Week 12 in Salinas

Family and Friends

I have been so grateful for this opportunity I had to be here with Elder Johnson I really learned a lot. He has really helped me to grow. I now know 2 really important things from these past 3 months here with him. The first one is that I need to learn how to handle stress and I got really good at it, also with the first one is that I need to learn how to love my companion no matter what, they are trying their best. The second thing was that I need to be more humble in everything I do. I had a lot of time to admire the way that Elder Johnson worked and it was really awesome to learn from him. I now understand the importance of being a humble missionary, because when we are more humble we are easier to teach and more willing to learn.

For our miracles this week there are a couple of them,

First off is that we had an appointment with someone who talked with the missionaries a lot and so we went to the house and sadly she wasn't there but her husband said but I can talk with you guys, so we sat down and asked about him and his family and he said he has 3 sons and one of them was there so he came out and we were able to share with these two. When we finished the lesson we invited them to be baptized and they both said yes. Then we invited them to Church and before I could even say the time they asked me where and when. They told us that they weren't able to make it yesterday but they will be there next week. SO FINGERS CROSSED!!!!!!!

The other one is that we were contacting last night and we were talking to everyone that we found and really trying to find the right person to teach, but we knocked on one door and and the vecino (neighbor) came out because he thought that we were talking to him so we went over and started to talk to him and then we asked if we could share our message with him and he said ok come on in, we started the lesson by singing "I am a Child of God" and he loved it, he could really feel the spirit. He was sharing with us that he just got divorced two years ago and was still hurting but we explained that its ok that we were going to be here to help him through this and then we invited him to be baptized and he said that yes he will be baptized.

I am so grateful for this amazing gospel that we have in our lives.

Family and friends as you can read, I will staying here in Salinas. my new companion will be Elder Morales from Guatemala. He has just a little bit more time than I do here in the mission. To answer your question mom yes I will still be district leader but there has been some changes with that. when I first started as District Leader I had 6 missionaries now I will have 10 missionaries we are putting two Districts together and the Lord has asked me to be the District Leader of all of us here now.

I want you to know I love you all and miss you tons, I am so grateful for all that you do for me. I have learned so much as a missionary and am grateful for all the support that I have from you guys.

I know this gospel to be true and that what I am doing here is what the Lord needs from me now.

I love you all!!!!!!!

Con Mucho Amor
Elder Musgo


Excerpt from a letter to Mom...

Hey mom as you have seen now with my weekly letter Elder Johnson is leaving Salinas and I am staying here also Elder Lopez is leaving!!!! This was a hard change for us in the house we all thought that E. Lopez would be staying here but the Lord had other plans for him! I am doing great always working hard! I have a secret for you!!!! I now weigh with all of my church clothes on 207 pounds! I WILL BE LESS THAN 200 BEFORE I COME HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Salinas: Week 10

Family and Friends

This week was good for us, I have really seen a great change in ourselves and in the area. I am doing so much better. I feel great I don't feel to over stressed now. I am so grateful for all the support that I have been given from other missionaries, you, and my family. This week we did a lot of contacting looking for that Baptism and we found 3 good people that have some good potential. We still have one on date [baptism date] and she is good.

I felt God watching over me and taking care of me

Our investigator on date - her name is Z and she has a lot of potential. we didn't have the opportunity to visit with her this week but we have an appointment tonight with her and her husband. So we don't know very much right now about her progress.

But this week through contacting we found this sister named I, she is Catholic and loves to listen to the word of God so we shared with her the first lesson and everything was great. we invited her to be baptized but she said she had to pray about it, but she said let me read and find out for myself. She is a great person and we have a return appointment for this week.

Also, this weekend we were contacting and as we were praying I had the feeling to pray to find a couple so we finished our prayer and were contacting for about an hour. as it was getting close to end our day we said we will contact one more house and as we contacted it we were waiting and the Sister said that we can come up to her door because she was to tired to walk all the way down the stairs so we went up and she told us to come in and sit down. we began talking to her and then her husband walked out and he started to talk to us also and then they said come on in the Mosquitoes are coming out, so we went in and we were able to share the first message with this couple and we invited them to be baptized they said they had to think about it but it was so awesome to be able to feel the spirit tell us go one more house!

