November 26, 2012; this one is a long one!

What a week! This is one of those weeks that I wish I had a little more time to write about! One of the most interesting things about this week was the contrast of everything that happened. In this week alone we had one experience that was one of the craziest and most terrible on my mission thus far. I will not go into any detail about what happened but it was interesting as I was able to see myself and how I've changed. Through this awful experience, there were those that let anger, fear, and doubt ruin them. This brought the lowest I have seen in certain people. Now what was interesting is that I was ok. I was very upset and scared but at the same time, I was able to see how much I trust our Father in Heaven. I was able to stay calm and be the head of reason through this ordeal. It was a very interesting experience! Now that it is over, I am grateful of it and grateful that I now know I can handle things like that. Also on the bad end of the spectrum, I was more stressed then I have been for a long time this week from Sunday to Wednesday. That experience before mentioned, which happened on Monday, did not help any with that but that was not the cause of my stress. 

We have been having some problems with our computer at the church and we were unable to get out welfare or anything like that. It came down to where we had three families without power on Tuesday. Several hours on Sunday and Monday were spent trying to prevent this problem. Several hours on Tuesday and Wednesday were spent trying to solve it. Thankfully it was all solved Wednesday afternoon! It is not over but at least we were able to get their power on and get to a point where we are a little ahead of everything. We are still going to have to try and solve this problem this week. These two experiences were the bad; they were the bitter that made the rest of the week so sweet! 

We'll start on Tuesday...right in the middle of all the problems! We had a lesson planned with Laura right after Tuesday night's ASL class. About an hour before ASL class was to start we got a text from Laura's friend Ashley (who has been helping us with everything and coming to all of the lessons) that Laura's car had just been stolen so they were not going to be able to make it that night to class or the lesson! Ya talk about a bummer! We felt (and still feel) so bad for her! So we went to class and not too long after it started, Laura and Ashley walked in! It was really surprising and we were really happy to see them! What had happened, as we came to learn, is that as they were sitting there after finishing the police report and everything, Laura's family had yet to answer her calls and everything so the two of them didn't know what to do. Ashley had the thought and mentioned to Laura that they should go and see the Elders which were on the way to her (Laura's) house. She agreed and they came. That was a really cool prompting as we had a really fun ASL class planned which hopefully distracted her. And then we were able to have a really good lesson about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That is Faith in Jesus Christ and his Atonement, Repentance, Baptism, Receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and Enduring to the End. It was a good lesson and I felt like a good teacher during that lesson as I was able to see her understand everything I was teaching her! ------ Funny side note- I realized this week that Laura is only the THIRD person I have been able to have more than one real lesson with! All of you that have served missions imagine that. In one year there are only three investigators that go past the first lesson. And it is not like we find a lot and they just aren't interested, I've probably only "found" around 15 people thus far! Talk about a lesson in patience and long-suffering! Ha-ha ------ Sorry, anyways I felt like I was able to teach her pretty well! It was a wonderful lesson and I think a great experience for her to have, being she just went through the problems of having your car (and everything inside it) stolen but then being able to go to a lesson and feel the spirit! It was a pretty cool! Of course, because of everything else that was happening at that time, we couldn't end perfect! Ha-ha we had a comment at the end that was a perfect example of deaf and hearing culture colliding in a ball of flames! I just had to put my head down and shake it, No no no! Ha-ha It wasn't that bad and it was actually really funny if it wasn't during a lesson! All is good now but it was a very interesting thing!

