Ho ho ho!

First off, I read Elder Holland's talk this morning and I LOVED it all over again! Christ does need disciples forever!  It pumped me up and really primed my mind with LOTS of questions. If you have not read it recently, maybe it will help you out today!:D 

We set a baptismal date with our investigator Ar and he seems pretty excited! We were called upon to give a blessing to one of the sisters’ investigators, and we met at the church to follow them to her house. As we pulled into the parking lot, it was somehow open and a man was waiting for us. He asked us if we could give him a "sick blessing" and we obliged. Somehow the door was unlocked; we went in and gave the man a blessing for his kidney stones. We finished and he left. Weird. I am pretty sure he was one of the 3 Nephites! ;)

We are making our new zone goal called NEWB Runnings, like cool runnings. It is a race and we are really excited for it! :D We are presenting it tonight, since we need to be inside by 6:00  for New Year’s Eve.

The VC sisters saw cousin Carmen again last night and let me know. She must come down fairly often.

I LOVED talking to you on Christmas! Those of you who I couldn't talk to, I am sorry. This week seemed to go by slow because of the holidays, but it all seems a blur! I hope you all have a happy new year! I cannot believe it is already 2013! WOW!  Sorry to keep it short! I love you!

P.S. Thanks for all the gifts, love and prayers on Christmas.

It snowed!

So, it did "snow" a little bit after our Christmas devotional this morning, which was really fun. Elder K. was transferred and Elder H. from Farmingon Utah is my new companion. Elder K. only has 4 days left in Downey... I remember when he still had 3 months left. Wow.

Christmas is here!!!! Feliz Navidad! We had a lesson with a woman named D. who has some potential. We will be seeing her again after the holidays.

We challenged the zone to give out as many Books of Mormon that we could in a day and together we handed out 29 on Friday! It was a great day and everyone was pumped! I will finish reading the Book of Mormon tonight or tomorrow! I love the Book of Mormon!!!! I am a bit sad, so I will just have to start over! I am also planning on reading Doctrine & Covenants and New Testament along with it! I have never loved reading the scriptures so much! 

A member took us to Denny's for lunch on Saturday and they have a Hobbit-themed menu. I absolutely loved it! I may have to go back just for that!

We had a lesson with A. and discussed all of the things she can now do as a member of the church! There is a ward baptism trip on the 2nd of January that we are planning to help her be ready for. She really wants a patriarchal blessing and to have a calling in the ward! She has even signed up to feed us this week and next week. She was confirmed yesterday and the ward was very supportive.

This morning when we got to the Christmas devotional I found that I was on the program to sing We Three Kings in an octet, so I sang. It was a great devotional. I love you! I will talk to some of you very soon!!!! Merry Christmas!!!!

I'm dreaming of a warm Christmas?

It was a bit chilly last week and I was really cold. It made me realize that I will probably die next winter when I’m back in Utah. I have been babied in the warm weather! I miss the snow, though (just not the wet part).

Some of the missionaries I know met Elder Nathan P. at the Temple the day before I was there! It would have been so cool to see him at the Temple! Maybe next time! The family who invited us to their wedding got some pictures to me and I will try to get them in another attachment today.

We helped the M. family set up their Christmas lights, which I have been dying to do. Our houses look so festive now! :) We had fun using a machete to trim the banana tree and chop a pumpkin in half.

On Saturday night, we went to the visitor's center with A. for a Christmas concert. Her mom and two cousins came with us :)

The biggest news of the week is.... A. was baptized! It was a very smooth service and the day was a Spirit-filled day. A. and D. (her mom) made a lasagna and a cake for refreshments. They received some great fellowship from some other members from Belize and I hope her family wants to come back. I think for sure they will make it to the Christmas party!

Transfers are tomorrow and I will be staying in my area for sure. My new companion will be discovered tonight so whoopee! Sorry it is a bit short. I will talk to soon! Have a Merry Christmas!

My name is not Steve!

Well, the Temple was awesome!!!! I feel really peaceful. I should finish the Book of Mormon on Christmas Eve at the current pace I am going, so I want to make that a fun evening and read the story of Christ's birth too. I remember doing that together and I liked it a lot.

We had a BBQ lunch at our apartment with our missionary neighbors on Wednesday. It was a BLAST! It was the first time any of us had prepared the meat and it was a bit salty (too much tenderizer..:). 

A. came to church on Sunday and she loves Relief Society. She also passed her baptismal interview last night! She will be baptized this Sunday! Now we get to work on the program! Woo hoo!

We have been blessed to help lots of members and others set up for Christmas and clean up their yards for "the winter". I love serving! You all know that Christmas is like my favorite time too. I miss wrapping presents and setting up the tree. I set up ours and it looks great!

We are expecting many new missionaries. By June we are supposed to have around 260 in the mission, which is 80 more than we have now! Santa Vaca! I am so excited! Transfers are next Tuesday, so changes are coming, but I am very unlikely to move. Elder K. goes home in 2 weeks and we will get a new companion till he goes. I love you all! I hope you are safe and well! I am definitely thinking of you this time of the year. I will talk to you all in a few days! Time sure flies.  I love you!

P.S. "To catch the real meaning of the 'Spirit of Christmas', we need only to drop the last syllable, and it becomes the Spirit of Christ". ~Thomas S. Monson

Now that's what I call Mongolian barbecue!

We had a short lesson this week with V. the referral. He is trying to get another job so he can come to church on Sunday. He is from Nigeria and I know he would love the cultural mix of people in our ward!

M. is still excited for his baptism, but he didn't come to church yesterday. :( We will hopefully have a lesson tonight with a member and see what is up and how we can help. We had a FHE at a member's home last Monday night and it was very successful. J. and his girlfriend came and so did M. That night I ate the best pupusas I have ever eaten in LA. It was incredibly tasty.

A. has still been making progress, but she was sick yesterday and did not come to church. We will hopefully see her tonight. We are planning a movie night for all the missionaries in the ward to bring an investigator so we can watch the Joseph Smith Movie together. Sounds like fun! 

On splits (again in the 3rd ward), we went to a member’s home where they like to mark the height of each elder that comes into their house, on the back of their door. They got excited when I came in and put me on right away. It was fun to see me several inches above the door itself on the frame. It was a blast being back speaking Spanish for a day. The members I met made me feel good, too, by saying hi as we passed at church.  We spent a lot of time serving people on Saturday, too. We got to help a member put lights up in her complex. She then made us Huevos Rancheros. Yummmmmm.

Well, I love you all! I hope your Christmas is a "White one", but don't forget what it is all about!

Fat and Happy!

Buenas Tardes Familia! Espero que todos estan seguros y feliz! Thanksgiving was a crazy day full of food! We ate at two different members’ houses and I was thoroughly filled.

We have not been able to see E. and we heard someone inside as we rang. No one answered and she has not returned our calls...:( Sad day! We had to drop her. We think her mom may have talked to her when she went to visit. She will come around one day.

The other afternoon, Elder K. and I were pondering which street to tract. I saw a street called T. and was intrigued. We decided to tract there. We had some good success in one complex and were leaving to another appointment when we got a referral from HQ. It was through a member I met at a baptism last week, and was for a man named V. We looked at his address and SURPRISE! It was two apartment complexes in front of us on our way to the car. Coincidence? I think NOT! V. was so excited to see us that he let us in right there. We have an appointment to teach him tomorrow at 1:00. I hope and pray he is there and as eager as he was.

We had a lesson with J. and his cousin. J. also came to play basketball with the Elders and other men who play on Wednesday nights! I hope that will be a way to keep him connected to the ward members.

