Cold Weather, Biking...and Heart-felt Testimony

Some scary looking clouds 

This week was sooo much better. The whales were so cool, man I love it here in California but it actually got cold. It rained a lot since I have been here and it actually got cold, like 0 Celsius cold, nothing froze nor any frost but man chilly haha. (Might have to send him some pictures of Canada. In February. With -24 temperatures)


  
SOOO GUESS WHAT??!!!
Well, because it's my birthday month, President Felix said we were allowed to go to Los Angeles to go to the Temple so tomorrow guess where I am going :):):) Yep, i am going there tomorrow so I WILL tell you all about it next week when I get home. I am so excited to go. 

Tuesday was REALLY GOOD. We had iHop for lunch and it was really good, but boom, miracle. Some lady we talked to before we sat down, paid for our food. The people here love us and when they see us, they smile and it feels so good :)

The family I've been telling you about are doing so good. They are keeping all the things we ask, they read and pray as a family. The dad said he wanted to be baptized but he wants to wait for his family to be ready so they could all do it together. They are just so into the lessons. They come to church every week and the dad and his brother-in-law come to all the activities we hold and we gave a Spanish book of Mormon to the mom and the next day she said 'Yeah, I already read a chapter' :)
I think very soon they will be ready for a baptism, but hey, in the end, it's not about baptism, it's just about helping them increase their faith in Jesus Christ and that's what I have learned. Baptism is great, but sometimes, just a simple lesson can do the most so we do teach the importance of baptism, but do not force it on them. And mom, I have found being a convert helps so much and telling our story about dad, they get happy. Man, I just love being a missionary, and I am reading Our Heritage and I can feel my testimony grow. (I am SO proud of this young man. It's tough to be sad about Kevin being gone when he is growing and learning so much)

An amazing view of the ocean. 

MOM, I know this is the true church. I have struggled lots on my mission so far, but the lessons and the tracting makes up for all the bad days. I want you to try to keep reading (scriptures) and I promise you it will help. I love this gospel and I will say I have thought about coming home, then I read the scriptures and I think, wow, I can NOT do that to them, meaning the people the Lord has put me here to teach. I know the church is true, I KNOW IT. I know the Book of Mormon is true and that I am called to serve her for a reason. 
I love and miss you so much, but keep encouraging everyone to do the best and when in doubt go to the scriptures. 
Look up D&C 31: 3-5. This is what I read today and it helped a lot. 
    3 Lift up your hear and rejoice, for the hour of your mission is come; and your tongue shall be loosed, and you shall declare glad tidings of great joy unto this generation.
     4 You shall declare the things which have been revealed to my servant, Joseph Smith, Jun. You shall begin to preach form this time forth, yeah, to reap in the field which is white already to be burned. 
     5 Therefore, thrust in your sickle with all your soul, and your sins are forgiven you, and you shall be laden with sheaves upon your back, for the laborer is worthy of his hire. Wherefore, your family shall live.  
  
Wednesday I did an exchange with the Spanish Elder who lives upstairs in our apartment and we had a really good day. I learned how to testify in Spanish and how to close in Jesus name in Spanish so that was really neat and cool. I will keep learning Spanish and don't worry, I do it on free time, not during actual working time, so I am not wasting time. We stay very busy (That comment just made me smile). 


We rode bikes all day til supper at like 6:30 and I got a good work out and taught a lot of people because I was with the Spanish Elder. A few lessons I just sat back and listened to them talk away, trying to pick out as much as I could haha. He is a good Elder, he goes home in about 6 months. 



Thursday we had our district meeting and that was good. It was very spiritual and the one Sister gave a really nice talk. After we had lunch and did service for a member who had a heart transplant. He is doing good and we actually got his daughter to investigate the church so that's cool. 
That night we had a sports night and played basketball. I suck so bad. There was one of the Bishop's counselors there and he is like 50 and smokes in bball. I felt so bad I will learn though. 
After that we took one of the kids in our ward out to a lesson. He is going on a mission after high school, so a few months. We took him with us to see an investigator, Alex, he is doing really good. We can see a lot of progression there and he told us that we are an answer from God. 

Ocean view 

Friday was weekly planning and then we went to Ventura to see the zone leaders and I saw the ocean again.  We have begun teaching an 11 year old, who has committed to a date for baptism, so that's cool. 

Sure glad he got his Driver's License before he left :)

Saturday I was on another exchange, with Elder Deam this time and it was a really good day. We went to iHop again :-)
After we went to the ward mission leaders house and he showed us all his guns (do not touch the guns, Elder Routledge !!) and he has over 1000 rounds of ammo and he is almost 70 and is in the same shape as dad (great shape). 
Then we had another lesson with the less active member and his girlfriend and they invited us to Six Flags but sadly, we had to say no cause we're missionaries but I told them I'll come back and then we'll go haha. 

Well it's time to say goodbye for now until next week. I'll tell you all about the Temple and take lots of pictures. I miss you all and love you all so much. 
Jared, Brandon and Austyn miss you and love you soo much. 

Talk to you later.