October 26, 2015

Hola Familia y Amigos!
   This week was really great and we were pretty busy probably the
busiest I have been in a while  and time flew by. We had an awesome
opportunity Elder Pemberton and I on Tuesday to teach a new
investigator in Spanish named L. It's nice to know that I haven't
lost it so that when I go back to Lawrence I will still be able to
understand the people. The lesson went really well and hopefully
tomorrow we are going to pick up his sister P as a new
investigator.  On Wednesday taught some less actives and we were able
to visit a lady named Sister M. Sister M lives in a nursing
home so we try to stop by every week and share a lesson with her. It's
nice to be able to do that for her because she always really enjoys
it. Thursday we taught a couple of new investigators named S and
A. They are super awesome and A after the lesson said that
it just all makes sense. We also had a lesson with them on Sunday
(yesterday) and they love it already. They read the testimonies and
the intro in the Book of Mormon and then we read 1 Nephi 1 with them
and they already think that it is true and makes sense so it is really
awesome to be able to see their excitement. Then on Friday we had an
awesome lesson with K who is a MMA fighter. We taught him last
week and he was having some concerns and questions about the Plan of
Salvation so we left him with he talk "What is the Blue Print of
Christ's Church by Tadd R. Callister" and when we visited with him on
Friday he was preaching to us and is inviting all of his friends to
learn. He is so awesome and it is really cool to see the fire when
someone understands the Gospel and how it can bless their life for
themselves. Saturday was a day full of Service and we chopped wood for
Z for 5 hours but it was tons of fun to be able to do that.

    I know that as we help others to read the Book of Mormon, and I
know that as I have read it myself I have seen a great change and I am
better able to understand my purpose here and through the Book of
Mormon I know that any question that we have can be answered if we are
willing to accept that answer from God and act upon it. I also know
that with the Savior's help we can be made clean and feel His love
greater in our lives and we strive to walk the strait and narrow path
of discipleship. If you feel that you can never become perfect
remember Moroni 10:32:
    " Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny
yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all
ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then
is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect
in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can
in nowise deny the power of God."
With the help of Christ and only through Christ is when we can be made
perfect and be strengthened I know that to be true.
Have a great week.
Love
-Elder Espinoza

Sent from my iPad

October 19, 2016 - Fall Colors in New England

Hey family and friends how's life?
    This week was a great week and we had some great success. First
off I would like to start off with Sunday and work my way back I
guess. On Sunday we had two investigators L and her son,  J.
come to church. It was a really spiritual sacrament meeting because it
was the Primary Program and the children taught awesome things through
song and their testimonies of the gospel very basically so it was
great.
       Earlier in the week we went on exchanges and we went to a less
active's house in our area whose name is Z people here call her
"Z"-ter because I guess they turn their a's into r's it's different. But
anyway she lives on this 1-2 acre piece of land and she basically owns
a bird zoo. This place is full of chickens, ducks, geese, and
peacocks. It is seriously the craziest place I have been to on my
mission so far because the birds own the place and they just roam free
it's kind of cool but at the same time it seems highly unsanitary. I
guess I am not a guy that would like to live in a place like that. But
she is a cool/crazy person so it was an interesting time helping her
out hedge some of her bushes. After we were finished there though we
were able to have a lesson with a lady named J who lives with
Z and we were able to extend her a baptismal date for November 14
so please pray that her health will improve so that she could enter
the waters of baptism.  
   The fall colors here amazing and I have some pictures but before
that I would just like to share my testimony that; I know this gospel
is true and that it is so simple that even little children can
understand it and I know with my whole heart and soul that the Book of
Mormon is he word of God along with the Bible and that our Savior
Jesus Christ lives and will help us through anything we are going
through if we take the time to put Him more into our lives and I know
these things are true.
Have a great week!
Love
-Elder Espinoza

October 12, 2015 - Manchester/Bedford New Hampshire

Hola Familia y Amigos!
       How was everyone's week this week? Mine has been different
because I have not been in Lawrence but interesting and different. We
got to meet a lot of the ward and it is cool to finally be able to
answer yes to " Elder Espinoza... (A lot of people cannot pronounce my
name up here which is weird because everyone on my mission so far has
been able to) can you speak Spanish?" It is great to finally be able
to say and now I feel weird especially during church where all the
meetings are in English instead of Spanish but it has been good so
far.

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        So when I got transferred here I got transferred into a trio
again which is great but both of my companions are Zone Leaders which
is really weird also one of the Zone Leaders is Elder Pemberton my
companion that I was with in Lawrence about 7 or 8 weeks ago. It has
been really cool to be able to teach with him again along with my new
companion Elder Shupe who is from Brigham City, Utah. Elder Shupe is
great and will be leaving the mission at the end of this transfer.
         This week was a pretty great week and we have some awesome
investigators and the members here are really cool as well. The city
of Manchester is an interesting place win a lot more interesting
people than Lawrence but I guess I say that because I felt like I was
at home in Lawrence and this is a new place. Everyone told me that in
English areas most people don't stop and talk to you but I have found
so far people are pretty nice out here and are willing to give you a
couple seconds so that's good.
        We had a Burrito Night this weekend as a ward activity on
Saturday and it was great! Our investigator named L whom we had a
lesson with her and her son J on Thursday night was there and she
brought a friend to the activity. She is already an awesome missionary
and she isn't even a member yet so that was really cool, and the
miracle that I saw this week. Unfortunately not much else to report
right now but there will be more this upcoming week.
          I know hat this is the work of he Lord and that as I
continue in faith and being diligent He will help me to overcome my
weaknesses so that I can help others overcome there's. That is only
possible through the Atonement of our Savior Jesus Christ who lives
and I know that to be true. Have an awesome week everyone.
Love
-Elder Espinoza
Sent from my iPad

October 5, 2015 - Transfers...Going to English

Hola Familia y Amigos!
    This week or today actually will be my last day in Lawrence, Mass
for a little while now and so I am super bummed about that. I have
been here since the start of my mission which has been 7 and half
months and it has been a blast. I am looking forward to the
opportunity to be able to see a different side of missionary work in
my new are which I will tell you about next week. Even though we did
not have too many lessons it was a super spiritual and uplifting week
this week. With General Conference at the end of it and the things
that I have heard it makes me want to be an even better disciple of
our Savior. Something cool that I learned over conference was that a
disciple of Jesus Christ is someone who keeps on trying to follow the
path of the Savior even though the world and its teachings may seem
easier. I know that the path of our Savior is the easiest road to
peace and happiness not only in this life but more importantly in the
eternal life that can and will be ours as we follow the teachings of
our Modern day Prophet and Apostles, as well as the teachings found
within the Gospel. I know that we have a modern day prophet who guides
us in these days and that through reading the Book of Mormon and
daily prayer we can have greater peace and happiness int this life.
Have a great week!
Love
- Elder Espinoza
     Here are some pictures of the entire Zone during General
Conference and a picture with V( who by the way is doing
great!)