Week 91 - All Sorts of Rain

Hey everyone :)

Had a good week here in Anáhuac 2. Honestly, not much happened this week. Some lessons happened. Some lessons fell through. A family we have been trying to teach wasn't home all week. We have been trying to fix the little things that we don't do though and as a companionship we have felt a lot better, still getting along well. 

While I was talking with the zone leaders this week, we began to talk about patience. I have been in a little bit of a rut these past few weeks and I did not know why until I sat down and just kinda did some basic studying, you know, the stuff you focus on at the beginning of the mish. I was still bothered and so I read all of D&C Section 84 and WOW was that fun! D&C 84:84 is a verse we should all read (go ahead, switch over to the Gospel Library app and look that baby up). After feeling quite happy about everything I had read and all the questions and doubts I had, I read my patriarchal blessing, and it mentions a few scriptures I should never forget to read, including D&C Section 84. I was very grateful for that. 

God loves us. He loves you. He loves me. It is a cool thing to think about :)

I love you guys too :) I hope you have a good week :)

Elder Quist

Week 90 - Share with Enthusiasm!

Hey everyone! 

How are y'all doing? This week went by way too fast. Let's get into it (and you guessed it, a good short one this week ;))

We have been visiting this lady that owns an ice cream shop. I mentioned her last week I think, and she is awesome. She went to church this week and got there before we did haha. She has had a few problems in life and friends have taken her to their churches, but she has not found one that she likes yet. These past couple of weeks she has absolutely LOVED going to church. It has been awesome answering her sincere questions and watching grow, learning how to pray, listening to her experiences as she reads the Book of Mormon. 

I gave a talk on Sunday which was fun. I talked about the story where Nephi and Lehi, the sons of Helaman, were preaching and were put in prison. Then the prison started shaking and a dark mist showed up. Then a less-active Nephite went back and said they looked like angels, then went and enthusiastically shared that info with a bunch of people and were converted! I talked about how we need to share what we know with other people, and not to do it casually, but invite others to know more with enthusiasm! I invite all of y'all to step out of that lil comfort zone and invite someone to get closer to Christ :) 

I love you guys, I miss ya, see ya in a quick few weeks :)

Elder Quist

Week 89 - Short Emails Are My Thing

Hey guys! 

What a week. I want to share with you guys just one experience.

Saturday morning we were studying and talking a little about how the week had gone. We felt good about it, but a couple of the people we wanted to visit and tried to visit were not home. After studying together and planning, we said a prayer and left. In the morning, the Zone Leaders came to our area to do two interviews, both of the kids were home and SO PREPARED for their interviews. They both passed with flying colors. We felt pretty lucky and blessed to have that happen. After lunch, we passed by for a bunch of people, but no one was home.

Being me, and this is something I have been doing my entire mission, I told my companion to hold on and I bought us some chocolate. A little bit of chocolate ALWAYS helps, helps with the energy, happiness, finding chosen children of God, and getting along with your companion, it helps with all of that. So we ate some chocolate and then passed by this lady that sells some delicious ice cream (she is an investigator, we didn't just pass by for ice cream... it's just a bonus) and SHE WAS THERE. HALLELUJAH. We talked with her for a lil bit and answered some questions and she told us that her daughter and her grandson want to go to church and meet with us hahaha. MIRACLES EXIST. I'm not saying it was the chocolate, but it sure did help haha. Then we got a call from a member and she told us of a couple people we need to go visit because they want to listen to us! We went to their house, got to know them un poquito, then passed by for someone else and they were home too! All of that happened after 6pm. It was an incredible night, even though it was raining.

I want everyone to study about "hope" this week. What is it? How is it different than faith? How can we have more hope in our lives? It is an interesting subject. I studied it this week a little and it had everything to do with the success we saw Saturday night.

The book is blue, the church is true :) Have a good week!

Elder Quist (:

Week 88 - Another Week in Chalco

Week 87 - Working Hard

Hey everyone! 

This week was great, we saw lots of miracles. I wrote a good email last week and I promise to write one next week (: 

Enjoy some quality pictures and read the Book of Mormon :)

Elder Quist

Week 86 - ANAHUAC MILAGROS

Hey everyone! 

This week was long, but looking back on it it really passed by fast. We have been working hard, knockin' on lots of doors and lookin' for lots of people. Elder Cueva is great, a super hard worker, I am glad we are together this cycle! 

