Fwd: Baptism of a professional soccer player - and Josh's last letter - and some great pictures

Hello friends and family of Josh. Josh asked me to send the letter below. Hopefully you can all make it to Josh's report at Heyburn 1st Ward at 9am on November 15th. I know he'd love to see you all! And we'll be having a luncheon at "The Barn" afterwards. Here is the address: https://www.here.com/directions/drive/mylocation/SUNRISE-P-RIVER-RANCH:42.561497,-113.643242?map=42.5615,-113.64324,12,normal&fb_locale=en_US&x=ep 

Josh's letter

We had a baptism! It was super special. Bryan Zenteno. He is a professional soccer player, 19 years old, and is just about as sweet and humble as can be. He is an amazing person. He just ate up the gospel as he learned about it, making many changes in his life. He bore his testimony after his baptism, and it was full of the spirit.

"Our Heavenly Father's plan contains the ultimate expressions of true love. All that we hold dear, even our families, our friends, our joy, our knowledge, our testimonies, would vanish were it not for our Father and His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Among the most cherished thoughts and writings in this world is the divine statement of truth: 'For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.'" —President Thomas S. Monson

I´m positive I wont write next Monday. The leadership conference is that evening, so we´ll be traveling.

(This is a picture from Josh's baptism last week. He's had one in each of the past two weeks. He couldn't send a picture of the professional soccer player's baptism because they forgot their cord.)

Here´s a picture of me during my birthday. They have a super funny tradition that he who has a birthday has to take a bite of the cake with his face; you can see the rest of the tradition from my face :D

 

Josh's birthday

Josh's emails:

It was wonderful :) actually I did get to celebrate a little :) Our pensionista cooked my favorite meal as a suprise, haha I never told them it was my birthday, and they got me a beautiful cake. It was really special. :) I´ll say in the group letter!

It was a splendid weekend!!!!! I love general conference! I´m going to make it a big family tradition in my family. General Conference weekend will be off-limits for work and or other activities. :) I really loved the talks by Elder Nelson, President Monson, and Kevin Durrant, and Elder Foster, and Elder Lawrence. Oh and Sister Neill F. Marriott, and Sister Carole Stephens were great too. But I think Elder Nelson´s was my favorite of the conference!

hahaha thanks for all the birthday wishes!! :) They are wonderful! Coltin is so big now! He looks way older! Conference sure was wonderful for me! :) I love general conference

DID MCKADE WATCH CONFERENCE???????? hahaha I hope he did!! 

Mom when I get home, I want to go to the temple. Can we go in the first few days? Perhaps Monday or Tuesday? 

Maybe I´ll go spend a week with Grandma and Papa before heading off to Rexburg. I could maybe help out a bit with the house and coltin.

From Josh to everyone: 

After a wonderful weekend of conference and miracles, I have many new goals and hopes for my future. I learned as much from what they said as how they said it.

The talk that most called my attention.. well I can´t say just one. I received little packets of light all throughout the conference from all the different speakers such as:

You can only teach someone when THEY are ready to learn, not just when I want to teach them. -Elder Foster

Talking is not teaching. -Sister Carole Stephens

I am going to PONDERIZE! -Kevin Durrant (I loved this talk so much!)  

Elder Bednar´s talk really helped me as well, because sometimes I worried to see the leaders of the church struggle with their age, like President Monson, but his talk helped me to repent and gain a new perspective that it is really a blessing! And also help me to look forward to being old. 

I can access the divine guidance of God through prayer. He can literally give me the solutions I need to the problems I have if I ask in faith. -President Erying.

I can be kinder in word and in thought. I can show more love. -Elder Rasband (You can just see in his face how loving he is!) 

I want to marry a woman who can ¨pull down the blessings of heaven through prayer to protect her family¨ really that will be like all the wonderful things he said a woman can be. -President Nelson

Heavenly Father blessed me with so very many wonderful revelations!! Now we have to take it all to the investigators. I´ve been worried about the zone, but I realized that I need to face our challenges with love and optimism, not with stress and negativity. I have to help them have the higher vision through my example and love. 

I hope you have a wonderful week!

Elder Evenson