September 2018

09/03/2018

Well this week has been a super fast week. We have been running around a lot. We were able to pick up another person to teach his name is Steve Hitchcock. Him and his family just moved here from Sacramento CA. He said 15 mins from down town Sac and that's as much as I know about where they lived shea sorry. We were able to have dinner with them and go over the first discussion. Steve said that he really liked it. We were unable to meet with Enrique this past week hopefully we can get in with them. We have been getting really involved with the ward and hope to be getting more involved. This is the last week of transfers so this Saturday we will know what is going to happen. We helped this lady by cleaning her bike and giving it a tune up with 2 pliers. Got it done and when we give her the bike back we had a small conversation that lead to her telling us her name was ocean Goddess. We got some crazy members. Other than that this week has been a normal week we had a super long meeting from 9:30 to 3:30. It took a while but is was nice. Hope all is well for you guys. 

Alma 7:11-13 they are good verses that we read a lot. If you want to have a good study break then down and learn more about what the words say to you.

09/10/2018

Saw a UGA flag a flying. Go Dawgs! 

My boy Nicholas got baptized great to see him he was so happy.

              

Well this week has been great just like all of my weeks here in the California Carlsbad Mission, just love serving. These last weeks have been an absolute blur. This 6 week have gone and the transfers have come to an end, as well as my 5 month stay here in the Cardiff ward. I am going to serve up in the Temecula Stake in the Meadowview Ward. The news is bitter sweet.  I loved this ward and I have made a lot of friends with the members here. As well as love those that I have had the privilege to work with and help them along their path to Jesus Christ and eternal life. I am so grateful for Wes, the Lambarris, and Steve I absolutely love these people like family. As long as getting to know the Bellisario, Morrison, Toolson, Lester, Harris, Kelsey, Gordon, Kackadelas, and the Briggs family. Love these guys. I have learned a lot serving here and I look forward to coming back to visit.

09/17/2018

Well I have now been settled in Temecula for almost a week now. It is a great place and has a lot of members of the church that lives here. Hence the name TemecUtah. We are in a full time bike area and I love it. We got a couple of hills and a lot of dirt trails. It is a good time!

We are teaching this couple named Tom and Becca --love them. They came to church this Sunday.  It was great.

The weather up here is hot. I missed the super hot time were it was in the 110 for about 3 weeks. I just have the high to mid 90s every day while we ride our bikes. It is a super dry heat as well so my lips are chapping and my skin is getting super dry.

My companion Elder Lambert is from Riverton Utah. He is my second comp from Riverton and I like them both so they must be doing something right there.  We are in a 4-man apartment share and I have served around them before  -- So it is a ton of fun!  I am perfecting the wheelie on my bike --got to have fun somehow when you are waiting on the top of the hill for you comp.

09/24/2018

This week has been great, and just like the subject line said we did a lot of service and biking.  We did service for this lady that has a bunch of donkeys, a horse, a couple of goats, chickens, a dog, and a couple of Cats that she locks up in a chicken coop that we built. It was an interesting experience doing service for her. It is a good time though, I haven't been able to work with animals since Alan's ranch. I got to chase a lot of chickens and I caught them all.  

We have been getting to know our area pretty well by biking. It is a great workout plus we get to contact people as well. Our area is fairly small and is connected by a bunch of dirt roads and trails. So we off road bike a lot here. It is a great time to get to serve a mission. I love It. Hope all Y'all are doing well. 

Pdays are full -- we are just playing games today but next week we might be going fishing on this guys 500 acre ranch for Bass and Catfish. So next week should be fun.

August 2018

 Del Marr zone of zion. top row form left to right : Elder Oldroyd, Elder Wambeke, Elder Wallace, Elder Palmer, ELder Mehtvin, Elder Mann,Elder Roberts, Elder Willson,  bottom row. Sister Inskeep, Sister Hathaway, Hermana Orgondo, Elder Halstead, Elder Snyder, Elder Liddel, Elder Rambo, then Elder Garner and Me. 

