Mike's Mission - February 2008

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=110 BGCOLOR="#FFFF66" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="03c006e0dkfegl.gif"> <div>                          <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > Michael's Mission Page</FONT>      <IMG SRC="04e55390.gif" border=0 width="85" height="57" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div>                     California Santa Rosa Mission  June 2006 - June 2008    |   <A HREF="http://www.theHaslams.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.theHaslams.com"><U>theHaslams.com</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=190 BGCOLOR="#009933" TEXT="#080000" background="03dbec00ddwnzy.gif"> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Michaels Mission Front Page"><U><B>Front Page</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="latest_news.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Michaels Mission Latest News"><U><B>Latest News</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="photo_album.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission Photo Album"><U><B>Photo Album</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="companions.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Michaels Mission Companions"><U><B>Companions</B></U></A></div> <div> <B>=====================</B></div> <div> <A HREF="may_2008.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission May 2008"><U><B>May 2008</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="april_2008.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission April 2008"><U><B>April 2008</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="march_w008.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission March 2008"><U><B>March 2008</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="february_2008.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission February 2008"><U><B>February 2008</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="january_2008.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission January 2008"><U><B>January 2008</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="december_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission December 2007"><U><B>December 2007</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="november_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission November 2007"><U><B>November 2007</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="october_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission October 2007"><U><B>October 2007</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="september_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission September 2007"><U><B>September 2007</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="august_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission August 2007"><U><B>August 2007</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="july_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission July 2007"><U><B>July 2007</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="june_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mike_Mission June 2007"><U><B>June 2007</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="may_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission May 2007"><U><B>May 2007</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="april_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission April 2007"><U><B>April 2007</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="march_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission March 2007"><U><B>March 2007</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="february_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes mission February 2007"><U><B>February 2007</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="january_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Michaels Mission January 2007"><U><B>January 2007</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="december_2006.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Michaels Mission December 2006"><U><B>December 2006</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="november_2006.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Michaels Mission November 2006"><U><B>November 2006</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="october_2006.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Michaels Mission October 2006"><U><B>October 2006</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="september_2006.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Michaels Mission September 2006"><U><B>September 2006</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="august_2006.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Michaels Mission August 2006"><U><B>August 2006</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="july_2006.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission July 2006"><U><B>July 2006</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="arrival.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Arrival in Santa Rosa"><U><B>Arrival in Santa Rosa</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="mtc.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission MTC"><U><B>Departure & the Missionary Training Center</B></U></A></div> <div> <B>=====================</B></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.mission.net/california/santa/rosa/index.php" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.mission.net/california/santa/"><U><B>California Santa Rosa Mission Alumni Site</B></U></A></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=370 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>February 2008</B></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>February 25, 2008 - "The Work Rolls On" - </B></FONT>Michael says he'll use a recent picture of 4 feet of snow pilled along our driveway at home as motivation as to <I>"why he does not want to go home".</I></div> <bR> <div> Regarding his birthday Michael reported, <I>"I loved my birthday it was real nice.  It's not much different to be 21 other than that's my answer when people ask me".</I></div> <bR> <div> Michael confirmed what we had heard about the Ukiah area when he said that recently they found 5000 marijuana plants growing in a back yard near <I>WIllits</I>.</div> <bR> <div> He said the wards in the Ukiah stake are not large. He says literally hundreds of Saints have moved to Utah from that area. He said the Ukiah stake is having stake conference on March 2nd and he's looking forward to again meeting members from the Clearlake and Middletown wards where he served a year ago. Elder Tenney an area authority seventy will be visiting at the conference.</div> <bR> <div> His two investigators now have baptismal dates and he's excited about that. Michael reports that he's working hard and seeking to understand why the Lord called upon him to serve in Santa Rosa, California.</div> <bR> <div> Michael reported finishing the Book of Mormon for the 6th time on his mission and offered the following thoughts on a talk by Elder Bednar:</div> <bR> <div> <I>One talk I read this week is by Elder Bednar called "seek learning by faith"  It's amazing!!! It helped me realize more of what our purpose is as people in the world and members of the church and as a missionary.  I'll share one thing and the rest you must study out for yourself because as he says that's what the best teachers do.  They don't hand out answers they tell you how you can find the answer.  