WEEK 47: CONNOR'S BAPTISM

Connor's baptism

This week was awesome!  We had a baptism for a kid that Elder Smith and I started teaching when I got in this area, so a looong time ago haha.  It was a PMF (part-member family) but now the whole family are members and things are going great with them.  They have been coming to church more and more. They hadn't been to church in like two or three years so it is awesome to see the change.

Connor's baptism

 

Connor's baptism

Car life is still awesome as ever.   It makes the work go faster and you are able to see a ton of more people.  The only problem is now you don't have a way to bike all the food off that the members feed you.

Getting ready for Connor's Baptism

This past week a member of our ward Brother Sibley, he is crazy haha.  So we sit down and smash two huge hamburgers and two sausage links and fruit, then he asks if we were done with the appetizers and brings out trip tip steak.  Oh my goodness that was the most food I think I have ever eaten in my life!  I am gonna invest in a scale so that I can start maintaining my weight haha.

Moreno Valley Zone

Other than that the work is going really good, This is gonna be week three of this transfer, so it is going by really quick.  I am coming up to 7 months in this area so I wonder if my picture fell off of President’s board and he forgot about me haha!!

 

Love you all, thanks for all of the letters and packages and prayers!

Love, 
Elder Pennington

WEEK 46: WORKING IN A TRIO AGAIN

This week was a pretty good week.  Right now we have 9 people on date for baptism.  I am in a pod once again, and I am looking forward to it.  Mainly because with a pod comes a car!!! Super stoked to not be on bike again. Tender mercies!  But I can't really complain about biking, because the last transfer Elder Avei and myself biked maybe once.  We just kicked it foreign like and walked everywhere!

Elder Pennington with Yeaman & Avei at the View with
another companionship of missionaries.

 

I am looking forward to this transfer and for the potential our teaching pool has.  Now that there is three of us, we will be able to all split up and go do work, so that is going to be super effective!!!  I really love being out here and serving the Lord in California Riverside.  We have a baptism this Sunday, so we are looking forward to that.  Other than that, thank you so much for all the love and for keeping me in your prayers.

 

Love, 

Elder Pennington 

Elder Pennington didn't tell us this missionary's name
but I would probably feel pretty safe walking the streets
with this big Samoan missionary!

 

WEEK 45: CALLED TO BE A DISTRICT LEADER

Below is an email we received this week from Elder Pennington's Mission President.  He has been called to serve as a District Leader:

12 September 2016

Dear Brother and Sister Pennington,

I am pleased to let you know that Elder Nathan Charles Pennington has received the assignment to serve as a District Leader in the California Riverside Mission. This special assignment will offer your son an opportunity for leadership growth. He will have the sacred responsibility to lead and teach those missionaries who are within his district. The Lord has chosen him for his outstanding performance and commitment.

You can take pride in his missionary accomplishments. I am indeed grateful for the training and guidance you have provided that has helped qualify him for this opportunity.

Thank you for your support, and may the Lord be with you always.

Faithfully yours,

John H. Mullen

President

California Riverside Mission
===============================================================

We are excited for Elder Pennington's new assignment and responsibility as a leader in the mission.  They also gave him ANOTHER new missionary to train in addition to the one he currently has.

When I asked him if he was ready for all this, he responded, "I think so ha ha!  I'm a little excited."

Elder Pennington with another "Greenie" - Elder Yeaman

Elder Pennington back in a TRIO, training two Greenies -
Elder Avei (6 weeks) & Elder Yeaman (1 day)

First training lesson - this is Moreno Valley at night and
this is how we do the MT (Money Team) picture.

WEEK 44: LETTERS FROM THE PRIMARY

Elder Pennington received a package of mail from the Walnut
Grove Primary children and can you tell he was very excited?!

 

This week was really good.  We were able to have 5 people that we are teaching come to church, and that all have dates for baptism.  We are doing pretty good with all the other work.

 

 

 

Someone caught us out working
with their cell phone and then
emailed it to us because you know
our flip phones can't do this!

 

 

This is the last week of the transfer so I am curious to know if I am gonna stay another transfer with Elder Avei or if I am gonna have to leave....It has been six months in this one area, so anything can happen!  I would really love to stay another transfer and be able to continue to work with Elder Avei and all the people we are teaching, but if I leave I know Elder Avei will be able to take over the area.

