Week 51 - Littlerock

 

 Hello everyone. This week was a good week. Last week we talked about someone who said she would read the book of Mormon, and we came back the next friday. She had not read the book of Mormon yet, and so we shared a few scriptures with her. When the lesson was over we invited her to church, and she said "I fall asleep in church", and we said "so does everybody else", but that the important part was the sacrament. She said next time, but after explaining what the book of Mormon is about she said "that is very interesting." She PROMISED to read it again... We'll see, and please please please pray that she does. We found many less actives, and one family came to church. It was cool because so many people came to church this time that they ran out of water trays and they had to rebless and repass it. It was awesome. We sang in church, Asombro me da" I stand all amazed. 

   In our branch, there is almost no trust for elders because of past missionaries, especially with the branch president, so we're working hard to gain that trust. On Sunday we went to presidente's home to return some pots his wife gave us food in, and he said "passense", come in. We came in and he said sit down. We felt like he was testing us, but he should know he doesn't have to, and he called in the family. We asked them all to take a sheet of paper, one sheet for each person, and we asked them to write down names of all people that came to mind. Active, less-active, member, non-member, friends and enemies. We then taught a simple plan of salvation, and asked them to look at the sheet of people, and asked them to think about people on it they feel need that message we shared. They all did so, and we said, "It's time for us to go," and presidente said "Do you want Ice cream?" He wanted us to stay for once!! It was great and we hope the trust in the branch keeps growing. I am grateful for this time I have to serve, and for all the Lord does for us. 

He loves us, and when we pray, it is one of the greatest forms of work we can perform. 

   Also, in district meeting we discussed baptism and the blessings of it, and especially how to express those blessings to investigators. It was a powerful meeting. We also had zone conference, which was also very powerful. We learned a new way to study where we have a scri[ture, and we write next to it the doctrine, and then the blessings, all on a sheet of paper, and we find more scriptures on it and keep going until we have a perfect chain for investigators. I love you all, and I am so grateful for everything I have.

Week 50 - Littlerock, CA

 Hey everyone, I hope everything is going awesome for ya'll. This was a good week. We focused a lot this week on helping less-actives and recent converts. That was most of what we did, but we were able to find some people. It was cool, because we talked to one woman, and we started with the restoration, and she could tell that we were heading to Joseph Smith when we started going into apostasy, and she said, "I don't want to hear about anyone named Smith, just about God." So we said, "How about we talk about the power of prayer. This isn't about a "Smith", just God and His power, so we asked her thoughts on prayer, how she felt about it, and so forth. We led that into how Joseph Smith prayed and got an answer, how he had tried to read the bible to find an answer, and decided he had to pray. We then talked about the Book of Mormon, how it's a testament of Jesus Christ, and she said she had tried reading before, and felt nothing. We explained that you as a parent never just instantly give whatever your child wants before they even try hard, and that it's usually the same with God. She said, "I promise I will try to read this time." It was cool.

   We have really been trying to find a lasting person to teach, someone who actually will change, and hopefully the commitments we leave other people will be what they need. 

   This week in district meeting we talked about our purpose as missionaries, and we were able to learn a lot of important things. It was cool to see how the Lord can guide us as missionaries. 

   I can testify of the love that God has for all of us as His children. He really does desire the best for us. I have seen His hand over and over again. I am grateful for Jesus Christ. He allows me to progress and become better every day. I love you guys, and I hope you have a great week!

Our area goes beyond those mountains ... a lot of area and farmland

Week 49 - Littlerock

Hey everyone!    This week we had transfers, and I am now with elder Madore. He is a cool elder. This is his final transfer, and so he doesn't want to waste it. We're doing pretty good. We have a part-member family we're working with, and they're moving out, so we were able to help them a lot. We're going back today. We also heard that someone was doing their eagle project, so we went to help them, and got a new investigator family. They were at this animal reserve where they hold dogs without owners. We took down the fences and the giant poles feet into the ground. It was great. This week I have been feeling pretty good. For district meeting we talked about what we do to prepare to teach lessons, and it was very good. We were also able to help out some investigators from other people's areas. Truly the  Lord will bless us. Also, it was hna latimer's birthday so we left a little washable Happy bday on the window. I love you all, and thank you for everything.

 (Elder West - MTC companion, not current companion)

THIS is Elder Madore!

Week 48 - Littlerock

Hello everyone. This week was a good week. On Tuesday we had a lot of blessings. One weird story which was kind of interesting was when Mendoza and I were walking down this street, and across the street this one lady said something we didn't hear, so we walked up to her and asked her to say it again. She said "You two have images above you." We asked her what she meant, and she said "It looks a little ghostly". As we talked to her, interested now by what she could be seeing, she asked us if we had heard any news from Jesus in the past 9 years. We just kind of asked if she needed help and gave her a card. It was interesting. On Thursday we had interviews with President. They went well. In this area, Littlerock, I've been feeling a little like we haven't been seeing any permanent changes. We get some pick-me-ups from the Lord, and I just really want something actually effective and meaningful from the Lord. I want to change someone's life here. We got transfer calls this week, and Elder Mendoza will be leaving and I will be getting Elder Madore. He was in East Lancaster with us at around Christmas time last year. This is going to be his last transfer, so hopefully he will be all in. We were able to help this one family move out. We were walking down the street and saw a u-haul. We asked if they needed help and we started helping. It was a good experience and the guys had a lot of questions. They were black, and when they found out I was from Louisiana, they said "OH, you got some soul in you!!" It was a good week overall.   I really want some miracles. I don't want to be able to say " I tried my best and served my mission", but rather, "I tried my best and the Lord changed lives through my efforts. He magnified my efforts". I love you all!!!

Week 47 - Littlerock

 

Hey everyone, how are you doing? This week was pretty good. Monday was a normal day for us, except that we were able to email family because on Tuesday we went to the temple. It was a beautiful experience! I was able to really learn a lot there. We came about 5 minutes late, so we went to the visitor's center, where we saw some of the new meet the mormons. It was cool. After we visited the temple, we went to a restaurant and ate lunch there. 

   For district meeting this week we talked about how to follow the spirit. We studied chapter 4 

of PMG. It was really good. I learned that most of chapter 4 is about prayer and how to have meaningful prayer. It is very cool. We learned about something very cool. Sometimes we say a prayer and then give no thought to what you thought or said to Heavenly Father. What should be done is waiting, with a notebook. The Lord said "Knock and it shall be opened unto you", and sometimes we doorbell ditch our Father. We need to start waiting to receive, and thereafter write the impressions we receive. The Lord will be ready to answer us when we're ready to listen and act. This week we were able to find a few part-member families, but we haven't been able to see the non-members. We got one family to come to church. They lived in Idaho, and moved here and never got their records moved. Hopefully we can talk to the non-members of the family. It was a pretty good week overall. I know that the Lord loves us so much. I know we have a loving heavenly Father, and a Spirit guides and inspires us as we wait for Him, and a Savior who takes us by the hand when we fall. This week we will be more bold and powerful in all that we do, and do what it takes to be worthy of miracles. I love you all, and thank you for everything!!!