9.21.15 - El pan de vida!

                  I loved this week. Wow it was fast.

                  I got a really trunky package!! ¨ Welcome to your next transfer, Reno Nevada.¨ Gah!

                  Haha it made me laugh so hard. Everyone else in the apartment was giving me the hardest time for it.

              Thank you Mom!

9.14.15 - Fuimos a predicar en las llanuras!

I loved everything about this week.

 

We went to a zone meeting and talked about how our invitations don't have to be so rote, but rather that so long as they are direct and specific they can come out in any comfortable way.

 

We went to the temple wednesday morning because elder Bertelsen hasn't been during his whole mission (that's 20 months of not going to the temple) and it was a very spiritual experience. I felt like I received many answers to questions I'd had. The celestial room was beautiful in the morning. San Antonio temple has stained glass that makes it one of the most expensive temples of its size. What a blessing!

 

I served in mission creek and we were lead to find a family who has been inactive in the church since the 80's. Their son just died in a military tour in Iran. Their daughter is also weeks from having a child. The bishop was also assigned to be their casualty officer. They are ready to come back and learn the plan of salvation of God for their family.

 

A highlight for me was friday. I served in Yorktown Texas. They live in a portable trailer on a small property in the middle of cow fields and oil fields. There closest neighbor..you can't see. I don't know why they live there, but It was so fun! We planned for our day sitting on top of the trailer with the stars above us. We drove their truck 300 miles which was a LOT, and we found a few families to teach. They are great Elders, and I just loved being out in the open country, I felt like a real man. Haha.

 

Oh! On tuesday Brother Meuller called us and said, he wanted to meet us during mutual so he could talk to us. It wasn't the first time, so we went planning to teach another commandment that would help him feel even more confident in his eventual decision to join the church. He sat down with us and his home teacher Brother Torres. We'd previously invited him to be baptized on the 26th of this month, and he said, i'll be baptized and i'd like to be on the 19th of this month. Soo, perfect! While I was gone on exchanges Elder Bartier and Elder Bertelsen taught him all of the commandments and then scheduled his interview which I was just in time for when I got back.

 

So what i'm working on right now, is showing love to others the way that they recognize it. My go to is to work really hard, let them know when they're doing a good job, and to really listen to them when they want to talk. However, I live with people that communicate love a lot more through service, and compliments, and other things that are gushy. So i'm trying to cook more for everyone, and the like. It's been gratifying just to see, that although it's not my natural way to let others know I care, they feel it more.

 

Our week is already pretty well planned out for us, and I can't wait to go get after it.

The Atonement has the power to change us. If we let it, it will bring us back to God. I learned this week that it was never in God's plan that we would sin. Although he provided a savior for us in the instance that we did sin.

 

It is God's plan that we go through tribulation and experience temptation. Experiencing the opposite of joy, health, oneness, and the light of Christ, gives us the opportunity to make choices that use our agency. Without opposite choices, our agency would be as if dead. Adam and Eve could pick which vegetable they wanted to eat that day, that's agency, but that's not the purpose for which God gave us agency. When they were tempted they could then choose between good and evil, they could choose to be obedient to a law instead of being compelled to be obedient by their circumstances of having only good to choose from. When we really make the choice to be obedient, knowing full well what and why we're choosing, that expression of agency rewards us with a greater amount of God's light. Light causes us to want to continue to do good, and cycle starts where light attracts us to do what is right, and adversity entices us to do the opposite, so that every decision to obey the laws of God bring us ever closer to his presence. The light grows brighter and brighter until the perfect day.

 

I love you!

Stay Salty!

 

Elder Tyler Meidell

9.7.15 - Es que, habia un diluvio

At the beginning of last week we weren't sure how everything was going to play out for the baptism. If you recall, the second oldest daughter in the vargas family didn't attend her interview, church, and locked herself in her room when we visited. Wednesday God helped us organize a lesson that packed a spiritual punch. The new pimary president came with her daughter who is a good friend of the oldest Vargas daughter. Claudia came who was just baptized into the laurels 2 months ago and shared her experience preparing for her own baptism. A Relief Society president for an English ward comes to teach the girls piano lessons, and her lesson happened to be a the same time as ours. With a small member army on our side, the first miracle was that Nadely came out of her room to find out why there were so many voices in her living room. She was immediately grabbed with welcoming voices, and tender comments which brought her in to sit down with us. We very generally taught baptism as an essential part of becoming clean and preparing to enter into Heaven.

All of the attending sisters helped explain in their own ways and their testimonies brought a powerful spirit. We opened up the lesson for general questions, and leslie started in her sweet 8 year old voice, "what is the holy ghost?" How can you feel anything other than adoration and compassion toward such a sincere question?

As the questions became deeper and depper Nadely finally asked, "If someone wanted to get baptized, would they have to wait a long time?" Knowing her thoughts, I was filled with a powerful feeling of love, far beyond my own capacity to feel as I got to respond to her, "No Nadely, you can be baptized this weekend with your sisters." Leaving that lesson we wanted to give un-ending prasie to God for the miracle he worked in the hearts of that family.

We went to the border again on friday. I love the border. We goofed around the fence to Mexico for just a moment. I served in Carrizo springs and we had a very successful evening. On the way back I had one of the bigges burritos of my life. It's called the burrote, which means a big ol' burrito. I had them put al pastor meat in it, which is my absolute favorite taco meat. I think it's pork? They then deep friend the whole burrito. That seemed unnecessary, but it definitely added to how fast it filled me up! From noon saturday I ate half a sandwich in the evening and wasn't hungry until after the fast on Sunday. Unreal.

The baptism. Ugh. I got back from the border at 5, we had the service scheduled for 7 so we ran over, and started getting things ready. At 5:45 we started filling up the font. At 6:05 it was basically full. Wow, that's an hour faster than any other font i've ever used. At 6:45 we come back, and the font is empty. The switch to plug the drain is broken and we can't get the water to stay. We quickly improvise and stick a towel in the drain. It plugs some of the water, and we're just hoping we get enough water to lay the girls into on their backs so the baptism can still go through. We leave the water on, and leave the font (error). The girls make it 10 minutes late so it's been nearly 40 minutes since we've left the font running. Maybe the switch started working again, or maybe the towel was more effective than we gave it credit for, but we took one step into the basketball court and there was water pouring in from the direction of the baptismal font. My stomach drops and we take off running. The font had over filled past the overflow gutter, into the girls bahtroom and out into the hallway. We start mopping and there is just way too much water to make it unnoticable.

Later we found out the drain in the woman's bathroom drops water directly onto the ceiling of the church services office on the bottom floor. Several ceiling panels crumbled into a pile of mush on the floor. The service gets started, all slew of missionaries are there trying to remediate the affects, and in no time everyone knows. The baptism happens, and everything held still for a moment, and the spirit testified of the ordinance. As the service ends the bishop and the building coordinator begin to move fast to continue the cleaning process. At 10:45 we leave after cleaning up and leaving a slew of fans out to dry off the basketball court. the area building coordinator came down to talk to us. elder masters had shakes waiting for us when we got back and they were sure appreciated.

I learned this week that the manuals and the handbooks are inspired to give us instruction and patterns so that we can receive personal revelation to act in the offices to which we've been appointed. I understand that the Glory of God is light. We attain light as a natural result to obedience to the laws of the Gospel. The girls were confirmed and they received the holy ghost. This lets gods spirit, or his light be shed more abundantly upon them. No one can enter Gods presence without that great gift.

I love you,
Stay Salty
Elder Tyler Meidell

8.31.15 - Panico Esencio

I may have botched the spelling there, but I was just trying to say "stage fright!" The Vargas baptism is this saturday. Everyone came to the baptismal interviews last saturday except for the second to youngest daughter. She's 11 and not loving jumping into primary right before the primary program. All is well, we think we can work with the primary presidency to help her feel more comfortable in this upcoming week, but we know that God has a purpose in this and it will work out for the betterment of their family. We've got lots of ideas we're going to keep trying in the meantime to help her feel receptive toward the church again. No fear! The oldest and youngest daughters and doing great, and one of the oldest daughters who was baptized 14 years ago also came back to church yesterday.

My dad made a comment a few weeks ago that as a missionary I may be becoming better at working through awkward situations. I had a chance to put that to the test this week. It wasn't flawless, but our overarching objective was accomplished. It was 6:30, we had a lesson scheduled for 6:30 and 7. On the way to our 6:30 we met a mom with 3 sons who were interested in hearing our message. It was in a neighborhood where we didn't want to risk not being able to find this person at home again so we tried to take advantage of the opportunity to teach immediately. We also never want to miss a teaching appointment, so we told the lady we met on the way, we're about to share this message with your neighbor, do you think we could share it to both of you together? She said she had no idea who her neighbor was, so we just told how nice her neighbor was and this and that and she finally agreed. So we ran over to the neighbors, who we've talked to once before and said, hey, it's great to see you, we're excited to share this message with you, and we just met your neighbor, she's so great, do you think you'd want to hear it over at her house while we explain this to her family too? She was quite a bit more open to the idea. So we walked with neighbor over to the Mom and 3 sons house, knocked on the door and said, Hello! Neighbor, meet your neighbor, we can't wait to share this with everyone.. so can we come in? Haha, we're going back tonight and hopefully the good neighborly vibe is still there.

