It's Been A Year!

Hi everybody!
Great Googly moogly its been a long time! Yes, on MLK day, I didn't get a chance to write, nor did I justify going to the Library after last monday to do it. Mostly it was because on Tuesday, Hna Campbell and I drove down to Galveston with two other sisters to help with the reconstruction going on down there. Usually the elders go down, but because Sister Putnam and I really wanted to go, and the AP's are such kind hearted people, they gave into our requests and let us go. It was so funny because the guy who was waiting for us in Galveston didn't know the APs had sent sisters. He was expecting brawny young elders to do the job of putting up sheet rock and installing insulation. When we pulled up to the church, we got out of the car, he saw us, and in an excited slash sarcastic voice said, "SISTERS! SISTERS?! Oh this is the best day of my life." It was a good time. I was sore the next day but we did a such a good job in that old fallen down house its not even funny.

The past couple of weeks have gone really well. Did I tell you that we have a new person with a baptismal date? Luis Hernandez is 20 years old and from Guatemala. He's progressing really well and has a fire for learning. Its so exciting to see! It makes me smile real big and nod my head a lot when I'm teaching him. And then there's another kid named Jesse Luna who we've known for a long time but just recently he decided to come to church with us. He's such a mess with drugs and lack of motivation to live. The first time he came to church--two weeks ago--he seemed slightly dead. He never smiles, can hardly hold his head up, wears his long black hair slicked to his head, and talks really slow. But during Sunday School, one of the girls in class gave him a picture of Jesus with little children and Jesse perked up more. He seemed to pay attention more. After church was over, he said in his slow voice, "I really like this church." And he came again last week. He told his Sunday School teacher that he's not working, not going to school, but he wants to get off the streets so that's why he's coming to church. We've taught his mom a little bit too so we're hoping that with Jesse changing and learning, his mom Sylvia will want to start doing the same.

ELDER PERRY IS COMING TOMORROW!! Yeah...all 6 feet, 7 inches of him will be in our chapel in Sugarland while all us missionaries in the Texas Houston South Mission sit all around. I'm hoping he'll just tell us stories and then give us a hug. I'm so excited to hear the words of an apostle. Its amazing the way that those with strong, unshakable faith help us in our own faith. Listening to apostles and even good, faithful teachers in the church gives me more hope. I need hope.

I've been doing good these past few weeks. I'm learning a new life lesson every day and moment of my life. Some of those lessons take longer to learn than others. I realize more and more how ESSENTIAL it is to have hope. There are a lot of cool scriptures that say how we can get it. But one way I'm learning is by being grateful. When I stop and reflect on the blessings I've been given since deciding to serve this mission, I become oh so grateful. I'm so glad that I have a better understanding of the gospel and of my Heavenly Father even though it has required a lot of painful experiences. So as I've been thinking about that, my hope for what I will experience in the future becomes something joyful. My gratitude turns in to a greater hope. It feels good. I don't like being unhappy, you know? Not fun. Not fun...

The shirt is so perfect and long. I'm wearing it right now with a black vest. And the skirt? Fogettaboutit! Man, I never thought I'd be so happy to wear a piece of my mother's wardrobe. The skirt is cute! It's actually cute to me....oh what have I become. But really, thank you.

To answer a few questions....Yes, I am still in the same apartment. This little shanty has proved quite adventurous for us! Que cosas! We've been collecting bedbugs in a plastic baggy. I'll probably send some home for ya'll to look at. It won't be as cool as Candice and Camille getting a piece of my sunburn on their missions, but it'll do the trick. I've never seen bedbugs before so its so weird to look at them and know they eat my blood at night. Hna Campbell's mom sent us a box of bug treatment stuff so we treated the apt today. We'll see if that helps anything.

I love you all so much. I sure miss you and wish you could all be here in Texas with me. So many black people. So many hispanics. So much work to be done.
Love,Hermana Langston

Monday News

I can't even begin to tell you all how grateful I am. I'm so grateful that there is a plan of salvation prepared for all of us. I'm so grateful that no matter who we are, we have a Heavenly Father who loves us and watches out for us. He knows all of us personally. And I'm so grateful that I now understand this...I realize now just how blessed I've been in my life to have access to this knowledge. I'm so grateful that Heavenly Father loves me enough to give me so many tools to return back to Him and I'm grateful that He works hard to make sure all of us are able to return back to Him.

I was sad to hear the news of Bryce Christensen but I'm so grateful that his family is doing well.This week has been really amazing. So much of my patience has been tried. So much of my faithfulness has been tried. But as a result, God opened the doors and windows and air vents to His blessings.

