Joy Beyond Words

Elder Pulver (ZL) and I at the temple.
Sadly everyone left before we could get a group picture at the temple :/

This week was a really good learning experience.  We had a lot of good
lessons both as appointments and just by ourselves where Elder Shipley
has taught me a lot, both about missionary work and myself.
I don't have a lot to talk about because I really don't know how to
put the feelings I've had throughout the week into words.  So let me
just tell you about some of the people we've worked with throughout
the week that have made this week so great.

First off, my companion, Elder Shipley.  The kid's Spanish is pretty
rough, and he knows it.  Friday he just became really quiet all of a
sudden and when I asked him what's up, he just opened up to me and
told me all about how he's been fighting with anger and jealousy
because I only have 6 months in the mission and he has 11 and how I'm
the one teaching him.  He was more mad at himself if anything and was
having a really hard time with that.  We talked for a while about the
ways that I can help him and the ways that we can work better together
and now he's improving so well.  Everyday I'm more impressed with how
good his Spanish is getting.  Its still got a ways to go but I'm glad
he's willing to keep learning from me while I learn from him.  It sems
that as I teach him Spanish, he's teaching me lots of Christ-like
attributes like Patience, Charity, and Humility.  A lot of the time I
feel like I'm learning more from him than he is from me.

Second person of the week, Hector.  Hector is the 16 year old we found
a while ago that had already obtained a testimony of the Book of
Mormon.  The problem was that he got a new job and doesn't know if
he'll be working the next day in Sioux City or in Carthage, Illinois
(which he pronounces Car-tah-hey).  We FINALLY were able to find him
at home one night and sat down and talked to him.  He told us about
how he wants to come to church to see how it is and to learn more.  At
the end of the lesson, he even said the prayer!  and it wasn't a
memorized prayer!  He asked for help that his boss wouldn't make him
work on Sunday and that he could come to Church.  It was great!  He
still wasn't able to come this week because he got sick or something
but he's progressing and that's awesome!  I left that appointment
smiling ear to ear.

Hermana Flores and I

Third person is named Hermana Rosa Flores.  She's kind of like my
Mexican Grandma.  Everytime we go over to her house she says, "Did you
eat already?  Do you need anything?"  and when I told her what I had
for dinner was a giant bowl of Fruity Pebbles she just looked at me
and said, "Thats not food."  and then cooked us a giant plate of food.
 I like her a lot.  PLUS This week she came with us to visit Martha
(who's doing great by the way) and now the two of them are like best
friends!  It was great!

Lastly, we've got 6 people actually.  This week Hermano Rafael Flores,

The Ramirez family, Hermana Silvia, Hermana Monica, and Hermana Vilma
all went through the Temple to recieve their Endowments!  We were
lucky enough to be able to go with them since we were able to help
them get to this day since a few of them were less active and ALL of
them are converts.  The session brought me so much joy that I can't
even explain it to you.  Seeing all of them in the Celestial Room at
the end just made me so happy and I've been smiling ever since
everytime I think about it.  That's the goal, isn't it?  To be able to
see all these people that we love in the Celestial Kingdom some day?
It brought me so much joy seeing these people that I've come to know
and love over the past 5 months here in Sioux City make sacred
promises with God and take that next step towards Eternal Life.   I
really do love these people and I hope I stay here for a while longer.

Thats all I got this week.  I love you!  Thanks for being the best
family support a missionary could have!

Lots of Love,
Elder Zack