We went to MLC on Tuesday, and on Wednesday and Thursday Elder Masters and I trained the companions to the district leaders. We did a a good hour of roleplaying. We practiced listening. Listening not only to the words the people say, but also what they're trying to express, the idea behind their words. Most importantly we have to listen to the thoughts and impressions the spirit puts into our mind and heart. If you're not a little tired after talking to someone you probably weren't listening very close, it does take effort. I've been surprised at how much people are just wiling to tell you. They love to be heard and even more to be understood. The more they feel that their thoughts are being considered and valued the more we're willing to share. If I can help them see how much the restoration has to do with what their living right then, then they're in. They are instantly 100 times (I don't have any real numbers to back that number up with) to listen and consider what we have to say, because we've taken 30 seconds to understand that they are trying to gear up for the challenge of a new school year, or they feel like they have found all of the truth there is to find in this world.

This church is true.

I love you!
Stay Salty!

Elder Tyler Meidell

8.24.15 - No hay tanto tiempo como querria

Elder Cruz was transfered to mission creek and Elder Bertelsen stayed. We knew that was what would happen, and they knew that we knew, so we resisted their probing questions and everyone found out by email their transfer results last tuesday. Elder Masters and I are the only area leaders for the mission this transfer so while he received his new trainee (Elder Batier, who we love) Elder Bertelsen and I administered the spanish tets before the san antonio and austin transfer meetings at 6:30am and 10:30 am respectively. There were numerous people who passed, and we know that because we graded ALL of the tests in the mission. It took a good 9 hours to get through them but now we have time to move on to less repetitive things.

 

A few TSAM legends came back to visit during the transfer meetings. Elder McMurry and Elder and Sister Tuft, (Formerly sister King, but seeing as they're married now...)

 

They bore a powerful testimony and showed themselves as terrific examples of faithful post mission lives. The Tufts are also pregnant and working in the MTC together. I was especially interested in the MTC part of that and tried to get a few application tips.

 

The Vargas and the Muller families came to church again and are progressing very well. A man named brother muller who works on the air force base near by has also been bringing his non-member wife. She has quite a bit of experience coming to the church, I think she was a primary teacher in former ward. She's shy and has strong religious ties back through her own family that keeps her from really opening up to the church. However this week she came to an FHE we did at the gonzalez home, our ward mission leader, and she accepted the invitation to do service in the food bank with everyone else in attendance. That was a great step! Our sunday school class yesterday not too surprisingly was also on service and I think she had a good impression that we try live the things we preach.

 

While studying charity, I learned that charity is developed as we make sacrifices of ourselves for others. I learned while studying the acts of service Christ did for others, He served in ways only he could. When raising lazarus, he did what only Christ could do. If we were put into that same situation, each one of us has been given gifts and talents from God to bless other's lives. We can find unique ways that we're able to serve others, as we take time to learn and think about what matters to them most. Most importantly, as you pray for the gift of Charity, and the opportunity to become more like Christ, be ready for a lot of opportunities to get started from the moment you get off your knees!

 

I love you!

 

Stay Salty!

 

Elder Tyler Meidell

8.17.15 - Solo dios nos puede cambiar

Hi!

Forgive brevity!

Elder Hamelin and I worked with some priests from the ward on Tuesday and taught them how to street contact for their mutual activity. Joaquin did awesome with me.

We're planning on a Spanish conference next month for the 80 Spanish missionaries in the Texas San Antonio mission.

I got sick and slept most of Saturday and Sunday, but got up today ready to take on the world. Elder Bertelsen unfortunately didn't have such good luck today so we just got a chance to email before we head out to work tonight. Most of the day was spent in he apartment.

The Vargas family is doing very well, and Brianna set the goal to finish the Book of Mormon. A 13 year old is reading 2 and a half hours a day during her summer break trying to get it done, she's excellent.

A miracle find, a catholic gentlemen just married a member of our word and is now beginning to read the Book of Mormon with his new wife. He went to church yesterday and the changes are beginning. We trust the spirit to make changes in ourselves and in other that we can't accomplish in and of ourselves. We thank heaven for the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ that brings us back to God.

I love you!
Stay salty!

Elder Tyler Meidell

8.10.15 - La verdad, vemos milagros todos los dia

Hi great family!

 

Let me say how appreciative I am to you for the tremendous support you are to me. I feel the effects of your prayers often. When things just seem to work our in our favor, when we seem clear of any accident or danger for an unusually long period of time, and when my attitude is on all time high I recognize that the distant prayers are bolstering and protecting our work. Thank you so much.

We see miracles every day. On Tuesday on an exchange to mission creek we saw a group of children surrounding a man helping to fix their bikes. They were a reasonable distance out of our way, but at this point if I can see or hear them they are still "on the way" and we talk to them. It turned out great. We taught the first lesson to half of the family and they all committed to be baptized. Elder Forebrush was really good at helping them understand the restoration so that it applied to their life, so that it could become a part of what they're living. They spirit testified powerfully to them that following the council of God's living prophets was the most sure way to guide and protect a modern family.

 

At a gas station we thought we'd say to a woman filling up a little ways off. She brightened up when we went over because she'd been wondering what to say to us. She'd asked for a book of mormon to be sent to her by mail and now wasn't sure what to do with it. How great it is to know that God is conscientious of where we are in every instance, and his promise that he will place people in our path that are prepared to receive Gospel is true.

 

Elder Bertelsen is a fun companion. He's teaching me a lot, and his strengths are very different from mine so i like to learn from the way he does things.

 

Claudia who was recently baptized, and the oldest girl of our most progressing family went to girls camp this week. They both had very positive spiritual experiences and their testimonies were strengthened. Brianna now can say that she believes Joseph Smith is a true prophet. Beautiful.

I want to bear my testimony of the divine calling of our living prophets and apostles. As we've prepared for an upcoming spanish conference i had to recheck our language learning with the council given in preach my gospel. I was learning a decent amount of spanish before, but since i've made the inspired words of our leaders the foundation for the way I live my life in one more way, I've felt the grace of God become a part of of our studies. Retention has increased and i've felt more satisfaction in knowing that what i'm learning will help me preach to gospel by the power of the spirit.

 

I love you!

Stay Salty!

 

Elder Tyler Meidell

8.3.15 - Deja brillar tu luz

I think the thing I'm most excited about right now, is that Claudia our recent convert, and Briana our new investigator are both at Girls camp right now! I don't know what kind of voodoo they do in those hills but my sisters always seemed to come home more cheerful and a lot more sure about the gospel. I'm hoping Briana who is 13 comes back with that fire and leads her 2 younger sisters to get baptized along with her.

 

I taught Elder Quorum yesterday at church. We talked about how to let your light so shine. There was good participation, and a younger man I was trying to teach specifically among everyone else seemed like he got answers for his current family problems. That makes you feel good you prepared!

 

We did 3 exchanges this week, and i loved to see Christ teaching the missionaries all throughout our 24 hours with them. The things they take away normally aren't what we talk about, there will just be something the spirit helps them to understand or see a different way that opens up doors they previously felt were closed to them.

 

I met a recent convert family in the bulverde ward while I was there that was baptized 3 months ago. They are superstars. A father, mother and children were all baptized together because one junior in high school invited a friend on her cross country team to church. They now are now going to the temple (They live 5 minutes from the san antonio temple) doing their family home evenings, doing their home and visiting teaching, and all of the other outward signals that they are correctly savoring the gospel and truly following their savior.

 

I also had the chance to have a first lesson on exchanges with a family the missionaries met for the first time at sacrament meeting. They were taught all of the lessons by skype missionaries out of Provo and finally decided to make it out to church. They honestly knew more church history than I did, and had already read the book of mormon. Needless to say it was an out of the ordinary good first lesson.

 

I tried to find out today why the scriptures focus so much on the name of Christ. Why do we have to believe on his name, and be called by his name, and join the church with his name? Elder Talmage explained that to beleive on his name is to accept him and to act according to the revelations given of him as written in scripture. What more tangible evidence of the body, being and sacrifice of Christ than his name. I haven't come closer to knowing him in person than what my leaders tell me of him and what the scriptures preach of him. The spirit of God has changed my life as I've lived his words. I know that he exists. He is the Son of God. Through covenants we bear his name. Praised be his name.

