February 24, 2014 -"It is in His Name"

Hey family!

Well it has been a pretty good week this week. We have been up and down all week! We have been trying really hard to see progression in our investigators and help them move forward! But it has been hard to see the change in them! You know that it would be so easy for them just to say yes! But you can really see the adversary is working so hard to see that this work doesn't move forward! In the end, we all know how it will end up!

 

It has been blazing hot here all week long! I got my awesome tan lines back! Haha.. It really has been burning here! It's really nice though. I forget sometimes where I am, and I look around and see all the palm trees and all the green that's all around! It's unreal! The best part too is that April and May are coming up! And there will be millions of mangos and all of the other fruits!!

 

Well the work like I said, has been really up and down all week. We need to find new investigators! It has been hard spending time with all of these people that have so much potential and could be so great but they don't follow through! It's also very frustrating!! haha. I just have to keep reminding myself that there is a reason for everything and to keep forcing myself and not let myself fall! Having a good mind set is key in anything that you want to do! That is definitely something that I have learned here in the mission! During the week, we had some really great lessons and some that felt pretty hard, but what has helped me move forward is knowing that when the hard times come to let it be in the name of the Lord. Our President has talked about that in his letters, That we need to remember that this his not our work so when we succeed or when we fail, that it is in His name. 

 

Sunday we had a new couple that we are teaching show up at church with us and Mayra came as well! We are looking forward to their baptisms in the following month! We are going to focus ourselves this week in finding those investigators who are ready to learn and hear the Gospel! 

This week, a member of the Seventy is coming to talk personally to us here in the mission! Sounds like it's going to be pretty big! I am excited to hear what he has to say!

 

I love all of you sooo much. Hope you have a Great week!

D:C 58:3-4 and 28

Elder Liljenquist

 

Elder Liljenquist's letter, especially the part where he said "In the end, we all know how it will end up!" reminded me of a great quote by Elder Holland:

"The future of this world has long been declared; the final outcome between good and evil is already known.There is absolutely no question as to who wins because the victory has already been posted on the scoreboard.  The only really strange thing in all of this is that we are still down here on the field trying to decide which team's jersey we want to wear!"

 Cute cute Elder:)

D&C 58:3-4, 28

"Ye cannot behold with your natural eyes, for the present time, the design of your God concerning those things which shall come hereafter, and the glory which shall follow after much tribulation.

 

For after much tribulation come the blessings. Wherefore the day cometh that ye shall be crowned with glory; the hour is not yer, but is nigh at hand.

 

For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward."

February 17, 2014

Hey everyone!!

Well it has been another fast week this week! We have been working really hard and really trying to prepare our investigators for baptism! We have so many that have so much potential and could be so ready! This past week was pretty good, It was hot! They're saying that this year could be one of the hottest years that they have had for awhile! I'm Pumped! But overall, the week was pretty good... Only Sunday was a pretty draggin' day!

We started off the week working really hard! We had our district class and they told us some new things that are going to be changing here in the mission. They really want us to start doing a lot more contacting and talking to people in the streets and making new ways to find, teach, and progress. So we have been really trying to apply these things in our area and I have personally been trying to do things right. Our investigators are doing alright. They are progressing when it comes to the teachings that we have given. But like always, the hardest thing is to get them to come to church! This past Sunday we did not have a very good turn out when it came to investigators! I was so bummed!! I wanted so bad to see them there! What has helped me go on is to know that everything happened for a reason, and maybe there is something else that Heavenly Father is wanting me to see. 

We have been visiting Claudia and her family this past week. She is doing alright. There are just a lot of problems inside this house! We had a really good lesson with her the other night, and she told us sorry that she hasn't been doing very well… haha. But now I hope we will see more progress with this family!  Also we have been working with Felix a lot. As you know, he was going to be baptized on Saturday. But he does not feel ready and the last thing we want to do is make him feel obligated to do it. So we have been visiting him quite a bit and working with him. 

Our investigator Pamela is doing alright as well. She still needs to get married and then we will be able to baptize her! 

We had our Valentine's ward party on Friday! Haha! It was pretty fun! Even though it did not get started until 8:30 at night! We only stayed and ate, but I heard that they did not end until 1:30 in the morning!!

This past week we have had a lot of our plans fall through and we have ended up looking for someone to visit or contact and each time that this has happened, it has been for a reason. We have had a lot of opportunities to give blessings to members this past week. It has helped me know how Heavenly Father is working with us. He has been leading us to those who most need his help. So I have felt that is why our appointments have been falling through. It has made me very thankful to be able to bear this Priesthood and be able to use it. I am very thankful to be able to help so many people!

I am so grateful for all of you! I love and miss you so much!

Elder Liljenquist

Happy Valentines Day!!

"Holding grudges, judging others, hating, wanting to cause harm, withholding forgiveness, gossiping, ridiculing, ignoring others, withholding mercy, throwing stones, STOP IT.

