Charity Week

Familia!

This past week, as a mission, we had "Charity Week" where we focused on developing the Christlike attribute of charity as we extended invitations and followed up with our investigators. It was a super cool week! The biggest miracle we saw was on Wednesday night when we were walking back to our apartment after a coordination meeting. It was already 9 and we were right next to the apartment, but we saw a lady a little ways down another street and felt like we should go talk to her. She looked African American, so we assumed that she wouldn't speak Spanish, but she ended up being from Belize and speaking Spanish as her first language! We chatted with her for a little bit and set a return appointment for the next day. We went by and taught her the restoration and she said that as we shared the first vision, she had a feeling of peace and clarity come over her and that she felt as if everything just made sense. She told us about some of the tough things she's been going through lately, but knew that the message would really bless her. She committed to be baptized, but she's going back to Belize this week, so the missionaries down there will get a golden referral! Tender mercy!

That's exciting that President Button will be the new Patriarch! He is a great man, I admire him a lot. Well I can't say that it's hit me yet. I know that I'm going home in a couple weeks, but it doesn't feel like my mission is coming to an end. I have my departing missionary training with president tomorrow which I'm looking forward to.

Happy Birthday to Parker Lou this week! Can't believe he's going to be 16 already. I hope you all have a great week. I love you all!

Elder Reynolds

Mother's Day

Familia!

It was good getting to talk with you all yesterday! I'm excited to see you in a few weeks. We had a real good week this past week as well! OnTuesday, we saw Mari Carmona and read 1 Nephi 1 with her. We invited her to be baptized, but she said she felt like she needed to know more and didn't accept a specific date. She did say that she wants her family to be a part of it as well and knows that if she keeps her commitments, that they'll see a difference in her. On Wednesday night, we ran into a guy named Camilo from Nicaragua. He's got a pretty humbling story. He's been here in the states for 12 years and has a wife and 2 kids back in Nicaragua that he hasn't seen since coming here. He works and sends them the majority of the money that he earns. We taught him on the street about God's love and families and showed him the Easter initiative video. We closed with a prayer and it was apparent that he felt the Spirit, but he didn't accept a return appointment. It was pretty humbling to think about the circumstances that some people live in though. Thursday we taught Mari again and brought a member from the High Council with us. It was a good lesson, but she didn't make much progress as far as commitments go. On Friday, we had a zone meeting and I got the chance to bear my testimony again. It was a good chance to reflect. Afterward, we taught a guy named Jose Lara. We shared the restoration and committed him to be baptized, but he didn't accept a date. He's leaving for Mexico this week and will be there for a while, so we won't be able to meet with him until he gets back. Saturday we had a Mother's Day event at the church and it was a success! There was a huge turnout and we got a lot of non-members there. I'll send a video of the mariachi that came haha. Then Sunday I was able to talk with you guys! It was a good week. 

I was reading this past week about Captain Moroni in the Book of Mormon and was impressed at how he never stopped making preparations for war. He always had his men engaged doing something and he himself was always coming up with ways that he would be able to defend his family, people, and freedom. I know that's the way that it is with us--we have to be "anxiously engaged in a good cause" in order to fight of the attacks of satan. I'm grateful that the gospel teachings give us that direccion and guidance we need in order to follow safely along the path of discipleship. I hope you all have a great week! Love you!

Elder Reynolds

Hello May

Familia!

It was kind of a tough week for us this past week. On Friday we went
to see Laura and Alex and Laura came to the door with tears in her
eyes saying that we wouldn't be able to meet with them because they
were moving out that night. They had been living with Laura's sister
and had been having some problems, so she pretty much kicked them out.
She said they were going to be staying in a hotel for the weekend and
then possibly moving up to San Bernardino. We asked her to let us know
if they were still in the area, but we haven't heard from them. Keep
them in your prayers! I love that family.

I had an exchange on Wednesday with another Elder in my zone and it
was a great day! His name is Elder Lara and is from Peruvian, but has
spent most of his life in Spain. He's got the Spanish lithp that I'm
not a huge fan of, but we had a great time together haha. He was
baptized when he was 14 and played professional soccer before coming
on the mission he's a stud!

I had to get up and bear my testimony yesterday seeing as it was my
last fast Sunday out here. I remember bearing my testimony my first
fast Sunday in the mission in the South Gate branch. It definitely
doesn't seem like that was nearly 2 years ago. I love Spanish. I wish
I had the chance to speak to more people in Spanish around here, but I
try to use it as much as I can. It should be a great week this week.
Every Tuesday morning we volunteer and a food pantry focused on giving
to the homeless and needy here in the area of Inglewood and it's a
blast.

I'll probably shoot you guys a call Saturday night to try to set up
the time for when I'll call on Sunday. I guess I'll be talking to you
soon! Love you all!

Elder Reynolds

Anniversary

Familia!

It sounds like everyone had a great week! Fun to see some pictures of
CJ getting back from the mish. I can't believe he's back already! My
last companion emailed me and said that it all just feels like a
dream. He and I became real good buddies, so it was a fun transfer. My
new companion is fun too. He's got a real outgoing, loud personality
so he keeps things light haha. He's from Houston, Texas and served
about 8 months in Brazil and then had to go home and then came out
here to finish his mission. He'll go home in August. I forgot to wish
you guys a happy anniversary last week! Funny enough, Elder Fifita's
parents anniversary is on the same day! And it was the day that he got
home, so it was a good present for them haha.

You'll have to send me some pictures of Toni's new baby boy! That's
exciting! So many little babies that I'll have to meet haha.

