Week 47 - Surprising Baptismal Invitation

Aloha!! (Thought I'd change up my normal greeting for the day!)

This week has been going well. Lot's of stretching and growing, but
it's been good. Probably not my favorite part of the mission, the
growing and stretching, but it's been good. It's interesting to see
how much there is to learn - always!

Felicidades a Cody!!! I'll bet he's really excited!! And learning
Portugese as well? Way cool!!! Elder Jones has done some reading in
Portugese, though it doesn't actually sound too different from
Spanish, just a lot more 'j's or something.

That "Bike around the Buttes" sounds really fun! When was it? If I was
there, I'd definitely bike it with you!! And sorry if I can't get all
my responses into this e-mail - Could you send this e-mail by mail to
me? There's a lot of stuff going on over the next few weeks, and I
want to make sure I still have it written down. That'd be great!!

So, after about 4 weeks, the Andrade family came to church again! They
left after sacrament meeting, because he has to work Sundays right
now, but I'm glad they came. They're doing well, and we're still
working on their divorce. I hope things can move along quickly!
They've been really ready for a while. There are still a couple of
more things that they need to keep as commandments (getting married
being the biggest one, but also keeping the Sabbath Day holy), but
other than that, they're doing very well.

The Gutierrez family has started progressing again!! She has a lot of
doubts about leaving her old church behind (Catholic), but she has
been reading. The thing that really got us and kind of made us laugh
was that they didn't come to church on Sunday, but they did drop a
member off at church who lives in their complex. Now, they just need
to stay!!

We also have been trying to get ahold of someone named Pablo. We found
him probably about 2 transfers ago (a whole 12 weeks!), and since
then, have been trying to sit down and teach him. He worked on a ranch
a while ago for a branch president, and the Stake President lived
there, too. He has a Book of Mormon, and has read from it every now
and then. Finally, we were able to sit down and teach him last night.
And right in the middle of our 10-minute first lesson with him, we had
the impression from the Spirit: Extend a baptismal date. It's
interesting to be trying to think of the next part of the lesson, what
he needs to learn, and to just have the thought come into your head:
invite him to baptism. So we did, and he accepted without
reservation!! His baptismal date is set up for the 28th of May, but
we'll see if we can move it any closer, because he's attended church
before in the past. I'm super excited to work with him!!

Well, this is short, but I just wanted to finish with my testimony. I
know that this work is true, and I know that Jesus Christ leads and
guides us. His Spirit is the most powerful and helpful tool that we
have as missionaries, and it is even stronger when together with the
Book of Mormon.

I love you!! Have a great week!!

El Devinator

Week 46 - "Following the Lord, We Need Not Fear..."

Hey!!! I'm talking to them (Justin and Kristin)right now!!
And we've already e-mailed back and forth a few times! I do say, it is very fun to talk to everyone!

Haha yeah, we'll have transfers right before Mother's Day. And, seeing as how I've already been here for over 6 months, I'm pretty sure I'll be getting the boot, and then we'll have to figure things out from there...but one way or the other! We'll be talking soon! It seems like it was only a few weeks ago...Time flies!

Hmm...well, with how things are going...Things are going well! I was able to get 80 OYMs during this past week. It's definitely an experience. Elder Jones and I have talked to a few people about...well, talking to people. And also going into their houses to teach. But it's so different from (as Elder Jones says) "civilian life!" As missionaries, we bike around and teach people in their homes, people that we may have just met a few minutes before! And we talk about one of the ost 'controversial' topics out there: religion. But it's amazing! There really is nothing else that compares to this work. It IS the Lord's work. Something that has been really comforting is the fact that if we are doing what the Lord requires, we don't need to fear. We will be protected. And if something does happen, we don't need to fear anyway. This life is so short, to short to not follow the Lord in all we are capable of doing. Looking with an eternal perspective, we'll all be together for eternity, if we are following the guidance of the Lord and His Spirit to the best of our ability. I am SO grateful for the knowledge that we have of the Plan of Salvation, and that knowledge that we do have a loving Father in Heaven who wants what's best for us, and doesn't want to cast us down into a lake of fire and brimstone. He loves us so much, that He sent His Son to atone for our sins and die on the cross, and to be resurrected so that one day, we may come to live with Him.

