July 30th, 2012

Hey Everybody! This is your favorite guy from the State of Indiana and K.Y.! We have had an alright week here in the awesome city of New Albany, Indiana. It was real hot a few days this week with heat index we were 110 + it was hot. We talked to everyone that was crazy enough to be outside. It looked like we had jumped in a pool because of how much we were sweating! We had another sweet experience this week. We were meeting a member at Taco Bell -because I love that place and I figured out that some members love that place to and love to take us there- and while we were sitting there we had an old guy approach us and started asking some of the common questions that someone asks if they have studied or been taught anti ( they teach alot of anti out here at churches. There is a church that has an anti mormon class every Wednesday night in our area). So we answered his questions with some questions and he was touched by the Holy Ghost and asked for a Book of Mormon. As he was leaving he exchanged information with us and told us that he hosts a Bible study of about 30 people and he would like us to come and clear up the misconceptions that they all have of our Church. So we set up a time to go and speak at his Church. We will let you know how that goes. We also taught a Schizophrenic on the street he interupted me halfway through our conversation and said you are two good looking guys! I am a photographer can I take some picture of you? So we did a Photo shoot right there on the street haha it was awesome! The guys name is Fred Davis and while he was taking the picture he would squeal and yell "Wow thats a good one!" run over to us as fast as he could and show it to us. The sad thing was is that it was probably a $20 camera from Walmart and it was an old school film one. So the photos probably won't ever go viral :( This past week I realized something that has really made me feel bad and wish I could change things. I realized that I have not recieved the spirit any more than I did before. I realized that I never treated the Lord's tender mercies how I should have and didn't hold them as close to my heart. I realized that God doesn't care for me more because I am a missionary. I realized that he has always cared for me this way. I am super sad that it has taken me this long to figure this out. So know that God loves you as much as he love missionaries. Know that you can be guided everyday by the Holy Ghost and hold those tender mercies close to you heart. The Church is true! Love, Elder Dye

June 25th, 2012

Hey family whats up? I am doing awesome!!! Just had one of the best weeks of my mission! We set 4 baptismal dates this past week! I gotta go. Much love. Talk to you next week.

June 11th, 2012

Hey Family, I did get transferred last week to a nice little town called New Albany Indiana. It is right across the Ohio from Louisville. I am the District Leader and I am follow up training Elder Fry's MTC companion. He is a LEGIT Cowboy from Wyoming and in this past week he has already taught me how to rope like a champ. He has won a ton of team roping events and he is a boss. So I have really made up my mind on being a cowboy. So I would like my boots and my belt, and a button up shirt so i can be as cool as he is. That is about all that I would want/need. It was real sad and real hard to leave everybody in Evansville, but i told most of them i would come back to visit and that i would bring you all with me. I know this might be a ways out but what do you think about coming to pick me up when i am done, and we could tour around the mission and maybe go hit up the rest of the church sites back east? Elder Potter and I have had some crazy things happen already. We were in the park and there are tons of ducks that sit around a big pond. We were walking around talking to everyone we saw. It started to get a little boring so I thought that i would spice things up. I walked up to this duck and it chicks and i tried to catch the mama. She didnt like that very much and started to hiss and snap at me, but you know me. I kept up my diligence and all of the sudden momma duck came after my face. I turned around and took off on a full speed sprint. I thought she would stop after I got far enogh away from her chicks, but she was right on my tail trying to bite me and slapping my backpack with her wings. I probably got chased for 50 yards before she stopped. Elder Potter sure got a kick out of that, and so did everyone else in the park. Funny story #2: We were in an area Elder Potter had never been in so we thought we should check it out a little bit. We walked down a creek and found ourselves in the deep sticks. We saw this tiny little house and elder potter recognized this thing in the backyard as a moonshine maker thing. all of the sudden this crazy mountain man comes walking out of this tiny shack and we both got pretty scared. He talked to us for a little while and then turned around and walked into the woods. We took off as fast as we could and we got soaked, and all muddy and scratched up. We had the Car Elders pick us up and we started laughing so hard that i threw up. It was kind of embarrasing. haha So i am on a bike again, and i am thinking about telling president to keep me on one so I can be on a bike for all of my mission. I met a lady in our ward that is cousins to Jill Searle. Her name is Sister Valentine. The ward is super nice here and are willing to do anything for the missonaries it is quite the change from my last ward. I will be on to email at 10:30 Louisville time. So 8:30-9:00 yout time. My address is Elder Jake Dye 401 Colonial Club Drive New Albany, Indiana 47150 Much Love, Elder Dye

