Long Time No See!

This is Elder Rollins and Elder Browns at the Bishops house where they spent Christmas morning. 

Howdy howdy howdy!
This is Elder Rollins giving you this half week update! On the night of Christmas my true love gave to me, a lot of people who were grumpy!

Yes indeed folks! In preparation for the next year, knocking on people's doors during Christmas is not wise, but if you bring a little gift (I.e a little Christ ornament) you will find that they are much more receptive! But it's all about work, work, work! The best way to bring Christmas Cheer is crying repentance for all to hear! 

Well after that there is a 100% chance of another day of work, and then another, both days nothing significant happened, we did find out about our amazing friend Elder Viavela.  His dad was not a member and Elder V was too scared to share his testimony in person with his dad before he left home so he left a message on his moms phone sharing his testimony. Since arriving here he tried to talk to his dad through Facebook and email but he didn't get a response, then one day he got an email informing him his dad had just been baptized!  Elder Viavela wrote his dad and found out that his dad had seen his testimony and it had affected him so much that he decided to join the Church. That is the good part of the story. Then he just found out that his dad suddenly passed away on the 27th!  So sad, but his dad had just been baptized,  Now two days after they were able to talk at Christmas about his conversion and testimony he passed away. God is a merciful father, never underestimate the power of faith and prayer and testimony. I asked Josh for more details and he said that his father was in his late 40's and just fell asleep and never woke up.  They don't know yet what caused his death. 

Well Sunday, we went to church and the numbers are way down because of the holidays, so I'll let you know how many people are in the ward as soon as I know. After Church we talked to a drunk young man named Nick. All Nick wants in life right now was to die. He kept saying that that was all he had left.  We found out his family came from Arizona and that he is homeless.  He is 25. We are going to try to set up a lesson, because he needs it, and he knows he needs it. So we will be doing that this week!

Well that's about it! It was fun to talk to you all! I'm doing wonderful and couldn't be happier! I'm super excited for the parade! People are already starting to save their spots, and they don't want to give them up, nothing like a captive audience. Hehe

Love you family,

Elder Rollins

Did you meet any other investigators from the new area yet?  Some, there is the Madrid family. 

How many of you missionaries will be at the parade? There will probably only be 10, those in the Pasadena area.

We have heard the phone call home can be difficult and cause homesickness.  Did the phone call traumatize you too much? Nope! It was great!

We received the above picture and a text from Bishop Hansen.  The text said  "Had a wonderful Christmas lunch with your son.  He has a tremendous spirit, a humble disposition and a large appetite!  Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas Elder!

 We were able to Skype with Josh on Christmas day!  It was the best part of the day!  We learned a few things about his mission and heard some funny stories, inspired words and mainly just enjoyed conversing with him!  We found out that the members do the laundry for the missionaries!  What is up with that?  Why would they do that?   We heard about his new area which is very wealthy and flat compared to his poor and hilly last area.  He is excited to be there and he told us that he gets to go to the Rose Parade on Thursday.  What a fun thing!  We talked and laughed and cried (only a few of us).  What a great blessing technology is!  It was wonderful to see him looking so happy and healthy and excited about serving a mission.  A true blessing for his mom and dad.

Christ mas

Well well well, here we are. Oh holidays.

So Pasadena is awesome, and people are really rich! So it is quite a change! People speak English. Very weird. Well this week it was great to get out and work, but it's getting hard because people just want to be with their families, but among all the biking and stuff I have had time to think! 

Here is Josh's Christmas tree that I sent.  He decorated it himself!

Which led me to Christ mas, or Christ more. This season should be a time of bringing Christ more into our lives, not just the one time a year we let him in. Because Christ should be there 100% of the year and this season should be a time to let him in even more! There is my two cents.

This week I've mostly been getting used to the area, but I do have one story. We were sitting on the bus and some guy got on, now before I continue you have to understand Elder Brown cannot keep a straight face if his life depended on it. Anyway, so this guy gets on and he walks to the back and he's sitting there, then he grabs a bar and starts doing pull ups, but his earbuds are in and the music is so loud he doesn't realize he is making weird noises. Then his jam came on and he was dancing, and he could not dance. So we had a good laugh about that. Elder Brown almost got caught laughing at him a couple times.

This is the new pad and the new comp (extremely blurry)

We had the mission Christmas party which was alright. Also we got to go to this place called "Friends and Deed" where they gather donations and give them to the homeless. We go every Wednesday (except for the next two weeks). That will be fun but I had to kind of yell at them this week because they were trying to push through the door to get food. 

