March 6, 2017

Hey Mom!                                                                                           March 6, 2017

This week:
motivational crashes, countering motivational crashes, die-hard winter and serious home libraries!

And that...was probably the blandest week in words I've ever thought up of, but unfortunately that about summarizes what has happened this past week. Still! We saw a pretty good number of miracles that seems to be raining on us right now! For one, we're still alive.

For two, I'm finding out more and more every day of just how thankful I am for the way you guys raised me. I think it's safe to say that you guys did an incredible job of balancing tough love with great love, because there's a lot of guys getting trunky right now. I relate that because it seems like they had it a little more lax beforehand, and so the upcoming home-flight is super weighing on them. Consequently Elder Mayes hit an all-time low on his desire to work that about drove me near insane. If it wasn't for the fact that we're total bros about bromance I probably would've lost it, but patience paid off (another thing I owe to you guys), and by weeks end, things were back up and running! He actually fasted and received a good impression to ask for a priesthood blessing. So I along with our DL, and ZL's gave him one, and he's been doing pretty great since!

Jacob and Natalia are doing fantastic, and it's cool to see their progression. They actually signed up to take us to the local sketchy/awesome pizza joint for dinner on Thrusday, the type that throws your diet out the window. I really love those guys, because since they're our age it's super easy to connect to them. Whenever we go over for a lesson it's cool because we don't feel nervous about what the spirit teaches them, we're all pretty much friends! The weather however, isn't so hospitable. Seems like Grant County is doing a victory schreech over the end of Winter, but snow and severe wind still blew during some of the days last week. Winter's dying, but not without a last form of fury. Heh heh, personally I think it'd be hilarious if another ice storm blew through for no apparent reason.

We're also really getting to know the members more in depth more, and that helps a lot whenever we help them in their missionary efforts. Just this last week we got to visit the youth Sunday school groups in both wards. It was nice interacting with them, and it seems like they see us at a friendly level too! Got to help them out with Mission prep, and overall help them be missionaries themselves. But I have to say the highlight of it all was when we got to have dinner with a member family yesterday. Turns out that these guys had a legit library-style book shelve in their home, ladder included! We thought it was about the coolest thing we had seen this past week.

And to be honest, that is really all there was the past week. Apart from travelling and walking and whatnot, there was a great feeling of spirit during last week's efforts. Seems like the Lord is really blessing us a lot up here in Moses. I can't wait to see what else he has in store for us for the rest of the transfer. Miracles are still very real in today's world, and if we're in tune with the Spirit, not only will we be able to see them, we'll be able to take part in them as well. You just gotta keep trying!

Anyway, love you all! Thanks again for all the love and prayers you send our way, we all need them. Always remember Christ, keeping Him center does a lot of good for us these days!

Michael

February 27, 2017

Hey Mom!                                                                                           February 27, 2017

This week:
The great meltdown, Jacob's cousin, cinnamon bread, and ribs!

To answer your question right away, yeah, things melted pretty darn quick the past week. The sun shown for a solid 4 days! And things quickly melted. All the winter-wheat farmers are going to have a blast this season, because Moses Lake had a super-rare and brutal winter. But after a few days of sun and the occasional rain, the snow is finally starting to go away! And...the mud, floods, and puddles that accompany melting came up. And consequently, a few potholes have formed as well.

I would also say that a few minds melted this week too. To answer your other question, Elder Mayes is doing fine. Elder Dalton, our DL, and I keep President updated on his overall health. He had some pretty bad episodes this past week, and safe to say that he hit rock bottom. We got him out, but it came at some patience tax. But I do look forward to where we can connect post-mission, because he's a gamer and I see us getting online for a session or two when we get back. Along with some other elders as well! He's also helped a lot in helping me brainstorm the story idea whenever we have some down-time.

