Tuesday, December 22, 2015



Our week is going ok. We are just having a hard time finding new investigators. I don't know what it is. It is just difficult. We have been practicing how we talk to people, and are changing our approach up. We are supposed to have finding activities for 4-5 hours each day. So lots of tracting and talking to people and other ideas. Speaking of which, do you guys have any ideas on how to find more people to teach? What were some things you did in your mission dad? Yesterday was probably one of the best sundays of my whole life. It was so spiritual. First off, we were in ward council in an upstairs room (It is a really old church building with a basement and upstairs), and we could hear the other sacrament meeting going on downstairs. A women started to sing "O holy night" and we all got quiet and the spirit was just so strong, one of the most strongest feelings I have ever gotten. It was all in my chest, and burning too! I thought I was on fire. But it was so awesome. And then the sacrament meeting was really awesome, it was a Christmas program. The spirit was just as strong. And then the sunday school classes were about Charity and Christlike attributes. We had some good talks on that. I really am so grateful for Christ and all he does for me. His example is perfect. I was reading in 2 Nephi 9, and it talked about Christ and his atonement, and it was exactly what I needed that day. The Lord has been answering my prayers through the Scriptures a lot lately. It has been really cool. On Friday, the sisters in the other ward put on a Christmas devotional, and they had us singing in it. I suck at singing. I could've played the drums or something. But that has been our week. Our investigators are doing ok. They didn't come to church, so we are going to be talking about that with them. On sunday night we drove through this nativity scene that another church put on. All the people were real people and they just stood still, while we drove through this little park. It was really cool! I will send pictures!


 Whoa Sign.
 Preaching to all the world
 Study on a small table
 Live Nativity


Monday, December 14, 2015



hello family, I am doing well. 1st off you have to do a Christmas photo this year!!! A new one!!!!! And then photoshop me in or something! haha. Thanks for the package, and the music, I  love it! This week was pretty good. We found two new investigators, and they are Golden. So it all first happened, three weeks ago. we were walking along this road, and someone drove by and then stopped, and he rolled down the window, and it was the YSA branch president, and he invited us over for the FHE at his house. So we got in and we went there to his house. And we are there, and one of the YSA branch presidents counselors, starts talking to us, and he told us that his step son texted him randomly and said that he wants to get baptized! And they live in our ward boundaries. So we just started teaching them this week! They are awesome. They said they are willing to do anything to get baptized! So that was really cool. We had our ward Christmas party and it was fun. We had two investigators come. Then last night, some members gave us Christmas presents, and that was cool. The work is picking up. We had a lot of meetings this week, so we weren't able to get out much and work. We started doing service at salvation army, and that is a lot of fun. The guy said he had been praying for some new volunteers, cause they were running short. So that was really cool.

I heard of Blake murphy, but I never knew him. Everything he says is so true. Don't get girlfriends berfore missions, practice 6:30 before, and read and do hard things. The mission is hard, especially mentally. But it is awesome to just come home, tired from a good days work. I love it. Sometimes we need to have a remotivation. I feel like the scriptures help me out with that. I love when you say "Work your butt off". In preach my gospel it says the key to missionary work is work! I really love that.

Well thanks, for everything. Please send a Christmas card, with a picture of you all. Thanks! I love you! 





Monday, December 7, 2015


Hi, I am doing well! Things are awesome here in Pendleton. This week was slow though. We are having a hard time finding. But, there was this member from a different ward, who told us that his step son and daughter in law want to get baptized! And they live in our boundaries, so that is so cool. I am so excited for that. We didn't have anyone come to church this week, and that was a bummer.

I received that package, thank you so much! I love you guys tons! Nothing new or exciting this week. I will be here for Christmas. The next transfer day is in January. That is crazy that everyone is getting a mission call! I don't know what is going to happen during Christmas day yet, but maybe we will Skype :) just kidding, we can Skype.

Yesterday we had a great Gospel principles class as well. We talked about service again. This is one of the best times of the year to give service. We just met with the Salvation army people, for some service opportunities, and they said they had been praying for someone to come to help them out. That was really cool. So they kicked out Brother Stewart already? He wasn't even there very long. Oh well. One day dad, you will be WML again. Haha. And Bishop.

Thanks for everything, I love you guys! I have some pictures today! P.S. Send me the family Christmas card this year.