Two of the visitor center sisters in my district said they met my cousin Carmen the other night and that was cool! Brother H. (from Orem) also was at the temple and left a note for me at the mission home. Both of these experiences were little hugs from Heavenly Father. I love the way he does that! :D

We had team-ups with President Baker on Saturday evening and got to talk to some potentials in our area. It was an interesting experience. I was in the front seat and seemed to get most of the "grilling" from President. I would like to see him as a proselyting missionary – he is a powerful teacher. Although it added a bit of stress to our planning, it was worth it and I learned from it.

The best has been saved for last! A. is this week's MVP!!!! She came to church again! She has exploded in her Book of Mormon reading and she prays every day! She chose the 16th as the day she wants to be baptized! We have seen her almost every day and she is so excited. The best part is that her memory has been improving! She remembers more and seems to always be thinking about the gospel. Last night she opened up a lot about why she has been doing what she is doing. She is sincerely changing because she wants to be the best example for her daughter. It was an emotional lesson and I could feel Heavenly Father's love for her almost pulsing around us. It was insane! She has fasted the last 3 days straight (drinking water) and the Spirit has been with her so strongly! Goodness. She has completely TRANSFORMED! I am eager to see what the Lord has in store for her! The gospel is true. I want to help everyone have the same experience April is having and I cannot wait. We all can experience this joy. We need to share the gospel with every one we know and don't know!

I love you all! I hope you had an awesome Thanksgiving and that you didn't eat too much!;) Be safe!

When you're a professional pirate . . . you don't have to wear a suit!

Hey Family! Can you believe that there will be no more Twinkies!?? They will probably last forever if you have one lying around somewhere, though!)

There is a new policy in the mission (effective 12/1/12) that everyone needs to run for 20 minutes every morning. This means I will be in a lot better shape, as will everyone else! The first 3 weeks will be killer, though. I am excited!

We had our Thanksgiving potluck on Saturday and that was a blast! Then on Sunday, A. and M. came to church!!!! It was awesome! They also came to a baptism in the zone! The members were great to give rides and I was extremely grateful. M. has a baptismal date for the 16th of December, which he set on Saturday.:) 

The Turkey Bowl was fun and I worked hard. I 'm not quite sure that we won or not, but I feel like a champion, so we must have!

Our favorite thing to do in the middle of our weekly planning is to take an elote/raspado break. The elotero comes by at the perfect time and all 4 of us run out with our change! It is awesome! Next time I will take a video and picture so you can see it too! Just keep the elote away from your eyes, ‘cause people tend to throw them  around....;) [Editor's note: think Nacho Libre.]

Our zone is doing well and we look forward to an awesome month of December! Can you believe it is almost December? Wow. No puedo creerlo!

Questions to consider: What are you doing today to help someone learn about the gospel? Do you know all your neighbors? Who can benefit? I love the joy that I feel as I see lives changed. I know you will feel it too!
This December, check out www.mormon.org/christmas for opportunities to share the gospel! I love you!

Turkey Bowl today!

Hey family!  It's going to be a brief one today.  We have the Turkey Bowl in 20 minutes, so I need to write quick and get changed.

First, I met Elder K. today, the younger brother of Julia's companion! He just arrived last week to start his mission here in the CLAM. Cool! Maybe we'll be companions someday, too. I will attach a picture.

On Tuesday we went to the Visitor's Center with J.!! He loved it! He said he wanted to spend more time but couldn't.  He sadly did not make it to church on Sunday, though.

L. from Silver Lake was baptized yesterday, and Elder C. and I got to go back for it. It was awesome! He bore his testimony afterward and talked about the day when we tracted into him. It was a special moment. I felt peace, joy, and immense gratitude. I love this work! I am excited for Elders Wood and Toomey to get under way! I love you all!

To the northwest, dirty dishes!

Well, another month gone by. Transfers are this week and I have not even had enough time to think about it really. I think we will both stay here, but I think our zone will be getting a new area. I think President will start planning for all the new missionaries (he is probably way ahead of me... :D).

We had another small lesson with E. on the Book of Mormon and the Plan of Salvation! She was very intent on what we were teaching, and I felt like I could almost see the Spirit working with her. She invited us to come back the next day, but that day was really packed. Hopefully she can come to church one of these days. She works as a nurse and usually has a shift on Sunday...:( We'll see, though. Everything with her is so smooth and natural, like we've met before.

We had a combined zone activity on Halloween night because we had to be inside by 6:00. We played some sports, and a different version of that Quidditch game. It was really fun and I hardly even realized it was Halloween. We ran into a member from the Santa Monica Stake, whose son is serving in Armenia. I asked her about Elder Woolley and he is in her son's district! Small world no?

The other night we were biking and we had no idea what we were going to do for dinner. We rode past a man, and I waved. He then yelled, "Would you like a hamburger!?" After we knocked a few houses, we took him up on it..:) His name was E. and he is an Episcopalian. He was very kind and we also found our dinner! Thank you Heavenly Father.

The highlight of our week was finding J., who is a referral from HQ. The text read, "ready for baptism". As "seasoned" missionaries, we did not believe it right away. We had to investigate a little bit. Eventually we were able to meet with him. He is 22 and big into soccer. His girlfriend is a member and plays soccer for Northridge. She introduced him to the Church and he is currently taking a Book of Mormon class at Santa Monica College. He showed up at the church and we gave him a tour. He said "I think it is time I join the Church" in a thoughtful tone. I was flabbergasted! So then we invited him to be baptized and he said "I will". This guy is unbelievable! He later told us an interesting story. He was driving home from work and he was praying to ask God if he should go to church, even though his girlfriend would be out of town. Immediately following his prayer, he saw two missionaries leaving a house that he was passing. He knew he had received his answer, so he called and referred himself to HQ! Later still, when he saw our car, he asked us if we ever worked on a street called Angeles Vista. That street is in our area.... so it was Elder K. and me that he saw leaving that house two weeks ago, after he prayed! Spiritual twilight zone music was playing in my head!  I know that we are placed in the paths of people who need the gospel and vice versa... It was amazing!

We invited J. to church on Sunday but he wasn't there by the time it had started. We tried to call him but he didn't answer. I was very down. In Gospel Principles class, I said a prayer and asked that he would show up if it was God's will. The next hour, we got a call from J. telling us that he had just arrived, and we literally ran out to meet him! He came to church!!!!!!!!! We are going to the Visitor's Center with him tomorrow! Hopefully he will be ready by his date on the 18th of November! I love you all!!! Our Heavenly Father loves us and I love you, too! Hope you have an incredible week!!!! Stay safe!

Hello from Wild, Wild Westwood!

Since Halloween is coming up, we got all suited up in our mustaches after coordination meeting. I will attache a picture. I thought of the German guy from Stalag 17 and the one from Get Smart.

The biggest news of the week was our Visitors Center trip with A. and D. (her mom). It was AWESOME!!! When we arrived to pick them up they didn't answer the door at first. As we were getting back into the car to leave, A. opened the window and told us not to go so, you know, we decided we should probably stay. :D They absolutely loved the VC! Even after the sister missionaries finished helping us, they wanted to explore a bit more. The next day, we went over and followed up with them. A. had been thinking about it all night. She had a dream that the Christus was moving and talking to her. D. has already decided that she wants to get baptized on her birthday in November!

Last Monday we had a zone activity at the Westwood building; we played soccer and this other game that was a mix between rugby, ultimate frisbee and quidditch.  We had a blast and I was incredibly sore the next 3 or 4 days. It hurt SO good!

I cannot remember if I told you about E., but she read the pamphlet we left and had questions! We also left a Book of Mormon and she promised to read it (part of it) before Tuesday! We have been really excited and have been FLOODING Los Angeles with the Book of Mormon! Some Elders in our zone even got 2 referrals from people who read an ad in the play bill for the Book of Mormon Musical. We also get asked about Mitt Romney almost every day, too.

