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Monday, November 24, 2014

Mission Letter Week 71 - 24 November 2014

Hello!! Good to 'see' you all again!

I LOVE ELDER PETERSEN! XP We have been having so much fun and things have been working out very well here! We set another baptismal date last sat night with E and she is really excited for it!! It'll be in January because she will be out of town for the holidays, but we are very excited for her!

I am loving this ward and everyone in it. Brother D is our Ward Mission Leader and he and his wife are AWESOME!! They have gone on a couple senior missions and some vacations to the COOLEST places and have pictures all over their house of those places...I wanna do that - :P haha - and Brother D is totally on board and even ahead of the game.

Emily,

Wow, that does not seem like a very nice girl. :( Just keep being nice though and maybe something will come of it! And even if not...her loss, and you are still happy!

Mama,

That is really cool that you got to see N again. I feel like that part is just around the corner for me now! With only 8 months it feels like everything is coming to the finish line at a screaming pace!!! So needless to say, it’s crunch time.

We have some members that I don't really know yet that are feeding us lunch, another for dinner, and another for desert on Thanksgiving Day...lots of food! >:)

For question number 5, I will have to abstain from all the details of complete and utter insanity that occurred on the given days in question and simply leave it at “missionary work” ... :) Basically, all we did was contact "potential investigators" and set up appointments for this week and we also taught a couple of lessons to some investigators. Like E and A. I'm still introducing my self to some people and getting to know the area.

East Lancaster is a lot like the rest of Lancaster. Dirt, dust, cleaner air quality than Bakersfield, happy atmosphere. Middle class-ish, good work, a lot of fun things to do! So yeah...

Sooooooo for Christmas I think I would like one thing..............a pea coat! Or maybe just money to buy one...idk.............but that's all I want. :)  It doesn't have to be an expensive one either. Just from like Burlington or something... :)

I gotta bounce now. I love you guys!


~ Elder 9

Latest photo taken Sunday and shared with us by Sister F, in the Ward Elder 9 is currently serving in, after she read my comment that I was really missing my boy.



How can "just a photo" make a mother's heart so full and happy and fill it with such calming joy?

Monday, November 17, 2014

Mission Letter Week 70 - 17 November 2014

WOW There is a lot to reply to! Hahaha!

I'M BACK IN THE AV!!!!! WHOOOOO!!! I am SO happy! :D AND I SAW B AND J AND S!!!!!!!! AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! Okay, so when I first got into the area I found out that S. M., S.V.'s sister-in-law, is baptized and in my ward!!! I flipped. And then we had Stake Conference and it totally did not register that B and B lived in Lake LA still and that they would be there at Stake Conference. So I was talking with Elder McKnight and Elder Laubaugh, who are serving in Lake LA, and they said “Hey, hold up, be right back”…. Next thing I know I look up and Elder McKnight says, “Hey, check it out!” And THERE they were!! I literally jumped into B's arms! From that point on I was on the verge of tears for about the next 2 hours. J said she’s having a girl and her name is going to be E.! ( I think that's how you spell it...) And then B. gave a talk and gave me a shout out and I almost cried there too... no... I actually DID cry, never mind, haha. SO I AM IN A GREAT PLACE RIGHT NOW!! :D

After experiencing what I have only heard in stories, that of seeing an investigator, and friend, go from a small testimony to a powerhouse, to see that change and know that I was a part of it...needless to say I was in tears multiple times this last weekend. :') My testimony of missionary work and of my purpose here has been bolstered so much in the last 48 hours. I'm feeling bullet proof!….spiritually. Don’t worry I won’t do anything stupid…..maybe. :P

That is so cool to see Noah home now...weird...but cool. I’m only 8 months away from that. And THAT is REALLY strange. So I'll have to make the best of it while I can. :)

Sounds like Emily had fun at her Focus on the Founders event!! Those are always a lot of awesomeness! :) And the turkey frying sounded like a blast too! I want to have snow SO BAD!! but...no... :(

Onto the questions!

First off, FYI, where I ate in Lancaster, at Tom's, was actually on the West Side of the division and I live on the East Side, in the East Zone. :D

Sister H. and Brother H. are pretty cool btw! :D

Did L. ever send you that picture of us eating at Marie Callender's? Because I asked her to do that for the picture of Elder Parsons and me ...I hope she got it to you. :P

Elder Haubner is one of the new Assistants to the President, so yes, I know him! He is really cool and very nice. Great missionary. He is with Elder Matheny who is also really cool and awesome!

ACCEPT B.'S FRIENDING!!! He is S.'s son... so that makes him S. V.'s nephew...

