Da...da da da da...da da da!!!
It Just Happened!
Monday, October 21, 2013
Updates
Our friend is awesome and we met with him this past week and taught the restoration which went really well, I think he is happy to be coming back and really applying that scripture of Mosiah 2:41!
Well we met with our friend again after a week of not seeing him... He went out of town for Labor Day. We taught the Plan of Happiness and he enjoyed it a lot! It's pretty cool to teach members who already believe because you get a lot deeper into a discussion. It was the first time I really dove into the Pre-Earth life, and I think I benefited from it just as much as he did!
Well we met with our friend again after a week of not seeing him... He went out of town for Labor Day. We taught the Plan of Happiness and he enjoyed it a lot! It's pretty cool to teach members who already believe because you get a lot deeper into a discussion. It was the first time I really dove into the Pre-Earth life, and I think I benefited from it just as much as he did!
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Hump Day!!!
It sure has been interesting getting closer and closer to my hump mark haha I swear I just got out here and before I know it I'll be home having to be a grown up ahhh! I love it out here! Even though I may go through hard times, I know that it is the best thing for me right now. How am I supposed to deal with hard times later in life if I don't have the chance to learn now...
Elder Wardle and Elder Rogers Celebrating 1 Year!
Burning a white shirt!
Elder Josie and Elder Cox Celebrating 6 Months!
Interesting Contact
Well sort of an interesting story... maybe not the best planted seed but sure a memory that I'll keep with me-- Henriod and I were knocking in a apt complex (when it happened to be 7:30 and still 95 degrees outside! What!?) when a man opened the door with his eyes blood-shot, no shirt, and stumbling over his words... saying that " I have to be honest with the Lord's Angels here, that I have knocked back a few" haha going on to say "I have been thinking about God, and then you two knocked on my door!" We asked if we could take 15 mins of his time to share a message of Jesus Christ and how it could change his life? He let us in where there was no furniture and so we ended up standing for the 15 mins and another 45 mins after that haha He loved the BoM and said he would start reading and that he would pray about it! He was 54 yrs old so we passed him to his area's elders and went on...Larry from LA/Georgia was a black gangster trying to fix his life, I hope to hear from the other elders that he is progressing!
Flirting or Proselyting...You Decide :)
Well I can't remember if this was this week or when but it was awesome! As we were driving down the freeway we noticed some girls driving along side us... Only noticed them because they were trying to keep up with us and staring haha so when we got off our exit they followed us as well. We got to a red light and we rolled the window down along with them. They asked if we were Mormons all giggly. We said yes and asked if they wanted a Book... psh of course they took it so I handed one out my window and committed them to read it and to go to Mormon.org to contact us. I'm not sure what will happen but that was a fun seed to plant!
Definitely flirting on the girls part but at least the Elders turned it into proselyting.
Definitely flirting on the girls part but at least the Elders turned it into proselyting.
Focus on and an Experience with Less Actives
I think both of us know what we are to do in this area, at least for now. That is to work with the LA/RC (less active/recent converts) and make sure that they are solid. They are often less-active because of their friends who are not members and being a bad influence. Non-members are great and we need to be friends with them, as long as we can stand strong and not let our standards falter.
A YSA came to church and signed up on our dinner calender, I had no idea who he was... So when we txted him and were told to meet him at Little Caeser's, we did and we waited til he got there. A man opened the doors and said "Hey Elders, how are you doing!?" He was wearing an Angels hat so I started talking Baseball with him as we were ordering. He seemed like a cool guy and was fun to talk to. We took the Pizza to a park and ate there for dinner.
During dinner we sorta got a rundown of how rough his life had been, but he wanted to come back and be active! We thought that was great and shared a message, nothing too special but it brought the spirit through our testimonies. We asked if there was anything that we could do for him??? He said "You know what? Ya, I was wondering if I could possibly meet with you guys regularly so I can make sure I'll come back strong." OF COURSE! So we set up a time for the next day in the afternoon!
As we pulled to his house we had recognized that we knocked on it a few days before...who knows if he was there and decided not to open the door but to come to church... We sat down and had an awesome lesson with him, it felt so nice to teach a solid lesson. I know that the Spirit guided our words and our hands to the scriptures that we read to him. I finished with (I believe to be my favorite scripture now...) Mosiah 2:41 and I bore my testimony of how I knew that scripture to be true, Henriod testified as well and Nate was really touched. He committed to Pray/Read/Church, he has a long way to go but he has a goal of going back to the Temple and I can't wait to seem him get there!
A YSA came to church and signed up on our dinner calender, I had no idea who he was... So when we txted him and were told to meet him at Little Caeser's, we did and we waited til he got there. A man opened the doors and said "Hey Elders, how are you doing!?" He was wearing an Angels hat so I started talking Baseball with him as we were ordering. He seemed like a cool guy and was fun to talk to. We took the Pizza to a park and ate there for dinner.
During dinner we sorta got a rundown of how rough his life had been, but he wanted to come back and be active! We thought that was great and shared a message, nothing too special but it brought the spirit through our testimonies. We asked if there was anything that we could do for him??? He said "You know what? Ya, I was wondering if I could possibly meet with you guys regularly so I can make sure I'll come back strong." OF COURSE! So we set up a time for the next day in the afternoon!
As we pulled to his house we had recognized that we knocked on it a few days before...who knows if he was there and decided not to open the door but to come to church... We sat down and had an awesome lesson with him, it felt so nice to teach a solid lesson. I know that the Spirit guided our words and our hands to the scriptures that we read to him. I finished with (I believe to be my favorite scripture now...) Mosiah 2:41 and I bore my testimony of how I knew that scripture to be true, Henriod testified as well and Nate was really touched. He committed to Pray/Read/Church, he has a long way to go but he has a goal of going back to the Temple and I can't wait to seem him get there!
