Tuesday, September 29, 2009

From Moroni

Dear Family

I am doing well. I spent the last week with Elder Owen in his area. I learned a lot form Elder Owen just by the example he set. He makes everything seem simple and easy. I feel more confindent in learning the language wheras before I was having a hard time was feeling a little stressed but now I feel like everything will be ok and that I will eventually be able to speak with no problems. I am really behind on learning portuguese but I am still learning. His area is a lot smaller than my area which was nice because we did not have to walk as much. And the people are really nice. We had 4 batism planed for sunday. a girl about 18 years old and her friend and a mother her daughter but the mother and daughter did not want to get baptize that week and the girls grandmother got sick so they will be baptized in two weeks.

I am excited for conference this sunday. I never really paid close attention to the talks that were given at conference. we have a prophet, apostles, and church authories today that receive revelation from God and I did not really understand what that meant or what blessing it is to have a prophet to lead and guide us and direct the church.

The mail has stoped here so now is not a good time. Its good to that everything is going well and that your sewing bussiness is going well. Do you have a place you go to teach others to sew or do you teach at home?

Let everyone know that I love and miss them and I hope everything goes well this week.

Love Elder Moroni Boren

From Eliza

Dear Family,
Sister Lieber and I have had a good week. As you know it was a little different this week. We had p-day in the middle of the week, and we went on exchanges twice this week with the CS 1st sisters. We also listened to a cd the elders gave us galled “the conversion of a Lutheran Minister.” It was so good. He told his conversion story, and it was very doctrinal and analytical, because that is how he is. A few weeks ago we listened to “the conversion of a Catholic Priest,” which we also got from the elders. His story was more personal stories, and promptings from the Spirit, because that is how he got converted. Well, both got converted by the Spirit, but the Lutheran was more of an analytical guy. Anyway, both cd’s were so good.
This week we also went tracting a lot. But it has been a really good week. Alex, one of our investigators, is getting baptized this Conference weekend. She was interviewed by Elder Porter last Friday, and is good to go. And church yesterday was just for her. The talks in sacrament meeting and the lesson in Sunday school were on eternal families. And that is the thing that Alex was interested in in the first place. It meant a lot to her because after church she told us that it is so cool how God is so involved in the little details of our lives. She was so ready for the gospel of Jesus Christ. I love serving in Texas. We have found so many people that are just ready for the gospel. She is getting baptized and confirmed this Friday, and then hopefully is going to have an extra spiritual weekend watching Conference on Saturday and Sunday.
I’m so excited for General Conference. I can’t wait. I hope you all are doing well. Take care. Always, Sister Eliza Boren

Monday, September 14, 2009

From Braedon

hey everyone,

this last week went pretty well. theres lots of the buggin' stuff still, but we're just focusing on the good stuff and plugging forward. david has had trouble with shootings in the past, so hes kind of on pause right now, but were still over there all the time because he literally invites people over to listen to us. talk about rad. last saturday he invited people over for burgers and a movie...little did they know it was a mormon movie night hahah. we watched the restoration and talked about it afterwords. it rocked. david is nuts, but hes a stud. his wife and one of his neighbors loved the movie and were working with them now. sick. we watched the testaments with sofia and her family last week...man that movie is long for a church film haha. it was good though, her family is getting more and more involved and excited about it. this week when sofia and her 7 year old daughter came, the daughter was actually excited to leave and go to primary, and sofia was throwing out answers during the classes...she was definitely representing city heights! woot! then she asked us right after church if she could get another ride next week at the same time. its rad having people so stoked about this stuff. were aiming for this sunday for sofias baptism. she rocks hardcore, im happy for her. what else. oh, that guy that got stabbed, his name is carlos. his wife is mari. we saw them twice this last week and hes back at home and just recovering there. but now they say that he wasnt stabbed. he says he was working with his friend in a house (they work in construction for a living they say) with a waxing machine, and the machine was too strong and threw him through a wall and cut him up. however, that doesnt really make sense because for work he rides around selling tamales on the streets, his 'friend' he was working with is the same guy that just two weeks ago the family hated, and a girl across the street witnessed the aftermath and its a different story than the one that carlos and his 'friend' have....sketchy to say the least haha. the wife doesnt even talk about it anymore, she just says hes recovering fine haha. oh well. the first night he got home we stopped by and he was on some big time drugs or drunk or both, because he was telling us he believes in aliens and no life after death but at the same time hes glad to have his dead ancestors guide him in life haha. so that wasnt a very good lesson, but we showed up a couple days later and he was back to himself. we did a lesson with about half of the family (thats pretty good considering they have like 20 people in that house haha) and it went well. carlos committed himself to repent before we even said anything, and the wife said she wants us to come by and talk to them more whenever we have time. woot. rad family. what else...oh yeah. this week we've had two people yell at us to get our attention and theyre just dying to talk with 'the mormons'. both are so ready for change, and for one reason or another they think the right way to do it is through our church. rad. i have no idea where they came from, maybe the labors of past missionaries, but whatever it is im stoked to see them tonight. what else....oh....i lost in golf again last monday, but i got cheated! the other guy pulled out the mulligan card on the 16th hole and made me count a gimme-shot (it was like 4 inches from the hole) that i shot between my legs for fun. blasphemy is what it was, straight up blasphemy. oh well, there is always next week to get my revenge! im still the ping pong champion, although its been very challening. my companion is freaking good. he reminds me a lot of kinny. we have had some epic matches. all that i have to say is that kinny had better bring some tissues when he plays me next, because he's going to need them to wipe his tears of defeat! hahah jk...but seriously. what else. still biking like crazy. the other day we went about 62 blocks west and another 15 south...77 blocks of biking for a person who ended up having moved hahah. oh well, it was fun to see new parts of the area. and plus, its cooling down a little bit now. i dont think its hit 100 at all this past week. so yah, its cooling down and pretty soon well have the famed san diego weather with high 70's all day long. booyah. im still getting letters and packages and i love it! thanks to everyone whos sending them! what else....oh hahah funny story from yesterday at church. i was sitting by sofia and her daughter during sacrament and i put my hand down by my knee for a high five (the kids there love to just hammer away with hive fives and bones and all). well she looked at my hand, looked at me, then looked back down at my hand and instead of high-fiving it she grabbed it and held it as if we were about to go skipping through a field of daisies or something hahah. so i had to pull her hand out real quick and tell her to slap it instead. she was kindof confused at first but by the end of the day she got it and was loving it. awkward funny. yup, well im not really sure what else to write. the missionary couple that is in charge of cars is trying to get us one woot. pray for that i guess hahah. jk. oh! before i forget...um...well...you should send settlers of catan down here (dont we have an extra one?). if you cant, thats ok, but were dying for it. we even made our own out of paper hahah. its legit. ill send pictures of it next week. for some reason these lame comps arent letting me attach them today. well, i best get going and do some shopping and such. im glad to hear school is going well, that byu isnt flopping so bad this year, that mom is throwing down some hardcore RS lessons, that ashton is internshipping in the same thing i wanna do, that all of the family is doing well, and that dad is the roney golf champ. oh, and avery....no matter how tall you get, ill still be able to beat you up. brolin, i challenge you to a reading contest. i bet i can read the book of mormon faster than you can. well, i gotta head. I love you all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
elder roney