Life's A Happy Song!

So it was Christmas this past week and it was AWESOME!!! I need to thank the Drasbek family for letting me go to their house to SKYPE! I am pretty sure my mom hasn't stopped talking about it. You might be wondering if I ate dinner there too... the answer would be: Yes!!!! It was super delicious! It has been really fun going to others houses and learning about all their family traditions that they do. Here is one of my favorites: So the dealio is this, They Make a delicious cake, angel food cake of course, and put a candle on for each millenium and sing happy birthday to Jesus! Then they all blow it out! How fantastic is that!!! Personally I think this is a fantastic Idea because it lets you realize that Christ is a real person! Surprisingly, others do the same for Joseph Smith on the 23rd of December. Fun traditions!

 

So, along with all the great fun I have had this week, I have been through some discouraging times as well. We had a lot of our appointments with our investigators fall through. We prepared super well for each one, but they kept scheduling it till next week. I guess that the Lord is just testing our planning abilities. I have come to value the concept of a back-up plan. All of the appointments that we had set were for sure going to happen, but something randomly popped up EVERY TIME! Frustrating, I know, but I see it as a learning opportunity to plan better for even the absolutes. I know that Heavenly Father has a grand scheme of things up there with him and I know that He sends me trials as I can take them.

 

HE WILL NEVER SET US UP TO FAIL!

 

I know that Joseph Smith is a prophet and through him, Christ restored this amazing and Marvelous Gospel! We just need to take hold of those principles and apply them in our lives. Always be looking to share this wonderful truth with ALL that you know. The single most important duty is to preach the gospel, Joseph Smith once said! Why do you think that of all the things we can do on this Earth, the most important is to share what we know? I could just come up front and tell you, but If i just do that, you won't gain personal confirmation that it is THE most important thing to do!

 

I love you all and can't wait to talk to you more!

 

~ Elder Snell :)

Skype from Zac's point of View

Skype from our Point of View

Happy New Year!!! 2014

CHRISTMAS SKYPE :)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

It truly was an Exciting day with being able to talk to my son, Elder Zac Snell. Our family gathered around and waited for him to call so we could have details to Skype. It came about 2 hours late but I never gave up. I knew he would call. Here are some pictures......................

Thanks to grandma we got a  Regular Pic with our Happy Elder

 Our FAmily gathered around to Skype with ZAC to say goodbye. Thanks to Lynette Hadley for getting this picture. This is the Moment when the Skype shut down right at 45 min. We didn't get to actually say the words Goodbye. But I am grateful the moment was captured. 

Selfy Pic with ZAC

This Pic was sent to me on Christmas Eve by a The Redd Family in the ward he is serving in. Thank You Redd Family. Elder Rowley and Elder Snell 2013.

We are so very Blessed to have the Amazing children that we have. I pray they will always choose Christ and that they will be blessed and Happy. We are truly grateful for all the many blessings we have and Most grateful for our Savior Jesus Christ. Thank You Zac for making our day. FAMILY is what this life is all about!

Wendi

So the heading of this letter is one of my sad slip ups while teaching Dale...

And After Page 9.......... Comes Page 10.......

 We just had a super spiritual moment and I was super excited that we were having one and then it got quiet. The only sound you could hear was one of the kids in the ward counting to one hundred. I didn't really like the silence, so I decided to take control of the conversation. That was when I slipped up.... After having made that ridiculous and obvious statement, Sister Glassett (member) turns to me and says, "Elder Snell can count too!" BAH!!!!!!

 

 

anyways.... I am loving my slip ups. Crazy stuff here in Reston. We found new people to teach! that's always good. They are from Egypt and speak Arabic. They needed some help for Christmas, so we found some help for them. they are great people, but they are hard to understand sometimes. Thankfully We found someone who knows how to speak Arabic in the ward.

 

that's all that I have time for right now. I cant wait to see my family on Skype!!!! AHHHH!H!H!H!H! Crazy things are going down!

