Let's Go- Hola mi familia

Lunch with "the district" in Hood River

Hey Everyone! I don't know why it takes me so long to write out my letter to my president and read your emails but oh well! Good thing I send some great videos!

I'm having a great time and figuring out what truly matters and you know what my family-you guys mean everything to me!

I also love these people here! We had some real fun experiences this week! It's been so great to feel comfortable talking to everyone in whatever language! Good times!

Madsen I heard this week has been a tough one for you I'm sorry man! I love you Brother! Remember personal worth lies in how much we love others! Something I'm learning!

Dad thank you for your email! You sure seem like a busy man! keep up the good work! I love how you're talking about missions. Honestly I had no idea what I was getting myself into!

I'll be honest sometimes this is not fun! However, I'm learning to live! To find true happiness in Jesus Christ in the midst of troubles! It's incredible! I'm learning to pray! This Sunday I shared my testimony on Jesus Christ and I felt as if I had conquered. I never felt that way before.

I'll be honest almost everything before the mission never taught me these great things I'm learning now!

I'm going to send some other videos your way! You'll love them what a great week!

I hope you all have a fantastic fourth of July! We are going to have a BBQ and I'm going to play some Rugby!

Dear President,

Thank you for the great zone conference in Yakima! We thoroughly enjoyed it! Some of the action items we received are these...

1. One night every week we will get our ward missionaries together accompanied by as many High Priests, Elders, and youth as possible and go visit Less active families.
This has proven very effective in Yakima and my dad helped instill in me that the greatest way to draw someone closer to Jesus Christ is by helping them help someone else. We know as we do this the Ward will become more converted and we'll be able to bring our friends back to Church!

2. We are creating a youth service group.
first, we'll get all the youth class/quoruom presidents very excited
second, we'll get a great list of service projects set up(working with ward missionaries)
third, great fireside(invite all youth to invite friends)
fourth, buy t-shirts with name of club and mormon.org and get out in serve.

Our goal is to help the youth be able to invite their friends to something where they can feel the spirit as well get out and be seen

Area...
Rosi
She is so strong. She is seeing great opposition. X-husband still claims her as his wife. Her Co-workers mock her for leaving Catholic roots. Her mother is sick and though she has tremendous desires to get work off, she hasn't been able to. She asked her boss for Sundays off and he said he can't give her that till the end of the summer. We can tell she is just angry.
Diego
Continues to do great! He wanted to come to church and invited his 13 yr old uncle. They came with Rosi's sister but when they arrived late they went home.
This week we shared the importance of the Sacrament, temples, and we read 3 nephi 11 with her.
I love this family so much. Diego and his siblings feel like my cousins. Rosi is my friend and we really want her to receive peace but she just keeps getting hit by all this junk! The Ward mission leader's wife sister Davis speaks Spanish and we are having a family home at their home this evening.
Rosi is becoming more converted and she is beginning to feel the light of the restored Gospel through the lessons and prayer and the Book of Mormon. She has somehting bottled up in her that she just hasn't gotten out yet. Don't know what!

Will Harris
Will finally opened up and expressed he's frustrated because he wants to come to church but because he has to work he can't We discussed how the gospel brings blessings that come in many ways. He's opening up and this week we will see some progress with him

Maria

Greatest miracle out the week. We handed a card with our number on it and gave it to an elderly member in our ward and asked for her to give it to the hispanic woman, her friend, who takes care of her ill husband and cleans the house. We left and this last Monday we received a call from Maria asking for help to paint her house. On Wednesday, we had the whole youth over there with a non-baptized teenager as well as a very kind older less active man who helped cut some wood for the window framing! What an amazing experience the unbaptized girl's name is Jessica and she gained a lot of friends. The LA brother, Brother Pratt, made some friends! As well, Maria loved the attention and we will be teaching her today!

We have also seen some other great moments this week! We found a mom in her 50's that is going through a rough time and we are now teaching her and her 8 yr old son. Next, we have continued to teach a 10 yr old boy named Rider. He loves us coming over. His mom is hesitant but we are going to find him some friends from the ward! Also, we found a great man named Frank. Frank recently quit his job due to health issues and he has some great desires. I am very very excited to see where this goes!

Elder Najarian and I are doing super well! We are bummed that the Lord told you we can't do the 7.5mile 4th of July run into the parade, but we are having a booth in the park tomorrow sharing family history and the Family Proclamation to the World! We are very excited! Ever since I was in High School, I've felt that I've had to run and push myself physically to be good enough for my Dad and myself. I told Elder Najarian this the past week, and he made us walk. We are becoming more of one voice and it's incredible! Also, he has been struggling a little bit because we've worked so hard, and it seems like we're not getting anything. Over all, I feel like he is facing some burn out.

For me personally. I feel anxious when I wake up in the morning and when I eat. I have the fears that I won't get the direction I need during my studies to help my investigators. I feel if I don't run hard enough I won't be good enough for my Dad and if I eat too much or don't exercise hard enough I'll get fat or something and people won't like me. These things make me laugh when I write them but here they are.

It is my desire this week to really help Diego get to Church and get Rosi progressing/ feel free. I love these people and I want to save everyone. The ward, the people on the street. I just cannot bare that someone isn't feeling the joy of Christ. I have to feel it first too! I know as I read from my studies in Matthew 8 and 9 if I reach out and ask the Lord to heal me-help me he will according to my faith!