This week has flown. I really only had 2 full days of proselyting,. The other days were packed. But it was a really good week. A lot of great things happened.
Thursday. Thanksgiving was amazing. Man. I can't even believe how good it was. Best meal on my mission. We had a lunch appointment at the relief society pres's home. To sum her up... southern, sarcastic, intimidating, funny, and SOUTHERN. Beautiful home. She was so funny. She kept picking on and messing with my companion... just teasing... it reminded me of back home... but southernized. It was hilarious. Elder P and I were laughing pretty good. The food was amazing. She made a sweet yam soufflé, tons of flavorful meat and stuffing, and lots and lots of dessert. So good. I stuffed myself. By the time our 5 o clock dinner appointment came around I could hardly eat.... but I did. And man! It was good too. I was so full. It was a good day - full of food, sports (we played soccer and bball in the morning), and I watched a sweet home video of a member of the bishopric alligator hunting/wrestling. Such a good day
R is doing well. He came to church yesterday and was interviewed. He will be baptized on Wednesday and I get to perform it. I’m really excited.
Friday and Saturday we had the training meeting. It was great. President and the assistants trained. The zone is just struggling on how to teach people and work effectively. But with a lot of role playing... the zone is doing better. A lot of the zone is baptizing in the next few weeks. I’m really pumped. We are on fire.
We had four people at church yesterday who are all scheduled to be baptized in the month of December. Also... I found the Tellos and they are on date to be baptized on the 18th. Elder W and I are working really hard and are being blessed for it.
Transfer calls are this weekend. I’m nervous. Everyone is saying I’m gone. I’ll be so bummed. I love this area. Charleston rocks. But I’ll go where He wants me to go.... :)
Love you guys,
Elder Stoneman
Monday, November 29, 2010
Monday, November 15, 2010
Los Amigos Ancianos
Dear Fam:
That’s great about Josh’s mission call! Tell him that most of the people I meet and teach are from Oaxaca... really really cool people... he might learn a dialect. Y cuando regresa hablaremos en espanol.... buena suerte primo. Te amo.
The baptism is set for this Wednesday... J is incredible. So he gets cooler and cooler every time I speak with him. His friend R wants to get baptized as well. They are the funniest guys - two old friends. They love us and love church. J passed his interview and everything is all set. Miracle.
Elder W and I are seeing some really great success. We have 4 people on baptismal date at the moment. We're getting along just fine. I am just learning to love him and serve him and be his friend.
Elder P is baptizing this week too. North Charleston is still a really tough ward - but we're working on it.
I feel like I’m growing a lot. There is just so much to learn and do. It's crazy. I’m excited and having fun. My testimony is growing too.... I am currently reading the Book of Mormon for the second time in Spanish... marking gospel and missionary terms. The BoM is great. I love the scriptures. I taught the gospel principles lesson in Spanish yesterday at church and the topic was the scriptures. I know that they are true and are the words of Christ. And that we will have happier lives and prepare for salvation by reading them daily.
There is a missionary testimony for ya.
I was running all over the place yesterday. Teaching and going to different ward buildings and fixing investigator problems. Stressful but I realized how much I love it. Yesterday was just a great day. I love missionary work.
I really love you guys,
Elder Stoneman
That’s great about Josh’s mission call! Tell him that most of the people I meet and teach are from Oaxaca... really really cool people... he might learn a dialect. Y cuando regresa hablaremos en espanol.... buena suerte primo. Te amo.
The baptism is set for this Wednesday... J is incredible. So he gets cooler and cooler every time I speak with him. His friend R wants to get baptized as well. They are the funniest guys - two old friends. They love us and love church. J passed his interview and everything is all set. Miracle.
Elder W and I are seeing some really great success. We have 4 people on baptismal date at the moment. We're getting along just fine. I am just learning to love him and serve him and be his friend.
Elder P is baptizing this week too. North Charleston is still a really tough ward - but we're working on it.
