I am not afraid of the dark and goals

 4-24

Hello everybody! This week I got to go on exchanges with my brother, Elder Holladay! His MTC comp was Elder Scott, who I was with for 8 weeks. Also we were both trained by Elder Prestwich. We were friends as soon as the exchange started and just had a pure blast. We had a really good talk about all the trials we were going through and helped each other. It was great to be away from my companions for a little bit lol. I hope I get to be comps with Elder Holladay.

After exchanges we had interviews with President Smith and that was incredible. The first thing he said to me was that I had a brighter new light on me and to do all I can yo make it brighter. I know what he's said is true because since conference I've been trying to create more healthy good stri g habits and I've been having alot of success the past week. It's incredible how much light we can add into our lives by stopping g bad habits and adding good ones in.

President also shared with me that we have 1 new missionary coming in June, and 3 coming in August. . .I will be training all of them. And one of the 3 in August is DEAF! That will be incredible! That means he already knows ASL. Plus you have to have cochlear implants to go on a mission, so he can hear too. I have been thinking about what kind of trainer I want to be and I've started making a list of all the things I want to do. I pray for those 4 guys every night. I hope they're all legends.

Going back to those habits, I started legitimately working out every day. I really want to become strong and ripped (so I can help serve people more of course). I've stopped eating snacks unless it's fruit or protein and I'm cutting out everything with added sugar and drinking mega water every day.

It's all because of the power of goals. And then placing those goals in places I can see them. 

The mission is the perfect environment for growth. I want to take advantage of all the growth I can. If you don't have goals set up then set goals. If you don't know what kind of goals to set then pray about it and talk to those that are close to you. I know goals are divine because the children and youth program is: GOALS. I know God supports us and helps us when we set goals. He loves it when we do anything that helps us grow and become more like him and his son. Goals, when properly set, are the best way to do that. 

Remember the 4 areas to set goals in are spiritual, physical, intellectual, and social. 

Well, that's what I felt inspired to write. Soo imma leave it there.

Also, we have this referral guy. We reached out and texted him and he just started sending the most random texts ever. It was like "I am not afraid of the dark" and "your church looks like it survived the Civil war" and "I am an organist. I pray the bass guitar" Then he sent a picture of a car engine.

He did actually come to church though! I asked him what he thought of the talks and he was like "It was good. But you need to clean your carpets" 

And during the second hour he just walked around the church the whole time. After church we checked all.the rooms to make sure he had left. 

A few hours later he sent "I much prefer catholic"

So. Well see what happens I guess. 

This is a picture of our area Elder Rigby drew our for me. Just in case you were wondering. Fr fr If there a deaf person anywhere here then it's ours.

"Add more joy" (I'm trying)

 Oh boy. I don't know how I will make it through this transfer. 

We picked up Elder White on Tuesday. It was a sweet good reunion. The drive back was fun and catching up while he unpacked was great.

As soon as we started talking it was very clear to me that Elder White is Trunky. But, it's ok, he deserves it. He's been serving for 23 months basically. Elder Rigby is also very Trunky. More than Elder White. I guess he deserves it even though he's going home 3 months early. Idk. I'm just annoyed and frustrated with how much they talk about going home and college and going on dates with Shawties. It actually really sucks. I have 0 desire to go home at all. The mission is the best thing that's ever happened to me and I understand, yes, I've been out for barely 9 months. But, I would never talk about going home like that. I'm deciding now to stay fully committed and not talk about trunky things at all from now until the end of my mission. 

They keep telling me I have to lead the area but when I try I get shut down or ignored. They only ask me to "lead" things when they don't know what to do. I'm keeping President Nelson's talk in mind all day long and trying to remember to agree with my adversaries/ companions quickly.

Ok, but also I love Elder White and Elder Rigby so very very much. They push me but I know it's making me better and I can already see massive improvement in myself. They are pure legendary teachers and absolute bosses at ASL (they will be Interpreting at October general conference) this transfer is also really hard and frustrating because it's my last full one with them.

