Week 61: Josefina's Baptism

Baptism went well for Josefina!! It was one of the most powerful baptisms of my mission!!! Her whole story has been a miracle! I Love that lady so much!! Now it truly is a Cinderella story!!! After the baptism Pres. Morales was making a few comments and she stood up and started to thank everyone for what they had done to help her and she broke down and started crying and looked and Elder Smith and me and said "I want to thank my instructors and all the help they have given me" it took a while for her to get it out but it hit me right in the heart! The spirit was so strong at that moment. I Love being a missionary and seeing someone go from day 1 of meeting us and the church all the way to their baptism is amazing!!!!

Other awesome things from this week,

We got to have lunch with Hna Ortega!!!!!!!!!!! I asked her how her reading was going and she said not so good.....I'm not done with Doc. and Cov. yet...! she has read the whole Book of Mormon and is in section 127 of the Doc. and Cov. That lady is so amazing! It was such a great feeling seeing her again! We shared Alma 17: 1-2 about the sons of Mosiah meeting again and the joy he had because they were strong in the Gospel.

We had a new family in church this week as well. Maria Arellano. She is the sweetest lady! She was raised by her aunts who were Testigos (Jehovah Witness) and then married her husband and he was raised Catholic. She wanted her kids to know God so she just took them to Catholic church...Pobrecita didn't know up from down when it came to the gospel. We have been having some really powerful lessons with her. We set a baptism date for the 24th of March. She came to church and loved it, she was participating and answering questions now and asking questions. She never went to school so she doesn't really know how to read but we left her with Alma 32 and she said she read it 5 times! Elder Thomas and I found her one day, we were biking and saw some people sitting outside of their porch. We went to talk to them, they were waiting for food, Maria Arellano sales food for her business out of her house. When I saw her I got the same feeling I got when I first talked with Yaneth. We didn't even talk to her cuz she said she was busy. She was very nice though and I told Elder Thomas as we left that we were going back the next time we passed by. Now we have been teaching her ever since.

On a sad note we talked with Armando the other day. He said is wife doesn't want anything to do with us. She has been hiding his books so he can't study. He said he knows where they are and will study once and awhile when she is gone but not much. They have only been married 1 year. We had a long talk and told him that the gospel isn't about breaking up families so we told him to keep studying. We set up a fast with him for the 3rd and pretty much told him to call us when things have gotten a little better. It was one of the hardest things I have done on my mission. I felt like I just broke up with my girlfriend walking away from him. It was so sad because he wants it so bad but doesn't want to have problems because they have a new born as well. He is pretty focused on his families safety too. In his neighborhood a lot is going on. Everyone is getting robbed. He had 3 big dogs and 2 are gone and his German Shepard's hips got broken and 5 houses there have been set on fire. He is such an amazing guy but I guess it just isn't his time right now.

Love you all! have a great week!

Con amor y respeto

Elder Erickson

 

Elder Smith, Josefina, Elder Erickson

Week 60: Without God's Help We Are Nothing!

Hello family!

Sorry Emailing is always on different days. Libraries were closed yesterday, and now I have to be super fast because we have a full day. I'm on exchanges with the Elders from Dayton, Elder Evans came here with me so we are just going to be short today!

First off the baptism for Josefina is next week. Everything is on track and going well. We are meeting with her tonight to go over the baptism interview questions.

We had another miracle that I thought you might like to hear. Each week the Lord shows me a new subject of the gospel. This week was prayer. We had zone conference on Thursday and after we were going straight to our hour of power lesson. We didn't know who we were doing it with but we wanted to do it with a less-active in the southern part of our area, we hardly make it down there. After zone conference we decided to pray in the parking lot to know who we should go see. Elder Smith said the prayer, While he was praying the letter "S" came to my mind. So right after the prayer we opened up to the names that started with S. We hurried through a couple of them and then came to one named Sauceda. Neither of us knew that name but it felt right so that's what we decided. 

When we got there and talked with her for a little, it looked like a bust. She has been going to a baptist church for the last 1 or so. She got offended when they told her she had to move churches. She invited us in and told us to wait because she had to make the salsa real quick, but instead we hurry and asked her if she could show us how she makes salsa. So we got taught something and while she was showing us we were teaching her about the restoration and the reason it makes a difference what church she went to. She still had a testimony of Jose Smith but didn't understand what that belief really meant. Her husband came home and we made a quick relationship with him and he invited us back for dinner this Weds. Hna. Sauceda said she is going to come back to church next week as well! When we ended we explained hour of power and invited them to pray. after the hour we called her back to tell her how it went. She thanked us for having her pray. She said how her house felt so much better after she prayed and how she has been having marriage problems as well but now she felt calm and good and said she was excited to have us back!...Mission life is almost unreal how much God helps! and I'm glad he does because without it we would be nothing!!

