Love Caldwell

Welcome to an awesome week.

We gave a training to 3 zones. I liked the topic. It was stressful, but I like talking in front of people about the gospel. We talked about good questions and listening. It was a call to repentance. I thought I was a pretty good teacher, but I realized that I stink because I don't use good questions and I don't listen as much as I should. We also came up with our zone goals for this month. We went to  a super good taqueria called Los Gueros again because it is just that good. I went to Englwood to go on an exchange with Elder Preston. He is the definition of fun. He is hilarious. We taught well and tried to give a guy, who was in prison, a Book of Mormon. The police didn't let us :( stink. 

Wednesday we switched back and preached the good word. Thursday was the same story. Friday was pretty cool because we picked up another Elder so we could take him to the temple as well. We played soccer that night. There was a sister from Megan Blume's mission there and she got the biggest black eye I have ever seen. It was HUGE. Poor girl. She was super funny about it though. She made a bunch of jokes and she seemed like it was going to turn out fine. So that was an adventure.

Now... Saturday was the day of days. We 3 woke up at 5:30 and got ready. By 6:30 we were over at the Vaca's home to eat empenadas. It was a good meal, but we were all so anxious to get to the temple. We left at 7:30. The Vaca's drove so it was infinitely faster and smoother than the trip that we had planned for the zone. It was cool to be in NYC. We got to the temple and the baptisms went swimmingly (haha... I miss diving and swimming and hot tubbing). It was so cool to be there with the Vaca family. Diana decided to wait for her family before she goes to the temple. So we are going to work with them. After that we used our P day that we didn't get last week to spend time with the Vaca family. We went bowling and I talked with Nancy the whole time. She is one spunky grandma. She loves her family so much. I want to be as loving as her one day. After that we ate at this super good Ecuadorian Restaurant. Super food. We then played games with them at their house until it was time to start proselyting again.

We finished off the crazy week with a calm Sunday. Alvaro came to church and loved it. Baptism will probably happen the first of February. We did have a crazy lesson though. We were invited to share a message with a contact we had at her church. We thought it was a good opportunity to share what we believed with her and her brothers. But they took us into a lecture room and lectured about why the Sabbath day is Sunday. I tried not to bible bash, but I guess I looked angry when I told the man, "we could be wrong, but I dont think so." I went on to share my testimony. Sadly I didn't have the Spirit and so he didn't listen. He told us we had come to listen, not to teach. I felt bad that I hadn't listened better to the Spirit and kept my cool. But we left on good terms with the man and the contact. I don't plan on going back there soon. 

After that we got the Spirit again and visited with a cool family named the Cielo family. The parents just got married, but the mom has 3 kids. One is on a mission in Italy! It is interesting to see the other half of the missionary: his family. I hope that you all are feeding the missionaries and keeping the commitments they give you. It's awesome to be close to missionaries.

It has been a great week and I am excited to serve this week! Last week of the transfer and we never know what awesome surprises we have coming up. God does his work.

I believe that the Book of Mormon is true because I feel good when I read it, which is the spirit telling me it is true. Off of that I base my testimony of the Church and of Jospeh Smith. I belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints. Thats awesome.

Keep me in your prayers!

waz good

Jersey Strong

 Life is good in the gospel.

Love you

Carrana family and the game headbandz. 

Diana got baptized a lil bit ago. 

So we had some fun with them.

This awesome Ecuadorian food place. I will take you there sometime :) <3

Shots of the Temple and the Book of Mormon play on Broadway ( It's a super bad show... or so I have heard). NYC

New York. We saw a huge billboard of the church in Times Square

a random cool cube in NYC. Irina Vaca and I in the temple and Juan Fer and I in the temple

TEMPLE!!! all of us together :)  

on the way to the temple:)

Juan Fer and I along with Juan Fer and I and Elder Smith

It was 11 degrees here. BRRRRRRRRRR

exchange in Englewood with Elder Preston

baptism

Back in paterson!!!! zone conference was there and I totally loved being back there. Practically the annual anniversary: I got there last year.

 I got there this year as well.

baptisms and tacos

All Nine dressed in White Pictures

All nine of us and then Diana and the Mayta Family. 
Me, Juan Fer, Diana Carranza, Nancy, Irina, Juan Pablo, little Emily, my comp, and Brother Erick Mayta

Bro Mayta baptized Diana Carranza.

Carranza Family

Vaca Family

This is Emily (the little girl from the Vaca Family) she asked for these for Chirstmas 

and took off one of her toys that she wanted so she could have them.

First snow fall I have been in since last winter. How fitting that it was on the day we all got dressed in white :)

Awesome guero tacos after the baptism with President Guardiola and his family and Bro and Sister Lopez.

2015 Bring it.

2015

Bring it.

Last Monday we had a super sweet activity. We got zone 1 and our zone (#2) and played soccer. It was rad. This whole week we were preparing for the baptism .. so nothing super exciting until New years. Which was pretty lame itself. We went to a party till nine and then went home and went to bed. We had a meeting with President Taggart. A lot is changing this year. It was an exciting meeting, and I liked to catch the glance of his vision for the mission. I believe that he is lead by God. We are a lucky mission because we have him. He is a true man of faith. 

Saturday came. And it snowed. The first snow fall I have seen since Paterson came down so hard. Everything got covered quickly. We had to do a meeting with all of the leaders in our zone so that took most of our day. After that, it was time for the baptism. We filled up the font and got everything ready. We got dressed in white and all nine of us were so stinking happy. The talks and the service were great. I was so honored to baptize Emily and Nancy. My companion baptized Juan Pablo, Irina, and Juan Fern. And Erick Mayta baptized Diana. It was a powerful experience. I felt very happy that night. I am grateful that God prepared these people. Honestly, I did nothing to have this baptism. I didn't earn it. God loves me enough to have given me that experience and I won't forget it. I am grateful for baptism.

Sunday we confirmed all 6. I got to confirm Juan Pablo, Irina, and Juan Fer. I am grateful for the Spirit that was felt during that meeting. Our branch president invited the 3 adults and diana to come up and share their testimonies. Each one talked about how they feel more complete and how they felt an unexpressable feeling yesterday. Juan Pablo, Irina, and Nancy shared how the gospel has blessed their family. Diana shared how she knew that God has a plan for her. She knows that He loves her. It was a wonderful week.

And this week is going to be good as well. We get to go to the temple with 5 of the recent converts to do baptisms for the dead. I sure am a lucky guy. 

I am super excited for 2015. It is a gift. It is a privilege to serve this year in NJMM. As new years past, I was super grateful for my family and friends. I am grateful for the friends I have made, and I am excited for the friends I will make this year!

Lets make it the best year yet.

Waz good

Jersey Strong

Life is good in the gospel

love you