October 28, 2013

Spiritual: This week was awesomely spiritual! It started out with a baptism on Saturday for a lady named Dawn. She wasn't actually our baptism, she was in the Pleasanton 3rd ward and she is super solid. She has cancer and was really struggling for a long time with it and she found the church and her cancer is now in remission. She was so happy to join the church it was really inspiring. The service was very powerful and it was interesting to see how important it is to fully live the law of consecration and give everything away, including your pride, and invite people to a spiritual event you are having. She invited a ton of non-members and there are some very good opportunities in store. The next best spiritual part of my week was Sunday. Holy cow it was so cool! We had a missionary homecoming during Sacrament meeting and we had a less-active member there. The less-active, Alex, is a super cool guy! He is 33 and not married but absolutely loaded! He is rich, buff, ballroom dancer, funny, and just overall a stud. Every time we leave his house we sit in the car and say "Why in the world is he not married??" Super cool guy. He hadn't been to church in a long time and one day we just decided to drop by and invite him. He said yes and came! It was amazing. That night we went to the outgoing fireside for departing missionaries. Wow. These elders have grown so much! It was a contradiction of emotions. It was super intimidating to see so many strong powerful missionaries who were departing super solid in the church, and to know that I will grow to that level if I keep trying and pushing forward, but it also made me realize that two years is really short time to do that in and how little time we actually have and to not waste a moment of it. All in all it was an amazing week.

Funny: This week has been the "Best Week of My Companion’s Mission" as he calls it. He has gone through the ringer and I have had the chance to sit back, chuckle and really serve him and love him with my whole heart. He went to the doctor this week and found out he had excema. It was super funny to be sitting in with my companion while he had to have an examination by a female doctor. hahaha. Last night was a long night for him as well. The plague has hit and he has the stomach flu. I have loved helping him and enjoyed completely making him feel good. I love it. We had a good laugh about our predicament and then moved on. Last night as well the sisters called. They had mixed ammonia and bleach and had created a hazardous gas and had to evacuate the apartment. Oh it was so funny. 

Where I am at: The transfers didn’t change much. There was one sister who is getting transferred from our whole zone. The boundary changes are easy as well. We are still going to be in P2 but we will help P3 as much as needed with anyone that the sisters can’t teach. The sisters are now strictly P3 and will help out in P2. The P3 elders were moved to cover P4 and the P1-4 sisters are now over P1 only. It was a pretty anticlimactic change. It was very nice. Rather dramatic still, but anticlimactic. I feel awesome. I feel like I know my way around the area and have a pretty good hold on how things work. I am really doing very well. We have had a lot of success in finding out what less-actives live in our ward. It’s been a fun little week. My companion and I get along really well. We have figured out what makes each other tick. It’s all going much better. Life is grand! The more I am out here the more I realize how simple the gospel really is but how important that simplicity is. For example, the statement that the church is true is probably the most uttered statement in the church, yet is the foundation for a solid testimony and for a lifelong commitment to live the gospel. It’s incredible how important that is- to a whole people, i.e. Pleasanton, or to a person. i.e.: elder Black. I Know the Church is True. I love it and I live it. 

Visit to the Oakland Temple Visitor's Center

Preface: We got a paper letter from Ammon on Saturday and the following is my answer to part of his letter, and his response: 

My tee hee moment for you today is about your last letter home. Emma was reading it aloud to Caleb and Micah yesterday morning and they all started laughing really loud and calling out “Mom! Mom!” I went in and they said that they could not believe that you said that your mission is hot sisters. I quickly corrected them “40%! 40%!” It made a lot more sense that way, but I thought it was hilarious the other way.

Lock your heart Elder.

Love, Mom

Okay, not going to lie. That 40% is pretty funny. My heart is locked. For sure and for certain! Don’t worry at all!

Spiritual: The highlight of the week would have to be the temple tour we were able to take with not just one, two or even three investigators, but a whole four investigators! It was awesome! The Oakland Temple Visitor’s Center was amazing. There was such a good feeling there and the Spirit was really strong. We watched the Restoration movie and walked around the center. The Spirit was so strong there and there was a good feeling in the air! Robert has gone from 2-3 pack of cigarettes a day to 1 cigarette a day in just short of a week! We are so excited for them to get baptized!

