April 25, 2011

Crazy awesome week, this week. My new comp is from Houston Texas, and his name is Elder Crandall. We have had so many miracles this week. We were blessed to have 7 investigators in church, which is like a high, and also 3 people committed themselves to baptism this week. And with miracles like that I can't even begin to complain about all the rejections we have received. I love it though, because there are so many hispanos here, and it is starting to get warm, so there is just a million people outside... which is a lot seeing how it is only a town of 2000. We also played baseball with like these 7 yr old kids, for like 2 mins with this little princess plastic bat. And my comp got a single, and then I warned the outfielder to back up, but he did not. And i faked like i was going to strike out but then I just smacked it way over his head for a home run. And I let him know it was a home run too, so that was fun. I have also learned this week that bible bashing does nothing, especially if someone does not know the bible. We also had a guy tell us his conspiracy theory about easter, because there is no such thing as a bunny that lays eggs, and how santa is wrong because he is breaking and entering, and how these holidays are just teaching kids lies...the sad part was is that he was completely serious the whole time. He did not appreciate the fact that I just kept on laughing and then trying to agree with him, but he did accept a return appointment, so that was good. And then of course there is this old man named Bob who just rides his little motor scooter, wheel chair thing all around our area. So I think we have ran in to him nearly every day. It was way funny though because he just got irate at this other motor scooter guy who was dissing on his scooter because it could only go five mile without needing a recharge. He was not to happy about that. But then again I don't think he is to happy about a lot of things...one of us being mormon missionaries. But we always say hi to him when he is passing by and ask if he needs any help or anything...and without fail he cusses and turns and drives the other way. But who knows maybe one day. But now for a spiritual story. There is a guy name Josiah, who is actually married to a less active woman of the church, who actually has a desire to start going back to church, which helps a lot probably. But as of last week he did not even have a belief in God; but his heart was opened by the service of the former missionaries, who had taught him the restoration and left him with the Book of Mormon. He then went on to read the assigned part of the Book of Mormon with an earnest desire to know if it is true. We went over there and he now has a belief in God, and we went on to teach him the plan that God has for us and what his purpose of being here is. We invited him to be baptized, and he said maybe. His wife suggested a date in June when his son is going to be baptized. I felt a strong impression to share my personal experience of baptism and how I remember dad and how proud he was of me. He was hit with the spirit, his wife who suggested a possible baptism in June began to tear up, in which I asked as prompted by the spirit, will you follow the example of Jesus Christ by being baptized by someone that holds the priesthood authority of God. Without hesitation he said he would. He accepted a baptismal date 3 weeks away. He also came to church this week and is still reading from the Book of Mormon. Massiso! ?Verdad? The spirit is the converter; maybe not everybody wants to change, but they will feel the spirit directing them to do so as they open their hearts, and they will be given a choice to act on their agency to follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost. Those that do, will change their lives for the better, and those that continue to listen will change their lives forever, until they are in harmony with the will of God. I am so excited to be here in Othello with Elder Crandall because we are truly a threesome with the spirit. Love yall so much! Have a good week.

April 18, 2011

Happy homecoming sister. I am pretty sure that I wrote you on your missionary e-mail, but i am not sure if you got it or not. But ya also before I forget, if you could email me chachs mission address that would be awesome, because i got a letter from him, 2 or 3 weeks ago and am afraid if i send the letter now he probably won't receive it. This week was so awesome. We are or were teaching this guy named Rodrigo ( I am being transferred to Othello to second train and be a district leader again), but I am pretty sure i have mentioned him before, but he is just so golden. He has came to church the last three weeks, reading the book of mormon daily and is praying to God to help him to be baptized on May 7th. Just a stud; in fact I have been so blessed here in Spokane with God just sending us to the golden investigators here in Spokane. It was crazy... granted we had 7 or more of them move, 3 of them being without a doubt baptisms; but a miracle none the less. But ya so Rodrigo is actually living with a less active member named tammy who speaks very little spanish, and he doesnt speak hardly any english; but for whatever reason this is a common occurence here in Washington, no se por que. But they are not married either, and so we went over this week to teach them the law of chasity, and were exicted to invite them to live it. But it turns out he is still married to una mujer esta en mexico que no tiene ganas para divorciarse para nada. Una situacion dificil pero tambien muy common aqui. But we told them that basically there was two decisions... separate, be baptized, and eventually be married after the divorce in mexico is resolved; or wait for who knows how long for the divorce and then be baptized. Then we told them to pray about it and truly seek for an answer, without a pre answer already in their head, and that God would help them know what is to be done. And they came to church, and have been praying, and so hopefully they have been looking for an answer as well. But I will be leaving tomorrow morning, so I probably wont see them for a while, but I hope everything goes well for them. I am also just way excited for my new area in Othello. I think I am staying in the house where yall saw me shucking corn that one time. But ya I am so ready to see some more miracles here in this other area. And if yall could give thanks to the almquist family, they sent me this awesome book with a bunch of conversion stories, and testimonies of everyone in our ward back home; and that was just amazing to see and to read it. I learned a ton. I really liked what Bro. King said, about how attitude is a manifestation of ones faith. How on his mission he just prayed for the ability to always smile and have a good attitude. And it just hit me when I read it. Because I definately know that I have a strong testimony, and mucho fe, but I don't smile all that much. And It is just another thing that I lack and can improve to my future strength list. I mean people need to see me as a representative of Jesus Christ. And as a representative of Jesus Christ I should be smiling all the time. And then dad's testimony about his first fireball missionary companion; and even more now because I have the opportunity to go into to a new area with a new missionary and I am just going to hit the ground running. Oh I am so pumped and ready to go. But I thank everybody in the ward for their testimonies and prayers. And I love yall so much. I know that this work I am doing is the work of God. Yo se que nuestra familia es eterna y vamos a vivir juntos en la presencia de Dios un dia. Y yo se que soy un discipulo de Jesucristo el hijo de Dios, y he sido llamado por el para declarar su palabra entre su pueblo, para que ellos puedan tener la vida eterna. Les Amo. Y diga amanda para escribirme en espanol. Gracias. Tengan una buena semana!

