"By humbling myself, I've learned a lot"

Hey, yo!

How are you all doin? As you know, I’m so thankful for the letter that I received from you yet gain. You know I love all the comments and updates!

Ummmm . . . I’m glad you guys found the pictures from Elder Jack Winn’s mom! I saw him at the Temple and it made me super happy. I thought he had already left Guatemala and that I wasn’t gonna see him for almost a year. But I saw him! LOL . . . And I met his parents. They were very nice people and his mom told me that you guys are friends! LOL . . . Gotta love Mission Mom things. Don’t be sad about the pictures, though! I’ll be home so soon . . . There’s no time to be sad! What is weird to me is that those pumpkin patch pictures you sent me for Christmas last year are already a year old! Weird, huh? Sounds like you guys are gonna have a ball this time of year! I’m excited because everything that is happening right now is the last time that I will ever miss them with my family. And that li’l Dylan makes me so proud. I can’t believe that he’s already getting ready for college . . . LOL . . . ACT and SAT tests stink though. He should just go to Gav with me . . . C’moooooonnnnnnnnnn . . .

Well, I do have a few updates that I would like to hit ch’all up with today!

First to answer your question . . . Today for P-day, we had interviews as a Zone with President Torres. They started at 10am and ended around 3pm. LOL . . . Yea . . . It was a long time of waiting. Especially since I am Junior Companion Zone Leader . . . LOL . . . Which makes me the last interview of the whole Zone! LOL . . . It was a great interview, though. The first time that it has actually been a real conversation in an interview after fourteen months of interviews with him. We talked about the challenges in our Zone . . . We talked about the progression of all the missionaries in our Zone . . . We talked about what I can do to help . . . We talked about Elder Chesley and what I’ve learned from him . . . And he told me we gotta baptize again before Elder Chesley goes home. He said he knows we will and pointed out that I’ve baptized a lot in all of my areas and that we will be able to do that here, too. Kinda cool . . . Talked about what we can do to prepare for our big Stake Conference that is coming up at the beginning of November. Elder Falabella will be here . . . He is a member of the First Quorum of the 70 . . . Soooo . . . It’s a big deal! LOL! It’s a lot of pressure, but it will all be good! We just gotta get down to it! It was just a very good interview all in all. After the interview, we played some ping-pong and then ordered pizza to the Church with six other missionaries who hadn’t left the building. Usually, on Mondays, we do all our shopping but this Monday (today),we won’t have time so we are gonna do that tomorrow morning.

Did you guys send me the list of all my shoes yet? The Clippers schedule? I got Dylan’s DearElder, but I think I will have to write him back next week because I don’t have time today! Sorry! Oh! And how is NBA pre-season goin’ for the Warriors, Clippers and Lakers?

How much time does Jeff Rose have in the mission now? He’s gotta almost be home by now if he isn’t already . . . And how ‘bout Brad? What mission is he in exactly?

Guess what?????? I think I get home just the day before Dylan’s graduation! Cool, huh?!?!

Happy Birthday to Megan, Randy and James! Two of the people I want to hear from the most! Randy and James! I sure hope you had and have great birthdays! Be safe and smart! I hope to hear from you soon!

This week I went on divisions with Elder Vindel. It was fun to be back with him because he was in my District for three months when I had been on my mission between four and seven months. At that time, his best friend from home was the District Leader (Elder Martinez, my second trainer, or Mom). Elder Vindel has grown so much in the past few months and is such a different missionary. He is animated to work, he is so good to everyone and we had some great spiritual lessons together. He’s really doing a great job. I’m loving doing these divisions because I’m learning so much even though I’ve been called to be their leader. Elder Vindel is a good friend and we can share missionary stories and what not. Good, good guy. My companion went with Elder Kjar and they put three baptismal dates in Durazno! So, they did great too! We will see if we have time to do divisions again this week.

Really cool . . . This last week, my companion and I got to fast for our Area and Zone to see what we could do to improve it. Well, when I was in the Temple in the Celestial Room, all I could think of was just to work even harder and to be humbler (if that’s not a real word, you know what I’m talkin’ ‘bout) . . . I was thinkin’ at the time, “Man, that’s a lame answer to my prayers ! I already know that!” But, it wasn’t lame . . . LOL . . . By humbling myself, I’ve learned a lot. Being humble was really weighing on my mind because I was talking to a return missionary and talking about baptisms . . . Anyway, he started telling me when he did and didn’t have baptisms and why. Then I told him how up and down my times of baptizing have been. He said it was ‘cause I was prideful about it. I had never really thought about that ‘cause I don’t brag. But I thought maybe I carry it around too much in my heart like I’m pilas (cool) or something. But I realized that I have to recognize the hand of the Lord in all things. It’s funny how I had heard the phrase since Primary, along with all the other famous phrases, we have to learn the reality of them by ourselves. Since that fast, though, I have felt a major shift in the Zone and I know that the Lord has answered my prayers and has blessed me for fasting. I was talking to Elder Williams ‘bout it today (He’s a District Leader in my Zone . . . And a really good friend of mine because he entered with me and we can talk about just about anything together) and he said that since Tuesday he has also felt a huge shift in the success in the work in his Area. He didn’t even know that we had fasted at that time. LOL . . . We laughed because the Church is sooooo true . . . We just have to do our part to be worthy and willing to receive the blessings that God has prepared for us . . .

One of the huge blessings that we (my companion and I) received from this fast was this . . . We had baptismal dates with a family (Family Moreno) over a month about buuuuut they ran into some problems . . . They got kicked out of their tortilla shop for listening to us and goin’ to Church with us . . . Then, in the new tortilla shop where they moved, the owner didn’t let them listen to us either. So, we thought we had lost ‘em. Plus, they always had to work on Sundays. Theeeeeeen on Tuesday, we found out that a member opened up her own tortilla shop! Aaaaaand she invited Sister Moreno to come work and live with her!!!!! So now, the Moreno family came to Church already again this Sunday! We’ve taught them again and they have accepted baptismal dates again! Ahhhh! I know for a fact that Heavenly Father answers our prayers. Honestly . . . I know it. I think that’s why when I’m obedient, he can’t deny the blessings that come along with prayer and fasting. It was such a cool experience! If you guys aren’t fasting and praying and putting everything in the hands of God (during prayer, when you’re not praying, you gotta work everything out like it all depends on you), well, you should do it!

Well . . . I think that’s ‘bout all I got for you! Hit me up! I love you all soo, soo much and I really appreciate all of your support! Be safe, smart and loving! Take care!