Do as I say

Hey family! 

This week was pretty great!

That is great that Dakota Whiting is getting off. I thought he had already left actually. Zac will be heading off next pretty quickly! Just another month and a half!  

That is so crazy that McKenzie is getting all ready for college! She's off in about three weeks eh? Oh man that is so awesome! I remember buying all the stuff to get ready! It is definitely an exciting time. That is crazy I was getting ready to head off to college a year ago! Ah it seems like it was just yesterday! This whole idea of time is really starting to get to my head! Haha. What kind of computer did you get her? One for lots of video games huh? ;) Haha she doesn't even need a computer anymore with that phone she's got! Haha. She told me that has become her life! 

Sounds like McKenzie had the time of her life at institute. Geez! Haha. If you think that is bad just wait until BYU I DO. Haha. That is a good contract you've got going with her. Be sure to establish the regulations that explain the difference between going out on a date and hanging out haha. That is the universal sticky spot of dating hahahaha.

Who has taken over the Elder's quorum presidency?

Is Bourne Legacy another new movie to the Bourne series? I hadn't heard anything about it. How was Spiderman? I heard it wasn't that great either.  

Ahhh Ashley is free on the road in one more week! Nuts!

You've got Austin Ferguson as a home teacher now! Ahhh lucky! Haha that must be so fun! 

I heard about the hurricane. We have been getting a little bit more rain lately but it is the rainy season so I didn't really think anything of it until someone said something about the hurricane. All is well over here though! 

Truly nothing too crazy happened this week as far as I can remember. I got the packages though! Dang that was exciting. They were so great! The greatest part was that book of pictures you put together though! I was really confused when I pulled it out at first though. I was thinking...what in the world is this??? Hahaha. I opened it though and I was so excited! Ahh greatest surprise ever! Now I know why you wanted that SD card haha. I'll be sure to send another copy of the SD card in a couple months. The ties were so awesome! I am wearing them all haha. I already ate all the food also hahaha. I also got a couple letters this week. Anna Farris and Abigail Kirkman! It was way awesome to hear from those two! Sounds like they are all doing great up there! 

In this next one you send the only other thing I need right now is another one of those gels that you sent me. Just to be sure that I don't run out. Then a bunch a pictures. Other than that I am doing great right now with everything! Oh and don't forget the journal also haha. 

A funny experience this week....hmmm....oh I got it! So I also got my package from Paola, Yoselin, and Sandra this week. I opened it and they sent me a Taylor Swift shirt! Oh course I quickly pulled it out and put it on. I quickly realized though it was a shirt for girls hahahahaha. I still love it though. It is from her Love Story CD. It is way awesome! They want you to put up some of the pictures I have with it. 

A spiritual experience from this week....We went to visit some more of the less actives and while we were talking about the Restoration, I felt the impression to speak more about Prophets and explain more of their role for the world. I then explained how they teach us God's will in these days because the people of the world are continually changing but God never changes. My companion with that then explained how Joseph Smith revealed to the world "The Word of Wisdom". We didn't think so before but we came to know that our investigator had some problems with the Word of Wisdom. It was great because we were then able to help him begin to overcome those problems. It is amazing how the Spirit guides us and He truly directs everything in missionary work.

Changes were today but nothing changed here in Tepatitlan. I am still here with Elder Alvarado. We look forward to six more weeks together. 

Everything has been really great lately though. We don't have much going as far as investigators right now but I know as we continue to work hard and help the members they will be led to their friends who are ready to receive the gospel at this time.

It is great that all is going well up there in Idaho. I know as you continue to be obedient to the commandments of the Lord he will continue to bless you in every aspect of your lives. "For I the Lord am bound when ye do as I say, but when ye do not as I say, ye have no promise."

Keep being great and have another good week. You are all in my prayers. Thanks for all your support and all the blessings I receive from all of you. 

Love you!!

Elder O'Brien :)

A Dream Moment

Hey fam!!!!

Well it was another great week for me and it sounds like it went well for all of you also!

Sounds like everyone is working like crazy up there! Ashley is nervous for drivers training?? That is not her at all haha. Though I'm sure it will be good so she isn't too crazy out there on the roads haha. That is crazy her classes will get done so fast! I know she will do great though!

Sounds like you are all going crazy with the new phones. Wow it only took Ashley 7 months to break my phone. Haha. That's alright though. I can't believe you got a smart phone though! Man you are all changing on me haha. From McKenzie's email it sounded like she really liked it! She will have way too much fun with that! Especially when she goes to college in a bit! Are you excited for that mom? The house will get really quiet when that happens haha. With that new smart phone she can skype you from anywhere though! :) I hope that is convincing enough that I'll be getting one when I get home ;)

I called the zone leaders today and they said the packages are there and they will give them to me tomorrow. Don't worry haha. The only thing I would like to have sent right now is lots and lots of pictures. That is seriously the highlight of the day when I get those. Pictures of everything! You guys, my friends, everyone! Make sure to print the good ones. Please :) Don't worry about sending the piano book because I already have the same one here so it's all good. Thanks though :)

Oh the good old DVD cleaning. I am sure everyone loved that haha. I sure do miss that! That is a great idea with the home videos. It is true I can just think back to watching those and I remember some pretty spastic moments haha. That is awesome dad is getting into the genealogy! We'll have a lot of work to do in the temple :)

AHHHH we are so close in the Olympics! We'll beat China don't worry. We always do ;)

Thanks for the pictures you sent. I didn't know Geovani was going to Lake Powell!! That is so fun that he went though! How is he? Was his English a little harder to understand than before? haha.

