July 20, 2015

Dear Mommy,

All is well! This week has been super crazy. We have been trying to balance two wards. I think the tripanionship was perfect for Elder Brazell because we were able to find him some potentials. They seemed pretty promising! We met with some cool guys from their ward and our ward was kinda slow. Elder Taylor had a couple of families from his first area come down and take us out to eat and it was pretty fun and it really helps him feel comfortable (he grew up in a small town and never really moved so change is kinda hard for him). 

Preparation day last week was interesting. We had three missionaries worth of laundry and all sorts of stuff to figure out and "The District" (namely Elder Taylor and Elder Brazell ) decided to play Basket Ball. I decided to email and thanks to iPads we were both happy! We didn't get much done that night but we were able to go to John and Melissa's and they had cancelled bible study for various reasons. They were very happy we stopped by because they didn't have our cell number. Most of the bible study group didn't want to meet with us and that wasn't a surprise. But John and Melissa still want to meet with us and so now we have a regular appointment with them this Wednesday.

So Thursday night we got a call from the Assistants to President. The APs wanted to know if Elder Brazell would like a new companion for two weeks or if he wanted to wait till transfers. Elder Brazell saw how hard it is to cover two wards with one companionship (let alone all the small stuff like showering and laundry) so he said he would like the new companion now. His new companion is Elder Kennedy who I happened to serve around in Laramie. He is a great young man but he struggles and so I think Elder Brazell will be really good for him because Elder Brazell is really loving and is very observant of his surroundings.

Some of the people that Elder Brazell is teaching are James Bond! (he isn't Scottish :(  but he is still cool) and Ralph G. (a semi-successful Rock Star). They are both super cool people. I am sad I only got to see them once :/ but they are in great hands. Elder Kennedy and Elder Brazell are both great missionaries it is so awesome to see revelation at work. Elder Taylor and Elder Brazell and myself were able to find a couple of potential investigators : Liz is a single girl who we were able to bear powerful testimony to on the Plan of Salvation. Wendy and Austin were a newly wed couple who we helped to unload their car after their wedding and they seemed to be really appreciative of our help! We will see what happens with them.

So Friday we moved back in with the Cooks and it feels a lot more organized. We are able to focus on our ward now. Sundays are a lot shorter because there are a lot less meetings we have to go to being two companionships covering our own wards again. Yesterday we were able to help a less active member do some family history and it is so amazing to see his face light up every time we find a new name for him and add names his uncle gave him! This is a really awesome area to be in! There are so many great people with amazing stories out there and I am glad I have the opportunity to hear them! and even better share mine!! 

Love,

Elder Westrup

Sent from Elder Westrup's iPad

July 13, 2015

Dear Mom,

All is well! This week has been pretty intense. I am now 20 years of age. I am so thankful for the many birthday wishes and presents. It has been an excellent week, lots has happened. I am so grateful for all the gifts and presents I recieved even more so am I grateful for the wishes of happiness on my birthday. I feel so loved, even though I am afar off. I feel as though each wish is a warm embrace. I love you all so much. 

 

This week on Monday night we met with John and Melissa and it was a interesting. We met with them during a bible study and it was very good everyone was pretty open minded. We are going back tonight so we will see how it goes again! Tuesday was pretty uneventful we found out one our district members went home early which kinda made us sad and have a sucky day.

 

Wednesday I woke up and opened my package and as I said before I am so grateful for all I recieved. One crazy thing I got for my birthday was a new companion and his area. Needless to say my birthday was pretty hectic! My "new" companion is Elder Brazell (my MTC comp). We are now in a trio and it is making things interesting. We are covering two wards worth of appointments, which makes coordinating interesting. I am having an awesome time with Elder Brazell and Elder Taylor! They are both awesome missionaries who want to serve God to the best of their abilities. 

 

We met with Amber again and she is so prepared it is crazy. She has a such strong desire to be ready for baptism. She was baptized when she was super young and she doesn't feel like it was her choice or that she has a personal relationship with God. But sometimes I feel she has a better relationship then I do! She is crazy cool to see how much she is growing from the Gospel! She still has yet to come to church so we will hopefully see her there next Sunday. 

We also had Zone meeting and it was announced that the mission has a goal of 35 baptism in the month of July, our zone set the goal of 6 baptisms, and so it was mainly focused on achieving the goals. We already had one on the fourth so we will see how close we get to the goal I think it is very achievable. I love being able to help motivate and push my friends to the best of their abilities, it makes me happy helping them achieve their goals!

 

So going back to covering two wards. We were able to meet Nick who is easily the coolest guy I have met in Colorado. He has a long complicated story but the short of it is he is on the right path and he is super cool! While we were talking he said something that really struck me. "If we are great husbands than we won't have to worry about being good fathers, it will naturally fall into place to love our children and treat them right when we love their mother more than anything else (excluding God of course)." I just thought that was something I hope to live by!

