Giants and Miracles

 

There's this super cool “regional park” called “Vargas Viewpoint '' it's up in the mountains and so of course it has a very striking view. We went up there this week to film a bunch of videos in ASL for our facebook page. Very epic. Elder Howes has a beautiful video he's working on and Elder Johnson is the director and filmer and editor of everything. I just know a little bit of ASL so I can help here and there lol.

We also stopped at the Post office and had a tender mercy followed by an unfortunate experience. Everytime I go to the post office the people at the desk are not very nice or helpful and they’re also really difficult to understand. Howeva, this time we got one of the kindest women I’ve ever met. The post office wasn't busy, and she was effortless to understand. She asked us all about our families and mission and it was so wonderful! 

Well, then a Deaf man walked in and I knew he was Deaf because of his voice and watching his hands. So ofc I offered to interpret for him (he was struggling to communicate with a lady and I knew I could help) he said thank you but insisted on continuing to yell at her and have her yell at him. We took care of our stuff and were getting ready to leave when he came back into the post office to ask if we were “Mormons” so of course we responded “Yes, we’re missionaries from the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints!” and then he went off for a few minutes about how awful our church is and that we need to leave the church because it's a cult. We were able to leave on a kind note. I was really upset about it for a long time because I was just trying to help my brother out! and he responded by attacking my beliefs! I’ve decided to be ok and Love him regardless. It was still cool that a Deaf person happened to walk in at the same time we were there!

Saturday was the most wild day of my entire mission. We got up and we went to the Oakland temple and did baptisms with the Deaf Branch! In ASL! I was able to baptize Elder Searle and be baptized by him. It's still the same ordinance, of course, but it was all just so much more exciting! Then we embarked on the long adventure of a “San Francisco Trip” truly an adventure- I’ve only done it once before and it was back with Sheperd Rigby and Hyatt White. Now it was 3 guys that are still learning ASL, 1 who was fluent and then me…with somewhat decent ASL all in the same car. We killed it though. 

Ok, this part is crazy though-

We stop at an apartment where apparently the guy were looking for lives and at the exact moment we are out of the car and stepping on the side walk, 2 women step out of a building directly across the sidewalk from our parked car. We’re practically all in the same sidewalk square. We exchanged “hellos" and “how are yous" and one of them says “not good” which I have never really heard anybody say in response to “how are you” when a stranger asks. 

So we started talking. We find out they’re inactive members of the ward in that area and a family member had just passed away. So they give us their apartment number and ask us to go give everybody a priesthood blessing. We follow them up and go in and just listen to this family as they dump their hearts out to us and how much they loved their father/grandfather/god-father. Then we took turns giving beautiful blessings. It was amazing. 

God is very aware of every single one of His children and sometimes he sends missionaries a hour and a half north just so they can step out of their car at the exact same time as you step onto the sidewalk so they can bless your family. What a cool thing!

We were out till about 9 visiting Deaf people all over the Bay and luckily Brother and Sister Gad are literal angels- they bought us 3 amazing pizzas and had them delivered to the church at the exact moment we needed them (we ate breakfast then hit the road so we were reasonably hungry)

One scripture I would share with you is Deuteronomy 3:22. I finished Numbers (YES!) this week and started Deuteronomy- so far it's just Moses repeating everything that happened but with a little more context and commentary. For example in chapter 2 we learn that there's actually a handful of stories where God led people to a land that had “giants” and each time God prepared a way for them to beat the giants. These stories were known by the Isrealites- this makes their fear and denial of the Promised Land a lot more of a “big deal” and way more unacceptable. (Deuteronomy 2:20ish-23ish) because they already knew that God had taken care of Giant problems before but they for some reason chose fear rather than very logical faith, all except Caleb and Joshua. 

ANYWAYS- Deuteronomy 3:22 says “Ye shall not fear them: for the lord your God shall fight for you” 

We don't need to fear. Nothing needs to scare us. We know the truth. We know the plan. We know that Jesus Christ will not only fight for us, but he has, in fact, already won every single battle you or anybody could ever face! That certainly gives me hope! He's already helped others get the giants to leave or destroyed them! Choose to believe He can help you get the giants out of your life as well. He already promised he can! Let's choose to be like Joshua and Caleb. 

I don't want to wander in the wilderness till I die. lol. But hey- it's my choice.

The last thing I have to report is truly a miracle and something I know is going to change the history of the church, something that you all should know has been coming for a long time now. We had interviews with President Larson on Monday and he told me “It's time to get the Hindi Program started” we counseled about where a good place to start it would be and a lot of other stuff. It's finally happening! it's going to be truly difficult and really hard to get traction, but I know this is the right step to take. I know there's going to be an immeasurable amount of good that comes from this. So- Please pray for the Indians. 

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

Elder Gary Sabin the legend

 Well we got 4 new tires and an oil change. Then we went and filmed ASL videos all day long. Its so hard to come up with good ideas that would actually spark interest in somebody. Let me know if you have any lol.

