This Night I Pray

This last week was a bit crazy with my new responsibilities, but I am doing very well. The people here are amazing and they have really made my transition from Fairfield to Davis/Woodland a good one. I learned a lot this past week, and being a district leader and a trainer is really stretching me. We have been working hard and now I am just used to always being tired; but I am the happiest I have ever been in my life. I am training a new missionary named Elder Lopez. I have to share his first and middle name with you because his full name is Angel Moroni Lopez. How legit is that?!! He was born in Guatemala and has lived here in the U.S. for the past nine years or so. He is golden ... just like the statues of the Angel Moroni on almost all the temples of our Lord. He is probably the most humble man I have ever met. I am his trainer but I really feel like he is training me. He is soft spoken and has connected so well with the people here. His testimony is so pure and fresh. My Spanish is really taking off because he is a native speaker and almost always talks to me in Spanish. I love him. He has this energy that I cannot describe and wants to talk to everyone, which is amazing. He motivates me to do even more. We are getting along really well together and we have such a beaming vision for this area. It was a cool experience the first night I met him because, in that first moment he bore his testimony, I knew we were going to be together as companions.

At first, the thought of starting up a new area, having to train a new missionary and being a district leader gave me a lot of anxiety.  I didn't want to let anyone down and I felt inadequate at times. So one night this last week I got down on my knees and prayed. I asked with all the sincerity of my heart for comfort and guidance from my Heavenly Father. An overwhelming feeling of comfort filled me. I had complete confidence in myself and trust in my Heavenly Father that everything was going to be okay. I think it is so wonderful that we can always pray. We can pray anywhere or anytime we want or need to … and our Heavenly Father wants to hear from us. He is just like our earthly father. He wants to know how we are doing and he wants to help us. Praying is simple and prayer is the way we build a special relationship with our Father in Heaven. We address Him directly at the beginning of our prayers because we are literally speaking to Him. As we sincerely thank Him for blessings and ask Him for help and guidance, I know that He hears and answers those requests in due time and in ways that we need them answered. As we close in the name of Jesus Christ, we recognize that it is through Him that our relationship and prayers are mediated. I have seen miracles through prayer and I continue to build that relationship with my Father in Heaven. God is our loving Heavenly Father and he knows each and every one of us personally.
Elder Marvin J. Ashton explained, "We have been commanded to pray under all conditions wherever we are. Our spirits are heaven drawn, anxious for constant communication with the source of all great strength." I know that our spirits are heaven drawn as I have felt compelled to go to Heavenly Father in prayer many times in my life.  It is a natural feeling, because before this life we lived with our Heavenly Father and could communicate with him, and prayer is a way during this mortal life for us to communicate with him on a daily basis.
I love a verse in the Bible in the book of Joel 2:28. It says, "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions." As missionaries we pray many times a day. We pray for our people and I have seen that, as I have sought out the Lord in prayer, I have been blessed in this work. If your prayers are heartfelt you will be blessed. I know your vision of life will change because mine has … my vision of what really matters in this life is so much different than it was six months ago. I have learned to trust in the Lord and He has always, always come through.
I love my mission. I say that so much but I mean it every time. I have learned so much by seeing others change and turn towards God. I love my Heavenly Father. He is my best friend. Every night I pray to Him because I love Him and I want to give thanks to Him. He has showered me with blessings and love. I pray for you all; my friends and family that love and support me. I pray for my fellow missionaries; to strengthen all of them around the world.  I pray for my people here; that their hearts might be softened so that they too can come into the fold of God. I invite any of you that haven't prayed before or haven't prayed in a long time to do it. Strengthen that connection and become closer to our Father in Heaven. I love you all. Prayer is the link between you and heaven. Remember, He always listens.
Les Amo,
Elder Vance
p.s. The mission office in Santa Rosa has a new address (changed on this page) if you are sending anything there.

Are We Not All Beggars?

