My Dear and Loving Family, the Irvines!
It's been great to hear from you at last! I'm excited that Kristy is doing well over in Korea, it must be very interesting to be in a three person companionship, it's hard even with one! I'm glad to know that you are trying to get in shape, because I've been praying about good health for everyone back home. Steven seems to be doing well, just keep on supporting him because he just needs a little push sometimes. I love you all! I can't wait to see you again...but the work and time is now for missionary work!
This week has been a bit hard. We have been trying very hard to find new investigators, so we actually had a textbook weekly planning session. Not like we wouldn't follow Preach My Gospel, but we'd go out of order sometimes. Now I see why it's all in order. And we had success as a result, since we went in order and did the things asked of us by the Apostles and the President of the Church. We have three good investigators, and one with a baptismal date. We didn't have many chances this week to visit her, because we had a lot of things to do in the morning when we'd usually visit her. This week will be different. Oziel Blano is 18 years old, and really smart. He knows all the answers, but he's quiet. I feel dumb when I ask him questions and he knows them. Ah! I'm working on asking questions in Spanish- it is so hard! I don't want to make them feel dumb by asking a hard question, meaning a questions that requires some thinking. And I don't want to ask an obvious question. His family is preoccupied with rent and the like, the usual stuff, so he is our light in the family. La familia Saenz, the mom Norma and the daughter Myra/Maira (I still haven't figured out how to spell it- there so many ways to spell a name!). We are looking for the mom's records to see if she's been confirmed after baptism in Chihuahua, Mexico, but I'm sure we'll have to baptize her again. Problem is, she has a big doubt about Joseph Smith. We gotta hammer it in her head through us and our members, and she has to make time to think and pray about it. She's always busy though, her house is full of people going in and out the entire time. Her daughter has a beautiful little 6 month old daughter who makes it interesting to teach. Myra is open-minded, and I think they have amazing potential. They follow the commandments for the most part, at least they don't commit adultery, but there's some work needed there. Miguel Rosas works for a member in the ward, Hno. Islas. He misses his family a lot, and really enjoys our company. He's receptive, and he has felt the Spirit before with us when we gave him a blessing. He drinks beer from time to time, but we can fix that with the Lord's help. The baptismal date is Yolanda Rosa Murillo, and we're gonna visit her so much she's gonna want to go to church to get rid of us! She's got potential, but we'll see what happens. It's all in the Lord's time. This week has been rough, but great.
We had a service project up in Canyon Country on the way to Palmdale (desert before the real desert in Ridgecrest). We translated for USC dental students who were giving x-rays and things for free for a week. We went up early, got lost, and then got there barely on time! We helped them set up, and we had a great time! I helped file paperwork so the dental students can get their forms, call their number, and help these people. I was so busy! It was so fun though! I worked with a non-member woman and she was really cool. Christian, caring, and patient. My district-mate Elder Villa gave her a card for Together Forever. She could have potential for the elders up there. We helped translate, I filed paper work and filled out forms and things, I loved it! Service is serving others, and serving others is serving the Lord. I love that scripture, by the way, because it speaks the truth.
We visited a relative of the Saenz's in the hospital. He's an alcoholic, and he had to be fixed up a bit in the hospital. He's the boyfriend ('esposo' commonly called but they actually aren't) of Norma Saenz's sister Betty. They had 6 kids together and Betty is with another man. Oh great. But we visited him and left a note, he was sleeping. We went to the Saenz's to see how he was doing, he's up in Palmdale recovering. His children were all there, they're tan like Hispanics but they have red hair. Interesting really. I was thinking that's a bit unnatural, but they were right there so I knew somehow it happened. The oldest daughter really appreciated our note, and I think they could have potential in time. They never knew their dad, he never supported them, and I really think deep down inside they need that love of Christ. We'll see. The Lord prepares people daily.
We found a new investigator, Cristina Ponce. She lives with her 'esposo' a.k.a. boyfriend and has 3 kids with him. She's receptive. She gets depressed sometimes and really wants to hear the word of God. She actually got referred to us by other missionaries. Funny thing is, the zone leaders of Burbank crashed into her car and nothing bad happened. Elder Ricks contacted her! What a great elder! It was like when my buddy Elder Raleigh got hit by a car and he contacted the people that hit him! You have to be crazy to do that! So she has potential, but we'll have to bring the Law of Chastity stick soon. And she talks up a storm. It was an hour and a half visit, and I was thinking 'oh my gosh, when can we teach?' We ended up teaching 3 of 8 principles of the first lesson. Her 'esposo' is atheist, but says he's Catholic. Ah! Not good! She might be ready, but we'll need prayers and His help to remedy this situation.
But on Sunday, no one came to church (again). Call them to repentance! And our less actives are wish-washy! How can you go inactive?! It's better that you were never baptized than be denied blessings and be condemned for tasting of the truth! It's really frustrating, but some of them are really trying to get back to church. They have to put more faith and work into it...like one family. They're both members. They live together, but aren't married, and have done so for 6 years. No! The bishop talked to them about Disciplinary Council and so we talked about that and the sins that are grievous- sin against the Spirit, murder and adultery. It was rough yesterday! It was an hour and a half visit! The woman, Hna. Ventureno, wants to fix it. But her actual husband is late in getting the paperwork for divorce done. The Hno., on the other hand, is nonchalant about it. How can you not care? It's your salvation at stake! I felt like yelling at him or something to get him to know this is wrong! We'll have to fast for her to get her stuff done to get divorced, so she won't be excommunicated (that is the absolute last thing we want). She's working on it, but it is really tough for her right now. Walking out of that house was hard, I just had a heavy heart.
