End of October!

I can hardly believe that we're already wrapping up the end of October! Since it doesn't really feel like the Fall that I'm used to, it's hard to believe we're already at Halloween and that the big Holidays are on their way. Any fun plans for Halloween this week? Kind of cool that it's on a Friday! There aren't very many houses that are decorated for Halloween around here. Mom, I do remember that one year getting pumpkins! That was 3 years ago! Crazy stuff! You'll have to remind Shannon of that haha.

 

Sad to hear about the passing of Sis. Gangle! That's wild. Hopefully Bro. Gangle does okay. He does have quite a place out there in the orchards all to himself now though, I'm sure it'll get a little lonely. You'll have to invite him to things or go visit him out there sometimes. I think this may be a bad USB card reader. I was able to get most of my pictures back, but I just plugged in my new SD card and some of them got corrupted again! I can't be losing these pictures, so I might just not send any for a while until I can figure out a better way to do it.

 

Glad to hear you had a good FHE and were able to listen to that talk! That's a super good one haha. Especially with scones at the end! Me and another Elder were talking a little bit about taking things for granted before the mission and FHE was one of them. Those are good memories made on those Monday nights! Thanks for always doing your best to have FHE and read the scriptures together as a family! Thanks for that package too mom! There was some great stuff in there!

 

I had a couple pretty good experiences this past week. One happened while I was on splits with my District Leader, Elder Arsenault. He finishes his mission next Monday, so I have been doing all I can to learn from him. Plus we clicked as soon as we met each other because he's a Texas boy haha. But he and I had been working super hard all day long, we literally talked to everyone we saw. When it was dark (around 7:30) we visited a less active and were going to read the Book of Mormon with him. It was in a kind of sketchy apartment complex and we ran into some rude people as we were locking our bikes up. We made it inside and were talking with him and I just didn't have a very good feeling. After a few minutes, Elder Arsenault told me he didn't have a good feeling either. At that moment, I had the feeling to "GET OUT NOW!" I had never before felt a prompting so strong, so we explained to the man that we would come back another time. After just a matter of seconds, we both received the witness that we had done the right thing. It was a pretty awesome experience.

 

The other was another night when we went to contact a referral given to us from the English elders who cover our area. They gave us the information of a woman named Gabby, so we went and knocked on her door and her sister, Dania, answered. Gabby wasn't home, but it turns out Dania was baptized in Honduras when she was 15! She moved to the states and didn't know where to find the church, so she is currently attending another, but we are hoping to be able to help them both come into the church! How awesome would that be!

 

I am beginning to understand the worth of each soul. There are times where I meet someone I have never before seen or talked to and immediately feel a deep love for them. Before the mission, I only remember this happening a few times. But it happens so often out here! I just want them to accept the Gospel and live by it's teachings! I know that their lives will be improved so much if they do so. I have seen the change in people who have accepted and began to live the Gospel and the blessing they have and are receiving from it.

 

I know the Church is true! What a simple, but profound statement that is! I am learning more every day about myself and also about others. I appreciate each one of you and thank you for your impact in my life. Enjoy this weekend! Tell Blake Happy Birthday for me! And have him send me an email. I love you all!

 

Elder Reynolds

 

 

(No Subject)

First off, I've got some bad news. I had a bunch of good pictures I was going to send, but something happened and now they're all lost. I just feel sick! I was able to send some just a few minutes before, but when I went to access them again, they were all corrupted and I lost all the pictures I've taken in the past 7 weeks. Super, SUPER disappointed. I feel sick! Ah man, what a bummer. I had some really good ones too! We went to the Visitor's Center yesterday with our recent convert and I took a lot of pictures since there usually isn't much to take pictures of! And they're all gone! Can't believe it. Those were a lot of memories.

It was a pretty good week this past week. I confirmed my first soul into the church in Spanish! It was quite an experience. The VC trip was awesome as well! I was looking forward to sending all the pictures! Hopefully there is some way I'll be able to recover them. I'd really hate to lose all those pictures! There were some really good ones.

It sounds like you all had a good weekend with Stake Conference! I always loved Stake Conference, but always had that anxious feeling like I'd get called to go up to the pulpit haha. Turns out Shannon was the lucky one! If anyone could do it, she could though. She is so awesome!  The weather has been cooling down here a little bit. The mornings are a little chilly (to Southern California standards).

I can't believe it's been 8 years since dad's been in the Stake Presidency! Putting that time in Pops! You're such a stud and good example to all of us. I'm feeling a lot better this week after that bike accident. I've still got a couple sore ribs, but it's nearly as bad as it was a week ago. I actually convinced a family I was from Argentina this week too! Haha it was a pretty good time. The little kids went and put on their Argentina soccer jerseys for me and brought out this big huge Argentina flag. They're from Honduras, but are obsessed with Argentina. So it was fun to chat with them for a little bit. (And pull their leg a little bit that I'm from Argentina haha).

