Crazy Week


This week was craaaaaazy!
Especially this weekend. On Saturday, we spent most of the day at the Church. We had both coordination meetings in the morning, my companion (district leader) was giving interviews all day, we had a wedding to set up for the Sister's investigators, and I went on a do-or-die lesson with another greenie to see if another investigator was going to get baptized on Sunday. Then on Sunday, between 6 hours of Church, 4 baptisms in the district, fast Sunday, and a missionary ward activity we had to help run, we were all completely drained by the end of the day. But it was awesome! We got to baptize the husband of a member who started coming back to Church a few months ago. They have 2 little kids and they want to go to the temple to be sealed as soon as possible. I forgot my camera, but I'll send the pictures next week. Thankfully we were fed well that night. We had basically as many tamales as we could eat.

The missionary activity was pretty cool. Every member in the Spanish ward was put in a companionship (usually husband and wife) and sent out to go meet with some less active members in the ward. While some weren't home, there were a lot who were. They all shared Henry B Eyring's "Este Dia," or "This Day," and invited the members to come watch general conference this next week. Bringing friends to general conference is a fantastic missionary opportunity. As great and spiritual the talks and lessons are most Sundays, it's hard to beat the powerful testimonies of the Prophet and Apostles.

I did get your package, as well as a package with a bunch of cookies from grandma plus a letter from Facer. The letter and the poem are super awesome. Voy a tratar de traducirlos a espanol, porque no pienso que su esposo hable ingles. We haven't been able to sit down with them yet, but now that things have calmed down a little bit we'll definitely start helping them. I know that faith in Christ and His gospel are the best things to help them right now, because I've seen just how much it has helped all of our family through trials like this. Tell LeAnn thanks so much for sharing! She's so awesome and such a great example for me and all of the family.

It's too bad Battle of the Bell wasn't too fun, but at least Cassidy won't have to deal with the bell going off for another year. The reception sounds like it was awesome and the magic show as well.

Here's a cool little story: A Sister missionary in the district is going home (dying) after this week. She started her mission (was born) in this same ward back in the day. Her very first convert is still here and active, and today they're going to be baptizing her husband, who will probably be her very last baptism of the mission. It's so beautiful how everything came together like that.
That's about it. I'm gonna take this day to recharge. I love you all so much!

~Elder Young

Do Todo Posible

Querida familia!!!!

This week we had a zone conference with two zones. President Maluenda and the AP's gave a whole bunch of trainings and we learned a whole lot. President talked a ton about loving the mission, just like he always does. You gotta love the mission and love every single person out there. Everyone has so much potential, and if we can see that potential in them and want it for them enough, then we'll have the drive and las ganas to do everything we can to help them, and as we rely on the Spirit and do todo posible, we'll see miracles. We also learned how important it is to love and earn the trust of the leaders of the ward, all the auxiliary and quorum leaders as well as the counselors. If they get excited about missionary work, everything will trickle down.

Earlier this week we went to the hospital to give a blessing to a woman who had a stillborn. We're going to start teaching her and her husband and helping them know about the plan of happiness and how to have an eternal family. I was just wondering if Leann had anything that really helped her with Tyson, like a certain talk or scripture. Thanks so much!

I can't believe you're growing up so fast, Cassidy! AAH! Remember when you were little and I would ask, "Hold her, huh?" Just love senior year and go crazy. BYU's gonna be so much fun!!! Thanks for sending some of your senior pictures to get my opinion. Also, I don't know if you realize this already, but something missionaries always try to do is write to the sisters of other missionaries. Just so you know.

Did you see those pictures Aunt Mindy sent of Dad? A couple of those really look like me. It's freaky.

Jeff with his Grandpa Young
Jeff with his Great Grandma Stevens & Grandma Simon
Jeff, Jason, Missy, Mindy, Anna and Grandpa Young

My birthday was super fun! We went to a member's house and watched some Church movies. It was Sister Sander's birthday this last Sunday, so we celebrated hers too. The Ward Mission Leader in the Spanish ward got us a huge tres leches cake. Also, I did a Mordida.