I found out a few days ago that I am being transferred to Davis, California!! I have been called to train a new missionary, open a new area, and be a district leader … whoa … kind of a big load, but I feel ready and I am excited to start up with my new companion in Davis! Apparently it is the self-proclaimed "Bike Capital of the World", but I guess we shall see. If you want to write me, send it to the mission office address and when I write you back I will give you my direct address in Davis. I find out who my new companion is tomorrow, or as we call them in the mission, “my son”! The person you train is called your son and so I plan on treating him with that kind of love and respect. I will always remember the impact Elder Rollins made on me and my mission. He set the tone for the rest of my mission. He showed me how to be organized, to be 100% obedient, and to sincerely love the people. Elder Rollins is amazing and I will never forget him. I will always love him and I will always be grateful that I had him as my trainer.  I hope I can have that kind of lasting effect on the new missionary I am going to train these next 12 weeks.

In the last four months I don't think I have ever seen so many homeless people in my life, and I think I know why. Every day I see people rummaging through dumpsters looking for plastic bottles that they can turn in for a couple dollars. I see hollow faces and bodies pushing and rolling around their squeaky grocery carts. I see cardboard signs and fingerless gloves. But there is something else I have never seen before … THEM. My brothers and sisters. I think the reason why I have never seen as many homeless people before is because I never looked. I never saw. How often do we go about our day and never SEE. My eyes have truly been opened and it has been such a blessing to notice someone and then go talk to them. It is something that I think all of us have struggled with in life. My mission has helped me realize that I, myself, am a beggar and have searched for spiritual nourishment. I have been in darkness, but through Jesus Christ and His gospel anyone can be saved.

I love these verses in The Book of Mormon where King Benjamin commands his people not to judge others, but to lift others up, and that WE ALL are beggars.

 “And also, ye yourselves will succor those that stand in need of your succor; ye will administer of your substance unto him that standeth in need; and ye will not suffer that the beggar putteth up his petition to you in vain, and turn him out to perish.

Perhaps thou shalt say: The man has brought upon himself his misery; therefore I will stay my hand, and will not give unto him of my food, nor impart unto him of my substance that he may not suffer, for his punishments are just—

But I say unto you, O man, whosoever doeth this the same hath great cause to repent; and except he repenteth of that which he hath done he perisheth forever, and hath no interest in the kingdom of God.

For behold, are we not all beggars? Do we not all depend upon
the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have, for both food and raiment, and for gold, and for silver, and for all the riches which we have of every kind?

And behold, even at this time, ye have been calling on his name, and begging for a remission of your sins. And has he suffered that ye have begged in vain? Nay; he has poured out his Spirit upon you, and has caused that your hearts should be filled with joy, and has caused that your mouths should be stopped that ye could not find utterance, so exceedingly great was your joy.”

We all depend on our Heavenly Father, because without Him there would be nothing. We all turn to him for forgiveness, for a remission of our sins, and if we haven't, we need to humble ourselves and turn to our Father in Heaven. As it says in the final verse above, those that beg for a remission of their sins will receive exceedingly great joy. I have experienced that in my own life. I have a testimony of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Without him I could not be cleansed of all the mistakes I make every single day. It is an amazing feeling to go to our Father in Heaven with a humble heart and to use the sacrifice of Jesus Christ to be cleansed and pure again. I have a testimony of TRUE repentance. I know that Jesus Christ suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane and died for ME. I know ALL can have their guilt, shame, and sorrow replaced with exceedingly great joy. As long as we humble our hearts and become beggars unto our perfect and great Heavenly Father.

It has been a bittersweet experience leaving Fairfield, the place where I started my mission. With tears in my eyes I have left those people behind physically, but in my memory and my heart they will NEVER be forgotten. Those are my people, forever. Some I may see, and others I may never see again. I hope and pray that I did ALL I could for them. I love them and I hope they felt and heard my testimony as I bore it to them. Before my mission, the reality of the experience of a mission was not real to me. I loved missionaries but I never got a sense of the experiences they were having. But this … this is real. The LOVE I have for them is real and I hope after this life I can rejoice with them in the glory of our God. I know the reunions will be great, whether it be in this life or the next. With all my heart, amo mi mision. Every day I write that statement at the end of my daily journal entry. I love my mission. I hope everyone has a great Valentine’s Day and think about those you truly love and remember them.

Les Amo Muchisimo!

Elder Vance

Always Rejoice

One more week here in Fairfield and hopefully I can squeeze out six more weeks as I come up on another transfer next week and find out if I am staying or leaving the area. I hope I can stay and spend some more time with the people here. I feel so privileged to be able to see these people grow, not only in the gospel, but in their lives and families as well. It is amazing to see how the gospel directly correlates to the lives of the members … it is simple, really. Those who live the commandments of God experience full and true happiness, while others experience sorrow and emptiness. I love these people and want them to find that true happiness.

