Butterfield Stage/Temecula Valley YSA Week 2 - Remembering the Christ in Christmas...

This last week was so great. We had lots of opportunities to teach and meet with members of our ward. I am so blessed to be serving where I am. The people here are incredible. The members in our ward are so focused and willing to help us missionaries. We had a great Christmas! The members really took care of us and it was a blessing to talk to the family! Thank you to all that sent cards and packages! It means so much! 

The only downside to the week is I have been really sick. I have been sick on and off for the last 6 months. I got some new medicine that should help. It's definitely made it harder to work, but I feel like that's just the missionary life.

This last week I put a lot more time into learning about Christ, it being Christmas and all. I was frustrated being sick because it made it really hard to really get engaged in my studies. I was really bummed to be sick and generally just felt bad for myself and not being home, but I really felt the atonement play a strong role in my week. I have just been fed up with being sick for so long and I wanted to be healed now. As I prayed and prayed and got a blessing, I got exactly what I needed, not what I wanted. Funny how that ALWAYS happens. I received more peace and comfort and strength to help me deal with being sick and get through it. We can't expect Heavenly Father to change His will for our wants. That is absolutely contrary to our purpose of being here on earth. However, we do have a Savior. Jesus Christ was born so that we could make it back to our Father in Heaven. He made it possible for us to make it through our trials. Honestly, we will always be struggling with something. It's hard. A lot of God's children will live their entire lives struggling with one specific thing. A lot of the times we want to say, "That's not fair. Why do I have it like this and that person doesn't? Why do they have it better? It's not fair that life is this hard." If you ever feel tempted to say that, I want you to picture Christ (who was perfect) in the Garden of Gethsemane saying, "You're right. It's not fair." It wasn't fair that Christ suffered anything at all! But He did. Because He loves you. The first verse of the Book of Mormon says it best. Nephi says the word 'afflictions'. If you look at the foot note for that word it says, "Blessing; Gifts of God". THAT'S RIGHT! Your struggles are blessings because they make you better. And when it gets hard, you can turn to Christ. Because He already suffered it and knows how you feel and is willing to do everything possible to help you. Christmas is much more than acknowledging Christ was born. But we also need to think about what that means to us.

I love this gospel. I love Jesus Christ. I love my family. I love the blessing I have to be a missionary. This is Christ's church on the earth today! I love you!

Elder Kapp

Pictures

1. Christmas Morning...

2. Christmas with Ian

Butterfield Stage/Temecula Valley YSA Week 1 - New Area and MERRY CHRISTMAS

I have been in Temecula for less than a week now and I already love it. It is such a cool area! I am with Elder Gantner and we are covering two wards. We are over the Butterfield Stage ward and Temecula Valley YSA branch. It's hard trying to figure out 2 wards at once, but I love it! I am having so much fun, but I feel like a chicken with my head cut off. Especially with being a new Zone Leader and people asking me for help it's scary because I don't know a thing.

The work is so good right now! We have investigators in both of our wards.

On Monday I said some tough goodbyes to Carlsbad YSA. That was hard. I also hated packing. I got here Tuesday and we just stopped by some members and planned Zone Welcome. 

Wednesday we had Zone Welcome. We taught a part member family, the Butters and stopped by a lot of members. 

Thursday we had a ton of stop bys and taught Liz, our investigator in the YSA. She had a baptism date but she had some set backs. She is super cool! It was fun teaching her. We're going to try to get her back on date this week.

We also taught Maddy Neugart. She is 16 and has been active in church most of her life. Her parents are divorced and her dad wouldn't let her get baptized, so she has been waiting until she turns 18. This last week her mom got full custody so Maddy can get baptized! She wants us to come by twice a week up til her baptism later in January. She is super cool! We are excited for her to get baptized!

On Thursday we also stopped by the Lewis'. They used to live in our ward in Clinton and I was trying to catch Tyler.

Friday we taught Kindra. She is very Christian and friends with a recent convert in our ward. She is very strong in the Bible, but she is open and likes to learn. 

