Leaving to DC on Wednesday the 2nd! 2:30 am-WOW!

Hey Family,

I'll be leaving here at 2:30am on Wednesday morning! When I get to the airport, I'll try calling if I get a chance! But we really don't know what our time frame will look like!

Love you lots!:D

-Dex      

"Letter/Email" conversation - September 26th - Pday

Dex and I were able to email back and forth for a bit on Thursday, his Pday.  It's amazing how fast the time went.
Earlier Thursday morning I sent Elder Armstrong an email with a bunch of questions for him to read and respond to.  The questions below are the emails between us that were pasted together in an easier to read format. Enjoy!
My comments are in BLACK
Dexton's answers are in BLUE
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Good Morning Son! I will be on the computer at 8:45 on - so we can email.  I am so excited to have quicker "convo" with you.

These are things on my thoughts that you can look at and answer today in email or later-whatever happens to come up and whatever you have time for.  I'll try to put them in order of most important to least important.  Answer these however you want to.  I know there is a lot.  As you know I like info, it brings me peace.

I'm On! By the way, feel free to put this on the blog. This letter might take work to put on there, cause its spread all over the place, but when i get out in the field, the emails will be better!

Me too!  Dads here too.  Says he loves you!  How's my awesome zone leader boy?

 I love Dad too! And I love you as well! I'm feeling much better! After sunday, things go by pretty fast!

So Sundays are pretty long with meetings?  Do you have any classes or things you do after the sunday meeting?

Yeah, sundays are pretty slow, but they are nice because everything goes by peacefully and slowly

-How much time do you have today to email? 

I have 30 minutes, so I'll be done 9:40-9:45ish.

-Who else are you trying to email-so I don't take up all of your time.

Do you have Kellie’s email? Or can you get for me?  I'm trying to email you, her, nate, jake, and possibly the siblings. 

-Do you have time to dropbox any pictures you might have?

The computers are set up so that you cant put pictures on here at the MTC so I'll send them when I get in the field.

-How often would you like us to write?  What would make it easier for you? more often or once a week?  I want to write every day, like you do, so you don't think we are ignoring you but I don't know if that is good for you. The suggested average is to write once a week so you can read/write on P-days and not get distracted during the week.  If it helps to have letters every day or once a week let me know how often and keep me updated on if you'd like more or less as time goes on.

Getting letters every day is nice, but its really whatever you guys have time for. I love being able to read them so I'd prefer every day, but again, I'm okay with whenever:D.

-How is the homesickness? What do you think about that you are most homesick for? How can we help? The homesickness is going pretty well. It could be better, but I'm feeling quite a bit better!  Thank you for that letter about homesickness by the way! Reading it really helped!

-How is the sleeping?  Would earplugs help? 

So the suggested sleeping aid pill count is 2, but I take 3 because 2 isnt really affecting me. And all of my room mates snore.... so it works pretty well.

I'm glad the sleeping pills work-you'll be out of them pretty quick if you're taking 3 each night.  I would like you to check with the MTC dr soon about dosages and seeing if there is something else you can take/perscribe with you to DC.  Some of these pills are habit forming and dad and I would rather you find ways to sleep without them but understand you need to take them when necessary.  BTW it's easier to see a dr. now in the MTC than in the field so get it done quick.

I've actually thought about seeing the doctor, so it's just mainly finding a time that doesn't disturb my companion too much to go to the dr.

-Are there things you don't need? Did I send too much stuff? Like I always did at scout camp.  Oh, and thank you for being a clean, good smelling, great example of what an elder should be. I knew you would be clean-you are at home-except with cereal bowls :-)  I am proud of your concern to present yourself well (thats a good trait of a leader!). 

Well, I have a lot of candy, but that's the only thing I have too much of! 

I worried about how much candy you are ending up with since you don't eat it often.  Dad says sell it to your companions and make a little money!  but seriously, share with the poor missionaries so you'll receive blessings!

Yeah, I've offered! but they haven't really needed anything quite yet, because the bookstore has everything!

-Want anything? I can try to get creative and try to smuggle anything in (like cold strawberry milk-hehe). Was the milk still cold? Just wondering if it worked.

Man, I LOVED opening the package with the strawberry milk! And yes they were still cold-ish! It was awesome! Thank you so much!! That package made my day!

I would love a variety of dice. anywhere from 6-20sided dice would be awesome! If you cant get it to me thats okay, but we have games we could play on p-day here and id love it!

You won't have any more pdays at the mtc so I wonder if I should send the dice to DC.  What about cards?  You're gonna have to let Daws know what you'd like and then he can help me find them to send to you-but I think I should just send them to DC.  Thoughts?

And I know, I know (its the mom in me)... don't waste lots of time in the field playing cards.  It can suck up a lot of time and you can be drawn away from what you should be really focusing on.

Card wise I'll just collect my own while I'm out here. We don't plan on playing very much so i don't think its worth it to send out cards. Dice however can be expensive, and I don't want to have to run past the store and grab them... You could send them here or there, It won't matter cause I won't get a p-day til i'm out!

Just show dawson this:

4 6-sided dice

2 20-sided

2 8-sided Possibly?

