17 Oct, 2011
Mom and Dad,
Weather here has been very nice too. The nights are fantastic. I'm glad I don't have to spend another Las Vegas summer on bike again though. Well, who knows what the Lord has in store for us?
H. and M. were not baptized. They didn't come to church yesterday, so we moved it to next Saturday. I'm not sure about M. He's trying a little harder, but he's still in need of some help with one of his habits. H. on the other hand, is quite a trooper. He's been getting a lot of dirt from his workmates, but he just defends the church, and goes on working. He's been a little discouraged, but he's really trying his hardest. He's amazing. I'm excited to be baptising him.
Re: Luis and Arlene. I called Luis and he said that all was going good. He sounded happy to hear me. He said that he's still going to church but not ready for the temple just yet. Kinda bummed me out, but hopefully he'll still be here when I come back to visit. Arlene is also doing good too.
My Sunday was enjoyable. We had a good sacrament meeting. A sister who just got back from her mission in Provo spoke today, and so did her inactive family. I'm really excited for them. I think they'll being coming back for good. Also, this'll really be good for getting the ward excited to do missionary work. After that, we went with the Acevedo family to visit their neighbors whom they referred to us. They seem very in tune with the Spirit, and didn't have any objections to what we taught. I think that there is a lot of potential.
Yes, Kira DID tell me that I'd be Wesley's birthday present. I'm excited to see them all. It's been a LONG time since I've held a kid. You know, thinking about that, I think that that's the thing that I miss the most. It isn't games or movies, or swimming, or holding hands or cuddling, or anything else. I really miss holding and playing with little children...they've always been a part of my life.
I'd be more than happy to speak in other wards. I love speaking now that I don't have as much anxiety as I used to. Ely really helped me out. I gave talks several times while there. Also, speaking in Spanish really helped me out was well. As for your speaking assignment, Dad, of course you need to speak on what the Lord wants you to speak, but if I could choose, I'd definitely talk to the youth about serving missions. They don't understand that it is our priesthood duty. They don't even understand the power of the priesthood that they have! Now I understand better, and I wish that I had understood sooner so that I could've prepared better and sooner. Jotty really doesn't know how lucky he is to have me go through everything first. I think he understands a little better than I did. He's also definitely more prepared.
Things out here in the mission field couldn't be better. The district is working hard, and we're all happy. We had a baptism last Saturday for Elder Shearer and Elder Quezada.
I've got to get going now, but know that I love you dearly for your unconditional love and support. Before I go, I just want to ask you one favor. Please pray that I can finish my mission strong. I'm not slacking off, but I want to be a missionary till the end, so please include that in your prayers. I love you!
24 Oct, 2011
Mom and Dad,
We just had a Zone Conference last Thursday, and Elder Jensen of the Sevety came. Oh, how I wish that that man could go to every mission and every stake conference and teach them what he taught us. The Lord expects us to confess and repent on our own free will, and not be compelled to do so. It's good to be compelled at times (as Alma the Younger) but even better to humble yourself (as Alma the Elder).
I talked to the post office and they said that it'll probably cost around $30 to ship my bike to AL. I'll find out exactly when I get the bike there, but that'll be on the last Monday, the 7th.
Troy branch has Chinese converts?! That's awesome. I really think that the church is going to boom once they open the gates. I was wondering, why can't we baptize 3,000 people in one day like Peter did? The answer is that we can, but probably not here. Here in the US, people already have a predetermined opinion about the church. We Americans can be stubborn like that. The Asian culture on the other hand, love to learn, and because the church is almost unknown over there, there will be many people interested in learning. So we may see 3,000 baptisms daily. I would not be suprised to see that after the gates open. How to open the gates, however, is a completely different question. I think it'll be close, and I'm not trying to be a pessimist or a warmonger, but I honestly think that the gates won't open until those leaders are out of position. As Pahoran said to Moroni "Whatever evil we cannot resist with our words, we will resist with our swords." Evil kings/dictators cannot be removed without the shedding of much blood.
