Week 98 - The HEAT!

Look who arrived in the Reno Mission!!!
My homie from Tuscarora High School...Elder Noah Anderson

August 1, 2016

Hey everyone!

It sounds like across the country it was pretty hot last week, and it was no different here in Reno. But honestly we have kind of gotten used to it, we just throw on the sunscreen and take tons of water and hope for the best!

But as I always say, it seems the heat is proportional to the miracles! There has been no shortage of good things happening this week.

The Three Spanish-Speaking Musketeers!!
Elder Gonzalez, Elder Torres and me

So Elder Torres and I are now in a trio with Elder Gonzalez! He is fresh from the MTC and he comes from Dallas, Texas. His parents are from Mexico, and he has lots of family from Mexico, and so he considers himself Mexican. My two native companions and I have been ballin' out here in the Holy Deserts, and being in a trio is a total blast...until we all have to use the bathroom at once. But other than that it is really a lot of fun.

It has been fun to take Elder Gonzalez to all of our investigators and have them get to know each other. There is something so fun about seeing other people get excited about the gospel for the first time, and Elder Gonzalez has loved seeing our investigators make and keep commitments and progress!! 

With Hermana Puentes - a HILARIOUS member of the ward

The Coto family is doing well. We taught them a few times this past week and the daughters and the mother are still 100% on board for the 13th of August for baptism. The 15-year old shared with us her testimony about how she came to know that the church was true and it was really powerful. I love hearing converts talk about what they felt because that is really how one gains a testimony. She told us that she just felt so good at church and she wanted to have that feeling more and then when she went to girls’ camp she felt the spirit even more. She came back from girls’ camp a convert to the church. The whole family read a chapter of the Book of Mormon together this past week – which we were super pumped to hear. Having served for almost 2 years as a missionary, it is not very often that a family of investigators sits down and reads a chapter of the Book of Mormon together. We were ecstatic. The father is still moving forward for baptism and he still wants to do it with his family, but he has yet to receive a spiritual confirmation. He asks us tons of questions and 90% of them have to do with after baptism or the actual ordinance. Please keep them in your prayers…I know that Satan is working hard on them so that things fall apart before the 13th.

My boy HALIM
(President Castiblanco's son)

Last week I mentioned that the Coto Family brought their cousin, Jose, to church. Well, Jose came to church last week and LOVED it. He himself has been struggling to overcome some trials in his life, but on Saturday, in our lesson with the Coto Family, we had a super strong impression to invite him to be baptized on the 13th of August also, and he accepted. He said that the first night that we met him he just felt that we could help him and so he has kept coming back. Yesterday, he brought his 12-year old son to church for the first time, and he seemed to like it also. The gospel is spreading like wildfire in the Coto family.

Another miracle: Do you guys remember Jesus (pronounced “Hey-sus”) from a few weeks ago? He came to church and Presidente Castiblanco got up and spoke to him personally from the pulpit. He went incognito for a week and a half and we didn't hear much from him, but then yesterday morning he walked into church!! We were thrilled and we found out that he had been sent to Elko to work for the week, but was back and wanted to meet with us again. That was a fun surprise for us.

My boy Francisco is doing well. He is a total homie now. He stills works Sundays with the new job he got with Hermano Scott, but we have a lot of fun teaching him, and a few weeks ago he asked if we knew a mechanic who could come help him with his car. He has a car in the garage that doesn't work and he wanted to fix it and sell it. We asked in Elders Quorum if anyone could come help us, and Hermano Coto volunteered, so we had an investigator come and help an investigator this past week and we got to sit there and watch the fellowship happen! That was a neat experience.

Going to lunch with Elder Han and his
family at the end of his mission!

Because Hermano Coto is still waiting to receive an answer, I have been studying a lot about getting answers from the Holy Ghost. There are many examples in the scriptures of people who had to pray to receive a testimony. I really like the example that Nephi gives us. He had a desire to know if the prophecies of his father were true. I'm sure a part of him had to doubt because nobody wants to leave all of their gold, riches, friends and home just to go and walk in the desert because their dad said so. However, if that revelation was really from God, then Nephi understood that it was indeed worth it to leave everything behind and go live in a tent.