May 29th, 2012

This past week has been a crazy awesome killer one! Our area has finally boomed! Our investigators are progressing better then we could have ever guessed. We have had so much happen that will have to go day by day. Tuesday: We went and helped one of the sweetest recent converts seal his driveway and in turn he came with us to one of our appointments that day with Misty Clark. She is an investigator that I found my first week here with Elder Harper so back in January. We sat down and had a great lesson towards the end of it she told us that she knows that Joseph Smith is a Prophet of God and that She knows that everything we tell her is the truth. So that was pretty awesome! We will set a date with her on Thursday for her to be baptized. Wednesday: not much happened Thursday: We met with Derek "Elder" Hunter. He is an ordained Elder in a Baptist church, and is on track to become a Bishop which is as high as you can get. He had met with missionaries before but he lost contact with them. We went and knocked on his door two weeks ago and he was super excited to meet with us again. He showed up to our appointment dressed exactly like us and he told us he would like to be baptized. So we set his date for July 8th. Friday: We had Interviews with President Woodbury and he told me that we need to baptize Derek as soon as possible. While I was in my interview Derek called me and gave us an address of a lady he talked to on the street and gave a Book of Mormon to. I was super excited and President told me that he is the blessing for me and Elder Fry's hard and diligent work. He also hinted to me that I will be getting transferred on the 5th. We met with the Madison's that night and Bro Madison is super bummed that I am leaving. I am pretty sad that I will have to leave them too. We had a terrible lesson with him that night because another member of the ward was over and tried to force him to do things. He drove us home and we sat in his truck, and cleared up some wrong ideas she gave him for about an hour in front of our apartment. Sunday: Elder Hunter came to church! We met with him after and he is ready to be baptized. We called President and asked him if we could baptize him this upcoming Sunday, and he told us yes! So I will have some sweet pictures to send home! Monday: We went tracting after P-day was over and in an hour we found 6 new Investigators. It seems like once we got our momentum rolling it will be impossible to stop! The work of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent! Love you, Elder Dye

May 21st, 2012

Hey Family, These past two weeks have been some wild ones. We have been reaping the fruits of our labors. We set our first baptismal date this past week with one of our AMAZING Investigatos names Faith Ford. We found her at the park and she was super interested in what we were sharing because her and her husband have been struggling for quite along time. They got married 5 years ago, and in those five years have only lived together for 6 months. They couldnt get along so she is raising her 5 year old by herself. She realized that a broken family is not how it is suppose to be and she knew that if she made God a prioity he could help her change her broken home into a happy home. She will be baptized on the 24th of June! 19 days after transfers! haha We have 5 more investigators that are progressing pretty well. We plan on giving them all baptismal dates to work towards this next week! I will send you a picture of one of my favorite investigators. He is the big black guy that came to church with us last week. We had one of the worst days on a bike I have ever had this past week. It was around 94 and it was more humid then it has been in a long time. We biked about 8 miles and it looked like i had jumped in a pool. I only have 3 min left of p-day so i gotta go. I love you all Love Elder Dye

April 30th, 2012

Well there is not too much to report this week and I am not in the emailing mood right now so I will write you a letter to make up for my terrible email. We have been seeing the blessings of the lord in our area more then ever right now. We were listening to a talk awhile back by Jeffery R. Holland called "Do You Love Me?" Alot of things in that talk hit home to me. One of the phrases really struck a cord he says, "You tell me how obedient of a missionary you were and I will tell you how your mission went." So Elder Fry and I have put a major emphasis on obedience along with a healthy combination of hard wok and we have been seeing the blessings and the prepared come falling into our laps! I wish I could think of a single instance but I cant because there were too many. We found 13 New Investigators this last week and our average has been 4. So we have been super busy. Our Bishop is moving out at the end of this month so we are super excited for a new fired up Bishop! That is about all that I can think of to tell you this week but you can expect a letter to get to you by thursday! Love, Elder Dye

April 23rd, 2012

This past week was a week of high hopes, and let downs. We started of this week by painting a house with Robert Madison. His wife is a member and he is working on switching churches to come worship with his wife. So that is good. That took up all of our Monday. Then on Tuesday we went and helped our Ward Mission Leader move some stuff around then later that night we went to a member home for dinner. They had a nonmember there and she was slightly interested in our belifs. So after dinner we started sharing a short message, but the not yet member had different and better plans. She started asking questions that perfectly set us up to teach the Restoration. So we did with POWER AND AUTHORITY. I have not felt the spirit that strong in quite awhile. She accepted our invitation to come to church and she was also going to bring her 12 year old grandson. We had everything set her member friend that had us over for dinner did her job perfect. She told her to come over to her house that morning and they would ride to church together. So I thought that there was no way in Satans home that she would back out...But guess what happened. She backed out Sunday morning around 8. I was so devastated. Elder Fry and I have never been able to bring a not yet member to church. Well now is time for the good news. Elder Fry and I are staying together for at least one more transfer. We have already been companions for 3 months already. I have never been with anyone for 3 transfers. It is a good thing that we get along great! As you can see the good news section of my letter is alot shorter than the high hopes and let down section. So I will try to milk this section out for all its worth. Elder Fry and I have gotten our area extremely organized. We divided our map into 30 sections and then in a binder we sorted into sections every former, less active, and member. We did this so it will be easy to go visit everyone. It is nice to be organized. You would be proud of me mom! Our apartment is so clean I would eat off the floor. That is about it from Midwest. Much Love, Elder Dye