YEAH BAPTISM...Almost.
So I siked EVERYONE out...including myself. :} So we ended up postponing the baptism for a week because our investigator hadn't come to church in a while. But this Saturday it is happening FOR SURE!!! It is "set in jello" ;) And also, we got transfer calls last night and I...am...STAYING!!! So I will be able to send pictures of the baptism. It's great that I can be here for the baptism, but honestly, I would have been fine leaving too. Just as long as he gets baptized, that's what's important. Elder Bahr is leaving the area though. He is getting sent to another area in our zone, and basically they're just doing a swap with us. It's like exchanges, but for 6 Weeks!! So because of this, I already know my companion, Elder Cox. He's a super cool guy and he's super tall and his Spanish is probably better than mine because he's about done with his mission. So I'm PUMPED!!! He's served in Black Creek in the past too, so it'll be a lot of fun. We're also getting two sisters missionaries in our ward so it'll be very nice to be able to give them some of the work. It'll also be nice for them, because we've basically set them up with a baptism this next transfer too. Lucky girls. :) All in all, I'm super excited for next transfer. I know it's going to be a great one!!
I'm sorry Mom that I had to brag about the Chocolate Crunchies. Please forgive me. B( But I'll be sure to bring some home, and no, they don't come in dark chocolate (at least to my knowledge). And no, there are basically no Macs in Canada, so I can't just plug in my memory card, I need some sort of converter. It's fantastic to hear that everyone is staying busy and doing things they love. That's the way to live!! Logan, remember what I told you many moons ago. Skool is 4 chumps. Just kidding!! Skool is great. It's always nice to be done with Computer Tech, and to be better than the whole Salem Hills Basketball Team (which isn't too hard ;) Yeah, thermal underwear. It's the best!!! Enjoy Saint George, especially the temple. That temple is honestly one of the coolest in the world. And tell Shayla hi for me down there. ;) That's sweet that the Dicous are teaching Mission Prep. Missions are 4 chumps. Wait what?? Who said that?? Missions are awesome!!!
And speaking of awesome missions. Something CRAZY!!!!! that happened to us this week is a perfect example of mission life. (Not really). So, Elder Bahr and I were at the church building Wednesday night, just dropping off some stuff. And he goes in to use the washroom (bathroom). He comes out a while later and tells me to hurry into the bathroom, because apparently the urinal is pouring out water and overflowing. Luckily there's a drain in the bathroom, but nonetheless, we need to fix this problem. So we call the bishop who gives us another Brother to call. We call this Brother who we find out later is the Facilities guy for all the churches around here. He tells Elder Bahr that he needs to screw something off, and the only thing we can screw off is the top (the sensor). So I muscle that thing off, and while I am, I can sense the water pressure coming up underneath it. So I screw it off, and the water just explodes out the top. I'm getting absolutely drenched in a frigid urinal shower and the walls, ceiling, and everything else in the bathroom is getting splashed with water (that is now coming out like 20 times worse than it was before). And of course, I can't get the top back on because of the pressure of the water coming out, so we grab some buckets and are bailing water into another drain, because the water was too much for the drain in the bathroom. About twenty minutes later, with me being drenched from head to toe, and Elder Bahr being as dry as a tortilla chip, the Brother shows up (who has the keys to the room to turn off the water), and fixes everything. We find out that the urinal is missing some pieces, so it still needs to be fixed, but we got the water flow stopped. So that's good. Eventually, we clean up the bathroom and walk home in the cold of a Canadian Winter (with me being drenched). It was absolutely wonderful. I promise I will get you pictures of it, but I don't have access to them right now. So in the future.
The moral that I think can apply to this story, is said wonderfully by the artist, Bob Marley. "Don't worry about a thing, because every little thing is going to be alright." And it's true. Sometimes, we can do absolutely nothing in a crazy situation, so we just need to live in the moment. Enjoy it. Don't stress out about things that you can't change. It just takes up time and energy. Do what you can, and leave the rest to God. Because if we’re living correctly, we don’t need to worry, because God will never fail us. Eventually, he will send the Brother to come turn off the water, so just stand there in your shower of cold urinal water, and wait. Someone should sew that on a pillow. ;) Well, I hope you guys are all keeping busy in life, and relaxing when you can. I love you all!!!! Ciao!!
Monday, January 11, 2016
Tuesday, January 5, 2016
THERE CAN BE MIRACLES, WHEN YOU BELIEVE!!!!!