I have learned on my mission that things can be tough. Days can be tough, life can be tough and everything can be tough. Sometimes it feels like the world is pressing down on us as missionaries. This past week was definitely a difficult one for numerous reasons, but in the end I learned that we should ALWAYS REJOICE. We are here and we are part of God's plan. We have a way to be free from ANY pain, guilt, sorrow, or suffering … through Jesus Christ. At times we need to humble ourselves to understand and follow that plan. I know people in my life that live the gospel of Jesus Christ and those that don't. There is a HUGE difference, and it saddens me to see and hear about those that choose not to follow Christ. Everyone has their free agency or free will, because it is part of God's plan. Within His plan, we can all choose to follow Jesus Christ or not, but I know that those who follow Jesus Christ and walk in his footsteps CAN receive a full remission of their sins and find true happiness.

Noe, our investigator that had a baptismal date, is still missing. He just fell completely off of the map. We are still dedicated to finding him though … we plan to go and tract the ENTIRE apartment complex and comb the area for traces of him or his car. Right now I feel like a shepherd going after the lost one. I feel like I have to do ALL I can to find him. We haven't had contact with him in a couple weeks, but we hope that we and the spirit of our Heavenly Father left a lasting impression on him that will stay with him forever.

We picked up a new investigator and his name is Miguel. He is the brother of Luis, a less active member, who is now coming back to church. Miguel has a baptismal date of the 25^th of February! He is amazing and is soaking up all that we are teaching him. The Lord prepares people for us to teach, and as long as we are obedient we get the opportunity to teach these people about our Savior and the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ through the prophet Joseph Smith. I love missionary work!

On another high note, Domingo called me today! He is out of jail and we are going to be able to begin teaching him again. Great joy filled my soul talking to my brother on the phone today. He can come to church now and he sounded so excited to meet with us again. Domingo is an investigator we taught about 2 ½  months ago. We taught him EVERYTHING about this gospel, but because he was on house arrest he couldn't come to church. Later he was incarcerated, but now it's like he is free in many ways! He is another reason why I want to stay here in Fairfield for another transfer. He has come so far and we have been on a journey together. I hope all turns out well with him and I will definitely keep you all posted!

We were able to attend the Oakland Temple this past week. What an awesome experience that was, to sit in the Celestial Room and feel the presence and love of our Heavenly Father … it was just amazing. There is such peace in the temple and there is no other place like it. I love going there and love knowing that one day I can be married in one of these glorious temples, not only for time here on earth, but for eternity hereafter. While in the Celestial Room I opened the scriptures randomly. I opened to Doctrine &Covenants, section 75. The first five verses hit me so hard. They are a revelation given through Joseph Smith.

    "1 Verily, verily, I say unto you, I who speak even by the voice of my Spirit, even Alpha and Omega, your Lord and your God— 2 Hearken, O ye who have given your names to go forth to proclaim my gospel, and to prune my vineyard. 3 Behold, I say unto you that it is my will that you should go forth and not tarry, neither be idle but  labor with your might—4 Lifting up your voices as with the sound of a trump, proclaiming the truth according to the revelations and commandments which I have given you. 5 And thus, if ye are faithful ye shall be laden with many sheaves, and crowned with honor, and glory, and immortality, and eternal life."

What an honor it is for me to be here in Fairfield, California. I have already seen so many blessings from serving a mission. I am so happy I made the decision to serve, because it has changed me forever. I love looking back and seeing how far I have come. I still have a long way to go, but through the gospel of Jesus Christ we can ALL reach our full potential.

ALWAYS BE HAPPY! Be grateful for all the trials and challenges in your life because they make you stronger. I love you all and thank you for everything.

Les Amo Muchisimo!

