More Baptisms!

Things are going great here. We baptized two more people this last week. So that makes it 5 weeks in a row. We are pushing for 6. Also, my district won district of the week because everyone baptized and we had 13 baptism of the 16 in the zone. It's been a good but crazy week.

We don't have transfers for another 3 weeks but they moved my companion to Monterrey on Friday and I recieved a "summer missionary". A summer missionary is what they do when there aren't enough missionaries. They are priest-age youth that help out for a couple weeks. So they aren't officially missionaries. I will be with this summer missionary from Monterrey for 3 weeks. It's a new challenge to say the least.

It is still pretty hot here but not as hot as other parts of the mission so I am greatful for that. Here it cools off pretty good at night so we just turn a couple of fans on and we sleep great.

I am wondering if the letter of stories is ever going to get there. I think I might have to make another attempt.

This year has been so long but I feel like I just left home. It's starting to scare me about how fast the end will come.

I am getting use to being District leader and still learning but the Lord always throws somthing else in when I start to feel good about where I am at.

Well, have a great week and good luck to all that are starting school. I love you guys.

Elder K

Baptisms and More

Well we had two more baptisms this week and yes, one of them was the guy from the story [last week]. It was a little harder than I thought it would be to get him to church on Sunday, but we got it done. So that makes it 4 weeks in a row and we are looking good for 2 or 3 baptisms this week. I put the pics [below] from this last week and the week before.

 

Our apartment here is pretty good. It's one of the nicest ones I have seen so far in the mission. We don't have a washer or a dryer so we go to members' houses or the Laundromat. In this area we didn't have an Iron so I went and bought my own because there are a lot of areas that don't have them and others that are really crappy.

 

We don't have bikes here in this area so it's a whole lot of walking and taking crazy buses. Those that know of the Guatemalan chicken buses have an idea of how it is. The only missionaries that drive are the assistants so I don't think I have to worry much about that but, if I have to drive my USA license works just fine.

We have a good number of kids in the primary here but they are all on the younger end. The older classes are much smaller. It's weird seeing Amber getting baptized and thinking about how big everyone is getting. It is just starting to sink in how long I have been out here. A life time but no time at all.

 

Things are going good here in Mexico. Every day is a struggle, adventure, and a blessing.

I love you all and thank you for your support and love.

Elder K

 

 

A Spiritual Boost

Well, we had another baptism yesterday and we have a few set up for this week--three weeks in a row and going for the fourth. I am trying to send a pic of the baptism but the computer is being dumb so who knows. It might have to wait till next week. Sounds like all the little kids are changing a lot. It will be weird to see them all in a year... thats right one year down.

 

This week flew by. I don't know what is happening to the time. I feel like I just wrote you guys yesterday. A little story that comes to mind from the week is of one of the people that is going to get baptized this coming Sunday. His wife got baptized a couple weeks ago and we have been working with him. He smokes a lot. He also hasn't had a job for a while. In a lesson we had on Friday night I was a little sick of his excuses for smoking. So I told him, Look God won't give you work because if you have work you have money to by cigarettes. The day you quit smoking is the day you will find a job. After a little pause to let him think and me feeling a little afraid of what I had just said and promised, I asked him what he was going to do. He said, "Well you don't give me much of a choice. I have to quit." He didn't smoke Saturday or Sunday and Sunday night he reveived a call and starts work today. It was a big testimony builder for me and now he is going to get baptized.

 

God is always listening and always watching. Never let doubt enter into your minds. Any feeling of sadness stress, anger, or any feeling that we don't like having is not from Him. If you are feeling any of these in the moment get on your knees and tell Him to take them away and do your part and continue living. I think it was Pres. Eyring that said 'Many are willing to die in the name of Christ but few are willing to live in the name of Christ'. Have faith that He knows what he is doing and in the plan that we have been taught and live!

 

I love you all have an awesome week and I will send pics next week.

Elder K

P.S. Here are some scriptures that have helped me in the past week to deal with things a little better. Read them carfully and with a lot of prayer and they will help.

D&C 29: 12-13

Matt 19:29

Matt 18:21-35

Good Times

Well, things are going pretty good here in Mexiville. I can't believe you still haven't gotten the letter of stories. I sent it over two months ago. Well, I have a story or two to put in this email. This week we killed it. We had two baptisms and 7 new people in church. 7 means the people that can get baptized so counting little kids it was like 12. We started out with two families and we were happy, but then when we started sacrament people kept coming in one by one. Every time the door opened the entire ward looked back to see who it was then at us with looks of 'no way'. It was pretty funny and awesome. So we have two weeks in a row baptizing and we are working for a third.

