Week 101

It is true!  Teaching families is the best!  The Ayala family is doing great this week!  They came to Church on Sunday and they were very nervous but it was one of the most spiritual sacrament meetings that I have been in.  It was fast and testimony meeting.  I was able to share my testimony for the last time in Church on my mission!  As I looked out into the congregation I felt so grateful for the members this ward.  They have taught me so much with their examples.  Some other members shared their testimonies and my testimony was strengthened!  As we were teaching Familia Ayala Sunday night as we taught the plan of Salvation, Cielo the 12 year old daughter caught on and with a smile on her face asked a question to confirm what she felt.  "Are we going to be able to see each other after this life?   The joy that I saw in her eyes as she realized that she could have an eternal family touched my heart!  I will always remember that smile.  

That was the highlight of the week!  

Yes it is a bitter sweet time for me!  This is going to be the best week of my mission!  I am excited to enjoy it till the end!  I am also very grateful and happy for the blessing and the amazing mission that I am serving!  I am looking forward to seeing you all too.  but you know me! Just like dad...I dont like big parties and lots of people;) hahah.  I dont know if I am ready for that part but we will see how it goes!  It will be good for me.  

I will send you one more email next saturday.  

Love you all!  

Elder Quist

Week 100

Family,  

I only have a few more opportunities to write home.  Every preparation day has been strengthening for me and has helped me become the person that I am becoming.  Being my last transfer I get a lot of comments from missionaries about how soon I am going home.  Thanks for the advice Mom, I needed it!  I try not to think about how soon I am going to be home but instead I try to look at it from another point of veiw, I have 3 weeks to keep developing Christlike attributes in such an amazing environment. A lot of people have asked me "Are you ready to go home yet?"  My response is "No, not yet but in three weeks I will be!"  (or at least I hope I will be) hahah;)

This has been a great week.  The Ayala Family is progressing really well.  We feel so blessed.  They tell us about how their conversion is going every time that we teach them.  Each time it is another member of the family that steps up and takes the responsablity to remind and get the family together for scripture study and prayer.  The other night it was the Father of the family.. everyone was watching tv and he stood up and turned it off and asked them if they wanted to read the book of mormon!  They sat down and read what we had invited them to ready 3 times until they could understand.  When we arrived they asked great questions especially the daughter, Cielo of 12 year.  After we taught more about the Book of Mormon and she asked "Hermanos, how am I going to know when God answers my prayer to know if the book of Mormon is true and divine?"  I love how humble and receptive Children are:)  They gave us tamales with the same pork that they cooked on Christmas eve.  They are the best...I am learning so much from them.  It stuns me to know that a family after such a short amount of time have changed so much.  It has only been 2 weeks!

We are also teaching a young woman is part of a member family.  Only her brother is member but she also has changed so much is such little time:)  A month ago we vistited her for the second time when she told us that she believed in the Santa Muerte.  She realized that she was wrong and being confused.  She has been praying and told us that she knows that God lives.  She realizes now that Christ is her only Lord and asked us a few days ago "How can I be a missionary like you one day?"  

One Monday we were doing a weekly calls to the zone leaders and the sister leaders and the sister from Andalucia,  where I was serving 1 year ago told me that the Sanchez family sent their greetings!  I asked them when the Sanchezs are going to bet sealed,  they said that they are planing on getting sealed in april.  Jonathan is going to send his papers soon...pray for him so that he can get his call to Claifornia;)  He already has citizenship in the United States becuase he was born there soooo there is a chance that he gets called there.  That was a tender mercy to hear about the Sanchezs, what a blessing it is to know that family and to know that everything is going great with them!  

Love you all,

Elder Quist

Week 99

Merry Christmas! 

Thank you for making Christmas so great for me.  Just seeing your smiling faces made my day.  The family seems like it is just the same as I left it but obviously better.  It was good to see everyone in the house and get a tour.  Grandma, I hope you are feeling better today.  I love you and your few words meant a lot to me yesterday!  I couldn´t tell too many stories yesterday but it will be better in person.  Today was a good PDay.  We went with the missionary couple in the offices to clean a house that we are not going to rent anymore.  It was a good experience.  It made me remember how much I miss Saturday work days.  I am ready for when I get home Mom and Dad:)  I know that there are never ending projects.  After cleaning the house and the yard and taking out a tree we went to Taco La Bajada.  I am going to miss tacos de Carne Asada.  But I already have the best tacos and elotes locales to visit when I come back to visit the mission.  

Gerardo Sanchez was the second convert that I was able to help get ready for baptism.  I got the news that he and his family got sealed in the temple within the last few weeks!  It makes me so happy to see the impact of the Lords work, grateful for the opportunity to be a part of it!  