Personal study has been amazing. I read this morning about Korihor, Nehor, Amlici, and the apostate Zoramites (Alma chapters 1, 2, 30 and 31). It saddens me to know that these teachings, but unrighteousness, blasphemy, and power will lead us down to hell. When Nehor slew Gideon, Gideon sealed his testimony with his blood like Joseph Smith. When Alma had to strike Korihor dumb, he did it through the priesthood. I can only imagine, as my Book of Mormon teacher Brother Merrill said, that Alma sadly raised his arm to the square, and sadly and sorrowfully struck Korihor dumb. I can't imagine the pain he felt, especially when he said, it is better that thy soul should be lost then be the cause of many falling into wickedness. No one wants to condemn a soul, but Alma had to because of Korihor's stubbornness. I cried because I felt Alma's love, I felt the love he had for his misguided and apostate brother. I can't imagine how it terrible it is to sit in on a disciplinary council and kick someone out of the church. What strength it requires! What fortitude is needed to disfellowship a member! I don't know how you can do it Dad...I can't possibly imagine. And the Zoramites abominations, of set prayers and how Alma had never seen this before. I can't imagine the shock and sorrow he felt when he saw that with his fellow missionaries. Oh ye perverse generation! How can we pervert the ways of the Lord?! But, I love it when he prays to God to strengthen them, and put his hands on their heads to give them strength. The power of the priesthood exists. About Amlici, it is a sad story of power. The people defeated him through democracy, but he persisted enough to start a war. We must always remember that our callings do not give us unrighteous dominion over others (D&C 121) or even our places of employment. And, how Alma slew Amlici after crying to the Lord to help him. What a great lesson about faith, about a righteous man asking God to give him strength to defeat evil. We can use his example, to cry to God to strengthen us against Satan ('pray always, that you may come off conqueror...' scripture mastery in D&C). Just a thought.
This work is of the Lord. I have a sacred responsibility to help these people, they need me!
I hope all is well, and I love you so much! Keep up the good work, and press forth in faith. God bless you all!
Your missionary,
Elder Irvine
Monday, October 22, 2007
October 9, 2007
To the most AMAZING family in the world! The Irvines!
Elder S-A-N-D-O-V-A-L loved the card that you sent to him, it meant the world to him. He's been a bit more considerate since then, it really helped him out. His family is in Mexico and so it takes about a month and a half for him to get a letter. That was flat out amazing on your part Mom.
It was Columbus Day yesterday, so the library was closed. What luck! If you could do me a favor and forward parts of my e-mails over to my MTC teachers- marielroetto@gmail.com and devinkevin12@yahoo.com - they'd love it! Thanks so much!
Elder Bethke is doing well, but the previous district leader messed up the car so it's in the shop- he has a car area and he's on bike! What a rough beginning to the mission! It takes half and hour to go between appointments, minimum. Well, at least he'll get in shape quick! His companion is a good missionary, not cool because that means 'apostate', but really obedient and knows his stuff.
We are in the process of cleansing the earth, as it seems. We are picking up a few, dropping a lot. It's how it goes. It is really hard though, because our pool went from alright to 'oh my gosh we're in trouble numbers-wise'. If they aren't ready, gotta leave them behind! However, we made an amazing discovery. One of our investigators, the Saenz family, is actually a member! We didn't know this entire time! Elder Sandoval was in disbelief, as was I. She still doesn't have a testimony of Joseph Smith, but we're working on that. As for her oldest daughter, Myra, she has great potential. She always listens to us. She always asks questions, and is really willing to hear our message. We didn't even teach her a lesson yesterday but the Spirit was there as we bore our testimonies of the Book of Mormon and about the talks in conference. It was a great experience. I'm a bit miffed by the previous elders, who didn't even let us know they were members, and I'm talking about the ones from way back when (8 or so years ago). They were there for the girls...the bar has been raised. Our less actives are coming back to church, slowly but surely, and it disappointing to know that many less actives never want to hear us by making it increasingly difficult to find them! Ah! We shared thoughts and notes from General Conference, and it was hard for me because I had to translate from English to Spanish on the spot. It was very interesting to say the least.
As for conference, it was pleasing to see another Second Counselor up there, Pres. Eyring! And, I loved almost every talk. There were some that really hit me, such as Pres. Monson's first talk reflecting on his experience as a child, "Mrs. Patton, Arthur Lives", Elder Costa's talk about family as well as Elder Oak's talk about family. I loved Elder Holland's talk about the Restoration, that there was a need for a Restoration and whoever calls us 'un-Christian' better think about it again, because we follow the same principles that the old Christians did after Christ's death. I loved it, it was powerful, bold, and to the point. It made us all feel like fighting someone on the streets about the Gospel. It was a motivating talk. Priesthood was off the charts. Elder L. Tom Perry's 'raise the bar' talk, of not clearing the minimum. It is very true. We can't have 'minimum standards' missionaries- it doesn't work, it doesn't help, and it wastes not only our time as companions but the Lord's time. Elder Hales' talk about personal revelation was really powerful. The most poignant moment of the conference was when Elder Nelson helped Elder Wirthlin stay still to finish his talk. My friend's sister who is serving in Burbank, Hna. Zippi, she cried so much she walked out of the room. It was touching, and I know that we have loving men of God guiding us today. They love us because God loves us. And, Pres. Hinckley is still the witty self he is, "I'm 97, and I hope to be here in April", "Pres. Monson, I'm waiting for you to dye your hair red!", and the hilarious one when he mentioned that we always sing the same songs but the speaker is expected to bring something new each time. I love him! What a great conference! I have to admit, this is the first conference where I intently listened to each and every talk that was given. It is sad that I missed so much counsel before coming on the mission.
As for conference, I'd suggest to print one of them in Japanese or have Grandma listen to it, so she can slowly gain a testimony of the Gospel. Maybe Pres. Monson's talk, "Mrs. Patton, Arthur Lives!" Just a thought...
This past two p-days were fun! Last week we went bowling (I am not a good bowler- both under 100) and yesterday we played kickball. It was so fun! However, Sandoval got himself hurt again when the doctor told him to not play sports like soccer and what not, but he still played. I'm not his father so I just let him do it and he got hurt. Just great. Later that afternoon, I was riding the bike to go to the store with my temporary companion Elder Villa and I turned my ankle really bad. It's not pretty. We'll see what happens the next few days.
I am very pleased to see Kristy's progress, because that's exactly what the Lord wants. Exact obedience, nothing wavering, complete dedication and love for the people. I love this mission, I love serving the Lord and all of His children. Just some advice, always study the language. I have slacked off in language study because we've had morning appointments when I usually would study and my comp felt it wasn't very important most of the time to set times in the afternoon to study and make up that lost study time. A significant drop in my comprehension and speaking, and I know that the Spirit works through me, and it is not my own efforts that allow me to communicate with the people here.