Signing off with a MERRY CHRISTMAS and A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

 E.Z. Snell(der)

The Subject Will Be "Subject" for Lack of a Better Term

Hey Everybody!!! How are all of you people reading this doing?! It has been sadly, and uneventful week... BUT! I have always been optimistic! As someone once yelled out at Mr. Hendricks during a band rehearsal after he yelled at us for rushing: "Optimism is healthy!" Always love the moment you are in right now. it is a once in a lifetime opportunity to face the trials you are going against right now! Take full advantage of them!

We did a lot of service this past week because of all the snow we received. I put up Christmas lights for one of the Families here! The Meritts must have trusted Elder Rowley and me A TON to let us decorate their plants on their Front yard! We love being able to serve people!

I am grateful for the Book of Mormon in my life! Before my mission, I was pretty lazy about reading... Little did I know that there are some amazing principles and mysteries hidden within the text of that amazing book! In the very first book, the very first verse,(1 Nephi 1:1) Nephi says that he has gone through many afflictions and yet he knows that he is highly favored of the Lord! His understanding of Gods love for each one of us is Critical to our progression to become more like the Savior and our Heavenly Father. It is through the trials we face in our live that strengthen us to overcome greater trials to come! He brings us to the depths of Humility to teach us valuable lessons that we need to understand in order for us to make it back to our Heavenly Father. How great that plan of Redemption! We need not fear if we make a mistake because Jesus Christ has provided us a way to overcome our mortality and flaws! I can not express my gratitude towards his sacred sacrifice given to EVERYONE!! I want to encourage all of you to take a look back at President Uchtdorf's talk in Priesthood session titled: "You Can Do It Now!"

I love this work that is going forth among the children of God! It is time we take the yolk upon us ALL! As we do this, we prepare the way for the Saviors coming.

I love you all and can't wait to hear back from you!

The Superbly Awesome

~Elder Zac Snell

YOU NEVER KNOW HOW YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN SOMEONE'S LIFE!

A LETTER ELDER ZAC SNELL WANTED ME TO SHARE:

Dear Mommy!

I have learned that setting an example is one of the best ways to share the gospel. I had no idea that I could be the one to make such a big difference in ONE person’s life. I really have gone through a very humbling experience. I have asked for permission to share this letter.

It started when I just got out of a district meeting and we were waiting for the Zone Leaders to give us mail that had been sent to the mission office. To my surprise, I found that my name was called. I look to the Zone Leaders and see them holding up a tattered Envelope. It was crinkled and had been punctured during transportation. I looked at where it was from and it said: SAN ANTONIO TX. What in the World?!?

It was sent from an Elder in Texas. I wanted you to read it and maybe put it on the blog.

PLEASE READ THIS LETTER, I KNOW THAT YOU CAN MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN SOMEONE’S LIFE.  (you never know when it will be)

November 11, 2013

Hey Elder Snell,

You are probably wondering either,  1) Who is this?  2) Why am I writing to you?  Or Both. Well, let me tell you. My full name is _____  ______ but for two years it is Elder _____. If you still don’t know who I am it is okay. I get that a lot. Quick background on me…. I am the one that had been dating _____ for sixteen plus moths. Now you probably know who I am. So now I have answered question one. Now, for question two.

I am writing to you in full gratitude. You were the one that brought me back to reactivity in this wonderful church. Now, you are probably thinking when this happened. You are probably wracking your brain right now trying to think of when this happened. It wasn’t a Big thing it was just something you did.  Now, let me tell you how and when you brought me back.

But first let me set the scene. All the way back when I was fourteen I stopped being active. The only reason I was active was because my parents forced me to go to church. I was only a body in a pew. ( I don’t know how to spell it). Don’t get me wrong I was always able to exercise my priesthood but I just wasn’t ever there, spiritually. Then the announcement came that our Stake was going to be doing “Savior of the World.” I was determined not to go. But I was tricked into doing auditions, or whatever they called them. I didn’t sing though. I got away with it. After the audition I wasn’t going to participate but one day changed that. I was leaving seminary one day and YOU came up to me. (I didn’t know you knew who I was) I knew who you were and I thought you were a really cool kid. Then you told me that you had seen that I was going to be a shepherd with you. After you told me that I said to myself, “Okay, you are going to do this.” At that moment I decided I was going to stick this play out.