Yesterday we had an awesome experience so as we were going to our visit, T, the investigator that is going to get baptized this weekend from Elder Lopez and Elder Dubon, she was in the park that we have to pass by and it had been awhile since we had seen her and so we went and told her hi and asked her how she is doing. but as we were leaving she asked us if we knew about her baptism for this Saturday we said yes of course and then my favorite part, she said "usted puede hacer mi bautismo para mi!!!!" (Can you baptize me!!!!) I really wasn't expecting that. I told her of course I would love to!!!!

I am so grateful for the gospel in our lives and the opportunity that we have to be missionaries! I have been able to witness a lot of milagros in my mission! I am so grateful for prayer and the opportunity that we have to pray everyday and be able to feel of our Heavenly Fathers presence everyday! I love you all! We are all truly missionaries here in this world!

Con Mucho Amor

Elder Musgo

Week 9 in Salinas

Family and Friends

This week was a little better for us. We went and changed our attitudes and we went to find and to find to baptize!!!! This week I also found out that I am stressed a little and I am working hard on it. I sat down during my personal study today and read through the Adjusting to Missionary Life and I found that it really helps. I have felt so much more peace throughout my day today.  I am so grateful for the gospel that we have in our lives to help us with everything!!!!

 

 

But for this week we had an awesome experience, Elder Lopez and I were on an exchange and we were contacting and we went and knocked on this door and this older lady came out and we started to talk to her, she had told us that she used to go to a church but she stopped. then we started to share the 1st lesson with her and we got to the Book of Mormon and she paused us and asked us if we had one and we pulled out one and she started to explain that her husband passed away about 6 years ago and he wasn't going to a church but he told her before he passed away that there was a church that had another book that she had to find that, that was the right church. So we said that she could have this one and then she said she would read it. It  was such a spiritual moment and we then invited her to come to church with us and she said she would love to but she didn't remember if she had a commitment so we told her we would call her to confirm on Saturday but during the day we received a call from her and she told us that she didn't want us to pass by right now that she didn't want to be confused but I explained to her that, that's what we are here for - to help her not to be confused and to understand everything. So we are going to respect here decision. She is reading and she is understanding up to now. 

We also have a baptismal date for someone named Z. she and her husband have listened a little but nothing really came from it. But yesterday we went and shared the first lesson with them and invited them to be baptized and she said yes and he said give him a little time to think about it. Her date is for March 26th!!!!!!

We have really seen a difference when we have an good attitude about the work and a bad attitude about the work and we are really working on changing. 

I have noticed that with me being stressed has brought out my bad attitude and I am doing everything in my power to change it now because I can't be a good leader if I am stressed and am getting mad at myself which I am getting mad at others, that is not why I am here. 

A quote that I really like that I am working on is "God doesn't care nearly as much about where you have been, as he does about where you are and with his help where you are willing to go." Jeffrey R Holland

I love you all so much and miss you tons!!!! Please keep me in your prayers at this time. I am so grateful for all that you are doing and all the support you have shown me throughout this time as a missionary. Thank you again for everything!!!!!!

Con Mucho Amor

Elder Musgo

 

 

In Need of an Attitude Change - Salinas Week 8

Family and Friends

This week was hard for us but we are not giving up, something that we are working on is our attitude. for this area here in Salinas we really want to find people and we have realized that our attitudes have such a huge role in finding. I took a long time to realize that my attitude has changed as well and that is not what we need right now. So we had a talk today and we have made the decision to change our attitude right now and we are going to change and we are going to get a baptism!!!!!! That is our goal and it is still possible for this transfer to get a baptism. 

For us right now we really only have one person that we are teaching consistently his name is R. he is a great guy but we are really trying to help him the importance of being baptized again and how its going to be hard and but it is possible and that he can do it. 

This week as you can see was something hard for us but I have really learned that ones attitude changes everything, if your attitude is bad or hard then the other persons is also bad but, I know that we can always have people to help but first we have to change everything in ourselves first. 

I love you all and sorry this is a short letter today but we have things to get taken care of and I have to get going but I really miss you all and can't wait to hear from you next week!!!!! 

