Tuesday, November 26, 2013

November 25,2013

Hola Familia/Amigos

This week has been quite the interesting week! Just so you know you’re lucky your getting an email! Thanks to Elder Debora, he is making me write an email today, because I am just not in the mood to write! We had a lot of great things happen though, but also some scary and not so good things happen as well! Lets start off by asking.. “How many of you check the national weather? Or check the weather in my mission?” Well we made it on the National Weather Watch! At least that’s what we heard from President Alba! We had kinda a slow week when it comes to teaching lessons and such, however we did do a lot of great things other than Teaching lessons! Which will still plant seeds, which is still considered Missionary Work! Well, Lets get started!

On Thursday we had a crazy storm come through Sonoma! Taking down trees, knocking us off our bikes, while trying to ride home, losing power for hours on end! Luckily none of my food went bad in the fridge because I have no money for food whatsoever! Ha Ha.  So let me tell you how this all came to be. On Thursday we were heading towards the church to do some online work, and it was a little windy but nothing too bad! Definitely a struggle getting up the hill to the Church! We made it! However, when we left the house it was warm, so none of us brought our jackets thinking it would be fine until after dinner, then we would get out jackets! When we walked out of the church to head to the family Alvarados for dinner, It was Windy and Cold, and Dark blue thunder Skies! We all looked at each other, and said "FOOD or Warmth?" Of Course being missionaries we all were like, "Forget this, we’ve got a dinner to get to!" Hopped on our bikes and rode 3 miles to get to dinner! Clear across town! After Dinner with Javier and his wonderful family, we made our way back to the house for the night! We were stuck inside because when riding back, it was knocking us off our bikes, we couldn’t even ride straight! Throwing branches from trees our way, or taking leaves and making a tornado with them! Also, we had lost all power! We all prayed and decided it would be best we stay inside all night! Power was out all night, I even had to shower in the dark the next morning! Rough life I know!

On Friday, we had the Opportunity to eat with my investigator, who you have all heard so much about! Socorro! I cannot explain my love for her, and Alvin! They are absolutely amazing, I can see why missionaries hate transfers. I hope Sonoma, will be my 6 month area, but at the same time, I hope I get transferred just so I can get outta my Greenie Area and see what the rest of the mission is like! Socorro made the best meal I think I have had here in Sonoma yet! Well besides Hermano Morenos Tacos de Papa! They are so good! However these enchiladas that Socorro made for all 7 of us, were so good! It was my second time eating them, and I cannot explain how good they are! It’s actually making me hungry just writing about this dinner that we had! So anyways, they were Enchiladas de Michigan. She is originally from the State of Michigan, and when they make Enchiladas, its literally just a Giant Pile of food on top of Tortilla shells! And you eat it all with your fingers! Its so good! I ate 2 huge plates of it! Absolutely amazing!

Sunday was kinda a rough day! We all woke up late, except we were still up before 6:30 we just didn’t get up at 5:30 so we could all shower in time and make it to our early morning Meetings at 7:00. So we decided we would send 1 representative from each companionship! Elder Minkler was already in the shower so he went from our companionship! We decided that day, after talking with the Bishopric that we are going to continue doing what we are doing, in teaching Socorro, and pray that she will soon be ready to enter the waters of Baptism! I look at our situation with this young sister and see it now as a learning experience! One of patience and understanding that we are on the Lord’s timeline.

The mission truly is full of learning experiences! As soon as you learn one thing, here comes another. I am absolutely loving the time I am here! I cannot explain how much my mission already means to me! It is something I will cherish for the rest of my life! I’m not sure if I have mentioned this but I have finished 1 complete journal! So if you guys would like I could use a few more journals so that I don’t run out!  I don’t ever want to forget this experience which is why I probably save way too many things, but I guess I will decide that when I get home!

I love you all! And hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Try not to eat too much!

Love,
Elder Albertson

Ps: Dad Thank you for the Ensign! I was actually going to email asking for you guys to send me one! Than it just showed up on the Front door!  It’s great! They are treasured like gold too!
















