Week 17

Monday 2/22/2016 

After studies Elder Sparacino went to get his hair cut by a Vietnamese lady at her barber shop. We went to Sunny Hills so we could go to Costco. We had Costco pizza for lunch at the apartment. We went to the church building for pday activity. We played volleyball, Risk and long boarded. We had a lesson with a part member less active family. Then went back to Sunny Hills so Elder Sparacino could get his hair recut at a members house with Sunny Hills. 

Tuesday

We went to help Sunny Hills with service after studies. We helped clean up a ladies yard. She gave us lunch at her house. Then we had a lesson with Connie later we gave her some videos. She really enjoys watching the restoration video. Then we had district finding.

Wednesday 

District meeting was in the morning. After we had district lunch at the La Habra complex club house. Then after we went to the mission office then the tire shop to get a tire fixed. We then had dinner at a members.

Thursday  

Studies 

We started packing because we had to move on Friday instead of Saturday. We had little Caesars at Sunny Hills. We had dinner at the zone leaders since everything in the apartment was packed. We saw Tamara after dinner and taught her about the sabbath. Then picked up brother Jernigan for a lesson. We had a lesson with Adam and it was solid committed him to come to church. 

Friday 

Finished packing

Loaded our car and the Zone leaders

Went to the new complex to setup the lease and sign papers with the Grovers. Then more loads of stuff with various other Elders. We finished the small stuff and we're going to lunch then we got a call from the truck Elders. We went back loaded the truck. Then unloaded the truck and went to lunch at In n out. The truck Elders came back with our fridge. Finished unpacking and putting things in place. We went to dinner and drove to the optometry student complex. Then realized that the member wasn't a student. The place we needed to be was the complex right next to our new apartment. So we headed back from the opposite side of our area through a lot of traffic. We exchanged at the end of the night. I stayed in my area and I'm with Elder Wright. 

Saturday 

We woke up and got ready trod to shower with no curtain but water went everywhere. We went to Acacia Park and Elder Wright shower there and we picked up our food from their fridge. Then got back to the apartment and Tamara needed some one to change a tire. After we got back we held a short study. We had lunch at Wendy's with Sunny Hills. The La Habra sisters called and wanted help with service. We helped with a move. Dropped off Sunny Hills and got ready for a baptism and left. The baptism was for a member in Elder Wrights ward. There was a birthday party in the gym so we had dinner then, since we didn't have one. I bought a shower curtain. Tried to see Todd but he was busy. Went to the church to exchange back and I hit a curb in the church parking lot. It put a hole in the right side tires. We put spare tires on and went to the apartment.

Sunday 

Church 

This week was ward conference.

The stake president gave a really great talk. Adam came to sacrament meeting. After church we had a late lunch. Then went to dinner. After dinner we went back to the apartment to weekly plan. 

                                               Traffic

                                             Birthday cake 

                                            Old apartment 

                                      Taco bell by apartment

Week 16

Monday 2/15/2016

After studies we went to Sunny Hills Apartment and played a game of munchkin. We all then went to max muscle and got In body tests. The member that owns the chain gives missionaries free In Bodies which would other wise be $30. The In body tells you about all your weight and muscle distribution among other things. We went to Jamba Juice after. We went back to the apartment and picked up our hats. Sunny Hills took us to a hat shop were we ordered custom hats. Then we all went to the church building for zone activity. We long boarded in the parking lot for a while. When the activity was over we picked up some little caesars for dinner with Sunny Hills.  

Tuesday 

Following our studies we went tracting before lunch didn't find anyone really interested. We had lunch with Acacia Park at our apartment pasta with bacon in it. We met with a less active and taught her a lesson. We went to dinner at a members. After dinner we went to appointment we had with a less active that wants us to teach his girlfriend. We walked in and the table is set for dinner. So we had to eat two dinners. The lesson was awesome Gill the less active invited three close member friends of his from the Irvine area. We were able to give her a baptismal date and answer a lot of questions. District finding didn't work out since everyone ran over on lessons. 

Wednesday 

We had zone conference in the morning so we got ready and headed over to the building it was being held at. The major topics that were discussed at the conference were finding and getting referrals. President Taggart really covered getting referrals really well. After zone conference we went back to the apartment. Then went to an appointment with a former investigator Rool. We decided that he is going to stay a former investigator. We tried to stop by and see Liza but she was not there. We went to dinner at a members house and did inspired finding with him. After dinner our appointment with Adam got canceled. 

