September 27, 2006

Hey mom!
I am at a dinner with Tim Jost, a recent convert, and
he has a blackberry.
Today we had mission council all day, but later todat we had a chance
to stop by Sasha Weiss' home. It was cool to see a familiar face.
Gtg, luv ya


Ttyl


Elder Onken

September 18, 2006

Hey Mom,

good to hear from you. sounds liek you guys are having a great time.

Well, responsibilities of the ZL? We are supposed to lead the zone in
work; be a model area. we are struggling with that right now. we taught
100 lessons last week and no new progressing investigators, nor any
investigators at all from that! We dont know any members because the
school year move ins are alll new, so we are trying to rebuild member trust.
We are in charge of permission for various things such as temple
attendance for those in our zone. We help to plan mission goals, we set zone
goals and plan Zone conferences. we train teh district leaders. We
collect numbers for the week from the DLs. We plan zone activities etc. We
have been told by Elder Mikelson from the presidency of the seventy,
that we are like the "stake presidents" (of the zone) in the mission
world.

Its tough, but im getting a hang of it a little more every day.

I heard about Brother Gibbs. it has been a rough week for things like
that. Mike Gagne (a part member i taught back in N.Adams) passed away
suddenly. 2 weeks prior Elder Egbert and I tried to commit him to a
priesthood blessing, but it never happend. He will be missed. This past week
Ken Demer's Son, Don, passed away from complications of his kidney
surgery 1 month ago. he was in his 30s... its amazing how much i love the
people i taught. We also were prompted to offer Don a blessing, but he
turned it down... i should have pushed it more. the effects of it on Ken
have been completely destructive. I fear for his health, both
spiriutualy and physicaly. Elder Egbert says hes "back to stage 1".

Death is somthing so sacred, that God makes it somthing mysterious and
unknown (there is scriptural referances). However, death is a great
step in life. As in creation, there is a certain ammount of destruction.
All matter desires to be broken apart into chaos, or be "destroyed" from
form. This however allows further creation, and improvements. Very
similar to an artist erasing a part of a drawing to fix its imperfections.
Death is a necessary part in order for our bodies to become perfected;
we must shed off and pass away from the imperfections we gain/make in
mortality.

This next week will be exciting. We have Zone conferance in which we
have to train the Zone is what Elder Mikelson has taught the ZLs about
missionary work. We are expected 2 baptisms a week per zone, and 1
baptismal commitment a week. As well as 1 new investigator at church every
sunday. its a lot, but he has given us the tools to do it. he taught us
how we need to teach, and how we need to find. im excited, and have
faith that we will dobule baptisms in 6 months. the spirit is such a
powerful teacher; it is so real, its truely miraculous.

We also have a Zone Development Meeting in which Brother Bokovoy will
be teaching us. its exciting. it will be truely amazing.

Well. thats about it i guess... i miss you and love ya. take care. have
fun. talk to you later.

Elder Onken
elderonken.blogspot.com

September 12, 2006

Mom,

Im at service, and taking the downtime opportunity to respond write.

I like what Sister Parker wrote about Cambridge, because thats the area
im around every hour of the day!!

Here is the usual day of travel:

We leave our place in Sommerville on Melvern street, and walk along a
brick bike path to Davis Square.
We take the Red Line T inbound, past Porter, Harvard, Central,
Kendall/MIT, Charles/MGH, into Park Street.
from there we usually spend a lot of itme in the commons.
sometimes we will hop on the green line and head off to BU, or Hynes
Convention Center, and do some work there.
Generaly we then either go home for dinner, or go to Harvard square for
such.
The Longfellow Park Chapel is where we go to church, and where the
Boston Instititue of Religion is located. It is right across the street on
Brattle st, from the Episcopal school of Divinity. it does have a nice
new englandish theme to it. not like the other churches you usually
see. however, most of the churches in eastern Mass arnt the standardized
churches that you see in the west. Most of the meeting houses out here
are so few, and older, that they were constructed back in the day where
the members built their own, or somthing like that.

