Wow

January 25, 2016

Ft. Defiance, AZ

 

What a good week. I spent the week recovering from my strange sickness that I have had but I am good now. We had a miracle week, not a single thing could have been better. Now this is going to sound strange but I owe it to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. We spent the first 4 days of our week listening to nothing but MOTAB and they were great, the we switched to EFY music and that .5 day, day, and .5 day were very slow. After a discussion on what was different we switched back to MOTAB, lo and behold our success was back.

We had a great experience this week where we contacted a guy while tracting who wanted us to come back. When we did a 40 year old woman answered the door a couple of things happened. She acted very surprised that we made it past her dog. She then told us to leave, to never come back and to especially never bother her daughter again. We were shocked. She told us that some past Elders had taught her family and then accused them of practicing witchcraft. At this point I became infuriated at these missionaries. We wished her well and started to leave, then the spirit started to work on her. She called us back and apologized to us! She invited us in where she told us about her troubles and trials and talked to us about forgiveness. At the end of all this she told us to come back and to teach her daughter if that is really what her daughter wanted to learn about (funny part is we didn't even know her daughter).

Well that's if for the week.

African Proverb

If there is no demon inside, 

the demons on the outside

can't do anything.

Not Much To Say

January 18, 2016

Ft. Defiance, AZ

Well everyone it has been an amazing week in Ft. Defiance. We had a lot of lessons. We were able to take the stake president out to some lessons with us this week. He taught them in Navajo. We have 2 people who we put on date for baptism this week the first is a man named Dennis. He has been taught for a while now but somethings happened with the former missionaries and he quite taking the lessons. Now after we have been teaching him things are going very well. Pres. Brown came out to this lessons with us and taught him about baptism in Navajo, things are a lot more meaningful when spoken in that language. The second person is Sam, he is a former medicine man who is married to a member, he has been learning and coming to church for a year now but this week we finally committed him to a date. I was sick this week. It was no fun at all, but if you can walk, you can work.

A Few Pictures

January 11, 2016

Ft. Defiance, AZ

Elder Houston and I swore off Candy...Then we put it on the Sister's porch.

I like turquoise...

Gallup Chinle Zone--January 2016

Sister Adam's posted this one on Facebook Jan. 7

I Like Turquoise

Meeting Some General Authorities

January 11, 2016
Ft. Defiance, AZ

Sometimes as we go through life we find ourselves tired and lost. We seem to realize or at least think we realize that nothing is going anywhere, but I am here to say something different. The time we have in life is such a wonder filled time. How many of our brothers and sisters across the world don't know or have the opportunity to experience the same things that we do. We first have the privilege of living in this wonderful country. Even though at times there is a lot of confusion and chaos there is a stark contrast with the things we know and experience as members of the Lord's Kingdom on the Earth. We know of the things which are past and the things to come. We are led by a modern day prophet who loves and prays for us daily. We know of the Savior's Atonement, the only thing that can truly help us continue to change and progress toward everlasting happiness. However as we know the darkness of life often surrounds us, leaving us feeling helpless, afraid, confused, or lost. We can be comforted knowing that the Lord has got it. When it comes to the Lord's work, don't worry about it, he can handle it. Just do as much as you can. There WILL be times that you feel like you can't overcome and this is how the Lord Tests us to see how we can handle it. Just push through it!

These are some things that I have really come to realize this week. I had the wonderful opportunity of having a few meetings with Elders Neil L. Anderson, Larry Echo Hawk, and Bradley Foster. There were some great things that I learned. First we had a missionary meeting with them which involved just 38 Junior Missionaries and some Senior Couples, then a Large Fireside. Yesterday they came to our sacrament meeting and spoke there as well. Some things that Elder Anderson talked about that will help the church grow is this;

1)Temples and Family History Work

2)Send Missionaries Out

3)Gardens (Being the "Garden Project" in this part of the world)

4)Education

5)Tithing

Keep those things in mind, as you try to help others. 

Elder Warnick

Email Again!

