Letter 14

September 19, 2011

Hola mi familia y mis amigos! Como le va? bien? bien.

Hey my family and friends! How's it going? good? good.

 I don’t think there should be any problem with the package. I'm usually taking lunch the time the mail comes. And if not the other Elders are or the mail man hides it so it doesn’t get stolen. The only thing I know about my neighbors is that their dogs hate us, they like to smoke, and when you say "what’s up?" they say,"chillin’ chillin’. Sippin’ sippin’." So... they’re not much help. You could send gummy worms in it too! I love those. haha. I'm really sorry but yeah the camera plug in thing is really gay... I don’t know how to work it. And I’m really smart so that’s saying something. It’s broken. Can I just send you my memory card and you could send me a some new ones in the package? That would be nice. Yeah... do that please. I know what kevlar is haha.

Anyway... It’s all good here in Laredo. This week is Transfers and no one in my apartment is leaving which is nice. I'll probably be here for a while. Elder Wood thinks that he'll be here for like 2 more transfers and then I'll leave on the next one... but I don’t know about that. Whatever the Lord wants I guess.

This week we also had TRAINING. I freaking loved it. President and Sister Trayner came down with the APs and we talked about the 8 lessons (tools for teaching) and we role played teaching with them. It was amazing. I learned so much about how to be a better teacher and help my investigators progress. Can’t wait to use the stuff I learned. President Trayner is a spiritual giant and I love him. He's so darn funny! haha shoot... anyway I really enjoyed that. Oh and mom they went from Tuesday to Thursday from 9 am to 5 pm. And yes they fed us lunch too haha. I love you mom.

Elder Wood and I witnessed some miracles this week. One day after training we went to see our investigator, Daisy. We knocked on her door and one of her roommates came out and talked to us.  He told us that he works a lot because he needs to save his money so he can be with his wife who lives in UTAH. I'm like..."No way I’M from Utah too!" haha Elder Wood was like... "Does she go to a church up there?" haha and he said, " Yeah I think its like the Mormon church" hahah I was literally laughing. After we told him we were from that church he continued to tell us that he loves reading and while he was in jail he read the Bible like 10 times. Then he asked us if we had a Bible cause he lost his. "Nah we don’t have one right now... but here's another book." We then had a lesson on the Book of Mormon. This was a powerful witness to me that the Lord knows all. Before I left the apartment that day I looked at a Book of Mormon on the shelf and felt like I needed to put it in my backpack. So I did. And there it was when he needed it.

Oh we also found a family of 4 that is really tight. The mom is Catholic but has a lots of doubt and she has 3 kids, a 17 year old boy who is really cool (not too cool for school) and nice, a sweet little 12 year old girl, and a baby boy. He loves running around and touching stuff, so I pull out pass-a-long cards for him to play with. He also drew all over my planner last time... precious… haha I love that family. There are indeed baptisms scheduled for the month of October.

I love you all and I pray for you every night. I’m so glad Madi passed her test and that Chase is playing football and that Austin isn’t letting him on the team. Sounds like home. Good luck with that waterfall Dad! haha and thanks for all the letters Mom. You’re the best. I love you all.

-Elder Stewart

PS- I’m buying stamps today so hopefully I can send letters... so if you send me one... there is a high chance you'll get one back. If I like you. haha just kidding.

PSS- Thanks so much Kindra! You’re only a little bit older than me.

Letter 13

September12, 2011

HeyEveryone!

Solets start off by answering some questions... because apparently I'm not verygood at that.
1.Members feed us like... 2-3 times a week it really depends. If we don’t have anappointment we just work until 9. We can take an hour break for lunch -  which we usually take at the apartmentand sometimes at Taco Bell haha. Yes I still steal the hot sauce packets :D. 2.The members here are really nice. I love going to church every Sunday. It’s soawesome to know that the gospel is the same where ever you go. It’s not asstrong of a branch as the wards in Utah that’s for sure, but they are tryingand that’s what counts.

However,a word of caution to you future missionaries.. Membersare EXTREMELY thoughtless/stupid sometimes! If you take aninvestigator to church, be prepared to help them cope with the DEEPDOCTRINE that the members feel is their DUTY to explain to them... and notin a profound apostolic manner... but in rambling sentences consisting of wordslike:  intelligences, Adam and Eve,spirit PRISON, spiritual progression within Kingdoms, Kolob, etc. This isvery real... and it happens haha so be prepared. Haha there was thisguy in Priesthood that was investigating and actually just got baptizedyesterday. And we were talking about the Plan of Salvation and the teacherthrew out intelligences and the Spirit World and progression and all ofthis nonsense... and all the missionaries there were like, "AHHH! SHUT UPSHUT UP!" in our minds of course. Oh boy haha luckily the guy was stillbaptized so... yeah. But the members are super nice and I love them don’t getme wrong.

