Goldsboro, Gretchen, and Green things - 1/18/16

So we did get transfer calls yesterday, my companion is leaving to become a Zone Leader and I am staying. My new companion is coming in to take over the role of District Leader. So I get another 6 weeks of Ham, History, and Hospitality here in Smithfield! :)

It snowed this week and our car lost a Hubcap! So here is a picture of both.

We need to get a new Hubcap. 

Anyway, we were tracting in Suffolk last Saturday and we tracted into a lady who we are really excited about! She is already pretty much Mormon so she just needs to get baptized! We are super excited for her and we are going to try and teach her family too! We also met with another person we're teaching and had a scary experience. We went to go and visit him and he, like others, had talked with a preacher of another faith who did not like our Church in the least. He unfortunately believed everything that he heard and we thought that we were going to have to drop him. He was talking about how Joseph Smith lied and how the Book of Mormon was fake and yadda yadda yadda. We were able to address his concerns and get him feeling the Spirit again and we didn't have to drop him! We were both pretty bold, but without the Spirit we wouldn't have been able to salvage the situation. I am very grateful for it and I know that the Lord was with us. We also gave him a blessing of strength and he really enjoyed that! Other than these things it was an average week. I am done with training now so instead of studying for 3 hours everyday I will be studying for 2. Heber, you better build up to it! ;) 

I am a bit worried about the snow. Last time we had what can't even be called a "dusting" and that week we had 5 car accidents involving at least 18 cars and 1 Semi (which rolled), all in front of our apartment and one unknown crash down the road a bit. We haven't had any since and we didn't have any before it! People drive crazy out here! 

But anyway, this week wasn't exciting, but this upcoming week will be! So until next week,

Elder Ciminski

It snowed for real this time. They cut church off early while people could still get home. This is a picture from the foyer of the Chapel before church...

...and the drive home 90 minutes later.

Selfie while waiting for our ride to church. It was 35 degrees and he wasn't cold.

Flan, The Flippos, and Freaky Friday - 1/11/16

Hey!!!

This week was crazy! My companion and I entered the week with the goal to teach 15 lessons, but we only taught 7! We had a ton of appointments fall through, including with the lady who went to Desert Ridge HS. We even had to drop other investigators.  One went to talk with her preacher. First bad choice. She had previously had a problem with how we wanted her to come to our church, but we couldn't go to hers. Her preacher said it was because we were of the devil and his church, and they can't enter a House of God. She also had a problem with how we always referred them to The Book of Mormon or the pamphlets when they had a question. Apparently we do that because we don't know the answers. She said all of this to me and the Elder I was on exchanges with at the time very rudely and colorfully over the phone. She then wanted us to come back for another visit that night. Needless to say, we didn't go. I was really bummed about it. Like really bummed. I had high hopes for them, but we can't teach them anymore. But right after that we were trying to visit some potential investigators and we met another family. They were super nice. They let us in and talked with us for a bit. They even said that we could use their kayak if we wanted to! I know that Heavenly Father saw how down I was so he sent them. I am very grateful for that. Hopefully we will be able to teach them! Missions are great. We also taught a lesson to a man in a poorer neighborhood.  His home was INFESTED with cockroaches. There was 100's. No exaggeration. We had to brush them off the couch to sit down. He didn't even seem to notice them. Crazy. We are so blessed. But he has some potential, so that is a good thing.

THIS WEEK IT SNOWED. On Tuesday it did, but it didn't stick. It didn't even warm up to 35 that day! But it was 70 yesterday so my body is confused. The High is 37 on Wednesday, but then it will warm up again. So weird. Apparently last year there was a ton of snow and ice by this time, but I am leaving my coat in the apartment!

I am still not driving. We went on exchanges a couple weeks ago and a missionary drove me around in my area who came out with me. I was bummed about that. But he is an awful driver. The road to get to an investigator's trailer is super muddy and had potholes filled with water 8 inches deep. He thought it would be a good idea to stop IN THE MIDDLE OF ONE. I am so glad we didn't get stuck. I also had to grab the wheel once to keep us from going off the road. Not everyone can be as good of drivers as me and Heber though. ;)

Our investigator is wrapping up his probation stuff so he will be able to be baptized here pretty soon which is great! Have I mentioned he had a tattoo of a Scorpion on his face? You truly meet many different types of people out on a Mission. He has turned his life around and we are so excited for him! Yay!!

I helped a member bag a deer. It was awful. I helped bag for trimmings and struggled to keep breakfast down while Elder Hatfield help open the rib cage so the brother could get the tenderloins. D: The cats were drinking the blood too. I think that Heber would have liked it.  He is going to come to Church next week so it was worth it! After all, they do say that there is no Comfort in a Growth Zone, and no Growth in a Comfort Zone!

Anyway, that is all for this week.

So until we email again,

Elder Ciminski

Me at Windsor Castle Park

 Snow!!!

  A local thrift shop.