There wasn't too many spiritual experiences the past week, but we did get the chance to teach Jacob and Natalia again. His cousin Jason, along with his fiancé, Moria, were present there too! Moria is LA, and Jason isn't a member, but during the lesson we got to talk to him about his experiences. He didn't have the best of upbringings and was almost a year sober, so we gave him a Book of Mormon bookmarked at Mosiah 27, and we challenged him to read about Alma the Younger's experience to see just how it was like him overcoming his challenges. I love the Book of Mormon for that reason, it's so easy to relate to if you really read it with the intent to improve your life. Pages full of role models who really had a testimony of God and the love he had for sending Christ to redeem us.

On the note of redemption, we actually learned something pretty profound in a Zone Conference Wednesday, and I wish I could share everything we learned from it! But we learned that a simple behavior change without the Savior is just that, a behavior change. But Repentance is a principle of action that changes more than behavior, it changes our lives, our views on ourselves and God, I would reckon everything about us if we really come to see it as it really is. That was probably the spiritual highlight as far as Gospel Principles goes!

Another funny story was that an elderly lady in the ward, Sis. Moote, sent us a referral for a lady named Thelma, who she had just talked to at a blood drive. We called her right away, and when Thelma answered she exclaimed "Wow! That was fast!" She was interested in finding a church to come too for her month-long stay at Moses, and she told us to call her again the next day. Unfortunately she never answered any call we made following that, but it was cool to see how she reacted to the urgency!

Sis. Jones and Elder Mayes also caught the rare disease of the Moses Lake winter, so we had to stay inside a few days for proper recovery. In that time, I cracked open the Jones's bread book and decided to try to make Cinnamon bread. It came out pretty well! I'll include some pictures. When I get back I'd really like to help you make bread more often Mom. I find it quite therapeutic!

And to wrap it all up, we had a great dinner with a younger family in the ward. The husband is only an elder but a successful anesthesiologist, so he made us some ribs! And they were just like Dad's ribs too! I'm not going to lie, but it was pretty good! And....when we were done, he just out-of-the blue decided to turn on his computer and show us a few game trailers to some new games that came out. We didn't condone it, it was more of one of those moments where you didn't protest because he was acting under his own agency, but at the same time...well, you know. Since when did the world get so high tech?

Then to top it all off even more, Jacob, Rob Johnson, and Kunza all came to church on Sunday! Unfortunately again Elder Mayes felt horrible so we had to go home early to recover again, but it was still cool to see how the Spirit is starting to take root in them even more, or at least enough to help them come to church to partake of the Sacrament! It was a good week for what it was. Heck, a few hours ago, a member paid for groceries!

Thanks for refilling the debit, although I could've lasted for the rest on the $125. I kind of accepted my own challenge to have that grand last for the whole mission. Laundromat fees in Eburg is what really did it in for us. And I'm super excited to see what the new house looks like! If you can, send a video tour of it or something. But even if we had nothing but a grass hut I'd be happy enough, because I'm with you guys a a family. And all you guys as my friends too! Let me know how everyone else is doing and I'll be certain to keep you guys in my prayers always. A family that loves the Lord can get through just about anything! I just wish I had enough words to say how much I'll always appreciate you!

Love you all!

Michael

February 13, 2017

Hey Mom!                                                                                           February 13, 2017

I guess God called Harley home. I was just about as shocked when I read that. Nuts. I'm going to miss that pup. Still, we shall see her again! I've come to know that in times like these it's important to always remember that the spirit lives forever. 

Well, at least Smokey's all right. I guess Harley will have to watch and wait with Bandit now. Life rolls on for us here in Moses Lake. The past week didn't see too much excitement as far as work goes. Just a lot of walking and a lot of water. The sun's been out for a glorious few days now and it's been causing a really sped-up melt for the winter. I'm really thankful for the boots that you sent me, they've probably already seen more action that we bargained for! Chances are in the next month or so I'll be shipping a lot of my winter gear home, which will be nice because that stuff takes up a lot of room as far as travelling goes. But you never know, with such little time left I feel like it wouldn't matter too much.

