November 30, 2015...."Post the new Christmas Video on your Facebook to share with others"

Hey friends and fam bam! 

I Hope you guys had an awesome Thanksgiving. We ate with the Smiths and it was bomb. I'd say all the things I'm grateful for but you'd be reading for an eternity so I'll save you the eyesore haha. This past week was pretty good, on Monday I got my ear cut open finally haha so now my ear isn't all swollen and filled with nasty ish. Now I have to go to a Plastic Surgeon to get everything fully removed but it's a lot better now than it was before the Dermatologist cut it open haha. It's a relief really. Then the rest of the week we were just busy stopping by people and getting them and the area ready for when we switch on Tuesday.  We met with the sisters for an hour and went over all the people we are working with and they did the same. It will be cool to meet new people.  I'm trying to have a good attitude about it notice I said trying haha. Anyway, we had a good last week here. We weren't able to see "M" cuz she was in New York but we did stop by anyway after church and we were able to talk to her son and show him the new Christmas video! He loved it and said it was a good way to start the day because he was going to work and he said he'll be looking forward to meeting with the sisters soon as well so that was awesome.

The new video really is sweet it came out today Sunday but we've known about it since last zone conference. It's such a good opportunity to share our faith in Christ with those around us. Just like last years' Christmas video and the Easter ones the church and God really expects all of us including members to use this as a missionary tool. Post it on Facebook get some good stuff on social media and flood our the bad stuff. Share it with your friends at work or school or with your visiting and home teaching families. A simple 2 minute video can help someone feel the spirit and see what the church is about or help someone feel the spirit after not feeling it for a long time. The lord has truly blessed us with the technology we have and the ways we can communicate with those we know throughout the world so let's use that! I wish we were a Facebook mission again, but we aren't so we have to count on the members here to post it. Also, we will be sharing it with everyone we come into contact with.

As Christmas approaches I realize this is my last Christmas in the mission so I want to do everything I can to share this video and gospel as a missionary while I still can. It's weird and sad to think next Christmas I'll be home haha.  I'd rather stay another year then go home that soon. Anyway, I love you all have a rad week and share the video with everyone!!! 

Elder Armijo

                                               To watch the new Video, click on this link  
                                                       https://youtu.be/q_TEOyhy7Bg

November 23, 2015..."New area = New People to work with"

Hey fam bam how is everything?

Okay anyway, this past week was pretty cool just a normal week sorta we had a few doctors appointments. We had to go to for Elder Wilson so like 3 days we weren't even in our area which stunk but when we were it was just filled with stop bys and getting people ready for the sisters to start working with them. We finally got a referral this week from the Sanford Elders but we haven't been able to meet with her yet she keeps changing the day haha So we aren't sure if she's down, but the Elders say she's super solid so we have faith that we will be able to meet with her. We also had our Book of Mormon study group like we always do on Wednesday and "M" came and she just bore her testimony like it was nothing. It was at the end of our study and she shared her conversion and her testimony not just to this church but of her faith in Christ and it was so sick!! Almost cried. Jk I don't cry. But really it was awesome she is gonna be gone for a while she is leaving today actually to NY to see her daughters so we aren't sure when she will be back. But the sisters will now be working with her when we switch our areas. Speaking of that, Me and Elder Wilson are actually pretty excited. We've set a lot of companionship goals and many personal goals and the conclusion or big goal is we just want to feel more like Missionaries. We want to not cut corners and we want to work hard so we don't look back and say oh I wish I would have done this better or work harder. We are excited for a new area and new people to work with. I'm pumped because we will be living across the street from the church building so now I can wake up and go play basketball for my Morning workouts and lose some of this weight I've gained I'm so fat. But yeah it will be awesome, this week we have Thanksgiving lunch/dinner with the Smiths my favorite family.  Actually I have a lot of favorite families haha but they are on the top of the list. So we are excited for that!!! I hope everyone has somewhere to go for the Holidays. If there are people in your ward or just people you know in general who don't have anywhere to go or food to eat for Thanksgiving please invite them into your homes.

