It's hard to believe that we are already in week 5 of this transfer, it's going by so fast! I've been doing well here, and am really enjoying this area, I really hope that I don't get transferred, as transfers are coming up soon... Transfer conference is just a week from this upcoming Monday. I hope I won't get transferred, they usually leave you in your "birth area" for three transfers, so I'm hoping to stay one more. Elder Grisson, one of the English Elders is probably going to leave though. He has been here for 4 transfers, that's almost 6 months. This was his "birth area" too, and he's nervous about where he's going, he's never worked outside of this area, even on exchanges. It's hard to believe how long I've been away. By the end of next transfer it will have been 6 months! These last few weeks have been tough, though, Elder Kemp was really distracted for a little while, because of his Girlfriend, but she wrote him a letter and apologized, so he's back to normal. This last week has been pretty cool, except that almost no hispanics came to church this Sunday because of the snow. It was a pretty down-heartening week. Only the familia Peña and Sister Montero were there from the Spanish side of the ward, and we've been working hard to try reactivate a lot of the lost members here.
Yesterday we had a really good lesson with Frank, we read the talk "Eternal Marriage" from the last Conference with him, and gave him a copy of "Proclamation to the World" in Spanish. It was a really good lesson, but again Sister Peña wasn't home, and we also didn't have Brother Romero with us. because he doesn't get home from work until like 6:00. We've also decided that Brother Romero must be one of the Three Nephites, it is not conceivable to have a member this awesome. He comes out with us practically every day, but he hasn't the past couple days just 'cause he's been pretty busy at work. I'm glad everything's going well at home, that is awesome that you're studying Preach My Gospel, it is an awesome manual. Here in the mission we eat breathe, love, live, drink and dream about Preach My Gospel. Everything we do in the mission field is based around being a Preach My Gospel missionary.
I love you all and miss you, and hope everything is going well for you. Love, Elder Isaac
We were called to serve as senior missionaries in the Italy Rome Mission, assigned as YSA specialists to the Puglia Stake in Bari, Italy. Our service is from January 2023 to July 2024.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
What, me tired of winter?
Yes, I am pretty sick of winter. It is cold here all the time, and the almost weekly snow storms are slightly annoying, church was canceled this week, so it hasn't really felt like a normal week.
Other than that I'm doing pretty well. We've been seeing some pretty good success here. Last night we had two members with us. Brother R. came out with us, like always, and we also had Marco D. who came out with us.
Marco is really awesome. He is 23, and we've been working with him and his father to try and reactivate them. Last night Marco said he wants to go on a mission! it was awesome.
We also had our weekly meeting with Frank Peña, it went really well. Sister P. wasn't there this time, but talked to us on the phone beforehand and asked us not to push baptism. She said that he's doing really well and doing eveything he should, he goes to church, he reads the book of Mormon, and she's worried that if we push him he may get really resistent and stop coming to church. We taught him a lesson about faith, based on his homework on Alma 32, and it was really good. Marco shared a really good testimony about that chapter, and it was neat. Frank will be baptized, I know it, but we need to give him time, and he needs to make the decision for himself.
Things have been going well here, and we've been working really hard, my companion and I have had some rough times though, he got Dear John'd about a week or so ago, and really hasn't been 100% there for a while, but he's doing really well now, and we have been having some awesome lessons and spiritual experiences. We are actually giong to start teaching English classes here as a service. It will be really neat experience for me. I've been learning a lot, and Elder Kemp says that even since we've been companions my Spanish has improved a lot. It's really been neat.
I received the package from Grandma and Grandpa, and also one from Uncle John and Aunt Suzanne. I need to write them letters today. Oh also, I sent home a Card for dad the other day. I'm terrible I know, but I don't know the date of dad's birthday, but I sent him a card, and it'll be early, (I think it's the 25th right?) I ran into Elder Secrist the other day, it was really neat to see him. He is in Union city walking right now, and he is doing well.
Love you all, and I miss you.
Elder Isaac
Other than that I'm doing pretty well. We've been seeing some pretty good success here. Last night we had two members with us. Brother R. came out with us, like always, and we also had Marco D. who came out with us.
Marco is really awesome. He is 23, and we've been working with him and his father to try and reactivate them. Last night Marco said he wants to go on a mission! it was awesome.
We also had our weekly meeting with Frank Peña, it went really well. Sister P. wasn't there this time, but talked to us on the phone beforehand and asked us not to push baptism. She said that he's doing really well and doing eveything he should, he goes to church, he reads the book of Mormon, and she's worried that if we push him he may get really resistent and stop coming to church. We taught him a lesson about faith, based on his homework on Alma 32, and it was really good. Marco shared a really good testimony about that chapter, and it was neat. Frank will be baptized, I know it, but we need to give him time, and he needs to make the decision for himself.
