IT RAINED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN LIKE 6 months. It's about the 4th time I have seen a solid rain in the last 10 months!
This has been a lot of fun. It is the last week of the transfer, or six week period. I am going to be staying in the Long Beach 4th ward, but will be having a third companion! His name is Elder Guerra. He left at the end of last transfer or six weeks ago from the ward I am in now. And now is returning.
This week has been a crazy one! We lost contact with a lot of our investigators... one overdosed and is now in a halfway house... another moved because of financial reasons, luckily in the boundaries of our ward :) so we can still teach him... another moved or is moving because of family problems...and one dropped us.
Still lots of sun in California. It is starting to cool off a little more but sill in the 80's! and its September! OH and I JUST REACHED 10 months 2 days ago! Crazy I have been in California for almost a year! I look back and see how much I have grown.
I was talking to a Husband and wife Senior stake missionary couple, Brother and Sister Tautua'a. They are in the Samoan ward which is a ward where they speak Samoan! While talking to them it made me want to go to that ward. The missionaries that serve there have the opportunity to study Samoan and speak it even though they are technically called as English speaking. They told me that they would like to see me come to their ward. I almost wanted it to be true! I have had a lot of thoughts and desires to want to work at the MTC (missionary training center - where missionaries go before entering the "mission field") when I get back as well as going into languages when I go to college. Then I had this cool thought that if I were to go to the Samoan ward and learn Samoan well enough, I could have the opportunity to work in the MTC and teach Samoan (or Tongan if I go to that ward.) Though this is just a cool idea to learn the language it would be a difficult time to study a language!
The fun part about this ward is that we are also the MSA ward (mid single adult) those between the age of 31-45). Pretty much its just a giant less active list. The Long Beach 4th ward is counted as both family and MSA. Though only about 4 actually come to this ward. Our job is to find those who are not married and see if they want to come to this ward. No matter active or in-active. Though we mainly are working with the less active then active. So there is always a lot of work to do. The MSA ward covers the whole stake. So like 5 wards or more.
I really am beginning to see how small my mission is compared to others, although we have almost 2 million people within 20 square miles so that's a lot of people to talk to!
My days have been filled with so much learning. Something that came to mind this week is that "to do you must know". Meaning you have to have a knowledge of something before you do it. You don't have to have a perfect knowledge, but you need to learn it. You need to work hard, act, and become! Only through acting can you apply and have a perfect knowledge of what you want to become!
Also, to do things always have a purpose! When you know what you are looking for the Lord will bless you with great strength and abilities to find it. You will have success in your life!
Love you all!
ELDER VAN KAMMEN
Ps. don't be afraid to write me :)
or email me.
6500 E. Atherton St.
Long Beach California 90815
This has been a lot of fun. It is the last week of the transfer, or six week period. I am going to be staying in the Long Beach 4th ward, but will be having a third companion! His name is Elder Guerra. He left at the end of last transfer or six weeks ago from the ward I am in now. And now is returning.
This week has been a crazy one! We lost contact with a lot of our investigators... one overdosed and is now in a halfway house... another moved because of financial reasons, luckily in the boundaries of our ward :) so we can still teach him... another moved or is moving because of family problems...and one dropped us.
Still lots of sun in California. It is starting to cool off a little more but sill in the 80's! and its September! OH and I JUST REACHED 10 months 2 days ago! Crazy I have been in California for almost a year! I look back and see how much I have grown.
I was talking to a Husband and wife Senior stake missionary couple, Brother and Sister Tautua'a. They are in the Samoan ward which is a ward where they speak Samoan! While talking to them it made me want to go to that ward. The missionaries that serve there have the opportunity to study Samoan and speak it even though they are technically called as English speaking. They told me that they would like to see me come to their ward. I almost wanted it to be true! I have had a lot of thoughts and desires to want to work at the MTC (missionary training center - where missionaries go before entering the "mission field") when I get back as well as going into languages when I go to college. Then I had this cool thought that if I were to go to the Samoan ward and learn Samoan well enough, I could have the opportunity to work in the MTC and teach Samoan (or Tongan if I go to that ward.) Though this is just a cool idea to learn the language it would be a difficult time to study a language!
The fun part about this ward is that we are also the MSA ward (mid single adult) those between the age of 31-45). Pretty much its just a giant less active list. The Long Beach 4th ward is counted as both family and MSA. Though only about 4 actually come to this ward. Our job is to find those who are not married and see if they want to come to this ward. No matter active or in-active. Though we mainly are working with the less active then active. So there is always a lot of work to do. The MSA ward covers the whole stake. So like 5 wards or more.
I really am beginning to see how small my mission is compared to others, although we have almost 2 million people within 20 square miles so that's a lot of people to talk to!
My days have been filled with so much learning. Something that came to mind this week is that "to do you must know". Meaning you have to have a knowledge of something before you do it. You don't have to have a perfect knowledge, but you need to learn it. You need to work hard, act, and become! Only through acting can you apply and have a perfect knowledge of what you want to become!
Also, to do things always have a purpose! When you know what you are looking for the Lord will bless you with great strength and abilities to find it. You will have success in your life!
Love you all!
ELDER VAN KAMMEN
Ps. don't be afraid to write me :)
or email me.
6500 E. Atherton St.
Long Beach California 90815