Week 33

I can't believe that this transfer is half over already! It's going by too quickly!

So this week... I'm trying to think past conference, but I can only think of about two things! We'll start there and then lead it up to conference.

Both of these happened yesterday after conference. We went to a street to go do some contacting, and I told Elder Wright that he was leading, mostly because I honestly had no idea where to go. He started walking, and wouldn't you know it a memebr from our branch was sitting and talking with a non member! Let me give you a little background so that you can picture it in your minds- C. is the member. She's about 60something and from the Dominican Republic. If you saw her, you wouldn't think that she speaks Spanish because she's black. But she also doesn't speak Spanish like most Dominicans, she speaks really slow and she has crazy eyees "She has crazy eyes..." So she was talking to her friend about why she hasn't ever talked to the missionaries, and we came up and she said "Hola Elders, we were just talking about you! this is my friend Ce, she wants to meet with you but she doesn't have a lot of time." And her friend said "Do you  think you could meet with me? Do you have time?" So I got out my planner and though really hard for all of about .009 seconds and we set up an appointment and it was great!

We also have a less active that I've been trying to get a hold of for a long  time. Well we were getting out of our car on a busy street has he was turning, and he stopped his car in the middle of the street and started talking to us! People area honking, but we did manage to get his address and talk to him for a few seconds. So it all worked out!

Ok now for the highlight of the week! Conference!

Exactly 6 months ago I made a deal with God. Normally I would think that you can't do that, but he pulled through on his part, so I think that it worked out. After going to last conference mostly in Spanish, I told him I was going to read El Libro de Mormon in Spanish every day. I asked him if I did that, would he help me get better at Spanish to the point where I would understand the next conference. Elder Garrity and I watched Priesthood and the Sunday sessions in Spanish- and I understood!!! Not just certain words, I listened to and learned from their talks with only a little less understanding than I would have had had I been watching in English! Pretty much I've been really blessed by God as far as Spanish goes.

But conference! Wow!!! It was so amazing! I loved it all! the focus on Christ and repentance, the focus on creating, as Richard G Maynes stated "Spiritual Stamina," all the talks by the First Presidency were so full and powerful! Both talks by Eyring, Both talks by Uchtdorf, All of Thomas S Monson's talks, M. Russel Ballard and S. Gifford Nielsens throwdowns about missionary work! David A. Bednar has given two conference talks in a row on different commadments (Last year's talk "We Believe en Being Chaste"). It was all so great. Prebably better than Christmas. I can't wait for the Liahona to come.

I set a few mission goals, but one goal I did set for my life is that I will never miss a session of Conference. If I have to, I will watch it as soon as possible after. I can't imagine why we wouldn't watch conference. We are litterally hearing the voice of God through the Prophet and apostles!

Well, that was my week. everything overshadowed by conference.

I love you all! thank you for your support!

Elder Foster

Week 32

I'm here still in Fairfield!

IIm trying to think of what to write, of what has happened!!! So Elder Aidukaitis came from the 70 to teach us some new things. He was the first Geneeral Authority Devotional I had in the MTC. It was really really cool. He taught us a cool technique to pick up investigators from baptisms.

Elder Wright is learning Spanish faster than anyone that I've ever seen. I think he realized that his Spanish wasn't the greatest, and now he just practices and memorizes all the time. It's honestly incredible. He is picking up the language so fast!!! He is a hard worker too. We set some great goals and we're trying to contact like crazy here. It's kind of hard since we have a huge area, but there are really only two areas where there are high concentrations of Spanish people. We have been trying to contact at least 20 a day, which we've attained a few times. We are not teaching the highest amount of lessons right now, but the ones we are teaching are super fantastic. Elder Wright takes the lead on every other door and it's going great. We've been going on bikes as well (2 Santa Rosa trips this month, we ran out of miles) and I let him lead to get to where we need to go. I need a new bike seat, my rear end hurts really bad! He is probably the best greenie that there was.

As far as teaching goes, we are teaching that family that we found through the long Facebook/ Del Taco story. They are super awesome. They read the Book of Mormon and understand it all. They are praying together to know if it is true, and all four of them (them and their two boys, the daughter attends the singles branch) came to all three hours of church. They're really cool. They loved it. This week we;re going to teach them about the Prophet and invite them to conference.

We taught a Fifth Sunday lesson yesterday. We used the June 23rd Broadcast and just told them what we need from them as a branch. I showed the Thomas S Monson clip and related his story of 6 missinoaries to what we have in the branch now. It was great.