08/06/2018

So Elder Garner is a great missionary he has been out a year. Super cool kid we have just hit it off. Which is nice because are companions. We have a couple of goals that we want to accomplish in this transfer. One of which being that I want to get out of the car. My last companion loved the car and that is all that he would do to work is if we used the car. I was glad to hear that elder Garner was fine with the idea of walking and riding bikes. We have already seen miracles from that decision. On Saturday the Kellsey family invited us over to dinner. Which we gladly excepted and that morning planed our route so that we could stop by Enrique, one of the people we are teaching, before we got to dinner. As we walked we were able to contact a couple of people non of which were interested. We continued to walk till we were about to cross the street and enter into the neighborhood were Enrique lived. As we crossed a car pulled up and honked at us. It was Enrique him and his daughter just got back from the beach. He asked us what we were doing, we told him that we were going to stop by his house. He said great I will see you there. So we continued to walk till we got to his house. We talked with Enrique for a while and he introduced himself to elder Garner. Then he asked us what we where going to do after this and for dinner. We told him how we were going to walk over to the Kellsey' s home for dinner. Then I remembered that insane Enrique' s daughter riding a stake board and, the Kellsey's have a full sized skateboard bowl in their backyard, and that the have this non-profit organization called skate rising which helps teach girls how to skate board. They have a bunch of pro skaters that come and teach the girls. He thought that was super cool cause his 10 year old loves to skate he even showed us the new board they just bought for her. We told him that hey if you give is a ride there you could talk to them about this skate rising. So he took is there and talked to the Kellsey s they showed him the professional bowl in the back and invited him to bring his daughter cause they as well have a 10 year old. They exchanged number we thanked Enrique and he left. Sister Kelly before dinner started said that they should just skate here tonight. They told us to call Enrique and to make this long story short Enrique and his daughter came 20 mins later and stayed there till 9:30. The girls hoy it off and the Kellsey s invited zahir Enrique daughter to go to the beach with them, come and skate anytime, and go this Saturday to skate rising with some friends. It was amazing Enrique and brother Kellsey talked for a long time. Brother Kellsey was a convert to the church as well and Enrique asked him a bunch of questions.  We played dodge ball in the bowl tjat is about 9 ft deep on one side anf 6 ft on the other for about 20 mins with Aubrey, lots, and Zahir.  After all this Enrique asked us if we wanted a ride home We said it would be much appreciated cause we were an hour walk home, my bikes getting a tune up in the shop. On the way home he said that he wants to feed us dinner some time and meet with us more often. That was a great saturday!!! Then on Sunday Wes came to church and now he is on the high adventure, which is an activity that the young men of the congregation do every summer. This summer they are going sailing and spear fishing for 5 days. This week has been full of miracles it is so cool to see. One of the many things I think about out here is the Plan Of Salvation which is Gods eternal plan of happiness. It answers we are here, where we came from before this life, what we need to do while we are here, and the part of the plan that I love the most where am I going after this. I know that death is not the end that because of our savior Jesus Christ we too will be resurrected. He conquered death that we to may have our spirit and body reunite before we are judged by God. This plan truely does bring Joy to my life. The Joy comes from the knowledge that I will live with my family eternity. Because my parents, grandparents, great grandparents, ect. have all been sealed or married for time and all eternity in the temple. Not just till death do you part. I am so grateful for you guys thanks for what you have done. I encourage all y'all to continue to say your prays, read your scriptures, and go you church. Those things truly do keep our spirits alive and healthy. Love all y'all keep safe and have fun!

SO once again the washer I used broke while I was using it. Me and laundry mats don't work

