August 12th, 2013

Hola Familia y Amigos!

WOW my mission truly is the post card mission! With Palm trees,
Sleeping with the windows open at night, never getting above 80
degrees! What else could i honestly ask for?? Anways sense everyone
has so many questions, let me just give you a weekly low down, of what
all went down! So here it is....

Tuesday, Woke up at 3:45 to be at the airport by 5:45 and be on a
plane to the Greatest mission, and Most obedient mission in the world!
After calling my family, and talking to them for about an Hour and 15
minutes, i had to rush back to the gate, and check everyones name off
the list as we boarded the plane! When landing in the Oakland airport,
we all waited after getting off the plane and traveled to baggage
claim where everyone was taking photos, and we got to greet our
mission president, and his wife! One of the Sweetest ladies ive ever
met! Besides you MOM!
We than traveled to the mission home, where we ate lunch! Awww it was
the greatest meal i think i have ever partaken of, or the fact i had
just been eating cafeteria food for a month and a half! Not sure which
one! We had a small devotional, just kinda hung out, and continued to
visit until around 8 oclock when we were taking to the hotel were we
got to sleep until Wednesday! The beds in that hotel were so amazing!
A QUEEN!

Wednesday, I had to be up and ready to go by 7:15 in which the AP's (
Assistants to the Presidents) Picked us up to take up to the mission
office, which was an addition to the Stake center there in Santa Rosa!
We had a quick Devotional and our companions were assigned and we got
in our cars, and took off to the mission! My companion is Elder Tylor
Payne, from Blackfoot Highschool! What a Quacidence that me and him
were assigned to be companions, both from idaho, and both knowing the
city of blackfoot like the back of our hands! Let alone the girls in
blackfoot! Aww Jk! I had to take a driver safety course so eventually
i can be a registared driver here in the mission! Now that i think
about it, i dont really want to drive, these people in california are
crazy in the lamburginas! My first area i was assgned to serve in, is
in Sonoma California! With 4 spanish Elders, and 2 English Elders!
With a 6 man Pad it is the funniest time when were all at home! We all
get along so well, and laugh so much! I dropped my bags off and went
shopping for food! Came back and we were off Knocking doors in the
Spanish language! Had a dinner appt at 5 with the Pena Family! Aww the
food is amazing but we ride bikes so imma be alright!

Thursday, we had a few appts set up, but manly were figuring out
goals, and how to do things, that night we visited a Investigator who
name is Socorro, she has been getting taught for about 8 years from
the missionaries, but has a disabled son, Alvin who is keeping her
from going to church, and also has a boyfriend living with her, this
is whats keeping her from getting baptized! The missionaries before us
dropped her, in our first lesson, i felt the spirit to, invite her to
be baptized on the 31 of August! She said she will be baptized, but
needs to come to church!!! What a great day!

Friday, we visited Socorro again and i committed her to going to
church on sunday! Yep! She showed up with Alvin, and came to church!
We now just have to focus on getting the boyfriend out, which
hopefully wont be hard, and ill have a baptism on the 31st! That night
we also visit a former investigator named Angel, again, i felt he
needed a baptismal date, so i committed him to baptism on the 7 of
September! I am loving it so much! Its incredible to see the gospel
change peoples lives!

Our Daily Schedule:
6:30 Outta bed, and starting our jog
7:00 Return to Apartment, and get ready
8:00 Personal Study
9:00 Companionship study
10:00 Language study
12:00 Lunch
1:00 12 Week training
2:00 Begin day, teaching lessons, Tracting, Seeing Less actives,
Former investigators
5:00 Dinner with a member
6:00 Continue day!
9:00 Return to Apartment, and begin planning
10:30 In bed!

Its such a busy Schedule, but you get lost in the work, and just wanna
keep going because you are constantly seeing the gospel change lives
so much! Its incredible!

Love you all,
Elder Albertson

Ps. My new address is... 19014 Hickory St. Sonoma, California 95476