7/29/13

Dear family,  

To explain a little about the references in our dear elder's letter, you might need to know a couple of things I wrote in my letter.  I told Elder Ranquist about the Homecoming of Elder Eve which was so beautiful.  I also let him know about the bridal shower I went to for Hannah White.  She's getting married August 2nd in the Louisville Temple so we are going to miss the reception.  (Hannah said she was so touched that when she made the appointment for her wedding, dad was the one who answered and got it all set up for her).  The Young Women sent off a goodie box to Jonathan and I asked him if he had sent a thank you note.  I told him about how Sister Hill stopped me in the temple on Wednesday to tell me how she loved the thank you note she got from Drake and Emily.  She said that she is saving it to show her kids what to do when they get married (so great job Emily!).  And to the final reference of washy washy, happy happy.  When Dad, Jonathan and I went on the cruise during spring break (three weeks before the BP oil spill) there was this great big Jamaican guy who made sure that everyone used hand sanitizer before going in to the eating area by saying that phrase.  His smile was enormous and his personality was even bigger.  We loved him and will never forget him!

So, now you understand it all.  

Love you all so much!!!

Mom

Jonathan's Letter

I always love hearing what is going on. It's so nice to see you are doing well! Transfer calls were Saturday. I'm staying in the same area with Elder Ryan. Elder Bishop flies home on Wednesday so it will just be down to the two of us. It’s weird to think that I am in the top 50% of missionaries who've been out the longest in our mission. I know I've been extremely blessed that I've had a trainer that had been out for a long time and was focused and how my second companion has been out a long time and I have been able to learn from him as well. I notice a lot of new missionaries coming out won't have that chance to be trained by missionaries with so much experience as I was able to.

We had interviews with the mission president this week and he told me that if you aren't training this transfer you can pretty much count on it next transfer. Because, although we are getting more missionaries this transfer, less are leaving, but next transfer a lot more are leaving so we’re going to need more people replacing them.

Anyway, I was given the opportunity this week to give the lesson for Sunday school. I gave it on lesson 27 Work and Personal Responsibility. As I was preparing for this, I thought a lot about how I have been blessed by being able to work so much before my mission. Whether it’s chores or a paid job I've always had work to do. I think the lesson went well. I had an activity in the beginning which got everyone focused and a lot of people participated who usually don't during the class so I was satisfied with it. Glad its over though :).

I had been thinking about writing a thank you card back and I think I will, but the only time we are able to write letters to anyone is on pdays and our pdays are full of things to do (especially today because Elder Bishop has to pack and ship off all of his stuff to send home. And Elder Ryan and I are moving into a new apartment. It’s weird we’re moving into a new apartment which is further away from our area, but still have the same area. It’s because some Spanish elders are moving into our apartment and they have to be closer to their area because they are on bike. In a way I'm glad I'm not on bike but I do enjoy having a car (and this transfer I'll be the driver instead of Elder Bishop so that makes me happy as well :).

It’s so weird Hannah is getting married.. I don't know what to think about that. Anyway I don't have to worry about that for a long time =)

Hope you have a appended time on your trip!

Remember washy washy, happy happy!

Love,

Elder Ranquist

New Missionaries

Here is a little part of the letter all the missionaries received this week from our mission president. The one thing that scares me is my companion is the district leader and he is going home at the end of the transfer. So this applies to me. 

Dear Missionaries,

I have started working on transfers, and this is going to be a major effort from just about everyone. We have three missionaries who were new just two weeks ago, and at transfer we will get 31 permanent missionaries and 7 visa waiters. Then a couple of weeks later we will get three more. That is 44 missionaries. As if that weren't enough, by time those 44 are all here, we will have one half of our mission who have been out four transfers or less. Yes half the mission will be new missionaries.

The Lord told the early saints "For of him unto whom much is given much is required;" We have been given the opportunity to be part of this great hastening of the work, but it requires much. Almost everyone will be making some kind of sacrifice. Leaving loved companions and wards, training when you are not through your own training, being ask to take a leadership assignment when you feel very inadequate yourself. Opening a new area that you have never seen.

