Last Week in Imuris...and in the Mission...

Dear Family and Friends...

I am not sure how or what to feel right now as I will depart for home tomorrow...These 2 years have been the greatest of my life...But I know that it doesnt end right now, how it is when a person is baptized...your life doesnt end in that moment but it is merely beginning...I am highly grateful for this opportunity to have served on this mission...

This past week in Imuris was great...We kept working super hard until Sunday when I left...We had 2 baptisms on Satuday..I will send pictures later...It was a great way to end my service here...On Sunday, I was asked to speak in the Sacrament meeting....And everyone sang God Be with you till we meet again, to end the meeting...We were able to make a Family Home Evening appointment Sunday evening...we shared a message and then we sang another parting song and shared cake....Everyone, myself include, were crying...I kind of lost it...I felt sad for leaving them especially when we had progessed so much together...But I know that they will be just fine without me...If they stick to the things that we taught them, they will be perfectly fine...I love these people so much...

This is the greatest work on this Earth...This Church is true...The Complete Gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored in this dispensation...The Priesthood Power and Keys of God have been restored, and thanks to these Keys, President Monson recieves direction and revelation for us...

These things are all true...

I love you all 

Elder Child

Heaven Sent Help...

Hello Everyone!...It has been a wonderful week here in Imuris...I love being a missionary soooo much....I am not quite sure what I will do in a week..but that can wait haha...This week I spent a lot of time helping the organization of the Branch...

We also were able to help a few humble members with a little allotement of food...One of which has just come up with serious heart problems and cant walk very much...It touched my heart when we were able to take him to buy a little food...It made me remember when a few weeks ago I recieved a tithing envelope with 1 peso as tithing and 1 other peso for Fast Offering...And thanks to many children and people that pay what they can as a Fast offering so that more people can eat and recieve a little help..When I reflect on these sacred funds...I think of all of the many sacrifices of all the members of the church all around the world...that might not even have enough for their needs but they take one Sunday a month and live the Law of the Fast and pay a generous fast offering...thanks to these funds These members have recieved Heaven sent assistance...

We are so blessed....We do not even comprehend how blessed we are...Thanks to the mission I have been able to see a little more of what we have...

Sorry for such a short experience this week...dont have a lot of time...

Love you all and see next week..

Elder Child

The Miracle of Imuris

Hello Everyone...

Well it is hard to believe but I only have 15 days left...Truely I dont feel like anythings going to change...I feel like another transfer is going to arrive and I will stay in this little town for atleast another transfer before God sends me to another town here in Sonora...After so long away from your family you accept that wont see them to soon haha...So I guess what will happen in 2 weeks...

We are having lots of success here in Imuris...The Branch is really growing...I cant even start to explain how much really it has grown since we got here...Here is one example before we got here about 13 people were attending this little branch...we arrived and had a meeting with the District President in Nogales..he said that this little branch is at risk of closing there just wasnt enough people going to church anymore...We kind of got scared...Since then we have worked our hardest, prayed many times every day, fasted up to 2 times a week, and have hoped for the best for this little branch....Yesterday in Church we had an attendance of 42 people...the little room filled as everyone bore their testimonies. The Maintenance people told us today that they will be fixing up our little house were we have our Sunday meetings...putting in artificial grass, tile, new paint, and maybe even taking out a wall to make our Sacrament Room bigger haha We have just seen this little town turn around...We know that our efforts were just a fraction of the work needed to have the results that we have seen here...We know that God is greatly blessing this town and all of the members here...

Saturday night we had a Branch Activity watching Meet the Mormons! No one has seen that movie here so we thought we would do a huge activity and invite everyone...All the members brought a snack and a friend :) Again our little Sacrament room filled up with lots of members and about 15 investigators...It was great...Elder Hyatt and I were busy running around refilling popcorn bowls and cups of Mango water...Boy were we tired...Finishing the movie when it was showing the scene about the missionary leaving his home for 2 years...Everyone just started crying...After, everyone was saying good bye to us with tears in their eyes just wanting to know more about the wonderful message that we share for 2 years...

I sure love this work...Cant imagine my life without it....

Love you guys

Elder Child

 

                                                         Making Schmores!!!

