"Didn't I have a principal by that name?"

My comps did not come and get me at the airport. Imagine my surprise to see President Slaughter standing there waiting for me as I left the plane. I was able to spend the whole day with President and the new missionaries. I spent a decent amount of time riding in his car, just the two of us, and I was able to pick his brain on some things. He asked about what I had observed in the Atlanta mission and I was able to pick up some good study ideas. I was with the Assistants to help pick up the missionaries and I went to the Alamo and helped them pass out copies of the Book of Mormon. I even got to test my Spanish with a man who was from Chile! We ate dinner at the mission home and had some absolutely delicious brisket. Of course, the reason that I stayed with the Assistants all day was because I MADE IT UP TO AUSTIN!!! I'm in the city of Round Rock in the Brushy Creek ward. I can already tell this will probably be a great area. The members are super missionary minded and accountable to the goals they set. It's a fairly well off ward, similar to ours without most of the Shiloh area. I had In n Out for the first time and it was soooo good!!! My companions are Elder H and Elder H and they are both ballers. Elder H is probably the next best player and Elder H is pretty good, too. Elder H goes home on January 3rd. We have too much fun together! 

Our apartment is fairly nice. Nothing too crazy. We have access to perhaps the best gym in the mission because there's a member who's a personal trainer who lives in the apartment complex next to us. We also play basketball with a bunch of church members and their friends every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning. I'm getting lots of exercise in. We're being fed every day. In fact, my first dinner, a member took us out to a great wings place called Pluckers. He's from Idaho Falls and he asked what your family name was and so I said Holtom. Then he looked at me and said, "Didn't I have a principal by that name?" His name is Doug A. 

Good to hear Katie played some good minutes. If she keeps working, she'll be able to play a lot. I did hear about the games, in pretty decent detail actually. There are a lot of Utes fans here and one of them even googled me before I met him. I was flattered. The Bishop here is super cool and he said he was in the MUSS before it was even famous. So I've got the hook up there. 

Our party is this Wednesday. We have a great investigator named B. He's super close to getting baptized. He came to a baptism and ward Christmas party on Saturday and church yesterday. He is the man! Our party is on Wednesday. I love being a missionary again!!! It's tremendous that I get to preach, speak, and teach of Jesus Christ, especially during this wonderful season of Christmas. There really is nothing else I'd rather be doing!

Love,

Elder Montgomery

Triumphant Return

After an extended illness and being home for four months. Elder A. Montgomery returned to the Mighty TSAM today. 

 With his younger sister in the fall.

Last message before he boarded the plane to San Antonio was wishing his team the Utes Good Luck against the Cougs tonight and he will see you this summer. Go Utes!

No Message This Week, due to Elder Montgomery being Ill.

Elder Montgomery has been quite ill for the last week and unable to do a whole lot of his missionary work. He is working with Dr's in trying to find out what is going on.
Please let Elder Austin Montgomery he is in your thoughts and prayers.
I feel he could use a little "lifting up" from home. 
A quick note or card to him would mean more than you could know. 
Elder Austin Bruce Montgomery
Texas San Antonio Mission
404 E. Ramsey Rd., Suite 105
San Antonio, TX 78216

pic taken a week before getting ill.

Mormon Missionaries.. What you need to know:

We Rode 30 miles Saturday!

The outcome of the wreck was that... We have to take the car into the shop Wed. morning and we'll be riding our bikes for the next few days. I didn't get a ticket and we were both at fault. I'm still driving, though sometimes I wish I wasn't. I do not recommend the Chevy Maliboat to anyone. Not too much is going on. It's been really hot lately and we rode 30 miles Saturday! New record!!! It's been in the 98-102 range all week and it's supposed to stay that way. We don't really have any investigators right now but I'm positive we will find some soon. The miracles come after the trials of our faith so we must keep the faith! I love the mission! There are so many valuable things I've learned in my short tenure here that I wish to be able to implement when I'm released. The Ward is great. We're still being fed every night. We'd prefer teaching their friends and family but all in due time ;) 

It definitely sounds like Zach has got it good right now, at least on the outside view. I'm positive he'll do absolutely fantastic! They mentioned Pioneer day but we didn't really do anything special for it. I'm glad to hear that volleyball is going well. Katie will eventually figure it out. I assume that I will be staying for the next transfer but I do not know so I'd hold off on sending anything. I'm doing great wardrobe wise. Maybe some more healthy snacks like granola, or dried fruit, or something. I'm sure whatever you send will be great (Don't think sending me any of your delicious desserts trying to fatten me up will work, though ;) I know lots of missionaries who would eat them. I know you don't follow recipes but maybe recipes for the dishes you make. I've really been craving the Chicken Curry Broccoli casserole. I'd say the ones that I've missed the most would be that one, Red Beans and Rice, every single and last one of your desserts/baked goods, and the classic Mormon Sunday dinner. I have no idea how long I'll be home before I leave again, but I'm sure I'll spend a lot of the time observing how such delicious food comes out of our kitchen. I'll try my best to make sure we have no wrecks! 

Love,

Elder Montgomery

The Son Of God.. I've heard lots about that movie from people we talk to. Hahahaha Ben is a clown! Confidence is good! Most of the time. The Lord will shape him, no worries. 

(Yes, right one) The Lord will not allow us to be tried more than we can handle. I read that somewhere in the scriptures recently but I can't tell you exactly where. Where there is faith, there are miracles. Sometimes we have to be humbled so that we realize that normal day things are miracles. How much more blessed are we when we humble ourselves and God doesn't have to do it to us? There's a lot more happiness in that method. I'm glad to hear about Elder Kotter. 

So true!!! As you seek to help others, you will be helping yourself and God. Mosiah2:17. Pray for the gift of charity and remember to study it out in your mind. It takes a lot of effort, but truly seek to understand and discern the true character of people. The Holy Ghost will reveal it unto you. The week was tremendous as always!!! There are good prospects here but we haven't found them yet. We'll baptize them soon, enough, I'm sure. The Lord has his eye on every one of us. I could have a conversation with them but it would have to mainly center about the Gospel. My vocabulary is still fairly limited. I'll see what I can do about pictures. Maybe I'll be transferred to an English ward and they can take care of that for me. Have a wonderful week!

