December 2, 2013

Dear Family, this is me, Elder Strong

 

So, these last few weeks have been realllly slow and hard. It has been "cold" and everyone hides in there house and thinks that you are literally insane to be outside if it looks like it might rain. Plus, on Thanksgiving, no one really wanted to remember that we excited. When we left the apartment on Thursday, we had to psych our selves up a little to get motivated for it, and the first guy we talked to, literally 50 ft from the door went like this "WOW, YOU PEOPLE DO THIS EVEN ON THANKSGIVING???? THAT'S GREAT" imagine that but in an annoyed, and disappointed tone of voice. SO, needless to say, it was a long holiday.

 

We went to a really cool families house for dinner though, they are the Cranney's. they live in rural San Marcos, Bro. Cranney is a farm animal veterinarian, and sister Cranny is a REALLY good cook, so it was pretty awesome. all four of us were together, so that is like a security blanket for us, it is a treat for us to eat dinner together, I don't really like it all of the time because it makes it hard to get things done.

 

I was fasting last week because so many things told me to. I started a study on the spirit and I ended up focussing on fasting. then, on exchanges with a Zone Leader, Elder Holmes, while we were talking about the work in my area, he looked at me and said, "I don't know why, but I just feel like I should tell you to fast". SO, I did. It is interesting how many times the Lord has to tell me that I need his help before I ask him for it. I guess I am just stubburn and try to handle everything on my own.

 

So what happened? Sheryl.

 

Sheryl was one of Steve's friends he brought to church a while back. I have met with her afew times but that is it. she doesn't have a perminant residence so it was hard to meet up. She came with Steve last week and had read from 1st nephi to 3rd nephi since that last time we had met, and she told me that she wanted me to baptize her. It was pretty crazy. she is SOOOOO ready, I think she has a better testimony of the Book of Mormon than most of the missionaries I know. It is breath taking to hear her speak about it.

 

Well, gotta go,

LOVE YOU

November 25, 2013

They put new computers in the library!! they are so nice!

I feel like my emails are campared to Hermana Pattons and hers was a really good one this week. All I have to say is that I just organized my inbox finally, and put labels on everything so that on Pday everything is neat and I get more things done. Of course, the week was filled with productivity and teaching, but just the same old stuff. We picked up a couple of investingators this week, they are SUPER CATHOLIC but they really like us. I just hope we can bridge the gap between "just friends" to "we are joining their church" Missionary work is a lot like dating.

SO, something crazy is going down, Elder English's dad just got made the EP for "Wake Up San Diego" and is moving to Escondido in January.... this probably means that he will be transfered so I will probably end up staying here for another transfer.... what the?! how does that even happen? Out of nowhere his family is moving into the mission, and crazily enough, into the ward right next to the one that we are serving in?

I went on exchanges with the Zone Leaders this week, I got to go to their area, its in Valley Center.... That ward is HUGE the boundaries are larger than all of the Stakes in the mission. It would be like serving full time from Indianola to Mount Pleasant (or something like that) the area looks pretty similar but more hills. It is just a bunch of hillbillies and immigrants. We picked up a guy who lived in a rock and took him to a lesson we taught in a horse stall. and the lesson was in spanish so I was pretty out of the loop. My spanish has been coming back from High School though. From contacting in Escondido on 9th ave. and from reading letters from Hmna P. Not enough to think of the words to teach in though. It was definately different from the rest of the mission. I would be lying if I said there was a lack of variety in this Mission.

The Woodland Village Thanksgiving dinner was pretty awesome. I love that place so much. We were in charge of filling up peoples water, we talked to alot of them while they were waiting for their food. I love being able to serve there so much, I can feel everyone slowly becoming closer to accepting the gospel in their lives. I think that it is important for them, because even though they might be set in the ways of their mortal life, they can be softened in the ways of their spirit life. It's just a whole other ball game. They are wise though, they see where it is god but need help seeing where they need it.

Sorry I am not as good as the other missionaries at writing good letters home all of the time.

Wish me luck!

Email to Jason (Jason wanted it on the blog)

Dear Jason,

It's cool to hear that you have a chance to lead in the church. Don't let this time pass by. You will eventually be released and then you will wonder, "what more could I have done" read Jacob chapter 5, and look for the verse that says that. read the whole chapter and try and see what they are talking about in it. It is a really good chapter in the book of mormon, one of the most important. after you read that one, I have a few others that are really good too.

