July = Summer, Heat & Zone Conference

Dear Family and Friends, 

 

So transfers were last Sunday and I am still going to be here in San Gabriel which is what I wanted because so many good things are happening!! We have found a great family to teach and people are really close to taking the step to be baptized! Elder Bowes and I really get along well and so that makes it even better! :-) So this last week nothing too exciting happened mostly we are just teaching finding and eating with members! I didn't have anything strange this last week to eat either but it was all yummy! 

The exciting thing that happened is that we had Zone Conference and it was really good! Sister Becerra talked about how we can know if we are receiving revelation and how we can better receive it. When we are moving and acting or studying it out in our mind we need to listen for the revelation. Because we can't just stop and be like what do I do now? Where do we go? What do we teach? We have to think about it and then just act. A lot of the times it doesn't matter; what matters more is that we do make a descision.  

Then President Becerra told us about the doctrine about why we need to ask people to be baptized in the first lesson. That mission wide we are having a problem with not inviting people to baptism. So now what we are doing is right in the first lesson we are going to invite everyone to be baptized.  We will do it during the first lesson. Not to start off the lesson, we are going to tell them our purpose, how they can get a testimony, then we ask them when you have recieved this testimony will you be baptized?  I think this is great because then we can see who is really ready to recieve the gospel and who really wants to make the step towards baptism.  It was great because twice after Zone Conference we had two first lessons and we invited them just like that and they said yes that they would be baptized when they recieve a testimony!!! Then we did role plays and did the way we can invite people to be baptized right at the beginning of the lesson.  

Then we had the Assistant to the President give a lesson about locking our hearts because there has been a problem with missionaries "falling in love" or meeting "the one" on their missions. He told us to lock our hearts and to only love people like the Savior would love them and not to be looking for a wife.  President Becerra told us some of you have been out so long you forgot what true beauty is haha! Thankfully I have not had this problem but it was good advice nonetheless.  

We also had a lot of missionaries leaving within the next few weeks so we had 5 missionaries who were leaving bear their testimonies. Their testimonies were so powerful the Spirit was so strong during Zone Conference and I learned a lot! 

Also, something else that we did is Elder Bowes and I taught the third hour combined Priesthood and Relief Society lesson on Sunday. We had a member MTC and we talked about how missionaries are there for the spiritual conversion and members are there for the social conversion. We need to work together in order for a person to begin the conversion process. So we did some role plays with the members and showed them that it was really easy to invite people to listen to the gospel or go to church or an activity at church or to listen to the missionaries. Then we did a role play that if the friend of the member doesn't like us then they can just throw us under the bus! So for that role play/demonstration I was the missionary, Elder Bowes was the member and we had a member be Elder Bowes friend. What the situation was is we finished the lesson then I the missionary would say something weird that would make it so that the friend wouldn't want to listen to us anymore.  So I asked so what do you think of what we talked about? The member said it was interesting then I said well wait, I forgot to tell you something. When Adam and Eve ate the fruit it was a pineapple, a big pineapple and this pineapple was really good. Then Elder Bowes cut me off we pretended to pray and then I left. Then Elder Bowes said sorry those guys know a lot but they're weird and they don't represent me. So we told the members to keep their friends and if their friends don't like us they can shove us under the bus!  It was a lot of fun to teach this lesson and I think the members really understand their role better in helping the missionary work progress.  

Other than that we've still just been teaching and finding a ton!!! I know it's only because Heavenly Father is preparing these people for the gospel and I am so blessed to be serving where I am now. I love you all!

Love, Elder Reisner

Another MIRACLE Week!!

Dear Family and Friends, 

This last week was crazy!!! It started with us finding 2 new investigators after preperation day was over and then trying to find and teach people.  

On Tuesday we taught a few lessons and didn't find anyone new to teach. Unfortunately, we have 2 less invetigators to teach and focus on. That gives us a lot more time to find some new investigators.  

Wednesday was super great!! We had a lot of appointments and we found 2 new investigators! Something funny we found out that the FLDS church sends their "revelations" to all the bishops in the world. Our bishop got some mail from them and he said we could see what it was because he didn't have time to look at that mail. So we did it was weird stuff and he told us to burn it so we are! We also taught a part member family and the hermano that is a member said he didn't have ganas I mean desires to go to church. So we are going to try and help them see why it is important to read and to go to church.  

