The #1 Rule of Driving

Hi family!

It was so much fun to see you on Christmas. It looks like you are all happy and enjoying yourselves back on the mother ship. I am very happy where I am at. There are a lot of fun things happening in the mission right now and I am very happy to be part of it. This past week was a little hectic due to the Christmas festivities happening all around. It was a fun week though. The big thing that we are focusing on in our area is finding more people to teach. Finding has always been something that hasn't been that hard to me throughout my mission, but it’s a little bit more tricky here in Almaden. I am sure we will find more people though. It’s only up from here!

Spiritual: I have the chance and wonderful opportunity to live with three other terrific missionaries in my apartment. One of them is younger, about 6 months out and the others have been out about the same time as I have. It’s very interesting to me to see this younger missionary go through some of the same struggles as I went through at the first part of my mission. It was an even better feeling to realize that Heavenly Father had prepared me to be able to help out in these situations. It was really rewarding to recognize the hand of Heavenly Father in placing us together. Missionaries and all people who are trying to follow God go through cycles in their desire to worship and come closer to Deity. Sometimes missionaries will become overly energetic in the service and work hard while not necessarily working smart. When that happens saints tend to get a little frustrated and focus in on some of the smaller points of the gospel and miss the mark at little bit. They become confused and feel like they have these confusing problems that are seemingly too impossible to answer. The answer to this situation is simple. It focuses on some of the more pure principles of the gospel. It’s so important to realize that Heavenly Father works in small and simple things. He asks us to do small simple acts of obedience and line upon line he builds our faith. This building line upon line is another term for diligence. When we are diligently obedient we feel the spirit build within us and we are more able to be guided by it. The other principal to realize in this circumstance is that Heavenly Father works in small and simple things. The adversary works in ways that are confusing and seem bigger than anything else. If you feel confused or like there is some uncontrollable problem surrounding you, remember to be diligently obedient and remember that God provides peace and not confusion. I am so grateful for a Savior that made this life possible and that provides that pristine peace into our lives. I know that His Atonement is real and has the power to change our desires and our hearts. It is of him that I bear testimony. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Funny: This past week we were driving to an appointment and there was a car right in front of us that was going super slow. There was a red light ahead of us so I switched into the other lane and we pulled up next to them. I looked over and by golly they were breaking rule number one of driving. No canoodling in the car. It was definitely a horrific event for us to behold. I looked straight at Elder Fisher and yelled! Look at my eyes! Don't look! Don't you do it! We were scarred missionaries. So remember, don't break rule number one of driving. Kissing and Cars don't mix!

Where I am at: This week we get to work in our area all week long! Yay! I am so excited! I love doing missionary work! I feel comfortable now where I am at. I am excited for what this week will bring. The Lord is in charge of this work and it is so nice to know that all I have to be is a tool in his hand. It’s so AWESOME!! Christmas time and the Christmas season is an incredible time of year. It was so special to be in the Christmas devotional for the mission and just have tears stream down my face. I wasn't sure if it was from the lack of protein, lack of sleep or the spirit that was causing this but it felt so incredible. Boom. I love this gospel. I love Jesus Christ. I love this, my mission! I love you all!

For his mission Christmas talent show Ammon and his companion sang their version of Voice Male's "Tractin' in a Winter Wonderland" (but since there is no tracting in his mission they called it "Finding in a Winter Wonderland" and changed the words a little). He had a great time with this.

Christmas Joy

This week was a good week. Unfortunately I do not have a ton to report on. It was transfers this week so we were really busy and we didn’t really get a ton of time to do prosalization. It’s kinda lame, but it’s okay. It’s where I need to be. I am really excited to talk to you all on Christmas! That is going to be so much fun. You better come with a list of questions to ask and be prepared! haha we are gearing up for the new year by brainstorming next year’s goals and what part we are going to bring to the table in Almaden and in the Mission. We are getting really excited. 

Spiritual: We had the coolest gospel principals class this past week. We had just come from the Christmas program that the ward put on and it was remarkably spiritual. The lesson this week was on the final judgment. As we got talking there seemed to be an increase of emotion on the final judgment. People were getting a little hot under the collar just thinking about standing before God and being judged for every idle word, thought and deed. It’s a little bit of a frightening thought! It was so fun being the teacher. Elder Fisher and I paused the class. We were bringing in a little bit of the "Hell fire" side of things but we turned the tables in the class by relating that the reason for our Christmas celebration is not just a birth. It was the birth of a King. Someone who through perfect obedience and infinite love was able to come into the world and preform the Atonement so that judgment day would not be a day of awful regret, but could be a day of pristine joy. What an incredible thought! Jesus Christ came into the world so that we can be redeemed and enabled to live with Him again someday. What an amazing thought! I know that this supreme plan of mercy and love is true. It’s real! This isn’t just an ideology that man made up to make us feel better, but this is a real, true eternal principal. I know by the power of the Holy Ghost that these things are true. I am eternally grateful for this wonderful gift. If you don’t know that these things are true, I would encourage you to hit your knees and find out. I promise that if you ask if these things are true, he will answer you. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen.

