Week 16: Ortega Family

Hey hey hey!
Another week as come and gone! this was week one of transfer too! so it didn't affect me at all! 
This week I felt a little bit like it was back to square one...with the Morenos bapt. we had to find some more people. I think Satan hits you kinda hard after a bapt. because it was a tough couple of days at first. We didn't find anyone!! so i don't have anyone new to add to the list of investigators but we have some people that have some good potential! 
The thing I learned this week is how big temple square is! so many people that we have been talking to had been to temple square and knew a little bit! so that was really cool for me to see how big that really is! We also got to go do some more service this week at that same house! we spent 2 hours cleaning out vines that have grown into the fence and it was nice and hot! luckily today is nice and cool, and rainy! 
We went and did our laundry and i don't know why  we tried to dry our clothes because by the time we rode home they were all wet again! haha. The weather changes so quick here it reminds me about home! last night we got out of a lesson about 8:50 and had a 15 min. bike ride home and it started to pour!!!!! it made me laugh when i thought of how quick the weather changes back home and how quick it changes here! but the rain felt really good and it was nice that we were able to just go home right after it! 
We are still working with Irma and The Ortega family! both of them came to church again yesterday so they are on track for the 28th!!  We got to eat mole with the Ortegas last week too! they know so much about the church already i fee like they are already a member family! its so awesome to see them progress! 
 Hno Ortega did ask me a question that made me laugh, we were talking about how the church is all over the world and there are members everywhere! he was all "do you have some sort of sign or something that you can do to secretly let others know you are a member and know who the other members are too?" and he also asked how someone told him that Mormons have 7 wives, and without even thinking i said "si les puede tener tambien" ( "yes. you can have them too")  i knew what i was saying and meant it as a joke, but his face was all "WHAT"  He was so confused and it was pretty funny.  I thought it made the situation not as awkward. 
And as for Irma we had a pretty funny story with her also. the other night we taught her and we were reviewing lesson one.  I asked her a question about restoration and just kinda of what the word means in general.  She got all nervous cuz she didn't know and the whole night she felt embarrassed when she didn't know something. We tried to explain that its ok and we were just reviewing and not to worry about it.  Well, later that night she called to say sorry and was almost crying and felt so bad, and then the next lesson she came it and "wanted to show us what she had learned!" she pretty much memorized the lesson one pamphlet! She taught us pretty much! She knew all dates and everything! it was so funny! I felt bad when I asked the question but if its going to get her to study like that all the time then hey! whatever works right! She has also read all of 1 Nephi! I'm pretty excited for her and how well she is progressing! 
Other than that there hasn't been too much going on! just doing la obra! (the work!)
Just want everyone to know I'm doing good, I love being a missionary and meeting so many awesome and crazy people! and helping them change their lives! I know this church is true and se que El vive!! ( I know He Lives!!)
Tengan una buena Semana! gracias por todo y su oraciones y amor! LES AMO!
( Have a good week!  Thanks for all your prayers and love!  I LOVE THEM!)
CON AMOR
Elder Erickson 

Week15: Dunkin' 'em

Ok so a lot happened this week so im going to try and be fast here!

1. I got a hair cut last week and when you are in mexi land everything is automatically a fade unless you say you dont want one....so we went to this super ghetto barber shop and i got a fade. haha it looks funny but its almost grow out now.

2 we went to this training camp for a few days that they have in Kingwood, the rich part of my mission. So everyone there is super white and super prideful! it was a whole different world than being in DH! it was weird talking with White people about the gospel! but it was really fun! its so green here i feel like im in Oregon a lot of the time! but in kingwood they have trails with trees all around you and they cut all through the city so it was way awesome to ride those!

3. WE HAD A BAPTISM THIS WEEK! YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it was so awesome! all three kids, Nicky, Nathan, and Lyric were all made clean on saturday! Easter Saturday couldnt have been spent any better! although i do miss me a good old easter egg hunt and grandmas and my orange eggs in the living room - this beat it! I got to baptize Nicky! that kid is such a stud! i would love it when we asked him questions cuz he always gave such awesome answers and they were deep but not at the same time! he is so cool! i love him! we had a full house when they got bapt. we had irma and the ortegas come who both have dates for the 28th! and then other missionaries and their investigators came along with President. It was sweet! I went last out of the three. Elder facer bapt. Lyric. Elder Robles Bapt. Nathan, he is our zone leader and was in DH two Transfers ago and him and nathan became good friends! and then i Bapt. Nicky! when i said the prayer the first time i messed up so that made me a little nervous. I forgot An "y" entre Hijo and Espiritu so i had to redo it. But when they told me to redo it is when i actually realized what was going on! I didn't even really realize what i was doing! I was in the waters of Baptism with one of Gods children! thats when i got super pumped! and super Nervous cuz i realized that there was a whole crowd of people watching me! but it was such a great day! I Love that family they are one of the best in DH. ill try and send some pisc of the baptism!