I hope you all had a great Valentines day! I miss you so much!

Con amor y Respeto

Elder Erickson

Week 59: More Awesome Miracles!

Hello!

Did you think I forgot about you? haha

Sorry I didn't e-mail yesterday I didn't really feel like talking with y'all but then today I changed my mind....

Just messing. yesterday we went to NASA! it was so cool!!!! I'm not a museum guy but I was blown away by some of the stuff they had there! We got a really sweet tour and got to see some things that were unreal!! I took a ton of pictures and will hopefully find time to talk about the pictures and send the card....probably not in this transfer though because we are so dang busy!!!! So maybe in a while you will get to see them! bastame deciros (do I sound like Nefi?)  that it was awesome! and Eli would love the place! and I'll send a couple pictures today!

So this week we saw some more awesome miracles! 

First off Hno Munguia, the inactive from Nicaragua that just walked into the church one day. We had dinner with his family and they made us some food from Rebulica Dominical! It was really good, they don't eat anything spicy but we did learn how to cook plantain! After, we had an awesome lesson with them and set a date with them for the 24 of March! I really hope I'm still here by then!  He became really good friends with all of them that day and made a good relationship. The husband who is a member works Sunday mornings so that is a tough part. But he came up to us as we were leaving and asked if he could come out with us. For a past lesson we had a member come, he said he wanted to do what they did and be "involved" it was soo cool! He hasn't been to church in over 30 years but he knows it's true and wants it so bad! it was a really awesome lesson for us. 

Then on the way to our next lesson we got a phone call from Josefina, whose date was set for the 24 but she was still a little unsure about it...but she called us and said something a long the lines of "I just wanted to call you and let you know that yes, I will be getting baptized on the 24th!!!!!) it was so amazing! We were celebrating in the car as soon as Elder Smith hung up! haha She is awesome and the whole story with her has been a miracle!

Also with the Soriano family. I think I told you about the miracle of them and the story she shared in church, I told it to someone. but we called her to confirm an appointment and her kids told us she was in Jail....so we went over to make sure the kids were OK.  The oldest girl, who is about 20 with a kid of her own, came down and was staying with them. I'm not 100% sure what happened and it doesn't really matter but she got out a few days later and she called us and asked us to come over and told us how she wants her kids to get baptized as well! We went over and shared a lesson about the Book of Mormon and the husband of the oldest daughter was really getting into it as well! They all came to church this past Sunday! We had 12 in church! Some of them don't live in our area so we passed them off to other missionaries but they are coming to church! It is going to be another busy week and I'm looking forward to it!

And to clear things up about falling into the fount... so I don't look like a tard....there were lots of women in the restroom and the door leads right into there, so I felt weird walking out with all of them in the bathroom so I just decided to go back the way I came. I didn't it once so I thought I could do it again!

Love you all!

Con amor y respeto!

Elder Erickson!

Elder Smith and Elder Erickson at Houston Space Center

This is "Control Room"  where everything is run for the space missions!  

It gave me chills being there!

Week 58: Fishing and Baptisms

First off fishing....it was fun to be fishing again! Its been a long time...but we are better missionaries than we are fishermen. Just fishers of men, not fish. We didn't catch a dang thing!!!!! The Investigator couldn't come so he just gave us the poles and tackle box and everything. He is a dad of some girls who were recently baptized. His wife is also a less-active member. But we are going to try again soon! When we went it was super windy and wavy. There were a few other people fishing and they didn't have any luck either. So fishing was a bust!

