Koreans and Christian's Baptism

Time is so obscure in the mission.

Last week was week 5. That means this is the last week of the transfer. whaaaaa? I feel like I just got here. But I have been here for almost 3 months. That makes me feel queasy.

I think it goes by so fast because I get stuck into a routine. I need to spice it up a bit. 

On Tuesday I got to do an exchange in the Korean program. It is a hard language. After one day, I can only address Heavenly Father. I am grateful I was called Spanish. 

E Harris comes from Arizona. He really helped me with some of my questions and concerns. I look up to him a lot. We visited and taught some koreans and just being around them for that little time made me so interested in their culture. I really enjoyed our exchange.

But we had a lot to do in our area this week. Daniela is the niece of Yorleni. We have been meeting with Daniela a lot, and sadly she has hit a roadblock. She isn't progressing as quickly as we had hoped. But that is ok. I hope one day she can accept the gospel. And I know it will be His timing, and not mine. And that gives me a lot of peace because she is a great friend, and I love to be around her and Yorleni. Yorleni is as awesome as ever. Before she was baptized last December, she had completely read the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants. She is so smart, and so hilarious. I laugh every time I am over there. There is never a dull moment in that house because Assunta (a 80 year old dimensia stricken italian) is always on a rampage. She likes to flirt with us, especially with my companion, but her flirting is hitting and squeezing our cheeks and ears. We always have to be on guard or else she will catch our poor ears or cheeks and squeeze them hard. Nevertheless, I love to be there!

Friday, I got to do a mini exchange with E Muro while Christian got interviewed for his baptism. We visited a Peruvian family named Olortegui. They are awesome! It was their 2 year old's birthday, so we ate and had a good time. I love the Olortegui family. They have had some similar anxieties that I have had so it is easy to relate and get help from them. E Muro and I visited with Alvaro as well. Alvaro is doing well. He is reading and praying. He wants an answer. And I hope he gets one soon. He is going to get baptized on the 22 of March. He committed last night to live the word of wisdom. He is such a kind and humble person!

Christian got baptized Saturday. Anytime we have a baptism, it snows. It started snowing at 2 and didnt stop til after the baptism. Not a lot of people came due to the weather, but it was a good baptism! I got to give a talk on the Holy Ghost. His step father gave a very inspiring testimony. It was awesome!

He got confirmed on Sunday. He is a super special kid and I am lucky to have met him. His baptism and confirmation were truly beautiful.

Doryn is doing well! We got to teach her yesterday and she is pumped for her baptism next month. Please keep her and her family in your prayers. She is such a sweetheart and deserves our prayers.

I am grateful for my family. I believe God loves me because He has given me the best family. 

Waz Good

Jersey Strong

Life is good in the gospel

Love you

#LIGY

The whole gang. The guy in the blue is the step father, and the lady is the mother.

 Christian and I 

 Christian, me, and Evelyn

pool party with all hispanics

 Me and E Harris! We had a fun Korean exchange

Time Flies

Happy Valentines Day! 

It has been a pretty typical week. I dont feel like I have much to say. So I will say all of the cool experiences.

Last Tuesday, we were in district meeting in New City, New York, when a lady walked in. None of us knew her. She sat in until E Gonzalez and I took her out and talked to her. She started to explain her story. It was a sad story and made me feel sad for her. It was cold, and we wanted to help her. We told her we would see what we could do to help her get the money to get into the hotel she wanted to get in. After a few calls, we had 2 options for her. We don't give money out as a church, but Helping Hands might be able to help her. It was them or the police. We presented the 2 options and she became livid. She swore and yelled at us. She told us that we weren't Christian. She stood up and stormed out. 

We were able to visit with Doryn twice this week. She is from Africa. We are teaching her because the member that brought and brings her still to church is hispanic. So we will let the English take over as soon as she is comfortable. This 17 year old lady is so humble and everytime we teach her, we get to see how magnificent she is in God's eyes. It is awesome to see her self-worth skyrocket as she realizes who she is, and what she means to God. She is going to get baptized the 15 of March!

I went on exchange with E Taylor. He went to Lone Peak. Although we were rivals at first we are good friends. He is a new missionary, but carries the Spirit like an mission president. He is a great teacher. We laughed and enjoyed the exchange. We visited a lady named "Nanay" (the affectionate word for grandma in tagolic). Nanay is going to the temple the 28 of Feb. I have never seen someone so excited or grateful for the blessings of the temple. E Taylor told me that she cried and cried and cried when they first told her she could go to the temple. She couldn't talk for 5 minutes because she was so excited. We visited her, and I was taken back by how excited she is. She isn't nervous at all. I want to understand and view the temple through her eyes. I take it for granted way too much.

We also visited a man who was a Jew, but baptized himself into the true church. He had a ton of pet birds! Like, at least 30. It was so cool! The birds sang quietly throughout the whole lesson. It was like being in a forest!

Christian is being baptized this Saturday! We are so excited for him. He is beyond ready. He is already doing missionary work. He has taught his neighbors all about our church, and he continues to study and learn outside of our visits. Member work is the only work that works. I am grateful for good members who do what they promised to do at their baptism. I am becoming a better missionary, and I want to be like these good examples of members that surround me.