I love you both so much. Take care and be happy!
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Time in the field getting short..
1 Sept
Dear Mom and Dad,
Yes, I did get the stuff. Thanks very much. I really liked super big marshmallows Jotty sent. We're going take some pictures of us playing chubby bunny. It'll be grand.
I'm a little rushed right now, but I'll try to write you as much as I can.
Re: Faults... we all have faults and we sometimes we forget that even prophets had faults. Noah got drunk. Jonah didn't want to cooperate. Joseph Smith didn't take no for an answer when God told him no. Moses disobeyed God's command to shout at the rock and instead smote the rock. The Brother of Jared forgot to pray to God. Despite our flaws, God can use us as tools in His hands. He did it with the prophets, so why not with others? Each of us needs to read the scriptures, pray, attend church, and spend time doing wholesome recreational activities (service, play, study, projects, activities, etc.). If we are busy doing those things, we won’t have time to worry about the little things that bother us. It's easier said than done, but it IS possible to just decide not to let some stuff bother us.
I was really looking forward to the Cowboys and Aliens movie. I even bought the cup with the gauntlet laser gun thingy from the 7/11 store. Oh well, there are still a bunch of movies that I'd like to see when I get home. I really want to see Prince of Persia. That's been on my list since it came out over a year ago.
Things in the mission are going great. The new trainee program is amazing. It really helps us focus on our companionship studies and the doctrine of teaching. It helps us understand why it is important to teach with the Spirit, and how to do it effectively. I already knew about this stuff, but it took me a while to figure it all out. If I had had this program in the beginning of my mission, I would have progressed a LOT faster than I did. Oh well, you win some, you lose some, I guess. The good thing is that I'm serving to the best of my abilities right now. That's all that matters.
Speaking of hot sauce, I inherited a bottle of Ghost Pepper sauce. I'm bringing it home. It's definitely hotter than a habanera. In fact, it makes habanera taste like a piece of candy. It was the hottest pepper in the world until Elder Shearer came in. He's a new missionary from Boston that is serving in the Ensign ward in my district. He told me about the newest and hottest pepper in the world that was just recently created. It's called the Trinidad Scorpion. It takes about 1.2 million parts water to dilute the 1 part pepper. Basically, if you eat one whole pepper, you need 20 gallons of water to dilute it. Pretty crazy huh?
I can't write too much more, but the good thing is that P-days are now moving to Mondays, so in 4 days, you'll get another e-mail from yours truly! How exciting is that?!
Take care, and be happy, ok?
5 Sept
Dear Mom and Dad,
No, we didn't play “chubby bunny“ with the marshmallows but I did share them. The first thing everyone said when I opened the packages was Holy Cr@p! Those are HUGE marshmallows!
_______ bore his testimony? Wow. I'm really happy for that guy. Is he active now? It'd be nice to him active in the church again. President Hinckley said that ALL people are our brothers and sisters, and that as we love them; we should want to help them. I'm so happy to know that he has changed so much. I'm way happy for him.
So, let me share with you a kind of spiritual experience I had this week.
Since I'm the new district leader, I have a responsibility over my district that is equal to the responsibility of the mission president. I am responsible for my district's work AND wellbeing. Since moving to the position, I have dealt with some of the missionaries’ emotional problems and I know from helping them, that the Lord qualifies those whom he calls. I have been guided by the Spirit many times as I work and talked with them. My point is; The Lord has a work for us, and if we are worthy of His guidance, then He will not allow our weaknesses to get in the way of HIS work.
(on-going joke between Jim and Miles) Well, I gotta get headed out now. Somebody pulled the alarm, and so a new wave of zombies will be coming in a couple minutes. Don't worry about me though. I've got plenty of ammo and I know how to use it. We're pretty well barricaded in here too. And if anything else, remember I have the priesthood. All I have to do is say "Let fire come down from the heavens and consume thee and thy legion." It'll work. I've already done it twice. :)
Sorry this is so short…hopefully more things will happen by next week so that you'll have a longer email from me. I love you and hope you take care!