 

 

 Its kind of hard to see in the picture but it rained really hard this week, People say that it is the hardest it has ever rained for about 70 years...You can see water coming off of the roof...its like it was a whole river coming off that roof...Only day in my mission where my feet were completely soaked haha...

 

 

Its All in the BOOK!

Hello Everyone...

This week was great...we continue to find lots of people here in Imuris...There are more less active members that have been starting to go again to church and we are having some more investigators going as well...

Miracles are happening every day...One day while we were knocking doors. we found a little boy...who told us that his mother was busy inside...He told us to pass by another day...So we went around knocking more doors...we passed by the street where this little boy lived again, and he ran out and told us that his mother was able to talk to us...We passed by and the Mother started talking to us about the different religions that there are in Imuris...(there are a lot) She started asking the right questions...She asked us how she could know which church is the true one? and we were quick to respond...Pray...and ask God....She thought that was weird because the other churches just say to trust them...haha...So we shared our message and she was reading the Book of Mormon before we even left...haha She is a wonderful person. I swear the secret to Missionary Work is the Book of Mormon and Prayer...I know that God directs this work...and that we are His Servants...

Other fun experience was that on Sunday the Primary teacher didnt show up...so we got to teach all of the kids of the branch on Following the Prophet...Attached you will find a picture of the pictures everyone drew...After 2 hours of teaching these kids I enjoyed the 5 minutes of peace coloring time brought...Hahaha

Love you all

Elder Child

 

                                                              Primary in Imuris!

 

 

                                                               Its ALL in the BOOK!

 

 

 All of the Americans that were in the MTC together were reunited once again to go to the Temple...

 

 

Walking, Walking, Walking

Hello Everyone...

Elder Hyatt and I had a great week this past week we found more new investigators and we spent lots of time teaching...it was great...

We are still trying to get used to being the only missionaries in the city...And having quite an area to cover haha...We are having to walk quite a bit to get to our appointments...But we usually take advantage of the time to contact new people...

We had many spiritual experiences this week but today I will share just one...

On Tuesday we were walking to the lunch and a few men that were pretty drunk called us over...so we head over to talk to this man who seemed very depressed judging by how much he was drinking...he told of his story...and we felt like he was to under the influence to be helped so we excused ourselves...and we thought that we would never see him again...Saturday night as we were walking to the house trying to find one more person to teach at 8:30 we were guided to a door where we knocked...A man walked out to greet us and we didnt recognize him at first...he said that he was the drunk man we had talked too...We were quite suprised he had stopped drinking after our previous visit and had shaved and got a Hair cut...he looked like a new man...Were able to teach him the message of the Restoration...He was very receptive saying that he was ready to change his life...and leave all the alcohol behind...He was so happy after that message...He is excited to go to church this weekend and to keep progressing to leave all his sins behind...I hope so much that he can be able to progress and find a new life in Christ...

We hope to keep going strong this week working towards our Baptismal Goal for this transfer...

Thanks for all your support

Love Elder Child

 

                               Walking to the edge of the City where a few families live...:)

 

 

Imuris!

Hey Everyone...

This week was wonderful!! It has truly been nice to get back in the swing of things and just focus on my area and my little branch...

A few things about Imuris...there are about 10,000 people here and the Branch is quite small..yesterday we had about 30 people in church...which is really cool...My companion is Elder Hyatt from Texas and has about 6 months in the mission...We are quite enjoying our time...and working super hard...we are all out of pamphlets and Books of Mormon already so we will have to go up to Nogales to grab some more materials tomorrow haha...

We have a goal to knock every door in this little town in the time I have left as a Missionary...so we have been walking and knocking and walking some more to accomplish this goal so that we can find more people to teach...We have an amazing Baptismal Goal that we have set with a lot of faith...that we truly believe that can happen in this little town...It is amazing to see how many people God is putting in out path....For example one day as we were knocking doors we found a family that had just moved from Michoacan the day before...and it was a whole family that is ready to listen to the Gospel...The hot days are pretty long just knocking doors but God always places someone in our path to keep our Spirits bright...In total we found almost 30 new investigators after knocking this week...

