First Full Week In My New Area- DC 3rd

 This week was the first full week of being in my new area. It's
really cool to see how the key indicators/numbers are different from
being in a car. In a car, we can't talk to everyone because it is
kinda awkward driving up to someone and getting out. I am sure they
think they are gonna get jumped or something. Being on a bike we are
supposed to talk... I am still working on it hahah.

  Wednesday, I went with our roommate to help teach one of their
investigators named Lee. He lives like right around the corner from
the White House! And he is a very cool guy. We talked about the plan
of salvation and he taught the lesson! He told us everything about it!
From Pre-mortal life, birth, death, spirit paradise, the resurrection
and judgement AND The 3 Kingdoms of Glory. Let's say he is one of
those golden investigators! Lee is an IT kinda guy, so we connected
really well :)

  Friday, we went on exchange with our zone leaders: Elder Tavana and
Elder Hansen. Elder Hansen came here with me and he is a very sweet
person. We started off the day by going up to this bike shop up by the
National Mall to get me a bike tube. That took all morning pretty
much. When we get off at our metro stop, we go to this place called
&pizza. It's basically like subway but with pizza. Holy. Smokes. IT IS
THE BEST PIZZA I HAVE EVER HAD!!!!! It is a rectangular pizza and as
bigger than a foot long! Just tying this is making want to go get some
more!! :P

Then at night, we took one of our investigators up to the Visitors
Center to have a lesson on the plan of salvation. He felt the spirit
so strongly that night, so he kept expressing what he was feeling
inside. Really touching!!

  Saturday was not the best day for me.. Friday was just as bad
because of all the walking. But on Saturday I didn't go out because I
could hardly put pressure on my foot. It is so frustrating that this
is happening again to me, but The Lord has his reasons for these
trials for us.

  Lastly, yesterday we went down to the Mall to see Ceasar, who is a
retired marine and feeds us like every weekend. But he was in the
Memorial Day parade with the Rolling Thunder Bike brigade. Instead,
since we missed the big group of motorcyclists, we talked to people.
Which was fun for a little bit. We were walking around the Washington
Monument and we saw some random guy standing on a wall preaching. At
first we thought he was a JW (Jehovah's Witness), but turns out they
were Baptists. We talked to one of the guys handing out flyers which
normally we shouldn't take, but we took anyways to exchange for one of
our cards. Their beliefs are similar to ours but not really.. haha

Thank you Linda Watson for the letter this week, and also, thank you
to all those who have written me! I really enjoy reading about the
cool stories each of youi have so please continue to write! :)

I Love you all so very much! Have an awesome week my friends!

Avec beaucoup d'amour,

Elder JT Ekberg

Sent from my iPad Mini

My First Transfer!!

So this is what happened this week:

Tuesday, the day before transfers, We had a great day with a senior
missionary couple named the Biolos(? I don't think I spelled that
right). First we had an appointment with Scott Jenkins (investigator)
and reassured him that his decision to be baptized will be the best
decision that he will ever make. Scott is amazing. His testimony is so
strong and he already acts like he is a member! I hope that when he
does get baptized I can get to go to that

Wednesday was transfers! And guess what? I GOT TRANSFERRED!! =D I am now in Northeast D.C. in the D.C. 3rd ward. When we got to the apartment, basically unpacked for a little bit and then we went to
dinner at the chapel. This ward doesn't do a meal calendar so we get fed like 1-2 times a week :(

Thursday night was very interesting. We went over to see one of the investigators we have. We get there and is friend answers the door and we asked him if he would want to learn more about a prophet. At first, he hesitated. Then he warmed up to the idea of 5-10 minutes. Well, it wasn't 5-10 minutes lol. It was more like one hour! As we were talking to him, one of his roommates came down to see what was up. These two individuals are both Theological scholars at the Catholic University, just down the street from where we are living. So it turned into a mini Bible bash! We mostly talked about The Fall of Adam and Eve and
they learned A LOT!! I was happy:)

Friday was really cool. In the evening, we went by Paula's, an
investigator, to finish her baptismal program and to have the baptism
interview from the Zone Leaders. She got baptized yesterday! :) She is
such a strong and faithful person. Her testimony is awesome. And what
drew her to the church, was the peace and warmth she felt whenever she
was in the building.

