Retrospection

 Wow, that was fast.

I will be home in 1 week. I've had 19 companions, 4 areas, 2 mission Presidents, trained 4 times, 12 of my friends have been baptized, and I've only actually paid for a haircut 1 time.

Looking back I can confidently say that I have been successful. Could I have done more? Yes. Was my heart always in the right place? No. Yet, I am an absolutely changed person. I have learned who Jesus Christ is. I know I am a son of God. I know priesthood power is real. I have experienced life-changing repentance. I've given up my will to do what God wants Instead. I have truly desired to help others come unto Christ.

My entire life changed sometime way back in my 2nd transfer when I woke up from a silly dream. I dreamt my companion and I were running around a neighborhood goofing off and ended up knocking on a door. A kind old man answered and let us in. We sat down with him and soon realized he was Deaf. In the dream I knew ASL and so I started signing with him.

Then I woke up.

I don't really share my dreams much but I felt like I should tell one of the other elders, Elder Eli Hendricks, about this one. He shocked me by telling me it meant I was to become an ASL missionary. I had no idea we even had ASL in our mission.

After that my entire life was changed. Pretty soon I found myself in Fremont, struggling to learn ASL. And then in Fremont for 18 months straight.

If I never shared that dream I never would have become an ASL Elder. I would have stayed english and travel the course of a normal mission. Instead I was tied to Fremont.

Fremont is full of Indians. This prompted me to learn Hindi. 

Later I was on exchange with Elder Holladay. We had just picked up some groceries and were sitting in the car when we both got a notification to hop on duolingo so we didn't lose our streaks. We opened it up and were surprised to see not only were we both learning Hindi, but we were on the exact same lesson! 

That was the beginning of Hindi work. 

Then we started going on exchange every week to try and teach Indians. There was a direct and plain to see correlation between the amount of study and prayer we did for Hindi and the amount of miracles and doors opened. So many Indians have now had a chance to hear the truth. Not many seriously accepted it. But many of those curry covered hearts now have a seed planted inside.

It never would have happened if I didn't talk about a silly dream. 

Now I know ASL. I will be serving Deaf people in the church the rest of my life. 

Now I know a ton of Hindi. I will be doing all I can to invite Indians to come to Jesus Christ for the rest of my life.

I know this is God's work. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are trying to save all of their children. That's the plan- we do all we can to save everybody by helping them come unto Christ and learn who he really is. Sometimes that means you have to serve in Fremont for a total of 20 months and play around with 2 languages. Sometimes it means you need to leap out of your comfort zone with no parachute and accept that the landings gonna hurt the first few times. Sometimes you cry because of the thought that some soul should perish. Sometimes you get to stand in the water and baptize one of God's precious children in the name of the Father and of the Son and of The Holy Ghost. It all works out when we try our best. God is in charge. Curveballs aren't actually Curveballs, it's just God's plan.

New

 

Had Cincinnati Chili with our Branch President. Then I had leftover Cincinnati chili for both breakfast and lunch the next day.

Elder Johnson made 40 waffles.

Had a Deaf event at a mall. Somehow there were like 10 hearing people there and 3 Deaf people. 2 of the Deaf people were pretty clear about how they didn't want to talk with us because they were Christian. I was like hey we worship and love Jesus too. They actually told me we worship a different Jesus. In ASL. I've never had that happen in ASL before. Plenty of times in english. 

The other Deaf person was Aaron, a great fun member of our branch who knows every single thing about every single bus ever.

Went to a legendary Zone Conference. President taught us a lot about prayer. One thing I've been trying to do is start prayers and then not close them. Now I always remember I'm still “in a prayer” so I can just talk with God throughout the day and be more mindful of what i'm doing and thinking.

We started helping out at the Deaf School. They're getting new furniture so all the old stuff is being thrown away. How do they get all of it out of the student housing? Us. We spent nearly 20 hours(so far) moving desks, couches, dressers, chairs, and everything else in there. Pretty crazy. 

