Goodmorning. Sorry this letter is a little late, we had to give our car "fraisa" a little deep clean this morning. We are totally Ammon missionaries hahaha. ANYWAY.
Here we are. We just had a really good week, well it started off a little rocky and we had our ups and downs but it was illuminated by all the amazing things that happened...I don't think Ill be able to describe them all because it was just so awesome. One day you'll hear all about it Im sure.
Oh and first of all thanks for all the emails and pictures. I loved seeing everyone at Thanksgiving. It looked like it was so fun!!!! Im happy. Our thanksgiving was perfect. Just the way I hoped it would be. We started off the morning running around and putting thanksgiving notes on all our investigators doors (well not all but a lot). We had traced our hands and made little turkeys and put them up every where. It was really fun. THen we had a few appointments and then at 2 we went to the house where we live and had thanksgiving dinner with them and their family. It was delicious, we shared a message and went around the table saying all the things we were thankful for, then we headed out and just worked. Thanksgiving is great and the way we show our love and gratitude for God as missionaries is working. So it was awesome.
I know Mom...7 days until my birthday.Please Don't remind me. Ill be 22.. yikes. Not my favorite thing. The only person who knows is my companion, and I made her swear not to tell anyone...but some how my zone leaders know....hmmm. Anyway its a Pday so I will be eating a red velvet cheesecake from cheesecake factory and then just doing normal stuff.
SO this week....
SO miracle number one. We were in this apartment complex visiting a few people and we had a few minutes until our next appointment so we decided to knock a bit. We were in the aisle thing and I pointed down and said farthest ones to the left. We went and knocked....nothing....knocked another....nothing..knocked again and found this Indian woman. We started talking to her and testifying and talking about eternal families. She then said "hold on let me go wake up my husband". So she invited us in and we talked and taught her and her husband. Such a sweet family, we asked if the english elders could come by and she said yes. So we left. Then a couple hours later the zone leaders call us (they are over the YSA ward) and they were like did you talk to someone named Benni in hill crest apartments? And we were like yes.....So the Zone leaders were in the area looking for a member who wasn't home so they started knocking and knocked into Benni and his family. We both talked about how we felt such a sweet spirit there! So cool!
We have this investigator Magdalena who missed an appointment this week because she got called into work. We were on her street 2 days later and our appointment fell through. We decided to go see her. We found her and taught her the Restoration. She got so emotional when we told her about Joseph Smith, the spirit was so strong and she committed to prepare to be baptized. She has work on Sundays so that will be a struggle. BUT all things are possible the with help of Christ...
Speaking of all things are possible. I translated on Sunday because all the spanish people were in the english sacrament so i wore this headphone thing with a microphone and they all had headsets. There were totally people who could have done a better job but Im grateful I had the experience because it was amazing to feel the help of my Heavenly Father. The church is TRUE! Spanish is amazing!
We found a less active the other day who hasn't been to church in a year and she let us in..we taught her and she invited us to come back the next week!!
We had an outpouring of member referrals. One set up an appointment with us immediately over the phone and she is SO excited.
I love this work. I know that when we work hard and do all we are suppose to do, the Lord will bless us...
Like with Sylvia she is another investigator and she is with a member of the church. They can't get married because they were both married in Mexico and couldn't get a divorce, but the divorce should be done ...is done...or something and she wants to be baptized with all her heart. She comes to church and we are teaching her now. Im hoping for a white christmas (white as in white baptismal jumpsuits).
Also..when I get home I am writing "Mission- the musical". Its going to be great and I am already practicing the songs. You can even ask Hermana Clark. Haha.
Thanks so much for all you do for me. You are too good for me. I don't need anything for my birthday or Christmas just love. Maybe christmas you could send something that I can give to my companion. She is just so cool and I am really grateful for her.
We have zone conference this week, I am looking forward to an outpouring of revelation and its always great to see President and Sister Castro!
Love you all, cuidense mucho y nos vemos.
You should tell Veronica and Aunt Patty to write to me in spanish. How were they by the way?
Oh and of course Hno Campos said nice things, he's just a really nice guy. Always helping us out.
OH and its far away but I guess you should start talking with the family when it would be best to get together to call.
LOVE YOU!!!!
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Happy Holidays!!!!!!!
HOLA!!!!
Ok...first...I have to admit....my patience needs work. I got your package and when I first got it I had every intention of waiting until thanksgiving BUT we got home...and no mail (usually a daily occurrence haha) and I was like IM OPENING THIS! Cause I figured there would be a letter inside. So i opened it....and I LOVE IT! Thank you so much for the blanket! Its so crazy and awesome that they can do stuff like that. I LOVE LOVE LOVE IT! THANK YOU SO MUCH! You are the best dad.
