Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Going to Reno!!!

Buenos Dias a todos!

I hope everyone had a great week last week.

Well, some news! I am going to be transferred to Cold Springs/Silver Lake wards in Reno! I will be serving there as a Zone Leader over the Reno North Zone with Elder Coronado! Also, we will be traning a new missionary together in ANOTHER trio! I am super excited for this opportunity to serve and I look forward to seeing what opportunities lay in store! Fun Fact: The Cold Springs and Silver Lake wards is where my trainer, Elder Guzman, went after he left me in Gardnerville/South Lake Tahoe! Super excited!

Elder Palmer will be leaving as well, going to the Truckee River ward in Reno Zone to finish another Elder's training, and Elder Abbott (from the MTC!) will be coming here to be the district leader and to finish Elder Sly's training! WOW!

Pics from our Temple trip





Out eating with a member

Ok, so now that that's over, we had a pretty good week this week! We had Juan Callero show up to church, which is an investigator that I have been waiting to come to church since me and Elder Gonzalez were together, so definitely an awesome tender mercy! As well we had Noe come, and the Sanchez Family! They are less-actives in another area but I have taught them a few times and they are so ready to start returning to activity! This branch is doing great, and It's sad to have to leave it, but I know these Elders are going to do great things!

Fall view of Reno

Elder Palmer is always hurting himself...

Also another awesome thing that happened, this Sunday I finished the Book of Mormon for the second time and Jesus the Christ by James E. Talmage. Sooo, I have written a little testimony. As well I have been studying "The Living Christ" alot, as you will probably be able to tell! Anyways!:

(Taken from my study journal:)
As I conclude the Book of Mormon for the second time and Jesus the Christ for the first, I would like to record my thoughts, impressions, and testimony of Jesus Christ after spending a little more than one year in His service. Before my mission, I had not considered Christ much more than a picture on the wall of our church buildings. It was not until my missionary service that I began to more fully understand the divine purpose and role of the Son of God plays in each of our lives. 
I know that in the pre-mortal counsels of heaven, each of us sustained Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten of the Father, to be our Savior, to be the ultimate and spotless sacrifice for every mistake we, as humans, would make in our mortal advent. I know that he was Jehova, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; the God of the Old Testament. I know that that same divine Son of God, who was pre-ordained to be our Savor, was born a humble birth into a mortal body, of a virgin mother, in Bethlehem, as had been prophesied in times of old. I know that he lived a perfect, sinless life, and that he set the example for us in every aspect. Even though He was sinless, He was baptized to show us the way. During his mortal ministry, He established His church and gospel, and called and ordained his apostles to preach it. He loved all and "Went about doing much good." In the Garden of Gethsemane, He alone suffered for ever misdeed, mistake, infirmity, and debility of all mankind. He was thereafter taken prisoner, tried, and condemned unjustly. He was crucified at the hands of wicked men. With His suffering in the garden and on the cross, He atoned for our sins, thereby breaking the bands of spiritual death. Three days later, when he rose from Joseph's tomb and was resurrected, He broke the bands of physical death, giving hope to all mankind that one day we will also be resurrected in perfect form. While His mortal ministry had ended, He still had work to do. He appeared to His disciples in Israel and charged them to preach his gospel to all. He was well appeared to His "Other sheep"(John 10:16) in the Americas, and established His gospel among them just as He has done in the Holy Land. After the long night of apostasy, He and His Father appeared to the boy Joseph Smith, and His gospel and Church were once again restored in fullness to the earth, as had been prophesied. The prophet Joseph testified of Him:  "And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives!

For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father."

I add my testimony to that of this latter-day prophet, I know that Jesus is the Christ, and the He dies live, and that we will all live again. I know that He will come again in "power and great glory" to the earth, and that one day we will all stand before Him to be judged of our actions. If they be good, and I ever pray that they may be, we will live in our Father's presence with our families for time and all eternity. The way to eternal happiness is through, and only through, Christ.
"And now, my beloved brethren, I would that ye should come unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel, and partake of his salvation, and the power of his redemption. Yea, come unto him, and offer your whole souls as an offering unto him, and continue in fasting and praying, and endure to the end; and as the Lord liveth ye will be saved." Omni 1:26
I humbly testify that Christ is our person Savior, Redeemer, and Enabler. He has taken my meek missionary efforts and turned them into a tool for the salvation of others. He will lift us up, just as he was lifted up on the cross. I know the Lord lives and loved each one of you personally, and of Him I so testify, in His Holy Name, even Jesus Christ, Amen."

Branch prez at Trunk-or-Treat 
Monster trucks in Sparks

Sorry that was so long! Have a great week!


Also! Temple trip, it was the best!

Obedience = Prosperity

We had an amazing week this week!

We had 2 investigators at church as well as a few less-actives, and we found one new investigator named Noe that already has a baptismal date soon! He is so prepared and has already come to church with him great friend Hermano Calderon 3 times! The only problem is that he might be on probation so we need to figure all that stuff out before we go planning the baptism and what not.

Last week President Chesnut shared with us a scripture, Alma 36:1. I know this scripture is true through experience. The missionaries in this area before I arrived here were not exactly the most obedient nor hard-working. But with the help of a cooperative companion and a great district leader (Elder Torres), we changed the culture and the members noticed. However for a long period of time you could say we weren't seeing that much "traditional" success as in we did not see many baptisms. But in the scripture it says we will "prosper." The thing is that prosperity rarely comes in the way/form we think it will, but it always comes, and exactly how it needs to. I have learned so much these past 6 months in Sparks, and I have had so many amazing experiences in this branch. There have been many seeds planted and the reaping is about to begin, with or without me! But that's not the important thing, the important thing is that the reaping will be done by obedient missionaries!

Not much more to report but I just want to leave my testimony that I know all of these things are true. I know that by being obedient to each and every one of the Lord's commandments, we qualify for countless blessings and prosperity. So keep your eye out for it!

Sorry, I ran out of time, no pics, shortened p-day today! But we will be going to the TEMPLEEE!!! on Wednesday so It's worth it!!! 


Hope everyone has a great week!

Wednesday, October 11, 2017

Loving Life in Sparks

Hope everyone had an awesome week!

Zone Conference

I don't have a lot of time, but the week was great!

We had a little bit of disappointment in terms of appointments falling through and a lack of church attendance, but we are still doing well! If everything goes well, we will be having two baptisms this weekend! Arturo and Teresa are awesome and are super ready!

Sparkling cider at Elder Palmer's Birthday present party

Gansta Life

I just wanna add my testimony to all the modern-day Prophets and Apostles by saying that I do in reality know that the Book of Mormon is true, and that it has changed the course of my life in a drastic and amazing way!

Virgin Mary tree shrine

Have a great week yall!


Wednesday, October 4, 2017

Elder Palmer got hurt again...

We had a pretty sweet week this week! Our investigators are progessing nicely and if everything goes through, we should be having a baptism next-next weekend! 

Eating some mexican food at Costa Vida!

Sun Valley Sunset

Sunset hitting the Sierra Nevadas

This is my puppy-garden, where I grow my puppies.

Also, conference was #lit. Like seriously we received so much spiritual light and knowledge! 

A common Missionary exercise. Changing a flat.

When you use someone else's bike for exchanges. (those are all goat-heads and can pop tires)

Elder Palmer tweaked his neck in morning program and looked super funny the whole weekend. Also it was his birthday so we did some special stuff for that.


Elder Palmer nursing a wrenched neck.

Elder Palmer celebrating a birthday!


I left my self no time to write this week. So sorry! But I hope you liked all of the pictures this week!


BYE!