Monday, September 30, 2013

Letter 09/30/2013



Bienvenidos!
Hello everyone, this week has been a very interesting but fun week. Transfers are this Thursday and for some reason transfer week and the week before are a little different then the others. One of the zone leaders I am living with is now the new Assistant to the President. We joke around about how we have to treat him differently, and how we cant talk to him cause he is the new AP.
 
We are told a lot as missionarys to be bold without being over bearing, now that is a very fine line. Me and my companions have definately had our fare share of being bold lately. We have two different investigators that are really interested, but never seem to act. Never seem to follow up on there commitments, so we decided hey, we are going to be straight up, tell them how it is, and if they dont like it, well we will back off and give them the time they need. Well those lessons were two very tough lessons, we were bold, and we promised the blessings, but also promised them that we can do nothing if they wont do anything for themselves. But the lessons went really well. It was tough, and they tried to weasle out of things, but we held strong, and we got them to find a new resolve. We are still waiting to see the result of one of them, But the first lesson, the investigator did keep his commitment.
 
This week has not been an easy week. It has been a hard week. For a lot of different reasons, but I am doing great. I have Christ to lean on.
 
Elder Mason Paul Reid
Mathew 11: 28-30

Monday, September 23, 2013

Letter 9/23/13


Family and Friends!! How are you wonderful people? I am doing wonderful here. I have kinda hit my stride, and I am loving it. Ya know the family we had at church last week? Well they will be baptized October 12. How awesome is that?? I am so excited for them. They have done so much, and changed so much. We had a lunch with them and we shared some scriptures, talked about faith in the atonement, and the blessings that come from baptism, the mom just broke down and cried. It was really so amazing.
 
I went on an exchange with the zone leaders this week and we went to this lady's house. When we got there you immediately knew that she was a good person, she was a less active, and she has so many  hard things going on in her life. She is fighting a custody battle with her husband, but her husband ran off into an army base with the kids, but the army base is in Germany...so it's really a crazy and hectic situation I don't understand all of it to be honest. But she was such a wonderful lady. She was so loving, and so friendly. Towards the end of the visit she kinda broke down and cried. Talked about how hard it was for her, and she asked for a blessing. Well... I ended up giving said blessing. First one in the field...But I felt calm. It was such an amazing experience. I really am so grateful for the power of the priesthood.
 
Another day this week we talked with a guy who was really having a hard time. He was living alone, had no job, and had no contact with his family. Come to find out he was a man who had been married for 34 years, he had a really good job, and had a happy family. But he was an alcoholic. He told us so many times how he tried. but he couldn't give up alcohol. He told us how happy he was. But the alcoholism destroyed his life. He had no pride, he had no resentment to anyone but himself. He recognized the need to change, he recognized his faults. But He didn't know how. I am so excited to see how the atonement, and the gospel will change his life.
 
Well everyone I love you. I pray for you. And I hope that your dreams are coming true every day.
Love,
Elder Mason Paul Reid
3 Nephi 12:4-8

Monday, September 16, 2013

Letter 09/16/2013

Wow what a crazy week, and I mean it. We had a lot of stuff giong on. We also had a lot of success. This week was a lot of member work, we did a lot of visiting with Less Actives, and vistiting with the strong members to get them involved in the work. It is amazing to see the members that just seem to get it. They understand that they also are responsible to do missionary work, and that the most effective way for missionarys to work and have success is through members, and member referrals. We had 11 Less actives at church, and 3 investigators. Those three investigators are so awesome, Its a family Mom, Dad, and Son. The Dad is so cool, he is enthusiastic, loves the church, and always willing to participate in lessons, he says the prayer in priesthood meeting, he just is not quite ready to make that step into the font. (Well in his mind anyways.) But we are meeting with him this week, and hopefully we will put him on date and he will be baptized.
The Game: WOW That was such an awesome and fun experience, first off it was my very first MLB game. And yes the Nationals DOMINATED the Phillies, but I mean what can you expect? You have the faith of like 400 Missionaries cheering for the Nationals, how could they not win? Plus, Bryce Harper is a Mormon. They couldn't lose...Yes I might have just spoke blasphemy. But yes it was so much fun. We also got to do a lot of contacting, and it was nice to talk to people outside of their homes, and have them see that we are just regular people. We had both the D.C South and North missions there. I had a really interesting talk with a very very very drunk Hindu guy he was about 20, and he was trying to explain his faith, but had to stop, and says: "Man religion is hard when your wasted." But it was just an all around good day.
So in the hispanic culture they have this funny joke about how in order to learn spanish you have to eat spicy food, or hispanic food in general. Well, I am never one to back down from a challenge, especially when my pride is at stake, so when a member challenges me to Buffalo Wild Wings Blazing Wing Challenge, well I take him up on that offer, and tell him I could do it faster then he could. Well I dont handle spicy food very well, in fact I am quite the wimp. So I am pretty sure we are doing the challenge this week, and I will have to tell you how it goes.
I am loving it here, and even during the rough times, I can feel christs love, and feel the great power the gospel has. I know this church is true, and I love seeing the light of christ in peoples eyes as they begin to feel the light kindle in their souls. Everyone is givin the light of Christ, and as missionarys we are to help people find it, and bring it out. I love you all.
Love,
Elder Mason Paul Reid
D&C 123:17

Monday, September 9, 2013

Pictures from Manassas Park 09/09/2013

Elder Reid just sent me some pictures! Due to privacy rules and such I can't post some of the ones he sent of him and his companions. I did crop him out of one though :) 







 That dodge is always parked there. 


