September 19, 2011

September 19, 2011 


Dear Family,

I love you so much!  I'm so happy to hear from you again this week.  It sounds like everyone is doing so incredible.  It was just like a dream come to true to hear Hannah that happy and positive and hearing about how school is finally as great as it should be!  You all amaze me so much and I am so proud to call you my family.  I love being able to tell my companions about all of the wonderful things you say to me.  

As for Elder Garnica:  He is from Mesa, AZ and his first language is Spanish even though he learned English when he started Kindergarten...  His parents are from Mexico and they sound like great people.  He is really good at talking to people and everybody loves him.  It gets a little hard even sometimes because the Spanish people are always looking at him, even when I'm talking.  It's like they just assume I can't understand them.  Jaja whatever though it's great.  It just seems like Hispanics like to talk to other Hispanics.  He played football before coming out and worked at a restaurant called Pei Wei to make some money for his mission.  He was telling me about how most of the food at P.F. Chang's is the same as at Pei Wei because they're owned by the same company, but way more expensive, so maybe you should try it out sometime!  Sounds like a steal.  He drives the car and I make most of the phone calls.  We drive a 2011 or 12 Corolla.  It has 5000 miles on it.  Her name is Mimi and she's the same color as your car.  It's kind of ridiculous how new the cars still are when the church sells them.  Most everyone has a car that is no more than 2 years old.  We drive Malibus, Corollas, and Fusions.  They just assign a DD and he drives for the whole transfer, usually being the senior companion.

I remember some people talking about that Mormon.org thing that they did last year and I really do think it helped a ton.  Everyone knows the name "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" around here, which is incredible and I honestly think it's all just to our benefit both as members and missionaries to have people aware of the church.  If people just look a little bit into it and actually ask for themselves if it's true, they'll realize it is.  

This week was great, but not a whole lot is happening.  I don't know if it's because school just started, but it just seems like the work is slowing down a little bit, so keep praying that we can have great miracles and the strength to work twice as hard as before.

The mornings are starting to be COLD here.  It's around 60, but it feels like winter.  I'm getting to used to the heat or something!  It's just ridiculous!  I'll probably need my coat and a scarf in a few months.  I here it gets down into the 40s.  Ahhh!  I can't even imagine weather like that anymore...  It's ok though because the days are still HOT.

I have some different foods I have learned to make for you out here, so don't let me forget because you'll be sorely disappointed if you miss out on this.  I know I won't be able to make it for you for another two years almost, but you should be excited.  I think about how much you're going to love this sandwich every time I make it!  :)

The work is great and Florida's pretty much the same as it has been since the beginning of time climate and weather-wise.  I'm doing great and you don't have to worry about me because as always, I'm in the hands of the Lord!  The only thing I have to worry about it catching pneumonia from being in the baptismal font too long.  

I love you all and hope you have another splendid week!

Love,

Eric

September 12, 2011

September 12, 2011

Dear Mom,

I was just thinking about the same thing yesterday how unbelievable it is that attack happened so long ago!  I remember every single little part about that entire morning and having the situation explained to us by Mrs. Ferraro...  It's ridiculous how we were all so young, but every one of us will always remember that day.  

It's incredible how those little moments are so simple, and yet so defining in our lives.  Those little moments really are what make us who we are though...  Think about all of the time that we had to grow in the preexistence before coming here and how much time there is left in the eternity!  Think about the little tiny portion in the long run of everything that our life here is, and yet this moment in time is where we define who we will be for the rest of forever.  It's just crazy how the most important things that happen in life come and go just like that, but they leave huge marks on us and turn us into what we now are.  You know what I'm even saying?  Haha  I hope so...  

It was a great week, but it was also a real trial of our faith.  Our Mission President gave us a list of things to study and challenged us to be 100% willingly and strictly obedient.  There was a lot to do this week to train ourselves to be better and we were all faced with struggles to stay strictly obedient, but I know that in the end we all will receive the witness and the miracles after the trial of our faith.

Yesterday we had the chance to listen to a General Authority speak at a Zone Conference.  His name is Per G. Malm and he's in the 3rd Quorum of the Seventy.  It was so inspiring and he taught us so much and I just want to tell you about something interesting that I learned during the Conference...  So the Mission President here likes to focus on prayer a lot and he taught us something we can do called "Mighty Prayer." (D&C 5:24)  It is just like a regular prayer, but the difference is that in a mighty prayer we pray for the specific needs  and open-ness of individuals, such as in your situation Jon.  There is power in prayer, we all know that...  But think about how people become open to the message we have to give to them.  Think about how you might be the ONLY person in the whole world praying for those people.  We all take advantage of having families pray for us, and especially me as a missionary I know that I am prayed for, but imagine all of those children of God that He loves just as much that don't have anything to fall back on.  I just think that is a very interesting thing to ponder.  So I invite all of you to pray hard, out loud to all the people you want to open their hearts and receive blessings just as yourselves!

