MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Aloha! 

I love Christmas! I'll tell ya what we did Christmas morning...

We (the zone) went to an old peoples home, run by the Catholic nuns. (All of the nuns also fit in the old people category too). We got there in the morning with plans to sing Christmas hymns to them. When we got there, they told us to go running around inviting everyone to come... this was the best part. As we tried to invite them we found out that every single one of them had problems with hearing, seeing or walking, and they all LOVE to talk. I was saddened to hear that these people usually don't get visitors, and many haven't seen or heard from their families in years. Well we sang to them, a family from our stake brought them food, and then we all just went around talking to them for about 2 hours, until it was time for Misa... so it was time to go! It was my favorite Christmas day, and something I will do every year! 

James said,

 "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world."  

That's what Christmas is all about!

Here is another story from yesterday!

We got a call from a member, asking us if we could go to the hospital with him to give a blessing to his dying mother-in-law. (The member is the only member in his whole family)  In hospital I saw the not so pretty side of life. Outside of the hospital, hundreds of people were waiting for the chance to enter and see their loved ones, I was confused why everyone was outside. By a miracle, this faithful brother managed to squeeze his way through the crowd, and talked the security guard into letting us in (It was a miracle). 

As we entered the 2nd doors, I was astonished to see how many people were sick or seriously injured. The walls were completely covered with beds with these people.  The hospital was more than overfull, with doctors and nurse running every where giving medication, moving people around. I thought I was in one of those post end of the world movies... so we got to the bed of hi mother -in- law, and the second we saw her, we knew that her time was coming to a close. We anointed and blessed her. The Spirit was special. We shared our testimonies with her family, of the resurrection, and of the atonement. Then security showed up and shuffled us out of there! 

As I walked out of the hospital, I remembered the words of Alma the prophet, 

"And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people."

This experience was one I will never forget, and has helped me understand that what Christ suffered for us was something I don't think I will understand in this life. I really did feel in my heart that he suffered for all. Not only sins, mistakes, embarrassment, but sicknesses too. He descended below all, so that he can lift us up when we are down. This year I understood a little better the true meaning of Christmas!

Happy New Year!

Elder Minnick

Candy Service

CHANGOS 

Con Pres

al carbon

noche buena con la familia viveros

buffalo con mi compa mauricio

TEMPLES!

Hey FAM!

How exciting this week was! I went to the temple...well kind of.

The temple in Tijuana was dedicated yesterday, and we got to see it from the extension of the temple (my stake center). We went to 2 sessions and ate with the prior Mission President from Leon and his family. It was a perfect day. :)

Going to the temple for me was the greatest Christmas present I've gotten this year (momma´s Christmas package in a close second place).  I felt a peace and joy that you can really only find in the Lord's House. President Uchtdorf invited the Mexican people to go to the temple often. Go inside, outside, around, and inside again. I extend the same advice to all of you today!

Before my mission, I spent a lot of time at the Draper Temple. In the last 3 months I was at home, I went 2 or 3 times a week. Sometimes, I would sit in my car outside of it, I would do baptisms, I would read my scriptures there. I believe that the best missionary preparation that exists, is in or about the temple. I don't think I would have made it so far without that preparation. SO go to the temple! It should be a priority, not something to do when you have time! As a missionary, I have cherished in my heart family history work, and would love to do it.. but I can't -- that's what little brothers are for!

Whit and Taylor get sealed this week! God blessed me with a very powerful spirit yesterday, and I felt like I was in your sealing! I gotta little sneak peak of what it feels like! I love you guys and I am so happy for you both! I'll be praying for ya'll! :))))

Merry Christmas

Elder Minnick

I received this picture in my Facebook inbox from Stephen Barrus!  He served with Whitney in Guatemala (was her AP)  Stephen is doing a study abroad in Mexico, Queretaro with BYUI.  So fun!!  

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hello, 

Happy Thanksgiving.... and MERRY CHRISTMAS!

