Week 4 in Monterrey!

Hello All!!  We're back again after a short week. Things are going very well!

I'll let you in on a little of the mission news we have heard from the previous week.  First off, we will be hearing from Elder Bednar on April 17th.  I think they will be combining the Monterrey West with the East mission for when he comes but we are very excited for this day!!!

The new Mission Presidents will be coming for training in June when ours will be taking off. Don't know how I feel about it. I really love my Mission President a lot!  The heat is starting to pick back up. I received a call from a mission buddy this morning telling me how I need to start getting in shape because the clock is now ticking for the home departure. They sell really tasty powdered doughnuts in the street here that are really hard to resist at times so the heat is helping me sweat those off.

G. came home Saturday and picked up her whole family Sunday for church. She is loving it! We canceled the lunch appointment with a member on Saturday, because she wanted us to come eat in her home. It was really awesome and she made something called gorditas, which is bean and cheese stuffed tortillas! They are rad.  

Also a little about the leadership meeting we had: I loved it! We got there early Wednesday morning, got to greet and see all the new leaders in the mission, and started the capacitation at 9 a.m. The whole day the President talked a lot on our mission purpose. The Doctrine of Christ.  We learned a ton and had some fun, ate lunch (Sister Romney's lunches are the bomb!) talked a little more, did some practices and then we played a game.  The game was awesome.  What we did is we were assigned a companion.  In a part of one of the elders areas, and they gave us 2 hours to work.  They put points for those who accept the baptismal invitation, how many lessons we could teach etc., then added the points up in the end. It was really fun.

Other than that, we are preparing for another week. The guy in the picture is one of our investigators. He is just about blind, he can't see well. He loves church, and has accompanied us in several baptismal services and we will be working on him and finding more in this week to come! 

I wish you all the best week with conference coming up.  This conference will be for each of us. Pray before it starts to be able to receive the answers and council each of us need in this precise time. Take notes.

Love you all! Elder Warner

Dear Mom!

Hey sweet mom!!! Ha well I totally threw my self off and got over excited about your birthday. Just read my email again next month. Better early than late right? Haha. How was your week?  We are doing so awesome here.  Well, we had another excellent week. My companion is loving things right now which makes me so happy. I think we're doing well at this time.  When we ended the last change without baptisms,  I was really praying that I could stay with my companion another change so that we could have success together.  He was really discouraged before but he has lit up now.  About Elder Knowles, he is my Zone Leader!  And I would have to say one of my favorite Zone Leaders!  He is a really good friend and we have  a lot in common.  He is a super hard worker and simply a good missionary. This morning I talked to Elder Hemsley. (wrote about it in the email) He is such a funny guy,  I love him!!  I have found so many lifetime friends here on the mission. Well, I am still loving every minute here. I hope you are doing amazing at home. I love hearing from you and reading your emails!! I hope you have an awesome conference!! I will be watching it here on the other side once again. I'm so excited for it!!

Have a great day sweetheart, I love you dearly!! Bryan

Week Three - Baptisms!!

Hey Everyone!! How are you all doing?!?! Here we're doing awesome.  We just had another amazing morning in the Temple today! I'm very confident my prayers are on express shipping in that Holy Place, so I'm sure many of you will be seeing blessings this next week.

Well, we had another awesome week, where to start. First, I'll talk a little about our investigators.  The baptisms are of the little brothers of our previous baptisms, Juan and Jonathan. They are awesome and love my companion!  The baptismal services were very special. We had originally planned to do them on Sunday but we wanted to make sure all the family members and our investigators could show up so we waited a few days.  In one of the services, we were able to bring a little family of 5.  We found this family contacting in the street about a month ago but they never showed up on Sunday when we passed by for them for church, so after a few weeks we left them with the dats in the area book.  This last Saturday we had the idea to go to a place called the "apulga" or in other words, a giant Mexican garage sale. There are hundreds of people that show up for this every Saturday. So what we did was we picked up our study desk, threw a few pamphlets of the Plan of Salvation and a poster that says free photos of your family.  The idea of it is to take a picture of a family and later pass by to give it to them with our message. It was really fun and we talked to about 50 people within an hour an a half.  We didn't have a lot of success with it, because the majority lived out of our area but that is where we ran into this family of 5 once again. We invited them to church the next day and they told us they will do their best.  When Sunday came, one of our converts had planned to go out of town with his family, but he really wanted to be confirmed before anything.  So after his confirmation, we went out and waited at the bus stop where he was going to meet up with his family an hour away.  As we were waiting on the corner, this family of 5 saw us on the corner and took all these "casual run-ins" as a sign and turned around to enter the chapel.  They were able to assist the majority of church and left loving it!  They have already planned how they are going to keep going each week. Well, within the week we brought them to the baptism service and they left with the strongest desire to as well, be baptized.  The only part is the parents aren't married and she still has to get divorced. It will be a little process but she really wants her 2 kids to be baptized soon.   We have had a lot more miracles happen in between all of this. I am loving each day. Each minute.