We're trying to work with Rosemin, but things are tough. She works almost all the time, with maybe 6 hours to sleep before she has to head off to work again. She and her husband, Meme (nickname for Manuel) Luevano, are struggling financially, and can't seem to see how much beter things would be through following the gospel of Jesus Christ. I think we can all be like that sometimes, with some things. We just can't seem to put that extra bit of faith in the Lord that He needs so that He can bless us. Maybe it's because we don't know what it means to put that extra trust in Him, or are really afraid to stop trusting in ourselves and trust completely in God. I really just want to tell her (and maybe that's what I need to do) is to quit her job, repent by following the commandments of the Lord, and just trust Him. No, it doesn't make sense - logically, anyways. But the Lord just asked us to follow Him, and not to worry about how He will take care of things. Things will work out.

I don't know why the Lord blessed me with that miracle, but I know that He did. Something I've learned from that experience is that the Lord can really do what He wants, whether it is giving someone the strength to make it through a day without eating, or finding a job even if prospects seem next to none. If we follow the counsel of His Prophets and His Spirit, no matter what the world says, we can know that we always have His support.

The Branch is growing, poco a poquito. Actually, it looks like there are more people in the Branch than there are in the ward back in Gilroy. Spanish is coming along as well. I've ben trying to speak it as much as possible, and I've really been diving into the Spanish workbook that the MTC gave us. Hey! Maybe Justin can have some Spanish sentances on Mother's Day, and we can talk a little en espanol!! That would be really fun!! Or he can translate a little! (though I know that the hour that they give us isn't really too long...)

Well, I've got to go! I love you!!! Oh, and I'll erase the pictures once I've got them back up here, 'cause I don't know for sure if I'll erase them or not...

Con mucho amor - a infinidad, y mas alla!!!

El Devinator

Week 45 - New Experiences and Opportunities

Hoooooooooola!!

So, first to start out with... THOSE PICTURES WERE GREAT!!! I really liked how you led up to the last pictures in there (even if unintentional!)!!! When in February was that? I want to go back and see what we were doing on those days. That was trippy! But really fun, too! I don't think I would have gotten too homesick, but I think it's better that you told me after instead of before...who knows?! Haha how was the trip, dad? Did you see the bridge over in Kemah? We can get going at least 35 mph going down one side, and that's with the wind going against us. Just think of how fast we can go with the wind at our backs! Actually, maybe not...
So this is going to both of you, and then I'll get started on the e-mail. They're the same, but only because I wanted to try to have enough time to write everything.

Hola again!!!

I loved the package!! Thank you! And I'm going to start wearing the shirt as soon as I get the chance!! Haha you should have seen the list of questions I had about the pictures (most of which were answered by your e-mail!)!!

Things have been going well here in Kemah. Still, I'm not sure what experiences to share. It's been interesting: My brain isn't holding too much, so I've tried to become really good at writing things down in my journal every night. I haven't had any experiences come to mind as of yet, but hopefully as I write, I'll find something that someone in the congregation really needs, and thay can go and help someone in need. So, in advance, if I don't answer all the questions or comments...that doesn't mean I don't want to. I am just not the fastest typist in the world, but I'm getting better, poco a poco.

There's a whole lot of new experiences and opportunities to grow as I've been out here in the service of our Lord and Savior. Every transfer, I have something new to learn. I joked a lot before coming out here that the Lord wouldn't transfer someone from their area until they had learned what they needed to learn. Now, I know that's true. He puts us in places out here where our option is to learn and grow, or to flatline and not do what He has asked us to do. As we focus more on Him, He can make more out of us than we ever could ourselves.

Since before this transfer started, I've been feeling a lot of push to change. I haven't felt like this very often, but I know the Lord wants me to learn something. With each and every choice that comes my way, I feel like the Lord is telling me, "Now Elder - I've given you a little room to grow. It's going to take a lot of effort, but I wouldn't give it to you if I didn't think you could handle it."
I think He does that more than we think, but we just aren't willing to change our lives for Him. Maybe we have our 'pet sins' that may not be anything HUGE...but they're just big enough that we can't become the people the Lord wants us to be, because really, we're just fine and content with who we are.

One of the biggest challenges I've faced hasn't been dogs chasing us, little kids shooting at us with their airsoft guns, or companions that just annoy the heck out of me. The biggest thing I have been struggling with is what Moroni tells us we need to have: charity. There have been times where I have really been able to feel the pure love of Christ working through me. But there have also been times where I feel like I am just going through the motions. I feel that that can be too easy to do sometimes. Our mission president has warned us against "Doing missionary activities, but not being missionaries." We can go through the motions, but if we do not really want to love our neighbor, classmate, co-worker, or our boss, we'll never be able to have that, "Love of God, and of all men."

