Glendale, California:  Week 39

I can't believe the transfer is over already! Time just keeps going faster and faster. Also, we got transfer calls and I'm really excited. Previously, it was the 3 of us Armenian elders covering the English ward and Armenian group, but now, the 4th Armenian elder is coming back, plus they're taking us out of English work entirely, by adding two purely English companionships to the ward. So technically, this ward went from 3 missionaries to 8. Crazy, and awesome. President Hall even shouted us out in the weekly mission email, "We are also taking advantage of the many language capabilities and are concentrating two Armenian and two Philippine Companionships in Glendale." 

One thing I look forward to in the next couple months is reaching out to more Armenian members who were attending church regularly about a decade ago, but then faded away over time. There are a lot of people in this category. Before recently, I didn't realize just how many Armenian members there actually are, I just haven't met them yet because church attendance is very small. We met with a previous Armenian branch leader, and he knew so many people that we have no clue about. 

As for church zoom meetings (actually we're using google meet now), it's going well, but it's hard because everyone is really old and doesn't know how to connect. So every Sunday morning we drive over to 3 or 4 people's houses to connect them into the church meeting. But it continues to grow basically every week, so that's great!

Love you all, have a great week

Elder Clayton

Երեց Քլեյթոն

Glendale, California:  Week 38

A couple days ago I had a new personal record for the longest lesson. 3 hours and 45 minutes! It was awesome, this investigating friend of ours just has so many questions and loves to hear and discuss about the gospel. She was worried she took up too much of our time but we assured her we'd probably just be back at the apartment trying to call people otherwise.

We also had zone conference this week, and instead of the usual ~5 hours, it was like 7 or 8. Pretty exhausting, but I enjoyed it a lot, especially hearing from the mission president and his family since they are still new and I don't know them super well. My zone is really old, about half of the missionaries going home at the end of this transfer are from my zone. They will be missed, this has been a great transfer and I love my zone! 

Elder Clayton

Երեց Քլեյթոն

Glendale, California:  Week 37

We did a lot of driving around and filming this week for a Facebook video that we're working on. In the past, each zone had their own Facebook page they were responsible for, but now it will likely be broken up by language (One English page for the whole mission, one Spanish, one Chinese, etc), so I will probably focus more on making Armenian content now. It's funny because there are only us 4 Armenian elders, so we are basically responsible to make all the content for our page. Which has been fun so far! 

The video we're making involves all 4 of us, so we drove down to the mission office in Arcadia to visit Elder Bell, my trainer. Then we hiked up a mountain to film Elder Christensen's part, and got permission to go to Hollywood to film Elder Hubner's part! (And visit an Armenian member out there who I've never met before.) It was really cool, but right as we were about to start filming, a big fire pops up a short ways off.  But just as fast as it came, it was gone. 

I also pieced together a short video about God's existence, centering around Alma 30:44, when Korihor is talking with him, and demanding to see a sign before he'll believe that there is a God. And Alma responds:

"The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator."

And it's so true. The more I slow down and take time to consider all the miraculous creations that exist around us, even in everyday life, the more obvious it becomes that there is a God who loves us. I know we have a Heavenly Father who knows and loves each of us with a greater love than we can comprehend. And this beautiful world is a gift I could never stop being grateful for.

Here's the link to our page, any support would be much appreciated! 

https://www.facebook.com/churchofjesuschristglendalehye/

Have a great week,

Elder Clayton

Երեց Քլեյթոն

Glendale, California:  Week 36

It was a pretty eventful week! One highlight is we got to help a family move. They are moving out of the ward, and we will miss them for sure, but it was nice seeing them and helping them pack up the truck. 

Also, we once again got in contact with a nice man we haven't met with in months. He is awesome, and even came to our weekly Book of Mormon class, and said he'd try to attend church over zoom. I'm also very impressed by his self-made electric train setup that goes all the way around his room. It has tons of tracks and tiny buildings and people that he all made himself, and the trains move realistically along the track. He gave us a tour of it all after our lesson with him, and said he's also trying to get into the hobby of glass, like mosaics and stuff. What a cool guy!

It's funny, between the people we're teaching, we now have English, Armenian, and Persian church zoom classes on Sundays that we invite people to attend. This was our first week trying an Armenian church meeting on zoom. We had 6 people attend, which is more than we usually had back when we could meet in the church building! But I think there's potential for that number to double in the coming weeks. And my hope is that all the people who start regularly attending the zoom meeting will continue coming to church when we have it in person again some day.

Finally, yesterday we taught a new guy and his mom who are interested in learning more about the church. They are the first Georgians (from the country Georgia) I have met with, which was cool because I remember how to say hello in Georgian from some of the Elders in my MTC district. :) The man also speaks Turkish, Russian and English. I'm always so impressed by people who know so many languages like that.

