Monday 25 June 2012

Week 48


So this past week has been good. Had a two day exchange with an elder up in Auberry and we got a lot done and found some new investigators so it was a success as finding is a challenge up here. On Saturday we went to go see a community play, it was "1776" and it was pretty bad but I was laughing the whole time so it was entertaining, I normally love plays but this was a let down. We got transfer calls on Saturday night and I'm going back to the city! I'm going to Merced, which is an hour north of Fresno, and is one of the biggest cities in the mission so I'm super excited. I'll be in Merced 4th which is a Spanish branch so I'm going to be teaching nothing but Spanish so I feel so lucky to be going there as a lot of Spanish elders want that. My companion will be Elder Snyder. I also have been going for physical therapy but that is near here so I'm going to have to change who I go to because its too far away. I had an ultrasound on my ankle so Emily isn't the only one in the family getting an ultrasound. They want to take another xray because the doctor thinks there might be a break so I'm looking forward for this whole foot thing to end. So tomorrow is my last day in Auberry as I leave for Merced on Wednesday morning and thats about all I know that is happening this upcoming week. 
 
So thanks for the emails, it sounds like your doing well. My Spanish I thought was good, but haven't spoken any for over a month since I've been up in Auberry so if its not good now it will be in a few weeks. Love you all and miss you.

Monday 18 June 2012

week 47


Thanks for all the emails, sounds like your all doing good that your now officially empty nesters! So, this week flew by as we were hardly in our area but it was still good. On Monday to Wednesday I was with the Hmong elders which is a impossible language to understand so I just ate the food (mostly rice) and got a headache from listening to all the noises coming out of their mouths. It was fun though and glad that I'm learning Spanish and not Hmong. So on Saturday we had an all mission conference up in Modesto which is 2 1/2 hours away so it was a lot of driving but well worth it. M. Russell Ballard was the best of the three apostles that we've had as he was well prepared and a good teacher. He talked about knowing the doctrine better and being better teachers. He said we could find more people if we were better teachers because we will be more confident if we know what were saying. He then opened it up to questions so have a lot of good notes from him. I also went to get my foot checked out and I tore the ligaments on both sides of my ankle so I will be in a boot for about a month and can't play sports. I also am going to Physical therapy this Thursday and hopefully won't have to go much as it's a long drive there. We have two investigators that are pretty solid right now, Shirley is super close to baptism, she hasn't missed a church since October but she is just waiting for God to tell her when to be baptized so were going to push her super hard this week. We also started teaching a 90 year old man who is a yoga master but I wouldn't think he would be receptive as he's 90 but he is open minded and wants to learn and he actually showed up to church on Sunday so that would be awesome. Have transfer calls this Saturday so I'm excited to see what happens, but to be honest I don't mind what happens as I would be happy staying here in the mountains or moving to a new area so not too nervous about this transfer call. 
 
I've never heard of those church meetings with all the churches, that is something I would like to go to but its good about going to those and getting the church out there and getting a good name. Thats too bad about the Eberts leaving, a lot of people are leaving, the ward won't be the same by the time I get home. So Well, I better get going, but I love you all and have a great week.

Tuesday 12 June 2012

week 46

Sorry I didn't get to email yesterday as it wouldn't let me login. This was one of the longer weeks of my mission as the work is really slow up in the mountains as everyone lives so far away and spread out. We spend most of the day in the truck and its hard to feel like missionaries as we don't teach much. Everything I know how to do as a missionary doesn't work out here as it's very different. The ward is good though and excited to do missionary work so hopefully we will get referrals from them. I don't think that I'll be here long   but I will make the best of it while I'm here. My companion doesn't like to talk so that makes it a lot harder as we are together in the car all day and I have no one to talk to so that makes it a lot harder. I just want to work and be busy. I'm going to the doctor this afternoon to have my foot checked out, the swelling is done finally and I'm wearing a shoe but I still have some pain in the ankle so will let you know next week if anything is wrong. This week were not in our area much as I'm in Fresno for these two days and then this Saturday we have a mission conference and M. Russell Ballard is coming to that so that will be fun. I'm doing well though and really enjoying myself and trying to make the best of every day. Oh, I also went golfing yesterday and got burnt alive, I bought this lotion the other week and I forgot it so I got roasted yesterday but I played really well so its worth it. So I've been doing good at writing in my journal recently. I haven't been biking much. Well I would like to write more but I'm out of time. I love you all and miss you.

Monday 4 June 2012

week 45

I'm now in Auberry which is up in the mountains and it's an all car area and its out in the boondocks so its a lot different. It was hard the first couple days but I'm getting used to it, the members are good so that will help. It's an English area. I am with another elder who has been out a year, his name is Elder Furness and hes from New Jersey, hes alright, just a little prideful but I can deal with it. We live in a trailer that is super nasty and theres a frog every morning in the shower so I make him get them as I won't touch them. I'm not sure how long I'm going to be up here, but to be honest I hope its not long as I want to be in the city and contacting people instead of driving around all day.