1 year!

Hola a todos! Los quiero! What a week! It has been so hot! I feel as if I have gotten darker and more sunburned than ever before in my life! This whole week there has been a wind blowing from the south that makes it really hard to pedal our bicycles. I hate pedaling against the wind hahaha. But well the Lord has looked down upon us and smiled and has blessed us with a lot of people to teach! We are working with 3 families of 3 right now for a total of 9 investigators as well as with a single mom and her two daughters. 2 of the families and the single mom were able to make it to Church this weekend and it was amazing having so many people there. My companion was a bit overwhelmed and excited to have so many people at Church for the first time. Most of these people I can see taking that great step of baptism into the Lord's restored Church. I am glad that Heavenly Father trusts us with his prepared children. I know that I have so much to change still to receive all of the blessings he has in store for me. We had a baptism this past Saturday of someone that my companion had been working with for a while, and we should be having another baptism this Saturday as well. One of the families should be getting baptized by the end of the month. This past week I have been reflecting a ton on this past year! It's crazy to think it has been a year already. May 5th marked my year mark when I went to the temple to receive the endowment. (http://www.lds.org/church/temples?lang=eng ) I wish there was a temple nearby so I could relive that sacred ordinance but I am glad that I have a good memory for when I am feeling a bit sad I always replay my temple experience in my head. There are little things that I hear or see that instanly remind me of the temple. One of those things is the quiteness of the chapel during the administration of the sacrament. It feels awesome! I love feeling the Spirit in the simplest of things. Saturday will be my official year mark. I'm planning on bbqing a little bit for dinner after my companion and I finish planning and doing other things. Hopefully we get a chance too. Sunday is Mother's Day. I can't wait to call home. I should be doing that sometime after 6pm. More than likely after Church and all that. Well what more can I say? I love doing this work even though it is the most stressful and challenging thing I have ever done in my life.

a time set apart

Hello everyone! I love you. Now that I am close to hitting my year mark as a missionary I feel that I really am fully focused on this work. My mind seems to always be preoccupied with how I can find new people to teach or what I can do to improve as a missionary. Its funny how things have changed. I try to think less of myself now and more about others around me. Everyone needs the gospel of Jesus Christ in their lives. Today I was reflecting on how weak my testimony was before the mission. I made so many mistakes before I came out. But I know that they all happened for a reason. I learned from my mistakes. The hardest thing for me is to confess and repent. I don't like to and want to undergo that process again and especially not after the mission. I don't mind bicycling at all. Its hot yes but I don't feel it too much. My legs are usually super sore by the end of the night but I'm fine. This is a small price to pay to preach and help others learn about Jesus Christ. There is no greater blessing than to be able to testify to others about the greatness and goodness of God and the plan he has for each one of us. Yesterday I was able to be at J---- baptism. He was the last person I was able to teach and prepare for baptism in my last area. I am grateful that Heavenly Father allowed me to meet him and everyone else in my last area. I am who I am as a missionary because of all of these great people. I feel as if I have so much to change and learn still. I know that God will help me accomplish what he wants from me in this area. So my companion and I were knocking in a neighborhood and well we knocked our last door and no one opened. We were walking away trying not to feel dissapointed because of our lack of success. For some reason I turned to look back and a lady whose door we had knocked was motioning us over. That rarely happens to us! We quickly rushed over. She invited us to share our message with her. We invited her to visit the Church the next day. She came with her sons (8 & 14) to Church the next day. She is looking for the truth and we are going to help her find it. I know that the Lord is preparing people everywhere to receive his gospel. I hope to be worthy and ready to discern the Spirit. Have a great week. btw I should be calling on Mother's day, Sunday May 13 around 7pm but that time might change. send me the phone number i should call to in an email. i lov eyou all!

