Youd

Wow seems like life at home is really calm right now....pretty much nothing big happening..... glad I´m here.....haha

I had transfers today. E. Hernandez and I knew that we would only have two weeks together because he is finishing the mish off and will train. But it really fun to know that I was heading out before hand because we both gave it all we had to really enjoy the two week and last night I was able to say goodbye to all of the families. We never get to do that because they tell at 1030 at night and we are gone in the morning. There were some pretty tender moments, it actually surprised me how much loved they sent me off with.  But, I didn’t cry.... = )     

My new comp is Elder Youd from Oregon. Stud. I know him from earlier days on the mission - it will be a good time. 

This week we met a 20 year old kid that told us that he was a rapper. My comp dropped a beat and the kid dropped what was the equivalent of the song of buddy the elf. Sang what came to his mind in a rhyme. Nailed it! Then he was telling us how to spell something and said K as in .... queso.  We almost busted up. But he was a good kid.

We ate chili habaneras’ which are supposed to be the spiciest. They weren’t actually that hot. I think that because my mustache is growing so quickly now and I am becoming more Mexican and can handle the chili.

We have been visiting a family for several weeks and have seen great changes. When we first got there only the dad would listen to us. The next time the son started to listen and then the daughter. After listening for a short time they would normally leave the room. But the progress was visible every time we showed up. One night we got there and they were all very stressed for the economic problems they face. We talked about the purpose of life and the spirit had a definite presence.   My comp repeated a saying here – “Don’t tell God how large your problem is; tell your problem how large God is. I expounded on that and there was a moment when the mother, who was listening in, had that moment of understanding.  She said: “It seems like we have been drowning in a cup of water.”   Since then they have all listened in and even invited friends and family members to listen in. They walked several miles to get to church yesterday.

We talked to the wife of that family one day and she told us that her husband used to be a terrible alcoholic but since the day we showed up he has completely stopped. They all look so much happier now. 

Captain America

We have been teaching a family that lives in a small store near our house. It’s a weird environment because we teach them and people are always entering the store and one of the kids goes to attend to the customers. But we still feel the spirit and as we talk, the surrounding distractions melt away. The mom has cried several times during our discussions - which is kind of what we are looking for as missionaries. They cry and we shoot our hand in the air in a victory fist pump. The son is a fun little guy. This week he grabbed my sunscreen from my backpack and I don’t know if he didn’t know what it was or if he was just smelling it to see how it smelled, but I was talking to his dad and I heard the cream shoot out and we looked over and he had his face covered in globs of the creams, especially up his nose. He has this super shocked facial expression that said, "crap what just happened to me?" I was dying.

My comp and I super tight. We have been running every morning. That will be something I will be looking forward to when I am home and on the prowl looking for future wifey. She has to go running with me. The thing is I have only been able to run maybe 5 times in the last year, apart from running from dogs and trying to catch buses. Well the first day we ran together I was super excited and I was like Captain America when he turned from being a dweeb to mister muscles. I jumping over things and pushed myself super hard. And the next day...... I coudn´t walk. Yup one old lady told me "hey boy you got something wrong with your legs, you are walking like me."  =D

My comp offered to wash one of my shirts. Stud. He threw it into a bucket with his shirts than used the chuga chuga (wooden pole with half of a 2 liter bottle screwed to one end). It was late so went to bed leaving the clothes in the bucket, which we do a lot. Guess we used the wrong bucket or someone left a pen in the shirt because the shirts came out with a strong blue color. We just starred at them for a while. ha

Lobo - Out

I was dying laughing about the Jim Gaffigan stuff f that you put in my package about lobster. While I was reading it, crazily my comp said, without knowing what I was reading, "I’m hungry. I feel like sea food; maybe lobster."    haha  Actually maybe it was for spending too much time together but that would happen all the time between us. One would say something and it would be exactly what the other was thinking about.  

We went to Torreon once again to get my comps knee checked out. It’s about an hours’ journey. The last time we had gone to the wrong doctor and the detour cost us 2-3 hours. This time we got there on the first try. The doctor is a member and an awesome lady.  We were cracking jokes while she was checking E. Lobos knee about how they would need to amputate it.

