It's been a great week! I'm sure I say that same thing every week but I just don't even know where to start. Really I just don't really understand how to put everything into words. I'll try for a little bit. 

Because I'm going to be calling y'all next week you can expect that you're going to get a little bit of a cheese letter this week. Other then potentially freezing to death it's been quite the ride this week. during the week we had a very large Christmas party in the mission. I was able to do a great little magic trick and have once again sealed my name as "that Elder that does magic..." but the best part by far was that we watched a movie as a mission. We watched the movie Zootopia? (I think thats how you spell it) Such a funny movie. Only down here could you really appreciate a line in that movie, It almost took all of us to our feet. 

at one point the main bunny is talking really really fast and runs off. There is more of a country bunny and he says to the parents of the main bunny. "Y'all didn't catch a word of that either? that makes me feel better I was thinking we was speaking in tongues of something" SOOOO!! funny, I would guess most everyone reading this has not had the chance to have someone start speaking in tongues to ya but it's a trip. 

later in the week another highlight was that Elder Ogden and I went to a Islamic Potluck! there is a fairly large Islamic center just a stones throw from our church that we semi-invited ourselves over too. I was so amazed at the kindness and reverence that was felt with them. We talked a little bit with someone similar to a pastor for a little bit about beliefs and tried to better understand one another. From what we left with both of us really just want to be better understood. They invited us back to give a presentation of what Mormons believe and we joined them for a service later that night. 

It always amazes me how alike all of us religions are. All of us are seeking a better relationship with our creator, seeking to be better people. I love how many blessings and opportunities come from being where I feel we can reach the closest back to God. I love the south and how different we are, but how similar we are at the same time. 

Love all y'all lots!! 

Elder Landon Aldana!!  

what an exciting time of the year! 

Well I'm very glad to hear that everyone is going to be enjoying Christmas as much as I am. This week at our church up here in Huntsville every year they put on a big Christmas concert. We were lucky enough to bring several people so we went several times, because of that I have had a song stuck in my head for the last day or so. It's been the Hallelujah chorus from handel's messiah. By nature the song just about blows you're socks off, but as they starting singing it really stuck out to me. 

I think part of it was that the song is all talking about Christ coming back one day and we talk about that a lot all day. How it talks about him coming and being the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. It made me think just about how much I would not mind that. 

It helped me to laugh a little bit more as the next day after listening to a choir sing it, we went to seminary in the morming. Later in the day we went out knocking on doors first thing in the morning because why not.? As were knocking doors at like 8:00 in the morning and catching just about everyone at home (imagine that!) we had also took another set of Elders up with us and our plan was to divide and conquer. 

What really happened is that as we were walking back from a house little old grandma on the other side of the neighborhood was woke up by the other set of missionaries. She found us first :(. She then went on to explain what an awful thing we were doing and that we better be careful before flashing her beautiful 6 shooter revolver at us. She informed us that she had called the cops and did not enjoy us... :( 

we laughed about it and thought about how it semi killed the effectiveness of our morning. we took our dive home and enjoyed a great breakfast! 

I love this place, Love the people, Love Christmas the spirit that comes with it! Love the messiah!

Elder Landon Aldana!

Note:  For his last month, Landon has been transferred to Hunstville AL.  His address has been updated on the top of this page

Huntsville, the rocket city!!

I really like Sparkman! It's been a ton of fun so far, right now my new companion is Elder Ogden. He is from Redding California, It's been a ton of fun! we have been around each other for a good bit so it has not been very hard to work together. Were both nerdy!, and have very similar interests. It's been nice to see a lot of old faces!

sounds like everyone is going to be having a good Christmas, I know what we are planning to have a Christmas party next week. Just about everyone and there dog has asked if I was going to do a magic trick again, so I guess I'm going to have to do something fun! I know that this month we have a lot of things going on all at the same time.

While I have been trying to plan what is the last thing that I was everyone to remember us for I've felt really strong about leaving a trail of service. One of the highlights of some of the things we have stuck our nose in so far is that Saturday were going to an Islamic potluck... so that should be great, I've really trying to push to get a seminar on Mormonism at one of the three collages here. Lastly really trying to find as much service as we can with the new #LightTheWorld project from the church! y'all should look at it if you haven't ---Mormon.org--  This week we also had a great chance to go to the "Mana House" a local soup kitchen.

well, I hope everyone is enjoying the December holidays as much as we are! I love y'all lots!!

Elder Landon Aldana!

Hello!

Well, I guess y'all have heard from someone by now that I'm going to be leaving back up to Huntsville, but if you haven't SURPRISE! 

I must say, It's been really hard to think about leaving here. Here in Alabaster I made a commitment, that I wanted everyone that I met to really feel loved. To really feel like we cared about them and that they knew how much we cared about them. To often to I feel like missionaries come on into a town, or city guns blazing, and simply mine the wards and branches for people to teach. I don't think people do it on purpose, but I think sometimes we let people pass us by without taken the chance to really get to know them and really have a great opportunity to make a few friend. Don't worry thou... I still keep good composure in front of people. No tears or too much emotion can be shown haha! 