Saturday was the best day I have ever had being in the mission field.
Why you might wonder? It was because we got to hear from Elder
Ballard!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! =D  Basically in short, he told us that
we need to talk to more people in order to see more people come into
the church. He issued us all (3 Missions so about 760 missionaries) to
talk to 10 people each and every day. So this will be very interesting
for me to see the growth that comes from this.

I love you all oh so very much. The Savior lives. His gospel is truly
real. He suffered the ultimate sacrifice for all the world that no man
could ever do.

Ps: I have a new address! Please send JUST LETTERS to this address:
120 Michigan Ave. Apt # K-31
Washington, D.C. 20017-1023

and then packages to
11700 Falls Rd
Potomac, MD 20854

THak you all!!!! ❤️☺️😏😃 :)

Breaking News- TRANSFERS!!!

BIG SPIDER!!!

My Lil Buddy

**BREAKING NEWS** brought to you by the DC north mission news choppa!

So after being in the area of white plains, md for 6 months, I will be
getting transferred! And I will be going on bike somewhere! I'm pretty
excited to go but I am hoping my ankle won't give out suddenly while
on bike.

This weekend was pretty awesome. We had a last lesson with the toppers
on Friday on receiving a patriarchal blessing, and then we had dinner
at there house the next day! We were so thankful for them having us
over two days in a row! Breakfast for dinner is like the best dinner
ever! Then of course Mother's Day yesterday! I wish we could have more
time to talk with our moms and our families :( start the countdown for
Christmas! :)


Today we went on a little "nature hike". I really wish Maryland had
mountains because then we can really go mountain biking! But we got a
couple ticks and luckily they didn't burrow inside us! We found some
frogs and some cool scenery, still not as cool as it would be with the
mountains! ;)

Sorry this one was short but here are some pics and keep writing me!

Rehearsing for the Cumorah Pageant

Please send all mail to
Elder Jonathon Ekberg
11700 Falls Rd
Potomac, MD 20854

I LOVE YOU ALL!!

Elder JT Ekberg

Adventures & Crazy People

This week has been an adventure in all honesty. The work here is
starting to pick up and we are doing more and more service for less
actives and elderly people. In order to help speed up the
finding/teaching in white plains, I put together a skills camp for
kids of all ages! It is this Saturday and I hope it goes really well!
Last week, there was this guy that came to sacrament meeting wanting
to know more about the church and what the difference is between the
bible and the Book of Mormon. We told him that we can set something up
during the week or meet at church on Sundays. He came back today.. We
got to talking with him and he is literally crazy. At first, he seemed
like a solid investigator, and then he said some weird things that as
missionaries and also our ward mission leader questioned about the
sanity of this guy... Claimed he was Jesus Christ because he believed
in himself, he wants to write a book about him and all this crazy
stuff.
Also this last week, you can say that we are the "traveling healers"
hahaha. We gave blessings (of comfort or healing). We gave at least 5
this last week. That is the most we have ever done in this area! It
was a very cool experience for me because I'm still not comfortable
saying those things to people. You never know what to say but then the
spirit comes in and takes over from there! It was good experiences all
around.
Today, we had a zone activity and guess what it was?! BOWLING! :) we
played two games: the first, I didn't do too well (I wasn't warmed up
at all;) ) then the second game I broke 140! I was very rusty today
haha.
I have been in this area for almost 6 months now and I am pretty I
will be heading out of here next week. I will find out if I am staying
or going Saturday night. Transfers are on the 14th and I will be out
for 6 months on the 13th! Ain't that crazy?!

Hope y'all had a great week last week and that you will have and even
GREATER week this week! Also, tell all your moms that Elder Ekberg
says happy Mother's Day and that he loves you! Your moms are ALL
amazing mothers!

Mom, I LOVE YOU TOO!

Elder JT Ekberg

Below is a picture of us celebrating Cinco de Mayo with Sister Schwartz.  She is a great member in our ward.  Her son just returned home from the Salt Lake City, UT South mission!!