June 15, 2015

Summer Time!!

even when your a missionary!

Hey Momma!!

first off i really like your "trek parable" haha(:  i dont have much time so im gonna answer all the questions as best as a i can!! (the red are my (mom's) questions)

1. How is the new Comp? I assume you’re not training?

1. new comp is sick, his name is Ryan McGraw from Washington state. he's in his second transfer so im finishing up his training. in the mission language a trainer is called the dad, but when its a second transfer finish up like this, its called a step dad haha. so now in the mish i have 1 son (elder roberts) and one step son (elder McGraw haha). he's a super nice guy and actually pretty funny, im really excited for this transfer.

2. Are you still a zone leader? Is that why you got the car?

2. NO!!! NO NO NO NO NO NO IM FREEEEEEEEEE!!!!!! haha, this area has a car cuz it covers three cities (Loulé, Albufeira, and Quarteira). but i am still district leader, which kinda sucks, but it aint as bad as ZL haha.

3. I can’t stop thinking how gross it is that you had hamsters running around you apt. for a month! Don’t do that again! (not really a ?, just a thought;)

3. they we're cool and only 5 bucks! p.s. im buying a boxer puppy when i get home haha, i hope, we'll have to see...

4.What is your new area like? Rich or poor? Ward or Branch?

4. well i kinda have three areas. Loulé is pretty much like any other portugues town, decently nice but pretty quiet and slow, we do most of our work in the other two cities. Albufeira is a huge tourist area, so sometimes its kinda hard to work there too, but its beautiful, its like Santa Barbara. Quarteira is where we do most of our work. its also pretty touristy, but not nearly as much as Albufeira, and its a pretty nice town. all pretty nice rich areas, but not as rich and closed of as Oeiras (my last area).

5. Where do I send a package? Do you need anything?

5. keep sending packages to the Lisbon office, cuz i'll be staying in the Portugal Lisboa mission. and just the next time you send a package could you send some more hair gel? that american crew or whatever it is, the lid is blue, i think its called molding something, but its not like runny gel, its white and thick kinda like flour and water..... haha that was a really weird reference.

6. How far away from Lisbon are you?

6. We're about 2 hours by car from lisbon, so not too bad, this country is tiny, its like less than half the size of arizona haha.

7. Are you teaching any investigators?

7. yea we've got a few we're teaching actually, but McGraw is still pretty new and so he cant remember everyones names and where they live (he's only been in this area for 6 weeks) and so me and him are starting over kinda, except for all the most important ones (or at least the ones he could remember haha) his trainer last transfer didnt do a very good job of teaching him and showing him, he kinda just led the way and expected him to follow, but thats gonna change this transfer!! haha

8. Got your package, not all the videos worked!?? Did you keep copies on a card?

8. dangit thats a bummer that not all the videos worked, yea i've got everything backed up. except for that sd card i sent home from the mtc, do you guys still have that?? cuz thats got all my videos from the mtc and i'd love to see that again! 

9. What is your most recent spiritual experience??

9. so we're teaching this man named Gerald (he's from ireland). he just turned 49 on saturday actually haha. when the missionaries found him about a month and a half ago he was super depressed and didnt know what to do with his life. he's addicted to alcohol (just beer, nothing stronger, but still addicted) but he wants to stop, and he wants to quit smoking too. they gave him a book of mormon, and he's actually reading it quite a bit. he just kinda opends up to wherever and reads for a bit, but he readys usually every morning, afternoon and night. he used to be one of the top engineers, he's got a PhD in it. then he just one day decided he was done and he wanted to relax, so he retired and moved to portugal about six years ago. he's a super intelligent man, but just living in a slummy tiny house who knows why. but he's saying as he's reading more and more of the book of mormon, he's buying less and less booze and cigarettes, he's says he just doesnt feel like its right any more. we told him that as he reads more and prays more and trys to live what he's reading, he's filling himself with the spirit, and so that spirit is taking up more and more room, and there's no room (desire) for the bad stuff anymore. he says some of the most sincere prayers i've ever heard, he's an awesome guy, when we come visit portugal we gotta come down and meet him(:

10. Answer #9

10. there you go!! ^^^^^^ (:

i love you all so much but i gotta run!! have a good week, i'll write more next week!

 so this was us bowling last week, selfie with a gopro.

and this was our zone meeting last week...... i was the oldest missionary in the whole fricken meeting haha (i've been on my mission the longest), only 5 more months!

 went to the beach today in a city called Faro, and I took my ukulele haha, we had jam sesh on the beach




















we're like a bunch of hippies hahaha, or hawaiians haha.

the elder that took these pics is Elder Madsen... he takes a lot of selfies..... A LOT









so the one juggling is elder Sant. he would juggle and i would play this funny little carnival type song, then i would stop playing and he would toss me the ball, and i would baseball hit it back to him and he would catch it and keep on juggling and i would go back to playing haha, i've got a really funny video but i cant send it on the email, so y'all will have to see it later haha

me and elder sant jousted.... i won haha.

















