Wednesday, January 9, 2008

January News

Elder Brock Smith
Hawaii Honolulu Mission, March 2007 - March 2009

Peace Out! Mahalo Ka Ko! Elder B Smith your M town Rep. Holla >

Elder Jeff Stoker

Hey Elders,
HAPPY HOLIDAYS. So I am finally in Russia. How crazy is that you may ask….let me tell you. CRAZY. Yesterday, Christmas Day, was -30 degrees. If that isn’t coat weather, then I don’t know what is. Every time I go outside, my nose hair freezes, which is an extremely weird sensation. But I really do love it here. Russia is completely unlike anything else I have ever seen. The people are probably the weirdest people on earth. A lot of them look like walking mummies, because they have smoked and drank so so so so much throughout their lives. They all have gold or silver teeth (if they even have teeth). I think they hire Russians to be in the rap music videos. haha. They have some nice grills. Anyways, I don’t really have a lot of time, and I wish I could write a lot more, but I am going to have to be very vague and completely random in this letter, so please forgive me. The food here is both good and bad. Their ice cream is to die for, and the juice is incredible, but their milk tastes like something just went terribly wrong with that cow. Russian music is hilarious. It is kind of like Mexican music, but imagine Mexican music with techno instead of banjos and what not. All of the Younger generation of Russians usually listen to American music. And kids will always come up to us and ask us to translate music. And pretty much they all worship 50 cent here. They mostly like American Rap. I have heard Akon’s new 17 hits, since I’ve been in Russia. It is way hilarious. Which reminds me, they also love Crazy Frog. I love it so much. I drop on the floor and just laugh everytime I hear it. Well I just wanted to say I love you all, and keep up the good work. Ill do better next month. Or at least ill try.
Love,
Elder Stoker


Elder Max Crandall

The mission has been a wonderful adventure and a life changing experience. I’ve been out for about four months now and I love every minute of it! Right now, I’m serving in the Mount Vernon 1st Ward in Mount Vernon, Washington, which is about 45 minutes from the Canadian border. The ward here is very diverse and it’s been so awesome to work with such diverse and wonderful people. My companion, Elder Jensen, and I have had amazing success here in Mount Vernon, but the work is far from over. Elder Jensen is a district leader in our zone, so he and I have many opportunities to work with other missionaries around our area. We are pretty lucky because we are in the most beautiful part of Washington, in my opinion. The stake we serve in covers all of Skagit County and seven islands in the San Juan Island counties. It really is an amazing area. What’s even more amazing is the amount of success our mission is experiencing. It seems as though more and more people are accepting the gospel and making the commitment to be baptized each day! The main reason for this success is because the members and missionaries are working together to double the convert baptisms as the prophet has counseled. It is so cool to see how the Lord has prepared so many people for the message of the Restoration. On my mission, I have had a lot of fun and made a lot of friends. I am already dreading the day when my mission is over. Although one day I will just be a regular person again, I hope I never lose this sense of urgency I feel for missionary work. I absolutely know how important this work is and I know that it is the Lord’s work. About two months ago, my old companion and I had the opportunity to teach a gal named Jessica Delafuente. At the time, we also tried to teach the rest of her family but they were uninterested. A couple weeks later, Jessica had the opportunity to be baptized and her family was very supportive and attended the baptism. The spirit at Jessica’s baptism was so strong that the rest of her family told us that they wanted to be baptized as soon as possible. It’s amazing to see this message touch the lives of others as well as my own. I love being a member and a missionary of this church. I love this because I know this is the true church of Jesus Christ. I know that Joseph Smith saw God and Jesus Christ that spring day in the grove of trees. I know that God restored His church to the earth and brought about the Book of Mormon through His prophet, Joseph Smith. I hope you all have a very merry Christmas and enjoy this holiday season.

