Monday, April 21, 2014
Easter Week
April 21, 2014
Hello!
Glad everyone had a great Easter week! It was a good week to be a missionary. We had a very nice week. We showed the Because of Him video with all our dinner appointments, and encouraged everyone to share it. It was a very impressive video. It made me so thankful for my Savior every time I watched it. (Click link below to watch it now, only 2 minutes)
We got permission from president to rent a space out at the swap meet, which is like a local flee market, and we spent Saturday morning talking to people there. We had a booth with videos of Jesus playing, and we contacted a lot of people. Some members came as well, and spent the day with us. It actually got really crowded and we talked to a lot of people. Most of them lived in the sisters area. So they have a lot of follow up appointments this week! One guy actually came to church because of it, and he lives in our area. He said he enjoyed church, and agreed to meet with us on Wednesday. So we'll see how that goes.
We had an awesome Sacrament meeting this Easter. It was perfect! Our young men's president gave an awesome talk. He shared a story about his son. His son had saved up points at school that he got for being good. With these points you could buy stuff every Friday, like toys and stuff. So he saved up for a few weeks and decided to buy a toy for his cousin. His dad said he was way proud of him for thinking of others, but when his son gave his cousin the toy, the cousin didn't like it, and threw it to the side like it was nothing. He said that seeing that hurt him quite a bit. He compared it to our Father in Heaven giving His son for us, and then watching Him being treated like he was. I can't imagine how he felt. I thought it was a good analogy. But he ended on a happy, and hopeful note as he talked about the Easter story, and His first appearance to Mary. He told the youth, "If you don't know if Jesus Christ lives, you find out." And I thought about that. It really is the most important testimony to have, to know that Jesus lives. I'm going to focus more on that aspect when I teach the Restoration. Because He lives, we have living prophets. It's so wonderful.
So that's about all the news for the week. It was a good week. We are going to find some super elect people this week. I'm excited!
Love, Elder Higgins :)
Because of Him
April 14, 2014
I've been enjoying the Easter treats you sent this week. It wasn't until a few days ago when I discovered the booklet with all the pictures of Eli. It was buried! I really loved seeing all the pictures. I loved all the shirts that he was wearing. I'm tempted to send a uncle pride shirt home for him, with something about how great his uncle is written on it. I might need to jump on the wagon! Seeing all the pictures was definitely the highlight of the box though. Thanks!
So for the past 3 transfers I have had the privilege of having companions that like driving. Typically our driving coordinator wants one of the two companions to be the permanent driver, so my companions have always been the permanent drivers. So I haven't driven much at all in the past year if you count my time on bike. But Elder P-- doesn't have his license so I have had to step up and drive. And I'll tell you what, Cali Cruisin is a lot different that cruisin in Utah. People pull some wild moves. It's kind of great, actually. I've really enjoyed it!
We made a map during weekly planning and wrote down a lot of the people missionaries taught before, and put them in their general area, and have started trying to find people that way. We have found that a lot of people have moved, but usually we find someone else near by that we end up teaching. So it has been a success!
We've been teaching a super cool family. They have a whole ton of dirt bikes, and one day when we passed by the kids were out messing around with them. They invited us to go dirt biking sometime. I always hate when something like that happens because it sounds so fun, and pretty much every part of me wants to say, "Heck yeah! let's go!" But I always hear myself saying, "No, I wish we could but we can't." They had some Honda 100's that looked very similar to the one's we had.. It was very tempting....
The highlight of the week was our lesson with an investigator who was a referral from the sister missionaries, and we visited her yesterday for the 1st time. What made it so cool was having N-- our recent convert friend, with us. She followed us over to our investigators house. This is the 1st time she has agreed, despite many attempts, to come teach with us. We taught the lesson, and would have her read scriptures here and there. Other than that she stayed quite until the end when we invited the investigator to be baptized, she hesitantly nodded her head yes. Then we said, "N-- was just baptized. Hey N--, what was your experience being baptized." Hearing her testimony was awesome! I know it was the highlight of the lesson and she asked N-- questions and testified that her life had changed since she started going to church, and promised her that her life would change as well. It was great! One of the coolest experiences I've had on my mission so far. We have another appointment with her this Tuesday.
So that's about it! I hope you have seen the Because of Him video, and that you are flooding the Internet with #BecauseofHim this Easter week. Right about now I wish we had facebook privilege in our mission so I could witness this. Maybe you can participate on facebook for me. Hashtag this somewhere for me, I don't care where, but say:
"The perfect day will come"
#BecauseofHim
Post your own too! Thanks, and I love you! Tell the crew hey for me. Tell baby Eli thanks for making my day with the cute pictures!
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Earthquake
March 31, 2014
Oh and yeah I totally felt the Earthquake. We'll there's been a few. We felt the one that was centered in Aneheim, and was a 5.1. We were sitting in a meeting with our ward mission leader Friday night when it hit. The building just shook, and we were quiet for a moment. Then it shook again. We starting asking eachother what to do. "Do we get under something?" "No run outside!" "Ok yeah sounds good!" You know, stuff like that. But then it stopped.. It was definitely the biggest one I've felt in my life. So I thought it was pretty cool!
Monday, April 7, 2014
Transfers and Conference Weekend!
April 7, 2014
Hola hola!
