January 27, 2014

January 27, 2014

Hola Familia/ Amigos!

     Este semana fue muy bien! This week has been absolutely great! I’ve got a lot to tell you about and pictures to show you however I forgot my card reader so I cannot send pictures until next week! Sorry about that! I will begin to practice the Atonement in my life and will repent for
that! Sorry MOM! Ha ha

     Let’s just start off with Monday last week and how much fun we had going to the beach and jumping from rock to rock to get out into the middle of the Ocean! It was such a blast I think that next week we are all going to go as a Zone because it will be at the beginning of the month so we will all have miles to be able to travel there. Then we will just struggle with miles the rest of the month! No Worries! Holy Cow though crazy story... Elder Page and I ran from rock to rock, and got quite a ways out there in the ocean! Because you know the rules say we cannot be in the water! However we didn't realize that when we got out there and were chilling that the Tide was beginning to come in and so we stuck on this one rock while all the other rocks got covered in water! So we Just jumped off and went running through the water! It was a great experience! Elder Page says we can be in the water as long as our feet don’t leave the sand then we will be alright! Ha ha. Such a great time!

    We also had the chance to have Elder Greenwood hang out with Elder Teisina and I, Monday and Tuesday because he "Killed" his companion! Elder Cabeza de Vaca! He went home, so Elder Greenwood needed some Spanish speaking missionaries to hang out with while he didn't have a companion! It was such a great experience! He spoke such great Spanish and I  got to learn so much from him before I became an official trainer!

    Tuesday, was a little bit of a wild day! However, we still had a great amount of fun being able to go to the Greenie Dinner, and have the opportunity to hangout with all the new missionaries and be able to talk with them! The devotional and Dinner was great! It was a fun experience and worked out great because we didn't have to find Elder Teisina a companion for the fact that he had Elder Greenwood with him!

    After the dinner and devotional Elder Ashton and I had the opportunity to hang out once again! Man, I miss those Elders I served with in Sonoma! That was a great first transfer I had in the mission! It was quite the experience! I loved it because he was a trainer as well, we had the opportunity to be able to hang out after the devotional and Dinner so we went and double- teamed my area, because Elder Teisina and Elder Greenwood were still working in our area! It was a great night all in all! I loved it!

    Well Wednesday was transfers where I had to say goodbye to my fellow companion Elder Teisina! It was a sad but exciting time being able to change for him, and grow more and he took off to Fairfield! He is going to be such a great missionary! Let’s get to the fun stuff though! I received my new missionary who is green as can be! I remember looking back when I was in his shoes being scared as could be and not wanting to do anything wrong, but I didn’t even know what the rules were! Let alone where the bathroom was! I was so lost! Which is the same with all these new missionaries! My new companion is Elder Dunlap! He is From Ririe, Idaho! So I guess our Posterity is just going to be straight Idaho Boys! From Elder Payne, to Elder Albertson, to Elder Dunlap! It’s only that we have this little Pride thing, because everybody knows that Idaho boys go to work with missionary work! It’s Great! We had some shopping to do, and such to get Elder Dunlap set up and ready for his missionary life!

    We also had our very first dinner together as a companionship on wednesday at Hermana Susanna's House! It was pretty fun! She had it all set up and we called it our greenie Dinner! All the Food was Green, the greenies had to wear Bibs and Binkies and bottles and everything! It was a great experience and I think Elder Dunlap and Hermana Hardy who is the other greenie in the Branch had a great time!

     Thursday! We had the best miracle I have seen on my mission yet! We went to teach Agustin and we just wanted to introduce Elder Dunlap to him! Well Agustin has a Baptismal date for this coming Saturday! When we were talking during the lesson Agustin randomly asked me, My Baptismal date is for the 1st of February correct? I responded yes it is! I then asked, Are you ready? His Response... YES I’M READY TO ENTER THE WATERS OF BAPTISM! During this time my heart sunk I was so happy!I didn't even know how to express it!

     Saturday, to finish the miracle Elder Dunlap and I practiced a Baptismal Interview with him! At the end I felt prompted that I should ask him to share his testimony with us! This was his testimony..."As you guys know I have been struggling with some things concerning my daughter who is living in Mexico with her mother! Well she ran away a few weeks ago and I didn't know what to do, one night around 2:30, when I woke up, I felt prompted to go to my knees and ask our Father in heaven for help! As I closed my prayer I ended in the name of Jesus Christ and immediately my phone rang! With a phone call from my daughter in Mexico, explaining the story and saying she was back at home with her family! At that point I knew that the Church was true! Such a miracle absolutely blew my mind! I was so happy!

     Saturday we also had the opportunity to help out a member in the ward to accomplish his Eagle Scout project! It was so much fun! The Branch absolutely loves me now, I’m not to sure why. I was just working at my regular pace but they said I was just killing it! Ha ah Hopefully that means that my member dinners might get better now ay? Ha ah J.k.

    Monday night he has a baptismal interview for Baptism! I know and have faith that he will be entering the waters of Baptism on the 1st of February!