Con Mucho Amor

Elder Musgo

 

 

 

 

 

 

Salinas - Week 7

Family and Friends

This week was a good week, we are really growing as a companionship and as missionaries. Elder Johnson and I have had some great talks as we what we should do and how we should be better in the streets.  I have noticed that at times he is getting mad at himself because he isn't understanding everyone still. But we had a great talk and I had the opportunity to let him know that I love him and I want to see him succeed, and to learn the language. He has really improved since I have been here and is really working hard to learn the language.  This week we are seeing things differently here as a zone we are focusing on inviting to baptism the first lesson and so Elder Johnson and I have, have had the opportunity to invite people to be baptized.

For us this week there are some newer people that we are teaching... 

One of them is J he is an older man and he was an old investigator of Elder Johnson and Elder Kemsly but we went to him and we had the opportunity to teach him about the Book of Mormon. He had told us he had been reading it but he really didn't understand the importance of two books so we had the opportunity to share with him Ezekiel 37:15-17 and we had the opportunity to teach him what the meaning of the two sticks and what the meaning it is by hand in hand and after we explained this to him he told us that he understood better on why we need to have two books. He is a great guy and he loves the Bible and Jesus Christ.

Someone else that we taught this week is named L he is a great guy also he was also an old investigator and we have tried to pass by but he has never been there but this last week we found him and he started to talk with us about repentance and what he had to be good with God so we taught him about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and after we taught him we then invited him to repent and be baptized and he said yes that he will so we tried to set him for the 6 of March and wouldn't except a date right now he said he has to pray about it and think about what God wants for him. He is a man that sounded super sure that this is something that he wants to do. 

Also for this last Sunday we had invited T to come to church and to go to the classes with us and she is improving she came to church but she also came to the class. She is really improving here and really growing. We are trying to help her understand the importance of baptism without pressuring her into be being baptized. 

I am learning so many new lessons each and every week but the biggest lesson that I have learned as a missionary is who I am and who God wants me to become. I was reassured about who I am in the last General Conference I can't remember who said it but he said that the Primary Children sing a song to remind them who they are, but I sing it also and I am a Child of God. I have really come to know that my Father in Heaven loves me and wants whats best for me. That is why he sent me here to Earth. 

I love you all and miss you tons!!!!!!! I know that we are all children of God and he loves us and wants whats best for each and everyone of us!!!!!!!

Con Mucho Amor

Elder Musgo

 

Staying Another 6 Weeks in Salinas! (Week 6)

Family and Friends

Oh this week was transfers and Elder Johnson and I will be together again for another 6 weeks here in Salinas!!!!!

This week was better for us, we were able to see improvements. We were so grateful that the AP's wanted to do have an Exchange with us this last week. I learned a lot from Elder Sepulveda. Especially on how we as missionaries just need to be bold and just go for it.  We are starting to gain new investigators and we will be visiting each one of them this next week and we will be setting dates with all of them each of them said yes that they will be baptized so now its just us to help them get there. 

With all of that, this past week we had the opportunity to visit with T and she was explaining to us that she doesn't like groups or organizations so I think that, that is the only thing that is really keeping her from being baptized right now. She is doing awesome and she is reading and almost always coming to church, there are some days that she can't come but we are trying to help her. 

We are also have E - he is still reading I really hope we can watch him get baptized here in Salinas in these next Six weeks he is a great guy and will really help this Branch over here. We are just waiting for him to receive his answer.   

That is about all that we have right now but we are getting there. This area is going to get better we are going to to improve more and really find those people that want to listen to us.

Family thank you for all that you do for me and the love and support that you show unto me. I am so grateful for everything the mission isn't possible without you guys. Thank you again sorry this is short. 

Con Mucho Amor

Elder Musgo

 

 

Week 5 in Salinas

Family and Friends

This week was a little better,  we are trying to find those people that are truly ready to hear the Gospel. We are trying inspired finding and if visits fall through, contacting the houses next door.  There is still no excuse on why we don't have anyone close to baptism. We have invited a lot of people and tried with dates even but a lot of them are really set on their churches. 

