Another Convert Baptism this Week!

Received these pics from one of the Ward members! 

Elder Lund, his companion, and a new investigator

That’s so cool the kids are all spiritual and such! It’s more than I ever did.  But I wish I had prayed and read scriptures more often before my mission.  Don’t let them quit it!

So this week Christian got baptized!  It was so cool, and his whole family came to support.  And Jonathan Naranjo baptized him.  He is leaving on his mission in a month.  But the water leaked out sooo much!  It was a just barely past their knees... it reminded me of your baptism when there was no water and the girl had to turn her head to fit.  But Christian is such a stud!  He is better dressed at church than most, even though he has only been a couple times. And I didn’t get a picture because I lost my camera charger but I just bought a new one so don’t fret.  But he even came to stake conference this week and it was 45 min away. But yes stake conference was pretty good, super long though.  And we brought Amairani and then they started talking super heavily about eternal marriage and she just started shaking her head, haha.  And the woman who brought her, an old grandma lady, Amairani said she got all weird about marriage to Amairani.

And we also had our quarterly interviews on Tuesday.  Everyone was taking a super long time and so I went in and just told him strait up that he was way behind schedule and so we just needed to keep it short, and he was like "perfect."  But then he went and started talking about how a lot of missionaries are going home soon and a lot of them are leaders and somebody needs to fill those spots.  And I was just thinking no way, don’t do that President.  So I think I’ll just slack off for a little bit so he doesn’t call me to do too much!  But he is making me make lists of my personal goals for everyday so I can become better accountable for myself.  He just knows me all too well because I’m like the least self-motivated person ever.  Every day my first goal is to "make tomorrow’s list" because I forget everyday!  I don’t think its working yet... maybe one day!

love 

elder lund

Fun FHE and Father's Day Celebrations!

This week we had Amairani do a family home evening.  I don’t know if you remember her but she is super strong but just can’t get baptized until she turns 18.  She has already shared the gospel with like 3 friends!  She shared a scripture and then for the activity we played Minute To Win It and the punishment for losing was a plate of frosting on your face!  It was so fun!  I was going to take a picture but my camera is dead and I lost my charger but there is a picture on Instagram somewhere.  And her mom stayed for it so hopefully we have built our relationship with her.  Even if we did build our relationship, Amairani switched custody to her cousin, whom she is going to live with in August in California.  And the cousin has had a lot of bad experiences with Mormons so that’s no help but Amairani is strong so she will be fine.

And Christian, we have been working with him for 3ish weeks now and he is going to get baptized on Sunday!  Well, Saturdays are best for his family but this Saturday is stake conference, so he will either get baptized on Sunday or next Saturday.  And then we will start teaching the family and I think his 9yr old sister and his dad will get baptized no problem.  Can’t wait!

And then Saturday the ward had a Father’s Day activity.  We went to a park and played a huge soccer game.  Boy was it toasty!  But some of the old Hispanics here are so good!  Like Hermano Torres, a 65yr old man from Honduras.  He was the man!  He played goalie and he blocked every shot and even jumped to grab some.  Then there were a bunch of 40year olds that were super good too. You probably saw videos from Hermana Diaz.  The guy in the yellow Brasil jersey is my companion Elder Preece.  He scored the first goal and then at the very end I scored the last one.  I wish our ward had huge soccer matches, haha! 

BTW the talk "The Atonement and the Journey of Mortality" by Bednar is super good.  And "What is The Blueprint of Christ’s Church" by McCallister.  If someone read the last one, they would be baptized on the spot!  It explains how we are the only church exactly like Christ's and it does it with the bible.

Elder Parks

p.s. Happy Fathers Day if I never said it.  Love you.

p.p.s. Any news of a plane in your future?

p.p.p.s. How about the new iPhone? New BMW i series?  Tesla model C?

p.p.p.p.s. 7 minute work out app on your phone. Its green, recommended by all the doctors here in Texas.  They say "A 7-minute work out is better than a 0-minute one."  We were informed by a member shadowing a doctor so it’s legit.  And it’s good for everyone, fit or not

Happy Father's Day!

This week I came to the conclusion that I completely live in the world.  We cover ourselves in machine made clothes, drive a man made car on man made roads, play basketball on an inside court for exercise, and sit in man made houses and help people mow their lawns or trim trees.  I don’t have any real contact with nature. I don’t even remember what god’s creations look like anymore!  I’m dying! I need to get transferred to a jungle or something for a while to return to my roots, haha!

