WEEK #40 - Transfers? Huh? Those Still Exist?

Welcome, welcome! This week was pretty busy, but definitely one to remember.

Monday: April 20th
Happy 20th!!! It feels like it's been forever since we had one of those. :) Today we went to Walmart and then back to our apartment. And that was it, haha. We video called our facebook team and outlined a new document called Facebook Interactions! It'll be a useful tool missionaries can turn to in order to know what to do and say on facebook. Lot of good work!

We even made a "commercial" about SPIRITUAL GAINS. Check it out on my mom's facebook page or on our area page @thechurchofjesuschristInGrandJunction

curious?

Tuesday: April 21st
Today was another virtual District council, then we teamed up with the facebook squad and worked more on our upcoming training. Today we had lessons with Angela, Carol, and Danyel! They were all so amazing, especially with Danyel accepting a baptismal date for May 9th! All of them are learning and progressing in the Gospel at their own unique pace. What great joy this brings to me :)

 Make the right choice Elder LaRose...

Wednesday: April 22nd
Had another virtual exchange with some Elders, it'll be weird if we go back to being in person anytime soon. We got TRANSFER NEWS today!!! I'm staying. :) Annnd, Elder Samojla is staying :) Yes. The rest of the day was a lot of calls and planning. The Facebook area page is actually doing pretty well, I can't wait to see what else the Lord has in store!

Thursday: April 23rd
We training the whole mission again, it was great cause we had our fb team of 6 Sisters help us. Today we also got to meet with a member of the missionary department for 2 hours. Basically someone who runs everything involving missionary work in the world. Crazy!
Transfers happened and we just picked up some people to bring to our Zone from Montrose.

Don't you love masks?

Friday: April 24th
Today we had a meeting with President and Sister Rees to help them with their facebook notifications. It was hilarious to walk them through clicking each button, don't you just love technology? :) We also spent 45 minutes helping a member from our ward use Zoom and Facebook. Conclusion: We weren't successful. Dang it! Haha, it's fun helping people out in any way that you can :)

Saturday: April 25th
Today we dropped off another Elder to the airport. He finished his mission and it was weird to see him go! I've been in that airport too many times these past few weeks. We had a lesson with Angela, it's been so wonderful to see her change and desire to become better! She's very committed to finding some much needed peace, joy, and relief in life, and she's has been able to find all that in the Gospel! I can promise each of you reading this that the Gospel IS the solution to your current problem(s). I promise you that through patient and diligently study of the Savior's words and teachings that you will find the solution you are looking for! But remember, "Never let a problem to be solved become more important  than a person to be loved."

Goodbye Elder Pacheco!
Sunday: April 26th
Today was wonderful, we got Angela to come to sacrament and gave her a blessing as she prepares for her baptism! She's awesome :) The facebook live was great, a lot of cool things discussed. I invite you to go rewatch it and see what sticks out to you most!

Much love to you all, keep it up! We'll see each other again sometime... :)

Love,
Elder LaRose

2946 D Rd. Apt #D-3

Grand Junction, CO 81504

Mailbox - #15

keldon.larose@missionary.org

FACEBOOK:
@KeldonLaRose
@TheChurchofJesusChristInGrandJunction

WEEK #39 - Survivors in Land's End

Wow... what a week! Definitely just got to keep surviving out there. :)

Monday: April 13th
Today was really good! I got to talk to my fam and found out baby Paxton is almost here!! Kyler and Shaylee are going to be amazing parents, such studs.

We had another lesson over the phone with Carol, she's wonderful. All it takes is a sincere study of the Book of Mormon and anyone can come to know of its truth! I know as I've done so there has been a greater change in my life, especially in the amount of peace that I feel as I read this Book. Check it out sometime :)

Masks on please :)

Tuesday: April 14th
Sent another Elder home to the airport. The mission lost 10 missionaries due to health (not coronavirus) and 11 more from transfers. We aren't getting any new missionaries so some companionships will be running two/three areas! Crazy times. Me and Elder Samojla crammed in a bunch of work on Facebook setting up the Protocols and stuff. We met with our specialists team and got more done! Also had a lesson with Angela, she wants her daughter baptized in order to help her receive the same peace, joy, and calm she has while studying the Gospel!

Wednesday: April 15th
Today was the all mission meeting! Me and Elder Samojla gave the training on all the Facebook stuff we made and were grilled with questions left and right. It went rather well and the whole mission is pretty excited for Facebook!

Facebook Team!

AWESOME STORY:
I was going to walk outside for a quick breather when I got a video call from my brother Kyler... Shaylee had her baby!! Baby Paxton is finally here :) I am SOO happy for them! Shoutout to them, they are amazing. I can't wait to one day meet baby Paxton!

