25 Apr 2016

This week was good. On Monday we had a Zone activity, we played a little bit of basketball. We also played a game called "tiger" and we also had a tug of war. Then we ended by playing soccer. When we played tug of war we had a loop at the end for our anchor and then we had another kid wrap the rope around him so we had two anchors. I knew that the Elder would get squeezed so I went on the back as well so I could hold the rope so it didn't cut the Elder in half. Well the Elder got squeezed and my fingers got caught in the rope and I got rope burn on my fingers and they started bleeding. It was fun though. Then at night we went and visited some old dude who just got out of the hospital.

On Tuesday we visited our friend Bill Tate. I always love visiting Bill, he is so funny and willing to do what we ask. We also went and visited Brother Buttars to see what we missed in our missionary meeting on Sunday.  So both sets of sisters in my district live together and they are about a 3 minute walk from our house. So one English Sister got sick and one Spanish Sister got sick. So me, trying to be a good district leader, asked what I could do for them. They sent us out to get Tylenol and orange juice.

On Wednesday I asked the sisters how they were feeling and if there was anything we could do for them. This time they asked for chicken noodle soup and crackers. So we got them their soup and crackers and some rolls as well as random things we found in our apartment. Then we had a meeting with the Zone Leaders, Sister APs, and a set of STLs, as well as the other District Leader in the Zone. It was about an hour and 15 minutes long. We were planning Zone meeting on Friday. Later on we went and visited the McFarlanes. That was fun and they gave us ice cream cake.

On Thursday I didn't ask the Sisters how they were doing because I didn't want to go get them anything. We had weekly planning as usual and I used part of it to prepare my training. After weekly planning we had a lesson with Brian. We talked about the 10 commandments. Then after dinner we went to the choir practice. Then we went and tried to visit people the rest of the night.

On Friday we had zone meeting. It was really good and the trainings were awesome. I had to give my half hour training to two groups of missionaries. At the end the zone leaders went through chapter 9 of preach my gospel and related it to finding people to date. Then we all went to lunch at McDonald's. Then for dinner we went to a Chinese restaurant with Li. He leaves for China tomorrow. It is sad to see him go.

On Saturday we spent the whole afternoon at the ward party. It was put on by the ward mission. We hat lots of less active members come and even a few non members came. It was pretty successful. The Spanish sisters showed up too. They stole my iPad when I went to talk to someone and took a bunch of pictures on it. Then we visited some less active families for the rest of the night.

On Sunday we had church, it was pretty ordinary. The sisters gave us cookies because we took care of them or something. So we shared the cookies with the elders quorum. The average attendance of the elders quorum in that ward is like 7. So we still had left over cookies.

After church we went and gave one of the Spanish sisters a blessing because she was going through a rough time. Then we ate dinner and took Bruno to temple square. We had a good lesson he has lots of good questions. And he has questions about everything. Then I did call ins and the Spanish sisters rapped their numbers to me over the phone. It was pretty funny.

I love my district they are all crazy, but there my crazies. Until next week.

18 Apr 2016

 This week was pretty good. On Monday we played soccer. It was really fun!  It was really funny, because Elder Paul leveled one of our APs.  My team won. Then we went to someone's house that we teach and had Domino's Pizza for dinner.

On Tuesday my duties as a district  leader began. I sent a text out welcoming everyone to the district. They consolidated our zone, so the district boundaries got realigned. Then I had to call all of the senior couples.

Wednesday was kind of a slow day. For most of the day we went and tried to contact people, but not a whole lot of people answered their doors. That night we got to teach Brother Neff. When we went over there I practiced the training that I was going to give for district meeting on him. But brother Neff likes to discuss things really thoroughly because he wants to understand everything. The member that we took with us for that lesson was brother Buttars. Brother Buttars was a mission president about five years ago. When he found out I was getting called to be a district leader he was really excited. He goes out with us a few times a week. He always talks about his stories with President Monson, because he was an AP under President Monson when he was a mission president.

