April 28, 2010

hey! another great week here, im still a zone leader in training, and we are welcoming a new district in today:) so i guess i need to send more info about whats going on here... this is for you dad haha. my branch presidency is awesome, president stephens is an ex-surfer bum who went to canada on his mission under president monson. we are pretty sure he is in the cia also.... he has a way sweet rig for rock crawling and he has showed it to us a few times. brother hamilton is one of grandpa sumners old time friends. you can hear about him from grandpa:) i bet he has loads of stories. and brother hansen, well i dont know a ton about him, except that he still speaks very good spanish, and also is a general contractor.

our p-days are fairly simple. we still have study time in the morning and breakfast as usual, but at 10 we change and start p-day. we do laundry first off(everyone has a set time depending on your zone) and then we write, so thats what im doing now:) later we have time to write letters and eat a sack lunch and relax. around 230 is our temple time, we can either do endowments or initiatories. so if you want to send me names to do for the next two weeks can can do them and send them back. maybe both me and elder smith. after temple, we come back for dinner and then head back to class for the rest of the evening. the food is good, and the usually only repeat the good stuff, like chicken cordon bleu:) or biscuts in gravy for breakfast. i sleep really well actually, i think moving up the spare bedroom before leaving was a smart idea. i love my personal study time actually! there is so much to do in so little time. right now i am focusing on reading el libro de mormon and memorizing some parts. d&c 4, los articulos de fe, d&c 130 20-21, 2 ne. 25:26. shockingly, i actually love writing in my journal everynight now!! its wierd, but i am happy to do it. being zone leader has its ups and downs, especially around 930 en la noche because alot of elders think its a time to unwind, instead of wind down, and i need to be strict on that, and put the lord first instead of their friendship.

mom could you please send me the addresses for lys and manuel, brian tanner, and jared scoubes? and speaking of lys, why hasnt any one told me the gender of her baby!!!!!! and congrats on graduation lys! im so proud of you!

so i am a little shocked with how many friends i have seen here already, parker brown, clark bingham, tucker bush, jeff gassman, stephanie sorenson( she asked about lys and says hi), darrin stanley, michael misbach, toby rassmussen, alec swope, and probably more that i cant remember right now...

joseph way to go on prom song again!!! that s awesome. let me know how it went. did you take alyssa?

mostly the only packages have been from betsy, emily oneill, you all, and rees'. but they have all been so wonderful! thank you all for your concern and love and letters. it really does mean a lot to me.

mom i am sorry, but i wont be able to call home on mothers day.. since im still at the mtc, i cant call because they cant accomodate all the missionaries, but when im at the airport i will call. when i find out more about that, ill write and let you know. tara thank you for your letter the other day:) that was fun to hear about you and whats going on. congrats on the new futsal coach! i think i might have heard of him before and that he is really good! pay close attention to what he tells you, cause that will help you in all aspects in futsal, and also on the field. i played on the soccer field yesterday at gym for the first time, and man am i out of shape!!! haha. usually i play 4 square or kickball/softball with my zone and we ahve fun, but soccer was definately what i needed!!

its kinda wierd to thin that i have already been here for 7 weeks! but its kinda nice also to know that i am leaving in 2-4:) hey if you happen to hear from my friends, or text griffin, ask him where andrew lindsey is going on his mission. i hope everything is going well and i pray for you all everynight! please keep writing and keeping me in your prayers! it means a lot and i hope i am helping any of you by being out here! the mission is such a wonderful experience, but it is incredibly hard! but whom the lord calls, he prepares a way! he doesnt call us to fail, but rather to succeed! trust in him always no matter what situation, or how hard it gets!

i love you all so much!

elder facer

April 21, 2010

Is it really week six already?! that is nuts!! thanks for the letter last night, except to ruin my day by telling me about harvey unga.... do you know anymore details than that?

last night we had such an amazing conference! it was elder kevin w. pearson of the first quorum of the seventy, and he spoke for about 50 mins on (what i got out of it) receiving the gift of the holy ghost and how it changes our lives. i will probably sent my note pads home before i go to mexico, less weight and i want to keep the notes. so the talk last night was probably one of the most inspiring talks i have heard here. maybe even more influential to me that conference. he spoke a ton about our identity. who i am now, and who i was before i changed to be a disciple of the lord. i have to give up all things of my past worldly life and 100% dedicate my life to the savior and his work! it will be extremely tough, but i know in the end, it will definatetly be worth it. 3 Ne 5:13, 3 Ne 19:9 D&C 121:45. those were some of the most important scriptures he shared with us last night. i already have 3 ne 5:13 memorized in spanish and am going to start working on the others.

