Splits, the Ocean...and Not Coming Home 'Til June ?!

HELLO WORLD OF CANADA LAND AND COLD AREA'S OF THE NORTH!!!!

California Surfer
(NOT Elder Routledge)

Some news that will make you happy, just kidding, mad. Sooo I checked my visa and it does not expire until June of 2017 so I am going to hang out here until then, get released, do some surfing, live with a member so see you in June of 2017 (I don't think so, young man !!!)

Monday was good. My comp and I found a Fry's (electronics type store) so we went and had fun in there for like an hour looking at all the cool stuff. We also went on a walk down by the ocean. We got some good pictures and I saw some cool navel boats, so that was really cool :)

Naval Ship

Tuesday was a day of days. We did service at Food Share again, that was fun. We just set up for an event they were having. Then that evening we went on splits with our ward mission leader and that was fun. After we went and saw a few cool people, then had an awesome ball night in which I got way too intense. 

Wednesday was good. Kind of a repeat of Tuesday, as we went back to Food Share and did more service at the main office and then went on more splits with members, so more cool people...ya sooo.

Thursday was a good day. We had a nice weekly planning session and we had to plan for two wards so that is always fun, fun, fun. Then we had a nice dinner at a members house in Third Ward. We cover First and Third ward so I'll start to say who is who in which ward. We went and taught a part member family in 3rd Ward who are in the same situation as us, all members except the dad, but we'll get him :)  After that we taught Kenna and Josh, the two little kids, they even came to church this Sunday.

Friday was pretty good as well. We had a nice zone meeting, some good talks and stuff and President is really cracking down on our music, so Motab is gonna be my favourite thing now. We also had a funeral going on at the church, and get this, so there was a member in a wheelchair named Bob B and he was the guy we gave a blessing to in the hospital a few weeks back. He passed away, it killed me as I saw him like 10 days before his passing, but I was able to go talk to his daughter and that was nice. 
Then we had a fun lunch with a member, yeah, two wards, we get lunch and dinners. After we ate at this nice bbq place for dinner, and that was oh, so good. 

Saturday I was on an exchange with Elder Harper and that was fun, he is a fun Elder. We saw a lot of cool members and had a fun dinner with a member who just made fun of us and I made fun of him. I loved it, it was like I was home. My comp was not used to it, so he was not too happy, but I tried to take the jokes and rear him towards me and away from my comp. It was good and then I changed a tire again on my mission, because we had a flat, yep learning life skills here. 

Sunday was another great 7 hours of church. I loved it. We had two really great dinners tonight and all in all, just a great day. Then to end the night, my comp hit a truck while parking, so yeah, fun day. I am very safe, we just scraped it, so yeah, fun, fun, fun. 

Well mom, dad, Shel, Scotty and FAMILY. I love you all so much. Take care and have a great week. I'll talk to you all soon.

7 Hours of church, NOT Training and Beautiful Weather

Hello Canada. How are you all ? Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Updates for the week...I was in my studies and came across this scripture and loved it. 
Roman 5:3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also; knowing that tribulation worketh patience. 
Is that not just great? I read it and loved it. With my struggles it brought me great comfort. Another pretty crazy update is well, I am no longer training. The Reason for that is I was going to be training a visa waiter and he got his visa and so he went to Thailand. My new companion had the same thing happen to him, so they made us two companions and now we are covering two wards. It is kinda fun but it is very busy. 

Monday was a good day. We said goodbyes, did shout outs, wrote in journals and all that fun stuff. 

Elder Routledge & Payne

Tuesday was our transfer meeting and I got to see a lot of my old comps, like Elder Gregory and a few friends of mine so that was cool. Because we are covering two wards we had two dinners and the way that all worked out is kind of funny. My new comp is one of the Elders I lived with last transfer and he is a a very big boy. We came up with a plan to both eat healthy. It has been fun, he is just a big teddy bear. I love him, he is just great haha, we are so loud and weird together, it's like two of me in one apartment that eats 3 times as much haha. 

Elder Payne

Wednesday we received 7 referrals from HQ in Salt Lake. They send a text of someone who is interested, so we have been very busy with that and seeing two wards of people is fun, but the days start and are gone already. It is good because this will build up my diligence as an Elder. Only look for the good, or I try. It can be hard at times, but if you rally think about it, every day there is more good than bad that happens, or can happen. 

