Hola Familia/ Amigos
Well family and friends
this has been quite the week! I hope you all enjoy my wonderfully long email
that I am about to write, because there are a lot of details I feel I should
share with you all! I just want you all to know that I know this is the Lord’s
work, and that he is in charge of everything! So let's get things started....
Monday was another
great P-Day so you could say! However, it didn't end as great as it should
have. After going back to the church after playing some good basketball at the
city community center, and having to track someone down who tried to steal
Elder Choffin’s ball, we were at the church playing soccer, and I happened to
take a few shots at the goal while Elder Stuart was playing goalie. Knowing Elder Stuart I should have realized
at the moment that I shouldn't be kicking the ball at the goal when Elder
Stuart was goalie in the first place but I didn’t listen to that prompting.
Well long story made short, because I don't want to write too much about how sad
this day was, I broke and shattered Elder Stuart's wrist and arm, when he
blocked a ball I shot at the goal!
So the rest of the
day, we spent it at the hospital running errands and taking care of everything!
I feel so bad, and crushed right now, because the fact that this traumatic
incident actually ended Elder Stuart's time as a full-time missionary!
However, to get my
mind off of things I have to admit that Monday night we took a trip
to Red Robin to use the gift card I received from my parents so that we could
eat some all you could eat French fries! It was super good, and I am so
thankful for that gift card that was sent to me! Thank you all so much!
Tuesday, was
another crazy day, with not much missionary work done! With it being Elder
Stuart's last day here in the mission, and him having his arm in a sling with a
hard shell cast, we had to pack his bags completely and get everything ready
for him to fly home one Wednesday morning! It was so sad having to
pack for a great friend and missionary to go home from his mission early, for
an accident that happened.
It took almost a
full day for us to get his things completely all ready! And afterwards with me
being the only one that could drive I drove him around for a few hours so he
could see some members that he desired to see before flying home. It was a good
drive time, because I was able to really express my apology towards him. It was
also very comforting for me to be able to talk with him, for the fact that he
wasn't upset at me at all, and that he forgave me completely.
Tuesday
evening I went with elder Stuart to his very last English dinner. It was
sad to see, but the members of the second ward truly love him! When I got back
with Elder Jeske we went on our splits with our members, and had a great night!
The best thing about the night was the fact that I got a super cool gift from a
member that he had made from Nicaragua, and sent to me as a mission memory and
gift! I am so thankful, and it is absolutely amazing! All of the missionaries
want some scriptures cases like mine now! They are very personalized as
well!
So now I
definitely need to include a dream that I had Tuesday night leading
to Wednesday, because it really freaked me out, and I didn't like it at
all! I woke up literally shaking, because the way that I felt, and I thought it
was true life. So I had a dream that my super good friend, actually my very
first convert in my mission, was super upset with me. He had left the church,
and wouldn't talk to me anymore. In fact, he had gone completely less active
and everything. Well during the dream I was at the airport and I saw Agustin
there, and he was on his way flying back to Mexico, when I approached him, and
asked him how he was doing. This was after hours of searching all he did was
shake his head in disgust with me. He then walked away, and after a good hour
or so I was just following him, and trying to get him to talk to me about what
happened, and what I did. He finally explained to me that he was so disgusted
in me for bringing him something that wasn't true, that I tricked him, and how
much of a fake friend I was to him. It was absolutely crushing me, I was just
crying, and being late for my plane ride home back to Idaho. He finally told me
in the dream at the end, that he didn't ever want to hear from me, or talk to
me again, and then he stepped onto his plane for Mexico, and I no longer could
speak to him.
Well when I woke
up Wednesday morning I thought this entire dream was real, and
so I tried to contact him. After I had been trying to get into contact with him
for over like 2 months. He didn't answer my phone
call Wednesday morning, Wednesday evening I tried 1 last
time, and now I really was starting to believe that maybe he didn't want to ever
talk to me again because he didn't answer again! As I put the phone down, my
mind start to wonder about how I will just trying to find him, and contact him
when I get home from my Idaho phone number, and maybe he will pick it up. As my
mind began to think all of this, the phone began to ring and it was Agustin
calling back! Wow! What an answer to my prayers, because the last 2 months I
have been praying to get back into contact with Agustin, and he finally called
me back! I love how my Heavenly Father answers my prayers!
However, if I were
to give you a detailed sentence about Wednesday I think I could sum
it up with just 1 word MIRACLES! We had interviews with our mission President Wednesday morning and
they actually went super well! I was so nervous because I knew if I got rebuked
for some reason that my good attitude towards my mission would be lost, and I
would have probably ended my mission with a bad taste in my mouth. However my
interview went super well! He actually was impressed with the things that we
are doing here in Woodland!
