So the highlight of
the week was we found someone to teach in Spanish! The entire time I have been
in this area I have been praying for a chance to teach someone in Spanish, and
just as I was beginning to think it wasn't going to happen our Ward Mission Leader
gave us a referral.
He met Jose a little over a week ago and talked with him about the church. Apparently Jose had gone to church several times in Mexico and enjoyed learning from the Elders down there and now he is here in Okanogan working in the orchards. When he met Josh (our Ward Mission Leader) he was excited to reconnect with the church. We called Jose on the phone last Tuesday night and set up a lesson for Wednesday and then spent an hour looking for him Wednesday night. Jose didn't know his address and so we just kinda guessed where his house was and went for it. After a little while we found it and had a nice lesson with him. We also went back on Saturday. On Saturday Jose asked our Josh if he would be able to pick him and a friend up for church the next day. And when he showed up to church he had brought two friends with him! And now all 3 of them want to learn!!
This experience was super neat. It helped me to realize that God answer's prayers but in his own timing. It doesn't always come when we want it, but it does come.
We had another visit with Trinidy this week. Which was really good, but she's having a hard time. I guess both her parents are extremely awful to her, so she has to pick which one she hates less, and that's the one she lives with. It was super sad to hear about her struggles so if you could all keep her in your prayers it would help her immensely. She needs the Gospel desperately in her life and if she can figure out how to apply the Atonement it would be so good for her.
Angi is doing well. She's been hard to meet with but is doing well. We've been trying to work with Tasha but it's been super hard because she spent all week at her dad's house. But we saw them last night for a brief moment and talked with Tasha and Lydia about being at Angi's for the week. Pray that they stay with Angi all week so we can work with them and help Tasha get to baptism.
For the 4th, Elder Allsop and I spent it in Yakima at the mission home. It was super fun and is always an awesome learning experience. I think my favorite part about MLC's are that the entire time we are discussing the focus on the missionaries in the mission. It's a "How can we help the entire mission?" attitude, which I absolutely love. As with every MLC Elder Allsop and I have a 5 hour trip back to Omak, which is not too bad, and this time it was even better. As we neared our apartment, at about 10:15, all of Omak was lit up in fireworks. There were so many fireworks going off as we pulled into town. It was super cool.
There were a couple really neat experiences this week that really touched me, and both of them happened last night. So every Sunday we go over the Bauer's, who are the fellowship family for Trinidy, to have a lesson with them and Trin. Trin calls them her mom and dad, and her brothers and sisters. This family literally has created a safe haven for Trin from the awfulness she faces on a daily basis. Being at the Bauer's is always a spiritual and special experience but last night there was a brief moment that really touched me.
We were waiting for Trinidy to come into the living room and I looked to my left and I saw the Bauer's 7 year old son praying personally over a small bowl of noodles that he was having for a snack. When I saw this, the thought came to my mind "This is how you make sure your kids can withstand the temptations that they will face." Because of this experience I want to make sure my kids understand prayer at a very early age, that it is more than saying a few words to God, but rather that it is building a personal relationship with him. I don't know if I ever prayed personally over my food until I was in High School, and seeing this young boy already beginning to understand why we pray really touched me.
The second experience was later that evening while talking to an elderly gentleman. This man poured out his soul to us and explained how when he was a child his father used to beat him mercilessly and that he had "angels pull him out of his body, and he was held by God until his unconscious body woke up." It always amazes me how people seem to trust a couple 20 year olds with their most painful memories, but this experience helped me to understand a little more about the special spirit of the calling we hold as missionaries.
Love you all!!
--
Elder Miles
Washington Yakima Mission
He met Jose a little over a week ago and talked with him about the church. Apparently Jose had gone to church several times in Mexico and enjoyed learning from the Elders down there and now he is here in Okanogan working in the orchards. When he met Josh (our Ward Mission Leader) he was excited to reconnect with the church. We called Jose on the phone last Tuesday night and set up a lesson for Wednesday and then spent an hour looking for him Wednesday night. Jose didn't know his address and so we just kinda guessed where his house was and went for it. After a little while we found it and had a nice lesson with him. We also went back on Saturday. On Saturday Jose asked our Josh if he would be able to pick him and a friend up for church the next day. And when he showed up to church he had brought two friends with him! And now all 3 of them want to learn!!
This experience was super neat. It helped me to realize that God answer's prayers but in his own timing. It doesn't always come when we want it, but it does come.
We had another visit with Trinidy this week. Which was really good, but she's having a hard time. I guess both her parents are extremely awful to her, so she has to pick which one she hates less, and that's the one she lives with. It was super sad to hear about her struggles so if you could all keep her in your prayers it would help her immensely. She needs the Gospel desperately in her life and if she can figure out how to apply the Atonement it would be so good for her.
Angi is doing well. She's been hard to meet with but is doing well. We've been trying to work with Tasha but it's been super hard because she spent all week at her dad's house. But we saw them last night for a brief moment and talked with Tasha and Lydia about being at Angi's for the week. Pray that they stay with Angi all week so we can work with them and help Tasha get to baptism.
For the 4th, Elder Allsop and I spent it in Yakima at the mission home. It was super fun and is always an awesome learning experience. I think my favorite part about MLC's are that the entire time we are discussing the focus on the missionaries in the mission. It's a "How can we help the entire mission?" attitude, which I absolutely love. As with every MLC Elder Allsop and I have a 5 hour trip back to Omak, which is not too bad, and this time it was even better. As we neared our apartment, at about 10:15, all of Omak was lit up in fireworks. There were so many fireworks going off as we pulled into town. It was super cool.
There were a couple really neat experiences this week that really touched me, and both of them happened last night. So every Sunday we go over the Bauer's, who are the fellowship family for Trinidy, to have a lesson with them and Trin. Trin calls them her mom and dad, and her brothers and sisters. This family literally has created a safe haven for Trin from the awfulness she faces on a daily basis. Being at the Bauer's is always a spiritual and special experience but last night there was a brief moment that really touched me.
We were waiting for Trinidy to come into the living room and I looked to my left and I saw the Bauer's 7 year old son praying personally over a small bowl of noodles that he was having for a snack. When I saw this, the thought came to my mind "This is how you make sure your kids can withstand the temptations that they will face." Because of this experience I want to make sure my kids understand prayer at a very early age, that it is more than saying a few words to God, but rather that it is building a personal relationship with him. I don't know if I ever prayed personally over my food until I was in High School, and seeing this young boy already beginning to understand why we pray really touched me.
The second experience was later that evening while talking to an elderly gentleman. This man poured out his soul to us and explained how when he was a child his father used to beat him mercilessly and that he had "angels pull him out of his body, and he was held by God until his unconscious body woke up." It always amazes me how people seem to trust a couple 20 year olds with their most painful memories, but this experience helped me to understand a little more about the special spirit of the calling we hold as missionaries.
Love you all!!
--
Elder Miles
Washington Yakima Mission
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