Just in time for last minute Christmas cards :)
Elder Chase Lonas
1604 Naval Avenue, #A-303
Bremerton, WA 98312
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Monday, December 17, 2012
Back to Bremerton
I'm
getting transferred to...... BREMERTON! that's right, Back to B-Town!
but this time I'm not in Manette, I'm in Bremerton. so Bremerton
Bremerton :) oh, and I'm gonna be a zone leader, so that'll be fun!
I'll
be companions with Elder T- I've seen him around, but never
talked to him. I don't know much except I hear he's a crazy good
missionary.
Actually, it's pretty funny, remember when I had to get emergency transferred out of Manette? Elder T is the one who came in and took my
place. . My prediction is I stay for 4
transfers there (6 months) which is good, because I LOVE Bremerton :) Once again though, I
won't know many people in the zone...
Oh, we'll be in a foursome,
so we'll also have Elder S (I know him from back in Lacey) and
Elder J.
The past couple days have been so sad. And happy.
Bittersweet would be the correct term, I believe. Saying goodbyes is so
hard, but it means that the past 3 months have been meaningful, because I
love these people so much.
Monday, December 3, 2012
I love the cold (ok, I hate the cold, but it DOES add to the Christmas feel)
This has been such a fast week!!
I'm so excited it's Christmas Time. Just ecstatic, truly. I love
the lights, I love the smell, I love the cold (ok, I hate the cold, but
it DOES add to the Christmas feel) I love all the people out here, it's
such a wonderful time to be a missionary.
Although, you'd think around Christmas time, people would be
especially receptive to a message about Jesus Christ- right? Haha
wrong! no one wants to talk to us, which makes the work go slower.
But life is still good.
Let's see... one of our investigators had a birthday this week! so we made him a cake! We thought it would be so simple....
We knew he didnt like chocolate cake, so we went to the store and
bought angel food cake! Who knew that there were special rules for
making angel food cake? we were making it at this one member's house
(the S's, I love them!) and we messed up the cake, so it
was like sunken and falling apart, and then we were gonna frost it, and
they informed us you dont frost angel food cake, you like pour
strawberries on it? Anyways, then they help us out and give us new
cake mix, and then this way nice frosting, and we brought it over to
him, and it was the hardest thing I've ever done, because we were
fasting, and it smelled sooooo good. Anyways, he liked it, and CAME TO
CHURCH! it was great, it was his first time, and it was fast and
testimony meeting, and everyone just gave wonderful testimonies, it was
the best one on my mission thus far.
On Friday nights, we have a standing dinner/lesson appointment with
the B's, and i love them so much. Their two kids we baptized last
transfer, and I'm just so so so happy with them, I definitely think they
were one of the main reasons I came to Firgrove. J is gonna go on a
mission when he's older I think :)
A favorite scripture for the week: 1 Nephi 3:5.
I am such a Laman sometimes. On a daily basis, I see miracles
happening all around me, and I feel I've seen the equivalent of angels
coming down to basically tell me what's up. And yet when I'm asked to
do things that are difficult and/or I just don't understand why, how
quickly do I think, "it is a hard thing you have required of us!"
But time and time again, as I follow through and try to be
obedient, I'm like oh... I guess Heavenly Father was right again,
haha. I'm such a slow learner.
Ok, I've been thinking about this a lot this
week. and my thoughts are fragmented, and don't make perfect sense, but
bear with me? I've been thinking of ordinances like baptism, and taking
the sacrament, and I've been thinking a lot about old testament
sacrifices and whatnot, and then the way we are taught in the temple,
and it's just been dawning on me: Heavenly Father has been trying to
teach us the most basic concepts since the world began, and he
reintroduces ordinances and his gospel time and time again. Countless
times, the saints have been asked to leave behind their possessions and
their home and go follow the Lord, and then they write about it in
scripture, and then we read about it, and we're like oh sweet, cool
story, and we learn NOTHING from it, so we have to learn the same
principles through our own trials, cuz we weren't wise enough to just
learn from the stories in the scriptures! We take the sacrament EVERY
week, and yet so often (for me at least) I've just eaten bread and
water, and didn't give it a second thought. And God gives us ordinances,
because the only way that we can take truth and make it a part of
ourselves is by DOING it time and time again until it sets in. And what
is he trying to teach us??? OBEDIENCE TO HIS GOSPEL!! That's all we
need to do! but we just can't get it straight :(
Just been on my mind a lot...
