Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Best Week In the Mission So Far!

MONDAY - Yall ready for the best week and most successful one in the mission this far? Okay so today was a great preparation day. We had studies in the morning and then we went and played ball with 16+ people. Awesome! My companion and I dominated! SHOUT OUT to Cailey and Josh for the letters thank you so much! Loved them, thanks for taking the time to write me. We emailed, which was fantastic as always. We then had about an hour to write letters and some how in... well about an hour and a half. I wrote 6 letters which was really good. Then we went to TEXAS ROADHOUSE!!! oh man it was so good, Elder Rouse had a gift card sent to him for 65 dollars and we went and I got a 20 ounce sirloin and he got a 22 ouncer! We pounded them till our tummys couldn't handle it anymore haha, but we finished them and ate some rolls too YUMMMMMM! Then we went to work, tracted in a scary trailer park and taught 2 lessons, one which didnt go anywhere and then another with a part member family. The Ramirez family. 2 lessons is not bad for a Pday.

TUESDAY - We had district meeting at the stake center and it was a way good one. We talked about kicking old habits and how its like an apple. How apples can look really good on the outside but you have to bite into them to really find out the taste of them. So we got some apples and wrote (every one of us) a habit that we have that we want to get rid of and we lined up the apples and all took a turn with a golf club, destroying them! It was so fun! Then as we were walking back inside there was a member outside who offered to take us all to a buffet, which was okay. We ate and then ran and got a bday card for Sister Sadler and picked up Andy Loy and went tracting. Talked to some people. Got in with this kid named Tony Adkins and had a lesson with him than bulleted back to the church to teach Lois Bush at the church and we taught the Word of Wisdom and also about Obedience and I just love teaching this woman. So fun to joke around with and her kids always want to play basketball with us calling me Lebron and funny stuff like that haha, love her family. We had to run to the Albas to have a lesson with him but he was sick so we left and waited at the church for another lesson with Brent Day... who didn't show up! We went into the meeting with President Wagley and with President Durrant on the phone and talked about the stake and what was going on. Lot of great things happening with us thats for sure. President commented that he really liked how hard we were working and to keep it up. I love President Wagley, he is so funny "Hey president people have been saying its impossible to baptize in east Texas" President (while pounding on his desk in his east Texas accent) "THATS BS! ITS BULL!" hahaha, after we got out of that we ran to the car and drove to teach a referral that was given to us and it was amazing! She knew it was true and the Spirit was so strong that we gave her a blessing and she was crying and she accepted to be baptized and we just left gleaming with joy. Nothing better than this work I tell you. NOTHING! Thanks for the blessings Padre Celestial :)
 
WEDNESDAY - We ran to the computers after studies to order an ensign for sister Sadler and then we came out and it was pouring so we decided to do our planning today and we were on the phone for 2 hours. Also Shawn wrote me so thank you so much Great White! haha. Then we had to do some cleaning up in the Zone and so we went over to the other Longview Elders and said "whats up? how come your not working and how can we help you?" It was really good and we hope to see some changes from it. We went and grabbed Steven and headed to Kilgore to contact another referral that we had and it was a waist of time.. we tracted some down there and then also visited a less active in the Spanish branch and then headed back to Longview to go to dinner. We went to dinner with the Wilsons, older couple and we went to Ryans buffet, ever heard of it? that's what I thought. It's the worst ever! GROSS! But way nice people who wanted to just talk about all the people that have died... in their family... it was really random! We then went and taught Oscar with Hermano Placencia and it was all over the place, he had so many random and pointless questions, we taught the Restoration though which was good. After we went to the Ramirez family again and had a lesson with popcorn! Tha'ts what I love about this transfer, its not boring! We are being creative in every way possible! Unlike last transfer... anyway we ended our night their. We have been having some problems with our neighbor though... she has been smoking Marajuana and it comes through our vents and so I have had dreams of being hugged by girls and them trying to squeeze so hard that I cant breath and then I actually wake up breathing hard and then another one... where the members of the church tried to crucify me! We have also been a bit crazier and running around and eating SO MUCH! never thought I would, of all places, break the Word of Wisdom on my mission HAHAHA!
 
