Monday Greetings

Well, I can't believe its another Monday already. Time is flying by so fast and its making me wonder what I'm accomplishing as a missionary. So far this week, though, we've seen some great things happen. We're preparing for a Charla Fogonera on the 5th of Septiembre and so a lot is going into preparing that. The ward mission leader has had a lot on his plate and so I offered to make the invitations. He had an idea of how he wanted it, and I just did my thing. I did it by hand and inserted a picture in the background and it wasn't anywhere near my best quality but it was a huge hit in the ward. So now we're hoping it will get them all pumped for this Fireside about Missionary Work and eventually we can start getting more member referrals and start doubling baptisms. Its exciting when we have a vision of what's to come and ideas to accomplish it. I love having these ideas and hearing the ideas of others. I've been trying just a little bit harder to utilize all the time I've been given to get this work to move forward.
Yesterday we were given a referral from another missionary and decided to contact this lady--Flauvia is her name. We went to her little run down house and talked to her and her whole family of six kids and husband. She's a member and so is the oldest three, but the rest of them aren't members. Including the husband. But they've been so busy with getting enough money for their "new" house they'd bought that they haven't been active for almost 5 years now. But they are all SO POLITE. The kids all came into the living room and listened to us--three of the younger ones sat on the floor sharing a blanket, the oldest sat against the wall and was incredibly open and sincere about his love for the missionaries who found and taught their family, and the mom and dad also sat on the floor and told us how they're ready to move forward and increase their faith. We've set an appt with them for Wednesday and are bringing them 6 copies of the Book of Mormon. I feel so blessed to have them in our teaching pool. They're such a close-knit family who, as the oldest son put it, "have been taught old-school" so that's why they're so polite.I realize more and more just how much the gospel affects families and how much the families here love each other. Families really are an incredible organization and for that reason, Satan is trying to destroy the establishment of families.
This week we've been meeting with the ward members and having Family Home Evenings with them. Even the families who are too busy to have us come by for a lesson have gladly made time for us to come for family home evening. So Hermana Torres and I are trying this out to gain the trust of the ward members, and to help them strengthen their own family bonds. It's been incredible to see how its affected the Branch so far. On the flip side, we saw a family that didn't look so happy and strong. The elders and us cleaned out a mobile home as a service project for a member who is about to move in it. So as we were cleaning up all the stuff that was left behind, we found schoolwork of the young kids, love notes from so-n-so, beer and vodka under the sink, business cards for a lady (named Jeanette!) who worked as a therapist for Juvenile Delinquants (sp?), and all sorts of fun stuff that helped us piece together what this family was like. Oh and not only that but one of the bedrooms' walls were COVERED in swear words and hateful things. We just kind of laughed it off until in the end of our adventure we found a lock box that Elder Beesley just HAD to open. He was expecting to find money or something, but instead we all got a peek of porn and other gross things that I really could have gone without seeing. We left that service project kind of saddened that there are so many families who are being ripped apart by this grotesque addiction that is plaguing the world. I left wanting even more to learn how to reach these people so that they will accept this message of good news and joy. The gospel could have changed that family.
Hna Torres and I are doing great. She's a good worker and we have some good giggles together.Say that reminds me. We had an appt with Julio and he had just eaten at an all-you-can-eat Pizza Buffet so he was really full and uncomfortable. So we told him, well, you shouldn't eat so much. But he said, "Si, pero cuando la panza esta llena, corazon esta contento." Which basically means when the stomach is full, the heart is happy. Ok. So ten minutes later his friends come into the yard and we start teaching. But Julio was still uncomfortable so I decided to explain to his friends why: I said, "Es que sus pantalones estan llenas..." thinking that the word "panza" meant the same as "pantalones" and they all stared at me wide-eyed. I asked, "Tiene sentido, o no?" Basically I had just said to everyone that Julio's pants were full instead of saying his stomach was full. Poor guy was so embarrassed for me but I was embarrassed for him--filling your pants is SO uncomfortable, I'm sure. After that appt, Hermana Torres told me she had the hardest time not laughing.Anyway, I'm doing good out here. This week has been fun and we've been working hard but we can always work harder. I hope that this week we will have worked our guts out. And hopefully I can learn to say things in spanish that doesn't embarrass me.I love you all. Make the family strong in the gospel.
Love,Hermana Langston

