A Good and Crazy Week

This week was good, a little crazy, but ok. Tuesday we went to district meeting and I gave the lesson- it went well. Later a couple Elders had bought Halloween makeup and painted themselves like clowns. The story is that President Moss says that we look like clowns in our nonmissionary clothes and that we scare the people. So Elder Batchelor and Cabrera took a picture of them clownified, maybe they´ll give it to President Moss. Later we went to the store and got the famous ham and cheese rolls that we get after district meeting every Tuesday. Afterwards my comp said he had been feeling sick all morning, so we stayed in the house. It was pretty bad, he couldn´t leave because at any second he needed a bathroom. So we stayed home all Tuesday.

Maybe a Baptism?

Wednesday was good. We went to an appointment with a less active we found, but she didn´t show up. We spent that day finding people from the lists. On Sunday and Tuesday I was supposed to interview an investigator from another area for baptism. He didn´t show up, so the Elders kind of cancelled the baptism. They went to the chapel to tell the people that showed up that there wasn´t going to be a baptism. But it turns out that the guy (Angel) showed up and wanted to be baptized. So the Elder called me and asked if I could go to the church and do and interview. We went and I interviewed him, but the water in the font stopped filling, and there was only one member from the ward that was there. The counselor decided that it would be better to baptize him on Saturday.

Trio

Thursday we went to the bus station to pick up Elder Morgan. His companion ended his mission and had to go to Tampico about 4 days before the transfer ended. So we were in a Trio for about three days. At night we went to a mini reception of a couple that the Elders from our district helped get married. It was fun and there was good food. I met the investigators that were going to get baptized on Saturday.

Elder Avila Moving On

Friday Elder Avila called President Moss to ask if he still had permission to go see his brother in Tampico on Monday. President took advantage of the call and told my comp he was going to be the new Assistant. I kind of knew it was coming. He has 9 months left in the mission, and there really isn´t any Mexcian older than him (there are two, and they are really disobedient.) But I had a feeling since interviews that he was going to be Assistant. Later we did the interviews for the 5 people that were going to be baptized. One of them really didn´t know if she was going to get baptized but the other ones were really excited. It was pretty cool, a couple of them chose me and Elder Avila to baptize them. We had only known them a day, but they for some reason they wanted us to do it.

Crazy Day!

On Saturday we had a busy schedule. We had some citas in the morning, then we had to eat, go to the stake center to fill the font, we met some Elders there- I went with Elder Morgan to get his baptismal clothes and Elder Avila went with the other Elders to do another baptismal interview. We got back and waited for another companionship to get to the stake center to stay with Elder Morgan and help him with his baptism (Angel). Meanwhile me and Elder Avila went to our chapel where the 5 people were going to be baptized. When we got there only two of the 5 people showed up. And supposedly there was a big situation with the husband. At noon the Elders had past by and he was excited to be baptized, but 5 hours later he got all crazy and said that the church was from satan, that Joseph Smith never existed and that he was going to beat his new wife and a bunch of stuff like that. It was pretty crazy, especially since I was the one who had interviewed him the night before and he was really calm, happy, and ready to be baptized into the church. The baptism took place and later we went to pick up Elder Morgan at the stake. We got there and it turned out that Angel didn´t show up, so they went to his house to look for him. When they got there he hurried up and tried to get inside quickly, but then invited them in. It turns out he was drunk and was talking about havig a problem with the police. I felt pretty bad about that one too- I was the one who did the interview and he knew everything and really showed the desire to keep the commandments to be able to be baptized. Later we had a short meeting with the Stake President and then ate some tacos. An Hermana invited us to eat dessert, then at last we made it home. It was such a busy and crazy day!

Changes

Sunday was a good day. We went to church and later Avila said goodbye to all the members and stuff. We ate and later took my companion to the bus station. He headed off to Tampico and me and Elder Morgan spent the rest of sunday together. I flew solo while we passed all the numbers and got the changes from the assistants, but everything is good. Our zone didn´t get changed too much- I think we are getting three greenies and a couple other good elders so things should be good this next change. My new comanion will be Elder Salazar (no not Eduardo haha). He seems like a strange guy, but he´s a good Elder so things will be good here.

You Live Where?

Things are going okay in Valles. Nothing much exciting or noteworthy has really happened. Just work. Pretty much all week we visited our investigators and looked for members here in the area. One day it was pretty bad, the sun was blazing and we were not having any luck finding the house here. The adresses are ridiculous here. We will be looking for a house number 42 and the houses on the street skip from 27 to 700 and there is never a house number 42. We start to ask the people if they know the person or family, or where they live, but no one really knows. Sometimes its frustrating, because we knock doors only to ask people questions, and they don`t come out. We`re not even inviting them to listen and they don`t want to come out (even though we always drop the invitation on them at the end. bwa ha ha. . .) But we got smarter after being able to sort all the names and the colonies in which they lived in. We started going to the houses of members that we knew and asked them about all the members that lived nearby. With the information from the members it was much easier to find people, get to know them, and know more members. The week went much more efficiently later on. The bad part is that we should be talking with our ¨comitee¨ of members every week, but they`ve never showed up. This is supposed to be a team effort, us and the ward, but we`re not recieving too much support.

