I Hate Cigarettes!

Seriously, they're pretty much terrible. I mean, everyone already knows they're terrible for you, but almost every single person we've talked to in the last three days is struggling with it. Its sickening to me to see how much it controls their lives. We're trying hard to help get all of them off of it, but some people just don't seem like they have the will power for it. I have no doubt that the advesary himself is the mastermind behind this sad addiction. But I promise, there is a way to quit! You have to be committed! It just makes me sad.


But, on the positive side, yesterday was my birthday! What did I get you might ask? A bad cold! Yaaaay! But, even better than that, our investigator Kaley was baptized on saturday, and confirmed on my birthday! Yaaaaay! So it wasn't all bad. God also answered my prayers in the form of a giant bag of Ricola cough drops, which arent' nearly as nasty as Halls. I feel loved.


I love and miss you all!

Find, Teach, BAPTIZE

This week we had a baptism! Actually, we had two of them!

Kayla Fore and Alex Ambroziac where baptized this last weekend. It was really amazing to see the two of them baptized. Alex has been waiting to baptized for months now, and has finally gotten the first presidency approval to do so. And Kayla is a special story too, of how the gospel spreads like a bad virus. The first person to start this chain reaction was a woman by the name of Diana. She started taking the missionary lessons, but wasn't entirely convinced by it. She was taught for a long time, when her Daughter, Shawna decided she wanted to be baptized. After Shawna was baptized, her brother Shawn, decided he wanted to be baptized too. Then their cousin/uncle (don't ask, I'm not sure.) Leon, decided he wanted to be baptized too. After that, Kayla Fore, Shawna's friend, wanted to be baptized, and now she is! This coming weekend we'll be baptizing Kaley, Kayla's younger sister. Then, a couple weeks after that, we'll be baptizing Kayla's friend Kaylee. So other than people needing to become more creative with names, things are going great! You never know what sharing the gospel with your friend can do, or how far it can spread. I'm sure the missionaries who talked with Diana for the first time had no idea that this would be the result of it. So get out there, and share the gospel. You will accomplish great good, even if you can't see it.

Things have been going great, as previously stated, but they've also been going by incredibly fast. I know this is something I've mentioned several times, but everytime I mention it again, its gotten faster. Now theres not much time for it to get any faster. All I can do is make the best of the time I have. I suppose you could say I've reached the "sprint" line of the race, and now I just have to give it all. And that is something I plan on doing.

In non gospel related subjects, the we've finally moved out of our cool and comfortable 70's, and down into the frigid 50's. I have no idea what I'm going to do when I get home....

I love and miss you all!

Just another day in Modesto 2nd Ward

Theres a saying that has been coined in this area, and that is "Just another day in Modesto 2nd ward". This quote is used quite often after something absolutely crazy and dramatic happens, which is typically a daily occurrence in this area. Some brief examples. About a week ago we visited one of our recent converts in Juvenile hall. The other day a man called the police on his 11 year old daughter (who is one of our investigators) because she refused to listen to him. 2 of some of the youth that we teach just found out their parents do meth. We just got one of our recent converts a bed cause he was sleeping on the floor. The list goes on and on, but I feel like the point has been made.

I have no doubt that all of these challenges and events that keep taking place are connected to the fact that this is the most productive area I've ever been in. The lord cannot bless us unless we are willing to make a little sacrifice, and what it boils down to is a question of priority. Even using the bathroom requires sacrifice (time and effort... lots of effort sometimes....) but we are more than willing to make that sacrifice cause its definitely better than the alternative (soiled drawers). God has promised us lots of blessings that are totally worth it, and we want those blessings, but we seem totally surprised and caught off guard when it comes time for the sacrifice, when bad things start happening. There are two certainties we should always expect. Expect trials, and expect the lord to act. These are almost always certainties. So I gladly welcome the trials that are coming our way, because I can already see the blessings taking place.

I love and miss you all!

Back to Modest Modesto

So transfers came and went, and I think I completely forgot to really tell anyone about it. So I am now back up in Modesto! Modesto 2nd ward this time, which is in a different Stake than the one I was previously in in Modesto. My companion is Elder Harper (Cadiz, Kentucky/Atlanta, Georgia), and he is pretty much awesome. I live in the super ghetto of Modesto, and I love it. This ward is quite unlike anything I'd ever seen before. Half of our investigators are on probation, and can't be baptized until they receive first presidency approval, or their probation ends. Its a unique group, but I love em. Which is something I've been studying a lot about lately; Charity.

I was pretty intimidated when I first got here, after seeing more than a few people break down and cry because Elder Julian left. After making a comment to my companion that it seemed like I had some big shoes to fill, he commented "yeah, you do". Yikes. Intimidating. After wallowing in self pity for a while, I decided to suck it up and and figure out what I could do, and I decided the best course of action was simply to love the people and serve them to the best of my ability and let that be it. If I just give all that I can, what more can people ask of me? So that's what I did, and It has been working wonderfully since. I would encourage everyone to pray for that charity in their life, towards everyone. I think you'll find it makes you much more happy and loved person. Thats about all I have time for! I

I love and miss you all!

Carpet Cleaner and Cat Crap

I suppose the subject needs some explaining, though I feel its pretty self explanatory. First, some back story. For anyone who has missed out, we live in a finished attic that sits on top of a Garage, on a chicken farm just outside of Selma, CA. Well the members who own the farm also own a Cat (one of many) Named Dust Speck. Every now and then, this cat finagles its way into our apartment, which we usually don't mind too much. Lately we've been letting her in to escape from the cold, because the members that own her are also on a mission right now.

Well one night, Elder Giesey and I were debating on whether or not to let her stay in overnight (which wouldn't be the first time she had). We decided to let her stay in due to sheer laziness. What I didn't remember, was that Dust Speck had drank a bowl of milk left over from cereal that had been laying out for about 2 days. Apparently cats stomachs react about the same way humans do.

I woke up at about 3:00 am to some very unsightly sounds. Upon scrambling for a light switch I stepped in what I was hoping was a pile of Vomit. It wasn't. After forcefully removing the cat, I turned on a light to reveal several spots at which this cat had expelled her bowels. I then began to clean it up, which due to the fact that we had just run out of paper towels, meant using one of our good dish towels, and due to its tar like consistency, took me a little over an hour to clean. Being now fully awake, it took me a few more hours to fall back asleep. Fun night.

Other than fun adventures with cats who are no longer welcome in the apartment, this week has been, sadly, mostly uneventful. The work in this area has been mostly slow, and rumors are now moving that this area will be closed. Transfers are actually going to be this monday, instead of the usual wednesday due to a mission presidents seminar. Accordingly, my next preperation day will actually be on Saturday, in 4 days, so I'll try to keep everyone posted then.

I love and miss you all!

2 minutes!

So I've got two minutes to write this weekly email!

