Baptisms and Zone Conference

Well it's been a good week. We had two baptisms yesterday, Martha and her daughter Araceli. We have one baptism for sure this coming Sunday, Ricardo that had his that finally after eight years is going to be baptized, and another person that is possible.

 

The zone is doing pretty good. We had a bit of a struggle this last week getting people to church but all the elders are happy at the moment so I guess it's all good. The members still feed us lunch every day and yes it is a lot of rice, beans and tortillas with some kind of meat. They eat a lot of beef and grilled chicken here. I never thought I would say this but sometimes I miss healthy food. ha ha! The food is really greasy here.

 

I had forgotten about Thanksgiving. Eat some turkey and pumpkin pie for me. It's crazy how fast time is flying by. I can't believe that it is almost December. The sad thing is that it's almost December and I am still walking around in the sun sweating ha ha. The weather here is nuts. One day I think its starting to cool off because I need a jacket in the morning but then the next day I feel like I am going to die of heat. All part of the job I guess.

 

Everything went well in the Zone Conference. A sister from the stake came and talked to us. She was one of the first members in north Mexico and her husband was the first convert Mexican Stake President and Mission President. It was really cool to here her stories and how much they baptized in that time. It's nuts.

 

Thanks for everything. I love you guys. Have a good week.

Elder K

PS I got your package mom. I have been a good boy and have been fighting to temptation to open it before Christmas. It's not been easy!

 

 

 

Spiritual Experiences

Well it has been a good week but as usual a tiring week. We got to go to the temple today so it was a nice little spiritual boost. We also had a few people in church last Sunday that should be getting baptized this coming Sunday if everything goes as planned. It's a woman named Martha and her daughter Araceli. We hope the rest of the family comes after. It's a really cool family. We have also found a few other good people that we are teaching.

I have really had a testimony building week in the aspect that God will get the people ready that he wants us to baptize. For example... We are now teaching Ricardo. Ricardo has been married for 8 years to a member that is very active with his two kids but has only been to sacrament meeting 2 times in those eight years and has never stayed for the classes. Two Sundays ago he was home alone at night and was having some doubts about some life problems. He remembered hearing people say that they pray and open the Book of Mormon to a random page and they find the answer. So he went and looked for his wife's Book of Mormon and opened it to a random page. He said the answer freaked him out a little so he quickly shut the book and put it down. So he couldn't tell us where he read but he said that what he understood is that if we are far from God, He can't answer us. (We think he read in D&C because he read from a triple combination, but it's all the same, right? ha ha.) With that answer he started reading the Book of Mormon with his wife every night and praying and decided that he was going to church on Sunday. We met him a church on Sunday and for the first time he stayed for all 3 hours and he accepted to be baptized the 27th of this month like it was nothing. This is after eight years of a wife putting the example and always inviting and tons of visits from missionaries and members. They had all just kinda given up, but now is his time. Its really cool to see.

To answer your question mom, I have seen like 3 primary programs in the mission. We actually just had one three weeks ago. But they are a ton smaller here then in the states. There are actually a lot of American elders in my zone so I have spoken a ton more English these past couple weeks, which is good because my English was getting kinda bad.

Here there are only two cars in all the mission, one that the assistant and office elders share and President's car. So for me it's still 100% walking and metro trains and buses.

We are still waiting on a bunch of Ensigns, actually they are Liahonas here. I have been waiting forever to read the Book of Mormon issue and it still hasn't gotten here. I hope they come soon because I want to study the conference talks.

Well, that's about it for the week. We have Zone Conference tomorrow. Wish me luck. I love you all and thank you so much for everything.

Elder K

P.S. I have been craving a pork roast with onions, mashed potatos, and rolls. First thing I am eating when I get back.

Quick Update

Snow!? [in Utah] Here it dropped in temp for a few days and I had to put a sweater on in the mornings but now it's just as hot as ever. I feel like its still July. I think that this area that I am in now is the hardest area I have been in when it comes to the people. It is a little bit richer so the people are a little more hard hearted. We have been struggling to get into house to teach. Any RMs out there that passed through similar areas I would love to here what you did to find people.

The zone is starting to rise a little. We had a few problem elders to start but now everything is running smooth. We have some good goals that we are working for and everyone is happy and excited..... now it's just keeping it that way.

 

We live in a little house right now. It's one of the better houses I have lived in on the mission. The thing that I am still kinda getting used to is just living with my comp. This is the first time since I have gotten to Mexico that I haven't had other elders living in the same house as us. Things stay a lot cleaner, that's for sure.

 

If I remember right we go to the temple next week on Wednesday. So I won't write until then. Then the next day we have Zone Conference and me and my comp have to do two presentations. It will be interesting because neither one of us has taught in a zone conference but things are looking good.

 

I don't think it ever really starts looking like Christams here. I haven't seen any Christmas stuff yet apart from a few things in some of the bigger stores. On top of that it never snows or anything.

 

I love you all. Thanks for everything and have an awesome week.

Elder K

Zone Leader

Well, I am now in good ol Monterrey again. Where the smog is thick and the baptisms are just waiting. I am now a Zone Leader. I am still trying to decide if I like it or not (haha). It's a little stressful but that's part of the mission. Last week we had another council but this time it was just Zone Leaders to choose what we are going to teach in Zone Conference.

