September 27 E-Mail

So it's been a good week.  My new companion is Elder Gray.  He is originally from Las Vegas but has been going to BYU for the past five years I think.  His best friend growing up was Bruce Schvaneveldt's son.  Isn't that Dad's cousin?  He has been in the field for like 6 weeks now, and his last area was all english.  So it has been a huge test on the spanish.  He is waiting for his visa to go to Mexico.  They told him 2-3 months and it has been 2.  So He will probably be gone pretty soon.  But you never know.  He is really cool and we get a long really well.  This last transfer we pretty much tracted our entire area and didn't have a lot of success.  So we are going to try and work better with the members this transfer.  Members really are the key.  Yesterday I had to talk in sacrament meeting and that's sort of what I focused on.  So I hope we will see some good things happen.  The Cardena family that we were teaching actually moved out of our area.  But they are still in the boundaries for the spanish branch.  So hopefully the other Elder's will start to work with them soon.  Jesus Coriel is still looking good to be baptized on the 9th of October.  He just accepts everything we teach him.  He is so prepared right now.  He is also very forgiving of my spanish skills.  Yesterday he even gave us a ride to church.  So all he needs to do now is come to one session of conference, and then have a baptismal interview.  So keep on praying for him!!!  Then we have Allen Avra who is now on date to be baptized on the 23rd of October.  He is an awesome guy but he hasn't been to church yet.  So pray he will make it to a session of conference too!  We also had a very good appointment with Ryan this past week and we have him committed to meeting with us tomorrow night at the church.  So he will be able to feel the spirit in the church and want to come back.  Jessica, the girl we were teaching who's boyfriend is a member, she is doing good and they have been reading from the book of mormon every night.  We haven't taught her for a few weeks because things are crazy for her right now, but we do have an appointment tomorrow.  We are way excited about that.  That's probably about it as far as the work goes around here.  This Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday I have meetings I have to go to in Moses Lake for training because I'm a district leader.  I guess it's a training on the way they are training missionaries now in the MTC.  So that should be good and I hope it will really help the work out in our district and our area.  Being district leader is good.  The district is very small so that makes it nice.  There's the zone leaders, us, and one other companionship.  So it's pretty small. 

The lady we ate with the other night said she was going to e-mail you a picture of the bear skull and tell you that's what we had for dinner.  Well we did have bear for dinner but it was in a stew.  It was really good.  Her husband killed a bear last week and we wanted to eat some so he told us we were eating boiled head soup or something like that.  But it was really just a stew.  I went to the Doctor this morning and he said he thinks I might have something going on.  They drew blood so they will let me know pretty quick what the lab results are.  That's about it for this week.  I got another birthday card from Kent and Lori, so please tell them thanks!!  I love you all and thank you for everything.  I love this church.  I know that if we all can be like the Sons of Mosiah and pray and fast and have courage and know that this is a great work, that we will see so many people come unto Christ, we will have missionary moments placed in front of us!  I love you all!!!!  Have a good week!