We had a cool experience with Jacob this past week! We had previously left him with a Plan of Salvation pamphlet that he actually read, and he had some real good questions about the Spirit World and the Kingdoms of Glory. We answered them, and he understood a little better. But when we went back to the beginning and taught him up to those points, everything clicked with him! He understood it even better than before! He saw how it's all centered around the Atonement, and how it's in our choice to choose what path we want to take. The coolest part was when we asked him if he would pray to know if it was true, he said that if he already knew the Book of Mormon was true, than the Plan of Salvation would be as well! He also said that he wants to take Natalia to the temple to be sealed when he can, and I don't think I've ever taught anyone with that much incentive before!

We thought it was awesome for him to see how the Spirit has testified of that truth of the Book of Mormon to him. Everything that we do out here and in the church all hangs on the Book of Mormon, and I've come to know now more than ever that it is a true book. All you need to do is just choose to read it with a real desire to know more about who we are as God's children!

It is cool to know that we will be with our loved ones again. The Plan of Salvation makes it possible for all of us to be with our loved ones again. And I find it incredible that the same knowledge is also taught to those who never had the chance to hear of it in this life, or embrace it more fully. Life can be fragile, but the bonds of eternity are truly unbreakable. I can't wait to meet Great uncle Josair someday!

I'm very glad to have you as my mother, dear mom. You've given me such a beautiful view on life and about the importance of keeping God first, I don't really know what I'd do without you. So many people out here don't have that same priority, and while it's an honor and privilege to teach them, sometimes I just wish that the world would have as awesome Moms as you. If we did, then the world would probably glow from the spirit that came. But you know, one day it will be like that, when the Savior comes again. I'm so thankful for Christ's Atonement in my life. I've done a lot of really dumb things in life sometimes, and everyday I stand in awe that He's never left me during any of that time.

It's interesting to see how we all play a part in each other's lives in some way or another. And in the end I know that we'll all be together again, and that no one who departs early wants to look down and see us fail in the process. I love you all and hope that you guys do a great job continuing to be such an awesome family to me and to the others your guys's light will inevitably touch! 

Church is true! Love you too!

Michael 

January 23, 2017

Hey Mom!

This week:

Snow, Ice, rain, freezing rain, fog, and more rain, and all in that order too!

Sorry to hear the plow gave out on the truck, the hydraulics at least. I kind of feel sorry for Dad working it alone, but it's a good thing we got the snow blower at least! Also great to see how much snow is on the ground this winter, it's about time! hopefully this fills the lake up a little more. By the way, how's Smokey taking the weather? The ole' cat probably likes being back in a more open place, finally put that coat of his to work.

But as you can probably tell from the week in words, this past week almost shot us down for work due to weather. I kid you not, a legit ice-storm blew in Tuesday night which shut us down for the rest of the evening. When we woke up and moved out the next morning, the ground was a solid sheet of sheer ice. Nobody was out, anywhere. 'Matter of fact, I slipped on my first step out in a comical fall. Fortunately we got a ride to where we were going. We ran over to the the DL, Elder Dalton and Goodwin's home to talk to them, and then we all ice-skated to Taco Bell for lunch. Still, the weather wasn't horrible enough to make bread, that's only when we get shut in all day.

The ice didn't stop. For the next few days the weather changed constantly from rain to ice, which would eventually freeze again at nightfall, turning Moses Lake and probably all the Columbia basin into a mega skating-rink, shutting down most facilities and activites. We don't have yak-tracks, but in a sign of growing member trust, Bro. Phillips in 7th ward volunteered to look into purchasing some for us. But you know, despite the setback, we actually saw some pretty good success for what there was!

We weren't able to meet Kristen, but we got a call from Bishop in the middle of zone Conference informing us that Kristen had been taken into custody. Details are odd. But her boyfriend, Rob, was all of a sudden interested in learning more about the Gospel! So we got together with him, had a real spirit-filled lesson, and he came to church Sunday too! Later on during the day we got texted by a lady named Natalia, informing us that they just moved into the ward and that her husband was interested in learning about the church! Go humanity! It was almost as if some rain froze together in the form of a blessing and smashed right through the roof onto us! 