My new comp. is Elder Alejandro. It's a little wierd because he has a first name as a last name. We get a lot of coments about it. He is from Veracruz (I think thats how you spell it).

 

I haven't heard anything about the family I left behind in my other area but I am looking into it. We should be having a baptism this Sunday. It's a 22 year old named Angel. In Mexico Angel is a man's name just so y'all know.

 

It's kinda cool how much the Lord blesses His missionaries in adapting. After time in the mission changes just don't bother you anymore. It's just all part of the mission. I already feel like I have a ton of time here. The only thing is that I still don't know the streets of the area--haha. I'm happy that now I get to go to the temple again. After the events of the past couple months I have really wanted to go to the temple. It's true what they say, we don't value what we have until we dont have it.

 

Well that's all for now. I love you all and thanks for everything.

Elder K

 

 

Last week in Saltillo?

Well we find out about transfers tonight. Word on the street is that I am out of here tomorrow as a Zone Leader, but who really knows. You can't believe anything in the mission till its already happened. If they do change me I will be a little sad. We found some really cool people this last week that we have been teaching. On Thursday in the morning around 11:30 I was a little frustrated because we didn't have anyone progressing really good and we are still working two areas and I just didn't have the desire to keep knocking. So we walked for about two blocks as I thought of how else we could find new people. In my frustration I went to the first house I saw and said, "We are knocking it because here lives a family of Escogidos." ("Chosens"--it's a term we use in the mission. Doesn't sound as cool in English.) I said this more to convince myself to knock than anything. We knocked and the mom of the family came out to greet us. We did the contact and she looked like she was going to let us in but said hang on just a sec. We could hear her talking with her husband. I just thought, 'Oh great, the husband is going to say no and if we are lucky he will do us the favor of leaving the house to chew us out.' But no, Anita (the mom) came out again and opened the front gate to let us in. We sat down and had a super spiritual lesson. When we finished Anita was crying. She said she felt our presence even before she saw us or heard us and that it was something that she felt coming since the day before. As we left the house we felt good but I had doubts because Jesus (the dad) had said some things that made me think that he wasn't going to accept or let his family accept either, but we had left a Book of Mormon. When we came back the next day Anita had ready Moroni 10 like we had asked but Jesus hadn't. He started asking questions about Nephi and Lehi's dream and a whole bunch of stuff so we asked, exactly what did you read? Jesus read all of first Nephi...in less than a day. He became the star of the family. He ended up being the only one of the family that went to church this week because Anita got a little scared but he assured us that she will be coming this Sunday. It was kind of a slap in the face for me because I doubted and God still gave me what I wanted. It made me doubt about doubting again.

 

Things are going good here. It will be crazy to see what changes come this week. I hope you all have an awesome week, and I am still waiting for the testimonies. Thank you Mom for the great stories/testimonies that you sent me. They will be perfect for some lessons. I love you guys and am so greatful for you all.

 

Elder K

Working and Learning

Well it was a pretty good week. I was with the priest Monday to Wednesday so it gave us some good time to work but then he went back to his house and it was back to working 2 areas again. I will be glad when this is all over. Only a week left and we have transfers and I won't have to be working in two areas.

 

On Friday we had a conference with elder Johnson (the area president) and he talked to us about only looking for and baptizing chosen people and not waisting time on people that God hasn't prepared yet. A lot of missionaries were surprised by the changes and things that he taught us but I think it will be good for the mission.

 

We had a baptism on Sunday of a 12 year old by named Josmar. His mom and dad aren't married so they can't be baptized but we are working on that and his sister is being a little stubborn but we are hoping to baptize her in this week.

 

It has stayed pretty warm here, the temperature only drops the days that we have rain but other than that it's been sunny and in the 70s so not much to complain about. It's been a good week overall but super busy as usual. I have been kinda slacking off in my Spanish so I am trying to pick it up and not be content with the words and stuff that I know. If anyone has any ideas of what I should do to memorize new words and not be bored with it let me know.

 

I would also like testimonies of things that have happened to everyone that I can translate and share with people. About prayer, fasting, tithing, Book of Mormon anything you can think of. It will help my Spanish to translate them and also I need the helps in teaching people.

 

I love you all and thanks for everything you do for me. Have a great week.

Elder K

 

 

October is off to a good start

Well, things are starting to cool off here. It's still pretty warm most days but when we have rainy days it gets pretty chilly. This week was tough. We are still working two areas and it's killing me, but we are still finding people so it's all good. This week that's coming my companion will stay the entire week in the other area with the solo missionary and I will be with another youth again. I am not looking forward to it but not much I can do about it. We were going to have a baptism of a 10 year old girl this week but at the last minute she punked out. We had the font filled and everything. I guess that's just how it is sometimes.

[Answering mom's questions.] Depending on what you buy food is cheap here, but on a missionary budget everything is expensive and even more if you want American food. For a gallon of milk here it's around 40 pesos which would be a little more than 3 bucks. I think milk costs more than gas here.

Right now there are five of us living in the house so we decided to grill some beef and treat ourselves a little bit. We bought charcoals and everyone was happily waiting for it to be hot enough to cook as we waited it started to explode. We had to take cover and throw water from a distance trying to put it out and not lose an arm. It made us feel like a more literal God's Army.

Well I put some pics of the baptism of Marisol. Thanks for everything and I love you guys have an awesome week.

Elder K