Week 40

Mom-  Wow you almost made me start crying when I saw the picture of you and Shelby hugging each other. There is so much love trapped in the simple picture.  You must be so content.  It looks like you had a great week together.  Peru looked so beautiful.  But I am sure that you didn't see the ugly side or you maybe did if you went to Shelbys areas.  Alex and Maddy must have been very happy.  Sounds like Shelby had an amazing mission and was loved by so many people.  I hope to follow her example.  It has been a really great last week in Metroplex.  I am getting transfered.  tomorrow. I will go to the offices and I will find out my new area and companion.  I am way excite and nervous.  It is like a whole new mission, because I just know one mission.  Mission Monterrey Metroplex.  I think that lots of people think that 9 months in one area is a long time, but I think that is how long president wants to leave the missionaries in the areas unless there are problems or circumtances.  But here I go.. wish me luck.  I think I will train again.  I would be happy if I did because it was a great experience.  

This last week and last Sunday has made me leave very content from this area.  This whole transfer I was thinking about how I has going to work so hard that I was going to be able to leave the area better then I found it.  I really think that I have done my part.  All of the converts that have been baptized since I was here are active and are having amazin gconversion processes.  And more then anyone is Manuel.  I want you to come here to my mission just to meet him!  He is so amazing.  Last night we went to his house and had yet another spiritual experience.  Like always when we sit down he starts going off about what happened in the last few day since our last visit.  He always has an amazing story, or something that happened that he shares with us.  This time he told us the he was really struggling for money and needed to pay a debt saturday in the night and on friday he was running around trying to figure out how he was going to pay the debt. He finally got the money and went to work on Saturday.  He was going to pay the debt after working but he got assaulted at work and they robbed him of all his money.  He was so depressed and felt like the Lord had abandoned him.  He even thought about abandoning the church and his faith.  Then after finishing working he went to his bosses office to see if there was some way he had a pay check.  He still doesn't know how, but he had a pay check that he didn't know where it came from.  He said that it was the perfect amount to pay his debt and pay tithing.  Right now he doesn´t have any money but he payed his tithing and his debt.  His faith grew a ton.  

After telling us his story he asked us how it was that we always shared a message exactly according to what he was passing by.  For a while he thought that is was a pre programed lesson that the missionaries have to share with every new convert, but then he said that he realized that it wasn´t possible because he always felt that God was talking to him with every message that we shared and scriptures that we read.  I felt really good in that moment, knowing that I am doing my part.  I explained to him that we study for 3 hours in the morning every day with a spirit of pray to know how we can help him specifically.  And then we follow the spirit to see what the Lord wants him to know.  Sometime as a missionary I wonder if I am good enough to represent the Lord but it is moments like this when investigators and new members confirm to us that I am doing my part that make every pain and hunger and lonely moment in the mission worth it.  I told Manuel that most of the time we don´t even know that what we are sharing is what the person needs to hear but we hope it is.  D&C 31 came to my mind in the moment(I have only read that section one time in my life but) I followed the impression and once again the spirit and the Lord didn´t let us down.  I didn't know what the Lord wanted to tell him but it became clear as we began to read.  He wanted Manuel to know that he would one day be in the church with his family(D&C 31:2) If he supported his trial with faith being constant in all things.  There is not a doubt in my mind that the Lord speaks to people throught the holy scriptures.  Reading the scriptures under the influence of the holy spirit is like receiving a very personalized priesthood blessing.  I didn´t have a clue why I needed to read that scripture with him but the Lord had a need to talk to his son. There is nothing better then helping the Lord talk to his children.  Manuel was hit with the spirit once again because he knew that it was true and began to cry.  I love this work.

Dad,  Sounds like you had a great week with you baby girl.  I love seeing the video every week and watching her grow week by week.  I saw the video of you and her at the car dealership.  Hey you told me that you were going to keep me updated on sports.  When the new missionaries arrive they inform me what happen while I was gone...hahah.  No just kidding I don't really think about sports that much. I pretty much forgot that all sports existed besides soccer.  But I did think that it was kind of interesting that Lebron went back to Cleveland.  I heard that Cleveland has a dream team now.  Where is Jimmer playing?

Well I am excited for you and Shelby to see each other and I can't wait to see a video of the first interaction between Shelby and Abby.  

Today I am going to finish packing and we are going to play soccer with the whole zone.  And then in the night I am going to go around to my favorite familys and say goodbye.

Love you dad 

Love you Shelby!

Elder Quist

Week 39

Mom, it is so good to hear that you made it to Peru safely.  You must be having such a good time. I can imagine the strong feelings that you are feeling this week.  Shelby is so amazing.  You must be so proud.  You are very lucky to have a daughter like her.  You know that!  So we went to the temple this morning.  You probably figured that because I did not write on monday.  It was so amazing.  I love the temple so much.  I learned so much this time and there isn't a place on earth that I have felt closer to God then in the holy temple.  I want to hear everything about you week.  I want to see pictures of Peru and you with Shelby.  and when you get back to the United States, I want to see a video of Abby and Shelby seeing each other for the first time.  I can not wait to see that.  Shelby is going to be in heaven.  I loved seeing the video of Abby climbing the stairs.  Dad, that is so awesome that you were able to stay home with Abby.  I think it would have been really hard for her to travel and more then anything, I think that Shelby is going to be able to enjoy Abby more seeing her for the first time in California.  You made the right decision.

This week has been such a good week.  It is very true dad, I have so many mixed feelings right now about transfers. First off I have no idea if I am going to be transferred or if I am going to stay and I do not know if I want to stay or go.  I can not tell you how much I love this ward.  They are amazing.  I am going to miss so many people.  I feel like I have lived here in Metroplex for my whole life.  Sometimes it is hard to remember that I lived before my mission, but actually I didn´t know what living was before my mission, serving is living.  