Our zone conference is tomorrow, and we're going to the LA temple! It was closed last transfer, I can't wait to go again! During zone conference I'm supposed to give a thought about humility, how it has helped me become a better missionary and/or how it has made a difference in my mission. I'm humbled that the zone leaders would choose me out of 20-odd elders and sisters to speak on humility. Also, I'm a bit nervous for some reason, because I feel inadequate to speak on it. It reminds me of Pres. Eyring, that he feels inadequate to speak to us, and I have the same feeling of inadequacy because I know my weaknesses (humility isn't my greatest strength).
I've struggled this week as I have gotten letters and also as I sat back and reflected on what I've done so far. I'm not disappointed about the lack of baptisms, but that I have so much more to do, that I am not reaching my potential. I'm in the process of finding my weaknesses and trying to make them stronger so I can be a more capable missionary, because everyone is imperfect even missionaries (who could've guessed?). It is me that is preventing blessings from coming, and I know I have to show that faith, repent, and come unto Christ again as a humbled missionary.
We are blessed with great members! I love this ward! I am so blessed to be in the Spanish-speaking part of the mission...I love these people, my brothers and sisters of Arleta.
There's a lot of work to do! There's so little time! I've been here for almost 2 months! How crazy is that?! I don't want to waste one minute (I know I do) in His service. And yes, we are being blessed for our obedience to curfew, the one black mark in our companionship. We have been blessed with some great potential investigators, and we are in the process of visiting our potential baptism since we couldn't visit her at all last week due to her work and everything else. Just pray for us, to be able to help these people go into the fonts of baptism!
I love you all, may you all stay safe. God bless you for your prayers and support, I am lucky (and indebted to God) that I have a wonderful family that is supporting two missionaries and their companions. Thank you, and I love you.
Yours truly,
Elder Irvine
Elder S-A-N-D-O-V-A-L loved the card that you sent to him, it meant the world to him. He's been a bit more considerate since then, it really helped him out. His family is in Mexico and so it takes about a month and a half for him to get a letter. That was flat out amazing on your part Mom.
It was Columbus Day yesterday, so the library was closed. What luck! If you could do me a favor and forward parts of my e-mails over to my MTC teachers- marielroetto@gmail.com and devinkevin12@yahoo.com - they'd love it! Thanks so much!
Elder Bethke is doing well, but the previous district leader messed up the car so it's in the shop- he has a car area and he's on bike! What a rough beginning to the mission! It takes half and hour to go between appointments, minimum. Well, at least he'll get in shape quick! His companion is a good missionary, not cool because that means 'apostate', but really obedient and knows his stuff.
We are in the process of cleansing the earth, as it seems. We are picking up a few, dropping a lot. It's how it goes. It is really hard though, because our pool went from alright to 'oh my gosh we're in trouble numbers-wise'. If they aren't ready, gotta leave them behind! However, we made an amazing discovery. One of our investigators, the Saenz family, is actually a member! We didn't know this entire time! Elder Sandoval was in disbelief, as was I. She still doesn't have a testimony of Joseph Smith, but we're working on that. As for her oldest daughter, Myra, she has great potential. She always listens to us. She always asks questions, and is really willing to hear our message. We didn't even teach her a lesson yesterday but the Spirit was there as we bore our testimonies of the Book of Mormon and about the talks in conference. It was a great experience. I'm a bit miffed by the previous elders, who didn't even let us know they were members, and I'm talking about the ones from way back when (8 or so years ago). They were there for the girls...the bar has been raised. Our less actives are coming back to church, slowly but surely, and it disappointing to know that many less actives never want to hear us by making it increasingly difficult to find them! Ah! We shared thoughts and notes from General Conference, and it was hard for me because I had to translate from English to Spanish on the spot. It was very interesting to say the least.
As for conference, it was pleasing to see another Second Counselor up there, Pres. Eyring! And, I loved almost every talk. There were some that really hit me, such as Pres. Monson's first talk reflecting on his experience as a child, "Mrs. Patton, Arthur Lives", Elder Costa's talk about family as well as Elder Oak's talk about family. I loved Elder Holland's talk about the Restoration, that there was a need for a Restoration and whoever calls us 'un-Christian' better think about it again, because we follow the same principles that the old Christians did after Christ's death. I loved it, it was powerful, bold, and to the point. It made us all feel like fighting someone on the streets about the Gospel. It was a motivating talk. Priesthood was off the charts. Elder L. Tom Perry's 'raise the bar' talk, of not clearing the minimum. It is very true. We can't have 'minimum standards' missionaries- it doesn't work, it doesn't help, and it wastes not only our time as companions but the Lord's time. Elder Hales' talk about personal revelation was really powerful. The most poignant moment of the conference was when Elder Nelson helped Elder Wirthlin stay still to finish his talk. My friend's sister who is serving in Burbank, Hna. Zippi, she cried so much she walked out of the room. It was touching, and I know that we have loving men of God guiding us today. They love us because God loves us. And, Pres. Hinckley is still the witty self he is, "I'm 97, and I hope to be here in April", "Pres. Monson, I'm waiting for you to dye your hair red!", and the hilarious one when he mentioned that we always sing the same songs but the speaker is expected to bring something new each time. I love him! What a great conference! I have to admit, this is the first conference where I intently listened to each and every talk that was given. It is sad that I missed so much counsel before coming on the mission.
As for conference, I'd suggest to print one of them in Japanese or have Grandma listen to it, so she can slowly gain a testimony of the Gospel. Maybe Pres. Monson's talk, "Mrs. Patton, Arthur Lives!" Just a thought...
This past two p-days were fun! Last week we went bowling (I am not a good bowler- both under 100) and yesterday we played kickball. It was so fun! However, Sandoval got himself hurt again when the doctor told him to not play sports like soccer and what not, but he still played. I'm not his father so I just let him do it and he got hurt. Just great. Later that afternoon, I was riding the bike to go to the store with my temporary companion Elder Villa and I turned my ankle really bad. It's not pretty. We'll see what happens the next few days.
