WELCOME to Elder John-Gregory Sierra's mission blog! For the next two years Elder Sierra will be serving as a full-time missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the California Sacramento Mission. We hope you will enjoy his experiences, shared through weekly letters. We will post his letters each week and any pictures he may send.

Write Elder Sierra

WRITE ELDER SIERRA!

Missionaries love to get letters (and care packages)! If you'd like to write to Elder Sierra, please use the following addresses:

MISSION OFFICE:
Elder John-Gregory Sierra
California Sacramento Mission
8267 Deseret Ave
Fair Oaks, CA 95628

EMAIL:
john-gregory.sierra@myldsmail.net


Monday, August 4, 2014

WILL I SEE MY FAMILY AFTER THIS LIFE?

Letter from July 28, 2014

Hey Mom,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! I hope you had a great day. What did you guys do? Tell me all about it. 
Stockton isn't that bad. Some stuff comes up once in a while, but really it's no big deal. Elder Williams and I are fine and they usually don't try to start anything with missionaries. One time, one guy did and before I could mouth off, Elder Williams beat me to the punch saying, "Okay man, look at us and look at yourself. Look at what we represent and now look at what you represent. Who do you think's got more people?" The guy backs off. We just keep walking to our appointment and Elder Williams tells me, "That's what I thought!" Haha. The guy is a riot. He has a very big heart. It's impossible to hate the guy because he never stops smiling, like EVER! He is always positive and it's great and all, but like when someone is, like, constantly happy, I feel like it can get annoying. He is like always singing, humming, or whistling SOMETHING! That's all that gets me. Other than that, he is awesome. We get along just great. What's funny is that his first name is Stockton and he has, like, a perfect British accent, so we make fun of him by calling him the "Prince of Stockton". I thought it suits him haha. 
 
So anyways, work is going wonderfully well. We had two families at church yesterday and we now have a total of 11 people on date for baptism for the month of August. We are very excited. We have been finding people out of the woodwork. What's funny is that most of our teaching pool found us! We don't do anything as far as finding. They are either referred to us or they call us or whatever. It's awesome. We are both pretty Darn happy missionaries. Nothing makes you feel better than when you are just working, working, working. Nothing more, nothing less. Love my area a lot. The ward here is struggling a bit and we may have to start doing reactivation work, but it's all good here. Elder Williams and I teach very well together. I like to expound on the scriptures and teach it simply to make it apply to who we are teaching, and Elder Williams is just a powerhouse. He just testifies to EVERYTHING! He is like a cute little kid. He just innocently knows that what he has been taught is true and it's awesome to see. 
So, Ralynne is getting married, Michael is getting married, Tevin is getting married, Marshal is married, and Everyone is having a freakin baby!! I'm already becoming an "old guy" in the mission and this is seriously not helping. Well, life goes on... 
 
 So, awesome experience I gotta share. We were at a ward activity (celebrating Pioneer Day) and it was a lot of fun. We had a lot of people there. Then, all of a sudden, my Bishop calls me over and says, "Hey Elder Sierra there is a member from out of town that wants you to come see him right away to help give a blessing to his brother who is at the hospital. Can you go with him?" All is said was, "When and where?" We left immediately to go and meet up with a guy named Miguel Bernal. We met his wife and family briefly and we headed out to go with him and his sister-in-law to the hospital. His cunada (sister-in-law), Hermana Bernal, and her husband are not members, but she wants to be. She was talking with me and asking me a lot of questions about the Plan of Salvation and I still remember her one question that still hits me: "Vere mi familia despues de este vida?" (Will I see my family after this life?) Le dije, "Si, y vas vivir con ellos para siempre." (I said, "Yes, you are going to live with them forever.) Todavia recuerdo las lagrimas en sus ojos. (I still remember the tears in her eyes.) We arrived at the hospital and we met Fernando Bernal, who starts pouring out his feelings. He never wanted anything to do with religion, but obviously it took a lot of trials to recognize God in his life. We taught just a little on the Plan of Salvation and we left him a blessing. It was an awesome feeling being in there, feeling the strong Spirit in there. Everyone's eyes were very moist. The family came to church the next day and we are very excited to teach them. Well, that is most of everything that has been happening. Not too much more to share. I love you mom and happy birthday (belated). 

Elder Sierra
 

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