We taught Ismael this week. He is/was an alcoholic. He's overcoming his addiction, and wants to get closer to God. He has already been to church once, but the first time he went, he didn't like it and didn't want to receive us again. We were persistent, and he told us, "ugh... okay, I'll let you try and convince me one more time".  So we taught him repentance, and the Spirit came like a flip of a light switch and he started feeling the weight of a lot of sins. He accepted a baptismal date, and we offered to give him a blessing.  After the blessing, we took a step back and just waited a second. He paused for a second then said, "I feel a warm little fire in my chest." He felt the Spirit and recognized it!

He came to church, and LOVED it. He volunteered to clean the building and donate blood. He's going to go to two marriage courses this week, and then the 12 step program... All thanks to the awesome member missionaries in my ward here! I love them!

Pics to come mom!

love you

Elder Minnick

PS Congrats Aubs on the call to San Antonio! You'll kill it out there! :) 

4 cities, 2 weeks and lots of miracles

HOLA!

Well its been a nutty two weeks. I've been all over the place so that means sometimes I sleep on the floor but that's okay, it builds character.

Two weeks ago I did divisiones. I went with Elder Garrett to his area, but he and another elder got really sick in the night, so they went to Queretaro to go to the hospital and I went to a place called Cortazar to do a baptismal interview. The missionaries are only allowed to go there during the day because its "dangerous". But it is cool. Even though missionaries only got to the ward 2 times a week, they still have a baptism, every week! Its all the proof I need to know that the real missionaries are the members.

A couple days later, I went to another pueblito called Paseo de Alto. We didn't have ANYONE there. It was cool. So we said a prayer, and prayed specifically to find 2 families. Within 10 minutes we somehow got into 1 house, and taught a big family. The grandma of the family is 94 years old. After we taught them, they told us to go visit some of their neighbors. There we found our second family!  It's all the proof I need to know that God hears and answers prayers.

I worked in my own area in Celaya this week. It was a little slow, but Karine will be baptized if not this week, then next. We reactivated her family and her dad is preparing himself to baptize his daughters. They have been inactive for years! They have been working on their family history, so I had the opportunity to go to the family search center here. I sent 3 names to you mom that need to go to the temple! 

And then.. I got changed. I'm sitting here now in Queretaro with Elder Mauricio in the Zone Arcos, Ward Colinas. (Tam note:  this is also the Stake / Zone of Weston's mission president Mejorada.... no pressure... haha) Queretaro is AWESOME. I thought my whole mission was pretty ugly until I got here. Its definitely a place I wanna come back to. Its old and colonial. I got here today, so we spent P-Day wandering the centro. Love it here already!

I'm grateful for my family this week!

love ya ma!

elder minnick

Member Missionaries

Hola!

This week was one to remember! President Mejorada put a new goal for the mission...100% lessons with a member present. I laughed a little when I read that. Before, we averaged like maybe 5 of our lessons with a member present per week. So I thought it would be impossible!

As I studied and thought about it for a little, I realized that this goal president made wasn't just a cool idea, but it was revelation from God. So we took it as a commandment, and that just made it a little more natural. We bumped up to 19 lessons with a member this week, and man... it was a breeze! Not only were the lessons a whole lot better, but it was a whole lot more fun, and we hardly walked because we drove around all day with the members.  I also  got to know some of these awesome people better.

I am very grateful for the leaders in my ward here that have accepted the challenge too! Their faith strengthens mine.

Many latter-day prophets have said that "every member is a missionary". I believe that is a phrase taken very lightly! As a missionary, we preach every day --  all day -- and work and work and work, but from all my experience here as a missionary, I know its a lot more effective if the members participate by inviting their non-member or less active member friends to their house with the missionaries.

I invite you all to help your missionaries, by giving them a referral and then opening up the doors to your house so that they can teach your loved ones how to really be happy!

Love ya mom!

Elder Minnick

From Tam: No pics from Elder Minnick - two cameras now stolen.  He told me and I just laughed.  

Weston said, "here is the bad news first... my new camera I just bought got stolen.  I had it a week."  

I told him... "If that is the bad news... we are doing just fine -- go buy another camera."  :)

   

Happy Halloween!

HOLA!