"im gonna teach you an ancient technique...... its called the power stance...."

 so this is my new desk, its like foam and super easy to draw on haha, so its just covered in doodles.... i may have been the one who drew the tank

my new comp McGraw, this is us out in a city called Albufeira, taking a little snack break out on a jetti

 saw a sick dodge the other day for the first fricken time in almost 2 years haha.... it was sooooooooo big holy crud


















so there's this equadorean family in our ward that sells a bunch of cool metal work stuff cuz the guy Oscar does engravings, so i bought a knife cuz i was needing one, and had him engrave Ranger in it, i fricken love it to death now haha

so i dont know if i've ever sent pictures of my ukulele, but here she is!! her name is Suzuki! haha, she's got a few tats

only the King gets to drive..........

June 8, 2015

New Area!!

Loule', Portugal

Hey momma

I GOT TRANSFERED!!! haha, i got taking out of Oeiras! man i totally thought i was staying! me and my comp both left Oeiras, and he went to Tomar, my first area!! hahaha that was super funny. my new area is called Loulé (its sounds like low - lay with the emphasis on the lay haha). and guess what?! IM DRIVING AGAIN!!!!! hahahaha this area has a car, so i think Pres put me here cuz i already have a license. its down on the southern coast of portugal, so i went from one beachy area to another haha. my new comps name is Elder McGraw, and even though he's not directly related to Tim McGraw he's a super sick guy. i dont know too much about this area, we literally got here like 5 minutes ago, we came right to the library to do email haha. 

i'm doing great, im really excited to serve here, this area is one that a lot of missionaries want to serve in. and it also means that im gonna be in the southern mission, so im sticking with the Portugal Lisbon Mission! haha i totally knew that i would stay in the south haha, its funny.

so im super sorry that this is so short, today has been crazy and we have like no time, but next week should be better! i kinda went from San Diego to Miami hahahaha thats funny. the scary part is that this could be the last area of my mission!! i only have 3 transfers after this, so i could be here until im done! that's toooo weird haha, i guess we'll see! i feel like im gonna be here for a long time though, but thats okay cuz this place is sick. 

i love you guys a ton and ill write you next week!!(: 

take lots and lots of pictures of all your adventures please!!!

 so this is my new comp Elder McGraw!! in the group pic he's the one to my left, he's pretty sick, im stoked for this transfer... oh and we went bowling..... again haha

so these are our sad faces with Elder Arnold (my MTC comp) cuz our mission splits on July 1st, and we're gonna get separated into different mission, so i wont see him again until we both go home... kinda sucks

this is my sweet new watch! its a sick surfing watch haha, its got all the tides of all the major beaches in the whole fricken world!!....... im gonna have to get more into surfing after the mish haha. but its like the exact same style as my last watch haha, i thought that was super funny

so now im serving in an area called Loulé, and im fricken driving again!! haha its sooooo awesome, and its a stick shift!! its a tiny little european car, so its like driving a go-cart everywhere haha. well this was us driving back to our area, and it was the first time my whole mission i've crossed this bridge i've been looking at for a year and a half now haha. and these tw beautiful bikes came up on either side, and then fricken wheelied off!!! it was sooooooooo sick haha. then in the other picture you can see this giant statue of Jesus..... its almost as cool as the bikes

June 1, 2015

A Letter Between Brothers!

This made my heart melt!

From: Ammon(10) to Zach(19)

Dear Zach,
I miss you and I love you! I can’t wait for you to get home because I’m gonna take you down in wrestling and Turkey bowl! 
Have you made any new friends in Portugal lately?
I always have you in my prayers, hoping that you will be alright.
Here is a poem just for you-

Z= zany
A= awesome
C= cool
H= happy

This is what I think of when I think of you. Sometimes when I look in the mirror I think of you because I think I’m going to go on a mission and hopefully go to Portugal and do the same thing as you.

