Alright, I do not have like any time this week, but just so you know, the craziest thing ever is happening right now. President Pendleton called me last night and told me that he's had some problems with another Elder somewhere and he has to move him. He's been praying about what to do with the situation and he told me that he was prompted that I should be one of the Elders to move during this emergency transfer. So, I'm being transferred...tomorrow. I'm going to the southern most tip of the mission, North Highlands. I'll actually be living in Sacramento City's boundaries. From what I've heard it is a total ghetto area and there is a high probability that my bike is going to get stolen...yes it is a bike area. I guess it's time to lose all that good country cooking I've been enjoying since I came on my mission. I'm going to the city and I'm not too happy about it. There has been a ton of stuff happening in my area right now, and to have to just get up and leave is a bummer. However, I'll go and do what the Lord is commanding. I know this is an inspired decision, as much as I don't like it, but that's ok. I'll be companions with an Elder Hansen who has actually been out one less transfer than my companion right now, Elder Garner. I'll be follow up training him. This is going to be a party, I'm sure. : ) So, send mail to the mission office until I can get you my new address. Pray for me and pray for my area. The Condons are going to be devestated...dang. Be mighty everyone!
Love you!!!
Elder J. Hammer
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
WOW!
Alrighty, well, I found out that we don't have a time limit on emails here, so I can make them as long or as short as I want. This one should be pretty long cause I have some sweet stories already. Okay first off, I am in Lynn, MA and our house is about 1 block from the ocean. I can't see it from the house, but we can go running on the beach every morning. I haven't done that yet, cause my companions ( I am in a threesome) don't want to. They are great Elders. Elder Jackson and Elder Winslow. They have both been out for a bout 14 months, and they were companions in the MTC as well. They both know Cambodian very well. I found out when I got here, that we don't teach a whole lot in Cambodian. There are about 800 Cambodian people in our ward, but they are all inactive except for 2. Pretty lame. I haven't taught any lessons in cambodian yet, but we have dinner at the Sen's (the two active cambodian members) every friday, so I got to talk to them a little bit. We teach a lot in English, so I am a little bummed about that, but I still have the faith that I can continue learning the language and be able to help the Cambodian people out.
Ok so I don't have a whole lot to say about the plane ride, it was pretty boring. I was in between two guys who had their headphones in the whole time, but when one of them took his out as we were landing, I started talking to him and found out he lives in the other area that we work in. I also gave him a passalong card for the bible, because he was not interested in the book of mormon at all. Then, as I was walking through the airport, I was greeted by a lady that asked me if I was going or coming. I told her that I just barely got here, and we started talking. She is a member who lives in Sandy, she didn't say why she was in Boston, but I was talking to her until I met Pres. Evans. He is such a funny man. I can tell that he is going to help me become a great missionary. He told me that the cambodian elders always come in the middle of transfers, so I would not be spending the night at his house, but I would be going straight to the apartment to meet my companions. Pretty sweet, huh? So we get to the apartment, and my comps meet me, and say "alright, we've got a dinner appointment, let's go" so we hop in the car and go to a dinner appointment at the Buckley's. They are nuts. Single dad with 6 kids. They love fighting, So I met all of them, which was an interesting experience. Bro. Buckley got baptized about 2 years ago, and he is a really strong member. They are a great family, with TONS of energy. haha. We did family scripture study with them, which was cool, then we went back to our apartment. That was about all we did that night, because they wanted to get me home so I could unpack all my stuff.
The next day, it was the beginning of my missionary life in the field. We had lots of appointments. I don't know if I can recall all of them, but I will try. Ashiko - single dad with one son. He's been an "investigator" for about 7 months, but when we went over there, he seemed like he is finally starting to understand. hopefully we can get him baptized soon. James and Vastine Carter. HUGE black guy that lives with his mom. They are both inactive members who are wanting to come back to church but can't because she is in a wheelchair and he is just too big to do much. They should be to church next week, because there is this thing here called "The Ride" for disabled people, but they have to get a doctor's signature to use it. We taught a lot of lessons, and everything so far is kindof just a big blur, so I can't really remember much other than that. haha sorry.
But, I have an AWESOME story for you now. So, Saturday morning, we got a referral from Church headquarters on our phone. We went to the address to check it out, but nobody was home. Later that day, our phone rings. It's the referral telling us that they are home and wants us to come over now. We go over, and it's an apartment with 3 black people that were super nice to us. We go in, and we start talking to them. One of them says that his uncle, who is from Tanzania has been going to church there for 4 years, but has never been baptized! He is visiting them in their apartment until Wednesday. We start talking to the uncle, his name is Dr. Emmanuel Kandusi (he has a doctorate in Philosophy and theology, and 3 masters in other really smart things that I can't remember) He tells us that he has been going to church, and now, he finally feels it is time to get baptized. He says that he wants to do it in the same place where he first met the missionaries, which is Boston. We all get excited, and tell him that we need to talk to our mission president and the bishop. There was a ward party satruday night, so we talked to the bishop there, and he said that it sounded a little fishy, but he would look into it and talk to Emmanuel. So sunday rolls around, and Emmanuel comes to church with his nephew and niece. After church, Bishop takes Emmanuel into his office, and talks to him for like 15 minutes. After that, bishop takes us in and tells us that the real reason he wants to get baptized here is so his nephew and niece can be here with him and that will help them want to start learning from us. So, we told him alright, and we would see what we could do about scheduling a baptism before wednesday when he leaves for Tanzania. We told Emmanuel that we needed to make sure that he was ready so we would come over Monday morning. So, this morning, we went over, and taught him all 4 lessons in about an hour. Or, I should say, he taught us all 4 lessons in about an hour. He is definitely ready to be baptized. His interview is tomorrow morning, and his baptism is tomorrow night! Pretty awesome story for my first 5 days in the field, huh? AND, he asked me if I would be the one to baptise him! sweet. I am so stoked! It's definitely going to be a little bit of a weird service, cause it will probably just be me, my 2 companions, the bishop, him, and his nephew and niece. haha. But, I am way excited. We talked to his nephew and niece after church, and they both loved it, and we will begin meeting with them sometime this week. And, to make things more interesting, we found out that the referral we got on our phone, was actually from the niece. She had been looking for the church in her area, but couldn't find it, so she called the referral number, and it got sent to us. Meanwhile, the uncle, Dr. Kandusi has been trying to get in contact with us since he got here. And neither of them knew that the other one was trying to contact the church at the same time! haha. It's amazing how the Lord can put us into those situations where things work out the way they need to.
