Week 68 - October 28, 2019 "Trunk or Treat"

This week was super good! We went on exchanges with Mission and Robstown zones. I went with Elder Abo and Loo. They're both super cool guys so it was fun to work and talk with them! Arely and Martin were confirmed! We also set baptismal dates with the Garzas and they should be getting baptized this Saturday! They are honestly a huge blessing from God. We are also still working with Reynaldo and Camilo who have baptismal dates for the 10th of November. We're going to need lots of God's help and prayer but hope fully that goes well! Camilo was coming from a bus from Monterrey and needed a ride to church so we went with a member and picked him up from the bus station like 20 min away and brought him to church. We showed up like 5 min late and right as we walked in Arely and Martin were getting confirmed so that was kinda sad we didn't get to confirm them but it's still good because it happened and I guess it worked out:) Ivan the 10 year old is still being hard to put a baptismal date with but hopefully we can help him see how much baptism will bless him and help him take that next step soon. President went out of town to San Antonio so we spent the week taking the kids to school which was fun hahah. We have MLC this week on Thursday and that should be fun! I think I'm going to be leaving the office when these next transfers come in two weeks. It's been a super cool experience and I'm glad I have some time to keep working out here in the field.

Spiritual Thought:
I remember like a month ago someone tried to tell us that all we need is the guidance of the holy spirit and we're fine - that we don't need to listen to anyone else's council.
A lot of people say after Christ left he ONLY left us with his holy spirit and that's all that we need to survive. If people believe in the bible then there is physical evidence that that's not true. If all we needed was the holy spirit after Christ had died, books like Ephesians, Galatians, Thessalonians, Corinthians, etc. wouldn't even exist. They were written with the sole intent of supporting the saints, correcting things that were turned apostate, and to help remind them of their divine purpose in life AFTER Christ had left. Soon later the apostles were killed and we fell into apostasy. So of course, it would only make sense we would need a restoration. I'm so thankful that today we have prophets and apostles that can guide us in these latter days and as we LISTEN to the holy spirit we have been given, we can know of the truth that they speak to us. We're not lost. This is the true church. It's a blessing to be out here. Have a super good week!

elder freedman

1. Elder Mahler. My MTC comp

2. Trunk or treat with the ward 

Week 67 - October 21, 2019 "Elder Soares in McAllen"

Hey! 
Well this week was crazy. To start, Arely and Martin got baptized! yay! that was a special experience and it was awesome to take part in it with them. we had two exchanges this week with Brownsville ZLs and McAllen ZLs. I went with Elder Lambert and Faupula. That was sweet. We had a good time and worked hard. Also we finished up all of the emergency kits and got them out to all of the areas this week. 

This week Elder Soares, one of the members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles came to our mission. That was a super special experience but also took a lot of planning. We had to make sure and plan that everything in the meeting went smoothly so we pretty much had backups for everything in case anything went wrong. It was awesome though. he came and we took a picture with him, Elder Ochoa from the Seventy, and Elder Villareal from the area seventy. When I shook Elder Soares' hand, he said, "Elder Freedom"! hahah that was special and in the meeting they really emphasized the importance of our calling and the unique opportunity it is. They told us that our missions are an experience that are going to shape how the rest of our lives go. The next day he came to our stake for a stake conference. It was special and we had some investigators there. One of them was the Garza Family and they told us they want to be baptized. That was awesome and we're hoping to help them be baptized the end of this month or the beginning of next:) We've also been teaching someone named Raymundo and he has a baptismal date for the 10th of November. He came to the stake conference and liked it also. That was a very unique opportunity. Elder Soares speaks with so much power but at the same time he is so humble and meek. I don't know how to explain it but you can just tell truth and confidence flows through his veins. He shared such simple gospel truths but honestly I almost cried like 5 times. He talked about his families conversion and how 4 people in his family passed away in 2 years. He talked about the plan of salvation and the importance of temples. Idk. it's hard to explain how I felt but it was so awesome. this week was one for the books. I can't believe this transfer is already half way over. it's too fast.

Love you guys. The gospel is true.

