Great Week

Francisco was Baptized!!!

It was great talking with you last week and it definitely went by super fast. It kind of messed up my spanish that day because I kept switching back and forth between spanish and english without thinking about it.

There is a sister in the branch with a severely handicapped son and last week I felt we should visit her for christmas. Then again monday night I felt that so I tried finding out where she lived but no one knew. After we all talked we had plans to visit her and an investigator but we decided there would only be time for one visit. We decided to visit her so we bought toy cars to take to her son and called her to see where she lived. We had about an hour and she just talked a ton but it was ok because her son cant talk. She then told us that christmas day she was feeling alone because no one from her family called her and right after we called to visit her and it was so awesome to see her son when we gave him his present. It was a great christmas.

Wednesday we did divisions with our district leader so I went to Tuxtla for wednesday and thursday. It was really fun to teach with an american companion haha. Wednesday night Elder Martinez called me to tell me that Francisco could be baptized saturday because he interviewed him. Friday we went to talk with him and he still didnt want to yet but we talked with him and he decided to be baptized so Francisco was baptized!!!!

Also we were walking to visit a inactive sister friday and we decided to turn down this one street and we heard "Elder" and a man asked us when the building would be finished so we asked if he was a member and he said no but he had read about the church. We taught him saturday and he went to church sunday and liked it a lot. We are going to invite him to be baptized this week.

We can talk with people in the street and so we do that sometimes but most of the time we visit members to share something with them and ask for references. We go to ward council about every three weeks and the leaders are super supportive but sometimes its like what are you talking about. The church is the same but leadership is a little bit different here in Mexico.

My converts when I first got here now have callings. Esteban teachs gospel principles class and Alejandra is secretary in Relief Society. I love this family and they are super excited. I will never forget this family and if we ever have a bad day and visit them they always encourage us.

Ward Christmas Activity

Our new companion, Elder Munoz,  is from Quito Ecuador. We all get along great but this is extremely hard and humbling. I feel like I have a real problem with being humble and God is giving me these trials and experiences to help me stay humble. Elder Munoz was working with the Assistants for one week before Presidente Cardenas assigned him to an area. Something that I have thought a lot about is why me? Its not because Presidente Cardenas trusts in me because he told us before we met our companions three weeks ago that God chose us and if he could choose he would not have chosen some of us because we dont have that much experience in the mission. I am not sure why Heavenly Father has chosen me to train these two but I know it is for me to learn something.

Tomorrow we have zone conference and we will be going to the temple in the morning. I feel pretty comfortable with the language but I still speak with a bad accent and have a lot of grammar errors but oh well.

This was a trying week for us. First with the change to being in a trio. It is amazing to me how much God knows as I thought back to the fact the I learned to be in a trio in the MTC for six weeks as well.

Two or three investigators told us that they dont want to listen anymore and Francisco wasnt baptized. We werent able to talk to him but he works with Hermano Joel who told us that he doesnt want to be baptized right now but wants to keep listening. We went to a lot of appointments and there wasnt anyone there. It was hard not to be discouraged. I want to have a baptism so bad for my companions. I dont want them to lose there excitement and I feel like I need to do more to help someone get baptized so they can have that experience.

In the Christmas activity there was a lot of numbers of dancing and singing with tacos after. I have a few pictures but it was hard to take pictures because it was dark and my camera decided to act weird.
I am going to send this and another one to answer other questions. I love you.

Almost forgot. We can call home using skype or phone between 23 and 31 but I dont know when yet. The call is 30 to 40 minutes as it says in the manual misional.

Our new companion, Elder Munoz from Quito, Equador

Elder Munoz, Elder Cavazos, SANTA and Elder Lythgoe

Serving in a Trio

This was an up and down week. Francisco was pretty disappointed because his mom didnt support his decision to be baptized and then she prohibited him from going to church. We dont know if he will be baptized this week but we talked with his mom yesterday and she said she would support him if he wants to get baptized. Also, Alba hadnt been answering our text messages so I called her and she doesnt want to listen anymore. I just told her that we are always here to help her and she started to cry and hung up. We tried visiting her but she wasnt home.

