¡Hola Mi Asombrosa Familia!
We had an amazing week! After the trials of last week, this was a week of mountains of success! Maria Teresa was confirmed this week making the family all members of the church. Each and everyone of them has changed so much and it is so cool to hear them talk about the experiences they have had. I look forward to a year from now when I will go to the temple with them!
We had one of the most smooth sailing baptisms thus far in my mission. We baptized a girl named Vanessa whose mom was baptized a couple months ago. We are hoping that with her baptized also, the family will become more active. Vanessa is excited to be baptized and has helped her mom start coming to church regularly! Also most of the people here have never swam in a pool or been fully submerged and sometimes the baptism can take a while because they are scared. With some people it takes four or five tries because they flail and kick and aren't fully submerged. Vanessa went down smoothly and came up smoothly; my first one here that wasn't a problem. She has changed so much and we are hoping that she likes the changes and will help her other siblings follow suit.
We have started teaching an alcoholic named Beto who is in such a sad state. He cried tons in our first lesson with him in which he described to us the pain and sadness alcohol and his addiction has brought into his life. He confided in us that he feels we are sent from his "Jefe" or as we call Him, Jesus Christ. We spent time writing down all of the things that he has been missing out on or that he has lost because of his addiction and also what triggers his drinking, After we made the list, we spent a time thinking of ways that he can distract himself from drinking by doing his favorite things. We helped him realize that his "Jefe" wants to help him and will give him the strength to overcome this problem. He seemed so happy and excited when we left. We left him a couple photos of Christ to put up in his room because he confided in us that the typical depiction of Christ on a cross is sad and he would rather remember Christ in a better way! Not many people here feel this way, rather quite the opposite! We are going to pass by him everyday this week!
We took another family to the Mexico City Temple and man are they sooooo solid. Esperanza, the mother, keeps asking me if preparing for baptism is hard and what they will need to do to be baptized. They are so ready right now they just need one more Sunday in sacrament meeting and the parents need to get married. They are a great family and it never gets old watching and helping people change. They are all Jehovah's Witnesses except for the father and it was a surprise how easily they accepted the message we share.
I am loving life and am so excited for this next coming week. I know that the Lord will bless us for our obedience and diligence despite the hardships of last week and he has blessed us! I love all of you and hope you have a great week like I am going to have!
LOVE,
Elder Janis
Monday, February 28, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
Like a Good Soldier of Jesus Christ
Hola Familia,
Elder Figueroa and I had a rather hard week. We had 6 investigators get interviewed for baptism with three that were going to be baptized this last Sunday. However, Saturday night one of the baptisms fell through because his mother wanted him to have his first communion and told us "déjenos en paz ya." Meaning that she a wants nothing to do with us and wants to stay Catholic. The day before she was all for his baptism and was planning on getting married in order to receive a baptism herself. We are going to pass by the family again in a little while when they have settled down a bit. The other two decided Sunday morning they had important things to do and that they weren´t going to come to church asking that their baptism could be another day. This was especially sad because they know how important this baptism is and blessings they will receive.
Despite this dreadful ending to a week, I learned a valuable lesson. We were obedient and diligent doing everything in our power and ability to help our investigators make this important step but ultimately they have their agency. Every single one of them knew how important following the example of Christ is and made the decision to put it off. I felt a lot of sorrow for these decisions but know that I did everything I could have done. I felt peace and love from the Lord poured out upon us as we continued to work hard and be obedient despite the hard times we had. I like to think that "estamos bajando para subir." (we are having difficult times to only have better times!) The Atonement was not a cheap or easy experience for the Lord, the Only Begotten of the Father, meaning that it won´t be easy for me as I bring souls unto the Lord. I truly love the mission and this last week as made me love it even more. The hard times are how we get to grow closer to the Lord and have provided me with opportunities to be even more firm in my diligence and obedience. On an amazing note, Alan received the Holy Ghost this last Sunday and Maria Teresa will this next week. I am so grateful to have baptized this amazing family and love seeing their growth. They are starting now to make preparations to enter the temple!
