Tuesday, December 22, 2009

After all there's only 4 more sleeps 'til Christmas... Day

That's the Muppet Christmas Carol song if anyone didn't catch that.

First things first... Investigators!

I think I told you about Jose last week. Wow! Jose is so prepared to hear the gospel. He did throw some curveball's here and there but so far, he should have his interview on saturday or sunday! He's been one of the best investigators any missionary can ask for. Here's an example why, we went by his house this morning to teach him the 3rd lesson with the 10 commandments. (3rd is Faith, repentance, baptism, holy ghost and endure to the end) We get ther and he had not only read Alma 32 which talks of faith, but he had gone on the church website and looked up "the gospel of Jesus Christ" and when we got there this morning he had the entire thing mapped out with questions on the sides answered with BOM scriptures. Like "what is faith?" and he wrote Alma 32, and a Mosiah scripture. SO COOL!! We're going by and teaching him every day so he can still get baptized the 30th. I know president said we would see miracles in December but I never expected anything like this. So awesome the people the Lord has prepared for us to meet. He's pretty much teaching us!

Guadalupe and Marco are still as solid as ever. They had some questoins on the word Apostasy the other day. Oh yeah they got that question cause they were reading the Gospel Principals book. They are just about the coolest mexicans I know. It was really fun we went with them to the Ward Christmas Party and just ate and talked for a while. Marco and I started talking about our most memorable Christmas, he alsmost got teary eyed, It was really cool. I felt like he really opened up and just let me see the real him. They've had so many big aswesome chasnges in their lives with the gospel, I love the power it has to bless those willing to seek for truth!

We set a baptismal date with Yanira, I dont' know if I talked much about her, we had tracted into her and later her boyfriend joined the lesson. He ended up not being interested but she still was. She's a Mother of 3 but all 3 are still in El Salvador while she tries to earn money here in America for them. They all want her to come back but she wants them to come here. She's really curios about the Book of Mormon and really wants to know it's true. The problem is getting her to do what she said she'll do. She'll read, it's the coming to church that's hard. Other then that she's doing great!

Tito, pues, Tito was a referall. He says "puess" every other word... you think I'm exagerating. "Pues" is a filler word like "well". Anywho, he is really smart and know a lot. I just don't think he listens very much, or if he does he's having troubles connecting the dots. We still committed him to baptism and I hope he goes through with it, we haven't been able to contact him in awhile though so I hope it wasn't just a one or two time thing with him.

Nancy and Maria, we tracted into them this week and they turned out to be really really interested. She read and prayed about the Book of Mormon and got... somewhat of an answer. She's still caught up on the fact that Joseph Smith saw God. She keeps saying that God is so powerful that nobody can see him. We tried to show her other prophets like Moses talked with God face to face, but she still isn't 100 % sure on it. I think it will disolve when her testimony of the Book of Mormon gets stronger. Her and her Mom Maria are really awesome though. The other night we were going over to teach them and saw the Mom outside working on the car, we stopped by and asked to help but she was just waiting on her husband but we did get to help with some yard work. So we were raking leaves and she was still waiting by the car, she comes over to us and askes us if we would say a prayer with this drunk guy who started talking to her. He comes over and starts telling us how bad he feels, how he feels like Gods trash and that God never would listen to him. He was really wasted. So knelt down in his driveway, Elder Thiriot gave a great spanish prayer, then it took another 20 minutes to get him off and on his way. I don't know if it helped him but the situation really just put us in the right mood. After the prayer we had a good spirit and had a great lesson with Nancy and Maria. Still want to know more before they commit to baptism but I think they are well on there way for it. I can't wait to see them baptized, I just know it will make their lives so much happier. They're a great family already, and I know the gospel can only make things better for them.

Well with all that, we only had Jose, Guadalupe and Marco show up to church. Just means we gotta keep working harder!

So... I get to call on friday!! I did get some more information on that. Since you didn't really tell me any time I'm guessing anytime will be fine with you. I can only call after 7 here so that will be sometime after 8 there. So that's when you can expect my call, sometime between 8 and 830. I only have 45 minutes but I'm excited.