So, in summary, my first 5 days here have been pretty amazing. We taught about 15 lessons, picked up 3 new investigators, and have a baptism tomorrow night. and we have had dinner from a member every night except one. haha. I am kinda worried about gaining weight here, cause we don't have bikes, and we eat tons of food. haha. Speaking of food, when we went to the Sen's ( the active cambodians) I had my first "I am stuffed, but these people keep bringing me food" experience. haha. we had cambodian noodles which were DELICIOUS. I ate one ginormous bowl full and then she brought me another bowl, but I literally could not eat anymore food. haha. It was fun.
My normal Pday is on Mondays, so expect my emails then, however, next week, is transfers so pday will be on wednesday, which also means you should probably send mail to the mission home starting next week, but chances are I will not be transferred because I am new here, so I will be in this area for a while.
Anyways, that is it for this week. We are definitely keeping busy. Hopefully we will have a couple cambodian lessons this week. We'll see. Well, I hope you all have a great week. Send me mail! haha. I love you all!
Love,
Elder D. Hammer
P.S. Just thought I'd throw in here at the end that Lynn and Lowell (the two cambodian areas) are some of the most dangerous cities in MA. haha. SWEET. Alright. Bye!
Ok so I don't have a whole lot to say about the plane ride, it was pretty boring. I was in between two guys who had their headphones in the whole time, but when one of them took his out as we were landing, I started talking to him and found out he lives in the other area that we work in. I also gave him a passalong card for the bible, because he was not interested in the book of mormon at all. Then, as I was walking through the airport, I was greeted by a lady that asked me if I was going or coming. I told her that I just barely got here, and we started talking. She is a member who lives in Sandy, she didn't say why she was in Boston, but I was talking to her until I met Pres. Evans. He is such a funny man. I can tell that he is going to help me become a great missionary. He told me that the cambodian elders always come in the middle of transfers, so I would not be spending the night at his house, but I would be going straight to the apartment to meet my companions. Pretty sweet, huh? So we get to the apartment, and my comps meet me, and say "alright, we've got a dinner appointment, let's go" so we hop in the car and go to a dinner appointment at the Buckley's. They are nuts. Single dad with 6 kids. They love fighting, So I met all of them, which was an interesting experience. Bro. Buckley got baptized about 2 years ago, and he is a really strong member. They are a great family, with TONS of energy. haha. We did family scripture study with them, which was cool, then we went back to our apartment. That was about all we did that night, because they wanted to get me home so I could unpack all my stuff.
The next day, it was the beginning of my missionary life in the field. We had lots of appointments. I don't know if I can recall all of them, but I will try. Ashiko - single dad with one son. He's been an "investigator" for about 7 months, but when we went over there, he seemed like he is finally starting to understand. hopefully we can get him baptized soon. James and Vastine Carter. HUGE black guy that lives with his mom. They are both inactive members who are wanting to come back to church but can't because she is in a wheelchair and he is just too big to do much. They should be to church next week, because there is this thing here called "The Ride" for disabled people, but they have to get a doctor's signature to use it. We taught a lot of lessons, and everything so far is kindof just a big blur, so I can't really remember much other than that. haha sorry.
But, I have an AWESOME story for you now. So, Saturday morning, we got a referral from Church headquarters on our phone. We went to the address to check it out, but nobody was home. Later that day, our phone rings. It's the referral telling us that they are home and wants us to come over now. We go over, and it's an apartment with 3 black people that were super nice to us. We go in, and we start talking to them. One of them says that his uncle, who is from Tanzania has been going to church there for 4 years, but has never been baptized! He is visiting them in their apartment until Wednesday. We start talking to the uncle, his name is Dr. Emmanuel Kandusi (he has a doctorate in Philosophy and theology, and 3 masters in other really smart things that I can't remember) He tells us that he has been going to church, and now, he finally feels it is time to get baptized. He says that he wants to do it in the same place where he first met the missionaries, which is Boston. We all get excited, and tell him that we need to talk to our mission president and the bishop. There was a ward party satruday night, so we talked to the bishop there, and he said that it sounded a little fishy, but he would look into it and talk to Emmanuel. So sunday rolls around, and Emmanuel comes to church with his nephew and niece. After church, Bishop takes Emmanuel into his office, and talks to him for like 15 minutes. After that, bishop takes us in and tells us that the real reason he wants to get baptized here is so his nephew and niece can be here with him and that will help them want to start learning from us. So, we told him alright, and we would see what we could do about scheduling a baptism before wednesday when he leaves for Tanzania. We told Emmanuel that we needed to make sure that he was ready so we would come over Monday morning. So, this morning, we went over, and taught him all 4 lessons in about an hour. Or, I should say, he taught us all 4 lessons in about an hour. He is definitely ready to be baptized. His interview is tomorrow morning, and his baptism is tomorrow night! Pretty awesome story for my first 5 days in the field, huh? AND, he asked me if I would be the one to baptise him! sweet. I am so stoked! It's definitely going to be a little bit of a weird service, cause it will probably just be me, my 2 companions, the bishop, him, and his nephew and niece. haha. But, I am way excited. We talked to his nephew and niece after church, and they both loved it, and we will begin meeting with them sometime this week. And, to make things more interesting, we found out that the referral we got on our phone, was actually from the niece. She had been looking for the church in her area, but couldn't find it, so she called the referral number, and it got sent to us. Meanwhile, the uncle, Dr. Kandusi has been trying to get in contact with us since he got here. And neither of them knew that the other one was trying to contact the church at the same time! haha. It's amazing how the Lord can put us into those situations where things work out the way they need to.
So, in summary, my first 5 days here have been pretty amazing. We taught about 15 lessons, picked up 3 new investigators, and have a baptism tomorrow night. and we have had dinner from a member every night except one. haha. I am kinda worried about gaining weight here, cause we don't have bikes, and we eat tons of food. haha. Speaking of food, when we went to the Sen's ( the active cambodians) I had my first "I am stuffed, but these people keep bringing me food" experience. haha. we had cambodian noodles which were DELICIOUS. I ate one ginormous bowl full and then she brought me another bowl, but I literally could not eat anymore food. haha. It was fun.