Merry Christmas World!
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
You think I'd be used to it by now...
November 13, 2012
Hello sportsfans!
Well, another week happened. you think I'd be used to it by now. :)
The days this week seemed to drag on, like each one would never
ever end... but then it feels like just an hour ago that I was emailing
last week. And maybe a week or two ago when I packed my bags and left
my home. But it's such a surreal memory, and so intangible that its
hard to believe. I feel like I've been in the WATAC my whole life. I
can't believe how fast November is going by, I can't believe it's
almost December (i love december) and then I'll have been gone for
a whole year. I think by the time it starts to make sense, I'll be
home.
We had the Graham (my stake/zone) fireside this week! I was SO
stressed out coming up to it. I was pretty sick, but I told Sister
Weaver I would be able to sing, so I took a lot of medicine,haha.
All during church that day, I was just coughing and blowing my nose, and I was so worried. BUT for the whole fireside, I was fine :)
Prayers:
Answered.
Our musical number went swimmingly :)
A lot of people I know were there and it was really great seeing them.
My boy, Elder B gave a testimony, and he did such a great job, it was
honestly one of the proudest moments of my life. The spirit was there
so strong, and afterwards he and I talked to this kid we worked with
in Fruitland, and he said he got the answer to his prayers during Elder
B's testimony, and he's gonna talk to his parents, he wants to be
baptized :) The work is sweet. ( I mean that in both senses, but
originally I meant sweet in the real way, not the slang way. but both
apply)
Oh and we had Transfer Meeting! It was really really hard for me
to watch Elder K go home. I'm an orphan now. Elder W
(Remember him? :) came up to visit the Mission, and so both my trainers
were there at the meeting, it was so good to see them again.
My words are so inadequate, I read over what I write, and
think "wow this sounds lame" I wish I was good at conveying the
emotions I feel.
Anyways, I must be off! Doors to knock, people to visit, lunch to eat, doors to knock....
Bye!
Monday, November 5, 2012
Clinical Elation
WELP
No time. We only had time to stop at the library today because
we're printing off a baptism program. Baptism in T-Minus... like an
hour?
We're really excited about it, and i'll write about it next week.
In other news...
I'M IN LOVE! I'M IN LOVE! AND I DONT CARE WHO KNOWS IT!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm in LOVE with WASHINGTON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It was so amazing. It made me think of the other wonderful hikes
and stuff i've been on. I love nature :) On my to-do list: coming back
here with Dad in the future and Hiking it for realsies. I cant wait to
show you guys Washington one day, it's great.
Other news: transfer calls=both of us stay here in Firgrove. Haha I
called that one wrong. It will be another 6 weeks here, we're gonna
make it a good one! Almost
everyone in my district is staying as well. Only one person is leaving,
and he's gonna be replaced byyyyyyyyyyyyy ELDER B!!! MY BABY
BOY!!!!!!!!! I'm clinically elated about this.
Yes, I realize I probably wrote less than 100 words, but time's up, gotta go!!
Love you all, sorry I had no time to write letters or anything today, I'll make up for it soon!
Elder Chase Lonas
Monday, October 29, 2012
Conclusion: I really do know that the Gospel is true, or else I'd be chilling in California.
October 29, 2012
This has probably been the fastest week of the transfer for me, it really has just flown by.
So our car was out of miles... so we've been biking and stuff, JUST
as the rain has come back to Washington. It's miserable and
hilarious. Really. Like, we bike across our whole area, the rain just
SOAKS us, we're drenched, we pull up and knock on the door.... and no
one is home. hahahahaha. get it? Me neither. Except it is pretty
funny though.
When I'm biking and wet and freezing to death, I really do think a
lot about why I'm out here. It starts out as a rhetorical question, but
since i have nothing else to do while I'm biking around, I take the time
and answer the question. Conclusion: I really do know that the Gospel
is true, or else I'd be chilling in California.
On Saturday, Jim and Emma were both baptized! These kids
are great, and we've been working with them for about a month, so it was
really really great! 2 hours later, Roger was baptized! Also
great! It was an EXHAUSTING day, and I havent really recovered yet.
Baptisms just DRAIN you emotionally and spiritually, and I've been
physically dead from the past week anyways. So I'm glad this is P day!
Last night was the fireside again! It was in Bremerton (!) So I
got to see a lot of people I really love! These firesides wipe me
out too. I just get so darn emotional, it's ridiculous.
