Easter week

Hello everyone,  I hope you all had a wonderful Easter week!

Monday we went to the church and played a bit basketball.  I ended up having to take Elder Clark up to the other valley, that way he could get a quick training on the assistant life, so I would be by myself, so I had to take a missionary from a trio companionship to go with me.  I ended up having to sleep at a different apartment and all, but it's good.

Tuesday I got to help some other elders move all their stuff around and such before making our way up to transfers.  It was good fun.  Got reunited, if you will, with Elder Jensen.  We're going to kill it together in Woodland Hills.  It'll be a sick transfer together again.  We've already had some good times again since being together.  We had a good dinner, with a couple in their 80's.  We also had a good first knockout too.

Elder Mekhaeil and Elder Martin caught up at transfers

Wednesday we had our weekly planning session, before needing to go and help some other missionaries out with moving stuff from their last apartment, which is getting shut down.  Their old apartment smelled like cigarette smoke, weird, right?  Turns out a homeless guy has been breaking in, smoking and taking free showers in there, hahahah. Yes, the police were informed and such.  But isn't that funny?  We were able to have a lesson with Mary Anne as well.  It's really cool to see how much knowledge that she already has, and how much more she is gaining.  It's such a blessing to be a small part of someones progression towards the Savior.

Weekly planning session 

Thursday we had a good district meeting and knockout.  We had another one of the meetings with the mission president, as well as the stake president.  It's cool to see how much the care for those in their stewardship.  Such good examples.

Friday was pretty good.  We had lunch at a place called Claim Jumpers, with the one and only Chris Aubrey!  My second dad from Saugus.  He works here, so he took us to lunch.  It sure was good to catch up with him though.  We were able to visit quite a few people today as well, and had a really good knockout.  Yet to find anyone, but there will soon be some people!  For dinner, we got taken out again, by the older singles group.  We went to Applebee's this time, and then we went and met with some potential investigators, emphasis on potential.  We had a lesson following that, which was cool.

Lunch with the one and only, Chris Aubrey

Saturday we had a lot of open time to go and find the elect.  We decided to try this new thing where when we visit a potential, or a former investigator, or anyone really, we knock 5 doors in each direction.  Then if the person we were visiting isn't interested, we don't just waste the time.  It's been cool to see so far!  We were also able to help Brother Blackstone out a little bit with his plumbing stuff.  (Recently reactivated member who is set on the temple!)  We got to go under his house and talk about the Gospel there too.  He's so positive all the time, even going through some of the worst (or best, however you look at it.) trials I've seen someone go through.

Helping Brother Blackstone

Easter Sunday...one I'll probably never forget.  We had church.  It's always good to reflect and recommit ourselves to live better lives, and apply the Atonement of Jesus Christ in our lives more.  Hearing the primary kids sing in sacrament meeting was really cool as well.  They sang a song call "Gethsemane".  It reminded me, with the kids singing, how we need to become like a child; submissive, meek, humble, etc.  There was no knockout, with it being Easter.  So we made some good visits, and then dinner.  We ate with this couple, who the husband got off his mission in 2012, and they've only been married a couple months.  We had hamburgers, which we think weren't cooked thoroughly, with green tomatoes, and what we think was bad mushrooms.  I learned something from a returned missionary when I was in Burbank.  He told me how in his mission the food was nasty.  But to eat is all, because if he did, it was blessing the people, especially if it was all their food and was a sacrifice.  So we ate it.  It didn't take long before Elder Jensen asked to go to the bathroom, and threw up.  We did not feel well.  The mission nurse told us that if we could, make ourselves throw up...so we had an interesting night, to say the least, haha.  It was good, though.  We were still able to share a quick message with Brother Blackstone as well.

Today we've gotten haircuts so far, and are going to play basketball here shortly.  There's going to be a little surprise lesson tonight too, but I'll explain that and how it goes next week!

I love you all, I miss you all.  You're all wonderful people!

Elder Colby Martin

"The" car 

"Remember that this work is not yours and mine alone.  It is the Lord's work, and when we are on the Lord's errand,
 we are entitled to the Lord's help.  The Lord will shape the back to bear the burden placed upon it."  
Thomas S. Monson