And you know what else was funny, what bare-little tracting we did, we found ourselves in the right place at the right time! Passed out a few pamphlets, talked story with some people about the ice, good times! We also had two great lessons with less active families and part-member ones too! The first was with the Hudsells, Dad's not a member. But their daughter is getting ready to depart for her mission, and that has softened his heart a whole lot, or at least enough to be welcome to us coming by! The second was with a fellow named Matt, who served his mission in Salt Lake. Our fellowshipper, Bro. Baker, did a great job helping him know where his heart was at, and in the end Matt told us that we were an answer to his prayers the past week. Cool!

Dalton and Goodwin got in a car wreck due to the ice, they were in the back when the Spanish elders were driving. Everybody was fine, but Dalton got a concussion and Goodwin got some deep bruises. We had to drop by the past few days to visit with them while they were recovering so they don't go nuts, and we also got to administer to them by blessings. I'm so grateful for the priesthood that allows us to help and heal others.

Yeah, overall, things went by incredibly well the past week, despite weather. But you know, that's how the Gospel rolls on, no matter what happens. I'm glad to hear that the house progresses! I love all you guys, and I hope that you all take time to read the scriptures like you said. I always love reading from the Bible and Book of Mormon, inspired works they are! There's about an answer to all of life's questions in their pages.

Love you all!

Michael

PS: notice the reflection on the ice, that's how sheer it was.

January 16, 2017

Hey Mom!                                                                                           January 22, 2017

This week:

Going sub-zero, teaching my pre-mission self, pizza 'n more pizza, chocolate babka, and more!

Wow, just reading about your experience at the interior store was starting to mentally exhaust my mind! But it sounds like the house is coming along like clock work! I hope at least.

To answer your health question, I didn't get sick. And I don't think it was the flu. I am really grateful that we live with the Jones family where they allow us to read their books when we're stuck inside for sickness. I guess you could say I broke during that and read a few pages of the Complete Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and a compilation of Medal of Honor recipients.

There's weren't too many spiritual highlights of the week, although the spirit was super strong nonetheless for what did happen! We got to read with Kristen 1 Nephi chapter 1, and she also accepted a baptismal date! But we agreed to keep it loose to accommodate her schedule because we can't get any contact information from her. While we were closing the lesson, her friend Bree walked in and started to listen with her. And in the end, they both committed to coming to church! Find when you teach moment! Unfortunately they didn't actually come, but we're still going to work with them! We also got to teach with the 10th ward sisters to a referral given to us, for a fellow attending their ward named Sky. That was a great lesson! Spirit was felt really well.

I guess you could contribute part of the slow in work to the weather and our lack of wheels. The record of coldest temperature worked in was broken on Thursday night when the sky cleared up and it dropped down to 0 degrees Fahrenheit. We walked to the Garza', a friendly family who met with missionaries before, and after a very lovely visit with them, walked back. Both ways, I could start to see icicle drops form on my eyelashes, and when I looked in the mirror back at home, my balaclava was iced over where I normally breathe. I actually have to give deep thanks for sending me the new boots, they work as well as the galoshes, and a third of the weight!

Last week we also got to go with Bishop Allred to meet with a couple named Sage and Kaylee Utter. They're less-active, and Bishop asked us to see if we can start teaching them. Sage has Asperger, and so when I explained my brief case to Bishop, he immediately knew I was at the right place and right time to meet with Sage. So on Tuesday we went over to see them again to get to know them. I decided to take Bishop's advice to see if our personalities line up. And you know, he wasn't off too much! We sat down with him, and so we just got talking to him about the things he loves to do, which basically curtailed my pre-mission life. Youtube, video games, and good graphics. Elder Mayes was also a gamer before too, so the three of us really hit it off!

...

