Week 81: Brothers Reunited

Well Elder E and Elder V are REUNITED! haha yeah!

I'm pumped! 

Elder Viitanen is my new comp! Its so great, none of this awkward first week trying to figure out how things are going to work out between the two missionaries and learn each others life! We just jumped right into it! We are great friends and that makes the missionary work so much more fun! A lot has changed since we were together, we were both pretty young missionaries, now we got a little more time under our belts and things are going great! 

We've been doing a lot more work in getting the members with us and it's making a big difference with our relationship with the ward. This week was quite eventful though. On Saturday we had a pretty big lesson with Teresa, She is a lady who has been through A LOT in her life. She is a crazy tough women and could really use the gospel. Missionaries have been finding her where ever she goes. When we started teaching her things would not sink in, at all...we would teach one point at a time of the plan of salvation and then review it. By the next time we saw her she'd forgotten it. But just recently she read Lehi's dream and could describe and give the interpretation of it! It was an amazing change, It reminds me a lot of the change that we (Elder Vittanen and I) saw in Yaneth! She has come to church three weeks now! and every time is opening up more and more. But we had a lesson with her on Wed. about the word of wisdom because she is overcoming smoking. Elder Viitanen brought out a good thought about what's causing her to smoke and how she has some pain that (makes) wants her (want) to smoke, so we set up an atonement lesson and left her some scriptures to read. We planned a bomb lesson for her. So Sat. before the lesson Elder Viitanen gets sick and passes out and just drops on the porch of an appointment haha. He was so out of it...I think it was just Heat Exhaustion and dehydration but we made it home and had about an hour before the appointment. He was down to come and just sit there but it really wasn't a good idea since he couldn't remember the last half hour of his life. But we got some other elders who didn't have plans to come with us and we exchanged for the appointment. They were English elders but it was ok because we had some members! It was such a good lesson!!!! So spiritual! She will be getting baptized on the 27th! :) 

Con amor y Respeto

Elder Erickson

 After Elder  Levia left, the place was destroyed...then we came in dropped our stuff and Elder Viitanen pulled out what he needed and then we left and worked haha....after a couple days of working hard we needed to clean ;) we just couldn't find time

...but we finally did...its such a nice place now.

... a long with our working hard..this was our dinner! haha I'm eating 

yogurt...Elder Viitanen is eating beans! We had like 5 minutes or so ;) 

Week 80: God Is Love

Querido Familia,

First off an update on transfers...I'm not sure if I told you but this was Elder Leivas last transfer, so he is heading home to Chili ya. This week was a lot of saying good-byes and what not. It kinda made me think a little bit more in coming home than normal. Ever since I left Denver Harbor until now I haven't even really thought about it but now that I see him packing up it scares me for when that sad day comes my way. 

My new companion is very possibly Elder Erickson, or Elder Viitanen again! They both are going to be Zone Leaders so we'll see. I would love to be with Elder Viitanen again, we had so much fun together. 

I talked with the missionaries in DH and they said that Ortegas finished all the classes for the temple. Hno got his recommend but sadly Hna went to Mexico! so she will be back in a week or so then they will be going! So it should be really really soon! I'm so stoked! 

Our 4th of July was just a normal day. We had a grill session with our district for lunch, we still did hour of power. We had a miracle at 6:59! We had just got done talking to some guy who doesn't believe in God or anything, which I still can't wrap my head around, and we got a call from a wrong number we had dialed earlier in the day. We ended up contacting her and getting her address! Turns out she lived in the mission, even in the zone! We gave the referral to some Hermanas and they went and visited her on Saturday and said she is really great! 

That was Elder Leivas last contact in the Hour of Power. It was  pretty cool.

Other than that this week has been a lot of running around. We are getting 25 more missionaries. We have gotten between 20 and 30 every transfer since the first of this year. We will double the number of missionaries we had. We also had 3 scheduled baptisms that fell through and that is greatly our role as zone leaders to make sure that those things don't happen so we had a lot of things going on! It was a pretty stressful week. 

I just want you and everyone else to know that I love my mission! Houston is a great place and will always be holy ground for me! I've seen so many miracles and learned so much here. I know that it is because I have had divine help! I Know now more than ever that Jesus Christ is my Savior, Redeemer, and Brother! I Know I have a Heavenly Father that Loves me. I know God calls Prophets. And I Know God is LOVE

Con amor Y respeto

Elder Erickson

Week 79: Covenant With God

Que Onda!!?