But the Baptism wasn't!!!!!!!!! It was so awesome! Eva called us on Friday night and told us that Lucia would like her dad to baptize her and that Eva would like for me to baptize her! It was really awesome!!! We met with them Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday this past week getting them ready! haha the dates came up so quick that we didn't quite have time to space out our lessons! It was really good though and we made a good relationship with them!  After church they invited us to come down and have dinner with them and so we went and ate some tamales and tried to help Hno. figure out the prayer and how to do the baptism then hurried up to the church to fill the font. We started filling it and there was no hot water! at all! So we had no choice. We mentioned it to our Branch Pres. wife, Hna. Morales, and she ran and grabbed some huge pots and starting heating up the water! haha but the service started and as we were walking from the chapel to the font Hna Morales came and told me that the door to the font was locked from the ladies side and the person with the key had left. So I ran in from the guys side and spider-maned over to the other side and unlocked it. I got my sock a little wet though, so on the way back I didn't have quite the same grip........everyone had already started making their way into the room and I ate crap! haha I fell in the font! It was so funny, and freezing cold! Then right after that, I get brought 2 HUGE pots of boiling water and tried to dump them in by myself since I'm already wet and burnt my hand a little bit! It was quite the adventure! But after the little girls stopped laughing we had two very spiritual baptisms! Lucia was scared of the water and Hno wasn't quite sure how to hold her and it was super awkward how she went under but it worked! :)

Also this week we found an awesome family!!! and it was a miracle how we found them! We were talking about the spirit in Gospel Principals - about the Holy Ghost and how it guides us and she said how the spirit told her to go home and she didn't know why cuz she needed to go to the store. But she went home and just sat in her car staring at the walls and that's when we pulled up! Turns out she is a convert of 5 years but hasn't been in about 5 years.... but her kid's aren't baptized. We had an awesome lesson in her backyard that night because she is a single mom. She explained to the whole class how the Holy Ghost was the one that told her to do that. It was amazing to see how she recognized it! She doesn't really know anything about the church, the Book of Mormon, or Joseph Smith so it will be like starting over with her. It was really cool to find her this week! Especially with everything that happened during the week! We both had the flu! Elder Smith had it pretty bad! we had to go on splits with the English elders so we could get down and teach Eva and Lucia! it was a long night but we got them taught :)

Josefina came to the baptism. We needed to move her date back a week, and that happens to be stake conference so Pres. Morales wanted us to go another week so her date is now the 24th.

Con Amor y Respeto!

 Elder Erickson

Elder Smith and Erickson fishing - with no success

" we are better missionaries than we are fishermen. Just fishers of men, not fish. "

Elder Smith, Eva Lira, Jimenez Martin ( Eva and Lucia's father) , Lucia Serrano, Elder Erickson

Priesthood Power

Dear family,

I want to share a story with you about something that happened this week that really strengthened my testimony. Tuesday Elder Smith and I were super sick and having a hard time working and finding the desire to keep working because all our appointments fell through. We went to Walgreens and got some meds so we could sleep and Elder Smith got some NyQuil or the Walgreens brand of it. We took it about 10:00 and went to bed. I woke up at 2:30 to Elder Smith screaming and walking out of the room. He was screaming super loud and super high-pitch that he couldn't breathe. I jumped out of bed and tried to calm him down. He was in shock. He just kept yelling how it hurt. I knew he could breathe because he was yelling so I was just trying to get him to control it and count with him. I felt like I was at work again but with young people. After trying for a like 30 seconds of getting him to focus and just breathe slowly he put his face into the couch and was freaking out. From there I gave him a blessing. When I gave it to him I just felt like I should tell him to breathe. So I did. As soon as I said Amen he stopped screaming. He starting actually taking breaths. They were still fast but he was getting air in. After about 30 seconds he could talk normal. He said it still hurt a little but it was getting better.

We sat there counting for a little and I was trying to decid whether we should go to the ER but Elder Smith didn't want to. We sat there on the floor for about an hour. Elder Smith just counting and me thinking about what just happened. I am so grateful for the priesthood! It's such a blessing to have it! I know that if we live worthy we can use this power of God to bless others!

I love you all!

Con amor y respeto

Elder Erickson

Week 57: Baptisms Feb. 3rd and 10th!

Buenas tardes!!

Man sounds like y'all are freezing your buns off! hahaha Its been pretty warm here! We have turned the AC on a few times in the apartment! haha Dallin sent me some videos of all the ice, that's crazy!

This week has been another great one! Not as much happened but still some great things!

Josefina got a new job yesterday! She talked with our ward mission leader, I'm not sure if I have told you about him? but he is loaded! But he decided they could use a maid in their house. So they told her they would take her in!!!!!!!!!!!!!! yeah! She is so awesome!!! She came to church again and she was the only investigator that came on time for Gospel Principles so we just taught a lesson right to her! She is still good for the 10th!

Lucia Serrano and Eva Lira. Eva in the mom of Michael. Her and her sister, Lucia have been meeting with us and they have been coming to church a lot over the past few months but just couldn't commit to baptism! Well, finally everything is good to go! They have a date for next week! I'm not sure if I told you this already or not! But they had a party yesterday, good thing we taught them about Sabbath day that night haha, for their kid. But she invited us! It was a really fun! Their parties are a lot better than ours! But we were able to meet with them after and things should be good for next Sunday!!