Thursday 

After studies we went to the church. We had planned a church tour and a lesson with the zone leaders, but we rescheduled for later in the day. The zone leaders were on exchanges with our district leader Elder Durney. We had lunch at the zone leader apartment we had pulled pork. We also were notified that we were going to get moved out of our apartment. The Acacia Park Elders are taking our apartment and we are moving to another complex. After lunch we did some finding. Then went to an appointment that we had scheduled with the zone leaders, but no one was home. We went to Sunny Hills to take them to a bike shop to get another tube. We were going to have dinner with them but we ran out of time. We had a lesson at the church with the zone leaders. Her name is Ruth we are going to pass her since she is YSA age. We were able to teach her the restoration and she showed a lot of interest. After the lesson we got two slices pizza from Elder Haney and Durney that they had promised us earlier at lunch. We went to an appointment with Liza and gave her son a blessing, who was severely sick. After the lesson we went to the Sunny Hills apartment and ate spaghetti. 

Friday

Woke up Elder Sparacino had a headache so I studied. After Elder Sparacino was good the Acacia Park Elders came up for lunch. Elder Russell made stroganoff. After lunch we started weekly planning. We got a call, the La Habra sisters needed our help with service. We went to a ladies house we cut up a pool and cleaned her yard up. We went back to the apartment did more weekly planning. Then headed to the Sunny Hills apartment for dinner. We got little caesars to surprise them and brought a pound of bacon. We got a call from North hills to go help with a move. We headed back and changed, then went and helped the move. After we called it a night. 

Saturday  

After studies we had lunch with Sunny Hills. Elder Russel was exchanged and in Sunny Hills. We went out did some finding no one majorly interested. Dinner at a Sunny Hills. Chicken waffles. Had service they canceled.

Sunday 

We went to

church and the bishop invited me to fill extra time with me bearing my testimony. Gill and Victoria came to church with Hannah, a return missionary from Irvine area. Victoria really enjoyed church. We went back to the apartment and had lunch. We had dinner at a members house and they had so many stories to tell. Then we went to see Connie we shared the restoration video with her. She really enjoyed it. After we setup appointments with some people for later in the week. Finished the night in the clubhouse with the zone leaders. 

Picture I took in the MTC 

                                                          View from MTC

                                      

Week 15

Monday 2/8/2016

Finished our studies took Elder Jacobs bike and left it at the zone leaders car. We headed to Elder Durney/Wright's apartment. We played a few games of pool at the leasing office of their complex. We all then went to Goodwill. We went to get joggers since we are not to wear shorts on P-day. We picked up lunch at Jack in the box. The district met at Craig park for a final district lunch. We left with Elder Hank and Westover. They have a Costco membership so we bought some groceries there. We dropped the food off at the apartment. Then headed to zone activity and we played gator ball. After zone activity we took Elder Hanks and Westover to a BBQ place for dinner. Elder Sparacino and I went to Jamba Juice and picked up some mcspicys from McDonald's.

Tuesday 

Lunch was with Elder Russell and Nagealy. I made pasta, Italian chicken and cheesy garlic bread. We left our apartment to discover we had a flat tire. We put the donut on the car and headed to the mission office. Saw some of the sisters that were in Garden Grove and I said what's up. We showed Elder Anderson the tire he sent us to the tire shop. We picked up some Arabic materials for a guy in our ward. On the way to the tire shop we saw two missionaries at a gas station changing a tire. We went back to help it was one of Elder Sparacino's old companions. We got back and Elder Sparacino wanted to stop by a skate shop. He did long boarding back home as a sport. We went to dinner at the Mikols house. One of the less actives we have been visiting was there. We went district finding after. We went in the North Hills area. The people they gave us to visit didn't exist the addresses were wrong or made up. 

Wednesday 

District meeting our new district leaders first time teaching. We went to Buffalo Wild Wings after. The La Habra and Sunny Hills East came with us. We changed into service clothes and the Sunny Hills did too. The district met back up at a women's house to do service in her back yard. She ordered the Sunny Hills elders a pizza since they didn't have a dinner. We had to stick around because we were their ride. We took them to our apartment and left them there since no time to drop them off. Then had a lesson with Adam and put him on date for baptism. We had dinner with a member then took Sunny Hills back to their apartment.