So for one thing,  we are creatures made to ACT not to be ACTED UPON!!!  That means that we shouldn't go to church or to firesides and expect to receive something.  Be ACTIVE in receiving something and you will!!!!!  Alma the younger didn't get a testimony by being acted upon - the angel's visit, he got it by ACTING, Alma 5:46-48 He learned by fasting and praying!!  Pretty cool huh!</I></div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>February 18, 2008 - "It's My Birthday" - </B></FONT>Michael acknowledged a birthday gift from home when he wrote, <I>"From the foundations of the earth it is written 'that no man shall ever have too many basketball shorts'".</I></div> <bR> <div> In describing his week, Michael said, <I>"So this week was a pretty amazing week.  It started with the Zone Development Council on Tuesday. We went over some basics and then I held a discussion on doing a little better with the little things to see the miracles we need from God. Missionaries are getting lazy in the little things and God is no longer bound to bless us so we made some goals to improve".</I></div> <div> .  </div> <div> Later on Tuesday  Elder Haslam  went out with the 1st ward missionaries. He said, <I>"We found this awesome black lady who was needing someone to move a rug for her when we knocked on the door.  She invited us in and 'praised the Lord' for sending us.  We moved the rug and taught a little of the Restoration.  She was interested and we made plans to return".</I></div> <bR> <div> Wednesday was "Tour de Ukiah". Michael described it as, <I>"If you've looked at a map it is a big zone.  We took from 10 am to dinner at 6 pm to go from the two missionaries in the morning in Ukiah to lunch with the sisters in Cloverdale, then out to Fort Bragg on the coast and inland to WIllits and back down.  It was 180 mile round trip!  It was pretty fun.  And it was all because we were asked by President Stoddard to visit the zone in their apartments".</I> It would now appear that they've spent their mileage for the month and will be doing a lot of walking! </div> <bR> <div> Their two investigators in the 2nd Ward appear to be progressing towards baptismal dates in March. </div> <bR> <div> On Friday as they were tracting Michael said we need to knock at one more door. That door was the home of an elderly member of the ward who told Michael where the original LDS church in Ukiah was located. She then presented him with a photograph of the building just after it was completed nearly 60 years ago. Michael said, <I>"In the picture are 6-men, perhaps one of them is my great-grandfather who helped with the construction of the building".</I></div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>February 11, 2008 - "Ukiah CA" - </B></FONT>Elder Haslam's e-mail opened with, <I>"Hey family!  Like I said last week I am not allowed to stay in an area for very long and this week I can give you the update of my 8th area, Ukiah, California"!</I></div> <bR> <div> Regarding his companions he wrote, <I>"So I am serving in the Ukiah 2nd Ward with Elder Morgan Lloyd and Elder Peter Strobel (my BOY!).  It's interesting serving in a threesome.  You always feel crowded at some doors, so we often let two go together and I'll go knock doors on my own just across the street.  It's also interesting to be with Elder Strobel.  He's more comfortable in a lot of situations but he's still doesn't talk confidently.  He is very quiet still and mumbles, but he teaches better.  He had some weak companions recently and has let his obedience level slip so President put him with two zone leaders to clean him up.  He's been doing good so far. Elder Lloyd has been out about 13 months and was just made a zone leader".</I></div> <bR> <div> The work in Ukiah is much more happening than the Shiloh Park ward of Santa Rosa.  We have 2 solid prospects for baptism in February. One is a 10-year old girl who suffers from ADHD. The other is a gal who is dating the assistant ward mission leader in the Ukiah 2nd Ward. She has already been to church three times and is anxious to learn the restored gospel. Michael said, <I>"it's nice to be able to teach".</I></div> <bR> <div> Regarding his new area Michael reported, <I>"This area is not as wealthy. It's more economically depressed.  We cover the northern part of Ukiah and some small towns like Capella and Redwood Valley or Potter Valley.  It's a pretty good area with a ward that has around 110 active or so.  Maybe a little more than that.  The wards in Ukiah stake though are not very big in terms of activity.  They have big ward lists though.  This is the same stake as Clearlake and Middletown so during Stake Conference in March I will get to see some of the people I served with in those areas".</I></div> <bR> <div> Michael reported that he has already found the chapel that his great-grandfather Haslam built in the late 1940s. Michael said, <I>"I found it!  It doesn't take long, all you have to do is find the oldest member of the ward and ask them where it is.  This one happens to be on Jones St.  on the west side.  It's a pretty good white church.  It is now owned by the Church of the Nazarene".</I></div> <bR> <div> Michael described his new zone, <I>"It includes Ukiah 1st, 2nd, and Spanish Wards, with Cloverdale, Fort Bragg, and Willits.  Not too big but spread out a lot.  Cloverdale is 30 miles away and Willits is 25 while Fort Bragg is about 40-50.  I have to go to all of the cities this week to build trust with them, President has asked all Zone Leaders to do that.  We're Calling it 'the Tour de Ukiah' "!</I></div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>February 04, 2008 - "Craziness" - </B></FONT>Michael is "on the move again". He wrote, <I>"I am the transient missionary I suppose.  Robbie told me once that he spent the last 8 months of his mission in the same place, well I won't come close.  I'm moving again in case you didn't hear.  I'm going to Ukiah 2nd Ward.  I will train a new Zone Leader, Elder Lloyd". </I>He added that he'd be in a threesome (difficult situation) with Elder Strobel who he trained a year ago.</div> <bR> <div> Regarding the change Michael said, <I>"I have mixed feelings about it.  I loved the ward here and many of the members.  I probably feel closer to this ward than any other except Vacaville 3rd where I was fortunate enough to serve for 4 months.... I very well may die in Ukiah but we'll see.  The zone I will be covering is much smaller.  It's only 6 sets of missionaries.  There are 2 wards in Ukiah, a Spanish set there, then there is Cloverdale, Willits, and Fort Bragg.  So it will be easier to handle at least but not as fun.  I'm sure I will love it eventually.".  </I></div> <bR> <div> Michael indicated that the Santa Rosa zone will be changing dramatically with three areas being whitewashed. A lot of the mission is changing as 14 new missionaries arrived in Santa Rosa today.</div> <bR> <div> About the past week all he had to say was that they met a crazy person. He described the conversation with the lady like this, "<I>I said "we're sharing a message about a new prophet and 12 apostles".  She replied that,  "I have a fragrance that attracts the 12 apostles".  I continued figuring that she was just joking.  I told her that she could pray to know the truth.  She said that she meditates.  She said that through meditation you can move from the 1st dimension to the 12th dimension.  I almost burst up laughing in her face.  I regained control and asked if there was an 8th dimension.  She said that was the soul.  The rest was history".</I></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>