HOME.....

~Final Letter Home.

Last Letter from Nebraska!

Hello Family & Friends,

As I depart from Nebraska, I send you a final letter thanking your for all your support.  

Through letters, packages and prayers on my behalf. 

I have loved my time here  and sad to have to leave but know that I have done my best and served the Lord.  It has been an amazing 2 years full of up's and down's.  I have learned a lot and my testimony has grown.  I love my Heavenly Father and know that this Gospel is full of truths that will help us live a full and happy life and one day live with Him again.  I have been blessed to have the opportunity to share my testimony with the people of Nebraska. 

I look forward to seeing you all again and sharing the sweet spirit that I have enjoyed with you all. 

Again thank you all for sharing this adventure in the Omaha Nebraska Mission with me. 

Love, Elder Vance

Week # 101 ~SUPER SLOW WEEK.....

Hello All,

So being my very last full week in Nebraska, it was super slow, almost nothing happened.  

On Monday we went to the zoo for the last time and it was amazing as always! Yesterday, we went to this less actives house to try to see them and we could hear their TV on (which was kind of loud) and so we knocked and knocked and Elder Jones kept knocking.  After about the 5th knock we herd a shotgun getting cocked right by the door.  We then bolted out down the stairs and across the driveway, we quickly acrossed the street and jumped in our car and drove as fast as we could.  While we were running, we herd " Hey!  I see you running!!!"  It was very scary!!! 

I am trying to say good bye to all that I can, it is sad, but I em excited and nervous about my return home!  Cannot wait to see you this week!

Love, Elder Vance

Week #100 ~Burglars??

July 27

 Hello to all my wonderful family,

Add Robbery to my list of missionary embarrassments,

So during this week we accidentally helped out with a type of robbery.  One of our investigators died and her husband asked us for help with moving her stuff out of the house and into a storage unit.  But what we learned later, was that really was her EX husband and we helped him move the things into his storage unit.  What we found out was that the parents of the lady wanted their daughters stuff and that the ex was actually stealing it.  ARGG, We let everyone know and tried to make things as “RIGHT” as we could.   

My comps are great. We are meshing well and enjoying serving together.

I am trying to finish my home coming talk but it is hard and I’m not sure what to put in it.   

Time is short and I will see you soon,

As for food when I fly home,  I really do not want to go to any restaurants,

PLEASE just take me home!!

I can’t wait to see you either!!

Love you tons,

Elder Vance

Week # 99 ~5th week of Running!

July 13
Hello Family,

This week was Good.  So I am still in the same area and didn't move. We also got a third companion who I have served with about 6 months ago.  I am not excited about having two companions.  We also had a weird dinner with a gay guy.  The stake is now assigning meals for missionaries instead of asking for volunteers and everyone doesn't like that. So our meals have gone down in the past couple of weeks. 

This is our 5th week of running and it is going great.

We had the opportunity to go to this very fancy restaurant.  We ordered frog legs.  I went with Elder Jones and they were gross and slimy.  Our third comp. Is being dumb and wants to leave so I have to go? 

It makes me sad, but I have to go.  Love you so much!!

I was told that I am leaving the 6 of August.  Could you check with Pres. about that pleases?

Love you all,

Elder Vance

Week #99 ~AUGUST 6th is the Day!

Hi Family,

This week was Good.  So I am still in the same area and didn't move. We also got a third companion who I have served with about 6 months ago.  I am not excited about having two companions.  We also had a weird dinner with a gay guy.  The stake is now assigning meals for missionaries instead of asking for volunteers and everyone doesn't like that. So our meals have gone down in the past couple of weeks. 

This is our 5th week of running and it is going great.

We had the opportunity to go to this very fancy restaurant.  We ordered frog legs.  I went with Elder Jones and they were gross and slimy.  Our third comp. Is being dumb and wants to leave so I have to go? 

It makes me sad, but I have to go.  Love you so much!!

I was told that I am leaving the 6 of August.  Could you check with Pres. about that pleases?

Love you all,

Elder Vance

Week # 98 ~Red Neck Fourth of July Party in Nebraska

July 6

Happy July 4 Utah,

So this week was actually very exciting.  Wednesday we took our investigator who is 15 and is addicted to smoking, on a run to McDonalds for breakfast at 7 am.  We ran 2 miles to the restaurant. And back.  He really liked it and wants to go again.  

Then on Saturday we got invited to go to a 4th of July party at a members house. He lives on a farm.  Everyone brought their own fireworks and it added up to be about $1300 worth of fireworks.  Most of them were in a pile when a kid lit off a bottle rocket wrong and it spun out of control and landed in the pile of fireworks and exploded.  About $700 worth of fireworks went off at the same time and made a giant flaming ball of fire that made a small mushroom of fire and smoke with all of the fireworks going off at the same time.  A lot of them were shooting sideways rather than up and I almost got hit a couple of times (they were literally inches from my body).  I was really close when it exploded and I had to grab a couple of kids and run them away from the explosion.  It took a good 10 minutes for all of the fireworks to stop going off and we hosed off all of the left over ashes and then left after that. 

