March 17, 2014

Hola Familia/ Amigos

Holy Cow! This week seems like it took forever, but at the same time
now I look back and I don’t even know where the time went! This is
starting to scare me a little bit considering I only have 4 weeks left
in this transfer and then 1 more transfer, which is 6 weeks and I will be at my 1 year mark! Which means I am half way done, and I feel like there is so much still in store for me! I still have a lot of growing to do to become who I want to become for the rest of my life.

This week has been so much better. Considering all the things that I have been struggling with! I have finally come to realize that I truly
cannot do this without my Savior Jesus Christ, and my Father in
Heaven. So this past week I decided to put it all on the line and
completely give it all to my Savior as I was able to do so through
humble pray and a sincere heart, for the things that I needed help
with.  I don’t think my personal testimony has been strengthened more in my life, that at this time. While I have been down in the dumps or going through some hard trials. Feeling the Love of the Savior and my family, I know truly has been the only way I have been able to make it through these hard times.

This week I've got a few good things to talk about! Or better yet,
some pretty sweet things to talk about.

So last week, I forgot to talk to you and let you all in on my recent
convert Agustin and how much of a stud he is! He full on blessed the
sacrament last Sunday! That was such a blessing to see, someone who came from living a hard life, to making the necessary changes in himself. To now acting upon and faithfully using his Priesthood! He is so amazing! I cannot wait to go through the temple with him. After my mission in Mexico! Ha ha! He told me is he moving back to Mexico City in a year, and that’s where he wants to go through the temple and that he will pay for me to come down to be there with him on that special day! And when I go down that he wants me to baptize his daughters that live there when I go for his temple trip! Aww! I can honestly say that I have found a forever friend! No doubt in my mind he is the reason I was called to serve in the Santa Rosa, California mission! Such a blessing.

However, this Sunday Agustin killed it even more! He was called on to teach Priesthood this week! So all this past week we have been helping him prepare his lesson. So amazing because he did such a great job. Even President Johnson told him in front of all the members that he felt that, that was the best lesson that has ever been taught by a member here in the Branch! AWW so Proud! Ha ha

So on Wednesday during our personal study things got a little wild! We have a Pigeon who hangs out on the gutter outside our apartment and just sits there and makes dumb sounds all the time! So we decided we were sick and tired of it! So Elder Mullenaux made a Blow Dart Gun! Ha ha in which we made attempts to try and kill the dang thing! However it wasn't ever strong enough! After that Elder Page and I decided to make a Hawaiian sling shot with a knife attached to the end of it! It’s pretty sick! We sat and practiced for a good while, as well as even took a few shots in which we missed the dang thing! Hopefully Mom can upload the video on the blog so you can watch! It was a pretty genius idea of how we made the thing! We have still not quite killed the thing, but he is too afraid to come back now, after what we attempted to do to him! Ha Ha!!


Sunday was great! Yesterday we as a Spanish branch had the wonderful opportunity of eating at Hermano Escamillas house! Who I believe is the most wealthy Spanish person here in Santa Rosa California. We were also able to be welcomed into his Booga Booga Secret Combination group! Holy Cow! It was quite the experience.
Now I can also say that I have been initiated into the Secret
combination! This is something I will need mom to post on the Blog as well! So everyone can participate in watching my initiation.

This week we were able to pick up a few new investigators. Some of
them being Investigators who I have taught before that we dropped and picked up again! It’s going to start to change here in our area! I am so excited to see the turns we are going to make here in our area in the next 4 weeks! So I can leave Elder Dunlap to lead the area out in good hands!

Our Companionship has made Leaps and Bounds! We are getting along so much better, and are starting to finally put the other things behind us and move on to things that are better for us during these times! I am so happy and grateful for the opportunity I have had to help Elder Dunlap through those hard trials in his life, and help him become who he can truly become, and most of all what the Savior sants him to become! It’s been a miracle.

Well that’s been my week in a glimpse. Sorry if it’s kinda bouncing
around everywhere. Ha ha It’s been good! I love you all, and will keep
you all in my prayers!

Love,
Elder Albertson!
PS: ARIZONA FOR NCAA TOURNEY!

 Bird Video (Posted against the wishes and advice of Mom)

Secret Combination Initiation!!