Hello family. I am doing wonderfully. The snow has been on and off here. The weather's been weird. Right now there are no clouds out and the sun is shining, but it's supposed to go down to -22 degrees Celsius. So SUPER COLD. I'm just glad I have Timmys. And scarves. They're ze BEST!! (name that movie). I'm glad to hear everyone is getting a good strong start on schooling again. I hope that Logan hasn't let you take down the Christmas stuff yet, because we haven't. Some guy on the bus wished me a Merry Christmas yesterday. I was so happy. Christmas will never die!!! And HAPPY BIRTHDAY SOPHIE!!!! I hope it's awesome. Nine's a great age. Eat good cake. I hope all is going well. So I am using my companion's camera to take all the pictures and get them on the computer, so I'm not using mine at all. And with transfers coming up, one of us is probably going to leave, so a cord would definitely be nice. Mine has a memory card, so if you could get me a memory card to USB converter, that would work out great. I've tried to look for some up here, but I haven't come across any. Also question Mom, so you really like the Cadbury Crunch up here. Is that the seafoam covered in chocolate candy bar because those are Cadbury Crunchies, and they were on sale last week, so I bought 4 for 2 dollars. So Good!! Also, for New Years Eve, we invited another companionship over and we made lots of good food. And then at midnight, we jumped around and danced and hugged and the first thing I did in 2016 was...drink a cup of Tim Horton's Hot Chocolate!!!!! Pretty Canadian, eh? It was fantastic, and I'm pumped for the new year.
Like I said before, we witnessed some miracles this week. Because it was New Year’s week, we didn't have a lot of people that wanted to meet with us, or open their doors for us. But this last Sunday, the mission had a group fast for the mission, and the miracles just started coming. So, on Sunday we had a ton of people show up, including two new investigators and one new returning member, that some active members brought in (as friends or family), and we were able to set up appointments with all of them and get new people to teach!!!! Crazy Incredible!!! Also, we had a baptism planned for this Saturday, but we weren't able to get in contact with Jay (the investigator) for over a week. We had gone over to meet with his family, but he had gone out with friends, so we weren't able to talk with him. We were SUPER freaked out. But last Sunday, we were able to get in contact with him through his Mom's phone, and we found out that he had broken his own phone, and it was being repaired, and he's still set for being baptized this Saturday!!!!! WE'RE SO PUMPED!!!!! First Baptism in the Mission!! I'll send you all pictures of how it went next Monday. ;)
So I can testify that fasting really is an incredible way to bring miracles into our lives. In doing this, we show God that we are willing to follow his Gospel and his will, and in turn, he opens up the windows of Heavens for us and allows the blessings to come into our lives. It's INCREDIBLE!!! I can also testify that sometimes, we need not worry so much about life, because if we're doing it the Lord's way, things will work out. If we are keeping the commandments in life and being obedient to the Lord, we will NEVER FAIL!!!! I love you all and hope you had an incredible New Year’s Eve. LOVES!!!!
Hello family. I am doing wonderfully. The snow has been on and off here. The weather's been weird. Right now there are no clouds out and the sun is shining, but it's supposed to go down to -22 degrees Celsius. So SUPER COLD. I'm just glad I have Timmys. And scarves. They're ze BEST!! (name that movie). I'm glad to hear everyone is getting a good strong start on schooling again. I hope that Logan hasn't let you take down the Christmas stuff yet, because we haven't. Some guy on the bus wished me a Merry Christmas yesterday. I was so happy. Christmas will never die!!! And HAPPY BIRTHDAY SOPHIE!!!! I hope it's awesome. Nine's a great age. Eat good cake. I hope all is going well. So I am using my companion's camera to take all the pictures and get them on the computer, so I'm not using mine at all. And with transfers coming up, one of us is probably going to leave, so a cord would definitely be nice. Mine has a memory card, so if you could get me a memory card to USB converter, that would work out great. I've tried to look for some up here, but I haven't come across any. Also question Mom, so you really like the Cadbury Crunch up here. Is that the seafoam covered in chocolate candy bar because those are Cadbury Crunchies, and they were on sale last week, so I bought 4 for 2 dollars. So Good!! Also, for New Years Eve, we invited another companionship over and we made lots of good food. And then at midnight, we jumped around and danced and hugged and the first thing I did in 2016 was...drink a cup of Tim Horton's Hot Chocolate!!!!! Pretty Canadian, eh? It was fantastic, and I'm pumped for the new year.