I love this time of the year. Knocking doors Saturday with all the little Mexican kids, we met nice people that gave us candy :) So many people invited us to eat Halloween night. I'm sure I gained about 15 pounds but I don't care  -- I  still have time to burn it off!

I'll tell ya a little about one of my inestgadores, "Mike". He's like 30 ish years old and recently divorced! He was for almost his whole life a drug addict. After he got divorced he decided to do something with his life, he went to a rehab and found a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She gave him the Teachings of President Ezra Taft Benson and he read the whole book in about three weeks. He decided to put himself on house lock down for three months and decided to invite the missionaries from brother Benson's church to his house. We got there with our Ward Mission leader and the sister that gave him the book.  He lives far away in his ranchito - way out of town, and usually these parts are a little dangerous for missionaries. 

We got there  and introduced ourselves. He was very reserved and didn't say much. We started off with a simple prayer, and he asked us to give him a blessing. Then his mom asked for one, then his nephew. Then we just bore our testimonies! The Spirit filled the room... it was incredible. He felt it and accepted a baptismal date! He left his house the next day and arrived at church. It was the first time he had ever gone to church in his whole life.

We visited him once this week, he had already read to Alma in the BoM and all of the general conference talks from October 2014!

I have felt very blessed to see some one prepared and willing to receive the restored gospel! He gained his testimony in a matter of weeks, but I have received mine after many small and simple experiences after the years. I know, like Mike, that this is God's only true church! I too have found and felt that pure joy that only comes by the spirit!

The gospel is for EVERYONE! I am convinced that if Mike can change, any one can!

Invite someone to learn today!

Elder Minnick

Our "Trio" haha
Hermano Tavitias!  He is AWESOME!

Familias

Family,

This last week was full of the Spirit. I feel VERY blessed to have a family back home! I feel very blessed that God has allowed me to serve a mission. I feel very blessed to be born in the covenant. I don't think I will ever have the right to complain about anything because God has given me so much.

The family has been a very big theme in my zone this last week. Two weeks ago, we went to Queretaro for a leadership conference and both my comp and I left feeling like we should help our missionaries remember the importance of the Atonement and remember the importance of the Family. So we invited our zone to bring something special that reminded them of their family. I brought an old missionary badge and a bible that dad used on his mission. As I heard the other missionaries talk about the importance of their own family, temple covenants, and loved ones on the other side of the veil, I was touched by the Spirit with all of the other missionaries!  We all decided to set high goals in finding, teaching, and baptizing families. We hope that they, with their loved ones on the other side of the veil, can rejoice in the very special temple blessings. 

So we put in practice what the Spirit taught us. We found one very big family... of 24 people. Every time we go, we teach a new person! Its fun. It all started with some guy I contacted a month ago but didn't go until we found him in an old agenda. I know that when we ask in prayer to find families to teach, God will guide us. I recognized that God also wants me to find, teach and baptize families and is just waiting for me to ask.

Then we found another family, a referral, from a member. We went there with the members, and within 10 minutes of the prayer they had accepted a baptismal date! They live in a pueblito really far away, but they still managed to come to church the next day!

As I have pondered the importance of the family this week, I have come to know that it is only through the restored gospel of Jesus Christ that a family can be truly happy. I know that through sacred covenants in the temple that families are forever HERE and NOW!   I'm grateful for my family! I love you guys! 

Elder Minnick

Missionary Work Starts EARLY!

Comp - Elder Reyes

I got mugged, mom! :(

Hey Fam!

It was a nutty week. There we changes this week and Elder Lagunes went to Leon. My new compa is Elder Reyes! I'm pumped. He goes home in three months. He's one of the super spiritual missionaries, and that's just what I was praying for. I'm hoping to learn a ton from him, he's been one of my examples since I got to the mission. While about 40 missionaries were waiting at the Central, I left outside to go help some other missionaries who were a little lost... I never found them but I found some Cholos that liked the look of my backpack and stole it with my camera... so now I have a real excuse not to send pictures.. sorry mom!

Hector went to church this last week for the first time! Hes been an investigador for a bout a year and a half. It was a miracle for us to see cause he did it with the risk of getting kicked out of his house! His faith is an example for me!

