Monday, December 10, 2012

Modern Day Miracles

MONDAY - Another transfer down, 3 to go :( Today was a wild Pday, we were trying to get everything done. We got up really early and went to do insanity with the other elders and then again went to Dennys after to get breakfast. We ate and then went shopping and came back showered and then went to email a bit. I emailed a bit in the office and then we went to the library and emailed. I got done and elder Jorgensen and I decided to look at some books and some lady was helping us and elder jorgensen pulled a book out and another one came flying out and hit her in the face. I tried so hard not to laugh! At Elder Jorgensen not at her haha, he always seems to do stuff like that haha. Elder Dominguez, Jorgensen and I all went to wal mart to print pics and to get some food at the gas station. Love those two elders! Well I love them all... well for the most part all of them. I wrote two letters when we got back before cutting our day off short to be able to go out and work early. We had a lesson with Obidio and taught about the Book of Mormon and he had a hard time (as most folks do in the bible belt) grasping the truth and the concept of a God of Miracles! We then took the East elders home really quick and ended up tracting into the mom of a girl that ran off with an elder in this ward a while back... History that makes the ward the way it is today. Very skeptical about missionaries. I got a call from Elder Chantry when I got back and I wanted to cry knowing he was going home, love that guy! Had so many good times out east, in Lufkin a year ago. He seems excited to go home and see the family though. Good day today.

TUESDAY - We are cutting our studies this month as well so we can get out and work earlier as well. So we got out at 11 and went and had another lesson with Obidio. Again he was just super closed off to the truth. We testified and taught clearly by the Spirit as well. But everyone has their agency. We then went and helped out the North elders by taking them to the bike shop to get a new part for elder jorgensens bike. They are lucky that its Elder Henze and Jorgensen or else I wouldnt want to help them but they are just so awesome. We dropped by Walmart to get some notepads for everyone in the zone because we are going to start a challenge. This months focus is on teaching using visual aids and keeping commitments. So we are going to try and use 560 sheets of notepad paper while teaching and if we do so, president has told me he will sign a certificate for each of us and we can keep it in our binder forever! Saying we reached that goal. We had a lesson with Guadalupe and he doesnt believe in God so... it was a little different than most lessons here in Texas. Very interesting questions that you have to answer using logic instead of scriptures. We then headed to dinner witht he Cruzes and Elder Jorgensen was sitting next to me and of course... he broke the chair so I told him to switch with me haha, I ended up almost falling and breaking it more. We ate and left laughing at the comments made and just each others company. We met the first councelor in the bishopric for the lesson with the Villatoros and it was way saddening. They had a preacher from a baptist church or something come over and anti them. I came to the conclusion that all other churches know the Book of Mormon is true. Why would they not want you to read something if they 'knew" it was false. If they (again I put in quotation marks) "knew" it was false then why are they so afraid to let them read it? They dont want their paycheck to go down thats why. If I knew something was false I would say "go for it! its false so what does it matter" So thats what happened so we had to recover and help them from the swirling pit of confusion and destruction this pastor caused. It ended up being good. They havent read still. Can't say something is false or true until you try it (even though all of texas say the bible is true and most of them havent even read it or only parts of it)haha. 2 nephi 29 "a bible a bible..." Those who dont believe in more scripture believe that God only loves some of his children which makes him imperfect. 
 
WEDNESDAY - We planned our Zone training today and ended up being late haha, the zone leaders late to their own meeting hahaha. It was a really good meeting and we just really stressed our goal and getting 670 this year and pushing for it! Talked about miracles and how God hasn't ceased to preform miracles. We ate lunch there, met the new elders and headed out to work. We headed to Guadalupes again (no idea why) it was a waist of time, he doesnt believe in God and wont act to find out for himself. Very closed off. Good guy but not ready to change yet. We went to pick up dinner and raked some leaves which made my day better! I love service!!! We raked and then ate burritos at home. I got a christmas card from Tim and I didnt even give him my address.. weird. We went back out and went to a lesson with Raul and it was awesome. He read Alma 32 and received an answer it was true. He felt this warm peaceful feeling that told him he needs to be baptized. This church is so true! I wish I had more time to just see these amazing MIRACLES come to pass. We talked about the baptismal questions and he wants to learn more about the Prophet today. After we met up with Hno Magana and headed to contact a family and ended up finding an old investigator super ready to receive us. But... in the other elders area... I hate when that happens. As long as they are being taught the same gospel! :) 
 
THURSDAY - We studied and headed to another lesson with Obidio. Not moving. We taught the Plan of Salvation and like always because he had a doubt we told him the truth, how it is and like every other person I have talked to we had in contradicting everything he said. UGH! The Spirit is so important. People just dont have an open heart, they are just so used to what they have been taught so they just stay that way. In other words. Lazy. But its fun teaching! love trying to help them. We came back to plan and I checked the mail and got a letter from Teauna! THANKS! :) First one. We planned and went to dinner, steak at the Mancias and then went to Grand Prairie. The new elder is way cool! From cali and plays basketball, joined the church a year ago and got kicked out of his house for choosing the right path. We talked a ton and then we headed back and had a lesson with the Dominguez family and I love it because he was telling us all these problems and here we are, 20 year olds sitting there. The Lord puts so much confidence into us, and the message we bring covers all problems. Way good day!
 
FRIDAY - Today was the Stake president report, I love when I get to hang out with president Durrant for a little bit. We got pizza from President Porter and then we had the meeting and President talked about how proud he was of us. We left and went right to work after, we started contacting people and it went by way to fast! We soon were picking up the other elders for the interview with Raul and we went in first while they waited in the car and he wasnt ready yet... said he might get a divorce with his wife. So we didn't get the interview done... we went to eat a quick dinner with the other elders at subway and then dropped them off. We then went and picked up Hermano Escoto and went to a lesson with a girl we found named perla and she was not paying attention but it was a good lesson. We headed home after that. Also got the package from my Grandparents today! FAMOUS COOKIES! they were gone in a few days! Thanks so so so so much Grandma and Grandpa I love you so much for that! 
 
SATURDAY-Lots of appointments set up for today, busy busy busy. We started out by contacting some people down in Grand Prairie and our lesson at 3 canceled. We had a lesson at 1 with Santiago and that was really good. Still he needs to make some steps, we have done all we can to help. Ball is in his court now. We had a lesson with Miguel at 4 and he wasnt there... We then went to dinner with the Maganas and ate and took Brother Mackay out with us as we taught a new familiy we found of 7. Super solid! Way humble and willing to listen to our message. We taught them and then went to Raul's house and watched a bit of the movie about President Monson. We headed back home and as I kneeled to pray in the dark and prayed out loud and I asked the Lord for a miracle at church tomorrow. Just one miracle. 
 
SUNDAY-This is it. Sunday is crunch time, who is coming to church. The Lord answered my prayer with 3 miracles! We had a less active girl who has been really trying to get to church and we have visted her over and over and over and she has never come. She came. MIRACLE! Obidio, we didnt even invite him because we doubted he would come. He shows up and last of all we are sitting in class and one of the Hermanas walks in and says "this lady just came in looking for a church" As soon as she said that I knew it was an answer to my prayer. The Lord still works the same way he did before. MIRACLE. She lives in our area and has a big family. We had dinner at the church and had a few lessons before going to do numbers and we had a lesson with Hno Villatoro and all he did was talk about faith hahaha, thats all he says. We got to the Ortizes house to do numbers and we were watching this cheesy old church movie with Thurl Bailey as Goliath hahaha. Then we headed home. Amazing week. I love this work!
 
Elder Aaron Jackson 

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