Week #83

Hello everyone,

I really enjoyed conference and am going to download a few to listen to while and eating breakfast. Definitely the ones from Elder Holland, Elder Nelson, Pres. Uchtdorf, Pres. Monson, and Elder Nelson. Those were great! The theme this conference definitely was do your calling, honor your priesthood, and importance of families. Spiritually uplifting but even better when we put it into action in our daily lives. 

Victoria has a baptismal date for this Saturday at 5pm if you want to come..... cordially invited. haha  We have lots of other great people we are teaching right now too and I´ll let ya know if they keep progressing towards baptism or not. 

During the week, some guy stops us and asks for a Book of Mormon. We were in a super hurry so we gave him one and went on way.  This Saturday, we decided to talk to this guy we always pass on the street and invite him to conference. As we invite him he starts telling us how he´s read up to Alma. He says how we wants to have the faith of those yougn men he read about. How their mother´s had taught them and believed. He told us how much he loved reading about these 2,000 stripling warriors and wants to learn more. He couldn´t make it to church but we are going to see if he lives in our area and definitely bring him unto Christ. Maybe I dont tell this story very well or dont remember all the details, but i will never forget how big my smile got (and how i couldn´t wipe it off my face even if i wanted) as he started telling us all about those 2,000 young men that went to war and didn´t perish.  Wow! Something like that has never happened to me on the mission before. All because one day, weeks ago, we decided to talk to him. 

Im grateful to God for everything (also a theme in the conference) and keep on keepin on.

Elder Leslie

Week #82

Hey everyone,

I´m doing real great down here and happy to be a part of five baptisms in the month of march. There truely is a special spirit when someone enters into this sacred convenant with our Heavenly Father. Not too many showed up to Gayra´s baptism Saturday night but thats okay because there was a reverence a powerful sense of calmness and i know that the Holy Ghost was filling that room to testify of the truthfullness of what we were doing. After the ordainance, her return-missionary-mom shared her humble testimony and with tears in eyes said how grateful she was to God. Sunday morning she was confirmed member of the church and received the gift of the Holy Ghost along with Marilyn and Valeria (two baptisms from last sunday). 

I also had the opportunity to interview someone for baptism saturday night. We were in a hurry and so i felt all stressed out but when we sat down to talk i felt a complete calmness come over me and nothing around us mattered. I knew in that instant that she was ready and worthy for baptism because she had the spirit with her so sweet and so strong. Of course, I then proceeded to ask all the interview questions but she obviously passed. Life´s a lot easier with the spirit, I´m coming to find out. 

Regards,

Elder Leslie

Week #81

Hello everyone,

I sent a bunch of pictures to look at so you can see what ive been up to. Today they called us about transfers..... there aren´t for us! That´s actually really awesome because Elder Castellanos is the best campanion ive had in my whole mission and we are having lots of sucess here. This weekend we had 3 baptisms. Saturday was Yackelin and Sunday Valeria and Marilin. We are so happy to have been apart in their conversion and we excited for Victoria (Yackelin´s friend) to get baptized this Saturday. Victoria doesn´t know it yet but she definitely is going to accept baptismal date. If not, we will be baptizing a girl named Gayra this Saturday at 4. You are all invited. :)

My birthday was great! At Yackelin´s baptismal interview we ate cake to celebrate with my name on it and everything. She had gone to the store that with Victoria and bought me it. Later   with the Lopez Ramirez family we ate a bunch of oranges and when we came home the other elders had ordered pizza and gave me a cake, also with my name on it! It actually didnt even hit me that my birthday was coming until the day before and i figured nothing big was gonna happen, but i feel loved and im very grateful for all that was done! We had a fun pizza party that night! haha. (Until 10:30 of course and then we had to go to bed.....haha)

I´m happy to be a missionary and excited for another transfer with my campanion!

Sincerely,

Elder Leslie 

Week #80

Hello all,

I´m doing really great down here and so happy for Alejandro who got baptized and confirmed this weekend! Yackelin was there at his baptism and is still really excited for her baptism this saturday! We are working with a few really great investigators and will see what happens this week. We are going to try to work a ton with the priests and future missionaries in the ward. 

I dont say much, but just know that i´m happy and feel the spirit constantly. I´m trying my best to follow the guidance of this wonderful spirit and doing my part to put the work in. Here are some  fun pictures to look at. 

Sincerely,

Elder Leslie

we bought coconuts

Week #79

Hola

Im doing real well and happy to be a missionary. Right now we have a few awesome people we are teaching that very possibly will get baptized this month. This saturday we have a baptism planned for a guy my age named Alejandro and thursday i will be interviewing two others in our district programmed for this friday. Yesterday, a girl named Valeria (zone leaders ward) that I interviewed got baptized and we were able to go see it because one of our investigators, Yackelin, wanted to go. Yackelin has such a strong testimony and is happy to share it. I think this is the first time ive seen one of my investigors get up in front of 144 members and bare her testimony. Before she did she turns around in the row ahead of us and asks ´´ can i bare my testimony too´´ we told her no......haha we told her ´´of course you can!´´ go for it ! haha it was such a powerful experience and all throughout church you could tell she was just so happy and her lit up with the spirit. She announced in her testimony that she is a new member of the church and will soon be getting baptized (17th of march). I feel so blessed to be of the missionaries who found her and to help become a strong member who will later bless the lives of
others in her example and word.

I pray for you all and hope all is well. Back to work!

Elder Leslie

Week #78

hello,

not much time to write but it was a great week. Alejandro and his brother, Omar, came to church and they seemed to enjoy it. Well Alejandro has been coming for weeks now with his mormon girlfriend, but it was awesome to see his brother come for the first time. They aren´t low on money but at the same time are humbly and willing to learn and obey. Alejandro is preparing for baptism the 10th of March and his brother still is praying and thinking about it. A bit tough right now because he is a leader of youth in the christian chruch he goes to right now. Another investigator named Jaquilin (from honduras) is awesome too! she came to church and even went to a single adults activity on saturday! wow! she says she wants to be baptized and bore her testimony of the church in the gospel principles class of the second hour. Preparing to be baptized for the 17th of March. Yes, she will be confirmed the holy spirit on kyle brown´s birthday! and interviewed on mine. :-)

gotta go because i have to catch a bus to Tuxtla. ill be there until wednesday for some training stuff. Thanks for everything and i love you all!

Regards 

Elder Leslie

Week #77

Hey all, 

Today was fun! We played soccer in an outdoor soccerfield with walls and turf. way fun and awesome. cant believe i forgot to take a picture though. Before that we went to  go see some rocks (ruins of izapa) not too exciting but cool because one of the is supposed to the be tree of life stone... yeah like from 1nephi 8. Fun to get the both zones of tapachula together and play!

This week went well and my campanion, elder castellanos, is a blast! We have some referrals from members that we are working with and hopefully we will be seeing some baptisms soon. 

I love you all and hope you´re all welll. I know mom, dad, andrew and mary dont have much to complain about. haha.  

Love Elder Leslie

here a bunch a pics