Week 15

Familia,

 

So I took a few minutes to skim over your letters before composing mine and WOW haha. Dad, that is such an awesome opportunity you have to ever further bless our ward as you are the new Bishop. When President Trayner interviewed me for leadership he said to always remember that the Lord qualifies whom he calls. You are now on the Lord's errand so you are entitled to his help. You are now a judge in Israel and a gatekeeper for those entering into the commitment of baptism. As a District Leader I am the gatekeeper for all recent converts and its kinda scary when their progression rests on your shoulders. You already know this but, the Lord promises us that the Holy Ghost will tell us what we should do in the very moment we need it. What a wonderful blessing this new calling will be to our family and for those you serve.

 

This week in the great Texas McAllen Mission has just been great. We had interviews this week and it was so nice to be able to sit down with President and discuss my performance and get tips on how to improve. President Trayner is such a hero in my eyes. Just 2 days earlier his father passed away, the funeral was this last Thursday, the same day as interviews. I asked President why he was here with me and not with his family. i will never forget what he said. He looked at me and with heavy emotion said, "Elder Sanderson, I am the President of the most wonderful mission on earth, I have work to do and lives to bless, I cannot risk not fulfilling my calling for anything." It was such a testimony builder of how firmly attached this man was to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Spirit was so present in that room as we discussed the Kingsville district, and I received so many answers to my questions.

 

This coming Sunday is the baptism for a woman named Ofelia Garza. I had been working with her from the moment I arrived in Texas and now she is truly ready to make this promise with her Heavenly Father. I am so grateful for the wonderful people our Savior has blessed Elder Bybee and I to teach. In every lesson with them I learn so much more about myself as a missionary than anything we teach them.

 

Thank you so much for the package. Your letters were awesome! and i sent in my election ballot so hopefully it gets there in time. The iPod works great and is a blessing to have the scriptures in Spanish now for my language studies.  Let me know if any more of my friends are planning to serve missions. Keep Lauren in your prayers as she prepares. Les Amo y tengan una semana buena.

-- 

Elder Sanderson

Texas McAllen Mission