Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving was great. We had a great time at the DeWitts. We did have another dinner planned but it canceled a day before thanksgiving which was a dagger. We are trying to increase are teaching pool but we haven't had that much success lately. We are on bikes which has been great because we have been able to talk with so many people that we ride past. But the only bad part about being on bikes right now is that is is starting to get pretty cold. Also it has rained a couple times so we had to walk which slows down the work a little bit.

This week was pretty slow. We only had six lessons and not many less active members let us in or answered the door. We also only got one new investigator this week but I know that as we keep on working hard and being obedient that God will put people in our path.

We invited Joe Tolman to be baptized who is an investigator that the other elders worked with a little bit. He said that he wants to learn more before he decides to be baptized which I know that he is ready right now but hopefully as he asked God and keeps on reading the Book of Mormon that he will receive an answer. Also he couldn't make it to church on Sunday because he was out of town but he said that he will come this next Sunday We had a couple lessons with Jaime who is doing great just needs to stop drinking coffee. He has stopped as far as we know but haven't been able to meet with him for several days because he has been out of town. Once he quits then he will be able to to have his interview with the mission president.

Investigators!

It has been really fun living with the zone leaders. It's great to see the hard work and the desire they have for this mission to grow. We also had zone conference this week in which we were able to hear from president slaughter and also his assistants and the area leaders. It's always great listening to their words and finding new things that I can improve on. 

This week I found out that in my old area Bastrop they will be having two baptisms with people that I worked with in the next couple weeks and that the Roman family of five will most likely be getting baptized in December. I wish I could be there for those baptisms but I know the lord needs me here in Parkwood at this time. Right now we don't have anyone with a date but we are working with a couple people. We are hoping to find some new investigators and increase the teaching pool here. It's nice to be on bikes because we are able to talk to some many people that we ride past. But the only bad part is that it's getting really cold especially at night. 

This last week we contacted and visited a lot of the leaders in the Ward to see if they had anyone they would like us to visit and if they knew of anyone that could use service. This Ward has a lot of trust in the missionaries so hopefully we will be able to not loss that trust and get some baptisms in the next month. We also visited many of the investigators that the old missionaries worked with. 

This Sunday we were hoping to have four investigators at church but only one came. His name is Jaime and he and his less active wife just got married two weeks ago the same day that they had their baby. He is the closest one to baptism right now and we just have to resolve a couple of his concerns and then we will be ready

We meet a couple crazy people this week as we were out and about talking with everyone. Someone told use we can't ever make a wrong choice and he also said that we are all one and that life is just a big illusion. And then we also talked to a black named Tyron who told us to remember his name because he is going to be a famous rap artist. Then we ran into some bible bashers which is always fun.  

"Your faith will grow not by chance, but by choice."

Second area!

My new address is

6298 Lockhill Rd. #803

San Antonio Texas 78240

I have arrived in my second area (Parkwood which is west of San Antonio) with my third companion (Elder Carter). We got doubled in and the last elders left us with hardly any information on the area and
the apartment was very dirty. I have been trying to clean up but haven't had a lot of time to do so because we been busy trying to figure out what is going on in this area. Also we have the zone
leaders living in our apartment and some other elders that just live two apartments down. It's fun being with other Elders and P days will be funnier now because I will be able to play basketball and hopefully soccer even though non of them like soccer that much. This is my first companion that was called English so I don't have my hour of Spanish study so hopefully I don't forget all that I learned.

My area is very different from Bastrop and a lot smaller. We are on bikes and there are neighborhoods and no farm land. I will miss Bastrop and the Ward but I am excited to work in the Parkwood Ward.
For transfers we didn't get to our apartment until 8:30 pm and then went to dinner with a family from Peru who fed us so much food. Great first dinner in the area. They also signed up for dinner on Christmas Eve which will be great if i stay in this area.

We had 8 investigators at church the last two weeks so it was hard to leave Bastrop because we were getting close to some baptisms and then we come here and had no investigators at church. Hopefully that will change in the upcoming weeks.

