More Exciting Blog Posts

It has only been half a week since I last wrote emails, but a few things have happened. This week my companion got his bike, but then I noticed that the bike we found at the apartment that I am going to use has a flat tire lol. We think the bike belongs to the mission so we are trying to find a new bike for me. 

Morning Scripture Study

How I Dress for Scripture Study

We did some service for a less active member on Saturday and it was the funniest service I have ever been too. It stunk! I nearly threw up a few times haha. But we got everything done. Haha, we emptied the fridge and took out all the moldy food. There was even a bowl with a ton of chicken bones in it with green mold! But I love service :-) 

When we thought we had finished the woman wanted to bring her pond! She was moving three hours away and wanted to take the pond with her.  She wanted all her rocks so we made an assembly line and started moving all the rocks and the fish and other stuff. For the first time in my life I saw a few Black Widow spiders which was cool. Near the end, there were two or three people in the pond and the women tried to put a hose back on the water pump, but the pump turned and blew a ton of fish pond water onto her face with her mouth open! 

On Sunday there was an earthquake, many people woke up... but I slept through it! No damage. Last night we were planning for the next day when three gun bullets where fired near our apartment. Luckily we were not outside! 

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We are getting more used to the area and we have been teaching more. 

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Our Local Costco

We had exchanges this past week. Elder Cutler came to my area because this is where he had served a year ago. ​We had a great day and we were super busy! We taught one of our investigators, David. He has been investigating the church for 2 years and he came to church a few weeks ago for his first time. He seems very excited to learn about the gospel and we talked about the atonement of Jesus Christ. We also went to visit a member this week. He came to church for the first time in 5 months a week ago! We got to know him a little and Elder Cutler already knew him. We had a good discussion about the Plan of Salvation which is a plan for us to get back to live in Heavenly Father's Presence. Near the end he told us that his little girl had a heart surgery. While she was out she said that she saw three family members all smiling at her, and Jesus Christ was also there smiling at her. I know that He loves us all, He has a plan for us. I testify that this plan is true. I know it more clearly than I can see. Though life seems tough at times, it is here so we can gain experience and joy.

Thank you for all your prayers I really appreciate them and I can feel them.

I love you all and I hope that you have a great week! 

- Elder Kloosterboer

Feels Like a Month!

At the Temple

It feels like it has been a month since I last wrote an email. Today (Wednesday Aug 20th) we went to the temple and it was super nice to be able to go there to feel so much peace. Due to that and other things I don't have much time to write this week.

At the Little's

Last week Monday was great! We went over to the Little's home because they are investigating the church and it was a small farewell party for me since I was leaving San Ramon. Some members also came and we had a great time. The Slavens who went to 6 flags were disappointed in all their rides as every single ride they stood in line for broke down. (Apart from one) 

So they decided to come home early; you may wonder what that has to do with the Littles, but it does! Since the Slavens came home early they were able to make it to this small party at the Little's. It is because of all the members there that we were able to set a baptismal date! I will miss their baptism, since I am in Hayward. 

My New District

I am training in Hayward and my new companion is Elder Nelson. He is from Utah. He is already very skilled at teaching and he has a huge desire to be obedient which is fantastic! I myself have learnt the importance of exact obedience and it is such a blessing.

Well our ride is outside for dinner, but this week has been a little stressful... a lot with a messy apartment and not many records, including no directory. We have also been on foot, but this ward is great because they provide a ride every night in the week for our teaching appointments! We have been teaching two men so far. Oh and this ward also has sisters so it has been fun learning about how to share an area! :-)  Snap! SO much has happened, such little time to write. 

Hit a Water Main

In one of the pictures you can see my temp. companions Elder Walk and Elder Cuttler. We tried to help a man dig up a hole, but hit a water main which was crazy! Luckily miracles happened and some members fixed it within 25 minutes and the pipe was better looking than before. 

We have a great view from our apartment. 

Alright, sorry not for not responding to anyone's email much, next week ay?

View From Our Apartment

I know this gospel is true! I know God loves us all because I can feel it as we talk about people and as we speak to people. 

Love you all! 

Elder Kloosterboer

Leaving San Ramon!

This has been a hard working week! We did 10 hours of service and we got an early phone call for transfers!

On Monday we helped an older man named Allen, he was born in Germany and he asked us to help him do some things around his garden. We used some sheers to cut some bushes and then we were asked to clear a ton of branches from some trees. Allen let us use this cool tool which has a super amazing sharp blade on the end! It was a lot of fun! 

My companion in the garbage

We went back a few more times this past week. One of the days we were asked to mow his lawn. As elder Flinders pulled the rope to get it started the rope came right off! So we asked Brother Stoddard, our ward mission leader, if we could use his. Luckily he let us.

We got new carpet in the church this week so we had to move our district meeting elsewhere. We decided to do it in the evening in a park! It was fun! Elder Hoole and his companion elder Bybee made a rap about the Plan of Happiness, unfortunate I wasn't able to upload the video. We started exchanges afterwards.  It was fun going back on bike for a day after nearly 12 weeks of being in a car.