12 Sept
Mom and Dad,
Thanks for the Happy Birthday. I feel old now. I'm now 21. I'm supposed to feel like an adult, but I still feel like a child. Is that normal?
When you mentioned your friend and how she stop eating sweets, that reminded me about my no soda diet. I've quit drinking soda completely for about 2 months now, and I've lost a little bit of weight, but it's still not enough. I'm trying other things as well. It's really hard.
You’re gonna love dinner when I get back. I'm gonna do a week of Mexican food for you guys. Now, I’m not a pro but I think that you'd like some of the other foods that aren't tacos or burritos (by the way, tacos and burritos from Mexico are WAY different from the tacos and burritos that we make).
I'm looking forward to seeing those who have been strengthened and improved while I‘ve been gone. I sure hope I come back better than when I left. If there's one thing that I've learned on my mission, it's that we are all on a downward escalator. If we want to progress to God, then we need to work to get there. Though we may not be running down, if we stand still; we are still heading down. As long as we move forward, we can make it to Him, we can't afford to stop.
I really like your idea of an email journal. I really appreciate you going through so much hassle and trouble to do that. That means a LOT to me. I love looking back in my journal and reliving the moment. I also write things inspired by the Spirit that may help me out later on in life.
Man. I really want to work with you at the hospital Dad. It sounds very interesting. Plus, I really don't want to lose my Spanish. Not that I'd have a lot of chances to use it, but at least I'd be able to go with you every now and then to translate partake of the “fun“. Is there anything that I could do besides translate?
If President Salmon wants me to speak in his branch, I'd be more than happy too. I'm really anxious to help out the stake in their missionary efforts. I don't think we're focused enough on it. Oh, what I'd do just to be a ward missionary back home. Not many people realize how important it is. As one of the General Authorities said, mission work is the lifeblood of the church. I'm ready to see the South "blossom as a rose."
We have to take a survey before Elder Jensen comes to visit the mission, so that's going to take up a little bit of my email time. Oh, and yes, I got lots of birthday wishes, twelve people emailed and many of them said "can't wait ‘til you get back!" That makes me “trunky“. I don’t think that they realize that I still have 5 more years to serve. (lol)
I love you!
19 Sept
Dear Mom and Dad,
Re: what you asked: One of the things that I've learned on my mission is to accept the Lord's will on ALL things. We have to have faith that no matter what we want for ourselves, what he wants for us is better for us. We need to constantly look for ways to progress. As I said before, life is like going up the down escalator. In order to get to Heavenly Father (the top), we have to keep moving. If we run down, we go straight to hell. If we stand still, we still go down. Even though it may be a slow pace, it's still a descent. We have to keep moving in life. The moment we decide to be content with who we are and stop trying to improve, we slip farther and farther down into the abyss.
The temperature has been letting up over here too. The highs are in the high 80's, and it feels great at night. We've finally got past the deadly summer. I kinda regret not frying an egg on the side walk though. I should've tried it before it ended.
The work has been going great. The district is kicking right now. Even though we haven't had any baptisms this past transfer, we have a lot in store for the month of October. We have several people set for that month, and they all look really promising. We're also getting the ward more involved. It's funny how the zone leaders and president are like "You're such a great district leader. Keep up the great work. You've made a lot of progress lately in that ward. Keep it up." But I'm like, "I just have a great district. All I'm doing is writing down the numbers they get each week and report them to the zone leaders."
26 Sept
Mom and Dad,
Thanks for the update on things back home. I'm so happy for Tim and his wife. I wish them the best of luck.
