Week 71: Beware Of The Purple Paint

So we randomly put 3 people on date? Well actually we already knew one of them wanted to be baptized. Her name is Laura Munro and she's the sweetest grandma in the world. I want to adopt her. She made snacks for us when we came for a lesson. Her baptism will be this Sunday! The other people we put on date are Cynthia and Robert! They have been taught for awhile and have been on date for baptism twice but they always had something happen in their life that prevented them from getting baptized. We called them one morning and I got to know their situation and ended up setting up their wedding and baptism?? It was like way too easy. They decided they want our bishop to marry them on November 11th and to get baptized on the 13th so please pray that everything will go smoothly! 


On Tuesday we stopped by a member's house who we thought were inactive but eventually found out that they go to the Spanish branch. Anyways... I read a scripture about building our foundation on Christ and then asked them what things we can do strengthen our spiritual foundations. Sister Granado answered the question but then went on a super long tangent haha. Somehow she got on the topic of how difficult serving a mission is but also the great blessings that come from it and it was actually exactly what I needed to hear at that time. She commended us for being out here despite how hard it is and told us that it's worth it. I had been really struggling that day and I knew that God used her to let me know he's aware of what I'm going through. It was a pretty simple thing but Sister Granado's words meant a lot to me. I love strong members and the Spirit that can be felt in their homes!


Early last week we went to stop by someone who said they were interested in meeting with us and ended up meeting his dad, Mike. He told us to come back the next day so we did and he told us that he's been reading in the Book of Mormon off and on for YEARS and loves it. He kept saying that he's grown up believing in God and going to church but he's always felt like something is missing. We told him we have what he's missing and it was just such a cool experience. He said, "They always tell you what Jesus can do for you but I want to know what I can do for Jesus". How cool is that?! Sadly he's super busy so it's been hard to meet with him but hopefully we can soon! 


We were walking down the street the other day and this lady pulled up to us in her car and asked who the missionaries in Jourdanton were. We said we were and she said, "I want to meet with you". We were like uh what cause that's not a common occurrence but we talked with her for a bit and got her contact info! She said she used to meet with missionaries in Utah and loved it. She also is super busy and works a lot so it'll be hard to set up a time to meet but I'm sure we'll figure something out. 


Okay so the other week we were stopping by people in a spread out woodsy neighborhood and this guy pulled up in his lifted dodge pickup smoking a cig and told us to leave while we were having a lesson with someone outside because we looked "suspicious". It made me a little mad cause he was really rude. We also had a member there tell us to be careful because some people might threaten us with their guns if we're parked for too long and to beware of fences or posts marked with purple paint because if we cross it we might just get shot. Apparently it's a law in the south that purple paint means no trespassing and people in Texas will actually shoot you. I understand that some people don't want you walking onto their property but is shooting them really the best course of action?? Gotta love crazy Texans. 


Oh also I forgot to mention my birthday in my last couple emails haha. My birthday was on the 14th but I celebrated it a few days early with my district in Del Rio since I was getting transfered the day before my birthday. My mom sent decorations and little cupcakes so it was a lot of fun. Thanks Mom!


In the past couple months I've met a number of people who refuse to believe in Christ and say that relying on Him to save us is unreasonable. They reject the idea of needing help from a higher power and attribute the good things in their life to their own intelligence and abilities. When thinking of this, it reminded me of a talk given in this last General Conference by Elder Paul V. Johnson. In this talk he tells the story of his grandson, Aaron, who was diagnosed with severe aplastic anemia. Doctors told him that the only way to cure the disease would be by receiving a bone marrow transplant by one of his siblings. Elder Johnson later states that "Aaron did not have the power in himself to overcome the disease. His body could not make the blood cells needed to sustain his life. No matter what he personally did, he could not heal his bone marrow. Just as Aaron could not cure himself, we cannot save ourselves. No matter how capable, educated, brilliant, or strong we are, we cannot cleanse ourselves from our sins, change our bodies to an immortal state, or exalt ourselves. It is only possible through the Savior Jesus Christ and His infinite Atonement. 'There is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God.' It is His atoning blood that cleanses us and sanctifies us."


We cannot save ourselves. It is only through Christ that we can change, overcome sin, and find everlasting happiness. It takes humility and a willing heart to accept this. I'm so grateful for my Savior because I know that on my own I cannot overcome my faults and deficiencies. Christ's grace IS sufficient and there is not one person that has lived or will live that can be saved without Him. I NEED Him and I love Him. 


- Elder Christensen




Pictures

- The many landscapes of Pleasanton

- Birthday party! 





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