Last week we totally failed. Turns out the Commissary is closed on Mondays.... lame. But I got two 12 packs of vanilla coke at the Exchange, which i never thought I'd see again. It was lovely. We went to hanford, and the Foods Co was out of extreme moose tracks. Double lame. But we still had a great time, and it was probably going to be the last time I used my military I.D.

Conference was great, loved it, and things are all going well here.

I love and miss you all!

In the Navy...

Today we've decided to mix things up by doing our shopping somewhere else... the commissary! Its so much cheaper, and this is the first time in my mission I've been anywhere near the Naval Air base they have here, so using my super ID card abilities (which expires in two months) we'll be able to get on base and use the commissary! I hope. Hooray for cheap foods!

Also this week, I had the chance to call 911! Yay! We passed a small brush fire next to a vineyard on our way into town. It was pretty small, but those things can get pretty serious out here, especially this time of year, so we called it in, and then sat to watch the fireman come take care of it. I like to think that I just saved the whole town, or something.

We had our Zone Conference this last week, in which we learned how to get the members really involved in missionary work, because we can't really do it without them. We learned that the best way to get somebody on your side is to be their friend, get to know them. You'll be more likely to work harder for them, and they'll be more likely to work harder for you. Everyone wins! It might seem difficult, but if you work towards it, everyone can be your friend, and the more friends you have, the more friends other people have. Pretty soon everyone loves each other and wants to help each other. We all win, right? It's a hippie dream we should all strive for. To truly love one another as our father in heaven has love for us. It will change our very habits.

I love and miss you all!

Elder Keenan Monnett

The Tossing of the Chickens

Chicken Tossing was pretty much awesome! I tell you there are few things more exciting than tossing a crate filled with 100 chicks, and then as they're recovering from the throw, tossing 100 more on top of them. We had some fun. Now, nobody needs to go feeling bad for these chicks. Because they're sold to whole foods, they need to be treated humanely. These Chickens will have playgrounds, flowers for decoration, and an outside recreation area. All so people can cook them and eat them, knowing that the chicken their eating lived a happy and full life. I would include pictures, except my memory card reader no longer wants to work, and using my camera is uber slow. And sad to say, I didn't get any pictures of me Juggling the chicks, which was pretty awesome.

I feel like this area contains some of the flakiest investigators I've ever had in my mission. It seems like almost everyone we go to stop by is busy doing something or other, even when we had set appointments. And other investigators wont commit to any specific appointment, but tell us we can only stop by on one certain day of the week, and that they may or may not be available that day, we just have to stop by and find out. Its incredibly frustrating, as some of these people we drive 15-20 minutes just to get to their house. However, I don't get the privilege of choosing my situation, just taking what the lord gives to me and doing to the best of my ability. Luckily, he's usually pretty good at determining what is best for me, and what isn't. All I have to do is listen.

It really comes down to an analogy that Bishop Meyers, the Bishop of Caruthers Ward, likes to give. Sometimes in missionary work we're an Ammon, and sometimes we're and Aaron. Ammon was given quite good fortune; found many opportunities for service, was given a place to live and even offered a princess to wife (which he denied). He performed miracles, and converted thousands. Aaron, on the other hand, was almost immediately thrown into prison, and treated horribly for a long time before Ammon could come and free him. Both were great men, and both preformed the tasks that were given them to the best of their ability. Sometimes we get put in cruddy situations, but that isn't what determines how succesful, happy, or even godlike that we are. Its what we do with the things that we are given.

I love and miss you all!

-- Elder Keenan Monnett

The Thriving Metropolis of Caruthers.

I live on a Chicken Farm.

I never thought I'd be able to say that, but there it is. I live on a chicken farm in the middle of nowhere. I suppose I'll backtrack a bit. So as many of you might remember, I was transferred to Caruthers Ward. Well, upon arival, I realized that I don't live anywhere really near the actual town of Caruthers, but I live with a Member, on a Chicken farm, somwhere between Caruthers and Selma. Our "apartment" is an attic above a garage that has been "finished". Its about 240 square feet total. I guess you could call it a Studio apartment, if that. The refrigerator is next to my bed. We can't run the air conditioning and the microwave at the same time, or we'll blow a circuit. We can't really run anything and the air conditioner at the same time. We cover a large chunk of the country. The two biggest towns in our area are Caruthers and Riverdale, which have about 2500 people each. Then theres a handful of nowhere towns in-between. Basically, we're never on bikes, because it just wouldn't be practical. Of course, you won't hear me complaining about that part.

On service project I am quite excited about is Chick tossing! The member who's chicken farm we live on is getting a shipment of 146,000 chicks who will eventually become food this wednesday! He needs help putting them in! I've been told that it consists of Taking a box of about 100 chicks, and then tossing them out of the box, into a pile. Rinse and Repeat. I'm pretty much pumped for it, and I will deffinitely be taking some pictures, that I will be forced to share with everyone else. So be looking for those.

As far as spiritual work in Caruthers ward goes, well, we're working on that. This area seems to be the core of flakey investigators. I've never had so many cancelled apointments. We'd rely more heavily on the ward, but theres only about 60 or 70 active members. That's counting all of the kids and babies and such. I'm certainly not used to the small ward environment. Last I heard my home ward was just about busting at the seams.

Depsite all the things that seem like they might be setbacks, I'm actually really enjoying this area. It could very easily be my last area in the mission, so I'm glad that is the case. I could finish here and be very happy. However, I will do my best to make sure it gets even better (cause I certianly wouldn't mind another baptism or two before the end).

I love and miss you all!

-- Elder Keenan Monnett

Breaking up is haaard tooo do!

So, as my picture shows, I've been transferred, made an assistant, and with the comes the perks of a new car and a new companion. Kidding! I couldn't resist. The picture was sombody elses idea, though I willfully consented. It looks so apostate. I love it. I did go for a ride in that Viper. Sorry Sandy, I think it might be a slight quicker than your mustang. What blows me away, is that its a 97 viper, but it looks brand new. I have to hand it to Dodge for really capturing the futuristic look back then.

This morning, I tried to attempt the Grand Slam Challenge at Batter Up Pancakes, which entails Eating 10 scrambled eggs, 2 cups of country potatoes, 1 cup of cheese, 4 cups of my choice of toppings, all on top of a 24 oz pancake. Needless to say, I failed miserably, and wasted 36 dollars in the process. I was a little bummed about that one. But I loved the experience, and now I have more experience for when I try again....

I found out on Saturday that I'm being transferred. This not only means the depressing news that I'm leaving the Riverside Ward, which I have come to love so much, but I'm also moving onto my 15th Transfer, with my 15th companion. Now, as to where I'm going, I was originally told that I was being transferred to the Orchardview ward in the Fresno north Stake to be companions with Elder Cox, which I was really excited about, because I've served around Elder Cox before and I really enjoyed him. However, last night I got a call from the Zone Leaders telling me things have changed, and I'm now going to the Caruthers Ward in the Hanford Zone to be with Elder Giesey (Bonus points to those who remember that I've served with him before.). Now, what confuses me is that Elder Giesey and I both go home in January, so its a little Odd that we're together. However, I'm sure president has something planned, and I'll try to go along with that plan. I'll tell you how everything has gone next week.