And now's the part where I confess that in an effort to ultimately gain his trust, we also allowed him to showcase some newer games to us. I know, not the best action ever. But in the end we got to make a new friend! And he's perfectly cool with us coming by to teach lessons.

We also had one of those episodes where we got fed pizza for three days straight. Not as bad at pasta for a week, but still, when Sis. Pack dropped off dominos on the third day she said that she had hoped that we hadn't been getting fed pizza for everyday the past week. She, along with Bro. Jones found it hilarious when I told them the truth. To wrap it all up, Elder Mayes came down with the plague again on Saturday, so we stayed inside after going around with Bishop Allred again trying by more LA  members. This time, I made some chocolate babka, which is a fluffy sweet bread with chocolate swirls baked into it. You know, it came out pretty good! I would suggest the cookbook Bread Illustrated if you ever see it. 

And...you know that's about it. I hope you guys stay safe with all the snow that's being blown around and all that! Moses Lake has been getting some pretty heavy snow as well. But we march on! I can't blame people for saying we're crazy. I prefer peculiar, and you know, Hoorah for Israel!

Love you all!

Michael

January 9, 2017

Hey Mom!                                                                                                

This week:

4th quarter, clear cold and snow cover, teaching well, moving trailers, "Galtwin," and more bread!

Glad to hear the house is coming along? So, what are you deciding for flooring and all that? I've always wondered what a house that we designed looked like. As a matter of fact, I always found it funny to recognize how skilled you guys are to do that type of stuff. Either way, keep me updated on how it looks! 

As for us in Moses Lake, things progressed really well this past week! I guess apart from more important matters it's official; I'm in the last quarter of the mission. And dang, it's awesome so far! The only down-side for us was the weather. Weekly, the high was about in the late 20's, the low dipping down to about 2-4 Fahrenheit with wind-chill. On Sunday it snowed all day long and dumped more snow on Moses Lake than the city's seen in the past few years! So we spent all of last night shoveling people's walks and pushing 2-wheel drive cars up steep driveways. 

But on a more work basis, something pretty cool happened! So a gal named Kristen came to church last week our of the blue, and bishop was able to set up a lesson for us in his office with her on Tuesday! We and a few members of the RS were there, and I'm not going to lie, that lesson was probably one of the best lessons that I've ever got to be in. Never mind how we taught and all, the spirit was super strong, and there was such a clear feeling to what the spirit was having us teach! Kristen felt it too! She loves likening the scriptures, so she was super excited to start the Book of Mormon, and she also said that she'd get baptized when she came to know of it's truthfulness! We and the members there immediately bonded with her, and there was such a great feeling of family during it.

What was funny was that as we were walking out of that lesson we got text-dropped by another pair of investigators. Cory and Danielle had been meeting with elders for a while, and although they told us they were going a different route, they were super appreciative of all we and the ward did to help them out. Bittersweet, but the Lord has a timetable much more expansive than ours.

But I'll tell you this much, we had a lot more humorous experiences this week than I've seen in a while. On Tuesday we helped the friend of a family in the ward move out of a trailer. When we got to his place it was clear that we'd be getting our hands dirty. The guy hadn't been very good to keep things in order for one thing, the fact that he was getting evicted that very day didn't help with packing either. After we helped him and his boys load up a truck full of random items they ran off to their storage. That's when a posse of youth showed and leaders showed up to help. They did a lot. The guy had an entire room that wasn't packed, so for the next two hours we broke things down and boxed stuff up. One of his sons stayed behind to help. He wasn't terribly proud of his Dad's way of living, but he was super appreciative of the ward's help. 

I think that's a mental side-effect of the mission, you learn what not to do in life in terms of living. 

We also bonded more with the zone by adopting "twitter" names for each other. Not certain if it's real or not, but in the end it's basically a heads-up text about spiritual/amazing things that happened to us during the day. Elder Mayes and I settled for the callsign Camaezmint. Elder Dalton and Goodwin (who are the type of guys I straight up hang out with) in 5th ward settled for the glorious title of Galtwin. Not certain why I find it so funny, it just sounds so dumb! Galtwin. *Sigh...I see myself gaming with these guys when we're all done!

