March 18, 2024

 It was an excelent week! Very busy and FULL but great, MLC was Tuesday (Rad meeting with all the Zone Leaders and Sister Training Leaders) and is always a blessing to be a part of.

Intereviews with President was a joy, he said he eas proud of me and I almost began to cry. Combined district council was a success. We tried something new, instrad of trainings and that we had a big council and before hand we presented all the important applicable things we learned from MLC and on the district council day we discussed them and made action items of how to apply it with the whole Zone. We think it went well although I am still learning how to be a ZL so its trial and error with all things.

 An Elder we live With: Elder Bradshaw once said: " there is no failing, just learning" and I love that, thats exactly what repentance is. This week we found 1 new friend! Her name is Gabby Quiroz she is the daughter of Brother Martin Quiroz, a less active member. Now 3 weeks ago we visited Bro Quiroz and began to meet with him then we asked the CRUCIAL question that every missionary needs to be good at asking:

 "Is there anyone else who would like to hear the message?" I love that question because it is so true! The Gospel is for everyone. 

He said: "well, the daughters are asleep and.. hold on..." gets up and drags his wife over and sits her down (not forcefully just in a very loving way) we began to teach. Fast forward to this week: same deal we meet with Bro Quiroz and we asked that magical question.... gets up brings his daughter over. Gabby is very sweet and enjoyed the visit, and the Coolest part about it Bro Quiroz has come back to church two weeks in a row!! and on wednesday we had a good discussion about Elders Quorum. Anyway Longer story short, you never know who is interested especially when you present the gospel in such a confident way explaining how it will only bless the person. 

Bro Quiroz opened up to us and said his one regret in life is not teaching his Family and Daughters the gospel because he said that his happiest times in his life were when he was a kid in the Church.

The Church is true, life is awesome! Seek and ye shall find. If you look for the negative it will be found in abundance! Same deal if you look for the GOOD, life is only sucky if you say its sucky. Its about your perspective. English work has been fun; there are a lot of members here that speak spanish, especially Bro Ovando, we are best friends now... i need to take a picture with him... hes about 75ish and full of energy, hes from Guatemala!

Other news! Our friend Richie is progressing well! We set a baptismal date for march 30th! We said: Richie, will you follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptised by someone who holds the authority of God on March 30th?

He said: "Yes Elder Sandberg, Yes Elder Butterfield, Yes Brother Bergmann I will be baptised!" Such a neat experience. He has come to church the past 5 weeks in a row and we have met with him every tuesday and thursday! 

If you are going through a hard time, the church is definitly the best place to start.

Faith proceeds the miracle! 

I love you guys!

Alma 34:32-34

1 nephi 28:1-4

Ether 12:4

¿Como quieres construir tu barco?

 ¿De la manera del Padre Celestial o del mundo?

Love

      Elder Sandberg.

Nuevamente, bien ocupadito

Big busy this week once again

Peace and Love Bros and Sistas!

Lots of Exchanges with some very fine Elders! 19 months is around the corner, its been tough but im so very grateful for every second, im loving the people and seeing miracles, its all about being humble, building, encouraging, listening ALOT ALOT, relying on the the spirit, putting your shoulder to the wheel!

Down shift clutch feather and keep her on the pipe!

We have been praying ALOT! Dont forget to pray, we need him every hour, we arent cabable to do it alone :))

I invite you to rwad 1 nephi 16, look for nephis example and look for lamans example!

Peace and Love

Elder Sandyberg

Buenas noches!!!

February 26, 2024

An excellent and productive and Busy week!

Not much time for a long email this week, the Zone is doing well

The church is true, missions are tough but tough things are great things!!!

We had an exchange with Elder Heaton hes a fine Elder who is growing and progressing, he will be a great leader!

Time is slipping througg my fingers

Alma 17:3

Jacob 6:12

1 nefi 3:7

Love Elder Sandberg

Me tocó hablar ingles!

Hello! 

On thursday we recieved our transfer news! And we switched companions/areas on saturday.

So, my original assignment is a Spanish speaking mission and my new assignment is to serve in the Granada hills ward as a Zone Leader for the Chatsworth Zone. Theres just one bummer with a few upsides... This is an English Zone which means i am now in English work (assigned to speak english...) but thats ok! Because there some chinese speaking missionaries, Signing ASL missionaries as well as Farsi (persian) speaking missionaries, and I love learning, especially languages so its all good!

