A WARM WEEK IN THE CRM

The 4th of July was our p-day this week and we spent that day in the best way possible, teaching more people! 

Hello everyone! This past week has been another great week here in the good old California Riverside Mission. The Lord continues to bless us with many miracles each and everyday. We have also been able to find quite a few new people to teach this past week. We had 3 people who attended Sacrament Meeting this past week, that being Dennis and Yancy, and also Jacky came too! I am excited to tell you all about our week. Here is how it all went! 

First, it is really hot here. It hit 118 here in Riverside. It is always hot this time of year but the crazy heat has come earlier and warmer than usual. 

Nate's previous companion, Elder Nelson

Monday afternoon we had an awesome lesson with one of our new investigators, Wen ShiTao. I first contacted him late one evening in an Eastvale neighborhood. He is a super nice guy. We had the opportunity to teach him and it was an amazing lesson! He accepted a baptismal date for August 5th. He is going to be pretty busy over the next couple of weeks, but we fully believe that he can hit that baptismal goal. We also had the opportunity to teach a new family from this past week, TianFu and his wife Jiang Jie Mei. We first contacted them a couple of weeks ago inside their garage and they are super cool. They have 2 twin boys and they are a great family. They were baptized members of another Christian church, in China, about a year ago. We taught them at a park in Eastvale. We brought the Li family along with us, and it was a pretty good lesson! They both accepted invitations to pray and read from the Book of Mormon. Please pray for them, that they can continue to strengthen their faith in Jesus Christ through the Book of Mormon! Man, I would love to see a family receive these huge blessings the Gospel brings to each of us.

I love our DLC and Zone Accountability and District Council meetings. We set some great goals, as a Zone, to become better missionaries and fulfill our missionary purpose. Our Zone has been working so hard. I love being a missionary and I love helping people that I love become closer to the Savior. This week we also taught our recent-convert Sara Guo. She is doing great and continues to read from the Book of Mormon and prays daily. We also had another lesson with Jacky! He explained why he hadn't been coming to church and meeting with us. We helped to resolve his concerns. We promised Jacky that if he tries his hardest over the next week, to come to know God and Jesus Christ, he can know that our message is true. We are working with him. Please pray for him as well!

Jacky ad Elder Willes

The 4th of July was our p-day and we spent that day in the best way possible, teaching more people! After deep cleaning our apartment, we had another lesson with Dennis and Yancy. They are doing great recently! We brought Brother Xiong and Anna along to the lesson, and they helped out a lot. We followed up on how they are doing with their prayers and Book of Mormon reading. It was a great lesson and they both came to church this past week! The Li family invited us over, and said that Sister Li had some non-member friends who they wanted us to meet. So, we also had a lesson with Kay and LuLu. As part of our lesson, we watched the Restoration video in Chinese. Super cool!  We are hoping to continue to meet with Kay and LuLu and we are so grateful for the missionary efforts of the Li Family. They are the best and help us so much in this amazing work!

Elder Crowther and Elder Willes on p-day

 

We taught Lou Di Xiong another lesson over WeChat. He is doing great! He is reading from the Book of Mormon each day and coming to know that it is true! We shared Moroni 7 with him, and invited him to be baptized. He said that he doesn't feel ready yet, but we know that as he continues to read from the Book of Mormon, he will come to know that everything we share and teach is true. The Book of Mormon is so powerful, and I know that it changes lives! We also taught Ang Weng. He originally is from Tibet, and is a super nice guy. He is a Buddhist, and we had the opportunity to teach him at a park. It was a great lesson! We originally contacted him while he was walking around in a neighborhood near Eastvale. 

Friday was our MLC meeting. I learned a lot, always do. It was a great day. That night we had our English Class, but we had to end that early, because Elder Crowther got sick. 

Saturday morning we spent at the doctor. That afternoon, we had another lesson with Will and Cindy, two of our new investigators from this past week. They agreed to read from the Book of Mormon which is so great because if you can just help someone read from those powerful words, the Spirit can teach and testify of truth. The day ended with a lesson with Russell. Elder Crowther first contacted him at a park last week and he is also a baptized Christian. He wants to further his faith in Jesus Christ. It was a good lesson and we hope that we can continue to meet with these people, and to help them to truly Come Unto Christ. 

Sunday was another great day! We had 3 investigators who came to church, Dennis and Yancy, and Jacky. A miracle. We met with Xu Jie Mei and she has been praying almost daily! We shared Alma 7:11-14 with her and invited her to be baptized. She said that she doesn't feel ready yet. We will continue to help her to gain a testimony!

Alma 7:11-14

11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

12 And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.

13 Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me.

14 Now I say unto you that ye must repent, and be born again; for the Spirit saith if ye are not born again ye cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven; therefore come and be baptized unto repentance, that ye may be washed from your sins, that ye may have faith on the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world, who is mighty to save and to cleanse from all unrighteousness.

This past week has been amazing. The Lord continues to bless us. I know that obedience brings miracles. The more obedient you are, the happier that you will be. If we are obedient in ALL things, Heavenly Father will continue to bless us and help us. I have a testimony of that. Love you all have a great week!

Elder Willes