Elder Hyrum Portlock

Feb. 16, 2015

This week in Tuxtla Mexico, Well this week was pretty good, things are normal and we're working hard. Its a little different being zone leader. We do a bit more work and are always on the phone, it seems like(: and because our stake and zone is the closest to the offices we do a lot of stuff for president. I love being zone leader(: This week in the capacitacion of the district leaders we talked a lot about the importance of contacts. We're working on teaching the restoration in 1 minute so we can make for efficient contacts. After the meeting we got to enter the temple with our zone and with President George. I love the temple and I am so grateful to be so close and have the opportunity to enter. Many of the missionaries that have more time in the mission have told me that with the old president he didn't let them enter the temple, maybe once a year! President George is awesome and full of love! He also loves the temple and tells us how important it is. In the temple there was a new convert of 1 year that had entered the temple 1 week ago and entered the session with us, it was his 2nd time. He sat by me and asked me if I could help him cause he didn't remember anything. During this time Hermana Hickman, who also has a blog, got up and ran over to us to see the man, he was her convert 1 year ago when she was in his area, wow she was so happy to see him and he had such a bright spirit. After the session we were in the celestial room, he broke down crying in tears. Elder Ibarra went to talk to him and after they came over to me and we prayed for him. He feels so happy to have this knowledge and blessing of being a member and being able to enter the temple. He knows and feels that it is true and that he finally found it. He was crying because he really wants his daughter to know the truth and be there with him... he is great! I also have been thinking a lot about the example of Adam. In the garden he didn't know why he needed to keep the commandments or why he needed to do things but he did it anyway because God commanded him to. What a great example when our leaders command us to do things or when God give us commandments that we DO them. Some times we don't know why but we DO them. This Saturday we got a phone call from a nervous member. She told us that her daughter has a baptism today and that she needs help. We told here OK we will be at the church in 10 minutes. At the church nobody was there so we cleaned the church and cleaned the font and filled the font. After the member came with her daughter and husband. They were ready for the baptism but nobody else came! But we had the baptism anyways. We had us the 2 witnesses and her father who baptized her and confirmed her. We gave short little talks and made it really special for her, she was so exited! Oh and she is 8 by the way ( so it isn't our baptism but it is service for them(: ) after she was baptized she was full of the spirit and told all of us that there are more people here. The room is full. She told us that angels are watching! Wow! Her parents started to cry and thanked us a ton for helping them. They told us that they will remember us for their whole life! And that we are very special to them. Wow! What a great day(: on Sunday they asked us in the morning if we could give talks, well we told them of course(: hahah the talks were great! I'm so grateful that I'm able to speak and give talks! This is my 2nd talk in the mission(:. Also we had a meeting with President George and the stake president and Elder Reys from the 70, we talked about how the missionaries are working with the bishops and talked about what we could do better. It was really awesome to be in a meeting with them! Elder Gonzalez and I are getting along really well haha I love being zone leader because I get a really good companion hahaha(: I love all of you family and friends(: take care for now and have a good week(: CON AMOR Elder Portlock