Week 62

Hahah mom I am sorry I made a mistake last week.  I said 10 companionship but it was only 10 missionaries. Typing too fast.

Well I just feel so grateful to here that you are going to have an awesome family day.  I am far away but my heart is there with you all.  You don't know how much peace it brings to a missionaries heart to hear that everything is going well back at home.  I know missionaries that left inactive families or who are divorved.  And sometimes they go a month or two without hearing from their families in email!  What faith those missionaries have.  Oh how I want to be able to handle my trials like them one day.  What a blessing you are for me.  THANK YOU!

Well another week gone by and I am enjoying the mission more then ever.  We have been having some crazy lightning storms here lately.  I thought that I knew what heavy rain was and a bad lightning storm but wow it is a whole new world here.  They don't last very long but it is insane.  At night we turn off all the light and we live on the second floor with a lot of windows so we can just see Monterrey being destroyed by lightning.  It looks so sweet.  The other night at 820 pm we were going to our visit someone and met someone in the street.  Within seconds it started pooring harder then I have ever seen in my life and we had to run to a members business to find shelter.  It is miracle that my scriptures are not destroyed because I was soaked from head to foot in less then a minute. But the storms have been a blessing for us.  I will tell you somethings that happened to us last night.

So at 730 we were going to vist a golden family with a member and we got there and once a again they told us that they were not going to be able to receive us.  We went away sad and wondering if they were actually escojido or if they were just deceiving us.  I was discouraged. I am not going to lie.  But not 5 minutes later we get a call from the same family and the brother asked us if we could passed by right then.  We got to his house and he told us that he was sorry for not being able to recieve us and that he had been rejecting his house to us.  He opened the door with a smile on his face and had seats set up and everything.  It almost looked as if he had been waiting for us all day.  We sat down which is always a relief after walking all day.  He told us that when we left he felt bad and his friend that was visiting him told him that he should never reject the Lords servants.  He changed his plans and called us up.  That was a miracle .  I know that the Lord inspires people through the Holy Ghost to bring to pass his purposes.  His friend was inspired to tell him that.  We left the house and could see the lighting coming in the distance.   We knew that it was going to rain hard again.  Well I have got to go now but remind me to finish the story next week because due to the storm a miracle happen.  I will finsh but just wait.  Love you all.  Have a great week and a great family day. Say hi to CAMEROn for me.  

Oh and by the way I am going to learn Portuguese because there is a missionary in my ward that is from Brazil.  Pretty sweet right!

Mom we are going to have zone conference and we are going to teach the zone about personal conversion.  I would like to start with a sweet story that can call the attention of the missionary and get them to ponder the importance of personal conversion.  Could you send me some short stories that could have to do with conversion.  Thank you.  It can even be a new story or something not from the church and we can relate to conversion. Something exciting and interesting but not too long.  Ask Shelby to help you find the translation in spanish.  Thanks so much!

Elder Quist

Week 61

Family and Friends,

Well we went to the temple this week again so that is why I am writing today.  I am in a new zone in San Nicolas.  It is sweet.  It is a transition to go from having 20 missionaries in one ward to just having 4.  The ward is called Sada Vidrio.  It is really small.  I have never seen a capilla so small.  But I already love the members.  And the memebrs actually care about you here,  hahha  In my other ward the members didn't even bother getting to know the missionaries because there were so many.  except the sweet converts.  But yeah transfers were sweet, It is a little easier to guess who you could go with (not that it has to do with guessing)  now that I have more time in the mission.  And I went with the Elder that I thought I was going with.  ELder Juarez.  You probably remember him.  He was in my first ward Metroplex.  Look at the pictures.  He has really dark skin.  He is an awesome missionary.  I am really excited and we are working really hard.  WE have a sweet ward mission leader.  He is the professional taxi for the mission so I already knew him!  I am just loving life.  

We have some sweet invesigators and there is a lot of potential here.  

It is great to here from all of you.  Thanks for writing me.  Wish shelbly luck for me.

How is Abby doing?  Hope that you are all good!  I always get encouraged when I read your emails because you are the best family.  Keep it up.

Details.  Well we are in San Nicoles.  Our apartment is nice.  I will take pictures of it for you and send them soon.  But that is it.  Nothing to new.  

We were able have an awesome spiritual zone training meeting.  We talk about the atonement and I truthfully believe that the Lord inspiries everyone to be around you at the right time.  So many missionaries shared thing that were so inspiring to me.  The Lord is in a constant process of training us to be better children.  It is amazing how the spirit works.  Sometimes we don't even notice what our actions do to help others.  

I am glad that conference was so great for you all!  I watched it in english and it was awesome.  so powerful. so direct. so inspirational.

