An Incredible Peace

Well you’ll have to send me some of the cookies. I've also got a birthday wish list this year. Music. I'm so stinking sick of that ipod I've got. I've got every song memorized. Just some cds like EFY stuff, Kenneth Kope, maybe some easy listening stuff like Hawaiian, classical, just good stuff. Please, gracias. Oh also and little book for learning English easy. I'm struggling in my English classes. Ok I also got that new debit card. Do I have to call to activate it or can you? I don’t want to its a pain in the butt.

 Ok, well I had a really good experience with the sacrament this week. During the sacrament meeting some business came up and I had to leave when I got back they had locked the doors and I couldn’t get in. I felt so bad that I didn’t get to partake and a gloomy spirit came over me. Later that night in our meeting another elder didn’t take the sacrament either. So we asked permission from a bishop and we were able to take it there at 8:30 in the night. When I took it I felt such a load lifted and a refreshing feeling. It was real. If never really realized the importance of the sacrament. Those of us that are in the "endure to the end" phase are living a weekly cycle. We sin, exercise faith and repent all in the week and then we get the opportunity to wash the sins away just like we did at baptism. If you miss one step you are not enduring to the end. Well I did a lot of divisions with my district and we were able to get a few baptisms out of them to end the month. I've been feeling a lot of pressure lately but we went to the temple on Tuesday and I left with such an incredible peace that has kept me calm in those moments of alarm. Something super cool. My companion is Elder Villegas who I am training. His companion in the mtc was Elder Lechuga who went to the east mission and his trainer just happens to be Elder John Reed. Wowser! That’s so cool. Any who I'm gonna go I've got a lot of stuff to do today. Love you all take care and good luck at London’s run. I want a shirt, a cool one. The church is true. 

Elder Solomon

 P.S. go cards!

January 19, 2009

enough said.....

Yvonne and her family. These are the ones I helped get married.

Family Rodriguez.  Hector and Oscar got baptized.

Well, guess what? I got a package from November 16. And with that and the package from Aimee, and Sis. Leopard I've got enough stinkin sunflower seeds to last till the millennium. (Maybe a little more) and thank you SO much for the spice of life stuff. I'm a fan. Overnight here it turned just so stinkin cold and it really got me sick, but that magic potion makes me feel like a new man. Send more. I'm also a fan of mi cardenales, like they’re called here. A little Arizona pride. I love how all the papers are lit up with the emblem here. Good luck with London’s Run. You will be blessed for you charity.

 Three more baptisms last Saturday and I've completed the 5 goal for this month. You guys prayed too hard thanks! Now I need help with the other companionships in my district. I'm gonna go work with them a lot now. This week I had some of the best numbers of my mission and I have been so stinkin tired and a little sick.... but satisfied. I feel I'm moving into the next stage in my mission. That of accepting what and who I am and what can be done. It’s liberating. The best part is the revelation that just flows, it’s so real. I've had ideas that would never happen before. One of my companionships has been having a lot of problems, they went with the zone leaders and the mission president but nothing. This week something happened and they called the Pres. and he said, “I'm busy call your district leader”... well, I talked with them and did divisions the rest of the day, and talked to them again, and haven’t heard of a problem since then. THE LORD IS IN CHARGE, LET HIM WORK THROUGH YOU AND YOU WILL BE MUCH MORE THAN YOU CAN BE BY YOURSELF.  It’s true what they say. To see those who won’t let the Lord in and won’t exercise just a seed of faith just fills me with sadness. Then I think of those of my own family who are straying and it is grief just intense. I feel like crying. Just come home.... 

However, those who are holding on even through the mists of darkness make me want to shout.  "Hurrah for Israel!!!" God lives and he loves us. I know it. Just trust him. I feel like I have so much to say right now. The gospel is simple: live the law and receive the blessings. Repentance normally isn’t big changes. Its just little ones. I love you all. I know God lives the proof is in everything and He is talking to us. We just have to listen.

 Elder Solomon

 

 

I love being a trainer!

Hey dad, well the truth about the visa gift card I sent you, is that it was one Bridgett gave me before I left.  It doesn’t work here so I sent it home. Now that I think about it [already being expired] I laughed out loud. Whoops! 

I can’t believe the cardinals won. The first thing I did this morning when we left the house was run to the paper stand, (ignore the porn) and check out who won. That’s so cool.

 Well, I met my goal of 5 baptisms already this month. We're going to keep trying to help some more but I'm gonna spend a lot more time with the other elders in my district. The only baptisms are my own. It stinks because they know what to do they just aren't doing it. I'm enjoying my "kid" as we call it. It’s so much better with a greenie. They’re willing and think that you know every thing. Everyone tries to be a zone leader here. If I am a trainer the rest of my mission, I would be more than happy. Anyway, next time you see Zack tell him your proud of him for me k? He’s developing a lot of faith right now. Well just work, work, work.

