Elder Groesbeck's email from August 10, 2015

Hey this is lake San Marcos!!! It's really beautiful!! It's in the bottom part of my mission and most of the people here are pretty wealthy. We did a lot of work this week. I went on exchanges with Elder Mardesich!! He is from Utah and was a lot of fun. We did some tracting, and I have been doing a lot more contacting more than ever before!! I got 16 for one day!! We have a SOE of 22 street contacts a day.
WE also were able to meet with one investigator she just broke up with her boyfriend who was investigating the church and her kids want to come so we are going to hopefully be able to start working with her. I've been doing a lot of work with meeting the ward, and we are trying to contact a lot more less active people out here. The people that are out here all are very unique. We run into a lot of people everyday who are from lots of different places, somedays I wish I could speak Spanish so I could contact people who speak it. It's really hard talking to them when they don't speak your language, but it's ok. We can still try and talk to them about the missionaries!! So while on exchanges I was able to give away my FIRST BOOK OF MOROMON!!! With Elder Mardesichs help, he started talking to her and I talked to her about the Book of Mormon, and it was amazing!!! I know the church is true more than ever!! So being a missionary and sharing a little about our week this week I want to offer a challenge. So the challenge I'm sure many of you have done this many times. I do it all the time out here. So I want you to think about something that is bothering you or is causing stress and pray and ask Heavenly Father to answer your prayer by you opening your scriptures and pointing or looking at a scripture. I did it this morning and read the account of the Brother of Jared!! I learned so much!! After you finish ponder what you have read apply it to your life and think about how it applies to you!! Then thank heavenly father for what he has done for you, then most importantly ACT act on what your learned make the change, or use what he taught you. This will all be different for everyone so no one will have the same experience!!! I can testify that the Book of Mormon is true it does and will answer all your questions you have, Heavenly father wants to bless all of us he is waiting for us to take a step towards him and to be able to learn and grow on the earth!! While there is now growth in the comfort zone there is no comfort in the growth zone!! I'm way out of my comfort zone and thats why I'm growing I know Heavenly Father hears and answers all our prayers and loves all of us!! I know that Joseph Smith did talk to our Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ in the sacred grove!!! I know that no matter what we go through Heavenly Father is there to help us along. I know that His Grace is sufficent to save all!! Thank you all for everything you have done I can't thank you all enough I admire each one of you and look up to you!! Thank you all for the amazing people you are and I know that you are all going to do amazing things!!!
Love Elder Groesbeck
P.S. If you are alright with sharing your expreiences with me I would love to hear them!! Sorry the letter is a little short.

Elder Groesbeck's email August 3, 2015

Aloha!!
So yep im in the San Ellijo Hills Ward!! It is an amazing ward everyone has been super nice!! So I will get you pictures next week i forgot my cord so sorry!!:/ So this week was kinda tough contacting is a lot harder than i thought it would be but its all good. I have fasted and im not worrying about what other people say. The area is beautiful and the members are great at giving us rides. We have walked almost everywhere, but there is an old bike i will be using from the last elders so i don't know if i will need to buy a bike. Thanks for transferring that though. The members feed us very well and everyone around is pretty satisfied with how they are in there lives so we ask them if there is anything we can do to help them we ask 22 people everyday and so thats 154 a week or so. So i have meet a lot of the memebers so far and by far had the most memorable dinner appointment yet. So we go to the halgrens and Elder Wixom tells me he is a less active Jehova's witness, and i was tired so didn't think much of it. We go in and they have two boys who are shredding on there guitars and ones upstairs playing drums it was cool. I played a little!!!:D So the father wasn't home yet so we were waiting and talking to sister Halgren and he gets there with his friend who is kinda a big guy that has glasses on and a grave shirt on, so he talks to me and says he is divorced and that he spends a lot of time in the temple. And then Mr. Halgren comes in with a bottle of corona 1 i was kinda like OK whats going on here. And so all of a sudden we pray and we start eating and the guy i was just talking to takes a shot of the corona1. And then we sit down and start eating the food was amazing lots of fruit and chicken and stuff like that it was great. Then Mr. Halgren says ive been thinking a lot about what you have taught me last time about Joseph Smith and i think im ready to be baptized! He said I will do it if we all take a shot! I say sorry I can't do that...... and then the peer pressure starts and he said come on Elder Wixom and he urges him and says you know how hard it is to get a baptism here. This was on our second or third day as companions and then Elder Wixom thinks about it I left the room for seconds and come back and I keep saying no. And then Elder Wixom wipes the top off and takes a shot and says yuck that was gross!! All I could think was oh no what did I get myself into!! Then everyone starts laughing!! I was just shaking my head and then Mr. Halgren stands up shakes my hand and says HI I'm Brother Halgren and welcome to the ward. Turns out cream soda looks a lot like Corona 1!!! So I swore my revenge and I'm gonna think something up to get even!!! I love their family now though so we will see!! We haven't had any lessons yet, but I will be here for like 12 weeks so I will deffinetly work on helping move the work along!! I have been reading a lot in the scriptures and in the adjusting to missionary life packet, I'ts really cool to read that it helps out so much!! The area is great people are tough I might be a little darker when I come home, but I have seen miracles here and I'm so so happy to be here this is where im supposed to be!! I just want to say that mircales can be just little things like praying to here from someone and getting a text right after you say Amen, Getting all your contacts in on the hardest day of the week, or helping you overcome your fear of contacting and talking to people!! I testify that Christ Lives and is mindful of all of us!! I'm doing great!!
I Just hope you all know how much i Love all of you!!! You are all amazing and all have amazing gifts from our father in heaven I look up to all of you!! I just want to challenge you to read D and C 6 this week as a family i love the last couple verses!! I also challenge you to pray and ask him what he would like you to do to help someone else this week!! I know that with exact obedience miracles come!!
I also meet a man who is 95 years old and still drives us around he is a pro!! I also have seen some awesome cars here, there are a bunch of new jaguars mustangs, crazy trucks, and etc!!! I have been able to bare testimony to a ton of members while ive been here. Thanks for the last package it has been amazing to eat all of it!! I went shopping to day and we have an albertsons right next to our apartment and also Taco Train is the best mexican place around!! Love it!!
Love yah!! Hang 10 and hang loose!!
Sincerely Elder Groesbeck