On Tuesday, we had a contacting activity as a zone in Independencia 1. Usually during the contacting activities, we go on divisions with other missionaries and during this one I was with my boys Elder Crockett and Elder Ortman. It was awesome! We had a fun time and met a bunch of cool people.

Fast forward to Thursday. Keep in mind that my district only has 4 companionships. Thursday morning I went and did 2 interviews for baptism! Honestly I am gonna miss doin that after the mish, it is such a unique experience, to be able to see someone, repentant and ready for baptism. 

On Sunday we saw some crazy miracles. We worked our butts off all week and found a few people to teach, but it has been pretty hard. We were expecting just one or maybe 2 people at church, but FIVE people came to church! And we had never even seen them before! 3 of them are a small family, new to the area, just barely moved here like 3 days ago, and they want a new life and are looking for a church. Boy did they pick the right one! The other two are two kids that live by a members house and the member invited them to church, they said yes, she brought them, they had a good time.... God is good :) We have appointments with them during the week, I KNOW they will be great :) Pray for us please and thank you! 

There is a quote by Elder Holland that has been in my head recently: "Mans extremity is Gods opportunity", or in other words, God acts when we are at our limit. Remember that miracles only happen AFTER the trial of our faith! We need to get to our limit first. :)

Love you all!

Elder Quist

 Streets after market

Week 85 - 16 Weeks Left

Hey guys! 

Great week here in Mèxico! So I am now in Valle de Chalco again! My ward is called Anàhuac and my new companion is named Elder Cueva. He is from Ecuador and he has about 7 months here in the mission! He is new to this area too, so we got kinda lost-ish a couple times this week which is always a blast! Just contacting and visiting and trying to find houses and where the members live, but we had a great time. Elder Cueva is a hard worker and we are ready to fill that font up and baptize! 

Not much to talk about this week! We just kinda spent everyday figuring out the area and contacting. We have seen lots of small miracles while we work, whether it is finding a house we are looking for or contacting someone super chosen. :) This next week I will be able to say a lot more! 

Today for P-day we played basketball and soccer as a zone. It was awesome! I didn't get sunburned either, so that was nice.

Remember to be grateful to God this week :)

Elder Quist

Happy mothers day mom! I love you :)

Also it was so great to see my fam, I love y'all!

 Elders Crockett and Quist

Week 84 - Back to Valle

Hey everyone! 

I hope y’all had a good week and were able to see some awesome miracles. This week was a lil slow, not a lot of people were home cause this week there were a bunch of days of from school and whatnot... 

On Saturday we went to the baptism of some other missionaries to help out and after the baptism, when the people had time to change and all, they had the opportunity to share their testimonies. This is honestly my favorite part of any baptismal service. It is crazy how fast God helps people receive a testimony. In just a few short weeks, a handful of powerful spiritual experiences, all of that can make some say, “I know without a doubt that this church is true.” That’s pretty cool :)

A few times in church a specific thought came to mind, well the talk as a whole, but the quote is “Don’t judge me because I sin differently than you.” Sometimes it is hard as a missionary not to judge. We meet a lot of people, many of them with serious sins and problems in their lives, and if we aren’t careful we can start to judge. But like the quote says, we should not judge others because they have different sins than us, we aren’t perfect and neither are they. Maybe you aren’t judgy. That’s good :) keep doing that. 

I was also reading a quote by a president of the church, I honestly don’t remember who, I think it was President McKay... but the quote said that “Our personal influence is one of our greatest responsibilities,” or something like that. When we meet people or interact with another person they come to know who we are and what we stand for. He went on later to say that one of the biggest things that will bring people to the church is our example. Remember to be good, reverent, kind, and happy people, you never know who is watching!

I love y’all :) I hope you have a good week! Stay on the lookout for miracles!

Also I have changes, I’m heading back to Valle de Chalco, where I started my mission!

Elder Quist 

Week 83 - Still Hot

Hey everyone! 

We had a good week! Lets get right into this.

I know this may come as a surprise, but I have not been the best at doing exercise during my mission... but this last week I started to do a lot more exercise and I can honestly testify that doing exercise in the morning can help you all day hahaha! One of the more random testimonies I have, but it's true! To all you future missionaries, exercise. It's awesome.

Also to you future missionaries (or to those of you who know future missionaries), I am working on a very, very, very long list of mission tips and tricks. You could say it is a small "mission survival guide". Pre-orders start now. Let me know who wants one. 