Funny: My companion and I decided to have a  "s’mores night." We took a night when we were feeling a little down and we just had s’mores! It was pretty fun. As I am sitting here I also noticed on the keyboard some graffiti from some hooligans who wrote their names on the library keyboard. Coincidentally, these happen to be the same names as our investigators that have an upcoming baptismal date. So I ask, coincidence?

Where I am at: Things are going well here. Our big focus these past few weeks has been the Rescue and cleaning up the ward list. There are so many members here and so few of them go to church so we have been trying really hard to get them to come to church. There have been a few surprises and a few doors slammed in our faces but for the most part we are finding a lot of people who have kind of  slipped through the cracks. The big gossip in the Pleasanton zone is that there are going to be some crazy drastic changes coming up in this next week. President Watkins wants Elders and Sisters in each ward and right now there are p2 elders, p2-3 sisters, p3 elders and p1-4 sisters. We don’t know for certain, but the plan is that either Elder Kerby and I will just take on p3 as well and the now p3 elders will take on p1-4, or the companionships will be split up so as to not whitewash any of the wards. So Elder Kerby would be transferred to p1-4 with the other p3 elder and I will stay in p2 with an elder from p3. We will find out by Saturday and no matter what it should be interesting! I love the work and have come to realize more and more that the reason I am here is the invite others to come unto Christ. Some come out here with the purpose of baptizing and running. Every day I learn how instrumental Christ and his Atonement are in my life and how much I want others to come experience that. I found a talent I possess. That is to love; to be kind and just love. It is my job to love these people as much as I possibly can and it’s the Spirits job to teach and testify of truth. Although we work hand in hand, both things are instrumental to becoming converted.

This week has really been uneventful. Sorry about that. Things between my companion and I are good, but I feel a bit overshadowed. It’s tough, but I have complete faith in the Savior and I think that is why I am going through this; to build my faith even more and to become proficient at leaning unto the Lord. I always knew my biggest challenge would be companions and I pray for love every day and I have found it but it’s still hard. I am doing well otherwise, and I feel very close to the Lord and really want to get as close as I can. Don’t get me wrong, I completely love love love it here and no matter what happens with the area changes I will be happy. I love you all and can feel your prayers and love. Thank you so much for the letters and the love. Keep Christ close. Don’t worry about me too much though. It’s more of a pride issue but I love how humble I have become! I can’t wait to become even more submissive to the Lord! Love you all so much!

Chinese Exchanges

Hi family!

Funny: Okay so this week has contained a lot of really exhilarating experiences followed by a lot of really unfortunate events. On Thursday I had the chance to go on exchanges with the zone leaders! It was awesome! The problem came when I realized that they spoke Chinese. Oh goodness. It was a funny funny day. I taught the craziest English class I have ever been in. It consisted of a whole bunch of old Chinese ladies yelling at me and me having no clue what they were saying. So so so funny. They would say things like "fash" and I would say "No, fast." They would reply with "Fashed." Me: " No, FAST." Them: "FASHED FASHED FASHED." Me: Okay, let's move on. Haha, it was super fun! We next met with this old man whose name was Hung Bo Bo. He has a total of six teeth and doesn't speak a word of English. Oh it was so funny. Firstly, when we walked in he had a pineapple sitting on the table next to him and his wife started to take it away but he yelled at her and she brought it back. Some dialogue happened and after I asked what happened and they had said that he wanted us to pray for this pineapple. So that's just what we did! We prayed for that pineapple and then cut it up and his wife made it into a drink full of banana and pineapple. That's it. It was a little hard to get down to say the least. It was a funny funny day and a rather long lesson. haha

Spiritual: This week was way spiritual because it was fast Sunday. We began with a zone fast Saturday night and it was super powerful. They had me and two other elders and a sister bear our testimonies. I didn't quite know what to say because I was just feeling rather alone and rather distant from everyone and everything. I bore my testimony about how Jesus is my friend and it was so powerful. I felt so loved and so close to our Heavenly Father throughout the whole experience. It was amazing. Another experience was that we got the chance to teach a lady named Carmen who has a crazy rough family situation at home and doesn't speak any English. We had to teach her through a translator and when we taught the first lesson she really felt the Spirit and we could tell that the things that we said went completely over her head. The Spirit was the one that really was doing the teaching. It was very powerful to give her the knowledge that she is loved even when her life is falling down around her. 