I love the Lord and enjoy every moment in His work. I look forward to the successes that I will have and will endure the tribulations "like a good soldier of Jesus Christ." I love all of you!
Love,
Elder Janis
Elder Figueroa and I had a rather hard week. We had 6 investigators get interviewed for baptism with three that were going to be baptized this last Sunday. However, Saturday night one of the baptisms fell through because his mother wanted him to have his first communion and told us "déjenos en paz ya." Meaning that she a wants nothing to do with us and wants to stay Catholic. The day before she was all for his baptism and was planning on getting married in order to receive a baptism herself. We are going to pass by the family again in a little while when they have settled down a bit. The other two decided Sunday morning they had important things to do and that they weren´t going to come to church asking that their baptism could be another day. This was especially sad because they know how important this baptism is and blessings they will receive.
Despite this dreadful ending to a week, I learned a valuable lesson. We were obedient and diligent doing everything in our power and ability to help our investigators make this important step but ultimately they have their agency. Every single one of them knew how important following the example of Christ is and made the decision to put it off. I felt a lot of sorrow for these decisions but know that I did everything I could have done. I felt peace and love from the Lord poured out upon us as we continued to work hard and be obedient despite the hard times we had. I like to think that "estamos bajando para subir." (we are having difficult times to only have better times!) The Atonement was not a cheap or easy experience for the Lord, the Only Begotten of the Father, meaning that it won´t be easy for me as I bring souls unto the Lord. I truly love the mission and this last week as made me love it even more. The hard times are how we get to grow closer to the Lord and have provided me with opportunities to be even more firm in my diligence and obedience. On an amazing note, Alan received the Holy Ghost this last Sunday and Maria Teresa will this next week. I am so grateful to have baptized this amazing family and love seeing their growth. They are starting now to make preparations to enter the temple!
I love the Lord and enjoy every moment in His work. I look forward to the successes that I will have and will endure the tribulations "like a good soldier of Jesus Christ." I love all of you!
Love,
Elder Janis
Monday, February 14, 2011
Well, you´ve come to the right place! or Chamaca vs. Chamarra
Hola Familia!
I have some awesome news! About two weeks ago, we baptized a 14 year old girl that changed so much as she prepared for her baptism. She left behind alcohol and partying (something quite normal here) to do what she knew was right; even when it took a lot of effort and time to get permission from her mom. Well, her mom and brother were baptized this last Sunday! It was such a neat experience because her mom, Maria Teresa, is so converted. She has even decided to leave her job and find another so that she can attend church each week. Finding work right now in Mexico City is not an easy task but she told us that she will trust in the Lord. She has already got a job that is lining up and we are praying that it all works out! Alan is the brother who just turned 8 on Saturday and cried when Maria Teresa said that they were going to wait until this coming Sunday for the baptism. She changed her mind and decided to do it this last week because of how bad Alan wanted to do it. It has been such a joy teaching them and especially seeing how much peace they found in the Gospel. I will miss stopping by to teach them but look forward to finding another family that I can help have the same experience! We are going to talk to Maria Teresa more about how she can prepare for the temple and eventually do the work for her husband who passed away. I hope to be here when she goes through the temple and gets sealed to her husband.
Elder Figueroa and I were out contacting in the street when we felt the need to stop by a less active member that we have been trying to get a lesson with for weeks. We decided that this would be the last time we would stop by seeing as we have already tried a couple times. We knocked on the door and her daughter answered the door to tell us that her mom wasn´t home. Before we left, the daughter told us that one of her neighbors wanted to talk to us. The neighbor invited us in and introduced herself as Lourdes. She is a mother of a two year old and is hiding from her husband while they work out a divorce. She told us that she really needs peace in her life and a friend told her that she could find that peace in our Church. When we heard this we basically said, "well, you´ve come to the right place!" She is on date for this coming Sunday to be baptized. This experience has helped me grasp at the fact that we are guided by the Spirit even when we don´t really know it.
