Carlsbad YSA Week 2 - General Authority Visit and Getting Towed...

Crazy week last week. Feels like it went on forever and a lot happened.

Last Sunday we met Nathaniel. He is a marine from Mesa, Arizona. His mom converted to the LDS church over the last few years and loves the Mormon culture. He met with the elders before us but they didn't really teach him. He came to a lot of the activities this last week but not sure if he has a faith in Christ.

Tuesday we met with this less active recent convert from South Carolina named Christopher Timmons. He's a cool guy!. He moved here like 4 months ago and hasn't been to church since being here. He is about to get kicked out of his house and is looking for a place to stay. He came to church and met with Bishop and hopefully all goes well with him.

Wednesday we had to watch this broadcast for the general authority visit on Friday, so we met up with the Oceanside 3 elders and watched it together. After we went to Mira Costa college and set up a booth to meet people. There was this guy that came over and was "healing" people. He basically just came over and prayed over and over again for the people we were talking to until the person got annoyed and said, "Oh! Yep. All better. Good job." That night we went to a members for dinner and we got to check out their chickens. It was fun!

Thursday we went and met people on Camp Pendleton. That evening we set up a booth at the Sunset Market. It's a little street fair they have every Thursday. This crazy lady came over and was yelling at us and telling Elder Richards and I how it is our fault women don't have rights. And also that we needed to vote for Hilary... She got arrested about 20 minutes later. It was yet another testimony to me why the word of wisdom (specifically the part about drugs and alcohol) is important.

Friday... We woke up to run.... And our car was gone.... We got towed... from our own complex... The elders before us didn't give us the parking pass and when we met the manager of the complex and asked if we needed to know anything she forgot to tell us about the pass. They lady in the front office was trying to get her boss to cover the charge, but they couldn't. It's going to be super expensive.

But besides that, we got to have a meeting with a general authority, Elder De Hoyos. It was really good! He spoke mostly spanish and I don't speak spanish, but our President did his best to translate. It was good though.

The highlight of my week was Edson Range. This week I got to teach. I was assigned 1 investigator, Recruit Stoll. He is a cool kid from Wisconsin. He went to church a few times at MCRD and prayed and knows the church is true. I taught him the Plan of Salvation and he is shooting to be baptized on September 11.

I also picked up Recruit Holmes. He has visited at MCRD for 3 weeks and they never taught him. By talking to him I found out he wasn't a member and asked him if he'd want to hear the lessons. He's from South Jordan and grew up around mormons. I taught the restoration and he said he would pray and read. As of now, he wants to wait to be baptized so his family can be there.

I also taught Recruit Diaz. He first said he didn't want to hear the lessons, but changed his mind later. He is from Compton. He comes with a Pentecostal and Evangelical background. He already prays and has a strong faith in Christ. He had a few concerns that were resolved and he accepted the whole Restoration... Except baptism... Because he's already baptized in another church. So he said he would pray about it.

I love you all! Have a good week!

Elder Kapp  

Carlsbad YSA Week 1 - Giving blessings to recruits

Hey guys! It's been a crazy week this last week. Probably one of the craziest of the mission thus far. I am in Carlsbad YSA with Elder Richards. We are both new in the area and it is tough. We don't know hardly anything about the area or the members, so we are just trying to figure things out. We have been super busy though!

Right when we got here we started setting up lessons and teaching. We taught Delshawn for the first time on Tuesday. He was taught by the elders before us. He is a cool guy, but extremely quiet. He is 19 and was a foster kid in Utah. We taught him again on Thursday. We have been really pushing baptism and trying to get him to see why it is important. We had a lesson last night and we dropped him. He wasn't willing to make changes so we went our separate ways. We hope the best for him.

We also picked up Tom yesterday. He is a PI the last elders had, but we taught him for the first time last night. He is super solid and is shooting to get baptized on September 10. That will be exciting! He is super open and just absorbed the information.

We taught Nathaniel last night as well. He grew up in Mesa, Arizona and is a marine out here. He is 19 years old and his mom was converted over the last few years. His fiance is a less active Mormon as well. We taught him about how the gospel blesses families and eternal families. We will be meeting with him again this next week.

The highlight of my week was going on Edson Range. That was the most humbling experience I've had. We go 7:00 am Sunday morning and meet in this room for church. I walked in to see a room of young, shaved, and exhausted recruits writing letters to their families. They were incredible. Many of them were inactive before coming, but felt the need for church. They are so humble. Unfortunately, I didn't have anyone to teach yesterday, but I got to talk to a lot of the recruits and they said they would bring their friends next week. The recruits are only here for 4 weeks, so we have to work fast :)

The most incredible part was right at the end. Missionaries taught in the hallway, we talked, and they wrote letters the first hour. The next hour was sacrament, and the last was priesthood and teaching again. After the last hour, Elder Gull and I went to the bathroom. When we came back into the room we saw 2 sets of missionaries and 1 set of recruits giving other recruits blessings. The spirit was so strong. These guys have nothing. They are beaten down and even the ones who aren't members have faith to be healed and helped by priesthood authority. It wasn't long after being in there that recruits asked me to give them blessings. I can't wait to go back next Sunday.

Love you all! Have a great week!

