The Importance of Planning a Lesson, Awesome Temple Trip and 5 Investigators at Church!!

Hola, hola mama! This last week was a pretty good week. Monday after p-day ended, we had a lesson but didn’t plan it ahead of time because of other stuff we had to do on p-day and we saw the results of that. It was pretty disorganized and in general wasn’t that great of a lesson. It was a great reminder to me and a great learning opportunity for my companion about the importance of planning the lesson and having teaching practices to help us prepare better.

Tuesday we had a district meeting which was really good. In the afternoon we had a lesson with Miguel Angel and we really planned for the lessons that day. Because of that our lesson with him was superb! We talked about the gospel, we were able to share personal experiences along with scriptures for each point. We could feel the spirit very strongly; and when we helped him realize what the Spirit is and that he was feeling it during the lesson, he was surprised and took a minute to think about it. It was incredible and a big step for him. The only problem is that because of his work, he isn’t sure if he can come on Sundays. Our goal with him is to get him to church so he can feel the spirit even more! We are praying a lot that it will happen, that God will help him to do so.

Wednesday we went to the temple and it was amazing! It was not only my zone but also the zones of Tula and Atotonilco so I was able to see many friends including Elders Zapata, Davis, Martin, Rivera, Farmer and many more. Everyone kept telling me how thin I look and that I need to eat more food, but I eat a ton. But with the heat I sweat a lot so I keep losing weight. Anyway, it was super great to see friends and go into the temple to do a session. I didn’t have any family names but fortunately one of the secretaries of the mission office had some names and asked me to do one! It had been a long time since we went last and was a great reminder to me what the temple is and made me feel fortunate and blessed in Utah that there’s many temples that I can go to within a few hours. 

Thursday 3 of the 4 appointments we had fell through and the 4th one didn’t go as planned. It was with a man named Salvador Perez who told us he doesn’t have a religion but then he told us he is Christian but doesn’t want to join any other religion. Our lesson was about the Restoration to explain about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon, which he more or less accepted. He didn’t accept our invitation to be baptized and I even had a feeling that he wouldn’t but I wanted to show my companion how to do it. We didn’t set another appointment with him because we didn’t feel it is his time. We at least gave him the opportunity to use his agency to accept or reject our message. 

Friday we had a lesson with Jose Antonio and we had to finish teaching him the lessons because he had his baptismal interview the next day. To have that interview he had to be taught all of the lessons, fill out at least 1 generation of the pamphlet “Mi Familia” and fill out the baptismal registry form. We had quite a bit to do but we got it all done.

Saturday we went to the church so Elder Loomis could interview Jose Antonio. Everything went great and now Jose is preparing to be baptized next Saturday! We did have a few appointments throughout the day, tried to contact people, we also passed by the houses of some of our investigators to invite them to church. Only 5 said they would for sure be at church but I was excited and had lots of faith and hope for people to go to church.

Sunday just as we hoped and prayed for Jose Antonio, Daniel, Jorge, Concepcion and her husband Abraham all came to church! It was super great to see them there with lots of members greeting them and making them feel welcomed. After church as we were walking around looking for more people, a drunk man stopped us in the street because he wanted a hug. That turned into about 15 and because he wanted to talk to us, ask for help and cry a few times it lasted about 20 minutes. It was funny because not more than an hour before that happened, I was talking with my companion telling him there would be times in his mission that drunk people would want to talk, cry and hug him and then it actually happened. Later we went to visit Concepcion and Abraham to see how they were doing and what they thought of church. They said that they really enjoyed it and are looking forward to going next Sunday as well!

Wow sounds like you guys were very busy! Thank you for that quote. Okay! les amo mucho!!! hablaremos la proxima semana! (Translation: OK! I love you much!!! We will talk next week!)