I had another rather embarrassing Spanish mistake that I thought you might enjoy! I was holding Alan´s jacket when he told us that it was really cold outside. Trying to remember the word for jacket, I told Alan to put on his "chamaca" thinking it meant jacket. The response I got from him, his family, and my companion was tons of laughter. Then, figuring it was the word I used for jacket, I asked Elder Figueroa what the word I said meant and what word I should have used. He then told me that "chamaca" is slang for a girl and that the real word is "chamarra". So basically, I told an 8 year old to put on his girl...I won´t be making that same mistake twice!
This last week I studied a talk in the last General Conference by Elder Scott about the importance of faith and character. I absolutely loved reading this talk and many things started to click for me. One thing in particular that I think about at least once a day is how far I have progressed and how far I want to have progressed by the end of my mission. Elder Scott helped me realize that one of the most advantageous fruits of my mission would be a fortified character. He talked about how character is built through faith, obedience, and diligent application of the things I am learning. That is what a mission is all about: bringing souls unto God through faith, obedience, and diligent application. It then dawned on me that a solid, fortified character built on these principles would serve and support me until the day I stand in front of God to be judged. Elder Scott stated that our character will be a good measure of how well we used our opportunity of earthly probation. I have taken to focus on these three building blocks of character this past week. What an opportunity I have to serve the Lord and get a huge boost in gaining and maintaining the character that will carry me for the rest of my life!
Elder Figueroa and I had an amazing week and have all the plans for yet another. I plan to focus on my faith, obedience, and diligent application as it will bring me results that I need and God has planned for me. I hope all of you had a great Valentine´s day! I love all of you!
Con mucho amor,
Elder Janis
I have some awesome news! About two weeks ago, we baptized a 14 year old girl that changed so much as she prepared for her baptism. She left behind alcohol and partying (something quite normal here) to do what she knew was right; even when it took a lot of effort and time to get permission from her mom. Well, her mom and brother were baptized this last Sunday! It was such a neat experience because her mom, Maria Teresa, is so converted. She has even decided to leave her job and find another so that she can attend church each week. Finding work right now in Mexico City is not an easy task but she told us that she will trust in the Lord. She has already got a job that is lining up and we are praying that it all works out! Alan is the brother who just turned 8 on Saturday and cried when Maria Teresa said that they were going to wait until this coming Sunday for the baptism. She changed her mind and decided to do it this last week because of how bad Alan wanted to do it. It has been such a joy teaching them and especially seeing how much peace they found in the Gospel. I will miss stopping by to teach them but look forward to finding another family that I can help have the same experience! We are going to talk to Maria Teresa more about how she can prepare for the temple and eventually do the work for her husband who passed away. I hope to be here when she goes through the temple and gets sealed to her husband.
Elder Figueroa and I were out contacting in the street when we felt the need to stop by a less active member that we have been trying to get a lesson with for weeks. We decided that this would be the last time we would stop by seeing as we have already tried a couple times. We knocked on the door and her daughter answered the door to tell us that her mom wasn´t home. Before we left, the daughter told us that one of her neighbors wanted to talk to us. The neighbor invited us in and introduced herself as Lourdes. She is a mother of a two year old and is hiding from her husband while they work out a divorce. She told us that she really needs peace in her life and a friend told her that she could find that peace in our Church. When we heard this we basically said, "well, you´ve come to the right place!" She is on date for this coming Sunday to be baptized. This experience has helped me grasp at the fact that we are guided by the Spirit even when we don´t really know it.
I had another rather embarrassing Spanish mistake that I thought you might enjoy! I was holding Alan´s jacket when he told us that it was really cold outside. Trying to remember the word for jacket, I told Alan to put on his "chamaca" thinking it meant jacket. The response I got from him, his family, and my companion was tons of laughter. Then, figuring it was the word I used for jacket, I asked Elder Figueroa what the word I said meant and what word I should have used. He then told me that "chamaca" is slang for a girl and that the real word is "chamarra". So basically, I told an 8 year old to put on his girl...I won´t be making that same mistake twice!