I love you guys. Sorry, not much happened this week when we switch areas we will have more things to write about haha. Let me know if I can do anything for any of you!! Have a great week. 

Ya boy Elder Armijo " The Legend " 

November 16, 2015....."Hold to the Rod and never let go"

Well friends and fam bam it's been another week!

This past week was super busy and crazy and really awesome. The big news is transfers is tomorrow and me and Elder Wilson will be staying together for another 6 weeks, but there's a catch. We are going to be switching areas with the sisters in our ward. So right now we cover the south part of the ward and the sisters cover the north, but the sisters have been complaining that their area is too dangerous at night tell the members how scared they were so we got a call from President Berry and he told us we will be switching areas December 1st. Which means all the people we are working with we won't be working with anymore. Honestly I've been a little upset about it since we found out but I'm trying to focus on the positive things about it such as new people to work with and more people to find and we get a new apartment but still upset to say the least. Oh well I'll get over it. 

 I normally don't give a play by play of the days but this time I will so:

Monday was pday and we had district pday. We went to a place called the Old Sugar Mill and we made our own pancakes and stuff it was cool. Then we went on a nature walk lol which was also very cool I guess but very humid like for real Florida would be perfect without the humidity. So that was fun. Tuesday we had zone conference! It was pretty good. We were introduced to the TIWI device which is something that goes into our cars that tracks our driving and stuff ( the government is watching ) so every missionary companionship got one hooked up to their car.. Except for me and Elder Wilson hahaha. Our car is old and has 51k miles on it so when we are done with it they are just going to get rid of the car so they didn't put one in ours. Everyone is pretty jealous hahaha.

Wednesday and Thursday we had little time in " our area " lol so we stopped by a few people and we got to eat with Maria and her son and his girlfriend which was awesome. She cooked some legit Spanish food it was bomb. We got to answer some questions her son and his girlfriend had about the church and stuff and it was pretty cool, then Friday. 

Friday was awesome! We were able to go to the temple! Elder Wilson at the beginning of his mission baptized a family and they hit their year mark and so when converts hit their year marks they get to go to the temple and so Elder Wilson and his trainer were able to go but so were their companions so we got to go to an endowment session with his converts for their first time, But then get this....... It's the cherry on top! They have three kids!  So on Saturday the next day we drove down again to the Temple for the sealing of the family!!! It was so sickkkkk. I had been to a sealing before for Queston and Mollees but this one was different because there was 3 little kiddos and it was the coolest thing. Elder Wilson and his first comp ( Elder Scott my homie ) got to be the witnesses!! So being Elder Wilson's comp this transfer was a super! plus because I got to go the temple twice this week when we only usually get to go twice a year!

Sunday We had church and that was awesome. Then later that night or last night. We were able to attend a special musical concert for the missionaries put on by some guy named Marvin Goldstein and a woman named Vanessa Joy. I guess they are some pretty famous performers and they were in Orlando doing a show and so they called President Berry and said they wanted to do a concert for all the missionaries and any investigators we have. So we went to that and it was pretty awesome. He plays the piano and she sings really well. ( I still think my little sister sings better than anyone ) . But yeah I found out the Vanessa lady is from AZ as well so that's cool, but anyway, this week was cool.

I hope you all had a good one. I know some bad stuff went down in Paris. we might not get to listen to the news or watch it but the members sure do make sure we know how bad the world is.. Stay close to the Lord. We know these are the times prophesied by so many. Hold to the rod and never let go. 

I'll try and take some pics today love ya guys 

Elder Armio

PIC:  This is Levi!  He's my best friend!