Mom I want to give you a personal apology because I know it was your week last week and I didn't get a letter off....and well...this week....we are going swamp fishing with a recent converts dad who is  a non-member...he is 100 % red-neck and married a Hispanic. It's interesting but it works for them and for us cuz we get to go fishing! haha...so I'll be sure to send pictures. I'll do my best to get a letter written but I don't want to promise anything. Especially since he said fishing is really good right now! so I Love you and am thinking about you and just have to go fishing! ;)

We also talked in sacrament yesterday! It was interesting because I've been pretty sick and stuffy this past week, the Polancos gave me some te de manzania con miel (manzania tea with honey)! It's pretty addicting stuff so I've been drinking a lot of that to help the throat. But I talked on every member being a missionary. I'm still not a great public speaker but it was a lot better than my last talk. I didn't have a problem with Spanish, I just called our members out for not helping us! haha not really they are good here in the branch! 

I read the letter about Hannah giving her talk Sunday morning cuz I was in Dayton for the weekend and it reminded me of my talk that I needed to finish! So thanks for the reminder! and good job on your talk Hannah! I heard you did very well!!!

I'm off fishing! Love you!!

Con amor y Respeto!

Elder Erickson!

Here is a picture of the party we went to! 

I took some video of us trying to hit the piñata and what not ha ha.

Week 56: Miracles!

This week was a miracle filled week!!!! I have seen so many miracles as a missionary! And many this past week! 

1. We invited a member to a lesson, a friend of the investigator who sat in happened to be a ex-member and missionary, sounded like he has been excommunicated but I'm not 100% on that. but he was also the brother of the member we invited and they had not seen each other in a long time. 2. We knocked into Josefina!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. She is the lady who came to church but didn't know her address and was unable to describe where she lived.  We were in the area of a referral from other missionaries. It was a old referral and it was the middle of the day. We knew for a fact that the man wouldn't be there because he had told put down his schedule, but I clearly heard a voice tell me to try it anyways...It ended up being the house she was the maid of!  I couldn't believe what I was seeing when the door opened!!! I almost couldn't talk because I wasn't really believing what was happening! We were able to set up a lesson at our Relief Society presidents home and set a date for the 10th of Feb! Ever sense then they have been helping each other out. Josefina came to their house after church for dinner and Han Solis drove her to see her mom and they are getting a long great!!! It goes right along with what Hannah talked about. I know for a fact that the Holy Ghost guided us to find that house. There is no way in inferno that we could have found that house but God had a way laid out for us to find her!  and 3. A less active member of many years walked into church Sunday after service and explained how we was baptized in Nicaragua and raised in the church but has fallen away. He wanted us to come visit with him and his wife and three kids who are non-members! That is the 4th person is the past 2 months that has just walked into the church!!!!!!!!! its unreal! I Love being a missionary! I don't ever want to stop! y'all can come visit me in a year but I'm staying here! Just make sure Jamie brings my sobrino!

Elder Smith is from Payson. His foot doesn't slow us down too much. We use a ton of miles. We have a monthly total of 1200 and last month we used 1600. It's the toughest rule for me to follow as you can see, but hey we are getting people to church and now we have no option to bike. So that's the only real problem from his foot. He is a cool elder. He likes skiing and outdoor stuff and played Goalie for soccer so we get along. He came from Denver Harbor so we always have stuff to talk about from there! 

Armando didn't come to church again. He called us to the night before and said his brother in-law got in a car crash and so they had to go help him. 

Sorry time is short today since it's a normal proselyte day so I don't have time to reply to everyone! but know I Love you all! 

I'm off to find more miracles!

Os amo!  Os extrano un pocito!

Con amor y respeto!

Elder Erickson

PS We met with the One Direction crew again. We took them a "One Direction" poster Aunt Debbie sent me! haha it was funny! They invited new people again. We took a picture but some aren't there that were before and new ones are, so it's just changing! Their parents made dinner for us too. That was our third time we got fed that day. Nice people but I can't take it! haha

The other picture is a cake that Hno Vargas, My ward mission leader from DH gave me. He knocked on our door at like 9 in the morning with that cake! haha

The "One Direction" Crew with Elder Erickson and Smith

 Cake from Hno Vargas, The Ward mission leader from Denver Harbor