4. Sacrament! it was a bit crazy yesterday! we had Jesus, irma, the family Ortega, and another investigator family and some less actives we have been working with come to church! so we were trying to spread ourselves among them and sit by them so they felt welcome and get members sitting by them and all! and more people came than normal because it was Easter! and I had to give a Talk!!!!! and to make it even better there was the confirmation of the Morenos! i stood in by didnt confirm anyone! it was a great, busy sunday! oh and to make it better they didnt have enough Deacons there so me and Elder Facer got to pass the sacrament as well! so really we were everywhere yesterday! it was crazy! My talk went alright! i made it shorter because they wanted all four of the Elders to say something instead of just two! and i had to say something about an Easter message cuz really they asked us to talk on missionary work! it was a great day and i felt like a real missionary then! haha. but i loved it still! and i think i was less nervous giving my talk in spanish than i was when i gave my farewell talk! haha

 The trip to AZ sounded like it was awesome! im so glad you got to meet Sis. larson and cottrell. They are bomb! i miss my MTC district a little! we were pretty close but i hope they are all doing well! and i hope you are all doing well back home! sounds like everyone is so thats good! 

Best of luck this next week with everyones work and school! Sounds like finals are coming up so good luck to everyone with that as well!

I Love you all!

Con amor por todo!

Elder Erickson

 Zone Leader, Nicky, Lyric, Nathan

Elder Erickson, Zone Leader, Elder Facer

Elder Erickson with Nicky

 Missionaries with the Morneos Family

Service Pictures

Elder Erickson sent these pictures along with his email today - Love getting pictures!

Me doing some service! This is how a lot of mexicans cut their grass here! is so funny!

We passed by this kid who is 20 and he's been here for about 6 months living all by himself in the house you can kind of see! Hopefully we will get to go teach him some more! He was way cool!

 The yard we did service in!

Me doing Service in my Shirt and Tie baby!

 This is all of us working when we were getting close to being done!

 Bowling with all the missionaries in  the zone.

                                                 Ward party right before Priesthood session!

Week 14: General Conference

Hey

So today is zone p-day so I dont have quite as much time to email as I would like. I'm not sure how much time I wil have to write letters but I will try my best to get some out. For zone p-day we are going bowling...haha. it will be fun in our ties and all. I dont think I can bowl quite the same though as we usually do!....but you never know.

So conference was awesome! We got to watch all 5 sessions at the church! It was a lot of time spent at the church but well worth it! I Love it! I think it was the first time I've actually listened to all of them haha. and I didnt even fall asleep. Miracle right? I thought so. But I loved all the talks and took a ton of notes! I thought there was a ton said about the family and teaching the Gospel in the family! That would be something so helpful here in Houston. A lot of members dont even really know about family night.

Im also so pumped for Drew! Portugal!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's so sick! I wish he was speaking spanish but hey him and alex will be able to talk together! Just like me and Dallin are going to be able to! If i ever learn it. Its coming a long ok now. We still teach too much english though, but teaching is good no matter what language. We went and knocked a neighborhood that was straight blacks....man I love black people. they were so crazy I was trying so hard not just to bust out laughing some of the times. It was a whole other language too. haha

But we had a funny/ spiritual story again this week

We stopped by a family who's kids were baptized about 3 months ago and they haven't been to church since. We thought that their mom was just inactive. But after we were talking to them we found out she has never been baptized at all. So that changed things a little bit. She was kinda timid to talk to us and it was about 8:45 so she hesitated to open the door. But the spirit came and she warmed up and even went and woke her kids up to come and talk to us. After we talked for a little Elder Facer told them that we wanted to sing them a song and then have the Mother say a prayer to close. We sang Te Nesecito, or I Need Thee Every Hour I think. but I'm bad at singing but it still sounded ok and brought the spirit. The mom still didn't want to pray and we asked her why and she said because she can't in Spanish..? so we were like so do you know English? and she said no its a dialect. Luckily the song brought the spirit enough that she did it anyways. It was crazy! So many sounds I had never heard before! lots of z's and x's it was way cool! and we could feel the spirit even more! and she felt it enough that she wanted to do something nice for us! She brought us cokes! :/ HAHA  i havent had pop in forever besides the other members who give it to me and I'll sip maybe a 1/4 a can in a meal, and I've never ever had a coke. haha. but she brought us those big glass bottle ones and they were already opened! so we tried to be like thanks we'll drink them when we get home! But she said they would spill and to drink them now! So we didnt want to offend her! so we downed the whole thing. That was harder than the menudo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It about killed me! and my stomach hurt all night! but at least I can say I've had a coke!...not really sure how people drink those so much. HAHA