We taught a guy named Kai and he is cool, he said he knew the church was true but wouldn't commit to be baptized, so I just figured we could push him into the font while we take him on a tour. But apparently that isn't allowed. Darn. 

Well I look forward to Christmas, and no mom I didn't open it. So I guess I didn't need to write this week, I'll talk to you on Christmas!

Elder Rollins

How is life with the new comp?  We get along!


How is your new ward and your new area? The ward and area are both awesome!


Did you work so hard this week?  Yes I'm exhausted.

Who do we need to pray for?Everybody

When did you feel the spirit this week?24/7 cause constant companion

Tell us about the other 2 Elder's you live with? One is 6'4" the other is 6'6" they are both strange, but that's ok,

the taller one is being trained so he thinks we are all crazy.


How long has your comp been out?15 months

Transferred!

Knee how,
Yes I got transferred to Pasadena, I don't know anything about it other than the name but I promise I'll let you know, Elder Brown is the new comp from Utah, I'm in a humongous pad with two other missionaries, it's a little weird, and I'm super tired from packing, but all is well! And Christmas is coming, and it's weird, anyway, this week I kind of knew I was getting transferred so it was hard to stay focused but we managed to talk to heather a little and she is doing ok, family struggles and such, but I don't know anymore, it is super weird being a new area. Now I have to go unpack so I will update you more asap! Sorry.

Elder Rollins

FREEDOM!!!!

To kind of quote Dobby from Harry Potter "Master has presented elder with a healthy companion, elder is freeeee!"

My seemingly eternal isolation has ended, we finally got out to work, as you can see by the post Heather put up, we got out a lot more! It was fantamazing! Oh it was so nice to get out, I guess it was wearing on me! Who knew?

Anyway, since we were practically starting from nothing, this week was slow, we talked only to Heather really, but we did go on exchanges, and Elder Bailey, who came here to Alhambra with me, had to have a soda from 7-11, we went and he was taking for ev er to decide, naturally I was making fun of him. It had to be done, gotta keep those leaders humble ya know? Anyway, we were at 7-11 and I was getting frustrated because I did want to get out and do as much as we could, but he just kept changing his mind about what to get.  

Then a feeling of peace came over me and I waited patiently by the door and was staring at this awesome truck, pretty much made for a zombie apocalypse, this guy walked out and he walked towards it as we were grabbing our bikes, "nice truck" I said and he turned and said she's my midlife crisis! And I said "worth it" we then proceeded to talk for two hours    He is a vet from Afghanistan who now works as a cop specifically to handle gangs, he said he sees us in the ghetto areas and asks us why we do it.  We proceeded to teach him almost everything and had an awesome discussion.  He, unfortunately,doesn't live in the mission, but it's all the same work!   

I think I convinced him to move to Utah, mostly because I want a ride in his truck, but Heavenly Father knew that and put him in our path! So that was a great miracle and the spirit touched him! So if you have somebody move in next to you, named Ken, please get him baptized. 

It's really warm here, this is not winter, and at night it gets down to maybe October weather.  I hope it snows for your Christmas there at least since I've heard it is so warm there also. Anyway, I'm thinking I am going to get transferred, but I'm not sure, we will see next week! 

Have a merry Christmas and I would challenge you to please make sure that we don't focus on the commercial part of Christmas, that part is always to stressful and causes too much contention, I tell people here Merry Christmas and they say no one ever says that to them anymore, it makes me sad. So don't let packages, boxes or bags, replace the True Gift!

Alhambra Ward Building

Love you all! Return with Honor, MERRRY CHHRRISSTMASSS!!!!

Elder Rollins

So did you get out more this week? Yes

How is Elder Leavitt feeling? Great

He is quiet compared to you isn't he? Ya

Did you feel the spirit this week? When? When we talked to Ken!

Did you get to see Heather?  I was thinking I need to start praying for her to get a job.  Yes, she's struggling, that'd be awesome.

What are you doing for your P-day today?   tri-zone activity

Did you get the CTR ring to you friend?  Did he like it? Yes, he said "wa, shi shi" wow thanks! I said "bu kuh she" you're welcome! And he said he would give you a hug if he saw you.   So yep.

Eventful Week

Seeing Josh!  

Before you read Josh's letter I should tell you what happened this week.  Andrew's wife Jenn's family is from California right near Josh's mission.  In fact I think Jenn's aunt lives in his mission.  So they went down to CA for Thanksgiving and took several packages and even some Christmas gifts down to give to Josh.  They met Elder Rollins and Elder Leavitt at a mall near their home and took them out for a nice "American" lunch.  

Waiting for lunch.With Jenn and Andrew's girls.

