August 8, 2011

Hello everyone!

This week has been a great week! My companion and I have been working very hard to find new investigators. Our teaching pool has shrunk a little bit but we have been seeing some amazing miracles! We taught a first lesson to a new investigator named Elaene. She is from Brazil and speaks Portuguese and is up here going to UCI studying English. We brought two members with us, one who speaks Portuguese and one who speaks Japanese, because Elaene's roommate is from Japan and studying English as well. When we taught Elaene she told us that she used to go to English class in Brazil that the missionaries of our church teach! She also said she took the missionary lessons in English. She said she already believes the Book of Mormon is true and that whenever she has had hard times in the past or struggles, she will always read the Book of Mormon to find answers and to feel peace and calm. She is such a miracle!

I got to go on two exchanges this week where I had the opportunity to work with other Elders within the zone. I love being able to see how many different ideas and ways to do the work there are. We were able to teach a man who has a best friend is a pastor and organizer of a certain church. It was probably one of the most intense lessons I have had yet on my mission. He was taking notes the whole time we were talking and he would ask really deep questions. However during the lesson he started to bash a little bit and he kept twisting what I was trying to teach and share and at one point after I shared my testimony on a principle he asked me a question where he had twisted my meaning and so I told him "You know exactly what I meant. We came hear to share what we believe and not to play with and twist each others words." It was a little bold, but he stopped and the lesson ended very well.

I am loving everything about serving a mission down here in southern California! i am learning so much and it is very neat to be in California where I get to talk to people from literally every race and culture. I think at this point I know how to say the phrase "how are you?" and a few other phrases in 11 languages. the diversity here makes tracting very fun and I am loving every minute of it! I love you all. I hope all is well! O and today was transfers, but I am staying the same along with my companion! I am excited because my companion and I will see many more miracles this week!