Friday, October 25, 2013

October 21, 2013 - SAMS CLUB, A MALL, 3 WALMARTS & A STADIUM!!

I got both of your packages by the way and I already opened them... Hahaha!!   I loved it.   The package was awesome and I loved the book you made... it was gangster!  I heard it got to the mission home like  3 days ago, so me and my comp went to the offices today to get them.  The package is awesome.  Thanks so much mom and I took pics, but its not the same cuz its just me... Hahaha!! I am not sure why they held it up in customs but I wouldnt be surprised if it was the cookies inside. But I opened all of them up.   I loved all them especially the nasty bacon mints Hahaha!!
My new comp., Elder J. is from Vera Cruz, Mexico.  He has 4 months in the mission.  Last Thursday I saw Elder W.  It was sooo sick.  We had a meeting for the new district leaders.
Oh an elder in my district who is from West Jordan, who has only been out like 5 days here has a girlfriend from Fruit Heights.  It's K. E.  (aka C.J.'s little sister)  my friend when i worked at Subway. My area is sooooooo tight,  I have the Aztec Stadium in my ward and like the sickest mall thingy   plus Sams Club and three Walmarts.
We had a babtism on Saturday,  a kid who is 21 and super sick. The babtism was awesome and I directed it - first time in Spanish.   Also we have a investigator who is super awesome for sure I am gonna babtize her in like 3 or 4 weeks. She is 18.   It's hard because she is always home alone and I don't want to teach her in her house so we had our first lesson on the curb in front of her house.
I got to go Momma,  love you tons... I am gonna try to send you my camera chip so you can see the videos and pictures.  Keep me in your prayers cuz I need them!!

FINALLY...my birthday present!
Me and Elder C.
 Zone Leader Conference
Me, Elder Y. and Elder W. 

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

October 13 - I'M A DISTRICT LEADER AND PEACIN OUT!!

First of all, my birthday was good.  We ate with members and some members from San Pedro sent me a watch that is super nice.   But ya it was good, but honestly I dont like having birthdays in the mission I was super homesick that day and as soon as I just forgot about it being the 12th  I was happier... Hahaha!!   It was weird.   The best park of the day was when I was in a lesson with an investigator.  I did have a good day.  We ate with 2 members that day too and after went to Burger King.   It's ok we might go eat somewhere nice after the district meeting tonight.  One meal was with the bishop and his wife made spaghetti.  It was awesome, she is soooo nice, I love her.
But guess what?   I am peacin out to another area called Acoxpa as the District Leader.  I am super stressed out.  I don't know what I am gonna do, I hope my new companion isn't lazy, we are gonna work no matter what!!  I am super ticked about leaving Elder Clark but Elder Carrigan is coming here to finish training him.  He is one of the elders who is in the Beatles pic...so it will be good.
The changes are tomorrow so I get to see everyone like Elder W. and Elder Y.!!  Elder W. is also gonna be a district leader in Iztapalpa...Hahaha!!  I am stoked that we are both gonna be doing the same thing, it makes me feel way better.
But we taught a man named Jorge, he is awesome too.   We just need to interview him.   But Hermana K. made me a cake yesterday and I cried saying goodbye to her . That's the first time I have cried in front of someone in the mission.   I don't know why but I just love her family so much and I want to baptize her so bad but we can't until the Pres says so.  Ya, it's super hard, that's like one of the things I hate most in the mission, leaving an area is soooo hard and super frustrating.  But I know it's what the Lord wants.  The good news is that district leaders stay in areas for long periods of time.  Usually like 3 or 4 changes, so I hope this new area is awesome.
Acoxpa is actually not that far from Estrella.  It's the next zone over and it's 25 minutes away in car.
Yesterday I bore my testimony in sacrament in front of a member of the seventy... Hahaha!! It was sick!!
As for my butt, it is good.  It still hurts sometimes when I sit down but I am way better.   I think the Pres is gonna set up another appointment with the doctor to see if everything healed alright.
I will talk to you next week just make sure to keep me in your prayers cuz I am gonna need it big time this week.  Thanks for everything and try to get that package sent through...do you think I will get it soon?  I would like to get it, so try as hard as you can to get it through.
 Love you tons,  Momma!   Tell the family that I say hi and that I love them tons.   Pray for me and my companion and my new area... Please aka POR FAVOR!!  Adios!
 
Me and Elder A. in Hermana K.'s house. 
It's a birthday cake she made for us.
My birthday dinner at the Bishop's house
  

Me, Elder Clark and the bishop and his wife.
My roommates
Me and Elder Clark!!
 

Monday, October 7, 2013

October 7, 2013 - BACK TO ESTRELLA!

