week 41 El fin de los Elderes de Westgreen

Heyyy everyone!! 

This week was super crazy. We had two exchanges back to back, then we had zone conference and it is also the last week of the transfer! I was able to go on an exchange with Elder Smith who is a newer missionary. Their area is on bikes so I was able to get some exercise that day. We knocked doors for about 5 hours in 90 degree weather so I got a little sunburnt haha. Then the next day we had another exchange with my old companion Elder Child!! It was super good to get back with him and talk about our funny experiences in Sealy :) 

Zone conference on Thursday was soooo good. I learned so much from both sister and president Mortensen about the priesthood and other things. I was so inspired to become a better person for the future. I loved every minute of it! 

There are lots of changes coming for not only me but the whole mission. President called me this morning and informed me that all the English missionaries in Katy (5 companionships) will be taken out. And that I will be in charge of all of their areas. So I will now have 4 area books and in charge of everything that they had for investigators and working with their members. It's going to be a big responsibility and I'm excited for the change. My companion Elder Berry will be leaving and I will be staying here with a new companion. I will know who he is tomorrow. 

We are continuing to teach Jesus and Julian except we found out that they will be moving to a different area in our district. So the other Elders in my district will be teaching them now. I'm excited for them to be able to progress with the elders and I know they will do a great job. 

I will let you all know who my new companion is next week. Thank you so much for all the emails this week. Hope y'all have a great week! :) 

Elder Cammack

week 40 CHOQUE ALERT

Hola familia! 

Crazy miracles are happening here with the help of our Heavenly Father! We got a text on Tuesday morning from a member who told us that a family had just moved in with them and they needed the charlas! (lessons) so we went by later that day and started talking to them. The mother is a less active member and is ready to come back to church after ten years! She said that she has had a hard life and they have gone through a lot but is ready to repent and humble herself and come back to church! Just that in itself is a crazy miracle but thats not even half of it :) Then after talking to her three kids and teaching about baptism and why we need to be baptized, all three of her kids said they wanted to be baptized and follow the example of Jesus Christ!! So we set dates with all three of them for 23 de Abril! The oldest son who is 21 had just gotten out of jail when we talked to him. He has struggled with things in his life but as we were in the lessons talking about how we can start a new page when we are baptized and be washed clean of everything we have done in the past, he started to cry and the spirit was so strong. My companion and I are super excited and thankful for them and for the miracles that we are seeing with the help of our Heavenly Father. They weren't able to come to church yesterday because the mom worked but they will be coming this next Sunday. 

We also had Spanish Leadership Council last week! It was super good to see all the close friends I have made out here and to talk about the success we are having as a Spanish program. But also talk about certain things we can improve to improve the wards in our areas. President Mortensen always has something new for us to improve on and the revelation he receives comes straight form the lord so I know we are doing what the lord would have us do. 

So crazy story from this week. On the way to Spanish leadership council, Elder Berry and I were sitting at a stoplight and all of a sudden we got hit from behind from a van so we pulled over and this Mexican guy that barely spoke English ( which is fine because Spanish is better anyway :) gets out and gets all mad saying that we should've gone and then he wouldn't of hit us but we were at a red light so I had nowhere to go haha but anyways our car bumper was damaged and he didn't have his license on him or anything so it was a bit of a struggle but we got through it haha. 

We had a super decorated district meeting because of st Patrick's day so I will send pics of that. 

Thanks everyone for the emails and the support that you have given me this week. I truly love serving a mission more than anything. The work here is so rewarding. I feel the Lord's hand in everything we do and I know he leads us and guides us to those who are willing to repent and change their lives. One thing that has been on my mind a lot this week is the atoning sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for us. He went through all our pains and afflictions and in return, all he asks is that we keep his commandments. If we do that we truly are so much more happier and will receive an eternal family. I love this work and I love all of you! I hope y'all have a great week :) 

week 39 MILAGROS

So this week our whole zone has been focusing a ton on setting dates for April. We were given a commitment to set one date in each area. Our zone was working so hard all week to complete this commitment and at the end of the week we set 7 dates in our district and 3 in the other so we completed the commitment and found some super awesome investigators that are willing to repent and be baptized. It feels so good to complete a commitment at we were given and to see the blessings and the change that comes to us. 

