Brian

March 1, 2011
Domingo: I LOVE SUNDAYS!!! They are the best day of the week. In church I performed. I played piano and sang. I had a boom mike set up and everything, it was pretty intense. I performed my arrangement of a Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief. You HAVE to hear it, when I get home. It was super spiritual and there were a lot of tears. So that went really well, and we had 4 investigators at church. It was great. Then these two priests took me up to Aliso Viejo to go to the singles ward. That was also awesome. We ended up teaching Gospel Principles. We taught this less active kid and then we gave a youth fireside. We were the speakers in the bishop’s fireside and it went way good. After the fireside, while everyone was eating I performed again. I had them pick a Disney song, a hymn, a primary song, and a pop song and I mashed it together. The kids LOVED it.

March 8, 2011
I am doing amazing. Can you believe that tomorrow will be my one year mark in the field? That is crazy.
Viernes: We had to drive up to Mission Viejo to drop something off and then we went down to Capistrano Beach to visit some less actives. After that we went to this rest home, and I played piano for the people living there, and we sang songs and it was really fun. We got to meet some neat people. Then after that we went and gave bread to the homeless which was also really fun.

March 15, 2011
But Japan! Wow, that was nuts. We got a call at 5:30 in the morning on Friday saying to stay away from the beach because there is a reported tsunami that was going to be hitting California. Luckily, nothing hit, I think it raised maybe like 4 feet and that was it. So that is good. Pretty nuts though. We haven’t heard very much of anything, just little bits and pieces and what we hear from members. It sounds pretty bad though.
Saturday: The BAPTISM!!!!! Everything went really good for the most part. So first, the hot water didn’t work, so we prayed really hard, and then it was warm!! Then, the drain wasn’t working, so all the water was slowly leaving so we had to find a way to stop the water, so we found this rubber disk randomly and just slapped it on, and it worked. Then the programs were all messed up, so we had to have someone fix them. Our ward mission leader was in Hawaii, so we had to get the programs fixed without him. All good though. The service was great, and the spirit was strong, and it was awesome.

March 22, 2011
Lunes: We had to drive up to Aliso Viejo to get our car fixed and while we were up there, we went out to eat at Cafe Rio. Yep, you heard it, Cafe Rio. The first Cafe Rio in California. I have pictures to prove it. We walked in, and the entire restaurant was full of Mormons. We saw people from our ward (we were very far away), and we had 3 offers from different people to pay for our meal. Yeah it rocked. Then the entire time people came up to us and said hi Elders! There are more Mormons at Cafe Rio than at church!!
Domingo: Then a huge miracle. We were going over to dinner at [a family], and we went and knocked their door without thinking twice. It wasn’t them. It was their next door neighbors which actually is a very small assisted living center. This man from the Philippines (one of the two workers), let us in and we started talking. He said “I have always seen you in Manila, but I have never gotten the chance to talk to you. I saw you in the peephole and something inside me told me to open the door. I know God sent you here for a reason and I know that what you are sharing is true.” YES IT IS TRUE!!!! We didn’t even share anything with him really. It was a miracle. He said to come over on Monday night.

March 29, 2011
Saturday: Not much happened until the evening. We FINALLY got a hold of our miracle man and we had a lesson in [a member’s] home!! Wow, it went AWESOME! He is SO in tune with the spirit, and he said that when he heard it, it sounded “familiar and like I was coming home”. Of the First Vision, “I feel warmth and like something inside of me, is telling me that is true.” When invited to be baptized, “I will walk 40 miles to have that”!! Wow, it was awesome. Then after him, we had another sweet lesson with [an investigator]. We talked about the Book of Mormon, and we got all of his questions answered about it.

February 1, 2011
Sabado: We went up to Dixon Lake, this park in North Escondido, and we were able to talk to some people up there. Then we drove up to Valley Center to do a baptismal interview for [elders there]. To finish off the evening, we went over to [a family] and we talked to them about Family Home Evening. We actually made a cute little assignment wheel out of cardboard and it looked pretty legit. Oh yes.
Lunes: We are trying to volunteer at Salvation Army so we went over there, and then we are also going to be performing at this retirement center so we got things set up for that too. To finish off the evening we taught these former investigators and it went really well.

February 8, 2011
So basically the news is….I am getting transferred. I am pretty bummed, because I have loved being with Elder Kidd and I love Escondido, but I was kind of expecting it. I have been in this ward for 9 months. It has been pretty crazy. It was pretty hard saying goodbye to everyone again, but that is ok. This ward has been my family and it was hard to say goodbye again. We took pictures and stuff. So even though I didn’t have any baptisms in this area, we saw so much success. It was pretty cool. I am excited to see where the Lord wants me to be next and what he wants me to do.
Miercoles: We went to district meeting and I sang a musical number, “Savior Redeemer of My Soul”. It is the hymn words, but to a tune that is absolutely beautiful. I will have to show it to you when I get home. We didn’t have music, but Elder Kidd and I just made it up (he played piano).

February 15, 2011
I got transferred to stay a Zone Leader in the San Clemente Zone. I am in English Work and I am serving in 2 wards. The San Clemente 4th Ward (family ward), and the San Clemente 5th YSA ward. I am living in San Juan Capistrano. Wow, this is the most beautiful place that I have ever been. We are right down on the ocean and there really isn’t a time where you don’t see the ocean. This is also the first time that I have served in Orange County, I have been in San Diego County for my whole mission thus far. It was kind of a surprise to be going into English work, but it is all good, I have a lot to learn. The style of work is completely different too. The members here are great and are giving us tons of referrals. Little known fact, our mission gives the most member referrals than any other mission in the U.S. and Canada.

