Week 104--July 13, 2015

ANDREW WILL BE HOME TOMORROW!!!

I can't believe that the time is already here. Two years really are short especially in the service of our Heavenly Father. As I have reflected a lot the past few days, I have thought of the things I have learned as a missionary, and the things I have come to know. I have reflected a lot and there are so many things that I have learned.

I have learned that Miracles happen every single day. It doesn't matter who you are, or who you were, if we look for Miracles we will find them. Please everyone Believe in Miracles, Pray for Miracles, and Expect Miracles, because as long as we are living worthily they will come.

I have come to know on a very personal level the Love that our Heavenly Father has for us. He knows each and every one of us, he knows you personally, he knows your struggles, he feels your pains, he rejoices in your triumphs. He knows you, and Loves you perfectly. He wants all of us to have the joy that he has. I know that his Love is real, I pray that everyone comes to know and to feel of his love.

I have loved the Parable of Laborers in the Lord's Vineyard for a long time, and on my mission I have been taught many truths from this Parable. The one perhaps that has stuck with me the most was what it meant to me right before my mission, when I first learned the parable. "For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good. So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen." I love this parable because it taught me that no matter who you are, where you have been, or what you have done, Jesus Christ stands there waiting for us. He invites all men to come unto him. The world would have us take people out of the slums, but Jesus Christ takes the slums out of the people, and they get themselves out. It is never too late to come unto Christ.He invites all men everywhere to come unto him and to partake of the tree of life. If you don't believe me study the words of Christ, because they will teach you the truth of all things! I have seen people from 9 years old to 89 years old come unto the Savior. The only way that we can do that is by being Baptized by someone who holds the Priesthood Authority to do so. Baptism is the gate and after we enter in, we need to Endure to the End with perfect Faith in Christ, Repenting daily, and doing our best to Keep the Commandments. If I could have a wish it would be that everybody entered into that path.

Perhaps the one thing that I learned and have come to know, that is the most important is that Jesus Christ lives. He lived every single day of his life as a perfect example for us. He lived for us, and then he Suffered every one of our pains, every one of our sicknesses, every one of our infirmities. He suffered for all of our sins, and he suffered agony for all of us. It is my testimony that he actually did that for us. He suffered, he bled, and he died for each of us. But Just as surely as he died for us, He rose from the dead! He Lives! I know that He does! There is no doubt in me that He Lives. It is my prayer that everyone in this wonderful world comes to know of that Truth. I testify to you all and to the whole world that Jesus is the Christ! He is our Savior. That is my Testimony.

I love you all,

Elder Andrew Bangerter

Week 103--July 6, 2015

Wow time sure does fly away,

This week has definitely been pretty good! I have definitely enjoyed it! I can't believe that I only have one week left.

Well I am running short on time today because we have a ton of stuff to get done today but here is a Quick recap of our week. Monday we had a really good and powerful lesson with the Tavis Family, they committed to come to Church, but for whatever reason they did not come. Later in the week however we did pick up a new family that was a referral from the Spanish Sister Missionaries, Their name is the Trug family, and it is a Mother and Father, and 7 children over the age of 8. It was definitely a miracle, and answer to our Prayers. We haven't really been able to get into contact with Diana, and that has been frustrating because she was doing so well, and now we can't get a hold of her.

Well I love you guys,

Elder Bangerter

Week 102--June 29, 2015

I swear the weeks keep going by faster and faster, I don't know where the time keeps going.

This week has been pretty good. We have been getting harassed a little bit because of the recent Political rulings, and the stance of the church on such rulings. It is frustrating that people get on us about it, but I guess that is part of being a missionary. Besides all of that stuff, we have had a pretty good week. We had the most lessons I have ever had in a week on my mission this week. Miracles have definitely been happening. We also picked up 3 new investigators this week. One came up to us and started talking to us, her name is Nancy. She is super cool! Next we picked up a guy named Mateo! He lives across the street from a less-active member. The other one happened while we were going through a new move in list. 

I hope every one is doing well this week. Here is a scripture from my reading that has stuck out to me this week, especially in light of recent events. "And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name." 

Love you guys

Elder Bangerter

Week 101--June 22, 2015

Goodness sakes! There's only a week left in June! I can't believe how time seems to fly away.

Well If I had to sum up this week in a word it would be Frustrating! Our Investigators have all been flaking out on us, people won't respond when we try to talk to them on the street, nobody is home, and every other excuse that I can think of. It makes me sad. Not really angry but sad that they don't understand the importance of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We do all that we can to teach them so plainly that the Spirit can testify to their hearts of the importance of the gospel, but they still don't always understand. It breaks my heart. It breaks my heart because I have come to feel of the love that Jesus Christ has for each and every one of his children, and to see them blow that love off breaks my heart. If only they knew how much we think about them, if only they knew how much we pray for them. I can't help but wonder if this is how Alma felt when he went to Ammonihah and was cast out of the city, or how the Sons of Mosiah felt when "their hearts were depressed." Ironically I have read both of those stories this week, and good things always seem to come. In both instances the Lord comforts them and tells them to go back and labor with all diligence, and he would bless them with success. Alma found Amulek, Ammon found King Lamoni! If there is one thing that I know it is that Miracles happen. Miracles are going to happen for Elder Luedke and I this week. We are going to see the blessings come from our Hard work. This is the Lord's work, we will do whatever we need to do to accomplish the work he has set before us.

Well this week was another last for me, It was my Last time visiting the Redlands Temple as a missionary. It is always great to get to go to the temple. The Redlands Temple will always hold a special place in my heart for the experiences that I have had there.