Elder Freedman 

Week 66 - October 14, 2019 "Repentance + Happiness"

Hey!
This week was good. Lots of learning. I was reflecting a lot on different things this week. This has by far been the hardest thing I've ever done but, given the opportunity, I literally think I would do these last 16 months over again if I could. It has been such a blast! Last night Elder Johnson and I were driving home and just blasting A child's prayer by the tabernacle choir. The spirit was so strong and I was really just thinking about the fact that the happiness you feel from the gospel is something that you literally can't find anywhere else. There isn't anything like it or anything that compares to it. I've realized that a lot of things I've done in my life were wrong. Something I've realized is that the Savior is so willing to forgive us. When we repent, we become happier. It's simple, and it's true. I think I've realized that maybe being imperfect is one of the best things that possibly could have happened to us. The truth is that none of us are ever going to be perfect in this life. But as we repent and try harder every day, we allow God to fill us with his love. And that's something that never runs out. I'm thankful for the 2nd chances.
Repentance = Happiness.

The work this week was great!  We did exchanges with the zone leaders from Corpus Christi and Harlingen. That was fun. I went with Elder King and we were running all over the place just talking to everyone tossing a football around too. The guys a beast. Elder Tanner and I got some Panda Express from La Hermana Hernandez and it was too nice. The Cavazos are looking good for their baptism this Sunday:) Rene and Kimberly, a young couple were teaching with a one year old son also came to church. They're cool and liked church. we left them with a reading invitation and Kimberly literally read the whole chapter, highlighted her book of Mormon, and took crazy detailed notes. She told us "you're right. When I read it, I really did feel good inside". After that lesson, we got so close to setting a baptismal date with them. I love them and I think things are going in the right direction. Camilo from Monterrey is good too. He went to Monterrey this last weekend but we're gonna see him again tomorrow. Super excited and I think we can set a baptismal date this week if God permits. And Ivan, the legendary 10 year old. We're still working with him trying to get him to be baptized. The rest of his family are members so we have their support, he's just trying to get his answer. Most mature 10 year old ever with lots of good questions. Shout out to my family and friends. Sure love you guys. Thank you so much for everything

Elder Freedman

1. The missionaries in our ward and our ward mission leaders kids. 

2.pics sideways but a picture with the hermana betty. always the plug when it comes to panda express #blessings 

Week 65 - October 7, 2019 "McAllen Texas Temple!!!!"

This week was LIT!
I don't know if I mentioned this but I'm actually going to be staying here in this area for this next transfer. This will have been 7.5 months here and it has gone by so fast. I thought I was leaving but I guess I haven't learned everything I need to here:)

This week we worked on preparing the emergency kits for the mission. That was fun. We bought so much stuff for 90 kits that everyone in the store was just looking at us hahah. 

WE'RE GETTING A TEMPLE IN MCALLEN!
Too hyped to come back here for the temple dedication one day. 

With the work, things are good! The Cavazos came to church and are looking good to be baptized the 20th of October. They're a blessing. So happy for them. Ivan Huizar also is doing good he's a little 10 year old who moved here with his family from Guadalajara who's not baptized. He's such a sweet little kid but definitely has a lot of questions. We hope he will be baptized this month. Camilo is another person we're teaching who just moved here from Monterrey. He seems super interested right now.. Other than that were going to keep finding and I think things are starting to look up in our area. It's exciting and I sure love this work. 

General Conference is literally SO SWEET as a missionary. It's by FAR one of the most special experiences I've had on my mission. We preach to people all day about these prophets and apostles and to be able to sit down, ponder, and listen to their precious words is like being a little kid at the candy store. I'm honestly sad that I will only be able to watch one more general conference on my mission. On the 19th of this month, Elder Soares the apostle is coming to our mission! SO SWEET!

Love you guys and hope all is well!

elder freedman 

1. picked up elder Anderson from the airport. My brother Andrews friend 

2. selling Christmas stuff already? it's not even Halloween yet..?

Week 64 - October 1, 2019 “I’m Staying Put”

Hey! 
Well, emailing today because transfers are on Monday and we're going to pick up the new missionaries then:) This week in that regard was crazy. On Tuesday and Wednesday we had transfer meetings that went until like 5:00 every day. It’s a super cool opportunity but definitely stressful trying to think of the best option and where Heavenly Father wants his missionaries etc. 

The Ocampos took us to a BOMB taco place and we ate such good food tor lunch in between one of the days though. 

This week we started teaching a part member family that just moved here from Guadalajara and they have a family member who isn't baptized so we're going to start working with them. Pretty hyped about that :) The Cavazos are doing well, Arely and Martin still have baptismal dates for the 12th of October. Something that I loved learning about this week was reading in Hebrews 5. It talks all about the priesthood and the necessity of it. Read it if you have a chance. Its actually super lit. 

Have a great week! 

Elder Freedman 

A nice screenshot we received through Johnny Hicks. His in laws visited Thomas' mission.