I hope you all have a great week this week! Thanks for the remarks from Stake Conference. And thanks for the scriptures Mom! I was a little surprised reading last weeks haha. I'm excited to read this week's though! I love you all so much! Find a reason to enjoy every single day. There is always something to be grateful for, sometimes it takes a little pondering, but there is always something to love in every day. Sorry about the pictures, I'm still pretty bummed they're lost. I love you all!

Elder Reynolds 

Transfers #2

I don't have much time, so I'll just touch on the most important few thing that have happened. We got transfer calls last night and I'm staying here with Elder Luna, so no change in the area or companion. I'm hoping we'll be able to find some elect over the next few weeks! We also had a baptism yesterday! A lady we had been teaching for quite a while was finally able to enter the water. She finally put her faith to action with the thing that had been holding her back and it all worked out! The Lord watches over those who test their faith to follow Him. 

The other exciting thing is that I got hit by a car on Saturday! This guy ran me into the curb as I was biking and I just got destroyed haha. He wasn't paying attention and kept drifting closer and closer to the curb until he smashed me up against it and I had nowhere to go but down. "He will go down, and he will go down hard" -Dad haha. It was quite the experience. The strap on my bag broke and the arm of my nice blue suit got a little scratched up though (it was folded over my bag). Those are the two things I am most bummed about. I'm doing okay though, you can't hurt steel haha. It could have been a lot worse, so I feel pretty lucky. I just have road rash on my right forearm and some bruised ribs. But other than that I am doing good! It is almost inevitable to get in a bike accident here in LA, almost all the elders have gotten in at least one, so I'm hoping I'll be lucky enough to not have any more for a while haha. 

We don't have any type of service program here in this mission. We actually are only ALLOWED to do 4 hours of service per week at the max. So it's kind of the opposite of there it sounds like. I haven't done any since I've been out here because it all has to get approved beforehand and we aren't allowed to do very much of it. Mail gets delivered to us on Fridays after district meeting, but it is picked up from the mission office on Thursday morning. I've been reading your scriptures you send me, Ma! They are some good ones! That's crazy with the gluten-intolerant elder. I eat whatever I can get from people! Haha I guess it's good I wasn't ever picky beforehand. 

That talk by President Monson about finding joy in the journey is so good! I'd recommend a listen for that one! Did you guys ever get the chance to listen to that "Why 1820?" talk I mentioned a few weeks ago? Thank you all for the prayers and support! Let Aunt Patty know I got her email and I will email her next week! I love you all! Have a great week!

Elder Reynolds

General Conference!

Familia!

 

How great was this past weekend of General Conference?! It is completely different as a missionary; I listened to every single word of each session. What a great opportunity it was! I particularly enjoyed the last two talks in the Sunday Afternoon session by Elder Kacher (I think that's his name) and then Elder Bednar. Those two were great! I am looking forward to getting next month's Liahona and reading over those again. Along with all the rest! There were some great messages. There was a lot of emphasis on the Prophet Joseph Smith and the Prophet today, Thomas S. Monson, wasn't there?

 

Glad to hear Pops was able to do so well in the St. George Marathon! I was thinking about you on Saturday! I still need to run one with you before you feel like you can't anymore haha. You're a stud! And the narrows sounds like it was fun! I remember Dad talking about wanting to try to do those before I left, but we never got the chance. I hope you all had a good time.

 

This past week, I also had the chance to watch "Meet the Mormons." It's coming out in theaters on the 10th, I'm not sure if it's coming out everywhere or just in certain theaters, but it was really good! I'd recommend it! It offered a really good perspective on completely different people from different areas of the world, who all have the same faith. It was a really good movie.

 

I can hardly believe it's already October! Partly because it doesn't feel anything like Fall here haha. We've had another heat wave the past few days, just when I thought it might be cooling down. I'm curious to see when it starts to cool down a little bit for good, if it ever does haha. This is my last full week of this transfer, which is crazy. I feel like I just got here, I still don't even know the area very well. So next Sunday I'll find out if I'm getting transferred or staying here for another one.

 

I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying each day! That is something I have been trying to focus on--finding something to love about each and every day. Some days are harder than others, but we can all see the blessings we have or the Lord's hand each day in our lives if we humble ourselves and are willing to recognize all that we've truly been given.

 

I love you all and hope you have a great week!

 

Elder Reynolds