I just really don't even know what to write about. I feel like most of the stuff that happens to us is kind of lame... or super crazy, and at this point most things just kind of become numb. For example, this week we were out knocking on doors and someone let us in. Elder Purcell and I looked at each other because if someone lets you in here in Alabama you know it's going to be good. Either a great lesson, or there crazy, or there going to try and bible bash you. For our story, we were lucky enough to only meet someone crazy. 

we start talking and everything seems to be going alright, and we start to teach a little bit about prophets leading into teaching the first lesson. At this point we lost total control and the crazy starts to happen. The man we were teaching very much knew who prophets were... Because he was one, he had no clue how, but God had called him these last few months to re write the book of revelations, and then went on to other tangents. The worst part about this is that Elder Purcell and I kind of look at each other, and companion unity mind tell each other its time to abort our mission. So we get up and leave after another few minuets of really trying to be a nice and non offensive as possibly leave.  

what happens and why wanted to tell y'all this is that everywhere I have been. We meet 10 people like this a week, and it's just become the normal. I don't really know how to best describe it, but when you're teaching at some point they say something and it triggers the there crazy alarm in our minds. I'm really just very sad that I am going to leave these people. I just really enjoy it! there's nothing quiet like it, and I don't think i'm going to get much of it back home, but it's the best! 

I'm very excited to be moving, sad to be leaving. love everyone lots!

Elder Landon Aldana!!

P.S. Enjoy the snow!! also remember missionaries are no respecter of door signs!

Hello! 

Well, it sounds like that is quite a bit of stuff moving and going on back over there. I'm sorry to hear that. There has been a ton of stuff going on over here as well. Around the holidays here everyone does one of two things. One, there super nice because it's Thanksgiving and Christmas and they are just great people. Or two there total jerks and are like, "DuDE!! can you not see it's Christmas?? do y'all ever go away? I'm thinking were going to be getting more of the first ones this year... or at least i'm keeping my fingers crossed. You never can tell thou! people have started to be a little bit less crazy about football as well, all we got to do now is get past the 26th... the IRON BOWL! could be a holiday in Alabama if they could! It's the day Alabama plays Auburn crazy world out that day!

I don't really know what I want for the Holidays... One thing to start is that everyone should join us on December 1st! world wide day of service the church is pushing this year! were super excited because it's part of this years Christmas theme is all about 25 ways to help show the saviors light to the world! were super amped up about it and I think that, that would be one of the big things that I could ask for Christmas. If people would really just love each other for each other. If we could each take a little bit more time to do things for each other. That would be one of the things that I wish most of this year. 

Other then no rain, the weather here has been perfect, almost a little cold! Everyone here has been having a real big problem with the air being so dry a lot of people have been having problems with allergies. (even me... :( ) It's been crazy with no rain everyone has been losing there voice and has a runny noes! so pray for some rain down here so we all don't dry up and end up like Utah. It's been weird to see that everything is still fairly green, I think it's going to be nice to see all of the leaves change super fast. 

Well I love y'all! hope you enjoy this thanksgiving as much as we are! Love ya lots!

Elder Landon Aldana!

HELLO!! ROLL TIDE! 

That might be the most exciting thing that has happened this week! everyone around here talked about this last week how CRAZY of an upset everything was, I think I've heard more about that then anything else thats happened this week. We had a lot that happened this week. we attended our zone conference this week that President Sainsbury taught at. We also had stake conference, and to top off the week we helped kill/clean 2 chickens. it's been a lot of fun! 

at stake conference there was a really great talk about something i'm sure were going to hear a lot more about. It was about respecting each-other, and loving one another that we don't always see eye to eye with! he talked about listening, really listening and trying to understand one another. He talked about sometimes not all problems will be changed and fixed, but sometimes we change as we respect and love one another. He went on to talk about forgiveness and tied it into the story of the adulteress women. He turned to the last verse in the story, what he teaches after all the drama ends he says. (John 8:12) I am the light of the world, and how if we forgive and help people we too can be the light of the world and not follow in darkness. It was great!!

I also was thinking about something a good friend of mine back home talked about, she talked about how much she missed the south because in Utah people don't dump there whole life story on people they just met! haha! If I have not said it before I love the people down here. You meet someone and within 30 seconds there giving you from birth to now! It's fabulous and terrible at the same time. This week we had one of those terrible times where a man talked about going to anti-mormon stuff when he was a kid... and how much he grew up to hate mormons, but that we were ok... It was one of the most passive aggressive conversations i've been apart of in a long time, but i was reminded out of the talk giving. I do believe that as we better understand and better respect each-other, we will solve more problems and do more good. It's a two was thing thou, we all have to be more loving and caring.

I hope we all can be a little more "softer of hearts" and try our best to love all those we meet and get a chance to talk with. 

I love y'all!!!!

Elder Landon Aldana! 

Dear People!

