4/27/2015 P-Day #25

I love Moreno Valley! This has been an awesome week! But before I get into that, I want to say thanks to Omie and Papa, Noel, and Maddy, Tenley D, Tenley  and Aspen for the letters!

Sister Mullen has created a blog for the mission!! The website is downbythecaliforniariverside.blogspot.com!

So to give a little background about my new area... I'm in the Lasselle ward. We are on bikes and the area we cover is quite a bit bigger than the one in Mira Loma! We are the only missionaries in the ward. We live in a really nice apartment building! It's weird not being in a homeshare. Especially since there's no piano :( but it is nice not having to share everything with another family! Missionaries haven't been staying in this apartment for very long so it's still pretty clean! And I'm going to keep it that way! I've heard stories of what "real" missionary apartments are like.. I'm not excited for them! The ward here is awesome! All the members I have met so far have been extremely nice!

Elder Justice is my new companion! He's from Berryville, Virginia and he has been out for 21 months! He goes home at the end of this transfer! He's super fun! We get along really well! I can't really describe his personality.. He's just really goofy and a little bit awkward, but in a good way! He also drinks a lot of milk! He's gone through about two and a half gallons since I've been here! He's also really tall! I got used to feeling like a giant around Elder Bangerter, and  now I feel really short around Elder Justice!

I was pretty sad last Sunday, because Alfredo and Maria weren't home so I didn't get to say goodbye.. But on our way out to Moreno Valley, I saw Maria out working in her yard and we stopped by so that I could say bye to her. That was probably the hardest goodbye I had! She started crying and kept thanking me for bringing Christ into her home and family! That's why I love being a missionary! Seeing how the gospel of Christ changes people's lives for the better!

I'm really excited to be in the Lasselle ward, though! Elder Justice has only been in the ward for about a month and he goes home in 5 weeks. Hhis last companion, Elder Hughes, went home last week. So the area has been falling apart a little bit. Not that they are bad missionaries, but they're both so close to going home, they just didn't bother updating the area book, organizing the ward list, etc.. So that's what I have spent all of my free time doing! I'm still not 100% unpacked just because I've been trying to get everything organized! But I like a challenge so this is going to be a great transfer!

On Tuesday, we went to visit a less active member, Sister Osburn. We sat down and got to know her a little bit better. She has had a really rough past. She is trying really hard to come back to church so she can become temple worthy. She has a really strong belief in the Atonement! It was amazing to hear her bear her testimony about it! While we were talking to her, she told us how she has made a lot of really good friends in the ward, she said that she is so close to one sister that they've gotten to the point where they "finish each other's sandwiches"! Haha I think she had been watching too much Frozen with her granddaughter!!

Speaking of Frozen, on Thursday night, we were helping at a Relief Society activity. They asked us to go help out in the nursery... I'm not sure why... But they had Frozen playing and it was SO hard not to watch! I tried, though! 

We are teaching a guy named Omar. He's in his 20s and his aunt/uncle, the Smiths, are members of the ward. They were baptized about two years ago. His aunt is an amazing artist and she draws the picture for the sacrament program cover each week! Anyways, Omar is living with the Smith's and is trying to turn his life around. It's a little difficult to teach him because he has a hard time focusing and retaining information. We're working on super simplifying everything we teach. He wants to get baptized so hopefully we can help him start to understand the gospel a little bit better!

Yesterday at church, there was a lady there that nobody knew and we didn't recognize so we went to go introduce ourselves. Apparently she is a member! Her name is Anna and she is 24. She was going to college in Utah and was baptized there about 2 years ago. She moved back here and is staying with her family. They are super against the church! Her family is moving soon and they won't tell her where they are going. They gave her a P.O. box if she needs to get ahold of them.. It's really sad! We have an appointment with her tonight and we are bringing one of our recent converts with us for fellowship!

