December 18, 2006

Merry Christmas (almost),

I did recieve all 3 packages!! i feel bad, because the only other christmas package that was recieved in the apartment was to Elder Fletcher, and it was from you! he is greatful, and was very happy to recieve it. It seems like every year Christmas comes faster and faster, and there is less and less time to prepare. I would alwasy note that in my head, because i remember being very young and thinking that we were preparing for christmas for like 2 months, and now its like a few days haha. btw, you should play the Nativity movie with Amy Grants "Breathe of Heaven" song... it fits perfectly, its cool.

I think its funny that your trainer's name is Troy. Thats kinda cliche, dont you think? ask him whats the best way to improve someones pull-ups, and which muscles should be used. btw, i can now do over 100 push-ups in under 2 minutes without stopping.

Clayton, one of my faithful letter writers!! I miss my bro so much!!! Hes excited to be comming back to Cali after his semester. Hes either going to Pepperdine or NY. I think Pepperdine would be good for what he wants to do, but so is NY. Hahaha, im sure he just went straight to the fridge... good ol times, love the fridge raiding experience. i wonder if he will be able to come over on x-mas to talk at all.

How did Dad do on the x-mas letter? I got a christmas lette from Elder and Sister Arnell, and i was so shocked to see how much has happened since ive been gone, and how much i just didnt know about!! i cant believe Dave comes home soon! thats so intense!!

Real tree? no...or not yet. Thats Elder Boyd's assignement (i dont want to know how he will get it). Where for x-mas day? Well, we are having a Brunch (yes, brunch... or as Cory would say, a kinda Box Social) at the chapel with the entire zone. Elder Fletcher and I will be setting up the Bay Window Room as a family room, and we will sing Carols, and eat Bannana Pancakes with strawberry sauce, eggs, and sausage. As well as have a yankee swap (a.k.a white elephant) gift exchange. It shall be glorious. After that, we will probably jsut come home and call home. Not sure what time ill be calling, we will plan it as we get closer to the day. Christmas Eve? maybe the Bishops house? im not sure yet. Most everybody is going home.

We did have a party last night for a girl in the ward who has given out 1638 Books of Mormons in the 6 years she has been a member! that was cool. She is awesome. And we had a sweet lesson with Moniz, where the spirit was sooo strong as we read from Moroni 7 about Faith Hope and Charity. Something ALL people need to know about (especially at this time of year). We commited him to baptism, but he is going to pray about it first, which is what we want him to do. Probably new years at the apartment eating home made hot wings (Elder Boyd has been craving and raving about them).

Im talking to the MP this week. Dad gave me some good advice that has been a great help. Although i still hope there is a x-fer happening on the 4th.

Well, TALK to you next week!!!!

love ya!
Elder Onken
P.S - make sure Kolin, Clayton and the Dubrows know what time im calling in case they can come. ill let you know what time later this week.

December 11, 2006

Mom,
Congrats on your job! thats so cool! i know you must be excited!

Is the house all decorated? im sure its great. Who is comming over for christmas eve this year?

Im glad to hear the Oma is doing well.

This week has been tough with Elder Fletcher. Im really almost scared about 3 more months with him. I dont know what it will be like. I feel like im doing the workload of two missionaries, two zone leaders and the DL all by myself. hrm, and i dont want to talk to Pres about it unless he asks... i dont wanna be that kind of missionary that complains to pres about their comp, ya know?

We had Zone Conference on friday. It was really good. Everybody got letters from home, and we sat there for like 10 minutes reading them. It was really nize. We went to the temple, then went to the mission home for a testimony meeting and the letters. We had lunch ,and sang songs, and it was just really christmasy. Last night and saturday night there was teh RS christmas concert, whcih was really nice, and very spiritual. Thigns are really starting to turn into the season, which is very cool.

Well, i gotta run. Love ya much, and hope everythign is going well! talk to you soon!

Elder Onken

December 4, 2006

Mom,

Great letter!

The time is going so quickly! December sheesh. Today was the first snow however. It was actualy warm (for the area, freezing for me) this week. 60's some days. Pretty weird. However, its snowing this morning, and thats exciting... for the first 2 hours. lol. nah, the boots i have now will kick the snow's butt.

