Haydee and Vennecia Were Baptized!!!

Marko March 1, 2012 2 Comments

Dear Family and Friends,

WOOOOOHOOOO!

Houston, we have a baptism! Last saturday, Elder Bruneel and I baptized Haydee Lomeli and her daughter Vennecia. It was awesome! They are really happy and look like they will stay strong in the gospel even when we leave. I think Haydee may already have a calling!

 

I Think I Will Be Leaving

Speaking of leaving, transfer calls came and I’m out! I’m pretty sad about it not going to lie, I really love this area and I feel like there is a lot of work here that I can still do and would like to be a part of but that’s the way the ball bounces. I won’t be training and I likely won’t be opening up Galena Park so playing the guessing game which is really fun to do around transfers our prediction is that I’m going to Channel View with Elder Sorensen which will be really cool because we have been wanting to be companions.

It’s not often you get to finish your first companionship off with a baptism that you both brought about. It was super cool and I’m excited to get to work in a new area. but I’m sad as well.

That’s most likely where I’ll go but now that I’ve said it I’m sure something else will happen!

So my address in Broadway won’t really apply anymore… but for anything that is sent until I get my new address yall can probably just send it to the mission office address which is:

2815 Westlake Houston Parkway
Suite #109
Kingwood, TX 77339

Good Week

So we had a pretty good week, the last one together for Elder Bruneel and I. We taught a lot of lessons and I got to see a lot of people before I leave. We had some bike problems as usual but for the most part I really like being on a bike. Probably the highlight of the week (appart from the baptism) was when we knocked into a Born Again Christian bible study consisting of two Pakistani women and their Chinese Pastor. We had a pretty good conversation lets just leave it at that haha.. but it was fun and they were super nice people. Kind of a funny story, they gave us each some drinks in glasses and it looked like apple juice and I was super thirsty so I drank some and it was super good… I really didn’t think anything of it but later on they asked if we wanted more iced tea and I got really red and declined… kind of embarrassing but I’ve never really had it offered to me I guess that’s one thing I have to learn to watch out for here in Texas.

They prayed for us before we left and the Pastor prayed for God to raise up some beautiful God-fearing women for us when we return so I can’t really complain about that. It’s funny the awesome people you meet down here.

Leo Quit Frat!

On Saturday, we had a ward party after the baptism but before, we thought we would head over to see Leo really quick because we haven’t seen him for a couple days. Turns out he resigned the Presidency of his fraternity which is CRAZY because that’s all he cared about a month or two ago. He says he just can see the contrast between church and the frat and he has made his decision.. it was nuts! All of his “brothers” gave him so much garbage for quitting but he didn’t care he just did it. He is so cool! He said he wants to go through with his baptism but seeing as he lives with his parents he needs to ask their permission understandably. But he said he wants to keep feeling the peace he feels from the church! IT was awesome!

Francisco’s New Job

Francisco got a new job and it sounds like he won’t be working Sundays! So hopefully as elder Bruneel stays in good ol broadway he will be able to help some more people progress that I helped find and teach and maybe I could come back for a baptism or two! 😉

Working Hard

Well, things are going good. I seriously love this mission. I miss home of course and sometime I daydream for a minute or two about pre-mish life (on p day of course haha) but the truth is, I love working hard and focusing on the people. There is a quote by someone somewhere in PMG (shows you how smart I am) and it says that a missionary won’t be happy unless he works hard. Work work work there is no other substitute. And it is so true, that’s really the only way someone can be truly happy here. either they are here working hard, doing what they are supposed to, and feeling the Spirit, or they are dragging their butt, the two years goes by slower, and they don’t get as much out of it. I can’t believe it’s already been three months!

Fourth Missionary

There is a talk by Elder Corbridge called “The Fourth Missionary” and it is mindblowing. I try to read it every week. It has little by liittle changed my mindset and it will continue to do so until I go home.

But at the end it asks a simple question. The missionary that slacks off and the missionary that makes the most out of a mission both give the same amount of time, both knowck the same amount of doors and experience the same hardships, but one is happy and one is frustrated. WHY? he asks, why not make the most of it? it is so true, and I hope that anyone who is hoping to serve a mission will read that amazing talk.

Christ Makes Us Happy

Well, let me leave yall with a scripture from my studies, probably my new favorite scripture. Galatians 2:20. Naturally, our beings want to stray off the path and do what’s not right. But, if we kill that natural man and let Christ live in us and strive to be more like Him, we will find what will truly make us happy in life. I could go on and on about that scripture but it will be up to y’all to read it yourselves.

Love,

Elder Viitanen

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