Dan Chandler
Location: Houston, Texas
Date: July 29, 2024
Language: Spanish
My Stories!
August 27 , 2025
Buenas tardes a todos! Welcome back! Here's some highlights:
"Sacrament Meeting"
We had 6 friends at church on Sunday! Our friend Jose who's on baptism date came for the first time and loved it. Our friend Samuel and his wife came for the second week in a row and on only 1.5 hours of sleep. Samuel worked the night shift and got home at 7:15 am, went to sleep and then showed up to church at 9:00 am! He's the GOAT for real
"Jose"
We has another really good lesson with Jose. We filled out the rest of his calendar and taught about the Restoration and Baptism. Everything made perfect sense and he repeated almost everything back perfectly!
"Guau"
On Monday we had a lesson with Samuel and we taught him about the Book of Mormon. As we taught him about it he was jumping up and down in his seat, he was so excited! All he could say was "guau" (wow). We opened up to the introduction to read the first paragraph and we ended up reading the whole thing because he was so hyped to have more scripture! He invited us over for some Venezuelan burgers next week so Elder Facer and I are planning on doing a bapburger combo and inviting him to be baptized while we cook up some good burgers. Stay tuned for that
"Zone Conference"
Wow! What a great zone conference we had yesterday. I got to see all my buds and receieve some personal inspiration and revelation! Everyone that spoke just hit it out of the park. Some things that stood out to me:
-Being perfected in Christ
-Having confidence in Christ
-Uniting with members and having more effective PMG studies
-Each covenant has an ordinance associated with it with specific promises and blessings
-Jesus Christ's Earthly Ministry started with His baptism
-There is a great connection in the principles of the Atonement - Baptism + Confirmation - Sacrament
-All of us must be spiritually born again
-Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ don't want us to receive a remission of our sins just once in our lives they want us to recieve it consistently every week
Scripture:
1 John 2:5-6
"But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him."
"He that saith he abideth in him out himself also so to walk, even as he walked."
Talks:
All Things Work Together for Good
The Miracle of the Atonement
“That I Might Draw All Men unto Me”
I hope you all have a great week!
August 21, 2025
Wow! This week flewwwww by! Elder Facer and I are having a blast down here in H10! We have had some great experiences this past week and I have found much joy in the work! Here's some highlights:
"Jose de Venezuela"
We had another great lesson in the park with our friend Jose! He's been reading the Book of Mormon and loves it! Mid lesson a homeless lady came up to us asking for food. We basically put the lesson on pause, ran to the car and got some leftover tamales and chips from dinner and gave them to Jose and the lady! Then we unpaused the lesson and proceeded to invite him to be baptized! We accepted the date of September 12th! We look forward to helping him accomplish this goal!
"After dinner grind"
Last Friday to Sunday nothing was going through and we weren't finding much success in the afternoons. But once the clock hit 6:00 the success button was switched back on. Friday we were able to get in contact for 4 inactive members in a row and set up something with each of them! Saturday we prayed for guidance to someone that was willing to let God prevail in their lives. 10 minutes later we found a guy name Jose and his wife and they are super interested in the Book of Mormon and Spirit World. We also met another super nice couple in El Ahorro supermarket parking lot! Sunday we were able to have a great lesson with an inactive Hermana and give her mom a blessing! The Lord really does answer our prayers!
"Miraculous Monday"
We have a super spiritually uplifting District Council and I learned a lot! We had some great studies and then after dinner once again we were able to find 3 people and see a beautiful Orange sky with purple lightning! We met these two guys names Edgardo and Fidel and this cool lady named Vanessa. After we had lessons with them we walked on the other side of the apartment buildings and were surprised with a bursting Orange sky to the North and a dark blue sky to the east with purple and white lightning. It was so cool! I am so grateful for all of God's beautiful creations. Nature gives me testimony that we really have a loving Heavenly Father! From 7:45 till about 9 pm it downpoured. We were in the rain for 40 seconds and got absolutely drenched! We decided to go to El Ahorro supermarket again with our umbrellas and help people stay dry while bringing their groceries to their car. We helped a bunch of people stay dry and unload their groceries and it was so fun. My joy was full and I love doing service. We may have looked very peculiar but I didn't care, it was awesome! I even got to meet a family from Nepal!!
"Contacts Galor"
Tuesday we were able to talk to a lot of people! All of them were busy but asked us to come back on the weekend. We have 10 people to stop by this Friday and Saturday! We had two amazing phone lessons with two ladies that sent in English Class referrals. The spirit was so strong during the calls and I felt so good! We went to a park to finish off the night and met a cool group of teenagers playing soccer. We are going to join in a game this weekend and invite them all to church!
"P-day pros"
We have a mission rule that if we are in public (besides playing a sport) we have to be in our proselyting clothes. We went to store and saw a friend we are currently teaching, an Hermana from the ward, and accidently started a conversation between some construction workers about Mormons haha! We went to Torchies Tacos today which is a really good taco ans burrito place!
Scripture:
2 Nephi 25:26&29
"And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins."
"And now behold, I say unto you that the right way is to believe in Christ, and deny him not; and Christ is the Holy One of Israel; wherefore ye must bow down before him, and worship him with all your might, mind, and strength, and your whole soul; and if ye do this ye shall in nowise be cast out."
Talks:
Ask in Faith
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2008/04/ask-in-faith?lang=eng
Divine Helps for Mortality
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2025/04/47oaks?lang=eng
Divine Love in the Father’s Plan
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2022/04/51oaks?lang=eng
Our Sorrow Shall Be Turned into Joy
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2021/04/43palmer?lang=eng
Spiritual Thought:
This past week I saw a common theme in a lot of people that we talked to. Suffering is necessary and it allows us to more fully enjoy the loving plan of our Heavenly Father. There's something about suffering and weakness that is Godly. Suffering and weakness humble us and allow us to grow. The talk above by Elder S. Mark Palmer shared an experience of how his dad was humbled and passed through a time of suffering when their 17 month old daughter drowned. They felt pain and suffering for a long time but years later this humbling experience softened his heart and helped him accept a message from the missionaries which changed the family's life forever. I heard a few experiences like this from our friends and a member this past week and it really got me thinking about our Savior. If our Savior didn't suffer like He did and died like He did then He wouldn't have been able to become what He became and what He is. If we want to become better and become more like our Savior we must suffer and humble ourselves and submit to the will of the Lord. As we pass through these times with hope for a better future we will be blessed and strengthened. Quoting Elder Neal A Maxwell "Pass through life's bitter cups but without becoming bitter." I know our Savior lives and the love of our Heavenly Father is infinite!
August 13, 2025
Google Photos -
https://photos.app.goo.gl/sghGk6WERwx1vzX76
What is up everyone welcome back to another email! I hope yall are doing well and staying cool in this summer heat!
Highlights:
DLT
Well I have officially killed off Elder Curtis. He finished his mission on Monday, along with my 3 other comps, Elder Oehler, Beardall and Ricedorff. I'm gonna miss them a bunch. I am now DLT. Not the sandwich spelled with a D. I am District Leader Trainer! I'm hyped to be training again and to be DL! On Monday I trioed it up with Elder Southworth and Elder Atiifale for the day back in my last area of H5. On Tuesday I picked up my SECONDborn in the wilderness Elder Facer. And guess what? He likes Golf!! He's an awesome Elder and he already has cracked Spanish not even kidding. He took 4 years in high school and lived in Peru for a bit. I'm really looking forward to this transfer.
"Work update"
Our recent convert Antonio moved 30 minutes south and out of the mission without even telling us. Our most progressing friend Rigoberto is moving to Connecticut for 2 months. But other than that we are on the find grind and have a handful of other people we are teaching right now!
"Spiritual experience"
Two weeks ago I went on an exchange with Elder Stronks. He's an awesome Elder. We had dinner with an inactive Hermano and his family. It was probably the most Spirit filled dinner conversation I have had in my mission. Hermano talked for a while about the living conditions and harsh things that happen in Ecuador. He said he helped the Elders there baptize a family. When they went over for a lesson one night he saw their living conditions and felt so sick inside. They slept on a leaf made bed, sat on the ground to eat dinner, no running water, open windows and a tin/leaf roof. The Hermano didn't have much either but just felt sick inside for the times he was ungrateful. Like wanting a nicer watch or a car or a nicer house. He vividly remembers seeing how happy the family was even though they had nearly nothing. He shared a powerful testimony on gratitude and that we are truly happy when we let God prevail in every aspect of our lives and that the only thing that truly provides long lasting happiness and joy is Jesus Christ. This experience really struck me and I found myself pondering at times this past week and a half on the things that I can be more grateful for. I invite you all to keep a gratitude journal for the next month and see how you feel!
Scripture:
Doctrine and Covenants 78:19
"And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold, yea, more."
Talks:
Remember How Merciful the Lord Hath Been
Grateful in Any Circumstances
July 30, 2025
Hey yall! I hope you are all doing good and having a blast during this summer season! I apologize for not sending an email last week. Our P-days have been so busy and I haven't had much time to write but I've set aside extra time today! These past two weeks have flown in the blink of an eye. Elder Curtis and I are grinding and locked in and we've seen a lot of miracles and growth in ourselves, the work and ward! Before I share some experiences I want to mention that I am so grateful for the leading, guiding and directing power and divine gift of the Holy Ghost. These past 2-3 weeks we have seen the miracles and the fruit that comes from recieving and acting on promptings. We have found 3 families and so many more people that are interested in the Gospel because of the promptings we acted on. The satisfaction and joy that has come from following the promptings of the Spirit is inexpressible! Here's a few or more highlights from these past two weeks:
"Jonathon de Honduras"
As I mention above we've been guided a lot. We stopped by a friend in a complex and he didn't answer. I saw across the way on the other side of the building there was an apartment with it's lights on. I felt prompted to knock it and as soon as we did a guy eating homemade Arepas opened the door, set down his plate on the couch and invited us in with little to no words shared between when we knocked and when we entered. We had a super cool conversation about the Plan of Salvation. We stopped by him this past Monday and we had another really good conversation. He is going to come to church this Sunday!
"Back with Elder Beardall"
I got to spend a day with Elder Beardall on an exchange! He was my companion for two transfers in H5. Most of the lessons we had planned fell through but we found 3 people and had a good EC class. I saw a lady sitting in her driveway and felt prompted to talk to her. We had 10 minutes till dinner but Elder Beardall and I walked down the street, had a great conversation and found Cynthia! We also had a great Chik-fil-a dinner with a member and had a really good conversation of his experience with missionary work in México! Elder Beardall and I had some good conversations and it was so good to be back with him for a day! Hes a real one
"Exchange with Elder Beck"
Elder Beck and I had a great day here in H10. We had some really good lessons with our friends Miriam, Dimus, and Jonathon. We had some really good conversations about Doctrine, mission experiences, books, and we also had 3 fire lessons. Elder Beck is gonna be a future FBI agent and body builder. He's lit
"Roy our boy"
We met a guy named Roy through a guy who sent in a referral. He invited us in and we talked to a bit and had a great lesson! He learned English from an English Class in Kansas and met with missionaries there. Last Saturday we had another lesson (our second lesson) and put him on baptismal date for August 28th. We sent a voice recording to the district chanting "Roy our boy" and that was pretty funny! He's a super cool dude and we look forward to preparing him for baptism!
"Temple and Mia's"
We went to the Temple and did an endowment session with our Hermano and Hermana Munguia! It was great to be in the temple and feel the Spirit and rest that enters into my mind and heart when I go. After the Temple we went to a restaurant called Mia's table. We had some really good food and ice cream there!
Other highlights:
-Gave a shirt and 3 ties to a new member
-Another new member joined us for a fire lesson with a super cool family we found
-Another new member blessed the Sacrament for the first time last Sunday and had such a big smile on his face
-Elder Curtis makes a killer BBQ chicken pizza
-Had interviews with President and Sister McMullin
-We have 30-35 people attending English Class right now
-I hit a year
Scripture:
Romans 8:28
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."
Hallmarks of Happiness - Elder Gary B. Sabin
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2023/10/31sabin?lang=eng
This transfer so far has been an absolute blast! Elder Curtis and I teach really well together and for some reason almost every interaction or lesson we've had the past couple weeks has been about the Plan of Salvation and specifically about Adam and Eve and the Spirit World. It has brought me much joy to see the eyes of people we teach open up and illuminate with understand, to know their purpose, to have a reassurance that everything happens for a reason, and that the love of our loving Heavenly Father is perfect and infinite.
Also here is my Google Photos. I haven't uploaded in a while but I will today and next week!
https://photos.app.goo.gl/sghGk6WERwx1vzX76
July 16, 2025
Hello everyone! Quick email this week.
Ups
-We found 17 people this past week and a super inactive family came to church last Sunday!
-During second hour of church we sat in with the youth and shared our experience as missionaries. We answered a bunch of questions and got to know the youth a bit better which was awesome
-Exchanges with Elder Ricedorff and Elder Seve. It was good to reunite with Elder Ricedorff in his area for the day. We found 4 people and had 4 member lessons, some super good Thai food and great conversations. He's a real one. Elder Seve is so awesome! He's from American Samoa. We found 4 people and had a lot of fun on the exchange. He's super chill
-We had Zone Conference yesterday and it was fantastic. I received a lot of revelation and guidance and felt the Spirit. I felt very re-energized spiritually and more focused on some specific things this transfer. We focused a lot on Faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement. Another thing that stood out to me was sacrifice.
No downs this past week
Song
Faith in You
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/music/songs/2021-11-faith-in-you?lang=eng
Scripture
Doctrine and Covenants 9:8
"But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right."
Thought
Like I mentioned in one of my ups, Sister McMullin mentioned a few things about sacrifice. Leaving our nets behind or the comfort of our boats. There's a lot of people who aren't willing to sacrifice certain things because they are comfortable at where they are at. They aren't willing to change or make an effort. But sacrifice allows us to grow and to change and become better and stronger. As we read in the scriptures, there are countless examples of people sacrificing. Lehi and his family leaving there precious treasures for a harsh journey, Paul serving the Lord with a "thorn in the flesh", Peter, James and John with there fishing careers to serving the Lord freely and on and on. They sacrificed so much but were so blessed and they blessed countless lives around them. I invite you all that are reading this to think of a net you can leave behind or a boat that you can jump from and run or swim or just do something to get to closer Jesus as fast as you can. And if everything is pretty good right now and your cup is pretty full, think of something that will make it "runneth over". I know that our sacrifices don't go unnoticed and we will be so blessed as we sacrifice and change to become closer to our Savior. Stay positive and have a very good week!!
July 10, 2025
Qué tal todos! Otra semana terminada en la misión Texas, Houston! Man, this past week was goooood. Here's a few highlights:
Last Friday on the Fourth we played some pickleball and that was really fun. Super hot and humid though haha. We also had a water balloon fight. The water balloons we had didn't break too easy so I left the fight with a few battle scars haha. That was super fun, the cold water in the hot sun felt really good!