Love Always,
Elder Max Crandall


Elder Gary Chambers

Hey You all! Wow quite a bit has happened this week… ok… here i go. So I had thought that i lost my wallet but it was in my back pack! Who knew… So i gladly put it in my back pocket, just befote we took off to our New Kid meeting that Thursday morning… Well we were a lil bit early, so we stopped off at a flee market kind of place to buy some super cheap ties (2 for a dollar mas o menos) What a deal! Well… this flee market is super busy and people are bumping into each other all over the place… so my comp (just before we dove into the crowd) warned me of thieves and to be careful… so as a security measure, i buttoned my back pockets… Well as we’re bustling through the crowd, i kept feeling fingers poking my butt… at first i didn’t think anything of it, but after about the 6th poke the realization hit me “wait a second… I’m not at the Stokers right now! This shouldn’t be happening!” So i reach back to check my pocket and my wallet was still there, but the guy managed to undo my button! It was a close call, so the rest of the time I walked with my hand of my left check… it worked out pretty well from there on out! Ok next story… My comp and i had a meeting with a reference we got that was like 2 or 3 miles out! It was a long walk down a stretch of well traveled road… so my comp (being experienced) pulled the hitch-hiker trick and flags us down a ride about a mile into the travel after being denied several times… Well we pretty much got fired on (they weren’t there) so my comp was a lil bit angry to start with, cause we traveled all that for nothing. Then he started getting really upset when everyone kept driving past his extended thumb while shaking there head. I thought it was kind of funny, but decided it was time to start helping out. So i told him “All right… i’ll use my beautiful face and get us a ride”… Just saying that to be stupid… So i turn around and stick up my thumb and the first car stopped! Hahahaha it was so funny! I just busted up laughing while he was shaking his head in disbelief hahaha that was awesome… So New Years day comes around and a member invited us to this thing he was going to do New Years morning (1/1/08) at like 6:30 called like some kind of stair climb with upwards of 400 steps... We had to start the new year by doing something cool, so of course we said yes. So that morning we took a hike down to where the stairs were at and after seizing it up, thought i could run up them... haha we all thought we could run it...... wow we were wrong, i got a pretty funny video of how pathetic I am hahaha... i tried to send it but it was too big. Anyways, it was WAY harder than it looked, and was a pretty cool challenge. Well, that's it for this week!Love, Elder Chambers

Elder Mike Kleinman

Happy New Year from Argentina ! We went to the new mission home to celebrate on Dec. 20th, this is were we received all our packages ! Yeah. We also went to a big festival in central, where they celebrated San Nicholas (Saint Nicholas aka Santa Clause) but here, he is really a Saint ! the apostasy & ignorance never ceases to amaze me.Thank you to all who sent me such wonderful goodies.The candies are delicious, since the Argentine's version of candies are halls cough drops. Ugh..Well after much partying, movies, fiesta's we are all back to work. We have had several baptisms since I was transferred Dec. 12th.I am in La Rioja. The mother of the family is going to get married soon, and then we will be able to baptize her too.My new area is the poorest area of my mission, but has the friendliest and most humble people you'll ever meet. I am constantly speaking Spanish, since my new companion is from Chile. He's great. Missionary life has been rewarding, I love it down here. Well I hope all the rest of you guy's had a great Christmas. It was good to talk to the family. Till next time my brothers. The church is true. Ciao, Elder Kleinman

Elder Daniel Anderson

Hey everybody!

I hope all of you had a MERRY CHRISTMAS! Christmas day was really cool. Elder L. Tom Perry came and spoke to us in the morning. His talk was really good. I got to shake his hand and I was wearing a new scarf that my family sent me for Christmas. Elder Perry asked me where I was from. I told him AZ and he just laughed and said only someone from there would be wearing a scarf and then he flipped it over my shoulder, it was pretty funny. Christmas was overall, really fun and relaxing, yet spiritual at the same time. I have so much food now, it’s disgusting….I have gained 25 pounds!

So tomorrow is the BIG DAY! A lot of the language missionaries in our branch are leaving today or have already left the MTC. Only us Hmong and one Cambodian going to Sac-town are left. It’s kinda sad but I’m excited to go. We had a departure devotional on Sunday and that’s when it really hit me that we are leaving so soon! Yesterday in class we talked about all of the Hmong culture and it was so crazy! I loved learning about it though. They are really animistic (They believe there are spirits all around us that cause good and bad things to happen) and we talked about the Shaman’s and the different rituals and ceremonies they do at different times, it’s going to be so different with them, but I can’t wait, I love them so much already! The Hmong people really have a lot of Truth in the things they believe, it just isn’t all the truth that we have in the gospel, it is so exciting to be able to go and teach them what we know. In class the other day we all had to tell stories and then if we were listening we had to translate what we heard into English. This is what I understood:

“I with a time was. When I was talking to myself I said, “I that how many that.” When I obtained and went to somewhere I a bird was close to me.” That was all I understood. It was awful! I’M GOING TO DIE THE FIRST FEW DAYS IN THE FIELD!! No, I will be alright, the Lord will be with me!

The church is true, Jesus is the Savior of the world. God lives and loves each of you, and it is only through Jesus Christ that we can find true happiness. Stay strong, the Lord is with you. Have a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Love, Elder Daniel Anderson


Elder Grant Huish

hey friends, i hope things are going well for everyone. as for me i am still in a tiny little town with 1600 people, a ton of rain, and 9 places to buy beer and not one to buy bread.... YAY.... well as for the missionary work it is frustrating but hey what can you do? i have learned that as a missionary the power to backhand some people would be very effective, but thats mean so we cant do it... other than that things are going well up in Rainier, we have had alot of snow which is cool though we dont really get the chance to play in it. i hope everybody enjoyed there christmas and new years, i do believe it was the first away from home for most of us, well those of us who are away from home. in case you were wondering, yes i am just writing alot to make it longer because mine is always like the shortest in the whole newsletter, well except for maybe chase's. but hey chase yours better be long this time. oh and congrats my friend, i am ever so proud of you. well thats all for now.
elder grant huish gc