Thats super cool to hear about all of the volunteers that help clean up! It reminds me a little bit of our week. I made a commitment this last week that I was going to try and tell a little bit more stories about what we do during the week. Not enough to leave you with a book to read, but a little bit more then the basics. Lets be real, missionary work does not change much! sort of.... BUT!! Elder Purcell and I were out on our bikes the other day. We have been thinking of ways that we can go around looking for service, one of those ways is raking up leaves. Our problem is how to carry our rakes.... Do we put them in our car and pull up like "Hey.... were hear to rake you're leaves..." and someone would shoot us because that's really weird around here. Our other thought was that we might find some way to strap them on out back and ride our bikes.... that's about as far as that idea went. 

lucky for us thou, god was able to provide us a way... because of the weird late fall we have been having just now people are starting to get around to raking there yards. The other day we found just a lady! she was very nice and when we pulled up into her yard on our bikes and asked for an extra rake she was more then willing to help us with that. This is where it gets great.... After working and talking for a little bit I asked it I could use their bathroom. As I was getting ready to leave the bathroom, lo and behold the phone jumps out of my shirt pocket into the toliet.... .. 

after contemplating what just happened I took immediate action, drying the phone off and to my disappointment it turned on, only to give me the white screen of death. To give you a better idea of the gravity of this situation, I have previously as in like 20 days ago broke a phone as well almost the exact same way. Only that time it jumped out of my pocket and died on the pavement. I'm now left with this white out phone in some random persons bathroom, a good 20 minute bike ride from the house, and to top it off I have to get tell Elder Purcell without looking like a total fool in front of the other people at the house. Literally the worst hour of the week for sure. It tops getting called the Anti-Christ by some random dude in the country, or a few other equal stories I wont mention while I'm out here. 

All In all, It was a great time thou. The family we helped Is going to have us back, and were going to have pecan pie! Elder Purcell and I are still best friends even after a blow like our phone almost breaking. We did save the phone by some immediate (RPT) "Rice Phone Therapy) the right side of him is still a little broke but he still works!! I love this place here. The ward, the people, Football! God loves our righteous desires and wants to grant them to us! 

I Love y'all so much! 

Elder Landon Aldana!

Happy Halloween!

I hope the pictures below at least give you a little bit of an idea of how this last week has been, I'll try and explain a little bit more haha! I has been an overall fantastic week! some of the highlights to give you an idea is for starters it's been a little bit colder then it has the last few months... not much! but a little bit colder. Also a lot of the trees down here are changing as you can see!

one of my favorite things that happened this week started when we went down to a little collage town called Montevallo. We were previously in the town this last Tuesday where we learned that there was going to be a little bit of a festival going on in the middle of down town. As I would hope anyone who hates knocking of doors might do we jumped on the chance to see people face to face! On Saturday we went down around 10:00 and could not find anything, so we were a little dissapointed. As we started to ask around we found out that It was not starting till 1:00, so with that we volunteered to help with the set up.

Long story short, we eventually got our own booth up. Pulling back out our Big Poke-ball sign and a ton of Jesus pictures we had a great time and met a lot of people! I don't know if I wrote in last weeks email but on of my past companions just transferred down. It's been really fun to see each other again. We get to see each other quiet a bit. Tonight we are all going to be meeting up at families house here in the ward for Halloween. Elder Purcell and I are going to go as "Holy Cows" well have to send a picture or two!

Other then that not a whole lot has happened. We turned out not to have our interviews till this week, so were all very excited to be able to see President Sainsbury soon! 

Alabama is still the best place! 

I love y'all lots!

Elder Landon Aldana!

More Halloween Pictures

Hello, from Alabaster!

I can't say for sure that I have a solid day coming home, but I can say that it's going to be within the first week of January. I'm not entirely sure what day yet, but when I find out I will let y'all know! 

but one thing that I can say is that were Elder Purcell and I are doing great! It's starting to cool off and feel a little bit more like the winter that everyone is talking about, I know the last 2 winters here really did not get too cold until around January. My hope is that if the winter starts late here, and ends early back home I could just skip winter all together! well see what happens thou. 

Things are going moving along quiet well. This week I would say really the only big thing is that we have interviews with President Sainsbury at some point. Elder Purcell broke one of his teeth the other day. He has 2 fake front teeth and as we were eating something a little sticky he went to spit it out and he goes. "STOP!" and I saying..... hgu? He ended up breaking and spiting his fake tooth out into the road so we spent a little time looking for it, found it, and it's safe back in his mouth after a quick visit to the dentist. 

Other then that, not a whole lot of crazy things happened this week. Still super excited about everything!!!

Love y'all lots!

Elder Landon Aldana!

Dear Family! 

I hope that non of y'all are like our young friend Eutychus (acts 20) falling out of windows because of my "long preaching!" but I must say, there's not a whole lot to talk about over here. This weeks was transfers and Elder Purcell and I are going to be staying together for the next 6 weeks, and what we hope to be for the next 11 weeks and well call it a day! we have both really been enjoying our time together so far. We always try and keep it interesting each day so that we don't go crazy. We also just found out one of the past companions is going to be coming to our neighboring area and going to be the District Leader, I'm very excited to see how each of us has changed over the last few months.