Last night we were going to contact a referral from the Wilson family. We went to the Wilson's home before and asked if Sis. Wilson would come with us to her neighbors home. She came and knocked on the door but they weren't home! Instead of going back to her house, Sis. Wilson marches across the street and introduces herself to the people that are out in the yard and tells them all about the church. They weren't interested! Most people would probably give up and send us on our way at this point, but not Sister Wilson! She takes us to her other neighbors home who she has been working on sharing the gospel with for 20 years! She knocks on that door and asks if we can come and have a lesson with her! Haha it was so awesome! The members here are amazing! The lady's name was Eleanor. She's 87 and has studied about every religion that you can think of. She has a hard time believing Joseph Smith because he was just a man. She feels that since she is so close to the end of her life she doesn't want to get started in some false religion. But there is a lot of potential! She told us we could come back and visit her and keep teaching her!

Well I can't think of what else I can write about.. I love you all and miss you all a lot!!!

Lots of love,

Elder Warren

Alfredo's Dog

Cole & Marie

4/20/2015 P-Day #24

SIX MONTHS ON 4/22/2015!

4/20/2015

Hola!

Well I'm leaving the Jurupa 2nd Ward now :( I'm kind of sad but I'm also really excited too! I'm going to be in Moreno Valley in the LaSelle ward! My new companion is Elder Justice! He was in the Jurupa stake when I was being trained, so I know a little bit about him. He's super goofy and quirky! It'll be a fun transfer! I'll be riding a bike again! My new address is:

25419 Alessandro Blvd. #1611

Moreno Valley, CA 92553

Well this week was pretty uneventful.. There was some bug going around the mission that I caught so I was out for a day and a half! And allergies have been getting pretty bad, so that hasn't been too fun.. But the weather has been really nice! 

So I had started reading through the Book of Mormon in Dutch a few weeks ago just for fun. I picked up a few things and was starting to understand it a little bit. But then I stopped for a week or so because I just wasn't having time. Then the past few nights, I've been dreaming in Dutch! It's super super weird! In one dream, Omie was giving a talk at General Conference in Dutch! Haha I just thought it was really crazy!

I had a cool experience with a recent convert named Adan yesterday! He and his wife, Maribel, have been less active for the past couple of months. We set up an appointment with them, but he was the only one that could meet with us. We were just talking for a little while, getting to know him better, and out of nowhere, he told us that he's been getting really angry lately. He felt like he didn't have any patience and was getting frustrated all the time and he didn't want to feel that way. Instantly I thought of a verse in the Book of Enos, right before Enos kneels down to pray, he says "and my soul hungered". Before I had him read that, I asked him what it feels like when our body is hungry. It's pretty obvious. Our stomach might make some weird noises, we feel weak, we start thinking about food, etc. Our bodies are pretty good at telling us when it needs nourishment. So then I shared the scripture (Enos 1:4) and asked what it feels like when our spirit is hungry. That's something that may be a little bit harder to recognize. So we read Galatians 5:22-23, and that tells us what it feels like when we are spiritually full. Peace, joy, patience, meekness, goodness, etc. If that's what it feels like when we are full, when we are hungry, it goes the opposite direction. Instead of peace, anger. Instead of joy, sorrow. And so forth. When we are feeling those negative feelings, that's our soul's way of letting us know it's hungry! Just like our body gets hunger pains, our soul does, too! So what can we do to fill our soul? In Alma 32:42 and also 2 Nephi 32:3, we learn that if we read from the scriptures and "nourish the word", and feast upon them, we will be filled! In 3 Nephi 18, the Savior institutes the sacrament among the Nephites. When they took the sacrament, it says they were filled! In Acts 4:31, the people prayed, and then they were filled with the Holy Ghost! When our spirits are feeling a little malnourished, there are three simple things we can do! Read the scriptures, pray to our Heavenly Father, and then take the sacrament. It's so  important that we take care of our spirits!

Well I don't have much else to say! I know that this Church is true! I am so grateful to be serving my Heavenly Father as a missionary. There is no place I would rather be. I love you all and I am grateful for all the prayers, love, and support you send to me!

Have an amazing week (and to quote one of my favorite aunts) and end each day with no regrets!

I love you all!

Elder Warren

Cole & Sister T & Molly

Cole and Bob

Cole''s first home in Mira Loma.

