporting you.  And I prayed that you would feel your Heavenly Father's love and your saviors love surrounding you and guiding you.

We all fasted for you with the exception of Dad.  Remember the story about Dad (when we lived in Florida) getting so sick that he into the back yard at 2am and barfed in the backyard??? Well he is that sick again and this time he ran out to the front yard and (while in his garments, eye shades and earplugs) barfed in our flower beds at 5am.  And it is loud!!!  I don't understand why he cant us a toilet like a normal person!!!  Haha!  So he has been in bed sleeping all day.  He said he is going to try to write you in the morning.  But if he doesn't, just know he is in bed out of it!

We had our new building open house yesterday.  It went great!  We had different classrooms dedicated to seminary, family history, Aaronic priesthood, Family Home Evening, young women, etc.  Each room had a video playing with a little info about it.  I think we did a great job putting together a great presentation.  They had a breakfast in the morning with the mayor and other local leaders.  Then people could come walk around.  In the 2 hours I worked in the FHE room, I probably met about 7  or 8 families.  One guy, just as he was leaving said, "your church has everything people are looking for."  Pretty cool.  I took some pictures of the missionary wall and my favorite missionary!  It is cool to see all the young men and women serving our Heavenly Father just from Prosper.  I wish we could have added your video to the group but we just couldn't get it to work.  I really appreciate Hmna Breshears working so hard to try to make it happen!  Please tell her thank you again!  ps. While I was at the open house, Brother Whitney talked to me a long time and asked all about you. 

Abby and I also found this really cool tulip farm in Pilot Point.  A family moved here from the Netherlands and built a tulip farm.  It is just rows and rows of beautiful tulips in every color you can imagine.  I included a picture of that too.

Ama sent you a package and I did too a week ago.  Let me know when you receive those.  Your new scriptures are in that box.  xoxox

How was your week my boy?  I hope things went better with Elder C.  Tell me about it!  My every prayer is for you and that all is going well for you and you are feeling the blessings of all your hard work.  You are loved, my sweet boy!  I miss you and I love you sooo much!  I was so happy looking at your missionary picture on the wall with a string connecting the picture to Guatemala.  That is my son!  Keep working hard.  Be obedient.  Pray, study, and remember how much your family loves you! 

I saw this quote and scripture this week and it made me think of you.

“He uses our problems for His miracles. This was my first lesson in learning to trust Him completely...”
-Corrie ten Boom (holocaust survivor)

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord…"
-Jeremiah 29:11-13

I love you so very much and I hope you have a wonderful week!  I can't wait to hear about your week.  Infinity + Infinity and even more than that! 

xoxoxo

mom

p.s. Karlee Winters should have her mission call this week. 

p.s.s. I had a dream that Sydney Walton married Michael Gleason.  What do you think?

March 23, 2015 from Sam

Well somewhat of a long and rough week this week.  It started because my companion Elder Camacho (after the conference with Neil. L Andersen) had told me that night he did something before the mission and wanted an interview with President Crapo.  Because of what he did I knew for sure hed be going home.  So we had a long 2 hour conversation about it and set up the interview for the next day.  The next morning we were talking again and said he lied and didnt do anything but he just wants to go home and doesnt like the mission.... So again we had a long conversation but he decided he wanted to go home.  Then we get off the two hour taxi ride to the office and asked him whats your final thoughts?  "Oh it was just an impulse Im gonna stay here..." ..... If Ive ever wanted to chop someones big toe off it was then.  He had the interview with President and I guess it went ok. But were still not getting along great.  Hes just super prideful and im trying to teach him what I need to teach him as a trainer but he doenst want to learn anything because he thinks he knows everything.... but honestly knows nothing to be honest.  Its just really frustrating.  And hes just a jerk with people to the point where Dianna (my mom in the mission) isnt going to cook lunch for us anymore and where a lot of members have stopped working with us. 