I must say some of my favorite people that I have met over here are 6 Latinos! Maria, Anna..... and others 0.o but they own a bakery here in town, and I'll be the first but not the last to testify that its the most celestial food you will ever done eat!!!! It gets better all of them are members of the church. Converts, and super strong ones at that. The husband is the branch president of the spanish branch down here, and they LOVE missionarys! although we are not spanish missionarys and there english is not the best, we enjoy talking and seeing one another. They are so kind in that they give us sweets periodically, if they lived any closer I think I might just blow up its so good! 

I will say I think there is one thing that's changed the most sense coming down here. The more that I stay down here the more I tell myself I might could live down here... Then I remind myself that I do have a home somewhere over there our west! Alabama is a great place thou, full of some of the best people that I have ever met. One of these people we met about a week ago and they invited us back over for diner with them to talk a little bit about religion. I could not be excited about someone inviting us over. We have a great conversation they were not very interested, but I could not help to think and hope that when I get back home I sure hope people are as nice as most people are over here. I sure do love it here!!

Elder Landon Aldana!   

Hello!

To start off I guess a little bit of a update, I'll be coming home ruffly January 4th. Sometime in the first week of January at least, that seems to be the best time for coming home. When I get closer and we settle on a concrete date i'll let y'all know! also If you were wondering a little bit about any of the pictures sent....

The first one with the big burger, (called the southern comfort...) Is just that, a really big burger! I think that for all intensive purposes it should give you a good idea of what a burger should and can look like at a restaurant. This one happened to be called "twisted root" I might just say it was a very good, fulling burger. Ain't got none like them back home!

The one with the "center of Alabama" written on it is just that! the CENTER of Alabama... or so they say it is! Elder Purcell and I were out and about in the boonies, and someone asked us if we know what was down the road we were walking on was. He says, "Down there is the center of Alabama" and were like... "really???" so we found it just like that!

The last one of a painting is of Martin Luther Kind jr. We spent most of our day the other day down in Birmingham at the civil rights museum, were we took the grand tour! It was once again humbling to see really what these people went threw down here. Pure hell was fought threw by very brave black people who changed the U.S. by there actions. It was very cool to see just a few of their stories!

Other then what happened last week... this week has been great as well! Between B.B.Q. and Football season I can't ask for much else haha! This week I had a super cool chance to go back to collumbiana again, (my birth place in Alabama!) and see a few people I taught months ago! It was a very cool moment to see old friends again, about what I suspect it will be like when I come home.

Alabama is still the best place in the world!, Still a love hate relationship. Someone once said, "it's the hardest thing i've ever come to Love!"

I Love all y'all!
Elder Landon Aldana!


October 3rd, 2016

Hello!

I'm glad to hear that everyone is staying busy and having a good ol time, I know we have been very busy over here as well. We {Elder Purcell and I} have been having a blast together this transfer doing a lot of different things and having a good ol time! playing basket-ball, and meeting with different pastors I've reminded myself just how much I love Alabama! I've really enjoyed just about everything here, other then a few things that are a little extreme. Food, Culture, Religion, theres a whole lot of everything! Something interesting happened this week..

It thought that sparked from a Christian song that was playing in the background the other day. I say background because just about everywhere you go you're going to be listening to some sort of Christian music. If you're in McDonalds or Wallmart, someone is listening to Christian rock. so much so they even started a church.....but the thing that took my attention was the chorus!

But if we are the body Why aren't His arms reaching? Why aren't His hands healing? Why aren't His words teaching?
And if we are the body Why aren't His feet going? Why is His love not showing them there is a way?
There is a way I could not help to think about US! as the body of Christ (1st Cor 12:27) I think that all these apply to us! are we reaching out? helping others? teaching? Helping people see there is a more perfect way?
It's been very interesting down here with all of the different religious that all claim to be the true one, but very few come close to be able to do all of those things I talked about. It's hard to teach about something you don't know. These last few weeks we have encountered several people with very strong anti Mormon beliefs. Many things that did not make much sense.

The more I talk with people the more I think about our job to very respectfully help others see as Apollos did (Acts 18:24-26) "the way of God more Perfectly."  so that they may "mightily convince the {other southerners} shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ" the south is full of very strong spiritual people, who although may have bad feelings towards the church now may one day join us!

enough of this preaching thou!! if anyone bothers to read it anyway! :D better yet if it makes any sense, does in my head! were having a ball! God bless Alabama and the people in it as he already does!
Love all y'all!!
Elder Landon Aldana

Hello! 

I'm glad to hear that everyone is staying busy and having a good ol time, I know we have been very busy over here as well. We {Elder Purcell and I} have been having a blast together this transfer doing a lot of different things and having a good ol time! playing basket-ball, and meeting with different pastors I've reminded myself just how much I love Alabama! I've really enjoyed just about everything here, other then a few things that are a little extreme. Food, Culture, Religion, theres a whole lot of everything! Something interesting happened this week..

