Re: What a Week!!!

Oh just kidding, I just realized that Dad sent me President Kartchners email. But thank you so much, love you all!!

On Mon, Nov 10, 2014 at 11:04 AM, Derek Wengert <derek.wengert@myldsmail.net> wrote:

  Hello!!! So where do I even begin today! First of all, how did my package already get there, holy cow! 1 month, that has got to be a mission record right there! Tan Man, you are such a baller! You had to play against a 6´3´´ guy, wow! Makes me rembember when i had to play against a 7´1´´ guy in a summer tournament. Yea, a little rediculous haha! Mom, i got my social security number, so thank you so much! Jess, why are you getting surgery on your shoulder? Does it have to do with you accident on during your mission? Tara Jo, tell those boys of yours to stop growing. I seriously cant believe it!!! Jordy and Naes, Dozier is your new basketball coach? I bet that is pretty interesting, but tell him hi for me haha! I also cant believe that Zack and Sara are home, that is rediculous!! If you could, it would be great to get an email for Sara! Oh and I also need the email for President Kartchner and I will be flying to the Tucson Airport right? 

   So you were all right, this was the week of the Conference with Elder Christofferson, and it was absolutely incredible. There is nothing like being in the presence of a special witness of Christ, and especially one of His apostles. We were gathered as the whole mission, which never happens here. It was the first time in years that he whole mission was gathered together. But Elder Christofferson allowed us all to come up one by one to shake his hand (and his wifes) and introduce ourselves. What a special moment to take his hand and look him in the eyes and get that personal confirmation that he truly is an apostle of Jesus Christ. Since he served his mission here just a few years ago under the authority of his mission president, Elder Richard G. Scott, it was a special time for him as well. It was definatly a time that one truly cannot forget!

   I was also able to spend a little bit of time in Rodeo de la Cruz. Unfortanetly i didnt get to see any of my converts. I was really hoping to get to visit Melisa Carletti, but she happened to be out of town. But I at least got to talk to her on the phone. But we did get to visit the Familia Vega, an inactive family that we reactivated during my time there. We were walking towards there house when i hear somebody yelling ´´Wengert!!´´. So I turn and see Marcelito, the 5 year old of Familia Vega, running towards us and he just jumps into my arms haha. It really was a special moment that helped realized the little impact i was able to cause with that family and others during these last 20 months! 

   Everything is also going great here in Pringles! Elder Rabanales and I had an amazing experience this week in regards to the Book of Mormon, causing my testimony of the this special book to grow so much. We had a lesson last week with the Familia Caballero and we decided to read 1 Nefi 1 and apply it personally to them and there family. So that was exactly what we did and during the process, we could literally see the heart of Luis, the husband, changing. He started to read ahead so he could learn more and at the end of the lesson he told us ´´alright, we cant come to church this sunday, but next sunday we will be there´´. What an incredible blessing to have the guidance of the Lord through the teachings of His prophets in the Bood of Mormon! Darío is also doing great as well. This week we will begin the process of quiting smoking, but he is still progressing well towards his date on the 29th!

   Thank you so much for everything that each of you do. The mission isnt easy at all, but when you have a familiy behind you 1000% of the time cheering me on, it is so much easier. I love you all so much and hope you have a great week!!

Elder Wengert-W9