Week 26: Correr!

Hello! 

So everyone decided to write long emails this week. haha which is good! but Im just going to print them off and they reply to them next week. So I'll just be a week behind but that way I can actually read them and then reply the next week on them!  So don't stop writing I'll just print them off. 
But this week was another story pack week!
First off we did a little mini mission this week. We had a kid named Jair, (it's a Portuguese name but he is mexican) come with us for a whole weekend! It was a great idea and I wish I would have had the chance to do it before I went out! He met with us Friday at District meeting and stayed with us until Sunday afternoon! He already spoke perfect Spanish and English so the language wasnt a problem with him but he wasn't used to talking to people so it was pretty different for him.  Elder Bruneel and I tried our best to make this a good experience for him and involve him in our teaching and contacting but he wasn't really excited about it! haha  His knowledge of the church was about as far as the cover of the Book of Mormon. I felt bad when we would ask him to share something and he didn't even know what it was. So I think he learned a lot! but at the same time I don't really think he enjoyed biking in the sun for his weekend! But I can't blame him, I didn't really like the first week of my mission either. We had a few spiritual lessons but mostly just the usual contacting and purpose lessons with people! Right towards the end he started opening up a little bit more! I wish we would have had more time with him and hope it was a good experience for him, and that we didn't ruin him! haha 
One funny story that happened while we were with him was we were contacting this drunk guy who called us over to him, trying to give Jair some practice with people, but we told him that beer is bad for your body but he was going to prove us wrong by flexing his biceps and showing that he was healthy. So after he did that I wanted to ask him if he could run though.  I guess Correr means to run and to race. So he thought I was challenging him to a race - so he said ok, set his beer down and walked out to the middle of the street. I was a little confused at first but then after I remembered the double meaning and what I said, I took my backpack off and followed him out to the street! haha We decided to race to the nearest stop sign which was about 20 or 30 yards away is all. So Elder Bruneel said 1,2,3, Go. and I just kinda jogged and he was going as  hard as he could, just trying to keep his legs underneath him! haha I was sure he was going down! But some how he made it all the way to the stop sign! I beat him of course, but I was just impressed he made it! haha It was so funny! And don't worry Elder Bruneel filmed all of this! haha...speaking of I think I'm just going to send my card. I haven't had a chance to talk about each one yet on tape but I'll just let you ask about specific ones and maybe I'll talk about those ones! you let me know. I'm going to sent it today though I think. Also while i was talking to the guy after the race, Elder Bruneel took his beer and put it in the trash, he said he did it so we at least helped him! haha 
Also later that same day, nothing had been going right and we had not had a lesson all day! and it was already 7 on a Sunday! by now it was just Elder Bruneel and me. We passed by some kids playing basketball.  We bet them a lesson we could beat them to 11. Elder Bruneel is 6' 4" so he is pretty good at basketball. So once again I took off my backpack and we played a game to 11! It was actually a really good game and the kids were pretty good! The score was 10-11. They won. I was a little bit upset but we gained some respect and they said that they wanted to listen still! So that took away a little bit of my anger from losing. But I'm still a sore loser. But we taught them a good lesson and got a return appointment! So playing in a shirt and tie with some slacks is another thing I can add to the list! and was actually productive! haha. 
We had one more lesson after that game with Frank and Monica! 
Frank is an awesome investigator. He is like 22 with a baby boy and he wants to know so much and was asking great questions like "do we have one of these prophet guys on the earth today and how can I meet him?" The only problem is his wife's dad is a minister and so she doesn't really agree with our message and since Frank has never even heard anything about God his whole life he just looks to her for the answer when it come to religion, not God. So hopefully we can get back with them again! We taught the Book of Mormon and Frank was loving it but Monica wasn't really buying it! She said she was going to talk to her dad then we could come back.....so we'll pray extra hard about  that one!
But other than that still finding! not a whole lot of investigators...Jamie bailed on our last appointment so hopefully we can get back with him!