I was talking to the wife of the speaker yesterday about Sweden and Europe and where they were from and how they travel all the time and I thought about Ana and her parents, so I decided to ask if she knew them and she said "very well."  She said that they are good friends with the Teixeiras.  I thought that was pretty ridiculous!  And then I didn't know what else to talk about, so that was about it haha, but the whole Conference was wonderful.

The work slowed down just a little bit this week, but it is just as miraculous.  We just need to do a better job at going out and finding new people to teach, so we've been working with the members more often to try to find a few referrals.  Missionaries learn so much about every single concept of life if you think about it...  Everything you ever need to know about being successful in anything is in Preach My Gospel!  I am so blessed to have this opportunity and can't even imagine what the end result of all of this in my life and the lives of many others in the long run.  You're so right about it being the greatest service anyone can ever do.  There is nothing more humbling or gratifying!

The spanish word for cool is chevre and awesome is asombroso.  There are so many things we can't say, but in the end you just have to learn a little bit here and a little bit there to have dignified speech...  I think it's coming along!  I'm feeling very well.  I still wish I knew what it was exactly that I had and I wish that I could not have it anymore, but it's all just helping me to become stronger.  No problems! I'm doing wonderful as always.  We get fed a lot of food when we do get fed and we take the leftovers home a lot of the time, so food is not a problem.  We go out to eat every now and then, but just like the Missionary Handbook says, we limit the number of times we do that.  One day we will live in a perfect world where all we do is eat out.  Wouldn't that be wonderful?  I mean I love home-cooked things, but just imagine all you can eat everywhere in every restaurant for free.  I think it would be extraordinary.  I cook every now and then.  I came up with another delicious thing to make for you when I get home, but I don't make it that often anymore.  You'll just have to wait and see what it is.  In this area we eat a lot more with the members and they give us food so much more than the last area.  I'm not gaining weight, I think I'm actually losing weight or staying around the same for the most part which is kind of weird, but I'm fine with that.

We're supposed to exercise every morning for 30 minutes and I should probably do a better job at that.  I used to run sometimes in the mornings and I'll probably start doing that again.  I was going to take pictures of the apartment and send them to you today, but forgot.  I'll do it some other time.  I got everything you sent me and thank you so much for doing that!  You are a great mom!  Oh yeah, I played piano at the Zone Conference!  We sang "Hark All Ye Nations" and "Go Forth With Faith."  I mostly just sing in the car, but I hope to have the opportunity to sing some other time...  We'll see!

That's about it for this week.  The computer's going to kick me off in a few minutes.  I love you so very much and I am so happy for all of the support you all give to me.  I know that I couldn't do this if I was by myself!  

Love,

Eric

September 5, 2011

September 5, 2011

Dear Family,

This week we were told that we need to start using only dignified language as missionaries, so they gave us a couple of examples of the words that we can't use:  cool, guys, and even awesome.  So sorry, but I guess I won't be saying that anymore.  It was another MIRACULOUS week.  

There are just a few other rules that I forgot to tell you about in our mission that I think you'll like to hear about...  We have to have a part in our hair, we can't wear pink and purple ties, and that the mission ends where the sand begins.  There are so many different rules, especially with our mission president now from what I hear, but I know that they are all there for a reason.  It say in D&C 130:20-21 that obedience is the first law in heaven and when we receive a blessing, it is based upon our obedience to that law in which it is predicated, so how wonderful it is to be able to have the opportunity to receive so many more blessings!  Our goal for the end of the year as a mission is 900 baptisms and I know that as long as we are being 100% obedient we will always receive the blessings that the Lord promises us.  If we sustain the president, then we sustain the goal too.  

This week we had a Zone Conference, and since it was the first of the month, we we able to set up the zone goal for the month all together.  When the Zone Leaders started to teach, they were talking about a lot of things in regard to previous months and how many each Zone needs statistically, but in the end we ended up sharing our companionship goals and we added the numbers to see how many it would be if we all reached our goals.  The number was huge for our mission, but when we set the goal we all felt the power of the spirit testifying to us that we could make it.  Obviously after setting a big goal like that, Satan is going to try his hardest to get us to believe it can't happen, but I know that right now we're just in a trial of our faith before the goal is actually reached.  We are all praying hard and the miracles are already starting to happen.  I don't really know what the whole point of telling you about that was, but I just know that in situations like that where we know that something is coming from God and we choose to sustain it, we are sustaining God and covenanting to do all we can to help that thing magnify.  Whether it is a goal or an answer to prayer or even a leader being called to help out the ward, when we are sustaining something that comes from the spirit, we are sustaining God.  We must act upon those promptings that we feel if we expect anything to happen.  