Elder Ardinger is Gone. My 4 weeks with him were beyond precious. He was transferred to Washington. (ASL transfers happen between missions now) We are receiving an Elder Reeve and Elder Rowley. I will be in a trio with both of them for these last 2 weeks of my mission. Then come home(!) Kinda tough to have a big change this close to the end. But it will still be very fun.

If you are struggling with anything this next part is for you lol. And if you're not struggling with anything then you probably will be soon.

Jeremiah 3:23

“They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.”

Every morning is a restart. Every day is a fresh opportunity. Every time we wake up we can be better. We can move on from yesterday's mistakes and actually improve. Why? How?

“Great is thy Faithfulness” God is 100% faithful to all his promises. He promises to forgive us when we repent. Because he is faithful to his promises- we can be “New” every morning.

So quit feeling down about today's mistakes and shortcomings. Feel down long enough to help you feel guilt and motivation to change then get up and act. When you wake up the next morning you will have the opportunity to be NEW. 

It's just a bit.

 

Had a big cool Deaf event! My favorite one so far- a big BBQ where everything was 1 dollar! I was planning on getting like 10 hot dogs (for 10 dollars) but there were a lot of people there and I needed to prioritize talking to everybody. So I only got one. 

But it's OK! Because this Deaf event actually did wonders for me! I found out I actually know ASL! I understood everybody I spoke with, was able to make jokes, and everybody understood me! I felt very successful lol.

Somehow we helped at 3 moves this week and at all of them Elder Johnson and I played a game where every time you move something you have to make a pun. Needless to say, some of the other people helping out hurt their backs- not from lifting- but from laughing so hard.

Elder Johnson has a Laugh Track on his phone with a few seconds of silence in the end. So while we drive we put in on repeat and one of us has to give a one-liner before the laughing starts again. 

Elder Ardinger was upset and was signing at me aggressively and somehow injured his finger. Within minutes it was like 3× the size of his other finger. So I called the mission nurse and sent her the pictures and tried to explain how it happened and she got really quiet and was like “Elder Owens….stop interpreting….don't tell Elder Aringer this….ok?”

“...ok….(?)”

“I think….I think he needs surgery…please take him to urgent care right now. I'll call President Larson and let him know. Please please don't tell him…”

So im like “actually? For real?” 

And she explains something about tendons. 

So we go to urgent care and sit for 4 hours. Then got a xray and a doctor came and sat with us and said that ....everything was fine. He said to take some ibuprofen and everything will be fine in 1-2 weeks. 

Elder Ardinger and I had a fun lesson up at the Oakland temple with a Deaf Woman from Santa Rosa. She HEARD me pop my back (it was an insane back pop) so then for the whole lesson she kept telling me all about these different stretches you can do for your back while driving. Then when the lesson was over she literally got in our car, in my seat. Like she was gonna drive and showed me all the stretches to do while driving. 

Elder Ardinger could not keep it together and was laughing a ton. 

Here's a really bad thing that happened:

On pday we played pickleball. We took the paddles from our church building intending to return them that evening,

However,

We forgot.

Fast forward Thursday evening. We are headed to a giant cool Deaf event 45 minutes south! This is one we've been looking foreward to for a while. We get a call from the English ward mission leader about 15 minutes into the drive. He's mad. Really mad. And he wants his pickleball paddles. And he wants them now. They were having a pickleball night at the church. . . So, we're like “oh crap.”

We turn around and head back. And me, being my father's son, I grab the pickleball bags and walk into the church building where everybody is waiting for us and I shout “pizzas here!” Then run out of there.

Here's the phrase from psalms this week that I've been pondering “so will I sing praise to thy name for ever, that I may daily perform my vows” (psalm 61:8)

I think my vows are the covenants I have made with God. What does it mean to “daily perform” our vows/covenants? 

I think it means a lot more than remembering them or thinking about them. I think it's more than reading the scriptures and praying. I think those are important and maybe they're part of it. The word “perform” adds a feeling of work- like a hard task to do.