Wow, my time is almost done already. One more experience: One of my favorite memories is from when, after facing problem after problem, a couple was finally married and baptized. We really did put all of our efforts, work, and love into helping them to come unto Christ, and when they entered the waters of baptism...I don't think I've ever seen such an AWESOME sense of happiness anywhere! I wish everyone could see it.

Well, time to go. I love you soooo much!
Con MUCHO amor!!!
A infinidad, y mas alla!

El Devinator

Week 44 - A Great Conference!

Hola!!!!! Como estais, familia?

It's great to see how well things are going! It sounds like things are just rolling along (knock on wood!)!! I love all the news! Haha and actually, I was thinking the same thing about conference, too! We were all watching from the same camera angle! Maybe we were even thinking about being connected through Conference at the same time, too!

Conference was an AMAZING experience! I finished off a journal that I got when I first came into the mission with notes from all of the speakers. But Elder Hales didn't speak this time. I wonder what happened? All 5 sessions just flew by. Looking back after the sessions, it seemed like it was over the course of a week or something. But during the conference..."Hey! Slow down! I can't write fast enough to get everything down that I want to write down!!!" I LOVE CONFERENCE!!! There's definitely a different feeling there. That's awesome that Jessica's friend was able to come over and watch Conference! When you get the chance, that's a situation I'd like to hear more about. The missionaries must have been super excited! Who are the Elders there now? When do they have transfers? Next time that they're there, you should get a picture of everyone (including Ryan and the Elders - everyone as in with the camera on a timer on the banister or something). Which talks did you like the most? Which things stood out? I loved hearing Elder Christofferson's talk on receiving correction. It cuts kind of deep, but that's where all the healing starts.

Things have been getting better. I think I've just been so focused on myself, that I haven't really reached out and wanted to expand what I've been doing. But, over the past few days, I've really had a desire to improve. I've been thinking over those experiences where I get frustrated or upset with rules that I have never seen before, but exist, and then making those changes to become a more obedient missionary. It's definitely no easy task, but a few of the talks over this AWESOME conference weekend really helped me to see the purifying power of our trials. We can take our trials and become bitter, upset, and push God away, or we can "allow our trials to pass through us in ways that sanctify and purify us." I really liked what was said about Elder Wirthlin: how he developed an attitude to evaluate what he needed to do better, and then making those changes, so as to always be progressing to become like Christ. I told Elder J that is something that I want to develop. I really feel that God is helping me to make those changes, and there are times where I feel offended/frustrated/irritated that God allows me to see that, as He told Joseph in Liberty Jail, "All these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good." It is those times that I am most humbled, and then receive the choice to take and apply what I have learned at conference, or go my own way. My own way hasn't done me too much good in the past. It's much better to have God guiding your life than to try to do it yourself. It's like trying to drive a car blindfolded: There's no doubt that you'd wreck sooner or later.

Things are going much better with Elder J. There are some changes that I need to make in my life, especially touching on exact obedience, and the Spirit has been prompting me to begin making those changes now, in becoming more Christlike, and in drawing closer to Him, so that I can be a greater strength in His hands to bringing souls to Him.

It sounds like Ryan has been doing very well. And it also seems to me that you've been a big help with what he needs right now. That ties in well with the talk that Elder Eyring gave on service. We help where we can, whether big or small. And this looks like a very big task!

The work here as been progressing. I'm not seeing the success that I'd like to see right now, but I do feel that I am doing my best. I've felt a need to improve, and I'm looking forward to improving. I don't know how exciting it's going to be, but it's really comforting to know that I'm doing what the Lord wants me to do, no matter the outcome. That outweighs all the other weights of the work. We have the Andrade family that is progressing, though they didn't come to church this past week. A real bummer. We did have someone at a Sunday session of conference, though he's not progressing very well. We'll just have to see what this next week brings! What growing and learning opportunities!

I'm sorry to hear about the interview not going as planned for Justin. It sounds like that is something he really wants to do. It's still a possibility, though, isn't it? And College Connections - Congrats again!! It'll be an awesome - if learning and growing - experience!

Well, I've got to go! Glad the party went well, Kaytlin! And Say Hi to Kristin for me! I love you all!!!

