Heyo family,

Another week already by. Let’s see, so this week I had exchanges again on Tuesday, and this time I was on bike in Elder Pratt’s (district leader) area… yeah that was humbling, and I am super out of shape for anything that requires leg endurance… or endurance in general. Elder Pratt reassured me that this area in the thirty or so years that it has been around has never been bike until about three transfers ago, and it’s a really tough bking area. Now, while part of that is true, I’m still in no shape for biking, I mean I haven’t biked since the bike trip a year and a half ago [where he did the C&O Canal Trail with his Scout Troop]. Anyways, the exchange was pretty fun, and we had a meeting with the ward mission leader who made us home made pizza. It was pretty darn good. He mentioned that, right now, he is focusing on the pizza dough and getting that really down and currently is just using jarred sauce, so I helped him out and gave him the recipe in the family cookbook. Mark, sorry for spreading the joy that comes through your recipes. 🙂 

The rest of the week was pretty normal, just knocking doors of old potentials and then we actually ran out of those on Friday and started to go tracting which was actually a lot of fun and refreshing to be honest. [no run on sentence there] Unfortunately, this week we found no one new to teach and had very few lessons and Jose, who usually comes to church with his whole family, who are all members, couldn’t make it this week. Yeah, it was pretty rough. We did have a whole family we have been trying to add to our teaching pool who are super nice, but the lesson we had fell through since her husband got off work late and we couldn’t come in or teach anything.

Also today I found out I am leaving Monroe, kinda sad, kinda not. This transfer has been tough, and I’m kinda drained and I think I need a change of scenery already to lighten me back up and get my perspective open again.

Something that just happened that is super cool is I was sitting at the computer typing my email and the woman next to me printing mentioned to her husband that she wished she could type like the Mormon missionary and I turned and they were like yeah we noticed you I laughed. I went on to explain how I wanted to go into computer science after and they asked how long I had left and we got into a good conversation (the wife grew up in the church) and then at the end the husband asked me for “one our bibles” so after I finish this I’ll go get one from the car. Super awesome.

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Questions-Starting mid-week, they are expecting 45 degrees and a 50% chance of rain pretty much every day.  How do you dress for that? – A sweater or jacket and then rain jacket and a beanie. Pretty much just have to weather it other than that.

Is tracting in the rain more fruitful because people take pity on you and let you in?- Not really, plus every day I’ve tracted lately has actually been sunny, like yesterday was super nice.

Do you have time will you be able to share where you’ve been transferred when you get that message? Or will it wait until your next pday?-I have to wait because I don’t find out until Wednesday on where I go.
What do you think you have learned the most about yourself during this transfer?- I can get frustrated pretty quick… still working on that.  Also learned that I need to work on my patience in all aspects and on communication. 
And what will you do differently as you begin this new transfer?- try to communicate more openly and do it in a way that isn’t so patronizing because that never helps.
Do you encounter animals very often on your mission?  dogs cats or other pets?- yup, mostly dogs and cats, can’t think of anything else actually.
Best food you’ve eaten all week?- Hmmm probably tacos we had from a Taqueria here called La Bamba. Pretty solid small tacos.

How have your prayers changed- A lot more of the things I am.grateful for and a lot more specific sometimes for things that I need or those around me need. And much more consistent that when I was at home, which I hope to keep up for the rest of my life.

Love you all lot, hope you all have a good week this week.– 
Love,

Elder Tonkinson

Heyo Family(and friends who will read it a week or so after),

First off that title is pretty much all clickbait…oh well continuing on, this week was fine. To start out this week we had exchanges! I stayed in my area and got the district monkey (companion to the district leader), Elder Clonts, and we had a really good time. We started out by going to the horse farm, where we generally serve twice a week for 2 hours a piece. We moved big, wooden lockers so that they could fill thier flooding horse arena with some rocks and then dirt. Tough stuff, but fun, especially because we were getting to do it with some other Elders, Elder McNiff and Elder Dunn. Also learned that Elder Dunn just like me is a Reese’s lover, and we spent about 20 minutes talking about them haha. Apparently, he, for the past couple years, has been getting the two half-pound Reese’s cups for Christmas (I got some this year), and he’ll down em in like 10 minutes (Roughly 2140 Cals). Anyways, then I mentioned eating ice cream or something while at my computer and then Elder Dunn, was like what type of computer, I replied, “one I built.” Then, he started getting excited because he has not met anyone else on the mission who has built a computer or knows about gaming and computers. So we started talking about games and specs and stuff which was also a really good time. Okay I guess one other missionary who he knows who enjoys games is Elder Clonts so our plan is after the mission to maybe try to play some games together. I don’t plan on playing a ton when I get home, [hmh, did he put this in just for his mom and dad?] but to play with them sounds just like a good time. Good thing is, Elder Dunn came out two tranfers before me and Elder Clonts came out with me and because of Spanish and my time in the MTC we’ll all get home one transfer right after the other. It was just a good time.