Elder Vance

 

Consuelo

Consuelo in Spanish means "Comfort". This past week was a tough week for a couple different reasons. It was probably one of the toughest weeks of my mission. We saw Noe (one of our investigators that had a baptismal date for the 4^th of February) this past week and he told us he moved to an apartment complex next to the church. Unfortunately, there are about a hundred or more apartments there and we still have no idea where he lives. He didn't come to church on Sunday and we haven't been able to contact him for a while. Because of this he will not be able to be baptized on his date. It is frustrating at times to be a missionary. It seems like you do ALL you can but still fall short, but I can testify that Heavenly Father knows the desires of our hearts, and that through the hard times our Heavenly Father is there, carrying us. I know that we have done all we can with Noe, but it is sad to see someone so close and then slowly falling away. We are going to continue to try to make contact and see what happens. We hope and pray we can make contact with him again here soon.

On Saturday, Elder Arredondo and I did some service. We basically did a neighborhood cleanup. The project was under the direction of the police department and it was so much fun. We cleaned up some of the apartment complexes where we actually go almost every day. A bunch of the Hispanic kids that live there wanted to help so we gave them some gloves, garbage bags, and garbage pickers. They had a blast and so did I! It was shocking to see some of the things we found and threw away. So many cigarettes, alcohol bottles, trash, and even knives! All I could think about was the kids. They deserve better than that. They deserve to have a sanctuary of safety where they play. I love the people here. I was able to play some hoops after our service project with a young kid named Jesus. We played the classic game of HORSE on their rusty 9-foot basketball hoop with this ball that was almost popped it was so flat (We actually played PIG because it was taking us too long to make any of the ridiculous shots we were taking, haha). It was definitely junkyard ball with mud everywhere and broken cars all around. While playing with him I kept thinking about my childhood. How magical those memories are to me. I remember playing HORSE with my Grandpa Vance (and beating him at the age of 8, haha) and even being taught how to shoot backwards from the free throw line by my Grandma Vance! I taught him that one and he loved it. I said, "I learned this one from my grandma, so watch out!” I had to put him away and beat him with an over the backboard shot. I love making these special bonds and friendships with the people. Moments like these, like doing service with these kids or playing junkyard hoops are ones I will never forget. How could I forget? These are the best two years of my life. I am so grateful for my wonderful family and for all the memories I have shared with them. That service project definitely lifted my spirits for the rest of the week. I have learned that the people you serve are the people you love.

I love the scriptures. They have given me so much strength, courage, comfort, and hope here on my mission. I really enjoyed this scripture during the week … in 2 Nephi 29:5 it says, "And the gospel of Jesus Christ shall be declared among them; wherefore, they shall be restored unto the knowledge of their fathers, and also to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, which was had among their fathers." I love that. That is what I am doing here …bringing the restored gospel of Jesus Christ to the people here in Fairfield, California. Through reading in the scriptures and praying with a sincere heart, we all can feel the comfort and love of our Heavenly Father in our lives. I know that because I have felt it, and even needed it just to go on at times. He always listens. ALWAYS.

I love you all. You are so dear to my heart and each one of you needs to know that YOU are a son or daughter of God. He Loves You.

Les Amo,

Elder Vance

 

One Love

This last week was great, but I did have a terrible cold/congestion/sinus issue. It lasted a good four days. No Bueno! Three “diseases” in three weeks; from food poisoning to pink eye to a hard- hitting cold, but I feel my immune system is up again and I am pressing onward! Elder Arredondo and I love it here in Fairfield. We continue to find and teach people every week. He continues to harp on my Spanish, and sometimes I give him some attitude about it, but in the end he is helping my Spanish a ton! We are getting along super well and I hope I can squeeze out one more transfer here in Fairfield. That would make 6 months here if I get to stay another transfer, and hopefully I can stay with Elder Arredondo because he is really helping my Spanish. We shall see what the Lord has in store for me. It's also been raining for days! The winter has finally hit and the rainy season is up ahead. Time to throw on the raincoat! Also, big news … I have been selected to be an online missionary! Basically, every day I go online (Facebook) for 45 minutes and spread the gospel online. I deactivated my old Facebook account and am solely friends on Facebook with my investigators and members here in my mission. I am so excited because post-mission I will be able to stay in contact with ALL of my people. I cannot add friends from back home or school (or family), because I am still a MISSIONARY online, so it is important for me to stay focused. I am so pumped!

This week I want to talk specifically about "my people" here; the people who I have grown to love as Christ loves, and those who will be forever close to my heart.  These are some of the people that I love so dearly here in Fairfield, California.