Love Elder Caskey
 


 

Monday, November 2, 2015


Hi family, how are you? I am doing great here in Pendleton. It is cold though. This week has been pretty good. We have been going around to a lot of less-actives and Part member families, and meeting them. There a lot of awesome people here. I love it. We had an awesome lesson with an investigator. He recently got into a car crash and got pretty banged up, and he went back to smoking and drinking. We went to his house with some members, and the member asked him a bunch of questions that got him thinking. I bore my testimony to him. The spirit was strong. And then the investigator threw away his marijuana and dumped out his alcohol. It was a really cool experience. Last night we had a dinner with a member family, and the dad's girlfriend was there. She is not a member. And so after dinner we taught the restoration. It was awesome, cause I could feel the spirit. She accepted to read the book of Mormon. It has been awesome to be here cause there hasn't been much work done. This is the first time in years that missionaries have been assigned to only the Pendleton 1st ward. I am so excited. The ward is excited that there are elders again. There hasn't been any elders for about 3 years now. My new companion is pretty cool. His parents divorced when he was very young. He has been out for 16 months. I have been out for about 13 months. It is kinda scary. we talked to a return missionary, and he said the second half goes by faster :( I love being a missionary. It is hard though too. So my mission call letter says that I will be speaking Spanish, but that the mission president can change it according to the missions needs. It happens a lot in this mission, especially since there are not a lot of Spanish areas. I love speaking Spanish, but it is all good!

 
In our mission, we are advised to always start with the doctrine, or the scriptures, when we have meetings. Maybe that is something you can do, is find scriptures that apply to certain people. That is something that we are counseled to do. There is so much power in the scriptures, and using the words of the prophets. Right now I am reading in Helamen in the scriptures, and I am at the part where Nephi is just calling people to repentance. That is awesome, because that is what we as missionaries are doing. When we invite someone to do something, we are inviting them to repent. Yesterday at church, someone said that pretty much the whole book of Mormon is inviting us to repent. that was really cool, and I thought about that a little bit more, and I realized that it does! REPENT! I love it. I have to repent all the time. So, do you guys have any suggestions on good ways to study? I am kinda having a hard time finding a good way to keep a study journal. What works for you? That would be awesome, thanks!  For Halloween, we had to go in early, and we planned and then played foosball. We live in a room above the garage of a members home. And then downstairs below the garage, there is a big place for working out and foosball, and there is a basketball court. It is pretty cool.





Monday, October 19, 2015


Hello family, how are you all doing? Having vacation I see. Well, I am getting transferred out of Umatilla. I am going to Pendleton, with an elder named Elder Snow. I am super excited and sad at the same time. I love Umatilla. The people here are super awesome. The socks are holding up! Thanks again for the package. I really appreciate it. I didn't burn a shirt, there wasn't a place to do it. Maybe in Pendleton haha. I am always cold. The investigators are doing awesome. We just found a bunch these past few weeks. one of our investigators is progressing really well! I am super excited. We have faith and hope these people will be baptized soon. I really am gonna miss Umatilla. The members are cool. But I am also excited to go to a new area. Well, not much else today. I have some pictures though!  
 






 

Friday, October 9, 2015


Hi yall, how is it going? We were so blessed this weekend to hear from the prophet and apostles. I love conference so much. It is so uplifting. Something that I learned is that mothers are awesome. I love you mom. And another thing that I got out of conference was Discipleship. I heard that a lot. And I thought of how I could apply that to my life. I want to be a disciple of Christ. Not to be an apostle, but as a normal member haha. To me, discipleship is sacrificing everything, to follow Jesus Christ. "Come follow me" he said, and I want to follow him. Taking his name upon us. Pretty much keeping our baptismal covenants. As a missionary, we are required to be a disciple of Christ. I have a fear that when I go home, I will lose all my good habits I have had out here, but more importantly, I hope I dont lose my discipleship. My goal, is to a missionary and a disciple of Christ, my whole life. I wont be a full time missionary, but I can still be a missionary. We all covenanted with God, to be disciples of his Son Jesus Christ. So lets go out there and be disciples!

Ok mom, I will answer your questions. We went to all 5 sessions at a church building. All in english. My week was good. We had another service experience. We were driving, and I dont think I even realized that the Lord was leading me, but I drove this certain way, where we saw an old man bent over pulling weeds, and I the spirit told me that we need to go help him. So we stopped, I had some gloves in the car, and we went out and helped him. He is super nice and was super grateful, and then his wife came out and she was super happy and grateful and we said that we could come back and do more service and also teach her and share the gospel. She said ya she had been looking for a church. It was awesome! The Lord leads us to those who are ready!!!! Our investiagator is still smoking. He is awesome though. We found a few new investigators. yes. Thanks mom I love you! Thanks for the ties and Belt!

Conference was wonderful, and I did get a lot of stuff out of it. I liked the Ponderizing one. That is a really good idea. I loved how President Monson was so clear on his message of Keep the commandments. There is truly safety and peace. Just like that story of the barriers. The commandments keep us safe from those spiritual sharks. And real sharks :) I cant wait to get he magazine, and read over them again. It was so good. And thanks for the pictures of the Elk's. I loved seeing those pinetrees too. There aint very many trees here in Oregon and washington. Winter is coming, and I am not too excited. I loved the summer here. it was nothing compared to arizona.

I love you guys, thanks for all that you do. I will try to send more pictures next week. I just dont take too many pictures anymore, cause we are not allowed to during proselyting time. I would love a picture of Pman and Tag. Apparantly they are getting swoll (big). love you guys! keep the commandments!