"A great Mexican Birthday tradition is not just the eating of the cake but the tradition of the first bite. As everyone stands around the one to have just completed another year of life, they all chant, 'Mordida, Mordida, Mordida!' Yes, Mordida is the same word used for a bribe but that is because it means to take a bite. The birthday person is expected to take their first bite of the cake without any utensils and with their hands behind their back. Then, of course, one of their friends or family is sure to push their face into the cake. This is all done in great fun."
"Mordida, Mordida, Mordida"
I knew what I was getting into, but I figured it had to be done.
One awesome thing that happened this week. Yesterday, a 19 year old girl just walked into the Church and sat by the sister missionaries. She later told them that God told her she needed to go to that Church. She loved it so much, she
wants to get baptized as soon as possible so that she can serve a mission and share how amazing the gospel is with other people. The Sisters are going to meet with her every day and she'll be baptized next Sunday. It seems like miracles always happen around the end of the month when you're a missionary.

That's about all the news this week. The weirdest thing I've eaten so far is probably the boiled pig skins, Chicharrones or something like that. Anyway, I love you all sooooooooooooooooo much!!!!


~Elder Young

Happy Birthday Dylan!

My birthday's going great so far! I got your birthday package and opened everything up. Every present was perfect. I got a bit of a cold this week so the cough drops and tissues were great, and even the headlight helped since we were doing some maintenance on our washing machine. My companion gave me one of his really, really nice ties for a birthday present. It's an Ike Behar, and he got it by trading some other nice ties he got basically for free from a Bodega, which is like a super thrift shop. The ties come in barrels by the hundred pounds, dirt cheap. There aren't any in Weslaco, but some day. Our district is planning on going over to a member's house and having ice cream and other goodies, and possibly even watching 17 Miracles, which would be awesome. I can't wait to watch Ephraim's rescue, too. Actually, the member is Sister Jenny Chamberlain, and she was in the October 2009 Ensign. (Here's the link to the article: https://www.lds.org/ensign/2009/10/the-member-missionary-effect?lang=eng&cid=email-shared.
You should totally look it up, and then picture her teaching gospel doctrine in the Spanish ward. The whole article is about missionary work in south Texas, and I know or have heard of a lot of the people it mentions.

Spencer and Cassidy sure sound like they're keeping busy! It's awesome that Spencer got to babysit, I bet it was super cute. And it's awesome that he and Cassidy are spending so much time out having fun with friends and stake dances and everything. 

I hadn't even heard of the day of service down here, but service is definitely one thing we need to find more opportunities to do. Do you have any ideas of ways the missionaries up North have done service?

It has been raining a lot lately but an umbrella isn't really going to help on a bike. The jacket works great for keeping me dry, plus we've started getting more rides with members.

The second counselor asked me to give a talk right before sacrament meeting started (in the English ward, thank goodness.) I really just talked about missionary work and how great their joy would be just by bringing one of their friends into the gospel. Apparently it went pretty well, the Spirit was strong and everything.

The biggest thing we've worked on this week is pushing forward. Every single day is a brand new day. We can't let ourselves be held back by regrets or mistakes we've made. Instead of looking back and thinking, "I should have done this" or "I could have said this," Look forward after everything and ask yourself, "what can I do better this time?" Like a toddler taking it's first few steps, we won't be scolded or merit disappointment from our Heavenly Father. All he asks is that we push ourselves, because that's the only way to grow. Even should the jaws of hell gape after us, all of these things are for our benefit and our experience.

I love you all muchisimo!!!! I hope everything is going great up in Spokane!


~Elder Young

Every Step You Take Makes A Difference

Ah man, school. I'm sure Spencer and Cassidy will both do great. How's the marching band coming along? Has Cassidy gotten pretty tan since practice started? I'm not sure if you don't tan as much in the humidity, because while I've got pretty good tan lines they're not THAT noticeable. We've had some thunderstorms down here too, and a ton of rain the past few days.

The new BW bishopric sounds awesome! We had stake conference this Sunday too, in English and Spanish. We sang the same songs and the topics were all the same, which was funny. The focus there was all about missionary work as well, how each member can play his or her part, whether they be youth or adults. The best thing is when new converts are eager and excited to keep learning more and getting involved as much as they can in the Church, especially because they usually make the best missionaries with so many friends who aren't members and such a strong, recent story of conversion.