Family! How is everyone doing!? heard its heating up back there, sorry to hear that. Hope you can stay somewhere cool. If it gets too hot, hop on a bike. The breeze will cool you right down ;)

This week we had a great week of miracles! 

First off is Wendy's baptism! This was a very stressful road to get where we got but we made it so all is well! To give a little more background on her, She is a "Rancho" meaning she grew up in the sticks away from all the city in El Salvador. So her Education/ Language/ Manners aren't really where most the other youth's are, the Young Women's president, who has been so great in taking her in and caring for her, described the first couple of weeks she was there - "The best way I can tell it to you short is some what like Tarzan." haha. Not lady like and foul language. She wasn't like a savage but church and all this was new to her. 

She told us a super awesome story the other day. We were teaching her the importance of the covenant she will be tacking at baptism and she told us how on the way over here her cousin got really sick and they both said a prayer, neither having ever attended church before, and promised God in the prayer that if he allowed them to make it to the states they would both find a church and get baptized and be faithful to that church. The amazing part was that when she got here we were already teaching her grandmother! It was so cool to hear that story and how she already had it in her mind that she was making this covenant with God to fulfill with her promise before. She said her cousin is getting baptized as well, in NEW YORK, how she ended up there no one knows but she did! Wendy doesn't know what church but she knows she is getting baptized! It would be crazy, but seems natural, that the missionaries found here there too!

Wendy is living with her Grandma but there is also her "ex-Aunt" who has been having her watch her baby and stay there, she is not a good influence on Wendy and doesn't like the church. I don't have time to tell all of it but that's where all the problems came from. It was pretty nasty! but Hna Guajardo, the YW leader helped so much! 

Another miracle is after Elder Golden came we set our goals pretty high. And we worked really hard to get them. really hard! We hit all our goals and exceeded total number of lessons the only one we didn't have was we were short 1 Less-Active lesson.  We had a good week and taught more lessons that we planned so we were pretty content at 8:45 to start wrapping up the night. But then we both decided we came too close to quit. Elder Leiva called a less-active who lived kinda far, and who we had already tried once earlier. He answered and said we could come over! 

When we got there He told us that his mom passed away on Friday and he hadn't seen her in 10 years! It was good that we were able to talk with him and share our testimonies of The Plan of Salvation! It was a testimony builder to me of setting Goals and then including and depending on the Lord to fulfill them! and also the Love God has for all of his Children. Even though this man hasn't been going to church and doing exactly what he should, He still looks after him!

We also had a mini-missionary come with us for a few days! He was cool, not quite ready yet but he'll get there! He is the only member so far in his immediate family so props to him. But he was always catching some shut eye when he could ;) we worked hard! haha. 

Con amor Y respeto

Elder Erickson

Elder Erickson, Wendy, Wendy's Grandma, Elder Leiva

Mini-Missionary, Elder Erickson, Elder Leiva

Mini-Missionary catching some shut eye.

Week 78: Wendy Got Her Answer!!!!

Que Tal?!

Well this week went by super fast! We had a much better week than last week! I was getting pretty frustrated last week with the way things were going but this week was much better! The zone had some highs in a couple groups of numbers!

First off with Elder Golden;   We had to give zone reports to him at the start of the meeting. Elder Clayton and I were sitting on the stand representing the 2 zones at the conference. Elder Clayton went first and gave a pretty good report. Different than the way ours was laid out but it  was good....then Elder Golden got up and picked it apart about everything he did wrong...haha. I started sweating bullets! I was sitting right next to President Crawford and he just kept slapping my knee and whispering, "can you make that adjustment".....I was having to do math and divide all our numbers and make things different. I already had it typed and had given a copy to Elder Golden so I couldn't change it much. 

But after about 20 minutes of correcting, which really was good and helpful and done in a loving way, it was my turn. As I stood up President Crawford said "make him laugh or something to start to change the mood a little".  So I got up and said something stupid about my report being done because he gave it just how mine was or something...it made him laugh. Then I went on with the report and he didn't say anything after really. Not because it was so much better but because I think he didn't want to take the time.  But I was grateful for that, it saved me a little bit of humiliation. haha.

Second we went to the Training conference yesterday as well. It was so good! There was a lot of things that I think will be good. I realized I need to repent with my "less active" work.  Ive never really been a fan because that has been the reason for a lot of time wasted in the past but we'll figure it out! It would have been better if our ward mission leader came. 