This last week I studied a talk in the last General Conference by Elder Scott about the importance of faith and character. I absolutely loved reading this talk and many things started to click for me. One thing in particular that I think about at least once a day is how far I have progressed and how far I want to have progressed by the end of my mission. Elder Scott helped me realize that one of the most advantageous fruits of my mission would be a fortified character. He talked about how character is built through faith, obedience, and diligent application of the things I am learning. That is what a mission is all about: bringing souls unto God through faith, obedience, and diligent application. It then dawned on me that a solid, fortified character built on these principles would serve and support me until the day I stand in front of God to be judged. Elder Scott stated that our character will be a good measure of how well we used our opportunity of earthly probation. I have taken to focus on these three building blocks of character this past week. What an opportunity I have to serve the Lord and get a huge boost in gaining and maintaining the character that will carry me for the rest of my life!
Elder Figueroa and I had an amazing week and have all the plans for yet another. I plan to focus on my faith, obedience, and diligent application as it will bring me results that I need and God has planned for me. I hope all of you had a great Valentine´s day! I love all of you!
Con mucho amor,
Elder Janis
Monday, February 7, 2011
It's the best two years for your life...
Hola Mi Familia Chida,
I thought I would use some of my Chilango vocabulary to describe me wonderful family! Chida is the Mexico City way of saying "awesome" or "cool".
So this week was a spiritual roller coaster and I have never felt as close to the Lord as I have this past week. We had a district meeting, zone meeting, and then a zone conference where President Villarreal spoke. The Zone Conference was such a neat experience because Pres. Villarreal always knows what to say to make us want to be even more dedicated and obedient. One thing that he said that I have taken in to be my anthem for the week is "A mission isn´t the best two years of your life; it´s the best two years for your life. God will challenge you to become the man that he needs and knows you can become." The mission has its ups and downs but with this perspective I have looked forwarded to the hardships; the opportunities that I have had where all I could do is humbly kneel before the Lord, pray for strength and perseverance, and then get right back to work in the glorious vineyard. I have come to love the implications and fortifying strength of hope, an attribute of Christ that comes directly from our faith. I have found that even in the hardest moments here in the mission I can always see the light of hope that emanates from Christ. My hope is that I can really learn from these experiences and show my love for God through becoming the man he has placed me here to become.
Not only am I learning to embrace the hardships but I am loving the sweet experiences of seeing lives change and hope ignited in those we are teaching. Jaqueline, who we baptized this last week, got confirmed on Sunday! She has changed so much and is such a strong example for the rest of her family to follow. Her only family-mom and brother-will be baptized this coming week. Alan, her brother, is turning 8 this coming Saturday the day before he and his mom get baptized. We had a great experience this last Saturday when we took Jaqueline and her family to the Mexico City temple Visitor´s Center (VC). Right when the bus pulled up along side the temple, I could feel the peace and love from God that can only come from being in or near a temple. I was hoping that Jaqueline´s family could feel the same things as we took a tour around the visitors center. The VC here in Mexico City has a Chirstus statue like the one that is in the Salt Lake City Temple Visitor´s center. There was a narration of Christ talking while we sat in front of the statue that our investigators liked a lot and that has always made me feel so peaceful. The mom, Maria Teresa, especially liked how the narration said, "if you love me, keep my commandments." We then had a virtual tour of the temple where Maria Teresa was especially interested in the work for the dead in the temple. She already has the desire to have the baptism and sealing for her husband that has passed away. I have really grown to love this family so much and am so blessed to see the gospel change their lives for good.
Well, I am out the door to start another week and hit the streets looking for more people ready to hear and accept the gospel. I know that Christ lives and his hand is guiding missionary work. I hope to get better and better at discerning the promptings of the Spirit so that we accomplish the work we are meant to accomplish in this area. This opportunity I have never grows old and I won´t let it! I love the good times and cherish the hard times. I hope every single one of you had an amazing week too!
Con inmenso amor,
Elder Janis
Monday, January 31, 2011
The Wonders of Bucket Showers
HOLA FAMILIA
I had an AMAZING week!! And this is why:
My new area is overwhelmingly huge with tons of hills. This means that I am getting and will get lots of great exercise! This also means that there are rather astonishing views of mountains piled with many, many homes (I hope to send some pictures home for you to see just how many people live in just this little amount of area). This also means that there are loads of people just waiting to hear the Gospel. I am so happy for this because I came into the area with only 2 investigators, none even close to baptism. However, as the week played out, Elder Figueroa and I have been really obedient and have seen some amazing things happen.