During the testimony meeting one older lady apparently didn’t get to share her testimony, but luckiyl she said the closing prayer. She started talking about Joseph Smith and saying in the prayer how she was grateful for it then kind of went into detail about it and it turned into a full blown testimony about the church. Ha, a subliminal message to the investigators. She ended by saying  "this is my testimony and I share it in the name of .... amen.  =D   There is a part of the other side of heaven  that is very similar. My comps opened our eyes at the end and instantly looked at each other – haha.

We contacted an older gal of about 80 years old, and went back later to teach her and her "son" as we thought. Well turns out that this 32ish  guy is her husband. =O     They went to church on a moped. She straps herself in and loves riding. What a champ lady!   

My district

A family that lives really close to the Fonsecas sent me two big jars of peanut butter!

My comp told everyone at church yesterday that i was heading out. Sucker ha. After 3 months together, my bud Lobo is heading out. He is a super solid guy.Actually it is really cool. He worked through some stuff about a year ago of something and since has been jr comp. Now he is going to be district leader to finish the mish off.

My next comp is one of my best friends that I met months ago on the mish - sooo Im pretty excited. My new comp is from Guatemala. He is a stud. Prob going to byu or utah state after so you will probably meet him. 

Didnt know that your kid went to europe....did ya?

If you can see it, the part on the right is a huge sand storm that over took us 20 seconds after I took the photo. This week was crazy with weather. Right after the sand storm a huge rainstorm hit us. We have  a small  patio back yards it filled with six inches of water and started entering the house.  The houses and streets are definitely not built for such weather and everyone had water dripping gin the house. 

Maricela & Nely

Dang, I am super sad that I wasn't there for the Warren Maw show. Love that guy. 

Maricela & Nely were baptized yesterday! It actually was somewhat dramatic. The older daughter threw a fit and didn´t want to go and support her mom and sister. This got the dad flared up and he started making claims that it would tear the family apart and that Nely wasn’t ready because she didn’t act well (sweetest little girl I have ever met). Eternal credit to Maricela; she said that she had a commitment with God and was going with or without her family. All but the other daughter went. When we saw them Nely was crying and there was definitely some contention so we started talking with them and they all calmed down and the husband agreed to support her baptism. The other stress was that we had arranged to have someone go early to fill of the font and he did, but then an hour before the baptism a different hermano saw that the water was sort of (not really) dirty and emptied it. We got there and had to fill it and it barely finished 5 mins before the ordinance; but it did make it!  One of the highlights was that they had Eulalio share his testimony and he gave a rousing 2 minute hand-hitting the podium sermon. It actually was very strong, and he told me after that he was shaking he was so nervous to give it. I’m proud of him.   

7/21/14

I am so excited about that new exercise equipment. I don’t really fit my pants anymore; too many greasy tacos.

I’m stoked that my pops and Obo and are at Steiner. We have family tradition there. From Gramps and his buds throwing the counselors in the lake; Gregg pushing one in the lake and hiding behind dad, and I had my own mischief....

Thanks for the Gaffigan quotes!  ha

Yesterday was super hot and humid and I told my comp it would rain. We were in a lesson and large drops started falling slowly and then within 1 min it was as if there was a massive bucket that had been turned upside down in the heavens.  It doesn’t rain a lot here in Torreon but when it does.... It is nuts. It only lasted 20 min but all of the streets were completely flooded and water started entering the houses and cars. It was actually fantastic at the climax of the rain we were sharing the first vision with the family so it was super intense! Our voices rose with the sound of the rain.  

Maricela and Nely are getting baptised this week! Woot Woot. There seems to be more baptisms in the summer.

A woman seemed to not notice that I have been shaving everyday like a big boy and told me that I have a baby face. My comp died laughing and tells everyone....   haha punk. I am thinking about declaring war like I did with Cate after she pantsed me in public and was then hit by a barrage of pranks.

We went and taught a super Christian man. We sang a hymn at the beginning but he didn’t want us to think we were in charge so he said "my turn" and then we listened to one of his Christian songs from his Ipod.  ha 

One of the busses we were riding had a bad fuse so the driver hotwired it ever 5 minutes. He had it all worked out and apart from the sparks and near explosion, it was really cool.

