Week 20 - December 23, 2013 - East L.A.

Dear everyone, 

Ok well this letter won't be too long since we have skype stuff this week. 

This week was pretty awesome, we finally got to visit Rosa with Oscar at the Hospital! Just a reminder for those who forgot, she recently had her remaining leg amputated and had been through some pretty intense health problems. But we finally got to see her and she looks awesome. I can see in her eyes that she has the determination to get better. 

In order for her to leave the rehabilitation center, she has to be able to take herself out of her wheelchair and into another chair/toilet/bed etc.. She is super determined to get out of there, and still has her sense of humor and everything. 

Just to give a little more background on her and what kind of person she is: she has lived in the same house in Boyle Heights for 50+ years and doesn't plan to move from there anytime soon. About 30-ish years ago, she was a huge activist in Boyle Heights. She did a lot to take care of the area and keep it safe. She actually won some award from the police department for all the work she did. Oscar told us this story that he walked in the house and there was one of the candidates for mayor of Los Angeles talking to her trying to get her to back his campaign. If the mayor-to-be had won her over, he would have won all Boyle Heights over, which was a big deal apparently. He told me that in a matter of days, everyone in Boyle Heights switched from the other candidate to the one that had talked to Rosa. So she was a pretty big deal back in the day! This Cuban lady has seen a lot through her time! 

Another cool thing I wanted to share concerning one of our investigators. So we have this family that has a baptismal date for this Sunday! But the mom feels a little shaky now, has feelings that maybe she might mess up and not be strong after being baptized, unlike the kids who both want to be baptized and think they can all make it for that date. And something really cool happened before we left. We had Eduardo, the oldest son (15) say the closing prayer and he saaid an awesome prayer, specifically asking for his mom to be ready for that date. 

The member I brought and I,(we went on splits because we had too many lessons for just Elder Ramos and I to go by) and I'm sure everyone in there, were super touched by the Spirit. We are hoping that she takes those feelings and recognizes them as the confirmation she needs. So we are praying and probably going to fast pretty soon that she can make it for that date so she can be baptized with her sons. 
so that's some cool stuff that happened this week, I will keep filling you in on Wednesday!! 

Love you all! (here is a picture of Rosa and Oscar)

Week 19 - December 17, 2013- East L.A.

Week 19-December 17, 2013-East L.A.

Dear Everyone,

Well I don't really know where to start this week. A lot happened! First, we had our Christmas party this past Friday at one of the English Stake buildings. It was good to have American food for once, I was honestly forgetting how American meals were. I have been getting really used to, and actually craving, the Tortilla-rice-beans-carne-salsa combo. I even have my own bottle of hot sauce now... So I might come back more Mexican than I thought.

We also had a training meeting for Elder Ramos with President Becerra. I love our President!

So this week, we had a lot of lessons and we found some new awesome people. We also confirmed a baptism of a family (the one with the bunny) for the 29th. We are looking forward to that as well! We are hoping that all of our district baptizes that weekend. One of the companionships has a wedding the day before and then the baptism planned for the day right after. So this last week of December could be a cool one.

We have two new missionaries in our district: Elder Ostler and Elder Garry. Elder Ostler was the companion of Elder Page, the one who passed away. So he was pretty sad to leave his old area since had been there forever and had made a lot of memories there. But they are both awesome missionaries that are helping Boyle Heights grow.

This week Elder Ramos and I did something a little different, we went on splits with a few members a few different times. We saw miracles each of these times too! We had moments where we showed up at the right time and at the right place. Which was awesome.

I can really see the member's faith increase and their desire to serve each time we go out. One Hermano, Hermano Anaya walked all the way from his house to meet us at a certain spot. He lives pretty south in our area and came up northeast. And when we got the other members we split. I didn't realize he walked until I asked him where his car was and he told me he didn't bring it. And our appointment was literally on the other side of our area. I didn't really mind since I'm used to it, but I was impressed as I talked to him on the way there. He was telling me how much he had wanted to serve and come out with us as missionaries and continue helping others with his own testimony. So awesome!

We got to the lesson and we had a very spirtual lesson with Eduardo. Until his drunk roommate came in... He started making fun of us and swearing at us and just being a butt. So I asked Hermano Anaya and Eduardo if we could finish the lesson outside on the stairs, and we did. It was very odd when his roommate came in. I could hardly focus or think, couldn't feel the spirit at all. But it was all good when we went out haha.

There's so much I wish I could type all into this, but it's kinda hard and I don't want to bore everyone.

