Baptism, Saying goodbye to WestLake and Hello to Santa Maria !!!

Man, I had 38 emails this week and it was crazy haha, so I am here now. Jeez, mom, it has been such a crazy week!! 

Jake's Baptism 

So I am going back to SANTA MARIA!!! I can't even begin to describe my excitement! So, I am going to be DL again and I am follow up training so I am stoked. And yea, you will get lots of pictures again from Barb. I am so stoked to be in her ward, man, life is good. 

Elder Routledge & Jake 

Jake got baptized and confirmed this week. Man, he progressed so fast and he is just a stud. I love that kid so much. The confirmation and baptism were both so good and he was just glowing. He is one of the coolest kids I have met on my mission for sure. I also had to say bye to him this morning, along with a lot of the YSA's at FHE tonight which makes me sad. There are 2 or 3 that I am really going to miss, but I am going to come see them in February so it will be all good. I, Elder Routledge, ate the WORLDS HOTTEST PEPPER!!! I lived to tell the tale, it was so incredibly hot, I could not feel my tongue for like 5 minutes hahaha. But hey, I am alive! I beat you dad, try some of these peppers haha. Man it was crazy, hot but good. 

I did go to the doctor today, or Tuesday, or whenever it was and I got x-rays. There is nothing noticeably wrong with the spine, they do want to do an MRI and that would mean I would have to come home early. They have me on meds, and so far, no improvement, but I am going to stick it out and I am going to go back to the doctor in a week, so it is going good. I am going to try to stick it out, I only have 12 weeks, so I think I can do..no I can!!! It was good though, they have me in a brace and on muscle relaxers so it's not as bad. Life is great!! 

Steampunk Birthday Party 

We went to the first part of a birthday for Lauren, it was a steam punk murder mystery. When the murder started we left, haha, but it was fun. Jake and Kevin (our other investigator) came and it was so much fun, they had a blast. I got calls that night and heard I was going to SM and I just flipped and screamed out cheers. Man it made me just leap for joy!! Mom, I am in Barb's ward!!! You know how cool that is. Oh it's going to be great. I am going to see Anthony and Joanne and them all, I am stoked. 
This week, despite a few downs was still pretty great. I actually had a great week, I am doing so much better than I was a few weeks back. I am finding more Joy. I do have to work on smiling more, but I am getting there haha. 

Mom and Dad I love you both so much. Thank you so much Thank you!! Have a great week. 
Muah Muah 
Love your son, Kev

Elder Routledge 

Elders Mitra & Routledge 

5.5 hour hike, Pumpkin Carving..and Finding Joy

Life has been crazy this week my gosh!! So first off, my back is not doing good at all. I am going to see a doctor to get x-rays and they even said something about an MRI. I don't, nor does my mission medical nurse think I need one, but man, I'll let you know, or have Sister Floyd inform you how it goes, so you're not in a panic all week haha. But nothing can slow us down. 

We set Kevin (haha) with a date this week, making us 3 with a date. He is set for November 26 and he said 'yes'. Jake passed his interview this week so on Saturday he is making covenants, it is too cool. Even with a bad back, I won't stop or slow down!! The back is getting bad and has moved to parts of my leg, but honestly, I am willing to accept whatever comes my way, it is growing time. 

Elder Bradley

Monday we went on a killer 5.5 hour hike that did a number on me and my body (back more than anything). I did not think it was that big, but the view, oh my. It was truly heavenly!! It was so worth it...kinda haha. 
We had a member make us a big dinner but we were so late because the hike took so long. 

Tuesday I went to the chiropractor again. It did not help, but I did make up for it when we taught Jake and got him ready for his baptism, and mom, I wish you could meet him, he is so humbly prepared. He is just such an amazing kid. 