Thursday was fun. We did our weekly planning and we set some goals of how to help out wards out and I do not have anything to complain about. Our Elders back home cover two wards and they are still great :) SHOUT OUT TO YOU, CANADA ELDERS!!
We also had a District Leader Training meeting, yep back as a DL comp, the best place to be haha. That was NOT sarcasm. Then I had to introduce Elder Payne (my comp) to the gun family, the Throckmortnes. It was a fun visit. 

Friday was cool. We had a cool district meeting. It was like an intro to the transfer, it was cool. Then we stayed busy seeing people. We talked to a less active man named Brother Golden. He was cool and we taught this new but old investigator named Jenny. Then we went to see this guy named Uncle Boobala. He loves on the ocean and he is 60!!! and he surfs like everyday ! He was a very cool dude. He has long white hair and looked like an old surfer guy and surfer body, it was just funny. 


Saturday we saw Josh and Kenna and they are the best. Their mom is a less active, becoming more active and they are both 9 and not baptized yet, so we are getting them baptized on the 9th of November. They are so great, I just love these two kids. They came to church on Sunday and they just crack me up. I will have to get pictures to show you them, they are very cool. 

Oct 11 - Temp

Oct 11 - Temp (in Canadian) 

Sunday was fun. We had 7 hours of church and meetings so that kept us busy. We even got to go into primary and talk about missionary work. Oh man, that made me so happy, as they all knew so much already. Man, never thought I would miss primary this much. It was a good long day and tonight we went by our ward mission leaders house on the beach and just talked about conference. The spirit was very present. 

Well family. I love you all and hope to hear from you soon. Mom, dad, Shel, Scott, take care. Muah. 

Love Elder Routledge

Staying in Oxnard, Training and General Conference

I got so many darn emails this week, so time is short. You know those little letters you stuck in my suits and stuff? So, 9 months later I found another one haha, in my general conference book. I took 12 pages of notes and all 5 sessions I watched were SOOOOO good. I have to say my favourite talk was the one by President Eyring on the Holy Ghost. I love it sooo much. And the first talk of the conference by President Uchtdorf. 

Elder Routledge...as a greenie

So I am staying (in Oxnard) and....President Felix and the Lord want me to train again...for some reason. So I am training a brand new Elder, like he gets into Cali in a few hours, new. So that should be....fun I think. 

This week was oh so good. I was going crazy waiting for conference and my transfer calls. Monday we had a zone activity were we went to the beach park and played volleyball, had a bbq and just had a good old time. It was fun. 
Tuesday was basketball and all that fun stuff. Nothing too great happened. This is going to be short, maybe. 

Wednesday we moved two people, one out and one in. Last time when I said I have moved 5 people in 6 weeks, it was not bad. I love moving people. It is great exercise and awesome prep for when I move haha. Moving is like the best service I do hahaha. Tonight we had a very odd dinner with this Samoan family. They set out two plates for my comp and me and that was it. Then the daughter stared at us as we ate and it was just the three of us and she would only give us one word answers. We were there maybe 20 minutes. Odd.

Thursday we did weekly planning and then had a cool lesson with Doug about my conversion and that blew him away. So yea, that was cool. Then tonight we taught Kennedy and Josh and after the lesson they attacked me and wanted me to spin them around like I was their human jungle gym. It was fun in a way, but like, ummm, I don't want to break rules or hurt these kids, but they were so convincing in their argument HAHAHA. 

Firday we had our DL (District) meeting and that was good. I gave a talk on conversion and then we had kinda a goodbye testimony meeting. After we went and moved another family out and I got a brand new bball out of it. 