Instantly Moroni 9:6 comes to mind “. . .if we should cease to labor, we should be brought under condemnation; for we have a LABOR TO PERFORM whilst in this tabernacle of clay”

My mind also, of course, thinks of a musical “performance”. Back when I was in middle school I was part of the orchestra. We had a few “performances” every year where we would “perform” some incredible music pieces. Now, if you were watching you'd be like “Wow! That was incredible!” 

But for us in the orchestra we had been practicing for at least a few months. We knew these songs like crazy. My dad already knew them just from how often I'd be humming them. So….are you ready for this? Stay with me…in order to “perform our vows/covenants” we must practice…a lot! 

If you haven't been endowed yet…practice living like you've already made those covenants. Study them often! Prepare every day.

If you have made temple covenants, practice living them. Practice creates habits. If you practice poorly you will perform poorly. 

If you practice perfectly you will perform perfectly. 

If you are preparing to receive the melchizedek priesthood, give diligent heed to the words of eternal life and magnify your calling now. Begin practicing being a valiant covenant keeper now so you can “daily perform your vows” later.

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

Deaf people and Psalms

 I am back in the ASL branch! This will be month 19 of serving in Fremont. It's nice to be back. 

My companion is Elder Ardinger. He's one of the most deaf people I've ever met. Brother has been through a lot and it's a miracle he's out on a mission. He's been helping me with my ASL. I keep thinking I know everything and then he teaches me more signs and stuff and it feels like I am still a beginner. 

Elder Reed Johnson is finally back to the California San Jose Mission! He went home because he destroyed his knee like 6 months ago. I trained him last August and now he's back! It's poetically beautiful that I get to be with him again. 

Our 4 man apartment is actually crazy. 2 Deaf 2 Hearing. We have a lot of fun, but we also have a lot of frustrations and really difficult days. A few times every day something is misunderstood and it leads to somebody being in a bad mood. We are trying so hard to understand each other and it's exhausting in every way. Sometimes it feels like it's hearing versus Deaf and it sucks because we forget that truly, we are all on the same team. We all have the same goal. If we can't work together in unity then nothing is ever gonna happen. 

When I was in ASL before, we also covered an English ward. Now there are 2 companionships that ONLY cover the ASL branch. What are we supposed to do all day long? I have no clue! We end up on Facebook a lot. We have been trying to make videos that will actually mean something to a non-member Deaf person. We do lots of video calls where nobody answers. And we drive a lot. Elder Ardinger and I have been visiting a Deaf Woman who wants to be baptized but has a lot of doubts and concerns that we’re trying to help with. She lives an hour south. Add California traffic to that and we're taking about 4 hours of our day to have a 45 minutes lesson with her. That's actually insane. 

Here's some things that you probably don't know about having a Deaf companion.

You have to wake them up every morning 

Car rides are awkward because you can't really talk

For some reason they love playing around on guitars and pianos

Interpreting is mentally exhausting.

They're insanely expressive so you always know exactly how they feel

During study time they always ask me what words mean and I have to try and explain (some good ones from this week were ‘confide’ ‘proceeding’ ‘supposed’ ‘deliver’ and ‘sariah’)

With that, I am also constantly asking what signs mean 

Idk if this is all Deaf people, but elder Ardinger loves games, cooking, and handmade crafts.

Sometimes they throw stuff or slam doors and you think they're mad but they're actually just Deaf.

A Lot of Deaf people have tender feelings. This makes them so lovable. You just gotta be careful with what you say or how you joke or what you do. 

“Listening” is actually just Watching and showing you care with your facial expressions

If you wanna talk to them while they're in the bathroom you take a video of yourself signing and throw it under the door. (We've already done it a few times)

You can listen to music whenever you want and they'll never know.

We visited some Deaf people in Pleasanton (30 minute drive) and while we were in a care home I heard some Indian on the phone talking in Hindi so I peek around the corner and I'm like “ कैसे हो?” And he was like “क्या….”

