email 7-30-08

Hello Utah! First of all, I loved getting a pizza from Pizza Hut from my family, and I loved the accidental phone call too. You guys are the coolest family I've ever had. Funny story--the pizza guy was all sorts of confused because we were confused. And when he pulled the box out and it said "Congrats on six months," he was even more confused. We told him we were missionaries and that I had been in tx for 6 months. And he became so scared! He immediately backed away and said, Whoa ok I see. You guys scare me. I'm really Catholic but you guys scare me. We told him he doesn't have to be afraid when he sees us walking down the street. I felt like the scary shovel man from Home Alone talking to Kevin.
This week has been a trip and I feel like I'm being forced to grow up faster than I'd expected. I'm maturing yet at the same time feel so young still. Not only that, but I'm killing my companion today because she's going back home. I'm going to introduce another missionary to my area and reluctantly say good bye to my dear companion Hna Kearl. Basically I know that I could be telling all the crazy stories of tracting and the adventures we've had of going into other parts of our area (scary) and the awkward moments of trying to get a man to pray and how incredibly awkward it ended up, but I need you all to know how crucial it is to be missionaries yourselves. The Brazos Branch is struggling and its because of the selfishness and pride of a few people. Never let pride get in the way of your serve to others. Never let your faith be difficult to detect, either. Others can and will learn from the testimony you have. Share your testimony freely by the way you act, by the way you speak of others, and by your willingness to serve.Hermana Kearl has been such a HUGE influence on my growth. It's going to be hard to live without her because she is such a solid example of someone who has shared her beliefs and standards with me without embarrassment. Her strict obedience and willingness to stand up for what's right has made a huge impact on this area. Our new converts have noticed it. Our district leader has noticed it. When certain missionaries would complain about the hard work or the stubborness of the people, without flinching she'd correct them and tell them the positive side of all this work. We at first hated to hear her say that but it truly affected them and they now have changed their topic of conversations for the better. It's obvious that it has helped all of them. Because of her willingness to stand up for what's right and share her own level of righteousness with us in a loving manner, it has lifted up everyone of us around her.Words have a way of affecting people.
.I don't know if I'm adequately expressing this idea of making your faith and testimony apparent to everyone. I don't have a lot of time to proof read it. But every person is on a different level of faithfulness. That faithfulness is only able to grow when we live by the teachings of the gospel and practice what is preached. This gospel teaches true eternal principles that have consequences. And sometimes those around us are blind to what they're doing wrong or what they could be doing better. If you know something is wrong or right, make that known. If you know that what your co-worker, friend, or even family member is saying isn't right, be the stronger person and let them know. Truly the bad words, hateful comments, sarcastic remarks, murmuring in obedience, and complacency in inadequacy REALLY DOES AFFECT people. But what's amazing is that the opposite affects people too. I'm so grateful that Hna Kearl has been strong enough to stand up to me and to others. Don't let your faith be difficult to detect.I love you all so much. I'm so grateful for this gospel I can't express that enough. I know that these principles that the church teaches brings happiness. I've never been so happy in my life. Live righteously. Serve others. Love obeying. It will bring such a renewed sense of joy that you can't feel otherwise.Los quiero y los extrano mucho. Los doy mis besitos y abrazos.Sean firmes y fieles en su Fe.Con mucho amor
Hermana Langston

Alligator Park

Hermana Langston, Hermana Hansen, Hermana King, Hermana Kearl at Alligator Park


Elder Franco found this turtle at Alligator Park and fell in love with it. Elder Cordova has his credit card out to touch it because he doesn't want to touch it with his fingers.


Part of Houston 4 District half way through our walk around Alligator Park. We are all "bien cansados!"

Awesome Pictures!

End of 2nd Transfer. HOUSTON 4 DISTRICT We just finished eating at a Chinese Buffet and everyone was bloated. Nobody has the energy here to stand up straight apparently.
L-R Hna King, Jeanette, Elder Jones, E. Thatcher, E, Cordova, E. Franco, E. Stack, Hna Kearl, Hna Hansen, E. Persian


Hermana Kearl and Hermana Langston

"The Mormon Choir" The original group when I first got here. May 1, 2008


Jose Molina, Alonzo Salazar, Jeanette, Hna King, Dimas Mondragon, and Hna Kearl in front. When I look at this picture I remember how difficult it was to get these guys here to this devotional. But the guys were glad to see Hna King again.


This is a picture of Jeanette and Hermana Kearl after being in a down pour for 20 seconds!

Service at the Old Folk's Home on the 4th of July

Jeanette and Helen. "She dressed herself and the picture is of her son."


"Bean Bag Toss. Most of the old people just watched but those who played really enjoyed it."

Hermana Kearl and Jeanette with some of the residents. Notice Jeanette isn't wearing her name tag!