 

I love you!

Stay Salty!

 

Elder Tyler Meidell

7.27.15 - Helaman Camp

Hello!

I'm sure i've exhausted this phrase for everyone, but this week flew by. I'd honestly be surprised if any upcoming week goes faster just because of how all over the place we were. Tuesday we exchanged with the east zone leaders. Elder Acor was soimpressive, He's still under a year, but he's prepared for a mission in the best way anyone can. He had a long consistent life of pure living. For that reason he is a clean vessel for the Lord, and his purity brings a spiritual power and maturity to his conduct and teaching. He didn't have to tell me about what he did before the mission for me to know, I could see it in his countenance, and feel it in the way he loved me and the people we met. What a tremendous secret. The best way to get ready for a mission, it to live the principles from for the strength of youth, to a T. I believe that! That same day we ate with a family who lived on the Air Force base and I really liked the life style of this byu air force rotc grad. Anywho, it was neat to see what the product of that program looked like. He was a pilot instructor.

Wednesday was an out of the ordinary fun day. There were last minute needs for missionaries in the kyle texas Helaman camp. Elder Masters and I could go because when we leave, our companions work our two areas together because we serve in the same ward.

It was such a good experience. 60 young men were divided up into companionships and zones. For  their second day in a three-day camp, one full-time missionary works with each pair of young men. I worked with brother bishop and brother casteblanca. The camp director pulled me aside asking if I could help one boy who was battling between a mission and a girlfriend and I said I was all over that. That's my specialty. When I'd left he'd verbally committed to truly prepare by letting this girl go. I emailed him today to follow up. It was so fun to see how the spirit was working with him all day, and as I worked believing that the Lord would manifest his spirit and convert this boys heart the promises were fulfilled. As president slaughter spoke on purity you could see the spirit work in the boys needing repentance as they literally squirmed and shuffled around in their seats.

I served with Elder Rasmussen on thursday in a singles ward, and then Elder Tingey in the border. I was so excited to work in Eagle Pass again. A huge part of my heart is still in that city. I made some of my first promises to God there, and my life has forever been changed because of the experiences he let me have there. We biked in 105 degrees so it was just like last summer! We were hungry and sweaty and we taught a lot. Elder TIngey is so humble, I really look up to him for that, and Elder Jackson has been on a bike for over a year of his mission, so he gets my respect.

The Doctrine I learned this week that really changed who I am was the doctrine of the fall. Knowing that we are carnal, sensual, develish, contary to the nature of happiness, fallen, filthy and in the gall of bitterness gives light and reason to the question, who am I? Why am I like this? How can I change? Self criticism has been a big part of my life as I've tried to improve, and often the spirit has left as i've spoken ill of the lord's annointed - myself. Knowing who I really am as a fallen man, let me know to not beat myself over weakness that will always be with me. Of course i'm working to overcome them, but they don't have to beset and discourage me. In this life I guess you never arrive at the tree of eternal life, you have to die to get there, but in this life you can progress on the path of the gospel by applying the doctrine of christ as trials spur us toward progression.

I love you!
Stay Salty!

Elder Tyler Meidell

7.20.15 - Esperanza de ser sellada

Hi everyone!

We started using the iPad planner and area book, and the paper to computer transfer process requires a process much like indexing. We're taking one hour every day to transfer teaching records and referrals.

We impulse purchased a big bag of potatoes so we're replacing our breads with our spuds. Today we made hot dogs, with a potatoe nearly cut in half to hold the dog. Yesterday we made hoagies, same principle.

My Saturday this week was easily one of the best days I've had as a missionary, everything was just ideal. We woke up on an exchange with the hill country zone leaders, and played soccer with 8 missionaries, had an enlightening personal and companionship study, and then cruised over to the San Antonio temple. We'd set up a lesson with Claudia on the grounds that morning, because even though she's be baptized that evening, we wanted to set her goal on the temple and for her baptism to just be the first step. Sister Perez shared some moving personal experiences, and the spirit was strong while Claudia asked about the potential she had to be sealed with her mom.

We then made a few visits to invite less active and part member families which went well aside from one where we learned a progressing investigator has cancer and will be starting chemo, impeding him from going to populated places, like church. Next I interviewed the Heubner creek elders investigator family for baptism. They are so ready. This man from the Dominican Republic immediately began to testify the moment he sat down about the truthfulness of the church and the Book of Mormon. When I asked him if he believed god was his loving Heavenly Father he nearly shouted his affirmation.

Of course Claudia was then baptized. I so so so hope she serves a mission, she would be excellent. Some of her friends and family came to the service, and they let us give them a church tour. We got ice cream on the way home.

I learned God respects agency, and won't force us to good any more than he wants us to be forced to do bad. The spirit testifies of good done, intentional, and thought out good. We can strengthen our own testimonies as we search after experiences where the spirit can testify of the thought out and intentional good we do. He loves when we study his scripture and strive to live what he teaches.

I love you,
Be salty!

Elder Tyler meidell

Elder Bertelsen, myself, Claudia and her mom.

7.13.15 - La Oracion de Fe

What a fun week. I must say every week how fast the time is going. When you plan every minute of your day there's just no time to think about the time until you have a mandatory hour to report and remember how much time has passed.

 

Claudia is doing wonderful. We taught her nearly every day this week. She wasn't feeling very ready for her baptism because she was getting really psyched out about the monumental idea of having to endure faithful to the end after being baptized. Rather than postpone her baptism and make her feel like it was an insurmountable barrier. we kept it at the set date so she could see that although she did need to prepare it wasn't impossible. As a result, we taught every commandment in 1 week and honed in on the baptismal interview questions. I think initially we took the wrong approach in thinking she had already felt the witness of the spirit, so as we rolled though the commandments which we taught on a door step and she started slipping. Her attention and participation wasn't there to the point that she leaned her head against the door frame and looked off into the distance while she listened to us. Correcting our original course we hunkered down and studied the next day, decided a doorstep was not a sufficiently spiritual location and called a member of the young womans presidency to come pick her up and take her to her house. We weren't going to teach prayer and reading because she was already doing those things, and had thought to share fasting with her. As we studied it was made clear to us a return to her fundamentals would strengthen her more than anything to feel spiritually prepared to testify to her interviewer.

 

As we taught in the Perez home on Friday, we invited Claudia to say a prayer, then in the lesson and then again on her own, to know if the decision to be baptized was what God wanted her to do. She committed, and in that lesson and again later that day she kneeled to say a prayer very mature for her age. As she came to the interview the next day she entered with confidence. We heard from her Sunday school teacher yesterday that she'd testified to her class that as she'd prayed and asked sincerely in prayer, she had felt her answer that it was true.

 

What a good story, and what a clear fulfillment of the promise to all those that will knock and ask, that it shall be opened unto them.

 

We've been doing a mission study from the for the strength of youth manual. Two pages into the reading I got stuck. I hit the sentence, "true freedom is obtained by using your agency to choose obedience." I want the answer. I know so far that agency and freedom aren't the same thing. I know our agency is our ability to choose to do good over evil, but I only know that being free has to do with Christ's redeeming power over the fall. There's more to learn. I did find a lot of specifics that I think I intentionally glazed over in my younger years. Such as... don't participate in media that is violent ... a date is a planned activity ... things like that.

 

My new companion is Elder Bertelsen. He's from Kansas City, Missouri. I'll have to remember to take a picture at some point this week. He has a great sense of humor. We've been able to get a lot of good work done in just these past 5 days. I can't wait to see how much we can do by the end of the transfer.

 

The Spanish test we made up for this last transfer was administered smoothly. We corrected the exams and so that the only thing that impedes the missionaries from learning is their own desire we're going to give back their tests, with the answer key attached, and the page number in our textbook where the principle being tested is found. Hopefully that helps everyone!

 

We've been cleared to start using the area book planner app on our ipads. That means no more clunky area books, and no more tattered planners! Whoo!

 

I love you!

Stay Salty!

 

Elder Tyler Meidell

7.6.15 - Yo no les compre esta comida, Dios se la compro

Happy 4th of July! I love to be in the United States. My mission has given me a passion to see the success and preservation of our great country. It was inspired, organized and founded by men led of God to set forth principles of religious freedom by which the restoration of the gospel of jesus christ could commence and flood the earth. I will serve and protect our country, our rights, and our freedom.

 

We ate with the valdez family on the 4th. We didn't think anything special would happen because no one gets very worked up about the 4th of July in our ward, especially in comparison to 5 de mayo. For some reason we all woke up with brisket in our eyes and it carried in our conversation the whole day, how much we wanted some good texas barbeque. To our amazement, the valdez family made some of the best sausage, ribs, pork chops, steak I've ever had in texas. They served it up with mexican soda, tortillas and some home made salsa. That's good eating. He told as we were leaving that while he was driving home from a trip he saw a bunch of paper flying around in the area. When he pulled over there was nearly 300 dollars flying around in the middle of nowhere. So he snatched it up, and vary charitably put it toward making us a tex-mex barbeque. It was all meat. Not a single veggie in that entire meal. MMM.

