Some exciting news!!!!!!

Hello! 01/28/14

So last week was super busy again! We also received some exciting news!!!!!! So we baptized this guy in December and his wife was Methodist I think? But anyway at first she said she would never get baptized into another religion so we didn't bother to push her at all but her husband was progressing like crazy and got baptized. He was really looking forward to being sealed to his wife and it hurt him that she wouldn't get baptized. It was cool though 'cause after he was baptized she asked if she could still come to church and wanted a Book of Mormon so we just kinda gave her her space and invited her to read and pray about the Book of Mormon. We thought for sure she would get baptized in January but it wasn't happening and we were a little sad but then one day at dinner she said when her husband gets the priesthood she wants him to baptize her and we were so not ready for that!!!! And, the week before her husband was interviewed by the bishop and will be getting the priesthood this next Sunday! It's so exciting. So next weekend she will be getting baptized and then in a year right before Elder Hoggan and I go home they will go through the temple! And we get to go! So exciting! We also got a new bishoric this last sunday. The Elders Quorum president got called to be the bishop. He's a farmer from Idaho and we get a long a little too well haha. He's an awesome guy! But then our old ward mission leader is the 1st counselor and a ward missionary is the 2nd. The whole bishopric is really missionary minded right now so it's so exciting to be in this ward as a missionary. And to top it off the whole stake is getting in gear with missionary work. It's a great time to be a missionary right now. Something that has been brought up a lot is how missionaries are called to teach. Members are supposed to find! Our mission president had all us full time missionaries stand up in conference then said everyone else thats a missionary stand up. It took a little while for everyone to realize that they all needed to stand up! I think it really hit home for this stake. So it's just an exciting time for this mission right now! I hope all is well for everyone back at home and that you all are praying for missionary opportunities and thinking about people to introduce the gospel too! Love you all!

Love Elder Espinoza

January 21, 2014

Hello!

Last week was a crazy busy week! We taught the most lessons we ever have and also have the most people we have ever had on a baptism date. This week should be even busier than last. It's almost a little overwhelming how many people we have to teach but not in a bad way. If there is such a thing as being overwhelmed in a good way? Haha. We had stake conference last week and were blessed to have Elder Marcus B. Nash of the 1st quorum of the 70. It's amazing to see how inspired our church leaders are. Really, the only thing that was talked about was hastening the work of salvation. We had our mission president and his wife speak, the temple president and his wife speak, our stake president and of course Elder Nash. Their theme was all the same. I don't feel as if enough people understood what they were all saying. That the prophecy of the Lord hastening the work of salvation is being fulfilled right now. They just made it all seem so real. I know some people understood but some didn't and so I'm trying my best to help them all understand what was really said at that stake conference. It was probably the best and most inspirational stake conference I have ever been at. I also have never been to a stake conference where it went 15 minutes over but it was amazing. It's not too often that we have a general authority speak to us and how amazing it is to watch him receive inspiration for what needed to be said. Also the last thing he talked about was what President Monson has really been pushing lately and that is three things that the family should be doing. The crazy thing is is we all already know we should be doing these things and that it's important. But if the prophet is really reiterating it right now, we must need to be doing a better job. 1.) Have morning and nightly prayer DAILY as a family 2.) Read the scriptures DAILY as a family 3.) Have family home evening WEEKLY. The blessings he promised were amazing. So I would encourage everyone to follow that counsel and even if you are see if there are any ways that you can better what it is you are already doing. I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week!

Love Elder Espinoza

There is safety in reading the scriptures.

January 14, 2014

Hello,

Last week was definitely a better week than the week before! We taught a lot of lessons and committed more people to baptism! We have 5 people on date and are hoping to set at least two more this week! We had weekly planning yesterday where we basically plan out our week and set goals for how many lessons we want to teach and what not. It was pretty crazy how many people we are teaching! One of our main worries is time! We will most likely have to split a few nights this week which is always good I just hate missing out on any lessons! But the work here in this area is just crazy! Its so exciting to find new people to teach that are really wanting to learn more about Jesus Christ and His gospel. This last week we also have received the most referrals Ive ever had in a week and its sometimes difficult to go and try to contact them when we are so busy teaching lessons! Its definitely not a bad problem to have that's for sure haha We should be seeing lots of baptisms coming up in this area. I hope I never leave lol! You would think after being  in an area for 7 months it would get old but not in the El Paso 1st ward! It is sad though cause its that time of year for military people to get moved around so lots of people are moving out :( But! lots of people are moving back in as well so I guess it kinda makes up for it haha There were also lots of changed in this zone last week. My district was the only one that didn't change lol But half of my district from the mtc is in this zone! So none of us can wait to go play basketball together so we can see each other again! Its been a long while since some of us have seen each other! Very exciting!

