¡Hola Fonzfam!
We aren't sure who flipped the switch, but we're loving it! Although the rainy season has started to set in, which I'm totally cool with, it's finally a nice break from the scorching summer heat that relentlessly beat upon us. Many trees are starting to turn yellow and red as the nights grow colder. With each day the sun stays out for a shorter and shorter amount of time, but it hasn't slowed the work down one bit. Not only are we finding way more families and individuals to teach, but so is our whole zone! With the little changes in the times that we're out finding, we have dramatically found way more people to teach. This is keeping us busy and hopefully going to help us bring more people into the waters of baptism.
Wednesday afternoon we were trying to contact a less active family who wasn't home but instead met their awesome neighbor, Dylan! He was on the phone with his back to us as we approached his house. As soon as the call ended, he turned and smiled as he saw us. He told us how he's been going through some rough stuff personally and with his family, and that he was just talking with his counselor about it on the phone before he turned around and saw us. He took it as an answer from God. He was very energetic about it and as we explained our purpose and how our message could help him and his family, he told us how his wife was already a member, just less active. His knowledge about the church was pretty impressive as he talked about the beginning of the church and some of the teachings of the gospel. We're going by tonight to teach him and his family more about how they can receive the eternal blessings of the gospel.
The next night we were out in one of the busier parks talking to people around in the area. One of them was Jason, a dad who was playing with his kids while his wife was on an evening run. He had never really talked with the missionaries before so he listened to us as we shared the BoM with him and we found out that he didn't really know who God was. He said that he was more spiritual than anything believing mostly in a higher power of some kind. He was so kind to us and said that we could totally come back and teach his family as well! Because of his family's busy schedule we weren't able to set anything up yet but we're hoping to be able to come over one of these evenings soon. Another cool thing about Jason was that when we asked if he knew anyone else that weould benefit from our message, he shared how he actually had a coworker who was going through a rough divorce. He said that he would reach out to him and see if he would be interested in meeting up with us as well. Just so you know people usually don't give us referrals like that, so go Jason!
We went on an exchange with one of the District Leaders in our zone who also are the Spanish Elders. I went into their area with the newer missionary named Elder Galvez who's waiting for his Visa for Ecuador. We had an awesome day talking to so many people and it felt so good to practice my Español to share the gospel. I haven't totally lost it yet;) In the last appointment of the day we visited Rosa and her family(Elder Montague and I were apart of her baptism back in April). I was so excited to see them and they were as well to see me. Little Dominic and Beyonce are the best as they sat and listened to our little message that we prepared. Rosa hasn't been to church in a few weeks because of some terrible pain in leg and foot. She's had multiple injections with little help to ease the pain. I asked her if she had ever gotten a priesthood blessing(in my broken spanish) and she said that she hadn't. We explained how such a blessing works and the importance of the consecrated oil. She said that she would like one, so Elder Galvez anointed the oil and I was able to seal it and give her a blessing in Spanish as the Spirit directed. I felt the words and phrases come to my mind by the Spirit and at the conclusion of the blessing, that Spirit filled the room. It was a nice visit and one that we're all going to remember. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to offer service through the priesthood as a one worthy to administer the same ordinances as Christ did.
It's been a good time in Tualatin and I'm loving my two companions. We haven't heard any news about Elder Wilkes Visa yet, but with time it'll be here. The work goes on and I'm so excited to be apart of it! I love you guys! Have a great week:)
Love,
Elder Fonnesbeck
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