November 9, 2015 - Two Weeks of Missionary Work

Hola Familia y Amigos!
   This week (26 of October-November 1) was not full of very much
teaching but we did have an eventful week. We started the week off
with a less active named Sister C and we talked about the
prophet Joseph Smith and she seems to have a greater understanding of
the importance of the prophet and it seems that her testimony grew
from us reading the talk with her. On Tuesday we were able to teach
the Restoration in Spanish to a new investigator named L. She is
from Mexico and seems to be interested in the message; hopefully she
starts tomorrow to apply the message. On Wednesday we had our Ward
Trunk or Treat and we had a good turn out of some investigators and
less actives so it was a great hit even though it rained. Because it
rained all the kids went around to different classrooms of the church
and trick or treated that way. Then on Halloween we went to a member's
house for dinner and then went home at 5pm  because we were not allowed
to be out past then because of all the trick or treaters. So we stayed
in the apartment and deep cleaned it we found something super weird
while we were cleaning and I have no clue why missionaries keep or get
their hands on stuff like what we found which was a whip. Sometimes
you find or have super random things happen to you as a missionary but
that is one reason why the mission is so great because there is always
almost a new experience everyday.
     This week (November 1- November 8) was super awesome and it
started with exchanges with the assistants. We meet some super cool
people Monday night while street contacting and hopefully we can find
those people again because we were not able to see them during the
rest of the week. Tuesday we were able to find a woman named D
whose door has not been knocked by missionaries in 38 years but was
able to walk through the Washington DC Temple before it was dedicated
in the 70's. We offered to rake her leaves and she accepted. We then
had a lesson with L and Hermano Raymundo came with us to the
lesson. We taught briefly on the Book of Mormon because she was having
family over for dinner. She invited us to eat with them and it was
cool to get to know her and her sister and brother-in-law. After that
we had a dinner appointment with Brother Pastrana who is our ward
clerk and he has such an awesome conversion story and is super rock
solid in the gospel. We then on Wednesday had a great lesson with an
investigator named R and he is similar to Brother Pastrana. He has
had no religious background and has read the Bible, Koran, and the
Tora. So he has an understanding on  religion but he still lacks
fundamental basic belief in God and that Jesus Christ is our Savior.
But he has a desire to learn more about what we believe. On Friday we
finally had a lesson with L and J after helping them move
some furniture and it was a very spiritual lesson on the Holy Ghost
and baptism. Please pray for L especially as she is sick right now
and is trying to understand the restored gospel and the importance of
baptism. On Saturday we were up in Vermont for a Zone Conference and
we were given instruction by Elder Neilson of the Seventy who is the
Head of the Missionary Department for the church and he gave a great
training on the Atonement and how it can help us in all aspects of
life and that is what I would like to end with.
      I know that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ we can be
strengthened and lifted up because of the enabling power of the
Atonement. Through the enabling power we are given the power to
overcome our pains and difficulties our burdens and trials and that is
because as we pray for strength to overcome our trials He can and will
strengthen us. I would invite all of us to pray and seek for strength
to overcome our adversities and trials and then watch as you feel the
effects of the enabling power of the Atonement or sacrifice of our
Savior come into your life. I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior and
Redeemer. Have an awesome week.
Love
-Elder Espinoza

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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

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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
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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!)