Well I love you guys,

Elder Bangerter

Week 100--June 15, 2015

Well This week something happened that I thought never would, but I will get to that in a minute.

Tuesday, Elder Brent H. Neilson of the Seventy held a conference for the North Half of the mission. It was really good! He talked a lot about the enabling power of the atonement. Through Jesus Christ all things are possible. We can be cleansed of sin, but we can also be lifted up and strengthened by him. Such as in Matthew 11 when Christ invites us to come unto him and take his yoke upon you, that he can strengthen you. He is always willing to help us, but are we always willing to come unto him? Sister Neilson also spoke, she talked about relationships with our companions. It was really good, and I definitely learned a lot. In the Afternoon Elder Neilson opened it up for questions and of course one of the first questions was "When are we getting iPads?" To which he gave the answer "Hopefully soon." He talked a lot about them, and talked about a lot of things. One of them is from Elder Russell M. Nelson: Elder Nelson talked about how this generation has a much different struggle than the previous generation, the biggest worry of the brethren for the previous generation was the Word of Wisdom, now it is Pornography. He said that Perhaps the biggest reason they are giving missionaries iPads are to teach them how to avoid temptation, and keep themselves clean after their missions. Elder Neilson talked about the training for that, and as I thought about it I think that it is something that I am definitely going to apply when I get home. There are 3 steps: 1) Avoid Temptation, 2) Have a Plan for when Temptation arises, 3) Learn and Improve. In addition to those things, every four days have a Device Audit. A Device Audit is when someone else has the information to get into your device, and you trade devices and go through their device to hold each other accountable. I am definitely going to do that when I get home, If we are doing what we are supposed to we should have nothing to hide in our Devices. I really enjoyed the conference.

Well we did have some really good lessons this week. We had a really powerful lesson with the Tavis Family. We taught about the Plan of Salvation. I really Love teaching about the Plan of Salvation because it truly is what can make us the most happy. It was really good to see them come to understand Heavenly Father's Plan for them. I Love the Gospel! 

Well I guess it is time to talk about the thing that I never thought would come. On Wednesday Night I got a call from President Mullen asking me to come to Riverside on Friday for my Exit Interview. So on Friday I had my Exit Interview. I was the First one to have the Interview too. It was a really good experience. President Mullen gave me some really good advice. He asked about my goals, and told me that I need to get married. He said that if I am not married in 10 years that there is something wrong. I would probably agree. The Interview was good.

Well I love you all!

Elder Bangerter

Week 99--June 8, 2015

Can it really already be a week in to June already? Time surely flies by! I sure wish that I could slow it down.

Well this week has been good, hectic but good. It is really different covering the whole ward now. We do have some super awesome new investigators now. So we will start with Diana. Diana is super cool, and she is on date to be baptized at the end of this month. Her biggest concern is her family. They are Catholic and do not want her to be baptized. She already has a testimony and she wants to be Baptized but she is struggling with her family. So we have invited Sister Jordan from the ward to help fellowship her. Sister Jordan just returned from her mission and she was baptized at 16 or 17, and she went through similar situations with her family, in fact she was more or less kicked out when she got home from her mission. Hopefully it will be good! Then there is the Tavis Family, We got a referral for them from the Bishop, and we stopped by on Tuesday. It turns out that when we got there we found out that several missionaries have tried to teach them but none have got in the door. We were the first to get in the door, and not only that, the committed to be Baptized! They haven't set a date yet but they want to get baptized. It was definitely a miracle! 

I was reading in the scriptures this week in the Book of Mormon, and there was one scripture that I read that really caused me to ponder. I was reading in Mosiah 18, and Alma has just become converted because of the preaching of Abinadi, so he goes and he starts teaching and sharing his joy with others, and then he starts baptizing. The scripture that stood out to me in this chapter this particular time around was verse 30 "And now it came to pass that all this was done in Mormon, yea, by the waters of Mormon, in the forest that was near the waters of Mormon; yea, the place of Mormon, the waters of Mormon, the forest of Mormon, how beautiful are they to the eyes of them who there came to the knowledge of their Redeemer; yea, and how blessed are they, for they shall sing to his praise forever." This verse talks about how beautiful the Waters of Mormon are to those who were converted there. This caused me to ponder upon my conversion, and how beautiful the places where I experienced my conversion are to me. Such as a Mountain side in New Mexico, or a Dance hall at a university in San Antonio (EFY), or by a swimming pool, or on a stage with a choir, or in a garage in Moreno Valley, California. Where are the places that you have experienced your conversion, are they beautiful to you?

Well I Love you guys,

Elder Bangerter

Week 98--June 1, 2015

It just hit me that tomorrow I will be in the most senior group of missionaries in the mission:( 

Well Another transfer has come and gone and........ I am......... getting..... to stay here in Jurupa 2nd with Elder Luedke for my last transfer! I am pretty excited! There will however be some changes starting today. Until now we shared the ward with another set of Elders, and as of now we cover the whole ward, and with that we get a Car (2015 Toyota Corolla). Along with that we also are moving to where the other Elders were living, and another set of Elders are moving into Sister Smith's home. I am sad about that I am really going to miss living with Sister Smith she is really great. 

With the combining of the ward we inherited a lot of investigators from the other side. We did have a blitz in our area on Saturday and from it we picked up 12 new investigators so we have a lot to work with.

Well We really don't have a ton of time today, but I love all of you guys

Elder Bangerter

Week 97--May 25, 2015

Sorry, we've been inundated with rain her in Texas. I meant to get this up a couple days ago. Sharon

This week has been really good! We were able to pick up several new Investigators this week, so that is always good. 