Love,

Elder Montgomery

Don't play on Sundays. Plain and simple. It's a commandment

I'm glad that you got the package! I had almost forgotten about it. The new shoes are doing much better. No worries at all! Interestingly enough, I've eating a lot of American food lately. Burgers and chicken. nothing too crazy. I judged a pie contest at the Pioneer day activity. The pecan pie was easily my favorite but I'd say that none of the pies there could compare to the baking in the kitchen back home. Which reminds me, What do you usually make for dinner? Elder C and i were talking and we both agreed that there was always plenty of delicious food back home but we couldn't remember how often or what you would cook. My flounder was alright. I'll give you a more informative report this next week. This is very true about why people don't get married. It seems that we can never get over that stumbling block, though. I'm glad you were able to talk to Zach! The Lord always answers our prayers! He just waits for us to ask. 

Sounds like a fun time at the volleyball camps!!! I'm very impressed with everyone. I would say don't play on Sundays. Plain and simple. It's a commandment. But i won't give a very specific answer because I'd prefer other people to study it out on their own. I'd suggest Preach My Gospel Chapter 3, Lesson 4, as well as the scriptures. And then there is always lds.org for more information. 

I don't need anything. At least, not yet... I was in a wreck this morning. Very slight damage to our front bumper but the lady's door was dented pretty bad. I was turning out of HEB and as I was turning, all of a sudden she was there, and boom. Crash. None of us saw her or where she came from, but asi es. So we're all healthy but I don't know what the results will be. i'm sure we'll find out soon, though. other than that, I had a tremendous exchange with Elder Jackson. He's grown a lot and we had some great conversations. I learned a lot from him and I hope we'll be able to spend time together after the mission. he only has 2 weeks left. Have a great and accident free week!

Love,

Elder Montgomery

I'll definitely hit the bike trails with you when I get back. I don't ride very fast and my skills aren't super great, but I'd love to give it a shot. I'd write more but I have to fill out a traffic accident report... See mom's email. Say hi to everyone for me. I hope they're all doing great. Don't worry too much about the shoes. Everything is going well. If I'm ever in dire need, I'll let you know. Just make sure that the spiritual and temporal needs are taken care of at home first. How's FHE and daily scripture study going? Even if it's a few verses, we learned in General Conference that those things do take precedent over temporal things, even chores. Just keep trying to find that balance. 

Love,

Elder Montgomery

5th Ward is Fantastic as Always!

5th ward is fantastic as always! I'm excited to hear more about this tall girl volleyball camp my sisters are going to as well. That's fantastic that they have these opportunities to go to these camps. I hope that they prepare accordingly. 

I thought Elder Z. Montgomery might be leaving here pretty soon. Just think tomorrow he goes to Utah and we'll be be in the same state for a little bit. Then in another year we'll be in the same city. I hope his phone call is more insightful than mine. I've heard it's dangerous but there are still missionaries out in the city nonetheless. I've heard that they have some tremendous street food, though, from our members. Cheap, delicious, and lots of it. The work is going well. 

A lot of our people have been in Mexico or just disappeared for some reason so we're always working on finding people. It's fun being on the bike. Lots of fun. Elder C and I get along great. He is from Delta, Utah. He likes basketball and played Varsity Soccer for 4 years. The food we are getting has been pretty good lately. Our Bishop took us to a hamburger joint which was delicious! It's called TJ's. And then the next day the member made hamburgers. And then the next day the members gave us some delicious broiled lemon pepper fish from a good restaurant. So nothing eventful at all.

I'm excited for the opportunity to play with some of the NBA players. Sounds like great things are going on in the world of basketball! 

The Book of Mormon is the cornerstone of our religion. Without it, where are we? Nowhere. It is a testament of Jesus Christ and all those who truly want to develop a relationship with their Savior must study and ponder the message contained therein. The ancient prophets who wrote in the book declared that they did so that they might convince and persuade their brethren (all of us) to come unto an understanding of their relationship with God and his Son, Jesus Christ; than we might learn his doctrine and live his Gospel; that only through repentance made possible through Christ's Atonement, could we be perfected and live with God again. The Book of Mormon is the foundation of my testimony of my Savior. The Bible helps and they testify of one another, but one will grow closer unto God by living the precepts outlined in the Book of Mormon than any other book. All good things come of God! Have a tremendous week and study Chapter 5 of Preach My Gospel.

Love,

Elder Montgomery

Sounds like a fun time with all the work at Lakeview! I don't most people know how hard you work there, esp. in the summer. I'm glad my work is something that I enjoy as well. Nothing like Preaching the Gospel! I'm doing fantastic. I really enjoy the bike even though it's going to be over a 100 degrees all week. I'm going on an exchange with E. Jackson on Friday and I'm super excited for that! The diet isn't too hard to maintain. I just portion accordingly. I bought some flounder today. I sure hope it tastes delicious. I'll let you know. Love you too and have a great phone call with Zach.

Love,

Elder Montgomery

Freedom is a tremendous blessing from God!

Oh yes we had a tremendous 4th of July! We went to a Ward Breakfast to start the day and then we promptly had 5 lessons fall through. We rode about 20 miles that day and we had to be home by 8. We did go to Chickfila, though, for dinner. It was so tasty! We ended the night by singing America the Beautiful. I'm so thankful for our forefathers who established this country upon freedom. They were guided by our Heavenly Father to this promised land. They set the stage for the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Because we have freedom of religion, Joseph Smith was able to seek after an answer to his question, "Which church was true that he may join himself with it?" Freedom allows us to continue to practice the true doctrines that have been revealed by God through modern day prophets. We are truly blessed to live in this country. 

That is a blessed day for sure. We don't really have any youth in this ward so I'm not sure exactly what they would do with them. I'm sure you would be able to find somewhere to do that closer to home, though. Sounds great about Coach Connor. I look forward to the opportunity to play for him and Coach K. I've learned so much about hard work and discipline on the mission. It will be benefit me in so many other phases of life. The new area is good. We have a decent amount of investigators but once again, many of them are not married to their current partner. It's a little frustrating but hopefully we'll be able to help them understand the sanctity of marriage in the near future. What he said about 5th ward is definitely true! We are loved here. I was introduced during Sacrament meeting and they gave a brief bio. We're fed every day and people love us. It's great for sure! . It will come soon enough for Z. Have a great week with B!

