Week 44

This is a great time of year.  We are getting closer and closer to Christmas and time is flying.  It is wierd because in some respects time just doesn't matter as a missionary.  I just work and then I am happy and that is life.  We had a little bit of a hard week again because none of the investigators came to church.  There is some much that we need to do better.  It is hard to work all week with the expectation that 8 investigators are going to go to chruch and then something always comes up.  But we are going to be looking for new investigators and looking to meet their needs.  We found a family this week that is soo awesome!  Their names are Dulce, Arturo, Alex and Monse.  They are really great people.  The spirit has been really strong in the lessons.  They said that they are going to go to church on Sunday.

Well even though it was a little bit of a rough week with the investigators, it has also been amazing.  We had 2 exchanges this week.  I learned so much from the other elders.  There is this sick Elder in the zone named Elder Pendleton!  I went to his area and it was very humble.  Their house doesn't have flooring and they don't have hot water and they don't have lights in the bathroom or bedroom.  The area is really poor too, but the people are really open.  The streets are mud and we had a great time exploring and living the mexican life.  That area really does feel like what I imagined that it would be like.  The street didn't have lights and there are parts of the colonia that don't have any light or water or gas.  We taught a family of 8 people that are just so awesome.  One of the best parts of the mission is just getting to know so many diverse types of people.  Elder Pendleton is so humble and he is just such an awesome guy. We had a great time.  

We also had an awesome zone activity in the market this week.  There are huge markets were everyone buys everything they want.  We put up an easy up and set up chairs and a TV showing "El es la Dadiva"  We were cleaning peoples shoes and giving out hot chocolate.  The spirit was so strong because at one point we had like 7 families, 20 people surrounding the TV watching the true meaning of Christmas and drinking their hot chocolate.  The families were so receptive and we took there directions.  That was the best activity that I have ever done.  The elders and sisters were so happy.  

We had the mission Christmas party this morning and the spirit was so strong.  Every zone preformed a skit or song and we sang the 12 days of Christmas but changed the words to going with a mission theme.  On the first day of christmas the mission gave to me....and then a bunch of funny clever phrases.  President and Sister Bird are so great.  They are becoming my parents away from home....,but no one can replace you two!  But just know that I am happy and content with everything.

I will see you on Thursday,  at 2:00pm your time!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!  

Love Elder Quist  

Week 43

Hello Family and Friends,

Just to tell you mom and dad the dog bite is not that bad.  It was a medium sized dog.  So I'm all good and nothing got infected.  I have had a great week -lots of exchanges and lots of learning.  This zone is killing it.  We are teaching more lessons with a member then 2 zones combined.

Well I don't have much to tell you today but I am doing great and having a great time in my new area.  Last night we went with our investigators to a Christmas choral concert at the temple.. it was so sweet.  I got to see the investigators and recent converts from Metroplex also. 

 We are going to call you guys on christmas the 25th for 45 minutes.

I have to go now, but I love you so much and I am sorry that I barely wrote anything.

Talk to you next Monday

ELder Quist

Week 42

Hello,

Well this has been a very exciting week.  I can express how inspired I am to work hard this Christmas season.  On Monday we had a great preparation day and had an awesome zone activity and we bought 12 little siezers(I dont know how the spell that) pizzas.  and played futbol.  We are going to make hot chocolate for the zone today and play futbol, if it is not raining too hard.  

On Tuesday we saw a guy unloading his groceries from his car and we helped him. We entered his house to teach.  He(eugenio) and his wife(natali) were really receptive and I got a strong impression to teach them about the Book of Mormon from the start.  They accepted to read it and pray.  The next day that we went Natali said that she read and felt like the Book of Mormon opened up her soul and she felt so full.  I am learning how to listen to the spirit better and better and it changes everything.  

On Wednesday we went on exchanges with Elder Galindo and Elder Garcia.  I went to Elder Galindo's area and let me tell you, we had quite the experience!  Elder Galindo is the elder that was in my first zone,  His dad died 3 months ago.  He is such an inspiration.  We had a pretty calm first part of the day and then it got dark.  We were walking to our next appointment and we are going to contact someone on the side of the street when out of no where a dog came running from around the corner, passed the people that we were going to contact and for no reason went crazy and bit my calf.  It scared me pretty bad..I don't remember but I bet I did a little high pitched scream, well at least the dog made a pretty weird noise when he bit me.  We quickly went to the next appointment and washed the bite really good with alcohol and taught the lesson.  After the lesson I remembered that we were supposed to call Sister Bird if anything happened, so I called her and she said that I should just wash it really good with soap and water and call the mission doctor.  Then I thought, okay cool not a big deal.  We called the doctor and he started listing off medicine and clinics and exams that I had to do the next day to see if the dog had rabies.  We then walked 25 min to the closest members house and washed it really good with hot water when we got a call from my companion saying that we should watch out for a tall blond white guy,  that was in the zone.  He is a man that has tried to harm lds missionaries in Guatamala and my companion said he was in our zone. Elder Galindo got a little scared and we were going to try to stay in the houses teaching lesson so as to not run into him but remembered that we needed to get to the pharmacy right then to buy the medicine.  So we walked another 40 minutes to the pharmacy and by that time it was 9:00 and we went home safe and sound. So everything is good with my leg and I will let you know if I start foaming from the mouth.  The next day we found out that the guy was not in our zone.  He was just in the mission, so we made a bigger deal when we didn't need to.  hahah  Everything is good. Don't worry mom.  I am safe and healthy.