My normal Pday is on Mondays, so expect my emails then, however, next week, is transfers so pday will be on wednesday, which also means you should probably send mail to the mission home starting next week, but chances are I will not be transferred because I am new here, so I will be in this area for a while.
Anyways, that is it for this week. We are definitely keeping busy. Hopefully we will have a couple cambodian lessons this week. We'll see. Well, I hope you all have a great week. Send me mail! haha. I love you all!
Love,
Elder D. Hammer
P.S. Just thought I'd throw in here at the end that Lynn and Lowell (the two cambodian areas) are some of the most dangerous cities in MA. haha. SWEET. Alright. Bye!
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Starting the Day Out Right
The phone rang at 7:36 this morning. Kind of early for a phone call, but I was expecting it. Kasey and Kurtis had already left for school, but the rest of us got to visit with Devin for about an hour. I got to talk the longest since everyone else had to leave (except Mason who was done talking). It was so good to hear him and his excitement. He was at the airport all by his lonesome. He said it felt kind of strange since he's had a companion by his side the last 3 months. He should be in the air headed for Boston now. His flight was for 9:57. It is sooooo cool to hear him speak Cambodian! Now I'm looking forward to Mother's Day when I get to hear from both my missionaries! Enjoy the letters.
Tomorrow, Tomorrow, I love ya, tomorrow, you're only a day awaaaaaay!!
Okay, well besides being totally stoked for the plane ride by myself tomorrow, I am doing great. I have almost everything packed up. Definitely not as good a job as you did for me when I came, but as long as everything gets in the suitcase, and it shuts, it works, right? haha. I am so excited! My companion left for Sacramento this morning, so that was cool. I think he was getting pretty sick of me, but that's okay. We're still friends, so that's good. The rest of my district leaves here in about an hour. It's going to be hard to say bye to them, but that's ok, cause we are already planning our MTC reunion for when we all get back. Anyways, I'm stoked. I bought a Book of Mormon today that I am going to give to someone in the airport. I am hoping that whoever I sit by in the plane is not a member so I can talk to them about the Gospel for 5 hours. That would be sweet.
So cool story - I just got back from the temple. I got there and went in to Bro. Jensen's office to say bye to him. He wasn't there, so I told the receptionist to tell him not to leave until I told him bye. I went out the door to go to the locker room, and Gus's mom was out there! I haven't seen her forever. I have been wanting to write to Gus, but I don't have his address, so she gave it to me, and told me to chew him out and tell him to turn in his papers. She said that she had praying that somehow she would see me so I could talk to him about going on his mission. Sweet story. I felt a little weird that I had been the literal answer to someone's prayer, but then I realized that I will be just that for so many more people when I get out into the field. It was a cool experience. And then, I saw Nate's dad, and gave him a hug, and told him bye, and everything. And then, when me and my "temporary companion" were back on the campus of the MTC, we were walking to here to check our emails, and who do I run into but Sister Scadlock! She gave me a hug, even though she isn't supposed to and told the other lady she was with all about me. haha. It was cool. You'll probably hear all about that soon. By the way, Kurtis, you better do a good job mowing her lawn. haha. but really, do it good.
So when I read that Rick and Tina are going to adopt a baby, the first thing that went through my mind was, "Wow, that's cool, I hope Mom and Dad do that." That would be awesome!! It would be so cool if you did that. If I could choose, I would say that two little twin boys from africa would be about the coolest thing ever. Even though Kasey probably wouldn't want that. haha. Anyways, I know it's not somehting that just happens like that, but it would be really cool.
Kadin - how was surgery? I never would have guessed that you would be the one to beat me to breaking a bone and having to get surgery. You just decided that you wanted to be selfish and get both of those titles, huh? haha. just kidding. That's pretty sweet that you have to have pins sticking out of your finger. I would definitely have fun with that. haha. I think I am about ready to do my own surgery on my stupid finger that won't get better. I just want to chop it off. I was playing frisbee the other day, and out of nowhere, this huge ole' blood blister appeared on my finger and now I have to wear bandaids again, cause I popped it and ripped it off. But, it is once again getting better. Maybe I'll have to take the dermatologist up on his offer to fly out to Boston to check it out. Oh well.
Alrighty, I am out of time. Justin, this one will have to do cause I don't have time to send you a different email :) I will call tomorrow sometime. I don't know exactly when, but anytime between 7 and 10. Sounds good. Love you all! Talk to you soon!
Love Elder D. Hammer
So cool story - I just got back from the temple. I got there and went in to Bro. Jensen's office to say bye to him. He wasn't there, so I told the receptionist to tell him not to leave until I told him bye. I went out the door to go to the locker room, and Gus's mom was out there! I haven't seen her forever. I have been wanting to write to Gus, but I don't have his address, so she gave it to me, and told me to chew him out and tell him to turn in his papers. She said that she had praying that somehow she would see me so I could talk to him about going on his mission. Sweet story. I felt a little weird that I had been the literal answer to someone's prayer, but then I realized that I will be just that for so many more people when I get out into the field. It was a cool experience. And then, I saw Nate's dad, and gave him a hug, and told him bye, and everything. And then, when me and my "temporary companion" were back on the campus of the MTC, we were walking to here to check our emails, and who do I run into but Sister Scadlock! She gave me a hug, even though she isn't supposed to and told the other lady she was with all about me. haha. It was cool. You'll probably hear all about that soon. By the way, Kurtis, you better do a good job mowing her lawn. haha. but really, do it good.
So when I read that Rick and Tina are going to adopt a baby, the first thing that went through my mind was, "Wow, that's cool, I hope Mom and Dad do that." That would be awesome!! It would be so cool if you did that. If I could choose, I would say that two little twin boys from africa would be about the coolest thing ever. Even though Kasey probably wouldn't want that. haha. Anyways, I know it's not somehting that just happens like that, but it would be really cool.
Kadin - how was surgery? I never would have guessed that you would be the one to beat me to breaking a bone and having to get surgery. You just decided that you wanted to be selfish and get both of those titles, huh? haha. just kidding. That's pretty sweet that you have to have pins sticking out of your finger. I would definitely have fun with that. haha. I think I am about ready to do my own surgery on my stupid finger that won't get better. I just want to chop it off. I was playing frisbee the other day, and out of nowhere, this huge ole' blood blister appeared on my finger and now I have to wear bandaids again, cause I popped it and ripped it off. But, it is once again getting better. Maybe I'll have to take the dermatologist up on his offer to fly out to Boston to check it out. Oh well.