We had one investigator named Jaqueline who I was told hardly listened to what the missionaries said and just giggled and said "I don´t know." Elder Figueroa told me all of these things as we were walking to her house. She walks out and is acting just as he told me she would act. We started the lesson with a hymn and prayer to invite the Spirit. I was just searching for something to say or do to help her realize that we come here with a purpose. I got to know her a little and then asked if she had prayed about anything the missionaries had taught her. She answered yes. We then taught her how she would get an answer from God. I then pointed out to her that the good feelings she felt in the prayer mean that she received an answer. This changed everything. She would stare us right in the eyes, answer every question we asked, and even readily accepted a baptism date in that very same lesson. The power of the Holy Ghost is so amazing. Not only that but as we had to visit with her mom on three separate occasions to finally get permission for her baptism, she would tell her mom just how much she wanted it. Also, she convinced her mom to take off work, to take the family to church, and then attend the baptism. In Church, Elder Figueroa and I taught Gospel Principles and felt that we should teach about baptism. After the spiritual baptismal service, we asked the mom if we could come by and share this same message with her and the rest of the family. She told us that we could come by on Tuesday!!! We are so excited to have this extremely huge blessing from the Lord! Not only did we have a surprise baptism but we also get to teach the rest of the family!
On another note, I took my first bucket shower! This means that I fill up a bucket of water throw in a calentador (i.e., heater) and wait 20 minutes. The air is freezing in the morning and the water only stays warm for a little bit. Sometimes the water will run out before all of the soap is off. Luckily that hasn´t happened to me yet. What an experience I am having here in Mexico. I love every experience I have that takes me out of the bubble I lived in Coppell. These sort of experiences have helped me to love the people even more and be that much more humble.
I had a wonderful week and have faith that another one is on its way!
Love,
Elder Janis
I had an AMAZING week!! And this is why:
My new area is overwhelmingly huge with tons of hills. This means that I am getting and will get lots of great exercise! This also means that there are rather astonishing views of mountains piled with many, many homes (I hope to send some pictures home for you to see just how many people live in just this little amount of area). This also means that there are loads of people just waiting to hear the Gospel. I am so happy for this because I came into the area with only 2 investigators, none even close to baptism. However, as the week played out, Elder Figueroa and I have been really obedient and have seen some amazing things happen.
We had one investigator named Jaqueline who I was told hardly listened to what the missionaries said and just giggled and said "I don´t know." Elder Figueroa told me all of these things as we were walking to her house. She walks out and is acting just as he told me she would act. We started the lesson with a hymn and prayer to invite the Spirit. I was just searching for something to say or do to help her realize that we come here with a purpose. I got to know her a little and then asked if she had prayed about anything the missionaries had taught her. She answered yes. We then taught her how she would get an answer from God. I then pointed out to her that the good feelings she felt in the prayer mean that she received an answer. This changed everything. She would stare us right in the eyes, answer every question we asked, and even readily accepted a baptism date in that very same lesson. The power of the Holy Ghost is so amazing. Not only that but as we had to visit with her mom on three separate occasions to finally get permission for her baptism, she would tell her mom just how much she wanted it. Also, she convinced her mom to take off work, to take the family to church, and then attend the baptism. In Church, Elder Figueroa and I taught Gospel Principles and felt that we should teach about baptism. After the spiritual baptismal service, we asked the mom if we could come by and share this same message with her and the rest of the family. She told us that we could come by on Tuesday!!! We are so excited to have this extremely huge blessing from the Lord! Not only did we have a surprise baptism but we also get to teach the rest of the family!
On another note, I took my first bucket shower! This means that I fill up a bucket of water throw in a calentador (i.e., heater) and wait 20 minutes. The air is freezing in the morning and the water only stays warm for a little bit. Sometimes the water will run out before all of the soap is off. Luckily that hasn´t happened to me yet. What an experience I am having here in Mexico. I love every experience I have that takes me out of the bubble I lived in Coppell. These sort of experiences have helped me to love the people even more and be that much more humble.