September 20 E-Mail

So my companion headed off to Spokane yesterday.  So I was put in a trio with some other Elders.  So yesterday I got to go to my church, their church, and the spanish branch.  It was  LONG church day.  But it was good.  Tomorrow morning I will be getting a new companion.  I don't know much about him.  I'm staying in the same area and have been assigned to be the district leader.  All I know about my new companion is that he is not a native and has only been out one transfer.  So I guess I am step training him as they would call it in missionary terms.  I don't know if he is fluent in spanish or anything like that.  He is actually a visa waiter.  I think he is supposed to go to Mexico but it's hard to get in there right now.  So he could only be here for a few weeks or for his whole mission.  Who knows.  It will be nice to find out a little bit more about him when I meet him tomorrow.  I have gotten a lot of birthday stuff so please tell everyone thanks.  Brent and Anette, Judy and Greg, Jared's parents, Jared, Jay and Gina, and Kala!  Also on last p-day I got cards from Pam, Gublers, Drew and Lisa, and Brent and Cindy.  So thank you very much everyone!!  And I got Lynn's package and also Grandma's.  I'm going to try and write Grandma today.  I get treated better on my birthday out here than at home!  And yes, Brother Anantatmula did buy me a cake and everything.  So thank you very much!  I was happy to hear that you were typing on a new computer mom.  I'm sure dad loves it.  He is getting OLD!!!!!!  50 years old today!  Wow.  That's pretty cool that he might get to go to Tokyo.  That would be an awesome experience.  Just don't have to much fun while I'm gone.  I was also pretty excited to read Nick's e-mail to know that at least one of my friends is still getting some action every once in a while.  Poor Nick.  I wish I could have seen his face.  Mom you asked if I prefer the ward or the branch.  I really like them both.  It's hard to choose one.  Yesterday we didn't have any investigators at the branch and we had one in the ward.  Saturday night we had a huge spanish activity.  We were able to go because we had an investigator come.  It was way fun.  And our investigator had a way good time.  He's way quiet everytime we go over and see him and he never says to much.  But he had a huge smile on his face and was laughing the whole time at the activity.  His name is Jesus and he is on date to be baptized on October 9th.  He is awesome.  He is one who is prepared right now by the Lord.  Then we had appointments with Ryan and Jessica.  Well Ryan forgot, so we will go see him on Wednesday this week.  And Jessica's boyfriend had to work and then his Grandpa died the next day.  So we haven't been able to see her yet either.  We are going to go to the funeral on Thursday so hopefully we will get to see her there.  Other than that we did a lot of tracting this week again.  We were also able to do some service for a guy named Allen who really is seeking the truth.  So please pray for all of those guys!!  So that was about it for this past week.  Tell Dad I did get to eat his homemade salsa.  It was good.  Between all my birthday stuff I have a ton of food.  I was very grateful for the mountain dew that Lynn and Susan sent.  You asked if we will have to pay for those orthotic things for my feet.  I'm not sure.  I told him just to contact you guys but he sort of just gave me one of those oh we will take care of it.  He is a very nice guy.  He helps me a lot with my spanish when we are with him. So I will let you know if we have to pay for them or what the deal will be.  I got a call late last night from a member of the bishopric here.  I have to speak in sacrament meeting next week.  I was trying to lay low and slip through the cracks but I just couldn't do it.  So I'm stuck speaking again!  It will good though.  Hopefully it will motivate the members to do a little more missionary work.  I was glad to hear that I get to spend at least one more transfer in this area.  I know this is where the Lord needs me to be at this time.  I know that as we obey his commandments and pray for those oppurtunities to do missionary work that we will see great miracles.  Those seeking the gopsel will be put in our paths.  I love this gospel and the blessings it has brought to me and to all of us.  Have a good week.  I love you all!!!!!!!!

September 13, 2010 E-Mail

Ok mom, calm down.  My e-mail is coming!  We went bowling today with a lot of our zone so that is why I am e-mailing later.  It's been a pretty good week and I had a really good birthday.  I figured I might be getting my favorite meal.  Brother Anantatmula was very persistent on us coming to his house for dinner.  So I figured you had planned something out.  It was really good.  He also made the primary sing to me.  So it was a good birthday.  I appreciate everything you sent me.  Thank you very much.  You guys are getting old!!!  You don't even have any teenagers now.  Wow!!!  So last Tuesday we went out to an appointment with the Stake Patriarch.  Well it turns out he is a physical therapist.  Well after he did an exam on me and thinks he knows what is wrong with my back.  So Saturday I went back to his house and he took some impression type things of my feet and is making some of those orthotic things.  I think that's what they're called.  But he said it should really help.  While we were there he was watching the BYU game.  It was pretty funny cause his wife told him to shut it off but he wouldn't.  So I was glad that I don't care enough about football for it to be a temptation to watch.  I was thinking Kristin and Justin probably went and it sounds like they did so that's cool.  So I should get the things he is making in a couple of weeks.  I completely killed a pair of my pants this week.  They got caught in the bike chain.  But a lady in the ward took them and now they look as good as new!  In dad's letter he wrote he was talking about Tokyo, Japan.  Well the way he was talking about it sounded like he had talked to me about it before.  But I don't remember anything about that so I had no idea what he was talking about.  Is he going there or what?  That would be cool.  It was good to hear he sold a very large job too.  I slightly remember that Brother Oliver guy.  It was interesting to read through those letters he sent.  I was also very glad to get the package that you sent home with Brother Anantatmula.  I was very glad to have some Mountain Dew.  Also I loved the tie you sent me, and the cake/brownie thing.  That was way good.  Mom I was about ready to kill someone when I got my free Tucano's meal card and knew that I couldn't go!!  I do miss that place very much.  The mission president's wife is going to do some research on thyroid stuff I guess and she's going to talk to the mission doctor then she might have me go get it checked out.  I'm not sure yet really what's going on.  I just talked to her last night because she called and wished me happy birthday.  As far as teaching went this last week it was a little tough.  Because two of our good investigators our out of town.  But they should be back now so we are looking forward to this week.  Last week we did meet a guy named Jesus.  We taught him on Saturday then invited him to be baptized on October 9th.  He agreed and said he would be at church after work.  Well the way the spanish branch works is we can't go unless we have investigators.  Because there are like 9 missionaries that do work for the branch.  So we go and if we have investigators we stay.  If not we leave right after the sacrament.  So yesterday we were just getting ready to take off.  They were almost done with the water.  Well then Jesus snuck in the back so we got to stay.  He said he enjoyed it and he felt the spirit.  After he could barely even get out because of everyone talking to him.  So we are really excited about him right now too.  We have another appointment with him tomorrow.  He's a really good humble guy.  He is probably in his 50's.  He has children in Mexico and his wife passed away a while back.  He just seems lonely and needs the gospel in his life.  Other than that about all we did last week was tracted.  This area hasn't been tracted for a very long time.  We have almost knocked all of the doors in it over the last 5 weeks.  So pretty soon it will be time to start it all over.  I know this is the only true church.  Through doing that which God wants us to do we can return to live with him and each other for eternity in the celestial kingdom.   I'm so grateful to have that in my life.  I'm so grateful for all of you and your support.  Have a good week.  I love you all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

