September 5, 2007

Dear Irvine Family:

I'm sorry I had to be so frank, but I felt that I was left out to dry. And thanks for the quick response! That was uplifting to hear from the family after two long weeks! Actually, the mail isn't as depressing as everyone makes it seem. We're so busy, mail is more like a present once in a while. And it is sweet! And thanks for the response, it's great Mom had the chance to meet with her friends and our family!

This week has been up and down. The past two p-days have been absolutely busy! So much for being a day of rest! It's even harder because we have to wash our car. Then we found out after a great zone conference that we had a nail in one of our back tires, so we had to get that fixed last week, but because we went on Saturday (mission office's p-day) we couldn't get the authorization number, so we had to go this last p-day. Frustrating! But it is a luxury and a blessing in this hot weather. At least three times this past week the temperature was in the 100's. It was really hot. Doing contacts in the street was a pain but a pleasure, we're always getting potential investigators. It was really hot. We found out that one of our investigators, Maribel Pelayo, who were are only teaching to get her daughter Myra baptized, wants to split from her boyfriend. They've been living together for 8 years, and are unmarried. She's married in Mexico, and so it's hard to get a divorce here in CA. And, her boyfriend (they call them spouse like husband but that is never the case) is waiting for his naturalization papers to clear. So they aren't getting married anytime soon. Then, she said that she wants to split with him. She knows the Gospel can change her life. It has. They're so happy whenever we come over, and they are truly a great family in all respects of the word. It is really comforting for her, and she wants to change. She knows cohabitation (union libre) is wrong, and she wants to get married, but Antonio (boyfriend) doesn't have any interest in that or being baptized. We are praying for her to make the right decision, either get separated then baptized or just have Myra be baptized and them stick together for the family's sake. We're waiting on what she has decided, they were out of town this weekend for Labor Day. I hope she got an answer for herself, she's a great person! I love them so much! That was a shocker though, I have to say. It was the last thing I expected! But the mission field is full of surprises. We are teaching a wonderful couple, the Ramos. Narciso, the legal husband, is a progressing investigator! I love him! He read the first 19 chapters of the Book of Mormon in three days in between our visits! He is a Christian, so when we pray he goes off on his own prayer. But he does know how to pray like us, which makes it so much easier. And, he pays his tithing to his church, which makes me grateful for the Lord's guidance to this man. His wife was feeling ill, so we gave her a blessing. They're progressing! I have given three blessings in Spanish in the last 2 weeks! I feel the Spirit so strong in each blessing, and I know the investigators do. They look different, emotionally touched and changed. I gave a blessing to one of our troubled investigators, Cervando Torres, who lived a bad life of gangs and drugs and now is on house arrest. We taught him and then I gave a blessing to him, my third. He definitely felt the Spirit, his trial is today. But he wants to change, I really feel that he wants to start anew, and we kept on saying that this is his last chance to change for the better, that the Lord is giving him a great opportunity to change his life. I hope he'll follow through and change his life around. We brought a less active's son, Omar Torres, to teach with us. He's heading in that direction, he wants to be a rapper. So it was kind of an eye-opener, we hope. But that day was amazing! Sorry it's so cluttered but it was Sunday we taught Cervando and the Torres' family. Hermano Torres was offended, greatly offended. He hadn't gone to church in several years from what we could tell. He wouldn't tell us who or what happened, but that something happened. We started visiting them a few weeks back, and we knew it'd be a long road back. We went over to invite Omar to teach, he came and we went back. Then, we invited the parents to teach another investigator nearby. They said yes! We went, she wasn't home. A few nights earlier we visited this investigator, Cintya, and found out she was pregnant and wanted an abortion. It was an emotionally draining experience. It made me think of how precious life is, and how she was willing, she wanted to, throw this child's life away so she can go to school and work, and raise her 3 year old child Miguel. That lesson really hit me hard, of how valuable life is, of how every child has the absolute right to live, it is not an opportunity. I'm so grateful that you, Mom and Dad, were sealed in the temple so I could be born in the covenant, it is a great blessing in my life! So we wanted the Torres' to fellowship her and help her. It was disappointing she wasn't there. But we went back and shared Pres. Faust's talk on forgiveness, with the story about the Amish. Elder Sandoval read the entire talk, and we bore our testimonies throughout. I cried, we cried. I could tell Hno. Torres was really thinking about this talk. About forgiveness. Then, he said more or less, "This next Sunday...me or my wife or my kids, will be at church." Elder Sandoval cried, I was in shock. When it set in, when I finally realized what he said, I couldn't help but promise him that he'll be blessed, that his family will be blessed, that this is a huge step, yes, but that it is the right thing to do. I cried. I couldn't believe the mercy of the Lord with us that night. We promised him blessings for his willingness to follow the Lord and left. We walked out of their, I was a bit in shock. No way, I thought, he's coming to church! We got in the car and started screaming our heads off! We were so overjoyed to know that a family is coming back to the fold! It was truly a great blessing that night! I can't really say much else, but that Hno. Torres is a chosen soul of the Lord. He is so humble, and this member truly hurt him, cut him to the core. And he had the courage, after a few visits by the missionaries, to put that aside and committed to come to church this coming Sunday. It really hurt him, and I know the pain will subside, the pain will finally go away. We were so blessed! We have a reference from a great couple in the ward, the Martinez's, and we have taught the first and part of the second lesson to their neighbors, the Clemente's. The wife attended church this past week with their son, because the father is ill and is not really doing well with his diabetes. We've had two breakfast appointments, both delicious, then we taught them. And we have an opportunity this week (went yesterday and have another on Friday) to eat breakfast, chat, then teach! They're interested, and it all started when Hno. Clemente asked about Boy Scouts for his son (he was a Scouter for 20-odd years). Wow! We have been blessed with great members, and great investigators! Our investigators now are 10 times better than the 8 we dropped two to three weeks ago. Quality is better than Quantity. The Field is Ready for the Harvest!