We went to MLC on thursday and it had a powerful impact on me. Missions are going home this week that i've looked up to as examples for a long time. There is a tradition of departing missionaries giving a departing testimony, and 3 of theirs inspired me to know what more I could do to magnify my call, and make it a change that could endure the test of time. I was so grateful that day, for the clarity of thought that came as I prayed and acted on the prompting. My testimony became more meaningful, and it seems to burn now within my bones. I've been caught with the fire of the restoration.

 

My study this morning was on the agency and faith. I thought, if faith is to rely wholly upon the merits mercy and grace of christ, how can I act without being commanded? If i'm relying then I can't move unless it be the will of God that I do so. The clarification comes from seeing we rely upon his merits, mercy and grace, and not on his impulses, or his daily guidance only. Second, when christ taught that we should let our good works show, he taught that his light was the light we should be showing unto all nations. The key comes from remembering agency is our ability to ascertain and make decisions according to the will of God, which we find studying his word. If we learn and apply true Doctrine, and found our decisions off of the light we've received, then we are relying upon God's will, or his Word. Acting in faith, or relying wholly upon Christ, means we make our decision according to true doctrine and the light we've attained, and it doesn't infringe our agency, it is the only way to exercise true agency. What an inspiring reason to search after, learn and apply true doctrine, so that we can live according to a higher light that enables us to more fully exercise our agency.

 

I love you very much!

Stay Salty!

 

Elder Tyler Meidell

6.29.15 - Su mision fue extendida?!

We had an emergency exchange this week. Elder Hilario went off with the assistants to deerfield and Elder Maters is my companion again!! What a great big lovable creature he is. We are in a trio with Elder Cruz who is teaching us tex mex. That sounds like this Oy compa, watchese. No chekeo el carro cuando salimos? It can be poorly understood in both languages.

 

I had an awesome opportunity to do transfer planning with president and the assistants. It took form 10 - 5 wednesday and thursday to go through all 207 missionaries and determine their next step in their development. It was a very spiritual experience. What I liked about the planning, was it followed the same principles when being guided by the spirit in mission work. We did all that we could by our own judgement, and as we got stuck we just moved on and whether it was logistics or extra knowlege that came in while we talked everything was able to fall into place until the spirit confirmed to us that what we had done was correct. Similarly while we're out working we plan according to our best judgement but often we'll get stuck no knowing the best thing to do. So we make a decision or just skip and either on the way, or as logistics work themselves out the right thing will happen. Sometimes the Lord just doesn't care which decision you make because their both good. So found yourself on true doctrine, especially on the words of the living apostles and then use your best judgment.

 

I love the Lord, I love you! My love for the Lord makes me more able to love you :)

 

Stay Salty,

 

Elder Tyler Meidell

6.22.15 - Noventa y cuatro anos!

We couldn't be more happy for Carmen Castro this week. What a big change we've seen in her since she received the light of gospel truth. She is full of life and energy. It may not look like it from the picture, but she is. Before she would be 24/7 glued to mindless TV programs. She spoke very little. In this last week we saw her playing with the dog, folding clothes, helping cook and avidly participating in the lesson. Her comely personality has come back to her. Her son-in-law brother martinez baptized her with the help of Elder Cruz who supported her back while she quite nimbly submerged into 3 feet of water.

Orlando came to the baptism and brought his wife! They are a prepared family ... if we could ever just teach them ...

Another investigator kept her commitment to read the introduction to the Book of Mormon. Already she's noticed a change in the tranquility in her home.

We met in President Slaughter's house again last night. Elder Hilario was called to be an Assistant, we counciled with a few of the lead sisters in the mission about some changes that needed to be made for exchanges this upcoming transfer and the mission study on the gathering of Israel. I read Genesis 40-41 this morning and I love that all of the house of israel had to  come to a gentile nation to find joseph and salvation during a time when famine was rampant. In our day a lack of the word of the living God was rampant as israel was scattered amongst all the gentile nations. Finally with the gospel restored in it's fulness the house of israel must come unto joseph, and like joseph of old who administered bread, joseph smith has the power to administer the ordinances of salvation. Praise to the man!

I went on exchanges with Elder Black, Elder Brough, Elder Hill and Elder Mcquinn this week.. I'm not very good at taking pictures, but i'll be better. It was busy because the exchanges fell on the same day as 2 zone conferences, and i just had the job of giving a little class on teaching with technology.

The blessing of being spanish called in the united states is you get to practice habits to develop new skills that you wouldn't if growth were demanded by the environment. We could go out to work every day without planning our time, and we could work as hard as we wanted all day, but by the end of the week we probably wouldn't have anyone at church because our efforts were not tailored to accomplishing that one goal. Similarly, if we want to develop a skill, the goal needs to be followed by a plan that is achievable, measurable, and is purpose filled. On exchanges we talk a lot about realistic goals that can be be completed by the end of one day, and breaking big tasks like learning a language into little bite size pieces we can manage day by day. The dedicated and intelligent effort made over not too long very quickly bring gratifying results.

I love you very much!
Stay Salty!

Elder Tyler Meidell

6.15.15 - 3 Intercambios

I feel very fulfilled after a week of hard work! I also see very clearly that the success we saw came when we were at a loss of what to do, and the grace of God supplied the needed answers.

Carmen was interviewed by elder hendricks and was given the Okay to be baptized. We're preparing the service for this coming Friday. Despite her short answers she was evidently about to bare her testimony of the divinity of the restored church, her willful desire to obey the commandments of God by being baptized, and showed fruit meet for repentance by giving up coffee after at least half a dozen decades of use. She's so sweet, i love that she lights up when she sees us and trusted us enough to let us practice baptizing her with 2 people. She's pretty active for being 94!

Elder Zelaya and Elder Cruz worked our area on bikes for 3 days this week because neither of them have current licenses. Elder Hilario and I had 3 exchanges. I'm sorry I forgot to bring my camera to provide pictures. It was faith building to see how much one Elder had grown since I'd seen him a year ago. He has really stepped outside of himself and has made the work all about giving glory to God and not the other way around. The happiness he has in his eyes and in the work is night and day. We taught together a family battling CPS for the right to take care of their own kids. Granted they aren't very healthy, play a lot of video games, don't clean the house too much, and i assume because of the stress CPS is putting on them because of their lack of steady work the heavy cigarette smoking, they still seem like pretty good people. I was just surprised how easily CPS could jump in and take someones kids away. Knowing the family is the way God ordained for his children to be taught and raised in this life, it unsettled me how much say that man made organization had. At the same time, how great that organization is for children who need to be relocated to a family that can provide the love and nurturing environment they need to thrive.

I've been studying the gathering of Israel. A little of what I know so far, is that to gather means to renew a descendent of jacob with the knowledge of their redeemer and the covenants God made with their ancestors. The gentiles receive the gospel first because those who were last will now be first and the tribe of Ephraim has the birthright to head that charge as descendents of Joseph. I am a son of Joseph, and my lineage traces to Abraham. I literally have his blood in my veins, and all of the earth has been touched through the scattering to claim those same blessings, if they will believe.

 I love our prophet Thomas S Monson. I love my mission president James Slaughter. Christ's will is revealed to me through them. God's word and his will, are taught to me through the spirit when I heed and follow their council.

I love you!

Stay Salty!

Elder Tyler Meidell

6.8.15 - Mensajes de texto

Well, what's not new?

We moved this week. We went to the temple on Friday. iPads were distributed to the entire mission and that involved a series of meetings. MLC was last Tuesday, and President took some time to help us practice using all of the tools in Gospel Library to study. I have really like making my own footnotes, and tags to organize my materials for lessons. I really like have an organized system to keep my studies ordered by themes.

We really only had evening hours to proselyte this week. Elder Hilario and I planned our exchanges for this transfer, it looks like we'll be doing about 13. We also needed to send out correction on everyone's spanish exam and set goals for a few missionaries that are having an especially difficult time learning. Our first priority was visiting the missionaries who have english companions and just helping them stay accountable to their study plans. I think the doctrine we're trying to get at is, progression is accelerated when it's measured and reported. Our lives will be most fully used if we can get into the habit of setting personal goals, measuring them, and holding ourselves accountable to them. If we get that process ingrained while we have a companion to help us remember what we're trying to accomplish we'll be able to do that in a less imposing way with an eternal companion. In a spanish and english companionship it will just be remembering to check up on how the other is progressing, in a spanish spanish companionship they will be much more involved in the actual learning of specific principles with their companion.

