Mission News

Jordan had an awesome week.  We have been praying for this.

So It's so wonderful to receive Jordan's email that Eduardo was baptized!

Hi Momi,

Well this week was pretty awesome! Especially the weekend.

On Saturday Eduardo got baptized! It was great. He has changed a lot even just since I got here. It's cool to see the spirit work with him. On sunday after he was confirmed he bore his testimony and it was super powerful. He was into drugs and alcohol and partying before and the gospel has totally changed his life and now he wants to go on a mission. He bought an old bike this week just so he could come out and teach with us! He's super awesome.

Carolain should get bapitized soon. They are just making sure they have all the right legal papers to get married so she can get baptized. They are such an awesome family.

And yesterday was insane! I got a call Saturday night from the assistants and they are llike, "Have you ever translated before?" I hadn't. "Well we need you to translate tomorrow. Elder Gifford Nielsen of the seventy (yes the former BYU/NFL Quarterback) is coming to your spanish meeting and he doesn't know spanish."

I was a little more than nervous.

So he got there and we got all the stuff set up. President Saylin was there too just to add to my nerves. Luckily he speaks spanish so I didn't have to translate for him. So Elder Nielsen puts on these headphone things and I'm up front with a little headset mic thing and am speaking into his headset. It was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life! But I did pretty well. There was a prayer and then the sacrament. Luckily I didn't have to translate the songs ha ha. And then Eduardo bore his testimony which was awesome. So everthing is going great and I'm feeling pretty cool about myself..Then this guy named Hno. Tellez gets up and pretty much just reads a hundered miles an hour out of the Liahona and I could not keep up that's not even humanly possible without a translation in from of me or something ha ha. So i just told Elder Nielsen, "I'm sorry there's no way I could translate this." He understood. But boy did I feel dumb. But he came up to me after and said some nice things. He was especially very impressed by Eduardo's testimony.

So that was a pretty cool experience. It was humbling for sure. ha ha. It's one thing to understand spanish and an entire other thing to hear it, understand it, and translate it back into english at the same time.

Then last night we found the sweetest couple ever. They are from Bolivia. We actually OYMed the husband on friday and he knew a lot about the church so we went to try him on saturday and his wife answers and starts crying when she sees us. So we're just like, "what the?" she invites us in but her husband wasn't there so we had to leave.

But last night we went back and saw them and it turns out she was baptized forever ago in Bolivia but hasn't been to church in forever because she doesn't know where it is and the husband isn't a member. They are so nice, probably about 60 years old. We taught a super powerful lesson and He agreed to be baptized. It's funny because I actually accidently invited him to be baptized on February 10th when I meant to say March 10th but he still accepted to be baptized Feb 10th! We'll have to change it to Feb 25th probably because that is too soon, he still needs to come to chruch and stuff but it was awesome! They're named Eliseo and Mery. I love them to death already! ha ha.

Other cool thing that happened this week. I went on an exchange with Elder Woodland. It's so cool to see how much he's grown spirtually and his missionary skills, and his spanish since I trained him.  He said, "You'd always told me that someday I was going to actually like being a missionary and I always thought you were nuts but you were right." ha ha. He's awesome. Love that guy. He's doing a great job of being a senior companion.

Well thats about it for this week. I love you so much! I hope you have a great week. Thanks for the stuff about sanctification and justification. I've actually been studying that this week.  I love you!

love,

Elder Soutas

On Sun, Jan 29, 2012 at 5:16 PM, <http://www.blogger.com/> wrote:

Hola Jordan/Elder Soutas

It sounds like you have a lot of good work going on in Houston 1!  We have been praying all week for those who have

committed to be baptized will keep their commitment.  How did things go?

This week was our Stake Conference, so we have been filled with spiritual messages.  On Thursday was Stake Temple Night and we

had a chapel session.  The thing I remember most from that message was President Neilson spoke on Priesthood Power and then taught

us to focus on the last 20 words we say in the endowment.

