What a great week. Yesterday many people we´re teaching went to church. The Gospel Principles class was so packed that there wasn´t room for anyone else. Two experiences from this week stand out most in my mind. They occurred while we were teaching Lucia Molina. Two of her sisters are very active members and her 19 year old daughter is also member but just recently started to go to church again. I didn´t remember her by her name very well but when I saw her I remembered that I had taught her and her husband about a year ago when I was here before and I remember that she wasn´t very interested. But, wow, she is totally changed. The first time we taught her she openly expressed to us everything that she felt she lacked spiritually and during the whole lesson it was obvious that she was searching for something that would fill her and bless her family. The prayer she offered at the end of the lesson was one of the most beautiful, sincere prayers I have ever heard and by the end she was crying. Afterwards she earnestly thanked us for bring the Spirit into her home. Then the next time we visited her, she had read the assignment we gave her from the Book of Mormon and she told us that after reading and praying she felt desires to change her life, be more loving and kind to others, ask forgiveness to all those she may have offended, and keep the commandments. She even made the decision to prepare the food and do all the chores of the house saturday so that she could keep the sabbath day holy, without us even telling her. She really is amazing, and her daughter is more than pleased because of the decisions she´s making.
This saturday it´s likely that we will have a baptism. Miguel Angel Garcia is a retired soldier who has been attending church and listening to us for a few weeks. He is very intelligent and understands everything he reads in the Book of Mormon, but he is also very humble and quiet. Hopefully everything works out. His wife doesn´t seem to like it very much that we´re teaching him.
I love this work and know that it´s true.
Brett
Monday, January 23, 2012
January 16, 2012
The zone conference was on Wednesday. It went ok. My part in the training didn´t really turn out as well as I hoped, but hopefully they learned something. I bore my testimony along with the rest of my generation at the end because it was my last zone conference. It´s cool being a zone leader, mainly because both my companion and I have the same goals and desires and it´s a lot easier to be unified as a companionship. Elder Avendaño has like 6 months less time than I do in the mission, but he knows the scriptures and preach my gospel better than I do, I think.
Some investigators finally went to Church this sunday. We fasted especially for them and stressed the importance of attending church with them the whole week, and 4 of them went to church even though there´s been fiestas in every little town of our area every weekend. We think it´s likely this week that they accept a baptismal date. The ward mission leader and the ward missionaries are helping us out a lot and we are really trying to have a member present in every lesson, which is giving us results. This week we taught 19 lessons, including those taught to investigators, less actives, and recent converts. We want to reach at least 20 every week. Carmen and Enrique, a couple that I taught when I was here before that couldn´t be baptized because of legal problems (they´re not married and they can´t married until Carmen who´s from Colombia has the proper visa requirements), has continued atending church every week since I left and they´re so close to being able to be baptized. They plan on getting married civily by the 1 of February. It would be a dream come true if I was able to see them be baptized before I return home. Pray for them, please.
The temperature has risen a little bit lately, but the weather is still weird. It´s rained a couple times lately which is very unsual for this time of year. Our house is still like a refrigerator though. I can´t wait to go back to Florida where it´s warm.
I love you guys,
Brett
Some investigators finally went to Church this sunday. We fasted especially for them and stressed the importance of attending church with them the whole week, and 4 of them went to church even though there´s been fiestas in every little town of our area every weekend. We think it´s likely this week that they accept a baptismal date. The ward mission leader and the ward missionaries are helping us out a lot and we are really trying to have a member present in every lesson, which is giving us results. This week we taught 19 lessons, including those taught to investigators, less actives, and recent converts. We want to reach at least 20 every week. Carmen and Enrique, a couple that I taught when I was here before that couldn´t be baptized because of legal problems (they´re not married and they can´t married until Carmen who´s from Colombia has the proper visa requirements), has continued atending church every week since I left and they´re so close to being able to be baptized. They plan on getting married civily by the 1 of February. It would be a dream come true if I was able to see them be baptized before I return home. Pray for them, please.
The temperature has risen a little bit lately, but the weather is still weird. It´s rained a couple times lately which is very unsual for this time of year. Our house is still like a refrigerator though. I can´t wait to go back to Florida where it´s warm.
I love you guys,
Brett
January 9, 2012
Some experiences from this week:
On Monday night we went to visit an inactive returned missionary and his family. When I was here before he wouldn´t even say hi to us or one of his relatives would go upstairs and invite him to come down and listen to us and he never wanted to, but since then he´s totally changed. He recieved us and the ward missionaries that went with us warmly and apologized for not recieving the missionaries before (even though he didn´t even know that I had been in the ward before). We had no idea what to teach him. So, I started admiring his leather scripture covers he had made while he was serving a mission and asked him about them. While he was talking to me about them 1 Nephi 8 kept coming into my mind. When I turned the bible over I saw on the back a rendering of the tree of life as Lehi saw in his vision. I knew at that moment what we had to share with him and I had him open up to 1 Nephi 8. We read some verses together of the experience of Lehi when he first sees and partakes of the fruit. Then I asked him how this experience could apply to him. He then expressed his regret for having distanced himself from the church for several years and recognized his duty as a father and husband in helping his family reach the celestial kingdom and that fruit which is precious and desireable above all other things. He literally poured out his soul to God when he said the final prayer and comitted to go to church yesterday. It was an amazing lesson guided by the Spirit. However, to my great diasppointment they didn´t show up to church yesterday.