Well this week we had my last Multi-Zone Conference. It was really good! I always enjoy going and being trained by President and Sister Mullen, and the Assistants. All of the trainings were helpful. One thing that was a little different this time around was that President Mullen had the missionaries in Corona invite members to be people for the missionaries to practice contacting. It was good to see some members that I have served around too. Then we found out about a Elder Neilson of the Seventy is coming to our mission in two weeks so we get to prepare for another great conference there! I did have to bear my testimony as one of the Outgoing missionaries for the next two transfers so that was really weird. I am glad that it didn't make me too trunky however, so that was good.

Like I mentioned earlier, we picked up a few new investigators. The most solid one is probably a guy named Mario. We just found him out walking in one of the neighborhoods that we were in. He is super cool, and he is a really big guy. He is super prepared for the gospel! It always amazes me that as we keep working hard Heavenly Father will bless us with people to teach!

Well I love Y'all

Elder Bangerter

Week 96--May 18, 2015

Well this past week has flown by, and so will this up coming week most likely fly by too with all the meetings that there are.

This week has been pretty frustrating, most of our appointments canceled, nobody has been outside because it has been raining, and so on and so on. Then on top of that Elder Luedke broke two spokes on his bike. Unfortunately we had to walk everywhere for two days, fortunately it wasn't too hot, unfortunately it was the days that it rained almost all day, fortunately we were able to get his bike fixed so now we can bike. Well on top of that our week wasn't that great, but that is okay because we found a super solid new investigator this week. His name is Michael, and he is super cool. We have an appointment with him tonight hopefully it goes well.

Tomorrow is my last multi-zone conference as a missionary, I'm not quite sure how I feel about it. I am going to have to share my testimony because it is my last. I guess it is okay.

Well I love all of you guys,

Elder Bangerter

week 95--May 11, 2015

What is more exciting than rain in Southern California? Having a Baptism that was so well attended that we had to move into the chapel. What is more exciting than that? Having 60 family members of the couple getting baptized in attendance!

The Ostlers were baptized on Saturday! It was very exciting! There were so many people at the Baptism I couldn't believe it! It was definitely a reaffirmation to me that it is never to late to come unto Christ! The Ostlers children, and grandchildren are all members of the church, and they have been praying for over 50 years that this day would happen. Some of them had even gotten to the point that they weren't sure that they would be baptized in this life. But Miracles happen! The Lord hears our Prayers, and he will answer in his own given time. We must be patient, and never loose faith in Heavenly Father or his miracles. Believe in Miracles! Pray for Miracles! Expect Miracles! They happen every day. It is truly amazing to see a family come together in such a way as happened this weekend.

Well, I hope everything is going well

I love you guys

Elder Bangerter

Week 94--May 4. 2015

It's May Already!?!?!?!?! Where has all the time gone? It is so crazy to me that May is already here! It is weird!

Well this week has been a little bit slower just because of meetings every day, but I guess that happens sometimes. Everything is all set for the Ostler's baptism this weekend. They both passed their baptismal interviews yesterday. Now We just get to wait until their family starts coming on Thursday and then the Baptism will be this Saturday! It is all coming together, and it is exciting! I have to say this will be probably one of the most exciting baptisms that I have been a part of. It is so cool to see families come together for a baptism.

The Last time that I was at a baptism where so many family members have been planning on coming was in November of 2013, it was Oscar's baptism. Now Oscar has been sealed in the temple and is raising a family. There is just something about this work, something special, something sacred, seeing families coming together to make covenants that will one day allow them, to be with each other forever. That is what this work is all about! That is why we do missionary work, that is why we do temple work, so we can share the blessings that have been extended to us in and through Jesus Christ with others. I have often reflected about that. We have something so beautiful, so glorious, and so joyous, and why would we not want to share that with others. Why would we not want others to feel of that joy and happiness. Someone asked me what the greatest joy that I have enjoyed as a missionary is, My reply is that the greatest joy of missionary work is not having hundreds of baptisms, or teaching fifty or more lessons a week. The greatest joy of being a missionary is seeing the change that takes place in someones life, as they come to accept the gospel. Seeing the change in their eyes, feeling of the love that they come to feel for Jesus Christ. The greatest joy is seeing families come together realizing that they can be together forever.

I want all of you to know that I Know that God Lives, He loves each and everyone of you. If you are reading this, know that he is aware of you and your needs. He is constantly waiting to help you! He loves you so much that he sent his only begotten son in the flesh. I know that Jesus Christ lived, He lived each and every minute of his life for each of us. He suffered, bled, and died for all of us. Most importantly He Rose on the Third day! He Lives! Because he lives, we will be able to be forgiven, and we will live again. Jesus is the Christ! He is our savior!

I Love all of you!

Elder Bangerter

I got this picture yesterday in my email inbox. I assume it's from someone in the ward Andrew is serving in. Those boys look great!  Sharon

Week 93--April 27, 2015

Holy Cow the wind almost blew us away today! It was ridiculous!

Well our week has been pretty good. Working hard as always! Things are going really well with the Ostlers! They are still progressing and keeping all of their commitments, as well as coming to church every week. I really enjoy teaching them a lot! Their baptism is the weekend after next, so they will be baptized the day before Mothers Day. We did have a really good lesson with a new investigator that we have, his name is Justin! He is super cool. Other than that we have been struggling to find new investigators. It is something that we need to work on! 

The weather has been interesting this week, today it was super windy, the past few days it has rained and all week it has been overcast. All of those things are very unusual.