Ignacio is the only member of his family that isn't member. This last week he told me that when he started going to church with us, he decided that he'd do it with "real intent". I think he received a answer about the BoM this Sunday night because he called us the next morning, telling us with a very excited voice, to come and see him, because he received revelation from God... we are going right now!

Camilla is a 10 year old girl that reactivated he family so that she could be baptized. It's cool to see a little girl pump her dad up to read the Book of Mormon, and I've learned that we can be missionaries at all ages, in any circumstance. 

I ponderized Mosiah 4:19 this last week. It was very inspiring to me as I practiced patience and love with everyone, even with those who stole my backpack, by asking myself, "are we not all beggars?". This week I've decided that I'm going to ponderize the sacrament prayer on the bread! I invite you all who do not have a scripture to ponderzie to do it with me!

love you all!

elder minnick

Shout out to one of my greatest examples, elder kenny butterfield! I love you kenneth and thank you for teaching me the gospel through your example!

Tami:
First one to find Elder Minnick in this post gets a free lunch! 

10 Hours

Hey Guys!

Conference was AWESOME! I'd say it was the best one yet! I loved every second... And that's 10 hours seated in a hot room. Normally that would  be hard for me, but the Spirit was constant and I gotta see it in English so I won't complain! I hope every single one of you had the chance to hear or listen to the words of these inspired men and women who spoke, and if you didn't, go listen to them on lds.org! I'm doing it right now :)

One of my favorites was from Devin G. Durrant... I loved his two messages. Save Money and Ponderize a scripture ever week. I see them both as "small and simple things" that realize big changes! I chose Mosiah 4:19 to ponderize this week. If you haven't chose one yet, you can share mine, and let me know what you think next week! I know that as we meditate, study, and memorize a simple scripture each week we will be blessed constantly with the Spirit, and come to know our Savior better. 

I loved the talk about the Holes by Allen D. Haynie....I could relate in more ways than I'd like to admit, but I do know that Christ washes us clean from sin just like a hose washes a dirty garage floor or a frame bent dirt bike. It is only through His Atonement that we can escape from the dirty mud holes of sin and enter into the mansions of our padre above! Don't try to back door it... it doesn't work!

We had some investiagors go to conference... which was awesome because the Spirit testified to them that they were listening to prophets of God. We invited all to go with a question in their heart, and we did the same! They ALL reported that they received answers...I did too!  I know God hears all our prayers and answers them through His servants, the prophets! 

Elder Holland said it best.... Love ya momma! Thank you!

Zane... go listen to Pres. Monson's talk again from priesthood session, and then listen to the talk about Barriers in the ocean! Be obedient boy!

Whitney, I heard a lot about all the cool blessings about being a mom... hope you did too ;) #quierounasobrina

Dad... You've been writing me letters about the Sabbath day for about 6 months already. I thought about ya every time i heard about it! keep working hard! Pres. Eyring in Priesthood!

Smiles!

Elder Minnick

Matthew 3:2

hi fam,

This week was tight!  I did diviones with one of the DL's in my zone. We had a good time...and I met some really cool investigators. This elder I went with has had a hard time inviting others to baptism, and his whole district does too!  They find like 30 people a week but only have three baptismal dates.... and that ain't good. So we invited EVERYONE to baptism. I had fun with it. Preach My Gospel lets us use our personality, so when you really do live the gospel, other people see it and get curious to know why we are so happy. We had some cool experiences. When the Spirit is there its hard for the people to say no!

Cool experience this week... I got a call from my old Zone leaders this week. They called to tell me about one of my old investigadores. His super awesome. I'll call him Juan.  He is one of the coolest guys I ever met. Very genuine and very prepared to receive the gospel. He was abused as a child and has struggled and struggled with many temptations. I contacted him about 8 months ago, and we gave him a BoM. He was super interested but lived in another area, so we sent the other missionaries to visit him. But they lost contact with him. About 4 months ago we found him again.. he moved into our area! So with the help of our ward and the sister missionaries we taught him the gospel. He wanted to be baptized but things weren't looking too good because he had made some mistakes only a short time before we started teaching him. When I left my old area, he had just attended church for the 5th time, and we were waiting to hear about his baptism. This week they called me and told me he passed his interviews! He will be baptized in these next couple weeks, and he is committed to the temple in the next year! I didn't sleep the next night because I was so excited! I probably wont be able to go to the baptism, but he told me he was going to call me after!