Thursday we found a family of 6 to teach!!! It was super cool they were formers that I had never met. They said they were learning 3 years ago and the missionaries just left and never came back! So of course now we are teaching them and they told us to come back on Friday to teach them again! We also taught some more lessons to investigators! We started teaching Juan again. He is doing good and he has just been so busy that he couldn't meet with us.  His work is in landscaping so there busiest time is in the summer. 

Friday we had 6 lessons! Also another new investigator!! We also taught one of the friends of our ward mission leader and had to do a member split for an hour because we had 2 appointments at the same time! Saturday we had a mini mission with the youth in our ward that we didn't even know about! We got a text at 8:30 in the morning and then we found out it was at 9:15 in the morning! We actually had 2 young men so we did a split and did some visits and then we had a devotional at the Stake Center. It was really good and the kids really learned a lot from this mini mission experience!! We also had correlation and 2 appointments and one with another family of 3!! So in total we found 13 new investigators!!! 

Sunday we had church and taught some lessons and visited the members and I ate Ox Tail. Yes, a tail of an ox it was yummy!! Then we realized we had the best week as far as numbers and teaching go!!! We had 23 lessons and 13 new investigators!!! We only have this success though because we are finding the people that Heavenly Father has prepared for us. We are also doing all that we can to be obedient and focus on the work and keep moving forward!! I am excited for how this next week will turn out. This is the last week of the transfer and I hope I get to stay for another one because a lot of good things are happening in this area!!

I love you all and I hope you have a good week!

Que les vaya bien!

Love Elder Reisner

The Miracle Baptisms!!!!!!!!

Dear Family and Friends

This last week has been great!!! On Monday we took bikes and just went and tried to find people. When Preparation Day was over we also taught a less active.

Tuesday we had a busy day we had 2 dinner appointments and other lessons. They were all jam packed together so we were just running around like crazy!  

Wednesday we walked and tried to do everything we could to find people because a lot of our appointments have been canceling. So we were out in the 104 degree heat tracting it was pretty successful and we got some return appointments. Then we had mutual and we had appointments at the same time so we did a member split. I went with Hermnao Lopez to go to appointments. What was the miracle about this day is Carmen and Isaac got their marriage license! They still had to have the ceremony for it to be valid so we had to contact the Stake President so he could authorize the bishop to marry them. We weren't sure if that was going to happen. Hermano Lopez and I went to a part member family and they didn't read so we read with them. Then we went to Carmen and Isaac and talked about their baptism. We made the baptism program and they wanted me and Elder Bowes to baptize them!!!!!!! That was cool but I kind of wanted a member to do it so they could be more connected with the ward. They will have other opportunities to get those connections!! 

Then on Thursday we had District Meeting which was really good. We talked about our area and our goals it was really great! Then we went tracting and found 3 families to teach! They all said we could come back and teach them it was super great!!! Then we were, well I was stressing out about the wedding and the Stake President hadn't called our bishop back. So we called the Stake President and he answered the phone and said that our bishop was authorized to do the marriage. We called the bishop and he was surprised that President Esquerra answered the phone.  He said Friday night at 8 he could perform the wedding so that was another miracle. Then we went to Carmen and Isaac to talk about their wedding. They were super excited and said they should have been married 20 years ago! 

Then Friday we had a lesson with Karen and it went good. She is finally reading but still not coming to church. So we asked why and her mom doesn't want her to go alone. We are going to find a young woman from our ward to help friendship her and bring her to church.  Then we had a mission conference and activity. The mission conference was sooo great!! Elder and Sister Kasteller talked to us about how we need to trust in the Lord and have real growth. They also talked about that sometimes we may be down on the mission but really all our struggles and challenges will be for our good and for our growth! Then Elder Hendrickson an Assistant to the President talked about how if we want progressing investigators we have to be progressing missionaries. That will help us so that we can progress with our investigators.  Then Sister Becerra talked about how we need to have faith to find teach and baptize.  Then President Becerra gave a really powerful talk about how sometimes we need to have a big trial to increase our faith. He talked about the widow who fed the Prophet Samuel. After that we then had a discussion of how we need to put the Lords will before our own and we need to have that great faith so that we can find, teach, baptize and double the baptisms! Then we had an activity it was sooo fun!!! We had all sorts of water games a water balloon toss, water kickball and everyone got wet! President Becerra looked for the dry missionaries and told them to come give him a hug while other missionaries got a bucket of water and dumped it on them!! It was funny! Then we had a basketball three point shooting contest. All the Zone Leaders picked the best 2-4 players from their zone. They shot 10 shots and whoever made the most won and guess who won?  It was President Becerra!! He made 8 out of 10 it was cool!! Then we went back to working and we got a few appointments. Then we had the wedding and actually for such short notice we had a lot of members there to support Carmen and Isaac for their decision to get married!!! 