Well Elder Luedke is great! He is a big ole' corn farmer from Nebraska! He is super funny! I really enjoy being with him! He is super cool! This transfer is going to be great!

This week I was studying in Alma and I am in the War chapters, and this verse stuck out to me from Captain Moroni's letter to Pahoran: "And now behold, I, Moroni, am constrained, according to the covenant which I have made to keep the commandments of my God; therefore I would that ye should adhere to the word of God" That verse really impressed me! Moroni honored, and valued, and kept his Covenants that he had made. Not only that, he was not going to break his covenants because of anybody else. How do we value our Covenants?

Well I love y'all

Elder Bangerter

Week 92--April 20, 2015

Well, another transfer has come and gone, and I won't be able to say that too many more times :( Thanks to one of the Elders serving in the ward with me, I am painstakingly aware of how many weeks that I have left as a missionary. Anyway I am not being transferred today, Elder Warren however is being transferred to one of my old areas, Lasselle! My new Companion is Elder Luedke from Nebraska. I don't know too much about him, just that he is a farm boy and he has red hair. I have heard that he is a super hard worker, so I am very excited to be with him! In addition I have been assigned to be a District Leader again, and every one in my district except for One elder and myself are under 6 months out, so my district is going to be very green. We will set the area's on fire! Wait that probably isn't a good idea, there was a huge fire this week. We will do great work!

This week has been pretty good. We had a really good Lesson with the Ostlers this week! They are still progressing great for May 9th! I wish that every investigator that I have had progressed like this. As far as teaching this week was actually pretty slow, Elder Warren was sick for two days again too, so that contributed to it too.

So, Fires: There was a Huge Fire this weekend that was 2 miles away from where our area is we got a call during Dinner from President Mullen making sure that we were safe. Until then we weren't aware that there was a fire. We were heading home and we could see the flames a couple miles across the freeway. It was Dark and we could see the glow too.

Donkeys: This week we saw this guy riding down the street, and he was the most stereotypical Mexican guy I have ever seen. He had on a huge sombrero, a traditional poncho, he had a huge Mexi-stache, and he was riding a donkey. It made me laugh. I wish I had my camera to take a picture.

Well things are going well!

Love you guys,

Elder Bangerter 

Week 91--April 13, 2015

This week has definitely been a good one! We got a lot of stuff done this week.

The Ostlers are doing so well! They are progressing towards their date of the 9th, and it is very exciting. They are feeding us Dinner this week, it should be great! We also have dinner tonight with the Elder's Quorum President, and he and his wife invited our investigator Veronica over for dinner as well. It should be great! They are going to help us teach a lesson about the word of wisdom. They are perfect for it especially since they have both quit smoking in the past, and that is what Veronica struggles with. Other investigators: Alfredo's Nephew we turned over to the missionaries in Bloomington, and we are trying to figure out the situation with Lizette. Hopefully we can figure it all out. We did pick up a few new investigators this week too, but they are all in the works right now.

It never ceases to amaze me how Heavenly Father Prepares people to receive the gospel. I feel like I have been extremely blessed as a missionary to have had so many people who have been so prepared to receive the gospel. It also never ceases to amaze me how it is never too late to come unto Christ. I have had the opportunity to teach so many people who are older, and often times they are the ones who are the most converted to the gospel. 

Well Sorry this is so short, 

But Enjoy some pictures that I have been meaning to send for a while.

Two are from Kassie Cordova's baptism, one is from the temple, one is from Alfredo's baptism, and the other is a picture I took of Elder Warren when he was playing the piano and not looking!

Well love you guys!

Elder Bangerter

Week 90--April 6, 2015

Hey Everybody! General Conference was Awesome! This week was Awesome, and by a miracle we hit the Standard of Excellence.

Before I get into General Conference, I will talk about our week. We had lessons with the Ostlers twice this past week. It was awesome! They set a date for baptism on the 9th of May, which is the day before Mother's day. It will be very exciting for us. Hopefully I will still be here when that happens, because there is a transfer between then and now. One really cool thing that happened this week; there was just one night where everything was just falling through, no one was home nobody was outside. I suggested that we go see someone, and then Elder Warren said that we should go see someone else. We went and saw the family that Elder Warren suggested, and same thing as all night, nobody was home. We then started towards home, and Elder Warren and I both got an impression to go visit a specific Less-Active family, but neither of us said to the other that we had felt the impression, and with out a word we both knew exactly where we needed to go. We got to the house and the Wife answered the door, and was fighting to hold back her tears. She explained to us that she was an hour away from an interview with the doctors that have been taking care of her Sister, who because of a car accident has become basically a vegetable, they were going to discuss taking her Sister off of life support. She also explained that her husband, who got baptized in 2013 and since gone less-active, was at work and not there to comfort her. She said that she hadn't prayed audibly, but had more or less prayed in her heart that there would be some way for her to receive a blessing. It was after she had prayed for that in her heart that we showed up on her doorstep. The timing of it all had her fighting back tears. She asked us to give her a blessing, and as I gave her that blessing that she had desired I could feel the Love that Heavenly Father has for her, and for all of us who call on his name. It was Perhaps a more powerful spiritual experience for me, than it was for her, to me it was a powerful witness of how the Lord can use us as instrument's in his hand. I am grateful that I was in-tune with the promptings of the spirit.

General Conference: There were a few things that surprised me during Conference. First, President Monson did not open the Conference, or close it, and he wasn't the last speaker during the Sunday morning session. I guess his health isn't doing too well, and he can't do as much. Second, I was surprised that Elder Richard G. Scott did not speak at all during the conference. Third, I was surprised that there were dissenting votes in the sustaining of the officers of the church. 