I had a wonderful week and have faith that another one is on its way!
Love,
Elder Janis
Monday, January 24, 2011
Transferred to Tacubaya
Mi Familia y Amigos,
This week was the last week of the transfer and boy did things slow down. My companions had a rough time wanting to go out the door and work towards the end of the week. A lot of this slowing down had to do with transfers. It seems like when people find out they are leaving the area they just let up and slow down. There was only so much I can do as a fourth member of a companionship but I took all the opportunities I could to make last minute impacts on this area. I tried to get all of us out to work but one of my companions was rather upset about where he was going to be transferred and with whom. Ultimately, I am really excited to go to my new area and have a fresh start.
My new area is going to be awesome! I am headed toward one of the colonies in the very center of Mexico City called Tacubaya. I am going to take a taxi to Tacubaya in about two hours to meet up with my new companion. I don't really know anything about him so I will have to wait until next week to let you know more. Like I said, I am excited for the fresh start. I made many specific goals that will make it easier for both me and my companion to always be obedient and diligent. I have heard rumors that my new area is going to be hard, but in every mission there's a "hard" area. These "hard" areas only mean that people go into them thinking they are "hard" and that with diligence, obedience, and faith I can fulfill my purpose in the area. There was a talk in the MTC about "hard" areas and that all it is is a mind set. I am choosing now to think of it as a challenge but something the Lord can help me conquer. For all I know, the area could be really fruitful and all the rumors are just that, rumors!
So I have officially completely 6 months as of a few days ago. That night I took the opportunity to relfect over the past 6 months and see just how much I have learned. I realized that my progress from day to day seems slow or sometimes nonexsistant but with perspective I could see tons of progress. I still have SO much to learn and part of this pondering included making goals for the future. I thought I would share a couple of them with you. I made goals to read the entire standard works (minus the Old Testament), the entire mission library, and the Book of Mormon two times by the end of the year. I made day specific goals where I read from the Book of Mormon every day the whole year and then a designated amount of pages from one of the other books I am reading. Right now I am reading the Book of Mormon, Our Search for Happiness, and Preach My Gospel. I have learned so much from making this goal and my personal study has become more effective and useful. Not only has my testimony been strengthened but I have found some scriptures and knowledge that has helped my investigators also. I also made a goal to always kneel when I have a personal prayer and take time to think and ponder letting the Spirit guide me in what I say in my prayers. I have had some very special experiences recently because of this goal and have felt an increase in real and divine desire to work in the vineyard of the Lord.
I got the package that Brother Fairbanks brought to me and man was I grateful. Everything in the package was amazing and I really appreciate all the thought and effort my awesome family took to make it. I am especially thankful to Bro. Fairbanks for his willingness to bring it straight from Dallas to Mexico City!
I love the working in the vineyard of the Lord and am SO excited to start a new area. I know that Lord is on my right side and angels are all around me. I know that I am protected and qualified by the Holy Ghost. I know that I am a disciple of a living Christ and that His Atonement makes me someone I could never, ever be otherwise. I love all of you oodles and pray for you.
Love,
Elder Janis
Monday, January 17, 2011
Zion's Camp Applies to Me
Hola Familia y Amigos,
I had an absolutely wonderful week! I learned so much about myself and feel that all the experiences I have been having, both good and bad, are helping me become the man the Lord needs me to become. I was reading in the book "Our Heritage" (a book in the missionary library about the beginning of the Church) and I came across the story of Zion´s Camp. Zion´s Camp was a group of men organized and headed by Joseph Smith. They were traveling across the frontier to help some members in another area. Along the way, the men all went through very tough afflictions and many of them gave up. Quite a few made it all the way to the other area, but when they arrived they found out that the reason they were needed was no longer valid. Many took this to mean that Joseph Smith wasn´t a prophet and that the church wasn´t true. However, the people that stayed faithful the whole time were eventually called to be some of the first General Authorities for the church. God gave these men the opportunity to prove their faith. I applied this story to the difficult experiences that as a missionary I sometimes face. This story has given me so much peace in knowing that every time I patiently and prayerfully overcome each obstacle, I am becoming closer and closer to becoming the man the Lord needs me to be. I find so much comfort in knowing that the Lord has a plan for me and I hope and pray that I will meet the end goal and accomplish what I was meant to accomplish. Basically I love the mission, have learned tons, and plan to learn mountains more!
