2014

HELLO,

Feliz Navidad and Happy New Year!!!

SOOOOOOO GOOD to see smiling faces of family. Love you guys :)

2014 was too good for me. I decided this week that it was the greatest year of the 18 I already have! I received the Melchizedek priesthood, graduated from high school, got into college, received my mission call, received my endowment, , and now I'm here in the misión. I can't think of one more thing that could have made it better. I'm extremely grateful for all I have, and for the life God gave me. Without the Atonement of Christ I'd still be sitting at home wasting my life! One of the many things that I have learned down here in Mexico is that there is no better way to live than giving service! I thank God everyday for the impact my misión has had on me!

This week wasn't super eventful! Everyone is on vacations, so the odds of finding anyone at home is 0 to 100! Wooooooooooo! I didn't ever think I'd see sooo many drunk people in the street either. Usually the drunk people are nicer than the sober people. Silly lamanites are sooo confused on what happiness is. But through the craziness in the streets we still managed to find some new people! I'm hoping for a Little more success this week  :)

I hope your 2014 was as good as mine and you have as many new years resolutions as I have!! Bring it on 2015! I'm excited for this year! My only full year in the misión!!!!!

Elder Minnick


Skyping with Elder Minnick on Christmas Day!!  

Weston and his comp!

District

Merry Christmas!

Home Alone 2 on P-Day at the Church

Frozen 

District Meeting

Sunday Miracles!

Happy CHRISTmás Week!

I'm a happy boy today. Bought myself a cowboy hat and belt buckle for Christmas...Dad would be proud.  Super excited to see and talk to my FAMILY this week. I'll be a little anxious until Christmas is over.  Can't wait to see your smiling faces!  Family really is the best gift of Christmas!

Let's remember our Savior this week!  I'm blessed to have the opportunity to testify that He lives everyday! I know without a doubt in my mind that he was born into the humblest of beginnings, and that he lived a perfect life even though Satan tempted him daily.  He taught big things plainly and simply not only with words but by His example! He suffered, bled from every pore, was beaten, humiliated, and murdered so that we can feel peace in the midst of adversity and feel clean after we sin! He died, but more importantly, He lived again! He lives, and we will live again too. I testify that we can only reach our divine goal of eternal families through Him! Don't let this sacrifice go in vain this Christmas!  Serve one another as He would serve! Give to those in need, comfort those in need of comfort. I don't believe the Savior would spend Christmas in his home, He would spend it with the needy! EL es la Dádiva. Feliz Navidad!

This past Sunday we had a miracle! We promised our investigator, Maria Jesus, that if she made the promise with God to go to church every Sunday possible that she would conquer any sickness...So this Tuesday we were happy to hear that her minor heart problem went away, and then she gave us all her coffee :) She'll be baptized the 10th of January! I know God hears and answers our prayers, and that He ALWAYS keeps His promises!

Smile lots cause your a child of God!

Elder Minnick

Casi Navidad!

Fam,

Bienvenidos a Utah Hermana Minnick! Estoy bien feliz por que ahora yo soy el hijo favorito! La recibí su carta que me enviste en Agosto..... Me encanta tu cita de Elder Holland...jajajajajajaja no manches te amo mucho y no seas una flojerita por fa. 

No changes this week!!! WOOOOOOOO I'm here with my son Elder Perez for one more change!  Pray for my safety! 

Had some more baptisms this week too. Gali and Diego!  They were GOLDEN!  Both of them shared their testimonies yesterday because we had fast and testimony meeting a week late! A couple of our other converts bore testimony too... best sacrament meeting of my life.

We had our Christmas activity this week! Super fun...lots of food, presents and Santa.   Presidente came and we watched a ton of videos and had a training!  Christmas is in 10 days!!!!!!!  We got the details on skype!  We only get a hour because of disobedience last time, but I'll let ya know what time next Monday! I'm skyping from one of my convert's homes so Whit can talk to him! 

Spent all day cleaning my house and then we went to Disneyland (Costco) so I'm tired! See ya next week!!!!!! :)

Elder Minnick

Tam NOTES and PICS:

We received a package from ELDER MINNICK -- WOOT WOOT!  He put some handwritten letters in the package.  Here are some excerpts!!  

He added a list of things he was grateful for -- made it to #221  then wrote:  "This was supposed to be 2,000 things I am grateful for, but I ain't got time for that!!"  Missions are BUSY!  The list was darling!!!

Letter to Whit:

"Welcome home SISTER!!  Look...I know at home it is a whole lot easier to get all lazy and stuff but don't do that! I'm hoping your learned a thing or two, or three, or a billion things on your mission but that doesn't mean diddly squat unless you put it into action everyday.  Since I am the only full-time missionary in the family now, I'm officially the only favorite kid.  Don't forget that!"

