Week 32--February 24, 2014

Today marks the beginning of my 6th transfer, Wow it is crazy to think that I have been serving for 32 weeks (2 weeks in the MTC). And President Smart threw me for a loop this transfer...Absolutely nothing changed for me, I get to stay with a companion for more than six weeks, I don't have to change area's I just get to focus on the Work!

Well as I indicated in my last e-mail I was Incredibly sick, but now I feel a Ton better. I am glad that I do because being sick is just not that fun, especially as a missionary. It sucks having to be in bed all day when you could be teaching people about the gospel.

This past week has definitely been an interesting one, we had a few dinner appointments cancel on us. We have basically had to drop all of our investigators and start over, But for every Down there is an Up! The past week I have had some of the best meals that I have had on my mission, we had Halibut and smoked salmon, Freshly butchered ribs, and more ribs that would just fall off the bone, a family in our ward took us to one of the best Chinese restaurants that I have ever been to! Then we picked up some super solid new investigators, and it is great. I have come to know that when we are doing what the lord is asking of us, things may get hard but there will ALWAYS be Blessings.

I hope all is well with everyone at home,

I love y'all

Elder Bangerter

Week 31--February 17, 2014

Sorry guys!  I just realized that I didn't add Andrew's letter from last week.  Here it is.  We're still waiting for this week's letter.  I'll add it when it comes.
Sharon

Well This has definitely been one Adventure of a week. An unexpected adventure.... to the Doctor's Office.

I guess that I should explain that a little. On Tuesday my throat started to hurt, and I didn't think much of it. Then on Wednesday I woke up and I just felt so sick that I couldn't move. My throat hurt like heck, my head was spinning, my body felt really weak, and me being a good missionary decided we should go to District Meeting anyway. So we Did and the whole time I felt like I was going to pass out, and then when I tried drinking some water I threw up. So the mission nurse happened to be there and she told me I needed to go home and go to bed and rest, or go to the Doctor. So I decided that I would go home and rest it out. So for the rest of the day I was in bed. Then the next day when I felt the same way, they sent me to Urgent care. So we get to this Urgent care facility and it is in a beat up, run-down, abandoned strip mall, and it has paint in the windows offering DNA Screening, DOT Physicals, Any-Age Circumcision, and so forth. So we go in and wait for two hours before I was seen by anyone, then I go in and the guy talks to me about my symptoms, and he doesn't screen me for anything, and then says well you have 3 out of 4 symptoms for strep, then I think you have migraines (I have never had a migraine in my life). So he wrote me four prescriptions and didn't diagnose me with anything. So I filled the prescription for strep, and that seems to be working. But that about did it for my week.

I hope everyones week has been good

Elder Bangerter

Week 30--February 10, 2014

Dear Family and Friends,

This has been another good week, we were moved into an apartment on Saturday, It's a big apartment and we have lots of space so that is good, but we had to move in the middle of a transfer so that wasn't so good. And with such we have a new address. As always anybody can send letters or any mail to me through the mission office address, which is:

5900 Grand Ave.

Riverside, CA 92504

Or you can ask my mom or my dad for my address and write me there.

We finally got one of our investigators to church this Sunday, His name is J.S. Ross. He is great, and he has more Fellowship in the ward than any investigator that I have ever seen. I also spoke in sacrament meeting on Sunday and that went well. This week we had Exchanges with our Zone Leaders, those went very well and it was a good day, I was with Elder Blanchard for the day, in Hidden Springs, We had a really successful day, and we had some really good lessons, we also Ran into a basher that can't believe the Book of Mormon is true, because nobody can archaeologically prove that it is true. It just showed me the fact that if people want to find a reason not to believe the Book of Mormon, they will find a reason. But conversion isn't by Logic it is by the Spirit. Jesus Said to Peter: "And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou,Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven." and with the Book of Mormon we must take on Moroni's Challenge: "Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things,if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts. And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things." If any of you doubt the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon, ask our Father in Heaven if it is true and he will manifest to you through the spirit that it is true.

"Doubt your Doubts before you doubt your faith!" -Dieter F. Uchtdorf 

Love you guys,

Elder Bangerter

Week 29--February 3, 2014

Wow another week is over and it has been a crazy one. It has been quite the week.