Then we had a super good talk about my adventure learning hindi and he just couldn't get over the fact that a white kid was talking in hindi. We're friends on fb now and he challenged me to learn Punjabi as well. 

We played volleyball with some Deaf friends and some hearing people from the ward.

One of the Deaf girls had a super tall big hearing boyfriend (that doesn't know ASL(?)) And he was way way in the game. Like diving for balls and shooting out when the ball was his. Then there was one serve and it was going right for elder Ardinger and this giant guy shouted “I go! I go!” And ran right into elder Ardinger and sent him flying and crashing to the floor.

Then he went over to apologize and literally actually said “sorry, I did call it though” and everybody else on the team was like “bruh….he's Deaf” 

I could see the mental work happening inside as he realized Deaf means they can't hear- even if you yell really loud. 

We filled a balloon up with dry rice and air and then threw it at the ceiling fan. 

Elder Ardinger gave himself a haircut.

Elder Johnson fell out of his chair during a video call

I started using a gallon jug as a water bottle and drank all of it a few days this week.

I got pushed in the shower with my clothes on then they turned the lights off and the shower on. So then Everybody hopped in.

Interpreting church on Sunday for the Hearing people that come to ASL branch actually destroys my mind. 

Then interpreting zone council on Monday into ASL also kills my brain.

We went fishing and got a sting ray.

Today my heart is full of gratitude for the Psalms. Jesus himself said “all things must be fulfilled, which were written. . . in the psalms, concerning me” (Luke 24:44)

The psalms are not just cool poems written by King David about Jesus. They are legit scripture full of pure doctrine and prophecy, all conveyed in a beautiful and symbolically stunning way. 

Here a few that have become guiding phrases of my life:

“Blessed is the man whose delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law doth he meditate day and night”

“Stand In awe and sin not”

“I have set the Lord always before me”

“Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me”

“The lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall i fear? The lord is the strength of my life”

“They repent and in a moment [his anger] is turned away. . .therefore, weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning”

“In my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved.”

“Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it”

“I am thy salvation”

“But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave”

As I come to the close of my mission I hope to echo the words of the 40th psalm and say 

“ I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O Lord, thou knowest. I have not hid thy righteousness in my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy loving-kindness and thy truth”

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

If I wasn't endowed I'd be dead.

 

We helped at yet another move lol. After we got everything into the truck we headed to a storage place and I was taking a giant mirror out of there. I was gonna put it to the side so we could get the big stuff out. Then a big blast of wind came around the corner and I hit the bottom of the mirror on the ground-oof. The mirror shattered and a shard of glass went right to my leg, it tore a hole in my pants and I felt it against my leg. I was sure this was gonna be pretty bad and there’d be blood. But I look down and there's nothing. . .

You wanna know why? My garments. The glass had been stopped by my garments. my pants were destroyed lol-But everything under the garments was fine. So we threw away the glass and proceeded with the move.

We started exchanges with the Chinese Elders. We ended up starting really late- which was actually divine because as we head out to the car, we see a ton of Indians all walking together. Prolly in their 20s. So I just shouted to them “मेरा यार क्या चल रहा है?!”(my dude what's up?) They stopped walking and stared at us so baffled and confused. And one of them is like “you speak hindi..?” and so I say “हाँ जी क्या आप हिन्दी बोलना है?” (yes sir, do you speak hindi?”) All the guys with him are laughing and can't believe there's a white teenager, dressed up in church clothes standing next to a Taiwanese guy in pajamas. The next thing the indian in front says is “what's your number i wanna be your friend!” then Elder Tien pulls out my hindi flashcards from my pocket and shows them my plan of salvation hindi phrases. It was insane. we got home at like 11:30 though… 

I made banana bread.

My trainer, Luke Prestwich, came and visited me. Man it was incredible to see him again. 

