April 20th 2015

This week was fun! We had Zone Conference and we gave a training, it turned out good though. We are really focusing on getting people to come to sacrament meeting. This week we had 4 people come to church. It was super good to see them all there. It was with a new family we are teaching named the Franco Family! They are all so cool. We went to the Visitor Center right after church too so that was fun. Something Crazy that happened this last week was we were by our house and then we here 5 gun shots go off about 2 houses down from where we were and then people were screaming and calling the cops, this helicopter was circling the house, some guy got shot. This world is crazy. One day it will all be peaceful though. I love doing what we do and we're the only ones that can do it. The Gospel really does change you. 

That's all for the week. We found some random door on the street so we took a picture. Creative? ehhh. 

Also HAPPY BIRTHDAY NATALIA! I love you so much! 

Elder Doors! 

April 6th 2015

Conference was so good. It went by so quick though, I learned a lot. Something I really liked was having an eternal perspective instead of an earthly perspective. Stepping back and seeing the big picture instead of focusing on something little. I love that God loves us so much that he still continues to guide us through living prophets. I think that's the coolest thing! 

This week we got some Sushi! First time in FOREVER. Super good. 

Picture with our Easter ties on! Love you all have an amazing week. 

Elder Puertas

March 30th 2015

This week was amazing! On Wednesday we had a meeting and we watched the new "Because He lives" video that just came out on Saturday. It's really good. It's such a perfect time as well with Easter coming up and with General Conference coming up as well. Because he lives, he guides his church through LIVING prophets. That's so cool. Then on Friday we had a General Authority come and speak to wow, and us it really changed my point of view of things and my personal prayers so much. His name was Elder Nielson, he said he's going to be speaking in General Conference actually so watch out for him.  I shook his hand. But he really focused on the Enabling power of the Atonement and how the Atonement is NOT just for the sinners but also for the saints. It's for bad people to become good and good people to become better. I really learned so much from that training. It really was like an answer to my prayers. I love this work so much and something he said was "Missionary work is NOT easy, it wasn't for the Savior, why should it be for us" it's so true. Have no fear! 

ADELA was confirmed yesterday too! She's awesome. Her and her family came with some other friends. So many Ecuadorians!!! 

Well Transfers are this week and I am staying in my area again. I will get a new companion. His name is Elder Brown! He’s so cool, I can't wait! I love you all and Happy Easter! 

Elder Puertas! 

Pictures: 1. At a Art museum 

              2. Ward Picture! 

              3. Adela and her family and with some more Ecuadorian Friends! 

              4. AMAYLI, Adela's daughter

              5. Familia Pacheco! From Bell Gardens! 

March 23rd 2015

This week we had a baptism for Adela! She's awesome!  I love their family a ton. They are from Ecuador!!! So we always talk about Peru and Ecuador. The baptismal service went so great and we had a lot of support from the ward. It really was so special as well when she got baptized. She was so excited and when she got out of the water she just stood there for like 30 seconds and the whole room was just so silent and the spirit was so strong, she kept trying to say thank you thank you, she was crying at the same time, it was one of my most spiritual experiences I've had on my mission. I am super grateful for the work we're in. It truly is amazing and I love seeing the change this Gospel can have on people. God really does love us all so much. 

This week we also had a mini missionary! His name was Bryan Galeas. He's 16 years old and he's too fresh! I gave him a haircut too and he wanted the line on his head so I gave it to him. He was with us for 3 days!  we had a blast. 

This week is already STACKED with meetings and lessons and it's going to fly by! Until next week! I love you all!  :) <3

Elder Puertas [.]'s

March 16th 2015

I have 100 days left!!??? What!

Time time time!! It goes by way too quick and I can't believe it. This week we taught Adela, she's from Ecuador and she's amazing. She's getting baptized this Sunday on the 22nd so please pray for her. We taught her and her family about a month and half ago but then they left for a month to Ecuador to visit and now they got back like 2 weeks ago and she is getting baptized on Sunday! Yes!! I'll send pictures for sure next week. 

This week has been a HOT week but we are so BLESSED to have 2 AC's in our apartment!  I love you all so much! 

Elder Puertas

March 9th 2015

This week has been so busy! Tuesday we had this meeting from 9-2, then Wednesday we had interviews with our mission president from 9-2 as a zone and my companion and I had to stay the whole time. Thursday we had zone training meeting with the first half of our zone then Friday with the other half (we have a lot of visitor center sisters and there schedules are different). Saturday it was a better day and then Sunday is always so much fun! Our ward is doing pretty good getting investigators at church. We all have a competition going but it helps us work harder. Our Zone is way good too, they all just love being missionaries and fulfilling their purpose. Got to love Santa Monica! Well we also went of 3 exchanges this week with some other elders and it's so much fun. There's this Elder that comes from Burma (by China) and he just loves the Spanish culture. At the end of the exchange he said "I think I want to marry a Mexican girl now" I just laughed. The mission is good! 

Love and miss you all! 