First, I want to talk about Hermana and Hermano Jaimes. Elder Rollins and I went tracting in our area about two months ago and came across the Jaimes. They opened the door and we told them we were missionaries. Right away huge smiles came on their faces as they said, "Somos miembros!!" (We are members!) We were kind of shocked because … uhhhh … that never happens (ha!). They gave us a return appointment so that we could come back another day. The next time we came back we had a sit-down lesson with them. We found out that they had been inactive in the church for 8-10 years. Their daughter was a member and she was really nice. She was married and had a young daughter. The Jaimes told us they went inactive because they were offended by something, but couldn't remember why anymore! They were super nice and said they wanted to come back. They began reading in The Book of Mormon again and slowly but surely they came back to church as we continued to teach them more and more. It is amazing to think that was only two months ago because now they are completely active members. What a treat it was to hear their sweet testimonies last week during fast and testimony meeting. It was one of the sweetest experiences of my life to hear their testimonies and to hear them bear witness that Jesus Christ is their Savior and Redeemer. During their testimonies I just kept thinking, “what if we wouldn't have knocked on their door? They would still be lost”. I sat by Hermano Jaimes yesterday during priesthood meeting and I just had this overwhelming love for him. Now Hermano Jaimes is receiving the Aaronic Priesthood next week and he and his wife want to be sealed as a couple for time and all eternity in the temple.  They will be special to me forever.

I want to give you an update on Noe, one of our investigators that I talked about on the blog last week. As of right now, he is getting baptized on the 4^th of February! We had to push his date back a week because he is having some issues with his ex-girlfriend over who is going to have custody of their child and some other issues. He also won't be able to make it to church this Sunday because he will be in Santa Maria figuring that out. It's so sad to see these problems he faces in his life and all he has to go through, but I know that this gospel is going to bless his life so much and we are happy he has made the decision to be baptized. We know that this is the most important thing he can be doing and that it will change his life forever. We are fasting and praying for him so that he can do all he can to make the right decisions and everything will turn out okay.

In previous blog entries I have also talked a little bit about one of the investigators Elder Rollins and I were teaching at one point. His name is Domingo. I became really close to him and there is definitely something special about the relationship we have. Domingo is the brother of Rosi, Noe's ex-girlfriend, so Domingo was actually living with Noe and Rosi when they were together. Domingo was under house arrest while we were teaching him, but due to some money issues and not being able to pay fines, he had to go to jail. That was about a month and a half ago, and during that time I have written Domingo a few letters of encouragement. I also sent him a couple pictures and a poem to brighten his day. He has responded to those letters and I am always filled with great joy when I receive letters from him because it has been so long since I have seen him. My eyes filled with tears as I read the letter he recently wrote me and I would like to share a couple excerpts from his letter. He knows Spanish and English, so he writes in both (haha). He said, "Dear Elder Vance, Gracias for writing me. To be real, it was tough the first weeks but I never forgot what you guys were teaching me when I was out there. The more I ask and it pray it became just another day, but a bright day. Right now it is complicated but either way I will be out on the 4^th f February (which just so happens to be the day Noe is getting baptized!! He doesn't know about the Rosi and Noe situation yet). Tu hermano Vance tu eres mi Angel. (You Hermano Vance, you are my angel.) Every word, testimony, and tear in your eyes opened my eyes. You guys showed me and woke me up when I was falling asleep in the dark. I thank God that you guys were sent in my path. Gracias por sus oraciones y bendiciones. Le quiero mucho hermano. (Thanks for your prayers and blessings. I love you brother)”-Domingo
Tears welled up in my eyes as I read his words. Knowing that I am truly making a difference in someone's life here on my mission is a feeling I cannot describe. As a missionary you are always making a difference, but at times you don't get blessed to see that. I believe Heavenly Father wants us to learn before He gives us something to "see". We are not entitled to see the entire success of our work because this isn't our work, it's the Lord’s. But being blessed with these little pearls of happiness or with a baptism is something that is given to us as a gift. I believe with all my heart that these people have been prepared for ME, so that I can help them. The Lord prepares HIS people. Every missionary is sent to THEIR mission because that is where THEIR people are waiting. I LOVE MY PEOPLE.

