Week 73 - Trip to Hawaii

Hello world. 

It was a pretty cool week this week. We had a great ward missionary activity named Trip to Hawaii, which is basically a play where the plane crashes, and we all die...(sounds bad I know but its super cool, trust me). So we get sent to travel through the three kingdoms of glory, that God has prepared for us according to our diligence in this life. The activity showed everyone the importance of the Plan of Salvation, the perfect plan God has prepared for His children, and how important the family is to God. The activity went super well, we had several investigators attend, and lots of members invited their friends and family members. 

Charlie is still preparing to be baptized! He is super great. He surprises us a lot, that he seems to know more members than we do! He keeps working hard, coming to Church and the activities we have and all. We are going to keep helping him come to Christ and receive baptism. Jesùs is also super great, he is progressing incredibly towards February 18th to be baptized. He asks the greatest questions and is so inquisitive in everything we teach (I think that’s a word...). 

Every day I come to see that there is power in the Book. The Book of Mormon is the key to my faith. It helps me come closer to Christ as I strive to put in practice the things that it teaches us. I know it is the word of God. It was written, and translated by the power of God.

-- 

Elder Daines

"Is that an Interstate Batteries truck?? In Mexico?"

"Coconut with chili! Super good, actually." 

Week 72 - There is Power in the Book

Howdy! 

This week was super cool because we finally had time to work all week in our area with hardly any interrumptions. We were able to visit lots of people we werent able to visit in these past weeks and we also found new people to teach. It makes me so happy when we are able to find people that are really in need of the message we share, and they accept us into their home. 

We were able to see lots and lots of progress in Jesùs, the man that reminds me of Grandpa Daines. He is so great! He has been reading so much in the Book of Mormon and has felt its power. He came to church again this week, and in a lesson we had with him last week, he started to talk about his family (because he is the only one listening to us right now of his family) and said `to me whatever is good, I welcome it. I feel that this is good and I want to keep feeling this way`. The Bishop came with us again to visit him, and Jesùs accepted the invitation to prepare to make a covenant with God to be baptized on February 18th! 

Charlie is super great as well, he is reading and praying and going to church, attending the young adult activities, and is progressing well! He is still preparing to be baptized a bit more but he is excited to keep learning more! He already knows pretty much everyone in the ward, more than I do honestly! Haha. 

Also...my favorite niece turned three this past week! Happy Birthday Bailynn! I love my family! 

Hope everyone has a great and week and can come to feel the power of the Book of Mormon to change lives. 

-- 

Elder Daines

Week 71 - Double the Area...Double the Chamba! (work)

Howdy!! 

This week went by super super fast! Two days of this week, we were not able to work in our area because we were with the assistants helping them in their area, but it was a good experience with them! I worked with Elder Zuñiga for the day on Tuesday, and we had lots of great lessons! I met a guy that has two kids living in Wisconsin! What a small world right?! 

We have seen lots of progress in the people we are teaching in this week. In almost every lesson we had, we were able to have a member of the church from our ward come with us, and they helped us so much!! This is the greatest ward ever! On Sunday in the Sacrament meeting, it was so full that it almost got the point that people had to stand because there almost weren't any chairs left!! 

Jes. is progressing so so well! The Bishop came with us to visit Jes., and he has been reading the Book of Mormon, and has really felt that it is the word of God. He has asked super great questions, the greatest questions, and yesterday he stayed for all three hours of church and loved it! He was super into it. And he reminds me so so much of Grandpa Daines, so it makes me even more excited that he is progressing because it is as if I was teaching Grandpa!

Char. is also doing well! He is still preparing to be baptized on January 28th. We hope that he can receive an answer to his prayers to know that this is the right decision. He has been praying and reading a bit, and is super interested about eternal families. We hope he can realize the great blessing it is to be able to be with our families forever! 

We have some other great investigators, and have had some other cool experiences but that is pretty much it for this week! In this past transfer we had 6 missionaries in the ward, but sadly, we are now only 4, and so our area is a bit bigger but it is exciting to have some new area to work in too! I know that God prepares His children to receive His Gospel in His time. I am so glad I can be led by His Spirit to find those people He has prepared for us to find. 

-- 

Elder Daines

Pretty clouds

Goodbye, Elder Zuniga! 

The Church! 

Week 70 - The Best Ward Ever!

Hey everyone, 

This week was super cool! I am in the best ward ever! They have been helping us so much in going with us to visit our investigators and they are helping a lot in helping the investigators feel like part of the group here in Infonavit! We saw lots of great miracles this week in having members with us. 

Well first of all in this week, we had a Multizone Conference. I got to train in a part of it, and I was super, super nervous (yes, my hands still shake when I get nervous in front of groups, haha). But I was praying before the training that I would be able to share the message the missionaries needed and it really helped! I got up there and it turned out well (I hope)! I at least got some of them to laugh so that was good. I didn’t want to be the only one laughing at my own jokes like I normally do (got that one from Mom). 

Anyway...members! Yeah. We had some super cool lessons. Hermano Jul. came with us to visit a family, and he invited them to have a family home evening with him and his family in this week, and we are planning for that! Hermano Alex. also came with us to visit Char.! And wow he is learning a lot! He is about to finish 1 Nephi already, and is learning a lot! He is still preparing to be baptized for January 28 and we are super excited for him! The young single adults are including him super well in church as well as in activities.

We also have Jon., he makes delicious pizzas. We visited him with Hermano Man., and he has already read quite a bit in the Book of Mormon, and although he had lots of questions, he is excited to learn a lot more! And he also came to church with us for the first time and liked it a lot! 

We found a new investigator this week in an interesting way...So basically (I don’t think I’ve said this yet), we have doves (I think that’s what they’re called) on our street and they always...leave droppings. And one day one kind dove deposited some on my Book of Mormon. And so my companion and I were talking about what to do, and suggested we look for a plastic owl. So we were walking to visit someone, and we saw a plastic owl on a picnic table! And we saw a man there and so we asked where he got it, then from there starting talking to him! He accepted a Book of Mormon, and came to church yesterday too! He was so into it. After the classes, he commented to us, I loved how in the first part, so many people got up and said “I know”. I know, means knowledge, certainty. I like that. It was so cool!

I guess you could say things were pretty great this week. I love being here and am so excited to keep serving in this area!

-- 

Elder Daines

"Have you seen these toilets?? They're...tiny!"

"Johnny Rockets!"