 

Another thing I learned this week was to keep small things small and important things important. This principle is eternal and universal. If we make mountains out of mole hills it will be one long journey. We need to emphasize what is important. Anyways I don't think I have anything else to write about love you all so much! 

 

Elder Richard Hugh Westrup!

Sent from Elder Westrup's iPad

July 7, 2015

Dear Mommy,

I am very well. It has been a great two weeks in Broomfield,CO. This week has  gone by super quick. We went tracting last Monday and Elder Taylor has no confidence in it (I love tracting). So it was kinda funny when we went tracting the second door we knocked a man named Jonathan came out with a nice bible and I thought it was gonna be a bible bash. But he said hey we are in the middle of bible study is there something we can help you with and I said well we are just going around talking about Jesus Christ with people but you obviously know about Christ and I don't want to invite myself but may we join your Bible study. He said "hold on let me get my wife" and she came out and was very pleasant, a little hesitant. She was super awesome and they both ended up talking for 30 minutes and we are going back tonight. I am really excited!!

On Tuesday last week we visited one of the Ward family history consultants and she worked on helping me understand Family History even more. It was really nice. I think I added a little bit of information; but not much. It is really cool to learn so I can help others learn and grow in their family history understanding. I am excited to get better at it we will probably be going back every other week to increase our ability. It is petty hard for Elder Taylor because he has most of his work actually done. But I am learning quite a bit!

 

 On Wednesday we had decided to visit all the members from A to Z in the directory and the second name on the list lives in the very farthest corner of our area so we rode out there and we weren't sure were he lived. So we went into this really nice condo complex and met a very nice lady named Asante who directed us to his address. Well he lived in a locked apartment building and we couldn't get in. I was about to give up and bike all the way home! All of a sudden two different people walked out, and Elder Taylor just grabbed the door and said blessings of the Lord. We got up there and knocked no one answered and we were about to leave but we had a stupor of thought when it came to what we should do we sat there for 30 seconds then we heard something from the inside and he opened the door and invited us in he said he had been thinking about going back to church a lot the last couple of weeks and he was really grateful for us stopping by. It really was the Lord working through us to help this young man out and the Lord accomplishes his works!

Thursday we met with our new top progressing Amber, she was baptized very young and she was very upset that she wasn't old enough to make the decision herself. After she was baptized her parents didn't go to church so in her words she grew up without getting to know Jesus Christ. We mainly are focusing on who He is and what he did for us! She doesn't read old English, for example the bible, and we were reading out of Luke chapter 1 and she was struggling understanding what was going on, but as we went on you could see the spirit work with her and her understanding and knowledge of Christ deepened so much! It was super awesome to see! And after we finished the lesson we were talking and invited her to Brittany's baptism and she said that is cool she would like to be baptized again! Elder Taylor and I are so excited to hear that!

Saturday was amazing. You already know how much I love the Fourth of July. Well we got a call to fill the font for a child of record baptism and we would have to watch it for 2 hours. While we were there the other ward was having their Fourth of July breakfast and we got free breakfast. Then we got to hear amazing baptism talks by the little girl's grandma and aunt. Then we visited a less active member and he was pretty cool. After that we went to Brittany Miller's baptism and she is just amazing and she has the stronger support from her future in-laws. One of which is going to the Roseville California mission! His name is Elder Shane Cobabe. He is a super cool kid! His older brother (who is espoused to Brittany) served in Argentina and is also really cool! So if in two weeks or so you see him take him out to lunch or something.

Well I can't think of much else to say. Thanks to all for my birthday wishes and gifts or letters sent. I greatly appreciate them all! Thanks for the pictures of fireworks and what not. You are all a great blessing in my life! I love you especially Mom and Dad without whom I wouldn't exist or have made it to the completion of my 20th year nor the commencement of my 21st year here on the earth. (Yes I am twenty but this is the twenty first year of my life) 