Tina was taught during the exchange so I missed the lesson. My companion updated me about how the lesson went. It went well. Something that she said is that no matter how the members are in the ward that she still knows it is the true church. I thought about that and it is so true. Why do we go to church, is it because of the people or is it because we want to worship God?

New Carpet in the Church

What is happening for transfers? We got an early phone call directly from president. It was on Thursday morning during personal study! We both got a heart attack when the phone rang because we have a special ring tone for the mission president. He asked me if I would accept an assignment to train a new missionary. He asked me to be obedient and diligent, I told him that sounds good to me. This means that I am whitewashing or also it is know as shotgunning because I will be new with my new missionary! 

District Meeting

There are about 15 new missionaries coming in, but some are sisters and others are in a language program. There are only 4 English missionaries coming in, so out of a ton of missionaries I was chosen to train! We don't find out who it is until all the new missionaries and trainers are in the same room on Wed evening. It is going to be difficult but a  lot of fun! We had a new trainer meeting on Friday where I saw Elder Arp! He was one of my companions from the MTC! He will be a district leader in Danville which is where I have been on exchanges before. 

Oh yeah - I am going to Hayward 1st which is on the east side of the Bay, opposite San Francisco, just south of Alameda   It is going to be a bike and car area.

Our Bunk Bed

Even though that I will be missing Tina's baptism on Saturday, the Lord is always preparing people to hear the gospel. I got a phone call from the elders in Hayward 1st where I will be going, they said that a man walked into church on Sunday and he told them that he needs to be baptized! What a blessing! 

On Sunday Dean Despain who is going on a mission this week gave his farewell talk. After church an older man talked to me and said that I gave a great talk and that he enjoyd it. (Dean does look a bit like me) I felt so bad! haha.

I know that the Lord really does know us all. He loves us. I love this Gospel!

Love, Elder Kloosterboer

Where Did The Week Go???

Where We Normally Talk With People

Notice about emails:  Thank you all for sending me emails I love getting them and seeing what everyone is up to! 

Who can email me?  Anyone is allowed to send me an email unless you are a female who lives within or near these mission boundaries. 

Can you email back and forth real time?  Yes. But MYLDSMAIL.net has been having trouble keeping up with all the emails being sent, so sometimes I won't get an email until  hours after it is sent. So I am not ignoring you if we were emailing live. 

END.

Sky at the Hanna's

This week has gone by super fast! We did a lot this week!

We visited brother Manly this week on a late evening. As we were pulling in he pulled in right next to us! haha great timing! I learned so much from him! We talked about his mission and also about how the priesthood works and other things.

On Monday evenings most members hold a Family Home Evening, where time is set apart for the family to build unity and to teach gospel principles. So normally we don't often visit members.  However we somehow had planned to visit the Hannas who are members. 

As we pulled over we saw a man who was in pain. We also saw a 4 wheeler so I thought it had run him over! But his leg bone had come out of his hip socket so he couldn't walk so the Hannas got their 4-wheeler to help him. This man who was in pain is renting one of the rooms at the Hanna's. We were asked to give him a blessing and it was perfect timing that we just showed up on time. The sky looked nice so I took a picture. 

We did more service! On Thursday we helped some members move all their storage into a truck! So many other members showed up to help that we were taking turns to help.  We saw some other people unloading a lot of boxes from a truck and so we walked over and asked if we could help! I was surprised when they accepted and that truck was empty super fast with the extra hands to help. We then helped them again 2 days later! I love helping people! We also went to the Despain's on Saturday to help with an Eagle Project painting tables! That was fun, until I got some paint on my pants! I think it went out when I washed them this morning. :-)

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Others also served us this week! The Drapers went to Utah for a few weeks and they offered to take our packages to our homes! While we were at a Primary talent show (youth under the age of 12) we got texts that our packages had been delivered! That is so kind! This is part of the gospel to serve others. It makes us feel so happy! I know that Jesus served others for a reason, to show us a perfect example. 

Weekly Planning According to Elder Flinders

We taught Tina again this week  and she has been teaching her friend about the gospel! I am so excited to see her grow in the Gospel. The gospel does amazing things to people. I know Tina is changing because many people can see it even by looking at her. When we try to live the Gospel God really blesses us. A women who is investigating the church has also been able to feel the influence of the Gospel in her life as she has read the scriptures. She was struggling with harmful substances, but she said that when she went to church and started to read the Book of Mormon that she had no desire to take these drugs anymore. I know there is real power when we read the scriptures and pray and come to church. 

Eagle Project

http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages?v=3701964025001  This is a video about how God loves us and he knows us and about faith. 

Just thought this was a really nice video and that it relates to this blog a lot.  

I know this Gospel is true, I wouldn't be able to serve my mission if it wasn't.

I love hearing from you all!

Love, Elder Kloosterboer