September 22nd, 2014

This last week we had a Baptism! It was for Claudia Romero, the mother of Gisselle and Leo, who were baptized 2 weeks ago. I think I might have already shared this story about Claudia but about a year ago I was serving in Bell Gardens where a member there gave us a referral of our sister in law who lived right in front of her, so we tried and met her the first time and ever since she never opened the door again, even though she was home. (happens a lot) Well.. 1 year later I'm in HP and we get a referral from some Elders and we go over and we met Claudia and her family. I knew she looked familiar when I met her and we began to get to know her and stuff and she explained to us that she used to live in Bell Gardens right in front of her Sister and law's house and that she wasn't ready back then but that now she is. THEN it clicked! I met her a year ago in Bell Gardens and now I’m in HP (a city next to Bell Gardens) and she also moved over here as well.  Well now Claudia and her two kids are baptized! She's way cool though! Way cool. HP is GREAT!

Elder Puertas!

September 15th 2014

Ok we saw a cool miracle in our area the other day, our appointment fell through and so we tried a potential that was on the potential sheet. This person was contacted in 2010. We went over and the Mom answered the door, she wasn't really receptive and the Dad in the back was this big guy and he yells out, "let them in" So we went in, introduced ourselves, the whole family sat down and there were 7 of them. 6 of which are old enough to get baptized. They were really nice and accepted a return appointment for later on this week. I was so happy to see that.

Also this week our investigator Claudia got married!!! Now she can get baptized on the 21st! Super excited for that. She is doing great! She is the mom of Gisselle and Leo that just got baptized last week. We had Stake Conference yesterday so I was able to see a lot of the members from Bell Gardens. Man it was so good to see them. I miss that ward a lot, they are truly super cool! That's about it! I love you all! :)

Elder Puertas

September 1st 2014

Wow Crazy weekend! Okay so first off we had Transfer calls last night! and.......... I am staying again with Elder Casco! He's so amazing, we just work hard together! I am going on Transfer #5 here in Huntington Park. That will be 7 1/2 months in one area! I am so excited to stay here in HP again. There is so much work here and I am really excited for this transfer with all these NEW missionaries coming into the Zone. Almost everyone in our Zone is training, like 8 out of 10 are. So this will literally probably be the FRESHEST Zone in the Mission! I trust all of the trainers here so much though. They really are hard workers.

We saw an awesome miracle as a zone to be able to pass our goal of 8 baptisms for this month and have 10. They are all super solid as well. The Zone is growing.

I am doing well, still trying to get really organized though and figuring some things out. Lately I have really focused on the power of pondering (advice from Elder Kimball). As I read the Book Of Mormon, I have learned so much about what it says the more I ponder about it. Just yesterday reading chapter 9 of 2 Nephi was so good. I almost stopped and pondered about what I was reading at every other verse. There is so much to learn. I love the Book of Mormon.

We had 2 baptisms yesterday for our area and they were beautiful. I was able to see our power of the Priesthood yesterday. Our investigator came to church and after Gospel Principles she came up to us and said "I think I want to go home, I’m not prepared to be baptized" She started walking out of the church and we followed her, We stopped by her car and she just cried and kept telling herself that she can't do it. She felt as something was telling her not to get baptized. We said everything we could say to comfort her and then my companion had an amazing idea and offered a blessing! She said yes, We gave her one and after we were done, she just sat there, tears rolling down, she looked up and said smiling "I want to be baptized" 15 minutes later we took her to get ready, took some pictures, she got baptized with her grandson and it was amazing. She bore her testimony after, also sharing with everyone what happened right before. How the "Enemy" was trying to make her not get baptized but she said it was all because of the blessing. She felt peace after it and she really felt God's love. We went over that night and she just looked SO HAPPY. She will be faithful in the church. I can feel it. I really thank God for helping us with her because it wasn't us. It was just through us.

Everything else is good here in HP. I love you all!

Thanks for all the support.

Love, Elder Puertas

 picture of Mango~adas
and of Some Doritos mixed with chifles, lime, tajin and valentina :) haha to celebrate! :)

August 18th 2014

It was such a great week this week. Elder Kimball, Elder Casco and I decided to work as hard as we can for Elder Kimball's last week and really help our investigators progress. We literally had daily contact with all of our baptismal dates and had a blessing of having 10 Investigators show up to church on Sunday! This other area had 11 another area had 7 and another area had 3!! Just with our ward we had 31 at church. It was so crazy but such an amazing blessing, especially seeing the ward get involved. They were fellowshipping, taking people to classes and everything. They were so on top of it. We were also running everywhere helping out. We love it though. As a Zone we had 47 investigators at church on Sunday!! Seeing that just shows that we are all doing great with the people we have now. 

Okay so quick story. So at church we have a member that is a little off. I don't know what it was or if he was drunk but he walks in and kind of starts talking loud. He's hugging people. (this is during sacrament) He goes and sits in the front and then he goes back to the back. This other Hermano was trying to take him about of the sacrament and the crazy guy just like flips a little and semi swings, wanting to fight, but then some other hermanos came and took him out. Ohhh and this happened literally right in front of the over flow which was full of investigators!!! Ahhh! That’s that. Oh well......................... everyone's invited right?

So it was Elder Kimball's departing missionary fireside last night and it went super great. A lot of people showed up and supported all the missionaries going home. I love Elder Kimball; he is so great and has taught me so much. I admire him because of how hard he worked. Especially right until the end. He is such an amazing example. He truly loves his mission.

Here's a pic of me and some hermanos from an old area at a fireside yesterday.  :)

I love you all!

-Elder Puertas

August 11th 2014

We took the Familia Tamayo to the Visitors Center on Friday (Temple) and they brought their cousins as well they are also being taught by other missionaries. So many people! I love it :)

Another picture with me and an old missionary that used to serve here in L.A.

Gotta love L.A.............. and big families to teach.