MTC - July 27, 2015

OK so the MTC!!!! I truly have come to love my zone!! It has been one of the hardest things I have ever loved to do!! Just because it is hard to think about being away from such an awesome family, and making sure you are always on the exact schedule can be a little tough when room mates are running behind!! But the first thing they told us when we got here is there is no growth in the comfort zone and no comfort in the growth zone. So if you have to step out of your comfort zone in the MTC it's all the way!! But I truly have grown!! It has been a testimony builder like you wouldn't believe. We had class two times a day except for Monday and Elder Higginson and I have thought 9 lessons in the MTC!! You truly come to love others, I challenge you to try and love everyone around you more!! I am working on it! One thing I challenged myself to do is to talk to 10 people tomorrow and share my testimony to who ever he tells me to! As a missionary you truly get to feel the saviors love and understand the scriptures in a whole new way its amazing! You also realize that when your family isn't here your district becomes your family!! Although they can't replace you they can help and come close!! We have amazing teachers Brother Call and Sister Draney they have been amazing teachers love them so much and am so grateful for all the help they gave us! 

I have a quote for Ethan that I think could help: When your heart aches it stretches and when it stretches it helps you to be able to grow and learn more!! Miss Idaho like crazy, and I miss all of you and I miss driving and everything but my heart has been able to grow so much!! I hope my heart can be able to grow closer to the aviors!! A crazy change is that I can actually talk to people now not professionally but I can communicate a lot better!! I've come to know my Savior so much more and I've been able to learn so much from others!! 

I gave an ordinance lesson in priesthood meeting and I have been able to write two talks while I was here!! I Have also been able to write in my journal more I wish I could just send it home but I will when I finish it maybe!! 

OH and HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANNA!!! LOVE YAH SO MUCH LITTLE SIS!!! YOU'RE AMAZING< KEEP ON SMILING YOU HAVE BEEN AN AMAZING EXAMPLE TO ME SO FAR YOUR AWESOME!!!:) 

Sorry to hear about grandma! I send my regards and my love!! Glad she joined the team though!!  Tell Uncle Duff sorry i go on Monday's to the temple!! I dont have a phone card so its all good dont worry!! Let everyone know I'm doing great and that I love and appreciate them!! All the people back home have had a huge impact in my life even that crazy old running coach!! My flight is at 8 A.M, but I have to be up at 3:30. I will take a bus to a train station and ride the electric train to the airport. I'm probably going to just check both of my bags. Mom could you put a little money in my account the church should refund you. I should be at the mission home at about 11 tomorrow and I will hopefully be put to work right away. The MTC is letting me get all my energy out so I'm excited to go run and work!! I love you all and I will talk to you tommorow probably around  7 or so!! I will call the house first!! Love you all and I will talk to you tomorrow!! 

Sincerely Elder Groesbeck

P.S. mom can you pay the bishop my tithing and tell him i will send my other one i have in my scriptures via the mail!! Also Either 12:6 for my missionary scripture!! so love you!! 

On our way to the Provo MTC. July 15, 2015

One last hug for mom.

All of the missionaries headed to Carlsbad.

Elder Groesbeck's District

Roomates - L to R Elder Miles, Elder Raddon, Elder Groesbeck and Elder Higginson

Carlsbad Missionaries - July 2015