Hey, Sorry I've been really bad at sharing my testimony with y'all. I'm just trying to get the stories out before time runs out. But I do want you to know my testimony has changed so much!! To be honest I was living off of dads and moms testimony. I knew everything was true because I lived it because you raised me in it and those were also just the "rules" of the house.  More of a John 7: 17 testimony than a Moroni 10. I never really read the Book of Mormon to the point of learning from it and understanding it. My first few weeks I had a hard time bearing by testimony about it cuz I wasn't 100% sure myself since I was away from my parents. But believe me now when I say I Know the Book of Mormon is true. I know it can change people. I know that this gospel is true. It's so simple if we focus on the gospel of Jesus Christ. It all makes such good Sense to me. Everything in life fits into the Gospel. I've learned to Love my study time! I've actually learned how to let the spirit teach me! and I've learned so much from it! I Know it's true and I know It can bless anyone who will try and actually do and live what it says. 

Hope all is well at home! I haven't read everyones emails yet so sorry if there is some big news! I'll be sure to respond to it next week! 
LOVE YOU ALL!
Con amor y respeto!
Elder Erickson

TRIVIA
Jamie got it! not really sure how but jamie or jon found it
Jamie Jon: 2
Mother: 2
Dallin:1
Eli: 1

Week 25: An Awesome Miracle!

Hey Everyone otra vez!
The temp here just keeps getting hotter and hotter! haha I keep thinking one day it will stop...but I keep hearing that day will come in the middle of July and stay til september! Really looking forward to it! but beside that we had a roller coaster week!  The first was super slow! and we were having a really hard time getting a lesson! But of the few lessons we did have, we had an awesome miracle! 
There is an investigator we met about 2 weeks ago named Jamie and his wife Consuelo. When we met them they had only been in the United States for 25 days. They are very kind and loving people and they invited  us to sit down with them on their front porch. As we were talking with them we learned that Jamie had a very good Knowledge of the Bible, he was quoting many scriptures. He also believes that the Sabbath Day is on Saturday. He is Seventh Day Adventist, but still very kind and willing to talk with us. We shared a brief Purpose lesson with them and then set up another appointment. When we went back for the next appointment we expected him to have scriptures to show us that we should worship on Saturday.  We had also found a few our selves to show our point of view. (Really we were just expecting a bash but im going to send this to president too so I'm making it some what formal, forgive me if its boring! haha )  When we got there we began the lesson and he asked a lot of questions from the pamphlet we had read and we ended up spending the whole time talking about that.
We did show a scripture about the Sabbath day and he simply said oh well I guess I'll have to look at that! By the end of the lesson he seemed really interested and it was awesome for me to see the change of heart he had. If we would have gone into the lesson thinking of bashing points of view it would have driven the spirit away. The sad part was that he told us they were only visiting here and would be going back to Mexico soon, but he still wanted to schedule another appointment and we left him with a Book of Momon to read.
Now is when the real miracle comes, when we went back the next time told us the story of how his son is going to have the chance to get working visa papers and be able to stay for 2  years here. He said that they will be staying longer now and how he was happy because we could continue to visit. He told us how he thinks its Gods plan for him to listen to us! He still had questions about the Sabbath day but this time we were able to explain prophets and how we have one today who guides us to answer his question. 
ok sorry that was really boring but im saving time. But it was sweeeet that he was able to stay and recognized it as Gods plan for him! 
We also taught a way sweet family  last night. We rode by and they had stood us up before but we decided to give them a second chance, Im glad we did! They were very nice and the message will really help them as well. Their names are Frank and Monica! so hopefully you hear those names some more! they are mostly English but he said he likes to pray in Spanish so that means they can some to Spanish ward! 
I also went on exchanges with our new zone leaders! in English, Im so glad im on a bike even if it's a million degrees! i hated the car! it was so hard to contact people! We hardly talk to anyone! And also i like the spanish culture a lot more! They were nice people but not the same! The only thing I liked about it was they have super nice apartments! Big, AC, and a shower that works, and they have hot water! nos faltan todo!( we lack any!) but other than that im glad I'm a spanish missionary!  
Love yall tons! 
Con amor
Elder Erickson

Trivia! 
Eli got it first and right!
So this one is pretty tough and weird. 
Where in the Book of Mormon is Shakespeare quoted...or maybe its what party of the Book of Mormon did Shakespeare quote from...im not really sure which way to word it.  

