Monday, August 18, 2014

Teresa!

This week Teresa is getting baptized! The crazy thing is is that she has been taught several times by missionaries with no success. It most definitely had to do with the fact that her parents weren't actually coming to church. But it has been so fun teaching her and her family. We are looking forward to a really great baptismal service with great attendance!
Jorge is doing great! We had a church tour with him to help him know where the building was, and then he came to church! He is so great! Our gospel principles class was on the scriptures, specifically talking about what scriptures we use and all. He talked so much and shared a great testimony of the Book of Mormon! We are pretty excited to teach him again this week. He's more than on track for his baptismal date on the 13th of September! So we may just have to do it a week earlier haha. That way I will be able to be there before transfers come. Which I don't know for sure I'm leaving, but pretty sure. To be here a 6th transfer would be crazy! But as the lord wills!
Marisol got sick with a virus this week and couldn't meet or come to church. But we are meeting with her on Wednesday. She says she is planning on coming to church next week so things are still going well!
We found a great investigator this week named Maria! She is a former that Brother Jester has taught a few times, and she accepted a baptismal date for the 27th of September! Woot! We'll be telling you about her more next week when we can meet with her again. 

Nancy got a job and is going to school, so we have been struggling to get up with her. We plan on teaching her over facebook this week. 

Now the biggest news for this week was that our Bishopric was changed!!! HOLY COW!!!!! That is huge! Henderson is such an amazing place, but since the ward only just recently became a ward, it has been functioning as if it were a branch still. And some of the functions just really weren't happening. We have been struggling to work with the leadership in the ward to unite the missionary work with what they're doing. They have helped us out a lot, but it's been on separate fields. Brother Kinnin is the new Bishop, and he is amazing!!! He has been one of our most faithful exchanges so we are sooo excited to work with him as our new Bishop. We've been able to get some great work done here, and with this change, the ward should be taking off! 
One thing we hope to see is less actives returning to activity. We have about 150 active members with about 400+ members on our roster. Our building only holds about 250 people at the absolute maximum. We really do expect some great things to happen here.

A few other people that would be great to keep in your prayers are Moises Hernandez and Karina Lopez. They are both the recent converts here for spanish. It's super difficult to hold firm without a solid friendshipping base to work with, and they definitely need prayers. Thanks! They're both working hard and doing well!

This week in my studies I have been learning a lot about the attributes of Christ. The attributes of Christ are so amazing! When we apply the gospel (faith, repentance, covenants, the holy ghost, and enduring to the end), then we let these attributes become a part of our nature as well. Though it takes time, if you pay attention you can see yourself change and it brings so much hope! Plus you are exercising patience when you look for the results, since it takes some time haha.

I know that we are sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father, and that we have divine potential. Our potential is to become as our Heavenly Father is! And what joy that brings and what hope it offers! Often we can have the temptation to settle for the easy way, or the temptation to justify our pride, but it is in that moment that we have the divine opportunity to develop the attributes of Christ and decide to do as he would.

I am so grateful that the Lord sacrificed his will so that we too could know how to sacrifice our will and be endowed with all that the Father hath!

I love you all so much! I'm so sorry that you have to go to school! This is so much more fun! :D
Have a great week!

Elder Brian Johnson

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