March 25, 2007 - "We Found Some People!" - Michael said it was a good week because we found FIVE investigators and one of them seemed especially promising. The promising investigator's name is Linda and she is a Baptist. They just about left her street since they had met three Spanish speaking families in a row. Another investigator is Jessica who is a single Mom with 2 kids.

Michael spent some time on splits with the Spanish speaking Elders. He summed up the experience by saying "I went on exchanges with the Spanish Elders and I definitely do not know Spanish! I can pick out what topic they're on but I have a hard time knowing exactly what they're saying. I did get involved in a little discussion on ninos(kids) and explained that my companion has 7 brothers and no sisters in his family and they were pretty impressed with that. One thing that was really cool though is that it doesn't matter what language the first vision is quoted in --- you recognize it by the Spirit!! It was amazing to sit at a door for probably 15 min. and hear the Spanish Elders ramble on and give a whole first lesson and then the split second he started the first vision I knew what it was and felt the Spirit so strong!! The Spanish have it so easy to talk to people. Almost everybody will listen to you, they all are very patient and will hear what you have to say. Just in the 7 hours or so that I was with them they taught like 4 lessons and picked up 3 new investigators with 2 of them that the Elders said = basically that's a baptism!!! I was amazed. Americans are so much harder to crack."

Michael was disappointed to the response from the other Elders to Tuesday's District Council meeting. He said, "they came late and did not participate much". He's looking forward to next Tuesday when he has Zone Conference and an interview with President Stoddard.

March 19, 2007 - "From My End of Sunny California" - Michael wrote that the Spanish speaking Elders that just moved into the zone are the busy ones at the moment. As for himself and his new companion Elder Strobel they lost three investigators this week and gained none. Further Samantha Doughman has not been to church for the past two weeks. We just learned that they are moving to Murray!

Mike indicated that "training is hard". You have to find ways to teach the "newcomer" without him taking offsense.Elder Strobel is pretty good he generally doesn't get made but he sure doesn't like to be criticized. He does speak at times. This past week as we were leaving one door he turned and said "Go to Church!" Just like that right out of the blue. He needs to speak up more and be more excited when he does. We did receive 6 referrals this week, regrettably none of them turned out to be interested.

The best part of the week was the "Pruning the Vineyard" meeting in Santa Rosa where they train the new trainers. Several in my group were there including Elders Price and Zvirzdin. A total of 9 new missionaries came out last week. Three of the nine new trainers are also zone leaders.

March 12, 2007 - "Life with Dad and My Son" - Michael wrote to tell us about his new green companion (son). His name is Elder Strobel from Rexburg Idaho. He comes from a family of 8 boys. He's in the middle with 3 older brothers and 4 younger brothers. He's about 6 feet tall and enjoys soccer. Michael described him as "a man of few words". He has a good testimony and wants to serve the Lord, but he's quite quiet. Michael added, "It's been an interesting experience knowing that I have to teach him everything"!

As for his new zone leader Michael said, "As for my new Zone Leader! He's awesome of course!! I loved Elder Granja but it was time to change and what better change than getting my dad back! (Elder Bennett, Michael's trainer)! We got some good plans for the zone and are excited to work on it".

His experience of the week was with the MiMullen family. Michael wrote, "We planned and gave one of the most powerful lessons I think I've ever given on Saturday to help them quit smoking and coffee. We talked about agency, temptations, faith, prayer, scripture study, and church attendance. I promised that the Lord would remove the desire if they read every day, prayed 2 X a day and came to church every week. So I'm excited to see how they do".

Don't get too excited, in "Missionary Lingo" that means that Michael is being assigned as a trainer of a missionary that arrived in Santa Rosa today (and was born). [Dad is sure glad it was not a girl!] Thus he is the Dad and the new missionary is the Son. The "Grandfather" Michael's trainer (Elder Bennett) is coming to Clearlake to be the new Zone Leader replacing Elder Granja who died (is returning home) to Recife Brazil now that he has completed his mission.

Michael is very excited about all of these changes, both his new son and the return of his father from Eureka as his new Zone Leader. A set of Spanish speaking Elders have been assigned to Kelseyville which is also in his district and location where the Fishers (the senior couple) reside.

He added that Shannon the investigator and member of the 7th Day Adventist church was convinced by his pastor and other members to quit listening to the missionaries, so that potential baptism has crashed and burned or as Michael calls it, "The devil is riding the waters of Clearlake."