Alex-  I love you so much.  Hey there is a sweet video that you should watch.  It is called "Stay within the Lines" by Jeffery r Holland.

Mom and Dad.  Have a great week and remember that your son is grateful for everything that you have done for me.

Love you and talk to you Monday!

Elder Quist

Week 59 & 60

Week 59 (not much to say but we finally got a picture!!)

That is true mom,  I always say that it was a great week I,ll changes it up!haha

Well this was a fantastic week;)  Even though it was only 4 days, but yeah everything is going great. Se me fue el tiempo pero les escriubo mas la proxima semana.  

Week 60

Mom and Dad,  Sorry for not writng so much last week,  I don't know what happened.  We had a sweet family home evening that night with the Sanchez family (the ones that know Pablo and Melisa)  They are are so awesome.  We taught them santificar el dia de reposo this week and it was just so great.  They have a little store in their house and they sell a lot on Sunday!  They also sell their champachans really well on Sunday.  We invited them to keep the Sabbeth day like it is explained in the bible and they said yes.  Brother Sanchez told us that Pablo stopped working and selling on Sunday (he used to make 800 dollars on Sunday, but he says that he sold all that product during the week) too and testified of the blessings that we receive for keeping the commandments with exactness.  I just want to let you all know that our example in following the commandments has an affect on EVERYONE,  even if we do not notice it.  Thanks to Pablo, the Sanchez family is willing to live more according to the Lord's will.  MAN, he is just he best.  I love Pablo!

This week I was able to strengthen my testimony about the power of prayer. I had many opportunities to ask for the Lords help and he resonded EVERY time. I was able to asked him for the specific opportunity to be able to complete the steps of repentance and he answered. I also had an awesome experience in our area this week. One day we were in a rush to get to a lesson and I let a man pass by when I received the impression to stop and contact him. Not 10 seconds later, feeling terrible for denying the impression, I asked for forgiveness in a fervent prayer in my heart. I prayed specifically that the Lord would give me the opportunity to repair what I had done wrong and that He would allow us to contact that man again. Two hours later, we were walking down a street and we heard music coming from a house and I had the impression to knock on the door. THAT SAME MAN answered and we went in and taught him and his father. I know the Lord aways gives us second chances. What a bless repentance is!

So I have transfers and I am going to go to another zone!  I am happy and ready to receive the Lords will!  I will let you know were I am going the next week. I am not too sad because I know I will be able to come back for the baptism of the Sanchez family in 2 weeks!  Yeahhh BABYYYYY!!!!!! So excited

Hey I love you all so much!  Hope you know that!  I am doing great and I pray that you all are doing great!  Mom thanks for your words that inspire me every week!  Dad I love you!

Alex and Shelba!  You know that you are the best siblings ever!

ELder Quist

Week 58

Hello ,

Well today was a great day!  We were able to go to the temple bright and early this morning!  What a blessing!  My companion and I have been able to have some amazing experiences together and we are keeping busy with all of the intercambios that we are doing!  

We have been focusing a lot on the personal conversion of the missionaries and of our own lives.  I really think that there are 2 keys to success in the missionary work- Unity with the members and personal conversion.  We are trying to apply these in our lives and it is really helping!  The Lord is blessing us.  

Last night was a little frustrating because we were waiting for a member for 1 hour and a half!  It tested my patience, but I am so grateful for the Lord.  I know that sometimes life does not go how I want to too.  But how sad would our life be if it always went how we wanted it to go.  There would be no infulence of the holy spirit.  and we saw that last night!  We found a choosen family as we were waiting for the member!  What if he came on time?  The Lord always has a plan...trust Him!

Family Sanchez are still progressing.

Alex,  I just want to let you know that you are the best!  I want you to study Moses chapter 1 and meditate about your relationship with Heavenly Father and what satan wants you to think ... remember whose son you are!  Tell me what you learned

Mom I will send picture on Monday!  

Dad I love you!  you are the best and thanks for always worrying about others and having the charactor of Christ

Elder Quist

Week 57

Well this week has been so amazing!  I will tell you a story!

