Week 40:Laredo

This was a pretty good week! 

I learned a lot. My studies were really awesome this week! One morning while trying to stay awake during my study the hymn more holiness give me popped into my head so I pulled out my hymn book and read the lyrics. Every sentence is another way to be holy! So I decided to make an evalution to follow every day and review the previous day. There is usually one area that I struggled a little in. So I base my studies on that area. It's been really cool. Every day a diffrent scripture story has popped into my head. I study the story and then make plans to improve on that area during the day!!! It's been a really cool way to study and I can tell it's been helping me a lot!!! 

I also learned the power of fasting this week. We had been working to help some of our investigators to be baptized this week. So every day we had a lesson with them we fasted. We saw so many miracles. We saw the support of the branch which has been super hard. But in the end the mother was not on board and some things happened. It was super sad but they will be baptized one day. Probably just a while down the road. But I know that the Lord blessed us with our diligence in fasting. We are basically starting from scratch so we are going to put a lot of emphasis on finding people that are ready to hear our message and change their lifes!!!!!

This is a cup we got from a catholic lady!

Me and elder Ault went on an exchange. He got tired and slept on the floor and he got ants in his pants!

It was elder Madsen's birthday!!!

We also found a dead frog.

Week 39: Laredo

What a great week!

We saw some really big miracles this week. We were supposed to have a lesson with our investigators this week but it fell through. We were a little upset but we decided to make the most of it! So we went and tried to find somebody else prepared! And we did! We found somebody that needed us. His name is J and he is going to college right now. He really wants to know what to do with his life. So we taught him about the spirit and the restoration and baptism he soaked it all up and wants to change. I'm super excited for him. He was our biggest miracle this week. I learned that we need to do things in the way of the Lord. Even though we thought we were supposed to have the planned lesson at that time we can't get upset and just have to know that God is going to bless us. 

Love, Elder Hurst

Another view of the Easter candy competition. Such a happy face.

My companion is Elder Rodriguez. He was born in Peru but he grew up in Salt Lake. He has been on his mission for 20 months. He has been in Laredo for almost 4 months. He is a great missoinary! I've learned a lot from him already. 

Week 38: Laredo

Well I got transferred to Laredo!!! It's the hottest part of the mission! I will be here for the summer months!!!! In a bike area!!!! I'm super excited! 

This is a super good area. We have a lot of good work that is going on here. 

Our most solid person is a less active mom and her kids. Her kids are not members but we are teaching them. They came to church this Sunday so that was super awesome. The kids that we are teaching are 14 and 10. They are super cool and super smart. 

This Saturday we had a pretty cool miracle! So we had lessons set for 5, 6, 7 and 8. But when the time came to teach them things started to fall through. But in the end the 5 got moved to 7 and the 7 got moved to 6 and the 6 fell through. But that wasn't the miracle. For our lesson at 6 we went to the less active family. She told us that she wasn't feeling good and that we could still come over really quick to give her a blessing. So we showed up and gave her the blessing at about six. During the blessing it started to rain super hard. When we were getting ready to leaved she told us that we had to stay and we couldn't go out in the rain. So we were able to stay and teach her kids some more. They also came to church on Sunday!!! But the even better part was for our lesson at 7 he told us that we could come over at 7 if it stopped raining. So we started to pray and it stopped raining at 7 and we went over and taught them as well!!

This was a super good week. I'm really liking it here in Laredo. i'm super excited for the new adventure!!! I Hope you all have a good week!!!

Love, Elder Hurst

Last picture in San Benito

Elder Rodriguez

Easter candy contest. I won.

Week 37: Harlingen-San Benito

Well this was my last week in San Benito.

Nothing too crazy happened this week.

Last P-day we found a really cool investigatior. She is the niece of one of the less actives here. I had seen her so many times at the less active's house but never thought to talk to her.  (Lesson learned) But one day we were trying to go visit some people but they all fell through. I said a quick prayer and asked God to put someone in our path that needed our message. Three minutes later we saw the niece! I decided to go talk to her. So we shared a quick message with her and she expressed her desires to learn and to change. She seemed very commited to do what was necessary. We had a couple of lessons and she is really cool! I'm sad that I'm not going to be here to see her progress.

Our week was pretty full of meetings especially with general conference. Conference was amazing. I learned so much. I gained a testimony of going to conference with a question. I had a couple of questions and almost all of them were answered in the first session! The Lord truly listens to our prayers and helps us out!!!! I love being a missionary and I'm excited to begin my new journey in a new place!!!

Love, Elder Hurst