Happy Birthday Stephen - June 10th

I had a good birthday week. We taught lots of people and found some new investigators. On my birthday we taught a man named Hector in the morning. The lesson went very well. Later in the afternoon we went to sis. Martinez' home for dinner. It was a good day in the mission field, but it didn't feel much like a birthday, but it was a good day. I got your package that night so we put the hats on and took some pictures at our apartment.
We started teaching a Dominican girl that I think is really going to progress quickly. We've only met with her 2 times, we teach her on her front porch in Queens Village. Last time we read the Intro and 1 Nephi Chp. 1 with her. I asked her what it would mean to her if the Book of Mormon was true, and she said something to the effect that, It would mean that there really was a prophet and that this would be the only true church. For some people it's hard to get them to make that connection. So i was super excited when she said that. She is going to keep reading as far as she can until we see her on Friday. We'll probably stop by the McDonald's she works at and say hi, sometime before Friday. So i have high hopes for her.
We have some other investigators that are interested but are kinda busy. And they call and cancel appointments. We know that they are interested because they call and tell us instead of just not being home when we come over for our appointments. Elder Reyes and I have been working hard and I think we're going to see some success very soon. Bro. Stephen Allen, who is over all of the missions in the world, and he also headed the making of Preach My Gospel, came to visit our mission. He said that our mission was the most prepared place he had seen and he believes that we can baptize a lot more that we are. We just need to "Consecrate" ourselves as missionaries. I myself have been trying to be better and always talk to people wherever I go. It's easy just to walk passed people on the street and not say anything, but all i have to do is open my mouth and that person might be willing to except the Gospel and gain eternal life. I have discovered that me feeling kinda stupid for stopping someone and trying to talk to them really doesn't matter. Because if they listen it could change their life and the lives of their family, for eternity. It's not fun to be rejected, But its worth it when you find someone willing to listen.

I hit my 11 month mark tomorrow, that means i need to get to work before time runs out! Time just keeps on going even if we don't pay attention to it. I wish you all a wonderful week, and Dad, A Happy Fathers Day on Sunday!!! Your the best dad a boy could ask for. Have a great week!

Well we had a pretty good week. We didn't teach a million lessons but it was a good week. We met some cool people and had some good lessons with them. We are teaching a lot of people that haven't really had much of a religious experience in their lives. So we've been helping them understand who Heavenly Father is and that they can communicate with Him through sincere prayer.

The end of the Transfer is July 6. Next transfer I get to go to the temple for my 1 year mark. I'm excited for that. Elder Reyes and I are pretty sure that one of us is leaving. We will know for sure on Saturday. I hope I stay here. I really like the ward here in Little Neck.

I will probably take the Subway for the first time on my mission on our way to the Temple next transfer. It's kinda funny that I have been in New York for almost a year and still haven't taken a Bus or a Train! I will some day.

June 21st Little Neck

On Friday we had a good lesson with our investigator Roberto. He told us that he asked his boss(who is jewish) if he could have sundays off and he said yes! and he told us that he prayed about the book of mormon and felt peace in his heart. so we're excited for him. He told us he wants us to keep teaching him and he will come to church and that he eventually wants to be baptized. So that was great to hear.

We had a good Sabbath day yesterday and it sounds like you guys had a good father's day. Have a great week, and try to share the gospel, even though most people are members in Utah.

Coming up on the 1 year mark...

Over a year ago, Stephen lost his wallet somewhere on the property of his BYU roommate's home in Heber. They looked for hours for it. This spring his roommate's father found the wallet while working in a pasture. Stephen was so excited because it had a $50 PF Changs gift certificate in it and...there is a PF Changs near his apartment. He had us send it to him. You can see from the photos that he was excited about it!




There's not too much to report this week, but everything is going fine. I realized this week that in a little over a year I am going to have to take my name tag off, and i won't be able to wear it again. This is the only time i will ever have to walk the streets of New York preaching the gospel, so i can't waste a minute. I feel re-motivated to work hard and to always be looking for people to teach.

Memorial Day 2010

Elder Reyes and I saw a lot of success.Elder Reyes and I have been really working hard and we found some new investigators this week. And we taught the most lesson that we have ever taught together.

Thursday was an interesting day. We had an appointment with a old Potential investigator and we visited them in the late afternoon after weekly planning. It turned out that they were not interested at all. It was a puerto rican family that only spoke english, they had two teenage daughters that had their boyfriends over when we came. The fact that they only spoke english made it so everything fell on me. I could tell that they were not going to take anything seriously so i did my best to share a short simple, uplifting message. The mother sat down and listened a little, but they really didn't care. It was awful. They really didn't give a hoot about what we had to say and it was sad. after we left i felt terrible inside. I really didn't feel like doing anything. I felt like Lehi when the Jews mocked him, or something like that. It was no fun. But we kept working and ended up teaching 2 other lessons and setting up return appointments with 2 people that seem very prepared. I felt very happy at the end of the day and will always remember that day. I felt sooooo discouraged. but kept going and the Lord provided the miracle.

Wednesday was 98 degrees outside and we spent the morning looking up former investigators in Queens Village. we walk a lot and it was really hot. And after a while a man an woman from Guyana let us in. They were hindu but like all religion, we taught them the restoration and then she made us Curry and Rice. I was so grateful to get out of the sun and have a home cooked meal. it was really cool. I didn't even know that Guyana is in South America. They were very kind and we gave them a book of mormon and they plan on reading it. At least the Husband, but he just wants to read not have the english elders come and teach them.

Something kinda funny happened the other day. We talked to this guy who was having a BBQ in his backyard and his first name is ELDER. I almost started laughing when he said it, but luckily i was able to hold it in. At first he was excited to meet two people with his same name, but we crushed his hopes when we told him it was just a title that meant missionary. Elder Reyes and i think that his mother must have known some missionaries and decided to name her son Elder. Anyway we are teaching Elder, and who knows what will happen if he gets baptized.