We been teaching a less active family for a little bit that is super awesome. We are trying to get them back to church and read in the Book of Mormon. Their daughter is not baptized and we have been trying to get her baptized but it hasn't worked out in the past. As we were sitting in the lesson I felt that I should ask if they want her to be baptized and if she wants to be baptized even though in the past it hasn't worked out. They expressed that they do and that they want to set a date for her to be baptized after they come back to church. So this week we will be teaching them a little bit more about baptism and trying to set a date with their daughter. HUGE MIRACLE and we are excited to see her progress and be baptized :) 

 

Elder Berry and I found 3 new investigators this week so this week we are going to try getting back in with them and helping them see the truthfulness of the restoration of the gospel. I have learned so much this week. I have learned a significant amount about the atonement of Jesus Christ. I always knew that he atoned for everyone including me but I've never felt it as strongly until this week. I know that we have a savior that died for each one of us and if we choose to change through the atonement of Jesus Christ we can be saved through him. I felt the power of the atonement a lot this week as we've tried our best to bring others to come unto Christ. 

This week we have Spanish leadership council on Tuesday and also interviews with president Mortensen. He goes home in June so I only have a few more left with him! I'm excited to get back to work this week and find those who are prepared. Elder Berry and I will be fasting to find a family that is willing to repent and be baptized. I'm so grateful for the hard times in my mission because I have found that in those times is when I change the most and when I feel our Heavenly fathers hand in my life. Thank you all so much for the emails throughout the week and on pday. It love hearing everything that's happening in your lives back home! I hope you all have a great week and I'll talk to you all next week! 

Elder Cammack 

week 38 Yooooooo

Another great week here in Katy! 

On Saturday I had the opportunity to help out with a baptism for Elder Child( old companion) And Elder Jones ( my trainer). It was such a cool experience. The lady's name is pearl and she is 80 years old!! She is un able to walk and so all three of us picked her up out of her wheel chair, carried her into the font, careful brought her under the water and then carried her out. It was such an incredible experience to see her willingness and faith in the lord to be baptized at her age! When we brought her out of the water, as we were holding we asked how she felt and she told us that she felt some lift away from her. That experience is truly one I will never forget and it strengthened my testimony of the truthfulness of this gospel even more. 

Later that day, we went back to Sealy to baptize my old investigator Brenda! It was great to see everyone that I grew to love in Sealy and to see Brenda enter the waters of baptism. She was super nervous but all turned out okay and it was awesome to see her so happy afterwards :) 

We had zone meeting this week and it really changed my perspective on missionary work and how I am doing as a representative of Jesus Christ. We left all feeling more motivated to work and improve ourselves. After elder Jones and I went on an exchange. It was super good to be with him again. We found 5 new investigators just that day and 9 for the week. The success here is rapidly improving and I love watching this area change. I'm so thankful for this opportunity to be here in this area and to grow each day. 

Hope y'all had a good week, I'll talk to ya soon :) 

Elder Cammack 

week 37

Hey everyone! Another crazy week down... on Tuesday we had exchanges and I went with Elder Williams. He's the man and I learned a lot. He helped me with some questions I had with being district leader and it went well. 

Thursday we went to the temple and that was superrr good like always! l love going to the temple and feeling the spirit super strong. 

We were able to baptize Ximena yesterday and that went super good too! It's always good to see those you teach enter the waters of baptism! 

 

Not a ton happened this week so I will just send y'all some pictures. Hope all is well and I will talk to you next week :) 

Elder Cammack 

week 36: I love Ecuador

Hey everyone! Lots of changes this week! I have been transferred to Katy, TX. Which is where I would go everyday on p days in Sealy haha so I haven't moved far at all. Part of our area was actually part of my English area in Sealy! I feel like I never even left haha it's pretty cool. Our apartments are brand new and superrrr nice I'll send a pic of them! My new companion is Elder Berry from La Grande, Oregon. He just got out of training and he is the man! I love him so much and we've had a ton of fun this week as well as working hard. He loves cars and trucks just like me so that's seriously been our only conversation for the past week haha. 

Last week for my birthday the Garza family got a surprise for me and I'll some pictures of it haha. They are the best! 