"No more hanging out with the ladies Whit... you're on a man hunt. Find some guy who makes you better.  And...if you get married before I get home..... I'll give you $10,000.  I don't wanna be around when mom is planning a wedding!"   

Letter to Tami:

"Everything is going good here! My area smells bad, can be sketchy, dirt cheap, and I hate the bugs, but I still LOVE the place!  My area is not the safest place.  This is the only area in the whole mission that is yet to have sisters.  Don't think there ever will be.  My house is cool.  No matter how long you spend cleaning -- its still dirty.  We have a tank of gas so that means hot water and hot food!  YEAH for pancakes, hot dogs, eggs, noodles, and rice!  That's about all I eat!  We have a fridge too, I count myself lucky!!"

Letter to Jay: 

"We baptize every two weeks.  My personal goal is to baptize every week.  My ward is small...only about 75 active members.  Little priesthood too.  I speak at least two times a month and help with the sacrament every week.  Before investigators can be baptized they have to attend church 5 times!  Hardest part of my mission right there!"

Letter to Zane:

"I miss you bud!  Make sure you are getting good grades and actually paying attention in school!  Don't be a dummy!  You better be reading your B of M too!  It's more important than puppies, volleyball, and TV!  I promise if you read your B of M everyday, God will give you a lot of cool blessings!"

Letter to Family:  "Merry Merry Christmas!  I hope you have all shared the 'He is the Gift' on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and all that Jazz.  Remember the ultimate gift our Savior gave to us!!  His Life! I finished reading Jesus the Christ this week.  I share testimony that he lived, he taught, he worked countless miracles, overcame temptation, suffered unimaginable pain, he died, and most importantly he lived again.  I know he is the Son of the Living God.  I know that he is the only way that we can gain eternal life and receive forgiveness from our faults and sins!  Because of HIM I will live again.  Repent daily!"

  

I'm taking them home with me!

Elder Baldwin and Elder Minnick 

My ZL, Elder Romero, went home this week!

Gail and Diego

Weston: "I promise he loves me!"

(From Tam:  What are they eating at the Christmas Party???)  

The assistants!

America!

My messy life!

ONE pic from Tami:

ELDER MANNING is HOME!!  This is Weston's trainer!  I love this dear Elder!  So does Elder Minnick!  He got off the plane on Dec 17th in SL and came straight to our home to deliver a note to our family from Weston!!  How cool is that?!?!  I hope we can get together soon and talk about everything Weston wouldn't tell us!! Welcome home ELDER MANNING! 

Turkey Week!

I could probably list a billion things I am grateful for and 75% of those things I have received because of my mission. I only have an hour, so I'll just make the list quick:

1. Family

2. The Restoration of the Gospel

3. The Atonement

4. Temples

5. Mexicans

Saturday this week was nuts. We were supposed to baptize Lucy, but when their family was walking to the church building, Lucy's little sister Martita, who has bones of crystal, fell out of the stroller and broke an arm and a leg. She's five years old and is tiny but is one of the happiest people I have ever met.  I was filling the font while the other Elders in our ward were walking with them.  Elder Preece called me so we took a cab to their house.  I could write a whole other letter just on priesthood blessings and Martita because we've seen miracles with her before, but we gave her a blessing and I went with my Ward Mission Leader to some sketch pharmacy to buy her some medicine. It was rough because poor Martita was in a ton of pain,  Lucy was bummed because she's been waiting for months for this day. She left her boyfriend and pretty much all she had -- to be baptized. But all is well now, and she will be baptized this week!

My comp finally opened up to me!!!! If I'm grateful for one thing this week -- it's that my comp and I are tight!!!  He turns 19 on the 11th de December.... Should be a good day back at home too!  Give Whittles a big hug for me and don't have too much fun in Hawaii  :)   Can't wait to see and talk to you guys on the 25th!

Love, 

Elder Minnick

P.S.  

Turkey day... ate at Costco because the members we were supposed to eat with weren't home.... MOM SO MUCH BETTER THAN YOUR THANKSGIVING!  :/

Painting a house!

My comp and his sick new jacket I bought him! (Thanks Dad!)

Catacombs under the Expiatorio

He's a fatty!!

BE grateful for something simple this week!

Hola!!!

 

Busy busy busy busy week for me down on the brighter side of the border.  Elder Perez is finally starting to open up to me a little more... One day he will be my best friend, whether he likes it or not. :)

 

We had Presidente De Hoyos come to the mission this past week.  It was super inspiring. If I could show you my notes I would, but they are in Spanglish and I cant even read my own handwriting.  It will take a prophet to translate -- somehow I'll figure it out.

