New Years is Comin'

So cool story with the baptism of Zuleika! This week I interviewed Zuleika and she was very nervous. She is nine years old and was super anxious for the interview. So as I met her I got to show her the photos of my mom at her baptism and tell her about how she had been very nervous as well:) So as we began the interview it was the most amazing experience. I gave the first prayer and as I offered it, the Spirit was so powerful! In that prayer everything that needed to be said was said. The Lord had clearly told me as I prayed that she was ready and that He wanted her to be baptized. So when we began the interview it was not difficult. On Sunday she was baptized and it was a very powerful amazing baptism! Zuleika has such an amazing light. After her baptism we asked her how she felt and she said, "I felt something good, I dont know how to describe it but it felt really good!" (but in Spanish;) 

This week we had a great experience with the Mendoza fam. Sister Mendoza had been struggling - her tia is a Jehovah Witness and kept trying to bash her beliefs saying that there could be no more word of God that the Bible is everything. We read with her 2 Nephi 29 and afterwards was hilarious! She screamed out "Elder this is it this is it! Its all here! Why didn't you share this with me before!! There is so much right here!" They came to church again this week and brought the whole family. It's been amazing watching them grow again in the church:) 

Well Christmas was amazing! I love you guys! Thanks for writing me and sending pictures it means the world to see peoples faces! Love ya and see ya next week! 

My wonderful mission president & his wife. 

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Ok so this week was super cool. This family

is the best ever! We have been working with them for a long time. When we first met they had been super afar from the church. Well we went over this week and we saw a Christmas miracle! We knocked the door and they opened it with the biggest smiles asking if we wanted to come in. We had to get home and so we invited them to the Christmas dinner and they said they would be going and they'd be coming to church and I was shocked beyond belief. As we walked away Elder Newns said, "I think they saw an angel". We went back the next day in the morning to see what had happened. We knocked the door and again they all greeted us and we ate breakfast with them. Well to make an amazing long story short they had had an experience that changed everything for them. The mother, in her time away, had been trying everything to experience the same joy of having the Spirit in her life that she enjoyed as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ. She had gone to other Christian churches, political parties, service groups, she really ran the whole gauntlet. Well she described experiences she had away from the church and in short it had brought her back with a testimony stronger then ever! She shared her testimony of the divinity of the Sacrament and that nowhere else is it the same. That nowhere else is there the power to do so. That it simply just isn't the same and that the light in her life was not there without it. She told us about how her Heavenly Father throughout the whole experience never abounded her and that she was so eternally grateful that her Father in Heaven had thought her, that she truly came home knowing something she had never known before with a testimony stronger than ever. It was amazing! They came to the party, they came to church, and they brought three families with them, the kids are going to seminary and tonight they are having us over for a family home evening. It was amazing! It was the most real life prodigal son story I've ever seen! And wow is the light in their eyes amazing! 

Also this week I got a call, who remembers Pepe? Jose Luis? Well he was Elder Moss and I's brother we helped bring into the fold. Well they gave me a call and his wife is getting baptized and I do believe that he will be doing the ordinance. I was soooo happy all day I could not have had a bigger smile on my face. Part of it was that they called and me wanted me to be there. Well in the past I had wondered to myself if I had really done anything to help them because at the time I could hardly speak or understand the language. Well them remembering me and calling to tell me - wow that made my joy complete. I knew that that was a tender mercy from my Father in Heaven. Now in a year that family will be able to be a celestial family! I was sooo incredibly happy. I know this is God's work, this is His church. And God's plan doesn't work according to man's timing;  however it is perfect timing with a perfect plan! I love you guys and hope you have a great week,

The ward dinner

Our Christmas tree.

The district. 

The sisters left their door open when they went shopping?

Mission Christmas celebration.

Christmas is Coming!

So this week was great we had interviews again with Prez. This week we have zone conference and next week we have mission conference so it's a fun packed little bit around here. We had one cool experience this week. We went to this area to tract and started walking down one street and felt we should turn around. Turned right and felt we should go left. Not entirely knowing what our plan was but feeling very cold and a little bit like Nephi not knowing beforehand whither we should go. We then thought at the same time we should head in the direction of a LA named George. So on our way over we heard a little boy whistling outside so we stopped to talk with him. He let us in and the fam came together to let us share a message. So we taught the Plan of Salvation. Turns out this family had lost their uncle/brother recently and had been having a really rough time with that. The mom had also been struggling with depression. So we explained where her brother was, how she would see him again, how their family could live together even after this life with God again. We gave the mother a blessing and left. The next time we came back she had read the whole pamphlet we had left her and she loved it. Today we go to see them again:) 

Also this week we found a family in like manner when we talked to some boys in the street. Then their mom came rushing out to leave. She allowed us the chance to share just one quick video, so we shared our message and Elder Newns gave a great prayer! After the prayer we looked up and the mom was crying and said that they'd be coming to church! The next time we taught them the kids got it great! At the end they told us they used to go to their aunt's church but they weren't going to anymore because it wasn't the true church that they were going to come with us now hahaha, These kids were smart as a whip man! 

Well this past week was freezing! It was like 50 degrees (sometimes more, sometimes less) and I had on: wool socks and normal socks, thermal tights and my slacks, a sweater and my REI jacket, gloves, beanie, and a scarf! The wind with the humidity gets ya! After a summer of 100-125 degree days with the heat index to make a switch from last week week 90-100 to this, wow got me hahaha. I'm not used to it anymore! But its back up to a cool 65:) 

The members here are great! Last night we had FHE and it was all about loving your wife so Elder Newns and I just sat there and added little gospel bits to it hahaha:) So thats it because I've got to run, I love you all! 

Texas McAllen Temple

Well I really don't know what to write this week. Go Christmas! This week on an exchange we woke up at 4:30 to go pray with an investigator at 5 hahaha whatever it takes to make it. We put up our Christmas tree.. its a cactus. We met some pretty cool people this week, one asked if they could be baptized the next day at church, so that was exciting. I starting working on my family history this week, it is super cool to be able to work on the salvation of my family members on this side and the other side of the veil at the same time:) Prez is doing interviews this week, hurrah for that. But I don't have much to report this week. promise more news and photos next week, sorry family and friends, but I love you guys! 

For our district activity, we built our version of the future
Texas McAllen Temple!