He said in Faith their is Power. In Priesthood there is Power.  When these come together the Power of God comes to us.

other things President Neilson taught us this weekend

It is better to prepare and prevent rather than to repair and repent

Use Soft voices in the home

He told us to Pray for missionary experiences each day

he promised us that if we will index names each week, "The power of the atonement will strengthen us"

He promised that if we attend the temple each week, "the Lord will provide the miracles we personally need in this life"

Patriarch Skobye spoke on Grace, Justification and Sanctification.  

Justification is being cleaned up.  Sanctification is being filled up.  Justification dumps out our container of stuff and polishes it

and cleans it up.  Then at Baptism, taking the Sacrament, feeling the spirit, we are made clean each day.

Sanctification fills us through the love of God through his Grace and Mercy.  As we fill our lives with good things, eventually God is 

willing to seal our container.

I have been reviewing my notes all afternoon and marking up my scriptures.    President Nielsen said our scriptures should be a "mess"

well mine are.  They are written all over and falling apart at the seams.  I guess that is a good thing :)

I'm trying to think of the rest of the week:  Ty had 2 basketball games one he didn't play in and they lost.  It was against Lone Peak.

The other they let him play and they won....I wish the coaches would see that pattern.

the Lone Peak varsity game was a blow out (they creamed us) but it was fun to watch Nick Emery (think Jackson's brother) and TJ Haws 

play.  They really were amazing and they have both committed to BYU..  Nick is a Jr and TJ is only a soph

I helped in Kaitlyn's class  they were studying the pioneers so we did some pioneer activities  I was in charge of sewing  ha ha

Now Bishop Ferguson and brother Alvey are coming over for home teaching.  

Then we are going to Kelly's for Miranda and Ben's bday, although Ben will be late because it's his turn to be at the Cannon Center for dish duty...(remember how you just had to work 2 times a semester)

Since I need to go I will close this letter with another thouht from conference today....

"When we enjoy the Holy Spirit, when we are trying to live our religion here on the earth, we are the happiest people on God's footstool, no matter what our circumstances may be. I do not care whether we are rich or poor, whether in happiness or affliction, if a man is living his religion and enjoys the favor and Spirit of God, it makes no difference to him what takes place on the earth. There may be earthquakes, war, fire or sword in the land, but he feels that it is all right with him. That is the way I feel."

I pray you are the happiest missionary on earth.

Love forever, Mom

I know Jordan will always remember translating for Elder Gifford Nielsen as one of his mission hi-lites!

We love that number 14

This was last week's letter:

Hola mom,

I'm excited that Ben almsot has his mission papers in. I can't wait to know where he's going. tell him that I'll give him some ties when I get home. I have over fifty ties now ha ha. I left with like 7 haha.

It's about time that ty got his liscense. When is basketball season over?

Well here was my week last week.

Tuesday: after emails we weekly planned until about 5pm. Then we had a dinner appointment with a less active member named Hermano Tellez. Well they aren't really less active they are just getting used to the new church that is way further away. all the boundaries in the stake changed recently so now Houston 1 is HUGE. This area used to be Houston 8 and the church is way further than the old one used to be in. But the stake president said he won't sign anybodies temple recommend if they don't go to the right ward. Drama. But Bro. Tellez came to church yesterday so that's good!

Wednesday: We rode our bikes around a lot. We had a lot of appointments fall through. we had an appointment with another member trying to get their feet under them to go to the new building named the Benitez family. They went to church too ayer. So yeah we're having to activate active members.

Thursday: Another day of lots of riding around. I talked to this one lady in the street who let us in her house but told us she prefers to party than go to church so that was lame...

Friday: We had an amazing zone conference with president saylin. It was about discipleship. I wish that I could show you how amazing of a speaker president saylin is. He could seriously convince me to do anything ha ha. I learned a lot about commitment to the Lord. There is nothing that the Lord could ask me to do that I wouldn't do.

Saturday: Saturday was a great day! We taught Mina again. She is doing really good. Unfortunately she goes to the Jehovah's Witness church with her daughter sometimes. I won't go off about JWs right now...I'm trying to be Christlike towards everyone.