There is no greater blessing than to see others come unto Christ with full purpose of heart! I know that God lives, and because of the Atonement, we can all repent. With His help, we will overcome sin and temptation. Thanks to our Redeemer, guilt becomes peace. I love my mission and I love the gospel!

elder minnick

The House of the Lord is a House of Sacrifice

Hello,

This week was one to remember! We had the temple dedication of the Mexico City Temple! We are in the temple district, so we were able to see the cultural celebration and the dedication in our stake center. I'll give you the deets here!

The celebration was cool. The sound wasn't that great in the Stake Center, so my comp and I were running around explaining to our investigadores what was going on. It was more like a play but part of it, they acted out scenes from the BoM. It was cool to see the face of the investigators when they recognized parts that we have read, it helped them see the BoM in a new way. 

The dedication has been one of the spiritual highlights of my mission. Thinking about it, I got mad at myself because I went to two dedications before my mission and didn't get anything out of it.. so this time I went prepared. We went to two of the three sessions. I would've gone to the third, but I got a little too excited at the food in between the second and third session and dumped my plate on my shirt... its okay because the shirt was yellow anyway.

Pres. Eyring presided at the dedication. He was there with Elder Holland and Elder Kent F. Richards, also the Mexico Area Presidency was there. All the talks were excellent! They were different talks in every session too. So that meant I got to hear Elder Holland speak two times in one day.... which is a dream come true for just about any missionary. I learned too much from all of the speakers and I'd share it all with you but I don't have that kind of time, and some things are better kept sacred :)

But here are some of my notes...

The House of the Lord is a house of sacrifice... what sacrifices does the lord want?
3 Nehpi 9:15-22

What did the pioneers sacrifice to build temples? Love (sacrifice) is really spelled T-I-M-E

We re-dedicate temples. Shouldn't we also re-dedicate our lives to the Lord in service? Re-dedication means to "clean the inner vessel", make adjustments, and improvements to our lives so that we can live a consecrated life.

Three feelings you will always feel in the temple:  1) gratitude 2) the light of understanding 3) the love of God...what more do we need?

Everything we do in our lives is to prepare us to be sealed in the temple, and to keep that covenant forever (hint hint Whit and Tay) so we must keep our priorities straight to help us make and keep that covenant!  Check your priorities!

Weekly temple attendance isn't a suggestion, its a commandment...especially if you can see three temples from your back yard. (hint hint Zane, Dad and Mom)

More than anything I am extremely grateful to my Father in Heaven for the blessing I have to live in these days. I promised him before I came to this earth that I would be a "Savior on Mount Zion".  I am obligated to save my ancestors, and I have come to know that this is the work of the Lord.

DyC 2... I never understood this before but Elder Holland explained it perfectly. Elijah the Prophet has come...waited for more than two thousand years, and he appeared in 1836!  We now have the sealing power here on this earth, it was restored through the prophet Joseph, and President Monson holds that power now! 

There is just a little bit of what I learned! I love the temple. I know it is the House of the Lord. I know that Jesus is our Savior. I know I am a son of God!

besitos

Elder Minnick

El Vergel (name of Elder Minnick's new ward)

HOLA

This week was super crazy and fast. Hands down the fastest week of my mission and I'm absolutely sure it'll only go faster. Time flies when your having lots of fun :)

Elder Lagunes is from Veracruz! His dad was a mission president here in Mexico a couple years ago, and right now is in the temple presidency in the Veracruz Temple. Elder Lagunes has 8 ish months in the mission... I was his District Leader about a month and a half ago, and I trained his comp from the MTC! We get along really well and we teach awesome together. We just have fun! We are both super prideful so we butt heads sometimes but in a good way :) 

We went to Queretaro this week for the Leadership meeting. It was one of my favorites... They are always super inspiring. The principles are always the same but the teachings are always different. That's what I love about the Gospel... It's so simple, but there is always something more to learn. We are excited for our Zone Conference tomorrow. Pray for us, we have to say "Suck it up, be obedient, and get to work" in the sweetest and firmest way possible. :)

The new area is a bit hard. I felt like I was opening up another area because Elder Lagunes only has 4 weeks here, and they just didn't have any investigadores! They haven't had any investigadors in church in a month and a half, but we had 1 this week. It was my tender mercy, and I'm grateful for the Sister missionaries in our ward that helped us out! I learned this week that things are only hard when you say its hard. Its amazing what a positive attitude can do! SO SMILE!