well not a whole lot has happened this week, i got a few letters sent out, griffin included, and a lot of studying. it is hard to hear of the birthdays of people i love, and that i didnt get to share it with them, but its ok i hope they understand. haha.

well there was one really big thing that did happen this week, me and elder smith got called to be the new zone leaders?! i am really not sure why, but i know that whom the lord calls, he qualifies. not only does that depend on your leadership callings etc, but mostly for missionary work. he didnt call us to come and fail, rather to succeed! but we can only do that with full faith and trust in him. well mom it turns out i am a lot like you and i would rather do it on my own and its hard to recognize the lords hand in all aspects of my life, but as i have strived to follow those things, i have immediately recognized the blessings.

for those of you getting ready to serve, or still thinking about if its right for you, I promise you that it is right for you! if you feel you are lacking in some part of the gospel, turn to the scriptures and ponder diligently! pray every morning and night for help and an assurance that God is there, and that He loves you. i know that by the power of the holy ghost, you will know that these things are true. study the scriptures and preach my gospel and you will be blessed so much, and you will receive the answer that the lord God needs you to serve.

so it was kinda wierd, while on our temple walk on sunday, i ran into deanna facer! haha she was jsut with her boyfriend chilling. if you want more details you can ask her cause i dont have a ton of time left. but i have a few favors to ask. i need new gym socks, the ones we got have already got holes in them and are about to fall apart. me and elder smith would love some cookies! haha, we also got the ones from dear elder. probably snickerdoodles? also please send with the cookies the 3X5 cards in my closet. they were scotts and they had some really importand scriptures and quotes on them and if its ok with him, i would like to take them for now. have alyssa write me what the gender is so i can know asap! i am out of time on here, so i love you all so much and thank you for your prayers!!! i can feel the comforting power of the holy ghost through your prayers.

joseph, keep up the wonderful work and stay close to the lord! 1 Ne 10: 17-19 and please study it diligently. we talked about it last night, and it impacted me so much. hold to the iron rod!!! i know you are doing amazing and keep up the great work.
tara keep being a great example to your friends and especially the sisters on your team. they need your good example and dedication to the lord. never lower your standards for anything!! that is satans most powerful tool, and he works by small and simple things. dont even let him start to creep into your life.
i love you all so much and love to hear from you! mom maybe you could have rusty use dear elder too? or maybe carlos?

love you so much

-Elder Facer

April 14, 2010

well another eventful week. so i just read alyssas letter, and i will write her more in a written letter, because i dont have a ton of time on the computer. but please tell her to keep me updated with letters etc. CONGRATULATIONS ON GRADUATION!!! im so proud of you for everything lys. please tell me asap what the gender is, and also a copy of the spanish section, with translation. i dont have enough time to try to translate it right now, but i will have time any other day at night. i hope everything is going well with the pregnancy and that you are keeping up with everything. thanks for bragging about me, but im not that important, its what im doing that is:) i just have to always keep that in mind or the Lord will humble me fiercely haha. sadly i have already experienced that a few times in the mtc. i love you and am grateful for your, and manuels, example for as long as i have known you. good luck!!!

this week has been pretty tough, because i have noticed recently that i wasnt being respected or treated like a leader by my district.. i prayed soo so hard for a few nights on why it wasnt working out? but on saturday after our TRC teaching appointment, while we were trying to set our weekly district goals, nothing was happening.... i tried to get responses out of them, but it was like trying to tell a wall to talk. only one member was trying to help me out, elder christensen. so when we finally had to put the day on hold and work some things out, alot came out, and most of it was directed at me. i guess i have been too babysitter, and not enough leader. i needed to ease up and just be a better example and not a parent. (no offense) i also had my interviews with our teachers, separately, and i opened up to them for advice, they both helped a ton, and i took a lot to heart and prayed sincerely about it. i received a few quick answers to my prayers that have noticably helped a ton!!

