Pictures & An Email!

The kids came home from school with a letter from the Mission President. I was concerned at first, cause I wasn't sure why they would be sending us a letter. After opening and pulling out photos of our son, I started to get a little choked up. Finally, I get to see him! I miss him way more than I anticipated I would. I don't know if it's knowing we can't communicate with him when ever we want or what, but man, I sure miss him! He looks GREAT!! Which makes this momma very happy!

Casey with his official Missionary tag on! 

 Mission President Choi and his wife

The Mission!

An Upper Respiratory Infection 

Sorry I haven't written lately. We just had transfers and I got an upper respiratory infection (which was awful) over the last couple weeks, but I'm feeling better now. The last week has been a bit uneventful (probably because everything ached and the doctor told me I needed rest). I'm working on the pictures and taking them when I can. I'm getting better at handling the hills here, but they're still ridiculously long. Sadly I'm not allowed on facebook at least not in this area, but I have a feeling that might change. President Chai came to our ward yesterday and gave a talk that left the whole ward laughing :). It was awesome. So how is everyone doing? 

Casey

I think technology hates me. I sent the first part of this e-mail last week but I looked at my sent mail today and it was never sent (rages and punches through monitor, moves to next computer ... lol). So this week went better than last (the lack of an upper respiratory infection helped) and I've been working hard to make up for last week. We haven't had much luck getting new investigators, but we are still hard at work and doing as much as we can. The investigators we do have are making steady progression and I'm enjoying teaching them.

Still wishing I had more to say

Casey

A Message to my Son

A little message to my Son.
Casey, I miss you so much! I want to hear all about your days. I'm curious about how you're doing. So curious I check my email many many times every Monday! I know this is your P-day and when a letter doesn't pop up, it saddens me (kicking dirt). I so wished we could talk on the phone, as that does seem to ease the pains of missing a loved one. The kids love to hear from you and are constantly asking questions about your mission. We are so proud of our Missionary and long to hear all about your BIG adventure! We just want you to write about your week, how it went, who you met. What scriptures hit you that week and why. Things like that. Don't fret about writing, make it fun. We love it when your personality shines through. Sending loads of ((((HUGS)))) & {{{{SQUEEZES}}}} from all of us.
One of your biggest fans! ;)
Mom

Root Beer!!

Oh no! I meant to send you an email last week, but I think I just hit save instead of send *facefloor*(when face palming isn't enough). I'm doing great here! The greenie package was a godsend! I had been eating pasta and quesodillas for the last month. We only get to have dinner with members on Sunday and Monday and our budget hasn't gone up any so it gets a little sketchy near the end of the month (Chef Boyardee saves the day!) I'm meeting lots of great people and some not so great people (when they try to bash with us we just walk away and my companion tells me it's alright they're just a very negative) I've also picked up on the interesting hobby of flicking spiders off their webs. You just get behind them and wait for your companion to walk in front of it and fire away! None of the ones we flick are poisonous and it's usually taken in horror then good humor XP. We have continued to teach Brian (who by the way shreds on the guitar) and it looks like pretty soon we're going to get to help him work on the truck some more (I look forward to service work, like that it gives me a nice break from the monotony of tracting).
Oh, I still have to tell you where I'm serving. Let's see the top border for our area is 145th and the bottom is 80th while our west border is the sound and the east is just a few blocks over from the I-5...um how about something more helpful my current residence is on Greenwood Ave N.
I got to go to the temple last Tuesday it was awesome! It's quite a bit bigger than the Nashville temple. I've been taking pictures whenever I can without making it seem awkward. P-days aren't what I had hoped for don't get me wrong, they're great, but one of our mission rules doesn't let us get with other companionships to play basketball or anything. Also I found out from my companion that it might be a good idea to get a board game of some kind because there are certain holidays in which we have to stay in our residence sometimes all day such as 4th of July, Halloween, Nudity day, Christmas day you know, the holidays. Next P-day my companion and I are going to go to the Root Beer Store http://www.therootbeerstore.com/ THEY HAVE SO MANY FLAVORS OF ROOT BEER!!! I just hope I have enough money on my card to get some and I'll need to make sure I send a package of some home (the owners are members and they give missionaries 50% off XD). We have family home evening a.k.a. game night in about half an hour (and it goes till about 8) so I don't have much time left.

I hope everyone is doing well. I'm super excited for Ashley completing college and I hope Neil can find the job that he's looking for. $1 FOR A CAR!!! WOW! Talk about being blessed, she must be really happy right about now. Aubrey loving school, getting straight A's, and getting advanced on the state tests comes as no surprise; I think in a way she's like me. Genius.. just without the laziness, procrastination, video game obsession, arrogance, the Y chromosome, and a few other miscellaneous XD. Zachary has the makings of being one of the toughest people I'll ever know with all the physical hardship he's been through when he gets older he'll just shrug pain off like it's nothing. Who knows what that boy will be capable of when he's cured. Wesley and Brentley... Keep practicing that X box game who knows someday you might get better than me (Arrogance: however unlikely), but don't obsess over it like I did. When Mom and Dad say you need to take a break don't just get off then get back on. Take a break go read a book. Make sure you keep at your school studies too, I can't even begin to tell you how important it is to learn as much as you possibly can. I've only been out here for a month and I have met people from all walks of life and the ones that have had the most success and get to live their lives in almost total relaxation are the ones who worked the hardest in school. 

Now let's see words of wisdom... ah let's quote Boyd K. Packer "True doctrine, understood, changes attitudes and behavior. The study of the doctrines of the gospel will improve behavior quicker than a study of behavior will improve behavior."