Staying in Campestre, Training a New Missionary

Hola Mamá! So we didn’t hear anything about the changes in communication until Sunday at church when the members were asking us about it. We had no idea what it was so they explained it all. Then we talked with our ZL´s and they told us we had to wait until Presidente gave us the rules how to call home and what not. We have that now, but we are still trying to figure it out so I am going to wait until next week to call you so I can better understand the rules and everything to avoid problems! So I’m sorry that we can’t talk today but I’m going to figure it all out and then send you a message next week! Make sure you are on! :)

We didn’t find out what was going on with cambios until around 5 last Monday, but the call finally came and I am staying here in Campestre B and will be training a new missionary! In the morning we spent a lot of time cleaning the casa to get ready for cambios. Around 11 we got a surprise visit from a member and his work crew who were hired and sent by Hermana Urrea to start painting and repairing the casa. We didn’t know they were coming so that was a little frustrating… But I’m excited to start training a missionary for the first time. I have faith that things will be awesome!

Tuesday we had to be to the office by 9 so we could have a devotional, meet our new comps and receive instructions how to teach them. My new companion is Elder Cruz and he is from Queretaro, Mexico. He is 18 and is really cool and really smart. We had a few lessons and thank goodness that he is Latino and speaks Spanish so I don’t have to teach him that! :) He is new in the field but he was able to help me teach about the Word of Wisdom in one lesson and about Faith, Repentance and the Book of Mormon in another. I am excited about this cambio and just hope I will be a good trainer and example to him.

Wednesday I was mainly telling Elder Cruz about all the rules we have, explaining how things work in the field like study hours, area book, how to plan, how to contact, info about our investigators, info about the area/the mission, district meetings, a bunch of different things. The CCM is very different from the field so he’s having to adjust again but he will get it little by little. We had a couple of lessons, one with Cirilo and his wife Gloria and then with Jorge Avila, and they were really good lessons. I’m so very grateful that even though my companion is new, he knows about the gospel and scriptures from before he got to the mission and what he learned in the CCM. We also were able to contact a bit. It started to rain in the evening, so people didn’t want to come to the door but thankfully we were still able to find a few.

Thursday I was still trying to help Elder Cruz understand how and what we need to study during personal study, the first 12 weeks, language, and companionship study. We’re getting better but he’s still adapting. It also took us about 4 hours for weekly planning session because with each step of the planning I had to explain how to plan and what we need to do. When we finally got done we were able to go contacting for a couple of hours. It was really good because my comp was able to practice and improve his contacting. We were able to find 9 contacts! It was a good way to end the day.

Friday we had 2 appointments in the morning but they both fell through, although one was because the family was sick so we let them rest. It was also the first day we were able to go eat at a member’s house as the rest of the week we either received money or food in Tupperware. It was super awesome. Our appointments in the afternoon fell through as well, but we were able to find a few contacts so that was good.

Saturday we had a lesson with Daniel Avila where we taught him about the Plan of Salvation. We used my little wooden pieces, the pamphlet and the scriptures to explain it all; and as we were teaching we would stop to make sure he understood everything before moving on. He understood everything perfectly! At the end we asked him how he felt in respect to his baptism and if he had any doubts or questions. He said no and that he felt very calm and tranquil and happy for his baptism! He and his dad are progressing wonderfully towards their baptism on March 9th. The last lesson we had was with Jose Antonio. He is only with his mom on the weekends and his baptism will be in two weeks so we had to teach the majority of the commandments. We thought it would be a lot for him but he was able to understand what we taught him! He is also progressing wonderfully to his baptism. Sunday Jorge, Daniel and Jose Antonio all came to church too.

Thank you, I really like that quote! (from Elder M. Russell Ballard: "Sometimes we can learn and study and know, and sometimes we have to believe, trust, and hope.") I’m going to try to apply it this week with people we are teaching! but thank you so much and oh will you please tell the ward that I got the letters they sent and thank you so much! also please tell Lindsey and Tyler that I got the letter from their family and that I’m super grateful for them!

Lots of Lessons this Week, Elias' Baptism, Listening to the Spirit

Hola Mamá! To answer your questions, I am doing muy bien! yes Elías did get baptized and I did get my package! oh and no we don’t know what’s going on with cambios yet......so we wait.