Monday, September 30, 2013
Dinner Darts and a Nice Breakfast
A member gave them a dart board and they are loving it!
Adam has enjoyed trying his hand at cooking.
He said, "I'm getting better! Oh so good!"
Knocking
We went knocking, not really having anyone to see. We went up into the hills of Anaheim to an apartment complex that we had in mind from weekly planning (WP). We started walking around the complex and one of the goals I had set during WP was to be more Bold! So we hadn't knocked on any doors yet but I talked to a couple out walking their dogs- nobody was interested... As we walked through the slightly lit complex, trying to decide where to knock I looked at a set of 7 or so doors and said "Let's knock those."
So we knocked the first...the second and no interest but the 3rd was awesome! A YSA aged girl named Alia opened the door (Fully not just cracked like 99% of doors haha)... As Elder Henriod started the conversation she just smiled, nodding her head. I came in and asked her if she believed in Christ--Yes. I asked what she thought of His perfect example-- she expressed a deep love for the Savior we all look to for help. From there I asked her if she was familiar with the Bible and the account of Christ's Baptism?? She said yes and so right there I asked her if she would follow His perfect example and be Baptized by the Proper Authority of God? (Sorry to build up the suspense...) -- She said that she had already been baptized and goes to a local Catholic Church. We taught of the Apostasy,BoM-- and she was willing to read it, being late at night we asked if we could come back and share more about Christ's original church and how it has been Restored and is led by a Prophet here and now! She said yes and that 8:00 any night would be perfect. I am so grateful for these experiences because they are what keep pushing me week after week!
Favorite Door Contact
We were knocking one day and I probably had my favorite door contact where I handed out a BoM! It was a young High School girl named Alexia. We started off with a simple question of " Do you believe in Jesus Christ?" she said yes and so we started to testify of his church being lost after his death and resurrection, followed by a lesson of the Restoration w/ Joseph Smith. I had her read the promise that is given in the introduction of the BoM and asked if she would like to find out for herself if it was true?!? She smiled and said I would love to!!! She is in High school though so we passed her to the YL3 Elders and can't wait to see her progress towards baptism!
Monday, September 23, 2013
He's Now a Grandpa!
You have to love the mission jargon. Adam's greenie is now training so that makes him a grandpa.
"My posterity: Elder Wells (Grandson), Me (Grandpa), Elder Josie (Son)"
Pool I have to look at each morning!
Poor kid! He loves the water, that view must kill him!
Trials and Testimonies
All of us who have served missions know the disappointments and questions we have as we lose investigators. I am so impressed with Adam's continued strength and testimony through these experiences. He admits it's hard but can see the bigger picture:
"Well, Spencer has dropped us, he just wont respond to anything...Txt, call, or even a knock on the door. UGH How long do you keep seeing these things fall through? I have faith, I really do, but sometimes I wish it was easier. The thing is, is that it's not easy and Christ had to die for us to get something done. We are not asked to do that but to try our best and endure, enjoy, and love this life that we have been given. I will not give in and I will do this for the rest of my life, this is all for The Gospel of Jesus Christ, this is His Work and His Glory and He deserves every breath. I love this work and will continue to see miracles out here."
He also bore a simple testimony of the Book of Mormon:
"I just finished the Book of Mormon again and will try a 31 day challenge next! I love the Book of Mormon and will share it forever!"
"Well, Spencer has dropped us, he just wont respond to anything...Txt, call, or even a knock on the door. UGH How long do you keep seeing these things fall through? I have faith, I really do, but sometimes I wish it was easier. The thing is, is that it's not easy and Christ had to die for us to get something done. We are not asked to do that but to try our best and endure, enjoy, and love this life that we have been given. I will not give in and I will do this for the rest of my life, this is all for The Gospel of Jesus Christ, this is His Work and His Glory and He deserves every breath. I love this work and will continue to see miracles out here."
He also bore a simple testimony of the Book of Mormon:
"I just finished the Book of Mormon again and will try a 31 day challenge next! I love the Book of Mormon and will share it forever!"
Zone Leader Training
Here is a little information on what he does as a zone leader:
"I am so grateful to be a missionary at this time. The work is hastening and I just pray that we can receive the strength from Heavenly Father to keep up! We have one extra meeting with President Bowen each month where we are trained on what to train the zone. It is a really cool experience because it is in his home and there is a special spirit there. We go on splits with all the District Leaders in our zone and possibly the A.P's each transfer, and of course if there is anything that comes up we would be the ones that take care of it and go on temporary splits."
"I am so grateful to be a missionary at this time. The work is hastening and I just pray that we can receive the strength from Heavenly Father to keep up! We have one extra meeting with President Bowen each month where we are trained on what to train the zone. It is a really cool experience because it is in his home and there is a special spirit there. We go on splits with all the District Leaders in our zone and possibly the A.P's each transfer, and of course if there is anything that comes up we would be the ones that take care of it and go on temporary splits."
#1 Grandson
Grandma and Grandpa Wardle wanted a picture of all of their grandchildren in a line with numbered shirts. Because Adam is gone, they asked me to send them a picture they could use to make a full size face of him. Then, they had his Uncle Mark stand in Adam's spot (#1) holding the face in front of his.
"I think I've had more fun with the full size pic of my face haha! We have taken some pics with it and messed with people while driving... when the person looks over with Munguia having it over his face and then they see me as well we get some funny double and even triple looks! It always brings a smile to their face :)"
Adam's siblings are Derek #2, Ashlee #6, Jaxon #9, Jordan #13, Emilee #18, & Kenzee #24.
