It's Good News and I Love Sharing it with People!

October 14, 2013

Hola!  I'm glad everyone is keeping it up! Thanks for sending me my friends emails, and pictures.  Elder Alexander looks good in white! It looks like there are miracles happening all over the world. 

This week was pretty great! It went by really fast! We had a little mini multi-zone conference this week. It was good. We heard miracle experiences from the new missionaries, and from the missionaries going home we heard their outgoing testimony. I did the math and Elder Littlewood (his first companion) is home now, because their transfers (in new Redlands mission) happen two weeks earlier than ours. He's been home for a week. Pretty crazy! The months have flown by! Anyway, Multi-zones were pretty good. We learned about the new resource the church has come out with about how to manage stress. Pretty neat. But they also took some pictures so I'm sure you could find them on the mission blog. Or maybe you already have. I wouldn't be surprised. 

Had a baptism yesterday, it was a really simple, little ceremony. His wife, and kid came, and his sister, and then the bishop, the elders quorum leader, and us. His wife, a recent convert of one week, gave a talk about baptism. She got new scriptures after her baptism, so I think she was excited that she got to use them. She did gave a really good talk.

Oh, and speaking of talks, I had to give one in sacrament meeting yesterday. Hermana D, and I, were assigned to give talks. I talked very generally about the work and glory of God. Shared some scriptures about how they can receive revelation, and share their testimonies with others. I like in D&C 15, I think it is, when the Lord tells John Whitmer what he could do that would be of most value in his life right now, and that is to declare repentance. I know it is of great value, and it filled John's life with light and love, as well as the people that received him. We can do that by just extending simple invitations to people. It does mean we have to literally tell them to repent. Invite someone to a church activity, or give them a Book of Mormon, and share your testimony. 

That's kind of what I talked about. The spirit helped me a lot with Spanish up there. I'm super grateful for the gift of tongues. I know the message of the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is true. It's good news, and I love sharing it with people!

I love you, my dear family. :) Thanks for all you do!

Love Elder Higgins :)

                       Moreno Valley Zone from this past weeks multizone conference

I've learned that compassion is what produces true charity......

October 7, 2013

Hola!  So this week was pretty fantastic. Especially with the great messages that we heard from the prophets and apostles of our day! I really enjoyed a lot of them. I watched half of one session in Spanish with an investigator we are teaching.  He really enjoyed it. His kind of a hard guy to figure out though. He's got a unique personality. Anyway, I think my favorite talk this time around was.. Elder Dallin H. Oak's, and President Eyring's, but they were all so good. I also loved Elder Hollands, and Elder Bednars. They were all just really good, and eye opening. I like their inspired ways of viewing everything. It's a blessing to have heard from them. I know you guys enjoyed them as well.

 

Nothing too new this week. We found one new family this week. They were former investigators and we just went one day to see if they still lived there. They do, and they are a really cool family! The Dad is pretty intelligent, and asks good questions. He is a little hesitant to believe some things. For instance, he thought it hard to believe that Nephi was able to build a boat with their limited technology in those times. We reminded him that he believed the Bible, and similarly in Noah's ark. How in the world did Noah build that boat?? They are super cool though, and the Mom was super interested to know that she could receive an answer from the Holy Ghost. She is excited to Read, Ponder, and Pray. It will be fun working with them!

 

Besides that we are still working with a lot of the same people, trying to resolve problems and such. It's always the same, but always progression to be made. The story of my life this past year. It's actually really tiring. I am exhausted. It's also really fun and rewarding.

 

I learned that compassion is what produces true charity. It's what happens back stage. Putting ourselves in the shoes of others, and trying to understand them. It's much easier said then done. I'm trying to implement that in my life more. Jesus has so so much compassion for us. He understands us perfectly. It amazes me.

 

Well, that's about it for today. I know it's true. The Church of Jesus Christ is once again on the earth. It's pretty cool.

 

Love Elder Higgins

"I Can't Believe a Year has Already Flown By"

September 30, 2013

(I told Elder Higggins about taking a drive on the Alpine Loop to look at the fall leaves) He replied: I remember about a year ago we were doing the same thing. SOO CRAZY! I can't believe a year has already flown by. It's nuts.

Thanks for sending me updates on my friends. Elder Jessee's letters make me laugh. I'm glad he's doing good, except for all the pant incidents. 

This week's report is as follows: Our investigators were married as was planned. It was a super simple ceremony. It only lasted 15 minutes. I was thinking the whole time about how something so simple, can also be so profound, and mean so much. I compare it to baptism. It's a similiar story. Anyway, it was a precious lil' ceremony, and I'm glad she is finally married. She has been waiting a long time for this. She's got a cute little son I always play catch with him with his little football. He's got an arm, I think he'll be a quarter back someday. 

After the bishop starting talking with us, and we ended up talking for a good thirty minutes. He said we we are doing good, and encouraged us to keep it up, and he told us he called President Smart and told him he wants two more missionaries. So we might get 6 missionaries in the ward next transfer. Crazy! Yeah Bishop is super cool. His mom was actually in my branch in Murrieta, and she visited the ward a couple weeks ago. She is the cutest thing in the world! I've heard her conversion story over 5 times. It's the best! 

K's baptism was yesterday as well! It was cool. It's kind of a weird situation because she doesn't speak much spanish at all, but she lives with a family in our ward. So the baptism was in a weird spanglish baptism, and I ended up having to conduct. It was super fun! I'll send you some pictures. It was really good though because she has been waiting for this for a few years as well. Righteous desires rewarded. Gotta love it.

Another story really quick. Last sunday we got into a reasoning session (A nicer word for bash) with a guy on the street. We ended up talking about authority, and eventually told him to come to church. He told us he would, and we said we'd believe it when he came. And he did. It was pretty cool, but then after church we starting our reasoning session again. There members all around, and a few would stop and listen in. We had a pretty good little crowd at one point. At one point we got him backed into a corner, and asked him if he really thought he had the whole truth, and he said no, and then he said, "but either do you." looking at me. I met his eyes and said, "I have the truth." And we just looked into one another's eyes for a good moment. And then he looked away, and mumbled something, but I knew, that he knew, that I knew, that I had the truth, and he couldn't deny it after that.  It was a cool moment. He asked a few more questions, and then left with a Book of Mormon. We can't meet up with him because he is in the process of moving, and doesn't have a phone. So that's kind of lame, but it was cool he actually came.

So that was about it. We have a few others that came to church, and have set baptism dates for the end of the transfer. Hopefully everything goes good with them.

So that's about it! Love you guys! I love this work. Elder Richards last week said that we were the gatherers. I love that term. We're gathering the truth seekers, honest in heart, and the humble. Those are the people that listen. I will cherish my second year out here and will strive to do everything that Jesus Christ wants me to do. Thanks for everything!

Love Elder Higgins :)