Meeting Elder Chandia

Monday, October 25, 2010

Hi everybody!!

I'm doing well and so is Elder Chandia. He is a great missionary and I feel I have to do little training with him. He's good with teaching and following the spirit and has a very likable personality so he gets along well with the members of the church and our investigators that we currently are teaching. It makes it a whole lot easier as a district leader as well. We just now need to make our area the example for the rest of our district to follow. Currently we are a pretty bad example. But I feel good things coming up in the future for us.

We are working really hard with this investigator, Jose Deleon, and feel that he will progress quickly towards baptism. We meet with him more than once a week and he keeps all the commitments we give him. He's such a wonderful kid, I just hope his parents allow him to get baptized. They don't have too much of a like for us. They aren't mean but they've had bad experiences with Mormon missionaries in the past. We are also working with another young boy who is very interested in religion. Only 14 and very good at recognizing the spirit. He and his sister, who's only 7, have been meeting with us. Their mother is a single parent and works all day but is fine and comfortable with us teaching them. We hope to get the mom involved soon. That would help so much in their conversion.

We are desperately trying to get the members involved once again but because of the holidays coming up things are so hectic. Surprisingly I haven't been too stressed as I anticipated I would be. I feel strongly that the Lord is preparing ways for us to accomplish the goals we have set for ourselves and as a mission. I so very much love being a missionary and feel that I have grown so much in the past 5 months. I can't wait to see what else is in store for me and the people of Maryland. I hope you are all doing great! I love you all and miss you but I know that the Lord is watching over each of you. Please be alert to his promptings and guidance. I know that God loves each of us and wants us to be happy but we can't achieve that happiness if we aren't listening what he's trying to tell us. Once again I love you all. Take great care and God bless.

Elder Watson

A New Companion & New Responsibility!

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Hey everybody!!! So for the news you have all been waiting for.....I did not get transferred but my companion, Elder Paine, did. It was a bit dissapointing. Elder Paine and I did not get along very well in the beginning. We had to work really hard to understand each other and gain respect for one another. After much hard work we became really good friends. We found a way to work and teach extremely well. And just after we finally figured all these things out he gets transferred. But that's okay the Lord needed him to step it up a little and lead a district in the Eldersburg area in Maryland. He is a great guy with lots of leadership qualities. He will definitely go far. So I'm still here in Mt. Airy....but this time with more responsibilities or stress I should say...or blessings, depending on how you look at it! LoL....I've been called to serve as district leader as well and I am also training a wonderful Elder from Las Vegas. He already seems like a great guy, with a wonderful testimony, and very easy to get along with. His name is Elder Chandia, 19 yrs old, and ready to serve serve serve! I'm excited about this transfer but I will need all the support I can get from heavenly father. Elder McMaster, my trainer is training again and our lineage just got bigger. So this is how it goes:

Elder Hurst (Currently home) trained Elder Forbush

Elder Forbush trained Elder Wong and Elder McMaster

Elder Wong is training Elder Nickels

Elder McMaster trained Me and is training Elder Barlow

And I'm training Elder Chandia

Great grandfather Hurst

Grandfather Forbush

Uncle Wong

Daddy McMaster

Cousin Nickels

Brother Barlow

Son Chandia

that is my lineage!!!! So much fun!

Keeping the Faith

Monday, October 18, 2010

I am doing just fine and healthy as can be. I've had a bad headache the past few days but contribute it to the changing of the seasons and weather! It's getting really cold out here but I've been staying pretty warm. I do need to obtain a weather coat soon. I believe I have enough money in my personal account. I'm not too sure. The ward is feeding me well. I'm still skinny but slowing gaining pounds. We've been riding bike a lot as well so I'm gaining leg muscles for sure.

So I had a pretty cool experience last night. A family in our ward, the Pallays, called us last night because Laura had a bad migraine and felt she needed a blessing. Whenever we have the opportunity to give blessings I am willing to assist but always so nervous that I would be asked to give the blessing. Most times I feel that I won't be able to say the right things and stuff like that. Well, sure enough I was asked to seal the anointing and give the blessing. I started the prayer then went totally blank. I was upset for a little while and told myself to get over it and pay attention to the thoughts that will come into my mind. I relaxed and listened and then i started to talk. To my suprise I began to know what to say, what to bless her with, and when i stopped receiving thoughts I ended the prayer. After I ended I just thought, oh boy, what did I just do. I hoped everything I said would come true. I realized that the blessing would work if they had enough faith which I'm sure they did. But I wanted a guarantee that it would work so I decided to add my faith as well. A few minutes after the prayer her migrains started to get worse. She grabbed her head and started to moan but I knew that she would be fine. A few minutes after that, she looked up and said, "It's gone!" We turned the lights back on and you could see that she was no longer bothered by her migraine. I was so happy that the Lord allowed her to be healed right then and there. She said, she knew that it would go away because it always works. I know that it was because of her and her mother's faith. I had to really try hard to keep up my faith but this experience has strengthen my faith and testimony in priesthood blessings.

