Some Great Success.

LUNES - We finished laundry early in the morning after going to family dollar to do our shopping and to also get money for laundry :/ then we headed to the church in the POURING rain, emailed and of course played some basketball. It wasnt as serious as I like it but it was a lot of fun! We then had an appointment at 3, I feel that im receiving more blessings for doing that, someone says they can only do it on a monday and we usually would schedule it for another day because its preperation day but we didnt, we went and had an amazing lesson with them! We got out and rode home and got even more soaked and were cold! We chilled for a little bit, I was just sitting in my snuggie eating grilled cheese for an hour or so! it was amazing :) then we were picked up by Brother Price and Sister Price to go to a lesson with Lori and it was a really good one, I shared the cross story with them and then we watched "Finding Faith in Christ" and then headed home for the night.

MARTES - We had District meeting and we got up and had a little bit of studies and then rode all the way to the Mesquite Elders Apt, long bike ride, and cold. We then got a ride to District Meeting by someone who just barely got back from his mission, San Jose, mission. District meeting was great! All in spanish and some really good Role plays I enjoyed. We headed back to the Mesquite Elders Apt and ate lunch, they were being really rude to my companion, calling him disrespectful names and we got out of there as soon as we could. We only had a little bit to tract but in less than an hour we found 3 New Investigators (our total number for week one) and had 3 other lessons too. We then went and had dinner with Hna Castro and we were sitting there and I kept complimenting the tortillas and Elder Rodriguez told me to just put one in my pocket, he was just joking around and I just looked him in the eyes and said watch me and I did and he was laughing so hard and after I kept telling them about their awesome tortillas and Elder Rodriguez was trying not to laugh during the scripture! We then went back to the Apt to call Brother Allen, guy who works on bikes and he said he is coming tomorrow!

MIERCOLES - We went over to have a lesson with Samuel and AGAIN the Jehovah Witnesses were over there, SAME ONES!!! He canceled because of work though, so we just started knocking on doors some people were just so irresponsive today, it was interesting, we then went to Tim Morrises to have our lesson with him and finish raking the leaves for his aunt, it was a powerful lesson, we showed him 7 or 8 scriptures in the bible that testify about the Book of Mormon, we raked the leaves and put more stuff in the Garage and we got compliments from his aunt but not only me, but my mom and dad, she talked about how we were raised right ;) good work Mom and Dad. We knocked more after and had a few more lessons as well, one with a man named Jose Solis and the Tristen family. We then headed back had dinner then waited for Brother Allen, but he was not able to come over and look at my bike but tomorrow he said he will be here!

JUEVES - HAPPY BIRTHDAY AUBREY!!! LOVE YOU A TON!!! Incredible lesson with the Flores Family, Gabby and Fernando. Taught the Plan of Salvation and they loved it, he had a lot of questions that we just answered with bold love, and he understood it all, we did such a good job of explaining it. After the lesson we committed them to be baptized on the 4th of Feb and they said yes they would do it, the spirit was so strong!!! I just started thinking about coming back in a year and going through the temple with them! What an oportunity that would be to see them be sealed for all time and eternity as a family. There is no other greater blessing! Then Gabby had to leave to pick of the kids and Fernando said he needed help to change and stay on the path to prepare for baptism, so we explained how we can give blessings, so we started to give him one and Gabby got back haha probably freaked her out walking in seeing us with our hands on his head giving a blessing, after we explained and then I gave her a blessing too. We headed back just in spiritual shock, how successful we were and how we are working hard and seeing the blessings, we started planning then Brother Allen came over to look at my bike and gave me a new bolt and fixed it for free, nice guy, knows a ton about bikes and told us we could fix it ourselves instead of taking it to a bike shop and waisting tons of money. So I plan to. Also told us to keep track of our miles so you can show your kids some day what it takes to serve a mission, so im going to do that. Then Brother Blocker came and picked us up for dinner, big sports fan so he gave me a whole update on the National Championship. Love the guy, love his wifes cooking better though :) Big fat juicy steak with french fries, oh baby! it was goooooood! After we went to Coordination meeting and headed back home for the night pooped and happy!

VIERNES - Little did i know it was friday the 13th until we got back home this night, yet for us it was the exact oppisite of bad luck, first we had lunch with Tim Morris and he bought burger island I believe? huge burgers, me and Elder Rodriguez refuesed to eat it without Avacado so we got those as well, after he said he is going to read the B.O.M all the way through before getting baptized so we are kinda dropping him, but we got back, hopped on our bikes and then went to work for 4 hours, of knocking and teaching as a result we doubled both our goals for New Investigators and other lessons! We then headed to dinner really quick papusas :) love them too! so good, sister Rodriguez knows how to cook them too. We then went and taught some of the Tristen family, so solid but always busy on sunday, we are going to see what we can do with them though, we then went and supported the Mesquite Sisters at their Baptism.

SABADO - Today was really good, the Zone Leaders came over for studies and helped us a lot, Elder Solis knows what he is doing he is so good at teaching hence he baptized 13 in 3 weeks last transfer, Elder Field is really good too! so it was really good to learn from them on how we can improve, they saw our numbers and said we are on fire and that we both have bright futures. We then just went to work, tracted for about 3 hours found some more people and had more lessons! Then we came back ate a quick bite and headed to the church to start filling the font for the baptism of Lori Holland, I kind of walked in on this baptism so I wouldnt really count it as mine but she is really cool and solid. Elder Beatty came down to do the baptism and it was so good to see him and talk more with him, love that kid, first TDM missionary I met first day in the MTC! The Baptism was so good and I shared Alma 7:11-13 and shared my root canal expierence, then we had cookies and milk after and just talked it was really good and exciting! We were so tired after though, so headed home and sacked out.

DOMINGO - Had church and Elder Rodriguez did the confirmation and we were waiting for the Flores Family to come and they were having car problems, satan does everything he can to stop golden investigators, but they made it to the last hour of church and said they loved it and will be coming again next sunday, its so exciting! We then biked in the crazy wind to the 2 apoinments we had but both canceled. So we went back home and were picked up by Bro Price for dinner, steaks again! We also, during dinner, looked up the meanings of our names hahahaha one of the meanings for mine was hilarious it said "Aaron- means his parents were to lazy to look past the first name in the book" But the next one said "Tall, sweet, handsome and very athletic, simply the best name ever" :) I like that one, the third one was very inappropriate! We got done and headed to talk to Jose Solis again, teach the second part of the Restoration, so powerful but cant get them all, he had doubts, but who knows maybe some time down the road. I am loving it here, soon I will be at my 1/3 mark which scares me, but time flies when your busy and having a blast, those in which I am doing both. Love all you followers! Love this church and the many blessings it brings me and my family.
Elder Aaron Jackson