Mar. 29, 2011

So this week was was way good. I had the opportunity to go to the temple for the first time since I have left the MTC. Holy Cow it is was so amazing. I just walked in and I knew that it was God's house and that I was being sanctified, and it was just so awesome. This week I read a talk called being purified and it just hit me so hard, and ringed so true. And I will just give a quick summary of it...When this guy was on his mission, he and his companion had received a member refferral and went over to the members house a couple days later to teach this lady. It was a completely normal lession about the restoration, and at the end him and his companion bore testimony about the profet joseph smith and then asked the member to bear his testimony. The old man then turned to the lady and looked her in the eye, and said, I know that Joseph Smith was and is a profet of God. the lady started to cry and the spirit filled the room. The missionaries went home and asked each other, what was the difference? they had said they exact same thing, but for whatever reason, when he said it, it was filled with power. Obviously it was the Holy Ghost, but why did this man have it so strong. The missionary went to the scriptures and he prayed in order to find out. A week later they had a meeting with another church leader, once again the spirit filled the room as he shared his simple tesitmony. The missionary decided to wait for the room to clear and went up to him, and asked what he was missing. The man looked him in his eyes for a minute and then for two minutes, and finally spoke; When you see that pretty girl walk by you, what do you think? Do you wake up at 6 am every morning? Do you obey every mission rule? his questions continued to flow. And then he said to the Elder if you want to have power, fast, and during that day, wirte down every single thing pokes at your spirit. At the end of the day review what you wrote down with God. Then make a covenant with God for forty days you will fast or refrain from everything that is on that list. The story goes on to say how he truly became purified, how he wrote down things that he didn't even think were wrong, but at the end of the 40 days; miracles just happened. he was sensitive to every prompting of the Holy Ghost, him and his companion had spiritual manifestations for their investigators every day. Many Baptisms followed, but the numbers didn't hold any significance, but they literally had become one in purpose with God and His will. Now I personally have not started to do this, but I am going to here in the next couple weeks. I have already grown to know so many things onmy mission, but I am ready to become purified and a hundred percent the tool that I am suppose to be in the hands of God. I love yall so much and thank yall for everything. have a good week!

March 21, 2011

No the address is still the same. Grandapas letter didn't make it to me, because He sent it to my Warden address, and I had left the week before Christmas from Warden to Spokane, and the warden elders just never sent it to me. Ok so this week was way good. Although more crazy news. Our investigator Braulio, is now moving to New York in 2 days! I don't know how it is possible. But it's all good, we were just sending all these way prepared people around the U.S. to be baptized. But everytime we do, God lets us know that he cares about us, and this area, by showing us more and more prepared people. I mean it is just a testimony builder in verdad. because it is the exact same team around the world for sure, but it is always the exact same game as well. Faith. That is all there is to it. One door closes, and another one opens, or maybe even two. Sure, it still amazes me how many amazing people have just decided to move on us, haha, but even more amazing is how everyone says, oh there is no hispanics in spokane, and I say cool that means more miracles, and then I just see the miracles just happen as God blesses us every week with more of His children He has prepared. And this is soley just an example of the miracles of God, and not putting me up or anything I do, but before this area was averaging like 4-6 new investigators a transfer, and we have been averaging 3 to 4 every week. It is just so humbling, and amazing how much God wants to do for us, but that is depended on our actions and our faith. My companion is just a man of faith and dedication, and he helps my faith a ton, and together we receive the blessings of God. Unfortunately we will not be seeing the baptism of Alex, but he is converted (It is just awesome how you see the gospel change peoples lives; from breaking every commandment, but wanting happiness, to living all the commandments and finding happiness. From showing show up to church the first Sunday in a pair of Jeans and a shirt; to saving money to buy a white shirt, coat, pants and tie) Just awesome experiences. But with the News of all these people leaving, we have also found 3 new families and many prepared individuals that have a desire to know. I am still praying with all my heart I can see the fruits of my labors through a baptism, but that will depend on the Lord and I am completely fine with that. Cause I feel the spirit when I teach, and I have seen the hand of God in this work, and I would be a fool to say otherwise. I know I have been a part of changing peoples lives, and I know I will see baptisms here in the future. I love yall so much and thank yall for the prayers. Have an awesome week!