Later, Grandma sent Adam a package with letters and notes from everyone on the vacation and she included his full size face picture. Here is the result:
"I think I've had more fun with the full size pic of my face haha! We have taken some pics with it and messed with people while driving... when the person looks over with Munguia having it over his face and then they see me as well we get some funny double and even triple looks! It always brings a smile to their face :)"
I Have Something He Doesn't...
I thought this was a neat story about Adam's testimony of the Holy Ghost.
"We got a referral from some other missionaries. His name is Spencer - 25 and an assistant Pastor who has his masters in the Bible...and is working on his 1700 page doctorate paper...I felt a little small and like it was worthless to spend any time with this man because I don't have any of that. But, I have something that he doesn't and that is the Gift of the Holy Ghost! I don't need any of what he has to be able to testify of what I know and when the spirit testifies of the truth that I say, the battle is over. He is now a new investigator, is reading the Book of Mormon, and is praying to know if it is true."
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Struggles and Transfers
Some things have happened with other missionaries that were big trials for Adam. One resulted in a quick transfer shortly after he became a ZL. I won't go into any details, but here are some things he said about his trials:
"This is my 3rd of 5 comps that I have had to deal with this same problem. I guess the Lord knows I am stubborn and will do what he asks me to do (meaning he makes the companion take necessary steps). Sometimes I wish I had easier trials than I do, but I know that they make me stronger and bless my life to come."
"I had to step in and be strong in the situation. We talked a lot this past week and things got taken care of...I have to control the phone now and I feel like I have to babysit him... but hopefully he can push past it so I wont have to worry. The Lord has placed me in this situation with 3 of 5 companions... and it's not like I pray for these type of trials. I know that helping my comps makes me stronger, and I'm glad that the mission president, and the Lord trust me with these problems."
I feel bad that he has had to deal with these trials but it's nice to see he recognizes them as experiences that help him to grow and become stronger.
Adam was excited for this transfer and to have a companion who is obedient and diligent. His new companion is Elder Henriod and he came from the YSA ward in Fullerton. He had been a ZL since April. He is actually from Washington state but the far East side by the Idaho border, a town called Clarkston. He said that a week in and they are already good friends. He is looking forward to working hard and making some progress in the area.
"This is my 3rd of 5 comps that I have had to deal with this same problem. I guess the Lord knows I am stubborn and will do what he asks me to do (meaning he makes the companion take necessary steps). Sometimes I wish I had easier trials than I do, but I know that they make me stronger and bless my life to come."
"I had to step in and be strong in the situation. We talked a lot this past week and things got taken care of...I have to control the phone now and I feel like I have to babysit him... but hopefully he can push past it so I wont have to worry. The Lord has placed me in this situation with 3 of 5 companions... and it's not like I pray for these type of trials. I know that helping my comps makes me stronger, and I'm glad that the mission president, and the Lord trust me with these problems."
I feel bad that he has had to deal with these trials but it's nice to see he recognizes them as experiences that help him to grow and become stronger.
Adam was excited for this transfer and to have a companion who is obedient and diligent. His new companion is Elder Henriod and he came from the YSA ward in Fullerton. He had been a ZL since April. He is actually from Washington state but the far East side by the Idaho border, a town called Clarkston. He said that a week in and they are already good friends. He is looking forward to working hard and making some progress in the area.
Elder Henriod and Elder Wardle
Family
Adam is constantly writing about how much he loves and appreciates us (he means extended family too). Here are a few quotes:
"I hope all of you had a blast at Bear Lake with the Wardle family and with the Lovell's for the 4th! I miss you all so much more around the big days during the year. I never really noticed how much I love all of you until I was separated for just a short time. It doesn't help that I 'most likely' won't have any fireworks to shoot off...I always loved doing the show!"
"The letters from everyone were wonderful!" (He is talking about the letters he received after both the Wardle and Lovell reunions when everyone took the time to write to him as part of vacation.)
And..."Yes I got your Bear Lake Novel haha and I loved it! It sounded like so much fun and I could just imagine me being there with all of you. I also got the Lovell package with all the letters I love that idea so much and It's awesome to hear from everyone...but now I am behind about 60 letters and not sure how I'll get back to all of them haha!"
"You are always in my prayers and thank-you for putting me in yours. The days go by slow but the weeks/months/transfers seem to fly by. Let me know what you think about that I need to improve on...besides writing... :) I love you all!"
"I truly am so blessed to have a loving family that supports me back home!"
"Haha the one thing I miss about the family wards would be the lil kids... we were at the church building on Sunday while the other ward was there and of course there was this cute lil girl who was shy at first but then started to open up and reminded me of Kenzee so much!"
Most of his letters end something like this one:
"Thank-you for all your prayers, they are for sure felt in times of comfort. I'm doing great and time can barely catch up to how fast the mission is going by! I love you all so much, have a wonderful week!"
"I hope all of you had a blast at Bear Lake with the Wardle family and with the Lovell's for the 4th! I miss you all so much more around the big days during the year. I never really noticed how much I love all of you until I was separated for just a short time. It doesn't help that I 'most likely' won't have any fireworks to shoot off...I always loved doing the show!"
"The letters from everyone were wonderful!" (He is talking about the letters he received after both the Wardle and Lovell reunions when everyone took the time to write to him as part of vacation.)
And..."Yes I got your Bear Lake Novel haha and I loved it! It sounded like so much fun and I could just imagine me being there with all of you. I also got the Lovell package with all the letters I love that idea so much and It's awesome to hear from everyone...but now I am behind about 60 letters and not sure how I'll get back to all of them haha!"
"You are always in my prayers and thank-you for putting me in yours. The days go by slow but the weeks/months/transfers seem to fly by. Let me know what you think about that I need to improve on...besides writing... :) I love you all!"
"I truly am so blessed to have a loving family that supports me back home!"
