Wednesday, August 17, 2016

Transfer Week

Hey outside world. Another week in Southern California. Wednesday last week i had to go get another ingrown toenail out at the doctor. So me and Elder Major decided to take advantage of it and drive down to Encinitas on the coast highway right next to the beach. My mission is sweet. So yeah i got my toe all cut up and taken care of and got to see the beach while i was at it.

We got transfer calls this week and me and Elder Major are staying together for another 6 weeks. We are both pretty pumped about that. We are having a blast. You have all already heard but Uncle Matt and his fam were in my neck of the woods and took me and Elder Major out to get some icecream. The kids barely remembered me but it was fun.

We had alot of lessons fall through on us this week but it happens. Lots of flaky investigators right now. But we have some solid ones too. Not much else to write this week. It goes by so fast i dont remember what happened. But i hope everyone is being member missionaries and INVITING!

I love you all. Have a great week and to my butterfly brothers get better and stay healthy!

Ya we still knocked this door!
Pdays in So Cal
Ice cream with matts fam

amother week in paradise Aug. 8

Hey family, its been a great week here in Bonsall. So much has happened. I don't have much time but ill just share a quick experience that happened that sums up the week.

Wednesday morning we were sitting in our apartment doing our daily studies when we heard someone knock on our door. I went to the door and answered and thought it would be nothing. But a lady was at the door and told us that she had been reading the book of Mormon and she asked us if we could go by later that day and answer some of her questions and teach her more. HOW CRAZY IS THAT!!! We had someone KNOCK ON OUR DOOR and ASK US if they could learn more. Her name is Diana and she lives right above us. We went over later that day and taught her the Restoration.

Miracles happen every day. Its up to us to figure out what they are. Love you all have a great week. Good luck to Gunner and Tate cause football season is here!!!!!!


Monday, August 1, 2016

Bumpin and grindin

Hey peeps. This past week has been a tougher one. Elder Romney was having too much fun doing missionary work so some humility was sent his way. Me and Elder Major counted it up and we had 9 lessons cancel on us.

I went on exchanges into Vista with Elder Emerick this past week. Back to spanish work for the day! Vista is super sketchy but it was nice being back in some rough places haha. We talked to this woman on the street who we thought spoke spanish but she spoke a Guatamalan dialect called mum so we tried our hardest to communicate with hand signals and very slow talking. It didnt work but it was still fun.

Thursday of last week we had a zone conference, so we got to meet up with two other zones to get trained. We talked a lot about how to work with ward and stake leaders, later in the meeting we got to have a small testimony meeting for some missionaries that are going home soon, the spirit was incredibly strong. So we had that meeting for most of the afternoon and then for the rest of the night we had teaching appointments, so we were really looking forward to that night. But when we got to the evening, all of our lessons cancelled on us. So we just sat there in our car and thought "Well God, we are trying our best, we have the truth, we have the investigators, why aren't you helping us out more?" So we decided to go and stop by some of our ward leaders and apply the training we got on how to more effectively work with them, we decided to start with the Young Mens and Young Womens since we have so much youth in our ward. When we got done with the Young Mens President, we stopped by the Young Womens President, and when we got there, their daughter had her boyfriend over. He didn't have much of any religious experience or any relationship with God, but he told us if its important to Olivia (the daughter), then its important to him. So we taught him the restoration and the spirit just filled the room. He told us he would read and pray, but his parents are very atheist, and dont want him really pursuing religion. So we were afraid he wasnt going to be able to take the steps to really progress, but later on during church on Sunday, he showed up and stayed for all three hours! Its so easy to get frustrated and shake your fist at God when things dont go the way you want them to, but there is so much that we dont see that God does. He really does have his hand in all things, and thats something that I have come to gain a HUGE testimony of. (credit to Elder Major for that paragraph)

Things always work out. Most of the time we just dont see the how and why behind everything and its not always the way we expect it to be. I was able to give a talk in church yesterday. I talked on member missionary work. It made me realize how much this gospel has changed me over the past year but more importantly how it has changed the people that i was able to bring it to. We should be sharing this gospel with everyone we see!!!! 

I love you all, have a great week and make the most of every opportunity!

Elder Romney and elder schow one last visit before elder schow went home. 

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Pioneers and surfbums

Hey folks. Still grinding it out here in paradise. Well this week has been another quick and fun one. The biggest part of the week was the stake pioneer day activity. It was huge! We had a couple of investigators there and it was lots of pie and corn and cobbler. Good times. 