There is a saying, "When you are green, you are growing." I like to explain to some investigators about, well, plants. A plant is only improving and progressing in its life when it is green and growing, but when it reaches a plateau, or in other words it stops growing, it, well, starts dying. And it can't progress anymore. We are the same. As human beings, we go through the same process, spiritually and physically. Maybe we can only control one of those two... but the principle is the same. Following the prophet, keeping the commandments, doing the small and simple things we can progress and grow :) I have been pondering about this during the week, What things can I do to keep progressing and growing towards Christ? What things can you do? 

I love you all :)

Elder Quist

Staying hydrated... 90+ degrees all day, every day

Week 82 - Semana Santa! Happy Easter!

Hey guys! 

I hope this has been a wonderful Easter weekend and that you have been able to feel closer to Christ! :) This week I also will hit 19 months out here so that's cool. More than anything I just want to share a spiritual thought with you all.

The other night I was feeling a little weird, not sad, just a little off. So I grabbed my trusty 'ol Preach My Gospel and I was reading about helping others keep commitments and it really stuck out to me the phrase: "Commitment is an essential part of repentance. It is the act of obligating oneself to a course of action and then diligently following through on that decision." I only have about 4 months left of this wonderful 2 year experience to consecrate my time. Repentance is also another way of talking about progressing. We all need to ask ourselves, whether we are preparing for missions, in the mission field, or we have already finished: How committed are we? A mission is a purifying process haha, sounds kinda ominous but it is, and it is basically a 2 year MTC (or 18 months) that teaches us how to live. We learn how to teach, how to love, how to receive revelation, how to study, how to learn, how to trust in God, how to be a good human being... it teaches us more in such a short period than anything else. To all the future missionaries who read this: prepare beforehand so that you can take full advantage of your time in the mission. You will be such a huge blessing to countless people if you do so. Current missionaries: how committed are you? How can you improve and progress? Return missionaries (or maybe you didn't go on a mission and that is ok, or maybe you went home early, that is ok): how are you progressing? What things should you be doing that you are not doing? Are you being a good example? Are you doing everything you should be doing? 

Repentance is such an amazing process of perfection. Commit yourself to be better! :)

This Easter Sunday I gave a talk in church about Jesus Christ (and a couple other things, but mostly Him). I want to let y'all know that I love Him and this gospel. I am so thankful for His sacrifice, that He was willing to suffer for us in Gethsemane and die on the cross. I am very thankful that He restored the church, this church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, through Joseph Smith, and helped us receive the Book of Mormon. I am also thankful for President Nelson, his counselors, and the apostles. I am without words to describe how thankful I am for my family, without them who knows where I would be now. I love you guys :)

Thanks for reading my emails everyone (: Have a good week!

Elder Quist :)

Week 81 - Happy and Busy in the Work

Helloooooooo everyone.

This was a good week, good solid work. We talked to a lot of new people and put a couple baptismal dates! We also had our interviews with President Zapata, it was awesome.

Tuesday we had to go check out a house and cancel the contract, the missionaries aren't gonna live there anymore.  Later we had a couple appointments fall through so we did some contacting and finding allllll day. At night we met with Erik and his family, his wife and two kids, and they agreed to some baptismal dates! Hopefully by the end of this month they can feel prepared enough :)

On Thursday we had interviews with President. As usual, I can truly testify that he is an inspired leader and amazing person. It was fun to talk to him about general conference and the zone. I am gonna miss him when he leaves in July. In the afternoon, we visited a few people and tried to teach a couple lessons but no one was home or they didn't have time... Rough day but a good one.

Friday night we had a stake training about mission work. The stake presidency talked and my companion and I talked as well about how members and missionaries work together and how we can improve. It was fun, I was a little nervous but I think it was fine. 

At night on Saturday we had the same junta but with another part of the stake, but during the day we visited a couple people. Right now we are working with some neighbors of ours. They live in front of our house. One is named Stephanie, who is 12, and the other is Petra, her grandma! They are super prepared, but they both have some obstacles to overcome. I have gained a testimony of sacrifice and endurance in the mission. Like it says in 2 Nephi 9 (I.think) that we must pass through the refiners fire. We all must pass through, or very close to, Gethsemane. And giving up what we want now for something better in the future. Both are topics I love to study. I urge you to study them as well (:

Sunday we had a few people come to church! It was a good day! I had some good steak for lunch hahaha so I can't complain too much. Then at night we went to a family home evening with some members and ate pancakes :)

I love you all! Have a good week :)

Elder Quist