1-28-16 (week 22)

Hello all,

It was great to hear from everybody all about the snow and I’m a little jealous.

Friday we were teaching an investigator in the morning about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and then got to the part of baptism and just right before we were going to ask him to be baptized he said, ohh yeah this faith, repentance, baptism stuff I was baptized. And we were surprised and like by who and when and he says the Mormon missionaries like 10 years ago. So he shows us pictures that he has from his baptism and we were like wow this guy this whole time was just a really old less active member he has already been baptized. Haha we have been teaching him for like 2 or 3 weeks and it wasn’t until now when we were teaching the third lesson he tells us he is already baptized and a member. So he actually isn’t an investigator. Haha whatever. Then later that night we went to a referral we had and the guy that was referred to us lives across from the Jehovah Witness church and their church looks like almost exactly like ours -like the structure -the gate -the sign it was really creepy.

Saturday was a normal day we gave a blessing to an 88 year old man in the morning and then studied and then at night we went to the branch president’s house to return his keys for watching his dog all week.

Sunday woke up and it was raining so we walked to church with our umbrellas and in the rain. Got there sat in priesthood and in gospel doctrine and then got to help prepare the sacrament and then in the meeting I got to bless the sacrament and then I gave my talk and it was great 9 minutes long and I cut it a little short I still had a whole story I could have told and it would have used like 3 minutes more but I decided to give others a chance to speak. There were only 17 people in sacrament meeting, well in church for the branch so it was a small congregation. Then we went home still raining had ham and cheese sandwiches and then went out and looked for less active people and found like one person that was interested.

Monday was divisions so I went with the other American the district leader and the other elder who lives in the house from the ward. I came with me on exchanges for the day to work in my area. We contacted and taught like 2 lessons and the whole time I just tried to humble myself and listen to his counsel because he is the district leader but also is going home in March so he has like a year and a half on me. So I listened and he had some great instruction and advice and tips. Also we just spoke English the whole time and it was a good break and he helped me because he is really good in Spanish at talking with vos and he helped me because I want to learn.

Tuesday we were in Santa Rosa and that was normal like always fun and we talked about Book of Mormon and Preach my Gospel and we did this game because one of the other games ended in a tie so we played this game where one person from each team has to just pop a balloon and then run and read something from Preach my Gospel about Christ like characteristics or attributes. Because that was the topic for this week. So the hard part was people were supposed to grab you and hold you and stop you from getting to the balloon so I go running and one elder picks me up and just like bear hugs me so I can’t get loose and then someone else came along and I wrestled like both of them and then I went for the balloon and someone grabbed it and passed it to like monkey in the middle for a second and then the second person dropped it and I dove on the floor on top of it and just landing on it by diving I popped it with my body weight and then I go sprinting for my Preach my gospel and I read one of the Christ like attributes and then I won and they were like wow you are too good of a fighter- not really but I won the game and broke the tie and won the whole thing for my team it was exciting.

Wednesday it rained like all morning so we couldn’t go out and we stayed inside and I just read like every Ensign and Liahona we have in the house and it was great I love the words of the prophets and apostles. Then we ate lunch and had weekly planning and then left for a part members house and we had a Noche Hogar or family night and talked about families and eternal families marrying forever and it was great and then we set a goal for the parents to get married in the temple and for the family to assist or to come the church this Sunday and then for their two oldest children to be baptized and they accepted to all of them we set some good goals.

Today Thursday we woke up did laundry have lunch and then here in the afternoon emailing and stuff. Did I already tell about a member of the Seventy coming in beginning of February it is going to be really cool. I think that is all for this week. Talk to you all next week hope you enjoy the snow clean up haha

Love, 

Elder Frampton

11-30-15

Dear Family,

Tuesday was a pretty normal day just tracking and finding people, looking for less actives and inactives and new people because we have no appointments right now and no lessons this day. So we just went searching for people.

Wednesday we ate lunch in the house because the member who makes us lunch was busy so we said that was alright we have stuff in the house we can make our own. Then we had district meeting. That was good I had to give the spiritual thought so I just talked about diligence and perseverance. Then the district leader showed some videos and that was it. Came back to the house afterwards and studied and then went contacting at night once again.