Wednesday....the only things to mention are that we were finally able to fix that problem and I had a lot of time to read my book. I am reading "An Approach to the Book of Mormon" by Hugh Nibly...It is an amazing book! I would encourage all you that can to read it! There is no possible way to doubt the book of Mormon once you get to even the middle of that book! Ha-ha

THANKSGIVING!! Definitely one of the best days ever!! We woke up and left our apartment at 5:30 (yes I am wondering myself how it could be one of the best days ever with a start like that also!) to go do some service with Elder Kim and Elder Ellison for their ward mission leader! It was a good project, I still have a few blood blisters, but we were able to get it done really well! After it was finished they (the ward mission leader and his wife) fed the four of us breakfast! It was super good! They had fried bread (like scones) and eggs for us! So much food! It was wonderful! Following that we went, picked up some other missionaries, and went to a turkey bowl!!! Oh I love football! We played with those two wards from about 8 to 9:45 and it was really fun! We had lines (me and another Elder that played Guard in HS did really well on the line) and everything! I did Linebacker for most but would also play guard/center on offense! It was so fun! Then at 9:45 we went to the Camino Principal Ward with 6 other missionaries to the turkey bowl there! That one was my favorite! Both were awesome and just playing football again, like that, in contrast to everything else that had happened that week, oh man it was heaven! But the reason I really really enjoyed playing with CPP ward is because it was a lot more organized and everything! It was an actual tournament and had many teams! Each team had two missionaries, not necessarily a companionship but due to a communication issue me and Elder Nelsen were on the same team! Ha-ha not like that is a bad thing! He had three good completions and one touchdown by the end of the day! When I first looked at my team, I judged too harshly and I thought we were in some serious trouble! Mostly because we had lots and lots of kids on our team. But those kids could actually play really well and we ended up doing really good! I did mostly defense but I had a touchdown in each of our first two games and three or four completions in each so I was doing really well! Each game went to 5 touchdowns. But on our second to last game (semi-finals) I did really well! I don't know why but I just kept getting open and our quarterback was really good! I had three of the five touchdowns myself and I setup the other two within fifteen yards! It was awesome!  We ended up winning the whole thing! It was great! I also must mention that while these games were happening we had many appetizers spread out for us and it was great! The reason I need to say this is for one in particular which the best appetizer I have ever tasted was quite possibly! It was a jalapeno pepper that was filled with cheese and wrapped in bacon and grill perfectly! I must have had six or seven (and that was me holding back!) So football was very fun!

After 4 and a half hours of it we went home, changed, and drove up to Nate and Elisa's (my aunt and uncle that live here!) That dinner was amazing! The food was amazing! But most of all it was so good to eat with them and play games with them and everything! We played cranium and it was way fun! Spending time with people you love is the best!

After we had dinner with them and played some games we headed back down here and went over to the Belnaps to have Thanksgiving with the Belnaps and Agardys! That also was great! Needless to say by that time Elder Nelsen and I were pretty full so we didn't eat so much there! It was more just talking with them and enjoying their company! I am so grateful for all of the amazing people I have met while down here! It was a wonderful day and we went home so tired and full!

On Friday we went over to the Kerastas' and had a Thanksgiving dinner with them that was also wonderful! And afterwards we helped them put up their Christmas tree! That tripped me out! How is it Christmas time already! I can't believe it! That was the most I have ever decorated a tree! There were so many ornaments on that thing it was insane! Next time we are over there I will take a picture to send back to show it! On Saturday we went over to the Krakowiaks for a Thanksgiving dinner with them and their whole family! It was really good! It was an interesting experience to have some many people there, have it so loud but yet with so much signing! All the people there except for Elder Nelsen and Pres. and Sister Krakowiak were hearing but all of them could sign (being that they grew up with Pres. and Sister Krakowiak as their parents)! But it was a really good meal and a really enjoyable experience! Ya talk about a lot of turkey and potatoes! Not to mention that all the thanksgiving food we received from the branch activity like three weeks ago only ran out on Monday! Needless to say, it will be a while before I crave turkey and potatoes again! Ha-ha