Philly cheese steak sandwich!  Gross eater.

I really should have Jenn write up a report cuz she and Andrew had many insights.  They said that Josh is in Little Asia.  Everyone at the mall was Asian and there were only Chinese restaurants in the mall and surrounding area.  They said Josh in true missionary fashion said hello to everyone he passes although nobody speaks English.  They said that area he is in is difficult.  In fact this is companions eighth area and  he said it is the hardest he has experienced.  The ward is small and struggling, so missionary work isn't happening.  They liked his companion and said he seemed to be feeling better.  They said that Elder Leavitt and Josh seem to be getting along well.  They said Josh is taking all the trials in stride and he laughs it all off.  

Messy room.  Some things never change!

Andrew and kids with the Elders!

After lunch they followed him back to his apartment because he couldn't carry all his packages.  Andrew and Jenn even went grocery shopping for some fresh fruit and treats for him.  He was spoiled. 

Elder Leavitt and Elder Rollins

They sent pictures that I have posted here.  Then back to Josh's letter.   

I love this one!

  
Hola!! Hope all is well! Yesterday was zone conference, the 7 hour meeting. It was good to learn and not be the one teaching. President even attempted to say my name! (Drawinz) but I'll take it however I can. That's why I didn't write yesterday so yea.

I believe that there was a young man by the name of Ding Dong who had a birthday, and the and I would like to wish a happy birthday to said Sam Rollins! You're getting too old!

Did you hear about the weather?  Yea, it rained, hard for about 15 seconds and then it just petered out. Then right before church got out, it rained hard again but for almost 5 minutes, the ward was freaking out, "How will we get home? We won't make it home!" It was very strange. They looked at me funny and everyone said goodbye like I was going to die when we walked our bikes out.  Just a little moisture. Sheesh.


Thanksgiving day we went to a senior couples place with a bunch of missionaries.  I ate turkey and mashed taters and stuffing and sweet taters. Yum!!

Thanksgiving.  Elder Hsu, Elder Asenjo, Sister Hunsaker, Elder Hunsaker, Elder Oh, Elder Leavitt, Elder Rollins, Elder Huang, Sister Chan, Sister Larsen

 My week was mostly uneventful, and the events that did happen, you already know about! So this will probably be a short update. Thank you all for the packages! I ate lots of fruit! I ate like a king this week and all the other missionaries were jealous!  I already read my books! I have to tell you, when I got the call from Jenn and said "Hello this is Elder Rollins" and she responded "This is Sister Rencher" I was racking my brains to remember a sister named Rencher. I was thinking how familiar it sounded, and then I remembered.  It was great to see them.  And weird to see family and be called Josh. 

I went on exchanges a couple of times, Leavitt is off antibiotics so his stomach doesn't bug him as much. The only story I really have right now is we went to visit a less active to see if they were still living at the address we had for her.  Her name was Peggy, and when the door opened it was a 6'3" black guy.  I was thinking "I don't think your name is Peggy" and when we asked if she was there, a voice from inside the house said "no no no no" and then they shut the door, strange. I didn't even know what to say.  

I feel bad that there isn't much to write about, at zone conference we learned about using family history to contact people, I want to try to see if it works. On the long bus ride home we met Heather! She was standing at the bus stop and we walked up and Elder Leavitt walked completely past her but Skyla (her 3 year old daughter) recognized me and stuck her tongue out at me and I recognized her and then saw Heather.  We talked about her life. She is struggling trying to find a job and doesn't know what to do.  I had to finally tell her that I was only 18 years old and didn't have any children.  She kept saying "You know how hard this is." and "You understand."  I must come across as super mature for her to think I have kids! We invited her to a ward Christmas party so hopefully the Christmas party goes really well. 

Oh yeah, I had to give a talk in sacrament meeting and the ward loved it, I don't know why, because i was pretty much begging for referrals, at least that's what it felt like.

Well that's about it... Sadly... Sorry.

Much love to you all! Church is true! I know it!  Share a Christmas message with somebody this week!

Love you all! Hope everything goes well! I'm going to start the MTCousins thing again as soon as I start being a missionary again!

Elder Rollins

P.S Oh this is kind of important. President announced yesterday that he wants us bilingual, because of the Spanish culture everywhere, he wants us to learn basic Spanish.  

Adios!

How was a your visit with Andrews's family? No homesickness? Great!  Fun.  Nope.  Still good.
How was your sports night that you planned? It was fun!  played some soccer.
How is your comp feeling? Better!
Were you able to teach this week? No not really.
When did you feel the spirit? I felt it when I was sharing my testimony during my talk.