Thursday did nothing for Thanksgiving. Went to find where some investigators live and no one answered the door so it seemed pointless because this investigator we went to find lived far away and we went all the way out there for them to not be home or not answer the door but actually we ran into another one of our investigators on the street just in the road going for a walk with her kids and she asked if we could come over tomorrow and teach her a lesson so she has the desire and wanted to set up an appointment we didn’t have to ask to set up a day. Then later that night we were supposed to have a lesson with a family that we always teach, Thursday nights at, 7 and when I called to confirm I called the woman because she was the only number we had for this family and when a man picked up I assumed it was the husband so I said Hola Lionel (the husbands name) can I talk with your wife Valeria. And he says no this isn’t the number you were looking for. I said are you Lionel and he responds no so I said okay sorry I have the wrong number then and so I give my companion the phone he calls the same number asks is this Lionel and the man says yes and my companion asks can we come over, is 7 still good and he says could be, come we will see if we are home. So we go over there at 7 and he is leaving his house going somewhere and we are like where is going and we couldn’t catch up to him obviously but we saw him leave his house like 10 minutes to 7 so we have no clue what happened. 

Then Friday was normal but we had our one lesson with the lady we saw on the street on Thursday. So we went to her house taught her and asked her to come to church and she said she is worried her two boys will be too rowdy and disruptive during church and we say no it is okay there are other small kids and babies that are the same way. Moral of the story she didn’t come to church on Sunday.

Saturday we went to go find a referral that we got who lives far away and she was there. The lady was nice and said we could come back again sometime next week. Then we went to a less active guy’s house who is 88; that is the only reason he is less active. He talked with us told us he has been having pain in his stomach and some stomach problems, asked for a blessing and in the past I would do the anointing with the oil and say like it was consecrated for healing the sick and afflicted the stuff before the blessing. And my companion would do the actual blessing because he is better in Spanish than me. But this time Elder Riveros being new said he hadn’t ever done a blessing before so I had to do both parts and I go to do the blessing and the Spirit was just flowing through my veins saying stuff in Spanish in this blessing and I don’t even remember half of the stuff I said like my mind has been wiped and I used words I didn’t even know I knew. Then went and had lunch with a member and it was good like mash potatoes and then it was asado but had ham and cheese on top. Very delicious.

Then afterwards we were walking through the plaza back to our house and to do study and this guy calls us over sitting in the plaza and just starts saying stuff and I started to stop paying attention after a while because he was just saying stuff from the bible and saying bad stuff and said he has tried to hang himself twice by using one of the trees in the plaza/park. And said he has no family and no friends, his son came at him with a knife, he left their house has been walking around, slept in a cave a few days, has been homeless, said he hasn’t eaten something in 60 days. Said he tried to burn that house to the ground. Said he had to walk 50 kilometers on his knees. Yet I saw he had with him keys, a phone, he didn’t smell for someone he hasn’t showered in 60 days. Then he said he wanted to talk to who was in charge of us so we had to call the branch president and he started yelling at me and like are you mute or something why don’t you talk and I said because I can’t understand you your words are slurred and I don’t speak a ton of Spanish yet. He had a thick accent and talked fast and jumbled and slurred his words. It was even hard for my companion to understand. So he is like call the branch president and tells him to come here I want to talk to him. Then started yelling at me again did you hear me, are you mute, are you scared afraid or something whatever tiene miedo means. And I said no I’m not but I am scared for my branch president to come here he doesn’t need to come here. And then he started talking about the Bible again and Moses and Daniel and Plan of Salvation and we just were like we have to go and we left. Then we went into our pension and just sat there and just pondered about this loco guy in the plaza.

Sunday went to church then ate lunch with the branch president and his family then went to find another referral and found this guy named Juan who is really nice and said we can come back next week for a lesson then went to another house and talked with Monica another referral and she said we can come back next week too so it seems this week we will have 3 lessons with referral people. Then we went back to the house and studied and cooked a small dinner. This morning we went to a store called Chango Mas which was like the size of a Walmart but the layout or style of a Costco so just a really big super market store. That is it for the week other than this week I started and took up the habit of jumping rope every morning for exercise and in just this past week I have become really good. And also I do push ups everyday also. 

Other than that sounds like you guys had a good Thanksgiving tell everyone I say Hello and Hi. Talk to you next week hopefully have a less crazy week too.

Love,

Elder Frampton