A Funny Thing

One funny thing that happened was that in the list we found some members that lived in our same street so we headed out to look for them first. We got out our gate and realized that the adress for the members was the address of our house! Its cause we live in a little courtyard (?) or a community, and all 3 houses leave out of the same gate. But the son of our landlord used to live with them, but now has moved away, but is still in our ward.

Family Home Evening

Friday we had a Family Home Evening with the Bishop and his counselor, their families, a recent convert family, and some new investigators. I`m not sure if the wife and daughter are members, she goes to seminary every morning, but the dad is not. We watched Together Forever and talked about families and our Fathers plan for them. It was good, and later we ate good food.

Slow Progress

Our investigators haven`t really been progressing as of late. Antonia still doesn`t feel like she`s ready to get baptised, She didn`t go to church on Sunday again. We think its because she was sick, hopefully thats the only reason. Jose Luis went to sacrament meeting with his wife, but then left. They have been going through adversity as of late, hopefully they can stay strong and he can smoke less and less every day. We haven`t been able to meet with Leyda. We have been meeting with 4 teenagers that recently got baptised. They don't go to church and are going through some tough times right now. The mom of 2 of them left without saying anything to another state to work, and she was kind of the example for all of them in the church. We visit them quite frequently, but it is different because they don`t apply anything we say and its like we are visiting them in vain. Normally if it was an investigator we would drop them, but they are members and need to come back.

Transfers Are Coming

I don`t know what else there is, next week are transfers- maybe my comp will get changed who knows. This change has gone by really fast. But my comps brother is coming to this mission, its pretty weird, even if my comp doesnt get changed he`s going to Tampico to see his brother. I might have to go with him. we`ll just see. I think we`re going to see a lot of big changes here in the mission, but after this transfer I think things are going to be a bit more tranquil in respect to the transfers and stuff.

Another Good Week :) !

This week was a good one, it flew by pretty fast. I don`t know what really happened in my area because for three days I wasn`t here! Early Tuesday morning me and my companion traveled about an hour away to Mante, the other half of our zone. We showed up for their district meeting and later I stayed and did divisions with the Districts leaders` companions. It was fun to get to know a new city and work with new elders. We got a little bit lost, the Rlder had only been in his area 3 weeks, and was a little disorganized, but we ended up teaching and visiting quite a few people

Switch-A-Roo

Wednesday we did an ol` switch a roo, my comp came up and dropped off one district leader, and picked up the other one. I headed off to a new area with the other companion. He only has one transfer in the mission, and it was his first day working without his trainer in charge. It was a pretty tiring day, we walked a lot to different houses, but most of them couldn`t visit or weren`t there. We walked in circles all day, nonstop. I was quite glad to get home and get in bed.

Thursday I got back to my area right before lunch and later we visisted Jose Luis, and then Leyda. Little by little Jose is quitting smoking. Leyda is the investigator that I found with Elder Mendez last week. We were finally able to visit with her again and we gave her the Book of Mormon. She feels like an awesome person, if she completes with her commitments I know she`ll recieve an answer. She had gone to church a couple times 15 years ago in Tabasco when the missionaries invited her, and she had remembered the name Nefi (Nephi) from that time. It was pretty cool. I`m pretty sure on Thursday we visited Antonia too. She still doesn`t feel like she`s ready for baptism. Its getting pretty hard to hear the same thing over and over, even when we resolve all of her doubts for her. she`s such a good person, but for some reason is afraid.

Divisions with Elder Morgan

Friday I went on Divisions with Elder Morgan here in Valles. Its always different to be with an American. One, because you talk in English all day (at times I started speaking in Spanish to him), and two, because everyone stares at us even more than they normally do. It was really fun though, we worked hard looking for less actives, but weren`t succesful. Although we did find some new people and taught the first lesson. Later we went to the baptism of a comanionship here, and waited for a meeting with the Bishopric that they never showed up to. Overall it was a good time.

Baptism?

