Hello family! It is good to hear from you. Everything is going well. Last week was kinda rough, we didnt teach much and didnt find anyone new. But, the kid we just baptized, his brother is taking lessons now and he is going to get baptized too! So that is really cool. One of the families that we are teaching who is on date for baptism is moving! Bummer, cause they wont be in our are anymore.  Thanks for that experience you shared dad, that is awesome! I have had a few experiences like that, where I felt like I should knock on a door, and we find a new investigator. It is so cool. And yesterday, after church, we were driving and we drove by this guy who was pulling up tumble weeds and I felt like we should go help, so I turned around and we got our gloves and got to work. So the guy was pulling weeds for this old lady, and she came out and was so excited and so grateful that we were here helping. It was super cool. And we gave her our phone number and she will call us when she needs more service! So that was super cool. It helps put out a good name for the church.

As I have been out here, I have come to learn how important the sacrament is. It really does rejuvenate you. I love the feeling of starting a new week fresh and willing to change. It is very humbling. That is one thing I want to try and work on is being humble and not prideful. It can be hard , and it has been hard. But that is why we are on this earth. To learn, change, and do better. I am just so grateful for the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Without it, we are nothing, and there would be no point to this life. And so, I try to really think about what "always remember him" means. We always need to remember him. It is because of him, that we can have eternal life. HE LIVES! I love you guys, thanks for everything! P.S. I could read your letter dad, thanks! and I also got the package mom, thanks! And thanks for all of the support and love and forgiveness! I love you!! 

Hi, this week has been really good! But first, let me answer your questions. Elder Fraser is from Thatcher, Utah. And on Wednesday, I am getting a new companion. His name is Elder Womack. So that is exciting. Elder Smith, my trainer is going to be in the Yakima mission, so I wont see him for a while. I learn a lot everyday, and there isnt anything specific that I study. Something that has been on my mind is when we ask members for people to teach and they say "Oh I don't think they are ready", or "I am still working on them". As members, we cannot decide when they are ready or not. We must always share the gospel, at all times. The prophets have commanded us. "Every member a missionary"!!!! Now I am not saying you guys do that, but a lot of people do. And sometimes it is out of fear. BUT FEAR IS THE OPPOSITE OF FAITH!!! I still have a little fear as we walk around and talk to people. Sometimes (not all the time) I have a bad attitude about talking with people. But guess what, get over it! When we as missionaries talk with everyone, we show God that we are willing to find those who he has prepared. I have seen so many blessings from talking with everyone. We  have someone getting baptized this Saturday, because we knocked on his door, looking for someone who was ready. So have some faith, and share the gospel! It will bless your guys's lives so greatly! 

Anyways, this week was awesome, we have found a lot of cool people. We have 7 people getting ready to be baptized! One this week, 2 on the 4th of July, and 4 on the 11th of July. Also, I will be staying in Umatilla for 6 more weeks! One cool story from yesterday, we went to go see an investigator, and he wasn't home but his brother was. And so we talked to him, and taught the restoration and we committed to read and pray. He said "I promise". That was super cool. Then we committed him to be baptized and he accepted! It was so cool! There are so many awesome people like that, I love it! Anyways, I love you guys so much! Keep sending me pics too! I will send some! I love you guys, and please send that package! And any other things you would like to send me, that would be greatly appreciated!

Love Elder Caskey

This week went by really fast! This week we got to go to the temple, and that was awesome. Probably the highlight of this week was the Zone meeting we had. We learned about Hope. That was super awesome. I used to think that hope was something that was not exactly true, or achievable. But I learned that that was false! Hope is a surety, an anchor, a confident expectation of true principles. I never thought of it that way. Also, without hope, we cant have faith! We need both!

 I also read Elder Dallin H. Oaks talk about the Parable of the Sower. Here is one of my favorite parts: "What causes hearers to “have no root in themselves”?This is the circumstance of new members who are merely converted to the missionaries or to the many attractive characteristics of the Church or to the many great fruits of Church membership. Not being rooted in the word, they can be scorched and wither away when opposition arises. But even those raised in the Church—long-term members—can slip into a condition where they have no root in themselves. I have known some of these—members without firm and lasting conversion to the gospel of Jesus Christ. If we are not rooted in the teachings of the gospel and regular in its practices, anyone of us can develop a stony heart, which is stony ground for spiritual seeds.

Spiritual food is necessary for spiritual survival,especially in a world that is moving away from belief in God and the absolutes of right and wrong. In an age dominated by the Internet, which magnifies messages that menace faith, we must increase our exposure to spiritual truth in order to strengthen our faith and stay rooted in the gospel.

Young people, if that teaching seems too general, here is a specific example. If the emblems of the sacrament are being passed and you are texting or whispering or playing video games or doing anything else to deny yourself essential spiritual food, you are severing your spiritual roots and moving yourself toward stony ground. You are making yourself vulnerable to withering away when you encounter tribulation like isolation, intimidation, or ridicule. And that applies to adults also." I really like this, because there are so many people who don't have those gospel roots, and we need those! I also like the part where he rebukes the young people for not being reverent during sacrament. I encourage you guys to read that talk again.

Also, this past week, I had the chance to give one of the recent converts a blessing. It was awesome. Afterward I shared my testimony about the priesthood blessings. I shared the experience I had with my head, and how Spencers grandpa gave me a blessing. That was a really awesome experience. I know the priesthood works! Humility and meekness and faith. I really like you experience dad, that is cool. I just found out one of the little girls we were teaching in Quincy got baptized on the 16th of May. I got to teach a few lessons to her as well, and that was cool. 

 
Anyways, I love you guys, thanks for everything that you do! You guys are awesome. And, would you guys send me some pictures of the house, like how the yard in the front and back look? I am just curious. And here is some pictures of some cool sunsets! Ok I love you guys, by!

Hey family, how has it been? We went to the temple this morning, that is why I am emailing today. It was awesome. But, here is a typically day: Wake up, try and work out (haha), studies: Personal, companionship, language, go out and work: Service, lessons, tract, have dinner (also lunch) work some more, and then bed. Last week we did a lot of walking because we didnt have enough miles to drive. We talk to some crazy people. One guy thought we were the men in black. That was funny. One guy told us that his address is "behind the high school in a tent down by the river". So that was fun. We have found a lot of people and they are so prepared. We have to help some people quit smoking, so that should be fun. Transfers are getting close. It has gone by so fast. My companion might leave, and I might train. We will be getting a ton of missionaries for this next transfer. It will be awesome. 

 

There is only one ward in Umatilla. And it is really small. But we had a good lesson on not judging people. On not getting mad at people for they way they are and not judging them cause they sin differently than us. And also being patient. It was a very good lesson for me cause I was getting impatient with some people, so I repented and started to strive better. The mission life isnt easy. There are a lot of people that can tic me off but I am getting better at it. Well, love you guys! P.S. we get fed everyday! Send me pictures too! Also sorry for the short email, it will be longer next week! Love ya!