Week #13

Dear Misa,

A lot of stuff went down this week, but first, let me answer your questions:

1. Did your Mission President only talk to you, or did he interview your companion as well about the situation?

Nope, just me. I don't know why he didn't talk to Wightman, but I'm not worried about it. It ended up being a big blessing talking to him, which I'll explain later in this email.

2. When are your next transfers?

Transfers are this Tuesday, and the next one isn't until February 3rd. Elder Wightman is getting transferred to Needles, California. I'm staying in North, Sierra Ranch ward. This past transfer was difficult, but it was a good experience. We're different people definitely, but the biggest thing was that we sort of had different styles and tendencies in the way we worked. One thing that I liked is that he ALWAYS wanted to work hard. He knew his purpose. But I didn't always agree with how he did it. He liked to play a lot of stuff by ear, while I wanted to plan ahead. Maybe I was a little too up-tight with him. He just wasn't the most organized, and now I see why Mom and Dad harped on me growing up to be organized haha. But honestly, he has a good heart. That's what matters. I don't hate him, he's a good guy. I learned a lot working with him. My new comp will be Elder Balajadia (Ba-la-ha-jzuh). He's from the Phillipines. I've never met him, but from what I heard, he's a good guy and a good missionary.

Wednesday we did a service project at Three Square. We made 1,500 lunches for under-privileged kids in the Las Vegas area. It was a blast! Miss Universe showed up on her tour or whatever. She showed up, talked to some people, did absolutely nothing, took pictures, and left. It was pretty random and funny hahaha. One of the ZLs got a picture with her haha. On Thursday, we met Noah and Ara. Noah is a ten year old who we threw a football with in the street. We told him about the Christmas video, and he invited us to visit him and his mom. They LOVED it. We gave them a Book of Mormon, and they're really eager to learn more. We're excited! Friday was the Christmas Conference. It was fun. There were a lot of awesome trainings, and then there were some skits and talents that people did. It was pretty funny. Probably my favorite was an elder read "'Twas the Night Before Christmas", but he did it while doing impressions of people, from celebrities to presidents to general authorities, to even other missionaries haha. Saturday was the ward Christmas party. It was really fun! We had a couple investigators go, and they enjoyed themselves. We got to know a lot of the members too since the boundaries were switched up. Church was awesome! Martha and Tawnee both came. They both had their baptismal interviews that night too, and they both passed! Tawnee is going to be baptized Saturday at 10am, while Martha will be Saturday at 3pm. We're stoked! Wightman is getting transferred to Needles, California on Tuesday, so he won't be able to go to the baptisms.

So that was my week! I'll send you pictures and stuff in a separate email. Things have overall gotten better with Wightman and I. We still prank each other. Like I walked out of our bedroom under our Nerf hoop, and he dunked on me. I'll definitely study PMG Chp. 8 this week. I actually studied two more attributes this week, and I plan on continuing to do that throughout my mission to help me continue to retain them.

Sounds like you had a lot of fun this week on your dates! I'm glad you had a good experience at church too. I've never realized how much of a boost church can be. Like back in Binghamton I didn't really utilize it as a boost, just a way for me to socialize with people. But it can really be a HUGE boost! That's still crazy to me that Kendal is getting married. Is Josh married yet? What's Marshall doing? What about the rest of the old crew, any news with them?

I hope you have a great week!

Love you Mis!

Trev

Trevor with his zone at ZTC (sent 12/14/15)

Getting festive with Elder Wightman (sent 12/14/15)

Christmas Conference (sent 12/14/15)

Week #12

Hey Mis!

So none of those friend requests are people from Vegas. I didn't see any to accept either. The package was awesome! The ZLs are bringing the mail later, so hopefully I'll have it then. I'm glad you had a good time in NY. As for Christmas, I can't really think of anything else. I'm not too picky, things haven't changed hahaha. Those sound like good gifts for Dad! As for Asia, get her a job! Haha just kidding. Just buy her BYU stuff, try to sway her hahaha. I would do that if I was back in Rexburg. That's crazy that Kendal is getting married. Isn't Josh already married too??? Tell Marshall to wait to get married until I get back. You too haha. This was easily the toughest week of the mission. Elder Wightman and I butted heads a TON. One argument was so bad that I honestly just sat on my bed for like an hour, not saying a word to him. He called President Snow, and so I met with President the next day. I have been missing Mom a lot lately, especially because she loved the holidays so much, and so it's been really difficult recently. He talked to me about it and gave me a blessing. As we were discussing, he gave me some great advice. He talked about the Brother of Jared, and how he asked the Lord for help. The Lord asked him what he wanted him to do, and the Brother of Jared initially didn't know. As you know, he made the sixteen stones and asked the Lord to touch them. He told me that sometimes we go through very difficult things, and we ask the Lord for help. But we have to 1) be willing to work through it and do our part, and 2) be more specific when we ask for help. He invited me to ask Him to help me utilize the Atonement more, that I may be able to access the enabling power to help me through this tough time and to continue the work. He also told me to go to the temple at some point this week and spend some time in the celestial room. I'm planning on going tomorrow, and I'm looking forward to it.