Tuesday, November 19, 2013

November 18, 2013

Hola Familia/Amigos

Este semana fue muy bien. Nosotros ensenamos 8 leccions por medio de Facebook y Skype y tambien nosotros recibimos mas entrenamiento de los elders de Technologia. Otherwise this week was very well! We taught 8 lessons through Facebook and Skype. As we are struggling in Our Area. We are continuing to teach so many lessons on Facebook!

This Week was great! We actually moved Socorros Baptismal Date to the30th of November! We are hoping and praying she will prepare herself to enter the waters of Baptism on that day! She is doing absolutely amazing, we are just waiting for her to Make her own decision and enter the wonderful waters of Baptism!

This Past week i had some pretty cool experiences. On Thursday we had Interviews with President Alba! We all had to make our travel to Napa, while his wonderful wife, Sister Alba taught us about some wonderful things that they were taught in a mission President Seminar this past week! I Absolutely love Sister Alba she is absolutely amazing, and is quite the little Fireball, when it comes to Missionary work! My interview with President Alba was flipping amazing! When i went in he asked me to offer a pray so i decided i was going to do it in Spanish, and from then on the Whole interview was in complete Spanish! It was absolutely amazing for me to be able to show him how well or how horrible my spanish is doing for how short i have been out! He was actually quite impressed, i expressed some concerns i had concerning my shoulder from the Car accident! However! Thats not important or anything to worry about!

Last night i actually talked on the Phone with Bishop Johnson from the Singles Ward in the East stake! We have been given special permission to contact Bishops as well as missionaries in other Areas so we can do what we call a Successful Hand off to the other missionaries in the Areas that our Facebook investigators are living in! When i spoke with the missionaries they were quite lost and shocked that i had an investigator (Sadie) Who is ready for Baptism! They just didn't understand so than i had to go into the whole "How we have Ipads and We teach people over Facebook and Skype!" Than i could hear them yell to all the other missionaries in the house, "They Have Ipads! Im Flipping Jealous" Ha ha Pretty fun experience for all of us.

My Area here in Sonoma, is struggling a lot. Im not sure if its something we are doing wrong or if were just not doing everything correct! President Alba suggested that when i go to the Temple on Thursday to take it to The Lord! So thats what i will be doing! We are being exactly obedient and trying our very hardest to keep all the Promises that have been given to us as missionaries! One of the Promises we have been given is that if we contact 20 People a day, that our baptism will be double! SO this last Week Elder Minkler and I decided that we were going to do our very best, and if you Times 7 days by 20 you get 140, However we didn't quite get our 140 contacts with how many things we had going on this week! But we did reach 105! Thats impressive! I believe thats the highest a Companionship has reached in the mission sense we were given that promise!

My Facebook investigators are doing very well! Sadie is progressing and hopefully gonna slowly be handed off to the other missionaries so we can get her to enter the waters of Baptism! I have not been in contact with Mogga Lado in a while, Last i heard was that his phone broke! Dont know much more! Kate decided that it wasn't for her... Which was crushing however we all have agency and get to do what we want! Alex Huerta is doing alright, hopefully we can slowly begin to get him to progress and begin to grow a testimony! Other than that my Facebook work is doing well! Hopefully i can continue!

Thanks you guys so much! For everything you do for me, and helping The Lord bring blessings to his family! Im absolutely stoked to get back to work! Its almost like emailing just isnt as fun anymore! But i know you guys all wanna hear from me, and if i didn't email Mom would be ticked and call President Alba immediately! Ha ha

Love you all so much! Im loving the Work!
Love, Elder Albertson

Ps: That book of Mormon Challenge that i gave you all a few weeks ago.. Is actually on Page.. 114 of Preach my Gospel! Next week ill send you a picture of mine! Its pretty cool! I would like you all to begin it as a family! I chapter per night! With everyone with there own separate book of mormons! Lets gain a Stronger Testimony of The Book of Mormon.

 Look Mom, I can ride my bike with no handle bars!!
 So called "Guaranteed to last the entire mission Socks!"
New Bike! Check my 2014 Cannondale Trail 6 29er out! 
Her names is Baby Black Bear.