Then I got a letter from chelsea the next day, let her know I loved it and will be writing her back soon.
ANYWAY. We are soooo pumped that its the holidays. Me and Hna Clark both have traditions that we love with our families but we are both so pumped to be spending this holiday telling people about Jesus Christ. I am so excited because I feel like everyones hearts will be so much more open to listening. We are planning a special christmas message that includes the BOM because we can't stray away from what OUR IMPORTANT MESSAGE IS!!! We actually didn't have a dinner on thursday but the people we live with invited us to eat with their family which is perfect because they are our family here. I hope you all have a wonderful thanksgiving! Take pictures for me!
OH ....scary thing...next week the spanish unit will be going into sacrament meeting with the english ward and the man that usually translates will be in utah....so guess who is translating.....ME! AH! I have to wear this headset with microphone and all they spanish people will be wearing headphones. Stressful, but I can do it.
Mom, I have a question, do you remember any of the missionaries who taught you?? I actually had an experience that reminded me of something you wrote me not too long ago. You said that every time you were invited to be baptized you felt the spirit. Well we are teaching Jesus (boyfriend of Ingrid) and the spirit was really strong and I asked him to prepare to be baptized for the first weekend of Jan. and it was quiet and he says Wow.... My heart stopped, the spirit was strong...and then he says..."Ive already been baptized by someone who has authority"....AHHHH. I wanted to cry, for like 2 seconds I swear he was going to say yes...and I think he WAS going to say yes...but he didn't. After the lesson my companion said the same thing...she was like I FELT IT, YOU FELT IT...he HAD TO HAVE FELT IT. Its crazy..but I really have faith that we are suppose to be patient with him. I told him flat out that I would never stop inviting him to be baptized because I love them and I know that is the best thing for them.
Lets see...what else. We got dropped by this wonderful woman Jasmin. It was a bummer BECAUSE she wants to study SO BAD, but she recently got a new job and she is literally working every day from 7 in the morning unit 830 at night...but it was really cool how the spirit totally instructed us on what to do. We taught her effective ways to study the Book of Mormon and made goals with her about studying and praying. We def. will still drop by from time to time. She says in like Feb she will start working like normal again. BUT if you read in the scriptures when Alma goes to preach to the apostate Zoramites and his heart just hearts...BUT it was swallowed up in the joy Christ.
We have a vision for our area and we have goals. We have wonderful leaders that support us and we are just teaching like Crazy! I LOVE LOVE LOVE the mission.
Ok Im going to keep this short because I have a few other people I need to email...like Chrissy.
LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH AND THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR EMAILS OF SUPPORT!
Ok...first...I have to admit....my patience needs work. I got your package and when I first got it I had every intention of waiting until thanksgiving BUT we got home...and no mail (usually a daily occurrence haha) and I was like IM OPENING THIS! Cause I figured there would be a letter inside. So i opened it....and I LOVE IT! Thank you so much for the blanket! Its so crazy and awesome that they can do stuff like that. I LOVE LOVE LOVE IT! THANK YOU SO MUCH! You are the best dad.
Then I got a letter from chelsea the next day, let her know I loved it and will be writing her back soon.
ANYWAY. We are soooo pumped that its the holidays. Me and Hna Clark both have traditions that we love with our families but we are both so pumped to be spending this holiday telling people about Jesus Christ. I am so excited because I feel like everyones hearts will be so much more open to listening. We are planning a special christmas message that includes the BOM because we can't stray away from what OUR IMPORTANT MESSAGE IS!!! We actually didn't have a dinner on thursday but the people we live with invited us to eat with their family which is perfect because they are our family here. I hope you all have a wonderful thanksgiving! Take pictures for me!
OH ....scary thing...next week the spanish unit will be going into sacrament meeting with the english ward and the man that usually translates will be in utah....so guess who is translating.....ME! AH! I have to wear this headset with microphone and all they spanish people will be wearing headphones. Stressful, but I can do it.