Like I said before, we witnessed some miracles this week. Because it was New Year’s week, we didn't have a lot of people that wanted to meet with us, or open their doors for us. But this last Sunday, the mission had a group fast for the mission, and the miracles just started coming. So, on Sunday we had a ton of people show up, including two new investigators and one new returning member, that some active members brought in (as friends or family), and we were able to set up appointments with all of them and get new people to teach!!!! Crazy Incredible!!! Also, we had a baptism planned for this Saturday, but we weren't able to get in contact with Jay (the investigator) for over a week. We had gone over to meet with his family, but he had gone out with friends, so we weren't able to talk with him. We were SUPER freaked out. But last Sunday, we were able to get in contact with him through his Mom's phone, and we found out that he had broken his own phone, and it was being repaired, and he's still set for being baptized this Saturday!!!!! WE'RE SO PUMPED!!!!! First Baptism in the Mission!! I'll send you all pictures of how it went next Monday. ;)
So I can testify that fasting really is an incredible way to bring miracles into our lives. In doing this, we show God that we are willing to follow his Gospel and his will, and in turn, he opens up the windows of Heavens for us and allows the blessings to come into our lives. It's INCREDIBLE!!! I can also testify that sometimes, we need not worry so much about life, because if we're doing it the Lord's way, things will work out. If we are keeping the commandments in life and being obedient to the Lord, we will NEVER FAIL!!!! I love you all and hope you had an incredible New Year’s Eve. LOVES!!!!
Tuesday, December 29, 2015
pictures
FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!! YES YES YES!!!!!
As you might have guessed. It finally snowed here. YES! Last night it snowed probably half a foot. MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!! NOW... It's Christmas. Christmas was great though. I very much enjoyed talking with you all. 40 minutes is really nothing. But I LOVE all the presents. I've already sight read all the music perfectly ;) and you can see in my pictures that I've already decorated my wall with the flags, I set up my Spice Rack, and with the Tim Horton's card from the Allred Family, I bought myself a Tim Hortons plastic mug, original mug, a can of Hot Chocolate, and a bag of Coffee (which I chucked, it all came in a package). On top of that, I received many Hispanic scarves (Ecuador y Bolivia) and lots of chocolate!!! Also, after our Skype call, we had dinner with two other families, and to our surprise, both the fathers in the families were celebrating their Birthdays. It was very coincidental, but very fun. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!! I'm sorry you guys have to miss my cooking for New Years, but for this New Years Eve we're celebrating with Fudge, Sweet Potato Souffle, Cashew Chicken, and more. Sadly we have to be in our apartments at 6 because people get extra crazy for New Years here. And Toronto extra crazy is BAD.
The Christmas Newsletter is Fantastic. I did not know that Skyler picked his major, and good luck Logan, I'm gettin' lots o' practice here. Including with the Organ (so feet playing, BRING IT). And when did I call myself a "triple threat?" :} School sounds intense, Mom, Bueno Suerte (Good Luck).
So this week was pretty unsuccessful because supposedly no one wants to meet with the missionaries around Christmas time, or come to church after Christmas. :( So not a lot happened. We're still working hard though (ex. Tracting in -15 degree wind :) and we're still hoping for the baptism this January 6th. FINGERS CROSSED!!
One thing that happened last night that really made me think was my experience with the snow. I looked out the window and I saw the snow and I thought "Am I really excited about the snow or have I just talking myself up this whole time saying that snow's great??" But when we stepped outside, "Oh what rapture filled my bosom." ;) I really realized that we all have little personal things in life that really bring us such Great Joy. For some people it's snow, for others it's cookies and milk, or the sound of bells. Whatever it is, we tend to take such little things for granted. My challenge to all of you is not only to recognize those things in life, but to take time to cherish in them and really enjoy them. God has given us these tender mercies in life to make our sometimes stressful, busy lives a little bit easier. We just need to take time for these things. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and found things that Truly brought joy into your life. I love you all and MERRY CHRISTMAS & A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!
As you might have guessed. It finally snowed here. YES! Last night it snowed probably half a foot. MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!! NOW... It's Christmas. Christmas was great though. I very much enjoyed talking with you all. 40 minutes is really nothing. But I LOVE all the presents. I've already sight read all the music perfectly ;) and you can see in my pictures that I've already decorated my wall with the flags, I set up my Spice Rack, and with the Tim Horton's card from the Allred Family, I bought myself a Tim Hortons plastic mug, original mug, a can of Hot Chocolate, and a bag of Coffee (which I chucked, it all came in a package). On top of that, I received many Hispanic scarves (Ecuador y Bolivia) and lots of chocolate!!! Also, after our Skype call, we had dinner with two other families, and to our surprise, both the fathers in the families were celebrating their Birthdays. It was very coincidental, but very fun. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!! I'm sorry you guys have to miss my cooking for New Years, but for this New Years Eve we're celebrating with Fudge, Sweet Potato Souffle, Cashew Chicken, and more. Sadly we have to be in our apartments at 6 because people get extra crazy for New Years here. And Toronto extra crazy is BAD.
The Christmas Newsletter is Fantastic. I did not know that Skyler picked his major, and good luck Logan, I'm gettin' lots o' practice here. Including with the Organ (so feet playing, BRING IT). And when did I call myself a "triple threat?" :} School sounds intense, Mom, Bueno Suerte (Good Luck).
