Friday, April 23, 2010 -- A Tribute to My President

Yes, transfers are this week. I'll write more about it a few lines down, but yes, I am staying on as an Assistant for my last transfer.

Speaking of my last transfer, although I am very happy and excited at the prospect of seeing you all again, of being with you and doing all the good things you do with you, and for all that will happen in my life in the next months and years, I am trying to avoid thinking about it. It's not that thoughts about home make me "trunky" or want to work less (it is quite the contrary), but the thought of finishing my mission hurts. I've loved almost every minute of my mission, and the minutes I didn't love so much have been the source of great growth and learning for me. I love being in the service of the Lord, and I love His children whom I serve. I know that there will be other opportunities to serve, and to learn and grow, after my mission, but as President Mendoza has said, it will never be the same. These two years are unique and unrepeatable, and I don't want them to end.

But, like I said, I am excited for what's to come. I will do my best to the end of my mission, and do the same in the next phases of my life.

* * *

Mom asked me about my scripture study. I think that there are a lot of great ways to study, and it all depends on one's needs and wants.

Right now, for example, I am reading the Book of Mormon in a manner suggested by Preach My Gospel, marking references to Christ, His words, His attribtues, and His doctrine and principles each with a different color. This method of study has greatly strengthened my testimony of the Book of Mormon as a testament of Jesus Christ.

I have also read it out loud, read it checking every footnote, read it in as short a time as possible (Parly P. Pratt day), and in many other ways. Each time I have learned something different.

One thing is certain. "Effective daily study must always begin with prayer." (Preach My Gospel page 17). For study to be effective, we need the Spirit, and we recieve the Spirit through prayer.

I think it is great that [my little brother] Benson has found a love for Harry Potter and for reading in general. I have never missed movies during my mission, but on occasions I have missed reading a good book. I look forward to reading with him when I get back.

Since last Sunday I have spent several hours each day with President Mendoza. As always, I have learned great things from him. This week I got to see him in ways that I haven't before, but everything he does he is a good example. I am reminded of what President Carlson said in his blessing when he set me apart, "You will learn great things from your mission president." Or what Elder Cook has said: "The influence of a valiant mission president is one of the great miracles of the Restored Gospel." Here are some of the situations in which I have seen President Mendoza this last week:

Transfers. This time around, transfers have been a difficult process. We started early (Sunday instead of Monday) and finished late (yesterday at about 7:00 PM), with an average of six hours each day working on the sacred process of transfers. There are two basic reasons why it was more difficult this time: President Mendoza wants to leave everything, including the zone leaders and the organization of the missioin, in perfect condition for the new mission president, and because of certain situations we have had to close some areas. But President Mendoza never got tired or frustrated. He is always very happy and cheerful, thinks every decision through, is concerned for the mission as a whole but also each missionary as an individual, and always seeks the Lord's guidance.

His Birthday. Yesterday was President's birthday. It was full of surprises for him. When he arrived at the offices in the morning, we were all hidden in his office, which we had decorated with balloons and banners. We bought a cake to eat with him. It was his favorite (and also mine), rollo de mango (mango roll). Then, from 6:30 to 7:30 he was surprised to recieve a phone call every five minutes from the zone leaders of each zone to congratulate him on behalf of their zones.

But the biggest surprise came at night. We said goodbye to him at about 7:15 when he left the offices, and he said, "see you tomorrow." Little did he know that we would be seeing him less than an hour later. We had been helping sister Mendoza plan a huge surprise party for him for a few weeks. He left his house last night thinking that he was going to the movies with his family, but when they passed through the park, he got a huge suprise as he found the stake presidents, Area Seventies, and other friends from Monterrey (including us) there waiting for him.

It was a great party, although I felt really weird being there. (We played the part of waiters.) Sister Mendoza had contracted a Mariachi band to play. I had never seen a real, good Mariachi group before, and it was incredible. There is a lot of Mexican culture which I have come to love, and last night I found one more thing to love, with Mariachi music.