Just some of the view 




Washington DC Temple







Letter 09/09/2013 Area: Manassas Park, VA

Well this week has been a full week that is for sure! It has been full of ups and also had its downs. We didn't find as much success as we would have liked. We did a lot of contacting, and finding, we didn't teach as many lessons, but sometimes we plant seeds, and sometimes we reap the harvest.

We were heading back to the place with a lot of Bed Bugs, and as we got there and pulled into the complex, we noticed something that really made us all uneasy, there was quite the party going on, full of beer, drugs and a lot of not the best type of people, as we pulled in they saw three white guys in white shirt and ties in a malibu, and I think they got hungry. Ha ha, Normally I wouldn't be nervous, but there was thirty of them, and the odds just aren't that good with 3 on 30. We said a prayer, and all felt like it would be better to leave, instead of walking through this group to get into the apartments. 

We had a lesson last night that was really cool, it ended with us all on our knees in a kitchen, and an investigator praying for an answer, it was a prayer like I have never heard, he asked God, but he did it in a way with so much power, that is was almost like him commanding God. I am not sure how that man upstairs thought about it, but this brother is really a good guy.

On a lighter note, I tried fried Oreos this week, yes you put pancake mix around an Oreo and fry it. It is a good way to knock off about ten years of your life, but it was SOOO good.

FUNNY STORY: So once upon a time before the mission I was at Britain Carters house and his mom tells me I look like Bill Clinton, as much as I want to look like a president who was almost impeached, and has views I don't necessarily agree with I laughed and just thought that it was a one time thing. Then we go to a members house and the father is a funny guy from El Salvador, and he looks at me and says: "You look like you could be Bill Clinton's Grandson." This was in Spanish so I wanted to make sure I heard him right, I said Como? which means What? and he said it again. I had to laugh. So I need your opinions do I really look like Bill Clinton? if so....Well I don't know how I feel about it.

I love you guys, and am doing great here.

Love,
Elder Mason Paul Reid

Oh, and I will be going to the Nationals game on Friday. YES!!!!! They play the Phillies! Jealous?

      

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Letter 09/03/2013 Area: Manassas Park, VA

Wow what a crazy week! Today I have officially been out for two months! Which is kinda weird to think about, in some ways it seems longer, and in some ways a lot shorter. Since yesterday was labor day, we get to E-mail today. But back to my mission. Earlier in the week we talked to Carlos (Name is switched) and He talked to us about his life back in Mexico, and I will tell you what, I have had my life handed to me on a silver plate, This man has done and seen things I cant even imagine, his life, and his family has been threatened by the mafia, he has been involved in corrupted government, and it is just so sad. We where able to give him a blessing, and it really tugged on the heart strings to see this man break down and cry. The next day we had a lesson with Louis-a seventh day Adventist- we knocked into him (meaning tracked his house.). And at first he was really Anti-Mormon. Thought we were wrong, but we have met with him twice and now he seems to be opening up a little. :)
 
This Sunday we had the opportunity, and the set up to have 12 investigators at church, which would have been very impressive, but we instead had a grand total of 0. I was admittedly pretty bummed. But its okay, we will get them next time. I also got to participate in my first baby blessing, and confirmation of the Holy Ghost. Which was really awesome. We went back to the El Salvadorian BBQ but only 2 of the 4 where home, but we still had an awesome lesson, and the spirit was their. They seemed to ask the perfect questions, they were just seeking the truth and I was just so happy to see the spirit help us answer the questions, we asked them to be baptized, and they didn't say yes. WHICH IS AWESOME! because they said: We want to learn more, and learn for ourselves, we think your church is wonderful, but we just want to learn more first. That is so good, because it means they really thought about it. They really want to learn more, They didn't just say yes to be nice (which happens a lot with Hispanics). They are Truth seekers. But I love it. P-day, I got to visit the DC temple, and do a session it was SO AWESOME!! The temple is really cool. Yesterday after P-day ended we went and taught a lesson to a former, and it was really good as well, they where receptive, and open. Said they wanted to come to church, we didn't even have to invite them. but the bad news is: I might get bed bugs, the apartment was filthy and had bugs crawling all over. It was really humbling to see all this.
 
The Language is still tough, and completely exhausting. But It is so worth it. And the power of faith and prayer are so real. Jesus Christ lives, and he atoned for all of our sins.
 
D&C 121:7-8
Peace, and sometimes are "foes" aren't people.
 
Con Amor,
Elder Mason Paul Reid