We started teaching a 19-year-old named M. He has a lot of questions. He read all of the pre-book stuff in the BOM. He kept asking us, "What more can you tell me?" I wanted to hit him with everything, but I knew he would probably explode! He offered the closing prayer and after he finished, he was moved by the Spirit. All he could say was "That was a trip". He described his mind expanding and being filled with light!

We taught a member with the help of our powerhouse, Elder Holland. It was an awesome lesson. I got the heeby jeebies! We taught a woman named H. yesterday and I started crying as my companion shared the story of the First Vision. I love those confirmations from the Spirit. It was a packed week, full of the Spirit!

El tiempo vuela!

Time has flown, yet again!!!! I cannot believe how fast it goes! There has been a lot of hubbub about the debates last week. We arrived at the house of a member and the debate was on. That was the first time I had ever heard Mitt Romney's voice. Weird! Anywho. If he wins, that will be crazy. Elder Kim is convinced that it will prove that the Second Coming is here. We joke around about it quite a bit.

We taught A. about the Book of Mormon on Wednesday and she has read a little of it. We also plan on going to the Visitor’s Center with her this week if we can.

We have been contacting a lot of potentials, and I gave names from the Hobbit to all of our color-coded area divisions. Lately we have been destroying Mirkwood ("The Jungle"). 

The other night we met a man who led us to his house. When we got there, he turned to us and pulled out a knife (the suspense!!!!!) and I was thinking "oh shoot!". Then he turned back toward the house and used the knife to break in because he’d forgotten his key.  Lots of super crazy feelings and adrenaline! I am grateful he was not as he appeared right then.

A woman we met swore to me that Utah is all Mormons. I calmly told her that I am from there and that 40% of the population is not Mormon, but she thought I was lying. I even told her that some of the cities have a higher percentage of non-Mormons than that. Good times. I get a lot of bologna, coming from Utah, but it's true. I'm a Mormon, are you? 

If you remember D., he mostly dropped us, but he did it amazingly. He had heard some anti stuff and asked us about it. I strongly testified to him about the Word of Wisdom freeing us and how liberating it really is. After a few minutes, he was content. He asked for some time to read and pray. I pray he does! He is an awesome guy!

Our zone has set a lot more dates this past week! We have 12 in our district! It is so cool. Several should go down the first week of November and are really solid! That makes me happy. Our job is to help the zone be better teachers and work hard, so we all accomplish our purpose together!!!!

We had our stake conference yesterday and it was awesome!!! I loved it! President Bragg drove his point of unity in the stake with the new changes. I was able to see many friendly faces since the 3rd, 4th and 6th (Spanish-speaking) wards are now in our stake. I saw D. and J. again, which was great.  They went to the English session.  The stake has a lot more energy and excitement now. As of next Sunday, we will have 3 wards in our building and all speak a different language -- Korean, Spanish and English. Cool huh?

Well, time is up! I want to thank you for all your prayers and fasting. It really helps me push through the hard times. I love you all!!

Epic Endeavors

Hey Everyone!!! How have you all been? It cooled down nice here for a few days, but looks like it could heat back up. I have a lot of unrelated news so bear with me as I put it all down here...:D We talked to a man named K., whose cousins live next door. We may go back this week to try and teach both families. They were really kind and seemed like they were already members. We'll see how it goes!

We had zone conference last week and it was all focused on the Book of Mormon. Elder K. and I did a training on the Prophet Ether and his diligent example. We made several new goals on how we are going to utilize the BOM in our missionary work. We each carry a copy with us as we proselyte and have a goal to give out 3 each week. We also want to use the stories to relate to investigators and to help them apply it to themselves! The last part is reading it cover to cover by the new year. Are you in??? I began on Thursday and am on track so far. You will need to read about 7 pages per day to finish by the end of the year. I also wanted to remind you about a mormon.org profile. It is so simple and a great way to share your testimony. I hope you have seen the new pass along cards. I try to send one home every letter now. :D

Last Thursday, we got two calls for blessings at the UCLA Medical Center and Cedar Sinai hospitals. We loved it! We will be going later on this evening, too. So many people are in need of the physical and spiritual strength that we have.

One of the brand new sisters in our district began telling me about one of her MTC branch presidency members who writes songs, and gave some of his music to her (she is a music major).  It was Randy E.!  I then told her that I had been his home teacher.  Now I am trying to get some of his music. She tells me it is pretty good! Adriane, I immediately thought of you singing his song "I don't care". :)

The shuttle Endeavor went right through the center of our area, which was fun! Tons of roads were blocked. We didn't get to see it because we were working, though. Some other missionaries and members got pictures. We may go see it at the expo park just down the road. If you watched it on TV, we were in the background teaching an investigator on MLK Blvd. It was way worth it because this person committed to be baptized! More later! I was also able to see D. [who we baptized several months ago] while I was on splits in the downtown area (which now has part of Silver Lake in it). It was crazy! Her sister in Mexico that she referred through us is now baptized!!! I was about blown away by the Spirit when she told me. That is what a mission is all about!

A. committed to be baptized on the 11th of November! We still have a ways to go, but she will get there. We also met with J. recently. He committed to be baptized on the same date!! He is nine. We are so blessed to be teaching them and we are really excited! Well, my fingers hurt and I need to send some pictures before my time expires. I love you!!!!! Stay safe!

I'm an Oldy Moldy Missionary!

What a weekend!!!! Did y'all eat Swedish pancakes? I sure did! Can't let that one go. So the minute President Monson began talking about the missionary age, I knew it was about to  change. The thing I did not expect was the sisters' age at 19!!?! That is crazy. I bet every young man and woman of those ages are now frantically trying to fill out their papers. I would! I want to know how soon they will be getting out here? The MTC has been making preparations for more missionaries, and now we have them. This coming year will have a huge impact on the world. SO COOL!!!!  I had too many favorites, but I loved how bold every one of the talks were. I loved President Uctdorf's talk, Elder Oaks' and Elder Holland's. I loved the focus on families and becoming who God wants us to be. I cannot wait until I can read the Ensign and get it all over again!!! Woo hooo!!!!

We received a referral from Bishop H. the other day and we got to contact S. She came to church once and liked it so we hope to continue teaching her. We have met several people but they have a bad habit of dropping out of existence when we go back again. We work hard and that is all that matters, so we hope that we see the fruit soon.:) We have started a push on involving the youth in our ward to come out with us to the lessons we teach. I remember how big a difference it made when I went out with Elder Fafai and Johnson. It helped me make my final decision to serve a mission. It is even more important now that they can serve right out of high school! SO exciting!

Well, I am almost out of time, but we had a cool experience last night. We had a dinner appointment at a member's house, but there was no adult male there when we arrived.  [Mission rules stipulate that an adult of the same gender as the missionaries must be present in a home before the missionaries can enter.] We want to be obedient so we told her we couldn't come in. It was a bit awkward, but she ended up inviting her non-member neighbor over and we got to teach him a short lesson about the Book of Mormon. They also got to talk and get to know each other better (no one here knows their neighbors very well). It was cool to see this immediate blessing from an act of obedience.

Well I love you!! Don't forget what you learned in conference, okay? I hope and pray you will all have a greater desire and ability to share the gospel in your respective missions. Have you made your mormon.org profiles yet? If you look hard enough you may find me! ;)

New Companion!

Well, this last transfer was a bit crazy! My new companion is Elder K. He is from Rexburg, Idaho but was born in Korea. Wow, I sure have had a lot of Idahoan companions. :D We are both really excited to "tear it up!"  We have already worked a ton and are looking forward to seeing a baptism soon! No new people yet, but they are being prepared! With the new changes in the stakes, the mission has also changed around. Half of our zone was taken to create the new Coliseum Zone and we received part of the Griffith Zone. The area boundaries changed in some places and now part of my old area in Silver Lake will be meeting in the same building as us. The 3rd ward is in our zone now, so I will be in my old area on splits next week!?! Isn't that crazy?