Good stuff. well, the day has been interesting so far, and this week is
looking like it will be pretty good. We have a Zone Conference and
Mission Council to go to for all the ZLs. There are 2 GAs comming in, and
they want to meet with us all. yippy!

Alrighty, ill talk to you later. love ya, miss ya, have fun!

Elder Onken
elderonken.blogspot.com

9-11-06

Okay,

This week has been crazy!!!

We set a goal of 100 Lessons, and finished it on the Train ride home
last night. We had a dinner appointment accross the street from the First
Church of Christ, Scientist. I guess its a pretty interesting tour. We
are going to go through there some day.

Wednsday, we saw a guy die in Boston Commons. He had a heart attack.
all the paramedics and stuff were doing CPR, and Elder Scott and I both
knew that he was gone.

I contacted 2 alcoholics this week. one of them wants to be baptized.
NO HE WAS NOT DRUNK. but, he said hes going to take it at his own pace.
i didnt even ask him if he wanted to be, he asked me if he could. you
always hear stories about that happening to missionaries, and now ive
got my own lol.

I sat next to this guy in the train who was reading a book writen by an
episcopalian bishop, called "Why Christianity must change, or die". i
was like 'wtf(reak)?' . so we talked about it, and essentialy i was like
"uhh, okay... i see, interesting". but really this is what i was
thinking; "what kind of faithless 'christian' would believe that the church
and gospel of christ must change in order to exist in society today?".
truely faithless!! it makes me upset to think about it. how many people
do i talk to that say they believe in Christ, yet really have no faith
in him? and yet, a clergical leader of millions of people is yet
admitting to this amount of faithlessness? it makes me sick! Isaiah 24:5
reads:

"The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they
have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the
everlasting covenant."

Changing, transgressing, breaking... oh man. wow.

So anyway...

yes. it has been a crazy week, but very fun. And seriously, the most
schocking part of my week (more so than seeing the man die), was talking
to an australlian and learning that Steve Irwin had died! and by a
sting ray!! oh man. sad day in the world. the end of an era.

Wow. well. that is about all ive got right now. anyway. lova ya lots,
have fun in the Netherlands. take care, ttyl!