We send texts out to the mission once a day to test some commonly made mistakes.

We had about 4 hours to proselyte each day this week. After it all, we had a really great day at church this week! Carmen came to church again. She's 94. We taught her how to pray yesterday. We have to teach like we're talking to an 8 or 9 year old, except she's had 94 years of praying the "our father" every night before bed. We tried to give her a few examples of things she might say in her prayer, but she had a hard time saying anything not written. When she read the part, "We thank you," we just asked, why are you grateful to God? and then all of the sudden she paused, and some gears started to move, and said, because he is good, and gives us everything. So she understand, but has some traditions to work out of.

Orlando came to chruch too. He was a referral from las palmas. He's been studying from the Book of Mormon, he's been to several congregations and we're very excited to meet with him this week. I former investigator also came to church on her own named claudia, and a part member came to see the blessing of their daughter in sacrament meeting. Haha, so despite not talking to the majority of these people during the week, God is furthering his work.

I live with Elder Cruz, Zelaya (companion) and Hilario (other companion)

I love you!
Stay Salty!

Elder Tyler Meidell

6.1.15 - El Barrio de Monte Vista

There's so much to update you on. I hardly know where to start. My life feels very different than it did a week ago. I didn't move too far from where I was serving on the south side. My ward now covers the north side of San Antonio which we're going to split east and west with Elder Hilario and Cruz. It includes the stone oak area, and the San Antonio Temple. My companion is Elder Velaya, his family is from El Salvador and he's a convert of 6 years. With 3 natives always around me i'm trying to create myself a little version of mexico so I can keep getting them to correct my spanish.

Elder Hilario is my very best good friend in this mission. We'll end together, and he is the other area leader, or traveling assistant in the san antonio area. We corrected about 30 tests that were taken at the last transfer meeting, which involved translation, spanish idioms, and sentence correction. Only 2 people passed this transfer and we sent out to the individuals by text which pages from the study books to review in preparation for the exam. We spend a fair amount of time together fulfilling our assignment, and it looks like we'll be moving into his apartment in the next few weeks.

After transfer meeting on Thursday we got iPads!! Wjooo! The long running joke of "We'll get them by the end of the year" came true after 2 years. So  I've really enjoyed tagging scriptures into study categories. I really like sharing videos with people on the street and incorporating quotes from general conference into our lessons. I'm excited to use the church approved spanish language learning apps, and keeping trying to find more effective ways to do the work while incorporating technology. If you have any ideas of how we can take advantage of that resource please let me know.

In Monte Vista we're teaching an elderly woman named carmin Martinez.She's 94. She has been drinking coffee her whole life, but in just this last week she's stopped drinking it except for one cup in the morning which is already great improvment. She understands very little from our lessons, and her daughter will just repeat to her everything we say. She seems more accustomed to hearing her voice than ours. We asked her who jesus christ was and at first she couldn't remember, then when her daughter reminded her of church and some experiences they had then the memories seemed to come flooding back. If she learns one thing by the end of the discussion we count it at a success. She is preparing to be baptized on the 20th of June

Elder Hilario, I and a few other missionaries went tot he mission home last night with President Slaughter and his family. I was amazed out how full of the spirit his home was. They are an amazing example of maintaining the spirit of the temple in their lives and in their home. I was spiritually fed just by being with them. He taught us about the spirit of promise and the succession of general authorities and we discussed what we'd learned while using the new technology. I look to that couple as examples of consecrated life. I really hope to get to that level myself one day.

I love you very much!
Stay Salty!

Elder Tyler Meidell

5.25.15 - Ahi viene la technologia

Hello!

It's so good to get to talk to you!

I had a fabulous week in the lone star state. We met as a mission on Wednesday to hear from Elder Evans the managing director for missionary work in the church and Elder Allen. They spoke on being disciples of Christ in the digital age. i love that the church recognizes technology just as prophets of old recongized works of "curious workmanship" as inspired of god with the purpose of furthering his work at this time. iPads will be distributed throughout the mission this next transfer, and it looks like i'll get my own used one (seeing as i'm leaving before november they're not having me buy one) this coming Thursday. I don't know as of yet if Facebook is enabled, but it will be soon. I can't wait to clean that mess up.

Transfer calls were last night and President Slaughter said Elder Christensen is staying and I'll be leaving. Another short 2 tranfer area. I think this upcoming area i'll be there for my final 3. How sad, only one more ward to get to know and help. I can't wait to meet them all! I'll be serving as an area leader this next transfer, and i honestly don't know too much of what that entails. The area leader is a position President Slaughter created fairly recently to elevate the level of spanish in the mission. There are 4 area leaders in the mission, 2 in San Antonio and 2 in Austin. I'll find out Thursday where i'm headed, either to Monte Vista ward or De Zavala. From what i've seen they do a about 3 exchanges a week and put on spanish conferences every now and again. I'm really hoping all of the studying stuck and I can teach the language now.

In other news, Elder Christensen cut my hair this morning. 6:30 seemed like a good time for a hair cut, and I really look like i'm going in the military now, haha.

I served with Elder Bertelsen on an exchange this last Friday and he covers some boonie towns south of San Antonio. We spent a lot of time talking in the car on the way to elmendorf, haha it was a fun day.

We taught a family who's been to church 6 times now, and is still lacking a testimony because they don't read the book of mormon. during a flash flood warning we taught the law of chastity, which has been a sensitive topic for them for some time. They committed, and there was a very calm and loving spirit present throughout the course of the lesson. We began by reading about charity from Moroni 7 and it set a good tone, and as we continued the wife participated and was seeking knowledge more than she ever had before.

 As we closed the lesson there were flash flood and tornado warnings so we stayed and ate watermelon for a few minutes while we let the big wind systems pass by. We then made a break for the car and ran through 3 inches of water in the road and probably some of the worst rain i've ever been in. Instantly soaked. What a fun night.

A big highlight for me was working at the food bank. i'm sad i won't get to do that anymore. We spent 3 hours on tuesday and 3 on friday with cumulatively the whole zone. In total we together did about 80 hours of sticker sticking and box taping, haha.

I love this work. the spirit is ever-present in it. It was made clear to me that while enduring to the end the spirit will guide us in all that we do IF we feast upon the words of Christ with prayer. From 2 nephi 32

Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.

Now a little differently

Again, I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do.

Scripture study coupled with prayer performed regularly will open the windows of revelation and the Holy Ghost will guide you in all of the affairs of your life. Of this I testify.

I love you!
Stay Salty!

Elder Tyler Meidell

5.18.15 - Tantas Cajas

Happy P-day!

Tuesday, we did a test run of the service opportunity in the san antonio food bank. We spent 3 hours in a giant refrigerated warehouse taking boxes of frozen black bean patties off a pallet, opening the boxes, putting 2 stickers on the commercially sold boxes that read "peanut allergen" and then putting them back in the original box, taping them up and re-stacking another pallet as high as the first. We went through some 1,500 pounds of patties and 2,000 meals by the end of it. It was really fun, and we could leave feeling like we'd used our time more effectively than trying to find people at home at 2 p.m. on a Tuesday. We later pitched the idea to the zone during a zone meeting on friday and everyone was excited to get to work in a refrigerator. We have 21 missionaries signed up to work tomorrow.

I worked with Elder Black on Wednesday. We're all striving to be more converted, and his companion is striving to get to the point where he is at least obedient to missionary rules. Elder Black has been a very good example to him and his companion has made some very positive changes in the past 6 weeks; he studies now because he wants too, including spanish, and will get out of bed at 6:30 all are important weapons of rebellion he's given up to the Lord. The day of the exchange elder black had committed him to make 6 pretty big changes that would basically put the rest of his behavior in line with what the first presidency expects us to do. He agreed through his teeth. Elder black and i practiced how to respond when missionaries (and investigators) do and don't keep committments. We first practiced as ourselves, then we said, if our mission president was this Elders companion, how would he handle the situation and it helped us catch a higher vision of how building we could be, instead of demanding. We next asked ourselves, if the savior was this missionaries companion, what would be his response. It was obvious then the focus wasn't on us, the good that we might do as a more obedient companion is irrelevant, and I could feel a sincere love come from elder black as he got ready to go back and work with his companion again. I was grateful for the experiences i had with elder dewitt that helped me relate to Elder Black in his situation.

I went on another exchange with Elder calley on friday, one of the assistants to the president, and we worked on the principle he'd taught earlier that day during zone meet "we invite people when they understand.' Unfortunately, the lessons we set up for that evening fell through so we had a good while to chat about how the missionaries in the zone are doing.

