Hola Familia y Amigos!
This week was awesome but unfortunately it is my
last day today in
the Bedford/Manchester Area. President Stoker called this
morning and
I am being emergency transferred tomorrow I don't know where to
yet
but I will let you all know next week.
Other than that piece of
exciting news Monday was so awesome! I am
sure you all have heard about L and J. They have been
struggling to understand priesthood authority so
on Monday we talked
about the Apostasy and the Restoration of the priesthood.
They now
understand the importance of the priesthood and a great
miracle
happened during the lesson. After we finished teaching L has
been
struggling with some anxiety and so she asked for a
priesthood
blessing. We offered her one last transfer when she got sick but
she
didn't feel comfortable or understand what it was. So we gave her
a
blessing and closed the lesson. Later on in the week we gave her a
call
just to see how things were going and she said hat her anxiety is
way to
almost none existent. I have a testimony that the priesthood is
a real power
and that through faith in Jesus Christ is the way and
only way that the power
of the priesthood can be used.
I know that the priesthood has been restored
and that it is only in
Christ's church. It was give and restored upon Joseph
Smith and has
been given to all worthy to hold it. It is the power that
governs
heaven and the universe. It is the power given us from God in order
to
perform all the ordinances necessary for salvation. I would in it
all
who read this if they do not have a testimony of the Book of Mormon
to
find out for yourself and as you come to know the Book of Mormon
is
true you will come to know that Joseph Smith was called to be a
prophet
and that God's authority is here on the earth again. Also
check out
christmas.mormon.org and Discover Why the Savior was born.
Have a great
week.
Love
-Elder Espinoza
Monday, November 30, 2015
November 23, 2015 - Transfers!
Hola Familia y Amigos!
This week was a good week. First news is that transfers came with
both of my new companions! Elder De Leon who is from Guatemala and
who was my district leader in Lawrence is now one of my companions.
And my other companion is Elder Harper and he is from Nebraska and is
a French Speaker and has served most of his mission in Portland, Maine
which is the French version of Lawrence.
Yesterday we had dinner with President and Sister Stoker it was
super cool to be able to have dinner with our mission president and
his wife and share a message with them. We were a little nervous at
first but when the Spirit tells you what to say it isn't bad at all.
I also finished he Book of Mormon for the second time and applied
Moroni's promise. I know even with greater conviction now that the
Book of Mormon is true and that if anyone truly wants to know if it
is all they have to do is ask God and it shall be given him! I love
being able to spend everyday for two years serving the Lord and even
though it is not easy at times but it is always worth it.
I know that my savior lives and I know that as we strive to serve
daily we will feel greater joy in our life and feel His love more than
we could if we didn't. So go out there and serve our Father in Heaven
by serving His children.
Love
-Elder Espinoza
Enviado desde mi iPad
This week was a good week. First news is that transfers came with
both of my new companions! Elder De Leon who is from Guatemala and
who was my district leader in Lawrence is now one of my companions.
And my other companion is Elder Harper and he is from Nebraska and is
a French Speaker and has served most of his mission in Portland, Maine
which is the French version of Lawrence.
Yesterday we had dinner with President and Sister Stoker it was
super cool to be able to have dinner with our mission president and
his wife and share a message with them. We were a little nervous at
first but when the Spirit tells you what to say it isn't bad at all.
I also finished he Book of Mormon for the second time and applied
Moroni's promise. I know even with greater conviction now that the
Book of Mormon is true and that if anyone truly wants to know if it
is all they have to do is ask God and it shall be given him! I love
being able to spend everyday for two years serving the Lord and even
though it is not easy at times but it is always worth it.
I know that my savior lives and I know that as we strive to serve
daily we will feel greater joy in our life and feel His love more than
we could if we didn't. So go out there and serve our Father in Heaven
by serving His children.
Love
-Elder Espinoza
Enviado desde mi iPad
November 16, 2015 - Transfers
Hola Familia y Amigos!
This week was transfer calls and I will be staying here in Bedford,
New Hampshire. My companion Elder Shupe is headed home and Elder Pemberton is
being transferred as Assistant to the President and will be serving in the
neighboring ward of Manchester.
Other than transfer calls this week was super awesome we taught a
lot of good lessons and were able to see some miracles for the last week of the
transfer. On Tuesday is when we had a lot of work we had 5 lessons that day and
two of them we were able to have fellowship for our investigators there.
Unfortunately all of our lessons except one on Wednesday fell through. But some
miracles did happen.
-Miracle 1: We went and saw S and A- they are fairly recent
investigators that we picked up a few weeks ago and hey have come to Church the
past two weeks in a row. A is reading the Book of Mormon and we left them
with the Plan of Salvation pamphlet to read when we stopped by one night and
S loves it and has read it through twice. They are so prepared for the
Gospel and it is super cool to see them so enthusiastic and excited about
everything.
-Miracle 2: we saw L and J is week on Saturday night and had
dinner with them and a good lesson on the Book of Mormon and faith after they
had read Alma 32. They seem to be enjoying the parts in the Book of Mormon that
resonate with them but they are still struggling to understand the entire Book.
So please pray for them to be able to understand he Book of Mormon.
-Miracle 3: Happened yesterday after Church. Well first off S, A,
and J came to Church. And then after Church we all went up to the Joseph
Smith Memorial Birthplace and they all loved it. S and A especially
because at one point S said "This guy Joseph must have been one of the most
important people to have been born over the past few hundreds of years". It is
cool to see someone understand or at least start to understand who Joseph Smith
truly was.
 |
| Elder Espinoza and friends at the Joseph Smith Memorial Birthplace. |
I would just like to leave you all with my testimony that I know that
Joseph Smith saw God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ in the spring of 1820
and that he was guided and directed by God to Translate and ancient record now
known to all humanity as The Book of Mormon- Another Testament of Jesus
Christ. I know that as we read the Book of Mormon, Pray and ponder about it that we can receive a witness of its truthfulness and divinity, that Jesus Christ
is our Savior and that Joseph Smith was called to be a prophet of God. I know
that through Joseph Smith God has once again end restored his only true and
living Church here on the Earth again and at we are guided and directed by a
living prophet today who is guided by The Head of this church, the head of my
life, our Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ. This is His work and His glory that
I am privileged to be apart of and I know it is all true.
Have an awesome week.
Love
-Elder Espinoza
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
Sent from my iPad
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
Sent from my iPad
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
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
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
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
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
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
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
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.
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
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.
 |
| Add caption |
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
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