There's a bear!

I spotted this black bear across the lake while we were heading to a member's house.

 District Mealtime

Visa Status

Key to a testimony

Okay okay okay, first thing first... I GOT NO PACKAGE WITH SAID GUMMY FROGS!!!!! This is an outrage.  It's all good though.
This week was sweet! Transfers are tomorrow.  My companion is leaving me!!!  :.(  He is going to be a District Leader in Santa Barbra. My new companion will be Elder Newmier.  No one knows who he is, so I am clueless right now. One of the Elders from my MTC district got his visa, so it begins.
I'm super excited that Rebekah is talking to Aaron. One of the things I learned from my studies this week is that The Book Of Mormon is the key to conversion. If someone can gain a testimony that the Book of Mormon is of God, then they can know that Joseph Smith was a prophet, that he was called to restore Christ's church on the earth, and that Thomas S Monson is a Prophet of God. If Aaron (and anyone else you share the gospel with) will read the Book of Mormon and take Moroni's challenge in Moroni 10:3-5, then a testimony of this Church and its divine origins will come.
I bought a ton of cool ties today, they are super sweet. I can only wear like half of them but they were thrift store ties so I got like thirty for the price of two.
The LA temple was amazing.  There was this guy in the session that sneezed.  His sneeze echoed around the room and sounded super crazy. It was really cool.
I'm feeling super scattered right now, I can't remember anything that happened this week it is all a blur.
If I can think of the stuff I wanted to say I'll send it in a letter.

I love you all!!!
Elder Jamison

Week 7?

I can't remember what week I am on but that is not really important. THIS WEEK WAS SO COOL!!! We had Zone Conference on Tuesday and I learned so much!!  Our mission president gave us "The Talk"... it was a little awkward at first but it turned out okay. The next day Elder Bostrom and I went on exchanges with our Zone Leaders. I was able to teach three people and they all chose a baptismal date!! Ashlyn is an early 20's hipster who is pretty cool. She is tiny and has a squeaky voice too. She has been going to church, FHE, and has been reading the Book of Mormon. She knows that the church is true and wants to be baptized. She still has to go to church a few more times and keep the Word of Wisdom for three weeks straight so she is going to be baptized on August 17th! After Ashlyn, we taught a girl named Courtney. She is one of the most prepared people I have ever met. She has been watching The District on YouTube (a missionary training video) and has a fierce desire to be baptized. She has chosen the 28th as her date and couldn't be more excited. I hope that I can go to her baptism, and Ashlyn's as well. I am not the missionary in their area so I need to find an investigator who wants to see a baptism to be able to go. MOTIVATION!!! I have a few in mind and I am PUMPED!! After teaching Courtney, we went to teach Ian. He has been investigating the church for a long time and is finally ready to commit to be baptized. He has had some trouble keeping the Word of Wisdom up to this point, but he has begun to see the blessings that come from keeping the commandments, and in our lesson with him Elder Johnson said some amazing things to him. He is ready to commit and stay strong and will be baptized on Aug 3rd. The next day, Elder Bostrom and I were super excited and ready to see miracles. We went to go see Maricella, Moses's mom, who said that he is too young to make the decision to be baptized. We talked with her and testified that Moses has grown so much from coming to know God. We followed the Spirit in talking to her and it was powerful. She may not change her mind, but the things that we said and the changes she has seen in Moses, she will not forget. That same day the coolest thing happened. Elder Bostrom has been in a boot for a while for his ankle. Some of the girls in our complex have seen him on his crutches. They decided to help us out. These young girls went door to door selling some kiwi strawberry punch for a few coins and raised around 70 cents. They gave us some of the juice, the money, and some pretty rocks to help Elder Bostrom feel better. It is so amazing to see little children love so freely. They have not been corrupted by mistrust or selfishness. All they can feel is care and concern for others. I feel so grateful for their example to me and I will try to emulate the Christ-like love they have for others. The longer I am a missionary, the more I come to feel the love for others that helps me teach them. For those who listen to our message, I can know from the Spirit what to teach them to help them find happiness. For those who don't, I feel indescribable sadness. They don't know what they are saying "no" to. They don't understand the joy that comes from the gospel of Jesus Christ. There was a woman the other day who listened to us for a few seconds and said that our words were twisted and to go away. How can they be twisted? Our message is one of happiness, love, salvation, and exaltation. I am a 19 year old boy, I have sacrificed to come to teach these people, I am called of a prophet of God to bring the message of Jesus Christ to them. They don't see that though. I am not sure what they see, but I want to know. How can they not see this for what it is? Heavenly Father loves them, Jesus Christ loves them, as a messenger and disciple of Jesus Christ, I am a conduit of that love, I feel it pulse from Him, to me, and towards them. There are some who accept it and some who don't. Please pray for them that don't. There will come times in their lives when they feel lost, alone, or afraid. They will have nowhere to turn because they don't understand the atonement of Jesus Christ. I hope that when that day comes, they will feel of His love for them and they will see that without His gospel, they cannot find true joy. Never give up on teaching people, our friends and family who are not members of the church need this message. There is nothing in the entire universe that will bring them more happiness. I am so excited to continue to find those who are ready, and to plant seeds of faith in those who are not. I love you all so much and keep you in my thoughts. You are right next to Jesus Christ as my inspiration and my rock.