Love,

Elder Minnick

I met an Apostle of the Lord, Jesus Christ!

That's right family and friends! This week our mission had the special opportunity to hear from Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles!

Thursday morning I woke up at 3:45 AM to catch an early bus to Queretaro. The whole mission showed up to a stake center.  It was a little crazy because we were all so excited and nervous. President told us that we would have the time to ask him a few questions, and invited us all to prepare our own question, even if we didn't have the time to ask it. My question was, "Is this man really a special witness of the Savior?"  I didn't ask him, but I asked God and got an answer ;)

I shook his hand, and he said to me with a big smile, "Hello!". Throughout the whole conference I couldn't help but notice just how happy he was. It wasn't a fake happy either, I could tell he was sincerely happy.

I thought the conference would be super long and with a bunch of heavy doctrine and that he was going to tell us to repent and stuff -- but it was awesome!  He spent a while talking about the first presidency, the 12 apostles, and 70's. He allowed some of the stake presidents to teach, and taught us about some priesthood responsibilities. Then he just spent a while thanking us for being missionaries. I felt like he was giving me a pep talk because he just got us all excited and the spirit was super strong. I was very impressed with his humility and with his testimony. He answered some questions and then blessed us. 

His testimony was by far the greatest part of the whole conference for me. It was super short and at the very end. I felt the Spirit very very very strong when he testified that he is indeed a very special witness of Jesus Christ. After the prayer, he stood up really fast and said, "No puedo negar lo que el Espiritu me indica... El testimonio del Profeta Jose Smith es verdadero... Lo que el vio es la verdad..."

Yo sè que hoy en dia, Dios ha llamado profetas y apóstoles para ser testigos especiales del Señor. Yo sè que Cristo es nuestro Salvador y Redentor. èl vive y dirige  esta iglesia!

I got changed! I'm a zone leader in Celaya with Elder Lagunes. :) I am very very very excited!

Love y'all

elder minnick

Note from Tami:  

Elder Minnick found out this week that Whitney (his sister)  got engaged and will be married on December 19th!  This was his response:

"ahhhhhh!! cant wipe the smile off my face that Whit's gettting married. I'm sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo happy happy happy for her! Makes my whole life!  Love you Whit!!!!!!"

It will be a hard to not have Weston at the wedding....  for Whit especially, but we all know he is in the right place!!  

The Book of Mormon vs. the Holy Death!

Hola mis amigos!

Man, this week was AWESOME. God truly has blessed me.

Saturday night I was looking at the calendar..... I realized I only have 10 months left. That felt like an ice cold bucket of water to the face. I don't ever wanna go home!

Well I had a bunch of cool experiences this week. But I will start with the one with the JW's. We were talking to some guy on the street, having a wonderful conversation about revelation, when a guy on his bike shows up and starts hating on my boy Jose Smith. He went off about how no man could see God and took the BoM from the hands of this good man and told him it was dirt. So we just sat there and listened for a bit.... and when he gave us a moment we quickly shared our testimonies and left. The guy we were talking to wanted nothing to do with us after! So we just went walking, and about 2 minutes later this JW rolled up again... and apologized! I was truly surprised, because all of my experiences with them have been less than pleasant. He asked us to visit him this next week so we could "clear up the doubts". It was cool and we felt the spirit strong.  