Email from Jeanette 7-21-08

"What I have to deal with any time we go places with the elders!"

Well this week has been an amazing adventure. It started out really good by doing a service project instead of going to a slip-n-slide activity with the zone and it just got better from there. Remember the guy who we oym'd who was working on his car? We've met with him thrice thus far and he's so cool! He totally prayed to Satan before he met us but told us not to worry because he doesn't believe in satan anymore. He's an interesting fellow and he's reading in the Book of Mormon but is embarrassed or something to actually pray about it. We're going to keep working with him and hopefully he will cut off his long ponytail and become converted to the Lord.It's so true what you said about true conversion. So many people join the church for the social aspect or just to impress someone they like. This week has been a struggle with Julio and he's been treating our visits like a social engagement. He's not progressing anymore and last night after being too jovial with us I had to chastize him. He needs to really think about why he's taking the discussing from us and why it would be a benefit to him. When I told him this he said, Yeah I already know the Book of Mormon is good. The Bible is amazing. I'm understanding more and more. But, Langston, you don't understand. The Book of Mormon can't help me in my personal problems that I'm going through right now. Oh man when he said this i nearly yelled. I told him "WHAT? Are you kidding me? Do you really think that the work of the Lord REALLY can't help you with insignificant little problems like your day to day problems? God is all-powerful and Christ suffered EVERYTHING you've experienced. How dare you doubt that His ability to help you." It hurt me to think that he really lacked that much faith. It was weird because it really felt like he was insulting my best friend by saying that the true church of God can't help him. I've come to realize that the Book of Mormon was sent to us in our days exactly for the reason that Julio feels can't be solved. The Lord knows EXACTLY what we're experiencing in this life yet too often we are incredibly stubborn or prideful and selfish to think about that. I couldn't let another minute go by without telling Julio this and he felt the sting. He knew I was right and he told me so. Hopefully something will change this week.Another cool adventure happened. A golfball flew into our apartment and smashed out our sliding glass door. We've been finding little shards of glass along our path these past few days and are still waiting for maintenance to come fix it.Ok the main thing I wanted to write about is this: Utopia. Living in a perfect world with everyone being perfect people is not too far from possible because I got a taste of it this week. This Saturday we had a Ward Mission Activity but hardly anyone showed up. In fact, aside from the ward members who were assigned things to do, only 4 people showed up. And the activity we had planned involved a lot of people playing :"carnival" games in the gym then going to one of the three different kingdoms of glory. The three rooms were decorated beautifully to fit the atmosphere of each glory, but not a lot of people were there. Rather than becoming bitter or giving up, the ward members worked together to make the activity so much fun and to involve each person. Hermanas were naturally going out of their way to help little kids get involved in the not-so-amazing games and by some miracle everyone was enjoying themselves. After it all, we had an incredibly spritual experience sitting in the "Celestial Kingdom" altogether. I looked around at each member. They each have their own story and their own area where they're weak. Yet in that moment I could feel their love one for another and their desire to be worthy servants of the Lord. It was a humbling experience and I thought, you know, probably the most important missionary work is within the bonds of our family and friends and fellow members of the church. Showing a humble desire to serve each other and having a love of Christ really is amazing. When everyone is unified in that feeling, it's indescribable. I wished in that moment that I could have shared that experience with each one of my family members and friends.Missionary work is incredible. It makes me a LIIIITTLE bit teary eyed to think about all the blessings I've received by doing this work. I can't even begin to describe the love I feel for these people. I never thought it possible to actually look at someone I don't know and desire their salvation. When I meet new people on the street, I think of that experience in the "Celestial Room" with the ward members and I truly want them to have that same experience.I love you all so much. Everyone is changing back at home and it's kinda scary, you know? But I hope everyone reads these emails. I hope all my brothers and sisters know how much i look up to them and want them to feel this same joy that I feel. I hope my grandma and grandpa know how special they are to me even though I don't write them letters a lot.This church is true and everything you all are going through is meant to be solved by the message this church shares. Nothing and no one is an exception to that.Los quiero mucho!Love,Hermana Langston

Cartoon

This is a drawing Jeanette drew of an experience she had last week. This is what she said about it: "Jesus Martinez was super distracting one night while we were trying to teach Julio. He went into his Gallinero (hen house of a house) and brought out a guitar and played it a little. He tried talking to me while Hna Kearl was teaching tithing to Julio. Then he got up again, went into his house, and a few minutes later the door opened and he comes rolling out on a skate board saying 'Hey, Look!' (But with an accent. ) How I drew it is exactly how I saw it. It was hilarious and I just busted up laughing right there in the middle of the lesson. The guy is almost 40 years old but he acts like he's 16. So here you go. Enjoy the drawing."