Feb. 7, 2011

*SPANISH SPEAKING STATE SIDE! YES SIR! That pretty much proves that chachi and I are brothers. Leaving at the exact same time and everything, crazy! We will just be able to make fun of Nick all the time and he will have no idea what we are saying. And flipping Payden, holy cow tell him to quit his job, go to church, love his family and serve a mission and also read the Book of Mormon. Here is a little math equation for him. Read the book of mormon (every day) + Going to church (every Sunday) + Prayer (every day) = Never falling away from the church = Overcoming all tempations = Having true happiness. I would say the minutes out of your day to do those few things are most definitely worth the blessings. 1111 make a wish! ok anyways this week was really good. We had some bomb lessons, and one of them is just sticking out to me wirte now... so I'll share that one. So there is this lady named Isabel (technically she has a really soft committment to be baptized on the 19th of February... but we will go over there later this week and try to make it a strong one) that we taught this week. Now she has been taught for I don't even know how long; down in Yakima. Just moved up here not to long ago, and came to church with a friend here once. But she could almost recite to you the Joseph Smith story as well as I could. But my companion and I were really just trying to envision what it was that she was missing, how can we help her progress basically. And we both decided that it was probably prayer. And so we planned out this awesome lesson, all about the first vision and the significance of prayer. And the Holy Ghost definitely testified that was exactly what she needed during the lesson. And so by the end of the lesson, she tells us that she doesn't know how to pray. And I am like how in the world can this lady have been taught for years by missionaries and know so much stuff about our church and not know how to pray. But it was a testimony builder for me that God really does prepare his children, because I am guessing that for those many years of being taught she had probably refused to pray...but after this lesson she gave an unbelievable prayer, and you can tell that slowly by slowly she was prepared by God to do it. Another testimony builder in this same lesson, is that in reality, the knowledge that we know about the church, although important is not what tells us the church is true. But all the convictions that we receive through our prayers and testimonys. Without prayer it is impossible to know anything. So my personal oppinon about that one scripture in DyC about don't seek to declare my word, until ye have obtained my word.. and then ye shall be given the holy ghost (or somewhere along those lines) is so true but it hit me in a different way this week. But we obtain the world not through our own knowledge, but by everytime we receive a conviction through the Holy Ghost. We have to many peolpe preaching the word of God with there own knowledge, when reality they should not be teaching, because in reality they have not obtained the truth through the convictions of the holy ghost. I know this church is true with all my heart and this knowledge does not come from anybody else, but only from god. I love yall so much and have a good week.

*Ty's great friend Quinten Hardman aka ChaChi just received his mission call last week to the Indianapolis, Indiana mission (Spanish speaking). He reports to the MTC on March 16th. Ty reported to the MTC last year on March 17th. Don't let the bantering between Nick and Ty fool you...those two LOVE each other so much and love to banter back and forth like the brothers they are.