The other experience was super special. We have a family that worships the Holy Death. I was extremely surprised because they are some of the coolest people I've ever met. They have explained a little bit about their beliefs, and although they are different, they aren't what I thought. They have a TON of questions. They have felt the Spirit with us and want to know what makes us different. Hugo, has had a re-occurring dream about Christ, where Christ told him exactly the same thing every time. He told us about the dream, took a long pause, and asked for a BoM. He opened the Book of Mormon (I still don't know where, I'm thinking its 2 Nephi) and read a random verse. What he read was almost exactly what Christ told him in his dream. He never had opened a BoM before, but the Spirit sang true in all of our hearts that it is true and His word. In the moment I wasn't shocked, I didn't even feel a bit of surprise! I already knew the feeling and knew it well. What I saw on their faces was JOY.   Joy that only the Gospel of Jesus Christ offers us. Thinking about the experience over and over again, I stand amazed at the loved Christ has for this family and me, as He performed such a miracle.

I testify to all of you that Christ is our living Savior.  He hears and answers the prayers of all of His children!  I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and contains the fullness of the gospel of Christ!

I think I only have one week left here in Salamanca. I'm bummed! I don't wanna go, but I've had a good 7 months! 

I love you mom!

Happy Anniversary MA and PA. Dad your getting old and mom you haven't aged a bit -- forever 25 :)

Elder Minnick

Endure to the End in Charity

Hello!

 

Buen dia from Mexico today! I just got done playing soccer for about 5 hours. I'm not super great with the ball handling, but I got mean defense and when I'm goalie I only let the sister missionaries get goals so I don't get in trouble.

 

This week was HARD. One of those weeks when you roll the sleeves up, put your head down and just work. And work means lots of walking and talking and then running home so ya arrive home in time. The worst part of it all is that my comp convinced me to try eye tacos. They didn't taste that bad, but I suffered for a couple days after. We knocked some doors, the first time I've knocked doors in my whole misión. In all we didn't teach very many lessons this week. We talked to lots of people in the street, but normally its not all that effective. I even contacted a couple buses! That was fun, and we found a new person from doing it!  We didn't have a ton of success this week, but we enjoyed. 

 

Two of the greatest lessons I've learned in my misión really helped me this week: 

The first is to ALWAYS have a prayer in your heart. I didn't really know what that meant when I showed up to Mexico, but its something I will do for the rest of my life. It means to always be in constant communication with God. Whether that be through a silent prayer, a song, or sometimes just listening to what He's got to say. There are 1 million ways to do this, but it requires discipline and virtue. And when you do it, you ALWAYS have the Spirit with you, you will have power in your voice when you talk, and you will not fall into temptation. Christ taught the Nephites to do it in 3 Nephi... Read the whole book to find out what chapter it is and tell me later :)

 

The second is to "come what may and love it". When we have a loving attittude, when can learn from the good or the bad. When we are hot or we are tired, or when its hard, its awfully easy to complain. Its very easy to forget all our many blessings, I think that's why a prophet of God has said that the most important word in the dictionary is "remember". This week I'm grateful for lots of walking and hard days because I know that all these things will be for my own good. I know that Christ suffered for not only our sins but pains, shortcomings, and hard days. I often thought this week, "If Christ could suffer for all, I can suffer a little." 

 

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, its a habit" -- Aristotle

 

When Luis told us this week that he wouldn't be baptized because he still hasn't received an answer about the BoM, we decided to fast, and we had an experience that strengthened the testimony of my comp. I'm sad Luis won't be baptized just quite yet, but I'm sure that if he had decided to be baptized, my comp wouldn't of had the experience.  

 

Elder Minnick

Do you love me? de me tacos

¡HOLA!

These past two weeks have been 2 of the best! You couldn't take the smile off my face if you tried.

Elder Chegue and I have been focusing on service to find new people. So this week we washed cars, dogs, and windows. Thursday we cut a huge lawn with those giant scissors. I've never missed a lawn mower so much. If anyone ever complains about mowing a law, I'll send them pictures of my blistered hands. :)

One of the best parts of the mission is service. You feel great and its good exercise. What more do ya need? Serve someone every day this week :)

We watched Elder Holland's "Feed my Sheep" devotional this week. Every moment, I'm looking for ways to tell Him through my actions that "I do love thee". This week we have been working hard with less active members. Every less active member we visit, we ask them if we can eat with them one day. And then when we go and eat with them, we look for a way to serve them. We also have a goal to increase our sacrament meeting attendance, and we have had a ton of success! We had 3 of our less active families at church... and we ate a ton of tacos with them all too. I'm full of blessings!

