August 28th 2013


Hola!                                                

K so remember last week how I said when we were taking the driving test we saw a car wreck? Okay so the next day after I got done emailing, I was driving, yes me, and what do you know, another car wreck next to me. haha I have some luck.
Anyways this week has been good. We are visiting a lot of less active people and we are really working hard! I don't have a lot of time to write but just a few quick little things that happened. So in front of our house how I said lives a drug lord. Well we have been teaching his 3 little kids almost every night and they love us! Haha I wish I could tell you all about them but next time, long story short the mom is bringing them to church every Sunday and hopefully they will get baptized.
Also I’m with Elder Conder now, he's from Idaho and he's super cool. Yesterday I met this guy named Juan and I just talked to him for like 5 minutes and tried asking him to get baptized, he said no, but at least I’m not nervous to do it ever. Today we got to go through the temple and wow it was amazing! So cool and I really understood more things so it made it a lot more interesting. I really wish you guys could come through the LA temple one day! It is amazing! Beautiful! Well we have P-DAY on Monday so I’ll be able to write a lot more then I promise!

I love you all!

-Elder Puertas 

August 20th 2013


Hola familia!                                                    

Okay so I am going do this weekly email a little different.
Well first off just to summarize my week in like a couple of sentences.
This week was a good week FOR ME. Jimmy's family is still going through some stuff and I don't know what's really happening. Just pray for them. Hector and Maria got back together and we had FHE with them last night and they are doing amazing again. Hector and his family were literally at rock bottom buuuut once you've hit the bottom you can only go up. So they are working on it and it was good. They also want to get baptized but there are still some things that they have to take care of. But I am happy for them.
Also I took my driving test this week and I passed. Surprise. But it was crazy because I was at this stop light right. I was like the 3rd car, and the car next to me was just there and all of the sudden this Van just rear ends them and then that car that got rear ended, rear ends the car in front of them. So this accident just happens right next to me. Ha it was crazy! 2 people went home from our zone :( the mission is hard and you really have to give it your all to keep going!
So this email I want to talk about the Family! The family is literally the best thing you can have but what makes it even better is the Unity of the family.
We went over to this family's house earlier this week, (no names) unfortunately the father was drunk, he invited us in. He just talked about how he was at the point of giving up, disappearing. He wants to give up because all of the family hate each other, financial problems, the grandmother passed away, and he can’t take it anymore. He was just balling and wanted our help.
The other family, (no names) this family was doing amazing and just when they were going up, something hit them, a trial. Well the father left (hopefully just temporary) and now the mom is alone with her kids, and she is pregnant. She also called us asking us for help.
This last family I don't know much about, but I can tell how the parents are. So on Friday night I got to cut my companions hair, Elder Cockriel and this little kid comes up to me asking me how much I charge. I told him I’d do it for free, but the next day. This little kid, age 7 lives at the house in front of me, his dad is a drug lord. His mom cusses like crazy, she is always super loaded too. I am just sitting here feeling bad for this kid. He seems so cool too. Super happy and he likes us, the missionaries, a lot. I feel bad because why does he have to grow up with all this. He came over Saturday night and I cut his hair and we just kicked it their talking for a little while. He comes over almost ever night just to say hi while his parents are just always outside smoking.

Well I've seen these 3 different families in 3 different situations. Then I think to myself of my family! I am super grateful for the family I have now and the way I grew up! I also think to myself how are we still doing good as a family when we've been through hard times as well.  What are all these families missing? They are all missing the Gospel. When they do what's right and they are on the right path, they are doing great but once something hits them, they just stop and quit. The families that get up from the hit are the ones who never stop trying the best. When it comes to going to church, reading your scriptures, praying, etc. Those are the families that are strong. When they are willing to keeping going even when the times are tough.

And I’m so grateful for my parents! Thank you Dad, Mom, Angela for being an example to me. The parents can be the biggest influences in a kids life and I’m so glad I had the examples I had.
Last family, last week they were horrible the mom and kids left the dad, He was super high on drugs and was freaking out, (investigator family) and do you know what he did. He went to church that Sunday. He talked to the bishop; they had this plan for him and his family so they can get better again. Well like I said, we had FHE with them last night and they are doing amazing. They are super happy and they love us. They want to get baptized and their goal is to be sealed in the temple now. They still have some things to work on but they are working on it!!! That's because they didn't stop trying their best!  
Families really can be together forever and it’s amazing! God has a plan of each of us but its up to us to act on it! I love you all! I miss you all and I’m grateful or every single one of you.

P.S I’m going to the temple next Thursday and I’m soooooo excited!!

This church is true and I love it!

Elder Puertas!!!

