Familia!

Familia!

 

This past week flew by, I couldn't believe that it was already Monday again. I think I've just been so excited for what is happening this weekend, everything else is just flying by. Monica is looking super solid for her baptism this weekend! I have to share an experience that she shared with us this past week--She said she was having kind of a tough day where some of her family members were asking her a lot of questions like if being baptized was something she really wanted to do or if she really believed what we taught. She said she had started to kind of doubt and question whether or not it was actually something she could do. Now, instead of dwelling on that thought and letting it get worse, she got onto Mormon.org and started to chat with the people on there! My companion and I were amazed! She said she went on and saw that there was a "chat" option, so she opened it up and started to chat with a couple returned missionaries. She expressed her concerns and they were able to help her overcome those feelings. So awesome!

 

Those changes to the Stake sound pretty exciting! I'm sure that was a lot of work getting all that figured out. We met some pretty cool people last night while we were walking around Wilmington. One guy we ended up having a street lesson with. We started talking to him and he said he had been studying with the JWs, but still wasn't sure what to believe. We talked a lot about some of his concerns and his own beliefs and then just taught and testified about some of the simple truths of the gospel. We should be seeing him again this week. It was almost 9, but we felt like we could find at least a couple more people, so we kept walking around and ran into a group of guys who were drinking and smoking at a bus stop. First instinct of course was to walk past them to try to avoid a confrontation, but one of them, Jimmy, called us over and started to talk. It turned out that one of them, Santos, had previously had a baptismal date and was going to be baptized but then ended up getting arrested! His brother, Richard, was also interested, so we're going to teach them this week. I love this area haha.

 

This will be a great weekend though! I'm real excited for General Conference and for the chance we have to see Monica get baptized. It will be a great weekend to be baptized on. Every time General Conference comes around, she'll remember theSunday she was baptized. I hope you have been able to think and pray about some questions you have so you can receive revelation from the speakers this weekend. I love you all and hope you have a great week!

 

Elder Reynolds

Miracles!

Familia!

First off, I just want to thank you all for keeping Monica in your
prayers last Monday. We had tried to set a date with her last Saturday
for the 4th of October and she didn't accept it. But when we went by
on Tuesday, she came outside and said she had been praying about it
and received an answer that it is the day for her! So she'll be taking
that step of baptism the 4th of October! So awesome! She has been so
great with putting in her part in order to find out the truth. She
read from the Book of Mormon and then prayed about it to receive an
answer and she received that answer, she's gone to church, she's
studied, listened, prayed, everything! Huge testimony builder for my
companion and I that it is so simple in what we have to do, but it is
all about the agency of the individual. That's the frustrating part
haha. It literally just takes a little effort and some patience, and
God will show us the way he wants us to go. I love it!

It's been a real busy week with the new area and trying to work in
both, but it's been fun. I'm loving our area, the new one is always
busy with people on the streets, so we're meeting a lot of gente.
Saturday night, we were out walking around and met one guy from Panamá
who was the only non-member in his family and another guy from Chile
who couldn't stop talking about how important his family is to him.
Sadly, neither of them lived in our area, but some other missionaries
will be getting the chance to teach them! Good things coming our way.

Mom you'll do awesome with your new calling! You are the best with
kids, so I know you'll be a huge asset to the little primary. It
sounds like you're all staying pretty busy. The time is flying.
General Conference in a couple weeks already! Didn't we just have it?
I'm super excited for that though, always a great opportunity to
receive personal revelation through the leaders of the church. Start
thinking of questions now so that you can be spiritually prepared when
the conference rolls around. I'm out of time, but I just want to let
you all know how much I love you! I was reminded of Doctrine and
Covenants 18 this week as we were working with Monica. I really never
have felt so much joy as to see a brother or sister repent and prepare
to enter into the kingdom of the Father (D&C 18:10-20). What a unique
joy it is! Lots of long days and hard work in order to see one person
take the steps necessary to follow Jesus Christ makes it all worth it.
I love the gospel and the chance to have a front row seat at the
atonement in action. It is working in the lives of others and also in
my own life. Make this week great!