Love,

Elder Montgomery

We were and are truly blessed to grow up in the Centerville Ward. I would not have wanted to be anywhere else. We have so many tremendous priesthood holders who have taught, guided, and inspired me. They have had a great impact on my life. There is no doubt that is part of the reason why so many of the youth are strong. I could go on and on about them but they already know. I'm glad that y'all had a great 4th of July. Freedom is a tremendous blessing from God! I'm glad that the possible other parts of the family are so great as well. Oh there's no doubt that I'm supposed to be here. More I'm kind of ready for the Lord to need me somewhere else hahaha. No worries! I love the work and I try to get better every day.

Love,

Elder Montgomery

I Now Have a Continuous Chain of Areas

Well it is exciting that I'm speaking Spanish again, at least! It may not be Austin but in due time (I hope haha). Follow along.. My new area touches both Adams HIll and Mission Creek/Highland Hills so I now have a continuous chain of areas. Timber Ridge touches Adams HIll which touches 5th ward which touches Mission Creek which touches 1st Ward and the last two are within Highland HIlls. You can take the ghetto out of the Elder but not the Elder out of the ghetto hahaha. It's good to be speaking more Spanish again. I've gotten almost all the rust off of it. The ward is pretty small, but good. Avg about 75 people at church. I bike every other day. I get fed every single day, July is already full, and the Ward Mission Leader's wife is working on filling out August. No worries about food. My new companion is Elder C from Delta, Utah. 
Yes can your veggies if you can. I LOVE tomatoes and peppers now. I bought some today.
Quietness can definitely be a lot more relaxing.  I'm not living with other Elders. Elder G finally went up to Austin. The P's got married this past weekend. We have a few investigators right now but I'm still meeting all of them so I'll fill in the info next week. So far, the biggest problem seems to be that no one is married. Is this just a Southside thing or is it like this in the really nice areas too? Maybe one day I'll know. 
We played pickle ball and disc golf last Monday. It was super fun! Nothing too crazy going on. 
Oh, I did speak in Sacrament meeting yesterday. That makes 3 talks in Spanish and 1 in English. It really doesn't bother me to talk anymore. I hope that this confidence stays with me after the mission as well. I hope that you have a wonderful week at home without the girls. It's good to have a break but it's also good to spend time together. Let's just make sure we all grow enough that we'll enjoy all of eternity together. :)

Love,

Elder Montgomery

Padre's Letter.

Well that's definitely a start! I was able to do 7 chin ups in a row today. Getting stronger every day! Keep it up and you'll be able to do it in no time at all! It definitely takes discipline. Self discipline is one of the greatest things I've learned so far on the mission and I'm continuing to work on it. A lot of it has to do with what I'm currently studying, which is humility. Humility is much more than just being meek and teachable. It's being grateful at all times and for all things. Why wait until the rainbow to give thanks for the rain? I've been studying it on and off for the past 3 weeks or so but it hit me pretty good today. I was getting a little frustrated that I haven't left San Antonio yet and gone to Austin and that our apartment didn't have a washer and dryer or a gym. When I was studying, it hit me pretty hard. At least I'm not in Central or South America cleaning my clothes with a rock. They definitely don't have gyms. I know it's the little silly conveniences of a State side missionary but it impacted me a good bit. I'm going to make the best of being in 5th ward and this area is going to be on fire. I'm in a car share so I ride the bike every other day. My companion is pretty good. Elder C has been out about 9 months or so. I see a lot of similarities between him and me (missionary wise). He's a pretty good studier and has pretty good Spanish. A really good test taker, etc. The biggest thing I'm trying to help him develop is confidience and passion. These are the two things in which I've grown the most lately and it has helped me tremendously. I realize it's a process but I hope that I'll be at my best by the end. Have a good week off, but as an investigator once said, "Idleness is the devil's playground."

Love,

Elder Montgomery

Going Back to Senior Companion..

Well that is quite excellent to hear, I must say!!! Impressive, indeed. Just have to get the training, I guess. 
No worries, my stuff is pretty much already packed. The mission office is closed on Saturdays but, of course, Mission Creek covers the Alamo, remember? So I'll just leave my stuff in the apartment and they'll take it up. How do you want to communicate the meeting? 
I will indeed be leaving once again. Going back to Senior Companion. Elder G is a new District Leader. Elder J told me on transfer calls to be very excited so maybe that means I'm finally going up to Austin.
Basketball camp is definitely the best. I'm sure that they will have lots of fun with Grandma. 
We had a fantastic week as usual. The P came to church and stayed for all 3 hours. They are getting married very soon. We're going to try to set them with a date tonight for their baptism. We also had the J family come to church. He's a long time LA member and she's "Catholic." Of course, they're not married either but she really enjoyed church and it's looking very promising. Her name is C. We knocked into a tremendous family this past week. Husband and wife with 4 kids, 9 years and younger. They really loved the Restoration and hopefully we'll be able to go by them tonight. 
Other than that, nothing too out of the ordinary happened this past week. I know this week will be great and I'm sure you'll know where I am before I even email next Monday.

 Have a fantastic week at work!

Love,

Elder Montgomery

Fathers are Extremely Important to God's Plan

That's okay. Maybe I'll go to Austin here pretty soon and then next year we can take a trip and visit. Well, even if I don't ever serve there, I'd like to visit it. That's great that you made it home in time for his birthday and Fathers' Day! I sent a letter so hopefully it gets there today. The Fathers' Day cookout sounds delicious as always. I wouldn't be able to visit or eat with them but I could definitely leave the packages at the mission office and they could pick them up. That would be fantastic! That's awesome that you were able to visit with Ms. Crystal! She definitely does have some of the best homemade vanilla ice cream ever! 