SATURDAY SUNDAY CONFERENCE. All I will say is it was the best I have experience yet, except the last talk of the conference. I was so tired and could barely focus. 

saying goodbye

Oh, so Bell, the company, somehow sent me a picture of me hugging dad at the airport. I have no idea who sent it, but man, was it weird to see. It was cool but weird to see. 
So from now on, we are in a car share. One day we drive and one day we bike. The good thing is someone left their bike and I use that and a member owns a bike shop so I'll get this bike all tuned up for free. So yea, I am getting thin again biking everyday with my greenie hahaha. 
I am not really stressed anymore, so that is good. 
HAHA oh man, you used the word trunky. Yes that cracked me up, go mission lingo !!! But mom...I have the reaper, I just gotta try it haha (reaper is the REALLY hot pepper !!). I promise I will pray really hard for it to taste good before I eat it. 
Earthquake be coming, I just don't know when, but the Lord himself said he doth bless and prosper those who put their trust in him, and I trust him. I trust and know all will be okay, whether it be stress, disaster or homesickness. The Lord has carried me 9 months and will the rest of the way. I know it. I also know THOMAS S. MONSON is indeed a prophet and guides an directs us. I know this church is true with every ounce of my breath. I shall proclaim it til the day I part from this life. God being my witness I testify that this is INDEED Christ's true church. 

I love you Mom and Dad. You're the best, keep leading our wonderful family. Scott, Shel, you're the best. Shel, the pictures are great hahaha. 
I love you all and will see you soon. 

My Crazy family, Biking and Ghost Chili Peppers

MOM DAD SHEL SCOTT, TRISH CINDY STAR KRIS AUSTIN BREA NISS MOMMA PAPA DOGS BOYFRIENDS AND OTHER!!! How are you all doing ? So I got the letter Tricia sent me with all the pictures and you are all retarded but oh my heck, they made me laugh so hard!!! THANK YOU, it was so great and they just made my day. You're all the best and I love you all soo much. Tell them all I am doing great and we are going to be doing family stuff ALL THE TIME. You never know how great something is until it is gone. 
So..updates for the week. Christmas ideas - Lots of letters from everyone, photos for sure, food not so much, but oh Toffifay for sure. The Gillette pro glide razor would be cool, socks and ties are great. 
NOW....the week 

Monday was good. I have not eaten a lot of food in awhile, so we went to a buffet and I ate a lot. To the point it hurt so bad, yep very worth it. Then we went to a very cool Halloween store that had very sweet stuff, Niss would have liked it...so I may or may not have bought a gas mask and immediately after wanted to take it back but could not do so. So yea, I have no idea, it was just an impulse buy uggghh..I know. I am like a teenage girl in a clothes store with her first credit card. Well that night, we taught Alicia and her kids, they are a part member, less active family. 

Tuesday I had to do a personal check, so I went through this book called, Missionary Life, and I realized I have been very stressed out, so I took some of the advice in there and I called President Felix for help. I have been very overwhelmed, maybe because of training, I don't know, but Wednesday I met with President and he had me fill out this form. We talked and he gave me a lot of ideas how to control the stress and be happy all the time and I started doing those and already I see a change. 
We have also been biking everywhere and because of my side I could not work out my stress because it hurt. Biking has been a good way to lose the stress and has also been helping me get back in shape. We biked almost everyday this week. 
Tuesday night we went saw a family, the coolest family and for an hour we talked about guns and wars and the army. He is just such a cool dude and that helped me get all happy again. I don't FEEL as stressed now, but it is going to be a work in progress. 

Thursday we had a cool lesson with Doug and a lesson with Wrebel, and we biked some more so today was a good day. 

Friday was cool. We had a really good district meeting focused on the Book of Mormon and for some reason Prez is really stressing that we be prepared for a disaster. So hold on to your hats, but we might just get the big 8.0 earthquake, but it will be good because we will be able to serve everyone. See mom, positives in everything. Friday night we went to the chili cook-off and that was a lot of fun. I got all nice and full on chili and pineapple. 

Then Saturday we saw a less active lady named Sister Howl and she gave Elder Plummer and I ghost chilies. Just so you know, they are the 3 hottest peppers IN THE WORLD (I am eating the second, in like a week or so). They are very hot and I ATE ONE, so ha dad, I like spices more than you know and I ate something hotter hahaha. Oh my heck, though, I don't think my mouth has ever hurt more in my life and I ate so much bread and so milk and it did not do a thing. It is crazy how hot this little thing is. Next I am going to do the Carolina Reaper. I sure wish I could show you all (for Trish, she said no more y'all crap hehe) the video. I am having so much fun and making so many great memories. Painful ones, but good ones hahaha :)

Getting ready to eat
Ghost Chili Pepper

Sunday was a good Sabbath. It was just a good meeting and very fun. We also went to a farewell party for a young man going on his mission and actually, it did not make me trunky, so that was good. 

