Santa Monica

Familia!

It's been a packed week this week, but this upcoming one is going to be even more so. We were in a trio this past week with an Elder named Elder Sauyun who was from a mission in Florida and was just waiting for some travel stuff to get sorted out. He left at 3:45 this morning. It was a lot of fun to be in that trio though! We don't have a whole lot of investigators to teach, so we spend most of the day walking the streets and knocking doors. We did find some sweet people that we're excited to work with though! We have a baptismal date with a lady named America who is (was) suuuper pregnant. Her due date was for today, so she might have already had her baby. Her date is for the end of this month though, so hopefully she'll be able to make that and not have to rush too many things with the new baby. Also keep Maria and Amado in your prayers! We talked to Maria on the street on Friday, had a lesson on Saturday with her and her husband, and it turned out that they had been taught years ago and already had a Book of Mormon! So we had her find her book and then taught them the Gospel of Jesus Christ yesterday and challenged them to be baptized. They didn't accept a date, but committed to continue learning and go to church this Sunday. Good things!

It was super weird going back to the La Cienega ward again yesterday haha. It was good to see a lot of familiar faces though! Nobody could believe that it had been 7 months already since I had left. Neither could I! Being down in Carson and Wilmington just felt like a dream. I miss it down there! I'll have to get back there again sometime though. We spent most of Halloween tracting and street contacting and when it got closer to dusk, we started getting some smiles and laughs from people who thought we were in costumes haha. It was a good day though. We spent the night weekly planning. Then we forgot about daylight savings time, so we missed out on getting an extra hour of sleep! I don't know how I forgot! Haha

Good things to come up here in SanMo though. We only have two Elders in the whole zone which kind of stinks, because I love working with the Elders, but I'm excited to get it going. I was reminded of the power in a smile this week. Last transfer, I committed myself to smile at everyone I met. It has been making a huge difference in the way people listen and the way they feel as we share the Gospel with them. It's so hard to say that your message could bring someone happiness when you don't look happy haha. I've tried to make sure that my smile is the first thing they see and then if they don't accept a return appointment or an invitation, I just try to make sure I leave them feeling better than they did before I met them. It's fun seeing peoples' eyes light up from a smile! I'd challenge you all to smile at everyone you meet this week and see the difference that it makes in your associations with people. I promise that it will make you happier as well! I love you all! Have the best week!

Elder Reynolds

Transfers!

Familia!

We've got some transfer craziness going for y'all.. I'll be going back up to Santa Monica! And I'll be with an old companion, Elder Cox! And we'll be zone leaders together! Haha it was a crazy day yesterday finding out about all that. It should be great though. It's funny because after president called me and extended the invitation, I was thinking how around this time last year I was with Elder Cox and how crazy it would be if I was with him again. And then it turned out that I will be! I might be with him for both Thanksgivings, both Christmases, and both New Years haha. Good things to come! I really do feel like I'm leaving a big part of me here in Carson and Wilmington though. I love this area so much! So many people and experiences and memories have been flooding my mind today. I'm sad to leave, but I know that there is a lot yet to be done. Monica's family was pretty bummed to find out I'm leaving, but they invited us over for a going away dinner tonight, so it will be fun to be able to say goodbye to them all. I just can't believe how quick my time here has gone! It's been nearly 7 months, but it feels like only 7 weeks!

This week was amazing though. We had a super spiritual couple events happen. On Thursday, we went to the Visitor's Center with Monica, her mom, her sister, and her sisters two kids. It was awesome! We walked around the temple and there is always such a peace on the grounds there. You can look out and see the city and all the cars and things, but it's like that little area is protected from it all. There's a missionary exhibit there in the VC and part of it has 1,400 missionary name tags up on one of the walls. Mine is one of them! Haha, it was cool seeing it up there. Then last night, we had a FHE with Monica and the member family who have been her member mentors. It was so good! My companion and I focused our thoughts on the talk "Turn to Him and Answers Will Come." It was a great meeting. The Spirit was super strong as we each shared moments of difficult when we were able to turn to the teachings of the gospel and ultimately to God in prayer in order to receive the divine help we needed.

I love you all so much and am grateful for your love and prayers! I know that we all have to face difficult times in this life as part of the test we have to prove ourselves worthy and that those hard times and challenges can make us who we are. We can either let them weaken us and turn us away from the truths we know, or we can rely on the Savior's merits and grace and be strengthened through the power of His Atonement. Let us allow our challenges to strengthen us and help is become who the Lord needs us to be. I know God hears our prayers and that He allows us to go through certain things in order to eventually be able to measure up to our full potential. "Come what may and love it." I love the Gospel. Have the best week!

Elder Reynolds

Fall Weather

Familia!

This week was awesome! The weather managed to cool down a little bit this weekend, so that was gladly welcomed. We didn't have very many people keep their appointments, but that gave us a good chance to spend a lot of time on the streets of Wilmington! Haha I love this area so much. I'm glad I've been able to get some time here. Every time we go out, we meet so many different types of people from all walks of life. The tough part is just that everyone is so busy. They all work two jobs just to pay the cost of living here and then don't hardly have time to do anything else. Alberto, who has a baptismal date for November 8th told us that he's got a problem with coffee and alcohol, so keep him in your prayers that he'll be ready for that date! We taught him the word of wisdom on Friday and we could tell he didn't really want to say it, but he told us he drinks café y la cerveza every day. Won't be easy to drop those addictions, but he can do it!