Saturday we had Antonio's Baptism! It was so good. I felt the Spirit strongly and Antonio had such a big smile. Every room he walks into he brings such a bright light with him. He's a great addition to the H10 family. We had a lesson with him on Tuesday about obedience to God's commandments and Enduring to the End. It went really good and he shared some really good thoughts. He has a very firm testimony of the Gospel for being so new.
Sunday was great! I got to take the Sacrament, renew my covenants, fast and bare my testimony! Our friend Ernesto came to church and we also confirmed Antonio during the meeting which was awesome! Later in the day we knocked on a guys apartment and he answered and we asked him if he would like to come to church. We said nah I'm good and closed the door. We knocked a few more doors and talked to this lady. In the middle of our conversation the guy came out and called us over. Elder Curtis left, I finished the conversation with the lady and then we had an awesome conversation with the guy named Rodrick. We talked about God and our purpose as missionaries. The conversation was great and turns out that Rodrick has been to St. George, Utah quite a bit to pick up lumber for the truck company he works for. He ate at the same Black Bear Diner I ate at with the Skyline Golf Team after a tournament a few winters ago. That was a cool connection and he is super interested in meeting. He said that after he said no to us he had a gut impression to talk to us, so he ran out and then called us over. Super cool to see the Lord's hand in that moment.
Our friend Rigoberto is ELECT! He is so ready for baptism but wants to learn literally EVERYTHING before he commits to it. Yesterday we had a great lesson about the Word of Wisdom, Law of Tithing and church discipline. I've never taught church discipline before so that was interesting but it was really good. Rigoberto said that the Book of Mormon is true and he wants to share the Plan of Salvation with everyone that he meets. He said he could bring so many people to the church because he knows the beliefs of Catholics, Evangelists and Christians and knows how he would need to talk to them to convert them haha. We might have a mega missionary/future leader on our hands right now haha.
Scripture:
Doctrine and Covenants 43:34-35
34 Hearken ye to these words. Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. Treasure these things up in your hearts, and let the solemnities of eternity rest upon your minds.
35 Be sober. Keep all my commandments. Even so. Amen.
Talk:
Stand Up Inside and Be All In - Elder Gary B. Sabin
Hyrum Smith -
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EcZZ_qh4KmGJJszMpYWy-EIgdwVoiJ_N/view?usp=drivesdk
Spiritual thought:
A LOT of things have been on my mind lately and one question I've had is why do so many people fall away from the Gospel. Why do so many people have a relaxed attitude about what we do at church and the responsibilities that come as being a witness of God in all time and in all things and in all places. A quote from Elder Boyd K. Packer says: "True doctrine, understood, changes attitudes and behavior. The study of the doctrine of the Gospel will improve behavior quicker than a study of behavior will improve behavior." The word that stood out to me was understood. "True doctrine, UNDERSTOOD, changes attitudes and behavior." True doctrine will always be true. It can't change. It can't be true one day, take off a day and be false the next. BUT, our understanding can be altered. Our perspectives can shift and our attitudes can change. We can be distracted and deceived. Maybe we haven't had enough experience to fully understand something. I mean there's A LOT of words I'm still trying to understand that come from these ancient texts of scripture. I know that as we pray to our Heavenly Father with an open mind and heart willing to bend our will with His and truly, and humbly seeking answers, He will always manifest His love and the Spirit to testify of truth to our hearts and minds. It takes diligent effort from our part but as we patiently and diligently strive to understand the Gospel, our lives will be so enrichely blessed. So pray, pray pray and read, read, read. Stay patient, and STAY POSITIVE. Count your many blessings, name them one by one, count your many blessings and see what God hath done. Truly understanding the Gospel of Jesus Christ = Heavenly treasures and power.
Stay positive and keep pressing forward, finding spiritual truths as you choose to have the Savior walk by your side.
Love yall and go have a fantastic rest of your week!
July 4, 2025
Que tal todos!
Happy Fourth of July!! I can't believe it's already July. Time flies. I hope you are all doing something really fun! Go swim in a pool, golf or light some fireworks for me! We've got the whole day off to hang out with our district. We've got some intense pickleball games and water balloon fights ahead of us today! I'll let ya know how it goes in the next email. OK actually i'm mid game writing this email. It's SO humid right now haha
Here's some things that happened this past week:
We had 5 friends and 3 inactives come to church on Sunday! They all loved it! The Bishopric gave talks about there experiences with the Gospel. Hermano Guerra the 2nd counselor shared a super cool experience of having gratitude while on his mission. The 2nd hour the Bishopric shared a few other things and one thing that caught my attention was the story of Elias and the widow of Zaraphath. The widow had a young, sick son and basically had nothing. Elias was commanded to go to her and he asked for food. She grabbed the last of flour and oil she had and made a little bread and gave it to Elias. It sounded pretty amazing that this widow who had basically nothing was willing to show her faith and give up the last of what she had and she was greatly blessed for doing so. This compares to us nowadays with paying tithing. Even when the bills and finances are super tight or we need the money for something else we must trust in the Lord and give what we have and we will be blessed!
Monday we had transfers. Im gonna miss H5 and the Hafer District but the Lord needs me somewhere else. I am now in H10 which is in Spring Branch, Texas. Closer to my first area Katy. It's a super cool area and it's much different than H5. The district is really small. There's only 6 of us but its lit! My new companion is Elder Curtis and we are ZL's over the West Zone. We get a long really well and have already done some good work here these past few days. We have a baptism this Saturday for our friend Antonio and hopefully another one soon with our friend Rigoberto. If y'all could pray for these two guys that would be great!
We had MLC (Mission Leadership Council) yesterday. I got to see some friends there and we talked about a lot of really good things and what we can do to improve as a mission. Everyone shared some really good thoughts. I learned some new analogies for some things about missionary work and ways that I can leave my lines in the water for finding, teaching and baptizing.
Scripture:
Matthew 16:24-27
24 ¶ Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.
Talk by a guy named Hyrum Smith
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gm5CmIzSSK1FZH_eIsyvQZMT4SzNvULS/view?usp=drivesdk
I've been thinking a lot to myself of how much we are blessed to have commandments, laws and standards that our Heavenly Father has established. There are so many blessings from obedience and many consequences from disobedience. In the mission call that every missionary receives says this: "honor your covenants you have made with your Heavenly Father, keep the commandments, and maintain the highest standards of conduct, and follow the righteous counsel of your mission president."
The key words are honor, keep, maintain, and follow. These words all lead to one main theme: obedience. As we obey, we show love, loyalty, respect and submission. When we strive to grow in these perspective areas we become more like our Savior Jesus Christ. When we become more like our Savior our light begins to shine brighter, our love for our Heavenly Father becomes deeper, and our knowledge and wisdom of the Gospel becomes stronger. Remember, linked to every command is always a promised blessing. I'm so grateful for parents who taught me to be obedient and the blessings that come from that. Or the more frequent conversation of the consequences that followed my disobedience haha. Don't choose to suffer. Be obedient!
I hope you all have a great rest of the week and take the sacrament on Sunday
June 25, 2025
Hey what's going on everybody, quick email this week. Hope you all are doing well and staying safe. Its my last week here in H5 before I get transferred. I'm sad but also excited for a new perspective and change. I've grown and matured in so many ways over these past six months here in H5 and I can't wait for what is next! Heres a few up and downs from this past week:
Ups
-Had ward conference and I sung in the ward choir
-Learned a super cool analogy in Second hour of church
-Its cooled down a few degrees. Just for today though
-We found 11 people
-We are meeting with our friend Victor Garcias again and he came to church on Sunday
-We had another super good lesson with Martha and her husband who are inactive and she said they are coming to church this next Sunday
-Went to the Natural Sciende Musuem downtown
-Went on an exchange with Elder McUne and ate baleadas and pollo con tejadas (Honduran foods)
-Service at Peanut Butter Factory and had Pappa's BBQ after
-Had some fire lessons with some new people we've met
Downs
-It's hot
-Im getting eaten by mosquitos
-It's rained a lot and it's not the kind of rain that cools you off
Scripture:
3 John 1:4 "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth"
General Conference Talks:
Within the Clasp of Your Arms - Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
Where Are You Really Going? - Richard L. Evans
June 18, 2025
Buenos dias a todos! I hope yall have had a great week! This past week has been pretty toasty here in Houston I cannot lie. Spiritually and literally. I had some fire studies and lessons. It's been raining cats and dogs too. We've had lots of lightning and loud thunder and very cool clouds. Heres some highlights, up and downs and all arounds for ya:
We found this guy named Carlos who seems pretty promising. We met Carlos while stopping by a referral. The referral didn't answer and so we walked down further to some more trailers. We had a little conversation with him and at the end he said "mucho gusto elderes!" We thought he might have been an inactive member but when we went back last Wednesday and he said he wasn't. The first church he went to in the U.S. was our church and he was taught by Hermanas for a while but then he moved. He is very interested and says he has a need to be a member of a church and be a good example to his kids. We had a super awesome first lesson about the Spirit World. Not my typical first lesson topic but the circumstances and the Spirit indicated we needed to teach that. Hes super awesome and we look forward to teaching him and helping him learn about the Gospel.
Thursday we did service at the Botanical garden again. We weeded some plants and put a bunch of soil in these containers and then we checked out the cactuses again! I met a dude from Romania that works there. He has a think accent and I asked where he was from and he said I was the first person to ask where he was originally from. He told me I'd make a lot of money because I ask good questions haha! I hope he's right. He also invited me to visit the Dracula castle in Romania. Maybe new bucket list idea??
Saturday we helped our member Hermano Valdez take apart and build a fence. We dug these two foot holes and put some fence posts in and then took apart another part of the fence and took out a bunch of nails and stuff. He bought us McDonald's breakfast. First time I've had McDonald's breakfast in a year haha.
Sunday afternoon/night was absolutely downpouring. Elder Houghtelling and I didn't bring rain jackets or an umbrella with us and we got soaked! After being in the rain for maybe 30 seconds I was already drenched head to toe. But we pushed through and endured walking through three inches of water in a trailer park and avoided being struck by some nearby lightning. We stopped by this inactive member named Martha. We had a really good lesson with her and her husband who isn't a member. After the lesson they loaded us up with food. We got homemade tortillas, two dozen Chicken eggs and two dozen Qual eggs interesting..., home grown cucumbers, homemade refried beans and some apples!
Monday night we had some interesting interactions. We knocked on this door and a lady came out onto her front porch and started talking to us. She said "yall doing your rounds today" we kind of laughed and said yes it's something we do everday for two years. We had a pretty good lesson with her. And then just randomly and kind of out of pocket or maybe i should in pocket, she said, I've got holy oil in my pocket and I'm about to give my dad a blessing. We were like oh.. coooool! Then at the end she pointed to Elder Houghtelling and said "I have a word for you, do you have a wife or a girlfriend?" He said no. "Well your wife is going to be super naturally gentle so you need to be gentle with her okay? That's what the spirit is testifying in me to say to you. We said ok cool and shook hands and left. Very interesting to say the least haha. Then right down the road we talked to another guy who said we could share a scripture. We were going to share a scripture about Faith and he said "I already have faith, tell me something I don't know" so I said okay well Jesus Christ came to the Americas. It kind of shocked him and he had some questions that we cleared up. Then he said "there's so many churches today, which one is the true church?" I said our church. He looked at me puzzled and asked how we could say that. And I said because we have the fulness of the Gospel. Then we asked "well where does it say that in the Bible that your church is the correct church. I said it doesn't and this isn't the Bible. He was pretty stunned and then just started trying to fight us so we gave him a card, told him we weren't there to fight and to have a good night.
Pretty solid and eventful week haha. Here's a scripture that I loved from this past week:
Mormon 9:6 "O then ye unbelieving, turn ye unto the Lord; cry mightily unto the Father in the name of Jesus, that perhaps ye may be found spotless, pure, fair, and white, having been cleansed by the blood of the Lamb, at that great and last day."
Talk:
Washed Clean - President Boyd K. Packer
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1997/04/washed-clean?lang=eng
This week I've started a study on Spiritual cleanliness. I came across this talk by President Packer and I hope yall check it out. Here's one line that stood out to me in this talk: "I thought that repentance, like soap, should be used frequently." When I heard that it sounded like music to my ears. We use soap when we wash our hands, wash dishes, wash our car and much more. We use soap so often but I asked myself the question and I want to ask you all the question for yourselves: Am I repenting as often as I use soap? I would hope that you all use soap often haha but I hope even more that you all repent as often or more than you use soap. I know that the Atonement of Jesus Christ is real, it's value is priceless, it's infinite and it will change your life. Use it. Repent. Be clean.
June 11, 2025
This past week was fantastic! Had some ups and downs, mostly ups though. Almost died and that was fun. We found a bunch of people and much more
Exchanges
Got to be with pops for the day. Elder Oehler and I preached it up in H6 on Thursday. We found 8 people, had 3 member lessons, great dinner and some cool miracles. We were able to have some really good lessons and to finish off the night we got really, really bold with a lady. I learned a few new things and felt joy!
Finding Galore
Friday we found 11 people. Technically 15 but sent 4 over to the Hermanas. (They better baptize all of them) haha. I felt super fulfilled and accomplished. After a couple of weeks with struggling to find and having some success we were able to have a breakthrough and talk to a lot of cool people. We met this 19 year old named Eleifonzo. We shared a message about Faith and asked him how he's seen Faith bless his life. He told us a super cool story of how he was accidentally shot by a friend when he was 16. The bullet went through his ring finger and through his neck. He said during that drive to the hospital he was just praying to God for help and knew that everything would be okay if he put his Faith in God. He survived and now has some crazy scars and a cool story
Almost Died
Well our journey to and from our last stop by of the night on Saturday night was a little interesting to say the least. The stop by was in a big trailer park down a long road. We parked on the road next to the trailer park which was just a regular neighborhood street. After saying our prayer we got out of the car and immediately saw a guy walking down his front steps with an SMG in hand. He looked at us and waited at the front of his lawn as a car pulled up in front. Kinda crazy. After the contact we walked around the corner out of the trailer park and toward the next street over and all of a sudden this woman and guy are in the middle of the road yelling at each other. The guy had a 2x4 piece of would in his hand and was trying to hit the lady but she got away. She asked us for a ride but we said we couldn't and then she just disappeared. The guy was obviously drunk and started yelling at us and following us with the plank of wood in hand. Little sketchy jaja. Honestly though I think it was a miracle that the contact didn't go through and we walked at the exact time as the lady was trying to get away and we became sort of the diversion so she could be safe
Ups:
-Found 17 people
-1 person at church
-Had a super cool lesson with our friend Luis
-Almost died
-Good food
-Learned some new Spanish
-Helped the Hermanas move
-Went to the temple and got some needed personal revelation
Downs:
-Rejected by two inactive members
-Almost died
-Only had 1 person at church
-Friends aren't responding to us
-We have fruit flies
-Hace MUCHO calor
-Got absolutely drenched in the pouring rain while helping the Hermanas move
Scripture:
Alma 29:1-10
Talk:
Keep an Eternal Perspective - Elder Jay E. Jensen
On Sunday we stopped by a few inactive members. The first contact went great! We set up a lesson on Saturday with la Familia Gracia. The next two... NOT so great. We passed by this one lady. She answered the door and it was obviously her and the same last name was on a plaque outside there door. She just completed denied her identity and said that she doesn't know who we were talking about. Next stop by was even worse. The guy looked through the window, squinted, opened the door and ask "what do you need, I'm busy" we said that we saw he was a member and wanted to make sure he lived at the same address. He said "yep that's me but I left a long time ago and I'm never coming back" we said why and he said "it's all lies and they robbed me" then he slammed the door. Man after that I was pretty sad I'm not gonna lie. I felt like Alma in Alma 29 (scriptures i shared). Man how I wish I could be an angel and WAKE THESE PEOPLE UP. I wish I could just shake them a bit and and say HEY WAKE UP, PLEASE!!! YOU'RE DESTROYING YOURSELF, PLEASE COME BACK!! But then again we all have our agency to make our own decisions. I know God has a perfect plan for them and hopefully one day they will be moved and motivated to come back and partake of the blessings and healing that Christ offers us. I know that God's plan is perfect for each one of us and as we endure to the end and stay obedient to the commandments and have a "hot" relationship with Christ instead of "lukewarm" we will be blessed abundantly!