My favorite word that was used during Conference was Pickle-suckers by Dallin H. Oaks. There were a lot of really good talks. I don't think I have ever heard so many talks focused on Marriage. We were watching Conference at the Stake Center, and my companion leaned over to me and Elder McConkie and said that they were all directed right at us, as both of us will go home during the summer. I guess that isn't quite what I want to be thinking about yet. I still have a long time as a missionary! I really enjoyed Elder Oaks talk about the Parable of the Sower. I also like how he called out the youth of the church for being on their mobile devices during the Sacrament. I thought that was really good. I also enjoyed Elder Ballard's talk during Priesthood session, when he challenged all the missionaries and return missionaries to raise the bar of our generation to be the greatest generation of young adults ever, and then what did he do? He said return missionaries do not wait too long to get married, and then he challenged them to not text their dates, but to call or ask in person, and it might shock them into saying yes. I also liked several talks on Sunday including Jeffrey R. Holland's talk about the Atonement, and President Uchtdorf's talk on Grace. Both were very good. It was awesome to see that all of the questions that I asked for conference were answered.

Well I love you guys!

Elder Bangerter

Week 89--March 30, 2015

Well, another week has come and gone and we have definitely had a great week and have seen some miracles.

Probably the biggest miracle this week happened on Wednesday and Thursday of this past week. Things really weren't going very well and we were struggling. We decided to go and to visit the Bishop. When we were talking to the Bishop he told us about a family that he was going to visit that night. They are not members of the church, but all of their family is. Bishop told us that he would let us know how it went. Well Bishop called us at 6:32 the next morning, two minutes after the alarm went off, and told us that the family not only wanted to take the missionary lessons, but they want to get baptized. It was pretty exciting! We went by to see them that day, their name is the Ostlers, and we get there Brother Ostler comes out and he says, "What took you so long, we've been waiting for you?" It was pretty funny, our reply was that we had meetings earlier that day. We taught them the restoration, and come to find out that between January and now they have read all of the Book of Mormon, all of the Doctrine and Covenants, and all of the Pearl of Great Price. It was pretty amazing. They have committed to be baptized, they are working with their family for a date, but It was definitely a miracle.

We got to go to the Temple this week, That was good as always! I realized that before my next temple trip, which will most likely be my last as a missionary, I will most likely have to renew my temple recommend. 

Last week I also got an e-mail asking for information so they can book my flight home. I can't believe I already got that e-mail. I guess I've been out here for a long time or something.

Here are some scriptures that I liked from my Scripture Study this past week. "What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works." (James 2: 14-18) I love this scripture because it raises the question: Are we acting on our Faith? Or are we just saying that we believe? 

I know without a doubt in my heart that Jesus Christ lives, he is our savior! He lived for us and set a perfect example for us to follow. He suffered, was beaten, and crucified for our sins and for all of us. He rose on the third day, and He Lives today!

I love you guys,

Elder Bangerter

Week 88--March 23, 2015

It has been another interesting week here in Mira Loma.

There have been some frustrating things happen this week, and some really good things happened this week.

So, on the frustrating side, Mark dropped us this week. He feels like the Catholic church puts less pressure on his personal life. We finally felt like we were going somewhere with him, and he was starting to come to church and keep commitments, so it was frustrating when he dropped us. Then the other really frustrating thing that happened was out of the Ten or so people that committed to come to church only one of them came. It was very disappointing.

The good things, Terry is progressing great! He has cut down from 20 cigarettes a day to 2 cigarettes a day. He is doing so awesome. He has lots of fellowship, he came to church, and gave some awesome input to the lessons in church. It is awesome! Another thing that was super good that we found out about is that this Friday the church is releasing a new video for Easter called Because He Lives, all the missionaries have gotten to see the video already and it is awesome. It really helps me focus on what is possible Because Jesus Christ Lives today. There are also going to be three video's released between Easter and Christmas as supplements to The video. I encourage you all to share this video, and flood the world with the spirit of Christ! The video will be able to be found on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube beginning on Friday, as well as on HeLives.mormon.org

Well My New Testament reading, this week I have been all over the place, but I have been reading a lot in Jesus the Christ to go along with my reading. But I really liked What I read in Thessalonians. Here Paul is speaking of how he feels about the converts to the church, but this can apply to all of us, to the families that we home or visiting teach, or to anybody for whom we teach or have responsibility over. "So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us." (1 Thes. 2:8) and then also "For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? For ye are our glory and joy." (1 Thes. 2:19-20)

Well I love you guys,

Elder Bangerter

Week 87--March 16, 2015

Well another week seems to have gone by, I'm not quite sure how it goes so fast but it does!

This week has been kind of interesting, Elder Warren has been sick again so a lot of our week has been spent inside, and at meetings that we had to go to. So needless to say we didn't get a ton accomplished this week, but that does not mean that it was a bad week! Of the time that we were able to get out we saw many miracles. One of the people that we have been teaching on and off is named Terry, Terry hasn't really been progressing because he likes to drink and to smoke. Well he was out drinking and smoking this past week and got beat up pretty bad. He told us when we saw him that he want's to stop doing those things and be baptized! It was pretty darn exciting for us!

I was reading in the scriptures this week and this scripture stood out to me. It is in Acts and it is Peter and John, Right after they are delivered from Prison, and it says: "And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name." (Acts 5:41) I think it is incredible the zeal that the early apostles had. I wish that I could be more like that.

