A Week of News 1/21/2013

Hey there, first off, to tell of a few happenings. I need y'all to thank both the Bishops family and the YSA group in the ward, I got a package from both of them for Christmas and they were quite a nice and appreciated surprise. :)

 

I do indeed have a new comp, his name is Elder Nuñez from Mexico and he's super cool. We're having a really good time together, we get along well and we teach well together. I love having a comp that's pilas and ready to work and knows how to work and teach and all that good business. The fun fact is that he's Elder D's kid ha ha. A year ago they were comps...that was a long time ago haha.  

 

Anyway, this week was a little different, we spent quite a bit of time with the members, so that Elder Nuñez could get to know them and we got A TON of references to start working with this week. We have quite a few citas with people that are references of members and all that good stuff. We did find a SUPER positive lady, Maria. She works in the house of some members and apparently she was going to get baptized like a year ago but the missionaries missed a bunch of citas and then never contacted her again. We're going to help her and her 2 kids complete the goal that she had way back when. ;)

Now, Willie and Heidi moved this last week/are moving this week so it's been tough to get with them but we're going to help them move a little tonight so we're still going there. Henry is now back on the scene and says that he has been thinking a lot lately and wants to get baptized next month!!!!! So were pretty stoked for that answer to prayers, we kinda gave him some space for about 2 weeks to let him think and stuff and it worked :) The spirit worked in him :) We are also still going with Amelia and Evelyn, Amelia finally got a new job that doesn't make her work on Sundays and she came to church yesterday!!! We're very excited about that and I'll for sure let y'all know about the progress there :) 

 

I know this email is super like, to the point, but I'm just really rushed today haha. 

LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!!
Elder Westenskow

More Baptisms!! 1/14/2013

Early morning in El Centro

 HELLO ALL!

First off, a very happy week to all of you!  I'm glad that y'all had a good week last week :) I'll let y'all know about investigators a little mas adelante :)  BUT, the big news, two more baptisms! We're really excited about the work we're doing here in this area, the spirit is working on people and helping them to come unto Christ.  We were able to baptize Yessenia and Mariela on Saturday and both were really good experiences :)  Yessenia just because she's been so unsure but finally accepted the invitation of the Savior to be baptized and she did it with a willing and grateful heart.  The spirit was great.

Mariela's baptism was a whole other experience.  To see her finally be able to realize the desire that she's had for over a year now and be baptized into the Lord's church was great. It was a small, quiet service. Focused entirely on the baptism.  She invited only those she was close to and had really played a part in her conversion and baptism, a very special service.

 

 

As for other investigators we've got a few.  Julieta is the mom of a kid we just reactivated but she never got baptized, she seems really open to the idea of going to church (she's been twice) and so we're just really trying to figure out her needs and address them with doctrine :)  We have Heidi, who is the wife of someone that Elder D activated and she's been to church several times but for some reason never accepted a fecha. We're going back tomorrow to see if we can put a fecha :)

Really I think that's it. 

LOOOOVEEEE YOU ALLL!!!!!!

Elder Westenskow

 

My Zone

 

We Need to Act for Our Spirits to Grow 1/7/2013

Dear Family!

How is everyone doing? This is my first email from 2013. Also known as the year I come home :) Crazy to think about ha ha.

Anyway, as for me this week was EXCELLENT! As for New Years, we didn't really do anything, just watched the fireworks at midnight. 

Now, the photos. They are of the baptism that we had, which I'll comment on mas adelante.

 

 

First off, I'll let you all know that we have 2 fechas for this Saturday, with Mariela (FINALLY!!!!) her mom held to her word and is letting her attend church this year so we're going to baptize her on Saturday because she really, really doesn't want to wait anymore. And we also have a fecha with Yisenia :) 

We found a super positive investigator this week too, her name is Carolina and she's a friend of a member, Nicole knows her as Hna Urizar. She apparently attended church when she was younger and went to institute last year and all that good stuff and now she feels like she needs something more in her life. So we're pretty stoked about her, she seems really positive and we might be able to teach her mom too. :)

 

We also are still teaching Willy and Heidi. They're progressing very slowly, it's sometimes hard to get them to keep commitments, but we taught them last night about the need to ACT in order to have our spirits grow, to bring ourselves closer to God, so hopefully we'll see something there :)

Now, the baptism :))))) It was incredible!  Really, really special. They were both pretty nervous and so were we but we really just let the spirit do the work. The spirit was very, very strong. The messages were good and the moment of baptism was incredible as always. The bishop confirmed them and it was incredible! The best surprise, while we were changing Yisenia really felt the spirit and announced that she wanted to be baptized as well, so she'll be getting baptized next week, now we just need Osmars little sister and everyone on the mountain will be members :) We're really excited after a lot of disappointments and setbacks, we are receiving the blessings that we have worked so hard to receive. :)  So overall a great week :)  I love you all! Hope you have a great week! LOOOOVEEESSSS!