Alrighty, I am out of time. Justin, this one will have to do cause I don't have time to send you a different email :) I will call tomorrow sometime. I don't know exactly when, but anytime between 7 and 10. Sounds good. Love you all! Talk to you soon!
Love Elder D. Hammer
What a Week!
There has been a ton of stuff that has happened in the past week. It has been pretty crazy!
To start off we set another baptismal date! I can't remember if I already told you about that or not, but we set a date with our investigator, Nick Anderson, for May 15th!! It was an awesome lesson. Nick was feeling the Spirit and he told us that there wasn't any way that he could say no. So, that was one of the things that happened.
Next, we had interviews with President Pendleton. He mentioned in my interview that he was thinking about putting me in leadership soon, probably next transfer. Okay, no big deal. At the end of our district meeting, Pres. had me come back into the room he was using in the church building and sat me down. I had no idea what was going on. He told me that he was calling me to be the District Leader for our district. Well, alrighty then. Now I'm District Leader and I've got more responsiblities that I didn't have before... more on that in a moment.
Moving on, we have continued to meet with the Condons. Our lessons with them have been going pretty well, until last night. We showed up, Janine was asleep, and Jason was just sitting around. We started teaching Janine, who we found out was on all kinds of drugs for the pain that she was in. Teaching people who are on a medicinal high is not a good idea. Janine was doing the best she could to participate, but Elder Garner and myself could both tell that we weren't going anywhere. It didn't help that Jason was falling asleep in his chair either. I asked Janine how she felt knowing that the only true and living church of Christ was on the earth again...dun dun dun! Man did that open a can of worms. Janine started to comment that she believed that all the other churches were right as well, and then Jason jumped in with his two cents. He said, "You're not going to like this, but I don't believe that you can make a statement that your church is the only one that is right. I believe that this church is right for me, but the Catholic church might be the right church for somebody else. It would be blasphemous to state otherwise unless God or Christ himself were to come down and say it." I couldn't believe it!!!!!!! Jason has been a member of the church for a year and he has completely missed the entire message. His own skewed ideas about what is and isn't right has really presented us with a problem. We now know that neither Jason, nor Janine have testimonies of what we are teaching. They feel that it is good and they recognize that it is helping them, but they don't have a witness that it is TRUE!! Jason also share with us how he decided to join the church. Through his story, we learned a couple of things. First off, we have every reason to believe that Jason has been influenced by evil spirits in the past. I can't go into details right now, but he's had some seriously scary stuff happen in his life, recently too. Jason has based his entire conversion on intellectually, "it makes sense, and how could it be other wise." Because of these things, he has influenced his family to have the same ideas about religion. We can't baptize Janine, or anybody else for that matter, when we know they don't have a testimony. We'd be hosing them over if we did! So, after Elder Garner and myself came home and prayed, discussed what we had heard, prayed some more, and studied this morning, we have come to the conclusion that we have to just keep doing what we've been doing with the Condons. They don't have any concerns with what we are teaching (other than our stance on being TRUE) and they keep the commitments we give them. As long as they continue to do (that's really important) what we ask of them, the Spirit will work on them and eventually they will gain a testimony. Elder Garner and I are going to have to step up to this challenge and really rely on the Spirit to help. I don't know if any of this makes any sense at all, but it has sure caused us some serious stress in the last 24 hours (our lesson with them was last night). I am hoping and praying that Jason "gets it" and that Janine "gets it as well," because they don't right now.
Okay, next with what is going on. Remember Nick? Well, we found out when he came to church on Sunday that he doesn't live in our area. Noooooo!!! We have to turn him over to the other Elders and he has to go to church in his own ward. It's kind of a bummer that we can't teach him anymore, and he definitely isn't happy about it either. Thankfully he understands the situation and he still wants to get baptized. We're going to help him transition over the next little bit too. It's a good thing we're all on the same team huh? : ) Because Nick is not going to officially be one of our investigators anymore, I will actually be the one to interview him for baptism. That will be a cool experience.
That brings me to the last part of my email. Because I am the DL, I have to interview all the investigators being taught in my district that are going to get baptized. I've been thinking about that a lot lately and it's really helped me want to do even better as a missionary. I get to be the one that these people come to to witness that they are ready to enter the waters of baptism. This morning I actually got to do just that. I interviewed a girl from the Nevada City area who is scheduled to be baptized on Saturday. It was a great experience. I really felt the Spirit and I could tell that she was ready. Hopefully everybody I interview will be ready, but if not, I have to tell them. Fun...
Well, that's about it for now. I'm out of time anyways. Mom, I don't have anything specific that I could give you for your talk on Sunday right now. Just know that everything you have taught me has helped me as a missionary! I'll try and send a letter off to you if I get a sec for something a little more in depth.
Thanks for everything everyone! Love you all!
Be mighty
Elder J. Hammer
To start off we set another baptismal date! I can't remember if I already told you about that or not, but we set a date with our investigator, Nick Anderson, for May 15th!! It was an awesome lesson. Nick was feeling the Spirit and he told us that there wasn't any way that he could say no. So, that was one of the things that happened.
Next, we had interviews with President Pendleton. He mentioned in my interview that he was thinking about putting me in leadership soon, probably next transfer. Okay, no big deal. At the end of our district meeting, Pres. had me come back into the room he was using in the church building and sat me down. I had no idea what was going on. He told me that he was calling me to be the District Leader for our district. Well, alrighty then. Now I'm District Leader and I've got more responsiblities that I didn't have before... more on that in a moment.