It thought that sparked from a Christian song that was playing in the background the other day. I say background because just about everywhere you go you're going to be listening to some sort of Christian music. If you're in McDonalds or Wallmart, someone is listening to Christian rock. so much so they even started a church.....but the thing that took my attention was the chorus!

But if we are the body

Why aren't His arms reaching? Why aren't His hands healing? Why aren't His words teaching?
And if we are the body Why aren't His feet going? Why is His love not showing them there is a way?

There is a way  

I could not help to think about US! as the body of Christ (1st Cor 12:27) I think that all these apply to us! are we reaching out? helping others? teaching? Helping people see there is a more perfect way? 

It's been very interesting down here with all of the different religious that all claim to be the true one, but very few come close to be able to do all of those things I talked about. It's hard to teach about something you don't know. These last few weeks we have encountered several people with very strong anti Mormon beliefs. Many things that did not make much sense. 

The more I talk with people the more I think about our job to very respectfully help others see as Apollos did (Acts 18:24-26) "the way of God more Perfectly."  so that they may "mightily convince the {other southerners} shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ" the south is full of very strong spiritual people, who although may have bad feelings towards the church now may one day join us!

enough of this preaching thou!! if anyone bothers to read it anyway! :D better yet if it makes any sense, does in my head! 

were having a ball! God bless Alabama and the people in it as he already does! 

Love all y'all!!

Elder Landon Aldana

As to whom is may concern, let you're eyes abide here on the text from afar!....spent a good 30 seconds on that

this week has been a great week, not a whole ton happened. busy thou... 

Went to the temple on Thursday! Elder Purcell and I have been riding bikes tons more, because of a mile cut in the mission, not that we did not ride before now we just ride a lot more... 

today we have a ton of stuff to do, hanging out with less actives, eating, and a whole lot of fun, ill send pictures next week. 

Super pumped to hear about luke!!! 

were alive and well! keep on keepin on!

Elder Landon Aldana!

Hard work!!!

this week has been a great week, but a very hard week... Mixed emotions of Hype and Fatigue are both very present haha! Most everyone this week was very not interested, almost anti. Which never makes anything better! :P This week i've grown tired of the mundane routine of every day. I always looked to mix things up as much as I can and with Elder Purcell being as new as he is it's very easy to do things most other companions never would want to do. 

One of these grand ideas we had this week sparked from all the excitement and intrigue of the new "Pokemon Go" game. Over the last few weeks since it's blow up all over Alabaster, i've wanted to do something with it. This week what we ended up doing was going to the store, getting 2 of the biggest poster boards of red and white, and built a giant poke-ball. penned with the words "CATCH a chance to MEET THE MORMONS" whited in black sharpie marker. taped to our fold up kitchen table we took it to the middle of the park, in our attempt to talk to all the pokemon goers? If that's what you call um haha!!

we also went down to Montevallo again, the college town and talked to a good bit of people our age. there not much more interested, but the sure a lot less anti and are stubborn as all the old staunch baptist we meet! other than that, really nothing too crazy has been going on. Elder Purcell and I get along great! like for real talk, we get along very well. Whats even better is were 2 very different people. He's a basketball player from California, I'm the geeky semi nerd from mapleton utah! It all works out great thou!

Alabama is great!~ still hot, still humid, still red neck! 

Love y'all lots!!

Elder Landon Aldana!

Hello!

It's been great these last few nights, feels like were in a cool 70* or 60* when the sun goes down. It's been fabulous to walk around in. For a quick update, i've been talking with President Sainsbury about going home a little early for school and such, trying to get everything set up. We still have not really set down a time or date when i'll be going home, part of the church pollicies is that were not suppose to go home before 30 days of our ministerial certificate expires, so now we have been trying to figure out if we want to do a mid transfer go home, or just stay till the end and go home 5 days after school starts. As we have been talking it sounds like a lot of the people in our group are not planning to go home early. that's about all we have talked about these last few days. I'll let you know if anything changes.

specking of change, not too much is happening here in Alabaster, I'm staying with Elder Purcell. We have been having a blast! he's from California, we have a lot in common haha, Both had long hair, long boarded at one point. We both were kind of punk's now we both just look back and are like "man... highschool is weird" I feel like you're so silly in high school, we both talked about how different it is when you get out of high school and grow up a little bit. When it's less about what people think about you, but more of how much you think about other people. how you're perspective changes and you have to grow up and do hard things. 

It's been a lot of fun here in Alabaster, we have quite a bit of youth here in this ward. It's been nostalgic to talk with them and to think that just a few months.... years, ago I was also right there in the mess of drama as well. The drama might not totally be gone, but it's been changed on what causes drama. 