Mom, I have a question, do you remember any of the missionaries who taught you?? I actually had an experience that reminded me of something you wrote me not too long ago. You said that every time you were invited to be baptized you felt the spirit. Well we are teaching Jesus (boyfriend of Ingrid) and the spirit was really strong and I asked him to prepare to be baptized for the first weekend of Jan. and it was quiet and he says Wow.... My heart stopped, the spirit was strong...and then he says..."Ive already been baptized by someone who has authority"....AHHHH. I wanted to cry, for like 2 seconds I swear he was going to say yes...and I think he WAS going to say yes...but he didn't. After the lesson my companion said the same thing...she was like I FELT IT, YOU FELT IT...he HAD TO HAVE FELT IT. Its crazy..but I really have faith that we are suppose to be patient with him. I told him flat out that I would never stop inviting him to be baptized because I love them and I know that is the best thing for them.
Lets see...what else. We got dropped by this wonderful woman Jasmin. It was a bummer BECAUSE she wants to study SO BAD, but she recently got a new job and she is literally working every day from 7 in the morning unit 830 at night...but it was really cool how the spirit totally instructed us on what to do. We taught her effective ways to study the Book of Mormon and made goals with her about studying and praying. We def. will still drop by from time to time. She says in like Feb she will start working like normal again. BUT if you read in the scriptures when Alma goes to preach to the apostate Zoramites and his heart just hearts...BUT it was swallowed up in the joy Christ.
We have a vision for our area and we have goals. We have wonderful leaders that support us and we are just teaching like Crazy! I LOVE LOVE LOVE the mission.
Ok Im going to keep this short because I have a few other people I need to email...like Chrissy.
LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH AND THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR EMAILS OF SUPPORT!
Monday, November 14, 2011
oh my...
Primero, puedo decir.....!!!HIJOLE!!!! Haha...yes mom it slipped your mind to tell me that Amber was getting married!?!?!?!?!?! Wow. I was reading Mariah's email and I was like WHHATTT??? Crazy. When I left she was totally planning on serving a mission, but the Lord works in mysterious ways. Good for her. I would love to see a picture. You also forgot to mention that Dustin is GOING TO PERU!!! That is so cool. We will be able to chit chat in the language of the heavens. Also...that uncle gene got a pacemaker???? Well Im glad to hear all is well.
Also I forgot to mention that today is the day before transfers...annnnnd. ME AND HERMANA CLARK ARE STAYING HERE TOGETHER!!!!!!!!! We really figured that but we are so happy to actually know. She's really awesome. I just love her to death and we get to spend Thanksgiving and Christmas together. We are excited. Hopefully we will be making Christmas cards today. YAY
Well the work....its good. We were able to teach a lot today. I love how the mission is organized. Its so inspired be the Lord, all the things that we do. We have a district meeting every week and since we have a celestial district we come away every time ready to take on the world. I love that we get time to study every morning, its our communication with the Lord and our chance to build our strengths and testimony. I suggest adding study time Dad to your new retired routine!
So we have a couple people with baptismal dates right now. 2 we set yesterday. One's name is Carlos. I really like how we met him...it was raining the other night and we were walking and started talked to this guy. He was young, like 20 and we talked to him awhile. We then set up an appointment and came by a couple days later. Then we met his brother carlos and taught him. So then we came back the next day and taught them both. Carlos really took in the Book of Mormon and I think he gets the fact that IF THIS IS TRUE, he needs to do something about it. He accepted to prepare to be baptized the first weekend in January.
Then there is another Carlos we are teaching. We taught him about the Restoration the other day and it was just so powerful. I felt the spirit so strong. Then at the end he said something like "Yeah I believe this is all true but I think Ill be ok in my church still"...I think my jaw almost dropped. We talked to him about it a bit and really invited him to pray and ask God, read the book of mormon, and he invited us back. I have faith that if he really does this he will know the Book of Mormon is true and everything else will follow.
We are teaching this man named Jose who we met knocking and he's SO AWESOME. He's 40 and he knows he needs a purpose in life. He was telling us that this year his new year revolution was to find a church and he felt like when we came over it was a sign from God. We taught him about the Book of Mormon and he was so excited to start reading it. He wanted to know if he should read from the beginning or what.
Jesus and Ingrid. Ingrid is a member and Jesus is her boyfriend (father of her child....) and I just love them so much. I taught Jesus when I was here last time and we dropped him pretty fast. But this time....I just feel like we are suppose to be patient. He's progressing.....VERY SLOWLY....but he is. He just needs to pray about the Book of Mormon, but we'e just been teaching him the basics and he is really soaking it in.
There are more but thats the people that were interesting this week.
I love the mission and I love my family. Its weird not being home for thanksgiving a bit, but its not even an option for me. Im here and this is the best thing I could be doing.
By the way the 30 dollars on the credit card at walgreens....I got sick....and we went to the store and just stocked up so I could get better...and IM BETTER!!! Yay. It worked.