I finally made my German chocolate cake for my birthday!! You may ask which German I used...;) We ate it the night before transfers at a member’s house for dinner. It was "soo good!" Thanks so much!

We have been revolutionizing the Mobile Area Book and Area Book by searching all the potential investigators and former investigators. We can feel the excitement building, which is super cool!

A member gave us a pizza and brownies the other day, and another member gave us a lasagna. Our fridge is pretty full. I hope that is a sign that the members are beginning to trust us! Yay! We even got a referral from our bishop! Woo hoo!

Our new zone goal is based of the Adams family and we will be presenting that in 40 minutes. I will be the one who always shouts "BISMARK!" It should be pretty silly, so I will try to get a video of it!

There is a member in our ward who wants to write Michael B. because her kids are in Uruguay. Mom and Dad, could you check where he is right now? I will look back through the missionary missives too. We sent the referral, but I guess they want to say hey!

I was able to give a Spanish blessing ayer and it was super cool. I was a bit rusty, but grateful to brush up. I hope you are excited for conference. I cannot wait! I want to say Feliz Cumpleanos to Dad this week! He is almost 30, so give him some spankings from me and a big hug! (Mom, you can do the honors ;) I hope you have a great week!

Mi casa su casa!

Well, transfers are high tide and we have no clue what is going to happen. I am really excited though, because I get to do the transfer call and let the entire zone know who will be staying and who will be leaving! That should be fun! It looks like Elder A. could be transferred, but we don't really know.  My toes are almost healed; they feel fantastic! 

Last Monday we had a lesson with a man named C. who is very intelligent. He "believes in science" ;) and loves evidence. We began sort of rocky, but smoothed out and he accepted a Book of Mormon and a mormon.org card! We need to follow up with him again to see how he is doing. That afternoon we also played basketball with many other missionaries and it was a blast! I had not played in a very long time! One of the Elders brought a watermelon and it was marvelously tasty after a long hard game.

We were trying to contact a less active member when a man named B. came out of the apartment complex and asked us to give his grandma a blessing, so we did. He tried to give us a ton of money afterwards, too.

Real fast... time is running out. We got a bogus referral for Walmart one day this week:)  Saturday we went to a Belizian wedding for the parents of some member kids; everyone was Belizian except us. We helped set up and prepare the party favors, watched the toast and talked to the kids. The bride and groom even took a picture with us. We left before the dancing.:) It was a really cool experience!

I gave a training on President Benson's Beware of Pride talk at district meeting and I loved it! It made me realize how pride is the root of many of my sins and mistakes. Christ was even crucified because of pride! If you haven't read it recently, I highly suggest it!:) 

At church I realized how great a blessing it was that the children of Israel were scattered! Missionary work was so much easier once they were all over the place!

D. and her sons came to church yesterday!!! They were discussing the stake change and seem to like it. They left before sacrament meeting, unfortunately, but seemed more excited than last time. The boys loved the cultural hall and want to play basketball on Tuesday nights. (I don't know if I've every told you how amazing our building's architecture is.  I love the building!) They even began flirting with some of the member girls. Have you ever heard the term "flirt to convert"? Well it just may be true. We were unable to get a hold of J. this week but we talked to A., the referral from SLC, and she is awesome! We are planning to go to the Visitors Center and Family History Library with her on Thursday!!

I gave a talk in the 6th ward (Spanish-speaking) on Sunday and was super nervous. It was the first time in a transfer that I've taught in Spanish. After the first minute, though, it began to flow back and I was grateful. The gift of tongues is incredible!!! I felt right at home. Sorry to be brief. I love you all!!! We have the power to change things in our lives through the Atonement! Please do if you need to! Have a great week!

Boom Shaka laka boom!

Olo! Life keeps moving along and it can sure get crazy! So, yesterday they dissolved the Huntington Park West Stake (the all-Spanish stake) in order to combine the youth classes. It is quite a great idea. Now, all the English and Spanish wards will meet in the same buildings, just different hours. It is a drastic change, but I am excited! I may get to see former Spanish contacts at our stake conference now!!! Elder Richards, my MTC companion, is going to be the next assistant to President Baker, which is cool! I will get to see him even more often.:D

We received four referrals last week and contacted all four. We have return appointments with two of them. One of them, A, just moved here from SLC and could be awesome! J is the other one and she originally didn't answer the door. We called later and, since the answering machine was in Spanish, I left a message in both English and Spanish. Half an hour later she called back and scheduled a day for us to come back. Updates to come in the future! We were actually allowed to call SLC to talk to the Elders who taught A while she was living there, so that was fun! I also got to meet a member, Brother A, who travels back and forth from Utah (UVU- area) on business -- he is the bomb! We made a few referral boxes to leave in the church and other areas so that people have more opportunity to refer friends and neighbors! Hope it works!

We went to the Temple on Wednesday; I am attaching pictures.  We have half of the visitors center sisters in our zone -- the Marina zone has the other half.  Not all were in the picture because they were working. We went to the Getty Center after the Temple and it was pretty cool and very inexpensive. You might see a few pictures from it in a bit ;) I saw a member from Inglewood in the car the other day and it made me happy. They still remember who I am!:)

The last bit of news was the baptismal interview I did yesterday. I had the opportunity to interview M. and he is 11. He is incredible! I am so excited for his baptism on Friday. The Elders in his area were blessed to find him there! The Church is true! My testimony of that grows every hour out here! I love this work! I love you loads and pray you are safe! Thank you for all your prayers!

"You become who you want to be by consistently being who you want to become" - Elder Richard G. Scott

 

 

Time is cruising!

Time is just cruising right along and I cannot keep up! We had another crazy week and I don't know where to begin. We tried to visit a less active member, but no one was home. As we were leaving, a man came out of the other apartment. As soon as he stepped into the hall, the Spirit fled. This man was creepy. He yelled at us to get out as I was trying to hold the door open for him. It was an interesting experience to see how the Spirit reacts to evil! I won't forget how that felt. This guy gave me the willies – beyond Free Willie-sized willies!

At zone leader conference we had a great discussion about the Atonement and I understand more about the Condescension of Christ. Elder Tad R. Callister has a good book/talk on the Atonement. I highly recommend it.

We had a zone activity last Monday and it was fun. We announced our zone goal, Finding Nemo, and had a BBQ-like party with sports. The bball hoop was at 8.5 feet – it made me feel like I was in the NBA. That was fun!

D. and A. are coming along. We have a great relationship with them and have another lesson with them tomorrow. A. said he wants to come o church and I have a great feeling about it. I pray he’ll follow through.:)

We had stake reports where we report to the stake leaders and with President on how our zone is improving. I quite enjoyed it!:) It was a unifying and exciting meeting. 

We did a surprise service to Brother B. two days ago and it was cool. The three companionships in the ward got together and pulled weeds in his yard.  He would never ask for it himself. :D

Well, I hope you are all safe and that the weather is cooling down. Can you believe it is already half way through September? I cannot keep track of the time! I am getting worried – it’s going too fast! Sorry it was a brief one. I love you!

Hey! Where's Perry?

Happy Labor day everyone! I hope you did something crazy and fun. If not, you still have time to get going!:) Well, here are some of the Scriptures we used for The Embrace of the Atonement: 2 Nefi 9:41, 2 Nefi 1:15, DyC 6:20. I love how Christ is the only way we can get to the Celestial Kingdom, and He is waiting for us. That will be the best hug! Other fun ideas: The children of Israel were baptized as they went through the Red Sea, Christ (the Bread of Life, or mannah) came down to feed mankind and also the children of Israel in the wilderness. Teaching in English has taught me some new things!

