God Squad

God Squad     March 19^th 2013

This week was actually pretty eventful. It is exciting that things are pulling together. The Lord just kinda directs things and I just hope that I'm doing what I need by doing what I can and in the end I see all these different pieces fall perfectly together and it doesn't even surprise me anymore. I'm so surprised in fact when things don't work out  perfectly after a good effort is put into something.

One such miracle that has really pulled together is the story of MLT. I don't know if I had made mention of this 4 weeks ago but Elder Jacobsen and I were walking home and we saw a street I had never noticed before. We decided we would go down it to just get a little more affiliated with potential work and to say that we know the street. Well as we walked we contacted into an old German man who had been in Germany during WWII and we commenced to get a great story about how he survived as a boy. Well as we listened to this man's story, a lady rode up on her bike and asked hesitantly "Are you the Mormon missionaries?" We of course said yes and she told us that she was a member but she has not been to church, our church, in 16 years. She has been in a really tight spot in life and she really has been having dreams over the past 2 weeks about how she needs to find out where the LDS church was in her area. As these dreams as been bothering her we just happened to be out her front door as she was leaving the house. On Sunday we arranged for a Family to pick her up from her home and bring her to church with them. It was perfect because she found a few more people at church who are going through similar experiences as her and they were all able to become friends and help each other through these tumultuous times in their lives. 

Another big thing that happened this week is that 2 Visa waiters in our Zone recieved their Visa's to Brazil so we lost 2 missionaries and 1 came in yesterday leaving an odd number of missionaries. They made some changes for a few days while we locate one more missionary but for the next few days Elder Hegland will be in a Tri-panionship with Elder Jacobsen and I. It is fun and we are still getting a lot done. It is just a little different and I see that Social Loafing is more likely to set in, but I will avoid it. I love Elder Hegland. What a truely great friend I have made out here. On an exchange this last week with him it was just like old times and we got to talk about how our New MIssionaries are doing and what we can do for them and such. It was definitely needed. 

Walking, Talking and Helicopters

Talking and Walking March 12, 2012

Talking to so many people can be pretty exhausting. We talked to so many people today as we look for more people to teach but it is ok. The weeks always have their highlights. I apologize if there isn't as much content in this letter as others. I have a cold currently that I came down with the other day. Super simple common cold. I'm just a little more tired and a little less focussed, so deal with me.

I feel like I'm really getting in shape pretty well now. We run a ton every morning, walk everywhere around town. We walk around because it is significantly easier to talk to people if we are walking rather than biking and in this part of town everyone is out on the sidewalks so there are lots of people to talk to.

On Sunday was Ryan's farewell, so he leaves to England for his mission Tomorrow morning, but I still have my good friend Zach Farr. He is another ward missionary who is waiting to leave for his mission. He is a WHOvian gamer and we have a lot in common. He knows Kalen Black really well which was a weird discovery. We should having him out with us often from here on out if things go well.

OH SOMETHING EXCITING I JUST REMEMBERED. So Friday morning we are weekly planning and we start hearing this Helicopter. It passes over our appartment like 6 times and suddenly there is this loud speaker that just comes down and can be heard everwhere. We couldn't tell what it was saying but we were thinking it was coming from the Helicopter that was circling. We got out of the appartment and started asking people what it said. We were told that it said to get in your houses and lock the doors cause there is an Armed Felon in the area. Ah man it was great. I guess there was a man who escaped from a prison in Oceanside and he made it to some abandoned appartments about a 1/4 mile from our appartments (Other side of a busy highway.) They got him eventually but it was pretty interesting to hear about. I guess that isn't too uncommon in Carlsbad, no one seemed to be freaking out or anything. It was almost an everyday thing for the residents in the area.

Things are really just falling into a Groundhog day Idea. Everyday is the same. It gets really bad if you don't take the effort to find joy in the small things. Yesterday I took my mountain bike on a quick side trail and jumped some tree stumps and did some stunts and it was EXACTLY what i needed. OH GOSH DO I MISS THE MOUNTAINS! ;( I Dream of snowboarding .. wait no I actually did last night. Snowboarding with Doctor Who ... What a great Dream. but at the exact same time. When I get to talk to people on the street and I see people come closer to Christ and Just SMILE! I am so happy to be a missionary. It is so good to put on that badge and sweat and work hard and try my best. So much good in this life, I just can't even contain it.