Wednesday I truly had a change of heart. I was on an exchange and had an okay day, but that night I talked to Elder Judd, the Elder I was with that day. We talked about Christ and why I am serving and I kept saying because it has helped me and that was WRONG. I realized I need to serve because I love Christ and that is all and my heart softened for Him. My companion and I truly just sat all night in awe thinking and pondering and realizing that was it the whole time. Because I have changed my mind set, I cannot even begin to describe the joy that is coming back to me. It feels good to be me again and to be happy and love this work again. 

Friday we had a zone meeting on...JOY of course haha. So it has just been coming to me over and over and it is, I don't even know how to describe it. I feel so good right now, even with the trials I am facing. I feel so much love from Christ and my Father in Heaven. Satan, himself, could not put out this flame and boy, is he trying. 


Saturday I was able to work with Elder Whatcott and he is a great missionary. So young, 2 transfers ot, but already so strong. He gave me a pink slim tie and I gave him a tie that both of us loved so much. He is a great Elder, very outgoing. We picked picked up another LA named A as well this week and the lesson we taught her was so great. Elder Whatcott was bearing his testimony and we both talked about what brought us to missions and it was so good. I honestly had a pretty good week. Our members keep giving me slim ties haha. 
Emma, keeps telling me about this clothing store, Zara. I went to it today, it was cool! Yah, I swear I am not distracted by clothes, well, yea, no hahaha. 

I love you all SO MUCH!!! Keep it up, I love you all !!

Love Elder Routledge

Finding Joy, setting Baptismal dates...and Little Hands??

This week was crazy. I have spent so much effort into applying joy into my life and it has been working so much. We are going on a massive hike today, so I have, like, no time and you're first. Kinda. 
Jake has a date for 2 weeks. He is so excited, his interview is this Saturday. He is stoked to be baptized and cannot wait, it is just so great. We also set another kid, named Adam, with a date for November 5th and he said 'yes'. He is a former investigator and now he is getting baptized. I tell you mom, I am putting my all into these last 3 months, no holding back. 
We are also working with another less active named Jake. He told us he wants to work towards a mission, so we are helping him with that and he is looking really good right now. 

Wha...I...don't even...??

We had a great district meeting this week. I gave a talk on member missionary work and showed pictures of the Gregsons and told them all about how they fellowshipped us after the Elders were gone. 
I went on like 3 exchanges this week and so it was busy, no down time. 
We just had a really good week. A week of miracles for sure and for growth. 

Elder Bradley 

Elder Bradley is so great, I love him so much and have learned so much from him. He is just so patient with me and we talk a lot about how we can grow more, it's pretty great. We had just a rock star week, it was so cool. I love this work, it is just so great! The joy is coming back to me and it is like my first few transfers. It's good. I am good. 

Shel, I love you girl! You have made me so proud, you are just filling my heart full of joy. I cannot wait to go to Institute with you! love you girly. Dad. Congrats my man, you're so great! Keep moving forward, oh man, I love you so much! Scott, have fun in the foreign land haha (Toronto..pretty foreign lol). Love you brother. Mom, muah muah. Take care. I love you SO much mom, so much!

Love
Elder Kevin Routledge  

Special Message for Will Chapman
Love, the Ventura, California Mission Elders

General Conference...Feeling Better...and Finding Joy in your Journey

Mom, how are you? Did you like Conference? (So much!!) Well sure you did. Who wouldn't like 10 hours of spiritual gifts! 
So this week I learned some things. I did go back to the back doctor, haha funny, anyways, yea it is okay. It still hurts a lot of the time, but I think it will get better. 
This week had some crazy ups, not so many downs besides the back. So let's see, first off I'll start with Conference. 

These past 4 conferences, in just my conference journal, I have filled 171 pages of notes. That green book you sent me is filled besides 9 pages and it was so cool to go over them all this past week. I am going to be honest, I am kind of sad that I won't have any more after this (yah!) but it was so good. 
My two favourite talks were the one about the crazy son who makes his mom crazy...remind you of anyone? :) Me? (I missed this talk...but think I need to look this up right away!) His name was K. Brett Nattress. 