I have discovered several connections in the last week! We ate dinner at the W. home and Brother W. asked if I had a relative who served in Barcelona with him. Well, Clint is the right age, and he served in Barcelona, right? I am pretty darn sure it is him. That also means I was at the MTC farewell meeting at the same time as Brother W., too! Weird.

Then I met a young man who is living in a member's house in our ward. His name is K. and he is from Iceland. I said "Hey my friend is serving a mission in Iceland right now!" He said "cool". Then I verbalized my thought of "I wonder how Elder G. is doing?" Well, it turns out that he played soccer with him a lot out there! Who would've thunk it! I was also talking to the G.s (senior missionary couple in our ward) and discovered that they are from Dublin, Ohio. I asked if they knew the Z. family and it turns out they are in the same ward! Santa Mapache! 

On Sunday, Elder Moli was looking at an old Improvement Era in the library about Tonga. I asked if they had an article on Samoa. They did, and I saw President Joseph H. Dean mentioned a few times! I made a copy and am sending it home to Mom and Dad! This magazine was from 1966!!! The crazy stuff you find in church libraries!?!

Well, this week will be full of lots of meetings and craziness. I have been having  a hard time keeping up with the fast pace. September is here and so is the Book of Mormon musical! I loved hearing from all of you last week. I hope the reunion was fun and I am glad you are safe and recovering. Love you!  P.S. I heard that Steve was fabulous in a mumu!

Smashing Toast, Gromit!

Well, things have picked up a bit :) We didn't have many dinners at first, but now we have about 4 a week, which is nice. My first dinner in the ward was with the S. family. Sister S. is from Uruguay and Brother S. speaks Spanish, too. The C. & R.s were there and they both served Spanish missions, so we were all speaking Spanish and I thoroughly enjoyed it!!! Elder A. has been picking up some Spanish, too. I like to think that my "teaching" helps him. He is very smart and studied a bit of Latin. He could easily pick it up!

We found a small family that may progress, but we need to teach them a second time. They both said they would read the Book of Mormon, and the wife expressed interest in coming to church. We will see this next week. Note: we need to get closer appointments so we can progress faster!

We had a referral that turned out being Spanish and we introduced the Book of Mormon! It felt so good to have an almost 100% Spanish lesson again!:) It was really hard to tell her that the "Spanish missionaries" would be coming by next time. It about killed me!

A car stalled in front of a crazy busy intersection, and Elder Allred and I pushed it across by ourselves. I would like to know what the people were thinking and saying as we did it. It was really fun. I also happened to be on the phone at the time we decided to hop out :). Love service!!!

We met a less-active family and they straight-up told us that they didn't want us trying to persuade them to come back, but that they would let us in for a drink or to talk (but not gospel). They are all from Mexico but speak perfect English. The wife is not a member and looked pretty ticked-off when we showed up. She opened up tons when I began to speak Spanish with her, though. Before we left, they committed to call us so we could help them do some kind of service soon. I am really stoked and could not stop thinking about them. It was not a coincidence that we found them. There is something incredibly special about them.

Yesterday after leaving church I was reading a talk that brother Boswell (an MVP incredible man) gave us. We were discussing some updates on the ward list when I got an interesting buzz from head to toe, like I was being scanned by a spiritual price gun. I literally stopped talking and focused on the feeling for a minute. I had been talking about a member, Sister O., at the time. I knew it had been a prompting and I told my companero that we needed to see her today. We eventually got by and had an amazing lesson! She told us, "I signed up for the missionaries last week for dinner, was that you guys?" We were not aware and had not planned on being fed that night. We were able to uplift her and experience her strong testimony. She had a brain aneurism about 2 years ago and became a member shortly thereafter. She told us that she was grateful for the anerism because she had been a workaholic and would've worked herself to death if she had not been forced to slow down. It was powerful to hear her explain the blessings of this experience. My companion also strengthened her with an awesome scripture chain about the Embrace of the Atonement (I will write it next week ;)! We were both blown away by the Spirit!

We met the M. family, who moved into the ward a few months ago.  I was telling them I was form Orem, and Brother M. said “I'm from there, too!” He saw my name tag and asked "Are you related to Adriane and Lauren?" I was shocked! All I could say was "Are you serious!" SO I met A.M. and he is doing awesome! He served in Carlsbad speaking Mandarin. There you have it! Love you all dearly!! I have to run. My hour is up!!!! Lots of love from Los Angeles!

No longer un joven!

I got transferred again. Now I am 20 minutes south of my last area, Silver lake. We also share our southern border with Fox Hills! I am between my two favorite places here! I love my district and I love my new companion Elder A! Elder A is from Rigby, Idaho and he reminds me of Ryne a lot! He laughs like him and has a very similar personality. He is really intelligent and we have already had a hard time keeping our faces straight. We have laughed quite a bit!

I am also a zone leader now, along with Elder Davidson and Elder Richards.  I don’t get to speak Spanish as much anymore :(  I still carry my Spanish Book of Mormon with me, which is probably a form of denial.  I will continue to study Spanish as much as I can.  Our new district is awesome. 

Thanks again for all the birthday wishes and packages! I am going to get even more chubby! Happy birthday Sister Julia B!! You are one year older and wiser too!

We had a service activity on Saturday at the Fame church on Adams Blvd. Three zones came to help distribute shoes to those who cannot afford them. It was an amazing experience and I loved seeing the kids’ eyes light up when they saw the shoes. Good times!

Lastly, our next door neighbors are the Jefferson Park elders, and Elder O went to Orem High. We were in Central Zone together when I was in Inglewood. We have a fun time. Stay safe all of you! Don't ever forget that I love you, but also that  Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love you perfectly. Go to them for all your needs!

"I've got it, tooooo!" [Muppet Treasure Island]

Well, the last few days were pretty hot. Hotter than blazes, actually.  P. is progressing very nicely, but she has not yet come to church! We go by on Sundays and she is not there. This week with be a test to see if we have to drop her. We did teach an awesome lesson last Monday night with her daughter M. and then on Saturday with her daughter K. We have talked to many of the family members, just somehow we haven't taught them all together.

We had temple service on Thursday and worked on our hands, knees, and bums for almost the entire seven hours. We got to trim the bushes in front while it was 87 degrees. Booh yeah! Next time you see a picture of the LA Temple and you see the beautiful bushes in front, yeah, that was us.:D

Thank you for all the birthday wishes and cards! I will bake all the mixes that I received, even with the danger that I will eat half of them myself! It was a great birthday, just in a very different way that I cannot explain. We had dinner that night with the B family; Ja. made me a birthday cake and flan with her friend Jo. Elder D also wanted to buy me some Baskin Robins ice cream, so we indulged a bit. To make the day complete, I fulfilled one of my goals!!!! I handed out a mormon.org card out the window while stopped at a red light. It couldn't have been more perfect! As soon as they received it and I explained briefly, the light turned green, I went forward and they turned. That was a smooth job. It had to be destined, since I already had the card ready in the glove box.:)

We started teaching a man named F who is very sweet and likes us a lot. He is very sensitive to the Spirit and knows our message is "special." More to come later, since we can only meet with him on Saturdays.

Elder Cressman left us a referral from when he was here; we tried the address and met L. and her mom.  They also referred a friend who attends church with us.

Transfers are Wednesday again and we'll hope to stay put. If not, we are here to do the will of Him who sent us, so we should probably do it. ;)

Heating up in L.A.!

Here is the story about change.  J. is the husband of R.; he used to throw away the notes and pamphlets we left for her.  Now he has gone 180 degrees.  He wants to quit drinking and lets us come by once or twice a week!  Cool, huh!

A young man in our ward just received his mission call to Ohio Columbus, speaking Spanish, so HEADS up to Sister B.! 

P. reads every single thing we leave for her and is learning in leaps and bounds.  When we followed up on the Word of Wisdom, she knew it all.  I began to explain that it was revelation given to Joseph Smith, and she added, "In 1833."  Now I will remember that fact forever!