Wednesday at District Council, I brought with me the giant Reese’s cups and gave one to Elder Dunn, because sharing is good, and if I didn’t I was going to eat both, and I didn’t want to do that. Though after eating one of them I did want another, because they were so good. So much more peanut butter and oh man I love it. See I feel as if they need a little more peanut butter in Reese’s cups but not so much they become like a peanut butter ball or buckeye. It’s a delicate balance and a thing of art… okay enough of my Reese’s obsession.

The rest of this week was pretty chill, just trying to contact people and to share a message with them that will change, well, their eternity. Saturday was an interesting night as we offically got dropped by an 11 year old that the Hermanas had been meeting with, the area we, sorry I planned (I have to plan alone still) to contact people in was flooded, and finally we found someone named Antonio to teach! We met him on Saturday night and shared a quick message and said we could come back the next day at 3:00. Unfortunatly he must of forgot or something came up (that’s what I prefer to think when stuff likes this happens) so he wasn’t home when we went back over. No worries though next time we meet him, we’ll get his number. Yeah, the work in this area is slow and tough with not many who are receptive. Onward we go though. 

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Questions-What have you been doing for exercise over the last two weeks?- We have 25 dumbells in the apartment, and I use those and try to do arms one day, chest and abs another(pushups and crunches and such), and then legs and then another arm day, then another chest and abs. Then on Mondays, I just do what ever activity we have, like today it’s volleyball and basketball.
Any changes with your health and your ears?- Ears still pop, and sometimes I get bad headaches but other than that, good.
Share a time you felt the love of the Lord for yourself and/or for somebody around you this week.- I felt the love of the Lord for just all the hispanic people in general. I just love their culture and their language and generally they are all super nice. It helps me to have this love for them especially when they still reject the fullness of the gospel. It helps because I am not as frustrated with them and I can still go on to the next door with hope that the next person will be more interested.

Is there something you learned from your personal scripture study this week.- I am in Matthew in my personal study and I really liked Matthew 13:23- But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth and endureth; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.- We have to not only understand the doctrine but endure when people attack us for it or for our faith in Christ or our belief that Joseph Smith is a prophet or that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. We have to be rooted in it so that when the winds come we don’t fall but grip tighter. 

Are you dreaming in Spanish? – Here or there, but honestly, I only sometimes remember my dreams and if I do there is little dialogue.

Love you all lots,

Elder Tonkinson
https://eldertonkinson.home.blog/

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Hola Familia!

Hope you all had great weeks; mine was certainly better than the last couple. The week started out kinda slow, but good news is that during my time playing soccer last Monday, my ears popped back to normal, well almost. There is still some mild ringing and popping, but for the most part I’m better. It was kinda funny because we got in the car and got a “Check your speed,” and it was so loud it hurt. Anyways, so because I was better, we were able to start to get out and get to know some people. Unfortunately, no one new to teach yet because we didn’t get any return appointments, but we have some pretty solid potentials people who we got to meet this week. One man we met on Friday night let us in with us barely getting a word out and then proceded to cook us eggs and green beans on tortillas with salsa verde, it was good but a weird combination I had never seen. We then spent a lot of time talking about what we believe, and he spent a lot of time telling us bible stories (which we knew but still). So, when we go back, we have to have a game plan so that we can stay on track and focused cause this man liked to go off on tangents. Still, just a really cool experiance that I had never had before.

Then yesterday, we went to visit this family that our branch president, Presidente Millian, told us to visit as well as a missionary who served in this area a couple months ago, and they were super nice. They said that visiting right then was not good but that we are always welcome, and she told us when her husband got back because she knew our rules, and was just super genuine. Definitely, the highlights of the week as far as contacting people. 

Another highlight is that we got to go to the temple. A recent convert in the branch was going for the first time, so we are allowed to go with her and just help her to have a good experience. Well initially we didn’t plan to go because the Hermanas were planning on going, and we didn’t think they needed both sets of missionaries. Friday night at around 9:45, we got a call that they needed us to go because they had no priesthood holders to go with them to the temple. So, we had 45 minutes to find a ride because we are not allowed to ride with just sisters in the branch. Well, 10:30 rolls around and we had found no one, so we went to bed and figured we just weren’t going to make it. Well at 6:45, we get a call and the relief society president’s husband could take us, so we went. It was so awesome because we got to do proxy baptisms and confirmations in Spanish which I had never done before and the Spirit was so strong.