June 5, 2025
Qué tal vos. We'll get right into it...
"Elder Rasband"
-Last Thursday Elder Houghtelling and I had the privilege to hop on a Zoom call with Elder James R. Rasband of the Seventy. We basically planned our day in front of him and he watched us haha. After we planned our day he asked us a few questions and shared some thoughts. It was super cool to talk to him and it was cool to get some insights on extending taylored invitations to those that we teach.
"Service"
-We did some service at the Botanical garden and got to touch some cactuses. We made rows of dirt and then planted some Pumpkins! We didn't see the Hermanas text that it would be muddy and for some reason I decided to wear all white. But luckily my white pants didn't get too dirty haha
"Zone Conference"
-On Friday we had Zone Conference and I learned so much! We covered some cool topics like the blessings of Baptism, extending baptism invitations, and an interesting question that Sister Rasband shared from a past experience: "Is there a place in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints for in introvert?" I also learned more about Charity, preaching by the power of the Spirit and extending invitations. It was a super uplifting experience and good to get a Spiritual boost of energy
"Car trouble"
Had a little adventure this past week. We saw a little flate tire symbol on our car and saw that the front right tire was down to 18 psi. We filled it up to 40 and got back on the road and two days later it was back down to 18 psi. So we took it to a Firestone and told the people what was up with it. We walked down to the library about a mile away and studied while waiting for the phone call. We got the phone call, walked back and they changed the wrong tire!! Haha. The tire they changed wasn't leaky but it had a big chunk of metal and that's why they changed it. So we got a brand new tire and they patched the other one for free. Interesting adventure haha.
Other things:
-Lost in pickleball
-Celebrated Hermana Mills's birthday
-Herminio came to church!!
-Had an hour and a half lesson
-Lost in a pickleball tourney
-Played basketball
-Taught my comp Elder Houghtelling how to drive on a Houston Freeway
-Found a golf club in our closet
Scripture:
Enos 1:27 "And I soon go to the place of my rest, which is with my Redeemer; for I know that in him I shall rest. And I rejoice in the day when my mortal shall put on immortality, and shall stand before him; then shall I see his face with pleasure, and he will say unto me: Come unto me, ye blessed, there is a place prepared for you in the mansions of my Father. Amen."
Talk:
Consecrate Thy Performance - Elder Neal A. Maxwell
I recently listened to this talk and I took notes on the first 7 minutes of it. Elder Maxwell's word choice is very interesting and the way he describes things is super cool. One thing that stood out to me was when he said: "Brothers and Sisters, our individual worth is already divinely established as "great"; it does not fluctuate like the stock market." It got me thinking of just how great the love of God really is and our worth as children of God. He's known us for a long, LONG time. Without God we are worth as much as the dust of the Earth. We are all dust and nothing. But WITH God we are EVERYTHING. I like to say to myself and others: "I'm a son of God for crying outloud, I can do whatever I want. My worth is great in the sight of God and that's all I need!" I invite you all to say that to yourself everyday and everytime you doubt your abilities and strengths. Also check out this talk!
Also here's my photos if yall wanna join:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/sghGk6WERwx1vzX76
May 28, 2025
Wow! Another week has flown by down here in H5! This past week had a lot of ups and downs but we are chuggin along. We'll get right into it:
-We invited 800 people to church which included green dots, yellow dots, gray dots and inactive members. And GUESS WHAT..... NOT A SINGLE PERSON came... felt like a punch to the gut but that's alright, we continue to press forward and we're gonna bounce back BIG TIME
-The H5 ward is getting better and better by the week. We got some amazing wardsharing Hermanas, Hermana Mills and Hermana Blau. And of course my firstborn in the wilderness Elder Houghtelling. We are working super hard to rebuild the foundation a bit and clean up some dust piles. We are stopping by so many inactives and doing our best to support our active members. I've already seen the change and it's been so rewarding.
-Our friend Jhon from Cuba texted us last Wednesday night and said "Hermanos! Quiero bautizarme! Que necesito hacer para hacerlo?" He and his "mujer" or in other words his girlfriend aren't married and have a baby on the way, so we said Jhon you gotta get married man and you gotta meet with us 2x a week. He was like "alright let's do it." So we are in the process of helping him get married and be baptized within the next month and a half. Our first actual lesson was about the law of Chastity and Marriage. Very different first lesson than others I've had before but it was lit!
-We got a few mild bashes or you could say disagreements this week. We stopped by this one inactive member and he didn't answer and across the street a guy called us over and said he wanted to talk. They had bazillion tree bugs being attracted to a fly zapper thing and so there were bugs crawling everywhere. A few almost went up nose and this guys sister and mom were like "honey there's one that's bouta go in your mouth" his brother was like "ooooooooo man this bugs be nasty for real" haha. But this guy named Ace (whose Athiest) started bashing us about Black's and the priesthood and our beliefs. We testified boldly and just walked away. Interested experience for sure haha.
-Not sure how many times I've said it and how many times I'll mention it again but this past week I had to have the longggggg conversation with some of our friends that the Catholic baptism is not entirely correct. I told this one lady 5 times in the same lesson that her baptism wasn't complete or correct and she needs to be baptized again and she kept bringing up Ephesians 4:5 and that there is only one baptism. We had this experience with a few of our friends and it was frustrating and honestly really sad to see how closed off they are and how hardened they are because of the traditions of their fathers. (End quote) but I know one day all of these people will know the truth and I hope they will accept the restored gospel soon in the future. It makes me sad to see so many of God's children lost and confused and closed off. But I know God's got a plan.
Scripture:
Moroni 7:48
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen.
Talk:
Stay by the Tree
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2015/04/stay-by-the-tree?lang=eng
Recently I listened to this talk by Elder Kevin W. Pearson. It's about Enduring to the End and "staying close to the tree." As I read and listened to this talk it really got me thinking about a lot of people I know and a lot of people I teach and why there testimony fades and why it's a very big struggle to endure to the end. Obviously life has its challenges and obstacles. Some may be towering and others very very small. But we all experience them. And during these times many of us turn away from God. Questioning why we are experiencing this such horrible thing. Asking the question: "If You're a loving Heavenly Father why am I experiencing this?" Well to be honest this is probably the greatest opportunity to turn to God. To find healing, peace and rest. Assurity, guidance and direction. Oftentimes we do turn to the Lord but don't find the healing and help as quickly as we want. We try to "hang in there." But the real way of overcoming these difficulties is through small and simple steps. The basics of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And as we follow these basic, simple steps, miracles will begin to occur in our lives and we can endure. Check this talk out
Love yall!
My Stories!
May 21, 2025
Hola a todos! Este es su misionero favorito! Pues, yo espero que si. La última semana fue muy buena. Vi milagros en la obra y muchas bendiciones! Quick email this week. I promise a more detailed on next week!
We had transfers this past Monday and I am staying for un traslado más! Man this area has been so awesome and I'm so grateful for the opportunity I have to grind in H5 for a month and a half more! We finna grind. Punto. The H5 ward has been stumbling and getting back up again and it's finally smoothing out a bit. The members are getting along better and we are doing a lot more inactive work to build the ward.
We had four friends at church, two of them for the first time and they loved it! A guy from the Stake came and spoke. It was a super good talk on the miracles Jesus performed and the blessings we receive from his Atonement.
We are teaching this one lady named Michelle and she's pretty chill. The first time we met her was about about 2 transfers ago and she was not interested AT ALL. But we saw her again a few weeks ago and we've taught her four times now. She loves everything we teach and we gave her a copy of the Bible and Book of Mormon and it's been awesome to teach her.
Our friend Herminio still hasn't come to church so we will have to move but is learning so much! The Spirit is so strong when we teach him and he knows the truth but he just needs to come to church.
The work is going well here. It's super busy everyday, talking to so many people, contacting referrals and stopping by inactives. The Spirit of the Lord is slowly but surely being spread upon the land of H5. It's really hot now too but I'm getting used to the summer weather. We get so many waterbottles. People will deny the message but still offer us water jaja.
Talk:
The Music of the Gospel
Scripture:
Alma 5:27
Have ye walked, keeping yourselves blameless before God? Could ye say, if ye were called to die at this time, within yourselves, that ye have been sufficiently humble? That your garments have been cleansed and made white through the blood of Christ, who will come to redeem his people from their sins?
Hope yall are doing well! Love yall!
May 7, 2025
Como anda?
Past week has been pretty great! I saw a lot of miracles, had really good conversations, a couple of lit exchanges and a little bit of frustration too.
Thursday we did some gardening at Mercer Botanical Gardens. It's a super beautiful place. Soooo many flowers and trees and other cool plants. It was awesome to be out in nature and do some work
Friday the 30 minute lesson se fued. In order we had: an hour lesson, hour and a half dinner and hour and a half lesson after that. People can TALK! But the lessons went really well.
Had a lit exchange with Elder Downer and we found some super cool people. The first door of the day a guy opened up and let us in. We explained our missionary purpose and what we do and then we were just bombarded with questions. The guy named Ricardo and his friend Josue were super curious. Josue was shocked to hear that we don't drink alcohol, coffee and tea. Ricardo shared the ONLY two super spiritual experiences he's had in his life. After we answered a bunch of questions and listened to the stories Elder Downer asked if they had ever heard of the Book of Mormon. Josue said no. But Ricardo said "Yes I have one in my room" WOAH! That was cool. Apparently some Elders in México like 13 years ago stopped by his house at 10:30 pm and gave him a libro. We explained the Bible and the Book of Mormon and they said they are really interested in learning more!
I also had a fantastic exchange with Elder Fitts. He's a homie. We found 5 people on our exchange and also every door we knocked someone answered. We had some really good conversations about missionary work and being consecrated. After some other conversations we had it turns out we know quite a few people from our High Schools. Small world fr
We had a good lesson with our friend Herminio and our other friend Victor. We were pretty bold with them about coming to church and keeping the sabbath day holy. They both are on date but have never come to church which has been a bit frustrating. We basically said that if you can't make the sacrifice to come to church then we can stop by anymore.
The H5 ward has kinda been on the decline. The majority of our members are inactive actives. They come to church and come to activities but other than that they don't do much. They don't participate in our lessons and don't really fellowship our friends well when they are at church which is pretty frustrating. The ward feels like it has no unity whatsoever and it's making me sick to see it that way. But I know the Lord has a plan for H5 and as we continue to work hard then things will change.
I listened to the talk: "The Voice of Warning" by President Eyering in the October 1998 General Conference. There was one question that really stuck out to me and it says "Hal, you knew? Why didn't you tell me?" A lot of us know and a lot of people don't. Don't be afraid to share what you know.
I'll let you figure out what that means:
A Voice of Warning - Elder Henry B. Eyering
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1998/10/a-voice-of-warning?lang=eng
Scriptures:
6 And it came to pass that when the brother of Jared had said these words, behold, the Lord stretched forth his hand and touched the stones one by one with his finger. And the veil was taken from off the eyes of the brother of Jared, and he saw the finger of the Lord; and it was as the finger of a man, like unto flesh and blood; and the brother of Jared fell down before the Lord, for he was struck with fear.
7 And the Lord saw that the brother of Jared had fallen to the earth; and the Lord said unto him: Arise, why hast thou fallen?
8 And he saith unto the Lord: I saw the finger of the Lord, and I feared lest he should smite me; for I knew not that the Lord had flesh and blood.
9 And the Lord said unto him: Because of thy faith thou hast seen that I shall take upon me flesh and blood; and never has man come before me with such exceeding faith as thou hast; for were it not so ye could not have seen my finger. Sawest thou more than this?
Love yall hope you have a great week!
April 30, 2025
Hola! Another week has flown by. Its crazy how fast time ticks when you are busy!
-We had 6 friends at church. None of our really progressing friends came though which is unfortunate
-Our friend Victor who is on date for May 25th is progressing well! We had a good lesson with him about Adam and Eve a few days ago
-We put our friend Herminio on date for the 31st of May! We had a lesson on Monday about the Gift of the Holy Ghost and it went super well. We had a little hiccup midlesson where he asked when does the sins passed down from Adam and Eve to each generation stop. Do they stop of I get baptized? We ran a VERY quick Adam and Eve off topic lesson, mid lesson and brought it back to the Holy Ghost. All went well and he was more than willing to accept the date and work towards it!
-We had an amazing lesson with our friend Yamileth! Probably one of the most enjoyable lessons I've ever had. She loves everything, especially the Book of Mormon and church. But.... unfortunately we had a sad phone call with her. She is going through some bad PTSD and depression with some family things in the past and is just trying to focus on herself. We said we understood and don't want to force her to meet with us but that Jesus heals everyone and everything. If you could pray for her that would be great!
-Hermana Blau's birthday was on Tuesday and at ward coorelation we had some good cake and cookies. I broke my no sugar streak because one of the Hermanas was forcing me to smile and eat the cake and all that bad stuff haha
Other things:
-I'm currently reading in Acts and Paul is an absolute legend for real
-Had Mole (mo-lay) which is really good. Basically it's chicken and rice with a chocolate sauce
-Hung up on a referral we called who said that Joseph Smith is fake and seeing Christ was a lie
-Broke my sugar fast :(
-It's hot
-Saw a guy rob a store. I tried taking a video but these Samsung phones be slowwww
-Elder Houghtelling left a pen in his pocket and his clothes turned into a smurf lookin color but the Hermanas helped us out with the stains
-Served at the Peanut Butter Factory and got a good Chicken Buffalo sandwich after
-One of my favorite sayings of Hispanics is Amen hermano, bendiciones. It's become one of my favorite sayings too haha
Scripture: Acts 21:13-14
Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.
And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done.
One thing that I've learned on my mission and have been reminded of quite a bit, is that there are a lot of people who are suffering and going through very difficult things in life. A lot of people are looking for purpose in life and trying to find something that they can hold on to, to find healing and peace. I've found that the message we bring gives people this hope. I'm so grateful for the privilege I have to be a missionary and help others find the hand of Jesus and hold on to it. I promise YOU that as you look for the hand of God each day you will see all those little moments where God leads you, guides you, walks beside you, and helps you find the way.
