Oxygen Acetylene Bomb + First time Bucking Hay

 Well this was a 3 day work week so here are 3 things that happened:

The 4th was splendid, we had a branch breakfast and then went to this random wards Bishop's 19 acre property where there was yummy food, oxygen acetylene bombs...and if you see a video of a bunch of missionaries going down a 100FT. Water slide and my mission president or my mom asks you if the redhead in the video is me... it is NOT.  (I'm on the second run, BTW.)

I bucked hay for this family, it was a workout and a half but my brain just went "Porter Boyce + God's Country the song moment" and it made the time pass so much faster, it was SOOOO fun and I am sore.

Futuro Chorizo as we say.

Fasting testimony was good, the spirit brought to me Ether 2:12 and so I read and talked not just about the patriotism that I have, but also talked about how we are all the people of God! (Especially here in America) but anywhere we stand, if we serve God we will be saved, and delivered, just like Alma the Younger when I was reading in my personal studies! 

Said goodbye to 2 of the best examples for me, one hermana went home, the other got transferred out.

That is all,

Enjoy summer camps and summer experiences!

Sincerely,

Elder Lucas Witte 

11 days without parental contact

Welp, this email is going out Friday because we didn't have a Pday on Monday, so we just went 10 days without a Pday, and this one is definitely needed. Especially since my family was all on Trek last week, it feels longer than it normally does.

Anyways, happy 4th! I haven't been up to much, but transfer news came in and I am FINALLY STAYING in the same area and with the same companion (for the first time in 11 months) so we are gonna keep grinding! Let's go! I have transferred and had a different companion every single time. I guess I was supposed to learn how to adapt and go with the flow.

Speaking of adapting...8 days ago the New Mission President came to Vancouver, WA! President Pulsipher is so cool and it has been such a blessing getting to know him and meet new leadership. We had this giant meeting with several areas of the mission coming together to say hello and do some basic introductions... I enjoyed it and the MP seems so awesome! And very ready to manage 1,000 teenagers/almost adults.

I can't wait for some of the upcoming meetings we are gonna be having and to be able to talk about what changes and what stays, etc. Seeing how the Lord inspires our new MP will be interesting and I'm here for it.

Here are some pictures from the week! (God Bless America) love you all and bye. Sincerely, Elder Lucas Witte

Elder W's (both of us)

Apparently I looked like Wilbur Wright of the Wright brothers and this random guy said I looked like him and we connected while I was out on exchanges, he insisted on this picture and we had a good laugh. I guess I look like a lot of people. Ha.

Lets try this again - The week passed

 This week was very pretty rough. My roommates and companionship were all sick, so I went on exchanges with other people that were not sick. Almost every day it was headaches or stomach bugs, but here are some things that I learned in my extra long home studies this week:

Jesus Christ's antimoral existence and foreordination. 

Our foreordination.

How to be more empathetic. Not my strong suit.

I learned that I should be more like King Limhi, who even when accused of egregious breach of contract just stealing the lamanites daughters, acted calm and patient in a moment of power when he could have acted and been "the man of the hour and kill the lamanite king" but through the atonement of Jesus Christ we can do all things!

Sincerely, 

Elder Lucas Witte

Impulsive Ross run when it was raining right before soccer night

English Class was... rough

Exchange service W

Failure to Provide Burden of Proof

 Hola!

It's hard to pick up certain parts of conversational Spanish, a lot of people will slur the ends of their past participles, and nouns.

defendi-y-o > defendido > defended

habla-o > Hablado > Talked

Aboga-o > abogado > Lawyer

Yeah, I had to use that one a lot this week considering I had to go to court! I received a multa (fine) 2 weeks ago and was summoned to appear in court. I made argument after argument, adrenaline was high, and I LOVED it. My mitigating circumstances were good and the judge decided to cut the fine in half, to which I decided mama didn't raise no quitter so I said NO and the Judge said OK, please have a seat. I was taken aback, thought that jail time would now be on the table or maybe even the death penalty! Haha.

Another man was called up to the bar before me and got his case reviewed with a lawyer on a zoom call and everything while my companion and I sat in the room. The person on the Zoom call was found GUILTY and the judge did NOT seem to be happy, so when I got back up to plead my case (I was my own counsel) I was terrified. I have been scared on my mission before, so basically I just bore testimony of the sacred funds I have as a missionary, my purpose, and my excellent driving record. 

The judge listened intently but what I think really did help me and my case after all that, was that I just smiled big and wide and innocently.