I have been able to study repentance more profoundly then ever before these last few weeks.  I feel as if I have received revelation for the future but at the same time I am realizing that as I deepen my knowledge of the gospel principles I realize how I have changed and have been able to live these principle without understanding fulling.  That is a testimony that the Holy Spirit and carries us until fully understanding a principle.  

I feel very blessed right now on the mission... I love the people with whom I am with.  

I love you so much Family!  Pray for me!  and I will pray for you. 

Have a great week!

Elder Quist    

Week 98

Things went well this week!  I don't really have much to say right now, I will just tell you everything that I want to tell you on Christmas day!  Alex, I am looking forward for when I come back too!  It is going to be awesome.  

I feel so much love for the people here in Mexico.  I feel as if they are my family!  Last week was the dedication of the Tijuana temple!  It was awesome!  that temple is so beautiful!  I learned some amazing new things.  

See you all soon in Skype!  Have a good week leading up to Christmas and remember what the true meaning of Christmas is!  Love you Mom and Dad.  

Elder Quist

Week 97

It seems like forever ago that I had my last P-day but it is refreshing being able to relax for a moment!  Christmas has come faster then ever this year!  Transfers went really well!  It was not easy at all but I am glad that I can say that I am alive!  I love transfers because all the missionaries that go home share powerful testimonies that motivate me to keep working hard!  A lot a good friends went home.  I will miss them but at least it won't be too long!  Tell Shelby to send me pictures because it seems as if Carter is a little busy right now;) hahah just kidding Carter (solo para hacerte sentir un poco culpable).   

We had an awesome experience this week.  We were really busy in the offices so we had only worked in the area for 3 or 4 hours all week and it was already Thursday!  So we decided to get out and let our minds rest and let the stress out and work!  I really treasure the time that I have in our area.  There is nothing that I enjoy more then sharing the gospel and teaching and serving.  So on Thursday we were really hoping to have a lot of success.  We went out to do some visits with our Ward mission leader, Hno Robles.  We went to all the appointments and all 3 appointment fell through.  I was a little discouraged but then we had the impression to ask Hno Robles if he knew anyone near by that we could visit.  He told us that there was a part member family that he used to visit when he was Bishop.  We got to the house and they were there and let us come in.  It turned out that the members that lived there moved to Metroplex and I had met them in my first Area!  We taught them about baptism and they accepted a baptismal date.  Hno Robles was so happy and he felt great to get together with old friends that are ready to accept the gospel.  It was an awesome experience.  

Thanks for the Package!  It got here this time!  I did not open it...all the way.  I has having a stressful day on Wednesday and I just pulled the letter out to read it!  Thanks Mom and Dad.  Your words helped me more then you know!

I love the tree!  It is awesome!  Just like always, something different! Where did we have generations Christmas party?  was it at the Hatches?  I dont really know what bouldering is but it sounds cool! Maybe I will be able to help Alex know how to work and he can show me how to have fun with bouldering, slack lining and what ever else he does!  I am excited to come home and help around the house!  You should see our house down here!  It is really nice and we have fixed it up.  We have a small gym in the back porch with weights!  Just need to have time to use it!  

Maybe you are thinking that I forgot but I would never.............HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!  hope that on Monday you can have a great day!   I will be thinking about you!  I am so blessed to have such a great Dad.  You are such a great example for me.  I have a lot of weaknesses and I know that the Lord sent me a Dad that has a lot strengths in the things that I am weak to give be an example on how I should be.  I appreciate your hard work.  I respect you for your humility.  I learn from the way that you treat Mom.  I hope to be a great husband to my future wife like you are to Mom.  I am excited to come home and spend more time with you and learn how to be a better man!  

I love this talk!  look it up on LDS.ORG and you can listen to it.

Fathers and Sons: A Remarkable Relationship

I want to let you know that I trust you!    And I want you to know that I am looking forward to your advice when I get home.  But right now I want to know what I can do to have a successful last transfer?  What did you do to finish your mission strong?  What can I do to prepare to come home and keep become a better man?    

Thanks for making our relationship remarkable!  You have helped me so much!  

Love your son,

Elder Quist

Week 96

Mom and Family,

Thanks for sending my that qoute from Camerons letter, it really helped me! "the secret to happiness is letting every situation be what it is and not what you think it should be." This has been another good week!  This is transfers week so we are about to get really busy!  Wish me luck and sleep a little extra for me!  hahah.  

