Coming Home

Small World

Elder Watts was at a member's home on Father's day when their missionary son called from New York. Stephen asked whether he knew Elder Ross, and he said something to the effect of, "Yeah, he's right here." So fun for these cousins to get to see each other!

Rain Miracles

Hey y'all! 

Here is a cool experience from the week.

We were biking in sideways rain in a crazy storm. The storm hit us so suddenly that we had no time to even think about waiting it out, we just biked right through. Our appointment was a few miles away and we arrived at exactly the same time as our appointment was getting home from work. We taught a great restoration lesson to a husband and wife. Later, the wife told us that her husband had been hesitant to visit our church because he perceived it to be a church with a bunch of rich and prideful people. When he saw us biking to his house in a crazy storm, his whole perspective changed, and his heart softened just enough so that the Spirit could teach him that our message was true, and important for him.

Love,

Elder Stephen H Watts

Memorial Day picnic at a member's home

Temple Trip

Hey y'all!

Haven't done a weekly in a while, but things have been pretty great lately. Last Friday, we had a temple trip with the ward. Four recent converts were present, doing baptisms, one of which was Juan Barrientos, who we taught and baptized just last month. Juan was baptized for both of his grandpa's, which was sweet. He loved it. 

We started teaching a young single mother named Jenny. Her mom, Reyna Canisalez was baptized 1 month ago. Jenny moved in to live with her mom after her baptism. She admires her mom making changes in her life and is very curious. She told us that she really wants to go back to church, and that she would like to prepare to be baptized in June.

Love y'all 

Elder Watts

Elder Watts taught his zone how to make pupusas.

La Semana Santa

It has been an incredible week, as we remembered the events in Christ's life leading up to his atonement. Missionaries in our zone prepared 5 people to enter into the waters of baptism. Two of those were people that Elder Davis and I have been teaching. The ordinance of baptism is itself a symbol of death and resurrection. The people that we taught, Juan and Reyna, have both been so prepared to receive the gospel:

Reyna Canisalez has been taught for a few months. The missionaries found her by knocking into her. While she has been taking the lessons, she has also been working on becoming a citizen and the week of her baptism, the immigration found a record of hers that was forged by her ex-husband which says she was born in Guatemala. She has her birth certificate from El Salvador, though she did live in Guatemala for a couple years. She was stressed the whole week about what immigration would do about the false record, and she was very nervous about her baptism. When we went by a few hours after her baptism, she told us with a huge smile on her face how completely peaceful she had felt ever since the baptism took place and how great she feels.

Juan Barrientos first met missionaries in Arkansas 3 years ago. From the time Elder Davis and I met him until now he has been so ready for this long-prolonged ordinance. He didn't have any challenges as we taught him, but just 6 months before we taught him, he had gotten an eye infection that made him completely blind. He was blind for 3 months of his life, but through a miracle, a doctor was able to operate on him and restore his sight. That was a sign for Juan that God had preserved his sight so that he could finally receive the ordinances of the gospel.

I love y'all
Elder Watts

Everyone in the picture is a missionary besides the ones in White and President Larson (stake president) and President Dalton (our mission president) in the suits in the back. From left to right, the people in white are: Edgar, new member in the Casa Linda ward; Reyna, new convert in the Río Trinidad ward; Hermano DeLa Torre who baptized Juan; Juan, new member in the Río Trinidad ward; Hermano Echeverria who baptized Reyna; and the brother who baptized Edgar. 

The other two baptisms were done in separate baptismal services.

Flight Plans

I know it's still a couple of months away, but we received Stephen's travel itinerary today, and I thought I'd share.  He will arrive at the Reno airport at 1:39 pm on Wednesday, June 26th.  He will be speaking in church the following Sunday, June 30th, at 12 pm.  All are invited.  

The District

Brother Klein Often Helped Drive Missionaries Places

Juan

Zone Lunch With President as a Reward for Breaking the Zone Record for Baptisms

Pictures!

At the Dallas Temple with Katrina

She was baptized for her grandmother!  So special!

Zone Breakfast

District Picture