His Hand Ready to Help Us - Elder Juan Pablo Villar
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2024/10/23villar?lang=eng
April 23, 2025
Hola a todos!
Wow!! Another week has flown by here in Houston! We had a super busy week full of finding and teaching and celebrating Easter and all that good stuff! I hope you all enjoyed your Easter and remembered the meaning of why we celebrate it! Here's some highlights:
-We had seven people at church on Sunday! Three of our friends went to the H6 ward at the stake center building on accident haha and another went to the ward after us... but hey as long as they came to church it's counts haha
-Elder Houghtelling and I spoke last Sunday about the Resurrection and hope for Eternal Life. It was good to give another talk in Spanish. I really enjoy speaking because I think I get a lot more out of it than those that I am speaking to. I really enjoyed preparing my talk about the Resurrection and the meaning of why we celebrate Easter! After reading countless verses of scripture about Jesus's Suffering, Crucifixion and Resurrection it really hit me and really sunk in that He loves us so much. He did what no other man could or ever would do. He saved us!! I know that He LIVES!
-We invited our friend Victor to be baptized on May 25th and he accepted. We had a really good lesson with him about the Divine Mission of Jesus Christ and the importance of being baptized and one of the Hermanas in our ward shared a beautiful testimony on Repentance and brought the Spirit so strong.
-We had a lesson with our friend Herminio and he read the Restoration pamphlet we gave him! He explained to us perfectly what the Apostasy is, Restoration of priesthood keys through Joseph Smith and the First Vision. I was blown away haha. We talked about Baptism last night and this Saturday we are going to invite him to be baptized.
-We had Zone Conference and I learned so much. We focused on Jesus Christ and why we celebrate Easter. We also focused on Christlike attributes and examples that are shown in the Book of Mormon and it was really cool to see how each person in the Book of Mormon had certain Christlike attributes that helped them accomplish the work they were called to do and bless the lives around them. As we strive to obtain Christlike attributes we will become more like Christ, find more joy and live more accomplished, meaningful lives. We find purpose in following and becoming more like our Savior!
Other highlights:
-We knocked 60 doors yesterday and got into two bashes with an Evangelical preacher and a Jehovah's Witness. I absolutely hate bashing but I let the natural man take over. There wasn't any yelling but there was an obvious disagreement in doctrine. The preacher dude brought up some obvious incorrect doctrine and then got up in my face and poked me in the chest with his finger haha. But I held my peace and was calm and we just walked away. It reminded me of the talk by President Nelson of Peacemakers needed and that contention builds nothing. I feel bad for the two guys though because they don't have the whole truth and are hardened and lost in their ways and don't even know it, but I know one day they will find the truth
-We found 7 golden people this past week who are so ready for the Gospel. We found this cool dude named Luis who has read the Book of Mormon and met with missionaries 14 years ago in Maryland. He said he is really interested and we are going by him this next Sunday.
-Saw three dead cats
-Helped a new family in our ward move into there house
-Killed a super big black widow
-Started a wave counter for each time I have at some and they wave back. I got 47 waves back within a span of 3 hours haha
Scripture:
Mark 16:4-7
And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great. And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted.
And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.
Talks:
Stand Up Inside and Be All In - Elder Gary B. Sabin
Eternal Families Elder Henry B. Eyring
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2016/04/eternal-families?lang=eng
Video:
The Will of God
Love you! I hope you have a great rest of your week!
April 16, 2025
Que pasa mis amigos!
Hope you all had a good week! These past two weeks has been awesome!
-General Conference was amazing! The talks were so good!
-We got transfer news on Saturday night and I am TRAINING! I felt pretty anxious haha but after General Conference on Sunday I felt better about it. I am also being reunited with my mission dad (trainer) Elder Oehler! It's gonna be lit having him in my district again! We have three generations in one district haha!
-Monday I dropped off Elder Beardall at transfers and I was able to talk to my past companions Elder McUne and Ricedorff and said goodbye to some other missionaries. I got trioed up with Elder Rauda and Elder Taylor for the day in H5. It was lit! We saw some cool miracles and had a fun time together.
-Tuesday I got my son (trainee) Elder Houghtelling. He's from Palmer, Alaska and he's awesome! This transfer is gonna be fun!
Other highlights:
-Had a baptism interview with a lit guy named Gus
-We had a tornado warning during a crazy storm. There was 4 inches if water on some parts of the road
-Received training on how to be a trainer
-One of my friends Hermana Scott made it to the mission!
-I'm wardsharing with Hermana Blau again so that's lit!
-Played Pickleball
-Got a basketball from my mom
-Ate chickpea pasta with tuna
-Talked with a guy about why the Bible is named the King James version and he showed us a couple Billy Graham videos
-I'll say it again... the Book of Mormon is not the Mormon Bible
Scripture:
Alma 37:6
"Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise"
Talks:
Blessed and Happy Are Those Who Keep the Commandments of God - Elder Von G. Keetch https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2015/10/blessed-and-happy-are-those-who-keep-the-commandments-of-god?lang=eng
Choose to Believe - Elder L. Whitney Clayton
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2015/04/choose-to-believe?lang=eng
Behold Thy Mother - Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2015/10/behold-thy-mother?lang=eng
March 26, 2025
Que pasa mis amigos! I'm sorry I haven't written an email in AGES! Starting today I will be writing an email every week. I PROMISE!
This past month has been CRAZY busy. The work here is so fast and it can be hard to slow down and take a look back! Hopefully writing a weekly email will help me do that.
Updates:
-Our friends Roberto, Joshua, and Andrew (Los Tres Muchachos) are going to be baptized this Sunday! Roberto is 18, Joshua is 15, and Andrew is 11. These guys are a miracle! A little over a month ago we were scrolling through our gray dot's (people no longer being taught) and our member dots. We found this member dot named Sara and connected to her dot were 5 gray dots who hadn't been contacted in a year. We decided to stop by them one night and since then we have helped Sara's three out of her five boys progress to baptism. We had their interview last night and they were a little nervous. We stayed in the same room for the interview and it was so awesome to hear these three boys share what they know and answer the questions perfectly. It's been cool to see the progression of this whole family. Sara was baptized in 2005 and since then has been inactive. We've helped them come to church three times now and three of her sons are going to be baptized! (If y'all can pray for these three boys that would be much appreciated)
-A couple weeks ago I was looking at our WhatsApp messages and was surprised to see my boy Elder Hill in North Carolina texted us. They sent us a referral named Kevin they received and told us he was elect. And oh boy is he ELECT! He sent in 13 referrals and he told us he wants to be part of our church and wants to be baptized. We invited him to be baptized in our first lesson with him and he accepted it. He's on date for April 18th!
-Our friend Victor is like a kid in a candy store. He loves everything we teach him and we are going to invite him to be baptized soon too! He loves the Book of Mormon! We had a lesson with him last week and watched the First Vision video. The Spirit was so strong and after the video Victor was lost for words. He was just speechless. It was so cool to feel that strong Spirit and see the Spirit touch our friend!
-We had Zone Conference a couple of weeks ago and I gave a talk on the Spirit! President McMullin shared some cool thoughts on "The Flow" of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
-We went to the Temple with two new members for the first time and they loved it! It was cool to do Baptisms for the dead in Spanish. It also felt really good to be in the Temple. I haven't been since October. If any of you haven't been to the temple in the past little while then please go! It's such a blessing in Utah to have so many temples!
Other updates:
-I highly recommend the Book of Mormon. It's pretty good read if I do say so myself. If you need help in any aspect of life, check this book out! (I know you all need help in some way so READ IT!) Please read it! Por favor! Por Favor! Por Favor!
-It's HOT again...
-For some reason little kids like to pee right out in the open right in front of Elder Beardall and I
-Pan Dulce is goated
-Getting 8 hours of sleep is a necessity
-Weekly and Daily planning is a life changer
-Keeping a daily journal is a must
-Creating goals and plans for anything in your life is what starts the process of growth and change
-October 2015 General Conference is FIRE
-It's crazy how much information you can get out of someone as a missionary haha
-I don't know how many times I've said it but the Book of Mormon is NOT the Mormon Bible
-God is in all the details even the smallest of small
Scripture:
Alma 27:27 - "And they were among the people of Nephi, and also numbered among the people of the church of God. And they were distinguished for their zeal towards God and also towards men; for they were perfectly honest and upright in all things and they were firm in the faith of Christ, even unto the end."
Talks:
Meeting the Challenges of Today's World - Robert D. Hales https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2015/10/meeting-the-challenges-of-todays-world?lang=eng
Through God's Eyes - Dale G. Renlund
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2015/10/through-gods-eyes?lang=eng
What is the Blueprint of Christ's Church? - Tad R. Callister https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/video/2014-13-0010-what-is-the-blueprint-of-christs-church?lang=eng
Please give those talks a listen!
Also if any of you have questions about what I do as a missionary or if you are looking for some guidance and help please email me! I'm a missionary for a reason and I would love to talk and help in any way that I can!
Love you all! Hope y'all have a great week! Hasta Luego
February 26, 2025
What is up everyone! Hope y'all are doing great! The past couple weeks has been amazing! I've seen so many miracles and growth the past couple weeks. We had transfers this past Saturday. Nothing changed haha. Here's some highlights from the past little while:
"Exchanges"
We've gone on a lot of exchanges as ZL's. Every exchange I've been on there is always something I have learned or been reminded of. I've seen so many miracles too. We went on exchanges with the AP's. I was with Elder Rasmussen and he's lit. His last area is where I am now so we were able to teach some people that he taught. We had some really spiritual conversations too. I also went on an exchange with Elder Burns who is a chiller. He's from Kaysville (where I grew up before we moved) and turns out a bunch of his friends are the same people I used to hang out with in Elementary school. Small world. We also found 6 people on our exchange.
"Science Museum"
Last P-day we went to the Science Museum downtown. The city is super cool and the Museum was fascinating. The dinosaur exhibits were so cool. My favorite was probably Slothzilla. They also had a physics area with a really cool video about things on a microscopic to subatomic scale. They also had this evolution timeline from Monkeys and Apes to Homo Sapiens and then to us humans. Definitely check it you're ever in Houston.
"Patas y Menudo"
Ok now for the section about my title. I know that if you go out of the country especially South America you are bound to eat something weird. That's not the case here in the States. But then again this is Houston. Different than any other city with a lot of different cultures. I haven't eaten anything weird and im not a picky eater. That is until Sunday night at la familia Rodriguez. We had Patas y Menudo. In English terms, pig hoof and cow stomach lining. Mmmmmmm. Delicious. To say the least it wasn't my favorite. It didn't taste all that bad but the texture and look of the food made my stomach turn.
"Spiritual thought"
I was reading in Enos a week or so ago and I absolutely love this chapter! It's only one chapter but it's filled with so much good stuff! Verses 2-8 are fantastic. But verse 27 really caught my attention.
Verse 27 says : "And I soon go to the place of my rest, which is with my Redeemer; for I know that in him I shall rest. And I rejoice in the day when my mortal shall put on immortality, and shall stand before him; then shall I see his face with pleasure, and he will say unto me: Come unto me, ye blessed, there is a place prepared for you in the mansions of my Father. Amen."
Heavenly Father has ALREADY prepared a place for us in His mansions. He is hoping and waiting for us with open arms. But if we don't show up then He's going to be confused and sad. God has given us the wonderful opportunity to work towards this moment through daily Repentance. As we repent everyday and improve little by little we are getting closer and closer to our already prepared mansion. I would like to invite you all to think about one thing you can improve, change or better 1 percent every day to be prepare for this end goal. I promise you all that as you think about and improve that one thing, you will feel more accomplished, more peace and joy.
February 5, 2025
What is up everyone! Hope y'all are doing great! The past couple weeks have been great! Full of miracles, joy and other crazy things!
"Title"
Well this section is going to explain my title of this email. These past two weeks there were THREE drive-by shootings. Pretty wild. We pulled up to one of our friends houses to have a lesson and two or three streets away you could hear like 25 gun shots and a speeding car. Then it happened again during our lesson. The other one happened two weeks ago while planning a lesson in our car. I must say it's pretty fun here in Aldine. Another thing is the dogs. I mentioned it in my last email but there are A LOT of stray dogs. Most of them our friendly but this past week Elder Beardall and I would say otherwise. These dogs be barking like crazy, chasing after us and our car and guarding gates to peoples houses we need to stop by. It's wild haha. The last thing is the news about people being deported. Less people want to open their doors or come to church because they are worried the police will find them or that Elder Beardall and I are cops with our white shirts and tags. One of our friends said that he's going to save our number in his phone and take a screenshot of our picture because the next time we call him he might be in Nicaragua. If y'all could pray for the people of Houston that would be much appreciated.
"No quiero un fade"
I went to a latino barbershop for the first time. It was quite the experience! There are only latino barbershops in our area so we just decided to go to the closest one. I was a little worried looking at the signs and pictures on the barbershop of people having 0-10 fades and other crazy designs on the side of their head. I walked in and there were two Cuban dudes. They only speak Spanish so it was pretty fun to talk to them. As soon as I sat down I said "no quiero un fade por favor." I was praying the whole time I wouldnt get a crazy haircut. Luckily my Cuban boy got me right. We also had a great conversation about things to do in Utah and Cuba and what its like to be a missionary.
"Zone Conference"
We had Zone Conference this past Thursday and it was fantastic. If I copied and pasted all my thoughts and notes you'd probably be here for a while. But I'll just mention some key things that stuck out to me. Sister McMullin had a special focus on the Book of Mormon. We each got a new Book of Mormon and she gave us the challenge of reading 7 pages a day and mark every time it mentions or refers to the name Jesus Christ. The Book of Mormon is more than just a book. If we read it like any other book then it's just going to be that, just another book. But if we read it searching for answers, with really intent, seeking the power and peace it offers us, we will find it.
The second thing was something President McMullin shared. He shared a little clip of a podcast with Hank Smith and John Bytheway. They were talking about Embarking. One of the definitions for Embark is to board or get on a ship, plane, or other vehicle typically for a journey or trip. So with that definition is it possible to partially get on a boat or partially get on a plane? I don't think so. And if it is possible I don't think that would be a very pleasant experience. This really applies to missionaries but it applies to everyone. We can't kind of be a missionary or kind of be a a teachers quorum president or kind of be a disciple of Christ. You either are or you aren't. If you choose to do it then you have to be ALL IN. When the work gets hard or life gets hard you can't just quit and hop off the boat. That wouldn't be fun. That would add all sorts of problems to your plate. You just have to keep working and moving. Elder Uchtdorf said "If we simply keep at it - steady and constant - things certainly will improve." It's okay to be tired IN the work but we shouldn't get tired OF the work. If we put in 100%, God will give us 100% right back. If you want something great then you have to do something great. It takes time, work and effort. It take trust in God at all times.