My teaching pool is doing pretty good. Hilario and Modesto have come to church several times now. Hilario also defended the church from his Pentecostal aunt. He already considers himself Mormon. Also, Modesto isn't getting deported just yet so he'll be able to be baptized here before he goes. One thing I've learned out here is acceptance. Many of the illegals here, aren't here for what the majority of other people think. I'll never forget my first area's Elder's Quorum President when he told us that the only reason he came here to the U.S. was to escape the persecution. He told us how in his village, mobs came and asked who there was Mormon. Those who were Mormon were shot and killed! I had always thought that they just came over here to work or get welfare but there are so many people here that would've been murdered if they had stayed in their country. I'm not saying that all illegals are good or that we should just turn a blind eye to the problem. There are quite a few that do nothing but cause trouble. But I've learned that we can't judge people, and that we need to do what we can to help them.
Anyways, we've got a couple more investigators that are also progressing well. I've been able to contact some of my recent converts, and they seem to be doing good. Arlene is still very active, and she just got her patriarchal blessing. I'm so excited. I'm really hoping that Luis is still active so that I can go to the temple with him when he goes. That'd be even better than a baptism!
No, I didn't hear anything about the whole Hell's Angels thing, so that's news to me. We are alright though. Nothing happened near us.
I think it's funny how people go hunting for certain things, like grizzly bears. I don't know if they're the tasty sort, but I guess it'd make a sick trophy in your house. It'd scare the sheep dip out of anyone who tries to rob his house. Imagine walking in a dark house, turning the corner, and seeing a giant stuffed grizzly. It'd scare me, that's for sure.
It's interesting how you mention the garden thing. I HAVE noticed that many important Spiritual things have happened in Gardens. Also, think about the first vision. Wasn't that a garden of trees? Or how about the appearance of John the Baptist and Peter, James, and John? Also, Mountains, are often a choice place that God uses to reveal and bring His work to pass, i.e.: Mount of Transfiguration, Mount Sinai, and the Mountain in the Lord's appearance to the Brother of Jared. Interesting huh?
Things are going well in the mission field. All the other missionaries don't hesitate to remind me that I only have one month left. It kinda bugs me at times, but I need to accept the fact that the mission comes to a close, and that I need to move on. Not that I'm not looking forward to career, marriage and family, but I am going to REALLY miss the work. I love it!
Take care!
3 Oct
I guess that other people will have to wait when I arrive at the airport… I get to hug you first Mom.
I absolutely loved this conference broadcast. I love Pres. Monson's personality. He's such a vibrant yet spiritual speaker. I really liked Elder Anderson's talk too. I always wanted to have kids, but I hated it when even members of the church would tell me that that's dumb and that I needed to wait. His words rang true when he said that the prophets of the scriptures NEVER ignored nor forgot the Lord's commandment to multiply and replenish the Earth, even during times of tribulation. I also liked Elder Arden's talk on organizing our time.
As for mailing, I'll be sending one or two large flat rate boxes. I've got to pick them up first though. There's this old guy here named Bro. Hatch. He is amazing. He's a retired conservative school teacher and you'd love to hear his political jokes. Anyway, I think he'll be able to pick up the boxes for me and send them once I get them packed.
Let me know if there's anything that I can do for you while out here. Also, if you need to, make a list of jobs for me to do when I get back home.
RE: senior missionaries. There are a slew of senior missionaries here in this mission. Some work in the office, such as secretaries, vehicle coordinators, housing coordinators, medical advisers,and baptismal record coordinators, but there are also senior missionaries in the field. While district leader in Ely, I had Elder and Sister Winder in my district. They worked on the Church's cattle ranch located in Spring Valley. To put it shortly, senior missionaries are doing almost everything. I would look into it if I were you. I can testify to you that you will experience a joy never before experienced in your life and that the love of the Savior will abound in your lives.
I can see there are a lot of things I might want to do when I get home...are we still going to go see Grandpa Parker?
(Jim/Miles joke) I'd take care of the Novistadors if I knew what they were, but since I don't, I guess I'll have to keep an eye out for anything unusual.
