Please let this be a normal fieldtrip!

Well, we found out that C. [former investigator] from the Centinela area is actually already a member!?! So crazy! I was able to call Elder H. and let him know that. It was fun to hear him answer the phone and to hear his surprise at finding it was me. Sad news next. Maria, the 75-year-old woman who was going to be baptized, passed away on Thursday morning. :( We were sad that she was not able to be baptized here on earth, but I know she will have the eternal record for fastest conversion in the spirit world. :)

We had a fantastic week and now have five people scheduled for baptism. Mo. and Ch. will be baptized the 16th, and Al. will hopefully follow on the 23rd. Ar. and Di. are set for the 30th, but we have only had one lesson with them. Our district has 17 dates and our zone has 31!! We are really excited for the new zone goal we made, too. It is called Glory Days and is an Incredible/super hero theme. We are Frozone :). We hope to have an awesome month and summer!:)

I was able to see Jo. and Iv. this week [recent converts]. It was sad to see them less active, but I tried to remind them of how they used to feel when they were active. I pray for them and hope the sisters can help them return by inviting the Spirit a lot.

We sadly saw first hand this week the destruction that alcohol addiction brings. I want to ask you all to never, ever drink alcohol.  It will destroy your life.  On a happier note, we know the joy and happiness that can fill that void. I am really grateful to be here, feeling the Spirit work through me. I read Elder Nelson's talk from Conference and I suggest you go back and read it. It was awesome! Please be safe and take care of that RM sister of mine. I love you all!

Nacho-o-o-o-o!

Well this week was awesome! Transfers are tomorrow and I am staying here with Elder R.  For P-day today we are going to “the alley” in the fashion district with a few missionaries.  That’s like a big swap meet, basically.  I am going to look for a luchador mask like the one from Nacho Libre. Then I’ll probably print a few pictures and write letters.  Something unexpected will pop up as well – we can always count on that. :)

We have not been finding too many people lately, but we keep trying. Our area is full of less-active members; my goal is to visit them all and ask them for referrals. We have a red area in our district (which means we can't be in there after 7:00 p.m.), so sometimes that limits us. We had a great lesson with Ma. and Ar. this week, which was cool. We are also teaching a couple of young kids who will hopefully be baptized next month. They are Mo. and Ch. Another investigator, Maria, is still in the hospital, but hopefully she can come back to church and be baptized as well. Now that it is a new transfer, Elder R. and I want to kill it and go CraZY!

I also want to give a shout out to Sister Julia Bham! That went by fast! Keep working hard. Brigham Young said, "There is neither man nor woman in this church who is not on a mission." What is your mission? Find it and work at it! Take care!

Zut alors! I have meesed one!

Hey everyone! I love you! Sorry I have zero time today, but this week was good. I cannot believe how fast it flew. Elder Quentin Cook was AMAZING!!! He helped me to connect some things in the D+C about how Christ is personally preparing the hearts of the people in our area, and opening them for us!! He encouraged us and taught us with great power. It was great to see some old faces, too, especially Elder H. (previous companion).

Elder R. (MTC companion) gave me some pictures from the MTC and it was really fun to look through some. I may send one to you all, just to look back a bit. :D I got to go on splits with Elder K. the other day (whose sister was companions with my sister in Ohio). It was oober weird! I remember that day almost a year ago when he got his call. People said we would be companions -- well, we were for a day!

President Baker had a fireside at the VC which we attended with C., one of our investigators. It was awesome. He talked about how he used to get discouraged when he thought about "his" list of things to do; now “his” list is “His” list. I need to apply this to myself and remember that it is His list, not mine. A. and R. were there with Elders H. (previous companion) and R. I also got to see several missionaries from Hermosa Liahona and 4th ward. A girl I taught on splits got baptized on Saturday, too. I was sad I was not still in Hermosa Liahona for that.

Well, sorry I need to run. I love you bunches!!! Oh wait! Chris O. sent me an e-mail just now. He was called to serve in the Loaog Philipines mission!?! So CrAzy! He is going to be companions with Elder W. (my cousin), I just know it! :)

Happy Dia de Madre!

We had a ward Noche de Hogar last Monday night and it was fun to see the old ward again. Walking into the building brought back a lot of memories :D We set a few baptismal dates last week, too! One is a woman named M., and the other is named A. Neither came to church yesterday, though, so we need to re-set their dates. Dang.

We had our zone conference on Thursday and it was all about change and repentance. I learned a lot and have been thinking about certain things I can put on the altar of sacrifice as a missionary.

We had a ward Dia de Madre activity on Saturday. Since I was here for it last year, too, I had deja vu so bad -- it was a bit surreal! I got to see lots of old friends, which was fun. :) The M. family just finished temple prep class, so hopefully they will be able to be sealed soon! So cool! I was able to see the S. family, too. They live in the Centinela area, but come with their family to activities here sometimes. :)

Last night we found out that Elder Quintin L. Cook is coming this Saturday to visit our mission, and we are having a surprise devotional with him. Woot! Super cool!

Well, sorry it is a bit short. I loved talking to you yesterday and loved seeing you! I think I was a bit quiet just because I was amazed that I was actually seeing you.... :D I LOVE YOU!

Good-bye to Centinela!

Well, as of this morning I am no longer in the Hermosa Liahona Ward, or in Centinela, or with Elder H. or in South Bay zone. I have been emergency transferred to take the place of an Elder who went home with appendicitis. I am in the Century Area in a car, and am back in the Inglewood 2nd ward!?!?! SO weird. Elder Ri. [Zach's companion in the MTC] and Elder K. [whose sister was Julia's companion for several months in Ohio] are now my zone leaders. I am their district leader and the new Fox Hills sisters are in my district, too. President called last night to let us know about the change. Elder H. and I were not expecting it at all, so it sort of shook us up a bit. I had the feeling that I should bear my testimony at church, so I did; I’m really glad now!  It was kind of a farewell. My new companion is  Elder Ro., who was in my zone in the MTC and came out at the same time I did.

 Here is an update on Centinela before the Spirit “called me away”:

I had exchanges with Elder B. and had a blast! I enjoyed studying Spanish even more than usual this week, and hope to continue now with my native companion. I learned a TON about the Atonement that I never knew before.  I also found out this week that we could skype for mothers day, which made me excited. I did not realize that Julia comes home so soon....santa mapache!

A. and R. are so awesome. I love them. They are going to get baptized – I can feel it. I will try to send a picture. 

After President called last night we made a few good-bye visits before planning, then got the area info all ready for Elder R. (Elder H.’s new companion), and then I packed. This morning the zone leaders moved me to the mission home and we got our car. Now I am here! I love you all! Hope your week is awesome!  God’s work is unstoppable and I love it!