NOTE: 1 NEW PICTURE! CLICK ON THE PICTURES TO THE RIGHT TO VIEW THE PICTURE ALBUM.
This last week was the best!
It wasn't a Monsoon when we left, but it quickly turned into one. The rain and the wind was coming down so hard that the only semi-reliable source of light was the almost-constant lightning. The rain was coming down so hard that in 15 minutes, there were small rivers forming on the side of all the roads and after 30 minutes, the sidewalks disappeared under all the rain water. There was complete flooding happening everywhere. We used this time, however, to go and visit all the people we wanted to come to church. I remember there was this one man who was sitting outside one of our investigator's houses and we walked up and he was completely shocked that we were willing to go out in the rain just to get people to church. At that time, we were completely soaked and were walking it puddles in our shoes from all the rain. It is amazing the reaction you get from people. They're like, "Sure, I’ll go to church 'cause you guys are so freakin' crazy to be out in this weather just to get me to come to church."
We came home and took a few videos to show everyone. When we were biking home, I was on the sidewalks biking because the biking lanes were under 8 inches of water, the sidewalks were only under 1 or 2. But when I came to an intersection, I had to bike as hard as I could then tuck my legs up as far as I could so then when I plunged into the 8-9 inch deep water that my legs and shoes wouldn't slow me down and I would hope that I got fast enough to push my bike across the intersection to a place where I could pedal without putting my foot underwater. So much fun.
But that is a wonderful example of what happens when we work really hard, especially in the Lord's service. Our hard work and example can cause anothers' conscience to wake up and it can stir them to action
Have a great week!
Elder Sands
Picture of:
Soaked by monsoon
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
This last week has been amazing!
This new (English) area has more investigators and recent converts than my deaf branch has members. We have about 10 appointments a day and wow is it hot here on bike. The majority of our ward are these 5 neighboring apartment complexes on the southern-most boundary of our ward (and the furthest away from our apartment) that, added together, are about 1,000 apartments. That is where 95% of our work is and most of those places are really rough, there are homicides in those places monthly, but wow, some of the best people, who are truly converted to the gospel, live in those places.
One of my favorite people, Shawna, just met with us for the first time last week and she is just taking in the gospel like a sponge. When we asked her when she would want to be baptized, and gave her the 12th, 19th, and 26th as possibilities, she responded without hesitation the 12th. We're going to have to teach her a lot, but she, in her words as she described it, it was filling a void, or a hole in her life that she didn't know was there.
I know this Gospel is true and that blessings await you in keeping the Sabbath Day holy!
I hope you have a great week everyone!
Elder Sands
This new (English) area has more investigators and recent converts than my deaf branch has members. We have about 10 appointments a day and wow is it hot here on bike. The majority of our ward are these 5 neighboring apartment complexes on the southern-most boundary of our ward (and the furthest away from our apartment) that, added together, are about 1,000 apartments. That is where 95% of our work is and most of those places are really rough, there are homicides in those places monthly, but wow, some of the best people, who are truly converted to the gospel, live in those places.
One of my favorite people, Shawna, just met with us for the first time last week and she is just taking in the gospel like a sponge. When we asked her when she would want to be baptized, and gave her the 12th, 19th, and 26th as possibilities, she responded without hesitation the 12th. We're going to have to teach her a lot, but she, in her words as she described it, it was filling a void, or a hole in her life that she didn't know was there.
I know this Gospel is true and that blessings await you in keeping the Sabbath Day holy!
I hope you have a great week everyone!
Elder Sands
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
NOTE: 2 NEW PICTURES! CLICK ON THE PICTURES TO THE RIGHT TO VIEW THE PICTURE ALBUM.
So I have been transferred from of the ASL program and have been moved to English in the most southern area in our mission which currently is in Mesa. I've only been here a couple of days, but it’s been great so far. I'm kind of sad to be away of ASL and its not fun having to bike in 118 degree weather, but I’ll get along.
We have more investigators in this ward right now than I’ve had my entire mission in deaf work. We have 17 Investigators and many less actives with 5 people on date for baptism. Wow does the work move faster in English.
Mesa's like a mini Utah. I've heard many rumors about how everyone in Mesa is either a member, Hispanic, or Anti-Mormon. Missionaries that go out to eat almost never pay for their own food because members will pay for them most of the time because they're EVERYWHERE, and they won't even pay for 1/2 the groceries they get because members will see them and pay for it all. Pretty crazy. I didn't really believe it until I got here. I had just gotten home from transfers and we were biking to our first appointment and halfway there, a car stopped by us and handed us two really big water bottles. The first 15 minutes in the area and already stuff like this is happening!