Then Saturday we went and found and did some service by helping a less active with the headlights in his car. Then we had weekly planning.  Then Carmen and Isaac had their baptism interviews. They are so humble, they have been through a lot of hard things. To top it all off on Saturday their vehicle broke down! Hermano Lopez was able to pick them up for their interview so everything still worked out. Elder Alworth the District Leader almost cried because of how humble they are and how willing they are to get baptized. We then had a dinner appointment and did some finding.  

Sunday we had church and we had 4 investigators at church Carmen, Isaac, Patty and Sergio!!! We made programs and invited all the members to the baptism.  We then had a lesson with Patty and Sergio they are close to being baptized as well.  They haven't gotten an answer yet if that's what they should do.  Then we had the baptism it was crazy! We didn't know if there were baptism clothes so we had to go to another ward to get clothes. We picked 3 different jumpsuits for Isaac and thank goodness one of them fit!! The last one he tried of course! Then we had the baptism service, the talks were amazing and the Spirit was so strong! I had the opportunity to baptize Carmen. She said the water was too hot so we ran the cold water and I was in the font trying to mix the water around it was kind of funny to see! Then I had to do the ordinance twice because she didn't go down all the way. The second time she did it was great! Isaac was so funny he wanted to be baptized as soon as he got to the stake center he said estoy listo = I'm ready! They really were so ready and it was a pleasure to teach and to baptize them and to see all the miracles that took place because Elder Bowes and I exercised our faith we saw miracles happen!!! I know that when we are doing everything we can to be faithful we have to act. I know when we are exercising our faith and doing the things that our Heavenly Father wants us to do then we can see the miracles! I love you all so much and I hope you are all having a great summer!

Que les Vaya Bien!

Love, Elder Reisner

Me and Elder Chadwick

Me and Elder Betty

Me and Elder Lerma "Zone Leader"

Me and Elder Resabala

Retake

Me and the Zone Leaders, District Leader and Elder Resabala

Me being, well me

Outside the apartment

I am sun burnt!!

Having Fun

Pulling faces

Bored (during lunch)

HaHa

Practice shot

Me being cute? Mom thinks YES!!

Choose the Sprite!!

When in doubt pinky out!

Classic me

Almost classic - love the moustache ring!

Shout out to my USU Eastern friends!!!

Hard Work - 4th of July and the HEAT!

Dear Familia y Amigos, 

 

This last week was very great but then again its always great in the mission field! Let me start off with HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM on Wednesday! Imagine me singing to you Happy Birthday and giving you a BIG hug!! 

So Monday we had to do a member split with some members because we had a noche de hogar and lessons at the same time! The noche de hogar went good I taught that with Hermano Reyes (not the one I went to the temple with but another one) and then Elder Bowes was going to teach the lessons. They all fell through but that's OK sometimes that happens! 

Tuesday we taught some lessons and did some finding and found a new investigator! 

Wednesday was a GREAT day! We had an activity with the ward and we had Carne Asada and there was A TON of food! I've never had so much good Latino food in one place before so we got stuffed! Then we went and worked. Nobody was really home because there were so many activities going on. The highlight of the day is we taught Carmen and Isaac and they are ready for baptism!!!! They stopped coffee and are reading and praying and they want to get married!! So we asked them the baptismal interview questions to make sure that they are ready and we taught them the law of chastity and tithing.  Then we asked them when they would like to get married and they told us well whenever you want! So we said how about this next week they said yes! Then we asked them if they'd prepare to be baptized on the 15th and they said yes!!!!!!!!! We are sooooooo excited!!!!! Then we taught a part member family and are hoping to get them all coming to church and to get them all to be members! Then when it was time for fireworks you would think there was a war going on there were so many! All we had to do was go outside and all around us there were fireworks! They were cool ones too but we had to work through that! 

Thursday was a biking day. We taught a few lessons as well so basically a normal good day!! 

Friday was a great day we had lessons and weekly planning good day! 

Saturday we had a soccer activity and Carmen and Isaac came!! We taught a less active and nobody was home or had to reschedule so we did finding! 