Ive been in this ward (Granada Hills) for only 3 days now and already i feel so welcome!  

the members are all so sweet and loving! And there are several spanish speakers in this ward, one his name Bro Ovando, hes from Guatemala; i asked if he spoke spanish he said yes, we began to have a conversation in spanish and he got SOOO excited! It made his day, same thing happened with all the other 4 or so families, their eyes get so wide when they see a gringo speaking spanish, it makes their day! It also makes mine :))

Although im in an english assignment now, there are still several spanish speakers in the area so weve been able to find and teach them! As a matter of fact last night we found miriam in the parking lot who was totally against hearing us until i spoke a sentence in spanish and she fully opened up to the message! Its so cool to see, because President could have placed anyone in this assignment, yet he chose me even though it meant taking me out of Spanish work. Besides all that I already feel as though im supposed to be here. 

Zone Leader brings new and awesome responsabilities! Its only been a few days but its already been great. Tomorrow we have our mission leadership council! Im real excited for that! 

Im going to miss my old ward, as Crazy as it was, Chema will be baptised this saturday, sadly i wont be tjerr but im proud of him, he says hes going to serve a mission im real proud and just so grateful!

Being Sistrict leader was a great experience but its now time to move on!

Today we got together with the elders in the new District and played a tough game of Basketball, it was refreshing, doesnt matter which language, English, spanish, ASL Goobooloo. If you sre preaching restored truth its still the lords work.

Love

-Elder Sandberg!

Forgot to mention...

My new companion is elder Butterfield and he is amazing!!!

It's such a diligent loving hard worker and a great leader!

It was a joy to train such a good missionary although it is a great blessing to have an experienced missionary, no more monkey business its Show time baby!

February 12

Such a great week! Elder Zapata is such a great companion. He hit 4 months on the mission this week! Im just so greatful to have served as a social media leader, ever since i got here to this area/leadershio capacity, I have seen great changes in the people, ward, and especially the social media leadership. We have come a long way and im grratful to be part of it.

Miracle: we met Oliver the first week elder zapata and I were together we lost contact with him until about a week ago when it was POURING RAIN we were soaked, and about 8:15 pm. We were just at the point to return and turn in for the day when we saw two gentlemen in their car, we knocked on the window and turns out it was Oliver!. We began to teach them in the pouring rain we shared 3 nephi 11:10-11 and they "Were very surprised and shocked" they invited us over for sunday! Sunday comes around and we didnt realize it was the super bowl, oliver and all his buddies were over watching the super bowl, 2 or 3 days previous we talked with oliver about prophets amd sent him Elder stevensens talk!

 Good thing we have been studying the most recent general conference so that we sent him a talk to suit his needs! Anyway, he texted us 5 minutes after we sent the talk with a screenshot of him watching it, he loved it! And told us he knew it was true! Sunday rolls around and we are invited into their big superbowl party we sit down they fed us some food and we began to talk. We brought the conversation to the Gospel and Oliver remembered the talk we sent him! He jumps up, turns off the SuPER BOWL and PUTS ON THE CONFERENCE TALK WE SENT! It was the most shocking thimg! All his buddies were surprised at first and little upset but thw spirit began to soften their hearts, it was an amazing miracle!!!

Ive been washing my fruits and vegtables this week!

This past week our hot water was turned off for the whole week almost so now we got it back and I will now return. To washing the dishes with Hot soapy water!

We had the opportunity to talk with the missionaries whl are now serving in my FIRST area more than a year ago, many of the friends i was privelidged to find and work with have now been baptized, and in the 6 months I was their my companion at the timw and I helped 3 of our brothers and sisters to the waters of baptism and all 3 are still active and participating in this glorious work+

My testimony has truly increased. i know without a doubt that this is TRUE

Im just so greatful to be a part of it

All the sisters who came in with me are now going home

Thats so nuts!!!

Ive enjoyed being district leader of pur sistrict!, today president pulled me aside and asked me to be a Zone leader for the next transfer, i dont know who my new area or companion is but im excited

I love you all!

I thank you for all tje support! 18 months went by too quick!

Be full of love and charity and just rejoice because God has restored his Kindgom through the profet José smit!

Its true!

Ok. Much love

Love 

       Elder Sandberg

The work of the lord goes on!

The work of the Lord is Advancing, its not stopping!