"Haha the one thing I miss about the family wards would be the lil kids... we were at the church building on Sunday while the other ward was there and of course there was this cute lil girl who was shy at first but then started to open up and reminded me of Kenzee so much!"
Most of his letters end something like this one:
"Thank-you for all your prayers, they are for sure felt in times of comfort. I'm doing great and time can barely catch up to how fast the mission is going by! I love you all so much, have a wonderful week!"
Service and Fun
Adam seems to love the days he gets to do service.
"Good day that started with service! We sanded and chipped off all the paint of a 3 car garage from 7:30-12! We were pretty beat afterwards but all worth it."
"Dinner was with the old Bishop. We helped their son put a skateboard quarter pipe together, that's my kind of service!"
"Glorious Day! We were able to be in b-ball shorts and a t-shirt and blessed with service all day! Started off by helping a family move out of a house the size of ours in Provo. We worked from 9-11:30 and filled a semi-truck! The church is amazing! Then from 12-5 we were in the canyon setting up canopies, tables, tents, booths, and a flag pole for a cub scout camp. We had a blast and were beat by the end."
I love how he always mentions how wonderful it was even though they are "beat". If you think about it, we always feel better after working hard and seeing the fruits of our labors. It feels so much better to be "beat" after accomplishing something than to be tired from doing nothing.
He goes on to say:
"It felt so nice to be in the outdoors getting the closest to camping I can. Afterwards we went to the Stake Pioneer Day at the park. We had fun talking and playing and then an older man came to us and asked us to sing with him - 'You are My Sunshine' was the first and I was instantly trunky for the Petersen campout which I think you are actually on!!!"
He was right, we were on the campout just as he was wishing he could be there. I'm so glad my kids have the opportunity to get together and camp with so much extended family. They love it and they love all of you! Thanks to all who make it such a great tradition.
"Good day that started with service! We sanded and chipped off all the paint of a 3 car garage from 7:30-12! We were pretty beat afterwards but all worth it."
"Dinner was with the old Bishop. We helped their son put a skateboard quarter pipe together, that's my kind of service!"
"Glorious Day! We were able to be in b-ball shorts and a t-shirt and blessed with service all day! Started off by helping a family move out of a house the size of ours in Provo. We worked from 9-11:30 and filled a semi-truck! The church is amazing! Then from 12-5 we were in the canyon setting up canopies, tables, tents, booths, and a flag pole for a cub scout camp. We had a blast and were beat by the end."
I love how he always mentions how wonderful it was even though they are "beat". If you think about it, we always feel better after working hard and seeing the fruits of our labors. It feels so much better to be "beat" after accomplishing something than to be tired from doing nothing.
He goes on to say:
"It felt so nice to be in the outdoors getting the closest to camping I can. Afterwards we went to the Stake Pioneer Day at the park. We had fun talking and playing and then an older man came to us and asked us to sing with him - 'You are My Sunshine' was the first and I was instantly trunky for the Petersen campout which I think you are actually on!!!"
He was right, we were on the campout just as he was wishing he could be there. I'm so glad my kids have the opportunity to get together and camp with so much extended family. They love it and they love all of you! Thanks to all who make it such a great tradition.
A young ZL
This is what Adam wrote when he was first made a ZL in June, he had been out 9 months.
"Wednesday...started the day off with a nice ZL meeting, sorta teaching us how to be a ZL-basically a DL with more responsibility. Being around all the other ZL's I feel super young because all the others are past their year marks. I relate it to being the lil brother who follows his brother and his friends around and is welcomed but stands out and maybe not as cool as the rest....It will just take time I'm sure."
It's kind of fun to see him in the "little brother" shoes. He's never experienced that before.
"Wednesday...started the day off with a nice ZL meeting, sorta teaching us how to be a ZL-basically a DL with more responsibility. Being around all the other ZL's I feel super young because all the others are past their year marks. I relate it to being the lil brother who follows his brother and his friends around and is welcomed but stands out and maybe not as cool as the rest....It will just take time I'm sure."
It's kind of fun to see him in the "little brother" shoes. He's never experienced that before.
Being in a YSA Ward
So in an earlier post I mentioned Adam is now a ZL in a YSA ward. Here are a few things he mentioned about being in a YSA Ward.
"I found out our area is a little rough for finding efforts because we don't have any colleges or anything that would attract YSA people specifically to our area. So, we will be working a bunch with members and hope/pray for referrals."
"Dinner was sweet! It's sorta like going over to a friend's house and chillin because you can relate to them so much easier. We played some darts waiting for the food."
"Gonna be honest...being in a ward where everyone is around your age is just fun! Everybody is single and to watch them try to flirt is funny, what a great environment!"
I can't find the exact quote, but I remember him saying how it's ridiculous how the girls in the YSA ward flirt with the missionaries...he even said, "Ashlee, you'd better never do that!" I guess it's fun watching the flirting among the YSA people but it irritates him when they flirt with the missionaries.
"We came to realize something...As a YSA during the summer, why on earth would you be sitting in your apt. during the middle of the day...you wouldn't! We tried potentials from 12-dinner and not a single soul answered the door! People are either working or playing during the day during the summer."
The biggest challenge he has found in the YSA ward is that they have had to give away most of the people they have found to teach. When knocking doors they don't know the age or marital status of who lives there so they often find people for other missionaries to teach and rarely find young single adults. When people let them in, they teach the first lesson and then pass them to the other missionaries. It would be easier if there was a college associated with the ward but since there isn't, it makes it difficult to find people. They are relying on members a lot and there haven't been many referrals. With the difficulties in finding, this is an observation Adam made:
"This past week has been pretty good and I think both of us know what we are to do in this area, at least for now. That is to work with the less active/recent converts and make sure that they are solid."
"I found out our area is a little rough for finding efforts because we don't have any colleges or anything that would attract YSA people specifically to our area. So, we will be working a bunch with members and hope/pray for referrals."