I love and miss you all!

-- Elder Keenan Monnett

The teaching that is done at home

Hello everyone. Another week has come and gone. Let me tell you a bit about it.

A member and I on a split went by a Convalescence home to visit a Sister who has Alzheimer's. It was a very sad place, but at the same time, I enjoyed being there, cause I just wanted to find some way to help everyone there. Unfortuantely the Sister we went to visit wasn't available, but it felt good just smiling and waving at people. People should do that more often. It feels good to be smiled and waved at.

Learned how to play touch rugby. Thats a fun sport, but it was hard to break yourself out of the football "have to get ahead" mentallity, cause you can't do a forward pass in rugby. It was a pretty fun Game though. I'd like to see a real game played in person. President Gelwix was nice enough to teach us all how to play, and speaking of which, everyone should click Right Here!and see his Mormon.org video and profile!

One short little rant I'd like to go on before I finish. Home teaching. I never realized how much of a problem there is in doing home teaching. I cant say its like this everywhere, but the ward I'm serving in has about a 24% home teaching ratio. It doesn't take much effort, and you're doing a huge service to the people you home teach. It may not seem like a big deal, but If everyone who reads this does there home teaching this month, I can promise you'll be happier for it.

Well, I'm about out of time, but I love and miss you all!

-- Elder Keenan Monnett

Weeding out the Tares

What a week it has been. Where should I begin?

Earlier this week, we decided to go by the house of an inactive member. She was put on a list of people that nobody in the ward knew, and after making plans about 6 times to go see her, my companion and I actually did. Turns out, she's a recent convert. She lived her whole life in Madera, met the missionaries and was baptized. Unfortunately her health took a turn for the worse, and she could no longer live alone. She moved in with her mother, here in Fresno, but she had no way of getting in contact with the Ward here. She had no numbers to call, didn't know much of how the church organization worked, and had no way of getting to church. We knocked on her door, and met her for the first time, and made her day! She was afraid that she wasn't going to ever get to see the church again. It was awesome to be that ray of sunlight in somebodies life.

On Wednesday, we had the chance to go up to the Vineyard with the young men to weed out our rows in order to make picking in a couple weeks a little easier. And that went pretty well (might have gone even better, had it not been for the Deacons....) We had to drop off our weeding clothes at the church, cause we weren't going to have time to go back to the apartment to change before hand. Well, we wanted to keep our clothes in the library cause it was the only room that was locked, so as we went in to change, we decided just to change in the library. As we were changing, I jokingly said to Elder Moore "how bad would it be if somebody walked in here while we were changing?". I told him that I would totally write home about it if the Relief Society President walked in on us. 3 minutes later, we heard the door lock click, and the Relief Society President tried to walk in the door. And now here I am writing home about it. Fortunately, there was a nearby counter for me to dive behind, and my companion, who was dressed, threw himself in front of the door. Gooood times.

The work here continues to roll along. Miracles abound. We have a senior missionary couple who was assigned to our area as "Member Support" missionaries. Looks like the have a senior couple assignment for just about everything nowadays. They are Elder and Sister Jones (Littleton, CO), and they're pretty much amazing. Its like having your grandparents working in the area with you. They spoil you, and give you rides places, and want to do everything they can for you. I hope I don't get fat. Oh, hopefully I wont, cause I started running 2 miles every other day. Go me!

I love and miss you all!

For the Temple is a House of God

Sorry for the surprise everyone, but I am still alive!

We went to the temple today, which is always a pleasure, but they didn't inform us we were going until tuesday, so I didn't get the chance to tell anyone.

This week has been another good week. We've seen our investigator pool almost double! Now we're just working to get these people out to church! It is so amazing seeing how this gospel can bless and change peoples life, their habbits, and even their desires. We truly are blessed to know what we know, and even more blessed to share it with everyone.

Unfortunately today, I'm on what might be the slowest computer in the Universe. Its taken me ages to do what I've done so far in this email, so I'm about out of time. But I love and miss you all Regardless!

Aaaand We're back!!

So, back to a Normal email day.

I realized as I was laying in bed last Monday that I didn't mention anything at all about my new companion. How rude of me. My new companion is Elder Oscar Travis Moore (Rigby, ID), and he is pretty legit. We've been working the area up and down and have been seeing a lot of success for our efforts.

Just the other day, President Gelwix decided to make a surprise visit to our apartment, where he corrected us seemingly with a Sword. It was painful, and I didn't feel that a lot of it was deserved. But we started focusing on the things he suggested improving, and what do you know, we saw miracles! In 1st Nephi 2:16 it says 16And it came to pass that I, Nephi, being exceedingly young, nevertheless being large in stature, and also having great desires to know of the ^amysteries of God, wherefore, I did cry unto the Lord; and behold he did ^bvisit me, and did ^csoften my heart that I did ^dbelieve all the words which had been spoken by my ^efather; wherefore, I did not ^frebel against him like unto my brothers.

It shows us that Nephi didn't simply believe everything Lehi said from the start, and it may have been hard for him, but he humbled himself and did what he needed to to find out if it was true. Something that Laman and Lemuel never did. Sometimes, the lord may ask us to do things, through the spirit, or our bishops, or other leaders we might have, and we don't think it is right. It doesn't seem like the most effective thing we could be doing, but when we listen, we see the blessings that obedience brings. So listen to the lord, he will always bless you!

I love and miss you all.

-- Elder Keenan Monnett

Where did the time go?

I don't know, but I'm about all out of it. We made our trip to Yosemite today! I think I failed to mention I was doing that Last week, but that's what we did! It was beautiful, as it always is, and this marks my 3rd time going. Unfortunately, it makes p-day super rushed, which is why this is about the shortest letter ever.

I love and miss you all!

-- Elder Keenan Monnett

Goodbye, my Broadheaded friend

Transfer calls are in! Elder Broadhead is being transferred to Porterville 1st ward to be with one of my previous companions, Elder Robb, and his other companion, Elder Florinoui (no idea how to actually spell that). Turns out he's the odd man out in the mission, so he'll be living with the Zone Leaders until they can find him somebody to stay with. My new companions name is Elder Moore, and I don't know too much about him other than he's been out almost 5 months now. This also means I get 6 more months in the Riverside ward, which I won't complain about one bit.

This last few weeks we've really been evaluating not only the area, but ourselves as missionaries, and as Children of God in general. We've looked for ways that we could improve, and this last week had one of the best weeks of the transfer because of it. We don't always recognize how the little things can change our lives until we try them. The Lord revealed through Moroni that we won't recieve a witness until after the trial of our faith. That means that we may not see how doing better on the little things will help change us before we do it, but once we try it, we quickly realize that there is a connection, and we find ourselves improving.