I've seen over these past 6 months that hard work and dedication will bring miracles. The Book of Mormon is true and absolutely amazing. It's power is unmatched. Every page you turn opens a new door to learn and feel the Spirit. The Gift of Tongues is REAL. God loves all His children and has a perfect plan for each of us. He offers us a peace that nothing or no one else can offer or match. But don't take my word for it. I invite you to find these things for yourselves. I invite you all to take some time each day to read from the Book of Mormon and to ponder the words in your hearts. Compare the stories and experiences to your own life. Focus on how it testifies and mentions of Christ very often. The Book of Mormon was written for our day to help us. So if you want to find answers to your questions, find peace, joy, stillness and strength. PLEASE READ! I promise you great blessings as you do so.
We have a couple baptisms coming up for our friends Wilmer and Axel. If you guys could keep them in your prayers that would be great! Love y'all!
January 22, 2025
Hola a todos! I think it's about time I wrote an email haha. Here's a quick update from the past little while:
"Transfers"
I have been transfered to H5 which is in Aldine. Aldine is much closer to the city and is a lot different than Katy for sure haha. My new companion is Elder Beardall and he's lit! We are Zone Leaders over the Houston North Zone.
"Apartment"
Compared to the apartment here, I was living like a king in Katy haha. We're not only fighting Satan but a whole army of cockroaches... our gym is between our beds with two 25 lb dumbbells. Calisthenics are bouta go crazy. But I can't complain. I got a roof over my head and a warm bed and I'm doing the best work on Earth!
"Aldine"
Aldine is pretty different than Katy. Any area is gonna be different but there's quite a bit of contrast between the two. There's a lot of poverty and homelessness here. There's also ALOT of stray dogs but for the most part they are all friendly. It's been a humbling experience so far. I have so much to be grateful for.
"Winter Wonderland"
Pretty crazy but it snowed in Houston! We got a few inches. It's pretty cold here too haha especially with the humidity. The cold goes right through your clothes. Everyone was going crazy when the snow came. Most people haven't ever seen snow here haha.
"Spiritual thought"
In Helaman Chapter 6 there is a fascinating contrast between the Nephites and Lamanites. There is a image portrayed in this story of the Pride Cycle and power/destruction Satan has on people. Especially followers of Jesus Christ. There are a couple stories mentioned from the Bible. The Tower of Babel and the story of Cain and Abel. I see in this chapter the destruction pride can have on the hearts, minds and souls of men. I can also see how humility brings growth, prosperity and blessings. The Nephites were influenced by pride. The scriptures say that they were hardened, impenitent and grossly wicked. It says the Lamanites were humble, firm and steadfast. The scriptures say that the Spirit of the Lord was withdrawn from the Nephites because of their hardness. The Lord began to pour out His Spirit upon the Lamanites because of their easiness and willingness to believe the word of God.
I know that as we humble ourselves, become teachable, exactly obedient and submit to the will of the Lord we will be blessed. There is always more room to grow. As we turn to the Lord with an open heart and mind He will work wonders in our lives. Our perspectives will begin to change and become more in line with God's. I challenge all of you to always take the opportunity to grow and learn something new. Open your mind and your heart, trust God and put on those spiritual lenses and you will be blessed. You will become a blessing and miracle for those around you too!
December 18, 2024
Hola a todos! This past week has been crazy. Full of miracles, cool experiences and definitely filled with the Spirit. I was able to give a talk on Sunday and it was awesome! A little different because it was in Spanish but it was a cool experience.
"Baptism"
This last Sunday we had Rogelio's baptism! It was so awesome! The Spirit was so strong. He had a smile on his face the whole time. A couple of hermanos in our ward gave good talks and everyone really helped him feel welcomed. He has a girlfriend who is a member but currently lives in Mexico right now for VISA issues. She watched the whole thing on zoom and we held the phone. She shared her testimony and it was so cool! After the baptism, almost everyone left but a couple of families. La familia Padron, Carrillo, Hermano Matias, Augustin, and Rogelio. We had a little Noche de Hogar (family home evening) with them in the Chapel. We went around in a circle and everyone shared their testimony and thoughts about why church is important and why we go. Everyone's testimony was so strong and the Spirit was so strong too. It felt like a warm blanket was covering the room. I hadn't heard Rogelio bear his testimony until then and when he did it was so awesome!
"Beer"
Elder Ricedorff and I have had a couple interactions with drunk people this past week. The first is with one of the friends who we are teaching. He really wants to change and come to church. A couple nights ago we stopped by and he was there... but not really there haha. He told us he had drunk 8 cans of beer and he had another 5 to go. This stop bye/lesson was honestly the first time I became really bold with someone. I told him that if he wanted to change then he would cut off beer right now right then. He said okay let's do it. Elder Ricedorff asked if we could start by getting the rest of the cans of beer he hadn't opened and pour them down the sink. He said sure, go ahead. So... Elder Ricedorff and I took turns pouring cans of beer down the sink right in front of him. After we finished he looked at us and he said "Wow! I can't believe you guys just did that hahahaha. I have never seen that before.That was something. Thank you for doing that." After that we proceeded to tell his friend Eleazar to help him sober up. We left a screen open on his phone when he would wake up the next morning for a 12 step process to help him with his addiction. He's such a nice guy and he told us he truly wants to get better, especially for his Mom and daughter. Pretty funny and cool experience.
Yesterday, we were coming home from Zone Conference and we stopped by a Wells Fargo so Elder Ricedorff could deposit some money. There were two guys standing outside speaking Spanish so we decided to go up and talk to them. The guy to the right immediately shook Elder Ricedorff's hand and then went in for a kiss but Elder Ricedorff swerved and he got kissed on the cheek. Then the guy proceeded to hold my arm for a little bit. He offered to leave them with a prayer. The guy grabbed my arm again and held it till the prayer was over haha. It was a little weird but a cool experience. Pretty sure he was a little drunk.
"Zone Conference"
Zone Conference was lit! I learned so much! Got to see my "dad" Elder Oehler. I really loved the messages from some of the other missionaries and from the President of being humble and willing to submit to the will of the Father. To be teachable. It can be easy to be prideful but as we humble ourselves and stay meek we will be blessed and grow!
"Spiritual Thought"
I want to share some thoughts while reading Luke 2. We all know the scriptures that talk about the Angel appearing to the Shepherds. But I want to focus on something a little different. We all know the story of the three Kings or Wise Men. An angel hadn't appeared to them. They solely had to rely on their Faith. They were living rich and comfortably but they got up and left, with their belongings and camels and with valuables and gifts. They traveled a super long distance to get to Jesus. So, why would they travel such a long distance to see a little kid? Because they had faith that it would be worth the sacrifice. They knew something was special about Him. So now I want to ask all of you the question: What would you sacrifice to see Jesus? Would you leave your homes, valuables and possessions, and travel the long distance to see the King of Kings, the Prince of Peace, The Savior of the World? Or are you living your life in a way that you would want to visit and speak with Him? I invite you all to reflect and think of how you can honor the Savior during this Christmas season.
My talk this past Sunday was focused on the Talk given by President Monson "How can we prepare our hearts for Christmas." This talk is so good. This time of year we have the opportunity to celebrate and remember the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. This is a great time to rededicate our hearts and minds to the Savior. We can focus on his life and what He did for us. Christmas is an awesome time to have fun with loved ones and receive gifts. But it's more than that. It's a time to serve, forgive, and repent. To remember His birth, His glory, and His greatness. I invite you all to reflect on what you can do this Christmas season to rededicate your lives more to the Savior.
I have been learning so much, especially these past few weeks. The missionary work in Katy is booming and I'm having a great time! Love you all!
December 11, 2024
Hola a todos! Bienvenidos a un otro correo! Espero que todo esta bien! This past week has been awesome! We have our friend Rogelio's baptism on Sunday and just put our friend Olimar back on date for January 11th. The work is fantastic here. And something new is that it's cold now haha. The humid cold is actually freezing
"The Promised Land"
Katy, Texas is the Promised Land! There is so many people here prepared to hear the Gospel. We have found a lot of new people this past week. It was kind of crazy because there was a few times where we had an address for someone and would knock it and it wasn't the right house or person we were looking for but it led to a good conversation/message and a new person found! We are teaching these two ladies we just met from Venezuela. There apartment complex is a gold mine haha. We had a lesson with them the other day and when we walked out of the elevator to go to our car there was a guy leaning against his car. We asked if we could share a message about Jesus Christ and he said "Claro que si" (of course). We shared a message and he told us that he had met with missionaries a bunch before but he moved to Houston from Waco and hadn't met with them since. We got his phone number and are gonna have another lesson with him. And right around the corner we talked to another guy in his car and got his phone number.
"Bloody Knuckles"
So I'm sure your curious about this one. Maybe...maybe not. Anyways here's the story. We were helping moving a bunch of furniture for this lady in a storage unit. There was a ton of stuff. And.... there happened to be some large rolls of carpet. I thought it would be fun to punch it like a punching bag. After about 2
10 punches I saw some marks on the roll. And then Elder Ashworth said "yoooo look at your fingers" I looked down and they were all bloody haha. I guess that's what the marks were on the carpet roll but all is well! My knuckles are healing haha
"Hermano Mario"
We have this Hermano in our ward named Mario. He just moved from Spring to Katy and now is in our ward. He's from Honduras and he is so chill. We had a lesson last night with him in his car. He lives in his car right now because he doesn't have a very stable and good job. Come to find out he's been walking to church too. To save gas he walks to church and it's about an hour walk! He's got some crazy dedication. He's awesome!
"Spiritual thought"
This is a little bit longer Spiritual thought but I hope you can take the time to read it.
I was reading in Alma 57. I've heard from a lot of people that these later chapters are hard to read but I've honestly loved reading them. The war stories and events going on are crazy haha. One of the verses I really loved is verse 35: "And behold, we are again delivered out of the hands of our enemies. And blessed is the name of our God; for behold, it is he that has delivered us; yea, that has done this great thing for us."
I really love this scripture. A little backstory before this verse is there is a huge battle/war going on. A lot of Moroni's army could have been killed but wasn't because of their exceedingly great Faith in God. We can compare Moroni's words to our day. Every single one of us has our own personal battles. Every single one of us has this war, contention, opposition and uphill slope we have to fight. Some things drag us down and wear us out physically and spiritually. Some things feel unbearable and impossible, that there's no way out and no way to win. But we have to remember who created us and why we are here. We have a loving Heavenly Father who loves us so much that he sacrificed his only Son and our Savior Jesus Christ. Sometimes he let's us go through hard things. Actually a lot of times he let's us go through hard things. But He let's us feel these things so we can grow and exercise Faith in Him. Sometimes He throws us in the air and all we must do is trust that He will catch us... And He always does.
I love you all and hope you have a good rest of your week! Hasta Luego!
December 4, 2024
Hola a todos! This week has been full of miracles. So many cool experiences.
"Miguels Baptism"
Sunday night our friend Miguel was baptized! He has so happy and had a smile the whole time. The spirit was so strong during the whole service. I was able to confirm him and give him a blessing which was such a cool experience! He already wants to go to the temple and do baptisms and learn more about what we do there. He's going to be a great addition to the Westgreen ward.
"Transfers"
On Monday we had transfers. It was bittersweet to be honest. Elder Oehler got transferred to a new area and out of the 8 of us here only 3 stayed so our district kind of got bombed. I have a new companion Elder Ricedorff who's lit! We're gonna do so great work together.
"I CAN DRIVE!"
At transfers I got my ti-wi card or the card you need to have to drive. You can't get it until you are done with your training. Its actually so weird driving. I haven't driven in 3 months haha.
Spiritual thought
"Fear not, Believe only"
I've been reading in Luke and this line has just been stuck in my head. I love the simplicity and boldness Jesus taught and spoke with. It can be hard for us sometimes to feel like He is there for us. But as long as we believe that's all God needs from us. Just a particle of Faith and God can work miracles in our lives. So my invitation to you is the same as Christ's "Fear not, Believe only."
November 28, 2024
Hola a todos! This week has been full of miracles! We have two baptisms coming up for our friends Olimar and Miguel this weekend on Saturday and Sunday. If you could keep them in your prayers that would be much appreciated. Also the weather finally cooled down haha.
"Our boy Chris"
There's this homeless man that we've seen on the same corner for the past couple weeks. Everytime we are stopped at the light we give him water. But this past week we've been carrying a bag of food in our car for him and we couldn't find him for a few days. Then on Sunday night we saw him buying a burger at McDonald's and then walking down the street. We decided to pull into a parking lot and give him the food. When we pulled into the parking lot and he was across the street so we called him over and he ran across the street and we gave him the food and a fistbump. It was pretty lit
"Last week"
This is the last week of the transfer so we find out if we get transfered on Saturday. I most likely won't get transferred but my comp Elder Oehler probably will which is gonna be sad. This transfer has flown by and has been so good. I've been able to grow so much spiritually and physically and especially with my Spanish too.
"Church"
This past Sunday was so good. We had 5 friends at church and the messages shared were so good. There's this guy just a little older than we are and he gave a talk on how he had a span of 6 years that he hadn't been to church and was doing a lot of bad things. But he decided to change some things and come back to church and it has blessed him and helped him so much. It reminded that church is like a hospital for sinners. We are all going to make mistakes but church is where we can find peace and rest. We can get spiritually repaired and re-energized. We can be with our church family and gain a testimony and insights from other people's experiences that can really give us the hope and joy we need in our lives.
Spirtual thought
I've been reading in Luke and the stories of Jesus in those chapters are so amazing. I love the verse in Luke 1:37 "For with God nothing shall be impossible" I love this scripture because it is so true. We can doing anything through God.
Also, Happy Thanksgiving!! Hope you all have a fantastic Thanksgiving! I am so grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ. I'm thankful for my family and friends and for the opportunity that I have to serve a mission. There is so many more things I am grateful for but it would take up this whole email haha.
November 20, 2024
Hola a todos! Bienvenido a otro correo!
Hey everyone, I hope you are all doing great. These past two weeks have been crazy busy and full of excitement, laughter, and miracles. Theres a little over two weeks ledt in the transfer. Its still hot here... Today has been pretty nice but its towards the end of November and its still 85 degrees. Heres an update and some thoughts:
"I'm triple covering"
I mentioned in my last email that I am in a trio now and that we are covering two wards. Well the English ward that we just started covering split into two. So know we have to cover three wards... Pretty crazy haha. The area to cover is huge but we are up for the challenge. The work is super busy. Trying to find new people to teach that speak English and also Spanish is a little chaotic, helping all of our friends progress is difficult and covering two areas/wards is tiring but it never gets boring that's for sure. Our day to day schedule is pretty much the same, but everyday is different.
"Olimar came to church"
Our friend Olimar and her two daughters came to church for the first time!! We invited them to church at least 20 times and they finally came! They absolutely loved it. Olimar is really progressing and getting closer and closer to being ready for baptism on November 30!
"Exchange"
I went on an exchange with Elder Wilson. He's super chill. He's from Samoa and he had to learn English when he moved to the U.S. and then when he got called on his mission he got assigned Spanish speaking. So he is still working on learning English and Spanish. He helped me with my Spanish and gave me some tips which were really helpful. We found 4 new people to teach during our exchange too. The Bridgeland area is pretty slow so we did a lot of knocking but it was fun. So many Cubans live there it's actually crazy. The exchange was lit!