Funny: 

 Best time yet!

Where I am at: I love love love Christmas on the mission! I love it because I get to talk about Christ all day long. I love the music, I love the warm weather, and I love the personality of Christmas. I am so happy to be where I am today. I am so humbled to be where I am. I am absolutely happy here. It’s fantastic. Things are great! I am so thankful for the Savior and for His gift to us. I love this time of year. Embrace it. :) I love you all! 

Engineering Merit Badge

This week was a great week. It was the most exhausting week of my life. I felt like I could have run a marathon but the problem was that it was so mentally draining. It’s felt so good to be focused on one thing for a long time. I really learned how inspired president is and how stressful his job really is. Wow. Yikes it’s a tough one. Many many special things happened this week though. It was a really rewarding yet tough week. I had a great time.

Spiritual: Jackie, who was just baptized in the Almaden ward, came up to us the day of her baptism and told us how the night before she couldn’t sleep a wink. She told us how the night before she had all of the sudden remembered all of the terrible things she had done and they plagued her that entire night. She said that every little evil thing that she had done had come back to her and she said that she felt like garbage. Think of what that would feel like to all of the sudden have the painful guilt come back to you and be all around you that strongly. She said that it was the most horrible thing she had experienced. After she was baptized and she came up out of the water she turned to the people watching and with a huge smile on her face she waved. It was a miracle to witness her change of countenance. I am so proud to say that I am a witness the Atonement in action. I have talked a lot about how the Atonement enables us to become better than we are. The Atonement is so all encompassing that it cannot only give us the ability through the Holy Ghost to see things as they really are and to not be deceived by the reflections that look like happiness, but through the Atonement we can be clean to experience the full power of the Holy Ghost. We can stand firm knowing that because we are clean Heavenly Father will bless us with strength and give us guidance when we need it. I wish that you all could have seen the change that happened to Jackie. She is a changed woman. It made my heart just burst to think of the path that she has just entered on. It made me feel an increase of gratitude for our Savior Jesus Christ and for His Atonement. It is real. The power that is contained is strong enough to overcome all. Even the worst of the worst. I know it because I have felt it and seen it in action. My invitation to you would be to ACT. Repent. Whatever that means to you, do it. If the Spirit pricks your heart enough to talk to your Father in Heaven and recommit to give up a particular favorite sin, or if that pricks your heart enough to go talk to your bishop, do it. The results are real. I bear this testimony in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Funny: When we went to the outgoing fireside we got to the building and we found that the pulpit was broken. It was stuck at the highest point and wouldn't come down. That was pretty bad news for us because some of the lovely, talented and delightful sisters in this mission are a little bit vertically challenged. It took some good old fashioned American ingenuity to fix this problem.

Where I am at: Almaden is awesome! Great ward! We are so excited for the work to explode right now. We have a lot of things to do right now as far as transfers are concerned but things are coming together. If you are a missionary and are reading this, or if you are a member a little frustrated with the current mission president, please know that that man is inspired of God. He has been called and set apart by real divine power and called to preside over the mission. No matter what you might think. It’s real. It’s Super Cool. I am doing great! Getting excited for Christmas! I love you all!

This is their Christmas tree photo of numbers night. (I think they get a little punchy on these late evenings.)

He actually emailed us last night late so I think this may be a theme.

From Ammon "So, our ward Christmas party had a theme of dressing up like a character from the nativity and a member of the ward had a few things that she let us borrow. as a joke she gave us an extra for president. I don't know what in the world made him put it on, but it was awesome."

Personally I call this one "Wise guy driving"

Wait upon the Lord

This week was a good week here in the wealthy land of Almaden. Things have really started to pick up here in the ward. There is starting to be a bigger focus on doing missionary work. It’s starting to be really a strong missionary ward. By the time I leave I want this area to be a place where Missionary work is second nature. I am really trying to put my whole heart into this ward. We did get quite a few referrals and we saw a lot of miracles happen. 