I am very pleased to see Kristy's progress, because that's exactly what the Lord wants. Exact obedience, nothing wavering, complete dedication and love for the people. I love this mission, I love serving the Lord and all of His children. Just some advice, always study the language. I have slacked off in language study because we've had morning appointments when I usually would study and my comp felt it wasn't very important most of the time to set times in the afternoon to study and make up that lost study time. A significant drop in my comprehension and speaking, and I know that the Spirit works through me, and it is not my own efforts that allow me to communicate with the people here.
Our zone conference is tomorrow, and we're going to the LA temple! It was closed last transfer, I can't wait to go again! During zone conference I'm supposed to give a thought about humility, how it has helped me become a better missionary and/or how it has made a difference in my mission. I'm humbled that the zone leaders would choose me out of 20-odd elders and sisters to speak on humility. Also, I'm a bit nervous for some reason, because I feel inadequate to speak on it. It reminds me of Pres. Eyring, that he feels inadequate to speak to us, and I have the same feeling of inadequacy because I know my weaknesses (humility isn't my greatest strength).
I've struggled this week as I have gotten letters and also as I sat back and reflected on what I've done so far. I'm not disappointed about the lack of baptisms, but that I have so much more to do, that I am not reaching my potential. I'm in the process of finding my weaknesses and trying to make them stronger so I can be a more capable missionary, because everyone is imperfect even missionaries (who could've guessed?). It is me that is preventing blessings from coming, and I know I have to show that faith, repent, and come unto Christ again as a humbled missionary.
We are blessed with great members! I love this ward! I am so blessed to be in the Spanish-speaking part of the mission...I love these people, my brothers and sisters of Arleta.
There's a lot of work to do! There's so little time! I've been here for almost 2 months! How crazy is that?! I don't want to waste one minute (I know I do) in His service. And yes, we are being blessed for our obedience to curfew, the one black mark in our companionship. We have been blessed with some great potential investigators, and we are in the process of visiting our potential baptism since we couldn't visit her at all last week due to her work and everything else. Just pray for us, to be able to help these people go into the fonts of baptism!
I love you all, may you all stay safe. God bless you for your prayers and support, I am lucky (and indebted to God) that I have a wonderful family that is supporting two missionaries and their companions. Thank you, and I love you.
Yours truly,
Elder Irvine
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
October 1, 2007
New transfer, and it's starting to roll! Our district has had a few rough spots this past week and over the entire transfer last time, but the work is going forth. Nothing is going to stop us from getting our 4 baptisms this transfer (except for their agency of course...). I've resolved that no matter what happens, I won't let any little thing get between my companion and I because the Lord commands us to be one, in everything. I've been blessed!
Now I know why the missionaries stress member presents, it's because they are amazing! We can't have any success without at least a third testimony (1 Corinthians 13:1- refers to a third companion, either the Holy Ghost or a member's testimony). This past Sunday, a miracle happened. My companions, Villa and Raleigh, have been working relentlessly with this less active family, the Ruiz's. The father was out of the church for at least 11 years, as well as his wife. They got them back to church! He was worthy to baptize his 11 year old daughter Briana yesterday, it was a wonderful sight to see. A wayward father found his way back to baptize his daughter and to right the ship once again. It was a testimony to me of the great value of this work, working with investigators and working with less active and part-member families. His testimony, in the two times we've asked him to accompany us, has made a huge difference. He testifies, and as soon as he does, the Spirit floods the room. It is been a pleasure and a fulfilling experience both times that he's come with us. As my comp says, it's like having a third missionary with us. He is just that powerful, that faithful, but humble. He has been immensely blessed for coming back to the Church. What made it better was that we sung "Be Still My Soul" in Spanish (without practice), and it brought the Spirit into the baptismal service. It wasn't perfect, but it was enough to bring the Spirit into the service...and it is definitely one of my favorite hymns of all time.
Please send e-mails to the Yahoo account because MyLDSMail has been acting strange recently, and I can't read e-mails today :-(
I am getting new glasses sometime this week, and a member who works at the place is going to fit it for me when we stop by her house later this week...I am so fortunate to be here with amazing members. I can't stop using the word 'amazing' because I can't find another word to describe them and the work they're doing for us missionaries. It is stunning, awe-inspiring, and humbling. It is a great blessing to see the difficulties they've had and are going through, but to see their faith in the Lord and in the Gospel is incredible. They forge on, like the pioneers of old, to persevere until the end. They were prepared for these last days, there is NO doubt in my mind after being here for 7 weeks. And, they feed us every night. What a sacrifice for them! A great blessing for us! How do they do it?!
Back to Hno. Ruiz. We invited him to visit the Saenz family, who've been investigating for at the most a decade. It's really sad to see that, and every time I think about it I get angry at the other missionaries. How could they let the mother go almost a decade without having a testimony that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God? How dare they! I know she has her agency to believe or not, but how could they have ignored that doubt for so long? She's distracted sometimes (yes), preoccupied with other things (of course), but how dare they not teach her or try to resolve her doubt about Joseph Smith. My companions agree with me, and we assume, that the previous missionaries were only over there to talk to her daughters in recent years. We have our work cut out for us. When Hno. Ruiz came, I was a bit apprehensive because she always gets distracted and such. When we taught the first lesson, the Spirit wasn't very strong. TV going on in the next room, she's kinda wandering from topic to topic (she loves to talk a lot, no exaggeration), then Sandoval asked Hno. Ruiz about his testimony about family. He bore his testimony, then BOOM! it was as if the Spirit bulldozed through the room. I was in shock, seriously. Wow. We continued to teach and ask questions to see if she understood, and we asked questions to Hno. Ruiz about prophets and Jesus Christ's Atonement, Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. It was just an infusion of the Spirit each time. I was amazed, surprised, shocked, taken aback. It is an experience I can't forget. The mother, Norma Saenz, couldn't deny the Spirit was there. No chance at all. We bore our testimonies, and rushed home. I know that if members go out with missionaries, they bring a power, and insight, that we can't. We brought Hno. Moreno out, he sacrifices a lot to go out with us several times a week, and he brings a different take. Hna. Yolanda Rosa Murillo, a Pentecostal youth teacher, wasn't receptive at first. But as time went on, she's been willing to listen to us. So we bring Hno. Moreno (took a day off to help us missionaries) and he testified about baptisms for the dead, when that wasn't even a part of our planned lesson...and the Spirit was with us all. I loved it! I was thinking, 'how the heck did we get to baptisms for the dead...and look what happened!' Sometimes you never know what you'll be prompted to teach about. So we went on, testified, and right before we left Sandoval extended the invitation to be baptized, and she accepted! She has potential, she really does. We'll see what happens in the following weeks. The power of member present lessons is truly something I'll have to appreciate more.