also some more things ahv3e just come by time. in our class, we play a game called the native. it is focused to help you speak spanish more and help others. if others vote that you spoke the most and studdied spanish the best, you get points. its a week long game. last week i won and received a sweet pen, colored pencils for scripture marking, and a really nice journal. since i ahve so many journals, i decided to turn this one into a spiritual journal. i will only write testimonies, spiritual thoughts, and actions in there. it has been kinda nice to see the spirit of God work in my life and recognize it.

everything is still going good, except i would like a letter every now and then... haha maybe a dear elder from you or dad, or one from joseph or tara. i really appreciated scotts and alicias letters and i pray for them alot. it was good to hear from gma and gpa, as well as mike. he wrote a very sincere letter to me about some things to know and think about while here. i have tried to apply them already, and am noticing a big difference in my life. i also met a kevin carter who went to lone peak, ask ashley if she knows him, he is going to taiwan. thanks for your support, and for all your prayers and concern. im doing really well (when i am on the Lords side) and only so so when im not. it really is being 100% obedient and following your leaders. i love you all so much and love to hear from you! keep up the great work!

April 7, 2010

well hello! i have a few things i would like you to send to others. please tell maryjo that davis doane is doing really well. i see him all the time and as far as i can tell, he is doing good! please tell emily and shaun that i will write them back when i can.. and say thank you for the encouragement, letter, and the mentos;) it means a lot to me that they want to keep in touch. please let cindy jordan know that i will also write them and send a picture or two when i can. shockingly p-day is really busy too! that might actually be it for now... haha. i am going to jump around a little bit cause i just wrote stuff down on a paper to tell you.

dad told me about the bishopric change, thats crazy! im sorry to hear brian got switched out of priests, but i know he will do great. pass on my love and concern for him. i am sad to hear that bishop lesser is gone.... he did a wonderful job. i hope your week is going better now. im sorry to hear that it was so busy last week. especially cause i wasnt sitting at home doing your laundry and dishes for you;) haha. keep the kids working.

tara: congratulations on your great tournament in vegas! im glad to hear that your team is doing well! and mostly i am so proud of you for not playing on sunday. it is an extremely hard temptation to not play, but i promise you, you will be blessed in some way for it. You are a wonderful daughter of God, never change that or lower your standards to meet the world.

Joseph: hey, im sorry to hear about usu not having any scholarship money.... that really stinks. but i know that if you pray to your Heavenly Father for guidance, you will receive the answer best for you. you have your head on straight and know what you are doing. keep it up and listen to mom and dad, they have such good insight i never realized until i got out here on my own! it is actually really important haha. im really sad that i couldnt hear your testimony a few sundays ago... dad said it was really good! im glad you payed attention to elder scott's talk, cause it was too confusing for me! haha, but keep up the good work, and always have the spirit with you. um, i probably wont need cleats or shinguards. mostly i will be playing in the street with them, and i have my street shoes;) well half of my district is going to cuernavaca, and the other half is going to puebla, just north and east of me. everything is going good with them, and we are really starting to get along.

conference was amazing!!!! the spirit is so much stronger here, and i learned so much and took really good notes! i was still really annoyed to see a ton of elders sleeping during the sessions. i only dosed off once, it was during elder perrys talk, but i still got some pretty good notes.

tell alyssa and manuel that i miss and love them. im sorry to hear about the sickness and moodswings from pregnancy and the esl test, but i know you can overcome them with the spirit!

i know that all of this preaching i am doing is kinda cheesy, but its true! i have already seen it happening here, and especially to me! i about cried when i saw that you sent me the moose bank. it brought back some tender memories;) thanks for the package and candy. youre right, i already have so much!!! since my district is fitting in real well, the districts leaving give us their candy they dont take.

