Temple Again!

HEY EVERYONE

This week was awesome we got a lot of cool things done. And we also got to send a lot of time with our recent converts!

To start, WE GOT TO GO TO THE TEMPLE AND DO BAPTISMS FOR THE DEAD WITH GERMAN AND LORENA. It was so cool! We got to go with the other elders because thier recent converts went to the temple too! So we all got to go! It was a super holy and righteous experience for all of us! German got to baptise everyone and it was super awesome! I got to work in the confirmation room with bishop and Elder Yount, my buddy. We also got to to go Wendy's with everyone and it was awesome because it was free!

This week we also got to go to this noche international and it was a massive cultural celebration! There was people from a lot of countries and there was a talent show! Some of our investogstors we are working with, Manuel and Josefina! They seemed to like it. It was a really good opportunity to also meet the other people's investigators! It was super nice.

We got this Bible and Book of Mormon referral the other day and so we decided to call him and he didn't answer. So we decided to randomly stop by and this white dude opens the door and Elder Fry is like is Mario here? The dudes name was Angel and he said Mario hahaha but he was like yes actually, that's me. And we were shook but we talked to him in Spanish because he's from Puerto Rico and he's a history teacher and he is super interested in why God didn't send his work to the new world in the Bible and he researched and he came up with the Book of Mormon! We have been teaching him a little about it all and he's super Cool!

Also the other day we got a referral from some elders in the city of this part member family who literally live in the bottom corner of our area. It's like a 20 minute drive around the airport and it's in the middle of nowhere. But we call her up and the Hermana said we could come by that day. So we go down there and we meet her and her husband and they were super nice but he's not very nice. But randomly their nonmember granddaughters pull up and we started teaching them! And y run they came to church and it was super cool! It was awesome to meet them and start teaching them!

We have been working super hard and we have been super happy while doing this work! Elder Fry and I are homies and we will be for life hopefully. The work is true and things are moving forward!

As always,

Elder Tracy

PHOTOS
The temple with German and Lorena and then the other elders
I made some blueberry pancakes
WENDY'S!

Second Summer

HEY Everyone!

This was another awesome week here with Elder Fry in Arlington Heights! I honestly don't remember too much of what happened it was a blur this week haha

But we had a baptism this week! We got to help Allison get baptized! She comes from a less active part member family and she's 8 years old, super smart and super sweet! She gave her testimony after she was baptised and it was the sweetest few sentences I've ever heard! She said that God makes her heart happy and how now she can have him in her heart forever! So cute.

We also went on exchanges this week! I got to go with my HOMIE Elder English to his area in Bloomingdale and we had a great time! I got to meet Hermana Teresa who is the homiest lady ever and Bernabe their recent convert! We also got to meet their super cool new Ward Mission Leader and it was really cool! We talked to this man named Alfredo and he was not happy to see us and we lowkey got pretty heated in our conversation. I even invited him to be baptized and he just said no. Upon asking him why he just said no. It was really fun! We also got to randomly see the Assistants! It was a very long day but we had a blast! Good times.

We also got to visit this one family that randomly started to come church again and they are super cool! They have a son who served with my sister Allison's trainer in Denver! It was super cool! Because we are already tight then we sent them to our families and it was awesome! We also got to set up a tent!

I am honestly loving being a District Leader! I get to serve other people and help others come closer to Christ by learning to teach the same tk other people! I've also had a lot to pray about and for here recently and it's been really a great experience! I've learned to receive revelation and it has been coming more and more easily and it's been very spiritual and uplifting to be able to truly become inspired over something so trivial as a District Meeting. It's been a really humbling and great experience. Furthermore, we are starting this thing called a 40 Day Fast and we give up the little things that we know we are doing wrong and see how much of a difference it makes! I'm super excited to see how much I can grow in these next 39 days!

Things here are awesome! I love you all and I love the Gospel and I hope you all have a great week! Let me know how you're doing at seth.tracy@myldsmail.net

As always,

Elder Tracy

PHOTOS
We enptied our vacuum and Elder Fry is like it's a baby! And so we had a baby
A dog peed on my foot haha
We took an older Hermano with us and he can't see well so to read the scriptures he uses his "chalupa"
The Baptism!
The Homies picture send tk the family!
Our investigator José gave us toothpaste and brushes and it was awesome!

There Must Needs Be an Opposition in All Things

Hey Everyone!

It's Elder Tracy here and you're tuning in for yet another report on a great week in Arlington Heights ft. Elder Fry! But this week was awesome we had a lot of cool things happen! To start off the week, last Monday was our ward party! And we went to this park in Roselle and we ate a bunch of food and we played soccer and basketball and it was super fun! Our recent converts German and Lorena
came too and they got to spend time with all the members! It was awesome!

