May 17th, 2010

Hey Everyone,

It has been a good week here. I really do like the area in Taunton. We do a lot more driving then I ever have before. Other missionary areas are further away and even our ward members are pretty spread out. We usually work in Taunton, or a town called Bridgewater. It’s about 20 minutes away and a lot of the ward members live there. Elder Bien doesn't have his license yet, so I do all of the driving. I like to drive, but I look forward to him getting his license as well.

I don’t know if I told you, but last moves we had a half-mission conference with Elder Snow from the Presidency of the Seventy. It was really good and it was fun to go back into central London. This moves, - actually this week - we have another conference. This one is mission wide and Elder Quentin L .Cook is coming. We are lucky to be in the Bristol Stake right now because the reason he is here is for our stake conference. We'll get to hear from him Friday as a mission and Saturday and Sunday as a Stake! I'm looking forward to it and we are trying to get as many investigators to Stake conference as possible. There is a special meeting for recent converts Sunday morning that we can take them to as well.

We have found quite a few new people, but the ones that accepted baptismal dates right away have dropped. I am anxious to see a couple of families again. that we are now teaching. It would be so cool to have a strong, English family get baptized.

It sounds like you had a really good weekend trip! I looked up pictures of the new temple on the church website and it looks beautiful. I'm excited to go through it when I get back. I got what missionaries call my trunky call a few days ago. The office wanted to know which airport I was going to fly into... I told them the right one, don't worry! :) I hope you have another good week and find lots of neighbors to refer to the missionaries!

Love,

Elder Kade Karges

Elder Cook, Vitaly (Latvian Member), Elder Keeble, Elder Robinson, and I outside the Staines flat the night before moves

Elder Allred, Elder Sorbonne and I at ZLC

ZLC at Presidents house in his back yard.

May 10th, 2010

Happy Mothers Day!

So not much has changed since I talked to you last night and emailed on Wednesday ha-ha, but I Loved talking to you!! It was so cool to hear Bekah sing the ABC's. She sounds like she is growing up so fast and so does Brinton. I think they will be the most interesting ones to meet when I come back. It will even take some getting used to play with kids again. We aren't allowed to hold kids or obviously be alone with them as missionaries. Some times it’s hard not to because they jump on you and run around all the time. I wish the rules were different actually.

This week has definitely been eventful with moves and Mothers' Day. I really like my new area, Taunton, and my companion, Elder Bien, is really cool. We get along well and have a lot in common actually. The ward is supportive and excited about missionary work. Their excitement is increasing as well which is good. Elder Quinton L. Cook is coming to the Bristol Stake conference which will be really cool and we just found out that he is going to be speaking to our whole mission as well just the day before. I think it will all happen in two weekends.
I love you guys and hope you week is great. Send me more pics of the house if you can... and everyone. It’s relay cool to see pictures of what’s going on. I think everything should be normal with pdays for the next few weeks, so I'll talk to you next Monday!

Love,

Elder Kade Karges

May 5, 2010

Hello!

Moves day came a day early this transfer, so I'm already on my way to my new area. I left Staines early this morning and spent most of the day at the temple grounds helping people get around. I am in Slough right now in the process of traveling. I am driving with a couple other missionaries and we needed to make a swap here. My new area is called Taunton and its part of the Bristol stake/zone. I hear it’s beautiful and that things are going well there, but I won’t be there for another couple of hours. My companion is Elder Bien. He is from Ohio, but he speaks Mandarin because his family is from China. I first met him when I was serving in Portsmouth. He was trained by Elder Judd when he finally made it to our mission (he was delayed by Visa problems and served in Utah for several weeks before coming here). Elder Cook was also serving with him at the time. Once I moved to Staines, he was one of our district leaders, actually here in Slough. After a couple moves, he became a zone leader as well and now I'm coming to serve with him. I'm excited because I already know he is a good missionary. I have been around him quite a lot and have worked on exchanges with him. It is sad to leave Staines, but I'm excited to see what lies ahead. My new address is...

22 Massingham Park
Taunton, Sommerset
TA2 7TG
England

I’ll have to tell you more about where we live on Monday or even Sunday!!! I am excited to talk to you. I can't actually give you much information on when or what number to call on. We might be changing numbers before the weekend and I'm not sure when you have church. My companion is calling home at 7 PM here, so I would probably have to call before that. 5:30 my time would be like 10:30 you time...?? I could call earlier though if we needed to do it before you go to church. The best thing to do, I think, will be to wait until Saturday and then I'll have to just call you quickly using a calling card. We can make arrangements then and I will know what phone I'll be on. We'll figure something out. I'll try to call mom's cell.

I don't know any of our new investigators yet, but I have quite a lot of other good news. First off we had two baptismal dates in Staines when I left. Mayte (mighty) and Elvis from Equatorial Gunea. They are doing great and are progressing well. They were actually referred to us by an excommunicated member. I'm excited to hear how they progress further. The recent converts there are also doing well. They bear their testimonies frequently, come on teaches, and pay their tithing! Craig received the Priesthood on Sunday. The other good news is about recent converts from past areas. Elder Wheat, an elder I came out with that is now in Portsmouth told me about them. Peter Buchanan and his wife Anne Marie are getting sealed on May 31st and Liliana is going to get her endowment before I go home. Liliana has already finished her temple prep class and apparently it has been a goal of hers to do it before I leave because she knows I can go through with her if she does. I can also go to the sealing of Pete and Anne Marie. I am really excited for all of them. It makes me so happy to know they are doing so well :)

Thank you for all the pictures. I really enjoy seeing how everyone is changing and what’s going on. Brinton and Bekah are the coolest to see. Missionaries closer and closer to me keep going home... it’s a weird feeling. The next transfer is on my birthday I believe, June 16th. There is a good chance that this will be my last area. I love you and pray for your individual needs every night!

God Bless,
Elder Kade Karges