"If you're not failing, you're not trying!" -Joseph Smith

Dear family and friends,

I am so grateful for this past week! And I just love the quote I put for my subject. It really taught me a simple thing. It is okay to fail in the things you do. However, if you give up at that point you just let Satan take over! Keep trying and never ever give up!

So this past week another quote kept going through my head as I just really began to love the people with whom I was not only with, but also the people whom I was teaching or trying to teach! I learned this, "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care!"

As you go through out your week I hope that you all can remember this quote and also recognize when you are really trying to care for others or not when you talk to them! It is easy to tell. Seek to understand them before being understood! Thank you for all you do for me and know that I truly love each and every one of you! 

Also I am really bad at birthdays, so if I have missed any of yours please forgive me! I really do care!

Week August 29 - 4 September 2016

Monday:

Today like most P-days has been a great one! Elder Lopez and I were able to get hair cuts and it was just nice to be able to have a small break in our busy lives to play some sports and to just be with one another and others around the Zone as well! So today we were able to go and play Volleyball with opt he whole zone and even play some bad mitten and it was a lot of fun, after which we went and had a blast teaching the Marquez family, and having dinner with them! They are super funny, and I really enjoy them, and also we went by and had a wonderful time getting to know Samira, and her husband who is a member AG! We are hoping to start working with them and getting to the point that they also want to come back to the church! We really connected well with them and will be going over tomorrow night again to see how they are! Really all in all, it has just been a wonderful day with some good rain, and I just love that God blesses us with such weather! Other than that, it was my last time talking to one of my good friends Stefani Stratton, before she becomes a Missionary as well, and I am just so excited for her and that she is able to become apart of this great army, and bring souls to Christ! She is going to be an amazing Missionary! I don't know why in this very moment and all day the words "No se da por vencido" keep popping into my head, but I must write it! When things get hard, "Never Give Up!" Only Satan wants you to do that!

Tuesday:

I love Tuesdays! I say this like everyday, but why have a bad day serving the lord?! 

So today we had the wonderful opportunity to start the day off with some amazing studies, and then we even had a weekly planning, because last week we were so busy that we didn't have the chance to take care of it, and it was so nice to have a Companionship inventory where we just talked openly about a few simple issues, and I can testify that comp inventory is for everyone! If you struggle with your companion, sit down, talk openly, and come to a solution! So today we were able to teach Isaac Sanchez about the priesthood, and we were informed by Bishop Delgado on Sunday that he wants to give Isaac the Priesthood this Sunday! So we taught him really well, and also set a date to go with him on a Temple Trip to do baptisms, and it was just a wonderful lesson where he was so surprised that he could already go! Also we had a wonderful lesson with the Stafford family, who is a Peruvian wife and a white husband, and they met while he was serving in Peru in her home ward. They got married and have 2 kids and we had a wonderful lesson with them, where we did a RolePlay and he corrected us on things we could improve on and he spirit was very strong and present! However, this evening was something I never will forget! We went to our FHE and our new investigator Karla Hernandez was there! She came and loved it! And she actually got there before us and just went in and then we gave her a tour of the church and she was just wonderful and said she will be here on Sunday! Then we also were blessed that Rey Castillo was there, and he went on the tour with us again and will be to church and also he will be working on pushing his date up closer! I am just so excited for the wonderful success that we are seeing right now!

Wednesday:

Holy cow I learned something crazy today! Killeen is so far away from Hurst! It told us from 8:30 until 12:30 to get to Killeen just to start our exchange, and then poor Elder Lakey and Lopez still had to drive home while I and elder Schlaich were able to get some good studies in and even go and do a service project before they got home! So today I had a blast getting to know Elder Schlaich for the first time! He is a super funny guy that is awesome to be around, and his sayings that he uses make me laugh! I had a wonderful day with him though! So today we didn't have enough time to finish the service project before dinner, so we stopped and changed clothes, went to the house of the Arteaga family, and yen went back to finish the service project of mowing a giant lawn! While at the Arteaga house hold we had a wonderful time and I felt very comfortable and good as the Hno. Arteaga asked me where I was from and told me he was very impressed with my Spanish. Whenever I have someone like that say it to me I feel good, because I have worked so hard at it and am in love with it so much! So after teaching them about the work on the temples and helping them incision themselves in the temple we focused on their ancestors that have pasted away and how they need the blessings as well as they need them now, so we committed them to fill out their family line and then put it into the computer! So as we finished there we had to go back and finish our service project at the Hna. Lobos house, and I am now so tired!! Today really was just a simple and wonderful day!!:)