"Dinner was sweet! It's sorta like going over to a friend's house and chillin because you can relate to them so much easier. We played some darts waiting for the food."
"Gonna be honest...being in a ward where everyone is around your age is just fun! Everybody is single and to watch them try to flirt is funny, what a great environment!"
I can't find the exact quote, but I remember him saying how it's ridiculous how the girls in the YSA ward flirt with the missionaries...he even said, "Ashlee, you'd better never do that!" I guess it's fun watching the flirting among the YSA people but it irritates him when they flirt with the missionaries.
"We came to realize something...As a YSA during the summer, why on earth would you be sitting in your apt. during the middle of the day...you wouldn't! We tried potentials from 12-dinner and not a single soul answered the door! People are either working or playing during the day during the summer."
The biggest challenge he has found in the YSA ward is that they have had to give away most of the people they have found to teach. When knocking doors they don't know the age or marital status of who lives there so they often find people for other missionaries to teach and rarely find young single adults. When people let them in, they teach the first lesson and then pass them to the other missionaries. It would be easier if there was a college associated with the ward but since there isn't, it makes it difficult to find people. They are relying on members a lot and there haven't been many referrals. With the difficulties in finding, this is an observation Adam made:
"This past week has been pretty good and I think both of us know what we are to do in this area, at least for now. That is to work with the less active/recent converts and make sure that they are solid."
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Priesthood
Here are a couple of quotes from Adam about how he feels about the Priesthood:
The Priesthood Power is something very dear to me, because I know it is the literal power from God and when a member of the church is worthy we have the Authority to act in his name. With that Power and Authority like it says in Luke 1:37 "For with God, Nothing is impossible". I have seen miracles on my mission with the power of the Priesthood. I am so glad to have grown up in a household with a Priesthood holder, I didn't realize how it effects a home when one is not present, but when a older woman in our ward told us how grateful she was to have Worthy Priesthood holders in her home. It hit hard and I decided that the Priesthood will always be in my home for eternity.
I see every type of family out here, and those with worthy
priesthood holders in the home always seem to stick in there even when
hard times come about. I hope our family can all be in the Temple when
Kenzee gets married, picturing that gives me the chill because of how
wonderful that would be. I know I will be there! I hope to be an
"incoming family " into the Celestial Kingdom.
The Priesthood Power is something very dear to me, because I know it is the literal power from God and when a member of the church is worthy we have the Authority to act in his name. With that Power and Authority like it says in Luke 1:37 "For with God, Nothing is impossible". I have seen miracles on my mission with the power of the Priesthood. I am so glad to have grown up in a household with a Priesthood holder, I didn't realize how it effects a home when one is not present, but when a older woman in our ward told us how grateful she was to have Worthy Priesthood holders in her home. It hit hard and I decided that the Priesthood will always be in my home for eternity.
I see every type of family out here, and those with worthy
priesthood holders in the home always seem to stick in there even when
hard times come about. I hope our family can all be in the Temple when
Kenzee gets married, picturing that gives me the chill because of how
wonderful that would be. I know I will be there! I hope to be an
"incoming family " into the Celestial Kingdom.
Prayer
Here are some quotes and an experience from Adam about prayer.
"OH I Iove the ability to pray to our Heavenly Father, experiences are wonderful and I love letting my testimony grow!"
"I love little experiences with prayer they mean so much."
Adam needed an answer to a question and tried going "up the line". (This was right before he was made ZL.) They called the ZL's who had him call the AP's. He tried 5 times with no answer. He called the ZL's again and they told him to call President Bowen. He tried twice with no answer. He called the ZL's again and they told him to go to Heavenly Father through prayer. He said, "In the middle of my prayer, President Bowen called. It was a really cool experience - simple yes - but a good one."
"OH I Iove the ability to pray to our Heavenly Father, experiences are wonderful and I love letting my testimony grow!"
"I love little experiences with prayer they mean so much."
Adam needed an answer to a question and tried going "up the line". (This was right before he was made ZL.) They called the ZL's who had him call the AP's. He tried 5 times with no answer. He called the ZL's again and they told him to call President Bowen. He tried twice with no answer. He called the ZL's again and they told him to go to Heavenly Father through prayer. He said, "In the middle of my prayer, President Bowen called. It was a really cool experience - simple yes - but a good one."
Zone Leader
Adam's letters have been a little sparse lately but he has been writing a little more in emails so I'm starting to do some copy and paste posts.
Transfers!!
Well on Thursday I was called by President Bowen, to be a Zone Leader- not knowing which area, but meant I was leaving my area for sure... Then Saturday night was transfer calls and we got all the news. I will be serving in the Young Single Adult ward of Placentia PYSA in the Anaheim East Stake. It was probably the easiest transfer of the entire mission. I moved two floors up in the same complex so I was moved in by Sunday night, pretty nice. Elder Josie will be training some greenie! and is pretty excited about it so I will be " Big Poppy Wardle" - Josie my son and his trainee my grandson haha mission talk I guess! Elder Johnson is going home and I have tried to aquire as much info from him as possible, and I have sure learned a lot and have a lot to look forward to if I can follow his footsteps. Zibs will be training in his area as well with his companion dying (going home) so yes he is staying in the Anaheim mission, hopefully I'll be around him some day!!
Sending home Elder Johnson (left) and Elder Roberts
Elder Johnson is someone Adam has really looked up do so far in his mission. He never got to be companions with him but did go on splits with him and has been in his zone. Adam was very impressed with his work ethic and his spirituality. He felt like he could learn a lot from him and said he wanted to be the kind of missionary Johnson was. Even though they were never companions, he felt like Johnson was one of the greatest influences for obedience and diligence on his mission. He is really going to miss him.
