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

Busy, busy, busy...

Well, it was a crazy week. I am super drained. We had a leadership council all of Wednesday and Thursday. So I didn't sleep much during those three nights but it was really cool. I learned a ton of good stuff and we ate lots of good American and Mexican food. We stayed up really late playing sports and even President stayed to play for a while.

Also in this week one of the missionaries in my district went home because of heart problems and his companion has been with us so we have been trying to run two areas. This on top of normal District Leader stuff and training--I am pretty sure someone wants me dead by the end of these two years, but it's all good. I have been learning tons.

Here the weather has still been pretty toasty. The nights are perfect though. We don't have to have all the windows open and a million fans going to sleep. From what they have told me the winters here get pretty chilly. There isn't any snow but it gets below freezing.

I am excited for conference this weekend but at the same time it means more work to bring people to church because we have to go to the stake center to watch it. We can only go to the Saturday meetings if we bring people but no matter what we go to priesthood and the Sunday sessions.

Things are looking really good for a baptism this coming Sunday. We are teaching a women named Marisol. She is the sister of the last baptism we had. When we showed her the baptsimal font yesterday in church she was almost crying. It was a pretty sweet spiritual expirence. I am glad that I took the time to clean all the roaches out of the font durning gospel principles. The scriptures say we should baptize every creature but I didnt think she would understand that. ;)

I love you all I can't believe how fast time is flying by. Thanks for everything.

Elder K

Independence Day Video Clip

Mexican Indepedence Day and a New Companion

Well, it's been a crazy week. On Tuesday I had to go to Monterrey for the day to pick up my new comp. because I am now training. I am training Elder Juarez. He is from one of the states furthest south in Mexico, almost Guatemala. Its been a draining week with the normal District Leader stuff and the new being a trainer stuff. It will take some getting use to. So I will be here in this area until Dec. 6th because I have to train him for 3 months (2 transfers). We found some really cool people last week so I am hoping that means baptisms soon. I was excited to find some people that are going to progress. We have been battling in that a little.

 

The 16th of this month is Mexican Independance Day. So on the night of the 15th they have what they call the scream (El Grito--It sounds weird translated) So the stake had a huge party with a rides and food and all kinds of stuff. I put a few pictures so you can get an idea but it was really cool. All of the missionaries sang a classic Mexican song for everyone it was pretty funny.

 

I can't believe that Maddi turned six. Everyone is changing and there are even little ones that I have never met. It's just odd to think about.

 

Well not much more to report here. I love you all. Thanks for everything.

Elder K

El Gringo Alto

It was a bit of a tough week but we are still working hard. Being with the joven (youth) has been a ride. Its draining all that I have to keep things going solo. I have learned good stuff from all this but I am ready for a really companion, haha. I should be getting one in a week.

I am trying to think of some good stories but I only have one that happened yesterday that comes to mind. We were headed to church on the bus and of course it was packed with people. So we had to stand. No big deal we do it a lot but this bus was different. It had a really low ceiling so I couldn't stand up all the way. The entire bus packed full of people were pointing and whispering and laughing the entire way to church because the tall skinny gringo is going to hit is head on the rough and cant stand up straight. My comp got a good laugh out of it as well. I will be happy when I am in a country that things are made for tall people again, haha.

 

Right now we are in finding mode. We are looking and looking and looking some more. We have a few groups of people we are teaching but all of them seem to hit road blocks last week that is making it really hard to teach them and help them progress. We are hoping for a week of blessings this week after the week of trials.

 

I love you all thanks for all your help. Have a great week.

Elder K