um the food here is good and bad. they are wonderful meals and alot of healthy stuff (that i try to eat some times) but you have to be really careful. there are a lot of carbs and it gives everyone gas.... shockingly i havent gained any weight yet. its probably cause im still losing mussle weight.. i cant do a one armed pull up anymore..... our schedule is really packed, but it is really nice, it keeps you focused on what you need to be doing, and you are always working and preparing lessons or talks. i have written 3 talks on my own and in spanish!! well not on my own. with the spirit too;)

i had a really humbling experince yesterday, and it really brought things into perspective for me. during our lesson with our progressing investigator, elder smith was doing really good, and following the spirit in the conversation, but for some reason, i was struck dumb! (i prayed the night before for a really humbling experience to help me love the savior and my district more) and i think that was it. i kinda cried as i talked to hno. stocking ( my teacher) and he helped me set a plan on how to better feel the spirit and apply it to lessons. it helped a lot, and made me realize that THIS IS NOT MY MISSION. IT IS THE LORDS'. always remember that, and it helps you be more humble and receptive to the spirit, and also more obedient. when you are obedient with exactness, i have already noticed the blessings of it! a great attitude, the spirit, better example and many more! it has been such a great experience for me to be humbled... but everything is going really well! i love it here so much, and everyone is doing good.

mom: if a little asain guy comes in to see you at work, dont be worried, its hno. stocking. he might come by and tell you hi and that im doing good.

love you all so much! and keep up the good work! keep staying in tune with the spirit and always keep a mission in vision!

March 31, 2010

Brigham had to write a letter this week because the email system was down. I will work on getting that posted this week :)

March 24, 2010

well i only have 23 mins left so i have to be quick. well everything is going really good actually! i am the district leader, and my companion is from west jordan utah. he is 6'4'' a redhead, and a wrestler! its insane, he is a little shy, but we have already bonded pretty well and he is opening up to me.

Please tell sharon and betsy thanks for the package and letters. also please tell everyone who sent money, that it is already really helping. it all means a lot. i am really enjoying it here. it took me a while to get used to sleeping, but i have finally remembered how to do it. sundays are so much fun here, its very spiritual, and very relaxing. we have devotionals on sundays and tuesdays, on tuesdays its a general athourity. our district isnt too bad. its 7 elders and no sisters. we are all pretty focused most of the time.

i am doing pretty well in spanish, i can say prayers and bear my testimony already, and i am learning contacting in spanish. we have taught the first lesson once and are starting to get the hang of things around here! our zone is so awesome!!! i love so many guys here, and they love and accept me.

i have made a few tie trades, and some people are giving some away to me. i am already sad to see some of our zone leaving next week. Classes are actually fun! my teacher is hermano stocking, he is a little korean going to byu. he is playing tennis, and teaching here, and majoring in psych. hopefully he will come in and see you soon, and tell you how wonderful i am:)

we are going to the temple today, and we also go for a temple walk every sunday evening. if you are tempted to come and see me by chance, i am sorry but you cant.

TARA: it will be easier for me to write back in email some times so mom will just have to cut out your portion. thank you so much for your support! it means a lot that you will finally respect me and say you love me;) haha jk. keep me posted on your soccer games and what goes on with life! i am loving the mtc. It is mainly trying my best to keep the spirit with me and trying to always have a positive attitude. its sadly hard to give up gringo spanish, but i am doing it! my teacher is a stickler on pronunciation and accentuation, so i will eventually get better. i am trying hard to be a good leader, but it takes a lot more patience, and love, and praying than i am used to! i wrote my first talk in spanish on sunday about keeping the sabbath day holy. it was mostly coppied out of PMG, and my spanish scriptures. i hope you are doing well!!!!

JOSEPH: how is everything? Its going great for me! the MTC is so amazing, and it is helping me so much. you can read the other letters i sent and see what else i said, cause i am almost out of time.

Dad and mom: thanks for being so wonderful to me! i am now realizing all the stuff you taught me, and applying it and it is really helping me. it turns out there is alot i still need, so i have to get it at the book store, could you send my gillette razor, only the body, its in my bottom drawer of the bathroom. i thankfully got a picture with parker brown, jeff gassman, tucker bush, and clark bingham. it was good to see them before parker left. gassman and bush still have like 4 weeks so i will see more of them. love you all so much, and could you send me a few addresses? Sneddons, Rees's, Kidman's. I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH! AND THANK YOU FOR YOU WONDERFUL EXAMPLES, AND HELPING ME GET TO WHERE I AM. IT MEANS SO MUCH THAT YOU ARE ALL SUPPORTNG ME. I PRAY FOR YOU EVERY NIGHT, AND I WISH THE BEST FOR YOU.