Moving on, we have continued to meet with the Condons. Our lessons with them have been going pretty well, until last night. We showed up, Janine was asleep, and Jason was just sitting around. We started teaching Janine, who we found out was on all kinds of drugs for the pain that she was in. Teaching people who are on a medicinal high is not a good idea. Janine was doing the best she could to participate, but Elder Garner and myself could both tell that we weren't going anywhere. It didn't help that Jason was falling asleep in his chair either. I asked Janine how she felt knowing that the only true and living church of Christ was on the earth again...dun dun dun! Man did that open a can of worms. Janine started to comment that she believed that all the other churches were right as well, and then Jason jumped in with his two cents. He said, "You're not going to like this, but I don't believe that you can make a statement that your church is the only one that is right. I believe that this church is right for me, but the Catholic church might be the right church for somebody else. It would be blasphemous to state otherwise unless God or Christ himself were to come down and say it." I couldn't believe it!!!!!!! Jason has been a member of the church for a year and he has completely missed the entire message. His own skewed ideas about what is and isn't right has really presented us with a problem. We now know that neither Jason, nor Janine have testimonies of what we are teaching. They feel that it is good and they recognize that it is helping them, but they don't have a witness that it is TRUE!! Jason also share with us how he decided to join the church. Through his story, we learned a couple of things. First off, we have every reason to believe that Jason has been influenced by evil spirits in the past. I can't go into details right now, but he's had some seriously scary stuff happen in his life, recently too. Jason has based his entire conversion on intellectually, "it makes sense, and how could it be other wise." Because of these things, he has influenced his family to have the same ideas about religion. We can't baptize Janine, or anybody else for that matter, when we know they don't have a testimony. We'd be hosing them over if we did! So, after Elder Garner and myself came home and prayed, discussed what we had heard, prayed some more, and studied this morning, we have come to the conclusion that we have to just keep doing what we've been doing with the Condons. They don't have any concerns with what we are teaching (other than our stance on being TRUE) and they keep the commitments we give them. As long as they continue to do (that's really important) what we ask of them, the Spirit will work on them and eventually they will gain a testimony. Elder Garner and I are going to have to step up to this challenge and really rely on the Spirit to help. I don't know if any of this makes any sense at all, but it has sure caused us some serious stress in the last 24 hours (our lesson with them was last night). I am hoping and praying that Jason "gets it" and that Janine "gets it as well," because they don't right now.
Okay, next with what is going on. Remember Nick? Well, we found out when he came to church on Sunday that he doesn't live in our area. Noooooo!!! We have to turn him over to the other Elders and he has to go to church in his own ward. It's kind of a bummer that we can't teach him anymore, and he definitely isn't happy about it either. Thankfully he understands the situation and he still wants to get baptized. We're going to help him transition over the next little bit too. It's a good thing we're all on the same team huh? : ) Because Nick is not going to officially be one of our investigators anymore, I will actually be the one to interview him for baptism. That will be a cool experience.
That brings me to the last part of my email. Because I am the DL, I have to interview all the investigators being taught in my district that are going to get baptized. I've been thinking about that a lot lately and it's really helped me want to do even better as a missionary. I get to be the one that these people come to to witness that they are ready to enter the waters of baptism. This morning I actually got to do just that. I interviewed a girl from the Nevada City area who is scheduled to be baptized on Saturday. It was a great experience. I really felt the Spirit and I could tell that she was ready. Hopefully everybody I interview will be ready, but if not, I have to tell them. Fun...
Well, that's about it for now. I'm out of time anyways. Mom, I don't have anything specific that I could give you for your talk on Sunday right now. Just know that everything you have taught me has helped me as a missionary! I'll try and send a letter off to you if I get a sec for something a little more in depth.
Thanks for everything everyone! Love you all!
Be mighty
Elder J. Hammer
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Staying in R&R (That's Rough and Ready)
Transfer calls came and we got the news that both Elder Garner and myself will be staying here in the Penn Valley Ward. It's looking like he's going to tie for being my companion for the longest. At the end of this transfer we will have spent 18 weeks together. Schiffman was my other companion who I was with for that long last year when I was in Cottonwood and then we both went up to Fall River. That feels like a different lifetime...weird. With both of us being together in this area for 3 transfers now it will be interesting to see what happens next transfer. Anything goes, as always, but now President could really shake things up if he wanted to.
So, here's an update on the Condons. We taught Janine the stop smoking workshop last week at one of the ward member's homes. (By the way, I have gained such a testimony of the power of fellowshipping in missionary work. Members are crucial to make things happen!!!) The lesson went really well and both Janine and her daughter-in-law, Tiffany, commited to quit. The next day, I was with one of my ZLs on exchanges and we went to stop by the Condon's to see how things were going.... Well, they weren't going so well when we got there. We happened to show up at the exact same time that Jason (the dad) was kicking his son and daughter-in-law out of the house. Janine was bawling, and everything was just kind of a mess. We just sort of stood off to the side while everything was happening, and once John and Tiffany drove off in their unregistered Honda Civic Jason came over to talk. I looked at him and told him there was no way that it was just a coincidence that we showed up at that very moment. He took us inside and we sat and listened to them vent for a while. We were able to talk about the power that comes from reading the Book of Mormon and they commited to read from it as a family that day. As we left, I looked Jason in the eye and told him I loved him and we were there for them. He grabbed me in a hug and said thanks and that I'd never know how much he appreciated what we were doing. It was pretty cool. Since that time, we have continued to make daily contact with them and even though things are still crazy, there is a lot of really good progression happening. I think the biggest miracle that has happened with them is that they came to church on Sunday!!! I almost cried when I saw them walk in through the doors of the chapel!! Since Elder Garner and I came here back at the end of January, we haven't had any investigators at church until this week when the Condons came! It was awesome! Janine is on track to get baptized on May 15th. Just as a side note: she broke down and cried when we told her on Sunday that transfers were this week. She said she hates transfers and that she really didn't want either of us to go. You should have heard how happy she was when we called yesterday to tell her the good news!! Man I love the Condons even though they drive me up a wall sometimes! These people are incredible and they need the Gospel so badly.
Kadin, sorry to hear about the busted fingers. As far as I can tell, you are officially the first Hammer kid to break any bones. (Correct me if I'm wrong, Mom) Congratulations!! : ) I hope it gets feeling better soon for ya. I'm sure it hurts. Sorry man!
Time is running out and I need to send Devin a quick email. Thanks for everything ya'll do! Love ya!
Be MIGHTY!