We also had a
killer day of teaching, being able to pull off 5 lessons, in a day of
interviews, 2 hours of service, and a Baptismal interview that evening with The
Zone Leaders for Ricardo and Maria was absolutely amazing! Also just the fact
that I was able to hear from Agustin! I cannot explain in words how happy I was
that night, and how good I felt! I also don't think I could express in words
how much Agustin means to me!
What another
wonderful day we had this past Thursday! It was so awesome to be able to
have the knowledge that your investigators were taken to Oakland by members to
get married is absolutely wonderful! I have to admit I don't think I have ever
seen members work with investigators better in my life. From day 1 they have
constantly been asking about the Luna Family, and how they can help. It's been
great.
We had Zone
meeting Thursday morning as well! It went all right, however I
have to admit that it wasn't my favorite Zone meeting I have had on my mission.
I just feel like things are starting to get repetitive, which I guess means
they must be things that we truly need to learn. However our Zone leaders did a
great job teaching and making it somewhat interesting.
Friday was
another super sweet day! We definitely struggled with teaching lessons and
such, just because he fact that it was Wedding reception day, or in other words
PARTY TIME, but we also had to get our weekly planning done. But on top of all
that and more importantly is the fact that we had to get everything finalized
for the baptism. Such as the program and making sure the font was going to get filled
and everything. The weird thing is the hardest and most confusing thing about the
baptismal program isn't figuring out who is going to do what, it's trying to
format the paper on a computer how you want it to, and then trying to print it
the right way, so everything goes the way you want it to. Ha ha sometimes we
waste a good 15-20 pieces of paper trying to figure out how to run the paper
through the printer again so we can get it to print the other part on the other
side. Ha ha it's always and interesting battle.
Baptismal Saturday!
What a wonderful day that day was! To be able to watch and be apart of another
2 of our brothers and sisters enter the waters of Baptism, but even better yet,
to be able to watch a family become united in the ways of the Lord! I am so
happy for them. I cannot express my happiness, and thankfulness that I have had
to be a part of such a wonderful thing! I can remember back to when I was in
Santa Rosa, and the feeling I had when I baptized Agustin who was the first
person ever in my life. After that I set a goal for myself, and I can
officially say I have achieved my goal! And I feel so unsatisfied, because I
know that the Lord has more prepared for me before I end my time as a full time
missionary.
It was such a
wonderful day. We started off with the opportunity to be able to go out to
Brother Sharps home, and do service from 10-3. I always love going and doing
service out there because it always give me such a good work out, but also
because it reminds me so much of being at home! I am so thankful, for service
opportunities.
Afterwards we went
back to the apartment and were able to get showered up and prepared for wonderful
baptism that night! While doing so we realized that we didn't have a dinner so
we made a few phone calls to a member who we are super close with and were able
to go out and eat dinner with the Souza Family! It was absolutely great! They
are super sweet, and I always love being with them! Brother Souza reminds me so
much of Grandpa Dean!
After dinner it
was baptism time! We rushed to the church, and were able to get there in time,
and last minute we found out that a member who was planning on speaking at the
baptism wasn't going to make it, so we had to come up with some kind of a
change in the plans on the spot! However everything worked out super well! So, I was in the font baptizing Maria the
daughter first, and I don’t know what happened but I had a huge brain fart,
because I began the prayer for baptizing her before I even called her by her
name. Good thing I caught myself before I dunked her. Good thing brain farts
don't last too long! Ha ha
I had super cool
experience as well, while Hermano Hoglund was speaking I looked to my
right, and there sitting in the baptismal service was Agustin and Vianey from
Santa Rosa! Gosh dang, that meant so much to me! It was so awesome for me to be
able to talk with both of them, and to figure out what was going on! Agustin
Seems to be doing a little better than I thought, however he is definitely
passing through a time of difficulty and so I would love it if you all would
keep him in your prayers! I love that man!
Sunday was a
wonderful day as well! Watching this family get confirmed and to be apart of it
was another great experience. I was so happy for them. My companion did a
wonderful job confirming Maria the daughter, and than we had a member Joel
Rodriguez confirm Ricardo the father! Such a wonderful day!
Overall Family and
Friends it has been such a wonderful week, and I am so appreciative for all of
your prayers. I know those prayers are answered, and how much the Luna Family
has appreciated them all!
I hope you all
have a wonderful week!
Love you all!
Elder
Albertson
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The Luna Family
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Agustin and Vianey
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