A New companion and new chapel

 The New Chapel they are building in Chiapa De Corzo

 So excited...pizza.  Boy was it nasty!

Great family baptism!

 

 

Thanks for the letters. I am going to try to write fast because we dont have much time so there might be a lot of errores.

 

First off, Elder Turpo has been transferred to Tapachula. I will be going to Tuxtla tomorrow to get my new companion. I will be training a new missionary.

 

We had a baptism this week. Danna nine years old. There were two other baptisms. Her sister Yeroma eight and another girl with 8.This baptism was really special because we helped activate the family and the dad received the priesthood last week so he could baptize. Then he asked that Elder Turpo and I confirm his daughters. The love the people have here for the missionaries has strengthened my love for the people.

 

We are really close to the family of our ward mission leader and a couple others. One daughter in this family just turned 8 and wants us to teach her. She then said she would choose who would baptize. Us or her brother (our ward mission leader). I told her better her brother but she told me that she wants me to baptize her. I feel bad for the brother and want to convince her otherwise but she told me if I am transferred to take her in my suitcase so i could baptize her haha.

 

As far as my talk goes, I will share that after a high councel member (who was president of a mission in Panama) approached me and told me he can see that I have a true testimony and meant what I said. Something like that but that made me feel really good.

 

The other pictures are of the chapel they are building and the nasty pizza we ordered.

 

We have been teaching a woman named Alba for several weeks. Her husband cheated on her and she has lots of problems. She worships images in the catholic church and didnt undertsand why we didnt. We explained about 5 times but she wouldnt accept it. We stopped teaching her and then she came to teach because she is a reference. We taught her again and she didnt want much so we planned to visit one more time. We shared a video about the family and after we planned to talk about that and invite her to church. I felt we should invite her to baptized but I immediately thought she would say no. I decided to do it anyway and she accepted the invitation to be baptized. She told us she feels closer to God now that she has been praying and listening to us.

 

I love you all.  I found out we might get to skype for christmas but I dont know.





First Month in Chiapa De Corzo

First off, I completely forgot it was Thanksgiving because they dont celebrate that here in Mexico. It is hard to even describe what I am thankful for as a missionary. First off, I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to represent my Savior Jesucristo. I know that this is truly a privilege in my life. Also, I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to serve here in Mexico. Spanish is super hard for me to learn. I think it is the first thing that had not come naturally easy for me to learn. However, I have learned so many lessons from the people here. They just give and give and its hard to accept but they are so happy to help us as missionaries. One sister in the branch does so much for us and she told us because her son was a missionary and her other son will be that she hopes people treat her sons as she treats us. I am thankful for the changes in the mission. We dont have many investigators right now because a lot of the members are learning to work and help us but it is so fun to see the happiness of the members as their friends or family members accept the gospel.
Most importantly, I am thankful for my savior and for a loving Heavenly Father. I dont remember when but one day I decided to kneel in prayer and dedicate MY LIFE not just my mission to God. Heavenly Father will always come first in my life unlike before. As for my future, I am here to serve my Heavenly Father. If that means I become a teacher in elementary school vs a doctor I will do it because God knows more than we do and he will only guide us. I say this as I have learned that we avoid the natural man when we submit to the will of God which is extremly hard but rewarding.
Yesterday, I gave my first talk here in Mexico. I talked about the Atonement and conversion and how we as members have to convert to the gospel to receive the blessings of the Atonement. A person converted is unshakable in the gospel. Conversion is a lifetime process but if we dont strive daily to convert ourselves more we wont become converted.
We have cambios again next week so we will see what happens but I think both Elder Turpo and I will still be here.

Elder Lythgoe and his companion, Elder Turpo (from Peru) in Chiapa de Corzo