So, in 1 Nephi 2:16 he says, "And it came to pass that I, Nephi, being exceedingly young, nevertheless being large in stature, and also having great desires to know of the mysteries of God, wherefore, I did cry unto the Lord; and behold he did visit me, and did soften my heart that I did believe all the words which had been spoken by my father."  

Nephi received his answer from God. Once he received it, he was willing to act on it and so he didn't fight his father like his older brothers did. We all can do the same. Sometimes Heavenly Father asks us to do really hard things that at first glance don't make any sense. But when we pray and receive an answer from God through the Holy Ghost, then it makes perfect sense, and we are willing to do whatever it takes to follow that answer, even leave everything behind and go walk in the desert.

I love this Gospel. I know it is true. It brings families closer together and makes individuals stronger. I love to share it with others.

Have a great week. I love you all!!

Love,

Elder Todd

p.s. Shout-out to the Han family...on Wednesday after they picked up Elder Han from the mission office they took me and my two companions out to lunch. It was fun to see them and got me excited for BYU…(see photo uploaded).

Saying goodbye to Elder Han!! 

Saying hello to Elder Anderson!!

Week 97 - Preachin’ in the Sun!

The 6 Elders and Sisters in our district

July 25, 2016

Well it has been a sunny, blue-sky, HOT, week here in Nevada. But man is life good!

This week we had some really awesome lessons with the Coto family and a few other investigators. The Coto Family is doing well. They came to church for the third time in a row yesterday, and they even brought a cousin and their nephew! Their cousin is just in town for a week with his parents, but their nephew is named Jose and he is actually moving in with the Coto family for a month or so. Jose is a young guy YSA-aged, and he loved church!! He looked and acted like a regular member yesterday at church. It was awesome.

Hermana Coto (the mom) and the two daughters are 100% on board for baptism on August 13th. Hermano Coto told us Saturday night that he likes the idea of the church and is grateful for the way the Gospel has blessed his family even in these past few weeks, but he hasn't felt a spiritual confirmation that it is true.  We encouraged him to read the Book of Mormon and continue praying about it, because that is the key. 

Family Night with the Coto Family (on the right)
and the Martinez family!!

Last night after church we had a Family Night with the Coto family and another family in the branch that lives close by. It was a lot of fun! I uploaded a picture of the event. It is so cool to see families reaching out to other families to support one another. It is also crazy to see how many blessings come from living the gospel. It teaches us so many great and powerful principles – even beyond just what you might consider "church-related stuff". 

We were scheduled to have a lesson with Alicia and her family tomorrow with another family in the branch, but the member family got in a car wreck yesterday! So we aren't going to be able to teach them tomorrow night. However, a small miracle happened yesterday at church. Alicia's husband, Isidrio, came up to us afterwards and said, "We have a few questions and want to meet with you, can we come to church an hour early next Sunday and have a talk?" !!!! We were super pumped. So we will update you next week on how things go. They are certainly warming up to us…we talk together before and after church and they have two little girls who are really funny. They are a great family and will be solid members after they are baptized.

The lesson yesterday in Elders Quorum was about sacrifice and I really enjoyed it. We read the scripture Matt. 16:25,

"For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it."

The entire zone

On my mission I have seen so many examples of people who have sacrificed time, money, talents, and themselves for the Lord. One of the biggest blessings that I have received here in Reno is learning from the examples of the members. So many members are willing to sacrifice to help us out, whether it be to feed us, to help us out with rides, or to join us for lessons. I am SO grateful for all that the members do for us. I remember a few months ago a member, Brother Mathews, joined us for a few hours in the evening, and afterwards he mentioned that it was his anniversary!! We were shocked! I can think of many other times when members sacrificed their time and energy to come and help us out as the Lord's servants. I am so grateful for all of them.

I know that truly the Lord blesses us when we turn outwards and serve. Just as the scripture says, when we lose ourselves in the service of others we really find ourselves. I know that to be true. I hope that I can follow the example that so many members have shown me, and that I can continue to serve in whatever way possible.