Our ward mission leader said something that I really liked. He came with us to a lesson with a family we are teaching that they feel as the get closer to God, they go through trials, then he said, "there's a story in the Book of Mormon of these people called the Jaredites and they were commanded to cross the waters to come to the Americas, at first they were scared because of all the winds and waves they had to go through but they trusted in the Lord and it was BECAUSE of those very winds and waves that caused them to get to where God needed them to go" loved it

Elder Tio Puertas

February 23rd 2015

This week was really good! My new companion, Elder Christensen is way good. He's this tall and he's way cool. This zone is way good too, they're all sisters but they all work really hard. We have had really spiritual lessons this week with our investigators. Our mission is really focusing on studying Preach My Gospel and it's changed my life! Los Angeles is so nice. I love the weather here, still way hot. We were shopping today and we met an actor, I recognized him right away. He's in the movie "God's Army 2" if you haven't seen it! Watch it! It’s so good and he was way cool. Not much happened this week but I still love being a missionary! 

Love you all! 

P.S Happy Birthday to Caro and my Grandma! <3

Elder Puertas

Pics: One of my good friends Elder Valenzuela finished his mission! 

the pic with the Actor in God's army 2.

February 16th 2015

My older brother just had his first beautiful child! Her name is CHLOE PUERTAS; she is the tiniest most beautiful baby ever! I'm officially an uncle! I can't believe it. This week was way good though. We went to visit some people named Luisa and Rosario and wow! We started off with a prayer and we had Luisa say it and it was one of the most powerful and spiritual prayers I have heard on my mission. She felt the spirit so clear and so strong it was amazing. We taught them about the Book of Mormon and they were just ALL ears. Then we invited the Mom (Rosario) to say the closing prayer and again, the spirit was there. They're prayers were both so sincere and so powerful, amazing people. On Valentines Day I was on splits with Elder Reynolds and we get a call from some sister telling us to come meet this guy at the Visitor Center. We get up there and we met Edson (E-ju-sao) he is from BRAZIL and he is sooooo tight. We taught him in  Spanish/Portuguese, it was so cool. He is way sincere and he said, "I have no doubt O livro de Mormon is true" He wants to be baptized! He came to church and everything. He is the coolest person on earth. The mission is so good. The people are amazing. Tomorrow we have our transfers so last night we got a call, well Elder Patterson is leaving  :( he really was so cool. I learned a lot. I am staying in my area and I will be getting Elder Christensen. He's a very tall red head. He's way cool. I'm going to be a Zone Leader again. They are bringing the Zone Leader area to our area now, but I'm excited to see how it goes. I love you all and I’m still in love with my beautiful niece Chloe! 

Love, Uncle Puertas

February 9th 2015

This week we had the chance to have a mini missionary with us. It's when the youth can be assigned with some missionaries for about 3 days and you just work. Our mini missionary was named Alan Antuna. He is way cool. He was baptized about a year and a half ago and he has such a huge testimony. I learned a lot from him actually. He's 20 and he just really wants to go on a mission. I wish I were as prepared as he is. In our Ward this missionary that served in Provo Utah just returned home too and EVERY time you see him you just see the biggest smile on his face. He truly loved his mission and I am sure did everything he could to give it his all. I have really had the chance to ponder this week and just think about my future a little. Think about how I want to end my mission because really "The way you end your mission is how you will start the rest of your life" and I know that to be true. Sometimes it does get tough but honestly it really is the biggest joy when you see people apply the teaching of Jesus Christ in their lives and change. Seeing others smile just lights up your whole day. I love Jesus Christ and his Gospel. It has changed me completely and I am so thankful for what he has done for every single one of us. Because of him we have that opportunity to return with our Heavenly Father one day! I really do love my mission and I love the people here, though agency stinks at times, it's an amazing gift God has given us to be able to choose between Eternal Life or Death. (2 Nephi 2:27)

I love you all! I can't believe Carrie is having a baby! I am going to be an Uncle!!! Uncle Puertas! I like that :)

P.S I got a haircut today and it's CRAZY short! Like Buzzed short! :) life goes on though... <3

Elder Puertas! 

January 19th 2015

All right I have a new companion named Elder Patterson, he's new to the mission and I'm "training" him, not really though because he's super good already. . He's from Utah... crazy right? And he plays soccer!! Yes! He actually plays for "USA" another soccer club in Utah we would play with LA ROCA. Well this has been one of the best weeks on my mission. We went to a less active part-member family's home on Thursday and it was the first time we were able to get in the house. The lesson was so spiritual and she told us a couple of concerns and the husband was there (non-member) and we committed them to come to church and they said, Yes. On Sunday, they were walking up the stairs and it literally took me about 5 sec to recognize that they were walking up the stairs!! I was so pumped to see them come. They all came in smiling too! We had the blessing to have 6 investigators come to church. The ward is so good too. The bishop before sacrament meeting just goes and talks to every investigator. We're getting his trust for sure. All the missionaries in the ward had people come to church. It was so cool. The ward is looking real good.
We also had a HUGE tender mercy on Sunday. We had 9 New Invertigators for the week and we really wanted to break 10. We checked on this referral we got from some other missionaries and it was a family of 8. 6 of them were there and they are all so prepared. It was such an amazing lesson and again a big tender mercy from the Lord. I love the mission a ton and am learning so many things.

Love you all! :)

Elder Puertas el DOORS!