On Thursday we had a meeting with the Zone leaders. They wanted to talk to me and the other district leader in the zone. We talked about our responsibilities and things we want to do for p-day. Then we had weekly planning. It was the same old stuff. That night we taught the McFarlane family. It's always fun to teach them. I have to keep their kids from climbing on me because they love me.

On Friday was my first district meeting. We started off with announcements and that sort of stuff. I had sister Thetford share something that she learned in her studies this week. Then we played a get to know you game. We played 2 truths and one lie. They thought both of my truths were lies. I said I'm the middle of 5 children, my favorite Disney princesses is Tiana, and I love the band, One Direction. The sisters laughed at me. Then the Spanish sisters gave a training on learning by the Holy Spirit. They did a object lesson where they had me read as much of a chapter in Isaiah as I could in 45 seconds. Then they started taunting me and throwing stuff at me. Then I did a follow up training on Applying what you learn. There was 20 people at my district meeting. 4 sets of young missionaries, 5 senior couples, and the Zone leaders.

On Saturday I got to go through the temple with Li! That took up most of the day. It was amazing, I'm so proud of Li and the decisions he has made. If this was the only thing that happened on my mission it would be worth it.

On Sunday we gave talks on how experiences and miracles bring conversation. It was kind of a weird subject but everyone told us we did a good job. Then after church we took Bruno to temple square for his lesson. He had lots of questions and they are all good. We taught most of the plan of salvation. The Spirit was really strong. Then as we were leaving I got a text from the sisters saying that they were sick and needed blessings. The English and Spanish sisters live together and one of each was sick so the other 2 went out to work. So we met them upstairs in their landlord's house and gave them blessings. Then I had to rush home and do call ins. So that was my week.

I got Sammi's letter.

With Bruno on Temple Square

With Li at the temple.

11 Apr 2016

This week was pretty good. On Monday we played baseball and kickball. My team was dominating at baseball. Then we switched up the teams for kickball; my team got smacked. It was really fun though.

On Tuesday we went and visited Brian so we could go over the baptismal interview questions. He answered all of our questions. He is a funny kid. We went to dinner, but when we got there everyone was sick. So instead of having dinner we gave blessings. So we went to a gas station and got dinner. Then we went to Mutual to do a follow up on a Book of Mormon challenge we did. After that we played volleyball with the youth.  My team won the first two games and then I switched teams and we barely lost. I realized that our youth group is above average when it comes to athletics.

On Wednesday Brian had his baptism interview. He passed! After the interview we played some basketball with a few kids that were walking down the street. Our zone leaders played too. In the evening we visited the Neff family. They had a family member just pass away and it was very unexpected. Sister Neff was really upset, so I offered to give her a blessing. The Spirit was really strong during and after the blessing. She was more cheerful immediately after the blessing.

On Thursday we had weekly planning so that took up a big chunk of our day. After that we went to visit Brian and figure out the program for the baptism. We got a few things figured out before we had to leave. After dinner we helped out with the youth choir.

On Friday we had our last district meeting of the transfer. It was really good. We talked about people that we needed help with. That took a lot of the time. After we went to Chick-fil-A for lunch. I've never been there, but it was good. Then we figured out the rest of the baptismal program with Brian. He asked me to confirm him. We were supposed to get transfer calls that night, but we got an email that told us we are getting them on Saturday instead.

We set up for Brian's baptism the whole afternoon. The baptism was good. He had to get baptized 3 times. He didn't go down the first 2 times. We had a video presentation from our ward mission leader. It was pretty cool. After the baptism we went to dinner. We ate with a Samoan lady. Then we went to visit Bill Tate. I always love visiting Bill, he is so funny.  We shared Elder Holland's talk with him. Then we went home and got transfer calls. So Elder Paul and I are staying together. Our zone is being consolidated. So I'm now in the Hunter Zone. Elder Andersen is my Zone leader again! I also got called to be the District Leader. I'm scared.