My ASL trainers, Hyatt White and Shepard Rigby, also came and saw me- super amazing. These 3 elders have impacted me so much and taught me everything. The mission is so divine! Now that I am training, again, It was eye-opening to see how much I love and respect my trainers and it's like…am I being a good-enough trainer? Will Elder LaBar feel this way about me? How can I make the rest of our time together sacred and significant for him? I hope I'm doing a good job. 

Yesterday we were on our way to our car when outta nowhere a car with 3 teenage girls pulled up. We’re already at the car and I’m told in my mind “I timed this just right for you to go speak to them. they need to hear your testimony” so I look to Elder LaBar who was already tryna get in the car and i'm like “hey, lets go talk to them real quick” I came over to the chick driving and motioned for her to roll the window down. She waves implying “no” and for 1 second I wanna accept it and just go to the next place, get outta the sun and get in the car. But, come on! I know better- so I wave again and the window comes down. I introduced us and saw that 2 of the girls were indian. All the sudden they all open up and keep saying “i have one more question” we answer it, testify, then they ask again “i have one more question” it was like a dream come true. I wish everybody would just ask us questions. lol We talked a ton about the Book of Mormon and prophets, the Word of Wisdom, Polygamy, missionary work. I also got to speak hindi with them and show off. There's not very many things I love more than speaking hindi. They also wanted to know what the best thing that's happened to me during the past 23 months was and so I shared the story of Pugal. It was crazy powerful and for the first time, all 3 of them were silent after that story. I wish we could have kept talking but then somebody's mom comes out and calls them inside. She gave us an interesting look lol. But I know that the spirit will make sure they remember us. They will remember the spirit that was there and according to God's plan they will meet with missionaries again and they’re gonna get baptized for sure. 

I love being a missionary in the California Bay Area. There is nowhere else in the world like this. I love doing God's work. I love the Book of Mormon. I love driving here. I love Indian food. I love American Sign Language. I love my YSA ward. I love Hindi. I love the missionaries I serve with. I love my mission leaders. I love this church so much. You already know I will never ever step away. Imma serve God for the rest of my life.

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

Despite the crap, this is the best

 I love my mission President. I've been having many concerns and questions recently and during interviews I was finally able to dump them all on President Larson. I came out with more answers than questions I went in with. I cried a lot. President gave me a blessing and told me several times how amazing I am. God trusts me. He has given me a greenie! I still can't believe He trusted me to train this Elder.

One completely unrelated pet peeve that's been popping up a lot recently is when people comment on me having the gift of tongues. I don't think I've been blessed with that gift. ASL and Hindi were both insanely difficult for me. I don't have words or phrases that come to mind. I don't find it miraculously easy to use my languages when teaching. I was blessed with companions who supported me (sometimes more than I wanted) in learning these languages. I was blessed with diligence and the ability to study. But most of all I was blessed with Love for all those who were relying on me to learn their language so they can receive ordinances. 

Learning hindi did not just happen. It was not easy at all. It's been an active struggle for over a year and I still don't know what to say lol.

I feel like people completely miss the value and true story of what hindi means to me when they think “oh, he must have the gift of languages” I have fought, and completely exhausted myself, and cried to learn how to speak this language all in hopes that 1 indian family will be able to accept the Truth and be sealed in the Oakland temple. That image helps me to keep going. 

I know God is helping me of course, but he still makes it just about as difficult as it could be lol.

We helped with a miserable move this week. All I would like to mention is that there was an actual turd on a bed we moved and it unfortunately smeared all over the place.

I promise every person reading this that my future home will not have poop laying around. In fact, my home will be clean. I don't care what it takes- my house will be clean. My wife and I will always have a nice, clean organized home.

Fotos:

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

Now this week wasn't all crappy (lol) we also were able to visit Fremont for the baptism of Haripriya, a Deaf Indian whom I was able to teach a ton. Before the baptism, we went to the Gurdwara with the hindi elders and got some incredible free indian food. My head scarf fell off and some precious amazing Indian woman came up and offered to help and retied it perfectly- I looked like an actual sikh. 

