First transfer......about as good as I could ask for!

Tab finally got his first transfer and he is now in Trenton. It sounds like it was a perfect fit for him. I was so happy to get his email but the best part came when I went to the mailbox and found a letter from him too. He wrote me for my birthday! I think i'll keep that one to myself. However, I will say that no gift would have meant more than that letter! Here is his email.

Hi mom!

 

Yes I got transferred, but my new area is about as good as I could have asked for. I am in Trenton, and my address is 134A Austin Ave, Hamilton NJ 08629. But I sent you a letter! I was hoping you would have gotten it by your birthday but I guess not :( That's alright though. It has my new address on it, so that's good. We live in a house, actually, that is quite nice. It was newly remodeled and so everything is clean and it was newly furnished just last transfer. Everything we have is more or less new. My companion is Elder Chris? Mullenaux, from Gilbert Arizona and he's pretty funny. I like him a lot already. We have similar interests in cars, movies, hobbies, and humor so we get along well. He's happy all the time which is super nice to have in a companion. Elder Thompson and Elder Estipona were like that.

 

Ok I'll be right back.........

Yes so,

I am in the Princeton 2nd ward. Our area doesn't cover all of it, only the more poor parts. In fact we only have 4 or 5 active families in our area. The nicer areas are covered by our district leaders who are in the Princeton area. We live with spanish elders who cover our same area and we split the work about 50/50. There are quite a lot of spanish speakers in this area. Most of the members in the Princeton 2nd ward are either from Utah or have lived in Utah while going to school at BYU. I found that somewhat funny. So there's plenty to relate to. 

I don't have a whole lot to talk about yet... Liberian food is really good! We had that on Friday and I ate two full plates. Most foreign foods to me are good. I think this area is slightly more culturally diverse because there are more asians and europeans and central and south americans. I haven't been able to visit many members yet, but we had dinner at some Utahns and some Liberians homes. Good food for the most part! 

I did get almost everything from my old apartment. We jammed the Corolla full to the brim! I only left behind a couple of hangers and I think that's about it. I even brought my waffle crisp :) So I'll be fine.

I will still get on for emails at the same time and everything... Missionary schedule is the same where ever I go. The library we go to is on Princeton campus - it's real nice here. I haven't been able to walk around too much but there's some cool art and nice buildings, like Stanford. It's a little more hilly. Trenton is different from Newark/East Orange in that it is a little newer/nicer. I don't know which city is older than the other but East Orange had way more abandoned buildings and it was more hood. More dangerous. More liquor stores and more crime. However, I haven't spent much time around downtown Trenton late at night, so I cannot say for sure. Plus directly around Trenton there are really nice areas. Like Princeton - which is real nice. Other than that, it's pretty similar. I was praying for a walking area so I got what I wanted!

Good: Mostly everything

Bad: Walking between appointments sometimes takes forever.

I look forward to getting my letter! Hopefully you get yours soon. I heard about Landon - he emailed me. That's awesome! Carlsbad is super hot isn't it? He's going to have a great time. 

Well, I'm out of stuff to talk about. Ask dad if he knows any of his students/colleagues that now are in Princeton wards. He may know some of them. I love you guys! Do some member missionary work or something. We love families that help us do missionary work. Utah is hard to do that. But you can do it 

Love,
Tab

Good morning!

Awesome letter. Thanks Dad! I'll have time to write you next week. Keep up the good work!

Haha you already know where I'm at. I like it a lot! I was hoping for a walking area.

I'll be studying up on the Atonement a lot this week so we'll do some discussing next Monday.

Everything is going great. I love the testimony that I am building. It brings me great joy. I know that this Church is true!

I'll write you next week

Love,
Tab

I am leaving East Orange : (

I knew it was inevitable! After being in East Orange for 5 1/2 months, Tab is leaving. I think he has gotten quite attached to the place and loves the people. This was one of the most heartfelt emails I've received. I know he will be fine but it is sad to see him leave this area. Despite the challenges he has had, the growth I've seen in him has been truly rewarding. And to think I cried when I first heard he was being sent here. I pray his next area and companion will be just as great! 