Adam's zone has 11 Elders and 4 Sisters. It covers Anaheim Hills and Yorba Linda. He said it is a pretty nice area.
Adam's new companion is Elder Munguia. He is El Salvadorian and from Brooklyn, NY. He only has 9 weeks left of his mission. Adam feels like he needs to keep him busy so he won't be too trunky.
Elder Wardle and Elder Munguia
Temporal Blessings
-Prayers Shall Be Answered-
As I was upset about the laundry set up, a few days later I talked to the housing coordinator and he said we would be moving to a different complex furnished with yep that's right a Washer and Dryer! Oh I was so excited ( never thought I'd be excited over doing laundry...) This complex is pretty new and super fancy so I'm glad we have been blessed with southern California hospitality :)
B-Dubs
The missionaries (especially Adam) really seem to love B-Dubs. They go there for birthday lunches, after district meetings, and for any other excuse they can come up with to go. Here is a fun post from one visit to B-Dubs.
"After District Meeting on Thursday we went to B-Dubs for lunch and I am now a part of History! I tried the Blazin Challenge! Eat 12 of their wings straight from the fryer, drenched in their hottest sauce Blazin, and then all in my mouth within 6 minutes."
"It got all over my face and scalded my mouth but I finished with about 30 seconds left and beat the challenge! It was so much fun!"
Adam's Testimony of Avoiding Contention
Training is going great and we get along the best out of the District which is awesome because the spirit cannot reside if there is contention. Whether that it be in the car, apartment, or on the street. If the spirit is not there, we are not to teach. The spirit is there and we have a great time working for the Lord.
He's Still Adam
I just love this boy! He may be Elder Wardle and he may be growing spiritually by leaps and bounds but he is still Adam and he is still a boy. Here is part of a letter that I just loved even though I did roll my eyes a bit!
"Exchange day with Elder Rogers was awesome! We see each other a lot anyway being in the same ward but we have a ton of fun with the whole day together! We taught a Less-Active, looked for some other people but no luck. When we exchanged back, we cleaned some because we are moving to a new apartment. We started by taking an axe to a chair and table so it could fit in the dumpster and ended up mixing cleaning chemicals for a nice boom! of white stuff in the dumpster. Haha, it's still me out here."
"Exchange day with Elder Rogers was awesome! We see each other a lot anyway being in the same ward but we have a ton of fun with the whole day together! We taught a Less-Active, looked for some other people but no luck. When we exchanged back, we cleaned some because we are moving to a new apartment. We started by taking an axe to a chair and table so it could fit in the dumpster and ended up mixing cleaning chemicals for a nice boom! of white stuff in the dumpster. Haha, it's still me out here."
Easter Message and Testimony from Adam
I hope you all had a wonderful Easter. I know my Savior Jesus Christ has Risen and lives and guides us in our lives today. We need to take the time each day to remember what he has done for us. Not just Easter/Christmas, not just Sunday, but every day of the week. I have come to love him so much out here all from reading and praying, the simple primary answers.
Zibetti
The day after they got their greenies, they had a training meeting. Adam said, "Wednesday was an awesome day! Our training meeting at 9:30 went well. I walked in and there was Trevor! I mean Elder Zibetti, I'll have a hard time with that one. It was so nice to see Trevor. I'm glad he is out here. He is out of the zone but we should see each other now and then." For those who don't know, Trevor is Adam's friend from our ward in Provo and they also played baseball together. When we first moved to Provo, Trevor was one of his first friends. It is so much fun for him to have Elder Zibetti in his mission.
Training!!!
Ok, so I am wayyyyy behind and Adam is going to be mad at me so I'd better get going. Summer was way too crazy without any spare time. So, here goes.
Adam stayed district leader and became a trainer on March 12, 2013. He was so excited for the opportunity to train. His area was split due to the new missionaries coming. He was excited about it because his MTC companion who he loved was coming with his greenie to share the area. He really was happy about being able to work with Elder Rogers again.
Adam's greenie, Elder Josie, is from Panguitch, Utah. He was in the National Guard before his mission and came ready to work. Adam was happy to have someone who really wanted to work hard. All of Elder Josie's "firsts" were fun for Adam. On the first day he took him out to knock doors. He said, "He (Elder Josie) is very humble and eager to do the work. We stopped a man in the park on the way back to the car and Elder Josie was able to hand out his 1st Book of Mormon!"
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Catching up...3rd companion
When Adam was first transferred to Placentia and became a district leader, his companion was Elder Pafford. They were instant friends and worked well together. He really enjoyed his time serving with Elder Pafford. It was short, about 7 weeks, but he had a great time. Their favorite thing to do on p-days was to go mountain biking. He said there are some great trails around Placentia.
Sunday, April 21, 2013
First Baptism
Adam had his first baptism on April 5th and it was a wonderful experience for him. Larry asked Adam to perform the baptism. We are so happy for Adam and that he had this wonderful experience. Here are his words:
What a beautiful sight to see and participate in miracles that are happening today. I think I must say that this has been the Best week so far on the mission. This week has been so awesome! I'm so glad that I get to go through these experiences, I couldn't have imagined what it would be like to have the opportunity of bringing a lost sheep back into the fold of Christ.
Our investigator Larry Manning was baptized Friday @ 7:00 and it went perfect. He was baptized by the Priesthood Authority of God and he will be blessed Eternally because of it!
Being 76 years old I also had the opportunity to get him dressed afterwards, it felt great to help him out and I'm sure that has been the closest to Christ I have been out here.
Being 76 years old I also had the opportunity to get him dressed afterwards, it felt great to help him out and I'm sure that has been the closest to Christ I have been out here.