Thursday was incredible. Elder Gary Sabin and his wife came and visited our mission! He is such a legend. He gave the talk "Hallmarks of Happiness" in the recent general conference. He had all these cute little phrases he kept saying. Some of them are: " Be the Message," "Wake up Excited," "Simplify, Testify, Intensity," 'Don't Postpone Your Happiness to a Later Date," "Catch Them Doing Well," "Celestial 'Steps," "What Are you Afraid of?," "If you Want to be Beautiful, be Good," "The Light is Always Green- and if it's Red You'll Feel it," "Don't Stress, Stretch"

He talked about how every single person wants to know the answer to 2 questions: "What happens when I die?" And "How can I be clean?" If they think they don't want the answers then they're lying to themselves. So I've been trying to focus my social media contacting, street contacting, and teaching more on those points and it has gotten better. 

He also told this really cool story about a man during the great depression who wanted a job as a Morse code decoder telegram thing person and he went in for the interview and saw that the whole building was full of people who were also waiting for an interview. Then he just got up and walked into the office where the man giving the interviews was! And he got the job! The boss and him walked out and he was like "ok everybody you can go home, this guy got the job"

And everybody was upset and saying "that's not fair! He didn't wait for his turn!"

And then the guy was like "Didn't you hear it? He was tapping with his pen on his desk in Morse code! He said 'If you want the job, come to my office right now!"

I think there's a lot of lessons to pull from the "Parable of the Morse code job". What Elder Sabin was trying to teach is that we need to learn to recognize revelation when it comes. I learned that I don't need to panic or fear when I know how to listen to the Holy Ghost as well as when the prompting comes- ACT.

One more thing he taught our mission was the 8 Ps of Peace:

Pray (child to father communication and relationship)

Page (scriptures)

Ponder (think about it!)

Patience (good things take time and accepting His will)

Play (have fun)

Purity (repentance) 

Pride (get rid of it)

Praise (complementing, lifting others)

Pretty cool.

Also I've been sick all week. So I'm sleep deprived and either coughing or holding back coughs or being grateful for relief. So that's been a blast. 

We went and visited Bertram and he gave us each a paper plate full of doritos and then we gave him a blessing. He promised he was gonna go to church but then texted us saying he was in the ER. Satan certainly is a stinker.

We started up ASL class again! This might be my fault for being pessimistic in my head, but, not a single person showed up. So I'll try to be optimistic next time. 

Church was good but I got a bloody nose during the linger longer so we left. 

We had a Stake priesthood meeting that was announced THAT morning! And we got to go interpret for it. Very fun. I am still confused on how my hands just get going and it all works out. 

We tutored at the Deaf School Monday night and I tried explaining Math In ASL. Oh boy! What a challenge! Poor boy was as patient as the kids that waited for the 2nd marshmallow in the marshmallow test thing. I'm very thankful for his kindness. He actually taught me way more than I taught him. (If I even taught him anything) 

It was all good though afterwards i was signing with the man in charge of tutoring and he helped me understand how to sign about math and what actually makes sense. So it was an obstacle but I just used it to grow so imma legend. 

Then we got 5 guys and I went all the way- got everything you can and it was Heavenly. 

Sorry if this email is reminiscent of Galatians 6:11.

Anyways- one really cool gem from the Old Testament I found is in Numbers 24:5:

"How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel!"

Numbers 24:5

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/num/24?id=p5&lang=eng#p5

This is during the story of the talking Donkey, yes Balaam and Balak and cursing the children of Israel but then blessing them instead (like 3 times). During this chapter Balaam is seeing a vision and kinda just prophesying and there's this cute little verse. 

I've often heard "Only the home can compare with the temple in sacredness" From the Bible dictionary and this verse is actual scriptural evidence of that. It's talking about their homes and their temples- both described the same way in the same verse. I know that it's true! Homes really are the only other place that can compare to a temple. Not church buildings. Homes. I think it's because temples are all about families. Sealing them together, saving our ancestors, learning about Adam and Eve. It all points to Jesus Christ, but a lot of it also points to families. And home is where a family is made and spends the most time together. I already know that I will do all I can to make my home like a temple. 

If you don't know what feeling that is then you need to go to the temple…A LOT. Make the temple feel like home to you so you can make your home feel like the temple.

Keep the Fire Burning (Levi 6:12-13) 

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Preparing for Blessings

 This week I learned alot about preparation. I have been trying to workout every night before I go to sleep. While I am working out I play general conference. I have only barely finished the first session but "Abide the Day in Christ" by Sister Amy A. Wright hit me the hardest. I think part of why bit was so profound was the story about when she found out she had cancer and the talk she had within herself about how she had already taught her children everything they needed to know and because of all that 'oil' in her lamp everything was truly going to be ok. What a powerful and instructive story!

I want my family to be ready for me to "go" at any second and I will live so that our lamps will be as full as I can get them. I want my lamps to be like the cup in the 23rd psalm. 

This week was basically 3 things. 

The first was a giant clothing swap. Basically every single person in Fremont and all the cities around us donate all their 'stuff' they don't need. Sadly, lots of it is garbage so we go through it and throw a lot of it away. Then everybody comes to the church and takes whatever they need. It gets hundreds of people in the church so that's good! But it's messy and smelly- but it helps alot of people get the things they need. 