I wish you all the best week! Elder Warner

Hey mom!

In answer to your questions:

• The best thing that happened was seeing the miracles of the perfect timing that the Lord places with everything.
• The hardest thing, well I guess I could say the heat is picking up fast.
• The most humble experience, I would have to say that this whole change has humbled me. I have been able to notice that I am virtually nothing. And we have only had the success we have had, because of the slightest guidance of the Spirit. It has help me to see that I'm nothing without the Lord's help.
• My greatest spiritual experience, I would have to say is a man we are teaching that is nearly blind.  He can't read any of what we teach but he commented to us on the unique feeling he has when we show up to his house. And that he knows what we are saying is true because of it. I am learning so much each day. 

I still am working hard on how to be a better friend and companion, little by little. Well, my dear I wish you the best week of your life!! Make it that way. You deserve it. I send all the love that fits in this small email your way!!!

I love you mom. Bryan

Week Two - Baptism and Week of Miracles!

Hey everyone! Where to start off for this week? Well, we had an incredible week with several great miracles.  

We'll start off with the people in white clothes. In addition to last weeks email, this is the mother of the less active family.  It was about 2 weeks ago when we met her. One rather quiet morning just contacting houses and people in the street.  We felt the impression to go to the house of this less active family and there we met G.  When we put a return date with her for the next day, she waited for us on point.  As we talked a little with her and her family, she shared with us how she never had the desire to be baptized, and to that point, still didn't.  As we listened to her words a little more, we discovered the tragedy of the death of her son 10 months ago.  We were the first missionaries to show up with her since then.  Who knows how we found her at that precise timing.  This is a lady that spends 2 or 3 days in her house, than leaves out of town for 2 weeks to work for her family.  On that morning we taught her, her mind completely turned around.  From seeing no desire for baptism, to asking us when she will be able to be baptized to obtain these keys to see her son again.  It was a very powerful, spiritual visit.  It was the last prayer that she offered, when she broke down from the incredible power of the Holy Ghost she had witnessed of.  After that day, she had to leave out of town for work.  Fortunately, it was her mother's birthday yesterday and she came home early.  She gave us a call Saturday and asked if we could pass by.  That Saturday morning, after early morning service with some Elders in the zone, the zone leaders came to our area, helped us manage out our appointments and to have a few baptism interviews.  We had the Mission President and Bishop's permission to baptize her the next day, and confirm her following the baptism.  It was a rather fast process, and to be honest I have no idea how it worked out so incredibly perfect, but the Lord has been preparing her for almost a year for what happened yesterday.  I now feel comforted knowing that she will be with her little boy, for eternity.

Also, on the left hand, is 14 year old is J. from last week's best friend. We later found out that his grandparents are active members in the same ward! They were very pleased to find out that their grandson had made this decision. He had a lot of his family there, leaving us with a full baptism service.

I'll have to touch a little on how the leadership meeting was the next week.  We look forward to this following week to work even harder!  I love this work. Because of these experiences, I know it's true. We are only the instruments to find these elect — the conversion is by the power of the Savior.

I love you all - Elder Warner

Hey, my sweet mother!!!  How was your week?!!! You'll read all about mine, it was incredible. Alot of it reminded me of the experience with Sis. Martha.  Today was super fun. We went to a place called Incredible Pizza with the zone.  Our district is doing a lot better, 3 out of 4 companionships baptized yesterday which is really rare for this area. This change is going very well.  I am loving this work.  I fall deeper into it each day. I hope you are doing well - you are constantly in my heart and prayers. Have an amazing week for me! We'll talk to you soon!  Bryan

Baptism of G. and J.