Hi Mom!

I am leaving East Orange :( It's alright though! So I'm pretty sad that I am leaving cause I don't really want to go, because I don't know how to, talk to not hood people right now and if I could guess, my next area is going to have more rich people. The people we teach, you can basically straight up tell them to repent ye sinners and be baptized like 2 Nephi 9 style. And then they'll either do it or not. Most of them don't, which is crazy because from my perspective I'm pouring my heart out about something that is so true I feel like you can't deny it, but they'll get it someday and if not then in the Spirit World. The other day some girl asked us to come visit her and she gave us a totally false address and her intention was to deliberately waste our time... she did a little bit - like 20 min or so. But at first I was mad and then I laughed cause I'm totally gonna give her a hard time in heaven about it. 

I'll let you know where I go by next monday.

So, yes we also had Elder D. Todd Christofferson and Elder Tad R. Callister come speak to us on Saturday. That was crazy good. I shook their hands at the beginning! I don't really remember what I did cause I was so focused on looking him in the eyes and smiling and making sure my hand was not clammy and what not, but I do know that Elder Christofferson is most definitely the most handsome of all the apostles. He aged well. Plus he's pretty funny. He pulled a lot of jokes. Mostly, he talked about faith, our mission-wide focus. It was inspiring. He doesn't baffle with words really, but he brings the Spirit. He said some neat stuff in his closing remarks/testimony. He is a special witness of Christ - that is his calling as an apostle. Talking about how faith eventually becomes perfect knowledge, he said something like, "As someone who knows, I have come to testify to you that Christ lives." And he meant it, of course. It was powerful and I felt the Spirit! Elder Callister is a wizard at quoting scripture and you can tell he is intelligent. He talked about changing our nature, not just our behaviour, as missionaries. That was great too. I took notes of course so I'll remember what I learned and how I felt.

This week I also got to visit a house of unaccountability where I reunited with Philip, an old investigator who we dropped because he is unaccountable and he moved away without telling us where he went. The last time I saw him was over 3 months ago. I felt really bad for him cause he's in rough shape... he more or less has every disease in the world and he has nobody who he can talk to. So we talk to him. There is also a man in there named Carlos who has elephantitus (sp.?) The reason we went there is because a member named Lisa lives there and she is super funny/crazy/cool but after a few visits when we went back she had basically torn the place apart overnight and so they kicked her out to who knows where. Sad, but true. I wish you could meet some of these people. They are pretty far out there.

We had a going-away party on Sunday for the branch's first missionary! Sis Katiana Jean-Louis. She has a cool conversion story and she is basically the perfect convert. She's amazing. She leaves on Tuesday for the MTC. They will probably hold a party soon for Michael Paupulaire as well, who Reese knows. It was a pretty big deal for the members of the branch so they made tons of food and we did the Haka and a whole bunch of wild stuff like that. It was great!

One other cool event from this week. We visited a member, Sister Earlene Scott, for the first time this week. She comes to church every sunday and she is a champ. But I had never visited her until this week and it was the greatest visit I have had in a long time. She is quite old, 84, and she can hardly walk. She has a disease that makes her hands and mouth shake, she has a pace maker and several bone replacements, and she takes care of her diabetic son. So it's just her and her son in their small room in a halfway home. She has all the reasons to not go to church. I forgot to mention she can't drive and doesn't get a ride from members - she takes the bus!! She defines champ! So in our visit we talked about her conversion and the doctrine of Christ. I loved it. She was baptized with her mother in 1998. Het mother lived to be 107, outlasting the ENTIRE 20th century. How about that? Anyway, Sis Scott is the sweetest old lady I've met on my mission. I am hoping I'll get a picture with her before I leave.

BTDubs, the new Honduras temple is gorgeous! I think it's one of the best looking, ever. I realized that I am not a big fan of the style of architecture used on the Provo temple and the temples like Las Vegas temple, Boise temple, and the one in Germany (Frankfurt?). I don't like that style. But the new Honduras temple I like a lot.