I really love that concept of staying as far away from the edge as possible because that is exactly what we should always be doing.  There's a story in the miracle of forgiveness about 3 people applying for a job as a driver for a delivery company and the first two talk all about how close they can get without falling off, trying to impress the employer.  The third one just tells him that he'll try to stay as far away from the edge as possible, and we don't need to argue about which one should have gotten the job.  It really all comes down to not developing those horrible predatory patterns that come from singling off and dating exclusively.  When it comes down to it, you just never play footsie with the adversary.  If you flirt with temptation you are going to fall in love sooner or later, regardless of how strong you think you are.  The devil's done his work before, don't think he can't convince someone get on the slippery slope.

My Spanish is alright honestly.  I feel at times like it should be better, but I know that it will come.  I just can't compare myself to anybody and I should just be speaking it more often to be completely honest.  It's stressful, but I still know as always that this trial of my faith only exists to help me to grow.  A lot of times whenever i feel really down about something I just tell myself, "Wow, God must really be planning on something big."  Although I have my own personal troubles, I know that the reason I am afflicted is not to give me a reason to wallow in self-pity.  

I heard Hannah is going to sing Pie Jesu on Sunday!  That is so exciting and I know it will be wonderful.  I'm brought to tears every time that I hear that song.  If you can, you should record it and send it to me!  I would love to hear her sing or hear your voices.  If you can, you should just make a CD of Hannah singing or the family singing or something to send to me sometime soon or for my birthday or Christmas or whenever works best for you.  I can listen to CD's of pretty much any type, they just have to be spiritually uplifting...  

I love you all so much and I hope you have another spectacular week.  As always, I hope I didn't forget anything important to mention in this e-mail.  No one can fill in for you, Mom.

Love,
Eric

August 29,2011

Dear Family,

It was another awesome week.  I guess I'll just start off by explaining a few things.  I was told by my trainers that since Spanish areas in the mission are so enormous, I'll probably always have a car.  The only thing though is that we only have a limited amount of miles to go each month, so when we run out it's bike or foot.  So there might be a few times every now and then I might need a bike, but I'll just let you know if that day ever comes.  The Apartment that I live in now is like living in a castle with just two people.  It is way bigger than the last and way nicer.  It's just Elder Garnica and I here, which is weird considering it was five in the last shanty I lived in.  I don't think it's a sketchy neighborhood or anything either, so nothing to worry about getting robbed.  They put packages in these weird boxes and put the keys to the boxes in your mailbox, so it won't get stolen.  I'll send you some pictures when I take some pictures. 

So we didn't have a baptism this week, but we have the most golden investigators - the one that told us she wanted to join the church and already had a testimony of the book of Mormon even though she hasn't read it in particular.  We went over to talk to her about the Sabbath day because she hasn't been coming to church and she told us the reason she didn't come yesterday was because her son got put in jail on false charges and she was dealing with that.  She told us though that she talked to her boss and told him that she can't work on Sunday anymore because she wants to go to church every Sunday with her husband.  It's the best to be able to witness people's true and sincere desire to change.  We're going to give them a church tour this weekend and set a date in three weeks for them to be baptized.  It's really hard to wait that long, but our mission president is all about retention and the only way they are going to keep coming back is if they know 100% what they are getting into.  It's a little bit discouraging when people give up on the gospel just because it's hard, but all we can do is just keep trying to get them back.  

You're right about this month.  It really did fly by.  I can't believe I've almost been on my mission for four months.  That's a sixth of the whole thing!  Do you even realize how crazy that is?  It's just like one of the missionaries that left last transfer said:  "The missions a lot  like toilet paper...  The smaller it gets, the faster it goes."  haha

The situation that we're in is a little bit weird.  We're in an English ward, but we attend a Spanish group.  So they go on at the same time, but after church is over we go to sacrament meeting with the Spanish group.  I don't understand why they don't just make it a branch.  There's not a Branch President, but there's a group leader which is basically the same thing..  I don't know I'm just hoping that we can change it into a Branch or something!  As Spanish missionaries, we only have Spanish-speaking investigators, but a lot of people in this part of Jacksonville speak both English and Spanish.  We can teach them as long as they are able to understand someone giving a talk in Spanish.  So I do speak Spanish all the time, except when we're in meetings and with other missionaries.  

Haha I could just see you two out in the creek building a waterfall.  That's an hilarious picture :)  I'm sure that it's beautiful and I'm so happy that you're living your dream.  I can't wait to see pictures and I'm so happy that you sent me that package.  I hope I get it soon!  It sounds like Hannah really is going to end up having a great Senior year.  I love you all so much, of course and I'm so grateful for your words of encouragement and your desire to go out and help the ward with the work.  Have a great week!

Love,

Eric