Elder Clayton

Երեց Քլեյթոն

Glendale, California:  Week 35

This week for filming our new Facebook video ( https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=151697206524929&id=111171017244215&sfnsn=mo ) we got to drive around to some pretty cool monuments. For one thing, we visited a really tall Armenian memorial with pillars, which was neat. But my favorite was a massive and beautiful cemetery called Forest Lawn. It was filled with statues and pictures, including a 10 ft tall replica of the Christus. Also, I heard this is where Michael Jackson, Walt Disney, and Marilyn Monroe are all buried. Although I'm not certain on that.

On Tuesday we went and met a super awesome family who we've talked to a bit over the phone. Their little kids were running around, speaking Armenian to each other and to us, it was really adorable. The parents speak English about as well as we speak Armenian (not that great) so we taught each other words, and spoke in Armenglish. The wife said she heard that "crocodile" is a formal way of saying hello. We told her about the "after a while crocodile" phrase, but that's not a formal hello, so I don't really know what that was about.

Unfortunately, a few days ago we got word that things are once again more strictly closed down, so no more in person church meetings. But besides that everything's still good. 

See you next week!

Elder Clayton

Երեց Քլեյթոն

Glendale, California: Week 34

Wow, this week was awesome! 

Getting pretty hot outside, but awesome.

For one thing, we got to get outside, drive around, and meet with quite a few people who I've only ever met over phone. For example, we went over and helped a woman in our ward who I've talked with, but have never met with in person. With the safety precautions of masks and everything, we went over and helped her move a mattress and some furniture to a different house, then she bought us dinner. Also, this week we're going to start teaching English classes over zoom to a couple Armenians trying to learn the language. We were doing English classes before the whole covid thing, and I'm excited to do it again.

Another highlight of the week is when we went over to visit a somewhat active member who's good friends with the missionaries. He's a cool guy. After our lesson, we played a game where you open up the Book of Mormon to a random verse and read it aloud, and whatever it says describes you (just jokingly of course). Anyway, I got Alma 32:3:

"Therefore they were not permitted to enter into their synagogues to worship God, being esteemed as filthiness; therefore they were poor; yea, they were esteemed by their brethren as dross; therefore they were poor as to things of the world; and also they were poor in heart." Ouch

Finally, when Elder Christensen moved over here, he brought a fish tank with him, and we filled the bottom with red, blue, and orange rocks! Armenian fish tank, how cool is that? (pics attached)

I'm not sure if we're actually allowed to have fish, but Elder Christensen said he at least wants to fill it up and get some water plants or something haha.

I also bought a Georgian drink that tastes a lot like mouthwash, and a thing called "չար աչք" or "evil eye." I'm not sure what the story behind them is, but they look cool.

Anyway, have a great week! Love you all

Elder Clayton

Երեց Քլեյթոն

Glendale, California:  Week 33

Hope everyone had a fantastic 4th of July! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

Ours here was fun all things considered. The 5 of us missionaries made a big meal with hot dogs and soda and stuff, then we climbed up on the roof and watched all the (illegal-in-California) fireworks people were shooting off around us.

We also got to meet our new mission president and his wife, President and Sister Hall, and they seem really awesome! They have a lot of love for us missionaries. They're really family centered, and introduced themselves to the mission with a video of all their kids and grandkids and it was really sweet. I think I'm going to really like them as I get to know them better.

Yesterday, we found out the news for the transfer tomorrow. It turns out my companion and I will both stay together, which we weren't expecting, and we are actually gaining another, turning us into a trio! Being in a trio with Elders Hubner and Christensen will be fun. I was in a trio back in the MTC and loved it.

Finally, highlight of the week: We met again with a couple we've been teaching, and addressed some of the questions the husband had. In the end he said "I don't want to join the church until I feel something and gain a testimony for myself," which may sound kind of obvious but it stuck out to me. I feel like a lot of the time, people meet with us to see what our church believes, and either be convinced that it's true or not. Many people seem to have the mindset of "If what the missionaries are saying makes sense and seems right I'll join the church, and if not I wont," but really it shouldn't be like that. As missionaries we teach people how to create a deep connection with God, so that through the holy ghost and in answer to their prayers they come to know that the church is true, and gain a testimony for themselves. I believe that this friend of ours is truly willing to read the Book of Mormon and pray about it, and I'm really happy for him because I know that's the key for knowing it's true through the spirit.

Have a good week! 

Elder Clayton

Երեց Քլեյթոն

Our 4th of July setup / some cool fish we saw in the pet store: