3 reasons this week will be awesome!

Buenas tardes todo,

     Hope everyone had a great week! Because we did! Some good news, we ordered pizza again and this time it actually arrived!! Wow...the Lord really does work miracles! Haha.

 

 

      This past week has been good. We just started teaching another family. The Flores family, and they are awesome. They have a baptismal date for April 25th. Also, we are getting ready for some baptisms in these two weeks that are coming. 

      This upcoming week is awesome? Why? 3 reasons why. 

1. General Conference. When we get to listen to the Apostles and Prophets that we have today. It's so wonderful to be able to have them. We need their help. Why? Because we know that they talk with God and that they give us the guidance and direction that we need. 

 

2. Fast Sunday. We have the opportunity to fast this Sunday too. If we choose to fast during conference, so that we can really be inspired, we will be! We will receive a "Spiritual Banquet" as we listen and ponder in our hearts these messages. After all, they are the words of God!

 

3. Easter Weekend. In this wonderful weekend, we will celebrate the Atoning Sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Including his Resurrection.Which allows all of us to be resurrected too!! Thanks to all the love he has for us. It was his duty from the beginning. And he accepted it. Because it was part of heavenly father's plan for all of us! So we can all come unto him to receive everlasting life!! 

 

     I love you all so much and I hope that in this week, you can all receive personal revelation that will satisfy the needs and desires of everyone that chooses to participate in these wonderful events. Let us feast upon the words of Christ, then ponder in your minds and in your hearts if these things are true. Love you all and have a wonderful weekend full of love and blessings!!

Love,

Elder Strate

Meet the Mormons

Hello Everyone,

     Just want to thank everyone for the birthday wishes!! I had a great week!

     Its a tradition here in Mexico to smash you face into the cake haha! So guess what? Well ya I did that lol. Usually another person "helps" by pushing your face into the cake, but I gladly did it of my own free will. I had 3 different birthday parties thanks to the members here that are so awesome!! 

      We also ordered pizza one night to celebrate my birthday, however it never should up!! We waited and waited for the delivery service. But nope. So we just went to sleep a little angry haha. Then, suddenly at 1am our phone rang. It was the pizza place and they asked my if the pizza had arrived...which it didn't. So I said "nope, but thanks for waking me up!"(being 1am) and then we went back to sleep haha.

     This past Saturday we also had a ward mission activity. We called it "Meet the Mormons". Like the movie haha. It was great. Basically we had an open house where the people could walk in and learn about the different organizations in the church. It was great, we had a lot of references so I hope we can speed up the work now!! 

                                                                    Gonzales Family    

 

     Well that's about all I have but thanks for all the thoughts and prayers!! Love hearing from everyone so keep writing please!!

     Love,

     Dawson

Birthday Week

Hello Everyone,

     This week has been pretty normal. Nothing too exciting has happened. One thing that kind of sucks. We haven't been able to find Raul. He changed his house and we have no idea where it is. We are going to keep looking and hopefully we can find him!! With prayer and faith anything is possible!! 

     This past week President Kirkham and Sister Kirkham came to our house. The other misisonaries' houses too. To make sure that they are all clean and everything. I was nervous to be honest haha. Our house isn't the cleanest, but not too dirty either! For a house here in Mexico, its pretty clean haha. But everyone went well. Our mission president is really cool and he is definitely inspired by God!! 

     Sorry if the pictures I sent offend anyone haha. My companion and I were being a bit relaxed and goofy haha. But thats okay, because we need it. Missionary work is hard. I can honestly say that its the hardest thing I've ever done in my life!!! And yes you can also see my tan on my forearms compared to the rest of my arm...Anyways, we are doing good here in Playa del Carmen. We have a ward mision activity this Saturday. It should be awesome!! It's like an open house outside in a basketball court that is under a dome (Where we play ball). We are inviting the people to know the Church and the different organizations within. Like Relief Society, Primary, Priesthood etc. It should be great and I hope we get a lot of references!!