That's about it, I'm sending a little package with some dumb things in it. Not a lot though cause I don't have much to send. I'm sending it today though so you probably won't get it for Christmas.

Other then that I'm floored that Liz is engaged, sorry to hear that linda passed away, and proud of my older sister clearing up a lot about the church with her co-workers, that makes our job as missionaries a lot easier, especially when they know we don't worship Joe with our 6 wives. :)

Well, I'll talk to you on Friday!!

Elder Groves

More and more and more rain. 12/15/09

It's been coming pretty good here. I think Elder Thiriot and I finally figured out a good way to waterproof everything in our bags so they get ruined and un readable.

Had some good lessons this week. Thursday we had a return appointment with a girl we tracted into named Linda. She didn't have much of a religeous background, which is wierd here cause usually everyone wants to tell you everything they know, but the lesson went really well. We topped off thursday night with a lesson on obedience and prophets to Guadalupe and Marco. We didn't get much teaching done because the members we brought ended up talking a lot, but it was really good because Guadalupe and Marco really needed some friends other then us. Especially since their baptismal date is so far away.

Friday was a lot more tracting in the rain, plus I've been sick with a cold (probably due to the rain) and a stomach ache. There aint a chance I'm gonna let it keep me off the streets! So we tracted and had some really good lessons. Especially with Jose. We set a baptismal date with him for the 29th of December. Also, he came to church!! Whoot! Only for 2 hours but we'll work on the third. He had to run to work. That's the big thing we gotta work out tonight.

Also on friday night we had a Christmas Fireside at the Mission home. Bro and Sister Blackburn and our (english stake in my area) Stake president spoke. It was really good, a great talk on the atonement and some good food. Elder Thiriot and I tried to sing "O Holy Night" It didn't go as well as we had planned but still pretty decent.

Saturday we tried to talk to everyone to make sure they were coming to church. I think 4 of the 7 or so came. So it actually turned out really well. Still have a lot of work to do especially if we're to have a baptism by the end of the month.

Yesterday was Zone Conference and it lasted the whole day practically! When we got home we had an hour to work then we had to be home for the night. It was one of the best ZC's I've had so far. A lot on spiritual and personal efforts. President Blackburn gave an awesome talk on the light of Christ and the Holy Ghost. Sister Blackburn told a Christmas story called "May God Bless your way" it was really good.
After all the training we had a big Christmas Feast! We even had roast beast! After the dinner there was a little Christmas Program, Santa even came. President Blackburn read The Grinch and gave us all a really nice keychain of the CLAM. A really good night to bring in the Spirit of Christmas, I just wish I had a voice to sing the Christmas Hymns.

That's about it for this week. Still pushing and working hard, going to work even harder after Zone Conference. Transfers are coming pretty soon, the 23rd, which makes it really hard for those missionary's getting transfered to a new area two days before Christmas. I think Edler Thiriot and I will stay though, I'm not too worried.

Enjoy the snow!

Elder Groves

You had snow... we had rain. 12/9/09

First off, sorry. I forgot to tell you its Temple P-day, so that's why you're getting this on Wednesday.

There is so much to say! What a week and a half!! To make sure I don't miss anything I'll go by day.

Tuesday the 1st:
Elder Thiriot went on splits with our district leader in his Area, so it was me and his trainee Elder Davis for tuesday. Well we didn't get a lot of work done on account that Elder Davis got some kind of Stomach bug and was confined to his bed all day. So Elder Thiriot and Elder Clark took the scheduled appoitments we had that day and I got caught up on my BOM reading. I don't know if I told you but the mission is trying to read the BOM and the New Testament before December ends. So I sat in and read all day while Elder Davis slept off his sickness. Also what happened tuesday was that Christian and Jasmine had their baptismal interviews. About an hour before we had them scheduled the mom calls me. We have had a hard time getting the mom to be supportive of her kids getting baptized. I talked to her for an hour on the phone and convinced her to let the kids be interviewed. She hates me now, but they were interviewed. She wasn't there for the interview so she couldnt sign the form saying it's ok for us to baptize them.