January 4, 2016
Ft. Defiance, AZ

It has been a great week in Ft. Defiance. There have been a lot of great things happening, at least when we actually are able to get out of the trailer and work. This week we found 5 new investigators, which is a drastic change from the time that I spent in Kaibeto. On that note Kaibeto is doing super great! Things are going so right in our area, I am very grateful for the Lord directing us to people who need to have their spirits uplifted. The meeting that took up so much of our time last week was a good one. The leaders in the mission (The Mission President, Assistants, Zone Leaders and Sister Training Leaders) were able to meet together and council together on some of the things that are keeping the mission from excelling, for example this year we had 100 less baptisms than we did last year, we were wondering why that happened. Yesterday I had my very first missionary coordination meeting, where the missionaries and the Ward Mission Leader meet together and discuss and plan out things and discuss the needs of the people that we are teaching and get others ideas of how to help. Well let me just say that is was an amazing meeting! I wish that I could go make sure that EVERY ward in the world would actually have in the first place have a ward mission leader and after have them actually hold that meeting it is super effective. I am doing great, and I am super excited for this coming weekend. We are having some special meetings with Elder Neil L. Anderson and some of the seventies. I hope that you all have a great week.

Stinkin' Rez

December 31, 2015
Ft. Defiance, AZ

Well It has been a great week! To get the story out of what happened on Monday--well the internet went down. It didn't just go out but the internet went out on the whole reservation. You know it is bad if none of the businesses can take debit cards because of it. Well Monday night we left for Farmington for our Mission Leadership Conference. All Tuesday we were in the meeting and then right afterward we went on exchanges with the assistants and just got back yesterday. I am am super excited to finally be home!

Yesterday we went tracting and met a pretty great new investigator. He was a missionary for his church so he really respects what we do, and is very open to hear us share messages about the savior. We also had an awesome experience yesterday when we went to a less-active members house, his name is David. So a back ground on him, he is 57, native and well...he is blind. We showed up to his house and got a come in, as we opened the door smoke poured out of the door. Rushing in he said can you help me start the fire? Well we were able to get the smoke out of the house and open the chimney on the stove to give the fire some oxygen and no longer pump the smoke back into the house. We shared a lesson on the Plan of Salvation which really touched him, then he asked us to sing him a song. I felt that we should sing I Know That My Redeemer Lives. As we sang the song the spirit was there in an immense amount, and he began to weep. After the song ended and he composed himself, he told us that after his mother passed away when he was in his teens the Elders shared a lesson and sang that very song. I am very grateful for that opportunity.

Well this is about it for today, we have to be in at 5:30 because of all of the crazy things that people do on New Years. Well Thanks for the Patience with me this week.

Elder Warnick

I live

December 31, 2015
Ft. Defiance

Hey I will be sending out the email soon and explain everything but I am alive!

Fort Defiance

December 21, 2015

Ft. Defiance, AZ

This has been a good first week here in Ft. Defiance. Let me tell you a bit about the area and about my position. So we have a very strange position. I am a zone-leader for the Chinle Zone, I serve in the Window Rock AZ ward, we cover Ft. Defiance, and we live in St. Michaels, wow 4 different places. Here in the Window Rock ward we have 3 sets of full time missionaries. Us in Ft. Defiance. Another set of Elders in Window Rock, a set of Sisters in St. Mikes. We also have a senior missionary couple and have another on the way. That will be 10 missionaries in 1 ward, this is very unique for our mission.

Ft. D is a pretty awesome place but it is pretty ghetto. Our area is riddled with gangs, in fact there is a housing that we are not allowed to knock because it is the center of their turf battles. Now they would by no means mess with us, in fact most of them respect us and would have our backs but we don't want to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, so need to worry about that.

Well I only have half an hour today but I hope that all of you have a very Merry Christmas.

Elder Warnick

Transfer!

December 14, 2015

Kaibeto, AZ

I am getting transferred. I am very ready for this. I will be going to Ft. Defiance AZ/ Window Rock AZ as a Zone Leader. This is one of the biggest zones in the mission it will interesting to be there in the Chinle Stake. Right now my zone has 12 missionaries in it, from the area I can think of in the Chinle Zone there are at least 22 missionaries. That is a lot! This past week was too long in Farmington. Here is how my time in Farmington for meetings went.

