Week 98: Asked to Baptize Ericka

So much has happened this week that I figure it will just be easier to give you a day by day.

Monday- For p-day we drove to Beaumont for their zone p-day. We try and get to each zone's p-day so we can have more interaction with all the missionaries! Lucky for us there is a member out there that owns an indoor soccer place so we were able to go play for 2 hours!  I was like a 5 year old on Christmas morning! Walking into that place - just the smell of the turf and rubber was worth the drive! 

We played a game of like 12 on 12! It was so packed on the field but it was still really fun! there were a few kids on the other team who were pretty good. One who played at SLCC and two others who played High school ball and then the member who played ball in England. It was fun...We still won though! 

That evening we had a family home evening with the Yanez family and the Paul's from the ward! It was fun because his dad was visiting from Columbia so we taught in English then Bro. Paul who served in Spanish and I taught in Spanish! it was really cool!

Wed- more transfer stuff

Thursday- we started our transfer mattress run!  It is always fun to figure out where we get to drive in the mission...we drove all the close one's so we could make it back for Hour of Power.  We had a great Hour of Power.  It seemed like everyone wanted to talk to us and seemed so happy! It was great. Latter we found out that someone on face book (Eagle Springs has its own community page) posted something about how two missionaries knocked on his door when he wasn't home and were super persistent with his wife and "belligerent" they were when she said no. (members told us about this on church on Sunday) Others started talking bad on us and the missionaries knocking on doors and finally is escalated to someone saying just shoot them! haha. Bro. Keo finally stepped in and backed us up then other members as well. Soon non members who had interactions with missionaries were saying how it was a positive experience. The one guy got on and said he hadn't met the missionaries yet and wanted to so one member got his information and set up a time so we are going to go teach him on Friday!

Friday- we went to Orange Texas, for zone meeting and then made all our far mattress runs! We had to go to Jasper so we would be driving through Buna, which is where Van lives. so on the way we stopped by his house but he wasn't there so we called him and on our way back from Jasper.  We stopped again and I was able to see him!!! He was so happy to talk to us when we called! as was I! He is such a great guy!
When we pulled up we got out and just gave me a big hug and said how he knew which one was Lee's grandson because of the red hair!! He was so nice to us, he invited us right in to his 100 plus old house. It was legit! super old wood house on a nice farm! I'll send pics next week when I have more time! He told us stories and fed us cake! then told us how they played music on a dulcemer or something like that....so we had them play us a song and I filmed it! IT'S AWESOME!!!!! Can't wait to show you! I was so happy I had the chance to meet him! great guy!

That morning we left at 7:00a.m. We ended back in our area at 7:10 in the evening!

Saturday- It was Chris and Ericka's wedding!!!!!!!!!!!! It was so awesome to see them get married! They are such a great family and it was a  time to see all the members of the West Lake ward!! When we were just talking Ericka came up to me and asked me if I would baptize her! I'm a firm believer that members should be the ones to baptize investigators....but I would be lying if I said I wasn't excited when she asked me!

Sunday was the baptism!!! It was such great baptism! President let all the missionaries that have taught her since when Elder Thomas and I were there come back! as you saw in the picture. It was a party! The spirit hit me pretty strong seeing Hno. Solis baptized his Son and how patient he has been as his son has taken 13 years to make the decision. It was eye opening to me the faith that he had in the Lord that it would all work out!

Transfers went fairly smooth this go around! We got 11 new missionaries and 3 visa waiters! I love being with them at the start!

The mission is awesome!!!! 

Love you all so much!

Con amor y respeto!

Elder Erickson

Van Hunt with his wife and Elder Erickson

Van texted Todd this picture and talked to him on the phone.  He kept saying what a fine young man Ethan was!  Papa had told Ethan about his old Navy buddy living in Texas but he had no idea that the Lord would bless him with the opportunity to meet him!

Missionaries that helped teach Chris and Ericka Solis,

along with President and Sister Morales.