love,
Elder Onken

September 5, 2006

Heya!!
Its been FOREVER since i have written, i apologize!! its been such a crazy few weeks. oh sheesh, so much to write about!!
Yes, yes. i briefly wrote an email home to Nick and some others yesterday when we were at an internet cafe, but it was a rip off so i didnt spend too much time knowing that i could write today.
I am going to miss the Pabsts so much. I got transfered like 3 days before their farewell party North Adams like 3 of their 4 missionaries that week, it was pretty sad. Elder Egbert is with Elder Maebe now, and they are excited, as i am for them. Good news: Meg is getting baptized. Bad News: Mike Gagne (part member, who is waaay cool) just passed away. he was a great guy, and he should have accepted the blessing we offered after having been prompted to give him for the past 2 weeks!! he will be missed.
Oh yes, transfered!!! Its intense! I got transfered to the Cambridge South zone with Elder Scott. Being a Zone Leader is a lot more work than i thought it would be, but im hoping its just the shock effect of a new area (which is COMPLETELY different than what im used to), and the new ZL responsibilities. Yes, im in a singles ward, ages 25+. I have never felt so stupid in my whole life. Everybody that goes there is an RM, and is attending Tufts Dental School, MIT, Harvard, or Harvard Business School. nearly the majority of Harvard business school is BYU grads, i guess. We have some amazing people in our ward. Like this one guy who holds the record for most languages known.. somthing like 25+, its crazy. A great ward, but its been hard to get to know them. it makes me appreciate the Missionaries back home like Elders Thrall, Rasmussen, and Pinneda, who managed to get to know the ward very well. My area (Longfellow Park 1st) covers everything South of the Charles river. For those Bostonians, we pretty much cover all of the Red Line, and the Green Line. My area actually covers where some friends from school go to school lol. Elder Scott, my comp is SOO rad. i love him to death... in fact, im killing him this transfers (aka, hes going home). We live in a 4 Elder appartment with Elder Mecham and Elder Murray. It is sooo much fun!!!! We live in Somerville. Its sooo much fun! i love it!
Thats such a huge compliment to hear from Pres Thompson. I love that guy, he is sooo rad. We are all really loving Pres England also. The transition went smoothly, and we are excited for what Coach can bring to the mission.
Oh, so your plan to have a new sewing room has backfired? Now your wishing you hadnt destroyed my place of dwelling? psh. jk.
Im sorry to hear that Marrie isnt doing well. ill make sure to pray for her.
I cant believe Ali Banks is getting married! thats the 2nd friend my age who is getting married!!! Its Crazay!! i feel old hahaha.
How was David Toones farewell? im so psyched that hes in the mission field! he is going to be such a stellar missionary!!!
The weather is starting to cool down here. The city is VERY different from N.Adams. i think i need to go get some new non-pros shoes, and maybe some boots also, im thinking i need to get a backpack maybe, since the shoulder pack starts getting very uncomfortable after riding the "T" all day.
Well, happenings hmmm...
Weellll. Last P-Day the pabsts took us to Jiminy Peak, which is a ski resort, but does alpine slides and stuff during the warm weather. It was so much fun. i love the Pabsts so much, and i will miss them to death.
We had transfers, which was exciting, and that night i had the chance to go the Fenway and watch the Red Sox game!! it was approved because it was mormon night lol, what a day to be welcomed into the city, right?
We had some crazy experiences, quite spiritual lessons, and other things on top of that. Like getting lost in a U-Haul in the South Bay area. it was nuts lol. we were so completely lost, but then we prayed and we found some of the people we were looking for! it was a miracle!!!
We have been working out, and last night running with everybody in the apartment. its so much fun. Nick will like this; they sell Malta here, and i have been getting big old packs of it to drink lol. its nice to drink after long days in the commons, or on the streets.
So, i had read this book called Testaments, which was writted by John Tvedtnes, and David Bokovoy. Its about hebreaisms in the Book of Mormon. Well, i guess David Bokovoy is in the Belmot ward, and we invited him to talk at our Zone Development Meeting!!! He is going to talk about temple rites in the old testament! i got to talk to him on the phone for a bit about apologetics and stuff. hahah its like a celebrity is comming to ZDM. We are also getting to work with Elder Clayton Christianson (the area Seventy) and teach people at his home.
Well, i think that may be it. Its been an exciting few days, and im really excited to be in this area. I figure ill be here for quite a while, yet again. At least 2 transfers.
Its tought being around all the other ZLs who have been out forever, and i dotn know half the people they are talking about. Its fun, and im loving every minute of the mission. I gotta send pics home soon, im pretty much full on my Camera. Well, ill talk to yall later. love ya, miss ya. take care!!
Elder Onken
P.S - New Address:
32 Malvern Ave
Somerville, MA 01244