    This week has been absolutely amazing! I’m super sorry about not having pictures this week! However, I will make sure and send them all home next week! I love you all and thank you so much for all the prayers! I pray for you all daily!

Please pray for Agustin to enter the waters of Baptism!

Love, Elder Albertson

January 20,2014

Hola Familia/Amigos,

Well, this week was another great week and also ended my time with Elder Teisina. It has been a great transfer and I learned a ton! It was great to get to serve with him! He is actually considered my daughter in the mission, because I am his mom, which means I’m his second companion! So yeah, I had my first kid in the mission and it happened to be a daughter! I sure hope this isn't showing me how my real kids are going to turn out! Cause I just want boys! ;) Ha ha

Monday, we had a great last P-Day consisting of playing some good competitive basketball! No one had a ball so I actually had to go and spend that money that mom and dad gave me for Christmas and I bought myself a Nice TF1000 for the mission! It will be a great basketball for the rest of the mission and will get used a lot! Monday, we also taught some wonderful lessons. I think most of my Investigators are progressing very well. Hopefully, I will see a good amount of baptisms here in my next transfer, here in Santa Rosa! We taught 4 lessons that night after P-day! I have come to realize that our Mondays are set up very well, we just go from appointment to appointment! So now I just need to get Tuesday through Thursday the same way! Ha Ha

Tuesday, we had a wonderful day as well! We definitely did not teach as many lessons as we should have! However we had a wonderful Zone Meeting taught by our Zone leaders! Elder Page and Elder Robinson, who talked a lot about setting higher expectations in our mission! I was taking such great notes on my I-pad and then all of a sudden they took my I-pad away! They took of the missionaries in our entire zone, and then went and checked them and deeply searched through everything we had ever done! It was great, because now it’s going to keep all of us honest on what we do on our I-pad! I got it back! So no worries! I haven't been disobedient!

Wednesday was just a regular day with nothing too exciting except we taught a good lesson to Marciel who I’m starting to become a little concerned about in regards to his progression rate!

I think he will do fine, he just needs to truly accept the gospel in his life! His Daughter Valentina has been a great example to him! He has read the book of Mormon he just needs to listen to the spirit more, and let it touch his heart! So he can become converted and accept baptism!       

Thursday was probably one of most scariest days of my life out here on the mission! I’m super sorry but this is kinda a long story! So we didn't have dinner, so Elder Teisina, Elder Tepox, and I ate dinner at our Apartment (Elder Tepox was with us because he is in a trio and the member could only feed 4, so we sent the Sisters, Elder Martin and Elder Nelson). I used my Dominos gift card and ordered us some wonderful pizza! As we were finishing up eating pizza, the phone starting ringing, so I went to grab the phone. Being a Thursday I knew that President Alba would call, to talk with missionaries who would be training next transfer or new elders! I saw that it was President Alba, and my heart immediately starting racing! No one believed me that it was him. So when I answered the phone, I answered "Hello, This is Elder Albertson" He Says " Elder Albertson I thought I was calling Elder Robinson and Elder Pages phone?" My Response "Ummm, as I look at the phone, Oh you’re right President they must have left their phone on the counter!" My Response " Oh no worries President Alba, I can take a message for them?" Now, in my chest, I was feeling a little better that it wasn't for me! His response was " Elder Albertson......Hmmm, I guess this isn’t a coincidence that I called the wrong phone to talk with you, however can you have Elder Robinson give me a call back, also while your on the phone I’ve got a new calling for you as well! My heart is now leaping outta my chest in fear! I would like to call you to be a trainer next transfer for a new Missionary! Now, with this calling Elder Albertson we need exact obedience and also now when we play tennis I get 4 games on you! Ha Ha so long story short! I will be training next transfer! Holy Goodness, I’m not sure I’m ready but I guess I am because The Lord called me to this position!

This is kind of scaring knowing that I’m going to be a Trainer! That means that I am going to have my second kid in the mission already! That's not good! I just hope it’s not going to be the same way for when I get home!

Friday, was weekly planning again! However, at that point Elder Teisina knew he would be leaving his greenie area, so weekly planning went great! Not! I had to do it all by myself! Ha ha. So I guess we will see by what my numbers look like next week, whether or not I did a good job.

Saturday, was also just a normal day! Nothing too big or bad! We are just continuing the missionary work here in Santa Rosa, trying to help our branch become a ward! We are so dang very close! All we need is about 2 more Melchizedek priesthood holders who pay full tithing!       

Well, that's my week in a glimpse! It was great! however, I’m going to miss serving with Elder Teisina, although I will be living with Elder Mullenaux from Sonoma again next transfer! He is going to be my Zone leader with Elder Page, along with my greenie who I do not know yet, and I will not find out until Wednesday! Don't worry my address is staying the same! I’m doing well! Just fine!

I love and miss you all very much! however I know I’m out here because the Lord wants me here!

Love, Elder Albertson

PS: Mom I am Outta Laundry Detergent! Like Completely! I barely have enough to do my Laundry today!

PS: Headed to the Beach Today! Next week should have some good Photos!