Another tough thing was we had planned this big activity to do family trees for their family history and about 30 people had commited for sure to come but not a single soul came.  After paying like 60 quetz of my own money for supplies and planning a ton that was really super rough. 

As well as basically the ward here... everything is so different from the US.  The people in the leadership positions at least in my ward are super loving and caring people.  My bishop here and all the other leaders are just super prideful and are really really hard to work with.  For example, one of our baptismal dates right now is the bishops sister.  When we told him she was gonna get baptized on the 28th the first thing he said was, with a straight serious face, "why didnt you put the date a week later so when my son gets home he can baptize her?"  They just dont understand what baptism means or really much church organization.  Ughhh its hard not to be negative but its frustrating.  

But I read an article my mom had sent me a while ago that reads basically that the church is lead by all volunteer, unperfect men and women. Except His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, God only has unperfect people to work with.  It must be frustrating but he deals with it.  Therefore, so should we....

I really took that to heart and am really trying to apply it.  I feel like Ive thought of some good ideas and revelation to start this week to help this ward.  Trying to stay positive this week so it can all work out!  

Love you all

Elder Gurksnis

 Notice the difference in Marvin's countenance!  This is before.

This is at his baptism.  So amazing how the gospel of Jesus Christ changes people.  Sometimes you can see it just by looking in their eyes.

 MTC district reunion at Elder Anderson's conference.

Missionary food.  Don't be jealous.

March 22, 2015 from Mom

Oh my gosh!  The t-shirts that woman wears are so funny!  Where does she get them? I'm thinking you could find some awesome Christmas gifts for Dad and Gray there.  

I LOVED all the pictures this week!  What an amazing transformation of Marvin!  He looks fantastic and so happy!  How was the baptism?  Do you have a baptism that has been the most powerful for you so far?  What an impact you are having there in Limon!  Do you think there is any chance you are leaving next transfer or are you pretty committed to training Elder Comacho for another 6 weeks?  

Dad said that you are still having trouble with bad spirits.  I know you don't want me to worry.  However, I want you to know… I'm a very strong woman.  I can handle it.  I don't want you to hold things back from me unless you really feel strongly about it.  Elder Packard says, "There are few things more powerful than the faithful prayers of a righteous mother."  I want to be able to pray for you and help you.  Have those experiences subsided?  Would you like to have a family fast and we could all fast on the same day?  Do you think they have anything to do with Elder Comacho?  You didn't have them before he got there.  Have things changed since he got there?  Are you still truly obedient like you were with Elder Funes?  I know Elder Comacho has been difficult, but I was thinking about this.  I feel like I can see the Lord's hand so much in your life.  I feel there are very few coincidences for you.  It seems the Lord gives you experiences to mold you and fine tune you into the man he wants you to be.  So… what could this experience with Elder Comacho be for?  What do you need to learn, or teach, or how are you being tested by this experience?  Maybe the Lord has seen your obedience with Elder Funes and now he wants to see if you can continue to obey and lead and be an example when you are in charge.  Maybe it's a test of your integrity and leadership.  Integrity is doing what is right and what you believe in even when no one is looking or you could probably get away with not doing it.  These are just some of the thoughts I've had this week as I've prayed and thought about your situation.  Be introspective and truthful with yourself and see what you think about it.  And if this is all just a trial of faith, remember what Pres. Monson says, "Good timber does not grow with ease.  The stronger the wind, the stronger the trees." <3

We had a good week… aside from the fact that I have two very teenagery kids at home right now!  SHEESH!  They are still great kids but they just both had a ton of attitude this week.  Raising teenagers is not for the weak!  It was so funny because tonight Sister Schaack (in another prosper ward) came over to video tape our family having family home evening.  They are video taping about 7 families and putting together a video to show during the new building open house next Saturday to show what FHE is.  So Abby is in a totally bad mood and she looks all pouty the whole time. We were fake praying (they just need video.. you won't hear what we are saying) and Dad is praying to lose 5 more pounds and for Abby and Gray to have better attitudes and Abby did NOT think that was funny!  She is gonna watch the video next week and be so mad that she was so pouty!  haha  Mostly she is awesome!  But she is 15% teenagery. Grayson is about 25% teenagery.  Oh well.  