April 11, 2011

Well that is just awesome mom that you were able to recognize the hand and help of God throughout the week; it is something that I personally have been striving and praying to see these last couple days. For me it is easier to see the hand of God when things are going bad but then miracles start happening, but I think sometimes we get a little cocky and we start giving ourselves credit, and then we lose sight of who was the one that got us to that point. I know I have that weakness as a missionary. We have a good week, and I start thinking, well we did it because we had set awesome goals, we had worked hard, we had a bomb lesson, or we did so well following up, and just taught the gospel like pros. But that isn't true at all. We had a good week because we set goals by the spirit, we worked diligently because we love our Heavenly Father, and all of His children, we followed the Spirit in the lesson, we applied the commandments that God has given us, and recognized that God knows the needs of his children, and us not so much. Recognizing God and the Spirit in all things is just so crucial. Giving ourselves credit, is a giant stumbling block; because as soon as we do that we give ourselves credit to a work which is not even ours. W/O the spirit and God, we wouldn't have the ability to have done any of the things which we did. I have recently learned that I do things, not just to get the spirit to teach, but because I love God, and I begin to see that he loves everyone so much, and my desire is to have everyone to return to his presence. The Spirit then becomes a bifactor of this higher desire. Seeking for the Spirit of God, is just another way of saying, learning to recognize and develop the love of God for yourself and for all those around you. This week we were blessed to have our investigator Rodrigo accept una fecha de bautismal/ He is doing so good to prepare himself to be baptized.\, by reading praying and coming to church. Brenda also came for the first time, and it was just so awesome to see her there. By the end of this week she too should be preparing for baptism. Right now we have a pretty small teaching pool, in other words, we have giant opportunity to recognize the hand of God, and follow the Holy spirit. I am really excited for this week. I have no idea how we are going to find more people, it almost feels like we have talked to all the hispanics here in spokane; but I know we will, and it won't be anything I do or my companion. But I know this God's work, and he wants to find, teach and prepare His children for baptism, and so that is what He is going to help us do. I don't know how much time I have left in Spokane, because transfers are this week, but wether i have a week of 7 more weeks here in this area, I will see miracles from God. I thank yall so much for your prayers and examples to me and I love yall so much. Have a fantastic week!

April 4, 2011

Wow that is crazy. *President Condon is the branch president that I am in right now, and Hna driggs, although I don't know her personally I have heard of her. Small world. But ya conference like always was just so awesome and uplifting. I watched 2 whole sessions in spanish for the first time ever, which is good and a little bad. My spanish still is not that good, and so although I understood everything, I wasn't able to keep notes, because everytime I wrote something down I got lost. But its all good because I got tons of notes from the first three as well as I will be able to read the talks in not too long. But it was also way good that I watched it in spanish because that means that we had investigators watching it with us. We were beyond blessed with our investigators coming to watch the conference with us ( 6 investigators! ), which was so awesome because that is what we were focusing and praying so hard about. Just another example of how this is God's work and He is answering our prayers. But ya i don't have all that much time today to write. But I do love yall so much and thanks yall for your prayers. Have an awesome week

*My best friend from high school is in town and came to visit me a couple of days ago (Nedra Anderson's daughter) and she lives in Spokane. She was telling me that the branch president of the Spanish branch is a member of her ward and so Ty might know him. She also said that one of her roommates from college had a daughter that was called to serve in Spokane and was wondering if Ty might know her. That is what he is talking about with Pres. Condon and Hna Driggs.