I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH THANKS FOR BEING SO LOVING AND SUPPORTING. TELL EVERYONE I SAID HI AND I LOVE THEM
Also I forgot to mention that today is the day before transfers...annnnnd. ME AND HERMANA CLARK ARE STAYING HERE TOGETHER!!!!!!!!! We really figured that but we are so happy to actually know. She's really awesome. I just love her to death and we get to spend Thanksgiving and Christmas together. We are excited. Hopefully we will be making Christmas cards today. YAY
Well the work....its good. We were able to teach a lot today. I love how the mission is organized. Its so inspired be the Lord, all the things that we do. We have a district meeting every week and since we have a celestial district we come away every time ready to take on the world. I love that we get time to study every morning, its our communication with the Lord and our chance to build our strengths and testimony. I suggest adding study time Dad to your new retired routine!
So we have a couple people with baptismal dates right now. 2 we set yesterday. One's name is Carlos. I really like how we met him...it was raining the other night and we were walking and started talked to this guy. He was young, like 20 and we talked to him awhile. We then set up an appointment and came by a couple days later. Then we met his brother carlos and taught him. So then we came back the next day and taught them both. Carlos really took in the Book of Mormon and I think he gets the fact that IF THIS IS TRUE, he needs to do something about it. He accepted to prepare to be baptized the first weekend in January.
Then there is another Carlos we are teaching. We taught him about the Restoration the other day and it was just so powerful. I felt the spirit so strong. Then at the end he said something like "Yeah I believe this is all true but I think Ill be ok in my church still"...I think my jaw almost dropped. We talked to him about it a bit and really invited him to pray and ask God, read the book of mormon, and he invited us back. I have faith that if he really does this he will know the Book of Mormon is true and everything else will follow.
We are teaching this man named Jose who we met knocking and he's SO AWESOME. He's 40 and he knows he needs a purpose in life. He was telling us that this year his new year revolution was to find a church and he felt like when we came over it was a sign from God. We taught him about the Book of Mormon and he was so excited to start reading it. He wanted to know if he should read from the beginning or what.
Jesus and Ingrid. Ingrid is a member and Jesus is her boyfriend (father of her child....) and I just love them so much. I taught Jesus when I was here last time and we dropped him pretty fast. But this time....I just feel like we are suppose to be patient. He's progressing.....VERY SLOWLY....but he is. He just needs to pray about the Book of Mormon, but we'e just been teaching him the basics and he is really soaking it in.
There are more but thats the people that were interesting this week.
I love the mission and I love my family. Its weird not being home for thanksgiving a bit, but its not even an option for me. Im here and this is the best thing I could be doing.
By the way the 30 dollars on the credit card at walgreens....I got sick....and we went to the store and just stocked up so I could get better...and IM BETTER!!! Yay. It worked.
I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH THANKS FOR BEING SO LOVING AND SUPPORTING. TELL EVERYONE I SAID HI AND I LOVE THEM
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Teaching in Spanish is so much better
BUENASSSSS! Thanks for all the emails! Well first off I guess the picture is on my new hair cut....I got it last monday and the lady that cut our hair is a straight up professional. Like her clients in New York City fly her out there to cut her hair. Super awesome. ANYWAY...
OH Mother.....I got a phone call from a lady in our area who said she talked to you. I will call her today but goodness mom, haha my companion told me to be grateful my mom loves me (and I am..), but Im a serious missionary and stuff :). Bro. Campos is the person you talked to...hes a good guy. He is in the leadership in our spanish unit. He was just being nice about me. I promise haha.
Also don't be silly about me helping Hna Clark, she helps me. She's wonderful.
This week has been good. I mean...we had to drop like 5 of our investigators this week but thats ok, you just have to have faith that because they aren't ready right now, they will be in the area book and someone will come a long and find them when they are ready. I know thats true.
HOWEVER we have a quite a few investigators who are hanging strong and really growing their testimonies. One of our investigators Jesus (who has had missionaries in his house since 2005) bought us jerseys from a Mexican team called "America"...he found out that I have a chivas jersey and was super disappointed ha. So he's getting our name put on the back of it and everything. Super legit. It warms my heart. I love them all so much. I feel like he's progressing. I feel like he's so much more open to the gospel right now and I pray every day that right now is his time. He needs the gospel so bad.
We also are still teaching Luis and his family. They are wonderful and read the Book of Mormon every day together as a family and have started saying prayers like we taught them. The wife still has the attitude that "all of the religions are the same, just pick one you like"...ah. But Luis is really really accepting. The only hard thing is that their son is getting ready for communion so he has his classes at the same time as church. They have come once though. I have a lot of faith in them.