So this week was pretty unsuccessful because supposedly no one wants to meet with the missionaries around Christmas time, or come to church after Christmas. :( So not a lot happened. We're still working hard though (ex. Tracting in -15 degree wind :) and we're still hoping for the baptism this January 6th. FINGERS CROSSED!!
One thing that happened last night that really made me think was my experience with the snow. I looked out the window and I saw the snow and I thought "Am I really excited about the snow or have I just talking myself up this whole time saying that snow's great??" But when we stepped outside, "Oh what rapture filled my bosom." ;) I really realized that we all have little personal things in life that really bring us such Great Joy. For some people it's snow, for others it's cookies and milk, or the sound of bells. Whatever it is, we tend to take such little things for granted. My challenge to all of you is not only to recognize those things in life, but to take time to cherish in them and really enjoy them. God has given us these tender mercies in life to make our sometimes stressful, busy lives a little bit easier. We just need to take time for these things. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and found things that Truly brought joy into your life. I love you all and MERRY CHRISTMAS & A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!
Tuesday, December 22, 2015
FELIZ NAVIDAD A TODOS!!!!
Um, no. We probably aren't going to have snow for Christmas. :( Super sad, but I'll get over it. I'M SO PUMPED TO TALK WITH YOU ALL!!!!!!!! So put it in your calendars 2 o'clock is when we're going to do it. I repeat 2:00 A.M. No, just kidding. Even though I know Logan will be up at that time. 2:00 P.M. is when I will be able to Skype with you all. And I'm bringing all my presents to open with you all. And let me tell you, I've gotten more than I expected. A bunch of members from my ward, and the English Ward gave us presents (because we helped with the Pageant). Also, Kimmy (member friend), the Allreds, Parkers, President Clayton, etc. have given me letters/presents. They're all under our mini tree. I get to go caroling this Wednesday with our Zone. They went caroling last Saturday, but we weren't able to go because we had our Ward Christmas Dinner. :( But, we're going again. I'm super excited. Thank you for all the recipes, we're definitely going to enjoy those this week.
I'm so glad you want peace on Earth Sophie, and beanie boos. I can tell you that you'll probably get one of those. ;) I love you too Sophie. And thanks a lot Micah. You know, I’d actually be jealous of you seeing Star Wars…if I really cared!!!! Hahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahaha jokes on you. I'm baptizing people!! almost. Dang it Skyler. Now, I'm all pumped to open my package. We'll see.
This week has been a very different one. Lots of Christmas Partying. Last Monday, we went to the Senior Companion Christmas Party because I was asked to play, which was super fun. And then last Friday, we helped with a Nativity Pageant last Friday, and we had our Ward Dinner last Saturday. The Nativity Pageant was a crazy good experience. We were originally going to be Centurions for it (or the soldiers that came and collected the taxes from the people), but then we were asked the night before (during rehearsal) if we could be the Spotlight guys. So we got up on an unstable tower, with the freezing wind blowing, and then we held these metal lights with our bare hands. IT WAS FREEZING!! I was legitimately afraid of getting frostbite. It was awesome!! The next night, we did the actual Pageant and it was SO GOOD!! I got a head set and a walkie talkie and for the first time in my life, I was a techie, not an actor. It was a strange feeling. Before the performance, it snowed for like ten minutes then stopped and melted. But it was good while it lasted. :) We performed the Pageant twice and we had real sheep, a donkey, a llama, costumes, free cookies and hot chocolate afterwards. It was fantastic!!! Also, the next night,during our ward dinner, we sang Noche de Luz (Silent Night) and Feliz Navidad with the Villavicencio Family (Member Family) and a few other youth. It was super fun. Other than that, this week we've found many new people to teach and are helping many others progress in the Gospel. Lots of Success!!
Of course, since Christmas is this Friday, I'm going to talk a little about the lost book of Lehi and how it applies to our lives. JUST KIDDING!!!! One thing that I've found throughout my life, is that as hard as you try, you find little happiness celebrating alone. You find true joy by celebrating with the people around you. Many missionaries have problems with home sickness, and yes, it is very hard to leave your family for two years; but, I personally have found a second family on my mission. And that family is with the members of the ward I'm serving in. We've had three familys invite us over for Christmas this Friday. And I've already shared so many incredible Christmas experiences with the people in this ward. Through this, I've learned that no matter where you are, if you reach out to those around you, and make your own memories with them, you will find happiness. So this Christmas, don't focus on those that you'll be missing, focus on those that you have with you RIGHT NOW. LIVE and MAKE MEMORIES WITH THEM. Life is too good to focus on the things you can't have. So start focusing on the things you DO have. I love you all and I miss you, but I shouldn't focus on that. ;) I wish you all A MERRY CHRISTMAS y UN FELIZ NAVIDAD!!!!!!