But as for our investigators everything is pretty much the same! Should have a Baptism this week!!! Pray for that!!!!!! Have love and learning in the home! as said by just about everyone this weekend! haha I Love you guys so much! Tell everyone Hello! I Love you and hope none of you forget about me! haha

LES AMO!!

Con amor!

Elder ERICKSON!

Week 13: Enfermidad De la Comida :/

Hey ya'll

Yeah i am starting to say that word. what of it. Its really quite useful.
but there are so many stories this week i dont even know where to begin!
We'll start with the subject of this Email. Yeah me and elder Facer had Food poisoning this week........haha. It Sucked so freakin bad!!!!!! thursday night at about 4 I woke up and felt so crapy and i couldn't sleep then i felt like I was going to chuck so I went and got a bowl and just laid there all night. And I didnt really get any worse while I laid there so at about 6:30 I didnt want to be a wuss so I was like ok I guess I'm going to try and push through it. I didnt exercise because I wasnt feeling good. But I decided that a cold shower might make things better. But after I got up and started moving around it hit me so hard. I threw up everything!!!!!!!!! It was so gross and I spent the next little while in the bathroom. Im pretty sure we drank old milk. And to make the day even better Elder Facer wasnt sick yet and he is the district leader and fridays we have districit meeting so he felt like we should still go...??? so there wasnt anyway I was dressing up so I threw on some sweats and told him if he wanted to I could sleep in the back of the room so lets go. haha so I slept in the church until about 12:30.

Then we were supposed to have splits that day so Elder Mallard came back to the house with me and I slept in bed until about 7. Then we had to go out with a member cuz he was our ride to switch back from our splits. I was having a hard enough time thinking in english. (the night before this too we had something wake us up in the middle of the night so I was already tired!) But I had to go teach a lesson in spanish. Boy is the spirit sweet! During the lesson I didnt even really feel sick! and I had to take the lead role since in was in my area and Elder Mallard's spanish isn't like Elder Facer's so I was having to do most of it! But I felt good through the whole lesson. And then we it was over and we left....zaz! I was sick again. It sucked but it was cool that I had help through the lesson! Elder Facer ended up getting sick later on in the day as well.
Saturday Morning: we had a service project we were supposed to do but I hadnt eaten anything at all on Friday and didn't really feel like it Satuday morning. But we went to the project anyways and my smart 36 companion said we should wear prosiliding outfits. We both were super weak but showed up to this house with weeds in there front lawn 3 feet high and our project was to clean up the yard. hahaha oh man. It was a long project but the yard looks good, and it was good to get behind a lawnmower again! I never thought I would miss that one but I kinda do. But I have some pretty good pics of me mowing the lawn in a shirt and tie just trying to stay standing haha. After that we went back and slept a little bit and then went out in the night. weak but feeling better!

Sunday: so Sunday I was supposed to give a talk in Spanish on the importance of missionary work. I had written in quickly cuz I wasnt feeling good when I wrote it but when I got to sacrament during the sacrament they switched it on us. Right in the middle of the meeting Elder Facer got a text from our Bishop that said were going to make this a testimony meeting haha. So that was a relief as well! but I did get up and bare my testimony! and I'll probably have to give that talk after conference!, which I'm stoked for! Also on Sunday we had our Chior performance! It was so sweet! They had those mormon message videos between each song and some testimonies as well! It was so sweet to be apart of it! Even though I cant sing I still enjoyed being in it! haha
Earlier in the week I got to go on splits with Elder Mallard and Elder Vitemin or something like that, he spent the first 7 years of his life in spain then moved to Utah! He is a way funny elder. and I loved going out with them and was a whole new world for me. We had a lot of fun and gave me a little hope that someone else besides me isn't just a machine haha!,
Investigators:
Morenos are all still doing good! And we are working with them!
We actually and zero in church yesterday so that was sad after a week of 7.
Jesus is still working on smoking
Irma. She is new I think. but she is golden! She wanted to get bapt. before we even asked her! It was awesome! we called her one day to see if we could move her Church tour a half hour later, and she was all excited for it! Then when we asked her if she had read the pamphlet she was all oh yes! and I have been looking in bookstores to find a book of mormon but I cant find one. I've been reading it online for now, do you know where I could buy one?"!!!!!!!!!! what?????????????? crazy! but then we told her we would give her one and she was trying to pay us! It was funny. I'm just a little worried she doesnt get the whole thing about us not just being a good church and how she can realize how ours is different cuz she its a little bit looney. but I love her anyway and I'm excited to teach her!
Libni Ortega: they didn come to church but we did set dates with them for the 21 of April! and we have a noche de hogar tonight with them so we'll how that goes!