Ok last (I know finally! Sorry it was a crazy week!) Is a funny experience that happened yesterday in church with the branch! So on Saturday at dinner President Krakowiak asked the two of us to speak in church on Sunday. That is fine; it has actually been awhile since I spoke in the branch so we planned to do that. I gave my talk on Spiritual gifts and Elder Nelsen followed with the Gift of the Holy Ghost. The interesting and funny thing that happened was something I didn't hear about until after church! Apparently, while I was giving my talk, Sister Slade was "interpreting" for Corina. Corina doesn't know any ASL, with her it is mostly just facial expressions and body language so every week she sits next to one of the members and they do their best to convey what is being signed. Anyways apparently Corina kept asking Sister Slade what I was saying but Sister Slade (mind you, she is one of the most influential and involved members of the deaf community in Tucson [meaning of course that she, herself is deaf], signing all her life and everything.) kept saying to her "I don't know, he is signing too fast!" ha-ha This might not be funny or interesting to you but for me it is! Apparently my signing is getting good! Now I know that I was signing well, clearly, and better ASL and not just signing English because the other members of the branch were able to come up and talk to me about it afterwards! All of them were surprised how much my signing is improving! I am no longer fumbling to get through a talk! I am finally confident with the language! Ha-ha I don't know if you enjoyed that but I thought it was pretty funny! I didn't think I was signing fast, I was just going normal but I guess that from now on I am going to have to take it slow! Ha-ha

Well that was our week! Hope your Thanksgiving was great!

Elder Banner

November 19, 2012

Ok it was actually a very, very cool week!! We had a lot happen this week and it was so fun! I will start out with the best/most important and then go from there.

We were able to have two lessons with Laura this week! We started on Tuesday to teach her the plan of Salvation!  It very possibly could have been the best lesson I have ever had up to this point because of her!  She was so into it! As we were explaining and drawing on one of the boards she was taking notes on the other one and would come over and put her own notes on the plan we were drawing! It was a great lesson and the spirit was there so strong! It was great because I felt that we were really able to explain everything in a way that she could understand it.  After about an hour we had only gotten to the end of Earth life so...we were able to have the 2nd part of the lesson on Saturday night! We took pictures of the notes from the first lesson so we could copy them and have them for the 2nd one as well. The 2nd lesson was also a really good one and we were able to teach really well. And....Laura now has a baptismal date!!!! So exciting!! This is what this is all about!

This week me and Elder Nelsen went on our first road trip. We took a trip up to Safford to visit some people up there! Also while we were there we stopped by the temple and were able to take some pictures there. There really is a special feeling at the temple! All we did was walk around the grounds but there was still just this sense of peace and happiness there! It is wonderful! Also we had a great opportunity to go and get a few pictures in a cotton field that was white and ready to harvest. For clarification as to why this is really cool, see Doctrine and Covenants 4:3-4. They are some of the best "missionary pictures" I have so far!

We had a half-mission conference this week that was really good! Elder Foster, from the quorum of the seventy, was able to come and tour the mission so they did a mission conference with both the east and the west sides of the mission! It was a great experience and I really enjoyed hearing from him! I learned a lot and what was implied was even more valuable! Among many other things he spoke to us about the Christmas things that will be on Mormon.org.   I would encourage all of you to go look on Mormon.org at the Christmas site after Thanksgiving! It has some really cool things about the Savior and some really great ways to spread the true meaning of Christmas to your friends!  It was interesting because I interpreted the whole 4 hour meeting! Don't worry, I had breaks! Ha-ha I am not going to get carpel tunnel! Ha-ha But it was fantastic! Afterwards, we were able to get zone pictures with Elder and Sister Foster and then able to go meet and talk with them! It is always an interesting experience to shake hands with someone with that kind of spiritual knowledge. It was one of those experiences where, when he looks in your eyes, you know he is reading your soul! Ha-ha it was good to talk with them! Since I interpreted the whole meeting, they spoke to me longer then all of the other missionaries which were a really wonderful experience! He told me some things that I will keep really close to me and that helped me out a lot! It was a great experience and I really learned a lot from it!