However, we had another incredible lesson with a recently reactivated family (of which the mother still hadn´t gone to church with her husband and daughters). We taught them about the importance of keeping the sabbath day holy and a member (baptized 2 years ago) that was with us shared a most powerful testimony of the importance of attending church regardless of what other ward members may do or say to us. The mom, Silvia, cried several times during the lesson. When she came to Church on sunday she along with her whole family were bawling and hugging each other after sacrament meeting ended. It was so beautiful to see. This family as well when I was in this ward before had no interest whatsoever in going back to Church. Know we´re going to work with one of the sons that still hasn´t gone with them to church yet.
We´ve been so busy teaching people and atending to other zone leader responsibilities that sometimes we feel like there´s not enough time in the day to do everything. Which is actually a good thing. I feel like this is the busiest time in my whole mission, just like I hoped it would be. Hopefully we can keep it up. We´ve been finding people to teach, but the hardthing is getting them to go to church on sunday. This week is our zone conference. I have to train the missionaries about the doctrine of Christ and inviting and helping people to make committments.
Ya, sometimes they put us in trios when there´s an odd number of missionaries in the mission or when one missionary is waiting for a foreign companion to arrive to Mexico.
On Monday night we went to visit an inactive returned missionary and his family. When I was here before he wouldn´t even say hi to us or one of his relatives would go upstairs and invite him to come down and listen to us and he never wanted to, but since then he´s totally changed. He recieved us and the ward missionaries that went with us warmly and apologized for not recieving the missionaries before (even though he didn´t even know that I had been in the ward before). We had no idea what to teach him. So, I started admiring his leather scripture covers he had made while he was serving a mission and asked him about them. While he was talking to me about them 1 Nephi 8 kept coming into my mind. When I turned the bible over I saw on the back a rendering of the tree of life as Lehi saw in his vision. I knew at that moment what we had to share with him and I had him open up to 1 Nephi 8. We read some verses together of the experience of Lehi when he first sees and partakes of the fruit. Then I asked him how this experience could apply to him. He then expressed his regret for having distanced himself from the church for several years and recognized his duty as a father and husband in helping his family reach the celestial kingdom and that fruit which is precious and desireable above all other things. He literally poured out his soul to God when he said the final prayer and comitted to go to church yesterday. It was an amazing lesson guided by the Spirit. However, to my great diasppointment they didn´t show up to church yesterday.
However, we had another incredible lesson with a recently reactivated family (of which the mother still hadn´t gone to church with her husband and daughters). We taught them about the importance of keeping the sabbath day holy and a member (baptized 2 years ago) that was with us shared a most powerful testimony of the importance of attending church regardless of what other ward members may do or say to us. The mom, Silvia, cried several times during the lesson. When she came to Church on sunday she along with her whole family were bawling and hugging each other after sacrament meeting ended. It was so beautiful to see. This family as well when I was in this ward before had no interest whatsoever in going back to Church. Know we´re going to work with one of the sons that still hasn´t gone with them to church yet.
We´ve been so busy teaching people and atending to other zone leader responsibilities that sometimes we feel like there´s not enough time in the day to do everything. Which is actually a good thing. I feel like this is the busiest time in my whole mission, just like I hoped it would be. Hopefully we can keep it up. We´ve been finding people to teach, but the hardthing is getting them to go to church on sunday. This week is our zone conference. I have to train the missionaries about the doctrine of Christ and inviting and helping people to make committments.
Ya, sometimes they put us in trios when there´s an odd number of missionaries in the mission or when one missionary is waiting for a foreign companion to arrive to Mexico.
Jan. 2, 2012
On saturday we helped a recent convert in the ward put up the ceiling/roof on a part of his house that he`s still building. It was really great to see the priesthood quorums work together. Then, the same day his mom, who just turned 81 years old, and his 10 year old daughter were baptized. They hadn`t wanted to for awhile but a couple of week ago they finally decided to be baptized. Now, the only one of their family left to be baptized is the 13 year old son. We honestly have no idea why he doesn`t want to be baptized still because he goes to church every sunday, participates and says that he knows the Book of Mormon and the Church are true. The grandma and the daughter almost weren`t able to get to church on time for their confirmation yesterday because their car ran out of gas, but somebody quickly drove to their house to pick them up. It was a little difficult to baptize the grandma because she has knee problems and usually moves around in a wheel chair or with a cane, but we sat her down on a chair in the font and were able to do it that way.
Today early in the morning we helped a recently reactivated member plant a little vegetable garden. It`s something we`re doing as a way to fellowship all the recents converts and recently reactivated members. Earlier in the week we saw a man in a wheelchair and rolled him up a hill and some stairs to his house. We`ve taught him a couple times since then this week, but he`s having a little problem believing in another book of scripture besides the Bible. Lots of service this week. It really is one of the best ways to share the Gospel.
