Crazy bomb week!

Hey family! This last week was a crazy miracle! I began the week with two powerhouse talks by Elder Holland and President Eyring! While reading President Eyring's talk, a member’s face popped into my head and the words "they need this" seemed to echo in my mind...so I shared it with them and it seemed to help.

Look for those who are seeking truth. The truth-seekers like Joseph Smith are those who have been prepared and are ready to receive the gospel!!!

Last week at Food-For-Less, this lady said to me "How are you today handsome?" I responded "good" and asked how she was. She said "I am doing great baby boy!" I didn't quite know how to respond so I smiled and said "see you later!" Awesome experiences happen here every day!

We had an awesome lesson with H., after which we sat in silence looking up scrips to help him kick coffee. He has gotten down to one cup a day, and today he is trying none! He told us that the 2nd cup tasted really gross when he tried it and hasn't done 2 again!!! The lessons and goals have really helped him! I know the Spirit is working a change in his heart!

President brought up an interesting point in MLT on Tuesday. When Christ and Heavenly Father appeared to Joseph, they were the first missionary companionship of this dispensation!!!!! Cool huh? We are really continuing the work that they began in 1820!

We attempted to go to the visitors center with S, C and J, but S could not come. Instead, their Aunt G came and she loved it! We are now going to begin teaching her, hopefully.  Then I will have taught every single person in C's family! Yeah weird!

We destroyed one area on Saturday stopping by everyone's house we could. We went by a member that I had never met to find they had moved, but were still on the ward list. On the bright side, the man living there asked us to come back and read the Book of Mormon with him this week!!

We received a member referral for P on Thursday, and met with her and the member the next day. We had a church tour and the Spirit was so strong! P said "I will see you on Sunday at 1:00!" (but in Spanish)  On Sunday she came and brought her friend M! They both live in our area and there were 8 of them including their kids!!! Crazy! I loved watching this miracle unfold. When we walked in with P and her group, immediately the ward saw us and converged to introduce themselves. In 5 seconds, all the kids were being led to their respective classes! The ward worked perfectly! (It probably helped that we had called ahead to let them know the one family was coming.) I almost cried at the beauty of how it played out. I love this ward and hope I don't leave. The odds are against me, but we'll see where the wild card lands. Well, sorry it was so rapido, but the last preparation day of the transfer can be the most hectic! I love you all and pray for you, too! Keep me posted on any new adventures you encounter as well!

P.S. What are you doing to progress the work on the home front? I have almost finished a mormon.org profile and invite you all to do the same! Some miracles have happened from sharing testimonies. Just look at the Book of  Mormon! Love you!

Members rock!

Well it was an awesome day yesterday and I loved being able to chat with some of you on the phone! I know Sister Bham loved it, too!

We gave a member girl named E. a Book of Mormon the other night and challenged her to write her testimony in it and share it with a friend. We did a practice with her so she could get out most of the jitters and do it. We got a text the next morning from her. She already had given it to her friend and it went really well! She loved it and is already planning on serving a mission -- so, there you go! Awesome experience!

We also taught the younger sister of a recent convert for the first time last Wednesday and that was interesting. If her sister had not been there, it might have gone south, but members save the day as usual! We also were notified through text that the sister actually opened the Book of Mormon at the mall later that day. Even though we gave her a lot to think about, the Spirit has begun working with her and we hope she starts to sky rocket!

We have really begun to see a lot of opportunities arise as we serve and work with members, so I agree with President Hinckley. Missionary work is not simply tracting. There is a better way....through the members!!! One really cool thing that happened had to do with our weekly ward coordination meeting. We invited Hermana R. (counselor in the relief society) to come to the meeting after discussing the power of member missionaries. We also let her know that two new converts needed visiting teachers . She immediately went to work on the VTs and she also showed up to the meeting on Wednesday, ready to go! She helped out so much! We also mentioned that it would be nice if these two new converts had callings, and after the meeting she took us aside to tell us something. There were two openings in the relief society that they needed to fill, and she and the president had been praying to know who to call but had been getting a stupor of thought. After coordination meeting she knew exactly whose names to submit to the bishop!

Well, that is about it! I love you all and will write you next week! Transfers are coming up next Wednesday so who knows! Will I stay another transfer (which will make 9 months in this area) or leave? I don't know but someone much more important does and He's in charge! He knows best!:) Love you!  XxooxoxoxXOO! Big hug, little hug, little kiss, big kiss....;)

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Happy month of MAY!!!! I hope you all celebrated Star Wars day with me....May the 4th be with you!!!;) Cinco de Mayo also came and went, but I didn’t go to any crazy parties. The most important holiday however is MOTHERS DAY!!! I am so excited to call home! I cannot believe it has been 5 months since Christmas already.

So the other day in search of a member we didn't know, we came across a Seventh-Day Adventist woman who tried to tell me that Mormons don't believe in the Second Coming. I took the opportunity to (lovingly) set the record straight! It was a very nice conversation. She was actually living in the house of the member that we were looking for; he evidently passed away about a year ago but was still on the ward list (dang). We might go back one day when we are in the area. I was inspired from our conversation to study up a bit more on the Sabbath day, since they observe the Sabbath on Saturday (like the Jews). Christians changed their Sabbath observance after Christ was resurrected on a Sunday, and I really like it that way.