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Big Changes
Well, it feels like I just posted about the last transfer and now there is another one. Adam has been in Irvine since he left the MTC the first week of October. He was there with his trainer until the week before Christmas when he received a new companion. I knew the next transfer was in 7 weeks because this particular companion was somewhat challenging and Adam said he could do anything for 7 weeks. Well, those 7 weeks have gone very quickly! Our family had grown very fond of Adam's investigators in Irvine. We were continually fasting and praying for them and felt "invested" in them as a family. Our children prayed for them by name and were very hopeful they would be able to overcome those things that were keeping them from baptism. So, we had very mixed feelings about Adam being transferred but we realized it was probably time. So we found out last week that Adam was transferred to Placentia. We have decided to continue to pray for his previous investigators as they are still important to him and to us and we will just add new ones to our list of people to pray for on a regular basis.
We thought Adam might have the opportunity to train with this transfer since there are so many new missionaries entering the field right now. They did receive new ones but only 1 Elder and 15 Sisters! So, he is not training yet, but he has been made a District Leader. He is really excited for the opportunity to grow in this new calling but he is a little nervous too. Over the last few weeks I have noticed some things about his letters that may have been preparing him for this new calling. One day in January they were helping someone move and the people were getting rid of a tv. One of the Elders in his district talked them into letting him have it. Adam (not a district leader but a young junior companion) told him no he couldn't have a tv. I saw then that he was stepping up and being a leader on his own. He said it really concerned him how some elders just check out and don't care. In the letter we received right before the transfers he told us rumors were flying but that he would be good with anything. He said, "If the Lord has an Errand, I am more than willing to run it for him." He is a good boy. Here is what he said about his last zone meeting: "The day started with Zone meeting that went well and I find I can actually add something worth sharing to the discussion. The AP's were there and I swear they would be staring at me the whole meeting...?" That evening he received a call from President Bowen asking him to be a District Leader. Here are some of his thoughts, "This will be my 4th transfer and it is super early for leadership calls, I thought...(I later found out that I am the youngest DL to be called, at least in a while!) I guess that's what I get for talking about leadership, haha!! Ahhh, it's crazy! I'm excited but a lil nervous at the same time. I am being put to the test!" He seemed a little overwhelmed but excited at the same time. We are very proud of him for being diligent and obedient so he was prepared when the Lord needed him.
Now for some fun things:.JPG)
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He has had some fun p-days where they played basketball, but lately he has been a little discouraged. He said most of his district (the old one) wanted to play "nerdy" board games. Adam does like board games but he's not real fond of things like "Dungeons & Dragons" and I guess his zone is into those kinds of games (sorry John). So, he said he would try to convince some of them to play basketball or table tennis with him. When he couldn't get takers he would just read and said he has read all of his "mission books" except Jesus the Christ which will be his next pursuit. He is excited because apparently this new zone plays football sometimes so he asked us to send him his cleats! I'm sure that will be a nice change for him. He also does some juggling now and then. 
One thing that was really exciting for him was when he went to the Newport Temple in January. He said, "So I am coming out of the changing stall and guess who I ran into.... Jeremy Rich one of my best friends from school! The one I took pictures of jumping bikes, and is going to the MTC next week It was so awesome! I gave him a big hug....( something I have learned on my mission... ya it's not a normal thing and I kinda think it caught him by surprise hahaha! We did the same endowment session and talked for a lil bit it was his second time in the temple ah it was so fun to see someone I know!" Adam was really excited that Jeremy had decided to serve a mission too. That was a great experience for him.
I'm sorry it's such a long post, but now you are all updated. I am looking forward to hearing more from him about his new area and companion. What I do know is that his companion is named Elder Pafford, he is from Virginia, and he has been out one transfer less than Adam. So far Adam thinks he is great and said he is one of the funniest people he has met.
We thought Adam might have the opportunity to train with this transfer since there are so many new missionaries entering the field right now. They did receive new ones but only 1 Elder and 15 Sisters! So, he is not training yet, but he has been made a District Leader. He is really excited for the opportunity to grow in this new calling but he is a little nervous too. Over the last few weeks I have noticed some things about his letters that may have been preparing him for this new calling. One day in January they were helping someone move and the people were getting rid of a tv. One of the Elders in his district talked them into letting him have it. Adam (not a district leader but a young junior companion) told him no he couldn't have a tv. I saw then that he was stepping up and being a leader on his own. He said it really concerned him how some elders just check out and don't care. In the letter we received right before the transfers he told us rumors were flying but that he would be good with anything. He said, "If the Lord has an Errand, I am more than willing to run it for him." He is a good boy. Here is what he said about his last zone meeting: "The day started with Zone meeting that went well and I find I can actually add something worth sharing to the discussion. The AP's were there and I swear they would be staring at me the whole meeting...?" That evening he received a call from President Bowen asking him to be a District Leader. Here are some of his thoughts, "This will be my 4th transfer and it is super early for leadership calls, I thought...(I later found out that I am the youngest DL to be called, at least in a while!) I guess that's what I get for talking about leadership, haha!! Ahhh, it's crazy! I'm excited but a lil nervous at the same time. I am being put to the test!" He seemed a little overwhelmed but excited at the same time. We are very proud of him for being diligent and obedient so he was prepared when the Lord needed him.
Now for some fun things:.JPG)
.JPG)
He has had some fun p-days where they played basketball, but lately he has been a little discouraged. He said most of his district (the old one) wanted to play "nerdy" board games. Adam does like board games but he's not real fond of things like "Dungeons & Dragons" and I guess his zone is into those kinds of games (sorry John). So, he said he would try to convince some of them to play basketball or table tennis with him. When he couldn't get takers he would just read and said he has read all of his "mission books" except Jesus the Christ which will be his next pursuit. He is excited because apparently this new zone plays football sometimes so he asked us to send him his cleats! I'm sure that will be a nice change for him. He also does some juggling now and then. 