This week we had a goal to find 4 new friends, although some how we were given 4 great new friends! Ive been learning this week (yet again) that this is his work, we can do all we can to benefit the work yet if its not his will its not gonna happen. Ive been learning too that there are 100s if not 1,000s of people in our area who is ready and willing to recieve the gospel in its fullest. Its no longer how about how do I convince this person its true... its, which of these people have humbled themselves enough to be ready for the Gospel. We are still going to do ALL we can do bring everyone, thats the point of the imperfectly perfect harvest, harvesting ready crop and planting many sturdy seeds a long the way!

In our area we have struggled with member present lessons, i dont like make excuses and we know what we need to do,no; its just time to do it like my pops always would say: "if I wanted an excuse I would have asked for one!"; I love the way it goes it spanish: 

"Si quisiera que me diera una excusa, te la pediría."

Yesterday sunday was great! We had 6 or 7 non members come to church! It was awesome! The best part too was that they all enjoyed it and were edified by the spirit. We sat with our two friends: Andy and his cousin in sacrement meeting we opened the hymn book and began to sing, they sang along too it was glorious! It made me so happy to see that they enjoyed it and felt the peace that church brings. Peace is such an interesting thing, Elder Zapata and I were talking about this the other day: the adversary can recreate and force any feeling or emotion but the only one he cannot recreate... is peace, Heavenly Father and his son Jesus Christ are the gatekeepers of peace they are the only ones who can do it.

Susanna is planning to be baptised this saturday at 10:30 AM we are gonna need a lot of prayers for her!

Our other friend was found through the english class ads we put up on the faecbook page. He was found then put on baptism date 1 week later... he will be baptised febuary 10! Absolute miracle!

This is the best most true work there is i bear my testimony that the Book of mormon is true, i exhort you to follow moroni's exhorting. Read it,.study, and pray, and I promise you will feel and know its true. Its blessed my life so very much es la diferencia de día y noche! Ive seen it bless so many others lives and i promise it can bless your's too.

More pictures next week i promise, weve been setting lots of big goals and one is to take more. bomb pictures!

Any way: be happy dont worry, all will be well, remember! Frowning is bummy so dont be bummy be cool! Also... being mean is lame, try to show kindness in all that you do

Ok love ya!

Mucho amor

Vamanos Hermano

This week was awesome! At the last minute on sunday we made our new friends goal and our member present lesson goal! It was about 8:30 on sunday and our lesson fell through, during daily planning we felt inspired to visit a potential as a backup, we knocked her door and she was just so ready to listen. She was mad at God because she lost her son. We couldnt tell her why that happened, although we taught about the divine mission of Jesus Christ, we shared mosiah 3:7 we testified and promised her that God had a plan for her and her son. She began to weep and we wept with her.

Our friend daniel ive mentioned the past few weeks!... HE CAME TO CHURCH!. Hes 15 and showed up in an awesome suit! With his BOM and Bible. It surprised me and I was impressed with his faith, most of the people we meet throw us so many excuses as to why they cant meet, come to church, or whatever it may be... but Daniel, he felt and knew that the Church is a place he needed to be.

Yesterday we had a member present lesson at 2:30 through zoom, but right before that we set another at 3! So right as the 2:30 finished we asked the brother if he would join us for the next one, he said: "VAMANOS HERMANO!" It was so amazing, he was so ready to drop his nets and do the lords work, he bore a strong testimony about Jesus Christ that truly impacted are two new friends.

Ive grown a Love for sharing the gospel. Its something ive learned about my whole life but ive never truly understood it until now, it has been such a blessing to help so many people learn about the good tidings of great Joy. There is also a difference of hearing it and Understanding it.

The office has been fun! Its new, we switched up the roles so im learning new things. Ive truly enjoyed it! Its been tough but theres no growth in the comfort zone,

An awesome miracle: everytime we are at a red light we talk to the cars next to us. Its awkward but awesome! We talked to brian (the car next to us), invited him to church, he pulled over!!! Exchanged #s and boom new person to teach!.its really amazing to see how much the Gospel truly blesses our life as long as we look at it with the right perspective

Im loving it! Today marks 17 months. Tomorrow we are giving a training to the whole mission at Zone Conference, very exciting! Today we hiked to the Hollywood sign, we love LA!

I love you all! Have the best day, best week! How can you make this week, the best week of your life yet?

Lifes not fun when your frowning. Feel the JOY that president nelson talks about :))

("Big heart") Elder Reric Sandberg