Cardiff Christmas

Over the last week had been really busy. We have been working hard. Inviting everyone we come in contact with to the Del Mar Christmas Concert. It is so great to invite people to. When we start talking to people we say "Hi How are you we are the missionaries." At that point they usually cut us off and say they are not interested and shut us down. Then our response is usually a friendly , "Have a nice day!" However over the last few weeks when they say that they aren't interested we have been able to say, "Oh we are just inviting everyone to a community Christmas Concert, it is going to be a great time. It really gets everyone in the Christmas spirit." Surprisingly their response suddenly changes and then they say "OK, I can do that." or "Sounds Great." If only that was their response to us inviting them to learn more about the gospel and help them achieve eternal life. If only right. That would make it to easy. But I would not mind.

Last Tuesday we found out that the C's are moving to Georgia. Apparently they already have a house there and they are moving in a week. We were shocked. They are trying to keep it on the down low. They don't want anyone to find out that they are moving. We had just barely got their records into our ward. Now they have to find a new spot where they don't have to worry about being tracked down by the missionaries. At least that is what it seems like.

Wednesday night we went with the young men and women in the ward caroling to people in the ward. We got on a huge trailer that Bishop T pulled behind his truck singing the great Christmas classics. Rudolph the red nosed reindeer, Away in a Manger, you name it we sang it. Unfortunately we were probably the only ones singing. They caroling was in the poor to fair range. I think everyone was too cold in the 55 degree weather here. So Cold! It has been Cold this entire week. It has dropped down into the low 50's so we all had to pull our sweaters out to stay warm. The cold is different here. It is a wet cold that I am not used to.

Sunday we had dinner with the F's, P's, and a bunch of other people in the ward, at our ward mission leader Brother J's house. We invited them to have dinner with us and then go to the stake Christmas Concert right after. Everyone had a great time. The Christmas Concert was absolutely incredible. They had an amazing choir, orchestra, and atmosphere. The spirit was amazing. I am sure everyone that was there was touched. Music is an incredible way to get into the Christmas spirit.

Another way we have been getting in the Christmas spirit is by decorating our room. We have put up lights, mini Christmas trees. We have even gone so far as to hooking up the lights to the one and only clapper. So when we clap our hands the lights come on. Two claps for the Christmas lights going around the ceiling of the room and three claps for the Christmas trees. It is awesome, we have way to much fun with it. 

Love Elder Paget

Cardiff Thankstuffing

We had a busy week this week. We had three Thanksgiving dinners. It was awesome because the holiday season and the plentiful supply of food. We decided to use this to our advantage and have a little fun. Elder S, Elder R, Elder A, and I all decided to have a competition to see who could gain the most weight in one week. The winner or gainer would get a customized surf board bench with a plaque.

 It all started off with the Weigh in after dinner at the P's home last Sunday night. Then during the week we stuffed our selves until we could not eat anymore every meal we had. We even got shakes in between the meals to try to pack on a few more pounds. We also did our best to get the least amount of exercise as possible. We did everything in our power to make sure we would win. Then we found ourselves once more at the P home for dinner yesterday. Since it was fast Sunday yesterday we had not eaten all day and were worried that it might be our downfall. Luckily the weight in wasn't until after dinner so we ate as much as we possibly could to make one last push. Then after the ice cream and the almond brownies it was time for the moment of truth. We all weighed in the same order we weighed in last Sunday. I weighed in first a nervously emptied my pockets and took off my shoes. Then I hopped on the scale. To my surprise I weighed exactly the same as I did the week before. I was shocked. I had worked so hard to add some weight but it was in vain. Elder S was next. He weighed in and he lost some weight. Then it was Elder A turn. He gained 1.6 pounds in a single week. Crazy. Last but not least was Elder R. He hopped on the scale and weighed in 1.2 pounds heavier than the week before. Elder A Won the contest and now is the victor of the First Annual Cardiff Thankstuffing. Now we decided to see how much weight we can loose by Christmas Eve when we have dinner once again at the P home. Luckily I don't have any extra baggage from the last week that is holding me down from me winning this next challenge. Missionaries just got to have fun!