Solis Family

Ericka and Chris's Baptism

Week 97: 187%

Dear Family,

This week we finished up the interview trainings that we have been doing since the beginning of the transfer. It has been a long but good road. We have taught this training 14 times now so we are fairly good at it. We hope it can really help the missionaries in their own missionary work. We talk about the 1% we can help with and if we are able to make just a 1% different in the missionary work that they do then over all we will help the mission improve 187% for a longer period of time, which is more good than we could do just ourselves working hard. It is a good way to look at all the time we put into the training and interaction with other missionaries that we have so we don't (feel)"proselyting sick" haha. Really though I have so much respect for all the missionaries here in this mission. A lot of them have had a rougher road than I have had and yet they are still getting it done. It makes me super grateful for the friends and family I have! Elder Hepworth and I often talk about why we were so lucky and given so much. So thanks to everyone who has been so great to me and helped me make it in this life up to this point!

Other things we did this week were, moving another set of elders to new apartments, we are getting quicker at it. We had to this time because it was raining! We got there and the Elders and Elder Ivory, he is the housing guy, were questioning if we were still going to do it, E. Hepworth and I were still down so we just got it done! It was one of those fun adventures! 

I was able to do one of the best baptismal interviews ever!! Chris Solis! from West Lake Houston! do you remember them? Pres. gave me permission because they needed Spanish but I taught them so normally I wouldn't do it but he said I could! It was so neat to talk with him and hear his whole 13 year conversion story! One thing that stood out to me that I didn't realize made an impact was something that both he and Ericka said, about (them) giving up coffee and (me) giving up desserts. Both of them couldn't give up the coffee and I did that as a serious yet jokingly fun way to help them give it up and both up them brought it up in their interview as a thing that really helped them overcome that problem! I was happy to hear that my sacrifice helped them out!...I did tell you about that right?

Also this week we were able to teach the Lasyones again and we taught them the word of Wisdom as well! Mike was game but Rita was more hesitant to give up her tea. But they are planning to go on a "ward camp out" in 2 weeks. THEY NEED TO BE BAPTIZED!

For Halloween we didn't do anything special really, we were with Bro. Keo and sat outside and passed out candy and just tried to be friendly with people! Last night we had a member family invite their neighbors and us over for dinner, their neighbors were Muslim, so that was interesting! 

Next week is week 6! so its crazy work in the office getting ready for transfers! I love it!

Con amor y respeto!

Elder Erickson

Ps today we are driving out to Beaumont again because they are having zone pday at a indoor soccer field that a member owns! yeah buddy!

Week 96: French Dip!!!

Well family....

This week was really busy but very uplifting!
First was more trainings! We were in the Summerwood zone and the Baytown zone this week. It was good. Since we have now taught the same 3 hour training 12 times we are getting pretty good at it!  By the time we are done we will have spent 42 hours teaching. Its been fun! In between the two trainings we taught a new missionary training for all the missionaries who came last transfer. 

Friday we were able to go on exchanges I was able to go back to Magnolia! with Elder Viitanen and Tatom!!! it was way fun! We had a good time and learned some good things! Friday night we came back and stopped by the church to set up for the meeting with Elder Callister, Foter, and Tay and we turned the corner in the building to walk into the Relief Society room and Elder Callister and I made eye contact, and as a missionary or even a member these guys are like Celebrities! so I just kinda froze and turned on my heels and go out of there! we went and visited someone and then came back an hour later. Some people were still there but they were having a nice dinner and so we helped clean up and then set up for the meeting. On the way out they told us to take whatever food was left in the kitchen home with us....well they eat good. We came out of there with so much nice chicken and salad and fresh black bean salsa thing...but it was awesome our fridge is full of organic salad mixes and all! haha

The actual meeting was even more edifying than all the food! We were trained a lot on leadership and the role of an assistant and also a zone leaders so we can help train zone leaders! They gave a training on Principles vs. Rules and Laws. It was really great and will help in the mission and life! The G.A. were all so nice and relaxed in front of such a small group and they just opened it up for Q and A. the Mission President pretty much dominated that part but it was great just to hear the answers! We were able to chat with all the assistants and I was able to talk with them about Bryson and his president. He said he is their strongest zone leader! so it sounds like he is doing great in the South Mission! 

Right after the meeting we ran to the chapel to fill the font! Karine's baptism was so great! the ward here is amazing! They all participated and they only saw her 1 the week before her baptism but ward members had her over or were in her home every day before the baptism! 