Con Amor:
Elder Erickson

Week 12: Priesthood Blessings

Hey everyone!

So this week was a busy one again of course! but with a lot of work comes a lot of stories so i might not get them all in.

But first the funny one that leads into a spiritual one. We were at the Riveras house for dinner Wednesday night, thats the same family i ate the pig feet with, but as we were getting ready to leave Hna Rivera asked for a blessing. Elder Facer asked me if i would do the sealing and i told him i'd do it next time and just do the anointing this time. So he said ok sounds good, but the next blessing- no matter what you are giving the blessing part. So i just said ok and went and i struggled through the anointing because i had never even looked at it in Spanish, But then elder Facer gave a sweet blessing.

 So that night we went home and we got a call from sister Larson and she said that a guy had called in from Provo and his father lived in our area and he was on Bed rest and his health was declining fast and asked if the missionaries would give him a blessing. He said he wasn't going to be able to be there but the whole rest of his family would - none of them are LDS. So lucky for me that was the next blessing i had to give it. haha So the next day we went over there and taught a little lesson about faith and blessing and a little about our church because they didn't really know anything. Then we went into the room with the man, Carlos Duran, and he was laying in bed and wasn't alert. It reminded me a lot of my clinicals, it was a weird flash back.

I had been praying the whole day to have help with the blessing and in my head I was thinking that I would have help to say everything I thought in spanish and maybe have one of those cool stories where I start saying words I didn't even know. I was nervous but I was trying really hard to have Faith that I would get help. When it came my turn to give the blessing I kept thinking how the spanish words should just come...but they didn't. Instead the Lord came down to my level and helped me out. Instead of having me say big and meaningful words, the words he had me say in the blessing were words I had already learned. It was way cool for me because I still felt like it was a good blessing for him and the family but I didnt  have to use anything to complicated. I'm sure I still messed up stuff but I got it out and I felt pretty good about it!

So it was ironic that it happened to be the next day for me that I had to give the blessing. I thought it was pretty funny! showed me a little of God's humor. 

This week was a week full of priesthood blessings, we were actually supposed to give another one to a man in our ward but he had to go into work. His story is crazy. He works at a shell gas station and the other night he was working the cash register and he got robbed! He doesnt really speak any english but I guess he got cracked in the face with a bat! I felt so bad for him when he called us, he could barley talk....and he still had to go into work. So i'll try and get more of an update on him for you.

I had some more weird stuff this week!!! Menudo. That stuff is nasty....Its Cow Stomach. The taste wasnt too bad but the texture and thought of it was. But i champed the whole bowl! haha I also had Fijoles Charlos...which I guess is super common but its beans and Pork skin...i didnt know what that one was until after haha. Mexicans eat so unhealthy though its killing me! haha i just want some veggies for somethings!!! its always just loads of meat beans and tortillas! haha but its all good.

For an investigator update:

Jesus: we had to take off his bapt. date because he is a pretty heavy smoker. We set up a plan and if he sticks to in its still going to take 2 months! but he's gone from a chain smoker to a 3 pack a week so that was good!

Dora: We also had to drop her, it's sad but she had some doubts still and didn't come to church this week so no bapt. Sat for here. I think after a few visits things should be good again though!

Libni Ortega: He and his family are someone we knocked into two weeks ago in *hour of power! They are golden!!! We taught them once and he had read the highlighted things he wanted to know and their whole family came to church after only one visit!!!! It was awesome we are going to try and set a date with them this week when we teach them again!

Morenos: This family is my favorite in Houston! the mom, Candy was bapt. right before i got here! the dads been a member but there kids lyric, nicky, and Nathan have now all decided to get bapt. Yesterday after church Nathan told us that he wanted to get bapt. and so now all three have dates for the 7th, and nicky even asked me if I'd bapt. him! We're going to try and get his dad to do it but the dad said he didn't want to. so we will see!

We had 7 investigators in church this past sunday and two less actives! so it was a way good day for us yesterday! hopefully they all can keep progressing!

Sounds like everyone is having a good time back home! I miss you all and hope you are enjoying being with eachother!

