January 1, 2018 Reflections

This week was awesome. First of on Monday, we had an awesome Christmas. Thanks everyone for the notes, presents, and love! I got to Skype my family which was super fun and such a blessing. We had Christmas Dinner and I ate lamb for the first time. I really enjoyed it. I also got to eat Scallops which weren't my favorite and clams or oysters. Not sure which but they were better than the scallops. That night we played ticket to ride with the Jarvis' who fed us dinner. They are such an awesome family.

We also got to see a christmas dance from a Tesla car. It played music and flapped the doors open and closed. It drove around and it was super awesome. Mom... buy a Tesla! You won't regret it! Haha. 

Throughout the week, we found a bunch of potential investigators. They all seem like they will be great investigators. We did knock on a door that had a box outside from DJI which for those who don't know is the best drone company in the world. It made me miss my drone. Haha. Something me and Elder Pacella are trying to do is not eat a ton of sugar. We also work out a lot. During the Holiday season, everyone keeps giving us treats and junk food. It is hard not to eat it but when we don't we have gifts to give to investigators. Also because Elder Pacella is going home soon, his uncle keeps sending him Italian treats. Almost every day he has gotten a new package. I can only take Elder Pacellas word for how good they all are 

Christian Perry our investigator has been progressing greatly and is super ready to be baptised. He will be baptised on the 6th and then he will be confirmed the following day. I am so excited for him. This week we were able to teach him 2 times and plan on teaching him every day before his baptism just to review what he has learned. He is truly an elite soul that has been prepared not by us but by the lord and the spirit to enter the water of baptism. 

On Friday when we were driving to Torrys to go over the Recent Convert lessons, there was a lady driving next to us. The road we were on was separated by a curb with palm trees on it. The lady wasn't paying attention and drove up on the curb. I guess it scared her so she swerved off and drifted her car so it was facing perpendicular to the direction of traffic. She then over corrected and flipped her car around so she was facing the curb and palm trees. She drove over the median and hit a palm tree. Her tire popped off and flew across the road. Then she flipped the other direction in oncoming traffic. Luckily nobody hit her. Besides totaling her car, and having an horrible headache and whiplash, I assume that she is fine. I was ready to get out of the way if she was going to hit us. It goes to show the importance of keeping our eye on the road. 

On Saturday for lunch a member who is 93 took us to Seafood Kitchen. He is the oldest fire chef in Jacksonville and is a survivor from 9/11 too. At the seafood kitchen, I decided to try some crazy fish so I had Swordfish which was soooooooo good! I also had Dolphin which was amazing too. Then we had Gator Tail which was actually really good as well. Brother Chalker, Elder Pacella, and my meal was $80! It was so exspencive but worth it. 

On Sunday, President and Sister Lee invited us over as a zone for dinner. We had the dinner where you get raw meat and have oil in front of you and you cook your own food. It was super good but I did eat a lot of raw chicken that looked done but wasn't. They also had melting cheese pots with veggies that you could dip. It was super good. That was how I ended 2017. I have grown so much since the begining of 2017 from graduating, going on a mission and striving to be the best I can. It has been such a blessing to be on a mission and I have drawn closer to my savior. Let us all make goals this year centered and focused on becoming more like Christ. I know that as you do so, that you will become better than you ever imagined and your life will be blessed so much! 2017 was awesome but lets all make 2018 better! I love you all and hope that your new year is awesome! Love You All!

Apartment in Neptune Beach

Christmas Dinner of Lamb and other yummy food.

egg roll and clam or oysters

Gator Tail

Skyping on Christmas

Dolphin and Sword fish

 

December 23,2017 Saturday P-Day suprise!

This week was super fun! So this week, we have our p-day on Saturday because Christmas is on Monday and most shops will be closed. We had another lesson with Christian Perry this week and he is progressing so much. He is super excited to get baptized on the 7th of January. We also have been making a "member team" around him so he feels needed, support, and love as he prepare for baptism.

With Elder Pacella this week we have been trying to clean up the area book and contact all of our investigators. We have been able to have 4 lessons this week because of remaining in contact with our investigators. It has been such a blessing to actually sit down and teach lessons. On Thursday we had a lesson over Facebook!