Love Elder Vance

Week # 97 ~ No Hinges for me.

June 29

Hi  Family,

So this week was kind of ordinary except for Wednesday. Every Wednesday we go with the Spanish elders to do service at a food shelter.  While we were there a guy thought I had some very cool looking tattoos because I was wearing those under armor socks that you sent me.   He was very impressed by how much color was in the tattoos and wanted to know where I got it. Then a bigger lady thought I called her fat for telling her that she could take a lot of food if she wanted.  OPS!  Just trying to be generous!

  

Then some other lady gave me her phone number and told me to call her when I have a chance.  So it was an interesting day that day.  On Thursday we found out that our zone leaders came into our apartment when we weren't there.   They took all of our door hinges form our doors and stole them and they wont give them back until I leave and they also hid our doors.  So not nice!

I really think I have learned so much about the Holy Ghost here.  It is so important in teaching the Gospel.  And also in converting peoples hearts.

We are teaching a younger boy who said he wants go get baptized and wants to know God and what the spirit feels like.  It is so amazing to teach when people really want to learn.

Also for dinner on Friday the members had a sword collection and I got to hold some of the swords and some of them were from lord of the rings

And for Elder Jones year mark we went out to a really fancy restaurant called the Venue.

 

I got the package that you sent to me but I never got the package from wahoo.  I think it is in their post office still.

We are teaching a boy that is 15 and has done meth and smokes a ton and he came to church after the first lesson with him and he really liked it.

We are getting along great!  This is our third week of running and we are getting into shape. And we have not planned for the baptism yet.  And any color works.

That organic muscle milk is wonderful. Could you send me more? And my comp loves watches and weird socks

I love you, Elder Vance

Week # 95 ~Chillin' & Grillin'

June 15

Hi,

Sorry about last week but these computers are very slow and don't get in a lot of things before they stop again. We are going to have another baptism again.  The lady moved from another ward but started to smoke again so she has to stop for 30 days then she can get baptized. She is amazing and I cannot wait for her to get threw this. 

We also found a grill by the side of the road and Elder Jones wanted to keep it so we are grilling chicken for dinner today and we have been grilling hamburgers and other things also.  We did scrub it off!    We are going on a protein diet and we have been running very day for the past week.

 

Down town Lincoln Nebraska 

Week # 94 ~Hello Lincoln Nebraska

June 8

Hello Ya' All,

This is called the old hay market.  It is a really cool shopping part of town in Lincoln I am feeling much better now and my comp is Elder Jones and he is really cool and has been out for about a year now.

I didn’t get the last package that you sent to me I think it is Wahoo. Time is short, cannot wait to hear from you again.

I Love you Tons,

Elder Vance

Week # 93 ~ cReEpy.

Hey my Family,

I have a confirmation for me leaving on August 6.

We had this crazy rainstorm that knocked down a couple of trees and flooded all of the streets in town. 

I am completely fine now and everything is ok.  I am being transferred to Mahoney area in Lincoln Nebraska or something like that. 

Wahoo is closed for 6 weeks because Pres. said so!

This is the creepy old abandoned school that is by our house.  I love you and will get you my new address as I get it.  See you in Lincoln,

Love Elder Vance

 

Week # 92 ~ Leaving Wahoooooo

Week # 92

May 27

Family,

So it was a very full week.  Tuesday we burnt Elder Lopez’s tie and to celebrate his 6 month mark out on the mission. We used the rest of the fire to make hot dogs and smores.  We did not have all the right ingredience for the smores were just marshmallows and gram-cracker. We needed some chocolate and so we got chocolate syrup and we mixed everything in our mouths.  

Then on Tuesday night (the following week) something happened that I would tell you about when I get home.   Because of that I had stayed up for 48 hours and got 1 hour of sleep the first day and 2 hours of sleep the second day.   Don’t worry because it is all right now!!

I am leaving wahoo and going to be transferred to another area. President is closing Wahoo for about 6 weeks then reopened that is what Pres. Weston said.  No one knows why, nothing happened to make this closure it happens all the time!   Since wahoo is getting closed we have to get everything out of the apartment that is ours or any other missionaries things.  The transfer is tomorrow and I have to pack up everything of mine AGAIN!! I have been unpacked for about 7 weeks so far and now packing time again!!  uggg!  

Other than that we were doing service for a man who is an investigator. We had to move a lot of his junk and we found a ton of snakes under the stuff.   They hissed at us and slithered away and the guy (he is in a motor scooter thing but he keeps jumping out of it and I don’t think that he really needs it!) So the snakes shot everywhere and the guy told us to catch them so we did.   One of the ones I caught bit my gloved thumb and started to try to strangle my wrist.  So I threw it over the fence and got back to work.  That was the highlights of my week 

Love,

Elder Vance

Week # 91 ~ Amazing baptism Day!

Hi guys,

 

This week was great…. I kind of walked into the baptisms. I don’t know that much about them yet but was able to help out. 