Thursday: April 16th
All day today me and Elder Samojla worked on creating a Facebook post rotation schedule. Basically organizing the entire mission into every day of the week :) It's okay, we're not dead from working haha! We finally had a lesson with Danyel, we hope to help him and his mom apply the Gospel more into their daily life. The Gospel LIVED is a Gospel LOVED!! <3 Remember that :)

Friday: April 17th
Today we drove home two more Elders to the GJ airport. Elder Noel came out with me, it was tough to see him go home. Even if it was medical. It's so hard to see them go, they are like brothers to me... today we got to crank out more stuff on Facebook. Lot of work! :)

Saturday: April 18th
Facebook has launched! We finally got it all up and running. I am very excited to see how it does across the whole mission :) LIKE US - @TheChurchofJesusChristInGrandJunction
Lot of hard work going to pay off. President also had us work with the APs to put together 9 slide show presentations! Today was a lot of clicking and stressin. I still love missionary work though! The Lord definitely has a peculiar plan with all of us. There is a reason for everything happening and I can't wait to learn more about my part in it!

Sunday: April 19th
We video chatted Angela into sacrament and then worked more on the outline for Facebook. Today was a great day, and I was able to do another Facebook live! I love those things :)

Keeping on moving forward, it's the only direction that will help us progress :) Miss you all!

Love,
Elder LaRose

2946 D Rd. Apt #D-3

Grand Junction, CO 81504

Mailbox - #15

keldon.larose@missionary.org

FACEBOOK:
@KeldonLaRose
@TheChurchofJesusChristInGrandJunction

WEEK #38 - Triumphant Trio No More

What an insane week! Lot of personal growth and work, it's the best :)

Monday: April 6th
We got a call from President, calling me and Elder Samojla to be the technology specialists in our mission! We attended a 2 hour zoom meeting with a few General Authorities that cover the North America Central Area for our missions! We felt so inferior, haha. We got trained on how to implement the new facebook initiative into our mission. It was like drinking from a fire hose :) I had some really good conversations with my family after! I love them all so much, every goof! ;) It was definitely a refreshing day, one that makes me hopeful for the future!

Bible Boys!

Tuesday: April 7th
We went to our two District councils today and made some more plans to work with the members. We had another meeting with President Rees to talk more about the new facebook initiative! Hopefully we can continue to help spread the Gospel and reach more people than we ever could with this new era of how to do missionary work.

Wednesday: April 8th
We had an awesome lesson with Angela! She explained how excited she was for her baptism. She's been seeking for a lot of peace in her life, especially from her troubled past, and hasn't found it. And now, through following the example of our Savior Jesus Christ, she can be healed and be filled with the peace she's needed for so long! What a wonderful opportunity to still bring the Spirit into people's lives, even if we are quarantined to our apartment 24/7. Missionary work is hard, but it's oh so worth it :)

Feelin... Lucky? :)

Thursday: April 9th
Today we took another Elder to the airport to go home. This means Elder Wade is leaving the trio to be with the other Elder. No more trio! It's been two weeks, but it's certainly been such a blast. Back to just Elder Samojla and I :) We also had Zone conference today. It was so weird giving the training from our apartment, looking at a screen, and being able to talk to people across Colorado. Technology is cool

Bible Bous no more... :(

Friday: April 10th
Worldwide fast! Such a great opportunity to unite worldwide underneath one cause to fast for this pestilence to reside.

CRAZY STORY:
We found our first cockroach... today we watched in horror as a big cockroach scurried across our floor while we were eating. Elder Samojla threw his shoe and nailed it but it didn't die. Someone help us! Haha :)
ANOTHER ONE: Chromebook Fiasco
President Rees gave us a call at 8pm telling us we needed to go to the store immediately and buy a chromebook for our technology specialist facebook initiative! The store closes at 8:30... So me and Elder Samojla started sprinting inside Walmart like flippin maniacs! Haha :) We finally found the chromebooks. There were only two left in stock and the total cost was $366!! We called President Rees and they wouldn't allow over the phone transactions... uh-oh... what are we going to do now? Well let me tell you! :) I got to call my dad and use my personal card TO BUY BOTH Chromebooks! Oh my gosh that's the most money I've spent in my entire life. Me and Elder Samojla walked out of that Walmart looking so happy, haha! Also the entire time we had to wear our masks so you all you see is just two missionaries with masks on sprinting to the back of the Walmart store to buy a chromebook.... nice! Great day

Chromebook fiasco

Saturday: April 11th
Today we spent all day working on setting up our facebook pages. It was bad, we didn't go outside once! I probably have a permanent butt print on my chair from sitting on it so long, haha! We had a meeting with President and he tasked us to train 6 new facebook technology specialists! They are all Sisters, meaning they are SO much better than Elder Samojla and I at all this technology stuff haha.

 Now THAT'S what I call Isaiah!