I am grateful that God is in charge. I am grateful that He knows more than I do. I am grateful for this time to serve and for these people.

Keep me in your prayers!

Ask God, not Google -Al Fox

Waz good

Jersey Strong

Life is good in the gospel

Love you.

You are doing it wrong if it isnt fun

Last p-day we ended up in Paterson. We had to take our car to the mechanics there and wait for 5 hours, so we decided to walk. It was cold, but I enjoyed every second of it. It was a good walk down memory lane. We tried to visit the De la Cruz family, but they were sleeping. After them we decided to walk to the chapel. We walked the streets I had contacted and walked a year ago. It was awesome! We got to hang out with zone 1 that day til our car was finished. We got home and had to plan out the meeting we were going to do on Tuesday. The meeting went ok. After, I had the opportunity to go on exchange with one of my best friends. E Muro and I went of to New City New York and had a blast. He and I have served around each other for a long time. I love that kid. We jammed on his guitar and my ukulele that night. I love making friends and memories like those. But the best people you meet in missionary work is the investigators and recent converts. I love the branch here in Caldwell. The members dont have it easy, but they are happy! They are always inviting us over and helping us with the work. Christian is doing awesome. He is sharing the gospel with his neighbors and is TEACHING them using the pamphlets we gave him. His neighbors are going to go to the church in Elisabeth because that is where they live. (Christian lives in Elisabeth but comes here because his step father is going to move here). He is super solid and I am so excited for his baptism! It is the 22 of February! Hoepfully we get to go the temple with him as well! That would be awesome!

The Vacas are as strong as ever. We had our stake conference this week and they were at every meeting except one. They are so constant. I love being in their home because it feels like home. I feel like I am family there. 

The stake conference was good. E kacher of the 70 was there. He is awesome! He has given us some trainings before so it was nice to hear from him again. He is the authority that  spoke in general conference and told a story about being dragged out to see with his wife. Check it out. He has so many cool stories and the Spirit is always in the meetings he is in.

It was a fun week. I am living. I am warm. I am a happy missionary! 

Life is good in the gospel

here is my snow man. and hot chocolate

yorleni! costa rica awesome! 

 murito

e muro and I

 I love my family... they spoil me with gifts and letters. I know they love me

 best valentine day ever!

Feb 2015

It's 2015. What? I just caught up.

January is passed. That flew by. Last week felt like a couple days. Tuesday we canceled District Meeting due to the weather (which really wasn't as bad as they cracked it up to be). It was a fun day because we went to a Recent Converts (Yorleni) house to teach her niece. We built snowmen and played in the snow. After that we taught a couple more lessons and finished the day nice and warm and safe at home. The "huge storm" was nothing. Hardly any snow fell and the sun was out for most the day. It was super funny because they canceled school and closed every store in preparation for this storm. We woke up to only 2 inches of snow. It was pathetic.

Last Wednesday we did an exchange with E Gossner after district meeting. He came to our area, making us a trio. We had a great day of proselyting, and I learned a lot from my companions. It was great to see E Gossner's way to teach and connect with the people. He is a super elder, and I want to be like him. We went to Yorleni's home and made cake. While we waited for the cake to bake, we taught a lesson to Daniela (the niece). She is going through a lot of problems, but she feels peace from what we teach so she is starting to make changes in her life. God is awesome!

Thursday we were in a meeting with the leadership of the mission for 9 hours. We learned from President Donaldson and Elder Stephenson. It was awesome! But I had a massive headache after and felt very nauseous. I hate being in meetings. It was great to be there and learn, but it was just way too much for one day. Friday I woke up feeling fine. We got to teach a 14 year old boy named Christian. He has been playing soccer with us for a while and has been to church 4 times now. We  taught him Friday and he already knew the story of Joseph Smith. We invited him to be baptized and he said "yes." He came off with the tone of "duh I will be baptized." Yesterday he accepted to be baptized the 22 of February. He is so smart, and he is excited to get baptized. Friday we did all of the little assignments and the meeting we had to do to get ready for our training tomorrow. I am somewhat excited for the meeting tomorrow but somewhat fed up with all of these meetings. Oh well. Someone has to do it.

I am so grateful to be a missionary at this time, in this place, with these people. God does the work, and He gives us the privilege to be part of it. We were teaching a lesson to our friend Daniela. We read D&C 9 and as she read the part about a fire within her chest. She paused. She kept reading, but I watched how something come over her. I asked her what she was feeling. She said that she felt the heat and the fire in her chest. I felt the Spirit. It was a moving experience for me to see that the scriptures have power and that as we read them, the Spirit will touch us. It was awesome.

Alvaro came to church yesterday and defended our faith in the lesson we had with his not so interested mom. He is retaining more than we think. He is very intelligent. 

So today it snowed a ton so we came to the house of one of our members that cant shovel his snow. From their computer, I am emailing! They are the Family Olortegui. They are from Lima Peru and are awesome!

Please forgive me for not sending photos. I forgot my camera.

I am grateful for my faith and religion. It brings me hope. And it will bring hope to anyone who is willing and open-hearted enough to try it.

Love you

Waz good

Jersey Strong

Life is good in the Gospel