Um, no. We probably aren't going to have snow for Christmas. :( Super sad, but I'll get over it. I'M SO PUMPED TO TALK WITH YOU ALL!!!!!!!! So put it in your calendars 2 o'clock is when we're going to do it. I repeat 2:00 A.M. No, just kidding. Even though I know Logan will be up at that time. 2:00 P.M. is when I will be able to Skype with you all. And I'm bringing all my presents to open with you all. And let me tell you, I've gotten more than I expected. A bunch of members from my ward, and the English Ward gave us presents (because we helped with the Pageant). Also, Kimmy (member friend), the Allreds, Parkers, President Clayton, etc. have given me letters/presents. They're all under our mini tree. I get to go caroling this Wednesday with our Zone. They went caroling last Saturday, but we weren't able to go because we had our Ward Christmas Dinner. :( But, we're going again. I'm super excited. Thank you for all the recipes, we're definitely going to enjoy those this week.
I'm so glad you want peace on Earth Sophie, and beanie boos. I can tell you that you'll probably get one of those. ;) I love you too Sophie. And thanks a lot Micah. You know, I’d actually be jealous of you seeing Star Wars…if I really cared!!!! Hahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahaha jokes on you. I'm baptizing people!! almost. Dang it Skyler. Now, I'm all pumped to open my package. We'll see.
This week has been a very different one. Lots of Christmas Partying. Last Monday, we went to the Senior Companion Christmas Party because I was asked to play, which was super fun. And then last Friday, we helped with a Nativity Pageant last Friday, and we had our Ward Dinner last Saturday. The Nativity Pageant was a crazy good experience. We were originally going to be Centurions for it (or the soldiers that came and collected the taxes from the people), but then we were asked the night before (during rehearsal) if we could be the Spotlight guys. So we got up on an unstable tower, with the freezing wind blowing, and then we held these metal lights with our bare hands. IT WAS FREEZING!! I was legitimately afraid of getting frostbite. It was awesome!! The next night, we did the actual Pageant and it was SO GOOD!! I got a head set and a walkie talkie and for the first time in my life, I was a techie, not an actor. It was a strange feeling. Before the performance, it snowed for like ten minutes then stopped and melted. But it was good while it lasted. :) We performed the Pageant twice and we had real sheep, a donkey, a llama, costumes, free cookies and hot chocolate afterwards. It was fantastic!!! Also, the next night,during our ward dinner, we sang Noche de Luz (Silent Night) and Feliz Navidad with the Villavicencio Family (Member Family) and a few other youth. It was super fun. Other than that, this week we've found many new people to teach and are helping many others progress in the Gospel. Lots of Success!!
Of course, since Christmas is this Friday, I'm going to talk a little about the lost book of Lehi and how it applies to our lives. JUST KIDDING!!!! One thing that I've found throughout my life, is that as hard as you try, you find little happiness celebrating alone. You find true joy by celebrating with the people around you. Many missionaries have problems with home sickness, and yes, it is very hard to leave your family for two years; but, I personally have found a second family on my mission. And that family is with the members of the ward I'm serving in. We've had three familys invite us over for Christmas this Friday. And I've already shared so many incredible Christmas experiences with the people in this ward. Through this, I've learned that no matter where you are, if you reach out to those around you, and make your own memories with them, you will find happiness. So this Christmas, don't focus on those that you'll be missing, focus on those that you have with you RIGHT NOW. LIVE and MAKE MEMORIES WITH THEM. Life is too good to focus on the things you can't have. So start focusing on the things you DO have. I love you all and I miss you, but I shouldn't focus on that. ;) I wish you all A MERRY CHRISTMAS y UN FELIZ NAVIDAD!!!!!!
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS!!
EXCEPT IN CAAAANNNNAAADDDAAAA!!
THERE MAY BE TREES IN SOME HOTELS!!!
BUT NO O O SNOW HAS FELL!!!
AND IT'S BEEN RAINING ALL DAY AND IT KIND OF STINKS!!!
But I have hope. And yes. Abigail FINALLY emailed me and told me she's here. I also wished that she had waited until I saw her, because I honestly don't know how I'd react. I'd probably collapse and go into a coma. Man! I wish I could recite from memory The Living Christ, and I'm older than seven!! I hope you all performed well at the Stake Devotional.