Elder Reynolds

Transfers (9-07-2015)

Familia!

 

I couldn't believe that transfer calls were already here again last night! The news.. We'll both be staying again! I might just end up finishing my mission here haha. This will be transfer number 5 in this area. I'm super excited though! We'll be taking over the other Elders' area, so we'll have two areas to be working now. We actually got the call when we were teaching a lesson with Monica's family and they were all more anxious and worried than we were I think haha. They were pretty excited that we'll be staying.

 

The weather has been real muggy here lately, so it's been a lot of sweating haha. I think it should probably cool down here before too long though. It has been a pretty hot summer. I hope Lisa is recovering quickly! Give her my best! I did get your package, Mom, thanks for that! I enjoyed the BYU shirt! And a member actually texted me last night and told me that Nole won the US! He actually lives in another area, but he knows that I love tennis, so he shot me an update text haha. Glad to hear that Fed played well though, he has the purest strokes.

 

There weren't very many changes in the zone, but we lost a set of Elders in my district, so I'm kind of bummed about that. It will just be us and another set of Sisters now. Monica and Maria made it to church yesterday and Monica stayed for all three hours! She said she loved it! We tried to extend a date on Saturday, but she's still pretty hesitant about setting something firm. Please keep her in her prayers that she'll be able to knowOctober 4th is the day for her! She is awesome!

 

I love you all so much and am grateful for all you do to help this work move forward. It is the most important work in the world! It's a humbling opportunity to be a part of it. Have a great week!

 

Elder Reynolds

September is here!

Familia!

I was reflecting on September being here already and I realized that September 2nd of last year was when I was transferred from my first area in Lynwood/Compton to LA just west of the USC campus. That doesn't seem like it was a year ago! I've been blessed to meet a lot of awesome people over this past short while though, it has been great. This past week was really good. We had interviews on Wednesday with President Weidman, that is always a great experience. I could barely believe that it had been about 3 months since the last ones though haha. He gave me some great advice and we talked about some things that will help me a lot. I got the feeling that I will be leaving this area though, so I guess we'll see what happens this Sunday. Change is always exciting, but I've come to love this area so much I know it will be tough to leave. Good things to come though!

Monica made it to church again yesterday! She's already come 5 times to sacrament meeting. She's incredible, but still feels like there is something holding her back from being baptized. She mentioned to the other Elders that she feels like she will be ready soon though, so we will be looking forward to that day. We have been teaching her, her mother, and one of her sisters who all live in our area, and then the other Elders in the district have been teaching one of her sisters who lives in their area. It has become a family pursuit! Jessica, the sister who lives in the other Elders' area came to church yesterday as well with Monica. They are both doing great. They even invited us over for dinner with them last night! It's been awesome to see the change in all of them.

Mom--I'm glad that you were able to talk with Jocelyn and Hna. Cipriano. They are a great family! They have taken us in and treated us super well. They were pretty excited to tell me that they had the chance to talk with you over the past few days haha. She didn't make the pie, but dinner was good. They invited us over tonight for a carne asada, so I'm looking forward to that! That's wild that Sister Clayton ran into a missionary from this mission! I'm pretty sure it was probably Elder Okerland that she met. He just went home 4 or 5 weeks ago. There are ties all over the place! Haha

Glad to hear that BYU pulled that game off! What a miracle! You'll have to keep me updated as they go along, I wonder how they'll do now without Taysom Hill. I hope that Nole takes the US, but Fed has always been a beast on hard court and grass. Let me know how that goes as well haha.

I love you all so much and am so grateful for the Gospel! Being a missionary has opened my eyes to the importance of every person and their eternal worth. I'll forever be grateful for that. A great scripture for you all to read this week is D&C 123:12-17. Pay attention to verses 13-15, there is some great counsel. Have the best week!

Elder Reynolds