But this week we got in with some super homie members who fed us a bunch of food and they also spoke English!! It's weird here in the Burbs a lot more people only speak Spanish and so weve been speaking it a bunch more and it's awesome! But it was really fun to be able to have like regular conversations with people in English again it's something small but the lord works in small and simple ways right? So it's something I've come to love, looking for the small blessings in live because if you're always looking for the big oenz, you'll never see them! We also got to hpbthrow a su prize birthday party for Obispo this week and he is an awesome Biship he is always super down to come out and help us teach and he's super nice to us and it makes me happy! But he got cake in his face because that's just how Mexicans roll if you know what I mean.

We also had a really cool week with some of the people we are teaching! One of them is Daisy! We were able to out her on date for baptism for the 13th of October! We are super excited for her! We also brought the primary president to a quick meeting with Daisy (because daisy has like 4 kids under the age of 9) and she was super excited to come to chruch with us. But after Tuesday we lost contact with her and it was really sad! And then she didn't come to chruch either! We also have found some awesome people here recently and they show so much promise and then they just kind of dissapate into thin air. It's sometimes a little frustrating. But if I've learned anything, it'd that there certainly is an Opposition in All things. Our mission president said that we had an awesome month for baptisms and we've seen a bunch of success, but now thigns are going to struggle here for a little. In 2 Nephi chapter 2 in the book of mormon, we learn about this principle in depth. We can't truly know how happy we are of have been unless we also have times of trouble to accompany it. The stark difference between the two help us appreciate one more than the other. I'm super glad for these trials I have right now with the people we are teaching, it's keeps me humble and I have to remember that I have to trust in the Lord and stuff works out! And it will all work out I believe. So I have no worries here but neither should yall! I'm happy and safe (well I try to be) and it's awesome!

I love you all and I hope that everything goes well for you all each and every day! I hope this week keeps yall feeling blessed every day!

As always,

Elder Tracy

PHOTOS
A Golden Missionary Spanish Même is found for yall
We stumbled upon this giant nexican party the other day and it was intense and the music was literally deafening
Here is the party we had with obispo and it was pretty much the best thing ever

Weddings, Baptisms and Comfirmations, Oh my!

Hey Yall! This was a pretty stressful and equally awesome week! Also Happy Labor Day!

So some of our Investigators have been trying to get baptized here for a long time and they were waiting on some paper work so they could get married and they were waiting for ever! But they went on last Monday to see about it all and they were good to go! So they called us and our bishop and we all got ready and on Tuesday, we drove up to their house with bishop in tow and they got married! It was a nice little ceremony and they were so happy to finally be married it was a nice time and then we got to eat! Mexicans still know how to party without all the  cerveza! It was a really great time!

On Wednesday, we had district meeting and then we went to the church and we started getting everything ready for German and Lorena to get baptized! We filled the font, set up the room, called everyone we could, made the programs and everything and so by the time 7 o clock came around it was wild! We invited every missionary we could so they could bring some people they were teaching a lot were able to bring people and a lot of the ward members came out to support Germain y Lorena and it was awesome! It was by far the most beautiful and the sweetest baptism I've ever been to. Back story: Germans parents are members of the the church and they have been waiting for Germans heart to be softened toward the church and after some 20 years it finally was and he accepted the gospel and Lorena, his wife has been wanting this for months. And ti was awesome because Germans parents were here from Mexico and left on Thursday, so right before they left, German and Lorena were able to be baptized by his Father! It was also Germans Birthday! Greatest gift ever. They bore thier testimonies after they were baptized and it was just so good to hear this. They are so sincere and desirous to keep going forward and be sealed in the temple a year from now to be one eternal family!

On Sunday we got to participate in their Comfirmations and the reception of the Holy Ghost and it was really great. They were both really moved to tears and it was a very sacred experience, one I won't forget. Soon after that they got up to bear their testimonies and they did a beautiful job there. Bishop pulled them aside after that meeting and called Lorena to be the new young woman's president for the ward! So she even has a calling now and she was so very excited about that! It's been a great week for them! One of change and getting closer to God! It's awesome.

But other then all this goodness, this week was really hard. We struggled to find people willing to listen to our message and also to keep commitments. But that's just how it happens. We were able to find one Woman named Josefina and she's pretty cool. But Ether 12:6 am I right? But it's all good there's this week so it will be awesome! Also this week is transfer week! And Elder Fry and I are getting another 6 weeks together here in Arlington Heights 3! Super pumped!

But it's been an overall great week! Really glad to be here! I hope to hear from y ou all soon, I love you all and hope you have a great week!

As always,

Elder Tracy

PHOTOS
The baptism!
It's rained really hard so yeah
Selfie in the sun
The Wedding!