Yeah, this week has been CRAZY musically filled for me. Last Thursday, we had our Zone Conference and every Zone (I believe there was four) had to perform two separate pieces. And of course, I played the piano for ours. And on top of that, I played the piano for the prelude and I think for like five congregational hymns. And at one point, everyone moved into the Gymnasium and they assigned parts for the 12 Days of Christmas. I got assigned...wait for...the PIANO PART!!! Of course. It was SO fun. I rocked out on that little piano while everyone sang the song. And then, after that, we went back into the chapel and sang "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day." They asked me and one other Elder to play a little duet accompaniment for it and honestly, by the 5th verse, we were flying on that piano. I was playing the top half of the keyboard and he was playing the bottom half (that's the best way I can describe it). IT WAS SO MAGICAL!!!!! I haven't played like that in YEARS!!!! Christmas Spirit is real. Amen. And yes Mom, I did receive the Christmas package there. I'm waiting to open it when I Skype you all. Later that day, we were supposed to do our "gig" with the member family I was talking about, but we showed up late, and then they showed up later than us, and then the lady running the "gig" scheduled us way earlier, so we missed it. :( But we did perform a piece we were working on last Sunday in Sacrament and we're going to be performing a lot more at Sacraments, Christmas Dinners, Caroling, etc. Also, last week, I played at some random persons Wedding. Her Uncle was a member and they wanted to do the wedding at our church building, so I filled in. I completely winged the Wedding March. And it Worked!!! And later THAT day, I played at the Relief Society Christmas Party. And then last night, I was asked to play the Organ at a funeral!! But that one's out of my area, so I might not be doing that one. Oh yeah! and tonight I'm playing at the Senior Missionary Party! Holy Smokes!!! Sorry Logan, I had to one up you. Heh, more like 100 up you. But you'll find that once the word's out, there's no bringing it back in. ;)
On top of that, this week has been a wonderful one. Today, we went to Costco and I GOT MY COSTCO CARD. Best Christmas Gift Ever. We went ham on shopping today. Don't worry, we spent less than 200 dollars. But only a little less. :} And than later today, my zone went and got all you can eat sushi. Supposedly someone ordered a LOT more than they could handle. So we were pounding that fish, so hard that I puked. Yep. I puked at sushi restaurant today. I felt it coming so I grabbed a pitcher and turned away from all the Sister Missionaries. It was quick and clean, and then I ran to the bathroom and washed the pitcher out, then I went back and ate more. :) Quick question, have you guys watched the Christmas videos on christmas.mormon.org. So number 10 I believe is Maddy Wilson. Guess what?? I'm friends with that girl. She went to Salem Hills. It was crazy when I saw her on there. Other than that, this week was full of work and no snow. But I have faith that it'll get better.
Like I was saying before. When people find out about your talents, you can't hide them, and you shouldn't. Every time I play for somebody they're always like "Oh thank you so much" and I'm like "Eh, no big deal." And sometimes, it doesn't seem like a big deal, but we don't realize how many lives we're blessing when we share our talents. We have the opportunity to change lives just by doing something that seems really easy to us. So SHARE YOUR TALENTS. Don't hide them. We all know the story about the man who hid his talent, and I'm pretty sure he didn't change anyone's life by doing that, except his own, for the worse. So don't be scared to tell people that you can sing, or do a back flip, or draw, or play an instrument. Because you don't know how many lives you can change through your talents. I love you all and hope that you're enjoying the weather more than I am. ;)
EXCEPT IN CAAAANNNNAAADDDAAAA!!
THERE MAY BE TREES IN SOME HOTELS!!!
BUT NO O O SNOW HAS FELL!!!
AND IT'S BEEN RAINING ALL DAY AND IT KIND OF STINKS!!!
But I have hope. And yes. Abigail FINALLY emailed me and told me she's here. I also wished that she had waited until I saw her, because I honestly don't know how I'd react. I'd probably collapse and go into a coma. Man! I wish I could recite from memory The Living Christ, and I'm older than seven!! I hope you all performed well at the Stake Devotional.