Take care, and be happy!
10 Oct
Hello Mom and Dad,
Similar to the mission experience of that woman in your ward, President Christensen had us take fresh copies of the Book of Mormon and make highlights too but he wanted us to highlight the words of Christ, His name (or any pronouns or other names), His qualities, and His doctrine. It was an amazing experience to read it through like that. I can now testify to other people that the Book of Mormon truly is another testimony that Jesus Christ is our Savior, and that only through HIM can we be saved of our sins. If people refute that, I can boldly say, with power and authority, that they have not read the book, and that if they have read it, then they do not understand it.
Yeah, I’ve heard of the group Vocal Point. I even have one of their songs on my MP3. I saw that church news thing too in-between sessions but I had no idea that Sanita had married one of them. Well, I didn't even know that she’d gotten married!
So, I haven't gotten an email from Jotty yet. Can you get me his address? The talk that we had on Wednesday, before he entered the MTC, was good. I hope that he understands the importance of his calling. Hopefully he'll really understand while in the MTC. Even though I wasn't a perfect missionary (far from it), my understanding of my calling has kept me out here and kept me from being lazy. Yeah, there were times when I got distracted, but I did my best afterwards to repent and to bring others unto Christ. I know he'll do good.
So... missionary work isn't going that well huh? Why is that? Are the people in the south just stubborn, or are the members not trying hard enough? Are they trying at all? I hope that I do a good job at getting referrals for the missionaries. I think people need to start reading Preach My Gospel. It'd really help them understand that MISSIONARIES CANNOT DO THE WORK BY THEMSELVES. Members need to be involved.
So, I gotta go know, but before I do, Just know that I love you and miss you both. I'm excited to be coming home, but if I look a little sad or upset, don't take it the wrong way. As I've told you before, I love being a missionary. It hasn't quite hit me yet that I'm going home in a few weeks and then I'm taking off the name tag for good. I may appear sad, but don't take it the wrong way. I'm just really going to miss this.
Take care and be happy. I love you!!!
Dear Mom and Dad,
Yes, I did get the stuff. Thanks very much. I really liked super big marshmallows Jotty sent. We're going take some pictures of us playing chubby bunny. It'll be grand.
I'm a little rushed right now, but I'll try to write you as much as I can.
Re: Faults... we all have faults and we sometimes we forget that even prophets had faults. Noah got drunk. Jonah didn't want to cooperate. Joseph Smith didn't take no for an answer when God told him no. Moses disobeyed God's command to shout at the rock and instead smote the rock. The Brother of Jared forgot to pray to God. Despite our flaws, God can use us as tools in His hands. He did it with the prophets, so why not with others? Each of us needs to read the scriptures, pray, attend church, and spend time doing wholesome recreational activities (service, play, study, projects, activities, etc.). If we are busy doing those things, we won’t have time to worry about the little things that bother us. It's easier said than done, but it IS possible to just decide not to let some stuff bother us.
I was really looking forward to the Cowboys and Aliens movie. I even bought the cup with the gauntlet laser gun thingy from the 7/11 store. Oh well, there are still a bunch of movies that I'd like to see when I get home. I really want to see Prince of Persia. That's been on my list since it came out over a year ago.
Things in the mission are going great. The new trainee program is amazing. It really helps us focus on our companionship studies and the doctrine of teaching. It helps us understand why it is important to teach with the Spirit, and how to do it effectively. I already knew about this stuff, but it took me a while to figure it all out. If I had had this program in the beginning of my mission, I would have progressed a LOT faster than I did. Oh well, you win some, you lose some, I guess. The good thing is that I'm serving to the best of my abilities right now. That's all that matters.