It's still been pretty tough to find new people to teach, but it was a
good week. We had a couple lessons with Leslie and Alex this past
week, but they just kind of disappeared on Sunday. That's what
happened last week as well, so we're going to set some expectations
with them and hopefully help them to realize how important our message
is. Delia had to work yesterday too, so she wasn't able to make it to
church. At this point in my mission, we're really just searching for
the elect. They're out there, but we've gotta find them haha. Keep
praying that we'll be able to find them.

I mentioned a few weeks ago that Ali and Crystal were going to get
baptized and they did a couple weekends ago! They got married on the
Saturday and then baptized on the Sunday. I ran into a couple members
that I knew from that ward and they told me about it. Super exciting!
I can still remember the night that we found them. It was super cold
and neither my companion or I felt like talking to anyone haha. Crazy
how it's always the last person you talk to and the last door you
knock though. I love the gospel. I'm so grateful to be a missionary
and have the chance to share the gospel and help people in whatever
situation they might be in. The gospel makes bad men good and good men
better. I hope you all have a great week. Love you!

Elder Reynolds

Transfers

Familia!

Great week this past week! We've had some summer weather these past
few days which has been pretty nice. It's been hot though! It sounds
like y'all have been getting some nice weather back at home as well!
We had been working with a lady named Delia and her husband Eduardo,
but they both got super sick this past week and we weren't able to
meet with them. Then Saturday night, Delia called us and asked if we
could get somebody to give her a ride to go to church, so we got
someone and she came! It was ward conference, so a lot of it was in
English, but she said she really enjoyed it. We'll be seeing her again
on Thursday. We're not sure exactly what happened with Leslie and Alex
this past week. We saw them Friday night and set up a trip to the
Visitor's Center for Saturday night, but during the day on Saturday
Leslie texted us and told us that she wouldn't be able to go. And we
haven't been able to get in contact with her since, so say a prayer
that we'll be able to get back in contact with them! They're super
solid, but satan always works hardest on the ones that are prepared.

Transfer news is that I'll be getting an elder named Elder Guerrero.
I've seen him around at meetings and things and we've gotten along, so
I think it should be a good transfer. I just can't believe that it's
my last transfer! These past two have flown by and I'm worried this
one will go even faster haha. It's been a blast this past transfer
with Elder Fifita though, my easiest companion to get along with on my
mission. We have the same personality haha.

It should be a great transfer though! I'm going to do my best to give
it all I've got these last 6 weeks. I love my mission! So grateful to
be here and to have met and worked with all the people I've had the
chance to know. Have the best week! Love you all!

Elder Reynolds

04-11-2016

Familia!

I'm glad to hear it sounds like y'all had a good spring break! Mom,
when you told me how old little Lucy is, I couldn't believe she
already has 9 months! It seems like I was just getting pictures of her
as a newborn! Wild to think that CJ is getting home so soon too. I'm
sure everyone is getting excited to see him! It's been fun to email
him throughout the mish.

We had a real good week this week! Leslie and Alex (Jose, but he goes
by Alex) are solid! They came to sacrament meeting yesterday and after
the meeting ended, Alex leaned over to me and told me they'd be there
every week from then on! We did find out about a situation we're going
to have to work hard to get past though--Leslie is married to another
guy in another place, so we'll have to help her get divorced and then
married to Alex. It's possible though! It's been a lot of fun teaching
them this past week, their two youngest kids are always just all over
the place and pretty crazy haha. We've been teaching this other guy
named Quintin who we've had a couple lessons with and has showed some
interest, but hasn't committed to come to church yet. We should be
able to get him there this Sunday though!

Sorry I'm a little short on time, but it's been a great week! This is
the last week of the transfer, so I'll be letting you know what comes
with transfer calls this Sunday. It's been a great transfer! Have the
best week! I love you all!

Elder Reynolds

General Conference

Familia!

We had some tender mercies this past week! General Conference was
definitely the highlight of the week. I feel like there can be no
doubt that the church is true after watching general conference. Every
time I watch it, I feel the same way. The leaders of the church are so
inspired! I loved this past conference and felt like there was a lot
of hope that was transmitted through the talks. Some of my favorites
were President Uchtdorf's from the Sunday morning session, Elder
Gong's, and Elder Holland's as well. I'm excited to go back over my
notes this week and review those messages. Such good counsel!

On Thursday, we had temple day and you won't believe who I ran into..
My best buddy Drake Job! It was real good to see him, he's doing well.
He's already engaged and is getting married June 18th! Pretty wild
haha. Excited for him. We started a fast as a zone on Thursday and
into Friday so that we'll be able to meet some of our zone goals and
we ended up with a tender mercy Friday night! We contacted a guy on
the street the first week of the transfer named Jose but he didn't
know his address, so all we ended up with was his number. We tried him
on Friday and he said that he was busy, but when he mentioned meeting
us, his wife was interested and he told us that she'd give her our
number to call us. And she actually called us! We went over and taught
them last night and it turns out that Jose's sister is a member in
Guatemala and even teaches seminary! It was kind of tough to keep the
lesson focused because there were a bunch of little kids running
around, but we committed them to read from the Book of Mormon and
we'll be meeting with them again tomorrow! Good things coming.

I've got no doubt that the church is true! I've been blessed to gain a
sure testimony throughout my mission. I found out that a couple that I
taught from my last area (Ali and Crystal) are getting married and
baptized in a couple weeks, so I'm hoping to be able to make it back
for that! It's fun finding out about people I've taught in the past
and how they've finally come to get their own testimony! I love this
work! Make this week the best!

Elder Reynolds