Elder Matthew Whittle-- January 30, 2012

Que Honda!

Como estan todos? Que hay de nuevo? Me siento mejor que la semana pasada. Yo estaba vomitando bastante! I cut my finger pretty good this week. Pretty deep. Sister C. had to come up to the apartment and super glue it shut. We were cutting the insulation off of some wires to pull out the copper so that a lady could go recycle it to get some money, and the box cutter slipped and got my finger. It was pretty intense, but its doing good now. At least now we're going to start teaching her and her family this week haha.

Ya Hermana M. was in my district last transfer. She was a good missionary. She's really good at singing too. O and don't worry I'm taking pictures for sure. We just went to the temple today, and I took a couple. I tried to find Grandma but she had just started a session and we had to go so I couldn't see her, but in like 3 months I'll be back so hopefully I'll see her then.

Thanks for getting the CD's sent. I've been wondering when those were going to come;) You definitely should invest in a new computer. Cho can help ya out with that one haha. How is Cho doing? I miss that guy. Elder O. is from Arora Colorado so ya he knows where Greeley is at.

Well things are still going well here in Oceanside. We're working on finding new investigadors because we have a lot of internegadors so we've been contacting like crazy that past week. We invited about 215 people to accept the gospel last week. That's a ton. President wants us to get 140 each week, so we're are definitely workin hard. There's so many hispanics in our area. It's definitely a spanish mission haha. We hardly ever talk to gringos. It's super fun!

How's Elder Terry doing? When is he coming out to Carlsbad? I can't wait haha. And how's TJ, Trude, and everybody? I hope they're all doing ok. So I might be out of Oceanside in 3 weeks, but We'll see. I could be another 9 weeks. It's crazy. I feel like I've talked to everyone here and invited everyone. There's always Cholos en Central that yell to me. "Hey Brother!" We have a lot of fun just talking with them about life, and trying to help them out. There's a lot of bad stuff that goes on. It's pretty sad. A girl told us that a couple years ago she would be walking down the street and she would see just a dead body underneath the car, but things have gotten a lot better in the past couple years. There's police driving around all the time.

Pues, espero que todos esten bien y felizes. Les quiero mucho, y tengan una buena semana.

Que Dios les Bendiga!

Elder Whittle

p.s. When you get a chance sometime, Could you send me some pictures of the Salt Lake temple to give to some investigadors? Thanks

Elder Corbin Moore-- January 29, 2012

Well its been another great week here in LA 6th. I can't believe that January is already over. It feels like we just barely got into the new year. The concept of time is so weird as a missionary. Days seem like weeks, and weeks seem like days. Its just something eveyone needs to experience to grasp what I am talking about. This week has been really interesting. We have been trying to build our teaching pool back up and what not, so we do a lot of tracting. We did a lot of that this week and had some crazy things going on. I never would have thought that I would be walking down some of these streets here. You either have the streets that are like a baseball diamond that have like a billion lights that are so bright. Or you get the other side where the street is just pitch black. All and all it really is a blast. This week we have been talking to a lot of people in the streets, and it seems like a lot of them like to "bash", or i'll get the ocasional person who always asks if I am albino. I just have to laugh to myself and remember all the times I was asked that in school. I never thought that I would be able to say that I have been chased by a dog. I always thought that it was just something that missionaries said. But we had a crazy experience with that, this week. Because there are so many dogs out here in LA.
So we turned down this street, thinking that it went all the way through to the street that we wanted. Turns out that it didn't. So we got off our bikes and walked over to the curb, and tried to figure out why we were there. Then we heard this kid crying. So we started taking to him and gave him a Mormon.org card. And headed back to to our bikes because we were late for our dinner appointment. We started riding away, then the kid said that there was a dog behind us, so we just started pedaling so fast. And this dog was like right behind me just barking and trying to bit me on my bike. So crazy. It brought back memories of driving by the Rodriguez family's house, in Bountiful, on our bikes when I was littler and just trying to go as fast as I could. So that was funny
We have been working a lot with E. this week also. He is so amazing. He showed up to church yesterday. In his suit and one of the ties that I gave him. Wow, he is going to have an important calling in this ward. He was mingling with everyone and just happy and smiling. He knows where true happiness is found.
Well my time is up for this week. I hope that eveyone is having a good time back home. And is keeping busy with work, school, church, sports, music, and all the other things to get caught up in. I would love to here from you all. Sorry I didn't write one of my regular "soap box" messages this week. Jajaja. Have a good one. Thanks