Wednesday 2nd:
Did a lot of tracting, with little success. A lot of riding too, If I did gain any wieght, it's gone now. Tried to go by Christian and Jasmine to get the mom to sign the paper, but no one was home.

Thursday 3rd:
A lot more tracting, some return appointments, some less actives who still aren't very interested. Tried Christian and Jasmine, no bueno.

Friday 4th:
We wake up, do our studies, then half way through our language study we have to go to the store to get some immodium and some gatorade because Elder Thiriot is sick and we will be in the apartment all day. I read from the beginning of Jacob to the middle of Alma within those three days. Elder Clark and I try to stop Christian and Jasmine, still no answer.

Saturday 5th:
Elder Thiriot is up and running and we're both eager to get some work done. First thing, GET THE PAPER SIGNED!! We got some luck this time and found Rosa, the mom, home. We talked to her on the porch, she told me she didn't like me, actually wouldn't talk to me for the first few minutes and made her some translate because Elder Thiriot's spanish isn't that great yet. We told her that Missionary's have been coming by for months now and there isn't anything else we can teach the kids. She still didn't think they were ready for baptism. So we said if they don't get baptized, we don't come over cause we are on the lords time and need to be teaching the people ready to do his will. She said fine and that she'll still take them to church and everything. So we dropped C&J, the day before their baptism.

Sunday 6th:
Church was good, Guadalupe came and her husband!!! They also came to the Christmas Devotional with us that night and watched Lilia ( the referral I had from Compton) get baptized. Guadalupe really liked the baptism and the devotional. Then we went finding for the rest of the night.

Monday 7th:
You had snow, we had rain. All day. Lots of it too. Cold rain. On bikes. Wet. Cold. Hard.
My rain jacket and sweater work really good. Just that I think I lost a couple fingers and toes. I'm suprised I'm not sick from Monday. We tracted most of the day in the rain. One of the last doors we knocked on was a guy named Jose. In his mid 20's from mexico. We didn't even say what we were doing and he let us right in. He said he had been praying all night the night before that God would send him some one to teach him the word. He knew that we were answers to his prayer. He had a lot of questions, we had a little bit of time. So we answered as many as we could and set up an appointment for the next day.

Tuesday 8th:
Did some good tracting with some good success. Met with Jose, who still had a lot of questions and really liked to talk. It was hard to get controll of the conversation but when we did it was really good! We gave him a Book of Mormon and he told us when he knows it's true then he'll need to be baptized. He just needs to come to church and then he's practically wet.

So this week has been pretty crazy. The last couple days have been pretty cold. I don't know if it's just cause I'm already used to California weather but it's been pretty cold here lately. We had a good day at the temple today, a little scary half way through our session when the lady in the head couple passes out at the alter. She hit her head on the alter and on the floor when she went down. They brought up a wheel chair and she's going to be fine. Apparently she had been sick, still not something you usually see during an endownment session.

I got that it's starting to look more like Christmas in Utah. I see decorations, we sing songs, but it still doesn't feel like christmas until there is snow. So could you just send some our way. It's kinda sad the only Christmas Decorations we have are a nativity Elder Thiriot's parents sent, and a Santa in a Jet Airplane throwing out gifts. (The airplane is my favorite) Don't worry, you'll get my SD card soon Mom.

Well that's about it for this week. We got a lot of follow up appointments for next week with some promising people. We're working hard, but so is the advisary. Hopefully the spirit of the season will help us out.

I love you all and hope you enjoy the snow for me!

Elder Groves

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Turkey day for the homeless

The week started with a lot of ups and went down from there.

To start off, Elder Thiriot and I had to go to the mission home on tuesday. I spent the night monday trying to get us a ride there, turns out practically everyone had already teamed up. I guess I missed the boat. So we biked it! Before leaving tuesday morning I asked around to find out the best route and the quickest way. I found one that I was told would take about 30 minutes on bike. We leave and head off on our journey. After many very hard hills to ride up and an hour later we finally arrive at the mission home, dripping with sweat. We go in and get some good training. Luckily we were able to find a ride home, but it was a nice adventure to begin the week.