On Friday Elder Kim and I went on an exchange that was really fun! Elder Kim is one of my best friends out here so that is always fun to go hang out with him for awhile! While there we were able to get him another new investigator that will get baptized as soon as she is able to quit smoking! It was great! We also went to a chili cook off that their ward had that was fantastic! Those are big down here and the people really know how to make chili! We had a lot happen that day but that will suffice for explanation at the moment!

We also had a devotional on Sunday night that was really cool! It was the 75th anniversary of the Institute down here so they had a big celebration for that! It was really cool to be able to go and to hear from those who have put so much time and energy into helping people through that institute! The ending speaker was former Arizona Tucson Mission President Walker. It was really cool to hear from him and see him after I have heard so much about him from the older missionaries! One thing that hit me this week is that I am now one of the older missionaries! That is so weird! I can't believe how fast it is going and all that has happened! I really can't believe that it is already Thanksgiving! What the crap?! Where did Nov go? Anyways it has been a really good week and I am excited for this one!

Take luck and care for it! Till next time,

Elder Banner

November 13, 2012

Hello Hello! Another week come and gone! I can't believe how fast they are starting to go! This week was an interesting one! There is not a lot that is really good to write about but I will do my best! Ha-ha

Ok, to go along with last week’s letter, this week we were unable to teach either Laura or Kayla. It is rather sad, we had a lesson set up with Laura but she became really sick so we had to cancel and it just didn't work out for the rest of the week with her. But it is ok! We have a lesson with her tonight so we are excited for that! With Kayla we invited her to the branch thanksgiving activity (see below) but she was actually out of town all weekended so that was a bummer! Hopefully we will be able to see her again soon! We did get another new investigator this week! Her name is Tara and she is awesome! I'm not totally sure if we are going to teach her now or not because of the situation. She is one of those amazing people that just show up to church and wants to be taught! She is the first person I've met that has done that and it is great! She showed up to church in the Camino Principal ward a few weeks ago and wanted to take the lessons. So the missionaries in that area started to teach her. But because she is YSA age, they let us know about her and right now are passing her off to us. We had a lesson with her and with the other missionaries on Thursday and it was awesome!

She is so ready but she doesn't even know it! She already knows that the Book of Mormon is true, she is halfway through first Nephi, and she said she wants to be baptized when she feels it's the right time! Ya, can you say GOLDEN?! Ha-ha One thing that is good if Elder Nelsen and I start teaching her is that we won’t force anything on her. A lot of missionaries have the problem of trying to force baptism on people when they (the missionaries) feel they are ready. but due to the nature of our work both of us have become extremely patient and understand that people need to progress on their own speed. Now we are going to help her as much as we can and we are going to push her a little bit of course but we actually understand that she needs to do it herself. So we will keep you posted on that!

On Friday we had a branch thanksgiving activity that was awesome! It was really successful and we had lots of people come! We had a few less active people show up that I have not met before so it was good to meet them! We also had a few really important people come, one that we really want to work with but we were unable to meet with her before as it was a weird situation. This lady showed up and myself, and more importantly Elder Nelsen, were able to talk to her for a while and really start to make a good relationship with her! It was really good and hopefully because of that good experience we will be able to go visit her and her family soon! So for this activity, it was a really good dinner! It was probably the best church activity dinner I have ever had! It was fantastic! It was the normal thanksgiving food but with ham, also and with some really good sweet potatoes! (Oh ya, I love sweet potatoes now dad! haha) It was a great activity and I really enjoyed it! I have some pictures and videos to send home from it! One of the craziest things that happened was how much food we had left over! We had SOO much! So we gave some to a few of the poorer members of the branch and everything. But then I turned around and I saw a piles of bags they had made and I asked, "What is that for?" and they told me that the two of us were taking it home! I was shocked! That was so much food! I tried to give some more to other people but everyone was insistent that we take it. So now we probably have two weeks’ worth of good thanksgiving leftovers! I love this branch! I really do! It is really hard to be in this mission but I truly love all the people in the branch and they make everything worth it! That is why missions are so good! It is because of the people you meet! Not because of what you do, but of who you grow to love! It was a wonderful activity!

