Sometimes You Just Have to Have Meetings.

January 14-20, 2013

MONDAY - Good pday, sad about the email :( I couldnt do my blog last week because my companion. Oh well, im doing it now. Im so glad he is going though! We ran all over the place, from best buy, to ross, to the post office, to walmart. We got back and Virrueta started packing more and I cleaned. We went to Josues to say good bye and came back. Elder Virrueta stressed that we needed to be over at easts by 8. I knew we would be late for sure.

TUESDAY - We were 1 hour and half late... I asked 4 times if Virrueta was completely packed and he said yes. Then when I was ready to walk out the door? He was running and packing stuff! Hno Rangel was really late to pick us up. We then went and got the other elders. Witbeck and Chappell to the Shady Grove with me. Pinch me I'm dreaming! So awesome. We took them shopping and then we took the others shopping as well. We got back, I talked about the area and he unpacked a bit. We picked up dinner from Barraza and taught Santiago, who is just solid as a rock, then Raul, who finally got an answer! Ready for baptism!!! Oh things are going well! We came back and started to dig through old records to find some possible people to teach. 

 

WEDNESDAY - We had district meeting today and ate some Chick-fil-a and then took the east elders to get a new tire. We went knocking and it was great! We got in some doors and it was great! We had dinner with a less active pm family with the east elders and after chappell and I played there kids 2 on 2 and just messed around, throwing oops to each other and such. It was fun! We visited some old investigators and part member families and had no luck. 

 

THURSDAY - Planning was good today, we made some plans to what we want to do this transfer and how we are going to find and baptize. We had some good chicken at Romans house and did some knocking after and found a new family. 

 

FRIDAY - 20 MONTHS IN THE MISSION! So nuts! less than 4 to go :/ We did some more visits before dinner and didnt have much luck, we ate with the Maganas and taught Raul after and found out his baptism might have to wait a bit. We have to get another interview due to probation. No biggy though, still he will be baptized for sure! So awesome! The new families we found we tried and they all said no, Tomas said no as well and we were left with a pretty crumby night.

 

SATURDAY - We went to the temple today and it was amazing! The spirit you feel as you do the things in there can not be found anywhere else on this planet. It is of God and I know it! After we went to Spring Creek. Witbeck paid for me because I'm out of money, it was really good! We feel a lot better now that we went, ready to push it these last weeks of our mission. We got back and made a progress record before dinner. After dinner we had a weird coordination meeting that was kind of pointless. We taught a few lessons before the night ended. Sorry for the shortness of the blog. My journal doesnt have a lot because I was playing catch up. These days I am VERY tired. 

 

SUNDAY - UGH!!!! talk about meeting after meeting after meeting! We had a meeting at 8, then we had our block of churh which was great! loved it a lot! Both Raul and Santiago came, then we had another meeting after. Then we went to lunch before heading to another 6 hour meeting. We picked up the District leaders and headed to Casa Linda! Where I started!! We had a rollout meeting for "Just Serve" from 3-5. It was cool! I'm excited about this new pilot program, its only in 1 other mission and now its coming here, way way way good idea for service! Then we broke for dinner and from 6-7 we had another meeting about Just serve and then from 7-9 we had a zone leader meeting that by the end of it I was just dead, absolutely beat! We had to do numbers after that too!!! we stayed with the Richardson ZL's and talked about how crazy it is that we are so close. More meetings tomorrow... from 4-8! Love you all, thanks for following, write me if you can I really enjoy all your letters.

 

Elder Jackson

The Return of Elder Whitbeck!

MONDAY - Good pday today, we helped out the other elders because elder Jorgy Porgy was a little sick. So we went to the library to email and then went to the store to get food and dropped them off. We got back and I started cutting my hair and my stupid clippers ripped my hair! so I had to cut it super super super short! I knew President would get on my case the next day at interviews. More crazy changes in Oak Cliff we had to sort out which was not fun at all! We went to visit the Garcias and found only the daughter and her friend there so we got out of there quick. We tried another appointment we had and went back to plan the meeting we had. INTERVIEWS!