4/13/2015 P-Day #23

Hola amigos y familia!

Thanks Danielle for the letter! I wrote you back so it should get there soon! 

Transfers are next Monday! I can't wait! I'm not ready for a new area, but I'm starting to get ready for a new companion! I've been spending time trying to learn Spanish and I've learned a lot, so President might let me go Spanish sometime? The assistants (the missionaries in charge of helping with transfers) said that they were going to bring it up when they have their transfer meeting with President. I think it would be really cool!

This week was pretty awesome! We had a few really great days!!

Monday: Maria fed us dinner tonight! I'm not sure what the dish was called, but it was a Mexican meatball soup! It was soooo good! She also made rice pudding. The texture is a little strange, but once you get used to it, it's delicious! We had an awesome lesson with Lizette (Alfredo's fiancee) and talked about how she can recognize her answer of whether or not this is the true church. She said that she wants to believe it because it feels good, but she needs to put in the effort and read from the Book of Mormon.

Tuesday: We taught the Ostler's the Word of Wisdom today! It went really well! There were zero problems that came up, so we're just going to keep moving on! They told us that they have 30-40 family members that are coming into town for the baptism! There are going to be tons of people! We may have to do part of the baptism in the chapel! We taught Matthew and they are still trying to figure out the trip to Hawaii... We think his dad is purposefully trying to postpone so Matthew won't be baptized. If Matthew's baptized, then the dad will have to become active again and start taking Matthew to church! We're going to talk to the mom and see if we can work something out! Bob finished the Book of Mormon this week!! He's reading Doctrine and Covenants now!!

Wednesday: We went on exchanges today! I stayed in Mira Loma and Elder Dalmer took Elder Bangerter's place. We had a lot of fun! He's been in the mission for about six weeks now and is leaving next Tuesday to go to Taiwan! We picked up a new investigator named Jesse. He used to live on our street but moved away because people didn't really like him. He was another person who legally grew marijuana and our neighbors weren't too happy about that. He's super nice and friendly and wants to learn more about our church!

Thursday: Today was weekly planning again... President Mullen asked us to do it a different way, where we use a whiteboard and it's MUCH more organized! I like weekly planning now! Even though it takes three hours :P We also went shopping with Brother McDowell to get all the supplies to help Veronica quit smoking! So we were basically inside until dinner time today. Monday (today) night we'll have a lesson with Veronica and get her started on quitting smoking!

Friday: Today was awesome! We had about 9 lessons today! On an average day we get about 4-5 lessons! We talked with Kathy H. about going through the temple. She's taking the temple prep classes and should be going through the temple in May! I'm so excited for her! We had lunch over at the Verdejo's and they invited their cousin, Lupe (who isn't a member), to come over and meet with us. We had an awesome lesson with her! The spirit was so strong! Towards the end, I felt like I should invite her to be baptized, but something felt different about it. I asked her and she got really quiet and told us that she can't do that right now. She said that she believes everything we said and that she knows it's true. Her husband is really Catholic, though. And really drunk, too. She said that when you're married, you have to go along with what your spouse wants. We're going to keep working with her, though. Hopefully she'll see that she needs to be baptized and her husbands heart will be softened! We brought Sister Smith with us over to the Ostlers today. We talked a lot about their baptism and their family that will be coming in town. 

Saturday: Today we had tons of people to go see and nobody was home! We went over to Eastvale and had a "blitz" with all the missionaries in our zone! Each companionship was assigned a portion of their area and we walked around and talked to as many people as we could, so that we could find the missionaries there some people to teach! I went with Elder Murray, who speaks Chinese, and we had a lot of fun! It was cool to listen to him talk to people in Chinese and I was able to follow along with most of what they were saying!

Sunday: We had an awesome lesson today in Gospel Principles. We taught about the Atonement and it went really well! Sometimes I enjoy teaching the class! But next Sunday we are going to ask Bishop in ward council to find an actual teacher for the class. We just don't have any time to prepare the lessons and the people in the class need a ward member to teach so they can get to know more people in the ward. If we bring an investigator, they don't want to sit and listen to us talk! We teach them all the time! Hopefully they'll get us a teacher!! The Ostlers came to sacrament and we had asked a couple people to go sit by them, but they didn't want to leave their little group. Sister Smith decided to leave her group of single old women to go sit by the Ostlers! I love her so much! She's as close to exaltation as anyone can probably get on this earth! If I get transferred I'll miss her a lot!