I haven't had a family home evening as a companionship as of Saturday, so we joined Villa and Raleigh, and it went really well. So we had our own, actually two in two days. We brought Finding Faith in Christ over to a less active's (Rodriguez-Merino) home. It is a great movie about Christ, and it is a great tool to bring in the Spirit. They were moved by the Spirit, both of them, and we testified of the sacrifice and Atonement of Christ. Then, we shared some scriptures with them, and put it plainly that they have to go to church because of their covenants and the punishment for not renewing the covenants. They didn't come to church yesterday. Before that, we watched The Restoration with a referral (Juan Patia) and his family. His daughter felt the Spirit (the First Vision always brings the Spirit), but the father is very pessimistic towards religions. So he tried to chase the Spirit away with false accusations and Sandoval shut him up with 'well if you want to know for yourself you pray about it' and that was that. His daughter is a potential, but he needs a lot of work on his part to have faith and stop being a pessimist. We'll see what happens with them. Then yesterday night, we walked into an appointment late after the baptism of Briana Ruiz to a sort of less active family (Jarquin's). I had no idea what we were going to teach, and I even asked Sandoval before we walked up to the door. He said we'll see...that is not what I wanted to hear! Then, we sat down, chatted (the father and mother are less actives, daughter is an RM and active, two other children fence-sitting less actives) about Asians because I'm one of the only Asians that can speak Spanish and all that funny stuff. The father is hilarious. He makes me laugh a lot, and I don't even understand a good amount of it I just catch bits and pieces of it. But, it's still funny to me. Sandoval said that we're going to talk about the Holy Ghost, and I was kinda shocked but didn't really matter because I had no idea what's going on anyways and this usually is the case with our less active work. No big deal. It was powerful. The parents bore their testimony of personal revelation, as I did and Sandoval did. It was great. Apparently one of the births of the children nearly went bad, since her water broke in a C-section and then it all drained out and the baby didn't come out...but all was well in the end due to prayers of faith. Scary! I bore my testimony about the sniper attacks, that the Lord preserved me and my family so I can serve a mission, so I can be in California right now. It got their attention, because they remember that event, but to see a person testify of how bad it was, it really helped change the tone of the meeting. It was a great family home evening. I can't wait to do more!
We gave a blessing yesterday for a non-member, a friend of a powerful member Hno. Islas. His child back in Mexico is sick, and he wanted comfort. I bear testimony that a blessing brings the Spirit powerfully and quickly into our lives, and as Sandoval blessed him, I knew that God exists. I knew that He cares about us. Every single one of us. He loves us and cares for us. I love the mission. This non-member has potential, how much, we'll find out soon.
I know that Christ lives. I know that the Atonement applies to everyone, and that it has saved me from my sins. I can take the Sacrament every week to renew my covenants and be cleansed. I know this is the work of the Lord. I don't want to go home. I won't be disobedient. I won't, I can't, deny the Spirit. He is as real as a human being, and I love when the Spirit is in our presence. Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. Pres. Hinckley is a prophet of God. The work will go forth boldy, nobly, and independently!
...No toil nor labor fear...happy day...All is well...
Godspeed! I love you all, and miss you so much!
Now I know why the missionaries stress member presents, it's because they are amazing! We can't have any success without at least a third testimony (1 Corinthians 13:1- refers to a third companion, either the Holy Ghost or a member's testimony). This past Sunday, a miracle happened. My companions, Villa and Raleigh, have been working relentlessly with this less active family, the Ruiz's. The father was out of the church for at least 11 years, as well as his wife. They got them back to church! He was worthy to baptize his 11 year old daughter Briana yesterday, it was a wonderful sight to see. A wayward father found his way back to baptize his daughter and to right the ship once again. It was a testimony to me of the great value of this work, working with investigators and working with less active and part-member families. His testimony, in the two times we've asked him to accompany us, has made a huge difference. He testifies, and as soon as he does, the Spirit floods the room. It is been a pleasure and a fulfilling experience both times that he's come with us. As my comp says, it's like having a third missionary with us. He is just that powerful, that faithful, but humble. He has been immensely blessed for coming back to the Church. What made it better was that we sung "Be Still My Soul" in Spanish (without practice), and it brought the Spirit into the baptismal service. It wasn't perfect, but it was enough to bring the Spirit into the service...and it is definitely one of my favorite hymns of all time.
Please send e-mails to the Yahoo account because MyLDSMail has been acting strange recently, and I can't read e-mails today :-(
I am getting new glasses sometime this week, and a member who works at the place is going to fit it for me when we stop by her house later this week...I am so fortunate to be here with amazing members. I can't stop using the word 'amazing' because I can't find another word to describe them and the work they're doing for us missionaries. It is stunning, awe-inspiring, and humbling. It is a great blessing to see the difficulties they've had and are going through, but to see their faith in the Lord and in the Gospel is incredible. They forge on, like the pioneers of old, to persevere until the end. They were prepared for these last days, there is NO doubt in my mind after being here for 7 weeks. And, they feed us every night. What a sacrifice for them! A great blessing for us! How do they do it?!