Con Amor Elder Moore

Everything.Happens.For.A.Reason
There.Is.No.Such.Thing.As.Coincidence

Sister Alex--January 30, 2012

Dear Familia, I hope that you all had a wonderful week. My week has
been great. I was transfered to a new area this last Wednesday and I
love it. My new companion Sister S. is really cool and we have had
a lot of fun together. On Tuesday we had a lesson with the a recent
convert family. Their daughter is a recent convert and we talked about
keeping the Sabbath day holy as well as fasting. We also met with a
women and her large extended family. We watched finding faith in
Christ with them and talked about how we can increase our faith and
also how we can come closer to the Savior. On Wednesday was transfer
meetings and lots of moving. Escondido in Spanish means hidden on
Wednesday we discovered why. We got lost on our way back from
Scottsdale and we couldn't seem to find escondido for a while... It
was definately an adventure. We helped several sisters move into their
new areas and then we also had a lesson with a part member family . We
talked about the importance of reading the scriptures and feasting
upon the words of Christ. We explained our purpose as missionaries and
invited the sister and father to pray and ask Heavenly Father if our
message is true and worth listening to. ( when we went back a few days
later the sister told us that she ahd prayed and that she feels good
about listening to us but wants to learn step by step. We are really
excited to continue to meet with her and her family and have a FHE set
up with them and some members from our branch on this coming
Wednesday. On Thursday we had a lesson with a 14 year old girl. Her
mom looked really familiar and after a while I realized that I had
met her at the Visitors center back in March or April and she had
accepted missionaries. It turns out that she was baptized a little
while later and then her daughter started to investigate. It was
really cool She was supposed to be baptized on Saturday so we went
over the baptismal interview questions with her and her mother who is
a recent convert. WE also talked about tithing and the importance of
paying it and setting an example for their family. On Friday the girl
had her baptismal interview and she passed!!! We were really excited
to have her baptism on Saturday but we encountered some opposition
when she became sick and couldn't go through with it. We are hoping to
reschedule for next week.
This last week we recieved a challenge from our zone leaders to read
the Book of Mormon al lthe way through during this transfer. It has
Dear Familia, I hope that you all had a wonderful week. My week has
been great. I was transfered to a new area this last Wednesday and I
love it. My new companion Sister Sordes is really cool and we have had
a lot of fun together. On Tuesday we had a lesson with the a recent
convert family. Their daughter is a recent convert and we talked about
keeping the Sabbath day holy as well as fasting. We also met with a
women and her large extended family. We watched finding faith in
Christ with them and talked about how we can increase our faith and
also how we can come closer to the Savior. On Wednesday was transfer
meetings and lots of moving. Escondido in Spanish means hidden on
Wednesday we discovered why. We got lost on our way back from
Scottsdale and we couldn't seem to find escondido for a while... It
was definately an adventure. We helped several sisters move into their
new areas and then we also had a lesson with a part member family . We
talked about the importance of reading the scriptures and feasting
upon the words of Christ. We explained our purpose as missionaries and
invited the sister and father to pray and ask Heavenly Father if our
message is true and worth listening to. ( when we went back a few days
later the sister told us that she ahd prayed and that she feels good
about listening to us but wants to learn step by step. We are really
excited to continue to meet with her and her family and have a FHE set
up with them and some members from our branch on this coming
Wednesday. On Thursday we had a lesson with a 14 year old girl. Her
mom looked really familiar and after a while I realized that I had
met her at the Visitors center back in March or April and she had
accepted missionaries. It turns out that she was baptized a little
while later and then her daughter started to investigate. It was
really cool She was supposed to be baptized on Saturday so we went
over the baptismal interview questions with her and her mother who is
a recent convert. WE also talked about tithing and the importance of
paying it and setting an example for their family. On Friday the girl
had her baptismal interview and she passed!!! We were really excited
to have her baptism on Saturday but we encountered some opposition
when she became sick and couldn't go through with it. We are hoping to
reschedule for next week.
This last week we recieved a challenge from our zone leaders to read
the Book of Mormon al lthe way through during this transfer. It has
impressed me as I have read about the different ways that each member
of this family reacted to adversity. This week we felt a lot of
opposition as we tried to help this girl be baptized. Although I can't
control many circumstances I can control how I react to them and do
all that is in my power to accomplish the Lords work. I was reminded
of that while I read 1 Nefi 16 when Nephi broke his bow. He didn't
complain. He did the best he could and made a bow and then went to the
Lord. I can do the same thing when my bow breaks ( or a baptism
doesn't go through on a day we have planned) If I do my part then I
know that the Lord will make things work out in the way that they need
to.
I am also covering a Young Single Adult ward. Yesterday as we were in
that ward I kept looking at this girl on the front row because she
looked really familiar. I went up to her and I found out that about 4
years ago she was in my College Singles ward at SUU. She had moved
down here at the end of that year. I am even friends with her on
facebook. It was truly a small world experience.
I love you all so much
Have a great week!
Love Alex

Elder Matthew Whittle-- January 29, 2012

Que Honda Ches?

