Week 55: The Best Present Ever!

WEll sounds like y'all are freezing everything off.....haha. I felt like wearing a sweater today, but yesterday was a short sleeve shirt! haha.

My birthday was good! Thank you for all the stuff! It was prefect! I thought that card thing for the TRX was awesome! Thank you so much! Y'all are the best! I'm not going to lie, I didn't want to turn 20 so only Elder Thomas knew it was my birthday haha. I just didn't say anything so it didn't happen! right? But I did everything that I wanted to do on my birthday! I Work baby! haha. Not as many people came to church as I was hoping! We had 5. Armando and his family didn't come, but Senaida did. 

The Lord did give me a present though. We went to go and see Armando that evening and he said that they were sick and their baby was sick too so they stayed home, the flu is going around. But when we go to his house we park in front of this fence, it looks like a run down shop. But someone came out and said "hey who are you and why do you always park in front of our place?" We didn't realize it was anything so I was just being apologetic and trying to explain what we do and why we are always there and then she started crying. She said "well do you have a book or something about what you do?" So I got a Plan of Salvation pamphlet out and was just explaining it super brief. As I walked over to her, I was thinking this was her way of getting rid of us, but then as I got closer I could see she was crying ( it was Dark) then she said "well I know everything happens for a reason"...we talked for a bit and she said how she knew there was a reason she came outside right then and saw us. She asked us if we could come visit her family because they are really having a hard time and she needs some help. I don't know if that makes sense I'm sure I left things out, but it was the best present ever! She was super nice after that and very excited to read about the Plan of Salvation.

Now for the bad news. Elder Thomas is getting Emergency transferred! He is gone today! so sorry that I didn't really write anyone back, and I hope I can get some letters written, but don't count on it! We got the call 2 nights ago and they told him to have his stuff ready to go today. I guess another elder tore some ligaments in his foot and he is on a bike, so he will be coming here. His name is Elder Smith. So training is over, my son is going to spread his wings and fly right out of here. The good thing is that He is going to Denver Harbor! so he will have a great time! and get to meet the Ortegas!!!!!!!!!!! but that is why things are so rushed! We have to get him packed and then make the trade later this afternoon!

We had a good week though! We found a lot of good solid people! and we had Josefina come back to church! I don't think I told her story! but she just showed up one day and then left to Mexico and we didn't hear from her! but she showed up again! I hope I can write her story cuz it is amazing!

I Love you all so much!

Thanks for the snow dive for my bday! haha. y'all both are tiny! haha but it gave me a good laugh! besides the fact that Dallin is rocking my shorts??? haha thanks bros! I miss you! keep thinking of me and soon we will be the trio again!

Con amor y respeto!

Elder Erickson

Week 54: Senaida's Story

Feliz cumpleanos at mi! yeah. not!

no quiero cumplir mis anos de la juventud!

Well to start since I some how forgot to tell you about Senaida I tell you her story first. We found her a long time ago. Me and Elder Clayton did. We were in this G- Trailer park knocking some doors and there was a family moving in so we starting helping them carry stuff in. When we were done we offered to share a message with them and none of them were really interested, but the ladies mom was there, Senaida, and she was like ya you can come to my house. It was super far south. Right at I-10 so we didn't really get down there for a while. We started teaching her, sadly like a lot of the areas we cover are poor people with poor habits. She said she wanted us to come back but we didn't really pay a whole lot of attention to her but she isn't married and lives with a guy married in Mexico...sound familiar? and she is so far away and we had so much going on. But we invited her to church and she came! so we started putting a lot more attention on her. The changes that I have seen in this women's life are unreal. When we first went over to her house she couldn't answer any questions about God or Jesus Christ, nothing. But yesterday we went over there and told her we were going to review a little of what we talked the time before and mas o menos this was her answer "oh yeah, the atonement and how Jesus Christ made it so we could go back to heaven, we just have to have faith, repent, be baptized, and....i cant remember the other two but I read about that in the Book of Mormon."....haha I was blown away. Some lessons with her are really awkward, she says how she wants to get baptized and then explains how she cant because they aren't married and her pareja isn't really doing anything, but last night he said he would get baptized when they were married if he got his answer and said he would start praying about it! But she always just looks at him and tells us it's his fault and that he if doesn't decide he wants to marry her soon, she is going to kick him out because she is the owner and she is the one with the job. It's really awkward but I love how straight up she is with him! We don't openly encourage it but sneakily I try and encourage her to be bold with him! haha
Another awesome story with her is that one lesson we had with her outside in the cold because no one was home.  She told us how she had to work this Sunday, we told her just to ask her boss for it off and tell him she had to go to church, then she told us how she can't do that because she is lucky to have work as it is.  We promised her blessings and needless to say that the next Sunday, in a huge Texas rain storm, she and Jose made the drive and were at church! She is awesome! She is making progress but still got the same problem as this area seems to be...Marriage!