This is a hat the Morenos gave me! ( the Moreno family was the first family Elder Erickson helped teach and baptize the kids)  They moved out of my area and ward! 

but it's like a 40 dollar hat!   It's sweet! 

Week 24: Houston Temple

Hey family!!
So another week gone and another week hotter! its a Joke! You don't even make it out the door before the sweat is coming! but what do you do!
This last week we got to go to the Temple! The Houston temple is so sweet! It had been so long since I was able to go there! It is such a peaceful place! I could be there forever! I reallly enjoyed going again and having more knowledge.  I learned a lot of new things! especially since we have deep doctrine class every Thursday morning! It's supposed to be Spanish class but the guy who teaches it knows so much it usually turns into deep doctrine in Spanish! haha I've learned some pretty crazy stuff that I haven't even thought about before! And one thing that was really cool was we were talking about sacrament and how it is the most important meeting and then he stopped us and said... well im not so sure about that, (this is by no means Doctrine) but if the most important unit on this Earth is the family, Then wouldnt family night be the most important meeting????? That really made me realize how important family night is! So everyone make sure you doing it! 
Other than that, this week was a longer one! A bit slow, still trying to find some legit investigators! We have been making some progress with Libni's mother in Law! She came to church yesterday for the second time! It was so cool to see her there because at first she didnt want anything to do with us! The only problem is she doesnt know how to read! So we bought her the book of mormon on CD's at the temple along with a set for Ron, the truck driver, so he can listen to it while he drives, Dad thats what those charges are on my card. But she said she started listening to it so hopefully we will make progress with her! Sadly we still have been unable to get in contact with the family who came to the Conference and then left after the business portion. We have been calling them and passing by their house. I know there was something there because they did make the effort to come to church. I know I felt the spirit during the lesson we had with them. I know there is still time, we won't lose faith in them. Just wish we could get in contact with them to at least explain and hear their feelings. 
Thanks family for all you do! I miss you but I can put all that on pause for a short minute!
Con amor y respeto por todo!
Elder Erickson

Trivia! -rules: I'm getting away with the whole - having to find all answers before you can move on.
So the score is 
Mom-2 
Dallin-1
Jamie and Jon- 1
Mom got it this week! 
So the riddle for this week is. Who is it that it seems that he Dies, but really he didnt! He really didnt, he didnt die until about 350 pages EARLIER!! suerte ;)

Week 23: Stake Changes

Hey Family!!!!

So first off - the meeting we had!

This is a good and horrible story all in one! First off we had a tri-mission meeting and I got to see Bryson (Elder Howell)! It was so good to see him and talk with him for a few mintues! He is doing way good! It made me feel like I was just at home in Utah running into people again. It was really sweet!  

My compainionship is going great! We are getting a long really well! And we are working hard! But we found a really sweet family! and they came to church with us yesterday, but as werid as it sounds, it was a mistake I think. Yesterday we had a conferance with all the stakes in this area and they made all the changes. We no longer have a spanish stake in our mission. Then broke it up and made two Bi-lingual stakes. I'm now apart of the Summerwood Stake. 

It doesnt really make a differance for me besides the fact that we no longer have a spanish zone and so we'll be mixed a lot more with english elders. Which is bad and good. But other than that it didnt make a differance for missionaries, our stake president no longer speaks spanish though so that will be interesting.

But anyways the family came for that. They sat through 45 mintues of changes and then she said they were Catholic and left. AHHHHHHHHH! I was so upset in ruined my day. The first two lessons we had with them were so good! The spirit was there and they were reading and interested! They came to church the first time we invited them! and they said they were not a part of any church and never go. But then 45 mintues through business they were all of a sudden Catholic!? I think we should have waited. But I tried to set up another appointment and she said just to call her and then we'll see....so hopefully we can meet with them again!

But we are teaching a lot of people who are in the beginning stages. One family who thinks someone is doing witchcraft on their wife, one guy who can't keep commitments and we found beer in the back of his truck so he's not as far along as we thought! A pentacost family that invited us for dinner and just wants to be good friends! haha...so many crazy people! But luckily the Ortegas and Irma and Morenos are holding strong! We are having a famly night tonight with them and a member of our ward who is in the high council is going to talk about patriarchal blessings, because Hno Ortega asked us last week at dinner what he has to do to get his! He's so Boss!  