 

Other than that, special congrats to Josh and Evelyn Kennedy!  Love you both, and I am so happy for you guys!  That is it for this week, hope everyone is doing well!

 

Love,

Elder Pennington

WEEK 43: A MAN RUNS OUT OF THE BUSHES...

Elder Avei & Pennington at the
California Redlands Temple

Moreno Valley must be tired of me, but me and Elder Avei had a really great week.  We picked up a couple of families that we are teaching, and I am looking forward to this week and seeing the work we are gonna be able to do.

California Redlands Temple

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Elder Gulbranson and Pennington with a Filipino member of the Ward

Elder Jackson & Elder Pennington

We had crossfit today, so the whole north half of the mission got to get together for ball and cross fit so that was a ton of fun!

 

Wake up Elder Avei (my Greenie).  You have a package!

Greenie Package for Elder Avei

"You only get to be a Greenie once so be sure to
enjoy it as much as possible," says Elder Avei

 

We have barely biked at all this transfer, mainly because on exchanges another Elder blew out my back tire and I have been too lazy to change it, but we have just been walking everywhere so that seems to not only get us in a lil bit of shape, but it also allows us to talk to more people and show our faith because whenever the Samoans see us they always pick us up hahaha. 

It's good to know that the people of Moreno Valley are
strong Americans and believe in Liberty

 

Look Mom!  Elder Pennington took me to
New York!  Just Kidding!  I'm still in Moval

So Friday night we got done with splits and were walking back to the apartment around 9pm, when a man runs out of the bushes from the house across the street, and while holding his side yells HELP (and some other things that won’t be included) and then a woman comes out and yells, in a very manly smokey cig voice, EDDIE WAIT COME BACK.  10 minutes later 6 cop cars roll up, a fire truck, and a paramedic.  Then we see the paramedic take off with the guy in the back and the cops are searching the house that he ran out of.  Just another week in Moreno Valley :)

Love you all!

-Elder Pennington

 



Eating at Café Rio after the temple and the missionaries run into a famous actor - Travis Eberhard.  Below is the link to an LDS movie he starred in - 17 Miracles.  An awesome movie based on true events that happened in Mormon history as members of the church moved west to Utah to escape persecution and death.

Click here to see the movie trailer for 17 Miracles

WEEK 42: MORE RANDOMNESS FROM OUR MISSIONARY

 

We didn’t hear much from Elder Pennington this week due to his P-Day being jam packed full of other things:
 

• It was their turn to go and attend the Redlands Temple again.

• They did Crossfit as a Zone again.

• He worked on his Best Man speech video for his best friend Josh Kennedy who is getting married soon.

 So, here are just a few random pictures he sent us which I think symbolize how random our missionary is.  J  And, I’ll throw in one temple picture.

Star Wars puzzle and missing 1 piece - nothing more frustrating!

 

Look!  How pretty.  Water hitting a spoon in the kitchen sink.
Quick, take a picture!!

Smoke from the fires in San Bernardino

Thanks again for your support and prayers on behalf of our missionary.

The Redlands California Temple

WEEK 41: PROTEIN SHAKES IS WHERE ITS AT!



Protein Shakes!

This week was really good for Elder Avei and myself.  We have started to have protein shakes every morning and every night.  We are on bike so might as well eat healthy too!  We should work at Jamba Juice we are so good! (Smoothie place on the west coast)

 

 

We had a ton of lessons this week and have done a ton of walking around and talking with people on the street.  This one guy came up to us, grabbed us into a circle and asked for us to pray for him, so Elder Avei said a pretty great on the spot prayer it was pretty great haha.

 

But other than that, the work has been going really great.  Elder Avei is a super hard worker and a great missionary!  We are getting along great, and the biking hasn't been too bad.  The weather has cooled down to the 110's so that has been nice, the five degrees cooler makes a difference!  Well I hope everyone has a great week.

 

Love,

 

Elder Pennington

 

So this is what missionaries look like with their suit
coats turned inside out

More of the same - suit coats inside out

And of course the money team picture with suit coats
turned inside out.

Elders Gulbranson, Jackson and Pennington

Reppin' the 901

Companionship Study - 12 week training

It's a good day when you can afford some In N Out burger
for dinner.  Here is a young single adult that is getting baptized soon.

Hey, our ties match.  How did that happen?!