Then the talk on Joy by President Nelson. That really struck me as I have really been lacking joy and so that just hit me bold in the face, that I need to have more Joy. And something I have realized for the first time ever, is that you have sent 'Find joy in the journey' every week, my whole mission and I don't think I really have this whole time. (Since the very first email I sent him, I have made sure to end it with 'Find joy in your journey') So I have decided anytime I feel down, I wills top and just say out loud, "Joy" and it has worked pretty good, I feel a lot better. I also studied it in my studies this morning actually and it was pretty cool, some of the stories I found. One was when Christ's birth was announced. The angel said, I bring you tidings of great Joy. Great Joy for the son of God. SO POWERFUL. I also found that I have filled or am using, 7 journals for different things hahah. I take notes on everything. 

This week itself was filled with crazy, spiritual highs. One of the big ones was Zone Conference and that was BIG. We had all new missionaries share their testimonies and the ones going home as well and all the missionaries got up and shared what they learned and the spirit is so strong when you have 40 servants bear testimony in one day. I was very uplifted as I shared my testimony and listen to others. President had some real strong insights on a lot of things, it was just such a good day. 

We also had another lesson with Jake this week and that was so good. This week he said his first prayer and man!!! So he just surprised us all. He prayed for our members, he prayed that he could know it was true and that he may be able to feel the spirit. Man, this kid is so prepared! He came to conference and loved it. He has truly manifested his love for God in his works for his works are so grand. He may just be the reason I needed to stay. He has softened my heart in so many ways. 

Mom, dad, family. I am feeling good again. My excitement for the work is coming back and I just feel good again. I will have up and down days but nothing I cannot handle. I love you all so much. Jared, keep it up brother love you! Cousins and family MUAH !!!

Love Elder Routledge 

Struggles, Enduring...and Brad Wilcox

Well, this week was pretty crazy. I truly, truly am so grateful for my mission. It has changed me so much to a point that I know. I just know. I have had some crazy hard struggles to a breaking point, but as I have endured, I have come out stronger. This entire week, all the stuff I studied was all about enduring to the end and the Lord was telling me something for sure. 
I have had days were I feel like giving up, but at the end of the day, when I lay down and know that I worked through it all, when my head hits that pillow, I feel grand, that I did not give up, that I did endure! 


Later this week, we met with Jake and he set up a baptismal date for October 22 and he said yes! I have a firm testimony that when we endure or when we pray to act on that first answer we get and to push through the hard days and see the light on the other side, that we can picture Christ welcoming you home with open arms saying, 'Well done thou good and faithful servant, you endured it well. Welcome home.' I do believe that when life gets hard, we should seek help from our Bishop, Mission President, Parent or Spouse. If I wouldn't have met with President Felix, I wouldn't know how truly needed I was. 

E. Routledge & Wilson

Mom, Dad, you have raised a strong Latter Day Saint Missionary. I will forever and always be in debt to the love you have shown me. I want you both to know how truly grateful I am for you and how much I just dearly love you both. I assure you with all hope that I am doing better, still struggling, but it is getting easier because Christ is with me and has died for me and has allowed me to make mistakes to grow. I do know without a shadow of a doubt that without this Restored Gospel our family, Scott, Shel, Momma, Papa, all my cousins, Aunt Trish, Cin..all of you would not be here. It has helped us so much. Thank you. 

Brad Wilcox & Elder Routledge

This week all my studies and our zone meeting was all about finding your purpose and mine is to endure and to bring others unto Christ, with the latter being the first and most important. 
This week, on Sunday, we met Brad Wilcox (He is an LDS Author). I saw him and we had a YSA Devotional with him and all of us were talking about life and how great this is for us. Life is great if you make it that way. 


I love you all so much. 
MUAH, MUAH

Love your young and faithful servant
Elder Routledge