The other interesting thing that happened this week was Stake Conference! We had Stake conference this weekend and it was a fantastic experience! We had the priesthood leadership meeting on Saturday afternoon and then our Elders quorum president, Gerry, took us to a really good Indian restaurant! It was really good! Following that we had the adult meeting that night! Both of these meeting were really really good! I really enjoyed them and learned a lot! For both of these meetings I was also asked to interpret! I know I mention interpreting like every week but sometimes it seems that is what I do! That is my job! Ha-ha Anyways it was a good experience! It was a good opportunity to practice and I did pretty well!

Now, the best part of Stake Conference is what happened on Sunday! It wasn't normal but it was a broadcast to all of the stakes in Arizona! We heard from the Presiding Bishop, a member from the RS general presidency, and then from Elder Holland and Elder Eyring! It was amazing! It was a great learning experience and a super strong spiritual experience! I really enjoyed it and it was a super strong meeting! One of the major things I got out of this meeting is that, it is time to stop fooling around and get to work! This is the last inning! This is the last harvest! Ya, pretty crazy! Ha-ha we are getting close. It is that time for "all men to warn his neighbor". That is our responsibility now as members of this church! We must warn our neighbor! People need to know what we know! For it truly is drawing to a close. That is an interesting note to end on but that is important!

Till next time,

Elder Banner

November 6, 2012

Ok first I want to thank all of you for the birthday things! Those videos were a great idea! I loved it! Please tell everyone thanks so much and I love them!  It was definitely an interesting week and we did party pretty well (as much as missionaries can)! Ha-ha

But I will get to that later! I want to talk about an interesting experience we had with our new investigator Laura. Laura is awesome! She is not deaf but she can sign really well and has been coming to our ASL class with her friend Ashley. Ashley is also awesome and has been helping us out a lot! So long story short, we recently found out that Laura actually lives in the YSA 2 ward boundaries....that's interesting....we cover that as well! So we were talking with Ashley and we mentioned that we are over that area and asked if Laura would be interested in taking the lessons. She said that Laura was actually kind of looking for a church right now and she (Ashley) just didn't know how to bring it up with her. This gave her the opportunity (and excuse) so she asked her when the two of them went to dinner that night.  Laura said that if Ashley would come with her she would be interested, so we had a lesson on Tuesday! Now Tuesday was an interesting day, we were both really tired, our studies weren't effective that day, and everything we had planned that day fell through, so by the time we had our lesson with her after dinner our hearts weren't completely in it. This is really sad because we were both super excited for her. Anyway, it was one of the worst lessons I have ever been a part of and most of it is my fault. We didn't teach evenly, we didn't cover everything how it should have been covered. I don't know why but we just didn't have it that night. And it was awful! The two of us felt so bad after that! But what was interesting was that there was one thing that went right, the spirit was there. And that is really all that matters!

After the lesson we had our ASL class and that one wasn't the best either, we were both kind of stewing over our "failed" golden investigator. But through the class I noticed that Laura wasn't herself either. She wasn't really paying attention and seemed a little anise. About halfway through class she stood up and walked out....and didn't come back! Again I was like oh crap! We screwed that one up! But....but....when class was finally over we walked out into the hall to find Laura sitting in the hall, reading from her new Book of Mormon and MARKING IT!! I'm not kidding! It was one of the coolest experiences ever! This just shows that this truly is God's work! It will move forward even if we suck! Ha-ha That also should give hope to all who are worried about sharing the gospel, you do not have to be perfect, and you do not even have to be good! If the spirit is there and you desire to share what we have and try to do your best! That will be enough! It was wonderful! And she came to church with us which was also wonderful! That is always is the hardest part, getting people to go to church!