Baby Black Bears Crazy! She bucks me all the time! 
Im still trying to train her, and Break her in!

November 11, 2013

Hola Familia/Amigos 
This week has been absolutely wonderful! I cannot believe the wonderful blessings and Miracles i have seen come this week! My Facebook missionary work has absolutely caught fire. Don't want to be prideful, but it has been amazing! I love it so much! We are teaching so many wonderful friends from back home but also we are still teaching lessons here in Sonoma. We did have a little bit of a rough week though. Overall it was wonderful though!
 
Tuesday we had our very first District meeting with the New Elders here in Sonoma, and are New wonderful District Leader Elder Henrie! He is absolutely a stud. Right when he got here he immediately had to go back to Fair-field to preform a Baptism! Brought some wonderful Fire here to Sonoma. 
With Facebook this Week i have began to teach 3 New friends from back home. Sadie Minjares is wonderful. She is doing so well, and the lessons we are teaching her go so well, she is completely understanding and also is continuing to want to learn more and more about the gospel each time we teach her!

Also i was able to get into contact with Alex Huerta, who is open to hearing more about the gospel, and more about what others believe. It is super fun to teach him because we get to practice our Spanish with him and if he doesn't understand we just get to revert back to our English so he can understand! 
We are also beginning to teach Hallie Turner, she is open to learning more and finding our more about what she wants in this life. She is so great to be able to teach as well! 
Facebook this week and Skype i believe we taught 9 Lessons! We will hopefully be able to continue that, and eventually be able to Up it a little more! We are so excited and are continuing to find those elect sheep that the Lord has prepared for us to continue teaching and bring back to the Fold! 
Here in Sonoma, we are struggling a little bit. Well Actually we are struggling quite a bit! We are back down to 1 Investigator who is Socorro. Ha Ha Oh and also the Fact she doesn't even live in my Area because she moved out, however we are continuing to teach her because that's what she has requested! Socorro and I have developed such a wonderful relationship, I am going to be sad if i don't see here enter the Waters of Baptism! However that wont happen because we have a Baptismal date with her for the 23rd of November! Please pray for her to have the strength to endure to the end, and enter the waters of Baptism! 
We are now beginning to get back down and dirty in the Area book, and begin to look for people to teach! Potential work is very hard and quite frustrating because we hardly have any information on the people because the missionaries in the past have been horrible at keeping records! That's one goal i have made with myself is to always be the very best i can be at keeping records, and putting in as much information as possible! 
Hmm now we can begin with the Hard information for the week! On Tuesday i was riding my bike and the dang Derailer Hanger which is a small part that takes a week to get into the shop broke again! They are quite expensive as well, 20 bones for this little John-er! I was in quite a pickle, i could either walk for the next week, and try and continue The Lords work or i could just buy a new Bike! I counseled with President Alba Concerning the Issue, and With all the Issues I had already experienced with the Bike in the past, With putting over 250 dollars into that dang thing. I told president Alba i didn't really want to call home, just because i felt that it wasn't necessary. He Counseled with one of his Senior Couples who called home and discussed the Situation with my Dad! I ended up buying a new bike! 
However While buying the bike i had 2 options. I couldn't decided and they were both priced the Same! After making the decision i looked at the Elders who were with me and i told them, If i get a flat within the Next 24hrs i know i will have made the wrong choice! Well long story short, i woke up with a flat tire! ha ha 
I love the new Bike though! It is a Cannondale 2014 Trail 6, With Hydraulic Brake system. So sweet! It is now my new baby on the mission! Even over the Ipad! Its pretty big as well! I feel like I'm on a Dirt Bike but without a Motor!  
Things with my new Companion are going okay! He is quite different from me, and we don't quite always agree on the things we should, but we are slowly figuring things out! He is a great missionary, and i am able to learn quite a bit from him! 
Thank you all so much! I miss and love you all! Thanks for all being such great examples to me! 
This work is absolutely amazing! Nothing better!