Wednesday arrive in Farmington a little early to do some shopping. Get a call from the Assistants that Elder Robins cancelled on us but will be coming another time. Get really sad. Shop. Elder Snuka gets sick so we head to the AP's house. The Ap's find us there doing nothing and send us on splits. Work, have no dinner.

Thursday wake up and go to the meeting with the missionary department from Salt Lake, 9:00-4:30 with one 45 minute lunch break. Felt the spirit and learned a lot! Went back to the Assistants with a sore butt. Go out for the rest of the day with the Spanish elders.

Friday pack up. Study. The assistants get ready to leave and then tell us that Elder Snuka got invited by president to attend the meeting, the transfer meeting. Me and Elder Peterson sit around from 9:00-4:00 waiting for them to get back. Finally they arrived and we ask if Elder Snuka is the next AP. We see his pamphlet on how to drive the van (which the AP's do). Grill him for an hour in which he denies all of it. Go to the mission office and some things came up so Snuka had to stay. We now work up a plan to explain to the other Elders why he stayed without telling them that he is AP. Drive home for 4 hours.

It was quite the experience. Well here is my new address.

PO Box 203
St. Michaels Az 86511

There is a ton on my mind that I now need to sort out. Thanks everyone! Happy Starwars!

Uhhhh

December 7, 2015
Kaibeto, AZ

It has been a good week. Lots of strange things happened though. Today for example we ran into a couple of drunks in the park, that is nothing new since we live in the highest alcoholic per capita place in the nation. But these 2 guys were different than usual. They wanted us to call their mom so she could come and get them. One just got out of prison and the other brother had picked him up. They felt so bad for all of the things that they had done and are really trying to fix their lives. They said they drink to keep the nightmares of all of the people they killed while they were in the Marines away. We made the call and went on out way. 30 minutes later we met them again. He was coming our of Safeway with some medication to help control his seizures and some other stuff to try to help with the addiction he faces. I don't know what it is but I think he may succeed. 

This week we also had a couple of people tell us some strange things. It all started when we told her that the Zone-Leaders would be taking our Chidi (truck) to Farmington when they go to their special meetings this week with Elder Lynn G. Robins. Her response was one that I will never forget "Are you curious?" The attempt to ask if we were 'serious' kind of failed. Later someone was talking to about the primary program it went like this. "So you know...what's his name? Thompson Monson? The president? Well I guess that he wrote bishop a note and told me that I have to do one....(sigh)...so I guess I will." We were stunned. 

Well now for what made me go Uhhh. While we were driving the other day we got a call from the Assistants. It was Elder Dunn, who I came out with. He said "Elder Warnick I am sure you have heard about the meetings with Elder Robins this week. Well I don't know how you swung this but president was able to invite some people and you are one of them." Whoa, that threw me for a loop, I did not see that coming...ever. 

This week I also gave blood. It was my first time and I enjoyed doing it. What I am most excited for is to finally find out what my blood type is. Well that is the big stuff for the week I hope to have a lot to talk about next week.

Elder Warnick

Oh we also had a baptism this week... His name is Joshaun. Just happy to seem him finally getting there.

Blood Donation

I accidentally broke the freezer, but I fixed it.

Joshaun's Baptism

Accidentally dropped my planner in the font

Last Night's Sunset (December 6th)

No shoes?

November 30, 2015

Kaibeto, AZ

 

So this was a rough week. We had a great Thanksgiving and it was truly such a wonderful time. Well the lady who I talked about last week who showed so much potential is still great but every time we go over to her house a grouch old woman opens the door and tells us to leave. It is super frustrating, I just want to pull her outside and then run in. It well the hard part of the week was the first part of the week not a single door opened to us it was so down heartening. Saturday and Sunday were great though. On Sunday we had 2 great lessons. One of them was a brother who we meet with is super awesome, but he has really been struggling with alcohol. He is a veteran but he had an eye opening experience where he could have frozen to death over the weekend and now he wants to get back into a VA Recovery program which will really help him sober up. So that was great. We also met with a less-active who is trying really hard to come back to church and get her endowments. Her sister was there and that went wonderfully. Her sister is 30 and was baptized in 6th grade. She has such a big heart and sometimes that heart of hers back fires on her, for example 2 days ago when she got her shoes stolen, that is a long story. She feels lost and wants to get back to where she was spiritually at one point in her life. We have a hopeful week lined up. Also we have worked a less active family back to church and their son who we have been teaching is getting baptized! He is 8 and will be a child of record but it is just so wonderful to know that we have helped someone come to the waters of baptism. Here are a couple of this week's sunsets and a random picture of me. Have a great week.