There haven't been as many sirens and helicopters going off in Boyle Heights recently, just about one a day rather than the 5-6 a day. So it looks like everyone is getting to the Christmas Spirit here in East LA. :)

LOVE YOU ALL!

 

Elder Perez with a member

Week 18- December 9, 2013- East L.A.

Maria, Elder Ramos, Lydia, Elder Perez

Elder Ramos, Lydia, the bishop, Elder Perez

Dear Everyone,

What a great week we had! Some awesome special stuff happened. The whole week I was pretty nervous as we got closer and closer to Lydia's baptismal date. On Wednesday, President Becerra came to the church to interview her and as he was interviewing her I was so nervous! I was just pacing around the whole church not really knowing what to do haha. She came out and President said he was very much impressed with her and her knowledge and that she was good to go, we were veeery excited at that point haha. 

On Saturday, Elder Patterson and Elder Nelson and Elder Ramos and I went to the temple with some investigators, Lydia being one of them, and some members. It was an awesome experience. They put up Christmas lights all around the grounds so the place was all lit up, very nice. It was a kind of bittersweet moment, well at least for Elder Patterson since he ended up getting a call to leave the area. Fortunately I am staying in the area, but I think this will be my last transfer here for sure.

So the temple experience was awesome, of course! The LA temple is so amazing, I think it's one of my favorites now, if not my favorite. Wouldn't mind going there some day... (childrens primary song). The next day, we had the baptism! The baptism was so amazing, I had the privilege of performing the ordinance, so it was cool. As we progressed with the program I just started tearing up because of how awesome the spirit was. I will never forget it. There weren't a ton of people there, but it was nice and reverent. She brought her mom and cousin along too, who I know felt that same spirit as well. 

We, the missionaries, sang a song and I could barely get through it because I started tearing up. But this experience is one I will never forget. It was a huge testimony builder to be there. I can feel my testimony growing, and I know it won't stop now! Still a ways to go. Pretty crazy that I hit 4 months already though.  But I still have a long ways to go and a lot of people to still help.

Love you all! Pray for you all often as well.

L.A. Temple-Christmas 

L.A. Temple-Christmas time

With Lydia at the Temple's Visitor's Center

Just having fun!

Week 17-December 2, 2013-East L.A.

Maria, Elder Ramos, Lydia, Elder Perez

Dear Everyone,

Happy Thanksgiving, first off! We had a great Thanksgiving! We got to play soccer in the morning against Belvedere 1, my old ward. We won 5-4 and I scored a goal, so it was pretty fun! We had two dinners that evening so you can imagine how stuffed we were. So stuffed that the next day all I ate was a little bit of pizza and I was still full. The next day we had 5 meals! I literally was about to explode! 

This Sunday, we are having our first baptism. We are pretty excited/nervous for it to come. Lydia is progressing pretty well and continuing to feel the Spirit, so it's pretty cool. She'll be having an interview from President Becerra this weekend, so we will see how it goes. I am hoping that next week I will be sending you a picture of a lady in white!:)

This past week was fast Sunday, which I always love. Seriously like half the congregation goes up to speak haha. I'm sure you already know how expressive latinos are. But it was pretty nice! 

Oh, almost forgot. So we went by Oscar and Rosa's house, and finally someone was there! Rosa's older brother came out and said that Rosa is actually doing really well and is alive haha. So I was very relieved to hear that. We are hoping to be able to go by her in the upcoming weeks. That lady is a tough lady! Much respect to her!

Something that stood out to me this week was how people call us "angels sent by God." When I first heard that I thought that that was just the classic Latino talk being all exaggerated and such. But the more I have been able to be a missionary, the more I see that we really are some sort of angels sent here. We have been called and set apart to be just that. Then I got to thinking, we don't all have to be wearing a white shirt and tie and a fancy name badge to be called an angel. Like you were saying about what Bishop Johnson shared, we can all have that "angelic" impact on others with simple gestures such as he suggested. I think a lot of people hear missionary work and think about some great journey that involves 8,000 people getting baptized at the end of it. Which would be pretty cool, but it is not what we are asked to do as members. The impact we leave on people, whether they are interested in the gospel or not, is missionary work in and

of itself. So, to back up what Bishop Johnson was saying, those gestures really do matter and can be "angelic" actions in it of themselves. In short, just because missionaries are "angels sent from God," doesn't mean that everyday members can't have the same impact as we do. 

I can't believe I am about to hit 4 months since leaving home this week! :o

I love you all! Hope you all have a great week!

Contemplating how to eat my 2nd Thanksgiving dinner...

Teaching investigators' children how to tie a tie, with bunny