Leydey...shes really confused but I can see her faith growing little by little.
We had a really spiritual testimony meeting this week, and me and hna clark taught the relief society lesson in the spanish relief society. It was great. We just talked about the Book of Mormon, its amazing because it is something so basic in our church but its so true and so powerful.
If I every become queen of spanish land I am banning the phrase "Si Dios quiere" ....anyone who served spanish would understand....it just means "if God wants" and they say it a lot when you ask them to church...ext. SI DIOS QUIERE! ha...its interesting.
I LOVE SPANISH.
Thank you again for the package I have been putting the jacket to use the last couple of days.
Oh and tell blake that he should totally go to BYU I. i think thats a very good idea, we can hang out and speak spanish :) yay yay yay. I can't believe all these people are coming back. I hate time. Every week goes by way too fast. Every day. we always get mid day and Im like HOW???? WHERE DID THIS DAY GO? I love being a missionary. Oh and speaking of BYU I you can just go online and look, you could probably ask Vanessa to help you.
Thanks for the tape! I will definitely start making one. It was so weird listening to Millie, I can't believe she can speak full sentences!!!!
How is thanksgiving planning go? I love thanksgiving so much....BUT I have my whole life to go to the tippetts thanksgiving so Im not even worried about it...I GET TO BE A MISSIONARY FOR THANKSGIVING!!!
give my love to everyone!!!! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH FAMILY!!! THE GOSPEL IS TRUE! TELLbishop thanks for the email and I will write the ward soon. Hopefully today
OH Mother.....I got a phone call from a lady in our area who said she talked to you. I will call her today but goodness mom, haha my companion told me to be grateful my mom loves me (and I am..), but Im a serious missionary and stuff :). Bro. Campos is the person you talked to...hes a good guy. He is in the leadership in our spanish unit. He was just being nice about me. I promise haha.
Also don't be silly about me helping Hna Clark, she helps me. She's wonderful.
This week has been good. I mean...we had to drop like 5 of our investigators this week but thats ok, you just have to have faith that because they aren't ready right now, they will be in the area book and someone will come a long and find them when they are ready. I know thats true.
HOWEVER we have a quite a few investigators who are hanging strong and really growing their testimonies. One of our investigators Jesus (who has had missionaries in his house since 2005) bought us jerseys from a Mexican team called "America"...he found out that I have a chivas jersey and was super disappointed ha. So he's getting our name put on the back of it and everything. Super legit. It warms my heart. I love them all so much. I feel like he's progressing. I feel like he's so much more open to the gospel right now and I pray every day that right now is his time. He needs the gospel so bad.
We also are still teaching Luis and his family. They are wonderful and read the Book of Mormon every day together as a family and have started saying prayers like we taught them. The wife still has the attitude that "all of the religions are the same, just pick one you like"...ah. But Luis is really really accepting. The only hard thing is that their son is getting ready for communion so he has his classes at the same time as church. They have come once though. I have a lot of faith in them.
Leydey...shes really confused but I can see her faith growing little by little.
We had a really spiritual testimony meeting this week, and me and hna clark taught the relief society lesson in the spanish relief society. It was great. We just talked about the Book of Mormon, its amazing because it is something so basic in our church but its so true and so powerful.
If I every become queen of spanish land I am banning the phrase "Si Dios quiere" ....anyone who served spanish would understand....it just means "if God wants" and they say it a lot when you ask them to church...ext. SI DIOS QUIERE! ha...its interesting.
I LOVE SPANISH.
Thank you again for the package I have been putting the jacket to use the last couple of days.
Oh and tell blake that he should totally go to BYU I. i think thats a very good idea, we can hang out and speak spanish :) yay yay yay. I can't believe all these people are coming back. I hate time. Every week goes by way too fast. Every day. we always get mid day and Im like HOW???? WHERE DID THIS DAY GO? I love being a missionary. Oh and speaking of BYU I you can just go online and look, you could probably ask Vanessa to help you.
Thanks for the tape! I will definitely start making one. It was so weird listening to Millie, I can't believe she can speak full sentences!!!!
How is thanksgiving planning go? I love thanksgiving so much....BUT I have my whole life to go to the tippetts thanksgiving so Im not even worried about it...I GET TO BE A MISSIONARY FOR THANKSGIVING!!!
give my love to everyone!!!! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH FAMILY!!! THE GOSPEL IS TRUE! TELLbishop thanks for the email and I will write the ward soon. Hopefully today
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