Nov 4, 2013

So this week was really good!!!!! So the ward I serve in wants to get 20 lessons with a member present a week. So the lessons could be with less-actives, new members, and investigators. So this week we only got 9 of those!!! But that is the most we have gotten yet and this next week we have 14 lessons set up and I have never had 14 lessons set up before week even started!!!! I definitely can see how much the missionary work is starting to pick up in the ward. But not only the ward but the whole mission. I read the letter the Assistants to the mission president sent out and they said a week ago our numbers were off the charts. We had 116 people on date for baptism, 149 new investigators in one week, 232 member present in one week and 6 baptisms!!!! That is insane!!!! One mission president challenged us to find one new investigator and put someone on date to be baptized. You can tell when a whole mission goes out with the same purpose, we start to see Heavenly Father's hand in the work.

 

So this week we saw a lot of less actives and taught lessons to them. I have been trying to get as many teaching opportunities as I can for Elder Dennis to teach the lessons because he needs as much practice as he can get to be a excellent teacher. So Im using the tactic that my trainer used on me. Knock on a door, hi we are the missionaries and saw your name on the church directory and wondering when we come over and meet your family. Also my companion is new and needs some practice on the lessons. It works every time!!! haha So one Wednesday we went and saw a less-active and he served a mission like 5 years ago and now is questioning stuff. So we went over and taught the first lesson and sort of got the sense that he never had that true conversion of the gospel. It was a little sad to see but as we taught the lesson. I started to see a little spark in his eyes like he knew it and that he wanted to come back to church. So at the end we invited him to read and pray and to also come to church and he came!!!! It was pretty exciting see him at church!!

 

So on Halloween we had to go in at 6 because of everything so started to go out for the day and I didn't have any back brakes. I tried to fix them and it didn't hold. So had to go tot the bike shop real quick. So we started to ride there and all of a sudden my front tire was flat. Thankfully it was a slow leak. So I pumped it back up and continued. We got there and he took it immediately and worked on it. he fixed the brakes and put liquid sealer in the front tire and the give missionaries discounts because we are in there all the time so it wasn't that expensive!!! But we went through our day and got to see Mike, the less-active the ran out and scared me last week. We were able to share a quick lesson with him and set another lesson with him this week. Then we went to the other missionaries house at 6 and stayed the night there because we had a breakfast in the morning. It was a lot of fun!!! 

 

So on Saturday we had a lesson with Jeff. We did service for him a few weeks ago and his friend wanted us to come back over. So Jeff is a messianic Jew. So basically he is a Christian Jew. So we came over did more service then had a mini lesson and his friend told us we had to share something from the bible. So we shared the story about Naaman the leper in 2 Kings 5 and it was good and our ward mission leader was there and afterwards Jeff's friend invited him to listen to the missionary discussions and he said yes. So we are going to start teach him this week!!! We are going to go to his church also sometime soon and he will come to ours hopefully soon too!!!

 

On Sunday we actually had a lot of people come to church. We invited as many people as we could and some people that I haven't seen come to church in the last 3 months actually came!!! it was awesome to see and I was able to set up more appointments.

 

So this week I have been studying a lot of random topics. I don't know why but it was awesome I was learning so much about Jesus Christ and his disciples. I love learning new things and to learn all that was amazing. I know that this church is the true church of Jesus Christ restored back to the earth again. I know that the Book of Mormon is a companion to the bible and helps us understand it better. I know my Savior and he know that he loves me and wants me to do my best. I love serving a mission. It is the hardest thing I have ever done but it is the happiest I have ever been!!!! I memorized my commission as a missionary this week!!!

 

"I am called of God.
My authority is above that of kings of the earth.
By revelation I have been selected as a personal representative of the Lord Jesus Christ.
He is my master and He has chosen me to represent Him--to stand in His place, to say and do what He Himself would say and do if He personally were ministering to the very people to whom He has sent me.
My voice is His voice, and my acts are His acts; my doctrine is His doctrine.
My Commission is to do what He wants done; To say what He wants said; to be a living modern witness in word and in deed of the divinity of his great and marvelous Latter-day work.
How great is my calling!"

 

-Bruce R. McConkie

 

Well that was our week and I loved it. I can't wait to see what happens this week with all of our lessons. I love and miss everyone a lot. Thank you for all the support.

 

Love,

Elder Escudero