Back to Hno. Ruiz. We invited him to visit the Saenz family, who've been investigating for at the most a decade. It's really sad to see that, and every time I think about it I get angry at the other missionaries. How could they let the mother go almost a decade without having a testimony that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God? How dare they! I know she has her agency to believe or not, but how could they have ignored that doubt for so long? She's distracted sometimes (yes), preoccupied with other things (of course), but how dare they not teach her or try to resolve her doubt about Joseph Smith. My companions agree with me, and we assume, that the previous missionaries were only over there to talk to her daughters in recent years. We have our work cut out for us. When Hno. Ruiz came, I was a bit apprehensive because she always gets distracted and such. When we taught the first lesson, the Spirit wasn't very strong. TV going on in the next room, she's kinda wandering from topic to topic (she loves to talk a lot, no exaggeration), then Sandoval asked Hno. Ruiz about his testimony about family. He bore his testimony, then BOOM! it was as if the Spirit bulldozed through the room. I was in shock, seriously. Wow. We continued to teach and ask questions to see if she understood, and we asked questions to Hno. Ruiz about prophets and Jesus Christ's Atonement, Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. It was just an infusion of the Spirit each time. I was amazed, surprised, shocked, taken aback. It is an experience I can't forget. The mother, Norma Saenz, couldn't deny the Spirit was there. No chance at all. We bore our testimonies, and rushed home. I know that if members go out with missionaries, they bring a power, and insight, that we can't. We brought Hno. Moreno out, he sacrifices a lot to go out with us several times a week, and he brings a different take. Hna. Yolanda Rosa Murillo, a Pentecostal youth teacher, wasn't receptive at first. But as time went on, she's been willing to listen to us. So we bring Hno. Moreno (took a day off to help us missionaries) and he testified about baptisms for the dead, when that wasn't even a part of our planned lesson...and the Spirit was with us all. I loved it! I was thinking, 'how the heck did we get to baptisms for the dead...and look what happened!' Sometimes you never know what you'll be prompted to teach about. So we went on, testified, and right before we left Sandoval extended the invitation to be baptized, and she accepted! She has potential, she really does. We'll see what happens in the following weeks. The power of member present lessons is truly something I'll have to appreciate more.
I haven't had a family home evening as a companionship as of Saturday, so we joined Villa and Raleigh, and it went really well. So we had our own, actually two in two days. We brought Finding Faith in Christ over to a less active's (Rodriguez-Merino) home. It is a great movie about Christ, and it is a great tool to bring in the Spirit. They were moved by the Spirit, both of them, and we testified of the sacrifice and Atonement of Christ. Then, we shared some scriptures with them, and put it plainly that they have to go to church because of their covenants and the punishment for not renewing the covenants. They didn't come to church yesterday. Before that, we watched The Restoration with a referral (Juan Patia) and his family. His daughter felt the Spirit (the First Vision always brings the Spirit), but the father is very pessimistic towards religions. So he tried to chase the Spirit away with false accusations and Sandoval shut him up with 'well if you want to know for yourself you pray about it' and that was that. His daughter is a potential, but he needs a lot of work on his part to have faith and stop being a pessimist. We'll see what happens with them. Then yesterday night, we walked into an appointment late after the baptism of Briana Ruiz to a sort of less active family (Jarquin's). I had no idea what we were going to teach, and I even asked Sandoval before we walked up to the door. He said we'll see...that is not what I wanted to hear! Then, we sat down, chatted (the father and mother are less actives, daughter is an RM and active, two other children fence-sitting less actives) about Asians because I'm one of the only Asians that can speak Spanish and all that funny stuff. The father is hilarious. He makes me laugh a lot, and I don't even understand a good amount of it I just catch bits and pieces of it. But, it's still funny to me. Sandoval said that we're going to talk about the Holy Ghost, and I was kinda shocked but didn't really matter because I had no idea what's going on anyways and this usually is the case with our less active work. No big deal. It was powerful. The parents bore their testimony of personal revelation, as I did and Sandoval did. It was great. Apparently one of the births of the children nearly went bad, since her water broke in a C-section and then it all drained out and the baby didn't come out...but all was well in the end due to prayers of faith. Scary! I bore my testimony about the sniper attacks, that the Lord preserved me and my family so I can serve a mission, so I can be in California right now. It got their attention, because they remember that event, but to see a person testify of how bad it was, it really helped change the tone of the meeting. It was a great family home evening. I can't wait to do more!
We gave a blessing yesterday for a non-member, a friend of a powerful member Hno. Islas. His child back in Mexico is sick, and he wanted comfort. I bear testimony that a blessing brings the Spirit powerfully and quickly into our lives, and as Sandoval blessed him, I knew that God exists. I knew that He cares about us. Every single one of us. He loves us and cares for us. I love the mission. This non-member has potential, how much, we'll find out soon.
I know that Christ lives. I know that the Atonement applies to everyone, and that it has saved me from my sins. I can take the Sacrament every week to renew my covenants and be cleansed. I know this is the work of the Lord. I don't want to go home. I won't be disobedient. I won't, I can't, deny the Spirit. He is as real as a human being, and I love when the Spirit is in our presence. Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. Pres. Hinckley is a prophet of God. The work will go forth boldy, nobly, and independently!
...No toil nor labor fear...happy day...All is well...
Godspeed! I love you all, and miss you so much!
September 24, 2007
The situation has been good so far. We've been home, even early, as of late. So that's it with the obedience problem.
I guess I've calmed down a bit, and I guess that's why the work has really slowed down. It's not good at all. Yesterday we spent at least 3 hours trying to find referrals and investigators but 'none' were home. Two family members lied to us that they weren't home (we knew they were there), so all I could think about was 2nd Nephi 9 (liars are thrust down to hell). Our pool is cut in half now, because we don't have any progressing investigators and most of our potentials are trying to avoid us. Like yesterday, we stopped by this man's house, everyone was home, the music was blaring, and then when we knocked on the door it stopped and no one came to answer the door. It was frustrating. We've been racking up a lot of miles because we don't have good investigators, and when we do something always comes up and we don't have any appointments. So basically, start from square one. Again. No time to rest, no time to waste. Just have to endure and work. On top of that, there are some crazy people around here on the streets, making it a waste of time when they try to talk to your for who knows how long. It's frustrating.
I had my first day of being senior companion last Wednesday, and it wasn't good. All the appointments fell through, so we did the same thing we did all week, contact people on way to appointments, go from investigator to investigator to potential to potential, and no one was home. Not a good day.