Elder J. Hammertime
So, here's an update on the Condons. We taught Janine the stop smoking workshop last week at one of the ward member's homes. (By the way, I have gained such a testimony of the power of fellowshipping in missionary work. Members are crucial to make things happen!!!) The lesson went really well and both Janine and her daughter-in-law, Tiffany, commited to quit. The next day, I was with one of my ZLs on exchanges and we went to stop by the Condon's to see how things were going.... Well, they weren't going so well when we got there. We happened to show up at the exact same time that Jason (the dad) was kicking his son and daughter-in-law out of the house. Janine was bawling, and everything was just kind of a mess. We just sort of stood off to the side while everything was happening, and once John and Tiffany drove off in their unregistered Honda Civic Jason came over to talk. I looked at him and told him there was no way that it was just a coincidence that we showed up at that very moment. He took us inside and we sat and listened to them vent for a while. We were able to talk about the power that comes from reading the Book of Mormon and they commited to read from it as a family that day. As we left, I looked Jason in the eye and told him I loved him and we were there for them. He grabbed me in a hug and said thanks and that I'd never know how much he appreciated what we were doing. It was pretty cool. Since that time, we have continued to make daily contact with them and even though things are still crazy, there is a lot of really good progression happening. I think the biggest miracle that has happened with them is that they came to church on Sunday!!! I almost cried when I saw them walk in through the doors of the chapel!! Since Elder Garner and I came here back at the end of January, we haven't had any investigators at church until this week when the Condons came! It was awesome! Janine is on track to get baptized on May 15th. Just as a side note: she broke down and cried when we told her on Sunday that transfers were this week. She said she hates transfers and that she really didn't want either of us to go. You should have heard how happy she was when we called yesterday to tell her the good news!! Man I love the Condons even though they drive me up a wall sometimes! These people are incredible and they need the Gospel so badly.
Kadin, sorry to hear about the busted fingers. As far as I can tell, you are officially the first Hammer kid to break any bones. (Correct me if I'm wrong, Mom) Congratulations!! : ) I hope it gets feeling better soon for ya. I'm sure it hurts. Sorry man!
Time is running out and I need to send Devin a quick email. Thanks for everything ya'll do! Love ya!
Be MIGHTY!
Elder J. Hammertime
Woohoo!! One More Week!
Alrighty then, as you can tell from my subject line, I am getting pretty dang excited to get out there. I am still a little bit nervous about the whole speaking a different language thing, but it's all good. I do get to call from the airport, so that's cool. I don't know exactly what time I will be calling, but I have to be to the travel office at 6 am, and our plane doesn't leave until 10 so anytime between then I will be calling. I don't remember if I told you already or not, but we got our flight plans last week and I am flying alone! oh yeah. I get the whole plane to myself to share the Gospel with everyone. And that also means that I will have about 6 -7 total hours out of the next two years that I don't have a companion. I can't decide if that's good or bad. haha.
Well, about the last week - before I forget, I need about $130 sent to me in cash because I don't have anymore and I couldn't get any from the ATM. Before friday would be great cause I need to do dry cleaning, but I don't have any money because they don't accept debit cards. Alright. Well, this last week has been pretty darn good. Just like all the other weeks here. This last sunday, for our fireside, the BYU men's chorus came and did a concert for us. It was so good! It was especially nice to just be able to sit and listen to music. haha. The language is coming along pretty great. I am excited to get to Boston and see how much I really know, rather than how much I think I know. haha. In the TRC this last saturday, we taught a college student the first lesson. She was supposed to be roleplaying like a new member, but, as typical with all the volunteers in the TRC, they never follow the situation, so she was answering all of our questions normally. I decided that was a really good thing, because it felt like a real lesson. I realized that since she was answering as herself, we could probably help her testimony and faith grow for real, rather than just role play it. It was really cool. plus, when we started, she volunteered to say the prayer, and it was the FASTEST prayer I have ever heard. I thought our teachers prayed fast, but hers was ridiculous. I am hoping that's not how they talk when they are talking to each other, because if it is, I am in trouble. haha. It was sweet though.
haha. Kadin- that is too funny. Sorry little bro, but as one who went through pain and misery, I know how you feel. The first few weeks here were a bit hard trying to write with my retarded finger. It's so annoying even still, because, even though it is healed up, I have to use lotion so it stays hydrated and doesn't crack open again, and I hate lotion. it makes my hands feel all greasy. ugh. But anyway that's pretty funny - now you can say that you beat me to it in breaking a bone. haha. Sorry for laughing but it is funny.
When mom said that Dad and Kurtis enjoyed the hike to Angel's Landing, is that the one in Zion's that is really tall and you have to use chains and stuff to get up there? If it is, then sweet. that's cool. But I'm not jealous because I'm on a mission. haha. Just like when Dave and Nate try to make me feel jealous that they went to the Muse concert last monday, and then I say that I'm on my mission, and then they can't argue with that. haha. Just kidding. I know Nate reads these so haha for him. Well, I need to email Justin still so I am going to stop writing now. I will get to email once more before I go to Boston, so be looking forward to that. haha. Alright. Love you! have a good week.
Elder Hammer II
Well, about the last week - before I forget, I need about $130 sent to me in cash because I don't have anymore and I couldn't get any from the ATM. Before friday would be great cause I need to do dry cleaning, but I don't have any money because they don't accept debit cards. Alright. Well, this last week has been pretty darn good. Just like all the other weeks here. This last sunday, for our fireside, the BYU men's chorus came and did a concert for us. It was so good! It was especially nice to just be able to sit and listen to music. haha. The language is coming along pretty great. I am excited to get to Boston and see how much I really know, rather than how much I think I know. haha. In the TRC this last saturday, we taught a college student the first lesson. She was supposed to be roleplaying like a new member, but, as typical with all the volunteers in the TRC, they never follow the situation, so she was answering all of our questions normally. I decided that was a really good thing, because it felt like a real lesson. I realized that since she was answering as herself, we could probably help her testimony and faith grow for real, rather than just role play it. It was really cool. plus, when we started, she volunteered to say the prayer, and it was the FASTEST prayer I have ever heard. I thought our teachers prayed fast, but hers was ridiculous. I am hoping that's not how they talk when they are talking to each other, because if it is, I am in trouble. haha. It was sweet though.
haha. Kadin- that is too funny. Sorry little bro, but as one who went through pain and misery, I know how you feel. The first few weeks here were a bit hard trying to write with my retarded finger. It's so annoying even still, because, even though it is healed up, I have to use lotion so it stays hydrated and doesn't crack open again, and I hate lotion. it makes my hands feel all greasy. ugh. But anyway that's pretty funny - now you can say that you beat me to it in breaking a bone. haha. Sorry for laughing but it is funny.
