Wednesday, October 23, 2013

October 21, 2013


Hola Familia/Amigos
This week has been absolutely insane! Like holy Johner! Where do i even begin! Wanna know the good news first? Or the Bad News? If i start with the goodnews, than i hate to break it to ya Mom, But you probably shouldnt read the Bad News! Otherwise you might be terrified! For my Safety! But if you really want i guess anyone can read! Otherwise if your worried about me on the mission i probably would continue to read when it gets a little crazy! But here we go! Lets get going on this wild bull!  
First off, Lets start off with last Tuesday! My Birthday! Whoop Whoop! Worst Birthday/Funniest Birthday i think i have ever had in my life! I was scheduled to travel to Napa, for Exchanges with the Zone leaders! When it come around to about 10:00 Oclock Zone leaders were at the house, and we were just getting our stuff packed up and ready to go to district meeting, in which after wards Elder Olson and I were going to be headed to Napa! Turns out, i never made it to Napa! The Exchange never happened! It was completely all set up, everyone was ready to go after District meeting! However, We never ended up having a district meeting! Unless you call a meeting with another Car some what a district meeting! Yes we got into a Car ACCIDENT! Pretty crazy i know! At 45 MPH we were headed down the Road with cyclists on the Right and construction in front of us! Traffic came to a complete hault in which i had time to yell "Stop! Elder Payne STOP!" In that amount of time, he was able to hit the Brakes, didnt have time to lock them up, and with no where to swerve we were in the Trunk of the Car infront of us! Going 40 MPH when we made contact! Yes, 7 airbags when off! 4 Car Pile up! 4 Hrs in the Emergency! 1 Fire truck! 2 Ambulances! Last but not Least a Totaled 2013 Ford Fusion! Elder Payne and Elder Olson, Completely stretched down to stretcher boards getting put into an Ambulance, along with the 92 Year older Feller that we hit, who took it like a complete Champion! This is where i can definately testify that angels truly do surround us as missionaries, and we are kept safe from the world! Dont worry though, i was all swarmed up by arm bags, except the fact that it took about 4 days to get my hearing back! Im all good though, and so are they! Even the 92 year old feller! After spending 4 Hrs in the Emergency room, I was finally able to go home to a huge pile of Packages on my Desk! That was the great part about my birthday! Now 24 hours after that car accident Satan, truly was working his very hardest on us! We had 6 flat tires! 7 lessons fall through, and just a completely unsuccesful day at all!
However, I did get some amazing Birthday gifts this week! Got 3 great looking ties from my Sisters and Grandma! Tons of Food! Thank good my parents send me the Jungle Gym XT, Otherwise i would be getting so fat! it would be redicoulous! The Banning family treated me so well, and send me a Deep fryer! Holy Cow, i Bought Oil today, and cannot wait to start Deep frying me some Chicken, and Maybe some French Fries! Just gotta get Uncle Curtis to Send me a Box of Spuds! ;) Ha ha Last but definately not least, i was sent a Birthday Present that has so much Personal, and Sentimental meaning to me! That it will actually be getting sent home today! Thank you Aunt Genny! For sewing me my highschool Career T-Shirt Blanket! I would love to use it on the Mission but, am to worried it will get Ruined! Also just wanna send a Shout out to anyone else who sent me money, and other great things for my birthday! It was great! Thank you all!
The rest of the week went pretty well! Still a little startled from  the car accident! We had a hard time focusing during studies, especially when i could hear, and Elder Payne was having pretty severe back Pain! Studies just werent that succesful! However Saturday we were able to have all the missionaries from the Napa Zone come to Sonoma, and do the Blitz! Such a great expereince, being able to do what we call "Zebras" Which is where we put a English missionary with a Spanish missionary! That way doesnt matter what Langauge they run into they can contact either way! This week when it comes to teaching lessons we did much better! We taught 2 Less active lessons, but also got 5 Other lessons, which are just lesson with our investigators without a member present! Such a better week when it comes to that, but now that we are down to only 1 car in Sonoma Miles are tight, and we cant ever go anywhere together as a district! 
Missionary work is going pretty good! We have been pretty exhausted from the Car Accident, just because it drains the Energy right outta you, but other than that we are still going hard in the paint! Getting down and Dirty in the work! Our investigators are all doing very well, we actually have met a few potentials that members have brought to church that we are going to start teaching here this coming week! Hopefully we will see a baptism here in the next few weeks with a few of them!
Thank you all for everything you do! I love getting your letters! Also would love to hear from some of you more often! I totally understand though if you dont have time to write me! Thank you though! You guys truly are such a great support, to my missionary work!
Love you all!
Love,
Elder Albertson
Car Wreck!! It doesn't look as bad as it was when
 they separated all the vehicles!
All the wonderful things I got for my Birthday!! Dang it...And they even sang to me
with a lit candle that came on some Cupcakes that Mom sent us too!!