This week will be the meeting with all the zone leaders of the mission that`s held every month. Our zone is the smallest one in the whole mission, but also one of the most successful recently.
Keep reading the Book of Mormon! With the challenge that our mission president gave us to read it by Christmas we had to read it in 3 months.
Today early in the morning we helped a recently reactivated member plant a little vegetable garden. It`s something we`re doing as a way to fellowship all the recents converts and recently reactivated members. Earlier in the week we saw a man in a wheelchair and rolled him up a hill and some stairs to his house. We`ve taught him a couple times since then this week, but he`s having a little problem believing in another book of scripture besides the Bible. Lots of service this week. It really is one of the best ways to share the Gospel.
This week will be the meeting with all the zone leaders of the mission that`s held every month. Our zone is the smallest one in the whole mission, but also one of the most successful recently.
Keep reading the Book of Mormon! With the challenge that our mission president gave us to read it by Christmas we had to read it in 3 months.
December 26, 2012
Dad I´m sorry I never got the chance to skype with you yesterday. The laptop I was using ran out of battery while I was talking to Mom and the kids. I couldn´t even say goodbye to them. And I brought the laptop from another house so I didn´t have the charger with me. I hope we can talk for hours about everything very soon. Only a few more months. Wow! I can´t believe it.
On saturday, Julia, the mom of three members that had been less active for awhile, was bapitzed. It was cool because I had taught once before when I was last here. Her husband is warming up quite a bit to the church as well. On saturday we ate dinner with Ruben, the one Elder Hurtado and I taught and baptized about a year ago, and his family. Last christmas eve we ate there as well. How funny is that. This saturday we have two more baptisms planned. The mother and the daughter of a recently baptized couple.
The other day we were walking down the street and we saw a lady and what looked like her daughter or granddaughter carrying a big water jug and we stopped to help them carry it back to their house. The lady turned out to be someone my companion had gone to look for several times that had at one time talked with missionaries before. She told us about the tragic and sudden death of her husband about three months ago and asked us if we could help her understand what happens after death. Another testimony that the Lord puts the people that need the gospel in our path, but only if we are looking to serve and help them. Later we helped another man in a wheelchair get up a bunch of steps that lead up to his house and he also accepted a return appointment.
My main goals before I finish my mission are to develop true charity and christ-like love for others and to be able to better recognize the promptings of the Spirit. I feel like I have already blessed with a lot of help in these two areas during my mission, but I also still feel like they are the two areas in which I still need the most work.
My companion is cool. He´s from Durango and he´s really smart. It´s good the finally have a companion that gets up right a 6:30 with me and that motivates me to be better.
I just finished reading the Book of Mormon again on Saturday. Wow. Just like Elder Tad R. Callister said, "The devil could not have written a book like this; so, it must be from God." Every time I read the Book of Mormon I learn so much and my faith and my determination to keep the commandments and follow my Savior are strengthened. If you´re not already doing it, please read it, study it, prayerfully meditate the priceless truths that it contains and your life will change.
I love you guys. I don´t know why my mind goes blank when we finally have the opportunity to talk for real.
Brett
On saturday, Julia, the mom of three members that had been less active for awhile, was bapitzed. It was cool because I had taught once before when I was last here. Her husband is warming up quite a bit to the church as well. On saturday we ate dinner with Ruben, the one Elder Hurtado and I taught and baptized about a year ago, and his family. Last christmas eve we ate there as well. How funny is that. This saturday we have two more baptisms planned. The mother and the daughter of a recently baptized couple.
The other day we were walking down the street and we saw a lady and what looked like her daughter or granddaughter carrying a big water jug and we stopped to help them carry it back to their house. The lady turned out to be someone my companion had gone to look for several times that had at one time talked with missionaries before. She told us about the tragic and sudden death of her husband about three months ago and asked us if we could help her understand what happens after death. Another testimony that the Lord puts the people that need the gospel in our path, but only if we are looking to serve and help them. Later we helped another man in a wheelchair get up a bunch of steps that lead up to his house and he also accepted a return appointment.
My main goals before I finish my mission are to develop true charity and christ-like love for others and to be able to better recognize the promptings of the Spirit. I feel like I have already blessed with a lot of help in these two areas during my mission, but I also still feel like they are the two areas in which I still need the most work.
My companion is cool. He´s from Durango and he´s really smart. It´s good the finally have a companion that gets up right a 6:30 with me and that motivates me to be better.
I just finished reading the Book of Mormon again on Saturday. Wow. Just like Elder Tad R. Callister said, "The devil could not have written a book like this; so, it must be from God." Every time I read the Book of Mormon I learn so much and my faith and my determination to keep the commandments and follow my Savior are strengthened. If you´re not already doing it, please read it, study it, prayerfully meditate the priceless truths that it contains and your life will change.
I love you guys. I don´t know why my mind goes blank when we finally have the opportunity to talk for real.
Brett
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