The computer is about to kick me off.  Love you all!  Sorry it is so short!

Hijoles Frijoles!

Another excellent week and the success is building! Our mission has had the best 3 weeks it has had in a very long time!

We played volleyball with the youth the other night, which was a blast! I haven't played in For.Ev.er! It was a great ice breaker with all the youth, too!

Splits with Elder D. and R. was a blast! We played Star Wars trivia after planning (no board game involved, just our bwains!) and I loved it! We gave each other our hardest questions and realized just how nerdy we are! Elder D. has some great ones. Once again, thanks to Chris O. and the knowledge I gleaned from him!:)

It was J.'s birthday and we made a cake that took a lot of orchestration, as our oven is broken. Luckily our awesome neighbors, who are reading the Book of Mormon, let us use theirs for 30 minutes.

S. and her two daughters came to church, which makes two weeks in a row! We hadn't even got to the baptismal commitment somehow and that is the goal for this week. We are really looking forward to it!

We found many investigators outside our area this week, and sent them as referrals to Elders M. and W.  downtown. One we found yesterday, at church, and we called them up right away. They went over and he accepted a baptismal date! We are super excited for them even though it is not in our area or ward!

I also found out this week that my companion, Elder M., has a killer Smeagol/Gollum impersonation! It is crazy funny!!!

Well, the computer is about to kick me off, but I want to let you know that the Spirit changes hearts and minds. Sometimes the change comes faster than others, but it does indeed come. I will tell you next week the story relating to this. I love you!!!! Stay safe. Don't keep this Gospel a secret. "Scream it to the world!"

Sh-h-h! It might be full of chocolate, okay! [Muppets From Space]

Well, last week we had a record high for baptismal dates and investigators at church, which is really exciting! President was so excited that he was almost jumping up and down..:) So I cannot remember if I talked about A and M last time I wrote. We showed up at their house before church and they just came with us! A is the brother-in-law of D who was baptized in May. Yesterday we had five people at church which was so cool!

Our new investigator is S and she absolutely loved church! Her 12-year-old daughter K came and brought two friends as well! S told us that she had fun and the time went by fast; she couldn't believe it was over already!:) She said she will for sure see us at church next Sunday and that her older daughter would be coming, too! They walked from their house, which showed their desire to come. When they arrived, three or four members hurriedly invited them into their row and we split up so we could sit with all our investigators. It was a way cool experience.

We had a cool lesson with five 25-year-olds and it was great to see all of them pay attention and listen intently as we shared the First Vision with them. One is named N and he is pretty cool. We talked about the Great Apostasy and then his friend A had questions about it. We got to hear him re-teach it to A and then think about it more. He doesn't believe in Christ, but says he will start to pray! We taught the lesson in the back yard and the nature atmosphere really helped to have the Spirit with us.:)

 Last night we passed by a moving van on our way to visit L. We both had the impression to go back and help out. I knew that L would not be home because we needed to help out this family. He wasn't home. So, we helped out! We moved out a couch and moved in two sofas and a kitchen table to their second floor apartment! At one point we decided it was easier to just hoist it up to the second level. Guess who was on the bottom! You probably guessed the tall, gangly guy with the higher reach, right? Yeah. I am a bit sore, but it was so great to help them out. The parents are named G and B. We talked for a bit and the mother said she had been praying that someone would show up to help them with that impossible task. Poof! We were there. Coincidence? I Think NOT!!!! We now have an appointment with them on Saturday!:) I am really excited. We also found out that their daughter is a Harry Potter fanatic so that could be a fun discussion.

Whoo! I had to take a breath! It has been fun talking with the other Elders who are Star Wars fans here. I got a little embarrassed when we started playing a trivia game with Elder D. and I said something a little too geeky. I knew the names of some "no name" Jedi's in the movies! I'd like to thank C. Oberg for helping me out with that !:) Love you all! Hope you love my randomness and that you stay safe! You have a little more than a year left to enjoy life before I come back to terrorize the city in my Sasquatch-like manner!!!! ;) Love you all! Mischief Managed!

Three baptisms in August!

Hey Family! We had a great week and I wanted to thank you for the support and prayers.

 Last week I couldn't remember the 3rd thing I learned in the Ensign article about covenants, so I referred back to my notes. When we are judged, we will not only be judged by our actions and the desires of our hearts. It will also be according to what we have become! Cool! I love trying to become the person I know Heavenly Father wants me to be. :) I have good news on my weight as well. I have lost 7 lbs! Woohoo! I now weigh 205 which makes me feel a lot better. I think it is from running/basketball. I have been sweating a lot which is good. I still feel really out of shape but I’m happy to have lost weight. :) 

We found several new investigators since transfers began and had some really good lessons. One man named T blew us away with his near-LDS beliefs and we were able to pick up a few investigators that had not progressed last transfer.  We also had a referral that seems promising. I will update you on those when we get to teach them again. We had a pretty crazy week.

We found this woman named P who is way cool! She and her mom G (95) were looking for a new church when we showed up looking for a former investigator nearby. We taught the Restoration and she was basically leading us to the baptismal question throughout the lesson. She kept talking about being "reborn". We left her a Book of Mormon and she started reading and even searching. Somehow she found out that we don't baptize kids until they are 8 years old, and she agreed. We had not even said the word baptism to her yet. When we finally challenged them to be baptized, they both accepted and set the date for the 5th of August!!! P does all her homework and loves it. The next trick is getting her to come to church! Our mission has been focusing on the fundamentals of PMG (ask Mom and Dad), and it has been working. Our companionship and the mission had an awesome week! 

L also accepted to be baptized on the 5th of August which was really cool! I was on splits with an other Elder and my companion, Elder M, committed him with his temporary companion! I also had great studies the last few days where I am led from one thing to the next. I have enjoyed looking for revelation in my patriarchal blessing and feel awesome every time I read it! If you have not read yours lately, I highly recommend it! Each time I gain new perspective and realize my blessings.

Well, I love you all and hope you see the Lord’s hand in your lives this week. Keep up YOUR hard work and love what you do. Keep smiling! Love you!

Transfer News

Well, this transfer cycle had a very unexpected result. Elder C got transferred and I received a new companion. His name is Elder M from St. Louis, Missouri. Elder C got transferred to one of the best areas in the mission... Fox Hills!!! I gave him a lot of info to take with him so he could get a good head start in the area. He is going to love it there! After the mission, Elder C, Elder D and I can go back together to visit! 

I had some new insights on covenants this week. The first is that the sacrament helps us to renew all of the covenants we have made with Heavenly Father, not just baptism. I was stuck in that mode and did not realize that for some reason. The second is that the New and Everlasting Covenant is not marriage. It’s the gospel!  It is every covenant that we have entered into with Heavenly Father. I used to think it was only marriage. I read it in the Ensign and looked for it in Principios del Evangelio (Gospel Principles). Cool huh? I learn something new every day!

Before Elder C left, we met a former investigator that dropped the missionaries a year back or so because they had laughed during the prayers and didn’t take the gospel seriously. It is sad that the bad example of someone a long time ago can make a difference now in the decisions we make. We missionaries are noticed and watched by everyone around us. We must always represent He who's name we have on our chest.

We also discovered that Katy Perry lived in our area a few months ago and that Ron Pearlman does now. We met him, although I have never seen the movie he was in. A member in our area has a daughter that is a HUGE Harry Potter, LOTR, and Star Wars fan! When I walked into their house, I thought I was walking into my room! She has so much Harry Potter memorabilia – it is nuts! I will have to take a picture the next time we are over.

We spent the week talking to lots of people and getting a few return appointments. During the week we met a member from Boston who gave us lemonade and talked to us for a few minutes (on the 4th of July). Turns out there is a missionary in her Boston ward from Utah, but she couldn't remember his name. I asked if it was Elder H, but she didn't know. I got her info and am going to ask him in the next letter I write to him. Two of the people we ran into this week were members in Guatemala, but are inactive out here.