We're trying really hard to get to teach one woman who got a Book of Mormon from a friend a while back. By the time we found her, she had read first and second Nephi in about a month. The problem is she works so much and she never knows when she gets back, so we're praying for her to get Sundays off because she knows that she and her family need to start coming to Church and then be baptized.

The other day we were biking past a house and we heard someone yell, "pray for me!" out her window. It was a woman we had given a pass-along card to before. She always gets anxiety, headaches, and seizures, but that day she had been reading James 5:14-15: "Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him." We were like, "We're the elders!" So now we're teaching her and her boyfriend.

One thing my companion has talked a lot about is making sure we enjoy the mission, so that we don't have to force ourselves to work hard. If we love every minute, even when we're soaking wet in the rain and every appointment cancels on us, then we are really doing what The Fourth Missionary would do and giving our will to the Lord. In order for Him to make us into who we need to be, we can't be afraid to put ourselves out there. Just relax and be yourselves; the Gospel is part of who you are, and the reason we're so happy. It's not some awkward thing we're obligated to share, it's an amazing thing we should have a burning desire to share.

I love you all so much and hope you all keep working to bring people to the gospel. Remember that every step you take makes a difference, even if you can't see the fruit of your labors.

Love,

Elder Young

Love Really is the Driving Force

Hola familia!

We couldn't do emails yesterday because the college library was closed for labor day. Everything's fine. (aka: "Don't worry mom.")
I can't believe Spencer finally rode the tube! That's so awesome. 

I think it's supposed to start cooling down here pretty soon. Although, high 90s is cooler than it usually was last month, so that's something. It looks like Cassidy has a great school schedule, lots of awesome teachers. Senior year is weird, since really every day is the last one of those days. It's gonna go by super fast!

I really miss Dad, too, and all of you guys. It definitely helps that we're so busy all of the time, though. The more you guys keep yourself busy, whether it's studying, working, or serving, the faster time is gonna go by.

It's crazy how overloaded Brazil always is! Still, The reassignments are just as inspired as wherever else one gets called, and there are people everywhere waiting and prepared to hear the gospel.

I have been doing pretty well with migraines. I still get them every once in a while. On one hand, I've figured out how to take Excedrin dry. On the other hand, though, Elder Charles once told me I just needed to figure out what I had to learn from these headaches. I remembered back to Bednar's talk on Characters of Christ. Truly Christlike people reach out and help when others reach in. He suffered more than anyone can even imagine, humiliation, agony. He even had the power to save Himself completely. Instead, though, in the midst of His sufferings, He only used His power to help others, blessing them, healing them, forgiving them and even paying the price for their sins. Love really is the driving force behind everything good and righteous.


Here's my new companion. My old companion got sent up to Laredo to be a zone leader. My new companion is pretty awesome. In a year and a half, this is his first time in a bike area, his first time in an area without cheap ties, and his first time as district leader. It's like a whole new mission, basically. Every new companion has something to teach us, and every day is another chance to learn and grow together.


Also, I had my first baptism on Saturday! We had been teaching this great couple for a while, and now they're both coming to church every week. It was so awesome! We're gonna keep working hard and getting more and more people to start on the path to God.
Some scriptures I really like this week are in Doctrine & Covenants Section 1. After all, this section is the introduction the Lord gave to all of the inspiration of this last dispensation.

I kind of thought of some stuff I might want for my birthday. It would be nice to have a small English Bible and triple combination to carry around, since my scriptures are pretty beat up already. For pictures, laminated ones I could carry with me would be awesome. The only other thing is that my mp3 player only kind of works... some CDs would be easier. The stuff I can listen to are hymns and primary songs (in any arrangement), EFY music, Mormon Tabernacle Choir (which doesn't have to be hymns), and classical music. I especially miss all of the A cappella stuff we have, like that vocal point CD and the three InsideOut ones. If I could have some copies of those with a CD case, that would be perfect.
I love you all sooooooooooooooooo much! Keep working hard and sharing the gospel wherever you go!

Elder Young