I just want to karaoke w Jesus

 Happy Halloween -

God is so good!!!!! 

GOOD:
- This week we filmed an Advertisement for our Facebook pages and had a member family help us out with it. I had a few moments where I totally felt like I was back at home choreographing a routine or something as I told people where to be and what to do. Good news is we got some pretty lit footage and once it is edited it will be exactly what we need it to be. Who knew that making advertisements about the Book of Mormon would be SO FUN? Side note about this, everyone in South Texas is bilingual so we had to double film everything in both languages and at one point the member was talking and said "El book de Mormón" and it came out so naturally. Super funny stuff #texmex #IloveSouthTX #soaweseome

- Weslaco ward had its annual "Trunk or Treat" this weekend which some of the members definitely refer to as the "Trick or Trunk." Super fun way to end our week. My favorite little friend, John, had the coolest pumpkin costume I have ever seen. Although I did have to miss the Stringham family Halloween party, I was super glad that I at least got to be a part of this fun trick or trunk. Every trunk had games for the kids to play and then candy they could earn so basically the ward just turns it into a Halloween carnival which is pretty awesome. 

- Our good friend YAZMIN got set apart as a missionary this past week and flew out to her mission in California Arcadia. Yazmin is Ruby's daughter and calls all us missionaries "bestie" - she is awesome. Right after she got set apart, we were invited to go to dinner with Bishop Morales, Ruby, Yazmin and the Sister Missionaries in our ward. Obispo took us to the single best taqueria I have eaten at in Weslaco. Some little place called Don Birria Tacos, definitely would recommend it. We are super excited for Yazmin! We miss her already but we know she is where her Heavenly Father wants her to be!

BETTER:
- This week we had Zone Conference and it was literally incredible. Highlights include, feeling the love that president and his wife have for each one of us, seeing my friends in Brownsville and Harlingen zone, getting to do a role play where I got to teach with Elder Bird (he is awesome), some very good tacos for lunch and gaining a lot of personal revelation about how I can improve. I feel so blessed to serve in this area at this time. There are so many incredible people around me who are teaching me so much! Never stop trying to be better than you were yesterday!

- Lots of finding time this week and definitely some miracles along the way. Elder Steen and I are striving to find more families to bring to Jesus Christ and we continue to be blessed with chances to share this message that we carry! I love Weslaco. 

- We need all your prayers for our amazing friend Danii Boots and her family. She had a very tough week and is just a champion. We talked with her early last week and she had been released from the hospital and wanted to be baptized as soon as possible. We arranged to come by on Thursday and do the final preparations with her and then hold her baptismal service this weekend. Unfortunately, her health dipped again and she was admitted to the hospital on Friday. She is a special daughter of God and we love teaching her and her family. Never have I met someone with such an unconquerable spirit as her. Pray for her.

- CARLOS AND LESLIE WERE BAPTIZED AND RECEIVED THE GIFT OF THE HOLY GHOST. Being involved in these two's conversion to Jesus Christ is something so special. They are incredible and they were so prepared. I cannot wait to see what their future has in store for them and how the covenants they made this weekend will be able to guide them for the rest of their life. Seeing them so excited and so ready for everything this week made my missionary heart so happy. I feel honored to have had the opportunity to teach such prepared individuals. I don't have much to say other than that I LOVE THEM and I know that Heavenly Father loves them too. At the end of their baptismal service, their mom - Maricruz, came up to me and asked how often we hold baptismal services. I explained to her that we hold them whenever people are ready. This week as we go to teach Maricruz, I pray that she will have her heart softened and understand the importance of her being baptized as well. #eternalfamilies

BEST:

Elder Steen and I went to visit one of our less active member families this week. When we got there, just the mom was home so we began talking to her out on the doorstep. The conversation was slow until eventually we asked her about how she came to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. She continued to tell us about her conversion and how she ended up making the decision to be baptized. At one point in this conversation I asked her a simple question - "Did you ever doubt that you were doing the right thing?" which was followed up with something like "What helps you make decisions when you do feel that way?" This was so cool because she then sat and thought for a moment. After a moment of complete silence, this woman opened her mouth and said "I think about what Jesus would do."

Such a simple yet powerful phrase. I have heard all my life "What would Jesus do?" but it has never come to me with such reality. We have been blessed with a perfect example, someone who went through everything and did so without flaw. Jesus Christ is the Savior and Redeemer of the world. I know He is our perfect example. I know He lives. 

This week I challenge you to examine the choices you have to make with the lens of "What would Jesus do?" I can promise that as you make decisions with Jesus Christ in mind, you will be happier and others will see an increased light coming from you. 

"Work Hard, Keep the Commandments, Have a Positive Attitude and Show Gratitude."

- Elder Spoonie