Here's the deal with this week ... so we got back to our area on Wednesday and started working like 4 hours a day (like 2 or 3 appointments) thats about it.   It was good.  I was so stressed cuz its like we are working with no one right now.   We didn't have any progressing investigators and I felt like I was opening up an area again.  Anyways, I have been praying so hard for some of the investigators we have here.   One in particular, her name is K. and she has 3 kids and is fetchin awesome!!  I have known her the whole time I have been here.  She has seen the elders for 2 years now.  I feel like she is my mom out here.   She is like 30 years old and just awesome,  but she lives with her boyfriend and long story short she cant get married cuz her boyfriend hasn't divorced his last wife completely. It's pretty messed up, he is a returned missionary.  Anyway, we went with her like 5 days ago and I said to Elder C. if she 't progressing when we teach her today or something good happens we might have to stop teaching her.  We are wasting our time. Anyways, we go to her house and we get there and she just looked super happy.   She then ended up telling us that she talked to her boyfriend and told him that she wants to get baptized and knows that she can't while he is living there with her.   So she said to him that God and her kids are more important so she kicked him out Hahaha!!  I was stoked.  Its awesome she just never wanted to change or tell her boyfriend to move out until now. She ended up telling us and crying a lot that she wants to do the right thing.  It was so spiritual and awesome.  I felt so good after and I knew the Lord helped us out with her cuz we didn't have anyone when I got back to the area.  But we are setting up appointments with the President and Stake President because she has to talk to them before she gets baptized.  Not sure exaclty why but I just hope she passes.   She has a ton of faith for doing what she did.  She came to conference yesterday and cried during it and said it was awesome.   Also, we have another investigator named Hermano V. His wife is a member and we are working with him and gonna put a date with him this week.
I feel better every day, the only thing that bugs me is sometimes it hurts to sit down cuz its still not all the way healed but other than that, its good.  I don't have to go to the doctor's anymore.  I am all goooooood right now.
I watched conference at the stake center...it was sick.  The talks yesterday and Saturday were awesome.   I watched in English with like 10 other elders.  It was sweet and the talks were awesome.
My Spanish is good.   It's just the fine tuning I'm trying to work on right now.  For the most part I really get the language but I just have to correct little things and make my sentences flow more easily.  But I read the other day that Satan tries to attack those who have the gift on tongues by making them feel bad or like they don't understand when they really do.  So I just got to stay more positive.   Elder C. and I are working hard on the language.  I need to help him more with that for sure.  It's hard cuz it's mostly me in the lessons.  I talk the whole time, but the Lord is helping me to be better for sure.
For my birthday, I think there are some members that are gonna cook for me and Elder A. because it's his b-day on the 14th.  So it should be awesome.  If not, we will probably hit up Burger King or something...just the four of us...should be super fun!
O.K.  Momma,  I got to go.  Don't worry, I will take tons of pics on my bday.
Keep praying for our investigators.
Adios!

I was wanted to make sure Josh could go out for a good meal on his big day...

MOM:  
Dad and I are going to put an extra $50 in your account...we want you  to take your roommates out to celebrate!!  Is there  somewhere nicer than Burger King?

JOSH: 
Ya, actually there is a place that looks like a ghetto cheesecake factory in our area, so that would be so sick to go to.   I think that's where we will go...Hahaha!!

(I just don't think he will find anything close to Linda's Fudge Cake!!)

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

October 1, 2013 - RECOVERING IN THE MISSION HOME

Hey Momma,
I am in the yellow house living with the assistants and secretaries.  I am working in the offices right now.  Elder C. and I have been here since Wednesday night and get to go home tonight. 
The President wanted me up here because the doctor told me last week that I couldn't leave the house.  I think he was worried about Elder C.  Last week the doctor told me that I can't walk for maybe two more weeks, so the Pres told me that I could just work from here for a week and return hopefull to Estrella.   It's a nice house, it has a ton of rooms and bathrooms.  It's a place where I stayed the first night in the mission.
So today, the doctor just told me that I can start to work this Monday... Ya Buddy!!   I am doing good, for real.   I feel really good it's just annoying that I feel good but cant walk or sit.   It's weird Hahaha!! But I am not in that much pain, sometimes when I sit down it hurts but other than that I am good.
I am talking to the President right now and he just told me that we can go back to our area and work a little bit but I am not sure cuz the doctor told me to be patient and go back to work on Monday.  I will pray for sure about it.
I did a whole lot of nothing while staying in the yellow house.   But I got to go on splits with Elder B.,  he is an assistant and goes home in 2 weeks.   He is awesome learned a ton from him.  He just told me tons about how President puts me with the hard missionaries cuz he thinks I can motivate them.  And he told me he had a ton of crappy missionaries too when he was starting off the mission. I was pretty happy to hear that.  But we got to go work with the assistants a lot and that was really cool.  I  got to study the language a ton this week and all day yesterday so hopefully it pays off.  But I am just pumped to go back to Estrella and work,  I am a little nervous cuz its like we are starting all over in Estrella again.  We have no progressing investigators and its gonna be so tough.  I am stressing but its gonna be all good.   The Lord always puts people in front of us who are ready to change and stuff... but keep me for sure in your prayers this week.
K,  I love you tons and keep me in your prayers but just know that everything is gonna be fine.
 
P.S.  - that picture you sent me of Kyle and his whole group in our house (for Homecoming) one of his friends is wearing my beanie!!   The one Grandma Gee made for me.   What a little rat!! Hahaha!
 
I got to go peace out ... talk to you next week!
 
While Josh was on the internet, Syd came home and wrote a little bit to him.
 
SYD:    HAY JOSH THIS IS SYD YOUR SISTER
 
JOSH:  HEY SYDANATOR!!
 
SYD:   HOW'S YOUR BUTT?
 
JOSH:   ITS A LITTLE STINKY BUT IT IS GETTING BETTTTAAAA!!