Anyways,the work here is annoyingly slow lately. We're literally 3 master teachers who have read and applied Preach my gospel and yet everybody we talk to rejects us. So I had an idea that we try and add more service. So we decided we'd go door to door in service clothes offering service specifically pulling weeds. And even then everybody still rejected us. Until 1 guy that was incredibly high answered and he was like if you want to you can. So we weeded his whole yard. And he sobered up a little and then came and talked to us! 

Also on Sunday morning we went and I terpreted for a training to all the Bishops and Branch presidencies in the stake given by Elder S Gifford Nielsen! 

I shook his hand and he talked to us before and after! It was soo cool.

He said the 2 things he hears President Nelson say the most are "Add more joy" and " Reduce and simplify" 

Then in church I interpreted a talk from one of our High Council members and apparently I did a really good job! So that's actually epic. 

Then we went to visit Tina, our friend we just baptized a few weeks ago and she told us to never come back.

That broke my heart. We don't know what happened or why she said that. So that literally sucks. 

Please re-visit conference talks if you're not already. There are so many very powerful talks. Every time I re-read/watch one it becomes my new favorite. I know that what you need right now, no matter what you're going through can be found in this session of general conference! It's so easy to open a gospel library and just start one and let it play while you're driving or doing chores or just whatever! 

Also read the Book of Mormon every day.

And "add more joy"

Our Indian Friends

 I’ve been out for 9 months as of tomorrow. So there's that. This week was good though! Lots of fun Indian things happened.

The first one was when we went to go visit our Indian Friends Balwinder and Sonia. We've been teaching them for a bit. They're new to Christianity but very excited to be Christian. They have scriptures posted up all over their home. The big obstacle is that Hindi is their first language. And then another Indian language. And then some other Indian Language. And then English. The other obstacle is that they're schedule is non-existent. Like, they can say they'll be available and mean it, but them they aren't.

Anyways, we went over and Balwinder #2 was there, that Bolwinder's husband (BalJinder)'s sister. She just got to America like 2 weeks ago. She talked to us about how that one time we prayed for her to get a job worked cuz now she works at a daycare ("children. I love them so much hahaha")

Then she talked to us about bread ("I had bread yesterday. You have bread yesterday? I love it so much Bread!")

Then we invited her to church, gave her all the info and she didn't show up. (Nobody else really did either so it's ok)

Then the next story is that we tracked into a Indian home which isn't that hard to do because very home is a Indian home. Basically, a mother and her 2 children answered the door and they were in the middle of celebrating Easter for the first time so we talked about why we celebrate Easter and then the little girl asked of she could have that book we were holding (it was the Book of Mormon) and then her older sister was like "you can't even read" amd she said "I'll learn how to read so I can read it"

So we mega gladly gave her a Book of Mormon. This child is the child-like that Jesus talks about. Having a desire to read the Book of Mormon. I hope we go back over there.

The last one was an old Grandma. She came to the door and told us she just got the pneumonia shot so can we just give her the book and leave.

So gladly we gave her a book of mormon and we started explaining it when she help is above her head and started chanting "thank you lord"

Then she asked if it was the holy Bible and I was like "it's like the Bible but it's the Book of Mormon" and then she closed the door.

So that was fun.

Also I'm going back to Trio life. Elder white is coming back. And we're killing him. He goes home in 6 weeks. And Elder Rigby goes home in 9 weeks. 

So 2 trunky boys and me. 

Wish me luck cuz I need it. Actually wishing me luck does nothing. Praying for me would probably actually help so do that instead. Pleazzzze.

