August 12, 2013

Sanderson Family,                                                                                      8/12/2013

So sorry about you not receiving the letter....I'm not sure where its at but I accidentally sent it to Robert Trevino (the man who is in jail) haha so if I ever get it back I will send it to you. I have some time today so I will cover some things that happened last week as well.

So 2 weeks ago I went on some exchanges with the assistants to their area and so since tie trading is such a huge thing here I packed all my ties into a duffel bag and thew it in the back of their truck. On the way to their area (2 hours away) we stopped by and had to move some luggage down to McAllen and so the back of the truck got stuffed so we had to throw a net on it to hold it all in. Anyways we arrive in McAllen and by bag is missing and so we figured it fell off. haha so all my ties are gone! That sucked so the past week or so I have been shopping to get some new ones. If you ever go to Mr. mac again or something you should send some ties my way haha Ted Bakers are my favorite and they sell those at Dillard's ;) hint hint haha.

2 weeks ago we also had mini missionaries with us. My minis' name was Juan from McAllen. He was baptized just a few months ago but already has a burning desire to share the Gospel. It was such a blessing to be able to serve with him. Last Sunday night they had a testimony meeting for all the mini missionaries and Juan did such a good job!  After the meeting I had the opportunity to meet is family. They took us to lunch and there I found out that his dad actually wasn't a member. So I handed Juan my scriptures and had him teach the 1st lesson to his dad. His father accepted baptism and wants to learn more about the gospel! I'll send a picture of Juan and I.

This week we had a 3-day leadership training in McAllen with all the Zone Leaders and District Leaders in the mission. It was so much fun to get to see everyone again. This was President Maluenda's first conference and so I think he struggled a lot. He would give 2 1/2 hour trainings on Exodus 4 and so it was just super boring haha plus it was in Chilean Spanish and so it was hard to focus. It was sad because a lot of the Zone Leaders were getting mad. All 9 zones had prepared trainings and role-plays for us to do but President Maluenda kept interrupting the trainings and would go off on this entirely different subject. We started at 9 a.m. and ended at 11 p.m. every night haha I was going to lose my mind. 6 of the zones never got to do their trainings and so everyone was pretty mad. The assistants were really ticked because President had them stay up late every night planning the schedule for the next day and then he would just interrupt and throw everything off. I love President Maluenda and respect him, I guess it will just take time getting used to his style of leadership. I learned some cool things I want to implement into my district so that will be awesome.

This week we had the baptism of Veronica Perez. I know I haven't talked a lot about her but its because half-way through the teaching process she moved into the sister's area and then she moved back into ours this Wednesday. I will send a picture of the baptism. Veronica is awesome and I admire her faith. She is often abused physically and emotionally by her husband but stays around because she has all the faith in the world that the atonement will change him. We have been talking to him and things have been getting better. He actually just broke his clavicle playing soccer and so he and I now have something to talk about haha. I am so grateful for these great miracles that the Lord of the Vineyard so readily grants us. The Lord had prepared Veronica while we prepared ourselves to be worthy to receive this blessing. He is so ever-present in this work. One of my favorite missionaries scriptures is in Jacob 5:70-74:

 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard sent his servant; and the servant went and did as the Lord had commanded him, and brought other servants; and they were few.  And the Lord of the vineyard said unto them: Go to, and labor in the vineyard, with your might. For behold, this is the last time  that I shall nourish my vineyard; for the end is nigh at hand, and the season speedily cometh; and if ye labor with your might with me ye shall have joy in the fruit which I shall lay up unto myself against the time which will soon come. And it came to pass that the servants did go and labor with their mights; and the Lord of the vineyard labored also with them; and they did obey the commandments of the Lord of the vineyard in all things. And there began to be the natural fruit again in the vineyard; and the natural branches began to grow and thrive exceedingly; and the wild branches began to be plucked off and to be cast away; and they did keep the root and the top thereof equal, according to the strength thereof. And thus they labored, with all diligence, according to the commandments of the Lord of the vineyard, even until the bad had been cast away out of the vineyard, and the Lord had preserved unto himself that the trees had become again the natural fruit; and they became like unto one body; and the fruits were equal; and the Lord of the vineyard had preserved unto himself the natural fruit, which was most precious unto him from the beginning.

We may be few and at times may feel completely overwhel
med by the evil that surrounds us, but the Lord of this Vineyard has spared it "a little longer" so that we may bring others or the "natural fruit" unto him.  He is in charge, and labors with us in this work. There are people that our Savior has prepared for us to find, teach, and baptize so that they may be heirs of the Kingdom of God. In verse 74 its describes the fruit as "most precious".  It is now our chance to share in this bountiful harvest!

les amo mucho!

Elder Sanderson

Texas McAllen Texas