Finally

November 23, 2015

Kaibeto, AZ

 

As great as Kaibeto has been this week it made me very happy we actually have some non-members who are interested. We had the opportunity to give a blessing to a member's niece who just got released from the hospital. She was in there for 2 months after getting hit by a drunk driver and she has been recovering well. Well we gave her a blessing and the spirit was very abundantly there. We were all touched. It was devastating she was severely injured and one of her daughters broke her femur, but recovered very quickly. She told us that after helping her husband who is traditional, she is Christian, with a ceremony while on the way back she got hit by a woman who was drinking. She was told by some other people that the accident was the Lord's way of punishing her for helping with the ceremony. We were able to bear our testimonies that God does not punish his children, and to teach her other things about adversity. She expressed only of thanks but also a desire for us to come back and teach her, she said about a week before the accident she was actually going to start meeting with the missionaries, her friend who is a member was going to refer her to us, but then the accident happened. She is very prepared to hear the message of the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I was very able to see the Lord's hand in our week, and I know that the blessings of diligent labor are opening upon our heads.Well we are pretty covered for Thanksgiving this week which is very exciting. Have a Happy Turkey Day!

Elder Warnick

Time To Bring Them Home

November 16, 2015

Kaibeto, Az

 

It was a good week in Kaibeto. We have a big storm coming in these next 2 days. I am excited for some more snow. This week has been one that has certainly gotten cold. Well this week we had interviews with President Adams. It was wonderful to talk about some of the things I had on my mind. One thing I asked about was my first area, Polacca. It was closed a transfer ago but is still closed. We talked about why it got closed and when it may open, at the beginning of this coming year. I also talked to him about the struggles that we are facing with finding people to teach, and he reminded me of something that he and I first discussed when we first met. We talked about Less-Actives and how we both love teaching them and helping them return to something that they already accepted once. I think that the church is really focusing on them now, especially in our mission. In my discussions with President Adams I learned of a new senior couple that is coming to the mission with an assignment of specifically working with the people who were on the Indian Placement Program. The wonderful Garden Project has changed too. The funding switched from Humanitarian Aid, to Church Welfare. This also came with an effort to have everyone who was involved with the Indian Placement Program to have a garden. There is also a new Key Indicator in our Mission, Less Actives at Church, they want to keep track of all of the people who are making their way back to the Fold of the Lamb of God. I believe that it is now time to bring them home, and to nourish them so we may see the Lamanites "Blossom as a Rose." This week also yielded some not so hot things for us. We had one of the elders in the Zone get food poisoning, that is never fun. The poor guy couldn't work, but even worse his poor companion...

Well thanks for everything.

Elder Warnick

Sunrise over Navajo Mountain

Definition of My Mission

In a Canyon

Me

 

Me and the Desert

Emery and Me

Me and the Hills

Me and Snow

Winter Desert

Titleless

November 9, 2015

Kaibeto, AZ

Well my letter this week was all about the conference that we had yesterday, but I forgot my notes so sorry. But I will talk about what I do remember. We have only known about this surprise Stake Conference for a couple of weeks, but it was great. This was the first of a kind, an area conference. It was a broadcast from Salt Lake to the entire North America South West Area. We were addressed by Elder Oaks, Robins, Corbridge and Sister Reeves. What a wonderful conference! I learned many things. This week we spent a lot of time walking around in the hills toward the mesa on our east, we were looking for a family and after a couple of days we finally found them, they were not interested. It seems that no one is interested. What a struggle I feel like we are facing. Yes this is a common problem for missionaries but we have not been able to teach someone who is not a member for many weeks. It is quite discouraging but I know that someone out there has to be interested in learning more about the gospel. Well anyways we saw some beautiful country in the hill, it was great. Today is Elder Emery's Birthday, it will be fun. Have a good week.