Well I must go now. Shopping to do and stuff. I'm really love Elder Jacobsen. We are getting into some teaching situations with members. LOve you all! I can write friends now by the way! New rule in the mission today!

.SUper glad that my brother is getting his papers in! And that that thing didn't have to happen to him. Some of you know what I'm talking about. SHUDDER

Bitter Sweet

This last week we had Zone Conference! Woot I love trainings and Zone Conferences! Especially when President  is there because he is such an inspired good teaching man. We have had a mission focus lately about how we can better find people to teach and the mission has amazing responded with a "Lets do it" and baptisms are sky rocketing. We by far lead the world in the number of baptisms per capita for any mission this size. Well now the focus for this Zone Conference was that we learn how to become better teachers so that more of the investigators that we do find are baptized. For most of the world 12 new investigators = a convert. In ours 6.5= a convert. So we had a lot of good trainings on obedience and asking questions and the such.

 I have never been so happy in my life as I was there for a second as the AP hugged me and said good job. The sisters just had to teach one more lesson and they were all baptized. At the same time I was so upset that I was not able to be there to see it happen. At the same time I could see the sisters were really needed there and was so happy for J. It is such a testimony to me to see that President  is an inspired mission president. He knows exactly where everyone is needed in this mission. I have no doubt about it.

Well enough story time. I am exhausted cause we have been out of the apartment since 6 this morning to go to the temple and we still have to shop and laundry and everything. It is awful. We might have to do laundry tomorrow. Hope things are going well for all of you. I would love to hear from you and I am trying to make the best of all that I have here.

Nerf Or Nothing

January 8 2013                                       Nerf Or Nothing!

So this week was actually a pretty good week despite the fact that we had most of our appointments fall through. Gosh that gets annoying. You set up appointments to meet with people and they always have something come up. It can be discouraging. Now that the Holidays are over though appointments should be more regular and we should be able to make lots of progression this week. 


Last night we were walking down the street late at night. It was very chilly and kind of eerie. There was a man walking opposite of us very frantically. I stopped him to try to contact him and he said he only had time for a card. I stopped him specifically under the only stop light and I asked him if he believed in Christ as he took my card. He said that Christ was his best friend and it then became very clear that this man had a form of Brain Damage. He slurred his words and was slow in his thoughts but the was the most humble and appreciative man when the name of his savior came to the surface. He told us about how when he was 17 he was hit on the head and he woke up in the hospital and could not remember who he was or anything. He had suffered from amnesia and all he found in that hospital was a relationship with Christ. I wiped out a B.O.M. and he told us he didn't want much to do with it. He went to calgary and that was good for him. I told him I just wanted to share a scripture that means a lot to me about christ. I opened to Helaman 5:12 and told him how Christ can help us get through any storm just as he had proven. Then I asked him how Christ had acquired such power and love to protect from the storm. He didn't really have an answer for it so I opened to Alma 7:11-12 and told him how the savior knew exactly what he needed at all times. That the savior knew him and what he was going through better than any man on earth ever could. He then took the book of mormon, told us to come back in March since he is going out of town tomorrow and walked away with tears in his eyes and a phrase "thank my lord for sending you my new friends." Being a missionary is awesome. 

Directly after this experience we went to a members house where we taught a man from The Ukraine. He grew up of course in a country where they are generally atheistic. They have no common belief in God. He however has been to church many times and he sees the testimonies of others and he opened up last night and told us he wants nothing more than that peace in his life. We had a beautiful lesson where we talked about the Savior. Who the savior was. How the savior represented perfect love and about how he made a way that we can all repent and better ourselves. It was an extremely difficult lesson but it was awesome because he made progress in our lessons for the first time! He asked many difficult questions but they were answered through the scriptures. Every one of them. 

Well we had dinner with the Old Stake President Last night and it was AWESOME! He showed us some deep doctrine and we had great conversation. He then gave us all nerf dart guns to play with for District Activity today. Yesterday in an interview I asked Permission from the President to take the district out to lunch then have the nerf war and he said that it would be ok. Exciting day! Then I have an interview with an investigator for baptism at 6! Should be happening saturday yay!