For the most part, everything is going great. I don't have anything to complain about, weathers getting better...... I lied If there is one thing to be sad about its Football season starting again. Man do people go crazy about it all down here. The other day we were out knocking on some doors during a football and it's tragic, you would think you interrupted there marriage, or a funeral. Everyone looks at you like your a total fool, or you grew up under a rock or something and don't understand whats going on haha! It's been nice having to think of all sorts of funny come backs to people. (football related ones) 

Alabama is great! I love it, Might not move here but ima sure be a bigger football fan when i get home!

Love 

Elder Landon Aldana! 

Transfers! 

It's that time of the month again... and from what we know, Elder Henrie is going to be moving and ill be staying here for who knows how long. The two of us has really enjoyed the time that we were able to spend with each other, even if it was for only 6 weeks... :( but there has been a few things that really stuck out to me this week as we were going around. 

One came this week as we were going around, doing our thing.. talking with everyone! hah, but I wanted to something new. We get asked for money... alot.... and we play it off all the time, but were in a gas station this time. This man came up asking for money, trying to take the time to teach, I respond to him. "silver and gold we have not.." (quote from acts, when peter heals a crippled man) thinking that I was clever, but then I remembered were in the south. To what he responds "but what I have I give you", Finishing the scripture. Once again reminding me that the people here are really sharp. 

but more then that, It reminded me of a good representation of the south. As we go about our day here, we get Pamphlets, Cards, Invitations, Bashes, and all other sorts of goodies. here we are interlocked in a battle for "TRUTH" people like to say down here... truth about the scriptures, God, Jesus. I am always amazed at just how well versed people are down here. That there are a ton of people down here who really are trying their best, to be their best. It's very nice, I don't really remember much about back home but I don't ever really remember people talking about the Bible at the store. It's hard for me to see people Praying in the stores, hanging crosses, scriptures every where. 

Theres nothing quite like Alabama, it's very refreshing to me to know that even thou we all don't really agree with each other. If there was every a problem around, people most of the time look out for one another!

I Love alabama, love the people, love the food. not much to complain about!!

Love y'all lots!!

Landon Aldana!

heelo! 

No, I have not decided on a time to come home yet... My plan/hope is that as we get closer to Christmas I would really enjoy coming home a little before Christmas, more mid December time frame. The problem with that is that it's right in the middle of a transfer, so I don't know if i'll be able to swing it. Im'a try thou!

this week one thing we did that was really fun was head town the road a little bit and there is a collage here called Montevallo. One of our ideas to find more people has been to go on campus and talk to a lot of the young adults over there. We invited the other Elders down the road from us and went all around a very small campus trying different ways to start up conversations and teach a little bit around Jesus Christ. What was really sad to me just how similar just about every single one of them was, 

They grew up in a church back from there home town. Left home to come to school, and ended up getting over the whole church thing. It was amazing to me to see how much people semi wanted to know a little more, but not really enough to do anything about it. It's really scary for me to talk to a lot of the people our age over there, and have a ton of our same likes and interests, but when God comes into the picture. I feel like people just get board, there sick of feeling guilty about doing things they know they should not be doing so they throw in the towel and call it quits. 

for real talk, It's sad to see. It also does not help that I feel like i'm in super monk mode right now.... If someone does not pray when we got out to eat, i'm like.... "wait.... we didn't pray!" and then everyone forgets that were missionary and do weird stuff like that..! I think that's going to be something different too. out here it's cool to just start praying in the middle of Walmart! not just because were missionary either! people ask us is they can pray with us, it's really nice and im going to miss it! 

well I love y'all!! I'll for sure keep you informed if anything crazy happens!!

P.S. if anyone is wondering, we are not allowed to go over to Louisianan to help... Just as an FWI before anyone asks...

Love!

Elder Landon Aldana! 

YAY!!! got a birthday package, Thanks so much for all of the good candies! I think im'a be sick the next few days but its always worth it!

sounds like life has been going great over there, over then people falling apart, and braking! haha, I know it's been a little crazy over here with all of the flooding in L.A. the church over here has been asking for a lot of volunteers, unfortunately we as missionarys are not able to go and help from here in Alabama, Our mission at least. Other then that, I must say nothing really crazy has happend. Life is moving on it it's own way, and were still thinking of new and better ways to talk with people. 

One thing that happend this week I thought was a hoot. We, (Collumbiana Elders and Us) were looking for a new board game to play on Mondays. When we had a little extra time and wanted to do something fun. As were looking around town I had seen this store I thought might have some board games. The store was called Press Start. the worst part about it was that it had no board games, but!

what it was, was any gamer kids dream man cave! (place by the devil himself just for me....) as we walked in It was a video game store but it was also a huge video game part place. as you walk in theres this dark room half way into the store. Where you would find 4 rows of 8 computers back to back with all the games you could think of. A huge projector with 4 different game consoles hooked up to it. About every game device you could think of and any game you could was in this black light, big chair, music blasting man cave. One might say I was a little blown away. 

what the place would do is charge 10 dollars and you could play all day, on anything you want. We walked it, took a 30 second loop around to take a peek, and I said. "I'm outa here!" haha, I was one really into everything, which really made we want to get out of there because its the last thing i need on my mind. After Leaving thou I thought about how cool we were. We are 4 19/20 year old kids, living there lives as monks... and yet we were super happy! It reminded me of everything that I left behind and that it was still there. that it was still the most entertaining waist of time that I don't really need. 