Shout out to Hillam Orthodontics (and my mom) for paying for my braces, because IT WORKED!! I WON!! Everything was dismissed and I was sent on my way. What an interesting preview of Law life before I head to Law School.

Jesus is the Christ, and God will protect you if you do his work!!! Look for ways to serve someone this week!

 Love you all!! And don't park on the wrong side of the road. (If you do, make sure there are no signs)

Sincerely,

Exonerated Elder Lucas Witte

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​                                                                 Me (above) prepping for court.​

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Very sad day: Spanish zone conference I had to say goodbye to rojito Elder Haycock for the last time, and said goodbye to President Mann (he leaves in a week) hopefully the next mission president is gas.

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(No Context)

Perfect Faith Week

 AT ZONE CONFERENCE, The mission president's wife talked about the trinity, and basically how to bash it and the (she is so genius and mad dogged up) then President Mann slapped us with faith and finding, and how it is the key to everything. He said that through faith, your thoughts than words, then actions, then behaviors will change, and since he is leaving (this transfer) this is his final sermon. This week my companion and I tried extra hard to have lots of faith, talk to more people, trust each other and the Lord, and think about people who are/would be interested, be more bold etc. What I've learned is that faith is tied to patience, which is tied to love, which is tied to EVERYTHING!!! 

Moroni 8:16 has been THE scripture to share with people with tumultuous lives... 

"Wo be unto them that shall pervert the ways of the Lord after this manner, for they shall perish except they repent. Behold, I speak with boldness, having authority from God; and I fear not what man can do; for perfect love casteth out all fear."

Have better words, it will lead to a better mindset, then it will lead right back to having better words, then it will improve character, and your actions...

INTERVIEWS were good, to depart we talked about empathy, and how it will lead me to being a better companion through my mission, a better friend when I get home, and most importantly, a more noble son of God to be the eternal companion of one of God's most noble Daughters... it was a tearjerker fosho, but I will be remembering that FOREVER 

PRESIDENT MANN AND THE MISSION have changed me SO MUCH I feel like a better person, I KNOW that I have changed lives, and most of all I know my Heavenly Father is pleased with my hard work here in Vancouver Washington. If you are thinking or hesitant about going on a mission, for whatever reason: remember that perfect faith = perfect love = fear that is casted out love y'all!

Sincerely, 

Elder Lucas Witte

1 Last zone conference with president and sister Mann

2 weekly elder grummert shout out

3 english class with Russians, (he beard reminded me of you, Bishop Miner)

4 my 2nd pair of shoes just entered retirement. Sigh.

Prayers up! (I am going to court)

 This week was not real, so long, and I don't remember a single thing.

Here are some random highlights that I DO remember:

1) Bowled on Pday and won (but you can tell when I let the latinos that showed up late go for me) I'm V for Vampiro

2) Crashed my old apartment, where my old companion lived, so we ate at the Canes and reminisced over the silly fights we would have over a 20 or 30 min nap.

3) Watched the Champions league final, (hala madrid but andale PSG)

4) We finally crashed a party! It was delicious

--Moroni 8 talks about speaking with bravery if we are called of God, he wants to help us and loves all of us! He wants to help you too, I can testify that his help is personal, and consistent. Amen

Sincerely,

Elder Lucas Witte

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Transferred to Camas

Jesus is the best, I have seen my testimony of him grow so much these last few weeks as I have made the Book of Mormon the first thing I study in my personal studies, my understanding of it's complex timeline, and map has been somehow easier when I study with prayer, and testifying of it is easier when I speak boldly of what it proves and refutes, I somehow am at a less of a loss for words when I explain it, and this is ALL because I have made it crucial to my mission as a Book of Mormon missionary to have a true conversion to the Book of Mormon.

I hope all of you understand that each page testifies or teaches his principles, we play Book of Mormon Baseball where you open to a random page, have the other person tell you which, and which column, and which verse, and you have to read it, teach with it, testify with it and invite. And I use it EVERY time I have to teach missionaries why faith is important, because I have faith that I will never end up in the war chapters jk but FR we use it all the time proving it testifies of Jesus Christ, and NOT "john smith and his 12 Tabernacle choirs" or whatever.

I moved areas, this is a summary of the week.  My companion is Elder Worthington from the CCM and we are in Camas, WA pronounced Cam (like camel) and Mas like christmas Ca-mas.  It is a very nice area of WA.

English Class bro was teaching fricatives  (forms of making noise - like th or ch sounds)

Idaho Falls Friends - Grummert (HHS) Zollinger (Skyline)

Uno my first night here (I was close to flipping the table in spanish)