When mom said that Dad and Kurtis enjoyed the hike to Angel's Landing, is that the one in Zion's that is really tall and you have to use chains and stuff to get up there? If it is, then sweet. that's cool. But I'm not jealous because I'm on a mission. haha. Just like when Dave and Nate try to make me feel jealous that they went to the Muse concert last monday, and then I say that I'm on my mission, and then they can't argue with that. haha. Just kidding. I know Nate reads these so haha for him. Well, I need to email Justin still so I am going to stop writing now. I will get to email once more before I go to Boston, so be looking forward to that. haha. Alright. Love you! have a good week.
Elder Hammer II
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Justin's Pics Finally Posted
I'm a little later getting these posted than I planned on, but other things came up that were more important. Enjoy them!
Justin is training Elder Garner pictured here with the Mission President and his wife.
The rest of the captions are Justin's.
Elder Justin Garner
It's too bad his face is messed up like this, huh? I feel sorry for the guy...just kidding!
One of the neighbors.
Those aren't rocks on our walkway...
Stinky buggers.
2 things: Number one, sweet shirt, eh? Number two, yes that is fat free milk.
Mine's cooler ;)
Aaaah!
Dang! I'm good lookin' :)
Justin is training Elder Garner pictured here with the Mission President and his wife.
The rest of the captions are Justin's.
Elder Justin Garner
It's too bad his face is messed up like this, huh? I feel sorry for the guy...just kidding!
One of the neighbors.
Those aren't rocks on our walkway...
Stinky buggers.
2 things: Number one, sweet shirt, eh? Number two, yes that is fat free milk.
Mine's cooler ;)
Aaaah!
Dang! I'm good lookin' :)
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Did You See Elder Monson in the Choir?
Conference is the best ever! Priesthood session was totally incredible. Pres. Monson even said it was one of the finest he had ever attended. Dang! E. Garner and myself both agreed that before our missions conference seemed to drag on forever, but now it goes by too fast. I'm always a little sad when they say the part about "this conference will be adjourned for 6 months." I wish we could always have conference, but I guess that's why we have the Ensign, LDS.org, and all the other tools the church has made available so we can review the words we hear in conference. I think that my favorite part about conference was definitely the music (any surprise there? : ). I was way stoked to hear the choir from Orem sing, and as I was intently scanning their faces for people I recognized I see E. Monson up there! Holy Cow! There's my trainer standing in the conference center singing and being the typical stud that he is! It seemed like I could almost hear all the missionaries in my mission who know him say at the same time, "There's Elder Monson!" That was pretty cool.
So, I've got some good news. We have a baptism date!! Last week E. Garner and I went on exhanges with the Elder's Quorum Pres. and his dad. Elder Garner took his companion for the night to the Condon's. We had talked previously about how we wanted to commit the mom, Janine, to being baptized because the time we were there before she had said that she had finally decided that being a member was what she wanted to do. I don't know if I've told you or not, but the Condon family is a little crazy. The dad is a less acive member who quit coming to church two weeks after he was baptized a year or so ago; his wife Janine is plain crazy and very difficult to work with; their oldest son, John, and his wife, Tiffany, are always making out or being all over each other; their daughter, Rachelle, has a cat and a baby boa constrictor that she lets crawl on her face and in her mouth (yes I said in her mouth); and the youngest daughter, Deseree (sounds like deseray), is only 4...'nuff said. Basically the place is a madhouse. Oh, and they live in an apartment designed for 3 maybe 4 people so imagine what it's like when they are all there with the two missionaries and sometimes another ward member. Yeah it's a party. Anyways, Elder Garner went there with Bro. Chittock and had a typical visit. However, they also had the opportunity to give Janine a blessing and help bring the Spirit into the home. Elder Garner gave Janine the commitment and she said yes. It's amazing what the Spirit will do to somebody, huh? Tonight we will be meeting again (not in the Condon's home thankfully) to teach them the Stop Smoking Workshop. Pray that it goes well! .............hmmm.....our phone just rang and it's Jason Condon........I'll let him leave a message.....he better not be backing out.....
Okay, time is running out so I need to be wrapping it up. Here's some random info for you:
I will be needing another copy of the GC Ensign
I live approximately 10 minutes from the marijuana capitol of the US
Another goat got eaten last night...probably by a mtn. lion
Transfers are next Tuesday. I don't know if I'll have time to email if I get shipped out. Send mail until further notice to the mission address 8583 Watt Avenue
Antelope, CA 95843
Some dude in the library is about to get kicked out for being a jerk...now he's gone
They ain't jokin' when they say Cali is the land of fruits and nuts
Alright, have an awesome week! Love you all!
Be mighty,
Elder Hammer
So, I've got some good news. We have a baptism date!! Last week E. Garner and I went on exhanges with the Elder's Quorum Pres. and his dad. Elder Garner took his companion for the night to the Condon's. We had talked previously about how we wanted to commit the mom, Janine, to being baptized because the time we were there before she had said that she had finally decided that being a member was what she wanted to do. I don't know if I've told you or not, but the Condon family is a little crazy. The dad is a less acive member who quit coming to church two weeks after he was baptized a year or so ago; his wife Janine is plain crazy and very difficult to work with; their oldest son, John, and his wife, Tiffany, are always making out or being all over each other; their daughter, Rachelle, has a cat and a baby boa constrictor that she lets crawl on her face and in her mouth (yes I said in her mouth); and the youngest daughter, Deseree (sounds like deseray), is only 4...'nuff said. Basically the place is a madhouse. Oh, and they live in an apartment designed for 3 maybe 4 people so imagine what it's like when they are all there with the two missionaries and sometimes another ward member. Yeah it's a party. Anyways, Elder Garner went there with Bro. Chittock and had a typical visit. However, they also had the opportunity to give Janine a blessing and help bring the Spirit into the home. Elder Garner gave Janine the commitment and she said yes. It's amazing what the Spirit will do to somebody, huh? Tonight we will be meeting again (not in the Condon's home thankfully) to teach them the Stop Smoking Workshop. Pray that it goes well! .............hmmm.....our phone just rang and it's Jason Condon........I'll let him leave a message.....he better not be backing out.....