Yeah, this week has been CRAZY musically filled for me. Last Thursday, we had our Zone Conference and every Zone (I believe there was four) had to perform two separate pieces. And of course, I played the piano for ours. And on top of that, I played the piano for the prelude and I think for like five congregational hymns. And at one point, everyone moved into the Gymnasium and they assigned parts for the 12 Days of Christmas. I got assigned...wait for...the PIANO PART!!! Of course. It was SO fun. I rocked out on that little piano while everyone sang the song. And then, after that, we went back into the chapel and sang "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day." They asked me and one other Elder to play a little duet accompaniment for it and honestly, by the 5th verse, we were flying on that piano. I was playing the top half of the keyboard and he was playing the bottom half (that's the best way I can describe it). IT WAS SO MAGICAL!!!!! I haven't played like that in YEARS!!!! Christmas Spirit is real. Amen. And yes Mom, I did receive the Christmas package there. I'm waiting to open it when I Skype you all. Later that day, we were supposed to do our "gig" with the member family I was talking about, but we showed up late, and then they showed up later than us, and then the lady running the "gig" scheduled us way earlier, so we missed it. :( But we did perform a piece we were working on last Sunday in Sacrament and we're going to be performing a lot more at Sacraments, Christmas Dinners, Caroling, etc. Also, last week, I played at some random persons Wedding. Her Uncle was a member and they wanted to do the wedding at our church building, so I filled in. I completely winged the Wedding March. And it Worked!!! And later THAT day, I played at the Relief Society Christmas Party. And then last night, I was asked to play the Organ at a funeral!! But that one's out of my area, so I might not be doing that one. Oh yeah! and tonight I'm playing at the Senior Missionary Party! Holy Smokes!!! Sorry Logan, I had to one up you. Heh, more like 100 up you. But you'll find that once the word's out, there's no bringing it back in. ;)
On top of that, this week has been a wonderful one. Today, we went to Costco and I GOT MY COSTCO CARD. Best Christmas Gift Ever. We went ham on shopping today. Don't worry, we spent less than 200 dollars. But only a little less. :} And than later today, my zone went and got all you can eat sushi. Supposedly someone ordered a LOT more than they could handle. So we were pounding that fish, so hard that I puked. Yep. I puked at sushi restaurant today. I felt it coming so I grabbed a pitcher and turned away from all the Sister Missionaries. It was quick and clean, and then I ran to the bathroom and washed the pitcher out, then I went back and ate more. :) Quick question, have you guys watched the Christmas videos on christmas.mormon.org. So number 10 I believe is Maddy Wilson. Guess what?? I'm friends with that girl. She went to Salem Hills. It was crazy when I saw her on there. Other than that, this week was full of work and no snow. But I have faith that it'll get better.
Like I was saying before. When people find out about your talents, you can't hide them, and you shouldn't. Every time I play for somebody they're always like "Oh thank you so much" and I'm like "Eh, no big deal." And sometimes, it doesn't seem like a big deal, but we don't realize how many lives we're blessing when we share our talents. We have the opportunity to change lives just by doing something that seems really easy to us. So SHARE YOUR TALENTS. Don't hide them. We all know the story about the man who hid his talent, and I'm pretty sure he didn't change anyone's life by doing that, except his own, for the worse. So don't be scared to tell people that you can sing, or do a back flip, or draw, or play an instrument. Because you don't know how many lives you can change through your talents. I love you all and hope that you're enjoying the weather more than I am. ;)
Monday, December 7, 2015
Yeah! That's the Christmas Spirit. Throwing Up!!
I'm sorry. You guys probably didn't laugh at that. But I did. |D The Alex Boye one was good. Did you watch the crazy couple family one?? Ha, they're weird. I really liked the one with the girl singing opera, because A. I love opera and B. Holy Crap she's like 15, or less, I don't know. Music really brings in the Christmas Spirit, but I'll talk more about that later. To answer your question Mom, No. I do not have a chord for my camera. My trainer had a memory card to USB converter, but he's gone now so...yeah. Haha. Surprise, I was at your ward last week even though you weren't. Sorry you guys missed me, the talks were really good. ;) Sup Micah. It's fun being a Missionary and everything else. As a missionary, I've passed the Sacrament once. It was super fun. Well, love you bruski. Ciao. I'm doing well Sophie. How are you?? That's good. Your field trips sound awesome. I remember going to Christmas Around the World at BYU. It was super cool right?? What was your favorite thing about it?? Mine too. What?? Hermione's not supposed to die?? She's supposed to marry Ron. Fred was supposed to die. Sad stuff. I'm glad you got to perform for the party. I LOVE playing musical instruments. I'm sorry the week sucked Logan. Go do something fun and sporadic. Like...hmm...go have a High School Musical Marathon, or try to deep fry ice cream, or go streak the Football Field. What?? Who said that?? That's a terrible idea. Who in the world would do that?? Just do something awesome. You guys all look so different in the picture. What's up with Charlie's hair. Married Life, eh?? HEY!!! GUESS WHAT I JUST FOUND OUT!!! YOU GUYS PROBABLY ALREADY KNOW!!! ABIGAIL GOT REASSIGNED TO MY MISSION!!!!! She's here right now. I haven't seen her yet, but that's SUPER CRAZY!!! I'll send y'all pics when I find her.
This week has been absolutely crazy for me. So our trainer left, and I was kind of terrified about taking the reigns. But to be quite honest, it's not too hard at all. I learned this week that the Lord has really prepared me throughout my life to be a leader and do hard things. Our schedule was been SUPER packed last week, and it's already pretty packed this week. I guess that's what happens when you're all of a sudden the only two missionaries in the ward. And it's Christmas time. And, guess what, I got made Building Manager over our ESL classes. ESL is when we teach English Classes to other students, and I'm in charge of it at our building, so I have to make sure someone's teaching, take attendance, figure out people who attended, etc. It's been crazy stuff. I mean, I'm playing at a Wedding this week?? How does that happen?? It just does. Probably the hardest thing about being in charge in staying exactly obedient. The struggles.