But for us this week we had the opportunity to visit with E to see what happened and why he changed his mind, so we got to talk to him and he was asking about the Book of Mormon and to see what we thought about it, so we got to share our testimonies and share why we know that this Book is true. Then he asked us a very interesting question and we had the opportunity to answer with the Spirit on this one. he asked us if we were loosing [wasting] our time as missionaries in this Church or if he was loosing [wasting] his time in his church. So I had the wonderful opportunity to share with him my testimony of why I knew that I wasn't wasting or loosing my time as a missionary of this Church. 

That's when he said something I wasn't expecting. he looked me in the eyes and told me that he must have been loosing or wasting his time in his church. So I invited him to be baptized but he said no because he was still trying to know if the Book of Mormon is true or no.  So then we invited him to read the Book of Mormon and to pray about it and he looked at me again and said, "the only way that I will know if this Book is True is if I read it and pray about it." that's when I was able to say with all the surety of my heart that, yes that is exactly what he have to do. I have never been as grateful for the Spirit in my life to guide as much as it did that day. I was so impressed with Elder Johnson in this lesson he said the most he has spoken in a long time and he said everything from his heart and the Spirit testified to E that what he was saying was true!!!

This week is our last week of the transfer and we are working hard we are getting used to working with each other and I know that whatever happens that our Heavenly Father will help us. I love this area and I love my mission. it has been the place that I have really learned and grown as a person. I want everyone to know that this was the best decision that I could have made in my life [to serve a mission] it has helped me to know what kind of brother, member of the church, man, and most importantly what kind of Child of God that I am and want to become. I have never really thought about that - this mission is changing me completely. 

I love you all and miss you tons!!! This is the Best Two Years of my Life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Con Mucho Amor

Elder Musgo

Moss y Johnson

Elder Johnson

I'm a Minion-ary

Like my hair?

Week 4 in Salinas

Family and Friends

This week was good for us but also kind of sad. We are working hard and we are really trying to focus on our goal here and that is to Baptize!!! We have been working more on finding this week and inspired finding. This week was a little difficult with the other Holiday but we are looking for a great week and a great finding week. 

 

[The other Holiday = Feast of the Epiphany/Three Kings' Day/Día de los Tres Reyes Magos: In Puerto Rico, Epiphany is an important festive holiday, and is commonly referred as Dia de Los Tres Reyes Magos, or Three Kings' Day. It is traditional for children to fill a box with fresh grass or hay and put it underneath their bed, for the Wise Men's camels. The three kings will then take the grass to feed the camels and will leave gifts under the bed as a reward. These traditions are analogous to the customs of children leaving mince pies and sherry out for Father Christmas in Western Europe or leaving milk and cookies for Santa Claus in the United States. On the day before the feast (January 5), the "Rosario de Reyes" or "Promesa de Reyes" is celebrated with songs (aguinaldos) promised to be sung to the Kings, usually before a little table with figures of the Nativity and the Kings or with the Kings alone and their camels. This celebration is accompanied with a chicken soup, snacks, and drinks. Description of the holiday found on Wikipedia.]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This week we received some sad news. I gave E a call Saturday night to remind him about church and he told me that he has a commitment with his church, so I asked him about the following week and he then told me that I didn't understand him - he has a commitment with his Church every Sunday, so as of now we don't have E. we will be trying to focus on other areas and other people now. It was sad but it just shows that he wasn't ready at this time. 

We also have T still she is doing good she just feels pressured from all the Missionaries trying to come in and just try to baptize her so we are going to keep passing by and sharing with her scriptures and let her know that we still love her and want whats best for her, she has all of the lessons. She is basically a member just without a calling and can't really do anything but she is going each week. The Branch President will be putting Visiting Teachers to visit T and to have the Members start to be her friend so we will see how this goes.

For Elder Johnson this week - he is really improving with his Spanish. He and Elder Dubon have a deal that Elder Dubon will speak English with Elder Johnson but he has to answer in Spanish and it has really helped the both of them with their new languages.

Family I love you so much and I am so grateful for a family like you that has really blessed my life. I am so happy to be able to be apart of such a wonderful organization that I can call my family. I am really learning more about who I am and who I want to be and really am trying to give it my all my last bit of time on my mission. I love you so much and miss you all!!!! 