Ok so I know most of this letter was somewhat all over the place but it is what my week consisted of. And some nerf basketball tournaments. So you asked who you should pray for... pray for Comfort and Diana and Apa - the Adjei family - they are planning to be baptized at the end of the month. I won't be here : ( but I know Elder Thompson will take care of them just fine. 

Have a great week! I will. Pray that I go to a super area and get a super companion! Haha. 

I love you all.

Tab

Mid week surprise!

There is not much that is better than getting a surprise email from Tab mid week! It just popped up and my heart skipped about 2 beats. Best feeling ever! It could have been two words and I would've been happy. But this is what I got......

Hi mom!

I got on because I wanted to say thank you for my package! I love waffle crisp haha.

Ok I have to go. Love you!

Tab 

Focus on what matters most!

I love it when Tab gives me great advice! In my letter to him this week I told him how busy I had been lately with teaching, running kids around, YW activities, the girl's birthdays, etc. He calmly replies......Remember to focus on what matters most! Yes, advice from my nineteen year old son. And I love it!

Hi Mom!

 

Sorry I wrote dad today and so I don't have any time left. Plus I can't find the email you sent that had all the questions in it... :(  It's alright though!

 

Sounds like you're staying busy. Remember to focus on what matters most! There is a sweet talk by Elder Uchtdorf that talks about that on lds.org. Check it out.

 

I figured Elder Payton would get engaged and married soon. I know that she was waiting on him while he was on his mission. Mitch Palmer is the man, too. Elder Burr in Africa! Crazy. Tell everyone I say hello back. I appreciate all the kind words. I hit 6 months next week! That was fast... I don't want to leave this area. I don't want a new companion. Elder Thompson and I do well together and we are really good at teaching together. And we're just getting started it feels like!

 

I'm reading randomly in scriptures and sometimes in PMG. I am in WofMormon in the BofM haha and in the Bible I am reading 1 Corinthians. Also I read in D&C all the time.

I'm all over the place.

 

Check out the email I sent to dad. It was good. My p-days are great! I enjoy them. Sometimes being lazy all day at the apartment is nice. I look forward to the package you sent... I think. This weekend is going to be amazing! I cannot wait for it. I can't really think of anything else I wanted to bring up other than thanks for the letters and packages family! You're the best. I will try to write Colby back as soon as I get the time. We stay pretty busy on mondays. Plus I am slow at typing :(

 

I love you all! You are in my prayers each night too. Do work at home.

 

Love,

Tab

Hi Dad!

 

Thank you for your letters. I wasn't able to write back last week because I ran out of time. It seems like life is just going on... One thing I have found is that a lot of the people we teach that don't have the Gospel in their life have nothing to look forward to. They work 6-7 days a week and use the money to pay rent, feed the family, pay for a car, then buy cigarettes, drugs or alcohol with what money they have left over. Whatever time they have left is spent sleeping or meaningless activities. And they do this week after week, year after year. They have no purpose, other than to exist! It is depressing to me. So many people are stuck in this lifestyle that it is difficult for us to find people to teach, and a time to teach them. Even members of our branch have a hard time attending more than twice a month because they are working on sundays. I get frustrated with them; perhaps I don't understand fully. The uplifting part is, once some of these people accept our mesage, they see that there is a purpose to life and there is something to look forward to. They begin to find time to spend with their family and come to church, even to attend Wednesday night mutual activites. I know that it is a blessing from the Lord for those who exercise faith in Him by being obedient to His commandments. They begin to find time to do what is required of them and they find that they are just as able to put food on the table and make rent, if not more blessed than they were before. (The principle is the same with tithing, WofW, etc.) I have seen this in the lives of families in our branch and I know that it is true. "Prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it" - Malachi 3:10. I like that scripture.

