E-mail: April 15, 2019 from Springfield, MO

Wow!  I can't believe I'm already done with my MTC experience! It feels like only yesterday I was opening my call.

So Springfield Missouri, it's a... well, its a lot of things, it's got Wal-mart so that's a blessing.

Springfield is a nice city if you're on the south side of it. Fortunately for me though, I'm on the north side so its a lot of ghetto, so in other words I'm right at home.

We're currently teaching one part member family and they have a mom and a 10 year old son who want to get baptized; they just need to quit smoking.  Then we have the Burgess's and they both want to get baptized, as well as their son, so were going to start teaching them weekly.

The ward is pretty awesome but it's small. Our bishop is a cool guy and our ward mission leader is awesome and helps us a lot.

For anyone who is wondering about how Bible-beltish Springfield is, well, let's just say we're the buckle of the belt!  There are soooooooo many Baptist churches out here, it's insane.

Anyways, I love y'all and challenge y'all to focus on what God has done for you in your life, until
next week!

From Jen (mom) - Luke's first area is the Hillcrest Ward in Springfield, Missouri.  His trainer is Elder Plummer from California, but his family now lives in Rexburg, ID.  He's been out a little over a year.  They are getting along great and Luke is enjoying missionary work.  His P-day will be on Monday from now on.  

E-mail: April 9, 2019 from the MTC

Wow,  I'm already at the end of my MTC stay and let me just say  - thank goodness!  My experience here has been absolutely incredible! But I'm ready to get out there and proclaim to the world that the gospel has been restored! 

Conference was an amazing and enlightening experience, even though I was incredibly uncomfortable on the bleachers we got to sit on. Nevertheless it was amazing.

Brothers and sisters, my testimony has grown so much as I've been here. I know that this gospel is true and I know that the Spirit resides in those who are worthy. 

I love y'all! 

Next week I email I'll be in good old Arkansas!

Elders Cloward, Bourgeous & Young

His MTC district

Elders Cloward & Bourgeous and one of their MTC teachers

From Jen (mom): He called us from the MTC on Tues. and was excited to be flying to the mission home in Bentonville Arkansas on Weds. April 10.  We got an email from the mission home letting us know he arrived okay.  Here are some pictures from the mission home.  He will get his assignment on Thursday and will write home next Monday on P-Day to tell us where he'll be serving.

With Pres. & Sis. Strong at the mission home

at the mission home

at the mission home

If you're the curious sort, like I am, I like information.  So here's a little bit about his mission president, Pres. Jeff Strong who began his service as mission president July 2018:

from lds.org

Sara and Jeff Strong

Jeffery Clark Strong, 54, and Sara Danean Bartholomew Strong, five children, Deer Creek Ward, Midway Utah West Stake: Arkansas Bentonville Mission, succeeding President Kevin H. Loveland and Sister Ann H. Loveland. Brother Strong serves as a Sunday School teacher and is a former bishop, stake Young Men presidency counselor, ward Young Men president, high councilor, bishopric counselor, and missionary in the Australia Sydney Mission. Born in Provo, Utah, to Robert E. Lee Strong and Carolyn Jean Clark Strong.

Sister Strong serves as a stake Relief Society president. Born in San Bernardino, California, to Dan Bartholomew and Lois Jean Lowe Bartholomew.

from BYU

Jeff Strong is currently serving as the president of the Arkansas Bentonville Mission. He is a retired consumer products executive, who then worked part time for the Marriott School to develop and launch the Brand Management Lab. He previously held positions of global president and chief customer officer of Johnson & Johnson and executive vice president for Sun Products. He also worked in customer development, marketing, and general management for Procter & Gamble. He earned his bachelor's degree in business management from BYU and his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in Chicago. Jeff and Sara have five children and three grandchildren.

E-mail: April 2, 2019 from the MTC

Good morning ya'll!

Man, time goes by fast when you're serving the Lord.  I've already been here two weeks and I only have one more week until I can go to the land of fried chicken and hush puppies. My experience here at the MTC has been so incredible.  It's amazing how strong the Spirit is and I learn new things about myself every day!

Alright, so now for the fun part of the week.  I had two people in my district get the flu and they had to be quarantined. Sadly Elder Bourgeous and Sister Wairepo have to stay under lock and key by themselves until they get better. It's a miracle I didn't catch it from Elder Bourgeous because we bunk together, so cross your fingers!

The chapter for this week is 2 Nephi chapter 2. We read from this chapter a few times and I pretty much marked the whole thing.

Oh yeah, and my two companions and I were supposed to teach a 40 minute lesson in priesthood on recognizing the Spirit on Sunday but since Elder Bourgeous was sick and Elder Young was with him, I had to teach all by myself...

Honestly it wasn't bad at all. I just thought it was funny. Haha

Anyways I want to leave my testimony with ya'll about the truthfulness of this church. I know that Joseph Smith was the prophet called by God himself to restore Christ's doctrine on this earth.

Brothers and sisters, He loves you.