Sorryabout that little thing right there... 3. Yes you can send those things to myapartment address. BUT... if I move obviously you won’t want to do that, butthat wont happen for a few more weeks. 4. Yeah you can send me some new tubesfor sure... I was actually going to call and order some for myself haha my rimsare kinda getting jacked too because I've been bunny hopping all over theplace... soo.... I'll fix those. There is a bike shop down here. 5. Uhh... Ican’t remember all the questions you asked me... OH! this stupid card readersucks and I cant send pictures so ill just print some off some time... is thatok? 5.The weather is great. There is basically no humidity here. It’skinda like southern Utah. It’s only humid when it rains and it doesn’t do thatmuch. 6. I got a letter from Carmen, Lauren, Hannah Groom, and others Ibelieve... and I freakin’ loved it! I was laughing so hard. Well done.... welldone. You made me really trunky guys. Thanks!

Otherthan that I’m fine and the investigators are fine. Sorry I’m a little rushedand have to go but hopefully I’ll write Austin or something and send pics. Ilove you and I love the Lord! Have a great week and pray for the work inLaredo!

-ElderStewart

Letter 12

September 6, 2011

Hola!

Como estan mis amigos y mi familia? Todo bien? Espero que si. Pues... Todo bien aqui para mi y Elder Wood aqui en Laredo. Yes that was Spanish... I hope you’re impressed. Oh and sorry I couldn’t write yesterday! Yes mom we write in a Library and Labor Day did affect our schedule. You are so darn sharp... Those detective shows; combined with worrying about your children has molded you into a super heroine of discerning outcomes.

Chase: It’s ok that you shaved your mustache... you’re just storing up your hair for when I come home and can do it with you. How is Operation Winnie the Pooh?

Madi: That sucks about that test... that happened to JD Ashman too. But maybe your teacher will take pity on you because you don’t get any college credit.  That’s what happened to him! haha jk. Good luck with Homecoming! Don’t you dare kiss ‘em.

Austin: What have you been doing? I haven’t heard from you in a while. Is your hair long? Have you been working out? What is the lady situation? Also…in honor of Mary Poppins... imagine me doing acting out my favorite part where Bert and that little boy shake their fingers at each other.

Dad: Sorry I didn’t tell you happy birthday last week. Hope you got my letter. Good luck with that fountain haha I can just imagine you struggling out there and it makes me happy I'm on my mission.  You can write me letters if you want too. I love getting mail.

Mom: My bike is doing fine.  Don’t worry about me.  I'll let you know when I need more help. Also I told you last time to send me that suitcase... with "goodies" haha whatever you want. I love all gifts. Especially letters (from Auntie Tye, and like Tanner, Christian, Shayla, Carmen...)  If you can do that that would be so cool.

Teniamos mucho exito esta semana pasada.  Pero nuestro investigadora, Sammy, esta... no se.  She had that problem with her mom letting her be baptized, and then school started back up, and it just seems like she doesn’t have a lot of time to meet with us.  I'm afraid that if we don’t see her soon she will forget everything that has happened and just say that it’s not important to be baptized.  We can’t let her "procrastinate the day of[ her] repentance".  So we'll be working with that this next week.

Also we got to see Alex again yesterday, who is pretty darn "golden".  He knows everything we are teaching him is true and he has a lot of GREAT questions.  I love teaching him.  Also he works at a frozen yogurt place (or as Chase would call it: FroYo) and he said he could hook us up! AND he said there is like 35 different toppings! HOLLA! Good thing  I'm on a bike or I would get fat. We have appointments with him the rest of this week, so I'll let you know how that goes.

Fernando has a crazy schedule and he seems really cool when we talk to him, but he never is home so... I don’t know... we'll see.

We found someone named Daisy last week who is really cool.  She is the girlfriend of a contact that we had, and we were trying to get a hold of him, but she answered the door instead.  We talked and set up a return appointment and there we committed her to be baptized on Oct 11.  We thought she would have Law of Chastity problems since she was living with her boy friend, but apparently they got in a fight and are over.  So that’s... sad but good for us... and her... cause that’s not right. Get married first people. I feel bad though because she is only 18 and she has a son who is almost 2 and she needs a job and an apartment.  She said she's going to move back in with her mom in about three weeks, but the bad thing is her mom lives outside of our area! So... we need to teach her really fast! haha. Please pray for her to be able to find a job though please. She needs one so she can buy a phone so we can call her and make appointments.

Today we had a Zone Meeting to help us reach or goals for the month of September.  I learned so much.  We focused on how we need to be helping our investigators be converted before baptism. It’s our job to help them understand that baptism is just the 1st step not the last.  The more we do this, the more retention and stronger converts we will have. Before we can do this though we need to be doing all that we can to apply the principle we teach.  They need to know that we care about these things and that we know that they are true. "You cannot light a fire in another man's heart, unless it is burning in your own." Well I can tell you that after that meeting I have a fire in my heart that I want to share with all of the people of Laredo.  I can tell this week is going to be a good one. Be praying for Elder Wood and I.

Also don’t be mad but I bought a shirt at American Eagle yesterday... it was only 10 bucks! 40% off EVERYTHING!! I had to... it looks really good too.

I love you and pray for you every day!

Hasta proxima semana!

-Elder Stewart