Gettysburg

Yello,

I went to Gettysburg last Monday. It was pretty cool! Morgan Freeman narrates this movie they show and then we got to walk around the museum and see this cyclorama. It's the biggest one in the world! 16 feet tall and 342 feet in diameter!! It was nuts...Way cool stuff though! I'll show pics when I get home. There are too many...

It was a good week. The weather is a bit sucky and slow but the work is better than the weather so that's good!

Just a quick awesome thing I learned:
I finished the Book of Mormon Sunday morning before church and learned something I had never thought about. At the end in chapter 10 of Moroni he says, "I would exhort you" eight times in just 34 verses! To exhort is somewhere along the lines of a bold sincere pleading invitation to do something. So if he exhorts us to read the Book of Mormon, remember Christ and follow the teachings of the Savior eight times in one chapter, it's probably best that we do so!!! Is it just me or does this seem pretty important...?! So guess what my exhortation to you is? If you haven't yet read the Book of Mormon, read it. It's true. I know it's true. But don't just take my word for it... Ask your Father in Heaven if it's true. That's what they say right? "If any of you lack wisdom let him ask of God..." (James 1:5) So ask, read, ask, read and ask some more. I promise that if you ask with a sincere heart and you ask with the intentions of acting on the answer He gives you, God WILL answer your prayers!! That's that. It's really that simple. If you don't believe me, then try it. The reason it's true and He will answer your prayers, is because he loves you. He really does. I know He does. Amen.

So concerning the pictures...
1. Sometimes I like to have fun in the mission.
2. Sometimes I have to be serious in the mission.
3. But in the end, "I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded..." (1 Nephi 3:7)

Love you!!!
-Elder Trotman

Signs

I don't have much time today, a couple guys from the ward are taking us to Gettysburg in an hour. I'll have to make this one short

All is well here. It's cold again, unfortunately... Hopefully spring actually shows up this year. I feel like my whole mission has been in the winter so far. Elder D and I are having fun though, he's definitely the funniest companion I've had!

We were driving home with the Sisters from church yesterday and decided to stop and take a couple pictures of some signs. The first is a directional sign. It has so many names on it that it's quite confusing! At first we took the pictures for fun, but as I thought about it, I found a gospel principle embedded in this sign of directional confusion. It reminded me of how important it is to be in tune with the Holy Ghost. Especially in times of adolescence and young adulthood, the media and pop culture point you every which way. Telling you what's hip and what's attractive. What is the new thing and what is the most expensive. Who should be your friend and what movies and music you should engulf yourself in. I suggest we engulf ourselves in a different sea of events. Not long before our Savior’s crucifixion, He came to the waters of Galilee, finding Peter fishing for fish. He tells him to follow Him and He will make Peter a “fisher of men.” Inviting him to cast his nets in a sea of eternal blessings and rewards. Do we not all strive to be disciples of Christ? He has extended the same invitation to us as well. So don't get your nets caught in the coral of confusion and media persuasion. Instead, cast your nets upon the waters of your Savior and be His disciple.

I want to share more but don't have much time, I do apologize it was so short.

I love you!!
Elder Trotman

Warm Weather in Hershey

Hershey has been interesting thus far... The weather is like one of those really long jokes where in the end you just want to walk away because you just wasted your time listening to the most ridiculous joke ever... It's in the 50's for a couple days, and then back to the 20's or 30's then up and back down over and over. The worst part is that I can't walk away, because I walk in it every day... Maybe that's the actual joke... I'm not sure... haha

I will say, the warm weather is like light to a withering plant that is just trying to keep its head up. It feels really good for that day or two. This last week, we did approximately 15 hours of service. We helped a family, one of our investigators, move on Saturday. They didn't really pack anything up so that was a little weird... They moved into a three story apartment/ house, as well. I don't really want to carry dressers up three stories anymore... It was really fun to just talk to them and get to know them on a very casual level though! They want the gospel so much! The dad just wants his kid’s to be brought up in a church that lives it's teaching Monday through Sunday, not just on Sundays for a couple hours. I absolutely love his family and love teaching them! They're so accepting! Last night, we visited a less-active couple and talked to them about being courageous. We told the stories of Nephi and Noah and how they had have courage to build a boat and follow Christ when everyone else said they were crazy. We watched the Mormon Message by Thomas S. Monson called "Dare to Stand Alone.” Their daughter-in-law commented on how we are never actually standing alone, but rather standing with Christ. If we stand next to our Savior, we will never be left alone, and that's a promise from Him. I know He will always stand next to us, and at times, He will even carry us on His back when we can't stand. I love and miss you so much! Continue to stand up for what is right!

Here is a picture of the street lights in Hershey, yes, they are Kisses :)

Love you!!!

Love,
Elder Trotman

Hershey, PA

Well I'm in a new area so here is what it's like...


In a land fairly far away... There is a world, a world unlike any other. A world full of delicious confections and rich addictions. Where dreams and reality are one of the same. Where the air is full of roasted peanuts and melted chocolate. (For real though, it smells like chocolate every other night) There I, Elder Trotman, stood in front of the first page of The Hershey Story. As I walk daily (we don't have a car) through streets lined with Kisses topped lampposts, I stare up into the sky and imagine it raining chocolate. How awesome would that be?! It's pretty cool here but not that cool.... So ya that's my little intro there. I'm in the Hershey Walk area in the Harrisburg Zone. I drove five hours Tuesday night across PA to get here and didn't get to the apartment until about midnight. It's chill though, literally chilling here. It's a bit nippy as my English companion would say. Yes... He is from England. He has lived in Arizona for a few years but he's English. It's pretty awesome! He suppresses his accent though so people don't ask him about it. His name is Elder Doyle. He's a pretty funny guy too, which is nice. We get along well so far. We will probably be together for one transfer (6 weeks). He is my fifth companion and this is my third area and I've only been out for about 8 months... Most missionaries stay in one area for six months and have two companions per area... Oh well... haha


Well I do want to share a scripture with you. I found it in 3 Nephi chapter 5 yesterday. It says: "Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life."


This is who I am. A disciple. A disciple is one who actively shares the gospel of Christ because they love their Savior and understand His sacrifice. A disciple doesn't just have hope or believe, they have faith and act on that faith. So who are you? A believer or a disciple? Do you care enough to share it? Do you have the courage to open your mouth? If not, then what do you need to do to change that? To have that courage? I have a little suggestion... JUST DO IT!! Yes, Nike actually knows what they're talking about. With Christ, anything is possible. Think about that. Anything! That's a lot of possibilities. If it is His will, then it will happen. So, be apart of it. Be active. Be happy. Be loving. Be courageous. Be triumphant. Be a disciple.


Love,
Elder Trotman


New address:
134 Rosedale Apartments
Hershey, PA
17033