September 7 E-Mail

So it's been a pretty good week. I was kind of expecting in the next letter I got from you that it would say that Annie was gone. She went downhill pretty fast. And dad told me about Linda Buxton. That's way sad. And Aunt Rosie's husband. Dang, I guess that's why we have the Plan of Salvation so we know we will get to see everybody again!! I was glad to hear that dad's little carne asada was good. I haven't had any in this area yet, and I am for sure missing it. I did get my package. Thank you very much! I could actually see when I was riding my bike last night with the lights. It was quite nice to know that I wasn't going to end up in the canal because we ride on a canal road every once in a while. I'm glad you got to meet Brian. He is an awesome guy. He is moving out of the ward pretty quick. The house he is renting is like 3 blocks out of the ward boundaries. Everyone is pretty mad about that. This ward has had a lot of solid people recently move out. Like a lot. The primary president said that over half of the active primary members have left over the summer. I will be looking forward to see whatever you sent home with him. I don't know when he will be back. He is starting an addiction recovery class tonight so I know he will be back by then. That was interesting what you were saying about the spanish people at work mom. Because it's so true. They just feel awkward cause they can't communicate. They always get surprising looks on there faces when I start speaking spanish. It just makes some of them smile. I was really thinking about that in the spanish sacrament meeting on Sunday. It was so irreverent. I think that's a word. But the spirit was still so strong. They are the most loving and humble people. I love working with them, I just wish I could communicate with them a little better. On Sunday we had 4 investigators at the spanish branch. It is a really awesome family that we met last week. They were previously taught by missionaries but they live pretty far away so the missionaries just couldn't go out there anymore. So we had the guy that we live with take us out there to hopefully meet them. It was about a 45 minute drive but luckily they were home! They dad is not interested, but the Grandma, Mom, and two daughters are. They want to be baptized and everything. They have relatives around Boise who are very strong members. And they were also here on Sunday too and the Brother of the mom who is a member got up and shared his testimony and everything. So it was really cool. We have a lesson with them tonight with the Stake Patriarch because he speaks spanish too. So it will be awesome. That is the Cardena family. So please pray for them! Also we had a lady flag us down the other day. Her mom is a member in Mexico and she is searching for the right path right now. Her name is Alondra. So pray for her too. We talked to her for like 5 or 10 minutes. Told her where church was and when it started, and she showed up! We can't teach her though because her husband won't allow it right now. He was trying to hold her back from going to church because the catholic tradition is strong in his family. But she still came and we are going to keep working with her and hopefully see a desire in her husband to learn more. We had an awesome lesson with Ryan again this past week. He just kept asking question after question. We had our ward mission leader with us who has only been baptized for a couple of years. He basically answered all of the questions. Ryan is out of town until like the 13th though. So we don't have a lesson with him this week. Keep praying for him and his wife that she will begin to listen! We also had an amazing lesson with Jessica and her boyfriend Jordan. And Jordan invited is in-active mom to come over also. She now has a baptismal date of October 9th. But she also left town until about the 13th! She doesn't know that she either has to get married or move out before she can be baptized. We were planning on teaching that this week but she left town. So neither of them could make it to church because they were gone. So pray that she will accept the law of chastity! That's about it for this past week. Can you believe I'm going to be 20 years old in less than a week? It's crazy. I was also glad to hear that you got rid of one car. Mom might be in trouble as soon as the snow hits the ground though. That was not an easy car to drive in the snow. I love you all so much and am so grateful for you support and examples. I have been thinking about Joseph Smith a little bit lately. I know he is a prophet of God and that he did restore this church for us today. I know that he also restored the priesthood authority to perform those sacred ordinances that we need to return to live with our Heavenly Father and our families for all eternity. I am so grateful to be a part of this gospel and to partake of the many blessings that it brings to my life. I love it. Have a good week. Love you all!!!!!!

