Familia!
So I just finished my first week in TEXAS! haha this place is so awesome! I am up in the Corpus Christi Stake and we are just staying wet at the font all week! As of right now we are lined up to baptize each weekend which is awesome. Elder Porter is a stud and a wonderful trainer. We basically just slay doubts about the church all day and extend baptismal commitments. I would've sent pictures today but I accidentally forgot my camera so oops....maybe next week.
So I am in the Santa Gertrudis area and its pretty poverty stricken. I have never been to Mexico but I assume its something like what I am experiencing. Everyone here is SUPER religious and some even have most of the Bible memorized. Everyone is Latino and well...pretty lazy. They love to work hard at their jobs, but any chance they get they are always drinking beer and/or sleeping. Sunday is more of a holiday for them than it is a time to worship our Savior. Even though everyone is pretty Religious already, there are actually quite a few that are very receptive to the Gospel and the blessings that it can bring to their live's.
There are a billion stories that I could tell you but there is one that really sticks out to me that helped me realize how God guides his missionaries. We stopped by this man's house that we had street contacted named Luis, he is super awesome and really wants to know how he can have an eternal family. We asked him for referrals and he wanted us to teach his mother about the Plan of Salvation as well. So we go over and she was home alone so we couldn't go in and teach her so we just set up an appointment for the next day. She told us to visit her neighbors as well because they needed God in their life. We knock on her neighbor's door and about 5 teenagers walk out. We talk to them about the Gospel and one girl named Jessica (she's about 15) said that she wanted us to come to her home to teach her family the next day. So the next day we go knock on her door and no one is home, typical because no one is home in South Texas between the hours of 12-5 haha. So we knocked on the houses around Jessica's just in case God had sent us there for another reason...no luck. So we headed back to the car and I felt really strongly that we should knock on this little yellow home that was a few houses down. I mentioned it to Elder Porter and he said that he just felt the same thing. LEGIT!!! haha so we knock on the door and a woman in her late 20's named Beverly answers the door. We told her that we have a message that could bring her closer to God and she let us in. We got to know her and her 4 little kids. They have been through a lot and their father has been in and out of jail for most of their lives. Beverly expressed to us that she really just wanted more guidance and peace in her life, BINGO! We taught her about how we can be cleaned from sin through baptism and receive the Holy Ghost to comfort us and guide us in these difficult times. She was elated and eagerly accepted the Baptismal date of August 12th. She ran and grabbed her nephew who lives with her who is 20 named Jose. We taught him and he sees the need to make the change but still loves the crazy lifestyle that he lives at the moment. We told him that he needs the guidance of the Holy Ghost more than ever if he wants to become the man God intends for him. He too accepted the Baptismal invitation and we have a few lessons set up with them this week! They are such a golden family and I love seeing the light the Gospel brings to people.
I know God guides his missionaries to the people he has already prepared. Something that has really helped me develop love for those I serve is seeing them in white. And what i mean by that is that I imagine how beautiful and pure they would look as they arise from the waters of baptism. That has really helped me not judge on whether or not someone will be accepting of the gospel based solely on their looks.
I love you all so much! thank you for all the care packages that you have been sending me. Miss you all but I know that this is where I should be, The Gospel changes lives and I love that I get to see it every single day. Nothing is more amazing than participating the salvation of a human soul.
con amor
Elder Sanderson
Texas McAllen Mission
My new Address
406 A Sen. Carlos Truan Blvd.
Kingsville, Texas 78363
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