the Lord's work

Hey everyone! I am now in my new area. It is really different from my last one. There is a lot more english and it is overall a nicer area. yesterday we had dinner with the Bishop of the english ward. We are planning some great things to make this ward even more missionary minded! We are working hard to find new people to teach. It has been a struggle. My new companion is Elder G----- from Las Vegas,Nevada. He has been out maybe 3 months less than me. It feels good to be with someone who isn't new and knows what he is doing. At the same time its a little hard to get your words in because he feels like he knows how to work the area and how best to work in it. But well we are working well together and we had some success finding new people to teach and get to Church as well. The area has been struggling for a while with low numbers but I have the faith to change that! My first district meeting was a little scary because the zone leaders were also there. But I got some really good compliments from them and the rest of the district. I know that we have a lot of potential to do great things. I also know that I now have to set the example and do good work. Its scary but I know the Lord can help me. Before district meeting I asked the Lord in prayer to help me and I soon as I got up I felt a really big sense of calmness and reassurance come over me. I told my companion "I know everything will turn out alright" and it did. I am glad that God helped me. Well time goes by really fast everyday. I have come to realize that this work is the Lords and that I have to do my best everyday to find those that are ready to receive him into their lives. I actually enjoy bicycling everywhere now. It doesnt feel to hot but again I know that the summer heat is really coming up so well see. But well it hasnt been too bad. I love you all. I'll see you soon.

changes ahead

So I leave this area tomorrow and will be starting in a new place with people I don't really know. I was able to give a talk in the Spanish ward yesterday. I spoke about retaining new members. I am concerned for the many people that I taught and baptized in this area I want them to stay strong in the Church and gospel. But I know I will have the ability to see them after the mission for that I am really grateful. I know that this area will continue having success and that the work here will progress. I know Elder B---- will really help it continue growing and I know I have left all of my recent converts in good hands. Well there is not much to write. I am nervous and at the same time excited for this new area and responsibilities I will be having. here is a picture of me and the E---families that I was able to teach and baptize in this area. I pray that the Lord continues to bless and help them move on in the Gospel. I will miss them a lot! Like I say every time I write I can't believe how fast time is going for me. I know that this time is precious. I will never have the opportunity to serve the Lord like I am doing right now. Take care everyone. I love you all!

Happy Easter!

Well I hope you all had a great Easter I was remembering last Easter when if I'm not wrong we had an Easter egg hunt in front of the house. I'm not sure if we had a bbq or not but I'm pretty sure we did because I remember we did bbqs a lot last year. Anyway yesterday when I was driving around in our area I just saw a lot of families that were together and who were having parties and well of course naturally my mind wandered to you guys. Is funny but sometimes it seems like I've been a missionary for a long time and other days it seems like I just started. We had a rough week once again. I feel that the longer I have been in the area the more it seems like I run out of ideas as well as inspiration as to what I can do here to find people to teach. I know I have to rely on the Lord a lot more because this really is his work and glory. We were able to bring two of our investigators to Church yesterday though. The english ward had some great Easter program planned out it was awesome. I felt the Spirit really strongly there. Last night I got a call from President Trayner. I am not only getting transferred to another area next week Tuesday but he also called me as a district leader. There are a total of 3 companionships in the district. I am a little bit nervous about being district leader. Its not something I was looking after because a lot of missionaries here look after the titles and leadership but things like that have always made me a bit nervous. But I know the Lord will help me just like when I was called to be a counselor in the branch presidency back in Raymondville. I am also going to be in a bike area during the middle of the summer! I am sort of not looking forward to the heat! But well it shouldnt be too bad. My new companion has been out for a bit so he is not totally new to the work. I actually met him during general conference and he seems like a great elder. Well I love you all. Take care!

general conference

This weekend was general conference ! Saturday I spent pretty much all day at Church from 9am to 9pm! We didnt get home until 10pm. It was pretty crazy. I never thought I would ever be in Church that long. But I loved listening to the prophet and the other Church leaders. I realized how much I have to change to become a better missionary and follower of Jesus Christ. One of the questions posed yesterday during the last session was one that we should ask ourselves. The question was "what does Christ think of me?" Only Christ knows our true motives, thoughts and actions. There are a lot of things that I need to change now that I only have a little more than a year left on the mission. We had one of our investigators show up to Church yesterday. He liked it a lot and was actually taking notes during the conference. There have been some problems with some of my recent converts (the family of 4 that was baptized in february) they are losing their property and home and well it seems like they have had a lot of problems since they joined the Church. But well we visited them this last week and they still have faith its just really hard for them now. Well I hope you all have a great week. I love you all!