Mike's Mission - October 2007

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=110 BGCOLOR="#FFFF66" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="03c006e0dkfegl.gif"> <div>                          <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > Michael's Mission Page</FONT>      <IMG SRC="04e55390.gif" border=0 width="85" height="57" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div>                     California Santa Rosa Mission  June 2006 - June 2008    |   <A HREF="http://www.theHaslams.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.theHaslams.com"><U>theHaslams.com</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=190 BGCOLOR="#009933" TEXT="#080000" background="03dbec00ddwnzy.gif"> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Michaels Mission Front Page"><U><B>Front Page</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="latest_news.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Michaels Mission Latest News"><U><B>Latest News</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="photo_album.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission Photo Album"><U><B>Photo Album</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="companions.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Michaels Mission Companions"><U><B>Companions</B></U></A></div> <div> <B>=====================</B></div> <div> <A HREF="may_2008.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission May 2008"><U><B>May 2008</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="april_2008.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission April 2008"><U><B>April 2008</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="march_w008.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission March 2008"><U><B>March 2008</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="february_2008.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission February 2008"><U><B>February 2008</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="january_2008.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission January 2008"><U><B>January 2008</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="december_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission December 2007"><U><B>December 2007</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="november_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission November 2007"><U><B>November 2007</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="october_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission October 2007"><U><B>October 2007</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="september_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission September 2007"><U><B>September 2007</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="august_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission August 2007"><U><B>August 2007</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="july_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission July 2007"><U><B>July 2007</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="june_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mike_Mission June 2007"><U><B>June 2007</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="may_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission May 2007"><U><B>May 2007</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="april_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission April 2007"><U><B>April 2007</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="march_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission March 2007"><U><B>March 2007</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="february_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes mission February 2007"><U><B>February 2007</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="january_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Michaels Mission January 2007"><U><B>January 2007</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="december_2006.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Michaels Mission December 2006"><U><B>December 2006</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="november_2006.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Michaels Mission November 2006"><U><B>November 2006</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="october_2006.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Michaels Mission October 2006"><U><B>October 2006</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="september_2006.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Michaels Mission September 2006"><U><B>September 2006</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="august_2006.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Michaels Mission August 2006"><U><B>August 2006</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="july_2006.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission July 2006"><U><B>July 2006</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="arrival.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Arrival in Santa Rosa"><U><B>Arrival in Santa Rosa</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="mtc.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission MTC"><U><B>Departure & the Missionary Training Center</B></U></A></div> <div> <B>=====================</B></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.mission.net/california/santa/rosa/index.php" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.mission.net/california/santa/"><U><B>California Santa Rosa Mission Alumni Site</B></U></A></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=370 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>October 2007</B></div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>October 29, 2007 - "Well, Not Much" - </B></FONT>That was how Elder Haslam summarized his last week. Speaking of his new companion Elder Scott, Michael wrote,<I> "Elder Scott is a good guy but he has health problems like I said so if he gets chest pains or a headache he MUST stop and rest.  There is no pushing it with him because with his blood pressure he may have a stroke if he's not careful.  So if the pain gets worse suddenly I have to go straight to the hospital, no questions asked.  That's not common advice when you're on missionary medical.  So we don't get as much work done as I would like but I can't do anything about it".</I></div> <bR> <div> With respect to the work Michael explained that they'd probably drop Rachelle this week. He was excited that they found a new single mother with kids aged 14 and 10.  He's not sure how the discussions would proceed, but when he reported the new investigators in Ward Council, no one seemed interested. He then reported some interest from a visit to a less active member. In response to that report, the ward council perked up and everyone wanted to be involved. Michael said, <I>"It really frustrates me to see that most wards do not have convert baptisms because the ward is not ready to fellowship them.  