Sunday was crazy! Because our wards are at the same time we had to split so I went to the family ward by myself! I don't really know anyone yet, but it was really good.

I really love this area. There is such a great vibe from Temecula. It is a very Mormon community. It's like a Utah community in California. The members are incredible. I am super excited to be here.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Love Elder Kapp

                                            Spaghetti Carbonara
                                       Dinner Yesterday with the Goss family!

Carlsbad YSA Week 17 - Transferring out to Temecula

Hey friends and family. This last week has been absolutely crazy! We have been so busy and the days feel like they didn't happen. So I am getting transferred to Temecula! I will be serving in the Butterfield Stage Ward and Temecula YSA as a zone leader with Elder Gantner. I am nervous for the move, but excited. Elder Hadfield was also called as a ZL and he will be going to Oceanside 3rd... Big move... haha.

This last week has consisted of lots of member lessons, zone training meeting, and planning and filming videos for our ward mission plan. Just really busy and stressful.

On Thursday we were walking around and met this man named Carlos who was trying to put a brick path in his front yard. He let us help him. It took about 3 hours. He was from Mexico and spoke decent English. We put cement in and he showed us how to be good workers like he learned in Mexico. It was a really neat experience.

We also had a lesson with Delshawn. We went over the sacrament prayers. I got to bless the sacrament with him on Sunday! IT WAS SO COOL! There is no sweeter feeling in the world than seeing someone change their life to be happier.

Friday Elder Hadfield and I went to the new leadership meeting because E. Hadfield has never been in leadership before. We weekly planned and started getting things ready for the new missionaries. We also visited our member Ramiro on base. He just had nose surgery.

Saturday we got transfer calls and worked on filming the videos. 

Sunday we had our last Sunday on Edson Range. I got to ordain Recruit Vega-Salzar a priest!! Crazy to think he was baptized a week ago!!! It was great!

I am very sad to leave this area. I love the people here and I am grateful for all the opportunities I've had. Elder Hadfield and I have left it all on the field and I am sad to go our separate ways, but I know he will continue to grow and become an even more incredible missionary.

I love you all!

Elder Kapp

                                                               Caleb Reiley

                                                               Human Mario kart!

Carlsbad YSA Week 16 - Slowing down before Christmas

This last week was pretty slow, but the work is still moving forward. We have picked up a few potential investigators, but nothing really to talk about with them yet.

On Tuesday we met with Mitch Steen. He just got stationed on Camp Pendleton and is trying to become more active in church. He actually is a return missionary from Sweden and was companions with Jake! (He has nothing but good to say about Jake.) We taught him the restoration and the spirit was definitely there. He is a really cool guy! 

We taught Delshawn on Wednesday. We talked to him about callings, serving in the church, and talked to him about what it's going to be like when he moves to Snow College at the end of the year. He is a bit nervous, but really excited! He has grown so much and it's pretty obvious how much he has changed since our first lesson with him. 

We had district meeting on Thursday and did some gardening for a guy in the O3 ward with the zone leaders. That was a good time! 

On Saturday our district got together and baked cookies to take tracting a complex with the Light The World pass along cards attached to them. We didn't find anyone because of it, but I think the sisters did! It was a lot of fun and was a unique way to find.

I did forget one thing! Recruit Vega-Salzar got baptized yesterday! I taught him and he was set to be baptized on the 11th. We had a lesson and answered questions. Immediately after I grabbed Elder Miles and he started his baptism interview and I went back into the room. Elder Coreless, our senior missionary, came over and asked why he wasn't getting baptized today. I told him he was ready and that he could if he wanted to. Elder Coreless went out in the hall where the were conducting the interview and asked VegaSalzar if he would get baptized today rather than next week. He said he wanted to wait til next week. Elder Miles, who was conducting the interview, finished and asked VegaSalzar to kneel and give the closing prayer. He gave a powerful prayer and as soon as he said amen, he said, "I want to get baptized today." The spirit is the best. THE BEST! It was awesome. I got to confirm him and he should receive the priesthood next week!