Our group (Brightly Beams our Fathers Mercy) had its best
performance I think. When we sang Amazing Grace, it was probably
musically the worst I've ever sung it, cuz i was just getting so choked
up, haha.
Did I mention I've joined the Choir here in Firgrove? It's pretty
funny, There is only one really strong singer, he can sing wonderfully.
The sopranos are comprised 100% of youth, the altos just sound kind of
timid. The good singer can sing bass or tenor, and I'll hold up the
other part, and then there's a handful of other men who can follow
pretty well so it works okay (except almost none of them were there last Sunday when we sang in Sacrament meeting.) So after the first week or
two of me singing with them, they invited my companion to come
sing too! Anyways, it's been
fun and it reminds me of choir back home.
Hmm...
Oh, so I may or may not have already written about this, but like 2
weeks ago, we had a Leadership training meeting, where
President trained us on District Leaders and District Meetings.
So my district is comprised of 3 areas, and then the Zone leaders
are separate but they're over us too. So my district has Firgrove (us)
Sunrise (sisters) and Orting (a trainer and a new missionary)
So I was at the meeting, the trainer was at the meeting, President
always has 1 set of sisters come, so Sunrise was at the meeting, and the
Zone leaders were there. So pretty much the whole district was trained
together on what a perfect District would be like..and then the
following Wednesday I had to try and do it. haha I've never been
more nervous for a district meeting. President also has a training
schedule he passed out, so everyone knew what my training was supposed
to be about, and it was basically taken from a Training we had at that
meeting that day, so all but 2 people had already had it. So I was
really nervous.
BUT when it came down to the actual District meeting, it went splendidly! Everyone seemed to really like the way I did it, and most
importantly you could feel the spirit really really really strongly.
And I loved it, because that obviously isn't anything I could do, but
it's something that we as a district did together, cuz everyone in my
district is just so great! I love them :) I'm looking forward to next
transfer, but I'm hoping and praying that our district stays the same,
they are all such hard workers and great missionaries, I'm lucky to be
with them.
Well, in other news it looks like we might have 1 more baptism this
transfer, a little girl. :) The Bishop I think is
just really happy because the ward hasn't had more than 2 baptisms in a transfer
since .. like... Ever. honestly haha. For awhile we had no
missionaries in Firgrove because nothing ever happened. I am so blessed
to be here right now and that God has prepared so many wonderful people
for us to find and teach.
Bishop also likes us because we wrote a talk for him. :)
Oh, and I spoke last sacrament meeting, and that was fun too.
wellllllllllllllllllllllllllll
Monday, October 15, 2012
Tracting and Testimony
It's been another week! Ups and downs and lefts and rights, and a woefully inadequate email to convey it all.
It's been a week of heavy tracting, we average 2-5 hours a day.
I'm pretty sure it builds character or something? Furthermore, it
started raining this week, so it's a different experience than what I've
gotten used to, but it's actually a welcome change. Light rain is
pretty comfortable tracting weather, plus we get sympathy on doorsteps.
haha. :)
We have 2 possible baptisms this week: Roger if he has recovered
from his surgery enough to comfortably go into the font, and Emily if her
family can get here.
We had a fireside in Gig Harbor last night! It was loverly :) I
dont know how long I've known the song Amazing Grace, but singing it as a
full-time representative of Jesus Christ made it meaningful to me for
the first time. It's hard not to cry when I sing it, when I realize
that I really mean these words and it comes from my heart.
I tend to write these emails pretty light-heartedly, and I think I
kinda briefly touch on the more spiritual parts of my life, and then
continue to talk about the stuff that doesn't matter very much. I dont
know why I do this, but it's just what I do. :)
But I want to take a moment and testify of Jesus Christ. I know
without a shadow of a doubt that he is my Savior, and I know that he is
the Christ. I have felt his undeniable presence in my life, and will
never be able shy away from that fact again. I know that the Son of God
came to earth, and lived his life for us, and gave his life for us, so
that we can overcome both death and sin. His Gospel is the one and only
way to true happiness, and there is no substitute.
If anyone is reading this and does not know the same things, I beg
you to read the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon testifies of Jesus
Christ, and Prophets have PROMISED us that anyone who reads and prays
about the Book of Mormon with a sincere heart and real intent, will
gain a witness of the Lord Jesus Christ. If that promise was not true,
and infallible, I would not be on a mission right now.
Sincerely, Elder Chase Lonas
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