Elder Ward

This is me and Elder Moreno with Sister Cheung and Sister Hintze, A pair of couple missionaries, and the Taai family (far right and in the middle with the pink). He was a former temple president here in Hong Kong.

Elder Ward is currently based in the Tolo Harbour area, much closer to mainland China than any of his other areas. He is serving as zone leader and is training Elder Moreno, who is from Puerto Rico. According to his last several letters he is incredibly busy and incredibly tired and incredibly happy!

He will return to SLC on Friday April 6 at 9 pm (Delta #2332). His homecoming is set for Sunday April 15 at 9am in the Grandview Third Ward, 2930 South 20th East, with a light breakfast at the house following sacrament meeting. We would love to have you welcome him home.

Steve's home!

Elder Litton

This email came to Scott's family this week. Here are some excerpts:

I got surprising call yesterday... President Pingree called and gave me some sad news... Im moving areas. Im going to be in the English Program serving in a singles ward. haha. It will be interesting. And i guess the Lord wanted to pull a fast one on me and call me as an assistant to the President. Yep... a lagre change none the less. I really am going to miss the amazing families we have been teaching but they will be in good hands. The missionary who is taking my place is amazing and well.. its just feels right. These families will be in good hands and if all goes right ill be coming back to see them get baptised. Thats the goal.

When president pingree called me he told me he had been praying a lot to see who should full the opening as assistant and my name just keep coming to mind. To hear that made me feel a little better. I guess the Lord knows where he wants me to be no matter how i feel about it. Im just gonna trust him and do my best... thats all i can really do. It a big responsibility though. Having all 200 missionaries look at me as an example puts a lot of weight on my shoulders.... but i know ill learn a lot from it. SO... im going to be grateful and take advantage of this opportunity. We shall see.....

Lots of stuff happened this week. First off.. la familia Violante came to church...YES!!! i was stoked out of my mind grapes.

the best night was probably when we decided to help Edith out (the mom) and buy a really good dinner for their family. She usually has to cook for her family and pick everyone up from work and school after a long day at work making air filters on a assembly line and starting at 3am. So she is always exhausted... but just so happy and kind... always inviting us in. Anyways, we brought them over some pupusas (pretty much thick tortillas with cheese or beans of meat inside) which were amazing and they loved them. We just talked about Honduras and had a good time and after had an amazing lesson about Faith... and how we show our faith. Thats when they decided to come to church... like this time for real. He has always wanted to but this time it was a legit YES...and they came and it was awesome. We had a huge scare when they were there because our Bishop (who is just a really different guy) took them into his office on their way to class. I was so nervous because it was their first time and thats a little awkward... but it ended up being ok. They talked about marriage and the temple and nothing crazy happened. I was just glad that bishop didnt make them join the cult..haha.

Also another miracle this week. So if yall remember Rueben Juarez, that 18 year old who we were teaching a while ago but got pulled over with possession of weed and went to jail, we actually had the chance to visit him the other day in immigration. It was wierd... we were just driving home from the temple and i felt randomly that i needed to call president pingree and ask permission to go and visit him in the jail. The jail is pretty far out of our area so i wasnt sure what he would say. So... he said yes. When we got there he was so excited to see us. He told me that he had is court that day and was going to be deported in a matter of hours. MIRACLE. We were able to get him a Book of Mormon to take with him and when he held it it ws like he was holding gold. We talked for like an hour and he told me that he had been going to all the other services in the jail, catholic, Methodist, Baptist... and he said im not the biggest fan. I WANT TO BE MORMON. and when i come back i want you to baptise me. I was pretty stoked on that. It made me feel like i actually made a difference with this kid.

I went on exchanges this week and we went and had lunch at a retirement home. To be honest it was really nice. We meet a guy there who is less active but still has a strong testimony....But pretty much he the retirement home ladys man. haha. He would wink at all the old ladys and say HEY BABY and hit they in the bum with his cane. Way funny guy. I had liver and onions for lunch. I thought i would take in the culture of the place and eat old people food...haha.
Man... the mission is a good thing. I couldnt be doing anything better.

Y'all have a good one.

Elder Litton

Elder Pinnock

This photo is of an entire family he finished baptizing this week - Dad, Mom, 2 daughters and Grandma and Grandpa. The Morales Estrada family.