Well family retarded and awesome. I love you all. Trish, thanks for the photos. You rock and family please don't loose your crazy personalities. Ha, who am I kidding, you will all be the same when I get home hehe. See you all soon (no more y'alls!!)

Name Tags, A Clean Car and A Life Changing Week

HELLO FAMILY!!! 

So the updates for the week. I got my package finally (it took about 3 weeks and made it's way around the SW US lol). I love it, very awesome stuff !!!
Your letter last week was soo crazy and hit me with a lot of power, dang. I am glad I helped but remember when you trust in the Lord you will never fail!!! Tell Sister Armsworthy I got trunky (home sick) and miss our seminary talks. 
This week was a LIFE CHANGING WEEK FOR ME!!!

So Monday was very good. We went to the ocean front, but not on the sand!! (They are not allowed to go on the sand as per the Mission President). I took pictures of it, it is very cool being so close that I can see it almost daily. It was very nice and super calm and the sound is soo great!!!

Tuesday was sooo cool. I was on an exchange with Elder Payne our DL (District Leader). His area covers all the beach homes so we visited a lot of people who live on the beach and we sat in the dining room of this one family and their house is 30 feet from the ocean. We talked and just listened to the waves come in. Soooo cooooool!!!! The ocean is the coolest thing and I am totally coming back to go surfing when I get home. 

Wednesday was cool. We helped a member family move and their daughter just got home from Japan so she prayed in Japanese, so that was cool. After we helped them move a bunch of stuff into a truck, we had lunch with them and she prayed over the food in Japanese. I think I have moved like 20 people in the last 8 months. After lunch we went a gave a new investigator a Book of Mormon in the Philippines language. He speaks English but reads better in his native tongue. He is very cool and knows so much already. We just found him on the street and started talking to him. This evening we met another part member, less active family. 

Thursday we did what? Let's see here, we did service for Fred, the military man and yes, I got a new Russian hunting knife, because, why not and knives are so cool. He is a fun guy to talk to. He has so many powerful stories. After that fun service, we went and met a guy named Doug. He is very ready but he's just waiting for, who knows what. After that we met Wrebel, the Philippian man and then our Ward Mission Leader and talked about people. You know how it is. 

Oatmeal in the trunk 

OKAY FRIDAY!!! I have been dying to tell you this all week. So we had the best zone conference ever!!!! We had President Felix and his wife talk to us, we had our mission car coordinator talk to us, our mission apartment coordinator talk to us and some missionaries talk to us. 

Cleanest Car Award 

The theme of the conference was the Book of Mormon so that was sooo cool. My companion and I also won the cleanest and nicest car award. I tried so hard to win it, and when they asked me how it was soo clean, I said simply, "My dad details cars and he taught me his ways" haha. The funny thing is we had oatmeal all over our trunk, under the floor mat and they thought it was so funny so they gave us the award along with a clean car. They said, "We like your food storage" hahaha. 

Okay the life changing event. So Sister Felix got up to talk and she committed us to read the Book of Mormon EVERYDAY FOR THE REST OF THE MISSION. Oh easy. I said yes, I will totally do that. THEN....she looked at us with tears in her eyes and said, "WILL YOU READ THE BOM EVERDAY FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIVES?"!!! I was like, Wow, and I said yes for some reason. But that night I prayed to the Lord Almighty and promised Him I would do it and so I shall, and I have not missed a day yet, nor will I as long as I shall live. It was sooo cool.


The spirit is so strong with me right now and has been since Friday. To keep the spirit, we got flu shots on Saturday. Our Pres. wanted us all to get them, nothing like a spiritual high like a flu shot. It was not that bad at all, and we had a good day. We taught two less active members today and the Spirit was with us like a flame. It was a powerful day. 

Sunday we had a home coming talk and a farewell talk so that was cool. Again a really strong meeting and the Spirit was there. I have had just a power house of a week. It has been a crazy fun week but, yep there is a but, because I have been committed, it is your turn. 