We had interviews with President this week! It was my favorite interview yet. I love confessing all my sins so I can be squeaky clean again. ;) President Holland said something like, "Repent is the most hopeful word in all Christian vocabulary". So repent every day!  I thank my Savior for His great atoning sacrifice... I often ask myself, "How many drops of blood were shed for me?"

I love God and the restored gospel!

Elder Minnick

sleeping with cucarachas

HOLA!

It's been a looong week! A great one too!

I've been just about 6 months without sister missionaries in my zone... but almost all good things come to an end and Presidente opened 2 of them in our ward...They aren't that bad I promise. One of them reminds me of Whitney a ton. She's a pulpit pounder and a finger pointer. The other is from Bolivia, has a sweet accent, and cooks good food. I don't have any problems with them...and the best advice I've received about how to deal with sister missionaries is, "whatever you do just don't be yourself".  I gotta a good laugh outta that one.

Well we found a new house. It's about as pretty as my feet and smells a little worse, but its cozy.  For about 3 days we didn't have furniture, beds, or power so we slept with all the dead bugs on the floor. Its hard to complain cause one night while I was sitting on the floor with my flash light writing in my journal, I felt the Spirit super strong and had a super strong feeling of gratefulness. Its hard to explain but I've never been so grateful to have "nothing" -- It helped me realize I have everything. :)

The Family G that just got baptized last week decided that they didn't wanna move!  Their older son came to their baptism along with the WHOLE family and they all felt the spirit really strong. They decided to stay here for a little bit more so that he can live the Gospel too. I am extremely grateful to God that He has allowed me to be part of the life of this family.  I love them to death! 

We are planning for Luis to be baptized in the next week! We taught tithing the other day, and he told me he already read the pamphlet like 4 weeks ago and has been keeping his tithing stash in his pillow case! It has been a trial of his faith because he doesn't have papers here in Mexico because he is Dominicano and he's having a hard time finding a job! He has been an example to me!

I testify that God hears and answers our prayers!  I know he loves us and is a part of our everyday lives!

Elder Minnick

New place!
(Tam: looks bright and cheery!)

Losing weight?

NEW Zone after changes!

FRIDAY NIGHT WHITES

Hello!

This week was awesome. One of those weeks that make all the hard ones worth it! 

The AP's called me last week to tell me to find a house... cause they decided to open Hermanas in our ward! I'm stoked because finally the ward is starting to get excited in the good work and there are about 100 less active single sisters in our ward that we can't visit. So this whole week we've been looking for a house. We finally found one, but its in a dangerous place so we decided to go there and the sisters are gunna steal our house! 

The AP's also told me that I didn't have changes -- because I gotta help the sisters out, and my comps been super sick too! But he's iron tough and still works hard! Pray for him!

Angeles, Paola and Fani all got baptized Friday night! It was awesome!  Their whole entire family came! They also decided that they don't want to move now, because their mom, dad and other sister want to be baptized!

No time today! Gotta Go! Love ya mom!

elder minnick

Tam Notes:  The title of the email this week just got me!  So many awesome memories of Friday nights spent cheering Weston and all his best friends on at Charger stadium.... and now....with so many of them on missions or about to go...just a different kind of cheering!!  I love to think of all these young men in their missionary badges on a Friday night - spreading the gospel!!  Life is so good!   

Also, small world!!  One of the Hermana's they transferred to Weston's area is my good friends daughter (from my Hillcrest days)!!  Shout out to Hermana Talbot and her mom Sonia!!  We were hoping they would get to serve together!!  

Got a ton of pics this week too!!  The best kind!  

Friday Night Whites!

Hermana Talbot  -- tall one in the back!  

La Zona

Weston has a wifi camera and when he is at the church with wifi - he can send pics.  I got this on Friday afteroon!!  He said, "What I'm doing > What you're doing!"   
FILLING UP THE FONT!