" This week has been a lot better. We got one of our investigators on date for December 14! her name is Gabby and shes been investigating since September. but shes awesome she is just trying to get a testimony of Joseph Smith right now. so hopefully things work out with her. and Thanksgiving was awesome we had dinner at the Mounts house and got stuffed they had so much food a lot of their family was there that's in the ward so it was good. I don't know if you got the pictures or not but bro Mount sent you and dad a pic of me eating! and then we went to another family for pie so it was great. I'm just trying to meet everyone in the war. I'm excited though cause I got put into a district that was struggling somewhat. and its pretty small just us the Buchanan elders and the Carrollton sisters. Oh and a senior couple is in my district but that's it. So I'm just trying to get people excited about the work and last week we had 0 people on date for baptism and now we have 4!! Its awesome. The Carrollton sisters found a family of 3! and they are on date for the 29th. but something cool about one of the sisters, her name is sister Bui. She is the very first Vietnamese sister to serve in the United States. I thought that was pretty cool. her english is alright ha but shes already been out 17 month so she'll be home next transfer. and ya it was freezing last week ha we got a little snow which was cool but I bought the 2 sweaters and I have a jacket. so I've been fine staying warm. But here's the best news I saved it for last DAVID SALAZAR GOT BAPTIZED!!!! and i got to go back to be there!!! it was so awesome and get this, he got baptized on his birthday isn't that so cool. I'm so happy for him. Its amazing to see the change in him since, we first tracted into him. Going from not knowing if there was a God to now here him talk about wanting to serve a mission it is so cool! i was so happy that president let me go back for that. and I got to talk with Isiah (that little black kid) and he said he wants to get baptized soon too! but it was a great weekend to go back for that and his mom Carmen is close to getting baptized and how cool will it be when David baptizes his mom! so cool. Well I love you so much and I miss you lots I hope y'all have a great week!"
December 9, 2013....
"I love going to the temple so much! You get to just think about life and where things
need to be and its good to be able to clear out all the bad in your mind
and think of only the good that comes from living the gospel. I have
been thinking about that a lot lately, the eternal perspective of things
and when you look at things like that your mind and focus changes so
much and I feel like it always goes back to the family. That is one of
Heavenly Fathers greatest gifts to us is the family and I think I took
advantage of that or just didn't realize the major importance of the
family till I came on my mission. and I cant wait to start my own family
and make sure I'm always living worthy of my priesthood. It sounds Mormony but its true. haha its weird to watch things come out of my head
but its awesome and a great change. All the little things in life that
we think matter so much don't matter at all when you look at them at an
eternal perspective. But I want to thank you and dad so much for how you
raised us. I know sometimes it might not have been the easiest and it
seemed like you failed but you didn't. You did exactly what Joseph Smith
said to do and its exactly how I hope I can teach my kids. "teach them
correct principles and let them govern themselves." you taught me how I
should live and you left it up to me and you know sometimes I screwed up
more than probably should have. But I learned and I have grown through
those mistakes and trials that I went through so thank you so much for
not tying me on a leash and letting me govern myself cause I learned
what I should and should not be doing. and obviously y'all did something
right because you got me and Kody to come out on mission and change our
lives even more. So, thank you. but this week was a good week went on
exchanges with one of the zone leaders elder Schenk he's from Cali and is
a convert of like 4 years and he's awesome he's so funny and a good
friend of elder Romero so I already knew him but it was good to learn
more from him and then I got to go to my first mission council which was
great learned a lot there and it was good to be able to put my input on
things! But we got 3 new investigators this week and we currently have 2
people on date Gabby Dominguez and Tim Jones so if you could pray for
them that would be awesome! The ward is great we are finally getting
them to open up to us and invite us into there homes so we can try to
get referrals from them. so the work is moving along slowly but surely!"
December 16. 2013....
"Zone training meeting was really good it was more of a relaxed meeting
because of Christmas time with a lot of singing and stuff so it was good
and in the powder springs zone mine was on Friday if that helps for
looking for pictures. But its fun being a leader at those meeting and to
be involved more and help out President more. It puts more on your
shoulders to make sure you're always doing the right thing and showing
that bringing miracles is possible but its good cause it pushes me more. Gabby is doing great she is reading more and asking questions she
couldn't come to church this week cause her whole family is sick. but
shes progressing well and were starting to teach her daughter Maya as
well shes 11. Tim has been caught up with work all week so we haven't
been able to see him all week so hopefully we see him this week. and ya
our ward is having their Christmas party on Wedensday!! We are excited
for that. We also had some cool miracles this week we had a referral
from the President of a branch in Buchanan and it turned out to be an
amazing family! They have 2 girls one is 9 and the other 6 but they are
amazing and open to learning more so we are excited for them there names
are Ron and Jenna Jordan and the girls are Sydnie and Olivia. Also on Friday when we were trying to see someone else a guy yelled at us to come
talk to them from across the street and he was just like I need y'alls
help I can see your church people and I'm addicted to lots of drugs and
alcohol and I know you can help me! It was amazing to be able to testify
to him about the atonement and the church. His name is Travis Boykin. so
overall it was a great week and we found 8 new investigators! But I
love you and miss you and cant wait for Christmas!!"
December 30, 2013.....
" as for all the new investigators we were able to get a hold of most of
them on the phone again but haven't been able to see any of them or
really anybody this week because of the holidays and because of sickness
pretty much everybody has been to busy to see us and they always say
can we see you after the holidays... and there's been a flu that's been
going around a lot here so a bunch of people are sick. so its been near
impossible to get into houses but other than that its been great! Thursday was awesome because of the interviews. Everything went great
with that. It was a family of 4, the dad George and his 3 kids Shyquay, Alasia, and Aquarius! It was awesome to here the changes George has made
in his life and how excited and ready they all were to be baptized! and
everything went great and smooth over the weekend and they were
baptized and confirmed. But it was a great first experience. As for
gabby, she is still set for the 18th! We are trying to find ways to
involve her family more cause that's what she really wants. But she is
progressing well. Shes out of town right now but will be back on Friday. But it has been an amazing month for the mission. We set a new record
for baptisms in a month 68! We had 23 this week and 23 last week! which
is incredible for this mission and we were 4 off from 500 for the whole
year! which doubled the number of baptisms of 2012! so we are excited to
see what 2014 has to bring.
