Friday, August 14, 2015

Alvin texas, Week 41: June 29, 2015 - July 7, 2015

Wednesday, July 8, 2015
 
 
Sorry I didn't let you know I'd be emailing so late! We changed our P day to today and we went to the temple this morning as half a zone!! Twas a great birthday party there.Meeting President Hall was super exciting! It was the hype and talk of the town for so long and I just wanted to hear from him. He's awesome, very very loving and affectionate. President Hall is bomb! He's a little younger than President Ashton, but acts like a teenager. He's a goof. He called me today and wished me a happy birthday, that was way cool. He does things much more simply. He's not as learned as far as vast doctrine as President Ashton, but he teaches well. He emails us every week, one to the mission and one to young missionaries. I didn't get one, maybe next week. But, I like him. His kids live with him, except the oldest one is about to move back to Utah for her senior year in high school.

We saw some good things with the investigators this week. So a new part member family just moved in, the Carrascos. We were in their complex unaware they lived there and then they saw us and told us to come over. They were happy to see us and we got to know them a little and they wanted us to come back soon. We saw them a few times this week. Last time we saw them, we had a super lesson. We actually set up a FHE. We watched the Joseph Smith Movie and taught Brittany the Restoration. The spirit rocked that place, it was fun. She believes in the restoration and she even accepted to be baptized! Her husband is a returning active member and he can help her a ton. Her only concern so far is that she wants to know lots about the church and gospel before baptism and wants to feel ready. But, she is awesome and she'll get it. We're going to try and baptize her in a month. They even came to church for the first time and liked it.

We also had another investigator named Lois come to church. That was a struggle. Lois is a decent investigator. She has great faith and loves us, so we invited her. We had a ride all set up the night before for her, but they ended up cancelling about an hour before church. We had to call lots of different peeps. Finally we got one of her neighbors, who is a member and good friend of our, to take her to church. She wasn't too excited about that because she wants to meet more ladys, but it worked. She had a good time at church and got a better ride home from a sister afterward.

Karen is doing alright. She's been way sick, so we haven't seen her. But we're going over tomorrow and having a good 'ol lesson. She's been reading lots of the Book of Mormon. She'll get baptized too, she just needs to come to church.

We had a big zone meeting last week. We actually had two. The first one was a recap of what president taught us and expects of us after MLC. MLC was fun. Got a lot of work to do as far as changing 'mission culture' we decided. We're going to work hard to be more purposeful and baptize more. We didn't make too many changes, just small stuff, but same rules. The second one was yesterday and I and the other leaders gave trainings on what we can do to be more purposeful missionaries in finding, teaching, inviting, retaining/activating. I was actually pretty nervous to train them. I wasn't quite prepared, but it went well and they said they liked what I shared. So, whatever. I just want to bear my testimony to all ya'll about the reality of the Holy Ghost and what it does for us. On my mission I've grown to get to know that gift well. Sometimes you don't have it due to a bad day, arguments, stress, depression, and it can be hard to teach. But, if we humble ourselves and truly not just ask to get it back but act like we want the Spirit back, we will receive it and it makes life amazing. It helps us learn and helps us say what we need to say constantly.

But, we had a great week this week! We as the THSM (Texas Houston South Mission) do not have any electronics to use besides old phones, no tablets. No word on when. We know we will get them eventually but even President doesn't know. Thanks for the trivia. I knew Nolan Ryan played baseball but I didn't know it was for the Astros. And he pitched, that's cool. There are signs that talk about him all over. They're proud of it. I gotta go to a game soon. We're also going to try to go to the zoo next Monday. We wanna have more to do on P day.

Love you tons,

Elder Pantz




 
Elder Charming(s)?

Elders celebrating Janzen's birthday at the Houston Temple


Houston Temple outing with half the zone

P-day for the missionaries of the THSM

Monday, August 10, 2015

Alvin Texas, Week 40: June22, 2015 - June 28, 2015

Monday, June 29, 2015

This week was spectaculangous!! So the zone had two baptisms this week! The dude I interviewed was baptized and the kid Elder Havea interviewed was baptized! Both were awesome programs. The kid was way funny at his. He kept walking around and saying silly things the whole time. Also played in the font. Good fun. Also, I got to go to a baptism in my first area. A family that I got really close to, the Garzas, just baptized their son and I got to go with Elder Ve'e to support them. That was super cool. They were way happy to see us.

So, about the Astros game, well, we hopefully will get to go soon. I'll work on that. We got a few new missionaries. I haven't met them yet. My last conference was ridiculously cool. I cried like a baby at the end. We learned a ton about how to keep the Spirit and use it to be successful, not just on our missions but for the rest of our lives. It was hard saying bye to President and his family and some of the office workers. But the best part is that,once I'm home, I can say that a general authority has invited me over to his house, because he wants me to come over. He's only like 15 mins away too! Its so weird though because today I emailed President Hall and he will hold the keys and preside, in the next hour or so, over the misson. I'm so pumped for it. I will meet President Hall on Wednesday. We've got a killer zone conference that day and then mission leader council the day after. So, I'll get to see him quite a bit this week.

Our investigators are doing good. We don't have any baptismal dates currently. Eric still needs to be married and continue quitting the cigs, which he is doing. But, we had some good lessons with him and he will be ready as soon as his girlfriend lets him. We finally got in touch with Bill this week. Just talked to him on the porch for a minute. But, whatever, we will see him this week and get him back on track. But,we saw a cool miracle with Brendan. We stopped by unplanned at his place sSaturday night to see how he's doing and to invite him to church, and he let us in. We got to talk to him for a little and he said he can finally make it to church. He ended up coming and staying the whole time. He had a great time. We had a lesson with him the third hour and we talked about baptism and he wants to do it but just not any time soon because he says he has so much hate for himself and his ex. Also, he is busy so he wants to get things in order first. But he is allowing us to help him more and more and see him multiple times a week and then church on sunday. So, that's a great step.But we also got to meet some new less actives this week and found some new people just by street contacting whole apartment complexes. I love the peeps we teach. This area is a blast. Everyone here I've make good friends with and its just so natural to teach them because I love them and I just tell them what I know.

This week, on Thursday, we had an interesting change. So a large part of the mission was supplied with mini missionaries this week. Our stake sent out youth to stay with us Thursday to Sunday to do missionary work. We had the stake president's son :O It went way well though. He had a good time. It was fun just to show someone what we do and be an example to them. He even got to teach a little bit too.

Its been hot here too, like really hot, haha. But yes, been downing water quite a bit.Thanks for pics. I'll send some I have too. I kinda forgot until you reminded me that my birthday is coming up... I guess those things still happen on a mission, I dont know. I miss ya. Have a good fourth of July.

Love you,

Elder Pantz
Mini Missionary, stake president's son

Tristen's baptism!!! These are all the elders that worked with them