August 30 E-Mail

I'm sad that my pooch is going to be dying pretty soon.  But as long as she doesn't suffer then ok.  I have a little different taste about Schnauzer's after this week.  Let's just say they aren't all as nice as I thought they were.  Yes, one tried attacking me.  It was interesting.  It was pretty old and reminded me a lot of Lacy.  But then I met a really nice one yesterday.  I'm sure after Annie goes that you will go buy a new one mom.  I know you say you won't.  But I have heard that many times before.  It's been a pretty good week.  We definately were blessed with a miracle.  The other day we were going to an appointment in some apartments.  Well we were behind this guy that was driving a little crazy.  Yes, it appeared he was drunk.  Well he turned into the apartment complex and just kept on turning.  It was sort of all in slow motion.  Well he pretty much did a front flip off about a 10 foot rock wall, and the car landed upside down.   Well the miracle part is that it was on the door step of the apartment that we were going to.  It was pretty crazy.  The guy crawled right out and was running around showing everyone that he had just left the hospital and he still had those electro pad things on him.  He didn't smell like alcohol at all, but he for sure was doped up on something.  We were the only ones that saw it so we had to stick around and talk to the cops.  So if you get anything in the mail or anything questioning it, it's because I gave them the home address.  That was the miracle of the week.  Thank you for the package.  It has been very good.  I already ate all of the cookie crisp.  And I'm working on the muddy buddies.  That spanish family that I was going to have to teach all my own bailed on us.  So I didn't have to teach them.  But we did a lot of tracting that day to spanish homes.  I definately had the help of the Lord.  I didn't understand everything that was being said but I understood enough.  I was glad to be in this mission when I received Dad's letter and he was talking about that mission that is having a famine and they only get like half a cup of rice a day.  Wow, I would die.  And yes Dad, I know Kyle Farr.  I didn't know that's where he was going though so that's pretty cool.  Sounds like things are going good.  That's good you sold the trailblazer!  That was about it for this week.  It was a short week since p-day was on Tuesday, which speaking of, p-day will be on next Tuesday because of the Holiday weekend.  We have had a hard time finding people at home being the last week of the summer here.  So we are excited for things to calm down a little bit after the Holiday weekend.  Things are going pretty good as far as teaching goes.  We tracted into a less active member and we met his girlfriend who is a none member.  Her name is Jessica and she really has a strong desire to learn more.  Her boyfriend is 20 and hasn't been to church in a couple of years.  It was really cool though because as we were teaching, we would ask him questions about Joseph Smith and everything and he would teach the principle.  She really wants to come to church too, her boyfriend works every Sunday though and she had already made plans for yesterday.  We weren't able to teach Ryan at all this past week, but we have an appointment with him tonight.  So keep praying for him and for Jessica too!!  Last night we also found a really cool big black guy named Courtney.  So pray for him.  He was way nice and has a young family.  I guess he plays arena football for a team around here.  We have found quite a few good people to teach considering we came in here with nothing.  So some good things are going to happen in the next few weeks hopefully.  I know this church is true and I'm so grateful I get to be out here sharing it with everyone.  Whether they have never heard of the church, or if they just haven't gone for a few years.  This gospel truly does bring so many blessings into so many lives.  I'm so grateful and blessed that I was raised in a home where I learned the principles and teaching I needed to learn to get me to where I am today.  Thank you!  I love you all, have a good week!!!!!