But other than that, it was a decent week.  Nothing crazy happened but nothing bad happened either.  And we started teaching a Brazilian named Rapha.  He wants to come to our ward because his girlfriend is in it, kinda.  She’s less active-ish.  He swims for the US national team and if he drops 1 second he will make the Olympic trials.  So in 2016 I'll see him on TV and be like, “I taught that guy!” And he even said that listening to us has helped his swimming!  His girlfriend came to church yesterday and when he starts coming she will have to come!  It’s like a two for one!

And then for Father’s Day we baked Jose Sierra a cake and frosted it and wrote "!Feliz Dia Papa!" (happy day dad!)  We tried to write more but we ran out of room!  Jose and Maira loved it!  It was a good day.

Love, Elder Lund

New Companion, New Apartment, New Car!

This week I got a new companion, a new apartment, and a new car.  My companion is Elder Preece from American Fork, Utah.  He was my Zone Leader in Galveston for 3 transfers and now we are companions and he is my Zone Leader again.  He’s super fun and he wants to work hard so hopefully we will. And I lost Elder McKinley so it’s just us two.  And we moved into a new apartment on the third floor.  It’s funny how now I moved somewhere brand new with nothing in it from before, and it made me realize all the little things we need! Like butter and toilet paper and salt and laundry detergent.  My last apartment just had it all so it didn’t matter.

And since I’m not with the AP, I lost my truck.  Now we have a Ford Fusion.  It’s brand new so that’s pretty nice but I don’t really like it compared to a Tacoma.  So all the changes are fun and exciting and stuff.

This week Jose Sierra came to church again and their cousin Luis too!  When we first met Luis he wouldn’t talk to us but we saw him and José last night and just ate baliadas with them.  (Dad’s note:  baliadas are Honduran; tortillas filled with stuff and folded over). It was super cool though because Luis opened up about his whole life and his plans and stuff. And José said that he will always come to church and his goal now is to get married and baptized and then keep going for the rest of his life!  They are super cool.  We are also working with their friend, Christian. He is super cool and he keeps all his commitments and he somehow just shows up at church. We have no idea how he gets there but he does, haha! 

And btw this whole time I’ve been talking to 8 yr old Ethan Ashton so I don’t know if this will make too much sense!

Thanks for the letters, Elder Parks

Temple Work with New Convert Families!

The Melgars 

The Sierras

Converts from last week

This week we went to the temple again, twice!  We went once with the Sierras. While we went inside with Anthony and Giselle, the parents and the kids stayed outside and walked around the gardens. Inside Anthony was able to be baptized for his grandpa, and Giselle was able to be baptized for a grandma she had never met but who had asked for help in a recent dream. It was super powerful!

Then we got outside and all the kids were smiling because the temple just felt so nice. The mom was crying because she was thinking about how she will be baptized soon and go in.  And even the dad, who is the hardest to get to, said “it just feels different,” and because he works up by the temple he wants to stop by and just walk around outside to feel better.

Then we went to the temple the next day with the Melgars.  It was special because he has been investigating for 20 years! Then when Elder Johnson came to the area he helped Hermano Melgar go through a long repentance process and be baptized.  Then the last week of Elder Johnson’s mission he watched Hermano Melgar get baptized for his father in the temple.  It was so cool because it was only we missionaries, Hermano Melgar and his wife, and our Ward Mission Leader in the room.  No one else so it was quiet and our Mission Leader could pronounce the prayers slowly to fully appreciate the experience.  It was a good week!

Then yesterday was Elder Johnson’s last day to proselyte so we tried to see all the recent converts and give them his last message.  We saw 14 of the 17.  But at the end of the day with the sierras, oh boy! You would of thought that Elder Johnson was walking away to his death! Their whole family was just balling! And we taught a lesson on forgiveness that was one of the most powerful lessons I’ve ever taught. But Maira, the mom, filmed everything we did while we were there, haha!  

And at the end of the night, the dad said a prayer and it was so heartfelt. He prayed for the safety of all of us wherever we went and gave gratitude of our families letting us come and teach them.  He also prayed that all of us could stay family forever here on earth and be together in heaven.  It was so cool!

Elder Lund