What I did take away from that exchange was more confidence in inviting others to be baptized once I was comfortable they had a solid understanding of our message. We found 2 families on saturday, and have since seen again the sauceda family who committed to be baptized on the 20th of june. (I cannot believe we're planning for june already - time is flying)

The study topic from this week was Grace. We rely entirely upon the mercy of and grace of God to be saved. No amount of work we can do will merit us even the little finger of our resurrected bodies. My question was, well once we've all accepted Christ by living the principles of his gospel, why should I be killing myself to do all that I can do if I'll ultimately end up in the same place having done only a part of my best. I just think now that if we really have faith in the fulfillment of God's promises, than we'll do everything we can do to attain them. If you desperately need a job, and someone offers you a job, you'll do everything you can, make the phone calls, drive the distance, wake up early, to get that job because you know it's there waiting for you. If salvation is waiting for all those who repent and are baptized, believing on the name of Christ, and you believe that, you'll do everything you can to meet that condition so Christ can save you. You'll live in the light.

I love you!
Stay Salty!

Elder Tyler Meidell

5.11.15 - Llame a mi mama!

Every day has an extra twist. Monday all of our appointments fell through, and we felt good and tested by the time we got home. The lessons we did teach were to two men very much against the Book of Mormon.

Tuesday we drove up to Austin for MLC. The office staff prepared some delicious tacos for us, and the theme that we seemed to need to bring back for our zone was on the necessity of the Book of Mormon in our proselyting. We talked about teaching quoting the words of the prophets, choosing to answer questions entirely from the Book of Mormon, and we were reminded that the tool God has provided to gather his children in the last days is the Book of Mormon. Do everything you can to convince others to read and pray about the book of Mormon - PMG.

Wednesday i went to heritage ward and it seemed like we just needed to practice talking to everyone. On our bikes we had plenty of great conversations and the people who were the most prepared were always the ones where we were just about to let them go by and then at the last minute we flipped ourselves around and showed them the powerful message we have. From what i've heard, the last woman we talked to, Sherry, texted the elders saying, "Everyone needs to hear about Joseph Smith!" I really hope she keeps investigating.

Thursday there was a spanish conference for the san antonio missionaries. We taught a little 20 minutes lesson on prepositions to 4 mini classes and we really did our best to make it not the least boring class there. We showed a few ways to study and pick up on which prepositions are being used while reading and listening to native speakers. We next planned for a DLC and a Zone Meeting which are coming up this week.

Friday we met with a volunteer manager from the san antonio food bank and got signed up to give around 100 hours of service in the meat freezer as a zone each week, haha. We start tomorrow.

Elder Christensen was sick yesterday and today so we're hanging low and i've been cruising through the general conference ensign.

On Sunday I Skyped my mother. She's wonderful. I loved to see and hear her.

I've heard this before, but one thing that was made clearer to me this week was that many churches worship the light of Christ, and not God the Father. They worship a power, energy, or influence which emenates from God, which give life, gives light, inspires to do good, and is the governing force of the universe. While all of these begin with our Heavenly Father, they are not him. He is not so big he can fill the emensity of space, although his influence is in and through all things, nor is he so small he can fit in your heart, although his power can be felt inspiring all men to do good. He has a body of flesh and bone and we were made in his image, we are his literal offspring.

I am grateful for a Father in Heaven who created a plan where we could be happy, like he is happy. I am grateful that family ties can be perpetuated beyond the grave through obedience to that plan. I am truly grateful to live in the time when the restored blessings of the Abrahamic Covenant are extended to all who will receive them in His Holy House. He lives.

I love you,
Stay Salty,

Elder Tyler Meidell

5.4.15 - Me Cayen bien los Hilario

Hi!

Time keeps slipping by me. We had a really fun week. There weren't any special meetings, no trainings to get ready for other than MLC tomorrow, so we put in our hours on the streets. Looking back, that probably wasn't the best idea, but it's great to just be outside and talking with everyone you see. there is statistically little success from street contacts, but I think it's one of the ways that God tests the faith of his missionaries, and it gives you a lot of opportunity to practice different ways to teach simple principles.

Working on teaching for understanding, we've been breaking down all of the words we street proselyte with, and teaching has almost just become a game of defining Gospel, Prophets, Prayer in terms they relate with and the response has been gratifying. The people we've met seems very satisfied when they end the conversation feeling like they've learned something constructive about their relationship to God. South Zone is a special challenge, there's not a lot of education here.

I don't know why this got my thinking and laughing the other night, but there was a really inquisitive 4-year-old waiting with us on the porch for his dad to open the door. We knocked on the door and he just started grilling us. "What is that thing on your neck?" It's my tie. "What do you do with it? Well, nothing really. "Well, why do you have it then?!" We looked at the ground sheepishly. He then moved on to our belts and so on. I don't know why I got such a kick out of him. I think he reminded me of the boy from the incredibles. Well what are you waiting for, huh? I don't know! something amazing to happen I guess!

On Friday, we were teaching a mom and her two twin sophomore age daughters. That lesson in particular stood out to me because as I was teaching about the Book of Mormon and I started to explain it in a way I'd never thought of before. As I was describing it to them I was thinking to myself, wow, I can't believe i'd never realized that before. I can't remember exactly what came out but it was something to this extent:

"You will love the book of Mormon. Only looking at the way it begins you will know it is the word of God for you in your life, now. It starts with a family much like yours who lived in Jerusalem, they had a good life before, but God asked them to pick up everything they knew behind and take a journey off into the wilderness. They didn't know what they were going to do, only that God had asked them to do it. The spirit of God guided them along their Journey and after many years their family was much bigger, much closer, and they'd found a land promised to them by God. By being baptized you too are being asked by God to pack up and leave what you know behind. you may be unsure that you don't know the way, but God by the power of his spirit will guide you toward a life filled with his rich blessings. With lots of faith and time your family will be stronger, they will be closer and you'll inherit God's richest promised  blessing - eternal life."

The family spoke English so we passed them over to the english speaking elders and they said their next lesson went really well.

God lives. He knows and loves us.

I love you!
Stay Salty!

Elder Tyler Meidell

P.S. - We ate with the "Harold"'s 3 times in the past 8 days. I love this family. They are one of the strongest families I know in the church, and of course their son and I started our missions in San Antonio together. Every time we go over I think she knows she's a week closer to seeing Elder Harold and her excitement comes out in the quantity of food she prepares. We ate with them Saturday morning and Sunday evening, and that was basically all of the calories we needed to sustain ourselves. It's such good food.

4.27.15 - Esta humido a 90 porciento

Hello Hello!

Spring is gone. It's 98 degrees outside and super humid. There were some freak storms throughout most of the week, and I saw some video of a tornado touching down in pleasanton texas and throwing some palm sized hail around. It was a really great week this week guys, I really couldn't ask for much more.

I went on an exchange with elder White who's from Las Vegas. I actually met him when I went to boys state the summer before senior year. He's the guy everyone wants to hang out with on Pday because he's so funny. He served as a moving Elder for 5 transfers and is now one of our great district leaders. Moving Elders move missionaries in and our of apartments and take care a lot of the logistical. Plus, they get to drive the missions only Silverado. It was raining for about 2 hours pretty hard on Wednesday. We ended that day covered in mud from our bikes and passing cars. We taught a few children that day, and it definitely put us to the test to see if we could teach to the understanding of a 9 year old. I think we did ok, but honestly the dad was an active member and gave the girl all the answers. She'll be fine.

We gave a training on friday to the district leaders about teaching to the understanding of a class (or a district sized group of people) it's a little different than working one on one with a family.I think the hope is that if we can get our teaching up to par, we'll raise the standard of gospel principle teachers everywhere in the church, haha. It really came down to the preparation, and anyone with two brain cells to rub together i'm sure could have come up with that, but as far as establishing clearly what you want learned by the end of the lesson, how you'll explain and what questions you'll ask to the class so they come to the right conclusions, at the end from their comments it sounded like there was some progress. i'm excited to re-attend everyone's meetings this next week and see a change. They were inspiring meetings before, but I know there's more in these leaders that is yet to come out.

Saturday was a blessing-nightmare day. The Herrera's came to the Castor family's baptism, who the other elders have taught for 4 months. They arrived 40 minutes late so they missed the ordinance. They had previously committed to be baptized on may 2nd, it was kind of a soft date and we thought  their attendance to this service would really sure it up. They did stay for the little eat and mingle afterward and met sister rangel who is an older single lady. She tyranted for about 10 minutes about how bro herrera would be changed by his baptism and would have to give up his macho, drinking, abusive life and would become a more loving and gentle husband (sister rangel is divorced). He was looking to me a little offended like, "What is this lady talking about?" I returned a smile and a shrug hoping he'd understand i knew he wasn't like how she'd stereotyped him to be. We planned to have a quick lesson for 20 minutes about the law of tithing with bro calderone there, but it turned into a 2 hours conversation where ALL of their concerns came onto the table. It got pretty personal pretty fast. They almost gave up on us, but we finally settled on moving the baptism to the 16th after going through all of the baptsimal interview questions and trying to resolve a few more concerns like, why don't we ever open the scriptures in Gospel Principles class. They gave me a good scare where they didn't come to church until 30 minutes into sacrament, and they then left after the 2nd hour because the mom was really fighting with her 1 year old.