November 9, 2015......"Stay strong in your faith and testimony"

Well friends and family another week has come and gone.  We were able to see more people this week than we have in a few weeks and that was awesome. We had a goal and we reached that goal. So that was good. I like setting goals and I like achieving those goals. I saw a quote that said " Righteous goals become reality " #truedat. But this week "M" did come to church again and she brought her sons girlfriend who is not a member! So that was really cool, "M" has just like completely blown us outta the water haha She always tells us how special we are and how God sent us to knock on her door because she said she was never going to come back to the church until we showed up. We are eating dinner with her on Thursday and I finally get to have some authentic home cooked Spanish food. The closest I've come to that is my quesadillas I make lol. But anyway, I don't want to write about the controversial topic that seems to be causing members to have shaken faith syndrome but if you are doubting in any way, take it to Heavenly Father in prayer. Read the scriptures. and go to church. You will regain the witness of the truthfulness of this gospel as you once had. If that doesn't work then stop reading sources that are not official church statements. Go to LDS.org and listen to Elder Christofferson explain it all. Remember the gospel is easy, don't make it more complicated than it has to be. Were in the lasts days, stuff is going to get worse before it gets good. Stay strong in your faith and testimony and don't let the world take you away from what you've always known to be true. Love you all. I have a bunch of selfies I took with a cool new portrait of Jesus we got from a member lol. And also today is district p day and we went to a place called the old sugar mill and made our own pancakes and then went on a nature walk so I have a lot of pics to send but I will have to send them like 2 at a time so bare with me I'll send them eventually haha love you all.

Elder Armijo

 Me and Elder Chugg

 We were given this picture of Christ

November 2, 2015..."We know this is the start to the progression of work here"

Hello friends and fam!!

 Another week down here in the FOM. This week marks 11 months since I've arrived. Pretty crazy. It's funny every time another month passes I always think back to when I was a greenie.  I literally never thought I would make it to a year it seemed so far away. I wish it was as far away now as it was then but I'm grateful for the time I've had here so far and the many people I have met. Anyway, this past week was pretty good. We seem to be doing a lot of the same stuff each week but for some reason Sunday went from being the day we unwind to our busiest day of the week. We see all the people that say they will come to church and don't, and we see all the people that did come to church. This last Sunday we stopped by to visit a  lady named "M" who is a member but she is sort of less active. We came across her in the area book and we had no idea who she was so we decided to stop by her house ( I think I've mentioned her before ) and she ended up being super awesome and she has come to church the last two weeks. So, today we went over in the evening and we talked to her and we were able to give her son and his girlfriend a blessing. It was sort of awkward at first because we had never met them before nor talked with them but they are non members so it was a good way to talk about the Priesthood being restored. But as we were leaving "M"'s house she told us that she is so grateful we stopped by. She used to not like our ward but she says ever since we've stopped by, the ward has been so loving and caring and welcoming more than ever before so she thinks we are " Special Missionaries" she said that we could wrap Jesus all around her family. She wants us to teach her husband and her son and her sons girlfriend because she said no other Missionaries had been able to talk to her husband but he has been so awesome with us and the same with her son. "M" is so awesome. She has only been to church twice since we've met her and this Sunday she bore her testimony and shared her conversion story and it was so cool! It's been a real testimony builder for me because it just helps me know what I already know, that the Lord guides us to those that are ready, members and non members. Even though we don't have much going on in this area right now, we know this is a start to the progression of the work here. I hope you all had a good fast Sunday and I hope you actually fasted and didn't just go hungry hahaha. I'm guilty of that sometimes. Anyway, LOVES and also I'll send pics in a separate email!!  

Elder Armijo

Oh and this just happened.....So get this We were emailing at the church and I went to the car to grab something and a guy pulled up a big black guy and he was saying how he and his family were trying to get home to Indiana and he was asking for the bishop or a pastor but there is no one here Except us missionaries and he said he and his wife had met with missionaries while they lived in Florida and so he didn't know where else to go but the church, so I grabbed elder bravo and elder chugg and we were talking to him and of course as missionaries we aren't supposed to give out money I know that but I couldn't just tell him " yeah man we are missionaries for the church of JESUS CHRIST " and then tell him we can't help him? When we all knew good and well we could at least get him gas. So after thinking and praying in my head I told him that I would fill his tank up. And so I did. And I feel great about it. 27 dollars I would have used to buy shoes that I don't need but that I wanted, but instead it helped a family. 

Pics:

1. Me and Elder Wilson at the booth

2. Fall Festival (Our Booth that the Sisters set up)  haha

3. Our District plus the Hermanas from the Spanish Branch