I guess I am a little afraid of being one of those who are picked to be a district leader and trainer, but it is really exciting to see how much the work is hastening. 

Anyway, this week has been pretty slow. We weren't able to have a lot of teaching opportunities and the ones we had set up sometimes fell through. All of our investigators we have are really flaky. They don't keep the commitments we give then so they don't progress as well. The ones that do keep our commitments get hammered by Satan and change their minds. I think there has been a hastening of the work on both sides. Another thing our Mission president is focusing on is faith. I know by faith anything can happen. Our mission is going to accelerate in its work. I'm so excited to be out at this time.

I love you and hope you will continue to have a great time and be safe!

Love,

Elder Ranquist

July 15th, 2013

Pictures!!!

 . Taken while I was cleaning the kitchen, showing how I've made it a goal to start a habit of cleaning.(for off the mission as well)

 . A picture of our feet right after we got brand new carpets in our apartment. About to take our first step.

 Us on the 4th of July wearing our Red,White,and Blue

 Our district at a put put golf place.

  Our district in zone meeting wearing all green.

This week I went on a 48 hour exchange. I had to lead the area as a part of a leadership training. The mission president picks missionaries to prepare/ be better leaders. As a part of that training, we had to lead our areas for 48 hours. It was fun, a little scary but fun. We were able to see miracles in our area. I'm fearful, since this is my companion’s last transfer, that I will have to take over in this area, but oh well, I'll go and do the things the Lord commands.

I did get the package from the Young Women. I really enjoyed it! Thank you so much.

I just found out that the missionary dress and grooming standards are changing. And, our mission is not authorizing back packs anymore. So I'm going to have to find a way to get a shoulder bag. I have to find out more about that, but they are allowing sandals which is super funny. I'm so excited, missionary work is changing so rapidly. I think our mission is going to be one of the first ones to start doing online missionary work. Our mission usually is chosen to start new programs like that. One example is our mission was the pilot mission for tiwi boxes in the mission cars to track the odometer and things of the car. I'm excited. They said they will start using the new program near the end of the year.

I'm so excited to be a missionary at this time. It’s so great to see the changes and grow the work of the Lord is undertaking.

Love,

Elder Ranquist

Growing Lessons

I think this week has been pretty long. We had a lot of shaky lessons, but we had a lot of growing experiences as well.

One thing that has been very apparent to me since I've been on my mission is obedience brings blessings. My trainer was very obedient, he had the reputation with other missionaries as being extremely obedient. My companion now is very obedient as well. I have been very blessed with having great companions. I have seen other missionaries and their areas when they are disobedient and I see a drastic change. I've personally seen how keeping the commandments can bless our lives.

An update on our golden investigator Tasha. We had a good but bad week with her. We met Thursday and had one of the best lessons with her. Our member started talking about how it says in the bible "other sheep which are not of this fold I will go see" and how he was talking about how He was going to go to the Americas. We flipped to the book of Mormon were it says "you are the other sheep" in 3 Nephi 15:21. As she started to read that she began to cry and barely was able to finish. She said she could feel butterflies in her chest and had never felt that way before. She said she had been waiting for this answer for almost 30 years and she finally received it! This was on the 4th of July. We were so happy. Bad news is her mom received news she was "studying with the Mormons." She flew out the next day from Florida to talk with her. Her mom is in her late 70's and wants Tasha to sign her house and car over to her. She says her mom is worried about family assets. We are planning to meet with Tasha on Wednesday (because her mom flies home Tuesday) and see how she is doing. She's interested in receiving a blessing. She's just super awesome but these family circumstances aren't going well.

Anyway more good news, we had 3 investigators come to fast and testimony meeting with us this week. These people are awesome as well! One is turning 19 this month, her fiance is 19, and her little brother's about 14. They ask so many questions and want to know. We're going to see them this evening at the visitor center.

I'm having a great time out here!

Love,
Elder Ranquist

Book of Mormon

I had such a great week this week!! It's been so amazing, full of miracles and fun experiences. This week I finished reading the Book of Mormon for the first time on my own. I took Moroni's challenge and prayed about it after I finished it. I know the Book of Mormon is true. I could feel the spirit testify "It is true" in my heart. As I prayed, I was overcome by this sense of happiness. My whole body erupted in warmth and comfort. My heart was beating out of my chest. I know the Book of Mormon is true! 