Yesterday we had exchanges in our area with our zone leaders and it was awesome.  We had an awesome lesson with Elisa and her cousin!  When we got there her cousin, who is 100% catholic as they say here, started asking a bunch of questions like if we could listen to music or dance or if we believed in Jesus Christ.  Sometimes after 2 years of listening to people ask questions like that it can get on the nerves because some people ask questions like that out of spite but we were able respond with love and patience.  Then we showed them the new video "A Savior is born"  and she completely changed.  We taught about the premortal life and the spirit was really strong!  When she had to leave she said that she was leaving with her jaw dropped.  She said that she was going to talked to Elisa later to talk about how good she felt!  We felt really blessed because Elisa doesn't have much support from her family. It was a blessing for her!  

Have a great week!  let me know about Carter and send my support and love to Willy.  Talk to you not this Saturday but the next!

Elder Quist

Week 95

Family,

  It sounds like you have had a great week.  What is better then being with family all week?...just one thing...being a missionary!  hahah.  Not to make you jealous or anything!  Thanksgiving was great, the food was really good and it reminded me of the united states but, nothing measures up the the Quist thanksgiving dinner.  After eating we followed with the same tradition that we have in the family and we all shared one thing that we were grateful for.  I said that I was grateful for my baby sister Abby.  Truthfully she is an amazing blessing.  These last 3 years have been full of suprises and blessing.  Although we have been far apart we have never been closer.  I think that we have been gifted with the two most powerful unifying experiences. 1. a New baby in the family 2. two missionaries serving missions and one preparing.  I think that we are more united then ever. and besides that Abby is cute...so that is why.  

That is awesome that you could be with Shelby for her Birthday!  I really liked the videos where Abby said Shelbys name!  Alex, you look so tall.  I like the Generations sweat shirts.  

I thought about it a little more and I am not interested in the block classes but I would like to talk a insitute class back at home.  But I will look into that.  

The mission has taught me to deal with and enjoy the ups and downs in life.  I am learning that we need the be grateful for the good times and the hard time.  For the ups, because we can enjoy the blessing of feeling the pure love the our Savior manisfested. And the downs, because they help us develop Christlike attributes.  James 1:5 is the very well know verse in the Christian community and even more so in the members of the Church of Jesus Christ but a verse less recognized but that has found a place in my heart as I have studied it and lived it is James 1:3-5.  Truthfully in english it is hard to understand but in spanish it is clearer to me!  2 Hermanos míos, tened por sumo gozo cuando os halléis en diversas pruebas,

 3 sabiendo que la prueba de vuestra fe produce paciencia..

The Literal translation or at least how it has been written in my heart is something like this.  "Brothers and Sisters, be joyful when you find yourself going through different trials, knowing that the trial of your faith produces patience."

I experienced this scripture just yesterday.  We were having a hard morning and I was in exchanges with Elder Monroy.  No one had let us in their house.  We got to the house of one of the most humble families that I have taught on my mission.  Family Suarez, Mario and Felipe are about 75 years old.  It is an older couple that lives in a very humble house.  Their front door is 2/3 my height..and yes, although slouching over, I still hit my head leaving the first night from the lesson.  They are very loving and grateful for our visits.  Yesterday morning we went by and saw the brother in his old, stained, white shirt and ragged jeans with fresh paint on his hands.  We asked us if he needed help and he humbly accepted our service.  We were lead to the back room and helped paint for 1 hour.  It was an amazing experience and a drastic change.  That room looked as if it hadn't been cleaned in 20 years.  There were 1000 year old daddy long legs that we cleaned out.  We finish and shook the Brothers hand before leaving.  As I shook his hand he didn't let go...I looked him as tears swelled up in his eyes.  In a broken voice he struggled to say the most sincere words that anyone has ever told me.."Thank you!".  That moment was one of the "ups" that I mentioned and oh how full my soul felt.  Two hours later we passed by their house heading to a members house.  Brother Suarez came running out of his house...what he said was both un-expected and saddening.  I ask him, "what happened?".  He looked at us with sadness in his eyes too and "you or your companion stole 1000 pesos from the room where you were painting."  Guided by the spirit, we calmly told him that it wasn't us and asked him what had happened."  He seemed nervous and unsure.  Quickly we realized that what they were saying was a scam that there daughter was trying to do. She had arrived just before be finished painting, and motivated by needs and dishonesty told her parents that she had a 1000 pesos that went missing trying to trick us into giving her 1000 pesos we don't have.  Her parents, do to their humility believed this lie and asked us if we had stolen it.  We went away, sadden by the effects this lie would have on Mario and Felipa. Later that night we saw Mario on the way to the house and asked him a few questions.  He admitted that he never knew that those 1000 pesos existed and by then had realized that his daughter had lied.  That experience is one of the "downs" that sometimes capture and limit our happiness.  But it doesn´t have to be that way.  We can be joyful in whichever different trail that we are going through is my testimony.  I give thanks for the opportunity to develop patience and love that the trial yesterday gave me.

Have a great week Family.  Enjoy the Christmas season because I am!:)

Elder Quist