On another note Elder Rodriguez and I are getting along better right now. I still do not like his choices sometimes but I can see he is starting to change little by little to be more obedient in some areas which has been great. One thing I have learned is that I just need to sometimes take a step back and take a couple minutes to chill out. Just to write or to breathe because I sometimes get stressed and from there I just am not in a good mood. Plus Elder Rodriguez is really good with people, so when we talk to people I am trying to figure out how he does it because it’s never really that awkward or weird. Also, he never has any fear to talk to anyone because well they’re just people and if they don’t like you that’s fine you never have to really see them again. That’s true in this case but not in some other circumstances haha.

That’s pretty much all, just happy to be feeling mostly all the way better so we can get moving. Spanish is a little rusty right now though, I for some reason can not understand as much in the past or maybe I just am expecting for myself to understand more than I am. Either way I need to study everyday. 

Oh one more thing to add, we also had Zone Conference on Wedensday which was awesome.  We talked a lot about how we can be using our online and technology resources better and how we can also work with members better. It was super good and very helpful. 

Questions-
Why don’t you share something that’s made you smile this week- Yesterday we went over to a less active members home, and he has a son, who is hilarious. His son is 5 almost 6 and he speaks English and Spanish, and he was so funny. You just had to be there.

Share a learning moment you experienced in the past week.- Learning moment, well I don’t know if it’s a good skill to know or not, but Elder Rodriguez had bought some new pants and they had one of those little special tags and we hadn’t noticed. So he remembered some video About removing security devices and the steps in it from back home and with a knife and a lighter (don’t know were the lighter came from) he was able to get it off. Pretty impressive considering it was his first time and from memory.
How is your meal plan and cooking going?- Good good. Leftovers the last a couple days, so I really only had to cook once this week, well that’s not true I had breakfast burritos every morning which were very good.
Favorite scripture passage from your recent study.- Currently I am starting the New Testament and studying it more intensely than I have ever before. A scripture that I liked this week was Matthew 7:24 “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock.” We need to not only know the gospel but follow it so we can become like Christ and we “shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.”

Love you all and keep up the hard work where ever you are. I keep you all in my prayers and hope you all are safe and sound.
Until next week,Elder Tonkinson
https://eldertonkinson.home.blog/

Heyo,

Well so this week was about the same as last. Still can not hear very well. It has gotten better to where I can hear about half of what is said in meetings depending on who is talking and how loud. It’s frustrating but improving slowly. I can now start to contact people and hear most of what they say, so that’s good. Apparently, I am speaking pretty quiet because all I hear is the reverb in my head which seems pretty loud to me. It’s weird because my problem is usually I am too loud haha. Anyways, this week we did have some opportunities to meet with some of the people that the sister missionaries had been meeting with before we came in. One is Jose, who is the husband of a member and comes to every meeting and even came to the baptism that the sisters had this week. He’s a really nice guy, but when we met I was still at the point of not being able to really hear, let alone in Spanish. Unfortunatly they were just sitting down for dinner so we just gave a quick spiritual thought. Well rather Elder Rodriguez turned to me for it. So I did and it was weird to speak Spanish because as I said all I hear is my own voice, and usually I use that to make sure the Spanish sounds good and that what I think comes out, because sometimes it doesn’t when I speak Spanish. But I shared the message and it was all good. We also met a 10 year old, Micheal. He speaks English so it was all good, and my hearing had improved a little more. Well, we talked to him and asked if he wanted to keep meeting with missionaries, and he said, “I think I’ll pass.” So, we asked him to think about it, and he said he would. Pretty funny to be dropped by a ten year old but also discouraging. When we did contact some people last night, it was also discouraging becuase so many were not home, but as we start getting back out it will get better, and I just need to keep my head up and press on.

Also, I got to give a talk on Sunday on missionary work. Comparing it to my last one from four months ago, this one was a lot better, and I could see how my Spanish had improved. Still not perfect or anything, but it is getting better so I am pleased with that, because it is hard to see my language skills improving. Here’s the talk for all who can read and would like to read basic Spanish- https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kjmLSyLbthMkleYIYERK0bt95KPwlQq2Jpb_k2m5_HM/edit?usp=drivesd

We did a lot of service in the week which I like because I can still be useful without having to really listen. When in the apartment, I organized and looked at the record of people and planned for good people to go visit and planned (just like Ammon and Limhi Dad) to make the work more effecetive when we did get back out. On top of that, I did some work to do some online work. It’s not what I would have liked to do, but it’s what I could do. Though this week I listened to a lot of BYU devotionals and Elder Holland told a story and the message was that, “A lot of the work in this world, is done by people who aren’t feeling very well.” Well that hit home and so this week, despite the lack of hearing, I am going to go forward and try to do the best I can… it will still be very frustrating since I don’t have the confidence of hearing, but I am sick of sitting. 