Weather is hotter and hotter! i dont even make it out of the door and I'm already sweating! It's something new for me! haha but im loving it! and being quemado (burned)! haha Love you all and hope things go well for you and all your plans!!

Con amor!

Elder Erickson

Trivia!

Where in the Book or Mormon does It say "UTAH"?

Week 22: Elder Bruneel

  Hey!

So my companion, Elder Bruneel. He is from Washington State. a small town called Moses Lake haha. He is the new district leader here! He is a super awesome elder. When I said goofy I meant he likes to joke a lot and mess around! perfect! its great! He came out the same time Elder Facer did so he's been out a year this week! Sorry I'm a day late with the email, nothing was open yesterday! so there was no where to email! 

But im loving the work here in the hood still!...were kind of in a drought right now though as far as investigators.... no one is really progressing, so I wish I could give you some names or an update but not this week! Hopefully next week we will have a name here! haha but we are still working hard and trying out best. I guess you win some and you lose some. 

It's kinda stressing me out a little though cuz I'm the man in charge for now since I was in the area, and I just feel like I dont know where to go and what to do a lot of the time but it always seems to work out! We've been teaching a lot of new people and met a ton of crazy people! thats one of my favorite parts! haha

They are making a ton of changes here! getting rid of the all spanish stake and making it a bilingual stake. So this saturday we are having a big tri-mission meeting.  I will get to see Bryson!

Dallin got the trivia question this week so good work Dallin! sorry I dont really have much to say this week! Its been lost of knocking and visiting old investigators! but my time is about up! take care everyone! sorry no trivia this week! ill be sure to have one next week!

con amor y respeto!

Elder Erickson

Week 21: Rappin

Hello again!

first off!...Winner, mom!!!!!!!! she won the trivia game....but dont tell where it is because everyone else cant move on until they find it! even Dallin who didn't write me...haha....but Jamie and Jon also found it and they got the bonus question! so score...mom-1 Jamie & Jon 1 everyone else 0.

Also for there was the story about the man Dad met from Houston. (He told Todd that East Huston is rough place).... Well just to let you know there is never a scary place when you are a missionary! but if I wasn't I wouldn't be here so we don't need to worry about that! haha. 

But I do have some pretty good stories from this week! I rapped with a lil red, which is the mexican gang thats big here in DH. and we found out that Libni Ortega has some secrets!

The rap first. I went on exchanges with Elder Van Slooten, who was our Zone leader at the time, and we were teaching Andrew De Leon. This gangster kid who is actually really sweet!  We taught him a bomb first lesson! and after the lesson he asked us if we had any music groups in our church because he likes to rap. So I told him we wanted to hear some, if he kept it clean of course! so he went and got his ipod and turned out a beat and we all sat around in a circle rapping about the Book or Mormon, Joseph Smith, and Jesus. It was so bomb! he is actually really good! me...not really but I threw the gospel in there so I was fulfilling my purpose. haha and the best part is I filmed the whole thing so y'all can watch it! its too big to send by I'll send my card soon!

Second. Libni came out to a lesson with us! He has progressed so much! He gave his testimony in our fireside last night!, which was also way bomb! singing spanish is sweet!, but he came out with us to the guy who thinks he is super smart that I told you about on the phone, while in the middle of the lesson he was talking about the power of the gospel and how it can change people, he looked at us then back at them and was all "they dont know this yet but I started smoking with I was 9 years old!!!!!!!!!!!! (what???? he never said anything to us about it!!!!!!!!!!!!) but once they told me that I shouldn't smoke I stopped right then and have even thought twice about smoking since!"....we were both shocked! he never even mentioned it too us! after we talked to him about it and he said how he had tried to quit before but couldnt but as soon as we started teaching him it was easy to quit so he didnt think he needed to tell us because it was easy. haha so crazy! I Love that man!! He is awesome and already a awesome member! It's so cool to see the whole change! from not even knowing our church to be coming out with us and teaching others! 