Last Tuesday in district meeting, we talked about family history and how we were going to focus on contacting people and talking with members about the pamphlet “Mi Familia” to help both non-members and members realize the importance of the family in the church. I’ve never tried to contact people with the pamphlet and talk about family history but I’m excited about it. Later we had a second lesson with Miguel Angel where we taught him about the Plan of Salvation. He was super attentive and absorbed what we taught like a sponge. Then we had a quick lesson with Diego and Melani. Melani is 9 and her mom doesn’t think she is able to learn or remember things very well so she wants her to wait until she’s 18 so she can decide to be baptized. We’ll continue teaching her though and hope that her mom has a change of heart.

Wednesday in the morning we had an appointment with Luis where we taught him about the Plan of Salvation. He accepted and understood everything but said he still wants time to keep learning and understanding so he can be very sure about his decision to be baptized. Then we had a lesson with Cirilo and Gloria. They have a strong desire to keep learning and going to church but he has to work almost every Sunday in a gas station. We are hoping and praying that things will change for them so they can start going to church.

Thursday we tried calling Isaias and his wife to pass by but he told us he was busy. We haven’t been able to go by with them since the second lesson. We didn’t have a lot of appointments so we were able to contact a bit. We also had another lesson with Diego and Melani. She continues to keep learning and understanding more and more. We just need to keep hoping and praying that God will help change her mom’s heart and let her be baptized.

Friday was a busy day! We had to get ready at 4:30 a.m. so we could go to the offices then the government building so my companion could get new identification. Then we had to get back to our area, have a quick visit with Jorge Auila to see how he is doing then we went to the church to fill the baptismal font for Elias’ baptism. The baptism was super awesome and seemed to bring his parents closer. I was privileged to direct the program, and after the mom told us we couldn’t leave, we had to stay to eat refreshments and things they brought. We happily agreed! It was a really awesome time and we are grateful we were able to teach Elias and help prepare him to be baptized.

Saturday we had an appoint with Abram and his wife Concepcíon. When we first got there, Abram wasn’t home but his wife told us he would be there soon and we could wait for him. A thought popped into my mind that we should go visit a contact we had quite a while ago named Jorge Ceritaiño. We tried passing by quite a few times and even called but he was never home and never answered the phone. I had the thought so we followed it and this time we found him home and he invited us in to talk with him. He is a super smart man and knows a lot about the Bible. We taught him about the Restoration but at the end we didn’t feel it was the time to invite him to be baptized but we have another appointment with him this week. Then we went back to Abram and Concepcíon and had a lesson about the Word of Wisdom. Later we went to another lesson with Jose Antonio where we taught him two lessons. He wanted to be baptized the 23rd of February but his mom told us they are leaving for vacations this next week and we still have more to teach him so we have to change his baptismal date to March 9th.

Sunday at church Jose Antonio and amazingly to our surprise Edith and her son Jahir came and were on time! So we talked with them and invited them to a baptismal date in March. We also set an appointment to go and teach them this week. We also got a surprise visit from Vianey, Priscilla and their parents who stopped by to say hi and bring us sandwiches on their way to the district. Later we went to visit with the Familia Olarte to visit a couple that live in the same street as them and who are friends of theirs. Their youngest daughter gave them a Book of Mormon then Sister Olarte set a time for us to go by and visit. It was really awesome. This couple, Gabriel and Jazmin, were born and raised Catholics but they have been looking for a new religion. Our lesson was to get to know them, explain about us as missionaries and basic beliefs about the church. We are hoping to continue to pass by and help them feel and know that they’ve found their religion.

Thank you so much for that thought! PS I heard a great talk by Gordon B Hinckley titled "Slow to Anger" you should look it up and give me a report next week!

Love you guys so much! I hope you have a great week!

Our district

District photo #2

With Diego (holding one of his Guinness World Records)
and Melani

Nicolasa's Dogs

Elder Loomis enjoying a Krispy Kreme doughnut

Elias' Baptism Day

La Familia Ángel and La Familia Betancourt

Grateful for the Power of the Priesthood

Hola Mamá! This week was much better than last week. Monday after p-day was over we talked with a man named Pedro. It was a quick lesson about the plan of Salvation, but his 9-year-old niece was there too and she asked a lot of questions like who we are, if we read the Bible and where we are from. She is such a funny, sweet, smart and outgoing little girl. We weren’t able to talk to her parents but I gave her a Book of Mormon and she looked happy to receive it and hugged it. I told her she has to read it though and that if she does, she will feel more peace and happiness and so she said she will. We plan to pass by another day and see if she has read it and see if we can talk to her parents. After that we found 6 contacts who we feel were really solid.

