Hey! (Memorial Day)

Hey everyone,

I don't have that much time because all the missionaries that usually email at libraries have to come here so there are like 20 people waiting. This week was really good. We had zone conference in Huntington Beach and I got to baptize the man that I taught whose name is William. I think I've talked a little bit about him. He's really awesome. 

Zone conference was probably the last time that President Bubert will speak to us before he leaves. I think he leaves in a little over a month. He has been a really good mission president and I hope President Tew will be just as good or better. He has a pretty stressful "job" not that he's paid. 

I've been thinking about what an experience I'm having and how I'm learning and growing so much. I'm grateful for not only the knowledge I'm gaining about Christ through reading the scriptures and teaching but also the work ethic I'm building. I've never worked this much in my life. I've never had anyone tell me I'm going to hell or yell at me before my mission and I know I'm growing a lot. This world needs more people who are willing to stand up for values and work hard and I hope I can be one of those people. I'm so glad to be a part of people's lives here and forget about myself. I'm so much happier because I care so much less about myself than I did when I left. Who knew that to be happy you just have to not think about yourself? So stop thinking about yourself and be happy haha that's my advice for this week. Besides, when we help people is when we feel God's love the most.

I hope you all have a great week!

Love 

Silas

 

 

Photos from Facebook friend that feeds Silas (thanks, April!)

Trio!

Good Morning (for me)

 

Last Tuesday President Bubert called and asked me to be the senior companion of two missionaries because another missionary wanted to go home. So now I have two companions! Elder Hermansen and Elder Heise. Elder Heise is from Augusta Georgia and we're having a good time. It's been kind of funny to have the three of us walking around. We get to use the car they had so I'm pretty happy about that. We have two wards and two areas to work in so we trying to split it all evenly. Elder Heise has been on his mission for 7 months and Elder Hermansen says 6 but it's really 5 haha. It feels weird that I have been out longer than them and have more experience.

 

Elder Heise's companion was sneaking out at night to be alone and they went to the movies and didn't really do much work for the past few weeks so he's getting back into the rhythm of the work. My computer says I have 3 minutes left so I'm going to send this now.

 

Hopefully talk to you more!

 

Silas

 

Sorry I'm at a library and I wasn't sure if I could sign back on. Anyways my week was pretty much all about trying to figure out how we are going to work in two areas and that's kind of boring. I did go to a "gator wrestling" birthday dinner party yesterday for a three year old boy in Elder Heise's ward. It was fun. I guess there's a TV show where these people go and catch alligators and he really likes it.

 

For some reason I can't see the pictures I'm attaching so I hope they are the ones I wanted. It works either way I guess.

 

This morning I studied John 8 which is the story of Jesus and the woman at the well. Christ asks her for a drink of water from the well as the woman is pulling from the well. Being Samaritan, she asks why He, a jew, would ask her, a samaritan, for water. I like the story because Christ offers living water.

 

Have a great week!

 

Silas

 

 

Mother's Day

Happy day after Mother's Day!

It was great to talk last night! Noah's voice was deceptively deep and Ella sounds like she talks a lot now. I couldn't really hear her but she was making everyone laugh ha. This week was a little slow because Elder Hermansen was feeling sick the past day or two and we had a lot of meetings. Our area does have a lot of work to do though so I'm happy about that! There are Spanish speaking missionaries that work in our area too so they find some people who only speak English who are interested. We have a few appointments with people that they have talked to.

I'm sending pictures of last week! We had some pretty good sunsets and I promised a picture from the temple. This email will be short since a picture is worth a thousand words, right? And I'm kind of blanking on what really happened this week. William, a guy I taught that other missionaries teach called me and asked me to baptize him on the 26th so if everything works out I might do that soon! I feel pretty blessed that he would ask me to be the one to do it. 

I hope everyone has a great week! 

Love 

Silas 

Hey!

Hey,

Sorry I wasn't on yesterday! This week was the week that our zone went to the temple. I did take pictures but I didn't bring my backpack this morning and we came straight to email after we got back. I got up at 4:30 this morning and I'll be up until 10:30 tonight. The temple was really great. It always is but this time the power was out so they were running on emergency power. I'll post pictures of Elder Hermansen and I next week sorry.

This week was a pretty good week. We've gotten really close with a guy named William who turns 24 on Sunday. It's kind of sad because we are in the family ward so we had to let the other missionaries that are in the singles ward start teaching him. I'm glad that we could meet him and become friends so quickly. I've only been here for two weeks and we met him on my first day here. He's getting baptized on the 25th.

I bike about 70 miles a week now and that is keeping me in shape for basketball every week. I like basketball a lot more than I did before I left on my mission. Elder Edward, my old companion, is in my ward so we play every week. He played in college and he plans to do that when he gets back.

Elder Hermansen is 21 and is pretty funny. He did want to be an animator but now he's thinking that he wants to go more into software and other computer things. We're getting along pretty well. I'm really grateful that I haven't had a companion yet that I really can't stand. That would make the work really hard. Two people came to church on Sunday and I think they liked it a lot. We had a good testimony meeting.