Out of the entire week, I think that Friday went the best. We had two early appointments, at 9 and 11 am, and they went really well. Iliana, the first appointment, kept asking questions that led to the next principle in the first lesson. So we asked her to attend church, she said she would. Yes! And she said she'll read! (last time she didn't have time, but she promised she would and I know that she's sincere about it) Next lesson rocked! The same situation, Hortencia Robles. She kept asking, as Iliana did, questions that led to the next principle. It was amazing! Awesome! Exciting! I loved it! We asked her to be baptized, but she pulled the 'but I want to learn and know more before I get baptized' card. So we pushed a little bit more, then realized she didn't want to be baptized right then and there. So, we gave her something to read and left. We are so close to getting her baptized, and we'll extend that commitment next lesson. Money in the bank! And we have another baptismal date (we dropped the first one, she went crazy again and didn't want us to visit her again).
Cervando Torres, cholo (gangster in Spanish) and formerly a drug user. He said he wants to be baptized, the problem is as soon as he gets off house arrest (tomorrow) that he'll be gone forever. That's what happened before he was put in prison and then on house arrest. The missionaries could never find him at home before he got arrested. But, this time, he's sincere about being baptized (other times he was on drugs). He wants to change. He needs to change. He wants to take care of his son in Arizona, and to be a better man for his girlfriend. I see his potential, and I hope that we'll have the chance to baptize him as soon as we teach him the rest of the lessons. It's been rough for him, he's been depressed being in his house for about a month and Satan is trying to take him away. He called us during a companion study and said he had a dream. I thought it was going to be an emergency blessing, because he's just that crazy. But, it ended up being a dream. He said he had a dream, where he was lying down in water and all the evil things (or something like that) were being burned and consumed. He got up, and looked in the mirror, and he saw he was on fire! When Sandoval said 'quemado' out loud, I was like what? is his house on fire? and Sandoval waved me off (meaning 'no'). So Sandoval said, 'Cervando, do you know what this means?', to which Cervando said, "Me voy a bautizarse" (I am going to be baptized). Sweet experience! That was probably Friday too. We had weekly planning for 3 hours and then went to find investigators and less actives for the rest of the night. Good day, started well but ended lamely because no one is ever home. Welcome to the Big Show and the Real World of missionaries.
I'm so happy to be in this ward again! The members threw three birthday parties for Elder Villa, and I definitely have been eating cakes all week. Not good. It's been very enjoyable though, seeing the unity of the district (most of the time) and the enthusiasm that these recent converts have for us and the work. One member, Hno. Moreno, always goes out with us for appointments. As a result, he gets sales calls and thus he is blessed immensely. He doesn't hesitate to drop whatever he has to help us. The other members are starting to catch fire too. It's going great with the members. It's funny because Elder Foust is relatively unknown, and he's been here for at least 5 transfers. That's a long time without being known! Satan is trying hard to get me, and to get the members. Temptations are everywhere, but the white handbook and the mission rules protect me, as does my companion. Some members are struggling right now, but if they show faith they can be blessed immensely.
The Godinez's are struggling as of late. The husband is an RM, and baptized his wife when he was serving his mission. They have a cute little boy Diego. Last Sunday, he asked us to help him and nearly cried in front of us, so we knew something was up (and his wife wasn't there). So we go over Monday night and basically have a council with her. His sister was there, me and Sandoval, and the two of them. She wouldn't speak to us at all, not even utter a word. It took an hour to get her to the point to talk and to vent her feelings. It was painful to see this, to see Hno. Godinez pour his heart out to her, and try to get her to open up. She finally did, but she closed up again after about 10 minutes. It was rough, and it was emotionally draining. It was a testimony to me that Satan is out to destroy families and tear apart the Church as well as outside the Church. They seem to be doing better now, but we made sure that they know if they need anything, we're only a few streets and a phone call away. I love the people in San Fernando. I love this ward. I love my district. My companion makes it hard for me, but I love him. This mission means everything to me.
Thank you for your support. I love you all. Thank you for being my support and my anchor. I miss you, but these people need me right now. I pray for you every night and I hope all is well.
Kristy- Work hard, stay smart, be smart, stay safe, be exactly obedient. Obedience leads to blessings and wonderful investigators. I'm still working on that, and I'm already a transfer in the field. The Lord will provide blessings to his servants, during and after the mission. The MTC is a wonderful place, and enjoy it, because I miss it so much! Thanks for your letters, and I hope to hear from you soon! And please send me your address in the field so I can write you once in a while as well as send e-mails too.
I love you all, God bless you. This is the Lord's work, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Love,
Elder Irvine
I guess I've calmed down a bit, and I guess that's why the work has really slowed down. It's not good at all. Yesterday we spent at least 3 hours trying to find referrals and investigators but 'none' were home. Two family members lied to us that they weren't home (we knew they were there), so all I could think about was 2nd Nephi 9 (liars are thrust down to hell). Our pool is cut in half now, because we don't have any progressing investigators and most of our potentials are trying to avoid us. Like yesterday, we stopped by this man's house, everyone was home, the music was blaring, and then when we knocked on the door it stopped and no one came to answer the door. It was frustrating. We've been racking up a lot of miles because we don't have good investigators, and when we do something always comes up and we don't have any appointments. So basically, start from square one. Again. No time to rest, no time to waste. Just have to endure and work. On top of that, there are some crazy people around here on the streets, making it a waste of time when they try to talk to your for who knows how long. It's frustrating.
I had my first day of being senior companion last Wednesday, and it wasn't good. All the appointments fell through, so we did the same thing we did all week, contact people on way to appointments, go from investigator to investigator to potential to potential, and no one was home. Not a good day.
Out of the entire week, I think that Friday went the best. We had two early appointments, at 9 and 11 am, and they went really well. Iliana, the first appointment, kept asking questions that led to the next principle in the first lesson. So we asked her to attend church, she said she would. Yes! And she said she'll read! (last time she didn't have time, but she promised she would and I know that she's sincere about it) Next lesson rocked! The same situation, Hortencia Robles. She kept asking, as Iliana did, questions that led to the next principle. It was amazing! Awesome! Exciting! I loved it! We asked her to be baptized, but she pulled the 'but I want to learn and know more before I get baptized' card. So we pushed a little bit more, then realized she didn't want to be baptized right then and there. So, we gave her something to read and left. We are so close to getting her baptized, and we'll extend that commitment next lesson. Money in the bank! And we have another baptismal date (we dropped the first one, she went crazy again and didn't want us to visit her again).
