Thursday, April 30, 2015
February 23rd--Tamales
Hello everyone!!
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I'll have to admit that it's really weird to be back here at the computer again...this week has really flown by! Time has just been slipping around here as we've bee working. Lots to be done, and there's never enough time to get it all!
This week has been really good! ...realizing, I dont think that I've ever said anything less then amazing or good!! So much is happening. The best part of it all is the fact that we still have so many things to be working on and get better, and we know that there are so many blessings directly coupled with that.
A really good way to place the week was getting our feet better planted and working with everything we need to personally be doing. Like I stated last week, we've been working to make sure that WE are the ones who are being prepared to teach all these amazing people.
The memorable spiritual moment this week: Tamales!
This week, I was able to fulfill one of my mission-long goals of learning how to make tamales...not too hard, really messy, and plenty fun. Although with all the work...I have a renewed respect and a desire to just get them from the tamale vendors outside of the Walmart.
We've been working with the Cruz family for a while, and have gotten so close to really finding what it is that can help them really get started on the path...starting with getting married. We mentioned that we wanted to learn from them how to make tamales (both are really well known bakers and cooks in Pasco), but we just never really found a time that matched up. But one of the nights that we passed by to visit, she was getting things ready to make everything. The thought questioning if it was a good use of time came into my mind, but it felt like something that we needed to do, and not just to be able to make some amazing tamales!!...although that was awesome in itself!!
After we got the hang of making them...wont tell you how long it took, but needless to say that we are now champion tamale makers...we had a lot of time to do some small talk. We were able to learn so much about them and more light in how we can help them better progress in the Gospel as a family.
I love the fact that it really dosent matter what we are doing, but that there are countless ways that we can talk about the Gospel, or for us, make amazing teaching situations to help them strengthen their resolve and give them the strength to act of the principles of the Gospel.
On a little different of a note.... Although we are pretty closed off as missionaries with everything happening in the world right now. I've really been feeling the need for all of us to be holding firmer and firmer in the Faith. There's been a really weird feeling in the fact the adversary can be felt in so many ways in today's world. My first though goes to the Bible, where it speaks of "their hearts shall fail them." But my thoughts and spirit grows stronger as I have looked to the doctrines of faith. There's a lecture that Joseph Smith gives that really called to me, that I was studying this morning. It's found in "Lectures on Faith 6:7"...sorry that I cant really quote it. But it really is something that I would love to leave you to look. But This is defiantly a time where we need to be having more faith. And I know that each of you know where we need to go to receive this added faith and love.
No doubt that we do live in harder times, but these are absolutely amazing times that we live in. We HAVE the restored Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. And with that, we have to ability to receive the faith necessary to overcome the trials we are given daily.
I love you all and pray for each of you. Have a great week and love every second.
Elder Glen Wright Washing Kennewick Mission
February 16th
Hola!!!! How is everyone!!
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I really dont know how to start up this email.... This week has been absolutely amazing!! So many miracles have been happening! So crazy!!! I know for a fact that the work is HASTENING!! And He says that, it means that we are running as fast as we can to keep up! ...and it dosent help that both of us were super sore from last P-day! (We spent most of the day on the basketball court!)
A million and one miracles happened this week, so I'll do my best to give some takeaways!
One of the coolest things that has been repeatably happening throughout the week has been being able to find and teach a lot more prepared people. There are SO many amazing people here, and never enough time to share with them what we bring. But we've been able to meet many new people, share with them the message for the Restored Gospel, and invite them to follow the example of our Lord and Savior through the ordinance of baptism.
There has been a lot of amazing things that we've been striving each day to improve, and many amazing things have come as a result. Not that the people are being better prepared to receive the Gospel, but that WE are now better prepared to help them to receive it.
....Alrighty...dont know if I've seen these before, Motorized mountain bikes...HOW COOL IS THAT??!! We got talking to man on the street, actually a less active member of the church, and he made a living of making from scratch these motors and assembling them onto bikes. That would be really cool to have as a missionary...although might not look too good.... A well.... Although, with the weather getting better, we might be able to get out our bikes and get around with an actual set of wheels!! Dont know how long I'll last here, but it's sounding pretty tempting.
If I havent made enough of a deal about the JustServe stuff here, I'll do it again to make the point!!
I LOVE JUSTSERVE!! I also love doing service!! There really is nothing as satisfactory as working to help others in any way that we can!
This week, and on average, we had (have) two days during the week to service. One of them that we did this week was with the Union Gospel Mission, where we sorted through a bunch of food and distributed it off to the community. Then the other was with the City of Pasco, where we landscaped at the fire station as well as the park right next to the Columbia River (lots of geese there...would of had a video of chasing/being chased, but I didnt get it on video...sorry).
One of the really cool things about JustServe, and missionary work in general is the amazing opportunity to get talking. We had a really cool conversation that started with Basketball, and ended with us giving him a Book of Mormon. I cant really describe how it changed, or the Spirit that was there, but it was a really amazing experience.