This last week I read a quote from a former prophet of our church (President Spencer W. Kimball) that I really enjoyed and that put my mission into an even better perspective. His article, which was entitled, "A Mission Is The School For Eternity" said “Your mission is preparation. It is YOUR school for ETERNITY. You won't forget that, will you? This mission is not just a two-year stretch. This is the time when you cultivate the seeds of godhood so that you can help other people on their way toward EXALTATION. How small are we who think of the mission as JUST being a stretch of time, some physical things to do, a little studying to do, some praying. This is the MOST purposeful thing that some of you will ever do. It's up to you to let this be the prelude to your life, to let it be the BEGINNING of a GREAT and GLORIOUS life." I love that quote. I myself know some return missionaries that put their mission in a box and stuff it under their bed. That is NOT the intention of their missions. As missionaries we receive so many gifts through our service; spiritual gifts, qualities, strengths, and knowledge. If we don't open those and share them with everyone, then there was no point to receive them in the first place. Some day my two years here will be up, but I want to do all I can to share my experiences and my testimony with everyone around me even when my time as a missionary is over, because I know what I have received from my mission already can bless the lives of my friends and family. My mission is preparing me for the rest of my life, for my future family, and for eternity. I have seen how far I have really come. I still have a long way to go, but through this gospel we can all be on that path back to our Heavenly Father, progressing bit by bit and following that ultimate and perfect example Jesus Christ set for us.

This last week I watched the film "5000 Days- Two Brothers." It is a documentary of two brothers and their journey from childhood up until they serve missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. If you do not have a copy of this in your home, YOU NEED TO GET IT! It is amazing and you get to taste of the love a brother has for a brother and a missionary has for HIS people. I think everyone needs to see this film. I felt the spirit so strong during this and it put my mission in a more special and spiritual light. Here is the link; it is an instant MUST BUY. http://deseretbook.com/5000-Days-Project-Two-Brothers/i/5071746

This last week my father sent me a big picture that was taken of him the day he was baptized over 26 years ago. On the back of the picture he bore his testimony and talked about the time 20 years ago as he was expecting "me", his first child. It was probably one of the most special things I have ever received. To see this big picture of my dad dressed in all white and smiling … smiling with the knowledge that he was going to be opening the gate, for not only his salvation, but for the salvation of his future family. I gave a 15 minute talk yesterday … in Spanish! That’s crazy, right? My topic was how Jesus Christ was a missionary. I talked about how Jesus Christ was perfect in his example and as a missionary. I read 3 Nephi 17:1-8 when Christ visits the people in the Americas. Jesus speaks to the people and is preparing to leave them. It says in verse 5, "And it came to pass that when Jesus had thus spoken, he cast his eyes round about again on the multitude, and beheld they were in tears, and did look steadfastly upon him as if they would ask him to tarry a little longer." Christ realizes that the people cannot soak in any more of his words and he has compassion towards them. Instead of continuing to speak to them, He SHOWED them. In verse 7 Christ says, "Have ye any that are sick among you? Bring them hither. Have ye any that are lame, or blind, or halt, or maimed, or leprous, or that are afflicted in any manner? Bring them hither and I will heal them, I have compassion upon you; my bowels are filled with mercy.” In verse 8, “For I perceive that ye desire that I should show unto you what I have done unto your brethren at Jerusalem, for I see that your faith is sufficient that I should heal you." Amazing. Jesus Christ was the perfect missionary. He had compassion towards them and taught them through his actions and I love that. After I shared that scripture, I talked about the two sister missionaries that baptized my father. I showed them the picture that my Dad sent me a couple days before and said,"El Estaba bien feliz" (He was so happy). The spirit was so strong. I said that I will be forever grateful for those two missionaries, because without them, I would not be here. They are my angels and I hope one day I can meet them and say, "Thank you … because of you I have had this life here on the earth and have had an opportunity to love MY people. Thank you."  I bore testimony that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer and that we are ALL missionaries in this church. It was such an uplifting and amazing experience. My love for the people has grown so much and that love is the light of Christ; and just as my father loves me, our Heavenly Father loves His children. I LOVE my mission. It has opened my eyes to the wonders of God and to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Thank you all for your continual support and your testimonies. AMO MI GENTE.