As far as the weight loss goes, it definitely happens after being fed every day for 6 months and then being fed once every 2 weeks. It's more that I'm just eating healthily now and not eating all day long. I eat lots of chicken, eggs, vegetables, fruits, yogurt, turkey, nuts, protein bars, fish, all the good stuff. Elder Jackson was here on Fridayand checked with him to make sure I wasn't too skinny. My shirts are baggy for sure but they should be filled out here pretty soon. I hope Madeline's face does indeed start to recover soon. That was a super cool picture of the Houston temple. Nope we were definitely still out working last night. It was pretty ineffective because nobody would let us in but we did get a free taco out of it. I'm glad that it's over and that they won. I forecast more baptisms in the future because of it :) 

That's great that Calvin was baptized!!! I don't remember a specific name but you did mention Zach helping teach someone. It seems like there are a lot of baptisms in the ward back home and Elder Boman told me that it was his most successful area. I wonder why that is. Yes I very much enjoyed the package! I was especially grateful for the white tie. I'm thinking that it's a sign that the baptisms are on the way! Well, I guess that I'll have to forgive y'all for watching the game. I was catching glimpses of it all night. Manu's dunk in the 2nd quarter caught everyone by surprise. 

We had a great Sunday yesterday! The P's came to church and really enjoyed it. They are such a fantastic family! Absolutely tremendous people! S, a 15 year old son of a less active, also came to church. He's super cool and we're hoping that as we continue to build a relationship with him and teach him and his family, that he will become active a be baptized. 

We had a great specialized training this past Thursday about Faith in Finding. We spent the first hour talking about the definition of true faith and then we focused on other aspects of finding such as prioritizing and fathers. We spent a lot of time talking about fathers and the importance they play. The Church grows as the priesthood grows. We can baptize all the women and children we want, but if there isn't an addition to the priesthood, branches cannot become wards and wards cannot be split. Also, one of the main doctrines that we teach is that families can be together forever. Often times, husbands are less spiritually sensitive than their wives or children and so they are more hesitant towards being baptized. We know that fathers lead their families by divine design and so if we move forward without them, we are going against some of the very doctrine we teach. Sister Slaughter shared with us that when she was serving in Taiwan, a 70 came and told them that they could no longer baptize a woman and her children without their husband. They had to cancel many baptisms and it was increasingly hard to find families because of the culture; however, she told us of an experience in which a few years ago, she met a missionary from Taiwan in San Francisco and he told her how much the priesthood had increased on the island. Fathers are extremely important to God's plan and as we remember that, we will be able to help many families be united for forever through the restored priesthood authority. 

Love, 

Elder Montgomery

Padre,

Balance is definitely the key. Even in the scriptures, the prophets were balanced. Alma rested in the home of Amulek for a while. We definitely need our rest. Look at you playing ball with professional athletes!!! I didn't forget, I promise. You should be getting a birthday/father's day card, soon. Things have been going fantastically! We had a great week! Elder Jackson was on exchanges with Elder Gray this past weekend and it was a lot of fun seeing him again. He is definitely one of my role models. He was a great missionary when I was with him and he's grown so much since then. No worries, I know exactly what I'm doing. I'm eating a lot like you do. I made some delicious steel cut oats in the rice cooker yesterday with some apples. I'm planning on buying some almonds and walnuts to add to my foods. By the way, Greek yogurt is really tasty. I've made it a staple, either with fresh fruit like a banana, peach, or apple, or with some cereal. I'm going to try tuna today and see how that goes. Honestly, it's nice to be able to control the food that I eat. I feel so much better and lighter and not weighed down by Mexican food. I shouldn't be losing too much weight in the near future. I can tell you exactly how much I weigh and an approximate BF% as well (provided you wait until Wednesday morning, of course :)) That's when I do measurements. Have a great week and I hope the girls have a great time at camps.

Love,

Elder Montgomery

There was A lot of Traffic for the Spurs Game Last Night!

That is pretty cool to run into old Navy friends from Bremerton. We knocked into someone who had just moved from Bremerton. That was pretty cool. Hahaha that's pretty funny with Montele. Sounds like they must have gotten pretty close. Bells Palsy? I'm glad that sounds worse than it seems to be. Crooked smiles are pretty cool, anyways. HEB definitely does have some good produce. How was Shipley's doughnuts? I haven't actually been yet but I've heard they're pretty good. Texas definitely could be more redneck than Georgia but it all depends on what part of the state you visit. Hmm most of the Elders i know are in San Antonio or on the Border. Sounds like you'll be able to go visit lots of people. That's fun. Nothing too new for the week. I got a haircut today. We haven't seen Wanda in a while. We have a training about Faith in Finding on Thursday. That should be pretty fun. Hahaha I'm sure someday you will be able to stay with them sometime. Probably a little less than a year. Nothing out of the ordinary has happened this week. There was a lot of traffic for the Spurs game last night. Hopefully, this week will be a little more interesting. I should have a lot more to talk about next week. Have a great week and don't let anyone else get paralyzed. Go Spurs!

Love,

Elder Montgomery



Padre,
Well of course it wasn't as bad. I'm obviously the favorite son :) Poor little Benners. Two Junes in a row that he's had to lose a brother. The next Junes will probably be a little happier for him. No worries, you spelled it correctly. Just as long as we're all focused on lengthening our strides, we'll turn out pretty good. We've got to make sure the other 3 do as well, of course. Hahaha fun stuff at work. I guess all things necessary to make sure that the work gets done. Wow. Bells Palsy. I'm glad that there aren't too many lasting effects from it. I feel like that would make being a missionary pretty tough. Who knows? You could win. I definitely realized in the pictures that Zach is a lot broader and thicker than the both of us. Pretty noticeable. There you go! I'm sure Ben will love mountain biking and it's good father-son time. I probably definitely wouldn't have tried Everest at his age either. Nor ran it. It sounds like there is hope for him, indeed. Things are going tremendously and I don't need anything yet. If you do ever send anything, though, just make sure it's not sweets :) Have a great week!

Love,

Elder Montgomery 

I am in the Best Mission in the World

And so it is. My little brother Zach leaves in 2 days! That's so tremendous! I can't believe I only have a year left. I feel like I just was set apart. Pies and ties, huh? That sounds like it was a lot of fun. I would advise him to leave his best ties at home, though. You never know what will happen to your ties. He can always have you send them to him if he needs them. The pies look super delicious just make sure you don't send me any. I thought that was Ryan Wiltz!! He looked super familiar but I couldn't quite pin it. Good to see some of the guys from back home. 