  

Ants and a 3-legged Race

This week:

On Friday I had a baptismal interview with a man who is an ex-soldier.  But about ten years ago he became paralyzed in an accident. He is a salesman and knows his trade. At one point in the interview I rubbed my eyes because my contacts were dry and he took advantage and started trying to advertise certain products that he sells. Ha, apparently he does it with the elders every time he visits them. It was a very fun interview. We had it in his house, and it took us an hour to walk there. On the way we took a short cut via a way that we had never taken before and a huge farm was there that was hidden away from view by tumble weeds and brush - a fun green surprise.

We bought Bug killer and totally dominated them ants in our apartment.   Ha - it was actually a great victory. The problem was that the mosquitoes heard that the ants had vacated the real estate and they moved in. They particularly like the Latins. At nights they went almost exclusively after my comp and he was withering around while I was snoring away, and I woke completely refreshed and looked over and he looked at me appearing completely exhausted and I said "what?"   Ha – that is why you shouldn’t eat sugar before bed. 

We often get mail from the "church´s most wanted" list. I sent a pic of one of those emails I had received a year ago. Well, last week they moved next door to the elders in our District. Ha - they aren’t super dangerous but it says watch out. So, we will be watching out. They go to church and try to sell stuff to the members. They use the same names as before. The page says that it should be posted on the bulletin of the ward. It isn’t currently; but imagine walking into church and seeing your face on a warning announcement. I suggested in the ward council meeting that we blow it up huge and put in on a cardboard frame and put Christmas lights around the edge. 

We found a couple here. She is member but hasn't gone to church for 15 years. He was showing me how he used to stretch and do push-ups.  He didn't want to go to church and said several times that he would not go. Then I asked at the end of the lesson if we could take a photo together. He was so flattered that he said: "what time is church,"  and said he wanted to go. Sure enough walked through the doors Sunday.

We are buddies with all of the local kids here. This one in particular follows us around. We were going to the church for an interview and he wanted to go.  His fam is now listening to the lessons and his mom got pretty emotional. 

We had a three legged race during a zone meeting. My comp and I totally....lost. Yup last place. We actually fell and crawled most of the ways. A couple of champs we are.

Other crazy news: I had to start shaving every day this week.  Stinks.  Just my stash and chin though. 

This week I also found and ate my first wild banana! They have a lot of plants here but they are always super green. Meish is all like "wow, how  incredible. You ate a banana. I did that like everyday."  And i´m all like "wait a minute." (with Canadian Border Patrol accent)  

Well I got's to go

Love,

Me

Her Sons

This week:

I had an interview with a fourteen year old girl that is member but they had lost her file in the church, which happens a bit, and so she had to be rebaptized.  What a sweet deal!   Free sin sweep. Get out of jail free card.  I tried to convince her to wait to until she was twenty because she probably hasn’t done anything in these tender 14 years; Just wait till you are in a Mexican high school...    (just kidding I didn´t really try to convince her to do that)     She was really mature but also a bit shy about being questioned by a twenty year old boy.  Interviews have been a fun part of these months.

We have had some real progress with several investigators. We had been waiting for between 13-20 in church yesterday but in the morning the messages started coming in of the sick stomachs and inability to leave the house, etc. . We went to pick up a family and an old man to take them. The old man had spoken to his Christian neighbors after we had left and they had convinced him that the Book of Mormon was false and he had promised that he would go to church with them. As we were talking to him the woman left the house and stated that they would pass by in a few minutes to take him with them.  The other family: the parents are less active members and feel nervous and guilty because of the way they live their lives. They had left early in the morning to go shopping and had left their kids to tell us.  But we still had 6 solid investigators show up and one stood up and bore her testimony to the relief society. 

We had transfers in the mish here last night. Luckily we didn´t, but we told one señora investigator that I might be heading out yesterday to say goodbye in case and she said that she was going to cry at that thought because she thinks of us as her sons. I have built a lot of friendships in this area and really will miss it when I take off. 

I was reading in the Book of Moses of his confrontation with Satan and his splitting question: -where is your glory?  He needed to be covered with glory to even see God and then was left exhausted. Satan was nothing after that and easily seen. I had read and heard the passage many times before but it had new meaning after my months here. The filth of Satan is everywhere. Every street corner presents magazines full of smut, foul language, and explicit songs. Sin is unashamed. You don’t have to look for it, it comes to you. You don’t need altered eyes to see it; you need to alter your eyes to not see it. That alteration often comes in the form of looking the ground while walking.  On the other hand I have had to spend hours and hours every day studying, praying, analyzing and serving to have even a part of the glory of God brought to me so that I can really see what is His and what He wants. Without that light I will become complete blind, like many of the people that I try to serve every day. Blind to what really matters; blind to the spiritual architecture that is structured to make us happy and to the real needs of others including our own.