Con mucho amor,

El Devinator

Week 43 - Trials and Frustrations

Hola, a unos y a todos!

Well, things are going, poco a poco. I guess I'll write a bit about what is going on here, and then respond a little more.
I do have a new companion. His name is Elder J, and he's from Idaho. We actually came out together into the field. He's an O.K. guy. It's definitely been an adjustment. To tell you the truth, I've been struggling a lot, and these past 5 days have been some of the longest of my life. Apparently, there are a lot of rules that aren't in the white handbook and haven't come out in any of the mission news articles, but that we should all already know about. Plus, he's a perfectionist, and it seems like he's just super focused on getting numbers. I'm not a huge fan of that. I've been finding some comfort in letters that I've received from home, especially while I was with Elder N. But I just feel like it's going to be difficult. I had thought about that - that by the end of the transfer, they were some of my good friends. With Elder Kobayashi (and I recorded this on the tape that I'm hoping to send home soon), when he left, I had that feeling like I was leaving home again. I've been a very frustrated person over the past few days.
I don't know, I guess I just need someone to talk to. I don't feel like I can talk to Elder J, because there are some times that you just want to vent, and afterwards, you feel better. But then there are the people who will try to fix whatever is wrong, which can make the whole thing even more frustrating. On top of that, I've had a case of homesickness coming back in. Not a good combination.

What I love about going through any trial is the fact that God is always right there. I've been praying a lot more recently, and really feel like my prayers are being answered. It's definitely a growing time for me here. I'm not sure I like the whole growing and stretching process, but I'm sure I'll look back and be proud of the progress I've been able to make, thanks to the strength I can receive from God.
I got the pictures! I saw 2: Kristin's 'Nerd Day' picture, and a close up. Way awesome, Kristin!! How was Nerd Day?

Hmm....as for experiences, things have been moving forward. We've taught a few lessons in English, which has actually been really fun. It's good to see where some of the flaws in my teaching are, and where I get stuck on maybe saying the same thing a few different times. We taught 2 people in their house: Erica B and Steven "Frodo" L. They're doing some remodeling in their house, and it was great that I actually understood what they were talking about, because we had done some of that on the house and on the pool house! We offered to help, but they turned it down. They both (Especially Steven) had a lot of questions, which is actually a HUGE change. Just like us, he doesn't believe that the Bible is perfect, especially because it was written by man, and not wholly inspired of God. And when we told him about conference this Saturday and Sunday, he really perked up. He wrote down the information on how to watch it online, because he wasn't sure if he'd be able to make it up there to Clear Lake (about 15 minutes driving) while working on the remodel. So it was really cool to have those questions, and really fun to spend time with them. Elder J wasn't really a fan, because we went a little overtime. I guess we'll just have to change that for another time!

And finally - I got 73 OYMs!!! It's been a while since I've been able to get them. I think I've just really been kind of afraid to talk to people, but that fear kind of disappears as you talk to more people. I felt a really big sense of accomplishment when we got home at the end of the day. I'm still not sure how happy I am with the huge emphasis that the mission has on numbers, but we're making progress. Maybe I should be fine with it, I don't know.

So, that was kind of an experience from the week! Oh, and something we heard was that the missionaries who were going home had the truck/trailer broken into, and ALL of their things were stolen. That definitely couldn't have been a happy day!

Wow, sounds like things are really busy! And CONGRATS TO BRENT AND PAIJ!!!! They must be really happy! Send me an e-mail or a letter when they've decided on her name!
Haha and I thought that was AWESOME when I read that Justin wants to be a movie director!! I can't wait to see some of the movies he's come up with since I've been out here! Plus, Full Sail University looks way cool!! But yeah, I definitely hope we can go to BYU-I before that. We might even be able to room together! We'll have to talk about all of that college info when it gets a little bit closer. I for sure want to go to school with Justin for a while, at least!

And I'm definitely looking forward to your drawing, Kristin! I hope it gets here soon, because it sounds like you put a lot of hard work into it. How are things going, at home and at school? With friends? Are you going to Cal Skate on Friday, or do you have something else going on? That's a way cool outfit you had on for Nerd Day!

Well, I've got to go. Have a great week! I'm looking forward to hearing back from you soon! Sorry that there aren't any pictures this time...

I love you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A infinidad, y mas alla!!!!!!!!!

El Devinator