Work Hard, Play Hard

Wooooweeeeee. It done been a week.

Paterson is great. I cannot believe I have been here for little over 4 months. I just love it here. It has been hot... and this week it is suppose to hit 90 degrees. It is so stinking hot and humid. I sweat so much. But people are outside and happy. So that means more crazy people. They are so weird here in Paterson. Very inappropriate and hilarious. 

This Thursday we are going to the Manhattan Temple. I am so stoked! I am taking a family name to do endowments for him. I am so excited. We get up early, we go to Jersey City, and then we take the train to NY. There we walk to the temple. It will be weird walking around as a missionary, but it will be fun. We are lunching at Central Park (remember taking that nap in central park Jess?). 

Elmo is pretty much dropped. No progression. It is too bad.

Shannette has moved. She is in the area of the other spanish Elders so we dont get to visit her anymore. She still hasn't come to church. She needs your prayers. 

We had a great week this week. We have been teaching and contacting. We contacted 182 new people this week. It is so fun

We have a new investigator named Letisia. She is Colombian. She lives with one of our returning less actives Hno. Sabulon. She has a lot of potential. She is very nice and hospitable. He is the cook though. He made us mariscos (seafood). We had a big thing of tilapia stuffed with octopus, squid, clams, shrimp, and fake crab. It was really good :) I liked it. 

We had interviews today with Pres. and Sister Jeppson. This is the last one we will have with them. It was wonderful to talk with them. I felt the Spirit with them, and I truly feel loved by them.

This week will be a good one. I have an exchange with the zone leaders tomorrow, then Thursday is temple. 

Tomorrow I will hit my six month mark. Time flies.

I believe this is the only true church on the earth. I believe Jesus Christ owns and runs it. Its my testimony that he lives and loves us. I know the Book of Mormon is true because (again) I knelt down and prayed about it. I felt that very still and confident feeling, and for that I know it's the word of God. 

Can't believe school is already over. HAGS.

I love you all so much. 

Pictures are coming next week.

Testimony for the Beehives

Just tell your beehives this following experience.

When I got into my mission in New Jersey, I was really discouraged and sad. I had done well in the MTC and had made a lot of new friends. Saying goodbye to them was the last straw. I missed my family and the unknown seemed unbearable. It was cold, and I felt like hopping on a plane home. That night, I realized I felt so bad because I didnt read my scriptures at all that day. Ever since 10th grade I had read my scriptures everyday (at least one verse). I couldn't let a day of my mission go by without reading my scriptures. I used my last few minutes before bedtime to open my scriptures and read. I instantly felt the Spirit. It softened my heart, and I wanted to stay. 

I read my scriptures everyday. I love them. Just like Alma says in chapter 37 verse 45 the words of Christ (or the scriptures) will carry us through this vale of sorrow into a far better land of promise. 

This world is hard. There are hard things. but the scriptures will carry us. Hold them. Read them. Fall limp into them. And they will carry you. thats my testimony. In the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Bleh Week

Honestly, this last week kinda stunk

We have been working super hard. Yet, it seems as though our investigators are digressing instead of progressing. Elmo has been juking us and not keeping the commitments he makes. So frustrating. Shannette and Lissett haven't been coming to church... and yesterday was the first time we saw one of them in 2 weeks. So not much to talk about this week. 

We got sick on Wednesday. It was weird. We both got super sick... but Thursday we got up and were fine. So we did all the stuff we needed to do inside our appartment that day. I dont like being sick... 

Our monthly focus is on Faith. Moroni 7:33-34 is our monthly scripture. So, I have faith that this week will be better.

Keep praying for me. Thanks for all your love and support. It means a lot to me and I can feel your prayers.

I believe that this is the only church on the face of the earth that has the authority of God. I know the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ is true because I read it, I pondered about it, and I prayed about it. I felt the Spirit. Its true

I love you all!

God Be With You Till We Meet Again.

Week 6 of Transfer #3

I am staying in Paterson! Woot woot! I get to see all of my investigators reject or accept the gospel. This will be a great transfer with a lot of sweat and tears. Sweat because its hot and tears because the sweat drips down my head into my eyes and makes them water. I am sweating buckets. It is so hot here. I bought sandals today because my feet stink. Hopefully I don't get any spare needles stuck in my feet... Just kidding. Paterson is great...

I loved talking to you all yesterday. You are all beautiful people. I miss you all so much. I can't wait til Christmas...

Elmo has committed to live the Word of Wisdom and will be getting baptized on June 8! His friends Cesar and Amado are close behind. They are trying to go off coffee (amado) and smoking (cesar). They fed us this week so now we are officially family! 

We got to see Shannette finally. She is doing much better and was able to spend this last weekend with her father. Keep praying for her. We are trying to help her go to the temple.

Leonardo isn't doing so well in gospel terms. He hasn't been reading or coming to church. If he doesn't make a change soon, we will have to try later. Pray for him. He is so willing to learn, but just needs to know if its true.

We didn't get to visit with Rafael and Maria Cruz this week, but we saw them on the street. They read their homework! They need to be married first, so pray for them!

We had a cool experience this week. We had an appointment with a less-active and had a lesson with her friends. They both were knowledgable about the Bible, and we shared a bunch of scriptures from the Bible. In the end, it didn't go anywhere, but we shared our testimonies and asked them if we could do a prayer. They said yes but asked us to come into another room with them. We went into their living room, through a maze of wind-blown curtains, and looked around. It took me a while to realize that they started their own church, and there in their living room they offered prayers. We said one, and then they said 3 prayers. It took about 10 minutes. It was weird... but definitely a story to tell. 

I love being a missionary. I am learning so much each day.

I love you all.

Wuz Good.

Elderty

We talk in a week.

Familia :)

Its been a week. We have worked hard and had fun. 

This week was pretty busy. We had Zone Conference, and it was awesome! It is always nice to feel the Spirit that these missionaries have. I learned how to be a better missionary and a better person. We focused on the Atonement, and again I felt the Spirit as I thought about Jesus suffering for me and the one's I love. He is the best.

Another fun part of my week was an exchange I did with my zone leader E Cuevas. He is a big boy... He was a UFC Fighter but loves so much. He is a great zone leader and helped me feel more at home in this zone. He might leave this transfer, and that would be sad. 

Pray for Felix. His wife just died. I am not sure how she died, but he needs the prayers. I will tell you more about him next week.

My time is up. I am so stoked to talk to you all this Sunday. I love you.