Going into this next transfer will mark the start of my 14th transfer, with only 3 more to go afterwards. It will be over before I know it, and I want to make sure that I go out with a bang. I love and miss you all!

-- Elder Keenan Monnett

This is Rugby

Today, our wonderful mission president, President Larry Gelwix, will be teaching us how to play Rugby. Considering half of our Zones lack of Athletic prowess, and the fact that contact sports aren't allowed to be played by missionaries, this should be quite... interesting. I'll let you know how it goes. Transfers calls are also happening this week, so my next email home will be all about what is happening. Also should be intersting. I've only got four more of these things to go, so I'm hoping it doesn't get too crazy in that time.

We also got another chance to clean the temple again today. You know, people take the temple cleaning assignment a lot more seriously than they take their Ward cleaning assignment. If our Church building were cleaned to even half of the standard that the temples were cleaned to, we'd have some seriously clean ward buildings, whereas now, they're not so much. But, back to the temple, it was great once again be doing something to help keep that house of good looking so beautiful. Never have I done so much cleaning in such High spirits. That is the spirit of Service.

I hope everone is doing well at keeping up a constant scripture study. It is so easy to become complacent in studying the scriptures, especially once you've already made your way through them the first few times, but the blessings that come from them are too many to number. Its hard to recognize what we've lost when we stop reading the scriptures, but once we start back, it because very apparent. In the book of Omni it mentions that the people of Zarahemla, when first discovered, were people who had a lot of wars and contentions, whose language had become corrupted, and it mentions that they had no records, or scriptures. Some might think "well, what difference does that really make." In 1st Nephi 4, when Nephi is getting the plates from Laban, he remembers that the lord told them if they didn't follow the law of moses, they wouldn't prosper in the land. Then he thinks "well, how can we follow the Law of Moses if we don't know the law. That's written on the plates, huh? I can see why we need those now." Thats the importance of scriptures. Follow them, and prosper.

I love and miss you all!

Ohhhh say can you ski?

Cause I can't.

...But they were in Tahoe.

The rest of my 4th of July went great, and it included blowing things up, and a few illegal fireworks. For example: Two pistol petes, plus gatorade bottle, plus duct tape equals large explosion. Don't know if the neighbors appreciated it, but it was pretty awesome. Kind of like a dry ice, or the works bomb for those of you who have done it. That's a federal crime though....so you didn't hear it from me.

On wednesday we had the opportunity to meet our new mission president. All I can say is that I'm super excited to see what the next 6 months holds. He was a way of getting you worked up for work in a way that I suppose only 36 years of coaching Rugby and Football can do. He also met with each of us individually to get a feel for us. It just feels like he genuinely cares. Not that I ever felt that President Gonzalez didn't, but President Gelwix makes you feel like you're his favorite, and I bet he makes everyone feel that way. He also did away with the rule on parts in your hair, saying that "I always thought that was stupid". Oh yeah, we'll get along juuuust fine.

This morning we kicked off our preparation day by assisting in the cleaning of the temple. It was a pretty awesome experience. Bro. Christiansen and I teamed up, and got the best assignment, and that was vacuuming both sealing rooms, the endowment room, and the celestial room. It was an amazing experience. We also learned all about celestial bugs. Little bugs that get hit by the exterminator, and know were it was that they wanted to pass on. There were an awful lot in the celestial room....

I'm looking forward to the next 6 months, and I'm committed to making the best of them. Like president Gelwix told me, there aren't many tomorrows left, so I need to make the best of the ones I do have.

I love and miss you all!

Elder Keenan Monnett

Goodbye Sister Monnett!

That's right, in just a couple of days, my sister mission officially comes to an end, and the sister missionary in me heads home. I'll have to burn a pair of pantyhose or something....

On July 6th, I will have been on a mission for exactly 18 months. I can't believe its gone by as fast as it has, but I do believe that I have said that almost every time I've emailed home and talked about time passing. It definitely means that you can't take any of it for granted. Don't neglect it, don't get too attached. I honestly don't think I'll be one of those missionaries that does not want to go home. I love the mission, and I love the work. I would never want to go home even the slightest bit early, and I would extend if it were asked of me, but I also love my family. It will be sad to leave, but happy, as well.

Happy 4th of July everyone. I hope everyone has or is enjoying the celebration of our Independence day, and I hope that you understand what it truly means to be free, and to celebrate that freedom. There's a great video called "The Freedom Too" that talks about how we should not simply be grateful for our freedom from things, but of our freedom to do things. the video is here, and I think it will help everyone to realize how much they have, and what their freedom means.

The work is progressing slowly, but I trust that it will be coming along. Our new mission president is here and all settled in now. We get to meet him on wednesday. I'm personally excited to see how it goes. I think he'll do a lot of good, and I can't wait to work with him.

Until next time, I love and miss you all!

It's nommy!

Today, I bought Two Half Gallons of Kirkland Ice cream. Its pretty much one of the best brands of ice cream ever. Its rumored to be made by Hagen Das. Anywho, it makes for one happy missionary. And, their half gallons are actually half gallons! Not this 1.5 Quart garbage. I mean, seriously, who shrinks the size of their ice cream, and then makes you pay the same price for it, that's just not right? That's why I'll support Costco, and their delliciously creamy FULL HALF GALLON ice cream.

Anyway, no more digression on Ice cream. The week has been mostly uneventful, in a bad sort of way. It's been an odd adjustment going from "hey, we should go see that person" and then jump in our car to see them, to "hey, we should go see that person. oh wait, they life 4 miles away, and nobody lives around them... maybe we shouldn't..." We saw a hit in our key indicators this last week because of it. But I won't blame it on my situation, I'll simply work the best I can to make the best of my situation. This means we have to do a lot more planning now and who we're going to see and when, and we have to be pretty concious on where they live and where we'll be.

On a higher note, I finished out the month with money LEFT OVER from my msf account. Something that has not happened in a good year, but I decided I was going to be a lot smarter with my money this month, and it paid off! In the form of Ice Cream.....

I love and miss you all!

Bring on the heat!

It's been a late summer so far here in Fresno. We've even seen rain a couple of times in June. But that's all coming to a close, as the projected average high for this week in Fresno is 103. This wouldn't be so bad, if they didn't pull our car last wednesday. Now, I've spent the last year and a half of my mission on a bike, inlcuding last summer, so bike ridding is nothing new for me. But our area is roughly 120 square miles or so, with houses and people spread out between most of it. We've been promised a car, we just have no idea when that will be. But the lord will not let us suffer in vain, and I can't wait to see the blessings that he brings our way.