Les Amo,

Elder Vance

My Prayer

This last week was great except that somehow I got pink eye! AHH! It seems like these past two weeks I have just been diseased, but now I am 100% recovered from my pink eye and overall I feel great. By just being here on my mission and working hard I have found that the days are so much more fun if I am completely focused on the people. They are my life for two years and I love them.
I love these verses in 3 Nephi 15: 9-10, in The Book of Mormon. It says, "Behold, I am the law, and the light. Look unto me, and endure to the end, and ye shall live; for unto him that endureth to the end will I give eternal life. Behold, I have given unto you the commandments; therefore keep my commandments. And this is the law and the prophets, for they truly testified of me." He is the light in my life and He is the law in my life. Without Jesus Christ I would be lost. I love my Savior so much, and that is why I decided to serve a full-time mission.
I had an experience this last week that really touched my heart forever and strengthened my testimony of prayer. We have someone who has been investigating the church for almost a year now. His name is Noe. He knows this gospel is true and he wants to be baptized, but there have been some obstacles. He loves his girlfriend and has wanted to respect her decisions and desires. She is not interested in the church at all, so it was hard for him to progress in the gospel. He was torn between the gospel of Jesus Christ and his girlfriend. This past Friday his girlfriend left him for good and moved with his daughter to Santa Monica. He was torn apart and was so upset about his situation, so he got down on his knees and began to pray to our Heavenly Father for peace and comfort. During that prayer we knocked on his door, and when he opened the door and he was crying. I asked him, "Noe esta bien?" (Noe are you ok?), and through his tears he replied, "No." I instantly knew that something had happened and asked, "Esta Rosi?" [(Is Rosi here? (his girlfriend)] He replied, "Ella no esta. Tienen un momento? Por favor pasen." (She is not here. Do you have a moment? Please come in.) He wanted us to come in, so we came in and sat down. He told us what had happened and began to sob. He was so upset and I felt so bad for him, yet I knew that as hard as it was for him, it could be a blessing in his life. I felt like NOW he could follow the example of Jesus Christ and progress in HIS church. Now he could feel that fullness and happiness in his life. We talked to him about the gospel of Jesus Christ and about how through it we can have peace and comfort. I know that in the toughest hours of my life, Heavenly Father has been right there next to me, carrying me and helping me through. Without this gospel those tough hours would have been so much worse. We told him, "By reading in The Book of Mormon, praying daily, and coming to church again you can feel the love of our Heavenly Father in your life. Through Him we can overcome the struggles and challenges in our lives. The only one that knows exactly how you feel right now is Jesus Christ. Not only did He suffer for our sins, but for our physical and emotional pains and sorrows as well. This is the way Noe. We are here to help you. We want the best for you and we know that our Heavenly Father loves you." That is the best feeling in the world … to be an answer to someone’s prayer. That night we were put in his path for a reason … we were the answer that our Heavenly Father sent Noe. That is why we are missionaries. Noe needed us … to be instruments in the hands of the Lord. Heavenly Father ALWAYS listens to us, no matter WHERE we are or WHO we are. We are ALL His children and He loves us. All we have to do is humble ourselves and get on our knees to offer up our hearts and desires to our Father in Heaven. The best part of this experience?  Noe has a baptismal date set for January 28^th.  It brings me great joy to see my brother making this decision in his life and opening this door to his salvation. I am blessed to have the opportunity to be a part of it and hope and pray that it actually happens.
We had an amazing Zone Conference this past week in Davis, CA. I love Zone Conferences not only because you see people from other parts of the mission but because of the messages that are shared. President Bunker gets fired up sometimes, and I love it. He definitely lets us know the things we need to work on in our lives and in the work here in the Santa Rosa, California Mission. I love him. He is truly a man of God. I know that all he wants to do is magnify his calling and do all he can to love us missionaries. President Bunker gave his "State of the Mission Address", as he put it. He talked about his vision for the mission for this upcoming year and how we were going to achieve it. Our goal for the mission this year is 520 baptisms collectively as a mission. That is not only our goal, but our purpose as missionaries … to baptize. As missionaries we are responsible for the salvation of the people in our area and our purpose is to invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through FAITH in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, REPENTANCE, BAPTISM, receiving the Gift of the HOLY GHOST, and ENDURING to the end. The mission is about people and not just numbers, but goals and numbers stretch us and help us grow. It helps us gauge how the work is going. I loved Zone Conference and felt so juiced up to get out there and invite others to be baptized!
My prayer is that I can be that instrument in the hands of the Lord every day; that I can love every person here enough to have the courage to bring the light of Christ into their lives. I pray that I can be an answer to other people’s prayers. I feel so blessed … I AM so blessed. I feel like I gave up nothing to come out here, because the blessings I receive in return are so much greater. Every night I thank my Father in Heaven for this opportunity; to serve him in the name of Jesus Christ, to be His servant and to be a witness of Jesus Christ. This privilege has changed my life and I wouldn't trade anything for these last 5 months. These experiences have molded me into someone I thought I could never be. I like to think that we should always shoot for the stars, because ANYTHING is possible with the Lord. Thank you all for your letters, your love and your support. I know this church has the fullness of the gospel on the earth today. Amo Mi Mision.
Les Amo,
Elder Vance