Tuesday in district meeting we talked more about contacting and were given the goal of talking with at least 25 people daily. We are also doing a tournament daily with a point system to contact and find new investigators. We were going against our own companions the first day and then the second day against other missionaries. We also had a couple appointments, one was with Diego to teach his little sister Melani! We finally got permission to teach her! It was a really good lesson.

Wednesday we continued the competition from district meeting and this time my companion was against Elder Mencia. He was insanely motivated not to lose to him. :) In the afternoon we had a really awesome lesson about the Plan of Salvation with an older couple we found last week. Their names are Cirilo and Gloria and they are open to listen and learn more about the church. After that we went to visit Elias and finish the last lesson for him to be baptized. Now his baptism is set for this coming Friday, February 8. 

Thursday was super rough but really good at the same time. It was rough because my stomach hurt like crazy during the night. We had interviews with President and Hermana Urrea as well as our teaching evaluations. In my evaluation I was better prepared than last time and got a significantly higher score! :) Then my interview with President went well because he told me about a really good report the ZLs gave about me. He also helped me know of some things I need to do to continue to improve. It was really great! Later, the sister that signed up to feed us brought us a pizza from Little Caesars, which I didn’t eat because of my stomach. Thankfully we went and visited Nicolasa and she gave me some soup and tea. We also had a super great lesson with a guy named Miguel Angel. He accepted a Book of Mormon and to be baptized. With him that made 3 new investigators for the week by then!

Friday I was feeling a lot better. My companion gave me a blessing the night before and I am grateful to him and the power of the Priesthood which God has given us. We had a few really wonderful lessons too. One of them was with an older couple who aren’t members, but the wife has a brother who recently moved in with them and he is a member. He is less-active and has been for a while but is interested to start coming to church. We taught them about the Restoration of the Gospel and then invited them to be baptized and they accepted! Later in the day we had a lesson with Luis, who is the husband of a member, about the Restoration. His wife Bernice helped us teach him. He knows a lot about the Bible and although he didn’t accept our invitation to be baptized now, he still wants to keep learning so we are going to keep passing by to teach him. 

Saturday, all of our appointments fell through, but we were able to get four contacts before lunch. After lunch we continued contacting more and tried to visit people which took a lot of time cause we had to go from one end of the area to the other. When we got home we called everybody and quite a few people said they were coming to church but on Sunday, that was not the case. Jorge and his son Daniel went to church on time, which was great. Elias made it to church but he and his family came late. In order for him to be baptized this Friday, we had to have them go to another ward to partake of the sacrament. Also his older brother Job got advanced to a Priest so he could baptize him so that was good.

Sunday evening we went to visit Jose Antonio, who has not been baptized yet. He is the 10-year-old son of Bernice. He is super smart and knows a lot of things. Apparently when we asked him about being baptized he said he is already going to be baptized on the 23rd of February by his uncle. We still had to get permission from his mom for him to be baptized and will keep teaching him until then, which is great! We have cambios this next week so who knows who is going to stay here, but this area is going to have another baptism!

In total we have 6 investigators this week. It was a lot better than the last week. We had 4 investigators in sacrament meeting, and we are super excited. When we first came to this area, we literally didn’t have much to do. We had to find all of the investigators that we have now. We have been harvesting a lot and are starting to see some of the fruits of our labors.

I learned something, that if you don’t have anything when you go to a new area, you have to keep working and trying. Even if I get transferred this next week it’s okay because it’s important that I’m helping to find people and prepare them to come unto Christ. I may not see the end result but I’m here in the beginning which is super awesome. I know I’m still helping a lot of people. I have a testimony that you have to keep going, trying, working, praying and doing your best, those results will come.

I love the pictures you sent! That’s super awesome that Shawn got to baptize Millie. I’m sorry I don’t have pictures for you this week because I was sick (I am doing a lot better now!) and we were really busy, but I will send some next week! I love you guys! Thank you so much for your love and support! I hope you have an awesome week!