WOW! That is very sad to hear about L.'s dad! :( IDK what to say about that...but I know that our dinner together was absolutely awesome!! We had a great time and talked about you and her and laughed about the stories you’ve already shared with me...she even talked about the "swimming" late at night you guys would go do - hahaha! It was pretty funny. XD So, all in all it was a very successful and very enjoyable evening! :) And the food was SO GOOD.

SNOW!!! I NEED SNOW!

IDK everybody's name yet so I’ll tell you all the names in the next week or two...but I know my District Leader is Elder Thompson and my Zone Leaders are Elders Carter and Howell. Really good guys.

I love the W.'s and I miss them already! :( Good to hear things are going well though. :)

I miss Elder Norton too. :( It was sad to say good bye to him...but he gave me a tie, so it’s okay - hahaha. :P

I love you guys so much! I gotta run now. Things are very well now and I am loving life back in the AV once again!! I’m going to know this place like the back of my hand by the time I leave! :D


~ Elder 9 





Elder Nine and his new companion, Elder Petersen (We call him Elder Petersen the Second - as he's the second Elder Peters(e/o)n Elder Nine has had as companion. :)
 

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Mission Letter Week 69 - 10 November 2014

Hey guys!!

I didn’t know that Elder Norton went with B and J (to the LA Temple to be sealed for time and eternity)!! That is awesome!! It was most likely his departing temple trip due to the fact that he is going home in a day or so…. AHHHHHH I WISH I COULD HAVE BEEN THERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Emily,

That is very sad to hear that Sister B is leaving. :( I'm sure you guys have had a lot of good times together and she will be missed! I hope you get to meet up with her today!! But, it sounds like you are still having fun creating new things and trying new stuff (for Personal Progress)! Keep up the originality! It's a quality few people posses these days.

Those jeans (you drew on) look SWEET!! Kinda creepy with all the eyes...but in a good, artsy kinda way. ;P haha. LOVE ‘EM!!


I gotta go too now. Love you!




Mama,

Good idea, re-reading the letter... I will. :)

I am getting transferred to a car area, as driver, and senior companion! Elder Parsons is also getting transferred. :( We are sad to leave...but he is going car, passenger, Junior comp, so who knows, they may "shotgun" us to the same area!! :D Hope and pray. Haha!

I will mail the (Christmas) stocking…but I need mailing money. :(

I did not get Herdez meals but I'll look into them. :) And, yes, we get Conference edition Ensigns…. I’ve already re-read them all just about now. Hahaha.

We have been in contact with the potentials, the S's, but they are still busy settling in for a few more days (after the move,) so it sounds like someone else will have to take care of that.

I will have a picture with Elder Parsons... at some point… I promise. Haha. We are not in shirt ’n ties right now so when we change today I’ll take a pic!

L and I finally got in touch, with a little help from President, and we are meeting tonight at 4pm at Marie Callender’s!! :D I’m really excited to meet her! :) Normally I would do Mexican food, but we have had Mexican food for every dinner this week, and poor Elder Parsons is still “a little white boy from Cali” (no hate!) and needs some variance. Hahaha! ;)

I cannot WAIT to be able to buy a drink in my new area! :D Hahaha. (Mom's note: this is how I can tell where he is transferred to. Otherwise I wait until next Monday to read it in his email. Tricky, spoiled little Mama!)

Love you too, Mamalama! BTW, did I only post up one video (last week in Dropbox)? Because I took/uploaded two but maybe only one made it up… Lemme know.




Braky!

Hahaha, “creepy funeral pics”!! WHOO! XD Have fun with that! ;) Fun story about the speakers though! And sad to hear Emily won’t be able to go on Trek this time… But that’s okay, she'll get the chance. :)

I can’t wait to be a big boy too, and help out with all that greatness! :D We will get around to it! But time to slam dunk first, haha.

Thank you for all your awesomeness, love, support, and awesomeness… You already know why I said that twice… BRAAAKK!

Take care of business!



So I want to share with everybody the main thing that I have learned this week… That is, no matter what happens, no matter who does or says what, no matter if the world is falling apart… If the Lord wants something done, He is going to make VERY sure that it gets done, and done the right way! Through all of my little and not so little personal experiences, I can testify to you and everyone else, that the Lord is bringing about His great purpose in these last days and we had best be on our A game, because we need to add our part in. The Lord is counting on us to help hasten His work, which as we know is to "bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man”…. Sounds good to me! So perk those ears up and stay sharp. :) Love you all, Godspeed and have a great week! <3

BYEEEE!


