Pizza and a 2 liter

HOLA!

It's been another awesome week here in El Paso.

On the Border

Kind of a crazy week for the world. The day we found out about the election we visited a lot of our investigators. It was heart breaking to be in some of the homes of our people. A lot of them don't have papers so they were making plans (planning for the worst) and trying to figure out what they will do. Most people are scared even though they do have papers! I don't know who the right president would have been, or if anything bad really will happen, and I'm not even supposed to comment on politics, but it was just heartbreaking to see people afraid. Luckily everything has stayed pretty calm down here...not a lot of violence that we know of. All we can do is pray on! 

Faith

This week we have been trying to find people who are ready for the gospel. We have talked to so many people who's hearts are completely closed to any type of faith. One guy says that "right now we are victims of the world and if there is a God we will find out after we're dead and He looks us in the face."  Another guy said that he's read every religious book out there and has decided that God is "our own thoughts". And everyone we talk to who says these kinds of things admits that something in their lives is missing. They literally say that they don't feel any kind of peace! When we explain that they can find that peace by reading the Book of Mormon, they refuse. They "already know it all". This probably sounds like a really general experience, but it's a common pattern that we have seen 4 or 5 times this week alone! It's so sad because if someone doesn't have a desire to look for something greater, we can't help them, no matter how hard we try. We can't force someone to have faith and act on it...they have to want it. 

Because we have had lessons with these kinds of people over and over we have been focusing a lot on faith. It is the first principle of the gospel for a reason! We have been studying faith like crazy and really when it comes down to it, faith is a simple desire to believe in something you don't have a perfect knowledge of.

On Saturday night we were having a lesson with one of our really tough investigators, Emerita. She comes to church every week and want's to know the church is true, but she kind of wants us to prove it to her. So, because we had been studying faith all week, we shared with her what we learned. We opened to Alma 32 and taught her about "planting the seed", "experimenting on the word" and simply having a "desire to believe." Her countenance changed, and her heart opened. She finally was starting to get it.

We were so happy, and wanted to keep the spirit, so we sang "How Great Thou Art" for her and the member who was with us. Then I did something really...childish. I thought I heard someone...pass gas (is that the missionary way to say it? I don't know). I was certain it was my companion  and I was gonna start dying laughing. I honestly couldn't hold it in. I stopped singing and bit my lip trying so hard not to laugh....leaving Sis. T alone to keep the song going. I kept trying to come back in but my voice would shake and then I'd have to bite my tongue so hard to not laugh. Literally I was acting like a 5 year old boy. Toots should not be that funny! Anyway....so then I realize that everyone else in the room is crying. They thought that I was CRYING not LAUGHING! So because they THOUGHT I was crying from the spirit they felt the spirit and started crying too. So I jumped on that opportunity I bore my testimony, and Emerita listened intently for the first time. The spirit was stronger than ever before... it's like someone passed gas and the spirit came out instead. I told H. Thompson afterward that I was actually laughing and she couldn't believe it...it literally looked like I was crying! and also she didn't boof...she just accidentally moved her shoe on the tile or something. bummer. 

Members and Missionaries

This week we are really trying to get our members to unite in purpose with us. People don't understand that the ward should have a real Mission Plan that everyone is aware of and working toward, and the missionaries help them execute it. There are SO many reasons why members are so crucial to the work.

-The members are examples to family and friends, preparing others to be interested int the gospel. 

-They have personal stories to share that other people can relate to.

-They are on the inside of the church and have the power to help others feel welcome.

-They can be a good friend, example, or a listening ear to an investigator when the missionaries can't be.

-They can help recent converts to change their lives and stay solid in the gospel.

There are a million more reasons but I feel like I'm kind of ranting about it right now. It's crazy to me how influencial a member can be, but how unaware the members are of their role!

For example, Ruben (our recent convert) has a long way to go before he feels comfortable at church. He doesn't have church clothes so he just wears jeans, he's scared to get the priesthood, and he needs support with some of the commandments that are difficult for him. We had to do a lot of work to explain to the bishop, the young men's president, the YSA, and other fellowshipers that we can't just baptize people and expect they are gonna figure it all out on their own! We were so relieved on Sunday when our efforts paid off. The second councilor brought him to church and helped Ruben find appropriate clothes. Then the bishop invited him into his office to talk about the priesthood and temples. Some of the YSA came and took him to priesthood, and then the guy who baptized him drove him home. SUCCESS! Honestly without the support of the ward we wouldn't be able to do the work. It would be impossible.

Another example is having members in lessons. We want to have a member in every lesson possible, but that's really hard to pull off. People are busy, scared to come, confused on why we need them, or just don't think it's important. The people who do come out with us, though, are the converts who LOVE the missionaries and want to do anything they can to bring more people to Christ. So I'm not complaining, we have some AWESOME member missionaries. I'm just saying it's hard to get as many involved as we need. This week we had some awesome experiences with members, and some not-so-awesome ones.

The best member-present lesson was with the family from last week (the one where we met the dad walking his dog, and then he invited us over and the mom loves us and wants her son to be Mormon). We took a member with us to sit down in the lesson and she fulfilled her purpose perfectly! She got to know the family, related to the mom about things like raising kids and other mom stuff, and then turned the time over to us. We taught a brief lesson and then invited the member to share her brief testimony/experience. It was AWESOME. Then the member invited them to church and activities and they got so excited! They can't wait to come to church! And they already have a friend who they can sit with when the come this week. 

The less than awesome member-present happened with Juan y Sidumy. We took a member to them and I guess the member wasn't on the same page as us. We thought we had given her enough background, but after a super spiritual moment with this family (who has only had half of the very first lesson) our member decided to bear her testimony on why polygamy isn't a concern and baptisms for the dead. So ya. Huge bummer...kinda funny....but a bummer.

We also go to members homes to eat with them and help them with their missionary goals. It is so fun...I love the people in our ward. They are the greatest in the world! Last night we were talking to a 9 year old while her mom was in the other room. She was asking all about missions...what we wear, what we drive, who we teach...and then she says "Will you tell me how you know when you get a baby in you?"

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I <3 Missions

Anyway... most of the time members are awesome. And my mission isn't the only one that needs people to come out with the missionaries and fellowship people who want to come to church! They all need the members to be missionaries! If any of you out there are interested in helping out the missionaries, read D&C 84: 106-110 and then call your ward mission leader! He probably has a plan that you can be a part of!

So ya, that was basically my week. Lot's of crazy stuff going on in the world, but don't worry we are super safe here in El Paso. I love the work out here! Every day is a blast with Hermana Thomson. She's the

best trainer. OH and she asked me to train her (like personal training) in the mornings. Lol she was actually serious! So thats what we do now. I work-out train her in the mornings and she does the missionary training for the rest of the day. It's pretty funny!

Thanks so much for the prayers, the letters, the packages....you are the best family ever. I'm always praying for you! I know there are a lot of changes going on in both the Warner Family and the Johnson Family....just know you are always in my prayers and I'm working hard for you! 

SUUUREEEE LOVE YA!

xoxoxo

P.S. The pictures were taken the same day...we started out with my per-usual green smothie...and then at the end of a really discouraging day Hrn. Thomson broke me down and we got a pizza and soda to eat in the car. I haven't had a soda in FOREVER. HAHA my eyes were watering from the carbonation (zoom in lol) hahaha lol. good times.