Staying in Greeley

March 30, 2015

Transfer doctrine: I'm staying here in Greeley, but with Elder Peñeranda, the old zone leader. I'm really excited. We're losing Elder Bingham, De Leon, and Zavala, but we're getting Ramirez, Farnsworth, my trainer, and Gaspar de Alba, my old mtc comp. It's going to be a crazy transfer. I'm really really excited though about the changes. Also, since Elder Farnsworth and I have the same birthday and Elder Peñeranda is the day after, we are no doubt going to have some massive General Conference Birthday celebration. 

The low point of this week was getting locked out of our car because one elder left the keys in trunk. The two hour wait wasn't so bad though since we were playing FIFA 15 with an investigator. For the record, I won 5-5 with 4-2 in penalties and 3-2 against Elder Bingham, right as the XBOX fell and the disc got scratched beyond repair...which was the 2nd low point of the week. Fortunately calling the people to come open our car for us was under warranty, so we didn't have to pay the $40 fee. I have a ton of pics this week, so hopefully that tells more of the story.

A lot of these are just crazy pics that didn't turn out as intended, but I'll send them anyway. 

Another pic with some of the Stevens family.

All of the missionaries and the Hernandez family. The one on the far left is my old companion and the one to the right of me is my new companion.

Que guapo, no? Bingham y yo

Elder Azzarella, Angie, and Melody...no filter

Angie and I

Hitching a ride from a 12 year old

March 23, 2015

Not a lot of time. The most ghetto thing we did this week was hitch a ride from a 12 year old kid on his 4-wheeler in a trailer park to where the other elders were so that we could get a ton of bibles and BOMs. I gave him $5, told him to wait for us, and then his mom drove up and started chewing him out for leaving and saying he didn't have gas, so he left us. 

We visit a lot of families with a ton of kids, like the pic shows. It's hard to get them to church. Only one more week this transfer, so that's exciting. I need some sort of change. Sorry this isn't exciting, I don't have a lot to say.

(Is it just me or is the little kid in his underwear?  I seem to remember 

some little Bacon boys who did that years ago...)

Because He Lives

March 16, 2015

First big news: Like He is the Gift, the church is releasing another initiative (but for Easter) on March 28th called Becausehelives. The video will go out on that date, though since we're on missions we get special privileges, I've already seen it, and it's a really good video. Also on April 5th, General Conference Sunday and also my birthday, YouTube's sole advertiser will be a 15 second version of the video. Spread the word!

We also got official word that our mission will be getting iPads in late spring/early summer, so I'm stoked about that. I realized the other day that I only have 20 or so days being a teenager, which sort of blew my mind.

This week was kind of rough on missionary work. As a district we lost 5 baptism dates. We had to drop Ivan and his family since they said they don't have time for us, and our "golden" investigators, Jose and Santos, were busy when we came by on Friday. They said they would call us when they had some time, so we're really hoping that's not code for never come to our house again.

The Rios family with Giovanni (9), Lizzie (11) and Lizet (13) went with their dad this week, so they weren't able to come to church, and they weren't back when we had our appointment

. 

I did something stupid this week. After playing basketball with some kids, one of them said "if I make this shot you owe me $5". I said I don't have $5 to give, which he took as OK. He made it, so I said if I make a shot from half court you owe me $5. I made it, and then a little competition got started. At one point I was in the hole $10, but finally when we were even I said I had to go. 

Hope you all have a great week in the real world.

Investigator of other elders with a baptism date the 28th

Habitat for Humanity helping make houses

Football, basketball, and a big, fat, sharp toenail

March 9, 2015

We had an incredible week as far as missionary work goes. Right now, we have 10 people with a baptismal date, although since only 1 of them came to church, there is only 1 that can actually meet that baptismal date of March 27. He's a super cool 8 year old kid named Giovanni. His two sisters weren't able to come to church, but they came to the FHE activity we had last night at the church. Ivan and his family still haven't come to church, and we have no idea what we're going to do. 

Instead of knocking doors one day at a trailer park like usual, I convinced my companion to let me ask some kids if we could play football with them. They said yes, we played for an hour or so, I got tackled into a wet spot of grass while I was wearing my white shirt and dress pants, and then after messing around for awhile we talked about being missionaries and going to church and stuff. And...boom, another investigator and a bunch of kids that think we're dope. Later we played basketball when a 12 year old girl came up with her crew and asked if we'd play against them. So it was me and and a bunch of 8-13 year old guys against 5 12 year old girls that were surprisingly good while my comp talked to the kids waiting to sub in. 

My traumatic experience this week was when I was walking in my room and stepped on a pin. But it wasn't a pin. It was a big, fat, sharp toenail. Have a great week.

Size 18 shoes

10 commandments at the Catholic church across the street 

That's why you don't break the rules and be stupid.

March 2, 2015

Once again, no time, so here goes:

We had service giving out extra food from the food bank, and I was in charge of onions for the second week in a row, so I smelled wonderful for the rest of that day. Though I did get 48 free Popsicles, so it was worth it.

We also helped serve tables and do dishes at a charity event held by the catholic church right across the street from our own. It was kind of ironic to have Mormon missionaries in a catholic church, but no one said anything negative. 

A story about karma and obedience on your mission: one of the elders in our zone decided that he wanted to buy a PSP with his freshly deposited MSF money. He already owed another elder $35, but he dropped $135 on this PSP at a pawn shop, with the promise that if it didn't work he could bring it back. Either it didn't work or he changed his mind, but he went back and tried to get his money back, the guy refused and denied he said that, but he would buy it from him for $50. He left, went to 2 other pawn shops that said the same thing, and so he sold it for $50. Welcome to day 1 of the month with only $15 left. That's why you don't break the rules and be stupid.

I also always almost run out of money, so I've vowed to have at least $30 at the end of this month.

We found 2 new investigators last night, and they seem pretty freaking golden to me. We'll follow up Tuesday with reading a part of and praying about the Book of Mormon. The investigator of the other elders has only had 2 cigarettes in the past week, so he's doing phenomenally well. Fasting works. I only have one picture, so I'll send it next week with hopefully some more.