This week was great as usual! We had interviews with President on Thursday and Zone Meeting! I am absolutely certain that I am in the best mission in the world. I have the best and most inspiring leaders! Did I ever tell you that Elder J is a Traveling Assistant now? He was there on Thursday and we were able to teach together. It's amazing to see how much growth we can go through in such a short amount of time. I can't wait to see that in everyone else! So make sure you're all growing :) We get along great, just like I do with all my companions. We don't speak very much Spanish. We should be better about it but it's a tad difficult when everyone else you talk to speaks English. We don't get fed that much but that's okay. The P's came to church yesterday! They're doing awesome! 

Hahahaha that's hilarious about Duncan! Breaking the water fountain at the MTC. It is a good thing he has plumbing skills. I'm extraordinarily pleased to hear he is doing so well!

Well if by some chance get NBA final tickets, you will definitely be coming to my area. Just make sure you don't visit me. But definitely go to the game if you can hahaha! Houston is more humid and hotter than Georgia. So whatever you have to do to. Say hello to the family in Houston for me. 

The most repeated promise in Preach My Gospel is that the Lord is preparing people. The elect are being prepared by God and often, we don't realize who those people are. That's why it is imperative that we share the Gospel with as many people as possible. As Christ said, "Fear not; Only believe." Take courage in God's promises. Have the faith that everyone you talk to is ready to accept the Gospel, and if they don't accept it at that time, no worries. We all play a part in God's preparation of people. Talk with everyone and be not afraid. Only believe in God's glorious promise. The Gospel has been Restored and true happiness comes to us when we are obedient to his commandments. Have a tremendous week and doubt not!

Love,

Elder Montgomery

Because of Him

We're currently in the midst of a downpour. It's been going on for a little while now. It's coming down pretty hard, actually. That's sad to hear about Ann M. 87, wow! It's bound to happen, of course but nevertheless still sad. He probably will ride with other missionaries. Almost everyone going to Mexico out of the MTC made a stop in Atlanta. Fun stuff about Katie and Madeline! How tall were her Katie's heels in the picture with you because she makes you look really short. Ben might be looking a little taller, too. Well, I will definitely make sure I come home doing a 360 tomahawk and ripped to shreds. I'm a jump rope champion nowadays. Absolutely fantastic to hear about Aunt Dale! It's amazing how God puts us in the paths of other people. I'm sure the missionaries will make sure to stop at a restaurant where they can eat for free. SA is definitely coming along! Just getting better and better! We do have to move W's date back because she was sick and couldn't come to church but I have absolute faith that they will all be baptized within the next couple of months. Yup definitely the outgoing one. It's really mostly about confidence and the mission has definitely helped me with that. I'm glad Zach was able to knock some doors with the missionaries since he won't get to do so much of it on his mission. Craziness! We didn't have too eventful of a week but we are improving in the number of lessons we teach. The biggest problem is that at least half of our lessons cancel. 

We watched a great Mormon video yesterday called Because of Him. I don't know if you have had a chance to watch it or not, but it is absolutely fantastic! I won't ruin it for you but everything we do and can do is because of Him. Without the Atonement of Jesus Christ, there would be no life. It's literal when He say's "I am the life and the light of the world." All life stems from Christ. So does all light. That's why light and life are so synonymous. They go hand in hand because they both come from Christ. How wonderful it is to have the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ and that we can understand the true doctrines and nature of God! Have a tremendous week!

Love,

Elder Montgomery

I don't even know how I'm supposed to respond to both my parents telling me my little brother can dunk better than me and he did a 360. I was down to 214.6 this morning. Hopefully losing the extra weight will let me spread my wings and fly. Hahaha good for him! I'll have to play him when he get's home (and I've had a year of college training). I'm glad that you weren't hurt too badly and that you didn't go head on into a tree. That does sound like a Weiler just being a Weiler but it's fairly true. I definitely understand why missionaries would want to go over to our home, though. We may not be perfect but we're at least on the path. How's FHE going? Crazy that he's already gone through the temple. Gotta get a haircut, though. I knew it would happen eventually. I'm finally to the point where I like seeing people that I can talk to and I go and do it. It's great fun! I hope that I can transition it over into post mission life. It's storming like crazy over here. Definitely enjoying it. Have a good... oh wait it's summer again? How did that happen?

Love,

Elder Montgom

The Hole Digging was Tough

Thank you for the pictures! They were great! Sounds like it was a very fun, busy time in Georgia. Elder P is great! He's not really a native speaker. He spoke more French growing up but he's served 7 transfers of Spanish so we are able to practice a lot more. Elder S ended up going to Parkwood ward which is over by UTSA. Full bike. The fence pole digging went well. We left before we had to do any super tough stuff. We had a pretty good week last week but I can't remember it all, especially because I don't have my planner from last transfer. We do have an investigator that is scheduled to be baptized the end of the month. Her name is W and she came to church yesterday. We're also teaching her son and her almost daughter-in-law. Her daughter is already a member up in a different ward. That's how the missionaries found her. I had to wait for Elder P to come down from Austin on transfers so I spent a lot of the day with our Zone Leader, Elder J. He's a super cool guy and he's going to play volleyball in college. We ate at a place calling Raising Cane's and it was delicious. It's very similar to Zaxby's just not quite as good. There's nothing too crazy going on this week. Just normal missionary work. Oh, we did help some members move on Fri. I got a tremendous workout and we moved some decently heavy stuff. It was super fun! I got a haircut this past week and it's even shorter hahaha. We had a good lesson with the P on Thursday in which we watched Elder Corbridge's talk about Joseph Smith and then talked about following the prophet. It was extraordinarily powerful and they loved it! We also taught them the organization of the church. They're getting married so hopefully we'll be able to baptize her and their son shortly thereafter. One of the highlights of the week was yesterday during church. We walked into the building about 20 minutes early and the first person I talked to was the 1st counselor. He pulled me aside and asked me to give a talk about prayer for 5 minutes. Gotta love being a missionary! I was actually fairly excited! I've been waiting to be asked last minute my whole mission. The thesis of my talk centered on two of the most important prayers ever uttered in the history of time. 

Matthew 26:39 "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt." 

Prayer is an opportunity for us to align our will with the will of God. We don't usually know exactly what God has in plan for us. We may think that we're meant to do or be something because that is what we want, but God has a greater plan for us. It reminds me of the Mormon Message, The Will of God.