"Do I believe in Jesus???"
A few weeks ago we stopped by this lady named Patricia who sent a referral to us. Her brother is actually a convert to our church. Her nephew Jed lives with her. We asked them if they believe in Jesus and they looked at us with a super puzzled look. Then they started laughing and kept saying sarcastically "Do we believe in Jesus??" They showed us around their house and they had a last supper sculpture and hand woven last supper picture thing. Then they walked us down a hall and had all sorts of prayers and things about Jesus. It was pretty funny and cool.
"Spiritual Thought"
I have been reading in Alma this past week and a topic I really like to talk and share about with other people is Something that stuck out to me and that I love sharing with other people is when Alma compares the word of God unto a seed. Alma 32:28-30 says "Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling, ye will begin to say within yourselves - it must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, if beginneth to be delicious to me." "Now behold, would not this increase your faith? I say unto you, yea; nevertheless it hath not grown up to a perfect knowledge." "But behold as the seed swelleth, and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow, then you must needs say that the seed is good. For behold it swelleth and sprouteth and beginneth to grow. And now, behold, will this not strengthen your faith? Yea, it will strengthen your faith: for ye will say I know that this is a good seed; for behold it sprouteth and beginneth to grow.
I love these verses so much because they apply perfectly with us. As we experiment and exercise and apply the word of God and also exercise our faith we will begin to see what decisions and actions help us grow. It will take time and energy but as we experiment and practice we will begin to see the blessings that come from having faith and building a testimony in Jesus Christ.
My mission experience so far has been fantastic. Yes there has been some low times or frustration but I have seen the Lord bless my life and my families life. I feel so privileged to share the Gospel with others and be the miracle that people need in their lives. I'm thankful for the scriptures and for the great examples and teachings we learn about. I promise you all that if you take a little time each day to experiment and obtain the word of God in scripture study and apply the teachings in your life, you will see blessings.
I love you all, hope you have a great week.
My Stories!
November 7, 2024
Hola a todos! Welcome to another email! This week has been super crazy and very eventful. Here's a few highlights and thoughts since my last email:
Quad is now a trio
Well today was pretty sad. Elder Tupou has been dealing with headaches since the MTC and he went home today to get healthier. Now it's Elder Oehler, Elder Ashworth and I. Elder Ashworth is English speaking (he also speaks fluent Chinese) and so we are now covering the wards/areas as a trio. The work just got even busier which has its pros and cons. We are going to help Elder Ashworth learn Spanish too which will be fun! These guys are so fun and great missionaries. I'm gonna miss Elder Tupou though. He was awesome!
Zone Conference
Yesterday we had Zone Conference which was awesome! Our Quad won cleanest apartment award and our district won cleanest car. I guess all that cleaning and making sure we were locked in paid off haha. There were also so many great talks and messages shared. I really liked what President McMullin shared. He asked us "Do you know the Saviors voice?" It was a pretty simple and direct question. He told us if we don't know it then we need to find it now and do all we can to recognize it. We need to be seeking Him out always. And as we do we will find Him. And when we find Him we will find safety, rest, joy and happiness.
Spiritual thought
I'd like to share something that I've been thinking and learning more about in my studies and at church. Which is Jesus Christ's Atonement. In Elder Shayne Bowens talk he says that the " Atonement is available to each of us. It can cleanse and reclaim us". I really loved the part where it says we can be cleansed. As we repent and take the steps to become better we will be cleansed, sanctified and purified. Another thing that has grabbed my attention is the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ. In Jesus the Chrisf by James E. Talmage he says that if the Romans had performed a biopsy on Jesus they would find that his heart would be split in two. This would have happened because of how much suffering he went through. I can't even imagine how hard it must have been. But it gives me a reassurance that he knows my pains and sufferings. That He suffered for me, His heart broke for me and that He died for me. He did that for everyone. Every single one of our faces flashed before His eyes and He has felt our struggles and sufferings. And He knows exactly how to help us overcome them.
I would like to invite you guys to read the Book of Mormon every day and seek Jesus. As you do this you will find joy. And you will also find Jesus because Jesus is joy.
Also if you can all pray for our friends on date for baptism that would be greatly appreciated. Hope you all have a great week! Love you all!
October 30, 2024
Hola a todos! Hope you are all going great! It's still hot here in Katy... it's the end of October and it's still 90 degrees everyday. I'm really starting to miss Utah weather. The work is great here. The food is absolutely amazing. Can't get anything better than authentic homemade Hispanic food everyday. I've been bad about writing my weekly email. But here's some highlights and thoughts from these past few weeks.
"Deilymar ate my Spanish book"
Elder Oehler and I are teaching these two ladies Genesis and Olimar. They are currently on date for baptism! Olimar's daughter Deilymar is one year old and she is a trouble maker. Our last visit she got a hold if my small pad of paper and ripped a lot of paper out. The other night Elder Oehler and I went to go teach a lesson and Deilymar has making a lot of noise. I decided to give her my small Spanish book. It totally calmed her down. Buuuuutttttt..... by the end of the lesson my book had been chewed through and slobbered on. Deilymar handed me the ruined Spanish book and started smiling at me. It was pretty funny haha!
"Español"
My Spanish is really coming along. I can tell I am getting better each day. But it can also be pretty frustrating sometimes. As my Spanish is getting better my English is slowly getting worse. Sometimes I forget words in English it gets a little hard for me to read or share a scripture in English when I'm so used to speaking in Spanish. The Gift of Tongues is real! My Spanish isn't the best but I have definitely had some moments where I new it was the Lord filling my mouth with the words I needed to say.
"Quad"
Elder Oehler and I live in a quad. Meaning there are 4 elders in an apartment. We honestly have the best quad in the mission. Elder Ashworth and Tupou are lit. We lock in on our studies and on the work but we also make each other happy and have a blast!
"Gualmar"
Elder Oehler and I have found a new a great way to find new people to teach (shoutout to Elder Tupou and Ashworth). We have started driving to Walmart and walking around the parking lot to share scriptures. We are only 1/4 on finding new people but every person we have talked to has been in contact with missionaries before or knows who we are. We met this one guy named Yarmey. He actually used to live in the same hallway of apartments that we do. He said he moved but he used to see us a bunch. Pretty crazy. We got his number and called him the next night and shared a message. And funny enough, just last night we said hi to him because he was using the free car wash in our apartment complex.
"Spiritual thought"
I have had so many awesome experiences with the Spirit and sharing the Gospel. But I would like to share something during one of my personal studies this week. I was reading in Mark 4. When I read verses 31 and 32 I felt the Spirit. I can't even explain it. I just felt understanding and enlightenment about what I was reading. If we plant the word of God in our hearts and in our minds and avoid the desires and temptations of the world. We will be blessed. I thought it was interesting too where it says the kingdom of God is likened unto a mustard seed. A mustard seed is tiny. In verse 31 it says it is less than all the seeds of the Earth. Verse 32 says: But when planted it groweth up and becomes greater than all the seeds and herbs. I think this means that the kingdom of Heaven is less than all the things in the world. Not meaning of less worth but of less popularity. There are a lot of other things (seeds) that try to grab our attention. And when we partake in those things we will find happiness. But it's only momentarily. The promise from God is that if we plant His seed in our hearts we will have joy and happiness too. But this joy is long lasting. For all of eternity. This doesn't mean that we are going to be happy 24/7 for the rest of our lives. That's not how this life works. But His way is the way and as we follow His way we will find a joy so much stronger and long lasting than anything else. A good joy. A better joy. A joy that brings light and life to our souls. A joy that can change our lives forever.
Till next time...
October 9, 2024
What's up everyone! Hope you are all doing well! This past week has been great! General Conference this past weekend was fantastic! This is the last week for this transfer. They cut the transfer 1 week short because our Mission President has to go to Salt Lake for a conference. Here's a few highlights from my week:
This week
This week has been pretty slow. We haven't had a ton of success. We aren't finding a lot of people and a lot of people aren't really progressing. But we have had a few successes. We were able to put one of our Venezuelan friends Genesis on date for baptism. We also had 4 of our friends watch General Conference.
General Conference
Gosh this General Conference was so great! Every talk hit me in some way and I felt the Spirit a lot. One theme that stuck out to me was the Sacrament. Quite a few people spoke about the importance of the Sacrament and partaking of it each week. In Elder Karl D. Hirst's talk he said that we eat broken bread. Jesus was Broken and Torn. Just like the bread we partake of each week. I never really thought about it like that before. Elder Kearon said that we partake of broken bread (His broken body) and water (His blood). We covenant to ALWAYS REMEMBER HIM. So the main thing that stuck out to me from this theme was that when we partake of the Sacrament we need to focus on Jesus Christ. We need to focus on his sacrifice for us. The Atonement. And we need to focus on the commitment and covenant we are making each week. To ALWAYS REMEMBER HIM. So throughout our week to ALWAYS REMEMBER HIM we need to read our scriptures, pray and live in a Christlike way. These are three things that we can do each week to ALWAYS REMEMBER HIM. As we do so we can feel more joy and peace in our hearts and in our minds. We can feel the Spirit more often and we can be happier.
My Spanish
My Spanish is getting a lot better. I get frustrated with myself a lot because I can't say what I usually want to say. Or when I say it, it comes out wrong. But I have noticed each time that I really focus on my studies. I feel more confident and more motivated to share my thoughts and things in Spanish. The hardest part for me currently is to conjugate words into the past tense. I don't know why but past tense is just really hard for me haha. But I am doing my best. I have seen a huge improvement in my prayers and lessons.
Invitation
I would like to invite you all to focus on Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for us during the Sacrament and during the rest of the week. As you remember the promise you are making each week you will remember how important it is that we have a Savior that suffered and died for each and everyone of us. It gives me reassurance that because he suffered and died for us I have someone I can go to, to get help and guidance. I can pray and read my scriptures to find answers and receive the strength and energy I need to overcome my hardships and obstacles.
Love you all!
October 2, 2024
Hola a Todos!
What's up everyone it's Elder Chandler again! Hope you are all doing well. Here's a few highlights from my week.
Spiritual Thought
I'd like to start off with a spiritual thought this week. I've read a lot in Mosiah. One thing that stood out to me while reading was Abinadi. Abinadi was killed for what he believed in. He was trying to warn King Noah and everyone that if they didn't repent and follow God then they would be destroyed. But no one wanted to listen. He was eventually killed. But because of his words he was able to touch the heart of one person. His name was Alma (the older). Alma recognized and felt the truth of Abinadi's words and decided to stop being a priest and start preaching the word. He was able to help hundreds of people learn of the truth and be baptized. It's kind of crazy to think about the impact that one person can have on someone else. Because of Abinida's words and helping one person come unto Christ he was actually helping hundreds of generations after him learn of Christ and know the truth. I'm thankful for the opportunity I have as a missionary to help others come unto Christ and feel God's love. I hope that I will be able to change just one person's life even if that one life is mine.
Exchange
Elder Oehler and I went on an exchange with the other companions in our apartment (Elder Tupou and Elder Jensen). I went on an exchange with Elder Jensen. Elder Jensen is an English speaking missionary so it was pretty nice to speak English pretty much the whole day haha. I did have to use my Spanish once or twice. We knocked on this one guy's house and he opened the door. He looked at us for a second and said "You guys are Mormons." We said "Yes we are. Would you like to hear a small message about Jesus Christ?" He said "I could tell you guys were Mormons because of your shirts and tags. Are you guys from Utah?" We said we were from Utah. He said "Man you guys look sharp. But no, I would not like to hear a message. Have a good day." This was a pretty funny interaction haha. We were able to find two new people and we also had a bunch of really good lessons. We had a lesson with some members and the Spirit was so strong. We talked about the Atonement of Jesus Christ and Repentance. The room felt so quiet and peaceful while we were teaching. It was awesome! This exchange was awesome!
Our friend Jose
Elder Oehler and I have a lot of friends that are really progressing. There is this one guy named Jose. He speaks Spanish but perfect English too. We have visited him a couple of times. The first time I met him he said he was in a really bad relationship with his wife and family. He said they might get divorced and it sucks living at home because they always fight. This past Friday we had the prompting to visit him. We knocked on his door and when he opened it he said thank you for coming over. We asked him how he was doing and he said he was just let go of his job this morning. I felt really bad for him. It felt like a lot of bad stuff was happening in his life. We invited him to church and he accepted the invitation. On Sunday he came to church and after Sacrament meeting we talked to him for a few minutes. He said that it was different from any other church he had been to and asked us "Why don't they have a tray for an offering or anything?" We said we don't do that and that yes our church is different from a lot of other churches. He said that the feeling he had was profound. He felt so much peace and quiet and loved the messages that were shared. He sent us a text a little later in the day and said "Thanks for the invitation. I really needed that. I'll be back." I'm so glad we had the prompting to visit Jose and that he was able to come to church and have a good time!
Invitation
I would like to invite everyone to watch General Conference this weekend. I love this opportunity to listen to our Prophet and his Apostles. I invite you to write down a few questions before and then write down your feelings and thoughts during the sessions. This is a time where we are able to receive present day scripture and guidance from God.
Hope you all have a great week! Love you all! Hasta Luego!
September 25, 2024
This week has been so awesome! I have had a lot of cool experiences. The weather is hot and humid as it always is but I think I have fully adjusted to it. I have had a lot of great Mexican and Honduran food from the members in my ward. And luckily enough it hasn't been too spicy for me haha. Here are a few experiences I would like to share:
Exchange
This past week Elder Oehler and I exchanged with our Zone Leaders (Elder Wilson and Elder Cruz). Even though it was my second week of being in the field, Elder Oehler and I thought it would be good if I led the area. I exchanged with Elder Cruz. We got to know each other pretty well. Elder Cruz is from Carrollton Georgia. He is super chill. It was a little crazy and uncomfortable because I had to be the one answering all the phone calls, sending texts, calling people and choosing where we went to knock/teach. We had a lesson with our friend Caridad. She is from Cuba and Cuban Spanish is a little hard to understand because they skip over so many words and letters haha. But we had a great lesson about the Apostasy and Prophets. We also found two new people that we are going to teach soon. This was a good experience to get out of my comfort zone and use my broken Spanish to the max!
Zone Conference
We had Zone Conference yesterday and it was awesome! We learned a lot about being Diligent, Faithful and having Joy. We also learned about being obedient and how obedience is the key to our safety, protection and joy. It was cool seeing all the people from our zone and getting to know a few guys a little better.
Barbershop is Open
Welp based on the title of this one you guys probably know whats happening haha. I am giving haircuts again haha. I gave Elder Tupou (who lives with us in our apartment) a crazy nice fade. He's looking fresh. I gotta say I might just make this a side hustle when I get back from the mission.
Bible Bash
Short story we had a Bible Bash...