I haven't met too many people, but we've already gone team teaching with a non-member and have had 3 lessons in one afternoon. That's more than we would sometimes get in a whole week.
My companion, Elder Clark, was my zone leader when I first got here, so I knew him pretty well. We get along great but he goes home halfway through next transfer, so I’ll probably stay in this area for the next 2 transfers minimum. We were practically whitewashed into this area because Elder Clark was in Snowflake a week ago but got Emergency Transferred down here to Mesa. Then I came a week later and both of us don't know most of the people in the entire ward. Lots of work to do here.
I hope you all have a wonderful week! Please pray for the heat down here to 1: either not kill me, or 2: drop down to a sudden 80 degrees and stay that way :)
Elder Sands
So I have been transferred from of the ASL program and have been moved to English in the most southern area in our mission which currently is in Mesa. I've only been here a couple of days, but it’s been great so far. I'm kind of sad to be away of ASL and its not fun having to bike in 118 degree weather, but I’ll get along.
We have more investigators in this ward right now than I’ve had my entire mission in deaf work. We have 17 Investigators and many less actives with 5 people on date for baptism. Wow does the work move faster in English.
Mesa's like a mini Utah. I've heard many rumors about how everyone in Mesa is either a member, Hispanic, or Anti-Mormon. Missionaries that go out to eat almost never pay for their own food because members will pay for them most of the time because they're EVERYWHERE, and they won't even pay for 1/2 the groceries they get because members will see them and pay for it all. Pretty crazy. I didn't really believe it until I got here. I had just gotten home from transfers and we were biking to our first appointment and halfway there, a car stopped by us and handed us two really big water bottles. The first 15 minutes in the area and already stuff like this is happening!
I haven't met too many people, but we've already gone team teaching with a non-member and have had 3 lessons in one afternoon. That's more than we would sometimes get in a whole week.
My companion, Elder Clark, was my zone leader when I first got here, so I knew him pretty well. We get along great but he goes home halfway through next transfer, so I’ll probably stay in this area for the next 2 transfers minimum. We were practically whitewashed into this area because Elder Clark was in Snowflake a week ago but got Emergency Transferred down here to Mesa. Then I came a week later and both of us don't know most of the people in the entire ward. Lots of work to do here.
I hope you all have a wonderful week! Please pray for the heat down here to 1: either not kill me, or 2: drop down to a sudden 80 degrees and stay that way :)
Elder Sands
Monday, August 10, 2015
NOTE: 2 NEW PICTURES! CLICK ON THE PICTURES TO THE RIGHT TO VIEW THE PICTURE ALBUM.
This last week was wonderful. We've had a fair amount of success and 2 of our investigators are still on date and we are having tons of less-active members coming to church! It's Wonderful!
Not everything in this world can be song, dance, and Jolly Ranchers however. One of our investigators who is on date now probably won't be soon. He's not been coming to church and says he's been having a lot of problems lately so he'll most likely not be able to make it by August 23rd.
It also sounds like I’m leaving the ASL program and going to the mountains to be with Elder Clark, the missionary who used to be zone leader over my zone for 9 transfers (that's about a year of being a zone leader in one area). He's is really nice person and we'll get along great. I'm just really sad about leaving ASL and the worst part is that I’ll miss both of the baptisms! After working with an investigator for 6 months and she gets baptized the Saturday after I transfer! Now that is awful timing.
I also just got a new Logitech iPad case and keyboard (which I am using to type this email) and they are both wonderful. The keyboard has a felt like feeling to it instead of the normal plastic. It's also made to be used for anything with Bluetooth so it's not just apple. It's the perfect size and it works really well. The case is a wonderful shade of purple and can adjust to any angle you wish and it protects the case quite well. Really nice.
I hope everything is going good for every one of you out there reading this letter. I just want to share my testimony that I know this church is true and it has blessed my life beyond measure, and no matter what part of life you may be in right now, there is something Heavenly Father wants to help you with, it is just a simple matter of asking for it. I know this is true for I have felt it.
Have a wonderful Week!
Elder Sands
This last week was wonderful. We've had a fair amount of success and 2 of our investigators are still on date and we are having tons of less-active members coming to church! It's Wonderful!
Not everything in this world can be song, dance, and Jolly Ranchers however. One of our investigators who is on date now probably won't be soon. He's not been coming to church and says he's been having a lot of problems lately so he'll most likely not be able to make it by August 23rd.