Speaking of hot sauce, I inherited a bottle of Ghost Pepper sauce. I'm bringing it home. It's definitely hotter than a habanera. In fact, it makes habanera taste like a piece of candy. It was the hottest pepper in the world until Elder Shearer came in. He's a new missionary from Boston that is serving in the Ensign ward in my district. He told me about the newest and hottest pepper in the world that was just recently created. It's called the Trinidad Scorpion. It takes about 1.2 million parts water to dilute the 1 part pepper. Basically, if you eat one whole pepper, you need 20 gallons of water to dilute it. Pretty crazy huh?
I can't write too much more, but the good thing is that P-days are now moving to Mondays, so in 4 days, you'll get another e-mail from yours truly! How exciting is that?!
Take care, and be happy, ok?
5 Sept
Dear Mom and Dad,
No, we didn't play “chubby bunny“ with the marshmallows but I did share them. The first thing everyone said when I opened the packages was Holy Cr@p! Those are HUGE marshmallows!
_______ bore his testimony? Wow. I'm really happy for that guy. Is he active now? It'd be nice to him active in the church again. President Hinckley said that ALL people are our brothers and sisters, and that as we love them; we should want to help them. I'm so happy to know that he has changed so much. I'm way happy for him.
So, let me share with you a kind of spiritual experience I had this week.
Since I'm the new district leader, I have a responsibility over my district that is equal to the responsibility of the mission president. I am responsible for my district's work AND wellbeing. Since moving to the position, I have dealt with some of the missionaries’ emotional problems and I know from helping them, that the Lord qualifies those whom he calls. I have been guided by the Spirit many times as I work and talked with them. My point is; The Lord has a work for us, and if we are worthy of His guidance, then He will not allow our weaknesses to get in the way of HIS work.
(on-going joke between Jim and Miles) Well, I gotta get headed out now. Somebody pulled the alarm, and so a new wave of zombies will be coming in a couple minutes. Don't worry about me though. I've got plenty of ammo and I know how to use it. We're pretty well barricaded in here too. And if anything else, remember I have the priesthood. All I have to do is say "Let fire come down from the heavens and consume thee and thy legion." It'll work. I've already done it twice. :)
Sorry this is so short…hopefully more things will happen by next week so that you'll have a longer email from me. I love you and hope you take care!
12 Sept
Mom and Dad,
Thanks for the Happy Birthday. I feel old now. I'm now 21. I'm supposed to feel like an adult, but I still feel like a child. Is that normal?
When you mentioned your friend and how she stop eating sweets, that reminded me about my no soda diet. I've quit drinking soda completely for about 2 months now, and I've lost a little bit of weight, but it's still not enough. I'm trying other things as well. It's really hard.
You’re gonna love dinner when I get back. I'm gonna do a week of Mexican food for you guys. Now, I’m not a pro but I think that you'd like some of the other foods that aren't tacos or burritos (by the way, tacos and burritos from Mexico are WAY different from the tacos and burritos that we make).
I'm looking forward to seeing those who have been strengthened and improved while I‘ve been gone. I sure hope I come back better than when I left. If there's one thing that I've learned on my mission, it's that we are all on a downward escalator. If we want to progress to God, then we need to work to get there. Though we may not be running down, if we stand still; we are still heading down. As long as we move forward, we can make it to Him, we can't afford to stop.
I really like your idea of an email journal. I really appreciate you going through so much hassle and trouble to do that. That means a LOT to me. I love looking back in my journal and reliving the moment. I also write things inspired by the Spirit that may help me out later on in life.
Man. I really want to work with you at the hospital Dad. It sounds very interesting. Plus, I really don't want to lose my Spanish. Not that I'd have a lot of chances to use it, but at least I'd be able to go with you every now and then to translate partake of the “fun“. Is there anything that I could do besides translate?
If President Salmon wants me to speak in his branch, I'd be more than happy too. I'm really anxious to help out the stake in their missionary efforts. I don't think we're focused enough on it. Oh, what I'd do just to be a ward missionary back home. Not many people realize how important it is. As one of the General Authorities said, mission work is the lifeblood of the church. I'm ready to see the South "blossom as a rose."