Monica's family threw a surprise birthday party for their mom, Maria, on Saturday that we helped set up for. We were able to stay for a little bit and see the mariachi play haha. I felt like I was in Mexico! Most of her family doesn't live in our area, but we invited them to listen to the missionaries where they live, so hopefully they'll be able to do that. Also, Monica's sister, Jessica, made it to church yesterday! She's been kind of slow in her progress because she's working so much, but she started reading the Book of Mormon and made it this week!

I didn't realize that Matthew got his mission call to Brazil! That's awesome! I would have loved to have had him out here with me, but I'm sure he'll love Brazil. Which mission is he going to? I hope he doesn't have to wait, but we get a lot of visa waiters out here, so maybe I'll get to see him for a week or two haha. Sorry, I'm out of time, but I want you all to know how much I love you! We have transfer calls this Sunday already, so we'll see what happens with that. This transfer has flown by! Have the best week!

Elder Reynolds

Heat Wave

Familia--

We got smacked with some brutal heat the past few days! I thought it was going to start cooling down, but I guess summer wasn't quite ready to give up. Maybe this week will finally be the week that it cools down! I appreciate the pictures you sent last week, Mom! It was good to see little Lucy!

This week was a great one. It flew by because we were so busy though! On Wednesday, we had exchanges with the assistants which was a lot of fun. One of them, Elder Amacher, had served around a lot of my best buddies from the mission, but he and I never got a chance to work together, so we finally were able to on Wednesday. We had a blast! He is a stud. On Friday, we picked up a "mini missionary" and had him with us for the weekend. He didn't speak any Spanish, so it was hard for him to know what was going on, but I think he had a good time. Our stake will be doing a mini-mission in a month, and we're trying to get Monica to go! She sounded pretty excited about it, so we're stoked as well! We got her confirmed yesterday and none of her family was there for it.. But she seems to be doing well. I can't imagine how tough it must be to not have much family support, but she is awesome.

Dad--I've got a request from one of my best buddies who just went home a month or so ago. He wants to be put on the list of people who get my emails, so if you could add him on please. His email is charles.323.brown@gmail.com.

The work continues though! I'm excited for another week and for another chance to look for those who are being prepared. We've met a lot of awesome people when we're out on the streets, but it's super hard to have them keep their appointments. Hopefully we'll be able to get em going this week though haha. I love you all so much! Have a great week!

Elder Reynolds

General Conference

Familia!

 

Wasn't it a great weekend of General Conference? There were some great messages given. I am looking forward to being able to study the talks again and get some more detailed notes. This weekend just flew by though! I think I had been looking forward to it so much, that it just came and went. We had Zone Conference on Friday and there was a big emphasis on the personal importance of sacrament meeting. It was all about growing our own testimonies of the importance of sacrament meeting so we can better help others to understand it and desire to come. There's a Mormon Message we watched called "Always Remember Him." You'll have to look it up and watch it, it's super good. Then that night, we went with Monica and a couple other members to the Visitor's Center and had a great lesson there. Saturday was jam-packed full of conference, so it just flew by and thenSunday came and we had conference and then Monica's baptism! It was a little crazy leading up to it, but it all ended up going smoothly. So awesome! I will try to send pictures.

 

That's sweet that Ethan was able to make it home and spend the weekend with you! Y'all need to start sending me some pictures, I never get anything from you guys haha. Send me some pictures of Callie and Lucy!

 

There was a talk in the priesthood session by Elder Andersen that I really liked. The topic of priesthood seemed to be on faith. It was interesting to me that no one spoke in their native language this time around? Maybe they aren't going to do that anymore? A couple of them were kind of hard to understand haha. General Conference is the best! A always look forward to hearing from some of the 70 that they have speak, because they always bring an excitement. Elder Durrant's talk was super good on "ponderizing," I enjoyed that. I really liked the talk about the family motto being "It will all work out." I need to go back through my notes and see some of the points I jotted down.

 

Enjoy watching Kona (Koiner) for me! "If it's hurting me, then it's killing them" haha. Those guys are animals! The weather wasn't too bad this weekend, so I'm hoping we'll be able to enjoy some cooler weather. Good things to come!

 

I'm grateful for the knowledge that the Gospel is a Gospel of progression. Where we are right now is not as important as where we are willing to go and who we are willing to become with the help of the Lord. Humility, effort, and patience are three things that have stood out to me up to this point in my mission. Each one of those is a great attribute, but the three of them together helps us along the path of progression. I love you all and hope you have a great week!

 

Elder Reynolds

Familia!

Familia!

 

This past week flew by, I couldn't believe that it was already Monday again. I think I've just been so excited for what is happening this weekend, everything else is just flying by. Monica is looking super solid for her baptism this weekend! I have to share an experience that she shared with us this past week--She said she was having kind of a tough day where some of her family members were asking her a lot of questions like if being baptized was something she really wanted to do or if she really believed what we taught. She said she had started to kind of doubt and question whether or not it was actually something she could do. Now, instead of dwelling on that thought and letting it get worse, she got onto Mormon.org and started to chat with the people on there! My companion and I were amazed! She said she went on and saw that there was a "chat" option, so she opened it up and started to chat with a couple returned missionaries. She expressed her concerns and they were able to help her overcome those feelings. So awesome!

 

Those changes to the Stake sound pretty exciting! I'm sure that was a lot of work getting all that figured out. We met some pretty cool people last night while we were walking around Wilmington. One guy we ended up having a street lesson with. We started talking to him and he said he had been studying with the JWs, but still wasn't sure what to believe. We talked a lot about some of his concerns and his own beliefs and then just taught and testified about some of the simple truths of the gospel. We should be seeing him again this week. It was almost 9, but we felt like we could find at least a couple more people, so we kept walking around and ran into a group of guys who were drinking and smoking at a bus stop. First instinct of course was to walk past them to try to avoid a confrontation, but one of them, Jimmy, called us over and started to talk. It turned out that one of them, Santos, had previously had a baptismal date and was going to be baptized but then ended up getting arrested! His brother, Richard, was also interested, so we're going to teach them this week. I love this area haha.