     

Well, I have to go know but thanks for writing me!(those who have) I love you all and hope you have a great week!! Oh ya, and I turn 19 on Wednesday. Wow...

Love,

Elder Strate

Spirit is strong

Hello Everyone,

     Its great to hear news from everyone every week about what's going on in lil o'le Magrath!!    Congrats to the Grade 9 Zeniths for winning the Zone title!! That's awesome!! Keep puttin up them banners boys!! Haha. 

     Things here in Mexico are pretty good. We haven't been able to visit Lazaro and Maria because they have been busy :( but, we did find another investigato that is awesome. I'll tell you what happened.

     So, Elder Mayorga and I were walking in the street like normal. Suddenly I had the feeling that we needed to cross the street. I didn't know why in the moment, but I followed that prompting that I recieved. We crossed the street and we saw a young man sitting down in the street waiting for a bus. We talked to him and told him who we were and a little bit about us. However, he wasn't really too interested to hear what we had to say. Then he hopped on the bus and left. 

     But, just after that a woman came up to us and started talking. "Are you guys Jehova's Witnesses?" she asked. "No, we're from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints"I replied. Basically she started talking to us and she said that she saw us on the other side of the street. But she was far away before and she didn't know if we were going to walk towards her (which we did, thanks to the prompting I followed). And she also said that she wanted to talk to us because she is looking for God. And that she doesn't feel comfortable in the other churches that she has been too. So ya, it was pretty awesome. She came to church yesterday and she has accepted everything that we've taught her!! Oh ya, her name is Crisaime. Hopefully she will get baptized right away. 

     This experience really shows me that we always need to be in tune with the spirit. So that we can be guided towards the people that the Lord has prepared to recieve his gospel. It's so awesome. I love missionary work!! 

     Love you all tons. Keep praying for me!! Until next week!

Love,

Elder Strate

Starting 8th month!

Hello Everyone,

     Well, we had transfers this morning. Marking the end of another 6 weeks here in the mission. As for me, I am staying here in Playa del Carmen in the same area. This is my 3rd transfer now in the area. Which is awesome because I love this area!! And Elder Mayorga is still my companion. Its the first time here in my mission that I've had the same companion for more than one transfer. Nice haha.     

 

     And unfortunately I had to say goodbye to an amazing missionary and friend. Elder Bardales finishes his mission today. He is so awesome and such a great example to me. He was one of my zone leaders here in Playa. He's from Peru. I don't know where but thats okay haha. It was also his birthday, so after our district meeting we ate some cake. Oh, and a nice picture of Elder Collins eating the cake...right before Elder Bardales smashes his face into it haha! 

 

It was awesome! I don't know what Elder Collins was thinking... I guess thats how people in Oregon eat cake haha (that's where he is from if you didn't understand). And, he likes the Trail Blazers...of all the teams...haha. I guess he kinda deserved to get his face smashed in a cake for being a Trail Blazers fan haha. Go Thunder!!  

     This past week we got to see the movie "Meet the Mormons". It was amazing! Everyone needs to see it. I mean everyone!! Mormon or not, everyone needs to know about us!! This is a great opportunity to do missionary work. To show this movie to your friends and family and to everyone possible!! PLEASE. Haha.

     So this little girl that I recently baptized is awesome. She goes to church every Sunday and participates in learning and living the gospel! Some of the members of her family are less active(specifically the father). But for her, that doesn't matter because she's always telling her dad that he needs to get his butt to church and its pretty funny lol. Anyways, she is teaching me a lot. That inspite of what the people do around us, that we always have our free agency. And we can always choose to do the right even when others may be lost. And the best we can do to help is set an example of a true disciple of Christ. As we do that the Lord can work miracles through our actions and words. I testify that this is the ONLY true church on the face of this earth. And that Jesus Christ restored it along with his gospel through Joseph Smith. I have no doubt in my mind!! I love you all and thanks for all your love and support. Keep sending thoughts and prayers!! 

Love,

Elder Strate