We had two baptisms this week! One for Javier who sought us out in the streets one day and found us in the local grocery store. He has been the most faithful and spiritual investigator that I have had yet and it was such a blessing to see him be baptized, fulfilling his desire "to start again and be better" (this is something he told us all the time). The other baptism was for Jonathan. His family did not want him to be baptized but he knew that he needed to and, even better, he really wanted to! The service for both of them was an immense pleasure to be a part of.
Elder Lopez and I were walking through one of the huge apartment complexes in our area when we both felt we needed to talk to a guy that was about to cross our path. We contacted him and asked when we could pass by his house to share the message. He told us that he had to use the bathroom really bad and that we could come by in 30 minutes. We excitedly returned and had a wonderful lesson with him in which he, Francisco, listened, discussed, and agreed quite easily. The Spirit was so strong and I could see him accepting all our words due to the message being carried right to his heart. Hopefully I will have awesome news for you next week as it pertains to Francisco!
I am so blessed to be here now and am loving every second of my time on the Lord´s errand. Everyday I feel the Lord qualifying me more and have received so much strength from the Holy Ghost and its guidance. I love each and everyone of you immensely and pray for your happiness and health.
Con Amor,
Elder Janis
I had an absolutely wonderful week! I learned so much about myself and feel that all the experiences I have been having, both good and bad, are helping me become the man the Lord needs me to become. I was reading in the book "Our Heritage" (a book in the missionary library about the beginning of the Church) and I came across the story of Zion´s Camp. Zion´s Camp was a group of men organized and headed by Joseph Smith. They were traveling across the frontier to help some members in another area. Along the way, the men all went through very tough afflictions and many of them gave up. Quite a few made it all the way to the other area, but when they arrived they found out that the reason they were needed was no longer valid. Many took this to mean that Joseph Smith wasn´t a prophet and that the church wasn´t true. However, the people that stayed faithful the whole time were eventually called to be some of the first General Authorities for the church. God gave these men the opportunity to prove their faith. I applied this story to the difficult experiences that as a missionary I sometimes face. This story has given me so much peace in knowing that every time I patiently and prayerfully overcome each obstacle, I am becoming closer and closer to becoming the man the Lord needs me to be. I find so much comfort in knowing that the Lord has a plan for me and I hope and pray that I will meet the end goal and accomplish what I was meant to accomplish. Basically I love the mission, have learned tons, and plan to learn mountains more!
We had two baptisms this week! One for Javier who sought us out in the streets one day and found us in the local grocery store. He has been the most faithful and spiritual investigator that I have had yet and it was such a blessing to see him be baptized, fulfilling his desire "to start again and be better" (this is something he told us all the time). The other baptism was for Jonathan. His family did not want him to be baptized but he knew that he needed to and, even better, he really wanted to! The service for both of them was an immense pleasure to be a part of.
Elder Lopez and I were walking through one of the huge apartment complexes in our area when we both felt we needed to talk to a guy that was about to cross our path. We contacted him and asked when we could pass by his house to share the message. He told us that he had to use the bathroom really bad and that we could come by in 30 minutes. We excitedly returned and had a wonderful lesson with him in which he, Francisco, listened, discussed, and agreed quite easily. The Spirit was so strong and I could see him accepting all our words due to the message being carried right to his heart. Hopefully I will have awesome news for you next week as it pertains to Francisco!
I am so blessed to be here now and am loving every second of my time on the Lord´s errand. Everyday I feel the Lord qualifying me more and have received so much strength from the Holy Ghost and its guidance. I love each and everyone of you immensely and pray for your happiness and health.
Con Amor,
Elder Janis
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