The area I am in is a little bit poorer, but not bad. We eat good. I do get to travel a little more as District Leader. It's cool sometimes. I keep telling myself I get to travel more, I don't have to. I sent pictures of the baptisms we have had and also some of the storms that come almost every afternoon. The picture of me and my comp in the truck has a funny story. We were walking to an appointment when it started sprinkling. We looked toward the mountain and some of the ugliest clouds I have ever seen were coming. We started running to get to the appointment before the rain got to us. We almost made it. The wind came and I swear there was a tornado or something. So much water and wind we could hardly see. We knocked the door and waited meanwhile being drenched with water to the bone. They never came to the door so we went to the side of the house on the corner where the rain could only partly hit us because is was raining sideways. Then a guy ran out of his house and yelled, "Get in the tuck!" There was a small blue truck right in front of us. Without a thought we jumped in to wait out the storm. The man went back in his house. As we waited 20 min. or so we got thinking. What if this isn't his truck? Also the street was like a river and and we were worried it was going to take the truck. In the end all was well we left a thank you note on the back of a Joseph Smith pamphlet and went on our way.

Well it's not the greatest story but its the best I've got this week. I love you guys and have an awesome week.

Elder K

District Leader

July 18, 2011

Well it's been a week of learning, a week of trials, a week of change, a week of many things. I wish I could be there to help in any way possible but it has been made very clear to me that the best way to help is to stay where I am at. I love you all very much and it would be a lie to say that I have not had desires to come home but I know that the best way to show my love for all of you is the show it for our Heavenly Father first. Matthew 10:37 helped me to put things in there place. Also a good read of D&C 121 helps me to realize that the things that happen in this life pass in no time at all when we are looking at a timeline of eternity.

 

God decided to add a little more to my plate this week. Friday night the zone leaders called me up and said that I would be changed in my assignment. When they told me that, I thought they were moving me closer to the mission president for a couple weeks so he could keep an eye on me or something. I didn't think that I needed that, but then they surprised me when they said that the change is that I am now District Leader. Much more to learn and much more to live up to. It's going to be an interesting couple of weeks. I now understand better when it says in Isaiah 55:8 That Gods thoughts are not ours. I have no idea what He is thinking, but I have heard He knows best. :) Although I have had many moments of 'I can't do it' in the past couple days, things are going well. I must be a pretty rough rock and God is just trying to smooth me out a little.

 

I love you all very much. Dont worry about me. I am in the best place possible and things are going good. I will miss Brandon, but the great thing about the Gospel is that I know that I don't have to miss him for long. We will all see him agian, the same old brother, son, friend that he was here. I am sure that he is sharing the gospel now more than ever and he is just waiting for the day that we can join him. Again I love you all and thank you for all the love and support you give me.

 

Elder K

July 25, 2011

Well it has been a good week. I am feeling better and we are working hard and I guess you could say I am starting to get the hang of being a District Leader. Three of the four areas in my district baptized this last week and it's looking like we all might baptize this coming week. I attached the pic of our baptism and a Mormon Ad that I like. Not a ton to report considering I have been able to talk to everyone a little over the phone as of late. I love you all and keep being strong. Everything happens for a reason. Don't let the things that have happened determine how you will act. Let your actions change what will happen. I love you all.

Elder K

 

Testimony Builder

For those who may not know, Jake's older brother Brandon passed away unexpectedly last week. A few of us have been able to talk to him over the past few days and his testimony has been a strength to us all. This is the message that he sent to us this morning:

 

I wanted to write this to all of my brothers, sisters, mom and dad to tell you all how much I love you. This has been a very hard week for all of us I am sure. We all love Brandon very much and will miss him. I wish I could be there with all of you, but I have a calling to fulfill and live up to. I know that the gospel that we live and share with everyone is the only way that we will see Brandon again. We don't have to miss him forever! Every time this week that I started feeling down and didn't want to knock on doors or talk to anyone God put someone in my path that was willing to listen. It seems like every time that this happened the person's need was to hear the plan of salvation. As I taught everyone of these people it was a reminder for me that it's not the end. We have the truth and we can live it. Brandon is just waiting for us. I am sure that in this very moment he is learning as well as teaching of this plan to those who didn't know it in their lives. We have the blessing to know and to share it with others. We are an eternal family and although there are a ton of us, we are united. I love you all and want you to know that I know this chruch and gospel are true. I am here in the service of the Lord and I know that the blessings have come and many more are to come. I love you guys and I will see you all in a year.

Elder K

More from Saltillo

Well still trying to learn the area a little better, but things are going good. We have had new investigators in church every Sunday so far but no one will commit. It is exactly like the same here in Mexico. Everyone loves to talk about Mary and Jesus and all their saints that they pray to but no one likes the truth when they hear it. No one wants to get married or give up their beer. But that's why we are here, right? To show the people what the truth is.
The food is almost the same here as well as the Spanish. Every place has little differences in these areas but its easy to pick up on the new slang words and such.

Things are going good, just trying to get people to lose the fear they have and commit to do what they know is right and get baptized. The Spanish is getting good but it's a bit of a bad thing now that I can say basically what I want I have a hard time not chewing people out a little (with love of course) when they try to tell me that worshipping the virgin is ok and things like that. So I am trying to develop a little more patients in that area.
I called the offices today and they said they will be dropping off some stuff in my area for me. They didn't tell exactly what it all was, but they said mail and a package so its looking good today :)

Well, thanks for everything. I hope you all have a good week and a happy Fourth of July.
Elder K

A street in my area.

Elder K. with a Peruvian elder.

Elder K and his companion.