Elder Erik Kapp 

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Elder Erik Kapp

California Carlsbad Mission

451 West Bobier Drive

Vista, CA 92083-1906

Goodbye Torrey Pines YSA...

Hey guys,

So I got transfer calls on Saturday and, to my surprise, I am being transferred... I am super sad to leave this ward. It has been such a great experience and I have loved it. I will be heading to Carlsbad YSA with Elder Richards. We will be "White Washing" the area (meaning we are both new there) which will be good! I am super excited! We are going to be living in Oceanside, which is a place I have been before so that will be good!

Anyways, this last week was really good. We picked up another investigator on Thursday, Huamin. He was a pass off from the Olivenhain elders. The lesson went really well! We talked about the Book of Mormon and he said he would read it and will get baptized if he comes to know it is true. Super cool! We didn't get a chance to teach our other investigators!!! AHHH!!! It's so frustrating. They have so much potential and you know they will be blessed by the message... They are just too busy... Elder George will get them dunked when I leave!

It was really sad to say goodbye to my ward. I love the people here in Torrey Pines. They have been so great to me. I can't wait to come back and see them again! Except some better not be in the YSA anymore... They should be "graduated" to the family ward by then.

I learned a bit about forgiveness this last week. I was studying it a lot this last week for no real reason. It's just such a cool concept! Without forgiveness there would be no grace or mercy. I love President Hinckley's talk about Forgiveness. Sometimes it is hard to give forgiveness. Justice and fairness are what we deserve. Nobody deserves mercy or forgiveness. That's what makes it such a great thing. I made the decision that forgiveness is one of the best gifts we can give someone. I know as a missionary you have to be a forgiving person. I have learned that when we don't forgive we put a weight on our shoulders and a weight on those who have wronged us. No matter what is done or how bad it hurt we need to forgive them. 

I love you all so much! I am so grateful I have the opportunity to be a missionary. I love sharing the gospel. It is such a great blessing. Have a good week.

Elder Erik Kapp

                                                         Jared Larsen and Chase Jensen

                                                                   Gabriel Figuero 

                                                                       Toolson's

                                                          Dallin Large and Eric Sawyer

                                                                Brother and Sister Smith

                                                                         Daniel Cross

Torrey Pines YSA Week 18 - Estamos enseñando a tres personas acerca de Jesús

Hey people! How's it going? (Not that I actually expect you to reply. But just know I am interested in your well being.) 

I am still sick... It's the worst because it makes it hard to work, but I am slowly getting better... But, I am pleased to declare... We have not one, but THREE new investigators. Those of you who have or are serving foreign, I am happy you had 10 baptisms in a week, but I am SUPER HAPPY about my three investigators. Let's not compare. 

We taught Mark on Monday. We taught the restoration with his dad. I don't know how willing he is to convert, but we will see. They are pretty strong Christians in their own faith and are really only just wanting to know what Mormons think about certain things...

Then we taught Makk on Tuesday. (Makk, not mark). That lesson was INCREDIBLE! He was so fun to teach. He is this super laid back African-American 19 year old who was super receptive and funny. It was a blast and we should teach him again this week. Just to give you an idea, we taught him in front of his house. As we were teaching this group of teenagers were walking by across the street and Makk says, "Hold up... Check it out... It's the squaaad... Maybe we should go get the squad and have them come hear some of this good stuff!"  They didn't want to hear...

Wednesday I got to go on an exchange with Elder Wilde! It was a blast! I MISS HIM! We had a lot of fun!

Then on Friday we were so busy we had to push weekly planning to Saturday! We taught Bryan on Friday! He is friends with a recent convert that just came to our ward. Elder George ran into them while on exchanges in the Del Mar ward. We taught him in the chapel and he said he really felt the spirit and said if he comes to know the Book of Mormon is true he will be baptized! (that's what I'm talking about)

Saturday was the farewell party for our ward. Half of our ward is heading to college this next month so we said goodbye... That was super depressing.. But then on Sunday we found out we are also saying goodbye to our bishopric! They were released and we got a new bishop! Bishop Romney is one of the best men I have ever met and I am very excited for Bishop Cornwell. He is also just amazing! 

I had a strong confirmation at institute this last Thursday that Heavenly Father truly does love us and accepts us. I was feeling pretty down and kind of worthless as a missionary, but then during institute the spirit really came to me confirming that Heavenly Father does accept and is proud of what I have done thus far.

I love you!

Elder Erik Kapp 

                                                              The District

                                          Last picture with Bishop and Sister Romney 

Torrey Pines YSA Week 17 - I'm sick. And we have lessons :)

Hey everyone! This last week has been an interesting one for sure. I have been sick all week with this nasty flu cough thing. It has been a pain to work with. We also had a zone conference which was amazing. The mission president is awesome! We got to do car inspections on Thursday for the other zone. That was fun, but I was sick so it really was kind of crappy. That night we had dinner with some of the senior missionaries and the Assistants to the president. We also weekly planned.  

This next week we have lots of lessons. We have a lesson with Mark tonight. We also have lessons with Eddy and Makk tomorrow. That should be good!

I hope you have a good week! Love you all!

Pictures:

Elder Hadfield's birthday party and we ran into Elder Gull in our zone.

Elder Kapp