Tammy (mom) and Larry (dad) I AM ASKING YOU BOTH. Will you both read the Book of Mormon everyday until I shall return home, then join me in reading EVERY SINGLE DAY of your LIFE when I get home? Yes ? Okay. Awesome. I know you will feel the difference as your read this amazing word. I want to say I know this church is true and I said yes knowing I would read every day because the LORD wants me to, not because man does. And I know that He loves us and loves our family. You are both great parents and I will just say keep being awesome and tell Shel her boyfriend looks like a stud and because he is from South Africa, I do approve :)

Love you. Talk to you soon. Bye

Elder Routledge

What happens when missionaries
find a roll of bubble wrap !

Samoan BBQ, Army Vet & -5 Celsius

Hello Mother and father and sister and brother and family !!! Updates for the week include a birthday card for dad with some treats inside. 
Today is 8 months !!! (this was Sept. 14th, that he hit his 8 month mark)

Monday - I got 2 more fire patches. I think I have 14 or 15 different fire patches from Cali so that is very cool. 
My comp and I did it. We actually went to a Samoan Bbq on Labour day AND WE ARE STILL ALIVE !!! Seriously, I think I ate at least 20 pounds of food. I had like 2 steaks, ribs and like 8 chicken breasts, a lot of salad and water melons. Yes, I ate some of a foot long water melon. After that we went and got our stomachs pumped at the hospital (not really), and taught a less active family and her two non-member kids that night, so that was cool. 

Tuesday I had an exchange with an Elder I live with. He has autism so sometimes it's a little hard. He teaches fine, but has a hard time listening so he just does his own thing a lot of the time. We get along fine, so not a terrible day at all. 

Wednesday was good. We had service at a food share, which was good, but I was working in the freezer it was only -5 and I was freezing cold!!! I am from CANADA where it peaks at -30 what the heck??!!! I am acclimatized to a point that -5 bothers me, yeah, so that was the fun part of the day. 
Oh and we had Panda for lunch so that was good :)

Thursday was soo fun. We did service for this soldier who served in Afghanistan. He was a referral and needs help moving stuff so we helped him clean out his storage unit and oh my heck !!! He has ALL his stuff from his two tours in the army. He had guns like you would not believe. He had army gear knives, top grade gloves and more stuff. I got army under clothing and over 100 different police patches from all over the US. I got top grade military sun glasses that are ballistic glass and a lot of other cool stuff as well. We are going to be helping for weeks in his house and unit and he said, "oh wait, there is more to come". He said if we want it, we can take it. He is a really cool dude. So the pictures of me in the army stuff, that's from him !!! 

Grill donated 
by a member

Friday we had an awesome district meeting focused on the Book of Mormon. That was cool. Sad to say, I had to go back to Urgent Care for the same pain and they told me what it was. I have an inflamed muscle and I have somehow bruised the muscle around my rib so the doctor said over the next few weeks I will feel pain on and off. Some days will be very bad and others not so bad. They gave me some good meds to help, but he said in 3 weeks it should be back to normal so that is good. Nothing too crazy. I have no idea how I hurt it though, but they told me to take it easy, so I am. 

Saturday was just a long day and all we did was visit less active members. yeah, that's really it. 
 

Helmets donated by Member

Sunday we had church and I had to leave Sacrament because my chest started to hurt. I went home and rested up and it went away that night. After we went to a members house for dinner and their son leaves in 3 weeks for his mission so they asked us a billion questions. She said she has you (mom) on Facebook. Sister Ybanez, so that was cool. 

Well family, I love you. You are the best. The work here is great and I am going to the baptism this up coming Saturday. It may be later, as it might have to be pushed back again, but we'll see. 
I am working hard. I know this is true. I love this gospel and have found so much joy in it. Keep making efforts to follow our Saviour and He will bless you all. Love you. Talk to you soon.

Samoan families, LOTS of food & a hospital visit

I am doing great and... I get to go BACK TO SIMI FOR THE BAPTISM!!!!