This week was also full of disappointment. It started off great. I got to do an exchange with Elder Aitchison! That was a ton of fun, and it was also our most productive day of the week. While we were biking, we saw an older guy and a woman moving furniture into a UHaul. We stopped and offered help, and the guy said "would you still want to help even if I told you we won't concert?" We all laughed about it, and me and Aitch helped. We moved a lot of dressers and bed frames, the fridge, a few TVs, and we broke down their swing set in the backyard and packed it away. We were probably there for an hour. We got to know the people too. Their names were Papa Joe and Renée. They were really nice, and Papa Joe even called us "his angels". He said that us showing up was no accident, and we carried a certain spirit about us that he couldn't figure out. Well duh! Later in the week we met with Szilvia, the Hungarian lady who gave us treats when we knocked on her door. We taught her about the Book of Mormon, and her husband Mark sat in on the lesson. Mark opened up a TON. Before he married Szilvia, he was married, but his wife died of cancer. He said that that took a huge roll on him, but he met some missionaries, and they really helped him out. He said that he's really eager to learn more. We're excited! A bunch of people cancelled on us this week, so that was really tough. We attended a baptism with a couple investigators. Martha was able to go, as well as Anthony. Anthony is scheduled to be baptized on the 12th, and Martha the 19th. However, when we met Anthony outside before the baptism, he had a cigarette in his mouth. It seems like he had been lying to us, so we've got some more work to do. Besides that, Martha and Anthony both really enjoyed the baptism. Hopefully that'll motivate Anthony to give up smoking.

So I also met someone who knows Aunt Sherrie. I forgot his first name, but his last name is Fontano....? I think. He said he knew Sherrie when they were YSA, and that she emailed or texted him when she found out I was in North Las Vegas, where he lived. Why do people out here know me??? So that's my week. I hope you have a good coming week! How are all your boys? Pull through finals! You got this!

Love you Mis!

Trev

Trevor with Elder Aitchison (Sent 12/7/15)

Sent 12/7/15

Sent 12/7/15

Sent 12/7/15

Week #11

Hey Mis!

I picked up my package on Tuesday! Thank you SO MUCH! I'm still eating all of that stuff. I'm actually eating some of those veggies as I type this haha. That's cool you came home for Thanksgiving! I see it was interesting.... But hey, nothing can be done now. I guess we're just gonna roll with it.

Sounds like your time in NY has been good though. That's cool that you guys saw dad's cousin from France! If I remember correctly, I think dad told me he's an actuarian or statistician. Pretty cool stuff. Thanksgiving was tough for me, we had a few people yell at us and swear at us when we knocked on their door. Plus I really missed you guys, and Mom too. It was weird not playing football in the morning and chilling with you guys for the whole rest of the day. But hey, one down, one to go!

My week was really good! We met a couple guys named Demarlo and Guy. We talked to them for a little bit, but they didn't want to talk to us, so we challenged them to two-on-two basketball. If we won we got to teach them. We won. Thursday night basketball back home continues to have been a blessing in the mission field haha. We taught them about the Plan of Salvation, and they had TONS of questions. It was pretty cool. Then yesterday, we followed up with them in the afternoon. They told us they were no longer interested. We asked them why, and Demarlo said that his cousin is a pastor and said that there was no proof of the Plan of Salvation in the Bible. We tried to explain it more to them, when out of nowhere this guy came cruising by on a mo-ped. "It's the Mormons!" he said. Then he pointed at us and turned to Demarlo and Guy and said "Listen to these guys! They're telling the truth!" He then told us that last week he was in an accident on his mo-Ped, and he could barely walk because he messed up his back. He said that other missionaries gave him a blessing. "Six days later," he said, "here I am!" He stood up and started dancing. Then he said goodbye and drove off. Then Demarlo and Guy asked a TON of other questions, so we set up another time to meet with them. It was awesome!

We also met the Baldivias family. We actually met them last week, but didn't get to meet until yesterday. They are so cool! There are two parents, five kids, and a grandmother that live with them. We taught about the Plan of Salvation, and they had TONS of questions too. Their oldest son, Alex, is studying with 7th day Christians or whatever they're called, and so he's very quick when it comes to the bible. The cool part was at some point of the lesson, each one of the Baldivias said they've always wondered which church was true. They're in dire need of the Restoration, so we're really excited to teach them that next time! They're SO nice and loving, they already seem like members of the Church haha. We're really excited, we've got some good people to teach.

We also got three investigators to church! That's the most we've had since I've been here. Anthony sat with us, and he's going to be baptized either this Saturday or next. Martha was there, and is supposed to be baptized December 19th. Then Velia came with her member husband, and she's been progressing very well lately. It's been great!

Thanksgiving for me was good, even though I missed you guys a lot. We ate with the Stowells, who are a really cool family that recently moved in. Then the next day we got special permission to eat with the Hendersons. She fed us mac & cheese, stuffing, shepherds pie, greens, yams, duck, chitlins, peach cobbler, meat pie, and sweet potato pie. It was all really good, except for the chitlins. They were nasty. I didn't even know what they were until Saturday. Apparently they're pig guts. Never eating that again!

So at least on Thanksgiving you didn't eat pig guts. Could've been worse! Haha. Me and my comp just watched the Christmas video. It's pretty sweet! As for what I want.... I'm cool. Maybe more music? Maybe some more mission-appropriate Mat Kearney? Or Owl City? Whatever works. People keep trying to steal my CDs here now haha. I'm doing an exchange with my MTC companion tomorrow, the tall British guy. I'm stoked! Anyways, I hope you have a good week! I love you and miss you!

Love you Mis!
Trev

Trevor's Zone Leaders (Sent 11/30/15)

Sent 11/30/15