My new companion

My first baptism in Roslindale... sorta. Brother Malone

October 25, 2010

My new apartment

For my last p-day before my transfer we went downtown, just in case I went out into the boonies somewhere! Now, downtown is my area and I can go there whenever I want! Which is awesome! The day before I got transferred, we experienced a miracle. We had two people cry as we were talking about the Book of Mormon. Then I had to leave Chelsea. I felt cheated that all of my hard work in Chelsea was finally paying off and they have lots of people that are really really interested in the gospel and I had to leave. But then I got to my new area, and we have already had a baptism.

I already love the people here in my new area. I live on this main road and I hear the train all night, but I am too tired from walking all day to care. So, I am walking again...hopefully no more fatness and I am gonna get skinny! My new area is a lot bigger than I am used to. I have to translate for the Sacrament Meeting which is good news that my spanish will not get lost and I will get better. We teach more than 50% in spanish, mostly Dominican, and I just love it! I was so relieved that I went to the city. It is so cool how God is watching out for me. In the city, the work is different. We have to use all the public transit, so we wait a lot.

I met a guy on a bus that was gay and spoke spanish. He was a mormon, but now lives with gay people. He still has a very strong testimony. I told him how we all have our weaknesses that we can't control but that we still have to obey God's law. Anyway, he was really receptive.

We had a baptism on Sunday and I got to participate even though it was not really mine. But, I got to meet him and teach him before he got baptized. He is an amazing guy (Bill Malone) that just loves the church and I think he will always be an active member.

I am living with missionaries that speak Haitian, which is cool. I love them all and I am doing so good. All stress seems to be gone. I love this new place and am excited to meet lots of new people. Love you guys. Peace and Blessings.

October 20, 2010

I am getting transferred! Everything that I know about Boston is going to change! It is exciting and scary at the same time. Sometimes the mission feels like an eternity and sometimes it feels like it is going so fast. I am just trying to enjoy all that God has for me and take advantage of the time I have here on the mission because it is just for a short time.

My week was fantastic! Monday we met this amazing kid who has a relationship with someone in the ward. We have had daily contact with him and he is just ready for the gospel in his life. Yesterday we went to talk to him and they were reading the Book of Mormon together. He cried when he prayed about the Book of Mormon. It is just amazing! You just can't explain the high that you feel when an investigator develops his own testimony.

Tuesday we went to see our recent convert Maryse who needed help moving these ancient gigantic TVs. They were so big and heavy, but we have Elder Dawe who is a TANK and so strong! The look on her face to see if we could do it was amazing. To see the change in her family and attitude is just amazing. It is just crazy what a little service does for people. It is awesome!

Wednesday, we had a miracle happen. We were visiting people less actives who are struggling with life right now because they don't have much money. Literally two seconds later someone comes up and gives us a ton of food! They work at a restaurant and when they close for the day, they give the food away. It was just amazing to see the hand of the Lord and how missionaries are such a tool to help others. Later that day, I gave a blessing in Spanish to a member who was sick. She told us how grateful she was for the blessing because she was healed 20 minutes later.

Thursday, some people gave us some cereal and food and we went and gave it to the families that are struggling! It is amazing the miracles that are all around us!

I fasted and prayed last Sunday that an investigator woud come to church and one came!!! I was so happy and he was excited! I then participated in two blessing of kids that are in our ward. I gave another blessing of the sick at dinner. It was awesome. It was so cool to really bless other people with the authority that I have and to know that God really does answer our prayers.

We have been reaping the harvest of our hard work. So far this week, we have taught 10 lessons and found 5 new investigators, three of which are looking to be baptized! It has just been a miracle! Last night, my adoptive family, the Campos, took us out to dinner and gave me a gift. They call me their son and their brother. I love them more than anything. They took care of me in Chelsea and it is sad to leave them.

That is my week. That is my life and I love it! Peace and blessings to all!

October 12, 2010

Boston Temple

We had a killer week! We are just working so hard and doing well. It is great!

The first thing was last Tuesday. I had this feeling to talk to this guy, so I talked to him. It was super awkward and I kept feeling like I needed to keep talking to get all the steps in. When we left I felt like something was missing but there was nothing more that I could say. It was weird. It was the first time it has happened to me. That night we are at the familia Reyes. It was so good and sooo fun. They are the best family. He was the bishop for a long time and we talked about his mission and how we can be better. This guy is awesome. He is a spiritual giant!

Wednesday, I discovered that I love boiled plaintain! They are so good. You take big bananas and you boil them with cinnamon and then at the end you put sugar with the excess water and cinnamon and it is soo good.

We had a miracle on Friday. I see little miracles every day in this work. This guy that I have completely lost contact with called us to come visit him. He had not answered phone calls for the whole transfer. It was a little miracle.

Elder Dawe and I finally found the swing of teaching together. It is awesome. We are teaching well and man has his spanish improved! He is a stud!

Saturday I ate something funky! It is a palm which is a veggie that basically looks like a squid. It is fried or boiled in egg and then you cook it with this tomato sauce. It looks like a bloody squid, abut it was dang good!

Sunday, we met with the ward auxiliaries and the ward finally seems to really want to get involved in missionary work! It is making a difference!

On Monday (pday) we got to go to the temple...which was sooo great! Then we went into the city of Boston! I love it there! Tonight we are going to eat with this family that I must eat a lot! Yeah...They will be stuffing me and preparing me for Thanksgiving!!! haha!

Transfers next week! Peace and Blessings. Love you all!

October 4, 2010

General Conference weekend is like Christmas to missionaries and Christmas was really really good! Conference was sincerely just truly an amazing experience. I watched all sessions in Spanish. It was so great. I loved every second of them. I got a lot out of them even though I am not fluent yet. Many of the General Authorities gave there own recorded version in Spanish and those were the best ones. You could here their voice and didn't have to hear a translation. I know that they are all men of God. The underlying message that I received was about agency and how we are the masters of our own lives through the little things we do every day. We can't control every thing in our lives but we can choose how to respond and our attitude about what does happen and how day in and day out our decisions create who we are.

Monday was fun. We played soccer with these young kids and since we have some pretty good players and we are so much older we smoked them. The next day, we gave a lesson to one of the kids we played soccer with. He was supposed to bring all his friends, but he was the only one that showed up. It was a good challenge and a good lesson. The kid looked sincere and it was fun. Then that night we taught a little English to some investigators we that have. They think I am a freak because I can talk Spanish and I learned how to speak in Boston. They are surprised that I learned it so fast.

Saturday and Sunday we spent listening to conference. We spent the whole day at the church and in between sessions they just fed us! I feel like a hog that they are getting ready to kill so they are fattening us up for their enjoyment so they can kill us later! HaHa!

I am here to stay. I love this work, with all the up and downs. I love you all! I am great and happy!