I'm glad you were able to figure out what my new companions name is. I guess I underestimated you guys. I should have made it a little bit harder;) haha. O man I'm so excited to know where Josh is going to go! He better come out to Carlsbad! How's TJ doing lately? I haven't been able to really write him yet. We've been working like crazy! It's so much fun! Elder Olsen is from Colorado, and loves trucks too haha. We get along really well.

la palabra quate significa literalmente twin, pero tambien puede significar dude. La palabra Che es de Argentina, y los mexicanos usan como quate avaises.

Wow you guys are going to Arizona without me;) So loving haha. Sounds like fun. Too bad it's not quite California weather. Be careful driving in the snow when you get back to Utah, and no I can't read other books. We're not even allowed to read the miracle of forgiveness. We just focus on the gospel library and the scriptures, but when I'll read them one day. Tell Megan Thanks a bunch, and that she's pretty cool I guess......;) haha no she's awesome! I hope her and Jordan are doing good with the married life and all. That's so awesome that Kayla is going on a mission!! Oh man! Missions rock!! Is she learning any language? Tell her good decision! haha.

So I was on exchanges last friday with Elder F, and we taught three lessons, and I wasn't feeling to well, especially during the last one. We finally finished teaching at about 9:10 and went outside back up to the car. I was feeling horrible by then and when we got up to the car, I turned to Elder F and said I don't know if I'm gonna make it home haha, and then I walked over to the grass and barfed up all the enchiladas that we ate. It was super narsty! blaaah. After I barfed up like five pounds we got in the car and went home. Well when we got home, and went and took a shower to try and feel better. Well I felt better for a little bit, and then I barfed again haha. Narsty like the first one haha. How do you feel reading this? I feel like a beer samich right now just talking about it. soggy, frothy, and warm;) mmmmmm haha sorry. Well I finally got into bed, and then el banyo me llamo otra vez y yo vomite. ya that happened like 3 or 4 times during the night until I didn't have anything left in me. Cool Story huh? Ya so I just didn't eat for two days. Sister C had me stay in and rest for one day, but now I'm doin super bien. I just don't have the ganas para comer ahorrita. I really think I lost like five pounds though because now my pants feel looser haha. Oh well.

Well ya things are awesome here in Oceanside. We're doing awesome. Still teaching the Family S. They were all drinking and offering us beer the other night so that was fun haha. Time for Word of Wisdom! Heck ya! I and A didn't make it to church but were still working with them. We got them a picture of the Temple to put up, and were going to write on a calendario las cosas que tienen que hacer para prepararse por bautismo. Everythings great with me. Avaises me siento como un bote de cerveza cuando estoy enfermo, pero estoy muy feliz! haha. Love you all and hope you have a great week without your favorite most humble son, brother, brother-in-law, uncle, and Super Hero;) k bye


Con amor,
Elder Whittle

Elder Allen--January 27, 2012

Dear Family
Hola del CCM. I hope that everything is going goood for you and that you can all feel the lords hand in your life. The Mtc is still here so that probably means that i still am. It has been a very long time here, but then again it kinda feels like i was dropped of yesterday. you know what i mean? It is a very interesting feeling. I think that that will be how the whole mission will be. So how is the good old home? Is my room Distroyed yet i sure hope not haha. How are my Brothers and sisters doing? I haven't heard from they in a while haha. I hope that everything is ok at home and that things are working out. How is The Geo??? I hope that everything at home is ok. Now to leave home behind me and tell you about my mission. So Have like 4 "investigators" it is pretty cool. It is amazing how much i can tell them about the gospel in spanish. It probably wont be that way in argentina but i will learn haha. The feild is going to be so different then this place but i am so excited to get out therer and serive the lord and go love the people. I hope that I can get more Christ like atributes to better help the people out there that don't have that peace and happiness that i have because of the gospel. I pray that the people I am suppose to help will have there hearts open and ready to recieve the gospel of chriist. That 's really all i want, to help people find great peace and joy in there lifes. To know that there Savior lives and is always willing to help us if we will just come to him. That is something that I diffently have to work for my whole life. Becoming more like christ. I want to grow in faith and I want to grow in the gospel. I hope that I will be able to stand at the judgement seat with pride and look my judge in the eyes and say, " I did the best that i could do." He will say, "I know, I Will make up for the rest. Now come join me in my kingdom." I am so very greatful for the savior. I know that he lives and That he loves us all. If any who read this email are feeling alone and like there is no hope I Testify to you that there is! Christ can help everyone one of us! He wants to all we have to do is come to him. I love him so much. This church is True! Keep writing me! I love letters Bye
Elder Allen