We slacked off at taking pictures this last week. I will send some next week!

Love you all! 

Elder Kapp

Carlsbad YSA Week 15 - Thanksgiving!

Hey everyone! This last week was a bit slower. We are kind of struggling to find stuff to do. It's been rainy the last few days and Californians don't like the rain so it's hard to find people to talk to. But it's okay because it rarely rains here. We have been working with Delshawn a lot! He was ordained a priest yesterday! That was awesome! We have been doing family history with him and he is really excited to do temple work. 

We have been trying to focus a lot of time on Camp Pendleton. There are a lot of members there and Elder Hadfield and I love base! It's so cool! We were visiting one of our members and we could just hear guns going off close by. Elder Hadfield and I were like, "THIS IS AWESOME!" 

Thanksgiving was a blast! We had dinner with our Bishop and it was awesome! After dinner we went to the Corless', our senior couple for Military Relations. They had a lot of the Marines over and tried to feed us, but we would have exploded! They are two of my favorite people in the world! It was great. After that we took left overs from dinner and the Corless' to take to some marines that didn't get Thanksgiving because they were on duty. Altogether, it was a great day! 

Last, Edson Range is rolling again! I got to teach Recruit Vega-Salazar. He is from Logan Utah. It went really well! We set a goal for him to get baptized in 2 weeks, but if he feels ready he might next week. I am really excited for him! I love being there!

I love you! Have a good week!

Elder Kapp

1. An awesome picture of Elder Hadfield and I walking down the street that I am sure his mother will love :)

2. Car ride to Edson Range

Carlsbad YSA Week 14 - One Year

This last week has been one of the best weeks of my mission. It started as one of the hardest. I know that sometimes we have hard times just so we can be more humble. Sometimes we fall into ruts in life/ on missions and we feel like nothing is working. We start losing motivation and lose sight of what's really important. What I learned from the visit from Dallin H. Oaks this last week is that if we come to learn and love the Savior more everything else becomes easy. It makes sense.

I also learned that this is a gospel of love. The last couple months have been especially crazy because of the election. The areas I've been in have been a mixture of conservatives and liberals. Seeing the election as a missionary was sad. Sometimes it seemed like less than a debate and more of a war! There was so much hatred and attacking another person's beliefs and morals. On Saturday, Dallin H. Oaks talked about how we must love the people around us. People can believe what the want religiously, politically, etc... That doesn't change the way they should be treated. I realized as members of Christ's church we have an obligation to represent what we want people to think of Christ. (I mean, we did promise to take his name upon us when we were baptized.) This is something I need to work on. It's sometimes hard not to judge people. We see all kinds of crazy stuff and are rejected. Turning the other cheek is SO MUCH easier said than done. But I'm setting a goal to do it regardless.

This last week we taught Delshawn. He is excited to receive the priesthood and go to the temple! WE ARE SO FLIPPIN HAPPY FOR HIM!

On Thursday they turned off the power in our complex at night. That was a lot of fun and was super scary. Thank you to whoever sent glow sticks in my package. You saved the day!

Friday I hit my year mark. I am one year old as a missionary! That was a blast! We got to burn a shirt with Elder Gull that night. The next morning we had a mission conference and were visited by Dallin H. Oaks and some other authorities. It was super cool that it was Elder Oaks. He visited the MTC a year ago when I was there starting my mission and it was ironic he visited as I began the last year. That was an incredible experience.

At church on Sunday a guy named Steven Miller came. He has come 3 times now. He a marine and a roommate with a member. He is elect! We gave him a Book of Mormon last week and he already has a testimony that it is true. (That was easy). We haven't even taught him yet! We probably will start teaching him this week.