The best part of the party for me was watching President Mendoza. For example, after the Mariachi entered by surprise and played their first few songs, President Mendoza inturrupted them to say a prayer to bless the food. He said to the band, in front of everyone, "Señores, everyone here in this party is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or the Mormons. Have you seen those young guys over their before? (and he pointed to us). Well, talk to them. As members of the Church, we are used to saying a prayer before blessing the food . . . and explained how to pray." He didn't hesitate for one minute to "contact" the entire Mariachi band in front of everyone. What an example!

Sister Mendoza had asked the band to play some of President Mendoza's favorites. I watched as he tearily sang along to one called "Mi Querido Viejo," about a father. I watched as he hugged Sister Mendoza tightly as they played one called "Alma, Corazon, y Vida," about love. I watched as he tried to dance with Sister Mendoza to a more up-beat song. (She resisted dancing in front of everyone.) I had never seen this side of President before, but even in a party, he is a good man, a good husband and father, a good friend and a good host.

As coach. Today he came to the offices to play with us on our preparation day. We played volleyball and ping pong. He soon realized that all of us are pathetically out of practice in any sports (for some reason he is not at all out of practice, or maybe just a natural.) So we took some time doing some exercises. Once again his belief in us, his patience, and his way of teaching were incredible.

I have learned so much from President Mendoza, things that have helped me be a better missionary, and things that will help me be better through the rest of my life. I am sure that a major part of the reason why I was called to this mission was to be taught by him.

Even though we have had little time in our area this week, things are going well. Our efforts to teach the message of the Restoration to the members (a suggestion we found in Preach My Gospel) this week led us to two new part-member families. Teaching families is the best.

Friday, April 16, 2010 -- Rain and Blessings

It´s been a rainy week here in Monterrey. I've enjoyed it. Sometimes it seems like the rain is perfectly timed to rain only after 9:00 at night or before 11:00 in the morning so as not to affect the missionaries.

I love the sight and sound of rain so much that I have been doing my personal stuying outside, kept dry under a roof. Rain makes me think about a lot of things, especially the Primary song that says,

I like to look for rainbows

Whenever there is rain,

And ponder on the beauty

Of an earth made clean again.

I want my life to be as clean

As earth right after rain . . . .

The work never ceases. Both in the offices and in the area things are marching well. (Can I use the word "march" like that? I'm not sure if it has the same meaning as the Spanish word marchar.)

It seems like in addition to the water falling from the sky, this week has brought with it an outpouring of blessings.

Last Sunday night our ward had the second in a series of activities that we have planned. (The first was the sporting event that I wasn't able to attend because of the zone council.) Sunday was the event that I was most excited about, partially because I had the initial idea (which was improved upon by the ideas of my companions and the ward leaders.) It was a "conversion fireside." I love hearing conversion stories, they always bring the Spirit and always encourage me to be better and do more in missionary work, so we planned a night in which several people would share their conversion stories.

This was the program:

• Opening Hymn: Called to Serve (I played the piano)
• Prayer
• Nancy Cabello shared her conversion story (she was baptized about eight years ago, but became inactive soon afterwards--until about two months ago when the missionaries found her and baptized her Mom)
• Elder Crisostomo shared his conversion story (he has been a member for three years and a missionary for almost two years. His parents were sealed while he was in the mission field. His is an incredible story.)
• I gave a short talk sharing three conversion stories, including that of [my pioneer ancestor] Ann Jewell Rowley, showing that you can't measure the results of one person's conversion
• The Bishop shared a few words
• We finished with a movie called "By Small and Simple Things" about member-missionary work
• Closing Hymn: "Because I Have been Given Much"

In terms of attendance, unfortunately it wasn't the best of activites. But for those who attended, it was a spiritual feast. I was very much edified, and I could tell that the members were reminded of their own conversion, and became more excited to share the gospel with their friends.

This past week I had one of the most spiritual experiences of my mission. As you know, I had already had several testimony-strengthening experiences with fasting, such as with Angelica Montagut or Jorge Montoya, or recieving my own personal guidance. This week my testimony was strengthened even more.