07/13/2018

Time just flys. It is already week 3 of the transfer here in Cardiff-by-the-Sea with Elder Garner. Fast week but some amazing miracles. First off the weather here is being super abnormal. We are in the high 80s low 90s every day with mid to low 80% humidity. Which isn't nothing to the south but I have climatized to this perfect weather. Now the only thing different between me and the native Cardiff people is that I know what 100% humidity in 100 degree weather feels like, as well as actually being outside. Most people due to the weather are only in their homes or at the beach. Which by the way the ocean temperature here is in the 80s, it is compared to Hawaii's beaches. So needless to say everyone is at the beach. On the hottest day this week were walking to see some people that used to be taught by the missionaries. That walk turned unto a 3 hour walk. It was hot. Passed out 2 book of Mormon though and 1 Bible. The walk was good it was by far the farthest we walked this week making it about 9 miles to unexpected service and contacting. I have had the opportunity to give training to other missionaries on how to teach the Plan of Salvation. This Plan that God has made so that we are able to live with him again and if we follow his gospel and make the necessary covenants(or 2 way promise between God and man. Where God sets the terms and we commit to follow the terms, and his commandments. When we do so God promises to bless us.) We are able to live with our family forever. It is a great knowledge we are able to share.

Another sweet thing that happens this week was that Enrique and his family came to church. It was sweet! They stayed the whole time and his 2 daughters loved it. We asked Enrique how he liked it and he said that he loved it. He has said that the reason he is meeting with us is because he is looking for something more in church. More for him and his two girls. It has been super cool to have been with him for the first time we shared a message of hope and Gods love with him. To now and in the future helping him alonf the path. I am grateful for the time that I have to be here on a mission. To preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and share a message of love. It may be hard at times but it is worth it.

08/20/2018

Well the complex laundry mat was, once again, not my friend. 

This week has been fast just like the last couple of weeks, it is all a blur. I will write some of the events that I can remeber.

Wednesday we had zone conference where we talked about the prophet Joseph Smith, how he was the tool in Gods hands to restore the gospel of Jesus Christ and the preisthood or authority to act in Gods name. Which the preisthood is needed to run Christ's church and preform the ordinances(or sacred acts that show our commitment to God) needed for eternal life with God. I am greatful for this knowledge and that all we have to do is ask God like James(Bible book of James) tells us to do.

On Friday we had dinner with Enrique love that man he is so cool. We were supposed to have a lesson with them over God's Plan of Salvation. But Zuad Enrique's wife had to go help he mother in a nursing home and took Zihana with her. Since his wife left Enrique took us to eat at a pizza place and we answered a bunch of his questions concerning the Temple. For example "what is the Temple for" "what goes on In the Temple". We answered all of them but for a brief overview. The Temple is where those sacred ordinances( if unclear watch that word means cast your eyes back one paragraph) are preformed. The main ordinance being a Temple Sealing. Which is a lot like being married but the marriage is for all time and eternity. It allows us to be with and have the joy that our families give us in heaven. Hence why we always talk about Eternal Families. After talking with Enrique for a bit. The Kellsey's  invited him and Zahir to go skateboarding again in their stake bowl. They skated for awhile till about 9 then my companion and I played dodge ball with the kids till 9:30. Crazy fun, they beat us last time we played and we weren't going to play till the 7 year old said "this is your one chance to actual win at something". So we beat them 10 to 3. Beaver nitro circus was there, he is a pro skater and super cool guy.

Then the last and a major highlight was that Jacob Serafini got the Melchizedek priesthood on Sunday. I was able to stand in the circle during his ordination. It is nice to see missionary efforts pay off after you work so hard. I am proud of that kid. He is a great friend and is cool to see him continue to grow.  Other than that this week has been great here the weather is nice but unnormally humid.  talk to you all next week 

08/27/2018
well I dont have a ton of time today to write I am in the middle of a heated frizbee tourniment. IT is fun here in cardiff. we taught sharing time in primary. for the kids that are the ages of 3 to 11. Fun times i love it i have taough it 2 now. love those kids. this ward is fantastic. I was on exchanges with the Carmel valley elders and got to ride a bike all day. Love my bike. we met with Wes this week love that kid there are people here that i would concider my brothers wes and jacob are two of those. we taught enrique and his family and will be meeting with them next week fun times. as weel are Steve hitchcock and his wife julie(she is a returning member) just moved down here from Sacrament and he wants to join the church. they got a 5 year old boy named cooper. sorry i didnt write a lot i will write more next week. love yall bye.

