Second is that Elder
Bennett and I will be staying here together again! I'm technically done
training now, so he is just my senior companion. Our district is staying
exactly the same except Sister Despain is leaving to Warm Springs. The Zone has
lost a lot though. Elder Gunnell is leaving and Elder Mitchell is leaving and I
am sure Sister Monson will be leaving too, but I don’t really talk to her that
much so I don’t knowww. And Elder Nonu is leaving, and by leaving I mean he
already left! He's the AP [Assistant to the Mission President] now. Oo crazy,
huh? He got emergency transferred on Saturday night right after stake
conference. We went out to lunch with him and Elder T' to Wing Stop and ate too
much food as always haha. It has been a pleasure to get close with Elder Nonu
and I am super excited for him to have
the opportunity and responsibility to serve the other
missionaries in Las Vegas. We have been three packing it with E'T. since then
and we miss Elder Nonu. Hmmm I feel like there is more to report about all that
but I don’t know what to say haha. Elder Nonu taught me a lot of good
things.
Tuesday night after I
emailed you and did all my other p-day duties we had a fireside given by Elder
Ellis about the importance of The Book of
Mormon. It was great to listen to see the General Authorities of the Church
doing the same things that we as missionaries are doing. Interesting, exciting
and a little bit ... I don’t know how to describe it. I have never not known
this, but that fireside reminded me in a different way that what we, as missionaries,
are doing is important. People's happiness is at stake. As he talked about the
teaching of the prophets and the Savior I thought about all the people I know
and how the comfort and the hope The Book
of Mormon has could comfort them.
It got me even more excited to help those I serve and all those that I am
around. Yay for making people happy! Not much could make me happier.
(I don’t know if I
said in any of my last letters, we spend a lot of time with the zone leaders)
After the fireside we (us and ZLs) went out to eat at the Cafe Rio in Warm Springs
and it was kind of funny because we were joined by 3 other islanders so it was
the 5 polys [Polynesians] and the 2 white guys. It was funny and I learned a
lot of new words. Cafe Rio reminded of being in Utah with ya’ll and how that
time is coming up pretty quick!
Wednesday through Saturday
Elder Bennett and I were blessed with the opportunity to train a
future missionary! He cannot go to the MTC in Provo for legal reasons, I'm sure
you can guess which ones, so we got to be his MTC before he goes out to
California to serve. Wednesday through Saturday we taught Future Elder A. all
the things he would need to know before entering the mission field. Of course
we are nothing like the Missionary Training Center but we did have a lot of
time to study. From 7 - 4 every day we studied and then we would leave for the
night to go proselytizing. It was a good experience and I know he enjoyed it
and got to put the things he was learning right into real world practice which
I hope will be a big asset for him as he further prepares to leave in the first
part of December. One funny thing that happened on Wednesday is when we got a
call from a sister in the stake saying that she was going to take Gustavo to
buy some clothes for his mission and asked if we could meet her at Kohl’s. The
situation was super complicated but in the long run we biked all the way to the
edge of our zone and sent Gustavo across because we didn’t have permission from
president to leave the zone. Then we had to bike to our next appointment all
the way on the other side of the zone. It was a longggg bike ride and Elder A.
was hurting (not me) when we had to go up the hill. I won’t share too much
about Elder A. but I would like to talk a little bit about him. He has a very
hands on testimony of The Book of Mormon.
One morning during training, he shared with us a little of his life and
conversion story. He has been a member for about 2 years and loves the B of M
so much. Before he got baptized he said he was doing things he knew even then
that he shouldn’t be doing, which is pretty sketch when you think about it. He
said that the B of M saved his life. When he started reading and studying it,
it filled the holes that he was missing and turned him from doing bad things.
(He showed me some of his graffiti skills and he's got some serious
talent.) Now he says that things are hard because all of his friends are
in prison. He is the first in his family to serve a mission and none of
his friends are members of the church and he is really struggling with that
aspect but his testimony is what is forcing him to go. I write force, but I
meant it in the way that he knows it is true and knows the power of the Gospel
and wants to share that with everyone and cannot let
an opportunity to help others pass him by. Dope if you ask me -- right
thing for the right reason.
We had a lesson on
Thursday with Marcos and it was so, so sad. He called us to say he wanted us to
stop by and pick up The Book of Mormon
because he couldn't do it anymore. My heart sank when I heard him say that. I
could tell he was drunk, but through the inebriation I could tell that
something was wrong. I asked what was wrong and he told us that he didn’t want
us wasting our time anymore on him because he wasn't strong enough to change. I
told him that wasn't going to fly with me and we would be right over, but not
to pick up the LDM [Libro de Mormon].
When we got there he was even more drunk and he was even crying, I wanted to
cry too. He kept telling us that he couldn’t change and he wasn’t strong enough
and he didn’t want to keep lying to us and lying to God. It was such a blessing
to be able to bear my testimony of the power of prayer and the atonement.
