October 11, 2010 Re: snow in mountains - to Pops

HEY Dad. Thanks for the great email. I really wished i could have wrote more last week, but things were super crazy! Well the reason for the double transfer, was because there was a young elder in our mission. Elder Link who is a visa waiter I believe he is going to Portugal on his mission, but he has a mother that he has never met that lives in the University Heights area. The neat thing was that he was able to get permission to start teaching her, and a few of his siblings. SO at the start of this transfer he was actually transferred here so i could focus more on teaching his mom, and Family. He lives in a few week, but because he was new, and slightly unexperienced they choose to transfer Elder Bingham, and put in an older MIssionary(Elder Larsen). I have had a little contact with Elder Link, and Elder Larsen to help them in their new area. Well i forgot to bring my stuff to email you the Wonderful Pictures of the Baptism of stephanie. i will get them to you next week for sure.

  

Yeah no more BIke!.. but it isn't really a car Area either. Zone Leaders get Trucks. haha. I will have to send you a Picture of our ride. It does happen to be one of the oldest trucks in the car fleet. Its a White 2008 chevy colorado. i believe. Well there are some areas in Corona where it is very populated by hispanics, but there are also allot of areas that are pretty upper class. I have always heard from allot of missionaries that Corona is one of there definite Favorites. The members here seem pretty great! Our ward the Circle city ward doesn't have a large amount going on right now, but we defiantly have a few hopefuls.  Well Elder Jeffery Is from Orem! He is a great hard working smart Elder. He is very very funny and has been a zone leader for quite some time now. He has been out for a little over 17 months. I have KNown Elder Jeffery of and on throughout the Maison. He came out a Transfer after Me in Redlands, and i have seen him here,and there all the time. Its cool we can do more than just say hello, how are you doing? Our Zone is one of the Larger zones in the mission. We have 18 missionaries in our zone. We have 6 spanish speaking missionaries. 10 english. NO sisters. Its kind of funny i served with Elder Combe when i first got Transferred to Riverside for three months, then he got transferred to Corona, then after a few months he went Zone Leader, now i replaced him as Zone Leader, and he went back to Riverside to be zone leader. I really Enjoy Corona. It has very wonderful weather it is a little closer to the Beach cities, so it has been nice. It rained for just a day or two when i got here. This past week i did have an Awesome opportunity i was able to go on an Exchange with Elder McHardy!!! It was like a Father, and son reunion. It was great to bike around with him in his ward in corona. He is doing great. He is still a district Leader. We had a blast together. i am glad to be in the same Zone as him, we will have good unity encouraging the elders here. Well i am glad the family is all doing Well.

I hope MIC,and the AF squad can get some wins to make it to the Playoffs? oh so how did mic like the Russian lifting secrets? Did any of those baby clothes fit Braelynn? i am afraid i some too late. I am going to have to send some more stuff home in the future. OH how far does Uncle Lee live from corona? its pretty close to Anaheim. Does he have a truck? well I got to get going i am just about out of time. I will be sure to keep the Family all updated. I have a draft or two of emails i have been working on,and i am planning on sending to Red Mic and Kay. And the whole family. Well love ya email you next week

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Hello Son I feel your joy and excitement with all that has happened the past couple weeks. Thank the Lord for angles, it sounds like Diane Maughan was definitely lead by the spirt and went the extra mile to help. Thats great you were able to baptize Stephanie before you were transferred, it sounds like you had a very busy day with a great ending. Well it sounds very exciting the transfer and your new area and new calling, you will have to let us know the details and the story on the double transfer. I assume since your a zone leader that you now are in a car, if so I guess this would really be your first area with a car. I looked up Corona on google it seems like a interesting city, I also noticed it has a large population of hispanics. You will have to tell us more now you have been there a week. So where is Elder Jeffery from and how long has he been out? How big of an area does your zone cover? Did you know Elder Combe from before it seems like you spoke of him in previous emails but maybe I am mistaken. What has the work been like in Corona have they had good success finding and teaching? Well I am excited for you and hope things are doing well and with change usually comes a renewed energy and enthusiasm for the work. 
     