One thing that was really exciting for him was when he went to the Newport Temple in January. He said, "So I am coming out of the changing stall and guess who I ran into.... Jeremy Rich one of my best friends from school! The one I took pictures of jumping bikes, and is going to the MTC next week It was so awesome! I gave him a big hug....( something I have learned on my mission... ya it's not a normal thing and I kinda think it caught him by surprise hahaha! We did the same endowment session and talked for a lil bit it was his second time in the temple ah it was so fun to see someone I know!" Adam was really excited that Jeremy had decided to serve a mission too. That was a great experience for him.
I'm sorry it's such a long post, but now you are all updated. I am looking forward to hearing more from him about his new area and companion. What I do know is that his companion is named Elder Pafford, he is from Virginia, and he has been out one transfer less than Adam. So far Adam thinks he is great and said he is one of the funniest people he has met.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Investigators
I'm sorry there are 3 posts in one day. I got behind with the holidays and traveling to Utah. Hopefully I can get back into the swing of things now. Adam currently has two investigators that are working toward baptism. One is scheduled for this Saturday and as a family we are praying and fasting for him. As of Sunday he still hadn't completely given up his cigars. He loves going to church and hasn't missed a Sunday since he started going and he loves the members. He enjoys going to the activities and being part of a ward. Adam has really enjoyed teaching him and working with him. Please join us in praying for him to be able to overcome his habit and enter the waters of baptism. The other one preparing for baptism is Sean's mom who I mention in the Christmas post as well. She is also struggling with the Word of Wisdom and is working hard to overcome that. Their lessons with her have been going really well and she is schedule for baptism on February 4th. Please pray for her as well as she prepares for this big step. They are teaching others but these are the two that are scheduled for baptism. Thank you all so much for keeping Adam and his investigators in your thoughts and prayers..................................On another note, Adam is really excited that one of his good friends from Provo who was in our ward and on his baseball team has been called to the same mission. Adam is so excited for Trevor Zibetti and can't wait for him to get there. I believe he enters the MTC in February.
Transfers
The week before Christmas they had transfers. It seems like a hard time to have to do that, but I guess it goes along with missionaries coming and going from the mission. I realized since I arrived in Portugal one week before Christmas, the same thing had to have happened in my mission........Adam stayed in the same area (Irvine) but his trainer was transferred and he said he misses Elder Horejsi. His new companion is Elder Oviatt and here is some of what he had to say about transfers, "Elder Oviatt has only been out a transfer more than I have and this is his 2nd area. He just switched with Horejsi. He is senior companion but it doesn't feel like it. I am more of a leader and he is kinda shy so I do most of that stuff. He was driver but drove me nuts because he didn't know where he was going so we got that switched." This is the information he gave me in his letter now I will share what he put in his email........."all I know about him so far is that he went to BYU and he likes My Little Ponies ....... yep I said it my little ponies!!!! Are you kidding me???!! He tried to put a M.L.P. ornament on my Christmas tree and I almost died of laughter and then nearly had a heart attack when I found out he was serious... At least you will be getting some interesting and probably funny letters." We all had to laugh at that. I can just picture Adam finding out his companion is a "Brony". We told him to be nice and try to learn from the experience. In his last letter he said they have had some good discussions and he is beginning to feel that it's not as weird of a companionship as he thought.
Elder Wardle and Elder Oviatt
Their Little Christmas Tree (before the MLP ornament)
Christmas
Christmas was wonderful mainly because we were able to skype with Adam. It was so nice to be able to see him and talk to him. He looks wonderful and seems to be doing very well! In his letter before skyping with us he wrote, "It is finally here, it seemed so far away but it came so fast at the same time. I am so happy that I get to call or skype you. I know it hasn't been that long but I sure miss everyone." It is nice to know that he misses us too. They got together as a whole mission for a devotional and here is what he said about it, "1st Christmas Devotional was a blast! Our Mission President is the best! We started off by watching Tangled! Yep we watched a movie and everyone loved it. After we had some amazing Korean BBQ for lunch and I swear I ate a whole chicken, pig, and cow, yum yum! Everyone was there so I got to chill with Elder Rogers and Sister Thompson (from his MTC district), both super awesome! We had a devotional where someone in each of the 8 languages read the Joseph Smith Story in their tongue. It's pretty cool to feel the spirit when you can't understand it completely.......................
On Christmas Eve they went to a Ward Dinner with one of their investigators. Then they went and opened their pj's and wore them for their Christmas Eve Party at a member's house. They played games, santa came, and they had a lot of fun. The family gave him a green lantern shirt. I guess the girls in the family thought he looked like green lantern :)!
I believe this picture is of Sean and his dad with Adam and his comp. Sean and his family have been very good to Adam. Sean is a convert of 2 years. His mother is one of their investigators and we are all praying for her in her preparations for baptism. They skyped from Sean's house and later went to his parent's home for dinner. The family gave them some gift cards for Christmas, too. Christmas Day: "We had another p-day for Christmas and it was awesome. For my 1st Christmas away it was hard for sure, I miss being with everyone, but I had a good time. We had breakfast as a zone, played some group games, and opened presents. We eventually got ready and went to Sean's for skype which was wonderful! Kind of weird to be called by my first name(by us of course), haha:)! I think that's good?! I'm glad I could start a snowball fight from Anaheim." We were in Utah and he asked me to take the computer outside so he could see "his snow". He encouraged Ashlee and Jaxon into a snowball fight which was quite fun to watch. He enjoyed every second of it. I just tried to keep the computer camera pointed in the right direction so he could see it all. We sure missed having him play games and go sledding with us this Christmas but he is exactly where we want him to be and we are so grateful he has chosen to serve The Lord on a mission. It was so wonderful to skype with him.
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