Con amor!!

Elder Erickson

*hour of power! 

We received a e-mail form the Mission President explaining "Hour of Power"  taught at their last zone conference:

    "We talked of the power of faith in our goal setting as missionaries and in life.  At the end of the meeting the Assistants shared the “Hour of Power” which is that every Thursday at 5:50 p.m. the missionaries are to be in  a member’s homes to share with them a brief lesson on faith then to let the family know that from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. they will be in their area or neighborhood searching out those who are ready and prepared to hear the gospel.  At 5:55 p.m., the missionaries ask the members to kneel in prayer and ask in faith that the missionaries will be led to those in the neighborhood who are ready and prepared to hear the gospel message.  We have experienced many wonderful miracle stories already.  If you haven’t already been asked, Sister Crawford and I invite you to join with us every Thursday at 6:00 p.m. CST and ask the Lord to bless not only your loved one, but all the missionaries in T.H.E. Mission to find those, that very night, who are seeking to know the truth.  I will thank you in advance for your additional prayers on our behalf."

I too want to thank any of you who join in this Thursday "hour of power"  Your faith and prayers will be felt!   - Annette

Week 11: Crazy Food and Choir Tryouts

Hey Family!!!

Sounds like its been a good week for everyone back home! I love March cuz there are so many Birthdays! and it sounds like everyone is getting Converted to Apple! (Mom just got a new MacBook and Dad got an iPad 3 for his birthday) haha that's awesome and I hope everyone enjoys it all! As for me life is good! Its been a little stressful week for me! My comp is so Number oriented its kinda a joke! but we're still working on that!

But I got a few more things to add to the list of things I have eaten! First was Patita de puerco! its pig feet!! it was kinda gross but wasn't to the point of where I couldn't put it down. It really didn't taste that bad I think its all just in my head. But I also got Alligator Tail! that was something i was looking forward too! haha It tasted just like a mix of Chicken and fish! it wasn't bad at all! but I'm glad i got to try that!

I also got my first Houston rain storm. well two on them. and I guess it was just a normal one but it was harder than anything I had ever seen in Utah. Just walking from a members car to our house I was soaked. It comes down when it rains. And one of the storms was an all day one so we were riding in to from 3 to about 9... I didn't prepare for how cold it can get here! haha it was a long night for me! but it was cool to see the rain and how hard it can come down!

As for our investigators we dropped Lesbi and Isaias which kinda sucked for me cuz that was like my first house and investigators but they don't even open the door anymore so maybe later we'll try and stop by again! we did commit two more people to bapt. this week! I don't think I told you about Dora! maybe I did... I cant remember when we committed her, but she came to church last Sunday and told us she has gotten an answer, But I think she has a problem with some stuff so we'll see if we can get it worked out and her date is the end of this month! We also had a girl named Lyric, the brother to Nicky who has a date, she said she got a answer too so we were pretty pumped about that one as well! hopefully they all stick through! Spanish is still coming along slow and hard, we have had a lot of things going on in the morning so language study is usually what gets cut out. I'm going to talk with my comp though and hopefully we can fix that. Cuz I really need it.

its a bummer to hear about Weber's soccer though. I thought for sure they would kill it! but maybe it was just a slow start.  I really miss soccer, I haven't had a touch on a ball since I left the MTC and even then all I got was those little balls that got sent to me.

 To answer some of your questions the church is about 15 minutes away and we have about 30 people that come to church, maybe 40 on a good day, its not a very big ward and it really makes me miss ours where there are some many people and everyone is so friendly, people here are friendly but i dont feel the same as i do at our ward. i miss sundays the way the used to be. And yes i do love the bike! its awesome! my comp has a road bike so he doesnt have to work quite as hard but most of the sidewalks are roads are gravelly and bumpy so im glad i got a mnt. bike

Funny story: So i think i told you about the mission choir we have, but its a whole mission thing and they do it in different churches and invite investigators to come and its actually sounds pretty good. But Elder Facer really enjoys it and so i figured i did it at the MTC so i could do it here. Well what i didn't know was that the guy takes it really serious. when he found out i was knew he asked me to come "tryout" he told me it wasn't a tryout of where if i can or not but of "where to put me" haha i was laughing when he said that and it was kinda scary for me cuz I've never even really heard myself sing. I had a hard time even doing the warm up he wanted me to do but I stuck it out and made it through the whole thing and I left feeling awkward but didn't really care. and he still let me sing which was nice of him! haha. I thought that might make a few people laugh though!

Hope everything is going well back home! I miss everyone so much! you are all the best Love you!
con Amor,
Elder Erickson