I think too much we think we need something to be happy. This week I was reminded you can have just about nothing that makes you "happy" to the world, and yet still be "happy!!" thanks to the knowledge we have here from the scriptures. I love this mission! and I love all y'all!!

Elder Landon Aldana!

Hello!! 

What an pleasant week, It's been nice and Hot the last few days, but it's been a easy conversation starter! haha, It sounds like everything has been going back home as well! I'm glad that everyone is starting to settle down a little bit. The only tragic thing about this week is that every week I really try and write down something interesting to share with y'all. Some weeks like this one, theirs really not a whole lot to talk about! haha!, at the start of the week we were working here in alabaster for a little, mid week we had a big Meeting with President Sainsbury, and the rest of the week was work... 

Also the other tragic thing is that I have not been able to go down to the mission office yet and get my package! I'm still left in the unknown of if it came or didn't, I think I'll have a chance to get it this thursday or friday thou. I'll have to let you know next week about it! On the other hand thou, Elder Henrie my Companion did get a package for his year mark!! It was night to get the familiar feeling and excitement of being out a year! we enjoyed it! If i haven't said much about him, Elder Henrie is from Ogden Utah, he just hit his year mark! we have really been enjoying being together! We have a good balance with each-other. We both think very differently and it balances us out! 

I'm becoming more and more convinced that I'm not going to serve with someone like me! Personality, Hobbies, or even Socially wise. For one, It would be way!!!! to fun, we would talk about stupid stuff way to much and wouldn't ever get anything done haha!, It's also very nice to also have someone who thinks differently to work with. It gives us a chance to give both of our inputs and to come out with what we both might not want to do, but what is the best thing to do! It allows us to work in a very Christ like manner, Not doing what I feel is best or he feels is best. Doing what WE feel is best, and if we both think alike. We can miss a lot of different ways of thinking. 

I hope that y'all will keep on working well together and keep on doing whats good, the other day I was introduced to a word I don't know if i shared last week, but im'a do it again if I did. the word is Lutalica, in short it what I feel it means, is the part of us we never really are able to tell people about us. It's a hope I have that we all talk the time to really get to know the people we start with, It's become crazy to me to think we can live with someone for so long, but really never take the time to introduce ourselves!

I love y'all Keep at it!! 

Landiono!

A series of not so unfortunate events...

It's been a great week over-all, Nothing really crazy happened this week haha! only the perpetual grind of missionary work! for all intensive purposes thou, It was a different week. we started out the week with Zone Training, there was a lot of things we talked about. One of the biggest things was about being you! something that I have really grown to love. That all of us are called here to be us, no one here was brought to Alabama to be someone their not, but to be ourselves and to see the people we connect with. Something that I believe at least! 

Today we learned of a missionary who recently finished his mission and went home, only to hear today that he was killed in an car crash. I did not know him very well, but we had talked several times before he went home, my heart weeps for this family. I think of his dreams, his ideas, his influence we never really felt, and then my thoughts turn to myself and other and I can't help but think how often we take for granted this time we have to be here. I feel we sometimes come to think that worlds too big for us to have dreams. that we limit ourselves to what we can we and not what we believe. 

I thank God that each of us is here for out time. A time to grow, to learn, to experience and to help others. This week all I have to say is that we should remember God lets all of us stay here together, we should be looking to life everyone to there dreams. We should take the time to help lift others and build each other, It's not a race were in against each other. It's a war that we are all fighting together! It's our job to help those who are in a though spot. I think about this missionarys family, and how many others are just like theirs. each with their own unique trials and tribulations. 

Please please please, take the time to do the important things here in life. It's too short to let someone go threw life unloved, unthanked, unthought of. I would hope that everyone reading this takes the time this week to enjoy the moments of the day. To listen to the birds, notice the flowers, everything that God gave us to enjoy. To remember that we are not the main character in the play of life, but we have out own parts and our own time. 

I love y'all hope you stay cool as well!! 

Elder Landon Aldana!

And some new picutures:

Hello! 

Well, what an interesting week it's been. I tell you what, I don't know if my mind is getting worse, or if the days are getting more full and confusing, but it's hard to follow what all is going on anymore haha! It's been a great week thou. Elder Henrie and I were both transferred in on Wednesday, because neither one of us really knows what to do were really experimenting. Alabaster is a great place, If you have not seen any pictures yet, It's a city. There are a lot of different people here. One of the big things that we have been running into is that everywhere, people only live in little sub-divisions. Most people in sub-divisions really hate talking with us haha!! We have really been trying to put our heads together and think of new and different ways to approach and work with them. 