It Is I

Last week was great. Elder Arredondo and I are getting along super well and I feel like the people here are really starting to progress. I remember I was talking to Elder Jaden Talbot the last day he was at the MTC and he challenged me to read John 6. I never got the chance to read it until this last week. It is the chapter where Jesus feeds the five thousand and walks on water. That chapter gave me so much strength. I especially like John 6:20, the verse that take place when the disciples are on the boat and they see Jesus walking on water. "But He saith unto them, It is I; be not afraid." That verse stuck with me all week. Talking to people here, I have come to understand that people FEAR God and Jesus Christ too much and TRUST in them too little. Faith is the root of our testimonies. Without faith, there is no foundation and we are lost. Sometimes we are afraid, but there is no need to fear, because through Jesus Christ and His gospel we can return to the presence of our Heavenly Father.
Spanish is really starting to come along. Elder Arredondo is helping me a lot and I feel pretty comfortable using my Spanish everywhere. I can understand it really well and as time goes on speaking that language gets better as well. I love the language, but it is different than missions in foreign countries, because here in California we are surrounded by English-speaking people and stores everywhere. It’s different than serving in a place like Guatemala, where EVERYTHING is in Spanish, but I like it because I get a lot of practice going back and forth between English and Spanish. I think my retention of the Spanish language will be really good after I come home from my mission. On any given day I generally speak or am surrounded by "Spanish" for at least 3 hours, but if we have a lot of lessons it can be up to 6 hours or more. Additionally, we have language study for an hour a day and always have dinners with members of the Spanish branch. I LOVE SPANISH!!!!!!!!
Funny/TRAUMATIC story … a week and a half ago I contacted a guy named "T" that said he cuts hair. He said he had his license and cuts hair all the time, so Elder Noris and I went over to his place last week. He looked pretty legit; he had his barber stuff on and got all ready. But then I saw the quality of his combs and clippers … TERRIBLE! It was pretty bad. We were already there and we were kind of trapped … sooo … we just decided to let him do it. His comb had parts missing in it and his mirror was broken. Wow.  So I told him I wanted him to trim my flow … basically just a trim. I don't know if he misunderstood me, but before I knew it he shaved me down to a 2! I was like AHHHHHH! It looks like I am a marine!  It seems like I can never find anyone that TRULY KNOWS HOW TO CUT HAIR! At least I can take comfort in the fact that my hair grows back though, haha. I am glad I am having these bad haircut experiences now, so that when I go home I will be grateful for GOOD haircuts.
This past Sunday was amazing. It was Fast & Testimony meeting and for the first time since I have been here almost all the seats were filled. I felt prompted to bear my testimony on missionary work. As I was walking up to the pulpit I was filled with the spirit of God, and as I began to bear my testimony in Spanish I felt so close to my Savior, Jesus Christ. It felt like He was standing there as I looked into all the eyes of the people in front of me. It was hard for me to talk at first, because of the love I have for the people here … it is something I cannot describe. I began my testimony by saying that I will be forever grateful for the two sister missionaries that taught my father so that I could be here today. Those two missionaries changed my life forever … because of them I am physically and spiritually here today.  I love this gospel, because without it, I do not know where I would be in my life. My beliefs, my religion, and my family all contribute to the man I am today. There is something special about sharing spiritual experiences with people … it binds us for eternity.  I can't say it enough; I love my mission. I know God has a plan for me and my mission is the greatest gift I have ever received.
Les Amo,
Elder Vance