January 18, 2016 - Solvang Ward

Hey All!

So, this week has been super interesting. With the fact that I obviously hurt my ankle last week, but I also ended up getting real sick. Haha. Everything tends to hit you at once, right?

So, Monday we chilled out at a church building with our District. The rest of the week, we tried to make it out to as many people as possible, but weren't able to do much because of the situation. Which is okay! More studying for me and Elder Hubbard! Elder Hubbard is really cool. He is from Riverton, Utah. Youngest of six, and he served a two transfer mission in Ogden before coming to Ventura! He served in Ventura, until he was emergency transferred to be with me! We have a lot of commonalities, the main one being our love of music. So it has been a good and easy transition! 

So. I AM AN UNCLE! Kinda. Not really. We got a call on Wednesday that our investigator, Vanessa, was in the emergency room! HER BABY WAS COMING! Ah. I was so excited, but was too sick to show any emotions. So, we called our District Leader (they were in the hospital that is out of our area, but in everyone else's area...) and they went over with the Spanish Elders, and the Hermanas, and went and saw them and gave Vanessa a blessing before she went in for her c-section! It was awesome, the Hermanas went and sang a song to her and prayed with her and gave her support, and then my two Canadians, Elder Bradley and Elder Jo, went and gave her the blessing! It was great to hear about this, and we got permission to go and we got there just after little Jeremiah was born! We saw him, and Rick was through the roof excited to be a new Dad again! It's brought him and Vanessa closer, and we are really excited for what is in store for them! 

There is a youth here with us right now. His name is Braxton. He wants me to say hi. So he says hi :)

Well, we didn't do much else this week. Being bogged down by the flu and a bum ankle really stinks, but, there's a good scripture that explains what I have thought about this past week! 

"2 For verily I say unto you, blessed is he that keepeth my commandments, whether in life or in death; and he that is faithful in tribulation, the reward of the same is greater in the kingdom of heaven.

 3 Ye cannot behold with your natural eyes, for the present time, the design of your God concerning those things which shall come hereafter, and the glory which shall follow after much tribulation.

 4 For after much tribulation come the blessings.Wherefore the day cometh that ye shall be crowned with much glory; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand.

 5 Remember this, which I tell you before, that you may lay it to heart, and receive that which is to follow.

 6 Behold, verily I say unto you, for this cause I have sent you—that you might be obedient, and that your hearts might be prepared to bear testimony of the things which are to come;

 7 And also that you might be honored in laying the foundation, and in bearing record of the land upon which the Zion of God shall stand;" (Doctrine and Covenants 58:2-7)

Okay, I got your email about my contacts, and I think the prescription is right, it just is supposed to be in "-". My glasses are perfect, but I was looking at my other contacts, and instead of a plus it's a negative as well. Those are my thoughts, because I remember them saying something about a contact lens script. So yeah. 

As far as my ankle goes, everything has seemed to be fine. I am doing physical therapy this week for it, and then I should have this stupid boot off in no time! 

 

Anything else? I am not sure. Oh! We had Zone Meeting this week. And it was good. We are focusing on Preaching Repentance and Baptizing Converts, something that Elder Oaks has told all the Mission Presidents will be the focus of the WorldWide Training on Wednesday! WHICH I AM SO EXCITED FOR. We think they are going to announce some new training videos for us. It's exciting!

Well, I hope that everything is going well! But yeah. I also heard about the football games. How crazy is everything that is going on in the NFL! LA Rams! Maybe we will go to a game. ;)

Have an amazing week! 

Love,

Elder Harvey

January 11, 2016 - Solvang Ward

re:  #curveballs #whoneedsligamentsanyways?

Hey all!

So, you are obviously wondering what the subject means.... I will get to that later. Let's just say, it has been a very interesting week! Sounds like things have been going well at home. Good on Emerson for stepping up yesterday! (at the last minute Bryan's companion speaker couldn't make it so Emerson went in his place) That is awesome. You will find on your mission that you have sudden moments where you have to really step up and get things done. Good prep!

This week was filled with a lot of doctors appointments, and, sadly, an emergency transfer. On Wednesday, we knew that Elder Lamb was going home, and he left Saturday morning. We didn't get out of the apartment very much at all this week, only really for dinner appointments and anything else we can set up while Elder Lamb was feeling able.

On Wednesday night, the young men in our ward invited us to come and play broom hockey with them, and so obviously we did! It's funny to hear "Uh Oh! Here comes the Canadian!" When you walk in! It was a really fun time with them, and they even had some non-members there, so that was awesome!

So, I will spit it out then. Friday, we were saying goodbye to a couple of the youth in the Ward, and we decided to play a little basketball with them! I went up for a lay-up in the first ten minutes or so, and I landed on the side of my foot. Obviously, this always happens, right Dad? Not only that, but someone else landed on top of that foot, while it was sideways on the ground. All I can say is... ow... I wish I had a picture to send, but I forgot my camera at home. It swelled to about three times it's size almost immediately, but naturally, I drove home! So, we got ice and stuff on it, and yeah. I drove to Santa Barbara and back on Saturday morning to pick up my new companion, Elder Hubbard, and no way was I being stuck in the apartment! I bought a brace, and we went to work. Until 6. Because I couldn't...... walk...... haha.