I want you all to know that I have testimony of the reality of the atonement of Jesus Christ. He was born... He lived... He suffered... He died... All for us. There is no greater gift that we could ask for. You are a child of our Heavenly Father and He knows exactly what you are going through and what you are struggling with right now. He loves you and wants you to be happy. He has given us prophets, the Bible and Book of Mormon, prayer, and the priesthood to help us come closer to him and be happy. I know this is true. He does care. I know this is Christ church on the earth. I am sad my experience of sharing the gospel is already half way over and I cannot wait for the opportunities I have in the year to come. I love each of you and say all this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Elder Erik Kapp  

Carlsbad YSA Week 13 - Delshawn's baptism

This last week was a very special week! Delshawn was baptized! It was such a blessing for us to see him take that step in his life. Some elders before us taught him and then Elder Richards and I taught him. At that time he wasn't ready to progress and we dropped him my second week being there. About 6 weeks later I was with Elder Hadfield. Delshawn just kept coming to my mind and I felt like we needed to stop by him, though I didn't remember where he lived and we never wrote it down. We went into his complex and we prayed before to be guided by the spirit. It was incredible. There were no profound signs or feelings. Where we went just made sense. We knocked and Delshawn came to the door. It was a small confirmation to me that this was where we needed to be. As we taught him again he was ready. It took time for him to progress, but when the invitation to be baptized came he was ready. 

There were a lot of things that happened this last week, but most important thing I can share is the importance of the spirit. On the mission you go through periods of ups and downs. The last couple weeks have been a struggle, but I am learning the importance of the spirit. We need that spirit. It is one of the most precious gifts Heavenly Father gives us. When we are confirmed, the specific words "receive the Holy Ghost" are said. It's not a gift we are given without any effort on our part. It must be desired and received. So it's important that we are living good and worthy to have it with us always. 

This next week will be a fun one! We have zone training meeting and on Friday Elder Gull and I hit our year mark! HUMP DAY! To follow that, we are being visited by Dallin H. Oaks on Saturday! (I think he is coming to personally congratulate us, but who knows.)

I love you all so much! Have a great week!

Elder Erik Kapp

Carlsbad YSA Week 12 - Transfers and Gratitude

This last week was super busy! It felt like we barely had time to do our regular "knock doors and contact" work. Halloween was a blast! We weren't allowed to be out after 6PM so we had a Halloween party at the church building. It was a lot of fun! We ate some snacks, watched a movie, and played a fun game of baseball inside the gym with plastic bats and balls. (The teams were the "She Bears" and the "Lamanites" in honor of the World Series) 

Wednesday we taught Delshawn. He is getting baptized this Saturday!!! He has opened up a ton and we are excited for him! He is ready! 

Thursday I went to MLC at the mission office and Elder Hadfield spent the day with other missionaries. The head and assistant of proselyting for the missionary department were there and ran most of it. WOW! It was a very eye opening experience. I learned a lot and was shocked how much I could improve on! 

Friday we had district meeting, weekly planning, a lesson with Delshawn, building cleanup, and a lesson with Nathaniel. All were good!

Saturday was a blast. Our ward was assigned to help put up the Christmas lights at the San Diego Temple. We had some non-members going, so we got permission to go help. It was super cool! We left really early in the morning and worked until about 11:00. It's crazy how much work they put into the lights there! Right when we got back we had lunch and cleaned up. Before we finished lunch the zone leaders called and said a member was moving in next door and asked if we could help. So we put back on our service clothes and helped her move in. We got back into our proselyting clothes and went to correlation. It was a really busy day.

Saturday night we got transfer calls. We are staying together for one more! I am really happy about that. I love the ward. I love the missionaries here. I love Elder Hadfield. So I am pretty grateful. The only bummer is my district is getting switched. They are adding another Spanish area in our zone so the Spanish missionaries will be their own district and I will have the Zone Leaders and the STLs that we ward share with. That'll be cool.