 Love you dad, take care,

 Elder Solomon

BAM!

My new greenie

Well I’ll start with the good and then move on to the rest of the stuff that went on this week. The good is we had 2 baptisms on Sunday and we have 4 more programmed for this week. The bad is none of the four went to church Sunday. Someone spread a rumor that all the bishops had a special meeting so there wasn’t going to be services on Sunday and a lot of people didn’t go... gimme a break. The area is really running except its hard to find new investigators... 

Ok story time. After English classes Saturday we were taking the girl home that just got baptized and she stopped at this rotisserie chicken stand and bought some stuff and offered me some. They looked like chicken legs so I ate them and they were really good so I had four. I got to investigate and the bones weren’t set up like legs. Did a little more investigating and sure enough... chicken neck. Didn’t have another. Well I also spend my monthly allowance this week as well. Some investigators finally decided to get married and they don’t have jobs right now. So I paid for it and they’re gonna pay me back. Its worth it, no? 

Now the scary story, mom you pry [probably] don’t want to read this one. There is this one part of our area where it is a railroad yard and there are a lot of people that live in boxcars and have just built on to them. It’s kind of cool but obviously really poor. Anyway I contacted a lady that lives there and we went to visit. She’s really cool and said she was going to church with us but as we were trying to leave we passed a group of pretty drugged up guys about my age. Well, they surrounded my helpless greenie and me and  the “boss”  walked up to me and asked me if I was going to invite him to a beer. I told him I didn’t have any beer and he told me to go to the store and buy him some. The lady then came running and the group left except the boss who got really close to me and I really thought he was going to hit me or stab me or something. I then took out twenty pesos and threw it at him and he left... I told the lady we will teach her in the chapel... close call. What;s interesting is earlier that day I found that twenty-peso bill in the street earlier that day. God always gives the way out, right? My poor greenie peed his pants I think... hahaha. He’s doing good, just kind of clueless and can’t do anything on his own. My only stress is the district now. The zl´s [zone leaders] really push like crazy and it’s a lot of pressure. I just have to figure out how to motivate them [my missionaries].

 Ok, I’ve babbled enough. Having a good time and working like crazy. Glad to hear the boys are doing so good in wrestling, Keep it up.  I’m sick that the one year im gone and can’t watch football the Cardinals are doing so good... oh, well.  Love you all. Be safe and stay away from boxcars.

 

---Elder Solomon

 

Come what may...enjoy!

December 30, 2008

 Ok, here are pictures of some pretty sloppy English, us (me and Elder Canche) at the temple, breaking the piñata Christmas eve and how big those things are, our two baptisms Sat (Dec 27, the only two of the week in the zone), and my new comp, Elder Villegas.

 Ok, well, when it rains it snows. I didn’t sleep a wink last night because I’m now a trainer AND the district leader... wow… at least im staying in the same area. The standards are really rising. Our last district leader got "fired" because he only had 2 baptisms last month. At least he is staying in the district so he can help me. My "kid" is Elder Villegas from Puebla where Elder Derek Buttars is. He seems pretty cool. But super young and super greenie. At least he is willing to work. The most stressful about all of this is the district leaders are the ones who do the baptismal interviews, which are really intimidating. I always would tell my investigators " there is a special elder who is capable of telling if you are ready for baptism and can answer whatever question you have"... now that’s me, oh boy! Pray for me k? I”m just gonna let it all be the Lord and give it all I’ve got. Do your part and He will do His.

 I really loved Elder Wirthlin’s last conference talk. It has had such an impact on me lately. I don’t even know what his phrase is in English but its “venga lo que venga disfrutalo” in Spanish, which by my interpretation is, come what may, enjoy,. Very uplifting happy stuff. I challenge you all to read it and really put it into your lives.  I really am trying to be " the missionary you mom thinks you are" and hopefully a little better... it doesn’t come all at once. Line upon line, precept upon precept right? 

I loved talking to you all Christmas. It lifted me up so much, I’m so grateful I have one of the greatest families ever. I love you all so much and I know the Lord is blessing you. Ok, time to take advantage of the greenie and meet my goal of 5 baptisms this next month. Help me reach it k? John 16:33 - fear not.

 Dad your comments about an empty family got me thinking a lot. I came to the conclusion that it will not happen in this life, don’t let it bother you. The goal is there. According to the Lords time. 40 of our years is about 57 minutes in His. D&c 58:3-4. See how that can apply to you. I love you. Love you all take care and happy new years. 

Elder Solomon