Marcos may not be strong enough to end his alcoholism, but he is not alone. And
he is not without help. I was able to share with him that our Savior loves him
and is here to help make us stronger and to help us in the times we feel weak
and that he can help us do the things that we think we cannot. By the end of the
lesson he wouldn't have let go of the book even if we wanted to take it and he said
such a touching prayer. We all were there on the floor of his tiny apartment as
he asked for the strength to change, and to be the husband and example that he
wants and that his family needs. It was so touching to see the spirit work in
him and give him the hope to change.
That's really what the
good news is. You can do it. You are not alone.
There is a point to all of this. It is my great blessing to be
able to share this hope and strength with them. I haven't been out very long
but I have seen it change people in indescribable ways. (Even change
a sinner like me! still sinning of course. Don’t worry, I won’t be getting
translated anytime soon). I can’t remember if I've shared about Felix but I
will again. Idc[I don’t care] it’s powerful. I was here to watch as he grew in
his knowledge of the gospel and I can attest to the physical and emotion
changes that I saw in him. As he learned and studied more he became happier and
there became a glow about him that I swear you can see. Before when he would
smile or talk, he seemed sad and lost, but now his face has practically changed
shape and it glows and he always smiles and laughs his unique laugh. Watching
him change his life around was wonderful; to hear him rag on his life, to hear
him asking if he could pay more tithing touched my heart, not to mention the heart
of the elders that taught him. He is such a special person. It was fun to see
that unique and wonderful side of him come out. Almost like there was a dirty
window in front of his 'candle.' I was able to watch as the window got sprayed
and scrubbed and finally washed clean. We were all so pleased to find that it
wasn’t a candle but a full fire place. That might sound suppper dumb and corny
but idc. When I have more time I'll find a better way to describe all of it.
Like when I'm dead or something.
Life here is really
tough for a lot of people. Really tough. It makes me so sad to see people
suffering.
I had fresh oysters
this week and I ate them all classy like. But they tasted like sea water. And
kind of smelled like salty death and starfish. Luckily here in new, new Mexico
we don’t have to eat them very often. I'll try again when I get home.
Sorry - skipping to Sunday
-- I don’t have time to talk about everything. One day I'll sit in a rocking
chair and read excerpts from my journal to you all sitting on the floor around
me. So Sunday was stake conference and we, the zone, sang “Called to Serve” and
it was so touching. Standing up in front of that big group of people smiling
and singing, I saw so many people crying. It again struck me how much people
love the missionaries. It might have been like half the building was in tears.
I could hear the stake president behind us crying. It was quite touching.
People love us for so many reasons but I think the main one is that they have
either been changed by the work we do or they have seen their loved ones
changed by the glorious message we bear. I have often in my few seconds of time
to ponder and reflect thought about this. People all around the world are
praying for us, the Primary children, the saints gathered at sacrament meeting,
people in the temple, and even the prophet. (Even people who aren’t members tell
us to keep up the good work in the street sometimes) because they all know that
what we do really does help. Lives are changes, hearts are healed, and families
are brought together. Everyone (or at least a lot of people) pray and wish
us good luck because they want the world a better place. Okay that sounds corny
too. It's hard to express these feelings in words without sounding silly.
Ugh! I have no time!
I'll try to write about Juana's lesson real fast but words can’t describe that
one either. Yesterday we had a lesson with Juana and she expressed her pain of
not being able to be baptized and it was so hard to hear. She says she has been
asking herself if this is really worth it. She says she knows it is, and we
know she knows it is. But seeing someone so strong going through so much pain
makes me sad. Sorry I don’t have time to write any more about that. Just know
it was powerful, happy, spiritual, and sad too.
Hey before I forget, Elder Fischer (my old District Leader) asked me if you could send him a Nacho
Las Vegas poster like the one I have. Just address it to Elder Russell Fischer
and send it to the mission office. He says he will pay you back. I like E'F.
He's a great guy.
So that's all. I love you all so much.
I hope everyone who
reads this, and everyone else too, is happy, healthy and hopeful.
If not, hang tight
and I'll give you a hug or something when I get back.
Suppperrr quick. Dad,
It sounded like you gave a dope lesson about reading the scriptures. I agree
with what you said. One thing that I do is if I haven’t taken notes, or learned
something new in more than 5 verses I stop think about what I've been reading
and start reading again from the last time that I learned something or took
notes. It’s time consuming but it makes the study soooo much more productive. If
that doesn’t make sense, I'll try to explain another time. STUDY HARD! Like really hard, I promise you will learn
new things. "If you're not learning, you're doing it wrong"
kk love yall
<("<)
-- here is my hug!
^_^
bye
P.S. Thanks for the
package I loveeeee packages. Although next time, less candy and more ... idk
other stuff, like hexa-mexa-flexa-t-rexagons or dope ties
Ahh
I forgot! Something I love is talks and study guide type materials. If you want
to send me things those are like my favorite specifically New Testament (gospels
are my favorite) and The Book of Mormon.
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