Be BOLD!

Another great week in the mission. Last week for preparation day we went to the empty cross of Kerrville. It is on top of a hill and is a huge cross and has statues all around it. It was an interesting place to visit I'm not to sure what church the cross was affiliated with but they were quick to come and talk with us and try and teach us a thing or two. They were very nice people and it helped me appreciate the pure and true doctrine that we have in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It is amazing to see what others think about baptism and about how we can be saved. What a blessing the Restoration was in the early 1800 and that we are able to live in a time were the gospel is on the earth.

This week we also had exchanges with our Zone Leaders. They are such great missionaries and it was an exchange were I was able to learn a lot of how I can continue to improve and also help my district do the same. I was able to go into their area which is the Spanish Branch that covers the whole stake. We picked up dinner from the Orellenas who is a family that lives in the parkwood ward (my second area) and I ate dinner with them on Christmas eve two Christmases ago. It was so great to see them and we were able to talk briefly about the fun times we had in there home eating all of there tasty Chilean food. It is fun seeing old members and investigators that you work with at one point or another.

We are still doing a lot of finding. We have been walking around, knocking doors, working with members, and we also tried contacting people to see if they would be interested in learning more about there ancestors by coming to the family history center that we have at our church. Im sure that we will be able to find someone this week that will be ready to change when they hear the glad message of the restored gospel. Last night we had a dinner and a family home evening with the bishop and his family, the first councilor and his family, and they invited a non member family to come as well. It was great to get to know this family the Pates and hopefully bishop and the first councilors family will be able to stay in touch with them and that they will have a great desire to come to church next Sunday and we will be able to soon start to teach them. The Pate's were taught once by missionaries in the past but the missionaries were very pushy so we had to be careful to not come off that way yesterday. There seems to be great things going on in the area and I am looking forward to the many miracles that we have ahead of us.

"Be Bold, Be strong for the Lord your God is with you."

Just don't leave!

Easter turned out to be a great one! We were able to have a great dinner with two families in the ward the Fishers and the Hopkins. They made a delicious dinner with Ham, Bread, Potatoes, Asparagus, Fruit, Salad, and some carrot cake for dessert. They also gave us small Easter baskets which was sweet. After dinner we were able to go and visit a 90 year old man named John Swope who lives in an assistant living place. We stopped by and were able to speak with him for a little less than an hour. He was waiting for his daughter to call him all day but she didn't. He was very grateful that we were able to come and visit him. He shared some stories with us from when he served in World War 2 and several other memories he has in life. Before we left we asked if there was anything we could do for him and he said "just don't leave". He said that we made his Easter a great one but it was also a great blessing for me to have that visit Easter night. Although he couldn't put his words together to well he was able to share his testimony and the spirit was very powerful. I am grateful for moments like this were I am able to feel so strongly the Love that God has for his children and also how real the resurrection is as he and all of us will be able to live with are families and loved ones forever. This was an Easter to remember.

Prince of Peace

It was a great week as we are getting closer and closer to Easter! We are helping the members participate in missionary work during the Easter season by sharing "Prince of Peace" with their friends and family over Facebook. We have also been able to share it during our street contacts and transition over to the restored gospel that is on the earth today. What a wonderful time it is to share the glad message of the restored church and how because of it we know more than ever who Christ really is. I am grateful to be a full time missionary during this joyful season of the year.

We had district meeting this week on Friday and we were able to talk about ways we can help our investigator pray when we are with them and also when they are on there own. We also each shared briefly a talk that we really enjoyed during General Conference. We have a great district with a set of sisters and my companion and I.

Last night we had dinner with our bishop who lives in a small town about 30 minutes away from Kerrville called Bandera. Him and his family talked about several friends that they are talking with and they made plans to give them Book of Mormons. It has been neat to see bishops family have missionary work on the front of there minds and it seems that the reset of the ward is and will continue to follow the example that they are setting. We have many members working with friends and neighbors we just hope that soon we will be able to start to teach them and help them one day receive the fullness of the everlasting gospel.

We had another lesson with an older man of the age 84. He can hardly hear so we have to yell the whole lesson. He mentioned that he is getting old and could use some saving. He wants to be baptized but is struggling to keep any commitment that we extend and his knowledge of the gospel needs to be increased. We first were able to teach him about who Christ truly is and then we taught very briefly and shortly the restoration. We hope that he understood what we talked about and that he will come to church on Easter Sunday.

We also met another younger family as we were out walking around with visiting Less Active members and potentials. This young family the Cooks were outside fixing and adding onto there driveway. They wont be able to come to church on Easter but said that they have been going to many different churches around the Kerrville area and haven't found one that they want to join yet. They recently moved in about a year ago and said that if we are in the area we can stop by and they would let us in. Hopefully we can get to them this week and teach them a spirit lead lesson.

"Do not let what you cannot do interfere with 

what you CAN DO."

I am grateful!

Another Great week in Texas and also another great General Conference. The spirit has once again witnessed unto me that President Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God and that the other leaders that we heard from have been called by revelation. What a blessing it is to be in such an inspired and divine church. I am grateful for all that I learned from the words that were shared and the topics that were discussed but most importantly I am grateful that I was able to learn from the spirit. I am looking forward to applying Elder M Russell Ballards talk and setting goals and making plans of how I can change from this conference.

There were three different topics that stood out to me.
1. The focus that they had on the Savior. Of course that is their purpose is to be special witnesses of Christ but I am looking forward to strengthening my own personal testimony of my Savior Jesus Christ. The power that came with their testimonies of Christ is something that I hope to continue to gain. I am grateful that since I have been on my mission the power and conviction of my testimony of Christ has grown and will continue to grow. "Faith in Jesus Christ propels us to do things we usually wouldn't do."

2. The role that the Holy Ghost plays in my life. Elder Stevenson shared the inspired question from a 9 year old boy "How does the Holy Ghost help me?" also Elder Rasband also gave a powerful talk on the Holy Ghost and how important it is we listen to the first prompting from the spirit.

3. The role that Charity has in the Lords leaders. "Brotherly kindness is a hallmark of all disciples" Elder Hales. I enjoyed the testimony during priesthood session that the prophet gave on charity as well as many others. What a powerful Christlike attribute charity is.

With General Conference being the highlight of the week I also was able to go to San Antonio and participate in a meeting. At the meeting we had President and Sister Polley as well as a couple of people from Salt Lake. They came and discussed different ways we as missionaries can continue to improve. They helped us understand the importance and also how we can help those we teach keep the three big commitments of Church, read the Book of Mormon, and Pray. They also helped us understand how to have an effective weekly planning session. Last they shared how we need to help members use facebook to invite and share the gospel. We are now working with active members and within a short 15 minute visit have them send off at least a few messages over facebook of the new Easter video to friends and family. It will be interesting to do in our area since most of the people are old and probably don't have facebook.

This week we have transfers on Thursdsay. we find out on Wednesday if we are both staying or if one of us will be leaving. We are doing a lot of finding as our teaching pool is at a low right now. That is okay because this is when we get to put hard work and great faith to find the prepared. This is when the miracles and memories happen.

Very large Taco!