 

This will be a great weekend though! I'm real excited for General Conference and for the chance we have to see Monica get baptized. It will be a great weekend to be baptized on. Every time General Conference comes around, she'll remember theSunday she was baptized. I hope you have been able to think and pray about some questions you have so you can receive revelation from the speakers this weekend. I love you all and hope you have a great week!

 

Elder Reynolds

Miracles!

Familia!

First off, I just want to thank you all for keeping Monica in your
prayers last Monday. We had tried to set a date with her last Saturday
for the 4th of October and she didn't accept it. But when we went by
on Tuesday, she came outside and said she had been praying about it
and received an answer that it is the day for her! So she'll be taking
that step of baptism the 4th of October! So awesome! She has been so
great with putting in her part in order to find out the truth. She
read from the Book of Mormon and then prayed about it to receive an
answer and she received that answer, she's gone to church, she's
studied, listened, prayed, everything! Huge testimony builder for my
companion and I that it is so simple in what we have to do, but it is
all about the agency of the individual. That's the frustrating part
haha. It literally just takes a little effort and some patience, and
God will show us the way he wants us to go. I love it!

It's been a real busy week with the new area and trying to work in
both, but it's been fun. I'm loving our area, the new one is always
busy with people on the streets, so we're meeting a lot of gente.
Saturday night, we were out walking around and met one guy from Panamá
who was the only non-member in his family and another guy from Chile
who couldn't stop talking about how important his family is to him.
Sadly, neither of them lived in our area, but some other missionaries
will be getting the chance to teach them! Good things coming our way.

Mom you'll do awesome with your new calling! You are the best with
kids, so I know you'll be a huge asset to the little primary. It
sounds like you're all staying pretty busy. The time is flying.
General Conference in a couple weeks already! Didn't we just have it?
I'm super excited for that though, always a great opportunity to
receive personal revelation through the leaders of the church. Start
thinking of questions now so that you can be spiritually prepared when
the conference rolls around. I'm out of time, but I just want to let
you all know how much I love you! I was reminded of Doctrine and
Covenants 18 this week as we were working with Monica. I really never
have felt so much joy as to see a brother or sister repent and prepare
to enter into the kingdom of the Father (D&C 18:10-20). What a unique
joy it is! Lots of long days and hard work in order to see one person
take the steps necessary to follow Jesus Christ makes it all worth it.
I love the gospel and the chance to have a front row seat at the
atonement in action. It is working in the lives of others and also in
my own life. Make this week great!

Elder Reynolds

Transfers (9-07-2015)

Familia!

 

I couldn't believe that transfer calls were already here again last night! The news.. We'll both be staying again! I might just end up finishing my mission here haha. This will be transfer number 5 in this area. I'm super excited though! We'll be taking over the other Elders' area, so we'll have two areas to be working now. We actually got the call when we were teaching a lesson with Monica's family and they were all more anxious and worried than we were I think haha. They were pretty excited that we'll be staying.

 

The weather has been real muggy here lately, so it's been a lot of sweating haha. I think it should probably cool down here before too long though. It has been a pretty hot summer. I hope Lisa is recovering quickly! Give her my best! I did get your package, Mom, thanks for that! I enjoyed the BYU shirt! And a member actually texted me last night and told me that Nole won the US! He actually lives in another area, but he knows that I love tennis, so he shot me an update text haha. Glad to hear that Fed played well though, he has the purest strokes.

 

There weren't very many changes in the zone, but we lost a set of Elders in my district, so I'm kind of bummed about that. It will just be us and another set of Sisters now. Monica and Maria made it to church yesterday and Monica stayed for all three hours! She said she loved it! We tried to extend a date on Saturday, but she's still pretty hesitant about setting something firm. Please keep her in her prayers that she'll be able to knowOctober 4th is the day for her! She is awesome!

 

I love you all so much and am grateful for all you do to help this work move forward. It is the most important work in the world! It's a humbling opportunity to be a part of it. Have a great week!

 

Elder Reynolds

September is here!

Familia!

I was reflecting on September being here already and I realized that September 2nd of last year was when I was transferred from my first area in Lynwood/Compton to LA just west of the USC campus. That doesn't seem like it was a year ago! I've been blessed to meet a lot of awesome people over this past short while though, it has been great. This past week was really good. We had interviews on Wednesday with President Weidman, that is always a great experience. I could barely believe that it had been about 3 months since the last ones though haha. He gave me some great advice and we talked about some things that will help me a lot. I got the feeling that I will be leaving this area though, so I guess we'll see what happens this Sunday. Change is always exciting, but I've come to love this area so much I know it will be tough to leave. Good things to come though!

Monica made it to church again yesterday! She's already come 5 times to sacrament meeting. She's incredible, but still feels like there is something holding her back from being baptized. She mentioned to the other Elders that she feels like she will be ready soon though, so we will be looking forward to that day. We have been teaching her, her mother, and one of her sisters who all live in our area, and then the other Elders in the district have been teaching one of her sisters who lives in their area. It has become a family pursuit! Jessica, the sister who lives in the other Elders' area came to church yesterday as well with Monica. They are both doing great. They even invited us over for dinner with them last night! It's been awesome to see the change in all of them.