Some other exciting news this week is that we set a baptismal date with J, our 93 year old investigator. She is working towards being baptized on December 13. It will definitely take some work considering she has dementia. However it is our job as missionaries to invite EVERYONE to come unto Christ. Even 93 year old ladies with dementia that thinks we are Jehovah's Witnesses. 

Thanksgiving was great! We started off the day with a exciting Turkey Bowl game. There was lot of people there, and lots of fun. Unfortunately my team didn't win. Maybe next year? Then we had to quickly run back to the Anderson's shower and run to a district meeting. After the district meeting we had lunch at Subway. Later it was the time we (all the Cardiff missionaries) had been waiting for ever since the turkey was invented. The meal above all meals. Thanksgiving dinner. We had a wonderful time at the C home. We had a traditional thanksgiving meal with a few Mexican additions. Such as rice and beans. After we had a game of real life angry birds and a spiritual message. It could not have been any better. 

On Friday we got a call from a former investigator that goes by the name Father K.  He told us that he wanted to come to church and be baptized. He said that he talked with a member on thanksgiving and felt the spirit and knew that he needed to be baptized, and that we could help him. We were shocked. We didn't know what to do. We told him that we would save him a seat at church and talk to him some more then. However when Sunday rolled around he didn't show up. Hopefully we will be able to come into contact with him soon.

Thanksgiving is always such a great time of the year. It is a time we have to reflect on all the blessings our Heavenly Father has given us. I am so grateful for our Savior Jesus Christ paying the price and suffering for us so that we would not have to. Because of his infinite sacrifice we are " And ye are still indebted unto him, and are, and will be, forever and ever;therefore, of what have ye to boast?" Mosiah 2:24  Now we have the opportunity this Christmas season to reach out and to help those in need. To help slowly but surely repay a small portion of that debt we owe to him for everything he has given us. I would encourage you to do 

Elder Paget

6 More Weeks of Summoning Aliens

Well I have good news. I am not being transferred. So I will be staying in Cardiff for at least 6 more weeks, up to my 6 month mark. I am so glad I don't have to pack up and move. I love it here in Cardiff and I could not think of any area that could be better than this. But than again I have not been in any other area other than while I was on exchanges. So this is all that I know. I am glad to still have Elder A as my companion. He is a great missionary and a great example to me. He has taught me how to have fun while doing missionary work.

 

Things have still be slow but we might have found another new investigator to teach. His name is A, he has been a potential investigator for some time. We have stopped by a few times before but it didn't go any where. He told us that he has been praying for a miraculous event. We told him that we don't need angels to come down to us or witness miracles for us to know something is true or to strengthen our testimony. We need faith. If we knew there would be not point in this life. There would be not agency. We told him that Joseph Smith and how he saw Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. That is what sparked his interest and he wants to know more. At the time we were unable to talk with him because we were late to dinner, but we plan on going back and sharing what we know to be true.

 

Another cool thing this week is that we talked with balloon guy. Friday night we were by his house and noticed that he was in his back yard working on his next balloon extravaganza. I said to Elder Adams that we have to go talk to him and see what the balloons in the sky were all about. I was not going to be transferred without talking with balloon guy. It wasn't going to happen. We walked closer and saw him attaching an assortment of bright flashing lights to 15 huge black balloons. We walked closer and were standing right by his fence when Elder Adams said, "Cool Balloons you got there guy's." He didn't respond and after a few awkward seconds balloon lady, balloon mans partner in crime answered. "Yea they are cool, but they are cooler in the sky. We will be putting them up in just a little while." That is when Elder A asked " What are they for?" Balloon Lady then responded, "It is to make people happy." Elder A and I both looked at each other with confusion and thought are they on drugs. Then Elder A said, " Don't mind us we are just going to watch it over here."  We stood there as they let the balloons float into the night sky.  We still think that they are trying to hide something. So we still stand at the same conclusion. They are summoning Aliens. Luckily I still have 6 more weeks to see if they can succeed. To be Continued...

 

 

Elder Paget