Wow. Wowowowowow. What a week, I don't even know where to start. Last Monday feels like a year ago considering the events that went down over the past 7 days. Guess I should just start from the beginning!
MONDAY- We had an awesome plan to go see the Familia Umaña who is a less-active part-member family. We have been trying to teach the whole family for so long, and we finally could. Only came with one issue. I hope y'all remember the... interesting... Romanian food we had the Sunday before. Yeah, well, it wasn't sitting very well with me. We walk into their apartment and it's like 80 degrees, and they offered us some tamales. GREAT TAMALE by the way, I just could only get down a few bites. I could feel the cold sweats coming and we got outta there. After trying to calm down my stomach for 20 minutes, it just said nope, and that authentic Romanian sausage was out of me. Literally 5 minutes after I felt like a new man.
TUESDAY- This was Christmas Eve, but for the Hispanics, it was Christmas. It was crazy, 8 year Olds were setting off big fireworks, everyone was outside with their family. It was so cool! Not many people wanted to talk to us, but we decided to make cookies and pass them out to some of the people we were teaching just to wish them a Feliz Navidad! We did, and then we headed over to the Familia Baten and Mario and spent Christmas Eve there. They are literally the best family ever!! Such great examples of Christlike service, they truly exemplify what it means to look outward before inward. They are all on fire. Anyways, we had some tamales and talked a lot about their conversion stories. It was fantastic!
WEDNESDAY- LA NAVIDAD!! Getting to call home was Awesome, but also kind of anticlimactic considering last year I was a total wreck. I love being able to call home every week, it truly has blessed me so much and has allowed me to focus on my Savior even more so as I do his work. This night was honestly probably one of my most favorite Christmases ever. If yall have ever met me around Christmas time, you know one of my most favorite things to do during the season was to doorbell ditch and leave goodies and things on the porch. Well, we didn't doorbell ditch, but we did get to write letters of gratitude to members and go bike around and drop them off on their porches. I really enjoyed that. There really is something about a Christmas as a missionary that makes it special. I have to say this was one of the first Christmases that I felt like I was spending the day doing my best to do what the Savior would do, doing little Christlike acts. I am so grateful to be in His service. I truly felt like I celebrated Him. It will, no doubt, be a Christmas I treasure forever.
THURSDAY- We had a great day being able to go over to a member's house and help them prepare as their son is getting ready to receive his call any day now. They also asked for blessings, and we were able to do so. We also went back to the Romanian household, hoping we may be able to get a gospel discussion in... Nope. They pulled us in and sat us at the table and had more Romanian food all ready. They are honestly the most kind and generous people ever. They just want to give give give. They truly are Christlike examples of charity. But man. The food is just not my favorite. This time we had some potato chicken cauliflower pie, and some dangerous looking meat wrapped in cabbage. I prayed through the whole meal. They were so kind and loving, but Elder Cram and I realized they weren't super interested in the gospel, but loved showing us their customs! It was fun to get to know another country so well. I never thought I would learn about Romania here in Houston, TX.
FRIDAY- This was honestly, probably one of the hardest days I've ever had here in the mission. As a missionary, you truly just grow fond of the members and the people you serve and teach. They become your family. You love them, want the best for them, are disappointed when they maybe don't choose the best decisions, but celebrate as they make steps towards the Savior. Well on this day, Olga and her family sent us a text saying "Thank you for the visits, but we don't really think it's for us". 😢 I was heartbroken. That family was so close to being an eternal family. It crushed me pretty hard. I was really sad, I really loved that family. That night I prayed so hard, probably one of the hardest prayers I've ever offered in my life. I needed the support of the Atonement of my Lord. I put my heart and soul into that family for months and all the sudden, they were gone. I gained such a reassuring peace that the Lord was aware of them and of me. That they would be OK, just their path was a little longer and windier. I also gained the comfort that I gave it all I could to help them get to know Christ and his restored gospel. That was a huge tender mercy for me. It filled me with joy to know that I can depend on my Savior, even though I am not perfect and struggle at times, that he is ALWAYS there as a support.
SATURDAY- if you want to talk about tender mercies from the Lord than WOW this is the day for it. First off, we Finally got to meet this supposedly golden referral sent from a member in another ward. Her name is Catalina and she is so neat!! Such a kind person with a good spirit. We are now teaching her, and that was a mercy because there were not many people that were very receptive to us for the meat of the week. That was a little miracle. Then, we had a great lesson with our friend Cristian who agreed to come to church. Very humble man, he's getting out of a lot of problems and is here alone from Honduras. But that's just the Honduran people. So humble, always. THEN as we were coming home, we saw a young man, Jose, who we met a while ago, but lost all contact with him. He said he had to change his number, and REALLY wants us to come over and teach his family. Another miracle. God truly provided us little mercies to show us that he was there and aware of us. It was awesome!!
SUNDAY- A great and sad day. We got to see Cristian come to church just like he said, and he said he liked it a lot. Also, Mario, showing up in a shirt and tie like a stud, got confirmed as well. We also found out from his that his older brother who he doesn't talk to much is actually the head honcho of all the Bloods out here in the Houston area. Huh, who knew? Pretty crazy. But we had 2 sad notices. 1. The Baten family is moving the end of this week, and that means that Mario will be going with them. That was a huge bummer. Hopefully I get to serve in their new ward. 2. The end of an era. One of my best friends out here, and favorite companions, Elder Christopherson finished his time here and went home. One of the best men I've ever met. Elder Cram and I are going to miss him a lot.
I've been reflecting a lot lately. A lot on 2019, my only full year set apart officially to be a missionary and servant of Jesus Christ. I am at peace. I have been changed by my Savior, and continue to be changed every day. I can say that I really know him, not just know about him. I've grown to be a lot more of the man that I want to be. When people say those 2 years being a missionary are the best, they're correct. Not because being a missionary is blissful, fun, and sunshine and rainbows 24/7. No, to be 100% transparent, there's a lot of missionary work that just is tough, a grind, and at times really stinks, just like my Friday 😂. But the reason why it is the best 2 years is because you get to know your Savior. Joy comes from being fully dependent on Him and his will as you give it your all. That's all I get to do every single day. I get to let Him change me and mold me little by little. I am the firmest believer in Alma 37:6 "And by small and simple means are great things brought to pass". I would say that for me, this change of heart and mind I have experienced in these past 365 days, and continue to experience daily is a great thing that has come to pass as I wake up every morning at 6:29, as I truly try to study and apply the scriptures, as I do my best to serve and share
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