You may think you coming up to me like that was nothing but it had long lasting effects. Because of your courage to come up to me and say that, I had an experience that turned my life in a complete 180 degrees. One day the Second Counselor in the Stake Presidency came to one of our practices when we were at the Regional Center. At the end of practice he wanted all of us to have the same experience that Peter, James and John had; to walk up to Jesus after he was resurrected. When it was my turn, I walked up and touched one hand and looked up into his face. I felt so horrible. I didn’t feel like I deserved to touch him. I quickly ran off the stage, went to the front row and just cried. At that moment I told myself “I am never going to feel like this again!” My life was going the wrong way. I had some friends that weren’t best examples. That experience turned my life around.

I am so grateful to you, Elder. You are the reason why I am experiencing the BEST moments of my Life. Without you there is no way I would have met the people I met, including ________. Without you I wouldn’t be serving a mission. Without you I wouldn’t be experiencing the true joy of the gospel. I thought I knew Joy but Gospel Joy, True Gospel Joy is far greater! You have saved my LIFE. Hopefully, this Thank You can suffice for now. I know you are and will be an amazing missionary because you are a Fantastic Person!

Love, Elder _______

TATTERED ENVELOPE

THE RAIN OF THE FROZEN NON-FLUFFY STUFF!!!!!! ♫Dun Dun Dun♫

We are under attack of wet, slippery, Frozen Rain! I walked outside today to find that all the trees have been encased by Ice! It is a frozen wintery Icy wonderland! A hazard in by book. I wouldn't make a theme park out of that. people would sue me in a heartbeat! Slippedy slip slip all the way home.

anyways, this week has been an interesting one because I was leading the area! AHHHHHHH! could you imagine me simply shrinking down into a corner under the stress? If you could, You have a fantastic imagination because that is the opposite of what happened. I went out all guns a blazing! I stepped out side and yelled at the top of my lungs, "LOOK OUT RESTON, BECAUSE THEY LET ELDER SNELL ON THE LOOSE!" And after that, I let out my war cry. Yup, pretty exciting!

So there I went, all full stock and barrel! Wahooooo!!! I was a free missionary. it was like someone handed me a sock. Zac is a free missionary! hahahaha! I hope you get that reference..... Sadly, we had to drop a family because they didn't want to change their religion. they move back to India and when they do, they said they would just switch back to Hindu. Gah!!! Why do people have to have free agency?!?!?!?!?! I mean, I love mine, but I despise everyone else's. Other than that little error, the week went by flawlessly!

 

So on Saturday, we had our ward Christmas party, and guss who got a hold of a trumpet......... I DID!!!!!!!  BWAHAHAH! Of course, I practiced the songs that I would play at the party, but when I played the first note in a really long time, Elder Rowley started to question whether or not I would be able to play. he was seriously doubting my skills. But, that's ok because I will agree, it sounded as bad as when I first learned how to play. After about five minutes of warming up, I was soaring over the high notes and sticking it to the low notes! I was back!!!!!! Man, it felt so good to play a trumpet again. I played Joy to the world and Ding Dong Merrily on High. They sounded great. I had tons of people complement me on the good job that I did. I also got a hold of a Trombone! ahahaha I learned how to play it at a members house! He let me play it. It wasn't a normal trombone, it was a bass trombone, so after I played it, My face felt really weird because I wasn't used to my lips flapping around in that huge of a mouthpiece. it was super crazy! CRAZY FUN!

 

I absolutely love all the recordings I got from everyone on thanksgiving and on other days! I love you people! I would encourage all of you to find my dropbox stuff and watch/listen/look at the many adventures of Elder Snell.

 

Love you all and wish you a merry Christmas!! Don't go slipping into any fire hydrants.

 

 

With vigorous energy,

~E.Z.Snell(der) hahaha ;)