The second prayer that I mentioned was that of the young Joseph Smith as he went into the grove of trees to seek the will of God. He was worried about the salvation of his soul and didn't know where the true Gospel of Christ could be found. His prayer centered on what he needed to do, what church he should join. We learn that our prayers must also be prayers of faith; not simply what we want to do or vain repetition. We will receive answer so much quicker and better when our prayers are specific and we are willing to act. We must act if we ever want to gain true salvation and knowledge. We also learn that God does answer prayers. Revelation has not ceased. God speaks and will forever and ever!

The Church is true, brothers and sisters. Pray for yourself to know. God answers prayers.

Love,

Elder Montgomery

to Padre: Sounds like a fun-filled and exciting weekend! My new companion is great! He's fairly quiet but we get along really well. I already knew him because he served near me when I was in Mission Creek. I'm becoming a lot more outgoing because I don't have a companion who does it for me so that's great! The hole digging was tough. We ran into clay with about 16" left to dig. Lucky for us, it was time to go. I definitely enjoyed it, though. Just don't think I will ever be a farmer! 

Elder Montgomery's Video Message and Another New Companion This Week.

 Hopefully my next companion writes a lot in his emails. I just don't seem to remember as much as Elder Snow does. We do have a full week planned though. It will be a great and exciting time and I'll let you know all about it next week. It was super fun being able to Skype last night. It's so crazy that it's already been essentially a year. I hope that, though the week is busy, that everyone will be able to keep their priorities in line. Namely the gospel. Sometimes we let the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives get in the way of what's truly important: Family scripture study and prayer. It's more important to spend time with family growing together in the gospel, than say having an extraordinary clean house or 20 minutes of additional sleep. You cannot possibly know the impact that it will have on generations. Have a great week!

Love,

Elder Montgomery

To Padre:

And life goes on. Transfer calls were fairly emotional. (side note we were on skype when they got the transfer call). We were very, very surprised that he is leaving. If anyone were to leave, it made much more sense for me to go. But since when does God work according to human sense? I can definitely tell that the Lord is preparing me for something. I just haven't figured it out yet. Often I turn to the Mormon Message of the Will of God. Definitely one of my favorites to share with people. It's one of the greatest metaphors/analogies of the role of God in our lives. It was very enjoyable to be able to Skype last night with all of you and I can only hope that I am improving at an acceptable speed. Have fun this week but don't get too busy for church.

Love,

Elder Montgomery

3 Words. Skype is Approved.

Sounds like it is a great time back home! I can't believe how fast it's gone by! Before you know it, I'll be home and 20 lbs lighter! (Elder Snow and I are doing great with losing weight. He's lost 10 lbs already and I weighed in at 221.8 this morning). I can't believe Matthew is going there as well! I'll definitely be able to go out to work with him. Where I'll be living and Spanish speaking? I can't wait! 

In our e-mail today President told us we will be able to use Skype for our calls home from now on. That's super exciting! We've had a great week like always and next week will be even better! We had stake conference and it was great. President Slaughter spoke on Saturday evening and basically sent us the exact same message in our e-mail today so I'm going to cheat and paste it her for y'all. I'm excited for Mother's day and I hope everyone makes Mother's day great for their mom! 

Love,

Elder Montgomery

Dear Sisters and dear Elders of the great Texas San Antonio Mission:

To the meridian Twelve (although they were at the time only eleven in number), the Lord gave this instruction: "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned" (Mark 16:15 - 16; see also Mormon 9:23).

That same instruction has been restored to those who preach the gospel in our day; except today, the Lord emphasizes an additional prerequisite: "Purify your hearts before me; AND THEN go ye and preach my gospel unto every creature who has not received it; and he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, and he that believeth not, and is not baptized, shall be damned" (D&C 112:28-29).

As the Lord hastens His work, a missionary’s personal purity becomes even more essential to this work. Note the penetrating word of the Lord: "Behold, I will hasten my work in its time. And I give unto you, who are the first laborers in this last kingdom, a commandment that you assemble yourselves together... and prepare yourselves, and sanctify yourselves; yea, PURIFY YOUR HEARTS, and cleanse your hands and your feet before me, that I may make you clean" (D&C 88:73 - 74).

Even Isaiah saw our day, in which Zion was to receive its "wake up call." The Lord’s people were called to "awake," then leave the world to serve the Lord: "Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing... be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the LORD" (Isaiah 52:1, 11).

Can you see that missionary work and personal purity are inseparably connected?

May we purify our hearts, that we may be one and worthy of the great blessings of the hastening and the harvest.

I love you! I trust you! All in!

James E. Slaughter

President, Texas San Antonio Mission

To Padre:

Sounds like a busy weekend! But busy is always more preferable than lazy. I did see lots of photo bombing. Almost impressive. With whom did Zach go to prom? (I'm working on not ending sentences with prepositions because it does not work at all in Spanish) I did not recognize her. That is a shame that you'll miss the hot dog cookout. Next time you'll just have to make sure you bring double the non-members. Uh, oh. Watch out neighborhood! 

That's super exciting about working on patience! We had stake conference this past weekend and the temple president's wife talked about preparing for eternal marriage. She said that how we treat our family growing up is how we will treat our family of which we stand as the head. She talked about how if we get angry and yell or abuse growing up, it won't magically change when we're older. Now I thought I was doing pretty good in this department. Obviously, I've had a few blowups in the past but nothing too bad. Then she essentially pierced my confidence. She said that if we ignore our family and just go to our room and leave the situation, that won't change either and it's just as harmful to relationships. Welp, that hit me a little hard. So I'm glad that you are working on it and I will join you in your quest. 

I promise you that if I ever do need some extra help, I will let you know. I'm doing fine and I should be doing fine for a while. Just make sure everything of Zach's is good (Granted, he'll probably get lots of cool and new stuff in Utah, so once he's settled in there, you can turn your attention back to me :)).