P-Day Preparation! Gotta make sure all the bikes Run well, so we can
hit the Slopes today! ha ha

March 10, 2014

Hola Familia/ Amigos

I just want to start off by telling you all how much I love you! This
last transfer and now this transfer has probably been the hardest time
of my mission so far! Training is not easy! However, today I am feeling a lot better! I have gotten a ton off of my mind, and taken care of a lot of things that were bogging me down, and slowing the work down here in Santa Rosa!

I would also like to apologize for any small or large amounts of
frustration I have shared in my weekly emails! From here on out I will
focus on the things that are important for you all to learn, and to
know so that you can all grow from the experiences that I am having as well.

The work here in Santa Rosa is very slow right now. I am not too sure
why that may be,  but I am starting to believe that it may be because
of the attitude or lack of faith I have had lately in the missionary
work or life. I am starting to change that. On Monday, I got a
letter from my wonderful father who writes me ever week, inviting me
to re-read my Patriarchal Blessing. As I did so, I had quite the
spiritual experience, and I was able to look at myself as a missionary
from another ones point of view. It’s what I would like to call a
Spiritual rebuking! The spirit rebuked me! So I was able to actually
sit down and set some goals with myself to get me back to my exact
obedience for I noticed that I had slipped away from that as a
missionary! I also realized how every little thing I read in my Patriarchal blessing applied to exactly what I was going through
at that time.

This week we saw many miracles! We were able to have a wonderful
transfer meeting on Wednesday, where I was able to go to the Badger building and see a few of my good old fellow missionary "friends" or whatever you would like to call them. It was a good experience. I was so excited to be able to go to lunch with Elder Debora who I served with in Sonoma, the one who got me to buy that pair of Khaki Pants! Ha ha. I also had lunch with Elder Teisina who is being a boss right now in Fairfield! Such a great Experience.

Friday was quite an interesting night! We had a wonderful zone
meeting where we were able to watch a small glimpse of “Lord of the
Rings” movie! It was pretty interesting how our zone leaders managed to apply it to missionary life, and missionary work! Ha ha We also had quite the surprise walk into our zone meeting where we were able to meet the Area Seventy, as well as the General President of the Relief Society, President of Young Woman's, and also the President of the Primary!  They all walked into our Zone meeting, which was pretty interesting! We had the chance to meet and greet all of them as well! Ha ha. You would be surprised of what everyone thinks of missionaries from Idaho! When they talked to Elder Dunlap and I and we both mentioned we were from Idaho, they all were like "OHHH, we love Idaho missionaries, for they are the Hardest working missionaries!" ha ha!!

Saturday, we were able to have a wonderful day of service!
This has been one of the biggest blessings for me lately to be able to help Laurna with all these things that she has going on in here life, and trying to keep up on her rental property since her husband pass away not to long ago! I think I shared the story of how I contacted her a few weeks ago, in past emails. She is absolutely great! She has pretty much given me the green light to do whatever I wanna do to the property to make it look good again! So we have done so much! I sent home a few Fotos last week, I believe or the week before! It’s been quite the Service Project and I am still not done! Agustin has been a great asset in helping us with his chain saw, and taking loads of Material to the dump! Aww I am loving it!

Sunday was amazing! Agustin has the Priesthood and I was able to watch him use his authority and be able to Bless the Sacrament! Now next Sunday he is teaching Priesthood! It’s going to be amazing! I honestly have to admit that "I FOUND a FOREVER FRIEND"

I love you all so much! Don’t worry about me! I am doing great! Just
gotta change my ways! Love you all so very much!

Love,
Elder Albertson
" Some People WISH things could Happen,
  Some People WANT things to Happen,
  Others MAKE IT HAPPEN!"

Meeting the Area Seventy and the General RS, YW's 

and Primary Presidencies!

A note from this Missionary Momma

Hello to all who enjoy following the weekly updates from Elder Albertson.

    I thought as Parker's mom, I would share just a few things that I have experienced since having a son out in the mission field.   So many things have taken place in the 8 months that he has been gone, but I wanted to share with you just a few things that have stood out to me.