Mar. 14, 2011

Oh that is so awesome acerca de Payden y Cha chi! oh i love it! man i have been praying for them so hard. And I am still praying for steve o. But no i did not get the chance to see Elder Almquist, and I don't actually know who Elder Jones is nor does my companion, which is weird cause I pretty much know all of the spanish elders. But I would have seen him if there were more people in his group, but there was only like 4 elders that came in with him. But the hermanas in my district saw him and they said hi to him for me. But I will see him eventually for sure. But ya I heard about the tsunami in Japan and thought about Kenny and everyone, but I don't think i actually know anyone over there. But ya I will be praying for them for sure. But ya this week here has just been crazy. I think I am a curse to this area or something cause everyone that is on date to be baptized just decides to move. We were teaching this awesome guy named Edwin who has just been keeping all of his commitments, reading and marking his El libro de Mormon and thinking hard about if he wanted to get baptized and boom he is off to Texas. Flip! but it is all good cause we are all on the same team, and he will definitely be baptized. But as far as Alex goes, he might actually get baptized here right before he heads off to Seattle; which I am hoping he does, but he can only do that if he can live somewhere else for at least a week before his baptismal date. But I guess we will see what happens this week. But we were most definitely blessed with finding this week and so hopefully we will be blessed with being able to teach some really prepared people, and if not well we will keep on searching and find the one that God has truly prepared. Oh i want to see a baptism in this area so bad. And not just because it is a number or thats how I rate my success or anything. But seeing peoples faces after they come out of the water, and even more so after they receive the Holy Ghost are the most amazing things in the world. And it just hits you how much God loves us and wants us to return to his presence. And i am also really excited because I should be going to the temple here sometime soon, and I haven't been since the mtc. Which is not a good thing. I think about the temple and I am just so ready to just remember everything and get that spiritual uplift and remember even more how i was endowed with power. If yall haven't been, I encourage yall to find some time in the next couple weeks to go. But I love yall so much and I thank you so much for all of the prayers. And I also thank Bro. Corbin for his e mail. I still have his letter with me from before i even left for the mtc. I am probably going to read it sometime again. And of course I thank my sisters and grandma y grandpa for their e mails as well. Although alisa said she was sending me a birthday package. Just throwing that out there, because I have not received it. Love yall

Mar. 7, 2011

I love being a missionary. I love the lessons I have learned, and am still learning. I have learned that often times when I began to think someone was prideful, alot of it had to do with my own pride. I have learned that answers to prayers come through other people, the scriptures, church, and that we recognize the answers through the power of the Holy Ghost. I have learned that having the Holy Ghost is essencial to missionary work, and essencial to having the spirit is virtue and charity and love. I have learned that having a testimony to the Gospel of Jesus Christ is not enough, but rather we must be converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ. There are many instances where we are frustrated as missionaries; I have learned that being frustrated and dismayed with my investigators and with myself is one of the biggest tools of Satan. Being truly converted does not mean we are never saddened, but it does mean that we are never angry. We understand the joy of the Gospel, and the purpose we have as missionaries; we understand that many times hard times are a prerequisite of miracles. I have been so blessed with this throughout my mission. I have also learned, that if I cannot learn to love my companion, then I also can not fully love and appreciate my savior Jesus Christ. It is crazy how those go hand and hand with each other. This week was a really good week. I knew that this might be a faith tester for our investigator Alex; as we had planned to teach him both the palabra de sabiduria y tambien the ley de castidad (WOW and CHASITY). He has done everything wrong with the WOW and is living with his girlfriend, who refuses to even pray with us. We prepared a lot for both of these lessons. We taught the WOW first. We went by 2 days later, and asked him if he was living it. He said that after he got done reading the pamphlet, he committed himself to live it. We taught him the law of chasity next and this one was a way hard one for him. He told us he would talk to his girlfriend that night. He fasted and came to church with us this Sunday. He said he recieved an answer to his prayers. He does not make enough money to get an apartment on his own, in order to live the law fo chasity, and so he will be moving to Seattle in the next couple of weeks with his cousin in order to be baptized. He has already called his cousins to ask him for the direction of the church. He is amazing. The definition of a conversion, and is just such a miracle. I am little sad that i might not see his baptism but I am excited for him. and i love this gospel. I love yall so much and have a good week