Okay, time is running out so I need to be wrapping it up. Here's some random info for you:
I will be needing another copy of the GC Ensign
I live approximately 10 minutes from the marijuana capitol of the US
Another goat got eaten last night...probably by a mtn. lion
Transfers are next Tuesday. I don't know if I'll have time to email if I get shipped out. Send mail until further notice to the mission address 8583 Watt Avenue
Antelope, CA 95843
Some dude in the library is about to get kicked out for being a jerk...now he's gone
They ain't jokin' when they say Cali is the land of fruits and nuts
Alright, have an awesome week! Love you all!
Be mighty,
Elder Hammer
Only 2 Weeks Left!
Hi! first off, I must say that conference was about the best thing ever. I took like 20 pages of notes! haha It was so good though. I loved when Pres. Monson got up and just talked about his wife on saturday- that was so funny! And besides having all of the talks be my favorite, I really really really liked Elder Hales' talk. It was so good and I got so much out of it on how I can become a better leader. I also really enjoyed Elder Anderson's. Actually, I really enjoyed all of them. And especially the music. Holy cow the music was so good. The choir from the orem institute was amazing. When they sang Nearer my God to Thee, I wished they would just keep singing forever. Plus I saw 3 people I know. Pretty cool. Oh yeah, and something else that I thought was awesome is how they don't plan their talks so noone knows what each other is going to speak about, and how Sunday morning, every talk was about Jesus. It was so awesome. I loved conference so much. And mom, I don't know if you will need to send me an ensign or not, but I will let you know when I get to Boston in 2 WEEKS!
Also, something that I decided yesterday while reading the Book of Mormon- Alma the Younger was a really cool guy. Just thought I'd let you know
Speaking of really cool guys, our teachers here are so amazing. I don't think anyone has gotten me as excited about missionary work as Bro. Olson. Between his lesson the other night when he said that he baptized hundreds of people through referrals, which is awesome, and lastnight when he talked about when we get off the plane in 2 years and look back and think, "That was awesome". He is such an amazing teacher.
As for the language, it is still coming along quite good. As of yesterday, we are now only allowed to write in Cambodian script. It takes forever, and we spell almost every word wrong, but it is really helping us learn how to not only write, but read better. We did our weekly planning yesterday and it usually takes about 2 hours. yesterday, since we could only write in script, it took about 5 and a half hours. haha. although, my daily planner does look pretty awesome with no english. haha. Plus, everyone in the district has agreed that I have the best Cambodian handwriting, so that makes me happy too. Maybe I will actually get around to writing you a letter with some script on it some time before I come home. haha.
I also got another letter from a different Elder that is in the Khmae program in Boston. He sent a picture with all 5 of the Elders out there right now. They all look like pretty cool guys. I am excited to get out there and meet them. In his letter, he told me to make sure I am spending every minute in the MTC improving on something, so I am not just wasting my time. Pretty good advice. It was pretty cool to hear from him. I don't remember if I told you this or not, but all of the Elders out there right now have been out for over a year already, so hopefully that will help me to learn the language faster when I get there. It's gonna be sweet!
Now, about Dave Faires. I had a feeling that is who it was in the picture last week, but I honestly couldn't tell for sure. That is awesome that he has done that on his own. 160 pounds is a lot to lose. And it gives me hope that I can lose the 7 pounds I've put on here too. haha. 185 is where I sit right now, and hopefully it doesn't get any higher than that. haha.
So I heard lastnight that there was an earthquake in California/Mexico. What's up with that? It brings to mind the scripture in the Doctrine and Covenants that says that the earth will return to how it was before it was separated. hmm. pretty cool. Signs from the scriptures. But yeah, any other earthquakes I haven't heard about. I know if the Haiti one, the 3 or 4 in Chile, and that one in Cali. That is pretty crazy.
Well, I better send Justin an email before my time is up. This time next week, I will only have 1 week left! holy cow! Alright well, if I could write script on this computer, I'd do it but I can't, so goodbye in english has to do. Love you!
--Elder D. Hammer
Also, something that I decided yesterday while reading the Book of Mormon- Alma the Younger was a really cool guy. Just thought I'd let you know
Speaking of really cool guys, our teachers here are so amazing. I don't think anyone has gotten me as excited about missionary work as Bro. Olson. Between his lesson the other night when he said that he baptized hundreds of people through referrals, which is awesome, and lastnight when he talked about when we get off the plane in 2 years and look back and think, "That was awesome". He is such an amazing teacher.
As for the language, it is still coming along quite good. As of yesterday, we are now only allowed to write in Cambodian script. It takes forever, and we spell almost every word wrong, but it is really helping us learn how to not only write, but read better. We did our weekly planning yesterday and it usually takes about 2 hours. yesterday, since we could only write in script, it took about 5 and a half hours. haha. although, my daily planner does look pretty awesome with no english. haha. Plus, everyone in the district has agreed that I have the best Cambodian handwriting, so that makes me happy too. Maybe I will actually get around to writing you a letter with some script on it some time before I come home. haha.
I also got another letter from a different Elder that is in the Khmae program in Boston. He sent a picture with all 5 of the Elders out there right now. They all look like pretty cool guys. I am excited to get out there and meet them. In his letter, he told me to make sure I am spending every minute in the MTC improving on something, so I am not just wasting my time. Pretty good advice. It was pretty cool to hear from him. I don't remember if I told you this or not, but all of the Elders out there right now have been out for over a year already, so hopefully that will help me to learn the language faster when I get there. It's gonna be sweet!
Now, about Dave Faires. I had a feeling that is who it was in the picture last week, but I honestly couldn't tell for sure. That is awesome that he has done that on his own. 160 pounds is a lot to lose. And it gives me hope that I can lose the 7 pounds I've put on here too. haha. 185 is where I sit right now, and hopefully it doesn't get any higher than that. haha.
So I heard lastnight that there was an earthquake in California/Mexico. What's up with that? It brings to mind the scripture in the Doctrine and Covenants that says that the earth will return to how it was before it was separated. hmm. pretty cool. Signs from the scriptures. But yeah, any other earthquakes I haven't heard about. I know if the Haiti one, the 3 or 4 in Chile, and that one in Cali. That is pretty crazy.
Well, I better send Justin an email before my time is up. This time next week, I will only have 1 week left! holy cow! Alright well, if I could write script on this computer, I'd do it but I can't, so goodbye in english has to do. Love you!
--Elder D. Hammer
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Pictures
For those who might have wondered...here are the before and after pictures I sent Justin and Devin of their Little Big Band director. What an inspiration!!
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