Thursday 

Lunch at Acacia parks apartment Elder Nagealy made it. The La Habra Elders picked us up for service at Mary's kitchen. After service we went to Joe's ice where missionaries get free shaved ice since the owner is a member. We stopped by the Sunny Hills apartment and picked up our hats. We got dropped off at our complex. We visit some potential investigators but no luck one didn't seem to live there anymore. We had dinner with the bishop of the ward. After dinner went to the mission home Elder Sparacino had a meeting. We went back to the apartment. Talked with the zone leaders in the computer lab. Called it a night 

Friday 

We picked up the Sunny Hills Elders after studies. We went to get a kind of rolling tortilla for lunch. We had lunch at the La Habra apartment. We dropped off Sunny Hills at their apartment. We visited with the zone leaders.

Saturday 

After studies we went to a baptism in one of Elder Sparacino's old areas. It was on of his first investigators that was getting baptized. After we grabbed a address of somebody that needed to be referred. We stopped by the apartment and changed. We went to the church building were the zone leaders had a meeting with the Elders in the zone. After the meeting Acacia park, and the zone leaders had lunch with us at Taco Bell across the road from our complex. We went to the Sunny Hills apartment. We went back to our apartment and started weekly planning. Dinner boiled eggs. We went out visited Tamara she is sick again so her baptism is getting pushed back again. We visited Lisa and shared a message with her kids her baptism date is going to get pushed back. We tried to see some potentials no luck. 

Sunday 

We had a special stake conference this week. It was broadcast from Salt lake. Elder Hamula of the seventy, the young women's general president and Elder Renlund of the twelve spoke. The focus was on keeping the sabbath day holy. We had lunch at our apartment with the Acacia park Elders. Elder Russell made stir fry. We went out and visited Connie and Delia. We also visited Lisa and read Book of Mormon stories to her kids. We stopped at the Sunny Hills apartment after proselyting hours and played a game of munchkin. 

The weather is nice in California the days are usually 70's nights 60's.

Still waiting on El Niño weather. 

My companion got me with this some of this stuff. He put some it in my water and it is basically soap. Some senior missionaries got it for the mission before they left. It is supposed to be some kind of miracle supplement or something. It is really a forty dollar bottle of soap. 

A shot of Los Angeles from a hill in the area. It doesn't really show well in the picture. 

                                            Caleb's Comp

                                             Elder Caleb

Week 14

Monday 2/1/2016

Woke up studied 

Wrote emails 

We went to Walmart picked up some stuff. Then we stopped a See's candies. I had a gift certificate for one pound from Garden Grove. The candy there is expensive the lady before us bought $300 dollars worth of chocolate. We stopped by Ross and target to try to find some workout stuff for Elder Sparacino. After we went back to the apt. Elder Haney/Haukman came over we went to institute played pool and foosball. The institute got the past sell date food from sprouts a local store. We went to the Euclid building to meet Elder Sparacino's bishop who was in town for business. He brought us to lunch at the Burger Parlor. We went to zone activity after we went to the apartment and got dressed. After zone activity we had dinner at the zone leaders (Elder Haney/Haukman) apartment down the hall from our apartment. We had a lesson with Tamara after dinner we watched the restoration with her.

Tuesday 

Personal study 

Went to try to see a potential, Robert not home. 

Had comp. study back at apartment.

Lunch with Elder Russel and Nagealy, omelettes. After lunch we had a lesson with a women. Her daughter is a member and is interested in learning. We then tried to contact a referral we received, but she didn't live there. We had dinner with the Elders quorum president. The guy was a champ and funny. We did inspired finding with him. That is were we pray to see who they could refer us too. He wanted to refer us to a friend he works with at optometry school. So we are going to work on that. After we did district finding in our area. We got Elder Cortez a birthday present and checked a sporting goods place for workout stuff. Went back met at the church finished district finding. We exchanged I was with elder Cortez in my area. 