I love teaching the recent converts because they are so strong.  If only all members of the church could have the faith, hard work, love and humility that recent converts have.  We are teaching like 7 people that are going to be baptized in December.  4 of the 7 are thanks to recent converts.  you've got to keep up with the recent converts from Metroplex Cameron.  hahah.  How many references have you given to the misisonaries this week..if you haven´t given 10 you are not doing enough.haha Just kidding.  

We were talking to Manuel a recent convert three days ago and it is amazing the trials that he is passing through (thanks to his old actions).  He comes home from work everyday and says that he feels so lonely and has no one to talk to. So he works around the house for 2 hours and then reads the Book of Mormon for 3 hours.  That is why he is so happy when we or members go to visit him.  But his hardest trail is that his kids don't accept him anymore.  His oldest child got married last weekend and he didn´t get invited.  The worst part is that his brother and his brothers family who live next door to Manuel got invited and he didn´t... he is so sad.  But he is still so strengthed in the gospel.

Well that is all for this week.  Got to go to work.  Love you all.  Especially you Shelby.  Everyone hug her so hard for me!  

Love Elder Quist

Week 38

Buenos dias Family,

This week has been really good but really hard.  On Tuesday was the baptism of Yair.  It was so awesome (or at least I thought it was).  So much help from the members and the young women sang a special musical number.  He got baptized by a borther in the ward and was so happy.  Oh and his mom came.  We hope to baptize her soon.  And it was the birthday of one of his memeber friends and he had cake and soda afterwards.  The only bad part is that when he got baptized we forgot to show him how is was going to go down in the water, so it wasn't very smooth and when he was coming up he almost fell. Then one of the little primary girls shouted when he came out of the water "now he is all Justin Bieber like",  because his hair was all slick. I think he was just a little embrassed but afterward he was really happy with his friends so I hope he forgot about almost falling.  After the baprtism I asked my companion how he thought the baptism went and he said that he was mad and frustrated that Yair almost fell and that we forgot to practice the baptism with him and the the little girl shouted that.  I told him that he should focus on the good.  We got home and he wouldn´t say a word.  He wouldn´t say a prayer with me or talk to me.  I got really worried but decided to wait till the next morning to talked to him about it.  In the morning he wouldn´t talk or pray with me either.  So I decided to have a companionship inventory with him but he still would not say one word.  I thought he was really mad at me so I got on my knees and prayed to see what I could do to make him feel better.  The scripture story of Daniel and the lions den came to my mind.  I read it.  Daniel said that he was saved because "My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, "  Although I was not trying to shut the mouth of my companion, I tried to apply this to help him open his mouth so we could talk.  I realized that nothing I was going to say would help him until the spirit and and angel of God opened his heart.  I got on my knees and prayed that God would send an angel to help my companion.  When I stood up, the cell phone rang.  It was President Bird.  I gave the phone to my companion and he talked to president and president asked him how he was. It was hard for him to open up to president as well, but he told him that he was not mad a me but that he just felt really really bad for Yair.  I think that my companion must lack confidence like Yair does and that is why he felt so much compassion towards him.  He started crying talking to president and president helped him get over his struggles.  I felt really grateful that it wasn't something that I did, although I think that If I had shown more compassion for my comp he would have trusted me more and opened up to me.  I am trying to complement him more so that he can have more confidence, but it is really hard right now. But I feel like it is getting better.

WE ARE TEACHING MELISA´S MOM!!!!!! Her name is Paulina.  It is so awesome.  She was always too busy when we were teaching Melisa but the other day her boyfriend came to church and we started teaching him.  He told us that he and Paulina wanted to get married and are going to be baptized.  Melisa and her Paulina were Jehovah´s Witnesses, so last night we went and taught them with a recent convert that was also a Jehovah's Witness before.  He shared his amazing convertion story and the spirit was so strong.  It was awesome.  He said that he thought that he knew everyhting as a Jehovah Witness, but he is just now learning to be humble and learn by the spirit.  Paulina was very content afterward and is going to go to church next sunday.  I am so happy for Melisa because she needs the support of her mom in the church.  My testimony is so strong about the truthfulness of the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  It changes lives and I Love it. And I love you all so much. Have fun in Peru and give Shelby a hug for me!  It feels like Shelby's mission went by fast. I am very happy that I am staying out longer! 

Love ELder Quist

Week 37

                ( the tree of life)

First off, there is bad news.  I am not going to be able to send you more pictures(not like I did anyway..haha) because there is a new rule in all of Mexico that the missionaries can not have their cameras in the street.  We have to leave them in the house.  I live in the street n-3 455.  It doesn't look that nice from outside but it is really nice inside.  

I love that qoute from Michael Merrill.  

My companion and I found new investigators this week.  Claudia and Pedro.  They are so ready.  In our first lesson Claudia said in her prayer " let us know if this is the church we should go to".  They came to church this week and the sacrament testimony meeting was so powerful.  I was so grateful because I usaully get worried that the members are going to say something crazy.  But no it was just amazing and spiritually powerful.  Oh and Gerardo blessed his baby with the Melchizedek Priesthood. He did awesome.  

I can´t believe that Shelby is almost done.  That went by way to fast.  

Our lesson with Claudia and Pedro was one of the most powerful lessons that I have been in, in my mission.  My companion and I taught the fist vision and the restoration and after I asked Claudia how she felt.  She told me that she felt amazing.  That she was filled with joy, especially when she looked at the picture of Joseph Smith in the sacred grove.  She then said " I feel like it isn´t you speaking, I feel like Christ is speaking to me".  It was great.  I felt like an instrument in the hands of the Lord.  That is what I want so badly.

I love you all so much!  Thanks for all you support!

Elder Quist