So far things have been going well. We've really been pouring over the the area, and what we can do to improve it, and things look promising. It wont be without work on our part, but I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty, so to speak. It has been a little bit of a shift going from somebody like Elder Seumanu to Elder Broadhead, as they're virtually different in every way, but things are picking up.

Today we have an odd opportunity to watch the Movie "Forever Strong". Our mission president wants us to watch that movie, as well as all of the Extra Features, so we can better come to know President Gelwix, who gets here next week. It should be quite interesting, but I'm certainly not complaining about having the opportunity to watch a movie not on christmas.

That's about all I have to report on right now, but I promise more next week!

I love and miss you all!

It's about freaking Families!

They are literately the answer to everything! I'm feeling ranty, so before I go into that, we'll take care of announcements first.

Transfer calls have come! Elder Seumanu is leaving me to go out to the mountains, up in Modesto North Stake. My new companion is Elder Broadhead. I don't know too much about it, other than I've met him before in passing, but we'll see how things go. I'm at a point now where I'm no longer concerned about getting along with people, and more just concerned that we'll have something in common. So far, not too bad. But that leads me into my first rant.

I've been on my mission for 12 transfers now. As of Wednesday, I'll be on my 13th one of 17. In 13 transfers, I'll have had 13 companions, and It's starting to be a little frustrating. Just when I start to get to know somebody, I then have to learn how to work with somebody else. Remember, I'm not complaining, just ranting.

My second rant is much more important than my first however. My second rant is about families. You ever had one of those moments where you're thinking about something that you've heard a thousand times, but the 1001st time you think about it, suddenly the importance of it clicks? Well I had one of those moments one night laying in bed. I was thinking about the problems that exist in our society, and how it's continuing to get worse. I mean, just imagine the things that were considered obscene and wrong 50 years ago. Now think of how it might be 50 years from now. It can be a scary thought. So I wondered why this decay was there, why was it getting worse, and what could possibly be done to fix it? Its apparent that the problem with our society is a lack of good morals and ethics that are lacking in society. Ok, so we need to be taught better ethics and morals, but how could we possibly teach that? It wouldn't really be effective to try to teach it in the school primarily. Then it clicked. That kind of stuff has to be taught in the families! Now, this was a real duh moment, because how many times have we been told that fixing families would fix the world, but at this moment it really hit home for me. When we shape and raise our children, we are literately helping to shape the future of society. Now, I believe that the degradation of society has been contributed to by a nasty tool of Satan, and that is Divorce.

Now, I understand that sometimes divorce is unavoidable, but at the same time, not when both parties are giving all they can to making it work. When a divorce happens, it doesn't simply effect you. It doesn't just effect your spouse. It doesn't even only effect your Children, but eventually and inevitably, it effects society as a whole, because when children don't have the example of both parents working in a home, teaching them not only in words but by example as well, it does much more for society than children who don't have that example, it does more for children than friends, or school, or church ever could. We literately shape the future by the example we set for others. Teach your kids good examples, not simply so they can be better people, but so that the world can be a better place.

I'm done.

I love and miss you all!

Oh its a blustery blustery day, its a blustery blustery day....

...Its a blustery day all the world...

I have given up all hopes in calling any sort of California weather "Normal" or "strange" Because so far, the weather this year has been nothing like the weather last year, which, from what I was told, was nothing like the weather the year before that. Yesterday and today have been stormy, with highs in the low 70's. Which is actually very exciting. I haven't seen a storm in a year.

Last monday I had the chance to go to a Samoan memorial day BBQ. I was the only white boy there! But we had a lot of fun, eating Samoan food, playing the Ukulele and singing songs. I never thought that Fresno would be a place where I was surrounded by the Samoan culture. We also have a baptism, as well as transfer calls, coming up on saturday! Exciting and terrifiying. Elder Seumanu and I both have a feeling that he is being transferred, which is pretty depressing. I'm tired of switching through companions so fast. But We'll make the best of any situation.

As we where meeting with an investigator who was preparing to be baptized, we decided to bring up a subject that we believed she would have difficulty with. It was a commandment that we where pretty sure she wasn't living, and one we thought would be a make it or break it subject with her. But as we brought it up, she was well aware of it, and had already decided to live it before we even taught it to her. Shame on me for doubting her true conversion. Its just so amazing to see such a change in people, so fast. I can't imagine how selfish it would have been for me to choose not to come on a mission, even though I was worthy to, to help people make this change. I've been told the most important news that anyway could possibly hear. More important than the next election, more important than a cure for a malicious diasease, more important than ending world hunger. Its more than just a choice, or a priveledge I have to be on a mission, but a obligation, and a duty. And one that I love doing.

I love and miss you all!

Elder Keenan Monnett

Closer to home than from it

And with that, comes an increasingly noticeable drop in letters. In fact, I think I hit an all time low this month, with 1 letter in 4 weeks (Props go to Whitney Stankosky). I'm not entirely upset by this. It's to be expected as mission life goes on. People just kind of forget about you, but it happens. Now, If I couldn't email, then yeah, I would be freaking out, but alas, such is not the case, so no reason to fear.

I think I need to start giving some forward thought to what I'm going to say in these weekly emails, because it comes time to write them, and I have no idea what to say, because honestly, between this week and last week, not much has changed, except for the date. My companion and I didn't feel like we worked incredibly hard this week, but then as we turned in our numbers, we realized that we did do quite a lot, and taught about 20 lessons between less actives, recent converts, and investigators. Which means one of two things. Either I've gotten so used to the work that it simply doesn't feel difficult any longer, or what everyone has always told me is a lie, and it doesn't matter how hard I work, I'll still get by. Hmm, what is heavenly father trying to teach me....

But, after a perilous week of dealing with crazy missionaries, missing out on weddings, and Mafia Princess's, I'm ready to enjoy some nice Memorial Day BBQ on my P-day.

I love and Miss you all!

It's [Not] The end of the world as we know it!

And Rapture didn't occur! A good thing? Well, maybe, this world could sure use a second coming, but unless its revealed through the mouth of an actual prophet, I wont read too much into it.

With the passing of another week, we have several miracles witnessed, and handful of new people to teach, and one new person to be baptized! Also gained, is a goose egg for trying to take on some scaffolding with my forehead, but that's another story. Becky Gloria will be baptized on June 11th, and we're super pumped! We have seen her and her family come such a long way, and though I've only been here for the past little bit of it, it's still a miracle to see the changes that keep occurring in the family each and every day. It truly is a motivation to do better in my life, and really see what God can do for me.

So in lew of the supposed Judgement day, it actually created quite the teaching opportunities. A lot of people kept thinking they needed to repent, and they needed to change their lives, and they needed to do better, when in all reality, we should be living in such a way that we are prepared to go whenever it happens. Whether it be the ending of the world, or the ending of our lives. Alma 34:33 says:

"And now, as I said unto you before, as ye have had so many witnesses, therefore, I beseech of you that ye do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end; for after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed."