Mom--I'm glad that you were able to talk with Jocelyn and Hna. Cipriano. They are a great family! They have taken us in and treated us super well. They were pretty excited to tell me that they had the chance to talk with you over the past few days haha. She didn't make the pie, but dinner was good. They invited us over tonight for a carne asada, so I'm looking forward to that! That's wild that Sister Clayton ran into a missionary from this mission! I'm pretty sure it was probably Elder Okerland that she met. He just went home 4 or 5 weeks ago. There are ties all over the place! Haha

Glad to hear that BYU pulled that game off! What a miracle! You'll have to keep me updated as they go along, I wonder how they'll do now without Taysom Hill. I hope that Nole takes the US, but Fed has always been a beast on hard court and grass. Let me know how that goes as well haha.

I love you all so much and am so grateful for the Gospel! Being a missionary has opened my eyes to the importance of every person and their eternal worth. I'll forever be grateful for that. A great scripture for you all to read this week is D&C 123:12-17. Pay attention to verses 13-15, there is some great counsel. Have the best week!

Elder Reynolds

End of August

Familia!

 

I can't believe August is coming to a close. I feel like I just picked up my trainee and now he's been out here almost a full month. Time is flying by. Sounds like everyone is back on the school grind! I remember it was always kind of nice to be back on a routine, but nothing beats summer break haha. I'm not even sure what I would do without a schedule now haha. I'd be lost.

 

I look back on what was happening at the beginning of this week and it seems like it was a lot longer than just a few days haha. We started teaching Monica's sister, Marci, and her husband, Richard. That house is full of potential! The whole family has really warmed up to us and enjoys having us come and teach them. Marci was telling us that when we first started coming by she used to say "Here they come again" and everyone would quiet down inside haha. Now they all sit outside and listen and participate in the lessons, it's been super cool to see the change. They are all worried that I'll get transferred in a couple weeks. I hope I can stay one more, but I've already been here for quite a while. We'll see what happens! Monica made it to church yesterday, but Maria didn't. The other Elders in the district are teaching Monica's sister, Jessica, and last night at their lesson, Monica was present and helped explain the Book of Mormon and said that she knew it was true! The Elders called me last night afterward to tell us about it. How sweet is that?! They said it was like having a member-present lesson! Haha

 

Sounds like dad is having to put up with some excitement haha. I hope that all smooths out and goes well. You've always been a great example of hard work, Pops! I appreciate your example of balancing work, church callings, and family and doing such a good job of it. We had a "Missionary Sunday" yesterday at church where the missionaries took care of sacrament meeting. My companion gave a great talk about "Every Member a Missionary." We've kind of had a struggle in this ward with receiving help from the members, especially with making investigators feel welcome. It is getting better though. I never even realized how important members were in missionary work until getting out here. They are key! The missionaries will come and go, but the friendships they have with investigators will help them through the tough times. Help the missionaries whenever you can! Are the missionaries in the Spanish branch Elders or Sisters? I look forward to working with the people there. I love you all so much and am grateful for all that you do! Have the best week!

 

Elder Reynolds

Familia!

Familia!

 

It feels like the weather is heating back up! This past week wasn't too hot, so it was nice to feel a little break from the heat that was "bruuuutal" as dad would say haha. Monica and Maria didn't come to church yesterday because they said something came up last minute. My companion and I were a little concerned, so we met with Monica a little later in the evening and brought a member who just got back from a mission about 9 months ago. Something seemed a little off, and then Monica said she'd been thinking about it and she doesn't want to get baptized. Just for a little background--We challenged Monica on Thursday to read the Book of Mormon and pray every day untilnext Sunday and promised her that if she did so, she'd receive an answer of either yes or no if the Book of Mormon and everything else is true. We were praying super hard and had planned to fast this week, but that kind of caught us by surprise. Some good news though was that we taught Maria (Monica's mom) on Wednesday night and she came out with the Book of Mormon in her hands saying that it is so much easier to understand than the Bible and that she knows it's the word of God! What a testimony builder! We had been trying to get her to read and pray about it, promising her that she'd find out it was true and then she did! We are working to still get them both up to the Visitor's Center and have a powerful lesson with them up there.

 

I hope you've all been able to get that Book of Mormon reading going. It's interesting to me how each time I read it, different things stick out and I always learn something new. That book is the key! All the kids here started school this past Tuesday, so they're all back into the swing of things. Mom, thanks for the update on your trip to Utah! Sounds like things went really well! Dad, thanks for letting me know about the hike. Sounds like a pretty one but all that smoke is getting in the way of things! I hope those fires calm down here soon. I had an email from Joshua Finch, so it was great to hear from him. I can't believe he's back and that Matthew is an Elder! All great things! Let that family know how much I love and appreciate them.

 

In Elder's Quorum yesterday the teacher talked about how sometimes the fruits of our labors are not seen by our own eyes. He talked about his great-great grandfather was one of very few people to be baptized on the island of Samoa back then and it might have seemed like a failure that only one or two people humbled themselves and joined the church. But then he recounted how many of that one man's children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren had served missions and also helped others come unto Christ and receive the restored gospel. He said his family in total has nearly 2,000 members of the church living. That's huge! He just emphasized that no effort is ever wasted. Even though it may seem that what we are doing makes no difference, even the smallest changes can bring huge miracles. (Alma 37:6) The Lord pays attention to every detail of our lives and will help us to be an instrument in His hands, if we seek to do His will. What a blessing!

 

Well, get excited for a great school year and I'll keep you all in my prayers that all goes well! Thanks for the great emails and prayers! Love you all! Have the best week!

 

Elder Reynolds

Hot Week! (8-17-2015)

Familia!

It has been super hot this week! I was thinking that maybe it'd never quite reach the heat that we got last year at this time, but then this week, things really heated up. August is the hottest month of the year though, so it was expected. I hear that there's been some fires up near you guys. I hope things cool off and you get some water here soon.