After Throwing for a Little Bit, I Realized how much I Missed Pitching

That's great about the passport! I'm glad it was a good movie but I definitely don't have a list of things to do when I get home. I don't worry about stuff so if you want to make a list for me, that'd be great. I probably will end up not doing much of it but at least I'll be able to revise the rough draft :) That's great that you were able to find shoes and a suit so quickly! That's smart about sending the suitcase with Sis. Regan. I've known a few missionaries to send stuff home while members were going to Utah but no one ever seems to be going to Georgia for some reason. I couldn't tell you too much what to pack for the Mexico MTC. I don't know what they're appliance situation is like. That's great about being interviewed by the Gainesville Times. So Zach is still planning on going to HI but just for 1 year?  The ward is great as usual. A lot of the members live pretty far out in the country so we don't get to know them too well. We're working on it. Not really too many pictures. Sis H hasn't taken many pictures lately. She was actually released as a ward missionary yesterday. The weather is warming up but I definitely miss the bike. I could burn extra calories and talk to more people! Hahahaha Marsh!!! That was about 2 years ago that he ran around with the Easter Bunny head. Crazy! That's fine about the packages. I don't really need anything. 

Doubt not, only believe. How great are the Gospels found in the New Testament! The teachings of Christ are so tremendous. What manner of men ought ye to be? We should be perfect like our Father in Heaven. Christ did not say that in jest. That is a true teaching. We are always striving for perfection. We're striving to develop the attributes of God so that we may someday be like him. How much better would this world be if we all applied the teachings found therein!

Love,

Elder Montgomery

Time is definitely flying! I thought that school had just started and here it is coming to an end! That's good that Ben is enjoying baseball and hitting well. I'd help him if I could but I guess it'll just be left up to his coaches. Elder Snow was getting recruited for baseball and he brought an extra mitt so we've thrown it around a little bit. We have a 10 year old investigator who loves baseball so we play a little bit of catch with him. After throwing for a little bit, I realized how much I missed pitching. I miss it a lot! It's crazy! Elder Snow said I'd have the chance to play in college. Maybe I'll pull something out of "The Rookie." :) That's exciting about Matthew! I'm so glad that he was able to give the talk in front of everybody. I'm doing great! No skyping yet :( But we'll have iPads by Christmas so who knows then? I made a video diary this past week and maybe I'll make one today. We do meet interesting people but no one really has tried to bash us, especially since we're in a poorer area. My new shoes are doing great! Good luck with Madeline driving. That's weird...

Have a great week!

Love,

Elder Montgomery

I'm Pretty Sure My Area Right Now is Bigger than his Entire Mission

Utah Salt Lake City South Spanish...The Assistants already called this morning to tell us. We heard it very clearly! Rumor is That he gets to go on splits with GA's. That'd be pretty nerve wracking, especially in Spanish. 

Sounds like it was a party at home last night! I am happy Zach had such great support from everyone! No worries about Utah. It's actually pretty funny because Elder G always said that if I'd gone SLC, I would've learned much better Spanish and it's very true. People who serve in SLC have great Spanish. Will I make fun of him just like I make fun of all Utah missionaries? Of course! But everyone who serves in Salt Lake loves it and he will be able to baptize so many people. Haha and he'll probably get fat too from all the delicious Mexican food. Oh and I'm pretty sure my area right now is bigger than his entire mission but that's okay haha. Also, I'm sure everyone has already realized this, but we will be literally about 20 minutes away from each other for about a year. So we'll see what happens there. Maybe I'll go visit some Spanish branches to keep up my language... People in Utah will send you pictures! I'm not sure if the Spanish members will but random people will. 

Yes, I did wear the pink tie. Thank you very much for the Easter package. Copenhagen..Maybe that's where you two will go on a senior mission , since you both picked it for one of us! 

The singing is going pretty well. We as a district sang in Sacrament meeting yesterday and the temple president just happened to be there. We sang Come Thou Fount and he said we knocked his socks off. We did pretty well for a bunch of unmusical Elders. We're still just trying to meet everybody. We have a long list of less actives so we try to meet everyone and clear the blind spots, so to speak. Find people to teach through them. 

I still am just in awe of how time flies. It was almost exactly a year ago that I opened my mission call. I remember it being a very distant thought of Zach opening his call and now we know where he's going! I'll have to figure out what I can do to help in Spanish but I know he'll come back with better Spanish than me, especially going to Mexico! That will be so much fun! Have a great week!

Love,

Elder Montgomery

To Padre:

 Hahahaha before my mission I would've put Salt Lake as one of my top 5 place to not go as well, but now, I'd definitely put it in the top 5 places in the US I'd want to go. Especially since he gets to speak Spanish. He'll be completely taken care of and he'll baptize like crazy!

 Elder S said there was no fiasco at the Mexico MTC when he landed so I don't know what happened. He said it just goes by really quickly and to start practicing Spanish because as soon as he lands, it will only be Spanish. 

Sounds like it will be a busy few weeks but it shouldn't be any other way. Being busy is definitely the way to be. My week went pretty well. We still don't have anyone that's very close to baptism but we'll get there pretty soon. My studies are going pretty well! I started in John and then went to Matthew and now I'm in Mark. Starting in John was definitely a good idea. I still haven't gotten my tire fixed because they said it was going to be a new rim which is pretty pricey so hopefully I just won't be in any bike areas for a while. I don't speak too much Spanish with Elder S but we're doing better and he's improving. I help him out more with grammar and such and I speak more with Elder. T, our district leader who's a native speaker. His parents also live in Zach's mission so he was pretty excited! A little less than 3 weeks and I'll be able to talk to you. Have a great week!

Love,

Elder Montgomery

I'm Just Hoping He Goes Spanish Speaking!

Alright! Hooray that you think the call is coming this week and happy he has been assigned a call. This will be the LONGEST week of waiting. Opening it Sunday evening sounds like a plan! Since I probably won't be able to be a part of it live, I'd rather wait and watch a video of it on Monday so it feels like I'm there. I'm just hoping he goes Spanish speaking! It always feels weird to see basketball on tv nowadays. Or just tv in general. I've gotten to the point where I just feel like a missionary and I can't imagine anything else. That's sad that Matt already left but it will be great to have so many people tuned in for Zach's Mission Call.
 We actually got a brand new bishopric yesterday. The new bishop is definitely younger than Dad. But he basically did exactly what Bro Frandsen is going to do. He was in the Bishopric for a few months and then he became the new bishop. So make sure you tell him that for me :) My companion is great! Elder Snow is a ton of fun! I've been blessed with really good companions so far! 
 That's very true about the pioneers. When it was cold and rainy and we were on the bikes, I could not figure out how in the world the Pioneers were able to go through the snow. It was just no fun. But they did indeed leave their legacy. They were not fools. They were not blind mice following a false prophet. Some of the most intellectual and noble minds were a part of that group. They were not deceived. They knew exactly what they were doing. The commandments of the Lord override all else. Perhaps people will think we are weird or even maybe crazy. But they would do it all over again in a heart beat. And so would I. I don't think there's any coincidence that the message of 1 Nephi 3:7 in found in the first pages of the Book of Mormon. I will go and do the thing which the Lord commands for he does provide a way. The Lord doth provide. Trust in that promise and keep his commandments.