G's family attending her baptism

P-day at the Incredible Pizza!

Week One! Still in Monterrey and a Baptism!

Hello Everyone!!! Well, it's sure heated up this week. I hope the weather is looking better over there. Well, we had an awesome week - to highlight the changes, all the companionships in the district changed except for us. I am comfortable with how things are right now so it all works out. I thought about it and I don't think I have told about my companion yet so here's a few of the details.  He's from Peru, has 3 brothers and 4 sisters, all are members. 21 years old and just completed 6 months in the mission. Sunday was his first baptism on the mission so he was super excited!

About the baptism, it was about 3 weeks ago that we were on the way home walking down a street and we noticed a lady having a simple Mexican BBQ in front of her house so we went over and as missionaries we always offer to help, in which we (jokingly) asked if we can help eat whatever she was cooking.  She wasn't to excited to talk with "preachers" but we got some info out of her on the contact, which led us to her son.  His name is Jonathan and is 13 years old. He is friends with one of the members of the church but has only gone to church for mutual so we picked him up for Sunday and he liked it a lot.  After, he wanted to be baptized so we've gotten him prepared in the last few weeks. He is actually very smart and has learned a lot from what we've taught him.  We look forward to helping out the small group of deacons with him.

Well, this week we also had one of those "missionary moments".  One morning we were contacting in the street close by a house of a less active that we had once passed by to visit but never found them. When we were contacting, something just slightly popped in the mind to go back to that house.  We went and found the family that lives there.  All of them are members except for the mom.  Fortunately, we found her there with them.  We didn't stay long, just introduced ourselves and asked if we could pass by tomorrow.  The following day, we showed up and they were all ready and listening.  We found her needs and what she needed to hear and shared it with her.  She went to the baptism of all her family about 5 years ago but she never had the desire to be baptized.  The family has been inactive for about 4 years.  We found out recently that this mother's little handicapped boy of 13 years had recently passed away last May.  The family took it strong but the mother has been completely devastated.  On another occasion, we went when the mom wasn't there and the daughter had told us how hard it was on her mom.  She was constantly bawling and devastated for what happened.  After his death, there were many family members in the hospital as well as two missionaries. These two missionaries gave this sobbing mother a blessing in a private room and left afterwards.  All of the family members were in shock, wondering what the Elders had done to this lady.  She mentioned how, after the blessing, was the first time she had stopped crying in a while.  She told us the mom felt like there was no need to cry, as if she felt everything was alright.  The family can't remember who these Elders were, but they planted a testimony in this mother's heart.  Since then, we recently showed up, told her about the plan her Heavenly Father has for her, and explained how she will be able to return with them.  She has accepted to be baptized and we are in the process of preparing her.   I look forward to this week. We are seeing the Lord's hand in every day. I will also have my first leaders meeting which I'm stoked for! I'll let you know how it goes next week.

Love you all! Elder Warner

HEY MY MADRE!!  How was your week this week? 

Well, dear, you will read about my week in the mass email.  You also asked me what the greatest thing that happened in my week was. I would have to say the little experience we had with this mother. It reminded me of a year ago the incredible experience we had with Martha.  Speaking of which, I recently received a card from her saying she is getting ready for the temple!!!!!  Can you believe that?!! I cannot tell you how excited I am!  And how lucky can I get, that the temple is 15 minutes away on bus from my area.  Well, back to the experience with Martha, I will never forget the voice I so gently heard when whispered in my ear, "This is missionary work".  It truly is the glory of this sacred work.  

Well, also we got a newsletter last week saying that the new Mission Presidents will be coming shortly to be trained in June.  It will be a huge change that I am excited and sad for, at the same time. I have come to love the Mission Presidents I have right now.  Well, I am learning a ton this week.  I will have my first leaders meeting which I hear is very fun!!  I look forward to learning a bunch!! I hope you are all doing extremely well. I am so thankful for the family I have and I pray for you every single day. I am so thankful for the blessings we have in our little family, it's incredible to see the difference in what we have that makes our family what it is.  I love you!  Keep it up, Bryan