Well Monica and Maria made it to church again yesterday and they were able to stay for the Gospel Principles class this time! That's three weeks in a row that they've made it to at least Sacrament Meeting now! They are so awesome, but they still don't feel like they are quite ready. They even invited us over for dinner on Wednesday and made pozole because they knew that it is one of my favorites. It was so good! I always enjoy some good Mexican food. 

We got some disappointing news on Friday that Hermano Carrillo (who we had previously helped get off of alcohol and who came to church for 2 straight months) started drinking again. I was super sad to see him just like how he was when I first met him, but I know it's possible for him to kick the addiction again, so we're going to help him do that. Alcohol is such a rough thing. So many people out here have a problem with it. It's sad to see what it does to people and their families. Stay away from it!

Thanks for the package, Mom! I got a "chocolate surprise" on Friday when I opened the box and chocolate powder was all over everything haha. One of the breakfast essentials things had busted open and spilled all over the place. The rest of the stuff was fine though. Football season already starting up?! That's a crazy thought. Who is BYU's quarterback this year? 

We are reading the Book of Mormon as a mission again, so I want to extend the same challenge I did last year to everyone about reading the Book of Mormon before Christmas! It is about 2 chapters per day. We started today and will be done December 15th, so you'll have 10 extra days. We are going to be marking every invitation/commandment given in one color and then every promised blessing related to that invitation/commandment in another. You don't need to mark, but you do need to read! My testimony of that book was strengthened a lot last year when we read it, and I know it will be the same for you all. I know the Book of Mormon is true! Have a great week!

Elder Reynolds

Trainee! (8-10-2015)

Familia!

 

This week has been a great one! We had some good member help during the week and were able to help three of our investigators get to church! Monica and Maria (the mother and daughter) made it again this week, which makes it two weeks in a row! They are still hesitant to accept a baptismal date, but we are continuing to work with that. Then Elizabeth, a 15 year old investigator we have came and actually brought a friend! It was a great Sunday! I got my trainee on Tuesday as well and he is a stud! His name is Elder Ancheta, he was born in Uruguay, but moved to Arizona when he was 4. So he speaks Spanish which is a huge blessing haha. He actually moved to Spanish Fork about a year ago, so I told him I used to go there all the time when Stu lived there. It's been fun to chat with him, because his Uruguayo (Uruguasho) accent comes out every now and again, even though it's not all the time. I got a good mate going last night and he said there are some Argentines in his ward in Utah that used to drink in on Sunday evenings haha. It's been a fun week!

 

It sounds like you all had a good time floating the Yakima river! I can't believe all those Yakima missionaries are making it home. I'm sure Tyler Cluff will be home here in the next few weeks as well. That's crazy. It has been an interesting experience thinking about when I had just entered the mission as I now have a companion who is in that spot. It feels like I was just there haha. I can still remember distinctly my first week, P-day, etc. The time goes fast and it only seems to be going faster! I'll try to get you a picture of me and my companion here soon.

 

We met a lady who has been going through some really tough times as of late and so we shared with her Ether 12:27. That is one of my favorite scriptures in the Book of Mormon. I know that we all have things we struggle with, difficulties, and hard times, but as we humble ourselves and turn to the Lord, He will make those weaknesses strengths. I am so grateful for the Book of Mormon, but more importantly for Jesus Christ and all He does for each one of us. I know that the Book of Mormon testifies of His love for ALL of us, and shows that our prayers can be answered if we ask with faith and real intent. I love you all so much and am grateful for your prayers! Have a great week!

 

Elder Reynolds

Transfers! (8-03-2015)

Familia!

We got transfer calls last night and the news is that I will be
staying in this area and training a new missionary. Round 2 for
training! It should be a good experience to get to train another brand
new missionary. Maybe he'll be an Argentine pibe from Buenos AIRES!
Haha I'll be excited to meet him tomorrow morning though. Good things
coming our way! We had two investigators at church yesterday! It was
so good! A mother and daughter (Monica daughter and Maria mother) came
to church together. We've been teaching them separately since they've
got completely different schedules, but they were able to both come
together so that worked out well. Jocelin wasn't able to make it
because she had to open at work, but we are hoping she will be able to
come this Sunday along with some others.

The kids here are going back to school August 18th which seems super
soon. It seems like "summer" barely started and now it's already
coming to a close. I'm glad to hear you've been able to do some fun
things this summer though! It always goes faster than you think haha.
I'm hoping that with people getting back on their scheduled routines,
there will be more appointments that they keep. Always tough with the
Hispanics though haha. I'm real glad that I'm staying though, things
have picked up a little bit lately and I've really come to love this
Ward and the people in this area. I think it's mainly because there
was nothing when I got here and now there are good things happening! I
know that when we put in our part and do all that we can, the Lord
takes note of our efforts and will bless us in His way and in His
time. I've come to realize that we don't always receive the blessings
that we might expect, but we do receive exactly what we need. I love
the knowledge the gospel brings.

Last night was the "despedida" or the going away fireside for the
missionaries going home on Wednesday, and we were able to go to that.
It was fun seeing some of my great buddies that I've made out here.
Weird thinking that they'll be normal people pretty soon though! I
only know them with ties and tags on haha. I was also able to run into
some people from my past areas that I taught and also some members. I
was surprised at how many people still recognized me and came up to
me. It was super good to see some familiar faces! Including the girl I
baptized my second transfer was there and she said that she is still
doing well and going to church! That's what matters! I've been blessed
to meet some awesome people out here.