We had a good lesson with Margarita, and after reading how the people of Limhi were supported in their trials through the strength of God, a few inspired questions and a lot of silence she committed to come to church even though it started at the same time as her previous church. She did come and the gospel principle class not only opened up to the scriptures but it was on the atonement, and it seemed like she got a lot out of it. her story is interesting, we found her just shortly after her husband was arrested. They've been together for 42 years. She doesn't know why he was arrested, and doesn't know which prison he's being held in. She's now trying to figure out how she's going to pay bills since he was the primary income earner and they have a few grandkids that live there with them that are about 18. she knows we're representatives of jesus christ, and now it really falls on us to figure out what is the next thing she needs to learn.

I love this work. I love being a missionary. God lives.

I love you!
Stay Salty!

Elder Tyler Meidell

4.20.15 - Que es una enchilada sin la tortilla?

In our attempts to be even more comprehensive in our teaching to the least educated parts of San Antonio i may or may not have taken a step too far in over simplifying the doctrine. When teaching baptism it was not being grasped that baptism was not baptism if not done be God's priesthood authority. Explanations didn't cut it, scriptures and pictures got us close, and finally i just said, "What's in an enchilada?" well there's tortilla cheese and salsa, "and if you make an enchilada without a tortilla what's left? an enchilada?" Well no that's just cheese with salsa on it. So that's like baptism without god's priesthood. ohhh, ok. "Great, let's move on." I'll try and work on a more scriptural approach before I make that my standard.

Elder Christensen is an excellent companion. He's been out a transfer longer than me, and will go home after just 2 more so He can be ready to start up his junior year at Westpoint. He's very smart, and very hard working. He was just assigned to serve as a Zone Leader but it doesn't really seem like I need to train him on how to do anything other than the small procedural chores we take care of each week.

I was on a 3 day exchange with elder hill after we'd dropped Elder Scott off to go head home and that kept us busy working our 2 wards together.

I don't know if I've told you very much about the Herrera family yet. they came to church after an invitation on the street a month ago and haven't missed a Sunday yet. They said they're committed to stay in the church, but are hesitant to set a baptismal date. They finally stayed for the first 3 hours yesterday, and Bro. Hilario taught a powerful elders quorum lesson on how relying on the word of god from the scriptures offers you spiritual power to provide for the needs of your family. We're hoping that kicked Lorenzo into gear so he can continue past the first few chapters of Nephi. They were pretty ready to accept the Word of Wisdom, we'll need to follow up this week to see if they actually threw out their coffee, and I just realized they wrote down on the Sunday School attendance their names with different last names so i'm really hoping the law of chastity doesn't turn into a big fiasco like it sometimes does. They don't get along all of the time as is.

Aside from that Drama, we've been blessed to find a few other great families that seem like they're really prepared. It's never a bad day when in the serve of the Lord.

I love you very much!
thank you for your support!

Be Salty!

Elder Tyler Meidell

4.13.15 - Para que entiendan

Well hello there!

Time is just flying. I cannot believe we got transfer calls again. I'll stay in the Las Palmas ward another 6 weeks, and I'll receive a new zone leader companion. Can't wait!

The big focus for us this last week was, unintentionally, relying on the spirit. That really just sums up missionary work. Maybe we were just finally doing our job. We needed to take a few hours worth of notes we'd taken from MLC last week and convert those into training we'd be giving on Thursday from 8am to 1 pm. It felt like we had to take a crash course on things we still weren't very confident in quickly become experts so we could turn and answer the younger missionaries questions. the problem was it wasn't just principles on how to teach, we covered things like the harmful affects of comparing, self-doubt and ill-speaking of the Lord's annointed. Through much prayer, study and discussion we hopefully bettered ourselves in the process. The last one really struck me, because President called it a cancer that had to be cut out from the mission. We are the Lord's annointed for this time, and so belittling our abilities or our calling is to speak ill of those whom god has chosen and qualified. The discussion was not to pump up the missionaries by any means and send them home with their heads held high, we reminded them in whom they trust and depend for their success. We reminded them in who's name we act and in who's behalf we act. We hope we can all "Rely wholly upon he who is might to save."

We did teach some teaching skills. PMG Ch.10 under resolving concerns gave us the chance to work on all the things we'd done previously, such as practicing scriptures, teaching simply, asking inspired questions. It also added the new element of determing where doubt was really coming from. Normally concerns are social. They also either stem from a lack of testimony or a lack of commitment. Isolating the root of the concern helps us to know how to best address it.

As we've tried to be better at these things ourselves we've seen that there is a LOT more silence as we let people think and let the spirit, the true teacher, work within our investigators. it's been a powerful change. People have made some connections on their own that we originally had been, I don't know.. making too easy? Responses like, "So the Church of Jesus Christ of latter Day Saints is the only church that has God's Authority?" Has really made it feel like all of the practicing paid off.

I'd love to tell you more, but we're going to run to malt shop to eat lunch with elder Scott because he's going home tomorrows.

I love you very much!

Stay Salty!

Elder Tyler Meidell

4.6.15 - Coferencia General de puro espanol

We watched the Saturday morning session through the Sunday morning session in Spanish. My notes for the first few talks were going great, I was keeping up and was able to write and listen at the same time. Nearly an hour into the second session I was really starting to strain and was losing words in every few sentences. My notes for the following sessions suffered. I really liked the dynamic of having a translator for the prayers which are done in real time, and there were a few instances in the Saturday sessions when the translating was just gone for nearly 20 seconds and you could hear equipment getting jostled around in some room in Salt Lake. My Favorite part of the translation was during the closing testimony of one speaker on Saturday Afternoon, the translator felt the power of the words he spoke and became very emotional while the speaker continued unwavering. The hardest talk was definitely Elder Christofferson. His vocabulary was far far beyond my 4th grade spanish.
I got a giant egg for Easter! It was so big! Plus it was full of goodies my whole apartment is enjoying.

I also got to serve with Elder Hart who's about to finish his training while elder masters served with Elder Hall and Elder Drennen.

Elder Hart is great to serve with, he has a gentle heart. he's very sincere, and just good natured.
At MLC on Friday we learned more about how the true teacher is the spirit. I set the goal while watching conference to make the decision every day to look for more light, to gain just that much more understanding by the spirit. it won't come to us unless we act as agents and search for it ourselves. We also learned a little more about how by living in such a way that the spirit is strong in your presence the spirit will correct others who are searching to better themselves. If they're not looking to improve.. well then there's the military's way to make you better, haha.

One quote i loved from conference which i don't know how well i can transalte said we can't cast out darkness by chastising it, we instead have to bring in more light. I hope to make that a bigger part of how we train new missionaries, and those that are still fighting to make the decision if they want to serve with ALL their heart, might, mind and strength.

The Herrera family is doing great, they came to general conference and sister funtez, a very experienced and loving sister in the ward, first offered to take their 1 year old so they could focus on the speakers (their kids were still going a little crazy) and that turned into a nightmare. He cried as she left the sacrament room and she was blatantly uncomfortable awaiting his return. When she came back he was delirious and the mom made a rescue effort to soothe him. So that back fired. She later took out the 2 older boys and took them for a walk to pick flowers from the church grounds and play in the nursery which was much more successful. The older boys really took to her, and wanted to keep playing after the session was over. It seemed like the parents had a powerful experience listening to president uchtdorf and elder Holland. They said they'll prepare us a meal when we see them on Tuesday. We invited them to be baptized in the last lesson on the 25th of april, and they said that seemed a little soon so we said great, and we'll keep working with them.

I love you.
Stay Salty and Keep your Covenants.

Elder Tyler Meidell

3.30.15 - Las Casa Disfrazada

A surprise new investigator family made our last weeks efforts seem very gratifying. We were following the plans we'd set, and stopped by a former investigators house. He saw us and waved us over from across the street, but when we walked through his front door the house was totally quiet. He'd regretted inviting us in or something, because while we stood in his front room calling for him no one responded, or even made a sound. It was creepy. So we left and i remembered like i have numerous times before the words from President Challis to take time to stop, and assure that your plans are being guided by the spirit.