This morning in conference call, President Crawford said that the change in missions with technology and the church tours will take place over time and in selected missions. As of right now we are still the same. 

Good news. Wendy got her answer!!!!!!!!!!!!! She is going to be baptized Saturday at 3:00! We are having to teach quick but we feel that she will be ready! 

We were also able to meet with Esequiel again, he is still pretty bummed out about his mother but we are going back on Wednesday. 

We also had a miracle with Ivan. He wasn't all that interested when we started to teach him but the more we talked the more he opened up. He said he is losing faith in God. Then as we talked more he said, "yeah I don't know about God, He doesn't really answer me, I'm so confused,  just the other day I was asking him what I needed to do, cuz just like you said "there are so many paths to take." Then he kept talking for a sec, we were both like wooooo buddy slow down! What did you ask him? Then we were able to talk to him and help him realize that God sent him us! It was a very spiritual lesson by the end! I'm super excited for him!

I know I am weak in my writings but pray for the spirit and you will be able to read this and feel the love I put into it and understand the meaning, despite the errors. And I, Elder Erickson write this with my own hand ;)

Con amor y respeto

Elder Erickson

Week 77: Enough Drive to Keep Going

Como andan!?

Thanks for the pictures of you trip! It looks like you had so much fun! I would love to go to Lake Tahoe! It look like such an amazing place. Nothing will ever beat Bear Lake but it did look like it was a fun place to go! I hope I can see more pictures soon!  Glad you got a suite instead of that other room. I don't think I could even see the carpet! haha but there is nothing wrong with being a little close right? haha y'all are family. 

This week was a hot one! Summer is here. When we got in the car after church it said 104. Good things bike come with a breeze once you start moving ;) It was a pretty frustrating week though, no one was home and we felt like not a lot of people want to talk to us. And the few that we did the devil would take them away. Example: we found one guy who was very interested but as soon as we really started to share what we do, the bus he was waiting for pulled up and he was gone.

We had so much going on this week that I never even had a full day in the area. We had a leadership training and 2 exchanges! On one of them we did some service and took out a concrete floor. It was fun but I haven't used a sledge hammer in a long long time! I'm still sore! and I have the hand of a 5 year old princess!! I have 3 big blood blisters and 4 other nice size blisters! haha. but I was able to get a good work out so that felt good! 

I did get my TRX sent off. It was a miracle how we got it. There isn't even a ups store in our zone so I took it when I went on exchanges with the AP's hoping they would have one but the closest one was is the wrong direction from where we were going so we just went on faith that we would see a UPS truck so I brought it with me...luckily we found one and I was able to give it to him!

Another miracle that kept me going this week happened yesterday. We were having a Zone fast to find families. We were breaking the fast at 5:00 and from morning until about 4:30 no one was in the street or answering the door. We went and tried Ezequiel but he didn't answer either, or come to church. But as we were trying to plan what to do next I sat down on the steps in the apartments where Ezequiel lives and we heard a little kid yell happy fathers day. We both kinda perked up and went and knocked... hoping to find a family. We knocked twice and nothing happened, but could still heard the kid.  So we went for three and struck out, we started walking down the stairs...but then a man opened the door! He let us in and we were able to talk to him! Turns out he went to church in Honduras a few times! So that was our miracle of the week that gave us enough drive to keep going!

Love y'all! this Wednesday we have a conference with Elder Golden from the 70! Its going to be good, we've heard he is pretty blunt! haha. 

Cuidense!

Con amor y respeto

Elder Erickson

Week 76: " ...brought by the hand of the Lord"

Hello family!

Those pictures of the Redwoods are amazing! It seems like a really great place, wish I could have gone with y'all....to a point! haha. At times the Ghetto is just a little better. 

This past week in Magnolia was a crazy one. I felt that it went by so fast! We had mission leadership meeting and exchanges and zone meeting and ward activities and missionaries to care for. I felt I was barley in the area! But we still had some really good things happen.

 A few weeks ago we found a man names Ezequiel. He is your average Mexican here in this area. No car, works long hours, raised catholic but doesn't go. He lives by himself and his daughter Reyna stays with him during the week. He is very nice and humble. We have taught him the restoration and he understood it fairly well. We invited him to be baptized the 29th of June and he accepted. We also invited him to a ward party where they were watching "The Other Side of Heaven".   The support from the ward and the fellow shipping was really disappointing but he did come and we finally got some members talking to him! It was perfect timing because the English ward also had a baptism that night So as soon as the movie was over we brought them out and they were able to see the baptism. Along with Wendy who I'll explain more ahorita.