I haven't heard a lot about the new change on baptizing children of same sex couples. Members or investigators haven't mentioned it that much lately. I think that it is a great idea because our gospel is centered on families and it would cause contention and the "spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil".

"It is difficult to say what is impossible, for the dream of yesterday is the hope of today and the reality of tomorrow."

Importance of the Book of Mormon

We have transfers coming up on Thursday and I will find out if I'm getting transferred or staying tomorrow night via email. This transfer we didn't have any baptisms but we are working with a lot of people and hopefully will set them with firm dates by the end of this week. On Wednesday we had our last district meeting for this transfer and after we went to smittys BBQ in Lockhart which was so good. Also this week it rained a little bit but nothing like the rain and floods that we had two weeks ago. It's starting to get a lot cooler here and it's almost time to pull out my sweater.

We had eight investigators at church yesterday to watch the area conference. The Roman family (5) Jasmine and Cricket Brinkly (2) and Garret Mercer (1). We weren't able to meet with Roman family this last week but the kids came to mutual on Wednesday. We are trying to find a good time to meet with the whole family which is pretty difficultbecause the father has recently moved out and only visits once or twice a week. They still don't know if the church is true but they know that in order to find out they must study and read the Book of Mormon. We are going to hopefully set them with a date at the end of this week.

Also we had a time set to meet with the Brinklys but they got sick so they postponed to this week. The mother is glad to be coming back to church and the two daughters are excited to go to church on Sunday's and also mutual on Wednesday. We set them with a date for the last weekend in November but we might have to push that back because we haven't been able to meet with them recently.

Garret Mercer who has been investigating for a long time now is starting to read the Book of Mormon with his active member wife. They try and read everyday but said that they have missed only a couple days so far. When we first started meeting with him he told us that he knows he needs to read the Book of Mormon to find out if the church is true but is just really busy. Know that he is starting to read I know that the Holy Ghost will touch his heart and that he will know what he is reading is from God.

I have realized the importance of the Book of Mormon in conversion these last couple weeks. As we have shared and read from the Book of Mormon the spirit is present and can testify that our message is true. I know that as others read and ponder the words in the Book of Mormon and also pray to know if it is true that they will know for sure that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God and that he could have only translated the Book of Mormon with the power of God.

This week I also had the chance to tell the Joseph smith story, bear my testimony, and say a prayer in Spanish. I'm glad that I can help my companion teach during Spanish lessons and be able to testify of what I know is true.

Yo sé que dios restauró su evangelio a través de José smith
Yo sé que mi familia son eternas
Yo sé que el libro de mormón contiene la plenitud del evangelio
Yo sé que jesucristo es nuestro salvador
Yo sé que Thomas S. Monson es un profeta llamado por dios
Yo sé que la iglesia de jesucristo es verdadera
La estoy agradecido a mi padre celestial por este conocimiento
Esta testimonio me ayuda a superar desafíos
En el nombre de Jesucristo Amen

Flooding with investigators!

This Sunday was crazy! We had 8 investigators at church and we only thought we would have maybe two. The Roman family (parents only speak Spanish but kids speak English) said they weren't going to be able to come but then randomly showed up about ten minutes into sacrament meeting. The father and three of his kids showed up and we had to try and find a translator but couldn't so we just had them seat next to brother Flores who was able to translate to the father. Later that night we had a lesson with the whole family (5 in total) and invited them to be baptized. They said that they will pray and if they find out that the Book of Mormon is true then they will be baptized. I just sat there most of the lesson and didn't understand anything but I could feel the spirit and hope that they will study the Book of Mormon and pray about it.

Also we had the Brinkley family show up which is a part member/less active family. The mother is less active and the two daughters want to get involved in church and be baptized. The mom expressed how she wants to start coming back to church but that it will be very difficult with work on Sunday's. We have a date for the daughters for the first weekend in December.

When it rains in Texas it comes down. One week there is a wild fire because it is so dry and the next week there is flooding and the Bastrop park is all the way under water. Also many of the main highways in Austin were closed because of flooding so many of our members were stuck in Austin for the night. Here's a picture of a trailer park that is under water.

"Kindness means doing a lot of little things kindly and always, not just a big thing now and then."