So we knocked on the neighbors doors and no one was home. I took another sweep of the street and saw some kids playing outside a few houses down. That's pretty conclusive evidence determining that parents are also home. the kids were funny and called their parents out for us and the mom was very friendly, and unlike a lot of people she did not have a lazy non-committal attitude. We didn't really teach her anything, we just asked if she wanted to come to church. She went to get her husband and when Lorenzo came out we had a little fear strike us because we've met a lot of nice women that get totally shut down by controlling unbelieving spouses. Lorenzo was really nice too! we only spent a few minutes with them, explained what church would be like, and of the 10 people who said they'd be at church on Sunday they're the only ones that came. I don't know how to translate "sus hijos son tremendos" but it gets the idea across that they cause quite a hastle for parents to control. Their 3 boys were having a fit in church, and i taught a woman in eagle pass who literally stopped coming because she felt so bad her son kept launching bouncy balls across the sacrament room. Therefore, being sensitive to the need of the parents to control their kids in public all we could manage were some mints and pens and paper. That worked for all of 5 minutes until they tore the paper to shreds. Then in came the angels.

Hna dominguez and Hna garcia, two of the sweetest old ladies you'll ever meet snatched the kids up and entertained them for the rest of the hour. That helped us a lot while we gave our talks on the organization of the church of jesus christ and the book of mormon as the converting tool of the gospel. Anyway, to get back to the disguised house, the family we taught lives in a shack. It's beat to death, and I think it's a south side tactic to keep people from stealing your stuff. The outside looks like homeless people stay there, and the inside is immaculate. All custom made by Lorenzo himself.

We had zone conference on Wednesday, it was ideas to help us teach so people understand.

We held a District Leader council on Friday so the district leaders could practice how to effectively correct their district members during role plays.

On sundays we eat with the Hilarios, and they consistantly prepare us so much food we don't eat lunch in preparation for the mammoth of a meal they make for us. It always is the best food I eat every week, and it was easily 3000 calories on its own. it took up 2 bowls and 3 plates...

saturday the ward had a plate sale fundraiser, and we attempted to organize a volleyball tourney. Their event was way more successful than ours, but it was fun getting to meet a ton of new people.

I love you!
Stay Salty!

3.23.15 - Santos Avanzad!

I can hardly believe how much we did this week, and how fast it went by. my gut is telling me this next week is going to go even faster.

I went on an exchange with Elder Fajardo. He's excellent. He said prior to being called on a mission he worked with a little government department doing research on new vaccines. His area has been struggling, but we found a family at 8:30 pm just before heading in for the night. based on his numbers I was just looking it they appear to have gone to church too, so i'll need to follow up with him on that.

I met a lot of drunk people this week. We met luis at about 1pm on saturday. He waved to us from the street so we went into the little drive way by his house. He was literally surrounded by bottles and cans of beer. there must have been more people with him the night before, because there were easily 30 bottles scattered across the ground. His family said we hadn't slept all night, and when we got over to him he must have come to an understanding of how drunk he must have looked because he started jumping around doing a little dance while he kicked all of the beer bottles into a pile. Luis tried to get us to tell him if there were any single women at our church and then got mad and offended when i said there probably weren't any he would like. Anywho, we did teach his nephew and a friend and it turned out alright.

The Las Palmas ward has the fire right now. We send around a little calendar around during elder quorum and someone from the ward goes out to teach with us basically every night. Brother Sanchez taught the first lesson with us last Saturday and he definitely felt the missionary fire, he got to bear his newly formed testimony of living prophets and he's pumped about it.

There were a few days of planning where we did weekly planning for the members of the zone. We wrote out all 23 people and then talked about how they're doing, what their next step of progression is, and what we're going to do so they make that step by the end of the month.

We're working a lot on using the scriptures while we teach still.

For people i'm not too close with i'm pretty quick to try to build them up and let them know they're doing a good job. For people i know well, i usually take for granted their knowledge of my praise for the good work they're doing. So i'll just talk about all the stuff we're working on, and just assume they know i think they're doing a good job. So if anyone has any helpful hints for how to avoid that i would love a troubleshooter. Thanks!

We taught about 20 lessons this week and the Recendez family let us take their coffee can with us when after we taught the word of wisdom this alst thursday. Soo, that was awesome.

I love you!
Stay Salty!

Elder Tyler Meidell

3.16.15 - En el servicio del Senor

When in the service of the Lord, your energy will fail you long before the amount of good you can do.

I've never felt so proactively busy, and despite that it seems like with human errors we're always hustling to keep up with the schedule we've set for ourselves. It is a very different world on the south side of san antonio, maybe I didn't realize before because i'd just come from Mexico which has a much lower standard of living than the united states, but it is evident now there are a lot of people going through hard times. One less active family we taught has 4 kids, each with very diverse problems caused by snares and traps from the devil. Drugs, pornography, abuse, leading to incarceration and a cycle of child-bearing that merits the very same offspring. It's definitely a different world from one founded in gospel truths. We thought, how can we help? Healing comes through repentance, and honest repentance will require every one to pay restitution, in time, the debt they owe to society. We can teach the Doctrine clearly, and assure them that healing and salvation is well worth the penitence.

In this past week we went to MLC. We started in the temple. I learned that day about how crucial it is for us to report to the lord our labors. I also thought about how perfect of a representative Jesus Christ is of God in everything he does. We studied  how to teach using the scriptures, and applying the principles has really opened up the way we relate the principles specifically to individuals lives. Amos 8:11-12 really didn't help me teach the apostasy until I practiced with it, and now I see more clearly how a famine of the word of God is a loss priesthood authority when remembering the scriptures were not lost during those 1700 years.

We taught the same principle again to our district leaders on Friday and did plenty of planning.
I feel pretty comfortable in spanish, but I in themes outside of the gospel I'm still weak in vocabulary. We gave a church tour to a group of 22 on saturday night. About 6 non members and friends, and we plus another companionship took them around for about 45 minutes. As we explained the significance of the sacrament while sitting up where the deacons would the spirit was powerfully present. 4 of them came to church the next day.

Our most progressing investigator is Maria. She's ready to go, but she lives in a house where her (not legally wedded) husband also comes and goes. So once we figure that out we're excited to help her make her first covenant.

This work is true. It is very very true. God is at the helm. Trust him and Go all in.

I love you very much!

Stay Salty!

Elder Tyler Meidell

3.9.15 - El sucio sur

I love the dirty south!! Man, we live in the ghetto.

When I started my mission I was assigned to the 5th ward, a spanish ward, and after 3 months i packed my bags for eagle pass. Now, a full year later, I'M BACK! The 5th ward had to combine with Las Palmas because it wasn't thriving on it's own, so now our area, Las Palmas A, is what the Las Palmas ward used to cover and the ward is comprised of half old 5th ward members! So i'm working a different area, but with many of the same members. There were some sweet reunions at church yesterday when I surprised some families i'd served alongside a year ago. They pretty much all just made jokes about how bad my spanish was the last time they saw me ...

I'm serving with Elder Masters, and I couldn't be more excited for this next transfer. It was sad to leave Elder Gonzalez; i'd grown closer to him than to any of my previous companions, but after everything we'd learned from each other we were ready for a change. Since i arrived to the south side it has been non-stop action. I want more than anything to have success in this area. Elder Masters is a lot like me, very self critical, very goal oriented and he loves the work. So we've been consecrating all of our conversation and time to God and in just the few lessons we've had we've been very bold in extending invitations and explaining the singularity of our message.

It's been a lot of time sitting and planning too. in 3 days we had to do weekly planning, zone planning (after trying to memorize all the names and areas and histories of the new missionaries) MLC prep, coordination with a our high council rep and we drove up to the alamo ranch building for a Justserve kickstart meeting for the south stake.

"Let us here observe, that a religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never had power sufficient to produce the faith necessary until life and salvation." One thing I learned about covenants is that it puts us in the position to be tried and tested by God, to see if we'll be true and faithful in all things. The greater condemnation the greater light of these covenants brings into our lives compels us to be always abounding in good works. We don't accept the covenant, nor the blessing of the holy ghost which leads us back to the father, until we've demonstrated to an authorized representative that we understand and are willing to accept the Lords terms. If we've done that, we know we cannot sin in ignorance, which sin was payed for by the sacrifice of Christ, if we haven't we can only be judged according to the light and knowledge we have received. By making the promise with God, and receiving the full knowledge of his plan, he can then try us until our faith becomes perfect unto salvation; until we can pass through the veil that is between us and God.

Elder Masters helped me this week when he said, "while on your mission, the adversary will bring to your remembrance many things that will make you feel unworthy. if you've repented, ignore him." I took some time to say a closet prayer, to be sure, and as i talked to my Heavenly Father as openly and as freely as i ever have the feelings of my heart. I was blessed to feel his peace, and took time to thank him for the matchless gift and sacrifice of his son Jesus Christ. I felt a greater commitment to be changed. I felt his presence with me poignantly, and i count it as one of my most treasured spiritual experiences.

I love you!

Stay Salty!

Elder Tyler Meidell