TUESDAY - We had interviews and of course whenever we are on a schedule elder virrueta is late! We barely got to the train in time to go to Oak Cliff for interviews. We got there and interviews were really good! Sister Durrant trained our zone while we went in for interviews and all President Durrant and I talked about was my family. He said he doesnt have to worry about me, that he can always trust in me. We then trained for about 2 hours or less. Our zone is crazy! We have 5 natives. Rodriguez, Rodriguez, Vasquez, Virrueta and Trujillo! Thats unheard of! We then left and we had to wait for the next train about an hour and we were downtown so we just went to subway to eat because we hadnt had lunch yet. It was foggy so it was crazy to see the buildings disappear in the clouds. HUGE! haha, crazy to me at least. When we got back finally, it was time for dinner. We ate with the Mancias, Elder Witbeck randomly called just to talk to me haha, miss that kid a lot. We had a lesson with Raul and had a very good talk, we were with Hno Ayala and we also taught Augistina... crazy old lady but really nice. 

 

WEDNESDAY - We had exchanges today! After studies I went with Elder Adams in the rain... on a bike...  and it was very very wet. We did some tracting and found some pretty interesting people. Someone who told us his church has the entire bible. All the writings of the apostles as far as the gospels. Crazy old guy but fun to talk to. I love the people you meet out here. We had dinner with the familia Angeles and the hermano went out with us afterwards to teach a few families. It was really fun. 

 

THURSDAY - We exchanged back and we did weekly planning. Elder virrueta and I had a good talk about the zone and such. He is going to get transfered though. Im happy too! Not that he is a bad kid, he just is very selfish sometimes and I can deal with about anything out here and be fine. But we are not working in unity at all. So its just a waste of time. We went to dinner with the Cruzes for dinner, all of us! It was really good, but had a bit of the taste of menudo  so gross! We taught Santiago at the park with Josue and we just got to keep helping him. His mom and sister are not supportive at all because they judge us by what they have seen and heard from other faiths maybe? or the internet? Who knows... bottom line is unfortunetly people would sometimes rather take the most unreliable source as a valid answer. Instead of going right to it to see what it is. By their fruits ye shall know them... Read the Book of Mormon! It has God, Jesus, the Spirit, Redeemer, Saviour, Lord, Etc. on EVERY page. How is that a bad fruit? We taught the Garcia family the Plan of Salvation using both scriptures from the Bible and the Book of Mormon. I love them both, both have such good scriptures that talk of this plan. But Reimunda didnt want to change. Which is fine. Sad. But theats the beauty of our message is that is not an obligation, it is an invitation. 

 

FRIDAY - We had a great morning and headed to visit Martin who was not there. We then went knocking and talked to a guy from el Salvador who was gardening outside. We got in and taught him and his wife and headed to a store real quick so I could get my sis a bday card :) and so virrueta could use the bathroom. We had pizza at hno Ortizs with the north elders and we just laughed and laughed about the funny sleepovers we had. They were dying at some of the ones I shared with Shawn and Josh. So funny!!! We then expected Raul to have an answer but he wasnt ready... so we talked more in depth as to why. He has stopped smoking after 6 years of smoking a pack a day and has felt the spirit while reading the BOM and has had dreams! So crazy he hasnt quite got it yet. We talked about prophets and I explained the pattern of apostasy and dispensation. It was a good good lesson but not there yet. We ended our night teaching Tomas and it was an ok lesson. Devotional tomorrow! 

 

SATURDAY - HAPPY BDAY AUBS!!! Also today is transfer calls! We headed to Plano to the devotional with the north elders and it was sweet. Brad Wilcox talked about how President Durrant is such a good leader and spoke in General Conference when he was 22!!! So nuts. He also taught about the gathering of the 12 tribes of Israel and cool stuff like that. After Elder Witbeck arrived with the assistants and ran up and hugged me saying "youll never guess what I know!" "were going to be companions!" I was freaking out cause he knew a lot of the transfers! And President was telling people too! So strange... but I'm stoked! We got back and ate fajitas with Raul and his family and the east elders... it was so good! Then we got back and awaited the calls... sure enought Witbeck is coming here with me! We are also the oldest companionship in the mission!!! Elder Chappell is coming to Shady Grove East too!!!!! SO AWESOME!!!

 

SUNDAY - Good sabbath day, I only went to sacrament because elder Rodriguez was sick and so I went back with him so he could rest. We ate with the Ayalas after and stopped by some members and did some packing as well. 

 

 Elder Jackson

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