Well, I'll just cut to the chase since it's transfer P-day and we don't have much time. The news is as follows: Elder Baltazar is heading over to Mennifee. He's going to spend the summer on bike. Haha! He hasn't experienced bike yet, and he's going just in time to be biking all summer. That will be sweet! I've already experienced that, so I've been telling him how great it is. How some days the sun is your worst fear. How teaching lessons is a whole new experience when you are sweaty. He's going to love it! I'll be staying here, and my dear friend Elder Prieto will be coming to be with me. He was in my ward in Moreno Valley for a while. He's awesome. Saying his name is really fun too. Prieto. Just keep saying it and it gets really fun to say. He was born in Peru, but has lived most his life in Northern California.
This week was awesome. I loved General Conference. I think my favorite talk this time around was Elder Bednar's. He talked about how trails make us stronger, and about the Atonement. "It was the load." I loved that! I liked them all. Elder Hollands was really good, and Elder Todd D. Christopherson as well. There seemed to be an overriding theme that said, "God's standards never change. We can't be like the world, and must stand firm." It's good to know that we have 15 special witness's of Christ that we can trust.
This week was packed with meetings. It seemed like we weren't teaching as much. Two highlights though one was a lesson where we invited our investigator to get married even though it might mess up here legalization process. We were reading in Enos, and somehow her need to get married came up, and we were able to challenge and testify. The spirit was there and her response was different than before. I think she might actually do it. Their son also got really excited when we were talking about his parents getting married. He said excitedly,"Yo Paso los flores" He pretty much volunteered himself to be the flower girl. It was super funny! We have plans to take the bishop over there on Thursday. I think this is the beginning of a miracle.
The other highlight was teaching another couple, we took a couple from our ward to visit them. She answered the door, and said she doesn't want anything to do with us....I just don't get what the source of all this anger is toward us.. Well, I know, but I just don't get how so many fall into these misconceptions so easily. Anyway, we somehow got in the door, and had a really good lesson with her. We invited her to take the lessons. She wasn't thrilled by any means, but accepted. I know that the lesson we had with her would not have been as good with out La Familia G--- It probably never would have happened if they weren't with us. The members bring our message to life, and it is much more easily accepted when they come out with us. So when you see the missionaries let them know when you would be free to go out with them!
I know Thomas S. Monson is a prophet, and I loved hearing from him this weekend.
Love, Elder Higgins
I've Found the Great and Spacious Building!
March 31, 2014
Howdy!
Well, We've been fighting with Satan this week. It's been pretty obvious that he is trying to keep some of our investigators out of this church. We are teaching 3 people/families that attend this church, It's a great and spacious building that sits up on a hill, it's impossible to miss, and if you didn't know it was a church you would think it was a factory. Anyway they are popping up everywhere in SoCal, and people are getting "saved" left and right. They fill minds with rubbish about The Church of Jesus Christ....
We've been having a hard time finding people that will progress. We have a lot of really good first lessons throughout the week, but we go to the appointment we set for the next day and can't catch them again. For instance we met a girl this week, and left her with a blessing. Everything went really smoothly, and she felt the spirit, and agreed to meet with us so she could be baptized, but didn't make the appointment the next day! We've had some conversations over the phone, but haven't been able to find her again..
That's the story this week.
BUT In other news:
M-- who got the priesthood last week, passed the sacrament this week. That was good to see.
We had a really good lesson in Gospel Principles about Jesus Christ and His atonement. It made Our investigator cry. We are going to really challenge her to put her faith in God, drop everything, and be baptized this week. We're hoping for a miracle.
This is the last week of the transfer. I have no idea what's going to happen. If I'll be leaving or staying. But it sure has been fun with my companion Baltz!!
I'm super excited for General Conference this week!
Thanks for your prayers, and for your wonderful testimony. I know this church is true, and the thought of living with you and the rest of the family with God is so sweet, and I'm willing to dedicate my life to make it happen. Tell the whole crew howdy, and that I love em'.
Love, Elder Higgins :)
I Taught A lot of People About Jesus
March 24, 2014
Hola!
So.. Let me think what I did this week. Well, I taught a lot of people about Jesus. We went on exchanges with the AP's. I stayed in our area, and the former basketball player from U of U, Elder W--came to stay with me for the day. So he was able to teach me a lot. We have been finding people a lot of people, but it seems really hard to keep meeting with them regularly. I guess we're just finding the really busy people. We did visit a recent convert yesterday, and her friend was over there with her. We taught her the Restoration, and she was astonished when we told her there was a man, Thomas S. Monson, on earth today that communicates with God - Like Moses status communicates with God!! I was super pumped to see her react that way. That's what I'm talking about! She asked us how we knew, and so we gave her a Book of Mormon. Then we read about Jesus's baptism in 2 Nephi 31, and quickly after reading it she pushed her preconceived Christian belief that baptism wasn't necessary aside, and agreed to be baptized, Way cool!
Other news: A recent convert got confirmed on Sunday.
M-- was ordained a deacon. His mom, who we are still visiting quite frequently, was there as he was ordained a deacon and was given the Priesthood, and there were tears in her eyes afterward. I know she has had so many spiritual witnesses that this church is true, but it's just so hard for her to make the commitment.....
I've been studying ACTS along with the Book of Mormon. I read about Peter and the rest of the Apostles getting arrested for preaching Jesus, and then rejoicing when they finally were released after being punished. Here, it's better if I just reference it:
Acts 5:40 And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
41 ¶And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.
42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.
They are such cool people!
Love, Elder Higgins :)
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