We need to improve ourselves in this life, because after this life, we can't do it. Why is it so important not to procrastinate our repentance "until the end"? Because "...of that day and hour" of the second coming "knoweth no man" (Mathew 24:36). We don't know when it will be too late, so it's better that we prepare ourselves now.

What is another reason why we shouldn't put off our repentance? Because of the wasted time that could have been spent progressing, and because of the difficulty of overcoming a deeply rooted sin. Alma was someone who knew the hardships of sin. He was someone who was called "the vilest of sinners" (Mosiah 28:4), but then later became the leader of the church after a long and painful struggle. He knew something of how it felt to undergo such a painful repentance process, and of the time wasted wallowing in sin. No wonder he cries with so much zeal on the subject that it causes him "great anxiety even unto pain" (Alma 13:27). President Henry B. Eyring taught that "the only way out [is]... to exercise faith in Jesus Christ, to have a broken heart, to repent, and so be cleansed, changed, and strengthened through the Lord’s Atonement. ...it [is] still possible. ...but so much harder than it would... [be] to exercise faith early in [our lives] on the journey home to God... when [you] first [begin] to wander." (Help Them on Their way home; Saturday morning session, April '10)

So let us show our faith early in our life. Let us stop the sins before they overcome us, and let us live is such a way that no matter when the world ends, we will be ready, and grateful for the chance to be "taken home to that God who gave [us] life" (Alma 40:11)

I love and miss you all!

-- Elder Keenan Monnett

What an odd arrangement of people

Riverside ward has some characters. In a good way. I don't know if I've seen such a spread of different types of people in one ward. I'll just use our Ward Mission Leader as an example, because he's the one most likely to find my blog without me telling him about it. Brother Honeycutt is a Computer Programmer (that should say enough, right?), a Father of 3, highly intelligent, and moderately OCD. It is quite the combination, but he keeps us working hard, and he does a great job. What more could you ask for? When we set up chairs in the overflow for Sunday, each row has to be two feet (as in your feet, not 12 inches feet) apart, in straight rows. The hymnals have to be staggered every other chair, face up, with the Title facing towards the back of the room. Never staple a paper diagonally. Don't leave things on the floor. Its really a lot of fun.

We've seen a lot of sucess this last week. Well, it's a lot of sucess for me, seeing as my last two areas weren't so productive, but in all honesty, it's an average week here. I'm loving it. We could use more people to teach, we could always use more people to teach, but I'll take what we do have. This last Sunday, in church, I listened to Brother Honeycutt and another brother discuss something out of the Bible. Both of them knew a lot about what they were talking about, and in that instant, I decided I want to know these things about the gospel, about the scriptures. I want to know, well, everything, but I know that certainly isn't going to come in this life, so I want to know all that I can know. Which leaves a tricky balance of deciding what is important to know, and what isn't, because I can't learn it all. But I want to continue to progress, all of my life. I don't ever want to fizzle out, or come to a stand still. I'll stop learning when the Lord stops giving me new things to learn. Until then, it's full speed ahead.

I love and miss you all!

-- Elder Keenan Monnett

The winds of change. . .

...smell funny.

So let me tell you all about my new area, with my new companion!

First, my new companion!

Elder Seumanu (Wvc, Utah, but originally Compton, CA) is Samoan. My Second Samoan companion! He's pretty chill. He doesn't sweat the small stuff, but he doesn't waste the Lords time. He's a very hard worker, and he is hilarious! I don't quite recall how many Brothers and Sisters he originally had, but his Dad adopted his Aunt and Uncles 11 children from Samoa, so he's got a lot of "brothers and sisters". We're in for a very good transfer. We're also in for a good transfer, because Elder Seumanu has a hurt shoulder, and can't ride a bike. So, because of that, we have a car, with practically unlimited miles. And guess who got to drive for the first time in over a year! YEEEAAAAHHHH. That was pretty awesome. I mean, its an 08 Malibu that gets horrible gas mileage, but it's a car! It was great.

As far as the area goes, it's pretty great too! The Riverside ward used to be the largest biking area in the mission, but luckily, we have a car now. The ward is great, I felt as if I had a pretty warm welcome. Elder Seumanu was telling me that theres quite a bit of member trust in the missionaries here, because the missionaries who have been in this area have been more "real" so to speak. And after meeting the investigators here, I can see why it needs to be that way. Anyway, I'm expecting a lot of miracles, and I can't wait to everyone about them!

I love and miss you all! And it was GREAT to hear from my family! I loved it.

Elder Keenan Monnett

Gah!

It is incredibly frustrating. It's annoying. It's depressing. I absolutely cannot STAND it. But I do it anyway. Why? Because the Lord knows a heck of a lot more than I do about what is best. That's right, its transfer time again, and this time, both mean AND my companion are leaving. We're being doubled out, or, as it is more commonly known in other missions, whitewashing the area. But we're doing more than just that. They're actually closing the area, and another set of missionaries will be covering this area as well as there own. It can be a little scary when that happens, because of a natural tendency, those missionaries will most likely focus on their original area more than they will ours, and some of our members or investigators have the potential of being neglected. BUT, as was said before, the Lord knows best. I'm just a soldier on the front lines, and don't see the big picture nearly as well as the General over us. Where am I going you ask?

I am being transferred to Riverside ward. I don't know how many times I'm going to screw that up, seeing as I'm going from Riverview ward to Riverside ward, but it is about 5 miles from where I'm currently sitting, and borders the Fig Garden ward, where I've previously served. My new companion will be Elder Seulamalu (I think). I don't know too much about him (other than he's big. Like, football player big), but I'm positive we'll get along great. I'm sad to see Elder Willman go. We got along much better than I ever thought we would (not that I thought we wouldn't).

It's interesting; no matter how many times I make the resolve to not get attached to people in a ward, or to an area, or to a companion, they still managed to sneak their way into my heart like a wide eyed little puppy, and then they're violently ripped out of my heart. I know it's coming. I know it has to happen. But it never seems to make it any easier.

This last weekend we had the wonderful privilege of hearing from Elder Snow of the Presidency of the Seventy, and H. David Burton, the presiding Bishop over the church. We had a mission wide conference (the first in this mission that anyone is aware of) while these two great men spoke to us. Elder Snow stressed the importance of "hearing the words not spoken" and listening to the Holy Ghost, and it's true. One thing I noticed in General conference was that most of the things I learned or felt had very little to do with what the speaker was saying. I also learned what it is a Presiding Bishop does! Had no idea about that. He is responsible for all things temporal in the church. Meeting houses, Temples, finances, the fun stuff. They then opened it to questions, but told us that they have "no idea where the sword of Laban is" and "haven't seen the three Nephites in a long time", then told us to direct our doctrinal questions to our High Priest group. It was great. I feel as if I learned a lot from these men, and hope I'm able to apply it, not just to my mission life, but to my eternal one.