I have learned the last transfer the importance of being happy during affliction. Elder Hadfield gave a great dinner message this last week about this and it really added to what I've been working on. We are here to learn and grow. We learn and grow when we have trials and afflictions. However, the Book of Mormon says... "Men are that they might have joy." So obviously Heavenly Father expects us to be happy when life is hard. Murmuring and complaining is exactly what we do to show Heavenly Father how ungrateful we are to have opportunities to learn and grow. I am very guilty of this, but I am working on it. Everything we go through is a learning experience. When you die all you get is your knowledge and experience. Without pain we know no joy. We need the hard times and the bad days. Stop praying for God to take away your trials because He never will! Instead, what I've learned, is pray to have strength to do HIS will. I promise that will bring you joy. If you can't be happy during trials you will never be satisfied when you don't. Money, popularity, prestige, and power will never bring joy. Only the Gospel of Jesus Christ can truly do that. 

So my challenge is to start showing gratitude every day. It is November and it's a great time to show thanks for all we are given. Every day pray and show gratitude to your Heavenly Father for something each day. Try to make it unique. I promise you will see yourself a happier person.

I love you all!

Elder Erik Kapp

                                       Lunch with Princess, a member of our ward.

                                                             The District

                           We stopped and took this pictures on the way to Edson Range
                     (because our clock didn't reset and we showed up at 6AM instead of 7AM)

Carlsbad YSA Week 11 - Temple Trip

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

This last week was really stressful, but went by crazy fast! So I got sick last week and I lost my voice. I could barely talk! (which makes my job a little hard) This last week I had to plan and conduct district meeting, went on exchanges to the Spanish ward, went to the temple, and had exchanges with the zone leaders. It was pretty crazy, but I really loved it!

Our investigators are doing alright. They have all been really hard to meet with and haven't made any big progress. We are still working with them and trying to figure it all out. Delshawn came to church on Sunday and we are going to have another lesson with him on Wednesday. We have him on date to get baptized on November 12, but I feel like we are probably going to push that back. We are only meeting with him once a week, so we are going to try to meet with him more.

Nathaniel is such an awesome kid, but he drives me crazy! I know he feels the Spirit and knows it's all true. I've even told him that! But he doesn't let himself progress! He has come such a long way since we met him, but I know if he really took it to heart and made it his first priority he would receive an answer and a ton of help and peace in his life. 

On Saturday I was with Elder Gull and their mini missionary, Elder Olsen, in O3. When we met up to exchange back, I felt like Elder Horton should come to our lesson with Nathaniel. We were maybe going to drop him and I just felt like it'd be good for him to come. Andrew Snell, our ward mission leader, came as well and played a great role in the lesson. Elder Horton shared a personal experience with Nathaniel that I think really made a difference. At the end, Andrew challenged Nathaniel to pray right then to ask if God was really there and if He loved him. The first 2 prayers weren't very sincere and Andrew helped Nathaniel pray. The 3rd time we felt the spirit crazy strong. I know he felt it too. It was a super powerful experience.

I love you all! Have a good week!

Elder Kapp 

                                             Elder Hadfield and I with Elder Horton

                                                         The Pier 

Carlsbad YSA Week 10 - Slow week... :(

Hey everyone! I have to keep this one short! This last week was a little slow, but it was good! Not a whole lot happened. We taught Delshawn and Nathaniel. They are both doing alright. They haven't really progressed over the last week. We went to pick Delshawn up for church, but he didn't come.

We had a meeting with some of the San Diego missionaries on Friday. We met them in Del Mar for an MCRD meeting. That was a lot of fun. It was cool for Elder Hadfield and I to go back to the area we served in before. 

We had zone conference on Wednesday. That was cool to see a lot of the missionaries I haven't seen for a long time. I really felt the spirit strong and received answers to my prayers. We learned a lot about how to have more fun with finding. That was interesting but helpful.

I got sick on Saturday. I woke up and I couldn't talk!! My voice is just gone for the most part. It doesn't hurt, but it's super frustrating because I need my voice in order to teach!

Edson has been a bit slower. Recruit Kerr is doing well! I taught him the plan of salvation on Sunday. He is doing good, except he won't pray when we meet. I know he prays a lot on his own. It's super strange and I am trying to figure that out. 

Alex Douge, a kid I knew at home from Syracuse showed up to Edson on Sunday. I guess he decided to become a marine. It's really cool seeing people you know from home.