Thursday:

What a crazy day we have had today for not having much time for a lot of things! So today we had to drive home from Killeen, and it took us so long! The APs arrived at the elders apartment in Killeen at 11:30, and we began to head home and arrived at 4:00!! However, it was vey worth the amazing experiences that we had together! I grew very close with the assistants and my companion elder Lopez, because we were together for so long! We had funny jokes from the whole ride, and we also had very spiritual experiences that made it very worth it, and it will be something I will never forget after my mission! For instance, Elder Baker, one of the APs, has a small stutter and he made a joke about how I was so short I wouldn't be able to see over the steering wheel, so I just said, "w-w-w-wha-a-t di-i-i-D you s-s-a-y!?" I didn't mean it offensively, and he didn't take it offensively, and we just connected from that moment on! I love Elder Bird and Elder Baker, and admire them for their hard work and efforts in their personal proselyting area being as busy as hey are on the office and the mission! So today was we got home we went and had 2 dinners, because we forgot about one, but we had a good time! I am definitely not skipping meals, even though it would be nice! But today we were able to teach the plan of salvation to Gabriela, the returning less active member, and actually help it click for her! She finally understood it as we drew it out for her! We also had a wonderful time passing by the Parajon house! We were not able to teach anything because it was late and we had to get heading out when we got a call from the office elders. They asked us for help setting up for MLC tomorrow, so we went to the church! We set up all the tables and chairs for MLC, and it was very tiring just Elder Lopez and I as the office elders had to make a quick trip to an apartment! And we just got back to the house at 10:15pm! I am so tired!

Friday:

So today I am very excited to tell how my day went! So today we were blessed to go and be apart of the Mission Leadership Council, where all of the Zone Leaders, and Sister Training Leaders meet together to be counseled by the Assistants and President Whitney! I was so happy to be there, and not have to stress about about every little topic and note, because I wasn't relaying the message on, as much as just being there to help out in the up coming meetings like District Leadership Council, and Zone council! I know that the things that they taught were needed, and I was able to finally understand 2 major points. What is a goal? And How do you truly Counsel? And I want to share my thoughts on both! First a goal, you first have to know your vision, or your ending Mark, and then you can find out that your goal is just a marker somewhere I between that is reachable but stretching! For instance, we had as a mission a goal of 60 baptisms in September, and we have 48 set dates, so that is a wonderful goal! I am so grateful for these simple things I a, learning that would have made my life before the mission so much better! I want to be a better person that plans and has goals after the mission that I truly work at! Also how do you truly counsel!? 

Councils:

Those who serve on church councils should be careful not to lose their roles.

It is not the government. There is no veto. There is no majority rule.

They are here to give us Input and feedback on things that are going on, so a leader can make a decision.

1. A leader must come to the council with a sense of Vision (where he wants to go).

"When a council reaches a decision the council members should sustain it whole heartedly!" "Decisions in life are easy to make when you have all the facts. The tough ones are the ones without the facts." "The smaller the group, the better the council!"

What I learned is to trust in the leaders revelation, and when they make a decision just follow it with all of your heart! And that councils are the best when you go in already know more or less what you want to do, you are just trying to get more insight to solidify what you have decided!

