you're a weed

 ¡¡Hola!!

This week did not have one dull moment. I love being a missionary! How grateful I am to be a representative of the greatest man to ever walk the Earth.

GOOD:

- This week began with an exchange with the Elders serving in Flour Bluff! I got to go work with Elder Andrus on the Bluff and it was a good day. I love teaching lessons at the church and we had a great opportunity to have a lesson at the church with one of their progressing friends! There is such a wonderful spirit present when you are able to teach the doctrine while in the house of the Lord. We had the most wild meal appointment of my life. One of the Hermanas in their ward took us to a little restaurant called La Isla. The food was good but what made this meal appointment memorable was this member's energy. Talking to her made me feel dizzy. She told us how she loves to identify the "weeds" in her life so that God can remove them. (???) Anyways, it was a good exchange on the Bluff.

- My second exchange of the week was with Elder Teeples and he came to join me in my area! We also were blessed to teach a lesson at the church to our friend Felipe. He is one of my favorite guys from my time on the mission. Felipe is an inactive member who we met on the streets and have been reactivating. This week we went out with him to buy himself a white shirt and tie so he could be ready for church. Such a nice guy. Later in the exchange we did the most dreadful service project of my life. 150 cinder blocks, 115 degrees and 1:00-2:00PM in Corpus Christi is not a good combination. Elder Teeples is such a genuine missionary who wants to see people progress and find greater joy which I think is really cool!

- Corpus Christi has its highs and its lows. One of the highs this week was the mangonada we were given while out proselyting one day. It was the most amazing thing I have ever tasted. One of the lows from this week was the following interaction. 

Me: "Hello brother, how are you?"

Guy sitting in chair: *opens door to speak to wife* "honey, bring me my gun, this **** clown is trying to bother me."

Me: *chuckles because he is being ridiculous*

Guy sitting in chair: "do you wanna be shot?"

Then we left promptly.

- Finally got a photo with our best friend Alicia. She is still coming to church every week.

BETTER:

- We got to travel down to McAllen for MLC this week and it was amazing! As a council we discussed plans to help more people participate in the sacrament each week and also to bring more of our friends to the upcoming temple open house. I find such joy in being a member of meetings where the spirit is guiding and helping us to make plans. There was such a powerful presence of the Holy Ghost as Presidente Larreal shared his testimony of the Book of Mormon with us at the end of the meeting. I love the Book of Mormon and I love being a missionary.

- This week Presidente Larreal and Hermana Larreal came to Corpus Christi to hold interviews with each missionary in the zone! I look forward to the time I get to sit with Presidente one on one and gain guidance from him. He truly is one of the most amazing people I know and I look up to him a lot! This week I had a cool experience at interviews! One of the new missionaries in the zone was going to be receiving a Priesthood blessing from Presidente but because they are new to the mission and still learning Spanish - Presidente asked me to come in and interpret the blessing for the missionary. There was such a beautiful spirit present in the room while Presidente gave this new missionary a blessing. I felt like a true instrument in the Lord's hands as I delivered the words in English to the young missionary. Over the course of my mission one thing that has truly struck me is the reality and power of the Priesthood. This experience was another witness of that!

- We have been working so hard to teach our friends and find more people to teach. In fact, I have never worked harder on my mission than I do here in Corpus. We were blessed to find new people to teach this week and to extend many invitations to help our friends progress. Lots of good things coming in August!

BEST:

"Hay poder en la oración"

We have been focusing so much on meaningful prayer. I have come to discover that a meaningful prayer is one where we are seeking guidance and we are listening to what Heavenly Father has to share with us. This week I have seen such a difference in the feeling and power of my prayers as I approach Heavenly Father prepared with a notebook, pen and an open heart. 

"When we seek inspiration to help make decisions, the Lord gives gentle promptings. These require us to think, to exercise faith, to work, to struggle at times, and to act. Seldom does the whole answer to a decisively important matter or complex problem come all at once. More often, it comes a piece at a time, without the end in sight." 

-Richard G Scott

I invite you to pray out loud this week. Seek guidance, record promptings and act!

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

Be a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:7)

- Elder Stringham