So a while back I started reading the Book of Mormon and one thing that I really noticed this time around was how precious it was for them to have scripture. They sacrificed so much to go and get the brass plates from Laban and afterwards they thanked God and immediately searched them from beginning to end. Nephi talks about how precious they were to them and how they knew it was wisdom in God that they should have them. I'm sure he could not express on paper how much they meant to him. After realizing that, I've come to realize how I have totally taken the scriptures we have for granted. We are so lucky to have what we have so easily accessible to us. I could not imagine life without the scriptures and especially the Book of Mormon. Before my mission and even during I have often thought how awesome it would be when we will get all the other scripture that's missing and how much deep doctrine will be in there. That would be nice I cannot lie but what we have is obviously enough cause I don't think there is any person who does not constantly learn something new or have a new light on a certain scripture. What we have really is a blessing from God and is totally wisdom in God. There is safety in reading the scriptures cause when we do really all were doing is inviting the spirit in our life to teach us and bring things to our remembrance. I hope a goal that everyone has is to study the scriptures daily. Only good things will come of it. Well I hope everyone had a great week and once again thank you for all the love and support!

Love Elder Jaden Espinoza 

 The Fox Family moved to Alaska

I'm staying!

January 6, 2013

Well we have transfers comin up tomorrow and all I wanted was to stay here in the El Paso 1st ward and....I'm staying! My comp and I were convinced I was leaving. I woulda been soo sad! But I guess my work here is not yet finished which is totally okay with me! I've been here for 7 months now and have loved every minute of it! But it is gonna be that much harder to leave next transfer. I'm pretty sure I wont stay another one lol But its definitely happened before! So this last week was definitely the slowest week I've ever had on my mission. I think in total we had like 18 lessons cancel on us. But it was new years so we kinda figured it would happen. Then I got pretty dang sick but luckily the members in this ward are awesome and totally hooked it up with some good stuff haha Idk what it was but it sure did work! lol So even though last week was super slow and we didn't teach very many lessons and I was sick it was still a wonderful week. The university sisters in my district had a baptism. It was a girl that we had to hand over to them cause the university ward was better for her. But it still never fails to amaze me at how prepared people are for this gospel. Also we had an investigator who dropped us come to church on Sunday and totally wants to start taking the lessons again. She's Methodist and I guess she felt like she needed to go to a Methodist church again so she went for a few months and I guess it just felt really empty to her after coming to The Lord's church. We were so excited for her when we first started teaching her and now its even more exciting that she has completely made up her mind for which church she want to join :) We have lots of investigators we are working with that really want to learn. And now its the new year so people are wanting to change their life around. We also have this investigator who has read the Book of Mormon cover to cover and completely believes everything we teach him and that this is the restored church of Christ but he is a casual drinker and just cant give up that life style. Anyway we have been making commitments with him where we give up something for a week if he gives up alcohol. Its been pretty fun actually and hes been doing good. Anyway we committed him to stop drinking at midnight on new years so he can start the new year off without drinking. We went back new years day and he clearly did not keep his commitment. He was pretty hung over and had us come back two days later. So we did and he was in even worse shape than a few days before. I actually felt pretty bad for him cause he lives alone and doesn't have a car. He was very very sick and didn't have any kind of food he could keep down so he wanst eating and was dry heaving. He was in terrible shape. So we went and got him some chicken noodle soup and saltine crackers and what not. My comp and I were sayin how this was totally a sign for him to stop drinking and he better realize it. So when we get back he totally says, "I think I'm done drinking guys I'm taking this as a sign." We both almost leapt for joy but we had to hide it lol But was soon as we left we let it all out haha it was soooo awesome! So he should be getting baptized soon :) Well I hope everyone had a safe new years! And I hope everyone is starting out the new year and a good note :)

Love Elder Jaden Espinoza

"there's no comfort in growth and there's no growth in comfort."

December 31, 2013

  Well I hope everyone had a wonderful and safe Christmas! It was really nice to be able to Skype with my family! Its pretty crazy to think that I've used up half of the times I get to Skype home! The time sure is flying by.

  Christmas was pretty nice here. We had a nice sunny and warm Christmas lol. It was in the mid to high 50's I think. Sure didn't feel like Christmas!! But it was nice to be able to hang out with members here. They're basically family to me now lol. Kinda like a home away from home.

  We were still able to have a busy successful week as well. We've been teaching lots and lots of lessons. We have also been finding a lot of new investigators who seem to really want to learn more about Christ and His gospel. As missionaries we kind of go through these stages where we find a lot then teach a lot then baptize a lot. We're kinda at the point where we have done that and are going back to finding lol. But were working on being able to keep it all constant. Our mission president wants us to baptize weekly. its tough but its definitely possible if we have the faith and diligence to do so! This area is a perfect place to do it!

  We have transfers coming up next week and we are both hoping we stay again! I would be way too sad to leave this area. But if the Lord calls me to go somewhere else I will willingly go!

  Not much else has happened here in El Paso. Just the same ol same ol. I hope every one has a happy and safe new year! I also hope we all have set some goals that are reasonable but will also make us stretch! There's a quote I love that goes something like, "there's no comfort in growth and there's no growth in comfort." Makes complete sense to me! I hope everyone sets some spiritual goals as well. It doesn't matter where we are at in life we can always strengthen our relationship with our father in heaven! Love you all and hope everyone stays safe!

Love Elder Jaden Espinoza