September 28, 2015- A Week Full of Miracles

Hola Familia y Amigos!
This week was probably one of the best working weeks of this
transfer. Last Monday we had a really good lesson with a new
investigator named M. He just recently moved from the Dominican
Republic to here about a month or so ago. He was taught by
missionaries there and already has a really strong testimony that the
Book of Mormon is true and that Joseph Smith was a prophet. A cool
experience that we had with him was when we taught him on Saturday
night he flat out told us at the end of the lesson (of course in
Spanish) " I don't know if you guys believe me but I already know that
the Book of Mormon is true." It was a super cool experience to see his
testimony of the restored Gospel and it was only the second lesson
that we had with him. On Tuesday we were on exchanges with the
District Leader and it was a super good exchange to be able to
evaluate how we have been working in the area and other aspects of
missionary work. He helped me to understand that a lot of the times
when things are super slow is to just tract doors even though it is
not the most effective way to find new people it still is a finding
tool. That helped me to realize that that is something that I can work
on and that if I don't do all that I can the Lord can't bless us with
all the awesome miracles and blessings that He has for us. So I am
looking forward to this upcoming week to be able to work even more in
this area that I have been for about 7 months.
On Wednesday we had the opportunity to be able to go and help an
Hermana in the ward de paint her porch and it was a good opportunity
to be able to talk to her less-active son,  J so it was a good
service opportunity. We were able to have a lesson with V. this
week! That is the second week in a row! We were supposed to have a
lesson with her on Tuesday but she called us an hour before the lesson
and canceled because some freak thing happened and she fell and hurt
her self. Luckily she was feeling way better on Thursday and we were
able to teach. It was a good lesson just please pray for her health
because that is  something that is keeping her from coming to Church.
On Sunday we had the opportunity to go over to the Castillo's house
for dinner. Hermana Castillo is a recent convert that was baptized the
Saturday before I got here to Lawrence and she and her family were my
first member meal and lesson in the Mission field so we are super
close. It was great to be able to go over and just see the progress
that the whole family has made since I got here, and it has been a
blessing to see them progress.
I know that this is the true church of Jesus Christ and that through
applying the principles from the Book of Mormon and the teachings of
the Latter-Day Prophets and Apostles we can have happiness and peace
in this world that is just pure crazy. I know that as we come with
open hearts and with questions to General Conference that the Lord
will bless us with the comfort and answers that we are looking for.  I
would invite anyone that reads this to take time to listen to or watch
General Conference and bring one question as you are watching and
paying close attention the Lord will bless you with an answer. I hope
you all have a great week!
Love
-Elder Espinoza
Here is a picture of the Trio and Hermana Castillo and her Daughter
Angie (who was also  baptized with her.) (Elder Peterson is behind
ELder Bills on the Right)

September 21, 2015 - Dentist, Zone Conference, and International Festival

Hola Familia y Amigos!
   Well this week was a week packed full of things that did not
include tracting doors that much unfortunately but did include
sickness again as well as a dentist appointment. On Tuesday Elder
Bills, Elder Peterson, and I had to go to the dentist for Elders Bills'
because one of his teeth has been bothering him recently. The dental
appointment was about 30 minutes away from Lawrence into New
Hampshire. We finished there but did not get back to Lawrence until
about 5:30 and then we had to go to our Coordination meeting. After
coordination was over we basically did not have any time to work in
our area so that was kind of a bummer.
   Then on Wednesday we had a great Zone Conference up in Exeter, New
Hampshire and it was really awesome. The topic of Zone Conference was
on the Book of Mormon and I learned a lot on how I can better utilize
the Book of Mormon in teaching and personal progression in the Gospel.
Something that was said about the Book of Mormon that we can learn
from it, is that: "We should keep the perspective that afflictions
(temptations, difficulties in life, a passing of a family member, and
just trials in general) are blessings for us and that they will
ultimately make us stronger. Also that the Book of Mormon helps us to
better understand the "Why" of Christ's life while the Bible helps us
to understand and know what He did during His life.
   On Thursday Elder Bills got sick and so we came home and stayed in
all day after going to an appointment. Unfortunately our investigator
was not home for the appointment and we were not able to have any
lessons that day. Friday we had a good lesson with our investigator
V. We taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Faith, Repentance,
Baptism, Receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and Enduring to the
End) and talked a lot about baptism and confirmation and why it was so
important. The cool thing was when we asked her if she knew the Book
of Mormon is true and she bore powerful testimony and how she has the
conviction of its truthfulness. She is super awesome so please pray
for her because she is having some health problems right now and that
is the first lesson we had with her this transfer.
   On Saturday we had a great day it wasn't full of work but we had a
great activity that the Lawrence Ward does every year called the
International Festival. The festivals purpose is to display all the
different cultures that are in the Lawrence Ward which are many. It
was really cool because each different country  had there room that
they decorated and brought typical dishes that you would have if you
were in those countries.  The different countries that were displayed
was Republica Domincana, Guatemala, Columbia, El Salvador, Puerto
Rico, and Venezuela are the main ones that I can remember right now.
They also displayed music or dances from those countries. It was a
blast and a good activity for investigators and less actives to come
to. unfortunately none of our investigators were able to make it, but
it was still really good.
   Well that was my week this week and I hope you all had a great
week. I know that this Gospel is true and can bless the lives of all
those that applies its principles. I know that my Savior Jesus Christ
lives and that through His loving and infinite Atonement we can have
happiness and joy in this life. I also know that through acts of
service we can show the Saviors love to others and show that we are
followers of Him.
Love
-Elder Espinoza


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