I am a district leader right now, and I help missionaries teach people that are in their areas. It is just like any other calling in the church, it comes, and goes, but while you have the chance to serve, do everything that you can.

Keep up the good work, enjoy your time while you have it, don't waste it on things that aren't important to you.

Love,

Elder Strong

November 18, 2013

Dear Loved Ones,

I hope everything is going well for you. Life has been just about the same over here. One of my best friends from the MTC (Elder Neal) got emergency transferred into becoming a Zone Leader. He was serving here in San Marcos as the DL for another District so I was able to serve around him for a little, but, it was a sad trick to pull a fast one on us and take him out. He is serving in Fallbrook now.

I have been in this ward for a long time, for most of my mission. I have a lot of close ties with the ward council and other members. We were at the retirement home that our Relief Society President manages, helping a lady by cleaning her cupboards and putting away all of her dishes because she had a small roach problem (yeah, our lives are really glamorous) and Sister Wilson was helping and explaining to the lady who we were.

"do I need to give them a tip?, do they work here?" the lady asked

"No, these are my two young friends who are missionaries for my church. They help me out here a lot, and they love to do it" Sister Wilson explained

She then stated: "Oh, well I am Presbyterian, and I don't really want to speak about religion.."   

"Don't worry about it Ingred, they aren't like that, they are only here to help you."

"Oh, okay, well I should at least invite them for some coffee." 

Well, you know how the rest of the story goes.

Sister Wilson has only been the RSP for about 4 or 5 months, and that was after she had just moved into the ward. We have worked together a lot with her, to serve the sisters in the ward. And someone who I have met with almost every week, is going through the temple for the first time! Vella is 86 and grew up in Salt Lake, but married a non member. She is going through on the 6th of december to recieve her endowment and get sealed to her husband. She is really really funny, I wish I could email a video of one of our lessons to you, she has a very innocent and curious view of the gospel. 

Tomorrow Elder Packer of the Seventy is coming to our Zone Conference, and I have to put something together for it now. so BYE

Love you 

Elder James Riley Strong

November 12, 2013 - THIS WEEK ON: THE DISTRICT

Something amazing happened. I was on exchanges with Elder Petersen, Elder Boehme was together with Elder English in our area. They had an appointment with one of our new investigators. Elder Boehme has only been out for 6 days and Elder English 6 weeks, but I felt that I should put them together and let them try to do it on their own. They planned the lesson all on their own, and taught her with a member with them. They set a baptismal date! I didn't even tell them that they should try to! they did it all on their own, and the member told me that they did very well in the lesson.

Ahh... it feels good to see my posterity shine haha..... there is some missionary cheese for ya.

There are a ton of good things happening in the district. Hopefully we can keep it going, I am really extra busy for the next 4 weeks with exchanges and planning for district meetings, I like it because it feels like I have a ton more investigators than I actually do.

Sorry that I forgot to tell you that I was going to email today instead of Monday. Basically, if it is a holiday on Monday, P-day will be on Tuesday.

no cool pictures this week, but I found a good way to study the New Testament . Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Thank you Library lost and found.

Love you!

November 4, 2013 - Pictures

 Escondido North District before transfers

 B...... at the Halloween party, trunk or treat

"stay Strong and read English".... get it? Elder Strong and Elder English?

November 4, 2013

wow, its November already?

This week we had a trunk or treat at the church. We put out a really big banner to invite everyone, and we called it a "community trunk or treat" and LOTS of guests were there. We even had a few lds families from other wards get invited to it by non members, and when they got there they were very surprised to find it at our building haha. it worked! our ward mission leader didn't know what to do because it never works!

also, something cool I found out: a month or two ago, we went to a members house for dinner, and their 16 year old daughter had a friend over, we will call her "Jane", she was visiting for the week from Oregon. They gave us the heads up that she would be there, so we planned a great lesson that we thought she would like. After the dinner, we had the lesson and the spirit was really strong. I knew that without a doubt that she could feel it. She went to church the next day and the speakers were really good, a new couple who had just moved into the ward, recently married, and graduated from BYU, RM, all of that good mormon stuff. and Jane looks at her friend and says "I want to get baptized" she went back home monday morning, The family sent missionaries to her house, and 3 or 4 weeks later, she was baptized. I love it when things like this happen!

Love you all! Halloween was really fun! not the same, and a little sad, but still fun. 

Gotta go!

Elder James Riley Strong