This week has also been probably one of the most fun weeks of my life. One thing that we're doing this week is on Thursday, we're going with a member family and performing Christmas music for students and their families at an Elementary School. This last week we practiced a lot at their house and let me tell you. I thought we were a musically talented family. They all sing, all the kids play the piano, most of them play the guitar (acoustic and electric), and they all can play other instruments: violin, flute, saxophone, cello, clarinet, harmonica, drums, organ, some Ecuadorian flute, pan pipe, probably more. I'll just say I felt quite at home there. But like I said, we went to there house and practiced a lot of Christmas Music and let me tell you, music is one of the easiest ways to invite the Spirit. So my invitation to all of you is that if you're having trouble feeling the Christmas Spirit, or focusing on the true message of Christmas, turn to Music. Listening to music, playing music, singing music, even just reading music has helped me SO much throughout my life. Most of my best memories had music involved in it, one way or another. It's Wonderful. I love it SO MUCH. And I love all of you. Miss you all. Adieu.
I'm sorry. You guys probably didn't laugh at that. But I did. |D The Alex Boye one was good. Did you watch the crazy couple family one?? Ha, they're weird. I really liked the one with the girl singing opera, because A. I love opera and B. Holy Crap she's like 15, or less, I don't know. Music really brings in the Christmas Spirit, but I'll talk more about that later. To answer your question Mom, No. I do not have a chord for my camera. My trainer had a memory card to USB converter, but he's gone now so...yeah. Haha. Surprise, I was at your ward last week even though you weren't. Sorry you guys missed me, the talks were really good. ;) Sup Micah. It's fun being a Missionary and everything else. As a missionary, I've passed the Sacrament once. It was super fun. Well, love you bruski. Ciao. I'm doing well Sophie. How are you?? That's good. Your field trips sound awesome. I remember going to Christmas Around the World at BYU. It was super cool right?? What was your favorite thing about it?? Mine too. What?? Hermione's not supposed to die?? She's supposed to marry Ron. Fred was supposed to die. Sad stuff. I'm glad you got to perform for the party. I LOVE playing musical instruments. I'm sorry the week sucked Logan. Go do something fun and sporadic. Like...hmm...go have a High School Musical Marathon, or try to deep fry ice cream, or go streak the Football Field. What?? Who said that?? That's a terrible idea. Who in the world would do that?? Just do something awesome. You guys all look so different in the picture. What's up with Charlie's hair. Married Life, eh?? HEY!!! GUESS WHAT I JUST FOUND OUT!!! YOU GUYS PROBABLY ALREADY KNOW!!! ABIGAIL GOT REASSIGNED TO MY MISSION!!!!! She's here right now. I haven't seen her yet, but that's SUPER CRAZY!!! I'll send y'all pics when I find her.
This week has been absolutely crazy for me. So our trainer left, and I was kind of terrified about taking the reigns. But to be quite honest, it's not too hard at all. I learned this week that the Lord has really prepared me throughout my life to be a leader and do hard things. Our schedule was been SUPER packed last week, and it's already pretty packed this week. I guess that's what happens when you're all of a sudden the only two missionaries in the ward. And it's Christmas time. And, guess what, I got made Building Manager over our ESL classes. ESL is when we teach English Classes to other students, and I'm in charge of it at our building, so I have to make sure someone's teaching, take attendance, figure out people who attended, etc. It's been crazy stuff. I mean, I'm playing at a Wedding this week?? How does that happen?? It just does. Probably the hardest thing about being in charge in staying exactly obedient. The struggles.
This week has also been probably one of the most fun weeks of my life. One thing that we're doing this week is on Thursday, we're going with a member family and performing Christmas music for students and their families at an Elementary School. This last week we practiced a lot at their house and let me tell you. I thought we were a musically talented family. They all sing, all the kids play the piano, most of them play the guitar (acoustic and electric), and they all can play other instruments: violin, flute, saxophone, cello, clarinet, harmonica, drums, organ, some Ecuadorian flute, pan pipe, probably more. I'll just say I felt quite at home there. But like I said, we went to there house and practiced a lot of Christmas Music and let me tell you, music is one of the easiest ways to invite the Spirit. So my invitation to all of you is that if you're having trouble feeling the Christmas Spirit, or focusing on the true message of Christmas, turn to Music. Listening to music, playing music, singing music, even just reading music has helped me SO much throughout my life. Most of my best memories had music involved in it, one way or another. It's Wonderful. I love it SO MUCH. And I love all of you. Miss you all. Adieu.
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