Elder Corbin Moore-- January 23,2012

Well another week as gone and I am still here in my same area LA 6th. Elder Reichman and I are here and continuing the work in this part of the vineyard. This week has been a pretty interesting week. Since we have recently had two baptisms, our teaching pool is starting to run a little dry. We have been doing a lot of tracting. Walking the streets of LA talking to people can be some of the funniest things and at the same time the scariest. When I first came out on the mission I was so nervous knocking on peoples doors or talking to everyone in the streets. But it really is a way of life for missionaries. We have been knocking so many doors and talking to so many different people with different stories. It really kills me the things that people tell us. People have these things that they have never told anyone, and then they talk to two 19 year old young men, and they start to tell them everything.
We have been working a lot with our two recent converts. To make sure that they are getting the support that they need in this time after their baptisms. So I tell you about something that happened in one of our visits with Yecenia. So we went over to Yecenia's house to have dinner, and her uncle was there. He is an inactive member of the church. He served a mission, and after he returned he fell away and stopped going to church. So we were eating dinner and I just starting talking to him about his mission and his experiences. He said that he wasn't ever sure if he went on a mission for the right reasons but that he learned a lot, about the church, life, and himself. So we talked a little bit more and then after dinner we had a lesson with the family. The lesson that we were teaching was the Restoration. As we finished up the lessons and we were bearing our testimonies, I looked over at Yecenia's uncle. He had tears streaming down his face. It was completely silent for a long time. Then he looked up and didn't say anything. We finished off the lesson with a prayer, and then after Yecenia went over and hugged her uncle, and then his mom(Yecenia's grandma). It was so amazing. I don't think that they have had a bonding experience like that in a long time. The next day (yesterday) was stake conference. He showed up and we had the oppurtunity to talk to him a little bit more. He said that he was going to come back. That he had been away to long, and that there was nothing that could bring him happiness more than the Gospel.
That experience is something that I will never forget. What he said is so true. In reality there is nothing in the world that can bring you more happiness than the Gospel. Being here in LA I see a lot of worldly riches. I see people that have these mansions by the beach. People who drive around in some of the coolest cars. People who are just filthy rich in general. But it is funny because none of that stuff can bring you eternal happiness. In this life sure, you will have that temporal happiness. But they are missing the eternal perspective. If people only knew, that this life is NOT the end. And all of these "amazing things", can't be taken to where we are going. The only thing that we are taking with us after this life is our knowledge and our families. Mansions, Cars, Money, Fame, Jobs, Boats, ATVs, Multi-million dollar franchises, Drugs. None of these things are going to matter. But unfortunately they are people in the world who spent every dying second of the day trying to achieve all of this. They fail to see what matters most. If you are one of these people who has fallen off the path, and has lost sight of these more important things. I would invite you to turn around and walk back towards "the Path"( the Gospel). It is never to late, and there is never anything that can't be overcome. Do it today. Re-evaluate.....Re-focus......Re-turn.
Hope that this week has been a wonderful week for everyone out there. If not hope that a new week full of great things is on its way. I would love to hear from eveyone our there. Feel free to drop me a line. Josh, what is going on, let me know. Well until we talk again.

Con Amor, Elder Moore

Sister Alex Hartvigsen--January 23, 2012

Dear Family, I hope that you all had a wonderful week. Things here have been really good. We had a really good lesson with a women. She was a referral from the Visitor's Center and when we went to visit her we realized that we had contacted into her husband about a week before and he had said that we could stop by. She is having some family struggles right now and we talked about how the gospel blesses our families. She said that we could come back on Friday or Saturday so we could meet with both her and her husband ( they work conflicting shifts) We are planning on stopping by this week. On Friday we had a meeting with our branch president and he gave us several families that he would like us to go and visit and we are excited to do that. We had a lesson with a women and talked to her about the hope that the gospel brings into our lives even when we are having challenges within our families. We have also tried really hard this week by looking for ways that we can build trust with the members through service. This has involved everything from helping to put away christmas trees and decorations to SIster S. giving a dog a bath and a haircut.

On Saturday I recieved news that I am being tranferred. I am going to a Spanish branch named Escondido. It is in Mesa. I am excited because in addition to working in the Spanish branch I am also going to be working in a Young Single Adult ward. My companion is Sister S. from France. I know her from the VIsitor's Center and she is a lot of fun. I am also not going to be working in the Visitors Center for this coming transfer. We have the potential to do some tranfers full field ( not working in the Visitors Center every day) I loved being full field the last time I did it because we have a lot more time in our area and it is easier to get to know the ward and the area. I think this will probably be my last opportunity for this because next transfer is the Easter Pageant and all of us are in the Visitors center then and then after that is my last transfer. I can't believe how fast the time has gone. I love you all. Have a great week
Love Alex