We also had a miracle happen to us this week. We have a new investigator named Tasha. She was on the airplane coming home from something and she sat next to a member or a branch presidency in the MTC named Bro. Nielsson. It’s weird how he said he spells it with two s's. He is super missionary focused so he started talking to her about the church. She said the day before she was going to get on the plane she was praying to have guidance and have Christ more in her life and this man answered her prayers. He set up a time for the Visitor Center and contacted us. We had a great lesson and showed her some of the kiosks there. She agreed to meeting with us three times a week, reading the Book of Mormon and the pamphlets we give her and coming to church (which she did). This lesson was on Wednesday. We had another lesson with her on Saturday where we met at the church building. Gave her a tour of the church, and invited her to be baptized on August 3rd. She said she would. We followed up on how her reading has been going. We only gave her the assignment of reading a part of 3 Nephi, when Christ comes to the Americas, but she said she read 3 Nephi went back into the intro and read all of that, read all of 1Nephi and was half way through 2Nephi and says she wants to reread it again! She is awesome we love her! We have a member who loves to help and she was with her all of church and had a great experience, was even crying during part of sacrament meeting. Had 2 great talks that we loved. It turned out fanominal (phenomenal)! The Bro. Nielsson was super excited. Told us he's buying tickets to fly his whole family out for the baptism and going to take everyone out to dinner. It’s so fun! Meeting with her tonight at the VC again and teach the Plan of Salvation and go through some more Kiosks there. We gave her the pamphlet, which she most likely did read. Sadly, the end of July is transfers, so I hope we don’t get transferred. One of my Companions, Elder Bishop, is going home so he's going to have to find a way to get back here for the baptism.

We had a lot of lessons this week so it seemed like it flew by. Still excited for Madeleine, our other investigator with a baptismal date, but we haven't been able to meet her and she didn't come to church because a relative passed away. Invited another one of our investigators to be baptized and he said he would think about it. Found 5 new investigators this week. It’s been great!

We have heard a few things about the proposition 8 thing but not a lot. Sounds sad.

Another blessing we have though, is our carpets are being replaced! It is really really bad from about 15 years of missionary use I’m guessing, so we’re really excited about that! We have to move everything that is on the carpets to a place off the carpet (like the kitchen and the bathroom) by tomorrow morning. I'm going to have to take some pictures, before-during- and after. It’s going to be a miracle. We have a huge table, 3 beds and lots of just... things. It’s going to be an adventure! Hopefully soon we get a new car :D I think we have the oldest one. I just heard Berkeley just got a brand new car so it’s not a bike area any more. 

By the way I did love the package. The journals are great. Thank you so much! I do still want to be a fire fighter one day. But I really am open. I'm not limiting myself to that one career just yet, but right now that's the one I’m leaning towards. By the way I think it would be super fun if I could do something like what Tyler is doing after my mission for a few months or something. 

I've had a GREAT week this week!

Love,

Elder Ranquist

Missionary Broadcast

I always look forward to seeing your emails. I can really see the blessings the Lord has given us. It makes me happy to know everyone is doing well. I also like to hear about your missionary work. It’s so exciting! I loved the broadcast as well! Talked a lot about member missionary work and the ward. Exciting to hear about the changes they will start implementing.

This week has been a slow week for missionary work. Most of our appointments fell through and we had to postpone another baptismal date. She has not been keeping her commitments, reading the Book of Mormon and coming to church. She still has a problem with drinking Tea and smoking that she doesn't want to give up either so it’s pretty hard. But, on the other side, we were able to have Madeleine, our investigator with a baptism date for July 27th, come with us to church for the second time this Sunday so that’s exciting. We were talking last lesson on preparing for baptism and she said "I know I have to make changes and keep those changes or else there's no point in getting baptized. Some things that I want to never do is drinking, smoking, and gambling, I don't think those are good things to do." We were so happy to hear her say that. 

Love Elder Ranquist