 

Baptism this week!  His name is Tadeo. He's the man. His whole family is less active but he decided to come to church by himself. He's only 10 and we took him to a lesson with us. He said a prayer to help one of our other investigadores receive the same answer he had. It touched our other investigator so much that he asked if he could be baptized sooner. He's proof that every member can be a missionary, no matter the age!

 

If I have learned two things on my mission it would be 1) really live in the moment and 2) simple things are the source of our happiness. One of my favorite things about my mission is that I don't have to worry about my future, I can just focus on God's work.  I'm happier than I've ever been in my whole life because I can focus on the small and simple things that God has blessed me with. At home its sooo easy to forget that we have so much, and we still aren't satisfied.  I'm grateful for my family, the temple, the covenants I've made with God, and for the knowledge that I have about God's plan!  BE grateful for something simple this week!

 

Happy Turkey Day!

 

Elder Minnick :)

Tadeo

GLOBOS

First off.... had a killer P Day today. Woke up at 3 in the morning to go see the Leon International Hot Air Balloon Festival. Not gunna say much about it cause I got sweet pics. And I'm coming back to see it again in a couple years with my hot wife.

 

Man I'd be lying to you if I didn't tell ya this was one of thee hardest and most humbling weeks in the good ol misión. But it was hands down one of the best too... In the end I'm super happy, and that's important right?

 

My compañerito Elder Perez is pretty awesome.  I've yet to find a single thing we have in common besides the góspel. He hasn't exactly opened up to me yet... but one day he will tell me all his secrets. He's got a super powerful testimony.  He is from Tabasco Mexico... He was one of 2 priesthood holders in his branch. All of his family is Jehova Witness, and they weren't to happy about him serving a misión.  I have a lot of respect for the kid.

 

Like I said, this week was hard but awesome.  It was hard because between my comp and I we have 0 time in the misión, we have a big old sketch área that I'm still learning, and last week ALL of our fechas for the rest of this month fell through. 

 

But the cool part was that we had a ton of lessons with members, and even though we didn't quite make the cut for baptisms this month, God blessed us with 3 anyway. First, an investigator who progressed a ton this week -- his name is Arael!  We will baptize him the 29th. Another is a little girl named Leslie... her fam is inactivo but her parents want to come back, and what better way to come back than with a baptism!  Also this week is our miracle investigator --his name is Tadeo. He just moved into the ward, his parents are menos activo but are reactivating, and he wants to get baptized. He reminds me of Zane :)  We are baptizing him this Saturday! :)

 

Got your package mommy :) thanks for the TRX and shirts! The Border homies stole my peanut butter. I ain't happy. The ZL's told me I got some letters and I get those tomorrow!

 

Peace and Love and read the BoM please!

 

Elder Minnick

Some of the Zone and the President

Elder Romero my zone leader! 

Tangled lantern thingy's

My homies!

My compañerito Elder Perez!

This is Leslie.....she drew a pic of me!

My gorgeous area.... it gets worse!

CAMBIOS

Hola!!!

This is gunna be a short one.... I really wish I had a ton of time to write today but schedules super off with changes this week!! 

Monday:  Found a whole new family!!  Baptisms coming soon!

Tuesday:  Found another guy! HE was super stoked and accepted a fecha but we tried to return a couple times and he's super hard to find...And we were bummed when he didn't come to church this week.

Wednesday:  Not a single one of our lessons went through....one of those long days!

Thursday:  Had a giant family night at the church.... 3 whole wards. Received a butt load of referrals. Hoo Raw!

Friday:  Really our only full day of work this week... Lots of lessons. We taught an older lady. It was the second time we taught her, and the second time we had to explain to her that we aren't Catholic, and the second time she accepted the same baptismal date...I'm feelin like we will have to do it all again next week...  :)

Saturday: Family History thingy at the church all day. Amazing how much of this stuff I already knew.  Youth Family History Coordinator in the Draper South Mtn. 3rd Ward :)  I do really miss the temple. Go a lot please!

Sunday: Last day of the change and I hit the 4 month mark! Where did the time go?

So our ZL's called us at 8 and told Elder Manning all the changes, cause he's the DL -- he gets all the dirty deets on the zone. But we didn't have changes.... 15 minutes later they called us again and told us that president changed our changes! Elder Manning is off to Irapuato (he comes home next month....(DATE HIM LADIES) and I'm gunna stay here in Leon and train :) I'm pretty stoked! I would be lying too if I didn't tell you I am pretty nervous. I don't exactly know everything I'm doing and my Spanish needs some work, but I do know that the Lord qualifies those he calls. I'm ready for a super humbling experience!  Pray for the people we teach!

I'm training Elder Perez from Mexico. That's about all I know about him but I pick him up tomorrow! Pray for my new hijo to be patient with me!!

No pics this week. I took a break from taking pictures this week... sorry momma you'll have to go another one with out seeing my face :)

Love and miss you all and see ya in 20!