Sorry this is so short,

Love Y'all

Elder Bangerter

Week 86--March 9, 2015

Well another Transfer has come and gone, and I am staying in Mira Loma with Elder Warren! I'm really excited we have a lot of work going on for us right now. Hopefully we will be able to keep it up! I have to say I Love it here in Mira Loma. The people are awesome, There is such a diversity, and it is totally different than any area that I have ever been in.

This week has been great, We found quite a few new investigators. There are two Part member Families in the ward that we have started working with, that haven't been worked with before. There is the N family, and the W family. Both families reached out to us this week and asked us to start teaching them! It is awesome! Hopefully we will be able to have some success there. Other than that, we are working with Veronica still, she is still working towards baptism in April. Lyzette has been gone all week, so we haven't been able to meet with her at all. Lots of stuff fell through towards the end of the week.

I have been reading a lot in the New Testament recently, and this week I have read several of the Epistles of Paul. While I was reading I especially liked the Epistles to Timothy. Some things that Stood out to me: "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;" (1 Timothy 2:1-3) Paul Teaches us here that we should pray for all men. We should pray for our leaders whether we like them, or agree with them. I also liked this: "Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, where unto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses." (1 Timothy 6:12) I love how Paul is teaching us to Fight the good fight! It also raises a question, Are we fighting the good fight? Are we doing those things that will let us lay hold on eternal life? Can we honestly say that we have professed a good profession before many witnesses? In the words of Alma "And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?" Are we doing those things to continue to grow our testimonies and deepen our testimonies? I hope that one day we may all be able to say the words of Paul "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:" I know that I am not perfect, but I know that through the Atonement of the Savior Jesus Christ I can say when my days are through that I have fought a good fight, and that I have kept the faith. I love what Paul teaches Timothy in 2 Timothy, This is pretty much Paul's last words before he is martyred. I love what he teaches Timothy about the Scriptures: "And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." (2 Timothy 3:15-17)

Well I love you Guys!

Elder Bangerter

Week 85--March 2, 2015

Sorry--I didn't realize that I had forgotten to actually post this on his blog! Sharon

Wow I have been in Mira Loma for 5 weeks now! It definitely does not feel that long. That means that transfers are coming up this weekend. I'm pretty sure I am going to stay put, but it is what ever Heavenly Father needs.

This week has been awesome! Elder Warren and I set a goal at the beginning of this Transfer that we were going to hit the new Standard of Excellence at least once before the end of the Transfer. We have come so close every week and we finally got it this week. We would have gotten it last week but Elder Warren was Sick so we were inside for quite a bit. It took quite a few miracles but we were able to do it this past week. It is really awesome to see that as we are diligent the Lord will bless us.

Part of the new standard of Excellence is that we have to find 3 new investigators a week. We had an awesome experience with finding this past week. So Alfredo, who just got baptized, referred us to his Girlfriend, and his nephew. So we started teaching his Girlfriend Lyzette, and at the end of the lesson I invited her to be baptized on March 28th, and she asked why I picked that day, my reply was "Because it is a Saturday." Then she asked how I knew that she could be ready by that day, and we then explained to her that as Missionaries we can receive revelation as to when people could be ready to be baptized. It was super cool. She is doing awesome. There are some things that we need to work out but She should be ready to go on the 28th.

Well I love you guys!

Elder Bangerter

Week 84--February 23, 2015

Alfredo got baptized!!!!

It was such a great experience seeing him get baptized! He is so awesome and so solid! It has been a roller coaster the past few days with him. On Friday he tells us that he want's to push his baptism back a day so his family could be there, so we had to deal with that, but we were able to help his family get there so we wouldn't have to push it back. Then on Saturday, Alfredo went to the wrong building for the baptism, so he was late, then there was nobody there when we started the service. Luckily after we started, people came in and by the time it was said and done there were a really good number of people there. The baptism ended up going really well, and Alfredo bore his testimony at the end. It was awesome! Then on Sunday Alfredo was late to sacrament meeting. So that was another stressful roller coaster ride. Everything worked out in the end and now he is a member of the Church.

We ended up having dinner with Alfredo yesterday too, His mom made Pozole, and it was super good! His whole family was there, and we ended up watching "Joseph Smith: The Prophet of the Restoration" with them. It was super cool because we got to have some really good conversations with his nonmember family.

So Bishop Marcroft challenged the ward to read Alma before Ward Conference, which happened to be this week, as he was going to be speaking about it. It was a really good experience because when he talked about it, he talked mostly on probably my most favorite chapters in all of the scriptures, namely Chapters 36-42. This is Alma's record of him counseling his sons. These Chapters have always meant a lot to me because of the fact that Alma is taking time to teach his Sons one on one, and he is giving them advice. As I read these chapters they become more meaningful to me because I put myself in their shoes, and I imagine my Dad giving that advice to me. Often times I have felt like my Dad has given much similar advice to me. 

Well I love all Y'all!

Elder Bangerter

Week 83--February 16, 2015

Happy President's Day Everybody!

What a crazy week it has been. I have definitely seen many miracles this week. It's awesome how our Heavenly Father works. But to start off I got a text message on Saturday from Elder Child, and he was trying to make me trunky, the message went something like this, "150 days, 21 P-Days, 14 District meetings, 5 Zone meetings, 1 Multi-Zone conference, 2 Temple trips. We can show how many months we have left with one hand. If our mission was a marathon we would have ran 20 out of 26 miles, and If we were running at an 8 minute mile pace we would have 48 minutes left. If our mission was a football field we would be crossing the 20 yard line on the way to a Touchdown. Are you trunky yet?" It is crazy to me that I have been out for that long. It definitely does not feel like it. Luckily I am not getting Trunky yet. I really wish Time would slow down. This is already starting my 4th week in Jurupa.