This week I have been able to see a strengthening in my testimony of the power of prayer and how the Lord always has His hand in the work.  Truthfully this time that I have had here in Andalucia 1.2 has been great because I have been able to give it my all and strive to do the Lord's will always, but I have not seen one person progress and be able to be baptized in my 4 months here.  On Tuesday I was in exchanges with Elder Jimenez.  He is a great missionary, by the way.  He sacrificed so much before his mission to get ready and become a missionary according to Preach My Gospel.  One of our awesome investigators, Benito Cortez, called us at 4:00 and told us that he was not going to be able to go to Church any more and get baptized because his hours changed at work.  In that moment I felt very sad for him and discouraged.  Elder Jimenez patted me on the back and said "Don't you worry  Elder Quist,  things will get better right now".  I am sure he was praying for me at that moment and oh how the Lord answered his prayer and the prayer that I had in my heart.  Less then 30 seconds after hanging up the call we knocked on the door of the next appointment of a some people that we had talked to 2 days before.  We entered their house and everyone in the family stopped everything they where doing to sit down and talk with us.  As we started talking the Brother told us how long he had been waiting to talk to us.  He told us that he knew a member named Pablo, that had invited him to listen to us but they had never gotten around to send there direction to us.  He told us that the member that they knew worked with his son in San Nicolas.  When he told me that, there sparked a hope in my heart that it was the Pablo that I knew from my first area Metroplex.  I asked the new investigator what he did for work and he said that the Pablo he knew had a shop selling speakers.  At that moment I knew that it was the same Pablo that I know.  Pablo was the a new member from a different ward that gave me a reference of his then ex-girlfriend Melisa in Metroplex (we ended up baptizing her last September).  I couldn't believe that it could be true. And then to top it off the new investigator told me that Pablo had just got married to Melisa and they are planning on getting married in the temple.  I had not had contact with Melisa so I can not explain the joy I felt to find that out.  The Lord answers prayers.  This new family that we found came to church on Sunday and have a baptismal date for the 7 of April.  We are very excited for them. Nombreeee!   I can't even believe it!  It was just such an amzing feeling to know that the Lord wants me here!    I can't even express to you how happy I am to know that Pablo and Melisa are married!  You know that family that a missionary hopes to find on their mission!  Well this family is them!

Other quick story!  It was night on Tuesday  and we were walking the in the street and the Garcia family were passing in their car.  They stopped and told us that they needed us to come to their house because they were just coming from the hospital because their son Robby was sick!  They said that it was a miracle that they found us in the street because their phones did not have battery!  They were headed home to charge their phone and were praying that they would somehow find us on their way home,so we could get there faster to give a blessing!  We gave him a preisthood blesing and the next day Robby was 100% better!  The power of the priesthood and prayer are real!  

Love you family!   Good luck Alex!  Hope it went great!  

Love you mom and dad!

Elder Quist 

Week 56

Wow!  Well I can't tell you how happy I am right now!  Finally I have a family member (my blood brother cameron;))   in Mexico with me!  I am not all alone!   Cameron is right!  The driving in Mexico is crazy, but don't worry they are better drivers -just more crazy!  How can I explain it... it is like Alex!  He is a little crazy on the basketball court but that is what makes him good! 

This Sunday was great!  We were expecting 12 investigators at church but only 3 came!  but they were the most important. Well everyone is important to the Lord, but some just have a special place in my heart!  (oh how cute)  hahah.  They're an amazing family.  Israel and Minerva Vega Gerrero!  We passed by their house before church to make sure that they were going and they said that they were!  We got to chruch and we waited and waited and at the last moment just when we would going to go sit down because they weren't going to come, they came around the corner and ya!  Just epic!  

So there is not much that is new because we are in such a same area!  It is pretty normal,  just the occasional crazy dog and drunk man, but it's all good!  

I am learing how to be a better leader and help the elders reach there potential! but at the same time I am learning even more from them then anything!  It is sweet!  I feel great and the Lord is guiding me!  

One day last week we were thinking about how we could find new investigators!  So we decided to do something out of the normal!  At 7.30 we went to a sector in our colonia and knocked doors!  We usaully don't knock doors so late because that is the best time to find all of the progressing investigators in their houses. But the Lord inspired us to forget about our plans and start following what He had planned for us!  It is a great feeling!  He guided us to find a new investigator named Alexis!  He has been taught by the missionaries before and has even seen general conference but lost contact with the church when he changed houses!  The Lord loves his children!

Thanks for everything family!  Tell Cam I say hi.

Alex Thanks for writing me!  Love you man!  You are the best!  Keep being a great big brother for Abby

Mom and dad!  Thanks for being the best and inspiring me in you letters every week!  You don't know how much they mean to me!

I am so grateful!  

Con Amor,

Elder Quist

Week 55

Good Afternoon Family,

Well this week has been pretty great! I have a new companion!  Elder Morris from Centerville Utah!  He is a great guy,  he is my first white companion so that is really different!  We have a lot in common but most of all that we love to work hard!  We watched Meet the Mormons in spanish today!  Pretty sweet!  Everything is going great and I am learning so much every week!  I don't have much time to write this week, but I am so grateful for all of you and I will talk to you next week!  

Love ELder Quist