...Just kidding, I'll tell you what happened. There is this guy named David who we have been teaching for a little while. He was the first door I knocked since being in Houston. We texted him and asked if we could come over to talk and share a message. Here's how the convo basically went: "I'm not home", "ok can we come over a little later today?, "I'm looking for work so I can pay bills" "would you guys be able to help me?" "I'm not sure we are going to be able to help you much. our purpose is to help others come unto Christ and feel God's love." "Okay so you just don't help a neighbor when they are in need?" "Well we aren't paid and we don't have a job so I'm not sure we can really help you out, but we would love to share a message with you." "What happens after we die?" "Great question. We would love to talk to you about it tonight if that works for you" "yes that works"
Once we got to David's house during our lesson he starting finding scriptures and looking at notes and stuff and telling us we are wrong and that God doesn't have a body of flesh and bones and that whoever doesn't receive the Gospel on Earth can't be saved and bla bla bla. So we decided to leave. It got pretty heated for a minute haha but the two other lessons we had after this were awesome!
Spiritual experience
I have read a lot in the Book of Mormon. I really like Mosiah 3 and 4. I also really like Enos. Enos is a great example of receiving a remission of your sins. Here are some verses I really love" Verse 2 "And I will tell you of the wrestle which I had before God, before I received a remission of my sins. 4 "And my soul hungered; and I kneeled down before my Maker, and I cried unto him in mighty prayer and supplication for mine own soul; and all the day long did I cry unto him; yea, and when the night came I did still raise my voice high that it reached the heavens." 5 "And there came a voice unto me, saying: Enos, thy sins are forgiven thee, and thou shalt be blessed." 7 "And I said: Lord how is it done?" 8 "And he said unto me: Because of thy faith in Christ, whom thou hast never before heard nor seen. And many years pass away before he shall manifest himself in the flesh; wherefore, go to, thy faith hath made thee whole." 9 "Now, it came to pass that when I had heard these words I began to feel a desire for the welfare of my brethren, the Nephites; whereore, I did pour out my whole soul unto God for them."
I love these verses because it shows how through Enos's faith and prayer he was able to be forgiven and be blessed because of it. It is the same thing for us. We need to make sure our prayers are diligent, having faith that God can forgive us, God can answer our prayers, God can do great things, God can help guide and direct us, God can help us feel comfort and peace and Joy. As we ask for these things with faith and act on our faith we can receive these things. As long as we have "faith as a mustard seed" we can be blessed. All God wants from is to have faith and follow him. As we do so we will feel so much more joy.
I invite all of you to read the Book of Enos and also 2 Nephi 4. As you read I would like for you to focus on how These two great men had challenges and temptations and through their faithfulness and through great prayer they were able to be comforted and be blessed.
Hope you all have a fantastic week! I pray for you all! Till next week!
September 18, 2024
Hola Todos!
I hope everyone is doing well. I have been in Houston for a whole week now! It has been so awesome! I am getting used to the heat and humidity. When we are knocking doors I can't stop sweating haha. My clothes just stick to my body but I've gotten used to it. The bugs here are crazy though. I haven't adjusted fully to them yet haha. There are quite a few trailer parks in our area and we usually go there at night. There are a lot of trees and grass and everytime we go there I just get attacked by mosquitos. I've never had a bad reaction to mosquito bites until Houston. I've had at least three bites that swell up like crazy!
Mission Conference
Last Friday we had a mission conference where the whole mission gathered at a church. Elder Renlund and his wife came and spoke to us! I got to shake his hand and talk to him for a minute! It was super cool! Some things they said that stood out to me is that God's message is perfect and he calls imperfect messengers to deliver the message. It kind of got me thinking that yeah God's message is perfect and that we are imperfect but as long as we do our best we can help change people's lives. Another thing that stood out to me is that we are called exactly where we are needed. No matter where we are from or who we are, we are called to a certain place because that is where God needs us.
Shandler, Chandla, Chaaannddleeerrr
I didn't think it was really hard to say my last name until this past week haha. I have introduced myself a lot since I am new here and everytime I say my name to the Hispanics they try to repeat it but it never comes out right. They love my last name because they think it sounds cool and is funny haha. I introduced myself the other day to these two ladies we were teaching and they tried saying my name over and over again but they couldn't get it and they just started laughing. It was pretty funny, haha.
My area
My area currently is Katy, Texas or just outside Katy in a community called Westgreen/Bridgeland. The people here are so kind. Yes I have had a few people tell us to go away and not come back or had some doors shut but overall it has been awesome! My area is mostly hispanic so I get to practice my Spanish a lot. I have loved talking to strangers and sharing a message and getting to know them better. It gets me out of my comfort zone a little bit but it also helps me love the people more. Most of the Hispanics here are from many different areas in South America or Mexico and they come to Texas to find work and provide for their families. A lot of them don't have the nicest houses and cars but I have come to love the people and recognize their situation and just try to help them feel God's love. I haven't felt judgy towards anyone at all but it's a little difficult to walk up to someone's front door where spiders and bees and other gross things are sitting right above the door haha and try to teach them about Christ haha. But I love it!
Miracles
I have definitely seen some miracles this past week. One thing that was really cool was a gift of tongues. We were teaching our friend Leidymal and I had pitched in as much as I could but then I had to bear my testimony. I have had a lot of practice bearing my testimony because that was pretty much all I could do the first couple days here. But during this lesson as I was bearing my testimony all the words just came to me. I didn't have to pause and think or make sure I was saying something right. I just said what was on my mind for a couple of minutes and it all came out right and I felt the Spirit so strongly. Since then the past few days have been so much easier. I feel more confident with my Spanish and I have been contributing a lot more in lessons, asking questions, getting to know people and sharing my testimony. I think God helped give me a little breakthrough and a boost of confidence that I can do this!
Rocio
There have been so many cool stories with a lot of different people but I will just mention one. There is this lady named Rocio who just got baptized this past Saturday. Her husband has been a member for a while but Rocio grew up Catholic and strongly believed in her religion. She has been taught for the past 6 years and she decided to get baptized. I had the privilege to interview her for her baptism and attend her baptism. The whole ward showed up to her baptism plus more family and friends. Everyone was so happy and so excited for her. During the talks and everything before and after the baptism I didn't understand most of it but I really felt the Spirit. I could feel her joy and the happiness everyone had for her. It was an awesome experience.
Spiritual thought
I have been reading scriptures, Preach My Gospel and praying aaaaaa lot. Everytime we leave our apartment, get out of the car, or walk on the sidewalk, me and my comp pray. I have seen so many miracles from prayer. Another thing that I thought was super cool was during my interview with the Mission President. Something that really stuck out to me that I haven't really thought about before is that repentance is everytime we turn to God and turn away from sin. I kind of had an understanding of this before my mission but I kind of thought of it more as one prayer I say at the end of each day to be forgiven and get better. But this isn't the case. Everytime we read our scriptures, pray, read a general conference talk, share our testimony, help someone come unto Christ we are practicing repentance. This needs to occur daily (Daily Repentance). As we do so we can overcome temptation easier, having more joy and peace, and have a strong testimony in Jesus Christ. As we align our will with Gods he will help us know what we need to do when something challenging happens. He can uplift our Spirits and help us get through tough times. He has given us so many good resources to help overcome our challenges. All we simply have to do is read or talk and we can find the strength that we need. Some scriptures that I invite you all to read are 2 Nephi 31, 32. I also really like Alma 40:11-12 which says" Now, concerning the state of the soul between death and the resurrection. Behold, it has been made known unto by an angel, that the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life." "And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of happiness, which is called paradise, a state of rest, a state of peace, where they shall rest from all their troubles and from all care, and sorry." I loved this scripture because it tells us exactly what we can receive if we stay righteous and endure to the end. I love how it says that we can have rest, peace and rest from all of our troubles. Who wouldn't want to be rested and not have to worry about their troubles or anything? Doesn't it sound amazing that we can enter into a paradise where we can rest and have peace and comfort? I think that the promise of eternal life is so amazing. But we must endure to the end and stay faithful.
I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week!
September 13, 2024
Hey everybody!!!
Sorry I'm sending this out a day late. My email would not send yesterday.
I hope everyone is doing well! I hope you are having a great week! From the title of this email you can probably guess that... I made it to Houston! I can't believe I am finally out in the field. I already miss the MTC and my great district and companion. But I know that I'm where I'm supposed to be. My email this week is more on the spiritual side but i will include some fun things too. Here are some highlights, thoughts and experiences I had this week:
Leaving the MTC
I learned and experienced a lot in the last few days of the MTC. I'm really gonna miss the MTC and I already am haha. The past couple days we began to pack up and got ready to leave. We took lots of pictures and had our last classes which were fantastic. I have learned so many valuable lessons from the MTC. We had some good devotionals and lessons from our teachers. I learned that we must learn and live the Doctrine of Christ and that repentance needs to be a repetitive and iterative process every single day.
Faith to try or faith to reap?
We need to have faith to reap. What is Faith to reap? Faith to reap is truly having a desire and a want to become more like God and having a strong relationship with Christ and in doing so you will recieve blessings from God. Faith to reap helps us recieve Revelation, guidance, hope and a stronger testimony in Jesus Christ. Laman and Lemuel had the faith to try but not the faith to reap. While traveling back to Jerusalem maybe they thought that Lehi was right after a while and maybe what Lehi and Nephi were teaching was true. But they didn't take the time to ask God. This is what led them into uncertainty and eventually turning away everything whether they saw the power of God or not. Nephi had the faith to reap and he trusted God which helped him be an instrument in the Lord's hands and travel safely to the promised land to bless the future generations which are us!
Spiritual Whirlwinds
I watched this video and also read a talk from Elder Anderson about "Spiritual Whirlwinds". The video I watched was about a tree. It explained that as a tree goes through harsh storms and winds it will literally begin to change its cellular structure to become bigger and stronger. Its trunk becomes thicker and wider and its roots grow faster and deeper. In doing so these harsh storms won't effect the tree as much and it can be protected. This compares exactly to how our testimonies (trees) can go through "storms" (temptations) of this world. If we strengthen ourselves through prayer and reading the Book of Mormon every single day we can stay rooted in Christ and not only keep our testimony but make it even stronger. Elder Anderson said that as we keep our trust in the Lord we can have the power of God with us to overcome our obstacles and protect us from the terrible sins and things of the world. Nephi said "I am encircled about with the robe of righteousness". Another story I liked was at our devotional on Sunday. The largest sequoia tree in the world "General Sherman" stands about 250 feet high and 36 feet wide. Scientists and other people have hypothesized and come to the conclusion that this tree went through a lot of harsh storms and terrible winds based of how thick and tall the tree is. The cool thing is that these large sequoia trees (in Sequoia National Park) including General Sherman start out as a very small seed. It's about the size of an oatmeal flake. Can you imagine a small "oatmeal flake" seed can grow into the biggest sequoia tree in the world? Its pretty crazy but its true. Its the same for our testimonies. May we all take the time to feast upon the words of Christ and ponder and pray with sincere heart. So that when we go though the "Spiritual Whirlwinds" we may not fall and not be destroyed but uplifted and strengthened.
The Conversion Story of Bill Carpenter
This story is super super spiritual and inspiring. There is too much for me to talk about in this section so I am just going to invite you guys to go to YouTube and search The Conversion Story of Bill Carpenter. It is such a cool story.
Houston
Houston has been great! I've only been here for two days and my second day (today) is P-Day which is super nice. My companion Elder Oehler is awesome and my district is sick! We have a really nice apartment. The first day I got here I had to get used to the humidity quick haha. My skin is wet all the time and my clothes stick to me haha. We talked to about 10 different people yesterday night and it was kind of a shock to my system haha. I shared my testimony three times during three different lessons and the rest of the time I was listening to the crazy fast Spanish conversations between my companion and the people we taught. We also met this Pakistani guy who was muslim. We didn't want to hear our message but he shook my hand for probably a whole minute haha. He just kept shaking my hand and telling us how much he loves our work and how much he admires us. Houston is really cool. There is a lot of Hispanics and many other races and religions which is pretty cool and interesting. I am currently right outside Katy, Texas. Something cool is that as Spanish speaking missionaries who also speak English we are able to teach English to Hispanics every Wednesday at our church. I can already tell a difference in my Spanish after one day because I help explain things in Spanish and English. It's also helpful because I am learning their language and they are learning mine!
Invitation/Testimony
I would like to invite you all to practice having faith to reap. Practice daily repentance and pray to God every single day. Read the Book of Mormon every day and you will see a difference in your life as I have seen it in my own life. Some of my favorite scriptures this week are in 2 Nephi 2-7. Especially chapter 4. As you do these things who will become stronger mentally, physically, spiritually and socially.
Love you all and hope you all have a great week! Hasta Luego!
-Elder Chandler
September 6, 2024
¡Hola todos!
Sorry for sending this out a few days late. This week has been busy! I hope you are all doing well and have had a good week! This week has gone by fast! The days are weeks and the weeks are days haha. I've had a lot of spiritually uplifting experiences and funny moments this week. I can't believe that I'm leaving next week. I got my travel plans and I'm leaving next Tuesday at 5:30 am! I think I'm going to miss this place. I've made a lot of good memories but I know I need to get out and preach the word! It's also crazy that I am turning 19 tomorrow! Time flies! I'm excited to celebrate with my district! Okay now for some highlights of my past week:
Spanish and SYL/HSI
This week we started SYL (Speak Your Language) or en Espanol HSI (Hablo Su Idioma). This is where we have to Speak Spanish everywhere, all the time. It's not too difficult but not very easy at the same time haha. I have become a much better listener during my time here. I wasn't the greatest listener before I came to the MTC haha. But when someone speaks Spanish I really have to focus and listen to what they are saying. This has helped me become a much better listener in English too.
Free time
As I have mentioned before my comp and district love basketball. That's the only thing we do for our exercise time and I love it. We have been dominating on the court. As I mentioned in my last email my comp Elder McUne hurt his knee. We found out that we either pulled or strained his patellar tendon. But nothing stops this guy from getting on the court. He'll play through his hurt knee and execute some of the dirtiest crossovers. Kids gotta be lookin out for their ankles while guarding him or else they're gonna lose them! Another thing we have been doing besides basketball is rehab/stretching for McUne's knee. I have been stretching more this past week than I have in my entire life and I gotta say it's a game changer for sure. I stretch before every basketball session we have and I feel 10 times better while playing. So if y'all need tips on how to play better I definitely recommend stretching.
Sunday
This past Sunday was really good. Elder's Quorum and Sacrament/Testimony meeting were so good. Here are some things I really loved:
-Prayer needs to be a daily living discussion. We need to pray to God and then act on our prayers. When we act and do the things we are supposed to do everyday then we will be blessed.
-God gives us commandments and covenants so we can be protected, have everlasting joy, and so our hearts won't be filled with sorrow and sin
-The purpose of the Atonement makes it possible for us to return to our Heavenly Father, become like Him, and to have a fullness of joy.
-Repentance is having a change of heart and mind. When we move Him into the center of our lives and priorities we will experience more joy, guidance, and direction. Repentance isn't just for sinners and doing bad things. We repent to become better, to do good and to change. We need to repent daily. Whether we did something bad or not we need to pray to God and ask for what we can do better and ask for help for things we are trying to change and make better.