Love,

Elder Montgomery

Hahaha I do remember feeling the same way. I'm sure glad I'm not in school right now. It does feel like I just graduated, though and I was dressed up all silly with the gloves and whatnot. The CDs in Spanish,It should work. We listen to other talks in the car so I'm sure that one will. Oh I'm excited now!!! Being able to hear and read doctrine in different languages adds so much more to the depth of my understanding. Sometimes it's just expressed better in Spanish.  I'm doing great! I really don't need anything. Just make sure Zach has good, durable stuff. Good shoes, pants, shirts and suits. Especially suits.. I'm super excited for Zach's call! It'll be so much fun! Have a fun week!

Love,

Elder Montgomery

PS Elder Snow his companinion, is much more informative of what they did during the week. You can read it here. http://eldermasonsnow.blogspot.com/2014/04/loving-new-area.html

The Mission is the Ultimate Refiner's Fire.

It's definitely interesting to be back covering the same area. It's like going back to middle school and realizing how much you've changed. I honestly had no idea what I was doing. And I'm sure in 6 months I'll look back and say the exact same thing. The mission is the ultimate refiner's fire and if you're willing to push yourself, you will see tremendous growth. Well since it was conference, there weren't a whole ton of people there at the building, but the ones that were there were pretty surprised to see me again. I can claim to have served in every single ward in that building. Yes we were both surprised that we were being doubled in. They gave us no heads up. But it's okay because the last Elder who was there became a Zone Leader and he had the area super nice and organized for us. It's going well with Elder S. It's really, really weird having a companion younger than me now. I've been the youngest in every single one of my districts since I started. I am very excited to be back in the district. We have some of the nicest apartments in the mission so I cannot complain one bit. Elder G is not still around. He was actually in my zone last transfer. 

General conference was as good as I could have ever hoped for. I honestly can say I loved it more than Christmas! I was just so uplifted by the speakers. One of my favorite would definitely have to be by Elder Uchtdorf about gratitude. Rather than being grateful for things, we must be grateful in things. It is imperative that we have an attitude of gratitude! Rather than drinking from the bottle of bitterness, we should raise up to our lips the goblet of gratitude. No matter what we have or where we are, we should be grateful and cheerful. Nothing will drive out the bitterness like a good dose of thankfulness. Another one of my favorites was Elder Oaks' discourse during the Priesthood session about how we all work under the power and authority of the Priesthood. It is my sincere prayer that we will take what we have learned from Conference and apply it. As Elder Hales said in the October Conference, the greatest blessings come afterwards. If you haven't yet had a chance to see all of conference, I encourage that you do so by going to LDS.org. Soon the talks will be uploaded for both watching and reading. Lives do truly change because of Conference. Have a tremendous Spring Break!

Love,

Elder Montgomery

I'm Leaving Adams Hill this Week

Drumroll please.

For transfers,

We will start with the Heritage A companionship. Elder Le S is staying and Elder C is leaving. And now for Adams Hill. Elder McM is staying and will be finishing his mission in Adams Hill. Elder Montgomery is....... leaving! Elder McM will be training a new missionary during his last transfer. 

So I'm leaving Adams Hill this week. I've really enjoyed these three months here and I've definitely become a much better missionary and person during this time (Lots of thanks goes to Elder McM for that). I may even say that this has been one of my favorite areas! I've absolutely loved it! Now we'll see where I'll be spending General Conference! 

Guesses for Zach:

Elder McM- Japan Tokyo

Elder Le S- California Arcadia

Elder C- California San Francisco

Me- California Ventura

So it looks like Zach might be going to California. 

It's quite unfortunate to hear about BYU-HI but it will all work out I'm sure. I'd definitely look into Westminster. Other than that, I don't really have any other ideas right now. Sounds like it should be a pretty busy and exciting week! 

It is indeed starting to warm up here in Texas. Thank goodness. I would much rather be on a bike in the summer than in the winter. 

We had a very interesting week. So my shoes were absolutely trashed. I'm sending them home so you can bronze them. But there was more tape than shoe so they weren't very functional. We called the mission office to see what they could do and they could only find one store nearby who had size 16 shoes. The name of the store is Big Shoes and they actually have a site online.  I'd say with Zach's shoes to make sure that you just go ahead and get the super durable name brand shoes and stay as far away as possible from the shoes I had. It's definitely worth it and much cheaper in the long run. On Saturday, I was on exchanges with Elder M in Heritage B. It was great fun! We talked to a lot of people and rode about 20 miles! I did somehow, however, manage to mangle my front rim. It's bent pretty badly but still barely rideable. I'm going to see if I can get it fixed when I go to Transfers. 

I'm so very excited for General Conference this weekend!!! I can honestly say that I look more forward to Conference than I do Christmas. There is so much spiritual nourishment that it takes 6 months to soak it all in! I invite all to listen to and watch conference. Take notes. We have living prophets today so we should make sure we know what they are talking about. What a blessing it is to live in this day and time in which we can instantly hear and see these men and women of God! Soak in Conference for all its worth, and then apply what you learn. 

Love,

Elder Montgomery

To Padre:

Wow! Spring break already! I feel like the school year just started! You definitely need to go do some biking! Just make sure you don't bend your rim like I did this week :)! That would be fun to have them go to some camps during the summer! It can definitely be hard but maybe this is your chance to really learn volleyball, just like you tried to with football and baseball! Oh I'm definitely not the perfect child! Close, but not quite :) I'm sure you'd be interested to know that my English has become gradually worse with the more Spanish I speak. Don't be surprised if I say some funny sounding things. I'll try to remember to do some video diaries. I just lose track of the time sometimes. I can't believe I'm already getting transferred! I'm trying to take more pictures so hopefully that will help me remember. Have a good week and have fun at Smoothie King on Saturday.

Love,

Elder Montgomery