WEEK 27 - Something Patriotic

This week was the longest week of my entire life, literally. Because today is the 4th of July, we had a 10 day work week (hence no Monday email) and it really made me realize how vital P-Day’s are for missionary work. I dunno how Paul did it. No wonder he wanted to kill himself while preaching in Asia. He probably didn’t take P-Day’s. Anyways. 

This week was amazing. We started the week by driving down South to Kemah, which is in League City, which is by Galveston. We had a surplus amount of miles because we didn’t have a Zone Conference or any sort of training or anything like that and it seems like the Lord knew that and prepared a way for Elder Funk to go back to his previous area to baptize an entire family, so we did. And we got In-N-Out, too. And I drove through Houston and drooled all over the steering wheel because I was in a city again. And it was beautiful. 

Then, we went to the temple with Guillermina, our recent convert that Elder Lawyer and I went out of the mission to visit, and Hermana Lozano and her brother, Severo. The drive was long and the temple was small, but I loved every second of it. Guillermina loved it, too. She was actually crying the entire time we were there and I couldn’t figure out if that was because she couldn’t take pictures of everything–including every temple worker–or if it was because she was feeling the Spirit. Only God knows. 

We have been teaching this awesome guy named Yohan and he loves the Libro de Mormón. He actually has been reading it every single day and loves Lehi’s Vision. We were talking about it and he brought up that one of his work friends used to meet with missionaries and was trying to tell him that the Book of Mormon was all about José Smith. Then, Yohan proceeded to tell him he was wrong and that he loves reading it and that nowhere does it talk about this guy named José. While he was relating this story he compared his friend to one of the people who partook of the Tree of Life and then fell away. I couldn’t be more amazed. 

I found this kid from Honduras named David a couple weeks ago with Elder Lawyer and he has become one of my favorite people ever. He’s 13 and wants so desperately to come to church with us after he found out we were a part of the same church he was baptized into with his grandparents in Honduras, and now he wants to go to the temple with all of the youth in a week from now. The problem is that we aren’t able to find his records from Honduras so we may need to rebaptize him, but hopefully we can find them. Bro wants to even come with us to lessons, I love him. 

It has been incredibly rewarding to see the fruits of my labors and because I’ve been in Sealy for so long–and probably longer since Elder Funk got his flight info for Mexico, his original mission–I have been able to see entire families become reactivated and progressing along the Covenant Path. Hermana Garza, Anabel’s mom, wants to get endowed so badly. We taught her that although she does not have a husband and does not have the priesthood in her household currently, a way that she can properly prepare herself for the Celestial Kingdom and for the ability to live with her family forever is by getting endowed and that she will have access to that power and be better prepared for the next life. And now, she’s getting interviewed to get her patriarchal blessing and doing everything she can to go to the temple. She told me, “I thought that all of these things didn’t apply to me because I wasn’t married, but now I know I can do it and I can be blessed.” I was meant to meet her and her family and it is the most joy I have ever felt in my life to help them. 

Anyerson committed to coming to church every week and told us his next step in this life is to be baptized. He and his wife, Angelica (who is a member), have been struggling to make and keep commitments even if they relate to their desires in this life. We had an extremely powerful lesson with them with Hermana Lopez (ON HER BIRTHDAY) and I read them D&C 132:19-22 and Anyerson started crying. We talked about how special marriage is and how we can be sealed to our families for eternity and Angelica remembered her own sealing to her family and Hermana Lopez bore her testimony about it and it was all so spiritual. They decided they were going to pray for a marriage date because they want to be married before October when Angelica has their daughter, so it’s only a matter of time. He’s the neighborhood barber, too. Like, he literally knows every single one of our friends, it is amazing. 

Well, that’s about it. My week was long, this day even longer, and I wish you all the best. Happy 4th of July, y’all! 

(I am a true Texan now)