Wednesday 

Woke up got suited up 

Elder Cortez took a while with getting up. We went to the club house and watched the missionary broadcast from last week. We also finished the rest of prepare to learn for zone training. The zone training was the name of the broadcast teach repentance baptize converts. We role played teaching repentance from the gospel of Jesus Christ. We picked up lunch at subway with Elder Durney/Wright and brought it back to the church. After lunch we went to one of the nursing homes. We tried to visit two people there but they were not there. We went back to the apartment to change into service clothes. We went to the sunny hills apartment to pick them up for service. The service was at a members house, cleaning up their trees and yard. It was kind of funny to be moving a lawn in February. The district plus sunny hills went to a A&W/KFC. Dropped off the Sunny Hills Elders. Changed out of our service clothes and taught a lesson to a part member family. Went back to apartment Elder Cortez packed  

Exchanged back 

We got to the apartment and found out that Elder Cortez has our phone. So we went down to Elder Russel/Nagelys apartment. We called them and they agreed to drop the phone off at our apartment complex. The zone leaders showed up at their apartment they told us we would get an apartment inspection tomorrow. We got our phone back went back up to the apartment. 

Thursday 

Cleaned the apartment before morning exercise got ready had personal and companion study. We waited for the zone leaders to come. They were late which is hard to achieve when they live down the hall. Our apartment got a good score. Lunch was with Elder Russell/Neagley in our apartment. Elder Russell made stir fry. We had dinner with a member but she was not able to have it so she gave us money to go get something to eat. We went to this place called Angelos it was good. We went to the sunny hills apartment at the end of the night for Elder Cortez's birthday. 

Friday

Studies 

Went to the zone leaders and Elder Russel/Naeglys apartment for popcorn. We had to watch the final parts of the district videos for my last training. We had leftovers from Elder Cortez's party for lunch. We were going to do our weekly planning in the club house but after we prayed we got a call. We went to one of the la Habra sisters investigators apartment to give her a blessing. After the blessing we went to the nursing home were Connie is and tried to visit her but she was not well. Then got back to weekly planning at the apartment.We had dinner at the apartment. We went out to setup appointments. We visited a less active and Shared a message with her. She was hard of hearing and Elder Sparacino wouldn't talk loud trying not to be rude. We went back to the clubhouse Elder Russell/Naegly were. 

Saturday 

Studies 

Went to go visit a less active. We shared a message with him and he vented a little. He has had a lot of struggles in his life and he still is. We gave him a blessing and he wants to come to church his, work schedule prevents him from doing that. After a lady called us and said she was getting evicted and needed helping moving the stuff into a storage unit. She said she needed as many missionaries as we could get. We started to set that up. We stopped Elder Russell/Neaglys apartment. We had lunch with Elder Russell/Neagly and the zone leaders. The zone leaders cooked a salmon on the complex grill. We had it with rice so it wasn't to bad to eat since I don't like seafood. We took off after lunch to pickup the Sunny Hills Elders to help. We had most everyone in the zone to help move stuff. Some ASL (American sign language) came and the rest of the zone was there. The woman had quiet the obsession with Josh Groben. We left for dinner before it was over. We had dinner with another one of the optometrist students in the ward. He knows about Marfan syndrome and the eye problems it causes. We went to see Tamara for a lesson but it fell through. We stopped at the ASL Elders that lived in the complex to use the bathroom. We tried to visit people and setup appointments. We went to Yogurt Land a frozen yogurt place. We went back to the complex and looked for the zone leaders. Went to the zone leaders apartment. They got the transfer calls and the zone is still pretty much the same. I'm staying in the area and so is my companion. 

Sunday 

Woke up got ready for church. Went to church passed out programs. Connie was at church and she bore her testimony. We taught in gospel principles on the creation. In Elders quorum we learned about being Elders. We went back the apartment after church. Dinner waffles at the apartment they were good. After we went to La Habra South to pick up Elder Jacobs bike. We headed back stopped by the zone leaders apartment they are going to take the bike off our hands. 

Week 13

Monday 1/25/2016 

Woke up 

Loaded emails from the taco bell wifi that we get from our apt. 

Got ready personal study and short comp study. 

Went to Walmart 

Car wash 

Got back to apt Elder Saracino forgot iPad at Walmart in shopping. So we went back to Walmart as quick as we could and it was still in the cart which is a miracle. 

We went to the club house to do some emailing. (The club house is part of the apt complex) 

After we went to a army surplus store. We picked up two California flags the other Elders that were there bought training swords. 

We went to Chick-fil-a for lunch with the district. 

We headed to the church for zone activity. At zone activity I did some jump roping and we played chair soccer. 