Now to the last part the sisters in the branch had a baptism, we were asked to share a lesson on restoration. We before practiced so that basically if I could not hear what he was saying, I could still do my part with out repeating anything. it went well.

Questions-What are a couple of your go-to meals recently when you cook for yourself?- Recently not much. Eggs, french toast, PB&J stuff like that. It’s not very healthy but with Mark’s help this week should be better.
How have you served your companion this week?- Found he does have a leather pair of boots and a pair of leather shoes and I shined them both while he slept in the morning. Also cleaned his rain boots and folded his laundry. Also I try to give a compliment a day, genuinely.
Are you over your cold completely? do you still have some hearing loss?- NO! So like my energy is almost normal, still a little drained, but that may also be my diet. As far as hearing as I said earlier it is getting better slowly. Now I can hear most things said to me in a 10 foot range so that’s good. Still frustrating but I’m working on it. 
As you’ve had more study time due to your illness, what is a principle/doctrine that has really stuck with you that you are trying to apply in your life right now?- The need to be humble. When I am prideful in my mind I try to realize it and correct it. It’s a lot of correction, but it has been less the more I do it.
What is something that made you smile this week? – The baptism. I love them so much because the spirit is so strong and you can see the light in the eyes of the person who is getting baptized.
Pictures- Sorry not much interesting but the pretty snow. That was a blessing because I just love the snow.

Elder Tonkinson
https://eldertonkinson.home.blog/

Welp this week was definetly not what I would have asked for or planned for. So on Monday we got to go to a soccer dome that is in Snohomish which is free for us, as a member owns it. So we were there from about 1:00-3:00 and oh it was fun. Then after, I was dead since I have been sick since last Wednsday and started coughing up a storm. Then my ears started to get muffled, and I was like oh no. So on the way back to our apartment, we called the mission nurse and she told us to go in so I could get rested and take the next two days off unless I felt better. Well that’s what we did. Now I feel fine, but I could not hear and so that presents some problems when 90% of what we do has to do with talking and listening. So yeah, Thursday morning rolls around ,and I at this point still can not hear squat in fact it’s worse so we call the nurse and I head to the doctor and guess who had an ear infection in one ear and almost another in the other? Yup. So the run down is, I am still sick and still can’t really hear very well out of either ear. So that’s been super frustrating for me because I want to work, and there are people waiting for the message but we can not contact them very effectively. On top of that my companion, Elder Rodriguez and I can not communicate because I can not hear him and we’re still just trying to figure out how to work together.

Okay enough of me compaining. Good things this week were that becasue I was sick I was able to spend a lot of time studying Spanish, the scriptures and listening to talks (and sleeping to hopefully recover faster). I had the opportunity to read the entire Doctorine and Covenants in Spanish this week. It was a little difficult and to be honest I don’t think I got out all that I could if I read it in English. Plus there is no story to it really like there is to the other volumes of scripture so that also makes it a little hard. Still, really good though and I was quite surprised at how much and how fast I can read in my head in Spanish now and also how much I can understand if I focus (sometimes I kinda just read and just like in English where you can read but not read, you get what I’m saying?) on the words. Also, I got to listen to some talks and devotionals that I had already listened to before (I had to put my phone on high right next to my ear… probably not good for it but it was the only way I could hear), most of them on pride as I was studying humility this week for my weekly goal. Anyone who actually knows me, knows that this is a throw away goal as I already mastered this ;-). But it was just a really good experiance. Also, with so much time I got to think about why I am here and what I want to accomplish and how I want to change. The biggest thing was that I just really need to get into this mind set that I need to serve and that’s what I am called to do and to lift where I stand. I have a tendancy to focus on what I can not change and to complain about it and sometimes I just need to shut up, work, and focus on those around me and not on myself.