~ Elder 9


After quickly replying to him, letting him know that we deposited money for him to mail back the Christmas stocking, and a comment that we love Marie Callender’s, asking him about a Sister there, and letting him know we did see two videos in the Dropbox, he replied:

Sweet beans! I’ll mail as soon as possible… Idk if I will be able to today because we have so much prepping to do for transfers...but I will try. :)

I'm excited to meet L! I’m also really excited to eat at Marie Callender’s for the first time ever! Hahaha. :P

Okay good, I thought I got two videos uploaded there! lol. Sister Hokanson is doing okay these days though. Sister Roberts is really good for her…. Sister Roberts is actually really, really cool!
 

LOVE YOU TOO! I will (keep my A game on)! :)

The photo we shared with Elder Nine so he could at least see this wonderful couple after they were sealed in the temple. THIS is what missionary work is truly for. This is the ultimate end result. 




This Elder got to teach this wonderful brother, and then ultimately attend his Temple Sealing to his beautiful wife. The crowing achievement both for the husband and the missionary!



Photos from the fabulous dinner date with this dear friend and old BYU roommate of mine.
We were roommates for about 3 years.
It is surreal for me to see her sitting next to my son. 
Thirty years ago, who would have ever thought such a thing would have happened!

 





And then, some more wonderful and beloved "new friends" in the Bakersfield mission, who had taken such great care of Elder Nine and really done so much for him the past few months, ambushed the Elders the last night before Transfers with an Oreo Pie!
What sweethearts!! What a tender mercy and blessing in our boy's life and our family's life!  Thank you R&T from the tippy toes at the bottom of our hearts!
Wow! People like this are the ones that really the place of mom and the family and help to bring love and "homeyness" to these missionaries! I'm so grateful and Elder Nine has developed such a sincere love for them. 

SURPRISE!



Sunday, November 9, 2014

Mission Letter Week 68 - 2 November 2014

HI GUYS!!!

So cool story, B AND J ARE GETTING SEALED THIS SATURDAY!!!! B invited me to go, and I'm asking President...though it may not be very likely that I'll actually get permission...but I had to ask! :) BUT THEY ARE GETTING SEALED!!! WHOOO!!! This has been his whole focus since taking the lessons. The entire thing has been about him realizing they have to be sealed, and now it's HAPPENING!!! I'm just sad that I might actually miss it. :’( - I'm SO happy for them! :D Elder Norton is too! haha! He emailed about it when he found out.....WHOOOOO!!!

But moving on from that...

HOLY COW EMILY!! You DO look like you want to kill something (in her Katniss costume)! XD That is LEGIT! Way to flippin' BE! Sounds like your Halloween was waaayyy cooler than mine...I made chili and sat on a couch, after doing a very tiny bit of missionary work, because we had a curfew we had to be in for... LAME!! ;) I'm sorry someone made you feel bad about being slow at the Hunt game. I'll have them know that I happen to be VERY slow at that game too, and upset that they'd get after you over not running as fast as they do. That was very rude. I should be nicer shouldn't I?  Oh well...being hunter is a ton of fun! Although still a lot of running...I think I possibly died a few times while playing the Hunt. But it's all good. :)

Love you Emi! Keep being great!

Mama,

My week has been pretty great. Not much work as far as teaching goes but a ton of service!! We helped at the homeless shelter, we did a lot of stuff for the ward, and helped a couple of potential investigators move across the street among other things!

We did get rain and I totally danced in it!! :D

Haven’t heard from L yet, but still waiting. :)

Thanks for Elder Bevans' email!!

I'm okay on shirts for now, and maybe for the rest of my mission...there is no point in wearing out more shirts since they get dirty and worn out so quickly. I’m still decent looking so I'll just work with what I’ve got. :)

I will get a pic with Elder Parsons for you and send it next week. :)

WHOOO! Wood Badge (in Scouting) sounds like a great next step then! >:) And OA (Order of the Arrow in Scouting) I guess is always an option still...maybe... :)

Glad to hear about more time with Orli! I wish I could see her in person. :3

Braky,

You can't get away from Scouts can you?? ;) That’s good. You do a lot of good there. :D Brother A is a great guy. Love him to death. N IS COMING HOME THOUGH?! Cray. Dat’s cray. Good for them though. :)

I want to share my testimony with you guys that it’s all true. Jesus is the Christ, our Heavenly Father loves us, the Spirit testifies of truth and I know all this BECAUSE of the Holy Spirit. The Lord wants us back...and He's fighting hard. So is the enemy. So let’s stand and fight!

Love you guys! The videos are on Dropbox, and I gotta run now! BYE!


~ Elder 9 



This sweet lady is someone Elder Nine knows well in his ward, but he didn't recognize her dressed up for Halloween as Perry the Platypus, so she was laughing a lot, and after the picture he realized who she was and started laughing a lot too! 


A nice man saw the Elders going about their day and snapped this photo to share with us!
"Hi, Elder Nine!" ;)