Then the baptism. Wow. I love every single person in the ASL branch so much and my heart was full as I was able to sign with all of them again and catch up. The baptism was beautiful and full of the spirit. My friend Pugal (the almost 1-yr convert with the amazing video on fb) came to the ASL baptism just so he could see me. Before the meeting he whispered to me “Elder Owens…..I am receiving the melchizedek priesthood tomorrow” I hugged him and told him how awesome that really is. Then I remembered my first time meeting him at church, then I remembered his baptism. He's come so insanely far. I could not hold back tears lol. I just looked at this incredible Indian man and saw him as a son of God full of sincere desire to serve the Lord and cried. 

There is nothing like this. There is nothing as precious as seeing people's lives change. God changed these people and trusted me to be a part of it! 

I cannot believe it's been 23 months.

Love you all!

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

Well, now my 2nd favorite is psalm 19. 

We helped some random chick take her blinds down and so she gave us a free plate with a turtle on it.

Met a sweet family, they gave us Popsicles, and their daughter only has 1 ½ arms

At a member meal they asked what brought my family to Utah and I said “a car” 

They also asked what language my tag was in and I said ASL even though it was hindi.

Man, I am so funny!

Talked to a chick who's 96 years old and more alert than I am. She had an autobiography about how she was the first woman to climb up tall things to paint them- like flagpoles and stuff. So because of her, women have jobs.

We invited all of our friends to a baptism, they all came! But nobody was there except for us and our friends. Turns out we were a day late to the baptism. 

Finally got my Hindi testimony video up! It's pretty good. Go watch it and share it with every single person you can. Everybody needs to know that I can speak hindi. 

Met a cool kid named Vince who knows the Bible better than most adults. He took a book of Mormon and has been texting us about it. If he gets baptized while I'm here then I'll try and set him up with one of my sisters.

Helped out at a multiple sclerosis run event thing. It rained harder than I've ever seen it rain in saratoga. This was the first time I've seen it rain in saratoga. We were outside for 4 hours and the rains came down the whole time. Every piece of my clothing was wet and there was just a stream down my face. But it was all worth it because we got cool t-shirts that say “volunteer.” My volunteer shirt is actually still sopping wet. 

Here's an amazing miracle:

Elder Millard and I decided we were gonna text the YSA members on their birthday, we got a list for this month and the day we started there was a name: Violet Fong. I recognized it instantly. I had seen it before in the ASL members list. No way there's a Deaf member in the YSA right? So I text her and ask her and….yup. She's Deaf. I found her Facebook and it turns out she's married too. So we're gonna visit her tonight. I had to be in this exact area so I could find her and teach her. There's so many things adding up here it's insane. God keeps track of all his children and has plans for all of them. Absolutely crazy. 

I love this sequence in psalm 19:

7 The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. 

8 The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. 

9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.

Everything from God is just so good. We can trust him. He will help us. The most valuable and precious things in life are all related to a knowledge of God and ou4 relationship with Him. 

Send me a email!

Silly Hama

 First off, please check out my good friend's Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/28i9MTT2FW1FnGmjkUdBLL?si=_XS7cnQzTEWpI82M6Ae3hQ

This is Elder Francom. He is one of my best friends I've made out here. He's super tall and so funny and just a blast to be with. Plus he's an incredibly talented musician. Please listen to some of his songs!

This week we had a giant ASL missionary Devo where they told us a little bit about how ASL missionaries can now be transferred between certain missions. Brother President Smith (my previous mission President) kinda gave the whole presentation so that was neat.

Then we made an Easter Video- start to finish in 1 day. Very stressful but luckily I have Indians and sister missionaries to help me. 

On Easter Sunday we had lunch with a somewhat new-to-the-ward family, the Johnstons. In December she gave a talk about our Christmas gift to Jesus that had significantly struck me and helped me to take some steps I needed to. This lunch was kind of my first time ever talking with her so I let her know that her talk kinda changed my life. 

She was a little shocked- she thought she did awful and was amazed I remembered anything or could have even learned anything.