So many miracles have happened this week, and it is so awesome. Perhaps the biggest miracle this past week is that Kassie got Baptized in Corona! It was so Awesome to go back and to watch that happen. It is definitely a testimony to me of the power of member missionary work. My last week in Corona, Jordan T returned home from his mission, and at his homecoming he blew off all of his family to come talk to any investigators that we had at church, that day Kassie was the only one there. Apparently over the past few weeks Jordan has gone with Elder Wesche and Kelley to go teach her, and she finally committed to be baptized. It was awesome to go to that Baptism and to see that happen, It definitely strengthened my testimony of why I am out serving a mission. It was awesome! 

Our week was crazy busy. We have had meetings everyday, but we were still able to get a lot of work done. We hit the Standard of Excellence in every category except for finding this week. I know that as we continue to be diligent we will be able to achieve our goals.

Alfredo had to push his Baptism back to this weekend because of various family problems, so He will be getting Baptized this Saturday.

Well things are going great here!

I love all of Y'all!

Elder Bangerter

Week 82--February 9, 2015

Hey Everyone!

Jurupa is awesome! I absolutely love it here! Things are going great! We had a great week and got a lot of work done. 

Elder Warren and I set a goal for ourselves that we would hit the Standard of Excellence at least once before the end of the Transfer, and we came so close this week but just barely missed it. It really came down to things that we could not completely control. So we did all that we could do, and just missed it. We saw a lot of Miracles, and some not-so-miracles, but I guess that everything has to have an opposite. Alfredo is still on track to be baptized this weekend, and he is doing great! It is amazing how much the gospel has changed his life. He referred his Mom to the spanish missionaries, and she got baptized on Sunday. He referred his sister to the missionaries in Eastvale, and her whole family is getting baptized with Alfredo on Sunday. It is incredible the power of the gospel, and how it effects families. I wish that every investigator that I have ever had would share the gospel with their friends like that. President Mullen has been harping on the whole mission to ask their investigators for referrals, and now I definitely see why! It is exciting! Things are going well with Veronica, she came to church this week and she is keeping her commitments. Unfortunately she is not progressing quite how we would like. Maybe the Lord has something else in mind!

I've been studying in the New Testament a lot recently and this scripture has stuck out to me. It is in Romans 5:19 "For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners,so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous." That really stuck out to me, because it shows that if we are obedient and keep the commandments like we know we should then we can influence many to good and to be Righteous.

Well I love you guys,

Elder Bangerter

Week 81-February 2, 2015

Well a week has come and gone here in Mira Loma. Mira Loma is definitely a lot different than Corona, or any of the other area's that I have been in. Most of our area is fairly rural compared to the rest of the mission. There are lots of Horses and lots of Dogs everywhere. We have 6 Horses in our backyard! It is so crazy!

So This week has been really good! We had a lot of really good lessons. Our teaching pool is pretty good sized so that is nice! We are teaching a man named Alfredo, He is awesome! He is on date to be baptized on February 15th. He is awesome, and very converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ, he has been through a lot and has struggled quite a bit with several things, but he is making the changes necessary to change his life. We are also teaching a lady named Veronica, she also has been through a lot in her life, she has been involved with drugs, and the wrong crowd of people, then her husband was killed by a drunk driver, and since then she has been striving to turn her life around. She doesn't quite have a testimony yet, but she loves the church and going to it. She is going to eventually be baptized. Other People we are teaching, are Freddy, Morgan, JD, and quite a few more. They are all in the beginning stages.

So I have never been chased by a Dog on my mission until Saturday, then I got chased by 5 German Shepherds. Not too fun, but luckily I didn't get bit. There are so many dogs out here and really the only thing that you can do is kick them and hope they run away. 

Monday it rained pretty hard, and I crashed on my bike and ended up breaking my axle, but luckily our Ward mission Leader works on bikes and he was able to get it fixed.

Well that has been our Crazy week. Elder Warren and I are doing great! Elder Warren is awesome and I enjoy being with him. He is still super green and he is a work horse. He is a little bit nervous and doesn't quite know what to do in some situations, but he is new and this is his first time taking over the area so it doesn't surprise me.

Well I love all of you guys,

Elder Bangerter

Week 80--January 26, 2015

I'm not sure if anyone is reading this anymore, but if you want Andrew's new address send me a message.  Sharon

Well another transfer has come and gone, It seems to go by so fast. I am getting transferred today, to the Jurupa 2nd Ward. I am very excited! My new companion is Elder Warren from Sandy, UT, I have only heard great things about him and the area that I am going into. Elder Warren has only been out for 3 months so he just finished being trained as a missionary. I am very excited to be with him. I am also excited that I am living in a Homeshare again. It is super cool because the Lady that we are going to be living with is the Grandma of my recent convert Oscar Solorzano's wife. It is very cool.

This week was pretty good. I got my ingrown toenail removed on Tuesday, it was a fairly interesting experience. So I get to the Doctor's office and they take me back and the Doctor (a member in Riverside) is talking to me and getting some information to put in the computer, and then he looks at my toe and says that we were going to have to remove the nail and said that I needed to have a shot to numb my toe, and he asks me if I want to give myself the shot. I have never been asked that before, but I let him give me the shot. So he gives me the shot and it turns out to be 3 shots, and I tell you what, getting shots in the toe is like one of the most painful shots ever. So he gives me the shot, and then leaves the room, and his nurse comes and cleans my toe up and puts some iodine on it, and tells me that the Doctor would be back shortly. Well whatever the Doctor was working on went longer that he expected, and so when he got back he started working on my toe, and i could feel it because the numbing medicine was starting to wear off. So he put 3 more shots in my toe, and it was weird because I was numb enough that I couldn't feel him give the shots but I could see that the needle was in my toe. Then He worked on my toe and I couldn't feel a thing. Now my toe is doing great, it is awesome.