Monday Greetings

Hello Fam!
I didn't get an email but I'm thinking its all good. More time for me to write.This week has been an adventure. Not because we had any crazy amazing conversion experiences or anything--I'm thinking that the Lord is preparing something great and right before is just a lot of trials to test my faith--so the adventures have just been between me and the Lord. Oh and other missionaries. Oh and a black lady who backed up into the mission car, but that adventure ended rather quickly and I felt ok knowing that it wasn't an accident that I'd caused. The little adventures have just been little opportunities that the Lord has put in my way and seeing if I'd take advantage of them--talking to people when normally I wouldn't has paid off this week. Two experiences: the first happened when I was about to leave an area of tracting but we saw on the street an old hispanic lady walking. We drive so I thought, nah....too awkward to drive up to her. The spirit got the best of me and I turned around and parked the car. I literally chased after her but I caught up to her and she had just arrived at her friend's house. Her friend stayed outside and talked to us. The old lady disappeared, and for the next hour, we talked to Rosa about her doubts she's had with all the churches. Nothing huge happened--she didn't accept a baptismal date or anything--but us chasing after her friend gave her an opportunity to hear the truth and solve some of her doubts. The other experience: Saturday night we met Julio in Subway to teach him and eat. Behind the counter was a somewhat unhappy looking teenaged girl who was making my sandwich. I knew I should talk to her but I really didn't want to or even knew what to say. The spirit directed me and I found out that she used to go to the "Mormon Church" when she was little. We left it at that, and while we were eating, she came up to me with her cell phone and said, "I just talked to me aunt who's Mormon and she got after me for refering to you as a Mormon. But she says, 'Go Missionaries!' I thought you'd like to know that." And she walked away looking a lot happier. The spirit whispered to me to do something-anything-after we were done eating and I have her a pass along card with our cell phone number and told her if she wanted to come back to church to give us a call. She was so happy to have received it and thanked me genuinely. I don't know what's going to happen with her, but I know that that action alone has helped direct her in the right path. Her unhappy countenance is going to go away real soon.Oh dear, I never have enough time to write everyone or anything. I guess I'll just leave by saying I love you all so much. We were at a Fireside Chat at the Mission President's house and I thought about how much I want all my family to taste of this happiness that I have. I want everyone's faith and hope to be sky rocketing because if it were, they'd be the happiest people. Never give up on your dreams. Never stray from being obedient. Never doubt the power that comes through obedience and faith.I love you all. Peggy, I'm finishing your letter today and sending it out ASAP. Sorry about the delay. Camille, thank you for your email--I'll keep you in my prayers and am happy to know that I'm still on your mind.--Hermana Langston

