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¡Nogales!

Hola amigos. Yo soy aquí en el campo misional. Been a crazy week ahha. Got to leave the MTC and say goodbye to everyone kinda sad but good were all going to different places to do this great work and it is great. I got to go from the MTC all the way to Tucson with Elder Riches and the bus ride really didn't feel too long! But we got there and drove to the mormon battalion thing that is in down town tucson. That night we were able to have some time to go to the temple and just walk around the grounds and kinda just ponder and pray and I had a really cool experience there. I just said a prayer that i wanted to know where I was going tomorrow and that it was a place that I would do well in and right after praying I had the strongest feeling that i was going to Nogales! And that's where I'm at now! 

Nogales a town right on the border between Arizona and mexico. We see the border wall every day and I see what is mexico every day also its a cool little small town with a lot of spanish speakers!

My companion/trainer is Elder Woodward, hes from Heriman, utah and is really good friends with one of my cousins which is actually super cool! He's awesome and I'm learning so much by his example. He always finds awesome ways to turn every conversation into an inspirational/ spiritual message and you can feel the power that this gospel has in their lives. Our first day we taught a lady up in tucson and she was having some trials with her daughter and he quoted a scripture about why we have trials and that god is with us in all things and she began to cry and said that it was the First time she had cried about this and the spirit was so strong and that's the power that the gospel has. We also had another cool experience in another lesson that we taught to a guy who is in the national guard working on the border ( we taught the lesson in his hotel room which was kinda odd but I've seen some odd stuff this week) he was a less active member from benson and told us he was interested in going back to church. When asking why he told us about an experience he had the week before, he told us that he was painting his house and just had been feeling really lonely and struggling with depression and began to cry and said a prayer, and when he opened his eyes he looked down and on the news paper covering the ground the first thing he saw on it wasthe book of mormon and he expressed that he wanted answers from god in his prayer and he got his very fast. You could see that you god had answered his prayer and now were going to meet with him every Tuesday and teach him the lessons. Missionary work pays off! 

One thing I didn't think about before I came out is that some people really dont like missionaries. People have yelled at us from their cars and this one guy told us that we worship Joseph Smith and that we need to repent but there is opposition is all things and I know the lord protects his servants and I have already seen that a lot of times. I have been reading in the end of Alma the war chapters and what really stood out to me was how god prepares weak things to be strong for his work. In alma 49:13-14 it talks about how the lammanites come to battle thinking its going to be a breeze but Moroni has prepared his cities and people and by god has made weak things strong. This has really helped me this past week because at the beginning of your mission you feel weak, you feel helpless like when talking to someone in spanish and have no idea what's going on. But I know and have already seen that the lord is making something weak like I, into something strong that can do the work of teaching this people about the restored gospel. The last scripture I read before I got offthe plane in tucson was Alma 42:31 that says: "and now, O my son, ye are called of god to preach the word unto this people. And now, my son go thy way, declare the word with truth and soberness, that thou mayest bring souls unto repentance, that the great plan of mercy may have claim upon them. And may god grant you even according to my words. Amen." I sat in my seat after reading thus last scripture of chapter 31 of my personal study and stoodall amazed at thr power of gods love and hand in my life to have had read this scripture right before landing in the place where I was called, to the people I was just about to start to teach and this scripture had so much power in me. 

I know this us Christ's restored church here upon the earth and that he knows each of us individually and answered our prayers. I love this work and am so excited to have finally really gotten going! 

Thanks to  everyone who wrote me and for all that you do for me. Love you all greatly have an awesome week and peace! 

I got a lot of pictures

1. Me with Nogales Sonora behind me, you can see the border fence a little
2. Us at this taco place unto the over pass
3.sun set
4.the temple, very pretty.
5.mi companero.
















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