Monday, April 22, 2013

Hola Mi Famila! Whew! What a crazy, LONG week this has been! I don't even know where to begin....it has been quite rough. Although it has been quite hard this week, the Lord has really been with us and I have been able to see little miracles and blessings that he has given us each and every day. Even something as little as a member passing by offering a ride to a far away street, the Lord really has helped us. The missionaries before us didn't really leave any work for us. No investigators or anything to work with, so that has been rough not knowing where to begin. We have just been using the directory to try and find members to visit to introduce ourselves and get to know them and try to see if they have anyone we can visit or teach. A few have given us a couple of names and have been really helpful. I am so surprised and happy with our branch. There are 3 branches here in Agua Prieta and we are in Branch 1. It is bigger the WARD I was in Hermosillo and it is only a branch! They have like 120 attendances. It is pretty neat! And all of the organizations have their presidencies and are very well organized. Our Branch pres. is a young fellow. Only 27 or so years old, but he is really good! All of the members are so nice and seem to want to help us, so that is good. Agua Prieta is one of the highest baptizing zones in the mission. That is because they are so close to going from a District to a Stake and I think these members really want a stake and so everyone is working hard and doing their part to make that happen. This branch doesn't have a piano player, so I am back at my old calling! Yes! I feel like the Lord has really helped me improve and advance in Piano in the mission! Just another little blessing from serving a mission! We have found 2 new investigators this week that are really quite awesome and they are both Boyfriends of 2 members. A boy who is a miracle! He is 18 and the Sunday before we arrived, he apparently went to church for the first time and went up and bore his testimony in Fast and Testimony meeting! Apparently he said that he knew the church was true, and even without talking to missionaries first! We met with him and taught him the Restoration and the spirit was so strong and he began to cry. He said he knew that the church was true. We invited him to be baptized May 11th and he accepted the date! So we have one date so far! :) We also later on taught Lesson 3 "The Gospel" and he just loved it! Once again he cried, but a lot more this time. He gave such a wonderful prayer and the spirit was really strong. He is so willing and loves meeting with us. He is truly one of those "already prepared" and will progress really well! There is another boy that is also the boyfriend of another member and we found him just going around looking for members to meet. He is 17 and had heard the missionaries one time before and they gave him a Book Of Mormon and he has been reading it and really loves it! As we were getting to know him a bit, we asked him what he most desired in this life and he said to have a family centered in the Gospel and to be able to be a good example to his kids when he has kids. We taught him the Plan of Salvation and about families and he really enjoyed it! We also invited him to baptism, but he said he wanted to wait because he doesn't want to be in a different religion than his family. We have been trying to get him to understand that he doesn't have to wait, but we are just not sure how to get to him. We will still work on it though. He has felt the spirit and has received answers to his prayers, so I think we may be able to help him! It has kind of been sort of fun being a trainer! It is weird being with someone who knows completely nothing about being a missionary and you have to teach him everything, but it is going well. This Elder is a good guy. He is obedient and likes to work. He is sort of like me and kind of quiet and "serious" as they like to say down here. I don't like serious, I just say I'm tranquil and peaceful. But with us both being the same in a way, it is has been kind of interesting and quiet! Ha! I am used to comps that don't shut up, but now that I have one that is like me and doesn't converse much it is kind of killing and awkward and times! We will get through it though! I told mom before transfers that someone in a high place told me what they were thinking of for me in this transfer. The options were Zone Leader or Trainer. I told her that I didn't feel ready for either, especially Zone Leader, but I have found this week that he Lord really knows us and knows what we need and what is best for our lives. I know that this assignment as trainer is exactly what I need at this point in my mission and already I am learning and growing so much in so many ways and so many skills. I am truly thankful for this time and know it will most likely help me prepare for other assignments in the mission later on. This week Hermana Hernandez called me and told me that she wanted me to put together a small group a missionaries to do a special musical number for a special conference in May. Apparently 1 or 2 Apostles will be coming to our mission and I am putting together a number for them! We have a group of about 8 Elders and I have chose " Hark All Ye Nations" as the piece. I have been doing an arrangement and it is coming together well. We practiced for the first time today and I am super excited! It should come together nicely! I know I am leaving out a bunch of things to say, but nothing is really coming to mind at the moment. I hope you all have a fantastic week! I will be talking to you all in a short 2 and a half or 3 weeks! How crazy, huh? Till Next Week! ¡Yo sé que vive mi Señor! Con Mucho Amor, Elder Joyner