I love you all! Have a good week!

Elder Kapp

Carlsbad YSA Week 9 - Get'n em on date!

This week was really good! Elder Hadfield and I are having lots of fun! We are having a hard time finding things to do, but we are finding and teaching. Elder Hadfield and I get along really well and he is good to work with. 

Last Monday we picked up a new investigator, Zack, that we met at FHE. The Sisters are teaching his sister and we taught him the restoration and set a baptism date for November 5th. He is a really cool guy. We taught him the Plan of Salvation on Saturday. That went really well. He is absorbing everything.

Friday we taught Delshawn. Last transfer we taught him he didn't want to get baptized. Elder Hadfield and I talked a lot about what he needed and we decided to teach about the atonement. It was great! He understood and felt the spirit. He committed to be baptized November 12! He also came to church Sunday.

I went on exchanges with the Spanish elders from Wednesday to Thursday. That was really good. I went to the Spanish ward with Elder Wockenfuss. He is such a nice and fun guy. I really admire him. 

We also had interviews with President this last week. 

A cool miracle... We were walking down the street and an LDS family from Arizona saw us and they took us to lunch. It was super cool! It has been Fall break in Arizona and Utah and we know it because of all the members that have stopped us and said hi.

Things have been slowing down at Edson. The groups are smaller and we don't have as many people to teach. 

Earlier today we went to LegoLand for our district activity. It was a lot of fun. 

I love you all! Have a fun week!

Elder Kapp

                                                       Selfie with a raccoon

                                                                     Dinner with Kai 

                                                          LEGO LAND with the District! 

Carlsbad YSA Week 8 - Blessings poured down on Kapp and Hadfield

Hey everyone!

This last week has been a great one! It's been full of miracles and success.

The first miracle was Delshawn. We taught him my first week and a half being here. I didn't know the area at that point and I didn't even know where Delshawn lived. We felt like we should go stop by him and see how he is doing. We went to his apartment complex and started praying. We started around the complex and came to a door that looked right. We knocked and Delshawn came to the door. We set up a lesson with him and taught him. He has opened up a lot. He is doing well. He is going to Snow College in January, so we helped him send some of his stuff in. We are excited to teach him again on Wednesday.

On Thursday we had to do weekly planning because I had MLC on Friday. We cleaned up the apartment and had institute that night. After institute we had a lesson with Nathaniel. We had Andrew sit in on the lesson. They really clicked! We taught the plan of salvation and it went great. It was one of the first times Elder Hadfield and I had taught together and we were able to teach pretty unified. He did a really good job explaining the atonement and when we taught about the celestial kingdom we asked him if that's what he wanted. Then we committed him to be baptized!!! We haven't set a date yet, but we are excited.

Friday I had MLC. That was really long. It was good though! I enjoyed it and got to see a lot of missionaries I have missed. 

Saturday we went to a funeral for a member in our ward. That wasn't fun. Her mom asked us to go. That night we had dinner with our Ward mission leader, Andrew, and Franky Hunt, my investigator from TOV. He is doing well. That was really cool to talk to him. I asked him why he hasn't gotten baptized yet and he said he doesn't really have a reason. So then I told him to do it this month. During that conversation he asked me to baptize him. That was cool. I love that kid. He has become such a good friend. 

Sunday was the greatest miracle of the week. I was really banking on Recruit Filener to get baptized. When I met with him he wouldn't do it. He is ready and everything. He didn't get baptized. While he was getting interviewed by another elder, I met with Recruit Oviat. We started talking about how he hasn't been getting an answer if he should be baptized. That led to us talking about how he already knows and he isn't waiting for anything else. He told me he didn't want to get baptized down in San Diego for the last stage of boot camp. I told him we were having a baptism today. He got baptized 5 minutes later. It was awesome. I got to confirm him and it was sweet! I am super excited for him!

I love this gospel so much. I am so lucky to be a missionary. I love E. Hadfield. Have a good week! Love you!