We also found some new investigators named Timoteo and Florina. We didn't have a lot of time because we had another lesson really soon but they seem cool. Then we went over to Selvin and Carolain Osortos and received some great news! Selvin's divorce went through and so now they can get married this week and they are going to try and have Carolain get baptized this week! So we might have two baptisms this weekend!

Sunday: That brings me to why sunday was so great! Eduardo stood up during priesthood and announced to everyone that he is going to be baptized this Saturday! It's so exciting. He's made so much progress and he has been talking about how he is going to go on a mission. He's a little different. He loves Lady Gaga that should explain him a little bit and he has some maturing to do but he is awesome and will be an awesome member and missionary.

We also found an amazing investigator yesterday named Leticia. Her daughter is named Ana and she is eleven. I guess she, Ana,  had a few dogs die and so she is really sad and thought that God was mad at her. But we were able to tell her that God isn't mad at her and that we have trials to make us stronger and talked a lot about the plan of salvation. She also wanted to know if she could live with her family forever or if she has to live alone when she dies and we were able to bear testimony of eternal families.

Then Leticia asked us why there are so many churches! So we talked about the restortation! We were there for almost two hours but they kept asking so many questions and it was awesome!

And that was our week. So hopefully we have two baptisms on Saturday but if not we'll have back to back baptisms. I'm grateful that the Lord is pouring out blessings on this area. We still have a lot to do though to be better to live up to the potential this area and district have..

Well that was my week. I need to email president saylin now but I hope yall have a great week. I love you mom! thanks for everything you do for me. I miss you lots! But I love serving the Lord in Texas.

love,

elder soutas

On Sun, Jan 22, 2012 at 10:45 PM, <http://www.blogger.com/> wrote:

Hola Elder Soutas

That is so great that you were transferred back to Houston 1.  And especially that Hector and the Perez Family are doing so well.  I still have the picture you gave us for Christmas of the Perez family...I keep it by your pix in the living room.  So it's so great to know that Sis Perez is now the primary president...how cool is that?

I'm glad you have investigators to work with already and I'm so glad you have another great companion to work with.  You have been really blessed in that area, to have good, hard working companeros.

We celebrated Ben's birthday this weekend.  He came home yesterday and we went to Famous Daves for dinner.  then back to the house for cake and icecream and presents.  He got all missionary gifts - a suit, shoes, tie and a camera.  It's coming again so soon!  Tonight Dad completed all of his paperwork and submitted it to President Neilson, so only a few more weeks and we will know where he will be going.  I would say it will probably be another month because this week is our Stake Conference and so Pres Neilson will be busy.  Ben still has to have his interview with him too.

Today at church was Jason Hunsaker's talk.  He is excited to be going soon,  He leaves the end of Feb.  Ben said that today was also Lauren Christiansen's "farewell."  You probably know about that from Ashlee.

After church Dad and I had a Stake Emergency preparedness meeting.  Still working on trying to get our ward prepared.

Other stuff I did this week:  On Monday since it was a holiday we went to a movie, Tyler had 2 basketball games which they let him play and they won, I went to the Temple with Kristi Lambert to do an endowment session.  Friday I took Tyler to finally get his drivers license.  They were out of school for end of the term and this has been the first day he was able to go because of basketball  everyday evenduring Christmas break.  so after waiting there forever he finally go it.  But, he has no car to drive, so he's not really going to go anywhere :)

Friday I also had an activity for my other church calling - Activity Day Girls.  Dana Hussey and I are the leaders so we do 2 activities each month.

We made choc chip cookies and took them to Bro Lowell and Sis June Sorenson.  Bro Sorenson is mostly bed-ridden now and so they were happy to have some visitors, even if it was 12 giggling girls.

Well once again, everyone else is in bed / Another week is ahead.  I pray you will have a great week and be happy.

I hope your new investigators will know the truth you are teaching.

Love you forever, Mom