Where I am at: Things are going well here in Pleasanton and I am coming up on the end of my first transfer. We just got a new Chinese elder in our zone and it feels so so so good not to be the new one round here. I still have a lot to learn but things are going well. This morning we got up at a brutal 5:00 and went on a sunrise hike to the top of a mountain. Its a California mountain so its really just a large hill. :) It was really fun to have a testimony meeting at the top and cry repentance (literally) to all of Pleasanton. We sang some hymns at the top and had a great time with each other. 

Things are going well here for the most part. we have interviews with President Watkins tomorrow and I need a haircut! haha I am getting along okay with my companion but its hard because we have such different personalities and such different styles of life. He likes to argue and I do not. Things are okay. It's hard because I know enough to want to do things a different way but don't have the experience to back up my ideas so I end up getting rejected a lot. I feel like things are getting better though. Just pray for me to have a more humble heart. Our lessons have decreased to about 26 this week due to a lot of cancellations but we can get that back up for sure! I know my stuff and really want to show it now!  I appreciate all of your prayers and your love. I feel it very strongly out here. I am getting better at all aspects of the lifestyle here and I am very humbled by all that God has trusted me with. Right now I think God wants me to develop a much more personal relationship with him and he is giving me the opportunity to do so. I love you all so much! Things bug me here but I kinda just let it go by. Learn now so I can help someone with this same problem. Love you all!

Conference Capers

Spiritual: Oh goodness. This week was such a personally spiritual week. There was such a strong spirit that abounded all week long. We were able to go to the Oakland temple this week due to conference and it was so so so cool! The blessings that we had when we were there were so powerful and just so simple that it was incredible. It was really nice of  Brother Jensen to take us and we actually got to do some sealings as well as a session! (witnesses.) haha This and conference were the spiritual highlight of the week and the mission. Conference is like the duel between Darth Maul and the Jedi in Star Wars Episode 1. It’s the climax of the entire thing. We got to use it in tons of lessons through the week. Priesthood was so cool to see my brothers! Oh goodness! It was quite the adventure just getting there! We were taking a member who was baptized about a year ago and still struggles with the word of wisdom and he was super excited to go. I think this was his first one. To start things off, our ride was 10 min late. I was freaking out so I said a quick prayer and I just felt okay. The ride finally came and as we got into his car, my companion ripped his pants. This was not just a broken thread; this was more along the lines of the Grand Canyon! Right down the rumpus. Poor guy! haha So we stepped out and took the walk of shame and suit jacket dress to the apartment where luckily he had another suit. We finally got to conference and it was way into it. I saw most of it and what I did see I just loved. I really wanted to see Jonah and Caleb though and I was really sweating it that I wouldn't be able to see them! So I did what missionaries do. I prayed. Then the final song came on and I saw Caleb at the very end of the song. My heart was so full. I realized that it was perfect. I am where I needed to be sitting next to a man who smelled of cigarettes and in a place where I didn't know more than 5 people and I was happy. The Lord knows where I am and I am where I am supposed to be. I love it!

Funny: Yep pants ripping was funny, but not as funny as the yummy treat we got from a Chinese member. Yep. Green Bean Ice Cream. Yuck. This is the first time I have not finished an ice cream bar in my life. Oh! The yellow things are not jelly beans by the way. :)

Where I am at: So I keep meeting a lot of member of the ward and finding out what their story is. The other day I had dinner with a rocket scientist. Who works for NASA. Can’t actually talk about his job or he literally would have to kill me. He can’t even tell his wife about his work! Crazy right!? Things are going really well here! We found two families who are so close to baptism and its going so well. We have a church tour set up with them this week and they are getting dunked, I can tell! Our other family is progressing great as well! They will be baptized on the 19th and it’s great. They have changed so so so much of their life to be to this point! We have a total of 12 investigators and the work is about to explode with Baptisms! I love this area!

Family: I am doing really well and am super excited for everything. The Spirit is so strong when you are a missionary and I love it. I have finally been able to teach by the spirit and I am baffled at how incredible it goes over. I love getting mail from all y’all and I enjoy hearing about your experiences. Life is good here! Can’t complain! Love you all! Elder Ammon Black

Oh! one more thing, here in Pleasanton we don’t just go out to Apollo burger after priesthood, we go to Outback Steakhouse. :) and yes. I did have crepes for breakfast Sunday morning. Love You! 