Also, 'Jesus Once of Humble Birth' from Saturday Evening session of Conference is SOOOOOOO GOOOD I've listened to it a few times every day. It's my new favorite song. You should listen to it.

https://youtu.be/AYErwrYB_h8

everything tastes bland

 I ate an apple every day this week. In fact, I am eating one right now. This week was a joke, but a really fun one. All of our appointments fell through and every recurring teaching fell through too. Tuesday was Zone council, Wednesday was Zone conference, Thursday was the only real day and even then everything was thrown off because we went to Oakland (like 20 minutes north of our Mission) to teach a member the famous “stop smoking” lessons. Turns out all you have to do is use cinnamon mouthwash, brush your teeth and drink grapefruit juice. And if you do all 3 after every meal and when you wake up then you just stop smoking. 

On Friday we had to wake up around 5:30 because a bunch of missionaries in the North areas went down to Watsonville to help clean up a flood. That was fun. Everybody got hazmats and so there was no worry and we could work as hard as we could without any real concern for the poopoo and mud. So- we were all very much covered afterwards. It's just crazy the amount of mud and gunk everywhere. Water was up to 6 feet in some places! 

Also, on Thursday we had taco bell and I used a lot of sauce and then realized that I wasn’t really being affected by it. Then later I had a chocolate muffin and it legit tasted like nothing. Then I remembered COVID-19 and the whole thing about not being able to taste. And I tried a few more foods- nothing. I had lost my ability to taste foods. So we got a COVID test and it was not positive. So we continued doing stuff normally.

And at the service in Watsonville I ate a can of Herring in front of everybody and they were shocked because I just ate it plain. Little did they know, I actually couldn’t taste. 

Then the rest of the week was General Conference! It was wonderful! AND I want to make it clear that I have been crushing my water bottles since the beginning of my mission. When Elder Haynie told that story me and Elder Rigby stared at each other in shock just like “Bro! That’s us!” our trashcan is always full of collapsed water bottles. 

Also, we're getting a temple in SAN JOSE! Our mission chat blew up for the rest of the day! President Smith said: “Dear Elders & Sisters, 

Oh, the joy we are all experiencing as President Nelson made the beautiful announcement of a temple in San Jose. We are taught: "Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders [and sisters] and all the inhabitants of [San Jose] into the house of the Lord your God, and cry unto the Lord. Alas for the day!" (Joel 1:14-15).

I invite each of you to join Sister Smith and I for a fast of gratitude on Tuesday, April 4, as we express thanks to our loving Heavenly Father for blessing the saints of this great mission. 

Remember, now is the time to bring souls unto Christ.

With love,

President & Sister Smith”

So I will eat an apple every day this week except for tomorrow because I’ll be fasting. (maybe I’ll eat one after I break my fast?)

On saturday night after i signed our comp-prayer Elder Rigby had a serious face and started signing to me basically that my ASL is not improving any more. He wants me to be better prepared for when he goes home. Then he hit me with the “Now, we’re only communicating in ASL. No more speaking.” I got really upset but just accepted it. He left the room and I turned the light off and just sat in the dark getting more and more frustrated. I knew my ASL was improving, He just wasn’t seeing that. Later while we were going to sleep after like 30 minutes of silence I heard “Elder Owens, I’m sorry I got upset at you. I want you to have a fun mission, not a poopy one. I’m trying to be better, let me know how I can help you more” I felt pretty shocked because I was thinking all those rude things and then he just apologized and completely humbled himself. Since then we’ve been signing a lot more and I think our relationship has improved a lot too. So that’s great. 

So when people say or do mean things to you. Don't be so quick to get upset and think mean things. Hold on to your cool and try to understand it from their side. Avoid contention. Peacefully approach them when the time is right and let them know how you feel. Contention only makes things worse as we learned from our prophet on Sunday. If we can focus on applying that to ourselves and remember how the prophet of God feels about contention then we really will change the world. One missionary companionship at a time, one sibling at a time, one parent at time. Let go of contention.

P.S. Photos Stuff

https://photos.app.goo.gl/DYM8hzqfMfgxUFWZ7