Elder Westenskow

 

P.S. Elder Cruz had changes

Happy New Year 12/31/2012

Hi Family,

Hey there, how's everyone doing?! Great I do hope, I'm quite happy myself, I'll warn you this will be a bit short because not a TON happened this week, but good things did happen :)

First off, on mom's comment that this year has gone fast, HOLY COW has it gone fast ha ha. I can't believe that this year is over tomorrow, I remember New Years 2011 and I was like "this is the year of the mission" well now were starting the year I come home ha ha. Crazy stuff. 

Now, the biggest news from us would be from Bryan, Yisenia, and Osmar. Now, Yisenia is still unsure and doesn't want to get baptized yet. We took them to a baptism this week and it got Osmar and Bryan really excited  and we'll be baptizing them on the 6th after church :) So that's the best news and really the only news

We've also been looking for a new house because our dueña is not easy to work with, but it's been super hard, turns out we live in a suuuuuuuuper expensive part of town ha ha But we'll do it :)

I think that's my week so I'll leave y'all here LOVE YOU!!!!! 

Happy New Year and HAPPY BIRTHDAY NICOLE!!!!

Love,

Elder Westenskow

Merry Christmas 12/24/2012

Hey there,

First off, MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE!!!!! I hope everyone is enjoying . Due to tomorrow being Christmas and the famous second to last phone call, I won't be writing a whole ton today, next week will be more normal but I just wanted to wish all a very Merry Christmas, I love you all and thank you so much for your support and love. Have a good one everyone and may we remember the real Christmas Spirit, the remembrance of the birth and life of our Savior, let us be a little more grateful for the great gift of repentance that he has given us every day. I want you all to know that I love Him and I love you and I wish and pray with all of my heart that he will pour his richest blessings upon you all in this great Christmas season. Have a great one everyone!

Love,

Elder Westenskow

Faith and Prayers 12/17/2012

Hello Family!

First off, if you want a good look at my area, watch this, it was almost all filmed in my area: http://mormon.org/me/7RH7

(The audio is in Spanish, but there are English subtitles available. Click play, in the bottom toolbar a caption button will pop up [CC], click on that for the subtitles.)

Thought you might like that.  

Now, I GOT THE CHRISTMAS PACKAGE!! So that's super exciting, I got the tree all decorated with presents and the little ornaments that y'all sent. Super cool, THANKS a lot as well for the scriptures, that was really cool :)  I'll let you know what I think of the rest when I open it! LOOOOVES!!

Now, the gazebo thing that you saw is a gazebo. That's pretty much what it is, just a place for people to chill and stuff like that, the park is actually really cool and a lot of that video is in central park. About my shoes, they're new! I bought 4 pairs for like 100 quetz, yay for pacas and bartering! So I'm fine on shoes. I still have my boots but I don't really use them ha ha. The weather is fine, it gets COLD at night but we do alright.

First off, Henry. We had to bump his fecha back because he didn't come to church. So we told him that and he was like, alright. But then on Friday we visited him and when we talked about baptism he was like "listen, I was super stoked to get baptized on the 8th but then when you guys told me that for reasons of attendance I would have to wait. I just thought of the story in the bible where the guy had desires to be baptized and he saw a lake and was baptized, there was no rules or restrictions. So when y'all told me that I just got kinda unexcited. I want to keep going to church and I'll get baptized later but now I want to wait" .................................... So we just testified to him that the need that he felt before is still there and he's supposed to pray and ask if he should wait or go through with it. We're still waiting to see what happens there. 

HOWEVER; with Bryan and Yisenia. We went and were confirming the fecha (they had the attendances to be baptized on the originally planned 22nd but Osmar would have to wait because he didn't go once) so we're talking and they said they weren't sure if they wanted to be baptized. We talked about the book of Mormon and one true church and the need to pray and ask if they should be baptized. Osmar was like "alright, the 29th then, no problem :)" so hes pilas. However, everyone came to church yesterday so were pretty stoked, we think they might go through with it anyway.  So prayers there would be appreciated :)

We also have Pablo. We're hoping to baptize him this month. He has a testimony of the church and the gospel and all of it but he's just not 100 percent sure about baptism but he too is supposed to pray and ask if he should be baptized so we're hoping for that as well for the 29th. 

We also found a pretty cool family this week, the family Citatlan. We didn't meet the parents but the grandma and kid are LEGIT. We watched a Christmas video with them and set a cita to go back and see them. So we're hoping for good things, the dad is an inactive member and the rest of the family aren't members. So we're hoping for good things there as well :)  We have some other people as well but the most positives are these. Like I said, kinda a rough week, we're trying really hard, so please, prayers and faith for us and for the zone. We need the help and the miracles that can come :) Just a little stressed, not much ha ha. LOVE YOU ALL!!!! 

Elder Westenskow