My goal for the week: Be more enthusiastic!

I love and miss you all!

Elder Keenan Monnett

P.S. Holy cow this was flipping long for me.

P.P.S. I'm inlcuding a link to my mission map! So instead of you just hearing about the areas I'm serving in, you can see them! Enjoy! My Mission Map

What's that smell?

We just got back from the Zoo! I haven't been to a zoo in ages. Now, the Fresno Zoo may not be anything to impressive, but it was worth the $7 (which could have been 6 if I had known that there was a coupon in the phone book). But I digress. Saw some animals that I haven't seen in a long time, some that I've never seen (Giant Cockroaches anyone?). It was fun, I'll admit it, though I was a little skeptical when I first heard we were going to the zoo for our zone activity.

We're having a special stake conference this weekend. Bishop Burton, of the presiding bishopric of the Church, will be attending ours and speaking to us. We don't get quite as lucky as Fresno East Stake, who is getting L. Tom Perry. So close. We got a little excited, because we found out that we're having a mission wide conference on Saturday, which has been done in the time that I've been here before. We all assumed that because they were gathering everyone in the mission together, and that L. Tom Perry justhappened to be in town that day, that we were going to be hearing from him. Well, according to the assistants, he's not. Sad day, but I'm still super excited to hear from Bishop Burton and Elder Snow of the seventy. I'm sure that they'll have lots to share with us, and I can't wait to learn.

On an odd note, I've been learning a lot about Bees lately. Bees are actually very interesting insects, and one of the most profitable. In the summer time, bee keepers use the bees to make honey. During other parts of the year, they use them to pollinate. Mostly Almond Orhcards here, but they'll take them up north this time of year to pollinate apples in places like washington and the like. Theres a bee keeper in our ward, and he is going to try and take us out and be bee keepers for a day! Sounds like a blast. So do you want to know some random facts about bees? You do? Ok!

The only bees that do the work, like collecting pollen, making honey, and the like, are females. These are called the working bees. There only purpose is to work.

The male bees, or Drones, serve only one purpose. Reproducing with the queen. They have no stinger. When they reproduce, the queen bee flies up as high as she can go (usually around a mile in the air) and all the Drones fly after her. The one who gets there first, gets to do the reproducing, but theres a catch. After they're done, their male bits break off, and they die. Not so awesome. You can hold a Drone bee in your hand, and he can't hurt you. Its pretty awesome.

You know, they often compare the church to a bee hive, and I'm sure they're comparing it to the efficiency and hard work of a bee hive, but people already believe some strange things about us..... haha.

I love and miss you all! Happy Easter!

Elder Keenan Monnett

What does the Atonement mean to you?

It's a question that we should all ask ourselves. We each know the sunday school answer of course. Jesus Christ lived and died for us so that we could make it into heaven. It's the greatest sacrifice ever, yadda yadda yadda. But what does it really mean to you? Do you really know that he did that? Do you really understand what that means? Do you show proper appreciation for it? I don't. Not as often as I should, anyway. Do you really understand what role it plays on a personal level? That you can use it to literately change your life? Do you strive constantly to use it? Do you hold it close when nothing else seems to be working? Are you constantly attempting to learn more about it? Do you know what it means to take the sacrament? What does the atonement mean to you?

--
Elder Keenan Monnett

"I hear the wind blow, I hear the wind blow, it seems to say, hello, hello, I'm the one who loves you so."

And windy has it been. I don't feel like it really loves me that much.

This week I have learned patience in my adversities and my trials. After experiencing a somewhat difficult, but faith building trial not too long ago, I recongnized how important trials were. Then I did the unspeakable. I prayed for trials. I don't know what I was thinking but my prayer was answered. The next several days were all very stress filled and things seemed to just keep going wrong. I was getting frustrated. I was getting impatient. I was getting incredibly stressed, until suddenly it occured to me that I had payed for this, and I found out how to make any lousy day much much better. That night, when the realization came, before getting into bed I knelt down and prayed. Except, instead of asking for anything, I tried to give a prayer only saying what I was grateful for. It took a minute, but suddenly I started seeing all of the little things that made my day so much better. After that prayer, I felt so good about the day, and realized that I didn't need my days to change. I needed my attitude to change. I needed to "count my... blessings" and "see what God hath done". The next day, the trials didn't end, but I endured them so much better. We got hailed on. One of our investigators brought her youth Pastor with her to an appointment, who was condescending and argumentative. One guy even drove accross four lanes of traffic, down the wrong side of the road, just to hit a puddle of water and splash us. By all counts, it should have been a lousy day, but because of that focus on what was good, instead of what was bad, I didn't get discouraged. I remained ^"troubled on every side, yet not distressed... perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;" Be happy in your trials. Focus on the Good, not the Bad, and your whole life will change, even if nothing around you does.

I love and miss you all!
-- Elder Keenan Monnett

Beautiful Conference

Wow. That's all I can think to say.

Conference was just that good. I don't know if they just stepped it up this conference, or if I'm just more in tune with the spirit, but I absolutely loved conference. Shoot, I didn't even once fall asleep! It's sad to think I only have one more of those left on my mission. But, I'll make the best of it, that's for sure. The only really depressing thing about conference was LACK OF INVESTIGATORS! We had an investigator promise she would be at the last session of conference, so all throughout conference I was getting super excited for her, because it was so good! 15 minutes before the last session started, she texted and said she wouldn't be able to make it. Sometimes missionary work can be so... depressing. Sometimes you put a lot of trust in people, and they really let you down. But, we make the best of it, and we move on.

Gas prices in California recently rose over 4 dollars a gallon, which to me seems ludicrous. I have no idea what the rest of the country is like right now, but I would have to assume that because of all of California's ridiculous taxes on things, this is about as expensive as it gets. Slap a 9% sales tax on top of all of the already ridiculous taxes, and you've got one expensive place to live. Throw that on top of a high unemployment rate, and you've got some humble people. Now we just need to find them....

I came across an interesting sight the other day. One I've probably seen a dozen times, but it didn't really occur to me the oddity of it until then. I came around a corner in the city, to see a row of palm trees, and in the not too distant background behind said trees, were snow capped mountains. Now, this obviously isn't the only state with palm trees, nor the only state with snow capped mountains, but it is the only one that I'm aware of where the two are in view of each other. I'd send a picture, but I didn't have my camera on me to take one, so you'll just have to take my word on it. It was pretty cool.