I love you so much,
Elder Jamison

Birthday Bro

Birthday Bro - Jacob Hurst.  I love him so much.  He has just recently become activate again and is trying to go on a mission.  He has lost a lot of hope of going, so we are trying to boost him up.

A Typewriter

Dear Family,

We got this typewriter from a lady at a yard sale.  I also got a sweet Twilight backpack there.  I just finished the Book of Mormon again and have started the Old and New Testaments.  I have come to love the scriptures.more and more every day.  I especially love to read the words of Christ.From the way he speaks, you can really sense His love and care for all the people he teaches.  The more I come to understand the Atonement and the nature of Christ, the more I love all those around me and those I have left behind.  This became especially apparent at the Bendixen's (Angie and James) house.  I got to see family pictures of the Taylors and of us.  I miss you all so much and think about you often and individually.  The one thing I wish I had brought more of is family pictures.  Please send me all the pictures of family that you can.  Physical pictures are okay, but email ones work a little better.
I know that God lives and that Jesus Christ is our savior and redeemer.  There are many people that think we, as Latter-day Saints, believe that we are saved by grace and works.  This is not true.  The one and only way we can be saved and exalted in the Kingdom of God is through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  All mankind has been redeemed through His blood and will receive some form of glory.  What our works do is show that we are changed by the grace of God.  By keeping His commandment the best we can, we are showing that we have accepted the Atonement of Jesus Christ and want to truly become like He is.  Jesus Christ is my first inspiration.  Next, is you - my wonderful and eternal family, and third, are the children of god that I am called to serve and teach.  I love you all and will be writing to you each soon.

Love,
Elder Jamison

Pictures

Moses and Manuel

Kelly, Nicole, and Jaden burying their symbolic weapons of rebellion.

And they did also bury their weapons of war, according as their brethren had, and they began to be a righteous people; and they did walk in the ways of the Lord, and did observe to keep his commandments and his statutes.  -- Alma 25:14

Elder May, Elder Jamison, Richard and Nicole, Elder Bostrom, Elder Hofiens

Injury, a haircut, and a testimony

This week was pretty slow.  My companion tore some ligaments in his foot and got a nasty spider bite, so we have been resting a lot.  NO FEAR!!!  We are still stoked to teach the gospel and have been calling people more than tracting.  We will all have trials at some point and this is just one of them.  I wrote all of you some letters on our type writer.  I just mailed them two hours ago so they should get there tomorrow or Wednesday.  I love you all so much.  That is awesome that Michael has a job, he will like Albertson's a lot.  It was super weird being in Angie's house because she had a picture of the Taylors.  I just never expected to see them but I liked it a lot.  That is one thing I wish I had more of, pictures.  Could you please send me as many as possible?  Emailed ones work best, but hard copy ones will work fine too.  In my letters to you, I gave you each a personality sticker.  I bought a ton of stickers at Walmart and I thought that it would be sweet to describe you all with stickers.  Dad is the Hulk.  Mom is the Invisible Girl.  Rebekah is Electra.  Michael is the Thing.  Elizabeth is She-Hulk.  Rachel is Spider Girl.  My sticker collection was limited, so I worked with what I had.  I love you all so much and am so excited for all of you.  Let Gustavo know I am excited for him and let me know where he is called to.  I did get a hair cut.  I did it myself so I had Elder Bostrom take tons of pictures.  My first selfy hair cut.  We taught this kid named Cody the other day.  He is 23 and a history and bible major at a bible school.  It was a little sad talking to him because all his studies and learning about God have been logical and dry.  He has no faith or hope.  All he has is fact and reason.  There are a lot of people like this today.  Work as hard as you can to show people the hope you have for the life to come.  I am so excited for the day when Jesus Christ will come again - when every single person who ever has or will live will be brought to the knowledge that he is our savior and redeemer.  The atonement is everything.  Without it, we would be lost and alone in our sins, but our Heavenly Father loves us so much that he sent Jesus Christ to be our perfect example.  We have been saved from our sins.  The atonement covers them all.  Now, we need to take full advantage of that and do all we can to become like Christ.

I love you all,
Elder Jamison

First Baptism

This week has been super cool.  I had my first baptism.  Her name is Nicole and she is super cool.  She is only 19, but she got married and quit smoking so she could be baptized.  I'm sending some pictures of her and her family (Manuel and Moses).  I love you all so much.  Do good things.