Sunday: April 12th
Yet another day working on the chromebook setting up facebook pages and drafting proposal to President. At 7pm we actually hold a Facebook LIVE event each week! I haven't talked much about it, but feel free to invite your friends, family, and anyone who'd like to watch it! It's on my facebook page. Elder Samojla and I mainly answer questions about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and our faith, while sharing uplifting scriptures and personal experiences. Whoever is reading this, we'd love for you to join us! 7pm Sunday :)

Sorry this was late, me and Elder Samojla have been very busy with all this facebook initiative! Feel free to follow us and our pages at @TheChurchofJesusChristInGrandJunction

Love,
Elder LaRose

2946 D Rd. Apt #D-3

Grand Junction, CO 81504

Mailbox - #15

keldon.larose@missionary.org

WEEK #37 - Quality Quarantine Time

Welcome everyone! I hope you all enjoyed watching General Conference, there is just TOO much to say about how awesome it was. If you didn't watch it clink this link! churchofjesuschrist.org

Gateway Canyons!

Monday: March 30th
Holy cow, what a wonderful day! Ya goof. Me, Elder Samojla, and Elder Wade drove to Gateway to go hiking. That was really awesome! Though I may have been roasted at times I think I'll still be able to make it ;) We had a wonderful miracle happen within our Zone with another companionship putting someone on date for baptism! That means we have 9 people so far, and I love seeing so many people decide to follow their Savior Jesus Christ!

This is called a road

Tuesday: March 31st
Today we had an all mission meeting focusing on how to deal with anxiety and stress. That was really helpful in a lot of ways. Our man Justin sent us a text saying that he didn't want to meet with us anymore because of some concerns he had. We sent him at least 15 scriptures in the Bible that resolved all of his concerns and now he wants to still meet with us! If people would just read and pray about the Book of Mormon it can have a profound impact on their life and help resolve any concern they have. I know this to be true because I've done it and seen it myself! I invite you reading this to do the same, read the Book of Mormon, and pray asking God, NOT man, if it be true. The Spirit will confirm this truth.

Wednesday: April 1st
Happy April! Can't believe another month has gone by so quick. Had an all mission meeting focused on how we can still find, teach, and baptize in a digital world. We are now moving into a new Facebook initiative for the mission, hoping to reach out to more people that way!

6ft! 6ft!

Thursday: April 2nd
It was until Friday until we realized that we spent all of Thursday INSIDE our apartment! No walks, no breaks, just work work work. That was crazy, we had a virtual exchange with the APs and taught Angela about the powerful influence of the Holy Ghost. I promised her that if she read every chapter we gave her in the Book of Mormon that she'd be able to overcome her smoking addiction and draw closer to her Savior to find the peace and healing she's looked for her whole life. The Spirit was strong! :)

Friday: April 3rd
Today we had MLC for 7 hours, that was an insanely long time to be on a call but we got some good work done! After we taught a really awesome lesson to Justin about prophets. He still has many concerns about our Church so we all knelt down on the video call to pray together and wait for 10 seconds after the prayer. We did that and Justin got up and exclaimed that he's NEVER felt this much peace in his life! The Spirit was definitely present testifying to him that all of this was true and he could be at ease knowing his doubts were being heard by Heavenly Father and answered. The Lord's work will still move forward, despite this pestilience.

My new mask to replace my Darth Vader altitude mask

Saturday: April 4th
General Conference was amazing! (Semi-annual broadcast of Church leaders giving "talks" or insights on Gospel topics) Even though me and my companions were watching it on a little screen monitor in our apartment it was still a memorable experience. A huge focus was about repentance and how the Atonement of Jesus Christ not only covers your sins but also the pains of others you may have hurt. We just need to keep walking hand in hand with the Lord! We had a great lesson with Angela despite the roudy kids and puking baby in the background.... nice! We pushed her baptismal date back to May 9th in order to keep helping her become converted unto the Lord. Our mission President told us that the Colorado governor has ordered that everyone in the state has to wear MASKS in public!! What?! That's so crazy. All I have is my altitude mask so far so I guess I get to look like Bane and sound like Darth Vader for the next little while :)

Sunday: April 5th
Today was memorable and definitely unforgettable! I cannot begin to express the amazing feelings of being able to watch a Prophet of God bear simple and powerful testimony of the reality of the Savior Jesus Christ. I know He lives! I know His love, cleansing, healing, and restoring power are REAL and alive today. We were able to get Angela, Danyel, and Carol to all watch Conference!

No judging, I only had my altitude mask!! Now I have a regular mask ;)

FUNNY STORY:
Me and my companions Elder Samojla and Elder Wade were walking outside for a quick break. We walked past these neighborhood kids, a 4 year old and a 6 year old of African American ancestry. We were also wearing our masks on our faces as instructed by the Governor of Colorado and by our mission president. As we approached the situation with seemingly innocence we notice the two little kids caught their attention on us. The next thing we know we heard, "GET EM!" and the little kid runs up to me and starts spraying and SOAKING me with his water gun! My companions ditched me and started running back to the apartment as I tried to follow while being squirted by these two little kids the whole way home... haha!! We were laughing our heads off... it's great to see the neighborhood kids like to harass us missionaries, haha! ;)

What a great week, definitely a time to be alive and to be a missionary. Keep your head up!

Love,
Elder LaRose

2946 D Rd. Apt #D-3

Grand Junction, CO 81504

Mailbox - #15

keldon.larose@missionary.org