September 5, 2006

Heya!!
Its been FOREVER since i have written, i apologize!! its been such a crazy few weeks. oh sheesh, so much to write about!!
Yes, yes. i briefly wrote an email home to Nick and some others yesterday when we were at an internet cafe, but it was a rip off so i didnt spend too much time knowing that i could write today.
I am going to miss the Pabsts so much. I got transfered like 3 days before their farewell party North Adams like 3 of their 4 missionaries that week, it was pretty sad. Elder Egbert is with Elder Maebe now, and they are excited, as i am for them. Good news: Meg is getting baptized. Bad News: Mike Gagne (part member, who is waaay cool) just passed away. he was a great guy, and he should have accepted the blessing we offered after having been prompted to give him for the past 2 weeks!! he will be missed.
Oh yes, transfered!!! Its intense! I got transfered to the Cambridge South zone with Elder Scott. Being a Zone Leader is a lot more work than i thought it would be, but im hoping its just the shock effect of a new area (which is COMPLETELY different than what im used to), and the new ZL responsibilities. Yes, im in a singles ward, ages 25+. I have never felt so stupid in my whole life. Everybody that goes there is an RM, and is attending Tufts Dental School, MIT, Harvard, or Harvard Business School. nearly the majority of Harvard business school is BYU grads, i guess. We have some amazing people in our ward. Like this one guy who holds the record for most languages known.. somthing like 25+, its crazy. A great ward, but its been hard to get to know them. it makes me appreciate the Missionaries back home like Elders Thrall, Rasmussen, and Pinneda, who managed to get to know the ward very well. My area (Longfellow Park 1st) covers everything South of the Charles river. For those Bostonians, we pretty much cover all of the Red Line, and the Green Line. My area actually covers where some friends from school go to school lol. Elder Scott, my comp is SOO rad. i love him to death... in fact, im killing him this transfers (aka, hes going home). We live in a 4 Elder appartment with Elder Mecham and Elder Murray. It is sooo much fun!!!! We live in Somerville. Its sooo much fun! i love it!
Thats such a huge compliment to hear from Pres Thompson. I love that guy, he is sooo rad. We are all really loving Pres England also. The transition went smoothly, and we are excited for what Coach can bring to the mission.
Oh, so your plan to have a new sewing room has backfired? Now your wishing you hadnt destroyed my place of dwelling? psh. jk.
Im sorry to hear that Marrie isnt doing well. ill make sure to pray for her.
I cant believe Ali Banks is getting married! thats the 2nd friend my age who is getting married!!! Its Crazay!! i feel old hahaha.
How was David Toones farewell? im so psyched that hes in the mission field! he is going to be such a stellar missionary!!!
The weather is starting to cool down here. The city is VERY different from N.Adams. i think i need to go get some new non-pros shoes, and maybe some boots also, im thinking i need to get a backpack maybe, since the shoulder pack starts getting very uncomfortable after riding the "T" all day.
Well, happenings hmmm...
Weellll. Last P-Day the pabsts took us to Jiminy Peak, which is a ski resort, but does alpine slides and stuff during the warm weather. It was so much fun. i love the Pabsts so much, and i will miss them to death.
We had transfers, which was exciting, and that night i had the chance to go the Fenway and watch the Red Sox game!! it was approved because it was mormon night lol, what a day to be welcomed into the city, right?
We had some crazy experiences, quite spiritual lessons, and other things on top of that. Like getting lost in a U-Haul in the South Bay area. it was nuts lol. we were so completely lost, but then we prayed and we found some of the people we were looking for! it was a miracle!!!
We have been working out, and last night running with everybody in the apartment. its so much fun. Nick will like this; they sell Malta here, and i have been getting big old packs of it to drink lol. its nice to drink after long days in the commons, or on the streets.
So, i had read this book called Testaments, which was writted by John Tvedtnes, and David Bokovoy. Its about hebreaisms in the Book of Mormon. Well, i guess David Bokovoy is in the Belmot ward, and we invited him to talk at our Zone Development Meeting!!! He is going to talk about temple rites in the old testament! i got to talk to him on the phone for a bit about apologetics and stuff. hahah its like a celebrity is comming to ZDM. We are also getting to work with Elder Clayton Christianson (the area Seventy) and teach people at his home.
Well, i think that may be it. Its been an exciting few days, and im really excited to be in this area. I figure ill be here for quite a while, yet again. At least 2 transfers.
Its tought being around all the other ZLs who have been out forever, and i dotn know half the people they are talking about. Its fun, and im loving every minute of the mission. I gotta send pics home soon, im pretty much full on my Camera. Well, ill talk to yall later. love ya, miss ya. take care!!
Elder Onken