I love being a missionary. It is not everyday that you get to wear the Savior's name on your chest. I am grateful for the opportunity that I have to put it on everyday.

This gospel is real.

I love you guys!

Love,

Elder Todd

Week 96 - Girls’ Camp = Miracles!

With my man, Elder Ash

July 18, 2016

Hey everyone!!

I say this every week, but the mission just keeps getting better and better. I have never had so much fun or been so happy in my life.

Our investigators are all doing great. This past week was crucial for many of them, and it seems that they all made steps forward. 

Fun activity with our zone

The Coto Family is doing awesome. Their 15-year old went to girls’ camp this past week with the stake and absolutely loved it. She told us that she didn't want to leave. She also came home and told us that she wanted all of the books we have so that she can study them and read them. The parents are kind of shocked because two weeks ago their daughter was an atheist and didn't want anything to do with any church. The parents attended church again yesterday and they liked it a lot. We are going over tonight to teach them. Last week's lesson in church was about temples and so when we went over to their house last week they had lots of questions about temples, and they loved the idea of being sealed together as a family. At one point in our lesson this past week Hermano Coto said, "This is what we have been looking for, not just any church but a real religion." Hermana Coto sobbed throughout church yesterday again. Please keep this family in your prayers that they can continue to progress! We love them a lot.

The Luciano family all came to church yesterday and are back on track after two weeks of sickness and stuff.  They now feel like part of the branch and are really well fellowshipped. The next step for them is the M word.......marriage!! They avoid the subject but with time I know it will happen. They brought one of their neighbors who is a 19-year-old boy to church again, named Johnny. This was his second time at church, and last night we had a lesson with him and set a baptismal date for August 13th. He is super solid and really likes church. He is a funny kid. 

Francisco is doing well. He is working two jobs right now and is super busy. His fiancé comes home in a week, and he wants to get baptized soon after that! We just have to get him a few Sundays free. He got his new job through a member of the branch, and the member said that he will have every other Sunday off in a few weeks, so we are hoping that turns out to be true. I love that man a lot. He is seriously considering moving to Provo where nothing is open on Sunday haha.

Alicia is doing well, we were able to set up a Family Night with them and a family in the branch for next Tuesday, so we are looking forward to that. 

Me and Elder Short

On Saturday, we had a branch Elders Quorum activity and played soccer. We went (but didn't play) and we had 6 investigators show up, including Hermano Coto and Johnny! Soccer is the big sport in Hispanic countries, and so everyone gets excited about some soccer. It was fun. 

Have you ever thought about how wonderful the principle of repentance is? So many people hear that word and they freak out; it has a negative connotation. However, repentance is one of the biggest blessings that we have in all of our lives. Jesus Christ has paid the necessary price for all of our wrongdoings and mistakes. Because of his sacrifice, we can be set free and feel free, too!  Repentance is the 2nd principle of the Gospel, and follows faith because if we don't have faith then we will never even have the desire to repent. However, when we do grow our faith, we understand the wonderful blessings that await us when we repent.

Christ wants us to use His Atonement, which is why he says, "Come unto me". Sincere repentance begins when we stop our wrong actions and feel sorry for doing them. We then confess them to our Heavenly Father through prayer, and when needed, also confess to a church leader. We then do all that we can to "un-do" our mistake and strive to never do it again. There are MANY examples in the scriptures of people who had a change of heart and repented and felt the joy and peace that comes. One of them comes from the Book of Alma, when Alma the younger is sharing his conversion story with his son. He says, "Yea, I say unto you, my son, that there could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains. Yea, and again I say unto you, my son, that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy." He felt both ends of the spectrum, the sorrow that comes from sinning, and the joy that comes after repentance. I know of the joy that comes from true repentance, and I invite everyone to seek for that joy each week as we take the sacrament. 

The Church is true. Christ stands at the head of it, and it is truly his church.

I love you guys!

Love,

Elder Todd

Golfing into a lake as an activity with our entire zone