President Mendoza has suggested that in April and October the missionaries should fast the first Sunday of the month instead of waiting for the second week as do most members. (The reason is that, as we are sitting in the church durring that time it will be easier than when we fast while working all day in the area.) My companions and I followed his advice and fasted during General Conference weekend.

Last Saturday we went to visit a person named Elsa Gaytan, who has been taught by many sets of missionaires. When we went to teach her, it was clear that she was one of the Lord's prepared children. Although it has been some time since the missionaries last visited her, she was still reading the Book of Mormon on her own.

As we taught her, I asked myself why she had not yet been baptized, but the answer became clear when we invited her to church. First, she asked if she could attend a different buidling [referring to a nearby meetinghouse other than the one used by the ward in which she lived]. We explained the order of the Church, and she understood.

She then told us that she had attended our ward, many years ago, but that there was a sister in our ward with whom she had had a disagreement, and the sister had declared that one of them had to stop attending, because they couldn't both do it. She had written a letter to that sister asking for forgiveness, but the sister didn't even accept reading it.

As I listened to her problem, I distinctly heard a phrase in my mind that I had studied in Preach My Gospel that morning: "Great blessings are available to those who obey God's commandment to fast." And so I did something that we hadn't planned on doing, something that I had not talked to my companions about beforehand. I pulled out my Bible and turned to Matthew 17:21 and begain to explain the principle of fasting.

That very moment my companions and I began a fast. At the end of the lesson we knelt down with her and offered our prayer to begin our fast.

The next day, we awaited anxiously in church, but Elsa never arrived. But we didn't lose hope. Knowing that faith without works is dead, we decided to act, and after our services we decided to talk to the sister [with whom Elsa had a conflict]. Her answer greatly surprised me. She said, "Elders, this is Jesus Christ's Church, not mine. I can't say who can come and who can't. If she wants to come, that's great, and I won't do anything. Just don't ask me to sit by her."

It may not sound like much, but knowing the situtation, it was huge. And it was an answer to our fast. Later that same day we visted Elsa to give her the news. She was overjoyed. Yesterday, in a lesson which we planned especially for her, we challeneged her to be baptized. She happily accepted, saying only that she had to make sure that it was all right with her husband first.

Without a doubt, there are great blessings available to those who fast. Problems that seem unsolvable can be solved with faith the size of a mustard seed shown by a true fast.

Last night we went to visit Nancy Cabello and her husband, Jonathan (he's the one who was a Catholic missionary.) We had planned a lesson for him in which we were going to challenge him to be baptized, but we were nervous.

In our companionship study that day, we had thought about all the possible answers he could give. "But my mom would never talk to me again if I were to become a Mormon" or "are you kidding me, I'm a catholic missionary and you want me to get baptized in your church?" Elder Dudley said, "and what if he just says ´yes?´" We all laughed, thinking that that was impossible.

We began our lesson by verifying if he had read his assigned reading, 3 Nephi 11. He had. We used it as a platform to talk about the gospel of Jesus Christ. When it came time to challenge him, it was Elder Dudley's turn. When he asked the question "Will you be baptized?" Jonathan said, "yes." No objections, no doubts, just "yes." I was amazed.

We congratulated him on his desire and explained that this decision was the first step to an eternal family. And we finished our lesson talking about eternal families. As we did so, his wife, Nancy, looked at him with a look of such love and hope. I think that she was imagining the two of them and their young daughter in the temple, being sealed for time and all eternity. As the second principle of the first lesson in chapter 3 of Preach My Gospel says, "The Gospel Blesses Families."

I love missionary work.

Friday, April 9, 2010 -- General Conference Experiences

What an experience was last weekend! I don't know how they do it, but each General Conference seems better than the last. (Actually, I do know how they do it. It has to do with revelation, priesthood keys, and truth.) I've said it many times before, but it has never been more true than now: it seems like the General Authorities know my needs and write their talks just for me.

I think General Conference weekend is when the Church comes closer than ever to being Zion, because we are so united. That's something you don't feel as strong when you watch conference at home--the feeling of being connected to the Saints across the world.