Elder Aaron Johnson

Dear Family,

Since i just barely talked to you yesterday i will keep this brief! First off it was really good to talk to all of you! I really enjoyed hearing you voices! Sounds like things back home are going really well. It was fun to speak with you! It was the best Christmas present ever! I really liked all the ties that i got. Thanks for them! I am actually wearing Margot and Robs tie that they sent me. it was funny cause when I came out with their tie on a missionary told me "wow elder johnson that tie reminds me of DR. Mario!!!" It was pretty funny cause this is a tie from Robs mission and he called it his medicine tie and when he was feeling down he would wear that tie and it would make him feel better. Its true - it looks like a bunch of pills on this tie...awesome!!

Well Rebecca got baptized on Friday and will be confirmed this upcoming Sunday (she went out of town and wasnt able to make it to church)...Ty was baptized this past Saturday and was confirmed by elder Wilson. I got to baptize both of them which was really cool!! I was really nervous and i almost dropped Rebecca! but at the last minute i grabbed her by the back of the jumpsuit and with my strong unbelieveable rippling muscles saved the day (that last part was made up....but i really did almost drop her) Ty's baptism went alot smoother! afterwards i asked him how he felt...he said it just felt like he had a clear mind and everything made sense to him. Then he told me about his dad and how he wasn't really around for him when he was growing up...which forced Ty to live with his grandma (who is very religious in the navajo beliefs) then when he was older his dad came back into his life and helped him even more to accept the navajo beliefs. And then when his dad passed away 5 months ago from colon cancer and we came to his door...he said everything has just fallen into place. It was cool to see him recognize how the Lord has prepared him to accept the restored gospel! He said that "my dad would accept this too!" It was really cool to hear him bear his testimony. I feel very blessed to be able to be apart of his conversion. I love that family. they are awesome.

Well this morning we did our usual Monday call in to president taylor...and he told us that we finished out the year with 1024 baptism for 2011!!!! and he is anticipating that 2012 will also be a very strong and successfull year also. I am grateful to be serving here in this mission...i wouldn't have it any other way. i love phoenix arizona!

Well i will let you go. but thanks for making my Christmas on the mission a great one!!! Love you all and wish you happy new year.

Love Elder Aaron Johnson

Elder Litton

Nick in Scott's room - they're related now, you know.

Oh hey fellow participants in this here journey we call life....
So... crazy week. BIG changes and BIG blessings. A week of suprises.... bitter sweet.

First off... i recieved a call from President Pingree on friday. It started out as a normal advise for my district for transfers kind of call... He was worried about a few people and a few assignments but we talked about things and got stuff worked out. I asked about a few of our investigators and some of the problems or issues getting in the way of baptism it was good. Right when i was about to tell him hasta luego he was like.... there is one more thing. I need you to be a Zone Leader. Yep... that was a shock. Im training a new missionary right now and with the new program we were pretty much promised that we would be together for 2 transfers so i was 99 percent sure i was staying... i guess the Lord had a different idea. It was a hard assignment to say yes too... i mean.. i love my greenie companion and we have like 10 baptisms coming up... the area is bumpin. I love the branch, love the people here and was sure i was staying to finally see the fruits of all my hard work come to pass.... i worked sooo hard here. I sort of froze when he said that and really didnt know what to say. I told him he was asking for something really hard... i really wanted to stay to see all this play out. All these people getting baptised know me... i felt like i needed to be there for them. So i explained all of that to him and he was like i need you to do this. We are opening up a new zone (pretty much a mega zone with 2 combined...HUGE) and i need you there to do it. I feel very strongly that this is where you need to be. I know President Pingree and i know he really prays about these things until he receives confirmation from the Lord. So well... i accepted. Ya.. it was hard. My companion will now be in a trio (a group of three missionaries) with the other spanish missionaries in Conroe and they will just combine the areas. The good thing is i really do trust him.. he is an amazing missionary.. still working on spanish obviously but the other spanish missionaries that he will be with will have his back... they are way legit too. So at least im leaving all these people in good hands... still worried about it but the Lord knows what happening way better than i do... as i prayed i just felt him telling me..."Trust Me". So.. i will. Im going to Houston...the city. Gangs... Guns... graffiti... and lots of apartments im i guess im supposed to be leading a mega zone down there. No idea what the Lord was thinking when he made that decision... haha. I just gonna do what ive been best at my whole mission... "Fake it 'till i make it". We will see how that works out.