Gong
This week on Tuesday Elder Gong came and spoke to us. It was a super cool and spiritual experience. Here are some things I learned from him:
-While I may not know everything, I have a testimony. This applies to missionaries but it also applies to everyone. As missionaries we aren't going to know everything. Especially while learning/speaking a new language. But you can always share your testimony and what you do know
-Become a lifelong disciple of Christ
-Love the Lord's ordinances and commandments
As we share our testimonies, endure to the end and love the Lord's commandments we will be blessed and have everlasting joy!
Scripture/Spiritual thought
This past week I have been reading a lot in 3 Nephi. Some of my favorite chapters are 11-18. This is where Jesus comes down to Earth to visit the Americas. Some of my favorite verses in these chapters are:
-3 Nephi 11:11 "And behold, I am the light and the life of the world; and I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning.
-3 Nephi 12:16 "Therefore let your light so shine before this people, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven
-3 Nephi 12: 29-30 "Behold, I give unto a commandment, that ye suffer none of these things to enter into your heart." "For it is better that ye should deny yourselves of these things wherein ye will take up your cross than that ye should be cast into hell."
Invitation
My invitation for you all is to repent daily and read 3 Nephi 11-13. As you repent daily you will feel more peace and comfort and joy. For the scriptures I invite you to read the chapters and write down what sticks out to you personally and then apply the things you learn in your life.
Hope you all have a good week! Love you all! Next email I will be writing will be in Texas. See y'all later!
-Elder Chandler
August 28, 2024
Hola a todos!
Hope you're all doing well! This week has been full of funny experiences and good times! We are learning more and more Spanish and I am getting more comfortable. We have been learning a lot about how to communicate with other people, how to get to know them, ask what they believe in, and talk about food! Everyday is pretty repetitive. It feels like groundhog day with the schedule and everything but we have a lot of fun times and laugh a lot!
Temple
Last Wednesday we went to Mount Timpanogos Temple. It is a beautiful temple! The temple grounds with trees and flowers are just amazing! We did Endowments last Wednesday and it was such a cool experience. I didn't get the chance to go to the temple again after my first time going through so each week we go I am learning something new and getting used to how everything works. I really like the small change to the Endowment session. I think it is much easier to understand and much more powerful. During the session something that really hit me was faithfulness. After the session I read my patriarchal blessing and at the very end it says that I can receive all the blessings based on my faithfulness. Faith is very important and an essential part in our eternal progression. We also must act on our faith. We need to pray to Heavenly Father with a sincere heart and ask Him for whatever we are in need of and believe that He can help us. Then we must go to work and do our best to accomplish what we need to do. Moroni 7 is one of my favorite chapters about faith. The majority of the verses mention faith and I think it is a super powerful chapter.
Church
This past Sunday was really powerful and spiritual. Elder McUne and I for the second week in a row taught another lesson and I said the closing prayer in sacrament meeting. I guess I need the extra lessons and prayers haha. Anyways, during our lesson I really felt the Spirit and pretty much throughout the rest of the day. Our lesson was on The Book of Mormon and why we need it in our lives. The Book of Mormon is so important to our lives because it contains so much truth, guidance, direction and hope. I really liked a couple sections in Preach My Gospel that say "It testifies of Christ and plainy teaches His doctrine. It teaches the fullness of His gospel. The first principles and ordinances of the gospel as taught in the Book of Mormon are the way to an abundant life." "It's words will enlighten your understanding of life, of God's plan, and of Jesus Christ." I really like these two sections because they are so true. The Book of Mormon isn't just a book for us to become better missionaries and disciples of Christ but to just become better people. It helps us receive the guidance, direction and joy we need everyday. I can testify that reading the Book of Mormon has enlighten my understanding, it has given me peace, help me feel happier, and give me the guidance I need every single day.
X-ray
Okay so for a little bit of context before I start this section. Elder McUne hurt his knee about 2 weeks ago but still was playing basketball on it. While playing basketball last Friday his leg knee gave out and it's been hurting really bad for the past 5 days. We have gone to the doctor's and athletic trainer and they decided that we need to get an x-ray. So on Monday Elder McUne and I went across the street to the Urgent Care to get an x-ray. While he was getting an x-ray I sat on a couch. I looked up and on the wall was a t.v. playing How to Train Your Dragon. I absolutely love that movie and was savoring every moment before we had to leave haha.
Doctor's Office and Chik-Fil-A
Yesterday we had to go a little ways away to an orthopedic office for McUne's knee. After the appointment was over we are supposed to call a number to get picked up by someone at the MTC. The front office guy let us go to Chik-Fil-A first before we called to get picked up haha. Soooo we walked about a quarter mile down the road to Chik-Fil-A. I don't think I have felt so popular before until yesterday haha. People were waving at us, honking at us and while we were in Chik-Fil-A people tried paying for our food but we had already paid. Kind of a bummer but I don't think they would've wanted to pay for us if they realized what we ordered haha. Elder McUne ordered $70 worth of Chik-Fil-A sandwiches haha. He has a big shoulder bag so we stuffed all of our food into his bag and walked back to the office. Once we reached our residence hall after getting dropped off we ate and shared with our district and then McUne began to sell the rest of the sandwiches. He ended up making a profit of $35 hahaha. It was actually such a fun time to be out in the real world for a few minutes and then sneak some food back in and sell it for a side hustle haha!
Invitation
My invitation for this week is to read the Book of Mormon everyday and write down how you feel at the end of each day. I promise that you will feel more joy and peace when reading the Book of Mormon. You will receive guidance and direction. I really like Alma chapter 32. This week I have found so much peace and joy in reading my scriptures and listening to conference talks and music. I really like the Paul Cardall piano primary hymns and I invite you guys to take part in those things too!
I hope you are all doing well and have a great week! Love you all! Hasta Luego!
August 22, 2024
Hola!
This past week has been awesome! Last Thursday we started Spanish Immersion. I can't lie, the first three days were brutal. I could understand a decent amount and I can say simple phrases and words and I'm getting the hang of it but my head was just spinning and hurting those first three days haha. The amount of Spanish I was hearing and reading was tooooo much for my brain to handle. But this week has been great! I have gotten the hang of Spanish and am learning so much. And my brain doesn't hurt anymore! I've gotten used to listening and reading Spanish and also speaking a lot. I try to speak Spanish as much as I can. The rest of the district and I are always saying funny things in Spanish and using as many phrases as we can.
"Estoy cocinado"
This has probably been one of my favorite Spanish phrases to use haha. Estoy cocinado means "I'm cooked". We joke around with this phrase a lot when we are asked to do something in Spanish that we don't know how to do or are bad at doing haha. Another one of my favorite phrases to use is Ay Ay Ay. The elder's use this a lot when we say something wrong or something funny happens.
"Baloncesto"
We have been playing a lot of baloncesto (basketball) at the MTC. We play almost everyday and it is so fun. I have met a lot of new elder's and have played against some crazy good players including my companion Elder McUne. One of the days we played there were a lot of trash talkers and very prideful elder's playing basketball. My companion and I and another elder were able to humble them. Especially when my companion Elder McUne crossed up one of the elder's so badly he basically fell straight on his butt haha!
"Barbero"
This past week a couple of elder's and I set up our own barbershop. This isn't technically against the rules but highly discouraged due to so many people getting buzz cuts which the presidencies don't like. However we aren't giving anyone buzzes. We are just giving out the best haircuts ever at the MTC. I have cut 4 people's hair and I've gotta say I am a pro along with Elder Adamson and Elder Nixon. We've got a triple threat when it comes to hair. I am great with fades, Nixon is great with shaping people up and Adamson is a pro when cutting with scissors. But I may have to stop doing this because it isn't really fulfilling my missionary purpose. But it is a fun activity during exercise or some free time besides our study time and everything else haha!
"Hymnos"
Before coming to the MTC I would listen to a lot of rap and country. I liked the really upbeat music and chill music when hanging out with friends or driving in my truck. I didn't really like listening to hymns. But my time here at the MTC has changed my view on hymns. I have come to love them. Not only because it's pretty much the only music I can listen to but because of the peace and comfort they give me. I especially like when the whole MTC sings during devotionals. They are so powerful and have so many great messages. I feel the Spirit so much when singing them.
"Metas"
One thing we have been focusing on a lot during the MTC is making goals to help fulfill our missionary purpose. I have made a lot of goals to become stronger spiritually, mentally, physically, and socially. Elder McUne and I made a few goals yesterday to study/memorize 50 new words, memorize 1 phrase, Preach My Gospel topic and study conjugations. Making goals is super important and I have felt myself getting stronger.
"Bassett"
Elder Bassett of the Seventy came to speak with us last night. I really felt the Spirit and learned so much. The main theme was helping others come unto Christ and feeling the joy this Gospel brings. I am so excited that I have this opportunity to bless the lives of Houston. So many people in this world struggle and feel lonely. They feel like they aren't loved or that no one knows what they are going through. But as missionaries and representatives of Jesus Christ we are able to help others feel loved and feel peace through the power of the Holy Ghost and through God's love. I have come to recognize my purpose much more clearly. I know that as I diligently prepare then I will be able to touch the hearts of so many people. In our district review after the devotional I liked what Elder Smith (counselor in branch presidency) said. He said: "When you can't sleep, don't talk to the sheep. Talk to the Shepherd." I really liked this because it really emphasized the necessity of prayer and that when we can't sleep or are having a hard time with something then we need to talk to God.
"Spiritual thoughts"
This past week has been so awesome! The language is hard and my brain hurts from how much I am studying and learning but I know that it is for a very important cause. Some scriptures I really liked from this past week are: 1 Nephi 18:20-22, John 5, Psalms 23, 2 Nephi 31, Alma 9, 2 Nephi 4. These chapters and verses are so good!
"Invitation"
I would like to invite all of you to pray to Heavenly Father with a sincere heart and ask what you can do. Give Him thanks and gratitude and also ask for guidance and direction. As long as you put in the effort and give it your all then God will do the rest. Also ask how you can serve others in your family, at school, at work and anywhere! I can testify of this and know that it is true. I have prayed and read my scriptures a lot seeking answers to questions, guidance and direction for my studies and help with the language. I have found my answers and have felt so much more Christlike and felt much more in tune with the Spirit. I am also feeling much more comfortable with Spanish!
I love you all and hope you are doing great! Till next week! Hasta luego!
August 15, 2024
Sorry for sending this email a day late. My P-Day was super busy yesterday (my P-Day is every Wednesday)
The first week of the MTC has been awesome! I got to meet my district and companion in person and they are so cool! Everyone is so inclusive and passionate and funny. I don't think a single hour goes by where we aren't laughing with each other. The food is not as bad as some people say. I'd rate it a 7/10. There are a lot of options each week and I'd say my favorite thing is the Aloha Plate (basically Mo Bettahs) or the lasagna. It's also all you can eat which is nice! The classes are fun and I have learned so much. We have been learning a lot about how to teach people and getting more comfortable with invitations. We have also been learning a lot of Spanish. Today we started Immersion where everyone only speaks Spanish during class. It's a little hard but I'm getting the hang of it. I've been able to see all my Skyline buddies which is awesome! My good friend Elder Reyes took my bags and helped me to my room on the first day which was awesome!
"The first day"
The first day was pretty cool but also crazy. Everything happens kind of all at once. I got my phone and books, got settled and set everything up in my room and then went to a devotional. The devotional was awesome! We talked about the Character of Christ and looking unto God in every thought. I really liked this one part: They had a guest speaker come to the devotional. His name was Eddie. At six years old Eddie had started smoking. By the time he was 17 he had barely graduated high school and was a borderline alcoholic, heavy drug user and a drug dealer. He worked at a restaurant for about 5 years till he was 23. His daily schedule consisted of going to work, then partying and getting drunk or high on drugs and then sleeping in late and waking up with a bad hangover. This happened for 5 years!! CRAZY! One day Ed was awake in his apartment with a hangover. He heard a knock at the door and it was the missionaries! He accepted them in and listened to their lesson. They came back a couple of times and during one lesson they invited Ed to pray. He accepted. As he began to pray he was overcome with the Spirit. He described it as feeling super hot and not being able to breathe. One of the missionaries had to hit Ed in the chest to help him breathe again. After having this feeling he wanted to have more feelings like that but maybe a little less intense. This changed Ed's life forever. Another cool part of this story is about the missionaries. Ed had asked the missionaries how they found him. They said that they were in a "drought" and that they couldn't find anyone or nobody wanted to listen. They had been fasting and praying and decided to grab a map. They closed their eyes and pointed their fingers on a map. It happened to be Ed's house! I thought this was super powerful and cool and that God works in mysterious ways.
"The new guys walk"
On the first day we were on our way to the devotional I talked about above. All the elders were together. As we were walking, two elders from behind asked if we were new. We said yes and asked how they could tell. They said that "as vets at the MTC they can tell who is new" haha. I can now testify of this myself because I have seen a lot of elders with the "new guys walk" haha.
"The hand fan"
This section goes more in depth for the title of this email haha. While we were getting settled in our room on the first day we tried turning on the AC. Annnddddd it did not work... It hasn't worked since. So every morning and night we turn on my small hand fan so that we can cool down the room and not die from overheating. This hand fan has been a true blessing and is basically what's been getting us through the nights haha. Shoutout to my mom for making me take it.
"Bed Bugs"
Well from this section title you could probably guess what happened. Welp you guessed right! We got bed bugs haha! One of the guys in our room had bed bugs and had a ton of bites all over him. We actually saw one of the bugs too. Luckily no one else was affected. But we took the bed out and left it in the hallway with a note. So many people had weird looks while reading the paper haha! I also was peer pressured into pushing the emergency button and letting security know we had bed bugs. Luckily we didn't get in trouble for this and the bed bugs are gone haha.
"Priesthood Power"
This week we had to give my companion Elder McUne a blessing. He was feeling super sick and had to miss half a day. We gave him a priesthood blessing. The spirit that encircled the room was so powerful. The room was so peaceful and calm. I truly believe that the priesthood is powerful and we can use it for so many great things. We also have a blessing to Hermana Leftwich. She has been dealing with so many hard things and we gave her a blessing of comfort. I also really felt the Spirit and it was so cool!
"Bednar"
I had an awesome experience this week. We had a devotional and the speakers were Elder and Sister Bednar! Before the devotional we had to wait outside before being let in. It began to downpour and we all got soaked. The spirit was so powerful. At one point in the meeting Elder Bednar and I locked eyes. I was a little cold from being soaked by the rain but when this happened I immediately got hot. I almost got tunnel vision and could basically only see and hear him talk. I felt an overwhelming feeling of peace and stillness and of the Spirit. This was one of the coolest experiences I've ever had with the Spirit.
"Testimony"
Quiero compartir mi testimonio. Yo se que Jose Smith fue un profeta de Dios y que el Libro de Mormon es verdadero. Yo se que Dios ama a todos y cada una de nosotros y que tiene muchas cosas maravillosas reservadas para nosotros. Digo estas cosas en el nombre de Jesucristo. Amen.
Sorry for such a long email. There have been so many great things and I didn't even mention half of what I wanted to talk about. I'll add my email down below if anyone wants to email me. I'd love to hear from you guys! Love you all! Hasta la semana que viene!
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