Things have been going well here, and we've been working really hard, my companion and I have had some rough times though, he got Dear John'd about a week or so ago, and really hasn't been 100% there for a while, but he's doing really well now, and we have been having some awesome lessons and spiritual experiences. We are actually giong to start teaching English classes here as a service. It will be really neat experience for me. I've been learning a lot, and Elder Kemp says that even since we've been companions my Spanish has improved a lot. It's really been neat.
I received the package from Grandma and Grandpa, and also one from Uncle John and Aunt Suzanne. I need to write them letters today. Oh also, I sent home a Card for dad the other day. I'm terrible I know, but I don't know the date of dad's birthday, but I sent him a card, and it'll be early, (I think it's the 25th right?) I ran into Elder Secrist the other day, it was really neat to see him. He is in Union city walking right now, and he is doing well.
Love you all, and I miss you.
Elder Isaac
Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain....
It has been raining all day today. The weather here is the strangest thing I have ever seen. The forecast yesterday said that we were supposed to get 16 inches of snow last night, when I woke up this morning I found everything COVERED in Ice, and it was raining. It was crazy. It's stayed at about 33 degrees solid since 9:30 this morning, and has been pouring rain. I've been doing really well. We had a bomb lesson yesterday. It was really quite awesome. We fasted on Fast Sunday, and then yesterday decided to fast again, to help us with our appointment. We had interviews in the afternoon, and got back really late. We didn't get to the Peña's house until 7:00, but we had brother Romero with us, which was the key. We taught a lesson about Elder Aidukaitus' talk "Because my Father read the Book of Mormon" and then Elder Kemp extended the Invitation to gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon. We already knew that he has a growing testimony of what he needs to do, he comes to church almost every week and reads the Book of Mormon every day. We also talked a lot about baptism. Sister P. was such a champ, totally telling him his baptism was invalid. When we extended a soft baptismal invite (something along the lines of "When you come to know that this is true, would you be baptized) he said "I would, but not right now." It was awesome!!! The last time he was invited, with Elders Barker and Wilcox, he was pretty much against it, but this time he accepted. We are going to set him with a date soon, I just know it. They then fed us dinner, and we broke our fast with that.
It was the best feeling, coming out of that appointment. The Spirit was so strong in there. I was really excited. We are going to have an awesome transfer.
Random tangent. Driving here is crazy. It's even worse in New Jersey, but up here it's pretty crazy to drive sometimes. I've been doing pretty well up here though, but it has been tough. My companion can't drive 'cause he doesn't have a valid license (again, spelling?) So I'm driving this transfer. I hope everyone is doing well back home. Love you all. Elder Isaac.
It was the best feeling, coming out of that appointment. The Spirit was so strong in there. I was really excited. We are going to have an awesome transfer.
Random tangent. Driving here is crazy. It's even worse in New Jersey, but up here it's pretty crazy to drive sometimes. I've been doing pretty well up here though, but it has been tough. My companion can't drive 'cause he doesn't have a valid license (again, spelling?) So I'm driving this transfer. I hope everyone is doing well back home. Love you all. Elder Isaac.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Better late than never!
Hey Mom and Dad, How is everyone. I had a really good Christmas, and was especially grateful to be able to call you one Christmas. Since then some important Items of business.
1) We went to New York when we went to the temple. New York is such a big city! It was a really fun experience. We took the train from here in Spring Valley to Hoboken, and that took us about an hour and 15 minutes. Once in Hoboken we took a Path train from Hoboken to 33 street in New York, and then walked 25 blocks to the Temple. It was really neat to go to the temple again and go to a session, to refresh my memory and to remind me of the covenants I have made. It was spiritually refreshing.
Then we returned home, just follow the way there in reverse order. We got home at like 5:00 or later. But it was really cool.
2) I have a new companion. Elder Barker left on Monday this week to go to Elizabeth, New Jersey to be a Zone leader down there. It is really neat and he'll do amazing. My new companion is Elder Kemp, who by a strange coincidence (spelling?) was Elder Barker's MTC companion, (kind of like Elder Secrist and I:) He is a really hard-working missionary, and he and I have been getting along great. He said to me the other day that he feels like his entire mission, all the skills he's developed, have prepared him for just this area, and the Work here is going to be tough, it's not an easy area, especially on the Spanish side, we get almost no help from English side ward leadership.