Cervando Torres, cholo (gangster in Spanish) and formerly a drug user. He said he wants to be baptized, the problem is as soon as he gets off house arrest (tomorrow) that he'll be gone forever. That's what happened before he was put in prison and then on house arrest. The missionaries could never find him at home before he got arrested. But, this time, he's sincere about being baptized (other times he was on drugs). He wants to change. He needs to change. He wants to take care of his son in Arizona, and to be a better man for his girlfriend. I see his potential, and I hope that we'll have the chance to baptize him as soon as we teach him the rest of the lessons. It's been rough for him, he's been depressed being in his house for about a month and Satan is trying to take him away. He called us during a companion study and said he had a dream. I thought it was going to be an emergency blessing, because he's just that crazy. But, it ended up being a dream. He said he had a dream, where he was lying down in water and all the evil things (or something like that) were being burned and consumed. He got up, and looked in the mirror, and he saw he was on fire! When Sandoval said 'quemado' out loud, I was like what? is his house on fire? and Sandoval waved me off (meaning 'no'). So Sandoval said, 'Cervando, do you know what this means?', to which Cervando said, "Me voy a bautizarse" (I am going to be baptized). Sweet experience! That was probably Friday too. We had weekly planning for 3 hours and then went to find investigators and less actives for the rest of the night. Good day, started well but ended lamely because no one is ever home. Welcome to the Big Show and the Real World of missionaries.
I'm so happy to be in this ward again! The members threw three birthday parties for Elder Villa, and I definitely have been eating cakes all week. Not good. It's been very enjoyable though, seeing the unity of the district (most of the time) and the enthusiasm that these recent converts have for us and the work. One member, Hno. Moreno, always goes out with us for appointments. As a result, he gets sales calls and thus he is blessed immensely. He doesn't hesitate to drop whatever he has to help us. The other members are starting to catch fire too. It's going great with the members. It's funny because Elder Foust is relatively unknown, and he's been here for at least 5 transfers. That's a long time without being known! Satan is trying hard to get me, and to get the members. Temptations are everywhere, but the white handbook and the mission rules protect me, as does my companion. Some members are struggling right now, but if they show faith they can be blessed immensely.
The Godinez's are struggling as of late. The husband is an RM, and baptized his wife when he was serving his mission. They have a cute little boy Diego. Last Sunday, he asked us to help him and nearly cried in front of us, so we knew something was up (and his wife wasn't there). So we go over Monday night and basically have a council with her. His sister was there, me and Sandoval, and the two of them. She wouldn't speak to us at all, not even utter a word. It took an hour to get her to the point to talk and to vent her feelings. It was painful to see this, to see Hno. Godinez pour his heart out to her, and try to get her to open up. She finally did, but she closed up again after about 10 minutes. It was rough, and it was emotionally draining. It was a testimony to me that Satan is out to destroy families and tear apart the Church as well as outside the Church. They seem to be doing better now, but we made sure that they know if they need anything, we're only a few streets and a phone call away. I love the people in San Fernando. I love this ward. I love my district. My companion makes it hard for me, but I love him. This mission means everything to me.
Thank you for your support. I love you all. Thank you for being my support and my anchor. I miss you, but these people need me right now. I pray for you every night and I hope all is well.
Kristy- Work hard, stay smart, be smart, stay safe, be exactly obedient. Obedience leads to blessings and wonderful investigators. I'm still working on that, and I'm already a transfer in the field. The Lord will provide blessings to his servants, during and after the mission. The MTC is a wonderful place, and enjoy it, because I miss it so much! Thanks for your letters, and I hope to hear from you soon! And please send me your address in the field so I can write you once in a while as well as send e-mails too.
I love you all, God bless you. This is the Lord's work, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Love,
Elder Irvine
September 17, 2007
I'm doing fine, but this week was hard. All our appointments kept on falling through, and so we had a lot of time to contact people in the street. It was rough, but we had some great success with less actives, so you win some, you lose some. La familia Torres came to church the second week in a row, and this past week they were talking about going to the temple again! That was pretty encouraging. We finally got in touch with Alicia Merino and her (actual) husband Hno. Rodriguez. All our appointments fell through so we decided to visit them, to see if they were all home. Hna. Merino has a three week old daughter and a two year old daughter, and they're a great family. I think the father might have a drinking problem, because we saw a periodic table and it said 'Table of Mixology'. We asked what it meant and she said, to mix drinks. I didn't listen and think, so I was like 'Yeah', then realized that was bad...greenie moment. And, it was in English. Even worse. But they ended up coming to church with their children, and they were pretty happy about it too. But, one of our less actives, la familia Huerta, regressed. They haven't gone to church in three weeks, after attending for two straight weeks. We have to find them again and get them out to church. Success with less actives, but not so much with investigators and finding new investigators.
We had a suprise birthday party for Elder Villa at a member's house. We got there at 6, the other elders that got cakes at 6:45-ish, and we waited until 7:30 for them to show up. We got him by surprise, it was great! He was so happy! We showed him one of the cakes, it was a pink and purple Bratz doll cake with "Nuestra Princesa Villa" written on it. We said 'Muerde' or bite! He went in several times, and pulled back because Elder Sandoval was trying to dunk his face into it. Then, him and two of the member's girls got his face into the cake, what a great time! I love my district, and I love this ward and these great members! They sacrifice so much to feed us, and it is really sad to see them struggle financially but still have money and food to feed us. I'll miss this ward.
We had a suprise birthday party for Elder Villa at a member's house. We got there at 6, the other elders that got cakes at 6:45-ish, and we waited until 7:30 for them to show up. We got him by surprise, it was great! He was so happy! We showed him one of the cakes, it was a pink and purple Bratz doll cake with "Nuestra Princesa Villa" written on it. We said 'Muerde' or bite! He went in several times, and pulled back because Elder Sandoval was trying to dunk his face into it. Then, him and two of the member's girls got his face into the cake, what a great time! I love my district, and I love this ward and these great members! They sacrifice so much to feed us, and it is really sad to see them struggle financially but still have money and food to feed us. I'll miss this ward.
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