I love you all and am so grateful for all the letters, packages, and prayers! They help a lot! Have a good week and end each day with no regrets! Te quiero!

Elder Warren

P.S. I don't remember if I put this in my email, but if anyone wants to send me mail, they should sent it to the mission office since transfers are this week!!! 

4/6/2015 P-Day #22

4/6/2015

Dear Family and Friends,

Happy Easter! I hope you all had an awesome Easter weekend!!

Thanks to Mom, Omie & Papa, and Grandma for the Easter packages! Also, thanks to Mom, Omie & Papa, Lauren L., Alison, Danielle, and Brad for the letters! I love getting letters from everyone! I'm super blessed to have such supportive people in my life! The other elders all got pretty jealous when I got all this mail this past week! Haha

General Conference was amazing! I was a little bummed that we had to watch it at the Stake Center... I miss "pajama church"! Haha but it was an amazing experience! I think it was harder for me to be away for conference than it is for holidays! I had quite a few favorite talks, but if I had to narrow it down, I'd say that Rosemary M. Wixom's and Dale G. Renlund's were my top favorites! Sister Wixom talked about trusting in Christ when times get rough. Turning away from Christ when dark times comes is like throwing away the life vests when your boat is beginning to sink! It doesn't make sense! I loved how she said that Christ will not leave us if we have questions! Asking questions is how we learn. When I'm teaching someone, I encourage them to ask questions! How else will the come to better understand the gospel if they don't try and search! Elder Renlund was the one who quoted Nelson Mandela, "A saint is a sinner who keeps on trying." I love that quote! All God expects of us is to keep on trying. He cares more about who we are and who we are becoming more than who we were. All we can do is keep trying to be a little bit better!

We met with Veronica this week and told her about the 15-step program to quit smoking and asked her if she would be interested. She was super excited! We are having a family in our ward, the parents have quit smoking a few years ago, help us fellowship and support Veronica! I'll keep you posted as that progresses more. We haven't started the program yet! Another update for Veronica... we stopped by and there was this sketchy looking fence in her back yard covered in a black tarp thing. We asked her what it was for and she said she was working on some stuff back there.. The next time we went over she told us that she was growing marijuana!!! AGH! She has all the permits and such, but still!!! Haha I don't know what to do!!

This week I gained an even stronger testimony that God is leading His work on the earth! Elder Bangerter and I were out one night, trying to meet with people. We were biking around, and would go and visit each person that popped into our mind, but none of them were home! I was confused because I was sure the Holy Ghost was telling me to visit these people, but nobody would answer the door! It started getting late and we started biking back in the general direction of home. While we were on our way home, I looked up and saw a street that a less-active couple lives on, and felt like we should go see them. We knocked on their door and the wife came out and was so happy to see us. She said she must have been subconsciously praying for someone to come help her. She told us that her sister has been on life support in France for over a year. Because of French laws, the family can't tell them to take their daughter off of life support. That night, they were supposed to have a video conference with the doctors in France. She said she was scared and didn't feel strong enough to be able to ask the right questions. She asked us if we would give her a blessing. It was an amazing and humbling experience! I know the Lord's hand was in all of our cancelled appointments, and closed doors! All of them led us to this house where this sister was silently praying for someone to help her!

Oh! I don't know if I wrote about this in my last email, but the Ostlers will be baptized on May 9th and confirmed on May 10th! I'm super excited for them! They are the perfect investigators!! They are humble, eager to learn, they follow through with the commitments we leave them, and they actually come to church!!! Sister Ostler is the sweetest little old lady every! She can't read the book of Alma because the wars and all the killing stress her out and she can't sleep at night!! So funny!

I love you all and miss you so much! Thank you for all your prayers, letters, packages, and support!

Love,

Elder Warren