Long email today! Last bit. A brother in church gave an interesting thought. He was talking about some of the things he owns that he needs for work. He said that if his truck were to break down, he would have to go get it fixed right then. He could not wait till the next day, he could not take a day off of work. He needs it fixed so he can use it for work the next day. He said the same thing about his laptop. If it were to fry, he would need to have it fixed or replaced as soon as possible. He could not let it wait, because it's very important to him. Then he said to put yourself in the place of the truck, or the laptop, and the Lord is the owner. We need to put ourselves in a place of importance to the Lord, so that when we start to break down, we are so important to His work that he needs us fixed that moment. If we aren't important to his work then he doesn't need us working right then, but if we are instrumental in accomplishing his will, then he will hold us up. He will give us what we need to keep moving on when we start to break down. I have definitely seen that as a missionary, and my challenge to all of you is to put yourself in a position were you are so important to bringing about the Lords work, that he will not let you break down.

I love and miss you all.

Elder Keenan Monnett

Crazy weather

Really, it has been Odd for this time of year. For the last week it has been in the 50's and raining, not exactly an ideal California Spring. But I think the last of the rain in gone, and we'll have clear skies and sun for the next 7 months.... yay.... not really.

So I don't have a lot of time, but I'll share a couple stories, and one of them is related to the weather.

We had a dinner appointment scheduled with a sister in the ward, and her address was listed in the ward directory as being at Herndon and West, which is in the very southeast corner of our area, so we biked all the way there, were running a little late, then, upon ariving, she called and informed us that she actually has moved to Herndon and First, which is about 2 to 3 miles away from where we were... So we start heading east to try and bike to her house as fast as we possible can. It's about 50 degrees outside, which isn't even so bad, but we were heading into about 10-15 mph winds that were heading the opposite direction. We finally got there and we were beat, but the dinner was great, so, worth it? I think so.

That's actualy the only story I have time for right now, but I'll tell everyone all about my companion from Louisville, Ky next week. I love and miss you all!

Another week come and gone, so long Elder Westra

I think Elder Westra is one of the better companions I've had on my mission, which makes it really depressing that He's being transferred to Porterville 2nd ward. We didn't even get to be together for an entire transfer. In his place will be coming Elder Willman, from Kentucky. Elder Westra is pretty bummed out about leaving. First and foremost probably because he has an amazing companion that he doesn't want to lose, and secondly because he's been working so hard to get this area running, and it's just now starting to come around. It's a frustrating situation.

Conference is coming up! I have such a greater appreciation for General Conference now than I think I ever have in my life. A chance to hear from prophets called of God is such an amazing opportunity. Prepare yourselves for conference now! It will mean so much more to you if you prepare, if you Identify one problem, or one quiestion that you have in your life, and then listen to an answer to that. It can make all the difference in the world. Suddenly it's not just a bunch of old men talking, but it's your Heavenly Father helping you to make your life better. Give it a shot. That's about all the time I have for today!

I love and Miss you all!

Christmas sometimes DOES come early!

Miracles still happen today!

In our apartment, we have hook ups for a washer and dryer, but we lack a washer and dryer, so we have to take our laundry elsewhere and pay for every load we use. This may not sound so awful, but mothers will cringe when I mention that because of that, we tend not to wash things like bedsheets very often because we don't want to spend the extra money. Well the other day, I threw some things in the Washer and dryer closet to store them, and made the joke "hope we don't get a washer and dryer anytime soon". 3 hours later, we got a call from the missions housing coordinator saying that they had just closed a missionary apartment down, and had a washer and dryer they needed to get rid of, and asked if we could keep it in our apartment. You're darn right!

On a more spiritual note, after several weeks of banging our heads into the wall we had run into, we found an opening, and moved a little further! Two less active families we have starting working with lately came to church on Sunday! They really enjoyed it, and the ward did a super job on fellowshipping! We were so happy to see some progress, and we found out that one of them might have two unbaptized daughters! God DOES answer prayers! It's just that whole in His own time and own way thing tends to throw me off, because naturally, I'm selfish, and I want things in my own time, and my own way! Luckily, I don't decide that, and Heavenly father, who does, is much much smarter than I am. I am eternally grateful none the less.

On a final note, I want to end with a thought that I got from my companion, that I really enjoyed, and it is about service. Now, it would be pretty easy to get into a lengthy discussion about works, and about what gets you into heaven, and what utlimately saves us in the end. Does doing good things get you into heaven? No. I could spend my whole life doing nothing but serving other people, and if I do not do the core things that Christ has asked me to do, then that will prevent me from achieving the exaltation that he has planned for me. But, while doing good things won't neccesarily get me into heaven, a lack of good things will keep me from it.

So what have you done for people lately?

I love and miss you all!

Elder Keenan Monnett

Seriously?

So this week has been even more crazy than last week, and it all started with Zone Conference on Wednesday...

Everything was going nice an normal, when President Gonzalez approached me after sitting down. He leaned in and said "now Elder Monnett, you know that you're being transferred to Riverview ward today, right?"

"Ummmm, no?"

"Oh, you didn't? Well you're being transferred today, so you'll need to go home right after Zone Conference and pack all of your stuff"

Upon arriving at our apartment, I was given 45 minutes to pack everything I owned and get it into the car. It was probably one of the more stressful moments of my mission. Needless to say, nothing was packed very well, and was just all thrown haphazardly wherever it would fit.

So, now, instead of being in Sanger with Elder Giesey, I'm in Riverview with Elder Westra (Pocatello, ID). Other than the absolute craziness that was moving, and the absurdity of still trying to figure out where everything I own is, things have been great. The work is slow (SLOW!), but it's picking up. I think good things will come. So now I'm in Fresno again! Yay! Literately about 4 or 5 blocks from my last area in Fresno (my old Ward Mission Leader works at an In-N-Out in my area). That's about all the time I have now!

I love and miss you all!

Elder Keenan Monnett

Broken Refrigerators and new Mission Presidents

As you can tell by the subject, it has been an exciting week. This morning, as I was eating my bowl of cereal, I noted that my milk was a tad warmer than milk should be. We checked, and found out that on full blast, our fridge could only go as low as 40 degrees, and on normal it would get as high as 55. So in a hurry, we moved all of our food to the church fridge (fingers crossed that it's still there when we go to pick it up). Not quite sure what's wrong with it, but the apartment staff promised we'd have a new one by tomorrow, so that's exciting.

But even more exciting than that is the announcement of who our new mission president is going to be this July. We got a call out (a voice message) from President Gonzalez telling us that our new mission president is going to be Larry Gillwick, and went on to say:

"some of you may have heard of Larry Gillwick. He coached the highly successful Highland Rugby team for 37 years, and the movie 'Forever Strong' is based on him and his efforts",

Ironically, my companion and I had just been talking that morning about how we weren't sure anyone could fill the shoes of President Gonzalez and the great work that he has done. Now we're getting Larry Gillwick, who was depicted in the movie 'Forever Strong'. I think some exciting things are going to happen in this mission, or should I say, continue to happen.

Other than those exciting things, we've been having delightfully spring-like weather, and very little rain. Maybe California weather isn't so bad after all. Just kidding, talk to me in 3 months.

I love and miss you all!
-- Elder Keenan Monnett