A large part of those feelings of unity comes through the music. It is incredible when the choir and congregation sing together. Even though it be in different languages, the tune is the same, and the Spirit is strong. Several times durring the congregational hymns, I imagined my family, my friend Andrea, my converts, old friends, and fellow missionaries across the world, knowing that they were all singing with me at the same time.

I love the music in General Conference. In the hymn book it says that some of the greatest sermons are taught by the singing of hymns, and I think that the Mormon Tabernacle Choir is one of the best preachers.

Here are some of my favorite General Conference moments from last weekend:

1. President Monson's talk. In fact, all of the Sunday Morning session was incredible. The prophets and apostles who spoke truly did their duty to be "a witness... of His resurrection" (Acts 1:22). President Monson gave His powerful witness of the resurrection, and immediately afterwards the choir gave a second testimony singing with such power. We had three investigators with us that session, and they all felt the Spirit strongly.

2. President Eyring's talk in the Priesthood session. What a powerful lesson on diligence! His talk was for me a call to be better and work harder.

3. My favorite talk was that of Elder Foster of the 70, who talked about Mothers. I love my Mom. I, like Elder Foster, "understand in a personal way the great influence of mothers." Mom, thanks for all you do.

4. Elder Andersen's description of conference as an "inspired symphony." What a great analogy!

There were many other talks that helped me a lot, like President Uchtdorf in the priesthood session, Elder Holland, Elder Cristofferson, Elder Perry . . . too many to name. I love living in a day when we have prophets and Apostles to guide us.

Another good experience I had in General Conference was seeing Ranulfo Villegas, my convert from Victoria. He is doing better than ever. He was very excited to tell me that he had just finished reading the Book of Mormon for the third time! (And he was just baptized in December.) His comment made me think about something it says in Preach My Gospel, "For you to grow in the gospel and stay on the path that leads to eternal life, you need to develop a habit of gospel study." (page 17).

Speaking of Preach My Gospel, this week in the mission we are dedicating all of our personal study hour as well as all of our language study time to reading Preach My Gospel. I have learned a lot this time reading it. One of the most important things that Preach My Gospel teaches, and one of the most important things that one can learn as a missionary, is how to work with the Spirit. Here are four of my favorite Preach My Gospel quotes on the Spirit:

• "Enjoying the gifts of the Spirit should be one of your most earnest desires." (Page 4)
• "You can feel certain that the Lord is pleased when you feel the Spirit working through you." (Page 11)
• "Through the power of the Holy Ghost we can feel God's love and direction for us. This gift is a foretaste of eternal joy and a promise of eternal life." (Page 65)
• "You will succeed in your work as you learn to recieve and follow personal revelation." (Page 89)
  

The Spirit is key to everything I do as a missionary. In fact, it is key to everything we do in this life.

* * *

Cultural moment: It's mango season here, and I love it. When I first arrived in Mexico, I wasn't too excited about eating mangoes, but they have become one of my favorite foods. I often eat them with breakfast, lunch, and dinner since they are so common and so cheap during this time of year.

Friday, April 2, 2010--General Conference Time!

Much has happened since last I wrote. Last Friday, as you know, we recived reinforcements. Eight valiant new missionaries arrived from the united states. "Valiant" is a word that President Mendoza always uses to describe the new missionaires, and it truly applies to this new group. Friday afternoon and Saturday morning, which I spent teaching them, was an incredible experience.

Saturday afternoon at the last moment, we decided with President Mendoza that it would be best for us to bring the new missionaries to their areas that day. So we were off to Reynosa. We made good time and were able to introduce them to their companions and return to Monterrey before 9:30 PM.

Monday, as always, was full of office work--talking with and counseling the zone leaders, filling out reports for Salt Lake and for President Mendoza. It went well.

Tuesday we had a zone leader council. We presented to the zone leaders a new zone leader's manual that my companions and I have been working on for a few weeks, among other things. The council also went well. That same night we had a ward missionary activity planned. When we told President Mendoza about it, he told us not to change it, but that he would excuse us early from the ZLC. My companions had both finished their participation before time came, but I still had two topics left to discuss with the council. So my companions went without me, and I stayed to support President and do my part.