Dad and I went to dinner with the Smiths yesterday which was really fun!  We are trying to get them to flip a house with us.  So we talked about some of the details last night.  I'm really excited to do it! We are looking for a home in need of TLC in Plano.  It will be an adventure for sure!  I hope that when you get home we will have a few flips under our belt by then and you can help with one!  We also went to lunch with Laurette to celebrate  her bday.  Syd is coming home this weekend to visit which will be great.  

A few questions/reminders:

Don't forget on the new mp3 player that I sent you, I put all your music and several talks on there too.  Did you ever get a speaker?  I sent one to you in a "Easter" box I mailed to you on Friday.  I hope you get it by easter.  

How was the Elder Anderson conference?  What a fun reunion with all your MTC buddies! What did you take away from his talk?

Loved the pictures of your food!  Looks like a grilled ham,cheese and salsa sandwich..??? Am I right?  Do you need any more cooking ideas?  try to add veggies if you can.  

Do you feel healthy?

Do you use the journal that I made?  If so what do you use it for?  

What will you do for Gen. Conf? Can you watch in English?

I love you my sweet boy!  I hope you have a wonderful week!  I'm praying for you all the time.  I love you so very much!  Let me know if you want to have a family fast.  Even though you are so far from us, we are with you and can still help you through prayer and fasting. I miss you madly and  I love you infinity + infinity and even more than that!!!!! xoxoxo

mom

oh… p.s. I almost forgot.  I posted a picture of you and your MTC buddies that you sent this week on the Guatemala missionary mom Facebook page.  One of the moms said her son said Pres Crapo told him they weren't allowed to send pics via wifi anymore. Do you know anything about this?  

MUAH!!!!!! xoxoxox

March 16, 2015 from Sam

Welp, a decent week.  We had the chance to baptize Armando who is the son of Paty and brother of Dalia and Aura who were baptized with Elder Funes and I.  He's really really autistic and has a lot of problems so we didn't know if he really needed to be baptized.  But we realized he knows the difference between good and bad so he was baptized Saturday.  

This coming Saturday, we have the baptism of Marvin!  He's an ex alcoholic who drank every single day but since the very first day we visited him he hasn't had a single drink.  Truly a miracle.  We also have some solid other investigators who we've been teaching but Marvin this week!

This week on Wednesday we'll get the chance to hear from the apostle Neil L. Anderson in a conference for just our mission.  I'm pretty excited!  This morning we were in a meeting for all the newbies and so I had to go with my comp.  It was something with signing a visa or something. A man walked in and told us that Elder Anderson had just arrived and it was pretty funny to watch everyones eyes and how fast their hands opened their backpacks to get their scriptures out lol.  

Ive been reading a lot about the atonement of Jesus Christ lately.  Something I read in a talk from David A. Bednar is that sometimes we make the mistake of thinking the atonement is only used to make bad people good.  But just as equally it's used to make good men, better.  Although a huge crucial role of the atonement is to help people really turn their lives around, those already walking in a fairly straight path need it just as equally to progress and learn to become more like Christ.  I encourage all of you to learn and take advantage of the sacrifice that Jesus Christ has made for each of us.  Hope you all have a great week!

Elder Gurksnis

Tradition - Burning a tie at 6 months

Austin Family!  The ties are gorgeous and I've already eaten all the trail mix!  You guys are awesome!

March 15, 2015 from Mom

And if it is your buttcrack… how did you take a picture of it????  On second thought, I don't even want to know.  HAHAHA!!!  We were going to send you a family buttcrack selfie but thought we'd save you from that permanent scar.  You're lucky.

