Longer walks and colder weather

Hello Family & Friends! I love you all so much. I sure hope you all
know that. I pray for you all and hope that you are noticing God's
hand in your life. He's real! He loves you! (So do I). This week was
great! I'm LOVING the colder weather in Texas. It's been cold enough
to wear jackets and sweaters! It makes me so happy, especially because
I spent the summer on bike and the change has felt AMAZING! The
weather has been sort of crazy, though. It has rained like crazy!
Elder Hansen and I got soaked from head to toe on multiple occasions.
We even had one of those "movie moments" when a car drives by really
fast and runs through a puddle and splashes us all over. Yep, that was
us this week.🏼 Other than that, though, (like I said before) I'm
loving the weather. So unfortunately, I got ANOTHER FLAT TIRE THIS
WEEK OH MY GOODNESS I HATE THEM SO MUCH. So we spent a lot of time
walking to appointments this week. Which actually wasn't that bad
because I enjoy walking.️ Marlon was confirmed on Sunday. We were so
happy. The Ward was overjoyed as well. We had to drop Cooper this week
because we can't get in contact with him. I was so sad, but it happens
on a mission. This week I had my second district meeting and it was a
lot of fun. We wrote on a board all the things we love about each
other, haha. Everyone seemed to enjoy it. I talked about light and
truth for most of the district meeting, and I had the sisters train on
diligence and obedience. It was INCREDIBLE! I'm so excited for the
holidays. I love them so much! Halloween should be a blast this week!
The Ward party is this week and I'm so excited! It's also so fun to be
in President and Sister Taylor's Ward. We get to see them so often and
my love for them has grown so much! They are such incredible people!
This week I had Vietnamese Food. It was pretty good! Not bad at all.
Last week for P-Day we went to Top Golf! Two things I learned: 1. It's
pretty fun! 2. I'm pretty awful at it! Lol. It was a lot of fun though
and it was probably a really fun first P-Day for Elder Hansen! We now
have two Spanish missionaries living with us for a while. They are
transitioning in to their new place to live. So our apartment is
pretty chaotic. I still love Elder Langford & Elder Hafen! They're so
awesome and we have a lot of fun living together. My "mission son" and
I took a picture with glasses and a mustache this week. Similar to the
picture my "mission dad" and I took. I'll include the pictures at the
end of the email! Can you tell we're "mission related?" Lol. The
Wilsons move this week. I love them so much and will miss them a ton!
They're off to new adventures though! I'm just glad I met them! I love
you all so much! I hope you have an AMAZING week!

John 15:9-11
9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I
have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.
11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in
you, and that your joy might be full.

Your Excited (Mostly for the Holidays) Missionary,
Elder Joshua Needles

P.S. Shout out to Bryan Ralphs for having his mission farewell
yesterday! I heard it was AMAZING! He'll be such a good missionary.
Watch out, Columbia, Elder Ralphs is coming to give you some heaven!

13 Months/Missions are Great!

Hello my dear family and friends! I love the snot out of you all. Seriously. I hope you all know that. This week had to have been one of THE MOST eventful weeks of my mission. So much happened. So, as you all know I stayed in my area another transfer. So I'm still serving in the Dallas 4th Ward. (Which I love. I love the people here so dang much. What incredible, inspiring, and amazing people) I was so sad that Elder Casper got transferred (I flipping love that guy) but I was excited to see what's happening next on this journey. At the transfer meeting (which by the way I'm a nervous wreck at like always) they pulled up my zone and my jaw dropped! I was so shocked to see my picture alone up there (which meant I would be training a new missionary this transfer) AND to see that I was now called to be the District Leader. So I had meetings half of the day BEFORE I got my new companion. Cool story about my new companion. We get an email every transfer with pictures and names of all the new missionaries coming in. Elder Casper thought I'd be training so he pulled them up and asked "If you could guess, who would be your new companion if you trained this transfer?" I looked and pointed to Elder Hansen from Meridian, Idaho... Turns out I WAS RIGHT. Elder Hansen is my new companion! I love him to death! He's now been in the field 7 days and is a great guy. We lived A MILE away from each other. He went to Meridian High School though, so we didn't actually know each other before the mission. But we know a lot of the same people! I wanted to help him have a good and fun first week of the mission. Unfortunately, we got TWO flat tires on our bikes this week. That was awful! I never want to get a flat tire again! We got it taken care of, though, and had an good hard working week. I had my first district meeting this week and it went well. The district has changed a lot from last transfer, but I already love EVERYONE in our district. It'll be a rockin' transfer. ;) Yesterday was a very special day, because Marlon was baptized! It was one of THE BEST baptisms I've been to on my mission. We had so many people there supporting Marlon! Elder Casper even got to come back to the area for it! The Wilsons helped out a lot with everything and I'm so incredibly sad they're moving to Utah. We will miss them so much! They fed us dinner after the baptism and all I could think about was just how blessed I am to be surrounded by such amazing people. The Lord has blessed my life so much. I just hope he is blessing all of your lives as well. I pray for that every day. You all are a huge reason my life is so great. I have so much to thank God for! I hit my 13 month mark this week. Holy Moly where has the time gone? I can't believe it's been 13 months. Only 11 more to go. I have to make it count. I love you all more than you know. My joy is full!

Romans 15:13

Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

 Have an amazing week! Remember - Miracles Happen. Have Faith and be believing! 