Really I just need a little bit of each of those

-Are you writing in your journal? Maybe thats a good place to write things more often if writing home is making you more homesick.

 I write in my journal every day but there were days that I missed out.

-What is your daily schedule like? When are your eating times?

I eat around 8:15 for breakfast, about 1:10 for lunch and about 6:10 for dinner!

-Do you get to go to the temple in Provo?

And we are actually able to go in to the Temple today at 2:40! Its quite an opportunity, because missionaries only get to go in once every one-two weeks.

Cool about the temple! You'll be there on the same day as the prophet and apostles!  I've always liked to go on Thursdays-now I know why!

-How is it going with Luke? Do you only teach one investigator in the MTC?

Also real quick about the investigators, we actually have three investigators. Luke, Jose, and Thrijae (3jay). Luke is the only one we struggle with right now. Jose has accepted our message and Thrijae is letting us come back and teach more on saturday i believe.

I'm gonna be hopping off now, but I'll be on hopefully in 20ish minutes so I love you so much mom! I'll mail you if i cant hop on!

FYI-Dad is going to send you a letter today. Just remember to check your mailbox later.

Love you to!  I'll tell Kellie to watch her email in 20 mins-just in case.  Happy Laundry day!  Have fun on your pday and at the temple! 

We are super proud of you and all that you are doing!  You are an awesome leader.

Now go do your missionary stuff the Armstrong way!

Letter - September 24 - Things are better

What to write a Missionary

I find that sometimes I'm not certain what to write my missionary.  I don't want to make him more homesick by saying that I miss him (even though I really miss him!).  I want to support him by my words in my letters by being uplifting and sharing things that will help him be the best he can without making him think of what he could be doing at home.  I hope this helps you all to write letters of inspiration and encouragement like it did for me!

Letter - September 23, 2013 Homesick

It's amazing how the spirit works.  We had already assembled a package to send to Dexton on the day we got this letter.  I even "smuggled" an ice pack and some strawberry milk (so it would be cold-no body likes warm strawberry milk!).  We already had photos in a little photo album ready to send to him.  The wonderful blessing of being so close is that I can send packages and he gets them that very day at dinner time.

Dexton's Family

(I guess I could include 

the hedgehog, the chickens and the fish

but he doesn't seem to get excited about them!)

(Family Photos Canyon Ridge Photography)

Out of the mouths of babes...Aleia's letter

I found this so precious that I had to include it somewhere.  

Aleia and Dex have always had a special connection. 

Letter - September 20, 2013

Letter September 19,2013

In letters that Dexton sends home I will be "whiting out" certain areas.  I've heard that it is a kind thing to not mention other missionaries by full name (to protect their privacy) and i've also taken out things like CCard #'s or other important security info-go figure.  Hope you enjoy and learn as much as I have about this wonderful missionary!

1st Letter-Dated September 18, 2013

Wanna Send a Letter to the MTC?

Hi everyone! Here is Elder Armstrong's address in the MTC if you'd like to send him a package or any snail mail. 

Elder Dexton Jonathan Armstrong 
OCT02 DC-SOUTH
2007 N 900 E Unit 94
Provo, UT 84602

You can also go to dearelder.com and write a letter to him. This is a free service while he is in the MTC. They will print and deliver a physical paper letter in an envelope that same day if you submit the typed letter by 12:00-noon.
Go to the website dearelder.com
click on "write a letter",
select Provo MTC (NOT Provo MTC West),
click "write a missionary"
and enter the info I've listed above. 

And just a heads up...fill out the info like you would on an envelope, 

entering in your info on the top left and his info in the center

He is only there for 2 weeks! He departs on Wednesday, October 2nd to Washington DC. I will update his DC address when I get it.

Elder Armstrong's Mission Scripture

2 Nephi 31:13

Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I know that if ye shall follow the Son, with full purpose of heart, acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God, but with real intent, repenting of your sins, witnessing unto the Father that ye are willing to take upon you the name of Christ, by baptism—yea, by following your Lord and your Savior down into the water, according to his word, behold, then shall ye receive the Holy Ghost; yea, then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost; and then can ye speak with the tongue of angels, and shout praises unto the Holy One of Israel.

MTC or Bust!

     

 

Wednesday, September 18th Elder Armstrong

departed for the Provo MTC to serve a mission for 

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints!

This is Dex and Kellie's last "kiss".
Aren't they good sports?!

                                                                                                                        This is how we pulled it off!

Kellie started singing "Called to Serve" as we left the photo-op area just East of the MTC.  

Our slightly musically challenged family each joined in here and there to sing a phrase or three.   

Right as we finished singing "Called to Serve" we pulled up to our parking spot. Spot #1.  Fitting place to be for our 1st son and the 1st great grandson on both the Armstrong side and the Larson side to serve a mission. Plus he is going to be a #1 missionary!

                                                                                  I love how 

                                                                         excited he looks!

 A few last hugs and pics!

 

The final wave...

...and I'm still taking pictures

so the missionary helper 

gives a friendly final wave

Yep, still taking pictures so this
becomes the final, final wave.













Ok... so this is really the final wave as Elder Armstrong (white arrow) begins his journey to some amazing experiences.

(don't you love the other missionary in the white shirt waving back at Dex? haha!)