Bless you all

Elder Gemperline

Christmas and New Years

Hey I really don't have a lot of time everyone! We Skyped on Christmas of course so I have companions and roommates who are wanting to go now now now. haha

I had a wonderful Christmas though it was no where near a white Christmas. We got to go caroling and it actually opened up a lot of doors for us to homes where we usually can't go in. We even sang so well that we got a baby to fall asleep in the arms of a mother when she answered the door. Boo ya!

We had an awesome experience with a family who has been around the church for years. The mother as I have said in the past is all gung ho about joining but the Husband said he had some concerns. Elder T and I felt like we needed to share the Restoration Video. We asked the family if we could watch it real fast and if we could then answer questions after the video and address those concerns. The Video played and for the first time the house fell completely silent and you could tell the family was touched by the spirit. I asked now for Steve's concerns and he looked at me and told me he had none anymore, that he just needed to read the Book of Mormon and if that was true then Everything else was true and that was that. It was so awesome and it is truly the time for this family.

We had an amazing Christmas Conference where we all got together as a mission and president Cook threw down some deep doctrine. We had a fun talent show and then even more deep doctrine. We also got to watch a DVD with all the pictures of all the baptisms that happened in the mission in the last year and it was super super SUPER awesome. What was even more awesome is that I got a copy of the DVD and will be sending it home I think soon so you all can see it as well and see what's up[ in the Carlsbad California mission. I also got a really cool shirt from the mission and it was just a great Christmas Stress Relief. I also got to see my Papa Elder Tetuanui again which was really doing well for the new ZL Laguna Beach.

Well I am so very grateful for all the Christmas Gifts I received and hope you had a great christmas as well. Loves! :_

Elder Gemperline 

Boy the holiday season makes things really difficult as a missionary. We have so much work going on in our area and then suddenly everyone is out of town and we have no other choice than to go about trying our best to find people to teach. We did a lot of tracting and contacting but ya know what, at least it paid off. 

On Saturday we had an appointment fall through and I remembered President saying in Christmas Conference that when that happens we should stay in the area and work it. So I decided we would walk down the street to visit a kid we talk to occasionally named Arturo. Well as we were walking there we saw a young lady named Ivanna trying to clean out her truck. We stopped by to see if we could help her in anyway. She said no, that she needed to go inside to take care of some kids but then paused and asked if we were the Mormon Missionaries. We confirmed this to her and she said that she was dating a boy whose family is Mormon and then asked us for "one of those books." We of course gave her a Book of Mormon and told her we would stop by soon when she wasn't busy with her Children to talk to her a bit more about it. Monday came around and we got a recently returned missionary in the ward, Devin Traconis, to come along with us. Devin had gone on a mission to Mexico where they were baptizing on average 3 people a week. When we went into the house I lead the discussion and it was awesome. Half-way through teaching the Apostasy she told us that she really just wanted to feel God's peace and that she was feeling it right now. So Devin told her that we were there just as guides. These two missionaries are just guides to help you come closer to God and Christ so you can feel that peace and when you feel closer to Christ you will want to get baptized. Then I extended the Baptismal invitation and she is going to be baptized on February 9th. Devin walked away like it was nothing at all and that it happens all the time. It is so funny to see the differences between missions in the world because that almost NEVER happens in Southern California. 

The other day Elder Udall and I went to visit some members to see if they were working with any of their neighbors and to better get to know the family since they work a lot in the Singles Ward. Well when we were there the older couple whom we went to visit had all sorts of family over. There was one couple there who we were talking to who said they were from Fort Worth TX. "I lived in Keller!" I exclaimed and they told me that is actually exactly where they live! I told them that I lived in Hidden Lakes and the father of the family joined in now and said "Oh, Really? I served my mission there. When did you live there?" I told him when we had lived in Texas and it turns out that I was speaking to Elder Anderson, the missionary who was in the Keller 2nd ward for the time that we were there as well. He looks and me and my name tag then says: "OH! you're a Gemperline! Your family was awesome! We loved going over and teaching your family at dinner. I loved that ward but the only people I really remember is your family, your father who did all the road projects and worked for the olympics, The Earl family because we worked with them a lot" and a few other families whom I can't remember he said. Over the past 4-5 weeks I've been having random flash backs to the impact the lessons the missionaries taught my family in Texas and now I met one on my mission and returned the favor to his family! I will send a picture of him and I for sure. 

