¡Hola Fonzfam!
Last Sunday after church we had a dinner social afterward at a branch presidency member's home. Everybody came and the food was amazing! My companion and I politely waited our turn until the very end, but that might've been the cause of my downfall. I say that because the family who went right before us was not feeling very good, the children were coughing and sneezing(and weren't doing a good job at facing away from the food we were about to eat!). I didn't pay much attention to it at the time, but looking back I know exactly why this last week has been full of a lot of tissues and restless nights. Nothing beats having a cold while you're trying to do the Lord's work. Luckily my companion Elder Silva has avoided getting sick, but only time will tell as I woke up with a relatively sore throat and a cough. Day & Nightquil have been my best friends;)
Besides feeling a little under the weather, this last week was actually full of countless good things and blessings. Brandon and his brother Ethan were able to come to church by the help of an awesome member family. They really enjoyed Primary and are still working towards their baptism on April 13th. We're having patience with everyone else we're teaching because we want them to come to church so badly. Our members want them to come to church and are willing to do anything to help out. We feel that all we can do is have faith that we're teaching the doctrine with the Spirit, extending the appropriate invitations, and promising the blessings that will change their lives.
How do you know there is a God? What evidences have you seen in your life? Well, we met this young Latino woman named Shamara this last week who grew up feeling forced into religion, resulting in a non-existent belief in God. But there must've been something there because after talking to her at her door for over a half hour, we promised her that if she prayed that night, asking God if He was real, that He would answer her. She said that she had the desire to know for sure and that was enough. We told her that we wanted to follow up with her to see what answer she got. So the following day we went over and asked her how it went. She shocked us because she not only prayed, but she said that she actually got a cool answer! She explained that she had a friend who was struggling with a drug and alcohol addiction and as part of her prayer she asked that if God was real, to help him overcome those things. Later that night, after midnight, she got a random text from that same friend saying that he wanted to quit and change. She couldn't believe it! She knew without a doubt that there really must be a God out there, and we confirmed with her that He really does love us too. She said she likes to read so we shared a copy of the LDM with Enos 1 marked as her homework before we come back this next week. Wow, what a cool experience for her and for us! God really answers our prayers!
Hermano Castillo is this returning less active member who we've been working with to help him become active enough to get his temple recommend renewed. He's a wonderful grandfather to his grandkids and is such a humble man. We thought it would be good to take him with us to a lesson with another grandfather we're teaching named Jose Ceja. Jose is actually one of more progressing and promising people right now. He's loved reading from the LDM and is all for getting baptized, but between some complicated Sunday scheduling he's not able to make it to church like he wants to. In hopes that maybe having a new friend would help, we brought Hermano Castillo to help, and what a great idea that was! Those two were a perfect match. They grew up in the same state in Mexico, they've had many similar life experiences, and (if Jose were to be baptized) they would be the first and only members of the Church in their families. The part of that lesson I loved the most was Hermano Castillo was bearing his testimony of how the Gospel of Jesus Christ has changed him into a better man. Elder Silva and I kept making eye contact, communicating that this is what Heavenly Father wanted for both of these men. There's going to be some thought needed to help out with Jose's logistics, but as we all know: if there's a will (the Father's will) then there's always a way.
This last week the MTC had us and all the Spanish missionaries, as you probably knew, take an online evaluation. That test did not go well for me haha. It was mostly listen and repeat where the phrases got longer and faster. I couldn't keep up and by the end was a little discouraged after I got only a 4.5 while my companion got a perfect 10. But later that day I experienced one thing that I had with me that I didn't have during the evaluation, and that was the Gift of Tongues. We were teaching an older lady named Aurora and her adult daughter Yolanda about the importance of reading the Book of Mormon regularly, since they've struggled with reading it at all. I knew we couldn't leave our lesson without bearing some sort of testimony, and so with the thoughts that came to mind I bore my testimony. It wasn't eligant. It wasn't flawless. But my conviction assisted my vocabulary and grammar, and I could see the Holy Ghost bear witness to them of the truth of which I spoke. They thanked me for my testimony and we left them with a specific chapter to read together. I can't wait to follow up Tuesday and see what they were able to discover.
There were so many other amazing things that happened this week that I would love to share, but time isn't letting me today. But I want you to know one more thing: just like Shamara, we can all receive our answers to our deepest questions. All we have to do is sincerely ask, and then listen. One thing I've devoloped over my mission is to have a little notebook and a pen ready at my bedside whenever I'm on my knees. Sometimes, not all the time, will specific things be brought to my mind that I then write down and reflect upon the following day and week. We are all entitled to personal revelation, and that revelation is just one evidence that God knows us, He looks out for us, and He wants to bless us in any way he can. This is my testimony of our Father in Heaven. I love you all. I miss you all. I can't wait to see you in 12 short weeks! Have a fantastic week!
Con Amor,
Elder Fonnesbeck
PS- Tuesday, April 2nd will be our Pday and Temple Day! So don't worry if you don't get any emails on Monday from anyone in the OPM;)
PPS- We got transfer news and Elder Silva and I will be staying together for at least another 6 weeks! Tonight we'll find out the specific changes in my district, the zone, and throughout the mission.
