Week 74: Training to Trio

So we dropped off Elder Boyle this week. I'm gonna miss him big time. I was told I should be getting a new companion, but while I wait, I'll be in this trio! I'm with the other 2 Elders in our district, and they are so much fun. They're hilarious. I don't think I've ever laughed so much in one week.

Something super special this week was we had Yalines baptism. It was an experience I will never forget. She had asked me to be the one to baptize her, and it was a sweet sweet experience. I traded ties with Elder Boyle before he left, and I decided to wear his tie to the baptism on his behalf, and it also happened to match her dress! It was a powerful service. She was super excited and nervous, and when I pulled her out of the water, I heard her gasp and saw tears rolling down her face. I swear, I don't hug women on the mission, because its against the standards, but I did not have a choice here. Please forgive me. She said later that as she came out of the water, she saw incredible light everywhere. The spirit was so strong. Her testimony of Jesus Christ, the Church, and the Book of Mormon is so so strong. She is so elect and it was a privilege to get to teach her.

Anyways, it's been amazing here in Odessa! Please keep praying for Elder Boyle, and that I'll get a companion quickly (preferably Elder Boyle). I love you all!!

Week 72 & 73: transfer news

Sorry I didn't write last week, I lowkey forgot. We got transfer news and Elder Wages left me! I also got a greenie! It's been great to get to know him and we've had a lot of fun together. We had some incredible lessons, and it's been so cool. He is going home this week for some medical things, but we're praying he will come back soon to finish his training with me. He's just got to take a few tests, so were hoping the results all come in good. Please pray for him that he can come back out quickly and be my companion! Because I love him. Prayers for Elder Boyle!

Week 71: been a good week

I'm sorry I can't write a lot today. It was a good. I will share something cool though. So Yulieth was baptized about a month ago, and in out last two visits, we were able to start talking to her mom. She's always been kind, but never joined lessons, and never really been interested. But she's started reading the Book of Mormon, and she came to church! Yulieth said that she wants to get baptized, so we'll have to talk to her about that. So please pray for Diana!

- Elder Wride

Us recording a scene for our video

recording audio

Us eating with Yulieth and her family

The Sisters's AC broke, lol.

Week 70: Always You - We Are Messengers

So my title is actually a song. My companion has a ton of music, and I just like it. Give it a listen if you can

We've been dropping people a lot lately, and we have not been finding fast enough. So our teaching pool has dropped a ton. Please pray that we can find more people to teach, people who are actually prepared. We need some guidance. But the week was still good! My comp and I were asked to make a video about a day in the life of a missionary (its an ad for salt lake, which is pretty cool i guess), so we've been doing a but of filming too. It's fun too because Elder Wages has a lot of fancy camera stuff. He has a photography business back home. Anyways, our new members are really solid and so that's awesome. We got a new ward mission leader and the ward seems to be waking up a lot more to missionary work, and I'm excited. Anyways, it's been good. Please pray for Alexa and Yulieth! They're are newly baptized members, and also for Yaline. She's preparing for baptism in June

- Elder Wride

(Elder Wride's mom here, "Always You" is the song title, the artist is We are Messengers)

Week 69: Temple Trip Take Two

So last week I wrote about Alexa getting baptized right? Well last Saturday we all went to the temple. You know how last time we went for Yulieth, they closed as soon as we got there because the plumbing was backed up? (It's a 2 hour drive there and 2 hours back) Well we got to go with Yulieth again and got to bring Alexa this time. They drove up together and we rode with another member who went earlier, and so we got there in time for the endowment session as well. It was my first time doing any ordinances in the temple in 15 months. It was so good to be back. After the endowment we got to do baptisms with Yulieth and Alexa, and they both shared their testimonies in church yesterday about their experiences. It was so cool. It's incredible. I wish everybody was like them. They actually kept commitments and decided to plant the seed to see if it grows. It makes me think of Elder Bednars talk last conference, speaking about the message of the restoration, he said "I invite all to learn about and prove this message." I remember having doubts before the mission for a time  and then during the mission, and I don't understand why I spent so much time just wallowing in darkness and doubt. Like, do you really wanna know if it's true? Prove it, test it, read, get moving.

Anyways, looking back, I still think those struggles were necessary, and I wouldn't remove them if I could, but I also dont want to go back to where I was. I'd rather stay in the light.

Yesterday we went to the hospital to give someone a blessing, and as we were walking in, this guy stopped us to chat. At first we thought he was a member, cuz he seemed really familiar with missionaries, but then he was like "have you guys ever studied protestantism?" And then started trying to bash us. It lowkey just made me laugh, but I also just think it's funny to watch people try to defend solascriptura. We didn't talk long, but he got our number and said he'd send us some videos.

Also we have another friend named Yaline who is just so amazing. She knows a lot about the Bible, and is getting baptized next month! She loves the Book of Mormon and last visit we taught her the plan of salvation, and the kingdoms of glory. It was so awesome, because it was all completely new bit so powerful. It was funny because after teaching all of it, her friend came over, and then she was like "teach all of that again. That was beautiful." She's awesome. Please pray for her as she prepares for baptism!

- Elder Wride

Week 67 and 68: Alexa was baptized!!

The past 2 weeks were great! Sorry I didn't write last week, but I didn't have much to say. But Alexa was baptized this week! It was so fun to teach her. She and her husband have been married for about 9 months, and her husband is a member. It was so fun to teach them, and her husband baptized her on saturday. So that was awesome. She had come to church for like 2 months before we ever started teaching her, and in our first lesson she talked about wanting to be sealed in the temple. I've loved it here in Odessa, both of the people I've taught and that were baptized have been the most prepared people I've taught on my mission. Yulieth and Alexa are the best. The Bishop gave Yulieth a ward calling after her baptism, and now she makes the pictures for each person's baptism. So she made a picture of Alexa being baptized on her program. The heater for the water doesn't work though so we had to boil multiple pots of water in the kitchen and pour those in the font.