Training a Brand New Missionary

(This email was sent June 26, 2017)

Hey everyone! I was notified on Monday night that I am training a brand new missionary! He's the freaking man, his name is Elder Garcia, he's from San Diego, California, and he's pretty much training me, he's a really good elder. He is a convert of about 1 year and 4 months, is the only member in his family, and has a really strong testimony. 

His best friend growing up was a Mormon and always set a good example for him. He met with missionaries in high school but never got baptized because he wasn't ready to make the change. He went to a year at BYU-Idaho as a non-member and one week when he was reading in the Book of Mormon he decided that he needed to get baptized. So he called his friend, who in turn called the missionaries and the rest is history.

Elder Garcia is paying for his own mission, he's a really hard worker, and we've hit the pavement hard early on out here. I already know he's going to be a really good missionary!

My new companion--Elder Garcia

New missionaries with their trainers

We've gotten off to a good start out here, I spent Tuesday and Wednesday with Elder Fitt and Elder Berry in a trio down in H6 and had a lot of fun. On Tuesday night the Spanish elders going home stayed with us and it was really cool to talk to them and hear their stories. 2 of my former companions Elder Curtis and Elder Sellers were there, so it was a lot of fun. We went to the trainer-trainee meeting on Thursday and I picked up my newborn hijo and got to work. We hit the pavement and found some really cool people. First was a lady named Nancy. We saw her mowing the lawn so we asked her if we could help. She asked us if we could take apart her plastic swimming pool and so we did, and then we sat down outside and talked with her for about an hour. She's from Honduras and is looking for ways to strengthen her family, so we explained the Book of Mormon and how it can bless her family. She was really appreciative of us and we're going back this week to see her.

As well we talked to a lady named Michelle on her porch for about 30 minutes on Saturday. She's from Brooklyn and has had some rough challenges in her life but she was really open to the message we brought and said she would love to have English missionaries over! So we sent them over and they've already met her and are excited to teach her.

2 for 2! About a month ago we knocked into a lady named Amanda who seemed pretty interested and so we referred her over and now she has a baptismal date for July 8th! Now I have the faith that prepared English people do exist, I never knew because most of my mission they've straight slammed the door in my face haha.

But anyways, all is well, tomorrow we have MLC and it's probably the last time I will see President and Sister Mortensen. I'll miss them a lot but I know that President Petersen will do well. He's inheriting the Texas Houston Mission at a really good time so things are on the upward climb. Love you all! Stay out of the heat!

Elder Barrus

THM

Dinner with the Stabios Family 

We saw a marijuana plant on someone's porch