Friday, February 12, 2016

February 8, 2016 Josh Mission Update

Justin: 
Chin up! :-) love you Josh...Dad.
Thinking of you.

Joshua:

Dad I love you so much i feel so bad i didn't even know it was moms bday. i have been working so hard its so dangerous here haha all i want is to baptize every week. Were you ever in a leader position in the mission? I use that little booklet you gave me the 17 points the 23 questions and that little black book by elder ricks o algo asi because of that we are baptizing a Jehovah witness and a pastor because i convinced them about the faults in there thinking haha. you need to do family home evening and family search as a family more read Malachi 21 5-6 one of our investigators died of cancer the day we went to visit here me and our comp were crying our president called because somehow he knew and told us to give blessings one to another our other 15 year old whose parents died moved to live with another uncle the day before his baptisms. tell zach to baptise that guy who works in our house and paints and stuff and is in charge of the other workers i realize now what an easy baptism people like him are watch for zach this time in his life his hard we know that haha
i love you guys so much dad thank you so much for this opportunity to serve my master with all my heart might mind and soul. read dc 67




Joshua:
Zach is so tall! Wow brielle is so sweet! i miss her sweet spirit so much i pray for everyone of you everynight and every morning i know we are such a close family and you guys are my best friends. i still havent recieved the packages. it is hard here but ik i am doing the lords work and baptising to be completely obedient is a Christ like attribute i am trying to develop because there are so many little rules and it is so hard to follow all of them. thank you for your fast we can only progress in our lives through real prayer and fasting like alma. tell dad i want a passage from is journal. could you send me my patriarchal blessing in an email i lost mine in that suitcase i got robbed and i dont have much time to log in on another site haha!
 love you so much mom happy birthday i know its a little late but you are the best mom ever. u have done so much for me that has made me the man i am today i have changed so much already please watch zach don't let him take that hard road i took to get here tell him to deleite in the scriptures daily and magnify his calling as a son and watch for brock and emory his youngers
 love you so much mom!
 
 
Justin:
 
The other thing you may want to do so you are not in such a rush at the internet cafe is write your letter home each week in your journal too, and take a picture of it and send it when you get to the cafe?  Do you have capability to do that?
 
Are we sending you enough money?  Read Jacob and let me know more about your situation.
Are your zone leaders from US or Mexico?
Yes, I was a Zone leader for about 6 months and I was Assistant to the President for 4 months.  1 month Junior and 3 months senior.  It was during a crazy time of the mission.  There was lot’s of anti-mormonism going on in San Diego because the San Diego Temple was being constructed and we switched from one Mission president to another and they were very different personalities :-)  It was a great blessing to me.
Regan also served as an Assistant in his Oregon mission.  He was an incredible missionary.   I know Jacob served as a zone leader.  He was probably the best missionary out of all of us.  He probably did not need the leadership experience :-)   Sabe is a great leader and has probably been the most influential missionary out of all of us because of his personality.  Before and after his mission too.
 
Joshua:
dang you guys were all studs! 

Tell me how to be obedient.
Okay and that is a great idea i will do that to email you guys instead haha but how were you obedient!


do my emails even make sense i have no time right now haha - i dont even know how im awake

February 1, 2016 Josh Mission update: exchange between father missionary and son missionary


Josh:  Dad i have a question. What was the most important thing you did on your mission? Like how are we to follow all the rules with exact obedience and be kind. My comp is always asking me for money and it is such a burden because im always like no dude you need to bring your own money. But in preach my gospel it says we are supposed to develop christ-like attributes such as kindness. And i almost always get pissed at my companion when he doesn`t want to work. How am i supposed to be kind to him and get him to work. We have baptisms but we can be even better. I don't know i guess im just asking you what kind of missionary were you. Thanks dad love you

Dad: 
Josh, I miss you a ton son.  I have your picture up on my laptop screen saver.  

 I have been contemplating your questions all week.  I think I have shared this before, but literally the biggest thing that I did that made me learn so much was I wrote in my journal almost every night and I would go back and read what happened a month ago and further back.  I didn’t repeat the same bad patterns and I was able to grow so fast.  And, most importantly I was able to see by reflecting like this how involved Father in Heaven was involved in every detail of my life and ready to help.  My knowledge in the gospel and operation of the Holy Ghost became very powerful.  It set up a wave that has literally carried me thus far in my life. I received a blessing from my first mission president right before he went home and he gave me his little book of Hymns that he carried his whole mission.  I have realized the fulfillment of that blessing here in Phoenix.  I wrote that blessing down.  It burned into my brain and heart.  That is an example of how that discipline in my mission still blesses me to this day.

As it relates to your companion and relationships.  The best thing you can do is just be a good example and follow the Spirit.  The Lord will not punish you for being obedient and your companion is not.  That simply becomes your challenge and blessing-to convert him through patience, long suffering etc..https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/gal/5.22?lang=eng#21  Galatians 5.    Focus your efforts on being a good example for him.  The adversary wants you to think that YOU are failing because your companion is not obedient.  That is false.  Your companion has free agency.  And the Lord is aware of every detail and circumstance.  So you are not accountable for your companion’s disobedience if YOU are being a good example and loving him.  Yes, sometimes the spirit will compel you to be harsh with your companion to try to wake him up, but it should be followed with an increase of love….that formula can only be prescribed by the Spirit, so you have to make sure the Spirit is involved in that process.  Otherwise, just quietly continue to be a good example and PERSIST in reminders of good and right things that you two should be doing and why….finding and helping other children of our Father in Heaven.  When your companion see’s you being selfless, and COMMITTED to that, then it becomes contagious…he will catch it, and he will anxiously engage.