Bishop Tate baptized her and she asked Pres. Crawford to confirm her and bless her baby! We were able to stand in both circles! It was a baptism long in the making! I'm not sure what was the turning point...probably her baby! It got her thinking! Thanks for all you do! I Love you all! 

Con amor y respeto

Elder Erickson

The Assistance!

Elder Erickson, Hepworth,  Bro. Keo (ward mission Leader) Karine and Leighton, 

Bishop Tate, Bro and Sister Bailey. The baileys are the members 

who were such a big role in her baptism!

Bro. Keo, Elder Hepworth, Sister Crawford, 

Karine and Leighton, Pres. Crawford, Elder Erickson

So I totally forgot to mention the Golf game with President Crawford last p-day. 

We went to just a ghetto place because most of them around her and dang nice and expensive! So it was still nice...a little under The Barn quality. But it was perfect weather and really fun! We warmed up with a small bucket of balls and I was hitting so good' I was impressing myself...long straight shots. Then we got to the Tee and I returned the non-golfer that I am...I had a few good shots...one which was a 35 foot putt on the first green! Pres. was a really good players...he is getting a little "stiff" and hasn't played much at all...he has all the theories and tips for playing good but is just a little rusty. Elder Hepworth was a crazy good golfer back home...he played a bunch of Utah tournies and what not, so he played really well...he said he shot higher than he had since like in 9th grade.  But back home it sounds like he played everyday the grass was green! It was super fun and I enjoyed the time with the two of them! 

I didn't have any golf shorts so I took some old slacks and Cut them...I was the classiest player out there! haha Pres. loaned us some golf shirts as well!...one of the best shots was when Pres. hit out of the soles of his shoe. On the last hole he drove the ball and the sole of his shoe some how tore free! it was dang funny! If you look close in the picture you can see my sweet shorts and that his one shoe is missing a sole!

I hope Eli can figure what to do....I liked doing a semester of College but at the same time I've forgotten everything I learned so its either or!

I got your box! thanks so much! I loved the reminder of pudding game ;)

Con amor y respeto

Elder Erickson

Week 95: Broadway to Moss Bluff!

Family! 

This week was a great busy week! So much has happened I feel like its been two weeks since I last wrote you!

We started the week in the Broadway area doing trainings. We drove from there up to our area, had 1 appointment then drove straight to Moss Bluff Louisiana!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can check that one off my list of making it into Louisiana. It was a great experience Not a whole ton different than east Texas...but east Texas is quite a bit different than anywhere else really. We did a training in Lake Charles then drove to Vidor and had another. The next day we had two trainings in Pasadena! It is starting to get confusing and we forget what we have said to one group and what we haven't said since its all the same thing. We have really enjoyed getting to know all the missionaries from the mission and to be with them and interact with them! That's one of the pluses of being here. No Spanish and no Ghetto but a lot of President Crawford and seeing other missionaries. You win some and you lose some! 

This week we were able to teach Karine a few times! She is great! We had a little scare this Sunday, she didn't show up at church. We went by later that evening and she explained how her baby was sick and kept spitting up every time she would go to leave so after changing her 3 time she gave up. But the baptism is still on for this Saturday at 2! 

Also this Saturday we have some "unknown meeting" with all the other Houston missions and the San Antonio mission along with Elder Callister and Elder Foster. It's for all the mission presidents, their wives, and the Assistants. It's going to be fun! Is Bryson an assistant? That stud should be - so hopefully I'll get to see him!

Today is our golfing day! We invited one of our investigators! Bill Kirby! He is a great guy. He is the one that loves to put us to work. I'm not sure if I already told you about him but we knocked on his door one evening and he invited us in...gave us dinner and had us helping him paint his man cave an Atlanta Falcons red and grey. It was so funny! We were even in our suits because we had come from a baptism in Baytown of someone that Elder Hepworth taught (that's another thing I forgot to mention that we did this week, we went on exchanges with the Elders In the Baytown area on Friday and Saturday.) anyways we were painting with him and teaching at the same time! It was great! 

