South Bay!

Hey everyone!

I don't have too much time to write, but I'll give a quick update. My time as AP is up, today I got transferred to the South Bay Spanish ward - it's right down on the border, literally the most southwestern area in the United States. My new companion, Elder Wayment, is a super awesome and consecrated missionary. I am ready to WORK! It'll be a fun transfer. I've been out of Spanish work for six months, I'm excited to go back. These pictures don't tell the full story, but I think they will give you an idea at least. I love my mission. This is the Lord's work!

Dios le bendiga,

Elder Pettit

Nevertheless

What's up everyone!

We had another good week. Last Tuesday and Wednesday we delivered 16 more new bikes to companionships around the mission. There were a few extra, so we took 2 back to our place to use for exercise. So we've been riding those things up to the top of Mt. Helix, which is about a 7 or 8 mile ride with about 800 feet of elevation. Elder Udall was raced cross country mountain bikes back home, so we've been grinding these bikes.

We've been teaching our friend Dominique and we put him on date to be baptized for September 3rd. Dominique is a 25 year old, 6'6 black guy who says he was baptized and he remembers even doing baptisms in the temple. However, there is NO record of his baptism. We did all we could to figure things out with the bishop, but long story short, he's going to need to be rebaptized. Dominique was in prison for a while and has really turned his life around now. Before our last lesson with him, he started asking us about missions and said he's been thinking about going on one. Super awesome - that would be lifechanging for him. He said he wanted to go to the YSA ward (the one we just left), so we passed him off to the SSTL's. We had a member in the YSA, Larry Chu, come to the lesson with us and be Dominique's fellowshipper. He's awesome, he converted and went on a mission at around the same timetable that Dominique is on. Fun fact, Larry served in the same mission as my sister Jenna! Small world.

We've been planning for transfers coming up on Tuesday. In the past with President Giménez, he would make a draft of a transfer document, and we would make a draft, then we would meet and compare the two. However, President Merritt told us "Elders, I have no idea how you managed to put all this together. I wouldn't know where to start!" So we made the transfer board and then discussed it with president haha. 

Speaking of transfers, next Tuesday I will be getting transfered. I'll no longer be AP, I'll go be a Zone Leader in the South Bay spanish ward. I'm excited to be back in Spanish work! I learned a lot during these last six months, and I'm super grateful for the opportunity I had to learn, serve, and minister to other missionaries and learn a lot of new skills.

One thing that President Merritt shared with the mission on a morning devotional was the meaning of the word "nevertheless". It's used often in the scriptures when one puts his own will aside to do the will of God. Like Christ when he was about to accomplish the Atonement, He asked if there were any other way. But nevertheless, He was willing to do the will of the Father over anything else. So we might not like it, it might be hard, but, "nevertheless", we do it.

Time has flown, I've only got six transfers left. Time to make the most of it and work as hard as I can!

This is the Lord's work!

Elder Pettit

Psalms 139

8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.

9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;

10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.

Member Lessons!

Hey everyone!

I wasn't able to write an email last week because we didn't really have a P-Day. We've been slammed busy lately, with lots of exchanges, meetings, Zone Conferences, and lots of lessons. 

We've done 17 out of our 19 exchanges so far this transfer! Elder Udall and I gave a training presentation at Zone Conference on How to Work with the Members. We have been having lots of lessons with the members here in the La Mesa ward ourselves, and it's led to some pretty cool things happening. 

We are so spoiled in this mission. A few months ago, we got a brand new 2022 Nissan Rogue to drive. The mission then had a red 2022 Toyota Tacoma come in, and the vehicle coordinator told us he "received revelation that the APs should have it!", so we just picked that up yesterday. It feels wrong lol!

The mission home was finally done getting renovated, so President and Sister Merritt have just now been getting settled in. They needed some helping moving stuff around, so one morning we woke up early and ran up Mt. Helix to their house, helped, then ran home. In total it was a 5.6 mile run! There was lots of uphill as well.

This last week, our bishop let us know that there was a member of the church in a care facility whose family had requested a blessing for him. The family was away in Utah, and they said he was close to passing. Bishop said the blessing was probably more to comfort the family than the man himself. 

So long story short, we got to this facility and were led to a little hosptial bed, partitioned by two curtains that had other sick, elderly people there. We found him asleep. His breathing was really loud and labored, and we couldn't wake him up. So we decided to just give him the blessing anyway. Later in the day, bishop forwarded us a text from the family saying that their grandfather had passed away peacefully. Definitely a tender experience to see that.

I gave a talk in church this week about how Christ is the "Good Shepherd". I asked the bishopric if we could close sacrament meeting by singing hymn 221, "Dear to the Heart of the Shepherd", and they said yes. Had a few people tell me they really enjoyed the talk plus the hymn.

Have a good week everyone!

Elder Pettit

I Know That My Redeemer Liveth

Hello everyone!

We had five exchanges with other missionaries this week, three of which were with new missionaries. I love going on exchanges with the elders who have just gotten to San Diego. They're still adjusting to the mission, but they often have so much energy and want to work hard. It's also a good reflection for me to realize how much I've grown in the time that I've been a missionary.

We've been having some awesome lessons with lots of the members here, and they've usually been feeding us dinner too. One thing I've had to get adjusted to is just how loud sacrament meeting is in this English family ward. My whole mission, I've been in Spanish branches, small Spanish wards, and a YSA ward. Usually there's not many people in those congregations, but in the La Mesa ward, the chapel is always packed full. It's a little harder to see if any of our friends we are teaching are in the building amidst the sea of people lol!

I've met quite a few people here who have some connection to Northern Idaho or Spokane, which has been pretty cool as well.

We had our Mission Leadership Council yesterday. At the very end of the meeting, we opened it up for anyone to bear their testimonies. The meeting up until that point had been very spiritual, but that was just the cherry on top. The Spirit was so strong. The gospel is just true, I can't deny it. Elder Vickery, who was my predecessor as AP,  shared such a powerful testimony, uncharacteristically to the brink of tears.

He said that he's heard a lot on his mission that we as leaders need to set a good example, but nobody really understands what that means. He testified that if we want to be a good example, a good leader, we need to follow Christ. He promised that joy is found in Christ. Hearing that bold and powerful testimony was awesome - I can't really put into words the things I felt as I listened to those testimonies, but it was powerful - it was the Holy Ghost.

Here's a scripture from the book of Job 19:25-26 that we studied this week in "Come, Follow Me":

"For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth; and though my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flash shall I see God." 

Christ lives! This is His work!

Elder Pettit