This is the Fry Daddy that Sister Banning sent from her family.
They are such an amazing family! Gosh, I love it so much! Thank-you!!
Jungle Gym XT! Yeah Buddy, I'm gonna be getting shredded her soon!
Just me a bit! On the mission they say the 6 months to sexy program!
 I think I'm gonna do the 2 years to sexy!
Oh boy! and here is the Quilt that Aunt Genny sent me.  She is amazing. Most precious gift of all my high school memories.  It means so much! That's why it will be getting sent home, and I would appreciate it if my family at HOME would not use it either!! Thank-you Aunt Genny!  I love it.

October 14, 2013


Hola Familia/Amigos
WOW! Is all i have to say! This week has absolutely Flown! I cannot believe how fast it has gone by! It feels like just Yesterday i was Sitting her in the Library Emailing you all! And now im sitting here doing the same thing again! Oh my goodness! Well here the week is in a brief! Good thing im writting in my Journal because i cannot remember anything! All the Days just end up being one Giant Blurr!
 
We had another Rough week when it comes to teaching lessons, and seeing people! The whole Area of Sonoma, is struggling so hopefully this saturday we are going to have what is called a "Blitz" In Sonoma! A Blitz is where all the missionaries in the Zone come to one Area and you set it up so everyone is in a English Spanish companionship! You than have like 13 or 14 companionship literally just go and Blitz the Area! Talk with everyone possible, Knock doors, everything possible to find those who are interested in the Gospel! This truly is an amazing expereince, it builds so much Zone Unity but can also increase your numbers Magnificiently! Im so excited!
 
I feel like my Langauge might be struggling because the lack of Lessons we teach a week. I talk spanish in the house hold as much a possible but its harder when at first you have only learned Gospel related terms in the Language your learning! I got told the other night by a hispanic thought that my spanish was very good for how long i have been out! So i was happy with hearing that! When i never hear anything more, besides its "Horrible" Keep working! Gets kinda Frustrating and Annoying, but i just learn to rely on pray!
 
We had Zone Conference on Wednesday which was quite an amazing expereince! I was so Thankful that Elder Payne was District Leader because i had to be there early which meant i had the time to be able to visit with other missionaries and get to more than the ones that were in our Zone! Because our Zone conferences were combined with Vallejo Zone! Serving in Vallejo is like serving in Compton! Lots of Gangs, and constantly having to defend your self from getting robbed and such! So I hope and pray The Lord will have enough Faith and Trust in me, to send me to that Area of the Mission! Ill Whip those Gangsters right into Shape! Ha ha Other than that, Zone conference was amazing because we get to learn more that President Alba has Recieved Revelation on Spefically for our Zone and our Areas!
 
I think i can say this last week i had the most solid lesson i have had on my mission so far! With our Investigators Carmen and Antonio Who we can only see once a week on fridays! This week we had the opportunity to pray for a member who might be able to come with us, and be able to Help us, fellowship them into the ward! The names of the Members we had come to our mind, was Javier & Valeria Alonzo! I think i have talked about them a little bit in other emails! The couple who i got to go to there wedding, and than there planning on going through the Temple in a Year! Well them! Ha Ha We also had the opportunity to put 2 and 2 together and get them to the appointment we had! So great! Javier and Valeria are both Converts to the church grew up catholic! Well so are Carmen and Antonio! So we had to kinda give them a little kick in the but when it comes to Authority in the Priesthood! Javier Flat our nailed it! Nailed it right on the head! Kinda like when you 1 Hit sink a nail! We also talked about Eternal Families, and all! Got a baptismal Invitation out as well! They are such an amazing little family Carmen and Antonio are! After the lesson Javier and Valeria and Ethan there 8 year old son, said they would like to begin Family Home evening every week, but they would also love to Invite them, or go to Carmen and Antonios house because they just build such a great Relationship! SO amazing! 
 
Saturday was a great day! You know me, and how much i love doing Hard Manual Labor! We had the Opportunity to be able to help Brother Newman, who is the owner of our Apartment, who just lives in the same home, but a different section, begin to do some Fall clean up! But as well, we had the opportunity to be able to begin redoing his stucko outside the end of our Apartment! The Rest of the Home as been down, he just hasnt had time to finish it, so with it taking 3 coats it was just a big project for him to take on by himself! But with 6 of us missionaries and him, we were able to knock the first coat out, and than we will be helping him finish it here soon! They are such a great family to have as our "Host" Family i guess you could say! So i guess if you ever need help with anything, Just give the missionaries a call! They can pretty much do anything if you ask them to!
 