Yesterday we had a workshop for the youth of the ward, on how to share the gospel and the book of mormon with friends as well as how to work with less actives, and it went great! Then, they fed us delicious lasagna! And we had the opportunity to talk with the stake president, who is amazing! He's going to teach some neighbors with two elders in my district! Pres. Gomez is a stud!

We are so busy, and I am always tired. But I'd rather be tired and busy then be lazy and be under the Lord's condemnation. My companion and the district have been having some problems with rides. They seem to think that when he says 'let's go', that's a suggestion, that they have 10 minutes to get ready to go. So when we pull out and almost leave them, they get angry. But, he does have a temper. We talked for a while about it last night, it's because they've had this attitude from the last transfer and they want to be funny, apparently. So we're going to talk about it in district meeting tomorrow. I think his temper and their complacency makes discord. Plus, he goes to bed late after doing all his things (which takes a while, calls to investigators and the zone leaders, etc), and is a bit rough around the edges with his attitude. It has been rough sometimes, but it's been a great learning experience of patience and humility. He just has to learn to be a bit more patient...he's a high stress individual.

We have a baptism set for September 22nd, so we'll see how that goes. I have to say, members at lessons beats just a lesson with missionaries anyday! Hno. Moreno bore his testimony and she committed to baptism a week ago...what a miracle!"

Character is the manifestation of what you are becoming. Strong moral character results from consistent correct choices in trials and testing of life."- Elder Richard G. Scott"

Only the gospel will bring joy, happiness, and salvation to the human family."- Pres. Ezra Taft Benson"The greatest of undeveloped resource is faith; the greatest of unused power is prayer."- Roger W. Babson

I know the Church is true. I know families can be together forever. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, and that he translated the Book of Mormon through the power of God. I know that this mission is the right thing to do, I know that this is a great blessing yet a small sacrifice. I know that there are people out there waiting to be taught, that are being prepared by the Lord for me to teach and testify.

Steven- I hope you are doing well, stay strong and do your schoolwork!

Kristy- Work hard, study hard, push yourself, that's how you get success! And be obedient to every rule to have the Spirit with you.

Mom- Just do what you do, and keep studying the scriptures. Be supportive of the missionaries, they need strong member's help.

Dad- I'm praying for you to know how to help the missionaries. Keep on plugging away, because eventually someone will pick up the torch and everyone will catch fire!

Grandma- I love you Grandma, I hope you're doing well! I'll be sending more pictures soon, but life is busy! I'm doing my best Grandma, and I love you.I love you all. Stay safe and stay strong! Hope all is going well!

Love,

Elder Irvine