May 18, 2015 All White Everything

The Castellanos' Family... a future forever family here in Monte Bello 

Hey Fam,

We had stake conference yesterday and my man President Snow and his wife showed up.  I hope one day, I can have a part (in my hair) as sleek and smooth and P. Snow. We all gotta do our “part” if you know what I mean…  I asked him what hair products he uses but he said it's a secret.  Also, we had Elder Todd Hansen from the area 70 come to speak.  He's from Cedar City, Utah and he told me he loved the Hurst Ace Hardware there :)  He talked a lot in the Saturday Night Session about the Sabbath Day and how that is us sending the Lord a message. I'm so grateful for the guidance my parents gave me growing up about the importance of keeping the Sabbath Day holy so I could make the right decision when I chose to not play sports on Sunday.  I know I have been blessed spiritually and temporally for that decision.       

So, Juan, Sonia, Miguel, Gustavo, and Johnny Castellanos got baptized yesterday!!! There was a bunch of ninitos there from the ward so it was a little hectic but all in all it made for one of the best days on the mission.  Juan, the father, is a champ and shared his testimony at the end of the baptism too.  Their family is pointed to the temple now! #ForeverFamilies They were sort of the golden investigators.  We showed up in their neighborhood at just the right time and they were outside and we started talking to them and they let us right in and we taught the Restoration to them.  Then the next day, they came to walk around the temple with us and they have been going to church activities, reading the Book of Mormon, and attending church since then.  

Abby! Congrats on graduation and your recital sister!  I love youuuuuuu!!!

S/O to Talli and Jeremy Poulsen for taking me and Elder Felix to lunch this week!! I hope you liked the pupusas! 

I also wanna give a special shoutout to the guy who yelled at us on the street this week saying, "YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT!"  and some other choice words too.  It helped me reevaluate my mission and why I am actually out here.  I came to the conclusion that that guy is absolutely right I don't have to be doing this! But, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ and I love Him so this is what I need and want to do. "Shall we not go on in such great a cause?" -Joseph Smith

3 Nephi 5:13

            “Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life.”

I love being able to grow everyday myself and help others grow too on my mission!

Love,

Elder Faldmo

Feliz Dia de las Madres!‏ May 11, 2015

The big 3 of the NLVM Central/Sunrise Zone... Chambers, Thorne & Faldmo

It was so good to talk to you yesterday!! S/O to Bryce Harper's grandpa for opening the stake center so that we could email today.  

I love you mommy happy mothers day! 

We had another awesome week here and a lot of success.

My boy Joshua got baptized on Saturday! His mom got baptized a few years ago but hasn't been coming to church so we reactivated her and we were able to teach Joshua.  

So great to teach Joshua and help his mom come back to church!

Our ward mission leader passed away this past week and so they had the funeral on Wednesday. He has a great family and 3 of the coolest boys ever.  One just got back from his mission in Chile and the other 2 are 16 and 12. Funerals are always hard, but the easiest ones to go to are for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  #planofsalvation

The best part of the week was definitely the Mothers Day Program that our zone put on Saturday Night. Elder Conley and I were the MC's and it was filled with musical numbers, skits, testimonies by mothers, and of course E. Con and I cracking jokes cause we're funny right? :)  Moms that came had to bring one nonmember friend.  It was a success!

Meet your MC's Elder Conley and I

I can't wait for this Sunday when we have the baptism of Juan and Sonia and their family of 8!  We taught them the Law of Chastity this week and they are a very open family so it was very interesting so I'll just leave it at that.  

The best zone in the NLVM... the Central/Sunrise Zone!

I love you all! just remember that when you get all excited for summer break kids… I'm on a mission and you're not :)

<3

love, 

elder faldmo  

May 4, 2015 FAM

hello everyone i've ran out of first sentences to say in my email about how much i love my mission and so forth. so yeah, hi. 

My Spanish is taking bigger and bigger strides each week thanks to my comp elder Felix! He's so patient with me and I owe him a lot! I'm probably learning too much slang but it's fine. 

they aren't gang signs... CS baby!