The truth is I was a little disappointed that I wasn't able to attend the activity that we had planned. We did a lot to plan and prepare the activity, and I wanted to attend. (I was especially excited to be a judge in the salsa contest (salsa as in sauce, not in dance.)) But my companions told me that it went well. There were over 70 people in attendance, including ten investigators. Even though I wasn't able to attend, I am happy that it was a success, and that my companions and I were able to fulfill our dual duties (to president and to our area) at the same time. We have two other activites planned soon and I am sure that they will also be successes.

Wednesday we went to the temple. Every time I go, I learn something new and feel something special. The peace of the temple is incredible, as is the clarity with which we can recieve revelation.

After the temple, we had another surprise visit to the border. A companionship is opening an area in a pueblito near San Fernando, Tamaulipas, and we had to go stock their new house with furniture. (It is about a 4.5 hour drive from Monterrey.) We went and came back all on the same day.

Yesterday we had to spend extra time in the office to make up for what we had lost Tuesday and Wednesday, as well as to print the zone leader manuals, since they loved them in the council and President promised that we would have them out by Monday.

So I haven't had much proselyting time this week. But that's OK. I understand that my office work, and trips to the border are other forms of "the service of God," and I enjoy and learn from each experience. The two lessons which we have had this week have gone really well. Monday night we had a FHE with a young recent convert and her husband, who is an ex-Catholic missionary. We taught the Restoration in a didactic way, and he understood. He also attended Tuesday's activity and is excited to go to general conference.

I love teaching families. Yesterday, we taught the land lady of the house where the missionaries used to live. She has a good opinion of the Church and the missionaries because the missionaries who have lived there have been respectful. We talked to her about prophets and she too is excited to attend general conference this weekend.

I think I am the most excited about general conference. It is always my favorite weekend. General Conference is the epitome of the Restored Gospel, since it is when we listen to the modern prophets and Apostles who receive revelation from God. I am also happy because I know that you will be watching the same conference. . . . We will be under the same satellite, which is just as special although not quite as romantic as being under the same moon.

Thursday, March 25, 2010 -- Meeting the Bishop

Sometimes when I write in my journal or in my letters, when I try to write en [sic] English, it comes out in Spanish, and even when it comes out in English, I mess up on the grammar and spelling. I remember when I got excited when I dreamed in Spanish. Now it is a rarity when I dream in English. In my dreams all my loved ones now speak Spanish. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten English. (I have been following the suggestion of Elder Nelson to teach my companion English so as not to forget it myself), but Spanish is currently my first language (and I think my English accent is rather funny).

You may be wondering why my preparation day is Thursday instead of Friday this week. Tomorrow and Saturday we will be busy all day because tomorrow eight new American missionaries will be arriving. They are arriving late because of visa problems (sound familiar?).

It has been an interesting week. It has been a while since I have been in a trio (since Utah, in fact.) But I like it. We get a lot more done in the offices, and we have more ideas for the area (although I think sometimes three men can be a little intimidating when we talk with people). We are working hard in our area. Opening the area continues to be an adventure, with its challenges, but we enjoy it. We have created a plan to improve relationships with the members and work more effectively with them, as well as to find and teach more people.

We had a couple of interesting experiences looking for the bishop the other day. First, when we were looking for his house, we knocked on the wrong door. When we asked for the Gutierrez family, they had no idea who we were talking about. But when we asked if they knew any Mormons in the neighborhood, they pointed straight to the bishop's house. The people really do watch us more than we think. It made me wonder what my neighbors would say about me and about the Church because of my actions.

The bishop wasn't home that day. The next day we were walking down the street between appointments talking with the people on our way. As we talked with one man, another man about 20 yards away was looking at us. So we then went and contacted him. "Hi, Elders," he said, "I'm your bishop!" Who knows what he might have thought if he had seen us passing all the people by instead of talking to them as missionaries should. Once again, we never know who's watching.