I feel like I’m growing a lot. There is just so much to learn and do. It's crazy. I’m excited and having fun. My testimony is growing too.... I am currently reading the Book of Mormon for the second time in Spanish... marking gospel and missionary terms. The BoM is great. I love the scriptures. I taught the gospel principles lesson in Spanish yesterday at church and the topic was the scriptures. I know that they are true and are the words of Christ. And that we will have happier lives and prepare for salvation by reading them daily.
There is a missionary testimony for ya.
I was running all over the place yesterday. Teaching and going to different ward buildings and fixing investigator problems. Stressful but I realized how much I love it. Yesterday was just a great day. I love missionary work.
I really love you guys,
Elder Stoneman
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
A Lot of Miracles
It has been an eventful and exciting week. A lot of miracles were seen.
First, J. We received a media referral last Monday for him. We spent all week trying to see him. We finally made contact with him. He is 72 years old. He previously investigated up in North Carolina. He studied the Book of Mormon and went to church regularly with the elders up there. While up there, J’s wife got really sick - so he went back to Mexico for a few years, losing contact with the missionaries. He had taken his Book with him though and had read the whole thing. When we taught him on Friday you could tell he already had a testimony of the Book of Mormon. He did not, however, have a testimony of Joseph Smith. Elder W and I taught him about JS. It was an amazing lesson. We asked him to kneel in prayer with us to ask God if JS was a prophet. J gave the most straight up sincerely asked prayer I have heard. What he basically asked was: “GOD!... IS THIS REALLY TRUE?” During his prayer we heard the change in him. He had received an answer and began to thank God for it. He committed to baptism with such excitement that I’d never before seen. He told us that when he goes back to Mexico he is going to tell everyone that JS is a prophet. He is so cool. We went over the next day and he had invited a friend to come and listen. I had actually taught his friend a while back and had given him a card - the same card that J searched for to find the missionaries. Way sweet story. He was so excited about church yesterday that he moved his baptismal date up 10 days. He will be baptized next Wednesday. He just knows so strongly that the church is true. It’s been 12 days total from the day we found him. Cool story that I thought I would share.
Anyway.... other than that things are great. Elder W and I are getting along. We are seeing a lot of other successes. A’s sister is investigating. It's great.
The weather is nuts. Suddenly it dropped like 30 degrees in a week. So I’m cold. Mom I will be buying some more stuff to keep me warm. Thanks for the money.
Well that's it for this week. Love you guys.
Elder Stoneman
First, J. We received a media referral last Monday for him. We spent all week trying to see him. We finally made contact with him. He is 72 years old. He previously investigated up in North Carolina. He studied the Book of Mormon and went to church regularly with the elders up there. While up there, J’s wife got really sick - so he went back to Mexico for a few years, losing contact with the missionaries. He had taken his Book with him though and had read the whole thing. When we taught him on Friday you could tell he already had a testimony of the Book of Mormon. He did not, however, have a testimony of Joseph Smith. Elder W and I taught him about JS. It was an amazing lesson. We asked him to kneel in prayer with us to ask God if JS was a prophet. J gave the most straight up sincerely asked prayer I have heard. What he basically asked was: “GOD!... IS THIS REALLY TRUE?” During his prayer we heard the change in him. He had received an answer and began to thank God for it. He committed to baptism with such excitement that I’d never before seen. He told us that when he goes back to Mexico he is going to tell everyone that JS is a prophet. He is so cool. We went over the next day and he had invited a friend to come and listen. I had actually taught his friend a while back and had given him a card - the same card that J searched for to find the missionaries. Way sweet story. He was so excited about church yesterday that he moved his baptismal date up 10 days. He will be baptized next Wednesday. He just knows so strongly that the church is true. It’s been 12 days total from the day we found him. Cool story that I thought I would share.
Anyway.... other than that things are great. Elder W and I are getting along. We are seeing a lot of other successes. A’s sister is investigating. It's great.
The weather is nuts. Suddenly it dropped like 30 degrees in a week. So I’m cold. Mom I will be buying some more stuff to keep me warm. Thanks for the money.
Well that's it for this week. Love you guys.
Elder Stoneman
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