We have to take a survey before Elder Jensen comes to visit the mission, so that's going to take up a little bit of my email time. Oh, and yes, I got lots of birthday wishes, twelve people emailed and many of them said "can't wait ‘til you get back!" That makes me “trunky“. I don’t think that they realize that I still have 5 more years to serve. (lol)
I love you!
19 Sept
Dear Mom and Dad,
Re: what you asked: One of the things that I've learned on my mission is to accept the Lord's will on ALL things. We have to have faith that no matter what we want for ourselves, what he wants for us is better for us. We need to constantly look for ways to progress. As I said before, life is like going up the down escalator. In order to get to Heavenly Father (the top), we have to keep moving. If we run down, we go straight to hell. If we stand still, we still go down. Even though it may be a slow pace, it's still a descent. We have to keep moving in life. The moment we decide to be content with who we are and stop trying to improve, we slip farther and farther down into the abyss.
The temperature has been letting up over here too. The highs are in the high 80's, and it feels great at night. We've finally got past the deadly summer. I kinda regret not frying an egg on the side walk though. I should've tried it before it ended.
The work has been going great. The district is kicking right now. Even though we haven't had any baptisms this past transfer, we have a lot in store for the month of October. We have several people set for that month, and they all look really promising. We're also getting the ward more involved. It's funny how the zone leaders and president are like "You're such a great district leader. Keep up the great work. You've made a lot of progress lately in that ward. Keep it up." But I'm like, "I just have a great district. All I'm doing is writing down the numbers they get each week and report them to the zone leaders."
26 Sept
Mom and Dad,
Thanks for the update on things back home. I'm so happy for Tim and his wife. I wish them the best of luck.
My teaching pool is doing pretty good. Hilario and Modesto have come to church several times now. Hilario also defended the church from his Pentecostal aunt. He already considers himself Mormon. Also, Modesto isn't getting deported just yet so he'll be able to be baptized here before he goes. One thing I've learned out here is acceptance. Many of the illegals here, aren't here for what the majority of other people think. I'll never forget my first area's Elder's Quorum President when he told us that the only reason he came here to the U.S. was to escape the persecution. He told us how in his village, mobs came and asked who there was Mormon. Those who were Mormon were shot and killed! I had always thought that they just came over here to work or get welfare but there are so many people here that would've been murdered if they had stayed in their country. I'm not saying that all illegals are good or that we should just turn a blind eye to the problem. There are quite a few that do nothing but cause trouble. But I've learned that we can't judge people, and that we need to do what we can to help them.
Anyways, we've got a couple more investigators that are also progressing well. I've been able to contact some of my recent converts, and they seem to be doing good. Arlene is still very active, and she just got her patriarchal blessing. I'm so excited. I'm really hoping that Luis is still active so that I can go to the temple with him when he goes. That'd be even better than a baptism!
No, I didn't hear anything about the whole Hell's Angels thing, so that's news to me. We are alright though. Nothing happened near us.
I think it's funny how people go hunting for certain things, like grizzly bears. I don't know if they're the tasty sort, but I guess it'd make a sick trophy in your house. It'd scare the sheep dip out of anyone who tries to rob his house. Imagine walking in a dark house, turning the corner, and seeing a giant stuffed grizzly. It'd scare me, that's for sure.
It's interesting how you mention the garden thing. I HAVE noticed that many important Spiritual things have happened in Gardens. Also, think about the first vision. Wasn't that a garden of trees? Or how about the appearance of John the Baptist and Peter, James, and John? Also, Mountains, are often a choice place that God uses to reveal and bring His work to pass, i.e.: Mount of Transfiguration, Mount Sinai, and the Mountain in the Lord's appearance to the Brother of Jared. Interesting huh?