Jorge is still progressing nicely and making friends in the church. He came yesterday for the first time and seemed very shy and afraid. But we talked to many ward members later who said that they were all in love with the kid. He is bonding with the Familia Estrada and yesterday after church was hanging out with them for quite some time. Hna Estrada was so happy to see him bonding with her and her boys. It amazes me to see how the Lord takes care of His sheep...I feel like I just need to do a little and does a whole lot.We've also found another guy, Luis Hernandez, who's 20 years old and from Guatemala. He was a person who we almost didn't go and talk to because we thought he wouldn't be interested. But after our second visit and after teaching the Plan of Salvation, we asked him a question and he said, "I know that God answers prayers. a few days before you found me, I was praying to God to know my motive in life and now here you are. He wasn't able to come to church yesterday but we all worked together to get him to the Fireside at night and the spirit was so strong.
We're teaching a mother and her 9 year old daughter too. She knows its all true and wants to prepare to be baptized. She's so cool.

I love this gospel so much. I'm so grateful to be a part of something that matters--that builds and strengthens others as well as it does to me. In church yesterday we learned about the Millenium and how for 1,000 years there will be peace on the land before judgement comes. The sad thing is that only those who are worthy to live in such a peaceful society will God permit to live here during that time. Those who aren't will be waiting for 1,000 years in misery. I can't imagine living in my own regrets for 1,000 years and then forever. So I'm trying to remember that and help others here not to do anything they'd regret. I be all pounding on their doors cryin, saying, "Please you've GOT to hear this message!! Don't do this to yourselves!!"
I love you all!
Hermana Langston

Greetings!

Hey Guys! It's me.
Last monday, the district was invited by the bishop and his wife to go to downtown Houston and watch an imax film. So...it took up a lot of our Pday. The funny thing is that we were running late and the elders and bishop called and said, we are driving to the train station right now but you could meet us there if you hurry. Feeling rushed, we decided it wasn't worth it and just went home to put our groceries away. Immediately one of the elders called and asked if we were on our way but we told him to go on without us. He was so solid and apalled as he screeched, "What?? You're not even going to try? Get in the car! You still have time!" We couldn't not go through with it. We got in the car, hurried to the station, missed the train but caught the next one, got to the museum district where 2 of the elders were waiting for us at the station, gave them our bags and we all ran full speed to the theatre where we made it just in time to see the movie. It was so good and what's funny is as I sat next to the bishop's wife and watched "The Grand Canyon Adventure," I realized how grateful I was to that elder for motivating me to do something that I would have otherwise missed out on. Thank goodness he's his brother's keeper and looks out for us when we need a helping hand from our friends. We ended up having so much fun in downtown Houston and he said at the end of the day, "You see? Doesn't it pay off to try?"

Anyway, the work is going along. The ward is so great and so motivated to make and keep goals for the new year. The bishop is so loving but firm. We're still working towards finding a family that's ready for baptism. The cool news, though, is that we found a 16 year old boy who is so hungry for the truth. He's getting baptized on Feb 8th. He's the miracle story of last Sunday where a less active went with us to visit him. He asked so many good questions and when we set up an appt with him on Sunday, he called us back immediately and asked if we could teach him right then. He wanted to know how he could get into the celestial kingdom. We had a lesson with him in the home of an amazing member family's home and the kid immediately bonded with the dad of the home. The boy's father isn't around because his dad is a drunk and apparently the boy, Jorge, has seen some pretty rough days in his time in Mexico.

Yesterday was a struggle. There are some days when I'm super motivated to work, but then there are days that I'm in a bit of a stoop. Yesterday was one of those. It was amazing though because all the temptations and negative thoughts that crept into my head were able to be conquered by just praying and deciding to overcome. At the end of the night, I was so happy that we'd made it through. And we even found a few families that are pretty potential.

New Years Eve was indeed fun. We went to Hermana Escobar's house with our 4 elders and she had made us our own special meal! It was amazingly delicious! After that we went home, planned and slept.
Peggy and Allison are cool. Thank you two for sending me such a wonderful little christmas package!
Happy Birthday, Grandpa! I thought of you the other day and wanted to come over there and give you a hug.

I love you all. I love this work. I know more now than ever that Heavenly Father loves us and this work is the living work of God on the earth. I'm so grateful that His son Jesus Christ has made me a stronger person so that I can be an instrument in the hands of the Lord.
Everyone, please write me. It helps so much.
Love,Hermana Langston