January 13, 2014

I can’t even believe that Ryan is on a Mission right now. How great is that, he is going to have a blast in England, plus Elder BOS is just the coolest name ever! What person in their right mind would not what to listen to a missionary named Elder BOS?!

That is soo awesome that the temple in Gilbert is having open houses. I want to go to the temple! Elder Holland said that they are going to start the construction of the temple in Concepcion this year... but we need a miracle for it to be completed in a year and a half (so I can go)

How is the temple in Tucson going? Have they started it yet??

This week we focused on Rodrigo a lot to prepare him for his baptism. And just when we thought all was well and he was ready for his interview with the district leader, he goes and tell us that he went to jail 15 years back. So we had to schedule an interview with him and the president of the mission 1 day before his baptism. He was so nervous but he passed and we dunked him this past Saturday.

His health spiritually is great as of now, but his body is slowly diminishing. His heart is too big which is causing bad circulation and stomach problems. He’s living in and out of the hospital right now but he is not living alone. He now has the companionship of the Spirit.  God promises us many times in the scriptures that he will not leave us comfortless, that he will send us help.

Maybe he won’t take our pain away but he will make it light.

But we have to first come to Him. I LOVE the verse in Mathew 11 28-30

He invites all who have burdens, who have pains, who have difficulties to come unto his rest.

In the book of Mormon, God explains that he will not free us from all of our burdens, but he will help us bear them. He will give us the strength to push through. And while we are chugging along eventually we will realize that we are stronger and our burdens are lighter. Mosiah 24 9-24

Speaking of difficulties my last zebra pen has died. I am officially out and now have to resort to using a cheap normal pen. It’s a tragedy.

So this week I have realized that I am maybeee not in tip top shape anymore like I used to be. We were talking to one of the members about this (his name is Hermon Neftali and he only has one leg. but he threw shot put of the Special Olympics! And now is in a professional wheelchair basketball team) and he said we could run to his house in the morning and work out with his weights! GYM TIME.

Elder Jensen (my district leader, he is huge and played football for BYU before the mission) and I went one morning. And I am still unbelievably sore... and we went last Wednesday. How pathetic.

This week we had a family home evening in the church for all of our less actives, investigators, and recent converts. We shared a spiritual thought... and then played with BALLOONS! One of the games was pretty much exactly like Quiddich (from Harry Potter) but with balloons but we went running about with broomsticks between our legs don’t worry.

They work is picking up a lot in our ward. The members and getting more excited and we are finding many great new people to teach. 

Oh and also one of our investigators (David y Carla who have been coming to church for about 3 months and have all the missionary lessons but can’t get baptized because they aren’t married) has finally decided to GET MARRIED! My companion and I have been thinking and praying about them a lot these past weeks, trying to figure out what to teach them to help them take this final step before their baptism... and our brain went straight to the book of Mormon. IF a person can get an immovable testimony of the book of Mormon everything else will fall into place.

 We decided to share a Mormon message about the book of Mormon and we invited one of our recent converts to join us and share his testimony about this book. After that lesson they decided to go to the next day to take out a date for their wedding. The Book of Mormon is true and changes lives. I pray every day and ask the lord if this book really is the words of God not because I don’t know, but because I trust in the promise that the Lord will always answer my prayers and that he will strengthen my testimony every time I ask him.

If you don’t know if the book of Mormon is true, read it and ask.

And for those of you who do know, read it and ask again

  We went to the beach again this P day. All I want to do is jump in and SWIM!!!! But I can’t.

  

So it turns out that baptizing people is the closest thing I got to swimming, so I think I will just focus on doing that a lot...

One of these pictures with the start fish is exactly like one we took in Newport Beach!

Also I don’t know if I have thanked everyone that has sent me packages and letters officially yet. If not...

THANK YOU so much. It is always great to her from you Brother Andrews. Your humor is just want I need to get me through a hard day.

Grandpa Brown and Grandma Mina thank you for your letters and again for the package...I’m glad all is going well in your ward and in your lives. I am so grateful that I got to see you guys before I left on the mission.

Hannah Fox... By the end of 2 years I’m going to have a stack of letters from you that I don’t even know who I will fit them in my suit case... But keep them coming.

I'm WRITING YOU GUYS SOON! But I don’t know where to go to mail them yet...but just give me some time.