Well, I am kind of sad to leave Corona after being here for so long, I am going to miss a lot of the people that I have met here, and that I have worked with. It is definitely hard to leave an area that I have been in for so long. I am excited to go to Jurupa though, It is going to be an awesome experience. I can't wait!

Well I love you guys,

Elder Andrew  Bangerter

Week 79--January 19. 2015

Hey Everybody,

Well another week has come and gone, and another transfer for that matter. There is one more week left until transfers, and I will most likely get transferred after this week. I have been in Corona for a long time so it is probably my time to leave.

Well this week has been quite interesting, and to make it more interesting I have a pretty bad ingrown toenail. I have to go to the Doctor tomorrow to get it checked out and possibly removed. It hurts really bad.

Well we got to go to the Temple this week and that was awesome. The member that took us took us to a citrus stand right outside of the temple, and bought us some bags of oranges. They are the best oranges that I have ever had in my Life.

Sorry that this so short,

Love you all,

Elder Bangerter

Week 78--January 12, 2015

Hey Everybody, It's hard to believe that another week has gone by, it seems like things just keep going by faster and faster. It's almost half way through January! I also can't believe that I have been in Corona since June, that's nuts.

This week was a good one. Still lots of people on vacation but School started back today for the kids living in Corona, so this week wee should be able to see a lot more people! But we were able to have a few pretty good lessons! There is however one experience that I want to share because of what happened. So we have an investigator who had met with missionaries about 2 years ago and she asked for a blessing on her home. In this blessing she also asked for a blessing that she would be able to get pregnant, because her and her husband were struggling to have another baby. So the blessing on the home was given and she was able to get pregnant very shortly after. So when I came into the ward we were looking through some of the former investigators, and we found her name and felt like we should go there. So we stop by and it turns out that she had been praying for us to stop by. So we have been meeting with her and one of her neighbors who is a member of the church told her about priesthood blessings, and she asked us if we were able to bless her to help her get pregnant again, we said yes, and she asked me to give her this blessing. So we found out this week that she is pregnant. It is amazing the power of the Priesthood! I have no doubt in my mind that the Priesthood is real and that it is the power of our Heavenly Father. That was an amazing experience.

Things are going well with Elder Wesche and myself. I can't believe that we have been companions for 10 weeks already. I really enjoy being with him, and he is a super funny guy.

Well I love all of y'all

Elder Bangerter

Week 77--January 5, 2015

Happy New Year everybody! It is hard for me to believe that it is already 2015, I still feel like I'm in 2013 but I guess that is what happens when you serve a mission. I will be honest I was kind of dreading the New Year, because the fact that it is 2015 means that I have to go home this year. I can't believe how fast the time has flown. 

Well this week was pretty good. I was sick for a good portion of the week, Not sick enough that I could not work, but sick enough that I was miserable trying to fall asleep most nights. I've been majorly congested, and all the mucus caused me to loose my voice. Unfortunately it hasn't fully come back yet, but it is mostly there now. I just hate being sick. It is no fun. It is worse as a missionary too.

It was an interesting week because of New Year's. On New Year's Eve, we had to be in at the stake center by 6:00, and we had a Zone activity. We Played Volleyball, it was quite a bit of fun. On New Years Day we had to Deep Clean our apartments, so we did that, and then had a regular day.

The rest of the week was a fairly normal week, We were able to see all of our investigators, except for Sofie, we weren't able to get a hold of her. We need to find a time to catch her because she is so busy. Candice finally came to church again, and that was great to see her there. We got some awesome referrals from members in the ward. One really cool thing that happened this week is Kassie texted us and said she wanted to start meeting again. Hopefully all goes well with that.

Well I love all of you guys,

Here is a New Year's Scripture for all of you.

"For behold, this [year] is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this [year] is the day for men to perform their labors." -Alma 34:32

Elder Bangerter

Week 76--December 29, 2014

Well my Second and last Christmas as a missionary has come and gone. Thank you so much to everyone for the Christmas wishes and the Cards! It truly made the season bright. We had a pretty great week and Christmas.

So on Tuesday we had the Christmas party/devotional, that was really good! It was good to see some of the missionaries that I haven't seen in a while. At the devotional it was really cool to see all the insights that many of the missionaries learned from the reading assignments that President Mullen gave us. It was also awesome to see the Video Slideshow that was put together of pictures through out the mission.

Wednesday, Christmas Eve, we spent much of the day with the Villa family, helping them make Tamales for Christmas. It was a lot of fun and a lot of hard work. I never knew that making Tamales was so hard!

Christmas Day, We went over to the Tui's house to Skype home, and to have dinner. It was a lot of fun, Brother Tui Cooked some BBQ and it was awesome! They had a lot of food! BBQ, Rice, Egg rolls, chop tsui, potatos, pasta salad, and a whole lot more. It was great! It also was awesome to talk to my family back home, it blows my mind how much some things have changed. Everyone is growing up!

The rest of the week was really good, we were able to get some really good lessons in. Unfortunately quite a few of our investigators were out of town for the holidays, but I guess that is how it goes some times.

Well I love you guys a lot,

Elder Bangerter