Elder Scott Ball

Hey All,
So this year is going to be great. Everything is going good here in Genova and I'm seeing miracles that couldn't be explained without mentioning God. We discovered a less-active and his brother (non-member) while waiting at a bus stop and we are going to be setting up a baptisimal date probably next week. They have had work every sunday until this last sunday, so they have been able to come to church. It is so great to see them work together and learn the gospel more fully. I've been able to understand Italian pretty much easy now..... now I have to work on speaking it well. Also, I'm learning to speak spanish here also. Alot of south americans come here and live here, I don't know why.. but they do. I can understand when they speak spanish, but I can only speak Italian, which they don't understand, this is why I'm learning spanish.
Christmas and New Years was great and we really had a fun time. We have eaten so much over the past week that I've gotten sick. I think I'm pretty much over it right now, but it stinks and I really want to go and talk to people now after sitting in the apartment for a while. We had to stay in for New Years and go home at like 10 p.m. because we got permission from the presidente. There ARE still so many drunks on the streets from New Years. We didn't go out after New Year's day because we had to do a super cleaning on the apartment which took the whole day, but I think Presidente made us do it becuase there isn't much talking to do with drunk people that day. It pretty cold here, but not snowing.
Short letter, but don't have much time, got to get back to work.
Ciao Ciao,
Anziano Ball
Elder Logan Wells

Hello my Brothers!

Okay well I am in my third transfer and have gotten transferred to an area that is in San Juan and is called Rio Piedras. It*s pretty crazy. I had my first baptism a couple of weeks ago. Well I have been transferred to an area that is all biking and up hill. It*s hard at times. Well my new companion is from the Dominican Republic and does not speak any English. So I am forced to speak Spanish all the time. Which I don*t mind because it helps me learn a lot faster. Time is going by so fast, I can*t believe it. I am in a Ward right now I am part of the San Juan Stake and we have about 70 to 80 people in church every week. So that is pretty sweet. The ward is awesome I love being in a Ward because the people know how a church needs to be ran and in the other little branches we definitely have to help the branch keep going. The building is about half a mile away from our apt. So Daniel you*re finally out of the MTC the real work is starting to begin. The weather is definitely crazy it*s still really hot and humid and its always raining they said we are out of the rainy season but it rains here everyday. It is cool, and I am really loving this place. So crazy how we are all over the world now, to think that a year ago we were just boys getting thru school and thinking about our missions and where we would go? Well love you all and have a great month. PEACE Logan

Elder Garrett Jones

Hey everybody, Well guess what? The unthinkable happened...I got transfered! My zone leaders got a call and told me Monday night that I was going to get transfered today but I had no idea where to. I didn't think there was any way it would happen this cycle but it did. I'm now writing you from the far side of the Bronx from where I was bedore. We're in the area Olmstead and my companion is Elder Doermann, one of the Elders that was with me in the MTC! We're way excited to get down to work with each other and build the kindgom but it will be trying to be with someone my own age and of my own language abilities. From what I've heard the Bronx is a really fun and interesting place to work and be. Sorry this is so short but with transfer meeting and unpacking and everything there isn't much time to write.

Love you all, Garrett

Chase Judd

HEY EVERYONE, This has been an exciting month for me. I had an awesome Christmas but 3 days after i got my mission call. I leave april 2nd to go serve the lord in the Mexico Veracruz mission. So i am really really really excited!! ok oh and im speaking French and maybe some spanish. Your Brother, Chase

Elder Kellan Brady

President Wadsworth ordered 150 UNLV-BYU game tickets and was wondering if anyone would benefit from going to the game. If anyone would be willing to drive up here, and would like to get into the game for free then let me Know ASAP. The game will be this Sat @ 5:00 pm. Speaking of President Wadsworth, we had interviews with him a few days ago. He said someting that was very special to me. In my interview he told me many wonderful things, some of which I can not tell you now. Yet I will say that he said that he really loves and respects you as parents. When he said this I thought, How would he know my parents because he has never met them. After I thought that he said "I dont need to meet your parents to know that they are great people, because I have already met them through you". He even told me to tell you, ''Thankyou for being such great Parents''. This weekend Lexi Wells, and Mike Vapper will be baptised. Lexi has been a very good example to her mom. We hope to even bring Teri Wells (Lexi's mom) into the church soon. Mike has come such a long way. I am not sure if I told you about him, but just in case I didn't, I will inform you again. Mike used to be a part of a huge gang from New York. He began to feel very badly about what he was involved with. He made the difficult and dangerous decision to turn his life around and turn in a bunch of the gang members to the police; and even himself. After he served his time, he came to Las Vegas to get away from the old gang that was trying to kill him. It was here that his heart was further softened. Mike has been going through the life changing repentance process. He is now really excited to be baptised. It is soo neat to see the Lord change his people. I sent home a lot of return address stamps home about a week ago. Please use them so they don't go to waste. I love my mission, and this time of year! I look forward to the call home on Christmas!!!
Until Then Peace and Love ELDER K.P.BRADY