Something that I've really loved is how open people are during Christmas time. People's hearts really do soften and they open up to listening and allowing us to serve them. The light the world program has helped a lot with that as well. This week, I would challenge everyone to go out of your way to make someone have a good day. It doesn't matter who it is but as you serve others blessings will come. 

A verse of scripture I studied this week was Helaman 12 verse 2 and 3. 

2 Yea, and we may see at the very time when he doth prosper his people, yea, in the increase of their fields, their flocks and their herds, and in gold, and in silver, and in all manner of precious things of every kind and art; sparing their lives, and delivering them out of the hands of their enemies; softening the hearts of their enemies that they should not declare wars against them; yea, and in fine, doing all things for the welfare and happiness of his people; yea, then is the time that they do harden their hearts, and do forget the Lord their God, and do trample under their feet the Holy One—yea, and this because of their ease, and their exceedingly great prosperity.

3 And thus we see that except the Lord doth chasten his people with many afflictions, yea, except he doth visit them with death and with terror, and with famine and with all manner of pestilence, they will not remember him

I really like this scripture because it explains exactly why we have trials and tribulations. If we didn't we would forget the Lord. When times our good and we are blessed we need to praise the Lord for giving us those things, when times are hard we need to turn to the Lord. This Christmas, let's all turn to the Lord through the good and the bad. I know as we do so, we will be blessed so much. I hope that all of you have an awesome Christmas and continue to turn to the Lord for help!

 

Elder Pacella & Elder Elgaaen

 

December 20,2017 The Week

This week was long but fast and full of so many miricals. On Wednesday we had tradeoffs and Elder Pacella is by far my favorite companion yet! He is so kind and always there to build up and encourage. We work out together in the mourning and it is fun. He is awesome.

This week we found 2 new investigators. The first one is named Dee. He is actually Torrys room mate and so he has already heard a lot of what we believe. He has really liked meeting with us and has been asking us through the week if there is anything he can help us with. The next investigator we met while we were at the park. He watched the Lighttheworld video and then asked us where our church was and for our number. It was such a blessing to be there at the right time. Torry has been progressing and will hopefully get the priesthood this next sunday in church. 

Probably the biggest miricals this week happened on sunday. We were at church and got a full calendar for meals for the rest of the month. We met a guy who has 4 sons who all want to be baptized and so we got 4 potential investigators who will be very promising for baptism. We went with Dee to a concert that the missionaries were invited to and then Dee bought us dinner afterwards. Then later that night we had a lesson with Christian Perry who is committed to be baptised on Jan 7th. It was a good lesson and we really got to know Christian better. I am so greatful for all the miricals in my life. 

This week my main focus has been on working hard. As we work hard in our lives, we grow stronger and stronger and can see a lot more miricals. This week I challenge everyone to work hard to become like Christ and develop a Christlike  attribute. I know that as you do this we can all become better and will see miricals in our every day lives! I love you all and hope you have a great week full of the savior and his teachings!
 

 

 

GENESIS CONCERT

December 17, 2017

 Some of the Performers

Mission Choir

Joy to the World with Infant Holy, Infant Lowly

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Sister Karper and Sister Meyers- Do You Have Room?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Sister Darden who put the program together

 

 

 

December 11, 2017 Transfers!

This week was transfer calls on Saturday. We have transfers on Wednesday and I am not leaving Jax Beach but I am getting a new comp from Italy. His name is Elder Buchella and he sounds like an awesome missionary. I am excited to meet him and get to work!

This week, was good. We had our Christmas party as a mission and it was a lot of fun. They did sing happy birthday to me which was not the best! Haha. They had a music performance and some of the missionaries know how to sing really good! Also almost all of the sisters can play the piano really, really good which is cool. Music can bring an amazing spirit to those who listen. I am glad that I was able to listen and feel the spirit. 

We went out with a member on Wednesday to try to find someone. He took over at the first door and has been off his mission for 25 years. He did amazing and we were able to teach a really good lesson to a man named Anthony. He really is excited to here from us again and to learn more. I am excited to do so because he seems like an amazing investigator who is truly interested in learning and growing. 

This week we all were together with the district leader and his companion and we blitzed his area to find more investigators fast. We also did many trade offs and only knocked one apartment building each because it was super cold this week outside. We decided that whoever found the more investigators got free lunch provided by the other companionship. Elder Berg and I were together and we found 3 new investigators and shared a light the world message. They all said that we can come back and teach them again. The other Elders (Redford and Karl) didn't find any investigators and so they bought lunch for everyone. 

