Week 22 - Blessings all around us.

Luckily it only took 15 mins to load email today haha. woohoo!

 

What's goin on yo!

This past week was a needed one. We were able to teach quite a few lessons and were so close to reaching standards. DANGIT.

 

Last night, since Elder Allred's bike tire popped, we were out walking. We decided to head to April's house as she just brought up with her 7 year boyfriend. So glad we were guided to go over there when we did, because she has had many suicidal thoughts. She said she kept thinking of us missionaries and it was like a battle between that and doing something to kill herself. She black but speaks spanish and is such a cool person. She went on to tell us how she actually broke down and smoked some weed and some spice because she was so stressed....it's kind of weird to now think that when people tell us they only smoke weed, that we're grateful it's only weed haha. Anyways, she thanked us so much for what we've done and she just broke down in tears the whole time we were there. They are from 'the hood' and she's gone through some rough times, but we are grateful to do our best to try and help, just hope we can. They showed us their guns, and we disabled them and emptied the CO2, no danger there anymore. We'll be seeing her most days this week, hopefully we can find Orlando.

 

Mike and Christene's BD changed.. because of scout camp. BLEH. Dang scout camp haha. So now we're shooting for July 20th, can't wait! We're working hard, but man, those two are so ridiculously solid, cannot wait for their dad to baptize them. Wow.

This is the family we're working with, the two younger ones are 'Mike and Christene'. TOTAL studs and are so solid. Their story is truly remarkable. The parents are Matt and Carol, been able to see them get baptized, married, receive the preisthood, go do baptisms for the dead, and now preparing to get their kids together so one day they can be sealed.

Romans 8: 25-26

 

We went on an exchange from Saturday to Sunday, so I went with Elder Bouwhuis....small world, because he lives 10 mins from me back home and I knew his Sister. He's super chill and it was fun to be on that exchange...he went on and said "No wonder they call it Demnation! Deming suucks." hahaha so awesome. Deming destroys missionaries, it's ridiculous haha.

The craziest yard here. HAD to get a pic. haha

This past week was the 4th of July, although it was weird not being involved with the parade or anything like that, we were able to get a spot at the fairground (thanks to the Sisters) and set up a stand representing our church. It was awesome. PEOPLE were there. We went around and talked to so many people and had a lot of good conversations, but when anything related to religion comes up, it's a quick shut down often. They played loud music....it was so hard not to dance, HOLY CRAP. At the beginning we weren't getting as many contacts as we wished, during lunch I said a prayer to help us be led to those of the 'elect'. After we got back, a non-member came up and talked to us and asked if she wanted us to announce anything over the microphone....uhh YES. Blessings all around us. We'd ask people if they wanted a FREE movie about Christ....many people said they already 'knew' Christ. Well, we're glad you do. haha one of the signs we thought about putting up was "Why is your church wrong?" hahah that would have been good. :D

Our stand at the fairgrounds! So fun and we were there for like 7 hours or so.

....one of the main attractions of the Deming parade hahah. It was very short, and mostly cops/firetrucks.

 

A less active lady pulled a prank on us....she took us over and then had boots hanging out of a garbage can... I won't lie, I believed it at first because, cmon, we're in Deming. Of course it was a prank haha, we got a couple people hahah.

My family is Lake Powell....wtf.

..waiting outside.. very hot.

A member invited us over to have dinner with her less-active bro. He's awesome, and made burgers! He's had a wife pass away and has put it all on himself, we really feel bad for him. Apparently after, he broke down and cried after we shared a message. It truly sucks to see people going through rough times, man, you get attached to quite a few people after being there for so long. Everyone keeps joking around with how long I've been here haha.

 

Thanks again everyone for the support! Love you all, and man, we'll party it up in 2015. Woot!

 

Life is 10% what happens to you, and 90% what you make of it.

3Nephi12:6, 8-10

Helaman 7:29

 

Stay real.

 

GOD IS GREAT.

 

If you love me, you will send me air heads or war heads. :D

 

Happy Julio yo.

 

Nothing else I'd rather be doing.

 

-Elder Hales