Anyways... enough of that and right to the good stuff. So... starting with Sandy. Its been a crazy week with her. She changed her own date to sooner... for the 25th of this month. Then the next day she wasn't nearly as excited.... then she got sick... than this than that... Roller Coaster... but finally knowing she was ready just planned for someone to come up for the interview anyway. She did not think she was ready... so nervous. Doubting herself. But we helped her get to church and during one of our classes had her interview. I have never been so nervous for someone on my whole mission... or even longer. I was just waiting outside praying... it was long. i heard bit and pieces but didnt know the verdict... well.... SHE PASSED!!! we were soo stoked. I have never worked harder to help someone with something in my whole life... especially something this important. I was just happy... so happy for her. We were taking her back to class with her little baby and she stoped me right before and was like... i need to tell you something.... i want you to baptise me. So im coming back next sunday to baptise Sandy... Im so stinkin stoked that it all worked out. Now we just got to make it all happen this week. Well.. i only got a few days... just got to keep her strong. Satan works hard in this super important week... got to keep him out of there.

We also had 3 other interviews this week... Diego, Gabby, and Rafael. Dulce Marias kids. There solid... especially Rafael. They all passed and will all be baptised next Sunday also. Im so excited for them. They have all told us they have noticed such a change in there home... They say it just feels good. Thats called the Gospel of Jesus Chirst. Its a good train... get on it. I love that family soo much. The Mom, Dulce Maria, is what you would call one of the elect. Just so excited to be a member of Christs church... telling all her friends... im a mormon. Love it.

Also Consuelo has a date for October 9th to be baptised and Margarit is still moving along to be baptised also on the 9th. More good things. Tons of others on the way...But im leaving, oh well.

Cecilia finally had her appointment with the Lawyer... we worked so hard to make that happen. She just needs to qualify for a few things and she will be divorsed in about 3 months. Praying it all goes smoothly. Now her Boyfriend Luis is getting a lot more interested... i think this might be how it was meant to be.

It was supposed to sort of be confidential that i was leaving because were supposed to find out on Tuesday but i told Sandy and well i didnt think it through and we had a branch party and well... now everyone knows. They asked me to bear my testimony in Church and the whole 9 yards... it was hard. Cecilia started crying... i had to hold back tears, haha. She prayed in one of the classes and thanked our Heavenly Father for me because i brought her the gospel... Man. Best paycheck i could have ever got. Sandy almost started crying and well... im sad to leave. I love these people. Its amazing how much this gospel can change these so called strangers lives.... and now i can say there some of my closest friends. Love this branch. Worked my tail off to help it grow... even had missionary meetings with all the members so that they could start to help make their little branch into a Ward... i guess its not a little branch anymore. We had a Fiesta Latina on saturday... Way fun and so good for all the investigators we brought. Everyone brought food from the different countries (Mexico, Honduras, Puerto Rico....ect)... so good. I love food. Especially this food. Not to good on the body but whatever.

Anywho... wow, long email. Lots of random stuff. Lots of stuff happening. I dont know how this next week is going to turn out... probably really busy. To whoever read this whole thing you must really care about me. Thanks. haha. Yall have a nice one.

Elder Litton

Elder Pinnock

Another week has gone by like dust in the wind again. Speaking of dust, this week has been super windy and dusty which has made my shirt collars the dirtiest they have ever been.

Anyway, this week has been really neat. We helped the other missionaries with two baptisms this past Sunday and we are excited because we should be having one baptism this week too. Guillermina is doing great and is super excited to be baptized, she is the perfect investigator. We have found some good new people too. We had to drop a few people this past week too because they just don’t do anything. It’s sad that they just won’t progress in the gospel.

The members are great to work with. Brother Marcos fell off a ladder and landed on his head and has this huge gash with stitches and everything. The stitches were done terribly. He has a hard time remembering stuff. We visited him a couple of times this week but he forgets that we even visit him. He has a good attitude about everything though and we call him Carlos just to make him think he has forgotten his name. The doctors say that the brain problem is only temporary and that he should be as good as new in a few weeks.

I love being a missionary, you get to serve people and do good things all day. Teaching, finding, sweating, studying, serving and praying a ton. It all seems way too normal now and I am really scared to even think about where I am going to be in a year from now. I don’t think I will be able to stop being a missionary without feeling sick inside. It is kinda scary how life can change.