Well things at home are doing well, everyone is staying busy. It was rainy and cold allot of last week and it snowed in the mountains, it really put a stop to riding for me, I really wasn't ready to quit yet but well have to see what happens. AF lost to Bingham last week but if they can win the next couple of games they should make playoffs. Mic and Kay have been looking and working on getting into a home I think they would like to do so before the end of the year, have to see how it goes. Red's busy with work, her friend Jesse goes into the MTC on the 19 of this month, he has been a good influence for her. I also got your packages you sent back, I picked them up on sunday afternoon they came over to PG to visit some friends so I ran over and got them. 
     

Well i am running late as usual so I best finish. Just want to say how excited I am for you and the new change, calling and challenge you will do an awesome job. I know for certain the Lord is very pleased with all you are doing, He knows you heart, its goodness, kindness and love. Continue with the desire to gain knowledge, to grow in spirt and strength, and to feel and know Gods will at all times. You are at a very wonderful time of your mission, enjoy it and find peace and happiness through hard work and doing always what the spirt of God inspires you to do. I feel one of the important duties of your calling is to uplift, inspire, and be a great example to those your work with, that through you they will desire to rise to greater heights. May you be blessed with the power of discernment, may you be blessed with the spirt of understanding, may you be blessed to know by the spirt the will of the Lord always. I love you so so much and pray for your joy and happiness as you diligently do the Lords work.

                                                                                 LOVE POPS 

October 4, 2011 Re: good conference - to Pops

Hey Dad! Thanks for the Email!! Sorry i didn't get a chance to email you yesterday. Transfers happened!! It was a rather interesting transfer, and a verry verrrry busy weekend for me! Well General Conference was great, but we ran in a little stress getting Stephanie Johnson to the church for the broadcast. We had a ride for her, but our ride dropped her off at the wrong church building! all the doors were locked, and she was stuck there by herself! Luckily The lord answered our prayers, and sent us "an Angel" there was a lady that felt prompted to just check and see if the conference was being broadcasted at the church building stephanie was left at. So she picked her up and brought her to us! The kind lady who lived outside of the stake continued to pick up stephanie for every conference session, and even for her Baptism. The ladies name was sister Diane Maughan?? i think, and she lives outside of the riverside stake, so she really went out of her way to help,and fellow ship. Well I was able to baptize stephanie sunday just before i left. Another slightly stressful thing that happened is Elder Bingham, and i got doubled out of the area. we both got transferred! I am now in Corona, in the Circle City ward with Elder Jeffrey as a Zone Leader. I replaced Elder Combe!:) Elder BIngham left to Jurupa.. Well i am limited on time i will be sure to email you more details on the transfer, and on the week next week. The story,and the reasoning behind why we both got transferred  i s neat so i will have to save that for you later. WEll i g2g love you all. 


PS that's sad buster died, but I'm glad he got to live for so long. G2G zls can be busy sometimes.


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Hello Son good to hear things are doing well, did your baptism's work out for you this week end with conference and all? Speaking of conference it was great , there were some talks that really hit home for me. I really liked the priesthood session it seemed to focus on all priesthood holders fully commiting themselves to stand stronger and do more to help build and strengthen the church and those who need help. The spirt, the talks, are all very uplifting and full of great wisdom and knowledge, it just strenghtens your testimony of the truth and this is truly gods church and we are so blessed to know that and be apart of His great eternal plan. So yeah when I was on my mission we were only able to hear one session of conference, usually the saturday morning session. So what's happening with the young african american lady you were teaching and committed to baptism, I hope she is still progressing 
      
Well things at home are okay but I do have some sad news to tell ya, your good old buddy Buster passed away on tuesday I am really surprised he lived this long, I think he lived longer because of the other dogs they kind of perked him up. I must say he was defiantly the best dog we have ever had, he was a special dog with love for everyone and everything (cats).


AF played Lehi on friday and won which was good they needed a win, and Mic is the strength and conditioning coach plus the linebackers coach. Matt and Keira came down for the weekend it was good to see them, they seem to be doing well. Red is staying very busy with work, I think her friend Jesse goes in the MTC next week I think he has been a good influence on her. If ya can try to email Kay and Red they would love it. 
     
Well it sounds like the weather is going to change this weekend with colder temps and possible snow in the mountains, so I think I will go riding tomorrow morning. I hope your  week is good and things go well for you. Keep up the hard work and hope and pray you will find those who are ready to listen to your message. May the spirt guide and direct you and strengthen you in all you do. I love ya very much and am very proud of the great missionary you are. 

LOVE POPS