Thats pretty much all for the week. I'll write to you again soon with more stories and experieces. I love you all and hope you continue to be blessed. Take care and tell everyone I love them. Talk to you again soon!

Aloha, Elder Watson

Small and Simple Things

Monday, September 20, 2010

I've been have small but great experiences here. Here is a simple yet small one I'd like to share.

So we decided to knock on this street called Yeagerstown Rd. I had once had a prompting to knock this road, but after driving through it became unsure and decided not to. Not too long ago Elder McMaster called and said he "received revelation" that we should knock on Yeagerstown Rd. He said he had many prompting to knock there when he used to be in our area but never followed them and that we should go. So we made the decision to do so and did get much success.....in the beginning. Towards the end of knocking that street we went to this house where there were three kids playing outside. We talked with the kids for a bit, a boy about 4 years and a girl about 6 years, and the boy decided to go in and "summon" his parents. He eventually came back out and mumbled something we couldn't understand. So his older sister left to go see if she could get her parents to come out. She came out and said, "they want to know what your selling?". Then soon after their father came storming out the door saying," We don't want what your selling, I'll take a pamphlet, but other than that we don't want anything. You can leave!" Then walked right back into the house. Surprisingly enough, I wasn't angry. I just accepted it and went on to the next house. As we were leaving I waved to the kids and said "Goodbye!". The girl, Deanna was her name, said bye and watched us go. Then all the sudden she yells, "Wait!". She runs back up to us and says, "Give me a book." I was soo confused at what she was asking but I felt the spirit prompt me to just give her a copy of the Book of Mormon. Now, normally I wouldn't have given it to her because I knew she couldn't read and i didn't want her to waste a perfectly good copy of the book of Mormon. But the prompting to give her the book was soooo strong I acted with no hesitation. She said thank you and walked under a shady tree and started to look through it, upside down might I add. hehe. I slowly walked away thinking, "Why did I give her the book? Why did she ask me for it? What should I do now?" I quickly said a prayer in my heart seeking for guidance on what I should do next: If I should go back and try again? If I should teach those little kids? But the revelation I came away with was that that was sufficient enough for the Lord to work on their hearts. How long will it be until they are ready to receive the gospel? I have no idea. But those kids were the cutest things and I can't wait until they are baptized, whenever that will be. I know the Lord has something good in store for them and I have a feeling I wont find out until I leave this life but I am positive that the Lord was there that day watching over that family, prompting that little girl to ask for something she knew nothing about.

I love the Lord and the small and simple things he used to lift our spirits up and strengthen our faith in him. He is soooooo Awesome. I love his gospel, I love his work. I love his people and his gospel. I love you all! Please continue to stay strong and close to the gospel. And thank you all in advance for your letters. Take care and keep in touch. I will touch base again next week.

A hui hou,

Elder watson

Come what may

Monday, October 4, 2010
Wasn't general conference just awesome. I did stand when they asked all the missionaries to stand and it felt so weird. For a moment I forgot that I was even a missionary. I do have somewhat exciting news. Somewhat only because I don't like what I think they might have in mind for me next transfer. Anyway, I was invited to attend the leadership training starting tomorrow for the following three days. I'm hoping it was just a nice invite just so I can see how the meetings are. LoL...I can wish can't I. Everyone is saying that president is planning on making me a district leader or a trainer but I don't think I'm ready for that responsibility just yet. I'm still trying to figure out how to take care of the responsibilities I currently have! But whatever the case may be I know that the Lord with be my strength and that If I put my full faith and trust in him I will be able to fulfill all the responsibilities given me. Anyway, the work is doing great out here. Lots of success being seen. Many many people are receptive but no where close to baptisms yet. It takes time and patience, diligence and lots of faith and study. I'm ready for it.

Elder Watson