January 2-8, 2022

 Hey everyone! Glad to hear updates on everything going on and it sounds like you have plenty of snow which is awesome! Better be enjoying it. This week was really good, the last week of the transfer so we did a lot of work and I loved it!

REPLY

First of all I am really jealous you got school out on Tuesday! Those pictures you sent me are crazy and that is a lot of snow! So usually do you shovel everything like the deck and patio and dad blows snow? Thanks for the updates on basketball and I am glad to hear everything is going good for them and they will start to play district teams pretty soon right? Also Justin is tearing it up which is so awesome! I remember in Las Vegas when they whipped New Mexico, that was so awesome! Hope the Beans are doing well but are you planning on going to any home games soon? (Also I was laughing pretty hard about Mrs. Montesano!)

I love your spiritual thought from the Book of Mormon and goal mom! It was cool to read because I read this story not to long ago and the lessons we learn are super good. In every situation there are two ways to face it and Pahoran definitely took the positive route. Makes me think when I am sad or frustrated, if there is another way of facing it and it all comes down to having joy and more importantly, choosing to have joy! Thanks for sharing and also how is the Old Testament going?

MY WEEK

Like I said this was the last week of the transfer but a good one! So Tuesday we were in Palenque and had District Council then hopped in one of those little vans and got to Benemerito pretty late wasn't too exciting. 

Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday were days full of planning and contacting a lot of people we are teaching and Less Actives. We had a lot of great lessons with people and the Lord is blessing us so much. The Cerritos are doing good. Their baptism is this Saturday so please keep them in your prayers but they are so so awesome! We had a lesson and brought the Relief Society President and a counselor in the bishopric and it was so nice to have them testify of the Gospel and a lot of the Cerritos came to church yesterday so I am really excited about their progression but for the baptism there is still a lot to do and plan so this week will probably be a little stressful but it is alright because I know always the Light comes after the darkness. 

Cool miracle. We were looking for a Less Active one day and all we had was a general direction so we went searching and couldn't find them so we asked this lady if she knew and she didn't but I felt prompted to ask if she wanted to hear a message and she said yes. We started talking and Vanessa (her name) talked to missionaries in the past but her husband didn't like it. Turns out they have been recently separated and what was amazing is when she said, "I said a prayer to God that he would send someone so I didn't feel alone, and 10 minutes later you guys showed up." Really humbling to know the Lord is guiding us on this path, even though it was frustrating because I couldn't find the members, the Lord had a different plan and His way is always correct. 

Saturday and Sunday we also good, full of trying to get people to come to church which was a success and a huge blessing because we did have a few come. Also we received transfer news and turns out we are staying together another one here in Benemérito. It has been hard but I am really excited because I know this is where I have grown the most and I am grateful that Heavenly Father is giving me these experiences to grow and learn.

Ok sorry this is getting pretty long but I want to share a spiritual thought! Alma 11:37 stuck out to me this week. It says, "how can ye be saved except ye inherit the kingdom of Heaven?" Made me think of the importance of enduring to the end and inheriting the Celestial Kingdom because that is the true meaning of being saved, to live with our families forever in the presence of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. 

That is about it for this week. I love you all more than you can know and have a good safe week! 

Love Elder Reiley