Last Sunday after church we had a dinner social afterward at a branch presidency member's home. Everybody came and the food was amazing! My companion and I politely waited our turn until the very end, but that might've been the cause of my downfall. I say that because the family who went right before us was not feeling very good, the children were coughing and sneezing(and weren't doing a good job at facing away from the food we were about to eat!). I didn't pay much attention to it at the time, but looking back I know exactly why this last week has been full of a lot of tissues and restless nights. Nothing beats having a cold while you're trying to do the Lord's work. Luckily my companion Elder Silva has avoided getting sick, but only time will tell as I woke up with a relatively sore throat and a cough. Day & Nightquil have been my best friends;)
Besides feeling a little under the weather, this last week was actually full of countless good things and blessings. Brandon and his brother Ethan were able to come to church by the help of an awesome member family. They really enjoyed Primary and are still working towards their baptism on April 13th. We're having patience with everyone else we're teaching because we want them to come to church so badly. Our members want them to come to church and are willing to do anything to help out. We feel that all we can do is have faith that we're teaching the doctrine with the Spirit, extending the appropriate invitations, and promising the blessings that will change their lives.
How do you know there is a God? What evidences have you seen in your life? Well, we met this young Latino woman named Shamara this last week who grew up feeling forced into religion, resulting in a non-existent belief in God. But there must've been something there because after talking to her at her door for over a half hour, we promised her that if she prayed that night, asking God if He was real, that He would answer her. She said that she had the desire to know for sure and that was enough. We told her that we wanted to follow up with her to see what answer she got. So the following day we went over and asked her how it went. She shocked us because she not only prayed, but she said that she actually got a cool answer! She explained that she had a friend who was struggling with a drug and alcohol addiction and as part of her prayer she asked that if God was real, to help him overcome those things. Later that night, after midnight, she got a random text from that same friend saying that he wanted to quit and change. She couldn't believe it! She knew without a doubt that there really must be a God out there, and we confirmed with her that He really does love us too. She said she likes to read so we shared a copy of the LDM with Enos 1 marked as her homework before we come back this next week. Wow, what a cool experience for her and for us! God really answers our prayers!
Hermano Castillo is this returning less active member who we've been working with to help him become active enough to get his temple recommend renewed. He's a wonderful grandfather to his grandkids and is such a humble man. We thought it would be good to take him with us to a lesson with another grandfather we're teaching named Jose Ceja. Jose is actually one of more progressing and promising people right now. He's loved reading from the LDM and is all for getting baptized, but between some complicated Sunday scheduling he's not able to make it to church like he wants to. In hopes that maybe having a new friend would help, we brought Hermano Castillo to help, and what a great idea that was! Those two were a perfect match. They grew up in the same state in Mexico, they've had many similar life experiences, and (if Jose were to be baptized) they would be the first and only members of the Church in their families. The part of that lesson I loved the most was Hermano Castillo was bearing his testimony of how the Gospel of Jesus Christ has changed him into a better man. Elder Silva and I kept making eye contact, communicating that this is what Heavenly Father wanted for both of these men. There's going to be some thought needed to help out with Jose's logistics, but as we all know: if there's a will (the Father's will) then there's always a way.
This last week the MTC had us and all the Spanish missionaries, as you probably knew, take an online evaluation. That test did not go well for me haha. It was mostly listen and repeat where the phrases got longer and faster. I couldn't keep up and by the end was a little discouraged after I got only a 4.5 while my companion got a perfect 10. But later that day I experienced one thing that I had with me that I didn't have during the evaluation, and that was the Gift of Tongues. We were teaching an older lady named Aurora and her adult daughter Yolanda about the importance of reading the Book of Mormon regularly, since they've struggled with reading it at all. I knew we couldn't leave our lesson without bearing some sort of testimony, and so with the thoughts that came to mind I bore my testimony. It wasn't eligant. It wasn't flawless. But my conviction assisted my vocabulary and grammar, and I could see the Holy Ghost bear witness to them of the truth of which I spoke. They thanked me for my testimony and we left them with a specific chapter to read together. I can't wait to follow up Tuesday and see what they were able to discover.
There were so many other amazing things that happened this week that I would love to share, but time isn't letting me today. But I want you to know one more thing: just like Shamara, we can all receive our answers to our deepest questions. All we have to do is sincerely ask, and then listen. One thing I've devoloped over my mission is to have a little notebook and a pen ready at my bedside whenever I'm on my knees. Sometimes, not all the time, will specific things be brought to my mind that I then write down and reflect upon the following day and week. We are all entitled to personal revelation, and that revelation is just one evidence that God knows us, He looks out for us, and He wants to bless us in any way he can. This is my testimony of our Father in Heaven. I love you all. I miss you all. I can't wait to see you in 12 short weeks! Have a fantastic week!
Con Amor,
Elder Fonnesbeck
PS- Tuesday, April 2nd will be our Pday and Temple Day! So don't worry if you don't get any emails on Monday from anyone in the OPM;)
PPS- We got transfer news and Elder Silva and I will be staying together for at least another 6 weeks! Tonight we'll find out the specific changes in my district, the zone, and throughout the mission.
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Take a look at this TENTACLE! Someone we're teaching was nice enough to make us dinner to take home, and it actually wasn't too bad!
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You know it's springtime when all the trees explode with colors in only a few days!
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Our zone went ice skating this last pday, and little did they know that I grew up with an ice rink in my backyard;)
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