Reyna loved the baptism and was disappointed when we told her she couldn't get baptized right then, she is 8. But the next day right as church was starting they both showed up again! They both said they liked church and that they will be coming back! We have planned to teach them this Wednesday!

Wendy I told you a little bit about, she just got her from El Salvador. She is a trooper. She is 16 and came all the way by herself and sadly not the proper way so it wasn't an easy trip. 2 Nefi 1:6 is all I can think about when she tells us stories. (2 Nephi 1: 6  Wherefore, I, Lehi, prophesy according to the workings of the Spirit which is in me, that  there shall none come into this land save they shall be brought by the hand of the Lord.") She doesn't have friends or even know anyone except for the church. She goes to mutual and is getting ready to go to girls camp with the ward! 

At first I was thinking that she just likes the Church because its friends and social life not, spirituality. But then the more I think about it and that scripture, I know their is a reason that God brought her here!

Last night Elder Leiva and I had a nice drive through Houston pretty late! haha We had some sisters who weren't answering their phone so President asked us if we would go check on them. We drove about half an hour and then had a fun adventure trying to actually get in the complex. We had to find which apt. it was by looking for the Christ picture in the window because we didn't have an exact address. To get the gate open we had to yell at some guy who was on his balcony for the pass code. It was great fun! haha Felt like I was on another adventure with the bros....I guess it just felt rebellious because it was so late...oh the life of a missionary! haha

Enjoy the rest of your trip!

Love you all!

Con amor y respeto

Elder Erickson

Week 75: Broadway 3 / Magnolia

Questions from home:

I noticed from the "Focal Point" that  there is Broadway 1,2,and 3.  Which area do you serve in - or is it all of them?  I was also curious to know what the name of your zone is.  Is this the same area you were in when you were in a 3some?  

How many missionaries are in your zone?  I keep hearing how the MTC has so many Sisters flooding in.  How many Sisters do you have in your zone?

How is the new area and the new companion?   What is your new area called?  Do you have any investigators to work with in this new area?  Was the area white-washed, or was your comp there before?  -  So many questions...this is where it would be nice to just talk...

Que onda!? 

So before I forget I'm going to try and answer everyones questions. 

Right now I am serving in the Houston East Broadway Zone. There are two Zones in the Houston East Stake. It is split between Broadway and then Pasadena and Baytown. In our zone there are 3 wards. B.1 is an English ward. B.2 is Spanish and where I served last September. And B.3 is where were I am right now. The area I am in is called Magnolia. In our ward we have two sets of elders and one trio of Herman's. Which is also the same for B.2. and B.1 has two trios of sister missionaries. 

Its crazy how many sister missionaries there are. Drew was saying something about having sisters in their zone now or something...well we have 50% to 50% of Sisters and Elders in our mission. Its a joke. Not saying they are bad or anything...but they are all brand new! In the Summerwood zone there are 17 sisters, here we have 12. 

Elder Leiva was here in this area 1 transfer before I was. When I came in we had a couple of people to work with but not really. We don't have anyone really with a date right now....but were going to change that this week. This zone is struggling quite a bit right now so we have a lot of work to do. 

Our area is different than anywhere I've worked so far. Everyone is so new to the states...some I'm pretty sure are still drying off, its not racist I Love them so I can say things like that.  

One girl we are teaching who has a lot of potential just came from El Salvador about 2 weeks ago. Her grandma was already here and being taught and loves the gospel but can't be baptize because of....yes....marriage problems, again! But her Granddaughter really enjoyed church as well. We are teaching them tonight.    

The area is taking some getting used to. A lot of the people have to worry about where to live and what to eat so the appointment with the missionaries is the last thing on their minds. We have a lot of fallen appointments and a lot of "one timers" where we teach them a great lesson and then they are just gone. But every place can change! 

y'alls trip to Malan's peak sounds really fun! I love hearing about all the things you are doing at home! I hope you have a great trip to the Redwoods! Thanks for always sending me letters and keeping me  part of the family! even if you don't miss me I still feel that ya love me! haha 

Sorry it was just a bunch of info and no real stories this week! but at least you will now have a little more base for my stories!

les Amo y les Quiero

con amor y respeto

Elder Erickson