* * *

I am amazed at how many of my friends [who are now missionaries] are assistants [to their mission presidents]. Being an assistant doesn't make you better than any other missionary, but it shows me how greatly the Lord has blessed me with my friends.

I don't know what the news is saying about the goings on here in Monterrey, but things are fine. Remember what the Lord told Mosiah when his sons wanted to go on a truly dangerous mission to the Lamanites: "Let them go up, for many shall belive on their words, and they shall have eternal life; and I will deliver thy sons out of the hands of the Lamanites" (Mosiah 28:7).

* * *

I am attaching pictures from the Obispado, a huge flagpole on a hill next to a Catholic Church with a great view of Monterrey. One is of all seven of the office elders. Another is of me enjoying the view. And the third is a pciture of me and the flag pole, taken by Elder Castillo. While we were there, I thought of how "high on the mountain top a banner is unfurled."

Friday, March 19, 2010 -- Transfer Week Again

Greetings from the City of the Mountain Kings where, as [my brother] Truman described BYU, "Spring is on the air." It is beginning to warm up again, bringing with it extreme temperatures, the ever-present mosquitos, and the humidity. The truth is, I love it.

It has been a great week. This transfer we started a new way of doing things. (I love President Mendoza--he is always looking for ways to do things more efficiently). Instead of doing transfers on Monday, we did them on Tuesday. Monday we recieved the Valiants [new missionaries] and taught them all day. Tuesday we had transfers and the afternoon with the Heroes [departing missionaries], and Wednesday we said goodbye to the Heroes in the airport. As always, it was full of great expereinces.

Once every six weeks in the transfer devotional my companions (Elder Dudley is once again in the offices) and I get five minutes to say whatever we want to the whole mission. I love that time and spend weeks in anticipation, thinking about what I can say that I have learned or that the mission needs to hear. Also, with our new plan, the transfer devotional features the presentation of the tutors and disciples, and the heroes have time to share their feelings and their testimony. It is always a great expereince.

Wednesday after the airport we went to Reynosa, to bring some needed furniture, proselyting materials, and packages to the missionaries, and yesterday we went to Linares, which is about a two hour drive to the southeast. I love roadtrips (largely due to the fact that I always remember our family roadtrips, particularly our Church History tour.) I love seeing the beautiful scenery, having time to think, and having good conversations with my companions. I brought my journal along, hoping to catch up, but ended up bringing the wrong one. (I grabbed one that was already full). But it turned out all right. My companions and I chose random dates and I shared with them some of the experiences that I have had on my mission.

Our change of [proselyting] area . . . has been an interesting experience. Our priorities have been to meet the members and gain their confidence, work with the bishop and ward mission leader, and use the area book. Opening an area has made me better understand the importance of keeping good records in the area book, so that those who come later can build upon the foundation we lay.

We left a lot of good people behind in Victoria. One of them is a young man named Jesus Chaides. Jesus is 16 years old and came to live with his newlywed cousin in Monterrey, in order to go to school and get a job. His cousin is a member and invited him to church. That is where we met him.

When we first started teaching him, he was just like any other of today's youth: not very interested in God--in fact, he didn't believe in him. But after talking with him, we found what he was interested in: he likes helping people (he told us that he wants to build houses for poor people some day.) So we talked to him about the best way that he could help people: serving a mission, and he expressed desires to accompany us and see what we do. Our next lesson, we talked about the Plan of Salvation and caught his attention. Never has an investigator asked so many sincere questions as did Jesus.

Little by little he has been changing. Now, he has the desire to be baptized. It was hard to say goodbye to him. We went with the new missionaries in Victoria to introduce them to Jesus a few days ago. Jesus asked us if we could come to his baptism. We told him that we would. I love seeing how the gospel changes people.

I have no doubt that there are people just like Jesus in America (my new area) and in all parts of the world, people who are waiting to hear the message of the restoration.

Gracias por sus oraciones y su amor.