Well as for everything down here, it is going really well! We had a good week. We started the new plan and it went pretty well. We are really working with the less active members and we found a lot of new investigators from that! I am loving the new program. I think it won't go so hot for the first couple weeks and the adjustment continues but I have really thought about it a lot and realized just how great and inspired of a program it is. As we quit contacting it will help the members to really strengthen their testimonies to share the message with their friends. With the less active members we will rekindle that testimony inside of them and then we will begin to receive referrences from them. Then the part member families we will be working with to complete so they may be sealed in a temple and strengthen them even more. It fulfills all the 3 fold missions of the church by 1) Preaching the Gospel 2) Perfecting the saints 3) Redeeming the dead (because we are pushing to help everyone get temple recommends). It shows just how inspired our leaders truly are.

This week went mostly just trying to implement the new plan. It went really well and I really enjoyed it. We met some really great new people which was awesome.

A funny experience of this week: We were with Edgar and his parents and Edgar's dad offered me something to drink so I said sure becuase my companion said yes also. So I started to drink it and it tasted like eggnog. My companion after 15 seconds or so said, ''oh I know what this is. It has alcohol''. I was like, ''What!!!!!?''. Oh Edgar's dad was laughing and laughing. Hahahaha. I looked at the bottle and it hardly had alcohol but don't worry I didn't drink anymore. But that was my first drinking experience haha.

A more spiritual experience though: The young men and young women all went to Guadalajara this week for 3 days for a mini EFY type of deal. For testimony meeting most of them got up shared an experience they had. Edgar also got up to share his testimony which really surprised me. He told a story of how he got sick but he and another one of the boys knelt down and prayed in the middle of the night and within 10 minutes he was all good. It was so great to hear him then testify of the power of prayer. It was great because his parents were there and I know they could feel the Spirit becuase I know I did. That was a dream moment in the life of a missionary!

It really was a great week though and I know I will continue to be blessed as I am obedient and always am worthy of the Spirit. I am so grateful for all the blessings I have received and I pray the Lord will continue to bless me according to his will.

Love you all and keep being great! I pray for you every night and I know the Lord is blesing you and preparing many great things for you!

Love ya!

Elder O'Brien :)

Double dippin'

Hey fam!!!!!

Mom you have glasses? I never knew that......

Sounds like you are having a blast up there working so much haha. McKenzie will definitely be having a blast there in Lake Powell! That is so fun! Grandpa I am sure is going to love it there up at the cabin haha. It is good they had a nice time and made it back safe. Grandma told me they caught some good fish up there in Deadwood! 

That is scary Ashley is going to start driver's ed haha. Has she been out practicing with Dad in the parking lot of the church more? 

Ahh I didn't think I would miss the Olympics at all and had totally forgot all about them but we went to eat with the branch President on Saturday and he was watching them and I was dying haha!!! Oh man he was watching volleyball, swimming, and basketball. Ahhh man that was hard haha.

That is a fun idea for your sharing time. Which reminds me I need your help for some ideas here in Tepatitlan.  We are focusing on the less active members so we can get them all callings, temple recommends, starting their family history, and ordaining the men in the priesthood. It is so great and I am really excited. But what I need help with is some ideas of activities that we can do to get the members to bring their friends to activities that will get them mingling with members. I had some ideas such as watching movies of the church like the Joseph Smith movie or the Testaments and others like that, having a night to play board games in the church here, get the youth to do service and have times where the young men just go out to play sports. I am also going to start teaching English classes down here. What other ideas can you think of? We can't do anything too crazy yet cuz there are only about 60 active members and our church is actually a house of prayer. It is literally a house hahaha. It works though. Let me know if you can think of anything please!! Or if someone is reading the blog and has an idea they can send you an email (hobbycenter@clearwire.net) and then you can send it to me!

Nothing too crazy happened this week. We had a baptism for a lady that was already a member. Everyone knew she was baptized but we couldn't find her paperwork so we gave her a dip again haha. We met some really cool new families so we hope to see them progress in the gospel. My companion is excited cuz one family has the same last name as him haha. 

Really what I have learned this week is to work with the members to strengthen their testimonies so we can do even greater! As we work together we will really see much more success. With 60 missionaries instead of 2 it will be great and we can accomplish much more!!

Well that's about it for this week. Oh all your packages are here! One of the secretaries told me I have 3 sitting there. Zone leaders need to bring them. I heard they are going on Wednesday so I will bug them til they bring it haha. One is my trainer so I hope he will be merciful.

Oh another favor. Can you send me another journal?  Please do it soon though so I have a place to keep writing. Don't worry I write every night. I have only missed once haha.

Well that's about it. Thanks for everything and all your support. I am really grateful for your emails every week cuz it really helps me to work hard all week.

Love you all,

Elder O'Brien :)