 1.   Monday has truly become our favorite day of the week.  Anticipating Parker's weekly email and finally seeing it pop in our inboxes each Monday is the best thing ever!!
2.  I never turn down an opportunity to feed the missionaries.  Maybe I think Kharma will come back on Parker and he will go hungry, or maybe it's because I know that our Missionaries mother's are counting on us to feed their sons, just the same way I am counting on member's in Santa Rosa to feed my son.
3.  I suddenly have a hard time not crying when I see a group of young men in our ward or stake, sing a musical number or give a talk or simply pass the sacrament.  Something about seeing those boys, makes me want to walk up to them and say, "My son is on a Mission and I am needing a hug, would you mind giving me one?  ( Don't worry, I haven't done it!)

     Another thing that I have experienced is how aware I am as Parker's Mom as to when he is struggling.  It never ceases to amaze me how my dreams/nightmares at night become obsessed with Parker at times.  I know immediately when this happens that he is struggling and I need to do what I can to help him through those struggles.  Now this, as you can imagine is the hard part since I am not there with him.  This can be a moment of frustration for any mom who knows her child is struggling and she isn't there to help.  What I can do is; Pray even more than I already do. Fast for him to have strength, and send off an extra letter or two so he hears from me often and knows that I am aware of his trials.
    Now, don't get me wrong....his struggles haven't been anything major and I know that he needs trials in his life to make him stronger and to gain independence and to become a man, even though in my mind, he will always be my "Little Boy".

So, I want to share with the last unpleasant dream I had just last Wednesday night.  This might make you laugh, but let me tell you, with all the seriousness I can muster,  it was not FUNNY at the time!! This dream came just 2 nights after hearing about a situation Parker was in that was causing some very adult kind of decisions to be made on his part.  The kind of decisions that can affect him and others the rest of their lives.  The kind of decisions that as his Mom, I never thought to advise him on.  I can only begin to express my appreciation for a wonderful Mission President, who has the wisdom and the experience to offer the necessary guidance needed for Parker to come out of this situation stronger and more Christlike.

Here's the dream....

I was at home when the phone rang and it was Kamryn saying I needed to come over right away because Parker had called her, and was on the phone.   As I raced to grab my keys to drive the 4 minutes it takes to get to her house.  I asked, "What the heck is he doing calling you?"  her reply was, "I'll tell you when you get here."  As I pulled into her driveway and made my way into her home, I could see her holding the phone to her chest. She looked at me and said, "Mom, it's Parker.  You need to talk to him, but before I give you the phone, you have to promise that you'll go easy on him!"  I looked at her and said, "Why? What's going on? Is he O.k?"  she replied by saying, "He's fine Mom, but he's really upset, he didn't know what to do.  He's at a BAR and he's DRUNK."

That last sentence woke me up from a deep sleep.  I never did talk to Parker in the dream.  Probably good thing because who knows how that would've gone.  All I knew, the second I woke up, is that he was definitely going through some trials! A trial big enough that it drove him to drink in my dream.  Thank goodness it was just a dream!!

This is just one of many dream experiences I have had since he left back June.  I like to think it's mother's intuition.  Brett would probably argue that it's just my need to cut the apron strings.  Either way, I know that I am still connected to my boy and I know as his mom that I will do whatever it takes to lend him strength.

I want you to know he has been missed every day since he left but that we are so excited to see the changes and growth he is experiencing.  I know his heart is in the right place and that this is exactly where he wants and needs to be right now.

I also know, that no matter what, when I can't be there for him, his Heavenly Father can be and will be. He can help Parker in ways that I can't.  And for that, I am eternally grateful.

Please continue to include Parker, in your prayers, as well as all the missionaries serving around the world.  Each of them need love, encouragement and support.  Each of them has left a family back home that loves and misses them.

Keep sending those letters.  For those of you who don't know, Parker treasures each one.  When he receives a letter he carefully 3-hole punches it and places it chronologically in a big 3 ring binder.  These letters are a source of strength for him as he can read and re-read them throughout the week.  I know that during hard times he rely's on those letters to help him and to feel close to home when necessary.   Parker has filled 2 large binders with letters from home and is currently on binder 3.

I hope you will continue to stay up to date on his blog.  He loves sharing his experiences with anyone who will read.

Sincerely,
Parker's missionary momma!