The Miracle of the Pen

(When asked what was lost in his last bag and what we needed to send.)So president Watkins is super nice and asked me for a list of the things that I lost and it was actually quite the miracle. I only lost the Gospel Library, a Bible, 1 shirt, all of my ties, a pair of garments, a few posters, a pair of pants, and that huge binder that had all of my seminary notes and things in it. I also lost my wonder journal (a journal where he recorded times every day when he felt the Spirit.) It was really hard to get through losing that. My heart just aches for it. I had all of senior year in it. But other than that I didn't lose anything else! All of my electronics and other stuff was in my other bags. I am very blessed. Unfortunately it was stolen along with two other missionaries stuff. So I don’t know if they can get it back. It’s been quite a while.

Funny: So awkward moments are a lot of the mission. I was contacting on the streets and I like to talk to people about their children because, who doesn't like to talk about babies? It’s a really good way to start a conversation. So I was walking and I saw this lady ahead of me pushing a stroller and I looked inside and said "Wow! What a cute little guy! He is quite the stud!" She turned to me and said (with a hint of malice) "It’s a girl." then stormed off. Awkward. My companion really likes this story and its gotten all the way to President Watkins. Sigh.

Spiritual: It’s been an intensely spiritual week this week. We have had so many miracles happen to us and to our investigators. It’s really amazing. On Thursday we went over to an around 85 year old brand new convert named Shirley. She is absolutely bonkers. She is so so so funny! Oh my goodness. I love her to death. She talks to everyone she meets about the gospel and she still wears a cross to church and we love her. So we went over to her house and she asked for a blessing. She had a really hurt back and so we gave her a blessing. She has so much faith. It was so cool. My companion in the blessing commanded her to be healed. We came back the next day and asked her about it and she said she was perfectly fine.

            That was more of just a mission miracle; a personal miracle for me is about my pen. Strange I know. I will send you a picture next week (I forgot) but this pen is almost out of ink. It’s the only pen I have used for my entire mission basically and this is the first time I think I have ever run a pen out of ink before! When I lost my carry-on I was in a bad place. I really was cut up about losing my journal and it hurt just a little bit more that I had the thought to not take my journal with me on my mission. I ignored it and went forward. Bad idea. It was stolen, along with a few other items. I needed some serious comfort. I prayed really hard that the Lord’s will should be done and I put all my trust in him to just make me feel okay. Not even to have it back, I just needed to feel okay. It was a rough loss. The Lord answered my prayer in a very strange way. I got the feeling of comfort like everything would be okay and from then on it was. It still saddened me to think about my lost journal, but at the same time in my heart I just felt okay. The other part of this blessing was that this pen that I guess I kinda treasure, can’t get lost. It’s amazing. I can’t lose this pen! I love it! I feel amazed that it’s almost out of ink and I really believe it’s a tender mercy from the Lord to give me this strange blessing. I lose it all the time, but it keeps coming back! (It’s a tender mercy for sure!) and yes it’s weird. :) The Lord looks out for his missionaries!

 Ammon and President and Sister Watkins upon his arrival.

Where I am at: Things are going well here in the Pleasanton 2nd ward and we have three baptisms lined up! Laura and Robert are the first two and Gavin is the second. I eat really really well here. It’s crazy! The houses here are gi-freakin-antic! It’s awesome! I met the CEO of Safeway yesterday and I found out the bishop works for Google and there are people here that work for Ebay in the legal department! It’s so crazy! There are also a lot of interesting people around here. I was in a house and they live next to a golf course on a place called Ruby Hill. Look it up. It’s awesome, huge huge homes. They had a Steinway just chillin there that was worth more than our cars at home! It was intimidating, especially since we did service there.

Family: I love you. I am doing well, paper letters are easier to respond to and so might want to switch to that. Keep the faith! I love you all! I sleep well, have a cool bike and am happy as a clam. I feel like I am gaining more confidence in teaching and talking. It’s just the scheduling I still don’t get. My comp is not liking my new independence. Tehehe still love him though! It will be good. All is well! Scripture of the day: 2 Nephi 25:26. Love you!