Not to man expereinces this past week, but definately one expereince i will never be able to forget! I cannot believe here in like 12 days i will have been our 4 months! The time truly does fly! Im almost upset that it is going by so fast! It needs to slow down! I am loving the work way to much! The only tough thing is waking up at 6:30, still not quite used to it yet! Ha ha
 
Love you all!
Love, Elder Albertson!
 Ps. Again with my Birthday, please do not post on my Facebook Happy Birthday, i just dont think it will look very Professional as a missionary or Representative of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Sunday, October 13, 2013

October 7, 2013

Hola Familia/Amigos
   This week has been absolutely horrible when it comes to missionary work, and our numbers! We taught only 3 lessons and 2 of them were through Facebook and Skype! Our Area here in Sonoma, is struggling but it just means Elder Payne and I need to get our hands Down and in the Dirt, and Begin to do the Dirty work! "A missionary isnt a missionary unless he knows how to find people to teach on his own!" - Elder Bednar
   Other than that the week was pretty good! We only had like 3 days last week to actually teach, and proselite which is why i think our numbers were so bad! Monday was P-day, Tuesday was Zone Meeting, and than Friday was weekly planning which takes the complete day, and than Saturday and Sunday was general Conference! So our numbers were down because we didnt have alot of time to be able to teach lessons! Which is Okay!
   Last Week when on exchanges with Elder Olson, we Contacted over 20 people, now this week, Elder Payne and I had the Opportunity to go and visit some of those people in there homes, and were actually able to leave blessings in there homes for the families needs! What a great expereince! Im actually quite inpressed our numbers are Low but our investigators are slowing increasing from the amount of faith that we have, to continue to find people! Everyday that Elder Payne or I dont feel like wanting to contact, I just read my little story to the both of us, and immediately it touches our hearts, and we Grab our back packs and are off on our bikes "Finding our Friend" who we promised we would find.
   General Conference was absolutely amazing! I cannot believe as a little kid, or even in my Teenage years, which i am still in, i didnt pay more attention, and try to get more out of it! I now look back and am so dissapointed in myself that i didnt pay as much attention to hear the words of the Lord, but through his apostles and Prophets! What a great expereince! We even had such an amazing missionary expereince come from general conference! I had the opportunity to contact my parents through facebook, and They had the opportunity to invite one of my best friends over to the house to participate in a family tradition! That family tradition is something that i missed out on, but its okay because it was replace with Serving a mission! So many more good things from the mission! Ha ha But the Family tradition is to eat Waffles and than Watch General Conference! Mogga Lado being the stud that he is, and being 1 of my facebook Investigators, was able to Participate is such and Amazing Expereince, and than i was able to teach him right after!
   The zone meeting we had this week was alright. For a while the Napa Zone was the highest baptizing Zone in the mission, but i think we are now one of the lowerst. Such a disappointment but i can honestly say, i feel that it is because of the goals that we set as a zone. They, well i Guess We, but i completely disagree with them set Goals of Baptising 13 Per month! Now in Realtity for the past 9 monthst the highest we have seen is 4! So why do we keep setting ourselves up for Failure? Not sure! I just think that if we set them lower, and achieve the Goal it will make people for "Pumped" When we reach that goal! But no one else agrees.. Which is fine! I Understand!
   My spanish is actaully coming along pretty good! Not in a prideful sense, but during the Zone meeting we had the opportunity to do some Practices with Elders who came out at the Same time as Elder Payne, There spanish was just HORRIBLE! They have been out 9 months... Woah! After the Practices they both asked how my spanish was so good after only being in the field for 1 Transfer! Pretty Crazy! But doesnt mean i need to spot studying it! There is always room for improvement!
   Not much to report on this week! Hopefully next week will be better! I Love and miss you all! Love getting mail, so keep sending it!
Love, Elder Albertson
PS: Dad, Mogga said this sunday he will go to church with you to the Singles ward! Please call him saturday night, and he will be ready! Thank you!
PSS: I know my birthday is coming up,but please do not post on my Facebook wall "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" Letters would just be much better, and it wont look as bad, with me being a missionary. Thank you!

Email Extension
Also just a reminding, if any of you Readers, have any suggestions or want to know more about Whats going on please send me an Email, at Parker.albertson@myldsmai.net and i will do my best to answer those questions or suggestions!
Thanks,
Love, Elder Albertson