On Sunday we bore our testimonies in our first meeting. Then we went to the Marshallese branch. They gave us a bag full of ties so I was happy. Then I confirmed Brian. It was short. During fast and testimony meeting one of the less actives we work with bore her testimony for the first time ever. And then we bore our testimonies.  And Brian said the closing prayer. After dinner we took Bruno (our investigator from Africa) to temple square and had a tag-team lesson in French and English. It was awesome. The Spirit was really strong and he is on date for May 21st! Well have a great week.

Brian's baptism 

4 Apr 2016

This week was pretty good. On Monday we went to the aquarium. It was good, but I don't think it was worth the money. My favorite part was probably the autres, but I couldn't get a picture of them because they moved around too much.

On Tuesday we had a lesson with Brian. We taught him the 10 Commandments and the law tithing. We also helped this Spanish guy move. It was a service project for the whole zone. It was really fun and they had this weird bulldog that was crazy. It had this rubber tire it would chew on so we would steal it and then run into the garage where he couldn't get it. But then we always threw it back and it would run after it like a kid on the Fourth of July getting candy.

On Wednesday our day was filled with finding. While we were out we got a call from one of our relief society presidents. She and her counselors had been making visits and some of the people  needed blessings so she called us. So our afternoon was filled up because we were giving people blessings. I had to give a blessing to this lady that might be going blind. Then in the evening we talked with brother Neff. Then we went to the Mcfarland's house. We shared a short message and then a nerf war broke out. It was me and their son against Elder Paul and brother MacFarlane.

On Thursday we went and visited people in the morning and then we did weekly planning. For dinner in Marshall easement took us to Golden Corral. It's the first time of ever gone there, I liked it. While we are there I saw some people from my last area; it was cool. Then after that we went and helped out with the youth choir.

On Friday we had district meeting. We had a training on companionship unity. Then we had to answer various questions about each other. We Did pretty good. Then we all went to Taco Bell for lunch. After that we went and blessed a less active lady's house. Never done that one before, it was cool. The rest of the afternoon was just spent finding people. Then after dinner in the evening we helped a family moving in. It took about two hours to move them in, they had lots of heavy stuff.

On Saturday we watched the first session of conference with brother Neff and his wife. They made us breakfast before it started and it was really good. While we watched conference I played with their cat. Then for the afternoon session we went downtown. We got to sit on the first row of the terrace. Right behind us there was these two girls from Sweden and their sisters. They were cute. We went out a few times to use the bathroom because we got there an hour early. The last time we went to use the bathroom we were coming back in and they almost didn't let us back in. They didn't want to let us in because they put us in the wrong seats when we first got there. Our tickets said balcony but the people on the terrace level told us to go in. They were kind of rude when we told them that they had let us in here and they told us that this is where we should go, and they had already seen our tickets three times and made the mistake three times. Finally the guy just let us in and said "if you get kicked out don't blame me." Priesthood session was really good, I really liked the talks. President Monson's was very good as well. 

I met a guy with the last name Aldous at priesthood session. He said he had a sister in his mission with the last name Pleshek. Turns out he was in Sammi's mission.

On Sunday we watched the morning session of General conference with our stake president. He fed us snacks. Then we went and watched the afternoon session at the church building, I really liked Elder Holland's talk. Then after that we ate dinner with brother Butters and his family. Brother Butters used to be a mission president in Arizona Tempe mission. He is really funny guy. 

After that we went to a mission call opening. It was for my buddy Li. I taught him all of the after baptism lessons when I was in the YSA Ward. We got pretty tight right before I left that area. He is from China and he was baptized here last June. He is going on his mission to Australia! He enters the Provo MTC on August 24th. He has to go back to China before then but he got permission from the first presidency to go to the temple before he leaves to China. He is going to go in a few weeks and he has only been a member for about 10 months. So that was the highlight of my week.

Mission Vision

This is our mission vision.  In this last zone conference I learned something that I thought I already knew.  I finally learned what it means to forget yourself and go to work!