Spiritual: We had received a list from the Relief Society President of who she didn't know and who we could possibly contact. There was the name of a family that they said had lived in the area for several years. Both were on the police force and were the recipients of some hard scheduling. It was a miracle when we knocked on the door and they both were home and let us in. They let us in and we sat and talked to them for a good half hour. In that time they told us how they saw how good the church was for their family and how important it was for them to get their family involved. It was honestly nothing that we said to them that made any difference whatsoever. It was amazing. At the end of the visit they both committed to come to church this Sunday. Wow. I have really learned what being prepared by the spirit implies. Preparation takes time and patience. It’s not something that happens overnight. They told us how we were the 15th set of missionaries to come to their door and invite them to come to church. Only now were they willing to let us in and actually consider coming to church. There was nothing special about us other than the fact that we were the missionaries serving at the right time and being in the right place. It’s amazing. My message today is centered on those that are trying to share the gospel with a friend or maybe have that one home teaching family that they are working with that will not open their door. My message today is to not give up. When we Wait Upon the Lord we exercise our faith and be patient with them, we are in a better place to show pure Christlike Love to the people we are serving. It’s my personal testimony that Heavenly Father looks at the actions we do in this life and on the Desire of our hearts. He knows when we are doing all we can to help others. He will not punish us or diminish us in any way for other people’s choices to accept or reject the gospel. Keep praying and keep having faith because you just don’t know what will come. 

Funny: I want to give you a sense of what the Almaden Ward is like. We were in Gospel Principals yesterday and there a visitor with the last name of Murray. I said that I was from Murray and he laughed then the Gospel Principals teacher said that he had played golf with Bill Murray. No big deal. Those types of comments happen all the time. Almaden. 

Where I am at: Jackie is getting baptized next week!!! She is the tax lady he referenced a couple of weeks ago. As well as the Daddo family from the Blossom Valley ward!!! I am so excited! This week there are going to be quite a few people who will enter the waters of baptism and I am so excited! Ah! This ward is great. I am really liking it. I can tell that this will be really a good ward to serve in. I am so content with life. I love the Christmas Spirit and I am feeling so humbled to be in the service of Him. I love this season and I love this work. I love you all! 

Steve Young came to their MLC this week. Ammon said it was really fun and that his talk was cool. Ammon is the second elder in from the right with the blue tie. (Although Ammon did wish he had a little more sports trivia in his head. He can blame his parents for that.)

I Am Glad For Many Things

This week went well. Lots of things to work on and lots of preparation for things that are coming up. It’s been busy, but it’s fun as well. 

Spiritual: This week I was able to go on exchanges up in Fremont. Fremont is really interesting. There is a huge population of Indians there. They were trying for a while to change the name of the town to little India. It was really an interesting day. I want to talk about an attribute in our spiritual lives that is hard to learn but can be instrumental in changing our lives. This attribute is the immediate reaction to a prompting from the Holy Ghost. Developing the capacity to react instantly without knowing exactly what will happen or where we should go. That immediate action is Faith that builds our confidence in Heavenly Father. There were a few experiences this week that made me realize what an important component this knee-jerk reaction is to our spiritual lives. The first happened when I was on exchanges in Fremont. We were contacting at a huge lake and we weren’t having a ton of success. We ended the day with three or four phone numbers and one copy of the Book of Mormon left. It was a mediocre contacting session. It also while we were there got dark really fast. We decided that we were really quite scary so we decided to leave to go to dinner. As my companion was driving, I was backing the car out. As I was walking backwards I noticed a man who was about to get into his car. For some reason I felt compelled to go and talk to him. So I did. I happened to leave my poor companion sitting in the middle of the road just waiting to drive away. As I ran up to the man I thought that there would be no way in the world he would want to talk to me. Two cranky kids in the car, it was late at night and I was wearing a dark coat and looked a little imposing. I thought that he would turn and hop in the car as fast as he could. Instead he said "Oh! Mormons! Awesome! I would love a copy of the Book of Mormon! I have never had one before and I have always wanted one." My jaw hit the pavement. It was a true book is blue miracle. It was amazing. It testified to me of the importance that when a prompting comes, to just drop what you have and act. That action is faith. The faster you react even if you don’t know for sure if it is a prompting from the spirit is evidence of your love for God and willingness to follow his plan for you. Most of the time we will not know for sure if a prompting is actually a prompting. We just act in faith and know that if the action is good, is in harmony with the principals of the gospel and is intended to serve others then we can press forward and act in faith. This will bless your life so much! I would strongly urge you to pay careful attention to the little thoughts you have that will help others and then act on them.

Funny:

 They listed all of their weights before Thanksgiving dinner.

Then compared them to after dinner. Ammon got second place in weight gain. 

Where I am at: Thanksgiving was a great time. We ate at the Zamora home and it was absolutely delightful. There is always a sweet spirit that exists in the heart of men when they decide to be thankful for the blessings that they have. There are a lot of fun things coming up in the mission! I am excited for what the next few weeks will bring. The mission is doing a talent show for Christmas Eve and there will be a lot of fun events along with that. I love you all so much. I am so incredibly, eternally grateful for the blessing it is to have a family that is rooted in the gospel and is stable and loving. I love you all so much. 

Elder Black