Dogs, Doors, and Democrats - 1/4/16

So I ran into someone from AZ! I don't know them though. She bought her car at San Tan Hyundai so that is how I knew! Anyway, she went to Desert Ridge HS and she moved out here with her husband because he is in the Navy. We have an appointment with her tomorrow!! Exciting! Potential New Investigator! She isn't the only one who I have met from AZ. A guy in our ward is from San Tan Valley and used to eat at Joe's Farm Grill and another family are from Mesa. Small World! We had a ton of people come to Church yesterday! One came for the first time in several weeks and we had 3 less-actives come! We are just going to hope and try to keep this from just being a New Year Resolution thing!

We ran into a funny guy on Saturday. We were completing an exchange and a guy who had a turtleneck tattoo sweater, a book bag, and lots of jewelry came up to us and tried to sell us "Luxury Cologne for low prices". Yeah right. He said all proceeds go to help people start their own businesses. I seriously doubted it. My poor companion can't say no to Salesmen and he got Dolce & Gabbana sprayed on his wrist. The Cologne was fake! He was very forceful and would be great working at a Mall kiosk. Minus his tattoos. But yeah. Totally sketchy.  Anyway, he tried to get me too but I think I am getting better at saying no because I folded my arms and refused, nicely though. Then another Elder who was there tried to give him a card and he said no and that "he was already saved" and that he doesn't like religion unless he feels condemned, all the while citing the scriptures tattooed on his face and his spinner ring that read "He Lived 4 me, he Died 4 me". So we refereed him to Jeffery R. Holland. Then he realized that he wasn't going to get a sale out of us and left to heckle some other people. Really funny!

Speaking of exchanges, I lead someone in my area by myself for 24 hours... but I didn't even get to proselyte with them! The time was consumed by meals, studies, and service! I was really bummed about that. But we might have another one this weekend so I have a second chance! :D

But other than that it was a really good week, we are teaching more lessons now and we feel that the work may be starting to pick up some more! I can feel my testimony growing and cant wait to see what lies ahead!

With love,
Elder Ciminski

​Found this guy who has a ton of vintage Porsches around his yard! Really cool!

Got this cool picture while contacting some potentials. None were home. But we are going back so fingers crossed!

Calamari, Columbus, and Cats - 12/28/15

So this week is going to be a small email since we just FaceTimed!

I find it so funny how you got me a new phone- I don't know why but it is funny! Maybe because I am still 22 months away from coming home!

After we hung up we started to help prepare and then had dinner which was good. Then we went and made a delivery for the Bishop and went home. On Saturday we went down to Suffolk, but we weren't able to teach one lesson! But we were able to make some good contacts so it wasn't all for naught! And I forgot to mention that on Christmas Eve the people we had dinner with had some people that they met while living in France over and we were able to teach them a lesson! We don't know how we will be able to continue teaching her since she lives in France and a nearby city named Hampton but it will all work out. :)

Oh, and I want to learn French when I get home.

Our week was really slow because of the Holidays. We weren't able to meet with the people we're teaching and we had several appointments cancel. But this week we agreed to work extra hard to try and get some new Investigators! So this week is going to be great I know it!

With love, Elder Ciminski

This is a Shetland Pony who is an attention hog! I would try and take photos of the other ponies but he would go and push them out of the way! He wasn't very nice and would follow me, and not my companion since I was the only one with the camera! Funny.

He especially bullied this poor donkey! Poor little guy!

And my companion's parents just so happened to send him the exact same Tie-pins I have!

Boots, Bears, and Blue Things - 12/21/15

Hey!

This week was a pretty full one! First off we got invited to a dinner last night with a less-active part-member family! We were super excited until they called and cancelled 3 hours prior. :( But we are going to reschedule for after the New Year so yay! Our investigator is also progressing! He wants to come to Church but the only challenge is a ride. His family doesn't have a car and members live kinda far from him. We will figure something out. But the Sisters in the ward gave us another new investigator. He lives super close to us and is interesting! One of his life goals is to be baptized in the River Jordan, which would be super cool but a bit out of the way. :/ But we have been teaching him weekly and we think he has been feeling the Spirit so maybe we can help him settle for little old Virginia. :) But other than that, our other investigators have both been receptive and we are still hoping for them!

We also did a ton of service this week. On Tuesday we helped a local organization the Church supports called Christian Outreach deliver a washing machine to a lady in a 2nd floor apartment. Super hard and I hooked it up myself! Then on Saturday we delivered hams to people all across the Isle of Wright. We went with a man from the ward who is awesome and reminds me so much of Brother Hall! He is also going to bring us a dinner from Abuela's. We had one in Dallas and I am excited! I tried to replicate Mom's enchiladas yesterday. I found El Pato and the canned beans we love! It wasn't as good though, but still nice. Could y'all send me the Enchilada Casserole Recipe? I would like to try and make it sometime.

The weather here has been crazy! It has been in the 70's and it is supposed to be 80 on Christmas! Super warm! I'm fine with it but it is unseasonal.