I hope Dad gets the chance to go to Vegas to visit Oma. I pray for her alot. I didnt know you had another interview. Its probably the one where they are going to give you the Job.

We were going to watch the devotional, but some pretty amazing things happend. The devotional was at 8 o'clock here, so we set up a lesson at 7 in the chapel, which a member's friend named Moniz. It was amazing. Moniz was ususaly kinda reserved and nervous in the lessons, but as we read and discussed Alma 32 with some members, it was amazing. By the end of the lesson he said, "when i came in here, i was asleep. Now as i leave, its like ive woken up". It was awesome and powerful. So although we had to refer David Tsai (getting baptized on the 16th still), we now have another sweet investigator. After the lesson we were going to go into the evotional, but a member asked us for a blessing. He talked to us about what had been on his mind, and then asked me to give him a blessing. It was very powerful. I like to call them "slide-show" blessings, because thats what it feels like; like your looking at a wall, then the slide goes in, and you take iin the picture and say what it tells you to say, then it goes away. Then you wait for the next slide and do the same thing. You do this until the projector turns off and the lights go on. It was amazing. By then the devotional was almost over, so we just went home. How was it?

With the Work in the area, we are now following up on alot of the work and nvestigators from last transfer. And to answer your next question, Elder Fletcher as not gotten over his trunkiness, so we rarely get to go out and contact. I dont think he wants to at all. We come by the apartment for like 5 minutes to get Book of ormons, and he goes to sleep for like 2 hours... He asked me not to push him ,but hat he will do better on his own. Im kinda stuck between a rock(being prideful and pushing him anyway) and a hard place(not doing anyting about it). I think he will get better about it though. A big problem we have been having though, is that missionaries, and some more than others, rationalize now working by saying "its not about the numbers" (in regards to reporting, thus working and getting better numbers). However, the way i see it is that every number reflects our efforts and an individual that God loves and knows. it ISNT about the NUMBERS, but the numbers reflect PEOPLE. A lot of missionaries rationalize doing just average using that
thought. ("thrusteth in his sickel with his MIGHT"D+C 4)

Zone Conference on Friday. Temple, than lunch and devotional at the mission home! it will be awesome! im excited.

No idea what will happen next transfer if either of us wll be x-fered. Fletcher has like 4 more months.

I did get the X-Mas in a box! thanks so much! i love it! its really exciting. Another missionary that lives with us was excited to have a tree in the house now lol. We are going to try and go buy one from some boy scouts down the street, and maybe get a discount for being Eagle Scouts lol.

I am so stoked for the phone call! im not sure when i will be calling, but probably near the last because everybody else in the apartment is in a later time zone. Make sure we tell the Dubrows though. i know they will want to come if they can.

I cant believe everybody is getting married! Mike Jones?! i totaly didnt remmeber that. Sean Sterling is marrying Kristen Bennett, like the one from the singles ward? Totaly didnt see that. Thats aweosme though! Im happy for them! The whole ward will be different when i get back, sheesh!

Tell everybody who asks about me this (then they can feel like they really talked to me): "Hey, im good, Boston rocks. Serving the Lord is the best thing ever, and the greatest blessing i have ever had. I hope everything is good with you. peace!!". so i expect you to memorize it, or keep it close at hand on a laminated 3x5 card for quick and easy access and recitation. you may want to make up a little jingle to go along with it. haha

I think we are going to make Christmas cards. that will be fun.

No family tree picking outing? thats sad. Look what happens when im not around. geeze.

Well. things arnt too cold here. Itll be fun to see the city when it gets closer to the holiday. I thought of some other gift ideas if your looking for some. There are some talks by Hugh Nibley that i would like, one is a series called "Time Vindicates the Prophets", that is supposed to be superb. some others are "Nibley speaks on Temples", and "Lessons on the Atonement". Anything of course i will love.

Thanks for being so awesome. I want to let you know that this week i achieved my push-up goal of 75; and i did it in 1:36. Im pretty stoked.

Things are going great. i love you so much ,and miss ya. Talk to you soon!

Elder Onken