THURSDAY - We went to the court house to translate for Hermano Placencia but he didn't show so we wasted like 8 miles... not good, we made some calls and found some more crap we have to clean up in the zone. Elders doing what President Durrant calls "Dumb Dos" So that was fun. We stopped in a park and talked about what we could do to help them. Then we went right to work and 2 out of the 4 doors we knocked we got in and had lessons. One of them the Hermana asked me if I wanted some Enchiladas but I forgot we were fasting so we had to run them to a member near by to give them to them so we could go back to work. We taught a lesson with a Miguel guy which was really good! Then we headed to the church to teach Lois Bush and we taught the Plan of Salvation and then we did the hardest thing... pushed her baptismal date back to August because she is just not ready, needs to come to church a few more times and she started crying and so we had to talk to her for a while. She is great though, really wants to be baptized. We taught some random Spanish girls after with Andy Loy and it was crazy because one of them looked EXACTLY like Kelsey! Then we headed to dinner and had amazing Tacos (the good ones) at a members house and we both ate 12 each! They were fantastic, and they were Tacos de lengua, tounge. We had a short lesson with Jennifer Reel (the awesome referral we got on Tuesday) and she asked for another blessing cause her throat was hurting her and guess what? as soon we took our hands off her head she was healed. Completely. Miracle! I know this is true! We read from 3 Nephi 11 and then she had to go back to her shelter home where they confiscated her Book of Mormon and said it was evil... I don't understand why people are like that. ITS TRUE!!! READ THE THING!! We have to show love to everyone but people are putting themselves into damnation. Where they cannot progress anymore. Our church offers more than any other and people are blinded. They are just to stubborn to take a shot at it, give a chance. Anyway... we stopped at Sonic on the way home to get half priced shakes :) and then got permission to sleep at the other elders because of how bad it was in our apartment. We also called Henderson and they told us about their dumb do which was... giving a ride to a drunk, high, cross dresser, bumb guy... BIG NO NO! 
 
FRIDAY - We had breakfast in the morning and studied and went to Josh Chubbs and had.. more breakfast and it didn't even phase us. Munchies..? Yeah this whole weed thing is getting to us! We had a good lesson with Josh and then got another referral down there and we checked the address and drove there and it was like this small religious building called "Real talk" We were thinking... oh great! We knocked and this 20 year old guy let us in and was so open! Miracle cause Elder Rouse gave a Mormon.org card to this guy that was part of this group and he referred all his friends and this guy (Steven Vowell) is way interested and we gave him a Book of Mormon and by the end of the night he ran into the other elders at Walmart and asked for 2 more for his friends! We will also be attending one of his meetings that they hold every month, with a ton of people that get together from Kilgore college and talk about religion. BYU-Kilgore anyone? We are excited. Went back to the courts to help Hermano placencia and again... didn't need us this time! Waisted another 8 miles, we need to drive into Dallas the 25th!!! WE NEED THE MILES! We came back and got Steven Harris to come with us to a lesson with Tony and it was way good. He said yes to being baptized and playing ball with us Monday. After that... well we were still hungry even after having lunch and 2 breakfasts! So it just so happened to be dress like a cow and get free chick fil a day! :) So we cut some black spots out of paper and taped it on our shirts and I had a tail and my comp had a nose and we got a free meal and ate it... 45 minutes before dinner. It was good. We took pics too so no worries! We dropped him off and went to the Alba's something I forgot to mention haha, the girl that's not a member her name is Jessica! How cool would it be to say I baptized Jessica Alba!!! :) We ate a ton there too, its like we are bottomless pits! We had a really good lesson in Spanglish, switching back and forth. After we noticed we taught wierd so we called President and he told us "You didn't come on you mission to get high on marijuana" HAHAHA, I love President. I told him we would talk to the management and get us out of there or get her out of there. Might have to call the cops. We headed to the church and were going to go do visits but no one came! We went and visited 2 less actives and went to a lesson with the Sadlers with the Sellers. Talked about Tithing. BUSY BUSY BUSY!
 
SATURDAY - We made the progress sheets for Sunday and we are looking super good. Miguel canceled and said he was going to Fort Worth then we drove by to go tracting in that area and we saw him, got to love catching people in their lies! We taught some random guy and then went to dinner at 1... random super early dinner. It was good, then we ate some chili Reinos with some random family so good! We will have to make some when I get back. Its a jalapeno with all the seeds and stuff cut out filed with cream cheese and wrapped in bacon YUMM! We ate and talked and went on tracting. One door we knocked we got chased by dogs and when she answered we were on the other side of the street and she just laughed hahaha, I love being a missionary for those moments. Almost getting eaten by dogs... gotta love the mission life! We had a Coordination meeting with Hermano Cadenaz and it was really good! We had dinner with Gerado Cadenaz and his family and had some amazing chicken and ribs and beans and rice of course! haha, we were playing with this kid Rodrigo? funniest little kid ever! We ate and then had a lesson with the Ramirez family and ran to Oscars and had another long crazy lesson with a ton of questions here and there that weren't important.
 
SUNDAY - HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELDER ROUSE! We went to Spanish branch and no one came :( No investigators... We left during priesthood to get to English ward. Jennifer was there early and they took her other Book of Mormon and didn't even want it touching the desk of who took it so the girl wrapped it in plastic! can you believe that!!! Church was great and we taught gospel principles and had a meeting after and ran to a lesson with Jennifer and taught the Plan of Salvation. Then we ate with Hermana Mansivais and at Posole which is really good. Ran to the Johansons and had a lesson with the Sadlers and had cake too. Ran to the Rossows to get numbers from the Zone and had cake there too... crazy week but most success I have had. Seen so many blessings this week I tell you. Miracles here and there and I know its true. I love this work and I know its the Lords work and this is HIS church. Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and the Book of Mormon is the most correct book on the face of the earth and if you don't believe that? well... Jesus Christ himself will tell you that in the last day. Love you all and have a great week. I know I will. 
 
Elder Aaron Jackson

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