Monday E-mail 8-11-08

Dearest Family and Friends,

After a close call from Hurricane Ditca--or in other words, Edouard--I'm writing you to say all is well. Actually, it wasn't a close call at all. Last Monday, the stores were FULL of people buying tons of water and food and the Branch President called us to deliver emergency forms to all the ward members. But when Tuesday morning rolled around, all we experienced here in Rosenberg was a day's worth of sprinkles. It was a good excitement, though.This week hasn't been amazing in the sense of finding golden investigators or reactivating members, but I have been learning a lot of great life lessons. First of all, my companion is amazing. She's so fun to be around and likes to work hard at the same time so we're able to reflect the true character of love when we're OYM'ing and talking to people about the gospel. Together we're able to be ourselves and show personality while we teach the gospel, and I think a few people have been touched by it.Remember how I said in a past email never to let your faith be hard to detect? How's everyone doing with that, anyway? Have any of you had experiences of trying to be better at showing your faith? Well I almost didn't live by my own advice last night. Hermana Torres and I were out in the country and came across an English speaking man who was very animated and overly-zealous about his faith in Jesus Christ. He congratulated us for doing the Lord's work and over and over talked of doctrine that actually was true. He said that to everyone is given the light of Christ to know good from evil. He said that when we have faith in Christ, that light grows and we should share it with others. And he even said the the Holy Ghost will testify to those we share this with that it is true or not. The only thing he said that was NOT the truth was that all we needed to do to be saved was confess that Jesus is the Christ and as soon as those words leave our mouths, His blood covers our sins. I think maybe he's been watching Beetlejuice a little too religiously because that's definitely NOT true. I even said that in the Bible it says that we must be baptized by water and of the Spirit. But he wouldn't really give us a chance to speak more and I was about to give up and just let him think what he wanted to think. Then Hna Torres spoke. She asked, Can I share something that we have with you? She began to explain the Book of Mormon and how just like the Bible, it gives testament of Jesus Christ and brings the fullness of His teaches to us. He wouldn't have anything to do with it but she bore testimony that the Spirit would tell him whether or not the book was true through sincere prayer. He insisted we pray right then. He grabbed our hands and we stood in a circle and he told Hna Torres to pray. I only felt the spirit of contention in that moment but we prayed anyway and all the while, he was muttering his own prayer under his breath. I almost wanted to start laughing but I didn't because the sad thing is that this really meant something important to him. When we were done, he told us very politely that his faith in Christ will save him and pretty much cautioned us of false prophets in sheep's clothing. In that moment I knew I was being backed into a corner of faith and I couldn't leave him without him knowing exactly what I believed. I bore testimony of the validity of the Book of Mormon and how I've searched to find this testimony. I knew without doubt that the teachings within the Book of Mormon are true and that the prophet guiding us on the earth is truly a prophet, receiving revelation from God. I was brief but I was bold and I know he felt something. In the end, we gave him a number to order the Book of Mormon and I walked away a little shaken, but feeling so good that we didn't leave him without him knowing that there's more than what he has.Its a different experience going from house to house and talking to people in all different walks of life. Some (many) think that we're just too young and innocent to understand what they're going through. Some think that their problems are too big or complicated to be solved by the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. And some have just lost all hope of there ever being a God because of what they've experienced. It's sad to see people suffer. I'm really starting to see that each person is a child of God and is going through trials and experiences that influence their mindset. I absolutely love being a missionary, folks. Can I just tell you that? I've never been so happy and yet so challenged in my life. I want everyone to have a missionary experience because its incredible the joy you will feel when you see someone's life touched by the spirit. When that person begins to understand and feel the truthfulness of the gospel of Christ, and then begins to change, it's something that causes your heart to explode. Literally, explode. It's a health hazard, so, you know, look out.Jill, tell little Keiti that jelly fish aren't her friends. Candice, tell Emily thank you for the wonderful picture and letter in a giant envelope. Is emily really writing full, legible words now? Rach, thanks for sharing your spanish skills with me in the form of Chris Farley quotes. Yo vivo en un apartament cerca de la Biblioteca! Camille, I hope all is going well with you because I haven't heard anything recently from mom or otherwise. Mom, I sure enjoyed the letter about Jacob's wisdom teeth and a very brief explanation about your trip to New York. My companion loves Jacob and sometimes acts like him actually. A few nights ago we fell asleep with a cd of Jacob talking at our bedside. Ahh, there's nothing like the sweet sensuous sounds of Little Brother to lull a person to sleep.I love you all. Siempre voy a amarlos, pero mas que nada, quiero que sepan que los amo a todos. Estoy muy agradecida por todo que yo he recibido por cada uno de ustedes.Haz lo Justo.Hermana Langston

Sisters, Sisters

Just a few pictures of Jeanette, Hermana Kearl, Hermana King and Hermana Hansen (on the top picture). Jeanette has been companions to both Hna King and Hna Kearl.

Young Women Activity

"Hermana Allred and I with the Young Women in Brazos branch. The lady down in front is Hermana Lopez, the wife of the branch president. She's an awesome lady." The Young Women were making camp shirts