Temple Time

Hey guys!!

Well, i don't have much time to write to you guys today because i'm going to Monterrey!!! Woohoo! we are leaving in a few hours and Elder Diarte is going to take me and Elder Ashby and Elder Lopez, and we are going to drop off his grandkids at the airport and then stay at the hotel overnight. And then in the morning i'm going to be the guide of the Hno. Jose to get his endowments, and then their family is getting sealed at 12:00 tomorrow. So i'm SUPER excited and i'll send you guys lots of pictures. 

And other good news of the week is that the Hno. Ruiz got baptized on Sunday! And it was so cool, you guys should have seen his face when he came out of the water, i have never seen anyone have a bigger smile on their face after their baptism. It was a really really cool baptism. I'll send you guys the picture of the baptism.

But sorry this is a lame letter, but next week's will be better! It's 98% sure that i will be leaving the offices, but the president still isn't completely sure, but either way i will let you guys know on Monday, because my p-days will start to be on Mondays again, but i hope you guys have a great week and i love you all!

Missionary: someone who leaves their familiy for a short time, so that OTHER famiIies may be together for eternity

FAMILIA!!!

San Diego looks AMAZING!!!! i'm a little upset this vacation wasn't postponed a year, but i'll get over it. Haha, you guys look like you're having a blast. And the San Diego Temple is soooooo pretty. I decided i'm going to get married in that temple. If i ever get married... haha. 

Well this week has been awesome!!! I have soooooo much to tell you guys. First off, we're going to have another baptism tomorrow! We're really excited, it's the husband of a family that got baptized a few years ago but just barely has started going to church again. But it really has just been a gift from God to find this hermano because i almost feel as if we didn't need to do anything, he basically tought himself everything and got prepared all on his own. And it's been really cool to be able to see the 360 degree turn in his family since we first met them. So we're really excited about that! BUT.. i have even more exciting news. 

This saturday guess where i will be going... 

THE TEMPLE!!!

The Familia Gonzalez (the first family we baptized in Zaragoza with Elder Peralta) are going to get sealed on Saturday! And the hermano asked me to be his acompañante (i don't remember what it's called in English) but i will be the one going with him and kind of explaining to him everything when he goes through to get his endowments before they get sealed. I'm a little nervous because i haven't been for a year and a half and i've never been in spanish. But i'm soooo excited. He is now the elder's quorum president in his ward and they have progressed sooo much. They have even baptized over 6 members of their family apart from just them. I'm soo excited to be able to be a part of their sealing to see them be united together as a family for time and all eternity. I will be sure to send lots of pictures of the Monterrey temple. 

But it's going to be cool as well because Elder Ashby, one of the other elders in my ward here baptized 2 of the daughters of the family the change after i left, so he is going to be going as well. But we are going to drive up friday night with Elder Diarte and his wife (the other mission secretaries) because they have to drive there anyways to drop off a few grandkids, so they are renting us a stinking hotel room for the night! So they are saving us tons of money because we won't have to pay for the bus to get there or to get back. Plus i'm just really excited to stay in a hotel for a night:) 

And I also got word from the Familia Nieto (the other family we baptized in my first area) that they started the temple prep classes and will be entering in August! So i'll get to go 2 months in a row! how cool is that?? I MIGHTTT need a little help money wise though, because i will probably be sent to the edge of the mission so the bus ticket might be expensive, but i will talk to you guys more about that once it gets closer.

So, we had kind of a scary/funny/interesting experience this week. So in our house we have a little balcony in the front, and me and my companion were talking outside while i was cooking eggs inside, and out of nowhere a giant gust of wind came and shut the front door open, and the keys were inside!! So we had no way of getting inside and the stove was on, so we tried to climb on the roof, open the window, call the assistants to have them bring us the extra pair of keys to our house, but nothing worked! So we started to freak out because we saw smoke coming up from the stove and it smelt really really burnt, so we went to our last resort and we... kicked down the door! How crazy is that? We completely destroyed the lock but now i can cross ''Kick down a door'' off of my bucket list:)

But really this week it's been really cool to be able to see the fruits of the work i had put in in past areas, and even this area with the baptism this Sunday. I love in Mosiah 7 when it talks about God ''delivering us out of bondage'' if we are diligent and faithful. There are many promises in the scriptures of the blessing that come from being diligent in His work and these past few weeks i have been able to see that more than ever. Seeing all the pictures of the trip has made me miss you guys a lot, but in getting ready to see the family Gonzalez get sealed it has helped me remember the importance of the work that i have been able to been a part of. There is a quote i heard in the MTC that has motivated me ever since... it says ''a missionary is someone who leaves their familiy for a short time so that OTHER families may be together for eternity.'' 

Well i hope you guys enjoy the rest of your trip in San Diego, thanks for sending all the pictures, i like pretending i'm there with you guys:)

I love you all!!!!:)

con mucho amor,

Elder Bird

Elders Bird and Mossley