After zone activity we visited a bunch of people to setup appointments. 

Tuesday 

Woke up 

I studied but my companion had a major headache so he stayed in bed. I was able to master Spanish in Doulingo the language learning app. We had lunch and he was alright. We had service at a place called Mary's kitchen. It is a place were they serve meals to the homeless. There was three companionships there and we were there for a few hours. After we went to a place called Joes ice and it is owned by a member so missionaries get free shaved ice. We went to a hospital after were a lady had requested a blessing. We gave her a blessing and talked with her for a while. We stopped by a potential investigator and we put her on date. Dinner was at a members house, tacos. After dinner we did district finding. After district finding we went back to the club house and planned. 

Wednesday 

Personal study 

Short comp study 

District meeting 

Lunch was a grab and go we took the zone leader to chick-fil-a with us. 

After lunch we went to see a lady that the one of Garden Grove 6th ward Elders told us to see. We gave her a blessing and talked with her. She is terminal with cancer and wants to start to come to church. We found out that most of the nursing facilities in this area are owed by members. We talked with one of the owners and he wants a family history class for the nursing home. We had dinner with a family and the dad was going to an optometry college that is nearby. After we had a lesson with Krystal she says she has been baptized but her records can't be found. Had lesson with part member family he showed a lot of interest. 

Visited potentials 

Clubhouse-planned 

Elder Haney stopped by to pickup some car reports that he left in the car. He was with one of the Asl (American sign language) elders on an exchange. 

Thursday 

We woke up and got ready 

After that we got a call from Elder Cortez to do a short exchange. His companion was sick. So we went over to their apt I was the one that stayed with Elder Jacobs. While there I watched almost all of the Mormon messages. They got back and brought me pizza. We went back to the apt and got ready for dinner. Dinner was interesting the member brought out raw steak. So we had her cook it till it was done but it was still a little raw. It was a nice dinner besides that. We went back to the apt my comp was felling sick after the steak since his was still pretty raw. 

Friday 

Studies 

Lunch Taco Bell with Elder Russell and his comp. 

Went to my old apt in Garden Grove picked up some stuff they already have Spanish Elders in it. We tried to wait for somebody to open the gate but no one came. So we got the sisters to open the gate. We got back brought all of the stuff into the apt. We made Italian chicken for dinner. I cooked the rest of the chicken and made bbq chicken. I packed for our exchange then we left for the church. We got to the church and people were cleaning so we helped them finish. Brother Bertichini offered to take us to the Hat so we went because the other elders weren't there. The Hat is famous for its pastrami. It was good but Elder Jacobs/Cortez wouldn't meet us at the Hat so we went back to the church and exchanged. I was in Elder Jacobs area.

Saturday 

Woke up studies 

We spent most of the day finding because he didn't have a lot of lessons setup. We did meet a guy tracts that wanted us to come back. We met this homeless man Salvidor he told us about his addictions and we gave him a BoM. He told us to be careful he said no one will mess with us, but if someone does just mention his name. We saw a less active that had not been to church in fifty plus years. We shared a Mormon message with her and invited her to church. After that we went to dinner at a members house with the the sisters in their ward. We shared a family mission plan with them. After dinner we did more finding and attempts to visit less actives. We didn't find any one else. We finished the night by visiting a part member family. The husband who is not a member wanted to ask us a bunch of philosophical questions all night but we had to leave. We headed back to the church and were pulling into the parking lot when we realized we didn't have my stuff. So we turned around and headed back to their apt so I could pack. Then went back to the church and exchanged back. 

Sunday 

Studies

Went to church 

We passed out the programs so I got to meet a lot of people in the ward. 

Elder Sparacino gave a talk he was nervous about giving it but it was good. 

We had the rest of our meetings the topic was Agency the ability the choose. 

We went back to the apt for lunch we had a huge thing of chili cheese fries that Elder Sparacino hadn't eaten from the Hat. We took a short nap for the rest of our lunch time. We got woken up by Elder Russel/Nageally in our apt they had a question for us so they came up to ask us. We went to dinner after they left, at a members house. They gave us a referral and we marked it do. We talked about setting up a family mission plan with them. After dinner we went back to the club house to weekly plan since we had not done it earlier in the week. After weekly planning Elder Haukman/Haney, and Russell/Nageally showed up.