March 3, 2014

Hola Familia/ Amigos

Holy Cow! Where do I even begin! This week has been absolutely crazy!
It’s been full of growing and learning experiences! I cannot even
express how much I have learned just this week about myself, as well
about others and what I need to change to become better! I am starting
to think that Santa Rosa, will be the area I will go through the
most struggles! Mainly, because it has just been packed with struggles,
trials, and things to learn from the entire time! It’s been super hard,
but at the same time I love it!

I am trying to look back and think about what all crazy things are that
happened this past week! But Ireally cannot think of anything too
amazing! I had an interview with President Alba concerning some things
that came up last Thursday within my companionship! I’m not going to
mention details, because it is not my business to speak of. Everything
went really well with President Alba, as well as an interview I had
with him on Friday night concerning the same issue.

I’m not too sure if this is going to kill me or not! But my health has gone

down hill a bit since I wrote last. I have now lost about 15 lbs! And its still

going on! I’m not too sure what the issue is, but I'm constantly feeling hungry, but
anytime I eat anything or make me something to eat, I take one bite of
it, and I’m full or I'm tired of it! I talked with the mission Nurse,
and she told me to force myself to eat! So I begin to do so, and I’m
still just loosing weight, even after I force myself to eat all of it,
its just a battle to keep it down. Then I feel sick for the rest
of the day while proselyting! I really don’t know what’s going on! I was
running a fever of a 101 yesterday but continued and went to church!
I’m pretty clueless and the mission Nurse is not my favorite so I’m not going to talk to her again.  Hermana Bryant thinks that I might be stressed, but I don’t feel I'm stressed or worried about anything.

This week has been great though overall! I’m struggling to see and find
things to tell you all about, just because I absolutely feel horrible
right now writing this email! I apologize for this! No need to worry
about me, just remember that the Lord has a plan for all of us, and
obviously this is a trial he has put in my path to prepare me, and
help me learn and grow from these experiences.

Last Monday, I had the Opportunity to play President Alba in
tennis! He is a pretty decent tennis player! I tell you what though I

am quite outta shape! I felt bad as well, because I broke strings on
one of his rackets! I miss hearing the sound of new tennis ball
cans opening and smelling them! As well, as hearing the strings snap!
Such a great sound! HMM I love it! However, the outcome of the tennis
match, I probably shouldn't mention the score for if I do, my shot of
playing tennis after my mission will be over! Ha ha I lost 5-7! I was
beating him 4-0 when my shoulder was done! I could barely hit the ball
anymore and it was just getting way too tired! No excuses though right?
He still beat me fair and square! However Dad, he plays your style of
tennis! Just make sure the ball goes over the net! Ha Ha

This week we had some pretty fun things to do though! We had the
opportunity to have a mission wide conference call concerning
Obedience with our Ipads! I guess here in the mission we are having way
too many missionaries (Elders and Sisters) getting themselves caught up
in the things of the world! Such and Pornography and Youtube and
things like that! It was a very well done conference call, where
President Alba addressed all of us concerning that SATAN is REAL and
he is HERE TO DESTROY US! Aww I loved it! It went so well! No worries
though I will hold my ground! For my testimony is Upon a Boulder not a
Pebble!

This week we had quite the miracles happen in the Branch! Elder Wright
and Elder Nelson were able to have 2 Baptisms! Friday and Saturday!
Yesterday was fast and testimony meeting, however we didn't really
have a Testimony meeting for the Stake was redoing our Elders Quorum
presidency as well as 2 recent converts were confirmed members! This
transfer has been amazing! We have had 4 baptisms just here in the
Spanish Branch! I honestly think we will be becoming a ward here in
the next few months or so! I would love to be apart of that as well!

Transfers ended yesterday! So many of the missionaries will be getting
transferred on Wednesday, however I will be staying here in Santa Rosa
for another transfer with Elder Dunlap! This is going to be great
because we are finally starting to get outta the small slump we have
been in! I’m excited to get another baptism this transfer with Raul
Morales! We will continue to teach him and help him come unto Christ
and eventually help him enter the waters of Baptism! I’m very excited
to stay here in Santa Rosa another transfer! Things here in the
branch are starting to change!

Well there is my week in a glimpse! Sorry it’s such a lame email this
week! I love you all, and pray for you to all have your own missionary
Experiences! Love you!

Love,
Elder Albertson