March 7, 2011 Remainder of MTC pictures

So, I hope you got my emails of pictures. If you didn't...oh boy. Well, not much has been going on this week. I sent a letter, but it's really short and slightly boring. Sorry, just not a lot has happened here. My letter will explain.

First, I did not receive my package yet. But I am totally excited to receive it, and see what is in it. When it comes, I will tell you. Okay, answers. A church tour is exactly what it sounds like. We give a tour of our church building. Yup. We start in the chapel, talk about Christ, how Sacrament goes, mention that no one gets paid (everyone loves that one) then move on the the Sacrament table, explain that, then to the baptismal font and commit them to be baptized. Then, if they have time, we give the first lesson, hand them a Book of Mormon and have them read 3rd Nephi 11.

I am eating just fine. I have a lot of money left over so that way I am always prepared, but yeah, I'm fine. The members feed us about half of the week, but usually, we just eat at a cheap restaurant or buy cheap food and eat it at the apartment.

I am mad that you went on a cruise...but since you didn't take the other kids...I guess I will live. lol.

The Blue and Gold Banquet sounds fun.

Well, I will be sending pictures now, so hold on to your seats.

First off, the picture of me doing a backflip is actually fake. The ironing board in the residence hall is REALLY sturdy. So, lie down, look like your running up the wall and...Bing, you gots cool Matrix pictures.


Second, my companion in the MTC got a soccer ball from his girlfriend and one night they were kicking it around. Elder Petersen, and we don't know why he did this, grabbed it and dropped kicked as hard as he could. It hit a tile and the thing shattered.

Elder Peterson taped it together using Scotch tape. Don't even ask me how the dang thing held.


This is a picture of the broken tile pieced back together.


Elders Dobbins and Petersen lifting the tile up to stick back in the ceiling.


We could not believe they got the tile up all in one piece. Actually, this was the only piece that fell off. It just hung there the whole time. What's great about this story is that one of the guys in our Branch Presidency walked in the next day. He saw this and just laughed. Apparently, they have a bunch of tiles so he didn't even care.


Brother Chubbuck and I. Hel helped me the most in getting through the MTC.


Brother Fareday and I. He married a soccer player at BYU, who, by the way, is SUPER hot, and baptized 48 people.


"Sister" Read and I. I called her Amy a few times. Actually, when I was leaving, I was going to give her a hug, but I couldn't. Argh!

(Court worked with Amy Read at Bowman's and became good friends with her.)


The district with our last teacher. And...you guessed it...from left to right: Elder King, Elder Casselman, Elder Harmer, Elder White, Sister Cannon, Elder Dobbins, Elder Last, Elder Petersen and Elder White.


Brother Hale and I. He taught me the most about missionary work. His investigator was the hardest to teach, but I learned so much from him.


Proof that Elder White did and does not have a belly button. Seriously!


The rule of thirds to another great Prove temple picture.

Next letter

Dear Mother and Father,

So, this letter, I was thinking about telling you about my area. Lacey is a fairly large version of Kaysville. Take the size of Layton and Kaysville, and throw in a gazillion apartment buildings. It's either raining (it rains everyday, just not constantly) or just cloudy. This week, though, has been a weird week. It has snowed five out of the seven days this week.

The people of Lacey, as a whole, are really nice. Although they are not interested in what we have to say, they still listen...then let us down kindly. There are, of course, those few who want to bible-bash, those that slam the door in your face, and the Anti-Mormons. But those are few and far between.

We have seen so many miracles. I believe I've told you about them, but there's one that keeps getting more and more amazing. Jamie and Oscar are just incredible. Oscar's ready to be baptized now, their son turns eight in April, and they are going to all three hours of church! We dropped by to see if they were going to go to church and Jamie was ordering quads online! QUADS!! What an incredible miracle.

Lacey has a few interesting things about it though. The first is that everyone here is supported, in some shape or form, by the government. Everyone! There are military dogs, there are three bases in this area, those that are disabled, and the large percentage that are out of work or poor, that are supported by welfare. Washington is a surprisingly poor area. Not really poor, but still...

Another thing, and this is my least favorite part, is the architecture. It is terrible! All of the buildings are ugly, and those that are decent looking are very strange in design. The kitchen sinks are right by the front window and the front door is on the side near the back.

Now my three companions. Now that I've been here for two weeks, I've really gotten to know them. And I still totally love them all. Elder Berger is a small, cocky wrestler. He is my favorite to go tracting with. He makes it totally fun! He's weird but takes the work seriously. Elder Cook is on the other end of the spectrum. He's a huge computer geek. In fact, he wrote apps for the iPhone. He is awesome, and he has taught me a lot about missionary work.

Elder Kanno is my favorite. He is totally crazy, nerdy and super fun. We talk about video games, movies, books and have a ton of fun. His crazyness can get a little annoying, but other times it's a blast. He is painfully shy which makes tracting and lessons really difficult.

Well, this week was great. Could you send me gloves? Leather, black driving gloves? It's been really cold, and we might get our car taken away, so I'll have to ride my bike. Warm hands would be great! Well, so long. Love and handshakes to you all.

