FAM

hey fam,

I thought I'd write a letter just for you guys today because I'm not in the mood to write... loved all the videos and pics whit and mom sent me.  Your probs all super busy because Whit is going to the holy land soon right?  Have dad give her a blessing and everything will be all right.

Zane looks like he is taller than Whit. Too bad he will never out grow me cause I'm growing too. I finally got my camera fixed mom.  So I'll really send pictures tomorrow, or today if I pass by the church.  The camera got baptized -- but the rice trick works real nice, and then I took it to some techy tienda and they got it nice for me.  It's a little glitchy though. I got a funny video and some good pics.  You'll finally see how fat I've gotten.  Almost as fat as the whole fam back home.  Come live my life and I'll promise you it will all be burned off with a change.

Speaking of changes, I didn't have any, but my comp did! He is going to Celaya.  I'm receiving Elder Chegue.  He's from Acapulco.  He's got about 3 months in the mish.  The cool thing about him is that Pres. Mejorada baptized his grandma when he was on his mission, and after that her whole family got baptized. I'm excited too see what it will be like for this kid....I pick him up tomorrow.

Well Beti didn't get baptized. That's okay, we found out she's had some doubts, but didn't want to tell us cause she really wants to be baptized... but we told her its better if she figures things out first and then we will figure out a way to get her 76 years under water.

I'm stoked to be here another change. We've finally got a solid base of people and working with the "ward"!  

I'm going to send some birthday packages home next week.  May stresses me out cause there are about 40 birthdays and they are all important.  BUT, we get to see each other in two weeks!

I stopped drinking soda about a month ago... I actually feel the difference. I drink like 4 liters of water a day -- beat that dad!  There are GNCs all over the place here in Mexico too. they are more popular here than they are in the US. So I have protein and vitamins. 

The mission life is great -- I'm always super tired and don't even have time to think,  but I think they designed it to be that way... I'm sure God just wants us to be good, obedient, healthy and spirtually guided children, and just to work work work work. 

Well I'm tired and I wanna go take a quick P-Day nap so have a good week, travel safe, and take care of my bear!

Westy

Beti

HOLA

This week was awesome!!! One of the greatest of the mission. So I'll just share some experiences I had!

We got a reference from a member of another ward... they found two women on the street looking for help. Their mom was dying. They were desperate, and found the church! So we went that next day... but when we got there, the mom had died that morning. The whole family was devastated.  We asked them if we could visit them later in the week.  My comp and I prepared a ton for them. We knew that they were really really really catholic, and were catholics that actually do what they should. They were also a really big family, and we didn't want to lose the chance to bring them true peace into their lives! I was nervous to visit them, and I've never been nervous for a lesson before! We entered and the whole family was dead silent... so we prayed and read about the Resurrection of the Savior. We shared our testimonies about God's plan for us. The spirit was special...I don't know how to describe it, but it was especially powerful. Everyone else was still dead silent, so we prayed again. After the prayer everything changed so fast! They wouldn't stop talking and had about 300000 questions! They definitely didn't accept everything we taught or answered after the prayer but they couldn't deny the spirit. 

So I've been a little bummed because we still haven't baptized here, and changes are next week! But one of our investigators named Beti has really been progressing. She is 76, and has more time going to the church than I do! She's one of those long time investigators that just can't make up her mind. About 4 weeks ago we were praying to know when we should put her baptismal date. My comp was set on the 25th of April, but I never got my confirmation. Sunday when I was sitting next to her at Church, the Spirit confirmed to me that she needed to be baptized this next Saturday, the 25th of April. So we went to her house after church and satan was pounding her hard. When we got there, she was on the way out to go live with her son who lives in Torreon, because her other son was being "naughty" and she was sick of putting up with him. So we sat down with her, shared some scriptures and testimony, and we told her she would be baptized on Saturday.  She accepted! We are still waiting to hear for some special permission of some leaders for some other circumstances but pray for Bertha Villalobos Romero de Saucedo this week! She needs the help!

I had about 1000 more experiences that I want to share but I'm a little lazy so I'll just cut it here! Read the Book of Mormon, keep the commandments, and serve someone!

Elder Minnick

You can put this on the blog mom...