3) (I know, this should actually be number 1) sorry about the Email being late, we went by the Library like 3 times on P-day and it never opened it seemed like.
4) An apartment in our apartment complex burned yesterday. It was really neat to see how fast the Firefighters got there to put it out. Thankfully no one was hurt, (We're all fine, it wasn't even close to us, really) and they think it was Arson.
5) (Okay, back to important stuff) This Transfer is going to be awesome. As a Zone and as a Companionship we have some really great goals.
-50 member-present lessons this transfer:
The Zone Leaders asked us to pick a number we think we can accomplish in our companionship. We got 41 last transfer, and we think 50 is an obtainable goal. -7 hours of finding per week: This is a Zone-wide Number -Every time an appointment isn't there spend at least 15 minutes there finding in the nearby area. -Baptismal goal: The Zone Leaders asked us to make a goal of how many people we think can get baptized this transfer in our areas. Each companionship was to consider it carefully and pick specific people. We set our goal for 6. Edlinda, Juana Martinez and her children, Cristina and Moisés, Frank Peña, and Genesis, who is the daughter of a Less-Active family we've been working with. Her mother said that she wants to prepare Genesis for Baptism. We're excited. -2 Miracles: Each companionship was to pick out two miracles that they're going to pray for and fast for and work hard to see happen. The two miracles we've selected are 1) for Frank Peña to be baptized. 2) For us to have a Spanish Branch here, separate from the English. If we can have that the work will progress so much further. So, there are our goals, I'm excited, we're going to have a good transfer.
6) I love you all, and miss the family terribly, but know that I am happy and working hard out here. The work is tough, but we are going to see so much success out here because of our hard work. Love you all and wish the best for everyone, and I will send an Email on time next week.
Love, Elder Isaac
1) We went to New York when we went to the temple. New York is such a big city! It was a really fun experience. We took the train from here in Spring Valley to Hoboken, and that took us about an hour and 15 minutes. Once in Hoboken we took a Path train from Hoboken to 33 street in New York, and then walked 25 blocks to the Temple. It was really neat to go to the temple again and go to a session, to refresh my memory and to remind me of the covenants I have made. It was spiritually refreshing.
Then we returned home, just follow the way there in reverse order. We got home at like 5:00 or later. But it was really cool.
2) I have a new companion. Elder Barker left on Monday this week to go to Elizabeth, New Jersey to be a Zone leader down there. It is really neat and he'll do amazing. My new companion is Elder Kemp, who by a strange coincidence (spelling?) was Elder Barker's MTC companion, (kind of like Elder Secrist and I:) He is a really hard-working missionary, and he and I have been getting along great. He said to me the other day that he feels like his entire mission, all the skills he's developed, have prepared him for just this area, and the Work here is going to be tough, it's not an easy area, especially on the Spanish side, we get almost no help from English side ward leadership.
3) (I know, this should actually be number 1) sorry about the Email being late, we went by the Library like 3 times on P-day and it never opened it seemed like.
4) An apartment in our apartment complex burned yesterday. It was really neat to see how fast the Firefighters got there to put it out. Thankfully no one was hurt, (We're all fine, it wasn't even close to us, really) and they think it was Arson.
5) (Okay, back to important stuff) This Transfer is going to be awesome. As a Zone and as a Companionship we have some really great goals.
-50 member-present lessons this transfer:
The Zone Leaders asked us to pick a number we think we can accomplish in our companionship. We got 41 last transfer, and we think 50 is an obtainable goal. -7 hours of finding per week: This is a Zone-wide Number -Every time an appointment isn't there spend at least 15 minutes there finding in the nearby area. -Baptismal goal: The Zone Leaders asked us to make a goal of how many people we think can get baptized this transfer in our areas. Each companionship was to consider it carefully and pick specific people. We set our goal for 6. Edlinda, Juana Martinez and her children, Cristina and Moisés, Frank Peña, and Genesis, who is the daughter of a Less-Active family we've been working with. Her mother said that she wants to prepare Genesis for Baptism. We're excited. -2 Miracles: Each companionship was to pick out two miracles that they're going to pray for and fast for and work hard to see happen. The two miracles we've selected are 1) for Frank Peña to be baptized. 2) For us to have a Spanish Branch here, separate from the English. If we can have that the work will progress so much further. So, there are our goals, I'm excited, we're going to have a good transfer.
6) I love you all, and miss the family terribly, but know that I am happy and working hard out here. The work is tough, but we are going to see so much success out here because of our hard work. Love you all and wish the best for everyone, and I will send an Email on time next week.
Love, Elder Isaac
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