Elder Minnick

Stellar week...

Fam and Frens,

I had another stellar week :)

We had interviews with President Merjorda Wednesday.  I dread interviews because that usually means an hour of chastising from dad. But this week I was sooooooooooooo excited to have an interview with President, hoping he'd just chastise the crap out of me and tell me everything I need to do better... but unlike interviews with my old man, this one lasted like 45 seconds with three questions. I was bummed.

Other than that our week was good. We found a ton of new people, we are always dropping a ton of people....AND, a ton of people love Jesus but are too lazy to do anything about it.   I kinda guess for every 20ish people we find one of them will be baptized!!!   Yay for contacting and references!

We had one of our progressing investigators quit his job this week so he could go to church Sundays! He literally has nothing, but exercised some faith and the Lord blessed him with a better job, better hours and better pay! We were stoked. He gets baptized this month.

Today we went to a park and rented some bikes.... there was a little track there... reminded me of that one time when I destroyed dad's Yamaha 450... the track was exactly like that... but don't worry mom I didn't even crash and all my bones are fine :)  Tam note:  the first question I asked before I even finished reading the letter "WHAT KIND OF BIKE?"  see pics... lol

I have changes next week...feeling kind of nervous. If we don't have changes,  I'll be with Elder Manning for his last change and end up being in this area for at least a total of 6 months. That's what I want, but both Elder Manning and I feel like we are going to have changes.  Either way I'm nervous for this week!

Elder Minnick

P.S. Got your letter GPA Chuckles. Miss you and love you and thanks for the letter!!!

Tam:  Weston sent no captions with the pics, but I will caption them "HAPPY WESTON!"  Seriously, not sure if I have ever seen him so happy.  Makes it a ton easier to not MISS him.  Finally.... I have told both of my kids... a 45 second interview with the mission president is WAY better than a 45 minute interview. :)   Currently...poor Zane is getting all of Jay's attention!  Don't let my kids fool you, they all secretly LOVE Jay's father's interviews!!! 

Blog:  www.elderwestonminnick.blogspot.com  

Testimony

Fam,

This week was solid... as a companionship is was probably one of our greatest weeks. Our ward had 3 baptisms this week. Two of them came from less active families, and the third was an investigator named Monica! She is the last member of her family to be baptized, she has three children already baptized! Yay for Monica! 

I decided I needed a little more excitement in my life this week so I cut my own hair... The most exciting part was that I decided to just go for it and started right down the front middle of my head. I didn't do too awful, I kinda messed up on the right side of my head so I just had to cut everything shorter and then it was chill. I've been praying really hard and decided that BYU just isn't for me and that I should go to hair school ;) hahaha NAAAAAH,  but Elder Manning told me I can cut his hair this week... just after interviews with President :)

"But the haircut doesn't look too bad. right?"

We had a couple extremely powerful lessons this week.  First we went into the sisters area because they asked us to help them teach a lady who was having problems.  It just so happened that the person we visited was in need of a blessing. And well... boom it was a powerful blessing. She's been smoking for 40 years but wants to quit! We are fasting for her this week!

I'm fasting for grandma Linda this week too! I love you grandma and hope you feel better this week!

We had a another cool lesson Saturday.  Its with one of our investigators named Jose... he has issues with the BoM. It was a cool lesson for me because after he spent 15 minutes telling us about why the BoM isn't true, we spent 5 testifying that it is. He was speechless after, and when we were done, we just got up and left. I felt like we punched him in the face with the Spirit. 

I also had the opportunity to speak in church yesterday... I didn't know I was speaking until sacrament started.. so I wasn't exactly prepared, but they told me to speak on whatever I wanted.  Elder Manning chose testimony, I chose conversion. 

I don't really remember much of what I said, but I do remember talking about how my testimony has been and is the most important thing I own.  My testimony is the base of everything I am, everything I feel, and everything I want to be and do. I'm not perfect but everyday I do my best to do what God wants me to do. I realized all of this why I was speaking in church. 

Because of my testimony I know that everything will be okay. That bad days become good days when we pray. I know that we have a Savior that suffered and died for me, you, and every person in the entire world. Sometimes after I have walked 20 miles in the hot sun I start complaining in my head. I think man... I'm tired, I'm hungry, my feet hurt, and we haven't had any success today.  It's super easy to forget about the amazing blessings I will and have received in these last few months, especially in my weak moments.  And because of my testimony I know that tomorrow will come and soon after that eternity comes too. 

Sure love you all!

Elder Minnick

Elder Minnick:  "This is what happiness looks like!"  

Hermana Minnick in Guatemala: "The water in the baptismal font, I also shower with that water, and wash my clothes with that water..."


Just a tad bit of difference between the
two missions and water quality!!!!  

Elder Lafavor y yo!