 Last night we actually found this mom and son who are awesome! E, the mom, is very busy, but wants to make time to meet with us. She wants her son to meet with us, too, and she was honest and asked great questions. She used to run cross-country and is trying to get back into it. When I told her I had stopped track for two years to serve a mission, her eyes got big and she told me I should keep training. I chuckled at the thought of me training and serving a mission at the same time! We had a blast talking with them and she seemed really interested in learning. The trick will be working with her crazy schedule. The world moves too fast and we must all try to slow down a bit so we can focus on the things that matter most.

Well time is up, so I will talk again next week. Hope you had a great 4th of July and stayed safe! I love you!

Would you like me to describe it to you? Or would you like me to find you a box?

Goodness gracious! This transfer has blown by! I cannot believe that six weeks here have passed. Both Elder C. and I were really confused when other missionaries asked about our transfer predictions. It snuck up on us really quick. Well, I have been trying to be more effective in my letter writing and emailing, so we will see how it goes.....

I loved President Monson's talk entitled "Believe, Obey, Endure" from the Ensign. It had a very cool story about how seminary changed a father’s heart as he waited for his daughter all those early mornings. On Wednesday, we had two separate women (at different times of the day) tell us they were members of our church. It was interesting because neither of them got the name of the Church right, and both of them had blue hair. For some reason I thought of the cosmic knowledge fish – I don't know why! One of those experiences happened while we were street contacting on Sunset.

One man named J. opened up to us when we began talking about his car and what he needed to do to fix it. He has a Book of Mormon and we read a little bit with him. He told us he is going to read it, so hopefully he uses his agency! D. and J. went to Mexico and will not be home until later in July, so if one of us is transferred it will stink like a dead skunk in the middle of the road.:)

We have been playing basketball a few times a week at our church building. I was comforted to know that I can still dunk it.:) So I hear it has been hot over there? Have there been any fires up the canyon? I have a feeling this July will heat up out here as well. This Wednesday is transfers, but more importantly, it is G.'s BIRTHDAY! Booh yeah! Don't get too old now, you hear! A. always said I made her feel old. Now I suppose it is only fair that her son returns the favor.;)

We got the new Ensign on Friday, and Elder C. and I loved it! I'm afraid I read a lot of it in one sitting and need to go through it again. One story led to another. I loved the one about the couple telling their 35-year conversion story! I also read the “Covenants” one and a few more towards the back. I related to the temple cleaning one and the future plans not working out. Those future plans are still a little fuzzy for me. :) One thing I never realized, though, until I was looking through the Ensign and Principios de Evangelio, was that the "new and everlasting covenant" – which I always assumed to be marriage – is really all of the covenants of the Gospel combined! I was really impressed. Love the Spirit!

Well, I think that was better. Yay for effectiveness! I love you all and hope you have an awesome 4th of July and a great week! I hear the 4ths of July out here are nuts! For sure we will have to stay inside. Maybe we'll be able to see the fireworks at the Dodgers Stadium from here.;) It is only a mile away. I will let you know if I get transferred, but I am very hopeful Elder C. and I can stay together at least one more.:) Love you!!!

Almost July???

Santa Vaca! I cannot believe the time has gone so fast! Elder C. and I have already been here for almost 6 weeks now! It is almost Gregory's birthday, too! Not to mention the Fourth of July! Sorry that I didn't get to email on Monday; the library closed early for some reason, and they kicked us out before we could finish!  Luckily we got permission to write today.  Elder C. loves beans and eggs, by the way. He thought they sounded gross until I actually made them. Now he has stocked up on ranch-style beans and eggs!:D

Our neighbors above us had a baby and we got to know them a bit. The husband asked us for a Book of Mormon so he can read it, which was a surprise, although we had hoped they would come along one day. The kids always say hi to us and the parents are really friendly. They were amazed to find that we speak Spanish (or at least try). Other contacts: we met a girl reading on the street who said she wanted to come to church. A teen named L. read the first 2 chapters of the Book of Mormon after our introductory lesson last week!

We got lost trying to find a member's house and found ourselves on this hill with lots of expensive homes. We drove up to the top out of curiosity and found this HUGE house! It is called the Paramour, we think, and there was an event going on. We don't know who owns it, but the bodyguard/bouncer was pretty cool and said I could put a pass-along card in the mailbox! When we shook hands, though, I felt like he was going to crush my body!

Although L.A. is crazy and very worldly, we see good things every day. We saw a dad holding hands with his three small kids while walking down the street, and it was really cute (pardon the word). I had to stop him and talk to him. He may not attend church or let us come to his house, but a seed was planted in what appeared to be fertile soil.

We had a Zone Conference/Mission Tour with Elder Paul V. Johnson of the Seventy last week. It was a really cool conference. Elder C. and I got one of the clean car awards, which was nice, and I also got to talk with Elder Ri. and Ro. from the MTC! I think the most important thing I learned was that we really do have an immense influence on the people we teach.

D. and J. (who were recently baptized) were able to go to the Temple on Thursday and do baptisms for the dead! D. even submitted names and was baptized for several of her ancestors from Mexico! Super cool! There is nothing as rewarding as seeing recent converts go to the Temple!

I loved Sister Dalton and President Monson’s talks in the YW session! If you haven't read them or reread them, I highly suggest it! I especially liked how Sister Dalton said that a "shiny" countenance does not rely on makeup or fashion. It comes from our personal purity. It made me think of all my sisters and especially Mom, who were always the best example of that. Thanks to you, I have a pretty darn good start on what I want to look for in a wife. I love you all and hope you smile lots today! Keep your chin up and never forget who we can become!!!

A Smashing Father's Day to You!

Olo Familia! I hope you all had a smashing Fathers Day yesterday!!! It seems like just yesterday that I wrote, and I won't have too many updates to give, but there is always something going on out here.:D

After attending the temple last Wednesday, we played soccer and then ate lunch at a Subway on Sunset. I was wearing my LA Galaxy jersey with my name on it when I ordered. I was all sweaty and tired (yummy) and the guy who took my order honestly asked me if I played for the Galaxy! It was awesome! Made me smile.:) I heard about R's mission call to the Philippines! That is SO crazy! What language/dialect will he be speaking?? Yay for missionaries being llamado al servir!

We found a new “game”: proselyting while in the car..he he he. We were stopped at a red light and thought it would be fun to hand out pass along cards through the window. I have always wanted to do it, but never actually thought about DOING it. It is really fun! It sure makes tracting doors look easy, though! We always have some cards in the car now, so we can give them out if we so feel inclined. Don't worry, we never do it unless stopped at a red. It rarely works out perfectly, but it makes for some fun experiences.

I recently finished the conference Ensign and I loved it!!! I especially liked Elder Vincent O. Halleck's talk about vision. He stressed how important it is to see ourselves (and others) as the Lord sees us and our potential. Christ saw so much in the fisherman who saw little in themselves at first. It is something I have always considered important. It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks of us, as long as we and our Heavenly Father think well of us. Looking over the entire conference, I realized that the family was a central theme. I think about 85 percent of the talks were focused on improving and enhancing our families! We have some work to do...;)

The other day we had several cool things happen to us. One return appointment seems promising; he seems to have been prepared through another church. Another man stopped us in his motorized wheelchair to ask if we were Mormons the same day. Later that night, while attempting to contact a referral, we were delayed by talking to an English-speaking woman and were afraid that we had lost our chance to find her (the referral).  As we were pulling out, a woman pulled up and asked, "Who were you looking for in that complex?" We told her the name. I knew before she answered that it was her. It had to be her. We had a brief lesson on the curb before retiring to our apartment by the 9:30 lesson curfew. She was a member referral; she became interested in the Gospel after her dog died. The member told her that her dog was in heaven and asked her to talk with us...so you never know how things might work out. We have been back once since then and will return again tomorrow night to finish el Plan de Salvacion!