With much love and gratitude 

Elder Richard Hugh Westup 

Sent from Elder Westrup's iPad

June 22, 2015

Dear Mom,
   Looking back this transfer went by incredibly quick. I am
transferring down to the Boulder Stake to the Broomfield 1st Ward. My
new companion will be Elder Taylor. About all I know is, he is from
Idaho. I am gonna miss Longmont even though it is like 10 minutes
away. The people are awesome and I bet the people in Broomfield will
be just as cool!! Not much has happened this week. Mostly my studies
are the most exciting thing. This last week my studies of the Book of
Mormon consisted of the war chapters.
   I have gotten so much out of them! I absolutely love Chapter 60.
Not only does it relate to how I feel secularly, but spiritually.
Capt. Moroni stirs up a Spirit of Remembrance of their Fathers, and
God's great mercy upon them. I seek to set man free not by strength of
any sort but by the word of God that all Man might be Free! "Have ye
forgotten the commandments of the Lord your God? Yea, have ye
forgotten the captivity of our fathers? Have ye forgotten the many
times we have been delivered out of the hands of our enemies? Or do ye
suppose that the Lord will still deliver us, while we sit upon our
thrones and do not make use of the means which the Lord has provided
for us? Yea, will ye sit in idleness while ye are surrounded with
thousands of those, yea, and tens of thousands, who do also sit in
idleness, while there are thousands round about in the borders of the
land who are falling by the sword, yea, wounded and bleeding?" ( Alma
Chapter 60: 20-22)
   Now behold I, Elder Westrup, do seek to remind all who read this
Electronic Epistle sent by my Mother  and forwarded throughout the world
to Harken hear the voice of this Wise man. Apply this to our day! For
I know this is of God. Remember God and all His Commandments, that you
do not enter into the captivity of sin, even a spiritual confinement.
Remember  the captivity of our Fathers, bound by being absent of the
Truth, but we now are delivered by the truth how many of our brethren
have remembered our God (who has been so kind to give freely of all
wisdom) and found joy in and freedom in that remembrance!!  But it is
not an easy task to remember for it is a daily task and nightly and
though we forget often. How great is our God to provide for us, in this
state of probation, an atonement in which we might repent and be made
whole again to remember daily. I know how great our God is!!! That is
why I continue and labour among our brethren in the land of Colorado
that I might stir up in their remembrance this truth which I know!
   Now behold you might think He is just in the zeal of the moment,
but I say unto you these words are not of myself. And if these words
be not of me then who must they be? For I speak not of myself but of
others! I speak of others and of our God. I speak that we might
remember and love Him and His children our brothers and sisters. Our
God loves us and provides. Shall we not help others remember this?
Shall we not help others help others that they to might find this joy
in which we have? Or shall we let them be captive and stand before God
at the last day and say we where not idle among our brethren? Now if
we ought not want this said of ourselves  because of the sorrow it
would bring us than how great will be our joy in reminding others?
There are thousands even millions falling down wounded  and captive by
their lack of knowledge or remembrance.
    Well  in closing Happy Fathers Day !!!! Love You Dad !! We had
excellent talks yesterday on fatherhood and I am being transferred to
Broomfield Tomorrow morning. Umm I can't think of anything else so bye
love ya

Sent from Elder Westrup's iPad

June 15, 2015

Dear Mom 

To quote the hymnodist "it is well it is well with my soul." We had Zone Conference this last Thursday. It was really well done. The topic was on the Sabbath and keeping it holy. I got so much from it. I don't think I have ever gotten so much out of a meeting. The Sabbath is a time for gratitude rest reflection, and to partake of the Sacrament. As we partake of these things we are promised certain blessings: namely, being able to call the Sabbath a delight, joy and peace, being unspotted from the world, having the spirit, faith increased. 

Lev 26:2 - 6,  9 and 12

Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord. If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them; Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time: and ye shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely. And I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid: and I will rid evil beasts out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land. For I will have respect unto you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, and establish my covenant with you. And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people. 

In Isaiah 58:13-14  is just a sum up of what was said. But 14 ends with "for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it." And we know the Lord never backs down on His promises. I know this is mostly quoting scripture but they are really good scriptures. I firmly believe in their promises, that is basically the biggest thing this happened this week is zone conference but not only are the temporal blessings important but the spiritual ones. One part of Leviticus I'd like to point out is that if we honour the Sabbath, God will respect us for keeping the sign and he will walk among us and he will be our God and we will be HIS People. That is probably the most comforting of all because the Lord takes the most care of His people. 

In your last email you wanted to know about the weather. well I'd tell you if it would make up its mind. One day it is 50's and rainy the next it is blistering hot in the 90's. Colorado has the most beautiful lightening storms though. The night of the tornado there was some awesome thunder and lightening. It was so majestic and powerful. To quote Alma the younger "Do not all things denote there is a God?" It is nice but way too bright. I wouldn't be able to stand it if not for sunglasses. Last year i had headaches all summer long but I haven't this year as long as I wear sunglasses.

Well yesterday I had to wake up at about 5 for a priesthood meeting. The stake presidency was reorganized. I was at church from 6 to 2:30. It was quite tiring to be there for so long but I feel it was really good experience. I recently have given thought to working in the oil fields so I can pay for college. I figure I can work like six to eight months and have all four years tuition and be living cushy so I might be giving that more thought later on talk to you about that later. Might be going to Estes with some YSA priests from our ward.

Love Sincerely

Elder Westrup