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