Things are going well in the mission field. All the other missionaries don't hesitate to remind me that I only have one month left. It kinda bugs me at times, but I need to accept the fact that the mission comes to a close, and that I need to move on. Not that I'm not looking forward to career, marriage and family, but I am going to REALLY miss the work. I love it!
Take care!
3 Oct
I guess that other people will have to wait when I arrive at the airport… I get to hug you first Mom.
I absolutely loved this conference broadcast. I love Pres. Monson's personality. He's such a vibrant yet spiritual speaker. I really liked Elder Anderson's talk too. I always wanted to have kids, but I hated it when even members of the church would tell me that that's dumb and that I needed to wait. His words rang true when he said that the prophets of the scriptures NEVER ignored nor forgot the Lord's commandment to multiply and replenish the Earth, even during times of tribulation. I also liked Elder Arden's talk on organizing our time.
As for mailing, I'll be sending one or two large flat rate boxes. I've got to pick them up first though. There's this old guy here named Bro. Hatch. He is amazing. He's a retired conservative school teacher and you'd love to hear his political jokes. Anyway, I think he'll be able to pick up the boxes for me and send them once I get them packed.
Let me know if there's anything that I can do for you while out here. Also, if you need to, make a list of jobs for me to do when I get back home.
RE: senior missionaries. There are a slew of senior missionaries here in this mission. Some work in the office, such as secretaries, vehicle coordinators, housing coordinators, medical advisers,and baptismal record coordinators, but there are also senior missionaries in the field. While district leader in Ely, I had Elder and Sister Winder in my district. They worked on the Church's cattle ranch located in Spring Valley. To put it shortly, senior missionaries are doing almost everything. I would look into it if I were you. I can testify to you that you will experience a joy never before experienced in your life and that the love of the Savior will abound in your lives.
I can see there are a lot of things I might want to do when I get home...are we still going to go see Grandpa Parker?
(Jim/Miles joke) I'd take care of the Novistadors if I knew what they were, but since I don't, I guess I'll have to keep an eye out for anything unusual.
Take care, and be happy!
10 Oct
Hello Mom and Dad,
Similar to the mission experience of that woman in your ward, President Christensen had us take fresh copies of the Book of Mormon and make highlights too but he wanted us to highlight the words of Christ, His name (or any pronouns or other names), His qualities, and His doctrine. It was an amazing experience to read it through like that. I can now testify to other people that the Book of Mormon truly is another testimony that Jesus Christ is our Savior, and that only through HIM can we be saved of our sins. If people refute that, I can boldly say, with power and authority, that they have not read the book, and that if they have read it, then they do not understand it.
Yeah, I’ve heard of the group Vocal Point. I even have one of their songs on my MP3. I saw that church news thing too in-between sessions but I had no idea that Sanita had married one of them. Well, I didn't even know that she’d gotten married!
So, I haven't gotten an email from Jotty yet. Can you get me his address? The talk that we had on Wednesday, before he entered the MTC, was good. I hope that he understands the importance of his calling. Hopefully he'll really understand while in the MTC. Even though I wasn't a perfect missionary (far from it), my understanding of my calling has kept me out here and kept me from being lazy. Yeah, there were times when I got distracted, but I did my best afterwards to repent and to bring others unto Christ. I know he'll do good.
So... missionary work isn't going that well huh? Why is that? Are the people in the south just stubborn, or are the members not trying hard enough? Are they trying at all? I hope that I do a good job at getting referrals for the missionaries. I think people need to start reading Preach My Gospel. It'd really help them understand that MISSIONARIES CANNOT DO THE WORK BY THEMSELVES. Members need to be involved.
So, I gotta go know, but before I do, Just know that I love you and miss you both. I'm excited to be coming home, but if I look a little sad or upset, don't take it the wrong way. As I've told you before, I love being a missionary. It hasn't quite hit me yet that I'm going home in a few weeks and then I'm taking off the name tag for good. I may appear sad, but don't take it the wrong way. I'm just really going to miss this.
Take care and be happy. I love you!!!
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