Te amo, te quiero mucho hijo!

Your Mexican Father.

Dad.



Josh:
Thanks mom you are the best! Brock is such a loving person what a stud! I have been thinking about you guys a lot this week. It has been really hard. We are being blessed with a couple baptisms but we can feel the adversary trying his hardest to work against us. We had a lesson with a gay guy who has an incredible testimony his only problem is this temptation. Another lesson we had someone was shot and killed in front of the house we were in down the street from our house. This place is kinda scary sometimes haha but I know I am being protected. I was praying a lot for Zach this week because I know how hard it can be to be a teenager and have all sorts of temptations. Watch out for him because you might not know if he is going through something. I was praying for brielle and brock to keep their sweet spirit they have and for emory to enjoy being really young haha. I was praying for you and dad to enjoy living in Arizona and to enjoy the wonderful home we have in arizona. I was praying for ollie that he could see well and not die because i want to see him when i get back haha. I love you guys so much i hope you are receiving blessings for my service!
 
 
 

January 19, 2016 Mission Update


this is the roof of my house. Mom thanks for the christmas card! haha just got it. Oh i need to tell you my middle name Don is gift in spanish haha. Also i found out my favorite street torta is (suadero) is horse (: haha It´s so great the people here cut hair like dad but he is mexican so i dont know why i would expect anything less than a good haircut! hahahaha
Thanks dad love and miss you too, I use so many things you taught and teach me everyday. And wow china again haha Love ya!
 
 



 
I finiahed my training and am with my companion for another week. Tommorow we find out some our new leaders and next cycle i might train ðŸ˜¬ kinda scary! My patriarchal blessing is amazing it says i might recieve callings i feel completely inadequate for and training someone who knows more spanish makes me feel that way haha but i like nephi know that god will prepare a way cumplir todos sus mandamientos. Suportan bien! Besitos!
Josh's apartment with Messi poster acting silly

Josh and Companion MC temple

Josh and Elder Navejas at the Mexico City Temple

From Josh: 
show brock messi
 

Josh and Elder Navejas - not sure what's going on here...


Elder Navejas's 19th Birthday





 

January 11, 2016 Josh Update


thanks mom i love you guys so much im always thinking of what i will tell zach for is mission and i have found out the only way to live life successfully and to be a good missionary is to center Christ in our lives. I have started ponderizing a scripture weekly like brother devin who was in our ward said to do. i share the scripture and explain to every person i eat with that week i challenge you guys to do this as a family and mondays on family home evening share your scriptures with each other. I have reached a new level of obedience i stopped wearing a bracelet because it is a rule not to such a small thing but that day i invited to different people to be baptised one persosns first lesson the other the other second lesson and both accepted. As members of the church we live a higher law than the world such as no coffe no m rated games or r rated movies as a missionary i live even a higher law i wake up at 630 my day is planned perfectly and i don´t endulge in worldy pleasures i have come to realize i won´t come back the same person this mission has changed me forever i love you guys look at the meaning of the plan of happinness in a new way and understand what our father in heaven has done for us


Mexico City East


Mexico City East

December 28, 2015 Mission Update


These pics are sweet! hahahaha
I don´t have a ton of time this week but could you guys send me some new glasses?
Ya, my glasses were in the bag that got robbed if you can't, it´s good i have contacts.  I won´t lose anything ever again haha. Also my drivers license was with the card I don't know if that has info you have to cancel lol but ya thanks for the pics I will write more next week!
haha here some pics!
 
 



December 21, 2015


Hey mom dad I have permission to use this email right now because my ldsmail account doesn't work right now and I changed areas and lost one of my bags that had the credit card from bank of america in it. I need you guys to cancel that card immediately. It´s okay not to much stuff in there I needed thank you guys for all the gifts love you!

Monday, December 28, 2015

December 14, 2015 Josh Mission Update


President Packer is so awesome! He is a legit witness though isn´t that crazy! You and dad should read D&C 67! Okay some quick things I need to tell you guys because I don´t have much time this week! ugh haha First I am serving a mission and pray for you guys everynight and morning and throughout the day everyday, therefore to recieve blessings because of my service. Second of all did you watch the dedication of the temple! 3rd Happy birthday to Brock and Dadio!!!! Thank you soooo mucchhhhh for all of the christmas gifts and packages!   I am pretty sure every missionary in the mission knows my name because of the packages I recieve lol Okay last I need to know your skype info if you guys can skype the 24 or 25 and what time evening would be best. I can only skype for 40 minutes ): But if we plan the time can be used wisely and we can make use of it (: So excited to speak spanish with dad hahaha Okay love you guys this converter for my pics is sweet too! Love you guys so much! Thanks for being awesome mom (: I was just thinking the other day how blessed I am to have you as a mom and to live with you guys for all eternity you guys are my best friends and I love yall! (: I just hope I am able to speak english during our skype because every missionary says it is super hard because I haven´t said an english word in weeks I only get to write haha anyways Love yall bye!
 

 
 
 
Got a sweet haircut today you can see in the pic above with the family in the house it was at this barber shop. Mexicans really know how to cut hair! Like dad hahahahaha