So, all is fine right? Just elevate it and it should be okay. The swelling had gone down and everything should be alright! Nope. Sunday morning, it was MORE BRUISED, and it had swelled up EVEN MORE! So we call Sister Felix, because I couldn't even get my shoe on, and she told me to try and see what you can do, so I wore slippers to church. Oh boy, was that ever a fun Sunday. A Physical Therapist in the ward took a look at it, and said it was probably broken because of all the swelling and bruising (which went up to my toes...) So we were in all day Sunday.

So, resolution now? Kinda? I don't know. We went to Santa Maria this morning to an urgent care, and they took x-rays and apparently nothing is broken. Good news right? Not. Nothing is broken, BUT, I tore almost every ligament on both sides of my ankle. YAY! So, I am in a boot. And I am supposed to try and elevate it as much as possible in the next 2 weeks, and not use it as much as I normally would. He said it is going to take a long time to heal, but it will be okay!

Fun week, eh? :) Oh, so my companion. Another Utah kid. Haha, his name is Elder Hubbard! And we are in Solvang still! So that's good. I was looking forward to getting some work done, but obviously the adversary doesn't want that! Haha. Exactly like you said Dad, Come what may and Love it! I have another talk by Elder Wirthlin that I read a couple weeks ago, and he said "No Matter how dark your Friday is, Sunday will always come." Trials are everywhere, but you just gotta keep going! The Hermanas gave us six referrals of people who they've talked to in our area, and so we are getting ready to contact them and get rocking and rolling again!

Anyways, glad to hear everything is going well! HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM! 27 again this year? Haha. Just kidding. Love you!

Hope you all have an amazing week, and know how much I love all of you!


Love,

Elder Gimpy

January 4, 2016 - Solvang Ward

Hey All!

So, just some quick thoughts.... I read the Chilliwack 2nd Ward Bulletin that is conveniently sent to me every week, saw that Brother Noftle was released as a High Councillor, saw that President McKenzie was Presiding, and immediately assumed that Brother Noftle would be Bishop Noftle now. HOW COOL IS THAT! Dang, he is going to kill it in that new calling, same with Brother Nelson and BroMac. What a powerhouse Bishopric! I really am sad to hear that Bishop Guenther was released, he helped me a lot and his counselors as well! Exciting time for everything back at home! :) Did the 1st Ward get changed up too?

So, this week has been pretty... interesting. It's tough, it was a tough week. Not much has happened this week. We went and saw the "cane lady," and beforehand I was looking through the area book, to see if this lady was a Former Investigator, and she was! Liz had been "dropped" about six or seven times prior, and yeah. So we went to see her one day, and she wasn't really interested. At all. Anyways, this past week was also transfers, and you will never believe who is in my district now. His name is Elder Jo, and he is companions with Elder Bradley! And where is he from? Toronto of course!!!! Kinda awesome. There are three Canadians in our District now. The running joke is that we are taking over now. Tell Emerson to get sent to California Ventura!!! :) 

We had a couple lessons with Christie this past week, and she is still really struggling with the Word of Wisdom. BUT, she has committed to make some awesome progress this next few weeks. Her baptismal date is for February, but if she doesn't stop everything with the WOW by January 16, we are going to have to set it back a bit. We will see what happens! 

Also, something else kinda cool happened. We went to go and see Dania on Saturday Morning, and she was getting into her Ford Raptor as we drove by her house, so we stopped and talked with her and set up an appointment for Monday night. So we both drove away, and we stopped beside each other at the first stop light, and she rolled down her window and asked us if we had had lunch yet, which we said no, and she said to follow her and then zoomed off. So we followed her, completely convinced that she was leading us to our death, when she suddenly turned into the Marriott Hotel in Buellton, and so we parked and went in, and she took us down these stairs and went into the restaurant, and everyone welcomed her. It was like she was a superstar. She sat us down, paid for our lunch, and left. It was hilarious! So that was fun.

We've been in the apartment a lot this week so I'm taking the opportunity to transfer my seminary scriptures into my quad! Trying to be as productive as possible!  

Anyways, glad to hear everyone is doing well! This New Year is going to be a good one! I set a goal (again) to lose some weight. Obviously. It might be hard when people like Bonnie and Virginia send me money up the whazoo, (THANK YOU!)  but I will try to make it below 290 by the end of the year, and STAY at under that weight for November and December. It will be fun!

I like Dad's New Year's Resolution a lot. (to be more charitable and Christ-like) I did a in-depth study of Chapter 6 in PMG in October and November, and I think that doing so makes us realize how much more Christlike I need to be.  We have been learning and trying to do better with correction in our mission, and the thing that is pivotal in effective and meaningful correction is something that I have already mentioned, and that is LOVE! Doctrine and Covenants 121. We are supposed to reprove each other with sharpness, because we all need correction, but what is supposed to happen while doing it? An increase of love! 

Anyways, have an amazing week! We are supposed to get a bunch of rain this week, and so we are definitely excited for that! Excited and scared. California is supposed to get wrecked by this El Nino. I love you all, and I hope that you all are able to have an awesome time celebrating Mom's Birthday on Sunday! Wednesday, there should be a letter at the PO Box :) 

Love you all!

Elder Harvey :) 

PS: Oh hey, I forgot to mention that! We had dinner with a recent convert family, and she went online and bought me a jacket from target with my gift card!! (THANK YOU AUNT TARA!)  So I should be getting that soon :)