Elder Routledge

Monday was good, kinda. Now, I have some news and promise me not to go nuts. Like, sit and take a breath before you read this (NOT something a missionary mom wants to hear!!). So this day was fun. We did all of our shopping, I picked up some Oxnard fire patches (for his dad), we went to Buffalo Wild wings for lunch and had an awesome time playing beach volleyball at the beach park. Not actually on the beach, just a park by it. But I did see the ocean. It was pretty awesome. 
Monday was great and for dinner we ate with a member who is a gun fanatic, it was cool. Okay, so breath...so all Monday I had a sharp pain in my chest on my right side. I called the medical lady and she told me I needed to go to the hospital. So Monday night I spent 4.5 hours in the hospital and they were doing all kinds of tests. They said my heart and x-rays are perfect for someone my age. I am very healthy and above average on my vitals, but they could not find the source of the pain. I AM fine now, but wanted you to know, not to scare you, just to tell you. I AM FINE NOW. I have no idea what it was, but if it comes back I'll go in again, but I think I am good. 

A VERY Dark alley

Tuesday the pain was gone and it was a great day. We met with our Ward mission leader and talked about our pool of people we are teaching and we got some good insight. Lunch, oh my heck. So we have a few Samoan families in our ward and one, Brother Tuitama (the coolest man ever) took us to an all you-can-eat buffet. So I ate all I could hahaha. I had 3 full plates of food and 1 full plate of dessert and Brother Tuitama looked at me and said, "We can make a Samoan out of you yet" hahahaha. 
It was soooooooooo fun, on my heck. Then we had dinner at TGI Fridays with a member and I had a huge whopping half pound burger. Oh my, it was soo fun by the end of that night. 

Wednesday, I woke up.   
Thank gosh I didn't die from all the food I ate :)
We did service at this food bank by washing some of their trucks. This place will be weekly service like the dog shelter in my last area. It is a cool place, with forklifts everywhere, a lot like Miller Supply (one of the places he worked). They gave me a name badge and a hat, it was cool. 

Christmas lights in September !

We also did some stuff on Mormon.org and then we had dinner with another Samoan family. I did not eat that much, but hey, today (Monday) my companion and I are going to a huge Samoan bbq for labour day and I promise you, I will try my best to out eat some of them ;)

Thursday we did our weekly planning and that was good. We talked about our companionship and man, oh man, Elder Plummer is soo easy to get along with. He is just so calm most of the time. He is a BYU SPORTS NUT, but I enjoy him very much. 
We stopped by two less active members houses and got in contact with both of them. They are both pretty nice, but only 1 wants to continue to meet with us. 
So, my second day in Oxnard I got a parking ticket because I can not read signs apparently. 
We had two lessons this night. One was a drop lesson with a guy named Amador and the other was a nice lesson with this guy we met on the street. He knows like EVERYTHING about the Mormons. He is really cool and interested, and even knew Moroni and the promise at the end of the Book of Mormon. 

Elder Routledge & Elder Plummer
In the dark

Friday was pretty good. We had a really awesome zone meeting and got some good reminders about the mission. It was pretty powerful. 
So my first week here, we gave a Book of Mormon to our neighbour across the street and we have tried a few times and had no luck. But this time she said she read and told us to come back. 
Oxnard is a really humble area. 

Saturday was a slow day. No one we tried was home. We did have lunch with this potential investigator the other Elders told us about. He was super awesome. He is a Vet. He has served 2 tours in Afghanistan and has some crazy stories. We set up time to do service work for him this week because he really needs some help. He is moving in with his Mormon brother in Idaho in a year, so we have to get him baptized before then haha. 

Sunday was Fast and Testimony and I had to bear my testimony. I shared Helaman 12:1 and said that I know that the Lord blesses us when we put our trust in him. It is just so cool to know that when we trust the Lord, he blesses us and it comes down to accepting his will, even in hard times. I have come to learn that hard times on my mission is His way of saying, "okay, it is too easy. Here is a boost, here is a testimony builder" but to us, it is a road block, but when we leap that road block with His help, we see salvation up ahead over the wall. 

So, Mom, Dad, Shel, Scott, keep doing awesome. I know this work is truth as I know this Church is true. I love you all and I will talk to you next week. 

PS - General Conference is coming up!!!!