Monday- P-Day Hiked to the top of box springs mountain. Then sat around at the house most the day because the Missionaries with cars all went to riverside to pick up new cars and get current ones inspected. So nobody was around to take us shopping until 5pm.

Tuesday- We went to the Temple. It was very good and much needed. It is always good to go to the temple. We got home and then went to dinner and then nobody would open any doors in the evening.

Wednesday-We had district meeting, and that was a good meeting, but it was another meeting that we had to go to this week and it was obnoxious. Wednesday was our really good day as far as lessons and investigators go. We picked up two new, very promising investigators. First We picked up J.S., he is an awesome man, He is 78 years young, black, and everybody in Moreno Valley knows who he is. We were referred to him by his neighbors and our lesson with him went great. He is reading the Book of Mormon and he Loves it. Our other new investigator is Gilbert H, He is great, he is a Dish Network installation man and he has 3 kids under the age of 5. He is awesome, he so far is keeping his commitments and he is willing to be baptized, the only thing is that he works every Sunday, so we are working with that.

The rest of the week was filled with meetings and nobody letting us in and it wasn't fun. Then Sam, our most promising investigator dropped us and it was sad. That's okay though because it is all going to work out.

Hopefully this week we don't have meetings everyday,

I hope everybody is doing well this week

Elder Bangerter

He included some pictures this week.  :-)

Week 28--January 27, 2014

It has been another crazy week here in Moreno Valley. We unfortunately didn't achieve the Standard of excellence, but that is Okay because we saw many miracles, and we had many great experiences. But first two of the Investigators that I taught in Lasselle got Baptized. It was awesome to go to their Baptismal service.

We had one experience that stands above the rest this week. We are teaching a man named Sam Ifaecho, and Sam is a "Nigerian Prophesier" as Elder Mulcahy calls him. So we have been struggling to have a good lesson with him and he hasn't been very receptive. When we went over on Saturday there was something different about Sam. He left the door unlocked and called from the couch for us to come in, which in his Culture is a gesture and a sign of Acceptance. Then we went in and sat down with him and he told us that he had felt that he needed to listen more and accept the lessons we are teaching. So we go in and we start by reading a chapter in the book of mormon and that chapter just so happened to resolve a lot of his concerns. Then we shared many experiences with him and he shared many with us and he felt the spirit very strong and Prayed about whether or not he should be baptized. We haven't been over there since, but I know what his answer will be.

It has been a great week

Love y'all

Elder Bangerter

Week 27--January 20, 2014

Well it has been a LONG week. My new companion and I get along very well, he's a total redneck and it is awesome. Besides that we really didn't get into too many doors. People wouldn't meet with us. All of our investigators Flaked on us. It was LOADS of FUN.

The New Area Is great though, and It has a lot of potential and a lot of work to be done, I just need to get Elder Mulcahy to believe that, and the members of the ward to believe that. Info that I have found out this week about the ward is, over the past 3 years the ward has had 5 baptisms, and 4 of those have been in the past 3 or so months. It is a very suburban area and a not very humble area, But there are a lot of people who are seeking for the gospel and I know it. I can feel it! I am really excited for what the next few weeks hold because I know that there is a lot of potential, and it may take a while but this can be one of the most productive area's in the mission. Our goal as a zone is every companionship achieve the standard of excellence this week, I am excited because I know that This area can do it, It'll be hard, but I know that it will take some Miracles, but if there is one thing that I've learned it is that Miracles happen. and the Lord helps us out.

I hope everyone is well

Elder Bangerter 

Week 26--January 13, 2014

Well another transfer has come and gone and once again I am getting a new companion. I am getting Transferred to the Hidden Springs ward, which is still in Moreno Valley, just on the other side of the valley. I will be with Elder Mulcahy who just finished being trained. It should be an adventure. I am excited to see what the next six weeks hold. Lots of Miracles will happen this Transfer!

Well this week has been awesome. By far the Highlight of the week was that Sara R, The mom of Brandon, who Elder McConkie and I baptized The first weekend of December, got baptized last night. We had taught her all the lessons, but because of Health issues she couldn't get baptized until now, and when the area split she was in the North area, which was Elder Albright and Elder Noorda's area. But Both Elder McConkie and I got to attend the Baptism. 

But besides that Just another week as a missionary.

I'm excited for this upcoming transfer

I hope all is well with everyone at home

Elder Bangerter