And now the news y'all really want!.....transfrers....im staying here in DH with my gangster friends! yeah!!! Elder Facer is leaving and going Zone Leader...surprise! haha not really. But I'm pretty excited about it! also I'm pretty sure who my comp. is since there is only a few missionaries getting transferred! He is one of the biggest goofs here. so I'm pumped! but I dont know for sure until tomorrow! it will be good though! but that was the only change in my district so im still in the same ward and elder Mallard and Elder Clayton who are sweet missionaries!

I'M so stoked for Jantz!!!!!!!!! he is going to be a bomb missionary!...the joke I'm come up with is that through high school all of bomb squad had girlfriends except drew....now were all going spanish except him! hahah my I still think it's funny and I've said it tons! but they all are going to be bomb! I'm so pumped for them! I better work on my spanish though since I'm the only one in the states! haha....oh and we have a member in our ward from Uruguay! they have a thick accent! haha 

oh one more story real quick! this sunday our ride fell through for church...so we hitched hiked! we asked some guy named eremelijildo or something like that! and he took us! its about a 15 min drive! it was so funny! we tired to get him to come in but he kept telling us how we would "encender" or catch fire! haha it was funny! great guy and were going to try and ride with him again next week! haha

Love you all tons! hope everything is going well for everyone! 

Con bastante amor,

Elder Erickson

Trivia! Somewhere in the Book of Mormon Sherlock Holmes kills Mr. Bolt (the guy from Jamaica) --find it book of Mormon style...haha.

 Renya Ortega cooking and the fish Ortegas gave us....

I had the WHOLE THING eyes brain and all....it was actually pretty good!

 So add it to the list of crazy food! haha 

Hitch Hiking to Church

Week 20: Soccer !; Sacrament; Trivia #1

Buenas tardes! 

(Good afternoon!) 

It was good to hear y'alls Voice! So first off dad sorry i started your letter and havent finished it yet, and were going to play soccer against another zone after this....so im not 100 cien por ciento that its going to get done...and the other letters i had planned on writing. Sorry we dont play soccer too much so i got to take advantage of it. Next week for sure if i dont get if off this week! But i will really try! whats another week out of 104 right? haha wow that's a lot! but first the things for sacrament!

1) Offer a prayer of thanks for our blessings and the Atonment

2) renew baptismal covenant, heads up; one thing that hit me out here is that you can take the sacrament without renewing the covenant, ponder that one and then go read the sacrament prayers again! Elder Clark Challenged us to all memorized the sacrament prayers if we hadnt already, so ill extend the same to you! Boy or Girl its something good to always have in your head. We hear it so much that i think we forget what it really says!

3) Leave feeling clean, if you have repented of your sins. When you leave you should know that you are clean again if you have truley repented and notice that feeling and strive to keep it!

4) for us he said seek for inspiration and revelation for our investigators. But for y'all it should be for your own life, problems you are having, and for your family

These things really make a difference! try them out please :)

Another thing is Elder Clark asked us to check up with EVERYEONE on ther Book of Mormon reading, So how's it going? where are y'all at?

I want to do the trivia thing that dallin did so you can have a little fun with it :)

so first one to send me an email (anyone who reads this can play) of where the answer is gets a point. and dont tell anyone once you have found it cuz you have to find the first one to move on to the next, Me entiende?

First one to 5 gets something texan or mexican! haha

#1:

where in the Book of Mormon Does it talk about a Father stuck in prison and his sons who love him so much sneak in, kill someone, and break down the door and break their father out of jail??? I can see this in comic strip form!

Bonus: In the Bible what other mystical creature besides a Dragon, does it talk about and where is it?

haha good luck! sorry I dont have any stories! nothing has really happened in the last few days! haha

ohh...almost forgot! last night we got fed three dinners!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  it was a joke! i was so full! and the last one they gave us just a huge plate of meat! it was horrible! and as we walked out the last house they gave us one of those huge zip lock bags filled with meat and said here this is for Breakfast! they eat so bad! haha. But I LOVE mexican parties haha!

Hope you all have a good week, sacrament, and reading!

Con amor

Elder Erickson