The next was a Deaf Event In San Jose called "Deaf-Opia" basically like 200 Deaf people hung out in a mall for 8 hours. There were booths for all these Deaf Companies and stuff. We just walked around and around and around trying to talk to people. It was actually pretty fun and we met some cool people and got our faces out there.

And the last was the new facebook Messenger AI thing. We've had a lot of fun making images of thanos with a jack-o-lantern head, iron man as a moose, dooby teaching a dance class. I also asked it to help me learn Hindi and it's pretty useful. 

On the topic of preparing I want to share a story from Numbers 14. For those of you familiar with Numbers you'll know that this is where Moses sends a bunch of spies to go look at the promised land. Among them were Joshua and Caleb. The land was beautiful and full of good food but it was also inhabited by 'giants' so big that the spies felt "like grasshoppers." 

The spies came back and told Israel how awful it was and how they will never be able to get the land because of the giants. Caleb and Joshua were like."guys! Are you serious! God promised us this land- it doesn't matter how big the giants are or how many there are! We can go get the land because God is with us!"

The people ignored them and started crying and mourning. Moses and Aaron started hitting their heads on the ground in frustration while Joshua and Caleb started ripping their shirts to pieces in anger.

And you know the story- God says that they are cursed to wander in the wilderness for 40 years because they didn't trust him enough to get the land. They weren't PREPARED. 

Then a really sad and touching story follows. Shortly after, the people come to Moses and they're like "Hey! We're ready to repent! We're gonna go get the land God Promised us!"

No doubt, Moses was confused and angry he tells them "guys…don't do that. God isn't with you anymore. If you try that then they'll destroy you!"

They didn't listen and went and tried to take the land and they were destroyed. 

God was ready to give them blessings and when it was time they weren't ready- they missed it.

And when they finally had a desire to go get the blessings it was too late! 

We don't have time to waste. We need to always be living our lives so that we can receive anything God wants to give us. If there's anything holding you back from fully following God- get rid of it. It's never worth it to miss out on God's blessing.

Love you all very much! 

Keep the fire burning  (levi 6:13)

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Hobab and service

 

Have you ever helped move a 4000 pound safe? Well, it's a little bit concerning and stressful and looks like and feels like it's not supposed to work. I really thought somebody was going to get hurt- but we were all OK. 

We helped a Deaf family move 2 uhaul loads to a storage unit and that was great fun. It took the entire day too lol.

The next day we just destroyed a yard in San Jose. There's a guy in the ASL branch who had like 3 strokes and so his yard is now all weeds as tall as me. So we just attacked it pretty hard. Then the lawnmower broke. So we'll head back over there later.

Then we went and tactiled general conference for our Deaf Blind friend, Indiana. For me- when tactiling I do not retain anything from the talk. I also retain a very small amount when I am asleep. . .so. 

I'm planning on watching those sessions again. (My body is mega exhausted from all the service ok!)

I took some notes- but I only wrote down action items that I knew were specifically for me. One that really hit was "focus on covenants more" I am not sure how to it yet, but that's my focus right now.

Monday we went and tutored at the Deaf School again. It was great. When nobody wants help with homework we get to kinda just sit there and watch all the Deaf things happen. It's good exposure to ASL for my trainees so I hope they'll pick it up real quick.

Last night Elder Johnson and I went down to Pleasanton to teach a couple some ASL- the husband is going Deaf and so they're learning as much as they can. 

Pleasanton is where I started my mission and I have 1 really solid friend who kinda stopped meeting with missionaries when I left the area. I was telling Elder Johnson about him and then we drove past his house and we both were like…why don't we just go visit him?

So we did. Turns out it was the perfect time. Sam had just found out his best friend is going to die In a few days from a blood clot and was crying. He had dog food all over the place because he literally threw it. But we were there and he was really happy to see me. 

Since I left, he and his girlfriend got married and also had a son! Sam is a dad now! I really love Sam. I hope it all works out for him.

This week in Numbers I read about Hobab and and Moses. It's Numbers 10:29-32 so you'll have to read it after this. Basically, Hobab is getting ready to leave and Moses is like "Hobab, my friend, please don't go! Stay with us, travel with us! We need you. If you come with us you'll receive all the blessings that God has promised me! Please don't go!"

And Hobab says "nah, I'm just gonna go home"

And Moses won't take no, so he asks Hobab to go with him again!

I love this story because I feel like we invite people to 'come with us' a lot in discipleship. With our own friends and family it's like "hey! God has promised me these blessings, I want you to have them too! Come with me! Please don't leave, come with me! Read the book of Mormon with me! Come to church with me! Come to the temple with me!"

And maybe they say no.

But we should ask again. Because realistically-there are zero good reasons to say no to anything in the gospel because it all leads to Jesus Christ and there is nothing better than that. People get confused, like Hobab, thinking that going to their home or 'what they already have' is better than the promised land or 'what God can give them' 

So, don't be a Hobab, be a Moses.

And

Keep the fire burning (levi 6:13)  

And

Think celestial  

And

I love you!  

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