Elder Warnick

Haunted Transfer

November 2, 2015

Kaibeto, AZ

Well this week was transfers and for as few changes as we thought were happening, a lot did. We thought that this transfers maybe 2 people were going to leave. But here is how it went down. Elder Emery and I are staying the same. I have now been here for 3 months and have another 1.5 ahead of me. Elder Rainey in Inscription House is leaving and opening Kayenta 1st ward. Elder Hancock is leaving page. Elder Bowie in Echo Cliffs is getting transferred, only his first transfer. Elder Erikson is training again. The sisters are both getting taken out and 2 new elders are taking over that area. Lots! Last week we participated in a baby blessing that was an awesome experience, and a first for me. Friday we got permission to go to a haunted house. It was pretty cool, the people who sponsored it are some Less-Active members that are really awesome and we are really trying to get close to. Lots of scary stuff and it was full of people we know, so we went in our civilian clothes so we wouldn't be picked on more than the average person.When you first walked in it was a dark hallway which turned and the Grudge came at you. That scared my companion. Down the hall and through some more scares we went into the chain saw room, who just happened to be someone we knew very well, we didn't know this at that time and we quickly moved to the next room where we were going to slow down for a second. This is when the chainsaw man, Bradley, realized who we were, after all what other 2 white teenage guys would be there and he began to chase us. Finally he stopped and we walked into a corner, then 2 hands grabbed me and started propelling me down the hall, I also knew this person, but it was still freaky. Quite the experience, not usually what you get on a mission, but it gave us a great in with the people. They are super awesome. There are 2 families who ran it and they are cousins. The first one is a husband and wife in their 30's who are super fun and want us to teach them, but they are super busy. The second is an awesome family with 3 boys my age and they are great, and come to church on and off. Some of the boys are more invested in the gospel than others. Well that is about it for the week.

Elder Warnick

To the family: It sounds like quite the week. The brothers getting permits, does that mean they will have licenses by the time I am home? Hallween sounded like a blast, we did pumpkin carving a 2 weeks ago for mutual, we made a Captain Crunch Jack O'Lantern. It was sweet, it looked horrible in the light, but as soon as the lights went off and the candle was lit it was great! Boy oh Boy football! (Kuna going to play-offs) Wow Josh and Ethan, the teachers that would be fun. I am excited for this transfer. Have a good week everyone!

Another Transfer at the Close

Arizona Skies

October 26, 2015

Kaibeto, AZ

It was a good week, and is the beginning of week 6. Transfer calls will be on Saturday and it will be fun to be on the phone as a District Leader and to know everyone's news and get to tell them. As you know we are now on the hunt for more investigators, and we have quite a few promising people who we are hopefully going to start to teach this week. I went on exchanges in Echo Cliffs this week with Elder Bowie. They will be having a baptism this week and that is very good, the branch needs it it will be the first one in 2 years or so. Lita is her name, the interview with her went very well, she has gone through quite a few sets of missionaries and now she is ready to add her name to the records of the Church of Jesus Christ. On Saturday we did a lot of service. We went out quite a ways and helped a family that I really love build a horse corral. It is made of railroad ties standing vertically and utility poles horizontally. Nearly indestructible. Very heavy. We also got tons of sun while we were out there, unlike me, Elder Emery does not tan. Poor guy. We had a great discussion with the family afterwards and then went to a birthday party. The family whose house we went to the party at has fed us 3 times this week, as well as 3 more members feeding us too. I am very grateful for the opportunity to pay fast offerings.

Well not much more for this week. Thanks yall.

Elder Warnick

To Mom: Okay I picked up the shoes. [They were] the price best price for quality with the small selection at the store. Here is a pic of the shoes.

Shoes

October 20, 2015
Kaibeto, AZ

Mama,

Well My shoes have about had it. Is there any such thing as a early christmas present, or a thanksgiving present? Or something along those lines? I wear an 11.5. Or we have a sporting goods store in Page I could look at. It is not a super big rush. I just thought that I would let you guys know. I love you!

Yes I used Mama...

 

 

(Mom's note: It's hard to resist this boy when he calls me "Mama." He calls me that when he really needs something or has something really exciting to tell me. I kind of love it. These are the shoes he got his senior year of high school. Yeah, not surprised they are finally worn out. He bought some new shoes at the athletic store in Page.)