Armando Monreal came to church again with his whole family! we had to move his date back because we want his wife to be able to be baptized as well. So his date is now the 27th. We went over the commandments with them and they loved them, all except coffee, His wife drinks it a lot so that is the problem we have been running into.

But the area is doing good. They have been talking a lot about splitting the area and asking for borders, so it is very likely that we could be getting a lot of missionaries, so we'll see!

Hope you are all staying warm sounds like great weather back home.

Con amor y Respeto

Elder Erickson

New Years Eve

President Morales texted us this picture tonight.

Elder Erickson and Elder Thomas eating Polose at the Morale's house New Years Eve.

The bowl and glassed they are useing are HUGE!

Week 53: The Holidays

hola Que onda!?

It was so good to see all of you on Christmas! I couldn't believe how much Hannah has grown! and Eli too he is still getting taller! and Jamie....she has grown a bit too. Its still weird to think about. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! Christmas here was very different than what I'm used to but it was still good! 

This holiday season is rough all around. Missing the family...Just a tiny bit. Not getting snow! and worst of all is that it just gives everyone a new excuse to use when we try and talk to them! Ive heard some pretty dang lame excuses! One of my favorite came from this past Thursday during hour of power! It was really bitter cold night and it was raining. It was just like I'd imagine tracting when you think of it being horrible haha. We starting working in a new area, it is pretty run down and trailers are just kinda where ever. Its a good place!...anyways we knocked a door and this white guy came to the door and he looked like Santa in a wife-beater. He looked at us and before we could get a word out he was just like sorry my door's stuck,  can I help you.....? haha so I asked him how he got in to his house then? hahah It was so funny he just looked at us and slammed the screen door. We wanted to ask him if he needed help with is door but didn't get the chance!

The good part of the Holidays is we get a lot of sweet culture experiences! Making tamales and what not! It has been so awesome to spend the time with the members and get to know them! I've really loved that part of the holidays and having to branch out and fill that need of love during the holiday seasons from members and my Heavenly Father! The Holidays are great! but I do miss spending them with y'all.

For our investigators right now we have been getting a lot at church consistently but they all have crazy stories I feel like. As for Armando we moved his date back to the 20. I hope he can make it. He is doing a ton of work at his home and so he hasn't come to church more than just the one time. But he studies like crazy! We went by the other day and he had 2 pages of notes on who Laban was. Sadly he thought the Laban from the Book of Mormon was the same as the one from the Bible. People here in the bible belt are just used to studying the bible so in depth, trying to find something new to start a new church off of that, they over look the simplicity of the book of Mormon! Senaida is another person who has been coming a lot, I cant remember if I told you her story! Let me know and if I didn't I will next week!

This transfer is one week shorter and I'm not sure if we will be touched by it or not. Usually president likes to leave the new elders in the area and give them the responsibility of taking it over but the past few transfers he has been switching it up so I'm not even sure what is going to happen. it is very likely I could be leaving. I hope not though. I Love it here!

Today for new years we are going to have some Posole with the Morales family! They are so awesome and always love to have the elders over for the holiday traditions!

Love you all!  Feliz Ano Nuevo! Hagan sus propositios!

Con amor y respeto

Elder Erickson

 Cooking Masa

Wrapping Tamales 

Christmas

Week 52: Christmas Skype

Being able to skype with Ethan was a great Christmas gift!  We thought we would have about 40 minuets to skype with him but Ethan said that there mission president's direction on the call was " be reasonable".    We ere able to have a good groupe chat  with him.  It was so fun to talk and laugh with him and be reminded of Ethan's wit and fun energy!  We each got a few minutes to talk with him individually. The time went fast and it was hard to say goodbye but the amount of time felt "reasonable"!  We ended up skypeing for about 2 hours.  I was great!!!  the first 15 minuets we were trying to get the video feed to connect both ways - so it really was 1 hour and 45 minuets.  It was so good to hear and see Elder Erickson.  He loves doing the Lord's work and the area he is in.
He was able to go golfing with the Mission President yesterday on his p-day and showed off the blister he got on his thumb from his game.  He skyped from the Branch Presidents home President Morales and his family really take care of the missionaries.  Ethan said that he feels spoiled by all the blessings he has in this area!  
We feel blessed by the pictures that President Morales texts to us. On Christmas Eve he texted this pictures to us...