We are teaching the 9-year old son of a less active lady in our ward that we are reactivating and he is going to get baptized this Saturday! Also the big family of 7 will be baptized the following week.  They are doing great!  In Elders quorum I was sitting by Juan, the dad of the family and the discussion was on the Priesthood and I was a little worried because that's kinda a big subject for someone when it's only their 2nd Sunday and church but during the discussion he commented that he already had a testimony of the Priesthood when Elder Felix and I gave his son a blessing a few weeks ago.  It’s so cool how the Spirit is always there to help a brother out.  

My buddy Javier got his mission call to Oklahoma City this week!!! Javier is one of the coolest guys I've met. He joined the church about 3 years ago because his friend invited him to a mutual activity and he's the only member in his family.  So it was a cool experience to see the mom and sister who is not a member get excited for him.

I downloaded some sweet talks and devotionals and one of them was from Brian Santiago from a BYU Devotional and of course the story he talked about at the beginning had to do with Lake Powell. The other talks were "Our 4 Minutes" by Bishop Stevenson  "Can ye Feel so Now" by Quinton L. Cook and "The first Great commandment" by Holland (in spanish).  Don't be too busy to study the scriptures AND conference talks cause those are scripture too.   

I really thought my boy Pacquiao was going to KO Mayweather at the MGM on Saturday but it didn't happen.  All of the people in our area were watching the fight on Saturday night so it was hard to proselyte but it's all good. I love how Latinos know how to have a great pachanga!    

We had a sweet Zone Training Council on Saturday and right now if y'all haven't heard the Central/Sunrise Zone (CS) is cooking!!!  I love being able to be in the best mission, with the best mission president (D. Jack Snow), and having had the best companions.  We are putting a KO on Satan right now if you're catching what i'm throwing...

Love you thanks for the apoyo!!!! 

llllooovveeeyyyooouuubbbbbyyeeeee!!!!!

Elder Faldmo

April 27, 2015 una pachanga‏

Hey y'all it was another great week in Vegas! I feel like I say that every week but it's cool right?

Shoutout to my cousin Christian for finishing his mission in Argentina this week!! I love you buddy!

Shoutout to Elder Thorne and Chambers who keep killing it up in the North Zone of Las Vegas!

Shoutout to my beautiful sister Abby so killed it at Prom last weekend!  #DV4lyfe 

Two exchanges and lots of more miracles this week! 

We found a couple of huge families this week.  One of them was golden and they are getting baptized on the 16th of May.  There's also a ward activity on that day so in Elders Quorum the dad of the family said, "I might not be able to make it to that activity since my family and I are getting baptized but I'll make it to the next one for sure!"  Elder Hoopes and I found them on exchanges when the dad was sitting outside their apartment and he let us right in and we taught them about the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and set them with a baptismal date.  Then the next day, they came to the temple with us and the next day their 2 teenage boys went to the Young Men's activity and they also ALL came to church.  The mom had to work on Sunday but still came to take the sacrament because she felt it was important.  

This amazing family plans to be baptized May 16th

This guy named Luis just moved into our ward from Sinaloa, Mexico the same place where Elder Felix is from and he just got back from his mission from Argentina!  He doesn't have a job yet so he came out with us all day Saturday and we learned so much from him.  He is the best at listening to investigators and asking inspired questions.  He knew 2 people from the Mendoza Mission in Argentina so hey Christian, if you know Elder Sosa or Cabrera in Mendoza tell me!  He speaks no English so it was good for me because I was forced to speak Spanish all day.  

Luis, my buddy and RM that served in Mendoza, Argentina mission

I also went on exchanges in my area with my new Zone Leader Elder Rasmussen.  He is from New York and is from the same stake as Jimmer Fredette. Remember him guys? 

So Monte Bello keeps growing here and we are very very busy and I love it!  I mean I'm sure you guys have good lives and all too… but I sometimes feel bad for you if you're not serving a mission right now.

But it's all good, we're all missionaries right? 

Love you all and keep getting buckets!!

Elder Faldmo