We found a typewriter in our closet and tried it out!!! It actually works!!! Hopefully I can type a bit of my snail mail letter home.

We were able to teach I.'s friend C., and we have another appointment with her on Saturday. One of our new focuses is inviting people to be baptized in the first lesson! We need to teach another first lesson sometime, in order to improve.:)

Our new zone goal is called battleship and every district is battling against each others’ ships! I am really excited. The different focuses (Member Present Lesson, part member family etc.) have goals and our ships will sink unless we match each other.

Sorry this is not a longer email, but we will hopefully be able to speak voice to voice in a few days! I love you all!!! Take it easy!

My pants are full of starfish [Muppet Treasure Island]

Hey y’all! We are e-mailing after an awesome day at the beach!!! It was our beach p-day today and I tired myself out...I’m way too out of shape;)  I played a lot of volleyball and ultimate frisbee so I enjoyed it very much.

Last Tuesday we had zone conference and something that President Baker said was a little ominous. He said the Brethren have asked that he keep the missionaries in their assigned areas for 6-8 months, so I have hit my quota unless I go over. I have been really lucky to be here in this area for 7 months now. Whatever happens will happen!  (Below is Elder Bham's zone.)

I have really come to enjoy splits. I get to see how other Elders work and how they teach the gospel.

We had a Mormon Helping Hands activity this past Saturday at Enterprise Park, which is close to Compton. It was really fun and a lot of members, missionaries and community members showed up to fix up the park. The lady in charge said it would be in the next US News and World Report so I suppose you might see us. Quien sabe?

While here I talked to Spencer Fieeki and he said he talked to Elder Joshua Crandall the other day. I think Josh is almost done now. Crazy!?!

To finish up the week, I spoke on Sunday in our ward. I had been worried about not filling the 10 minutes I had been assigned, but I spoke for a full 17 minutes -- in Spanish! Santa Vaca! I felt so bad and asked the last speaker, Elder G., to forgive me. I took some of his time and felt thoroughly embarrassed. On the other hand, many members said they enjoyed it and that my Spanish has gotten a lot better. Thank you Spirit!!! My former companion Elder C. was also there visiting the ward with his dad, so it was like a huge party afterward!

This is about it. I really had a great week. I hope you did to! I love you all! Remember, missionaries do not have the full responsibility of doing this work. It is so much more effective if the members are involved. If they are, the converts will stay active. We teach 25 investigators to get 1 baptism, but 5 member-referred investigators also equals 1 baptism. Crazy huh?  Well I love you all! I can't wait to talk to you soon!:)

This transfer is half over? Are there squirrels in my pants? Did I just get served?

Well, to start off the week, we had a ward Noche de Hogar and everyone (including me) had a blast!!! We acted out several stories from the Book of Mormon and our group was Nefi building the ship. My favorite part was when Laman and Lemuel received a shocking hand shake from their brother...:) We have been trying to get the members excited about FHE and it made me really excited too! The next day at home teaching, Elder D. said something about a magic trick; it took me a few moments to realize that he had just quoted the Scarlet Pimpernel! We had a good time quoting and being incredulous that the other had seen it...thanks (?) to our 3 older sisters!

We were searching for an incomplete referral the other day when we ran into a woman who recognized me. We had been teaching a family a few months back and, after they moved, the neighbor (this woman) came to the church to tell us that she smelled gas coming from their former home. This lady remembered that I had taken her to the bishop that day.  We were able to teach her a good lesson and got a return appointment for this week! Crazy huh? Another woman we met had an LDS picture of Christ in her Catholic shrine – the same picture that’s on the pass along cards, except she had blown it up bigger.  It was sure interesting to see that picture in a shrine!

We had a Mini Missionary with us this weekend. His name is "L." and we had a blast with him. It would be fun to serve in his ward later.  Elder R. is currently serving there (he was in Mom and Dad’s MTC branch). We took "L." to the In and Out Burger one day and a member paid for our lunch as we walked in the door. I got a glimpse of what it would be like to be serving in Orem or Provo and I was thankful. So many people acknowledged us and said hi. It was nice to experience that a bit. It is usually never like that. :)

"I." brought a friend to church and they both had such a good time! We had a lesson last week on being missionaries and she took the initiative. This was an answer to my prayers that "I." would feel a stronger desire to come to church more and enjoy the gospel!! I will have to keep you posted.:)

Last week while we were at a dinner appointment with the M. family, they called Dad's cell phone and talked to him for a few minutes. That was so weird! I don't know how surprised Dad was, but they enjoyed talking to him and telling him that I am "gordo". I felt like those old sci-fi movies where someone communicates through time like on that Ghostwriter episode about Frank. So surreal! I couldn't hear anything that Dad said, but they told me that he sounds like me when he speaks Spanish.

I hope all is well and I love you all! Never be afraid of becoming who the Lord wants you to become! Next p-day our whole zone is going to the beach, so get ready to see how white I am! I will also get to see a few old friends.:) Lots of love! Happy Birthday Mom!