And I made more bread this past week too! Elder Mayes came down with a small flu, and so after deciding we'd take the day for recovery (a wise guess because it snowed later on), I figured I'd pull another recipe from the Jones' Bread Illustrated book. This time settled for making some Challah, which is a sweet bread shaped in a dense 10-inch braid, with another smaller braid baked on top. It was really good! I think I'll get myself that book when I return.

Yep, life rolls and and life is good! Thanks again for all you guys have done to help me out with! Always remember that I love you guys. Don't know what I'd do without you! Seriously, I don't.

Love you

Michael

January 2, 2017

Happy Birthday Mom!                                                                       January 2, 2017

Once again, I'm still grasping the fact on how the house is the only project I remember where it's not just Dad and I who are working on it. And it's even weirder to see how smoothly it seems to run. You know, I feel like I'm identifying to be a "desert dweller" as far a climatology-home goes. People tell me when they hear I'm from Vegas that I'm not used to the snow. I guess I've seen both white-out and sandstorm.  Can't wait to see what else that goes too.

I also find it funny that between your 3 sons, Daniel has the most class when it comes to how mission culture affects us. I can see Daniel singing Italian while making pizza, bread, and pasta perfectly, but I can't really see Paul singing hill-songs over a BBQ, and I can't really see myself singing who-knows-what grilling hot-dogs at a Seahawks tailgate.

Meh, good times!

Speaking of Good times, what did you do for your birthday? Can you believe that 2017 is already upon us? Hard to grasp, but we got a great start to the week this past week! On Thursday Elder Mayes and I went down to the food-bank to serve from 10-12. We weren't able to get a ride back, and our afternoon plans were super loose, so we considered staying from 1-3. It felt odd, I'm still working off the E-burg service surplus from that time, but we felt oddly at ease with staying. So after lunch at the local teriyaki joint (that was nostalgic), and a very fun walk back to the food bank, we went back to work.

 Eventually the whole zone showed up, and we were all making senior bags in an "assembly line" manner. I was at the end with another volunteer tying the bags together. All of a sudden, this guy asks me, "so what is the Book of Mormon about anyway?" So we got talking, learned he's very religious and loves to read the bible, and in the end he took a copy of the Book of Mormon and told us he was very interested in reading it! His name is Mark, and the sisters who cover his ward were there too! They got him hooked up, and Mark said that he'd like to come to church, and also try to invite a friend! Go humanity!

Another experience last night also makes the highlights. Kid you not, we were walking around in a blizzard around 4th ward. Not only was it snowing, but it was drifting too. We figured it'd be a good chance to get inside with some potential investigators. When I first came into Moses, we tracted into a lady named Stephanie. We decided yesterday to go try by, (previous attempts hadn't worked) and she let us in! And we got talking to her family, and they are actually super-interested in getting some life questions answered. Stephanie's whole family is LDS, and we also got to teach half of a mini-Restoration to their 9-year old son, Issac who is super curious about God. The husband, Nick, is the owner of a local pizza joint around here, and he said we were more than welcome to swing by for lunch sometime and we can talk to him then. He believes in a Higher Power, and although he doesn't really know why so much bad happens in the world, he wants the best for his family. Kind of goes to show, someone tells you you can come back, never doubt it. This will be a great moment for teaching in 4th ward. 

And Bishop in 7th is going to set us up for a lesson with his friend who came to church too! 

Yep, good week this week! I also got the chance to make some Hokkaido bread on Saturday when we couldn't proselyte, and you know, bread-making is pretty fun! Therapeutic I would almost say. And speaking of medicine, don't worry about the Aczone stuff, I've got it covered with what I got. I'd love to talk more about what happened, but I am out of time. Until then, know that I love you! 

Michael