Life is great as a missionary! There isn't anything better! It's a different work than the last however many months but it's still the Lord's work and doing the Lord's work is always a pleasure.  

Con amor y respeto

Elder Erickson

Week 94: Always Prepare So You Have Options

Dear family!

Right now I'm sitting in President Crawford's office on a laptop having a nice Q and A about life while I type this.....so this will probably be short. I enjoy talking with President so much and take advantage of it when I can. He is a wise man. I have learned so much from him in the time spent around him.

This week we had our first training in the Kingwood zone. There were two sessions of 3 hours each. We taught the 2 hours of that. We had to plan those two hours the night before because of other things that kept us busy! We were up later than we should have been so by the time we got everything squared away we were pretty tired but we made it through it and it went well!

We were able to meet with Karine this week and teach her. She has such a great understanding of the doctrine and had read 11 chapters in between visits and understood them very well! She also came to church, which has been her big hold back for the past bit because of her 5 month old baby. We are excited for her and are going to teach her this Friday with President.

We haven't met with Chip or Will Howse but we did have a great Church tour with Jermaine who was one of the 5 new investigators we found last week! He told us he would be at church and had such a spiritual experience from the tour but didn't show. We will be seeing him this week.

Last hour of power we went with the member who we had the prayer with and they came with us to the house of one of their neighbors to introduce us to them (these are the same members who invited the Yanez family to church) so we went and knocked on their door and had a great conversation with the wife. We talked with her and set up a dinner for Sunday (last night) we went to the dinner and had a great conversation and they were very friendly. After when we got in to the teaching it felt a little awkward and they had some strange answers to questions. By the time we got to Joseph Smith they came at us with all the anti. I hate that so much!!! We have lost so many investigators of that stuff. It was really sad and I felt so bad for the member because they are so great at inviting people and the lesson just ended super awkward. But the members here are great! 

This week at church we were able to go into Relief Society and role play some ways to invite friends and people they meet with, to visit with the missionaries.  It was a bit like walking into the lions den at first but we were able to make it pretty funny and joking about being an "Eagle Springs mom" with 5 kids all under the age of 8, which is quite common in this ward. Some of the wives are only a few years older than us and already have kids.! but it was super funny and it built some good relationship with the ward!

From the little chat we had, the President Crawford quote for all is:

 Always prepare so you have options. 

We were talking of schooling and jobs and professions and this was his profound statement that stood out to me!

Love you all!

Con amor y respeto

Elder Erickson

Week 93: Conference Was So Great!!!

Dear family!!!

Conference was so great!!! We were able to watch all the session and I loved every second of it! There was so much good stuff given to us! I felt like there was more things spoken to me than I was able to keep up with! I was able to write down some questions and once again God proved His love to me by answering every one of them. Even the tough ones! Some Favorites were Elder Uchtdorfs Sunday morning and also Elder Chirstoffersons! and I will also agree with Dad that Elder Bednar's talk is going to be one of those classics. The brethren were pretty straight up with us this go around. I liked that.

We went Saturday Afternoon to remind and invite Chip to come...he doesn't like when we show up, especially on weekends! haha He opened the door and grabbed my traps super hard then grabbed Elder Hepworth's and held two fingers up and said "You know what I can do with these?" Elder Hep said "probably Kill me" he replied "that's right, just like that" haha He then went on to try and introduce us to non-lethal weapons and offered us some mace and a tazer gun, that we respectfully declined and set up a return appointment later in the week! I sure do love this guy! ;)

We did have a few miracles that I will try to explain briefly. First is with our "ward exchanges" 1 or 2 times a week members come out with us and they are supposed to set things up with friends and plan the night. Usually they don't or we try the same less-actives over and over. We went out with one member and after things had fallen through we decided to go and try some potentials and one was a kid we contacted in McDonalds. It was almost 8:30 but when we knocked he was super happy to see us and didn't think we were really going to come when we contacted him and told him that we would stop by. It is a family of 7! We had a great quick lesson with them! their grandparents were there and they mostly spoke Spanish so I got to us my Spanish a little bit which was nice :)

we also have an investigator named Karine Delangle from France and she was invited by a member to watch conference. During it he ended up setting a date with her!!!! It was a great phone call to receive from him. She has be on and off about her baptism for about a year. But for some reason she feels now is the time! She had a problem with tithing before so many Elder Bednar's talk helped her out!   We went by Sunday afternoon and had a lesson with her and she knows everything super well! We "confirmed" the date of the 26th of this month! The only real factor is going to be church attendance. She has a new born and makes it hard for him to come! Please Pray for her :) it was a super miracle week. We worked about 6 total hours in our own area and had Only 2 member present lessons, but 5 new investigators and set a date within the month. We feel super super blessed!