We had a Christmas Conference as a mission on Friday in Virginia Beach. We watched A Muppet's Christmas Carol, super funny. It would have been cool to see A Christmas Story but something tells me President Baker wouldn't have approved of it. LOL But after we had a nice lunch and had a Christmas Program where Elder Dudley of the Seventy spoke on always trying to be more Christlike that I really enjoyed. My one takeaway is that if we aren't progressing, we are by default regressing. Always Progress!

We heard a really cool rendition of "Mary Did You Know?" by Pentatonix that I loved. I encourage y'all to check it out.

This is our "Christmas Lamp"! Courtesy of stuff we found in a closet when we moved in.

Apples, Abinadi, and Acorns - 12/14/15

Hey guys! All is good in Smithfield. Our Investigators are struggling though. Satan is definitely working on them! But we are still trying and doing our best to bring them to the Gospel! Nothing specific happened this week with any of them though. We just keep meeting with them! We have an appointment tomorrow so pray for us! We have had to drop some people because they fell off the grid I guess and we can't get a hold of them.  They are never home! But what we are really struggling with is getting people to church so if you could send some prayers our way for that we would very much appreciate it! Unless our people get to Church they won't be able to really feel the Spirit of what we are learning about so they need to come!

Other than that the ward is continuing to be awesome. We had our ward party on Thursday. We sat with a part member family and the Bishop and his wife. We had a good time and had good food. As part of the program though we watched the music video for Pentatonix's "Mary did you know". It was a really good rendition, but we weren't sure if it was approved! Since the whole ward was there we figured it would be fine! Then on Friday night we went to the Annual Smithfield Market on Main Street to try and talk to some people. The market is where everybody brings their handmade goods to sell under pop-up tents. Mom would have loved it! There was like three tents selling Shea Butter soaps and homemade lotions and soaps! There was also local honey and a ton of cool decorations! I didn't but anything. :) But there was a lot of Pig Themed stuff. Makes sense. Did you know that the Water-tower here reads "Smithfield; Ham, Hospitality, History". We all know what comes first! LOL Then we had the Stake Christmas program on Saturday night. They had Nativities from all over the world and songs from everywhere too! They told us we could clap in the Chapel! But the Nativities made me think of our Nativity Exhibit at the Stake Center and at the Temple. I miss them. :( But it was nice to see at least some! And it made me think if the Nativity that I am sure is on the Piano right now the one made out of little flower pots! That is my favorite one!

This email this week is super short. Sorry. :D But I do love you guys and hope that everything is going well for you! The subject doesn't have to do with anything in the letter, its just something fun.

Oh! And I got a coloring book! We finally made a Wal-mart run last week and I saw a coloring book full of Mandalas! I got a 24 Pack of Colored Pencils to go with it and am working on it at night! I will send you guys pictures when I complete each page!

With tons of love and kisses and hugs,

Your Elder Ciminski

This old puppy went tracting with us! She would go up on each porch with us and sit next to us while we waited for someone to answer! She was super chill and we didn't mind too much having her hang around! The only sad part is when we had to leave her!

Dinner with members.

1 Transfer down, 16 to go! - 12/7/15

Hey family!

So to start everything off, I think that I am getting used to the cold! I'm not always shivering! :D

We did have some lessons this week but not as many as we were hoping for. We had to split the area with the Sisters in the ward. But we are proceeding with faith since we were instructed to split the area by Elder Arnold AND President Baker, so surely this must be the thing to do. The Sister's area is bigger geographically, but population-wise it is pretty even. The Christmas season is fast approaching and we received the Church's initiative this year. #ASaviorisBorn. It is pretty awesome and if you haven't already checked it out and posted it on various social networks then I encourage you to do so. The Church bought a ton of advertising in Times Square and 400 Taxi Cab Advertisements this year. We received these fancy-dancy cards that we are handing out and they are really effective! We think! It's hard to know. We have a potential person to teach who is really nice and she is feeding us and we have been doing some service for her. We hope to be able to teach her soon but we gave her one of the cards and she watched the video. We think she liked it. She likes to talk so we didn't really get to discuss it a whole lot. But pray that we can teach her! We also have two Investigators with dates! Pray that they can feel the spirit and gain a testimony of our message so that they will come to Church and make their dates!

We have been meeting some weird people. One got offended and mad that we asked him questions (Do you believe in Christ? How has he blessed you in your life?) and he kinda yelled at us. But then he went on to say that he really likes us and respects what we do. So we were kinda like ?.

We have 40 minutes to talk on Christmas! I am going to try and find someone we can FaceTime with so we can do a video chat! But if not, we can do a normal phone call. Stay tuned for a time.

With a boatload of love,

Elder Ciminski

This fella followed us around for a while. Didn't want to be pet but just hung out with us for a good 20 minutes. ​ Speaking of which I saw a black lab with a red collar. Reminded me of Casey.