Love is the grand motive of the Plan of Salvation.  As we extend our hands and hearts towards others in Christlike love, something wonderful happens to us.  Our own spirits become healed, more refined, and stronger.  We become happier, more peaceful, and more receptive to the whisperings of the Holy Spirit."

-Dieter F. Uchtdorf

February 10, 2014 - Elder Liljenquist is Truly Amazing!

Palenque Ruins!!

 Okay, is he not the most handsome Elder ever??:)

Hey Everyone!

Well it was a good first week of the transfer! We have been working pretty hard in our area! I hope so bad that we can see the reward for the work that we are putting into our area! Not gonna lie, I have been exhausted the past week! Every night when we get home, it kills me that we still have to plan for the next day! The temperature here has turned up quite a bit! It has been nice because the last week there was nothing but clouds and overcast skies! But know I miss it! haha... The sun is so hot here! Because the sun came out, that means all the dang mosquitoes are back! Freak! They were bad this week! Our president put in his announcements that we all have to buy repellent for them!

 

Our area is doing pretty good! Our president has really tried to challenge us to talk with everyone that we see or come in contact with. I have tried really hard in the past week to do that! Just trying to make small conversation with the people here and it's so easy because they are all such a talkative type of people! It has made me really try and take away all the nerves too! haha. 

 

We have been working a lot with Felix this past week! He is going to be baptized this Saturday! He is progressing really well and has been coming to church every week! He works in maintenance of yards and things like that. He goes around and cleans for people…. Basically what I did for the 6 or 7 months till I left on my mission! Haha. So we always stop and help him when we see him working. I have gotten pretty good with the machete! haha. It's crazy that they still use those down here! Saturday he had a pretty big job to do and wasn't sure if he was going to be able to go church because he had to finish it! So we went with him and helped! We got it all finished so that he could come to church with us! We talked with him after church and I brought up baptism for the next week. He then said he doesn't know if he feels like he is ready! I need your help! PLEASE Pray that he can be ready for Saturday!!

 

Claudia and her family are still progressing. The only problem is that Claudia and her daughter need to either marry their husbands or separate themselves. They went out of town this past weekend and were not able to come to church, So we have to move their dates to the 1 of march! But supposedly when they get back, their husbands will be gone! Let's hope that everything goes well! 

Mayra is doing pretty well also. She is studying and always really tired! We have to wait until Saturdays to be able to teach her. She should be ready to be baptized in the next week! 

 

This past week has really been a test of my patience. It really sucks when you think something is going so well and then falls through and you don't know why. You work and work and work and then you think it's all for nothing. It is a really frustrating feeling, I though of a video from Jeffery R Holland. When we fail or are taken down and can't get back up and we think why?...We need to remember that someone much better than us asked the same question..why. Let us think before we complain and see that our trials are for our benefit and there is nothing that we can't overcome if we do what we know is right. I know that this is true. 

 

I love all of you and am so grateful for all of the help and support!

Elder Liljenquist

 

February 3, 2014 - Another Transfer in Parilla!

Hey Family

Well looks like I will be staying here for another transfer! I am way excited about that! I love this area in Parilla! I feel like I have good place here. Well it was another rainy and cloudy week! All the storms you guys should be getting are staying down here and not going up north! It has been kind of on the chilly side in the beginning of the week, but towards the end the sun came out again and it was blazing hot!!

 

It was another pretty good week this week! We have been working a lot with the 7 investigators that we have on date for baptism! It's hard to find time to meet with them all! Because pretty much all of them can only meet in the afternoons and nights, either because of school or work! But we seem to be doing pretty good with all of them! Claudia, Arlet, and Emanuel are the 3 that are progressing really good! We just get along really good with this family! They are super excited about there baptism date! Only 1 thing happened though!, So Claudia had apparently lied to us in the beginning about her marriage!! So her and her husband are not married! They have been living together for over 25 years and can't get married because the husband is married to another girl and is too lazy to go and take care of it! I was kind of mad! haha... But,she tells us that she really wants to be baptized with her kids, but she is kind of living in sin! We told her she needs to either separate or get married to him. It was kind of hard, especially seeing that neither she or he wants to be married to one or the other! 

 

We have also been working a lot with Mayras She is progressing really well! It's kind of rough to find time to see her because she is always studying and in school but she has been coming to church by herself for the past 3 weeks! 

 

Felix the old man that we are teaching, haha... he is hilarious!! He told us that this is the year that he makes changes in his life! Whenever we start teaching him, he always gets caught off track in some story or experience that he has! But he is also doing really well! He is one date for the 15th as well!

Well, the dang internet cafe is going to close in like 10 minutes. BUT- I love you all and I will tell you more next week! 

 Elder Liljenquist

January 27, 2014 - Great Success in Parilla!

Hey Everyone!!