August 12th 2013


Family!                                                                     

Okay so I have 20 min to write this but this week has been by far the CRAZIEST week. Ahhh k so Monday first off we went to STAPLES CENTER. It was so money and I loved it! I got to take a pic with Magic J! Yaaaa

Anyways we went to see Jimmy’s family on Tuesday and something crazy happened when we were there that is a little personal but just know that everything is going good with them again. We had a chance to give them a blessing and the SPIRIT was so strong. Jimmy, who never cries, cried. His girlfriend Jenny cried Jimmy’s mom Vergina cried and it was amazing how much the Spirit can really comfort us! They love us and I feel like they know all of what we are teaching is true so tomorrow we are going to ask them to be baptized so just pray for us.

Ha. Well that’s not all so we have another family that called us and wanted us to come quick but we couldn’t till later so we went over and the dad was there alone crying and we talked with him for A LONG TIME. We were supposed to be home by 9:30 at the latest and we went to see what was going on at like 9:15pm and we didn’t get home until 10:45. It was nuts. I can’t really say what happened because it was really personal, but we also gave him a blessing and man the Holy Ghost is always with us! His wife and 2 kids were not there but we saw them the next day and we gave them blessings too! I have given more blessings in 2 days then I have in my entire life ha. But it was good for me. And for me to be super worthy and ready to give the blessings made it that much better because it worked! 

Anyways going on through the week on Wednesday we had dinner with the Cordova’s. He used to be in the Area Quorum of the 70 so he is a big deal. Ha but guess were we went to eat? A PERUVIAN RESTARUANT! sooo good. I got Lomo Saltado! Ha-ha of coarse! Anyways he was cool and we are eating with him again! Friday I got some packages! I’m still working very hard and this week I know will be a good week. It’s the way you see things is how you make it good or not. I love you all!
Scripture of the Week 2 Nephi 5:21- so I figured out were my brown skin comes from! I’m a lamanite... great! Ha-ha
Joke of the Week.
Que es la apellido de Adan?....











......Perez..




Porque dijo Dios si comes de la fruta Perecera... (Perez Sera) ha-ha


-Elder Puertas

August 5th, 2013


Como estan todos!???                                                

Okay so this week has been good! I played soccer on Monday finally! But we are teaching a family and their mom was coming over from Mexico. Her name is Virgina and she’s amazing! We taught her and she loves us and wants to know more about the church! She has this little pet Chihuahua that is crazy! It bites everyone but when we come over it lets us pet it. Our spirit is so strong that it makes everyone and everything happy I guess.

Well that was on Monday and actually we got a change to take them to the Temple Visitor’s Center Tuesday night and that was an amazing experience. We watched this video there and yes, it made them cry.... mayyyyyybe I had watery eyes. Maybe. But they loved the tour and loved the temple! The temple is amazing! I smile so big every time I’m by it! It’s huge! But anyways so we kind of need to be home by 9pm or 930 at the latest but that night was kind of crazy with traffic and we were running late so we kind of got home at 10:20pm. But, I got to see downtown lit up and it was awesome!

This week was cool too because we had a baptism last night!!! Whoohooo! His name is Victor and he’s from Honduras and he’s super chill! Every time we go over he always makes us food and he always wants us to rest! I love him.

But also one time during the week when we were doing companion studies, I was just sitting on the couch and I looked to my left outside my front door and I see a bird just chilling and 2 second later this car just drives right over it and there was just this pop noise and I jumped. Ha-ha it was sick! Literally. Its one wing was still flapping. Poor bird. But it’s all good because it is flying in heaven now! Lucky.

Also so we met this guy on the street named Juan. It started off real good and he is catholic and all then he started getting more intense with his church and he was saying how his church was the only true church. And well we aren't supposed to Bible Bash with anyone (meaning, don't argue with their believes and try to prove them wrong). Long story short, we COULD have wrecked him but we didn't. He really wasn't ready for our message so it’s okay. When the second coming comes, he will believe us then. But yeah other than that, that's been my week. I learn more and more about my companions though. Elder Boyd is still a wizard! He also made his Senior Prom suit out of duck Tape. Ya he’s one of those guys! Ha-ha but I love him! He’s a boss! Elder Cockriel is great too! He loves to sing and he’s really good at it so I always have music playing at home. So about me being a man... yeah I really am because now I’m washing the dishes too and cooking my own meals and ironing my own shirt AND doing laundry for myself! Ha-ha ya I know! The facial hair keeps growing back fast so no worries!

I love you all!

I love my mission! I’m doing this all for you guys also for myself but MOST importantly for my heavenly father.

Mosiah 3:19 love it!
Until next week. -Elder Puertas

"Alright joke of the week guys:

Who was the first person to break all 10 commandments?....
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....... Moses :) ha-ha love you all, peace"