Friday, March 12, 2010 -- Transfers, Zone Councils, and Other Things

I appreciate the concern that Dad expressed in the letter this week about safety here in Mexico. President Mendoza explained things very well in his letter to the families. I really have no idea of what is on the news there and in other parts of the world, but, based on the phone calls and letters we receive in the offices, I think that they paint the picture a lot worse than things really are. (Or maybe it is just that those who call are family members who love and worry about their missionary sons and daughters.) As you know, I spent six months in Reynosa, and as an assistant to President Mendoza I am quite involved with everything that goes on in the mission, both frontera (border) and ciudad (city). And I can tell you that, yes, there are things going on, but that the missionaries are protected and the work goes on.

This week was wonderful. Monday and Tuesday we were involved in the sacred process of transfers. As always, it was incredible. This time, we finished in record time. (Of course, last transfer we finished quickly but spent the rest of the week making changes to the transfers as we received more information about the missionaries.)

I have described the transfer process before, but one of the parts that most impacts me is how much we pray. We start with a prayer. We place the zone leaders and we pray. We place the district leaders and we pray. We place the tutors and we pray. We place the senior companions and we pray. We place the junior companions and we pray. When we finish, we pray. Participating in the transfer process has helped me strengthen my testimony that church government and organization, as well as who is called to what calling, is a sacred thing and truly inspired.

After the last prayer Tuesday night, when we were finishing the transfers, I took a few minutes to look at the transfer board. For a few minutes, it seemed as if my eyes were opened. I saw the potential of each missionary and each companionship, how each brought certain strengths but also certain weaknesses, and what they could achieve if they worked together.

I don’t know if I have told you this before, but I have discovered that personal growth, improvement, and progression in the mission field are accelerated. If a missionary works hard and sets goals, he can achieve miracles in the lives of others and his own life much quicker than he could at home.

As part of the transfer process, we decided that it is time that the assistants change area. Our current area, Victoria, is somewhat distant from the offices, so next Tuesday my companions and I will be transferred together to America, an area closer to the offices. I have never opened an area before, but I am excited. It will be somewhat of an adventure, an experience for learning and growth. We are going to work hard, building on the foundation that the missionaries before us left in the area book, and looking for the Lord’s chosen children who are waiting for the Lord’s chosen servants.

Wednesday, we had our mission president´s council, which is a meeting with President Mendoza and his counselors. We talked about the needs of our mission and thus chose the topics for the next day’s zone leader council.

Thursday we had the ZLC. It was incredible. President Mendoza began teaching us two great principles. First, he taught us about sacrifice, based on the story of Cain and Abel, and the importance of sacrificing what the Lord asks, not what we want to give. Then he talked about councils and their role in the Church. President Mendoza is a great teacher.

When Elder de Hoyos came to our mission two weeks ago, he also taught us about councils. He taught us many things. One of the things that most caught my attention was his teachings about questions. He told us that good questions are one of a teacher’s most powerful tool. He told us that he himself has been trying to ask more questions instead of giving more answers. For example, he said that when he is in a conference with an Area Seventy or stake or mission presidents and someone asks him a question, and he begins to give a response, but President Johnson, the Area President, tugs his jacket, reminding Elder de Hoyos to respond with a question that helps the questioner find is own answer.

So I have been trying to follow his example. When I prepared my topic for the ZLC, all I did was make a list of good questions to prompt discussion and help us find the answers as a council. It went well. It was truly amazing.

Speaking of missionaries, in his letter Dad . . . asked me what helped me decide to serve a mission.

There are many things that helped me make that decision, but I think one of the most important factors is that I made that decision a long time before I turned 19. At least since I was 14, and probably a lot earlier, in the back of mind I always had two prime goals: go on a mission and become a good husband and father some day. It was part of my mindset.

Of course there are lots of other factors, such as good friends, good parents, being active in church, Mutual, and seminary. Another important factor was my pre-mission experiences with missionary work. I still remember my mission-for-a-day feelings and experiences.

When I think about my peers that decided not to serve, I think that they also made that decision long before they turned 19, or they consciously made other decisions that would later impede full-time missionary service--decisions such as not to attend seminary very often (or not to participate if their parents forced them to go). Decisions to spend time with the wrong sort of people, or decisions to break commandments.