That’s all for now Stink Brain!!
Love 
Ammon

From: Zach to Ammon

Ammonition!! 

well good thing that i still have 6 months left in my mission so that i can start working out and training so i can take you down in wrestling and turkey bowl punk!!

i've made a couple new friends, and some of them even speak english a little bit! have you made any new friends lately?

thankyou bud for always praying for me, i need it! i always have you and brig and mason, and mom and dad in my prayers too, but especially you and your brothers, im always praying that you boys will be able to make the right choices, and to also help your friends to make the right choices. once of my best friends, Holden, decided to go on a mission because i went and i was a good example to him. i pray every night that you are always a good example to your friends too!! and i know you are! 

I love you punk!!(:

June 1, 2015

Teaching about Decisions and Repentance

& Exploring on P-Day

Hi momma!

man those pictures of trek are super awesome! im totally bummed that i barely missed it! 4 more stinkin years is forever away haha. I COULD ALREADY HAVE A KID!!! or i could still be in Afghanistan..... hahaha(; well i waited as long as i could, but i guess i'll have to get your trek parables next week haha(: 

yea i heard about Elder Perry, thats no fun. and okay, im for sure sending Granna an email today. also, she sent me this totally awesome package haha, and i had no idea she was sending it, but it was chalk full of food! hahaha, i'll send some pics... speaking of which lucky you guys today, i have a TON of pics to send haha, we had some cool adventures today and last week.

well yesterday in church when my comp and I showed up, one of the counselors in the bishopric said that one of the people who was supposed to give a talk in church wasn't gonna make it, so he asked if i could do it haha.............. that jerk!! no not really, but it was like that last thing i was expecting haha, plus i looked like crap cuz my allergies are kicking my butt and i was all groggy from Benedryl... but nontheless i went forth! so I'll send you kinda like a summary of my talk with the scriptures that i used, and i'll let you guys pull you're own from it(:

I talked about Decisions, Repentance, and used these scriptures in this order:

2 Nephi 10:23 -- i talked about why would Nephi say to rejoice (i think that's what it is in English, i just have a portugues with me right now haha) that we are free to choose, and i talked a little bit about the war in heaven. A lot of the time we say that resurrection is free but eternal life isnt, because every single person, good or bad, who has ever lived on this earth will be resurrected, but only those who obtain celestial glory will be rewarded eternal life. but i explained that even the resurrection isnt free, because the resurrection (or the atonement and then defeating death) had to be because man is in a fallen state because of our free agency, and we gained free agency in the war in heaven, or rather kept our free agency by not accepting Lucifer's plan. but that for this victory over Lucifer, Heavenly Father lost 1/3 of His children. i can't imagine what it would be for a father to have to let one of his children die, but this is so much more than that because it's not just physical death, its spiritual death, it's damnation to Outer Darkness to never return again to the presence of the Father. but free agency was so important, that Heavenly Father was willing to let them go, so the other 2/3s could have it. so that is why Nephi says to rejoice that we are free to choose, because it's more than just a big deal.

Alma 32:21 -- i then talked a little about how most of the decisions we make (especially the ones we make in regard to keeping the commandmants) are made by faith, not by a perfect knowledge. but we believe it is the right thing and we have hope that we will be blessed for it.

Alma 34:32 -- then i used this scripture to explain a little that the time given to us to make all these choices is this life, the choice to accept Christ as our Redeemer BEFORE we die.

Alma 36:11-21 -- then i read the conversion story of Alma the Younger, to show a really cool, unique expirience. Pretty much all of humanity, with the expection of a very few, will just have one time to look back on their lives and their choices as a whole and to be judged on those choices once... after we die. But Alma had this really cool opportunity to do like a midpoint checkup on his life. he was out trying to destroy the church, and angel appeared to him, and told him that if he continued doing what he was doing he would be destroyed, he was so scared he passed out, and during the three days while his body was unconcious, he got to see all of his choices up until that point, and the consequences of them, and that's in verses 11 - 16. i explained that all of us would be in that very same position that he was in after we die and go to meet with God, if it hadnt have been for one extremely important event, the Atonement. Jesus Christ already paid the price, he already suffered those pains and fears that Alma was suffering, and He did it for all of us so that we dont have to suffer them, but we have to apply His Atonement in our lives, we have to REPENT. this is in verses 17 - 18. then in verses 19 - 21 we see what happens when a soul repents. Alma did it, and he was freed from his pains, free from his consequences, because Christ already paid for them. and it's something that each one of us HAS TO DO in this life, or we will have to suffer for our choices. 