We all need to repent and do better at being missionary minded".</I></div> <bR> <div> His final comment was, <I>"About the new bishopric, that's pretty cool that Bishop Horrocks is now in.  That will be fun to come home to".</I></div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>October 22, 2007 - "Craziness, I have a new companion" - </B></FONT>Michael is going to set a new record for the number of companions during one mission. On Friday he got his 4th companion in three weeks.  Elder Christopher Scott was serving in the Denver South mission. Apparently he was having some problems with altitude sickness (good thing he did not go to Ecuador). He was therefore transferred to the California Santa Rosa mission and broke up Michael's threesome with two office Elders. Elder Scott has been out about a year. President Stoddard gave Elder Tylka and Elder Haslam permission to leave the mission boundaries and drive to the Oakland airport on Friday to pick up Elder Scott. Michael wrote: <I>"He's a good missionary, but has had some trunkey companions, but I feel we can work hard together".</I> He added, <I>"I guess I'll never have another 3 month (12-week) companion. It does not seem to be in my blood".</I></div> <bR> <div> Michael sends his congratulations to Elder Dye who returns home tomorrow, followed by Elder Reasch in December (a one Christmas missionary).</div> <bR> <div> Michael said they picked up a new investigator this past week named Rachelle. They also returned to visit the lady they had met who was looking for a religion for her family. She said her son has been loving the material they had left with her previously. The lady previously lived in England about 20 minutes from Elder Scott's hometown. As for the zone, Michael says they are doing better with 2 baptisms already and 1 more committed, That however is still 8 short of the 11 required to equate to one baptism per companionship.</div> <bR> <div> <B>October 15, 2007 - "New Companions (2 of them)</B> - <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >Michael wrote with the latest bizarre happenings in his mission. Due to one Elder being sent home due to back problems, Michael's companion Elder Blankenship was assigned to be the companion to the missionary whose companion returned home. Elder Blankenship and his new companion will both return home in mid-November. Elder Blankenship is still a zone leader and will work with the new district that he has moved to. Meanwhile Michael's new companions are two Elders serving in the office: Elder  Tylka from Cottonwood Heights and Elder Westbrook from Mesa, Arizona. Elder Westbrook was in Michael's group at the MTC.  Amazingly Michael has now been companions with every English speaking elder in his MTC group.  How many missionaries can claim that achievement?</FONT></div> <bR> <div> During the past week they met some new contacts, but no one that they feel is "golden". While tracting they met a lady who asked that they come back in the evening. When they did she told them that she is looking for a new church for her family. She has two sons one 14 and one 12. Another contact was found who was about to start reading the Book of Mormon. A father in a part member family who hosted all the lessons for Sister Osborn is also a potential investigator.</div> <bR> <div> Lynn Heater's health is worse and he can no longer come to church. He's so sick that teaching him further is not possible. </div> <bR> <div> We need the missionaries to be bolder with their contacts. Too often they don't attempt to commit them to baptism. We did have two baptisms in the zone on Saturday, but that reduced those committed to baptism to zero.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>October 8, 2007 - "Update on a Crazy Week" - </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >Michael summarized the past week as follows:</FONT></div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Monday: P-day - lots of errands to run</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Tuesday: Transfer day - 10 of 22 missionaries in the zone were moving out and 10 moving in to replace them. Spent the day running people around to the bus stop and transfers.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Wednesday - Clean out the apartment above us. Those Elders are moving down into our apartment so the mission can save money.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Thursday - ZL/DL meeting in Ukiah</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Friday - Planning time. We also helped some members move.</div> <bR> <div> Regarding General Conference Michael offered the following: <I>"Conference was amazing I loved it all.  Favorite talk was definitely President Eyring's talk in the Priesthood session.  It answered the one question I wanted to have answered this conference.  Also I really like Elder Holland's talk".</I></div> <bR> <div> His last comment was <I>" we will be getting Cell Phones!!!! It should be pretty exciting". </I>[Editor's note: Zone Leaders in Thailand have had cell phones for several years now].</div> <bR> <div> <B>October 1, 2007 - "Transfer News" - </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >Michael wrote, "Finally I am not getting a new companion or going to a new area". He went on to explain that 10 of the 22 missionaries in his district are moving and so the early part of the week will be spent moving missionaries from place to place. We are receiving 10 new missionaries from the MTC. All these changes make today and tomorrow "nuts", so I don't have much time to write.</FONT></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="0798a280.jpg" border=0 width="394" height="296" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="5">Reporting on the highlight of the week Michael said, <I>"As for the week it was awesome.  I finally got another baptism!!!  It was great see her baptized, she was so ready for it and is really excited to be a part of the church even though her family is not really supportive of her.  I have a couple pics and I will try and send my card home this week if at all possible.  She is amazing and maybe one day you will get to meet her.  Elder Blankenship baptized her and he had to do it twice because her hair didn't go under.  I confirmed her yesterday which was a great experience.  I'm hyped up and ready to find the next elect person to cross our path".</I></div> <bR> <div> Michael also reported going to Ukiah as part of a "choir".  Who knew Michael could sing?  He said while he was there he met some people from Clearlake (which is in the Ukiah stake). Michael added, <I>"Our zone only had 1 baptism because we've had this on our minds.  We need to focus on our purpose, but it was a good experience"</I></div> <div> .</div> <div> .</div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>