Love you 

Con Mucho Amor

Elder Musgo

PS I want to thank everyone that sent me a tie for Christmas each and every tie means so much to me I can really feel that love from you guys and it means a lot to me. I love each and everyone of you. I want you to know that each one of you has a big impact on my life and I wouldn't be where I am at without you guys. I love you all!!!!!

 

Week 3 in Salinas

Family and Friends

Happy New Year!!!!

This week for us was great with the Holiday it was still a little difficult to find but I had the opportunity to go on an exchange with Elder Boggess this week and he gave me a little more training on being a District Leader and what I can do to help my District. One that he mentioned was Inspired Finding!!!! I took that into practice this week. We went to an area that is big so I said lets go through and find all of the old investigators and members and we did and found a less active that wants to come back to church and wants to feel the Spirit in his life again. Then we went to find this old investigator that was with Elder Heward when he was here so we passed by and the family was very welcoming and they said we could share a message with them but the mom stressed to us that she won't change church's and so then we asked around the family and the Daughter actually said she wants to know more!!!!! So we will see where this comes from. But it was so cool to be able to experience that!!!!! I know that the Lord blessed us with finding her.

But for this week we had two Investigators in church!!!!!! 

One of them is T we are still trying to figure out how we can help her, she says that she knows that the church is true and that the Book of Mormon is true but she won't pray to ask Heavenly Father if this is what he wants for her. She says she feels disrespectful asking Him questions.

The other one is E he is awesome he told us starting in January he will come to church with us, and so I gave him a call this past Sunday to remind him and he said "yes I am leaving now for church" and he was there!!!! He said he liked it and no he doesn't have a date yet we tried to put a date two weeks ago and he said he won't commit to a date until after he see's if he likes church so we plan on setting him for the 23rd of January he has all the lessons and he is living the Commandments so we are going to set this date this week.

As for the District I can honestly say that I can see the improvement from everyone we are all working hard and we are all getting people close to either baptism or reactivated I can see the true desire from everyone here and their willingness to work. I am so grateful for this opportunity to work here in Salinas and really get to work with the missionaries here this are a great group of missionaries. 

Everything is great over I love it here I am so excited to be apart of this amazing work. It has really changed me and I grateful for the love and support from all of you guys!!!!

Con Mucho Amor

Elder Musgo

 

Elders Moss y Dubon

View from Salinas

View from Salinas

Anyone hungry?

 

Week 2 in Salinas

Family and Friends

This week was better for us we are really getting better at everything. Sadly we don't we have a baptismal date anymore, but its ok she just wasn't ready right now. But we have two great investigators that we are working with, they are progressing and one of them is coming to church. But other than that we are doing good here, we have started to talk to President Diaz about what we can do and he is awesome when it comes to missionary work here we are having our meetings here in with him and then he takes what we talk about and puts it into his meetings on Sunday. He is really trying to help everything approve here and get the members working more with us. 

But for this week we have two great investigators, one of them is named T, she is reading and keeping every commitments but the only thing that she is not doing is praying to know if this is really what she wants in her life, she knows that this is the true church she really likes this church but she doesn't want to get baptized at all. She says because she was baptized once she doesn't have to be baptized again.  She also says that she doesn't like to pray for herself she doesn't think she needs to ask God if she needs to be baptized. 

The other is named E he is really cool and we actually went and visited him with a member and it was a great lesson he says that he will be coming to church next week and hopefully we can get him with a baptismal date, we have invited him but he won't commit to a date until he knows that the Book of Mormon is true. He really likes the church and he wants to be apart of it but he said he will when he finds out if the Book of Mormon is true. 

This week with Elder Johnson was really awesome he is really improving and really trying to get better at Spanish, it isn't the easiest to learn a new language but he is really trying and really wants to improve. He is a great example to me, he is really trying everyday. We are just trying to get him to speak to everyone but other than that he is doing great. It was so awesome to see him talk to his family on Friday we were able to find them on Skype and I haven't seen him so happy before.

Con Mucho Amor

Elder Musgo

PS MERRY CHRISTMAS to everyone I hope you had a great day!!!!

PSS HAPPY NEW YEAR 

I love you all so much and miss you so much have a great week!!!!!!!!!!!