In addition to the family that came to church, we also had both the main les active familes from our area (Each companionship got 2 families) came to church. Miracles!!!

So on Facebook a Mormon girl from Mexico added me and then suggested all her Mormon friends to me (over 100). I'm teaching a lot of people in Mexico and I'm getting better at writing in Spanish.

So I think that's it for the week. It was a busy week full of lots of door knocking and street contacting. Sorry that this letter wasn't full of interesting stories. I'll be looking for crazy things to happen so that I can tell you something funny. We're working hard for sure though.

We need your prayers to help us start finding people to teach! Every prayer helps. I love you!

Elder Foster

Week 31

So here we are in Fairfield, a new week, a new transfer, and a new companion! But to start off we'll go back to when Elder Lopez was still here on Tuesday night.

We ate with our Branch Missionary Food Coordinator. She's a recent convert, her husband was less active for a while and pretty much has the coolest conversion story (was confirmed the day before I got to Fairfield) but that is a story for another day! She made Carne Asada, which was delicious, like always, but then also made colte de camaron. It's like a giant mug, and it has shrimp and octopus in it, with a lot of liquid. It's like a cold soup. And then we put lime and avocados and pico de gallo and valentina in it, then eat it, then drink it. So that was kind of weird. But then literally 30 minutes after we ate we went to a less active's house, and she had made flautas for our appointment with her and we had to shove them down and I was literally about to throw up that night. I ate so much. And that night I was literally pn the toilet for 15 minutes. It wasn't the best day on the mission.

But then it was time to get out new comps! My new comp is Elder Wright. He's super cool. He is from Arizona. His Spanish could be better, we're working on memorizing conjugations, but it's ok! I'm patient, because I remember my Spanish and my trainer. He's very open and asks questions  I can tell he's going to be a great missionary, he's just a little hard on himself. Really humble though.

We had trouble finding people until yesterday night, where we found a family of 6 and left them a blessing and they accepted a return visit, found a less active I've been trying to contact for 3 months, and contacted like crazy! So all in all a good way to finish off the week.

It's been a sweet week! I'm excited to keep working here with Elder Wright!

Week 30

I feel like I'm all messed up numbering these emails. But I've got some crazy information!

So the area got split. Like we knew. But, like we didn't expect, I got Fairfield Spanish East! Which is technically where I was before, but we never worked on the East side too far. So I've got like 10 former investigators to work off (compared to like 100 from before) and about 10 members. Essentially, I'm opening an area. not entirely, but like 80%opening up an area. I will also be training. Elder Lopez is leaving to Roehner Park, coming into Spanish Central is Elder Garrity (A stud missionary) and he will also be training. So things are getting shaken up here!

SO another thing. Lupe G. messaged me on Facebook saying she did baptisms for the dead! I have honestly never met anyone as cool as she is. I will be there when she gets endowed for sure!

Ok now for the craziest story I might have ever sent...

So picture that you're Elder Camper. He was serving in Navato 4 months ago, and is AP now. When he was serving in Navato, he me a girl named Brenda D. He went on Facebook and found two, didn't know which one he talked to, and added both. Go back about 3 weeks- Elder Camper went to Del Taco in Fairfield after exchanges here with our ZL's. The lady helping him said "I think you added me on Facebook." He replied "Uh, I'm pretty sure I didn't." She then said "No, look, you're Elder Camper, you're right here on my Facebook." Starting to make sense, he replied "Oh I see, yeah I must have added you." Seeing that he is a missionary she said "I'm starting to think it's not a coincidence that you're here right now."

So long story short, she's Spanish and going to the Singles Branch. But, as coincidence would have it, her family is also super interested. Elder Lopez and I rode with the Single's Elders to their house to teach the family. They came to church and have a baptismal date! So I hope that all made sense. It's a miracle!

Also, we had a baptism for the Sisters' investigadora. I spoke on the Holy Ghost, and Brother West said that I looked like a professor. Maybe I should teach when I grow up.

Also, the guy next to me smells like Marijuana.

But that's it! I love you! Sorry that was a long letter. I'll let you know abou my greenie next week!!! Love you!

Elder Foster

Week 28

Here we are, starting the last week of the transfer! Pumping it up and getting ready to split it! I'm hoping I get the area Fairfield Central. I also want to be on bike!