The ward here is great! A vary large ward, and a lot of the people are familiar. When I first started out in Collumbiana, Alabaster is the neighboring area for missionarys. I've been catching up with a lot of good friends that have family or are up for work. It's been nice to see a lot of familiar faces. I'll have to send some pictures one of these days..... Everyone here is also fairly close to us making it much easier to visit members. 

Elder Henrie, is from West Jordan Utah. He's a great guy, he'e been out just about a year. He's also still got a little more Fire for writing then I do. I don't really have too much to talk about.. One thing that was great that happend this week. all right now, so... Were out tracking in this subdivision, and the last few people have really not wanted to talk with us. We kept on are merry little way. Over the last few days we have been thinking of new door approaches, but on this door we decided to be a little more generic. The lady answers and we politely greet her with a "Hello!, Were the Mormons.... ( as you know already!!) haha, were here to answers you're questions about who we are and why we are always coming around." something simple! 

One thing that I've had a really hard time learning, is that no matter how hard or how little you work. God's work will move in his own time, so lucky for us. Even if you blow it! If you're on God's time and ya got the Spirit with ya! It all works out in the end, Miss Jessica (the lady) lets us in and we have a really nice conversation, teaching a little about the Restoration and leaving! were excited to go back and see her, but one of the big things I enjoyed most about it was looking back and seeing, We really are on God's time. If we get out, do our best.... God takes care of ya! 

I've really, as always, been enjoying the south!! I'm excited for what happends for the future! 

Love y'all lots!!

Elder Landon Aldana!

Hello!, 

News flash, I'm Moving to Alabaster Alabama. So don't send anything up here... or it will most likely, never be found. ;( I'll Send you my new address when I arrive, also I'll see if I can't find someone when I move their where you can send things too....

But ya... I'll be leaving Mississippi, feels like it's only been a week but it's already been 6..... I've really enjoyed the people and the members here, I've made a lot of good friends and memories here, and I can't wait to come back!! 

On the flip side, I've lived basically in Alabaster already! When I first started here, if any y'all remember Columbiana, It is neighbors to Alabaster. I would say I have a very High chance to go and see Columbiana again! I've also lived in Alabaster every now and then on different Missionary exchanges and Large meetings in Birmingham. It will be interesting to see how the next few weeks turn out!! I also know that Alabaster is once again about a 180 from here! I would love to leave ya with a good taste of what it's been like here!!

one thing that i've always loved and really come to love here is these peoples!! If you had no clue about anything here in Alabama one thing you might know is that there is still a very big racial Segregation. It's very quaint, but also slightly depressing. the old dispute here has never ended! the people have changed but the problems are still around. I've enjoyed more then anything to be on the fence. As Missionarys it does not mater what color you are, Black, White, Blue, Purple. you are always known for talking about Jesus, and are pretty chill. A warm feeling comes from just about everyone! or at least the ones that will talk with ya! ;P

Smaller towns like this one here people tend to be much more talkative. It's been nice to really take interest in others lives, and most of the time they also take some interest back! And last the culture is one of the things I've grown to love so much about Mississippi, To be frank. The black Culture is much more fun then the white people. Every one is welcome, we all try and keep the feeling happy and competitive, were all very open about everything! no need to be embarrassed! you just can't help but to love them!

I love y'all I'll write ya from Alabama!

I've really been thinking about differences this last week

hmmmm.... I have no clue where a good place to send a package would be, Give me a week and I'll get you an address you can send one to! Y'all can send it to the address I'll give ya next week.

This week I've had a thought on my mind I don't normal get. I've really been thinking about differences this last week! one of the big reasons why is that Elder Messerly and I are like 100% different, Not a fiber in us is even remotely close to each other haha!! If I like squares, He likes circles. If I like vanilla, he likes chocolate. With so many different opinions on a variety of different things related to missionary work, we tend to clash heads quite a bit. I have a few different thoughts on this. 

Half of me says.... Hes been out 3 months, Most of the 3 month people i know are such fools haha!! (not in a mean way, we're all just figuring things out still.) 

The other half of me really tries to give him the benefit of the doubt, trying out his ideas and ways he likes to work. Even when I think it might be a waist of time, or a poor idea. I try and let him/me see if it really is not the best.

We tend to talk... A LOT, and really try and give and take from each other. I think that what I have come to recently is that we are not going to change each other! Just like any other argument, they both are needed in our lives. We all are able to voice what we think is the best. Just like I don't / won't let anyone make a choice for me. I also can't think I could do the same to others! And so... we agree to disagree, we both stand for things that are basic to missionary work. studies, getting up, talking with people, But our ways we go about it we can put our own opinions to the test. 

A wise man here once said. "You can be right, or you can be happy!" I think I've started to understand that a little bit better. Sometimes it might have been better to shoot down a crazy idea, and sometimes we should try it. The big thing that I have learned this week is that you have to really respect each other, and do things that make each other happy. You might not be the most effective ever!! but you sure might be the happiest ever!! 

So we can disagree on things, stand up for our opinions, but we also have to respect others just as much!!

I love you! as always!!

Elder Landon Aldana!!