FAM,

This week was sooooooo short.  I had literally no time in my area this week.  I did divisions with a missionary who is having a hard time. It was cool. It's been a long time since I've been with a missionary with more experience than me...what a relief.  Wednesday we all went to Celaya...had a multi-zone conference. It was tight.  We did a bunch of practices... learned a ton.  I LOVE conferences with president.  He's always sooo full of the spirit that its impossible not to learn something. Then we all saw "Meet the Mormons"! AWESOME. Mom told me she cried when she saw it. I almost cried too -- when I saw snowbird. I've dreamed about it every night since.

I'm good. I'm super busy right now. I gotta do a ton of stupid paperwork for numbers for the zone right now. We had some good experiences this week.  Ran into a ton of Americans for spring break.... almost all of them drunk.

One Mexican guy started talking to me in English yesterday.  I pretty much couldn't understand him. He told us if we answered three of his deep life questions, he'd let us visit him... and it was cool because we answered them perfectly, but he was still unconvinced. He told us he was confused by our words!  So I told him it wasn't the words that confused him, but the beer he drank about 30 minutes earlier was getting to him!  I had no idea he was drinking or was even a little drunk, but the spirit did and he took it like a hot iron to the face. He was a little humbled and invited us for this next week.  Even though I've had little success here, I feel the spirit working through me, so I'm at least planting seeds, and I feel like God is happy with me.

We got a 75 year old investigator... her name is Betti. Classic Catholic grandma!  She has gone to church twice now, and went to a baptism Friday...which helped her overcome her fear of the water.  She wants all six of her kids to be at her baptism.. but we will see how that works out because she doesn't know where two of them live!  I believe in miracles! She is also a devout reader of the Book of Mormon... and that's where we got her. If the whole world read a verse of the Book of Mormon daily, life would be a little better!  Betti will be baptized May 9th! I'm determined to baptize her on Whit's birthday, but we will see what the Lord thinks!

My comp and I are starting to play basketball every morning at the church, cause we live super close. Messed up my shoulder again, but it wasn't nearly as bad this time! It only hurt for like a hour after but its good. (Tam: lovely football shoulder separation - GO CHARGERS!)

One of the members in my ward went to Utah in December.  He was in the airport the moment Whit got home in December, and took a picture.... funny!  I'm pretty sure Whit's hugging Tanner in the pic, but I couldn't see it that well. Small world huh? Then he took some pictures of the tree of life and the Draper Temple.  (Tam: I feel good to know that there are other airport lurkers spying on return missionaries besides Jodie, Kristi and me!)

I'm really really tired. Haven't slept well these past nights! I've had GROWING PAINS!  Three nights in a row.  I'm stoked.... maybe I'll be a little taller.  One night I woke up and a guy was trying to break into our house... but that metal door we have, reinforced with the spirit, is unbreakable. We just knocked and he went running.  It was kinda funny. but don't worry about it ma, Salamaca is safe. Changes are in two weeks. We are gonna have lots of changes in the zone, but I'm in the "who cares where I serve" kinda mood!  All is well and will only get better. I've learned more about myself and God's plan for me in these past 9 weeks than I have learned in my whole life! I love missionary work!  Here is a scripture I read when I was  DEAD tired:

22 Brethren, shall we not go on in so great a cause? Go forward and not backward. Courage, brethren; and on, onto the victory! Let your hearts rejoice, and be exceedingly glad. Let the earth break forth into singing. Let the dead speak forth anthems of eternal praise to the King Immanuel, who hath ordained, before the world was, that which would enable us to redeem them out of their prison; for the prisoners shall go free. Christ suffered for all the hard times, and gave us a way to overcome all things. Whether we are dead spiritually, physically, or emotionally, there is always hope!

dyc 128:22

Here is a cool talk by President Uchtdorf:

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2008/04/a-matter-of-a-few-degrees?lang=eng

elder minnick

PS shout out to Chels Kartchner this week for her birthday!!! love you chelly!! miss you a ton and hope you have a great birthday week!

PPS shout out to Parker Ellis - soon to be Elder Ellis serving in CHICAGO!!!  VERY COOL!  So glad you will be in Mexico with me for six weeks!!  (Tam: when I sent Weston a pic of Park and his mission call... Weston's first response "He's wearing my shirt!")

He is Here

HOLA

I had the BEST 10 hours of my life this weekend. I sat still the WHOLE time.  My knee wasn't even shaking. General Conference temporally healed my can't hold still syndrome! But only temporarily -- its back now cause I still pace around my house when I talk to my district every night. (Tam: we really miss dinners with Weston.  He walks in circles about 100 times around our kitchen table--eating and talking as he paces.)