I know that giving our sins and pains and frustrations to Jesus Christ is good! It's what we're supposed to do. It's at the top of his Christmas list. When we give our garbage and darkness to Jesus it shows that we trust him and that we love him. If we love Jesus enough to repent then naturally we will love him enough to be a true disciple. True repentance is how we come to know who the savior really is…and he wants us to know Him.

So. That was a really special moment. I'm glad I got to thank her.

I went on Exchange to the Chinese area. On our way out of my apartment some lady yelled at us to help her find her dog. So we did. We ran into an Indian couple who had the dog, told them we had just met the owner a few minutes ago and then led them to each other. Pretty cool miracle. Plus I spoke hindi to the couple and they almost gave up the ghost. We actually had a decent conversation! The exchange was actually so good. Elder Tien is a legend and he inspires me to be better.

We dropped some letters off to some sisters in the zone and we got there at just the right time. They had a service earlier where they got like over 3000 dollars worth of beauty products. So we each got a little goodie bag with all sorts of stuff. So now Elder Lewis and I both smell like women.

This week I read Esther, which means ‘star’ in Persian. It's a pretty neat story. One lesson I would share with you all is the foolishness of Haman. Haman was incredibly successful and had every reason to be happy and pleased with his life. However he decided to focus on everything that was wrong with his life-which was literally like…1 thing…Mordechai.

He let 1 person destroy his joy and peace….and ultimately….kill him.

You'll have to read the story, it's in….Esther. 

Mordechai is kind of an example of the opposite. He was surrounded by non-jewish people who persecuted and hated him yet he never let go of his faith. Even when other Jews would bow to Haman-he never did. When the awful news was posted all around saying all jews would be destroyed- everybody just cries and mourns. Of course Mordechai does too- but he was the only to ACT. He strategically mourns outside the palace so he can start a series of messages to Esther. He gives Esther the charge to talk to King Thesaurus. (That part is a joke. You'll have to read it to see his real name)

Haman is killed.

Mordecai becomes the king's right hand man.

Basically, don't let small things that don't actually matter and that you can't control anyways bother you!

And when everything goes wrong and life is awful, do something, act with faith! Be wise and never give up. 

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

A sword and a hammer

 I went on exchanges with Elder Keller this week! We stayed up till about 1 sharing our life stories. Elder Keller is a pretty incredible person! He's one of the Chinese elders I came in with so we got to talk about Chinese program things. We're both coming to close of out mission (wink) so it was cool to have a whole talk about everything we've learned and what we hope to accomplish with the time we have left.

On Monday we had interviews with President Larson and I officially extended my mission 1 transfer. July is just too soon lol and I need more time to study my languageS and the gospel as a missionary. Plus I believe God told me to.

President Larson also shared with me that a stake president from the south of our mission was talking with him and said “I heard you have hindi elders…I would love to have one here.” so I will be going to Saratoga. 

We started exchanges with the ASLders that night and I got to be with Elder Ardineger- he is such a treasure! He is Deaf and has been serving since December. We had soooo much fun!

Nehemiah is a very special book of the Old Testament. Despite being near the middle, chronologically it's the very last book to take place. Nehemiah was the king's cupbearer, meaning the king trusted him with his life (kings were sometimes poisoned) when Nehemiah learns about the efforts to rebuild Jerusalem he really wants to go. So he asks the king if he can. King says yes, gives him some guards and Nehemiah heads out. 

When they arrive Nehemiah runs around the whole place taking a mental inventory of everything that needs to be repaired- which is everything. King Nebuchadnezzar really did a number on this place.  

Nehemiah finds the guys in charge and then becomes the man in charge.

ALSO- the whole time- the Samaritans are tryna kill them! Samaritans WERE Israelite, they're just the ones that intermarriage with Babylon and Persia and stuff after Israel was carried captive. They still “believe in God” they just had adopted other nations' ways of believing in God and so they were no longer allowed to help with any of the rebuilding of Jerusalem or the temple. So instead of repenting or something they just try to kill the Jews. 