Well it was another really good week here in Parrilla! We have bee seeing a lot of success here in the area and a lot of miracles! In this past week the weather has jumped back up and started to get warm again! Not sure if I'm ready to go through another April and May!!! With the weather this week only being in the 80s I don't know if I can do the 110s again!! The time has gone by so fast! So crazy that we are already done with the month of January! Crazy! 

So we have been working a lot with the Family, Claudia Arlet and Emanuel. They are a great family that we get along great with. They have such a strong desire to better their lives and be better people. Especially their kids, Emanuel who is 19 and Arlet who is 22. Which is really crazy because most people at this age don't wont anything to do with us! But we have been visiting them a lot this past week! The family when they are all together, are so funny! They remind me a lot of my family when we are all together! haha.. They joke about the same things as we do! haha... if you know my family, you'll know what I'm talking about!! Friday night we took Emanuel to the church for the ward activities and we played soccer with the ward and some other guys that wanted to play! Not gonna lie, I'm gettin pretty good, haha... but these kids that play are unreal!!

We have 7 people on date for the month of February! I am way excited about that! But it's way stressful! Because if they don't go to church, they lose their dates! So this past week we have been teaching a lot about the Sabbath day trying to get everyone to understand that they have to go to church! The last week when we got to church there was a guy standing out by his car in normal clothes, so I said to my comp that we should go and see who that is. So we went and talked to him. It turns out that he and his wife had just moved here and he wants to start going to church. He doesn't know which one but he just wants a church in his life and in the life of his family! So we took down his information and went and visited them this past week! They are way cool! His name is Jair and Anna. They are a young couple that just moved into the town. We started to ask them why they want religion in their lives. And they both answered for their family. We didn't have much time so we left them with the The Restoration and put an appointment to come back with them! They are really good! 

So Sunday morning our church doesn't start until 12 so in the morning we started to make phone calls to remind investigators to come to church! When we got there, Claudia and her family were there and our other investigator Mayra was there! But no one else showed up! So 4 out of the 7 got there! I was mad and happy at the same time.. haha but I think if they all go this next week, their dates won't fall! 

We have been changing a lot of the ways we have been teaching in the past week. We carry around our little DVD player and watch Mormon messages with our investigators and our members. I got all of them downloaded on a USB. It has been a good way to see a variety in our teachings, and who better to teach them then the Prophet himself? 

Everything is going really good! Pray that I don't get transferred in the next week! I want to see all these baptisms happen! I love and miss all of you! 

Elder Liljenquist

January 20, 2013

Hey family!

 

Wow! It has been a good week here in the work! We have seen some milagros here! haha. We have been working here pretty well! The ward here is great! The members have actually helped us out a lot lately! I cant believe how fast time is going! 13 months in the mission! It has gone by so fast! To think that I was in the MTC this time the last year! I cant believe it! 

We started off the week really well, As companions, we sat down Tuesday morning and planned to invite every one of our investigators that we have to baptism. That day we went with the family that I told you guys about the last week! Claudia, Arlet and Emanuel. We had a really good lesson with them. We taught about the first vision of Joseph Smith and at the end, committed them to baptism for the 15th of February! They are such a good family! We all get along really well, but the best part is that they are looking to change!

 

Later that day, we to see an old investigators of mine from the time that I got here in the area, Felix. He is like 60 years old and has been to church with us a couple of times. He has been doing pretty good but has never showed this much progression before. We felt that we should invite him. We put him on date for the 15 of February also!

 

The next day we went to an investigator that is from a part member family in our ward. I think I might have told you about her, Mayra. She is 22 and lives with members. We had one really good lesson with here about the Restoration, and we watched the video of the First Vision. After, we invited her to be baptized and put her on date for the 15th as well!! I hope that she will be able to keep her date! She has been in teaching for a while! But hopefully this will be the last time!

 

The other night we went with another part family investigator who lives like right behind our house. His wife has been member all of her life and she married her husband Ivan who is not a member of the church. We went and had a first lesson with them and like before, we taught lesson 1! We taught the First Vision and invited him to be baptized at the end of the lesson. He his on date for the 22 of February!! His wife was super happy when we left the lesson! They have been together for 4 years and he has never accepted the missionaries before!

 

We have received some references from our ward and we went to go and do some contacting this week! From the 2 that we contacted, we put one more on date for the 2 of march! Her name is Neomi! We had a great lesson with her and she looks like she is going to progress really well!

 

Well this week was also a week of exotic foods also!! So there is a dish here that they eat in all of Mexico! called mondongo. It's the stomach of the cow!!!! And everyone has told me how good it is and how great it tastes!! Oh man!!! It was awful!!! Luckily we ate with the bishop and his family so they understood when I politely said no thanks...haha and the other day we ate turtle!! I only had a little bit but mostly just to say that I got to try it! It was alright. Just really different... like I cant describe it!

 

I hope that we can continue with the success that we are having in this area! I miss all of you guys so much! Love You all!!

Elder Liljenquist