One experience that I had this past week was on Sunday...It was a little crazy for our first Sunday in the House of Prayer (small house converted into a chapel) My companion was busy teaching classes and I was busy with all of the Administrative things...After our 3 hours of meetings I had a list of things to do with a number of people... and on our way to the lunch I started thinking about everyone of the members and their needs...I feel a great love and worry for every one of them...I thought to myself that there was a ridiculous amount of things to do...after arriving at the lunch I looked up on the wall and saw a picture of the First Presidency and then thought "How can they do it?...with all of the needs of all the members in the whole world" ....Then looking at the opposite facing wall..where a picture of Jesus Christ was hanging...I thought "How can He do it so Perfectly and so completely with every person that has ever existed and that will ever exist?" So my attitude here is exactly what Pres. Uchtdorf taught "Lift where you stand"...Thats all I can do...So we will be quite busy with Branch Business and with the Normal Missionary Work...

Thanks for all your support...and Congrats Zack on turning 12 and recieving the Aaronic Priesthood!

Love you All

Elder Child

 

                                              Huge Statue in the Middle of Imuris!

 

 

                                                                  Elder Hyatt and I

 

 

 

 

Last Week in the Offices...

Hello Everyone I hope everyone had a wonderful week of Summer...I also hope all could enjoy their 4th of July Activities...

This week has been pretty crazy we had Leadership Conference on Tuesday and another Training Progress Conference on Friday with All of the new missionaries that are in training...The rest of the days we were working on transfers...haha but we were still able to work a little bit more in our area...

On Monday we had an amazing 4th of July...All of the Office Elders were invited to go over to the Mission Home for the whole afternoon...haha We made hamburgers and hot dogs, made homemade ice cream, and sang Patriotic Hymns haha it was by far the best 4th of July on the Mission...It was great...I will attach some pictures...As time passes I ponder and marvel on how great the United States is and how important it was and is in the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ...I am so glad to have been born in such a great country...I hope and pray everyday that God keeps blessing us as a country so that we may be able to keep on helping others in the world. We have so much to be grateful for indeed...

Once again during this past week we had to make the Transfers in the Mission...And once again I was reassured that everything that happens in this Church is by Revelation...Every transfer was made with lots of prayer and thought...Last transfer as I have commented, I felt strongly that we should finally send Sister missionaries to a little town outside of Hermsillo where not one Sister Missionary had been...ever...This time it was a similar experience...Agua Prieta has been an Elder Only Zone for about 5 years...for many reasons...however this week we all felt that we should send the first sister missionaries there again...It is kind of weird to think that Sister missionaries will now be in Agua Prieta...but I know that God wants them there at this time. We felt a reassurance everytime we prayed.  When making a transfer, I felt very strongly the hand of the Lord helping us, giving us ideas and talking about them...At the end of this week...I know the 98 missionaries we changed are going to the place where they are needed and with the companion that can either help them or they can help their companion...

The hardest transfer decision to make was mine...It is very weird making your own transfers but in a group effort...everyone chimed in expressing their thoughts...As everyone expressed their thoughts I felt the Holy Ghost testifying of where I needed to go...In this moment I reflected to all of my mission,every transfer, where I was and who was I with and then I thought of every other assistant there had been and both of the Mission Presidents I have had, and when they are making the transfers...talking about me and my needs...and then with the Spirit.. They have all sent me Exactly where I needed to be and who I needed to be with..I am so grateful for all of my Leaders that have followed the Spirits Guide as they have made my transfers...I have strived to do the same...

So I have been transfered to go to a little town called Imuris, it is about 30 minutes away from Magdalena, where I was about 10 months ago...I will be working in the Branch Presidency and will be opening area there haha...So in my whole mission the only time I will have not opened area on a transfer is when I got into the offices haha..this is very unusual...but every time I have had the opportunity to grow...so this will be my 7th time having this opportunity haha...

I love you all and hope to talk to you soon...My P Day will now change back to Monday as I leave the offices...

Love Elder Child

 

                                         Cutting up Snickers Bars to put in the Ice Cream...

 

 

                                               Almost all of us...at the end of our Big Lunch!

 

 

                                            The Relief after all of the Transfers were done...:)

 

 

                       Road Trip with President to find more little towns to send missionaries...