I am so grateful for the the care the Morales family give Elder Erickson

We were making our traditional Christmas Eve pizza and texted this picture back. 

It was a tender mercy from the Lord to feel a little more connected to Ethan on Christmas Eve!

Week 51: "Boom!!! it was sweet!"

Buenas!

 First things first. Skyping. I think we will be doing it at Pres. Morales's house. The best time for us is probably going to be early afternoon. Around 12 or 1. I will let you know a for sure time next week but plan on that for now. To be honest I haven't even tried setting anything up, I kinda forgot it was coming up! Not that I'm super stoked to see y'all but it just so busy! haha and that brings me to my next point which I will prove to you with the lovely Bible. I wanted to get everyone a Mexican or Texas type gift for Christmas but its just not going to happen right now. (vease a Lucas 9:58-63) I don't have a bible in front of me but its somewhere around there! Thanks for understanding! 

I guess I forgot to tell you the story of Michael and the Serrano family. My first week here the Serrano family just showed up at church. The grandparents of Michael were baptized about 2 years ago and went less active. They leave at the very bottom of our area, about a 35 minutes drive going fast. We didn't even know they existed because they weren't on our records either. So once they showed up we started visiting them and teaching Michael and his mom. Its a really weird situation. Michael's mom Eva was 15 when she had him so the grandma raised them and Michael sees Eva as a sister...they don't even live together. But we met with them a lot, they are a blast. Doctrinally they don't know anything and so it's always fun to teach them new things! Hno Serrano needed a little preparation so we taught him along with Michael so he could baptize him.

Other neat things that have happened -

We taught my fan group again. They keep telling me that I look like Prince Harry or something and I didn't even lie but for some reason they think we are related. But last time before we left we told them to write down any questions that they had and we would answer them next time...I meant it as if they had questions about what they read, but when we showed up one set of parents where there and they brought another friend. So we asked for questions and they pulled out their phones and had a whole list!...I loved it. Sitting on the hot seat and answering all the tough questions! haha but after we cleaned that mess up we taught the restoration again to the parents and the new friend! It was awesome again!! The new girl/ Bianca, was kinda confused at first but we explain the holy ghost really good and then shared the story of Joseph Smith and when we asked her how she felt she just said, "just like you said I would" boom!!! it was sweet! The parents were even pretty interested. The mom is pretty hard catholic but we used the bible well in our teaching and got her and her husband very interested as well! It was a sweet lesson.

Armando and his wife didn't come to church last week sadly! but we saw them and they are still doing good!

New family -

Ruth Rodriguez, She lost her husband about 4 months ago! We shared the plan of salvation with them and it was super sweet! She came to church last week with her 3 kids and 2 of her step kids! It was really sweet!!!

Senaida- we taught her a divorce lesson and how she has to get divorced before she can be baptized, She told us she had to work so she could come to church, I told her just to call her boss and tell him she couldn't come in. (some what in a joking sense, but serious) She ended up showing up at church even though it was a huge rain storm and half the members didn't show! HAHA !

She's got great faith, now we just need her to be single then married again! HAHA

Ayala's texted us and told us they were sick so they didn't show up and we didn't get to see them!

sorry that's super messy but just trying to give you as much as I can! haha

The work is rolling on!!!

Love you tons!

I cant wait to see your faces!!!!

Con amor y respeto

Elder Erickson

A Surprise from President Morales

Todd was surprised to find a message and these pictures that had been texted to his phone late tonight  -
                " Here are pictures of your sons at our Branch Christmas activity last night.
                  Thank you for sending a well prepared missionary into the field.
                  We love them very much!
                   Respectfully,
                   President Morales
                   West Lake Houston Branch (Spanish)"
                   

I am so grateful for the members in Ethan's area that help him and love him so much!  I hope someday I get to meet President Morales and thank him for all that he has done to help Ethan.

I love these pictures, it really warmed my heart to see Ethan looking so happy - I would like to  give President Morales a big hug right now!  But instead I pray that the Lord gives him and his family extra blessings for all that he does to bless Elder Erickson.