6/24/2024

What a week! There have been highs and lows. We have had some super epic Spirit led lessons and some finding time that just wasn't hitting it. The week was still great nonetheless.

I’m going to start off with the low of the week so we can end on a high note. A friend that was being taught before I came into the area started talking to Black Hebrew Israelites. It was super unfortunate because he just bashes us now so we had to stop teaching him. We did get to have dinner with Lorenzo after though so that helped us out a bit. 

The next day on Wednesday I led the area with Elder Babcock. This was the day that it was raining all day. We went downtown and over to 4th Ward. It is a cool area to go to. It was an experience biking in the rain all day. My legs were soaked but the rain jacket worked for the most part. Biking in the rain, 4/10. Don't recommend it but you gotta do whatcha gotta do. 

Thursday was our last main mission zoom with the Richard's except for a zoom we had later on Sunday. After this zoom we met with our recent convert Dennis. I went to his Baptism back in October just about 2.5 weeks after being in Houston. It is kinda cool to see this come full circle. My trainer found Dennis when he was in this area and now I get to continue to fellowship with him. 

We went everywhere on Friday. We started off with getting a call from the Stake President of the Beaumont Texas Stake just east of Houston. There was a man in the Med Center who was just getting ready to go into surgery that afternoon and he asked for a Priesthood blessing. We said we will leave in 5 minutes, (We were finishing up Personal Study). We got to his room and we got to talk a bit. Just as we were finishing up the blessing the doctors came to bring him to surgery. It was a miracle that we were able to make it there on such a short notice. I haven't heard anything since but I know that God needed us to be ready at a moment's notice and we were ready to heed the call. Later on we went to Downtown to do some finding. We wanted to give it a try. We went to the Discovery Green Park which is like a miniature very tiny Central Park from NYC. We went over to Midtown which is where the end of Westheimer Road is. By the end of the day we had 3 planned lessons fall through but 2 unplanned lessons go through. Really this whole day was really epic! 

But when we have our highs, we get our lows. The day was a lot of finding. We had 2 lessons though. Lessons that go through smoothly make everything worth it especially as they progress to Baptism!

Sunday made everything worth it! We had 3 friends come to church. One of them was his first time coming to church and his first time meeting with us. He enjoyed church and we are going to meet with him later this week. The end of this Sunday we had what is called Seal it Sunday. This was a mission zoom where everyone who has served with the Richard's and their families to be on this call. It was a time for us all to share miracles that we have seen during our missions. This was our final Hurrah to the Richard's. They take flight this week and the Garns take the reins of the mission. 

That's the week. 

I just want to say that even through our struggles we have whether they are great or small, Jesus is always walking by our side. He is our Redeemer and will never leave us. I know this because I have seen it in my life especially on my Mission. We can always turn to our hope. As Nephi says in 2 Nephi 31:20 

“Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the words of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father, Ye shall have eternal life.” 

Press forward always in Christ. 

Till I see y'all or write to y'all again!