Your Exhausted but Happy Missionary,

Elder Joshua Needles

Transfer Week

Hello everyone! I hope you all have had an amazing week! I miss you
all more than you know. Tomorrow is transfers... Here is the news: I'm
staying in Dallas 4 another transfer and my companion (Elder Casper)
is leaving. I'm so sad he's leaving! We had such a fun two transfers
together! I'm gonna miss being companions with him. But we knew it was
coming. Missions change so dang fast! I guess it makes it go by
faster, though. I'm excited because today is the first day of my 10th
transfer in the mission! 10 TRANSFERS PEOPLE! Can you believe it? I'm
in the double digits for transfers. It's so crazy.
This week was a good one. I'm finally over my sickness and feeling a
lot better! I'm so happy I'm not sick anymore. Being a sick missionary
is NOT fun at all. So I'm glad I'm better. We had interviews with
President Taylor this week. It was a good (and long) meeting. Elder
Casper and I were asked to do a training at the meeting.... The
morning of! We had NO time to prepare, but we did it and it turned out
really well. We trained on the focus 20 in our area and how we have
worked with the Ward Council these past two transfers. My interview
with President was great. I love President Taylor. I know he's
supposed to be my mission president. God is so great!
We ate dinner at the Wilson's this week. Brother Wilson is our current
Ward mission leader. But they are moving! We are so sad! They've been
such a blessing to us while we've served here. So many changes are
happening. The Bishopric just got changed, our Ward mission leader is
moving, and Elder Casper is being transferred! I'm definitely not one
for change so it's probably good for me to experience a lot of it.
We met with Riaz Maseh this week. (He's the member from Pakistan).
He's been really sick this week so we had the opportunity to give him
a blessing. That man has so much faith, let me tell you. He has
unshakeable faith in Jesus Christ. It astonishes me. As we gave the
blessing, I could literally feel the faith he has flowing through us.
It was a very memorable blessing.
We had district meeting this week and it was sort of a mini party for
Elder Bush and Sister Tupou, because they are going home on Wednesday!
We had pizza and root beer/cream soda. It was so much fun. I really
have grown to love my district these last two transfers! We are a
family while we are away from our actual families! I hope that Sister
Tupou has a blast going back to Tonga and that Elder Bush has a
rockin' time in Brigham City, Utah. They will be missed!
I'm nervous for the transfer meeting tomorrow. I'm always nervous so
it's nothing new, but I'm very excited to see what happens. I know
whatever does happen, though, is what the Lord wants. I'm grateful to
know that. It gives me comfort and peace in knowing that He is mindful
of me and that what happens is for the best and for my own good. I
love God. I love Christ! I'll never forsake them. They are my strength
and my song.

Moroni 7:41
And what is it that ye shall hope for? Behold I say unto you that ye
shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his
resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of your
faith in him according to the promise.

I love you all and hope you have an amazing week!

Elder Joshua Needles

Conference and the Flu

My Family and Friends! Hello! I hope you all had a great week and I
hope you all are noticing God's hand in your life every day! I promise
He is involved in your life! Oh, how I miss you all. This week was one
I'll never forget, that's for sure. On Tuesday, we went to this really
old couple. They used to be very active members of the LDS church, but
because of age and inability to attend church, they aren't active. We
went to visit and it was so hilarious. The husband of the family has
dementia and often times forgets what he's doing and repeats things
over and over again. He answered the door with no pants on, and his
wife kept telling him to put his pants on, but he kept forgetting to.
Eventually he got them on though hahaha. We sang "Lord, I Would Follow
Thee" and they just loved it so much. I'm sure they would have loved
it even if we sounded awful, though. They were just happy to have
visitors and have people sing for them. We had a couple members come
with us too (Sister Morales and Brother Ryan) and it was a really good
visit. Old people are so funny and have such a spirit about them like
none other. Marlon's baptism interview was this week! We're so excited
for him to be baptized. Unfortunately, he had to push his date back to
the 17th which is AFTER transfers. :( so there is a good chance Elder
Casper or I won't be here in this area for it. Hopefully if one of us
gets transferred, though, that we'll be able to get permission to come
back for the baptism. Crossing my fingers we both stay together
another transfer, though! They are NEXT WEEK ALREADY. I can't believe
I've been missionary companions with Elder Casper for 3 months! It has
really flown by and I've loved every second of it. This weekend was
General Conference for the LDS Church. It was a good conference this
October. I enjoyed listening to quite a few of the talks given. I
loved Elder Holland's tribute to mothers. Made me really miss my mom,
though! Haha! I love my mom so much. She's one of the best people on
this planet. I also really enjoyed Elder Christofferson's talk. I
loved some of the scriptures he shared about continuing from grace to
grace until we receive a fullness, about how we all need to know the
Lord, how our purpose is to establish Zion, and how Jesus Christ is
the author and finisher of our faith. Some good stuff in there to
study. Unfortunately, this whole weekend I've had the flu. :( It's
been AWFUL! I hate being as sick as I have been. Life is just so much
more fun when you aren't sick. Luckily, we have some awesome members
who helped a lot. Brother Parker let us come to his house for
conference and let me lay on his couch with a blanket so I could be
comfortable watching it. Best thing ever. Also, the Lyman's gave me
some essential oils which have been SO HELPFUL. I've been using a lot
of on guard haha. I've still got a really sore throat today, but I'm
feeling a lot better than I have been feeling. It's all thanks to God
and Him answering my prayers. I love God with all my heart. I love
Christ as well. Where would my life be without them? I hope you all
have the best week this week. Remember Christ and turn to Him. He has
overcome the world and with open arms invites us in to His presence.
D&C 50:40-41
Behold, ye are little children and ye cannot bear all things now; ye
must grow in grace and in the knowledge of the truth. Fear not, little
children, for you are mine, and I have overcome the world, and you are
of them that my Father hath given me
D&C 50: 24
That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and
continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light growth
brighter and brighter until the perfect day.

Have an amazing week!

Your fellow seeker of Christ,
Elder Joshua Needles