It has been raining A LOT!!!  The mud is thick and there is lots of it.  Most roads around here are dirt.   Right after the wedding we got stuck in the mud.   We had to get a guy to call we know and he called his “redneck father” to help us.   He brought his big truck to pull us out and he got a bunch of chains and hocked them to the back of our car and pulls us out.  It took about a half hour. They had to pull out a road sign so our car wouldn’t hit it.  It was awesomely funny!

I just got a packet of paper work that I need to dill out to get ready for my release.  I need to put a date on my paper work about release date.   I need to send in to the mission office.  What date should I put down?

We had two baptisms and I will send the pictures

I have not herd anything from Pres. Weston yet.  I could email him next week and ask if he has gotten your email and letter.

Love you lots, 

Elder Vance

Week # 90 ~ Wedding Bells

May 11

Hello Family,

Thank you so much!!! I love you a ton!!

I think an early release would be the best

Recently we went to serve at a member’s house.  This is that guy that is a hoarder.  We helped him clean up and pack things up.  It was a lot of really gross work.  But we are here to serve.

So I loved, loved Skyping you yesterday it was super fun and really inspiring!!!!

This week we went to a wedding of two people who are getting married in order to get baptized.  It is a good thing; they really love each other and will be able to support each other in the Gospel.  The wedding was very fun in our building where we have church in the opthomaligist building.  It was very nice.

Sorry got to go, short on time,

Love Elder Vance

Week # 89 ~ Cannot Wait to see you all!

May 4, 2015

I got the package and it was great! I love all of the food in it.

I am so ready to Skype next week I can hardly wait!!!

Could you send me that movie about Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley life?  

It is a T.C. Christensen film.  It is an approved film that we can share with others an it’s awesome!

My companion is a challenge, to say the least.  All he wants to do is play and not work.  But in my Patriarchal blessing it says that I am here to put his life course back in order.  I have a lot of work to do.

So yesterday after church, a little girl spit on my face and everyone laughed. I was very angry and held and left right away, it was very strange and discusting.  She was like 6 or 7.  No explanation except some areas and people do not take care of their kids and do not have manners.  Other than that I love being senior companion.

I cannot wait to Skype with you.  We are going to do it at a member’s house somewhere after 1. Nebraska time I will talk to you then!

I love you also!

Week #88 ~This Branch needs us!

Hello All,

I am feeling great here in WAHOO.  The area is very small and the branch is even smaller.  So this week we went to visit some people at an old folks home. We met a man named Osar there.  He is a little crazy, he thinks that two other woman put a spell on him.  He feels the spell makes him shaking a lot. He is starting on a lot of medicine so he will be “kind of “normal soon. We are trying to teach and visit with the people in the home and maybe teach a few lessons.

I am finding out more about my companion Elder Lopez,  He thinks that the Lunar mission by NASA was a fake and he isn’t joking either.  He is 18 and still kind of a "teenager" if you know what I mean.  But very kind and we are getting along great.

Yesterday in church, while someone was giving a talk a little girl in the front row decided to help with the lesson.  So she held up a picture of Jesus and stood on her chair and showed it to everyone. It was kind of funny.   

Wahoo is nice and the branch likes us a lot because they kind of need us to help them.  They need help with everything because they are so small.  This week we are going to do service chopping wood, it will be great to get out and start working again. 

Today for p-day activity, we are going to be playing basket ball today, after our laundry and shopping. 

Love you all,

Elder Vance

Week # 87 ~ Eye Doctor Branch.

Hello Mom & Family,

Things are good in Wahoo.  We haven't taught a lot of lessons here, the town is small and kind of quirky.   We are in a branch that is very small, barely a branch.  Our church services are held in the basement of an eye doctors building.  We are teaching mission prep every Sunday evening. Which is great fun!

Our apartment is super dirty, we are going to deep clean it today. My companion is going great.  Elder Lopez  is 18 and has been out for 6 months.  This town does not have a lot of people that we can see. We have to drive everywhere because everything is so spread out.  I love to bike and we do it when we can, but unfortunately we do not have opportunity here to ride.  We did get to go to the Omaha Temple last week with our zone.  It was so great.  I have sent a picture for you.  I love you tons,

Love,

Elder Vance

Week #86 ~WAHOO......

........Nebrasak that is! 

I got transferred to Wahoo Nebraska. It is a super small town and everyone is really layed back.   It is kind of a bother because I am still used to a strict schedule of things to do. It is very small! 

My new address is

 Elder Auston Vance
155 E. 8th Street. #1

Wahoo, Nebraska.   
68066 

My new companion is Elder Lopez.   He is kind of layed back.   He has been out for 6 months.  I am senior comp so that is very nice.  We have been given a  Ford Fusion to drive, so that is nice. 

Conference was great.  My favorite talk is Elder Hollands talk, don’t you just love every talk he gives!!! It is the talk with the two boys on the cliff. My testimony has grown a ton since I left.  It is so nice to feel like I am starting to know personally some of the stories in the BoM.  I also feel like I know of the more extended parts of the stories and truly know the prophets.  It is awesome to serve a mission!

It is full on summer and tornado weather here.  I will be sending home my good winter gear, since I will not have any more winters here.  I will be home before you know it!  I love you also tons and tons. and tell Kyle “hi” for me.

Love you all,

Elder Vance