Sunday we had church and only Carmen and Isaac came but that's OK. It shows us that they are really ready to be baptized. I don't know if I told you all the story about them but Isaac has been in contact with the church for years. He first heard about the church 20 years ago and then kept having encounters with the church.  He knows it wasn't a coincidence. He was taught by other elders in February then moved to our boundaries with the Reyes (Not the ones from the temple but great members!!) family. At first they didn't think that the church that we go to was the same as the other elders but we had a pass off lesson with the other elders and now they know its all the same. Also, they weren't really sure about getting married but now they want to get married and be baptized! It's so amazing to see this change in them! But yeah they came to church :-) Then we taught Sunday school the principios del evangelio (sorry I forgot that in English) class and we taught some less actives. I say heat because recently its been super hot over here in the 90's and higher! That's OK though we work through the heat and more people are home when it's hot outside so it's good for us! Anyway that is what it's like over here in California! I hope you all are doing well and are having a great Summer!!!

Que les vaya bien

Love, Elder Reisner

Elder Lerma (behind), Elder Allworth (in blue), Me and my model pose

ME and our zone leader Elder Eddington :)

Fake Mustaches from McKenzie

Masks

Alleyway

Chinese balcony for Romeo and Juliet

Cool building

Cool building take 2

Cool building #3

Paper Lanterns

The sign says it all

"Dragons in the street" sing to Dancing in the street

See signs like this every day

China Town

C-Town

Town of Chinese

LA China Town

China Town #2

Bad haircut #1

Bad haircut #2

Bad haircut #3

the line

Sad about the line

The good side

Hard work and blessings

Well dear family and friends, this last week was super great as always!

We started off the week with teaching and finding a new investigator! He is a former and has been picked up and dropped many times so we'll pray for the best! 

Tuesday we had a pretty busy day and we were able to find 2 new investigators and teach a few lessons. We also started teaching Juan's mom. So, with teaching her and Juan I think that will help them both get a testimony and be baptized!! 

Wednesday we knocked into a part member family that said we could come back! Then we had meetings and taught lessons and helped the Young Men's President do visits to less active members.  

Thursday we taught and found a new investigator again we found a ton of new investigators this week! Also something cool that happened is one investigator actually called us and wanted to be in contact with us! They were taught before but now they want to take the gospel seriously! 

Friday was crazy! We had a lesson with Emmanuel early in the morning then he asked us to come back and teach him again! We taught him 2 times in one day it was crazy! He is struggling and we gave him a blessing.  Then we had weekly planning and talked to Nati, Hermano Mercado's sister. She wants to learn more but she was going back to Mexico. She said she would come back soon so we may teach her again! Then we had a tour with Silvia and she said she would come to church! Then we talked to the part member family. The son doesn't have baptism records so that's why the hermano isn't active. So, we will probably have to get the son re-baptized. The mom was close to being baptized but she had a conflict with other missionaries so we'll see what we can do to fix that mess!! Then we had dinner appointments which we have a lot now that our ward mission leader made a calendar for the ward.  

Saturday was AMAZING!! Why you may ask? Well when Elder Betty and I were companions we helped a less active family to be reactivated. They now have callings in the church and are super active!  They invited Elder Betty and I to go to the temple! They weren't sealed yet and they took the classes and were prepared! So I got permission to call President Becerra and he said I could go to the Temple on Saturday!! Elder Bowes had to stay here while I was at the temple!  The temple was so great! We went through the Endowment Session and the Sealing they did both in one day and it was in Spanish. It wasn't hard to understand it was different and I may have even learned more in Spanish than in English! So that was the highlight of the week!! :-D They are the Reyes family and I love them to death! They invite us over every week to eat and I'm really close with them!  I know that this really is what missionary work is about! This is a convert family they were baptized 5 years ago and now they are an eternal family!! When we make the sacred covenants with our Heavenly Father we can be together forever! I know that eternal families are important, I am so glad I am sealed to my parents and I know that families are forever!  Saturday we also had lessons when I got back to the area.  

Sunday was a MIRACLE! We had 5 INVESTIGATORS AT CHURCH!! It was soooooooooo great!! I was so happy and all the testimonies that people shared were amazing the spirit was so strong! We had lessons and found more new investigators as well!!! So in total we found 6 new investigators DOUBLE the amount than before!! I know that this is only possible with the Holy Ghost as our guide and through our obedience and diligence to the gospel. Heavenly Father has prepared people everywhere to receive the gospel we just need to find them through constant effort! I LOVE this work I LOVE the gospel!! I know that this is my divine calling to be here and to be a missionary. I am so glad I can serve our Heavenly Father!

 

Que les vaya bien!

Love, Elder Reisner