I want you all know how much I love you and am grateful for the
support and love you send to Los Angeles, CA! There was a video I saw
recently about a missionary talking about missionary work and how it
is a labor of love. I've come to see that love is something that can
really change people. It's easy sometimes to get caught up in other
things while doing missionary work, but seeing people how they can be
and not just how they currently are can make all the difference. I am
grateful for the chance to see the change that the gospel brings to
other's lives and be able to see it in my own as well. I know it is
only through Jesus Christ and his infinite atonement that we are able
to not only change habits, but change our character and become who our
Father in Heaven knows we can be. I hope you all realize the love that
God and Jesus Christ have for us and are able to feel that love for
others. It is a great feeling! Have a great week!

Elder Reynolds

Church Attendance! (7-27-2015)

Familia!

We finally had someone at church this week! Jocelin, who we've taught
a few times, committed to come to church with us and she actually
came! It was so sweet. She is catholic by birth and culture, but
hasn't been to that church for a long time. She's taken some college
classes that kind of have to do with religion, so she's generally kind
of curious about all religions, but we're hoping to help her come to
know the truth of the gospel. We also had our temple day this
Wednesday and it was a great experience. It was a real early morning
since we had the 6:45 am session and we're the most southern zone in
the mission and had to take the 405 all the way up, but it was
definitely worth it! There's a peace and comfort in they building that
isn't found anywhere else. I love the Temple!

That is shocking news to hear about Kelly. Wow, that is sad. I love
that kid! He was always extremely full of life. I hope his family is
doing okay. How grateful I am for the plan of salvation and for the
comfort the gospel brings. I'm not sure I could handle the thought of
losing a loved one without the knowledge of the gospel and the plan of
happiness that God has for us. I know that God loves each one of us
and that he gives each person the opportunity to accept the Gospel,
whether in this life or the next. The gospel is true.

Dad, I'm glad you were able to see Gabe! He is a great kid (man now I
guess haha). I'm sure he's got some great stories being in east LA
haha. It's pretty sketchy over there. Thanks for sharing some points
from his discourse. Luckily, I've always been able to roll my r's, but
I know that is something you have struggled with haha. Looks like you
can get it going! It sure would've been nice to start out with 4 years
of Spanish under my belt though! I love the Spanish language. I've
been blessed to progress pretty well with it and know that I'll have
to use it later on as well.

We met some real cool people tracting the other day. It was a super
hot, long day and we hadn't found a single person who would listen or
let us come back another day. And then there were 3 out of 4 doors
that set return appointments with us! It's funny how it always seems
to be just when you can't think you can go any more, you see the hand
of the Lord helping the way. I'm so grateful for that.

Espero que todos los que leen esta carta sepan que Dios nos ama y que
tiene un plan para nosotros. Aunque la vida sea difícil, Él siempre
estará pendiente de nosotros y dispuesto a ayudar. Sé que tenemos
pruebas y dificultades para que nos fortalezcamos. Es una bendición
saber que a través de todo, ¡hay un plan perfecto! Les amo a cada uno
de ustedes y estoy agradecido por la oportunidad que se me ha dado de
ser un misionero de tiempo completo. ¡El evangelio es verdadero!

Elder Reynolds

Rain is a good thing

Familia!

We've finally received some moisture over these past couple days! It's
not always the funnest to get soaked walking around in dress clothes,
but every once in a while it can be enjoyable haha. Yesterday and
Saturday we got a couple good rainstorms and even a little thunder
with it. I hope we get some more here over the next couple weeks and
that some makes it up your way as well.

We were going to have two investigators at church yesterday and we
were real excited because it has been SUPER tough to get anyone there
lately. We were going to walk with them and everything just to ensure
that they made it, but then we woke up to a text that said they
wouldn't be able to go. Kind of disappointing, but we are going to
work harder to make sure they get there next week. It has been a
pretty slow summer so far. I figured it'd pick up once school was out,
but it seems like it's been the opposite because of the change of
schedule. Keep us in your prayers that we might find the elect! The
Peruvian lady we were teaching told us she doesn't have time to meet
with us anymore because of an increase of hours at work. It seems like
if you're looking for a job, just meet with missionaries and you'll
find a job to keep you from meeting with them! Haha hopefully we'll be
able to continue meeting with her before too long again though.

Well it sounds like you've had a great time with that little Lucy! I
loved the pic of the boys with her. Just the little buds! I think that
was the first picture I actually saw with Stu in it haha. There's a
guy who used to live in this area that actually knows Elder Gabe
Valley and he texted me yesterday and said that Elder Valley is
heading home this week! That is wild! I remember seeing all those guys
right before they left. Dad, if you get the chance to see him, give
him my best! Time goes too quick! I can't believe that July is already
quickly coming to an end.

We had a great experience this week when someone sincerely asked which
church we thought was true. As missionaries, we testify of the
truthfulness of the gospel and this church all the time, but it isn't
always heard. It was nice to have the chance to testify and bear my
own testimony of why I know this is Christ's church and the blessings
I've seen from it. We are looking forward to teaching this specific
man. His name is Jose. We have the chance to go to the temple this
Wednesday, so I'm super excited for that! It is so nice to be able to
go there and just try to leave the stresses and worries outside those
doors.

I love you all so much and am so grateful to be able to see the
blessings of the gospel not only in my life, but in the life of all
those who accept and live it. I know the Lord lives and that He loves
us! Have a great week!

Elder Reynolds

Sent from my iPad.

Hot Week

Familia!