Me Tripping in Front of the Whole Zone

I just watched the Powell video. Out of all the families in the worlds, my family, as it turns out, just happens to be the best.

Love yáll 

catch ya next week

President Flores

My comp got tendinitis in his knee, probably because his single pair of shoes is well past its life span. His knee became swollen and has been bothering him for the past week so we called Hermana Flores and told her. She asked if we wanted to go to a doctor in our area or go to one of the mission doctors in Torreon. The local doctors are expensive and not always reliable so he chose to see a mission doctor. That meant we had to travel into Torreon. Before getting on the bus we went back to our house to get water and use the bathroom. On the way we saw the bus and took off running for it. My comp has seen one doctor before but he was confused on which one he was seeing. When we got there we found out that we were at the wrong place. We spent more than 2 hours backtracking trying to get to the right office. Nearly 4 hours later we hadn't had any water and we were dying and grumpy. Finally, we got some water and downed it like a couple of camels.

In the doctor’s office there was a member of the University Ward (my 2^nd area). I recognized her but couldn't remember her name.  The doctor checked my companion’s knee and then decided to inject it with a pain-killer and some medicine to reduce the swelling. He was sweating bullets over getting a shot. The doctor teased him over how nervous he was. Because it took us so long to get to the doctor, it was too late to catch a bus back to our apartment. I was thinking about walking to the Fonseca’s home and asking for a ride but a man in the doctor’s office heard us talking and said he was going that direction. He saved us and we had a great chat. We even made it home before curfew.

This past week a man contacted us in the street and told us he wanted to hear our message. Fantastic – we went right to his house. (I have to admit I was a bit nervous). He told us that he practiced Islam and we had a great chat. I enjoyed discussing a religion that was completely new to me – new questions, new scriptures, and a new emphasis. He was very educated, knows 5+ languages, and a depth of knowledge of history. After talking for some time we needed to leave for another appointment.  Last night we went back and talked about languages, the church, and the Bible. He knew a surprising amount about the church. He had several Books of Mormon in multiple languages, Jesus the Christ, Preach my Gospel, quoted the Prophets and the Ensign, and he knew about the Temple. We were thinking: “Who is this guy?” At one point I asked him if he was already Mormon. He gave me a funny look like I knew something. Eventually my com-padre invited him to be baptized. Finally, he said “ok, I have to tell you that I was baptized when I was 17.  He told us a story about various unfortunate offenses as an early church member and occasional boredom in church classes (I have gained an appreciation for good teaching on my mission). He talked to some missionaries a year ago and became interested to return to the church only to have some additional negative experiences at church. He told us that he is now facing a decision because, after falling away from the church, he found himself looking for spiritual fulfillment. Through friends in France, he discovered Islam. He felt at home there because many of their beliefs are similar.  He contacted us to gain clarity on a few topics. We spent 4 hours with him talking about languages and religion. We will see how future conversations go.

The World Cup is on here. Too bad we can’t watch anything. We hear about it every day, all the time from the ninos on the street or shouts from inside houses as we pass by. When Mexico plays, it is absolutely the worst because nobody wants to talk to us. Mexico was playing yesterday during Stake Conference. It was great to see how many people showed up for the conference in spite of the big game. As we left the conference we passed by a restaurant that had the game on the TV and we saw the end as Mexico lost. I thought, “how unfortunate for those who skipped the conference for the game.” But, it would have been fun if they had been able to keep winning.

Stake Conference was fantastic. President Flores had us prepare a number and when he said the magic word in his talk, all the missionaries stood up to sing. It actually sounded quite good. The highlight of the conference was two talks given by the Stake President. He seems kind of quirky; like a mix between the personality of Martin Short and the Mr. Mom guy. But, he is a great speaker and has a real ability to keep people’s attention.

Our area is very dry with tons of abandoned houses. President Flores goes home today. He’s a great man and he has done a terrific job turning the mission around.