 Love ya'll bunches,

 Elder Casey R. Huguley

Missionaries Help Members to Convert

I've had my bike for a little over a week now and I'm authorized to drive. No, my trainer is not related to Harry Potter :( Yes, I've been eating well. I've been trying to take pictures, but I need to avoid looking like a tourist.

So we had a Zone Conference last Thursday and it was awesome! I learned a very valuable lesson about missionary work. The missionaries aren't there for you to help them with missionary work. They're there to help you with missionary work. It's up to the members to convert others, the missionaries are only tools in conversion. I also learned that tracting is very ineffective...very.
I hope the kids are enjoying school and I also hope your photography is going well. I've been doing great here, a little tired but it's good. By the way the hills here don't end they're not steep, just really...really long.

Every Member a Missionary
6.7 billion people live on the earth right now, but only 52,000 members are full-time missionaries. Mormons are invited to share the gospel with their friends so more people have the chance to learn about Jesus Christ in a personal, meaningful way.

It isn't only our full-time missionaries who share the gospel. Because we believe the gospel of Jesus Christ is the way to true happiness, we want to tell as many of our friends and family about it as we can. We believe, as Peter taught in the New Testament, that we should "be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you" (1 Peter 3:15)

Of course the most convincing testimony is the good, happy life of a person who lives according to Christ's teachings, but we also feel that sharing our individual experiences with others is a great way to invite them to come to know more about Jesus Christ.

Sharing the gospel isn't always easy, though. Many of us feel afraid of offending our friends, seeming pushy or saying something that might be misinterpreted. We gather our courage and try our best to find a way to talk about how much the gospel means to us while respecting other people's beliefs and choices. We are thrilled when friends share in the joys of living the gospel. This can happen by attending Church meetings and activities during the week and meeting with missionaries to talk about how the gospel can bless their lives. If you want to make a Mormon's day, ask if you can visit their Church. However, we love our friends whether they accept the teachings of our Church or not.

You might wonder what, exactly, a Mormon missionary does, other than ride a bike and knock on doors, or how a young man or woman just out of high school might end up on a mission. Here are the basics.


Most of the Church's missionaries are around twenty years old, though many members also volunteer to serve after they've retired. All prospective missionaries turn in applications to Church headquarters and they receive a call to a specific mission around the world. They spend a few weeks in a training center where some of them learn a new language and all of them rigorously study and practice teaching the gospel. Then they set off to their assigned locations and begin their service. Missionaries' lives are completely dedicated to sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. They pay their own way and put off school, dating and work for two years in order to focus entirely on doing the Lord's work.

A common morning for a missionary might consist of waking up at 6:30 a.m., studying the scriptures, and meeting new people to share the gospel with. The afternoon might include discussing gospel lessons with people they meet and volunteering for service in the community. A good night has them teaching the gospel to interested individuals and helping them learn and keep God's commandments or attending a baptismal service for someone who's decided to join the Church. They return home around 9:30 p.m. and fall into bed, usually exhausted and happy.

A New Investigator!

So the weather here has been unexpectadly sunny with very little rain. So over this last week we gained a new investigator, let's see he was a guitar instructor he trained dogs for the humane society and worked in suicide watch and prevention he is also an engineer (we met him while he was out working on his truck and we helped pull his transmission out) and he's been out of prison for about 53 days XP. He's really cool and he's got quiet the story behind him. All is well in Zion

Safe and Sound in Seattle

So, I made it to Seattle and I met my trainer Elder Potter. It's been pretty exciting and nerve racking. We've already started tracting and we met a new investigator last night. I'm still learning a lot. The weather here is well ...cloudy ... always cloudy. We have a small residence, but it's not to bad. Oh I went grocery shopping today and got about 2 weeks worth of food for $38 XD. So a few things I need before I forget 1. I might need a small blanket I can take with me on transfers because there is no guarentee that there will be one 2. I might need a gps (really hope not) 3. I need some mail so I can have proof of residence and the address is

10675 NE 20th St.

Bellevue WA

98004

This is the mission home address and they'll forward any packages or letters recieved here to the appropriate missionaries. Ok, so that's enough about me how is everyone?

Educational Enlightenment

Thanks for what? The care package of course :). So much has happened since the last time I e-mailed you and things have been moving so fast that I haven't had an oppurtuniy to sit down and write a letter *frustration*, but everything that's been keeping me from doing that is of immense importance. I'm starting to get the hang of the schedule :) just in time for me to leave the MTC on Tuesday. :( BTW don't let any of the kids complain about how long their classes at school are, because my classes are 3 hours each (not that I'm complaining, but my butt is) and yesterday we had in-field orientation and it was a 9 hour blast (yep, I had a 9 hour class and I enjoyed it! So children in school, your complaining has been dismissed XP) Lol. I've also been wishing that I had more time in the day to study (funny how that works out, huh?). I've also been getting along with my companions... yes plural companions more than one. My previous companion left a day and a half into the MTC (not that we ever got along. All he would do is talk about rugby and call everyone Jack...?Jack?) we've been practicing with volunteer investigators which has been either enjoyable or enraging (sometimes both) but I always keep my cool and stay calm (although somtimes I want to hit myself with a brick and one of my companions wants to shove a Book of Mormon down the investigators throat *jokingly*). Well the computer is telling me I'm out of e-mail time so you'll be hearing from me when I get to the airport in Seattle. I'll get to make a phone call.

So I just want to leave you with this quote, that I really like ...

"It is significant that of all the titles of respect and honor and admiration that are given to Deity, He has asked us to address Him as Father."

Love ya'll bunches,

Elder Casey R. Huguley