then i bore testimony about how grateful i am that Christ has already paid for my sins, because Alma makes it seem pretty terrible, and im gratefuly that because of the Atonement, i wont have to suffer that. i also bore testimony about how grateful i am for the things that we learn in church, to help us make the right decisions, and to teach us to repent when we've made wrong ones.

well that took a long time haha, so i think i'll end there, but i've still got a bunch of pictures to send! have a good week, i love you guys, ill talk to you more next week!(: 

p.s. - take a bunch of pictures of all your sick adventures!!

 so we had district meeting, and the sisters wanted to take pictures..... like always... cant you just see on my face how excited i am? hahaha they were totally pissed at me too for those faces hahaha

I see Zach hasn't changed since he was 3 and I made him take a picture with some pretty girls!

Thank you sooooo much Granna!!! i totaly loved getting that package from you!! haha i love you so much!!(:

so i've taught myself how to make a mean chicken fajita haha, i'd be such a good mexican stay-at-home wife haha.

these are our two hamsters, the just run wild in the house haha, its really funny at night time cuz they're nocturnal, and so they'll climb into our beds and scare the crap out of us haha

Hahaha..... GROSS, all I can say as a mom!

 check it out!!! i found a fricken saguaro!!! you have no idea how happy i was to see this thing hahaha

we did some cool exploring at some weird tide pools haha, and yea i know, pretty much the sickest shirt ever... im still trying to figure out how to get the "A" at the end off though haha

 it was really hard to climb on that crap haha, good thing im a ninja

i got kinda stuck in a sticky situation..... 

 then we found this super sick cave among all these huge rocks. 




















this is my lovely comp Elder Phillips

 obviously the Catholics built this giant stone cross to be climbed on

my comp was trying to take a picture of the gay sunset, but some really buff, super handsome gentleman kept getting in the way...

here was the crew today... 

 today for pday we played basketball. we had a sick game of 4 on 4 full court... it's a great reminder of how out of shape you get on the mission haha. but its all good, we came away with the win haha

May 25, 2015

Spring Fever and American Food!!

good glory i shed a few tears when this baby came out....... not really, but i must've looked like a goof ball haha i was so excited..... good ole 'Murica

hey momma!

am i not too old to go to that camp?! haha i thought you had to be under 18? but works for me! haha. and i cant wait to go back to that condo haha, i made really good friends with this Tongan elder in the MTC, and he lives in Huntington, California, and he's inviting me to go back and kick it with him in cali for like a week or so haha. maybe in like early January or something, but we're still planning that one out! 

my week has been going good, but my allergies are raging here! holy crap haha, like im not saying that im glad this is my last spring in portugal... but it'll be nice to be back in the desert with less plants next spring haha! but hopefully this week it will rain, which should really help out. plus i just found out that at the farmacies here sell Zyrtec, so im gonna go get a Doomsday Preppers amount of that stuff maybe tomorrow haha. i feel like that little seahorse from Nemo, the one who's like "Hi! I'm H2O intollerant!" and then sneezes haha, but on the bright side im gonna have some washboard abs after how much i've been sneezing haha. 

Elder Phillips and i have been working hard on beating some sickness thats passing around, but we're doing pretty good at it haha. i do have a sinus infection, but i've been gargling salt water like a dolphin and eating oranges like mason eats chocolate, so i've just about beat it out of me. 

HEY! haha i just remembered! i was able to use a members phone to look at your instagram page, and i went way back and saw this really funny video of us after family prayers playing with Mallow haha, i miss that dog! and then this other one on Mason's where im like screaming and yelling while im making a sandwhich... its like i used to be loud and immature or something, it was really weird... haha. 

And nothing special for Pres Fluckiger, he's still around until July 1st (thats when he takes off). but guess what?! so we had our interviews with him last week, and i asked him if i could been done being a zone leader and train again, and he seemed really open to the idea, and he pretty much said yes, so i think im gonna be a daddy again!! haha im so excited! i have 4 transfers and all i wanna do is train and train and train and train! especially cuz i think this next transfer Pres Fluckiger will put another companionship of elders in Oeiras, so it would make it a 4 elder house which would just be a fricken dream come true, it'd be like Beja all over again, except this time instead of the middle of nowhere, we're right on the beach haha! its like leaving the planes of Texas and going to San Diego haha. 

and the new mission presidents get here i think the last week of June or somthing like that, so i'll meet them then! 