Here is a house, that Elder Teisina and I completely set up for

Christmas! Sorry its so late! 

That Helicopter was kinda sketch!

Say Hello or Hola, to my good friend Saul! Saul is a member of 1 year

and has been less active, I gave him a Priesthood blessing the other

day for Depression, Now he's got one of my White Shirts, and Ties and

pants on! And is working towards a mission! Please Pray for Saul, as

he strives to serve The Lord, but also provide for his family, and learn English!

Look at this great little sign I found during tracting the other day!

ha ha Even With the little thing under the fence!

This random little guy showed up on the door step the other day!

Wasn't sure who sent it to me! However, I found out it was Mom and Dad. Thank you so

much! It will do me good! I'm proud you could buy something before 6

months of looking into it! (Dad)

Elder Teisina and I! Oh, and don't forget little creaper Elder Page!

January 13, 2014

Hola Familia/Amigos

Holy Cow! This week didn't fly by qute as fast as the last few weeks, however this week was absolutely incredible! We flat out destroyed everyone in the Zone! Everything that the mission has been asking us to achieved we strived so hard to achieve! We came up a little short in a few areas however we still dominated compared to the rest of the Companionships in my District or the Zone!

This week was kinda crazy with everything we had going on, but let me just start off by saying I have fully gained a testimony of obedience and how it can bring us so many blessings as long as we strive to be as obedient as possible! 

This week we set records in our area that they have never seen before for as long as anyone can remember! Hopefully, we will be seeing some baptisms coming from it in the near future! Like in February!

On Monday, we were able to have an absolutely killer day! Started off with some killer Mtn. Biking which ended up with a few wrecks, nothing too major! Except that same dang wrist I thought I had broken during the Mtn. Home game last year feels the exact same! Must have done the same thing while I was trying to catch myself before hitting the trail! Ha Ha! Don’t worry though, no one knows, otherwise President Alba might put an end to Mtn. Biking! Ha Ha. After Mtn biking we got all cleaned up and Elder Teisina and I went out and absolutely killed it teaching 4 lessons in one night! Ahh, we were so pumped and had no idea Tuesday was gonna be even better!

Tuesday, was absolutely amazing! We flat our Destroyed it! We taught 5 lessons and contacted 29 people in the street and also set 2 new baptismal dates with a wonderful family who is going through a lot right now, but are wanting to change their lives! I cannot express how much fun today was being able to teach so much and constantly talk to everyone we see! Even though at the end of the Day I was flat out exhausted! Even the next morning! I have been pretty tired all week just because how much contacting and teaching we have been doing! Today during our District meeting our District Leader challenged us to strive to teach 20 lessons this week, and to contact 105 people! Who ever didn't achieve the contacting goal was going to buy pizza for the rest of the District! Well, stinks to be District Leader cause he's buying pizza for a deal that he made! Ha ha

Wednesday, we continued doing our thing! Kinda like we finally caught the wave surfing and now we can actually ride the wave! Rather than trying to catch the waves and continuing to wreck after we might ride it just for a little while! Ha Ha referring to teaching lessons! We have our good days and our bad days but now I feel like we have made this area catch the wave and we are gonna ride it out! Until we start baptizing, then we will catch another wave and ride it again!  Wednesday, we had the opportunity to teach 2 lessons but still contact 19 people! Still another killer day!

Thursday was the same ole same Ole! Still teaching lessons cause we are still on top of the wave and still riding it out! Today was kinda crazy though! I had quite the experience! I was able to make a bike for one of my investigators who had a bike but it was completely trashed because the one he had purchased had been stolen from outside his apartment where he had it locked up and everything! He uses his bike for transportation to and from work! So I took a bike that was just sitting around the apartment fixed it all up and gave it to him! This next appointment that we have with him I am going to give him my bike lock and I will just use this other one that I received from another missionary leaving! Raul is an absolute boss! I hope and pray that he will enter the waters of Baptisms soon! 

Friday was the same old weekly planning Friday! I absolutely hate Friday’s because we sit inside all day and plan for absolutely everything we are going to do for the entire next week! Every stinking half hour of every stinking day! I cannot stand it so during weekly planning we take breaks where I go into the gym and use my bike and bunny hop chairs! As many chairs as I can! So far I have gotten 7! That’s my max! ha ha .It’s a pretty fun time cause everyone else just sits there and laughs at me the entire time! ha ha 

Saturday, it absolutely poured! So, thank goodness to Grandma Cheney who sent me that rain gear I was able to stay nice and dry! 

Sunday was killer! We actually set some records as well with an attendance of 116 people at church and 18 of them being Investigators! It was pretty cool to see the Chapel full and have so many investigators at church that you cannot sit by them all! It was a little crazy and different so I had to have some members sit with my Investigators! 

Other than that this week was very solid! I was so happy to have such a solid week, and to know that tomorrow I get to be able to have pizza at Zone meeting and that I don’t have to pay for it!

Well, I love you all so very much! Thank you for all the Letters and Packages! I pray for you all every day and Night!

Love, Elder Albertson!