August 24 E-Mail

It's been a good week. We have met a lot of good people and are slowly building our teaching pool. To answer some of your questions, our area is really small. We are in the middle of two very large areas. But ours does have a lot of doors to knock on that haven't been knocked on for a long time. The area is probably like a mile by 3 or 4 miles. But we go all over it all day. We do a lot of biking and walking. But that's good. We keep the same schedule with eating with members. Four nights a week. We got here and they were being fed just about every night. But that is a mission rule so we had to change it. The girl who makes the dinner calendar was much happier with us. We have all kinds of places to go eat and shop around here too. Basically anything you can imagine. That's crazy that Brady's farewell is on Sunday. I remember when he got his call thinking that was forever away. I met the kid that is from Lehi that Brady knows. He was at that conference we had yesterday with Elder Christensen from the 70. It was a very good conference on how to feel the spirit. I really only had one interesting story from this week. We were knocking some apartments and we knocked the one on the second floor. Well no one answered so we started up for the third floor. Well I heard the door opening below so I jumped down there. Well it was this older sort of large man. In fact he was quite large. I asked him if he had spoken with missionaries from our church before. Angrily he replied with a yes. I asked him what he remembered. All he said was that he told the last guys that if they ever came back again he was going to "punch them out." Then he nicely asked me if I would like to be "punched out." And he was using quite the language. I almost started to laugh at him. But I was very polite and continued on. It made my companion quite mad. I don't think he had been in a situation like that ever before. But at least the guy didn't punch me. I felt pretty good about that. We have had a lot of people this week argue with us that we believe in the wrong Jesus Christ. And that Jesus Christ was not the spiritual brother of satan. So it has been interesting. At times its hard not to argue back. But all you can do in the situation is bear testimony and continue on. English work is much different than spanish. Every spanish person lets you in. Only the ones who are interested in english let you in. So it's harder to get in a door, but the door you do get in, the people are usually ready. And this past week a guy let us in who really is ready. His name is Ryan. (Pray for him that he will receive an answer to his prayers to know that this church is true) Well he is from Georgia and grew up as a southern baptist. He has been going to the baptist church here, but says that it's not really a baptist church. So he had a whole list of great questions for us. We answered them and he seemed to understand it all. The only thing was he didn't want to accept the Book of Mormon as the word of god. So we read the introduction with him where it says we invite everyone to read the book of mormon and to pray about it. So after that he was pretty quiet and just said wow. I guess I can't say anything about it until I do what it says there. We were really excited about this because he really is showing the desire to learn more. We have an appointment with him next Monday. We are also teaching a hispanic couple named Nelson and Mariella. They both have the desire to learn more too. The only problem there is that we have an appointment with them on Friday. Well Friday we will be doing exchanges and I will be here with an english elder. Therefore I have to speak all the Spanish. So hopefully I don't scare them away! Please pray for me on that one. Sounds like everyone is having a good time and staying busy. Mom the er sounds like quite the time. I was happy to get a business card from Lee's Mongolian with a little note from "Lee." That's pretty funny dad got light headed when you were giving Meesha her shot. I'm running low on time but I want you all to know that I love you! Thank you for all you have done for me. Keep going to church and you will be so blessed! It's sad to see the less-actives that tell you it all started out by missing one Sunday. So don't miss unless you absolutely have to!!!! Also continue to read and to pray everyday. Those are the three essential things. And I can promise as you do so you will notice a difference in your lives!!!!!!!!! I love you all so much. Thanks!!!

August 16 E-Mail

Sorry I am so behind in posting this!


So my new area is small! It's a lot different than Warden. It's small, but sure has a lot of people in it. There are a ton of apartment complexes. We have a car for a few days of the week and other than that we bike. And the whole area is on a very big hill. So I am getting my workout. And it has been hot lately. This is pretty gross, but on my pants there is salt build up underneath my belt from the sweat!!! The house we live in is a way good place to be. It's an older ladies home and her second cousin lives with her and he is a way cool guy. He has had a really hard life and wasn't activated into the church until about a year ago. He was in a way bad environment and thought he was going to die. Well the spirit prompted him to call his second cousin. Well she went and picked him up and here he is today. The lady keeps a book of all the missionaries that have stayed at her house. It was pretty weird, I was looking through it the other day and there was a picture of Ben Hilton. I guess he lived in the same place when he was here. So all the paper work in this area hasn't been updated since about March. So we didn't really even come in with anyone to teach or anything. The area has just been dead. So we have spent a lot of time tracting. And I mean a lot. But we have met a lot of good people. My new companion is from Pima Arizona. He's really good. He goes home at the end of this transfer. We had one guy this week come out and talk to us and ask us where the church was. So we talked to him for awhile and he said wow I really needed this in my life right now. So we are going to keep working with him. Then last night we had a few minutes left and couldn't decide where to knock. So we decided our next door neighbor. Well they went to the church a few times about a year ago, and are interested in learning more. So we are going back tonight. Other than that not a whole lot has happened and I don't have much time to e-mail because we are at the library. My message for this week is to listen carefully for promptings of the spirit. If it wasn't for the spirit, the guy we live with wouldn't be here today. Often times you will think you are prompted to do stupid stuff. But just do it without hesitation! I know the spirit will guide us to where we need to go. We just need to listen to it. I love you all so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!