It also sounds like I’m leaving the ASL program and going to the mountains to be with Elder Clark, the missionary who used to be zone leader over my zone for 9 transfers (that's about a year of being a zone leader in one area). He's is really nice person and we'll get along great. I'm just really sad about leaving ASL and the worst part is that I’ll miss both of the baptisms! After working with an investigator for 6 months and she gets baptized the Saturday after I transfer! Now that is awful timing.
I also just got a new Logitech iPad case and keyboard (which I am using to type this email) and they are both wonderful. The keyboard has a felt like feeling to it instead of the normal plastic. It's also made to be used for anything with Bluetooth so it's not just apple. It's the perfect size and it works really well. The case is a wonderful shade of purple and can adjust to any angle you wish and it protects the case quite well. Really nice.
I hope everything is going good for every one of you out there reading this letter. I just want to share my testimony that I know this church is true and it has blessed my life beyond measure, and no matter what part of life you may be in right now, there is something Heavenly Father wants to help you with, it is just a simple matter of asking for it. I know this is true for I have felt it.
Have a wonderful Week!
Elder Sands
Monday, August 3, 2015
NOTE: 2 NEW PICTURES! CLICK ON THE PICTURES TO THE RIGHT TO VIEW THE PICTURE ALBUM.
This last week was wonderful! About 8-9 months ago, there was an investigator who was just about to be baptized but a week before the day, he moved to Mexico because of family. This last week he came back! Wow this guy is golden. He remembers almost everything from the lessons and is really excited and anxious to be baptized. He’s on date for the 23rd of August. Then we had a lesson with our other eternigator (A person who's been investigating for what seems like eternity) and she finally accepted a date to be baptized. She also chosen the 23rd. Wonderful to see such progress and conversion in those two!
The ASL program is getting shifted around a bit this next transfer. Elder Brose is coming back from hearing work after 4 transfers there and either Elder Burr or I will be transferred to hearing work. Elder Burr's been my companion since day one so it’ll be strange without him.
This P-day we took on a walk on the worldly side, we went to the Scottsdale Fashion Square (a mall) and for all of you who have read or watched the hunger games, it was like walking into the capitol. Everyone was wearing really nice clothes, had lots of jewelry, and were browsing the $500-1000 things like it was nothing.
We looked at the ties and I saw one that was amazing and it felt so good, but then I looked at the price tag and saw a whopping $84! That was kind of depressing but it was fun to look at all the expensive stuff. We also went to the Windows store (there was no Apple Store which kind of tells you something...) and got to play on the several different kinds of surfaces and the desktops. They had tons of really cool keyboards and mice, and wow, Windows 10 is amazing! That personal assistant is really nice too (blows Siri out of the water). We also visited the Tesla store. It was really cool to see all the technology integrated into that car. That is probably my dream car right now.
I also got this really cool fountain for my study desk. It makes me happy.
This last week was wonderful! About 8-9 months ago, there was an investigator who was just about to be baptized but a week before the day, he moved to Mexico because of family. This last week he came back! Wow this guy is golden. He remembers almost everything from the lessons and is really excited and anxious to be baptized. He’s on date for the 23rd of August. Then we had a lesson with our other eternigator (A person who's been investigating for what seems like eternity) and she finally accepted a date to be baptized. She also chosen the 23rd. Wonderful to see such progress and conversion in those two!
The ASL program is getting shifted around a bit this next transfer. Elder Brose is coming back from hearing work after 4 transfers there and either Elder Burr or I will be transferred to hearing work. Elder Burr's been my companion since day one so it’ll be strange without him.
This P-day we took on a walk on the worldly side, we went to the Scottsdale Fashion Square (a mall) and for all of you who have read or watched the hunger games, it was like walking into the capitol. Everyone was wearing really nice clothes, had lots of jewelry, and were browsing the $500-1000 things like it was nothing.
We looked at the ties and I saw one that was amazing and it felt so good, but then I looked at the price tag and saw a whopping $84! That was kind of depressing but it was fun to look at all the expensive stuff. We also went to the Windows store (there was no Apple Store which kind of tells you something...) and got to play on the several different kinds of surfaces and the desktops. They had tons of really cool keyboards and mice, and wow, Windows 10 is amazing! That personal assistant is really nice too (blows Siri out of the water). We also visited the Tesla store. It was really cool to see all the technology integrated into that car. That is probably my dream car right now.
I also got this really cool fountain for my study desk. It makes me happy.
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