Saturday we went around and visited people before lunch, ate, then went to the Stake Center for a baptism of an 8 year old from the ward. The Bishop told us it was that day and Elder Avila was going to baptize him. We got there and no one was there. We waited for an hour and the kid and his grandma showed up, but no Bishop. We waited for another hour, but the adult session of stake conference was starting and people started to show up for that. Finally the Bishop showed up, but had forgotten about the baptism. The session of stake conference was good, I love listening to the Temple president and his wife, hna. and President Bentley. They are awesome speakers. Sunday was Stake conference and it was good. Later we had the baptism of the child and it was also good. Short, but good.

I Love the Work!

I`m looking forward to this week. Its going to be the first week that we get to work in our area 100%, uninterrupted. Every other week we`ve had some reason to be traveling, but I think the last two weeks of this transfer are going to be free.

I love this work and know its of the Lord. I know this is where I`m supposed to be and is helping me be the man the Lord wants me to be. I loved what Elder Eyring said about preisthood responsibility. When we complete with what the Lord asks, he asks more of us. Or something like that. Also President Bentley said something like- ¨the Lord won`t ask of us what we can`t give.¨ It is so true. With the Lord all things are possible, and if we do what He says we will have joy in this life and all that He has in the life to come.

I love you all and am glad that you are all well and happy.

Testimonial of Conference

This week was great! General conference was awesome- I`m kicking myself for always being asleep in the basement in the past years. It is such a treat to hear from the Lord`s servants in these days. I love seeing all the apostles and hearing of the news that has happened in the past six months. I agree with President Monson when he said that the last six months have flew by. I enjoyed so many of the talks I don`t know where to start- Elder Bednars on prayer, Elder Hollands, Elder Eyrings, the one on sacrament, the one on unity, Elder Uchdorfs during priesthood. All of them were great. I am just sad that I can`t do everything they counseled all at once. But with the notes I took and the Ensign that comes out I will be set to be better every day. Once again we had the seperate TV in English and there were three of us Americans there watching together. It is always fun to have all the missionaries there in their suits with all the members there too. There is only one stake here in Valles, so all the elders were there.

Elders from Valles (minus 2) at Conference

Divisions with the Assistants

Tuesday we had divisions with the Assistants. My companion went to Tampico and Elder Mendez came here. It was cool because Mendez was my Zone Leader in Tampico and is one of my better friends here in the mission. He goes home this transfer. But we had a great time working together here in Valles. We planned and spent the day looking for members from the list to meet and revise their addresses and ordinance dates. At times the address doesn`t come complete, so we have to do some detective work to find the person. When we were knocking doors asking for someone, we found a inactive family and a person interested. Later we visited more people and found another new investigator named Leyda. We had an awesome lesson with her and the spirit was felt. We worked hard- but had fun doing it. The day went by quickly and before you knew it we were back at our house talking about good times together in Tampico.

Progress

Wednesday through Thursday continued with the work- searching for the ward members from the list and also visiting Antonia and Jose Luis. Jose Luis has started to smoke less and less. He is putting forth much more of an effort to quit, and we are helping him almost every day. He wants to be with his family and be baptized. Things are going well. Antonia still thinks it would be difficult to be baptized, even though she knows Joseph Smith was a prophet of the Lord. She went to the Relief Society broadcast and the first session of conference Saturday and seemed to really like it. Hopefully Elder Aidukaitus`s talk about his father joining in Brazil helped her be more excited.

Random Stuff

Me and 4 of the five companions that are still in the mission, elder Avila, Mendez, Garcia, and Callejas.

Thursday I had to take my suit to the dry cleaners because mold had sprouted out all over the place. One of my ties was all moldy too, so I took it to get washed too. It costed a pretty penny (for a missionary`s allowance).

Friday was especially difficult to find the members. We found a lot of the houses, but the people weren`t home and the family members that were there didn`t want to cooperate. We worked all day, but didn`t get a whole lot accomplished- those are always the hardest days.

I saw Jason Alston singing in the MTC choir during priesthood session. I thought that was pretty funny. I was looking to see if i knew anyone there and sure enough there he was.



Elders from Valles (minus 2) at Micos

Me at Micos

I also fell while I was hiking and now I have a slightly swollen left rign finger.

It's a Small World

I think I found a cousin here- Elder Peterson from Snowflake is also related to William Jordan Flake. I think his grandparents are in Mesa South Stake. It was pretty funny we were randomly talking about the temple in Snowflake and ended up about how we were related.

Thanks to my Family

Everything is going well here. I am happy, my comp is a good guy, the people here are friendly, and its a dryer heat. It is also starting to get cool in the mornings. . .

It sounds like you guys are doing awesome, I love looking at your blogs- its so nice to see the simple things, pictures, and videos of all you guys and your activities. Thanks for all the love and support. I know this is the Lords work and am greatful for the chance I have to invite others to come to Christ. As I see the youth here in Mexico and what their priorities are I am greatful for this opportunity to learn, mature, and grow. Talk to you later-