Man I could tell you all about how much I loved every single message that was shared but I left my notebook back home and I gotta translate my Spanglish handwriting first.  My favs were Elder Pinos, Elder Andersen, Elder Bednar, Elder Uchtdorf in Priesthood... and always and forever Elder Holland.  I'm listening to it right now cause I gotta hear the fire in his voice... its just not the same in Spanish, but the Spirit is all the same. 

Nothing strengthens my testimony just quite like Conference does. I had a little realization in a study session on Sunday when I was thinking about how great it is that we have latter-day prophets. I realized that the one thing that makes the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints the one and only true church is that we are built on the rock of Christ. Our foundation is that Christ leads and guides and is the Head of this church. Through his faithful and worthy servants we receive pure revelation. I know that God's word or the words of his prophets are the same. 

I am very blessed to share and declare with everyone I talk to that God has called prophets to the earth once more!  He will not take them off the earth again! How blessed we are to live in this last dispensation, the fullness of times! I know that Christ lives, that He walked again! I know because He lives, I will have an eternal family. He is here! 

Very Happy Easter 

elder minnick

Answers to Dads PPI questions...

Hola!

I decided today that I'd skip a letter and answer dads PPI questions that he sent me. si pops soy digno. Here ya go:

-Are you worthy and clean?  

I'm worthy as I ever have been but its a lucky day when I have a good shower. No but really, I'm obedient and diligent because you can't be diligent without obedience and vice versa. Here's a question for you four: 

Why do missionaries sometimes feel so bad when they are living the gospel so fully? 

If we are doing exactly what the Lord wants us to do, why sometimes do we feel so imperfect?

-How are you feeling?

I'm feeling good. I've never been this fat in my life, but I've been soda free for a week now... I gotta get ripped here so I can feel a little better when I look in the mirror. Generally I'm super healthy, but at least once a change I get a heavy case of diarrhea and that is a bummer. Not as nearly as bad as Whit was in her mission though. Those triste guatemalans are dirty as they get ;)

-How are you doing with the language?  Are you learning every day Spanish?

Language isn't a problem. President told me it has improved a ton in my last interview. There are other elders who have better Spanish then me but I can finally roll my R's. We study every day and I learn a ton from my comp.  He is pumped to learn English. He loves American music so I translate popular songs for him and we laugh all night before we go to bed.

-How is your companion doing?

My comp is doing better. He came out here without a testimony, and he's still working on that one. His aunts and uncles forced him out here, his parents are passive when it comes to the gospel. He's learning a lot and is hilarious. Sometimes I gotta remind him we are missionaries. He's really humble and loves to learn. Overall he's one of my favorite comps to this point.

-Are you getting along with him?

We fought twice with words  in the first week but after that never have we gotten mad at each other. Sometimes he's like the annoying little brother that I miss dearly (Zane) but I've learned a lot of patience. Zane will love me when I get home. He loves sports and and the same things I like. He's a goofy dude.

-What can I do to help you?

Pray for the Mexicans to accept the gospel. Pray for ALL my investigators because they all have some type of addiction. Pray for them to get married. Share the gospel daily through words and actions.

Con amor,

elder minnick

P.S. Thanks Grandma Linda for your letters! I love you and got 3 letters this week! I hope you feel better! I'm praying for ya!

Jays response to Weston's questions above: Why do missionaries sometimes feel so bad when they are living the gospel so fully? If we are doing exactly what the Lord wants us to do, why sometimes do we feel so imperfect?

Elder Minnick at some point...this is how EVERYONE feels!  We are human.  We are subject to all manner of the flesh.  This is our test and what a blessing that the Lord lets us feel.  Feel pain, feel grief, feel sorrow, feel happiness and feel gladness.  There must needs be an opposition in all things.  We cannot feel the one extreme of joy without feeling sorrow.  It's ok.  You are human.  You are normal.  This is how the Lord intended it to be.  This life is your probationary test and do not worry because you feel.    "I feel" are important words and when you hear them  -- stop, listen and minister.  If it is a priesthood leader saying "I feel" --  take notes and then take action.  I love you son!  I feel your reaching and so does the Lord.  He will be there for you every step of the way and He will allow you to feel all things both joy and pain.  Just learn to thank Him for the ride👍👊

If any of you would like to answer Elder Minnicks question... email him at weston.minnick@myldsmail.net