I hope you all had a great time at New Years and of course stayed safe. We were in the apartment by 7 that night for curfew and we had a bit of fun. We colored in all the coloring books we have, we played Noah's Arkle (Farkle, Thanks Allison!) and Qwirkle, which is like Scrabble for Dummies. It was a lot of fun and the best part is we recently bough nerf blow guns and we had a nerf war in the apartment and were still in bed by 10:30.

The next morning we had a GREAT Zone Training Meeting. President Cook showed up and gave some AMAZING insight on finding people by using the Book of Mormon. We talked about how we should plan for achievments to make throughout the day rather than just accomplishments. How we need to present ourselves in such a way that the light of Christ can't be missed, and most importantly how to ask questions of the soul to people on the street and then answer them with the Book of Mormon. If the people take no interest in these questions or they don't want an answer from the Book of Mormon they simply aren't ready to hear the message of the restored gospel, and perhaps you have planted a seed. Well when the training was done all the missionaries were so pumped it was crazy! We all went out and worked harder than a lot of us ever have. I was so exhausted by the end of the night and just frustrated because to be honest I had had nothing but really rough rejection all night despite my greatest effort and the testimony I bore, but by the end of the night my testimony of the Book of Mormon and Savior was stronger than it ever probably has been. We also got many "Miracle Messages" that night on our phone where missionaries in our zone send out miracles they had through voice messages on the phone. It really was awesome to hear them all and everyone still has their agency. 

Another miracle that happened in the mission was for the month of December we needed 57 baptisms to reach the Mission goal of 500 baptisms a year. We prayed and prayed and tried our hardest to get these baptisms for President Cook's last full year and we found out New Years Eve that there were 502 baptisms! I guess there was a family who in December just called the mission office and said they wanted to get baptized. It is crazy what a united effort of prayer and faith can do. 

Well I continue to try to do my best as a Senior Companion and to help my Junior Companion to feel more comfortable with missionary work and studies and just the whole Kaboodle. 

Elder Gemperline

Tears for Tetuanui and Tummie Troubles

Well Elder Tetuanui will be transferred out of this area in a few hours and I will receive a new companion. Elder T was an awesome companion and trainer. He was always happy, always smiling and just someone absolutely everyone loved. He was a great example and I am truly going to miss him. We have no idea where he will be transferred to until later today and I have no idea who my new companion will be. However, I did receive a call from the Assistants to the President on Saturday night and found out that I will be the Senior Companion. This will be interesting. I'm still a very new missionary. I am actually still not greenie busted and just got done with the training and now I will be a Senior Companion. It is a little humbling but I know as long as I have the faith I will accomplish all that I need to. On top of this we picked up 7 new investigators this week! It is soo soo amazing! We are teaching 2 families and a few other individuals and now it is up to me and my new companion to make sure all these precious souls gain a testimony and come unto Christ. Its a huge mantle when you think of it and I only pray that I am prepared well enough. 



Oh to my parents I have to ask. Do you know the Mochizuki's? According to them they lived downtown Farmington about the same time we did.