How is my sweet boy?  This was a tough week for me.  My thoughts and prayers have been with you so much this week!  I was so worried about the bad spirit experiences.  Not freaked out.  I know you are handling it the right way.  And in someways you have received an incredible testimony of the strength of your priesthood in a very physical way.  Worry has been my partner ever since you left home.  It's just a mother thing I guess.  But I don't want you to think I sit around and fret and cry.  I don't.  I have learned to trust the Lord too during your mission.  I have had the joy of watching my boy grow into a man and lose himself in serving and loving others.  That is something I would never trade the worry for.  I'm so incredibly proud of you and love you so very much!  I hope you feel my love and prayers… because they are immense!

I have questions for you and a story at the end so I'll be brief.  Here are my questions.  Maybe you could cut and paste them so you can answer them.

1. Have you had and spirit trouble in your new home since you blessed it?  How bout the Hermanas?

2. Do you have your carbon monoxide detector out with batteries in it?  Two missionaries died in Guatemala from carbon monoxide poisoning.  It's really a simple thing to do.  Just make sure it has batteries and then leave it on your desk or somewhere near where you sleep.

3.  Did you bring the "more cowbell" poster to the new place?

4. How did the conversation go with Dany about paying him in advance for meals?  I am still scared sweetie.  I think I handled it wrong and I worry about your safety.  I tried to do the right thing but I think I handled it wrong.  I just am so grateful for all Dany and Diana have done for you, I didn't know how to tell them no.  I thought I came up with a good idea, but now I'm not sure. If for one second  you feel like your in danger, you do not hesitate one second to call Pres. Crapo and you'll get transferred I'm sure.  

5.  It looks like you got the Austin's package.  Did you get my envelope?

6.  I didn't know you were having a baptism this week!  Who is in the pictures?  I'll post pictures to Facebook today (Monday). 

I wanted to finish with a story I read this week that reminds me of you.  I have always known the Lord loves you so much and designed you to do many great things while you are on the EArth.  Just seeing what you have done for others and for yourself on your mission makes me understand this better.  See story below:

Some years ago on a hot summer day in south Florida, a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house.  In a hurry to dive into the cool water, he ran out the back door and flew into the water not realizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake, an alligator was swimming toward the shore.  His mother was looking out the window and saw the two as they swam closer and closer together.  In utter fear she ran toward the water yelling to her son as loudly as she could.  

Hearing her voice, the little boy became alarmed and made a U-turn to swim to his mother.  It was too late.  Just as he reached the dock, the alligator reached him.  The mother grabbed her little boy by the arms just as the alligator snatched his legs.  An incredible tug-of-war began between the two.  The alligator was much stronger than the mother but the mother was much too passionate to let go.  A farmer happened to drive by and, hearing her screams, grabbed his gun, raced from his truck, took aim and shot the alligator.  

Remarkably, after weeks and weeks in the hospital, the little boy survived.  His legs were extremely scarred by the vicious attack of the animal.  On his arms were deep scratches where his mother’s fingernails dug into his flesh in her effort to hang on to the son she loved.  The newspaper reporter who interviewed the boy after the trauma asked if he would show him his scars.  The little boy lifted his pant legs.  And then, with obvious pride, he said to the reporter, “But look at my arms.  I have great scars on my arms too.  I have them because my mom wouldn’t let go”.

You and I can identify with that little boy. We have scars too.  No, not from an alligator or anything quite so dramatic, but perhaps the scars of a painful past.   Some of those scars are unsightly and have caused us deep regret.  But some wounds are because God has refused to let go.  In the midst of your struggle, He’s been there holding on to you.  He wants to protect you and provide for you in every way.  Sometimes we foolishly wade into dangerous situations.  The swimming hole of life is filled with peril and we forget that the enemy is waiting to attack.  That’s when the tug-of-war begins.  If you have the scars of His love on your arms, be very, very grateful.