A few of many of the amazing things that happened this week. I love this work and have a very strong testimony that it is true! I love this Gospel and what it has done to change my life in every way. Following by faith is something that ALL of us can do in every moment of our lives, and we WILL receive so many blessings. As will, and hand in hand with that, acting with faith and living the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ WILL bring us ALL the blessings that our Father in Heaven has for us, in His time and way. I love it with all my heart and know it's true, and I'm so grateful for everyday that I have to share with with those I love, the amazing people of Pasco.
I love you all as well. I hope and pray for the best, and that each of you may find and have more of this joy that I have, let us press on with faith!!
Have a great week! ABRACITOS!!
Elder Glen Wright Washing Kennewick Mission
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
February 9th--transfers--again
Hello everyone!!
This has been a really cool week for us here in the WKM!! Things are moving forward in the amazing work of the Lord!
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This has been a really cool week for us here in the WKM!! Things are moving forward in the amazing work of the Lord!
This week's been a lot of fun to say the least!! Lots of really cool stuff happening everyday...now the only problem is being able to get it all out in a way that makes sense on paper (or email!)
We've been working really hard this week to end the transfer the best that we can. It's amazing to look back from the beginning and see the progression that we've made, and all the amazing things that we'll be focusing for the upcoming transfer.
In terms of transfers and calls, I'll be staying here with Elder Myers! I'm really glad that neither of us are going to be heading out...way too much fun, and so many amazing things are happening!!
The work of the Lord truly is one of the best places to be! So many amazing people here that have been prepared by the hand of the Lord to receive His Gospel. I had a really good personal study this morning in the scriptures on missionary work. It's mornings like this that just make me even more excited for the work I'm a part of.
One of the topics that came up in my mind was Charity. it's amazing to see just how focused the scriptures are in having us build this attribute. One of the Book of Mormon prophets invited and asked us to pray for it everyday, that we may be filled with this love, this charity. I've found some really amazing points to this, especially as a missionary! Just knowing that God is our Heavenly Father, starts us on a long journey of learning how we may be filled with this Charity. I've found that His love for me is so huge!! BUT, I've found that He loves everyone just as much as he loves me. And as a representative of Christ, what am I {AND YOU} doing to bring and show that love to everyone we meet, no matter how, why, what, or when.
Are we caught up being the "Other prodigal son?" (BTW, Elder Holland gives a talk on that, VERY good). I'll leave that thought very open for all of you to think of (Applying to the parable of the Prodigal son in the Bible).
I love Charity!! ...or I have charity for charity.....or something like that!! jaja!!
I love you all and hope that you can feel that wherever you are! I hope that everything works out for each of you, the goals that you are working on and everything that's happening in your life. Work hard and have a blast doing it! Especially if and when you're in the service of God!
TesQiero!
Elder Glen Wright Washing Kennewick Mission
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February 2nd
HELLO!!!!! How is everyone doing?!
Things here in the WKM are moving forward! I'm still here and loving the work!! It's the last week of the transfer, so we're really excited to see what we can do to finish the transfer off amazingly!!
Nothing too exciting this week in terms of crazy mission stories. ...well, might take that back...more of too many fun/funny/amazing mission stories that I'll have to save and share for a later date!! I love my mission! Really are one of the greatest ways to build ourselves!!
The work is really moving forward. We're just moving along with it and working to build ourselves and making the many changes to ourselves and our work. I've grown a strong testimony of change and how it...changes us. I could go on forever in all the amazing experiences that I've had with it so far, and some of them I have, but I KNOW that these results that we've been able to see whether it be by ourselves or through others is from on High!
I do wish to share an experience we were able to have. It was a rather humbling one as we took the time to look at it at the end of the day as a whole.
We had a really busy day a few days ago, planned with an appointment every or every other hour. ...super good!! Starting with our first appointment, we passed a man working in his car, we just passed by and tried by our appointment, who wasnt there. We spent the next couple hours having all our appointments drop, one by one. We decided to try by our first appointment again (being 3 hours later), and when we passed by, the same man was there working on his car, now even more torn apart. We said hello and commented on the car, but kept on walking along to try our appointment, who again wasnt there. We then returned out to the other appointments we had set for the later afternoon, and every one of them also dropped (werent there). We decided to go back (after another few hours) and try our first appointment. Passing by, we had a direct thought that there was a direct coordination with us denying starting a conversation with this man and why we havent been able to find too much success. We decided our main focus for this third time was to talk with him (also fearing the usual result of denying something three times!). Valentin was his name, and his family had talked to the missionaries before. We got talking for a good 20 minutes...a really good conversation.
It makes me so overjoyed to know that we can be placed in situations and places to help and extend our hands to everyone around us. And I'm especially grateful for the amazing help that our Father in Heaven gives us, and me, to be lead and realize the who and the how of sharing the Gospel. I'm very grateful for His persistence!!
Thank you so much for everything that all of you do!! I love you all! Keep being amazing!
I hope that your week is amazing and is full of great stories and valuable lessons!!
Abracitos!
Elder Glen Wright Washing Kennewick Mission
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