This area and ward is blessed. Its pretty spread out (kinda like Valley Center) so we are visiting members alot and they are all super down to do missionary work. It is easier to get referrals from the members than it is to talk to people on the streets here! Im loving this area.

To go off on some random things this week. We had a zone training meeting that the assistants and president didnt show up to, we visited one of our investigators in the hospital and got called out by another member to give her mom a blessing, hit some golf balls off the side of a hill during a lunch break, almost got murdered by some black widows while we were knocking doors, we were "ghostbusters", saw a huge wild fire in some mountains nearby, made some pumpkin cookies, and became some members favorite missionaries. Lots more happened but thats all i can really remember. 

Well this week me and Elder Major gave up all of our junk food and committed to eating healthy and working out twice a day. We are so committed that we blended all of our junk food together and took a sip of it to start this off. It was disgusting and yes I puked.  we hate junk food now and have no desire to ever eat it again. 

On a more spiritual note our investigator that is in the hospital is Kenny. He is 32 years old and his mom is member but hasnt been active since she was little and his dad is not a member. He is such an example of being unselfish. We visited him in the hospital and all he could talk about was how his friends were doing and how he needed to help them. He is all ready to take the step of baptism but had some health issues come up recently and has to be in the hospital. Super pumped for him though.

I hope everyone has a great week. Love you all!

Monday, July 18, 2016

One Year Old

Hey civilians. This week has flown but been super fun. So much has happened!! My days are really long and busy but im loving it. Ill break down my week..

Monday: Got a couch and ate some icecream.

Tuesday: Met an older German couple that let us in the door and we had a deep life talk. They had both been through tons and are getting married soon. That was our first time meeting them both but they gave us hugs when we left. They werent interested but it was cool to find nice people haha.

Wednesday: Taught a bunch of Restoration lessons. I love that lesson. Super powerful message. 

Thursday:Taught some more Restoration.

Friday: Was in a meeting from 9 in the morning till 5 in the afternoon. Yay for meetings. I got to see a couple of my mission buddies, Higginson and Horton, who came out with me. So we were together on our year. I celebrated with cake pops and a cream soda that night.

Saturday: We went on Camp Pendleton (the marine base) to visit some members. That night we went to a wedding reception at our stake presidents house because people invited some non members and it was our dinner. Super weird being there. 

Sunday: Went to church and visited our favorite family the Wallaces. 

There are lots of in betweens but that is the summary. This is probably my most detailed email home so i hope it makes some people happy. Im loving it here in Fallbrook with Elder Major. We are working hard and having a blast. We have alot going for us in our area right now! Love you all have a great week!
 
***. Im super busy all day every day right now but i love it. I just really love where im at right now. We are getting shredded in all the rich neighborhoods but thats ok its just part of the missionary life hahaha. "you havent been a missionary till you have been shredded by a guy getting in his mercedes benz" -E Major


Me and elder higginson and elder Horton on our one year mark
Our entertainment center with surround sound. But we can only watch the 2 missionary videos we have haha
Me elder major and elder dressman 

Sunday, July 17, 2016

English... July 11, 2016

Hello family. Its really different being an English missionary. But im loving it. Me and Elder Major are having a blast here in the Fallbrook 5th ward. We are super busy but it makes things fun. So the breakdown of the week : found $11 on the street, had a ward BBQ, visited the hospital, read scriptures with a 97 yr old man, talked to people at gas stations and parking lots, and rode around in a truck.

Pretty good week here in the mission field. Lots of cool experiences. I dont have any pictures but hope you all have a great week!

Me and Elder Major

Bye VC July 5 2016

Well the time has come for me to leave Valley Center. Its sad. Ive met so many great people and families here and have learned tons. Ill be leaving to Fallbrook today and my new companion will be Elder Major. I already know him and its gonna be a blast. But im gonna be an English missionary now so no more Spanish work.. Not sure how I feel about that but im excited to see how English work is here.

This past week has been a blast. Our new mission President came in on Friday. We all got to meet him and I had an interview with him on Saturday. He has tons of energy and is super positive and a goofball. I love him already haha. For the 4th of July yesterday (my favorite holiday) my ward had a breakfast and a Patriotic speaker. It was awesome! I said by to a lot of people though.

"Live your testimony". That is now one of my favorite quotes. WE all need to be doing this every single day!!! I love you all have a great week!
 
 

The Rush family


The Reilly family


Cifuente family