We finished that day by dropping the Rodelo family. Turns out she's only letting us in every time because her mom sent us over. She's actually been going to another church and like it better. We asked her to keep reading and call us when she knows it's true. I think some other Elders in a few months may have some better luck with them.

Then for dinner that night we went to visit Noah and his family. Noah is awesome!! He's a recent convert of less then a year and he's the only member of his family. He has the missionary's over for dinner every week in hopes that they can start teaching his family. It seems like this family has been hit with the gospel a lot, so we decided rather try and shove it down their throats we'd rather build a lot of trust first. I don't think it will be that difficult considering they whole family is way into music and especially choir music. I plan to bring some of the new sheet music mom sent to see what they think. Right now they go to a catholic church, I think Noah goes to both so he can keep his family together.

We've had a lot of daily contact with Christian and Jasmine, which has turned out to be really good. They will be having their baptismal interview tomorrow! We had a really good lesson with them on sunday, yesterday, and their mom was there. The mom is still a little anti-baptism. She kept saying they don't know enough to make a big decision. The good thing is that she will still let them be baptized. Well she left it up to them and they said "I'm getting baptized, and I'm proud of it!" Awesome!! They also came to the baptismal service, with their mom! They were all excited showing her all the different rooms where they have class on sunday and everything. I hope the mom will see how the gospel has changed her kids and finally feel that she needs it too.

Thanksgiving was a great day... ish. We started by doing a service project. We made T-shirts, with a 3 nephi reference talking about looking to to christ and enduring to the end. We had that on the front and painted stuff on the back. My three included the following:
"We've got all the answers!"
"Have a blessed day! 'The Mormons'"
"Got Sheep? We do!" John 10:16 3 Nephi 12

Then after making them we handed them out to the Homeless on skidrow. That was pretty fun. I had a homeless guy guess that I was from Salt Lake City Utah. After that we helped a family move out of our area to Elder Amundsens area... thieves! We had to cancel our first dinner appointment though cause the moving took longer then we thought. It's ok, it was only a pitty appointment. We had a second dinner appointment with the Ortega Family and Elder Clark (my DL) and his companion Elder Davis. We had to get special permission to have more then one companionship at the dinner but it was fun. We had Mole that was so good! So kinda a different Turkey day, since I didn't have any turkey. Still very enjoyable.

The rest of the week goes down hill from there. We had to drop a lot of people, Elder Thiriot's back light got stolen on his bike, and we didn't have a single investigator with a baptismal date come to church. Victor was never there for his appointments, we got special permission from the AP to wake up at 2 in the morning to call him and remind him of church. (he gets home from work at that time) He told us he's been studying for a test, so we told him when he's done and has read the Book of Mormon, to give us a call.

Miguel, we had a discussion with Miguel but it was more like with his wife. She finally said she would come to our church... they didn't. Also they stood us up on our appointment, which is like the third time. So we wrote a kind note saying that our time is precious and to call us when they are ready to do the things necesarry.

We also tried to set a date with Guadalupe again but they don't even want to get married til January. We gave them Alma 4 to read, which says don't procrastinate the day of your repentance, and told them we would come back on monday to see how it went. and if they didn't read, we can't come over. Crazy things this week! The thing is Guadalupe was the only one who came to church! It's her husband that doesn't want to get married. She wants it, just doesn't want to go over her husband to get it.

That's it for me, I'm glad to hear you had a great Turkey day! I hope everyone ate a lot of stuffing for me! I'm very happy to hear the result of the BYU game. Word around the mission is that now they play USC? If that's so, the stadium is just south of my area! They had a USC and UCLA game the other day and from what I hear, every street withing 5 blocks were packed!

Christmas season is approaching, and sad to say, I don't have very many Christmas CD's. Just you know, putting that out there, in case you were wondering... yeah....

I love you all! I'm glad to hear all is going well at home. Keep up the prayers. This time we gotta pray for more investigators to teach! Thank you som much!

Love, Elder Groves!