Unforgettable Week (Week 97)

      This was an unforgettable week! We had 2 baptisms for 2 very special people! Samuel finally got baptized after 3 years of investigating the church. It really was tough getting him baptized, but the Lord did His work! He had told us a couple of times that he didn’t want to get baptized so we just focused on the little things, and every night at 9:15 I called him to see how we was going with the Book of Mormon. I started calling him like that about 2 weeks ago, after he told us that he didn't want to get baptized, and in these 2 weeks he is in 2 Nephi 17. The Holy Ghost has testified to him and has made him know that he needs to get baptized. He bore his testimony that he knows he can have an eternal family and that these things are true. Pure joy. Then Jose Luis also got baptized. Well, we had been teaching him for some time and a couple weeks ago we actually stopped teaching him. Then we found him in the street and he told us to visit him and that he didn’t want to get baptized because he didn’t have clothes! So we talked to him and worked everything out and boom! But he has a lot of family problems and his family had never listened to us, but his wife went to his baptism and after said that she wanted to be baptized also! We are seeing the Lord's hand in His work! I know that this is the work of salvation and it brings so much happiness!

Spiritual Thought Of The Week

      Well there are many spiritual thoughts that I have but man, the power of the Book of Mormon is so strong! I have seen the book change my life and the lives of so many others! If you are not reading the Book of Mormon, start now! Just read one verse every day and you will see the difference, and if you don’t, others will. A scripture a day keeps the devil away! We are so blessed to have the Book of Mormon and to have this knowledge. I know these things are true and I am just so grateful for everything the Lord gives us! I hope you all have an amazing week! Hasta Luegoooo

Con Amor, Elder Herman   

Bautismo de Marlen! (Week 96)

Elder Herman, Marlen, Elder, Elder Hernandez

      This week was kinda crazy. So we had another cool experience. We found an old investigator, Jose Luis. We went with him and talked a little and he said the only reason he didn’t want to get baptized soon was because he didn’t have any clothes! So we got all that figured out and he accepted to get baptized this week! So that was unreal! And Samuel has been reading the Book of Mormon everyday, so that’s great. Haha. I call him every night at 9:15 to check how he's going. Then on Friday we had the baptism of Marlen! It was great! She was really happy and excited! But that day I felt terrible and threw up a couple times, but the baptism was good! And this week the zone is looking to complete the standard so that would be amazing! And they are changing a lot of stakes and the mission a little, so this would be the last week that the zone is together so we are going to end it well!

Spiritual Thought Of The Week

      Many times on the mission I have been so surprised by the power of God. But everything depends on our faith. God works through our faith. Ether 12:12 says “For if there be no faith among the children of men God can do no miracle among them; wherefore, he showed not himself until after their faith.” If we don’t have faith we cant do anything. But if we have faith “ye can do all things which are expedient unto me.” Moroni 10:23 It is so important that we can always have faith and just believe! I've seen so many miracles in the the Lord's work and I have seen how he truly works through our faith! I love you all and hope you have a faith filled week full of miracles!

Con Amor, Elder Herman 

The Good Life (Week 95)

      Hello dear family and friends! This week was a good one! We found a lot of new people and they are really good too! We got Marlen's baptism planned for this week! Wahoo! She is really excited and hasn’t missed church since we started teaching her. Our mission leader is great and helps her a lot. Also Samuel told us that he wants to try getting baptized on the 24 still! So that was a miracle. We read 1 Nephi 8 with him and are focusing to make sure he is reading everyday to be able to have true desires to be baptized. And in Mexico we had a really cool transmission this Sunday and I will talk more about that in my spiritual thought. Also, haha an 8 year old girl wanted me to baptize her, so I did, haha, I had never met her, but it was a good experience.

 Spiritual Thought Of The Week

      So we had this transmission because there are going to be a lot of changes in the stakes and missions here in Mexico. But pretty much every person talked about the gathering of the Israel. Elder Lynn Robins talked about our temple recommends. Our temple recommend literally serves as a passport or visa to enter into God's kingdom. Entering the temple literally represents entering into God's celestial home and is a symbol of our condition as members. We must prepare ourselves for the final test. We do that by going to the temple regularly. As it says in 2 Nephi 31, when we are baptized we enter into the gate and are then in the strait and narrow path that leads to eternal life. In this path are temples. We are baptized and we have to keep progressing by going to the temple to make it to eternal life! I know these things are true. I love the church so much it is so perfect! We are so blessed to have so many temples today and those in Utah are even more blessed to have one so close! Please take advantage of the temple and prepare yourselves for the second coming of our Savior. I love you all and hope you have a great week!

Con Amor, Elder Herman

New Rules (Week 94)

      Well this week the mission rules changed a little. Now I wont be able to use Google hangouts so I can just talk through the email letters thingy, haha. SO if you want to communicate with me don’t use Google hangouts. And President told us our second to last Monday he will take us to Teotihuacan! Some really big, famous pyramids, so I am excited about that! Then well this week with our investigators we got good news and bad news. The good news is that Marlen is going to get baptized the 16^th of November instead of waiting until the first of December! But the bad news is that Samuel told us that he didn’t want to get baptized yet…So that was really sad. I was kinda in shock. But we are going to work with him because he just has a couple things holding him back.