The ward here is called the Westgreen Ward. All the members here are soooo cool. We have a dinner appointment like every night so that means I gotta workout a little bit harder in the mornings to maintain my figure haha. This is seriously the best ward ever! Most of the members are from South America like Venezuela and Colombia. It's a super different accent than what I'm used to but I love it! There were 218 people there yesterday! It was so much compared to about 30 in Sealy hah. I also had to give a talk for my first Sunday here. I butchered some Spanish but overall I thought it went pretty good. 

We had our investigator Ximena come to church this week with her family. She will be baptized this coming Sunday. Her parents are already members and are just starting to come back to church again. Our other investigator Maricela from Venezuela came to church with her family as well. She is on track for her bap date as well! This week we also taught a less active from Ecuador. His Spanish was the SICKEST Spanish I have ever heard in my life. Most of the South Americans speak like a song with different pitches and stuff it is the best thing ever haha. Our new district is doing super good along with our zone. As a zone we have over 20 baptismal dates! It's super cool to see as we do all we can that the lord will put those who are prepared in our paths. 

One of the many reasons why I love serving a mission so much is because I get to see the change in others as they choose to follow Jesus Christ but at the same time seeing the change in myself. I know that I was called to this mission to meet certain people but at the same time I was called here because this is where I would grow the most. This is the place that I could learn to be a better father and husband in the future. I can see that as I study the scriptures and work as hard as I can to bring others unto Christ. My testimony of the Book of Mormon has grown so much these past 8 months. I know it is true and I know all who read it with real intent, will gain a testimony of the divinity of the book. It truly will change your life if you give it a chance. My mission president has said to us that he would rather us leave our apartments forgetting to put pants on, than to leave our apartments without reading the Book of Mormon that morning haha. But it is so true. I LOVE SERVING A MISSION! 

My new address is 24949 Katy Ranch rd Katy, TX apt #517 77494. Any type of gift is accepted ;). 

Thank you all for all that you do for me and continue to do for me. Have a good week and I will talk to y'all next week! 

Elder Cammack 

week 35 Happy Birthday Connor

Mannn this week was so crazy! On Tuesday I was invited to English
leadership council along with Elder Jones! Since he is dominating in
his zone right now, president asked if he would come too. It was all
super good. We talked mostly about unity in a zone and applying the
new schedule better for the mission. It is always good to receive
guidance and council with President Mortensen.

A new senior couple has been moved here to Sealy and guess where they
are from... IDAHO! So now there are four Idaho missionaries out here
in Sealy haha. They are Elder and Sister Wilding. They are from
Blackfoot and apparently Pops knows them! The first time we met, he
saw my name tag and the first thing he said was "Cammack? Your grandpa
is from Blackfoot huh?" Haha it was cool. We helped move them into
their new apartment which is right next to ours. Then afterwards they
took us to dinner and we showed them around Sealy a little bit to know
the area better. They are super cool!

Saturday we did some service at our branch mission leaders house. We
put in a new door and it took forever haha but it was super rewarding
to get it done. The English elders had a baptism later that day so we
rushed to that and then right after the baptism we were trying to go
to some less actives before English class, but the whole time we were
in a super big hurry and never thought to look at the gas level... so
yeah we ran out of gas on the side of the highway and we had to wait
for the O'Hara family to come give us some gas haha.

Sunday we had a birthday dinner at the O'Hara family's house and it
was soooo good. My one request was homemade Idaho mashed potatoes (all
the potatoes here are so gross) hah so she found some and it was so
good. Best birthday ever!

Last night were transfer calls and I found out that I will be leaving
Sealy :(. I'm really going to miss this place but I know the lord has
more in store for me somewhere else. I'm excited for the change and
for an opportunity to grow somewhere else. The Garza family want to
have me over for dinner for my birthday and before I leave so we will
be going there tonight. They don't have a ton of money so Hermana
Garza made cheesecake and had her kids sell it on the street so that
they could pay for dinner for my birthday. They are the most humble
and giving people I know. I know I was supposed to be here for them,
to see them grow and to see their example.  I love them so much and
I'm excited to see them later on in the future. :) Sealy really has
felt like my home. I love the members and I love being in the country.
It reminds me a lot of Idaho just without the mountains. I love the
members and I love all the memories and experiences I have had here.

Thanks for all the birthday wishes! I'll let y'all know where I'm at
next week because I don't find out til tomorrow. I hope y'all have a
good week and I'll talk to y'all soon :)

Ps. I never thought I would say y'all... Texas will do it to ya