Elder Courtney Casselman

Pictures from the MTC

Court sent these pictures from the MTC.

Since I am slightly handicapped when it comes to downloading, saving and then finding those saved pictures, it has taken me quite a while to get these posted.

I downloaded these pictures 3 or 4 times and lost them every time. Frustrating!!

But now they are here.

Enjoy!!

These are Court's words:

That is my residence hall at the MTC. Four of us shared that room.


Elder Harmer's and my bunk bed. I had the bottom bunk.


He, He. The classic "light saber" picture. You use a scripture marker to do that!


Elder Harmer and I pointing to Tacoma Washington.


Elder White and Elder Petersen along with Elder Harmer and I pointing to Tacoma Washington. Elder White and Elder Petersen were in our room also.


My entire district in front of the World Map. From left to right: Elders Last, King, Dobbins, White, Petersen, Casselman, White and Harmer.


Our desk. And yes, that is a Christmas tree. We found one in the residence hall so we lit it up every day.


My favorite picture I took of the temple. I love the flag on the right. It makes the picture so patriotic.


The temple reflected in the fountain in the front.


My favorite picture from the MTC. From left to right: Elders Last, King, Dobbins, Harmer, Petersen, Casselman, White and White.


Elder Harmer and I. What a great picture.


Me doing a backflip off the wall in the residence hall. Elder White is amazed!

Letter from Mission President

Dear Brother and Sister Casselman,

Sister Bowen and I were delighted to meet your son, Elder Courtney James Casselman. He arrived safely in the Washington Tacoma Mission on 14 February 2011 and has been assigned to labor with Elders Berger, Cook and Kanno who will serve as his Trainers/Companions for approximately two months. We carefully select those who are assigned to train new missionaries in order that they develop the skills and habits for their missionary experience to begin properly.

I have enclosed a picture of your son with Sister Bowen and me.


We were very impressed with his enthusiasm having just come from the MTC, and know that he will make an outstanding contribution to the missionary cause in this area.

We are also enclosing several suggestions that have proven helpful in understanding the relationship that should exist between you and your missionary. Please feel free to contact Sister Bowen, me, or the mission office at any time.

Sincerely,

H. Kent Bowen
Mission Presiden

February 21, 2011

Dear Mother and Father,

It's a holiday today, which is Monday, which is our P-day, so, unfortunately, the library is closed, which in turn, in this run-on sentence, means I can't email. So, this is all you get this week, sorry.

So, Lacey is fantastic. But there some things that are different, that are everywhere! The first are trees. We've all heard there are trees everywhere, but you have no idea. There are, no joke, blocks of forest, where no buildings are built. Second, Asians. There are tons of them walking around, and the problem is that they are all Buddhist. So, they are impossible to teach.

The third things are apartment buildings. Washington is a very poor state, and so most people don't have a lot of money. This is great. It's awesome, because rich people refuse to even talk to you, while poor people are much more willing to hear the gospel. Rain is another thing. It sprinkles all day, everyday. Before I came to Washington, I considered living here, but, not anymore.

My first day in the field, it rained harder than it has while my trainers were on their missions. There was one day, though, where there wasn't a cloud in the sky. The sky was so blue and....it was freezing. Clouds apparently keep in the heat, so when there aren't any, it is not fun.

The last thing is coffee shops. They are everywhere. On every street, sometimes multiple on a street, and all different types of vendors. My favorite is "Blendy Bikini Girls". Yes, it exists. Creepy people get coffee there.

So, let's discuss our investigators. First is Liz Lewis. She is an older black lady who was so excited on our church tour. When we told her about the Book of Mormon, her mind was "literally blown". She didn't come to church yesterday, but we are teaching her later.

Jamie and Oscar are great people. I wasn't there for her church tour, but she is totally ready to get baptized. Oscar, though, wants to make sure. He's awesome, though, and is in the army working in artillery. We've taught the first and second lesson, which they both loved! Their three kids LOVE church and will be great for getting Oscar baptized.

Javier and Melissa are a little more difficult. We took them on a church tour and taught the first lesson. They are very, very analytical, and so it will take a while to work with them to follow with faith and not facts.

We had a baptism on Saturday. Jackie Phan, who is eleven, and the only one who is a member in her family, had an incredible baptism. I gave a talk on the Restoration which went well.

There is also a slightly young black family, but I didn't get to meet them. Tom O'Sullivan loves Mormons and we took him on a church tour. The Spirit wasn't really there but, if we keep working on it, he could get baptized.

So, now the mission. Lacey is the highest baptism zone last year and this year. We have so many investigators, and take so many people on church tours. We are so freakin' busy, which is great because there are four of us in the companionship.

I'm not as stressed as I was on the first day, but this mission is stressful. We go tracting everyday from five to seven. I love it. My problem is that I can't just talk to people. We have to introduce who we are, get to know the person, find a need and invite them to take a church tour. It's hard for me. But it will get to the point where I am comfortable.

So, I am doing well. I am off to go clean the bathroom. Love and handshakes to you all.

Elder Courtney Casselman

p.s. Remember what I said about food? Um, ha ha, I regret that. We have little food, and my trainers won't go shopping. Food would be great, but healthy foods.