Funny story for the week!!! 

We had new missionaries come in, there was 17 of them this transfer, we us a trailer to carry all of their luggage  (which I am getting really good at driving since my first time driving I had to drive it on the 59 and through an International airport. But I'm learning quickly along with many other new skills). Tuesday morning we loaded everyone up after a breakfast at the mission home to take them to the transfer meeting and Elder Walser was still with us and he is a bit "gun Hoe" and once the passenger van was all full he ran and jumped in and took off super fast. Bad news was that the trailer which had all the luggage and was attached to the van and the door wasn't latched shut! So as he took off bags started flying everywhere and with every corner more and more flew. I was in the truck with some of the new elders so we took off honking at him trying to get him to stop. He couldn't hear us nor did he see us so he just kept going and we were dodging bags like it was a video game! haha finally he came to a stop sign so I pulled up behind him and laid on the horn and thought he heard me so I got out of the truck. Then he went and crossed a super busy street. So I just sprinted after him and played frogger in my suit! and then we got him stopped!! IT was a great memory and to top it off someone passing by picked up on of the bags in the road and took off.....eventually they called but we thought they had stolen it! It was a great time! Elder Hepworth then had to go teach a training meeting while sweating and adrenaline pumping! I Love this job :)

Time is up! Love you all!

Thanks so much for all you do! The Church is true and this weekend confirmed my testimony that we have 15 men called of God to lead and guide us! Listen to them, Study their words, then put them into practice!

con amor y respeto

Elder Erickson

Week 92: We Find Joy in What We Do!

Hey family! transfers are here!!! Life is crazy!  

We have spent a lot of time planning and moving people (to) apartments, having to find new apartments and helping get them furnished! so life has been a little less estilo "proselyting" than we would like but we find joy in what we do! I'm super excited to work with Elder Hepworth! He is the kinda kid that can make watching grass grow fun. I'm sure together we won't have a dull moment! 

This week we were able to meet with Chip! This man is insane! I love him even though he always threatens to kill us! haha My favorite quote was "I'm about to pick this up (grabbing a huge glass coffee table) and Smash it over your head".  We've never really felt threatened so when he says that it's all I can do not to laugh just cuz we always joke about him...this time I kinda bursted out. He is a character! I love teaching him. He is pretty intelligent too which makes teaching him nice. He understands the keystone concept of the Book of Mormon. Now we just need to get him to read more consistently. 

Other people we are working with are the Stillman family,  a part member family. The father had some back experiences growing up and now doesn't come to church and his wife is pretty Methodist! We had a great lesson with them yesterday and they could start to make some progress! He is gaining a testimony of the Book of Mormon again. Which could create some marriage problems, so it will be interesting! 

Also a young man named Will Howse came on a church tour! He has a lot of deep doctrine questions and reads the Book of Mormon a lot...but its a long side with anti books. He wants to see "Both Sides".  He has a lot of questions about the Origin of God and our view of Exaltation. He is really cool guy though and fits into the ward great! So we are going to fellowship the anti right out of him! 

Today we went to the airport and were waiting for missionaries to come in and President paid for us to get our shoes shined. We were able to contact the workers and we left one of them a pamphlet of the restoration and after he kept calling us of to ask questions and told us he could "relate a lot to the Smith guy" so we're doing missionary work whenever we can! Y'all better be too! 

The Work is a God Lead work. When God leads there is nothing that is going to stop it! As missionaries we are successful as soon as we invite people to come unto Christ! I know I'm doing what God wants from me by inviting the people of T.H.E. Mission to come unto Him! 

Con amor y respeto

Elder Erickson