Please tell dad to take his GoPro to trek and get some awesome videos and stuff for me to see when i get home! i love you guys so much, have a good week! and tell Briggy happy birthday!! i'll be sending a package home tomorrow! love you guys! 

this is Yari, the awesome kid from Ecuador! the rest of his family will hopefully be getting baptised later this week too!

****AND THANKS FOR THE TIE MOM!!(: 'MURICA LAND!!

 so a few days ago we were walking along the side of the freeway, and when we came to this toll both some worker guy freaked out at us and said we had to get off the freeway, well we wanted to go to the other side but he wouldnt let us just run across, so he let us take the little catway above the freeway haha, it was kinda sick... but the guy was a turd!

so last week they set up a boxing ring in the middle of this mall and had like 20 different fights haha, starting from like 10 year olds and working up to fricken full grown men, it was funny. not nearly as good as the UFC, but it was cool

then i had a wonderful dance with the most charming model.....

today for lunch we went to this super sick American Diner called The 50s, holy crap its the best meal i've had since i've been in this country

......... oh.... and i shaved my head...... again haha(:

 here's the crew! and our not-so-American-looking "American waitress" bringing us milkshakes..... FRICKEN MILKSHAKES!!! do you know how long it's been since i've had a milkshake?!?! i can tell you exactly how long... the last milkshake i had was on December 11th, 2013.... thats a long time....... i almost cried

it was soooooooo awesome....... even the cup tasted good

May 18 & 19, 2015

Last Week of School in AZ

May 18

sorry momma!! i'll have to write tomorrow!! im fine, just super busy!! love you!!!(:

Ok Cutie! I want a letter tomorrow!!

LOVE YOU ALWAYS

momma

May 19

Hey Momma!

so sorry about not writing yesterday, we had a super packed day with a butt-load of crap about the gospel..... hahaha im totally sitting here by myself cracking up now haha. anyways! i actually miss those hectic weeks, cuz as kids we didnt have to worry about anything, we just hung on for the ride haha. you should let Brig drive to and from San Diego, it'd be good for him! but please make sure that y'all take tons of pictures on these trips! especially trek! man im so bummed that im missing it! by the time the next trek rolls around... ill be 24!!! AAAAAAAHHHHHHH thats disgusting.... lets never talk about that again haha.

im doing great, earlier today we had interviews with Pres Fluckiger, our last ones with him haha, he goes home July 1st! and i asked him if i could be done being a fricken Zone Leader and train again, and he seemed pretty open to the idea, which would be so sick! and maybe our house would become a 4 elder house which would be a flippin dream haha. my comp would stay ZL and get a new comp to be ZL with him, and i would get a son, and us 4 would keep kicking it in Oeiras. now all we're missing is that dang car they jacked from me! haha. 

I'll have to look for those videos and talks about light, i love Elder Bednar and i fricken LOVE deep doctrine haha. 

sorry this is so short, but i dont have too much time today, but next week should be a lot better! i love you guys and ill see y'all soon! 6 months is gonna go by way too fast haha!

May 11, 2015

Just Talked for Mother's Day!!

Hey momma(:

yea i love the lacrosse shirt, im wearing it right now! haha. and i usually take my tag off if we start playing sports or messing around and wrestling cuz i end up losing it. i've already lost like 10 and so i have to keep buying new ones haha, luckily their only like 1.50 haha. and i would be totally fine with going to college in January, just not in Utah. i might even be down to do BYU hawaii just cuz i think that would be super sick, but other than that im all for college... in AZ(: 

for a list of towns i want to visit in portugal:

Tomar

Beja

Lisbon

Amadora

Oeiras

and i would really like to stay in Oeiras or Cascais, but Cascais can be pretty pricey when it comes to hotels, but i bet in December its a ton cheaper. but Cascais has some amazing beaches, like the ones with a ton of giant wierd rocks and stuff. but okay, i'll start thinking about that a little more(:

haha well yea i really dont have much else to say haha(: but i love you guys, and those pictures of Fossil Springs are awesome, we're gonna have to have some adventure packed trips when i get home, but thats still 6 months away. i love you guys so much! ill talk to you next week!(:

While in my old area Amadora we got to go visit this awesome member family! and this is Elder Braga

me and Joseph... i mean elder Leung haha! we just finished eating lunch and i was so full ithought i was gonna barf haha