In close, I have seen so many miracles this week even though they may seem small. I have felt the spirit lead and guide my decisions and actions and help me to become a better missionary and the spirit has magnified my efforts. I think as we really put our trust in the lord and do his work with all of our might, we will be able to do things we never thought possible. I know this to be true and love this gospel with all my heart. I love you all and hope that you have an amazing week full of blessings, miracles, and most importantly Jesus Christ

 

Happy 19th Birthday!

 

December 4, 2017 Short and Sweet

Life is good in Jax Beach area. We baptized Torry this week and it was such a spiritual experience. This week I dont have much time to write so I will just share my testimony.My week has been awesome! Torry had an amazing baptism and the spirit was so strong. He is 340 lbs and had Joe Novack baptise him which he probably weighs 130 and is older. When torry went under, his feet slipped out from under him and there was a struggle getting back out of the water. Haha but in the end it all worked out. Torry got confirmed the same day.

Bishop Wadell the presiding bishop of the whole church was the speaker durring part of it and his talk he gave was amazing and was focused on going out and finding the one. This christmas we need to focus on Jesus Christ and do our best to become like him!


Elder Karl, Presiding Bishop Waddell, Elder Elgaaen

 

Light the world program is going great! People are very accepting of it more than hearing our message about our church. Also we get to go to the temple once a year! I wish we could go more but I guess its better than never!

This week I was studying in Alma 55-63 and into helaman. Something that didn't really ever stand out to  me is that Helaman had his people fordify their citys so much that the lamenites couldn't even shoot arrows over or get to the walls. This is something we can apply to our lives by showing that we want the same strength in our life and we can spiritually build up our walls so that no temptation or trials can overtake us! I love you and hope you have another amazing week! 

I love this gospel so much and have seen so many blessings from it. The church is awesome and as we live by the teachings, we will be blessed so much and become like Christ and Heavenly Father! I am so greatful for all that I have learned and all the kindness of everyone in my life. I know that this Christmas season, as we light the world, we will bless others and get blessings in our lives as well. 

I love you all and hope you have an amazing week! 

 

November 27, 2017 Weekly Special

This week was full of awesomeness and gratitude. We had a great thanksgiving with 3 dinners all right after one another. I was so full and stuffed by the 3rd dinner that I was discusted by food! That doesn't ushally happen like ever...  Something CRAZY happened down the street from our apartment. A guy went out of town via plane. He left his son and his mother at the house. When he flew in he was exspecting them to pick him up. They never showed up so he got a taxi and went home. When he got home, the house was ransacked and the car was gone along with his mother and his son. The whole street was blocked off Wednesday night and there were police everywhere. On sunday we found out that the Boy murdered his grandma and burried her in his back yard and took the car and left for Canada. The house is still blocked off and surrounded by police today. What a crazy world that we live in today. On sunday we left the church and there was a weird sound coming from the back passenger side of the car. I thought it sounded like a nail and we checked the tire pressure and it said the back was fine if not a little low. After a few hours it droped 1 psi so we decited to check. There was a massive screw in the tire. We will have to get that replaced today which will be fun! Haha. The best news this week is that Torry is going to get baptised for sure on Sunday at 4pm. It is so awesome how he has progressed and how prepaired he is to enter the waters of baptism.

This week I've really been able to focus on being the best teacher that I can and focus on teaching with the spirit. When we teach lessons even in and during church, as we stop and let silence enter into our teaching it allows us personally to let the spirit teach and testify of what is being taught. I have a testimony of that and of its importance. When we ponder and listen we allow ourselves to be filled with the spirit and gain access to the knowledge of the spirit. I love the knowledge that I've gained through the spirit and the blessings I've received. One thing that our mission President likes to focus on is the power of the spirit in being baptism by fire. With the spirit, we can be led and guided but we can also use the spirit to have temptation and the appetite for sin burned away. Just to conclude, as we pray and strive to fill the spirit, we can become more like Christ in so many ways it is amazing! I love all of you and hope you all have an amazing week full of Jesus Christ and his love and spirit. 

Neptune beach apartment

Elder Karl Sleeping through studies I woke him with the fire alarm!

Fuzzy pictures

Nail in our tire