Elder Kapp

Carlsbad YSA Week 7 - General Conference Week

Hey everyone!

This last week was awesome, but very slow... You have to have the slow weeks, but MAN I HATE THEM! 

This week I got my new companion, Elder Hadfield. We are getting along great! He is a cool guy. I am hoping to see a lot of success with him. 

We had a couple lessons with Nathaniel this last week. He is doing well. He came to one of the sessions of conference with us. He is slowly progressing. We just need to get him to read and pray every day. I feel like he knows the church is true. He just needs to want it.

General Conference was great though! We got to watch it at the Stake Center! Except for the last session. We went to a members house with Nathaniel to watch it with the YSA. That was super cool! I loved how much they talked about missionary work. Being on a mission I have realized what a blessing it is to share the gospel. My testimony has grown SO MUCH from sharing it with others. Even when we are rejected, it still grows. 

I also loved how much it talked about prayer. Our relationship with Heavenly Father is something we too often take for granted. Being on a mission I have sometimes forgotten the importance of building that relationship and turning to God in all things. Our relationship with God is like any other relationship. If you put in a minimal effort, not giving time or sincerity, the relationship weakens. We forget the feelings we had and focus on the negative. Over time, we start being repetitive and insincere, yet still expect Heavenly Father to give a greater effort. But the thing is God is not variable. He doesn't try harder to bless and help one person and less with another. He is constantly trying to bless and help us. We need to open that communication and listen with our hearts for His love and guidance. You can't say, "I don't have time" or "I'm so busy". But, let's be honest when in life will you not be busy? It isn't a matter of time in the day, but of priorities. When we set a priority of putting the Gospel first in our life, we experience the abundant blessings Heavenly Father has to offer. 

I know the gospel is true. I know President Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God and that he leads and guides Christ's church on the earth today. How blessed we are to have a living prophet that gives counsel for us in our day!

I love you all!

Elder Erik Kapp

                                                                   Sea Lion

                                                         Saying goodbye to Conrad! 

Carlsbad YSA Week 6 - Transfers

Hey everyone!

So transfers are this week. Elder Richards is being transferred out and I will be getting Elder Hadfield! I am super excited for that! He's a good kid and I feel like we will work really well together. I also was made the district leader of my district so that will be a new adventure.

So this last week in a nutshell...

Monday we did go cart racing. Like, real fast go carts! It was a ton of fun! I now understand how some might consider NASCAR a sport because I was sore after!

Tuesday I went on exchanges with our zone leaders to Oceanside 3 with Elder Horton. It was a ton of fun! It rained all day that day and we were biking around. We went pretty hard! It was a blast.

Wednesday was another crazy day. I went on exchanges with the AP's. I went with Elder Ruhl. We went to a district meeting in Del Mar, went to Buffalo Wild Wings, and taught Steven. It was awesome! Then we had dinner at the McClellans, one of the senior couples. That was us, the AP's, and 2 senior missionaries. It was so much fun!

Thursday we had our district meeting. And we taught Steven and said goodbye to him and taught Nathaniel that night. Nathaniel is really progressing. Slowly, but surely. That night I got the call that I would be the District Leader.

Friday I went to a leadership meeting at the mission office and weekly planned.

Saturday we got the transfer calls.

Sunday I taught on Edson. We changed/set both of the guys I'm teaching to be baptized on October 9th! Recruit Oviat still is nervous to make the commitment, but I feel like Filener will be ready to go!

This morning we played some tennis, got hair cuts, and visited some of E. Richards old members! 

I just want all of you to know that I know that we have a Heavenly Father who loves and cares about each of us. I also know He answers our prayers. I really have been praying hard for help this last transfer and even though it was probably one of my hardest transfers I still feel happy and like I am the best Elder Kapp I have been thus far on my mission. I love this gospel. The more you put in the more you will get out. So if you feel like you're not getting enough out of the church, I encourage you to raise the bar. Read more. Pray deeper and longer. Study harder. I know Heavenly Father will always be there.

I love you!

Elder Kapp