I had the most humbling experience on Sunday. About half-way through my 8 hours of church my stomach started to feel like a sponge being wrung out. As the class got longer and longer it got worse and worse. By the end of church I was undeniably sick. We had people to see however, because Elder T was being transferred and we needed to get him places to say his goodbyes. While we ran around It only became worse and I became very dizzy and nauseous. We got to dinner at 5 and we got into the house and it really began to get bad. The lovely family had made at my request Tortellini with Steak Sausage mixed in and home made bread. I tried to act normal and composed for as long as I could but on my 3rd trip to the restroom the father could tell that I was not ok. I came out of the restroom to the family counseling with elder T  with hushed voices if they should just make me some Chicken Soup instead. I quietly had entered the room behind the father so I just said that I would love that if they wouldn't mind and then took a seat to keep from passing out. This is when it got the worst as I sat there and the family cheerfully tried to make my soup from scratch the pain became enough that I began to cry a little. That was a little humiliating. Well they made me the delicious soup and upon taking one bite I couldn't take anymore. I was just too sick. Well The sickness lasted about 24 hours and now I am alright. I ran for 30 minutes this morning and have since ate a few full meals so It was just a stomach flu but boy do I never want to get sick like that on a mission again. Being sick when you don't have a home or a place to go to to rest is the absolute worst. Thank goodness I had good members to help me out that night and a caring companion that was prepared enough to handle it well. 

Well we have had the opportunity to teach the M family which is a part member family whom has grown to have a strong relationship with us. We taught the first lesson and they were extra receptive to it. There are just so many miracles around that family that I can't believe the changes that have occurred. We still have a great deal of work to do yes but I just have such great hopes for the family and just Love them to pieces. 

Well we have a busy day today with transfer meetings but I love you all very much. I am so excited to be a missionary I just love love love all these people and It means the world to me that the work keeps progressing. I didn't ever think I'd fall into it this deep this fast but I just don't care about anything else it seems like as much as I do that these people understand our message and are changed by the atonement of Jesus Christ and his love through the message we share. 

Peace! 

P.S. Does anyone know what scripture is on my missionary plaque? I remember someone asking me what I wanted but I was too stressed to  pick so I wondered if someone had picked for me or if it was just sadly blank?

Santa is a Polynesian

The last 3 months I feel like there is an experience I have with the Polynesian cultures around every corner. I mean my companion is from Tahiti. The ward mission leader in the Morgan Hill Ward, Brother Almodova is from Hawaii, My first Zone Leader was from New Zealand. They are just everywhere! I haven't really taken the time to explain who the character Brother Almodova is yet and would like to take the time to do so now. So as I said Brother Almodova is a Hawaiian. He is the most missionary minded member the church as EVER seen I can assure you. He works as the head of security at a high end casino a few miles from my area and he is just not afraid to do anything. At the casino he will hear someone spread a rumor about Mormons and will walk over and just correct them right there on the spot, answer all their questions and make sure they understand the correct idea of what the church really is. It is awesome. Everytime we eat at their house we also get extremely authentic Hawaiian food like "Laulau" which is pork cooked in taro and tea leaf. They keep thinking I won't like what they make but I always end up loving it. Bro. Almodova also has a real thing with me where every time we leave his house he will just laugh at me when I say by parting goodbye and kick me out his door. We still can't figure out why he does this. He's just a character. 

Well we had a very interesting and exciting week again. Just so much is happening now and things are really looking up. Tell Beau that his fasting worked cause we are surely finding people to teach! Do you remember the story of the man who was having a seizure and we helped out his wife and in result were an answer to a sincere prayer in a time of need? Well we got the family to begin the lessons with us on Wednesday! They have in the past pushed against the church every time the church pushed in the slightest that they should investigate and because of that miracle we have gained a relationship with the family and we will be teaching the wife and the 3 kids all the discussions. They've been trying to come to church but the devil is just working on them so hard. They end up all getting the flu one week or pink eye the other. This Sunday they all showed up and they looked so good and so happy and Elder T and I couldn't be happier. While I was blessing the sacrament however we noticed that there was something happening with the family as the prayer was half-way through. The husband had another seizure in church. We got a paramedic out of the congregation to check his breathing and all half-way through the sacrament and someone to watch their kids and we had them of course go home. We hope they will not become frustrated and they will continue to try. We surely won't give up on them. 

We picked up another investigator this week. It is the daughter of  a less active who unexpectedly appeared in church a few weeks ago. We went over and she has a lot of doctrinal concerns and just feels so overwhelmed by what she doesn't know that she doesn't come to church. Well we are now working with her to reactivate her and teaching her 10 year old daughter in hopes of having her baptized in the coming months. 


Well I would love to say much more but I have run out of time. You all have a very Merry Christmas and be filled with loving kindness to all around you. 

--Elder Gemperline