I hear the Gallagher's are moving to Utah? I would dismiss that as a rumor but it sounds more real than it ever has before! Well I know where I'll be for the next year and a half at least ha. It'll stink to not go home to my room but I'll get over it. There's a lot more to worry about. I am excited to see how everything turns out! Don't lose my stuff!

Well I'm sure I forgot to talk about something! Hopefully I'll remember and tell you next week. Oh! It was 97 degrees out the other day and it was really miserable. Biking in a white shirt and tie in that is and never will be fun. 

Love 

Silas

First Week in Whittier

Happy P-Day!

 

A lot happened this week! I said good-bye to Elder Komarek and left him to train a missionary who is waiting for a visa! He got called the day before to train! So I'm excited for him. I left on Tuesday and now I'm here in Whittier. It's kind of weird to not be in Long Beach anymore but I like it here so far. The Colima ward is very nice and the boundries make it that the northern part is very rich and the southern part is very poor. Elder Hermansen and I have the south part. Moving into the apartment was a little stressful. The apartment probably hadn't been cleaned in months...So I've been cleaning in my spare time. I didn't take pictures of the apartment but maybe I will for next week.

 

Elder Hermansen is from Kerns, UT and we're getting along pretty well. He likes tennis and has two younger brothers. He's allergic to fructose so he has to tell people everyday that he can't eat fruit. I would get really tired of that really quickly if I were him. We get along pretty well. Everyday we get a little more comfortable and open with each other. He is quiet and still not quite comfortable with talking to people on the street but I think as he does it he'll get better and better. We're also trying to get used to teaching together. I guess I like to talk and I sometimes have a hard time with giving time to my companion if he doesn't jump in. So I've been working on that.

 

The work here is great! We have Spanish missionaries working in our area so they run into some English speakers that are interested. One of those people is William! He is really awesome and has a date for baptism on the 25th. We met him and gave him a pamphlet on the Restoration and the next day we went over and he read it and had questions and was really excited! He didn't make it to church and he can't next week because of a family trip but tonight we have a lesson with someone from church coming as well.

 

Whittier is super hilly compared to LB and of course I'm on a bike haha. It's as north as the mission goes and it gets the hottest here in the summers too. I may be needing some more white short sleeve shirts. Im a 15 and a half. I've been thinking about things that I would want in a package and desk toys or things are good. I spend all of my time working or at my desk so that may give some birthday ideas. It's weird to think that I'll be 20 in less than two months. I'm not exactly spending my last year as a teenager as most do.

 

I'm sending some pictures of Elder Hermansen and I

 

Love

 

Silas

 

 

 

Moving!

This week was my last week with Elder Komarek! I'm definitely going to miss him but I know he's going to do great with his new companion. President Bubert was at our sacrament meeting yesterday to speak and Elder Komarek gave a talk as well. He did so awesome! Haha I thanked him for making me look good in front of President. He talked about how we can develop Christ-like attributes and President talked about all the new missionaries coming in and the help that we need. There were 123 missionaries here when I got here and tomorrow there will be 242.

 

Speaking of tomorrow...I am getting transferred to Whittier! I hear there are a lot of Spanish speakers there and I don't speak Spanish...I may be regretting Italian classes haha. My companion is going to be Elder Hermansen and I am excited to get to know another missionary! President doesn't usually email missionaries back but he did for me this past week! This is what he said:

 

Thanks my friend.
I am so proud of you and for the outstanding job you have done with Elder Komarek. He will teach Elder Ball everything Elder Ball should have learned since he's been here.
Have a great transfer with Elder Hermansen. He is very quiet and reserved. Don't let him get out of teaching and planning. You can do all of that in a kind and gentle way. Gain the confidence of the members in your ward. There is so much good yet to be done there in Colima. I want you to know that I have total confidence that you will really get things going. You are a one of the best missionaries I know, with the best natural leadership qualities. Stay humble, keep working hard and rely upon the Lord for all the inspiration you will need to get the Lord's work done.
Love, Pres Bubert

 

I'm grateful for the love that I have for the members of the Woodruff Ward. It is a strange thought to think that if I hadn't come here I wouldn't have met any of these amazing people. I said good-bye to Frank Pastrana (Elder Sudbury baptized him) and it was really heart wrenching. He has so many health problems and he is still trying to have a good attitude. I read Helaman 5:12 and bore him my testimony that I know that what that scripture says is true. He talked about how he loves the church and the Gospel because he knows that there are always people that really care about him. He told me that for lack of better words he has my back. I am amazed over and over how much I care about these people. That is the best part about being a missionary. I love loving people.

 

I'm saying goodbye to Brent Porter tonight and that'll be hard. He is a crazy old man and I love him haha. I'll try and get a picture with him. I already said goodbye to Micheal. I'll post a picture! Hope you all have a great week!

 

Silas