Halloween! Halloween is a weird time for missionaries. We were told to head home at 7 on that night so that none of us get into trouble! Ha-ha I do understand, I saw some crazy stuff happening before we got home and I can only assume it got crazier as it went! But it was still good! We went over to the Belnaps and partied with them, the Agardys, Danielle, and a few other missionaries! It was mostly just dinner and talking and then we had cake and ice cream because Halloween is also Lily's birthday!  So it was really fun! All of them were dressed up and it was really fun! Having a costume as missionaries, most of them are boring! Elder Matson put on 3 black dots and was a three hole punched paper (see the office if doesn't make sense). And Elder Barlocker didn't dress up but he had a brown vest on and Elder Matson had some cardboard gold plates in his car so he was Joseph Smith (see pictures) and that was pretty cool! But me and Elder Nelsen were by far the coolest! I have been working for about two to three weeks on our costumes. They are 100% cardboard and duct tape (excluding the capes which were old bed sheets). We were SPARTANS!! It turned out pretty well if I do say so myself! So Halloween was really fun!

Let’s see...what else happened this week? Oh, we started an ASL class for missionaries which have been really good! Just them knowing the basics is great because they actually really want to know and learn pretty fast! It will be nice when they can kind of communicate with Elder Nelsen! Then they will finally get to know him without me in the middle! 

I guess that brings us to Friday! Birthdays are weird on the mission and this one was even weirder than normal because we had DLC (District Leader Council) which was also combined with ZLC (Zone Leader Council) which made it a very long meeting! It started at 8 and didn't end until 4! I went with Elder Matson, Eddy, Foote, and Jones. Elder Nelsen went to hang out with Elder Kim and Elder Eliason for the day. It was a good meeting but it was super, super, long! It finally finished at 4 but we still didn't leave until around 5 and got back about 5:30 to find Elder Nelsen and company was in the middle of dinner! So, I went to dinner with the zone leaders! It was good but it was 7:30 by the time we were able to go get Elder Nelsen! It was a really long day and by that time I got back, I was so tired that we just went back to the apartment and crashed! So that was my birthday! Ya! Ha-ha

But I don't consider that my birthday because we celebrated on Saturday! Me and Elder Nelsen went with Elders Field, Nuttle, Kim, and Eliason to lunch at Olive Garden for the all you can eat soups and bread sticks! It was great! It was really fun to go with them and that was really, really, good! I really like that group of missionaries! They are all super fun! Also on Saturday night, (after a very good dinner at the Krakowiaks), we went to the Agardys for cake ice cream and party! It was really fun! With the Agardys there were Elders Matson, Davidson, Barlocker, and Espinosa! It was fun! We had the cake and ice cream, we joked around and talked, and then we played spades for a while! It was really fun! I am grateful for all of the awesome people I've met down here! I love these people! It stinks to be away from all at home but there are good people everywhere! It was all in all, a good birthday!

Oh! One more really interesting thing happened this week! We went to a baptism for the YSA 2 ward Elders (they are doing amazing!) and while we were there the girl who was getting baptized asked me, (after seeing us signing), if I was going to interpret the baptism for Elder Nelsen. Oh, I should mention that she SIGNED all of this which kind of surprised me! Ha-ha I said yes and then she got excited and said, "Oh good! My friend is coming and she is deaf so I was worried she wouldn't understand it!" Both me and Elder Nelsen were shocked! That is fantastic! So we were excited for that! Sure enough, about ten minutes later one of the missionaries walked in with a girl and introduced her to us saying I don't think she can hear! Ha-ha I was a little surprised! Of all the deaf people I have only met one (excluding Elder Nelsen) that was younger then about 28. This girl was our age and she was smart! (You can tell from someone’s signing if they are smart or not). We talked with her for a while, her name is Kayla, and she is really cool! She has been going to Galledeut (the deaf university) and came back until next fall to work! Anyway, it was a good experience to have her there. We got her information so we will see if we can visit her soon and spark some interest! It has been a really good week!

That's it for this time, until the next!!

Elder Banner