July 2018

07/02/2018

So this week the weather was great. But the people were in the same old uncomfortable state. One guy came put of his house to yell at us about walking his neighborhood. Asked us where we are from then he departed with a couple of choice words and telling us to go back there. Because they didn't want us to be here. Another guy after we asked if we could help them with anything. He replied with a yes followed by you your Mormon people can get it of the country. My dad tells a story about when they had some people in a mustang give them a thumbs up then flip it to a thumbs down. I guess that is a huge Cali thing cause it happens all the time. 

Well for a better note we had a stellar lesson with Wes on Saturday we taught the gospel of Jesus Christ which is faith, repentance, baptism, gift of the Holy Ghost, then endure to the end. His girlfriend came to the lesson who is a member. Wes just told her about him taking the lessons when we got to the lessons. Wes has talked about serving a mission and his girlfriend said that she want to as well. So after the lesson we had a 30 min mission prep question and answer. It was sweet!!! 

For church we are expecting 10 people to come which is a crazy amount. I usually only expect one to come at a time. But now we have a possibility of 10. Crazy. So out of all these people Wes is the only one that showed and he loved it. We are going to meet with him this week and talk about the laws and commandment. I love this kid. For me it is the best part of missionary work when you are able to see that switch flip and they enjoy learning about the gospel, and man it is even better when that switch flip all the way and they decide to get baptized. 

All in all it wad a great week. We moved out of the members house and into our own apartment. Got yelled at, people tried to tell us things that are false, and had a stellar lesson.

07/09/22018

So this week was great. Thank you all for the birthday wishes it meant a lot. The 4th of July was great we got to play corn hole with the Bellisario family. They are super cool. Then we had root beer floats with the Morrison's. It was a fun week! The best part about it though had to be Sunday. When Enrique came to church, it was so nice to see him there. He loves it the talks were amazing it was one of those meeting where that you dream of for your investigator, because all the talks spoke to him. So that was the highlight of the week.

So the new news for the missionaries is that the Preach my Gospel, which is the manual that missionaries follow, to teach them how to do missionary work, has been updated.  So with all that said this week has been over all amazing with a lot of ups and downs. What more could I ask for. The time moves so fast.

07/16/2018

This week went by so fast as normal. Nothing really extraordinary happened. We got bashed by a beekeeper, talked to a guy that says he is Mormon on the inside but not on the outside because he belomgsnto the self realization fellowship (who has this huge compound off the 101 coastal highway overlooking the ocean. We passed out copies of the book of Mormon to this group of surfer dudes who know one of our investigators. The surfer guys take the book to the beach and start to read it with one of the girls in our ward. On Saturday I got to ride a bike. Which I haven't really got to do since September. I thought I would have died a whole lot more than I did. The Del Mar ward has some big hills. We were able to do a lot of service, and had many gospel conversations with people we talked to on the street. Hope y'all are having a great time it is paradise here.

07/23/2018

What a week this has been! It has been full of just super high moments followed by super low ones. This week like normal we had two district meeting we had to go to. There were good to be at thius zone gas great district leaders and great missionaries. One of the two investigators we have is out of town till next week which is a bummer. But on the plus side we were able to have a meeting with Enrique. We talked about the importance of  the family and shsred parts of the restoration. It is super nice to be able to sit in a house and to preach the doctrine of christ and his restored gospel. You feel like a missionary It is a great feeling to have. We also we able to talk to a lot of people this week.

On the other side though this week has been full of let down. We meet with this guy that says he knows the book of Mormon to be true and says he is a Mormon on the inside. But he doesn't want to leave the church he has been going to for 50 years. It is sad when people know it but can't the the leap of faith. 

This week has been memorable and I hope that your week has been the same, hopefully with a little bit more ups than downs.

07/30/2018

So lightning striked twice with having elder Cattich and I serve as companion again after being companions over a year ago. But the storm has passed and they are splitting us up. Elder Cattich is going to Vista. I will remain here in the Cardiff ward. My new comp will be Elder Gardner from Texas. Looking forward for this transfer. 

We have had a lot of new move is tithe ward and they are all super cool.