Yesterday was a little hard.  We had to drop 4 investigators. Jose Alejandro is one of them.  He told us that he doesn't want us to come back because he feels so guilty when we are there because he is struggling with a mental sickness of hatred toward the man that his mom cheated on his dad with.  He says that he can't be going to church because he feels like he doesn't know what he is going to do when he sees the man and thinks he might murder him.  We were heart broken but I have faith that he is going to be forgiven and forgive that man.  We explained to him the miracle of forgiveness.  I will let you know what happens with him next week.  It was a hard day but I am ready to work even harder.

Love you,  Keep up the good work. 

ELder Quist

Week 41

Wow this week has been amazing!  I am so grateful (even though I forgot about thanksgiving until the next day).  It is so good to hear all about Shelby coming home and seeing the videos and pictures.  I loved the picture of Shelby and Carter together.  They look so different.  I also liked the video of Shelby coming home and seeing dad and Abby even though I imagined it being a little more dramatic but I guess Shelby calmed down a little bit in these last 18 months.  Maybe it would have been a little more dramatic if she had come directly home from Peru. 

Well let me tell you a little about my week.  On Monday we all played soccer and had a mini nerf war at the church in Metroplex as a zone and ate cake for the ones that were leaving. I went around saying goodbye to the members and recent converts that I came to love so much.  There was not enough time but I did get to go to the best families. I took pictures with them ( our zone leaders made an exception).

Then when we got home I finished packing.  At ten thirty president called and informed me that I would be announced as a new zone leader in the transfer meeting the next morning.  Hermano Gonzalez came by and gave us tacos and I didnt eat very much because I was nervous.  We woke up early and got ready for the day and drove to the offices.  The assistants called out the transfers and then each missionary goes and sits with his new companion.  My new companion is Elder Aguila (eagle).  He is so sick!  We are going to work so hard together.  He wants to go to BYU after his mission and he speaks almost fluidly in english. We talk english in the house together so he can practice his accent. He has 16 months in the mission and alot of experience.  I am learning so much from him.  I feel like I don't have very much experience because I only have been in 1 area and have 9 months in the field, but little by little.  My new area is only one colonia.  It is the smallest area in the mission but we are having alot of success so far.  We taught 34 lessons my first week here and 6 investigators came to church and we contacted 118 people.  We are going to try to teach 40 lessons next week and contact 150 people.  This zone is also the best too.  The elders and sisters are working so hard.  Our ward is really sweet even though 90% of the members live in the area of the sister leaders.  Their area is really rich.  We have like 4 active member families in our area.  There are 11 missionaries in this ward and it is crazy. All 11 eat with members sometimes and it is awesome.  I am having a great time and working really hard - a little bit less sleep but all is good.  

Oh I have a story that was pretty funny.  My first day in the area my companion and I went around visting people.  I was basically just following him that day because I did not know where I was or who the people were.  At 3:30 my companion called this family to comfirm the appointment that we were going to have at 8:30.  When he was talking to him the guy asked my companion "What are you guys going to want tonight" and my companion responded.  "the usual".  I didn't know what they were talking about but I just brushed it off.  When we got to that appointment it was a family called the Garcia family.  I introduced myself and they invited us to sit down.  They seemed really nice and my companion told me that they had just been baptized a little bit ago.  Hermano Garcia went into the kitchen and asked my companion " Do you want cold glasses".  I was thinking that they were going to make us hot chocolate or something.  I was a little confused when Hermano Garcia came out with a huge beer bottle and and handed us two glasses that had been in the freezer and poured ice cold beer in them.  I looked at my companion with fear in my eyes and he said "What you don't like Indio",  I just laughed because I was thinking that it was probably a joke because I had heard really good thinks about ELder Aguila before.  He started drinking it and I figured it was apple cider that they put in a beer bottle but I was still really scared because I didn't know what I was going to do if it wasn't.  I smelt it and at that point was 50% sure it wasn't beer but I took the risk...hahha just kidding I was 100% sure .  They all started busting up laughing and thought they got me pretty good.  So I have received a warm welcome to the ward.  

I miss Metroplex but I am so glad to be here with a new companion and a fresh start.

I love this Christmas season.  There is nothing better then being a missionary during Christmas time. The people are so receptive and open to listen to a Christmas message.  We found 15 new investigators this week because we have been talking about the love of God by sending his Son.  We are sharing the video El es la Davida with everyone (He is the gift).  I love this time of year and there is no where else I would want to be.

ELder Quist