I have gained a testimony about writing in a journal

     So my studies up to date are Isaiah 18, Alma 15, and Alma 62(Spanish) It’s still coming along.

      So something pretty crazy happened this past week. One day we were riding this past week, Elder Heredia full on crashed twice in one day. The first time, he didn’t notice a higher curb, so he goes off of it and completely does a front flip and was lying on the ground. The second one was even crazier. I was riding behind him and we were cruising down a hill to get to an appointment. Then Elder Heredia tries to get up on to the sidewalk, but hits the driveway thing wrong. All of the sudden, I see him flip over and his bike starts sliding on its side for like 10 feet, and he flies off. His head goes through a bush, while he is tumbling in circles like four times. Then by the time he gets out of the bush, his helmet comes off. So his head was in the bush getting scraped up while his body is tumbling and going crazy over the sidewalk. Of course I was freaking out. hahaha I gave him some room to breathe and tried to help him as best as I could. His hand hurt really bad. We thought it was broken. We went to the urgent care this past week and the doctor said it was a sprain. They said the radiologists will check the x-ray better and call us within the next few days to see if it’s broken. His hand/wrist/forearm are still hurting pretty badly. We are keeping him in our prayers. So that was our interesting tid bit this past week.

      San Diego is still doing well. The weather is good. We had a couple random days of freezingness and then it went back to hot toasty days for biking.

     So we were still unable to get Daniel to church this week.  He said he isn’t going to rely on his son anymore for the ride, and that he wants a ride from someone in the branch.  So we are going to set up a ride for him this Sunday.

     This past Sunday though, we got one investigator, Abel, and a less active, Luis Gutierrez, to church.  So church was still a success.  I also gave the opening prayer in Sacrament meeting again.

     I also have been speaking more Spanish this week, and I have been leaving my comfort zone a little bit.  So I feel like I have progressed a lot more in this past week.

     I’m sorry this isn’t a great letter.  I guess I’m not really in the mood set for writing right now especially since I burned the inside of my right ring finger while cooking.  So it is hurting quite a bit right now.

     A lot of good has happened this past week, but when there is the most good there is the most evil.  So we were doing good work, but we have also gotten a lot of opposition too.  We had more people from their cars cuss at us, and say messed up things to us.  We even had someone throw a slice of bread at us.  We also had a lot of rejection.  We had lots of different interesting talks with people, when we contacted people on the street.  People ignored us completely, a person called us a cult, and some people were fine talking with us until they found out we were Mormon.  So many people are ignorant about our church.  A cult is two or more people together in a religious group that believes in a higher being.  So we are a cult, and so are every other Christian church.  It’s just sad to see people reject us.

     For the good though this past week, we contacted some good people on the street, had good lessons, and our companionship has grown a lot.

     Transfers are coming up next week, so any of our companionship could get moved, and we could get someone in their place.  I’ll let you know next week if anything happens to our companionship.

     I’m not sure if I have told you all yet, but I have been writing in my journal everyday so far on my mission.  I didn't believe I could do it, but now I’m in such a habit.  It is neat that I will be able to look back at any day and know basically what happened that day.  I have gained a testimony about writing a journal.  Yes, there is room for improvement to write more in detail, but I am getting better at it.  Now I am realizing why it is important to write in a journal.  I wish I wrote in my journals more before my mission.  I am definitely wanting to continue this habit after my mission.  I want to challenge all of you to write in your journal at least once a week, maybe more if you can.  In the future, you and your future family will wish you had.  So that will be my challenge.  Oh, and also be as detailed as you can.

     Thank you for everything. I really appreciate the emails, packages, and support. I love you all so much and I want you to know that you are in my prayers all the time. I pray for you daily. Stay strong and do good.

Six more weeks in San Diego

     How is everyone doing?  I hope you are happy you got a letter from me!  Most missionaries don’t even write their families through mail, and lots of them barely write anything in email too.  So please be grateful!  Haha

     Daniel didn’t come to church again… We will set up a ride for him to go next week since that seems to be what his problem is.  We had another lesson with him this past week though.  He is still very interested in the church.  We taught him the Law of Chastity.  We found out he has a girlfriend and that it will be a little tough for him.  He believes in the Law of Chastity, but he doesn’t want to leaves his girlfriends; because he doesn’t want to feel alone.  I guess the only two people that he has are his girlfriend and his son Jair, who is 17.  No worries though.   We will change him, and get him ready.  He has already accepted everything else really well.

     I guess it is also looking like I’m going to be staying here in San Diego for another six weeks!  If I ever do end up going to Mexico now, I will now only spend less than ¾ of my mission there.  This next transfer, I will have been here a  ¼ of my mission.  That is so crazy to think about.  In just about a week, I will hit my five month mark.  Is it going really fast for all of you, or is it just me?

     With the Elder thing, I would do it.  He is right, in that you should pick a date in your mind, and pray to Heavenly Father, to feel the Spirit and see if it would be the right day.  Just keep praying about it and don’t just wait for the Spirit to come to you with it.  Sometimes we need to act first and do the part before we can feel the Spirit.