June 2018

06/04/2018

Well summer is finally here it seems like there are so many vacationers here. We contact someone and guess  that they are from some other part of the USA or another country. And don't want to give us there info.this place a a super sweet vaca spot. And all the locals know who we are. We had one lady just tip her hat and keep walking when we tried to talk to her. She was probs thinking that if I can't see them they can't see me. Others respond with things that makes no sense. Me; having a great day. Them: I found my own religion thanks. Me:ok are you having a great day though. Them: you too. It gets pretty funny. The only pictures I have are from this 7 hour meeting so. And the other at President Thomas interviews 

06/11/2018

So this week has been really great. We picked up another new investigator with the chance of teaching his family. They are great people love them. We also have the chance of picking up another investigator named Katie. Other than that the work he is super slow when we are not teaching. A lot of street contacting and tracting homes. Summer is full fledged here and it is crazy the amount of people that visit here. The weather has been in the constant high 70s this whole week. There are so many surfer dudes here that we talk to, and even at church. This one guy was giving a talk in church yesterday and he told us that"man I would rather go hit some rad waves." It is pretty funny here.

06/18/2018

This week was super nice weather wide. Sunny the whole week and never got over the low 80s. We taught a couple of lessons to Nicholas this week he is a smart kid. We meet this ex NFL player who played for the browns 4 weeks ago on the street but didn't hear anything from him for a while. Till we happened apon him again. This time he gave us his number and we talked at his house for a while. Well another transfer has gone by. I will be staying here in the Cardiff ward right next to the ocean with Elder Cattich. This will make him my longest companion of 3 transfers total. If y'all could pray for Nicholas, Wesley, Enrique, Katie, Eli, and Kyle that would be sweet. Hope y'all have a great week love y'all have fun.

06/25/2018

Time flies so fast man. We have been spending a lot of time finding here. But summer is going strong with vacationers. So some people are here and some are not. We see a lot of Mormon families some just come up to us, while the others stare from a far it is pretty funny. We had some meetings this week, so had to wear a suit a lot. Learned to play a bob marley song on the Uekelall at the Kuppers house great family they had us over for dinner Sunday. On Saturday we stopped by the Eddies home and one of their girl piper kept asking me if I was married. I said no cause I am not. Then she would ask why not. There little boy archer would steal my tag and wear it durring the lesson. This week was fast but I learned a lot and we got a lot done. Last week was stake conference and they had a couple converts speak about how the Book Of Mormon intrigued them and how it helped them through their hard times by bring in ng them closer to Christ who has felt there pains. It was great to hear and great for kyle who we for to come with us. So as missionaries we wear this name tag that has our name then under that it says the church of Jesus Christ of latter day saints. We get one tag our OG Tag in the MTC. But sadly that OG tag got supper dirty in Escondido because of sunscreen, bug spray, dirt and sand. Making the white letter peetty much brown not yellow. So I decided to clean it you now to make it white again. Elder Cattich told me that a old toothbrush and hot water does the trick. So I set a way srucbing see picture below to see what happened. One picture is of my new tag.   I can't believe it has been a week since last monday!!!  Hope you all had a great week! Talk to ya next week.

May 2018

05/07/20108

So we all got transfers calls on Saturday. I have been here in Escondido for 8 month now and I guess the Lord decided that it was time for me to move out. I am going to be going to the Cardiff ward down in Del Mar. So I finally get to serve near the ocean. I am going to be companions with Elder Cattich. That's right if you guys --  don't remember --  its OK  -- Elder Cattich and I were companions with each other around a year ago.  So other than that I don't really have any new news from Escondido. The picture is just of my mission genealogy tie



05/21/2018

It is super nice being able to serve next to the beach. Great view. Nothing really happened this week other than we picked up this investigator. Chris Schaffer

05/28/2018

This week was great. We had the May Grey weather here for the most part of the week. But the sun came out Saturday and Sunday. And with the sun came a tom of people it was crazy. We contacted a lot of people but the most of them were on vacation cause summer has started. We had a couple of lessons with Nicholas who is getting baptized this Friday. And talked to a guy that played for the cleavland browns. Who has us coming over this coming week. This next coming week should be great. Man does the time fly