So- here is the point of everything I've shared- Nehemiah 4:17

“17 They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon”

With one hand they are building the lords kingdom. With the other they are ready to fight. This is exactly how I feel as an Elder. I feel like I have one hand building the kingdom and teaching (sometimes I do teach with both my hands) and just as important as the first hand, I have a hand defending myself from Satan's attacks. He doesn't want me to succeed. He has very sneaky ways of fighting. BUT

“14 And I[nehemiah] looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.

20 …our God shall fight for us.”

So do the lords work

Defend yourself from Satan and don't be afraid.

Remember God will fight for you

New tie who dis?

 

🌄We started the week off at 3:30 on p-day morning so we could go hike up a mountain with the other missionaries. However, it was raining a lot. So we got McDonald's and hiked a much smaller hill instead. 

Every 6 months the Central Park Ward (one of the wards I've been serving in for nearly 18 months) has a giant community activity they call the 'clothing swap' where everybody in Fremont and all the surrounding cities rounds up all the junk in their home and brings it to the church where we sort it out on tables. Then everybody comes and just takes whatever they want. 

Within the first hour there's unbelievably giant stacks on every table, more than 100 people in the gym, and an overpowering interesting smell that just sticks in your nose.

We got to help out with that thursday-saturday! I got a new tie- so all the weird smells were worth it.

Saturday morning I was studying Preach My Gospel about to finish a paragraph and to blow my nose when somebody knocked on our door- I answered the door and it was my ASL Trainers- Shepherd Rigby and Hyatt White! We caught up and hugged. It was so weird to see them again...at the apartment we used to all live in and then again at the clothing swap- a year ago I was with them serving at the clothing swap…

Then we went and got pizza- at a place I went to with them about a year ago. So many feelings lol. I love them very much and I'm excited to hang out more in like 5 months!

I got to go on Exchange with the ASLders again on Monday. We went and tutored at the Deaf School, some of the teachers recognized me and we caught up. 

That night we met with a family I had found a few months ago and they'd come to church and had been reading the Book of Mormon on their own...so Elder Serban and I asked them to be baptized and gave them a preview of our hope for their future. We talked about the word of wisdom, sabbath day, tithing, and temple and they just said yes yes yes! They are ready to change their life! It was actually amazing and had me wishing everybody was as good as they are with "Agency" . I have never met anybody who is so good at keeping every commitment we give them. They were at church the Sunday after we met them and They've been studying the Book of Mormon as a family every week since. So if you want, you can pray for the Vance family. They set a goal to be baptized on the 13th of April! 

This week in my study of the Old Testament I was reminded of something President Griffith taught me back when he was my Bishop. One thing I heard more than anything else was "the first leadership is self-leadership. You cannot lead others where you are not"

In 2 chronicles there's a few chapters about king Amaziah (we'll be focused on chapter 25:1-13). He was pretty cool (most of the time...had an unfortunate but sadly common ending to his story 25:14- 28)

Like always, he's getting ready for war and councils with the prophet about what to do. Before he talked to the prophet he had bought help from Israel (he's the Judah king) the prophet says "tell them you don't need their help- Gods gonna win this one for you"

Amaziah is like "dude I paid them like 100 talents- you really want me to tell them to go home?"

Prophet is like " yup- God can give you way more than 100 talents if you do it his way" (amen amen)

So Amaziah tells the Israel army to go home and here it is:

 "11 And Amaziah STRENGTHEND HIMSELF and LED forth his people" (capitalization added)

And if you're curious- they absolutely won.

I love that it says Amaziah strengthened himself BEFORE he led the people to war. That is leadership- you have to know how to build yourself up and get motivated and fired up- THEN you can "lead forth [the] people''

The first leadership is always self leadership. You cannot invite people to do things and go places when you're not doing those things or in those places. So- do amazing things and gain a testimony of them and then invite everybody to do the same! 

And like always, keep the fire burning (Levi 6:13)

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