The Gospel is the BOMB!

The temple was AWESOME and I thought of every single one of you in the celestial room. Isn't this gospel the BOMB!?!? 

I feel like it has been forever since I e-mailed last week. We have had lots of really cool things happen to us here. I recently called Elder W. to ask him to zone-mail me some things that I left in Fox Hills, to find that they have 5 baptismal dates set for people that I taught!!! I hope I can go back to see the baptisms! P. and her friend M. are both getting baptized, as well as two of their kids and a guy that Elder D. and I found named J.! Super cool! It is such an amazing feeling to know that the seed I first planted has taken root and is growing away! That made my day when I found out!:D Now to this area....here goes the overload.

We drove by Paramount Studios the other day, and our zone leaders saw Kobe Bryant!  Weird!

The other morning I was thinking about how impossible it would have been to make up the Book of Mormon.  Try to imagine yourself doing it... it is 531 or so pages, written in Reformed Egyptian, has incredible detail about an ancient civilization, has no contradictions to the Bible, relates to everyone who reads it, and was translated in like 60 days! Not to mention that a bajillion  (yes, bajillion) people will try and critique it, so it has to withstand everything. When I tried to imagine myself doing this, I realized that no man could. The only answer is that it was brought about through the power of God!

Our investigator O. has a baptismal date set, but we are unsure if she will make it because she’s in the hospital. We hope to get back to her soon.

Elder C. almost started his tie on fire while trying to burn the fuzzies off with a lighter...:D That was a classic moment! My favorite moment of the week happened after an appointment fell through. We were walking in the hard, desensitized streets of L.A. when a large, raised SUV passed us. A very big, tough-looking man was inside jamming out to Little Mermaid (“Under the Sea”) with the windows open wide! It was hilarious!  I couldn't help but laugh to myself. Yet again, another hug and boost from my Heavenly Father.:)

We were walking by a house and we decided to knock it. Before long, we had 5 or 6 young kids crowded around us, all raising their hands, eager to ask and answer questions about Jesus. It was an incredible experience! After a little while, the father came out and asked us to leave very impolitely. The spirit of the visit changed so abruptly it was sad. Even though an older daughter protested that we were talking about God, he said that he "didn't care". We did manage to give them a few pamphlets with our name and number on them before we left. One day in the future they will remember us and the experience they had, and then they will be baptized!

Our new game plan consists of praying over a list of former investigators that we compiled last week. We then plan 4 or 5 names into our schedule for the next day. So far we have found very few of the formers, but we keep finding new people in the area where the formers used to live! :D It is awesome! In the next week, we have 6 return appointments through this method! I also want to pray over a map to decide what streets to tract, and then the actual doors, too!  Elder C. and I both feel that something great is coming. We are more focused and devoted, so we are ready to have people progressing! I can't wait to teach the 6 people we found. At least one of them is going to progress and be baptized, if not more!:D I hope to report back with great news next Monday! I love you! How is your mission going? Life is a mission; we all need to serve well and share the gospel with all! I love you more-a!

It's getting hot, hot, hot!

Well, it is kinda hot here, which means we should probably get cracking on our AC with the manager, huh?:) One thing I have noticed since being near downtown and Hollywood is that there are TONS of different nationalities here! We have tracted into Cambodians, Armenians, Romanians, Koreans, and many more. We have Tagalog Books of Mormon in the apartment just in case we run in to someone who speaks it. It is so CRAZY! I don't think I'm in Inglewood anymore, Toto..;)

J. accepted our invitation to be baptized and chose to be baptized on Sunday!!! So, last night we had a baptism! Both Elder C. and I screamed like little kids once we got back to the car, we were so excited! The lesson went super well. We talked about agency and how it related to the Word of Wisdom, Law of Chastity and tithing. She was super excited! Last night after the baptism, J. and her mom hugged for about one minute straight and just cried. They were both so spiritually uplifted and filled. The next step is the temple. D., the mother, really wants to do baptisms for her ancestors and they already have an interview set up and a date to go to the temple!!! Woot! I love watching the Gospel in action!

We served a family on Saturday by preparing a garden plot and then mixing in some fragrant compost . . . yummy! The best part was how happy the non-member father was about it. He is from Ecuador and he’s a big soccer fan. It was funny because he really opened up when I started talking about some of the things I learned from the years I played. We got very dirty, tired and sweaty, which was fun! I haven't done that in quite a while!

L. is going back to Chile for two weeks, but she absolutely lit up when we asked her about the Book of Mormon! She said she was intrigued and was excited to talk to us more about it when she gets back. We were both a bit surprised by how she reacted. Her entire countenance changed! We slipped in the fact that she could read the Book of Mormon while on the plane over, and she seemed to like the idea. Maybe when she gets back she will be ready to progress like a champ!

I did splits with the Sunset elders, and I was with Elder D. in their area! It was so crazy! I had deja vu so many times! I almost felt like we were back in Fox Hills together. It was also pretty weird to be riding bikes around and passing places like Nickelodean and other famous places. P.S. Dad, I have been running in the mornings with Elder C! I also did some lunges which made my autoverk very sore ;) Well family! I love you! It sounded like you had a fun weekend visiting and working in the yard! I am excited to hear about transfers from Julia. Mike, how high was the chain you hurdled? I bet you can jump higher than I can right now :D ILoveYouMora!!!;)

Foiled in the Final Furlong

Well, I was transferred from Fox Hills. Now I am near Hollywood with Elder C.! I was really sad to leave Inglewood, but I knew I had to be transferred one day. Tuesday night before transfers, we had a lesson with M., who came to church with P. that one Sunday. We had an INCREDIBLE lesson with her and her kids about the Restoration. We only had time to teach the first half -- they loved it! M. wants her son J. (age 17) to serve a mission! They are such a happy family and seem super ready to be baptized! Hopefully I will be able to go back when they do. They actually live right behind a house I tried several times, but never knew there were more houses behind it. When we went back, I felt like I was in a South American jungle :D There are so many things I wish I could remain there for, but I'll be back soon if it is meant to be.

Elder Scott M. is in this zone, along with Elder D. (in my district:) and Elder Parker C. just left the zone. It is a cool zone and I am really excited! Elder C. is so funny! He is 6-3ish so people run from us in the streets;) Being so close to Hollywood and downtown LA is weird! It is a lot hotter over here, too, especially since our AC is broken (working on it). Since being here, we've taught one man named A. who has some potential. He agreed with a lot of things we taught. A woman named D. was baptized last Sunday and we are hopefully setting a baptismal date with her daughter J. tonight after dinner!

Funny story from tracting: one lady got mad at us because we came in her yard. She said "Didn't you see the sign?" The sign read "Beware of Dog" (not "No trespassing") and there was this tiny dog sitting there. We went behind her house to knock those doors and when we came back out, she had locked the gate to her driveway. We think she was planning on sicking the dog on us, even though it was easily punt-able!

Sorry it is a short one today...I am a bit frazzled with the transfer y es probable que mi mente va a esplotar!
The last side note is for Dad. In one week here, I have met two people from Chile and I proudly shared that you served there! What years was it again? I said around 1980, but I wasn't positive. One of them is named L. and she accepted a Book of Mormon. The other is a member of our ward and he recently immigrated from there, I believe. Sorry that this is brief! Sorry to say, Sister B . . .you might be next on the President's transfer board....:) Love you all! I hope to report many exciting stories with you soon!

 "There are times when we have to step into the darkness in faith, confident that God will place solid ground beneath our feet once we do."  --President Dieter F. Uchtdorf