Wow what a week it has been. Well sorry for the cliffhanger Mom but there has been so much stuff going on and it's been so crazy, but way way way successful and quite an eventful week. So last week President sent me on quick notice to open up a new area in Garland! It was pretty crazy and I'm not going to lie, I was way way bummed at first because we had 7 baptisms planned out in Plano as we had worked to get the area ready to blossom, but again, the key to missionary work is just work, so whenever I just work my heart out I get over whatever buggin me. At first It was tough getting started in a new area, but after putting our all into it, we were able to set 8 baptismal dates in a week, my mission high! We also set one during the weekend which puts us at 9 baptismal dates total and more coming up, which is way awesome because now we're leading the mission! Another awesome awesome experience was when we (Only the mission) got to meet with and shake the hands of Elder D. Todd Christopherson, Elder Donald L. Hailstorm, and three other members from the Second Presidency of the Seventy and Area Seventies. It was such an inspiring meeting and it was amazing to feel the apostolic power, messages, and to recieve the apostolic blessings he gave us as his "companions in the Apostolic commission to Preach the Gospel!" He's one of my favorite members of the Twelve because of his simple but profound messages and the perfect wave he has in that hair of his haha. Well Elder Hallstrom of the Presidency of the Seventy came to our Stake this Sunday and we got to introduce him to a bunch of our new investigators! It's like a guarantee to baptism if they meet and shake the hand of a general authority haha love it! We saw each other all the time before the meeting, after the meeting, and at the mission meeting the other day, so we're pretty much on a first name basis as he came u and started shadow boxing me haha. As we were just messing around with each other I was thinkin "I wonder what'll happen if I just call him 'Don'"...but I'll never loose
respect for our General Authorities haha so it was way fun spending all that time with him. He's so going Apostle, especially because of his completely perfect part in that regal hair of his haha, but it was definitely an awesome weekend that I wont forget. Well with all that,
I wanted to give yall a little slice of what brings me the most joy I've felt out here on the mission and give you some info on what's going on in the live's of my best friends here in Dallas! It has been one of the greatest parts of my life to help them learn and participate in the ordinances of the Eternally Saving Gospel of Jesus Christ!
Manuel Jara is already ordained an Elder and is, as far as I've heard it, the new Elder's Quorom Secretary. His family preparing to go through the Temple this September.
As some of yall may know, Jacobo has married an already Endowed sister in Carrollton, and will be recieving the Melckezidek Priesthood and going through the temple the 25 of August.
After teaching Adrian and Berenis Urena, their Father has noticed a change in them, especially after their baptism, and months and months after their baptism (and visits from us relentless missionaries :), he has finally met with the bishop to set up a time in which he can be baptized.
Erika Martinez is happily living the Gospel and is teaching everything we've taught her to her mother and other members of her family! Their baptisms will be approaching very very soon and Erika is preparing her children to serve missions. And to the surprise of many doctors, her child that we blessed at 10 days old is still living, and was somehow miraculously healed from the previously diagnosed heart conditions.
Karina, the mother of David and Henry Arbaiza, is finally working things out to marry Carl! After teaching him for so long as the first family I found in my mission, he'll finally be able to get baptized.
My main homie from Greenville, Jason Walker, has quite some interesting coincidences with me. He was released from the Georgia mission on September 19, 1992. Shortly after his mission...some events happened and he left activity from the church until Elder Larson and I started working with him in his hometown ward of Greenville. A few weeks ago, he was able to go to the temple for the first time in 20 years, and after living a single life, will finally be able to marry the love of his life from back in High School and be sealed for time and all eternity this summer.
Just as we expected, Brittany and Carlos Riveroll are not only diligently dragging their Mom to church with them, but also their Dad! He was far from interested before their conversion, but they are helping their family prepare to someday enter the Temple. Carlos also has been ordained with the Aaronic preisthood and is always helping the Deacons in the sacred ordinance of the sacrament. I won't be surprised when he becomes Deacon's Quorum President anytime soon.
I recently recieved a letter from Tommy and Jaime Phillips explaining how happy they are as an active couple in the Gospel and Church of Jesus Christ! Tommy (Previously Jehovah's Witness) has done the Temple baptism for his father and many other family members. They said, "We are so excited to see you at our Temple sealing this October!"
Well, life can be tough at times, but I can testify that the cure to anything is being employed in the service of the Lord.
And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father! And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!
Well, all I gotta say is..."He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it."
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