February 22, 2011
Tuesday: So after we went emailing we went to the church and we spent all day doing this project. We got a map of the two stakes, cut it into 2″ squares and then blew it up 400% and then pieced it together. Then we took our entire wall in our apartment to hang up this map that we made. Then what we have been doing is putting pins in where all of the active/less active members of our ward live with a number so that we can know who lives there. It is pretty awesome. If anyone were to get whitewashed into this area, they would be really grateful.

January 4, 2011
Sunday: I am 20!!! Wow, I am old. That is crazy. I am not a teenager. I am 2 decades old. Craziness. In the evening [a member family] had a birthday party for me. They decorated and made me a cake and everything. It was super nice. Then we came home and ate more food! Thanks for the pizza.

January 11, 2011
Friday: Leadership Training!! I love leadership training. We woke up super early and then we drove over to Vista, I played piano. The training was really good, we just practiced, practiced, practiced. I love it, such a spiritual experience. It is 100% focused on the spirit and you receive SO much revelation and inspiration and excitement.
Saturday: More leadership training! In the afternoon we practiced finding by the spirit and so the zone leaders were all given situations and we were supposed to be real characters and the missionaries were going to contact us. It was super fun. We dressed up and had props and everything and it was really fun.

January 18, 2011
Wednesday: We went to district meeting and then we had a few appointments fall through which was too bad. But then in the afternoon we had to go to the library and take an online mission survey for the mission department. Then we are also being instructed to go on to the new mormon.org and learn about it more, so that we can help members use it too. It is basically this huge social networking site, and I don’t know if you guys have heard the success that it is having in our mission and the world. Truly it is miraculous! The amount of referrals that missionaries are getting are higher than ever because of this website.

January 25, 2011
Sunday: We started with Cinnamon Roll Sunday and then we had ward correlation and then ward council. Then…[an investigator family] came!!! This was the second week in a row for them, and it is SOO exciting! Way spiritual experience, when one of my recent converts actually blessed the sacrament. The Spirit was so strong for me, and I couldn’t help but cry. It was definitely a tender mercy from our Heavenly Father, telling me that he is proud of the work that I am doing. In Sacrament Meeting I actually performed. I sang “I Know that my Redeemer Lives”. My companion, Elder Kidd, played piano and it was an arrangement that we wrote on Saturday, and it turned out SOO GOOD!!! The Spirit was so strong and wow…it was great. Cool story: one of the other missionary’s investigators was there and she felt the Spirit while I was singing and started bawling and it was the first time she had felt the Spirit, and then that night she accepted a baptismal date. It was one of the most spiritual performances of my mission. Also, the most spiritual Sacrament Meeting that I can ever remember. It was great.

12/7/2010

Lunes:  Not much happened during the day until the evening when we ate dinner with Los Salvador and then we went to this big noche de hogar that we arranged.  We had it in the bishop’s home and we invited all those that were investigating and those that had been baptized within the year to come.  It got started an hour late, but it was a good success.  We were pretty happy.

12/14/2010

Miercoles: In the afternoon we went and checked up on this former investigator and we had a sweet lesson with him.  He had a lot of unanswered questions from former missionaries, and we were explaining about the true church of Christ and then the First Vision.  The most powerful/spiritual First Vision moments of my mission.  He was crying and then afterwards we were silent for about 2 minutes.  Really sweet.

12/21/2010

Friday:  It started raining hard on Friday and it has not stopped once since.  There is SO much water and thank goodness we have a car.  We have been soaked the last 4 days, and tomorrow it is supposed to rain too.

Sunday:   We saw so many miracles.  In sacrament meeting, we didn’t have any investigators…but Elder Kidd and I sang a song, “O Little Town of Bethlehem”, and Hna. Yturralde played piano.  It was beautiful and it sounded really good, REALLY strong spirit.  I also gave the opening prayer.  So afterwards in gospel principles there was this guy that was just sitting there dressed in shirt and tie that looked familiar.  We started talking to him, and turns out he isn’t a member but has come to the ward like 4 times.  No one knew that he wasn’t a member!?!?  And he is in our area.  Practically is a member already, has a friend in Encinitas who is a member.  We are going to spend Christmas Eve with them, and the qoute was that “I am going to work hard, to get my wife involved in this!”  And he has never actually spoken to missionaries before!  So great!  We got home after church so happy.  We ate dinner with a member family, Los Salvador, and we are going to be over there for Christmas calls and such.  They are an awesome family.  Great day, and miracles continue.

12/28/2010

Friday:  Christmas Eve!!  We went at 9:30 to pick up Elders and then we drove them to Vista for the party.  We had all the packages divided up and we gave them all out to our zones.  There were a lot of them.  Then we practiced for the talent show for a little bit and then mingled with everyone.  We had lunch catered by some members for free and it was delicious.  Then we gave President Cook a present from our zone.  Last week when we were at the library the librarian said that they were going to be throwing out their collection of the encyclopedia of mormonism, but that if we wanted them, we could have them.  So we took them and then we got them all signed and gave them to President.  he LOVED them.  P.S.  This is the one that Grandpa Walker is in.   Then I also played piano for the devotional.  It was super good, and then at 6 we left.  During the devotional I received some intense revelation, that the Lord is going to place in our path someone who is very ready to recieve the gospel.  So Elder Kidd and I have to go find him now.  We got our transfer calls, and I am staying again with Elder Kidd here in Escondido!  So it will be 9 months and counting of being here in Escondido.  Crazy.  When we got home, we went over to Los Madrigal and we ate dinner with them.  They are an investigator family, and actually it was the first time that we visited them.  Super nice.  Super ready.  We ate Pozole and tamales, and it was really good.  We picked them up as new investigators and we had a sweet lesson!!!

click on a photo to see them all in a gallery