     Before I end this letter, I want to talk a little about testimonies and an experience I had this past week with testimonies.  So during exchanges this week, Elder Higbee switched with an English missionary for a day.  So I spoke and contributed much more on that day in everything that we did.  I loved that day, and I was so pleased with how I did that day.  It truly was something that I needed.  So we had a dinner appointment with the Marquez family.  Which the food was really good, and they had a great habanero salsa!  Anyway, after the dinner, we got together in the living room and had a lesson.  We were talking about the gospel of Jesus Christ for a little bit, when we shifted to testimonies.  It was fabulous!  We had a lot of participation from the family too.  Then right before we were going to end, I told them that I wanted to bear my testimony.  So I bore my testimony.  Everyone was paying very close attention, and the Spirit was so strong.  While I was bearing my testimony, Sister Marquez was tearing up.  I bore it with power to the family, and everyone could feel it.  I once heard that, “if we share our testimonies, often, then we will keep it.  But if we keep our testimonies to ourselves, then we will lose it.”  It is so true!  We need to bear our testimonies often or else we will lose it.  We also need to share what we know to be true in our testimony.  That is what a testimony is.  Testimonies are powerful, and will touch people’s lives.  I want to challenge all of you to all bear your testimony in a family home evening, so that it can be written in heaven and that you will keep it.  I know that if you bear your testimonies more often, then you will be able to keep your testimony, and continue to grow it.

     I love you all so much, each and every one of you.   Stay strong, do good, and know that I love you all.  

Fresh Salsa by Carranza

5 Roma tomatoes

2 Serrano peppers

½ bunch of cilantro

1tsp chicken bouillon

1 pinch of salt

Excited to get some good stuff (food)

It was so nice being able to talk to you over the phone this week!

And as for the fruits, veggies, and proteins. I got apples and carrots today! and
some jalepenos... :) hahaha Im also going to probably get some chicken
that will last for a whole month. Im excited to actually get some good
stuff in me besides ramen, pancakes, toast, macncheese, and cheap pizzas.

There is a primary song that we sang in Zone conference that I
absolutely loved and it is called, "If The Savior Stood Beside Me." I
love the lyrics to the song. I hope you all can have the chance to
read the lyrics and maybe sing as a family. The first verse says in
the song, " If the Savior stood beside me, would I do the things I do?
Would I think of His commandments and try harder to be true? Would I
follow His example? Would I live more righteously if I could see the
Savior standing nigh, watching over me?" I love this! I love the
questions that it asks. We should make sure to do things that we would
feel comfortable doing around the Savior. We all need to realize or
imagine Christ being in our presence, and ask ourselves these
questions. I love all three verses and I want you read them, sing
them, ponder over them, and try to change somethings or one thing that
would make you feel more comfortable in the presence of our Savior.

Stay strong, do good, and remember I love you.

It needs to happen

How is everyone? Well I'm sure doing pretty well. My scripture study has increased a lot recently. I finished the new testament and started the Book of Mormon in English in place of it. So I'm in Alma 32(Spanish), Job 16, 1 Nephi 15. So the scripture study is going pretty well. I wonder if you liked the salsa recipe I included. And just to let you know. I actually blended 3 habaneros into my salsa. It was mmm mmm good!

Anyway, yesterday we had a couple interesting moments. So we were riding up the most ghetto street in La Mesa called Schoolridge, and we saw that there was a woman needing help moving furniture into her house. So we went and offered our help. We moved the dresser into the house. After that we talked a little about the church and handed a pass along card to her. Then she says,"Oh I'm a non denominational Christian, and you know how that goes.." and we said "Well we are Christian too" and then she said, "Well we believe differently. We actually believe that Jesus Christ is the Messiah." and we said, "That's exactly what we believe too" then she sighed. Then she said, "Well it's just different." hahahaha Well obviously lot of people are misinformed about our church if they dont even think that Christ is the Messiah. It is so sad that some churches will just dedicate all of there teaching in their congregations to persecute, bash, and avoid Mormons. So sad! But it needs to happen. That was one of the prophecies of the Book of Mormon. If that didn't happen, then the Book of Mormon wouldn't be true. I love the Book of Mormon.

Also we received a referral for a less active. So we go over to the address and knock on the door. The door opens a tiny bit with a really old lady poking her head out. She says "hi" before she pokes her head out and then she looks out and sees us. Then she says "not interested" and closed the door on us right there and then. All of this happened in a matter of one or two seconds. We didn't even have time to say anything. We think we just got the wrong address or something. haha So yeah...yesterday was a pretty new day. So many things happen while on a mission! So many experiences! hahah

Thank you for all the support and love that you give me. Look for those opportunities to share the gospel. So many people need to hear the gospel. It is signs of the times. We need to get it there quicker. hahaha I'm having a good time being a missionary even with having a few trials here and there. It's all good and makes me stronger. Stay strong and know that I pray for you!