So as far as news this week

Maria De Jesus got confirmed yesterday! I did the confirmation. She's so great! She should be moving out of the apartment she's living in (chaotic, hard to feel the spirit, messy, smelly [but it's not her, she does her best to make it a great place to live, it's her sister]) and into a new one with her different sister. Also, our investogator Hector came to church. He was wearing a suit and tie, and pretty much everyone though that he was a member visiting, not an investigator. He's changing! He'll be slow, but he'll get baptized in the future.

We also had a stake "Blue Ribbon Fair" activity that they do every year. Quite a few Latinos showed up, and we were contacting like crazy! Didn't even get the time to eat.

Remember Brother West, who gave that concert a while back? We will be going out with him literally every single day for the next few weeks. So we'll be pumping up member present lessons!

Elder Lopez is also teaching me to play soccer on P Days. I'm pretty much going to come backsuper hispanic. Also, when Hondouras beat Mexico the other day people were really ticked off and drunk and wouldn't talk to us. I just don't understand why people would drink beer instead of Tamarindo. Tamarindo is great!

Well that's about it for this week! We're working hard and hoping to find lots of people this week! Love you all!!!

Elder Foster

Week 27

This week was a crazy week. To start off, I have been teaching a person in Arizona and a person in Mexico on Facebook. It's pretty good. as far as the ipads, it's sweet. For dinner messages I've been sharing Mormon Messages and challenging people to give us referrals on Facebook. My favorite to use is "Un Cambio De Corazon" Or "A Change of Heart."

But the craziest of crazy- here's what happened this week... We had a baptism!!!!!!!

Wednesday at 7:45PM Maria De Jesus told us she was going to have to start working and that she wasn't going to be able to make her baptismal date. Satan was frustrating our plans!!! And so we told her "Marichuy, you can wait 2 more months until you get baptized, and procrastinate having the blessings, or you can get baptized tonight." So she picked the right answer, we filled up the font and baptized her! I'll mail a picture home. It's on Elder Lopez's camera. It was a miracle because the font takes 2 hours to fill up, but in 30 minutes it was filled more than it should have been. We got her baptized, and I will be confirming her next Sunday! So we had a baptism this week!

I feel like there was more this week, but that was honestly the biggest thing.

Oh!!! I decided that I am a true Spanish missionary. I went on English exchanges and a member took us to Buffallo Wild Wings, with all the sports on the TVs and stuff, and I couldn't take my eyes away from the soccer game! I know I'm in America, but I feel like a Hispanic!!!!!!!!!

This work is great. I've felt your prayers!!! We have found a lot of cool people this week. We picked up two as investigators and are just flooded with potentials. I love Fairfield. We're picking it up here!

Love you all!

Elder Foster

 

Week 26

To start off, I will say that our mission in the most obedient mission on the face off the earth, and I will tell you why, with a journal entry that I wrote on LDS.org from MY BRAND NEW IPAD!!!!!

"Today we went to Santa Rosa for a mini zone conference. The work of salvation was hastened! They told us it was a conference for teaching skills, but really it was a trick! They brought in iPads for us as missionaries! President Donaldson (SLC Missionary Department) was also there. We are they first mission that has iPads! They were piloting the iPad program in other missions, but we are the first mission where every single missionary has an iPad! The first in the world! Because we are the most obedient mission in the world. I have no doubt. We can also teach any single person that want on Facebook! Which means that there is no where in the world that is closed to missionary work. Which means that Matthew 24:14 is coming true!
"14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. (Matthew 24:14)"
And then the end shall come. Powerful.
L. Tom Perry also said that the broadcast on the 23rd of June was "as important as the First Vision, and the coming forth of the Book of Mormon." That means that this time is so important. I was asked by The Lord to serve in February so that I could participate in the baptism of Lupe Garza. I was called to serve in this mission so that I could be part of the first wave of online missionary work, where we can teach the whole world and have iPads. What a blessing to be chosen for this mission at this time. I have no doubt that The Lord is preparing a marvelous work. It's coming forth among the children of men! The time is now."

 

Did you hear that? The broadcast on the 23rd that announced that we would be using Facebook and such, is AS IMPORTANT AS THE FIRST VISION AND COMING FORTH OF THE BOOK OF MORMON!!!!! Said by an apostle of the Lord.

That is the big news. D&C 88:73 The hastening of the work! We are witnessing it now!

We also dropped 3 investigators this week... So we need to find more! We need prayers here in Fairfield!

Thank you for all the support! Love you!

Elder Foster