To end for today I wanted to talk about a lady that we taught today that we found last Sunday in the evening through member referral! So we had that wonderful lesson to start and set a return appointment and invited her to read and attend activities and church, and she was there on Tuesday for FHE and then tonight we went over and taught her a lesson with Hno. Y Hna. Benitez. As we taught we asked her if she has had the chance to read, and she shared a powerful story of how powerful Satan is and how she won! She said she was reading the Book of Mormon on her break at work when a lady came up to her and began to ask her questions about what she was doing. She began to explain she prayed and that we called and so she knew God wanted to her to get closer. As she said that the lady, who was the boss, began to bash against the Book of Mormon and tell her it was a lye. However, God also knew that was going to happen, because he allowed her to read right before that moment in time, a part in the story of Joseph Smith where it talks about how when we was closest to the truth he was tempted by Satan, and as he fought hard he found the most Joy he could in this life! So she kept reading and then the next day she found out that she had no job the next day.... She was worried, but we helped her understand that a God has a better plan for her as she Obeys! As we taught the plan of salvation we had her read the first verse in "I am a child of God", and instantly the spirit came in so strong. Then as we sat there Hna. Benitez asked, "Hna. Will you be baptized like Jesus Christ, by authority of God in water?!" And she responded with a beam across her face, "yes I will!" As we asked her why we knew it was because she wanted to follow Jesus Christ! She taught me a great lesson today, she taught me that every person is different and some are ready a lot fast than others! She set her date for the 24th of September! Only three weeks away! God is blessing us!! What a great day!:)

Saturday:

It is amazing how much I can learn or change my attitude with a District meeting! So today we had a district meeting, and before it. Just felt very stressed and nervous, and then after I got out of our meeting I just felt good feelings and excitement to get busy and find people to teach! So after district meeting we went home and did our weekly planning, and it was just a really good weekly planning. We were able to finish basically everything without to much hassle, but we just have to set our weekly goal because we didn't quite have the time for That! So as we were working on our plans we got a text from a member who is less active, and he wanted us to come over right away, so we did without fail and as we talked with him he told us his life story, and then began to hound on his 17 year old son for changing churches, and right as he began the spirit left the house and we could not even try to teach! So as there was a pause I just opened a scripture and began to read it, and as we did that all the sudden it became just a simple teaching moment where we taught the Restoration, and just did simple invites, and the son began to listen slowly. It was a cool, but sad experience! That is why it is hard to go inactive, because your kids follow your footsteps! So our last experience was knocking on a few referrals doors when we were knocking on the last one before we went to our last appointment with Hector, a member who wants to get the priesthood and go to the temple! As we knocked the door to this referral Hector opened his door behind us, and we were a little in shock when we realized that he lived there! We had never been to his house, and so we were able to go in and have a good lesson with him about the Priesthood and then head home. It was definitely a slower day today, but After the slower days you can see the faster and more productive days better! I love the work of the Lord!

Sunday:

Today was a very crazy day for me and for Elder Lopez. So today as we went to church we were blessed to have Rey Castillo come to church and a new investigator that is 9 years old, who is the son of a less active member come to church! Sadly Karla Hernandez was not able to make it, because her son got sick, and so she is planning on coming back on Tuesday and next week! So today I was able to bare my testimony, and it was such a wonderful opportunity, and then as church got over and we broke our fast we got to know the Brother of a more recent convert who has been to church 2 times now, and we were able to have a lesson with him on a topic he wanted us to teach him, Baptism! So we taught him a good lesson and made sure he understood that was where we were going, and he accepted it that he wanted to be baptized and follow his Brothers and Jesus Christ's example! So altogether we have progressing investigators or ones who want baptism with the names Karla Hernandez, Rey Castillo, Sergio Hernandez, and Miguel Gonzalez! And along with this on such a great day was that Isaac Sanchez that we helped get baptized just last week, was ordained with the aaronic priesthood today and interviewed for his temple recommend so he can go to the temple with us! It was just so wonderful! So as we went teaching people tonight we were blessed to go and have dinner with the Noyola family, and they had the Gonzalez family at their house, so we basically taught a family home evening message, but it was just fun to sit in the presence of such funny and wonderful people! Also as we left their dog got out and ran away, and as we were driving down the street it came to us, so I was able to drive my Colorado with a dog in the back! It was pretty awesome!;) Today was just worth every second, and to end the day we began to look at how each Spanish missionary is working together and what positions they could have for the upcoming day called board day, where we talk about and begin to make changes for the transfer that is coming up!