Stake Conference Was Great

So this week was great, turns out we were not being pranked with Karim. So let me tell ya about him. Last Saturday about 9 days ago we met him because we received a text saying that he wanted to have us come over. We come and meet him for the first time and he tells us everything about him. He is super cool. To highlight some of the points: he used to be a Jehovah Witness but stopped practicing about 6 years ago, recently he decided he wanted to grow closer to God so when we met him we heard him out on everything and then left him with the Restoration pamphlet to read. We showed him how to pray and then left. On Sunday we get a call during church, and then a second, and then a third. So we finally answered and he was wanting us to come over earlier. We come and he says well I did what you asked and I did what is says at the end and around 1am last night I prayed... and I had an experience. He then described to us the overwhelming feeling he had received upon asking if the Book of Mormon is true and if Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and if this was His church. He said that he had uncontrollable tears that he felt something he couldn't describe but that he knew was good. And he said when I went to church today I felt like everything was being said to me that the message was to repent and be obedient. He said he knew that God had answered his prayers and he wanted to be obedient now. We extended an invitation from his Heavenly Father to be baptized and he said yes. We helped him prepare this week and every time we came to teach something he already knew it because he had the app on his phone - he would stumble across every lesson we wanted to share before we even got to it, it was incredible! He had been reading the Book of Mormon and D&C side by side. He had being reading the teachings of the prophets, the Family a Proclamation to the World, the pamphlets, Preach My Gospel, all sorts of stuff! Before we found him he had decided that common law marriage wasn't enough and moved out from living with his girlfriend. He had decided to quit drinking and drinking coffee on his own and started going to the church for three weeks all of this even before he talked to us. He is literally the most prepared person I have ever met! He is amazing, and his baptism was amazing. The way he understands things and desires to serve the Lord is truly incredible! 

Sammy, Tony, and Chloe likewise were baptized on Sunday, with the rest of the family soon to follow. It was amazing, their father was able to get into the fount with them and baptize his children after all these years, and their mother spoke at the baptism. They brought with them all of Sam's family who his siblings had been members of the church at one point as well. So this service was great! This Sunday they will be receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost and that should be great!

We also had stake conference and that was great! A seventy came and I got to chat with him and be part of his dealio at the Saturday night session that was fun. Everything in both days were perfect for all our peeps that came it was great! I've been in the stake here for like 8 months now and served in 4 of the wards so that was super fun to see everyone again haha:) Um might I say again this is the dopest ward of all time. 

Sand volleyball and a trip to Sonic.

Two of our favorite taco stands.

The Miracles Just Keep on Coming!

Hey fam and friends! So the miracles continue down here this week. 

Miracle one: I was pulled over for the billionth time in South Texas, this time for stopping at a light with my first two wheels over the white line. Failure to stop = TIWI not giving you aggressive driving warning but = talk with a Texas state trooper on your way to ward counsel. I'm going to start a new thing down here. We'll riot and say Mormon missionary lives matter too! (no ticket no worries)

Miracle two: The Caudillo family continues to do awesome! So this Sunday, God willing. they will be baptized. They all but one came to church on Sunday and learned a ton! We had taught them about the temple and we taught Linda and Jesus about temples as well and then all of church on Sunday was about temples it was sick! Then during the second hour Brother Klein teaches the best lesson ever and he explained in gospel principles about how an angel gave John the Baptist the authority to baptize and so Christ sought him out and was baptized by him. Then later we went over and showed them the baptism example with the pepper and soap and I was dying! Sam kept getting his kids to dip their fingers in and say you're not baptized and you're not baptized and you're not baptized by the authority, and you're all sinners it was hilarious! Then he'd throw his finger with the soap in and come out clean lol.

Miracle three: to be told more next week but the Lord sent us every missionary's dream investigator but I'm not too sure I'm not being pranked still so tba for next week:) Love you all see you soon

A papa asada covered in salsa that was dank!

The way we fix ties and study Spanish at the same time.

More delicious food!

The sisters took our photo shoot for us - they say we look like we're in a boy band! 

Gram would love my tie!

My two compas.

Best Week Ever!

So this week we had the craziest thing happen. We went to MLC this week and Prez talked about trusting in the Lord and shared some experiences from his mission journal that were awesome, (side note: getting better at the whole journal thing). So we go out to work and try to put everything into practice. The week prior we had called this family named  the Caudillo family that we had been trying to  work with since day one in the area. They are a family that the parents were baptized in the APs area 11 years ago and went less active. Well we met them and they have a family of 8 now. It was very tough and so we had fasted for them and put them on the back burner to check up on every once and a while. Every week in ward council they'd ask about them because in the past people had tried but could never get past the giant metal gate that guard the house. 

Well when we had come alone we got in the first time and the ward became very excited, but with all that had happened we thought maybe in the months to come, it'd be their time. We had called them to set up and appointment and they gave us a time which is a huge win because they are the busiest family alive! So we come by on Friday night and sit down and the whole family is home and we thought "wow this is cool." Well they ask a few children to leave the room and say we are glad you came, and now I'm thinking oh great they are going to ask us to never come back and to leave them alone, but instead they say Sammy wanted you guys to come. I about keel over with relief and excitement that we aren't being dropped. Then they express some things that they've been going through. Well the moment we had called was the moment he and his dad had been talking and he asked for us to come and help, in that same moment we were on the phone with his wife and he called her asking to set something up. 

When we came we shared a message,  gave blessings, the Spirit spoke and the lesson was bold. We blessed the home and the next day we came by to see how everything was going. They had read the chapter we left in the Book of Mormon and just kept on reading and reading and reading. Sam the father was reading every waking second he had. Come Sunday the family is there dressed up and everything. Sammy brought his girl friend and his best friend. and they all loved it! During the testimonies Sammy leaned over and tells me I should go up and I wasn't about to hesitate! After sitting down again Sam gets up and my heart skipped a beat. For the first time in 11 years he came back to church and now he's standing in front of me bearing testimony that it's all true, the church is true the Book of Mormon is true and its all true! Then next thing I know his son is getting up there too bearing testimony. I was about ready to die at this point I was so happy. 

This is the Sparks notes version but the point is the God works miracles. That God did every little piece of this and that we were blessed to be in it. It has been amazing watching them grow and learn and see the true light of Christ enter their lives and it is the biggest blessing to me to see it! I love this family, this ward, and everything, but most of all I've seen the hand of the Lord this week and felt God's love! I know my Redeemer lives! That was the song that closed out sacrament this week and it rang true to me in every lyric of the song and the Spirit testified of it to me. We are working with them to be baptized in the coming weeks please pray for them. I know that God has restored his church to the earth today with every fiber of my being. I love you all and keep in touch! 

The boots I bought - I am officially Texas proud!

The crew on pday/

My awesome comp & I.