Sounds like everyone is having a great time with little Lucy! Must be
nice! Haha I like the pictures of all the boys with that little cutie.
She looks like a pretty happy baby! And let her know I can sympathize
with the double chin! Hahaha

Had a pretty great experience early this week when we were teaching a
lady. I has talked to her about a month ago just walking around, but
every time we went by after that she said she was busy or just didn't
answer the door. This time she answered the door and said she only had
a few minutes, so we took advantage of the chance to share the message
of the restoration! We started with a prayer and began to talk about
her religious background and the role that God has had in her life up
to this point. She was of course raised catholic but never really went
to church or anything. We shared the restoration and really focused on
the fact that God really will answer our prayers if we truly ask with
faith. We asked her to pray about it right then and she did! (With a
little encouragement.) By the end of the prayer, she had some tears in
her eyes and was pretty quiet. I felt like I should ask her how she
felt as she was praying and right after I asked that, she started
crying. I immediately felt the spirit super strong and got a little
emotional as well as I testified that the spirit testifies to us of
the truth and that the gospel will bless her life. I think that was
the strongest I've felt the spirit out here so far. It was a powerful
experience.

Not very many people kept their appointments this week, so there was a
lot of walking around haha. We met some cool people though, so
hopefully we'll be able to meet back up with some of them. We taught a
lady from Acapulco, México a couple times and she seemed to have some
potential, but she's going back there for at least a month and she's
leaving tonight haha. We found out that Heidi and Gloria both moved
away for the rest of the summer, so we won't be able to see them.
Super disappointing haha. They really were both ready for baptism.
Just gotta try to find the others who have been prepared though!

Thanks so much for the emails this week! I've been reading through the
Gospels in the New Testament and it's been super good. I really hadn't
read the bible much, but it's nice to have an understanding of where
other people come from with their beliefs. We had a Christian lady
come up to us yesterday and start going at us with a bunch of false
stuff haha. I had to tell her that with all respect, she was not able
to tell us what we believe. Then we invited her to read the Book of
Mormon haha. Great times! I love you all! Have a great week!

Elder Reynolds



Sent from my iPad.

Uncle Elder Reynolds

Familia!

Welcome to the world little Lucy! Stu sent me some great pictures, so
I was glad to get to see that little cutie. Looked like even little
Callie Buds made an appearance and is looking all grown up! I love the
big brown eyes little Lucy has haha. So sweet.

We had zone conference this week and it was focused on mighty prayer.
The "focus" of the mission keeps changing every so often in order to
try to find more success, so now it is on prayer. We actually had a
pretty cool experience where we prayed before going out of the
apartment to find at least one person who was prepared and a guy ended
up coming up to us and telling us he knew we were from God and that he
wanted to change his life. He was English, so we sent him over to the
English elders but it was an answered prayer! It's definitely true
that mighty prayer brings miracles!

The Fourth of July was a pretty good day, real hot though haha. We
found another lady from Peru and taught her about the importance of
the Book of Mormon. She seemed really interested because she had never
even heard about it before. It was a great chance to teach and testify
about the importance of that book and about the blessings it can bring
into our lives. I love that book!

Sorry this one is a little short, we're a little rushed on time since
we've got a few other things we have to finish online today, but I'll
keep you all updated next week! I can't believe how fast the time is
going, it was wild to think that I was in México City last year for
the Fourth of July haha. I hope you are all enjoying summer and each
and every day! Give Lucy some love for me! I love you all! Have the
best week!

Elder Reynolds


Sent from my iPad.

La Donna Mangia la Mela

Familia!

Great to hear from you all this week. This week has flown by and it seems like the rest of this transfer is going to be in the same boat. We had a pretty good week this week. We ran into a little speed bump
with our investigator Heidi, but it seems like we were able to get past it with a great lesson with a member! One of the things our mission has really been pushing for is member-present lessons. There
are so many benefits that come from having members work with the missionaries and especially with their investigators. Heidi and her mother, Gloria, both have dates to be baptized the 19th of July, but
we still haven't been able to get them to church. This week will have to be the week!

We met a really cool lady from Peru about a week and a half ago while tracting and we've been able to teach her twice so far. We had a really good lesson on Saturday night with her and her mother in law about the Book of Mormon. The mother in law lived in Italy for 8 years, so I really enjoyed talking to her about that, I'd love to get out there one day haha. I told her a little phrase I picked up
recently, "la donna mangia la mela" haha, Stu and Paul probably recognize that. They were both real receptive and extremely respectful. They're obviously both catholic, but the main lady has a lot of problems with the Catholic Church as it seems like a lot of people are having lately. We were able to explain the Book of Mormon and then I had the chance to bear my testimony of how I came to know of its truthfulness and it was a real good experience. The Spirit was super strong in those few short minutes. They told us that they had received visits from a few different groups, but that something was really different about us. The Spirit! Haha I'm excited to work with them, I just hope that we can get the whole family together soon.

Thanks for the pictures as well! Parks is looking old haha. I remember when CJ and I went to that camp right before our freshman year. Doesn't seem like too long ago. Those are some pretty people who were at that rodeo in Lehi! I'm glad Lucas and Ethan were able to make it out to my buddy's homecoming talk. He's such a stud! I love that guy. I had a dream Saturday night that Lucy was born haha. She must be close! We go bowling quite a bit out here since it's a pretty good P-day activity. Here's a couple pics from last week.

I hope you all have a great week! Enjoy the 4th of July!

Transfers!

Familia!

I can't believe another transfer has flown by. This one felt especially fast since it was only 5 weeks. It's scary how fast the time is going! The transfer news is that my companion and I are both staying here for one more. I'm glad because we've got a couple people who should be ready for baptism before the end of this next transfer. We've just gotta get them to church! It's so hard to get investigators to church for some reason. They've promised us on Saturday night to be there for the past 3 weeks and they when we call and knock on their door in the morning, they never answer. It can be disappointing, but we'll get em goin here before too long! Keep Heidi and Gloria Chavez in your prayers.