Also another thing is that we, like my parents, had stake conference this week. One thing that was cool is that we had a Spanish adult session which was super cool. Elder Wright (Served as a mission president in Chile Santiago East Mission 2012-2015) who is one of the area seventy if I remember right, called us missionaries up and asked us how many lessons we had had in the last week and what our biggest challenges were. Well that wasn’t very fair to us as we are a) both new and trying to get established and b) I was sick all week. I didn’t like being on the spot like that. So yeah, it was fun and I got very little out of the spanish session as I could barely hear and it was in Spanish. Then was the adult sessions which was great. It was weird because I could barely hear anything, but what I did hear triggered some awesome impressions from the Spirit, and I was able to learn a lot. Same goes with the Sunday session. It was also awesome to see President and Sister Auna, they’re the greatest. But that about sums it up… well I guess last night it snowed so that was awesome to wake up to. I love snow.

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Elder Durbano, Elder King (his trainee) and I, finally got this picture from Elder Durbano from transfers
Questions
Share insight you’ve had from your scripture study this week.- Pride is something that is always bad. Never good to be prideful. In a way, pride is the basis of a lot of other problems. Alma is talking to the people at Ammonihah, and he says they do not repent because they are prideful. Pride stops us from accepting that we have done wrong. Pride stops us from becoming better improving, because if you have need to change then you were wrong and someone else was right. Pride is a sin of comparision. I learned a lot this week because of how much time, but it would definetly be easier to discuss in person.
Your favorite meal you’ve eaten in the past 7 to 10 days?- We went to a members last Sunday, the Reyes. Hermana Reyes is the relief society president, and they made carne asada, which is always so good with tortillas. Pretty simple but so good.
What is a typical breakfast you eat each morning?- Lately hot chocolate and biscotti because I have so much of both. Before this transfer, eggs, french toast, cereal, something a little more edifiying. I have had some cereal lately too, but also lots of biscotti [homemade that family sent him during Christmas–Chocolate peppermint dipped in chocolate].
Share something that brought a smile to your face and lightened your load- I got a bunch of letters from some friends back in Lynchburg and it was just awesome to get that physical letter, feel remembered and to laugh at some of their stories. Haha
Well that’s all for this week. Love you all! Hopefully this next week I can hear enough to start doing what we need to help these people see Christ in my actions and how we teach and want that. Also keep studying Come Follow Me it is awesome especially since it’s the Book of Mormon this year. Also 6 months on Friday [that he has been out on his mission]. Wild. Also Alma 17-26 is the best. Ammon is an absolute beast of a missionary and so are his brothers. Man the scriptures are great.
Love
Elder Tonkinson
https://eldertonkinson.home.blog/

So this week was transfers which means I now have a new companion! Elder Rodriguez, he has been out for 15 months now and has been all over from Seattle, to Mt. Vernon and Bothell. So yeah, we’re still trying to figure out how to work together and how to do some good work in the area. Speaking of the area I am now in Sky Valley Spanish which covers Monroe, Sultan and Gold Bar, WA in the Snohomish zone. They just split this area so we are covering one half and Hermanas (Spanish sisters) cover the other so one of Monroe, Snohomish and Lake Stevens. So we white washed in [This means that no missionary who was there previously stayed, so they are both new to the area], and so both of us do not know anyone or anything about how it works. It’s a little nerve racking and frustrating at times for me to not know what is going on and stuff like that, but we are slowly getting to know the area. Because of the whitewash though I am kinda stressed and a new companion who I have never met before on top of that doesn’t seem to help me. Besides that the branch seems really awesome, about twice the size maybe more of the one in Bellingham, plenty of people to fill classes and have a bigger discussion than that in Bellingham. Though I still miss Bellingham and this is going to take some adjusting, I think I’ve got it. It’s weird to think that I won’t stay in a place a little because in missionary work you have two constants usually, knowing an area and knowing your companion and when both change it’s a big adjustment. Not much else to say getting settled and working on trying to figure out the best was to teach and work together.  Oh I guess I have also been sick and it’s the same thing from the MTC so my ears are filled and I hear everything muffled and my thoat hurts and head is stuffed, but the work must go on.

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Questions
How is the area you’re serving in? – Bit similar to Bellingham in that we get the outskirts of places.

Did you accumulated way too much stuff while at your first area?- Yes most of it food from Christmas haha a pain to move but luckily I have food to keep eating.

Was it hard to switch companions?- Yes he is very different than Elder Durbano and we’re just very different in style and things, so yeah

How is the branch where you’re serving now? – As I said a lot bigger than Bellingham and very friendly and missionary minded which is also new and nice. 

How was the new year? What time did you have to be in? We had to be in by 7:00. Nothing too crazy just kinda came in, ate some food, talked, listened to some BYU devotionals and slept. 

Love.
Elder Tonkinson
https://eldertonkinson.home.blog/