 

I'll read D&C 50 this week. I have never read all of the sections, but sometimes I'll follow a cross reference and then get lost in reading the rest of the section. So I've spent some time in it... interesting scripture. I had an awesome study in Jacob 5 and 6 last week where I determined to understand, as best I could, to understand the allegory of the olive trees. There are a few scriptures that refer to missionary work in the latter days. The entire chapter 6 is awesome too.

 

So I have heard the term HAM before used as just working really hard. I believe it's an acronym for something but I am not sure. You could find out what it truly means on Google. Perhaps I should be careful... Anyway it means to work hard.

 

I am super excited for this Saturday! I have never met an apostle, and the only general authorities I have met are Elder Gong and the area seventy for New Jersey, who I met at Scotch Plains stake conference. I don't even remember his name :/ I assume I will also see Sister Nelson and Sister Boshard and another missionary (Elder Vargas) who I know from high school but only found out he was here through the President's blog. 

 

SO MANY MISSIONARIES WOO! That new SLAB flavor sounds pretty good. Reese and Clark and I talk about Slab ideas all the time in our letters. They better have green eggs & ham on the menu before I get back :)

 

I love you Dad! Keep up the good work at home. Hopefully it warms up soon so that you can finish the gabien (sp.?) baskets before I get home. Haha.

 

Love,

Tab

Found his gem and thought I'd share it.......seems like only yesterday!

    

We went HAM again!

What a way to start out my week.........4 emails from Tab and 22 pictures. That equals ONE HAPPY MOM!!  All I can say is he's the BEST!

Hi Mom,

 

I have to be short again this week - I got a lot of random emails and I read them all which took a bit of time! Sorry about that.

 

So I got both of your packages and they were great! Basically everything I ever wanted. The pants both fit well, too. I am wearing the grey ones right now. They are nice. Thank you!

 

So this week things were way different. We found 12 new investigators! It was pretty crazy. In actuality, we found like 20 but in the lessons we had with a few of them, we determined which people would be the best use of our time. We went HAM though. We hit the standards of excellence in every area except for member present lessons, which is somewhat tough in our area. It was a great week!

We also met another random unknown move-in member named Junior in a street contact. We began talking to him and he told us how his parents were on a mission in South America and he has been a member all his life. He moved to East Orange because he got a college basketball scholarship in Bloomfield. He seemed like a good guy, but the slide of inactivity had left him out of church for nearly 3 years. He had a testimony! It is so stange how we meet people like Junior all the time! It makes me wonder how many people around us, who we pass by and wave to every day, are unrecorded members of the church in that area. At the beginning of my mission, and even before I left, I was confused as to why the branch presideny made transferring records such a big deal when members moved to another area. I just figured the member would know how to contact the church in their new area. But Satan is sly like that... "I can just miss this Sunday" or, "I'll go next Sunday", etc. and so on until they are fully inactivite. If records were transferred quickly, this would happen a lot less often. Plus it would save us, missionaries, a whole lot of time. We spend lots of time hunting down less actives who moved years ago and never had their records moved from this branch to the next.

 

Nothing special to report this week, just a lot of hard work and a lot of success! We have several people with baptismal dates now that we found through our own efforts. However, I think we need to take the advice of our mission president, and Dad, and start working more with our members. I've seen that the recent converts with friends in the church stay, and the recent converts without friendship in the church usually don't last long. It's sad to say, but it is true. To me it is similar to building a spider web. It's easier to build on what you already have than to build around something new. 

 

To Caitlin and Regan: Happy Birthday! I wish I could do more for you, but know that I do love you very much. I miss you, too. I hope that things are well for you. Stay strong in the faith!

 

And to the rest of the family, I love you! I miss you but I'm doing great. Give Indie a bark for me.

 

Love,

Tab

 

moor photos.........

In answer to why I attached a photo of doorbells... Basically every house we go to has a million doorbells and it drives me nuts because none are labeled. So you have to guess who belongs to what one. 

my friend.

me getting artsy.

lunch.

doing work!

high priest style with my new $1 tie from 99 cent depot

looking good.

a mint green house.

every house looks the same

me getting artsy and a possum 

yeah.

what's up with this?