Elder Cavazos is doing great and we teach well together but we have room for a lot of improvement. We get along great and have a great time together. Yesterday we had a neat experience at church. We made a goal to baptize 8 people in December and we dont have more than 4 investigators and they have to go to church to get baptized. Yesterday, the husband of a member came to church and wants to learn. Also, a drunk walked in and wants to change his life. Others came also who we didnt know and with the people from yesterday we have exactly 8 potentials we can baptize in December. In the class of gospel principles we taught about the Holy Ghost and we invited about 7 kids from the primary to sing a song. One investigator who wanted nothing before began to cry and now he wants to learn and come to church.

Presidente Cardenas just called we are getting another new elder and now I will be training two missionaries.  It is hard to train one so I hope I will do OK.

A normal P-Day for us is we study in the morning, then we write to the family, go shopping, eat, cut hair or clean house, go pick up clothes (a family washes for us) and we finish at 6 and usually have a family night with a family or investigator.

Chiapa de Corzo is a little bit crazy right now because it is big time Catholic and this wednesday is Day of the Virgen so there are tons of people here with their virgen idols. We have a christmas activity this friday and one of the sisters is trying to get a Santa Claus costume and wants me to dress up haha.

We study every morning for 4 hours because we have an hour of training for my comp and then we are gone until 9. Then we plan for 30 minutes and have dinner at like 930. Then we do teaching records or journal or iron shirts or sleep because we are always absolutely exhausted.

Sorry if I didnt have any good info this week but I wrote to president first and its hard to write in english because I think in spanglish. I think I would be able to think in spanish if I knew more words.
I love you all.

Our Branch Presidente and his wife love Beef Jerky - thanks mom for sending it.

My New companion is great

This is where we meet for church (casa de oracion) right now

 Elder Cavazos de Monterrey Mexico;  One of the new 18 year missionaries.

Thank you Young Men and Young Women for my package.  I love you much!

I still think in english but I cant remember some words. Its mixed spanish and english thoughts right now haha.

I was glad to receive a companion from Mexico even if he is whiter than me. It is really hard to be a trainer. Presidente Cardenas talked with us for a little before presenting us to our companions to tell us that we have to be even more obedient now as trainers. Then friday we had a training with all the trainers and leaders of the mission. I got to see Elder Gamez because he is zone leader in Tuxtla now. At first I did not like Elder Gamez at all but I love him and he has truly helped me in my mission.

 

My companion is great. He teaches well and is well prepared. He is really excited to serve but only has three weeks in the mission but he really misses his family. He is 18 and just finished high school. I love serving with Elder Cavazos.

 

Most people here have TV with DVD but no computer. It is amazing how you can go to the smallest house and they have nothing but they have their TV haha. We show videos but we mostly just teach.

 

As far as training goes, it is a 12 week program and I have to teach him how the mission works basically. It is a lot of fun and I have to admit that I was honestly lost a few times this week.

 

A few experiences of this week, I had been thinking a lot about how we are going to find people to teach because it is really hard with just references. Presidente Cardenas promised us Friday if we ask every single person we talk to if they know someone that can benefit from this message then we will always have people to teach. After the conference, we talk a teenage girl named Jouli who accepted invitation to be baptized and after we left I remembered I forgot to ask if she knew anyone and I felt bad for not asking. The rest of the day I asked everyone we talked with and only received one reference so I didnt really understand. The next day saturday, a teenage girl called us and said she had a family who wants to listen to us. After that we asked a member if he knew anyone and he didnt but we visited our converts and they gave us a reference without us asking and another sister gave us a reference without us asking as well. I know we received these references because we are striving to do what President Cardenas told us to.

 

We are teaching a young man named Francisco right now. I love this guy. He has truly changed his life. He always comes to church in sweat pants and tshirt so yesterday I gave him pants, shirt and tie. He told us that he cant be baptized in two weeks. I asked why and he said his mom told him it is too fast and he doesnt know enough. I shared a scripture with him and he said he really wants to be baptized this day. After he prayed that he could be baptized 16 de December. I know he will be baptized in two weeks and I am so excited.

 

I am going to write to president now.  I love you all.