We had a great week.  Spring Break.  We got so much done around the house and cleaned out both garages!  Can't believe we can fit two cars in garages now!  Now when the hail comes this spring, only dads car will be at risk… and our house:)  Wish I had someone to watch the storms with… sniff sniff.  I'll sit in the garage and watch the storms and think of you.  

I love you so much my son!  I'm so proud to call you my son.  I miss you incredibly and am so excited that skyping is getting closer.  When are your next transfers?  Do you think you are staying for sure or is there any chance you will be transferred?  Have a wonderful week!!!  Infinity + Infinity!  xoxoxox

mom

ps. I'm on chapter 18 of Jesus the Christ!  Boom!!!

March 9, 2015 from Sam

Hey mom!  So yeah we wrote late today and i am just so freaking tired so im sorry my letters are going to suck.  But dont freak out but I had to share this with you.  So after the whole moving of the house thing Hna Breshears and her comp just have had some incredibly scary stuff continue to go down in there house.  Theyre in the process of finding a house and until then theyre sleeping 30 minutes away every night with the closest sis missionaries.  

We moved houses and the second night i just had a very very scary experience.  I woke up at like 230 in the morning at first and I couldnt move.  I could open my eyes but couldnt move my body.  I felt like i was a mummy wrapped up. I was trying to scream but couldnt scream.  After about literally 5 minutes of trying to raise my hand to the square i could finally barely do it and did the thing.  As soon as i did it the coolest chill ran down my spine ive ever felt and it felt like the mummy wrap just exploded off of me.  And i could move freely.  I was freaked out obviously, but i turned on some music and went back to sleep.  I then woke up again at like 430 in the morning.  I felt the exact same thing, but (try to stay with me) it was a dream.  But, the absolute realest dream ive ever experienced in my life.  But although i felt the same thing i could raise my hand with ease and said it but this time it didnt work.  I (in my incredibly realistic dream) i was levatated and doing this weird pointing finger and levatated walked toward the door but couldnt opened the door.  I then turned to camacho and i saw him pull the covers over his face because he was scared and as soon as i was about to touch him i flew backwards into my bed.  And then i woke up for real from my realistic dream.  But i woke up with the same mummy feeling.  I couldnt move anything just my eyes.  And the same story i raised my hand in about 5 or 6 minutes and did the thing and it worked. Same chill same everything.  This was the first night in the new house.  After we blessed the first house nothing happened the last two nights.  But then we moved houses and that happened.  We needless to say blessed the house the next night and ive slept like a baby ever since.  I had my interview with president the day after and i told him what had happened because i was pretty freaked out about everything that had happened in the past week.  He told me straight up look it was a bad bad spirit.  Ive had 5 other missionaries explain to me since my time here the exact same story.  But 3 of the 5 were doing things to invite it like playing wigi board or something.  But yeah the others including mine were somewhat but not random either.  It all started happening when we started talking about it as a district.  But now everything has settled down.  We blessed the house and im fine now nothing is happening.  But i just want yall to bless our house cause i dont thing weve ever done it.  You can tell grayson and dad but dont tell abby this story.  

Im not trying to freak you out mom and i dont want you to be worried!  Because i know that nothing can hurt me and i have the priesthood.  It was just a crazy experience and i had to share it.  But dont worry please please im absolutely fine!

Anyways, im absolutely wiped out.  But were doing great.  Camacho has a ton of ideas that arent very great and im trying to always tell him look be humble you dont have much time and you need to learn some things before we do all this stuff.  But other than that were doing really well.

Im so glad youre working so hard with your business mom im so proud of you!  Im having some money problems this month due to crazy random stuff so i may need some extra help... im really sorry i hate asking for money mom.... im serious i hate it.  We just had to buy some new stuff for the house and the secretaires lost some of my money but say they didnt but whatever.   But anyways, I love you and miss you so much mom.  I love you with all my heart!  I think of you and our family every day and I work harder so that you guys can receive more blessings.  I loveyou  and dont worry about me cause im great :) Love your boy Sam