Spiritual Thought Of The Week

      Well this week I'd like to talk about the scriptures. I love the scriptures! Reading them every day helps me so much. I love seeing the examples of others and see how can I apply it in my life? That is the most important. On the mission a lot of people talk to us that know the Bible, but they don’t apply anything. Maybe because they don’t understand the scriptures. Something that I was pondering about is that we as members of the Church of Jesus Christ have the gift of the Holy Ghost to teach us. If we don’t understand the scriptures we must ask God for the Holy Ghost. That is why it is so important to say a prayer before reading. I have received so much guidance from reading the scriptures and so much happiness and comfort. I hope we can all read the scriptures everyday to become closer to our Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ.

Con Amor, Elder Herman

Halloween treats, Mexican style.

Happy Life (Week 93)

      Hello world! This week was a good one! Marlen and Samuel are progressing really well. Marlen is doing everything and just killing it so we are going to move her date for November. She's really excited so that’s good. And Samuel is praying all the time and we are helping him read too and just trying to help him be prepared for the 24^th of November. And this week we found a woman and she started telling us about her problems and she was crying. We could help her a lot and we testified that everything will be ok. I love testifying, it invites the spirit so much and I just love being a missionary! And the zone is getting better each week, so that is great also! Oh. and Sunday we got to church and they asked us to speak! Haha. good thing us missionaries are always prepared! I like talking. It fills me with the spirit and makes me happy!

Spiritual Thought Of The Week

       Well as a mission we have been really focused on chapter 11 of Preach My Gospel about commitments. But a part I love is about testifying. As I studied this I saw the ways the people in the scriptures testified. Their testimony is always focused on Jesus Christ. This week as a tried testifying more of Jesus Christ, I could see that the spirit really did testify to the people I teach. Testimony is the most powerful way to invite the spirit. And sharing our testimony makes it stronger. And well, next week is fast and testimony Sunday. So I would like to invite all of you to share your testimony of Jesus Christ. What do you know that he has done for you? How have you seen the power of the atonement in your life? What have you felt knowing the things that Jesus did? And what difference has it made in your life? I know that your testimonies will grow and that you and the people around you will be filled with the spirit. And you will be happy. J I know these things are true. I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior and Redeemer. I know that He came to earth and suffered for every one of my pains, afflictions, and sicknesses. I have seen the power of the atonement in my life by the changes I have been able to make and for the feelings of forgiveness. He has made my life happier and taken off my burdens. It makes me so happy talking about Him and helping others know that importance and the help that they can have by following Him. I love you all and hope you have a great week!

Con Amor, Elder Herman   

The Good Life (Week 92)

       Another great week down here in Bella Vista! This week was a good one! And well… found out the day I am coming home.. how crazy. But my return date is December 29th. We found 2 people Marlen and Samuel who are for sure going to get baptized! They both went to church which is awesome and they both want to get baptized. We are really focused on testifying and promising blessings and it is so cool! I really have felt the spirit so much and I know that it is testifying to the people we teach. Also, we had zone conference which is always a good time and I loved it! I got to know the zone a little more and it got me pumped! The zone is progressing a lot and we are expecting big things in the month of November! I truly love the misión and everything that it has taught me so far!  

Spiritual Though Of The Week

       President Urrea in our zone conference talked to us about the Restoration. Man how I feel the spirit when people teach the restoration! But he did it in a cool way. He literally had memorized Joseph Smith History 1:20… He told it to us and then testified that he has never met Joseph Smith and all of these things, but that he knows that in the spring of 1820 Joseph Smith saw God the Father and Jesus Christ. As 2 separate beings. And that Jesus Christ counseled him and told him what to do. I felt the spirit sooo much and I just know that this church has been restored. This is a message that we share everyday but sometimes I feel like I don't give it too much importance. The message of the restoration is so important and so amazing. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and that through him Jesus restored the same church that he had established in his times. I know that today we have a true and living prophet in Russell M. Nelson and that he receives revelation directly from Jesus Christ. This church is perfect, and I am so grateful to be a member and a missionary for The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints. 

Con Amor, Elder Herman

Long Time No Email, Sorry (Week 91)

      Well sorry for not writing the last 2 weeks. 2 weeks ago we were at President's house celebrating, 'cause we completed the standard again! Wahoo! So that was great, I really love my zone! It's the first zone to complete the standard 2 months in a row! But ya life's been pretty good. I love the misión and all the opportunities there are to get better! Also this week we had transfers. I got sent to Cuautitlan. A zone full of Sister missionaries pretty much, haha, so that will be fun. Someone very wise said that the Lord is testing me for my future wife, here with a ton of Sisters, haha. And it is the biggest zone in the misión. And president wants us to complete the standard here too because it hasn't been done. So it will be a good challenge!

Spiritual Thought Of The Week

       Well I really liked what President Nelson said in his talk last Sunday morning. That we are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints! And we should not take out the name of Jesus Christ! The name has so much meaning and it is a name the Savior chose. I liked the part where he said that if someone asks us if we are Mormons we should say “If you mean a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, then yes!” We should be so proud to say that we are members of the church of Jesus Christ! The same one that he established. I feel like I need to repent big time for saying I am Mormon my whole life! But I sure do love telling people I am from His church. Because if we were from the Mormon church it would be the church of Mormon! But we are the church of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only perfect being that has been on this earth. I hope we can all embrace these things and that we can all apply what we learned in general conference! I love you all and hope you all have a great week!