Last Monday after emailing you guys, we went up to the walk of stars I think is what it's called where they have all the celebrities names on the sidewalk. It was pretty cool. There were a ton of people up there! I got a few pictures, but they're on my camera so I'll have to maybe use the library next week to send them. I got one with Tim McGraw's haha. Then Tuesday I had my "2nd Quarter Training" with President and the missionaries who are at their halfway point. It kind of hit me there and I couldn't believe how long I've been out here. President was talking about how we never really go home after the mission, because it will never be the same as when we left. He just kept saying, "Elders and Sisters, you're never going home." Kind of a weird thought haha.

Sounds like you're all having a good summer! I really like Dustin Johnson, so that would've been sweet if he won! Sounds like a good time though. The iPads have wifi capabilities of course, but the stuff we use is pretty much all downloaded since there aren't very many places we have wifi. We really don't use them much outside of studies though. The area I'm in is way too ghetto to carry them around, so we've only actually used it in one lesson so far haha. I'm just hoping we are able to get to the planning stage of the iPads, that will help a lot.

It's been a hot week. I think it stays around 80-85 but it feels a lot hotter than that. I'm sure it's probably because all the cement. We've got 85 degrees coming down from above and 85 degrees coming up from beneath haha. We were tracting Saturday night and ran into a few people who seem to have some potential. We set three return appointments with them for this week. One was a lady from Peru and I was wearing my tie from Peru with a llama on it that one of my buddies gave me out here haha. Some of my best friends from the mission are going home this week and then at the end of next transfer as well. It's wild! I've been blessed to make some great friends out here.

Happy birthday to Kraigers this Saturday! He's getting that double holiday week this week! Must be nice! The relief society gave us missionaries some Father's Day gifts yesterday and it reminded me of when I think Arlene Barney said that we're part of the Future Fathers of America (FFA) haha. I hope Stu celebrated yesterday as well!

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

Me and my best buddy Elder Puertas who will be home in 2 days.

Enjoying the view in Palos Verdes.

Digital Age

Familia!

Thanks for always making sure to remind me how long I've been out! Haha just kidding, it's crazy to think about how much time has passed since I first headed out for México and started this mission experience. So much has happened in this past year, but it also feels like I can recount each experience as if they just happened a few weeks ago. It's an odd thought/feeling for sure haha.

Well, we finally actually got iPads! Haha, it's kind of weird having a high-tech device, but it is pretty cool at the same time. We had a special zone conference on Saturday where we received them. They really can't do as much as I thought they would be able to do though. They have some interactive pamphlets, but they're only in English, so they won't help us out too much in Spanish haha. Studying with the Gospel Library is sweet though, I'd say that's definitely my favorite part so far. But we'll see how it goes as we continue with them, I'm sure there will be some improvements and modifications as time goes on.

We had a pretty rough week as far as success goes, but it was a good learning experience. A lot of rejections. A lot haha. It's always good to get a good, rude rejection every once in a while though. Kind of gives you a wake up call sometimes. That's when you've really gotta know where your heart is so you can still share a heartfelt testimony with someone who might seem like they don't want anything to do with you. These are great times!

I had another cool experience that happened yesterday at the same hospital here in this area where I last ended up giving a blessing to a lady that was from my very first area. This time, I got a text from the Zone Leaders saying that there was a lady in the hospital who was related to a member from another ward and the member wanted to visit her with us and give her a blessing. They gave me the member's number, so I called him to set him up. It ended up being the Elder's Quorum President from my last ward up in Santa Monica! Hermano Sanchez! It was so good to get to see him again, especially since I really didn't get a chance to say goodbye to anyone up there. We met up at the hospital and were able to give this lady a blessing. The Spirit was super strong in that little room and she even expressed that she "felt like crying." We explained to her the importance of faith in regard to blessings and she said she definitely did have the faith for the words pronounced in the blessing to come to pass. I shared with her Ether 12:27 and explained to her the importance of faith and humility with the weaknesses we may have. That is one of my favorite verses in the Book of Mormon. 

My buddy Hermano Carrillo (who was an inactive alcoholic who hadn't been to church for 12 years) made it to church again yesterday and was a week sober! That man is a walking miracle! We had put in so much time and effort with him without even a glimpse of change that we were all kind of losing hope. But then all of a sudden, he was able to stop and is a completely different person. I learned two things from that overall experience: the first is the effect of alcohol on a person. I've taught people who were able to get over meth, cocaine, heroine, and cigarettes, but still couldn't kick the addiction of alcohol. Isn't that wild? He has a completely different personality being sober as well, he doesn't even seem like the same man. Never mess with that stuff! The second thing I learned is to never give up hope! It was easy to get frustrated and even a little discouraged when nothing was happening with so much effort being put in, but we should never lose hope! I was reminded of the talk during this last conference by Elder Nielson about loving, watching, and waiting. Sometimes situations like that just take some time, love, and patience. The hermano told me at church yesterday, "Ahorita estoy empezando de nuevo a asistir a la iglesia." So sweet!

Glad to hear everything went well with Faye and that you've made it to summer! Happy Father's Day this Sunday, Dad! I love you and am so grateful that I was blessed enough to come to your family. I think Heavenly Father must have known I wouldn't have been able to make it without having a Dad that was a stud like you! Thanks for all you do!

I love you all so much and appreciate your thoughts and prayers. I hope you are able to find missionary experiences around you and chances to share the Gospel with others so that you might be able to feel what Alma is talking about in Alma 29:9-10 in the Book of Mormon. I know that book is true and its teachings have helped me become a better man and missionary! Have the greatest week!

Elder Reynolds

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